kscans

Chapter 23 - Preparation for War, The Survivors Speak

In the aftermath, both armies, having suffered devastating blows, fled for their lives. No, that’s not quite right. I let them flee.

"Good work, Sister."

We had also withdrawn before sunrise and were now holed up in a hidden passage within the lord’s manor. And wow, with all the Undead packed in here, it’s getting pretty tight.

"I’m back. Adolnel, your command of the Undead was incredible."

That’s right—in this battle, Adolnel had been the one commanding all the Undead except for the knights. A few days ago, when she proposed we withdraw from the town, she also presented a strategy she had devised. Hearing it, I decided to entrust command of the Undead to her.

"The timing of the ‘Wolf-chan’s was a huge help. We almost let them escape before we’d thinned their numbers as planned."

"Not at all. It was all thanks to you, Sister, for letting the Undead knights run wild so effectively."

She says that, but I really think this girl has a talent for commanding others. I mean, sure, she was force-fed knowledge out of necessity, but I doubt many people could actually put it to practical use. Plenty of people get good grades but are useless once they enter the real world—the so-called book-smart idiots.

But this girl has the skill to apply what she’s learned. Yep, she’s the complete opposite of my past self. In my previous life, my luck with people was the absolute worst, but just as bad… well, maybe not as bad, but I myself wasn’t exactly a capable person.

No, no, I’ve literally been reborn, so my past life’s stats don’t count. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I’m good at physical activities, and Adolnel is good at intellectual ones. Wait, that’s not what I mean. I’m not saying I’m an idiot… Right, I should stop digging my own grave. Adolnel is an amazing girl! That’s all that matters!

"And that’s why Adolnel is such an amazing girl. Good job."

"What do you mean, ‘that’s why’?! Oh, but please, more head-pats."

"There, there."

"Hohee…"

After thoroughly doting on Adolnel, it was time for our strategy session.

"Alright, so what’s the plan from here on out?"

"Yes. It’s now clear to them that this town has been overrun by Undead. Therefore, increasing our forces is the top priority. That’s why we intentionally let the knights escape—to make them experience firsthand how dangerous it would be to attack us without gathering sufficient numbers."

Exactly. A key part of our plan was to deliberately let the knights get away. The goals were to reduce the enemy’s numbers and to make them fully aware of our strength. This would force them to take their time gathering a proper army, buying us time to bolster our own forces and prepare our defenses.

Although, depending on the army they assemble, we might have to do more than just defend. Well, in that case, I can just grab Adolnel and Ichigo-kun and fly away. I can always make more minions later.

"By the way, how are we going to increase our forces? With the town in this state, I doubt any travelers will be coming through, and the lords will probably forbid it anyway."

Even in my past life, countries would issue travel warnings for war-torn areas.

"Precisely. That’s why I’d like you to increase our variety of troop types, Sister."

"Troop types?"

What’s that?

"Infantry aren’t the only ones who fight in a war. There are spearmen, cavalry, magic-users, as well as various other roles like supply units and scouts."

I see, so that’s what she means by troop types.

"Therefore, Sister, I’d like you to…"

"Wait, really?! Are you serious?!"

I couldn’t help but cry out in surprise at Adolnel’s incredible proposal.

"As for myself, I’d like to set traps and modify our base. It would be a great help if you could entrust me with command of the Undead while you raise a new army."

"Yeah, you can count on me for that!"

"Yes!"

And so, we set off to prepare for the next battle.

◆ The Knight of Lexalun ◆

"Give me the report."

Having returned to my territory with only a handful of men, I stood before my lord, who made no effort to hide his displeasure.

"Yes, my lord. We headed to Fenesia Town as requested, but the knights of Carolmana had already arrived."

"Of course they had. There was no way those greedy fools from Carolmana would sit still if we were making a move."

"We proceeded with caution, intending to secure a safe position before commencing rescue operations as planned, but my men were attacked under the cover of darkness. In retaliation, we launched a night raid."

"And you lost? To knights from the same kingdom, no less."

My lord’s eyes filled with irritation. The other vassals watched me, their faces alight with cruel amusement. Damn them! A bunch of incompetents who weren’t even entrusted with the mission! If you were in my shoes, you’d have been routed too—no, you all would have been annihilated!

"Th-They attacked the knights of our order! Retaliation was only natural! More importantly, our attack forced them to reveal their true nature! Our own knights suddenly turned into Undead and attacked us!"

"Into Undead? What do you mean?"

"I don’t know. Knights who were standing right beside us suddenly turned on us. At first, I thought they were enemy spies in disguise, but they were my own men, transformed into Ghouls."

"What are you talking about? Did a swarm of Undead attack Fenesia Town before you even engaged the Carolmana forces?" my lord demanded, his voice laced with impatience, demanding more details about my men turning into Undead.

"No, there wasn’t a single Undead in sight. Furthermore, when my men were taken, we had a perimeter of torches set up. The sentries would have seen anyone who approached. We were forced to fight without knowing how they abducted our men or how they turned them into Undead right under our noses."

It was truly a nightmare. Even I, who was right there, had no idea what happened.

"Furthermore, they summoned countless Undead to assault us. I believe they possess a means to control Undead, and the ones that attacked Fenesia Town were undoubtedly part of their scheme. There is no other explanation for how the Carolmana knights could have arrived before us, despite our swift departure."

After I finished speaking, my lord fell into deep, troubled thought.

"Hmm. If Carolmana was pulling the strings from the start, that would explain why they were so quick to secure the area."

That’s right. The knights of Carolmana weren’t there to investigate; they must have been stationed there ever since they first attacked Fenesia Town.

"Using Undead to attack the territory of other nobles… I cannot let this stand."

◆ The Knight of Carolmana ◆

"So you’re saying Lexalun was controlling the Undead?"

I was reporting the full, gruesome details of the battle to my lord.

"Yes, my lord. As we fought the Lexalun knights, a horde of Undead attacked us from behind, as if to support them. What’s more, a pack of Thousand Wolves appeared, and strangely, they didn’t attack us. They simply surrounded us, as if to ensure no one escaped—a behavior completely uncharacteristic of Thousand Wolves."

Indeed, the Thousand Wolves we knew would never have passed up the opportunity to attack us in that situation. They are cunning creatures. They should have ignored the Undead and attacked only us, the wounded. The fact that they didn’t means…

"Are you saying they were controlling monsters in addition to the Undead?"

"Most likely. It was undoubtedly monsters controlled by Lexalun that attacked Fenesia Town. Had the Undead not become sluggish at dawn, we would not have been able to escape and would have surely been wiped out."

Thinking back, it was a truly terrifying situation. It pains me to say it, but the fact that the Adventurer’s Guild Master sent adventurers on his own authority was a stroke of luck for us. Without their strength, our struggle would have been far greater. I suppose even lowly adventurers have their uses.

"Hmm, this is a most grave situation indeed," my lord muttered, his face troubled.

It wasn’t just because the men of Lexalun were using such vile and abominable things as the power of the Undead. I knew what my lord was thinking: If they conquer Fenesia Town, my own territory will be next.

"We have no choice but to fight. Fortunately, the Undead cannot move during the day. We will send envoys to the neighboring lords at once to request their cooperation and assert the justice of our cause. At the same time, dispatch a messenger to the royal capital with a similar declaration. I want to entrust that duty to you, as you experienced the battle firsthand."

"…Yes, my lord. As you command."

And just like that, I lost my chance to redeem my name. Even if we were to win this war, I would forever be known as the general who lost a battle. My future prospects for advancement were gone.

"Haaa…"

I sighed at my lost glory. But I would soon learn that fleeing to the capital was the better choice. I had yet to know how fortunate I was to have avoided the gruesome battle that was to come.