I forgot to post last week, so I'm uploading two chapters at once to make up for it.
This is the first chapter for today.
"Tenma, it's a bit late to ask this after having you dig us ten dry moats, but... do we really need this many?"
"With about this many, I think they'll be filled in by zombies right away. If anything, if you're thinking purely about defense, even ten times this many might not be enough."
"Brother, I think Tenma is right. Well, in practice, the strategy will probably be to slow their advance with these moats and then hit them with magic to whittle down their numbers."
"Hmm... putting it that way, does it mean we'll need several fortifications like this one?"
"Yes, well... so, we'll be counting on you for the funds."
Lord Zain, who had come to inspect the dry moats completed in two days as planned, seemed to feel instead that they might get in the way of the Knight Order, but moats of this scale felt like they'd be filled in at once by a horde of ten or twenty thousand.
Lord Lyle, being involved in military affairs, immediately fell in with my thinking, but Lord Zain couldn't seem to understand without a detailed explanation... or rather, he seemed concerned about the cost of constructing these fortifications.
As for the costs, since Lord Lyle desperately argued the necessity of the fortifications, in the end it was arranged for roughly all of Lord Lyle's requests to be granted... though he was repeatedly reminded that all material purchases were to be checked by Lord Zain or a subordinate Lord Zain designated, and that for the work on the moats and walls he was to either mobilize knights and soldiers, or find a contractor who'd take it on dirt cheap—in other words, to designate me, or to find a place that would take on the job at a wage close to mine.
"You're a lifesaver, Brother... and so, Tenma, I'm counting on you."
Lord Lyle spoke as though it were already decided that I'd take it on, but—
"Lyle... your attitude just now—I trust you won't mind if I report it to Mother?"
—glared at by Lord Zain, he groveled to me in apology and desperately pleaded with me to keep it a secret from Lady Maria.
"Even if we do end up asking Tenma or other contractors, the military will be sending out a great many hands as well. Before the contractors, go and calculate at once how many people the military can spare—a rough figure is fine!"
"Y-yes sir, understood, Brother!"
Although in terms of rank they should have been equals, he seemed unable to defy the power dynamics between brothers, and Lord Lyle, whipped along by Lord Zain, ran off to speak with the military officers who had accompanied him.
"Now then, Tenma. There's something I'd like to ask you while Lyle isn't here..."
After confirming that Lord Lyle had gotten far enough away, Lord Zain slowly opened his mouth. The way he said it felt somehow reluctant, so I was thinking he might want to discuss something to do with money, when—
"How likely do you think it is that the moats and fortifications we plan to build from here on won't hold against the horde of zombies, and the interior of the royal capital becomes a battlefield?"
"Is that including the possibility that something other than
the
horde
of zombies
also turns hostile?"
"That's right."
Other than the horde of zombies... in other words, this included the possibility that the reformist faction would exploit the chaos to stage a coup, or would join forces with the Lich presumably leading the zombies and attack.
In response to that question, I said,
"I think it exceeds fifty percent. If anything, it might be better to assume it will definitely become a battlefield."
"So it is, then..."
If it were the horde of zombies alone, I put the probability at fifty percent at most. It was true the Lich was a formidable foe, and there was no guarantee Grandpa and I could beat it even the two of us together, but next time we could expect the support of the Knight Order and the adventurers, so we wouldn't be overwhelmed by numbers. Even if we were losing on numbers, I thought we had the edge in quality, and as for the fight with the Lich, we could count on the support of battle-hardened people like Din, Jan, and Jin as well.
For those reasons, I was sure that if we built a defensive line centered on the royal capital, there was no doubt we could fight to our advantage. The one concern was just how far the Lich's strength might rise, but if it was around the strength from when we last fought, then in peak condition even I alone could buy plenty of time, and fighting it together with Grandpa, I didn't think we'd lose.
However, if while we were dealing with the Lich and the horde of zombies we were attacked from behind, or from within the royal capital, by traitors, and our forces got pulled away to that—then it would become difficult even to hold back the horde of zombies. Even short of that, if a coup were staged inside the royal capital, that in itself would mean the royal capital had become a battlefield.
"If the interior of the royal capital becomes a battlefield, the first targets will be Father and Mother... Tenma, if the interior does become a battlefield, it will very nearly be a lost battle. When that time comes, take at least Tiida or Luna, one of the two, and if possible one of my brothers, either me or Lyle,
to
ge
ther
with
you
and
fl
ee
—flee
with
them
."
"Not the King and Lady Maria?"
"That's right. If there's ample room to spare, I'd want Mother taken along too, but if the situation had that much room, then before you fled, you'd have already put down the coup, Tenma."
The figures who'd become the symbols of the nation were, without question, surely the King and Queen, but Lord Zain seemed to want Tiida and Luna prioritized even if it meant leaving those two to die.
"Or rather, Lord Zain—are you certain that if it came to such a situation, I would flee?"
"The Tenma of before would have tried to save not just Father and Mother but my sister-in-law, and myself, and Mizaria too, forcing himself even at great risk—but the Tenma of now has beings to prioritize above us. If I were driven into such a situation, I too would try to flee taking at least Mizaria with me."
If so, it bothered me all the more that Lady Mizaria wasn't among the people he wanted prioritized.
As if to answer that question of mine, Lord Zain said,
"But as a member of the royal family, I'm also in a position where I must think, in the worst case, of preserving the bloodline of the royal house. For that reason, either Tiida or Luna—the ones most likely able to carry on the next generation of the royal house—absolutely must be gotten to safety. And the only one who can get the two of them out and protect them is you, Tenma. If the worst should come, I'd be grateful if you'd lend your strength, thinking of it as the final wish of myself, and of Father and Mother."
So saying, he bowed his head.
When I promised the serious-faced Lord Zain that I'd do everything in my power, Lord Zain seemed relieved, and his expression softened somewhat. But when I went on to ask what he'd do about Lady Mizaria—
"I've already discussed that matter with Mizaria. If the worst comes, we intend to meet our end together."
Lord Zain seemed to place his own and Lady Mizaria's priority at the very lowest. Given who Lord Zain was, I'd thought he might at least ask for Mizaria alone, but since he was lowering the priority of Lady Isabella and Lady Maria as well, perhaps there were to be no exceptions. In exchange, it likely meant that when that time came, he'd be right there with them.
"Keep what I've told you today a secret, just between us. If Lyle or Tiida learned of this talk, they'd surely object."
If the two of them learned of this talk, it was plain to see they'd object, just as Lord Zain said. But Lyle aside, if Tiida—who was to become the next crown prince—were like that, it might be a problem for the royal house.
"If by any chance that time comes, I'll drag them along if I have to, so please rest assured."
"I'm counting on you."
I couldn't say I'd rescue them for certain, but as I resolved to do all I could and shook hands with Lord Zain—
"Brother! I've come up with a rough count of the fortifications and how many people we can spare for each one!"
—Lord Lyle came running, shouting at the top of his voice.
Seeing me and Lord Zain shaking hands, Lord Lyle made a dubious face for a moment, but quickly returned to normal and handed Lord Zain a paper with the numbers written on it. And then,
"Rejected. You're still relying too heavily on Tenma. Put out at least double this. And regarding the number of fortifications, there's no detailed explanation of why this number is needed. Like this, I can't allocate a budget."
—having given it a quick look, he rejected it on the spot. And then, taking Lord Lyle along, he headed to where the military officers were (summoning the finance officials he'd brought himself as well) and began an impromptu meeting. For some reason I was made to sit in on that meeting too... but the military officers and the finance officials both seemed to judge me a person necessary to the meeting, and they'd routinely ask my opinion from both sides.
As a result of the meeting, it turned out that with the budget the military demanded, they couldn't even build half as many fortifications at the level of the first one, so it was decided that I'd handle just the foundations of the moats.
Though called foundations, since they'd be dug to a certain depth and width, they'd be usable as moats as they were, which meant the military could concentrate on the aboveground portions like the walls, and even if they added to the moats after the aboveground portions were done, they judged there'd still be plenty of time to spare against the horde of zombies.
"Since it's a method using golems it won't be much of a burden, but... with the numbers being so many, it's a pain."
"That, well, all I can say is I'm sorry... but, if it's any consolation, I've sent subordinates ahead to the planned work sites to put down markers, so the work should go easier."
So Lord Lyle said, but—
"Lyle... that's something the military ought to do as a matter of course. Tenma, regarding this work, once the situation settles down, it goes without saying the royal house will do so, but Lyle and I will personally offer you a token of thanks as well, I promise. And as for the work fee—paying the full amount all at once is admittedly impossible, but I've arranged so that some portion can be paid at once. At the earliest, we should be able to hand it over sometime today. I intend to pay the rest as soon as possible too."
Lord Zain, right after the meeting ended, had apparently sent several subordinates back to the royal capital to draw up the documents for my reward. He didn't state the amount, but since he'd apparently set it at the very limit of what he could pay immediately by the authority of the Finance Minister, barring anything major I could receive it today or tomorrow. I wasn't in any hurry myself, but it was apparently Lord Zain's own way of showing sincerity. And the personal reward, on top of that.
He didn't say what the reward from the royal house and the personal one would be, but I had a vague feeling they weren't monetary, so I figured they were probably something like a tax exemption... or rather, since I wasn't the least bit troubled for money at the moment, that would actually be more welcome. Well, it wasn't as if I could ask for it from my side.
I still didn't know what I'd be getting, but since the talk of the reward was more or less settled, we held a discussion about the work, and right after that I flew to the planned fortification sites.
At the first planned site, the subordinates of Lord Lyle who had gone ahead during the discussion were standing by, having made preparations so that I could work easily. Thanks to that, the work went more smoothly than expected, and I was able to finish three locations that day and the remaining seven the next.
Each location had three moats of about five hundred meters, so it was a fraction of the scale of the first fortification's size, but since the aim wasn't to hole up there and defend, making them any larger risked hindering the movement of the kingdom's side. Besides, these fortifications were for when it came to intercepting the enemy at the royal capital, their aim being to slow the horde of zombies' advance and reduce their numbers even a little, so they apparently wouldn't be elaborately built—afterward simple walls would be added and they'd be complete. That said, since that work would be done by the military and the contractors the military arranged, I wouldn't be involved.
"I'm back."
"Oh, that was faster than I thought. I've just finished what you asked me to do, Tenma, as it happens."
When I returned to the mansion, I ran right into Grandpa and Amour just as they were coming out the front entrance. Apparently, since what I'd asked of him was done, they were about to have a sparring match by way of exercise.
"Who gets how much is written down here, so look it over later."
So saying, Grandpa tossed me a bundle of several sheets of paper.
Seeing the two of them off toward the yard, I entered the dining hall, where someone else was likely to be, reading the contents written on the papers Grandpa had handed me, when—
"Ah! Tenma, welcome back."
Primera was in the middle of a meal. It was an odd hour, but lately Primera's appetite seemed to have increased, and she was raising the number of meals within reasonable limits. Well, correspondingly each meal was small, and even adding them all together it came to about the same as Jeanne's or a bit less, so for now there seemed to be no particular problem. If anything, considering the birth, for the sake of building up her strength, it might be better if she ate a bit more... or so I personally thought—but at the same time, I also thought Aura, who was eating the leftovers under the pretext of taste-testing, ought to increase her amount of exercise, considering the future.
"Would you like to eat too, Lord Tenma?"
Perhaps sensing something from my gaze, Aura stopped her second helping and offered me the rest. If Aina had seen this scene, she might have scolded Aura with something like, "The nerve, offering your master your own leftovers—who do you think you are!" but to me it wasn't something to
mind
particularly, so I said nothing about it and had them prepare a portion for me. Incidentally, the instant I said "I'll eat," Aura was visibly disappointed.
"Tenma, is that the report on what your grandfather was doing?"
When I finished eating and was reading the rest of the report, Primera, apparently curious about the report, asked timidly. There was nothing written in it that needed hiding, and it was something you could say concerned Primera
and
the others
as well, so I handed over the parts I'd finished, and the two of them peered at each sheet together, reading. This too might be grounds for a lecture from Aina, but as could be seen from the fact that Primera herself, without a word, made sure Aura could see it too, this was an ordinary sight in our household... for better or worse.
This report contained information such as the addresses of the people of Kukuri Village and the distances to the Otori house, along with figures for who was to be given how many weapons and how much food, in preparation for the case that the royal capital got caught up in war.
In the event the royal capital became a battlefield, we'd decided to gather at the Otori house and fight, or else all escape the royal capital together, but depending on where they lived some might fail to flee in time, and it was entirely conceivable that some wouldn't be able to make it to the house. For such times, to raise the survival probability even a little, we'd decided to give out weapons and food.
"It's kind of you to have written in House Sanga too, but I think we'll be fine without it. My brother is hiding it, I'm sure, but he's certainly preparing while assuming the worst. The same goes for House Summons and the Margrave Haust household. We've already lent a large number of golems, so beyond this I think it's enough to just lend whatever's lacking on the spot once we've joined up. However, conversely, as for the royal house, it's better to increase the amount. Even if the royal capital takes catastrophic damage, so long as even one member of the royal family remains, a comeback is possible."
As one might expect, Primera proposed something much like what Lord Zain had. It felt a little cold toward her
parental home
, but it probably meant there was little need to go out of one's way to lend a hand to those with room to spare. Instead, it seemed better to act for the sake of the royal house as an insurance policy and as later justification.
"Actually, Lord Zain said something similar to me. He asked me, in the worst case, to protect at least one of the two—Tiida or Luna."
When I said that, Primera nodded with a sort of "just as I thought" air.
"In that case, it might be better to revise the numbers right away and hold a discussion with the royal house. Depending on the circumstances, it's conceivable we'd evacuate from the royal capital separately and reunite at a distant location, so I think we need to choose candidate evacuation destinations, routes, and so on."
At Primera's urging, I put on hold, for now, all the support for the three houses said to have room to spare, and set the amount freed up as the ceiling for support to the royal house.
"When it comes to the talk of compensation for those, ask for the safety of the people of Kukuri Village after joining up. When we've become a group, if something happens, the first to be cut down will be those in weak positions. I don't think the Royal Guard and the like, who know you and Lord Merlin well, would make an enemy of the Otori house, but there's no telling how they'll act when pushed to the very limit, and I think the lower ranks of the Knight Order who don't know the circumstances well would readily choose to abandon them. To keep that from happening, we'll have the safety guaranteed in the name of the royal family. Next, during the flight, have them formally acknowledge that the Otori house is not fully subordinate to the royal house, but a presence in a position close to equal. That way, I think we'll be able to protect the people of Kukuri Village more safely."
Everything else could wait until after it was all over, but those two alone should be promised in advance, and if possible it was better to leave them in something like a written contract, Primera said.
That wasn't because the royal house couldn't be trusted when placed under extreme circumstances, but rather to more strongly check the soldiers and knights under those circumstances, she said. In other words, it was to make them understand that if they mistreated the people connected to the Otori house, who were in a position close to an alliance, they might come to be at odds with people whom Grandpa and I would not stand to see mistreated—and that the royal house wouldn't be able to shield them either.
In reality, I thought the probability of such a situation (fleeing the royal capital as a group, and during it the people of Kukuri Village meeting with unreasonable treatment) was low, but it was Primera's thinking that there was no harm in being prepared.
"Understood. Including things like that, let's try to talk with the King and the others as soon as possible."
It was a bit late today, so I decided to ask after the King and the others' schedule tomorrow and settle on a day when they could set up a place to talk.
I didn't know how the talk with the King and the others would turn out, but I thought there was a high chance they'd accept the conditions. After all, the golems alone amounted to considerable numbers and fighting power. Since that would be coming over to their side, under limited circumstances they surely ought to accept it.
After that, I parted from Primera, who was going to take a bath, and headed to the yard, meaning to tell Grandpa what we'd just discussed and to ask him to accompany me to the talk with the King and the others... but the two of them forcibly dragged me into their sparring, and I lost the timing to bring it up, ending up forgetting both to tell him about the talk and to ask him to come along.
In the end, I only told Grandpa what I'd discussed with Primera just before we set out on the very day we'd arranged with the King and the others (two days after my talk with Primera). Well, Grandpa had grasped the gist in the carriage on the way to the royal castle, and during the talk, while backing me up, he was cheerfully going at it with Lord Ernest (ad-libbing an attempt to extract a personal reward out of Lord Ernest).
Incidentally, the aid from the Otori house other than medicine (weapons and food) was declined, but the conditions for the case of flight were accepted in full. Just as I'd thought, if a large number of golems were joining their side, asserting a position close to equal was only natural, and so long as we remained the royal house's ally, there'd be no problem at all, they said.