Chapter 8

At the edge of Nortia Village, where Elizabeth's church is located, Leonoide stood in front of a small cabin.

It was a slightly aged mountain cabin with a triangular roof made of logs, but it was sturdy and showed no signs of decay.

It seemed that the original owner, a woodcutter, had designed and treated it properly for his own use.

The woodcutter had grown old and retired, so he no longer needed the cabin and had been looking for a buyer for several years. Leonoide conveniently heard about it in the village.

Living in the forest at the edge of the village would be inconvenient for an elderly person.

Seeing the well-maintained cabin, which was neither too large nor too small, Leonoide paid a little more than the market price and received it.

From here, he could walk to the church.

Today, he had moved in with his few belongings.

Without even unpacking, Leonoide stood with his sword in hand, facing a large tree behind the cabin.

It was a big tree, several decades old, and he chose it for training, thinking it wouldn't fall easily.

"Oooooo!"

He put his energy into it and swung the sword down diagonally from above.

A dull thud sounded, and the great sword pierced the tree.

The blade reached about a quarter of the thick trunk, cutting into it like an ax.

His beloved sword, which had accompanied him through many battlefields, showed no signs of wear.

―――I have arrived. Finally, to this land...

Leonoide's shoulders trembled.

It wasn't from being out of breath after swinging with all his might, but from joy.

"Haahaaa!"

He swung the sword down into the trunk again, putting his energy into it.

With a swift and sharp trajectory, the great sword hit the trunk at the same angle as before.

This time, the blade reached about half of the tree.

A few more strikes, and it would fall.

―――I talked with Elizabeth and even ate her home-cooked meal.

Leonoide muttered to himself, his heart trembling with joy.

He hadn't paid attention to the tree he was striking.

"Could I have become friends... or even more, someday...?"

If he stayed nearby, surely opportunities would come.

He could gradually deepen their friendship.

―――Was it the effect of not seeing her for a month? Or because she wasn't wearing a noble's dress?

His heart, which he thought would calm down, was in a hurry.

Usually, striking the tree would clear his mind, but now only Elizabeth's image came to mind.

―――I can't stop!

His body grew hot with thoughts of Elizabeth.

To clear his mind, Leonoide raised his great sword again.

"Uoooooo!"

Roaring, he swung the great sword down.

This time, he struck twice in succession.

It was a powerful strike that could fell any large beast.

As expected, the great sword pierced the trunk deeply.

―――Oh, damn...

The sound of the tree cracking began, and it started to lean.

Eventually, it fell with a loud thud, shaking the surrounding area.

※※※

Lord Christhardt, the lord of Clorelas, who was in a robe, watched the large tree fall from a distance through the window and couldn't help but smile wryly, holding a glass of wine.

This was one of the earl's favorite manors, located near Nortia Village.

The manor, built in the forest, had green walls that blended in, with only the window frames painted white. It was a three-story building.

From above, it looked like two triangular points joined together, and the gray roof was also unobtrusive.

Christhardt had deliberately set up his bedroom and office on the third floor to have a good view of the territory.

From the window of his current bedroom, he could see the lights of the villagers' lives in Nortia Village to the east.

Closer to the manor, a little further ahead, was the area where his friend, the neighboring country's knight commander Leonoide, had recently moved to the territory. That was where the large tree had just fallen.

"Uoooooo!"

Again, a roar echoed through the night sky.

It seemed that one large tree wasn't enough.

What did he plan to do if he and his lover were looking at the stars together?

All the romance was gone.

―――Even if you do that, I don't think you can suppress your feelings for her, Leo.

He muttered to himself, addressing Leonoide, who continued to swing his sword in the forest.

"Really... the wolves are noisy."

Christhardt said to his butler, Daniel, who was standing by his side.

Daniel was a capable butler who had served Christhardt's father and was entrusted with the fine details of the estate's management.

Though he was in his early old age, with prominent white hair, he still supported the earl's family, believing he couldn't entrust it to younger people.

"Forgive me, but isn't that the 'Great Sword of the Holy Lion'...?"

"Well, there's not much difference, is there?"

He replied jokingly to Daniel's words.

The butler bowed his head respectfully.

"Really... what is the knight commander doing..."

―――But, as a man, he's become more interesting.

Christhardt, while sipping his wine, recalled the time when he first met Leonoide and occasionally smiled to himself.

It was five years ago, when he was twenty-one and had just inherited his father's title.

Christhardt, who had been born with the ability to do anything well, had thought that things like bandit suppression were simple.

He never even considered the possibility of losing his life.

※※※

At that time, bandit activity in the kingdom of Remiza was increasing.

Upon investigation, it became clear that the bandits, who had previously operated on a small scale, were now acting in an organized manner.

When one village was attacked, the soldiers would rush to rescue it, and another village far away would be attacked as if on cue.

Moreover, the bandits were not only attacking villages but also large towns and blocking roads with large numbers of people, making it necessary for the kingdom to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

The kingdom's skilled spies quickly identified the bandits' hideout, which was on a mountain at the border between the Remiza Kingdom and the Moaize Kingdom.

The border was not always clearly defined.

If there was a river, it could be clearly divided, but in the case of contiguous land, the border was extremely vague, extending to the nearest village that paid taxes to the country.

The bandits had chosen the border as their hideout, taking advantage of the ambiguity of jurisdiction and creating a situation where it was difficult to take action.

However, the relationship between the Remiza Kingdom and the Moaize Kingdom at that time was good, and the politicians were capable and tolerant enough to propose and accept cooperation.

As a result, the two countries, which were also concerned about the bandits' organization, decided to implement a joint operation to eliminate the bandits' hideout.

Among those who participated was Leonoide, who was then the deputy commander of the Moaize Kingdom's knights, and Christhardt, who had just inherited the earl's title and was being tested for his abilities.

At the foot of the mountain where the bandits had their hideout, a hundred soldiers had gathered.

Half were from the Moaize Kingdom, and the other half were private soldiers of the Clorelas earl's family, gathered by Christhardt.

The bandits were said to number over a hundred, and Christhardt's pride wouldn't allow him to ask for support from the Remiza Kingdom's knights.

In the camp, a tent was set up for the military conference, and a large folding table was placed in the center.

There were no chairs, and all the participants were standing, looking at the map of the area on the table.

"The mountain is here, and our camp is here."

Christhardt, wearing a cloak, placed wooden pieces on the map.

He placed horse pieces representing his own troops at their current location and infantry pieces with bandanas representing the bandits on the mountain's mid-slope.

"The bandits' hideout is on the north side of the mountain, around here."

Christhardt had directly confirmed the details from the spies and hired local hunters to scout the area as scouts.

The preparations were thorough, and there was no room for error.

Failure was impossible.

"Our investigation is the same. We need to attack quickly and sweep them away without letting them escape."

Leonoide, representing the Moaize Kingdom, agreed with Christhardt's information.

―――He just arrived and already knows the location of the hideout...

Leonoide, who had become deputy commander, exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior.

He looked like a knight who had been forged through battle, carrying a sword so large that it was questionable whether he could wield it.

The knights around him also looked strong.

Christhardt recalled how, as a child, he had never been able to match Leonoide in swordsmanship.

He felt nostalgic and reassured, but he couldn't let Leonoide take the credit.

The bandit suppression had been called for by the Remiza Kingdom, so Christhardt had to take the lead.

―――I'll show him that I'm not the same as I was back then.

"These three mountain paths are already blocked. The largest road leading to the Moaize Kingdom is guarded by our commander, so there's no problem."

Leonoide pointed to the roads on the map in sequence.

As part of the prior arrangements, the roads leading to the mountains from the border were blocked to prevent the bandits from escaping into the country.

The Moaize Kingdom had apparently stationed the commander of the knights, Leonoide's superior.

On the Remiza side, Christhardt had placed the entire Remiza Kingdom's knights to guard the roads.

He wanted to use them as a reserve force, but since he was being tested as the new earl, he couldn't use them as a front-line force.

"This road is also... completely blocked by the knights. Not even a rabbit can pass."

Christhardt pointed to the roads on the map.

There were already X marks on them, indicating that they were blocked.

"The only thing left is who will attack the hideout..."

Christhardt continued, addressing the core of the military conference.

Even with the cooperative relationship, it was important to decide who would attack first.

Since both sides had sent troops, they had to show their achievements to their respective countries.

"If you want to show the Remiza king, you can lead the charge with me as your guard."

Leonoide answered as if he had no interest in the credit.

―――Guard? Are they saying that this mission is so easy that it won't be a credit for them? Or are they looking down on me?

The proposal was tempting...

Christhardt almost accepted it.

He had intended to argue that he should lead the charge.

But he swallowed his words.

Leonoide's words made him realize that he was eager for credit.

While Leonoide was a seasoned warrior who had survived many battles, this was Christhardt's first real battle.

The difference in experience and ability was clear.

The purpose of this operation was not to boost Christhardt's reputation in the Remiza Kingdom but to eliminate the bandits with minimal casualties and improve the security near the border.

"Decide what to do."

Leonoide asked again, in a strong tone.

"...With all due respect, Deputy Commander. I am here to eliminate the bandits and protect the country and the Clorelas territory, not to show off my strength."

Christhardt reconsidered and decided to provide rear support.

Leonoide might have said this to provoke him, having predicted his situation and feelings.

"I will position our troops around the base of the mountain. We have the local knowledge."

He placed small pieces on the detailed mountain paths.

"I will command from here. Not a single one will escape. I will leave the assault on the hideout to you."

―――It would be meaningless for me to go in without battle experience.

I don't want to be protected by my subordinates.

Instead, I should command the troops to catch the escaping bandits from behind.

I am confident in my chess skills.

"Understood. Let's do it that way."

Leonoide simply nodded at Christhardt's plan.

No one voiced any complaints, and the meeting was adjourned.

★2021/4/2 I have started posting a new work. If you like, please read it as well.

【I Failed to Reincarnate as the Villainess and Became the Winning Heroine Instead ～Giving Up on the Family End with the Villainess's Brother, I Aim for the Lover End～】

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7332gw/