Volume 6 Chapter 12 The Start Of The War
The next morning...
As I finished eating breakfast, the bell rang. I got up, and Moruru was already waiting for me, clinging to me.
"Papa! I'm back!"
"Ah, yeah! Moruru's back too. And―――"
I took a look down at Moruru, and then my gaze fell on Ridge and Windy, who were standing behind her.
Ridge said.
"It's been a while, Wade-sama. You've received the lord's summons, my father. Please come to the lord's mansion."
As I walked through the main gate of the lord's mansion, I could see that the guards were gathered in large numbers.
It seemed that preparations for war were already underway. Even the dragons, with their chains and collars, were on display. I felt a sense of tension.
Following Ridge and Windy, I entered the mansion. When the soldiers noticed me, they would straighten their posture and salute me. Every time I see them, I'm tensed up. But I return their salute.
When I entered the building, I found that the lord was having a detailed conversation with his generals in the central lobby.
"Lord, about these excess supplies..."
"Ah, yes. Store them in the storage room. And as for the dragon operations, follow the usual procedure... Sorry, though."
After bidding a few words to the generals, Lord walks over to us. That's when Moruru, Ridge, and Windy say their goodbyes. They bow their heads and leave the main hall, heading towards Ridge's separate residence.
Lord then approaches us and speaks.
"Today, I appreciate your efforts. I also asked you to give a speech, and I heard it was well-received. Thank you again."
"No, it was just a request. And..."
"Ah, yes. How about we have a chat in the guest room?"
The lord led me to the guest room, where Frain and the others were already waiting. They looked at us and let out a dismissive snort.
The lord sat down, and then began to get to the point.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you might expect, the war has begun. The Fist of the Dragon army has already received a declaration of war from the Arrogant King."
The words finally sank into my chest. I exhaled and took a long breath.
"The Fist of the Dragon army is encamped in the plains east of Karditsa. Currently, there are roughly 50,000 confirmed troops. They are made up of 5 divisions."
Five. Five divison. I remember the Fist of the Dragon and the Four Heavenly Kings.
"What I want you all to do is repel them. More specifically, repel the generals and commanders who each have the strength of a thousand men. Karditsa is fortunate to be prosperous, with abundant supplies and soldiers. Therefore, if we can defeat even the heroes, victory is possible."
I swallowed hard at those words. In other words, if we can't defeat those heroes and can't overthrow the Fist of the Dragon, then we will lose.
In this world's war, exceptional individuals have too much influence.
That fact, in a sense, hits me hard.
"Let me make it clear, I won't take command of you."
We remained silent at Lord's words.
"Not just me, but the other commanders as well. You are to act as mercenaries and move freely. However, I will promise you the best treatment. Show the commanders your gold stealth weapon and adventurer's badge, and they will provide you with information and supplies."
"Forgive me, but why is that?"
Lord said in response to Clay's questioning voice.
"Your gold adventurers are a bit too special to handle in command. I have judged that it would be more effective for us to simply convey our requests to you rather than interfere with poor command."
It's better for you to act freely, right? Lord said half-jokingly. Frain reacted to this.
"Well, that's true. I've been feeling good lately. I obtained a new magic during battle, and I can't be bothered with military regulations."
I somewhat understood Frain's words as he leaned back against the chair.
In other words, if you are under command, you can't make judgments on the spot. Of course, if you're watching the commander's face and making awkward movements, it might be tough against an enemy hero.
"That's right. However, if you're completely free to move and your allies are killed, you won't win. At the very least, I want to know from my commander on the scene, 'What's the situation? Is there any hope?' Conversely, I'll leave the subsequent judgment to you."
Saying that, Lord let out a long sigh. Although the meeting was short, Lord's face showed a deep fatigue. Probably, there were countless things to be done afterwards.
"That's all. My explanation is here. If you have any questions, you can talk to the commander who's standing out. You can ask them anything."
Then, Lord stood up. Following him, I went out of the room, and Shadowmira, the maid of the golden stealth weapon, bowed and closed the door.
When I started thinking about what to do, the room door opened again.
"Hey, everyone! I see that my father is taking good care of you. My name is Hearty Noble Karditsa. I'm the eldest son of my father, Maze Labyrinth Noble Karditsa!"
A young man with an inexplicable high tension entered. I thought he might be the older brother of Ridge, who I thought was the eldest son.
He was dressed in a well-made military uniform, with a body that looked like he had done some training. However, what caught my attention was his extremely high tension.
"This is... Nice to meet you..."
"Ho! Ah, I've heard of it, but you're really young, aren't you, Karditsa's Golden Adventurers? Ah, no, I'm not belittling you, so don't misunderstand. I am―――"
"Lord's son, what's the matter?"
Frain cut off the long-winded conversation and asked bluntly. Lord's son Hearty answered.
"Hmm, I see. I bet you're all thinking, 'Who's this guy who just started talking so much all of a sudden?' But you know, I'm actually holding back quite a bit just to stand here. I'd much rather be getting to know you all over a drink or 2."
"Get to the point."
"I want to guide you to the battlefield."
Frain cuts him off, and Hearty said without flinching.
"My father told you that 'war has begun,' right? Well, he's right. War has begun. It's happening right now. The advance teams are already fighting each other. I want to put you into the mix and crush the Fist of the Dragon army's vanguard."
"And it's a thousand," Chien said.
"The enemy's advance team consists of a thousand. I've heard that you can take down a thousand enemies on your own. I want to see that strength in action first."
After saying that, Hearty looked at me.
"Wade the 'Slow.' One of the youngest adventurers and already a member of the Gold Rank. Among them, you're said to be the strongest and most fearsome. Can you show me your strength?"
I looked up at his imposing, straight smile and after a moment, I answered, "Understood. I'll show you."
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