Monster Wave (4)
‘No matter how hard you try to gloss over it... you’re still front line, Song Jungwook...’
I can understand what he’s thinking. Of course there’s a difference between being folded into the lord’s castle and fighting under direct orders, and running a force of free citizens.
He wants to keep his guild intact. No, to be more precise, this has already become a matter of survival.
There was probably a reason he agreed with the count in the first place. He must have figured that if it was someone he’d built some sort of relationship with, I’d hand over an appropriate position in Small Rock.
Probably...
He’s hoping for a rear-line placement.
Count Castle Rock has already made up his mind. He’s put the entire domain on a war footing and declared martial law, sealing the city so free citizens can’t simply run for it.
He knows by now that the count isn’t going to yield. If he were to stand up and say he should be placed at the very top of the command structure, it might only create unnecessary friction. But my situation is a little different, since I’m standing in the position of an Honorary Bishop.
I’ve got a respectable enough status as a free citizen, and the title the papal office gave me is more than enough to wear this hat.
Either way, there’s nothing to lose for Small Rock.
Choosing me to be the shield for Small Rock was a smart move, but failing to grasp my intentions was, I thought, the worst kind of blunder.
Apparently he still thinks this side is fond of him or something, because the way he’s desperately throwing himself behind me is honestly a sight to behold.
Before long, a few of the other guilds naturally began to throw their weight behind his argument as well.
“Even if guilds and clans are run independently... you still need a chain of command. I think the count’s words make sense. Even if Mr. Lee Kiyoung isn’t from Castle Rock, isn’t he still a citizen of the Holy Empire?”
“Hmm...”
“I think it’s not a bad idea.”
“Honestly, we’d considered it too, but...”
Seeing an opening, people started speaking up from here and there.
“It does seem like that would be a bit...”
“Wouldn’t it be better if Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung handled command?”
Once a few guilds voiced their support, the existing guilds and clans that wanted a slice of the benefits began to pile on as well.
They’d instinctively realized there was honey dripping from this situation.
Opinions that had once seemed to say, Isn’t that going a bit far? changed in an instant, like someone had flipped a hand over.
The way they were all wagging their tails because they saw a chance was almost pathetic. It made sense that I felt like I was looking at a pack of dogs begging to be praised.
So the count had the right idea after all.
Handling free citizens with force might help resolve the crisis right now, but if you think beyond the immediate moment, it’s not exactly a wise choice.
Compromising at a reasonable point was the obvious course from the beginning. Choosing me as the bridge between himself and the free citizens was a choice that worked for both me and the lord.
Reasonable.
No one in Castle Rock’s free-citizen ranks could really be trusted.
Maybe because of Lady Marlin, or maybe because he really was sincere about Castle Rock, but somehow, without me noticing, the count seemed to have developed trust in me.
If you think about the rumors spreading around the royal capital, it’s not exactly incomprehensible.
Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung does have a pretty solid reputation, after all.
I noticed Kim Hyunsung quietly nodding as well, so it seemed our regressor liked the direction this was going too.
From his perspective, having someone who could keep the troops under control would make things a lot easier when he was already going to be running himself ragged.
Of course, it’s good for me too...
“I’m... a little overwhelmed, honestly.”
“Not at all. Mr. Lee Kiyoung. I’ll support you with everything I have.”
“If you, Song Jungwook, say so... ahem.”
I’d been wanting to try commanding a large force anyway.
I had studied the theory, of course, but theory and practice are different beasts. If I missed this chance, I’d be no better than an idiot. Still, humility is a Korean virtue.
When I opened my mouth with the premise that I was lacking and that I would simply be taking up this hat for the moment, I immediately felt everyone’s eyes turn toward me.
Nice.
“If that’s the case... I’ll work with Count Castle Rock’s household to do my utmost in organizing and managing the troops. I look forward to working with you, Lord of Castle Rock.”
“I look forward to working with you as well, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
At last, the atmosphere seemed to settle down a little.
Just from how many eyes were already on us, it was obvious they had plenty to say about this. Considering how important troop organization was, it was only natural they’d be staring like that.
Who would want to be assigned to the First Wall?
The role’s main character had already been decided, but it was still a position everyone had to agonize over until the very end.
Even while the briefing continued, I could see plenty of people thinking about something entirely different. Namely, how to avoid the First Wall.
Of course, there were also quite a few who doubted the monster wave would even happen at all, but Kim Hyunsung, standing right in front of them, was doing a remarkably good job of settling that question.
“Those of you who have gone out hunting recently will probably have felt it. There’s a problem with the ecology of the monsters inhabiting the forest in front of Castle Rock.”
“That’s true... I have noticed it. There have been a lot more cases like a basilisk that normally lives in the swamp suddenly appearing in the forest. High-ranking monsters have also been showing up just outside the woods. Our clan has already been discouraging new guild members from hunting for the time being.”
“If you look at the signs from the monster wave that struck Castle Rock decades ago, you’ll find they’re astonishingly similar.”
“And the cause?”
“Probably a saturation of the population, or perhaps a new monster capable of threatening the existing ones has moved into the area. That would be the most reasonable assumption.”
“But can you really call that a sign of a monster wave? A war footing or martial law can wait until things are more certain...”
“By then it’s already too late. I think there’s a clear difference between preparing when you know and preparing when you don’t. Also, if you look at the graphs...”
“Ugh... I see.”
That was the general shape of the conversation.
There wasn’t really any need for me to jump in. I did feel like the information in the material we’d presented was a little thin, but all the evidence was still clearly pointing to something happening.
Some of the skeptics were simply unhappy about the sudden war footing, or didn’t want to admit it.
Truthfully, I had my own doubts too.
Looking at the circumstances Kim Hyunsung had brought back, it was almost certain the monster wave would happen.
No, there wasn’t even any need to search for evidence. In Kim Hyunsung’s history, the monster wave had already happened.
Still, the reason wasn’t entirely clear. Even Kim Hyunsung didn’t seem to know exactly why the wave had occurred.
Does it really matter?
After all, what we had to do was painfully simple.
Kill the monsters that came in. That was it. Everyone except me seemed to understand that very well.
Even after the briefing ended, voices were still drifting in from all over the place as people talked among themselves.
I naturally started thinking I should say something too. The conversation was scattered everywhere, and no one seemed entirely sure what they were supposed to be doing.
“Then, speaking as your commander, I’d like each guild and clan to submit its troop organization and main combat classes. You need to be precise so we can place everyone rationally, so don’t leave anything hidden.”
“Pardon?”
“All supply stocks held by each guild will be consolidated. The supplies brought in by our Blue Guild will also be integrated and used together.”
“That...”
“Support will also be coming from Lindel. I intend to integrate the materials that arrive from Lindel as well, so I’d appreciate your cooperation. I’m planning to entrust supply management to Castle Rock’s merchant guild, the Castle Rock Merchant Association. Whatever remains after this is over will be distributed by a fair and reasonable method, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Even so... each guild or group has its own circumstances...”
“Here’s the list of supplies Blue Guild will provide for free. It’s more than the total a few of the mid-sized guilds can put up on their own. I’d like to take everyone’s circumstances into account, but I didn’t put this hat on just to bend over backward for your convenience. I’ll make allowances to a degree, of course, but if you don’t intend to cooperate, you’d be better off coming under Castle Rock’s banner and fighting alongside us.”
“It’s not that we don’t intend to cooperate...”
The first step in controlling idiots who don’t listen is to grab hold of their lifeline.
As far as supplies were concerned, it was better for me to keep a firm grip.
Even Song Jungwook from Small Rock was nodding now as he spoke to me.
“I completely agree with Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung.”
It felt a little sudden that he’d become so obedient, but I couldn’t say I hated it.
“We’ll keep only the minimum necessary troops at the guild house. For the time being, all guilds will use the barracks inside the walls and remain on constant standby atop the ramparts. In addition, full training will begin tomorrow morning. The people from Red Mercenary will be taking charge of the training themselves.”
“Ah. The Red Mercenary people are coming too?”
I heard a voice that sounded a little hopeful.
“We’re currently maintaining continuous communication with Lindel. If the timing works out, Lady Cha Heera should be able to fight with us as well.”
“Oooooh.”
The faces that lit up were impossible to miss.
That was the kind of thing that would blow away their anxiety.
I already knew what they were thinking.
Thank goodness Red Mercenary is here.
We can get through this if we’re together.
They were thinking things like that.
Maybe because of Cha Heera’s halo, they seemed to be looking up at me a little more as well.
Of course, the fact that I was personally a competent, prepared commander was also part of why they liked me.
It was only a matter of me rattling off a plan that had already been settled from the moment Kim Hyunsung suggested going to Castle Rock, but a commander’s confidence in an unstable situation gives certainty to those fools.
I was basically saying, If you follow me properly, I’ll let you feast.
“Hahaha. I don’t know how grateful we should be that Mr. Lee Kiyoung is in Castle Rock.”
Even then, Song Jungwook kept brown-nosing me from the side.
It looked like he was really, really desperate to get a rear-line assignment.
“The Castle Rock Merchant Association will receive all supplies by the end of today and begin sorting them immediately. The other guilds should also arm themselves and move their lodging into the barracks by the walls.”
“By the end of today?”
“Yes. By the end of today.”
“Then we’d better move fast.”
“If anything unexpected happens, report it directly to me.”
“Understood.”
“Where exactly should we go?”
“When you return, everything will be prepared.”
They’d need time to sort themselves out, so giving them this much leeway was the right call.
As I spoke about handling the work as if everything were already in place, the way they looked at me began to change slowly.
Maybe they really were thinking it was lucky that I’d taken command.
Which is exactly what I want.
As the Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire, I can draw support from priests in other cities, and as the consort of the Mercenary Queen, I can receive help from Red Mercenary. When you consider that I might even be able to get assistance from the Yozora Guild in Celia, just that background alone could make Lee Kiyoung look like a rather capable commander.
“I’ll work with Count Castle Rock as quickly as possible to finish troop organization. Then let’s disperse here. I need all of you to sort out your personal matters as quickly as you can. As the count said, this is a war footing now. I’m not the sort of person who enjoys stirring up trouble for no reason, so if you cooperate with the controls, there’ll be something in it for you too.”
“Ah...”
“Don’t think only about what’s in front of you right now. You’d do well to think at least once about what comes after the wave ends.”
“Yes, sir.”
The moment I started to rise first, a number of admirable comrades rose with me at the same time and came into view.
Once we moved outside, the way those guys crowded around me was downright absurd.
Of course, the most enthusiastic of all was Song Jungwook, the man who’d practically earned his keep by getting me into this position.
“Mr. Lee Kiyoung, what time would you like us to come back by?”
“Honestly, I’d prefer everyone to gather by the afternoon, but...”
“It looks like it’s going to take a little time...”
“Then I’ll make a little allowance for you.”
“Hahaha. Thank you.”
“No need. You can’t be too rigid about these things.”
“As expected of Mr. Lee Kiyoung. The moment you first came to Castle Rock, I knew you were the kind of man who would become Castle Rock’s light. Hahaha!”
He wasn’t the only one wagging his tail. Almost everyone was tossing in a word or opening their mouths to flatter me.
It took a little more time before I was able to shake them off.
And only then did my conversation with Jung Hayan about the tracker attached to my body get delayed a little further.
I still need to organize the troops too...
That wasn’t a big problem.
Because there was no better person than the capable and intelligent Cho Hyejin to handle this sort of thing for me.
“Hyejin?”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master.”
“I’m going to step out for a bit. I have some things to take care of as well... So I think you can handle the troop organization yourself.”
“Pardon?”
“For the First Wall, Small Rock and Song Jungwook. As for the rest, just draw the rough outline.”
“Ah...”
“If you’ve committed a crime, shouldn’t you pay for it?”
I figured Song Jungwook’s head must have been ringing like a bell.