Chapter 180 - Episode 174: Interrogation ①
"So, is the soldier who was captured alive currently at the territorial army barracks?"
"Yes. For the time being, he is restrained in the barracks' jail. He has reportedly admitted to being a soldier of the Lancel Kingdom."
Having received the report that soldiers of unknown affiliation were encountered and captured deep within the Bezel Great Forest, Noein left the mansion with Matilda and Pence, who had brought the news. While Pence explained the details of the situation, they headed toward the territorial army barracks on foot.
"...Good grief, so that's how it was."
"The mystery of the frequent orc appearances has finally been solved, hasn't it?"
The moment it was revealed that soldiers of the Lancel Kingdom had come from the depths of the Bezel Great Forest, both Noein and Pence had more or less guessed the truth. It was hard to believe at first glance, but the Lancel Kingdom was attempting an invasion via a joke of a route—crossing the Bezel Great Forest.
If that were the case, the reason why orcs, which should rarely appear, had emerged twice in a few years was predictable. Most likely, as the Lancel Kingdom carved out an invasion route through the Bezel Great Forest, they drove away the monsters they encountered along the way, which in turn intruded into the territories of other monsters, and the individuals pushed out by that flow ended up appearing around the Arqvist territory.
"Even so, normally people wouldn't go this far... I mean, it might be possible if you carve through the forest while disregarding costs and losses... but logically speaking, it's not a means anyone would choose."
Dangerous monsters, including orcs, swarm the depths of the Bezel Great Forest. To create a road and pass through such a place, one would have to lavishly deploy elite soldiers and powerful mages. There would be many casualties.
It was only possible in theory; anyone with a functioning brain would not execute it. The soldiers, the mages, the officers commanding them, the laborers carving the road through the forest, the cost of maintaining that personnel, the cost of necessary supplies... if one were to seriously attempt to create an invasion route through the Bezel Great Forest, there was no telling how many human resources and how much money would be consumed. It would bankrupt a nation.
That was precisely why the Lordberg Kingdom had hardly touched the Bezel Great Forest until now.
"Then, was it King Cadne of the Lancel Kingdom? Does that mean that guy isn't normal?"
"Exactly. To actually execute a reckless feat that could only be done if the king of a nation exercised absolute power... I can't believe he was that reckless. Is he an idiot... and the military nobles who follow him are just as bad."
While grumbling, they arrived at the territorial army barracks, and Noein hurried toward the jail.
...
"...Is it him?"
"Yes. According to the magic tool for mana detection, he possesses a small amount of talent for fire magic, but at most, it seems he can only create a spark. He is restrained with iron chains, so there is no worry about him resisting."
Inside the jail of the territorial army barracks. Noein looked down at the man bound in iron chains, just as Chief Attendant Yuri had described.
"I am the lord of the Arqvist Baronetcy, Noein Arqvist. You are indeed a soldier of the Lancel Kingdom army, correct?"
Perhaps because a small youth who didn't look much like the head of a noble house had appeared, the man wore a momentary expression of surprise.
"...Yes. My name is Jeremy, Your Excellency."
The man who called himself Jeremy was in his mid-twenties at most. His dark blond hair was somewhat long, and his build seemed reasonably trained, but there was little strength in his expression, and he had dark circles under his eyes.
"I see, nice to meet you, Jeremy... First, I want you to understand that I had no choice but to kill your subordinates because they tried to resist."
"No, we are soldiers, so I suppose it cannot be helped... Besides, those two were subordinates hastily assigned because they were ordered to scout. I didn't even know their names until this morning."
Jeremy answered without appearing particularly concerned about the death of his subordinates.
"Well, if that's the case... For now, there are mountains of things I want to ask you. Please tell me the truth. If I find out you aren't speaking honestly or that you've lied, I'll have to respond accordingly. You understand, right?"
"Yes. I understand."
When hinted that he might be treated cruelly depending on the circumstances, Jeremy nodded with unexpected obedience. Noein was slightly deflated by this attitude, which lacked both verbal abuse and stubbornness.
"...Yuri."
"Yes."
When Noein called, Yuri responded and stepped in front of Jeremy and the others. Since this concerned military matters, Yuri was more suited than Noein to conduct the specific interrogation.
"First, it is correct that you are a scout for the Lancel Kingdom army attempting to invade by crossing the Bezel Great Forest, yes?"
"...Yes, that is correct. You figured it out quickly."
"Looking at the situation, one can more or less guess. Do not speak anything other than the answers to the questions. If you open your mouth unnecessarily again, I'll punch you."
When Yuri spoke with a menacing tone, Jeremy visibly flinched. He was still a young soldier. Being glared at seriously by the battle-hardened Yuri must have been terrifying.
"When is the scheduled time for the full-scale invasion to begin? What is the scale of the invasion force?"
"...Between three to five days from now. A bit further in than the point where I was captured, there is an invasion road carved out from the Lancel Kingdom side, and further beyond that is a slightly open campsite. The main force will gather there, and the invasion is scheduled to begin as soon as preparations are complete. I have heard the scale is approximately 3,000 people, including the Royal Mages and the Royal Guard."
"Wait, did you say the Royal Guard? Who is the commander-in-chief of that invasion force?"
"...The commander-in-chief is His Majesty Cadne."
Upon hearing Jeremy's words, Yuri turned back to Noein with a stiff expression. The territorial army soldiers guarding Jeremy, Pence, and even Matilda, who usually didn't move her expression, all wore hardened looks.
And Noein—sighed with a very exhausted face.
"Of all things, a personal campaign..."
A personal campaign—that is, the act of a monarch personally leading an army to attack the enemy. Since he was doing such a thing, King Cadne must be extremely determined about this invasion. For the side forced to deal with it, it was the height of tediousness.
"There is no lie in that information?"
"Yes, by the gods of Albaran... no, I swear on my wife and daughter that it is true."
Having uttered the name of the gods worshipped in the Lancel Kingdom, Jeremy remembered that the state religion of the Lordberg Kingdom was different and corrected himself with an awkward face.
Noein and the others were not particularly devout, and since they had more pressing matters, no one cared.
"...Pence, for now, mobilize the territorial army, explain the situation, and prepare various equipment. Send a messenger to Kilde to have them prepare defenses. Let's evacuate the residents of the pioneer village to the territorial capital for the time being. Also, have Conrad contact Retovik via 'Far-Talk' to request reinforcements... Yuri, continue the interrogation."
After whispering to Pence at a slight distance so Jeremy wouldn't hear, Noein urged Yuri to continue the interrogation. Following the lord's instructions, Pence left the jail, and Yuri turned back to Jeremy.
"The number of the invasion force seems somewhat small, why is that?"
"I wasn't told. I only heard that we are the first wave, and that the second and third waves will follow shortly after... I-it's true."
Jeremy spoke while trembling slightly, yet without averting his eyes from Yuri.
He didn't seem to be lying. Even though he had been leading the scout party, it seemed he was ultimately just a low-ranking officer. He didn't seem to have heard any deep strategic details.
"...Yuri, can you guess why?"
"...Probably, they intentionally limited the number of the first wave so that the Lordberg Kingdom side wouldn't detect the invasion preparations."
"I see, now that you mention it, that would certainly be the case."
The Lordberg Kingdom had spies embedded within the Lancel Kingdom. No matter how far the northern edge of the Bezel Great Forest was from the border, if they gathered an army in the tens of thousands at once, the Lordberg Kingdom side would surely detect some movement.
So, 3,000 people was the maximum scale that could be secretly gathered as a first-wave surprise attack force.
Even so, if that many enemies poured in while they were off-guard, the northwestern region would fall into chaos, and several noble territories would likely fall. If the enemy's second and third waves then entered, there was a sufficient possibility that not just the northwest, but the entire Lordberg Kingdom would truly be defeated.
"Did the Lancel Kingdom know that the Arqvist territory was located beyond the Bezel Great Forest?"
"...They knew. That there was a newly created territory developed from the Bezel Great Forest. From what I heard, it was a small village of a Knight's territory; I didn't know such a splendid city existed... but since it's a small territory that 3,000 elites could take without effort, the plan was to annihilate it first and use it as a forward base for the invasion of the Lordberg Kingdom."
At that story, Noein frowned, and Yuri made an expression as if he had chewed on a bitter bug. They didn't feel good about the territory they lived in being called a convenient forward base.
Seeing that reaction, Jeremy became slightly frightened.
"...It seems our true strength isn't known."
"It seems the news of Noein-sama's promotion hasn't reached them either, so it likely means the enemy hasn't grasped the situation in the northwest to that extent."
Both the Lordberg Kingdom and the Lancel Kingdom sent spies to each other, but the information obtained from them was by no means abundant. They could tell signs of a great offensive, but there were limits to knowing detailed internal information of the opponent's country.
If it were a conflict zone bordering on a plain, it would be different, but it seemed they didn't know the detailed internal affairs of a low-ranking noble's territory located in the deepest reaches of the northwest, far from the battlefield. For the same reason, the Lordberg Kingdom side likely failed to detect the invasion by the Lancel Kingdom through the Bezel Great Forest.
After that, the interrogation by Yuri continued.