Chapter 112
A stream of water poured down.
It fell clear and strong, filling the canteen.
Drip, drip.
“Here, please drink this.”
“……”
Sir Valeradi Blanc, captain of the White Lancer Cavalry, snapped back to his senses.
He turned to see his lieutenant holding out a portable canteen.
“It’s water. You must have a sore throat from all that dust.”
“Ah, thank you.”
He took the canteen and tipped it.
A stream of water ran down his throat.
Suddenly, memories surfaced.
The scene he’d just witnessed: the mastodon herd, the straight channel, the torrent of water, Hamang rolling in and spewing water, hundreds of beasts swept along—or, rather, panicking at the sight of Hamang and fleeing down the waterway.
“……”
Cold water spread through his empty stomach.
That was how effective the water attack had been.
It wiped out the entire mastodon herd at once. It pushed the beasts into the northern river at the end of the channel.
‘What did I just witness today…?’
Was it real? Some kind of bizarre dream? Or perhaps a part of a grand hoax?
He couldn’t tell.
But one thing was certain.
Lloyd Frontera’s plan had been exactly right.
Thanks to him, they’d stopped hundreds of mastodons with almost no damage to the barony.
“Ah, of course, it’s not like there wasn’t any damage.”
“……”
Another voice spoke up from right beside him.
It wasn’t his lieutenant.
He turned to see a familiar face.
Lloyd Frontera wore his usual, unreadable wry smile.
When had that terrifying fellow shown up?
Feeling a bit dazed, Sir Blanc asked,
“There was damage?”
“Yes. There was.”
Lloyd gave a nonchalant shrug.
A self-deprecating answer followed.
“The vegetable gardens at the foot of the mountains were ruined. That’s where we planted onions, scallions, potatoes, and corn. It’s a pity. Especially since the corn grown there is really delicious.”
“……”
“And some paved roads were washed away by the water attack on the mastodons. Those took a lot of work to build… but what can we do? We’ll just have to repair them.”
“……”
Stopping hundreds of mastodons at that cost was worthy of a commendation.
Yet this man was still putting on a show as if he’d suffered a disaster.
What on earth was he?
Sir Blanc couldn’t help but ask,
“So, all of this—the water attack, the channel, the trench for the mastodons to flee and swim away—was it all planned from the beginning, when you made the mastodon relief?”
“Of course.”
He answered without hesitation.
No unnecessary modesty or humility.
“Wasn’t it exhausting digging for six days? That was all part of the plan. You were frustrated at having to haul dirt from far away when we could’ve just dug next to the relief, weren’t you? That was part of the plan too. And when you wondered why we had to dig out a long, designated path like a canal instead of just taking dirt from one spot? Again, all part of the plan.”
“So you planned out the entire path of the channel…?”
“Yes. I surveyed and designed it all ahead of time. I wanted to use the Prona River, which runs clockwise from the south to the north around our barony.”
“……”
“It starts at the point where the river turns west and flows directly north. I designed it to meet the downstream current flowing clockwise. Thanks to that, we now have a channel we can use for years to come. Once we tidy it up, it’ll work as a mini-canal.”
Killing two birds with one stone.
Buying a bag of candy and getting a parking ticket validated.
Stopping a mastodon attack and gaining a canal.
All of this was possible thanks to the mastodons’ unique habit of being both dull-witted and cautious.
“Well, anyway, the mastodons swept north should be fine. They won’t die that easily just from being washed away, and the north is uninhabited. There’s no estate up there, and they’re not coming back.”
“They’re not coming back? How can you be so sure…?”
“They saw their natural enemy, the Megalania.”
“Ah.”
“They’ll remember something like that. So they’ll never willingly come back to where their predator lives. They’ll avoid it, if anything.”
“You calculated that as well?”
“Yes. Isn’t it obvious?”
“……”
Sir Blanc was left speechless.
No, it wasn’t obvious.
He’d only thought to fight and drive the monsters away.
He’d believed that risking their lives to protect the kingdom’s land was all that mattered.
‘But we won without even fighting. With almost no losses.’
They’d even gained a canal to use in the future.
Just how much calculation had this Lloyd done to achieve such a result? How much effort had it taken to bring it to reality?
As a simple soldier, he couldn’t even imagine.
His throat tightened unconsciously.
And suddenly, he thought,
‘Maybe a real battle is something like this.’
It isn’t always about charging head-on.
It isn’t just about valor.
Sometimes, victory means winning without fighting.
Taking the most practical gains.
That must be the true victory for a commander.
‘That way, you don’t have to lose your men.’
He recalled all the battles he’d fought.
Twelve as a member of the White Lancer Cavalry.
Five more as their captain, including today.
Seventeen in total, both big and small, and today was the first time he hadn’t lost a single comrade.
There was no routine of collecting fallen comrades’ bodies at the end of this battle.
The unfamiliar, refreshing experience pounded in his chest.
It gave him insight.
‘Right. I always wrapped death in valor and honor. I thought dying bravely on the battlefield was the only honorable thing. But there’s greater valor and honor than that: fighting and living to return safely to your family, your lover, your comrades. So you can face even greater battles next time.’
That’s how you keep getting stronger and win even greater battles.
That’s how you protect your country for years to come.
And at the same time, you protect your family’s happiness.
‘That’s what truly shines with honor.’
How foolish he’d been until now.
How many subordinates he could have saved had he realized this sooner.
With regret, shock, understanding, and admiration all at once, he looked up.
He looked at Lloyd with new eyes.
“Thank you.”
“…Excuse me?”
Lloyd looked at him in confusion.
Sir Blanc spoke with genuine respect.
“I hope you’ll continue to guide us.”
He vowed to watch and learn.
To understand more, and master more.
To take this admirable man as his mentor in his heart.
“Uh, yeah. Well, me too…”
Lloyd awkwardly reached out his hand.
A firm handshake.
Their true feelings exchanged within it.
Sir Blanc fought back tears.
Lloyd tried not to let his fingers curl in embarrassment.
Thus passed the day of their second monster invasion.
♣
A few days later.
Cleanup in the barony proceeded quickly.
The trampled vegetable plots were restored, and the washed-out roads were repaired.
They even had some unexpected gains.
During the water attack, they discovered five baby mastodons separated from their mothers.
“…So you want to raise them yourself?”
“Yes, Lord Lloyd.”
Sir Bayern reported with steely resolve.
In response, the five baby mastodons behind him let out powerful cries.
“Puuuiiiing—!”
“See, Lord Lloyd? They’re healthy and strong, not a scratch on them.”
“Yeah, I can see that. But are you sure it’s not dangerous?”
“It won’t be.”
“How do you know?”
“Because they’re cute.”
“……”
“I mean the babies, not myself.”
Sir Bayern gestured to the mastodon calves.
Strangely, Sir Bayern’s cheeks were slightly flushed, unlike his usual stern demeanor.
“I heard something before. Wild adult mastodons are extremely fierce and hard for humans to approach, but if you raise them from infancy, they turn out very differently.”
“Ah, so they really can be domesticated?”
“That’s what I’ve heard.”
“So you want to try?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Hmmm, but won’t it be really hard?”
“It won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because they’re cute.”
“……”
“I mean the babies, not myself. Ahem.”
Sir Bayern was already holding a huge baby bottle. Actually, it was more like a mini-drum with a bottle nipple attached.
“Puaaaang!”
“Puuuiiing!”
The five baby mastodons, each the size of a calf, clamored to grab a bottle first.
Every time, Sir Bayern—looking pleased—happily made snorting noises as he fed them one by one.
“……”
Wow, Sir Bayern.
He always seemed so stern, but he had a hidden house-husband side.
Seeing a grown man cooing over baby animals almost made Lloyd’s stomach churn.
But, well, it wasn’t a bad thing.
“Tsk. So, you want my permission?”
“Yes, please.”
“Hmmm, what should I do…”
Sir Bayern looked anxiously, waiting for Lloyd’s decision.
Lloyd considered for a moment.
Mastodons are herbivorous monsters up to four meters tall.
Naturally, they’re incredibly strong.
If they could be successfully domesticated,
They’d become a powerful asset to the estate.
They’d also be useful as labor.
‘They could plow fields, pull heavy loads or giant wagons. Maybe hitch a few together and use them as eco-friendly locomotives. Of course, their poop would be on a scale you can’t even compare to cow manure.’
The more he thought about it, the more potential he saw.
“Sure. Since you’re doing it, take good care of them.”
“Really?”
“Would I lie?”
“No, of course not. Thank you. Pudding, Pudang, Poongdeong, Poongding, Poodong—everyone line up and greet Lord Lloyd. He’s your master from now on.”
“Puuuiiing!”
“Puaaaang!”
‘…Wow, he already picked out names.’
He’s really serious about this.
If Lloyd had refused, Sir Bayern might have sulked for days.
Lloyd couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
After that, Lloyd took care of several other things.
He recruited engineers who had crossed the Eastern Mountain Range with him in the past.
He sent them back over the mountains.
It was partly to scout and partly to check on the safety of the orc tribe.
‘I’ve wanted to check in for a while, but I never had the chance.’
He’d barely had time to keep himself alive.
He hadn’t had the luxury to look elsewhere.
But now, at least, there was a little breathing room.
That’s why.
Lloyd tried something else he’d wanted to do but hadn’t had time for.
“You understood the explanation, right? All you have to do is sit there from now on.”
“Right here?”
“Yeah.”
“So, as you explained, you’ll absorb a large amount of my mana?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
Just like he’d triggered the rapid charging option in the capital, Magentano.
Just like he’d absorbed a huge amount of Queen Alicia’s mana.
If things went well, he might be able to grow his mana heart even further.
With that in mind, Lloyd called Javier to the training ground at midnight.
“But Lord Lloyd.”
“Yeah. What?”
“I’m a Swordmaster now.”
“Yeah, so?”
“I think I can sleep without your lullabies now.”
“Oh, so you’ve overcome Swordmaster syndrome?”
“Yes. I can finally control the overly sensitive senses.”
“So you’re saying you’re not desperate enough to be dragged around and used as I please?”
“Yes.”
“Is that so?”
“Pardon?”
“Then try falling asleep on your own tonight.”
Lloyd grinned confidently.
And that night, Javier tossed and turned.
He couldn’t fall asleep.
He realized, deep in his bones, just how powerful habits could be.
Somehow, he’d become someone who couldn’t sleep without Lloyd’s lullaby.
“So just sit still, okay?”
“…Yes.”
The next night, Javier plopped down in the training ground, trying to calm his frustration.
Soon, Lloyd unleashed a triple detonation into the air.
He deliberately entered a state of exhaustion.
He triggered the rapid charging option.
But the attempt failed.
He couldn’t absorb a large amount of mana from Javier like he did with Queen Alicia.
The reason was simple.
Javier was also a possessor of the Asrahan Heart Technique.
Ding-dong.
[The other party’s mana circle is resonating with yours, interfering with the mana absorption flow.]
With that message in front of his eyes, Lloyd’s attempt to absorb mana from Javier was canceled.
So, Lloyd ended up only drawing in mana from the sand and air of the training ground.
At least his exhausted body recovered a bit.
“…Tsk. Useless guy.”
It was disappointing.
For a moment, Lloyd considered turning Sir Blanc into a Swordmaster to use as a mana battery.
But now wasn’t the time for that.
The locusts.
The mastodon herd.
These were only the start of the monster domino effect that was about to unfold.
“If we try to block them one by one, we’ll never last. That’s how war of attrition always is—pointless.”
The next evening, Lloyd gathered everyone in the baron’s office.
The baron and his wife, Javier, Sir Bayern, and Sir Blanc were all present.
He stood before them.
He revealed the grand plan he’d been keeping to himself.
It was a strategy to prevent the endless chain of monster attacks from the monster domino, and secure permanent peace in one swoop.
“We just need to forcibly awaken King Stoma, the ruler of Lake Capua in the middle of the Eastern Mountain Range, and make him work for us. I’ve already prepared all the detailed plans. What do you think? Simple, right?”
At his words, everyone in the office gulped.
And in a daze, they wondered—
Just what, exactly, would this guy ever consider not simple?