Water Magician

Extra 4 Grand Knight Commander and Chief Knight

Editor: Tseirp

In the capital of the Handal Union, Jayclaire, the Governor’s Office.

“Sir, we have a problem!”

Aide Lamber burst in without knocking.

This was extremely unusual and at the same time indicated that something remarkably troublesome had occurred.

In an instant, Lord Aubrey, the Governor of the Union, composed himself and calmly inquired.

“What is it?”

This made Lamber realize just how flustered he had been.

“Just now, it’s been reported that the army of Stra Marquisate has invaded the Kingdom of Knightley.”

“What did you say!”

Even Lord Aubrey, taken aback by Lamber’s unexpected report, raised his voice.

The Stra Marquisate is one of the countries that make up the Handal Union.

Moreover, it is one of the ten major powers of the Union that have a seat in the Ten-member Council.

Among the countries making up the Union, only the Volturino Grand Duchy borders a foreign country on its western border… in other words, it borders the kingdom or empire.

However… there is a peculiar location where the width is only a hundred meters.

That place, called the Cantano region, is currently under the jurisdiction of the Volturino Grand Duchy, but it was once part of Stra Marquisate.

From Stra Marquisate, one can pass through the Cantano region and immediately enter the Kingdom’s territory.

In fact, in the past, the invasion of the Kingdom has occurred several times through that route…

Most likely this time as well…

The current Marquis of Stra, Wiesn Gasco, is in his late twenties.

His rule, according to Lord Aubrey, is neither here nor there.

But his personality…

“If only he were a bit more thoughtful and cautious…”

Lord Aubrey sighed.

“Aricho-sama, his predecessor, was quite prudent.”

“The Kingdom’s border presses against the Cantano region. With that constant threat, we have to constantly remain on our toes.”

Aide Lamber recalled the late Marquis of Stra, and Lord Aubrey nodded in agreement.

There were rumors that Lord Aricho, the previous ruler, intended to name his second son as his successor, not his eldest son, Wiesn.

But as soon as those rumors surfaced… Lord Aricho died in an accident.

Wiesn, who was twenty-three at the time, became the Marquis of Stra.

And naturally, two years later, the second son, who might have been the successor, passed away.

Wiesn found himself without any competitors.

“When Lord Aricho passed away, there were rumors that Your Excellency had a hand in it.”

“Geez… I’m not an idiot. Considering the interests of the entire Union, the Marquisate of Stra is a very important state. It’s obvious that someone as reliable as Aricho should be ruling there. So why the hell would I bother to kill him?”

“Well, the timing was unfortunate…”

Lord Aubrey sighed, and Lamber chuckled bitterly.

Lord Aubrey became the governor, and nine out of the ten-member council were replaced… and one of those nine was Aricho.

It’s no wonder Lord Aubrey was suspected.

“So, why did Wiesn invade the Kingdom this time?”

“It seems that a band of bandits causing trouble within the country fled to the Kingdom through the Cantano region. He moved to suppress them, or so he claims.”

“The hell…?”

Lord Aubrey sighed in exasperation at Lamber’s report.

“Surely Wiesn is no fool, so I’m sure he’ll withdraw before the army arrives from the royal capital. It’ll probably take about two days.”

“Not from the royal capital.”

Lord Aubrey shook his head slightly at Lamber’s speculation.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Lamber, this is a trap… or rather, a stratagem. Likely orchestrated by the Prime Minister, Marquis Heinlein.”

“Eh…”

Lord Aubrey spoke with little amusement, and Lamber was taken aback.

“Most likely, the Royal Knights are lying in wait near the border. Perhaps even the Valkyrie Knights. They’ll utterly crush the Stra Marquisate Army that violated the border… Attacking an invading force that crossed the border gives the Kingdom full justification. Really…what a mess they’ve created.”

“You said it’s a stratagem… how?”

“It’s a grand unveiling, the debut of the new Grand Knight Commander and Chief Knight.”

“Sera-dono of the Western Forest?”

“Yeah. It’s almost certain that King Abel isn’t around. They won’t make an announcement, but it’s unlikely he’s present. But even without him, they’re showing that the Kingdom stands strong, using this as an opportunity.”

Lord Aubrey explained with a grimace.

He truly looked bothered by the whole affair.

“When Sera-dono was announced as the Grand Knight Commander and Chief Knight, Your Excellency mentioned. It’s certain King Abel isn’t in the country. Won’t this confirm it?”

“It’s fine. Despite Marquis Heinlein overseeing counterintelligence, it’s still impossible to completely cut off information. Both the Union and the Empire will eventually treat King Abel’s absence as confirmed intel. So, Marquis Heinlein intends to use even that as part of his scheme. By boldly presenting Sera-dono at this moment, he’s showing that the Kingdom is impregnable. With this much done, neither our Union nor the Empire can easily make a move against the Kingdom.”

“The world of stratagems is truly remarkable.”

Lamber remarked, impressed by Lord Aubrey’s explanation.

Lamber was completely ignorant when it came to such tangled matters…

“Sera-dono of the Western Forest… she’s indeed a formidable elf. But that Prime Minister is even more troublesome…”

Lord Aubrey said with a sigh.

“Sera-sama, the surrendered enemies number around two thousand and thirty. We’ve made preparations for their transfer to Redpost as initially planned.”

This location is near the eastern border of the Kingdom.

Just earlier, the Royal Knights, the Magician Order, and the Valkyrie Knights surrounded and utterly crushed the invading Stra Marquisate Army that violated the border.

As a result, they obtained over two thousand prisoners.

In preparation for negotiations with the Union, the prisoners are to be transferred to the border town of Redpost… that is all part of the plan.

All orchestrated by Prime Minister Marquis Alexis Heinlein.

“As expected of Alexis-dono’s plan. It was flawless.”

Sera remarked.

However…

“But… Captain Dontan, what do you think of the Royal Knights’ movements?”

It wasn’t a particularly harsh tone.

But Dontan felt a pressure tighten around him when he was asked.

Almost like the pressure he felt when he was questioned by the former Royal Knight Captain and current Prime Minister, Marquis Alexis Heinlein.

“Well…. Perhaps they still have some room for improvement.”

“Hmm. Captain Dontan thinks so too.”

As Dontan answered, one of the two knights standing behind him, frowned slightly.

His name was Commander Scotty Cobook.

But the other knight remained flushed throughout the conversation.

His name was Commander Zack Cooler.

And Zack spoke up.

“I-I’d like to make a suggestion to the Grand Knight Commander!”

At Zack’s words, Scotty looked shocked.

He seemed to have a bad feeling about this.

“Hmm, Commander Cooler, what’s on your mind?”

“Yes! I believe the Royal Knights still have plenty of room for improvement. I suggest we double the current training regiment!”

Zack said emphatically, his face still red.

Even Dontan was taken aback by that proposal.

“Hahaha, Commander Cooler is certainly full of enthusiasm.”

Sera chuckled.

Seeing her reaction, Zack felt like he was on cloud nine.

His subordinates might resent him if they were subjected to double the training… but Zack didn’t care.

“But, doubling the training might be a bit too much. How about starting with a twenty percent increase, Captain Dontan?”

“Yeah. As you say.”

Sera’s suggestion provided some relief for the subordinates. Just a little.

Then, Imogen, the Valkyrie Knight Captain, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

“Sera-sama, I have a question.”

“What is it, Captain Imogen?”

“We once had a mock battle with the Rune Frontier County Knights. They were truly one of the finest knight orders in the Kingdom. I heard that you served as an instructor for the Rune Knights for many years…”

“Yes, I did. Those were fun times.”

“Now, I was wondering if you could tell me how it was compared to your instructions to us and the Royal Knights…”

The Valkyrie Knights, led by Imogen, had once engaged in a mock battle with the Rune Knights.

They were stunned by the vast difference in strength.

Since then, they had trained with the goal of matching the Rune Knights.

The Grand Knight Commander before them had spent years instructing the Rune Knights.

If so, she thought it was a good opportunity to ask her about it properly.

“Well…. Firstly, the Rune Knights have newcomers instructed in sword arts by Max Doyle. It’s orthodox Hume-style swordsmanship, but Max is skilled at teaching it. They become quite strong quickly. Then, I focus on… honing the minds of those who have grown strong.”

“Minds?”

“Yeah. Simply put, I beat them up repeatedly.”

“Eh…?”

“Being defeated by a stronger opponent is something everyone experiences, not just on the battlefield. It’s only by getting back up each time that you can strive for the next level of strength… that’s what I believe. So, I defeat them repeatedly in mock battles. Of course, afterward, I guide them on what went wrong and how they can improve. But fundamentally, I’m shaping their minds. However, if they lose all the time, their spirits will weaken… it’s a bit different from forming a losing habit… Right, how did Ryo put it…”

Sera paused there for a moment.

She was reminded of Ryo….

“Confidence only comes from winning. To build confidence, you have to accumulate experiences of success.”

Sera imitated Ryo’s tone.

With delight.

“Well, it seems that even before Ryo’s advice, the Rune Knights occasionally accumulated experiences of success. They engaged in monster subjugation and mock battles with other knight orders.”

When Sarah said this, Imogen’s eyes widened in surprise.

Recalling the mock battle between the Valkyrie Knights and the Rune Knights.

Sera chuckled at her reaction.

“Looks like the Valkyries were also a victim.”

“Perhaps…”

“Well, no one side benefited entirely. The Valkyries gained experience, and the Rune Knights gained confidence. Neville-dono, the Captain of the Rune Knights, is quite sharp. He thinks things through thoroughly.”

“No… certainly, it was a valuable experience, so I don’t hold any grudges.”

Imogen replied with a firm nod to Sera’s words.

“Anyway… ah, yeah, that’s about the extent of what I did to train the Rune Knights. Not much, really.”

“…”

“Also, after Ryo started sparring with me, I incorporated the advice of a sixty-minute continuous combat session into the training regimen.”

“Sixty minutes…”

“Continuous combat?”

Sera nodded at the memory, and Dontan was speechless while Imogen raised an eyebrow in question.

“That’s right. Continuously spar for sixty minutes. Hydration and such are handled in a combat-like manner, with each individual managing hydration breaks or even hydrating while fighting, depending on the situation.”

“That sounds… grueling.”

Dontan muttered.

“Well, in actual combat, battles may not end within an hour. In the most intense areas, there might not even be relief units available, right? It’s about preparing for that. Naturally, within the unit, we rotate and give breaks as needed. It’s training not only for the soldiers but also for the commanders. It’s about efficiently rotating between units that are fighting and those resting. Come to think of it, Ryo used to say that training should be tougher than the real thing…”

Sera recalled with another smile.

This time, it was a radiant smile.

Apparently, thinking of Ryo brought joy to her.

“Ryo-dono…Duke Rondo is…quite intense…”

Dontan commented, and Imogen nodded in agreement.

More misunderstandings about Ryo were spreading.

But upon hearing this, there was a knight who renewed his determination.

“Sixty minutes…then I’ll train one hundred and twenty minutes of continuous combat session to surpass him!”

Scotty glanced sideways at Zack’s quietly spoken determination and shook his head slightly.

Then, he muttered under his breath, unheard by anyone else.

“It’s a lost cause… Zack.”

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