Chapter 190

The day after the order to build a palisade across the Yellow Harbor River was given.

The Walt Count of the Croilet Marquess’s legion pinched his cheek with his left hand, which was not holding a shovel.

If it had been in a dream, he wouldn’t have felt pain, but the spot he pinched felt a stinging pain.

While the Walt Count was despondent about the reality of having to shovel dirt as a noble, a lieutenant colonel from the engineering battalion approached nervously.

“Your Excellency, Count Walt, I am Lieutenant Colonel Meyer Bolt, dispatched to confirm and supervise the construction status of the Walt Division’s fortifications.”

Normally, a noble count wouldn’t have to manage his expression in front of a mere lieutenant colonel, but…

The colonel of the engineering regiment was supervising and giving orders on the work of the Marquess, and the lieutenant colonel in front of him was in a position to carry out the Marquess’s orders.

This meant that every attitude shown to him could be reported to the Marquess.

Walt had no choice but to respond to the lieutenant colonel’s words as if he had no complaints.

“You’ve been assigned to supervise our construction area. Well then, I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. I will begin the work supervision immediately. Engineering Battalion! Go to your assigned areas and start the work supervision!”

As the command was given, the soldiers under the engineering battalion began to disperse in an orderly fashion into the regiments, battalions, and companies of the Walt Division.

When all the engineers arrived at the pre-agreed locations, they double-checked the work plans to avoid any issues with the higher-ranking officers and soldiers.

Seeing this, soldiers under the Walt Count couldn’t help but whisper about how thoroughly even the lowest-ranking privates checked the work.

However, from the point of view of the soldiers belonging to the engineering battalion, it was unfair…

The soldiers in the engineering battalion had to give directions and supervise work to sergeants who commanded two squads, even though they were the lowest rank of private.

In such a situation, even though they were operating under orders, there was a high likelihood of facing intense rebuke if they made a mistake.

‘It’s not like we want to do this… If we give instructions without mistakes and finish the construction perfectly, all the problems that arise during the process will be resolved by His Excellency and we’ll receive plenty of rewards, but… if we make a mistake, we’ll die.’

Having steeled their resolve, the engineers spoke in a polite yet very firm voice as if giving orders to the company commanders they were supervising.

“It is an order from the Marquess. Captain Slope’s company must complete construction in zones 1 to 5 as indicated on this map for a month.”

“Lieutenant Colonel Allen’s battalion will be working on zones 15 to 40, and for the first week, they will dig about 1 meter deep in the surrounding area here. Also, if stakes come along the river, they will be driven in after…”

“Captain Cent’s battalion shall start by cutting down trees in the forest above the Yellow Harbor River, then bind the logs together to make a raft.”

The battalion commanders found it uncomfortable that the engineers, who were of lower rank, were directing them.

However, they couldn’t find fault with the thorough and somewhat polite way the orders were given based on the Marquess’s command…

“I’m a count yet I’m shoveling dirt; surely, my subordinates wouldn’t think of ignoring the Marquess’s orders? Hey, there, soldier! I see your hands!!”

“Corporal Hans! I’m sorry, Count! I will correct it!!!”

“Right now, His Excellency the Marquess is also working with the shovel and pickaxe, dirtying his hands personally! So, work with the resolve that you might die! Those who aren’t digging with vigor like me, I will personally teach how to shovel!”

At that moment, Lieutenant Colonel Bolt issued commands to Walt and other soldiers while fulfilling his assigned mission.

“Count, after you dig the ground like this, you must compact the walls and floors with the shovel so that the soil doesn’t flow down. And if a large rock comes up, don’t break it with a pickaxe; instead, dig it out and pile it up over there…”

“I understand…”

Having risen to the highest noble rank available as a vassal of the Croilet Marquess family and now shoveling as a mere soldier while receiving directions from a lieutenant colonel, Walt’s vassals felt a sense of disbelief.

‘It’s one thing to complain when the engineers are speaking nonsense or giving wrong orders, but why should I, as a noble, have to do this? It’s absurd…’

Thus, the officers quickly moved to their assigned construction areas and began work to avoid being subjected to the wrath of their lord and superior, Walt.

Once they arrived at the construction zone, they also began to take directions from the engineers of lower ranks, mirroring Walt.

As a result… other soldiers experienced a shocking realization just like the officers did.

The regiment commander was moving logs that floated down the river with his own soldiers, and the battalion commander, his clothes tattered, was digging with a shovel, albeit clumsily, to construct trenches.

Moreover, they directly encouraged the soldiers who were actively working, saying,

“Hey! Why are you trying to carry that heavy thing alone? Let’s lift it together.”

“The Marquess said that a drop of sweat spilled here will reduce a cup of blood shed later! And already at another site, His Excellency himself is working with the shovel and axe under the supervision of the engineers! Do your best!”

The soldiers were grateful that the high-ranking nobles and officers were helping them with their work and resolved to do their utmost.

As a result, the overall pace of the work increased, but…

No matter how respected the overall commander and other officers were, even if the soldiers worked alongside them to prevent any feelings of unfairness, labor-intensive tasks like construction would inevitably tire them out.

Therefore, when soldiers and non-commissioned officers, lieutenants, and junior officers worked on-site, they would work at a somewhat slower and more measured pace.

Unless it was an urgent construction, they wouldn’t shovel too quickly, and when they became tired while working, they would take breaks intermittently.

Additionally, during meals, they would extend their breaks slightly beyond the scheduled meal times or, under the tacit approval of junior officers, drink a glass of alcohol like beer if they felt thirsty.

However, being aware that the high-ranking gentlemen were “working alongside the Marquess, who is supervising the engineers,” the soldiers enthusiastically engaged in their tasks with utmost diligence…

No, they even exerted more effort than usual, working in concert with the nobles.

While they might usually shovel twice as long, because the nobles were working hard, they found themselves focusing more and shoveling three times instead, and even if the work went on for hours, they only received the predetermined amount of breaks.

As they grew weary, a shared understanding began to form among the officers and soldiers: ‘While it’s not unfair that His Excellency the Marquess is working alongside us, it’s absolutely exhausting.’

Before long, among some older officers and non-commissioned officers nearing retirement, the thought spread, “I thought I’d do my best since this might be a chance to make my name in the war before retirement… but to think I would be shoveling dirt…”

Some soldiers near retirement, unable to voice their complaints openly in front of the high-ranking gentlemen, quietly grumbled.

“I’m about to retire, and here I am… why do I have to shovel at this age when I wasn’t doing it well before…”

“Just a few days before this deployment, while working, Sergeant Hughes twisted his ankle and got exempted from deployment, saying he’d go back with public acclaim to receive a wider plot of land… what is this nonsense…”

But, no matter how tough their tasks were, time passed inevitably…

“Thank you for your hard work! It’s time to eat.”

“Today’s lunch is salted meat, hardtack, a bit of cheese, and herring! Are there any squads who would like to receive seaweed?”

It was the most anticipated meal time.

Upon hearing those words, the soldiers hurriedly set down their tools and received food that was about 1.5 times more plentiful than usual.

Next, the squads of ten separated and added seaweed and hardtack into a large pot to boil the water.

Normally, those soldiers would complain about the same dietary menu, but…

On this day, they were truly hungry, and not a single one voiced any dissatisfaction as they ate.

After everyone finished their meal and enjoyed a brief rest, one sergeant, who was the leader of a squad, grumbled.

“It’s okay to assign work, but… of all times, why do I have to shovel dirt before retiring… don’t you think so, Lis?”

“Well, at least the Marquess and Count Walt are working alongside us, so it’s not unfair that the officers are resting, is it?”

“That’s true, but it feels like I might die. Even the captain, who usually barely supervises, is going mad running around trying to shovel, and there’s no time to rest… Plus, with less than eight months left until my retirement, being dragged to the front to shovel dirt doesn’t make sense!”

“That’s because you did an amazing job in the last Weiner Plains and received a First Class Cross Medal, so you’ll have more land when you retire…”

The two were enjoying their break, but Corporal Lis couldn’t finish his next sentence.

This was because their commander, the Croilet Marquess, was standing behind the senior sergeant.

The corporal attempted to salute upon seeing him, but the Marquess stopped him with a hand gesture and lightly tapped the sergeant on the back.

The soon-to-retire sergeant turned around with an annoyed expression to find out who had tapped him, and when he realized it was the Marquess behind him, his face turned pale.

As he was about to salute loudly in that condition, the Marquess waved his hand and signaled him not to salute, saying,

“I ordered that those about to retire should remain in the rear whenever possible… yet here you are, dragged to the front to shovel dirt. You’ve had quite a hard time.”

“No! It’s an honor to be able to fight under Your Excellency until just before my retirement!”

The Croilet Marquess thought of the sergeant who had just complained about shoveling dirt before retirement.

‘I myself had to endure hell during guerilla training near retirement… Thinking of the hardships I faced back then makes my teeth grind, but I imagine how unjust this must feel for this soldier, a career soldier, facing war and shoveling dirt right before retirement…’

Thus, the Marquess felt a sense of pity, as if this sergeant’s suffering mirrored his own tough experiences in the Korean military.

For this reason, he should have punished him for complaining about military orders within the army, but he set that thought aside.

Instead, he showed the earth-stained hands and clothes from his labor before inspecting the construction site and said,

“It must be hard to be dragged here because of the captain’s unreasonable insistence right before your retirement. So, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear your complaints. However, if you’re caught by other officers next time, you might receive a whipping, so do be careful.”

After finishing those words, the Marquess quietly left the area, leaving behind a jug of beer.

That night, in a gesture of consolation for the soldiers who were nearing retirement, the Marquess bestowed them with beef and wine.