Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: I've Made It (2)
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To put it simply, this was the situation.
An attendant who had charged toward the orcs with his master had died in battle, and the knight, having lost his servant, had singled out an eyepatch-wearing trainee.
That eyepatch-wearing trainee was, of course, me.
“Heard you made the bed exceptionally well, didn’t you? Seems he was quite taken with that.”
When I asked why, the answer was that I was simply too good at my job.
“I promise. I won’t keep you in that position for long.”
Centurion Bravos tried to persuade me.
The exhaustion on his face didn’t seem to be solely from the battle.
It looked like he’d been through quite an ordeal in a short time.
After all, a knight who had lost his attendant was no different from a spoiled child.
And not just any child, but a terrifying one capable of lopping off a person’s head in the blink of an eye, with absolutely no hesitation in using that ability.
I deeply sympathized with the centurion’s plight.
“It’s impossible.”
But accepting the offer was another matter entirely.
This had nothing to do with personal preferences.
“A cadet of the Cradle cannot serve a Master privately.”
That was, in fact, a rule of the institution.
The Empire didn't pour a massive budget into the Cradle just to do favors for others.
The very reason for the Cradle’s existence was to secure talented individuals who would dedicate themselves to the Empire, especially when so many were drawn to the Ascendant Houses and other famous families.
The mandatory service for graduates was a measure established in the same vein.
“Well now. This is a problem.”
Centurion Bravos looked troubled when I mentioned the Cradle’s rules.
Regardless of the reason, the knight would surely be furious that his offer had been rejected.
The centurion, caught in the middle, was poised to bear the full brunt of that anger.
This time, even his remarkable social skills wouldn’t be of much help.
Social skills are only effective when common sense applies.
And the knights I knew were beings far removed from common sense.
“I will tell him myself.”
After a moment of thought, I decided to help the poor centurion.
It was a situation that had arisen because my professional habits had kicked in and I’d done my job too perfectly, and besides, there was something I wanted to check for myself.
“Oh! I’d be grateful if you did. But will you be alright?”
The centurion, who had brightened for a moment, belatedly asked with a worried expression.
“Well, what could possibly happen?”
“I’m sorry about this. Here you are, in a situation where you should be commended for your achievements and receiving rewards, and I’m talking about this. It’s quite embarrassing as a commander.”
Centurion Bravos finally brought up the recent battle.
“You killed a hundred Reptilians, and about fifty-two orcs. Confined to the 13th Legion, that’s the highest kill count achieved in a single battle.”
I hadn’t been able to get a proper count during the fighting, but the enemy force that appeared late in the battle was definitely no smaller than a century.
Seeing as we only took down half of them, it seemed the orcs had retreated along with the Valkyries.
It was a shame we couldn't annihilate them completely, but it was still a significant achievement.
“A feat we couldn’t have achieved if you hadn’t disrupted the Reptilians’ flank. I intend to report every single detail, so you can look forward to it. The Imperial Army is never stingy with those who achieve great things.”
“If you’re offering, I won’t refuse.”
If they were giving out a reward, there was no reason to decline.
“And you were right about everything. From now on, the army will always consider the presence of Valkyries when planning operations.”
The frenzy the Reptilians displayed at the end.
The feint tactic of using bait to target the main force.
The orderly retreat of the orcs, who were known for never backing down.
He said these were all things they had never imagined and that they would approach future battles with all possibilities in mind.
That was welcome news.
But not all the news was good.
“We lost thirty-two men from our century alone. The 21st Century suffered similar casualties. Still, the heavy infantry is in better shape. The infantry who joined late are another story, and the light infantry, in particular, suffered devastating losses.”
The light infantry who failed to withdraw from the battlefield in time were nearly wiped out.
Had they calmly bypassed the shield wall and retreated, many more would have survived, but unfortunately, in their fear, they chose the worst possible option.
And their choice forced the heavy infantry into the unwanted role of a disciplinary squad.
The heavy infantry had no choice but to urge their terrified comrades to turn back and fight, and those who refused to comply and continued to cling to the shields, disrupting the formation, had to be killed with their own hands.
“We won the battle and achieved a great victory, but the soldiers have nothing left.”
“Didn’t they survive?”
“Yes. You’re right about that. Nothing is more important than one’s life.”
Despite his words, the centurion’s expression remained dark.
I didn’t offer any further consolation.
No words would be of any comfort right now.
After hearing a brief summary of the post-battle arrangements, I immediately got up.
I was going to see the knight right away.
“Over-ten!”
As soon as I stepped out of the tent, Trainee Bella and the third-rank infantrymen approached me.
The reinforcements were with them as well.
“I’m so glad you’re sa—.”
“Waaah!”
Before the words of concern could even finish, a sudden cheer erupted.
“One-man army, Over-ten!”
“Reptilian Slayer!”
The area around the tent was packed with soldiers.
They belonged to different units, but the emotion on their faces was the same.
Goodwill, or respect, or something similar.
“If it weren’t for the Over-ten, I would’ve been dragged away, shield and all, and horribly killed!”
“You saved my life!”
“Thanks to the Over-ten, I got to take a Reptilian’s head and I’m in line for a reward!”
I stared blankly at the soldiers shouting that they would repay their debt someday, whether it was for their lives or their battle achievements.
“These are all men who benefited from your actions during the battle, one way or another.”
Centurion Bravos chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder.
It was obvious he had known about the soldiers gathered outside the tent for some time.
“Say a few words.”
He pushed me forward.
Thrust forward unexpectedly, I hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Were you all asleep during shield wall training? You’re all talking nonsense.”
The soldiers flinched, stiffening at the unexpected reprimand.
“My shield is my comrade’s life. That is the fundamental principle of the heavy infantry.”
But their stiffness was only momentary.
“There’s no such thing as a life debt between comrades, you idiots!”
At my subsequent words, the soldiers stared blankly for a moment before erupting into cheers.
“That’s right! The word ‘debt’ has no place between comrades who have each other’s backs!”
“Because we are comrades!”
The reaction from the heavy infantry was particularly fervent.
It was only natural.
The heavy infantry’s shield wall was a mutually supportive structure.
They entrusted their left side, which couldn’t be covered by the shield in their right hand, to the person next to them.
“My shield for my comrade’s heart!”
“Your shield is my heart!”
The centurion, who had been watching, stepped forward and shouted, and the heavy infantrymen responded in kind.
“Is camaraderie only for the heavy infantry? We have it too!”
“The Imperial Army is about loyalty! Loyalty is the Imperial Army!”
Soldiers from other centuries shouted, not to be outdone.
“Over-ten Yan!”
“One-man army, Over-ten!”
As the cheers threatened to shake the entire camp, I casually rubbed under my nose, and Centurion Bravos spoke as if in passing.
“This should be loud enough for the knight from the mainland to hear in his tent.”
“…Did you gather them on purpose?”
“They say knights are obsessed with fame and justification. I would hope they have as much respect for another’s.”
In other words, he was asking if the soldiers’ support couldn’t serve as a kind of justification to block the knight’s tyranny.
So, he had been acting with the assumption that I would refuse from the very beginning.
The more I saw of him, the more he seemed like a wily old fox.
I didn’t dislike it.
And it wasn’t unhelpful.
Certainly, no knight would welcome the stigma of having persecuted a commander who was fully trusted and supported by his troops.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t be enough to completely restrain those self-centered knights.
“I’ll wait in my tent. Having an audience tends to make people more mindful of their reputation.”
With those words, Centurion Bravos returned to his tent.
In his place, Trainee Bella guided me.
“You have more scars.”
“Yeah.”
“I respect you.”
I sighed at her out-of-context remark.
I had known for a while that the trainee before me considered scars and medals to be synonyms.
As we walked, the large tent I had seen before came into view.
“Over-ten!”
The soldier guarding the front of the tent saluted sharply.
His posture was as crisp as if he were addressing a centurion, not a mere over-ten.
“Announce me.”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldier quickly sent word inside.
“Let him enter.”
I gestured for the trainee, who was lingering around instead of leaving, to go, and then I pushed aside the flap of the tent.
The moment I stepped inside, the faint smell of blood assailed my nostrils.
I showed no reaction and paid my respects.
Not with an Imperial military salute, but in a manner befitting a knight.
The knight didn’t seem particularly surprised to see me do so.
“You, you’ve served a knight before, haven’t you?”
He simply asked, as if he had guessed from the start.
“Yes, Knight.”
I didn’t deny it.
“I knew it. Those who are trained show it even in the way they walk.”
Contrary to Centurion Bravos’s thoughts, the knight had not called for me because he was impressed with my bed-making skills.
“Useful. A hundred times better than the last idiot.”
The knight said, looking me up and down.
His attitude, which showed not a shred of mourning for the attendant who had died serving him faithfully, inexplicably grated on my nerves.
“I will not question the sin of you masquerading as a trainee before me. I am generous.”
Oblivious to my inner thoughts, the knight continued to blather on.
“You seem to have been abandoned by the one you served, but I intend to let that reason remain buried as well.”
His condescending manner, as if he were bestowing some great mercy, was the very definition of arrogance.
It wasn't anything new, and there was no reason I couldn’t endure it.
Or so I thought.
“I will not ask who you served. It was surely someone insignificant.”
But it turned out that wasn’t quite the case.
“I will take you in. Consider it an honor.”
At the knight’s words, I briefly bowed my head.
Then I raised it again and said.
“I do not even know the Knight’s noble name.”
How could I serve him without even knowing his name?
To my question, posed with feigned reverence, the knight answered without a hint of hesitation.
“Rangfin Haime. That is the name of the one you will serve from now on.”
I was stunned.
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
I hadn’t expected him to reveal his identity, which he had kept hidden from the army’s high command, so easily.
But more than that, Haime of the Twin Stars.
The Haime family was a member of the Empire’s Eight Great Sword Families and the current Empress’s own house.
It was certainly a background grand enough to warrant such arrogance.
If anyone else had been in this position, their head would have been spinning.
Of course, that didn’t apply to me.
To me, the name Haime was nothing but ominous.
A treacherous house that was feeding the Crown Prince trace amounts of poison daily and scheming with figures within the Cradle.
I didn't have the slightest intention of becoming a member of such a place.
But I would have refused the offer even if that weren’t the case.
“Knight Rangfin.”
“You should call me Master.”
“My apologies.”
“I’ll forgive you just this once.”
Looking straight at Rangfin Haime, who had misinterpreted my words at his leisure.
“I cannot accept the Knight’s offer.”
I corrected his misunderstanding.
“What?”
Rangfin Haime’s pale face quickly turned crimson.
“How dare you…”
His face looked like it was about to explode.
I corrected my posture.
*Click.*
My feet came together, my right hand covering the area over my heart.
*Swish.*
I lowered my hand again.
“Of the Cradle of Stars, Silver Eagles standard-bearer.”
I said clearly, my back ramrod straight.
“Cadet Yan formally greets Knight Rangfin.”
Rangfin Haime’s jaw dropped.
He looked like such an idiot to me.