Chapter 656

I casually brought up the idea of Ludwig having a hidden dragon scale, like Or-han’s reverse scale, but unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort.

The only famous sword Landenburg had was Jin’s Silver Sword, which had no owner.

“Is that, by any chance, one of the Twelve Knights’ swords?”

“Indeed. It’s a relic left behind by Lord Berengar.”

Well, that’s unusable.

Not only can the Life Force Technique not be used with Jin’s Silver Sword, but according to Rotholandus, only those recognized by the sword among the descendants of the Twelve Knights can wield it properly.

Even if I swung it around, it would just be an ordinary silver sword.

And it seems there’s no one among Berengar’s descendants who can wield it. If there were, word would’ve spread by now.

“That thing—”

I was about to say it’s just an expensive decoration, but I suddenly stopped myself.

Come to think of it, eight-tenths of the reason that sword became a decoration is probably Ka`har’s fault.

The Landenburg family were descendants of Berengar, but Ludwig’s sons, who were supposed to inherit the family, both died at the hands of Ka`har. So, in a way, Hersela’s homeland severed Berengar’s direct bloodline.

“Well, finding a suitable owner might be a bit tricky.”

“We’ve been searching among the blood-related families, but no luck so far. If we’re not careful, there could be a succession dispute over Landenburg, so we’re focusing on weaker candidates… When I die, could you find someone and take them in for me?”

Ludwig continued as if he’d been waiting for this. Worrying about a succession dispute shows he’s firm on passing Landenburg Territory to me, even if we find a sword wielder.

“By ‘take them in,’ do you mean adopt them and pass Landenburg to them?”

“Exactly. I can’t force you, but if you grant this request, I’d be content even in death. You don’t plan on having children anyway, do you?”

Well, that’s true. Unless Imperial magic advances enough to make test-tube babies and asexual reproduction possible in the next few hundred years.

…Though Ophelia might be able to do it, but that’s not exactly a normal method, so let’s move on.

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

I gave a vague answer, stubbed out my cigarette, and shrugged. Ludwig seemed satisfied with that and nodded.

—

Anyway, since we can’t get a weapon on par with a dragon’s scale within Landenburg, we’ll have to make do with what we have and find a way to reuse it if we’re going to fight Or-han.

I explained to Ludwig about the spoils of war from the last battle—the reverse scale sword. I told him it was half-broken after just one swing and was now scrap.

“Then we’ll have to repair it or remake it.”

“Easier said than done. Unless it’s a dwarf, no ordinary blacksmith can handle this, right?”

And the only dwarf I know is currently far away in Exra-shapel.

“Then it’s a matter of entrusting it to a dwarf. Leaving it as is will only make it a useless relic. Leave it to me. I’ll send a trusted knight with the best steed to the capital. I’ll cover all the costs too.”

Ludwig replied casually. He said it’s better than leaving it as a decoration, even if it takes a few days to get the repaired sword back. He wasn’t wrong.

“Oh, thanks. Since you’re being so generous, can we melt it down and forge it into something new? The Slaughter Sword is too bulky and inconvenient.”

“Do as you wish. It’s a weapon that might take Or-han’s head, so it shouldn’t be unwieldy.”

Ludwig nodded readily, and I was handed a piece of paper to draft a simple estimate.

A short, narrow blade easy to wield with one hand.

A hilt long enough to grip with both hands if needed.

Prioritize durability above all else, and make at least three copies.

“You’re assuming it’ll break and preparing multiple backups in advance.”

“Exactly. If that thick Slaughter Sword got its edge shattered, restoring it to its original form would only make it usable once or twice at most.”

It’s better to treat it as disposable and increase the quantity. It’ll be a bit cumbersome to carry around, though.

Since it’s an estimate for Asha, I considered asking for a Winter Armor too, but I gave up when I realized how many days it would take to make three swords and a new set of armor.

The armor’s performance can be somewhat replaced by the protection of divine favor. I don’t plan on stripping it all off like last time, though.

—

“Lord Ha-shal-leur, you’re back!”

“Where have you been since morning, my lady?”

After finishing my talk with Ludwig, I returned to my room to find two uninvited guests waiting.

One was a man with a face that looked like a mix between a bandit and a beastman, and the other was a noble lady with an air of both arrogance and liveliness.

It was Ja-han and Leonor, both fully healed.

“I was meeting with Ludwig. We’re in trouble, apparently.”

I plopped down on the bed as I answered. Leonor tilted her head in confusion, but Ja-han seemed to understand and pursed his lips.

I explained to them that Ka`har was expected to attack the Empire’s mainland beyond Dane, and that our only options were scorched earth tactics on a national scale or a battle on the plains.

The former was unlikely, and the latter had little chance of success.

“Ja-han. Like me, you’ve fought as a warrior of the grasslands, attacking the west and fighting alongside westerners. In your opinion, if we fight a plains battle with our remaining forces, can we win?”

After a moment of thought, Ja-han spoke.

“……In a battle of armies, we’ll lose. The Imperial Army’s victories so far weren’t because the westerners were strong, but because they neutralized the grasslands’ strengths before engaging.”

Ka`har’s strength lies in their cavalry—each rider surpassing the Imperial cavalry in horsemanship.

Their free-form charges, retreats, and mounted archery even while falling back are their specialties.

In other words, if you can pin their feet to the ground, they go from an unstoppable force to just a tough one.

The Imperial Army knows this well, which is why they only engage Ka`har after neutralizing their mobility.

In the barrier battles, the barrier itself prevented them from fighting on horseback, and earlier, when small units cleared out Ka`har’s scattered forces, the villages acted as shackles for the warriors.

What good is raining arrows from horseback if the Imperial Army ignores them and slaughters their villages and families?

But the next battle will be on the plains, where their feet can’t be pinned. Ja-han firmly stated that in such a case, the Imperial Army would be crushed without even putting up a proper fight.

“However, if those who’ve crossed the wall intervene, it’s hard to say. A Paladin might be swept away by a cavalry charge, but heroes of legendary status… as you know, Lord Ha-shal-leur, they defy conventional tactics.”

Ludwig and I had reached the same conclusion.

In a battle of armies, we’ll lose. So, to secure victory, we’ll have to take out all their war chiefs before our forces are slaughtered.

“They’re still human, so if they get exhausted, even ordinary warriors can kill them. Frederick almost died that way. Not from skill, but from being overwhelmed by numbers.”

Leonor chimed in.

Frederick… I think he was defending the barrier’s ruins and retreated when he ran out of strength. If he’d fought to the death while exhausted, it would’ve been a huge loss.

“Speaking of which, what are Joshua and Frederick up to? Neither seemed seriously injured.”

“Lord Blake locked himself in the training grounds, blaming himself for letting Or-han escape. As for Frederick….”

Leonor trailed off, glancing at me.

“Frederick, what?”

“He seems a bit… off. Not insane, but… how should I put it? He’s not in his right mind.”

Frederick’s gone mad? The Empire’s hero, who’s supposed to take on a war chief or become a human battering ram?

That’s some bad news.

“How did that happen? Did he suddenly develop war fatigue or something? A man of his rank?”

“War fatigue? Is that a Ka`har way of calling someone a coward?”

Leonor looked utterly confused, as if she’d never heard the term before.

Seems like this world has no concept of PTSD. Well, in my original world, it was often dismissed as an excuse for cowards, so I guess it’s not surprising.

“It’s not that he’s afraid of war, but he’s acting strange. What was it he said…? ‘I saw a demon.’ He’s been insisting there’s a demon hiding underground beneath the barrier and demanding a thorough investigation.”

“Ah…….”

I let out a low groan, unable to find the words. I had a rough idea why Frederick was acting like that.

He took a direct hit from the World of Mortality, didn’t he?

Unable to connect that power to me—or refusing to—he’s decided to believe there’s a demon hiding beneath the barrier.