Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 227

“The trouble with enemies of great nobles and magic is that they don’t always attack head-on,” Jilboa continues to explain.

“A few years ago, our corps had a few conflicts with a mercenary group hired by a high noble from another city. Of course, the purpose of the conflict is to drive the opponent away, so it rarely escalates to a real fight. Still, there are always inexperienced young fighters and reckless ones looking for glory. Sometimes, even young nobles can be among those reckless types.”

I can imagine how such a situation could arise. In this world, the power of the nobility is strong. Young people born into high nobility have likely experienced very little in their lives that hasn’t gone their way. Their entourages, too, reinforce this misconception. These young nobles mistakenly think that their authority holds sway even on the battlefield, leading them to act rashly, only to encounter a beast.

“So, what happens next?” I can guess where the story is headed, but I prompt him to continue nonetheless.

“What else? We fire three volleys from the crossbow corps, then push the ranks of the sword and shield corps forward, using the lance corps to exploit gaps in their superior armor.”

The powerful crossbows, typically reserved for ferocious monsters, and the heavy lances designed to take down beasts with tough hides must easily dispatch the noble’s soldiers, who are merely there to look like scarecrows.

“However, we might have gone a bit overboard. Thanks to his sturdy armor, the young noble only ends up with a broken bone, but a few of his entourage die. If they had lived, we could have taken a ransom for them. They are just too weak for their appearance, and it seems our members misjudge the level of force to use.”

“That’s unfortunate,” I reply.

The people surrounding great nobles are typically the sons of influential lower-ranking nobles. They are raised together from childhood and educated to become aides to the young noble destined to lead their party. They are not individuals who should be killed over a mere conflict.

“Indeed, it was a mistake. They say that life and death on the battlefield are part of a knight’s code, but that applies to mercenaries and low-ranking knights. Nobles, on the other hand, prioritize survival. The young lord who is captured keeps shouting, ‘I will definitely get revenge!’ I later learn that among those who die, one is a close friend of his. That must fuel a lot of resentment.”

At this, I frown. “Did he bring a woman to the battlefield?”

Jilboa shrugs. “No, it was a man.”

Oh, I see…

I don’t want to delve deeper, so I shift the topic. “So, what happens to the young lord after he loses his friend? Do they send an assassin after you?”

I urge him to continue. I am intrigued by the past that Jilboa rarely speaks about, though I sense it isn’t for sentimental reasons but rather to illustrate the methods of the nobles.

“Assassins have been sent many times before. But I’m always protected by skilled members, and there are few nobles with the capability to surpass me in swordsmanship.”

It’s true that assassination would be effective if Jilboa were just a skilled individual. However, in addition to his own prowess, he has dozens of capable warriors at his side, all loyal to him. Jilboa is among the hardest individuals to assassinate in the world.

So, what does the young noble do?

“Thus, the young noble who loses his friend turns to his father and has him send a skilled magician.”

Jilboa’s story is reaching its climax.