Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: War Preparations (1)
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Padilla had staunchly opposed my participation in the war at first. She made excuses about not trusting outsiders, but everyone knew that wasn't the real reason. Kara was recruiting mercenaries on a massive scale right now, after all.
But after Udin's repeated requests and my stern insistence, she finally gave her permission. Strangely enough, she always listened to me well.
"You'll be the overall commander, Padilla."
I forced her to take the front lines. Udin's master objected, but I didn't even listen.
It was a war where we were hopelessly outnumbered. We couldn't afford to hide our leader in the back just because she was a woman or a desert chieftain.
The people would only believe in and follow us if they saw their leader leading from the front.
And as she said, I was an outsider. No matter how much supreme command authority she delegated to me, the native factions wouldn't truly follow me.
After that, I began drawing up the military organization chart with Padilla at the helm.
For starters, the commander of the 1st Army would be Rajal Amuraba. Udin objected again.
"Rajal is absolutely not the material to lead an army."
I agreed with that opinion wholeheartedly, but there was no choice. Chopping off a sheep's head and sticking a lion's on it wouldn't turn the sheep into a lion. Trying something that reckless would just get the sheep's neck severed and killed.
Rajal was incompetent but highly respected. He was the worst kind of headache—a truly untouchable incompetent.
But it didn't matter.
I wasn't counting on Kara's existing army much anyway. I'd give them a spin; if they proved irredeemable, I'd wipe out Rajal and the whole lot. For now, it was better to keep them bundled together.
"Padilla. Order Commander Rajal to go monster hunting. And make it grueling."
Kara's existing army was incompetent, but their skills were still impressive. Their archery was exceptional, and their close-quarters combat was decent enough. The problem was their tiny guts—they were hard to send into battle. If they fought monsters and built real combat experience, maybe they'd improve a bit.
Plus, with the recent exodus of mercenaries from Kara to the Lobros Kingdom army, they were short on manpower to deal with monsters. We needed Chaos Pieces for essences anyway, so it seemed best to have Rajal's 1st Army handle it.
"And the newly formed 2nd Army's commander will be Shura Idess."
I boldly appointed Shura as the 2nd Army commander. She had experience leading the village watch in Aim Village, and I highly valued the courage she'd shown fighting the Jess Mercenary Corps to the death back then. She was still lacking as a leader for an entire army, but the title of Grand Saintess was too appealing, so I went with it.
Nothing boosts morale like divine buffs, and Shura's holy ones were the best. Putting her up front would greatly lift the whole army's spirits.
It would also quell any backlash from Kara's existing army being demoted to a single corps. No matter that Rajal was the top clansman and overall commander—he couldn't stand above a Grand Saintess.
The only concern was that Shura's swordsmanship was still unpolished. But attaching Armida as her adjutant solved that.
'The 3rd Army is the problem...'
I planned to draft 8,000 citizens of Kara into soldiers. Four thousand would go to Shura's 2nd Army, so I needed a 3rd Army commander for the remaining four thousand.
The issue was there was no suitable candidate. Kara had no one who looked like general material.
I could do it myself, but I had to assist Padilla as staff officer, commanding the entire army, and also lead the detachment unit.
'Well, I'll find someone step by step.'
Next, we discussed the detachment unit.
Among the current clansmen's children were direct sons and bastards demoted to commoners for failing as heirs. They generally had strong ambitions for success and were free from the existing Kara military's bad influences, so with proper training, they could become decent troops.
Roughly 6,000 expected. I planned to organize them as my special forces under my direct command and make them the key to this war.
'That makes about 18,000 total.'
18,000 was a respectable force on paper. Most were green recruits needing intense training, but once trained, we'd have enough manpower to defend Kara Castle.
The problem was that about 8,000 weren't armed yet. Arming 8,000 wasn't easy, talk was cheap.
So I proposed a social system to Padilla: mass production through standardization and division of labor.
"Standardization and division of labor?"
"Hmm. Think of it as prep work for large-scale production."
In the age of ruin, humanity faced a massive shortage of supplies. The solution proposed then was mass production via standardization and division of labor.
Mass production couldn't make personalized weapons, but it could churn out standardized ones in tens or hundreds of times the quantity.
Plus, the simple tasks made skills easy to learn, quickly producing specialized craftsmen. It was perfect for Kara's time crunch.
'Armament sorted.'
The biggest issue with Kara's current army was their lack of elites. Honestly, there was no one reliable right now.
And the Lobros coalition was about 200-250,000 strong. We were still critically short, so we needed alternatives.
Soon, I wrapped up with Padilla and headed out. Kara actually had a hidden elite force. Bringing them in would push our numbers well over 20,000 and boost quality too.
"Hey, Uncle Jenbe. I'm here."
Jenbe glanced at me and wiped his hands with a towel.
"Here for food?"
"Yeah."
"The usual?"
I sat in front of the food cart, pondering deeply. I wasn't one to fuss over menus, but today was different.
"Nah. Craving noodles today."
"Noodles?"
"Yeah. Suddenly reminded me of home."
I gazed wistfully at the distant sky, and Jenbe narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms.
"Human. What scheme are you plotting now?"
This uncle had leveled up after a few encounters with me. Not easy to fool anymore.
"Sheesh. What orc is this cynical? Everyone has a hometown, and living away can make you nostalgic. Why assume it's a scheme?"
"Fair enough. My bad if I misunderstood. So, what noodle dish?"
"Just toss in some meat and veggies and stir-fry. Home cooking's got that special taste—mix whatever you've got, and it's like Mom's."
"True. Got it."
Jenbe started stir-frying meat on the grill. I slipped in my pitch.
"How long you been in Kara, Uncle?"
"Dunno. Almost 11 years, I think."
"Wow, that's long enough to call Kara your second home, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Kara folk are real nice. They even let a zero-life-skills orc like you make a living."
Soon, Jenbe added moist noodles to the half-cooked meat.
"True. Kara people are considerate. When I first came, starving half to death, some little neighborhood girl shyly gave me bread. It filled me up big time."
"Little girl... So she's a grown woman now?"
"Yeah. Saw her by chance recently—she's getting married soon."
"Ah, nice. So, how'd you start this cart?"
"Worked hauling for a nearby restaurant for three years. Saved up, learned recipes, and started this."
Jenbe added veggies and sauce last, stir-frying away.
"Yeah? What're they up to now?"
"Opened a big place east of town."
"Good people?"
"Yeah. Family man, kind to neighbors."
"Nice guy."
"Yep."
Dish done, Jenbe plated the noodles and handed them over.
"Human. Why keep asking about that stuff?"
"Just... homesick, y'know. Miss it."
I slurped a big bite. Not spicy, just right. Jenbe could really cook.
"What brought on the sudden nostalgia?"
"Dunno. This maybe?"
I slyly drew Yojjo from my waist. Infusing mana, a nearly 30cm aura blade gleamed white.
Jenbe startled, and so did I. Last time, it'd barely topped 20cm—now 30cm.
"Human. That's mid-level, right?"
"Uh, probably..."
"What the hell happened?"
I didn't know. Lately, just visiting the room with my portrait and Shura, meeting Udin today to discuss defending Kara. Otherwise, meditation training and messing around when bored.
I composed myself, setting a calm tone. The pitch wouldn't change much—just swapping bragging about 20cm to mid-level master.
"Not sure, but maybe that formation theory you mentioned."
"Formation theory?"
"Y'know, the mental world we sorted out. You talked formation theory, completing the external mind theory?"
"Oh, right."
"Part of it said human external minds share and grow together via causal and karmic links."
"Yeah."
"I've built a lot of bonds with Kara folk lately. Probably that."
Jenbe rested his chin thoughtfully.
"Makes sense. Human, you've bonded a ton with those temple women lately. Must've influenced it."
"Ugh, skip that. Don't pry into my private life."
"Anyway."
I examined the aura blade around Yojjo with wonder.
"Made me think of home. Familiar faces bring back hometown feels. 'Cause home's familiar too."
"Could be."
I gripped Yojjo's hilt tight.
"So I'm protecting those familiar faces."
"What?"
"I'm joining this war."
Jenbe's eyes bulged.
"Human, you gone mad? Kara's as good as done. Jump in, you die."
"Death... But I don't care. This is my second home now—I'll defend Kara. That little girl who gave you bread, the restaurant owner who taught you cooking—I'll protect them. Why? I'm a warrior walking the sword's path. A warrior's honor shines brightest defending others."
My stirring speech earned a suspicious look from Jenbe.
"Human. Knew you had a scheme."
"Uncle!"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't. How much they paying you?"
"It's not that! For real~. Not a dime."
Honestly? All of Kara. Padilla's Kara. Win the war, maybe the whole western desert.
Jenbe eyed me top to bottom, unbelieving.
"Really?"
"Yes! Pure warrior honor, and as a man, protecting Kara. I've eaten and lived here—gotta repay the favor."
"Oh, so I gotta repay 11 years too?"
This uncle's insight was grandmaster level. Used to think he was a pushover—big mistake.
"Argh, fine! Don't wanna, don't. Kara folk die or not, you live fat— who am I to stop you? Your life, not mine. Hmph~."
I huffed childishly, and Jenbe chuckled.
"Fine."
"Huh?"
"Truth is, I've been itching for a rematch with that Fabius punk. Since you're going to Kara, I'll tag along for a proper bout. He's mine, got it?"
"Obviously. That bald geezer bores me. Take him, Uncle."
I grinned triumphantly.
Finally convinced Uncle Jenbe. Kara just gained a massive ally.
Beyond being a top-tier master berserker, he held absolute sway over thousands of orc mercenaries. He was their spiritual leader and boss.
'Perfect. Orc mercs are ours now.'
Orc mercenaries valued honor—no looting. Each worth 1.5 humans, loyal to death on orders.
I wasn't keen on human mercs, but orcs? Goldmine. They didn't betray like humans.
"Oh, and pay for the food."
"Food?"
"Human, you never paid once."
My eyes spun. True, never had. Weird shit always happened here.
"Not my fault. Stuff happens here. Cut me some slack—don't scare off customers."
"Fair. Pay today then?"
"Duh."
I reached for my pouch, then froze. Forgot my wallet. Rushed to the chieftain's palace after Udin's nagging.
Jenbe wasn't getting his meal money from me today.
"Tab it. I'll pay later."
End of War Preparations (1)