“Huh huh.”
The laughter wouldn’t stop, though I had no clear idea whether it was out of happiness, sadness, or just sheer bewilderment.
Still, nonstop laughter is hardly a good sign, right? They say laughing makes you healthier, after all.
Considering my abysmal physical stats—Strength 1, Stamina 1, Agility 1—this bout of laughter might just be beneficial.
Perhaps.
I should think that way.
“The former Count Gwner’s territories encompass about 20 square kilometers. There are about 134 buildings approved for commercial use, and around 122 dwellings for residential use. Farmland is separated, and there is the main mansion as well as the villa…”
In my room, a middle-aged butler was briefing me on the vast scale of the fief, flipping through a thick stack of paper.
This scale of wealth left me with nothing more than hollow laughter. Almost 300 buildings, farmland, a main house, and even a villa—it was all utterly bewildering. How on earth did all this end up in my hands?
I still couldn’t wrap my head around it, and I continued to stare vacantly at the ceiling as I lay in my bed.
“Most of the documents I’ll sort through beforehand. There are many contracts that involve illegal or unfair terms, so it will take time to sort them out. Would it be alright if I deal with it autonomously? I’ll make sure to handle it in a way that benefits Master Bin the most.”
Huh huh. How should I know? Just do what you think is best.
I responded with a friendly smile—though I kept my gaze fixed on the ceiling.
Why should I bother forcing a pleasant smile when I don’t even turn my head to face the speaker?
Frankly, I didn’t have the energy to care about such trifles right now.
“Um… No matter how much you explain, I won’t understand much. Can you just manage it so that people here have enough to eat and live decently? I entrust the full administration of the estate to you.”
I finally turned my head slightly to the butler, who was diligently going over papers while giving me a detailed briefing.
“It’s understandable; you have enough immediate concerns to handle. There’s no need for you to worry about estate management. Once this war is over, I will ensure the place is cultivated beautifully so you can enjoy your twilight years in peace.”
Huh huh. That’s very kind of you.
…Though this time, I didn’t express it aloud, only thought it silently.
Didn’t you say I should’ve spoken it out loud instead of keeping it in?
Sorry, I didn’t have the mental bandwidth for anything like that.
What on earth is going on here?
I really don’t know.
“Lastly, please review the list on the table and select the units you’d like to bring along on the expedition. It’s better if the selection is done as soon as possible. Every name on the list represents key talents in our army, and we can’t leave them waiting indefinitely…”
“…Alright.”
There was no response.
When I finally noticed something amiss and turned my head, the butler had already vanished.
I had no idea when he’d left.
“Maddening.”
With that, I continued to lie in bed, staring blankly at the snow-white ceiling for some indeterminate amount of time.
After 5 to 10 minutes of attempting to empty my mind by inhaling deeply as if meditating, I slowly regained sensation in my fingers and toes. It wasn’t long before my brain finally registered all of this as reality.
“Although it’s definitely a good thing to suddenly be rolling in an enormous amount of wealth, it won’t automatically make me stronger. For now, I need to prepare for the expedition to the Achilipthus Forest and get ready to commune with the spirits.”
The sheer power of the [Composure] trait was remarkable.
How could my mind have calmed down so quickly after gaining the equivalent of winning the lottery jackpot 30 times consecutively?
“Let me figure out how to spend this money gradually. It could be used to hire people to find randomly generated dungeon locations, or to purchase rare materials like the Heart of the Dragon and process them into equipment…”
At this point, I’m starting to feel a bit afraid of myself.
Am I really going insane? I wish I could consult with a psychiatrist, but unfortunately, there’s no such thing as “psychiatry” in the medieval age.
Here, kids with ADHD are just “scattered,” and people with depression are merely “morbid.”
Don’t look down on the “Dark Ages,” they warned me!
“Sigh.”
I quickly composed myself and began scanning the list that the butler left on the desk.
At the very top of the list was a company led by a Barbarian captain and his troops.
This powerful unit consisted of six infantry platoons, three archer platoons, and eleven mages in command under a Barbarian captain. The captain’s background and personality traits were meticulously detailed alongside the name of Obelian, son of Ksart, and his men—a coterie of elite warriors who had defeated two high-ranking marauders. Among the eleven rare mages of 5th Tier (Circle) or higher was one distinguished 7th Circle mage.
‘This is too much.’
Currently, the Achilipthus Forest is devoid of all marauders and mutations, effectively an uninhabited wilderness. Deploying such an elite fighting force here would be tantamount to an extravagant waste of manpower.
‘I should rather choose a unit with a high number of dwarves. The better-equipped they are with craftsmanship, the faster they’ll clear roads and set up camps.’
I flipped through the pages quickly, searching for a unit with a large contingent of dwarves.
‘Aha.’
Close to the end of the list, I finally found a unit that matched the criteria.
‘The Black Hammer Belua.’
Led by Belua, a dwarven female captain, most of the infantry were dwarves. While smaller in scale compared to other units, their inclusion on the list hinted at commendable skill levels, despite the relatively short experience of the majority of its members.
‘Victor with the Blue Eyebrows.’
‘Red Anvil Moss.’
‘Green Blade Vania.’
Seeing the long list of dwarven names filled me with satisfaction, but then an all-too-familiar name caught my eye.
‘Rex Belzark.’
“…”
My gaze couldn’t help but linger on the name of the orc inscribed as a platoon leader.
The funeral where we last crossed words after he’d received prosthetics from the dwarves echoed through my mind. Rex spoke of becoming a stronger warrior…
“Already back, huh?”
This squad, full of skilled dwarves suitable for the ‘establishing a forward base’ mission, included Rex Belzark—an esteemed warrior whose courage and ability I had already witnessed personally.
There was no better choice. I swiftly rang the golden bell to summon a butler.
“You’ve made your decision, I see.”
This time, a differently attired young butler appeared with impeccable clothing, contrasting with the earlier appearance.
“I’d like to meet Captain Black Hammer Belua.”
With those words, the butler promised to bring her within 30 minutes and closed the door.
*
“Nice to meet you, General sir! I’m Black Hammer Belua.”
With a thunderous greeting, the muscular female dwarf stormed into the room. Though she stood barely over 120 centimeters, her arms and legs bulged with dense, strong muscles.
If we were to engage in a real fight, her enormous, thick hands would surely crumple my body into dough within a second. After a firm handshake, I offered her a cup of green tea with a light smile.
“I apologize for not offering beer or wine. I’ve heard dwarves have quite a taste for liquor…”
“Haha! It’s true we dwarves love our drink, but we’re not so shameless as to indulge during business hours. Don’t say such things!”
Though I had personally witnessed the Dwarf King sip wine during a swordsaint briefing…
Does Belua mean to call the Dwarf King shameless?
I really don’t know!
“…Then, that’s fortunate. Have you been briefed on the operation?”
I asked her, suspicion still evident in my glance.
“Currently, all marauders and mutant troops occupying the Achilipthus Forest have withdrawn, rendering it an uninhabited zone. Our mission is to occupy this area and establish a forward base!”
“Good. As soon as the detailed operation plans are ready, prepare the troops. It’s a simple task, so we should finish it as quickly as possible.”
I said through sips of tea, a satisfied smile gracing my face.
That’s when it happened.
“This might be presumptuous, General sir, but I believe this operation shouldn’t be taken too lightly.”
After guzzling down the hot tea, Belua replied loudly.
“Why not?”
I couldn’t hide my surprise at the unexpected response.
“According to the information I’ve received, the exact content of the contract General sir signed with the high marauders at the Enker High Plain was the ‘withdrawal of marauders and mutants from the Achilipthus region’!”
“You’re correct, and as such, it’s effectively an uninhabited zone now. I think it’s reasonable to assume there won’t be any combat. This is a simple operation, isn’t it?”
“The contract only mentions the ‘withdrawal’ of forces, not the ‘complete abandonment’ of the area.”
At this simple statement, it felt as if a hammer struck the back of my head, leaving me dizzy.
“Marauders are devious and cunning. They might take advantage of our time setting up the forward base to launch another air raid and reclaim the territory. Moreover, I suspect that there may still be ‘magic mines’ and other traps scattered throughout the forest.”
Belua’s voice was as weighty as a hammer, but the contents were as sharp as a blade.
“…You’re right. That’s a valid point.”
I couldn’t help but marvel at Belua’s unexpected insight.
After hearing my praise, Belua erupted in hearty laughter, slamming her large hand on the table with an air of genuine satisfaction.
…Was that the sound of the wood splitting?
“This is a bit embarrassing. If I had used the word ‘abandonment’ instead of ‘withdrawal,’ things could have gone much smoother…”
“Just evacuating the forces is already an extraordinary achievement. Normally, we’d have to risk our lives to invade where the enemy holds their position. Thanks to you, General sir, we can instead set up camp and wait for the enemy to come to us. Don’t trouble yourself over it!”
Belua offered a consoling remark, her smile as broad as the sky.
“…Yeah, sure.”
Though it sounds boastful coming from my mouth, it truly was an incredible accomplishment.
After all, with merely a single platoon, I confronted a high-ranking marauder and accomplished a strategic maneuver that forced their forces to evacuate from a key location, all without losing a single man or suffering any casualties.
“Still, it’s a missed opportunity. It could have been so much safer with just one word adjustment.”
“You don’t need to regret it! General sir has given us a considerable advantage already! In my opinion, there’s no need to blame yourself for not creating a perfect situation.”
No matter what Belua said to console me, that feeling of regret didn’t disappear. After all, it was just one word.
The scent of a corpse cart momentarily wafted past my nose again.
Perhaps because of this slight oversight, unnecessary battles might occur, leading to fatalities that could have been avoided. The thought made me feel slightly dizzy.
Didn’t someone say that commanders who achieve their objectives without conflict were top-tier?
Judging by that, I’m not even a second-rate commander.
‘If I’d known this would happen, maybe I should’ve spent the time composing music studying books on military tactics…’
…No, now that I think about it, that’s probably a bit unrealistic.
Who, while composing music, would seriously prepare for their future as a legendary mage mistakenly thought to be a grand genius, and read Sun Tzu’s Art of War in preparation for becoming the general of a coalition army?
Even a psychiatrist might say, “Ah, this is… beyond my expertise.”
“And, in my personal opinion, if we had used the word ‘abandonment,’ the marauders, being as devious as they are, would most likely have refused to sign the contract altogether in that situation! In that case, a battle would have erupted, and vast amounts of valuable grain would have gone up in flames!”
“I understand. I know… Let’s move on to planning the operation. I’d rather not waste unnecessary stamina.”
She smiled knowingly at my inquiry before resuming her loud, commanding voice.
“Firstly, we’ll split the reconnaissance team into two groups and send them out. One group will scout for traps within the forest, while the other will check for any marauders or mutants lurking near the forest’s periphery.”
Unlike me, with my sudden appointment as a general after parachuting in via the title of Sword Saint, Belua had steadily climbed the ranks through hard work and merit. A true military professional.
“The main force will move based on the intelligence gathered by the reconnaissance teams, the safest and most effective approach.”
I couldn’t help but silently marvel at the flawless logic of her plan.
“If marauders are lying in ambush near the forest perimeter, then we’ll deal with those marauders first…”
In times of war, one doesn’t rise to the rank of captain of an elite battalion without good reason.
She already had detailed contingency plans in place for all possible scenarios, as well as backup plans in case the primary strategies failed.
“But this is only my opinion, of course. The ultimate decision lies with you, General Bin! If you wish, we can lead the main force into battle immediately…”
“No, let’s proceed with the captain’s planned operation.”
Why would I reject such a meticulously crafted plan by an experienced military veteran who has spent a long time in battlefield command?
“In that case, I will send out the reconnaissance teams as soon as dawn breaks. We’ll keep you updated through the butlers as soon as we receive information. Please wait patiently, and thank you!”
“Thank you. Please take good care of this.”
She left the room with the same confident laugh she had come in with.
While her booming voice left my ears ringing, it was clear that she was an exceptional aide and commander.
