Chapter 77. Things He Connected (3)
The Neyanpalgar Mountain Range, said to have stood since the beginning of time.
At the Iron Bank located there, where all the wealth of this world gathers, a Dwarf with dark blue hair was shining his eyes.
“A linked account has opened.”
Perlman Acehover, the 3rd Bank President of the Iron Bank, was lost in thought looking at the numbers of accounts floating in the magic circle.
Accounts linked to the initial account.
Accounts that had been cleverly disguised as if dead.
One of them just lit up with an indication that it was activated.
“…….”
Perlman took off the glasses he was wearing, put them down on the desk, and looked out the window with his hands behind his back.
“Things hidden are connecting and finding their places.”
Behind him, one account lit up with light.
And accounts still disguised as dead were hovering around the initial account.
***
About 100 cavalrymen were galloping across the green plain.
They performed turning maneuvers according to set signals and showed movement as if they were one body.
The orderly appearance of the Quiesco Cavalry was to the extent that the heads of the mercenary members training next to them turned automatically.
“Seeing that appearance, I get the conviction that my choice was not wrong after all.”
Blanc, who was watching the cavalry’s training, said to Magnus.
“I too am getting the conviction that Quiesco did well to join hands with Baron Blanc.”
Magnus Dugar was a character who couldn't give empty flattery.
His upright and straight character melted intact into the Quiesco Cavalry, contributing greatly to them showing such an orderly appearance as now.
Therefore, the words Magnus was giving to Blanc now were not simple greetings but words coming from sincerity.
Hearing the praise of the cavalry captain counted among the top five in the current era, Blanc smiled and watched the Quiesco Cavalry’s training situation again.
However, Magnus couldn't take his eyes off Blanc instead of looking at his cavalry.
‘A vessel hard to think of as fifteen years old.’
Since his birthday was approaching, Blanc could be called sixteen in reality, but anyway, it was true he was still a greenhorn not even twenty.
However, the spirit and dignity of Blanc that Magnus watched directly from the side had already easily exceeded the average level of ordinary nobles.
“They are changing horses. How is the condition of the reserve horses?”
The Quiesco Cavalry changed horses quickly as the warhorses the cavalrymen rode got tired from continuous charge formations and evasion maneuver practices.
“Thanks to Baron Blanc’s care, we were able to secure many high-quality warhorses.”
Blanc nodded listening to Magnus' report.
Beings called cavalry were a branch that always had to charge toward enemies.
Warhorses lost amidst charging were a loss that had to be inevitably endured if it was an army maintaining cavalry.
Therefore, if it was a proper cavalry unit, it could be said to be normal for one rider to lead about 3~4 horses.
But the cavalry of Quiesco, lacking foundation and gold coins, were in circumstances where they couldn't lead that many warhorses.
‘Possessing bold decisiveness.’
Blanc did not spare gold coins in buying hundreds of warhorses for such Quiesco Cavalry.
Just that cost would be hundreds of gold.
However, the fifteen-year-old young Baron did not blink an eye while paying that price.
“You may stay here and continue training until this spring.”
“There was never a suitable place to train cavalry, but I am only grateful for the Baron’s thoughtful consideration.”
Blanc made the plain of Bromberg, borrowed from Count Adams, the training ground for his soldiers.
The banners Blanc gathered were being swept into a series of flows proceeding in the blink of an eye from the moment they signed a contract with him.
Setting up the training camp for Baron Cadmus' army here in Bromberg was also one of such flows.
Asking one of his knights, he heard they had rented this land around winter, meaning he had planned the situation like now already three months ago.
‘Moreover, leadership that grips people.’
It is natural that much time and effort are needed to harmonize groups with different origins and backgrounds into one.
However, the fifteen-year-old young Baron called Blanc Cadmus took less than a month to completely grip them.
Rather, Blanc tailored and transformed the Quiesco Cavalry and mercenary corps according to his intention as if fitting together broken pieces, and then inserted them into the spots he had planned.
If other warlords had done this ignoring the unique characteristics of mercenary corps, it was an action that would have received strong backlash from mercenary captains.
However, Ulvent and Wiseman, who were conducting training with him right now, were obeying like dogs to get into his good graces rather than protesting to Blanc.
If someone saw, it looked as if they were competing in loyalty.
Moreover, watching the formation woven like that and the usage of troops, even to the eyes of Magnus, an experienced cavalry captain, the formation fit amazingly well.
It was woven so elaborately that he could even predict where the troops of Tolome and Neudorf, who hadn't even joined yet, would be deployed.
“I am not a person used to praising someone, but right now I cannot help but be surprised at the military insight Baron Blanc possesses.”
Blanc pondered for a moment how to react seeing Magnus expressing his thoughts honestly.
Because as Magnus said, the ability he showed now was something too outstanding for a fifteen-year-old man to possess.
“……Father cherished me very much.”
“Oh, I apologize.”
Blanc escaped the current situation using his father as an excuse, but he didn't know that instead, it gave a big misunderstanding to Magnus.
‘Baron Blanc’s father, Pallard Cadmus, also possessed excellent military insight.’
The extraordinary ability passed from father to son was sufficient to naturally give a high evaluation regarding the bloodline of the Cadmus family.
It made possible the deduction that the child who would inherit Blanc’s blood would also likely possess extraordinary ability.
‘It is regretful that he is already married.’
Looking at age, it was suitable, and since they shared the same pain, there would be many parts emotionally empathized with.
Magnus smacked his lips inwardly and felt regret.
“It is fortunate to obtain training results as much as I wanted. All this is thanks to Lord Magnus and other mercenary captains.”
Watching the current training, Blanc felt he had finished all the tasks he had planned in Moirai.
“I should now return to Baltimere and do the final preparations. Until then, I hope Lord Magnus proceeds with the training in the Bromberg plain.”
“Thank you for trusting and entrusting it to me.”
Quiesco was a place that formed an alliance in an equal relationship with Cadmus, not a mere employed group.
Therefore, Blanc could entrust the command of Brass Helmet and Thornbush Mercenary Corps to Magnus.
“Ah, and.”
“……?”
Blanc took out a bundle of papers from his bosom and showed it to Magnus.
“It is regrettable that the prototype hasn't come out yet, but for want of anything better, please look at this first.”
Magnus checked the bundle of papers received from Blanc.
It was a blueprint.
“Is it a crossbow?”
“Correct.”
Seeing Blanc suddenly take out a blueprint of a crossbow, Magnus couldn't hide his puzzled expression.
“It seems this should be given to archers. We are cavalry.”
What use is a crossbow to cavalry whose main purpose is breaking the enemy’s battle line through heavy charge?
It would be more efficient to organize the battle line once more and prepare for a charge in the time spent running wild holding a crossbow.
However, Blanc smiled as if he knew Magnus would show this reaction.
“I thought about that. What should be done for the cavalry of Quiesco to shine most in the battlefield.”
“……What should be done?”
At Magnus' question, Blanc answered laughing.
“What you are holding right now might be the answer.”
At Blanc’s smile, Magnus looked at the blueprint of the crossbow he handed over once again.
However, even looking again, Magnus couldn't find the connecting link between the crossbow drawn on the blueprint and the Quiesco Cavalry.
***
A night with a full moon.
Blanc returned to the tent prepared in Bromberg after finishing training.
In front of him, a wooden box looking old was placed.
The antique-looking wooden box cherishing long years in its wood grain was naturally exuding extraordinary energy.
Blanc looking down at that wooden box with deep eyes.
“Give me the key.”
-Understood. My Lord.
As soon as Blanc finished speaking, the black armor that had been standing like a decoration in the darkness hidden behind his back walked out.
When that armor brought its hand to its breastplate, a gentle wave like a ripple was created over the black breastplate.
A small silver dagger floated up from that wave.
Barzio grabbed that dagger and handed it to Blanc.
At that moment, Barzio lost the white Ghost Fire shining inside the helmet.
He just became black armor.
“…….”
Blanc looked down at the silver dagger emitting white light in his hand.
A dagger giving a feeling as if alive.
Blanc gripped that dagger and stabbed straight toward the wooden box without a shred of hesitation.
Then, a complexly engraved magic circle started to appear on the wooden box.
“Hmm…….”
The arrangement Ulrich had prepared in the forest where a star fell was kept in the branch of the Iron Bank in Moirai.
In the account kept at the Iron Bank, there were enough gold coins stored to fill the cost used for recruiting mercenaries this time and still remain.
And the wooden box kept in the safe for a long time was burning roughly emitting a magic circle in front of Blanc right now.
“This is?”
The wooden box completely burnt away without leaving even ash.
What remained in the spot where it burned was a thick white cloth.
A cloth emitting pure white light without a single scorch mark even amidst rough flames.
Blanc tilted his head and pushed the silver dagger into the black armor.
Then Barzio bloomed white Ghost Fires again.
“What do you think this is?”
-……It seems to be a flag.
“A flag?”
As Barzio said, the fully unfolded white cloth was made so a flagpole could be inserted.
“A flag…….”
Blanc was momentarily flustered as an unexpected object popped out, but remembering Barzio’s message, he picked up the white flag with nothing drawn on it and came out of the tent.
-It’s a full moon. Good for receiving moonlight.
Barzio, who followed Blanc out, looked at the clear night sky without a single cloud and spoke.
Blanc unfolded the flag with two hands and lifted it toward the full moon.
Then, on the flag receiving blue moonlight, a blue pattern started to emerge slowly.
“Ha…….”
Blanc recognized the pattern emerging on the white flag and let out a sigh mixed with gladness from deep within his chest.
-Looks like a military flag.
As Barzio said, it was a pattern taking the form of a military flag symbolizing a unit in the army.
“It is a military flag.”
Blanc looked down at the bluely shining military flag for a long time.
Blanc pulled out a memory that was sitting painfully in his head.
Through that memory, Blanc completely understood what Ulrich wanted to convey to him.
“Good work. Barzio.”
Blanc cherished and folded the white military flag symbolizing a unit that doesn't exist right now, and quietly stood up holding it.
“Thank you for perfectly connecting the message of the mage who transcended time.”
Barzio could know.
That Blanc’s eyes embracing the full moon were heading toward the past, not here right now.