"The Talented Dragon Hides Its Claws" ~ The Eldest Son of the Baron Family, Called Useless, is Actually One of the World's Strongest ~ - Episode 42

Ryu, who had departed from the Arden Baron family, was currently heading towards the well-known checkpoint located at the border with the Grace Marquisate. Next to him was Stingray, and behind them were a total of one hundred cavalrymen arranged in two lines. Cavalrymen, simply put, are knights on horseback. This significantly increased the speed of their march.

“Wow, that was so cool! Lord Ryu from earlier!”

“At that time, it was necessary to encourage everyone, even if it meant lying.”

This time, unlike the previous conflict between territories, it is a war between nations where tens of thousands of soldiers clash. Because of this, Ryu’s family and the knights’ relatives had been wearing gloomy expressions. With just a single word, Ryu managed to bring a ray of hope to everyone, which can only be described as impressive.

“Even so! Didn’t everyone fall in love with Ryuu-sama?”

“That’s you. Have you ever looked at your own face?”

“?”

“Still as oblivious as ever.”

“Th-that’s not being insensitive or anything.”

“Sigh…”

“Please don’t sigh!”

In the Arden army, there is a position called battalion commander under the vice commander. As the name suggests, the battalion commander is the head of a battalion, with one battalion assigned to each commander. During the battle with the Mantesa, one battalion commander lost their life. The one who was promoted to take their place was Stingray. Normally, appointing a newcomer would lead to complaints from subordinates, but Stingray had been participating in military training with his father, Silver,

The ones going to war this time are the cavalry of the Stingray Battalion, a total of one hundred men.

Captain Stingray is beautiful today as well.

I envy Ryu-sama for being close with the captain.

I want to run next to her too…

I really want to be scolded by the captain

“We’re about to arrive at the checkpoint. Please make sure not to break the formation so as not to inconvenience others.”

“Hah♡”

“The leadership is spot on. As expected of the battalion commander.”

“Since I have been looking up to my father since childhood”

“It’s also thanks to Stingray’s efforts.”

“After all, it’s really nice to be praised by Master Ryu~”

“By the way, what position will Lord Ryu be assigned this time?”

“I don’t know. But since Lord Grace was talking about something regarding a deputy, it seems like I’ll be stuck with a decent position.”

“Eh, aren’t you basically number two now? You did it!”

“I don’t want to, it’s a hassle. It just adds more work.”

“But if you do well, you might be granted a title!”

“Viscount Arden, not bad.”

Huh, the vice commander?!

Isn’t that an earl-level position?!

As expected of our Lord Ryu.

The aide-de-camp and his party arrived at the checkpoint, and although they thought it would take some time due to the large number of people, they were able to enter the Marquisate almost without any checks.

“Somehow, the service was really good, wasn’t it?”

“Indeed”

The Grace guards have always been polite, but this time they were notably more humble than usual. It’s not so much about me, but rather the fact that Grace and Arlen have built a close relationship that is likely influencing this.

That is evidence that Grace is also fully committed to the port town construction plan.

As always, the golden wheat fields welcomed them.

“It’s harvest season, but they’re still shining!”

“Because we allocated resources to the port town, we might be slightly behind here. I did something bad. I have to apologize to Lord Grace later.”

“That’s true. The later the harvest, the lower the quality of the wheat will be. But isn’t it more due to the war?”

“Shall we ask around about that in detail? It’s an issue that will affect us in the future as well.”

The last time Baron Grace refused the imperial castle’s request for military deployment, it was probably considering the possibility of such events occurring.

And then, in the afternoon, we arrived at the first city of the Margrave’s territory.

The city was noisier than usual, and it seemed to me that the residents’ expressions were somehow more strained.

Using the large mansion as a landmark, if you proceed down the street…

“Wow, that’s an incredible number!”

“The atmosphere is grim. Is this what real war is like?”

“I’m starting to get nervous…”

The soldiers, unable to fit within the vast grounds of the Margrave’s estate, formed tight ranks on the main street, eagerly awaiting their deployment.

The gatekeeper noticed Ryu’s presence.

“Baron Arden, we have been expecting you. Please, do come inside the premises. His Excellency is waiting for you at the innermost part.”

Understood.

From here, they would be passing through the narrow paths formed between the armies, so Ryu and the others lined up and continued on their way. Since they were all cavalry, they stood out quite a bit.

Is that the infamous Baron Arden?

You look younger than I imagined.

Hundred riders…? Is this some kind of joke?

“I saw it.”

At the innermost part, there were the heads of noble families who had been summoned like Ryu, and among them, the figure of the marquis of the borderlands, exuding an extraordinary aura.

The Count of the Borderlands has also entered war mode, huh? He seems like a completely different person from last time.

“Lord Grace, I apologize for the delay. Ryu Arden has just arrived.”

“Haha. It’s just that everyone here is a bit impatient, so you don’t need to worry about it at all. More importantly, I’ve been waiting for you all this time, Ryu-kun…”

“Well, should I call you ‘Chief of Staff’ here, Arden?”