Chapter 33: CH 27

Two busy weeks of me witnessing the departure of the merchant corps and many meetings with the Crown Prince have passed. In these two weeks, I’ve also kept training. Not only I’ve trained my spearmanship but I’ve also trained the count’s knights and orderlies in group fights.

Other than that, there was big news that recently came to the kingdom. Svurlitz, a town located in a far away country has fallen. The news said it fell due to the demon attack. Thanks to that news the kingdom finally had enough ground to announce the oracle about the demon king’s revival to its citizen.

In the game, Svurlitz is known as the town of the dead. It was a place filled with hidden treasure. Like a typical game development, The protagonist, Mazell will go there to harvest these hidden treasures. I must say that the demon army is pretty stupid to left the towns without ransacking its citizen’s houses. 

Returning to the topic of the kingdom, after the official announcement about the revival of the demon king, the renovation of Veritza Fortress has become one of the kingdom’s priorities. Because of that all this time my head has been running at top speed to think about an escape & rescue plan for the people inside the fortress.

Half of my headache about the escape & rescue plan is caused by a certain marquis.

“Sigh… The number one problem is Marquis Knap.”

Oliver Heinrich Knap. He’s a great marquis who at the very least didn’t look down on the weak. But he’s a muscle brain who understands little about politics. The most troublesome aspect is the fact that he and my father have a hostile relationship.

When the oracle was announced to the public, Marquis Knap was immediately appointed as the supervisor of the Veritza Fortress renovation project. He then led a group of knights and soldiers to the fortress. I heard this group is going to be used as additional manpower for the project. Judging by the fact he went to supervise directly at the fortress, he seems to be quite a diligent person.

But the Marquis is the type of person who won’t listen to even the slightest bit of word coming from a little brat who is also a son of a noble who has a hostile relationship with him. That’s why the things I can do now are limited.

All I can do now is to give advice to the Marquis via the Crown Prince. I also can’t do that often otherwise he might get suspicious.

Well, whatever. I mean I need the fall of Veritza Fortress to happen. Sorry, Marquis. I got no grudge against you but I need you to fail.

Still, I want to minimize the victim as much as possible.

I keep squeezing my brain while confirming the current status of the renovation. Because of the Marquis’s diligent personality which is both a blessing and a curse to me, the update regarding the status of Veritza fortress renovation periodically reached the capital. The latest update said that the renovation is about 90% complete.

The Veritza Fortress in my memory didn’t look like it got attacked in the midst of its construction so I suspect the attack will happen simultaneously with the renovation completion. Come to think of it, I don’t think the fortress has any toilet. It’s the only aspect that feels medieval. I don’t like it.

According to my calculation, the renovation will probably be done in one week. In preparation for it, I came to make a request to the Crown Prince

“A practice?”

“Yes. I would like to do a group fighting practice.”

I answered the Crown Prince with a smile. Today, that butler is also standing silently in the room. Honestly, he looks creepy.

But well, I can’t be bothered by him. After all no matter what the situation, a noble must always keep a business smile. With that thought, I continue my talk with the Crown Prince.

“Of course, I have another reason.”

“Sir mean the matter of Veritza Fortress? I’ve warned the Marquis that the fortress might be attacked.”

“Thank you very much. May I ask how much the Marquis believed your warning?”

“I reckon he half-believed it.”

Right. I can imagine he replied to the Crown Prince’s warning with an empty ‘I will be careful’ out of politeness. I somehow prevent myself from slumping my shoulders in front of the Crown Prince.

“So today, Sir want to tell me a proposal regarding the Veritza Fortress?”

As expected he immediately know my purpose. Every time I talked to the Crown Prince, he always immediately knows my meaning before I even tell him. That’s why our conversation has always gone fast and smoothly. The speed at which his head is working is no joke.

I guess reckless royals only existed in a story… Ah no, there are various kings of the Angelos dynasty [1], Emperor Wang Mang of Xin [2], and Emperor Huizong of Song [3] (Though both emperors are imperials, not royals)

I guess that’s not important.

“Your Highness, do allow me to speak frankly. I believe if the fortress did get attacked the fortress will fall.”

“True. After all the knights and soldiers might be able to fight the demons but the common people who are there as lobar forces won’t be able to handle the demons.”

The Crown Prince nodded. Also, the number of common people in the fortress is higher than the knights and the soldiers so if the common people panic, the knights and soldiers will also panic. It’s human nature to panic when their surrounding is panicking after all. If that happened the number of victims will increase.

“The best scenario would be the fortress didn’t get attacked, the second-best scenario would be the fortress did get attacked, but we succeeded guiding the people inside the fortress to a safe place amidst the chaos.”

“How about making the people take refuge inside the fortress when it got attacked?”

“I have no confidence that a panicked army will be able to defend the fortress.”

“You’re right. I also don’t have that confidence.”

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(Info dump warning! click here to skip. Summary: Human brain will only focus on escaping when in a state of panic. They will only receive info about escaping and follow them even if that info isn’t good)

Actually, I think it’s not just ’have no confidence’ but impossible. What’s inside the head of people in a state of panic is only escape. Their brain will stop receiving any other information.

That means shouting ‘stop and fight!’ is useless. The best thing to do is just focus on guiding these people to a safe place.

Talking about the human brain, I remember the brain can actually recognize voices that are meant to guide them to safety. Is this some sort of superpower of the human brain?

Though the problem is the brain will instinctively trust that voice even if it’s false. For example, if people in a state of panic heard a voice like ‘please follow me to escape!’ they will follow them even if that person ended up guiding them to a cliff. Ah, I let my thought wander.

[Info dump end]

“I also believe that there is a danger other demons might attack the common people that have succeeded in escaping the fortress and are on their way to take refuge in the capital.”

“I see. If that happened, it would be hard for them who are not soldiers to resist.”

Though usually in a game, these kinds of people always managed to safely reach the place of refuge. How did they even do that?

“Of course, the possibility that my army that will be stationed outside the fortress becomes the one that will get attacked by the demons exist.”

“If that happened, how will Sir cooperate with the army inside the fortress?”

“My army has more or less received battle training so I believe they will be able to handle such an attack. It would be even better if the army stationed inside the fortress can come and aid us.”

“I see. An army only composed of soldiers that can fight without the common people won’t collapse easily.”

“That is my hope.”

Though, If the demons decided to split their army and attack both my army and the escaping refugee that will become a problem, but I think that scenario won’t happen. Because my prediction is that in order to pressure us, humans, the demons will focus their army on taking the fortress.

There’s also a possibility that the demons will attack my army after attacking the fortress. If that happened I plan to save as many people as possible before escaping myself.

“It’s best if the fortress did not get attacked but I reckon if the demons are planning to attack the fortress now is the best time.”

“I understand. What about the possibility that the demons will attack the fortress sometime after the renovation is finished?”

“It exists but in that case, I believe the army stationed in the fortress will be able to handle it themselves.”

The truth is I think that even if that happened the soldiers and knights who are all mob won’t be able to handle the demons. After all, the fortress did fall in the game.

Still, at the very least I believe the army will be able to put a better resistance since after the renovation is finished there won’t be any common people who act as labor force left in the fortress. That’s good for me since I want to minimize the number of non-combatant victims.

“But won’t the demons aim to attack after the renovation has finished in order to put pressure on us? It would mean they succeded in making a fortress full of soldiers fall after all.”

“If that happened we ought to rejoice. Though the ‘training’ will be futile no common people will become a victim. Still, I believe it will be better for us to prepare for the worst.”

“Right. If the fortress actually falls, the complaint from the amount of complaints from the citizen would be terrifying.”

Well, I can imagine that. Especially for people like the Crown Prince who is in the position of government. Adding to that there are still people who looked down on the demon army. Most of the nobles in the royal palace with the exception of the Crown Prince and Laura are like this.

In order for the kingdom to be able to gather its power to fight the demon army, it needs to take ‘rough action’ against these kinds of nobles. When I began to think about how many nobles are going to be the victims of the ‘rough action’ my stomach began to churn. But the kingdom has no choice since if it left these nobles alone they are going to become a hindrance in the kingdom’s battle with the demons. If that happened, the number of victims will increase.

“But Your Highness, I think receiving complaint is far better than letting the knights and the common people died.”

“I agree. It’s better if the fortress didn’t get attacked but we still need to prepare just in case.

You’re correct, You Highness that’s why I want to get your permission to deploy the army in the name of ‘training’. Though that army’s priority isn’t to defeat the demons the help people escape because the fortress will definitely fall.

I also got a confirmation from the Crown Prince that even if the fortress got attacked the kingdom won’t be able to give reinforcement.

“Your Highness, there is also another thing that I wish to consult.”

“Speak.”

♦

T/N: I smell another war incoming.

[1] Ruler of Byzantium. Generation of Angelos dynasty is said to be a bad ruler https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/e6erq8/how_did_the_angelos_dynasty_rule_byzantium_for_so/ ↵

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