Chapter 67 (1/2)
Let's roll time back a little bit.
Irudo has finally come back, with the soldiers that he had hired in Lelis in tow.
I'm watching them coming through the castle gates one by one, but their suspicious behavior catches my eye.
”Leiha, why are they all looking around so restlessly? Like they've entered enemy territory or something.”
As I address her while looking out at the courtyard from my window, I hear soft footsteps from where no one had been previously.
I recently realized that that is her signal to me that she had deactivated her invisibility magic.
”Most likely, they saw the construction — the Forest Giants — on their way here.”
”Ah, so that's why.”
At Leiha's serious answer delivered respectfully while on one knee, I hit my hands together with a 'pon.'
It's true that at the moment, the sounds of trees being chopped with giant axes are still reverberating like explosions beyond the castle walls. Seeing 27 Forest Giants as tall as the average house in Lelis working on civil engineering work under instructions from dwarves must be a shocking sight indeed.
They've probably already heard rumors about me before, but seeing something like that with their own eyes makes it much easier for me to talk to them afterwards, so I suppose it's good timing.
♥♦♣♠
Irudo came to call me, so I descend the main tower and face the new arrivals.
” ”Margils! Great Wizard Margils!” ”
The moment I appear, the 30 soldiers lined up neatly in the central courtyard begin calling my name repeatedly in unison.
There are also some new servants that Irudo had hired, so the impact of the scene is quite something indeed.
Thanks to my experience handling the guards and crowds at Lelis, my voice comes out fine.
”I am Gio Margils, the lord of Jiiteias Castle.”
A s.h.i.+ver runs through my abdomen.
These 30 young people in front of me, I do not even yet know their names. They are 'soldiers.' When we fight against Shadow Demons, I intend on standing at the front myself, but it is still a given that they will be in battles where their lives would be on the line.
I cannot a.s.sume the att.i.tude that 'the lives of my earlier companions are precious, but the lives of these soldiers are light.'
I powerfully slam the b.u.t.t of my Wizardry Staff against the ground, using it to support myself. Irudo is standing slightly behind me to my side, Leiha is kneeling at a distance away, and I can see Mora tightly clenching her fists on the other side of the soldiers.
I approach the young man standing at the head of the ranks. He looks only around 20 years old. His youthful face is dyed red with excitement, and his eyes are sparkling while looking at me.
”Your name?”
”Lend, sir! Margils-sama!”
”Lend, I place myself in your hands.”
As I thrust out a hand, his eyes grow wide with surprise. Only after quickly wiping his hand on his pants does he grasp my hand with strength.
It is impossible for me to build a deep relations.h.i.+p with all of them, but the least I can do is remember all of their names and faces.
”And you?”
”Sir! I'm Daaz! Margils-sama! It's an honor, sir!”
”And you?”
…………
After shaking hands with even the servants, I once again return to the stone steps in front of the main tower, and look over all of them.
”People have continuously been threatened by Shadow Demons, and that has been an unshakable truth. But we have gathered here to overturn that which was thought unshakable! Everyone, lend me your strength!”
” ”MARGILS! MARGILS!” ”
The shouts of acclamation echo around the castle.
♥♦♣♠
”Everyone seems quite…… enthusiastic? Or dare I say, fanatic?”
”I'm sure that's the case.”
After the troop inspection, I had Irudo come to my room to deliver his end of mission report.
When he went through the Council of Lelis to recruit soldiers, a whopping 300 people applied.
The current 30 were selected after Irudo personally interviewed and screened all of them.
”Experience and physical strength were indeed factors, but what I valued most was how much Margils-sama's goal resonates with them.”
As a result, those 30 spots were almost monopolized by those who've had family members killed by Shadow Demons. Naturally, those who are only blinded by revenge against Shadow Demons are useless as soldiers, so Irudo didn't hire any of those.
”Which is why half of them do not have any actual combat experience…… I'm deeply sorry.”
”Don't worry about it. More like, that way is better. You live up to my expectations every time.”
Though I say that, their pa.s.sionate loyalty does make me feel a little apologetic. It's better than being made light of, but I wonder if the thought that blind acceptance is not so good either is merely a j.a.panese opinion?
Similarly, the ladies employed as servants are also mainly widows who had lost their husbands because of Shadow Demons.
”Here is a comprehensive list of the soldiers, the other people that were employed at my discretion, and the items that I purchased.”
The memo that he proffers is as follows:
Employed Personnel
Soldiers: 30 (all male, in their 20's to 30's)
Servants: 5 (middle-aged females)
Barn Manager: 1 (prime-aged male)
Barn a.s.sistant: 1 (adolescent male)
Items Purchased
Equipment for the soldiers: 40 sets (spares included)