Chapter 84. Viscount Wolfskrig (3)

Olif, Brol, Karen, Damas, Randal, and Bart.

I gathered all the officers for the first time in a while.

For reference, their affiliation is no longer the Ash Mercenary Band.

This is because the mercenary band has been reorganized under the name 'Wolfskrig Viscount's Army'.

In a word, they are my private soldiers now that I have become a noble.

Well, not that anything has actually changed.

“Where is the 3rd Battalion commander? Ah, there he is.”

“A bit late. My apologies.”

“You're still on time, so it's fine. Battalion Commander Karen, where is the Captain of the Guard?”

“The old man isn't here yet. He said he has a stomachache.”

The positions have been reorganized.

Brol to the Guard, Damas to the 1st Battalion, Randal to the 3rd Battalion.

And Olif, who is in charge of attendance, is the 4th Battalion commander and the acting lord in my absence.

The company system was also reorganized into a battalion system.

This was because additional volunteers had joined us on the way down from the Imperial Capital to Wolfskrig, and the headcount had soon reached nearly 2,500.

An army that could be considered a proper regiment-sized force, with a new unit called the artillery corps created in addition to the existing infantry, archer, and cavalry corps.

‘…Finally.’

Personally, it was perhaps the most satisfying moment in the last few months.

I've said it time and again, but I'm of the opinion that gunpowder should be added to the three great powers of the Empire to make it four.

Anyway, according to Imperial law, in principle, only the Imperial army can operate gunpowder weapons above a certain caliber.

However, some authorized nobles can operate them, and I had obtained permission during the dinner to which the Emperor had summoned me after the enfeoffment ceremony.

For now, I've placed it under my direct command, but I'll have to find a suitable person to entrust it to gradually.

“*Gasp*, phew! Sorry I’m late. I think I ate the wrong side dish yesterday, my stomach…!”

“Old man, did you wash your hands?”

“Why are you always picking on me? Of course, I wash… Oh, wait a minute. I'll be right back!”

“……Good grief.”

Anyway, it was time.

Everyone arrived on time, except for old man Brol, who was a little late.

Karen, who was practically the proposer of this meeting, spoke first.

She looked at the map of the Wolfskrig Viscounty and its surroundings spread out on the large table and said.

“For the past month, the 2nd Battalion has been carrying out the mission of securing the fief's borders as you commanded, Your Lordship. The plains were handled by Captain of the Guard Brol and Battalion Commander Damas, and we were in charge of the forests.”

“There was nothing special on the plains side. Except for the occasional wandering zombies or skeletons.”

“We sent a reconnaissance team towards the Vampire Duchy, but it was quiet. It was astonishingly quiet, with no movement at all.”

“Astonishingly?”

“To be honest, I was a little worried. I heard that the Princess of Blood destroyed the Gunterburk lord’s castle and killed the count at the beginning of the civil war….”

Damas scratched his head.

Well, it’s true that the Princess of Blood is that powerful.

However, that Princess of Blood should be very busy right about now.

She would be struggling to break through the rough terrain of the Ashupireu Mountains to save her father.

Still, by now, shouldn't she have found the cave with the altar?

Perhaps she has already succeeded in the revival ritual of the Vampire Duke.

‘Even so, she'll need other conditions to fully regain her power.’

When I received her help in Gunterburk, I said I would visit her as Tribus.

What can I do?

I'm in a tight spot myself and have no time.

Anyway, to summarize Karen’s subsequent report, it was as follows.

***

Reconnaissance and securing the borders.

This was the mission I had entrusted to the soldiers while the farmlands were being purified over the past month.

Here, the border, in the case of a normal fief, is like a border between fiefs recorded in a document based on an agreement with a neighboring fief.

Usually, a fief means a certain amount of farmland centered on a city, fortress, or village, and a wilderness dozens of times larger than that.

Wolfskrig is a bit different.

This is a pioneer city at the edge of the border.

There is no such thing as a border around this fief, which juts out at the southeastern tip of the Empire.

The only legal, that is, 'border' under Imperial law, is the border with the Barony of Burken to the north.

Of course, three hundred years ago, there would have been neighboring fiefs.

However, the important thing is that there are no families or forces left to claim them.

Even if there were, they have all become vampires.

In short, since there is no written border, we have begun the work of directly reconnoitering and securing the area that can be effectively controlled.

We also hurried because we didn't know when an external force might invade.

The problem came after that.

“As commanded, we have also placed forward outposts in the forest. We have had the rangers work in shifts.”

We installed outposts on the secured borders of the fief.

Outpost duty was entrusted to the private soldiers and the Imperial army for the wilderness.

The forest was entrusted to the rangers among my forces.

“The rangers on duty at three of the outposts have disappeared completely. Both the personnel who went for the shift change, the personnel who were supposed to return after finishing their shift, and the personnel dispatched to investigate their whereabouts.”

“Were they all rangers?”

“……Yes.”

Karen lowered her head.

This hurts a bit.

Rangers are high-quality personnel.

Their individual combat power is one thing, but as a reconnaissance resource, they are on par with a decent cavalry reconnaissance unit.

Above all, their mobility and scouting abilities in the forest are unparalleled among the Imperial army branches.

“The number of losses?”

“Eighteen official rangers and six apprentice rangers who were in training.”

“…Twenty-four.”

“Shall we send a search party?”

Olif said.

“Even if they were ambushed, they might still be alive in the forest.”

I nodded.

“Form two units with a mix of spearmen, swordsmen, crossbowmen, a few rangers, and one knight.”

“Avoid combat as much as possible, and if unavoidable, engage in combat but prioritize survival.”

“Issue an evacuation order to the farmers farming near where the disappearances occurred.”

“Yes, Your Lordship.”

“Understood, Your Lordship.”

Search and rescue is a matter of urgency.

The meeting was adjourned.

The search parties departed two hours later.

They returned after completing their mission at dawn two nights later.

There were no fatalities.

But the scratches, clumps of fur, and bloodstains stuck to their armor and weapons told at a glance what they had fought.

The number of rangers they rescued was eleven, less than half of the twenty-four.

“Beastmen. They had established a position in the forest.”

I asked the search party leader, just in case.

Given the wandering nature of beastmen, they would usually disappear on their own if left alone.

“Was there a banner?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of emblem was it? If you don’t remember, even the color will do.”

“It was an emblem of a white palm on a black background. It had six fingers.”

It was an emblem I knew.

The Consecrator of the Beast Hide, Grok-Tau.

He is a legendary hero of the beastmen forces, just like the 'Beastpriest of the Full Moon' I faced before.

His specialty is building a living, moving fortress in the forest.

In other words, unlike a typical group of beastmen, these guys plan to settle down and stay.

“Prepare the punitive force.”

I cannot let him complete his fortress.

There is a resource in that forest that must be secured.

***

Among those who first play ‘Warlord Conquest,’ there are quite a few who think that as long as you’re good at combat, that’s all that matters.

Combat is the most important thing.

If you lose to an enemy of only a thousand with a force of ten thousand, the game itself wouldn't work.

Well, what can you do?

You'd have to quit the game.

However, assuming you are somewhat competent in combat, the higher the difficulty, the more important internal affairs become, just as much as combat.

This is because every faction except mine overcomes its own crises at an unbelievable speed and becomes strong in an instant.

It is impossible to overcome that gap with tactics alone.

And generally, internal affairs are synonymous with fief management.

Olif cleared his throat softly.

“You need to rest.”

I briefly took my eyes off the operation map.

Late at night.

The office was submerged in silence.

The same went for the streets outside the window.

“Good work. You can head in first.”

“You must replenish your stamina now. We have a battle ahead of us.”

“The expedition is in three days. The residents are already anxious. I can't just lie down and sleep comfortably alone.”

If I had to pick one of the most important stats in fief management, it would be ‘loyalty.’

Simply put, it’s the public sentiment.

The security of the fief is a condition directly linked to public sentiment.

Unlike in the Republic of Korea, the security here is difficult to express even with the word ‘poor.’

It’s a world where it’s common sense for even farmers to carry a spear or a sharply honed farming tool that can serve as a long weapon, along with their farming tools, when they go out to the fields.

Just the rumor that beastmen had appeared was enough to considerably dampen the atmosphere on the streets.

It had only calmed down a little because the punitive operation was announced.

“Your Lordship.”

Olif called again.

This time, I didn't turn my gaze.

It was a silent dismissal.

Anyway, this punitive operation will be a decisive turning point that will determine the early development of the fief….

“You're not a superhuman like the members of the Imperial Secret Knight Order.”

“……”

I’ll be honest.

If the goal was to get my attention, it was a success.

I sighed and lifted my head.

The white-haired knight was looking at me with an unreadable expression.

“How did you know?”

“I've been half-suspecting it for quite some time.”

Was that so?

Well, he’s not dense either.

The Imperial Secret Knight Order is a hidden blade that the Emperor has honed for a long time.

A dagger meant to strike a blow at the enemies of the Empire, both internal and external, when they show an opening.

Being called a hero in the civil war is one thing, but receiving a viscount title and a fief is indeed strange for someone with the status of a secret knight.

Olif thought for a moment and then continued.

“It was in the Imperial Capital that I became certain you were not a secret knight.”

“In the Imperial Capital?”

“Archduke Gabir casually asked me. He said His Majesty the Emperor was secretly gathering talented individuals, and asked if I was interested in joining the secret knight order.”

My throat felt a little dry.

The cup was empty.

I tried to pour water from the ceramic pitcher, but my hand slipped.

“Ah.”

The pitcher fell.

However, it didn't hit the floor and shatter into pieces.

Olif had quickly snatched the pitcher.

He let out a small sigh and said.

“I told him that I would, if I could continue to serve alongside Commander Ash there. The Archduke gave a bitter smile.”

“Did he?”

“Your Lordship, please understand my heart, as I cannot bear to lose my lord twice.”

Olif poured water into the cup.

Come to think of it, Olif had spent a long time with the executed Baron Burken.

“I’m a person with a lot of affection. I don’t know if it’s my original nature or because I’m getting older.”

“……”

“Rest is also a strategy, Your Lordship. Even if good fortune comes to your door, only those with leisure can open it and accept it.”

I wonder.

I did overdo it.

I know I’m testing the limits of my stamina.

I didn’t rest when others did, and it was rare for me to sleep more than three hours.

I couldn’t help it.

The damn Inferno difficulty was rushing me.

I don’t know when the Ratmen crisis will erupt again.

When the Vampire Duke is resurrected, I’ll have to negotiate with him.

With a powerful force led by a tricky beastmen hero right at our doorstep, I have to somehow manage public sentiment and develop the fief as quickly as possible.

It would be strange not to feel rushed when thinking about the omens of crises that are invisible, happening beyond the screen.

Olif handed me the water cup.

“Luark will also give good fortune to those who are able to receive it.”

“There is no such verse in the scriptures.”

“How would I know? I’ve never read it.”

I laughed in disbelief.

Olif also laughed out loud.

“Alright, I should rest. I lost my concentration from laughing.”

“A good thought. As I said, Luark will grant you unexpected good fortune after you have rested, Your Lordship.”

I don’t know if Olif’s words were true.

However, good fortune did come to me the next day.

My good fortune was a person.

“Greetings, Your Lordship.”

“William!”

The priest I met in Gunterburk.

The person who played the most crucial role in the operation to electrocute and roast the beastmen came to see me.

“Glory to Luark. It seems I have come at a very chaotic time.”

“No, it’s the opposite.”

It seems my emotions were running high.

Seeing that I hugged William without realizing it.

“Glory to Luark. You have come at the best possible time.”

I had found someone to entrust the artillery corps to.