Chapter 37

I was woken up by someone shaking my shoulder.

When I opened my eyes, it was a page from the city hall.

“Lord Gryph. Lord Gryph? You must wake up.”

“Just five more minutes, let me sleep for five more minutes.”

“I can't. You were supposed to inspect the barracks this morning. Mr. Randolfo said you absolutely must wake up. And your other schedules are continuously being pushed back.”

“Whose subordinate are you?”

“I am, of course, the mayor's subordinate.”

“Damn it.”

When I opened my eyes, I was in the temporary headquarters of the mercenary company, which had become more familiar than my home.

I must have fallen asleep without realizing it while working overtime last night.

I looked around.

Next to the desk, which was piled high with documents, the staff were rolling around like trash.

There was no sign of the overtime ending, and in a world without reclining beds, everyone had given up on being human and was living like this.

I couldn't die alone.

I threw open the window.

As the cold wind and sunlight poured in, the staff, who had been sleeping as if they had fainted, got up like zombies.

“Kraaah!”

“So bright……”

“Everyone, wake up! It's time to work!”

I washed up with the basin of water the page had brought and left the city hall.

The place I headed to was the newly built barracks for the mercenary company outside the city walls.

There, recruits were rolling around the training ground since morning.

“Everyone, run straight!”

“Roll! Sit! Turn! Run!”

“Shout with spirit!”

“Aargh!”

The last shout sounded more like a scream, but it was probably just my imagination.

In the center of the barracks, Theo was yelling like a man possessed and putting the recruits through their paces.

I thought he was probably paying back the recruits for what he had received from his seniors, which wasn't entirely incomprehensible.

Weren't military veterans' minds usually a little twisted?

“Have you arrived, Young Master?”

“How's the situation?”

“It's going well. Everyone is participating in the training diligently.”

“The performance bonus strategy must be effective.”

Thanks to the town criers diligently promoting the good fortune that had come to Captain Leandro and the sailors, gathering people was not a problem.

Beggars, day laborers, lower-class nobles, mercenaries, and former soldiers, all seeking adventure, promotion, wealth, and honor, flocked to Fasa.

Thanks to that, there was no shortage of people.

But if you asked if they were ready for immediate deployment, that was not the case.

“No particular problems? Were there any complaints?”

“There were some guys who refused to train, talking about bloodlines and classes, but after I beat them up once, they're working hard.”

“So that's why there were no complaints……”

To have the guts to stand up to Theo's fist, that's impressive.

“I told you to set aside anyone among the newcomers who knows how to read, were there any decent ones?”

“They're mostly illiterate. They can barely write their own names.”

“I see.”

However, the recruitment of administrative personnel who would free me from overtime was crawling at a snail's pace.

It was a situation that only made me sigh.

“When do you think the training will be about finished?”

“I don't know. I'm working them hard, but their physical conditions are so varied.”

“Still, please do your best.”

“I understand.”

The shadows under Theo’s eyes were also deep.

It seemed it really wasn't easy, not just an exaggeration.

But it couldn't be helped.

If it were possible to produce elite troops in a short amount of time, the great powers would have already conquered the world.

Just as I was about to move on to the next agenda.

A loud voice came to my ears.

“What do you mean by that?”

The recruiting officer's office set up outdoors.

A troll knight and his followers were surrounding and harassing a scribe dispatched from the city hall.

The smell of trouble was thick in the air.

In this world, there was no concept of obstruction of official duties, but there was a concept of class, so there were too many cases of people throwing their weight around just because of their status.

“Theo, grab your axe and follow me.”

“Ugh. It looks like there's some trouble again. Why is there so much trouble.”

“Still, you can't just beat them up. They might be valuable assets.”

“Somehow, I think it's a bust this time too.”

“Who knows? It might be a jackpot.”

As the champion of justice appeared with an axe, the scribe's crumpled expression brightened.

“Scribe, what's the matter?”

“Ah, Lord Gryph. Welcome. I explained about enlisting, and these people suddenly got angry.”

The troll knight shoved the scribe aside and approached me.

“Lord? Are you the person in charge here? You look too young.”

I was the one who got permission to establish the mercenary company and started the business.

Naturally, what happened in this training camp was also my responsibility.

“I, Leon Gryph, am indeed the person in charge here. So who are you to be causing a scene here?”

The troll knight looked me up and down, then seemed to decide I was a more worthy conversation partner than the scribe.

“I am Rhom, from the Aosta Valley in Vartia.”

Rhom was a rather unimpressive-looking troll.

The quality of the armor he was wearing was just so-so, and the followers he brought with him looked scrawny, as if they hadn't eaten properly.

Moreover, Rhom was the only one in his group who had a horse.

I didn't even remember him, so I wasn't sure if he had existed in .

I looked at Rhom askance.

“So you are Sir Rhom. Then why did you threaten the scribe?”

“Threaten! Not at all! I was just questioning him because he was saying absurd things.”

“What kind of absurd things?”

“I heard that the commander of the Fasa mercenary company is a young brat with no combat experience. Is it right for such an unqualified person to command a mercenary company?”

I reached out and stopped Theo from drawing his axe.

We had a conversation with our eyes.

‘I'm already exhausted, and he's spouting such nonsense. I'll smash that rude fellow's head right now.’

‘I don't mind smashing his head, but you have to do the training again later. It's a problem if your training is disrupted.’

Theo was convinced and put away his axe.

I turned to Rhom.

“Sir Rhom seems to have something on his mind.”

“That's right. The commander of the mercenary company should be someone more experienced and skilled. Like me.”

Rhom held his head high and spoke obnoxiously.

I looked at Rhom calmly.

Yes.

I knew this day would come.

It was true that I had no experience and no actual combat experience yet.

So how easy a target must the position of mercenary commander be to those who wanted to ride on the coattails of a success they didn't earn?

Just as a semblance of an organization was starting to form, the number of people picking fights was increasing.

But I never thought I'd be picked on by a country knight like this.

I wanted to physically smash his head, but.

Since I was a gentleman, I decided to just socially shatter his face instead of using barbaric methods.

“Sir Rhom said you are experienced, in which war did you achieve great deeds?”

“I participated in His Majesty King Elance's expedition to Brye. And other minor battles.”

“What great deeds did you perform there? Captain of the Guard? Commander? Or Knight Marshal?”

Rhom was flustered by my question.

“Ahem, unfortunately, His Majesty the King did not entrust me with such a great task. However, this body raised its sword in battle for the glory of His Majesty and displayed its valor.”

“I see. But as far as I know, Elance's expedition to Brye was a crushing defeat, so it seems Sir Rhom did not play a very active role? Perhaps your valor was lacking?”

Rhom's face turned red with shame at being hit where it hurt.

Previously, I had compared my memories with the military history of this world to see if it would be helpful in establishing a mercenary company.

As a result, I found that my memories and the reality here were not much different.

The same was true for Elance's crushing defeat in the Brye expedition.

Rhom tried to gain authority by pretending to be close to the king, but it wouldn't work on me, though it might on some ignorant person.

As it became clear that he was a person of no consequence, the people who learned the truth gave Rhom contemptuous looks.

Rhom got angry.

“It is rude to treat someone who has come to help with good intentions like this!”

“You came for money, not good intentions.”

“You insolent fool! To insult me like this! Do you think you'll get away with it?”

“What are you going to do if I don't get away with it?”

“A duel! I challenge you to a duel! If you're a man, you won't avoid a duel. You wouldn't want to be left as a man with no honor.”

“That bastard really.”

“Hey, hey. Theo, put away the axe.”

My loyal servant Theo was about to split Rhom's head with his axe, but the clueless Rhom wore a triumphant expression.

Couldn't he see the person holding an axe behind me?

I stopped Theo and warned Rhom.

“Sir Rhom, wouldn't it be better to act with caution?”

“Why? Are you starting to get scared?”

“Haven't you thought about how your actions will be perceived? Do you really think it's right to threaten a person in charge appointed by the government?”

I understood that he wanted to make himself stand out.

He probably never had the chance to do so before.

But this wasn't his own backyard, and was it really a wise move to threaten the head of personnel when he had come to ask for employment?

When I pointed that out, Rhom faltered for a moment.

A large crowd had already gathered around, having seen the commotion.

Perhaps thinking that this wasn't right even in his own mind, Rhom bit his lip.

But his reason ceased to function after a brief period of thought.

Rhom chose to save face.

“You have only one thing to do! Accept the duel, or run away! You coward!”

I was starting to get annoyed with this situation and was considering telling Theo to handle it.

A woman's voice cut in.

“I was wondering why it was taking so long in the front, and it was because someone was causing a scene. I was bored to death waiting, you bastard.”

“What did you say? Who dares to speak?”

Rhom, who had turned around, froze.

Behind Rhom, a woman in traveler's clothes was approaching, leading a horse.

The woman had fiery curly hair, short pointed ears, and a beautiful face that held not the coldness and arrogance typical of elven lineage, but a brazen and natural charm.

I had never seen her before, but I soon thought of someone.

A half-elf with red curly hair.

A wandering traveler.

Could it be?

Unfortunately, Rhom made the mistake of not recognizing his opponent.

“Why is a woman allowed to enter a military camp? The management of this mercenary company is truly terrible. When I become the commander, I will manage it strictly.”

“A woman? For a knight, your expression is quite elegant. I challenge you to a duel too.”

“I do not cross swords with unqualified people. Especially with women.”

At that, the woman burst out laughing, which she had been holding back, and took out a necklace from her pocket.

A gold-crafted necklace with a red jewel embedded in it swayed in her hand.

“I am Eleonor, historian of the Phoenix Knights, a knight appointed by the Duke of Aquitaine. I suppose that makes me qualified, wouldn't you say?”

“What? Sir Eleonor of the Phoenix Knights?!”

That's right.

That red-haired curly-haired woman was Eleonor of the Phoenix Knights.

She was a renowned historian from Aquitaine and a companion character that could be recruited in .

At the same time, she was also a skilled knight.

“Now, I suppose I'm qualified enough to draw my sword, right? Go on, draw your sword.”

“Sir Eleonor, I apologize for my rudeness earlier. Please forgive me.”

When a person of much higher status than himself appeared, Rhom immediately changed his attitude and apologized.

The Phoenix Knights were the Duke of Aquitaine's private order of knights, but they were not in a position that a country knight could dare to look down on.

At the very least, it meant that Eleonor's martial skills were outstanding enough to be able to join the Phoenix Knights.

As Rhom hesitated, Eleonor frowned as if she had lost interest.

“Tsk, how boring. Just a loudmouth. Then you have two choices. Enlist in the mercenary company, or leave empty-handed after giving up all your possessions. Choose one.”

“No, what kind of ridiculous demand is that?”

“Then accept the duel! I'll smash your head in. What will it be?”

“I understand! I will enlist!”

“Then hurry up and fill out the papers and get lost!”

Eleonor fiddled with the warhammer hanging from her waist.

The hammer, which was quite worn from frequent use, still had the bloodstains of its last victim.

The terrified Rhom hurriedly filled out the enlistment papers with his followers and fled to the training ground.

His martial prowess might be lacking, but at least his judgment was top-notch.

My evaluation of Rhom rose slightly.

Meanwhile, Eleonor, who had chased Rhom away, had her hands on her hips with a mischievous smile.

I approached Eleonor to thank her.

“Thank you for your help, Sir Eleonor.”

“You're welcome, it was nothing. He was a pathetic fellow.”

I was starting to feel sorry for Rhom.

He probably never thought he would run into a big shot like Eleonor in Fasa.

But it was the same for me.

Why had someone like Eleonor appeared here?

The Phoenix Knights' headquarters was quite a distance from Fasa.

Could it be?

“Did you also come to Fasa to aim for the position of mercenary company commander, Sir Eleonor?”

“Huh? No?”

“……”

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