Chapter 24: The Imperial Army Moves

In history, there has never been a case of one hero Chevalier possessing multiple holy knight Paladins. Of course, there are countless examples of holy knights fighting over a single hero. However, according to official military records, Kaito is the first and only such case.

“For now, we’ll treat it as tentative approval. We need to lay the groundwork inside the military and spread other information so they don’t get suspicious. Your bad reputation actually helped here.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ll say that after seducing every woman in sight, you somehow got four of them to agree at the same time. That’s the story we’ll go with. It’s not like there haven’t been heroes like that in the past…”

“By the way, what happened to that hero?”

“Love triangles between men and women usually end in ‘tragedy,’ don’t they?”

Headmistress Lilia Shurisupu answered with just that. In Kaito’s case, because all four girls acknowledged each other and because he still hadn’t had sex with them, the professors had given their approval (albeit somewhat reluctantly).

“The military isn’t stupid enough to think that having four holy knights will give you four times the power. You’re still just one hero. They’ll probably see it as being able to use different people depending on the time and situation.”

“You guided them to think that way… didn’t you?”

Kaito laughed. Lilia Shurisupu was no mere former holy knight. Her husband Paul Shurisupu had possessed almost no more life force than an average man, yet he had been a hero who excelled through outstanding wisdom. The person who received his teachings the most was Lilia. She possessed sharp judgment and political skill. It made sense that the previous headmistress Reda Factlin had called her superior.

Still, he had complaints. For Kaito, Lilia was his first woman. For two years he had tasted every inch of that beautiful flesh. He had hoped to devour that sweet body again, but Lilia had clearly refused.

“I am the headmistress of the knight academy, and you are a student here. A relationship like before is not allowed.”

Once she said it so directly to his face, Kaito had no way to argue. However, what she said next was the reason he continued to respect Lilia.

“If you want me, then hurry up and become a hero Chevalier. When you become a ‘true hero’ that everyone looks up to, I will give you both my body and my heart.”

After whispering that, she kissed his cheek. It went without saying that it fired him up even more.

“Too sweet!”

The wooden sword struck sharply, numbing his shoulder. Kaito was sparring with Sofia Volfort, his planned holy knight Paladin. The weapon was a wooden stick wrapped in leather, so it wouldn’t cause injury even if it hit. But Sofia’s strikes were no joke. She was rumored to be the best swordswoman in the academy once she took up a real blade. Even with a wooden sword, each blow carried enough power to rattle his bones.

“Kaito, you have no talent. If a talentless person still wants to become strong, the only way is through effort. Reaching the point where you can slay a ferocious beast alone won’t happen with ordinary training!”

Another heavy blow landed. Even so, Kaito refused to let go of his wooden sword. Sofia was reevaluating the man before her. Both his intellect and life force stood out among hero Chevaliers. He might even rival the legendary hero Walter Wackenheim. Yet this man was completely dissatisfied with himself. He was aiming for a distant horizon no one had ever seen.

(Kaito is working so hard. I can’t afford to slack off.)

Her spirit had never been fuller. After an hour of training, even Sofia was covered in sweat. She bowed and went to bathe. Kaito headed to the infirmary. Even with the leather wrapping, he had bruises. He needed treatment.

“My, you’re so swollen… I’ll treat it right away.”

Something soft and warm enveloped him, making him groan involuntarily. Between the legs of Kaito who was sitting on the bed, a seductive beauty knelt, serving him. Ever since she kicked out her ex-husband, Claire had been obediently offering her lewd body as his “bitch slave.” Using her own saliva as lubricant, she stroked him with wet, rhythmic sounds.

“Kuh… that feels good, Claire.”

He stroked the head of the beautiful mature bitch slave serving him. Claire nodded happily and extended her tongue to lick the tip. She neatly licked away the white smegma that had gathered under the ridge.

“Please use my mouth to heal yourself…”

In a husky voice she whispered, then took him deep into her mouth in one go. Pleasure surged instantly. Without holding back, he came hard inside her mouth.

Heroes have the right to voice opinions on military strategy while on the front lines. Therefore, they must study military tactics to some extent. Pieces were placed on a map modeled after the Kabachi Plains, and both sides moved them to simulate battle. Today as well, a war game class was being held.

“That’s enough. I judge the opponent unable to continue marching. Kaito wins.”

The instructor stopped the exercise. His opponent, an officer candidate, had a frustrated expression.

“Shit… that’s cowardly. Stop running away and fight fair!”

If it had been the old Kaito, he would have reacted sharply to those words. But the current Kaito simply shrugged and ignored him. The instructor frowned at the student who was hurling insults.

“Dwight, that’s enough. Cutting off enemy supplies is basic military strategy. You were too obsessed with fighting and lacked the perspective to maintain military functions. That’s why you lost.”

“If we fought fairly, there’s no way I would lose!”

The instructor sighed and turned to Kaito.

“Kaito. Give us your thoughts. I’ll allow a few sharp words.”

Prompted, Kaito stood in front of the board again.

“The most important thing in military action is not losing sight of the objective. He made fighting the soldiers on the plains his goal. But war is a means, not an end. He was playing as the Empire. In that case, the objective is solely how to capture our kingdom’s key stronghold—the Valihart Grand Fortress. Right now we’re contesting various points across the vast Kabachi Plains, but we must always keep the enemy’s ultimate goal in mind.”

“But this is a clash between armies across a river—”

Kaito raised his hand lightly to stop the counterargument.

“That’s true, but think about it. The kingdom I controlled was the ‘defending side.’ What is victory for the defender? It’s forcing the enemy to retreat with minimal losses. On the other hand, victory for the Empire side you controlled is making the kingdom retreat and establishing a bridgehead across the river. In either case, direct army clashes are only a means. I chose a different means to achieve victory as the defender. You failed to respond to it. That’s why you lost.”

“But… but running around like that, using such cowardly tactics…”

“No. Whether you run or set despicable traps, if you can achieve the objective and bring back as many soldiers alive as possible, then you should choose that method. If this had been a real war, how would you take responsibility for the failure of the operation? Those soldiers have parents and siblings too. Would you tell their families: ‘I didn’t want to be called a coward, so I fought honorably and lost, causing their deaths’…?”

“……”

Faced with that, the opponent had nothing to say. The instructor clapped his hands.

“Alright, that’s enough. Regardless of wording, I agree with Kaito. Don’t think war is only about crossing swords and firing arrows. Maintain supply lines, and retreat when necessary. Commanders and staff officers must not focus on a single aspect. They must always see the whole picture. Understood?”

“Hoh, so you accepted the invitation.”

At the end of April, in a high-class salon in the royal capital, Elfina was having tea with her father, Marquis William Rogueia. Although he focused on managing his territory, as a marquis he spent half of each month in the capital. By adjusting their schedules, they could meet like this on weekends. Upon her father’s words, Elfina nodded.

“What he aims for isn’t the happiness of a single person. He wants to completely change the relationship between holy knights and heroes, and even the nature of war itself. History may shift dramatically with him at the center. I want to walk alongside him and see how it ends.”

“I personally wanted you to live with a calmer, more peaceful man… But this is the life you chose. Do as you wish.”

“Thank you, Father…”

William smiled and nodded. Then, as if suddenly thinking of something, he asked his daughter:

“However, since you will become a holy knight of the Rogueia house, he will need to greet me and the others. When will he come?”

“F-Father. It’s not officially decided yet. The relationship between a holy knight and hero only becomes public after a year. Until then, it’s private. If we make too big a deal out of it, it will only make things harder for him.”

“Then I at least want to meet him. I’m handing over my beloved daughter. As a father, I’d like to say at least one sarcastic remark.”

William laughed heartily. Then his expression turned serious.

“As happens every year, it seems the Empire is making moves. They might advance their army next month. Well, the last year or two have only seen minor skirmishes on the Kabachi Plains. There’s probably no need to worry too much…”

Later, William would look back on these words with bitter regret, but that was still a little further ahead.

On this day at the imperial palace, an “Imperial Council” was being held before Emperor Ziltania Fizz Tolmakia. To the emperor’s left sat Crown Prince Austro Tolmakia, first in line to the throne, and to his right sat Noias Tolmakia, second in line. In addition, military leaders centered around Marshal Caldas Grizzler and civil officials centered around Prime Minister Hermann Zeppel were lined up. Caldas stood and stated the direction of military operations.

“The pacification of the Kabachi Plains has been the Empire’s long-cherished wish since the founding emperor, Great Emperor Ottofried. To capture the Valihart Fortress, subjugate the kingdom, and show His Majesty’s majesty to the kingdom’s citizens, your subject requests to lead an expedition.”

(He said the exact same thing last year. Even a child can line up empty formalities.)

Austro thought to himself. Marshal Caldas Grizzler was not incompetent, but he was closer to a tactician than a strategist. Austro valued his straightforward warrior spirit, but felt he was not suited for the position of marshal.

Prime Minister Hermann raised his hand. As Caldas sat down, he stood and gave his opinion.

“While I would like to support the spirited marshal, the issue lies in the objective. Capturing the Valihart Grand Fortress would require a correspondingly large army. Considering the state of the treasury, raising such a force would be difficult. Fortunately, the spring wheat is growing well and a bountiful harvest is expected this year. Conscripting villagers could easily breed unnecessary resentment. We should build a bridgehead for the fortress siege using an army that does not burden the treasury.”

With the representatives of both military and civil officials having spoken, various opinions began to fly. However, Austro—who belonged to the military side—remained silent. Meanwhile, Noias from the civil side occasionally voiced his own thoughts.

“In last year’s battle, we couldn’t break the stalemate because we lacked sufficient holy knights. This time, why not gather more than double the holy knights and crush the enemy in one blow with supernatural power, ending it quickly? That way, even if the scale grows somewhat, the burden on the treasury should be light.”

The civil officials voiced agreement one after another while the military officials frowned. Using large numbers of holy knight Paladins meant fewer opportunities for their own achievements. Above all, if it were that easy to decide battles, the war wouldn’t have lasted two hundred years. If one side gathered many holy knights, the other side would simply do the same.

(Noias really isn’t suited for military matters. If he had a little less ambition, I could have let him demonstrate his skills as an administrator under me…)

“Hmm… Noias says this, but what is your opinion, Austro?”

Asked by the emperor, Austro stood up.

“My younger brother Noias failed to crush the enemy in last year’s battle. He probably wants to make up for it. As the elder brother, I would like to yield the chance to shine to him.”

Everyone present, starting with their father Emperor Ziltania, showed surprised expressions. Even though they fought behind polite words, the brothers were in conflict. Yet the elder brother was offering to hand over military achievements to the younger. Caldas, who belonged to Austro’s faction, tried to interrupt, but Austro stopped him with a sideways glance.

“However, as Lord Zeppel mentioned, we must also consider the burden on the treasury. My brother is enthusiastic and speaks of a short decisive battle. Surely it won’t end in a stalemate like last year. Isn’t that right, Noias?”

Receiving his brother’s gaze, Noias’s expression changed. Grinding his teeth, he stood up.

“Father! Leave it to me! I will crush the kingdom with my own hands and show you!”

Emperor Ziltania sighed and raised his hand, making both sit down. Thus, under the command of Noias Tolmakia, the invasion army against the kingdom was decided.

“Your Highness, why did you say such a thing? Deliberately yielding achievements…”

After the council ended and they returned to his private chambers, military officers centered around Marshal Caldas Grizzler pressed Austro. Austro struggled to hold back a sigh. He wondered if they really didn’t understand something this simple. For over two hundred years since the founding of the nation, only bloodline and family status mattered, allowing even incompetents to rise through pedigree. This was the result. As soon as he became emperor, he planned to fire them all.

“Because Noias will fail. The moment he thinks he can win just by bringing many holy knights, failure is guaranteed. It will be good medicine for my brother. If this helps him realize his limits and walk the path of an administrator, it’ll be more than worth it.”

“But what if he succeeds…”

“He won’t. Think about it. Suppose he takes twenty holy knight Paladins and clashes with them on the battlefield. Do you think he can win?”

“With the power of holy knights, isn’t that possible…”

“Fool. That assumes the enemy will also try to win by clashing head-on. Unlike us, the kingdom has no need to fight and win. They only need to defend. If twenty holy knights appear, they simply need to strengthen their defenses thoroughly and endure. Or temporarily retreat and send out their own holy knights the next day to take it back. Against that, we have no counter. After all, a holy knight’s power only lasts one day…”

When viewed as weapons, holy knight Paladins had a flaw in one aspect. The time the goddess Velos’s blessing manifested was limited, so they could not perform well in prolonged staring contests. No matter how powerful the ability, if it could not be used continuously, it was difficult to use as a weapon. Holy knight Paladins displayed their full power only when deployed in the “final phase” to crush the opponent. That was common military knowledge.

After the military officers left, his trusted subordinates appeared in their place. When he became emperor, they would sit at the center of the military.

“Your Highness’s opinion is correct, but you should also consider the possibility of consecutive daily doses of the drug. His Highness Noias is impatient. He might break the taboo of drug abuse.”

Compared to the kingdom, the empire had a smaller population and limited candidates who could become heroes. For that reason, daily administration of aphrodisiacs to heroes was forbidden. It was better than the kingdom, but the empire did not treat heroes as disposable.

Austro shook his head at the opinion. The one who made it knew it would be rejected. Austro hated foolish opinions, but also disliked blind agreement. His trusted staff had an unspoken understanding to present “what if” possibilities.

“If he does that, Noias will only strangle himself. If he captured the Valihart Fortress it might be different, but sacrificing dozens of heroes just to seize one region of the plains? Father would never forgive that.”

“Indeed. Besides, even if he throws holy knights at us for a week straight, the enemy has that… Phalanx. It won’t be easy to break through. Well, let’s see what His Highness Noias can do.”

Everyone nodded.

In the salon inside the knight academy, Kaito and his four holy knight candidates were gathered around a map, chatting. The news that “The Tolmakia Empire is moving” had spread instantly through the royal capital, and the order had been given yesterday to Belgarad Phalanx, the great general in charge of the north.

“Elsa. What kind of person is Great General Phalanx?”

“Papa… I mean, Great General Phalanx is the kingdom’s greatest famous general, excelling in both offense and defense. I’m not saying that because I’m his daughter. It’s a fact that Great General Phalanx has never lost once. For the past ten years, the Tolmakia army hasn’t advanced even one step into the Kabachi Plains. There’s no way he’ll lose this time either.”

“I agree with Elsa’s opinion. Great General Phalanx is said to be strong in defense, but that doesn’t mean he’s weak in offense. No, considering the number of enemy deaths in previous battles, his offense might actually be stronger. The Phalanx army is elite, and their iron-wall defensive formation centered around heavy infantry is so strong that even the kingdom’s strongest holy knight, Gratina Wackenheim, said it was impossible to break. Moreover, I hear the opponent this time is the second prince, Noias Tolmakia. In last year’s battle, Noias couldn’t do anything against General Phalanx. I don’t see how he can lose.”

Kaito nodded while looking at the map, but then voiced his concern.

“Despite being completely helpless last time, he’s coming out again. We should assume he has some kind of plan. Though I think Elsa’s father would already understand that much…”

Just as Kaito predicted, at the “Valihart Grand Fortress,” the key to northern defense, Great General Belgarad Phalanx was holding a meeting with his staff officers. He was a large man with brown skin and a beard, but his eyes held sharp intelligence.

“Hoh? More than twenty holy knights?”

Upon hearing the information brought by spies, Belgarad stroked his beard and smiled. The staff officers exchanged glances. Normally, only about five holy knights appeared on a single battlefield. Due to their nature, they couldn’t fight every day mixed in with regular soldiers. Holy knights excelled at leading mobile units for flanking attacks or using magic to disrupt enemy formations.

“Don’t tell me they’re going to slam their holy knights straight at us from the front…”

“Idiotic. Treating holy knights like infantry? Even the holy knights wouldn’t come out unscathed from that. Besides, we have to fight the next day and the day after. There’s no way they’d use them like that for just one day…”

Various opinions flew back and forth. Eventually Belgarad gave instructions.

“Increase the number of spies and track the holy knights’ movements. If they do something stupid like charging straight at us, we’ll repel them with our steel shield and then trample them completely. But just in case, we should prepare an appropriate number of holy knights on our side too. Well, ten should be more than enough.”

The staff officers moved quickly. Their trust in the famous general Phalanx was absolute. The great general nodded while looking at the map.

“Now then, this should be fun. I wonder what kind of plan the enemy will show us…”

There stood a famous general who truly enjoyed battle from the bottom of his heart.