Chapter 192 Nip the Seeds of Revenge in the Bud
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Ayumu growled under his breath, a low, frustrated “Grr…” escaping his clenched teeth.
It was obvious he was fuming, and who could blame him? Ever since that day, the trade routes—Keldan’s lifeblood—had been choked off by petty nobles nursing grudges. They’d blocked shipments, hired thugs to steal goods, and sabotaged every effort to keep commerce flowing. Desperate, Ayumu had sent a letter to Emperor Rai via his trusted skyrunner, Alma, begging for aid.
But the reply that arrived earlier? A gut punch. “You aided Aare, and I owe you,” it read, “but as a symbol of Yugan’s unity, I cannot favor you alone. Seek reconciliation through dialogue.” That was it. No help, just platitudes.
Disappointment crashed over Ayumu like a tidal wave. He’d hoped to resolve this peacefully, but this response? It was beyond unexpected—it was a betrayal.
Hiyori and the others hovered nearby, their faces etched with guilt. “Sorry, Sanai…” Hiyori murmured, her voice small. “This is our fault…”
”It’s not your fault,” Ayumu said firmly, his tone softening but still edged with frustration. “Don’t apologize. Never think this is on you.”
He hadn’t expected much from the indecisive Emperor Rai, but this? This left no room for talk. Dialogue was useless now. The only path left was to take matters into his own hands.
Maybe it was time to stop hesitating.
”No choice left,” Ayumu declared, his voice steady with resolve. “We mobilize the army.”
Yoluminette’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, Your Excellency!” she cried, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush. “Moving the Domain Army near the capital without permission? They’ll suspect treason! Please, reconsider, Your Excellency!”
Ayumu’s gaze didn’t waver. He knew the risks. “Your concern’s valid, Yoluminette,” he said, his tone calm but unyielding. “But we can’t sit idly by while Keldan crumbles. I’ll take full responsibility. If anyone calls this reckless, I’ll draft a memorandum to shield you and the others. Now, summon the officers and muster the troops—before any stop orders come from above.”
* * *
”Alright, everyone,” Ayumu began, addressing the gathered commanders, his voice carrying a weight that silenced the room. “You’ve all seen the reports. The Minor Nobles’ League has been strangling our trade, and the situation’s dire. We’ve asked them, time and again, to negotiate fairly. They’ve refused, stonewalling us at every turn. As a last resort, I appealed to His Majesty, Emperor Rai…”
He paused, letting the words hang. Alize, Whitney, Evri, Sera, Yahaha, and Yuvus stood before him, their expressions shifting from tense to grim as he outlined the attack plan. Some faces hardened; others grew somber, but all listened intently.
”…and so,” Ayumu continued, his voice firm, “I’ve concluded that further talks only endanger our people’s lives and livelihoods. By the authority granted to me by His Majesty, I hereby declare we will eliminate the Minor Nobles’ League by force. I need you, our commanders, to prepare for swift, discreet military action.”
He raised a hand, forestalling objections. “I promise you this: I’ll do everything to ensure you face no repercussions. I’ve drafted orders taking full responsibility for this operation. These documents will be distributed—keep them safe. If anyone questions you, show them these.”
His speech done, Ayumu dove into specifics: timelines, targets, retreat routes if resistance proved fierce, and rules of engagement if locals sided with the nobles. “Our targets are the lords’ manors,” he said, his voice cold. “Minimize civilian casualties, including servants. But if anyone resists or shows defiance, you’re authorized to neutralize them—lethally if needed.”
He leaned forward, his gaze intense. “The nobles themselves, their families, their kin—eliminate them. No mercy, not even for children or the elderly. It’s harsh, I know, but we must crush any chance of revenge. Make examples of them. Display the bodies, let their troops loot the manors, but don’t get so caught up you forget to burn them down.”
It was ruthless, but half-measures wouldn’t do. Ayumu ordered the total destruction of enemy holdings to send a message. In this otherworld, his methods were still tame by some standards.
Yoluminette and the others didn’t object. No one questioned the orders, though the weight of burning allies’ manors—provocative allies, but allies nonetheless—left their expressions far from cheerful.
* * *
As the troops mobilized, Ayumu’s wealth ensured efficiency. Carriages for soldiers rolled out quietly, two units at a time, spaced far apart to avoid attention as they left Keldan. Ammunition wagons, loaded with arrows and crossbow bolts, kept their curtains drawn to avoid suspicion.
The gate guards at Livonia, the neighboring state capital, didn’t notice anything amiss until the third unit passed in the distance, with the fourth already departing Keldan.
”Look at that,” one guard muttered, squinting. “Keldan’s marching again? Another drill?”
His partner laughed. “Hah, probably bored out of their minds. The Minor Nobles’ League has them locked down tight.”
”Ugh, glad I’m not in Keldan’s army,” another said, chuckling. “Daily drills? No thanks.”
”Yeah, you’re too lazy for that,” the first teased, grinning.
But as the third unit rolled out, a few guards frowned. “Three units?” one said, scratching his head. “That’s… unusual for Keldan.”
”Eh, maybe they’re just mixing it up,” another shrugged.
By the time the fourth unit appeared, even the lax guards grew uneasy. “Okay, this is too much,” one said, voice tight. “Something’s up.”
”Anything in the reports?” another asked. “If something was happening, Livonia would’ve heard, right?”
”Nope, nothing from the night shift.”
As they debated, more Keldan units slipped out, one after another. By the time the guards decided to report it, the seventh and eighth units had passed, and the thirteenth was already gone.
* * *
Using a compact radio carriage, Ayumu sent word to Yoluminette’s and Alize’s units. Both confirmed they’d reached their targets. He issued the attack order without hesitation. “Let’s begin,” he said, his voice low but resolute.
Alize’s unit included Lavri’s and Yahaha’s teams, while Yoluminette’s had Sera and Yuvus. Whitney’s team stayed with Ayumu. The nobles’ lands were close, so they carried only enough rations for the mission but brought an abundance of healing potions. They were ready, their goal singular: the nobles’ deaths.
”Your Excellency,” Whitney reported, her voice crisp, “the battle lines are formed. Your orders?”
”Good,” Ayumu replied, his tone steady. “Advance the troops.”
”Battalion!” Whitney bellowed. “Forward!”
With the military band’s music echoing, the combat units surged ahead, ready for war.
From the village side, guards first heard a distant drumming. At first, only the keen-eared villagers noticed. Soon, the rhythmic beat grew louder, clearer—an ominous sound that set everyone on edge.
Wooden defenses and stakes existed for monstrous beasts or enemy troops, but morale was low. A real army could easily breach these fortifications.
The guards assembled at the gate, all militiamen with basic infantry training, their expressions pale and anxious.
Then, accompanied by martial music, a previously unseen army appeared. Their formations were perfect, matching the discipline of the northern troops led by Duke Merizaev. Standardized armor and weapons reached even the foot soldiers. Among them were even advanced Valend Cave Kingdom thunder rifles and mechanical crossbows—elite equipment normally reserved for Duke Ralka’s central army.
The standard carried by the flagbearer depicted calendula herbs and potions, signaling their medical and magical capabilities.
The mysterious army took position atop a strategic hill overlooking the village. A young man’s voice thundered across the valley:
”Defenders of this village! I am Sanai Ayumu, Special Honorary Count of Keldan, serving the Second-Third Emperor Rai of Yugan!”
”My demand is simple! Surrender the minor noble family you serve, or open the gates now! Resist, and I will act—forcefully!”
The guards, unfamiliar with loudspeakers, trembled in fear.
”Wha—? I heard a voice from so far away!”
”Magic, maybe?”
”No, it didn’t feel like mana. How is this possible?”
”Anyway, consult the lord! Send a messenger!”
The minor noble in charge reacted furiously when asked for guidance.
”What? Do you expect me to hand over my life and family?” he shouted, overturning a platter in anger.
”No, Your Excellency!” his subordinates stammered, sweat on their brows.
”Fine! That young man’s army is all show! Attack him now!”
”Yes, Your Excellency! Please command the defense!”
But the noble had no valor to protect his family or troops.
Time passed. Ayumu, growing impatient, picked up the microphone:
”You shouldn’t have tested my patience…” he muttered, issuing the attack order.
”Commence assault!”
”Understood, Honorary Count!”
Crossbow squads advanced, loading explosive bolts, aiming at the gates. The volley was precise and devastating; wooden barriers shattered with thunderous crashes.
The villagers and militia, panicked, fled to churches and meeting halls, praying to the goddess for safety.
The Domain Army pressed forward relentlessly, breaking defenses and creating gaps for light infantry to infiltrate. The militiamen’s morale collapsed instantly—they surrendered or ran without a fight.
The Keldan Domain Army marched confidently toward the obese viscount’s mansion.
”Ahhhh!”
The fat viscount shouted orders to defend himself, but no one followed. His staff abandoned him immediately. Bound and forced to kneel before Ayumu, the viscount and his family were utterly defeated.
Even as he cursed, claiming superiority over the Domain Army’s personnel, he was beaten by his own infantry.
Ayumu extinguished his cigar, muttering, “Trying to sound heroic, huh? Typical small fry. And—goodbye, Countess.”
He thought, What nerve—causing all this disruption in the trade routes and still making demands…
Ayumu ordered his subordinates to behead everyone in the viscount’s household—mistresses, children included. Naturally, the viscount and his family trembled in horror.
”W-what…?! You killer! You want to—kill our children too?! You’re the embodiment of a demon!” they screamed, pleading.
But if he had intended to spare their lives for something so trivial, he wouldn’t have undertaken such a drastic course of action in the first place.
”If saving their lives were my goal, I wouldn’t have taken such extreme measures from the start… A frog’s child is a frog, a lion’s child is a lion. Do you think I would leave the possibility of your children seeking revenge?” Ayumu said coldly, issuing the order again.
”Kill them…!” he commanded, as the viscount’s shrieking, hideous children wailed, begging for their lives. Ayumu watched silently, seeing the full outcome of what he had set in motion.
Once every head was struck down, he had the corpses impaled and displayed. He looted the viscount’s mansion—artworks, glassware, silver dishes, wooden plates, even the largest cooking spoons. Finally, he ordered the infantry to set the estate ablaze, tossing his cigar into the roaring flames to mark the completion of the mission.
Hours later, after receiving reports that the other Yoluminette and Alize units had completed their objectives, a missive arrived from Elma, the Emperor’s Sky Runner: “Cease all military action immediately!”
By then, however, Ayumu had already left behind a stockpile of healing potions for the village, loaded the spoils from the viscount’s mansion, and was on his way back.
Elma turned pale at the sight of the blazing viscount’s mansion and the gruesome display of children impaled as a warning. Realizing everything had already been done, she cast a reproachful glance at Ayumu and asked, “Was it really necessary to go this far?”
Ayumu simply replied, “As someone who had been underestimated as a noble, I had my reasons,” and quietly began the return journey to Keldan with his army.
Notes:
• Yoluminette – Elandric warrior from Keldan, tall and sharp-eyed; first in Ch.146; master swordswoman using Ten-Man Slash; no family known; fought and slew bandits before Ayumu arrived, then joined his forces; stoic yet prideful, often escalates fights over petty things like cream puffs. takes “senpai” pride very seriously
• Whitney – Elandric knight from Keldan, sharp-featured with silver hair and pale eyes | First in Ch.163 | Skilled duelist and loyal swordswoman | Family unknown | Close friend of Sera and often seen at her side | Competed fiercely over cream puffs with Alize during the welcome party | Unique note: calm and poised yet instantly turns competitive over desserts
• Yuvus – Human from Domain Army, handsome and disciplined; first in Ch.163; skilled knight swordsman; no family mentioned; rose quickly and was made Ayumu’s young knight; clashes with Half-Elves, especially Myucel, but loyal to Ayumu; cold pride hides strict loyalty.
• Alize – Nelrearian knight from Keldan, dark bronze skin with wavy chestnut hair | First in Ch.163 | Agile swordfighter and quick thinker | Family unknown | Rival toward Whitney despite working alongside her | Fiercely fought her over cream puffs at the welcome party | Unique note: normally composed but loses all restraint when sweets are involved
• Evri – Recon squad junior from Keldan, sharp and fiery; first in Ch.163; skilled scout and quick with blade; family unknown; serves under Yoluminette, often competes with her; bold yet respectful; unique note: turned a welcome party into chaos by dueling Yoluminette over a cream puff.
• Sera – Leader of Keldan’s bowguard squad, calm and reliable yet fiercely competitive; first in Ch.163; best friend of Whitney; known for her sharp aim and discipline; usually the peacemaker but has a secret hot-blooded streak; unique note: once escalated a petty cream puff dispute by declaring her claim with drawn bow in front of everyone.
• Valend Cave Kingdom – Dwarven realm mentioned in the map.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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