Reset Life – Chapter 145

Chapter 145: I Will Carry Out the Order! (4)

As always, Sispa stays back whenever I give orders.

“Greyman Chief, First Sword Martin, what is he doing now?”

“He is focusing on reinforcing the defenses. His soldiers seem to be following him silently.”

“Hmm. It’s already been a week.”

I clicked my tongue. No, how can a man be so discouraged just because he was broken once?

I didn’t specifically call for him to avoid provoking him further. I was planning to observe and listen while touring the outside with him today, but he didn’t show up.

I expected him to be shocked, but I didn’t expect him to be this incapable of recovering. I shrugged and spoke to the First Swords.

“Let’s finish for today and go back. I hope you all will remain dedicated to your assigned duties. However, the weather is prone to making you sick, so don’t overwork yourselves. As comrades, you should take care of each other…… It would be funny for me to say this now, wouldn’t it?”

I apologized for pointing out something they already knew and moved to another location with Sispa. Needless to say, the four First Swords had a startled expression.

After returning from the external inspection, internal approvals are left.

Although it’s a temporary job, I really hate being a ruler.

I can’t understand people who try to gain power while doing such bothersome tasks.

Indolence may exist for about 1% of their lives, but the 99% labor for that one moment of indolence is tremendously inefficient.

Frankly, it’s more comfortable to just farm and live.

How excruciating it is to live while learning things you don’t need to know! There’s even a report that the average lifespan difference between ordinary farmers and capital nobles is a whopping 10 years! And farmers have the higher lifespan!

This is probably why nobles get a manor and return home when they get old.

After all, living healthily while managing a farm is the best.

Even if I complain like this, I can’t become like that.

In the first place, I have my own goals, I’ve become the eye of the storm, and I’m the son of my father. Even if I fight and win against the Emperor, I’ll have to spend another 20 years on post-war processing.

Is it a good thing that I won’t be bored for the rest of my life?

“Stop thinking useless thoughts and just do the approvals.”

“Aila, even you are saying this?”

“You have nothing else to do after that anyway. Hurry up and finish so we can have tea. I’m bored.”

“Am I your pastime? Huh?”

When I bared my teeth and growled, Aila, who was sitting on the sofa, frowned.

“Forget it if you don’t want to. Do you think I don’t have any men besides you? Hmph. I’m leaving.”

“Ah, no, wait! Miss Hind, please wait a moment! I apologize! I must have gone crazy for a moment!”

I had to hold onto Aila almost pleadingly. It’s not that I’m vulnerable to Aila, but because if she leaves, I’ll have no one to talk to.

Actually, I was bored too. Sigh.

Except for me and Aila, who are used to organizing documents and various approvals, the rest of my friends are currently deployed on city patrols.

It’s been raining for a week straight, making both our bodies and minds damp. We had to check frequently in case of accidental crimes or property damage.

And as always, there’s another reason why I called Aila.

Because the rain washed away many problems, the administrative sector of Atzuma City was almost stabilized. Thanks to that, I didn’t have many documents to process today.

I read them carefully, made quick decisions, and swiftly went to the sofa where Aila was waiting.

“Phew, it’s done. It piled up like this because it was delayed for a few days.”

“That’s why you should process documents quickly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But how does information come in even in this bad weather? What kind of information network does Sky Ears use? In this weather, even carrier pigeons, let alone messenger hawks, would have difficulty flying.”

“Trade secret. Here, this is what you were waiting for.”

Aila tossed me a document, and at a glance, it looked different from before.

Until now, it was printed material, but now it’s handwritten by her. That might mean the method of information delivery has changed. It’s highly likely she heard it directly and wrote it down. Does she have a separate informant after all?

“Don’t try to dig into other people’s trade secrets and just read it. Before I put an information control on you.”

“I’ll gratefully accept it.”

She and I are best friends and good collaborators who can be completely open with each other, but there are still lines that must be kept.

For instance, not calling her by her other name, ‘Maya,’ and not simply accepting the help she gives me for free and thinking about the source, etc.

Like other people, she particularly dislikes having her purely offered goodwill doubted.

It took some time to figure out the latter since she didn’t say it explicitly, but now I understand that complaining is synonymous with being ungrateful and am accepting it comfortably.

“Hmm, I see. So, 32,000 troops of the Western Army have already departed? The operational commander is…… Huh? This is surprising.”

“Right? I was surprised too. To think we’d run into him in a place like this. That’s why I brought this now.”

The information I’m looking at now was worth Aila writing by hand.

It says that 32,000 troops departed from Narvilt a week ago. It consists of one legion, four divisions, and four Cheonbyeongdae, but the name of the operational commander was quite interesting.

“Pilledvan Bre Salain? It’s quite intriguing that he’s showing up like this already.”

“He’s probably coming out to get revenge for four years ago. He was terribly humiliated after the duel.”

“That’s right. Hehe. But I only remember it because it was the first day I met Artshever.”

“It was also the first time I met him directly in the capital. Oh my, come to think of it, he must be grinding his teeth, but we’re thinking about it so casually?”

If Pilledvan knew this, how frustrated would he be? Aila and I looked at each other and laughed for a while.

“But how did Pilledvan get appointed as the commander of such a large force? Even if he’s coming out to face me, I can’t understand it. No matter how I look at it, he doesn’t seem like someone with that kind of capability.”

“Look at the name of the adjutant and chief of staff. Eshlan Ka Seriwood. He’s a famous general in the Western Army.”

“Aha. War practice? He’s steadily following the royal path.”

“They put him in an operation expected to have few casualties to develop his eye for war? And the fact that the opponent is you…… Maybe Pilledvan himself decided it?”

I nodded. Indeed, after the duel, Pilledvan was so humiliated that he couldn’t even attend social gatherings for months. Then he returned to Narvilt as I became more famous in the capital.

Sorry, but I don’t know anything else because I wasn’t particularly interested. Sorry, Philip. You weren’t that impressive in the roster of people I’ve dealt with.

Still, just in case, I asked Aila.

“Do you think he’s improved remarkably?”

“Probably not. But we should be careful of his staff.”

The staff was probably selected and organized by Duke Mujaindos. They were all veterans, and in that sense, it’s a comparison with us. Our average age is quite low.

“Hmm. A showdown between seasoned soldiers and the new generation of soldiers. We’re at a disadvantage.”

“The only advantage we have is the reputation among the citizens of Atzuma. The citizens know well who kidnapped the mayor and the ruling class to cause chaos.”

The fact that Atzuma’s criminal organizations colluded with the Western Army was already well known. It’s also true that the military administration’s leadership was once ’embarrassed’ when important secrets were ‘accidentally’ spread.

After all, to move public opinion, you need an information war that appropriately disseminates facts.

Anyway, it seems like we’ll be able to see the Western Army in two weeks. Considering the long-range patrol unit in the troop composition, it would be correct to assume that the scouts have already approached within a week’s distance.

Information about our troop formation would have already been passed on to them. The actual battle will begin with both sides knowing the size and branches of the opponent.

After finishing the rough explanation, Aila lifted her teacup and looked at me with her golden eyes.

“What is the expected enemy tactic?”

“A war of attrition. We’re at a disadvantage with a 6:1 ratio. It’s an awkward number for them to employ any strategies. They probably won’t feel the need to use any tricks or schemes. It’s a battle they can win by simply marching in and steadily pushing through.”

“And our counter-tactic?”

“Guerrilla warfare. We’ve already created a favorable battlefield. We didn’t include special branches for nothing. They’ll probably be very annoyed.”

Since we have fewer numbers, we need to bring in things other than manpower as troops. For example, geographical features.

“What about after the initial stage?”

“Since we’re outnumbered, the pipe road will be breached within a month after the war begins. But even if they break through the pipe road, a quagmire awaits them. Facing each other across a river, they’ll be thinking about the kinds of plots they can devise against each other’s camps.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll target the upstream.”

Aila tilted her head, and I grinned and brought a map from a corner of the table. While Aila stared at the map, I moved my finger along the two rivers that merged right next to Atzuma City.

“How about it? Do you understand?”

“There will be damage on our side too.”

“You already know the countermeasures, don’t you?”

Aila smiled like a cat that had found its prey.

War is waged by soldiers. But where does it actually take place?

Depending on how you answer this question, a thousand men can defeat ten thousand.

She understood my implication and nodded.

“Indeed. The Western Army will have to drastically increase the unit size of their battles.”

Since she can understand the situation with just an implication, I can call her a genius. Of course, I can utilize this because I knew all about it.

“With this, we can hold out until reinforcements arrive.”

“Risel, you’re so wicked.”

“I wish you would have said I’m smart.”

We exchanged glances and laughed like villains plotting together.

Future historians will record that the occupation and defense operation of Atzuma City was influenced more by the power of nature than by human power.

The two villains had a shameless conversation about the upcoming war with a villainous perspective. Most of it was mixed with jokes, but some useful ideas came up.

It was while we were talking about things that would bring despair to the Western Army.

“Your Excellency, are you in?”

“Ah, Greyman Chief, come in.”

Sispa, whom I had sent to deliver orders to various places, returned. She saluted me and briefly nodded to Aila.

“First Sword-nim, First Sword Martin has requested a meeting.”

“Now?”

“Yes. He’s waiting outside.”

“Hmm, alright. Let him in. Aila, I’m sorry, but……”

“Okay. See you later.”

Aila nodded and smiled brightly. Sispa and Aila left the room, and First Sword Martin entered immediately.

The blue sky that had lingered on his face had disappeared somewhere, replaced by dark clouds. His face seems to be quite affected by the sky.

The Cheonbyeongjang with a darkened face saluted slowly and weakly, not out of disrespect, but out of fatigue. I nodded lightly and gestured for him to sit down.

“So, what is it?”

“This……”

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. I stared blankly at it for a moment before realizing what it was. The betting contract, right? I completely forgot. Oops.

First Sword Martin lowered his head and said gloomily,

“I lost. Your Excellency’s victory.”

“Ah, right. The flooding has started.”

I scratched my head and pulled out two pieces of paper from the pile of documents on the table. The original that Namia should have and the copy I had.

I placed the two pieces of paper on top of the one First Sword Martin handed me.

He seemed puzzled as to why I had the original as well, but he seemed even more puzzled when I stood up with all three pieces of paper.

“A bet…… So, I won.”

“Yes? Ah, that’s right.”

I grinned and threw them all into the fireplace, where a fire was burning to remove moisture. First Sword Martin’s eyes widened.

“Oops! Oh dear! My hand slipped! What should I do? There’s nothing left to prove that we made a bet.”

“Yes…… Yes?”

He tilted his head, and I stirred the fire with a poker, speaking in a voice mixed with appropriate concern.

“Oh dear. It burned up in an instant. I won’t even be able to find the ashes. I’m sorry. My carelessness caused all the contracts to burn. So, let’s pretend the bet never happened.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you hear? I’ll take responsibility since the contract was destroyed due to my carelessness.”

In the first place, I was going to be satisfied as long as the 1024th Cheonbyeongdae did their job well. Besides, as is always the case with bets like this, it wasn’t fair.

Above all, I don’t want to see anyone forced to bow their heads for any reason.

First Sword Martin had an incomprehensible expression. Anyone would try to hold onto their position if they gained the upper hand, so he probably couldn’t believe I would easily give it up.

I don’t want to explain his doubts specifically. After all, what I wanted has already been achieved.

“First Sword Dregorn Martin.”

“Ah, yes, Your Excellency.”

“This is a mission. A combat mission. It seems the rain will stop in about a week to ten days. When the rain stops, you will cross the river with your Cheonbyeongdae and set up camp on both sides of the valley.”

I continued giving orders, thinking he would understand enough.

“I’ve received information that the Western Army has dispatched a force of 32,000 towards Atzuma. You just need to tie their feet. I heard you specialize in long-range mobile strikes. Show off your skills to the fullest. Annoy the Western Army.”

At my words, First Sword Martin lifted his head. His face brightened at the mention of a combat mission. Now he finally looked human.

Soon, the First Sword, with a bright face, stood up and saluted energetically.

“I will carry out the order, Your Excellency!”

I grinned and saluted back.

Translator’s Blog

Blog

• Lacus Clyne: The Ultimate Waifu? A Gundam SEED Freedom Deep Dive
• Light Novel Addiction: How One Hour of Sleep Loss Can Ruin Your Day (and Your Life)
• Why You Can Read Light Novels But Can’t Speak English: A Guide to Unlocking Your Inner Voice
• My Early 20s Emo Profile: A Journey Back to Myspace (And Why It Still Haunts Me)
• Will My Cat Eat Me When I Die? (The Truth Might Hurt… Your Feelings)