43 – Preparing to part with the pig (2)

There is a word that symbolizes the wealth of the Countess of Nantes family.

‘A land blessed with ripples of golden wheat stretching from one end of the horizon to the other.’

In fact, there are no fields that are wide enough to extend all the way to the horizon, but the farming is so good compared to other territories that people say that.

The wide plains along the Reiner River that runs through the center of the territory boast 1.3 to 1.4 times more yield than farmland in other county territories of the same area.

Even the sheer volume of the Reiner River allows fields to be cleared ‘without worrying about water’ without the need to build reservoirs, provided the capacity to clear the land exists.

Thanks to such a blessed natural environment, among the nobility of our territory, it is said that there were cases in which ancestors who were adventurous serfs were recognized as knights by recognizing villages created by pioneering ‘wide farmland’.

Right now, you can’t become a knight just because you have land, but…

Thanks to this background, we, the count family of Nantes, can lead a more prosperous and prosperous life than other count families.

And abundant food and wealth, of course, provided the ability to train great knights and soldiers, and as a result, it succeeded in becoming a powerful territory with only 1,000 knights.

On the other hand, the number of knights owned by Earl Hellsman was around 600, and with all the infantry conscripted, the number would barely exceed 10,000.

Because one knight can deal with 10 people, in fact, even if he shuts up and casts a charge, Count Hellsman loses.

So, I opened my mouth to use this situation to persuade the viscount in front of me to start a persuasion to drive both ‘Count Nantes’ and ‘Count Hellsmann’ into a war that only hurts.

“First of all, according to the information provided by the Hamburg apprentice, Count Helsmann had a great fight with the Franchise and the Romanian Count Charlesheim last year. And although I have recovered from that wound to some extent, I heard that it is not a complete recovery.”

The viscount made a displeased expression when he heard that, but I continued talking regardless of the viscount’s reaction.

“This is important information. Please listen carefully.”

“yes.”

“It is said that when Count Charlesheim fought Count Hellsman, Count Mentle, the right-hand man of Count Hellsman, fell off his horse after being hit by the lance of an unknown knight and was seriously injured. And a few days ago, the wounds he received when he fell off the horse worsened and he died.”

Upon hearing that, the viscount’s expression brightened slightly.

Even though Hellsman is as strong as a lion and cunning as a snake, even if he is a commander, if he loses his right arm, he will naturally become weaker.

“And to my knowledge, considering that the reason why Count Hellsman was so fierce in France was because of the knights led by Viscount Mentel, who was called his sharpest spear… I would not do it even with the famous Knights of Hellsman. Wouldn’t you like to?”

“right. Even our Knights of Nantes are a bit less powerful than them. If it weren’t for Viscount Gentle, we wouldn’t lose even if we fought head-on.”

Although he tried to speak in a calm voice, the viscount’s face could not hide the joy of a positive change from a ‘battle to be avoided unconditionally’ to a ‘battle worth fighting’.

He may be trying hard to pretend to be calm, but the smile on his face seems to bite his ears right away.

However, Viscount Kreuttel in front of me is a formidable opponent.

If I finish persuasion in this state and go back, I will definitely start power analysis again tomorrow morning saying ‘not enough’…

After analyzing it, I would come to the reasonable conclusion that although we win overall, the results won’t be so good if the commander-in-chief, Count Schwein von Nantes, is like that.

Therefore, in order not to give me time to proceed with a reasonable analysis, I held out the letter containing the emergency call-up order I had received to the viscount and said as if snarling.

“Look. Right now, only we and some nobles in the palace know about it, but this ridiculous scandal will soon spread to all Elaines, no Romanias, even the Franchis! If this scandal spreads as it is now…”

Upon hearing that, the viscount made a serious expression and replied.

“In the worst case, Your Excellency Countess of Nantes may not be able to marry a ‘lady’ of the same rank. Along with that, all the vassals of our county of Nantes… will become a group of idiots following the incompetent count who can’t even marry.”

“That’s right. If I end up with this kind of disgrace… Not just me, but other nobles too…”

In the 1980s, or even in the early 2000s, practically everyone in Korea was married.

Because there was a culture where if you couldn’t get married, you were treated as ‘someone lacking something’ at work or in society and didn’t look at you as a proper adult.

Because of that influence, even now, people who have not been married until they are in their mid-thirties sometimes post on the Internet community that they are going crazy because their mother is nagging them to marry them, asking them to get married…

Not to mention, not being able to get married in this society where the meaning of marriage is much bigger and heavier than in Korea…

It’s like a ‘certificate’ that someone really has a problem.

So what I said is like this.

‘Including the Count, all of us aristocrats who haven’t been properly married will be treated like idiots, let alone nobles.’

The viscount, who understood what I said, looked at me with a white face and said,

“If that happens, His Excellency’s reign itself will be in danger. No matter how many knights pledged their allegiance, they couldn’t follow a master who brought such dishonor…”

So I decided to help the Viscount solidify his resolve.

“So we have no choice but to fight. It can’t be avoided anymore, Father. A noble is not a noble the moment he is dishonored.”

“… I see, then ask me again. Do you think there is a chance of winning this war?”

It’s going according to plan.

As planned, Hellsmann and the Count of Nantes will fall into the mud pit and soon start a war that will only leave scars on each other…

No, the Count of Nantes will probably win, even by a very narrow margin, so the ‘honor’ will remain for Schwein. Of course, he would lose the trust of his subordinates.

So, while suppressing the laughter that was about to leak out, I answered seriously.

“Do you really think that Countess of Nantes is so incompetent that 1,000 knights can’t even beat 600 toothless knights?”

“It is not. Even if it’s your first campaign, it’s possible just by pretending to listen to the advice of the knights…”

“Then you can definitely win. father.”

At those words, a bright smile spread across the viscount’s face again.

There is not a single doubt towards me in the eyes looking at me.

So even though it’s for the future of Baron Creutel’s family, and to protect the serfs and vassals of the land you loved so much…

To use that expectation and trust in the wrong direction to drown the count, whom the current viscount is risking his life to protect…

I felt a little bit sick.

So, even more so, I told the viscount with a determination to protect the territory I had to protect, even if the count would drive me to death with my own hands.

“Don’t worry. I, Ciel von Kreutel, will do everything in my power to protect Kreutel. Victory in this war is for him. See you at the strategy meeting tomorrow, Dad.”

Hearing that, the viscount looked at me with a slightly questionable expression, wondering if it was strange that I had to say ‘to protect the Count’s Excellency and the count’s territories’ at times like this.

But then he looked at me and smiled.

“Okay, see you at the strategy meeting tomorrow. I believe in your strategy.”

Then I left the Viscount’s room and returned to my lodging, where I had a late dinner.

In the meal that day, I did not notice any taste.

**

The next day, I went into the conference room to attend the meeting just in time for the Count to come.

I deliberately went on time, thinking that everyone would come a little later than the promised time, but contrary to my thoughts, the Count and the other barons were already having a heated meeting inside.

“Baron Circleland!! What do you mean!! It must be the army of Baron Hiber to spear against Earl Hellsman!!”

“What! Only we, Baron Circleland, can bear the weight of the vanguard. In preparation for such an occasion, we have been wearing armor on our horses since long ago. As Baron Heiber knows, the difference between a horse with armor and one without is huge.”

Hearing this, Baron Hiber shuddered and did not respond.

Seeing this scene, I seriously wondered if these guys had any intention of winning.

No matter how much we want to fight for political power, if we are going to a war of conquest, can’t we make some concessions?

If we don’t yield to each other, in the end there will only be destruction at the end…

What’s even more absurd is that he’s a Schwein looking at fighting like that with an expression of ‘they’re all doing this for me…’…

I ignored the two barons fighting like that for a while and sat down in the prepared seat.

Count Schwein confirmed my arrival and then said in a loud voice,

“Everyone be quiet! First of all, Baron Creutel, do you have any thoughts?”

I have thoughts, but I tried my best to answer in a voice that seemed to know nothing.

“I do not know. What is the situation?”

Hearing that, the count, as if to show off his superior resourcefulness, held up the gold-plated tactical baton he had left in front of his seat, pointing at the map and said:

“First of all, we will attack the city of Helsman, the capital of Count Helsman’s territory. For him, we first need to defeat Count Hellsman and his army. We have more knights than them, so we’re going to fight in their territory… the plains of sand.”

Although Count Schwein doesn’t like it, the Count’s current tactic is a very reasonable tactic.

Our biggest advantage over our enemies right now is the number of heavy cavalry knights, and we have to fight on as large a plain as possible to save them.

They say even slugs have a knack for rolling, and the count must have the brains to come up with the right tactics.

No, he’s just reciting what someone wrote.

“Please keep talking.”

“Everyone has agreed up to this point, but the problem is that I haven’t decided who will be the spearhead of my army yet. What are you trying to do?”

In the general military, ‘vanguard’ is a very prestigious and meaningful position.

Therefore, the earl’s invitation to ‘vanguard’ is an expression of trust, ‘believe in me’, and an offer I cannot refuse…

Why did Confucius also say that ‘a gentleman is to be hated by bad people and loved by good people’, but if I am loved by Schwein, who is wicked and even a woman, I will eventually become a human of the same level.

To be precise, when Schwein makes a mistake and goes down, I will go down as well.

So, in order to prevent that from happening, we need to get as far away from Schwein as possible…

for him…

“I will take on the task of moving first and foremost, but instead, our unit wants to move separately.”

Hearing that, Schwein asked me in an angry voice as if he was more curious about why I refused with such a reason rather than having his request rejected.

“Why?!”

“In the county of Nantes, there are about 15,000 infantry and 1,500 knights, and we have 3,000 infantry and 50 knights. As you can see from our organization, this is because Creutel is an infantry-oriented army, so the guidelines for action are different.”

I explained in such detail that since you and my army are so different, it would be a loss to act together, but Schwein looked at me with eyes that didn’t seem to understand.

And soon he was about to shoot me, but before that, the Baron of Circleland, who wanted to lead the way, spoke a little faster than the Earl.

“Your Excellency, Baron Creutel is right. Because we don’t fit in with such a small army of knights. Therefore, as he said, it seems that His Excellency may permit separate action.”

“is it? then…”

At this time, I came up with a trick to get the freedom I wanted and get out of the battle between Count Nantes’ army and Count Hellsmann’s army.

This way, even if the battle between the two turns bloody and gobbling, we’ll be able to come back mostly unscathed…

Hurry up good things, I said in a loud voice to the Earl of Circleland, lest I should miss the good opportunity he had given me.

“Your Excellency, if you give us a separate right to action… After you defeat Count Helsman, we will put a siege in advance so that Helsman cannot enter his city!!”