The adamantium sword and the magitech armor were, without question, priceless treasures.
But they were also ambiguous rewards—treasures not quite worth undertaking the risk of leaping into the heart of a political struggle.
Unless things went exceedingly well, it was an issue that could even ruin one's future, which made it all the more so.
At that sight, the Grand Duke clicked his tongue and spoke.
"Your attitudes tell me exactly why the Third deserves that reward. A burden that no one is willing to shoulder is a hundred times heavier than one that has someone willing to bear it in another's place."
Unable to find any words to rebut the Grand Duke's rebuke, the three brothers all shrank back at once.
After that, no one spoke again about what Lucian had received.
Two days later, an imperial envoy finally arrived formally to request troops from the Grand Duke.
"We request reinforcements from Sigmund Valdeck, head of the Valdeck family, to suppress the lawless forces of Krepfeld."
"I shall obey His Majesty's command."
Since it had long been arranged through a sealed letter, this was merely a formality for appearances' sake.
Lucian gathered the troops that had been prepared long ago before the gates of the outer fortress.
The number of soldiers dispatched by the Valdeck family totaled one thousand.
It was not a particularly large number, but considering that every one of them was an elite veteran from the standing army, it was more than sufficient.
"And besides, when forming a coalition force, simply sending a large number of troops isn't always the best thing."
The Valdeck family already carried immense authority—sending a massive number of troops on top of that?
Leaving aside supply issues, it would only increase their influence within the coalition army.
From the imperial court's perspective, that would go beyond reassuring and become uncomfortable.
They had to send few enough troops that the imperial house could still keep a firm rein on the coalition forces.
And yet, we still have to demonstrate strength befitting the family's standing. Politics really is a headache.
Lucian wore a bitter smile, but etched the Grand Duke's lessons firmly into his mind.
If he truly intended to become a ruler someday, such political considerations were essential.
Once preparations for departure were complete, a middle-aged knight approached Lucian and bowed.
"It's an honor to meet you, Third Young Master. My name is Gerard Luden. I've been assigned to serve at your side as an advisor for this campaign. If you have any questions about the army, please feel free to ask."
"I expect I'll be relying on you often. I look forward to working with you, Sir Gerard."
The exchange was cordial, but despite his polite tone, Gerard's expression was far from good.
Guessing his feelings, Lucian let out a quiet chuckle.
With full authority in my hands, this must feel like sitting on a bed of thorns. Advisor or not, if I decide to ignore him and push ahead, that's the end of it.
If it ended at mere disregard, that would be fortunate.
Since the Grand Duke had personally granted full authority, Lucian could, if he wished, even dismiss the advisor outright.
Rather than restraining Lucian's recklessness, Gerard was in a position where he had to worry about not earning his displeasure—hardly a comfortable situation.
Well, it's not like I intend to spare much thought for his state of mind.
If the Grand Duke had truly intended to bind Lucian with an advisor, he would have assigned someone far more renowned.
With a famous name attached, even Lucian would have found it difficult to act recklessly.
Instead, the man appointed as advisor was merely a knight with experience but without a name anyone recognized.
The message was clear: take the advice as reference only, and act according to your own judgment—the Grand Duke's intent could be felt strongly.
It's almost pitiable that he doesn't realize that fact himself.
Since there was nothing to be gained by telling him, Lucian decided not to explain.
For now, Lucian finished exchanging brief greetings and kept Gerard at his side as his advisor.
As long as their opinions didn't clash, there was no need to sour the relationship unnecessarily.
"By the way, I'm not sure why you are here again."
"Haha, it's been a while since we last met—why so cold? For all that, aren't we comrades who once fought shoulder to shoulder?"
"Stop winking. It's creepy when a man who's old enough does that."
At Lucian's words, Raymond scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.
"I'm only thirty-five, you know."
"Age aside, what is it this time?"
"Obviously, I'm here as the Third Young Master's bodyguard."
"With this many troops, you're a bodyguard?"
"Even so, it's good to have at least one personal guard in case something happens. I wanted to come with my comrades again this time, but they said that would be too much, so I came alone. You're glad to see me after all this time, right?"
"Pfft!"
Interrogating Raymond, Lucian finally burst out laughing at the man's easygoing reply.
He had suspected surveillance, but it seemed Raymond had truly volunteered out of pure goodwill.
"Well, having a capable knight at my side can't hurt. By the way, are you still Raymond here as well?"
"As long as I'm not doing anything shady, I'm always Raymond."
"That's good. I was worried I might get confused if your title changed."
A knight who merely follows orders is different from one you can trust with your back.
Even if Raymond wasn't quite to that level, he was still more reliable than most for entrusting important tasks.
Lastly, Lucian went to look for Hugo, whom he had appointed as a squad leader.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than an immediate reply shot back.
At the same time, sparks seemed to fly from Hugo's eyes.
"If I can't even handle a mere ten soldiers as I see fit, I've no right to call myself a knight. I'll make them submit through my own ability alone."
"Good answer."
Lucian had tested him, wondering if he might be tempted by the offer, but his resolve appeared firm.
With all preparations complete, Lucian mounted his horse and looked down upon the thousand-strong army.
The farewells were over, the Grand Duke's send-off speech delivered—now all that remained was Lucian's command.
Steadying his breath, Lucian shouted loudly.
"All troops, march out!"
***
"How is the squad leader position? Manageable?"
"I managed, somehow, to get them to acknowledge me as their leader. Damn it—I thought taking the squad leader's seat would be easy, but every one of them is fierce as hell."
"That's because they're seasoned soldiers who've taken part in suppression campaigns time and again. To elite troops who've danced on the edge of death, you must look like a greenhorn."
"That's exactly how they treated me. Even crushing them with sword forms didn't quell the pushback—I was going out of my mind. Only after I told them about my prior combat experience at Bornholm did they finally accept it."
Hugo shuddered at the memory.
He said that without even that experience, he might have been chased out of the position Lucian had just given him.
"For now, I've got a hold on the reins. All that's left is to show them my capability."
"Even so, they'll probably keep snapping at you for a while. Want me to say a word? They'd fall in line right away."
"No."
At Lucian's command, the thousand-strong army began to move.
The route and estimated travel time had already been set, so for a while it would be nothing but marching.
Before long, however, a different opinion came from his advisor, Gerard.
"We should maintain the route, but increase our speed. To be precise, about twice our current pace."
"Isn't that too forced a march? The soldiers will tire quickly."
"That might be true for a rabble gathered by conscription, but these are seasoned troops from the standing army. They can endure this much easily."
"Then tell me first why we need to increase the speed."
"Politics."
Politics, when they hadn't even arrived yet?
As Lucian tilted his head in confusion, Gerard explained calmly.
"Coalition forces like this are prone to friction. No matter how great the authority of the supreme commander, minor noise is inevitable."
"That's true."
"The problem is that sometimes those minor noises grow into larger cracks than expected. In extreme cases, they can split into factions."
And such conflicts affect military operations far more than one might think.
From whether scarce supplies are shared, to how quickly reinforcements arrive in moments of crisis.
If relations sour completely, the atmosphere among allies can become more hostile than that with the enemy.
"If we arrive too late, there's a high chance something will have already happened. We'll lose our opportunity to intervene."
"So we'd be forced to choose one side among factions that have already formed?"
"Yes. A troublesome situation. To prevent that, arriving as early as possible is best. We might stop the conflict before it begins—or even if we can't, at least we'll know how the board is laid out."
"Hmm."
Nodding at the sound reasoning, Lucian inclined his head.
Even in his previous life, when multiple mercenary bands were hired for large-scale battles, similar issues often arose.
Of course, if no conflict emerged, it would all be needless worry—but taking out a bit of insurance wasn't a bad idea.
"Then let's raise the marching speed a bit. Just keep in mind that if the soldiers end up exhausted and scattered, it defeats the whole purpose."
"Yes!"
Gerard answered loudly and withdrew to relay the order.
Perhaps because his advice had been accepted, his expression looked brighter than before.
***
Fortunately, even after increasing the pace, the soldiers followed in silence without the slightest sign of fatigue.
Not a single soldier voiced a complaint or even a word of grievance.
It was enough to mildly surprise even Lucian, who had seen many armies under strict discipline.
So this is the strength of an army possessed by a great house.
With quality like this, even with the same numbers, they could likely defeat most opposing forces without much difficulty.
It was a benchmark worth keeping in mind for the day he would command an army of his own.
And a few days later, thanks to the shortened travel time, Lucian arrived at the coalition's rendezvous point far earlier than expected.
"Not a hint of exhaustion. I thought they'd feel at least a little fatigue."
"For soldiers of Valdeck, this much is only natural."
Gerard replied with a smile at Lucian's admiration.
There was confidence in his tone—a certainty that they would never be embarrassed before the other lords.
Nodding, Lucian turned his gaze toward the rendezvous point.
"That's a relief. It seems everyone gathered far earlier than I'd expected."
Around the Horsen River, which led into Krepfeld, countless banners were already visible.
Each flag was filled with emblems representing its respective house.
Even though they had hurried, it seemed that more than half had already gathered.
"I'm glad I listened to you. Otherwise, we really would've arrived late."
"The others probably hurried for much the same reasons I mentioned. They likely haven't been here long either—at most, a difference of three or four days."
"Well, considering the distances between territories, that sounds about right. And I see the imperial crest as well—does that mean His Highness the First Prince has already arrived?"
The crimson dragon emblem, reserved solely for members of the imperial family.
Hanging higher than all the other banners, its image was clearly visible even from afar.
"I thought there was an unspoken rule that the supreme commander arrives late in situations like this. If anyone arrives after him, they end up looking guilty."
"It depends on the circumstances. Sometimes the commander arrives first to preemptively seal any conflicts, like the ones I mentioned earlier."
"Sealing conflicts, huh."
Lucian let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head.
He doubted whether the First Prince had that kind of capability.
He had never met him personally, but none of the rumors he'd heard were favorable.
Either way, now that we're here, courtesy demands we pay our respects.
As Lucian led his troops toward the rendezvous point near the Horsen River, he felt a stir ripple through the surroundings.
The moment he identified himself as a member of the Valdeck family and confirmed his status, knights bearing the crimson dragon emblem rushed out.
Among them, a young knight who appeared to be their leader stepped forward and bowed.
"We thank the Valdeck family for its unwavering loyalty. I am Jürgen Wald, commander of the Black Scale Knights, and I greet the Grand Duke's representative."
"We merely repay the imperial family's steadfast trust. I am Lucian Valdeck, here to take the field as the representative of Grand Duke Sigmund Valdeck."
"So you are Lord Lucian. I've heard much about you. Even His Majesty the Emperor praised your exploits at Bornholm, saying you are surely a talent destined to shoulder the Empire."
"You flatter me. I merely did what needed to be done."
With a round of light greetings, Jürgen continued to heap praise upon Lucian.
Given that Valdeck was the Empire's most loyal house and its sole ducal family, such treatment was only natural.
Yet even after the time for pleasantries should have passed, Jürgen's compliments showed no sign of ending.
"As expected, you're humble. I've heard that the way you handled the mercenaries back then was far from ordinary."
"It was nothing more than some smooth talking. But as for His Highness…"
"That's hardly all. After that, you even led the mercenaries personally and commanded the battlefield, didn't you? It's hard to believe it was your first battle."
"I truly appreciate the praise, but I think it's about time I paid my respects to His Highness the First Prince."
Unable to endure it any longer, Lucian bluntly brought up the main point.
With all the other houses already gathered, what was the meaning of loitering outside like this?
Once arrived, proper etiquette dictated greeting the supreme commander first.
"I don't mind being kept standing here. But continuing to delay the report like this would be discourteous even to His Highness the First Prince, wouldn't it? Let me first pay my respects to His Highness as the supreme commander. We can speak further afterward."
"Y-yes… that is… you're absolutely right, but… at the moment, that is…"
At Lucian's words, Jürgen broke into a cold sweat and began to stammer.
Sensing something amiss in his suspicious behavior, Lucian's eyes narrowed.
READ MORE CHAPTERS HERE: https://shinchangreat.sellfy.store/