Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 746: Fortuna Border Convoy II

CH746 Fortuna Border Convoy II

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“Second, Marquis Bramford is a known tyrant who uses his control of the Rotbark River to exploit anyone who crosses it, whether commoner, merchant, or noble.

“Since the bridge was constructed using his own funds, he controls the tolls imposed upon it, and even nobles are not exempt from paying.

“As a result, Marquis Bramford is infamous for demanding exorbitant fees from those who use the bridge, particularly merchants and nobles who refuse to submit to or are not under his influence.”

Saul paused briefly before continuing.

“He has been known to demand as much as fifty per cent of a convoy’s or caravan’s inventory as payment. At times, he even goes so far as to directly seize goods from travellers, paying only a token sum far below market value in order to avoid attracting scrutiny from the authorities.”

“Wonderful. It’s always good to have a local tyrant to deal with,” Alex muttered sarcastically.

Saul continued, “The Marquis is particularly important to us because House Bramford was originally a barony that served as a vassal of House Skywalker.

“It would not be inaccurate to say that they were among the greatest beneficiaries of House Skywalker’s fall.”

“And let me guess—they’ll also be among the biggest losers if House Skywalker rises again, correct?” Alex asked.

“Yes, Leader,” Saul replied.

“In that case, we can expect significant trouble at the Rotbark River if we attempt to cross via the Bramford Bridge.

“Meanwhile, Viscount Dunhill is likely to use his authority as commander of the Frontier Stronghold to make things as difficult for us as possible.

“Is that about right?” Alex asked.

“Indeed,” Saul nodded.

While Alex would very much have liked to lead his army and eliminate both men before they became a problem, he could not do so.

Even setting aside the question of whether he possessed the military strength necessary to defeat Marquis Bramford directly, he lacked sufficient information about the forces under the Marquis’s command.

More importantly, even if he did possess the strength to crush the man outright, he still could not act so recklessly.

The restrictions imposed upon him as a Pioneer Knight simply would not allow it.

He could not simply attack a landed noble.

Doing so required substantial justification—justification that he doubted either Marquis Bramford or Viscount Dunhill would be foolish enough to hand him so easily.

He was now a member of the Celahan Empire’s nobility.

And like any member of any system, he was bound by the rules governing that system.

‘The Honour Count title they gave me just happens to be one rank below Marquis Bramford’s.’

Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘No doubt Duke Cyrindale and the Emperor are setting up the board and watching with interest.’

He inwardly shook his head.

‘There’s no point dwelling on that for now. Better to deal with the immediate problem first.’

Alex lowered his gaze to the map spread out before Saul.

In particular, his eyes traced the course of the Rotbark River downstream, due west of the map.

“Looks like we can avoid the Bramford Bridge by crossing here,” Alex said, pointing to a location on the map.

Saul examined the indicated location before nodding, albeit somewhat unenthusiastically.

“The Aelbank Port. We can indeed cross the river there using their boats and cargo barges. However, it will be a slow and time-consuming process given the size of our convoy,” Saul pointed out.

“Not to mention that it will increase our overall travel time,” Zora added. “We’ll need to cover additional distance to reach the port, then make up that same distance again after crossing the river.”

“I can see that,” Alex admitted. “But according to the map, the port is controlled by a barony. In that case, we are far more likely to receive fair treatment than if we were to knock on Marquis Bramford’s greedy door.

“The additional travel time will simply have to be an opportunity cost that we accept.”

Alex fell silent for a moment, considering the matter.

Then his eyes flashed with thought.

“Since things are turning out this way, it seems we’ll need to move my plans forward. I had intended to wait until after we crossed the river, but it looks like we’ll have to begin tomorrow instead.”

The others immediately looked at him.

“I plan to split the convoy tomorrow,” he revealed.

He turned to Udara.

“Udara, tomorrow I want you to lead a scouting party and reconnoitre the route ahead.”

Then he turned to the others.

“I’ll follow behind with a small elite force. This will allow us to reach the border frontier quickly and without drawing the attention of the Frontier Stronghold.”

“This will also allow you to assess the staging area without much fanfare,” Eleanore pointed out.

“Exactly,” Alex agreed. “The people living along the frontier are likely already tense enough as it is. Having a noble suddenly arrive with a convoy of two thousand people is likely to provoke a less-than-ideal reaction.

“At least this way, we can mitigate that somewhat and, more importantly, keep the non-combatants in our convoy safe.”

Alex’s wives nodded in understanding.

Saul remained silent for a moment, contemplating the proposal before speaking.

“How many people do you intend to bring with you?” he asked.

Alex folded his arms and considered the question.

“Well, I’m a noble. I can’t exactly move around without a guard detail. At the same time, the detail can’t be too small,” he mused aloud.

After a brief pause, he nodded.

“Let’s go with a one-hundred-man guard detail drawn from the members of the Fortuna Company.”

Saul nodded in approval.

“Then I suggest placing Sinia in charge of the remainder of the convoy,” he proposed.

“Not Dalton?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“No,” Saul replied, shaking his head. “If the convoy consisted entirely of combat personnel, then yes. However, with so many non-combatants mixed in, Sinia is the better choice.”

“Alright then. I’ll leave it to you,” Alex said.

“Understood.”

—

The following morning, the convoy split apart as planned.

Udara departed at first light with her usual scouting team, consisting of Silver, Havel, and the five original Fury crossbowmen.

This left the remainder of the expanded scouting and ranged unit with the main convoy.

Meanwhile, a second group led by Alex departed several hours later, once the sun had fully risen above the horizon.

Accompanied by Eleanore, Zora, Mogal, Kavakan, Saul, and a one-hundred-man guard detail, he set out towards the frontier while the long convoy of nearly two thousand people continued its slower journey behind them.

***