Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 103

Creating Retainers to Build a Human Empire 105

Transition

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The moment I stepped through the gate, my vision went black.

My sight quickly returned, revealing the scene of the royal palace hall.

“……”

I turned to look out the window.

The sky was tinged with red.

It had been morning when I left for the Grand Assembly.

Before I knew it, sunset had arrived.

“Father.”

Rachel approached with a smile.

She was a retainer I hadn’t brought to the Grand Assembly.

The Duke could cause trouble while I was away.

I’d left her in Olhus in case of an emergency.

“Was anything unusual?”

“How long has it been since you left, Father?”

The Grand Assembly would try something even in that short amount of time.

I swallowed my retort and chuckled.

“Everyone’s expressions look grim. Did it not go well?”

She glanced at the retainers’ faces.

Each of them had slumped shoulders, as if their energy had been drained.

They had seen a variety of non-humans, individuals as strong as kings among humans, and they had even exchanged harsh words with me, vying for dominance.

It must have been a shocking experience in many ways.

“No. It went well.”

“Is that so?”

“It was just as you predicted, Lord. So the result is the same.”

“If it was as predicted… then the ban must have been lifted.”

“Yes.”

The Grand Assembly concluded that Tiamar’s influence, or rather, magic, had disappeared from the southwestern peninsula where humans resided.

Therefore, they judged that there was no negative impact on non-humans.

They lifted the entry ban that had lasted for nearly a thousand years.

“And they demanded subjugation from me, with the condition that they would recognize the territory of the southwestern peninsula, just as I had my territory recognized by the Grand Assembly.”

“A demand not even worth considering.”

I nodded.

“Then what happens now? If you haven’t had your territory recognized like the Great Plains, doesn’t that mean non-humans can invade this place at any time under the guise of hunting?”

“Hmm.”

“It’s practically war.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. There won’t be an all-out war for a while.”

Lord and I threw bait to avoid an all-out war.

Vlad and the Mikena Empire – very tempting bait.

“While Vlad and his empire are being picked apart by the Grand Assembly, they won’t directly exert influence on my territory.”

Even if they do, it will be limited.

I did make threats, after all.

At least for a while, they won’t directly interfere.

“How long will that last?”

“It won’t last long. It’s just a temporary distraction. We must use this fleeting moment to prepare for the next war.”

Preparing for the next war.

To do that, the immediate task is,

“Let’s start with internal affairs.”

Skadi said.

“First, the revolts happening throughout Germania and the civil war in Wallachia. We must deal with them before non-humans get involved and their power grows.”

She was right.

The revolts and civil war are perfect opportunities for the Grand Assembly to intervene.

All they have to do is support the rebels.

“Gerhard, what’s the remaining military strength?”

“If you’re only asking about numbers, it’s a total of 54,000 men.”

A total number of retainers, conscripts, mercenaries from northern Wallachia, and soldiers from the Sudret Duchy, the Loesene Margraviate, and the border nobles.

“Helmut, how far has the co-option [integration] of the royal army progressed?”

“Many nobles have joined us. Those who haven’t aren’t opposed to His Majesty, but rather have expressed their intention not to participate due to concerns about the chaos within their territories. The remaining mercenaries will fight even against non-humans if they’re paid.”

Nearly 70,000 royal soldiers survived.

It was thanks to their quick surrender after the two-winged cavalry was annihilated.

“So, roughly 120,000 men.”

Pasimea sighed.

“That’s a huge number, but how many of them can you maintain?”

Gerhard hesitated before answering.

“If we’re thinking about a long-term war, we should consider it less than half.”

“Half? That’s all? Are there that many deserters?”

“As Sir Helmut said, quite a few are deserting to protect their territories, but the fundamental problems are wages and supplies. There are gold mines, but maintaining over 100,000 troops is a huge burden. Conscripts are one thing, but the vast majority are nobles and mercenaries.”

“Ah, they’re a bit pricey.”

“On top of that, there’s the issue of supplies. We’ve only just conquered Germania, and Wallachia’s administrative power doesn’t reach beyond the capital and its surroundings. To maintain supplies, we have to buy or plunder goods locally, and if we do that—”

“Locust swarms will seem cute.”

Skadi chimed in, and Gerhard nodded.

“That’s right. An army that relies on local supply is scarier than a swarm of locusts.”

“It’s not good to have too many. So, in the end, how many is appropriate?”

“At most, half. Considering the need to deploy them in Germania and Wallachia, about 60,000 is appropriate. 40,000 in Germania, 20,000 in Wallachia – that way we can minimize looting and operate the army long-term.”

I thought for a moment.

Gerhard has 8,000 Wallachian mercenaries under his command.

I have 6,000 conscripts under my command, and Pasimea has 1,000.

Adding 5,000 more would roughly match the numbers.

“Gerhard.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I will give you all the conscripts and some of the Germania mercenaries. Return to Wallachia immediately with Pave Kusrorf and suppress the civil war. Make them see me as a legitimate ruler.”

“I shall obey your command.”

I looked at the Mountain Hermit Nuadil, who stood behind Gerhard.

“Nuadil, if Gerhard advances into Wallachia, the noble council will resist. Can you deal with them before they resist?”

“I am always prepared. If the master commands, not only the noble council of Wallachia but also the alliance that opposes the noble council will meet their end.”

I nodded.

“Return to Wallachia following Gerhard.”

“As the master wills.”

Next is Helmut, the retainer of Sudret.

He was in charge of Sudret and the royal army prisoners.

“Helmut, I will entrust you with the overall command of suppressing the Wolf Cult revolt. Rachel, Julia, follow Helmut to suppress the revolt and stabilize Germania.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Understood, Father.”

I didn’t mention it because the retainers were present, but I also assigned several combat-specialized retainers mobilized in Germania to Gerhard and Rachel.

Trying to suppress the revolt and civil war with only human power, without retainers, could take years, and it is necessary to treat my enemies mercilessly so that they cannot rise again.

“Pasimea, accompany Rachel. You have the map I gave you, right?”

“Yeah. The one marked with resource sites.”

“In addition to minerals such as iron, gold, and silver, I have marked resources that will be of high value in the future. Prioritize securing the marked areas with Rachel.”

After sending everyone away, only Calliope and Skadi remained.

“What will you do, Father?”

“I am returning to the Great Plains. I will end the chaos there and straighten out the administration to solidify the foundation of the empire.”