Chapter 27
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: A Competent Commander
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“Heh heh.”
The laughter wouldn’t stop. Whether it was from joy, sorrow, or sheer absurdity, I couldn’t tell.
But isn’t incessant laughter a good thing? They say laughing makes you healthier.
For someone like me, with catastrophic physical specs of 1 Stamina, 1 Strength, and 1 Agility, even this kind of laughter should be helpful.
Yes.
Let’s just think of it that way.
“The former Count Gwynel’s estate comprises approximately 20 square kilometers of land, with about 134 buildings permitted for commercial use and about 122 for residential use. The agricultural land is designated separately, and there is also the grand mansion and villa where the members of the Gwynel family resided…”
In my room, a middle-aged servant holding a thick stack of papers was giving me a brief overview of the territory.
The scale of the assets was so staggering that even a hollow laugh wouldn’t come out. Nearly 300 buildings, plus farmland, a grand mansion, and even a villa…
I had no idea how all this had just fallen into my lap.
Still dazed, I lay on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“I will handle most of the documents myself. Many of the contracts contain illegal or unfair terms, so it will take some time to sort through them. Is it all right if I resolve these matters at my discretion? I will ensure everything is arranged to be as advantageous as possible for you, Lord Bin.”
Heh, what do I know? Please just take care of it as you see fit.
I replied with a good-natured smile.
…Of course, I was still staring at the ceiling.
You might ask, what’s the point of forcing a good-natured smile if you don’t even turn your head to face the person you’re talking to?
Sorry, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to worry about such trivialities right now.
“Um… even if you continue, I don’t think I’ll understand much. Just… manage it so that people can live decently. I’ll entrust you with full authority over the territory’s management.”
I finally turned my head to speak to the servant, who was diligently flipping through the numerous pages of his briefing.
“…I suppose the immediate matters are overwhelming enough. You need not worry about managing the territory. I will take responsibility for cultivating it into a beautiful place, so that you may spend the rest of your days in comfort once the war is over.”
Heh, I’m truly grateful for that.
…This time, I only thought it instead of saying it out loud.
Couldn’t I have just said it, even if a little late?
Sorry, but I just didn’t have the presence of mind for that.
What is even happening?
I really don’t know.
“Lastly, please review the list on the desk and select the unit you will take with you on this expedition. The sooner, the better. Every individual on that list is a key asset to our army, so we cannot keep them on standby indefinitely…”
“…I’ll do that.”
There was no reply.
Sensing something was off, I turned my head, but no one was there.
…I didn’t even know when he’d left.
“I’m going crazy.”
For a while, I lay in bed, aimlessly staring at the pristine white ceiling.
About five or ten minutes passed as I meditated, clearing my mind and taking deep breaths.
Slowly, the feeling returned to my hands and feet, and my brain began to accept that all of this was real.
‘Suddenly coming into a huge amount of money is definitely a good thing, but it doesn’t make me stronger. For now, I need to prepare for the expedition to the Akilliptus Forest Zone and get ready to commune with the spirits.’
The performance of [Composure] was truly astounding.
To think my agitated mind, reeling from a windfall equivalent to winning the lottery thirty times in a row, could calm down so quickly.
‘I’ll figure out how to use the money later. I could hire people to find the randomly spawning dungeons… or I could use it to acquire rare materials like a Dragon’s Heart and have them crafted into equipment.’
At this point, I was starting to scare myself.
Was I actually going insane? I felt like I needed to see a psychiatrist, but unfortunately, a word like ‘psychiatry’ didn’t exist in this medieval era.
Here, a child with ADHD was just a restless kid, and a person with depression was just a gloomy person.
Don’t underestimate the ‘Dark Ages’…!
“Haa…”
I quickly composed myself and began to scan the list the servant had left on the desk.
A company commander of barbarian origin and his unit were listed at the very top.
Below the name of the barbarian commander, who led a powerful force consisting of six infantry platoons, three archer platoons, and eleven mages, were detailed notes on his career and personality traits.
Ovelian, son of Ksat, and his company were elites among elites, with a record of subjugating high-ranking Mazoku twice. The unit included eleven mages of the 5th Circle or higher, a rarity in itself, and among them was even a 7th Circle high mage.
‘Can’t use this one.’
The Akilliptus Forest Zone was now practically uninhabited, with all Mazoku and Mutants gone. Deploying such a formidable combat unit to a deserted area instead of a battlefield would be a massive waste of manpower.
‘A unit with a large number of dwarves would be ideal. The more skilled they are with their hands, the faster they’ll be at clearing paths and setting up barracks.’
I quickly flipped through the list, searching for a unit with a high concentration of dwarves.
‘Oh.’
Just as I was nearing the end of the list, I finally found a unit that matched my criteria.
It was a unit led by a formidable dwarf woman called ‘Bellua the Black Hammer,’ and most of its infantry was composed of dwarves.
Compared to other units, it was rather small, and most of its members didn’t have much experience, but the fact that it was on the list suggested they were highly skilled.
‘Victor the Blue Brow.’
‘Moss the Red Anvil.’
‘Vania the Green Blade.’
As I was smiling in satisfaction at the long list of dwarf names, a familiar one caught my eye.
‘Rex Belzark.’
“…”
My gaze froze on the name of the orc listed as a platoon leader.
The conversation I had with him at the funeral for the 6th platoon echoed in my ears.
He said he’d get a prosthetic arm from the dwarves and become an even stronger warrior… Was he already back in action?
“I’m looking forward to this.”
Not only was the unit composed of many dwarves, making it a perfect fit for the mission’s objective of ‘establishing a forward base,’ but it also included a dependable warrior whose courage and skill I had witnessed with my own eyes.
There was no better choice. I rang the golden bell to summon a servant.
“It seems you’ve made a decision.”
Unlike before, a young servant in an impeccably neat uniform opened my door and appeared.
“I would like to see Bellua the Black Hammer.”
He said he would have her in my room within thirty minutes, then closed the door and disappeared.
* * *
“A pleasure to meet you, General! I’m Bellua the Black Hammer.”
A booming greeting shattered the silence as a formidable woman, boasting rugged muscles, opened the door and entered.
She was short, barely 120 centimeters tall, but the muscles on her arms and legs were dense and massive.
If we were to seriously fight, I felt she could crush my entire body into a pulp with her bare hands in less than a second. After shaking one of those thick hands, I offered her a light greeting and some green tea.
“My apologies that it isn’t beer or wine. I’ve heard that dwarves are quite fond of spirits…”
“Haha! While it’s true we dwarves love our drink, we’re not so shameless as to indulge while on duty, so please don’t say such things!”
I’m pretty sure I saw the Dwarf King sipping from a wine glass while listening to the Sword Saint’s report with my own two eyes…
Is Bellua implying the Dwarf King is shameless…?
I really don’t know…!
“…Well, that’s a relief. Have you been briefed on the operation?”
I asked, unable to completely hide my suspicion.
“The Mazoku and Mutant forces that were occupying the Akilliptus Forest Zone have all withdrawn, leaving the area effectively uninhabited. Our mission is to occupy that deserted territory and establish a forward base!”
“Good. Please prepare your troops as soon as the detailed operational plans are finalized. Since it’s a simple task, it would be best to get it done as quickly as possible.”
I spoke with a satisfied smile, bringing the cup of green tea to my lips.
But just then.
“With all due respect, sir! I believe we should not proceed with this mission thinking it will be easy!”
Bellua gulped down the hot green tea and replied in a loud voice.
“…And why is that?”
I asked, not hiding my surprise at her unexpected response.
“I was informed that the exact terms of the contract the General signed with the high-ranking Mazoku on the Enker Highlands were the ‘withdrawal of Mazoku and Mutants from the Akilliptus region’!”
“That’s right. Which is why, as you said, the area is now effectively uninhabited. It’s safe to assume there will be no combat. Isn’t that an easy mission?”
“The contract specifies a simple ‘withdrawal’ of forces. Not a complete ‘abandonment’ of the region.”
Bellua’s words hit me like a hammer to the back of the head, leaving my mind reeling.
“The Mazoku are insidious and cunning! There is a high probability they will launch another assault to reclaim the area while we are busy establishing our forward base! Furthermore, since they only withdrew their forces, I am concerned that traps like ‘magic mines’ may still be scattered throughout the forest!”
Bellua’s voice was blunt and booming like a great hammer, but its content was as sharp as a blade.
“…You certainly have a point.”
I let out a breath of pure admiration, looking at Bellua for pointing out something I hadn’t considered.
Hearing my praise, Bellua the Black Hammer let out a hearty laugh, genuinely pleased, and slammed her hand on the desk.
…I think I heard the wood crack.
“I’m a bit embarrassed I didn’t think of it myself… If only I had used the word ‘abandon’ instead of ‘withdraw,’ things would have been much easier…”
“Forcing them to withdraw their troops is a tremendous achievement in itself. Normally, we would have had to risk our lives charging into their fortified positions. Thanks to you, Lord Bin, we are now the ones setting up defenses to greet them. You have nothing to worry about!”
Bellua offered me words of comfort with a broad smile.
“…Well, yes.”
It was a bit much to say it myself, but it was indeed a great achievement.
To have encountered a high-ranking Mazoku unexpectedly with only a single platoon, and not only avoided any deaths or injuries but also forced the enemy to retreat from a strategic location.
“Still, a waste is a waste. If I had just changed a single word, it would have been so much safer.”
“There’s no need for regret! You’ve already made the situation sufficiently advantageous for us, General! I don’t think you need to blame yourself for not creating a perfect situation!”
No matter what Bellua said to console me, the feeling of regret didn’t fade. It was just a single word, after all.
For a moment, I thought I could smell the corpse cart again.
The thought that my minor mistake could lead to an avoidable battle, and that people might die in that battle, made my head spin.
Didn’t someone say that a first-rate commander is one who achieves their objective without fighting?
It went without saying, but it seemed I wasn’t even a second-rate commander, let alone a first-rate one.
‘Should I have read a book on military strategy instead of making music with MIDI?’
…No, on second thought, that seems a bit much.
Who, in the middle of composing music, would read Sun Tzu’s *Art of War* to prepare for a future where they get sucked into a game world, mistaken for an ‘unprecedented genius mage,’ and become a general of the allied forces?
Only a lunatic so crazy that even a psychiatrist would say, ‘Ah, this one is… beyond me,’ would do something like that.
“And in my personal opinion, given how cunning the Mazoku are, if you had brought up the word ‘abandon,’ it’s highly likely they wouldn’t have agreed to the contract in that situation! A battle would have broken out, and a tremendous amount of wheat would have been burned!”
“I know. I know… Let’s just talk about the operation now. I don’t want to waste any more energy.”
Seeing me ask about the plan in a calm voice, she grinned, and her booming voice began to fill the room.
“First, we will dispatch two reconnaissance teams! One team will identify any traps within the forest, and the other will scout the outskirts for any ambushing Mazoku or Mutants!”
Unlike me, who had become a general by riding the coattails of the Sword Saint, Bellua was a real soldier, a true professional who had worked her way up from the bottom.
“It would be safest and most reliable for the main force to formulate a plan and move based on the intelligence gathered by the reconnaissance teams!”
I couldn’t help but let out a low sigh of admiration at her flawless reasoning.
“If there are Mazoku ambushing us around the forest, we will first…”
In an age of war like this, the position of company commander in an elite unit was never given lightly.
She had already planned for every contingency and had even prepared backup plans in case those went awry.
“However, this is merely my opinion, and the final decision rests with you, Lord Bin! If you wish, we can lead the main force out immediately…”
“No, it’s best we proceed with the company commander’s plan.”
There was no reason to reject a meticulous plan laid out by an expert who had served in the military for a long time and commanded operations on the front lines.
“In that case, I will dispatch the reconnaissance teams at dawn. I will have the intelligence shared with you via a servant as soon as it comes in, so I would appreciate your patience!”
“Thank you. I’m counting on you.”
With the same hearty smile as when she arrived, she left the room.
Her voice was loud enough to make my ears ring, but there was no doubt she was a fine subordinate and an excellent commander.