The convoy was moving toward Ironwood, where the troops were to display themselves to the city's residents.
Victor deliberately chose this route, even though he could have taken a detour through Vestervill and reached the road leading to Selitas. He wanted to show the townspeople and merchants that his dominion had a strong army capable of protecting and fighting for them.
As they neared the city outskirts, Alganis shouted, "Attention!" The command prompted all soldiers to instantly slide their shields off their backs, grip the handles, and press them against their chests.
The perfect synchronization impressed even Victor, who watched the maneuver with great interest.
Now, his army was equipped not only with shields and swords but also standard-issue spears. Although he couldn't outfit them with pilums, he had issued one spear per soldier.
The issue with pilums lay in their quantity. Each soldier required at least six, but since they weren't trained in javelin throwing, the expenditure was pointless.
Marching in formation, soldiers carried shields in one hand and spears in the other. Due to their uniformly athletic builds and flawless coordination, they presented a breathtaking spectacle, drawing crowds of city dwellers onto the streets.
Victor, Alganis, and Linnea led the column, greeted by cheers and celebrations. Mounted on his horse, the lord projected an imposing figure, his armor and demeanor conveying invulnerability.
Keeping his helmet under his arm, he ensured everyone could see his face. Flanking him, two knights garnered equal attention.
Alganis and Linnea had received weapons from Victor's personal collection.
Alganis' kit was incomplete: his armor was complete, but weapons were provided separately.
Furthermore, the knight's muscular build was attributable to his class, though Victor found this change puzzling.
Linnea, by contrast, had received a full set and never took it off after putting it on.
Although, seeing her in this armor, Victor wished for a different style, as her current ensemble obscured her femininity.
Together, the trio presented an intimidating front, reinforcing Victor's conviction that his knights were unbeatable at their respective levels, possibly even higher.
Among the cheering crowd, the lord spotted the countess's carriage. Approaching it, he dismounted and walked toward the vehicle.
The carriage door opened, revealing Cliosse, followed by Sylvia.
— My grandson has grown up, preparing to wage war against my homeland, — the woman quipped with a smirk.
This feature of the world puzzled Victor most: people's detachment from national identity or loyalty to any region.
To inspire outrage over an invasion, outsiders had to be either aliens or perpetrate horrendous deeds.
The latter inevitably occurred during wars, prompting civilians to flee.
Siege soldiers were free to pillage conquered cities, forbidden only from keeping all gold and supplies for themselves.
Victor's soldiers, professional troops, had no need for extra money. Their regular salary covered all expenses, including daily clothing, drinks, meals, and lodging.
Ironwood's brothels became popular destinations for his soldiers, but he didn't discourage visits. Twenty-five years of service without women would drive any sane man insane.
— Lady, your presence honors us. It's a privilege to bid farewell with you, — Victor bowed respectfully.
— Of course, my dear, you're married to my granddaughter, so I must accompany her, — Cliosse replied.
Victor glanced at Sylvia, who remained silent, then bowed again in appreciation.
— Your Grace, please be careful in the war and return in good health, — the girl delivered a standard farewell message and handed him her handkerchief embroidered with the monogram "SL."
Such tokens reminded husbands of their wives waiting at home, but Victor wasn't entirely convinced he wanted such a reminder.
Even though lately they communicated more frequently and got along better, his attitude toward her as a flighty adolescent hadn't changed.
However, he respected her for not meddling in his affairs. Taking charge of the manor, staff, and administrative paperwork freed him from tedium.
Sylvia spent most days in her study, resolving non-trade-related issues.
This arrangement benefited Victor immensely, releasing him from mundane tasks, while the steward rejoiced at having a mistress to delegate queries regarding the manor.
"Farewell, milady. Provided the gods allow, we'll reconvene in six months," Victor concluded, bowing before remounting his horse.
— Baby, take care. Grandma will cry if anything happens to you, ha-ha, — Cliosse laughed, waving goodbye.
"This woman…" Victor couldn't comprehend her behavior, especially since their last conversation in the drawing room. Since then, she behaved cordially, confusing him further.
Vaulting into the saddle, he prepared to urge his mount forward when he glimpsed a white thread stretching from Cliosse.
"What the hell? A follower? Impossible!" He refused to believe that this woman could become his follower, becoming increasingly perplexed by the principle of selecting followers.
She wasn't his servant or soldier, nor did she have any connection to his dominion, but he now saw the thread signifying her as a follower.
Hesitating briefly, he pretended to brush away insects, grabbing the thread.
Until formally acknowledged, followers remained unaware of their status. Victor eagerly wanted to inspect her characteristics to understand the discrepancy.
He spurred his horse and, catching up with his soldiers, added the thread to the system window.
Immediately, a window displaying her statistics appeared:
— Cliosse Borthis — Human — Class — Duellist
— Strength — 283
— Agility — 390
— Luck — 490
— Intelligence — 161
Skills: "Strike," "Illusion," "Exchange," "Radiance," "Absolute Defense," "Killer Instinct," "Vulnerability Detection."
Victor gaped at her stats, recognizing her deadly prowess. Although skills and class were system-generated, the parameters belonged to the individual, meaning her attributes were exceptionally high.
He began reviewing her skills and class details:
"Duelist" — During one-on-one combat, activates "Supremacy," boosting all attributes by 100 points.
"Strike" — Upon activation: In one-on-one fights, increases strength by +100 for one minute (recovery: one hour).
"Illusion" — Upon activation: Creates illusions, making the enemy perceive attacks from multiple directions.
"Exchange" — Upon activation: Trades life span for 500% boosts in strength, damage, agility, and luck. (Warning: Lost years cannot be recovered.)
"Radiance" — Passive charm inducing trust.
"Absolute Defense" — Passive skill: Blocks all attacks during one-on-one combat with equal-level opponents (95% probability).
"Killer Instinct" — Passive skill: With 95% chance, kills an opponent with a backstab. (Cannot target higher-level foes.)
"Vulnerability Detection" — Passive skill: In one-on-one combat identifies all weak spots of the opponent. (Does not apply to higher-level targets.)
Victor couldn't understand how this could be so exaggerated.
"These skills are clearly optimized for duels, but she's basically invincible even against celestial-level foes (Level 8)! What kind of game-breaking powers are these? Why is the system so generous to her?"
Victor knew one thing: the system awarded skills upon recruitment as followers, factoring in the person's baseline attributes, but what he saw in Cliosse's stats was beyond measure.
Pondering this, he didn't notice leaving the city and arriving next to Linnea and Alganis.
— Victor, are you doing okay? — Linnea asked, seeing his puzzled expression.
— Yeah... Everything's fine. Command the soldiers to quicken their pace. We must leave the territory before lunch, — Victor ordered and headed towards his carriage, planning to ride comfortably inside rather than exhaust himself in the saddle.
Being an aristocrat had its perks, including traveling to war in comfort.
***
Fourteen hours later, the convoy, moving eastward, crossed Baron Selitas's territory and stopped at the border of Vice-count Latimer's land, where it linked up with Géctor's troops.
What Victor saw was far from an "army." Except for forty fully equipped soldiers and two knights, about five hundred men were mere serfs, poorly armored in bits of leather and wielding obsolete spears.
Meanwhile, Selitas gazed at Victor's forces, dumbfounded. Less than a year ago, his southern neighbor had amassed an army any count would envy.
Next to Selitas, Captain Hendri whispered:
— My lord, I checked them. They're all at least iron-ranked, — he murmured quietly.
Captain Hendri, at the peak of silver, aimed to advance further in this campaign, hoping to acquire merits sufficient for his master to become a vice-count.
Géctor treasured his captain, giving him whatever he needed. After starting trade with Baltas, he bought him a full elven plate and a zweihänder, costing him 4,500 gold coins.
Like Victor, Géctor understood that his strength rested on this knight, so he couldn't afford to lose him.
Unlike Clint, Selitas actively cared for his territory and its people. Granted, he treated them differently than Victor did, but he at least ensured they didn't starve. Specifically, he built roads and financed an orphanage, which was highly unusual for an aristocrat.
Yet right now, Géctor faced an unexpected challenge: Victor's superiority worried him, prompting him to try cultivating closer ties.
— Géctor, you're getting skinnier again? — Baltas' viscount teased him playfully.
— You'll never quit mocking me, skinny brat. Think you're safe as a viscount? Well, guess again! — growling, Géctor stepped forward, offering a hug with a wicked smile.
— And how exactly do you intend to hit me? Soon you'll be rolling around like a ball, pushed by your servants, — Victor responded, returning the jest.
The two embraced warmly, acting like old friends.
Victor genuinely considered Géctor a friend in this world, appreciating his constant aid in trade and resolving issues concerning merchants, which held no value for him directly.
After a joyful reunion, they set up camp and spent the night drinking wine and playing board games until dawn.
Victor woke up only at noon, feeling the carriage shaking, and slowly lifted his head, realizing they were already underway.
Rubbing his eyes, he saw Linnea looking displeased.
— If you're going to keep living like this, you'd better forget about your proposal to me, — she snapped, trying to sound severe, but her tone only amused the groggy Victor.
***
The convoy continued its journey without incident, pausing only to rest and resupply at other lords' territories.
A month later, they reached the assembly point in the northern reaches of Sheriffman's County, where all the sheriff's vassals had camped.
Upon hearing they were nearing the rendezvous, Victor slid open the carriage door and scrambled along its side, jumping onto his horse, which was tethered to the rear.
Now he too could see the encampment. Nestled in a lowland among hills, it housed approximately twenty-seven thousand soldiers, horses, wagons, and men, all poised for war.
— Finally, we'll see what the county's troops are made of, — Victor exclaimed excitedly, smiling broadly.
He refused to believe that all soldiers were as mediocre as Géctor's.