Chapter 30: Unwanted questions

I followed Victor and my father, observing their seemingly amicable conversation. Both had smiles on their faces, though Victor's appeared more like a sneer, accentuated by his scar. As we walked, the voice behind that irritating smile questioned me directly,

''Hey say...why did you throw that boy to me ?We were talking with each other.''

 "I thought you might want to converse, but unfortunately, I was too cold for that, and I was starting to get a bit drunk, I figured, to avoid disrespect, I'd provide you with another companion to talk to." I responded, smiling a bit as I remembered the face that Vralion made after the princess turned him down. 

I chuckled, taking another swig of the bottle. "Did you have to turn him down so harshly? I mean, I could practically see the tears forming in his eyes."

The princess rolled hers, "He's been pestering me every time I am on an outing. Unfortunately, subtlety doesn't seem to work with him. 'The fuck off ' is just lost on him."

I raised an eyebrow, amused by the unexpected candidness.

Never thought royals would be tossing around language like that.....

Father and Victor entered a room, and the princess and I followed suit. I glanced around, observing the surroundings, wondering what questions Victor wanted to ask me

A large wooden table dominated the center, with maps and documents neatly arranged. The dim light from ornate chandeliers casts a warm glow on the room. A large fireplace crackled, adding a warmth that I desperately craved for . Most noticeably, however on the big table, there were bottles of wine with four cups to drink from....neat.

 Victor took a seat, his eye fixed on me, while my father gestured for me to do the same. The air was charged with an unspoken tension, and as I leaned against the edge of the table, the rich mahogany surface felt cool against my fingertips.However as I went for the drink I was interrupted 

"I would prefer if young ma-"

"You may call me Favian," I interrupted, a sigh escaping as I shifted my focus away from the drinks.

Victor's eyes bore into mine, a stern expression warning me of the gravity of the upcoming discussion. "I would prefer if Favian would try to keep a sharp mind, for you see, we have serious talks to have. And you have already consumed a bit too much during the feast."

"Not nearly enough, trust me. But anyway, you may proceed, sir." My nonchalant posture and tone stood in stark contrast to the weightiness of the impending conversation.

Victor leaned back, his one-eyed gaze fixed on me, and with a serious tone, he instructed, "Repeat, word for word, what you reported to the count."

Taking a deep breath, I recounted the details of my scouting mission. "I, alongside a knight of my house, went scouting. Everything seemed normal until I stumbled upon something unexpected, the land we were stepping on was nothing less than a magic circle. Not wanting to destroy it and cause whoever was inside to worry, we walked around a bit. We noticed that a part of the landscape was an illusion. Upon entering the dungeon, the illusion disappeared, at least from the inside."

"As luck would have it, the defenses were lax, granting me enough time and space to explore. I discovered that the dungeon was filled with breeding-monster materials. Venturing further, I entered a section of the dungeon with numerous rooms, each containing hundreds of beds. It led me to the conclusion that the dungeon was preparing an army to assault the capital when the demon king decided to initiate the war. While there's speculation that this might be happening in other kingdoms too , it remains uncertain. Our location serves as the buffer zone between the demons and the rest of the continent, so maybe this dungeon is only in our territory .

I must admit the demon king knows how to play the game, as he for certain must have prepared this plot from the end of the last war..."

Victor shifted nervously in his seat, a subtle unease crossing his features. On the other hand, the princess seemed a bit flustered, her composure momentarily disrupted by the gravity of the situation. The revelation appeared to have caught them off guard, and the tension in the room grew palpable as they absorbed the implications of the dungeon's ominous activities, as for me I was as calm as a lake as I knew that if we surrounded the dungeon it was just a matter of time before it got destroyed .

"Since you were the one who scouted the land, do you have any specific suggestions, Favian?" Victor inquired as he locked gaze with me 

"How many men have you brought with you?" I asked in response as I needed to know the amount of troops we could employ 

"The crow has brought three mana cannons and 8,000 troops," Victor replied.

I turned to my father, who stated, "We will contribute all of our mana cannons and 2,000 troops, all of them elite."

"I suggest that only around 4,000 troops enter the dungeon for effective combat. The remaining forces can be stationed outside to fortify the perimeter. In case the initial wave fails, they will act as a secondary defense. This way, even if the worst scenario unfolds, the monsters won't be able to break our defenses," I recommended to the commander.

The princess questioned my certainty, asking, "Why are you so sure?"

"The entrance to the dungeon is surrounded by hills, providing us with a height advantage . We can position our troops on higher ground, utilizing the terrain to maximize the effectiveness of our ranged weapons, including guns and cannons. Additionally, we should construct trenches and palisades to impede the enemy's progress, giving our troops ample time to mow them down," I elaborated on the plan.

Victor frowned, seeking clarification, "What exactly is a trench?"

Oh shit I forgot they don't know of the Spanish quercio.

"A trench is essentially a horizontal excavation in the ground, employed to impede the enemy's advance. It serves the purpose of disrupting their formation, as they are forced to either fill the ditch or overcome it by jumping, creating a chaotic situation that gives us an edge in hand-to-hand combat. Furthermore, if we position palisades on our sides, it not only hinders direct charges by enemy cavalry or wolves but also deters them from recklessly jumping into an unfavorable situation," I explained, the room falling silent as everyone contemplated the tactical intricacies.

"Favian," Victor asked, his hand visibly shaking, "how did you think of all this?"

Honestly I thought of nothing, as I had just copied hundreds of years of military improvement from my previous world , but I certainly could not say this.

"When all you do is drink, you have plenty of time to reflect on what you're doing wrong or question the state of things," I replied with a sigh, hoping to swiftly conclude the conversation. ''And unfortunately for me, seems like I tend more on the latter '' 

Unfortunately, the joke was not received well, as no one laughed 

"If what you say about the palisades and trenches truly works, then you might have found a solution to combat the wolf-riding goblins employed by the demon king" Victor added, his tone reflecting a hopeful spark.As apparently, that issue was something that weighed on the mind of the commanders of this kingdom.

"Happy to assist, sir..." I muttered, hoping to swiftly conclude the conversation. I'm desperate for some shut-eye; it's already midnight, and fatigue is slowly claiming my consciousness.....but unfortunately for me , Victor's question did not end there, as he had other things to ask.