Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: I've Made It (3)
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Rangfin Haime's lips parted and closed several times.
"I appreciate the offer, but as a Cradle cadet, serving a Master in a private capacity is strictly forbidden."
Before any more nonsense could spill from his lips, I drove the point home.
"I cannot accept Knight Rangfin's offer."
The twitching lips clamped shut.
Watching his face flush red and pale by the second was quite amusing, but unfortunately, the show was over.
"It is belated, but I commend the Knight for his valiant efforts."
I brought my heels together again in a show of respect and asked for his permission to leave, stating I had nothing more to say.
Rangfin Haime nodded, his expression sour.
"Farewell, then."
With a disciplined show of respect, I turned away.
I could feel Rangfin Haime's breathing grow harsher behind me.
*Fwoosh.*
I fled the tent as if escaping.
A soldier squatting in front of the tent brightened upon seeing me.
It was Trainee Bella.
"Over—"
I clapped a hand over the trainee's mouth.
"…?"
To the trainee's questioning gaze, I held up a single finger.
*CRACK!*
A moment later, the sound of something shattering came from inside the tent.
The soldier guarding the tent flinched in surprise and was about to go inside, but I stopped him.
I warned him not to enter under any circumstances unless called.
The soldier nodded, his face grim.
Only then did I pull Trainee Bella away from the area.
"I told you to go back first."
"Well, I was worried, and curious…"
It seemed she had heard, at least vaguely, why I had sought out Rangfin Haime's tent.
Instead of answering the trainee's questioning gaze, I offered her some invaluable advice.
Don't loiter around knights for no reason.
Especially if it's a knight who hasn't gotten what he wants.
Perhaps recalling the noise from inside the tent, the trainee nodded, her face pale.
"So, does the Over-ten remain an Over-ten?"
I couldn't help but chuckle at the strange question.
"For now, yes."
"For now…?"
"He'll summon me again soon."
He let me go readily today because of my unexpected status, but that was just for today.
The knights I know are not the type to give up on what they want so easily.
If that's true for ordinary knights, it goes without saying for a knight of the great Haime family.
I guarantee he'll try to rope me in again, one way or another.
And next time, my status as a Cradle cadet won't mean a thing.
"Then what will you do?"
The trainee fretted, stamping her feet, worried about what would happen if someone who wouldn't even listen to a Tribune tried to force the issue.
But contrary to the trainee's worries, I wasn't concerned.
Because Rangfin Haime summoning me again was exactly what I wanted.
In my past life, the Imperial Army failed to recover from the damage sustained on the 13th Front and ultimately surrendered this entire area to the inhuman species.
It was an event that completely overturned the common perception that while there might be major and minor defeats, the Imperial Army would always have the last laugh.
This incident marked a turning point, forcing the Empire, which had maintained a policy of expansion since its founding, to adopt a completely defensive stance.
This series of events became the starting point for the collapse of the great Empire, which had sustained its size through conquest.
And now, a knight from the Haime family.
It was deeply unsettling.
The Cradle, which had suddenly vanished as if it never existed.
The 13th Front, the starting point of the Empire's fall.
Coincidentally, both were places where the Haime family had their hands.
To me, it didn't feel like a coincidence at all.
Moreover, the information I'd confirmed about Rangfin Haime using Starseeker was also suspicious.
It was as if a single knight were serving two stars at the same time.
‘The Haime family's renowned name was built on only half of its twin stars.’
At the time, I thought it meant the family was watched over by two stars.
But after checking Rangfin Haime's information, the meaning sounded completely different.
It was an absurd hypothesis, but it needed to be verified.
If my guess was correct, it would mean the great Empire's rapid collapse was no accident. For the time being, I planned to watch him from up close.
"Over-ten?"
Lost in thought, I was jolted back to my senses by the trainee's voice.
"Let's go."
I glanced at the trainee's worried face and started walking again.
* * *
That evening, a messenger arrived at the encampment.
"The 3rd Chiliarchy has been annihilated."
Centurion Bravos's expression was grim as the tragic news arrived before our forces could even properly celebrate their hard-won victory.
"They were hit in the exact same way we were. The only difference is that we counterattacked, while they collapsed without a chance to do so."
It meant they had fallen perfectly for a feint tactic using tempting bait.
The knight from the mainland who was with the 3rd Chiliarchy was also missing, his fate unknown.
"They say he only acted after the main centuries were surrounded by enemy reinforcements and completely wiped out… I just don't understand what he thought he could accomplish alone after all his allies were dead."
Centurion Bravos seemed utterly baffled by the knight's response.
But to me, it wasn't surprising at all.
In my past life, I'd seen more than enough of those fools who would stand by and watch their allies get slaughtered, only to be bound by their code of chivalry at the last moment, unable to retreat, and die fighting alone.
There was a reason I'd dragged the forces guarding the main body onto the battlefield.
If I hadn't forced the enemy to attack the main body like that, it's highly likely Rangfin Haime would have done the exact same thing.
"Our forces will have to decide whether to advance or retreat soon. The risk of pressing forward as things are is just too great."
Between the fifty orcs who escaped and the inhuman forces that attacked the 3rd Chiliarchy, our army, whose main heavy infantry had already suffered immense damage, was in a precarious position.
If Rangfin Haime could perform as he did today, we might have a chance, but the problem was that seemed highly unlikely.
The scent of blood I'd smelled when I entered his tent was definitely not from an inhuman.
I couldn't rule out the possibility that Rangfin Haime was seriously injured.
Just in case, I reported the scent of blood I'd noticed in the tent to the Centurion.
It was a warning not to plan our strategy assuming Rangfin Haime was at full strength.
At the same time, I kept the identity of the person involved to myself.
This was purely a decision made for the Centurion's sake.
Because the person in question was a much bigger deal than one might expect.
I didn't want to needlessly endanger the Centurion.
After I explained the situation, the Centurion left.
And not long after, he summoned me.
"Our forces have decided to pull back to the edge of the plains and regroup there."
I nodded at the swift decision to retreat.
It was certainly more rational to fall back than to recklessly advance in this situation.
"Oh, right. You'll have to return your Over-ten's pauldron now."
"…?"
"And take the plume out of your helmet."
I didn't understand why, but I did as I was told and removed the pauldron from my shoulder, handing it to the Centurion.
"You're no longer an Over-ten."
From my perspective, the only explanation was that Rangfin Haime, frustrated that things weren't going his way, had pressured the Tribune.
I didn't feel great about it.
"The casualties among commanders were particularly high in the last battle. It's unavoidable, given that our command structure has them fighting on the front lines."
Two Centurions leading the light infantry were killed in action, and three Centurions from the centuries that joined late were wounded so badly they needed to be evacuated.
Blah, blah, blah.
To summarize the explanation that followed, they would fill the vacant Decurion positions with veteran soldiers, and then select decorated Decurions to fill the empty Centurion posts.
"Ah…?"
It was only after receiving a silver-plated pauldron from the Centurion that I remembered I was the one who had achieved the greatest merit in the last battle.
「C」
The abbreviation for 'Centum,' the Imperial word for one hundred.
"I told you before, didn't I? The Imperial Army is never stingy with those who achieve great merit."
Centurion Bravos grinned mischievously.
This wasn't just 'not stingy'; it was a promotion so exceptional it bordered on unprecedented.
While a Decurion was little more than a veteran soldier in charge of a section of the line in battle, a Centurion was a true commander who could not only lead soldiers in combat but also autonomously decide on training and change their unit's armament at will.
A Centurion even had the authority to carry out summary punishments on their unit members.
It was an excessive position to give to an outsider with an ambiguous affiliation who had just started serving with the army.
"Thank you."
Of course, I didn't refuse.
"You accept so readily. Maybe you should spare a thought for me, who took twenty years to reach this position."
Contrary to his words, there wasn't a hint of jealousy on the Centurion's face.
That was only natural.
This was a highly political move.
We may have won a great victory, but that didn't mean our losses were light.
Two units of light infantry had been wiped out, and the reserves that joined the battle late had also taken devastating losses from the reptilians' frenzied final charge.
The heavy infantry had also suffered enough damage to require reorganization, and on top of that, their morale was low, unbefitting a victorious army, after being forced into the unwanted role of pushing their comrades forward.
On top of that, we now had to abandon the plains we'd fought so hard to secure and retreat.
It was a pyrrhic victory, one where we won but gained nothing.
In such a situation, the easiest way to maintain the army's morale was…
"I'm just a poster boy for boosting morale, aren't I? If I refuse, it would be inconvenient for you, Centurion."
…to create a war hero and constantly remind the soldiers that they were, in fact, a victorious army.
"I had a feeling you'd figure it out, but to see through it instantly is still rather baffling."
So the reputation of the Cradle was true after all.
"It's truly reassuring to think that there isn't just one, but several talents who've received the same education as you at Aellias Fortress."
At the Centurion's words about how the presence of the cadets already at Aellias Fortress felt like having a mighty army, I subtly averted my gaze.
The truth was, the only thing I'd learned at the Cradle was how to swing a sword.
Even that was just me slowly internalizing the swordsmanship I'd seen from Roman in a dream.
My soldiers were still the same, and nothing else had really changed, but…
In any case, that's how I was promoted from Decurion to Centurion in less than a month.
"The Knight summons the Centurion."
The next day, while our forces were busy preparing to move, Rangfin Haime summoned me.
"Knight, is there something you need?"
"…?"
Instead of stating his business, Rangfin Haime just looked me up and down.
A helmet decorated with a lush mane, a gleaming silver-plated pauldron on my shoulder.
With a red cloak on my back, I looked not like a squire, but every bit the dignified commander of the Empire.
It was only natural for him to be surprised by my dignified appearance, transformed overnight.
But if he were the type to back down at this point, knights wouldn't have a reputation for being self-centered.
"I've been pondering your situation and have found a solution."
He looked quite pleased with himself, taking credit for worrying about something no one had asked him to.
"You said your status as a Cradle cadet was the problem, did you not?"
I was almost curious to see what kind of solution he'd come up with.
"Then all you have to do is stop being a Cradle cadet."
…What a load of crap.
A ridiculous conclusion not even worth listening to.
"Renounce your status as a cadet."
I immediately bowed my head.
I was afraid my expression would give me away if I didn't.
It was a fresh reminder of a fact I had once again forgotten.
That for knights, the head exists not for thinking, but for wearing a helmet.
"Do so, and you will attain a glory you could never have dreamed of as a mere Cradle cadet."
Oblivious to my inner thoughts, Rangfin Haime continued to drone on.
Letting his nonsense go in one ear and out the other, I took a deep breath.
"It's such an unexpected offer…"
I feigned awe, widening my eyes and stammering.
I told him I needed time to think.
For a brief moment, a look of displeasure flickered across Rangfin Haime's face.
But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Very well. I shall wait. For I am magnanimous."
His intentions were painfully obvious.
Since I was a Cradle cadet, he probably planned to gently coax me first.
He'd lure me in and make me his squire.
The education of an arrogant brat could wait until then.
It was a transparent act, but I didn't let on that I knew.
After all, I had my own ulterior motives.
I just groveled.
I acted utterly grateful on the outside.
I played the part of a naive kid, intoxicated by the Haime family's fame.
So that he would continue to be mistaken.
So that he might eventually confess other secrets, just as he had so casually revealed his true colors to me.
"Hahahaha."
Rangfin Haime burst out laughing again and again.
All without knowing what fate awaited him.