Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Subjugation Battle (3)

The so-called orc commanders weren’t just individuals who gathered other orcs together.

As mentioned before, they ranked themselves through sheer strength.

In other words, to form a hierarchy and create a horde, they needed to possess a level of power that was far superior to other orcs.

Thus, the horde’s size often indicated the commander’s rank.

A commander who led a hundred orcs would be called a “Commander,” one who led a thousand would be called a “Champion,” and one who led ten thousand would be known as a “Lord.”

For this reason, they were once one of the reigning races.

If the founding emperor of Ortaire hadn’t killed their Lord, the orc lands would be much larger than the current highlands.

…And that’s the crux of it.

What came to mind first was my previous life.

‘Did any commander-level orcs appear before?’

At least, not in my memory.

But then again, I couldn’t fully trust this memory.

By this point in time, I had already been imprisoned, and most of the information my sister had shared was limited to the political state of the capital.

Considering that the danger of commander-level orcs varies by rank, it’s possible that the one appearing now wasn’t powerful enough to threaten the capital, which might explain why my sister didn’t bother telling me.

Nevertheless, it was a crisis.

The reason orcs weren’t particularly dangerous was because they couldn’t form hordes.

But that assumption was now broken.

A horde of orcs required an opposing force three times larger than usual even to stand a chance.

At this, Erilda spoke.

“Let’s retreat. We can’t proceed with a subjugation without knowing the enemy’s strength. We need to return to the capital, gather reinforcements, and then come back. We have ten knights, two mages, fifty soldiers, myself as part of the staff, you, and Lord Pharos. We might be able to handle a Commander-level orc, but if it’s a Champion, things will get grim.”

That was the simple calculation.

And even that was only feasible because of Sir Drenor, a strategic weapon in the form of a sword master.

“Your Highness, please issue a retreat order immediately. This is too dangerous.”

Just as Erilda concluded her argument, the crown prince interrupted.

“No, we will continue the investigation.”

“Your Highness?!”

“I’m not saying we’ll subjugate them. We’ll just conduct the investigation.”

The crown prince dismissed Erilda’s plea.

She didn’t even have time to argue further.

“Sir Drenor, I want you to personally scout the enemy’s main force and investigate the command unit.”

“I’ll take four knights with me.”

“If it’s a Commander, deal with it immediately. If it’s a Champion, return and report. Even if we can handle a Champion, the forces under it will be too much for just five knights to handle.”

“Yes.”

“Then set out. Sir Linger, gather the soldiers and strengthen the perimeter around the camp. Sir Gunter, take one knight and five soldiers to the nearby villages and evacuate the people.”

“Yes!”

“Sir Gale, head to the lord’s castle and request reinforcements. Do so in my name.”

“Understood!”

In an instant, a plan was in place, and the knights and soldiers began moving swiftly.

Only the crown prince, Erilda, and I remained in the command tent.

Erilda, staring blankly at the prince, suddenly scowled.

“…Are you insane?”

She immediately reverted to informal speech.

It was as if she didn’t even care that I was still there.

“Does this seem like a normal situation to you? Do you think this is something you can just handle recklessly? These are orcs. And one of them is a commander-level creature! At least a hundred orcs are on the enemy’s side!”

Bang!

Erilda slammed the table.

“Do you not realize you’re the crown prince? Just because people praise your swordsmanship, do you think you’re going to become a Grand Master? What do you think will happen to the empire if you die? You want to leave it to that idiot of a second prince? Or that wimp of a third prince? Or should I do it instead, huh?!”

“Calm down.”

“How am I supposed to calm down?!”

She shouted loud enough to shake the entire tent.

It made me wonder if the soldiers outside could hear everything.

Then I remembered: there was a soundproof artifact in place.

“Do you think your life is your own? No. The moment you became the crown prince, your life no longer belonged to you.”

Her eyes blazed with fury.

Yet her tone had a hint of desperation in it.

Up until that point, the crown prince remained silent, merely gazing at her.

Then Erilda spoke again.

“Call it off.”

Finally, the prince responded.

“Request denied.”

“You’re out of your mind…”

“If we return to the capital and regroup, it will take at least two weeks. Even if we draw on the forces of the nearby lords to form an army, that will still take four days. In the meantime, what will the orcs do? Do you think those commander-level creatures will just sit idly by?”

“That’s…!”

“They attacked the scouts just for entering their territory. And they are orcs. Do you think they’re the kind of creatures to show mercy once we leave?”

The prince uncrossed his arms and stood up, speaking as he did.

“In just three or four days, if we leave to prepare defenses, the villages nearby will be razed to the ground. Even if this is an overblown concern, or merely a possibility, we cannot leave.”

It was sound logic.

However, it was also a decision fraught with risk.

Erilda pointed that out.

“Think big. Look at the bigger picture. Your life, the empire you will build, is more important than a few villages. This is an unavoidable sacrifice.”

There it was—why Erilda had earned such infamy during the war.

This woman views even people as numbers.

She sees everything as numbers.

And she draws the most optimized conclusions based on cost and benefit.

It’s probably just her nature.

She was often criticized for it.

But one thing is certain: Erilda’s judgment extended the life of a crumbling empire by several years.

‘Logically speaking, she’s right.’

Given the prince’s capabilities, his current stance was indeed reckless.

But here’s the thing.

I know this prince all too well.

His answer was predictable.

“Then let me ask you.”

“…What?”

“You said sacrificing a few villages was for the greater good. So how many sacrifices are justified under this greater good?”

The prince’s voice grew cold.

Erilda flinched.

“What are you…?”

“I’m asking how many lives it would take to justify this greater good. A few villages? A whole province? The entire southern region of the empire? What is the limit to the sacrifices you would make to save my life?”

Callios stepped toward her.

Erilda stepped back in response.

It seemed the momentum had already shifted.

“Would you sacrifice a whole territory? Or an entire region? Or the southern part of the empire? What is the limit of sacrifices for my safety?”

This is the prince’s true nature.

He’s an idealist, and he has the ability to make those ideals a reality.

During the war, on the day our main camp was attacked, I had a bitter argument with Erilda instead of the prince over the same issue.

One of our soldiers had been captured as a prisoner.

The moment the prince heard the news, he charged straight into the enemy camp to rescue him, without considering anything else.

To him, numbers didn’t matter.

All lives were equally worth saving.

This situation was no different.

“Erilda, you can’t use the greater good to cover for moral shortcomings. Because eventually, that distorted reasoning will come to light. I have realized that.”

At that moment, I felt the prince’s gaze shift toward me.

Silence followed.

Erilda couldn’t find the words to respond.

The prince let out a small chuckle and patted her on the shoulder.

“I won’t die. It’s not a war. I’m just stepping into the battlefield for a bit. Trust your brother in arms, just a little more. And besides…”

“……”

“This is a trial. I came here to prove that I am the heir of the founding emperor. But if I run away in fear just because the enemy has numbers, how much would my honor be tarnished? If I care more for my safety than the lives of the people, how disgraceful would that be? It would be wrong, both as a crown prince and as a knight.”

With that, the prince left the tent.

His final words lingered:

“Lead the troops. You’re more capable in that area than I am.”

Our eyes met for a brief moment.

Then the prince mouthed the words to me:

“Take good care of things.”

“???”

… What am I supposed to do about that?

* * *

The Crown Prince was still busy walking around, ensuring the camp’s defenses.

As for me, I had nothing to do and just sat there.

It was after a few hours had passed.

“Young Lord.”

Erilda came to find me.

She wore a troubled expression, but one that seemed resolved as well.

“Please stop the Crown Prince.”

“How can I? A mere vassal cannot disobey the orders of his lord….”

“Yes, you can. You are Pharos.”

Well, that was unexpected.

“As a descendant and representative of Pharos, you can exercise your authority.”

She wasn’t wrong.

It was a means to correct the Imperial family’s poor judgment.

It required certain preconditions, but right now, those were all satisfied.

And given the urgency, the paperwork could wait until later.

“Please. If it’s a request I can grant, no matter what it is, I’ll do it.”

My gaze fell to Erilda’s hands.

I had no idea how she saw me, but her hands, clasped tightly in front of her, were trembling.

“My brother cannot die here. There is no one in the Imperial family who can replace him. Not in this generation, and likely not in the next either.”

Was it loyalty?

Or personal feelings?

I thought about it, but it wasn’t either.

It was ‘calculation.’

I had to admit that.

“Indeed, the Crown Prince cannot be replaced. He’s exceptional.”

Erilda sees the Crown Prince in terms of numbers.

I know the Crown Prince I’ve seen.

Unless the founding emperor rises from his grave, no one can replace him.

He was that kind of talent, and based on the future I’ve seen, maintaining his position as Crown Prince is crucial.

But, you know.

“I’ll have to refuse. I have no desires of my own, and I don’t feel inclined to do it either.”

This was a rejection.

“Why!?”

Erilda snapped, but I had my reasons ready.

“It is His Highness’s choice. And in my view, it’s the right thing for the greater good.”

… That was the surface reason.

I added one more.

“He needs practical experience. The Crown Prince does.”

I didn’t want to raise him like a sheltered flower.

The Empire’s future holds a certain war.

The king of the barbarians is a Grand Master.

To face that horrifying man, we’ll need someone just as strong on our side.

‘His training in the palace was far too slow.’

The Crown Prince and I sparred many times in the palace.

We engaged in numerous mock battles and duels.

But those ten-odd years of training did less for us than three years of real war.

He needs that kind of harshness.

And if things truly get dangerous?

Then I’ll step in and pull him out.

‘As long as no Lord-class warrior shows up, we’ll be fine.’

It’s a different race.

Moreover, they’re orcs.

With that premise, I had a method in mind.

I explained that roughly.

But it didn’t seem to satisfy Erilda.

Maybe even a small possibility of danger was unacceptable to her.

“… Please reconsider.”

Erilda knelt.

She bowed her head.

Her voice, strained, trembled with frustration.

“It can’t be. This….”

What is she so afraid of?

No need to think about it.

This woman is remarkably consistent, then and now, making her easy to read.

“… I can die instead. But not my brother. The Empire will fall if he dies.”

Erilda Ortaire loved the Empire.

Had she been born in a different era from the Crown Prince, she could have risen to the throne and become a wise ruler.

In that sense, she would say,

―Live. Not me, but you live.

She placed the Ortaire family above her own life.

That was her sole reason.

———-