Editor:Starbuck11, Key, Kev.
Morning, 3rd Day, 1st Month, the Year 2814.
"Baron-sama, we can finally see it. That is the city of Periveria."
Following the direction the village girl had pointed, Ryouma saw a grey dot across the plains.
As the group exited the highway, the outline of the grey dot become clear.
It was a solid fortified city surrounded by high walls.
Although it was the same fortified city just like Epiroz, the scale was on a completely different level.
"Ah! Father."
The village girl who saw her father waiting for her near the city's gate looked happy.
They both had been separated for a few days, which made her behavior seemed natural, but Ryouma could not help but smiled bitterly.
After all, the village girl who was supposedly already an adult, reacted rather childishly.
(I did pay attention to her carefully. But well, I guess it can't be helped...)
It seemed that the Marfisto sisters, who rode beside Ryouma also felt the same way.
They felt that perhaps the behavior of the village girl was a sign of anxiety and fear.
For some money, they took the job of guiding Ryouma and the others toward Periveria city, and for them these past few days must have been quite intense.
By accepting a job from an army of another country, it could be said that they had taken a gamble, although they did it because of the taxation starting to kill them.
And even if they took the job because Ryouma told them that they were reinforcements from Rozeria, they still did not know if it was true or not.
And what if Ryouma was an enemy of the country disguised as a friend ?
If that happened, the villagers would have been executed as traitors toward the motherland.
Even if they insisted that they had been deceived, they would probably be ignored.
Since it would have been easier for the government to execute them to make an example.
And to make the commoners stay in place.
In any case, their lives were at stake.
Even though the villagers did not realize it, they still instinctively felt it.
Nevertheless, taking the job from Ryouma was nothing more than putting the villagers in a danger.
Now when the distance between Ryouma and the welcoming party became shorter, the figures who welcomed them came into view, and Ryouma noticed that some of them frowned their eyebrows.
A frightened expression was engraved on the face of the village girl's father.
Probably noticing her father's expression. Grief can be seen on the village girl's face as well.
(Oho? It seems there's some misunderstanding huh?)
Had the village girl's father been chased by the enemy's soldiers, then he wouldn’t be standing there.
Furthermore, there were armored knights following behind him.
(They are Zalda Kingdom's knight, no? Why does he looked frightened like that?)
"Ryouma-sama..."
Ryouma put his hand on Sara's head who looked anxious, and he showed his usual smile.
"It will be fine. Both of you wait here... Understood?"
"Please be careful..."
After nodding his head in response to Laura's words, Ryouma stopped his army and proceeded alone toward the Zalda knights.
After all, if both sides could not grasp the situation, it would be hard to shake hands...
The Zalda Kingdom's knights then split to the sides, and a single knight approached Ryouma while bringing some escort.
Looking at the knight's helmet, that person seemed to be a high ranking one.
And beside him, the knights who guarded him as escorts also wore good equipment.
(Is he a leader of a knight order? Which means, he is a general huh?)
Ryouma eyes narrowed.
(Why did they bother to send a high ranking person just for this? Is this because of how much they had been cornered?)
"Are you the reinforcements from Rozeria?"
As soon as he closed the distance with Ryouma, the man who seemed to have a high ranking position turned his sharp eyes toward Ryouma and asked him the question.
For someone who met each other for the first time, the man’s etiquette was kind of lacking.
Or at least, that was not an att.i.tude one should show toward the reinforcements that had come to help.
However, Ryouma quickly lowered his head without showing any anger.
"I'm a Baron of Rozeria Kingdom, my name is Mikos.h.i.+ba Ryouma. To help in the fight against the crisis that your country currently face, Queen Lupis of Rozeria has dispatched me as part of a reinforcement mission. I would like an audience with Zalda Kingdom's King, Julia.n.u.s the First, would you inform them?"
Ryouma’s etiquette was perfect.
Given that he was a n.o.bleman, his att.i.tude could be said as good.
But, even after Ryouma showed his courtesy, the man in front of him seemed like he didn't care at all.
After he handed over his helmet to one of his men, he turned his sharp gaze toward the direction behind Ryouma.
He was a man with a short blonde hair and at the prime of his life,
If one had to guess his age, it would have been around the early forties.
Although it was a bit vague because he was riding a horse, he seemed to have a large body built.
A man with thick muscles around his body.
One might actually say that he looked more like a gorilla than a person.
"Fuuh... It seems you have less than five hundred with you? What can you do with that small number?"
Words filled with sharp ridicule came out from the man.
It was great that he was a man that was able to guess the number of soldiers with just a quick glance, but his high-handed att.i.tude spoiled everything.
The impression he gave made Ryouma not want to get involved with him too much.
"Does your Queen, Lupis, want to forsake the Kingdom of Zalda? We've sent a lot of reinforcement requests, which ended up being ignored, and now finally, she does send reinforcements, yet the one who came was someone who had retired from the military a long time ago, and a young man who does not know anything. Is she unable to understand the situation properly?"
The man seemed to have no intention of maintaining appearances.
If Mikhail or Meltina heard those words, there would have been an instant war between the Zalda Kingdom and the Rozeria Kingdom.
Since the man's words had insulted Lupis too much.
But for Ryouma who had little to no respect for the Rozeria Kingdom and Lupis, the man’s provocation was meaningless.
"As you have guessed, the number of soldiers that I had brought is around 300, and the people who manage the supplies are around 150 people. It is wonderful that you have such keen eyes... You seem to be a high ranking person, but if I may, please do tell me your name?"
"Don't you have anything to say to protect your pride or are you saying that you don't care about what I've said?"
Towards Ryouma who did not show any reaction, the man showed an amazed expression.
(As if I would expose my emotions in public!)
Ryouma silently ridiculed the man's provocation inside his mind
It was important to hide one's feelings from one's opponent.
For the purpose of hiding one's true intention.
That was an important truth Mikos.h.i.+ba Ryouma had experienced when he was young.
And that truth he had realized during his social life also had value for warfare.
"It is a fact that our country could not reply to your request for a reinforcement a year ago. And it is also the truth that because of the situation in our country, which has not yet recovered,, we only managed to send 3000 soldiers, including the ones Elena-sama led. Thus it was natural for you to have such concerns ... As for what we can do, we can only prove our ability on the battlefield."
"Hoho, If those are your true feelings, then it is quite admirable."
In response to Ryouma's words, the man seemed to have acknowledged his answer.
Certainly listening to Ryouma's words, his words sounded smart.
"Very well... Elena-dono has already partic.i.p.ated in the war council. After you have an audience with his majesty, you also may partic.i.p.ate in it as you are..."
Ryouma was not really sure if the man had accepted his answer, but the man’s expression had indeed become more relaxed.
(It means that they have already made arrangements beforehand, huh? Which means that this man att.i.tude earlier was just a test... But well, even if it was not, in my eyes it is natural for them to feel concerned.)
Perhaps, by suddenly insulting him, the man wanted to see Ryouma's att.i.tude.
And from the man’s words it seemed that there was already a plan for Ryouma to have an audience with the King, it proved that the insult before was a test.
"Come to think of it, I have not yet introduced myself. I'm Zalda Kingdom's royal guard leader Grahart Henschel. Pleased to meet you."
After he said those words, he turned his horse toward Periveria and began to walk away.
(Now then, what is going to happen after this...)
While staring at the back of Grahart, Ryouma took out the gold coin he had prepared. -
It was the payment for the villagers who rolled their eyes unable to grasp the situation.
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