Volume 1 - CH 6

The next day, after waking up, we fixed ourselves up and immediately went to the military headquarters.

Not only it served as a command center that gave orders to the military units, but the headquarters in this world also served as a kind of government office within the army.

This meant that it is where soldiers would have their registration first and to know which unit they would be assigned to.

Lucy recommended that I also get a new uniform, so I followed her to her office first to suit up.

Incidentally, it seemed that this new uniform would be the one belonging to Lucy’s unit.

And it was not really a soldier’s gear, but more of a work uniform.

The distinctive difference was that the emblem of the House Finlay is beautifully embroidered on my left sleeve.

(Looking at it at first glance, it is a lot of work, but I guess this is necessary as part of the noble society.)

Even if it served no purpose, I would surely get the center of ridicule if I neglected it. Sigh. Why was it always those matters of face value that were the most pain in the ass?

While I was thinking about this, we arrived at the department in charge of human resources.

But the moment we stepped in, all I did was stand in the back of the seat while listening to Lucy talk.

“…… I want to reiterate that he is one of our relatives who had depended on my father and came from a faraway place. He is well educated and is too worthy a person to be assigned to another unit, much more the role as a common soldiery.”

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“Lady Finlay, while it is true that the nobles have a certain amount of discretionary power within the military, even to this extent, it is impossible to adhere to your request without at least being able to verify his identity.”

The man who was working with Lucy seemed like a tough wall.

Summing up all that he said, rules are rules. You can’t forcibly break the rules of the army, no matter how noble you are. Also, if the military doesn’t function properly as a whole, then this city’s survival will be in jeopardy in the end.

Seeing it futile to watch the exchange any further, I coughed out loud to draw the other party’s attention.

“What is it, young man? Is something the matter?”

“No, I actually forgot that I had something to prove my identity.”

I handed the stubborn man an envelope I had secretly prepared in Lucy’s room as I said this.

“Hmm. A proof, huh…….”

The man takes it and squints when he sees the insides of the envelope.

“……I see. Then, Sir Yuushin Sanada, you are now officially assigned to Baroness Finlay’s unit as her non-commissioned officer starting today.”

“Eeeh!?”

Lucy couldn’t help but get astonished by the sudden change in attitude.

Without even batting an eye at her reaction, the stalwart man smoothly signed the document he had been feeling reluctant to write just earlier.

But with this, I’m now officially a soldier. Until now, I’ve just been a nobody blending in with the soldiery.

“Now that’s settled, shall we go now, Lady Finlay?”

After he signed the papers, I didn’t waste any time and went outside the office.

“Okay? No, wait a minute! What the hell did you do?”

Lucy hurriedly followed after, still puzzled at what had just happened.

So what was the “proof” that convinced the stoic officer, the same officer who had been rejecting no matter how much a bona fide noblewoman coerced him, to sign those papers willingly and smoothly? If yo u a e able to re a d this me ssa ge, you are rea d ing from an un au tho rized aggr ega te site. Read at m y Wor dP re ss to sup po rt me and my tran sl at io ns.

“I just used a little elixir. The kind of stuff gets most people to listen to me.”

What was in that envelope was a large wad of notes.

As for how I obtained it, it was “given” to me together with the equipment from those people that had been “lying around and chilling” with the green people the first time I got here. And from my intel, I think it contained about 500,000 yen in Japanese currency.

It was neither too much nor too little, just the right amount for that middle-management type of stubborn people like him.

Well, in the case that they were found out, they could always say that “I was threatened by the authority of the nobility,” and he will get away with it, though I doubt if this also applied in this world and era.

“Elixir……to think such things also exist…….”

“Actually, it’s not really an actual elixir as it is also a bit of a dangerous poison if misused, but a good commander should be able to mix the two on the right amounts.”

Lucy gives me a suspicious look at my muddled words.

Personally, I don’t think bribery is anything to worry about, but it’s probably too early for Lucy to know.

As I was thinking about this, a bell-like sound suddenly rang loudly in the command center.

Lucy was the first to react to it.

“A monster attack!? Also, attacking when we just conducted a cleanup yesterday, what bad timing!”

This time, it was Lucy who led the way this time, rushing towards the direction of her unit, to which I became the one chasing after her.

Her expression was bitter, and I could already tell that the situation was that bad.

The troops that took part in the battle yesterday were celebrating until late at night. Because of this, they should still be fatigued and not in a good state for battle.

If they fought the same kind of battle again, the damage would be enormous.

“Thankfully, the troops under my command didn’t move much yesterday, so they can sortie right away.”

Thankfully, unlike before, Lucy seemed to be very motivated. This means that the training on her has had an effect somewhat.

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If that’s the case, I’ll just have to go along and see how Lucy will fair well at on-field commanding.

Anyway, this will be my first time meeting with Lucy’s troops. I wonder what kind of people they are?

.

.

“Lady Finlay, no, Commander Finlay. Are these the troops you have? What can I say……they sure have wonderfully unique sets of equipment.”

A hundred or so soldiers lined up before us. However, what’s distinct about them is that most of them are wearing different sets of armor.

I’m not saying they are in the poor or incomplete variety, as they all have nice ones out there. But they were more like each of them has picked and brought equipment of their own liking.

Some even have so many gaps in their armor that you could barely tell they belonged to the regular army if not for the same color scheme of their armor.

In case you are wondering why I didn’t expect this, the men and women I have seen before this, who also have been following Lucy since she met up with the troops, were all well-equipped with unified designs.

However, it was only to my disappointment when I was told that they were initially vassals in the service of Baron Finlay, Lucy’s father, and were recently transferred to her command because he died in battle not long ago.

Still, I was thankful enough that I had possible subordinates I could rely on, even if they could be counted with just one hand.

As for the hundred rest, they were either drafted or volunteered. And it was doubtful if they could be trusted in times of crisis like this.

“Ninety percent of the fighting force is a mishmash. ……”

I wanted to facepalm at this point, but the situation was time-sensitive.

As for why it is, Lucy had already ordered a sortie. So there’s no turning back now.

“Speaking of which, do you even have horses or anything?”

A commander needs to be able to see the battlefield from a high position. In case of emergency, they also serve as means for a quick escape if the battle turns against their favor. This ch apte r tr an slat ion is mad e po ss ib le by sta b bi ng with a syr in ge tra ns lati ons. c he c k u p- t o – dat e t ans lat ions on my W ordp re s s si te .

This was why horses are always precious for commanders.

“We may not be able to get out of this fort in time at this rate. At the very least, we’ll probably have to intercept them directly below the outer walls.”

“I see. Then we have to go quickly and get a good position.”

“Agreed. Let’s head there as soon as possible.”

Together with Lucy and her troops, we headed for the outer wall in the direction the monsters were attacking.

But even though I am a novice, I could already see how low Lucy’s troops’ levels were, even based on their movements alone.

Marching is one of the basics of an army. But in this scenario, each of their rows was quite distorted. They walk more like mobsters rather than soldiers. If it weren’t for Lucy’s vassals tightening up the key points, the shape of the line would have already collapsed.

To this, it was evident that even though we were going as fast as we could, we were still slow because we put too much emphasis on keeping the line, and as a result, the battle had already begun by the time we arrived.

One of the retainers immediately checked the situation and reported back to us.

“Commander. It seems that three hundred defense units that were deployed before us had already begun to intercept. The number of enemies is about five hundred, but we have the advantage in terms of terrain, so the battle situation is about 50-50.”

“Thank you for your report. Unfortunately, at this rate, it looks like we’ll be filling in for whichever line is first to get breached.”

Despite the cries and shouts of the battlefield right around her, Lucy remained calm.

Whether it was because she had experienced several battles before this, I don’t know. But at the very least, she seemed to be used to this level of experience.

However, the question is whether or not she will freeze up when faced with the real thing.

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To this, I walked up to Lucy and talked to her. This is to remind her of what she had achieved last night.

“If the enemy is glued to this part of the outer wall, can’t we just go around it and flank them?”

“That might be possible, but …..”

Lucy looked troubled at my suggestion.

At that moment, an older man who seemed to be a senior vassal also heard my story and intervened.

“It’s also important that we stay here as a backup unit. Plus, it will do us the minimum amount of work as well.”

I see. So he was one of those people who knew Lucy’s situation. He was probably saying this because he knew that Lucy wouldn’t act well in front of such monsters.

“While it is true that a reserve unit is important in case of emergency, that role can also be left to the troops that will follow. If you want to be successful as a nobility, you need to strike the enemy personally. Not only you will gain prestige, but it will also reduce the damage of your allies.”

“Hmmm……”

The retainer who had interrupted my rebuttal also fell silent.

Looking at the situation further, most of the noble troops had not yet recovered from the fatigue of the recent battle and were unable to join the defensive line.

This means there won’t be any competition, which is also an excellent chance for Lucy’s troops, who still have some energy left, to get their fame by playing an active role.

“Commander, please make your decision. There will never be another opportunity where only our troops can play an active role.”

I urged her the second time.

It was then when Lucy’s face, which had been showing nothing but uneasiness until now, changed expression.

“……very well. Our troops will leave the fort through another gate and deploy towards the enemy’s sides. We will launch an immediate attack to their flanks afterward.”

There was still a hint of fear in her voice. But unlike before, there’s now a glint of determination in her eyes.

With this, her real battle has begun. Let’s test if you’re still the cowardly self or have already peeled off that outer shell of yours on the battlefield.

Thinking about this while also suppressing my own nervousness at the prospect of my first real battle, I followed Lucy’s lead from behind.