Throughout my life in the world of Medieval Knight, I’ve been wary of two types of people: those with a scheming disposition, and those whose outward appearance doesn’t match what’s inside. These two types inevitably cause problems.

In this cutthroat world of nobles where plots run rampant and one wrong step could cost you your head, being wary of such people was only natural. Despite the mockery from those around him, the Count of Baschurten remained calm beneath the surface, contrary to his outward demeanor.

If he had bowed his head as if seething under the weight of contemptuous stares, wouldn’t the natural emotional response have been anger?

Maintaining composure in a situation where anger would be the obvious reaction was unnatural. The Count of Baschurten’s words and actions didn’t match what was going on inside him.

That’s when I began to harbor reasonable suspicion.

There had been a similar case during the Euz-Épinay war.

The envoy who had condemned me for stealing Mont Blanc through cowardly thievery had displayed behavior in which his exterior and interior didn’t match. Noting that the Count of Épinay was hot-tempered, I had anticipated a surprise attack.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is a saying that applies in both the East and the West. At the time, the plan to lure our main force to the Meriant Plain and then launch a surprise attack had been quite deadly.

But the enemy was crushed by Michael and me, who had set a trap and were lying in wait, and this turned the tide, leading to Épinay’s defeat. I led the remaining troops in a breakneck pursuit and ambushed the fleeing Count of Épinay, capturing him.

My reputation skyrocketed because of that battle.

And I was granted Feuzen and became a lord.

So right now, I was picking up a similar scent. If I could prove the Count of Baschurten’s suspicious behavior, couldn’t I turn the tables and drive the rebels into a trap?

While I was mulling over various possibilities, a messenger from Breisburg finally arrived.

"His Grace the Grand Duke has declared the commencement of hostilities!"

The declaration of war and the order to commence hostilities!

The Duchy of Beren was finally in a state of war. The messenger’s report, arriving in the middle of the strategy meeting, instantly weighed down the atmosphere. The lords’ expressions were grave yet tinged with excitement.

For them, war was a golden opportunity to profit. Defeat would bring considerable losses, but they would still remain lords commanding their own domains.

"It’s finally begun. A civil war between the Grand Duke and the Duke."

"Even close brothers ultimately race toward ruin when power is at stake."

The Count of Essenbach seemed to view the Altringen royal family’s current situation with cynicism. The lords probably had no idea. Those two brothers had never been close to begin with.

They smiled on the outside, but behind the scenes, they had been sharpening their knives at each other.

And this civil war had been foreseen from the moment Grand Duke Karlus ascended to the throne.

To the lords, ignorant of the inside story, it simply looked like a fight between brothers blinded by power. The Crown Prince was no different. He too had viewed the Duke of Radensdorf favorably.

The Count of Essenbach spoke.

"Now that the declaration of war is in effect, our first priority should be deciding where we’ll fight."

"Well said. The rebels will be looking for a suitable battlefield too, so shouldn’t we seize the initiative?"

Count Belfort was taciturn and rarely joined conversations, and the Count of Baschurten sat in sullen silence despite his obvious displeasure, so Count Essenbach and Count Euz ended up leading the discussion. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

I stepped in at an appropriate moment.

"The rebel army centered around Basel has limited routes of advance. To march quickly on Breisburg, they’ll have to pass through this area."

I pointed my baton at a section of the map of southern Rosenheim spread across the round table. Hissen had been one of the major flashpoints between Rosenheim and Basel, and it was simultaneously a gateway to Breisburg.

The other routes were full of mountains and forests with no proper roads, so securing Hissen, the fastest route, was the rebels’ top priority. Count Euz spoke.

"We should keep in mind Basel’s specialty of tying down the Burgundians with guerrilla warfare during the great war."

"Hmm, so you’re saying there’s a possibility he’ll launch a surprise attack on Hissen the moment war is declared?"

"He’ll undoubtedly act on his own. He knows Hissen’s importance better than anyone."

The Count of Essenbach understood Hissen’s strategic value.

Count Belfort, who had been silent until now, addressed me.

"Then shouldn’t we dispatch troops immediately to fortify it?"

"That’s why I’ve already sent the Gale Knights’ vice commander and two squads to prepare."

The Counts of Essenbach and Belfort nodded approvingly, seemingly pleased that I had acted a step ahead. The core of the main strategy was to engage the enemy’s main force with Hissen as the focal point.

"They may already be under attack, so we should appoint a deputy commander quickly. Even if the Lord of Feuzen took appropriate measures, there are limits to what a small force can hold."

"Your Highness, which of our lords will you appoint as deputy commander?"

Choosing a deputy commander was an extremely sensitive matter, and the lords could come to blows if things went sideways. Armies didn’t just fight on a single battlefield; they often formed multiple fronts.

That made a deputy commander essential for wrangling the fractious lords, aside from the supreme commander. At least we were fortunate that the Crown Prince held the title of supreme commander, appointed by the Grand Duke himself.

Just look at the Euz-Épinay war. Count Euz and my father-in-law had struggled over who held the initiative. They ultimately cooperated and won, but the process was anything but smooth.

After deliberating, the Crown Prince chose the Count of Essenbach.

He cited the fact that Essenbach had contributed the largest force as justification.

Count Euz and Count Belfort accepted the Count of Essenbach as deputy commander. In truth, the most common cause of disputes was when lords brought forces of similar size.

But the Count of Essenbach?

He had brought more than twice the troops of any other lord.

It was proof of massive financial investment, making the Crown Prince’s choice easy.

In any case, the first round of organization was completed without incident.

Next came the division of roles. Supply duty, which the lords wanted no part of, naturally fell to me. The lords all wanted to win great glory on the battlefield, because glory meant money.

I was completely outranked in seniority.

No matter how highly regarded a knight I was, making my voice heard among them was an uphill battle. So my job became managing supplies and reserves, filling in the gaps.

But since those reserves consisted of the 850-strong Rosenheim army, it wasn’t a bad deal. Where else would I get the chance to command this many soldiers? I had to think of it as practice for the future.

The Count of Baschurten seemed uninterested in the meeting itself, but he was clearly watching and waiting. The other counts had no interest in anything he had to say, so his presence faded into the background.

But he had no idea that I was monitoring his mental state through the Scouter. Once I’d realized his exterior and interior didn’t match, keeping my guard up was only natural.

When Hissen was confirmed as the rally point and the order to advance was given, I detected a distinct shift in the Count of Baschurten’s emotions. It wasn’t a normal reaction. It was derision and elation.

What did that combination mean?

It was a dual, complex emotional response.

Derision implies mockery and scorn, and elation is a blend of joy and pleasure. Let me assume, as an extreme hypothesis, that the Count of Baschurten was colluding with the Count of Basel.

What if marching to Hissen was actually the enemy’s trap?

He would be laughing at us for walking straight into it, imagining the humiliation of the Western Lords who had looked down on him. Just the thought of it must have been thrilling. Now it all made sense.

But this was still just speculation.

I needed to find more definitive evidence of cause and effect.

According to Count Euz, the Count of Baschurten had nearly surrendered to Burgundy when attacked, but was narrowly saved by the Count of Basel’s guerrilla campaign. Could something have developed between Basel and Baschurten as a result of that incident?

The Baschurten army numbered only 327.

Wasn’t that far too few compared to the other lords?