Alma’s fears were quickly proven to be right on the mark. The next morning, Leobolt made an announcement in front of the Guard Corps:
“From today onward, there will be mandatory training sessions after work.”
Then, a piece of paper was posted with a list of duties for the day.
When the guards saw what was on it, they were speechless. Their daily guard duties weren’t that different from when Bolton had been in command, but the training portion had been made substantially more demanding. Not only that, but they had been directed to do training after work too.
“C-Commander Leobolt! Are you serious about this?!” One of the guards couldn’t help but raise an objection.
“You’re saying we have to train after our guard duties are over...but going by this schedule, there’s barely even any time left to sleep!”
“Sure there is—four whole hours,” Leobolt responded coolly. “I’ve always been perfectly able to function on that amount.”
The guard’s jaw dropped. “But that leaves no time at all for recreation! The one thing I get to look forward to before bed every night is our poker games in the barracks cafeteria!”
“You have no need of such things,” Leobolt said, summarily rejecting the man again. “Any time spent amusing yourself with poker would be better used on swinging your sword as many more times as you can. If you find yourself on the battlefield regretting your failure to train, it will be too late.”
“Will we be paid for the after-work training sessions?” the guard then asked.
“Guards will only be paid for their regular daily duties. As such, they will not be paid for any training outside of those duties.”
“So even more demanding, and the pay is just as dismal...” the guard whined.
Leobolt’s eyes flashed.
“I believe you are misunderstanding something,” he said, slowly walking up to the man. “A guard’s job is demanding by its very nature. We are to be the cornerstones that protect not only the royal capital, but the entire world. For that reason, we absolutely cannot afford to fall behind. Because falling behind means suffering defeat at the hands of the monsters, which in turn will mean the death of our world.”
As Leobolt continued, the guard could scarcely breathe under the man’s penetrating gaze. “The fate of the world rests upon our shoulders. Knowing that, can you still spout such drivel?”
After an extended pause, the guard responded. “No, sir.” Faced with such pure, righteous, powerful words, he found himself unable to bear it and had to avert his eyes, as if he had been looking directly at the sun.
“We have the ability to fight for the sake of this world. The prestige that comes with that ability is the only reward we need; anything else is superfluous,” Leobolt declared.
“Well said, Commander Leobolt!”
“We should all strive to be more like him!”
The guards who were devoted to Leobolt showered him with praise.
“All of us in the Guard Corps are heroes who protect the world. That is why we all must behave in a manner befitting heroes,” Leobolt urged his men on.
The guards who were invigorated by his words shouted their approval—but there were also a significant number of guards who wore uncomfortable expressions on their faces.
“Oh man, this is way worse than we thought,” Spinoza, who was one of the latter, groaned. “Look at their faces. They completely idolize that jerk.”
“His speeches really give off a certain kind of aura,” Fam agreed.
“I felt almost like I was getting drawn in just by listening to him,” Seira admitted.
Leobolt’s message was powerful and coherent. It might have been that people felt drawn in by his words because they carried so much conviction.
Just as that thought was crossing my mind, he spoke again. “Also, from here on out, I am prohibiting all drinking and gambling.”
“Whaaa?!” Spinoza’s scream sounded as if her entire world had been turned upside down. “What did you just say?! No drinkin’ or gamblin’?!”
“Especially no drinking. Alcohol remains in people’s systems the next day and robs them of their ability to make levelheaded decisions. Everyone should avoid consuming it so they can exhibit maximum performance.”
“Screw that! Then there won’t be one damn thing left to enjoy!”
Leobolt, however, had no intention of listening to her vehement objection. “Spinoza, I hear you sometimes drink on the job, don’t you? We cannot have the guards who defend the royal capital doing such things.”
“Listen, pal, can you last an entire day without drinkin’ water?”
“It’s definitely possible. But there’s no reason to consider doing such a thing. Dehydration will lower one’s performance, after all.”
“That’s how it is with me. Liquor is my water. If I don’t drink, my performance or whatever goes down.”
“Don’t try such ridiculous logic on me. Liquor and water are not the same,” Leobolt rejected curtly, then continued. “I also hear you sometimes drink to the point of nodding off while out on patrol. As a guard who protects the capital, that sets a terrible example. If monsters were to attack, you wouldn’t be able to fight.”
“Oh, I have zero problems fighting with liquor in me.”
“It’s true...” Fam chimed in. “She can fight without any issues even when she’s been drinking. As a matter of fact, I’d say she moves with even more agility when she’s in that state. It’s really quite strange.”
“Hah! See? I’ve been doin’ that all along, haven’t had a problem yet!”
“However, now that I have become Commander, I won’t be allowing such behavior. Any lazy attitudes toward work will be corrected,” Leobolt proclaimed, leaving no room for argument. “From now on, all guards are to monitor each other. If you discover anyone slacking on the job, report it to me immediately. There will be severe consequences for the offenders.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Commander Leobolt,” I jumped in.
“And why not, Sergeant Sieg?”
“If you do that, the guards will start to be suspicious of each other. If we want to battle monsters together, we need to maintain trusting relationships,” I stated simply. “The most important thing of all is whether or not we can fight together when the time comes. I think it’s fine to overlook the little mistakes if it lets us keep doing that.”
“You’re far too naïve, Sergeant,” Leobolt said. “The guards who protect the capital are expected to exhibit proper behavior. If they don’t, they are unworthy of being heroes who protect the world.”
“Heroes...”
“That is correct. As your commander, I want all of you to pursue this course with me. Should you do so, the Guard Corps will be able to soar to even greater heights.”
Applause and cheers erupted from his entourage of guards. The heat of their passion was so intense that I began to feel my vision waver. If I had tried to keep arguing, it would’ve just been drowned out by their fervor, without a doubt. Leobolt had complete control over the room.
The Fifth and I simply stood there. We hadn’t been engulfed by the heat, yet we were entirely powerless to quench it.