Chapter 374: If It Doesn’t Exist Yet, Make It. (1)
“Uaaaargh!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Marquis Roderick roared in rage, furiously smashing his chair into the ground.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably as he failed to suppress his fury. The retainers could only hang their heads, unable to utter a word.
“Twenty thousand! I sent a force of twenty thousand soldiers! And you’re telling me you couldn’t capture that brat?”
One of the retainers mustered the courage to speak.
“L-Lord Marquis, with the revelation that Count of Fenris has reached the level of a Master, it may be prudent to deploy more skilled knights and soldiers…”
“Are you trying to justify this failure? Execute him immediately!”
“L-Lord Marquis! That’s not what I meant—”
Shiiing!
Before the retainer could even finish his defense, one of the knights drew his sword and sliced through his neck. The retainer didn’t even manage a proper scream before his head rolled to the floor.
The great hall became steeped in an even heavier atmosphere of terror.
Although Marquis Roderick was a ruthless man, he typically carried himself with the composure befitting a great lord. It was extremely rare for him to kill a retainer so openly in the hall like this.
“Huff… Huff…”
Only the Marquis’s ragged breathing echoed in the hall. No one dared to intervene or attempt to calm him.
It was only after a long while, after having vented his rage by killing a retainer, that Marquis Roderick regained a semblance of composure and spoke.
“So, you say the siege succeeded, but mercenaries scavenging the area gathered and launched an attack from behind?”
A question required an answer. Another retainer forced himself to respond, his voice trembling with fear.
“Th-That’s correct. We prioritized capturing Count Fenris and left them unchecked, but as a result…”
“And how did that brat manage to summon reinforcements? You said they arrived just in time for the battle.”
“It seems someone slipped out secretly to deliver a message.”
Hearing this, Marquis Roderick’s breathing turned ragged once more.
“A military force that can’t even maintain a proper siege! Tennant! What do you have to say for yourself?”
Tennant had no excuses to offer. The overall commander, Howard, was someone he had personally recommended.
“My apologies. The fault lies entirely with my inadequacies.”
Marquis Roderick merely glared at him. Killing the finest knight of the Marquisate over this debacle would be an unwise move.
“What about the soldiers who fled?”
“Out of fear of punishment, they’ve all deserted. Some have formed bands of brigands, while others seem to have fled to different regions altogether.”
“Ugh…”
Since the battle at Daiker Castle, banditry had erupted across the western territories. The deserters had grouped together, raiding villages and spreading chaos.
Their numbers ranged from as few as a hundred to as many as a thousand. With nearly ten thousand soldiers scattered, such an outcome was inevitable.
The smaller estates were bearing the brunt of this havoc.
“The lords are requesting reinforcements. Their local forces are insufficient to fend off these bands of brigands.”
“Grrr…”
The Marquisate had deliberately kept the lords from building up significant military power as part of a policy to maintain central control. In times of need, the Marquisate would deploy troops to defend its vassals’ territories.
Even aside from policy considerations, protecting one’s vassals was the duty of any liege.
But instead of chasing Count Fenris, the Marquisate now faced the necessity of assembling punitive forces to be dispatched across the various territories.
Marquis Roderick ground his teeth in frustration.
“That brat completely outmaneuvered me.”
Numerous estates lay in ruins, and the Marquisate was now preoccupied with damage control.
For a single lost battle, the consequences were monumental. Losing twenty thousand soldiers was a catastrophic blow, even for the Marquisate.
The weakening of their military power was one thing, but the damage to their honor was an even greater issue.
“To think I’d suffer such humiliation because of that northern brat…”
As a great lord, this was his first time experiencing such disgrace. Even the Royal Faction would look down on him for this failure.
First and foremost, he needed to stabilize his internal affairs and reassure his vassals. The Marquisate had to project strength to prevent further unrest.
“Tennant, assemble punitive forces and thoroughly exterminate the bandits.”
“Understood.”
“And prepare the entire army for deployment. We’ll march against Fenris.”
“…”
The retainers wanted to oppose him but didn’t dare. Any dissent would only incur the Marquis’s wrath.
A civil war loomed on the horizon. The operation needed coordination with the ducal family. The Marquisate’s task was to break through the western front held by the royal army and quickly seize the capital.
The capital was the closest target, and the royal army’s main force was deployed in the south to block the ducal family. This left the western front relatively weak in terms of defense.
But if they engaged Fenris in the north first, the strategy devised by the ducal family would fall apart.
As the retainers stayed silent, it was Tennant who finally stepped forward.
“If we act now, the ducal family’s strategy will be completely ruined. Advancing north will undoubtedly provoke a response from the Royal Faction.”
“So you’re suggesting we just let that brat go?”
“It won’t be too late to proceed after capturing Cardenia. We can prepare for deployment while adhering to the original strategy…”
“That’s too slow!”
Marquis Roderick’s voice, filled with rage, boomed once more.
“By the time we wait, all the kingdom’s nobles will mock me! They’ll sneer, saying I lost twenty thousand troops to some brat from the North and accomplished nothing!”
“Count Fenris is a Master. The rumors will spread soon enough, and—”
“He led a mere four hundred soldiers, and we still couldn’t capture him! Do you think using his title as a Master will excuse this failure?”
“…”
Tennant had no words to offer. Even if the opponent was a Master, failing to capture him with a force of twenty thousand was inexplicable.
Even considering the mercenaries who joined forces with Fenris, it should have ended in mutual annihilation. The real problem, however, was that they had left those mercenaries unchecked to wreak havoc in the western region.
Marquis Roderick turned to Tennant, his tone sharp.
“Are you unaware of the rumors that our troops are numerous but lazy and lack the will to fight?”
This perception arose because the Marquisate’s military power was so overwhelming that they rarely had to engage in battle. But the outcome of this recent skirmish would lend further credence to those rumors.
Nobles from other regions, who delighted in belittling the Marquisate, would surely exaggerate these rumors.
As the great lord of the West, Marquis Roderick’s pride soared as high as the heavens. He could never let this incident pass unchallenged.
“Contact the ducal family. We’ll split our army into two. One force will head for the capital, and the other will march north. Tell them to adjust their plans immediately. We will prepare for deployment at once.”
Tennant closed his eyes briefly.
No matter how strong the Roderick Marquisate was, their enemies were the Marquis of Branford and the royal army. He couldn’t guarantee they would succeed with only half their forces.
But here, Marquis Roderick’s word was law. If he commanded it, they had no choice but to obey.
Their best chance of victory had to be found—and quickly.
Tennant lowered his head.
“I will relay your intentions to the ducal family.”
“Good. Send a general summons to all the lords. Ensure preparations are completed as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”
The retainers also bowed and answered in unison. Though they couldn’t erase their concerns, they saw some chance of success.
The Royal Faction still didn’t fully grasp the Marquisate’s true strength. Even with their forces divided, the Marquisate believed they could hold their own against the royal army.
And so, driven by Marquis Roderick’s seething rage, the preparations for a full-scale war began in earnest.
“Waaaah!”
“Our lord has won again!”
“The undefeated conqueror!”
As Ghislain returned to his domain, the townspeople poured into the streets, cheering loudly.
The news of his many victories had already reached the territory through messengers. By now, the people had come to expect festivals every time Ghislain went off to war.
“I knew he’d win again.”
“Of course. Our lord is the strongest in the North. He’s a Master, after all.”
“What’s a Master?”
“It’s like a nickname for someone who’s the best at beating people up. It means he’s a Master at smashing heads.”
“Ah, no wonder he always wins.”
Ghislain had earned immense trust from his people.
Their quality of life was steadily improving, and since he had seized Desmond, the shortages of daily necessities were gradually being resolved.
Whenever their lord returned victorious from war, he brought back enormous spoils.
Sure enough, at the tail end of his returning procession, there were countless carts loaded with loot.
“Wow, is all that plunder?”
“It looks even better than last time.”
“That’s our lord for you!”
There was another reason for the townspeople’s joy. Ghislain always distributed wine, meat, and other goods generously among them whenever he won a battle.
This boosted morale and instilled unshakable confidence that victory was always assured.
It was one of Ghislain’s methods of uniting everyone under his banner.
When the people’s loyalty was high, their productivity increased. And when a general summons was issued, they would all become capable soldiers, ready to defend the territory.
As the crowd cheered, Ghislain raised his hand with a bright smile.
“All of this is thanks to your hard work for the territory! Soon, I’ll share wine, meat, and appropriate rewards with all of you, so look forward to it!”
“Waaaah!”
“Our lord is the best when it comes to spending money!”
“We’ll work even harder!”
At moments like this, Claude used to make a fuss about the lack of funds, but his attitude had recently begun to change.
As soon as Claude saw the returning procession, his eyes lit up at the sight of the vast wealth being brought in. He twisted his body in delight.
“Whoa! We’ve been receiving loot consistently, but this haul is enormous!”
“Of course. It’s the last campaign, so I made sure to sweep everything clean.”
“And Marquis Roderick’s forces just let you get away with this? Didn’t they pursue you?”
“They’re too busy right now. They have to deal with their deserters. Their forces are in shambles.”
“Ahahaha! A good beating really does knock sense into people!”
Hearing the details, Claude doubled over in laughter. Tennant, who had once strutted in with arrogance, had finally gotten what he deserved.
“Make sure to distribute wine, meat, and other necessities to the people again. It’ll keep them motivated.”
“Ugh, fine, let’s do that.”
Claude let out a sigh but refrained from raising a fuss.
The loot was from no less than seven territories. While all of them were small estates, the combined wealth wasn’t insignificant.
On top of that, the resources obtained from the Forest of Beasts had sharply increased their revenue.
The agricultural output of Ferdium had also surged immensely. The fertility of the soil in the Forest of Beasts was incomparable to other regions.
In truth, they now had such an abundance of food that it was almost wasteful.
“What about the runestones? Are you planning to keep selling them at the same price to the Crimson Flame Tower?”
“Yes, keep selling to them at the current rate for now.”
“Well, there’s still plenty left… but with the Scarlet Tower gone, is it really necessary to continue?”
“This isn’t the time to be stingy. It’s time to use everything we can and be generous where we need to be.”
The civil war was fast approaching. Weakening the enemy was important, but so was strengthening their allies.
The Crimson Flame Tower could provide significant magical support to the Royal Faction, which was currently lacking in magical forces. To make that happen, they needed even more resources than before.
The Royal Faction itself also required support. Fenris had already gained all possible advantages from its surplus of food.
Now, Fenris would channel its overflowing resources into empowering the Royal Faction, ensuring they had the means to wage war.
Claude understood Ghislain’s intent and nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. There’s no sense in hoarding and letting it go to waste. It’s time for us to bolster the Royal Faction.”
“Exactly. If the Royal Faction holds out well, it’ll give us room to maneuver. The resources available to the ducal family and Marquis Roderick are beyond imagination.”
“Then I’ll get everything prepared quickly on that front as well.”
Despite his usual carefree demeanor, Claude was meticulous when it came to essential tasks. He would handle this one thoroughly, too.
“And don’t forget the preparations for war.”
“Of course not.”
With Marquis Roderick provoked, it was clear he wouldn’t sit idly by. Similarly, the increasingly derailed plans of the ducal family meant they would be forced to push for civil war sooner rather than later.
Fenris needed to ensure its forces were honed and ready to march at any moment.
Upon his return, Ghislain immediately assessed the state of the territory before heading to meet Galbarik.
As always, Galbarik and the dwarves greeted him with bleary eyes.
“Ugh… My lord, you’ve returned.”
“Yes. Is the item I requested ready?”
Before heading west for the raids, Ghislain had tasked Galbarik with developing a new product.
Despite his exhaustion, Galbarik nodded confidently. His face showed fatigue, but his expression brimmed with pride.
“Yes, my lord. The prototype is complete, and we’re ready to begin full-scale production.”
“Good. Time is short, so let’s ramp up production quickly.”
Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.
Once the target quantity was prepared, this new product would have the power to completely change the course of the war.