Chapter 139
Chapter 139: Joint Training
Hey there, it’s Zilbagias, still being taken care of at the chief’s mansion.
It’s been about a week since I came back to the village. I had a ton of trouble right after arriving, what with the fight at the banquet and the duel with the sheltered daughter, but finally, things have settled down and I’m enjoying some peaceful days.
But honestly, the original purpose of my return home was to find my companions and prepare for joint training for the upcoming spring deployment.
It’s kind of ridiculous that I’ve been busy with duels and whatnot.
Anyway, I’ve almost finalized my companions.
Today is serious marching training, so I’ve brought everyone out to the outskirts.
First up is the eldest of the three idiots, Albar Aoril.
“Yo, nice to meet ya!”
Next is the easy-going, low-key younger brother, Oke Knight.
“I’ll do my best, nice to meet you!”
And finally, the mischievous twin brother, Seire Knight.
“Hey there, how’s it going?”
These three are the younger lot. There were a few other candidates and volunteers from the younger generation, but they turned out to be total weaklings who went down with just one hit, so they got filtered out.
At first glance, Albar Aoril and the others seem a bit flashy, but their spear skills are surprisingly solid; they can withstand my and Platy’s attacks at least three times.
On top of that, they’ve shown toughness in our repeated practical training and strong bite in maintaining their secrets even under interrogation by the Night Elf Maids, which got them recruited.
(I had given them a little secret, just to test if they could stay quiet when questioned by the Night Elves later. It was a silly trap, but some dimwit blabbed even though he was stronger with a spear than the three idiots, so he got rejected.)
Honestly, I’d have preferred taking along some low-level enemies that I could take out in one hit.
“Well, I can’t just say I want weak companions, can I?”
That would seem unnatural. Besides, Platy wouldn’t allow it anyway.
And of course, the people who fight alongside me can’t just be younglings.
The so-called older group became my subordinates too.
“Your Highness, thank you for your guidance today.”
Bowing respectfully, fully armed, are five familiar-looking demon race men.
“Nice to meet you, Kuvirtar.”
I returned their salute royal-style.
—Yeah, these are the warrior guards who completely failed to do anything when I faced off against Faravgi.
It seems they’ve come to redeem themselves for their honor. Essentially, Kuvirtar is my second-in-command now.
It’s extremely rare for someone who made such an utter blunder in failing to guard me and arriving late to be appointed a responsible position like vice commander.
However, perhaps Platy thought, once she’d calmed down, that since she had ordered them to guard from afar, she had perhaps been a bit harsh in blaming them.
By the way, Kuvirtar is a Count, and the other four are Viscounts. However, they can all be promoted if they take even one more head, making them a group led by a Count.
Albar Aoril, one of the three idiots, is a Viscount, the same rank as me. The two younger brothers are Barons, apparently. They’re small fry like younglings should be.
In the assault on the capital of the Defteros Kingdom—urban warfare and indoor combat—I’ll be fighting alongside these eight.
“It feels a bit few for a royal entourage, but…”
Well, I guess that can’t be helped.
It’s all on account of your powers, Antende.
†††
“—The purpose of this joint training is to deepen mutual understanding,”
Platy, dressed in riding clothes (tribal style), instructs us in the forest training grounds outside.
“We must be able to move as one in preparation for the upcoming assault on the capital of the Defteros Kingdom next spring. Your missions are to serve as vanguards and support for Zilbagias, and in case we encounter a strong enemy, to protect him with your lives.”
She shot a fierce glare at us, making sure we understood. The eight of us, standing at attention, straightened our backs even more, especially since the three idiots looked like they might topple over from how far they were leaning back.
Platy gracefully brushed it off.
“Except for Diagias, who runs around solo, other demon lords typically have between 30 to 50 of their own men, while you will be quite few. But there’s of course a reason for that.”
Platy’s eyes nudged me for the continuation.
“—I have contracted with the ‘Devil of Constraints.’”
I turned to the eight and spoke gravely. The three idiots gulped in unison, having some prior knowledge of my magic. Even though we were just family around, I still had a soundproof barrier just in case.
“I can impose powerful constraints on beings within a certain range, including myself. Just how powerful? Let’s say my mother has trouble resisting it.”
The members of my entourage exchanged shocked looks. After all, a Viscount casting a curse that even the Grand Duchess struggles against is definitely alarming. Platy proudly crossed her arms with a smug grin.
“Well, seeing is believing. —[Breath Forbidden].”
I pulled it out unexpectedly.
And just like that, they found it hard to breathe.
“…!”
Kuvirtar and the others clutched their throats, blinking in confusion. It seems they had a bit of knowledge about my magic, so they weren’t too shocked.
However, while all of them were trying to resist, they were having a tough time shaking it off.
“Cough!”
“Gah…!”
“…! …!”
While Kuvirtar struggled with the magic, the three lower-ranking idiots had no chance of resisting at all. They looked like they’d say “Gah!” if they could, hopping up and down as they clutched their throats and mouths.
“Well, this is the kind of magic it is. I think you understand now.”
I lifted the constraints and resumed speaking. The trio of idiots now had pale blue faces, gasping for air, while the Viscount group looked somewhat frustrated since they hadn’t managed to break free until the end.
Kuvirtar, remaining oddly calm, might have felt he could have wriggled free if he’d actually tried, but perhaps he hesitated in front of me.
“This one’s definitely one to watch.”
Yeah, certainly.
“The effect weakens the farther you are from me, so to maintain the current strength, you’d need to stay within… about 30 paces.”
I continued speaking nonchalantly. In reality, it reaches a bit further.
“My entourage is small yet elite simply because I use magic that involves binding those around me. It would be utter chaos with a large group.”
Got it, nodded the three idiots.
“Honestly, I’d thought of moving solo like the third demon prince, but it turned out that was reckless for my first battle.”
All of them made faces that said, “Yeah, that makes sense.”
Dammit… I wanna be more like Diagias already.
“Am I not doing pretty well like that older brother already? Mostly in terms of woman-related stuff.”
Not talking about that.
Anyway, I talked about the possibility of using constraint magic on the battlefield, emphasizing that my entourage would need to retreat in such cases, thus wanting to train for that scenario.
“Any questions?”
At my inquiry, a young demon among Kuvirtar’s subordinates raised his hand.
“What kind of operations do you envision for the constraint magic, Your Highness?”
“Well, for human races, probably restricting their sword techniques or cooperation.”
“Oh, I see… that’s…”
Eek… with the corner of his mouth twitching, the young demon nodded in understanding.
“Wait a minute, but aren’t you using swords, Your Highness…?”
Oke Knight, one of the three idiots, muttered to himself.
“This is certainly a sword.”
I tapped my Adamas, stored in its sheath.
“—But this is a spear.”
I merged it with bone to draw and turn it into a spear-sword.
“Oh, I see… But if you don’t mind my asking, why are you using a human sword as the tip?”
Albar Aoril inquired.
“That’s… well, it has to do with the constraints. I can’t say much due to the magic, but if I act a bit strangely, it’s related to the constraints. It’s necessary for fostering my power.”
“Got it! That makes sense!”
Satisfied that it was necessary for boosting magic power, Albar Aoril nodded in agreement.
“Um, Your Highness, do you use that magic in your training with the Grand Duchess?”
Curiously asks Seire Knight, the younger brother.
“No. I don’t use it during training with my mother since I don’t want her to know much about it.”
“Wow! That’s awesome; the Grand Duchess can use all sorts of things—oh!”
Uh-oh, Seire Knight hurriedly covered his mouth.
“……”
Since I’m struggling only with the spear and the “name,” it’s like implying that Platy, at a much higher level, is openly showcasing her cards…
Right in front of her…
“Fufufu. That’s right. That’s why he’s my pride and joy.”
Platy’s smile deepened as her eyes narrowed.
A little chilly air lingered around.
“…You are Seire Knight, aren’t you?”
“Y-yes!”
“Later, I’ll give you special training. Since you’ll become Zilbagias’s subordinate, you can’t have half-hearted skills, alright?”
“Ah… Aah, ah!”
Seire Knight trembled, cold sweat dripping as he shook like a leaf.
It’s true what they say: “Loose lips sink ships”… After our marching training, having to spar with Platy is punishment enough.
And guess who gets to treat this guy’s injuries? It’s me…
Please… just try not to get too hurt…!!
“That looks impossible.”
Yeah, I get it.
—So with these heavy vibes, the joint training began.
