Chapter 176: Young Girl Krische and Messenger of Peace

***Arc 8 One Who Spread Death, Chapter 176 Young Girl Krische and Messenger of Peace***

Gulshan divided their army into three large groups and sent them from the homeland to Alberan.

The biggest problem when moving a large army is logistics.

Assembling an army of 100,000 soldiers is not that difficult. If it were a large country like Gulshan, it would be enough to just throw money around and recruit troops.

But above all else, the problem was food to feed them.

There's no way a village with a population of less than 1,000 could produce enough food to feed 100,000 soldiers.

Similarly, even in a large city with a population of 100,000, while it may be possible to satisfy them for a few weeks, the limit would soon be reached.

Once a large army is formed, it is not allowed to remain in one place.

They become giant serpents, constantly wandering in search of food, and as their size increases, their hunger increases at an accelerated rate.

Even if they hire merchants to accompany them, bringing cargos to survive starvation, a large army will inevitably create long lines.

The first leaving at sunrise and the last leaving at nightfall could, the army could end up like so.

In reality, it would be impossible to march 100,000 soldiers together, which was why the countries around Alberan had set the maximum number of troops for the march at 30,000 to 40,000.

"General Elkarl and General Kilrea, both marches are going smoothly. There seems to have been some skirmishing during the occupation, but there has been no major resistance. The rendezvous is proceeding as scheduled."

Inside the large tent, a man was tasting the fruit wine of the south.

He was a muscular man with dark skin, thick hair, and a beard.

Less than six shaku tall――not that big of a body, however there's muscles that could tear his clothes from the inside out and an animal-like viciousness.

Vice Chancellor Gulshan, Orugan, possesses an incomparably intimidating presence.

"Umu. That's good. Tell them once more to behave like a gentleman and not to do anything rough. Later on, it will become the land of Gulshan."

"Yes sir."

Elkarl in the east, Kilrea in the west.

They fought alongside Orugan during the rebellion, and although competent as generals, they were a bit rough around the edges.

He would like to avoid the negative aspects of this coming out and having a negative impact on the postwar occupation and governance.

There are several ways to conquer.

Instilling fear and controlling through violence is certainly one method, but the opponent is not a barbarian but Alberan. It surpasses Gulshan in many aspects, including technology and scholarship, and the people living there are also relatively intelligent.

They should be incorporated into their own country as peacefully as possible, absorbing their knowledge and people; it was not a good idea to make them have ill feelings toward Gulshan.

Gulshan was once a vassal state of Alberan, and because of this historical background, the southern part of Alberan originally had close blood ties with the Shaan people.

It wouldn't be that difficult to rule after the occupation if they avoid violent means, and whether it goes well or not depends on what attitude they adopt toward them in the current invasion.

"How is the Garhka movement?"

A tall man came into the tent, replacing the messenger.

Turning to his right-hand man, Zalvag, who had returned from a reconnaissance mission, Allergan asked that.

"Nothing particular. It seems like they're training hard around Nakria. Just..."

"Hm?"

"A flag of lightning and a hawk with the letters Alberinea engraved on it――as the Vice-Chancellor had hoped, it seems that the one that came from the center was Krische Christand."

"Is that true?"

"What's there in me for me to lie."

Zalvag replied exasperatedly to the amused Orugan, and sat down next to him, looking tired.

The young squire hurried to pour himself a drink,

"No need. If I drink alcohol when tired, I'll probably fall asleep. Black soybean tea."

"M-my apologies. Right away."

Hearing Zalvaag's words, the quire run to get some black bean tea.

Zalvaag scratched his cheek and sighed, feeling troubled.

Zalvaag had risen from being a mere commoner to becoming Orugan's confidant, and in a sense, he is treated with even more respect than Orugan by the civilian-born soldiers.

For him, it was rather difficult to deal with this, and it made him uncomfortable.

"Get used to it, Zalvaag. It's fine as long as you act boldly."

"If there is someone who can step up from being a shoemaker to this position and act with dignity, I sure would like to see him..."

"You're better at making corpses than you are at making shoes. Like rain falling on the earth, whether you want it to or not――that's just what a calling is."

"...What an unpleasant calling."

Zalvaag slumped his shoulders, and Organ laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, amused.

Then, amused, he stirred his drink and asked Zalvaag with a serious face.

"So, what about the enemy army?"

"From what I can see, it's around 45,000. I'm counting by corps, so there may be an error of about a few thousand."

5000 per corps.

In Alberan and Elsren, the army was basically divided that way.

In Gulshan, which operates beast soldiers, the number of personnel organized varies greatly depending on the nature and purpose of the unit, however they were strangely particular about this fixed number.

Probably due to operational reasons.

"There's one less army than expected. That's somehow concerning."

"Hmm. Easily withdrew an army and invited us...I don't think Garhka would do any tricks like this. But if that girl showed up, you wouldn't know. Guess it won't just be pleasant."

There was a great possibility that they would take a detour through the sea of trees to the west and aim for their flank.

If that happens, they will have to allocate their troops as well――the battle will turn from a simple decisive battle to a contest of wits and strategy.

Or rather, this battle itself was originally like that, and the scenario of a head-on collision was only a tacit agreement between the enemy generals Garhka and Orugan.

"This is a troubling point. For now...hey, tell Kilrea in the west to be careful about infiltration from the Sea of Trees. Before the messenger heads out."

"Yes sir"

Orugan sent instructions and played with his beard in thought.

"Hmm, I'd rather have a head-to-head confrontation without any tricks, but... no, I'm sure Garhka would think the same way..."

"It can't be helped. Vice-Chancellor is the one who invited Alberinea the other day, it's your own fault."

Zalvaag said it as a matter of course.

No matter how one looks at it, this battle began with Alberan at a disadvantage.

On top of that, if they lose, Alberan would also be in a situation where their capital will fall.

It's natural that the Alberan side was desperately trying to wrest victory, and it was no surprise that they would use whatever means they could to achieve that goal.

It would have been foolish to try to fight 100,000 head-on.

The relation of Orugan and Dougleen was probably secondary to the importance of the nation.

"If you learn from this, you should be a little more restrained from now on――"

"No, I've decided, Zalvaag."

"Ha?"

Orugan suddenly said and stood up.

"I'm going to question them about their true intentions. You should come with me."

".........Ha?"

Zalvaag was dumbfounded and looked up at the face of his master.

"This is such a great battle. It will be a battle that will go down in history, and it will settle the fate of me and Garka. Even if I die, I won't be able to rest in peace if I leave my regrets here. If he's just aiming for victory for the sake of his country, then I'll give up and fight accordingly. However, there is a possibility that this is not the case."

"No, Vice-Chancellor, are you sane?"

"Of course I'm sane. Don't worry, no matter how it is, they won't kill anyone who comes as a messenger."

"...Please calm down a little. Besides, I just got back from scouting..."

Zalvaag spoke with a feeling of reluctance, even as he had half given up.

"The rain will not miss, and it will turn into fruit. The moment you set your mind is the moment to do it."

However, Orugan smiled manly and cheerfully.

The fortified city of Nakria was literally the border between the central and southern parts of the kingdom, surrounded by walls, and was a strategic point.

A city was built outside the castle walls, and then another castle wall was built outside the city.

Compared to the high inner wall, the outer castle wall, including the battlements, was at most 20 shaku long.

There were cracks here and there, and the structure couldn't be called sturdy, but in its place defensive towers had been built at equal intervals, and a small moat had been dug.

Considering the size of the city, its defensive ability was enough――but it couldn't be called strong, and it wasn't the kind of city that could fight a siege battle against a large army of 100,000 people.

On top of such a tower――

"Usa-chan, if you don't go back soon, it's going to get dark and cold."

"Fuu... Is that so?"

Krische, who was taking a nap with Suiko as her pillow, was woken up by the exasperated-looking Mia and Kalua and yawned sleepily, and the Suiko also continued to yawn as if following her master's example.

It was still a while before dusk, but she stretched out languidly as she watched the sun begin to set.

There was not much to do other than a little training.

The general plan had been decided, and until the enemy arrived, there would only be a token of meeting.

It seems that the soldiers were being taught about Gulshan's beasts and how to deal with them by Dougleen's soldiers, but the corps commanders have been left to their own devices in that area.

Krische had nothing in particular to do, and was taking advantage of the opportunity to heal her tired body from the trip.

The same is true for Black Flag Special Force, and apart from training so that their body doesn't dull, they were free.

She had already taught everything that was needed, and there was no need to tell them again here.

In the name of recovering from fatigue, she basically gave them the afternoon off.

"...Haa, I think it would be nice if Krische-sama could give a little more guidance to new recruits if you have some free time..."

"That's the role of Bald Eagle, Mia, and Aleha. Besides, it would be easier if they were to flee now rather than running away in an emergency."

The reason for giving them time off was partly to prepare them for a tough battle, but it was also a way to weed them out.

It's much better to have them run away beforehand than losing their footing due to cowardice when it comes time to fight.

She repeatedly explained that the role was extremely dangerous and gave them time off.

It's only natural that there would be deserters, and there have already been about three deserters among the new recruits in the Black Flag Special Force, but she was not particularly concerned about it.

"Of course that's true, but...if Krische-sama did that, I think the people who ran away would be a little more motivated to work harder."

"Unlike other soldiers, Blacky will be in trouble if it can't move properly. We don't need soldiers who run away when the troops are outnumbered."

'Don't talk back to your superiors', Krische said, pecking Mia's lips with her finger.

Kalua smiled happily and pat Mia on the head.

"That's right. It's much better than getting caught up in something like that and having another soldier die."

"Hmm...for now please don't mess up my hair."

Mia smacked Kalua's hand and combed her fingers through her chestnut hair.

"Well, today we had a big show at General Garhka's place, so I think the number of deserters will decrease around here."

Desertion can be punishable by death without any questions asked, but the severity is up to the superior.

This time, as a warning, all members of the escapee's squad begged for their lives to be spared, and they were all given a light whipping, and were forgiven.

He then declared that from tomorrow onward, he would execute deserters by having people from the same squad beat them until they die.

If it's too strict, it would lower morale.

On the other hand, if they loosen it too much, the number of deserters would increase.

When Krische asked if it would be better to simply kill them, Dougleen explained that it was important to find a balance.

"Showmanship (as a warning) is also a very deep thing huh."

"A-ahaha...well, I hope that's effective but...?"

While they were talking, the top of the castle wall suddenly started to get noisy.

It was quite early for Gulshan to arrive.

Krische tilted her head, stood up, looked south, and saw seven cavalrymen coming.

A blue flag was raised to indicate the messenger, and the other flag was a thunderstorm surrounded by wheat on both sides――the flag of Gulshan.

"...A messenger, perhaps?"

"It seems like it's Gulshan's vice-chancellor and his companion."

"Vice-chancellor?"

"Yes. He's quite a great person."

The messenger of Gulshan――Orugan, wearing a white cloak that didn't suit him at all, approached without any warning, and when he got to the south gate, he raised his voice.

"My name is Orugan! I'm a messenger from Gulshan! I have come to see Alberinea and your general Garka. Open the gate!"

With a small force directly in front of the enemy, truly being bold

The guards were buzzing, and a messenger could be seen running towards Dougleen's mansion.

"Wow... wasn't Orugan the enemy's general?"

"That's how it's supposed to be...how do I say it, he sure is brave."

In accordance with the Holy Spirit Covenant, a blue flag was raised.

However, Alberan was in a situation where it was cornered by the three surrounding countries, and on top of that, the reason they attacked was because they said Alberan violated the Holy Spirit Covenant.

Coming here, something of a Holy Spirit Covenant, there's no guarantee that they wouldn't kill him.

Even if they didn't kill him now, they had the option of killing him on his way back, and there was also the possibility that they would just ignore the situation and push through.

Fearless and reckless.

It was an action that was well suited to such words.

"Krische-sama, what should we do?"

"Hmm... it seems like it's a messenger, so let's go for now. Gururun."

Krische jumped onto the Suiko and went straight from the tower to the castle wall.

Jumping over the frightened guards and reaching the top of the south gate, she then headed straight down.

She jumped down right in front of Orugan, who was about to raise his voice again.

"Ts!?"

The gigantic body of Suiko appeared suddenly in front of him without even raising a dust.

The horses they were riding started to neighed in fear, and the tall man behind Orugan on the right side, Zalvaag, immediately jumped off his horse and was about to pull out his sword.

"Ah, Krische surprised you, sorry."

However, he froze at the sight of Orugan's outstretched hand as if to stop him, and the girl's voice, and his eyebrows furrowed.

Long silver hair――a beautiful face and purple eyes.

A black cloak with a dark pattern of thunder and a hawk drawn on its chest.

Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of the girl sitting on the Suiko, and only Orugan burst out laughing.

"...My, a personal welcome from Alberinea, what an honor."

"Krische heard that you came to see Krische and General Garhka. It's been a while, Vice-Chancellor Orugan and...is Zalvaag-san, okay?"

"Yes....But don't worry about me."

Zalvaag looked into those purple eyes with a frown on his face.

He realized that he was still holding the twin swords at his waist, and took a deep breath as he corrected his posture.

He moves slowly so as not to provoke the alarm of the ferocious beast in front of him.

Even more than the huge magical beast in front of him, his body felt more of a sense of danger from her who was sitting on top of it.

By releasing his stance, the oppressive feeling that entangled his body disappeared, and the somewhat inorganic gaze was also cut off.

Sitting sideways on the Suika, her figure seemed to be full of openings.

But what he felt was an instinctive fear, as if his life was in her hands.

When he saw her in the royal capital, he already felt that she was an outstanding warrior despite her appearance, but when he actually felt her hostility with his own skin, it was a completely different thing.

At the very least, she was not someone to be allowed to stand in front of Orugan on the battlefield.

The men of the escort following behind also had grim faces, as if they were wary of the girl.

"Your face is stiff, Zalvaag, and you guys too. She came here to talk, not to fight anything. If you look like that, Alberinea will probably wonder what's going on."

"...Yes sir. My apologies."

"Please forgive the rudeness of my subordinates, Alberinea. At least today, I am here as a messenger not to exchange swords."

"Hmm...it was Krische who startled you, it's fine."

Mia and Kalua, who had arrived late, landed behind Krische, their hands behind their back.

As her escorts, they straightened their posture.

Orugan ignored this and looked at Suiko, narrowing his eyes.

"However, even though I had boasted that I would show you magical beasts, I was surprised to be shown a beast first. With something like this, I should have brought at least an elephant."

"Come to think of it, Orugan said that. But Krische will feel bad if Orugan brings an elephant all the way here just for Krische..."

Krische tilted her head as if troubled.

She was still Krische who did not understand the true meaning of the phrase 'I will show you magical beasts'.

Even at this point, she was literally thinking that he was trying to show her a rare beast to please her.

'Even though we're about to fight, Orugan sure is quite friendly.'

He is someone who Krische didn't quite understand.

"I've never heard of anyone being able to subdue a Suiko. Did you tame it yourself?"

"Well, after Krische fed her randomly, she became attached to Krische...Ehehe, does Vice-Chacellor Orugan like meow-meow too?"

"I'd be troubled if you asked me whether I like it, but...well, as a warrior, I admired strong beasts. It excites me when I see them being used as mounts."

Orugan laughed and continued.

"...I'm really glad. On this occasion, I brought along a giant beast that I'm sure will entertain you. I was hesitant about whether to bring it or not, but..."

'Orugan-sama', a voice tried to stop their master from speaking, but Orugan waved his hand and admonished him.

"They'll find out eventually. It's a beast of such a size that there's no way we can hide it."

"...?"

"...It's a rare elephant magical beast, Alberinea. It's so huge that it could even straddle this castle wall. It's currently behind me... but I'd like to show it as soon as possible."

"A big elephant magical beast..."

Even a normal elephant is something Krische has only seen in pictures.

To such Krische, he is even willing to show her a particularly rare and large elephant.

"Thank you, Vice-Chancellor Orugan. Um..."

"What is it?"

"Krische, is just wondering why you were here before the battle..."

As expected, he was really friendly.

At this point, why was he trying so hard to please Krische?

Her fingertips traced the cherry-colored lips――those were words that came after much thought.

"Could it be that Vice-Chancellor Orugan is the messenger of Gulshan's surrender?"

Everyone present was speechless, and Krische smiled.

She didn't really understand the circumstances, but she's sure they understood that they couldn't win against Krische.

Despite her contemplation, she didn't think deeply about the reason.

Her thought was simple――self-centered, and more arrogant than anyone else.

"If that's the case then no problem. You don't have to worry about Krische."

She didn't even notice their stunned expressions and just nodded, looking really satisfied.

"Krische is quite busy this time, so if we can avoid a wasteful battle, Krische would welcome it. Krische is, erm... yes, really happy about the wise decisions of Gulshan and Vice-Chancellor Orugan."

It would be appropriate if the 100,000-strong Gulshan urged and asked Alberan, who was less than 50,000, to surrender.

However it was the opposite.

Alberan, who is less than 50,000, speaks to Gulshan, who leads 100,000 to surrender, as if it was only natural.

And she dismisses it as a wasteful battle.

It was a clear provocation.

"Bastard......!!"

"Even in this situation, you still provoke us..."

Enraged by the obvious provocation, Orugan's escorts raised their voices one after another, cursing Krische.

Krische tilted her head curiously.

When she turned and looked at Mia, Mia desperately shook her head.

Kalua's cheeks twitched, as even she was taken aback.

Seeing their reaction――'where did Krische go wrong?'

Krische didn't know that she was fundamentally mistaken. Krische showed a troubled look on her face and clapped her hand in an epiphany.

"Ah, sorry. Surrender isn't the right way to say. In this case, perhaps a messenger of peace?"

"You still intend to provoke us!"

"Don't joke around...! It's you guys who should surrender!"

It was a natural reaction.

Krische tilted her head even more, wondering what she did wrong.

The escorts were furious that they had been mocked.

What echoed there was laughter.

Orugan, who looked taken aback, suddenly started laughing as if he was laughing, and slapped his own thigh over and over again.

Krische looked at him strangely, and the men who were raising their voices also looked at Orugan in confusion.

Orugan continued to laugh for a while, then looked up and looked at Krische, wiping away his tears.

"Kuku, good gracious, I can't remember the last time I laughed this much. You never cease to amuse me, Alberinea."

"Haaa...Krische didn't mean to entertain though."

Orugan said that with a wry smile at the slightly dissatisfied Cliché.

"I would like to talk to Garhka about this before the war. ...I would like to ask for your permission."

"Yes. Well, there's no reason to refuse...Do you want to comply with the Holy Spirit Covenant?"

"...I vow to the rain that will bring forth fruit."

"Then, Krische will believe that and allow you to wear a sword and the escort to enter."

Krische looked behind her, and in a panic, Mia signaled to the guards on the castle wall to open the gate.

And like that, a meeting between the two generals would take place in the fortified city of Nakria before the decisive battle.