Vol. 4 Chapter 16: War of attrition

After giving up on horses, we left Remrest and continued our journey. 

The sun had risen, and we walked along the brightly lit road, eating the bread we had bought. The pace is entirely up to Gilbert, but I match his speed. 

“How can you do that?”

“What?”

He slowed his pace and looked at me. Gilbert was looking at my hand, directed at the bread with strawberry jam in it. 

“Are you complaining about my manners? Gilbert-san, you’re the one who told me to walk while eating.”

“No, I’m just wondering how you can keep up with me while eating?”

“It’s not like I’m going that fast.”

“I tried to speed up my pace just to get an idea of your strength, but you kept up with me. Do you still have energy to spare?”

Is that what happened when he accelerated and decelerated so fast? It isn’t like ordinary people to keep eating even when they quicken their pace. Hiding Yumiela is hard.

“It’s painful. My side stomach is starting to ache from all the small runs I did while eating.”

“… I’m sorry for testing you.”

“It’s okay. It will subside if we walk slower.”

“Your expression didn’t change… eh? It can’t be.”

Gilbert, sauntering out of concern for me, seemed to associate my lack of expression with Yumiela. When I tried to hide Yumiela, Yumiela came out. I was still Yumiela, was’t I?

The identity disguise is continued. And then, I changed the topic.

“Didn’t you mention that you’d like to share something?”

“Ah, right. I’m on Balshine’s side and I’m just trying to help Remrest win.”

“…Would I be correct to assume that you are betraying the Balshine Kingdom?”

“Well, you could say that.”

It’s treason, isn’t it? If I take out Gilbert the traitor, the case is closed. 

As I prepared Yumiela Punch, he said without looking ashamed. 

“If you’ve been listening to my talk with Linus, you would have guessed, right? Linus has allies going into battle. He may look like that, but he’s what you call a patriot. He was loyal and didn’t want to change side.”

“Pouching Linus-san? Are you in a position to do that? Isn’t it Gilbert-san who has switched sides?”

It surprised me that I was angry, if only a little, despite my lack of loyalty to the Balshine Kingdom. 

Have I grown attached to the kingdom, as Duke Hillrose told me not long ago? Even if the conflict happens in a place that has nothing to do with my territory… ah, the battlefield is in Ashbaton. It’s Patrick’s hometown.

That’s annoying. I still have zero patriotism.

Gilbert speeds up his steps. He walks briskly, so fast that an average person would have to run to catch up with him. He snarls and fiddles with his bangs in annoyance. 

“Where do I begin to explain…. First of all, I’m from Ashbaton Frontier. It’s not my intention to intensify the battle.”

“There is no point in losing on purpose, is there? When you are part of the Frontier Count family, you have to thoroughly defeat Remrest, don’t you? You should follow Countess’ example.”

“…There is nothing to learn from that person.”

Anyway, Remrest must perish. When I mentioned Patrick’s famous mother, he turned around with a resentful look. 

He seems to be some vassal, but isn’t it wrong to call your master’s wife ‘that person’?

“That’s too much. I heard she’s a gentle person… unless Remrest is involved.”

“It is fatal. I don’t like people whose thoughts and actions I can’t predict.”

It’s understandable to be bothered by people who go crazy when certain things are involved. Lately, I’ve heard that some people aren’t good at that kind of thing either. 

Gilbert turns forward and continues speaking nonchalantly. 

“The war… from Balshine’s perspective is a local skirmish, but from Remrest’ perspective it’s a great war. And war isn’t something you just win.”

“Are you saying that it’s best to prevent wars from happening?”

Wars and armed conflicts are better off if they don’t happen.

However, that is an idealistic notion. Human beings have repeatedly fought wars throughout history, both in the past and present. 

But that doesn’t mean I think it’s right to reopen the question with, “Humans are creatures of war.” People pursuing their ideals can be considered the reason why war is settled at this level. 

At first, I thought I would be forced to sit through an unanswerable Zen question, but I did not. Gilbert quietly continued. 

“That would be ideal, but not right now. That would happen after both sides went at each other.”

“You think losing is better?”

“It depends on the situation.”

It is better to win when it comes down to winning or losing. Since neither the Balshine Kingdom nor the Ashbaton Frontier were at fault, winning would be the best.

If I could hit Gilbert, wrap him up, and offer him up to the Frontier Count as a traitor, maybe Patrick’s brother would take a second look at me. 

He spoke as I clenched my fist, staring at the back of his head. 

“The Ashbaton family has a much longer history than the Balshine Kingdom. During the time of war, the Frontier Count formed a friendship with the first King of the Balshine Kingdom and has been entrusted with protecting the west ever since.”

The history lecture suddenly began. 

In a war-torn world, the first king suddenly appeared and established a kingdom with continuous victories in a row of battles. I had never heard about the long history of the Ashbaton family until Patrick told me about it. 

While the Ashbaton family has no ambition to expand its territory and wants to avoid fighting, the royal family wants the Ashbaton family to join them without crossing swords. As a result of the agreement between the two sides, the title of ‘Frontier Count’ was created. It is a relationship between an alliance and a master-servant.

“And since its founding, there has never been a time when the territory’s boundaries have changed.”

“That’s because the Frontier were so strong that they didn’t lose, right? What’s the point of losing on purpose?”

“You said it yourself, they didn’t lose.”

What do you mean? They didn’t lose to keep the territory, and the boundaries haven’t changed… ah, they never take other’s territory, and their territory has never been taken.

“So, they neither lost nor won?”

“That’s right. War isn’t a black-and-white matter of winning and losing. Ashbaton is winning and losing moderately.”

“They don’t really go on the offensive, do they?”

“There is no profit in invading and seizing the town. The battle will become even more intense as Remrest aims to recapture the town. Even if you drag the lords, they will quickly switch sides depending on the situation.”

The Frontier is indeed focused on defensive warfare.

When Patrick was hunting monsters with the Ashbaton army at the academy, their method was to establish a position and counter the monsters coming toward them. Perhaps the training and equipment are also specialized for defense. 

“Wouldn’t you say that even in defense, if you beat them up and chase them off, you have won the battle?”

“When they escape, we may be able to gain further success by chasing them down. But what would that get us? The Remrest’s soldiers have families, too.”

“Huh?”

It made me sound dumb. We were talking about military strategy, but the words came out emotionally. However, fighting would be hard if I thought of my family back home. 

Gilbert checked my face briefly and snorted. 

“Do you think I’m going to say that I’m not going to go after them because I feel sorry for them? These people have families. If their loved ones don’t come back, they will hate Ashbaton. Winning too much will only cause unnecessary resentment.”

“…Is that how it is?”

It’s their job, and they have no choice. When dealing with people who think that way and those who volunteer for the military to avenge their parents, the latter is much more challenging to deal with. 

I understand Gilbert’s statement, “Winning the war isn’t good enough.” Losing is no good, nor is winning too much. It’s a delicate balance. 

“When you win, you must win completely. We must be ruthless and thorough.”

“You need to kill everyone in Remrest and spread salt on the land.”

“… That’s too far. You sound like my mother.”

Gilbert turned around and stared at me with eyes that looked at me like I was something horrible.

He said no. Is that against the war?

Also, scary mother… Patrick’s mother is a good example and Remrest haters.

His words sounded like it’s not good to spawn hatred, but I think the cycle of hatred is already approaching the danger zone. 

But still, I didn’t expect him to reveal his private life. Does he not care since he already knows my affiliation?

Slightly surprised, he averted his gaze from me and coughed deliberately. 

“Do you get it? Ashbaton is avoiding a complete victory, the best we can hope for is for a win-win situation for both sides.”

“Isn’t it difficult for both sides to win?”

“It’s tricky but possible. We will strike without being holded up in the first and retreat immediately. This way the damage on our side is zero. On the Remrest side, they shout at the top of their lungs that the enemy has fled back to the fort and they have won.”

Isn’t that horrible for Remrest?

All you did was get the troops out of the fort and then put them back in. 

“Would that work? Remrest isn’t getting anything out of it? So, they declare victory but you back down quietly?”

“When you pay a lot of money to move an army, you have to have a good purpose. Do you know what Remrest’s purpose is?”

Remrest’s goal was to conquer the Balshine Kingdom… no, that’s wrong. Given the difference in national power, winning an all-out war is too much to ask for. 

What’s the benefit of owning a part of the frontier territory? Unless there are some significant resources in that area. 

I don’t understand why Remrest keeps coming back. Based on the equipment they wore the last time I chased them off, it looked like a long fight would be difficult. 

Then how about this time? Linus wants to preserve the technology and is siding with the first prince faction. He needs visible military merit to gain an advantage in the succession battle. 

“Domestic show-off?”

“You understand. They don’t want material things, but something tangible like honor and military merit. If all I have to do is move some troops, I’ll give you plenty.”

Remrest is good as long as you can create a winning atmosphere. 

I had thought Patrick’s hometown was in constant war, but they only do fake wrestling.

When I was stunned by the unexpected fact, Gilbert explained more. 

“Remrest is surrounded by large kingdoms. It is meant to impress upon the surrounding kingdoms that it can afford to raise troops on a regular basis.”

It was starting to look even more staged. 

Well, I understand what Gilbert is trying to do. The more Linus is on the other side, the smoother the defeat. I’m sorry for thinking you’re a traitor or something. 

“I understand what you are trying to do. What I mean is, I think it’s important to maintain balance.”

All I got after paraphrasing his explanation was ‘mantaining the balance’.

“The balance. The balance that has been maintained is breaking down. The plan is to assess the effects.”

“Why don’t just end the war like we always do?”

“ou remember that my brother has a fiancée, don’t you?”

“Ah—the crazy one.”

Gilbert’s brother had a bad taste in women. I remember the unusual stories I heard about her.

She doesn’t seem able or willing to lose on purpose. My image of her is that she will show off her power for no good reason, which will cause unnecessary resentment and lead to strained relationships.

“Yeah, that crazy woman. This losing battle, I’ll let her do all the work.”

“… Isn’t that too much?”

I know you don’t like her, but… it is not a good idea to impose such a significant role on an ordinary woman.

Isn’t it too much for the fate of the Ashbaton territory to be compromised by Gilbert’s grudge?

“There is some personal grudge but that’s not the only reason. It makes sense for her to do it. If she loses, the balance that was about to be tilted will be restored.”

The second half sounds like an excuse, no matter how you look. About 90% of it is resentment, right?

I would chide him for taking it too personally, but he continued.

“The thing is, she wins too much. No matter who the opponent is, she has an absolute winning streak. But one day the streak will be broken. Which is why I want to see if she can lose the fight successfully. If she passes, I might be willing to allow her to marry my brother.”

“Ah, so that’s what you’re after.”

It was Gilbert’s interest, but it wasn’t harassment or anything like that. He wanted an opportunity to congratulate his brother on his marriage honestly.

He walks before me, and I look at him with genuine warmth. Then he turns around and gives me a cold, sharp look back.

“I don’t want to approve her. I want to respect my brother’s choice. If she can’t get through this test lightly, then she’s not worthy.”

“They are both alike. I wish my lover’s brother would give me those tests, too. If only my brother-in-law had been you.”

“If you were my brother’s fiancée, I would not object from the start. Would you like to meet my brother…?”

Are you seriously trying to barter?

Patrick is my one and only. Besides, Gilbert’s brother has poor taste in women, so I doubt he’d like me.

“I don’t want to.”

“I knew it was unreasonable. You and that woman are so much alike in appearance.”

How similar are we? Hearing many stories about the woman in the example does not make me feel good.

“Whatever the reason, it’s too much. An ordinary woman can’t command an army.”

“Command? I won’t let her squander Ashbaton’s valuable troops.”

“We have to make them believe we lost to Remrest, don’t we? Wouldn’t it be impossible to do that without an army?”

It seems like he has no intention of succeeding from the beginning. I don’t think he’s lying when he says he wants to respect his brother’s choice…

Still unable to read Gilbert’s thoughts without looking back, he said.

“I guess that’s what a normal human being would say. Not that I’m doubting you now. But your question is the crux of the operation. I will explain it to you when we get there.”

Leaving the important details behind, we continue down the street.

There was no more conversation, and as Gilbert stepped up the pace of his steps, I matched him.

When I began to get tired of the scenery around me, he stopped in his tracks.

“It is time to take a break. You must be tired.”

“Okay.”

“By the way, I’m surprised you were able to keep up with me. I was expecting you to throw a fit.”

It wasn’t tiring at all. The speed was around an average person’s small run, but for someone who has reached a certain level, they could do so without even losing their breath.

Should I put on a bit of tired air from this point onward to avoid getting exposed?

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