Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Though the Female Fox is Absent, the Tanuki Maiden is Here!
  『Wow, everyone is really staring at me, Claude.』
  『It seems they don’t intend to fight to the last soldier after all.』
  
  Glancing around amidst the occasional creaking of the giant knight frames and the scraping of their external armor, I hesitate to take charge, even though I am a king of a neighboring country, and thus, merely a reinforcement.
  
  As I felt a bit intimidated, a Begalta equipped with a slightly damaged assault spear, from the allied forces who agreed to a temporary ceasefire while holding an advantageous position in their own territory, approached.
  
  『Eckhart Felda, Commander of the 2nd Company of the Western Expeditionary Force. In the main unit, I serve as an assistant to the Knight Captain. Please pardon my informality, given the battlefield.』
  
  『Don’t mind it. I don’t like formalities.』
  
  When I urged him to continue with a straightforward attitude, he briefly explained the current chain of command after turning the pseudo-eyeballs of his frame towards the commander’s knight that had been grounded some distance away.
  
  First, due to the unexpected long-range bombardment, the airship “Count Zeppelin,” carrying the Lord Nina Valer, retreated near the small city for safety. Aynst, who was entrusted with full authority of the territorial army, was defeated by the four-armed giant knight, and the civilian-born adjutant is commanding the rear forces to prepare for subsequent supplies and repairs.
  
  『As a result, I have temporarily assumed command. However, it was the dual-wielding swordsman of your country who defeated the enemy commander. I believe it would be presumptuous of me to take further action.』
  
  Though I sense an intention to shift responsibility behind his courteous demeanor, it seems that there are no major officers remaining on the Rigsia side either, so we should call for their surrender.
  
  Resigned to the inevitable, I faced the enemy forces who were watching our actions while forming a semicircle with the remaining knights. Then, a hidden telepathic communication line connected from the Clawsolas L-type, the Captain’s knight, and the mage Fine, who was cunning despite her lovely appearance, offered a suggestion.
  
  『Your Majesty, in this situation… it would be best to prioritize…』
  『I see. That would be in our national interest.』
  
  『Ugh, my childhood friend is so cunning, a real tanuki maiden!』
  『Fufu, I’ll take that as a compliment, Revia.』
  
  Accepting the proposal of the flax-colored haired maiden who responded with a cheerful demeanor, I confronted the Rigsian forces in battle formation once more.
  
  Each knight was damaged to some extent, and their numbers had dwindled to about 1/5 of their initial strength, putting them at a disadvantage. I spoke, assuming they wouldn’t refuse.
  
  『If we continue this bloodshed, it will be nothing more than a private feud. I urge you to surrender.』
  
  『… Though it’s regrettable, we’ll accept.』
  『We don’t want to die a pointless death either.』
  
  Expressing understanding for the expected responses, I nodded my own knight’s head with a dignified air, and then, for once acting like a king, declared with authority.
  
  『In the name of the current Knight King, I shall take you all into custody. Well, until this matter is resolved, considering the safety of your families, you will be treated as prisoners of war.』
  
  Implicitly vowing not to involve Lady White Fox of Zephyrus Domain, I also hinted at my intention to take in valuable human resources, along with their families and knights, and guaranteed treatment that included the option of asylum.
  
  The Rigsian knights and mages, who sensed a catch in my roundabout words, interpreted them to their own advantage and threw down their mounted weapons.
  
  On the other hand, among the Zephyrus forces, an air of “Wasn’t that hasty?” began to drift regarding the transfer of judgment, and silent criticism pierced Commander Eckhart.
  
  『Ugh… I apologize, King Claude. It’s hard to say, but if our Lady or Sir Aynst get angry, I’d like you to put in a good word for me.』
  
  『Don’t expect too much from me. I’m not good with arguments.』
  
  I brushed him off lightly, as I didn’t think I could win against Nina, and after having the surrendered Imperial Faction Gladius assume a stationary position, I instructed everyone to dismount from their knights.
  
  I watched as the weary pilots descended to the plains using the built-in lifting wire pedals, waiting until their knights ceased to be a potential threat.
  
  As I was observing the smoothly progressing situation, Dino, who had been keeping a vigilant eye out, seemed to have spotted something and moved one hand of his modified Guardia.
  
  At the spot indicated by his steel fingertip stood a scout wearing a grass-green hooded camouflage cloak, showing us a rugged signal pistol and a pale green smoke grenade.
  
  『Commander Xenos, can we assume that minimal security has been established?』
  『Yes, the battle has already ended.』
  
  After a brief telepathic exchange, I nodded to Belphegor, and the somewhat familiar figure skillfully handled the break-action pistol and fired it straight up.
  
  Simultaneously with the ejection of the paper cartridge caused by the explosion of the black powder at the base of the cartridge, the chemical reaction of the propellant began with the burning of the fuse inside. The parachute at the head of the cartridge, pushed by the pressure of the gas, opened at its highest point.
  
  Due to the precisely calculated time delay, the slow-burning fuse finally ignited the smoke agent, creating a pale green color in the air for about ten seconds. Although the effective visual range was around 4km, since the relay scout had been dispatched to an appropriate location, they should notice it unless something extraordinary happened.
  
  『Are you calling for the rear support unit?』
  『Yes, I have them hidden in the shallower parts of the forest.』
  
  When I asked about the Zephyrus side, Commander Eckhart, who was somewhat evasive, told me that the cavalry unit should arrive in about a quarter of an hour and the transport corps in half an hour.
  
  『Hmm, so you have a means of communication other than smoke grenades.』
  『Well, that is…』
  
  As Revia, who had bluntly pointed it out despite the fact that we had deliberately avoided the topic, predicted, it seemed they had something like a small telepathy device that infantry could carry.
  
  Since signal flares carry the risk of revealing one’s location, I considered negotiating with Nina to get one.
  
  ‘Just like in Japan, the engineers in Lizel are good at imitation and improvement.’
  
  While secretly considering how to deal with the captured Rigsian soldiers, the unit under Cavalry Captain Aldo, who had emerged from the forest, arrived first and, under Commander Xenos’ instructions, began to respectfully detain the Rigsian soldiers.
  
  Once that was done, the transport corps with their slow-moving wagons also caught up, and shortly after, under the gently floating airship, each unit belonging to the mixed brigade of the Zephyrus territorial army arrived in turn.