Induction Ceremony Mock Battle (6): Rays Stein's Move

"Well, first of all, good work. Have a seat and relax."

Inside the command tent that served as the Eastern Army's headquarters, Rays-sama commended me.

"Yes. Thank you for your hard work." No sooner had I sat down than Rays-sama fired off a question.

"Now then, I asked you to come because I have a few things to ask you. First, that Sassar. What exactly was it?"

I had naturally expected Rays-sama to ask about the Sassar.

"That is a weapon called a long-handled spear. Normally, it's an ordinary spear with an extended shaft. We didn't have time to make one this time, so we used an elongated Sassar as a substitute."

At the tip of the Sassar, we packed fallen branches and leaves into cloth to give it weight in place of a spearhead, but when I checked later, most of it had come loose and scattered. That part had been a failure.

"Long-handled spears... What country are they from?"

"They're one method of warfare used in a country farther away than the Southern Continent. Apparently, even civilians there are routinely called up to fight."

"Citizen soldiers..."

"Yes. Apparently, they were developed so that people could attack from as far away as possible to ease their fear, while even soldiers who had never used a weapon before could achieve tremendous results through a simple task."

"I see. It makes sense. In that case, I suppose they would be difficult to use on a regular basis..."

"That's true. I can't say for certain since we were using a substitute this time, but even just swinging it down from above seems to take a fair amount of stamina. Besides, it's cumbersome and bulky to begin with. It may not be suitable for a unit like the Tenth Knight Order, which campaigns from place to place."

"True... But what if we deployed them at forts and the like? Couldn't they be useful for something?"

"It might be interesting, but I can't really say whether they'd be useful..."

"Why don't I talk to Drew about it? Drew might come up with an interesting idea."

Rays-sama was eagerly considering practical uses for the long-handled spear. This must also be how Rays-sama had learned to make effective use of Drew's inventions. I should follow that example.

Rays-sama focused on the idea for a little while, but soon shifted gears.

"I understand the weapon called the long-handled spear. Now, I'd like to ask about your tactics. You seemed to know that a path would open in the center. How did you manage that?"

"Ah, that was—"

I explained Granz-sama's habit. There was no reason to hide it. Hearing me, Granz-sama gave a wry smile and said, "Well, you've got me."

"Perhaps 'habit' isn't quite the right word. In the end, Granz-sama's skillful maneuvering allows Lapiria-sama to move freely, so it's not entirely a bad thing..." I added. Granz-sama thanked me, saying, "...But it was informative. I'll keep it in mind."

Rays-sama thoughtfully murmured, "I see, I see..." while Lapiria-sama gave me an exasperated look and said, "You really know us that well?"

The fact that I knew so much about them was partly because they belonged to the Tenth Knight Order.

The Tenth Knight Order's high-profile exploits were popular even among ordinary citizens. Besides straightforward records, countless books and oral tales about them circulated as stories. By reading and hearing as many as possible, I naturally came to understand the Tenth Knight Order's movements.

When I explained this to Lapiria-sama, she looked even more exasperated.

"I see. Now I understand. I'll be careful about that myself. And there's one last thing I want to ask."

"What is it?"

"Why did you commit all the troops at the main camp?"

"...Why...? I thought either Lapiria-sama or Granz-sama was bound to intervene, so I wanted to give us even the slightest advantage..."

"I understand your reasoning, but even so, you should have left at least a minimal guard force behind. Am I wrong?"

By any ordinary reckoning, Rays-sama was right. But...

"Did you think it wouldn't matter because you were only the stand-in commander at the main camp?"

"Ugh." That hit home. Even if the main camp were attacked, I was the only one who would get hurt. I had decided we didn't need any defenders.

"Roa, I thought the same thing when I heard about the reckless thing you did at Haksha, but your greatest weakness is your extremely low opinion of yourself. If you went out at Haksha because you saw a chance to win and had the courage to take it, I would praise you. But in your case, wasn't there also a considerable element of being prepared to throw your life away?"

"...I did."

"Your life isn't as expendable as you think. Quite a few people are counting on you. From now on, when you lead troops, act with an objective understanding of your own worth."

"...Yes. I understand... Rays-sama, may I ask you a question as well?"

"What is it?"

"How much of my strategy did you anticipate, Rays-sama? Did everything go exactly as you expected?"

Rays-sama looked momentarily puzzled by my question. Then, after giving a faint, wry smile, Rays-sama said, "I'm not a god, Roa," and looked to Lapiria-sama. It was clearly a request for her to answer in Rays-sama's place.

"Roa will definitely use Ryuzel and Frein as his trump cards. Watch those two units. That's all." Taking the hint from Rays-sama, Lapiria-sama said this, and I couldn't help asking, "Huh?" Was that all?

"That's right. So after wearing the two units down a bit, I let them make their move. When I saw them move, I switched to targeting Roa's main camp."

"Why did you assume I'd use those two as my trump cards?"

"If you were given two units whose people you knew well to accompany the Sixth Knight Order, which you'd never commanded before, of course you'd rely on them. You know their abilities well, too." This time, Rays-sama answered me.

"...So does that mean sending those two over to my side was a trap from the very beginning?"

"Yes. In other words, you had already swallowed my poison before the battle began. Of course, the two of them knew nothing about it. After that, no matter what strategy Roa used, we only had to focus on the movements of those two units. I told Granz and Lapiria to do just that."

...I was beaten. Had the outcome already been decided before the battle even began...?

"...But what would you have done if I had relied on those two as a defensive force?"

"Judging by the battle at Haksha, I concluded that you were a commander who preferred to stay on the move. I simply didn't think you were likely to keep such powerful cards in reserve."

"...You've got me. A complete defeat. As expected of you, Rays-sama."

"No, even so, you showed me something quite interesting. I have to say, it was a fine performance."

"Thank you..."

Just as the conversation seemed to be ending on a good note, Lapiria-sama chimed in, "It'll be a hundred years before you're ready to beat Rays-sama!"

I ignored her for the moment, but she actually got up from her chair, came over, and kicked me in the leg. Ouch!

"That's terrible, Lapiria-sama!"

"Shut up!"

Rays-sama and Granz-sama laughed as they watched my exchange with Lapiria-sama. Once Lapiria-sama had returned to her seat, Rays-sama's expression turned serious.

"Now then, this is where we get to the main subject."

"The main subject?" What did he mean by "from here"?

"Roa, I'm thinking of creating a unit for you. What do you say?"

......Huh?