novelraw Chapter 129: Iberica - The Campaign Begins
Chapter 129: Iberica - The Campaign Begins
The short voyage to Iberica ended quickly.
……No, it truly felt short.
When I struggled with seasickness on the way to Krafte, I felt like we would never arrive, but this time, I didn't even notice the time pass before arriving.
I stood on the deck with Christine, watching the Libre slowly reduce its speed as it entered the port.
Bilbao, our destination, was a basin surrounded by mountains, a terrain where the sea reached deep inland.
“Indeed, it looks like a good place for a port city.”
“Yes. There's an iron mine nearby, so it was a location King Kroxx recommended; after visiting, I approved it immediately.”
Right now, thanks to Christine's investment, it has only just begun to take shape as a port, but with such a prime location, it will surely grow well into a hub for trade between Francia and Iberica over time.
Perhaps it will become Iberica's Aquitaine in the future.
During this light conversation with Christine, the Libre docked at the port, and the gangplank was lowered for disembarkation.There, I was able to meet a familiar face I hadn't seen in a long time.
“Ah. It's been a while, Hassan.”
“Hassan, King Kroxx's second confidant, greets the King's Brother, His Excellency Marquis Pierre de Lafayette.”
Hassan smiled faintly and gave me a polite bow.
*
The Libre was the first to dock, but the other ships also began to dock one after another.
“Well then, I'll see you later, Admiral.”
“Alright. I'm counting on you, Dureng.”
Since the port was still small, the largest ship, the Libre, had to move after disembarking its personnel.
Watching Dureng command the Libre out of port, I glanced at Hassan, who was talking with Christine.
“Congratulations on becoming an Admiral, Countess Aquitaine.”
“Thank you. I'm glad to see Bilbao developing so quickly. It must be thanks to your skills.”
Christine didn't seem to pay it much mind, but it was bothering me a little.
Hassan, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, was, somehow, changed…….
“Pahahahaha!”
At the sudden burst of laughter, everyone's heads snapped around.
Where all eyes turned, Shandra, tears welling, pointed at Hassan and shouted loudly.
“My poor brother, you've aged another 10 years!”
……Right, that's it.
As far as I knew, Hassan was still in his late twenties, but with his fine beard and the wrinkles forming on his face, he looked for all the world to be over forty.
Building a new nation's foundations couldn't have been easy, and as Kroxx's chancellor, Hassan must have suffered, but…….
Everyone, not just me, looked at him with pity, and even Christine fell silent, smiling stiffly.
Hassan's face contorted, and instead of retorting to Shandra, he bowed his head to me.
“My apologies, Marquis. I'm sure that ill-mannered brat made many mistakes in Francia-”
“No, she did well.”
To be honest, I had been concerned that the overly free-spirited Shandra would cause problems, but her sociable personality, combined with her being a powerful warrior, created a good synergy, and she had been quite well-regarded in Lumiere.
Kroxx had personally led his army to help us when we were in crisis, but thanks to Shandra acting quite friendly, the perception of the Iberian brothers, once called barbarians, had been elevated to that of neighbors who, while different from us, were not bad.
Upon hearing my words, Hassan looked shocked, as if he had heard something unbelievable.
“Pahahaha, your face is hilarious, brother!”
Hassan stared for a long moment at Shandra, who was pointing at him and laughing with a glowing face, a stark contrast to his own, worn down from hardship. Then he let out a sigh that could have split the earth and said.
“……It's the end of the world.”
Really…….
What close siblings.
*
Due to the port's limited capacity, it took nearly half a day to unload the troops and equipment.
““You're returning right away, I see. It would have been nice if you could meet the King in Dilrus since you've come all this way. His Majesty was quite pleased with the port built with Countess Aquitaine's investment and the results of our trade.”
To Hassan's seemingly regretful words, Christine gave a slight nod.
“Yes, it's best that Marquis Lafayette and I both are away from the capital for as short a time as possible. We have already conducted the necessary business discussions with you, Hassan, so please relay them to His Majesty on my behalf.”
“I shall do so, Countess Aquitaine.”
As Hassan bowed his head slightly in a polite gesture, Christine turned to look at me.
We won't be seeing each other for a while now.
After our eyes met for a moment, Christine saluted me.
“Then I wish your army good fortune and success in battle, Commander Lafayette.”
“I hope the sea is calm on your journey home, Admiral Aquitaine.”
After exchanging a simple farewell, Christine and I gave each other a small smile and turned away.
Having shared enough personal time on the way here, we both believed the other would do their best in their respective positions.
Still, as the Libre and the fleet sailed away, growing smaller in the distance, Christine watched me from the deck.
Only after the Libre had completely disappeared from sight did I take a light, deep breath and turn to face my men.
They wore their usual loyal expressions—Gaston looked a bit tired thanks to the chattering Shandra beside him.
And Damien De Millbeau with a tearful face, along with his commander Peter de Cassel and adjutant Gisele Dabi.
“Alright, then. Let's head to Dilrus. We will help King Kroxx and end this long war on the Iberian Peninsula.”
*
“So, 3,000 troops for now.”
Hearing Hassan's words, I nodded.
“Yes, the numbers aren't that large, but they are Francia's most elite standing army. Having brought the Revolutionary Guard and the Cuirassiers, they should be quite a force. Another 2,000 will arrive later.”
Traveling by sea shortens the time and eases supply, but we couldn't move everyone at once due to Iberica's limited port capacity.
The remaining 2,000 will be led by Nicolas Nere and Jerome Morelle. Unlike a certain count, those two battle fanatics volunteered, begging to be brought along.
“That's reassuring, Marquis. As it happens, Shandra submitted a report full of high praise for Francia's Revolutionary Guard and Cuirassiers, so King Kroxx was also curious.”
“He won't be disappointed.”
I answered with confidence. They are the strong army of Francia, having most directly benefited from the results of the Grand École process.
“That aside, what's the war situation?”
“As you've heard, the enemy has remained quite passive so far. The King has seized a considerable amount of territory, and now only Porto, its vicinity, and the southwestern region remain.”
“Hmm, I see.”
The war situation looks good, almost making our arrival seem pointless, but.
“But that's not all, is it?”
“That is correct.”
Hassan calmly nodded his head.
“Since your last visit, Marquis, there has not been a single battle where demons have intervened. If the demons had intervened, the war situation would not have been so favorable. Also, this is something the King said.”
“Hmm?”
“……He said he has a bad feeling.”
“I see.”
Coming from anyone else, I wouldn't be so sure, but whether it's an orc trait or specific to Kroxx, that's not a simple mood swing but something closer to a wild intuition.
He's reliable enough to have discerned Christine's dangerous nature with just his instincts.
“Strategically, even disregarding Kroxx's feelings, the demons can't abandon Iberica. Their previous investments failed, and other prospective investments rejected them.”
The circumstances of the demons' intervention in the war between the Empire and Francia are clear.
However, unlike King Louis's Francia, the Empire gave up continuing the war to its limit as a demon puppet, effectively withdrawing and bringing in Krafte instead.
Judging by the Great King's declaration of war, it seems the demons reached out to Krafte, but he did not respond.
The Northern Allied Kingdom could only slightly assist the Empire; their dispatched army was crushed, and they've backed off, intimidated by Francia's new Aquitaine-built navy, so they are out of the question.
“The Iberian Peninsula is the only place where demons can still exert influence on the central continent. I don't know if their silence means they were gauging the moment to pull out while having other options, or if they were preparing something else.”
Hassan stroked his beard with his hand and replied.
“Hmm, I see. We are relatively uninformed about other central continent nations, but it seems you have aided us at a most opportune time, Marquis.”
“Your king also helped us when we were most desperate, so we must at least return the favor.”
I replied lightly, gazing at Iberica's rough, mountainous terrain, unlike Francia's vast, plain horizon.
I thought of the demon with blood-red hair, and the golden succubus who, of all things, approached me disguised as Christine's illusion.
“I'd rather not see those damned bastards again…….”
*
The port city of Porto, in the southern Iberian Peninsula.
The people of the port city of Porto were steeped in shock and terror as they watched the things that had arrived through the port and were now lined up in orderly ranks.
Watching the scene, the golden succubus, Gremory, CEO of Lust Corp, also shivered and muttered.
“You're insane, insane. To bring these horrible things to the central continent. Bael approved this madness?”
The very one who brought them, Paimon, CEO of Sloth Corp, asked nonchalantly.
“—a finished product. Have you given up on your concept?”
Gremory's expression turned serious.
“Is something like that important right now? You're going to show this to the people of Francia, to Marquis Lafayette?”
“Well, what of it? If one creates a product, isn't testing it only natural?”
Paimon looked down at the fruits of his masterpiece, the industrial revolution, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
“Bael approved it too. After all, all the other sources for 'materials' that Pride Corp tried to pioneer have failed, so we can't just hand over this last remaining place, can we?”
“I was against it!”
Gremory fumed, but Paimon just smiled and replied.
“When you proposed inciting King Louis to eliminate Marquis Lafayette, I was against it. You were for it.”
Gremory was at a loss for words.
The succubus, who usually flew about leisurely in the air playing pranks, now frowned in silence, before finally letting out a sigh and speaking.
“That was because I didn't know Marquis Lafayette back then. This is insane, truly insane. Paimon, what in the world do you want?”
Instead of answering Gremory's question, Paimon smiled broadly and raised his right hand.
In response, the 'drones' lined up in orderly ranks in the port sharply took a single step forward in unison.
The people of Porto's port trembled in fear and horror at the sight.
Beings that moved even after being liberated from all labor and suffering, who had realized sloth in its truest sense.
A rapturous, mad grin spread across Paimon's lips as he looked upon the army that had a human form but was no longer human.
“Ah, perfectly perfect.”
“You madman.”
Paimon replied to Gremory's curse with a laugh.
“What's so strange about a demon being mad?”
Paimon recalled the moment years ago when he recorded a message in a crystal ball to send to Pierre de Lafayette, who was still just a Young Marquis.
-The invitation to our headquarters is usually a formality, but in your case, Young Marquis, it is sincere. Well then, I hope to be able to meet you in person as soon as possible.
I invited him with considerable effort, but Pierre de Lafayette coldly ignored it.
It was a sight I wanted to show him in person at the headquarters, but after a long and roundabout journey, I can finally show it to him, even if it's late.
“I can't stand it, it's so thrilling.”
Paimon hugged himself with both arms, his body trembling, and muttered.
“I'm truly looking forward to what Marquis Lafayette will say when he sees this.”