Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Early Education in Strategy and Tactics (2)
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It was a good thing.
Having someone to tell my past life's stories to.
And that person listening with genuine interest.
Especially since that person was a silver-haired beauty.
At first, I'd only started the stories to calm my tremors.
But after a few days, I realized something.
This time was necessary for me too.
The only person I could share my past life's memories with.
The only being in this world who knew nothing about Romance of the Three Kingdoms, allowing me to share it together.
Every night, she sat in the corner of my room, head slightly raised, listening to my tales.
"So, Cao Cao enthroned Emperor Xian. Using the Emperor as a figurehead to legitimize his power—that was Cao Cao's strategy."
"Whoa..."
The girl let out a small gasp of admiration.
Her hiccups had almost stopped entirely now.
At least inside my room.
"What about Liu Bei?"
"Liu Bei? He was different. He emphasized benevolence and righteousness. A lord who loved the people and upheld justice—that was Liu Bei's image."
"A lord who upholds justice..."
The girl's eyes sparkled.
Even though only her right eye was visible, her expression was pure.
"Who do you like best, Young Master Adrian?"
"Me?"
I thought for a moment.
"Hmm... I think Cao Cao is more realistic. But considering Liu Bei's circumstances, it's not hard to understand. Cao Cao was from a powerful family with ample resources, while Liu Bei started at a disadvantage from the beginning."
The girl tilted her head.
"So, do you want to be like Cao Cao, Young Master?"
"No."
I shook my head firmly.
"I just... want to be like Chen Shou."
"Chen Shou?"
"Yeah. The historian who recorded Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He never went to the battlefield or seized power, but he documented that era more accurately than anyone."
I gazed out the window as I spoke.
"A historian. That's my dream."
"Whoa... That's so cool..."
She seemed genuinely impressed.
I chuckled softly.
A dream no one in my past life had acknowledged.
"History? What are you going to eat with that?" "How will you get a job?"
Those were the only responses I'd gotten.
But things were different here.
At least this girl called my dream cool.
She changed little by little.
She still trembled and hiccuped in front of strangers, but in front of me, she started speaking more.
I was sitting at my desk reading a book, while the girl cleaned the room.
"Young Master."
"Yes?"
"Um... Would you listen to my story?"
The girl asked cautiously.
I closed my book and looked at her.
"Of course."
She set down her rag and knelt on the floor, head slightly bowed, before slowly beginning.
"My name is... Lize."
"Lize."
I repeated the name.
"It's a nice name."
"Thank you..."
Lize smiled faintly.
"My father was a shoemaker. My mother was too."
"Shoemakers?"
"Yes. They made really good shoes. Even nobles came to buy from my father."
Lize's voice brightened a little.
As if recalling fond memories.
"But then the orcs attacked."
"..."
"The village burned. People fled, and my parents hid me... and then..."
Lize's voice trembled.
"They never came back."
I said nothing.
I just listened.
"After that, I had no way to survive. I went to an orphanage, but there was no food there either..."
Lize clenched her hands tightly.
"So I volunteered for the Enhanced Human experiments. They said they'd pay money."
"..."
"The surgery hurt. It hurt so much. I lost one eye too..."
Lize touched her left eyepatch lightly.
"But I survived. And I applied to the Royal Knight Order."
"The Knight Order?"
"Yes. I heard if you got strong, you could earn a lot of money. So I trained hard."
Pride crept into Lize's voice.
"I was good at swordsmanship. The instructors praised me. But... I failed the interview."
Lize bowed her head lower.
"Whenever I stand in front of people, I get so nervous... I can't speak properly. So..."
Her voice grew smaller.
"..."
"But the Little Duke bought me. And gave me to you as a gift."
Lize looked up at me.
"Is that right..."
Her gray eye met mine.
"That's awful."
I said it plainly.
Piling on comforting words would feel insincere.
Just the plain truth.
That it was awful.
"But I like it better now... You don't yell at me, Young Master, or make me do scary things. You even tell me fun stories."
"..."
"So... I like it better now. Being a maid suits me more than being a knight..."
Lize smiled brightly.
In that moment, I thought.
Why can't she fix that personality quirk?
Always ending sentences with that drawn-out "~" and trembling with hiccups in front of people.
But.
A noble's personal maid and bodyguard.
She wouldn't have to deal with outsiders much—just run errands by my side and protect me when danger came.
Did she really need a bold personality for that?
No.
Maybe her quiet, gentle nature was perfect as is.
"Lize."
"Yes, Young Master?"
"Let's keep taking good care of each other."
I extended my hand. Lize stared at it blankly for a moment before cautiously grasping it.
"Yes... Let's, please..."
Her hand was small and cold.
But the grip was firm.
I chuckled.
This isn't bad at all.
A life I couldn't have imagined in my past existence.
Living with a silver-haired beauty maid, studying the history of a world of swords and magic.
Without threats, quietly, peacefully.
At least, that's what I believed.
I didn't know yet.
How short this peace would be.
Or that Lize was more than just a 'maid.'
But that's a story for later.
For now, in this moment.
I was simply happy.
"Alright, Lize. Tonight's story—how about the Battle of Red Cliffs?"
"Battle of Red Cliffs? What's that?"
"An epic battle. Cao Cao's million-man army versus the alliance of Liu Bei and Sun Quan."
"Whoa... I want to hear it now!"
Lize's eyes sparkled as she sat down in front of me.
I closed my book and began the tale.
A long night began.
"Looks like you like your gift."
My eldest brother visited two months after I'd received Lize.
Ernst von Krushtein.
He wore his usual hearty smile, but his eyes were sharp.
"Yes, Brother. Thank you for the wonderful gift."
I bowed politely.
Lize stood in the corner of the room, head bowed low.
Hic... Hic.
As expected, she trembled uncontrollably in front of strangers.
Ernst glanced at Lize and chuckled.
"Still the same as ever. But I'm glad she's guarding you well."
"Thanks to you, I'm doing fine."
"Good. That's what matters."
Ernst looked out the window as he spoke.
"Adrian."
"Yes, Brother."
"I have a task for you."
His tone shifted.
The playfulness vanished, replaced by the authority of House Krushtein's eldest son.
I straightened my posture.
"Please tell me."
Ernst pulled a parchment from his pocket.
"There's a territory recently reclaimed from the orcs. A small village on the northern border. It's minor but strategically important. I'm assigning you as its acting lord."
Acting lord.
At those words, I held my breath for a moment.
Being an acting lord wasn't a simple errand.
It meant actually managing the territory, collecting taxes, maintaining order.
It was a noble's first real test.
"Me, of all people? Couldn't one of the other brothers or sisters...?"
"There are plenty of siblings, but you're the only one I trust."
He cut me off sharply.
"Lots of talented ones, sure. But their ambitions are too big. Who knows when they'd stab us in the back? You're the only reliable younger sibling. Time to gain some experience."
Of course, I had no right to refuse.
This was an order.
An order from the eldest son of the ducal house to a bastard son.
Refusing would shatter my 'live quietly' strategy.
"I shall obey, Brother."
I bowed my head.
There were no other options.
"Ha! Good!"
Ernst laughed heartily and clapped my back.
"Don't be too tense."
"..."
"The orcs are mostly wiped out. I'll assign you 15 knights and 50 soldiers."
Ernst placed the parchment in my hand.
"The territory's called 'Granfeldt.' A small village of about 500 people. Just collect taxes properly and keep the peace."
"Understood."
"You leave in a week. Prepare well."
A week to prepare, a week to travel.
Total of two weeks.
The knights showed no tension whatsoever. Neither did the soldiers.
"The orcs are already wiped out, right?"
"Yeah. We're just going to manage the territory and come back."
"It's like a vacation outing."
Some knights openly treated it like a holiday.
Even Knight Captain Sir Heinrich had a relaxed expression.
"Don't worry too much, Young Master. The orcs are long gone. We're just out for a stroll."
The moment we entered the village gate.
"Reinforcements are here!"
"The knights have come!"
"We're saved! We're going to live!"
Cheers erupted.
Hooray!
Villagers poured out in droves.
Farmers in ragged clothes.
A blacksmith with his face smeared in soot and blood.
Women clutching children tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
All rushed toward us with expressions of relief.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Now we can live!"
I sat atop my horse, staring blankly at the scene.
Reinforcements?
Something was off. We weren't here as reinforcements.
I was the newly appointed acting lord, and these were the knights and soldiers to assist me.
We'd come to manage the territory, collect taxes, and maintain peace...
Not to fight a war.
Yet they called us reinforcements.
Sir Heinrich dismounted and grabbed an elderly man who looked like the village chief.
"Weren't the orcs subjugated? His Grace the Duke himself..."
"They were! That's true!"
"But they came again! A new group! A bigger one heading south!"
"How big?"
I asked.
The chief looked up at me.
His wrinkled face, trembling eyes.
Terror filled them.
"Last time... about 200. His Grace came personally and wiped them out. But this time..."
"This time?"
"At least 500."
Thud.
Someone dropped their weapon.
"Maybe... even more."
One orc had the strength of three adult men.
In other words...
500 orcs equaled over 1,500 human combatants.