Volume 1, Chapter 4, Strategy Meeting.
The strategy meeting became chaotic.
The King and the Prime Minister divided Yamato into five military districts, north, south, east, west, and center. The Eastern General, who held the rank of Major General, was the Duke of Miyata, and the Western General, who also held the rank of Major General, was the Duke of Kuroda. The Northern General, who was also a Major General, was the Duke of Sugimoto, and the Southern General, who also held the rank of Major General, was the Duke of Mitalai. The central area was guarded by the Chief General, a General named Ijuin, and the Guard General, a Duke named Saito, who held the rank of Major General. In addition to them, the inappropriate presence of me and my attendant, Kunihito Asada, a Lieutenant in the Asada Baronet family, who sat together with the King's daughter, Sumeragi Miyabi, a Princess, who was also present.
Within the military, there was a sense of pride as aristocrats, and those who held titles were addressed by their titles, while those who did not were addressed by their ranks.
Lieutenant Kunihito was the same age as me, and Princess Miyabi was sixteen years old, apparently. Lieutenant Kunihito was also quite handsome, and as for Princess Miyabi, she had her hair in twin tails and was quite a beautiful girl, although her chest was a little disappointing.
Basically, Yamato looks like a Japanese person with black hair and black eyes, similar to those in Japan, but they are usually very attractive.
However, Princess Miyabi has a beautiful deep blue color in her eyes because her mother is a foreign noble.
She is said to be the king's eighth daughter and a treasure of the country.
This time, I was appointed as the king's assistant by a special order from the king.
By the way, although the five great generals and the guards' generals are supposed to be around 40 years old, they all look almost 60 years old.
Perhaps it's because of polygamy?
Aging is severe.
As a man, it's painful.
In front of me, the dukes who are also generals are constantly arguing about why they should wage war with me at the core.
Of course, it's natural.
Even if I had the divine tool Gouten that saves the world, I have no practical experience in warfare, so there is no way I can fight in a war.
"Even though the Holy Tree has chosen the hero, Your Majesty, are you really going to rely on an inexperienced young man who has just returned to this world as the core of the war?" The Duke Sugimoto in front of me couldn't bear it anymore and stood up to criticize.
"That's right," I admitted. "Because I'm just an amateur."
"But this is the will of the Holy Tree. If you have Gouten, that must mean that," the king argued, though he seemed puzzled.
"What do you think about this yourself? You've been quiet since earlier," Duke Sugimoto glared at me.
"I also think it's too reckless for me to participate in this operation since I've never killed anyone before," I replied easily. As an amateur, it's impossible for me to be on the front lines.
"I heard from Murasaki that you have considerable martial arts skills," the king interjected.
The king looked into my eyes as if peering deeply into them.
"No, it's just within the range of a non-lethal sport. I've said it many times, but since I've never killed a person before, I might vomit or freeze up on the battlefield."
"You know, on the back of your right hand, there should be a crest that looks like a red jewel of the Holy Tree. With that, you should be able to fight without feeling any guilt," someone said, surprising the Prime Minister.
"What did you say?" I was taken aback by the outrageous statement.
"Those who possess the crest are the people chosen by the Holy Tree to fight. Therefore, as the Holy Tree's protection, anything that would hinder their battle, such as guilt, will not be a concern for the Holy Tree. If not, they wouldn't be able to win the battle," the Princess Miyabi, who was next to me, explained.
"Is that so?"
As I asked in surprise, Princess Miyabi nodded.
"If you were born in this country, you would know this kind of thing. Well, it can't be helped since you were born over there."
But even so, this is quite a dangerous story.
Could it be that they are being controlled by the Holy Tree?
"Well, I know what you're thinking, but it's not like your mind is completely controlled. Since you are fighting for the Holy Tree, the painful parts of your heart will be taken care of by the Holy Tree. Well, your personality might become brighter or darker depending on your mental state, but it's not a big deal. The real problem is that the divine artifact you received is special and very dangerous, so you need to think about that."
"It's dangerous?"
"It's the strongest weapon in the kingdom's history, even in the royal family."
"That's something you shouldn't be telling me."
"Anyway, we need you to follow our judgement on the use of the Gouten. It's dangerous, and once used, there's a considerable amount of time before it can be used again. During that time, we need to figure out what to do with them," advised Duke Ijuin, stroking his chin, to the king.
"In that case, let's only use Gouten as the first attack against the enemy when the war begins. After that, we'll withdraw him immediately and prioritize his safety. We'll charge our troops into the location where we fired Gouten and crush the enemy's morale first. In any case, we'll specialize his use in firing Gouten only. This way, he will also be safe," said Duke Kuroda, scanning everyone.
The king nodded and stood up.
"Alright, let's have Duke Kuroda's army as the first wave, Duke Ijuuin as the second wave, and Duke Saitou as the third wave to confront the enemy."
"Understood."
"I'm counting on you, Duke Kuroda. As the Western General, you know the local terrain well. As for the Northern General Edelhardt, let Duke Sugimoto and Duke Miyata, the Northern and Eastern Generals, respectively, handle it. For now, let's try to drag out the battle with Edelheit. Then, Duke Kuroda will defend the center with Duke Ijuuin while Duke Saitou and the Royal Guards attack Alexis first."
As all the generals nodded in agreement, Duke Kuroda's meaningful smile caught their attention.
But, it seems that this is my first battle. For now, I have no choice but to do as I'm told. I'm just an amateur, and that's all I can do.