A handsomely built sailing ship traveled down the canal toward the southeastern reaches of Astreios.

A bright, pleasant day.

I sat on a rocking chair on the deck, talking with Joy.

“Where’s Nereus?”

“He went below deck with Prochus and Epichus, those bastard brothers—no. I mean, with the cadet branch knights, sir.”

“He’s not beating them senseless, is he? If he gets provoked too much and goes berserk, putting him down is a pain.”

“Looked like they were talking strategy. Reinforcements, deployment positions for those brothers, that sort of thing. And knowing Lord Nereus, if he were going to beat them like dogs, he’d do it right here on the deck.”

“Fair enough.”

Prochus and Epichus had already been placed under Nereus’s command.

And because I was the one who did the restructuring, I now held—loosely—a position where I could offer Nereus “strong recommendations.”

“They must’ve taken losses too, right? Nereus is not the type to hesitate when it comes to feeding people into the grinder.”

“I spoke to one of their adjutants, and I heard they were almost cut in half fighting mutated beasts. Barely any soldier came back intact.”

“Just like us.”

Because of that, it didn’t seem likely that Nereus would interfere with my “mission” at every turn.

My exact mission was as follows:

[Kyrie of Aer Astreios. My beloved son. Go to the southern border and take command of the Star Seats to hunt the mutated beasts and halt the maneuvering of House Rykenta. You must secure evidence that could escalate this matter into a full-scale conflict between Houses. I entrust all diplomatic judgment to you—your name shall stand in place of mine.]

Commanding the southern border Star Seats was originally Prochus and Epichus’s duty.

Naturally, I had to outperform them.

Overseeing border defense against mutated beasts was originally the role of a Blue Knight.

The difference was the priority: focus on mutated beasts rather than ordinary monsters or small raiding bands.

Securing evidence of collusion between House Rykenta and the mutated beasts meant we needed a living blood relative of House Rykenta.

Previously, when we caught that brat—Erikant or whatever—I'd eliminated all prisoners so Prochus and Epichus wouldn’t steal the credit, but this time, that wasn’t an option.

I had to honor the Thunder-Lord’s directive to form a warband, and the House Lord’s directive to take prisoners.

Two superiors holding my leash. Exhausting.

“Then those guys will go to Spiramantown for replenishment too, right?”

“Yeah. Looks like it, sir.”

“We’ll need reinforcement there as well.”

“I already sent letters requesting fifty replacements before we even arrived. They’ll be ready when we get there, sir. If not, I’ll throw them all into the canal, so be at ease.”

“A hundred won’t be enough.”

“How many are you planning to reinforce with?”

Joy asked.

“At least twelve knights.”

Her eyes widened.

“You’re planning to summon twelve knights? That’s… more than a thousand troops! Well—yes, I know some freelance knights move with just a handful, and not all mercenary battalions are a full hundred, but generally a knight commands about a hundred soldiers.”

A reasonable reaction.

Not all knights, retainers, or sworn officers served directly under the Astreios military structure.

In fact, most formed their own mercenary companies, traveling to various territories under protective contracts to fight monsters.

Even the greenskin nest extermination from the entrance exam where Nereus and I competed—several mercenary bands were wiped out before Blue Knights were deployed in a hurry.

And a knight either traveled with an elite handful—or commanded a mercenary force numbering well above a hundred.

“How will you pay them? And how will you structure the command? No—I’m not questioning your decisions, sir, but this is abrupt!”

Joy was still visibly bewildered.

“Money isn’t a problem. I’m not just a Blue Knight anymore—I’m the House Lord’s adopted son. Once we reach Spiramantown, Planetary Seat Ismael and the Blue Knights under him will supply what I ask for.”

I answered plainly.

“And our current numbers are far too low. The mutated beasts were swarming in colonies, and the Rykenta bastards had occupied frontier fortresses and villages. Months have passed since. Who knows how much they’ve grown.”

Of course, I couldn’t say: The Thunder-Lord is breathing down my neck demanding I recruit twelve knights.

This was a good chance to practice a reasonable explanation for Joy.

“And how do you intend to arrange the formation?”

“That, I’m leaving to you.”

“Sir?! I must have misheard.”

It was the least courtesy I could show the commander expected to handle over a thousand troops in my stead.

“I’ll be counting on you, Sub-Hundred-Leader Joy.”

I rose from the rocking chair.

“Sir, sir, sir—just a moment! Commanding a thousand is not just ten times harder than commanding a hundred, it’s—this is—actually—excuse me—this is f— no—excuse me—this is not something you can just ‘leave to me,’ sir!”

Joy was horrified.

Her voice even cracked into a feminine squeak.

“Do your best.”

“SIR— cough SIR! SIR!”

I left her behind and walked away.

The air in Spiramantown felt different than when I had left.

Ragged-faced outsiders filled every alley.

No one walked with leisure. The blacksmiths’ district belched smoke without pause. Armed soldiers hurried everywhere.

“Unsettling.”

“No kidding.”

Nereus and I knew this atmosphere well.

“The mutated beasts must be far more numerous than expected.”

“Which means recruitment should go smoothly. But first, we need to assess the situation. Planetary Seat Ismael is the authority here, yes?”

“Yes.”

We went to present our return to Lord Ismael.

“Sir Kyrie. No—should I be calling you young lord now? Welcome back.”

He still liked me.

“You’ll receive supply and funds from Governor Gracchus. I’ll notify him—visit around midday tomorrow.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

But not everyone liked me.

“……Do you not understand the situation?!”

That was Governor Gracchus, whom Ismael directed us to.

Spiramantown sat at the southern end of the Grand Canal and handled most of Astreios’s logistics.

Naturally, it couldn’t be entrusted to some mediocre cadet branch noble or knight-born vassal.

The House appointed a governor to administer such a vital city.

The governor ruled as the House Lord’s proxy, but the position was not hereditary and could be replaced whenever necessary.

Depending on the importance of the city, the governor’s power varied—but for Spiramantown, the governor was on par with many Planetary Seats.

And that governor, Gracchus, opened his mouth and roared at me.

Money, muscle, voice—everything about him was massive.

“You’re asking for money? Money?! Helix Barony has fallen, and Custodia March is under attack. Do you know why?!”

“I do not, my lord. I humbly request your guidance.”

“You lost an eye and lost half your judgment with it! This is because of you! YOU!”

He jabbed a thick finger at me.

“Then, my lord, I would ask that you explain the specific failures for which I am responsible.”

“If you hadn’t vanished—ignoring the proper chain of command to run back to the capital—this wouldn’t have happened! Why did you not report to Sir Prochus and Sir Epichus before leaving? If you feel any shame at all, you won’t be able to answer!”

I could answer.

Senior adopted son Trisan had used the two of them to steal my achievements and have me killed.

If I couldn’t become an adopted son, I was to die.

If you have complaints—take them to Trisan. Or to the Thunder-Lord.

But if I answered honestly, this man would probably unleash Brain-Bolt or worse on me.

“I apologize for causing distress to your governance, my lord.”

“You think this ends with apologies?!”

“But the Helix Barony has already fallen. I returned under the direct mandate of the House Lord and Sub-Lord to cooperate with you in retaking it, eradicating mutated beasts, and striking back against House Rykenta believed to be behind it.”

I spoke carefully, with every polite veneer intact.

What it meant was:

You know who stands behind me. And you know who is responsible for this frontier. Do you intend to take the blame for losing a vassal territory? If you refuse to cooperate, I could always suggest you are colluding with Rykenta.

Gracchus’s hand trembled.

“……!”

His fat-buried eyes widened, then narrowed.

“If you provide only minimal support, I will begin recruitment immediately. I saw many wandering knights gathering on our way in. I will go to the front. My lord, I ask that you safeguard this city.”

Meaning: Give me the damn money.

He should have yielded.

“I have none!”

But Governor Gracchus was, indeed, Blue-Knight caliber.

“…Excuse me?”

“Why do you think all those knights are here? Because I already spent the treasury summoning every mercenary in the region!”

I was stunned.

He declared bankruptcy to my face.

“I’m doubling tariffs on the merchants right now, so just wait. Stall them with promises, get recruitment finished. You’re an adopted son—surely you can manage that much.”

“My lord—”

“Give me a month. I’ll pay double. I’ll even write a loan bond. But if you fail to depart in one month, take whatever troops you have and get out of my city. If you can’t meet a deadline, adopted son or not, you get nothing!”

He shoved a loan bond into my hands and threw me out.

Unbelievable.

“He has no intention of helping.”

The luxury inn we lodged in.

Nereus spoke the moment I finished explaining.

“He’s screaming it with every fiber of his being. This recruitment is impossible. You can conscript merchants, but not knights and sworn retainers. Even as Blue Knights, we can’t just drag them away.”

“Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t say this—but you’re right.”

I slipped the loan bond into oiled parchment and nodded.

Knights, retainers, sworn officers—were not merchants.

Conscription authority had limits.

And my status as adopted son meant nothing unless I had land or gold to offer.

Feudalism was contract and promise.

To request something of those with titles—I must give something in return.

“So what do we do, sir? From the sound of it, we’re all screwed.”

Joy asked.

“We put up the recruitment notice and stall for time.”

I said calmly.

“…What?”

Even Nereus looked puzzled.

So he wasn’t skilled at political warfare either.

“Custodia March is under attack. If the margrave calls for reinforcements, the governor must send them—or the House will remove him. And when that happens, who will lead the relief force? These city garrison troops? Exhausted Blue Knights? No. Us.”

I smiled as I wrote the notice.

“If the governor is removed, all the better. His successor will need to prove he isn’t like him—and will support us at once.”

[Recruitment Notice

Extreme danger. Mutated beasts. Low pay. Jungle march. Enemy unclear. Survival unlikely.

Success grants honor and glory.

—Kyrie of Aer Astreios.]

No one would come.

Anyone who came after reading this would not be sane.

Even now, our lands were being trampled, our people dying. Horrifying.

But the thought of my soul burning forever was far more horrifying.

Chapter 51

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