Chapter 22: The Right to Speak

Komer ignored Fran’s attempts to comfort him. In his view, the losses in this skirmish were negligible in terms of their own strength, but it was crucial for establishing the image of the Caucasus army as invincible. Yet, the outcome had been disappointing. Komer regretted choosing someone as simple-minded as Woodhard as the leader of this half-orc force. Although Woodhard enjoyed some prestige among the half-orcs, he clearly lacked command skills and adaptability.

To be honest, Komer himself had made mistakes in this regard. After all, such high-ranking appointments within the Caucasus army were decided solely by Komer. Fran had previously hinted at concerns about Woodhard’s command abilities, but Komer had prioritized keeping those five thousand half-orcs under control, and aside from Dragoamo, Woodhard was the only one who could take charge.

Woodhard’s loyalty was unquestionable, and his combat skills were among the best among the half-orcs. However, assigning him to lead these two thousand half-orcs seemed excessive. Compared to Dragoamo, he lacked experience and intuition. Komer thought that having him spend more time with Ilot, Javier, and Bayezid might help improve his weaknesses.

Changing commanders at the last moment was considered a military taboo, but Komer had no choice. Assigning his guard leader, Kuroba, as the head of the half-orc regiment was the only option. Fran agreed with Komer’s decision. Although Kuroba was quiet, his prestige among the half-orcs was now on par with Woodhard’s, and his abilities far surpassed Woodhard’s. Though he spoke little, among the half-orcs, this seemed to symbolize the inviolable dignity of a strong leader.

Seeing Woodhard’s ecstatic, tearful face, Komer felt extremely frustrated. What was meant to be a punishment made the man so happy that even the pits on his face seemed to glow. This made Komer realize that the position of his guard leader was almost as prestigious as that of the half-orc regiment leader. In the eyes of the half-orcs, the guard leader of a lord might even be held in even higher esteem. No wonder Woodhard could hardly believe his ears when he heard the order.

It is a great honor for any half-orc to serve as a guard beside a mysterious lord, a belief deeply ingrained in the hearts of every adult half-orc in the Caucasus. Even some strong female half-orcs have privately suggested forming a guard force entirely composed of female half-orcs to share the responsibilities of the existing guard force, a proposal that won Puber’s approval but was unsurprisingly rejected by Komer, who did not yet want his mood to be disrupted by the female half-orcs who surrounded him day and night.

“Fran, it seems our predictions were correct. That Philip is acting quickly indeed. The Gallics have finally joined in, and even the Order of Rebirth has appeared. Is Zerlin really determined to confront us head-on?” Komer’s face darkened as soon as Woodhard disappeared. “The Gallics have arrived—what about the Posenians and Silesians? What’s that fool Mahagumi doing?”

“Not necessarily, my lord. I don’t think the Gallics will really be willing to fight to the death for Philip,” Fran said, shaking his head in disagreement with Komer’s view.

“Oh? Why do you say that? Zerlin has even sent reinforcements from his Order of Rebirth—doesn’t that show enough determination?” Komer asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Hmph. These nobles are selfish at heart. Our Duchy of Melen has always been an important barrier to the west of the Kingdom of Nicossia. Yet when faced with orc invasions, the Kingdom of Nicossia, despite having strong troops, was reluctant to send reinforcements. The reason is simple: they feared heavy losses if Mycenae fell, which delayed the response and led to the destruction of our Duchy. For the Gallics, it doesn’t matter who controls Homer. Besides, you’re not a barbarian or a half-orc—you’re just as much a legitimate noble appointed by the kingdom as they are. The ethical impact on them will be much less. As long as your policies don’t harm their interests, I believe Zerlin won’t resort to his last card so easily.”

Fran shook his head again. His face showed no trace of the indignation he once felt when speaking of his homeland’s downfall, appearing rather calm. Time can dilute everything; past events gradually fade into forgetfulness. Now, he was just a high-ranking general in the Caucasus, and he only needed to consider the interests of the Caucasus.

“The reason the Gallian Order of Rebirth came to reinforce us was also out of a sense of morality. If we remained indifferent to our allies’ pleas for help, it would greatly harm Zerin’s prestige. Yet the appearance of the Order of Rebirth actually proves that the Gallians don’t want to get too deeply involved in this war. Their mobility allows them to withdraw in time when the situation turns unfavorable. The absence of their infantry units is enough to show that they already doubt whether Homer can withstand the Caucasus’ advance.”

Fran’s thorough analysis made Komer realize once again how superficial his own understanding of warfare was. He had thought that the deployment of the Order of Rebirth, which Zerin regarded as his core force, was almost equivalent to declaring war on the Caucasus, but he hadn’t realized there were so many complexities involved. The Gallians even adopted a strategy of feigning retreat as a form of advancement.

This is what loyalty among allies looks like—these worthless nobles! Komer didn’t mind including himself in that assessment.

“What about Poznan and Silesia?” Komer asked next.

“That’s still uncertain. The Ferdinand and Hain families have stronger traditional instincts and may hold more hostility toward the Caucasus. They’re not as cunning as Zerin, nor do they have his long-term vision. If Philip offers them incentives, it’s hard to say whether those two families will fall for it,” Fran said slowly. “However, they’re also under greater threat from the orcs. If Mahagumi takes bold action, I believe they’ll have to reconsider. Of course, as long as we can accelerate the pace of the war and defeat Homer completely before Poznan and Silesia get involved, they’ll have no choice but to accept reality.”

Komer nodded in agreement with Fran’s view. “But now that the Order of Rebirth has appeared on the Bosen Plains, our next moves might be affected. Homer’s cavalry was already severely weakened last time. If the Order of Rebirth hadn’t gotten involved, we could have swept through everything and reached the gates of Cyprus City. But now we have to rethink our strategy.”

“Well, it does have some impact on our actions, but I believe the power of the Rebirth Knights is also quite limited. If necessary, I suggest that Lord, you gather all our Earth Dragon warriors along with the Thunder Roc Knights and send them all to the battlefield. If the Rebirth Knights continue to oppose us, we can choose the right moment to fight. We can use the barbarian infantry to form a defensive line, while the Earth Dragon warriors and Thunder Roc Knights strike from the flanks and in the air. If possible, our mage corps can also teach them a lesson, letting them experience what a full-scale war is like.”

Fran’s attitude was much more resolute and firm. The strength demonstrated by the barbarian warriors in the siege of Fort Tarkros filled him with satisfaction. As for their defeat against the orcs, it was entirely due to being caught off guard. He believed that as long as they were well-prepared, the current forces of the Gallics were far from enough to stop the advance of his army.

“Oh, is it appropriate to reveal all our cards so early?” Komer asked in return.

“Since the Gallics have already gotten involved, it means there are still those who doubt the strength of our Caucasus forces. We must fully demonstrate our power so that those people understand we are determined to win this battle. This might deter those still stuck in old ideas from eyeing Homer, and giving the Rebirth Knights a harsh lesson could also give us more leverage in peacefully intervening in the kingdom’s affairs in the future. The battle at Fort Tarkros has completely shattered the morale of the Homerians. I believe Philip can no longer organize an effective resistance force now. As long as we can defeat the Rebirth Knights as well, Homer’s fate will be settled,” Fran said firmly.

Komer nodded in approval. Fran was no longer the simple knight leader of the Principality of Melen of old. Although he devoted more energy to building the Caucasus army, war was after all a continuation of politics, and it was even more necessary to understand the changing situation. To formulate strategic plans, one had to grasp all of this accurately. Perhaps Fran wasn’t aware of it himself, but subtly, his abilities had improved greatly.

Seeing Komer, he was momentarily speechless. Fran added, “In fact, my lord, you could absolutely ask Miss Vero to act as a mediator—there’s nothing wrong with that. Duke Zelin isn’t our most immediate enemy at the moment. Given your relationship with Miss Vero, it’s entirely possible for us to reach a win-win agreement with Galle. The restraining forces in the kingdom’s center have disappeared; now, only a few people within the kingdom have real influence. There’s enough room and interest to satisfy our respective needs—everyone wins, at most at the expense of the Philip family. I suggest you entrust Miss Vero with conveying messages. Perhaps her coming to the Caucasus this time already signifies something on Galle’s part.”