Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~ - Chapter 93

Chapter 93   Cornered!?

In the year 567 of the Unified Calendar, in the month of June, the Owen Alliance Kingdom’s army suffered a defeat in the west at the hands of the Garland Trading Nation’s forces. The army was in a state of complete disarray across all fronts. The relentless pursuit by the Garland Nation’s forces was unusual in that it even extended beyond the national borders.

During this tumultuous period, I was walking along a road in the Ferguson region.

“Hm!?”

In the direction I was heading, I noticed a long line of people. Judging by the flags, they were allies.

However, everyone looked worn out, dirty, and in a miserable state. As I got closer, I realized it was General Alcock’s troops.

“Oh, isn’t that the burned Baronet Reister?”

It seemed that the General recognized me.

“I’m glad to see that you’re safe as well, General!”

“Indeed, your forces are up ahead. You should go meet them!”

“Thank you very much, sir!”

Following the General’s advice, I passed through the throng of defeated soldiers.

Further ahead, I spotted the Dragon Knights, and among them was Nataraja.

“Captain of the Guard! It’s Shinker!”

“Oh! Baronet Reister! I’m relieved to see you’re safe!”

Nataraja was in a sorry state as well, and it was clear she had faced great hardship during the retreat.

“I have news to report. It seems that Count Pan has betrayed us!”

“What!? Is that true?”

Count Pan was a powerful local noble in the Ferguson region. His betrayal would undoubtedly jeopardize the safe retreat of our forces.

“Sir Reister, follow me!”

“Yes!”

I accompanied Nataraja as we went to report to Lord Alcock about Count Pan’s betrayal.

“Is this true?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. There is no mistake.”

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. However, Count Pan’s territory lies to the north in the mountains. If we hurry, we might avoid encountering him. Alright, let’s push the troops to move faster, though it will be hard on them!”

“Understood.”

After giving this report, Nataraja and I returned to the Rillburn unit. As was common during retreats, our soldiers were in a miserable state, starving and desperate for food.

We marched on for a while until we spotted a village along the road. We approached to request food supplies, but…

“What did you say!? A sack of Ishtar wheat costs a gold coin!?”

“That’s right! We won’t sell it for less!”

An elderly man, who seemed to be the village head, came forward with six young men to negotiate. Under normal circumstances, a sack of wheat would cost about five silver coins. Now, they were demanding twenty times that amount.

“…Are you trying to swindle us!?”

“If you cause trouble, I’ll report you to Duke Chad, who rules this land!”

“…Ugh.”

Duke Chad was a powerful noble who governed the Ferguson region in the western part of the kingdom. His influence was so significant that even the royal court could not easily ignore his words.

“Very well, I’ll pay you twenty silver coins. But if you refuse this offer, I’ll burn this village to the ground.”

I negotiated firmly. Although the wealthy Rillburn family could afford to pay twenty times the usual price, we had to think ahead. We needed to conserve our funds, especially since we also planned to purchase provisions for Lord Alcock’s troops.

“Aren’t you afraid of Duke Chad?”

The village chief tried to intimidate me, using the duke’s name as leverage. The young men behind him sneered at us with contempt.

“Grab torches! Leave no one alive! Kill them all!”

I shouted the command to my subordinates. The soldiers rushed forward, carrying torches and bundles of straw.

“Alright! I understand! We’ll comply! We’ll sell it for twenty coins!”

“Now that’s more like it! You know how to negotiate, village chief! And throw in some wine while you’re at it!”

I laughed and clapped the village chief on the shoulder. The wheat was quickly purchased and distributed among the various units.

“Is it really alright to do this?”

A young knight from the Rillburn family asked me, likely out of concern for our house.

“Don’t worry. The lord of the family values our soldiers. I’m sure the lord will handle things diplomatically with the other nobles.”

I said this as I gently patted the young knight on the shoulder. That night, the soldiers were finally able to fill their stomachs for the first time in a while. We did end up spending a hefty sum to make sure there was enough wine for everyone, though…

◇◇◇◇◇

Ten days later—

As we traveled east, a checkpoint loomed before us.

This was no ordinary checkpoint; it was heavily fortified with multiple barriers, watchtowers, and soldiers stationed everywhere.

“Open the gate! We are the Owen Alliance Kingdom’s army!”

Nataraja, leading the front, called out loudly. However, the response was a volley of arrows.

“Our lord, Duke Chad, has allied himself with the Garland Trading Nation. Surrender, or you will face slavery as your only option!”

“…What!?”

Nataraja was stunned. Duke Chad turning against us meant that the entire Ferguson region was effectively hostile. His territory covered a vast area, equivalent to one-third of the kingdom’s land.

The feared betrayal had indeed occurred.

For some unknown reason, Duke Chad had defected.

This meant that the entire area was now enemy territory. Furthermore, the direction we were fleeing in was likely to be defended by another fortified checkpoint.

“…This is bad.”

“I want to go back. I don’t want to be a slave.”

The soldiers were deeply disheartened. The situation was dire…

“Nataraja! We must retreat for now!”

“Understood!”

Thus, we quickly sent a messenger to General Alcock and set up camp on a high ground some distance away from the checkpoint.