Royal Road of the Extra Scribe

21

The gathering place was the grand city of Carten located in the western part of Crossing. Currently, Carten housed 100,000 regular troops along with the core military officers of Crossing.

I boarded a two-horse carriage for the journey to Carten.

The journey was expected to take approximately 2 to 3 days.

Thinking that carriage life would be tedious, I had brought books about the upcoming war, but I had no time to read them.

I had to learn equestrian skills.

“Unlike the Caliper Kingdom, where it’s difficult to utilize cavalry due to the terrain, cavalry will be actively used in this upcoming war. Alse, you may not personally lead the cavalry charge, but in Crossing, officers are required to provide horses to their troops.”

Although I had ridden a horse before, I didn’t have any recollection of properly riding one.

Since the Caliper Kingdom tended to neglect cavalry, I hadn’t received any related training.

The master had brought a horse separately, aside from the carriage.

“Is the master teaching you?”

“No, there’s someone more skilled than me.”

The one the teacher pointed out was Eonia.

“Come to think of it….”

In the game, Eonia’s class was a cavalry unit. Moreover, it was a special cavalry unit, the White Horse Corps.

Well, despite being the White Horse Corps, it didn’t perform any better compared to other cavalry units, but it received good reviews for its character skin vibe.

“Then, Als. I will proceed with the training, without going off-topic.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“….”

“Eonia?”

“Um… if possible, could you lower your speech? It feels strange to be so formal with the lord…. You can just call me Eo comfortably.”

Since it wasn’t a master-servant relationship from the start, he decided to go along with her wishes.

“Got it. Then, start, Eo.”

“Yes!”

She set the ultimate goal as reading a book while riding a horse.

“Until we arrive, we will read all the books you brought.”

“Isn’t that too harsh?”

I had brought a total of five books. Reading six hours a day would be enough to finish them before we arrive.

“Once you get the hang of handling horses, it won’t be difficult.”

“Handling horses, you say….”

“It’s simple. Horses are intelligent creatures capable of thinking and acting on their own. If you can grasp this meaning, you’ll quickly succeed.”

Horses can think for themselves.

As she said, that was the key.

Without me doing anything, horses make decisions and move on their own.

The rider simply sets the direction.

Realizing that, I was able to relax and read comfortably.

On the second day, I could doze off while riding the horse, and later on, I could comfortably fall asleep on the horse.

On the early morning of the third day.

“…She’s truly remarkable.”

In my half-awake state, I heard that voice.

Inside the carriage, Eo and the teacher seemed to be having a conversation.

“I never knew you would become so adept at handling horses this quickly. I thought reading three books would be considered a lot, but you’ve already finished the fifth book!?”

Eo was excitedly chattering away.

“hahahaha, I understand your joy, but lower your voice. Als might wake up.”

“Gasp.”

Eonia cautiously peeked through the carriage door towards us.

I decided to pretend to be asleep quietly.

Seemingly relieved, she started praising me for a whole hour.

“Eo has a subtle air of a loyal subject.”

She interprets things positively about me without any reservations.

However, speaking only good words can sometimes turn into poison.

“Well, for now, it should be fine.”

Ignoring the lavish praise, the destination, Kartan, gradually came into view.

* * *

Kartan was essentially a city that could be considered the capital of Crossing.

Although the actual capital was Cross’Horn located on the eastern coast, due to the arid nature of the land as one moved eastward, more people resided in Kartan, situated at the western edge.

The population of this region was a staggering 800,000, making it the most populous among non-capital areas.

“So this is Kartan… the region ruled by Jurass…”

From the moment I entered Kartan, I had to wear a helmet. The same applied to Eo.

She had chosen not to reveal her identity, particularly her face. This way, she could stay by my side even when in Als.

Though I secretly thought Eo might find wearing the helmet uncomfortable, she seemed rather pleased to be wearing it alongside me.

Ignoring Kartan’s attractions such as the slave auction, gambling dens, and general markets, I headed straight for the central military headquarters.

Meetings were held round the clock at the headquarters, and I could join in midway.

“Mercenary Wade, please enter!”

As I revealed myself, Jurass, who had been sitting at the highest seat with a bored expression, brightened up.

He looked like a child who had been waiting for a toy to arrive.

“Ah, Wade, you’ve come. We were waiting.”

Besides Jurass, other figures from Crossing’s military high command were also present, eyeing me up.

Apart from Jurass, the First General and Supreme Commander, there were also the Second General, Creeper Norrak, and the Third General, Patty Hurt.

Norrak, with a puzzled expression, spoke up.

“Supreme Commander, are you really okay? Is it true that the person who defeated you is here?”

“Absolutely.”

“It could be a ploy from Callifer’s Milias Viscount.”

“Disregard that foolish lot. Milias Viscount has no connection to Mercenary Wade.”

“What about Iliya Anfey then? Could it be a ploy to use an unrelated mercenary as a decoy to obtain a reward?”

“Well, the possibility is slim, but it’s certainly there. However, standing beside that is different, Norrak. You know whose gamble that is.”

Finally, Norrak seemed to realize Eo.

Eo emitted a palpable hostility towards Norrak.

“This gamble… Eo’nia Mirabel?!”

“The Eo’nia you personally fought during the conquest of Kuralbel Empire. She follows the victorious Wade. As long as she’s here, the Wade I know is indeed present.”

“Ugh!”

All the figures from Crossing were showing interest in me.

The crux of the matter was one: What skill did I possess to defeat Jurass?

I couldn’t contain a chuckle.

“Even so, it’s clear that you haven’t made the right decision, haven’t you?”

“Are you saying my decision was wrong?”

“Of course. Just because you won a simple chess match doesn’t mean you should take charge of the regular army. Are you in your right mind to say such things?”

Upon hearing this, others exclaimed, “This guy!” “He’s audacious about being a mercenary!” voicing their disapproval.

Jurass chuckled and calmed them down.

“Indeed, that’s correct.”

“Is it really?”

I was certain that I would brag about defeating Giliath Melburn with solid evidence.

But Juras acknowledged it casually.

“I hired you solely for that chess match. Objectively speaking, it was an irrational decision. However, the irrational decisions I’ve made in the past have always led to the outcomes I desired. I am confident that it will be the same this time.”

“Well… you make a convincing argument. So, what task do you want to assign to me?”

“I would like you to command an army.”

As expected, he was entrusting me with the command of an army.

Wait a moment.

“What did you just say? An army…?”

“Yes, the army you will lead is this unit.”

Juras pointed to a spot on the strategic map where six horse-shaped pieces were gathered, a place where the figures of other military leaders looked at me with disdain.

Juras Pamilion.

This lunatic was trying to put me in charge of a grand army of 60,000 soldiers.

* * *

I had estimated, optimistically, commanding a mere 1,000. Even if I joined forces with Ilya’s mentor, I thought I might handle around 2,000 to 3,000. The 60,000-strong grand army was far beyond my expectations.

Even the battle plan assigned was far from rational.

Simply holding the position and defending the front may not have been that difficult, but what Juras ordered was nothing less than an invasion.

“You are to lead the 60,000 troops to Carlington in the north. You must fight against the armies of Beccabia there.”

Crossing had three fronts. The 60,000 army of Patty Hurt clashing with the 6,000-strong Albad army in the west, and Juras’s 80,000 troops confronting the Albad & Beccabia joint forces in the northwest.

And the 60,000 troops of Carlington clashing with Beccabia in the north.

The Crossing Republic was at war with two nations simultaneously.

Still, it wasn’t a straightforward 2 vs. 1 battle.

Even if the allied country Calliper did not participate, by deploying forces to the front bordering Albad, they forced Albad to concentrate their troops there.

“Perhaps Albad will hold out. It’s uncertain how Calliper will act. So, no clear results are expected on the western and northwest fronts.”

“Hmm.”

“Therefore, Wade, I want you to turn the tide in Carlington against Beccabia.”

Carlington, strategically located near the front lines, was a key point for Beccabia.

If we could capture that place, we could immediately threaten Beccabia’s heartland.

Naturally, Beccabia, defending there, would fight desperately.

Their defensive forces outnumbered ours by 5,000, totaling 65,000 troops, the entire force Beccabia could deploy.

“… Are you serious?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Are you really entrusting me with this? Entrusting a mercenary like me with the outcome of a war?”

“Of course, I am serious. And I believe you will handle it gracefully.”

I couldn’t fathom the basis for such words, but this lunatic genuinely believed in them.

“He’s a man of unfathomable depths. Even the Eldric Prince wouldn’t stand a chance.”

I couldn’t understand why they were going to war in the first place. What was Crossing gaining from this conflict? Everything was shrouded in mystery.

In the game as well, Crossing was depicted as a country gone mad, waging war just to capture slaves, but the specifics were never revealed.

“If they started this war blindly for such reasons, they would have collapsed instantly.”

Yet, in the game and even now, Crossing held significant power over the continent.

The same applied to this Three Lords War.

In the game, the war was described as follows.

─ The Crossing Republic declared war on the Albad and Beccabia Kingdoms, emerging victorious. Beccabia, suffering heavy losses in the war, faced its downfall.

Beccabia’s downfall was not a concern.

But what came after was the issue.

Crossing left Beccabia in ruins without annexing it, leading to chaos.

Thus, the main storyline of the game was the protagonist conquering the Beccabia region later, establishing the New Epsilon Kingdom.

“If they had no intention of merging the lands, why declare war?”

There were many doubts in various aspects.

“The explanation for the operation ends here. What will you do, Wade?”

“If I were to give up and turn back now?”

“Perhaps someone would end up in a dire situation.”

Was he talking about the subordinates of a master he held by a weak point?

“Do you think that’s a threat that won’t work at all?”

“Hmph, is that so? The truth is, Illia Anfei’s subordinates have already been sent back.”

“…!?”

“By the time you were coming here, they had no business left. That goes for Illia Anfei over there as well. Eonia Mirabel is the same. I am only interested in you. Wade, now the constraints binding you are gone. What choice will you make? Show me your own decision…!”

A glimpse of madness in the boy’s eyes.

I had said to him at the previous party. Show me your plate.

Jurass was saying the same thing.

It was risky and absurd, but if executed successfully, it could lead to gaining much.

Just receiving the reward alone could provide a comfortable living for several years.

Would he choose to unhesitatingly reject the opportunity and show contempt, or would he seize the chance, no matter how distasteful it was?

Whatever choice he made, it was to see where I stood through it.

I steeled my resolve.

“…I promise a reward of 40 million silans, with 20 million upfront, if you play along.”

The reward doubled once again.

Jurass, with a sinister smile, replied.

“The deal is sealed.”