Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Uproar in the Academy
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Chaos had erupted.
There was no other way to put it.
The Second General, right behind the Grand General. And with independent operational authority that even the Grand General didn't possess.
Once the king had appointed me, not even Duke Helian could smooth it over, so I panicked.
But only for a moment.
'Well, it'll work out somehow.'
It was already done, so I decided to think optimistically.
There probably wouldn't be war for the time being anyway. I had no intention of using the operational authority. I just had to behave myself.
I convinced myself it was no big deal, but those around me felt differently.
The party dragged on late into the night, forcing me to stay overnight in Alpenserd. I dragged my sleepy self to the academy for class.
Whispers filled the academy as I arrived.
"Ilrain's the Second General...?"
"And he even has operational authority. If he wanted, that guy could invade any country!"
Even the instructor-officers looked flustered.
"P-Please, General, take your seat. W-We’ll begin class now."
Unlike yesterday, the instructor was using honorifics. And rightly so—I was technically the second-in-command of the military. To an instructor-officer, I was an impossibly high superior.
Watching him grovel was oddly refreshing.
During break time, as I strolled through the academy gardens, not just the regular and cadet students, but even the servants came to gawk at me. The young ladies seemed to have received some kind of orders from their parents, all trying to strike up a conversation.
This was annoying, but truthfully, it was nothing new—just more intense than usual.
'Still, I'm tired. Gotta get home and rest soon.'
Lately, Master Ilya's labor pains had worsened, and she was due any day now. I planned to head back to Rainpole to check on her as soon as possible.
That was when class ended.
"It's meaningless!"
Suddenly, Casper shot up from his seat, yelling.
"It has no meaning, no use at all!"
He shouted with hollow eyes. He must have thought I'd stolen his general position, driving him over the edge.
All eyes turned to him.
"That guy's got no soldiers! What's a general without soldiers? What's operational authority without soldiers to follow you?!"
The classroom buzzed.
Seizing the moment, Casper's faction raised their voices.
"Y-Yeah, that's right! The royal direct troops number maybe 20,000 at best. Anything else requires private soldiers from nobles. Who'd lend those to a baron family's general?"
"Casper's right! It's just an empty title!"
The others didn't like my rapid promotion either; even without speaking, they nodded in agreement.
Casper's faction openly trashed me to win over the other cadets.
"He must've pulled some dirty trick! Used that flashy looks to seduce some high family's daughter!"
"Or maybe the Helian faction's using an easy-to-manipulate baron house to check Grand General Altiore!"
Their insults crossed the line, dragging my family into it.
'These guys have lost it.'
They must've thought I was fine with it since I hadn't reacted until now.
"You lot—were those words sincere?"
I turned my gaze to them.
I'd ignored it before, but things were different now.
I had no plans to abuse the general rank, but I wouldn't stand for discipline crumbling either.
If I let their slander slide, regardless of the content, believers would emerge. And that would breed people casually ignoring my authority.
That couldn't happen—for my sake or the Kalliper military's.
Not that I had zero personal grudge. They'd been a pain all this time.
"What?"
"If you didn't hear, I'll repeat: Casper, and you lot. Were those words sincere?"
Casper ground his teeth and snapped back, flames practically shooting from his eyes.
"You think I said it for fun? Your general position is meaningless! You know it too!"
"Yeah! Casper's right!"
Casper's faction lunged at me like they wanted to devour me alive. I snorted.
"Hey."
I nodded to the instructor-officer, who snapped to attention and hurried over.
"Yes, General."
"Handle this as insubordination to a superior. Punish them under military law."
"I-Insurbordination to a superior...?"
The classroom fell deathly silent.
Casper's faction blinked in confusion, not grasping what was happening.
"Insurbordination? We just—"
"What are you talking about?"
Their faces hardened. All eyes shifted to the officer beside me.
I pressed him.
"What's the holdup? Deal with it now."
"Yes, sir!"
The officer turned to them.
"Normally, I'd refer this to a military tribunal, but too many cadet officers witnessed your actions. Insulting the general is clear-cut insubordination!"
The severity of insubordination varied by rank difference.
For example, a lowly soldier insulting their immediate superior might just get a reprimand and reassignment.
But the punishment escalated with rank disparity.
I was nominally the military's number two. Cadets insulting someone of that rank?
"I'm expelling you from the military immediately! You're no longer cadet officers!"
Cadets were exempt from fines or corporal punishment under continental treaty, so expulsion was the harshest penalty.
"W-Wait!"
Casper's eyes bulged as he yelled.
"Expulsion?! I... I just stated the obvious...!"
"Shut it! Pack your things and get out of the academy! All of you!"
Casper's faction began wailing.
"Wh-What's happening...! Casper! Do something!"
"Expulsion...? If my father finds out, I'm dead! Casper! Use the Wade power to fix this!"
Truthfully, I could've called them out for insubordination long ago—my rank had outstripped theirs since the Chimera War.
But I'd let it slide because it'd just get brushed under the rug, too much hassle.
They'd strutted like I'd ignore it as usual, but they miscalculated badly.
Eyes piled on Casper.
He swallowed hard, voice trembling as he addressed me.
"D-Do you... know who I... am? I'm Wade! The secret Wade! You think you can touch me and get away with it?!"
It was laughable.
"Ha! If you're Wade, great. Use that power to come back. Go ahead, try hard."
"You bastard...!"
Only now did he grasp the full gravity, face ashen.
He'd meant to casually demean someone from a lesser house as always, but rank-wise, the gap between us was heaven and earth—family status aside.
Ruan sneered at Casper, "Idiot, blinded by jealousy..." Denian, Joshua, and Yubel shook their heads.
Thinking words wouldn't sway me, he turned to Dorothy.
"Dorothy! Say something!"
"That's cowardly, Casper."
Dorothy eyed them coldly.
"I... I've always told you. Don't badmouth Als. He's not like that. Always, always, always, always. But you still did this. And now you want me to mediate? That's cowardly!"
"What..."
Dorothy angry? They said quiet girls' anger was scary, but it wasn't.
She just seemed sharper than usual.
"You might've thought it was fine before. But now it's wrong. So you pay the price."
"I didn't expect this! I just... stated facts...! What the others said has nothing to do with me!"
Dorothy glared at him with contempt.
"I'm disappointed. If you'd taken responsibility alone, I might've reconsidered... But trying to weasel out? And your 'facts' are wrong anyway."
She raised her voice for all to hear.
"No families or soldiers follow Als? Wrong. House Grimwood, my count family, will support Als!"
A declaration from House Grimwood, a top-tier count house among the nobility.
It was the final nail.
With the situation settled, the officer barked.
"That's it! Get out—now!"
The group trembled, frozen.
The officer sighed and called the academy guards to drag them out.
Casper's faction wailed and thrashed.
Casper, soul drained, was hauled away sniveling.
*
*
*
The mass expulsion for insubordination and House Grimwood's support declaration rocked the nobility.
Most expelled cadets were nobles' sons.
And Casper too.
"Haa! Haa...!"
Casper panted, unable to contain his agitation.
He burst into Gilbert's office without knocking.
"Lord Gilbert!"
"..."
Gilbert didn't hide his contempt, openly scolding.
"You idiot. Got the nerve to show your face?"
"L-Lord Gilbert...?"
"I heard everything. How could you do something so stupid!"
"I just—!"
"Just what? Jealousy? Lost the general spot? Can't control a petty grudge for your ambitions?!"
"Urk...!"
Casper ground his teeth, dropping to his knees and kowtowing.
"I have no excuses! It's my fault—please forgive me!"
"Forgive? Me? Why me? Beg Ilrain!"
"..."
"Don't want to? Ha! Still clueless. Just groveling to save face."
Gilbert spoke coldly.
"Sorry, but I can't smooth this over."
"Wh-Why not?!"
"Obvious!"
Als's appointment was the king's solo decision. Insurbordination the next day challenged the king himself.
If Gilbert intervened, it'd mean taking sides.
No noble could brush it off quietly.
"I'm known as Wade. We could use that..."
"You're not really Wade. Many know it. To cover it that way, you'd need someone like Jurass Pamillion at minimum. Can you? Even I can't! Beg Ilrain. It's your only way to stay in the military."
"No. I won't bow to him! Another way... please, tell me another way!"
"No other way exists. Unless you become head of House Milias... So go beg Ilrain now!"
"...Understood."
Casper slunk out, shoulders slumped.
Soon after, Erina arrived.
"Father, you called?"
"Yes. Sit."
Erina eyed his expression.
"Why did you call...?"
Gilbert nodded.
"You heard about today."
"Yes... It's the talk of the academy."
"Als Ilrain. Scary guy. Wields power mercilessly the moment he gets it."
"I don't think so. Lord Ilrain doesn't act on personal feelings."
"Well, Casper was at fault. More importantly, Erina—how's your relationship with him?"
"R-Relationship...?"
"Have you won his heart?"
Erina's face flushed beet red.
Her recent bond with Als was great. She didn't know his mindset shift, but from one day, he'd softened.
Before, he'd ignored her advances on purpose; now, he reciprocated.
Personally, she predicted lovers soon.
'Or maybe already...'
But she couldn't reveal it. Family duties.
'Estelle's lucky, no family ties.'
Father Gilbert wanted to use Als somehow.
Smart Als would notice. Direct approaches would make him distance himself—from her too.
Their built bond could vanish like bubbles. Als had many good people; he'd forget her fast.
'Should I leave the family?'
If Als were from another nation, maybe.
But same Kalliper Kingdom—abandoning family for him meant nothing but burdening him.
So she denied it.
"Not that kind of relationship yet. He's so dense. Even a marriage proposal would be rejected."
A baron's refusal of a duke's proposal was unheard of, but Gilbert accepted it now.
"True now. He holds immense power. Won't fall for flimsy proposals. Sigh! Him being Helian faction is a headache. Otherwise, no worries."
Still, Gilbert rationalized it was fine.
Thanks to Altiore's Grand General post.
"As Father expands influence in the military, it'll naturally check him."
Als wasn't an enemy anyway. Just Helian-aligned factionally, but on good terms with them.
No war likely soon.
Watch and wait.
But for Gilbert, an unimaginable event soon struck.