Chapter 73 - Monster of the Northern Territory II_006_Count Garus's Malice
This story is a work of fiction.
The characters, organizations, and names that appear are fictitious and have no relation to any real entities.
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006_Count Garus's Malice
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Sora, having rejoined the main camp, was thanked profusely by the Commander-in-Chief.
“The Military Inspector-dono has recorded this matter in detail. You would do well to look forward to your reward.”
“Thank you very much.”
While firmly clasping Sora’s hand, the Commander-in-Chief repeatedly patted him on the shoulder.
It hurts, though...
Without letting the pain twist his face, he accepted the Commander-in-Chief’s thanks.
“As expected of His Lordship’s treasured child. To immediately achieve a military exploit—I myself am proud of you.”
The Commander-in-Chief was one of the people who had once received instruction from Sora’s grandfather—Rodney. Currently, he is the head of a Viscount house that is a dependent of the Forvas House, and he knows Rodney well. Therefore, he cannot help but be delighted by Sora’s active efforts.
A war council was held, including Sora, who had received this overwhelmingly warm reception.
The Commander-in-Chief received Sora favorably, but not all the other nobles and military officers felt the same.
Sora sat at the lowest seat of the council and listened to the discussions of the high-ranking nobles and military leaders.
“Unless we do something about the tunnel through the Boldos Mountains, we will be attacked from the rear again.”
The existence of the tunnel had been revealed by the information Sora had brought.
“Digging a tunnel just for that is unrealistic. I find it hard to believe.”
The noble who responded negatively to the tunnel information insisted that it would be possible to bypass undetected if one used cavalry.
The leading noble among those who outright rejected Sora’s information was Count Garus, a slender, white-haired person. Because his eyes slant upward and his face resembles a mantis, Sora calls him Count Mantis.
There is a deep-rooted grudge between this Count Garus and Sora. When the matter came up of Sora inheriting the Count title and the title of Sage from his master, this Count Garus led the opposition. Other nobles also opposed, but through Count Garus’s machinations, it became an opposition movement that drew in many nobles.
This was because the wife of Bajis’s eldest son—Bajis being his master—was Count Garus’s daughter. He had married his daughter to the next head of the Count house, and now someone like Sora, who did not inherit Bajis’s blood, was trying to snatch away that position. So of course he opposed it.
Sora does not inherit Bajis’s blood, but Bajis’s elder sister is Rodney’s wife and Sora’s grandmother. Tracing back the lineage, he inherits the same blood as Bajis, so it is not a reason that Sora cannot inherit the Count house due to lack of blood connection. Furthermore, there is no blood relation at all between the current Sage Bajis and the former Sage Daguldor. Therefore, Rodney and Bajis argued that Sora’s legitimacy to inherit the Count Daguldor house derived from his Sage aptitude. With this argument, the nobles’ support tilted toward Sora’s side.
Count Garus, now at a disadvantage, even began personal attacks on Sora, but Rodney did not permit that. Rodney, enraged like a blazing fire, even declared he would destroy Count Garus’s house, which forced Count Garus to bow his head to Rodney and Sora.
Originally, Sora would have then inherited the Count Daguldor house, but Sora stepped down, saying it would be shameful to his master to cause a family disturbance over something like this. Even now, that remains as a grudge between Count Garus and Sora. No, it should be said that it remains only on Count Garus’s side. Since Sora, who was originally in a favorable position, stepped down, Count Garus should have bowed his head to Sora regardless of Rodney’s anger. Perhaps the inability to do that is the nature of a noble.
“Because it is an unrealistic story, it is effective, but does Count Garus have information that refutes Foruste-dono’s information, allowing him to say such a thing?”
“Hmm... that is not the case.”
“With all due respect, I would ask that you not bring personal feelings into the war council.”
“I am not saying this because of that!”
Count Garus stood up from his stool and raised his voice.
“If that is the case, I would like you to present clear information that refutes it. In fact, cavalry threatened our main army’s rear. Would it not be logical to judge that Foruste-dono’s information was correct?”
“Grrr...”
Since the Count Daguldor inheritance dispute, Count Garus had come to be looked down upon. He had picked a fight with the Forvas Marquess house and had to bow his head. Being looked down upon can’t be helped.
In the first place, Count Garus is merely the father-in-law of Bajis’s son. But Rodney is different. Rodney is Bajis’s brother-in-law, formerly the head of the Forvas House—the main house to which Bajis belonged—and moreover, the foremost disciple of the former Sage Daguldor and Bajis’s senior disciple. His relationship with Bajis is far closer than that of Count Garus.
Rodney and Count Garus differ in their connection to and influence within the Count Daguldor House.
As an aside, Bajis’s eldest son will likely not be able to inherit the Count Daguldor House. If he inherits the house, from that point onward, they would lose the support of the Forvas Marquess House. At worst, rather than simply no support, they would become hostile. With the Forvas Marquess House, now one of the foremost nobles in the Kuodo Kingdom, as an enemy, the chances of the Count Daguldor House—without a Sage—surviving are extremely slim.
Even if the elderly Rodney were to die, that would likely not change. This is because the current Marquess, Lucas, his successor, is an obedient man whom one cannot imagine acting against Rodney’s will.
“Now then, the enemy has stationed 5000 troops at the tunnel, they say. We do not have the leeway to allocate enough forces to break through that. Yet we cannot leave it alone either. Does anyone have any good ideas?”
The Kuodo Kingdom’s forces deployed toward Posandalk are 10,000. The opposing Jabaru Kingdom army is approximately 8500.
The 5000 troops guarding the tunnel might turn to the offensive and appear in our rear. Thinking about that is unsettling. Yet the Kuodo Kingdom Army cannot spare 5000 troops to send to the tunnel.
“If so, why not have Foruste-dono, who obtained the information, secure the tunnel?”
Again, it was Count Garus.
“Would not Foruste-dono, who defeated ten times his number and earned military merit, manage it?”
“““That’s right! Good idea!”””
What does he expect me to do with only 40 soldiers against 5000? Count Mantis’s head is rotten.
Sora felt murderous intent rise toward Count Garus, who was clearly harassing him. He had been harassed many times before, but this was different. They were talking about life and death. It would be permissible to feel murderous intent.
“I see, so Count Garus and the other lords wish to serve under Foruste-dono.”
“I did not say that!”
“But Foruste-dono’s troops are few. I cannot send him out with just that. In other words, is it not that you, who proposed this, will support young Foruste-dono and brilliantly capture the tunnel? Or are you just talking nonsense?”
The Commander-in-Chief had just warned him to “not bring personal feelings into the war council.” If he still brought in personal feelings, then he would simply use that against him.
“You do know what happens to someone who makes irresponsible statements in a war council, do you not?”
In terms of rank, Count Garus was higher. For this reason, the Commander-in-Chief had shown a certain consideration toward Count Garus until now, but there were limits.
He could not feel at ease if the tunnel were left unattended. It is within the Commander-in-Chief’s authority to punish those who say foolish things without understanding that. Furthermore, since the Military Inspector was also present, it would be recorded that Count Garus and others were interfering with the council.
Count Garus, who possessed the mindset of an old-guard noble, could not accept this even if he understood it. He firmly believed that because he was a noble, a count, certain things would be forgiven.
The Kuodo Kingdom of today is not aristocratic; it values ability. For that reason, many new noble houses have arisen. Sora’s Foruste House is one of them.
Behind the Kuodo Kingdom becoming a powerful nation was the reform of aristocratic supremacy and privilege consciousness, making it possible to rise through ability. Yet, remnants of the old ways remained. Count Garus and his ilk were that remnant.
“If you disturb the war council again, I will have you removed. Keep that well in mind.”
“Tsk...”
The authority of the Commander-in-Chief is absolute. Having received a warning from that Commander-in-Chief, ignoring it would surely result in a court-martial. That alone is disgraceful, but if found guilty, his house could not be maintained. It is a matter of grave importance for a noble.
The war council decided to station 2000 troops in the tunnel area for vigilance. It is not an active measure, but with insufficient forces, there is no helping it. You cannot shake a sleeve that has nothing in it.
Of course, messengers were also sent to the home country requesting reinforcements. Since it is known that the current forces are at a disadvantage, the request for reinforcements is reasonable.
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