"What did you say!?"
Hearing the report, Schuls involuntarily rounded on the woman before him.
His reaction was a mixture of expectation and shock. Because the report contained elements of both, the words that escaped Schuls's mouth were colored with distinct displeasure.
However, the woman reporting to him—Schuls's childhood friend and Lieutenant Amare—spoke as if her master’s attitude were of no consequence. She knew he was short-tempered. If anything, his current state was almost reassuring; it meant his blood hadn't completely rushed to his head yet.
Facing the lord she served, Amare repeated the details she had delivered only seconds ago.
"The Subjugation Army has been effectively annihilated. The Rebel Army led by His Highness Mercurio sustained no significant damage. While they weren't entirely unscathed, their losses were negligible compared to ours."
"No! That's not what I want to hear! I never expected those incompetents to win this battle. It would have been enough if they had just forced Mercurio or Vihera to reveal their hand. But what do you mean my cavalry unit, whom I dispatched specifically to confirm that, was also wiped out!?"
Consumed by indignation, Schuls slammed his fist onto his desk.
A violent thud echoed through the room, but for Amare, who understood Schuls's temperament and had walked beside him for years, it wasn't particularly startling.
"They weren't entirely wiped out. One man did return, after all."
"Oh, he returned, all right. But he came back with his right arm and right leg severed! You can't use a man like that as a cavalryman anymore!"
Having spat that out, he exhaled a long, heavy breath, venting the irritation festering in his chest.
"...A Potion with that much efficacy would be a bit much. Have the alchemists create a prosthetic arm and prosthetic leg for him. Also, the man survived to return from the middle of such a crushing defeat. Don't forget a proper reward. Tell him he did well to make it back alive. And... ensure the families of the cavalrymen who fell in this battle receive sufficient compensation."
"Understood."
Hearing those final words, Amare nodded with a faint smile. She was pleased to see her master show compassion for his subordinates.
Schuls enjoyed strong support within the military. It was expected of him to reward his soldiers handsomely for wounds or death in the line of duty. This was precisely why the military favored him over the Second Prince, Kabajid.
"Phew..."
Attempting to settle his nerves, Schuls reached for the cup on his desk. Fortunately, it hadn't tipped over or shattered when he struck the table, likely because it was firmly fixed in place.
He channeled magic power into the empty cup, and water materialized inside it the next instant. This was a Magic Item crafted through the alchemy widely promoted in the Bestia Empire. Its only function was to produce cold water, and it consumed a negligible amount of magic power. It was designed to create a fixed amount of water regardless of the user's magic power quality or quantity.
In terms of effect, it was similar to the Dagger of Flowing Water held by Rei. However, that dagger was a weapon meant to manipulate water for combat; it was never intended to be a convenient tool for producing drinking water—especially water whose taste changed based on the user's magic power.
"...Now then. What information did the survivor bring? Wait, let's hear this first. What happened to the nobles?"
"Most were either taken prisoner or killed. The few who survived have either fled back to their own territories or are holed up in their mansions in the Imperial Capital. Only a handful have come forward to report, though it would be more accurate to say they came to spout one excuse after another."
Schuls knit his brows in disgust. "Tch, I figured as much. ...But prisoners, huh? That means they intend to squeeze ransoms out of us. How troublesome."
"Indeed. So, how do you intend to proceed?"
"It's already decided. I have no intention of paying for such incompetents. Notify the families of the captured nobles. Tell them I will wait for a certain period of time before taking action."
"Heh, 'wait for a certain period,' is it? Indeed, it will take time to reorganize our forces. Even if we assemble a new Subjugation Army, we'll need to coordinate with His Highness Kabajid and Her Highness Frizion."
It was all in the phrasing. He would make the enemy perceive the time absolutely necessary to rebuild his military as a window for ransom negotiations. At Amare's remark, Schuls let out a sigh.
"They couldn't even draw out the enemy's hand. I'd rather just abandon them. ...But as long as they belong to my faction, I can't simply cut them loose. Though I'd love to throw them back into a Subjugation Army again."
"Surely after experiencing such a total defeat, they'll realize their own foolishness? If so, I expect they'll be reluctant to participate in any further military campaigns."
"Good grief, they truly are useless. ...Anyway, let's leave the talk of those fools at that. Give me the information the cavalryman gathered."
Amare shared Schuls's disdain for the incompetent nobles and moved on without dispute.
"First, the greatest combat power identified on the opposing side was, as expected, Her Highness Vihera."
"...I expected as much."
Schuls's expression soured. Despite his influence in the military and confidence in his own abilities, he didn't believe he could defeat his younger sister in a head-on fight.
The gap in their abilities had been vast even before Vihera fled the Bestia Empire. He was aware that he had grown since then, but he still didn't believe he could overcome a woman with her overwhelming combat talent. Schuls would never admit it, but when Vihera left the country, he had likely been the most relieved among all the potential successors to the throne.
"Hmph. Well, in terms of individual strength, she is undoubtedly the most formidable member of the Rebel Army. However, an individual cannot defeat a group indefinitely."
Schuls muttered the words as if trying to convince himself. Amare directed a worried gaze toward him, the kind only someone close to him would notice.
Schuls saw the look but said nothing. He knew that if he spoke further, he might say something unbecoming. Instead, he forced the conversation back to the facts.
"What other forces were there?"
"Count Obrisin and Viscount Boogle. Regarding those associated with Her Highness Vihera, those two were the most prominent."
"That stands to reason." Schuls nodded. It made sense that Viscount Boogle, who was devoted to Vihera, would be there. And given the scale of the battle, it was only natural that Count Obrisin would join her as well.
"Just those two? Weren't there others who used to act with Vihera?"
"Yes, those known as the Second Princess Faction. However, they hardly showed themselves in this battle. Then again, the cavalryman retreated after judging it impossible to scout further due to the enemy's momentum, so they might have joined the fray later."
"So he scouted to the absolute limit, and in the end, only one man made it back. ...He pushed himself too hard."
Schuls's face showed a momentary flash of regret before he smoothed his features back into the mask of a prince.
"And what of Mercurio's forces?"
"It appears Theoreme took to the field leading the Third Prince Faction's forces. While the units led by Her Highness Vihera were certainly elite, the unit led by Theoreme was the one that ultimately decided the course of the battle."
"I see. ...Hm? No, wait. Did Vihera lead a unit herself?"
"Yes. Leading her own cavalry, she reportedly crushed the Subjugation Army's cavalry unit almost single-handedly. The details of the engagement are here."
Focusing his attention, Schuls looked through the report containing the information his personal cavalryman had obtained at the cost of his limbs. It detailed the flow of the battle as seen by the soldier. Since the man had reached the camp mortally wounded, the information was fragmented; detailed accounts would have to wait until he regained his senses.
Even so, Schuls's military intuition allowed him to grasp the general sequence of events.
"...I see. So they deployed Vihera and her group first. That alone was enough to dictate the flow of the entire battle. But... incompetents will always be incompetents. This was far too fragile."
Schuls muttered in amazement. He understood that Vihera and Count Obrisin were powerful, but the front line had collapsed far too quickly.
"I was the one who gathered them, but to have them unilaterally defeated without doing a single thing is beyond pathetic. Since they're always shouting about 'Noble's Pride,' I wished they had at least held out a bit longer."
"Please don't ask for the impossible. They were facing a unit led by Her Highness Vihera. Anyone with the strength to face her head-on without collapsing wouldn't have been part of this subjugation team in the first place."
Schuls nodded at Amare's logic. As he continued to scan the report, he realized that the name he had been searching for was nowhere to be found.
"...Did Crimson not appear? The Chancellor mentioned that he was likely cooperating with the Rebel Army."
He spoke the name of the individual he had wanted to investigate most of all. Schuls had watched the Fighting Tournament finals. Seeing Rei fight against Noise had left a profound impact on him. According to the Chancellor's intelligence, there was a high probability that Crimson had joined the rebels.
Schuls wanted to know exactly how much of a threat the boy would be in actual combat. He knew the role Rei had played in the war at the Seremuse Plain in the spring. He understood that dealing with a magician who could conjure a Flame Tornado would be difficult. However, he suspected Rei possessed other powers as well. Above all, he wanted to see the boy's Flame Magic and his Gryphon, neither of which could be shown in the Fighting Tournament due to the rules.
"No, as the report shows, Crimson did not appear. Perhaps he hasn't joined them yet, or perhaps the Chancellor’s assumption was wrong from the beginning."
Schuls immediately shook his head at Amare's suggestion.
"The Chancellor doesn't make assumptions. He might look like a slob, but he is the Chancellor of the Bestia Empire. He doesn't make mistakes of that magnitude."
The image of Peshe Gat—obese and seemingly unsuited for any physical exertion—passed through Schuls's mind. He didn't like looking at the man's flabby body, but he had to admit he was capable. He was the kind of man Schuls wished he had in his own faction of incompetents.
However, Peshe Gat was the Chancellor; he was not allowed to join any prince's faction. By direct order of Emperor Trajist, he was required to interact with everyone fairly. Of course, Mercurio and Vihera were now exceptions.
"Then, what are your thoughts?"
"There's a high possibility he hasn't arrived yet but is scheduled to join later. I've also heard he enjoys hunting thieves."
"...Where did you get that? There was no such information in the reports I received."
"From the Chancellor. As for where he got it... he likely has an information source within the Kingdom of Mireana."
Schuls shrugged his shoulders slightly and continued.
"Alternatively, he has already joined, but they're keeping his strength hidden. Personally, I think this is the most likely case. ...What do you think?"
"I agree. The probability of that is indeed high. Given that he has a Gryphon as a Tamed Monster, his movement speed would be far superior to a horse."
"Exactly. Well, send this information along to my Big Brother and Big Sister. I promised to share information in exchange for being allowed to act freely in this matter... and besides, Kabajid and Frizion would likely find out on their own soon anyway. Better to tell them myself and make them owe me a favor."
Amare nodded at her master's words and immediately left the room to share the intelligence with Kabajid and Frizion.