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."
"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 middlemanagement 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.
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.
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.