Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: New Captain
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"..."
"Even though you'll be living in the mansion, you'll have to handle your duties there, so it's best to get familiar with it. Since you were a mercenary, you should adapt quickly enough."
"Well... it's still a far sight better than where I used to live. Let's head in. I'm curious about my men's faces anyway."
"Hold on!"
As I moved to enter the building, Sir Willum stopped me instead.
"What's the matter?"
"It's not that... Ahem... I just wanted to give you one word of caution. You're well aware of your own situation, right? The vanguard swordsmen inside probably don't even know you're the new captain. They just know a new one's coming."
I could guess what he meant from there. In other words, the vanguard swordsmen might not accept me as their captain. It was a common enough story back on Earth too. Parachute appointments often faced distrust and rejection.
Of course, they wouldn't say it outright, but I'd have to brace for backtalk and confusion in the chain of command.
"I get the picture. No need to worry."
But I wasn't concerned. Vanguard swordsmen or not, they were soldiers in the end. No different from mercenaries. All I had to do was prove my capabilities.
Bang!
I flung the door open as if to smash it off its hinges, and the barracks' interior came into full view at once. Even for elite soldiers, their quarters were as dark and filthy as most in this era.
"What the hell?"
"Who the fuck slammed the door..."
Soldiers who had been lounging or sleeping here and there grumbled as they got up, but I strode right inside and stood before them.
"Huh?"
"It's the Mad Bear!"
A few recognized me from my reputation and looks in the recent war, waving cheerfully, but I waited silently until every eye was on me. And then.
"Good to meet you all. I'm Lucas Kyle, the newly appointed Vanguard Captain and Baron."
I started on a friendly note. Sir Willum had warned me some might rebel, but not all soldiers would. Plenty would fall in line with a new man from above, parachute or not.
To sort the compliant from the rest, the best approach was to come in strong from the start. It wouldn't reveal everything about their hearts, of course, but it was a solid opener.
"...New captain?"
"Wasn't he a mercenary?"
How would it feel to see a mercenary from just days ago taking a position usually reserved for nobles? The disconnect would naturally breed confusion.
"For my merits in this war, I was granted the title of Baron by His Honorable Lord Cligrove, acting Count."
I even name-dropped the Lady—no way I'd lie about that. And with Sir Willum, the garrison captain they all knew, right behind me, the soldiers sensed something off but couldn't challenge it outright. A few wore dissatisfied looks, though. I made a mental note of their faces.
"Now, come out front in full armor so I can get a look at you. Best not to keep me waiting."
"......"
No replies. I wasn't expecting any right away. Change would come gradually. Leaving the baffled soldiers behind, I stepped outside, where Sir Willum eyed me wordlessly.
"Something to say?"
"Just a bit worried. Whether you can handle them."
"They're soldiers, nothing more. Soldiers follow anyone with the skill to lead them."
He let out a hollow laugh at my confident reply.
"Heh... As expected of the Lady's pick. Confidence like that is something else."
"Appreciate the praise."
"But be careful. Vanguard swordsmen aren't like regular troops. They're not elite swordsmen level, but they've honed their blades and carry pride to match. They won't say it to your face, but expect some pushback."
"Don't worry about that. If I can't rein them in, I'll step down myself."
"That confidence of yours... Here's hoping for good results."
With that, he cited some business and left. Now, without Sir Willum's solid backing, controlling these men was purely on me.
"Everyone's assembled."
It took about the time to smoke a cigarette for the last stragglers to gather. Roughly a hundred men. For starters, I pulled aside the first ten who had shown up.
The rest watched uneasily, faces worried or resentful, sensing trouble—but I had no intention of punishing them.
"You ten, give me your names. Starting today, you're senior soldiers."
Rebellion erupted immediately.
"Captain! That's not how you pick seniors! We already have them..."
"Seniors? Ones who show up late to the captain's muster?"
"That's...!"
"Armor check. Line up single file. Seniors, inspect the others' gear and bring me the best-equipped."
"Got it!"
The newly minted seniors scrambled off. Under the old tenure-based system, they'd have been stuck under seniors forever—until death, injury, or retirement. I'd just snapped their endless chain.
Senior status was a small power, but humans cling to power once granted. These ten would taste it soon enough, even if unfamiliar at first.
"Inspections done!"
Some seniors were already reading the room, moving sharp and quick. A few glanced nervously at others, but I'd guide them—they'd adapt.
"These the ones?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Leave twenty."
The top twenty by gear. They'd be upperclassmen, filling the gap between seniors and regulars.
With the new seniors and upperclassmen at my side, I addressed the remaining seventy.
"No need to worry. No penalties for you. Just follow your upperclassmen and seniors from now on. Of course, seniors can't give unfair orders—only for rule violations. Understood?"
The seventy wore sour expressions at my words. Anyone could see how exhausting strict FM rules would be. I half-hoped for a mutineer, but these guys had brains enough to stay quiet.
"Ugh~ Vanguard Captain! As expected of big bro!"
After shift end, leaving seniors and upperclassmen in charge, I knocked back drinks with Cutter. Not to get wasted, but to hear the city's pulse through him.
"Something like that. You planning to mercenary forever?"
"How long you had your cushy gig, bro? Ain't much else worth doing."
We bantered nonsense over booze. Then Cutter glanced around and whispered.
"Speaking of... you hear the rumors, bro?"
"What rumors?"
"The serial killings. Guards are hushing it, but word's spreading fast here."
"Serial killings?"
Sir Willum hadn't seemed worried about it.
"Still just in the commoner districts, so no big fuss. If it hit the markets or noble quarter, it'd be chaos. About ten dead, they say."
"In a city this big, deaths happen daily. How do they know it's serial?"
"Same wounds on all the bodies. Three gashes down the back, like werewolf claws..."
The sudden serial killer talk. But at the time, I brushed off Cutter's story.
"Whew... good work. Time to learn offensive swordsmanship, I think."
A week into training. I'd grown used to the Lady's blade. Cocky maybe, but it felt far more manageable than at first. Even sudden style shifts didn't faze me—I parried cleanly, earning her pleased nod and talk of offense.
"Offensive swordsmanship?"
"Your basics seem solid now. Tomorrow, proper spars."
"Haha, I'm always grateful."
"How's the job going, by the way?"
Mid-sword talk, she switched to work. The job...
"How could I complain about a post from you, my Lady?"
She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Glossed words, but from you... I believe them. Speak up anytime if there's trouble."
"Your words alone are thanks enough. I'll make this first task a success."
"I trust you."
A reply I'd wracked my brains for: no bootlicking, full responsibility, competence implied. Satisfied, she smiled faintly.
Words maybe, but backing from the city's top power? Sword session over, I headed straight to the barracks. And there, the expected trouble had finally brewed.
Part of the barracks in ruins, swordsmen at standoff—my seniors, upperclassmen, and regulars.
"You fucking dogs! Thinks slapping on 'senior' or 'upper' makes you hot shit!"
"Jimmy, you dog! You'd never meet my eyes before, now barking 'cause you got a title!"
My hierarchy had split them. The hundred divided neatly into seniors, upperclassmen, regulars.
My ploy rivaled Zhuge Liang's Three Kingdoms divide. Faster than expected, though. Still, too early to intervene—let it ripen. I strolled up leisurely, in full view.
Soldiers sheathed blades hastily at my sight. Seniors and upperclassmen rushed to me like saviors.
"What's this?"
"Nothing, sir."
The regulars downplayed it, but oh well—not asking them.
"We called out rule-breakers, and they drew steel!"
"Rule-breakers, huh... What rules?"
Seniors and upperclassmen spilled like they'd been waiting.
"Gale gambled on duty!"
"Baley sold his issued helmet secondhand for booze and logged it as lost!"
"Is that so..."
Gambling on duty, selling issued gear for drinks—and claiming loss for resupply.
"Neglect and embezzlement. Anyone know the penalties?"
"Flogging or lashes!"