From the second floor of an inn on the main street not far from the gates of Ipiros, a man looking down at the street with piercing eyes reported to his superior, Iganzaki Jinnai, who sat comfortably in a chair behind him.　

'Another army has passed through the gates of Ipyros. The emblem on the flag is a golden eagle with wings spread on a red ground.

'Hmm, the eagle's crest............then it's definitely Baron Galveira. How many?

　Jinnai leisurely asks the man while holding an elaborately crafted silver kiseru, which is said to have been handed down to this world from a man who was summoned from the same book of the day hundreds of years ago.

''Approximately one hundred horsemen,''

　The man answered Jinai's question without hesitation.
　As a ninja, he has enough experience and skills in assassination and subversive activities, but what the man excels at most is espionage that assumes the battlefield.
　His main job is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks as a surreptitious spy and inform them of the number of troops in the enemy's army.
　I've trained to the point where I can grasp the number of troops in the army at a glance.

"Knight only?

'Yes, all but the knights in armour.



　As he removed the ashes from his kiseru, Jinnai smiled at his big Buddha-like round face.

''Perhaps it's because he's on the lookout for a rebellion.

'I suppose ... that means they weren't dumb enough to draft the commoners in this situation.

　Jinai nodded slowly at his subordinate's words.
(Now there are a total of seven northern ten families that have entered Ipylos so far. More than two thousand cavalry.)
　With the exception of Ipylos and the surrounding lords, the Salzberg family, there are two remaining families left in the calculation.
　Basically, the nobles have more or less private military power.
　Even though they were technically ruled under absolute royal authority, as long as the aristocracy was granted autonomy, military power was more or less essential for the nobility.
　Outside of the moats and walls that surrounded the towns and villages, it was not an area controlled by people. It's a world of the weak and the strong, where the threat of monsters attack people from time to time, and criminals driven out of towns and villages look at weak people with an eye on them with an eye on the tiger.
　No, to be honest, even towns and villages are not completely safe.
　I'm not sure how often the dragon species or comparable monsters attack a village or town, but it's not that uncommon.
　But even if not perfect, rich and safe towns and villages have a huge impact on the economy.
　Because they are safe, they attract people; because they attract people, they attract goods. And safety brings people together and promotes economic activity.
　Unless you are in a very special situation, everyone would rather live in a city that is so safe that you don't need to lock your house than an unsafe city where you have to live fearing that your money will be taken away from you at any moment, and you would rather live under a lord who puts a lot of effort into maintaining security.
　The powerful and wealthy merchants have a particularly strong desire to do so. It is naturally difficult to do business in an unsafe city. Naturally, they would move to safer cities to do business.
　Unlike peasants who are tied to the land, merchants can move around relatively easily. It's a natural decision to appear to be a safer city.
　In order to deal with such real threats and to revitalize commerce in the territory, it's fair to say that strengthening military power, including the hiring of knights, is a natural responsibility for the lord to perform.
　However, it's also difficult to hire knights just because military strength is necessary.
　From the king's point of view, the possession of a powerful military force by a nobleman is tantamount to accepting the existence of a potential opponent for his throne one day.
　Naturally, a nobleman who builds up his military power will be stared at by the royal family. In some cases, there could be a situation where the family and its members would be uprooted under the stigma of being traitors.
　Although military power was necessary for survival, if it was overbuilt, the royal family would crush it.
　These were conflicting conditions necessary for survival.
　For that reason, it was common sense in this land world that the nobles would keep their standing army of knight servants to the minimum necessary, and make up for the shortfall with mercenaries and conscripts from the territorial population.
　If we take the example of a baronial family that occupied an average territory in the Roselia Kingdom, the number of knights was generally around fifty to a hundred, and the number of troops that could be conscripted was around five hundred.
　In a baronial family, the number of knights is from one hundred and fifty to two hundred, and the number of troops that can be conscripted is about one thousand. For the Count family, it would be around three hundred knights and two thousand to three thousand lordly soldiers.
　Of course, these are just average figures. Naturally, the number of these troops goes up and down depending on the state of the governing territory, and the number of mobilized troops changes depending on whether it's for invasion or defense.
(The fact that he's leading only knights into battle can be considered a sign that each house feels uneasy about the security of the territory they rule.
　Considering the status barrier that lies between the commoners and the nobility, the reasons for the nobility to take care of the commoners are extremely limited.
　If it wasn't for the fact that they were wary of rebellion, most nobles would not hesitate to conscript the commoners.
　In that case, the ten northern families, led by the Salzberg family with its rich economic power, would have more than ten thousand mobilized troops from the territorial militia alone.
　Although this is quite a far cry from the usual number of mobilized troops, it is a fairly confident estimate for Jinai, who has been conducting espionage activities against their territory.
　That's to the extent that I can bet my own head on it.
　Originally, the northern part of Roselia has a strong tendency to be a backwater region far from the royal capital, and on top of its location where the king's authority is difficult to reach, there is a historical history of the northern aristocracy leading the defense of the country against the Kingdom of Zaruda and against the Kingdom of Mist.
　In addition, the Countess of Salzberg's Iphiroth, with the help of the Merchant's Guild, is the largest commercial city in northern Roselia.
　Naturally, this benefits the respective houses that govern the surrounding fiefdoms.
　From both a military and economic standpoint, it's safe to say that the nobles of the north are the preeminent presence in Roseria.　
　It's also a major reason why they can use their mobilized forces to the very edge without considering the side-effects of surrounding nobles.
　Unless there's something else, there are no Roserian nobles who would be willing to trade blows with the powerful northern army.
　With the exception of the Garbeira Barons in the east and the Bertrand Barons in the west, who directly border other countries, it's safe to say that the possibility of their territory being attacked by others is quite low.

''Heads!　Perhaps he is Signis Garbeira.

　A knight advancing through the midst of the squad stopped in the eyes of the man who had been watching the street from the window. At those words, Jinai's eyes momentarily show the sharpness of a snake with its eyes on its prey.　　

Then Bertrand from the west will surely come too.''

　Ten noble families ruled the north. The Garbeira and Bertrand families, in particular, could be likened to a chess game, and the Countesses of Salzberg were the horns of the flying chariots.
　They are both barons and baronets, and their estates are ordinary families with nothing remarkable about them, but there is one thing that sets them apart from the other families.



　Jinai smiled fearlessly.


　That night, a grand dinner party was being held at the Countess of Salzberg's house.
Precious spices and ingredients were used sparingly, and the corks of wine, which is considered to be a luxury product made in a chateau that even the aristocracy can't easily eat, were being generously opened.
　It is as extravagant as it is unashamedly extravagant as an ally of the North and a call to arms for this war.
　My only regret is the extreme lack of women in the room.
　Although the maids who serve are all granular and beautiful women, they are all rumored to be in the hands of the Count of Salzberg, and no nobleman would dare to touch them.
(Well, even if there was a nobleman's daughter, I wouldn't call on her.
　Robert Bertrand curses his situation and puts the chicken on a plate in his hand to his mouth.
　It is normal for a legitimate son and heir to a family to try to communicate with the nobles around him at a dinner party like this.
　However, Robert, who is not a trueborn son, cannot interact with other families in such a party.
　Roberto himself has no ambition, but the people around him do not see it that way.
　Even so, Roberto has a high military reputation as a warrior. This is painful to the literate son who had no talent for warfare, or to the legitimate wife who gave birth to him.
　How could I allow a child born to a concubine to carry on the family name? In a sense, it can be said that such feelings are inevitable, but for Robert, who will be the victim of such feelings, it is unbearable.
And moreover, it is only in times of warfare like this one that they conveniently ask you to do your duty as a member of their family.

"You still spend a lot of money, don't you?

　I open the glass in my hand in a breath and order the maid nearby to bring me more.
　It's inevitable that drinking and eating will be the main thing.
　Someone tapped Roberto's shoulder from behind.

''You're still the same.''

Count Salzberg it's been a long time.

Well, it looks like you're having a good time which is good.

　Turning his gaze to the flickeringly empty plate of food, Count Salzberg nods deeply.
　It's a look that seems to accuse him of not having the dignity of a nobleman.

Yes, it's the kind of thing we rarely eat at home.

'You seem to be in good shape... well, as long as you work in the war, I won't say anything about how much you eat or what you eat. Tap and be diligent.

　The words were filled with some dismay and contempt.
　Still, the fact that Count Salzberg called out to me himself is proof that Roberto's ability cannot be ignored.
　In fact, the two people that the Count considers to be the most important pawns in this battle are Signis and Roberto.

''But is it really necessary to mobilize all ten northern families?　Of course, I've heard rumors about Baron Mikoshiba, and it seems to be true that there is some kind of movement on the peninsula.

The Count himself had spoken to him and this was a good opportunity for him to speak, so he said the question in his mind.
It's not just the barons that you're dealing with. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.
In comparison, each of the ten northern families boast more than a common baronial rank. It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with your friends.　

''Well to be honest I think I'm overreacting but it's also true that it's difficult to predict that man's actions. I can understand why my wife would want to play it safe... well, we'll have an answer in the next few days, one way or another.

　The Count Salzberg then turns his attention to the window.
　It is as if he could see through the northern land hidden by the nightfall curtain.
　And a few days later. A few days later, to the north of Iphiroth, an army clad in pitch-blackness finally revealed itself.