Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Captain
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CRASH—!
In the silent meeting room, the sound of Iscario slamming his fist on the table echoed loudly.
“Sigh, you’re going to break the desk. No, wait, just go ahead and smash everything. We can deduct it from your pay. What did the table ever do to you?”
“What?! You goddamn idiot—!”
“What, an idiot calling me an idiot doesn’t really faze me. Besides, it’s thanks to Kratos that I’m just an idiot and not dead. If it weren’t for him, how would I have gotten treatment from a bishop-level priest? I’d probably be at hell’s gate instead of here.”
Despite Iscario’s outburst, Ren just chuckled and shrugged with his one remaining arm.
That was just Iscario being Iscario. This kind of behavior wasn't surprising at all. Besides, he’d never liked Kratos from the moment he arrived.
Although he had recovered enough to move, the retirement of Ren, the former Captain of the 3rd Division, was a foregone conclusion.
That meant the now-vacant 3rd Division needed a new captain, and the appointment of that new captain was the very topic of today's meeting.
“That’s not what I meant! So you're recommending some guy who hasn't even been in the corps that long for this important captain's position, all because you owe him your life? Is that it?!”
“Just one life?! Are you serious, Iscario? Can you really say we only owe him one life? To be precise, we owe him twenty.”
Dead, alive, or still unconscious—everyone in the 3rd Division was indebted to Kratos. Thanks to him, the dead found their peace, and the survivors received treatment and could recover.
“Iscario, could you have asked a bishop-level priest from the Holy Kingdom to treat your comrades?”
Ren, whose eyes were blazing, calmed his ragged breath and looked at Peri Batoni, seated at the head of the table, speaking clearly.
“I believe Kratos is more than qualified to be the new Captain of the 3rd Division. The missions he has already completed are sufficient proof. Both the Ashar Desert and Granok were major incidents, were they not? And his current mission is no different.”
“I object.”
“Iscario, I've heard your opinion loud and clear. However, you need to watch your words. He is, after all, a comrade who has returned from the brink of death.”
At Peri Batoni's warning, Iscario gritted his teeth, nodded, and slumped back into his seat.
He didn't like it one bit. This Kratos fellow had been in the mercenary corps for less than a year. And now he was already up for a captain's position?
Why was everyone so desperate to promote him? Sure, he'd achieved some remarkable results, but to become a captain based on that alone…
“Then where is the man in question? Shouldn't he be present for something like this?”
Peri Batoni shook his head at Iscario's question. He had a point, but there were always exceptions.
“Kratos is currently on a classified mission.”
“What kind of mission is it that he can't even be reached by comms?”
“A Special S-rank mission. And he's simultaneously carrying out a Special S-rank mission for the Resistance.”
Special S-rank didn't just refer to the monetary reward; it signified a mission of extreme difficulty.
“By himself?”
“Three of them. I can't say any more.”
But undertaking such missions simultaneously? With only three people? What kind of missions were they? For the Commander-in-Chief to classify them as Special S-rank meant they were of immense importance.
Murmurs broke out across the room. Believing the atmosphere was ripe, Peri Batoni raised his hand to quiet everyone down and then proceeded to the vote.
“Let's move straight to the vote. I believe we've discussed this enough.”
- I vote in favor.
- I also vote in favor.
- I vote against.
The voices of the captains, connected via communication devices as they were out on missions, echoed one by one in the meeting room.
And then those present in the room cast their votes. When the voting concluded, the expressions were clearly divided.
Iscario gritted his teeth, holding back a shout. Ren, on the other hand, showed little change, as if he'd expected this outcome.
Satisfied with the result, Peri Batoni nodded and made the announcement. He, too, had cast a vote in favor.
Kratos's actions up to this point were more than enough to meet the criteria.
“The motion to appoint Kratos as the Captain of the 3rd Division has passed. From this day forward, Kratos is the Captain of the White Mercenary Corps' 3rd Division.”
A decision made had to be followed. As if in defiance of that absolute rule, Iscario shot up from his seat and stormed out of the meeting room.
***
“Me, sir?”
Receiving the communication from Peri Batoni, Kratos suppressed the twitching corner of his mouth at the news that he had become the Captain of the 3rd Division.
He had been planning to start working towards becoming a captain once this mission was over anyway. For them to set the stage for him like this, how could he not be pleased?
- In any case, now that you're a captain, you'll need to form a division. You can recommend anyone you want. Otherwise, a notice will go out to the existing members. We'll ask if anyone wants to transfer divisions. You can accept volunteers from that pool.
At those words, Kratos spoke the name of the person who came to mind.
“Niceta. I'll be adding Niceta as a temporary member.”
- Niceta? Who's Niceta? Do we have someone by that name in our corps?
“You know, Priestess Niceta, who came on the mission with me from the Holy Kingdom.”
- That Niceta? Why Priestess Niceta?
“She says she's coming with me for training. I'll need to accept her as a member of my division.”
It was Peri Batoni who was left speechless. Wasn't Niceta a talent destined to lead the next generation of Inquisitors, an extremely important figure in the Holy Kingdom? And such a priestess was going out for training? Following Kratos, of all people?
- Is that true?
“Of course. His Holiness has already given his permission. I expect a mission request will be sent to the corps soon. It was a rather sudden decision made last night.”
- Ha. That's absurd. A priestess of her caliber becoming a mercenary.
What on earth had happened during the mission to make a priestess of her standing volunteer for training just to follow Kratos around?
“Also, I plan to exclusively take on difficult missions. I have no intention of taking the easy path. If any members wish to transfer, I'd appreciate it if you'd make that point clear to them.”
- I understand. I'll take care of the procedures. And while there are things you must do as a new captain, your current mission will suffice as a substitute.
The Resistance mission and the mercenary mission could both be covered by his current Holy Kingdom assignment.
- So, when do you plan to return? I heard the mission is over.
“Probably right after we wrap things up here, assuming nothing else comes up.”
- It would be best to discuss the details in person. Understood. Well then, I'll see you at headquarters. I'll pass along any important information later.
After the communication ended, he let out a long breath. He had overcome a major hurdle. Moreover, with the designated mission from the Holy Kingdom, the burden of choosing missions was lessened.
It literally meant he could pick and choose only the missions he wanted. Of course, as he had discussed with the Pope yesterday, he planned to take on only difficult missions of a certain caliber.
“Hm?”
The communication had just ended, but he tilted his head at the sound of another communication device ringing from within his coat. However, his expression hardened when he saw which one it was.
It wasn't the one for the White Mercenary Corps, but the device for contacting Hattie Shaw. It seemed to be a response to the information request he had sent around the start of this mission.
He entered the security code into the device, and after a soft *whirr*, a faint static began to come through.
“It's been a while.”
- It has. I've been hearing all about you. Truly my student, aren't you? The scale of everything you get involved in is extraordinary.
Hearing Hattie Shaw's voice, much brighter than before, he felt a sense of relief. A voice that bright meant she had achieved the results she wanted.
He didn't know to what extent, but it seemed she was even getting information from outside the capital.
That was Hattie Shaw for you. He had thought that with this amount of money and time, she would have her hands full just establishing an information network within the capital.
- To get straight to the point, there's no sign of war within the capital.
“Hmm. Nowhere at all?”
- Nowhere. None of the usual troop movements, training drills, or resource stockpiling that are essential for war.
He wondered if he'd misjudged, but the possibility was low. The current state of the continent was like standing on a razor's edge without any protection.
It wouldn't be strange for something to happen at any moment, given the right trigger.
- But that doesn't mean your opinion was wrong.
After speaking, Hattie Shaw fell silent for a moment. It was either a cautious matter, or she was gathering her thoughts because she wasn't certain.
- It does seem certain that something big is about to happen. The undercurrents are unusual. I suspect it's not a war, but the atmosphere in the capital is generally hectic.
Not a war, but something is happening. Nothing specific came to mind. What solution had the Empire come up with for the current situation?
“What kind of unusual undercurrents, exactly?”
- For starters, all the pro-Emperor nobles are flocking to the capital. Abandoning their cities. And they're doing it in a hurry. The Central Intelligence Bureau is also giving off strange vibes. It's like they're so absorbed in something that they don't even care about covering their tracks.
The nobles, the Central Intelligence Bureau, and the pro-Emperor nobles gathering in the capital.
- And the most important thing. The priests of the Raelian Church have begun to move en masse. Their destination is nationwide. To be precise….
*Knock, knock, knock—!*
An urgent knock on the door interrupted Hattie Shaw.
“Kratos—it's urgent!”
It was Seamus's urgent voice. It wasn't just ordinary urgency; a slight tremor could be heard in his voice.
“What is it?”
As Seamus opened the door and entered, Hattie Shaw paused her words.
“The Raelian Church priests are moving as a group. They're all leaving Rzhev. It's an order from the church.”
“What? Those Raelian bastards? To where?”
“I don't know. But every single one of them is pulling out of Rzhev. The people are getting extremely anxious.”
“Get Luther for me, now. I need to see the Lord of Rzhev. Together. I'll be there in ten minutes.”
“Got it—!”
A full withdrawal of the Raelian priests who had been holding back the monsters. What could this mean? And on top of that, what was happening in the capital?
And how did all of this relate to the breeding grounds he had destroyed in the Demonic Realm?
- The Raelians are moving to the territories of the nobles who came to the capital. Kratos, something is definitely going on.
As the silence stretched, Hattie Shaw continued.
“Pro-Emperor territories, the Raelians, monsters, the Demonic Realm, the Holy Kingdom, the Empire. Nobles gathering in the capital.”
Fragments of words tormented his mind. A strong conviction that all these situations were connected.
- Do you understand what's happening? I can't seem to get a grasp on it.
Since this was all newly updated information, it was understandable that Hattie Shaw couldn't piece together the complete picture.
As the pieces of information fell into place, a picture began to form. The key to this picture was the Raelian Church.
“They're going to artificially create monster waves. Across the entire continent. And the Raelian Church priests will be the ones to fend them off. However, the territories of nobles who are not favorable to the Emperor will be devastated.”
- Those crazy bastards. A forced monster wave? The people have done nothing wrong! Even so, what do they gain from this?!
But there was one thing. He didn't know what the Empire hoped to gain from this, or what situation they were trying to create.
“Exactly. They wouldn't do something like this for no reason. There must be some purpose, some benefit for them.”
Creating a monster wave to lay waste to the entire country. What could the Empire possibly gain by protecting only the territories of their allies?
The loyalty of the nobles? A rebellion from the anti-Emperor faction was more likely than loyalty. If it went further, it could become a fantasy version of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
“The antennas. The monster wave.”
Unlike the previous antennas, he had confirmed that the recent ones were improved in many ways.
Even if the antennas were destroyed, the monsters would keep attacking. Their main role now was to supply divine power to the Raelians.
“But without those antennas, they won't be able to use their divine power properly, will they?”
The moment that train of thought reached its conclusion.
“Those crazy bastards!”
A curse escaped his lips. He hadn't solved the entire puzzle, but the general outline had become clear.
- What is it?
“I'll explain later. Right now, locating those damn antennas is what's important. I'll contact you later.”
Ignoring Hattie Shaw's words, he sprinted toward the lord's castle.
If his thoughts were correct, the most dangerous place right now wasn't somewhere else. It was right here.
Rzhev.