Royal Road of the Extra Scribe

10

After finishing the steward training and returning to the estate, located in the Helian Duchy, I had to transfer to the Julia Academy.

It was a sudden transfer, but since there were many students in similar situations like mine, it wasn’t a big deal.

I gradually gathered information about the Seven Gods as I completed my first year at the secondary academy.

And so, as I turned 15 and became an adult, I had a duty.

To assist my father in running the estate.

I wanted to practice martial arts training with Master Ilyas all the time, but since the master had taken on a mercenary contract and left recently, I was handling the territory affairs with a gloomy expression.

“Young Lord, they’re requesting additional labor at the logging site. Here are the current staff and wage status.”

“You’ve organized it in advance. Hmm, we’ll need more lumberjacks as winter is approaching. Instead of hiring randomly, let’s see if we can recruit lumberjacks from the sawmill or carpentry workshop. There are many people with logging experience over there.”

“Yes, I’ll relay that. With this, today’s tasks are complete. Well done, Young Lord.”

“Phew! Thank you, Yumir. I might have collapsed if it weren’t for you.”

Helping with work, sparing in training, even bringing snacks on time.

Having a versatile maid character from games by my side in reality was truly reassuring.

As I was wrapping up work carelessly, my father knocked on my study door.

“You seem to be doing well.”

“Father. Welcome. Is there something you need?”

“No, nothing urgent. I just wanted to offer some encouragement.”

“Oh?”

“There’s been praise circulating among the people of the territory. They say your handling of matters is fair and smooth.”

“I’m just doing things the way they should be done.”

“It’s not easy, that’s the point. Moreover, your coming-of-age ceremony is approaching. Do you have any specific gift in mind?”

“It’s a bit sudden for that. Just give me a book, please.”

“I thought you’d say that. I’ve decided to prepare a formal attire for you to wear to the party. It’s about time for your debut in society.”

“Will there be any parties to attend?”

When one thinks of noble life, extravagant parties come to mind, but the reality was harsh.

Families without prominent status were rarely invited to such events.

Even my elder brother Max was invited to a party only about once a year.

And those parties weren’t grand in scale.

“We’ll see. Anyway, once the officer training is over, let’s have a splendid coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Yes, I look forward to it.”

The coming-of-age ceremony was approaching. It was a formal event, but held great significance for nobles.

Apart from family, I was also expecting congratulations and gifts from acquaintances like my master and Yumir.

But before that, there was the academy’s officer training.

Once the academy’s cadet graduates became adults, they would undergo various experiences.

War wasn’t just about theory.

After becoming adults, they would be regularly dispatched to the field, mostly to the frontlines.

Our academy’s cadets were already designated for deployment to the western front where neighboring Albad Kingdom was engaged in a standoff.

Although there was a risk on the actual battlefield, there was a continental treaty stipulating that cadets under 20 must be released unconditionally if captured.

Hence, there was a minimal guarantee for the cadets’ lives based on this treaty.

Of course, they could still die in combat or be killed while being held captive without revealing their status, so it wasn’t a complete shield of protection.

Therefore, most cadets tended to stay at the rear during actual combat.

“Nevertheless, stay sharp.”

My mother had warned me numerous times before my departure, not letting go even though it seemed insufficient.

My father shook his head gently.

“That’s enough. Alsd, you’re not a child anymore, so please go with peace of mind.”

“But you…”

“It’s alright.”

As my mother reluctantly let go of me under my father’s consolation, she handed me a helmet as if passing on an amulet.

“This was something your father used. He was a very capable officer. Surely, it will protect you.”

“Oh, Mother. I’m not going to officer training. I won’t need to use a personal helmet.”

“Is that so…?”

“Still, I’ll take it with me, just in case.”

The hazel-colored helmet gleamed as if meticulously polished daily.

I packed the helmet into my bag and headed towards Foldik, where the family farewelled me as I embarked on officer training.

***

Foldik, the frontline in the ongoing confrontation with the Albad Kingdom in the west.

“Soldiers, welcome to the Foldik front.”

These words came from Ironheart, the army’s deputy commander.

“I hope you will learn a lot here. Your unit assignments have been made, so check them and introduce yourselves to your unit members. Also, there will be a camp meeting tomorrow. Some of you will attend. Although technically you have the right to speak, I think it’s best to remain quiet. That’s all.”

The 74 officer cadets from our Julia Academy received their unit assignment lists.

I was assigned to the 5th Infantry Division, a multipurpose infantry unit. Memories of my previous unit assignment resurfaced, leaving me with a strange feeling.

Nevertheless, after receiving my assignment, I tried to move with the other officer cadets, but it seemed that some were receiving special treatment.

Ironheart glanced at a note he brought and spoke.

“Kasper Millias, Joshua Herald, you two stay. The General wishes to meet you.”

The son of Marquis Millias and the heir of Viscount Herald. These two prominent nobles seemed to be receiving special treatment.

I, on the other hand, felt like a commoner.

Since the chess match, I had been trying to avoid drawing attention to myself, and my skills were not revealed during the attempted kidnapping incident involving Duke Salleon.

Although I did use Aura at the time, only Erina witnessed it.

Duke Salleon did not disclose the details of the attempted kidnapping incident, so nothing was known about me.

“Darn it, those prominent nobles are something else.”

Muttered a fellow officer cadet. Bannings, a son of a baron, told me.

“Al, which unit are you in?”

“The 5th Infantry Division. It’s a multipurpose unit, right?”

“Ah, tough luck. It may be a multipurpose unit, but it’s mainly led by mercenaries. They don’t respect noble officer cadets much, so they might not follow orders well.”

“Really? Where are you assigned?”

“I’m in the 2nd Cavalry Division. It’s relatively easy. Officer cadets like me just need to focus on equipment maintenance.”

I walked around the camp with Bannings, confirming the organization.

“Is this really the battlefield?”

Seeing it in person, after only seeing it in videos or photos, left a deep impression on me.

As we checked the unit insignias, we finally arrived at the 5th Infantry Division.

I tried to greet the leader of the 5th Infantry Division, but…

“…Huh?”

That was the only reaction I could muster.

“Welcome, Al. I’ve been waiting for you.”

It was because I was welcomed by Ilya, the commander of the 5th Infantry Division.

“Master!? Why are you here…?”

It might not be such a surprising thing after all. She had been to the battlefield as a mercenary.

The only places in the current Caliper Kingdom where the confrontation was taking place were the Western and Northwestern Fronts. So, it wasn’t strange for the teacher to be here.

“Huh, I never expected you to come here for training.”

“What a scary coincidence. Let alone being stationed in the teacher’s unit.”

“No, it’s not a coincidence that you were assigned to this unit.”

“Oh?”

The reason could soon be understood.

“Our youngest is here!”

A woman embraced me tightly from behind.

Yulia Eileen, the fourth in the family and the eldest daughter. It was she, an administrative officer, who recommended me to this unit.

“Sister… I knew that Brother Fergus was here, but I didn’t expect you to be here too.”

“hahahaha, I told you not to tell Father. I wanted to surprise him.”

“Got it.”

Sister Yulia always had the advantage of being cheerful, but it was also her flaw.

She didn’t care about the gazes around her and held onto me without letting go. This trait was very much like our mother.

“Our youngest. Is it after six months we meet? You’ve become even more handsome!”

“Sister, please don’t call me ‘our youngest’ in front of others.”

“Why not? Just because you’re an adult now? Sadly, the youngest will forever be the youngest! If you feel wronged, ask Father and Mother for support!”

“What are you talking about…”

After barely detaching her cheek-touching gesture, I received an explanation of the situation.

“What’s the big deal? I prepared for the trainees who are coming for field practice. What’s wrong with what I’m doing?”

“So, you’re the administrative officer of the unit… I see.”

Knowing about the relationship between the teacher and me, my sister positioned me in this multi-purpose unit.

Moreover, she was not the only one here.

“Rein it in, Yulia. Alce is feeling uncomfortable.”

Said the third son of the family, Fergus Eileen, as he approached.

He held the position of a unit officer leading 500 troops.

“So, Alce, welcome to the 5th Infantry Division. It’s quite a unique and tough unit, but you’ll learn a lot.”

“Yes, I will learn a lot.”

After exchanging pleasantries with acquaintances, I received a briefing from Brother Fergus about the current state of the unit.

The 5th Infantry Division, a multi-purpose unit, consisted of around 1,000 troops, including 500 mercenaries and 500 regular soldiers.

Officially, the unit leader held the position of a teacher and, in military terms, was equivalent to the rank of a infantry commander.

Tap tap!

Yulia whispered to me, poking my side.

“Ilya, you’re truly remarkable. It was unprecedented for a woman to rise to the position of an S-rank mercenary in just two years. The country is even considering appointing you as an official officer. Yet, you keep teaching your personal lessons… Oh, our youngest is truly blessed!”

“hahahaha…”

I couldn’t help but feel grateful for that aspect as well.

I heard that some nobleman had offered twenty times the salary we receive in our family. ‘I’ll have to repay this later.’

The intention was to stay with the teacher for a long time, so the silver received now was all intended to be repaid.

After receiving a report on the current situation of the unit, they continued with a briefing on the overall situation.

The number of troops from the Albad Kingdom that they were facing was almost 10,000.

And it was the renowned Third Army, known for its considerable elite.

“Our troops facing them also number around 10,000. However, our defensive position is much stronger due to our terrain. That’s why those Albad guys can’t even approach. Nonetheless, we’ve been in a standoff for two months now.”

Fergie scratched his head, expressing his frustration with the situation.

As I examined the terrain map, I raised a question.

“If it’s the Third Army of Albad, isn’t it the army commanded by General Yussis Goldray? I heard his tactics are defensive.”

“You know well. Have you been studying?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You’re correct. General Yussis is indeed in the enemy camp. That’s why our army quickly employed mercenaries and others to respond. Well, despite that, there hasn’t been much movement, so the higher-ups suspect that the Albad Kingdom has other intentions elsewhere.”

“What could those intentions be?”

“We don’t know yet. We’re still trying to figure it out.”

Yussis Goldray.

In Athena War Tales, he was a character of the R rank, known for being cost-effective due to low reinforcement costs.

Of course, he was cost-effective only in the early stages; later on, he was somewhat ambiguous, so no one used him.

He was a character used by people like me who enjoyed handheld play.

“Yussis’s main strategy is an impregnable defense…”

It lay in an impenetrable defensive power.

“If you think about it that way, it definitely seems strange.”

The Albad Kingdom had gathered troops to invade. However, deploying a military specialized in defense made it impossible not to consider that there was a clear different intent.