Chapter 292 - Episode 285: Joining Forces
Two days after joining forces with Count Marcel, Noein and the Roadberg Kingdom's Western Army merged with the first wave of the Lancel Kingdom's army.
The rendezvous point was right in the middle of a hilly region. By the time Noein and his party arrived, the Lancel Kingdom's army had just finished mopping up a portion of the enemy forces, and the cleanup of the battlefield was underway.
"...This is incredible."
"There must have been a very skilled water mage," Yuri, standing beside him, replied to Noein, who had muttered while looking at the scars of battle left upon the earth.
Dozens of "Ice Bullets" were embedded in this battlefield. Moreover, each one was as thick as a house pillar. It was a sight that could not be created unless by a mage boasting a considerable amount of magical power—someone on the level of what the Roadberg Kingdom would call the Chief Royal Court Mage.
"This way, Your Excellency. This is the General of the Roadberg Kingdom's Western Army."
At that moment, Baron Barthelemy arrived, bringing along a female officer from the Lancel Kingdom's army. He seemed to be fulfilling his role as a mediator for the merger, having already explained to her that Noein was the General.
"..."
When their eyes met, Noein could tell from the woman's attire—a deep navy blue robe—that she was a mage.
She was a young woman, and her face was so expressionless that it felt less like her emotions were unreadable and more like she had no emotions at all. Even seeing Noein, who looked nothing like a general of a great army, she did not seem particularly surprised.
To this female officer, who radiated a somewhat cold atmosphere, Noein responded with a gentle expression befitting a general of an allied army.
"Nice to meet you. I am Viscount Noein Arqvist, granted the role of General of the Roadberg Kingdom's Western Army by His Majesty King Oscar Roadberg III."
At that, the officer's expression moved for the first time. Her eyebrows rose ever so slightly, showing that she was surprised.
"Is something the matter?"
"...No, excuse me. I am Viscount Chloe Tajinette, serving as the frontline commander for the Lancel Kingdom's army's first wave."
By the time the officer introduced herself, her face had returned to its cold, expressionless state.
Noein recognized her name. He had heard it from Jeremy, who had just defected to the Roadberg Kingdom's side at the time, when they had repelled Cadne's personal expedition.
Viscount Chloe Tajinette. She was the officer who had been in command of the rear of that expeditionary force. Noein now understood why she had been slightly surprised to hear his name.
"I look forward to working with you, Lord Tajinette. First, as one of the generals of the Roadberg Kingdom, I wish to express my gratitude for your fighting alongside us against the Betumia Republic's army."
"No, this was also decided by Queen Henrietta. As a military noble belonging to the Lancel Kingdom's army, I merely fight according to Her Majesty's will."
Viscount Tajinette answered in a voice devoid of emotion, exactly as her expression suggested.
Noein thought she was a strange person. She emitted an aura like a sharpened blade of ice. Though it was very sharp, he did not feel that she herself was aggressive. It was as if he were speaking to a sword rather than a human.
"From the looks of it... a fierce battle took place here. Was this water magic your doing?"
"Yes."
When Noein asked, Viscount Tajinette answered with only that.
"I see. You possess wonderful power. As a fellow mage, I express my respect."
"Thank you. I am honored to be so appraised by a great puppet mage such as yourself."
"...Thank you. I am humbled to receive such an excessive evaluation."
Noein answered with a small smile, but Viscount Tajinette did not smile.
Noein had not yet revealed that he was a puppet mage. He took Viscount Tajinette's words as her own way of showing respect from one general to another—a sign that she was not pretending not to know about him.
"Besides myself, there is His Excellency Count Edmund Marcel, who is co-commanding. I shall introduce him to you later... At that time, please also greet the commander-in-chief over there."
"Yes, of course. The commander-in-chief here is Marquis Auguste Paradir."
Having decided to hold a formal greeting later, Noein left the battlefield and returned to his own army.
A battlefield after the fighting has ended is a place for the victors to collect spoils. Having other armies present could potentially create unnecessary discord.
.....
"I am Viscount Noein Arqvist, General of the Roadberg Kingdom's Western Army."
"And I am Count Edmund Marcel."
On the evening of the day they joined forces with the Lancel Kingdom's army, Noein and Count Marcel were meeting with the opposing side's commander-in-chief.
Although Count Marcel's rank was higher, he had suggested that Noein introduce himself first since Noein was the one who had fought through as the General of the Western Army, which led to this order of introductions.
Furthermore, lined up behind Noein and the others were the staff officer Frederick, as well as officers such as Baron Tobias Oggoren, Baron Noah Wikander, Baron Viowulf Rosbroke, and Viscount Barassen. Yuri and Matilda also stood by Noein's side.
"I am Marquis Auguste Paradir, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Lancel Kingdom's army. I look forward to working with you."
"And I am Viscount Chloe Tajinette, the deputy commander in charge of frontline command."
Noein and the others exchanged handshakes with Marquis Paradir, whose expression seemed friendly but whose trained physique made him feel like a veteran soldier, and Viscount Tajinette, who introduced herself once more.
On the Lancel Kingdom's side, officers who appeared to be of the Legion Commander class stood silently behind the two commanders.
"If I may be so bold, I recall that Your Excellency Paradir previously held the rank of Count."
When Count Marcel asked, Marquis Paradir wore a likable smile.
"Ah, your memory is correct. I struggled under Queen Henrietta to exile the traitor Cadne. Those efforts were recognized, and I was granted the rank of Marquis. Therefore, I would be happy if you remember me as a Marquis from here on."
"Is that so. Congratulations."
"Ah, thank you... Count Marcel, the fierce general who troubled the Lancel Kingdom's army in the Southeast Great War, and Viscount Arqvist, the intellectual general who repelled Cadne's personal expedition. It is an honor to fight alongside the heroes of the Roadberg Kingdom like this."
" "..." "
Noein and Count Marcel instinctively fell silent. From the perspective of the Lancel Kingdom, the two of them could be called arch-enemies. They hesitated over whether to take Marquis Paradir's words at face value.
"Oops, of course I'm not being sarcastic! Hahaha!"
"...Hahaha, that is good to hear."
"...The honor is ours to fight alongside you."
Though slightly thrown off, Noein and the others gave safe responses.
"Well then, we must discuss the future march. While we are superior in army scale and the rank of the commanders, this is your country. You decide how we move."
"Thank you. In that case, I shall explain."
Saying so, Noein spread a map on the table in the tent where the meeting was taking place.
This map, which simplified the locations of mountains, rivers, bridges, roads, and cities in the southwestern part of the kingdom, had information about regions unrelated to the march intentionally written inaccurately, with lies woven in. It was created by Count Marcel and Frederick so that they could share future march plans with the Lancel Kingdom's army without letting them know the accurate geography of the Roadberg Kingdom.
"First, our current position... is here on the map. From here, it will take approximately three days to enter Count Ahatz's territory, and another day to reach the capital of the territory. The Betumia Republic's army will likely flee into the capital of the territory and hole up, but there should be a considerable number of Betumia soldiers scattered in small groups and left behind throughout the southwestern region of the Roadberg Kingdom. We will besiege the capital of the territory, while cutting off the enemy's main force from the small units—"
The military council of the generals of two nations who had once fought as enemies proceeded extremely peacefully.