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As soon as he took his seat, Kien Rube spoke. He was referring to the incident where Vilan Tomin untied himself and tried to take me hostage. News travels fast.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. We should have been more cautious on our side too.” (Yuri)

“That’s a relief to hear.” (Kien)

“But it was an extreme household. One moment you have a man like a wild beast, and the next, a baron who seems to have no intention of making a living through warfare.” (Yuri)

‘Well, I guess he got carried away because there were so many cowards around him that he ended up like that.’

“The knights of the Noza Household truly had no opportunity to fight. In hindsight, it’s a pitiful situation.” (Kien)

‘…No opportunity to fight?’

“What do you mean?” (Yuri)

“In both the Rube Household and the Boff Household territories, there are occasionally bandits. Where there’s industry, merchants gather. Attacking merchants who have made high-value purchases and stealing their goods can bring in more money in a day than years of rural farming. Once outcasts from the villages get a taste of that, there’s no going back. But merchants don’t just take it lying down. Caravans transporting high-value goods hire armed guards. This leads the bandits to form gangs… It’s a shame for us, entrusted with these territories by the Queen… but such people never disappear.” (Kien)

‘Well, that’s true. Even in the Hou family, they’re not entirely absent. They’re dealt with swiftly when they appear, making the south a sort of hell for bandits.’

“Even so, their numbers rarely exceed a hundred. If the military is deployed, the difference in strength is overwhelming, so it doesn’t turn into a full-scale war, but it gives the knights some experience. If they handle it well, they can be praised too.” (Kien)

‘I see.’

“The Noza Household territory had none of those kinds of people, then?” (Yuri)

“Indeed. The Noza Household territory is rugged, and all the villages are coastal, so merchants use the sea for trade. While there might be attacks on those traveling by land, the gains are minimal. I’ve heard there used to be pirate-like individuals, but even if they attacked, the cargo would be dried fish or wooden crafts, nothing valuable. There’s no way ships loaded with expensive textiles or furnishings would pass through. Eventually, it was more profitable on this side of the mountains, so the Noza Household territory stopped being targeted. It was an annoyance back then, but looking back, it might have been good for us.” (Kien)

‘As a fledgling feudal lord, I didn’t know this, but it seems there were reasonable circumstances.’

“Vilan Tomin seems to have been attacking villages outside the territory while hiding his identity, but he didn’t make much profit from it, did he?” (Yuri)

“The Tomin Household must have covered the army’s maintenance costs. It was probably just enough to slightly increase the pocket money of the already poor soldiers. Plus, without strict training and the freedom to loot as they pleased, the soldiers’ support would have been overwhelming.” (Kien)

‘I don’t think every single soldier was like that, but most soldiers might end up that way. However, the result would be an army bound by profit, quick to flee when losing, and only good for easy raids.’

“Let’s leave the past behind.” (Tigris)

Tigris Hamon spoke for the first time today.

“More importantly, let’s get to the main point. You summoned me, so there must be something you want.” (Tigris)

‘She seems slightly angry, but maybe that’s just his usual demeanor.’

“That’s true. Tigris, I’ll be direct.” (Yuri)

‘People like him prefer straightforwardness.

“If you’re willing to submit, I’d like to entrust you with about half of the Noza Household’s soldiers.” (Yuri)

“What? Me?” (Tigris)

Tigris opened his eyes wide in astonishment.

“I had your drill training supervised. They said it wasn’t bad. If you keep it up, there should be many usable soldiers.” (Yuri)

‘Training isn’t just about having a good commander. You need capable subordinates, like drill sergeants, to actually conduct the training. Imagine a school with 4000 students and only one principal. It wouldn’t work. You need hundreds of teachers to efficiently educate the students. Tigris’s corps, in other words, has many soldiers capable of serving as those teachers, making it a well-functioning army.’

“I’m not here to beg for your appointment. Are you willing to submit and fight the Crusaders?” (Yuri)

“Yes.” (Tigris)

Tigris drew her sword, sheath and all, from her waist and placed it on the table. This act, substituting a short sword for a spear when none was available, symbolized her submission.

She then stood up from her chair.

“Though my abilities are limited, I will serve to the best of my ability.” (Tigris)

She straightened his back and bowed deeply.

“…I see. That’s good to hear. I’m counting on you.” (Yuri)

“Half of them, huh. So, the remaining ones will be under my command?” (Kien)

“Yeah. It seems like we can’t fully utilize the Noza Household. As for us, we’re pretty much tied up retraining the Second Army and the unruly members of the Boff Household.” (Yuri)

‘This situation has elicited complaints from all sides. It’s impossible to simultaneously train, engage in combat, and handle city security. Currently, more than half of the Hou Household army is back in their hometowns engaged in training. The remaining forces are tasked with maintaining the security of the capital, overseeing the flow of refugees heading south, and pacifying the Noza Household with whatever resources are left. It’s no wonder there are so many complaints.’

“By the way, what kind of training does the Hou Household conduct? I’d like to hear for reference.” (Kien)

“They wake up at 4:30 in the morning. Preparation is done by 5:00, followed by an hour of running. Breakfast at 6:00, basic training, lunch at 12:00, combat training, dinner at 6:00 PM, an hour of reflection, and then sleep.” (Yuri)

“That’s tough. It’s all day long.” (Kien)

‘Indeed. And there are no breaks either.’

“The key is to keep them so busy they don’t have time to think. They push them until they cough up blood every day and completely exhaust them by nightfall. This way, they won’t have the energy to escape at night.” (Yuri)

“…As expected, Yuri-dono’s place is brutal.” (Kien)

“No, I didn’t come up with this. It’s been the Hou Household’s tradition for ages.” (Yuri)

‘I certainly didn’t invent this. The Hou Household has often been devastated on a large scale, so they established these methods to rebuild quickly.’

“They usually undergo this for three months, and once they’ve passed this ordeal, they’re praised as proud soldiers who can be deployed anywhere. This instills a sense of pride in those who were just second or third sons of farmers. They start to believe they’ve overcome trials that ordinary people couldn’t.” (Yuri)

“I see… So shortening the training is actually beneficial. Better than training at half intensity for twice the time.” (Kien)

“That’s probably how it works.” (Yuri)

“I’ve learned something valuable. I’ll use this as a reference for my own troops. Though, I wonder if the instructors can handle it.” (Tigris)

‘Indeed. The instructors also have a grueling job.’

“Well, do your best. The areas you’ll be responsible for are the territory above the Din Household lands will be the Rube Household’s. Below that will be Tigris’s responsibility. Tigris, lead your troops and head to Oregano by tomorrow. We will handle the evacuation of the Mestina citizens.” (Yuri)

“No, please allow me to handle the evacuation. These are the people I’ve led until now. I should—” (Tigris)

“That won’t be possible.” (Myaro)

Myaro interjected.

“The citizens will be relocated to the royal domain in the south and the Hou Household domain. Depending on the situation, the Mestina citizens may need to be divided and allocated to different regions. Each region has food reserves, but if they are exceeded by an influx of refugees, both the refugees and the local populace will face starvation. Therefore, we ask for your understanding regarding the division.” (Myaro)

“—Hmm.” (Tigris)

“The investigation of the food reserves in various areas, the maximum capacity for accommodation, and the management of the refugee list indicating their destinations are all being centralized under the Hou Household. Tigris-san, I understand your sentiments, but it’s best for the Hou Household to handle everything from the beginning to minimize confusion in all aspects. This is all to prevent the people from starving, so please understand.” (Myaro)

Myaro must have repeated this phrase numerous times. There was no hesitation.

“Hmm… With that said, I have no choice but to comply.”  (Tigris)

Tigris seemed to have resigned.

“As for your route, Tigris-san, please come directly to the capital. We’ll arrange for you to board a merchant ship and send you to Oregano.” (Myaro)

“Wouldn’t it be quicker to go through Yutan Pass?” (Tigris)

“Traveling by ship would be three days faster. Besides, there are currently no supply routes through Yutan Pass. It would be difficult to facilitate the passage of a large number of people.” (Myaro)

“Understood. Once this meeting is over, I’ll return to Mestina and depart for the capital tomorrow.” (Tigris)

‘It was good that the discussion progressed quickly. Indeed, military personnel need to grasp things swiftly.’

“Considering the travel time, we might not be able to afford a two-month training period. It’s urgent, but I’ll leave it to you.” (Yuri)

“When the Crusaders arrive, we’ll urgently head to the capital. What should we do then?” (Tigris)

“All major cities of the Noza Household are located along the coast and equipped with ports. Therefore, we’ll transport the troops to the capital by ship. According to calculations, if we begin transportation when the northern invasion begins, by the time they reach the capital, we’ll be able to gather all our forces adequately.” (Myaro)

Myaro explained.

“Even assuming the normal marching speed, we’ll have ample time. In fact, Kien-dono intends to deploy a delaying tactic. If that strategy proves too successful, we might end up waiting in the capital instead.” (Yuri)

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” (Kien)

Kien said. However, there were concerns about this.

“Please, ensure thorough guidance. Even though we plan to utilize the defenses of Mital, it’s based on the premise of sacrificing it. If we get too fixated on defense and end up with both city gates blocked, unable to move, it won’t be a laughing matter. There might be misunderstandings around Liao.” (Kien)

‘Actually, I wanted to oversee this myself, but the operational area would be within the Rube and Boff territories. Needless to say, Rube’s territory is Kien Rube’s hometown, and he knows the geography the best. We can’t afford not to trust him.’

“Don’t worry. I’ll pay close attention to that. I understand perfectly well that losing the cavalry would mean we can’t win in a pitched battle.” (Yuri)

“I hope so…” (Kien)

‘It’s worrying, but I shouldn’t express too many complaints.’

“Well, then, is that all?” (Yuri)

“We still need to discuss the taxation in the Noza Household lands.” (Kien)

‘Ah, that’s right.’

“There might be a shortage of food. Please inform the fishermen in the Noza Household lands that this year’s taxes will be paid with fish. If they don’t have time to dry them, smoking them will do. Just make sure to send food southward.” (Yuri)

“Understood.” (Kien)

“Got it.” (Tigris)

Kien and Tigris said.

“Then, that’s all for now. The outcome of our efforts from here on will determine victory or defeat. Let’s give it our all.”