Episode 118 Son of Poncello - The Saga of Lioncourt

Lioncourt, Bachelard, and the mobilization in the northeastern regions... This will result in the largest deployment of troops in the history of the Lioncourt Kingdom. Due to the impact of the Bachelard campaign last year, the mobilization in Lioncourt and Bachelard is gradual. However, it's inconceivable that the entire army would fall below 5,000 soldiers. On the other hand, there is the Baron Cocteau's army... After the thrashing we gave them last year, it should be in a decimated state. During such times, soldiers would not gather; rather, they would flee. Even if they manage to scrape together some troops, reaching 500 is doubtful, and 600 is out of the question. They shouldn’t have any reinforcements to count on. ... I shouldn't be complacent, but if this goes well, we shouldn't lose at all... Come to think of it, this might be the first time we enter a war where we overwhelm the enemy from the very start. I am currently standing on the walls of the fortress city of Portou, watching the soldiers of the Lioncourt territory gathering in numbers. Unusually, I don't have any guards with me. Near the castle gates, I spotted a young Lioncourt lad, shouldering a spear and running towards us. With tattered leather armor, a war helmet, a spear, and a wooden shield... He's rather well-equipped. This mobilization was made partially voluntary, yet we already surpassed the thousand-mark in assembled soldiers. This is because I am strong in battle. Winning in battle brings honor, money, women—everything one might desire is attainable... There are even some who participate just for the opportunity to earn a bit of money. A strong commander has the power to draw soldiers together... The soldiers gathering under me in Lioncourt are utterly convinced that "there's no way we can lose," and their morale is exceedingly high. "Young master, I've been looking for you." Jiro approached, scratching his head. He is probably nurturing lice. "What is it?" "It's about time. We've got a little over a thousand." I nodded, saying, "You're right," and looked out over the city. I saw a group of about a few dozen... Probably the force led by one of the knight families. "Shall we depart once they arrive?" "Got it." Jiro and I headed towards the plaza together. "Jiro, is your daughter getting along well with Roro's son?" "Haha, he's more than we deserve as a son-in-law. He offered to take my place in the battle this time, but I insisted that it was not possible until a son is born..." Roro's eldest son had married Jiro's daughter. It seemed the couple was in harmony. As we descended the castle walls, engaged in trivial conversation, I noticed the young man from earlier. His face, still holding a trace of innocence... He probably wasn't even twenty. "That's a fine spear. Did you inherit it from your father?" When I suddenly addressed him, the young man was taken aback, exclaiming, "Whoa! Lord Varian!" almost falling on his backside in surprise. "Hey, shouldn't you be calling him His Majesty? The young master is a king now." Jiro scolded the young man, not realizing the contradiction as he himself used "young master." ...Well, it's alright... I chuckled and reassured Jiro, saying, "It's fine." "Sorry for startling you. I just thought it's impressive for someone young to have such good gear... Did you inherit it from your father?" The young man, with a blush on his face, replied energetically, "Yes, I did!" "What's your name? Your father's and yours, if you please." "Yes! My father is Lulu, Lulu Emone. My name, no, I mean, I am Guy Emone!" As the young man displayed unexpected politeness, I felt something clicking in my memory. ...Emone, Emone... That name rings a bell... I tilted my head, pondering. "Could it be, is Luka Emone your relative?" "Yes! He's my brother! I inherited this triangular helmet from him." Luka Emone was a former comrade who had died in battle. While he hadn't distinguished himself much, he was one of the longest-serving members from the time of the Velger subjugation... If I recall, he died in the northeastern region. "I see, quite an age gap then... Luka was courageous, you know. I can't tell you how many times he saved my life. Truly a Lioncourt man." While those words were partly lip service, they weren't lies. It's a means to boost a subordinate's spirits. With just that, Guy lowered his head and tears started to fall. Even after his brother's death, the fact that his lord praised his honor must have moved him. For some reason, Jiro was also crying in sympathy, "Waaah." "Guy, become a man who surpasses your brother. Strive hard." I patted his shoulder and left the scene. "Jiro, stop crying." "Well, isn't it a nice story?" Jiro sniffled, clearly moved, and kept praising Guy. It seemed he had taken quite a liking to him. ...Perhaps Jiro sees his fallen son in Guy... Jiro's son, who died young in battle, would have been around the same age as Guy. The memory of Jiro's son—it’s a bitter one. Remembering it made me understand Jiro's affection for Guy. "He's a fine young man. If he desires it, I'd like to give him a chance to rise... Polite and a bona fide commoner." I turned around, observing the soldiers... The enthusiastic volunteers were generally young. "They are young. I don't want them to die." I muttered, and Jiro nodded confidently. ……………… We headed straight for Bachelard Castle. Even after departure, a few trickled in, bringing the total number of Lioncourt soldiers to about 1,200. More than anticipated. At Bachelard Castle, troops had already gathered, and Jose and Poncello greeted us. "Roro, let the soldiers rest. I’ll go gather the reports myself." Leaving my escort behind, I moved to one of the rooms inside. It’s not appropriate to hear reports out in the plaza. "There are fewer soldiers than expected. Haven't they gathered?" "No, Sir Simon has already led about 200 to aid Baron Guy. We're left with about 600 who can be deployed now." Poncello immediately answered my query. "Was that Simon's unilateral decision?" "No, Baron Guy reported concerns about low morale and inadequate numbers after last year's battle. Sir Simon volunteered, and it was after coordinating with us that he set out." Poncello answered with a casual demeanor, but slightly closing his eyes suggested he was hiding his true feelings. ...I see, so it was a unilateral decision... but since Poncello is covering for him, it likely wasn't reckless... "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble with my son. You must be tolerant." I allowed myself a wry smile, to which Poncello replied ambiguously, "No." "Excuse me, but may I have a moment? There’s a matter where we require His Majesty's judgment." Jose deftly intervened at a perfect moment. Poncello appeared relieved, even if his expression didn’t exactly show it... These two are entrusted with governing the former Bachelard territories, and they make a great team. Poncello is the hard approach, and Jose compliments as the soft. A precisely balanced duo indeed. "What’s the issue?" "Yes, Baron Cocteau has already sent signals for surrender. His elder half-brother, Sir Lamine de Cocteau, is a sensible gentleman in his mid-forties." Jose didn't describe him as an envoy or a military messenger but rather as "signals." It likely wasn't a formal envoy. More of a secretive emissary. From the sound of it, Jose had already conversed with this emissary extensively. Even though the information he relayed was scant, knowing even this much before meeting them makes a significant difference. "Alright, let's meet. Jose, Poncello, you've been a great help. Leaving Bachelard to the two of you was the right decision." I expressed my gratitude to them, and Jose departed to summon Baron Cocteau's elder half-brother. This left just me and Poncello in the room. "Hey, Poncello... So, Sandra... I heard she recently had a child." Poncello responded with a short "Yes"... Sandra, Poncello's wife, was once my mistress. She has a child from a previous marriage that Poncello is currently raising. It's a delicate topic to bring up, but this might be an opportunity. I rarely get a chance to speak one-on-one with Poncello, separated from my guards. "Are you planning to pass your estate on to Sandra's son? I was thinking of increasing the portion allocated to your son..." Poncello offered a wry smile, replying, "No need to worry." "My son's hair isn't black. It's gray... A bit browner than mine, but he does resemble me quite a bit." "I see... But your son will still need an estate, right?" It seems the child isn't mine. A sigh of relief escaped me. "No, I'm just a humble commoner who served as a guard. I was fortunate to meet you, Lord Varian, and unexpectedly became a knight, gaining a title... To aspire for more would be tempting fate. I wasn't born to fly any higher... I plan to have my son serve his elder brother." Poncello's response was philosophical in nature. If he has no intentions of accepting additional land, it's not my place to insist further. Everyone has personal beliefs and family matters to consider. Footsteps approached... Just in time, Jose returned. This is a complete aside, but 'Poncello's eldest son' and Varian never met. If they had, it would have been immediately obvious that 'Poncello's eldest son' did not have gray hair. However, their paths never crossed... and that's all there was to it. This child of Poncello ended up serving his elder brother and fulfilled his life that way. It is said that he possessed an exceptionally robust physique. ……………… "We have no intention of clashing with the Lioncourt Kingdom. We merely seek to denounce the perfidy of Knight Ge..." The secret envoy from Baron Cocteau defended the current events with all his might. His eloquence demonstrated why he was chosen to be sent in such a tense situation; Lamine de Cocteau's rhetoric was quite sharp. He meticulously explained that the fault lay with Ge, that no armed conflict had occurred yet, and that Ge had unnecessarily escalated matters. ...Hmm, did we rush things? No, I can't just take Cocteau's words at face value... I exaggeratedly shook my head, letting out a sigh. "Lord Cocteau, may I refer to you as Lamine to avoid confusion with the baron?" Upon confirmation, Lamine nodded, saying, "Of course." "Lamine, I've heard your side, but Baron Ge is a lord of the Lioncourt Kingdom. Simply claiming the other party is at fault isn't a valid reason for us to overlook things." "But that's a misunderstanding..." Lamine leaned forward, his face turning pale, but Jose intervened to stop him. This is not a formal diplomatic setting; it's still at the 'preliminary discussion' stage. Only me, Lamine, Jose, and Poncello were present. He isn't a formal envoy, merely a secret emissary... Even Baron Cocteau cannot afford to formally surrender without engaging in battle. ...They care about appearances to this extent. But that's a fatal mistake... If they had the boldness to surrender outright, the situation might have taken a different path, but negotiations through a secret envoy aren't sufficient. ...He wouldn't get along with Ge... Baron Ge had the audacity to seek surrender singlehandedly at the opportune moment. Just that level of daring sets him apart from the face-saving Baron Cocteau. "Our conditions for surrender are the heads of Baron Cocteau and his children, cession of territory, plundering within their lands, an apology and reparations to Baron Ge, and joining under Lioncourt's protection thereafter. That's all." In essence, it spelled the downfall of House Cocteau. "That's far too much..." "Lamine, you should succeed the baron. Yes, that would be ideal... Let's add that to the conditions." I motioned to Jose to take that as the conclusion of our conversation, and together with a dejected Lamine, he left the room. If the baron learns of the condition for Lamine to succeed him, he'd likely suspect Lamine of betrayal. The baron probably already feels betrayed by Ge. Adding suspicion of his kin's suspicious actions... It's unlikely Lamine will return for further negotiations. ...Lamine has the gift of gab... I wouldn't want to be out-debated in front of others... Apologies to Lamine, but this is where his part ends. "Poncello, I will stand by until our troops gather. In the meantime, I'd like you to join Simon and Ge and suppress the upstarts." "Understood, I'll head out with about 500 men. We'll move in accordance with the main army's concentration." Poncello grasped the situation well. This is the moment to mobilize a large force for a decisive victory. Ge and Simon's alliance alone would likely mean victory in battle, but that wouldn’t suffice. With a major force, we seek a complete win, showcasing Lioncourt's prowess. "Sorry for entrusting you with babysitting. There's hardly anyone else I could rely on but you, Poncello." This wasn't meant as flattery. Poncello had been instructing Simon in strategy and tactics in real combat, almost like a mentor. He is a rare individual capable of managing our son. Poncello flashed a small smile and responded briefly, "Leave it to me."