Chapter 70 - The Monster of the Northernmost Territory II_003_The Enemy Comes Under the Cover of Night
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003_The Enemy Comes Under the Cover of Night
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The blue-armored Sora riding a horse stood out.
This armor was a gift from the Marquis, specially made for Sora.
「Blue True Steel Armor (Aoshinkōgai), it looks splendid, Sora-sama」
Riding side by side, Knight Elbert looked enviously at the Blue True Steel Armor.
All knights of the Forstei Baron House are equipped with True Steel Armor, but that armor uses red True Steel.
True Steel becomes rarer in order of red, yellow, green, blue, gold. Red is relatively easy to obtain, while blue is not. That is how valuable Blue True Steel Armor is, and Knight Elbert is gazing at it with envy.
「Grandpa said he would give me Gold True Steel Armor, but when I politely declined, he apparently gave me this instead」
「What, gold? Gold is the armor favored by His Excellency the Marquis. It is an object of desire for us warriors. You should have taken it……」
「If I received something like that, Uncle would glare at me. I already have many problems as it is」
Not to mention Gold True Steel equipment, even Blue True Steel equipment is not something a member of a baron house can equip. If it's the second son, it's easy to imagine that people with unnecessary suspicions will appear.
「Sora-sama is the grandson of His Excellency the Marquis, so there must be various troublesome things, but since His Excellency the Marquis said he would give it, why not take it?」
「Don't make it sound so simple. There are already envious people bothering me. Also, Grandpa is the former Marquis. Currently, Lucas-sama is the head of the Forvas Marquis House. Don't be mistaken」
Sora's mother, Schane, is the youngest daughter of Rodney, the former head of the Forvas Marquis House. In other words, Sora is the grandson of the former Marquis.
In this country, a marquis is the highest rank of nobility. Being the grandson of such a marquis means having a great backing. Even the marquis keeps an eye out so that his grandson is not looked down upon by other nobles. However, now he is the former marquis.
Knight Elbert was originally a knight of the Forvas Marquis House, but when Schane married into the Forstei family, he came to serve the Forstei family as her guard knight.
Furthermore, the Forstei family itself was originally knights serving the Forvas Marquis House. They achieved military merits and became barons, but needless to say, the authority of the Forvas Marquis House was behind that.
Originally, it is rare for a daughter of a high-ranking noble like a count or marquis to marry into a baron house. However, the former Marquis Rodney values ties with his vassals and those equivalent to them rather than creating connections with other nobles, so he married Schane off to the Forstei family, who were his vassals.
「Ah, that's right. I suppose Lord Rodney's impression is too strong」
Back when Knight Elbert served the Forvas Marquis House, Rodney was still active, so when one said Marquis, it probably meant Rodney.
Rodney is a remarkable man who raised the Forvas family from knightly rank to marquis in a single generation, and he can be called a living legend who leaves many anecdotes. People call Rodney The Monster of the Northernmost Territory or Hero with awe.
The ranks of nobility, from the bottom, are knight, baron, viscount, count, and marquis, and the Forvas Marquis House has risen to the highest marquis house.
Knights like Elbert are not noble knight ranks; they are sub-nobles who are their vassals. Knight rank and knight are easily confused, but there is a large difference between them.
Going south from the Amania Territory ruled by the Forstei family, there is a land where the steep mountains called the Boldos Great Mountain Range stretch. This Boldos Mountain Range extends east-west, and is a great mountain range that further extends from west to north.
The Boldos Mountain Range also extends to the west of Amania Territory, and there is a mine that produces iron ore there. Being able to have territory with such a mine is likely due to Rodney's influence.
As Sora and his group proceed southeast with the Boldos Mountain Range on their right, a wide highway appears. Trucks loaded with soldiers and supplies travel back and forth on that highway. In places with roads maintained like this, transportation by truck is possible, and there is the advantage of easy supply of personnel and materials.
At this point, the area where the battlefield is located is close.
The border with the Jabaru Kingdom is long east-west, but the battlefields are two locations: Gehatheim in the east and Posandalk in the west.
The Amania Territorial Army led by Sora is heading to the Posandalk battlefield.
On the fifth day of marching, the Amania Territorial Army decided to camp at a location one day away from Posandalk.
This area is one where enemy reconnaissance units may infiltrate. It is by no means a place to let one's guard down.
「Hurry up and set up the tents. After tents, food. If you want to eat quickly, move briskly」
Knight Elbert is in command of the territorial soldiers.
Knight Elbert is a battle-hardened warrior who has been to the battlefield many times. He is used to things like this.
Sora has also experienced camping many times, but leading subordinates is his first experience.
The march so far has been the same, but these territorial soldiers move well. Grandpa's training seems to have reached them thoroughly.
His grandfather is promoting training territorial soldiers in labyrinths. For territories without labyrinths, he makes it possible to use labyrinths in closely related territories.
That is something his grandfather can do because of his immense influence, but normally one cannot enter another territory's labyrinth casually.
Training territorial soldiers in labyrinths is to have the soldiers themselves acquire a special ability called Origin Power, but it also has the purpose of pushing soldiers into extreme conditions.
Soldiers pushed into extreme conditions may display the power they originally possess. Furthermore, they learn to act cooperatively with comrades, improving their sense of camaraderie.
Of course, there are also disadvantages. It is up to the instructors to adjust the degree, and the Forvas Marquis House also puts effort into training such instructors.
The Amania territorial soldiers that Sora leads have all acquired Origin Power.
Origin Power is a special power obtained from Life Light Stones, which are taken from monsters called Selvanui. Normally, it is said that one can finally acquire Origin Power by using 100 Life Light Stones.
Even the cheapest Life Light Stone costs 2 large silver coins. Giving an average of 100 of them means an expenditure of 2 large gold coins (200 large silver coins). Since the territorial soldiers of the Forstei Baron House follow the salary system of the Forvas Marquis House, the basic salary of a skilled territorial soldier is 2 small gold coins per month. Considering that, 2 large gold coins (20 small gold coins) would be ten months' salary.
Given such an expenditure to acquire one Origin Power, there are few nobles who have all their soldiers learn Origin Power.
But nobles of the Forvas lineage are different. Soldiers who have acquired Origin Power are stronger than any soldiers without it. If they have multiple Origin Powers, they can gain overwhelming strength just from that. As a result, it leads to bringing soldiers back alive from the battlefield. Therefore, they always make their soldiers acquire Origin Power.
The Forvas Marquis House provides support so that all vassals' territorial soldiers acquire Origin Power, but the Amania Territory of the Forstei Baron House has iron ore mines. Using that financial power, they give Origin Power to their soldiers without receiving support from the Forvas Marquis House.
The night grew deep, and Sora looked up at the night sky from a small hill.
What is Shine doing now?
Even though only a few days have passed since then, Shine's face comes to mind.
In the cloudy sky, a few stars are visible. Though hidden by clouds, there are tens of thousands of stars in the sky. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, stars float in the sky.
「A navigator's guide...」
Since ancient times, sailors have determined direction by looking at the positions of stars.
Will these stars guide me...?
As he was immersed in sentiment, a star streaked diagonally across Sora's field of vision.
「A star... fell...」
He recalls that in the writings left by the first sage, there is a description that shooting stars are what should be called omens signaling anomalies.
「Could it be... Wide-Range Search」
A magic circle appears in the near-pitch-black air, and it bursts.
Sora closes his eyes and waits for the results of that magic to flow into his brain.
「Elbert. You're here, right?」
「Yes, here.」
Knight Elbert, who had been secretly watching over Sora to ensure his safety, appears from the darkness, shaking his massive frame. He has a face so villainous that if a child saw it, they wouldn't be able to sleep alone.
「Enemy soldiers. Wake the soldiers.」
「Understood.」
How? Why? Such words were unnecessary.
It was this Elbert, trusted deeply by Schane, who took care of Sora from birth until age five. Schane had informed him that Sora, who was favored by the second sage, was a rare being capable of magic (that sort of thing).
「Enemy! Get up! There's no time to be sleepy!」
When Knight Elbert returns to the campsite at a run, he rouses the soldiers. There were no soldiers who didn't wake up at that voice, which could be called a roar.
The soldiers tightened their equipment, which they had loosened slightly to rest. Never removing their equipment is also natural near a battlefield like this.
「Sora-sama. All personnel, preparation complete.」
The soldiers prepared in less than ten minutes. Sora also had not removed his Blue True Steel Armor. Holding his helmet under his left arm, he nodded at Knight Elbert's voice.
「Enemy cavalry, thirty. Distance approximately three kilometers. Approaching from south-southwest. We will now seize the enemy's head. Elbert. Those with night vision.」
Knight Elbert brings forward four people with night vision.
「Blue Wolf Tribe, huh.」
Among nobles, many detest beastmen.
However, the Forvas Marquis House is not like that. The Blue Wolf Tribe always exists in the shadow of the Forvas Marquis House's prosperity. That is how deeply connected the Forvas Marquis House and the Blue Wolf Tribe are.
The same is true for the Forstei Baron House, which became independent from the Forvas Marquis House.
The Blue Wolf Tribe has high physical abilities and also has night vision.
They are a race perfect for roles as guides in night marches like this.
「Yes. If it's running through the night, no one can match these people.」
「How reassuring.」
Sora decided to attach luminous cloth to the backs of those four and let them go ahead.
「To battle!」
「「「Yes, sir!」」」
The four beastmen lead the way through the darkness of night.
Thanks to the soft light emitted by the luminous cloth, Sora and his group were able to proceed without losing sight of the four.
[Author's Note]
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