Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 155

155.

Although Count Dareon didn’t show it, he considered the guerrilla suppression operation a prime opportunity.

“Shouldn’t we hurry?”

At his subordinate knight’s question, Dareon chuckled.

“What reason do I have to hurry?”

“If we join the main force later than Riorden, there’s a risk of…”

“…disgrace, you mean?”

The subordinate knight was worried that his lord seemed too relaxed.

“There’s no way we’ll be later than some mercenary. You worry too much about nothing. Take it easy. Think about it. Do you think a guy who used to be a mercenary would be good at commanding?”

“No, sir.”

“Exactly. The young Crown Prince has become the core of central politics, and after going on the Western Expedition, he even snagged the Eastern Expedition Commander position. It’s true that we need to forget the past and re-evaluate the Crown Prince. I admit that much.”

Dareon was also a noble with deep roots in the central government, and as he served the Atran family, he was one of the key members of the noble faction.

He knew Arun’s past well, but he never ignored the achievements Arun had made recently.

Because he had reasonably quick judgment, he was able to maintain influence even among the seasoned nobles.

“Not just anyone can become a High-Level Spirit Master, and catching the followers of the forces of evil isn’t easy either. Even if Gale helped, we can’t deny that the Crown Prince’s abilities have far exceeded our expectations.”

The knight nodded at Dareon’s words.

“But his mercenary rabble is different. The same goes for that commoner strategist, Ken. No matter how incompetent the Crown Prince was, he’s still a Leod, but those guys don’t even have surnames. They’re different from birth.”

“Why did the Crown Prince accept such people as his direct subordinates?”

“What else could he do if he didn’t accept anyone? Does the Crown Prince have a strong maternal family, or has he received the loyalty of the Emperor’s faction of nobles? He’s struggling to build his own power in his own way.”

A sneer appeared on Dareon’s face. It was clear that the Crown Prince’s own abilities had grown rapidly recently, but politics isn’t something you do alone.

“Politics is no different from power. That’s why Duke Beregon has such a great influence on the Emperor’s power, which is no different from a tyrant. Countless people follow him. Remember that well.”

The knight bowed his head.

“Thank you for your teachings.”

The knight was secretly grateful to Dareon. Dareon gave a lot of good advice when he was in a good mood. He wasn’t a difficult lord to serve, but he wasn’t a generous one either.

Nevertheless, the reason he pledged allegiance to Dareon was his influence and future potential.

The subordinate knight glanced at Dareon.

He thought it would be okay to ask a few more questions because he seemed to be in a good mood today.

“What do you think of this expedition?”

“It’ll be difficult if we face the Sword Masters head-on. Gale and Olivia are there, but we only have two on our side. It will be a stage to test the Crown Prince’s abilities.”

“Won’t it be dangerous?”

“Are you afraid?”

The knight shook his head at Dareon’s question.

“I am not afraid.”

“That’s right. Don’t be afraid. If the aura of defeat becomes strong on the battlefield, we can retreat appropriately. Their Sword Masters won’t try to catch anyone but the Crown Prince, and they won’t be very interested in the rest.”

“So, defeat…?”

“It’s likely.”

Dareon didn’t rate the chances of success for the expedition highly.

He knew that he would have to face three Sword Masters on the battlefield because the Emperor’s dispatch to the northeast had not yet been formalized.

“If the slave named Hamilton kills Lillian, the soldiers’ morale will rise a bit, but it will still be difficult to make up for the difference in the number of Sword Masters.”

Dareon was now slightly worried.

Dareon, who had participated in many wars, knew how much influence one Sword Master could have on a battle.

“Our knights should fight moderately and retreat as the main focus when they see the enemy Sword Masters. Survival is the best policy.”

Dareon shuddered slightly as he recalled the scene of the Emperor ruthlessly sweeping away the enemy knights.

That terrifying Aura Blade was the most reassuring thing when it was on our side, but he felt weak in the knees when he thought about meeting it as an enemy.

Of course, he said without showing it.

“Most of the noble faction nobles held back from this expedition. But I participated directly at the request of Duke Beregon. If we just return alive, there will be a great reward.”

There was something to be gained even from a defeated war.

Dareon didn’t say it out loud to his subordinate knight, but he had a different intention.

‘You fools. You’re too proud to come under the Crown Prince? The truth is, you were afraid to face the Sword Masters because the Emperor wasn’t there. The Duke exceptionally asked the nobles. He asked them to lead the knights themselves if possible. I’m the only one who heard that order. The Duke will definitely take good care of me when I return.’

Dareon had no intention of being satisfied with being a Count.

Nobles inherit the territory and title they inherited from their father and live on.

The title and territory rarely change until death.

‘Now is not much different from the era before the chaotic Empire. Frequent wars mean that there are many opportunities. A lowly slave becomes a Baron, so there’s no reason why a Count can’t become a Marquis.’

The moment Dareon finished thinking and was about to instruct the knight again, a loud voice echoed through the ranks.

“Enemy!”

Pshewshewung-!

Arrows were covering the sky.

“Ambush, it’s an ambush!”

* * *

“Ken gave us homework.”

David smiled at Riorden’s words.

“He’s telling us to suppress them first and join them first.”

There is a hierarchy even in the mercenary world. David was famous for his blunt sword, but Riorden had started his mercenary life earlier than David and had a higher reputation.

David’s reputation was ultimately born as a kind of characteristic.

Of course, it wasn’t that his skills were lacking, but the fact that a mercenary didn’t kill people even on the battlefield was very unusual.

“Both you and I, and Commander Hamilton, have to achieve several times more results than others to be recognized.”

“Wouldn’t that be because of our origins?”

“But I heard you’re from a noble family?”

“A fallen noble is no noble. It’s no different from a commoner.”

Riorden shrugged at David’s words.

“Is that so?”

“Anyway, we need to prove our abilities to the soldiers this time, and to get rid of the other commanders’ prejudices, it would be good to suppress them quickly.”

“That’s right. There’s no time. It would have been nice if Strategist Ken had given us some advice.”

The fact that the strategist didn’t give orders in the war was rare. Even if the main force was divided into several units, it was the strategist’s role to give clear orders to the divided units.

‘Because it’s a special situation.’

Riorden understood Ken.

Ken is also fighting prejudice.

“By the way, are you using a blunt sword this time too?”

The opponents in the Western Expedition were undead and orcs.

On the other hand, the Eastern Expedition is a war. A war between people.

David was silent for a moment before answering quietly.

“Since I decided to serve the lord, I have to throw away the blunt sword now. Isn’t one of the duties of a knight to become the lord’s sharp sword?”

“That’s surprising.”

Riorden honestly expected David not to kill the enemy.

He could leave the battlefield without killing them. Until now, David had done so in every war he had participated in as a mercenary.

He had played his part well enough without killing the enemy, so he had made a name for himself as a mercenary.

“Well, we’re not mercenaries, we’re knights. Now is the time to prove our abilities as knights.”

Riorden unfolded the map with his answer.

“Now, let’s make a plan. It’s not as good as Kailahe Castle, but it’s a good enough defense. It won’t be easy to capture.”

“When will the scouts return? Wouldn’t it be better to listen to their stories and make a plan?”

As if waiting for it, a soldier approached Riorden and bowed his head.

“Commander, the scouts have returned.”

“Stop the march and tell the scouts to come here.”

“Yes!”

Riorden stopped talking.

Soon, more than a hundred scouts ran to where Riorden and David were.

“From Team 1.”

At Riorden’s words, the squad leader in charge of Team 1 opened his mouth.

“We didn’t see any signs of ambush on the route we were in charge of. The road was wider than expected, and the mountains weren’t enough to ambush. We saw the east gate at the end of the road, and the security was tight.”

After listening to the reports up to Team 10, Riorden nodded.

“We’ll stop marching here today and start the siege tomorrow. It looks like it’s going to be a frontal war.”

After ordering the soldiers to rest, Riorden set up a temporary camp and made a plan with David.

“Breaking through from the front will be too much of a sacrifice. I think we can break through, but they are the forces of the Pyreon region. They swore allegiance to the royal family, but traditionally, they have been natives who have lived in this area for a long time.”

“They will know the geography very well. There may be ambush sites that the scouts haven’t even looked at.”

“What about attacking here?”

As Riorden pointed to a spot on the map, David pondered.

“This fortress is still usable. But it has been abandoned for a long time. According to Team 7’s report, they are just now setting up guards.”

“That fortress protects the waterway that flows into the castle. That’s why they are deploying troops to the abandoned fortress after occupying the castle. If the fortress is captured, the water supply will be cut off.”

“That’s right. There are hardly any wells either.”

There was a lot of information about the castle in the basic information Ken gave, but what Riorden focused on was the water supply.

If it wasn’t for the water flowing down from the mountain, the castle’s water supply itself would not be smooth.

Even though it was considered a good stronghold, the population had not increased significantly because the limitations of the water supply were clear.

“It will be easier to attack the fortress than to attack the castle directly. First, let’s deceive the enemy as if we are attacking the castle. We make a fuss in front and then attack the fortress in a surprise attack at night. The distance itself is not far.”

“You said there’s no time, are you planning to go for a long-term battle?”

Riorden shook his head.

“There is a limit to storing drinking water. If we occupy the fortress, block the waterway, and hold out for only three days, they will open the castle gates and come out on their own.”

“If there is no stored drinking water, they may come out of the castle immediately to retake the fortress.”

Riorden’s eyes twinkled.

“Then that’s even better. If we succeed in capturing the fortress, we can deploy ambush troops on the road from the castle to the fortress, and we can inflict great damage when the urgent enemies rush in.”

David nodded.

“That’s a good way. If there is no stored drinking water, they won’t be able to hold out in the castle for even two days.”

Riorden smiled.

“That’s right. We can endure hunger to some extent, but drinking water is different. Humans can’t live without drinking water, can they?”

David asked, surprised again.

“Commander’s strategy seems to be as good as Strategist Ken’s. I knew you had a lot of experience, but.”

“I’ve been a mercenary for a long time. I’ve participated in so many wars that I’ve heard a lot here and there. And… when I was young, my family was doing well, so my father taught me a lot.”

David’s eyes widened at Riorden’s words.

“Were you a noble?”

“A fallen noble is no noble, it’s no different from a commoner.”

David felt a strange emotion as he watched Riorden say the same words he had said.

‘A fallen noble…’

Riorden tapped David on the shoulder.

“Now, let’s get started.”