How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

37.

“It’s… too risky. Even your direct involvement, Viscount, is risky enough, but to go with Lord Rohan…”

Atum, the oldest among the knights, cautiously voiced his opinion to the Viscount.

Indeed, Atum’s concerns were valid.

Considering the complete failure of the first punitive expedition, there was no doubt that the enemy forces were formidable.

In other words, the battlefield was a place where danger was inevitable.

The core of the territory was the lord, regardless of what others might say.

If the lord faltered, the territory would inevitably falter as well.

The fact that the Viscount would personally step onto such a dangerous battlefield was alarming enough, but to bring along Rohan, who was practically designated as his successor, was an act fraught with great risk.

However, the Viscount did not choose the knights to accompany him without any thought.

In truth, the initial members the Viscount considered were the three knights excluding himself.

He was aware that it would be more appropriate for them as his vassals to directly participate in the battlefield, but he had long passed the age to worry about such things.

What changed the Viscount’s mind was the information he obtained through the network of royalist nobles.

Shocked by the outcome of the first expedition, the king directly sought help from Duke Karl, who accepted the request.

It was a revelation of the sword of the kingdom that had been sheathed for over a decade.

Furthermore, with the kingdom mobilizing all its forces, it was not easy to contemplate defeat, even against a formidable dark sorcerer.

With the situation unfolding this way, the Viscount could not help but ponder deeply.

If it was a war to be fought, it would be much better to mobilize more forces to ensure both safety and victory.

Moreover, for those who wielded weapons, witnessing a fight by someone who had reached a higher level than themselves was a source of inspiration and challenge in itself.

With the Duke, who had reached the level of a master, leading numerous strong individuals in the expedition, it would surely serve as a significant stimulus not only to the Viscount, whose growth had stagnated, but also to Rohan, who was in his prime of growth.

To choose to stably inherit the succession or to bear the burden of risk and look towards the future.

It was a question that no one could easily answer, and after much contemplation, the Viscount chose the latter.

“I heard Duke Karl will also be personally involved. Furthermore, Lord Tigrun, Yeld, and Russell have stated that they will participate directly as well.”

“Ah…”

At the Marquis’s response, Adam, as a knight, could sense the Marquis’s distress even without a word of reply.

Other knights, too, understood the Marquis’s inner turmoil, hence refrained from voicing any further dissent.

As the knights fell silent, the Marquis spoke.

“Ensure that skilled soldiers are prioritized in recruitment. Adam, you shall oversee the organization of the troops.”

“Understood.”

“For supplies, gather them mainly from within the domain for now. There are pre-ordered goods that Lou shall ensure are well taken care of.”

“Yes!”

In a situation akin to war, starting from dispatching troops, while the Marquis vacated his seat, there was much to attend to, from the operational direction of the domain to the preparations for Rohan and Sophia’s wedding.

With time being of the essence, the Marquis’s instructions were concise, and the knights swiftly moved, following his orders.

It took about five days to organize the troops based on volunteers, and two months were spent preparing ample supplies to sustain them.

As soon as the preparations were complete, the group, led by the Marquis, set out from Izell Castle.

Given that it would take around a week to reach Taloon Domain, there was plenty of time left.

Nevertheless, the reason the Marquis set out early was to arrive swiftly, assess the situation, and mingle openly with other nobles participating in the expedition.

In a society where information didn’t flow easily, expanding connections was the only way to grasp useful tidings promptly.

Whether it was the influence of malevolent creatures or bandits, the journey to Taloon Domain felt surprisingly uneventful.

“Well, even I wouldn’t dare to ambush such a party…”

Rohan, feeling a hint of boredom, muttered inwardly.

With only three knights leading the way and fifty elite soldiers accompanying them, unless someone was reckless, there was no reason to provoke them.

“Anyway, it’s getting chilly.”

As winter drew near, even the soldiers clad in thick armor refrained from complaining about the heat.

Perhaps the sudden mobilization of troops was also influenced by the weather.

Operating an army in winter was at least two or three times more challenging than usual.

Five days after leaving Izell, the group arrived at Taloon Domain and secured decent lodgings to unpack.

When the expedition began, they would naturally have to set up camp outside the castle, but there was ample time left to relax and bathe, relieving their bodies of accumulated fatigue.

While the knights and soldiers rested, the busiest person was the Marquis of Izell.

Taloon, being close to the capital and a gateway that must be passed through to head to the capital from the southwestern domains across the mountain range, was a rich domain beyond comparison to Izell.

Thanks to this, there were quite a few large and sophisticated inns for a border domain, where the nobles gathered for the expedition were lodging and holding nightly banquets accompanied by drinks.

In the relaxed atmosphere, with no imminent major battle in sight, the Marquis of Izell’s expression subtly shifted as he felt a sense of unease.

“Oh, Marquis. It’s been a while.”

As he entered the banquet hall attached to the inn, nobles who recognized the Marquis greeted him.

“Ah, nice to see you. Oh! It’s been a while. Your Grace.”

After warmly reciprocating each greeting, the Marquis took a seat in a secluded corner of the banquet hall, listening attentively.

With alcohol and music nearby, people’s tongues tended to loosen.

Even those who had received education as nobles since childhood were not exempt from this.

As the atmosphere grew more relaxed, the information they had been holding back slowly began to trickle out.

“So, is it true that Duke Karl himself is coming this time?”

“Yes, His Highness personally requested his presence.”

“Still, given his age, will he be as formidable as before?”

“Speaking nonsense again. Do you not know how long the Master has lived?”

“Well, thinking that way, he seems like a young calf.”

“More than that, I wonder how much other forces there are. Judging by the testimonies of the survivors, it seems the power of the Black Demons is not to be underestimated.”

“But what can they do in front of the Master? And how can we know what kind of sorcery they used? I heard talk about a Corpse Dragon, does that make sense? It must have been some kind of hallucination.”

“Still, you never know.”

“That’s why the military size has doubled compared to the first suppression.”

“It would have been better if they had joined the temple…”

“Those guys have done all sorts of things… well, they didn’t specifically request assistance, but they didn’t stop individual joining either, so it wouldn’t be surprising whenever they show up.”

“But there’s a rumor that the Princess is coming this time, is it true?”

“Surely she wouldn’t come to such a dangerous place herself? No matter how much knight training she received… His Majesty wouldn’t allow it, would he?”

As the night grew deeper, information that was hard to buy even with money began to pop up here and there.

From stories about the current suppression to secretly conducted businesses and the trends of other countries.

Being among the nobles of the royal court, Egil Viscount could leave with a satisfied expression since he reaped more than expected due to the diminished vigilance of the nobles gathered there.

“It seems likely that Duke Carl will come in person. The Princess… is it true?”

As the word “Princess” was mentioned by several people, it seemed like rumors had already spread among the nobles near Arden.

However, unlike Duke Carl’s participation, it wasn’t a story that was considered very credible.

What mad king would send a princess, not even a prince, to face dark sorcerers?

“No, no matter what His Majesty says… But…”

He was a king who had made a name for himself in martial arts from a young age, and the fact that he revered martial arts was well known throughout the kingdom, but it was hard to imagine he would go that far beyond common sense.

While the possibility of all the stories heard at the banquet being true approached zero, at least he could get a glimpse of the thoughts of other nobles.

“It might not be as dangerous as feared.”

Knowing that the first suppression had completely failed, being so complacent was likely due to the fact that sufficient forces had been mobilized.

“Even so, I must stay alert.”

Although he had brought personnel that could be considered elite even in Egil Castle, no matter how well-trained the unit was, in the blink of an eye, they could be wiped out in the large-scale battlefield due to one wrong choice.

Despite reaping satisfactory gains from the first day, there was still time left until the deadline given.

Viscount Egil attended banquets every night, building friendships with various nobles.

As time passed, nobles from all over the kingdom set out and one by one led soldiers to join.

The gloomy atmosphere of Talun Territory began to be filled with vitality, and the addition of splendid carriages that seemed to belong to high-ranking nobles made it feel like the departure was imminent.

Frederick Viscount, who was in charge of the royal faction’s gathering and the commander of this suppression, and Carlton Marquis, the leader of the noble faction and the vice-commander of the suppression.

From the moment the two arrived, serious discussions began, and rumors about troop deployment were circulating daily.

Now was the time when Viscount Egil’s accumulated friendships from frequenting banquets would truly come in handy.

Although treated as a giant among giants, Frederick Viscount was also one of the nobles.

As long as a banquet was held, there was no way he wouldn’t attend.

Of course, Viscount Egil did not possess a presence that could engage in conversation with him directly, but just by listening to the conversations around, he could roughly grasp the situation.

“The departure is in three days. It seems the camps are set according to each faction.”

If it were a war with another country, such a crude formation wouldn’t be decided, but since it was an internal issue of the kingdom, the political terrain seemed to influence military operations.

It might have been a foolish and reckless behavior, but as they say, there are no excuses for a grave without a corpse. There were reasons for this.

Having been divided into noble and royal factions for a long time, it was never easy to say that the relations between the territories belonging to each faction were good.

Just a while ago, didn’t Prielle and Dusel have a fierce territorial war?

In a battle where the fate of the kingdom was at stake, much like an invasion by external forces, there was an urgent issue at hand that overshadowed the immediate threat. However, when such internal kingdom matters converged, the relationships were so hostile that it made fighting together a daunting task.

The Earl of Isel understood the kingdom’s strategy was simple.

As the possessor of overwhelming might, the Duke mobilized numerous forces, aiming to clear the trees and bushes to engage in a conventional battle of strength.

One might think it was an overly simplistic approach, but as the gap in ranks widened, there was nothing more terrifying than engaging in a direct show of strength.

Hence, the kingdom was confident in its superiority in rank.

The royal faction took charge of the left wing of the army, and the soldiers led by the Earl of Isel seemed likely to be positioned towards the rear among the ranks.

The knight forces were to be operated separately under the command of Count Frederick, signifying a near supreme advantage for Isel.

“Truly fortunate.”

Due to the small size of his territory, every soldier was precious to Isel, making the situation immensely challenging.

While expertise was crucial, survival was non-negotiable.

A few days later.

After the formal organization was announced, a second punitive force, more than double the size of the first, began its march shortly after the initial deployment.

Nestled amidst the mountain range where the demons descended, a massive and sturdy fortress greeted them, far larger and more imposing than similar-sized territories.

The Earl of Isel, Rohan, and Atum moved alongside soldiers, separate from the knights of other territories.

Given the rugged terrain of the battlefield, the knights had no choice but to proceed on foot.

Expanding the paths created by the previous punitive force, the pace of the march was swift, to say the least.

“In the end, he was not found.”

Despite the Earl of Isel’s busy search in the past few days, the person resembling Duke Karl remained elusive.

As predicted by Count Frederick, the figure would reveal itself in battle; however, missing the chance to witness the great figure up close left a lingering sense of regret.

On the other hand, Rohan was taken aback by the continuous waves of people around him.

“So many…”

Walking amidst nearly five thousand soldiers evoked a feeling entirely different from merely hearing the numbers.

While the presence of numerous individuals brought a strange sense of reassurance, it also raised concerns about the strength of the opposing forces requiring such a massive army for battle.

Despite the movement of countless people, no sound could be heard other than the falling of trees up ahead.

The unfamiliar sight of the mountain range compared to their previous crossing instilled a sense of unease.

The kingdom’s military forces advanced steadily but surely.

As they approached the impending battle, every effort was made to preserve their combat readiness.

With no proper landmarks, unlike the aimless wandering of the first punitive force, the situation was entirely different, necessitating this choice.

The traces of logging left in the densely forested mountains served as excellent markers, with survivors from the first punitive force also acting as guides.

Four days after leaving Talun Territory.

The members of the second punitive force finally began to discover the intense signs of battle one by one.

From broken weapons stained with blood to human bone fragments left unattended.

Given the impending battle, proper funerals were impossible, so gathering the surrounding remains for a makeshift burial offered solace to the fallen.

Perhaps now finally sensing the shadow of death, a darkness crept into the corners of the soldiers’ faces.

They had truly grasped the fact that they, too, could meet the same fate.

Yet, regardless of the soldiers’ feelings, there was no way to avoid the impending battle at this point.

Following the traces of battle, the kingdom’s army soon laid eyes on a vast lake and the demon forces.

“Good heavens…”

Much like a human army, countless demons stood in formation, weapons at the ready, awaiting their adversaries.

The glances of the commanders at the forefront briefly scanned the battlefield.

“It won’t be easy.”

The Marquis Frederick’s brow furrowed as he surveyed the enemy’s condition.