The Medieval-Modern Man with a Gamer Mindset - Chapter 95



95. Sharper than a Blade

The night I sent a messenger to Cobbleville with hope.

As soon as the messenger left the tent, I woke up all the knights under my command and called them to the conference room. Then, pointing at the map spread out on the table, I explained it concisely and succinctly.

“I will form a separate force to march on Cobbleville.”

Half-awake, I listened with a mix of annoyance and curiosity to the reports, each eliciting different responses. Some noise in understanding, while others cocked their heads as if they had misheard.

One knight even beat around the bush, trying to subtly shift the task.

“I understand that it will take at least two days to reach Cobbleville from our current encampment…”

I couldn’t help but sigh at the limitations of medieval society.

Right before my eyes was a gem of a talent, withering away due to the society’s lack of progress. This lad should not be wielding a sword but rather be confined to the palace, using his convoluted rhetoric to send foreign envoys packing.

Unfortunately, this word-twisting knight was a landed knight.

He was a rolling stone that needed to accumulate more exploits to pass on his estate to his children. Perhaps he was not protesting out of unwillingness. After all, knights were not the kind of people who shied away from battle.

Could it be that this knight simply worried about the lack of opportunities to distinguish himself?

That certainly seemed more plausible than the nonsense about knights avoiding battles. Realizing and understanding the woes of landed knights on the spot, I spoke with a gentle smile and a confident voice.

“If we ride without rest, we should arrive within a day.”

“…”

“Rest assured, Sir Husten. I shall specially allow you, as a landed knight, to accompany the detachment.”

The Principality of Powys is the weakest, so it tries to avoid battles as much as possible.

How else could landed knights receive permission to inherit their estates in such a place, without a major event like a pagan raid? Thinking about my friends who used to set up excuses like “pickup period” back on modern Earth, I could somewhat understand their feelings.

The desperation of the situation must have clouded their judgment.

At that thought, landed knights who lacked the courage or confidence to speak up briefly crossed my mind. It was truly unfortunate.

I was reminded of my colleagues who almost missed out on company outings or hiking trips due to their lack of enthusiasm. fortunately, thanks to my secret persuasion of the section chief, we managed to have fun together without any hurt feelings.

[Ah~ The air is so good~. You know what? Sweating it out with good people while breathing in the fresh air~!]

[….]

[Come on, everyone, let’s take a picture! All we have left are pictures! Let’s take a picture and then go for a drink. I know a great place~!]

Those memories were perhaps the driving force that kept me going in our company, which had a sky-high turnover rate.

Such experiences led me to develop a warm and considerate nature.

“I shall take others with me, not just Sir Husten, so do not fret too much.”

“”….””

It seemed that my worries were justified.

The knights, who had been somewhat downcast and lacking in energy, regained their vigor. They all straightened their postures, their eyes fixed on me as they listened intently to my next words. I was deeply moved by their unexpected display.

Yes, our knights may not be great fighters, but they are friends who know how to listen.

Unconsciously wiping away a tear of emotion, I pointed my index finger precisely at Cobbleville.

“I have sent a letter to Cobbleville, urging them to resist. The detachment will follow after that, and we shall observe the movements of the pagans who are scouting the vicinity of Cobbleville.”

“Is that all?”

“If they perceive our advance as a threat, they will move. They will likely split into two large groups. In the meantime, we need to target the smaller group. They will probably advance through the forest near Cobbleville.”

“Your Grace, they have ships with remarkable mobility. Is there a reason why they would choose to take the forest path instead of the waterway?”

Some of them even came up with rational arguments.

The majority of the knights, who were too embarrassed to meet my gaze, were probably thinking along the same lines. I explained patiently so that they would not feel a lack of communication.

“If they considered this a battle, they would have done as you said. However, Cobbleville is a place that the pagans have deliberately left alone, allowing it to grow in size.”

Cobbleville was a town surrounded on three sides by a winding river.

The only land route was almost adjacent to the forest, making it a natural fortress that was difficult for armies to approach. An ordinary enemy would have probably held out for a long time. The problem was that our opponents were pirates who were more adept at sailing than we were.

Cobbleville was a case where an advantage had turned into a disadvantage. It was surrounded on three sides by the river, which the pirates could navigate with ease. Naturally, Cobbleville was a very tempting target for the pirates, the pagans from across the sea.

“Most of the pagans will attempt to land by boat. The reason for this, as you know, is that the river in this area has a strong current and the water is deep on the outside, reducing the risk of scraping the bottom of the ship when loading loot. Additionally, the three sides of the river make it easy to land.”

For the pagans, piracy is both a profession and a family business.

“Mom, I robbed some farmers,” if I brag like this, my parents would sound like they were praising me, saying, “Oh my, our precious son bravely split their heads with an ax.”

That’s why the process of transporting and distributing the spoils of war was likely to be specialized.

“For them, this is a harvest. It’s similar to a pack of wolves herding their prey. The fact that there’s only one land route means that if we just block that off, we can eliminate any escape routes. What’s more, since it’s a forest, it’s hard to gauge how many troops there are, which could delay the judgment of the Coveville survivors.”

This was exactly what I was aiming for.

“I’m going for this. I’ll make a separate force of those who will isolate themselves and pressure Coveville.”

After I explained the outline of the operation and the ultimate goal, everyone was visibly surprised.

No, rather than surprised, their expressions were closer to being shocked. At first, I thought they were shocked and trembling at the radical and brutal nature of my argument, but that wasn’t it.

“Your Excellency, how many troops do you plan to take with you?”

“On that scale, there’s a high chance of being discovered on the way. It’s reckless…”

Perhaps we had been discussing under the wrong premise from the start.

I decided to correct the misunderstanding of our knights.

“On that scale?”

“As you said, you’d need at least 3,400.”

“No. If 300 people move, they’ll definitely be caught.”

What am I saying?

I could have laughed off such a trivial misunderstanding.

“Only 150 people will move.”

Immediately after conveying these words, I prepared to leave.

With my friend I could always trust, regardless of time or place, Red-haired John.

Soon after I fully armed myself and left the tent, John was waiting with a crossbow in his hand, wearing a gambeson and looking bewildered.

“Ex…cuse me?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you carrying daggers? And six of them at that?”

“Ah. I should definitely explain that.”

It was certainly the kind of behavior that would arouse suspicion.

Going into battle and carrying short daggers instead of a proper sword could easily make one seem like the ‘fool’ people often talk about. I couldn’t help but nod my head, regretting my mistake.

“John. The pagans wear armor, don’t they?”

“Well… yes.”

“Some of it will be made of iron. There will be chain mail too, won’t there?”

“That’s right.”

John still looked at me with his eyes half-open, as if he still didn’t understand what I was talking about.

I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice as I said, “That’s all money.”

– And now, time has passed.

“Hey, hey. If you’re going to open a can, do it properly.”

“? Uh… yes, sir…”

I was giving instructions to the soldiers who were collecting the bodies.

***

Among the knights, opinions about Bishop Hulnarb had largely narrowed down to one.

He’s a clergyman who has traveled a lot and has an eccentric personality, but he’s certainly good at fighting. This evaluation strongly suggested that even if a person is inherently strange, they can be respected if they have one outstanding trait.

From Noble mtl dot com

That day’s assessment.

It had become much more concise after witnessing the battle that took place in the forest.

Sir Hustan Orn Sister.

He was a petty noble and knight who had been brought there for complaining in front of the bishop and was full of complaints. Hustan had a fickle mind. Because of this, he was disdainful of Narba’s abilities, even though he acknowledged them.

That same Hustan was now secretly swallowing his saliva as he looked at the battlefield after the battle was over. The fellow knights who had been forced to join the army had similar expressions.

The corpses of the brutally crushed and mechanically slaughtered pagans. The blood that flowed from them was soaking the surrounding ground. Occasionally, the sound of chains or the clanging of metal could be heard, mostly the sound of weapons and armor being stripped from the corpses .

The grumbling voices of soldiers who were rummaging through the corpses with distorted expressions could also be heard.

However, the knights dared not blame them. Narba’s martial arts in actual combat were beyond imagination.

Husten pursed his dry lips as he thought of an area that most knights dared not challenge.

‘Shield wall crusher…’

It is said that even if untrained soldiers raise their shields and form a formation, it is difficult to break through easily.

This era, this world.

Especially in the underdeveloped islands of the morning, where the advanced weapons of the mainland were almost unavailable, tactics depended on how timely this shield wall was used. Even on the mainland, the shield wall is often the one that buys time without the cavalry.

The shield wall is the reason why even the most outstanding knights cannot fight the enemy alone, and once it is firmly formed, it is a formation that forces fierce offense and unless defense mobility is used to bypass it.

That is why it is also a part that is always mentioned when knights compare each other’s martial arts.

Only a knight with outstanding martial arts, exceptional senses, and finally, the ability to inspire and lead his soldiers can break through the shield wall. This is why Terbear was unanimously recognized among the honor-hungry knights.

The reason why Terbear is considered the strongest knight in Powys and even ranked among the top in the Morning Islands is because he can break through an already formed shield wall. It was possible because he could make the enemy retreat by making them tired with his possessed martial arts and infinite belligerence.

Then what about Narba?

When his thoughts reached this point, Hustan heard the conversation between the soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield.

“What? These guys have intact armor?”

“Ugh? Then, did they get scared when the Bishop glared at them? Is it all just a rumor that pagans are brave?”

“The guy who was scared and saying that it was scary to look at Sophie alone in the middle of the night… There must be some blood, because he was cut.”

Clank, clank.

Husten’s gaze was directed at two soldiers who were rummaging through the corpses while having a trivial conversation. A scene where three were lying side by side. It was the place where Narba drew his sword for the first time, leading the shield wall.

Everyone was shocked by the sight of the elite soldiers, who were even wearing chain mail, being killed in an instant.

However, now, Hustan was surprised once more.

“Wait a minute.”

“Yes? Oh, oh.”

“I… I’m sorry. They didn’t do anything.”

“I have to check. Step back for a moment.”

Husten gestured to the soldiers who were at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Unlike a knight, Hustan, who even had his subordinates collect the spoils of war, uncharacteristically went so far as to turn the corpses over himself. Soon, the moment Hustan, who had suddenly jumped out, was curiously approached by his colleagues and tilted their heads.

Without thinking, or perhaps feeling something, all the knights who were examining the bodies of the fallen suddenly hardened their faces.

“This is.”

“…a monster?”

On the other hand, Hustan began to tremble without saying a word, stroking the neck of the corpse and the part where the blood was flowing out with his hand. Then he got up again and looked at the other corpses before speaking in a shaking voice .

“All of them.”

“Husten?”

“All of them… their necks.”

Husten opened his eyes wide, not even thinking of wiping the hands that were dirty with cold blood.

As the three of them approached, having passed their trial, at that very moment, I aimed for the vulnerable neck, unprotected by chain mail.

***

A short while later, Narba, who had called the knights to discuss future plans, tilted his head.

“Why are you all suddenly so polite?”

“…”

The knights glanced at each other, their faces pale with fear.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Husten Orn Sister spoke up. He was the unfortunate knight who had brought this disaster upon himself.

“Your Grace, it seems that the opinion that we should show proper respect has gained traction.”

“Hmm.”

“That we should cast aside our misunderstandings and prejudices, and see only the person before us. Such words seem reasonable as well.”

“Whoever it is, it seems they’ve learned a great deal. These are thoughts that are not easily conceived.”

Narba smiled, seemingly satisfied with Husten’s words.

“I would like to ask for your understanding in advance. For the sake of our goals, we will postpone the collection of spoils of war for the time being. Instead, we will grant you a brief respite.”

Just a few days ago, they had been on a forced march and then fought a difficult battle.

Even the strong-willed knights were relieved, as the schedule had been grueling enough to compromise their morale. However, some, including Husten, still wore troubled expressions, casting a shadow over the atmosphere.

Of course, the astute Narba would not let such sentiments pass him by.

“If you have any concerns or worries, speak now. I will listen attentively.”

“Your Grace, it is… somewhat presumptuous of me to speak after coming this far.”

“I am listening.”

“While I acknowledge the rationality of your judgment, I cannot help but feel that it is a somewhat questionable approach.”

Husten was somewhat timid, but he was a knight who always kept his word.

Even Husten could see that the strategic Narba had proposed was controversial, treading the fine line between black and white, good and evil. He was not alone in his thinking. Several knights who agreed with Husten’s concerns added their support with serious expressions.

However, Narba’s response was cold.

“They are the ones who sacrificed the lives of others to save their own.”

“…”

“The least they can do is offer their own lives in exchange for forgiveness. Moreover, if we make contact first, they will attempt to escape to land as quickly as a torrent. The enemy will surely notice.”

If that were to happen, we would lose the opportunity to engage the enemy, whom we have divided at great cost, in order to save a mere few hundred lives.

“The plan will not change.”

At that moment, Husten felt a chill run down his spine.

Perhaps that judgment was even sharper than the tip of the sword that had pierced the gap in his chain mail and cut him down.

“We will strike as they pillage after landing.”

Narba said, flicking his black cape with his hand.

“Consider those who resist and flee as traitors, and do not let them stand in our way.”