Chapter 20 - Volume 3 (1/2)
Chapter 2 (Part 1)
Chapter 2 – Winter (Part 1)
Warning: This chapter has violent and gory scenes.
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“Try calling me father.”
“Are you insane, Lord?”
I organized my army throughout the winter.
The tempers of the soldiers were fierce and violent. They couldn’t stand the sight of a 16-year-old broad pretending to be a general. Whenever I glared at them, the soldiers would quickly move to obey, but it was for that moment only. In areas with no watching eyes, the military personnel criticized Miss Farnese. Thanks to the witches having spread their familiars around, we were able to vividly listen in on the soldiers talking behind our backs.
“Listen well.”
Having recorded their words onto a Memory Play artifact, I allowed Farnese to listen to it in full. The soldiers referred to Miss Farnese as ‘human harlot’.
Ο
— We’re demons, but why is some human harlot crawling here and saying she’s going to command us? What kind of fresh bullshit is this?
— It’s raw bullshit. That’s what it is.
— But that young broad’s appearance is nice.
— Who goes to war to look at someone’s face? We fight to take the necks with those faces attached to ’em. Even if that human harlot memorized a couple of lines from an art of war manual, I doubt even low fry officials would be intimidated by her after hearing that she read some books.
— Who knows? All of our heads might go down after being pushed down by her hips and hearing her moan.
Ο
The privates laughed loudly. We could also hear the objurgatory nagging from someone on the side telling them that trying to score a broad, one that his highness Demon Lord had already had his way with, was a dangerous action. However, it was not said in a way of speech where they were reproaching them seriously. It was said in a joking tone surrounded by jest. Listening up to that point, I closed the artifact.
“What do you think?”
“It seems the soldiers are recklessly saying whatever they want while not knowing anything about this young lady.”
Farnese muttered with an emotionless face.
“This young lady has never shared a bed with your lordship. What troublesome people.”
“Hey.”
That part wasn’t the issue.
A little bit more, how do you say it? Is there not a more important problem lying dormant? If I were to point it out in more detail, then there’s the fact that your military command is not receiving even a seedling of respect. Despite having heard my comment, Farnese’s face was still devoid of emotion. She did not even turn her gaze towards me, but instead, silently continued to read her history book. While reading her book, Farnese muttered.
“It is not possible to take apart and fix a problem within an army with ease. Them being unable to simply accept an outsider, in other words, means that they are already firmly tied together on the inside. Since they are sturdy on the inside, they will not lightly fall apart when facing the enemy. They are elites.”
“And so?”
“If this young lady were to slit the throats of the centurions and decani, then the sturdy army will fall apart from the inside and descend into being a mere crowd. The captains who cursed at this young lady would be cut down, and their positions will be filled by fellows who are good at flattering this young lady. Instead of captains with ability, captains who are good at bootlicking will end up receiving preferential treatment, and that is not correct. An army is a body of people that is essentially tied together by both the inner and outer workings. This young lady fears the foolishness of remodeling the outer layer only to have the inner layer deteriorate.”
I carefully examined Farnese’s complexion.
Despite having heard the vulgar words spat out by the lowly privates, there were no signs of her showing any resistance towards it. The only thing that was there was the sight of her contemplating what she was going to have to do in order to properly manage the privates while treating them not as people, but as tools.
Laura De Farnese was a psychopath.
Nevertheless, she was a clever psychopath.
“Would it be permissible to leave all of the military commands to you?”
“Did your lordship not retrieve this young lady from the slave market in order to let her reign over your troops? It is fine for your lordship to not worry. Military affairs are this young lady’s task. Since it is an issue confronting this young lady, this young lady shall manage it herself.”
I knew that my concern was unnecessary.
With the intention of finishing this conversation with a test, I reprimanded her.
“Would military affairs be managed just because someone like you says they can handle it?”
“Your lordship’s words are rather aggressive. Instead of using words to instill fear into this young lady, use a goal to light a path for her.”
“I shall give you one month. Within 30 days, have control of the military discipline. If you are unable to uphold the big talk you have just now made, then I shall lash you for the crime of thoughtlessly flapping your mouth.”
“Understood.”
Farnese still did not remove her gaze from her book. Since I had harshly opened the path in front of her, it was time to softly support the path behind her. I asked her allusively.
“Is there nothing I can help with?”
“Please assign the witches’ familiars to this young lady. This young lady shall use the familiars as her eyes and ears, and utilize them to examine the things which this young lady cannot see or hear.”
“An easy request.”
“Ah, also—.”
Farnese spoke.
“Why did your lordship say that you would become this lady’s father?”
“The privates are disregarding you because you are a child of a human. I figured that the contempt towards you would lessen if I were to adopt you as my daughter.”
Farnese collected her gaze from her book. She was finally looking towards my direction, but for some reason, her eyes were full of suspicion. It almost felt like she was treating me as food waste.
“That is quite indecent. Those words may not be wrong, but your lordship’s way of thought is pitiable. In the entire world, what lord would try to solve a military affair through adoption? Although this young lady has felt it before, but your lordship is a bit insane. You are at least not normal.”
Why do you care!?
You’re the psychopath!
Ο
♦
Ο
Farnese submerged herself into the inner layer of military affairs. Farnese laid down her bedding at the side of the quarters where the soldiers rested and played. The general resided wearing the uniform worn by privates, a single set of a mat and blanket, and a poor quality bowl. She was planning to live alongside the troops.
The captains flocked to me and complained.
Ο
— It is uncomfortable since the general had abruptly entered our area.
— Since the general is nearby, even when we’re receiving breakfast with our bowls, before we can get our portion of soup we end up glancing at the general once. While peeking at the general, we end up chewing the meat in our soup one less time. Since we are frequently being mindful of the general, we often forget to chew, therefore, we have no energy after our meals and easily have upset stomachs. They say that people shouldn’t bother even a village mutt when it’s eating, but how are we expected to fight properly when the general is interfering with the meals of the subordinates? Please understand.
— Please understand, your highness.
Ο
I scratched my forehead.
I see these bastards are low-mindedly throwing a fit over their meal. They are sullying my name. Since you guys are rattling on like goats, I shall behave narrow-mindedly as well. Let us see how you bastards cope with my angered performance.
Taking a deep breath, I unloaded words like a round of bullets.
“Are you all discussing domiciliary before the king? So be it then. I shall inform you all of your domestics. All of the food which you all shove into your faces every morning comes from me. The dinner you all stuff inside yourselves and the shit that comes out of your bodies, all of that comes from me. When your swords are broken, who will you go to in order to request for them to be fixed? Who will seek for the blacksmith? Who will obtain the horse and wagon to load the weapons onto and send to the blacksmith, and who will provide the food and accommodations for the coachmen who will be traveling back and forth? I am the household manager. You ungrateful fellows. I am telling you that I am your monarch. Just because you feel slightly uncomfortable by the fact that you have to be a bit more mindful and chew a bit less, you came all the way to my premises to make a fuss?”
I grabbed the wooden pillow which I was using for my nap and threw it at the captains. Once the wooden pillow hit the floor and bounced, the captains’ spines shivered. The captains lowered their heads further.
The mannerism of speech I used when handling Demon Lords and the tone I used when dealing with military captains were distinctly different. I did not allow them to run far away by needlessly behaving high and mighty in front of the captains . Instead, I lowered myself to their level and made them sink their heads while being unable to move an inch. That was my stratagem.
“These ignorant fools.”
Ο
— Your words are immeasurable, your highness!
— We are to blame, your lordship!
— Our thoughts were short.
Ο
“Good. Seeing that you all are able to apologize with such ease, I will not make you repent deeply. Laura De Farnese is the general giving military commands in my stead, she is the acting general. Wherever I am not, she is your monarch. The reason why I am not punishing you all right this instant is not because I have accepted your apology, but because I want you all to go to the acting general and finish your apology. A mistake which occurs within the army must be forgiven by the general.”
Ο
— But, your highness.
— We fight with the strength given to us by our food. If we are unable to eat our meals properly, then.
— We do not mean that, but.
Ο
These fuckers?
I drew a sword.
“Should I personally assist in making your meals go down your throats with more ease?”
At that moment was when the captains finally fled. Since their steps felt more feeble than refreshing, I chased after them. The captains were surprised and let out a scream. I picked up the wooden pillow and tossed it once more, and since I was gifted as a pitcher, the wooden pillow hit the exact center of the back of a captain’s head. The captains escaped. And like so, I covered for Farnese.
I trusted Laura De Farnese who was destined to be the greatest commander in the continent like in the original history.
Sure enough, after 4 days, Farnese figured out the problem within the army. While wearing the military uniform meant for privates, Farnese came to inform me.
“The irrationality within the troops is immense, lord.”
“What kind of irrationality?”
“If there is a regimental commander, a centurion, and a decanus, then that is sufficient. Despite that, the regimental commanders give their duties to the centurions, the centurions give their duties to the decani, and the decani give their duties to the privates. In the end, the privates take care of everything within the army. Even the privates, having become tired of this, distinguish the high and low among themselves. The low privates then spread the bedding for the higher privates and do their laundry.”
“An issue that is prominent in any military.”
“Privates should fight like privates and centurions should fight like centurions, and yet, why are they ordering around others just for the sake of making their own lives easier? This young lady, who is the general, should be the one commanding the privates, but since there are so many superiors who are making the privates do things, it is as if they have several generals at the same time. There is no chance military command would be able to gather together as one and pervade deeply within an army of this sort.”
I spat on the floor. My throat often felt parched because it was winter.
“Can you solve it?”
“This young lady shall crush it with ease.”
I preferred to leave irrationality as it was and manipulate it appropriately, but it seems Laura De Farnese was the complete opposite. Enduring irrationality or bearing with her alone, I considered which side would be more convenient.
“Very well then. Perform as you wish.”
“This young lady shall perform for your lordship’s goal.”
Ο
Farnese started to handle the military discipline more severely.
From this point on, be it captain, veteran, or newcomer, regardless of one’s rank or experience, Farnese established a rule where everyone must manage their own livelihood by themselves. She stepped forward on her own. Farnese washed her uniform by herself and personally cleaned her own military boots. One day, when a private brought her meal for her, Farnese told him off in a loud voice.
“Put that away. Do I not have my own arms and mouth?”
Farnese did not eat at all on that day. Once the commander cast away the bowl, the soldiers did not know what to do. From that day on, the sight of privates presenting meals for the veteran soldiers disappeared.
However, at this point, it had only vanished on the outside.
Something that dissipated on the outside was bound to hide deeply on the inside.
During an ambitious night, the veteran soldiers secretly gathered the privates and abused them. Using the familiars, we were able to listen in on this sound of violence flowing from the corner of the encampment in real-time.
Ο
— Hey, get your heads straight you bastards. You think that human harlot is going to live in our quarters forever? She’s the type of bitch to leave in half a month. Once she does, you guys will die by my hands.
— Think carefully about who is truly taking care of you guys. That human harlot is someone like his highness and not people like us. I’ll give you an honest advice, stay in line.
— Yes, we understand!
Ο
Be it here or there, the repertoire is quite the same—.
While I was turning my ear towards the audio and receiving a feeling of longing, Farnese muttered beside me.
“……I see they are challenging me to see who will win.”
Oh?
It may have been just my imagination, but that appeared like a slightly angered face. Since it was rather rare for Farnese to show any emotion, it was intriguing.
Since that day, Farnese began to go on night patrols.
She did not wander around openly but feigned it as a coincidence whenever possible. For example, pretending to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and swooping in on violence that was occurring in a warehouse, or pretending to wake up because of a presence and examining the backside of the quarters. It was an obvious trick. Of course, there was no tactic that worked as efficiently as an obvious trick. Think about it. It’s the commander appearing out of nowhere from the darkness. The privates could only be frightened.
“What are you all doing?”
The senior officers who were mistreating the privates could not respond.
With an emotionless face, Farnese announced.
“I see. People who do not sleep when required to sleep must fight quite well when required to fight. I am relieved that you all form a strong army as one. The senior officers over there, follow me.”
Farnese made the senior soldiers do manual labor. Giving them each a pickaxe, she ordered them to dig. Since the earth had hardened due to the cold, the ends of the pickaxe were unable to pierce the ground. Looking at the impenetrable dirt, the soldiers made a fire in order to melt the ground. After lighting the fire, they dug down until a low mound was piled up in the barracks. Farnese looked down at the soldiers and gave another order.
“Well done. Now fill it back up.”
The officers poured the dirt, which they had dug up in vain, back into the pit. It took a whole 4 hours to dig and refill the hole. The ground had returned to being flat. Towards the veteran officers who thought their work was finally over and were wiping away their sweat, Farnese spoke coolly.
“Dig again.”
The faces of the veteran officers turned blue. For half a day, the soldiers repetitively dug and filled in holes. It was labor with no reason or goal. Since there was no goal, the end could not be seen, and since the end could not be seen, they could not endure the current situation. They most likely wanted to die. It must have felt like they were digging up their own graves. While keeping my hands behind my back and standing afar, I watched Farnese cheerfully torment the veteran soldiers. Speaking truthfully, it was pleasant.
Ο
— Please kill me instead.
— Us humble ones have made a mistake, general!
Ο
The officers lowered their heads to the ground and bowed. This must have been the first time that Farnese was referred to as general by the soldiers. Farnese, with an expression as transparent as water, looked down at the soldiers.
“Why would I end your lives? No one cherishes you all as much as I do. Stop your chatter and continue digging.”
Farnese raised the edges of her mouth. Since she was still not used to making facial expressions, Farnese’s mouth twisted very strangely. That was more terrifying.
“Or do you perhaps want me to give you the hole on myself? Do all of you think you could satisfy me with those limp dicks of yours?”
The soldiers wailed out.
After that day.
The miss rose from being a normal harlot to being a wicked harlot.
In the past, the sound of voices saying ‘that harlot!’ in a ridiculing tone rose high into the air, but now, the voices uttered ‘that wicked harlot……’ in a vexed tone and sunk down low. Sounds that resonated high dissipated quickly, while the sounds that permeated low spread out wide.
A joyous occasion this was, quite joyous.
The captains came running to me once more. Different to before, their tone was greatly intense. An acute urgency could be felt. All of the captains now referred to Farnese as Miss General. It may have only been the single word ‘Miss’ being attached to ‘General’, but there was overall a lot of meaning there. For example, a meaning on the level of ‘that crazy bitch’ was inclined there. Was this not impressive progress?
Ο
— Since Miss General interferes with the soldiers not only during the afternoon but during the night as well, the youngsters are unable to sleep properly. Even if we lack energy after our meals, we can still fight with that emptiness. However, how are people to fight without sleep?
— This does not come from an art of war manual, but from life itself. People should read books based on life, but if someone were to live their life based on books, then would the world not be upside down? Even if Miss General’s knowledge is profound and she were to have read every book related to tactics in the nation, life is a separate matter. Lowly people like us live in life and have no other choice but to continue living in life. Please understand!
Ο
I motionlessly listened to the words coming from the captains. After hearing everything, I went to the warehouse and brought a pickaxe. It was the same pickaxe the senior officers had swung until they collapsed from exhaustion. I then spoke.
“I see your words are quite profound so they pierce an exquisite principle. Let us test how deep your bodies can be buried in the ground.”
The captains fled.
The month after, irrationality was completely suppressed within the troops. The custom of the centurions taking the wages of the decani, and the decani taking the wages of the privates disappeared. The tendency of loaning the money they’ve taken from others, and conspiring with outside peddlers and panders to sell items for an exorbitant price, also vanished.
Farnese was a vicious girl. The more that this fact spread out among the troops, in contrast, made the sounds of soldiers pointing towards her and calling her a wicked harlot shrink down. At one point, instead of a wicked harlot, the voices of people praising her as a general who thought of the privates before others, flowed throughout the army. This was most likely around the time that the 11th pit was created in the barracks.
The captains reacted sensitively towards the mood of the privates. Like how humans would automatically perceive the smell of flatulence, the captains understood the privates’ temper.
The captains read the atmosphere and obeyed the commander. They must have been afraid of the consequences for coming to me to complain unreasonably since the captains went around cheering ‘Hooray for Miss General Farnese!’. Captains that behaved as if they would lick the soles of Farnese’s feet crawled around. Among them, one fellow actually did try to put saliva on Farnese’s toes and was kicked.
Tsk tsk.
What adorable fellows.
Finally, the remnant group of individuals known as decani and senior officers remained.
These people were unable to throw away the pleasure of extorting money from the people below them. They were better than the privates but lower than the captains, so they were fellows similar to that of neighborhood thugs. These people lacked the political capability to react appropriately to the state of affairs like the captains had done. The senior officers tried to protect their authority and territory.
When the senior officers mistreated the privates, they went far. They dragged the privates out to one of the most remote warehouses in the encampment. A mouse, that was the familiar of a witch, eavesdropped on the voices leaking from the gaps on the wall.
Ο
— Hey, bastards. Who’s the one that brought you bums from the village and enlisted you to the army? I’m the older guy that lived next door. You guys were born in the village first and not in the army, right? Then you guys should treat your seniors from the same village with respect!
— We may live in the unit right now, but when we die, we’ll do so back home. If you guys keep ignoring your seniors, then do you think a single mourner will show up to your funeral? Do you think that wicked harlot will go out of her way to arrange your funerals? She’s the bitch who’ll order you to die, not a bitch who’ll take care of you after you’ve died.
— Hey, don’t ignore us. We’re all saying this in consideration of you guys. Besides, no matter how much you scream here, that harlot won’t come.
Ο
Farnese threw open the door.
“Yes. I am here because you called.”
The soldiers screamed and fell to the floor. I could hear the sound of materials collapsing clamorously with a crash. I asked Farnese later on, but apparently, the soldiers were gazing up at her as if she was a ghost.
“It is fine to look forward to it, gentlemen. Let us dig holes properly today.”
The senior officers were forced to unearth dirt for 2 days straight without sleep.
At last, military discipline stood upright. The soldiers took care of their own domestics by themselves. If it wasn’t an official order from above, even the privates did not obey them thoughtlessly.
On the final day of the promised 1 month, Laura De Farnese discarded the uniform meant for privates and donned the military uniform for commanders. After washing herself, Farnese came to visit me with a clean body. Farnese’s skin was whiter than the snow that had just fallen onto the earth, and her voice was as clear as the sky which the snow had fallen from. I was not unaware of her intention to appear like the snow and sky while before me. Regardless of whether she knew that I understood her feelings or not, the small troublemaking psychopathic girl said shortly.
“This young lady hereupon reports, that she has achieved your lordship’s goal. ”
So much self-pride and smugness could be understood by that shortness of words.
I wanted to compliment this girl. I wanted to acknowledge the hard work she had gone through by staying up throughout the night chasing after senior officers, consoling the new recruits, and doing all of her laundries with her own two hands. I gestured for Farnese to approach and softly brushed the hair of Farnese who had drawn near with an ivory comb.
I smiled.
“Well done. Would you like a drink?”
Ο
♦
Ο
Farnese did not try to gain adoration from her troops. Farnese desired for every individual soldier to fear her. Instead of the courage to rush at the enemy, Farnese highly regarded the dread the soldiers would feel by disobeying the supreme commander. This was, indeed, different compared to me. Unknowledgeable on the method of obtaining fear, Farnese came and asked me.
“What should this young lady do to make the soldiers fear her, lord?”
“Well. You do have a rather pretty appearance, so that may be difficult.”
“Would they be afraid if there was an unseemly scar on this young lady’s face?”
“Damn it, this ignorant child. How could you think so one-dimensionally? Think a bit more respectably.”
“Only your lordship and Miss Lazuli are the ones to call this young lady ignorant……”
Farnese became sullen. As of late, Farnese had been receiving education from both myself and Lapis. Compared to me, Lapis taught her much more harshly. It was obvious that this small room girl, who lived her life believing that she was a genius, would be low-spirited if she were to be ill-treated frequently. Feeling some sympathy, I spoke indirectly.
“Should I inform you of a good trick?”
The next day.
Farnese purchased 15 hunting dogs. The waists of the hunting dogs were slim so they appeared scrawny, but the color of their fur was marvelous. They were a breed commonly raised by imperial families and royal families, so they were remarkably expensive. The dogs did not leave their master’s side even for a second.
Ο
— I see Miss General adores dogs.
— Raising hunting dogs is a good hobby. They can smell the scent of the enemy and pursue them, so it’ll be convenient for us too.
Ο
The soldiers gathered in small groups and chewed on dried meat. Though they tossed some of their dried meat for fun, the hunting dogs did not turn their gaze towards it at all.
Farnese personally acquired food and fed the dogs herself. The dog food looked more luxurious than the food people ate. Some privates joked that Miss General fed the mutts better than them and chuckled. After seeing the sight of Farnese providing a sumptuous meal for the beasts, some people claimed that they were delighted since she finally appeared like a young girl, while others were worried that the commander’s selfish interest would disturb the military order. With half delight and half worry, the soldiers stared at the luxurious dog food with envy.
The time for my army to go to war had arrived. The troops, who had warm sleep and ate till their stomachs were full, had clear eyes despite the winter season. 3,500 dwarf infantrymen, 500 centaur cavalry, and 50 witches hired from the city were standing on the winter field, waiting for the general’s speech before our departure. There were people gathered around the outskirts of the field, but they were all peddlers and prostitutes. These types of people lived with busy feet by constantly following behind anywhere armies went.
“……”
While holding a formal-dress sword, Farnese went up onto the platform. There was no decoration so the blade was small. Since the appearance of the weapon was light, it well suited the miss’ body figure. The hunting dogs followed their master all the way up the platform. The dogs then silently stationed themselves around her.
Farnese unsheathed her blade. Hearing the sound of metal, the hunting dogs looked behind them. The clear-blue sword slit the long neck of a dog. Blood burst out. The other dogs did not react at all. Farnese killed all 15 hunting dogs, and until the very end, not a single one barked. Blood soundlessly flowed down from the platform.