Chapter 105
Even though we were in the middle of a battle, I had promised Hardy that I would go to Father once the situation had settled down.
If I hadn't convinced him then, things might have become troublesome.
However, I had never intended to do that in the first place.
To begin with, it was difficult to say that the fighting here was completely over.
First, treatment of the wounded was not yet finished. Thanks to the healers' tireless efforts, the death toll had been held to forty-one, but treatment for the seriously wounded was still insufficient, and even the lightly wounded risked getting worse if their injuries were left untreated.
Considering the burial of the fallen as well, we would be unable to move for several days.
Besides, the battle against the antfolk was not completely over, either.
We had exterminated most of the antfolk, but a small number still remained in the nest. More importantly, unless we killed the queen that laid the eggs, their numbers would soon swell again and they would return.
Clearing out the nest would take time as well.
I felt bad for Hardy, who had come to bring me back, but I intended to use one excuse after another to stall for time.
He would surely be angry that I had gone back on my promise, but I planned to keep dodging the issue. That was what I had intended to do.
But...
"I understand. Then we will help with the preparations for the burials and the extermination of the antfolk. We will also lend you our healers until the treatment is complete."
When we discussed our plans in the tent we had set up as headquarters, Hardy readily agreed, rather than getting angry that I had broken my promise.
That was surprising enough, but it wasn't the only odd thing about his behavior.
"Thank you. I am deeply grateful."
I bowed my head. This concerned the lives of our soldiers.
"Oh, no. It was only natural."
When I bowed, Hardy stiffened slightly. Then, for some reason, he became less talkative.
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence settled over us like a cloud.
I didn't know why, but whenever he ran out of things to say, this man suddenly became guarded. It made me feel uncomfortable for some reason.
As though I had just remembered something, I brought up another topic.
"Ah, that's right. I wanted to discuss our provisions. I would like to provide food as thanks for your cooperation, but to be honest, we didn't bring enough for that."
Hardy had left his wagons behind to prioritize speed, and each man had brought only a day's worth of food for their forced march. I had no intention of letting them go hungry, but we certainly had no spare provisions for a hundred men.
"Oh, in that case, there's no problem. Our baggage train will arrive by this evening at the latest. However, if we are going to clear out the nest, we will be short on food for today's lunch. I'm sorry to ask, but it would help if you could provide us with one meal. We will repay you as soon as the baggage train arrives."
Unlike during the earlier silence, he spoke smoothly and at length. It wasn't that he was inarticulate. I had seen him talking at length with Velli-sensei and Al yesterday, so it wasn't that he lacked sociability, either.
He was trying to avoid any personal interaction with me in particular.
"Th-then, excuse me."
As soon as our discussion was over, he left.
It wasn't quite enough to call it rude, but he certainly seemed to dislike me.
"He sure doesn't like you."
Velli-sensei, who had reached the same conclusion, muttered while nursing his hangover.
"Did you do something?"
"No, I can't think of anything in particular."
We had only met a handful of times, after all.
"Well, you're a woman. That might be why."
"That may be so."
Some people didn't like women being on the battlefield. Since this was probably a problem that would follow me for the rest of my life, I decided not to dwell on it.
"Setting aside his personal views, what do you think of him as a person?"
He and Hardy seemed to have gotten along quite well last night. But I hadn't gotten Velli-sensei drunk enough to suffer a hangover merely for the sake of amusement.
"Ah, he's quite capable. First of all, House Dostra is a baronial house in the northern part of the count's territory."
"Oh? Then it's an old and distinguished family."
The north was home to many old noble families. Some were probably older than House Graham and could trace their origins all the way back to the founding of the Kingdom.
"No, it's a newly risen house. There was a time when your grandfather tried to forcibly reorganize the frontier, wasn't there?"
"I seem to recall hearing about that."
It had happened before I was born, so I didn't know the details, but apparently Grandfather had created families under his influence in an attempt to consolidate the frontier and strengthen his power there.
"But it failed, didn't it?"
The lords of the frontier were fiercely independent. Similar attempts had been made throughout the Kingdom to strengthen its influence, but none of them had gone well. The house Grandfather had created had eventually been ignored by the frontier lords, its domain had become impossible to manage, and it should have disappeared by then.
"Hardy's father seems to have handled things well, so the family has some influence even in the north. Hardy himself is capable, too. He serves Graham-sama as a knight and has risen through the ranks. It seems he personally trained and forged the knightly order under his command."
As a newly risen noble house, they probably lacked both wealth and a powerful noble patron. If Father had entrusted a knightly order to Hardy, he was likely a trusted, handpicked subordinate.
"His knights were certainly highly trained."
"Yes. Their individual skills might not surpass ours, but as a knightly order, they're better than we are. It seems his men think highly of him, too."
Hardy's own command had been excellent as well. If he had personally trained and forged his men, he had to be a remarkable man.
If Father had sent someone like that, he must be furious indeed.
"Captain Rome. Good morning."
"Good morning, Romelia-sama."
As I considered what to do next, Al arrived in disheveled clothes, his bedhead still in place. Ray stood beside him without a single wrinkle in his clothes or even a trace of stubble on his face. I almost wished the other men would take notes from him.
"Sounds like you had quite a night yesterday."
"Yes, very much so."
I had intended that as a sarcastic remark aimed at Al's sloppy appearance, but the man was dense as a rock. I found that enviable in its own way.
When I looked at Ray, he stood before me as perfectly composed as always.
Come to think of it, I had forgotten to thank the two of them.
"You fought well yesterday. Ray, I could even see you flying around and fighting from where I stood."
Strictly speaking, it would be more accurate to say that he was hopping rather than flying, but his movements seemed to defy gravity, making him look like a fairy.
"Yes, thank you!"
Ray puffed out his chest.
He looked so happy from the slightest bit of praise that he was genuinely rewarding to compliment.
Just as I was thinking that I had done a good deed, Velli-sensei and Al looked at me reproachfully. Why?
"By the way, what do the two of you think of Hardy?"
Since they had seemed to get along well yesterday, I decided to ask for their opinions as well.
"Hardy? He's a pretty good man. Easy to talk to."
Al already seemed to have become friends with him.
Hardy appeared to be a commander who led from the front. He probably liked Al's skill regardless of his status.
"At the very least, he doesn't seem like the type to launch a sneak attack or act dishonorably."
"I agree. He's polite and values discipline. He was also lecturing his men about discipline, so I doubt they will do anything reckless unless ordered to."
Their opinions seemed to match. He looked sincere at first glance, but perhaps he really was an honest man.
"That's right. Just as we were investigating them, they were looking into Captain Rome as well."
"Of course they were."
We should assume that whatever we are doing, the other side is doing the same.
"So what will you do now?"
At Ray's question, I thought for a moment. It seemed unlikely that Hardy would drag me back by force. In that case, we should buy time.
"If he continues to accommodate us, let's keep stalling. Al and Ray, work with Hardy to exterminate the nest. Don't rush. Make sure you wipe them out thoroughly."
Leaving behind even a single antfolk queen or egg would be dangerous. I would have them take their time and clear the nest properly.
"Sensei, please investigate Hardy's background a little further."
"I know. I sent a messenger by fast horse yesterday. I wrote to some noble acquaintances and asked them to look into him, but we won't receive a reply before Milet at the earliest."
Once we finished clearing the nest, we planned to return to Milet. We would know more about Hardy by then.
"Will buying time really accomplish anything?"
Al tilted his head.
"The damage caused by the Demon King's army should start becoming apparent soon."
Apparently, the Kingdom's army led by Prince Henri had defeated the Demon King's army.
For a while, terrible reports had circulated that the prince had been killed, but it seemed they had been false.
"I hear the Kingdom's army won the battle, but the fighting dragged on and left the army exhausted. They were unable to pursue the fleeing Demon King's army, so many enemy soldiers escaped. Some will return to their bases in the rear, but others will try to make a name for themselves here and establish kingdoms of their own."
The Demon King's army was meritocratic, and the more capable among them rose to higher positions. They had come to this continent seeking advancement and glory, intending to carve out territories of their own.
They were all ambitious and fiercely independent.
Even if they could not return to their homeland, they had the spirit to make a name for themselves here.
"Besides, this country has a prince who defeated the Demon King. There will surely be those who try to avenge the Demon King."
Some would see killing the prince as a chance to become the next Demon King and seek an opportunity to rise.
"Remnants of the Demon King's army will run rampant throughout the Kingdom. No, there must already be places suffering from their attacks. Once we return to Milet, Quins-sensei is preparing to gather the surrounding nobles and lords for a meeting."
Officially, it would be a victory celebration for defeating the antfolk, but some people would realize its true significance.
"I will form an alliance with them and begin our activities in earnest."
I would use the arrival of the Demon King's army as an excuse to blur the promise I had made to Hardy. As a knight, he would surely be unable to sit idle in the face of an enemy invasion.
"The preparation period is over. Make sure the soldiers understand that a full-scale war is about to begin."
Al, Ray, and Velli-sensei all nodded.
I clenched my fist.
We had been preparing for this all along. At last, everything we had done would be put to the test.