Chapter 148

Peralta.

He asked the young king again, who was speaking with a very serious expression, or rather, with an air that it had already been ‘decided’.

“Y-Your Highness. What do you mean by that? That you will be the ‘bait’…?”

Was there a problem with my plan? Is there a part you didn't like?

—Peralta was so surprised that he couldn't even ask that important question.

“Literally. Luring the main force of the monster army to the trap in the Ness Plains, I will do that.”

“N-no, I mean…”

Peralta’s eyes darted around as he thought.

He took a deep breath and carefully asked again.

“May I know the reason? The reason why you, Your Highness, would personally become the bait?”

“I judged it to be the most efficient. Since I would be the one the enemy most wants to catch. Also, I ride a Gryphon better than anyone in our kingdom. So I can escape on a Gryphon no matter what variables occur during the operation.”

“……”

He was right.

As the king said, the one the enemy—the monster army—would most want to kill would be the king, and the one who could escape the best no matter what problems arose during the operation was also King Leonardo.

But even so, Peralta could not accept the king’s words at face value.

Because it was too dangerous a gamble.

“E-even so, that is too dangerous! If something… happens to you, Your Highness, the Plank Kingdom is finished! Even if we win the war, after that—!”

“Peralta.”

“……”

“Did I not say it clearly? That this war is a war already won, so I want a perfect victory with minimal casualties.”

“…Yes, you did say that.”

“For that, we must draw up the most efficient strategy. As I said before, is there anyone in our kingdom right now who can play the role of ‘bait’ better than I can?”

There wasn’t.

The king was indeed the perfect bait.

Yes. It was something Peralta understood a hundred times and agreed with a thousand times.

Nevertheless.

“But Your Highness, I dare say, it cannot be done. As the ‘staff officer’ of this war, I can never permit a change in your plan.”

“Are you that worried about me? That I might die?”

“Yes, I am worried. Of course, I know that Your Highness has great swordsmanship skills and physical abilities. But you have never been to a battlefield. The battlefield is by no means an easy place. It is a place where you cannot see an inch ahead, where no one knows what choice to make, and where mistakes happen even if you make the perfect choice. So—.”

As Peralta was earnestly trying to persuade Leonardo.

Snicker—.

Leonardo smiled lightly, stood up from his chair, and looked Peralta straight in the eye as he spoke.

“‘A place where you cannot see an inch ahead, where no one knows what choice to make, where mistakes happen even if you make the perfect choice.’”

“……”

“If that is the battlefield—.”

As he was speaking, Leonardo grabbed his sword hanging on the wall.

He finished his words as he headed for the door.

“I have lived my whole life doing such things. From the time I was born as a weak crown prince who could die at any moment, to this very moment of preparing for this war that will change the fate of the kingdom.”

“……”

“So don’t worry about me and change the strategy a little. I will be the ‘bait’, and Commander Jereuth will be sent to the northern or southern Monster Mountains.”

Click—.

As if he had nothing more to say after finishing his words, King Leonardo.

He slung the sword over his right shoulder and opened the door and left.

Carrying a sword slung over one’s shoulder like that was not an attitude a king or a knight should show. It was disrespectful to the sword.

However, Peralta did not think so at all.

He had been consumed by the words of King Leonardo a moment ago, by the atmosphere full of confidence and responsibility.

Even that arrogant posture suited the king’s dignity so well.

‘My king… is stronger than the Emperor of the Angla Empire. Even stronger than that great emperor called the Emperor of Iron and Blood.’

Since Leonardo had already left the room, Peralta could no longer stay in this room. He had also been ordered to revise the plan.

In the end, Peralta could do nothing but let out a sigh.

‘To change the Commander from being the bait to an attack role… that might shorten the duration of the war by a third.’

Someone might ask if the presence of just one person could make such a big difference.

But Peralta could assert it.

‘If he is on the battlefield, the tide changes. He is not a great knight who the demons hate and fear, and yet at the same time, respect, for nothing.’

Thinking about that point, it was a very effective strategy for the king to be the bait and.

For Jereuth to defend the fortress in the south or north of the Monster Mountains and then ‘attack’.

‘A shorter war duration means that much less damage. That is the most important benefit.’

That’s right. The benefits of turning Jereuth to the attack were great.

But the problem still was… if by some chance the king were to get hurt, all of that would be for naught.

The king’s safety was more important than the lives of a thousand, no, ten thousand soldiers—.

—Stop.

“……No.”

Peralta, who had come out of Leonardo’s room, was on his way to Jereuth’s office when he stopped in his tracks and muttered to himself.

Looking out the window, he saw the king training together with the knights and soldiers who were doing voluntary training today.

—Haap!

—Don’t even think about being tired! The body can be controlled by the mind!

—Iyaaaaaa!

—Push harder! Harder!

—If you shed one more drop of sweat in training, you will shed a thousand fewer drops of blood on the battlefield!

‘The king said so. Not to worry. Then I just have to follow. To doubt, that itself is an insult to the king.’

Strengthening his thoughts once again.

Peralta headed for Jereuth’s office with vigorous steps.

The only thing he was worried about was how Jereuth would react.

‘The role of the bait is the most dangerous and important role. That’s why the Commander firmly said he would do it… what kind of reaction will he show when he hears that His Highness will do it.’

He might get scolded by the Commander for no reason. For letting the king make such a decision.

—That thought crossed Peralta’s mind.

And, Peralta’s thought was right on the mark.

***

Crash—!

“W-what?! His Highness said he would play the role of the bait?!”

Striking the desk so hard it almost broke.

Jereuth shouted at Peralta, who was tensed up in front of him.

“What does that mean! Why did His Highness say he would be the bait, Peralta?! What did you say!!”

“W-well… His Highness said that he himself was the ‘most perfect bait’. Both for luring the enemy and for escaping if a problem arises.”

“……!!”

Just like when Peralta had heard from Leonardo that 「“I will be the bait.”」.

Jereuth was also dumbfounded when he heard the shocking words.

“What on earth is His Highness… huh.”

Jereuth let out a deep sigh.

‘…Does His Highness not trust me? Is that why he judged that I couldn’t do that role?’

His pride was hurt.

But more than that, he felt sorry.

Because, for the king not to entrust him with that important role.

It meant that his efforts to show his best until now were, in fact, not satisfactory to the king.

‘I’m sorry to His Highness, but I can’t just let this go. This is absolutely not acceptable. I need to hear what I am lacking, and why His Highness is insisting on taking that risk.’

As Jereuth was thinking.

Peralta subtly turned his gaze and looked at the elf who was watching the situation with her arms crossed in a corner of the room.

It was Silvia.

‘Why is that elf in the Commander’s office? Come to think of it… I think she went to the Commander’s room after the meeting yesterday. What is the relationship between those two—.’

As Peralta was thinking.

Thump!

Jereuth kicked his chair over and shot up.

“Where is His Highness? I will speak to His Highness myself. That I will take the role of the ‘bait’!”

“Y-you will speak to him yourself, Commander? His Highness already said he had decided so.”

It was unexpected. That Jereuth, who followed King Leonardo’s words more than anyone else in this kingdom, would argue against him.

‘It must be that unacceptable to the Commander as well. For the king to take that risk… no, that’s not it.’

Looking at Jereuth’s expression, Peralta could tell that his thoughts were wrong.

‘…The Commander is angry. Is his pride hurt?’

The most important and most dangerous role of the ‘bait’.

It seemed he couldn’t stand someone else doing it instead of him, the kingdom’s best knight.

Even if that someone was the king.

‘It’s natural given the Commander’s personality… but this is a very difficult situation for me. It is the role of the staff officer to mediate between the Commander and the king.’

Peralta found the current situation very difficult. Because he was uncomfortably caught between the two most powerful people in the kingdom.

Though he didn’t show it on the outside.

‘First, let’s hear what the Commander has to say to His Highness. If their argument gets too heated… I’ll think about that then. Perhaps His Highness will be able to placate the Commander appropriately.’

Peralta hoped so.

Since the responsibility given to him was already so heavy, it seemed it would be very difficult if another responsibility were added.

***

“Pant… pant… I-I’ve lost.”

“I-I’ll stop too.”

The mid-rank knight and high-rank knight who were sparring with me let out ragged breaths and knelt on one knee.

The knights and soldiers who were watching the spar from the sidelines were so surprised by this result that they couldn’t make a sound, their eyes wide with shock.

It seemed no one had expected me to be able to take on both of them at once.

-…….

-…….

-…….

They didn’t even murmur, they all just looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

“Good work. Rest.”

“Yes, thank you. I really… learned a lot, Your Highness.”

“I also learned a lot, Your Highness.”

When I sheathed my sword, the two knights bowed politely to me and caught their breath.

After watching them for a moment, I turned my head and looked at the knight order barracks.

‘It’s about time for Jereuth to arrive.’

Before I called Peralta today and told him I would be the ‘bait’.

I had checked the Future Diary to see how the future would unfold if I became the bait.

‘And the changed future… it was a bit ambiguous, but I avoided the worst.’

The worst I had avoided.

It was that I had avoided the future where Jereuth died by falling into the pit while playing the role of the bait.

Yes, I had avoided that worst-case future for now—.

‘…The problem was that I, who became the ‘bait’ instead of Jereuth, fell into the pit.’

It was as if the Future Diary was asserting it.

That in the war with the monster army, either I or Jereuth must fall into the pit.

‘But it’s fine. My ending didn’t change.’

That’s right. My ending was the same as before, the ending of being destroyed by the invasion of the ‘Angla Empire’.

In other words, I wouldn’t die even if I fell into the pit while luring the monster army.

…Though it wasn’t written how I survived at the bottom of that deep pit.

‘So it’s a good choice for me to take on the role of ‘bait’ instead of Jereuth. In terms of the short-term outcome, that is.’

Thus, the Future Diary had changed in the direction I wanted.

However, there was also some content that bothered me.

It was the content that Jereuth could not accept me becoming the ‘bait’ and had argued against it.

‘According to the diary… 「At that time, when I finished sparring with the knights in the training ground. Jereuth came to find me with an angry expression. And he questioned my decision to become the ‘bait’. Since Jereuth had always followed my every word, I was flustered.」 —that’s how it was written.’

The diary only contained the content that my future self was ‘flustered’, but the content after that was not written.

It wasn’t written how I had persuaded and placated Jereuth.

‘I don’t know how harshly Jereuth will question me. But in any case, it’s right for me to play the role of the bait. I won’t die even if I fall into the pit, but Jereuth’s death is almost certain.’

As I was looking up at the sky and thinking.

“C-Commander!”

Peralta’s urgent voice was heard.

Looking in that direction, I saw Jereuth approaching with a stern expression, looking straight at me, and Peralta hurriedly following behind him.

Jereuth’s expression—.

‘…He seems very angry.’

It could be felt not only from Jereuth’s stern expression but also from his heavy footsteps.

Jereuth was clearly ‘angry’.

‘This is the first time I’ve seen Jereuth so angry. Can I persuade him with words?’

In the past, I would have been scared of Jereuth approaching me with such momentum. No matter how much of a knight he was who followed me, the weight of that great old general was by no means light, whether to an ally or an enemy.

But now, it was a little different.

At some point, I didn’t know when, but I had lost a lot of my fear.

‘Let’s talk as calmly as possible. The other knights and soldiers are here too, so Jereuth won’t cross the line.’

While I was thinking, Jereuth had already come within close range of me.

-…W-what’s going on?

-The Commander seems very angry…….

-Did you not do what the Commander ordered yesterday?!

-N-no way! I did it for sure!

The knights and soldiers who didn't know the situation became tense at the strange atmosphere flowing between Jereuth and me. Some of them tried to ask Peralta what was going on, but they held their tongues because the atmosphere was such that they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything.

“…Your Highness.”

Jereuth said, bowing his head slightly to me in greeting.

“I heard from Peralta. That you said you would play the role of the ‘bait’.”

“That’s right. Because I am more suitable for that role than you, Commander.”

“……”

Jereuth fell silent. It wasn’t because he had nothing to say. It was a feeling of having too much to say, not knowing what to say first.

—…….

—…….

—…….

—…….

Silence fell, and even the wind was quiet.

Jereuth broke that silence by taking a deep breath.

Ssssp—.

“I do not agree with your opinion, Your Highness. The role of luring the main force of the monster army is one that the kingdom’s best should take. Because it is the most dangerous, the most difficult, and the most important role.”

“Yes. Still—.”

“So.”

“……”

“If you insist on taking that role, Your Highness, then try to defeat me. As knight to knight, as sword to sword.”

…What? So what he’s saying right now is—.

Shing—.

Jereuth drew his sword.

“I have never crossed swords directly with you, Your Highness. It is a pity that we must cross them like this, but it was something that had to be done someday.”

“……”

“I will say it again. Defeat me with your sword. Then I will follow whatever role you take in the war, Your Highness. But if you cannot defeat me—.”

Thud.

Jereuth got into a stance and finished his words with the tip of his sword pointed at me.

“I will be the ‘bait’ as originally planned. Because it will be certain that I am the kingdom’s best knight.”

The old general’s voice was prudent. It was firm and resolute.

I’ll take back what I said earlier.

I was scared of Jereuth.

The spirit of an old general who had held a sword and dominated the battlefield his entire life was not something a novice like me could ignore.

More than that—.

‘…Do I have to spar with Jereuth? Right now?’