Chapter 140: You know I love you, right? (4)
“100 people disappeared overnight, and it seems they were taken away too quietly. Isn’t it suspicious?”
“Well, if you look at who took control of this city after the absence of the ruling class, it’s possible to guess.”
“The army must have leaked information to the criminal organizations and received indirect support, right? Well, we’ll find out if we investigate. Chief Attendant Grayman, summon First Sword Martin.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
She gave the order to the waiting messenger. Perhaps First Sword Martin would be quite compatible with torture or interrogation. At least, he looks the part.
“By the way, how long will the water last?”
“I’ll look into it later with Lucy-ssi. Geology isn’t our major, but two non-majors putting their heads together might be a little better.”
In my memory, no one in Atzuma City died of dehydration during the previous drought. Rather, there were people who died after being swept away by floods.
That means there was at least enough water to drink and survive. In other words, we don’t have to worry about the citizens’ water supply, but rather about the water supply for our soldiers.
“What’s Lucy doing now?”
“He’s helping Miss Namia. Did he say digging is his specialty? He’s probably digging with First Sword Luxilen’s soldiers.”
“His eyes light up whenever he sees a woman.”
It’s already something I’ve said before, but Namia is a beauty. If she had more varied expressions, it would have had a positive effect on increasing the number of Lynin believers. And our macho mage is favorable towards women. Sigh.
I don’t want to say anything when high-quality personnel are willing to work on their own. Let them do as they please.
Currently, under the command of First Sword Luxilen, a pond with a capacity of 10 tons is being built in the south of the city. The goal is to draw river water and purify it.
We need to utilize the river water before it dries up.
“It’s really hard to carry out Operation ‘Emo’.”
“Emo? What kind of operation is that?”
Syspa, who as my adjutant has a duty to know about all operations, tilted her head, and Aila chuckled and raised a finger.
“It’s an abbreviation. Operation ‘Eh, I don’t know’, suggested by the commander over there.”
“What?”
“Hey. Aila, that’s a military secret.”
“Hehe. But it’s true, isn’t it?”
Syspa was completely flustered. She still seemed to not understand what Aila had just said.
“Um, so is that the name of the operation Your Highness suggested? What exactly is the content……”
“It’s exactly what the name suggests. In other words, whatever will be, will be. It’s a revolutionary idea that applies the Que Sera, Sera principle.”
“I-Is that really true?”
I scratched the back of my head without saying anything and then spoke to Aila.
“Aila, it’s not ‘Whatever will be, will be.’”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes. It’s ‘It’ll work out somehow.’”
“T-That’s so irresponsible……!”
Syspa looked like she was about to scream. I said with a grin.
“Chief Attendant, don’t worry so much. It’s not as irresponsible as you think.”
“It’s just reckless.”
“You, shut up.”
“Ah, there’s First Sword Martin.”
Aila looked away, and I decided to pay attention to what she was looking at instead of slapping her head.
First Sword Martin, with his hands in his pants pockets, approached with a swagger and saluted carelessly. What a wonderful military discipline.
“You called, Your Highness?”
“Are you skilled in torture?”
“Torture? I’m not that experienced, but I’ve done it before. Why do you ask?”
“We have imprisoned criminals. Interrogate them about their relationship with the previous garrison.”
“Oh, at my discretion?”
“At your discretion.”
First Sword Martin chuckled sharply and stroked his chin. He licked his lips with his tongue and nodded.
“Understood. I like that. Can I do it right now?”
“Do it.”
“Your orders, Your Highness.”
He saluted lightly and walked away, swaying.
The way to deal with a subordinate who wants to pick a fight at every turn – although it’s a bit tiring – is to maintain your position and appease them. Then, you just need to show undeniable ability to prove that you’re not someone to be trifled with.
Right now, I can tolerate this attitude because I’m in the process of appeasing him, but we’ll see about that later.
After First Sword Martin left, a messenger came and said that First Sword Luxilen’s work was about halfway done. Thanks to Lucy’s marvelous abilities, the digging of the pit to hold 10 tons of liquid was all finished.
Now we just need to compact the interior and build the sluice gate? We should be able to finish it within tonight.
I ordered them to finish everything by today and headed to the office, which had just been cleaned.
Now that the governing structure has been shattered, we inevitably have to implement military rule in Atzuma City.
Well, I unexpectedly became the mayor. From today onwards, I’ll be fighting more with papers than with swords.
Well, this is also part of war.
For a commander, fighting with papers is a common type of warfare.
I sighed and walked towards the battlefield.
May 12th, 376th year of the Imperial Calendar.
Two weeks have passed since the five thousand-strong troops entered Atzuma City.
The military rule, which began at the discretion of the operational commander (me), was able to maintain reasonably good public order under the rule of the provisional ruler (me), and regarding the rampant criminal acts, all criminals were convicted by the summary judgment of the Chief Justice (me), and about 1/3 of them were executed.
The cause of the rampant crime, water, came under the management of the Water Management Bureau Director (me) after the military government established the Water Management Bureau.
In addition, water rationing was implemented by the decision of the Drought Countermeasures Committee Chairman (me), and people who understood the situation did not complain about it.
The daily water ration of 1.5 liters is somewhat small, but the advice of the Survival Training Master (me), who learned the ropes through various survival training, spread throughout the city, so they seemed to be holding on somehow.
The production facilities, whose functions were almost paralyzed, were restarted with the support of the Provisional Finance Minister (me), and the production of goods that require a lot of water was initially ordered to be frozen.
In addition to countless temporary titles, I was wielding pens and seals bravely against the documents pouring in from all directions, firing ink and red ink, achieving consecutive victories.
I could be admired as an undefeated general, but no one rejoiced or looked at my victory with admiration.
However, no matter what the superiors do or how hard they work, they cannot escape their duty of ‘being yelled at.’ It’s a duty with the advantage of a long life, but it’s a position without reward.
The essence of a ruler is to realize the ‘well-being’ of the ruled, and in that sense, I am fundamentally unqualified.
“Is this another request to increase the rations……”
“They seem to think we have a lot in storage. Indeed, if you see a large number of water tanks, you would think so.”
“The request is denied. It’s not like there’s anyone on the verge of death from dehydration right now, is there?”
“If anything, cases of dehydration are occurring among the soldiers, but they are resenting those above them even more. They know very well who’s responsible for the reservoir next to the garrison.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Ah, please review this.”
First Sword Toledo brought out a new enemy onto the desk.
I thoroughly analyzed the enemy (read it), devised a strategy (reviewed it), and stabbed it in the vital point without a moment’s hesitation, bringing it down (approved it). The crimson red ink spreading across the paper made me feel pleased.
“By the way, Your Highness.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Where exactly did this person named Kun live?”
“Grenoian.”
First Sword Toledo tilted his head as if he had never heard of it. It seemed this middle-aged soldier didn’t know what the Gray Forest was called internally.
“Grenoian? That’s a strange place name. According to the search party, he’s not just finding water veins, but creating them. They say he has extraordinary abilities.”
“So you’re requesting that he be the temporary instructor for the water search party.”
I handed him the document stating that Kun would have the authority to be in charge of the search party’s training as an instructor until it rained.
Was this the help my grandmother was talking about?
It seems Kun’s ability to find water was practically instinctive. The Gray Forest is so abundant in drinking water that such an ability wouldn’t be necessary, but he’s surprisingly sharp.
Thanks to him, First Sword Toledo’s thousand-strong water search party has been sending happy reports every day. First Sword Luxilen’s thousand-strong troops, soldiers who now consider water supply as combat activity, run there to draw water.
Countless full water tanks come in every day, and 10 tons of drinking water are produced daily by Namia, but despite that, the water shortage persisted.
There’s a reason it’s called a drought.
“According to the overall forecast, if things continue as they are, we will barely make it past May.”
“Whew, is that so. It’s a relief that we can make it past May. We’ll have to worry about June then.”
First Sword Toledo gave me a look that suggested we should worry about it now, but he didn’t say it out loud.
Knock knock.
“Chief Attendant Grayman. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
Syspa, who entered with disciplined movements and gait, saluted in a manner that could be used as a standard for training new recruits.
“We’ve received a request from First Sword Martin.”
“What’s the content?”
“He’s requesting a detailed explanation for the construction work that he deems tactically worthless based on his own judgment.”
For reference, the curtains were open, and the light was coming in from behind. I could roughly make out the letters reflected on the paper she was holding, so I could smile deliberately.
“Read the letters written on the request.”
Syspa read the letters with a reluctant expression.
“I want to stop this goddamn digging right away, would you give me permission?”
I imagine First Sword Toledo would have had a dumbfounded expression at Syspa’s phenomenal language purification ability. First Sword Martin’s rudeness is already beyond the level of being dumbfounded.
I pointed to the fireplace and said.
“Chief Attendant, put that over there for now.”
“Pardon?”
“Are you going to keep it and make a copy to send to headquarters?”
“Ah, I understand.”
I sometimes make tea, and I was running out of things to light the fire with. A cup of tea is a luxury in the current situation, but it doesn’t matter since I’m using the water that was rationed to me.
I stretched my stiff shoulders and said.
“The 1024th Thousand-Strong Unit seems to be quite bored.”
“They don’t seem to have any complaints about the supply of lumber for building the outer walls. They’ll understand that they have to fight behind it. However, they’re not happy about having to uproot the trees and dig a ditch that won’t have any water flowing through it.”
First Sword Toledo groaned. I brought up what I expected him to say.
“It’s not a proper attitude for a subordinate to judge the orders of a superior.”
“That’s right. It is not the proper attitude of a soldier to discuss the tactical value of a superior’s orders based on personal judgment.”
“So they traded their military spirit for combat power? Indeed, the 1024th Thousand-Strong Unit is famous for its long-range mobile strikes. Although they are a thousand-strong unit, they are counted as three times that in terms of combat units.”
First Sword Martin’s thousand-strong unit, carrying red automatic crossbows, is already famous among the Eastern Army as the ‘Red Comet Unit’.
They’re three times faster, three times stronger, and three times more rude.
In actual combat units, they are also counted as three times the personnel, 3,000 men. It’s a division-level unit with a large number of soldiers.
“Chief Attendant Grayman, tell First Sword Martin this. ‘The work you’re doing is creating your battlefield.’ It’s better than telling him to shut up and do it. Oh, and if he complains, tell him to complete it quickly. He can stop then.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Syspa nodded with a satisfied expression and withdrew. And First Sword Toledo also smiled with satisfaction and said he would take his leave.
“Ah, First Sword Toledo, I’m sorry, but could you call the Deputy Director from the Water Management Bureau on your way out?”
“You mean Miss Hind. Understood.”
Just like when we were at the Herduke Family Manor, Aila displayed her amazing ability to make friends and became quite acquainted with the four First Swords. However, she couldn’t get along with First Sword Martin. She said this:
‘You started it.’
I’m speechless.
After defeating seven or eight more enemies, I was about to sigh in relief that today’s work was done.
Aila entered.
Leave a Reply