Chapter 1
The Useless Bastard of the Count's Family
【User: Piel Anbelreum】
【Unit: None】
【Rank: Civilian】
【Activation conditions not met.】
***
There's a saying: the tail of a dragon is better than the head of a chicken.
I've experienced it myself, and it's true.
Rather than being the eldest grandson of an ordinary modern commoner family,
being the illegitimate son of a great count family is so much better.
It's already been 10 years since I possessed the illegitimate son of a medieval fantasy noble house, full of magic, swords, dragons, and romance.
I don't worry about putting food on the table.
I don't have to work.
Just lazing around gets me good meals, clothing, housing, and an allowance, all provided without fail.
The restroom and bath are cleaner than modern ones, and the city's sanitation is also spotless.
I start my mornings with a ten-course full-course meal.
It's a bit bland for a modern palate, but once I got used to it, it turned out to be delicious.
In the morning, I pass the time reading books or enjoying hobbies.
In the afternoon, I go out into the streets taking servants with me.
Anything I want, I just point at it, and the servants automatically purchase it.
Shopping, people-watching, opera performances, high-end pubs...
Being an illegitimate son doesn't mean the servants look down on me or anything like that.
I do have to be mindful of the legal wife's gaze, but she never openly ignores me or slyly torments me.
It's a huge shame I can't enjoy the countless variety of modern cultural contents, but being able to live every day comfortably doing whatever I want is truly wonderful.
Long live the noble illegitimate son.
If I were born again, I'd definitely be born as a count's illegitimate son again.
Even hoping for a legitimate heir's position is just too much greed.
***
"Is that the best you can do?!"
"I said swing your sword properly!"
"With that kind of effort, do you think you can become the next count of our Anbelreum family?!"
My pitiful half-sister Elenoa is getting chewed out again today at the training grounds.
She's tall and pretty, so if she'd been born in the modern era, she would've lived quite comfortably.
But of all things, she had to be born as the eldest daughter of a renowned swordsmanship family, and with outstanding sword talent to boot, so she's been going through that hell since she was little.
I spread out a mat, sat down, snacked, and read a novel while spectating my noona, who was covered in sweat and dirt.
"Elenoa, you possess a talent that might appear once in a hundred years. Therefore, you must strive even harder than others. Understand?"
"Yes, Father."
On one side of the training grounds, my fellow illegitimate brothers are fiercely swinging their swords.
What are they hoping for, putting themselves through that suffering?
When the time comes, our count father will just give them some appropriate property and set them up in branch families.
"Hey, Piel. Give me one of those."
"Yes, noonim."
Noona Elenoa, soaked in sweat, came over and plopped down on the grass, reaching toward my snack basket.
Her blood sugar must be low, the way she's chomping down on bread so fiercely—it's just like a man.
What a waste of that face.
"But don't you train?"
"This is all for the sake of maintaining order in the count family."
"What order?"
"If I had a once-in-a-millennium talent and, as a mere illegitimate son, came to threaten noona's position, how deep would Gaju-nim's worries become?"
"So you never even started sword training or magic study from the very beginning?"
"Gaju-nim must understand my heart that prioritizes the family's peace, which is why he hasn't forced me."
Thwack!
I got hit once. Ow, I almost passed out.
"Ow ow ow... I'm a fragile person, you know. Please control your strength."
"You just want to play around your whole life, yet all you do is flap your gums—that's really irritating. I honestly worry what kind of woman will end up taking you."
"To be honest, even after marriage, I'd like to stay here and assist noona."
"Saying things you don't even mean."
"I mean it."
Seriously.
Even if you don't give me a share of the property, I'd be fine with just taking my current room, which is like a hotel penthouse suite, as my marital chamber and living there until I die.
"I know you have neither the rights nor the duties of the family, but please, at least learn the sword or one magic. When you branch off later, you'll have to protect your own body yourself."
"Even after branching off, I'll be living right next to the main house. What's there to worry about?"
Elenoa leaned her face close to mine, grabbed both my cheeks with her hands, and pulled them wildly.
"Urgh, praese stawp..."
"Look at your other brothers. Even though they're illegitimate, they train hard every day trying to catch Father's eye. Doesn't anything get through to you?"
Elenoa let go of my face, then hugged me from behind and pointed toward the training grounds.
Elenoa's single-braided platinum blonde hair fell forward over her shoulder, swaying.
"What's the point of learning swordsmanship? I'd just become a knight at best. And what's the point of being a knight? I'd just fight in some battle and die a glorious death eventually."
"I've genuinely never seen someone so utterly lacking in ambition. You really are father's child, right?"
"Of course. I was not permitted to call him Father, but I definitely inherited the Gaju-nim's blood."
Elenoa messed up my hair wildly from behind.
Her strength is so strong it feels like my brain is rattling.
"And you know, noona. My magic talent is mediocre, and my swordsmanship talent is terrible."
"How can you know that when you've never even tried?"
"When I first read a magic primer, it felt like I was staring at a brick wall, and as for swordsmanship, just looking at my own reflexes tells me there's no answer."
Mediocre magic talent, terrible swordsmanship talent.
And an illegitimate son.
Doesn't the answer to living wisely just jump right out at you?
"Alright, alright. When I become the count later, I'll appoint you as the mansion butler, so when you branch off, just don't cause trouble and live quietly."
"My every single day is filled with studies to fulfill the duties of the butler of the great House Anbelreum."
"Yeah, yeah, it does look like you read a lot of books."
Elenoa tapped my cheek a couple times and then stood up.
She picked up her sword again and returned to the training grounds.
"Ugh, you got sweat on my back."
She definitely did that on purpose because seeing me relaxing comfortably annoyed her.
'Haa, poor things. As if working that hard is going to change anything.'
I felt sorry for the other illegitimate sons.
Either they still don't know reality, or they don't want to accept it.
Even after training to death like that, they'll end up living a future not much different from mine, a future where I do nothing.
Anyway, I've been living my illegitimate son life with great satisfaction.
***
That was the case as of this morning.
But now, it's not.
"What? The Ainshuvan Front? That's the most dangerous battlefield in the kingdom, isn't it?"
"Of course it's a dangerous battlefield, which is exactly why I'm sending you, an illegitimate child."
"Gaju-nim! I don't know how to use a sword or magic! I'm not suited for the battlefield!"
"One of my children absolutely has to go. So I'm sending you, the least painful finger to lose. Stop your useless chatter and depart immediately, Piel."
If I get commissioned, is the minimum service period 10 years?
Living as a noble's illegitimate son really fucking sucks.
***
I briefly agonized over whether running away from home might be better than desertion, but I gave up.
I'd have to live in hiding, struggling and poor for the rest of my life.
I can't live like that.
'Shit, if you're gonna possess me in this kind of world, you should at least hand me a cheat power, goddammit.'
The entire journey to the distant battlefield, I felt like livestock being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
The young officers conscripted from other families were all feverishly worked up and chattering away about what they were so excited for.
"I heard Commander-in-Chief Hildea is incredibly valiant. Being assigned to her unit is truly lucky."
"I want to see her soon. They say in high society she's praised as a truly beautiful person."
"What if she sees me and falls for me at first sight and makes me her adjutant?"
"That will absolutely never happen, so put such worries aside."
These guys are just playing around.
You'd have to experience it to know how fucked up the military is.
'Ha, shit. Can't believe I'm going back to the army.'
If it were up to me, I'd love to share my experience from the most hardcore, fucked-up unit in the Republic of Korea.
Far away, a field unit came into view.
My breath is already being choked out.
"Everyone quiet! You are young, but you are undisputed newly commissioned officers! Do not show a disorderly appearance in front of the soldiers!"
The escort knight's warning.
The young officers stiffened their faces and composed themselves.
I glanced around subtly, observing the atmosphere of the barracks and soldiers.
'It's a complete shitshow.'
The soldiers' complexions are pale, and they're leaning on their spears as if they were canes.
Proof that they're starving and have no strength.
One out of every five is carrying a spear with a broken blade.
This is insane.
'The supply situation is awful. Still, as an officer and a noble, it might be somewhat bett— no, let's not expect anything.'
Clothing, shoes, bandages, equipment....
Every single one is in serious condition.
'It's a front that's been maintained for five years, but this is just too much. Is the capital not backing them up properly?'
Originally, a long illness has no devoted son, and a long war drains the national treasury.
It's not that the capital isn't supporting them properly; this sorry state I'm seeing right now is probably the best they can do.
Because the Ainshuvan Front is the most intense and dangerous battlefield in the kingdom.
'Just seeing that Hildea, the youngest Sword Master ever, has been the commander-in-chief for five years...'
If Elenoa had a talent that appears once in a hundred years, Hildea has a talent that appears once in a thousand years.
She started as a commoner maid, and while cleaning and tidying the training grounds, she supposedly just watched and learned, and hit Sword Expert level.
At 15, she hit Sword Master, opened her own count family, and was deployed here as the commander-in-chief of the Ainshuvan Front.
Without a doubt, she's a hero.
'But being deployed under a hero means the danger of dying increases that much more.'
Knock knock.
"Commander-nim, we have brought the newly commissioned officers."
"Come in."
It's a husky, androgynous voice.
The young officers conscripted from each family like me entered the commander's office guided by the knight.
A woman in uniform, who had been reading a report, turned her eyes toward us.
"...!"
I nearly burst out a breath unintentionally.
She was an incredible beauty.
No, she was closer to a girl.
Pale, fair skin that looked like it had never seen sunlight, and ocean-blue eyes.
Her long, flowing silver hair was so silky and smooth it seemed to give off a fragrant scent.
"This Commander welcomes you all."
Commander Hildea stood up and approached us as we lined up.
The young officers, myself included, stiffened into rigid attention and focused on staring straight ahead.
In appearance, she's a small, delicate-feeling girl.
Rather than swords and blood, she looks like someone who would suit cake and social banquets.
Yet, her entire body seems to radiate an aura, like a single sharply honed blade.
"Name and rank. Keep it short."
"Second Lieutenant Redneck!"
"Name and rank."
"Second Lieutenant Kalludan!"
"Name and rank."
"Name and rank."
"Name and rank."
"Name and rank."
Hildea personally pinned the second lieutenant rank insignia on each of our chests and tapped our shoulders in encouragement.
She's only about one year older than me, but her charisma is immense.
Is it charisma that radiates from the stars on her shoulder boards?
Hildea stood in front of me.
I desperately tried to avoid meeting her eyes and stared rigidly straight ahead.
Her delicate fingers, which looked like they'd never held a sword, grasped the second lieutenant insignia and pinned it to my chest.
"Name and rank."
That was the moment.
【Pentagon Integrated Logistics System 'Defense Core: Global Supply System' is activating.】
Huh? What is this?
【User: Piel Anbelreum】
【Unit: Ainshuvan Front Hildea Valkenhart 3rd Army】
【Rank: Second Lieutenant】
【Position: None】
【Direct Unit: None】
【Subordinates: 0】
【No items available for supply request. Please acquire a position first.】
【Supply requests are possible within your allocated budget.】
【You currently have no subordinates. Budget will be provided based on your own status.】
【Current Budget: 4,000】
▶ CLASS 1. Food & Necessities
▶ CLASS 2. Personal Equipment & Clothing
▶ CLASS 3. Fuel & Lubricants
▶ CLASS 4. Fortification Materials
▶ CLASS 5. Ammunition
▶ CLASS 6. Private Consumption Goods (Hygiene/Luxury)
▶ CLASS 7. Heavy Equipment & Machinery
▶ CLASS 8. Medical Supplies
▶ CLASS 9. Maintenance Parts
....
What the hell is this?
It's been 10 years since I possessed this body, and now you're giving it to me?
There's everything from combat rations to personal firearms and tanks.
Though every single one has a 'Supply Request Unavailable' seal next to it.
"Gentlemen, your name and rank."
'Oh crap.'
A sharp voice called me again, and my mind snapped back instantly, reacting.
"Second Lieutenant Piel!"
Silver hair swished right before my eyes.
Blue eyes looked right through me, piercingly.
Damn, I'm screwed.
Of all moments, that thing had to pop up at that exact second.
"Adjutant."
"Yes! Commander-nim!"
"I will make Second Lieutenant Piel my duty officer."
I can feel it.
The gazes of my clueless peers, looking at me with eyes ready to die of envy.
It's not that.
This is....
"This Commander feels he requires special attention and thorough instruction."
A worthless judgment.