Jerome was halfway out the door when Altina called him to stop.
“Where do you think you’re going!?”
“To town. The casino is just what I need to forget about your nonsense.”
“I see... Then order the soldiers to obey me.”
“I refuse. I don’t want to lose any troops on a hopeless endeavor.”
“It’s not hopeless!”
“Kua-hahahah! Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless! You’re not going to find them. I’ll bet on it.”
“T-That’s not true... We have a tactician right here!”
Her expectations of me are almost unwieldy, Regis cursed as he made a bitter face. Jerome took a glance at him.
“Hmph... You’re going to rely on this greenhorn admin officer? Even more reason not to lend you my men.”
“You’re judging a book by its cover—at least hear him out!”
If he kept quiet, Jerome would disappear off to town. Worst case scenario, their next meeting would actually erupt into bloodshed.
It was unavoidable.
He truly detested acting out the part of tactician, but it was about time for him to do his job. Regis had kept his silence for long enough; it was time to wrap things up.
“So, Sir Jerome is off enjoying the nightlife without a plan... and the soldiers will patrol the highway for yet another cold night. I pity them.”
Jerome’s face turned grim at his words.
“What did you just say? That I have no plan? That my soldiers are pitiable? You think they’re pitiable for being under my command? You’ve chosen your words poorly, fool... Try saying that again. I’ll snap that flimsy neck of yours.”
The horses nearby began to whinny restlessly.
Jerome had a scary look in his eyes. The sudden seriousness behind his intimidating air made him seem like a completely different person.
Was this wrath? Bloodlust? Malice? Whatever it was, the fact he had only been playing when swinging around the pitchfork was now fearfully apparent.
As Jerome slowly made his approach, he was stopped by Altina.
“Hold it, Jerome!”
“Hmph... These are the front lines. Another two deaths would be nothing unusual.”
“If you’re serious, then I’ll have to—”
Regis reprimanded himself. Don’t be intimidated by his aura! You need to stop them!
While he was terrible with a sword, couldn’t ride a horse, and was no good in a fight, he couldn’t allow himself to go weak and freeze up here, of all places.
“Sir Jerome... There are any number of ways to capture bandits. Instead of exercising any of them, you persist with patrols that have proven ineffective. Do you not see these men as pitiable?”
“...Hmm... Kukukuh... Any number of ways?”
“Yes.”
Jerome nimbly approached him. That terrifying aura he exuded only a moment ago had vanished—or so he thought, only for Jerome to roughly hoist him up by the lapels. Regis could hardly breathe.
“You bastard! Are you betting your life on those words!?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it... This will not make for a bet. Because it will one-hundred-percent succeed.”
Altina stepped in between the two and tore them apart.
“Cease this violence immediately.”
“Hmph.”
“Hack, hack...”
“Are you all right?” Altina asked cautiously.
“...I know I’m not... the sort of tactician... you’re hoping for...” He took a sharp breath, and oxygen once again entered his lungs. “But you don’t have to worry about this matter. I already know we’ll pull it off.”
✧ ✧ ✧
On Jerome’s order, the soldiers gathered at the square in front of the gate. Six hundred, for the time being.
Regis stood before the troops, Altina and Jerome beside him.
Jerome raised his concerns. “Hmph... Is this really enough? There are no cavalry here, only foot soldiers.”
Regis nodded in response. “Yes, this mission doesn’t require cavalry... But I never thought they would assemble so quickly on a single order. Their discipline and solidarity far exceeds that of any unit I’ve seen before.”
“Spare me the flattery. It means nothing. This is why I can’t stand admin officers.”
“I-I see...” It was a genuine compliment.
Jerome had been drinking in broad daylight, putting his soldiers to work with no overall strategy. Regis feared he may have lost his popularity, but that was a needless concern. The deeds that earned him his title, his martial arts that were still in top form, or perhaps even his concern for his subordinates—whatever it was, he maintained incredible control over his men.
“...Isn’t it just because they’re scared of what’ll happen if they don’t listen to him?” Altina whispered quietly.
“Haha...”
That would mean they’re almost like tamed animals—a thought Regis found ridiculous yet couldn’t fully refute. The terrifying Jerome himself was glaring at him, after all.
“Oi, just so we’re clear: Screw this up and you’re dead. You’ll be at the vanguard next time the barbarians attack. It’s a high honor to lead the charge and die an honorable death.”
The head of the assault was a valorous and coveted position. The battle would always begin with a clash of the strongest warriors each side had to offer.
With Regis’s unmistakable shortcomings, he would likely be unable to keep up with the charge. He could already see himself falling over and being trampled to death by his allies behind him.
“How scary... Incidentally, what happens if we succeed?”
“Kukuku... Look who’s talking... If we succeed, I’ll recognize you. You’ll be allowed to live.”
“What an appealing reward...”
And so, Regis explained the plan to the troops. It wasn’t a terribly complicated one. The way he saw it, a complicated strategy would fail before it even began. When so many were participating, brevity was the top priority.
The explanation concluded. He was sure everyone understood.
But, precisely because they understood, a majority of the soldiers looked perplexed.