Ch#119
* * *
Edmund, the youngest senior advisor of the Central Strategy Headquarters, hardened his expression.
"Starvation? The dispatched troops are all highly trained knights from the Church, and they're starving?"
His aide Caleb answered anxiously.
"It seems to be due to the explosion. All the supplies blew up three days ago because of it. So now they're in a situation with nothing to eat or drink right away."
The northwest border region.
It was the area where a large magic stone and two mid-sized ones had recently emerged at once, giving the Holy Knights a hard time.
But it was strange. Starvation, no matter what.
"What about the additional supplies from the central battalion?"
"That's......"
Caleb hesitated as he stared at Edmund.
"They say the supply unit was attacked by magic beasts on the way to the target point. The report on that attack just came in."
Edmund's brow furrowed.
"So the supply route is completely blocked?"
"That's how it looks. Actually, the heavy snow is the biggest issue. It's nearly impossible to traverse that distance during the daytime when there are no magic beasts......"
As Caleb said, extreme blizzards had been raging in the northwest region lately.
As a result, the only supply route appeared to be completely sealed off.
Edmund impatiently ran a hand through his hair.
'If the magic stones weren't clustered.'
Areas with dense magic stones prevent teleportation arrays from functioning properly due to the mana interference.
In the end, it meant they couldn't rescue the isolated knights without mobilizing additional forces.
"Then call in some mercenaries."
Edmund spoke up.
He stared at Caleb with a deadly serious face.
"The Holy Knight troops need reorganization, so we can't deploy more. Call in mercenaries."
Over the past few months, magic stone outbreaks in the Empire had been unusually frequent.
As a result, the Holy Knights stationed in the Capital had been pushed to murderous schedules.
So pulling more Holy Knight troops from here was impossible.
"Check right now if there are any mercenary corps nearby and designate it as a national request. Put in a request to connect with the Frost Association next time. Since the situation is urgent, offer high compensation."
But Caleb replied with a dark expression.
"Your Excellency. His Imperial Majesty strongly opposed that."
Edmund's eyebrows furrowed.
"What?"
"He said we've relied too much on mercenaries lately, and it's damaging the Imperial Family's prestige......"
A hollow laugh escaped.
The Church side had indeed placed quite a few national requests with the Frost Association recently.
But even so.
A significant number of troops were on the verge of annihilation, yet worrying about prestige.
Caleb continued in a subdued voice, looking troubled himself.
"He said if we rely on mercenary corps again this time, the Holy Knight Order will look incompetent."
Edmund unconsciously clenched his fist.
"If the Capital falls, there's no prestige left to protect—why doesn't he understand that?"
His muttered words carried a cold glint in his eyes.
"Fine. Then I'll take responsibility and mobilize them. Are we just going to let the isolated ones starve to death?"
"No, you got disciplined last time for something similar!"
But Caleb was stubborn.
He pleaded earnestly.
"Your Excellency. In this climate, another discipline would be disastrous. If even you are gone from the Strategy Headquarters, we'll really all die, you know."
Edmund was one of the few commanders who conserved and used troops prudently.
Meaning he didn't treat soldiers—or individual Holy Knights' lives—as mere consumables.
But the other advisors in the Central Strategy Headquarters were different.
"Think about it. Like last time, if you get disciplined and someone like Sir Mathias or Sir Balteron takes your place, a small battalion will be wiped out in less than two months, right?"
"......"
"Look into ways to deliver supplies instead. For now, go back to headquarters and......"
In the end, a sigh mixed with resignation escaped Edmund's lips.
In truth, he had pulled an all-nighter at headquarters for three days and had just arrived home.
But right before entering the mansion, Caleb reported.
New orders had come down: soldiers starving in the northwest, devise a solution.
'I can accept not sleeping in these times.'
But no good method for safely delivering supplies to the northwest came to mind.
First, the heavy snow drastically reduced mobility.
The number of magic stones dominating the northwest couldn't be ignored either.
There was one large and two mid-sized ones.
Of course, they had dispatched two large battalions anticipating many magic beasts.
But now with the supply route cut, it was backfiring.
"If we can just deliver supplies, they could return quickly......"
Edmund rubbed his temples.
"......Fine. Let's head back and think it over."
It was just as he tried to pass Caleb to board the carriage again.
"Can't you send it by sky?"
Suddenly, a curious voice came from below.
Turning his head, a small child in a black cloak stood there.
Holding something in her hand.
"Can't you put stuff like this in lanterns and send them to the sky?"
Edmund's gaze shifted to the item in the child's hand.
It was a broken lantern, seemingly used in last night's festival.
Edmund unwittingly asked back.
"......Lanterns?"
The child nodded brightly.
"Neeeng! Hang it here and send it super high, and it'll float along with the wind like this!"
* * *
The cart wheel breaking on the roadside was perhaps fortunate.
Thanks to that, Basto stopped the cart, and Tie happened to overhear the conversation.
Of course, the two well-dressed men's talk was hard.
Troops, current situation, discipline, strategy—endless unfamiliar words.
But after listening intently, Tie figured it out.
What these people were worrying about!
Tie waved the lantern scrap she'd picked up from the roadside.
"Hang supplies here and float them over."
The man stared at her with a surprised face.
Tie quickly added.
"Big balloons go really far!"
And not just that.
There were movies where houses flew off on balloons.
She'd also seen a hot air balloon festival documentary on TV once.
Tie had tried jumping off holding balloons from the closet after that.
But they didn't fly well, and Auntie 203 kindly explained to the pondering Tie.
'The balloons you have are small. They have to be much bigger and sturdier to float away.'
So,
"If you make really big lanterns and send them to the sky, can't you deliver supplies?"
The man said nothing for some reason.
He just stared at Tie blankly.
As Tie awkwardly rolled her eyes at the reaction,
"Tie! All fixed!"
Basto called from behind.
Turning around, Basto was already staring at her, having finished fixing the wheel.
"Tie go quick!"
Tie waved her hand wildly and looked at the man.
Then she firmly placed the roadside lantern trash in the man's hand and bowed deeply.
"Then bye-bye safe!"
As she ran to Basto, he made a stern face.
"Don't talk to strangers on the street, Tie."
Tie glanced at Basto's eyes and quickly replied.
"Neeeng!"
"Good answer."
The smiling Basto lifted Tie back onto the cart.
As the cart turned and started forward, Tie unwittingly gaped.
"Waaah......!"
Because crossing the road revealed the mansion behind the two men more clearly.
"Basto uncle, whose house is that?"
Basto furrowed his brow.
"Who knows."
The mansion was at least three times larger and more luxurious than the other houses on the street.
"Maybe the Prime Minister's. Or perhaps the Grand Commander's mansion."
Of course, without expecting it to actually be that.
