Chapter 250 - Episode 243: The Idea of a Demon
"I have one proposal. Before that, however, there is something I would like to confirm... are there any representatives of the County of Senevoa present here?"
The Count of Senevoa, who held territory in the northeast, held one of the few non-hereditary peerages in the kingdom, a title passed down through the generations of the Patriarch of the Milleon Holy Church Mission.
The population of the County of Senevoa was around 4,000 people, all of whom were affiliates of the Milleon Holy Church and their families. Access was basically limited to those associated with the Holy Church from both inside and outside the territory, making it effectively the headquarters and an autonomous territory of the Milleon Holy Church Mission. It would be more accurate to say that the title of Count of Senevoa was ceremonially attached to the position of the Mission's Patriarch by the kingdom.
Furthermore, this territory was the only place where the secret magical medicine "Angel's Honey"—which could become either a deadly poison or an anesthetic depending on its concentration—was produced.
"...I am here. Baron Minelien. I have come as the representative of the Milleon Holy Church Mission."
The one who responded to Noein's inquiry was Baron Minelien, the commander of the Holy Knights—a force of about 300 men—which constituted the only military power possessed by the Mission. His peerage was also a special case, passed down to successive commanders of the Holy Knights.
And this Baron Minelien was one of the few beastman nobles remaining in the current Kingdom of Lordberg, a number that could be counted on one hand. His race was that of a tiger-person, and the ears that symbolized his race stood erect atop his head.
"Lord Minelien, let me ask you. If we were to gather as much of the undiluted 'Angel's Honey' as possible, how much could be prepared by the end of winter?"
"...Perhaps six hundred ten-liter jars. However, this is the production volume if every single bit of the magical medicinal herbs used as raw materials is processed into medicine, excluding the minimum amount necessary to ensure the seeds do not die out. Please understand that if we produce this much undiluted liquid at once, the production of 'Angel's Honey' will be impossible for some time."
After appearing to think for a moment, Baron Minelien spoke. In response, Noein answered with a slightly theatrical gesture.
"I see... which means, if used effectively, one jar could likely paralyze several hundred people. With six hundred jars, mathematically, it would be possible to expose every single member of Betumia's invasion force to the undiluted liquid."
Upon hearing Noein's words, the nobles began to whisper to those nearby, and the room became slightly noisy. The only ones remaining composed were a small handful of people who had already heard Noein's plan, such as Marquis Bechtolsheim and Arnold.
"Lord Arqvist, what do you mean? Do you mean to paralyze the enemy with 'Angel's Honey' and then slay them?"
"If that is the case, we should just kill the enemy from the start. Why go through the trouble of using 'Angel's Honey'?"
Several nobles directed their questions straight at Noein.
"I shall explain in order. Please, listen."
"Lord Arqvist has spoken. Let us all listen to him."
Because Count Burkhard spoke following Noein, the commotion among the nobles subsided.
"...Then, I shall explain the plan I have humbly devised. Setting aside the detailed unit operations for later, there is one major policy I propose. We wound the enemy with weapons coated in the undiluted 'Angel's Honey,' paralyze them with the effect of the liquid... and leave the enemy alive just as they are."
When Noein spoke, while no commotion broke out, the nobles all wore expressions of doubt.
"The basic tactic is to primarily use bows and crossbows, coating the tips of the arrows with the undiluted 'Angel's Honey' to attack, but limiting the damage to wounding the enemy without killing them as much as possible. By doing this, even after the initial numbness wears off, a residual paralysis will remain in the body. I believe it is easy to imagine what will happen to the Betumian army if they are burdened with a vast number of such wounded."
"...To cause a surge of wounded, and force a burden upon the enemy through their rescue, treatment, transport to the rear, and repatriation to their home country. I see."
Muttering, Marquis Staufenberg nodded as if impressed.
"It is exactly as His Excellency Staufenberg says. Wounded who suffer from paralysis and cannot even take care of their own basic needs. Simply transporting them would impose a considerable burden on the enemy army and slow their movements... however, that is merely the first objective. The true objective lies beyond that, after the wounded soldiers with residual effects return to the Betumian homeland."
Smiling gently, Noein continued.
"The paralysis caused by the undiluted 'Angel's Honey' remains in the body for decades. The location and degree of paralysis vary by individual, but for some, severe paralysis will remain for a lifetime. If a great many such people with these residual effects return from the battlefield across the sea... what will the families and friends waiting for them in Betumia think, and what will happen to Betumian society?"
The moment they heard this, the nobles wore expressions as if they had seen something horrifying. Some even trembled, as if feeling a chill.
"Please imagine the feelings of the families of the Betumian soldiers. The feelings of a child seeing a father who can no longer step upon the earth and walk with his own feet. The feelings of a wife seeing a husband who has suffered paralysis in his arms and can no longer embrace her. The feelings of parents seeing a son whose paralysis extends even to his face, causing him to constantly drool from a half-open mouth. Awaiting them is sadness, and a life spent caring for family members with residual effects."
As Noein continued to speak in a gentle voice, some directed gazes at him as if they were looking at a monster.
"Thousands, no, tens of thousands of people with such residual effects will return. Their families will be deeply saddened to see the transformed state of their loved ones. Those still waiting for family members who have not yet returned from the battlefield will feel anxious that their own family might return like this next. Furthermore, not only the emotional state of the citizens, but Betumian society itself will suffer immense damage."
While listening to Noein's words, everyone imagined the tragedy that would strike Betumian society.
"The population of the Republic of Betumia was, if I recall, around twelve million. Among them, the men who serve as the main labor force, excluding the elderly, children, and women, would be at most one-third, around four million. If we paralyze forty thousand, they lose one out of every hundred of their primary labor force. If eighty thousand, one in fifty. If one hundred thousand, one in forty. Simultaneously, they will be burdened with an equal number of people with residual effects who require nursing care. Betumian society will be forced to bear a heavy burden."
The hall fell into a dead silence, and only Noein's voice echoed.
"I hear that in the Republic of Betumia, representatives elected by the citizens' votes serve as the country's leaders. If they try to force the continuation of the war in the situation I have just described, the Betumian leadership will lose the support of the citizens and be at a loss as to how to handle the disabled veterans. Fearing this, they will withdraw their troops from the Kingdom of Lordberg. I hear Betumia is a nation of merchants. I am sure the leaders will realize they should cut their losses quickly."
Among the books Noein had read at his childhood home, there was an anecdote about a small country that repelled a powerful enemy nation using a similar method. That country had cut off one arm or leg of the enemy soldiers and sent them back, spreading a war-weary mood within the enemy's country and forcing a withdrawal.
"However, if we do only this, there is a risk that the resentment of the Betumian citizens will be directed toward the Kingdom of Lordberg, so I will add one more refinement. We will paralyze the general soldiers of the enemy, but for the officers and generals, we will do as little as possible and let them return home in healthy bodies. Along with that, we will spread a certain rumor."
The reactions to Noein's words varied. Some tilted their heads in confusion, while others widened their eyes as they realized his intent.
"We will speak of things such as 'Considering future relations, we shall let those with connections to Betumian representatives and great merchants return safely without residual effects,' ensuring the words reach the enemy soldiers. The soldiers will resent the fact that while they suffer residual effects, the relatives of the leadership can return in good health. When they return to their home country and tell their families, the story will spread among the citizens there as well."
By this point, everyone realized Noein's intent, and their expressions grew even more fraught with fear.
"I do not know if many of the enemy's officers and generals are such people, nor is it important whether the relatives of Betumia's leadership actually return safely. If we can make the citizens of Betumia believe that only they were made to suffer a loss, and divide the leadership class from the commoner class, our objective will be achieved."
In the room enveloped in an abnormal atmosphere, only Noein's voice remained gentle, as if he were merely making small talk.
"By doing this, in the worst case, a political upheaval or civil war will occur in Betumia. At the very least, the citizens will harbor doubts about the leadership, the mood for avoiding war will rise in society, and it will become difficult for them to attempt a re-invasion. It should not settle within a year or two. In the meantime, we can rebuild the kingdom and strengthen the defenses along the coast."
Having said that much, Noein looked around the entire hall.
"To summarize briefly: by intentionally increasing the number of wounded with residual effects rather than the dead, we place a burden on Betumia's military and society, impose a psychological burden on the citizens, and by poisoning the interior of that country, we make them avoid the war itself. We make the enemy decide to withdraw by making them believe that continuing the invasion will only result in further loss... that is the plan I have devised. What do you think?"
No one responded to Noein's inquiry. The nobles either directed expressions of fear and anger toward Noein, or fell silent while thinking with troubled faces; either way, they remained mute. Marquis Bechtolsheim and the others, who had heard the plan beforehand, maintained composed faces.
Oscar and Count Burkhard were not pondering, but rather looked around the room in silence as if observing the reactions of the nobles.
After such a silence continued for a while, one noble spoke up. It was Count Nordlingen, who had made the first valiant proposal.
"...How,"
The Count's face was dyed bright red, wearing an expression of rage.
"How abhorrent an idea! It is insidious! It is cowardly! It is effeminate! It is rotten! That is not a battle! That is not the battle of the proud nobles of the kingdom!!"
That served as the trigger, and some of the nobles began to voice their anger one after another.
"To think we listened in silence! How could such a filthy scheme possibly be accepted!"
"Even if you are called a hero or whatever, you are nothing more than an upstart after all! You have no pride in war, nor anything resembling it!"
"Indeed! I hear this fellow is a pervert who dotes on beastman slaves! Because he is such a man, he is capable of such hair-raising thinking!"
"The idea of a demon! This creature is not human! I feel nauseous just standing in the same war council as him!"
"It makes me shudder just to think I considered such a man a comrade of the same faction until now!"
"A lowlife such as this should not stand in the ranks of the kingdom's nobility, let alone the high nobility! Do you have no pride or sense of responsibility as a noble of the kingdom!"
Shouts of anger—no, verbal abuse—flew not only from the Northeastern faction but also from the nobles of the Northwestern faction. Of the more than fifty nobles gathered here, nearly half were cursing Noein. The others, for the most part, looked at Noein with eyes full of disgust or fear.
Noein, who had been listening to this in silence for a while,
"—Don't screw with me!!"
He shouted, slamming his fist down onto the conference table.