Chapter 90

Duke's Magic Genius - Chapter 91 (90/324)

91

Abel's expression darkened as he lifted the stack of papers that looked like a report.

"…We should discuss the extent of the damage first."

The first topic that came up was the drastic reduction in the number of knights.

When he mentioned that the number of knights had been reduced by more than half, the expressions of the retainers darkened significantly.

The position of a knight could be considered the foundation that supported a renowned swordsmanship family.

The loss of senior knights, who were the pillars of the family, and the deaths of many junior and mid-level knights, who were to take responsibility for the future, were particularly painful news.

The damage did not end there.

It was also reported that more than half of the training knights, who had passed through a rigorous selection process but had not yet reached the Expert level, had perished.

The cost of the battle fought on two fronts was much greater than expected.

"…Hmm… The damage is greater than I thought."

Craft's murmur was followed by a heavy nod from the other old knights.

"…The damage inside the stronghold was significant, but the number of knights who fell in battle with the 5th Legion was also considerable. In fact, the damage on that front was the most severe."

While the stronghold could be defended by high-level experts sweeping away the lower ranks, the battle with the 5th Legion was different. This was because most of the knights above a certain level had moved to the stronghold.

This also meant that there were not many high-level experts available to deal with the rampaging soldiers.

'So that's why the damage was so great.'

If knights of similar levels had fought each other, the side that unleashed their power would naturally have had a significant advantage.

"…Was the damage to the soldiers also severe?"

In response to Craft's question, Abel nodded heavily.

"…According to the statistics, ten thousand soldiers from the four legions, excluding the 5th Legion, have died."

"Impossible!"

The retainers began to murmur at Abel's words.

The total number of troops from the 1st Legion to the 5th Legion was around 38,000. The 5th Legion had the largest number of troops among the individual legions.

While other legions recruited soldiers through a rigorous selection process, this legion had gathered all kinds of people.

In total, 24,000 troops had disappeared in a single day.

'Really impressive.'

The retainers began to murmur, realizing the damage was even more severe than expected.

At that moment,

*Bang!*

A loud noise came from the side.

It was the sound of Abel slamming his hand on the table.

Silence fell in the noisy meeting room.

"Everyone, please pay attention."

"…"

"The damage is considerable, and it could shake the future of our family. However, we cannot say that it's all despair."

Abel, who had finished speaking, looked at the retainers with a gleam in his eyes.

"Right now, the immediate damage is not the most important thing. What's more important is that this incident has eliminated all the hidden forces within the family. You know that I mobilized the legions under my command to prepare for a rebellion."

The retainers listened to Abel's words in silence.

"Even with the preparations, we suffered this much damage. What if the guy had launched a surprise attack not today, but later? Isn't it terrifying just to imagine?"

No one raised any objections.

"Rather, we should be grateful that it ended at this level. Soldiers and knights can be replenished. It will take time, but we can rise again. So!"

Abel looked at the knights and spoke with determination.

"Now is not the time to fall into helplessness and despair. It's the time to think about how we can recover our strength as quickly as possible."

Jacob, who had been listening to him, looked impressed.

"…Heh heh… I never thought the First Prince would be so resolute… I, Jacob, am truly ashamed. Your words are certainly correct. Now is the time to focus on recovering from the damage, not to feel helpless about the situation."

Jacob, Malon, and Craft.

The three old knights began to support Abel's opinion, and naturally, the retainers under him followed.

After the atmosphere was refreshed,

Abel looked around at the retainers.

"While recovery is important, there are a few more issues to address. The biggest problem is, who made Adolph and the other knights act that way?"

"Um…"

The retainers' expressions hardened at Abel's words. The silence was brief.

Soon, Abel began to share his thoughts.

"…I don't think the mastermind behind this is human."

"If not human, then…?"

"Second Prince, who was at the Expert level, rose to a level where he could challenge Father by using evil power. It's practically impossible for a Grand Mage or the royal family to do such a thing, isn't it?"

"…Then, First Prince, are you suspecting a non-human race as the mastermind?"

In response to Jacob's question, Abel shook his head.

"…I can't be sure yet. I just think that if there is a mastermind, it might be an existence that far surpasses humans."

"…If an existence with that level of power was behind it, why would they go through such a troublesome process? According to your words, it's an existence that could wipe out our family single-handedly, isn't it?"

"…It might be because they don't want to reveal themselves, or they can't reveal themselves for some reason."

"Um…"

Abel spoke to the troubled retainers.

"For now, we should keep this matter as secret as possible. If the truth comes out, the Holy Empire will not sit idly by. They will definitely start to meddle."

"…That's right. If we talk about evil power, those fanatics will go crazy… and the other noble families in the empire will start to show their teeth. The damage is that severe."

Abel slowly nodded and looked around at the retainers.

"Chances are, the mastermind behind this won't be able to move immediately. If they could, there would have been no need to handle things in such a troublesome way. So, we must quickly recover the family's strength before they make their move again."

"That's what we should do."

"There's one more issue we need to address. It's the handling of the civil officials who followed Adolph."

Names of the civil officials began to pour out of his mouth.

Their positions ranged from viscount to baron, and among them was the name of Baron Hemington.

After calling out the names of the civil officials for a while,

"From now on, there will be a thorough investigation of these people."

Abel spoke with confidence.

"…An investigation?"

"It's simple. I plan to weed out those who knew Adolph's true intentions and still helped him. They are no different from traitors. The person in charge of the investigation will be…"

"I can take it, can't I? I'll chase down every last one of those scoundrels!"

One of the three old knights, Malon, spoke up forcefully.

With a determined look, Abel nodded quietly.

"Then, Sir Malon, please take charge of the investigation with Viscount Bellingham. It must be thorough, as they could become obstacles later."

"Understood. First Prince, you don't need to worry at all. I will definitely weed out those scoundrels!"

It was a good choice.

There was likely someone among the civil officials who had served as Adolph's financial backer.

It was better to purge the troublesome ones.

In any case, it was customary to execute most of the people involved in a rebellion.

"…First Prince, how do you plan to handle the recovery?"

In response to Jacob's question, Abel, who had been pondering, began to share his thoughts.

"…I plan to disband the 5th Legion since the troops have disappeared. We need to replenish the troops in the remaining four legions. The losses are very severe, and if we don't, we'll have problems with law and order soon."

"Then… do you plan to replenish the knights as well?"

"Yes. We need to move the schedule of the training knight examination, which was planned for the end of July, as soon as possible. I also plan to significantly increase the number of successful candidates."

The old knights tilted their heads in confusion.

"Um… I agree that we need to replenish the troops, but isn't it risky to suddenly increase the number of training knights? The maintenance cost of each knight is not trivial, and considering the recovery costs and the cost of replenishing the troops… I don't think it's necessary to recruit low-level personnel."

Training knights.

A position that only those who passed a strict selection process could hold.

Naturally, they received the best support and benefits.

This was because all possible investments were made.

If the number of training knights were to be significantly increased?

In the current situation, where expenses were already overwhelming, it would be a considerable burden.

However,

Abel had a reason to confidently talk about expanding the number of knights.

"Sir Jacob."

"Yes, First Prince."

"Are you aware that I recently purchased grain?"

"…Yes. It was quite a famous incident. You bought wheat worth 600 platinum coins…"

"Soon, there might be a major drought."

"…Pardon?"

"The weather is unusual. Think about it. Has it rained since the end of April?"

The retainers looked stunned at this unexpected topic.

"…Now that you mention it… not once…?"

"Yes. Isn't that strange? Normally, it should rain at least three times by now."

"…Then, do you mean… you bought the wheat anticipating this?"

Abel shook his head and pointed at me.

"The reason I bought the grain is simple. It's because of Kyle."

"…Because of the Fourth Prince?"

The attention turned to me.

It felt like I should say something.

"When I visited the Neron Viscount's family, I had intended to buy grain. My eldest brother found out and decided to buy it together with me."

"In April… now it's June, so you knew, but at that time, didn't you have any certainty about whether it would rain or not? Why did you want to buy the grain?"

What should I say?

Instead of making up some vague reason, it might be better to come up with a plausible excuse.

It would give Abel more support.

If I said I bought the grain because I expected the price to skyrocket, it might reach Baron Frantel.

While Abel, as the next head of the family, wouldn't mind,

'I still need to be careful.'

If the rumor spread that I had known and acted accordingly, it would naturally make the other side unhappy.

The role of the scapegoat should be taken by a reliable shield.

"It was for a magic experiment. I wanted to create a magic to extend the storage period of grain and keep it fresher. That's why I wanted to buy it. I was short on gold, so I contacted my eldest brother."

"Then…"

"Perhaps my eldest brother felt something when I contacted him. That's why he bought the grain, right? Am I correct?"

Abel looked at me with a strange expression.

When I signaled for him to play along, he reluctantly nodded.

"Yes. You're right. The current situation is unfolding as you predicted."

"If a famine occurs as the First Prince said… the expansion of knights and troops will be much smoother. Even if the price only doubles…"

"Even that would be a significant help."

The retainers' eyes filled with hope.

Still, just doubling?

In three months, it would rise tenfold.

In six months, it could rise twentyfold.

I wonder what kind of expression they would make when they find out.

In any case, it was certain that the investment would ensure no financial worries for a while.

Even if the price only doubled, it would be enough to smoothly increase the number of soldiers and knights.

Let alone twentyfold?

It goes without saying.

The recovery would proceed very smoothly.

With the emergence of hope in the bleak situation, the attitude of the retainers in the meeting changed significantly.

From their participation in the meeting to the generation of ideas,

The enthusiasm that rose in every process was a bonus.