Chapter 90
Abel’s expression darkened as he lifted the bundle of papers that looked like a report.
“…First, we need to talk about the damage situation.”
The very first topic brought up was the drastically reduced number of knights.
When he said that the number of knights had decreased by more than half, the retainers’ expressions turned grim.
The position of knight.
It could be considered the very foundation that supported a swordsmanship noble family.
The fact that not only had high-ranking knights, the pillars of the family, been reduced, but that even the low- and mid-ranking knights—who would have taken charge of the future—had died in large numbers was a painful blow.
And the damage didn’t stop there.
Even the trainee knights, who hadn’t yet reached the Expert level but had passed the rigorous entrance tests, had died—more than half of them.
The price of splitting into two factions and fighting had been greater than expected.
“…Hmm… the damage is worse than I thought.”
At Kraft’s low voice, the other old knights nodded heavily.
“…The damage inside the inner castle was no small matter either, but the number of knights who perished while fighting the 5th Legion is also quite significant. In fact, that side suffered the worst losses.”
Inside the inner castle, the high-level fighters had taken the upper hand and wiped out the low-tier enemies, but the battle with the 5th Legion had gone differently.
That was because most of the knights of a certain level and above had been moved to the inner castle.
In other words, there weren’t many high-level fighters left to deal with the rampaging soldiers.
‘So that’s why the casualties were so high.’
If knights of similar levels clashed, then of course the side that exploded with more power would have held a much greater advantage.
“…Were the casualties among the soldiers also severe?”
To Kraft’s question, Abel nodded with a heavy heart.
“…According to the statistics, a total of 10,000 soldiers died from the four legions, excluding the 5th Legion.”
“This can’t be!”
At Abel’s words, the retainers began to murmur in shock.
The total number of troops combining the 1st through 5th Legions was about 38,000.
Among them, the 5th Legion had the largest number of troops.
That was because, unlike the other legions that recruited soldiers through strict screening processes, this legion had gathered all sorts of people indiscriminately.
All things considered, a total of 24,000 troops had vanished in a single day.
‘That’s absolutely insane.’
Perhaps due to the damage being far more severe than anticipated, the retainers were abuzz.
At that moment—
Bang!
A loud sound rang out from the seat next to me.
It was Abel slamming the table.
And simultaneously, silence fell over the noisy conference room.
“Everyone, please pay attention.”
“……”
“The damage is significant. It’s a situation where the future of the family could be shaken. However, that doesn’t mean we should only be filled with despair.”
Having said that, Abel looked at the retainers with eyes full of resolve.
“What’s important is not the immediate loss in front of us. What truly matters is that through this incident, we’ve cleared out all the hidden forces that had been lurking within the family. You know that I mobilized the legions under my command in preparation for this rebellion.”
At those words, the retainers fell silent and began to carefully listen to Abel’s speech.
“Even with that preparation, we suffered this much damage. What if that bastard hadn’t struck today but instead launched a surprise attack at some later time? Can you even imagine the outcome? Just the thought is terrifying, isn’t it?”
No one voiced an opposing opinion.
“I’d say we’re lucky things ended with just this. We can always replenish our soldiers and knights. It’ll take time, yes—but we have what it takes to recover. That’s why—”
Abel looked at the knights and spoke firmly.
“Now is not the time to be wallowing in helplessness and despair. Now is the time to think, even if just once more, about how we can recover our strength even a day faster.”
Jacob, who had been quietly listening, seemed moved as his eyes sparkled.
“…Heh heh… Who would have thought the First Young Master could be so dignified… I, Jacob, feel truly ashamed. Your words are absolutely right. Now is not the time to feel powerless, but a time to restore what we’ve lost as quickly as possible.”
Jacob, Malon, and even Kraft—
The three old knights began to support Abel’s stance. Naturally, the retainers under them followed suit without question.
Once the mood had been refreshed—
Abel looked around at the retainers.
“Restoration is one thing, but in fact, there are still some remaining issues. First of all, the biggest question is—who was it that made Adolf and the other knights that way?”
“…Hmm…”
At Abel’s words, the retainers’ faces hardened. The silence didn’t last long.
Soon, Abel began to share his thoughts.
“…I don’t think the mastermind behind this is human.”
“If not human…?”
“The second brother, who was only at the upper Expert level, used some kind of wicked power and suddenly reached a level where he could stand against Father. Whether it’s an Archmage or the imperial family, I think it’s practically impossible for them to make something like that happen.”
“…Then First Young Master, are you suggesting the possibility of a non-human being?”
To Jacob’s question, Abel shook his head.
“…I can’t be certain yet. But if there is a mastermind behind this, I’m thinking it might be someone who far surpasses humans.”
“…If there was truly such a being capable of granting that level of power, then why would they resort to such troublesome schemes? As you said, wouldn’t they be capable of destroying our family single-handedly?”
“…It may be because they didn’t want to reveal themselves—or perhaps there are circumstances that prevent them from doing so.”
“…Hmm…”
As the retainers sank into thought, Abel continued.
“In any case, we must avoid making this incident public. If the truth comes out, the Holy Empire will not stay quiet. They’ll definitely start meddling.”
“…You’re right. Those lunatics go crazy over anything involving wicked power… And the other noble houses in the empire will start baring their fangs too. The losses we’ve taken are that serious.”
Abel slowly nodded at those words and looked around at the retainers.
“The one who was behind all this likely can’t make a move right now. If they could, they wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble.”
“So before that person makes their next move, we must quickly restore the family’s strength.”
“That would be wise.”
“There’s one issue we need to address in relation to that—how to deal with the civil officials who followed Adolf.”
He soon began to list the names of those officials.
They held ranks from viscount down to baron. Of course, Baron Hemington’s name was also among them.
After reading off the names for a while—
“There will be a thorough investigation of them moving forward.”
Abel stated this as if it were a certainty.
“…An investigation?”
“It’s simple. We’re going to weed out those who knowingly supported Adolf’s true intentions. Such individuals are no different from traitors. As for who will conduct the investigation…”
“May I handle it? I will hunt down every last one of those bastards!”
The one who stepped forward energetically was one of the three old knights—Malon.
Seeing him assert himself so boldly, Abel quietly nodded.
“Then Sir Malon, please conduct the investigation with Viscount Bellington. Be thorough. These people could become future obstacles.”
“Understood. First Young Master, you need not worry in the slightest. I will root them all out!”
It was a good decision.
Among the civil officials, there was likely someone who had handled Adolf’s finances.
It was better to purge those shady individuals entirely.
After all, since a rebellion had broken out, it was customary for anyone involved to be executed.
“…First Young Master, then how do you plan to handle the restoration?”
At Jacob’s question, Abel began to explain his thoughts.
“…Since the 5th Legion has been entirely wiped out, I plan to disband it. As for the other four legions, we’ll need to replenish their forces. The losses are too severe. If we let things continue like this, even basic public order will be at risk.”
“Then… do you also plan to replenish the knights?”
“Yes. The trainee knight exam originally scheduled for the end of July—I’ll have to move it up as much as possible. I’m also considering increasing the number of accepted applicants significantly.”
At this, the old knights tilted their heads in doubt.
“Hmm… I agree we need to bolster our forces, but suddenly increasing the number of trainee knights might be dangerous. The cost of maintaining each knight isn’t insignificant, and if we consider both the restoration and the reinforcement expenses… I wonder if it’s necessary to recruit even those of lower quality…”
Trainee knights.
A title granted only to those who passed a rigorous screening process.
Naturally, it came with the highest level of support and benefits.
They received every investment possible.
So if the number of trainee knights were to increase drastically?
In a situation where expenditures were already piling up, it would be quite a burdensome strategy.
But—
Abel had a reason he could speak so confidently about replenishing the knights.
“Sir Jacob.”
“Yes, First Young Master.”
“Are you aware that I recently purchased grain?”
“…Yes. It was quite the talk. You bought wheat worth 600 platinum coins…”
“A major drought may be coming soon.”
“…What?”
“The weather is unusual. Think about it. Since the end of April until now—have we had any rain at all?”
At that, the retainers wore blank expressions.
The topic had caught them off guard.
“…Now that you mention it… not even once…?”
“Yes. Isn’t that strange? Normally, we’d have had at least three rains by now.”
“…Then… are you saying you bought the grain expecting this?”
Abel shook his head and pointed at me.
“I bought the grain because of Kyle.”
“…Because of the Fourth Young Master?”
All eyes turned to me.
This felt like a moment where I had to say something.
“When I visited Count Neiron’s estate, I was planning to buy some grain. First Brother found out and decided to buy it with me.”
“If that was in April… it’s only because we’re now in June that this all makes sense. Back then, you couldn’t have known whether it would rain or not. Why did you try to buy grain?”
What should I say?
Rather than talking about hunches or gut feelings, it felt better to give a roundabout answer.
That would also lend more weight to Abel’s stance.
If I said I anticipated grain prices would skyrocket, and that word reached Count Frantel, it could be a problem.
It’s not a big deal for Abel since he’s the next head of the family.
But I still had to tread carefully.
If rumors spread that I intentionally bought early to profit, it would obviously sour things with him.
The best shield is always a strong one.
“It was for a magic experiment. I wanted to develop a spell that could extend the shelf life of grain and keep it fresher. That’s why I tried to buy some. At the time, I was short on gold, so I contacted First Brother.”
“Then…”
“I think First Brother sensed something when I contacted him. That’s probably why he bought the grain. Isn’t that right?”
Abel gave me a peculiar look.
As I gave him a signal to play along, he reluctantly nodded.
“Yes. You’re right. And the current situation is unfolding just as expected.”
“If this famine really hits, just as First Young Master says… replenishing soldiers and knights will become much easier. We don’t know how bad the famine will be, but if prices even just double…”
“That alone will be a huge help.”
A sense of hope began to glimmer in the eyes of the retainers.
Still, just double?
Give it another three months, and prices would increase tenfold.
In half a year, twenty times was likely.
I wondered what expressions they’d wear once they realized that.
Anyway, one thing was certain: thanks to that investment, we wouldn’t have to worry about money for a while.
Even if prices only went up ten times, we could easily expand the army and knight corps.
If it was twenty times?
It didn’t even need to be said.
Restoration would go incredibly smoothly.
Perhaps because hope had emerged in what had seemed like a bleak situation, the attitudes of the retainers at the meeting had completely changed.
From their participation in the discussion to the way they proposed ideas—
An energetic fervor had filled every part of the meeting.
—
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