Though Baroness Virgo boldly stepped forward to summon a subjugation force, naturally since it's humans doing it, things didn't happen immediately. Sorry to say for Baroness Virgo, but considerable time was needed to equip the subjugation force enough to do its job properly.

And there were numerous obstacles that made Baroness Virgo endlessly spend time.

For instance, it took time to return the guards spread throughout the entire Virgo Barony back to Spica Castle. The messengers that spread from Spica Castle brought back guards dispatched to guard various areas to the castle, but it took time for them to return and be reorganized.

Dispersing and dispatching defense forces throughout the entire territory. That was the first obstacle for the Baroness.

And second.

"How can we stand idle when the lord herself is stepping forward!"

"I'll avenge my brother who died at Zabiyaba!"

"Let those Demon King's Army bastards come! I'll stick a knife in their bellies!!"

Young people who stepped forward one after another hearing news of the lord's personal campaign, those who took up swords for revenge for family who died at Zabiyaba, and warriors who joined unable to contain their boiling blood against the Demon King's Army.

It also took time for all those people to be organized into one subjugation force. Though executing the head butler, a parasite that had eaten away at the territory for a long time, received cheers from many citizens, paradoxically, the arbitrary execution of the one in charge of administration in the barony created an administrative vacuum—the second obstacle.

And the third obstacle.

"Is it true the Baroness killing the head butler was actually a scam? The previous Baron was also poisoned to death. Who knows? Maybe blinded by power, father or whatever...."

"Shh. If you say such things openly, you'll get arrested."

"What I heard is, don't tell anyone, but actually framing the head butler as a traitor and killing him is to swallow the head butler's assets. Embezzled assets? You believe that?"

All sorts of conspiracy theories about Baroness Virgo were rampant. Though there were already thick sinister rumors during the succession process, the Baroness suddenly became trash who committed immorality and abandoned humanity for assets.

"She discovered the dungeon but knowingly left it alone."

"Maybe she's actually a witch bribed by the dungeon monsters?"

"A thousand people died. Would everyone really die without a single person returning alive? The Baroness offered them as sacrifices for the Demon King's Army."

Conspiracy theories about Baroness Virgo only grew uncontrollably. The barony turned upside down as conspiracy theories started flowing once, and the Baroness frantically tried to actively shake off the noose of misunderstanding placed on her.

"I will definitely clear the dungeon!"

Knight Faiz discovered a massive amount of gold coins and magic stones at the head butler's residence. It was certainly more than you'd think a mere barony head butler could collect, enough assets to purchase a middle-class house in the capital.

"I will use all these assets without leaving a single gold coin for the dungeon subjugation!"

The Baroness's spirit was tremendous. She paid fair prices to purchase weapons from merchants in the castle and distributed them to the subjugation force as is. And not stopping there, she tried to massively hire adventurers using gold coins.

"A dungeon where the Blue Lion guild perished? Rank 56, right? Pretty profitable, huh?"

"Just accepting the commission is breaking even if we don't get hurt."

"An orc horde that occupied a city.... I'm gonna get some exercise after a long time."

From riffraff to mercenaries whose names are somewhat known joined. A full two days until all those military forces were organized into one subjugation force.

Already the fourth day since Zabiyaba was occupied.

After the 1st subjugation force led by Knight Ramatio was annihilated, in the meantime the Baroness scraped together all the territory's forces and hired mercenaries to hastily create a massive subjugation force.

500 existing territorial soldiers.

600 hot-blooded new recruits.

And about 100 adventurer groups obtained as mercenaries.

Including five knights as retainers in the territory, the 2nd subjugation force also organized a large force of about 1,200. It's only slightly more than Ramatio's 1st subjugation force, but as the Baroness boasted, the quality of forces far exceeded the 1st subjugation force.

And morning.

To stand at the front of the subjugation force, the Baroness put on leather armor specially prepared for her. Though it was difficult to wear alone without help from servants, the Baroness somehow succeeded in putting on the armor with difficulty.

Knock knock.

A knock sounds from outside. The Baroness tidies her outfit neatly and clears her throat.

"Who is it?"

"It's Gray, my lord."

"Enter."

The door opens and a heavily armored knight with only the helmet removed enters the room. The Baroness points to her armor with a stern face.

"This much should be fine even standing at the vanguard, shouldn't it, Sir?"

"...When you're with me, you can relax your shoulders. No one's around."

Creak. Gray closes the door, and Baroness Virgo hesitates for a moment then lets out a big sigh.

"...Could you tell I was nervous?"

"Yes. Very much so."

"How can I not be nervous? If even this subjugation force is defeated, my territory is finished. It's not just any dungeon but a rank 56 dungeon. They must have massive forces. Ugh, if I'd known this would happen, I should have formed a subjugation force before Zabiyaba was occupied...!"

The Baroness pounds her chest and blames herself. Gray turns his gaze away with faint guilt. Frankly, if he hadn't turned his horse at the slash-and-burn village that day, they might have discovered the dungeon that very day.

Fortunately, the Baroness was also keenly aware of her own mistakes and misjudgments, so she didn't say anything else. At least the two are accomplices who thought the same and agreed on opinions.

"...Sir Gray, no, Lord Gray."

Baroness Virgo uses honorifics for Gray. Gray waves his hands and kneels on one knee.

"My lord! I'm merely a knight!"

"But you're the second son of a prestigious family established in the capital. Someone who'll rise to a far higher title than mine when you inherit your rank. So I'll ask in advance."

Baroness Virgo kneels before Gray and grasps her hands tightly.

"If anything should happen, please take me to the capital."

"...Nothing will happen. My lord. Baroness. Steel your heart. You must never weaken. You have 1,200 soldiers, 100 mercenaries, and five knights. And I'm among them."

Gray defends the Baroness and breathes courage into her. The more the Baroness falls into anxiety, the more Gray mentally supports the Baroness with hopeful words.

"So have hope. You're the supreme commander now, aren't you? You must boost morale."

"...Yes. I understand. Whew, hoo. Without you, Sir Gray, I would have collapsed long ago."

The Baroness extends her hand to Gray. Gray grasps the Baroness's hand in a respectful posture and stands her up. The Baroness doesn't let go of the hand holding Gray's.

"Could you hold it just until we leave the lord's castle?"

"I'll escort you. My lord."

"...At times like this, wouldn't it be 'lady'?"

"A lord is a lord."

Gray doesn't answer until the end about taking the Baroness to the capital.

***

The 2nd subjugation force formed in fairly quick time exited Spica Castle. The Baroness personally mounted a horse and stood at the front, with knights and infantry following behind.

At the very rear, adventurers hastily hired as mercenaries took position. Since systematic command delivery and strict hierarchy are difficult with free-spirited adventurers, the Baroness organized the adventurers as a kind of guerrilla unit.

And naturally, that guerrilla unit also needed a leader. In that sense, the Baroness was sincerely grateful to the young-looking boy priest riding a horse beside her.

"Thank you once again. Thanks to Priest Francis, I'm relieved of worries about the adventurers."

"Haha, not at all. Of course I must step forward to bring down the divine hammer on the wicked Demon King's Army's puppets."

The priest, Francis, scratches his cheek with an awkward face. Though he looks the youngest including the knights at the front, considering actual age, background, and status, he's definitely not someone who can be dismissed as a boy.

[Divine Punishment: Francis. I don't know if it's okay for me to call you Priest.]

"Haha, I'm just an ordinary priest."

"How can you say you're ordinary? Such humility."

If the Baroness's memory isn't wrong, Francis is a renowned priest who not only cleared Belial's rank 68 dungeon solo as a gold-tier adventurer, but also participated in clearing rank 50 Furcas, rank 43 Sabnock, and more.

If he hadn't insisted on remaining a traveling priest, the Goddess Church would have already recruited him as a member of the Holy Knights.

"As soon as word spread that you would take command, 30 volunteered as mercenaries. Thanks to you, our forces greatly improved."

"Everyone was inspired by the wickedness of the Demon King's Army. Even without me, they would have gladly defeated the Demon King's Army as servants of the goddess."

The adventurers quickly accepted Francis becoming the commander leading the adventurer unit. Most adventurers were wood or bronze tier, and the occasional silver tiers had to bow their heads before an active gold tier.

"Um...you said you also participated in the rank 30 Forneus subjugation, right?"

The Baroness recalled the most recent dungeon subjugation Francis participated in. A rank 30 dungeon that the barony's power could never defeat. The dungeon located in Count Aries's territory was eventually completely subjugated, but with many casualties.

"Yes. Back then too, the 1st subjugation force was annihilated like now. The 2nd subjugation force I joined also almost got annihilated. The Margrave was also greatly inju...ahem."

Francis clears his throat and chooses his words.

"...When the Margrave greatly swung the Holy Sword, the wicked orc horde was swept away at once. If the territory had been just a bit closer, the Margrave would have rushed over. Orcs are enemies of his daughter to the Margrave."

"...."

Someone she knows popped up. Eila Aries. An arrogant and haughty knight with nothing outstanding except being born the Margrave's daughter, yet she became commander of a knight order through that status.

'If only I'd been born a count's daughter instead of a barony....'

"Your complexion doesn't look good?"

"...Of course, orcs are dangerous beings. Belligerent and barbaric. Still, fortunate there are only about 100."

"Baroness."

Priest Francis's voice contains slight fear.

"...Even if they're an advance party from a relatively low-rank dungeon, you mustn't underestimate them. They have enough power to occupy a city and ruthlessly kill a thousand people. Moreover."

Francis lowers his voice.

"Especially if they're orcs, even more so."

"...Is there something I should be careful about?"

"Yes. Baroness, please just let this pass."

Francis grits his teeth and continues.

"A dungeon's rank doesn't always directly connect to that dungeon's power. Just as with the Holy Knights' commander and vice-commander, there are cases where subordinates are far stronger than the leader. This is just a question."

Francis turns his head with a scary face. Since it looks like a child making threats for fun, the Baroness laughs inside.

"A dungeon ranking within top 10 equals the entire kingdom. Each master of such dungeons is a hero worth one, no, tens of thousands alone. What if such a being suddenly pops out as a minion in a rank 30, no, rank 56 dungeon?"

"...Then it would be a catastrophe for the human alliance. Perhaps—"

"The Margrave's Holy Sword didn't break. ...Let's stop here. Seems we're arriving."

The subjugation force that advanced on the road from Spica Castle to Zabiyaba arrived at the river flowing to Zabiyaba. The stone bridge still connects firmly, but the appearance of Zabiyaba visible far beyond that stone bridge is quite different from the Baroness's memory.

"...What is that?"

The Baroness hastily rides her horse forward. It's not clearly visible from afar, and it's such an unbelievable sight she wants to see and confirm directly.

"It's dangerous!!"

The knights quietly following behind hastily step forward, and Francis also lifts the iron mace tied to his back. The Baroness who stops her horse at an appropriate distance can only gape.

"Goddess...."

Zabiyaba's wooden fence has risen 1.5 times higher than before, and the thickness has become even more solid. Even sharp thorn vines are embedded at the ends of the fence.

In just those few days, the orcs turned Zabiyaba into a perfect 'fortress.'

And while the Baroness can't escape from shock.

Boom!!

With a tremendous roar, one huge shadow starts falling toward the Baroness.

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