Conquering the Barony #10

"You all know it! Buril has been working his fingers to the bone, fighting with everything he has for our Demon Army! And so, today! I am promoting Buril to Company Commander! Buril, front and center!"

"Keruk...!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

His eyes were brimming with emotion.

Buril climbed onto the platform, his voice thick with tears.

"Reporting! Platoon Leader Buril has received orders to promote from Platoon Leader to Company Commander as of today! Keruk!"

"Good! Buril! I expect you to keep fighting just as hard! Do you understand!"

"Kerueeek! Understood! My King!"

"Hahahaha! I love that spirited response! Everyone, give Buril a round of applause and a cheer!"

—Clap, clap, clap, clap!

—Clap, clap, clap, clap!

—Clap, clap, clap, clap!

"Kerueeeek!"

"Krrrk!"

"Gyusassasassat!"

The soldiers standing on the parade ground cheered and clapped. Buril was already weeping.

"Buril. You're a Company Commander now. You know what that means, right? It's a position where you get to command three platoon leaders under you. Go on, pick the guys you've had your eye on. We need to promote them to platoon leaders."

"Understood! I've already picked them out, My King!"

"Heh heh, now whenever I give an order, you'll be the one delegating it to them to get the job done."

"Keruk...! Understood!"

Seeing Buril wipe away his tears over and over, my heart felt strangely touched. Buril returned to his platoon like a conquering hero and brought back three senior goblins who had previously been squad leaders.

These guys were all original members. One of them was even the guy who got badly hurt back when I first met Reika.

"From today, you are all Platoon Leaders!"

"Keruk! Thank you!"

"We will do our best, Keruk!"

Anyway, I promoted them to platoon leaders as well. Since Buril picked them himself, they should have the basic leadership skills required.

And with that, the promotion ceremony concluded.

The Goblin Phalanx Company had a total of 80 members. If I grouped 25 men into one platoon and made three, that would be 75 men. The remaining 5 were Buril, his direct adjutant, and a messenger. That made for a perfect 80-man company structure.

Let's see.

What about the ranks?

For now, Buril is a Company Commander, so he's a Captain. And the guys who just got promoted to platoon leaders are all Second Lieutenants. But since everyone else is a private, this would mean they'd go through Private, Private First Class, Corporal, and Sergeant, and then skip the NCO ranks entirely to become Second Lieutenants. That's a recipe for disaster.

"Hmm."

I need to think carefully about the rank structure.

I've been using the South Korean military structure because I'm used to it, but it doesn't fit the reality of our Demon Army.

Promoting from a private to a commissioned officer, and not even through an officer candidate program? There are too many problems with that. No, wait. Maybe that thought itself is only happening because I'm fixated on the Korean military structure.

Alright... let's do this instead.

Regardless of whether they're enlisted or NCOs, I'll just pick the ones with potential and train them to be officers. That's how Buril and the new platoon leaders got there. The others can be promoted to NCOs after they reach the rank of Sergeant. And from those NCOs, I can promote the ones who show talent to become officers.

In other words, to become a platoon leader, one must serve through the enlisted ranks, spend some time as an NCO, and then be recognized for their talent before being promoted.

"Looking at it this way, it's a bit like the North Korean military."

As far as I know, those guys enlist as privates and can rise all the way to Sergeant Major. I'll implement a system here where they can evolve into officers.

"A 'green lieutenant' isn't just a 'green lieutenant' here."

A Second Lieutenant in the Demon Army is a seasoned junior officer with plenty of combat experience. They're in a different league from your average rookie.

"Heh heh."

After finishing the promotion ceremony and returning to my room, I sat at my desk and scribbled down a draft, pondering what ranks to bestow upon my subordinates.

Good.

I've got the feel for it now.

And for the remaining human-born members of the Royal Guard, I'll assign ranks based on their duties. The nuns are in the Medical Company, so I can make Reika the Company Commander. As for someone like Vanessa, she'll be guarding me or conducting independent operations... should I make her a Warrant Officer? And Ruby is the Administrative NCO, so she'll be a Master Sergeant. The Saintess... maybe a Warrant Officer too? I'll have to think about that.

"For now, I'm the Commander-in-Chief. Let's make Sharan a Colonel. Same for Lumika... heh heh."

This is actually pretty fun to plan out.

After organizing that, I called my kids over.

"Buril. You're leading 80 goblins now. We'll be doing a lot more tactical training from here on out, so keep your head on straight, alright? You understand?"

"Tactical training...! Understood! I will strive to handle my troops as if they were my own fingers! Keruk!"

—Snap!

Buril saluted sharply and replied.

"Heh heh, that's the attitude. Very reliable. You really are my right-hand man."

For now, I'll run two Phalanx platoons as the core and use the remaining platoon as a reserve. It's important to make the company move organically, like a single living organism.

As I was talking to Buril like that.

"My King! Krrk!"

"Oh. Im-soongi, what is it?"

"Am I not becoming a Company Commander!"

"Hey, hey. Don't worry. Do you think your big brother wouldn't let you? Of course I will, you punk. I'll make you one at the next promotion ceremony."

A First Lieutenant Company Commander.

"Krrrrrk! I'm happy!"

"Gyusat. My King. Am I not becoming a Company Commander?"

Gyu-il was the same.

"I'll promote you next time too, Gyu-il, you punk."

"Gyusassat!"

Gyu-il wiggled his long snout in delight.

He's really cute, like a little shrew.

"Gyusat. But My ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠King. What's good about becoming a Company Commander?"

"You won't have to do manual labor anymore."

"Gyusat?"

Gyu-il paused for a moment.

"KYUSAAAAAAAT!!! KYUSAAAAAAT!!! I will work hard to become a Company Commander!!! My King!!!"

He suddenly roared like a monster.

"Kekeke, this crazy bastard. Are you that happy about not having to do manual labor?"

"Kyusaaaat!"

As soon as he realized he wouldn't have to dig with a shovel anymore, he went wild, roaring and pouring out his joy.

It goes without saying, but from the rank of Company Commander up, there's no need to do manual labor. Why? Because you're a commander. You just give directions, supervision, and orders; there's no need to work alongside the soldiers on the front lines.

"When you get a work order from me, you just delegate the tasks to your platoon leaders. You just need to check if the work is going well, make improvements, and report back to me."

"Understood, My King!!! KYUSAAAAAAT!!!"

A guy like Gyu-il is exactly the type who's damn good at making others do the work.

"Krrk? My King? Gyu-il gets a sweet deal with the labor ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exemption, but is there nothing for me?"

"Im-soongi, you're in the Grenadier Company. You have to run hard, you punk."

"Krrrrrk! The difference in job positions is heartbreaking!!!"

"Heh heh, is it the same as the engineers? You cute little bastard."

I immediately patted Im-soongi on the head.

The Imps' black magic abilities have been significantly upgraded. Before, they were just one-trick ponies who could start minor fires, but now they're truly worthy of being called grenadiers.

No need for long explanations. The fireballs Im-soongi throws explode. They explode in a small radius, setting everything around them on fire.

Enough to make human cloth armor burn fiercely. That's the level of firepower they show even in an environment without oil. What if they throw them in a group? It's incredibly powerful. Since their range has also increased, it's no exaggeration to call them a true Grenadier Company now.

"Alright, then! You guys, get the kids out here and start preparing for training! We're going to review what we've done so far and test out the new company tactical drills!"

"Keruk! Understood!"

For now, until Carti arrives, we just need to keep training.

I have to make sure the new recruits are proficient enough to be deployed in actual combat.

While conducting the training, I called for Jurassic and Humpback.

I had to hand over the reins to them in many ways.

"Shuwaaak? Are we using this dungeon?"

"Yeah. As you heard before, we're going to advance to conquer the humans. Ah, but don't worry. I'll visit periodically. Likewise, every time I come here, I'll make sure to top you off with plenty of mana."

"Shuwak, if that's the case, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I don't mind. Can't we just use the dungeon well and farm? Shuwat?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"SSSHUWAAAAK! A big welcome! Farming is comfortable, and it puts my mind at ease! Long live food production."

This guy was a natural-born farmer at heart, wasn't he?

"Right, then Sharan, teach them how to farm a bit better."

"Yes, My King."

I'll leave this side to Jurassic.

He's smarter than he looks. I was planning on visiting periodically anyway, so I'm not particularly worried. If things really don't work out, I can just have them retreat to the Barony.

As I was talking about that.

"Gyusassat! My King! It's an Evil Eye!"

The Kobold sentry brought the news...!

"Carti!"

I sensed it.

It's starting now.

It's time to go to the Barony.

—Phaat!

"Kulls oppa! Ahhh!"

She grabbed the Evil Eye and entered my room immediately!

"Carti! Coming today means that, right!"

"Yeah! That's right! I've gathered as much information as I could!"

"Great! Then let's hear it!"

Finally!!!

"I got it! I have some time today, so I'll explain it in detail!"

"Time?"

"Yeah! Mother the Duchess wants to talk, too! I've concentrated my energy for that! I have quite a bit of time today! After I'm done talking with you, Kulls oppa, you can see Mother the Duchess!"

Ah.

That's right.

Today is the day I talk to the Duchess.

"And Kulls oppa! Listen to this! This time, this Evil Eye is even equipped with a new technology!"

"New technology?"

"Like this!"

—Chwareuk!

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from the Evil Eye's eye, and it changed into something like a holographic screen.

—Phaat!

"Oh! Carti?!"

Carti's face appeared!

"Hi! Kulls oppa!"

"No, wait, the voice is exactly yours, too?!"

It wasn't the usual monster-like voice of the Evil Eye, but Carti's own voice! This is basically a video call!

"This is the new technology! Can you see Carti's face well?"

"I can see it damn well!!!"

Amazing!!!!

"You'll be able to see Mother the Duchess's face well, too! Look forward to it!"

I'm not sure about that.