Volume 2 - CH 8

After successfully defeating the Goblin King, we commenced our retreat immediately.

The other goblins were already fleeing in panic, but we didn’t have time to pursue them.

After all, Tilda’s troops were literally devastated, and those who were left were gravely wounded.

If the goblins were to attack again, it would be dangerous.

“Instead, let’s have the Goblin King’s head and crown brought in as proof of our victory. Commander Finlay, please rest in the center of the troops.”

Thankfully, the defense forces led by the commoner commander had already swept the area around the south gate, so when we arrived, the place was already free of monsters, and I could finally catch my breath.

Still, I didn’t expect that there would exist a creature with high intelligence and was completely different from the monsters we’ve seen so far.

If something like this would come out frequently, our battles would become tougher from now on.

As I was thinking this, the commander of the defense unit muttered something that caught my attention.

“An intelligent monster……Looks like it’s a mix with the Demon race.”

“Demons?”

“Yeah. They’re a race that fought the humans under the banner of the Demonic Gods. They can also use some sort of magic spells. In short, they’re terrifying beings.”

“Have you ever fought one?”

“I’ve only glimpsed them on the battlefield from afar a long time ago. They looked almost looked exactly like humans, but with parts of monsters in their bodies.”

He said this with an abject expression on his face and went back down to his unit as if he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

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As for me, I’d like to see some magic spells, but I don’t want to be in the receiving end of it.

As I was thinking this, I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.

“Wha! Oh, it’s you……wait, is that you, old man?”

The one who tapped me on the shoulder was the chief retainer old man.

“There are still goblins crawling around outside the walls, so don’t let your guard down. In the meantime, I want you to go report to the command center.”

“Command center……you mean the military headquarters? And why me?”

“Milady is tired, and I still have to reorganize the troops for her. Also, you’ve been to the command center once before, so you’re the right person for the job.” If yo u ar e a ble to re ad th is m essa ge, yo u are rea d ing fr om an u nauth ori zed agg reg ate si te. Re d at my Word Pr ess at sta bb ing wit h a syr inge. hom e. bl og to suppo rt m e and my trans lati ons.

Then he hands me a few sheets of paper. It seemed to be a simple document describing the circumstances of the incident that occurred here.

“More importantly, make sure things work out in milady’s favor.”

After saying that, he went back to his unit.

The military headquarters……honestly, I don’t like that place very much.

The chief commander was quite a person to talk to, but I’m unsure about the others.

It would be bad if I encountered some aristocrat who is a worse version of Viscount Karl.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to chalk it up to bad luck by then.”

With that, I folded the report neatly and headed for the place I dreaded the most.

When I arrived at the headquarters, I found it to be noisier than the rest of the city.

This was expected as we are being attacked four places simultaneously, so information is getting exchanged fast, making the headquarters chaotic as a result.

“Um, I’ve got a report-”

“Report? Just leave that stuff around!”

The officer at the reception desk was so agitated that his blood vessels seemed they were about to break, so I was sure they would be of no help.

(Nope, I can’t do that. Seeing you’re all panicking like that, you might lose the report instead.)

Seeing that he was no use, I walked away from the reception desk and wandered aimlessly around the command center.

“What should I do? Should I try to go to the chief commander?”

We’ve killed the enemy general. So it shouldn’t be a problem if I were to report it directly into the chief commander’s ear.

I convinced myself of this and quickly headed for the chief commander’s office.

When I mentioned Lucy’s name, I was allowed to enter the room, as if they remembered me as well.

The chief commander is still sitting proudly in his office chair. There are soldiers around him who seemed to be his subordinates.

That’s good, no problem. The only thing that bothers me is that there is also one old man who is clearly not dressed like a soldier.

“Baroness Finlay’s adjutant……Sanada, was it? You’re in luck, let me introduce you. His Excellency, Marquis Krall.”

“What, Marquis Krall himself?”

I was not expecting this. Why is the Marquis here?

Sensing my surprise, the commander began explaining to me.

Apparently, he was here to inspect the military headquarters.

“Hmm, you must be Sanada. I see that my niece Lucy has been in your care.”

The Marquis rolled his eyes on me and said those words in a tone as if he was trying to price me out.

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As expected, the pressure of being glared at by someone in charge of a large city with a hundred thousand population is enormous. He’s even scarier than the chief commander when I first met him.

“Yes. I cannot thank Lady Finlay enough for picking up this humble wanderer and saving him from becoming a monster feed.”

“You don’t have to be so modest. I have heard that you are providing her excellent service. So, what brings you here?”

When he said that, I finally remembered why I had come here.

Marquis Krall being here is a matter of concern, but I have to finish my report first.

“My Lord, the troops led by Baroness Finlay clashed with what appears to be the enemy’s main force at the south gate and defeated it. I have judged it to be of great importance, and so I have come to report it to the chief commander right away.”

It was here when the chief commander’s expression became sharp.

“Main force? Is that true? If that’s the case, I don’t think the Baroness’s troops would have been able enough to fight them alone.”

“The number of monsters is about two thousand. But at the back of the lines, we observed a unique monster that seemed to be leading the enemy pack, must be a monster general of some kind, so we concentrated our forces over there to destroy it. Thankfully, after we successfully killed it, it caused the rest of the enemy to collapse their ranks and flee.”

“A monster general?”

The chief looked at me with a look that was half astonishment and half doubt.

Combined with the stares of his subordinates around him, the pressure was so great that I greatly wanted to leave now.

“Do you have any proof of this, young man?”

The Chief of Staff asked me next. I determined his identity by looking at the emblem the old man was wearing.

The Chief of Staff is the head of the General Staff that assists the commander and is the second most important person in the army.

“Yes, we’ve already secured the head of this “monster general”. If necessary, I will bring it to you immediately.”

“Hmm. If you’re this sure, then let’s believe him for now. But, while at it, we should also check the other three gates for the existence of these so-called “monster generals” and deal with them urgently. What do you think, chief?” asked the Marquis.

“By your will. Have them checked at once, Chief of Staff,” to which the chief commander redirected the order to the Chief of Staff beside him.

The Chief of Staff gave a look to his subordinate staff members, and after a quick nod, they immediately left the room.

In front of the remaining people, I continue to explain the report.

“I see. I’ve got the gist of it. I’ll be requesting a more detailed report from you later, but first, thank you for your efforts.”

Finally, I could catch my breath. Or that’s what I thought.

Suddenly, Marquis Krall, who had been listening to the conversation, stepped forward.

“I know it’s not good for me, as an outsider to the military, to interfere, but can I suggest your unit hide the fact that the foreign troops played an active role in defeating the enemy general for now?” Thi s chap ter tr ansl ation i s made p os sible by stab bin g wit h a sy ri nge tra nslat io ns. check on ly up- to -da te transl atio ns on my Word p ress sit e.

“What do you mean, Your Excellency?”

The Marquis then began to speak like a teacher admonishing a student.

“It’s a matter of adhering to the public sentiment in this city. As you can see, after the royal capital has fallen to monsters, many immigrants and refugees surged here in big numbers, and they are still ballooning even up to this day. Because of this, the city people’s original inhabitants are becoming more and infuriated as they felt like they are being invaded by these unwelcomed newcomers.”

“There were even reports that some of the lands that are already reserved for outsiders have become slums due to their careless expansion and renovation. As such, if the masses would hear of this – that troops not of this city have provided a spectacular performance – it may further deepen the feud between the two sides and cause the order to deteriorate even further.”

“I see. I humbly apologize for not having thought of that aspect.”

I nodded, but I knew that wasn’t the only reason.

In this world, or at least, in the culture of the nobility here, defeating monsters, especially strong ones, is a sign of honor. This is why the nobles are always in the forefront and leading the charge while commoners are organized only as defense forces, away from the fame and glory that should only be grasped by the nobility.

Because of this, many people of power would be upset if Tilda, a pagan and from a foreign unit, surpassed them, even more than Lucy, who was only an upstart baroness.

But still, the word “public sentiment” made me feel uncomfortable.

When Lucy and I had gone into town together, I was shown no signs of being abhorred even though I’m an immigrant.

Not to mention that I am obviously of different stature, and the fact that I was hanging out with Lucy, a noblewoman. I didn’t detect any discrimination or unrest from the masses as the Marquis had described.

Even the way the Marquis was talking to me right now – a person who has gotten his position through underhanded means – without being unperturbed, only added more to my confusion.

In that case, where did the Marquis get this good impression of me?

Either way, I decided to try and exploit this Marquis a little. If it goes well, I might be able to kill two birds with one stone.

“Forgive me, Lord Marquis. But even if it’s the case, I think we should still give some kind of reward to the foreign legion. After all, their unit suffered more than half the damage in this battle alone.”

Even Marquis Krall had to make a bitter face when I revealed this fact.

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He knew that if he didn’t give them any remuneration for saving the city after suffering so many casualties, not only her niece would lose her standing with the other troops, and worse, people would hate us for being hogs to glory, but his reputation as the lord of the city would also deteriorate, at least enough to call him an ungrateful lord. I’m sure the Marquis should understand this very well.

“Hmmm, what to do……”

“The Marquis and Sanada both have good points, but we must make a plan that resolves each of them. That way, it would provide us the least amount of backlash.”

“I know. But the question is how?”

Marquis Krall and the Chief Commander seemed to be waiting for their other subjects to give their own opinions. However, no ideas came from the staff.

Let me take another step, then.

Considering Lucy’s personality, she will be very angry if Tilda’s troops didn’t get a reward for this.

“Please forgive this one, as this might be overstepping my boundaries, but I would like to propose an idea. Would you mind listening to it?”

The two men in front of me looked at each other first before nodding at my words.

When I suggested my solution, their expressions began to divide into two.

The commander was nodding in satisfaction, but the Marquis was looking at me with a reluctant expression on his face.

In the end, however, both the commander and the Marquis agreed.

After that was for me to take care of the rest afterward.