Chapter 112

The Treno Family was a traditional noble power in Ratio, but they did not support the Pope. On the contrary, they were more on the side of opposing the Pope to check and reduce his influence.

That was why when Elance invaded Ratio, the Treno Family quickly switched sides.

In the first place, wasn’t it just changing their sign from the Schwarzwald side to the Elance side? There was nothing difficult about it.

Thanks to this flexible way of thinking, the Treno Family had been able to prosper until now.

Of course, in exchange for their prosperity, they had to earn the hatred of the Pope’s supporters, but that was a price worth paying. The rewards and concessions that fell from Elance were sweeter than anything else.

With that background, the Treno Family immediately figured out the Black Company's intentions as soon as they heard they were marching north.

The Pope is about to cause trouble!

I was wondering why he was being so quiet!

We must absolutely prevent the Black Company from joining forces with the Pope!

It was only natural that the Treno Family took action.

“Halt! Halt! No one passes beyond this point!”

“We are merely on a pilgrimage. Please open the way.”

“We know nothing of that.”

“What kind of law is this? I heard you are a renowned family of Ratio. Does it make sense for such people to block pilgrims?”

“In the first place, why are pilgrims heavily armed?”

“It is only to protect ourselves from the attacks of bandits. The roads are full of dangers.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We cannot permit such a large armed force to approach the city.”

“By what authority?”

“We are only following orders from above. If you have a complaint, go back.”

Negotiations broke down.

Watching the messenger return with a white flag lowered, the commander of the Treno Family scoffed.

“Those guys don’t seem to be anything special. But what can they do? They surely don’t have the guts to cause bloodshed in front of the thousand-year-old capital, Ratio.”

That was why the Treno Family could be so confident even with the Black Company before them.

Where was Ratio? Was it not the spiritual center of the Western Church?

Surely a lowly mercenary wouldn’t be crazy enough to start a fight in front of the holy land of the Western Church?

It was a complete misjudgment.

First of all, Leon Gryph was not only not a believer of the Western Church, but he also did not fear God. On the contrary, he held strong discontent and even hatred towards the unidentified transcendental being that had brought him to this world.

Having grown up in a modern atheistic environment with a dull religious sensibility and low understanding was a bonus.

Moreover, he had received Bishop Ceras' approval, so there was nothing holding him back.

Now it was the Treno Family's turn to pay the price for underestimating Leon Gryph.

***

Randolfo, who had gone as the envoy, reported.

“The Treno Family has no intention of moving aside. It felt like nothing I said would get through.”

“Well. I expected as much.”

“Should we just push through? But that’s a holy land behind them.”

“If that’s what they want, then that’s what we’ll have to do.”

Although I had given the order to prepare for battle, I had no intention of starting a fight right away.

There was a big difference between attacking blindly and attempting a conversation. I had to at least send an envoy and pretend to negotiate so that I could later frame it as an ‘unavoidable, accidental incident,’ wouldn't I?

As I had hoped, the Treno Family had no intention of moving aside either.

Now it was time to determine who was superior.

I looked at the battlefield.

The Treno forces were positioned in the open area of the main road. This meant they were completely exposed on all four sides and vulnerable to attack.

They seemed confident that I wouldn't be able to attack.

But if that was the case, didn't Elance invade Ratio? Wasn't it just a short while ago that Elance had set off fireworks in Apennia?

I was very curious to see what kind of expressions they would make when they realized their belief in their own invincibility was a delusion.

“Then who should I send?”

“The Eleonor Regiment is ready! Please send us!”

“No! The Urdino Regiment is the elite of the elite! Please send me, please! Duke Gryph!”

As soon as the battle was decided, Eleonor and Cavaldi stepped forward, foaming at the mouth as if they had been waiting.

Their fighting spirit is overflowing, which is great to see. Just perfect.

But I had no intention of deploying the two of them here.

“No. Both of you will remain in reserve.”

“What! Why!”

“You can’t use a knife meant for slaughtering a cow to kill a chicken.”

“Ahem. I appreciate the high praise, but still…”

“No. No changes. Go back.”

At my firmness, Eleonor’s and Cavaldi’s shoulders slumped. Behind them, Cavaldi's adjutant, Delapin, shook his head.

Beside me, Theo asked.

“Then who will you send?”

“Deploy the Messina and Pescara Battalions.”

The Messina and Pescara Battalions were newly formed units created with the establishment of the Southern Alliance. Rene and Luca were in charge of each of them respectively.

Theo, with his AI-level intelligence, immediately saw through my intentions.

“You’re trying to make those two compete? Those troublemakers?”

“Shouldn’t those guys start experiencing the world too?”

“I’d rather have them guard the latrines.”

“I understand how you feel, but.”

Theo shivered as he spoke. Honestly, I agreed with him a little.

Rene Calaci and Luca Orso had completed their training with the highest honors and were appointed as officers, taking charge of the Messina and Pescara Battalions respectively.

However, due to the bad blood they had developed during training, the relationship between the two was extremely poor.

Even after being kicked in the rear, disciplined, and scolded, they did not hide their hatred whenever they caught sight of each other.

Normally, I would have kicked both of them out of the unit for disrupting the atmosphere, but the Black Company was in a situation where people were precious.

Moreover, placing people in the right place at the right time is the commander's ability. In other words, it was my role.

In the end, I had no choice but to utilize the two of them, half-forcefully, and the method I chose to extract efficiency from them was to make them compete.

Competition is not necessarily a bad thing. Depending on how it’s used, it can be utilized effectively.

…I really hope so.

“If they embarrass me in front of Bishop Ceras, I swear I’ll really turn them into latrine ghosts then.”

“Do you really think those guys won’t cause trouble?”

“I’ve said this much, surely they wouldn’t?”

“See? You’re not sure either, Young Master.”

“Damn it.”

I stepped forward and surveyed the battlefield once more. And I thought of someone to hold Rene and Luca’s reins.

“Call Rhom.”

Now, it was time for the power level scanner to be dispatched.

***

“Damn it. Why do I have to fight alongside you?”

“That’s my line. Don’t get in my way, or you’ll regret it.”

“That’s rich. You better not come begging for my help later.”

“Hmph.”

Rene and Luca engaged in a fierce argument even before the battle began, and the war of nerves continued as the troops were dispatched.

“Men of Pescara! It’s time to show those Messina pigs our true strength! We can no longer be looked down upon by four-legged beasts!”

“Men of Messina! How long must we hear that we are inferior to the Pescara dogs! At this rate, we might have to guard the wagons for the rest of our lives!”

“Unit, advance!”

“Go! Wipe out those bastards blocking the road!”

The subordinates ignored their commanders and marched forward. They were truly commanders to be ashamed of anywhere.

“They must be too tired to fight after arguing for months. Why do they fight like that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re both sexually frustrated. Can’t they just have a good fight and make up?”

“Stop your chattering over there and get moving!”

“Sorry! But honestly, Sergeant, you’re annoyed too, right?”

“Ahem. We’ll talk later. Later. This is a battle situation! We are men of Messina! We can’t lose to Pescara!”

“Everyone, follow the commander! It’s time to crush Pescara’s pride!”

The small flame ignited by Rene and Luca’s competition spread to their subordinates.

Originally, soldiers and mercenaries were alike in their lack of motivation. The true feeling of the majority was that they would like to earn money safely without fighting as much as possible and return to their hometowns.

But their pride was on the line.

This was an era where people lived and died by their reputation. To appear more cowardly than others here was unthinkable.

Moreover, the fact that their comparison was with people from a neighboring country with whom they had a bad relationship was also a problem. No matter what, they couldn't help but think they had to fight better than those damn bastards.

The Messina and Pescara Battalions began their attack with vigor. They formed a square formation and marched across the field.

“Huh? Are those bastards on drugs? What’s with them?”

“Is that important right now? They’re charging at us!”

“Oh, God.”

The Treno Family's troops, on the other hand, were flustered when the Black Company showed aggressive movement.

They had relied solely on the holy land behind them and had not prepared any other countermeasures.

“What. Are those crazy bastards really attacking? Are they planning to shed blood in front of the holy land?”

“Your Excellency. Now is not the time for that! Please give us your orders!”

“R-right. I should. Everyone, hold your positions and assume a defensive stance!”

The Treno commander belatedly came to his senses and gave orders.

But sometimes, the tide of battle was decided by momentum alone.

The vanguard of the Black Company, burning with fighting spirit, was a mix of infantry and cavalry, and it was hard to see them as orderly.

However, the killing intent they exuded was enough to break the Treno Family's will.

Even before the first clash, there were more than a few soldiers who had already turned and fled. As it was a unit cobbled together from various places, it was inevitable that their motivation was low.

“Aaargh! Everyone, run!”

“Stop! I’ll kill you if you run! Hold the line!”

“You do it! How are we supposed to stop that!”

The rearguard officers tried to stop the deserters, but they couldn't stop everyone who was screaming and shouting.

At least a few knights in the front line stood their ground instead of fleeing. A knight of the Treno Family shouted at the approaching enemy.

“Halt! You shall not pass!”

“Why do I need your permission for that?”

“Insolent fool! State your name!”

“I am the commander of the Messina Battalion! Rene Calaci! Remember it!”

Rene proudly shouted his name and cut down the knight who charged at him.

Luca, who was fighting on the opposite side, criticized Rene.

“You idiot! Are you asking to be killed? Do you want to attract that much attention?”

“If you’re jealous, you do it too!”

“Kuh.”

There is a saying that stupidity is contagious. The intelligent Luca felt his intelligence decreasing the more he argued with Rene. In the end, he decided to ignore Rene.

And the two soon realized how dangerous it was to attract attention by shouting on the battlefield.

As soon as the commander's position was revealed, the knights of the Treno Family all targeted and attacked Rene.

“That’s the commander! Get him!”

“Come at me one by one! Damn it! Have you no honor?”

“There’s no such thing on the battlefield!”

“Aaargh!”

What saved the two in crisis was the heavy cavalry led by Rhom.

“You idiots! You’re doing great on the battlefield!”

“Instructor! You came to save us!”

“No! I came to wreck you!”

“Instructor…?”

“Just you wait until we get back!”

With a few simple words, Rhom dazed Rene and Luca and led his horse into the Treno Family's formation. The elite cavalry of the Black Company followed him.

“Unit, at maximum speed! Charge!”

“Waaaahhh!”

Though he was pushed around within the mercenary company, Rhom was a troll who was second to none when it came to combat. His true worth was revealed in a charge.

A blow that combined the strength of a troll with the speed of a horse was not something anyone could easily block.

CRASH!

At Rhom’s charge, the knights surrounding Rene flew into the air like scarecrows.

Rhom himself felt like he was going to die. Cold sweat poured down his back.

“I’m so screwed.”

The very Rene and Luca he had been so worried and concerned about had caused an accident in a real battle. And they had self-destructed in a very grand way!

Getting surrounded while happily chatting amongst themselves! It was an absurd mistake that even a newly knighted squire wouldn't make.

That wasn't the only problem.

He could already see himself getting chewed out from above for how he had trained the new recruits when he got back.

Just imagining it made him feel like stomach acid was rising in his throat, and Rhom despaired.

So, Rhom decided to take out his frustration on the Treno Family instead. He had no particular grudge against them, but… no, they were the cause, so they deserved to die. If he achieved some military merit, maybe the chewing out would be less severe.

“You sons of bitches! Kneel if you want to live!”

The cavalry led by Rhom plunged directly into the collapsing center of the enemy. In an instant, the final line of resistance was broken. It was the moment the path to the enemy commander was opened.

There, in front, was an enemy commander with splendid decorations on his helmet and armor.

The Treno commander, who had failed to either retreat or attack, finally decided to fight. He raised his spear and confronted Rhom.

“Who are you? State your name!”

“Rhom, the Knight of Aosta.”

“Rhom? The one who fought Duke Urdino?”

“Yes!”

The Treno commander was terrified. Rhom was famous in Apennia for having fought Duke Cavaldi of Urdino. The fact that Rhom had lost that fight was not important. The only thing that mattered was that the fight had happened.

The Treno commander, who lacked the confidence to even stand against Rhom, let alone Cavaldi, immediately tried to pull back. But it was too late.

Rhom swung his sword with fury.

A simple but powerful blow.

A force that truly crushed down like a great mountain.

“Die!”

“Heok!”

CRASH!

One second.

That was how long it took for the Treno commander to learn a new lesson. It was not an easy thing for a mere human to fight against a troll.

He tumbled down from his horse. Rhom’s men did not miss the opportunity. They immediately rushed in and tied him up with ropes.

It was the moment Leon's prepared blow completely decided the fate of the battle.

Rhom shouted triumphantly.

“Enemy commander! Defeated!”