Chapter 276 - Episode 269: Reconnaissance Squad ②
When Jeremy and Cecilia returned, the soldiers were engaging a small unit that appeared to be a reconnaissance squad from the Republic of Betumia's army. There were seven enemies.
While none of the four soldiers on this side had died yet, a cat-person female soldier who had been serving as a night watchman had sustained an arrow wound to her arm. In a situation that was overwhelmingly disadvantageous—effectively seven against three—they were on the verge of being surrounded by the enemy.
"Look out!"
Cecilia shouted as she moved the golem. The golem, which had been waiting on one knee until then, stood up the moment Cecilia's magic flowed through it and grabbed the back of the head of the nearest Betumia soldier.
The soldier's surprise at the golem's sudden movement was brief; his skull was crushed right then and there, and he met a grotesque end as the pressure caused both eyeballs to pop out. At this sudden occurrence, the movements of the Betumia soldiers stopped for a moment.
"Haaaah!"
Jeremy took advantage of that opening to charge, closing in on a Betumia soldier who happened to have his back turned. That soldier, who appeared to be the leader of the small unit, seemed to be a reasonably skilled fighter, as he spun around and thrust his sword toward Jeremy with tremendous sharpness.
Jeremy dodged it with minimal movement while simultaneously slicing off the soldier's right hand at the wrist—the hand holding the sword. Just as Jeremy attempted to follow up with a slash, the soldier reacted instantly and leaped backward.
However, that was a feint set by Jeremy. He aborted the slash and delivered a thrust; the enemy, who had forced himself back and lost his balance, and who furthermore could not defend himself having lost his weapon and one hand, was pierced through the throat.
While the small unit grew restless after losing their commander, Cecilia's golem moved again, striking one of the Betumia soldiers. The soldier was blown away by the impact of the blow, slamming into a tree trunk and collapsing while coughing up blood.
The tide of battle reversed instantly, and the Betumia soldiers attempted to flee. Jeremy and the others did not permit this, attacking them from behind.
In the end, Jeremy's side had only one injured person. The battle concluded with the enemy small unit suffering five dead and two surrendering.
"...Jeremy-san, you're strong, aren't you?"
Cecilia, who had been watching Jeremy's movements when he slaughtered the enemy commander, spoke with an impressed look. Jeremy answered with a wry smile.
"I've been trained quite a bit by Radley-sama, after all. I intend... to be a fairly skilled fighter even within the Arqvist territory army. More importantly, please go and pick up Paulo."
"Ah, right. I understand."
After seeing Cecilia run toward where Paulo had been hidden, Jeremy turned back to the surrendered Betumia soldiers.
"Honestly, you've caused me quite a bit of trouble... Are you a reconnaissance squad? Why were you here?"
"...Yeah, we're a reconnaissance squad. We were in the middle of a periodic patrol to check if the forces of the Kingdom of Roadberg were in this area, and we found you all in the forest. We thought there were only four of you, so we attacked, thinking we could win."
One of the survivors spoke. Judging by his tone and expression, he did not seem to be lying.
"Captain, what shall we do?"
"...Let's see."
Asked by the soldier who was a subordinate in the reconnaissance squad, Jeremy sighed as he looked down at the two Betumia soldiers.
Reconnaissance soldiers captured by the enemy in the forest. It was as if he were looking at himself back when he was a soldier of the Lancel Kingdom. If there was a difference, it was in their treatment.
"I cannot risk the enemy catching wind of the secret mountain path deep in this forest, even by a slim chance. I cannot let you return alive. Kill them."
The Betumia soldiers' eyes widened upon hearing those words.
"W-wait! We won't report to anyone that we saw you here!"
"That's right! We'll tell the main force we saw nothing! So please, let us go!"
"Sorry, but that's not an option. Your side was the one that invaded first, so give it up."
Saying so, Jeremy first swung his sword down toward the first man.
...
"I see, so that's what happened."
"The enemy didn't seem to be lying, so I believe they really just discovered us by chance during a periodic patrol. I don't think the mountain path of the Romulus foothills was noticed..."
Noein was receiving the report from Jeremy and Cecilia, who had safely returned to the Western Army's camp, at the headquarters of the main camp.
"Well, still, it was good to find out that the enemy's reconnaissance range is wider than I thought. Wiping them out completely was also a fine achievement... I think I'll tell the units traveling back and forth via the mountain path to exercise more caution from now on."
"It would be best to make it a rule to enter the forest at the foot of the Romulus foothills only at night."
Chief Attendant Yuri, standing beside him, nodded at Noein's words.
"You're right, that's for the best... Now, as for this boy."
Noein looked down at Paulo, who was hiding behind Jeremy. Paulo looked back at Noein with a timid expression.
"Moving toward the northwest with a mercenary father, and then the father goes missing... I'm amazed he managed to survive alone for half a year."
It was pitiful, but families dying as they became refugees was not an uncommon story in the current kingdom. Noein considered how to handle the child Jeremy and the others had picked up.
"For now, should we have him work in the rear as a military employee? After the war, I could accept him into my territory."
"That would be best."
Just as Noein was about to finalize the discussion with Yuri, Viowulf, who had visited the main camp for a military council regarding future battles, approached.
"Lord Arqvist. I happened to overhear a bit, but it seems this boy lost his mercenary father in this vicinity? Last summer."
"Yes, so it seems... Is something the matter, Lord Rosbroke?"
Noein turned toward Viowulf and answered with a hint of surprise.
"There is something I wish to ask him."
Saying so, Viowulf crouched down in front of Paulo. Approached by the large man that was Viowulf, Paulo showed a look of fear.
"...Was your father a wind mage? Were there also fire mages among his comrades?"
"!? You know my dad!?"
"...Yes, I know him."
"Where is my dad now?"
As Paulo's eyes sparkled, Viowulf, in contrast, took on a slightly sad expression. Without answering the boy's words, he stood up and looked toward Noein.
"Lord Arqvist. If it is acceptable, may I take this boy in? I wish to make him a servant of the Rosbroke house."
There were circumstances, but they were not things that could be spoken of here and now. Sensing this from Viowulf's expression, Noein smiled and nodded.
"Of course, I don't mind. If he can become a formal servant of a noble house, it will be better for him as well."
"I am grateful... Come, come with me."
Giving a slight bow to Noein, Viowulf called Paulo over and left the area. Paulo also seemed to have understood his own treatment from the conversation thus far; he gave a polite bow to Jeremy and Cecilia and followed behind Viowulf.
"...Now then."
With the issue of Paulo's treatment resolved, Noein turned back to Jeremy and Cecilia.
"Returning to the reconnaissance results, there were no conspicuously abnormal movements from the enemy army, right?"
"Yes. Specifically, there were no signs of reinforcements to the front lines while we were watching."
Jeremy nodded, and Cecilia followed by speaking.
"But the traffic of Betumia soldiers on the highway itself seems to have increased greatly. Mainly for the transport of wounded soldiers suffering from aftereffects."
"Ahahaha, I see. Even at this point, we've paralyzed 3,000 enemies on our front alone. It must be quite a task to transport and care for that many wounded."
Caring for wounded people who find it difficult to eat or relieve themselves on their own, while transporting them through the very heart of the enemy nation, even if it is a controlled area. Noein thought it sounded tedious just imagining it.
"In addition to their original supplies, the enemy's transport network must be considerably strained by the transport of the wounded, so I believe they won't be able to send large-scale reinforcements for a while."
"That's good... If things continue like this, victory will be unwavering. Good work, you two. Rest well until the next reconnaissance mission."
"Yes, sir."
"Thank you very much."
After letting Jeremy and Cecilia withdraw, Noein let out a small sigh while maintaining his smile. Then, in a voice audible only to Yuri beside him and Matilda waiting behind, he spoke.
"Victory will be unwavering, huh. Since I said it, I'll have to do my best."
Though he had pretended to be composed in front of Jeremy and the others, the actual situation was not one that could be viewed so optimistically.
Noein was consuming his strategies at a faster pace than he had previously predicted. That was how fierce the offensive by the Republic of Betumia's great forces had been. Once the unconventional tactics he had prepared were exhausted, he would have to defend the line while clashing head-on with the enemy's invasion forces.
Persisting relentlessly, holding the line, and making the enemy give up before his own side ran out of strength. Such a gritty battle was about to begin.
...
"...From now on, call me Master. For the time being, I will have you handle chores around me on this battlefield. Once the war ends and we return to the territory, I will have you work as a laborer for my Rosbroke house."
And if he continued to work diligently, he would eventually put him in the territorial army or the royal army to let him learn combat, and if he proved to be skilled and intelligent, he would appoint him as an attendant. Viowulf thought this, but he did not put it into words yet.
"Do you understand?"
"Y-yes. Master."
"Very well... Now, I must tell you about your father."
He would have to choose his words carefully, but he had no intention of lying. This boy had the right and the duty to correctly know the end of his father.
Viowulf began to tell Paulo as they walked the path toward the tent where he slept and woke.
...
"...I'm glad that boy found a good place to be taken in."
Jeremy muttered as he walked after leaving the main camp.
"Jeremy-san, you were kind to that child. You were looking after him attentively even when returning to the Western Army camp."
"...Even so, back when I was a citizen of the Lancel Kingdom, I was, for a time, a father and a husband. When I see an unfortunate child, I feel I want to do whatever I can for them."
"That's... I'm sorry."
Sensing Jeremy's past from the way he said he "was" a father and husband, Cecilia's expression darkened.
"No, you don't have to worry about it. It's... a story from five years ago already."
As Jeremy smiled and spoke, his profile looked very lonely to Cecilia.
"I'm nearly thirty now, and when I was welcomed into the Arqvist territory, Noein-sama told me that I should eventually find a new encounter and start a family. It's about time I moved forward."
"..."
Cecilia hesitated on how to respond.
Cecilia had a family, a mother she lived with. Her mother, who had previously been sickly, was now able to lead a life no different from a healthy person because Cecilia had become a high earner and could buy good medicine.
However, Jeremy had likely lost his wife and child, and was now living having abandoned the country of his birth. Even if he was not lonely having gained a new hometown and comrades, she could not imagine the extent of the sense of loss he had experienced.
Jeremy probably needs someone to be by his side. Cecilia thought so.