Chapter 173: 173

Vol. 1 Chapter 173

Operation Serpent's Fang

Translated by Raizu

 

The armor made a metallic clattering sound when I checked whether everything has been fitted properly.
I tried moving my body several times in front of the mirror stone that was prepared as a full-length mirror to check how I looked, but there didn’t seem to be any particular problems.

When I left New Nelly, I was in such a rush that I had to wear my grandmother’s armor, but this time I decided to use my own armor.
This is the armor I used during my first battle and then I left it in Nambonan City. This was the only armor made for myself, and naturally was more comfortable to wear.

[Would you like to bring a sword?]

[It’s fine as it is.]

The servant tried to prepare a sword that matched the armor, but I politely declined and picked up the water snake sword that I brought from New Nelly.
This sword was enshrined in the treasury of New Nelly Castle, and is just a gorgeous sword with no historical or cultural value. Since it is simply worth the value of the gem used, if it is lost, it’ll only be a financial problem.
If this was the treasured sword that my grandmother was said to have taken with her when she went on a trip, she would have asked for a replacement immediately in consideration of the risk of losing it.

[How is it?]

I asked the servant while posing with the water snake’s treasured sword on my waist and lightly lifting my cloak.

[Young Master looks fine.]

After the grooming check was over, the servants took a step back and bowed.
Then, as if he was waiting for me to finish my preparations, a man entered the room.

[We are ready to depart. All we need is an order from Young Master.]

He is the next head of the Gatoren family of knights, and the Commander who is entrusted with the command of the forces stationed in Nambonan City.
In the end, it took a day, but the reorganization of the Quordenze army was completed.

[This one is also ready. Let’s go.]

[Yessir.]

When I left the room, the guards who were waiting silently started walking behind me.
Perhaps notified of my departure, the hallway of the mayor’s residence, where you can usually feel a little more signs of the activities of servants and city officials, was eerily silent. Only the sound of scraping metal could be heard.
Those who were standing at the end of the hallway made a small bow, as I walked proudly in the center of the hallway, with the guards spread out slightly behind me. The mood is exactly like a general round at a university hospital.

[Good luck.]

[Good luck!]

[Young Master, good luck.]

As I listened to the voices of the servants chiming in stereo as I headed for the exit, the Commander took a big step forward and lined up with me.

[is this good?]

[What?]

[Regarding the chain of command for reinforcements…]

Although there was something else he really wanted to talk about, he was hesitant to bring up the main topic all of a sudden.
This was the basic formation of the Quordenze army, so it wasn’t something to reconfirm.
The Commander, who saw me giving a random nod, let out a small sigh and naturally changed the topic.

[…Also, there is a story that the Young Master’s unit will be led by the bad son of our house.]

[Are you talking about Raylight?]

[It’s an embarrassing story, but that kid is too careless for his own good. It would be best if Young Master stopped associating with him. If you need young military officers, I have a few in mind.]

Without waiting for our reply, the Commander listed the names of the military officers who remained in Nambonan City and were assigned to the unit to defend the city and provide logistical support. It seemed that he was recommending young people whom he had been keeping an eye on on a daily basis, so there were many names of military officers who were stationed in Nambonan City.
For the time being, Raylight is a military officer in the Nambonan stationed army, but he enjoys visiting brothels in the city and interacting with commoners such as Ramon. From his father’s point of view, he might look like a flirtatious son who doesn’t mesh well with the knight family and the Gatoren family.

[I appreciate the recommendation, but it was Raylight who had the best control over the Nambonan militia. I want to leave it to him this time.]

When organizing the army, I gave instructions to add the Nambonan militias into our ranks. Originally, there was no plan to bring them in the reinforcement unit.
The knights and military officers who saw the high morale of the Nambonan militia in defending the city seemed to think that they could be used most effectively in the local defensive battle, so they wanted to keep them in the city. It seems that yesterday, more Quordenze soldiers arrived from the mainland, and it may be related to the prospect of securing soldiers.
However, when I think about the future, there was a feeling inside of me that I wanted to see how the citizen soldiers could be used.

And if it was a unit of the Nambonan militia, I could have predicted that even if I unilaterally decided on the military officer, there would be no turmoil. This is because the composition of the Quordenze army is based on a unit called a “family”.

For example, in the case of the Gatoren family, the citizens of the territory entrusted to them by the Quordenze family are gathered to form the Gatoren army. A cavalry army.
Although it is a knight army, one of its jobs is to provide it for the lords of the Quordenze family, as well as to use it to govern their own territory.
This includes dispatching personnel to the military base, which is the core of the Quordenze army in New Nelly, and finding a unit to accompany Grandfather Galfis’ expedition.
Most likely, more than half of the Gatoren army is seconded to the Quordentze army.
Well then, even if the soldiers of the Gatoren army join the Quordenze army, each of them are still separate entities. In the same way, a military officer from a knight family who has been seconded from the Gatoren family will take care of them as a leader.
Of course, in the event of a large-scale military operation, a unit consisting of multiple families would be created. In that case, there are many patterns where the military officer of the Quordenze army becomes the leader.
For a knight who cannot inherit his parents’ house, being active at a seconded destination is the shortest route to career advancement. It is possible to rise to be a military officer of the Quordenze family if he can demonstrate his ability.

Nambonan City was annexed by the Quordenze territory just a few months ago, and naturally there is no knight family on it. For the time being, in the battle against the Spierzeig army, the Nambonan militia were subdivided and distributed in the form of increasing the number of troops to each unit.
This time, I made a request to make the citizen soldiers into one unit.
Although Nambonan City continues to have a self-governing council, it is still under my control. In other words, it is a territory under the direct control of the Quordenze family. There is no problem even if I unilaterally make the decision ignoring the military officer.
If this is the territory of the knight family, it will be bad if I were to meddle with their organization. Since the knight’s territory is entrusted by the nobility, if I insist, they will have no choice but to obey, but my reputation will suffer. When I think back about what has been taught by my father, I hesitate as I aim to become the next head of the family.

[That belonged to us, didn’t it? There shouldn’t be any particular problem.]

[Haa…]

Raylight had become a military officer belonging to the Quordenze family, so it was convenient for me.

By the way, the Commander in charge of the Nambonan stationed forces also belongs to the Quordenze family.
As the next head of the Gatoren family, he joined the Quordenze army in order to have the opportunity to interact with various knights and military officers in the territory. Is it an image of working at the head office and making connections before becoming a branch manager?
After becoming a knight, there are times when he will lead the knight army and move as a unit of the Quordenze army, but at that time it would be convenient if a military officer he knew was at the headquarters of the Quordenze army.
It seems that most knights experience being a military officer belonging to the Quordenze family at least once, so it’s something of a custom.

The commander didn’t seem convinced yet, so I decided to play the final card.

[The lieutenant is your father. There is no need to worry.]

The expeditionary force exceeds 30,000 soldiers. I will be the commander-in-chief, but since I have no experience leading such a large army, I will leave most of the practical work to the lieutenant.
So, when I asked Knight Gatoren if he could serve as aide-in-chief, I was able to get his approval with two replies, probably within the scope of my expectations.
Knight Gatoren is Raylight’s grandfather, so considering that his eyes are shining, I don’t think the Commander should do anything to make him feel uneasy.

[… I apologize for the long delay. There may be some unsightly parts, but please take care of my bad son.]

As expected, there seemed to be no room for objection, and the Commander withdrew reluctantly.
Even so, Raylight himself doesn’t seem to have much trust in his father. Occasionally there are times when things get out of hand, but basically it looks like he has a solid sense of etiquette… Ah, maybe it’s not good for me to know when things get out of hand.

As I continued to talk about the composition of the expeditionary force, I asked what was on my mind.

[By the way, how are the militia doing?]

[It must be the result of Young Master’s leadership, I can see that the morale is higher than when defending.]

[Good.]

[It’s the first time I’ve seen a commoner militia enthusiastic about going to the battlefield, aside from city defense. ……I hope Raylight doesn’t mishandle it.]

The goal of the military operation this time is not to defend Nambonan City, but to repel the Spierzeig forces attacking the frontline base.
From the point of view of the citizens, they would be satisfied if only their place of residence was saved, but it seems that the morale is well maintained.

[I’m glad it went well.]

[Yessir. I didn’t think that a single stone monument could boost morale so much.]

Yesterday, I gave a performance to cremate the dead civilians.
A monument was erected by carving the names of the war casualties recorded by Canis on the stone materials for the walls that were lying around.
And I read it out one by one before cremation, praising their spirit of devotion to the city. It was not a memorial ceremony to send off those who died in battle, but a ceremony to commend heroes who protected their hometowns.

[Is there any other way we can use this technique?]

[Probably difficult. In other cities and towns, you wouldn’t feel anything when you see a name carved in stone. No, you might even feel pity or even resentment.]

When I consulted about erecting a stone monument, not a few military officers objected for the reasons given by the Commander.
The slave ancestors of the Eruo continent… The commoners are always dominated and oppressed. From their point of view, death in battle is close to a disaster in the name of a ruler’s order.
The military officers were concerned that if they left a stone monument inadequately, it would be perceived as just a [victim list].

That’s why, I was very careful not to go in that direction when cremating.
If you said something like, [No, you’ve worked hard for the Quordenze family! You did a good job!] and praised the fact that he stood up to protect Nambonan City, and the strong will and self-reliance of the citizens there.
I don’t know how much consolation the bereaved family received from being called by a nobleman who was at the top of power and being praised for their sacrifice. Maybe I didn’t feel anything, maybe I was rebellious. But, that’s not the point. This is because the number of bereaved families is a small percentage of the total population of Nambonan City.

It seemed like I was talking to the bereaved family, but in reality, I was showing the way to the citizens.

Admiration from those in power is sweet. All the more so if it tickles our pride.
As a result, the citizens came to regard those who died in battle as Heroes, and the justification for their death proceeded on their own.
[It is an honor to sacrifice yourself for Nambonan City]…the first step is to make people realize that. It would be great if we could eventually twist that and create a sense of values ​​that honors sacrificing for the Quordenze family.
Also, if the dead were seen as Heroes, the bereaved families would feel a little lighter. No amount of magic can change the fact of death, but power can give it meaning.

[Well, it’s not like Nambonan citizens don’t have feelings of anger…but the destination is different.]

I continued my speech after the praise. This time, it was to fuel hatred for the Spierzeig family.

The war between the Quordenze and Spierzeig began with the murder of my uncle, Gardacle Quordenze. I emphasized that fact and asserted that the Spierzeig family was [Evil].
Even though they are hostile to the Quordenze family, it is difficult for commoners to openly criticize the nobles. That’s why I implicitly gave my approval that I could speak out my hatred for the Spierzeig family.
[My uncle was killed by the evil Spierzeig family, and because of that, the war started, and Nambonan city also suffered damage in this way.] …..I simplified things like that and imprinted it on the citizens.
I can’t express my resentment towards the rulers, the Quordenze family, but I can forgive the criticism of the Spierzeig family. The negative emotions that were born among the citizens flowed toward that single hole.
The purpose of my speech was not only to maintain morale, but also to redirect the hatred that might be directed against the Quordenze family towards the Spierzeig family.

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The simplified scheme of the evil Spierzeig family, and the Quordenze family fighting to overthrow it, quickly permeated the citizens.
Thus, the young men in the city, driven by a sense of justice and righteous indignation, raised their hands to participate in the expedition of the Quordenze army.

[…can I ask Young Master something?]

[What?]

[What is the reason for restricting entry into the army? I thought it was good to increase the number of applicants and to inflame the hostility towards the Spierzeig family.]

The citizens of Nambonan raised their hands to participate in the war, but I limited it to 500 people. To put it bluntly, the number one reason is that I am a coward.
Knights and military officers looked at the Nambonan militia as if they’re seeing unknown creatures, so I felt that if there were too many of them, the army could be paralyzed in the event of trouble. In addition, when I asked Ramon to confirm the breakdown of the applicants, there were many promising merchant heirs who could carry Nambonan City on their backs in the future.
The selection of the 500 people is left to Ramon and other city officials who are familiar with the city’s situation, and they pick up those who seem to have little impact even if they die.

Since it’s not a very cool reason, I decided to keep silent about it while I think up a better reason for later.

[There is no point in allowing all volunteers to participate. Because only a limited number of people can participate in the war, the volunteers will be seen as special by the citizens and gain a sense of superiority.]

Applicants who couldn’t participate would be envious, and those who were selected should be proud.
Even if there is a harsh battle on the battlefield, once you return to the city, you will be seen as one of the Heroes. If we can create the illusion that it is an honor to become a Quordenze soldier, it’s us who will reap the profit.

The Commander let out a muffled groan as if confirming the meaning of my words while rubbing his beard.

[If the Nambonan militias prove to be useful in this battle, then it might be necessary to think carefully about the future. This expedition should be a good experiment…no, it should be seen as a result.]

Even though I was reincarnated as the eldest son of a noble, I don’t have the courage to boldly carry out military reforms.
There are many aspects of the nobility military system that appear to be inefficient, but in reality, they are operating in their own way, so it is quite difficult to get involved.
I am still under my father’s protection, but even if I succeed the position of head of the Quordenze family tomorrow, I won’t be able to change the system at will.
What I can do is reform after accumulating achievements… no, restructuring. Aside from new developments like pioneering societies, existing organizations cannot be changed quickly.

Because of this situation, I am very grateful that I have a card called the “Nambonan militias”. There is no better way to test what I have in mind in military affairs.

[… I admire the depth of your thoughts, Young Master.]

Saying that, the Commander took a step back.

=====

When I took a step outside the mayor’s residence, the horse was already prepared there. The horse that I rode from New Nelly is still in poor health, so I’m using a substitute horse.
After stroking the new horse several times, I straddled it and moved it in a circular motion.

[What do you think?]

[Looks fine.]

Although I only rode it lightly, I got the impression that it was an obedient horse, and I didn’t find it particularly difficult to handle.
After waiting for the Commander and my escorts to ride on horseback, we headed outside the city.

[Come to think of it, did my grandfather give you any new information?]

[No, nothing since last night’s report.]

Although my grandfather was surrounded by multiple armies, he sent messengers whenever he could.
According to the messenger soldiers who arrived in Nambonan City, the enemy army was a coalition of five noble families, with the Spierzeig family at the top. An estimation of 150,000 soldiers divided into three main armies.
Of course, the Quordentze army at the front line base has only one leader. My grandfather continues to struggle in a one-on-three situation.

No matter how you look at it, the formation is unlikely to win, but the three enemy armies only tingle and attack plainly as if they were teasing my grandfather. They don’t even try to confront him head-on.
They are probably waiting for Nambonan city to be taken by the detached force led by Verret, completely to buy time.
From the way they attacked, my grandfather seemed to already be convinced of the existence of the detached force, and it seems that messengers were sent outside of Nambonan City. Rather, since Nambonan City is believed to be in a state of war, it is said that there are more messengers heading for other cities and towns.

[Phew, I want to leave early.]

Even though my grandfather was a battle-hardened man, he wasn’t immortal. There are also concerns.

[I don’t know what will happen if the news of Verret’s death reaches Spierzeig’s army… I can’t even look at it if it’s a high-stakes assault. No matter how strong grandfather is, there’s no way he can win against the three at the same time.]

One of the main enemy forces is the army led by the current head of the Spierzeig family, Verret’s father. If his son was killed, he might get enraged and start a suicidal attack.
Thinking that, I was quite impatient, but the Commander responded with a calm tone.

[…Perhaps even if the situation here is transmitted, the impact will be small.]

[Hm?]

The Commander continues.

[Even if the messenger reaches the enemy army, the content is absolutely unbelievable.]

The detached army was annihilated, Verret died, and all the knights and military officers were killed. The Commander asserted that from the perspective of the side that launched the surprise attack, such a report sounded ridiculous and impossible.
Besides, the head of the Spierzeig family would not want to believe in such a result.

[They would definitely send scouts to Nambonan City to confirm the facts. And we have already deployed our army in various directions to hunt those soldiers. We have no intention of returning them alive. We should still be able to buy time. By the time the enemy grasps the current situation…]

[…we’ll be attacking them already.]

[Yessir. A surprise attack to a terribly vulnerable target is the most effective of surprise attacks. We must make the most of this opportunity.]

The rapid reorganization of the Quordenze army was necessary to take the initiative before accurate information reached the enemy.
Without understanding the situation of the detached force that attacked Nambonan City, we will launch a surprise attack, lead the enemy into confusion, and seize the initiative.
It can be said that the main army of Spierzeig, who were unable to move because they were worried about the movement of the Verret army, was indeed in a state of being entwined with snakes.

[The name Operation Serpent’s Fang is really fitting.]

As we talked about last night, it was decided that this military operation would be called [Operation Serpent’s Fang].
I think it would be cool if there was an operation name for military actions, but the Quordenze army didn’t have such a culture. So there was no operation name in particular thus far.
It doesn’t cost much to decide on a name for the operation, so I decided to give it a name to lift my spirits.
……That’s because when I was talking to the military officers about the time I defeated Verret, I accidentally uttered the name of the operation I had in my head: [Slasher Operation]. Upon hearing this, the military officers were astounded by the excessive naming sense, and directly appealed to them, [Please make the operation name more heroic and cool sounding].

Actually, I had named the grandfather rescue operation [Operation Ping-Pong Dash] in my head, but of course I kept that to myself.

When I solicited opinions from military officers, I was advised that it would be cool to have a snake element in it because it would make it obvious that it was coined by the eldest son of the Quordenze family, so I decided on “Operation Serpent’s Fang” as the name of the operation.
It originated from the speech just before the assault on Nambonan City, and it was very well received by the knights and military officers who ran together from New Nelly City and actually participated in the assault.
That’s why I’m calling it “Operation Serpent’s Fang” from the departure from New Nelly to the rescue of my grandfather.
The first fang is the battle in Nambonan City, where I killed Verret, while the second fang is planned for the future. A snake has two poisonous fangs after all.

=====

[Mayor-sama!]

[Good luck!]

Occasionally, there are citizens who notice us and cheer us on. When I slightly raised my hand to show my reaction, it was responded with more cheers.
The closer we get to the outskirts of the city, the more citizens there are. Apparently, they were gathering to see the Quordenze army’s departure.

As we passed the ramparts that were under construction, I saw a line of Quordenze soldiers ready to depart.
The soldiers were looking at the knight who had climbed up to a slightly higher platform, just like a group of elementary school students listening to the principal at a morning meeting on the grounds.
The knight’s voice can be heard well even from a distance with the sound reinforcement magic.

[Because of that, before leaving for the battle…]

When I heard the knight’s words of caution regarding the expedition, several military officers rushed over.

[Young Master, would you please give us a direct command after this? We will depart immediately.]

[Oh, leave it to me.]

It looks like they were waiting for me.
I called out to the military officer standing next to me while thinking about what to say.

[…Even so, please keep it simple, just in case of spies.]

[The objective of the operation is to repel the Spierzeig army, so it doesn’t matter if it leaks…no, it’s better if the information leaks.]

The place where Operation Snake’s Fang—The Second Fang sticks out is not the front line base where my grandfather awaits. It is Reisleaf Castle, the Great Shield of Voistra that the Spierzeig family is proud of.

Last night, when I heard that they would launch an attack on Reisleaf Castle, I thought it was too reckless. However, when I asked him why, I could understand why they chose that strategy.
From now on, the goal is to rescue my grandfather, not to destroy the main army of Spierzeig. The victory of the Quordenze family is guaranteed just by pushing the enemy back, so there is no need to risk it.
However, if you go straight to the front line base without thinking about anything, the leaders will clash with each other in a 2 vs 3 situation.
Considering my grandfather, who must have been exhausted from the day after day of battle, it was the knights and military officers who wanted to take safety measures here.

Therefore, the expeditionary force, the Wilk army led by me, bypassed the front line base and decided to attack Reisleaf Castle.
Reisleaf Castle’s landscape is close to the fortress line. The key to the strategy is to attack Reisleaf Castle from a location that is easy to withdraw and surprise the Spierzeig army.

For the Spierzeig family, Reisleaf Castle is a defensive line that must never be taken down.
When the Castle, the shield that protects the Voistra plains falls, the Quordenze army will be able to deploy its army freely from there. Invasion patterns spread innumerably, and athough it’s not very possible, the defense won’t be in time.
At present, only a small number of knights are stationed at Reisleaf Castle, as they expected that there will be no invasion over there. But, what would happen if the castle suddenly underwent an all-out attack while the situation of the Verret army was still unknown? Strategically and considering the nobility’s temperament, the knights and military officers estimate that the Spierzeig main army, which is attacking the front line base, will withdraw.
The most conceivable development is that Spierzeig’s main army retreats to Reisleaf Castle and solidifies its defenses. In addition, if a battle with the retreating enemy army begins, the Wilk army plans to withdraw immediately.
Knocking on the door of Reisleaf Castle and escaping when the owner comes, it’s a ping-pong dash strategy.

It’s hard to think of a main battle, and it’s a safe plan even for the military officers who put my safety first because we plan to withdraw when the main Spierzeig army comes.
They say that we will pierce Reisleaf Castle with the fangs of snakes, but in reality we won’t be doing that much.
Well, at most it should end with destroying one of the small fortresses that make up Reisleaf Castle.

[Young Master.]

It seems that the knight’s story ended while I was thinking about having sex in Nambonan City as much as I wanted when I returned home.
I step forward to give the command to depart.

I pulled out the Water Serpent’s treasured sword, raised it to the heavens, and made a loud declaration.

[Operation Serpent’s Fang will now begin.]

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