New chapter of May Our Village be Happy is out (1/2 chapters)

 

 

Joining Forces

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Mika and his group left the village in the morning and arrived at the main village of the Meldars territory shortly after noon.

“Lord Valentine! You came.” (Lorenz)

“Lord Meldars, thank you for welcoming us. After consulting with my retainers, we have decided, though our numbers are small, to lend our assistance in this battle.” (Mika)

With a genuinely delighted expression, Lorenz came out to greet them, and Mika returned a smile, firmly grasping the hand Lorenz offered.

“I welcome you from the bottom of my heart. To have you, a powerful psychokinesis magic user, join us is truly reassuring.” (Lorenz)

This time, Mika’s group consisted of his attendant and bodyguard Dimitri, along with two volunteer soldiers from among the territory’s people.

Those who volunteered were Jeremy, a young man who was beginning to represent the younger generation of villagers, and Hugo, a male villager around forty years old. They would serve as shield bearers to protect Mika and also take charge of miscellaneous duties during the campaign.

Another, Louis, who was skilled in stone throwing, had also volunteered to join, but Mika had decided to have him remain in the village. Considering that Louis was an excellent defensive asset, Mika judged that with him present, the village would be able to handle small-scale threats from bandits or monsters.

For a small territory with a population of around one hundred, sending even a few people to fight outside the territory was the limit. However, since what was expected of the Valentine territory was Mika himself as a psychokinetic magic user, having just enough guards and assistants to help him perform on the battlefield was sufficient. Understanding that, Mika decided to march forth with only these four people.

“By the way, did you pull the wagon with magic?” (Lorenz)

“Yes. I am ashamed to say, but there are no horses in my territory at present.” (Mika)

Answering Lorenz’s question, Mika let out a wry smile.

Two years ago, the previous lord had abandoned his land and people, fleeing with the only horse and wagon the village had. After becoming the new lord, Mika, anticipating the need to transport heavy loads, bought a used wagon cheaply through the peddler Ernest’s connections. However, he still had no horse.

“I see… Even with psychokinetic magic, pulling a wagon without a horse over the hills must have been difficult.” (Lorenz)

“I would not say it was easy, but I am used to pulling heavy loads during agricultural work, such as plowing fields or transporting felled trees for land development. So it was not as hard as one might think.” (Mika)

“I see, that is good to hear. Psychokinesis magic seems to be quite a convenient thing.” (Lorenz)

“Well, yes. Among the many kinds of magic, psychokinetic magic is highly versatile. It is useful not only in battle but also in developing one’s territory.” (Mika)

Mika had tied a sturdy, moderately heavy piece of wood to the part of the wagon meant for attaching a horse, and by manipulating that wood with magic, he had been able to pull the wagon.

If he tried to carry the wagon directly, the weight would have to be lifted entirely with mana, which would be too heavy. He could also have rolled the wheels forward by using “magic arms,” but that would require him to constantly keep the wheels in sight and focus his consciousness for delicate magic control, which would be mentally exhausting.

As a result, he settled on this method of magically manipulating something tied to the wagon and pulling it.

In modern terms, it was like how a large and heavy suitcase that would be too difficult to carry can be moved easily by pulling its handle. Mika also used this method when plowing the fields or transporting freshly cut logs that had not yet been divided into smaller pieces. Since he only needed to control a single piece of wood with magic, it was far easier on his concentration.

“Will we depart for the gathering point immediately?” (Mika)

“No, our scouts report that the enemy army has not yet moved. The other Houses’ forces will not be able to assemble by today either, and you all must be tired from traveling. We will head for the Howellz territory tomorrow. For today, please rest at my castle with your companions. We will hold a modest banquet to welcome you. I did not have time to speak with you at length yesterday. Tell me in detail how you came to be betrothed to the young lady of the Hewitt Household.” (Lorenz)

Lorenz said this with a pleasant, unaffected smile.

The existence of Ayla, who by the standards of the Dariander region might be called an eccentric young lady, seemed to be relatively well known around the Eltpoli area. Lorenz, who was well-informed, naturally knew of her.

Even for him, Ayla’s attire and her habit of carrying a stuffed toy, which he had witnessed when they greeted each other briefly the previous day, must have seemed peculiar. Yet at least on the surface, he showed no sign of finding her strange.

“Yes, please allow me to boast about it. It was a fateful encounter, as if from a story.” (Mika)

“Oh, I look forward to hearing it.” (Lorenz)

Guided personally by Lorenz, Mika entered the Meldars Household’s castle.

 

—

 

The next day, Mika moved to the Howellz territory, the designated assembly point, together with Lorenz’s Meldars army of about forty men.

The village, now the only human settlement remaining under the Howellz Household, had seen its population fall below five hundred after some merchants and craftsmen fled due to the weakening of the Household’s power. Beside that village, campsites for the gathered forces of each House were beginning to form.

“Counting the Howellz Household as well, that makes three Houses gathered here. It seems all the lords who declared participation will assemble by the end of the day, as planned.” (Lorenz)

The encampment consisted of clusters of tents for each House’s troops, with each group’s Household banner raised at the center. Only the Howellz Household, whose castle and village stood right next to the site, had a single tent prepared for their retainers. Observing this, Lorenz murmured thoughtfully.

“With our numbers included, our total strength must be about 150?” (Mika)

“That sounds about right. If all the pledged forces gather as planned, our total strength will be between two hundred and three hundred.” (Lorenz)

The lords who responded to Lorenz’s call numbered seven, including the Valentine Household. If, as with the Valentine territory last year, an external invasion were anticipated in advance, allowing for maximum preparation and morale, it might be possible to mobilize all able-bodied men. However, such ideal cases were rare.

Generally, the maximum number of soldiers that could be fielded at once was about 10 percent of the population. Considering that roughly 60 percent of the total population were neither children, elderly, nor sick, and that about half of those, 30 percent, were adult men, recruiting one out of every three adult men was considered the practical limit.

In reality, the number depended on factors such as the territory’s economic and food conditions, the season, and the logistical difficulty of issuing conscription orders to each village. If a territory was large or had many villages, there might not be enough time to gather soldiers from all of them. In some cases, villages might even refuse to provide men and surrender to the enemy without resistance. Furthermore, sending troops beyond one’s borders required even more effort and expense, so the number of deployable soldiers tended to be smaller.

The Meldars territory, with a population of about 600, had dispatched 40 soldiers, a considerable effort. Lorenz, as the one who called for this alliance, must have gathered this many out of a sense of pride and responsibility. The Howellz Household, whose territory was nearest the expected battlefield, would likely deploy a large force to protect their last remaining village.

For the other households, sending five percent of their population would already be commendable. Sending more would impose a severe burden on their economies and labor forces. Moreover, most lords were likely holding back troops to defend their lands in case of defeat. Though none wished to fight, they all hoped that by joining this battle to drive out the marauders, their future safety might be secured.

Given such circumstances, a combined strength between 200 to 300 was a reasonable estimate.

“Our side will probably be slightly outnumbered, but the enemy’s army consists mostly of militia, and their mercenaries are unreliable. When faced with a well-organized army like ours, some will surely lose their nerve. And besides, we have you, the psychokinetic magic user. If you control this ballista freely and strike their forces, you will have the power of a hundred men.” (Lorenz)

As he said this, Lorenz glanced back at the wagon Mika had pulled with magic.

“It truly has been a long time since a war of this scale.” (Lorenz)

“It is rare for both sides to gather hundreds of soldiers.” (Mika)

“Yes. In the five generations of my Meldars Household’s history, there have only been two wars of this scale.” (Lorenz)

In this era of Dariander, where countless large and small territories stood side by side, most battles involved only several dozen men, a small-scale affair. Armies of hundreds only gathered when great lords or alliances of multiple Houses fought, which was uncommon.

In ancient times, when this region was part of a great empire, armies of thousands or even tens of thousands had marched to war. Yet after corruption at the center and the spread of plague, the empire had collapsed. Following an age of darkness and chaos across the western continent, Dariander became a land of many small territories balanced in delicate tension.

For Mika and those living in this age, such great wars were things of history and legend. Perhaps, in the future, when these territories unite into larger entities, nations, wars on a grander scale might occur. But that was not something to think about now.

“For the time being, we should set up our own camp. Since your group is small, it would be best to pitch your tents next to ours. In such places, quarrels are common. It is safer for friendly Houses to stay close together.” (Lorenz)

In this dangerous age, yesterday’s ally could become today’s enemy, and one never knew when or where a conflict might erupt, or which household might fall and perish. Even among the lords who now cooperated out of shared interest, they were, in truth, potential rivals.

When several armed factions gathered together, disputes were inevitable. A glare. A sneer. A shove. Stolen or nearly stolen supplies. Even vague suspicions could spark fights that escalated into bloodshed.

“I appreciate your consideration. We shall do that.” (Mika)

Though Mika was a lord, his authority extended only within his own village. He had no power over other lords, their retainers, or their people. With his delicate and fragile appearance, there was no telling how or when he might be dragged into trouble.

Here, Lorenz was the one person Mika could trust most. Therefore, he gratefully accepted his suggestion.

 

—

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)