The Plunderers

"Has Wessen gone to sea?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. He set out from Le Havre aboard his new ship to begin its ocean trials. It's said he'll reach the Inland Sea, then sail upstream along the Danube and return to Weissenburg City."

Rudolf bit down on the grass stem at the corner of his mouth, feeling a little envious.

He was a king, yet his vassal lived with more freedom and ease than he did. Still, there was nothing he could do about it except envy him.

"Never mind him." Rudolf sighed. "Let's focus on the work at hand."

Before him, someone had made a simple sand table out of dirt, branches, and leaves, and marked it out.

Ever since the Sverier Kingdom invaded south, its main forces had been fighting in the Danma Kingdom. Meanwhile, large numbers of plunderers, formed spontaneously by civilians, had crossed the sea to raid the eastern bank of the Elbe River and the northern coast of the Piaster Kingdom.

These plunderers were made up of farmers, hunters, mercenaries, prisoners, and others. They didn't occupy any particular land, but roamed about, looting wherever they went. As long as they could provide the king with livestock, valuables, and people, their leaders could claim a fief in the Danma Kingdom and rise to become landed nobles.

They raided villages, besieged towns, and even ventured two or three hundred kilometers inland. Before long, smoke from fires of war rose across the lands east of the Elbe.

To make up for his lack of military experience, Rudolf had formed a Knight Order, and these plunderers had become his training.

Bastian had once been a member of the Royal Knight Order. Now, he had joined Rudolf's Knight Order and was in charge of reconnaissance.

After setting up the sand table, he