Chapter 65: I Guess I’ll Have to Change the Game Myself (1)

Count Digald suddenly declared war on Perdium.

As soon as the manifesto flew in through the envoy, the retainers of Perdium gathered in one place.

Zvalter read the proclamation over and over again with a grave expression.

The declaration elaborately listed how justified this war was and what justification there was for Digald, adorned with fancy rhetoric.

To summarize, it was basically this:

[My son, Gilmore Digald, has been killed by Ghislaine Perdium, so I will take revenge.]

The retainers could hardly contain their disbelief.

What kind of nonsensical justification was this?

“Have they lost their minds? The Grand Duke killed Gilmore?!”

“They’re clearly set on war! They must have heard something about the Runestone!”

“To conspire for war with such a flimsy excuse! They need to get a wake-up call!”

The retainers trembled with rage, busily denouncing Count Digald.

No one believed that even the Grand Duke could be such a troublemaker as to kill Digald’s son.

They already knew that two of their retainers had switched sides and raised a fake justification.

At first, they couldn’t understand why they had done so, but soon they recalled the Runestone and all came to the same conclusion.

It was a war that arose purely out of greed.

In the chaotic meeting hall, Baron Homern looked at Ghislaine with a troubled expression.

‘Even though I did something good for the territory, the result is war.’

Homern had thought that other lords would eventually provoke them, but he never imagined things would escalate so quickly, disregarding political relations.

Especially not by Count Digald, who hadn’t even been on his radar.

“Tch, now we’re going to waste troops for no reason. We’re already in a shortage of soldiers.”

Homern suppressed his annoyance.

The other retainers were also furious about the ridiculous declaration but weren’t particularly scared.

Digald was just as poor and insignificant as Perdium.

If you ranked the poor territories in the North, Perdium and Digald would be vying for the first and second spots.

However, Perdium was ruled by a marquis and received support from several territories.

The situation of Perdium was similar to Digald’s, but they had overwhelmingly more troops and battle experience amassed by their soldiers.

Knight Commander Randolf shouted vigorously.

“Damn it, is there any need to think deeply about fighting? Let’s just go out and crush them!”

There was no good coming from a war, but now that they had received the declaration, they couldn’t avoid it.

The justification of avenging a blood relative was more compelling than anything else.

Zvalter leaned back in his chair and sighed.

‘War, what the hell is going on? And to think a traitor would come out of it.’

What hurt more than the prospect of war was the pain of betrayal from a long-time retainer due to their own greed.

“Tch, things are going to get tougher from here on out.”

In a territory where every day was a struggle, war was nothing short of a disaster.

Even if they won, the costs of fighting would be enormous, and it would be difficult to replenish their dwindling forces with casualties.

Especially in a territory like Perdium, where everything was scarce.

‘I guess I’ll have to reluctantly gather the Runestone.’
“I guess I’ll have to withdraw.”

Since it was something his son had discovered, he didn’t want to disturb it as much as possible.

But there was no way to cover the loss except for Ghislaine’s Runestone.

Zvalter declared with authority.

“Change to battle readiness and prepare for deployment. We will obliterate the enemy at the territory borders.”

All the retainers bowed their heads under Zvalter’s haunting gaze, hardened by arduous battles in the North.

He had left some troops to monitor the Northern region, but with the soldiers remaining in the territory, they were enough to face Digald.

Looking at Ghislaine, Zvalter continued.

“I hear you’ve hired quite a few mercenaries. They should be a great help. You should join us as the Grand Duke.”

In wartime, the lord’s commands are absolute. Ghislaine lowered her head and accepted the Count’s will, but she didn’t forget an important point.

“First, I think it would be wise to confirm the enemy’s troop strength.”

“I was thinking the same. We need to check what kind of confidence they had to provoke a war.”

Since they were so close, they knew each other’s circumstances very well.

Zvalter was also curious about what they were thinking to initiate a war when they all knew the strength of each other.

The retainers of Perdium were brimming with confidence, but they fell silent upon hearing the news brought by a soldier three days later.

“Armed forces of about 6,000! The troop strength of the supply unit that set out as a rear guard is about 1,000! We’ve confirmed numerous wagons transporting siege equipment!”

“……”

It wasn’t a number that could be prepared by a single territory. Especially not one as poor as Digald.

Randolf asked, looking incredulous.

“Are you sure you saw it correctly? Are you just exaggerating what you saw? Are you certain?”

The soldier didn’t say anything.

But even without an answer, everyone present knew that the report was true.

That was because multiple scouts had reported the same thing.

They just didn’t want to believe it, so they were nitpicking at the poor soldier.

They couldn’t confirm how many knights there were, but if they had that much strength, they would have at least 50 knights.

“How could Count Digald send such a force?”

“There’s no way that level of troops could come from Digald. Even if they gathered all the conscripts, it shouldn’t be that many. And they’re all armed soldiers!”

“It must be that another territory is secretly assisting them!”

Perdium had 2,000 armed soldiers; even that number was partly made up of conscripts.

If they gathered more soldiers, 1,000 was the limit.

Moreover, there were hardly thirty knights.

Yet the enemy had brought double that in troops; if they fought like this, defeat was inevitable.

As the retainers kept repeating that it made no sense, Zvalter shouted in anger.

“Enough! Enough! The enemy is already on the way, what’s the point in searching for reasons! Discuss countermeasures!”

With such a disparity in forces, it was impossible to intercept at the territory’s borders.

Unless there was a superhuman overwhelming the battlefield, they could not win in a pitched battle.

If they weren’t careful, all the forces of the territory could be annihilated.

Randolf was the first to boldly declare.

“Brother, give me all the troops! I’ll wipe them out! They’re nothing but inexperienced rabble! Just you and I should be enough to handle them!”

Randolf had gained a lot of war experience from spending so long in the North.

He had previously defeated even more barbarians with fewer soldiers.

If they were going to fight, he believed they should face them head-on.

But Homern, horrified, opposed him.

“No! The difference in troops is too great. If we lose even once, it’s all over! We need to hold out in the castle and request support from other lords!”

As the two presented opposing views, the opinions of the other retainers began to split.

“If we’re going to hold out, should we retreat to the Northern fortress instead? This castle isn’t well-structured for defense.”

“Ah, if we abandon the territory’s residents and the castle, what’s the point of holding out?”

“We’re running low on supplies for defense! If reinforcements arrive, we can definitely fight back! If Raybold helps us, it shouldn’t be too difficult!”
“Let’s go! If reinforcements arrive, we can definitely fight back! With Raybold’s help, it won’t be difficult!”

The retainers were locked in arguments, unable to reach a consensus.

Ghislaine watched them with a cold expression.

‘Just as expected.’

She knew they would make some flimsy justification to declare war, and that a force capable of trampling this place would come.

In her past life, Perdium had boldly marched out, only to be defeated by Digald’s army and forced to retreat.

It was because their enemy’s numbers had exceeded expectations.

Ghislaine had a hunch where that support had come from.

‘Bringing siege equipment means they definitely intend to crush us.’

Territorial wars mostly play out in the field. Typically, if there’s a clear victory or defeat, the sides come to a reasonable agreement to end the war.

The mobilization of siege equipment announced that they had no intention of reaching such an agreement.

Randolf, aware of this fact, couldn’t contain his frustration.

“Damn it, we can’t hold out for long here! It’d be better to go out and fight!”

The environment was not conducive to a defensive stand.

Perdium was already struggling with its own territory conditions.

They were too low on food and defensive weapons to hold the gates shut.

“Given the current food situation, a prolonged battle is impossible. We must resolve this quickly!”

The enemy would undoubtedly surround them based on their substantial troop advantage.

If they were to starve and wear themselves down, any slim chance would completely vanish.

Randolf argued that it would be better to take the risk and fight while they still had strength.

Suddenly, Zvalter, who had been pondering with his eyes closed, looked at Ghislaine and asked, “What do you think we should do?”

He didn’t expect his son, who lacked combat experience, to offer a solution.

However, Ghislaine had a successful track record of dealing with the Forest of Monsters, so it made sense to hear him out.

“I think it would be better to request support and hold out in the castle.”

“Hmm?”

Zvalter looked surprised.

Given Ghislaine’s personality and her leading of the troops, he thought she would suggest going out to fight.

He expected her to want to make a name for herself, but she seemed far more cautious than he anticipated.

Nonetheless, Ghislaine had a different reason for advocating defense.

‘Support won’t come. If it does, it’ll only be Count Loges.’

In her previous life, other than Kane’s father, Count Loges, no other territory had helped Perdium.

Even Count Loges ended up destroyed alongside Perdium.

In other words, requesting support would yield no help whatsoever.

Still, Ghislaine proposed a request for help and a defensive stance to set the table in her favor.

‘This way, I can annihilate the enemy with minimal damage.’

After much deliberation, Zvalter eventually commanded his retainers.

“First, send requests for help to the surrounding territories. We must deliver the news as quickly as possible. Also, transfer all troops and supplies remaining at the Northern Fortress to the castle.”

“Brother! The enemy will arrive in about a fortnight!”

Randolf shouted loudly.

Digald was a territory located to the southwest of Perdium.

Even considering the slow advance of foot soldiers, they could attack in about fifteen days.

Zvalter nodded, speaking in a calming tone.

“I haven’t decided what to do yet. But if we receive support from surrounding territories, we might be able to minimize damage. Let’s see how the other territories respond before making a decision.”

Randolf took a step back for now but didn’t believe they would actually receive support.

Surrounding territories would only aid Perdium until the point it didn’t collapse.

Perdium was defending against the annoying external threats at the border.

However, it didn’t have to be Perdium that did that.

Even if Digald took this place, they wouldn’t care less.

It didn’t matter whether it was Digald or Perdium; they just needed someone to take charge.

During the few days waiting for the responses from the support requests sent to each territory, the mood within Perdium grew even gloomier.

But when the long-awaited replies arrived, even the retainers who had held onto hope could do nothing but despair.
When the awaited answer arrived, even the retainers who were holding onto hope could do nothing but despair.

“Count Raybold says he cannot help due to internal circumstances.”

“Jimbardo has expressed his rejection.”

“The soldier sent to Count Rogus has lost contact.”

“In the territory of Villum, the territory residents are rebelling…”

There were various reasons, but not a single place offered support.

Even Count Rogus, whom they trusted because he was the husband of his younger sister, had gone completely silent.

Zvalter closed his eyes, his expression steeped in regret.

‘Is this how it ends? For whom did I dedicate my life here?’

He realized he had thought wrong.

No one wanted this place, so he thought he only needed to worry about outsiders.

‘Who knew the Runestone would ruin the territory.’

But he didn’t hold any resentment toward his son.

Ghislaine had truly accomplished something remarkable. It was just that the circumstances were unfavorable.

‘It was all a dream. Now we have no future. Is this how my family ends in my generation?’

Zvalter sighed and rubbed his forehead. His face suddenly looked ten years older.

The count lifted his head again and looked around.

The retainers wore expressions as if the world had ended. Baron Homern and Albert also appeared pale, unable to say anything.

Only Randolf was fiercely burning with fighting spirit.

Zvalter let out a hollow laugh.

‘At least that guy is overflowing with energy.’

Yes, couldn’t he and Randolf fight to the death against the enemies?

The count gave a self-deprecating smile and suddenly turned to look at his son.

‘You…’

Ghislaine was different from the retainers.

She was neither panicking, nor scared, nor angry. She simply stood there calmly, with an expressionless face.

‘I really can’t understand your thoughts.’

After gazing at Ghislaine for a moment, Zvalter’s eyes turned sympathetic.

‘I hope you don’t think it’s your fault. You did well. Of course, you did well.’

Zvalter, as a father rather than a lord, wished that his son wouldn’t blame himself for this war.

In any case, with the Runestone discovered, this place would inevitably become a battlefield for nobles, sooner or later.

Digald was just the beginning.

‘Defense or counterattack…’

Zvalter’s worries deepened.

They say three times the troops are needed to succeed in a siege.

Fighting behind the castle walls provided a clear advantage for defense.

However, if supplies were not adequately delivered to the defenders, they would easily starve to death.

A knight skilled in handling mana could easily leap over the castle walls as well.

‘If only support had been possible, I could have held out somehow… I ended up focusing too much on reinforcing the northern fortress. Is this how it ends?’

If the enemies had mobilized siege equipment, Perdium’s weak walls wouldn’t last long.

In another circumstance, he might have considered surrendering, but since Digald raised revenge as a justification, surrendering would lead to everyone’s death.

Even the so-called ‘honorable surrender’ common among nobles was impossible now.

‘I must achieve victory at all costs. I don’t care if I die, but I must save others.’

Zvalter spoke with intense eyes as he looked around at everyone.

“Prepare to march. We will face the enemy.”

As Randolf said, if they just held on, they would eventually be too weak to fight.

Better to attack while they still had some strength left.

The retainers all wore dark expressions, but they nodded silently in agreement with Zvalter’s decision.

Ghislaine turned around and left for the great battle.

The waiting mercenaries began to gather one by one, following him.

Since the lord had made a decision, the retainers had no choice but to follow that course.

However, Ghislaine didn’t think it was the right direction.

‘We shouldn’t fight head-on. Even if we win, the damage on our side will be considerable.’

Ghislaine hardened her expression.

‘I have no choice but to change the game myself.’