The fact that the Marquis of Edfelt concentrated his forces on Teiracaines means that the rest of the cities in his territory are as good as naked.
　The Marquis of Edfelt has concentrated his forces on Teiracaines, which means that the other cities in the territory are as naked as if they were. And since Rene had fallen to several territorial capitals up to this point, and in each case he had attacked them without paying attention to other cities, he might have thought that the next attack would be the same.

　However, this strategy was designed to efficiently kill the lords by surprise.
　Since a good amount of forces were already gathered in the capital, Rene had no hesitation in taking the appropriate steps.

　Rene crushed the cities near the capital, whose defenses were in a state of disarray, as if it were a drudgery. In the same way, he organized dozens of squads of undead soldiers to uproot the scattered villages.
　Property, food, and weapons were taken at random, and those that could not be carried were destroyed.
　However, they did not kill non-combatants.
　They tore down house after house, meticulously demolished city walls, poured fertilizer or zombie water into wells, and sprayed poison on fields. Even so, people were killed only minimally.

　Inevitably, people whose livelihoods had been destroyed and who had become refugees flocked to Teirakainen.
　There were too many people to fit in one city, and a long line of people waiting for physical examinations formed in front of the city gates.
　Those who were somewhat wealthy were able to get lodging immediately, but even with the hike in prices, lodgings filled up quickly, and some people tried to pay citizens to provide them with lodging. Those who had no money would offer their labor, or even their bodies.

　Most of the temples, meeting halls, and other places where people can sleep have already been filled by refugees from the capital. Although Teirakainen is relatively close to the capital, most of the evacuees have headed west, and the city has been able to accommodate them until now.
　However, that balance has been shattered by the influx of refugees from all over the territory. Unfortunately, it is now winter. It's a good time for suicidal people to sleep outside. But what can't be contained can't be contained.
　As a desperate measure, the Marquis of Edfelt gathered tents from all over the city and lined them up inside the enclosure left by the Noachian army to accommodate the refugees. However, it was not enough in the end. Some people fell ill sleeping under the eaves of houses.
　The only way to keep warm is to have a bonfire. If you cram all the people into one place, there will be trouble.
　There is not enough food to feed the refugees. Since the Noah's Curia and the "Rose of Hell" had already bought all of the food, the food stocks in the market were in short supply. If you don't have money, or can't afford it even if you do, some people will steal it.
　The fact that the humanitarian aid coming from the Temple was concentrated in the west, where there were many displaced people, was also a problem.

　In times of hardship, people resent others.
　Why did we have to go through this?　The direct cause was, of course, the Rose of Hell.
　But...
　The lord who gathered all the knights to his lap and left the rest of the city to fend for itself. How can you say that he is not responsible?　The people are paying taxes in return for the nobles uniting and protecting them.
　The Noachurian army that the Marquis of Edfelt brought in with great fanfare was also blown away by the cowardly wind and escaped. The distrust of the Noah's Curio army became a distrust of the Marquis of Edfelt, who used it as a propaganda tool.

　Hungry, shivering in the cold, and suspicious of the Marquis (and, incidentally, the Noachurian army), the people ......
　What would happen if such people gathered beyond the capacity of the city?

　I'm not sure.

　At the same time as the Noah's Curio army retreated, several cities were attacked and sunk simultaneously.
　One night later, refugees were still pouring into the city of Teiracaines.

"My Lord Marquis. If I may be so bold as to say so, I don't know what the citizens of Teiracaine-who have lost their grip on the city-would do if the Rose Princess of Hell were to attack. That's my honest opinion after looking around the city.
　I'm sure there will be panic, but I don't know what they'll do as a result.
"Nuh-uh. ......

　The Marquis of Edfelt, Marks, a large, elderly man, sat deep in his office chair, his face frowning like a rough-hewn rock, his dark brown head cropped short.
　Barthil was walking around the city, looking at the refugees. His impressions were as described above.
　The atmosphere of the city was somehow stale, as if it smelled of rusty iron.
　However, it is not something that can be managed by ingenuity or effort, so the situation will inevitably be inconvenient for the refugees for some time to come. In other words, we will be facing the "Rose of Hell" in this situation.

"It seems that the forces of the Rose of Hell are currently camped in the ruins of Ouarcamarte.
"You're quick to hear. I've heard that too. ......
In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at our own web site. You can move them around like arms and legs, depending on the general's mood.

　The speed of the undead army's advance was something that Bertil knew firsthand, and Marks understood this as well. It was still fresh in his mind that they had raided the royal capital in a single day, a journey that would have taken an ordinary army several days.
　Even so, since the city of Duarte was near Teiracaines, this was as if a blade was being held to his throat.

You can either gather them here in Teiracaines without killing them,......, or you can continue to watch them while positioning yourself in a position where you can attack them immediately. They're waiting for the city to ripen, just like they wait for wine to ripen.
　We're getting calls for help from the cities that are still standing, but if we send our troops elsewhere, we're playing right into the hands of the enemy.

　Marks gritted his teeth in annoyance.

　Bertil didn't say anything.
　I'm sure that's the way Rene likes it. ...... The number of displaced people is slowly increasing, and the discontent is slowly piling up. And the food is being devoured. If the undead army continues to wait and see, Teiracaines will slowly sour.

　But only Barthil knows. Rene's saturation of Teiracaines with people has an even more devastating purpose.
　We don't even have to wait. Rather, he'll move now. Because there are enough people here.
　Now Teiracaines is like a pond that has been stirred up and the sand at the bottom has become muddy. Rene's strategy is to take advantage of the chaos.



"Either way, there's no doubt that the Rose Princess of Hell will be coming soon. How will you deal with it?

　Barthil said here, intending to test Marks.
　The fewer dead, the better. I want to protect as many people as I can. It's up to Marks to decide how he wants to do that. To what extent he will use them. And where to abandon him.

　At first, it seems that Marks was planning to take Gislain and escape secretly to the protection of Noachurian forces.
　Rene had been targeting the lords with pinpoint accuracy, and it was hard to imagine that he would go to the trouble of targeting Teiracaine-where neither Marks nor Gislain were. He seemed to have planned that by daring to advertise his location under the Noachurian army, he would divert Rene's attention from his own territory, and also make himself and Gislain untouchable. He was also thinking of entering Noa Curio when the Noa Curio army withdrew, and returning with a second "reinforcement" that was fully prepared.
　However, the sudden(er) death of Patrick, the general, split the Noachurian army in half. In such a situation, accompanying the retreating troops would be of no use as an escort.

　--He died suddenly. ...... He died suddenly. What the hell is going on?　The Noahcurio army left before we could get anything.

　Bertil didn't know much about what happened to the Noahcurio army. All we know is that there was a strange incident with Patrick's sudden death. Marks hadn't given him much information, and he wasn't ready to find out for himself at the moment.
　I've just left a message by the prescribed means to contact Shelly, an agent of the Giresh Khattar Federation, but there is no guarantee that she knows anything.

　Whatever the case may be, Marks is now forced to rely on his castle and his knights to intercept the "Rose Princess of Hell.

"If the Rose Princess of Hell were to attack, what would you do?"
"About that... I want the Second Order to act as our main raiding party.
You mean the one with the holy beast as a companion?

　The second knight order should act as the main ranger force.

I'm not sure what to make of this. There are pawns, including the general herself, that cannot be held back by numbers. You must prepare ace-class troops and make them the cornerstone of the operation.
"That was originally Drouet's role. Where the hell did you get the oil from? ...... No, excuse me. I hope you didn't hear that.

　Marks looked bitter, as if he had just finished a full course of weed.
　"I'm not sure if they ran away or got bored, but their disappearance here would be a big blow to Marks.
　Even if he could talk to Diretta's Sacred Kingdom through Erminio, it would still take some time for Diretta to come to his aid, since they are not neighbors like Noah's Curio Kingdom.
　We have to make do with the cards we have.

Knights and peasants alike with mediocre skills should be forced to fight in groups to buy time. The strongest enemies that cannot be defeated by that will be crushed by the elite rangers with holy beasts.
　I know it's tough, but it's the only way to go. ......
You're leaving it to me.
　...... I'll do my best. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to try. I am now only a mechanical arm, but I will not be outdone by these undead soldiers.
"Thank you. Please protect your Highness.

　"Adults are cunning," Bertil chuckled to himself.
　If His Highness Gislain's presence is revealed here, Bertil will be forced to fight for Marks as a remnant of the Royal Court Knights. That kind of calculation is evident.

　But that's just a prelude. Barthil had already given up on Marks and Gislain.
　They can't beat Rene.
　Marks would have to fight, but he didn't need the people to go along with it.

I'd like to recruit more adventurers. We've been calling for more, but so far we've only been able to gather a small army.
　Can you ask Count Keeley, who is just in town, for help? ......
"What about Sir Areotti, the previous Second Knight Commander?　He may have retired, but he's still a force to be reckoned with.

　Barthel knew the answer and asked it.
　Alfio. Alfio is a former captain of the Second Order who runs a swordsmanship school in this city. He is an eccentric who even forced his younger brother to become the governor in order to pursue the path of the sword. In his prime, he's probably as good as Lawrence.

　Marks replies in a straightforward, slightly annoyed manner.

He has left for the west to accept the Marquis of Berger's nomination for Crown Prince.

　Alfio had already left for the Marquisate of Berger to back the other crown prince.
　Alfio's sudden move was unpredictable even for Marks, as he had always kept politics out of his life. Of course, behind Alfio's actions, there was the stirring of the Gilesh Hattar Federation and the support of none other than Bertil.

　--I'm going to have to go over there soon. But first, I've got some work to do in ...... this city.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.
"...... Ah.

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.
　Marks didn't trust Bertil very much, and up until now he had been consistent in his attitude of not giving him much information and just doing as he was told. However, at this point, he seems to have decided that he cannot remain silent. There was no one else to turn to.

　But just as Marks was about to open his mouth, a faint blue light shone on his face.
　The emergency caller's note on his desk announced an incoming call. In the margin of the caller's bill was a note that read, "Captain of the Guard.
　Marks' face paled quickly. The Royal Knights use callers on a regular basis, but Marks only uses them in battle or when there is a real emergency. This means that something has happened that needs to be reported to Marks immediately.



　Touching the caller with his finger, Marks activated it.

"My Lord!
What the hell?　Are there undead?　Are there undead in the house or is there a riot?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

　The voice of the captain of the guard over the caller seemed to be tangled in his throat, driven by the urgency to say the next word quickly.
　However, his voice was imbued with an urgency that was not unpleasant and an elation that could not be hidden.

"The spear!　The strongest adventuring party in Ciel-Teira has agreed to join us!
What the hell?

　--Well, well, well. What are you going to do, Rene? It's not as if this is going to be a simple matter.

　I'm not sure what to do.