The Expelled Boy Does All Sorts of Things with the Onee-sans He Saved. - Chapter 60 & 61 & 62 & 63

Chapter 060: To the Battlefield

In a certain throne room, one man was speaking through a crystal.

“Yes, it is all thanks to you.”

“See? With my power, those fools are nothing.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Then you understand what to do when you win, correct?”

“Yes. Splitting the Grand Duchy between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire — there is no objection.”

“I look forward to it.”

The light of the crystal faded. The man leaned back deeply into his throne.

“Your Majesty.”

The man addressed as such smiled and muttered with a twisted grin:

“Did you see my power!!”

This man was the Emperor of the Kalos Empire.

His vassals around him also wore similarly twisted smiles as they bowed their heads.

～～～～～～～～～～

Rosaria Side

“Report! The Holy Kingdom has begun its invasion of our country!!”

It had finally begun. It was actually a little later than expected, so our preparations were already complete.

“Your Grace!!”

The Prime Minister urged the Grand Duke.

He stood up from his throne and declared:

“In the name of Ferdinand XIV, Grand Duke, I order the defense of our nation against the Holy Kingdom!!”

At his words, everyone present knelt in response.

We left the room and returned to our current home together with Elena and Urka.

“It’s starting, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. We’ll win.”

The two of them should be fine. After all, I was the one who came up with the strategy.

“Have the vanguard units already departed?”

“Well, something like that has already set out.”

My strategy had already begun.

“Urka, you’re up first. I’m counting on you.”

“Got it.”

When we arrived home—

“Welcome back!!”

Our Master — our beloved — Al came out to greet us.

We each hugged Al and kissed him.

“I heard… it’s starting, right?”

Sophia, standing behind us, asked with a tense expression.

“Yeah. I’m leaving Al in your care.”

“You don’t even need to say it. I would bet my life on it.”

She said it as if it were obvious. Well, that should be fine.

“The armor and weapon maintenance/repairs are complete. Also, Lady Louisa is calling for you.”

We headed to the main residence together with Al.

“I have heard the news. You are departing, yes?”

“Yes.”

“May fortune be with you.”

Lady Louisa bowed her head. We hurriedly bowed back.

“Garzo and the others are here. This way.”

We were guided to the back of the room.

“I’ve been waiting.”

Behind him were pieces of armor wrapped in cloth.

He grinned and dramatically pulled the cloth away.

What appeared far exceeded our expectations.

“Lady Louisa gave me plenty of funds. I made sure they are fully adapted to the climate of the Grand Duchy.”

“This is incredible…”

They were light, yet made with adamantite. The dwarven craftsmanship was amazing, but I was once again stunned by the financial power of Al’s family that made it possible.

“They are important people to Al. I would be troubled if they died.”

That’s what she said.

“It’s easy to move in. This is excellent.”

Elena’s heavily armored equipment was similarly well-made. Even Urka’s coat was reinforced so that ordinary swords couldn’t cut through it.

“Thank you very much.”

“No need for thanks. By the way, it seems Al has gifts for all of you.”

At those words, Al walked toward us with his hands behind his back. So cute.

“Um… here!!”

What he handed us were pendants with transparent gemstones resembling crystals.

“Protective charms… from me to everyone.”

“In this country, giving a pendant as a protective charm is a traditional custom.”

We accepted them and put them on.

“Yeah. They look great on you!!”

“Thank you, Master.”

Elena hugged Al. Urka and I did the same.

“……You’ll come back, right?”

“It’ll be fine, Master.”

“We’ll definitely come back.”

We renewed our vow, then left the villa.

“Have a safe trip!!”

Al’s voice called out from behind us.

“With this, we really can’t afford to lose.”

“Yeah. Our skills haven’t dulled, right?”

“Of course.”

Elena placed her sword, I placed my gun, and Urka placed her club together.

“We will win, and we will definitely—”

“Yes. Let’s return home.”

We looked at each other, confirmed our resolve, and headed toward the battlefield.

The opening of the war was near.

Chapter 061: Night Battle in the Great Forest

Artemisia Side

The advance had begun.

As a southern nation, the Grand Duchy has many large trees, and dense forests stretch across the border.

There are also scattered valleys and small mountains, limiting the passable routes. With such a large army, those routes become even more restricted.

“Haah, it’s hot.”

“It’s so humid.”

The soldiers complained about the stifling heat.

I was also traveling with minimal armor.

“Report!! The enemy has formed up on the small hill ahead!!”

I am positioned at the rear of the entire army, so information arrives later.

That means—

“What about the 5th and 6th Knight Orders?”

“They are already working to set up formations, but they are struggling to find open spaces.”

“I see.”

The large army had become a disadvantage.

In such narrow terrain, it worked against us. According to reports, they were cutting down trees to create space, but that would take time.

I felt a strange unease about this battle.

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Urka Side

“Lady Urka, we have been waiting.”

After leaving the mansion with Rosaria and the others, I went ahead of them toward the battlefield.

Unlike the rocky centers or wilderness of the Philos battles, here there were low hills and spreading forests.

The southern part of Philos also has forests, but they are not this hot or dense.

It looked quite difficult at first glance.

“It’s impressive.”

“Yes, this is a very deep forest. This is the only place connected by land to the Holy Kingdom. That is why some thought they might attack Turis Kingdom to the northwest first, but it seems they chose the shortest route to the capital Riema.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s fine. We’ll proceed as planned.”

“Understood.”

The soldier left. The operation would be tonight, and the target was already visible.

Then, night fell.

“Preparations are complete.”

“And the cleanup?”

“Already done.”

“Good.”

These were quite excellent soldiers.

“Then let’s go.”

“””Yes!!”””

Me and several dozen soldiers. With this, first—

～～～～～～～～～～

Artemisia Side

Night came. The heat only grew worse. Tomorrow, fighting would likely break out inside the forest.

In that case, cavalry mobility would be almost nonexistent.

Lights could be seen in the enemy camp. They were probably watching us.

“Commander, we will hold a strategy meeting.”

“Understood.”

I left the tent.

Inside were the commanders of the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Orders, along with Lord Vols.

“Hello, good of you to come.”

“Sorry for being late.”

“It’s fine.”

The military council began.

“For tomorrow’s battle, the enemy numbers are small. They are probably just the vanguard.”

“Then, around a thousand should be enough?”

“I wonder.”

Regardless, as Knight Order commanders, they could handle such discussions properly.

What saddened me was that they weren’t thinking much about how to fight.

Even if I spoke up, they wouldn’t understand. They talked about fighting fairly from the front, but that would be difficult in this terrain.

In the end, deciding who would take the vanguard took a long time.

That was when it happened.

“Enemy attack!!”

Screams came from outside. A soldier rushed in panicked.

“Enemy attack? What were the sentries doing?!”

“They ignored the sentries and came anyway.”

“What?!”

We were completely caught off guard.

“How many enemies?”

“Only one person.”

“One person!?”

We went outside. What we saw was—

“Gyaaaa!!”

“Guhoh!!”

Even from here, we could see our soldiers being blown away by the enemy’s attacks.

“Who is attacking?”

“It’s Urka. Urka = Zaspa = Reen!!”

“What?!”

The Grand Duchy had thrown in a big piece right from the start.

“Damn!!”

The 2nd Knight Order Commander put on his helmet and tried to ride out on his horse.

“Wait!! You can’t go—!”

“Shut up!! That’s my knight order over there. If it’s destroyed, what happens to me?!”

He cared more about himself than his knights. He rode off anyway.

“Enough, hurry up. If it’s Urka, take the enemy general’s head. Get it done quickly!!”

Lord Vols shouted angrily.

“Form ranks immediately! The opponent is only one person!! Surround her!!”

I issued orders. However, confusion was spreading among the soldiers.

“R-Report!!”

“What?!”

“2nd Knight Order Commander Lord Rosen has been killed in action!!”

“What?!”

So that was why the confusion worsened.

“Damn!!”

I slammed my helmet into the ground.

“Report!! The enemy has retreated.”

“What?! Pursue them!!”

“Large trees are blocking the way, and it seems archers were hidden there. The pursuing troops…”

To suffer such a heavy blow so soon after entering the Grand Duchy.

Lord Vols’ face was twisted in frustration.

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Urka Side

“Then let’s go.”

“May fortune favor you.”

I approached the enemy camp and used the darkness of the forest to hide and observe.

Some soldiers were drinking, gambling, or even dozing off. It was far from the image I had of the Holy Kingdom’s army.

“They’re quite relaxed.”

“Ridiculous.”

There had been no patrols on the way here. They seemed very complacent. But that was dangerous.

I gripped the pendant to calm myself, then took hold of my club and slowly advanced toward the enemy camp.

“Hm? You!? Who are you!!”

An enemy soldier spotted me. Hearing his shout, more soldiers gathered like insects.

I confirmed it, then charged and swung my club in one sweep.

““Gwaaaaah!!””

One strike sent around ten enemies flying. A returning swing sent another ten flying.

“F-Form up!! Don’t let her get close!!”

Probably a unit captain. I closed in on him and swept him sideways.

“Gofuh!”

His helmet crumpled with the sound of breaking bones.

“Hieeh!!”

A nearby soldier showed a face of terror.

I ignored him and resumed the attack.

The soldiers here weren’t particularly strong. I had already taken down over sixty.

“Wait!!”

The neigh of a horse rang out.

In the light, I saw a well-dressed man on horseback.

“I am Rosen, Commander of the 2nd Knight Order. You are Urka = Zaspa = Reen, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“I challenge you to a duel!!”

What was he saying? This is a war. Well, whatever.

“Nn.”

I readied my club.

Still, I wished he would get off the horse. If it’s a duel, that’s normal, right?

“Here I come!! Haaaaah!!”

He attacked while still on horseback. But—

“Too naive!!”

I easily dodged his attack and knocked him off his horse with my club. His armor shattered easily, and he slammed into the ground.

“Gah!!”

He coughed up blood from the impact.

“Y-You lot, protect me!! Hurry!!”

He had no honor. Challenging someone to a duel and then saying that.

“Protect the Knight Commander!!”

Soldiers stepped in and raised their shields. It was useless.

I quickly took stance and thrust my club forward powerfully.

“Hmph!!”

It pierced through the shield and sent the enemy commander flying along with those behind him.

It was about time.

I used the moment their eyes went to the commander’s corpse and withdrew.

“A-After her!!”

Soldiers chased after me. But in the forest, horses couldn’t function.

Furthermore—

“Guoh!? What!?”

Hidden friendly soldiers shot down the pursuit unit with arrows.

I also knocked down nearby trees with my club to block the path.

“Retreat!!”

The soldiers followed me and began retreating.

I think the first day of the war yielded better results than expected.

Chapter 062: Holy Kingdom Army’s Disturbance

Rosaria Side

“Reporting. Lady Urka’s unit has taken down the 2nd Knight Order Commander.”

The report caused a big stir in the camp.

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

Supreme Commander General Antonio smiled.

“It’s still just the beginning. We can’t let our guard down.”

“I know. By the way, what was that commander’s name?”

“Yes, it seems his name was Rosen.”

“Rosen? When I was there it was Frederick…”

“Probably after you fell from grace, many of the knight commanders were replaced.”

If that’s the case, it might not be that difficult? No, I can’t let my guard down.

“How is the plan going?”

“Yes, it seems we are successfully luring them in.”

“I see. I wonder how many they’ve already lost just getting here.”

“It looks like an army in name only. What do you think?”

Elena also seemed doubtful.

“Artemisia is supposed to be excellent, right?”

“Yes, so I thought their army would be quite capable, but…”

“Now, now, you two. For now, it’s best to move while assuming the worst-case scenario.”

General Antonio said. He was right.

“Begin preparations. Do not slack on making the plan a success.”

I continued issuing orders to the army.

“Make sure to thoroughly check the surrounding terrain.”

“Understood.”

Better safe than sorry. In war, the one who arrives at the battlefield first wins. We would fight the lured-in prey on our chosen ground. With this, even a large army shouldn’t be a problem.

～～～～～～～～～～

Artemisia Side

Dawn broke, and we could finally see the extent of the damage.

We had suffered over a hundred casualties. The main cause was overcrowding. The low training level of the soldiers was also a major factor.

The Holy Kingdom traditionally fights with knight orders, but since Lord Vols began handling politics, they started recruiting soldiers from the general population. As a result, many low-skilled soldiers joined.

This time, that weakness was exploited. Dozens of knight-order soldiers were also killed. Losing the commander was a heavy blow. In the 2nd Knight Order, the vice commander was hastily promoted, but confusion within the order could not be avoided.

Currently, the 3rd Knight Order was effectively leading what remained of the 2nd.

It was a bad start. Could we really win like this?

“Report!!”

“What is it?!”

“The enemy camp that was there last night has disappeared!!”

“What?!”

I looked at the mountain where their camp should have been. There were no flags. I sent scouts to check, and it was completely empty.

“Where in the world did they…”

While I was thinking,

“Over there!!”

A lookout soldier pointed into the distance where flags were waving on another small hill.

“Damn!! How did they—”

The 5th Knight Order Commander next to me grumbled. Then Lord Vols shouted,

“Enough! Hurry and move out!! There’s no need to set up camp. Just hunt them down!!”

“Understood!!”

“Let’s go!!”

Receiving the order, the 5th and 6th Knight Orders set out.

I felt a sense of discomfort.

“Lord Vols. We should reorganize the soldiers first—”

“Shut up!!”

He roared.

“We have been humiliated! This is an insult to the Holy Kingdom! It is only natural to deliver divine punishment!!”

His usual tone had completely collapsed.

“Lord… Vols?”

“What?”

“No, nothing.”

“Hurry up and lead your troops to pursue them too!!”

“But I am responsible for your protection. The enemy may set a trap.”

Those words silenced him. A battle where the future was impossible to see. I kept thinking about how to proceed from here.

Then a messenger soldier returned.

“How was it?”

“There were only flags on the hill. No enemies.”

“…I see. What about the commanders?”

“Yes, they have begun returning—”

“Lady Artemisia!!”

The one who came running was the vice commander of the 1st Knight Order.

“What happened?!”

“It’s Urka. Urka has launched a surprise attack!!”

“No way…”

I ran toward the site of the surprise attack.

What I saw there was—

“Guhah!” “Gah!!”

Soldiers being blown away by attacks. With a single swing, surrounding soldiers were sent flying.

A massive club and the silver-haired beastkin wielding it. So that was Urka.

“Wait!!”

My voice made her stop.

“I am Artemisia = Chris = Richard, Commander of the 1st Knight Order.”

“Urka = Zaspa = Reen.”

She readied her weapon. I drew my sword as well.

“That sword is impressive.”

“Holy Sword Caliburnus. With this sword, I will defeat you.”

We slowly closed the distance, then both broke into a run.

One hit and it would be over. I dodged her attacks while looking for an opening. However, her movements were fast and hard to catch. In that case—

“Hah!!”

I stabbed my sword into the ground.

“Mu!!”

She must have sensed it and jumped. Blades then erupted from the ground.

“As expected of the ‘Silver Wolf.’ You dodged it. Then—!”

I created swords in the air and accelerated my attacks.

“What’s wrong? Your name as the ‘Silver Wolf’ will be tarnished!!”

“I see.”

She seemed to understand something, then—

“Upsie!!”

She slammed her club into the ground, creating a cloud of dust and sand. She was planning to escape!!

“Don’t let her get away!!”

I fired my swords as well. But I couldn’t hear any impact. They must have missed.

By the time the dust cleared, she was gone.

She escaped. But at least I managed to restrain her for a while. No, knowing her, next time she would…

I fell into deep thought.

After that, the army moved through the forest.

Constantly on guard against enemy raids, our nerves were always on edge and fatigue was building up heavily.

Even at night we had to stay prepared for attacks.

As a result, exhaustion and sleep deprivation accumulated among the soldiers. And finally…

“A soldier has collapsed?”

“Yes, he has a fever and is completely limp.”

It seemed the combination of fatigue and this heat was causing people to fall ill.

If this spread among the soldiers…

“Leave trash like that behind.”

“Lord Vols, but—”

“We have 50,000 men. One or two are irrelevant.”

Many of the commanders agreed with him.

I felt a growing unease, and that unease soon became reality.

Chapter 063: Opening of Hostilities

“Yes, I see…”

The worst situation had occurred. The soldiers’ conditions were starting to deteriorate. Some found it difficult to walk, while others were even having convulsions.

“For now, let’s have them take in fluids.”

“Understood.”

According to the military doctor, it was due to the heat and accumulated fatigue.

The knight commanders insisted on continuing the march, but the army as a whole wouldn’t last if they did.

From this point onward, the rift between me and the other commanders grew deeper.

“The soldiers are so weak.”

Lord Vols said that, but his own clothing, water, and food were completely different from what the soldiers received.

Dissatisfaction toward the upper ranks was sprouting inside me, and it was gradually growing stronger.

Two days passed after that. My knight order was fine, but the other knight orders and their subordinates had become far more complacent compared to the beginning.

The enemy hadn’t attacked since that raid.

There were two possibilities: they were hiding somewhere to make us lower our guard, or they really weren’t there.

We assumed the worst and maintained strict watch, but in other knight orders, more and more soldiers were drinking heavily, believing the enemy wouldn’t come anymore. As a result, a bad atmosphere began to spread among the troops.

Was this part of the opponent’s strategy? If it was, was there someone in the Grand Duchy capable of executing such a plan? No, none of the Grand Duchy’s military officers could do this. If anyone could, it would be—

“Rosaria = Anna = Felville.”

Only her. It would require a thorough understanding of this country’s environment and the state of our army, and she was the type to go that far.

Ironically, I had learned that kind of thinking from her back when I was Elena’s disciple.

Here I should be grateful to her—

“No, what am I even thinking?”

She is a traitor to this country. How could I feel gratitude?

“Commander!!”

A messenger arrived.

“What is it?”

“We will soon exit the forest.”

“Understood. We will set up camp there. Inform the entire army.”

“Yes!!”

After walking for a while, the forest действительно ended and opened into a wide area. To the left was still forest, and to the right was a plateau.

As a battlefield, it had quite strong characteristics.

However, at this moment, I painfully realized how naïve my judgment had been.

“T-This is terrible!!”

“What happened?”

“The enemy army is approaching!!”

“What?!”

What I saw ahead was clearly the Grand Duchy’s army, waiting for us.

～～～～～～～～～～

Later, this war would be treated as one of the major wars recorded in history. There are several reasons, but the first is that this “Battle of Runvirdis Plains” was decided in just two days.

Future tacticians would heavily reference this war as a prime example.

～～～～～～～～～～

Rosaria Side

“They’ve been lured in perfectly.”

“Yeah, it took longer than I expected.”

General Antonio let out an impressed voice.

Even I hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly.

From the constant reports of the lookout soldiers, the enemy army was in disarray, they had many sick and wounded, and their numbers seemed to have decreased considerably from the original 50,000.

There were even regular soldiers who fled back to the Holy Kingdom during the night.

Urka taking down one of their commanders seemed to have had a big effect.

Well, now that they’re here, it’s time to decide what to do.

“However, the enemy still outnumbers us. We cannot let our guard down.”

“Yeah. Shall we begin?”

“Rosaria.”

Elena called out to me.

“What will we do about the vanguard?”

“Right. But wait a moment. A sudden head-on collision gives us very little chance of winning.”

“I’m sorry. But can we really win with that strategy?”

“Well, I think you understand the Holy Kingdom’s situation, but as I said before, they are nothing like the real thing. In other words, they’re a different army.”

“That’s true.”

“Well, just watch.”

I smirked and observed the enemy’s movements.

It looked like they were preparing to charge without any proper setup. Honestly, could this even be called an army?

From the opposite side, the sound of a horn signaling a charge rang out.

“The enemy!! They’re charging!!”

“I know!!”

I immediately issued orders.

Large wooden crates were brought forward — multiple of them. Something could be heard moving restlessly inside.

“Now, let’s begin!!”

At my signal, the crates were violently opened, and something burst out.

They were magical beasts called Big Horn Bisons. They inhabit this region, have violent tempers, and are dangerous creatures that charge with their massive horns. We had managed to secure around 15 of them and worked them into a frenzied state.

We sent them straight into the enemy army.

“Hiiiii!!”

As expected, the enemy vanguard froze in fear and stopped, but they were still tossed into the air by the bisons. The charge didn’t stop, and soldiers in the rear were also thrown and crushed.

They would rampage through the enemy lines for a while. Still, some cavalry dodged and continued pressing forward, so—

“Activate the traps!!”

I gave the next order. Mages began chanting spells. Suddenly, holes opened across the plain, and soldiers and horses fell into them.

More soldiers and cavalry began to trip. Those on horseback were thrown off.

“Finish them quickly!!”

Elena, at the front line, issued orders and took them down.

The tripping was caused by simple tricks we had set up — mechanisms designed to make charging soldiers and horses stumble.

“Cast the magic!!”

Next came the mage unit’s turn. We had drawn them in close enough that they couldn’t effectively cast spells from their side.

Various elemental spells flew overhead, striking the enemy.

“Archers, ready!! Fire!!”

Arrows joined the assault, slaughtering the enemy.

“Report, Lady Rosaria.”

“And over there?”

“Yes, as expected.”

“I thought so.”

They really acted exactly as predicted after seeing the situation.

Well, it was within expectations, but when things go this smoothly, it almost becomes scary.

～～～～～～～～～～

Artemisia Side

“The vanguard has been wiped out!!”

“Damn!!”

The 3rd Knight Order Commander raised a frustrated voice beside me.

Of course he was frustrated — not long after the battle began, we were being one-sidedly crushed.

“We should strike their flank!!”

“5th and 6th Knight Orders, circle around from the left!!”

Lord Vols issued orders.

“Please wait. Taking such actions without fully understanding the terrain—”

“Shut up!! Do not talk back!!”

My opinion was completely rejected.

As a result, the combined 2,000 troops of the 5th and 6th Knight Orders advanced. However—

“Report!! The left side is wetlands and they’re stuck in the swamp!!”

“……”

“Report!! We are under sudden enemy assault and are purely on the defensive. Requesting reinforcements!!”

Just as I thought. Why does Lord Vols, a complete amateur in warfare, insist on meddling so much?

“Lord Vols, please step back. If something were to happen to you, Maria-sama’s husband—!”

“Be quiet!!”

He refused to listen. Damn it!!

The army was in chaos. Orders weren’t being conveyed properly.

“U-Urgent report!!”

“What is it this time?!”

“Enemy attack from the high ground on the right!!”

“What?!”

It was an attack from a completely unexpected direction.

Rosaria. She was making full use of the terrain. No — we had been lured in. Onto the stage she had prepared.