Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

round.

My first division cavalry company is able to establish a perfect formation in no time at all.
Unmistakably within the newly formed central army it is the fastest.

「Brilliant.
In one month’s time you are able to train them up this much.」

「No, we still have a long way to go.
I can reduce the time by half.」

Agor is aiming for the elite standards of the Federation army.
It is common sense to know that the skill of the Olga Federation Army cannot be compared to those countries in the Central Plains, and is even superior to that of the Empire.

「The training for group breakthrough is shaping up nicely.
Next it would be nice if we could also train for a real-life scenario where we charge while shielding from arrows.」

A heavily armed cavalry is the biggest threat to infantry.
Of course, it will be the top priority to aim for archers and other long-ranged weapons, whether or not we can charge while blocking arrows will absolutely change the degree of our activities on the battlefield.

「Yes.
We will practice our charge while holding up shields but…」

「Cover the tip of the arrows with cloth and shoot them.
I will let the archers know.
With that much armor on even if you get hit nothing too bad will happen.」

「Then let’s add to the training by using the paints over there to those who get hit in the head and chest.」

「That’s a good idea.」

The central army was allotted a comparatively abundant budget.
The tools used in training can be supplied quite sufficiently.

「I can’t say that it is quite complete, but I’m proud that the squad is rather prepared.」

「I guess so, can they already be used in battle?」

「I don’t know.」

I glare at Agor for giving an anti-climactic answer but he quickly resumes talking.

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「Within the central army we may be excellent, but we will only know if they can be used in battle when we are actually on the battlefield.
No matter how much they practice, a squad without actual experience will not amount to even half a man.」

The Wings of Dawn which has gathered veteran mercenaries have broken through the Imperial Army who were proud of their highest skill level.
What Agor said is reasonable, but this is not something that Erich or I could do anything about.
There is no way that we would send a squad into war just because we trained them up.

「That is out of our scope.
Get ready for the practice with raining arrows we mentioned earlier, I’m expecting you to continue for a while.」

「Yessir!」

For the joint training I need to pass it by Erich…Lord Radhalde.

「And that’s how it is, will you give us the permission?」

「Yeah, to have the cavalry get showered in arrows you have certainly thought enough about it.
It’s a necessary training, I’ll grant the permission.」

「Thank you very much.
And also one more thing…」

「Actual experience huh…As expected I cannot start a war at my own discretion…It has been spreading that the central army is elite amongst those in the capital after all, so we became unable to move out to do useless bandit or monster extermination.」

「For the present, do we have nothing else to do but training?」

「Yeah, the number of soldiers are certainly increasing.
If we continue like this…」

All of a sudden a visitor shouted.

「Hmm, I have also thought about that.」

「If it isn’t Your Majesty!」

Erich was the first to start while everyone followed him in lowering their knees.

「Stand, I have no intention of interfering with your training.」

「Everyone stand! Continue!」

The soldiers resumed their training with even more fervor.

「I would like to see just how brittle an army with actual experience is.
The move has already been played.」

「Is it fine to let them hear this in fear?」

The king confirmed that there was nobody around except for myself and Erich before opening his mouth.

「As I have declared during the coronation ceremony, in order to reinforce the army there are necessary costs which I have requested for the nobles in each territory to pay a temporary tax, but there are many nobles who are hesitant.」

No wonder, with a sudden increase in taxes, the nobles won’t just agree and say ‘yes, is that so’ and accept it.

「Especially Margrave Alnode and the peripheral nobles have written a protest with signatures and sent it to me.」

Margrave is a noble who is given a large amount of territory around the nation’s borders, and has the same status as Marquess.
Due to its nature of placement, and having a particularly large military power, along with the high status and the surrounding nobles it is often that it becomes the core.

「It is there that I will set one month as the time limit and charge three times the temporary tax, if it isn’t paid then I will notify them that the iron mine located in their territory will become state property.」

It is unreasonable.
Not only three times increase in tax, but also the iron mine is beside the gold and silver mines and is an important interest.
If that is taken out it is equivalent to confiscating their territory.

「Your Majesty…then」

An unreasonable demand from the new king, there are surrounding nobles that are their friends, and they have a peculiar military force.
Thus this restricts what they can think about.

「It will be fine if they offer the tax and the mine.
If they have foolish thoughts we will give the central army its actual war experience, I only have to beget a large amount of land.」

The king has always wanted to diminish some of the senior nobles’ power.
He probably thinks that this time is a good opportunity.

「I have probably given you gentlemen a stage to work.
Do not neglect your preparations.」

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The king leaves, Erich and I decided to move up the schedule for training for preparations of actual war.

Southern Goldonia Margrave Alnode Territory Mansion

「What is this!? What a foolish king!」

The man tore the letter with the royal family seal attached to it and slammed the desk.

「Master, doing that to the royal seal」

「Quiet! I don’t remember acknowledging such a youngster as the king.
He is a foolish man who doesn’t understand reason!」

The middle-aged man who was yelling was Margrave Alnode, in the southern part of Goldonia, a senior noble who owns land in the borders of Arkland.

「Is Count Roland here?」

「Such a large voice, what is wrong?」

Count Roland is a noble with territory adjacent to Margrave Alnode and the two families has had very close ties to one another for many generations.
He has already passed the age of 55, but he was once a famous and very capable tactician in the royal palace.

「It’s not what’s wrong! I followed the Count’s advice and sent the written protest with the signatures but his reply is this!」

Margrave Alnode thrusted the torn letter at Count Roland and showed him.
The old count had to catch his breath at the sight of just a little of its contents.

「Ts-!? This is…an excessively outrageous detail isn’t it.
I do not believe that His Majesty is serious about taking from us.
Isn’t it probably a threat to get us to pay the temporary tax increase?」

Alnode regained a little of his cool but he shook his head.

「He’s the guy who murdered Prince Beltorius and Duke Allens you know.
He may plot to make us disappear in the same way.」

It is implied that all the high-class nobles understood the earlier rebellious conflict was a plot to fight for the throne.

「Certainly, I cannot deny the possibility…but if we give an excuse on this matter as soon as we leave for the capital it may be in their calculations to round us all up….」

「Then what! Do you mean to say that we should continue to ignore it?」

「No, I have an even better plan.
We will gather the troops that are held in the palm of the Margrave’s hand.」

Alnode has an expectedly frightened look floating on his face.
Even if he is disliked, the king is the king, for a senior noble high treason is a heavy crime.

「Count…do you understand what you are saying?」

But Count Roland’s expression doesn’t change.

「I am not proposing that we overthrow the royal family.
We will show our resolve to the king and get him to compromise.
The nobles surrounding our territory have all had close relationships with us for many generations, if we can get them to help we can gather quite a number of troops.」

「But, the king will not stay silent.
Would he not send troops to face us?」

「The royal army numbers about 10,000 but security is placed in each region, he cannot afford to send any troops towards us.
If Margrave and the surrounding nobles scrape together the farmers we can get around 5,000 to 6,000 in no time.」

「Certainly…but my troops are primarily stationed around the borders.
If we were to gather them the borders will become wide open.」

「That is also a part of the plan.
If the chaos is prolonged the King should understand that Arkland’s borders would be in a dangerous state.
That is why, if we can create a stalemate in the war, the King’s side would break.
If the King forgives us, it will not become high treason.」

「The capital also has an army called the central army or something that has just been established, numbers are around 5,000.」

「Margrave Alnode, think about this calmly.
Such a gathering of troops cannot be decent in battle.
After all they are just the King’s plaything, we have the advantageous position, there is nothing to fear.」

「But…alright.」

Alnode understood everything in his head, while thinking about the fact that if this fails everything will be lost, he made his decision.

「This time’s issue, even if we break and settle with them, the royal family’s surveillance will get stronger.
The income of our territory, it would be fine if we just report it to the royal family but…」

The distance from the margrave’s territory to the capital is far.
In the places where it was hard for the surveillance to reach, illegal slave trading, and trade without tariffs is partly the reason why the Alnode family is prosperous.

The next day, Margrave Alnode sent a portion of nobles from his family as a representative to the king to protest that he had abused his authoritative power, he declared that until his advice is heard he will not be ruled by the king and he gathered troops within his territory.