“Rei, I’m sorry for summoning you like this. Were you busy?”
“Not at all, Lord Daskar. My tent was already set up, so I only had to worry about dinner. I’ve grown used to that much after being on the road this long.”
Rei found himself inside Daskar’s tent that night. Aside from several escort knights, about ten nobles—presumably members of the Neutral Faction—sat in chairs throughout the space.
“Lord Daskar, is this the youth you were speaking of?”
“No, surely that’s… isn’t he a bit too small?”
The nobles of the Neutral Faction furrowed their brows as they sized him up. Their gazes held more concern than contempt, wondering if he was truly up to the task. Daskar nodded as if to dismiss their worries and turned to the noble who had commented on Rei’s slight stature.
“What, do you doubt my judgment?”
The tone wasn’t accusatory; if anything, Daskar seemed to be enjoying their reaction.
“No, of course we do not doubt your eyes, Lord Daskar. You have ruled the frontier as Margrave Larkus for many years.”
The noble spoke hurriedly, and the man beside him nodded in agreement.
“But that is precisely because you are who you are, Lord Daskar. We are mere countryside nobles from beyond the frontier. While we meet with the adventurers in our own territories often enough, they are almost universally… well, quite muscular.”
“Indeed. I feel the same. Perhaps because our lands are rural, we have few mages. We are accustomed to warriors.”
As the nobles chimed in, Daskar let a mischievous smile touch his lips.
“You’re misunderstanding something. It’s true that Rei is a mage. While I cannot feel it myself, mages capable of sensing magic power say he possesses a staggering amount. But he isn’t just a scholar; he’s a Magic Warrior. He fights in the vanguard while wielding spells simultaneously.”
“What?”
One of the nobles let out a stunned gasp. The others stared at Rei with equal shock. Eventually, one managed a strained explanation.
“Ah… I see. Of course. Come to think of it, he has tamed a Gryphon, hasn't he? That explains it. The Gryphon handles the close combat while he focuses on magic.”
It was a desperate conclusion, but it held enough logic that the other nobles nodded in agreement. However, Daskar chuckled and shook his head.
“While Rei’s tamed monster is indeed a formidable creature, I’m referring to Rei himself. His individual strength is enough to wipe out the entire escort knight order protecting the Noble’s Faction’s Princess General. Knowing that, surely you can grasp the scale of his ability?”
“I see… Duke Kerebel dotes on Lady Elena, the Princess General, but he also uses her fame to its limit. He would certainly assign the most skilled guards to protect his daughter.”
A noble muttered, looking at Rei with renewed interest.
“But that is his strength against individuals, isn't it? Even if we accept his prowess in single combat, can we really entrust your plan to him, Lord Daskar?”
Rei realized he was the center of an argument he didn't fully understand. (What are they planning? If it involves my strength, it’s definitely about the war.) He scowled slightly at being discussed as if he were an object. Daskar noticed and addressed him.
“Rei, these men are my allies. Or perhaps I should call them my comrades.”
Allies. Comrades. Rei understood immediately. Daskar, Margrave Larkus, commanded a massive military force on the frontier. The list of people he would call comrades was short.
“The Neutral Faction.”
“Exactly,” Daskar replied with a satisfied smile.
The surrounding nobles realized they had neglected their introductions. An elderly man in his 50s spoke up for the group.
“We have been quite rude. We are the ones known as the Neutral Faction, gathered under Lord Daskar’s banner. We had heard of your strength from him, but… well, your appearance made us hesitate.”
Rei had faced this countless times. He shook his head dismissively.
“I’m well aware that I don’t look the part. Don’t let it bother you.”
“I see. My apologies. Lord Daskar, let us not keep him standing. Why don't we sit?”
Daskar signaled a knight to bring a chair. The tent, a high-quality magic item, was nearly twenty square meters in size—spacious, though not quite matching Elena’s. Rei sat down and faced the group. Daskar got straight to the point.
“Shortly after arriving at this camp past noon today, I spoke with the Noble’s Faction and the King’s Faction regarding the war. It seems the King’s Faction believes this is nothing more than our usual periodic raid.”
“Ridiculous!” the elderly noble spat. “Even after Lord Daskar sent a captured agent of the Bestia Empire to the Royal Capital! They still claim it’s business as usual!”
“Calm down,” Daskar said. “Now, Rei. The King’s Faction believes the Kingdom of Mireana will win easily by defending the Seremuse Plain. My question is this: if they think victory is guaranteed, what do you think they’re focusing on?”
“Focusing on? Inflicting maximum damage on the Imperial Army?”
Rei recalled how the Acting Lord of Sablusta had been stingy with reinforcements. Money was always a factor. But Daskar and the other nobles shook their heads. Their gazes were almost pitying. They were used to the shadows of power, while Rei’s view was refreshingly straightforward.
“Ahem. Let me clarify,” Daskar said. He had seen enough reports on Rei to know the youth lacked political greed.
“Pardon me, Lord Daskar. Please continue,” one noble said, backing off.
“The King’s Faction considers victory a given. Therefore, their goal is to expand their faction’s influence.”
“By launching a total offensive against the Bestia Imperial Army?” Rei asked.
“No,” Daskar replied firmly.
“Why not? Great deeds on the battlefield would surely increase their influence.”
“It would, but it carries risk. A failed offensive would diminish their power and their troop count. But what if we—the Neutral Faction or the Noble’s Faction—are the ones doing the attacking?”
Rei finally saw it. “They’re going to push the heavy lifting onto you and Lady Elena’s faction.”
“Exactly. Even if we win, our gains will be limited. The King’s Faction, as the largest faction, won't allow us to surpass them. And even in victory, we will lose men. No one wins a war without casualties.”
Rei nodded. (Unless you can wipe them out from a distance before they even get close. But even then, the enemy has long-range options. Someone always dies.)
“The King’s Faction wants us to exhaust ourselves against the Bestia Imperial Army. Then, once we can no longer hold the line, they'll swoop in for the final blow and claim the glory of the victory.”
The nobles in the tent looked grim.
“And that brings us to why I summoned you,” Daskar said.
“You want me in the vanguard.”
“I do.”
Daskar nodded. He didn’t like using Rei as a meat shield, but the frontier-trained soldiers of Gilm were his best assets, and he couldn't afford to waste them. In war, five people with a strength of two were often more valuable than one person with a strength of ten.
“I understand. But if it's just about having a strong front, why not use Elk?”
“I already spoke to him. He accepted without a moment’s hesitation.”
“I see.” Rei realized Elk was trying to pay back his debt by fighting on the front lines. He thought for a moment about his arsenal. He had a spell that would be perfect for this—a spell he could cast with Seto.
“Lord Daskar, your goal is to minimize our casualties during the initial clash, right?”
“To be honest, yes.”
“Are there any restrictions on my methods?”
“As long as it's a recognized tactic of war. Avoid underhanded things like taking hostages; the King’s Faction would use that to preach about noble pride against us later.”
“In that case… what about this?”
Rei began to explain his trump card—a Wide-range Annihilation Magic—and Daskar listened with growing interest.