Chapter 19.1 – Bandit Subjugation Mission

Gaikaku, who had been enjoying about a month of leisure, was summoned by Tistria.

Entering the Supreme Knight Commander’s office, he offered his greetings with his usual reverence.

“Oh, Tistria-sama! Your faithful subordinate, Gaikaku Hikume, Knight Commander of the Conjurer Knights, has arrived!”

“Yes, thank you for coming.”

It was a greeting so reverent it was, conversely, almost brazenly insincere.

However, Gaikaku was indeed her subordinate, and he faithfully carried out his duties, so there was nothing amiss.

Thus, without a single change in her expression, she let his demeanor slide.

“The reason I’ve called you here today is none other than to assign you a job.”

“Yes, what might that be!!”

“In a region thriving with dairy farming, a band of centaur thieves has appeared. There are about twenty of them, and a figure who appears to be an elite leader has also been confirmed.”

“…Their tactics?”

“They plunder livestock and food, then flee. They’ve been repeating this at a pace of about once a week.”

“Standard tactics, I see. They sound like a troublesome bunch.”

Centaurs excel in mobility on gentle terrain like grasslands.

This makes them formidable even in a straightforward battle, but if they commit to fleeing, they are nearly impossible to pursue.

“Significant damage has already been reported. Dealing with this is your mission.”

“…”

At this, Gaikaku momentarily ceased his clownish behavior.

He fell silent for a while, his hands moving within his hood.

“Tistria-sama, I have a small matter to discuss.”

“What is it?”

Gaikaku began to speak in a perfectly normal tone.

“…is the strategy I’m considering, if you could lend me a little of your strength.”

“I see. I can make some arrangements. However…”

“Indeed. Since I’m borrowing them, I shall return them, and if I happen to wear them out, you may deduct it from my reward.”

“In that case, it’s fine.”

Tistria, seemingly unconcerned, continued the conversation matter-of-factly.

“However, I will not authorize conscription. You’ll need to discuss that with the local lord.”

“Understood. I shall do so.”

Since both prioritized practical benefits when it came to work, no unnecessary arguments arose.

But here, Gaikaku, as if remembering, uttered his catchphrase.

“So as not to shame the name of the Conjurer Knights, I shall resolve this like a magic trick.”

※

Viscount Rukbat, who governed the region currently under attack, looked anxious as he read the letter returned from the Knight Order.

The request for deployment had been accepted; they would dispatch the ‘Conjurer Knights’ his way.

A lord still green, only a few years having passed since he inherited the domain from his father.

To be honest, he was filled with nothing but anxiety.

(What in the world is the Conjurer Knights?!)

Gaikaku Hikume, a Knight Commander handpicked by Tistria, said to be recently making a name for himself.

Apparently, he appears like a magic trick and resolves matters like a magic trick.

He had worked under Count Borick but was scouted by her and made a Knight Commander.

(I wish they’d sent a normal one…)

They had called for knights, so they had wanted them to appear like knights and fight like knights.

They had absolutely no expectation for any magical elements. Or rather, they were being serious here, so why send some kind of novelty act?

And so, he was thinking perfectly reasonable thoughts.

In this, his desperation differed from that of Count Alhena or Count Wasat, who were aware that it was all a bit of a charade.

However, the reply stated, ‘All others are currently deployed…’

If the Conjurer Knights hadn’t been available, it was highly probable they would have been told, ‘Please wait a bit.’

Understanding this, he couldn’t bring himself to tell them to leave.

“Three incidents have already been reported… If this continues, it will affect tax revenues, and my approval rating will…!”

Like a politician, he felt a sense of crisis.

At this point, he had no choice but to rely on the Knight Order, whether they were tricksters or a novelty act.

As he was thinking this, Gaikaku Hikume appeared in his room.

“Ehehehehe! Viscount Rukbat-sama, a pleasure to make your acquaintance! I am Gaikaku Hikume!”

(What a shady-looking man…!)

A textbook example of shadiness, his entire body concealed by cloth, not a speck of skin visible.

At Gaikaku Hikume’s appearance, the Viscount was momentarily speechless.

Though speechless, he recovered his words after a short while.

Clutching at straws, he began to make his request to Gaikaku.

“Welcome, Lord Gaikaku! Words cannot express my gratitude for you coming to the aid of my domain in this time of need!”

“Gehehehe! If it’s an order from Tistria-sama, I, Gaikaku Hikume, will go anywhere!”

(A real novelty act has arrived…!)

It was a Conjurer Knights true to its name.

He had rather hoped it would be different, but it seemed that was not to be.

“As I informed you, my domain is currently being attacked by centaur bandits. We wish to somehow prevent these raids, but our opponents are the elusive centaurs… By the time we can rush to the rescue, their whereabouts are already unknown… I curse my own powerlessness.”

“Hehehehe… Don’t be so down, Viscount Rukbat. If the enemy is a band of centaurs, it would be difficult even for us, nay, even for other Knight Orders.”

(…He sounds kinda normal now.)

Despite his suspicious demeanor, his response was surprisingly conventional.

“Also, I regret to say this… and it pains me as someone who has come to your aid under Tistria-sama’s orders, but we alone cannot handle this situation. We would like to establish a cooperative system with your lordship’s soldiers…”

“O-Of course! If we don’t mobilize our soldiers now, when would we!”

“Thank you for your understanding… hehehehe…!”

(The shady-guy act and the practical business talk are all jumbled together…)

Though a novelty act, they seemed to be a Knight Order nonetheless, as the content of his speech was sound.

Viscount Rukbat felt a sense of relief at this.

“Then… let us dispatch troops to the villages that have been reported as vulnerable to attack. My soldiers are, to put it mildly, not at the standard of Full Knights or Squire Knights, but they can still perform as well as average soldiers. About a hundred of them…”

“No, that’s quite reassuring!”

“And also, about twenty Ogres… these too possess the strength of average Ogres, so…”

“Th-That’s most encouraging! Combined with my own forces, we can sufficiently protect each village!”

Though not as formidable as he might have hoped, it was a sufficient ‘number’ of troops.

The Viscount’s face lit up with excitement all at once.

“Furthermore, I petitioned Tistria-sama and have borrowed stockpiled crossbows and long spears. There is a considerable number, so if we distribute these to the common folk, they too can be counted as part of our fighting strength. However… conscription has not been permitted. That decision rests with you, Viscount-sama…”

“Weapons that even commoners can handle? Here already?”

“Yes, a consideration from Tistria-sama.”

“Is that so… It pains me to have to borrow the strength of the villagers… but they too will surely rise to protect their own property. I see no need to issue a conscription order.”

“Gehehehe…!”

(He’s a well-prepared man, what a relief…)

Centaurs, to put it crudely, were cavalry.

If their side was equipped with long spears and crossbows, there was a chance the centaurs would find it troublesome and flee.

Militia were somewhat of a concern, but if professional soldiers could also be dispatched to the scene, it would be reassuring.

“Against ordinary centaurs, this would be sufficient. However, they say there’s an elite centaur among the enemy…”

“There have been no actual engagements, but there are eyewitness accounts.”

“In that case, we should assume one is present. And an elite who would stoop to banditry is one who does not doubt their own omnipotence. They might resort to aggressive tactics and inflict damage on our side.”

“…You are absolutely right.”

“And that is where my plan comes in.”

Having been briefed on sufficient defensive preparations, and then told ‘I have a plan,’ he almost blurted out, ‘As expected of a Knight Order!’

He decided to swallow those words, as saying them would imply he hadn’t believed in them before.

“First, I have prepared several telescopes. If the surroundings are grassland, using these from a slightly elevated position should allow for early detection of their approach.”

“O-Oh! Those are high-quality items, I’m grateful. We have watchtowers in each village, so let’s place them there!”

“And one more thing, my specially made smoke bombs… I’ve prepared signal flares. As soon as the bandits approach, I want you to send a signal with these. I will lead the main force and come to your rescue.”

“Oh, so even a hundred infantry and twenty Ogres are not your main force. That is indeed reassuring!”

Early detection with telescopes, early calls for rescue with signal flares.

It was an extremely straightforward and remarkably effective countermeasure.

If he were on the enemy’s side, he would probably flee the moment the opponent raised a signal flare.

Just as he thought that, Viscount Rukbat began to feel a little uneasy.

“However, the enemy is centaurs. In the terrain of this surrounding area, they boast unparalleled strength. I wonder if even a Knight Order can make it in time to rescue…”

Deploying forces to various locations and lying in wait.

This was likely an appropriate response to an enemy with high mobility.

But whether the enemy would still be there by the time the relief force arrived was questionable.

GYAHAHAHA!

But Gaikaku laughed off that concern.

“Viscount-sama… no matter how strong the enemy may be, they are merely twenty individuals, a single unit! What need is there to fear such a thing?”

Centaurs in grassland terrain were undoubtedly strong.