kscans

CHAPTER 5 WARS OF NATIONS – Episode 7 Debate (Part 2)

3

When Bard stood up and straightened his back, he was a head taller than the senior officials and ministers. This allowed him to look directly at King Julelan’s face. The king’s complexion was pale, almost a sickly color. Seeing Julelan, who was always confident and cheerful, with such a face, Bard’s anger flared up.

‘Wait, Jule. I’ll make you feel better now.’

Muttering this in his mind, Bard was about to take a deep breath to blow away the ministers with a storm of words when he noticed someone tugging at his right sleeve. It was Jurchaga. What signal was this? When he turned around, Jurchaga returned a strong gaze. Then he bent his finger and pointed it at his own chest. Bard felt his anger dissipate. And he decided to trust this troublemaker. “With my loyal subject Jurchaga, I shall answer,” Bard said aloud, surprising everyone with his response.

“General, are you sure about this? The responsibility for his words lies with you,” someone emphasized.

In response to this reminder, Bard replied, “Of course, I understand that Jurchaga’s words are the same as mine.” Jurchaga took two steps forward, half a step ahead of Bard. He bowed and looked around.

The senior officials lined up in a row. Behind them were the specialized officials and assistants of each department. All of them directed strong gazes at Bard and Jurchaga. It was like a tsunami that was about to engulf the two of them.

However, Jurchaga showed no fear or hostility in his attitude. A smile even appeared on his face as he looked around. He took a breath and spoke. His voice was rich and flowing, unimaginable from his small stature.

“I would like to address the senior officials. In the defense battle against the demonic beasts at Lordvan Castle, there were numerous casualties and injuries. General Bard deeply mourns the loss of those who died, the injuries suffered by others, and the families affected. By hearing your earlier words, I believe the senior officials also share the same sentiments and feel a deep sense of gratitude. Now then, the TriNation knights who gathered at Lordvan Castle included 31 from the Goriora Empire, 73 from the Gaineria Kingdom, 69 from the Parzam Frontier Knights, 9 from the Archeos family, 1 from the Argolide family, 2 from the Toad family, and a total of 187 including General Bard and his adjutant. The attacking demonic beasts consisted of 100 Long-eared Wolves, 100 Blue Panthers, 100 Shirozuno, 100 Oohanas, 100 Great Rock Apes, 100 Owl Monkeys, and over 200 Riverbears, as well as over 100 Hjords and over 100 Manunos. In total, there were over a thousand in the horde.”

“So what? They were just beasts. Even if they were driven by demi-humans, what’s the big deal? With nearly 200 knights and their squires, there should have been no reason not to scatter them.”

“Yes. As you say, even though they are demonic beasts, they are just animals. However, they are a bit more tenacious. It takes ten times the normal attack to defeat them, and their fangs and claws have twice the power of normal animals. Let’s say there is a Shirozuno here. It’s not a demonic beast, just a normal Shirozuno. It’s about the same height as a horse and weighs about twice as much. It has hammer-like horns on its head, and if it takes a direct hit, it won’t survive. But if you are a knight, you can easily dodge it by riding a horse. If there are two knights against one Shirozuno, they can defeat it with a total of twenty attacks, ten from each side. If there is only one knight against one Shirozuno, he won’t be completely unscathed, but he can still defeat it with twenty attacks. However, if it is a demonic beast Shirozuno, it would take two hundred attacks. No matter how agile and strong a knight is, it is impossible for one person to take on a demonic beast Shirozuno alone. Moreover, there are also demonic beasts like the long-eared wolf and the blue leopard among the enemies. Even if you try to manipulate the Shirozuno with a speedy horse, the horse will only end up being eaten.”

“In that case, why not barricade ourselves inside the castle walls and fight?”

“Exactly, exactly. That’s exactly what General Bard said. No, in that situation, there was no other strategy that anyone could have taken. However, if we hadn’t accurately predicted the enemy’s movements and prepared for a counterattack at Lordvan Castle without dispersing our forces, both the knights and the residents of Lordvan Castle would have been killed, and the eastern towns and villages of the three nations of Goriora, Gaineria, and Parzam would have become prey to the demonic beasts. General Bard was able to accomplish this because he was entrusted with the freedom to make decisions and had an excellent knight order. And he and his soldiers endured the overwhelmingly disadvantageous battle situation and successfully repelled the demonic beasts. If this is due to the military system, then we must give credit to the successive kings and ministers who have adjusted the current military system for this great victory.”

“Mm, mmm”

4

Another high-ranking official stepped forward and spoke.

“The fact that the TriNation coalition army was temporarily formed is an unprecedented event even in the history books, and I can’t help but admire the skill of His Majesty the King, who made this great decision and successfully concluded the negotiations. However, each country has its own customs, so it is obvious that orders are more difficult to convey in an army made up of knights from different countries, leading to misunderstandings and confusion. If we had not sought the cooperation of Goriora and Gaineria, but instead sought the assistance of our own powerful knights, coordination would have naturally worked well, and we could have minimized the damage, don’t you think?”

“Haha. What you say is indeed reasonable. The coordination and cooperation of each unit is crucial for the knights to fully demonstrate their abilities. I witnessed the efforts of the knights in the midst of that hellish battle, and it seemed that the armies of each country were able to fully display their strengths and characteristics, performing the work of two or three times their numbers.”

“Is that really so? For example, let’s say… I don’t mean to speak ill of the Queen’s homeland, but isn’t Goriora Empire originally a country built by barbarians from the north? The temperament of their knights must be different from that of our country, which has a long-standing tradition. Can we say that their knights have achieved the same level of military exploits as our knights? Or perhaps, dare I say, our knights are inferior to theirs? I must apologize. The bravery, resourcefulness, and strategic prowess of the knights of the Parzam Kingdom are widely known throughout the Central Plains and even in the distant frontier. On the other hand, the knights of the Goriora Empire are magnificent and splendid, with swift movements. Under the command of General Bard, they have shown remarkable achievements. For example, there were sixty soldiers from the Goriora Empire. They were young and inexperienced, without horses or armor, but they brought high-quality longbows and arrows made from the great northern forest, and with their skilled archery, they rained arrows upon the demonic beasts. In the siege battle where they couldn’t make a counterattack, it can be said that this skilled archery unit played the most active role. It is a good example of how the strengths of the TriNation complement each other.”

“Hmm. Then, what about Gaineria? I heard that General Bard had a duel with General Jog Ward of Gaineria for the position of commander-in-chief. I was impressed by the martial prowess of General Bard, who defeated the highly regarded General Jog Ward, but General Jog Ward’s behavior was unacceptable. Since General Bard has been appointed as the commander-in-chief, he should have silently followed his command. Demanding a duel to determine the command was a result of the pride of that country. Moreover, if the commanders had dueled, it would have created an atmosphere of conflict among the knights under their command. What do you think about this?”

“Haha. I’m afraid I must inform you that General Jog Ward is from the frontier. He has been challenging General Bard since his youth and has honed his martial skills and reputation under his guidance. I myself had the opportunity to witness the training session between General Bard and General Jog Ward in a village in the frontier. When a disciple meets his master, it is only natural for him to cling to him, seeking confirmation of his own growth. General Bard was well aware of this and deliberately prepared a large sword despite his age, overwhelming General Jog Ward in a contest of strength. There was no lingering resentment afterwards. General Jog Ward, who was knocked down and fell from his horse, stood up and raised his fist in front of the knights of Gaineria, declaring that in this battle, the command of our army will be led by Lord Bard Rowen. Upon seeing this, the knights of Gaineria truly understood that General Bard was the mentor of General Jog Ward and a rare and formidable general, and their morale was greatly boosted. It was not only the people of Gaineria who felt this way. The people of both Parzam and Goriora also experienced the extraordinary martial prowess of General Jog Ward and General Bard through this duel, and thus the TriNation coalition was united.”

“Hmm, hmm. However, it is unlikely that all the knights are completely loyal to General Bard. I heard that the commander of Goriora is the heir of the Fafarlen family, one of the most prestigious families in Goriora. It is hard to believe that they would wholeheartedly follow General Bard, who has no clear lineage, title, or territory. Similarly, the knights of the Parzam Frontier Knight Order, who have no known battle records or martial virtues, may have been somewhat bewildered by the sudden arrival of General Bard. No, no. I am not questioning the character or tactics of General Bard. I am simply concerned that there may have been difficulties in the relationship between the commander and the knights who were not accustomed to each other.”

“Haha. Your concern for the importance of the bond of trust between the commander and the subordinates is truly admirable. It is a testament to your keen eye and heart as a high-ranking official of a great nation. However, I assure you that your worries are unnecessary. It happened after the victory in the defense battle and the expulsion of the demonic beasts. After observing the situation for a while and determining that the demonic beasts had indeed retreated, the Goriora Empire’s forces returned home. Before that, the heir of the Fafarlen family, Count Arflaburne, presented his sword to General Bard.”

“What! Is that true?”

“Haha. Why would I dare to deceive my esteemed and respected lord? But that’s not all. Even the knights under the Earl’s command, as well as myself, followed suit, dedicating our swords to the illustrious and virtuous General Bard, guided by the light of chivalry. If there are any doubts, each of us has signed a register as undeniable proof. And that’s not all. The knights of the Parzam Kingdom’s Frontier Knight Order also offered their swords to General Bard, including the captain. Witnessing this miraculous sight before my eyes, I was moved to tears, realizing the true bond of honor between knights.”

“Oh my god, really? Mmm. Mmm.”

5

Another noble stepped forward and spoke.

“So, you are Jurchaga?”

“Haha. Yes, that is correct.”

“Good timing. I was just about to summon you. Now, everyone. I heard a strange story from someone. Several years ago, there was a notorious thief Gora Cesara (Rotten Flesh Hunter) named Jurchaga, who ravaged even further east than the frontier of Ova in the eastern region. This thief specifically targeted knights and made a fortune. Interestingly enough, I’ve heard that General Bard has a subordinate named Jurchaga as well. Now, if by any chance, one of General Bard’s relatives turned out to be this despicable thief, what would be the explanation for that? Well, of course, such a foolish thing couldn’t possibly happen. Fortunately, there are people in this city who know the face of the thief Jurchaga. Come forward.”

When Bard saw the person who came forward, his heart froze. It was Caldos Gwendell.