NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25
“However, more than that, there was something that had been bothering me since we entered this territory.”
Jeongjae spoke with a thoughtful expression, and Jenis tilted her head in confusion.
“What was bothering you since we came in? Hmm, the guards’ vigilance was a total mess. Should I go chew them out?”
As Jeongjae stood up to stop her, Jenis rolled up her sleeves, clearly filled with eagerness after receiving her new assignment.
“No, it’s fine. No need to scold them. We can gradually educate them on that. What I’m concerned about is the numbers.”
“Numbers, huh? That’s true. There was definitely only one guard at the entrance.”
“One guard is insufficient. If a stranger approaches and takes them down, there’s no way to relay news inside the territory. We need at least two; one for the checkpoint and one to wait on the perimeter.”
“But there are only three guards in this territory. Are you planning to recruit more?”
“If circumstances allow, I’d recruit more, but it doesn’t seem like that’s possible. For now, let’s gather the guards here. This is something we should discuss directly with them.”
“I’ll go tell Chief Hark to gather the guards. Oh, are all three fine? We don’t need anyone to guard the territory?”
“Normally, that would be troubling, but if it’s just for a little while, there’s nothing we can do. There probably won’t be any issues during this brief time.”
After confirming Jeongjae’s instructions, Jenis quickly left the office and dashed down the stairs. Jeongjae gazed at the flag of the Harriet House hanging in the office, licking his lips.
“I finally have my own banner…”
In a world where esteemed commanders each have their own flag, for Jeongjae, who rarely led an army on his own, having his own banner—however inherited—was a unique sensation.
When one of the heroes appeared on the battlefield with their flag, it was enough to boost the morale of the troops and change the tide of the battle.
Walter was quite fond of his banner, which was adorned with a thick golden circle on a white background.
Of course, he didn’t wave that flag during operations requiring secrecy or in situations where he commanded an army, but when he arrived on the battlefield in dire straits, the cheers that filled the battlefield with his golden circle banner were enough to stir anyone’s heart.
“The Eye of Wisdom shimmers in gold.” That was the name of the Walter Hellhound banner, derived from Harriet’s glasses.
Meanwhile, Princess Rose Caprice’s banner was also a symbol of hope for all soldiers in the Empire.
Her symbol, a striking red background with a gray iron-like shield, represented an unyielding defense often raised even in her absence, signifying formidable protection.
Of course, using such tactics too often would cause the enemy not to fear it, so some caution was required in strategy. However, no matter how strong the attacking monsters were, if the banner of the Crown Princess were to be raised suddenly, many would realize they were engaged in a siege they could never win and lose all their morale.
“No sharp blade can pierce this.” That was her banner’s motto. In fact, the banner of Rose Caprice was what Jeongjae had always thought was the coolest.
Margaret didn’t have her own flag, but she favored the banner of the Kingdom of Eramenia, which depicted a green background with a white laurel wreath. Originally, it symbolized the arrival of elven reinforcements, but during this war, when humans from the Audrich Empire thought of the elven hero, they primarily thought of Margaret, and thus it became an unmistakable symbol of her.
In the end, of the five, the only two without banners were Bernard and Jeongjae, who were not expected to lead an army. While it was unfortunate to be expelled from the group, for Jeongjae, who harbored a subtle romantic notion about it, receiving a blue flag was a valuable gain.
What the “VR” inscribed in the alphabet, which does not exist in this world, meant was still somewhat of a mystery.
Considering the estimated birth and death years of the previous hero, Simon Harriet, the likelihood was highest that it referenced “VR,” connected to the notable Queen Victoria, who led England’s revival.
If that were the case, that gentleman was such a loyalist that even after coming to this world, he didn’t lose his fidelity to the original monarch. Remarkable.
While lost in such thoughts about the flag, Jenis entered the office with all three guards. Jeongjae stood up to greet the only guards responsible for protecting this territory.
“I-I’m Sieur Baroque! No, it’s good to see you again! I heard you were looking for us!”
The only person whose name and face Jeongjae properly recognized was Sammy, who seemed to take on a role as the representative. Jeongjae scanned Sammy from top to bottom and accepted his greeting.
Their armament was satisfactory. On the surface, they seemed even more than merely satisfactory. They weren’t clad in full body armor like knights but were properly dressed in breastplates, shoulder guards, and thigh protectors.
The level of armament was far beyond what one would expect from general peasant troops, thanks to the significant reforms conducted by Walter, who squeezed the Imperial Assembly and the Magic Tower.
“You’re all doing well as always. It’s good to know that me calling you here isn’t just to harass or scold you.”
The faces of the three guards darkened upon hearing Jeongjae’s words. It seemed they had had many experiences getting scolded just after hearing such remarks. Jeongjae understood their feelings well; after all, he had seen many people who were supposed to say, “I’m not angry,” while clearly being upset.
“I’m just curious about your working conditions. How’s it going? Is the work manageable? Hmm, that one there, George?”
Jeongjae pointed at the soldier he had encountered on guard duty. Since Sammy had said George was on duty, if that was true, then George was likely the clueless guard who let the carriage pass just by looking at the Harriet House emblem.
“Yes! There are no problems whatsoever! Sieur Baroque!”
“I think there’s a bit of an issue, though. Don’t misunderstand. I’m concerned about the work system itself rather than your attitude. Of course, we all know your attitude needs improvement, but we can handle that gradually.”
This time, George trembled as he struggled to maintain a stiff posture. Jeongjae couldn’t help but feel sympathetic, recalling the time he had entered the military seven years ago after shaving his head.
“Relax. I’m serious. How could your inexperience be your fault?”
“Um, may I ask what you mean by saying the work system is problematic?”
Sammy, the one who seemed to have a way with words, asked Jeongjae. Jeongjae nodded and responded.
“The territory border needs two people. Otherwise, if someone with malicious intent were to strike, there might be no way to alert the territory.”
“But we don’t have enough personnel…”
“Don’t worry about the castle’s defenses. If we can catch a suspicious person sneaking in at the border, guarding the castle gates won’t matter.”
It was an obvious point, but the reason Jeongjae brought it up wasn’t because it was actually pointless; one must compromise with reality whenever possible.
“Professor, that’s…”
Jenis chimed in. Jeongjae turned to her and smiled.
“This is a place where you and I live. We might be the two most talented magicians in the world. Even with the two of us here, if a troublesome situation arises, would having just one guard really make a huge difference?”
“Y-Yeah… It’s just you and me living here… I guess you’re right…”
Suddenly, Jenis blushed and twisted her body. Jeongjae had a strange thought at that moment but quickly shook it off and turned back to the guards.
“So, organize one for patrolling the village, and two for guarding. The patrols can have empty time, but there needs to be a guaranteed basic rest time for each individual. However, under no circumstances should there be fewer than two guards on the perimeter throughout the day, unless there’s a sudden situation.”
“Yes, understood!”
The three guards chorused in unison. But after a moment of thought, Jeongjae concluded that it would be nearly impossible to guarantee everyone’s sleep time like that.
Considering the current circumstances, maintaining strict defenses was good, but keeping tired soldiers around wouldn’t yield any good results. A sigh of longing for more personnel slipped from his lips.
While contemplating this, Jeongjae ultimately laid down a final compromise for the inadequate guards.
“If it’s tough to maintain the working conditions, dividing the night shift between two of you for a quick nap might be acceptable. But it has to be in a situation where another person can wake you up immediately, and it’s going to be hard to get through if both of you are caught sleeping.”
“Yes! Sieur Baroque!”
At Jeongjae’s words, Jenis looked genuinely shocked, her eyes wide. That kind of leniency seemed unimaginable in the Harker Count Territory, which prioritized strict vigilance.
Deciding to conclude the conversation with the guards, Jeongjae spread his hands to summon the magic circle and approached them.
The guards looked frightened as they saw the magic circle for the first time and slowly backed away. Jeongjae calmly spoke.
“Stay still. I’m not going to hurt you. It won’t be painful.”
First, Jeongjae approached Sammy, who looked the sharpest, and inscribed one magic circle on his breastplate.
As soon as Jeongjae removed his hand, a red circle and the letter “VR,” that is, the emblem of the Harriet House, were stamped onto Sammy’s armor.
“Sieur Baroque, what is this…?”
“This emblem will allow the Barony to respond immediately if something happens to you. Of course, it’s not just that; I’ve stamped my symbol on your chest, so think of it as you representing me and doing your best.”
Once it was confirmed that using the magic circle didn’t hurt, the other two guards also quietly received Harriet House’s emblem on their breastplates. Jenis, having caught a glimpse of the magic circle, confirmed that a fairly powerful defensive spell had been laid upon the breastplates and grinned.
After seeing off the three guards, Jeongjae slumped down into a chair, looking exhausted. Jenis approached him with a question.
“Is it really okay to send those guys off as is? Nothing has improved in their attitude.”
“Should I go tell them myself? Those guys were just too nervous before my title. I felt like they might wet their pants if I scolded them, so I couldn’t say anything.”
“Well, that’s true. Then I’ll tell Chief Hark about the basic perimeter protocol. I can ask him to train them, right?”
“I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a good idea. I’d appreciate it if you could do that, Jenis.”
“You’re rather lenient, Sieur Baroque.”
“Lenient? Not at all. I just have to ensure I won’t get beaten to death by those smart alecks.”
Jeongjae made a nonsensical joke. Jenis sat on another chair provided in the office and gazed up at the ceiling, deep in thought.
“What are you going to do today? You seem quite enthusiastic for the first day.”
“Isn’t this more than enough? If I touch too many things in one day, I’ll give off a bad impression. I’ve handled the urgent security issues, so let’s take a break today.”
Jenis agreed with Jeongjae’s words. Suddenly, she leapt up from her seat and spoke.
“Then how about a cup of tea? I saw a decent tea imported from a nearby territory on the item list. I’ll go get it.”
“No need. I can handle my own.”
“It’s fine. What’s the point of having a secretary if I don’t use them for this?”
Jenis dashed out of the office once again. Jeongjae smiled faintly but let her do as she pleased.
While the newly appointed Baron and his secretary spent a relatively peaceful time together, Walter and his party were enduring a hellish march down a steep mountain without the help of swift magic.