Chapter 19.2 – Bandit Subjugation Mission

They were likely being employed effectively in terrain well-suited to them.

But even so, if preparations were complete, a response was possible.

“Before worrying about that, let us first deploy the troops. That way, they shouldn’t be able to plunder livestock and food so easily…”

“You’re absolutely right! If we don’t deploy them, we can’t do anything!”

The Viscount went along with Gaikaku’s proposal.

If things continued as they were, an uprising was a real possibility, so a swift response was necessary.

(To maintain forces for standard tactics while being able to allocate troops for a trick play… It’s an enviable situation, but how on earth does he plan to solve this?)

The Viscount still couldn’t dispel the question in his mind.

Send forces to various locations, and in the event of an attack, focus on defense.

While buying time that way, a relief force would pincer them.

It was all so ordinary, which was precisely why he couldn’t imagine it succeeding against centaurs.

An outlandish, absurd strategy might have made him think, ‘Could that work? Maybe it could.’

(The Conjurer Knights… they say they’re no ordinary knights, but what kind of magic trick do they intend to use…?)

As if sensing his question, Gaikaku grinned.

Yes, this was unbearable.

(He looks so puzzled… The atmosphere is perfect for deploying my new weapon! Now, for the unveiling of a great invention that would change history, if it weren’t illegal!)

He was currently savoring his elation.

※

Currently, the dairy farmers within the domain were on high alert.

Weapons loaned from the lord… or more accurately, from the state’s stockpiles, were kept in places where they could be readily accessed.

Even the usually placid farmers possessed the spirit to charge in themselves if centaurs attacked.

The watchmen on the lookout towers, who usually performed their duties lackadaisically, were now scanning their surroundings with bloodshot eyes.

Their spirits were also lifted by the telescopes Gaikaku had loaned out, making them feel as if they themselves had become knights.

With the lord’s soldiers and Gaikaku’s troops deployed as the main force, the dairy farmers’ villages were now exuding an intimidating aura, like military strongholds.

Their morale was naturally high, as they were facing those who sought to steal their property, their very means of survival.

However, seeing this high morale, Viscount Rukbat’s soldiers looked somewhat uneasy.

“It’s all well and good that the peasants aren’t scared, but… in a defensive battle without castle-like walls, this might not be a good thing.”

The soldiers voicing this numbered about thirty. They were, of course, formally trained soldiers, but even so, their numbers were a little unsettling.

“Indeed. Defensive warfare requires patience and the discipline not to advance rashly. High morale can also lead to recklessness.”

And Gaikaku’s dispatched troops, both humans and Ogres, were all female.

Furthermore, the Ogres’ armament was slightly unusual; for some reason, they were clad in armor made of expensive-looking reptile hide.

Honestly, that too was a source of anxiety, but the women were assessing the situation calmly.

“However, the effect most expected of us is deterrence. Without high morale, that cannot be achieved. In that regard, we must somehow hold the line by behaving more fearsomely than our enemy.”

“…That’s true.”

“The most critical issue is early detection… how quickly we can spot the enemy and communicate that. It all comes down to that. We should be glad the lookouts are on edge.”

“…You’re right.”

These women, former mercenaries, were speaking on the assumption that their superior officer’s strategy would succeed. That was a very good thing.

There was nothing strange about the strategy itself; if anything, one might ask what other strategy could even be conceived.

The problem was that the enemy was strong and fast.

(Reliable forces are five Ogres and a total of fifty human infantry. Against centaurs mixed with elites, we would probably win if we fought to the death, but… such a thing must not happen!)

Gaikaku had said it too: if soldiers died, the losses would be significant.

The more of a minor noble one was, the more the importance of a single soldier increased.

Of course, even if they died in the line of duty in this interception, it wouldn’t be a meaningless death. But… it would still be a burden for the Viscount, for this domain.

Naturally, the same applied to the domain’s people and their livestock.

(We too, but we also want to somehow minimize casualties among the militia… For that, the main force must arrive quickly, but…)

There was no guarantee the enemy would come here; they might appear elsewhere.

Perhaps they had sensed the heightened vigilance and had already fled.

No, if that were the case, they could avoid further harm.

A pessimism born from knowing reality existed among the soldiers.

But, that pessimism was about to be betrayed, right here and now.

“C-Centaurs!!”

“Sound the alarm bell!”

“The-The signal flare! Light the signal flare~~!!”

A farmer who had been keeping watch from the lookout tower with a telescope let out a scream that seemed to tear his throat.

It was a shout so loud it resonated throughout the village even before the alarm bell was rung.

Hearing it, the militiamen began to panic greatly, while conversely, the regular soldiers began to move without panicking.

“Don’t panic! We are here! The relief force will also arrive! Hold your ground!”

“No matter how fast centaurs are, they can’t just fly in instantly from the distance they were spotted with a telescope! They’re living creatures too; they’ll conserve their energy and save their legs until they get closer!”

“We have Ogres here too! If they get close, they’ll mow them down!”

The lord’s soldiers listed reasons for reassurance.

It wasn’t entirely wrong. They weren’t unbeatable; if anything, they had the advantage.

But they had to be prepared for sacrifices. That was what was terrifying.

“…Soldiers of the Viscount-dono, though we belong to a Knight Order, we are not, to put it mildly, strong enough to call ourselves knights. The Conjurer Knights are, after all, a novelty act; that’s the reality of it.”

“Wh-What are you… Even so, you are a reassuring presence.”

“However, our master… our Knight Commander alone… is more than enough to compensate for all our weaknesses!”

Gaikaku’s subordinates naturally knew the full details of the plan.

Meaning, they knew where Gaikaku’s main force was located.

Fortunately for the inhabitants of this village, or rather, for the entire domain.

And unfortunately for the thieves.

“The Knight Commander-dono will arrive shortly; no one else has to die…!”

This place, the site of the attack, was the village closest to where the main force was on standby.

※

A smoke signal, using a pyrotechnic flare. Raising smoke to be seen from afar, thereby conveying a signal.

It was one of the most ancient ‘means of communication,’ capable of transmitting messages much farther than the sound of a gong could reach.

Of course, it could only convey extremely simple signals, but that was sufficient for a request for aid.

Gaikaku’s special, colored, straight plume of smoke ascended into the sky.

Naturally, the centaurs saw this spectacle as well.

“Hey, Sajitta. Something’s different about the village today. I mean, we always hit different villages, but it’s not like that…”

“They’re raising a smoke signal, and I can see soldiers inside. What do you wanna do? It’s a pain, should we turn back?”

“…Yeah, doesn’t look like we’ll get anything even if we go.”

The young centaur men conversed as they ran lightly.

Facing a prepared defense was troublesome, but they figured, in the end, they could just run away.

That’s what having high mobility meant; they could always escape, so they could afford to be relaxed.

“But it’s galling to think they’ll say we ran away scared. Let’s mess with the humans desperately holding their weapons for a bit, then head home leisurely.”

“Hahaha! Yeah, we’ve already stolen enough food!”

“Let’s teach ’em that no matter how grandly they prepare, they can’t do a thing against us!”

Their state of mind was perhaps comparable to that of dolphins teasing a diver.

When in absolutely advantageous terrain, creatures become endlessly arrogant.

It was precisely because they were aware of being the absolute strongest in this environment that they were all so relaxed.

“Well then, shall we pepper them with a few arrows?”

“We barely used any, huh? Stealing was too easy!”

“Yeah… Let’s have some fun!”

The young centaur elite, Sajitta.

He was indulging in youthful recklessness with his men, driven by his age.

If he were to achieve greatness in the future, history might record him as a rascal in his youth.

If he could make it through this day, that is.

BWAHAHAHA!

BWAHAHAHA!

As the centaurs approached the village, another group was approaching from a different direction, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Their speed, though inferior to that of the centaurs, greatly surpassed that of ordinary people or horse-drawn carriages.

“Excellent, excellent! This is perfect! At this rate, we can make contact before they reach the village! That way, we can proceed with the operation without any casualties on our side!”

Racing wildly were four vehicles.

The first self-propelled automobiles ever born into this world.

Military vehicles, protected by organic-looking armor, smoothly traversing the grassland on six rear wheels and two front wheels.

An epoch-making, revolutionary, and demonic weapon, each vehicle housing nine hearts, advancing by rotating its rear wheels through their blood pressure.

“Chief, keep it down a bit, will ya! The hearts are noisy enough as it is; your shouting is unbearable!”

“Blood pressure normal! Blood flow normal! Maintaining cruising speed!”

“The other vehicles also report all hearts functioning smoothly for now!”

Five Dwarves, doubling as mechanics, were aboard each of them.

And gripping the steering wheel of the lead vehicle was the developer of this weapon.

“Watch this, centaurs! This is the debut of the ‘Reinforced Heart-Powered Vehicle: Nine Lives’!”