The Order’s Secret Weapon (1)

The soldiers of Vermilion Fortress were, in practice, little different from a bandit crew.

But now that Azadine had survived the Shade Hag’s curse, they had no choice but to acknowledge him.

In particular, two squad leaders who had challenged him directly and lost turned into absolute loyalists, and now Vermilion Fortress was no longer a den of thieves, but a true fortress of the Rescue Knights Order.

Azadine mobilized soldiers and residents to reclaim nearby farmland, expand housing, and reorganize the archery range and training grounds, then made the soldiers train.

The soldiers who had lived like a bandit mob grumbled at Azadine’s drills, but with Kallan and Rijen—the two squad leaders—following Azadine completely, they could no longer refuse outright.

However, another squad leader, Comek, didn’t pledge loyalty to Azadine. He came to Azadine with the men under him.

Azadine gathered the farmer-soldiers first and had them practice basic drill, how to form up with spears, and how to pivot the formation in a fixed sequence when enemies appeared from the flank.

Because it looked like childish soldier play and seemed ridiculous, Comek and his men burst out laughing.

“What use is this childish game?! This won’t help with anything.”

“In a fight, all that matters is a ruthless nature, strength, and skill with a blade!”

Comek and his men, former pirates, swaggered as they recalled their old days of slashing at merchant ships with cutlasses.

“Hm? You think so? Then want to go a round?”

“Huh?”

Azadine selected only men of farming stock, formed them into a squad, and handed them training spears. After arming them with spears wrapped with cloth at the tips, Azadine beckoned Comek over.

“Bring the ones who agree with you.”

“No…”

“If you win, I’ll exempt you from training—and I’ll throw in a bonus. How about a pouch of silver coins?”

Azadine actually pulled out a sack filled with silver coins and shook it in front of them.

“Ugh?”

“But if you lose, you’ll not only train properly—you’ll also take on all the chores from now on.”

“…….”

Comek and his men held a quick discussion.

“As if we’d lose to farmers, no matter what.”

“Let’s do it!”

Comek’s squad were pirates who had operated in the Andaz Inner Sea, and they all had some confidence in their swordwork.

To them, they were wolves and the farmers were sheep. It was a fight they couldn’t possibly lose, so they boldly accepted Azadine’s provocation.

And every last one of them got beaten senseless until the “dust flew” even on a rainy day.

“Tsk, tsk. Spearmen fighting is extremely hard to break through with individual strength. You didn’t even know what this training meant, yet you thought you could force your way through with ‘skill’?”

Azadine had known it would end like this, and he used the chance to knock the swagger out of Comek and his men.

“And this training is only the beginning. I’ll teach you what I learned, step by step—so first, complete this basic soldier training. After that, I’ll teach you Aragasa’s mysterious secret arts.”

As if to entice soldiers who were still obsessed with swordsmanship and “mystic martial arts,” Azadine deliberately mentioned Aragasa’s secret arts.

After he not only crushed the rough pirate soldiers with farmer-soldiers but also dangled the “secret arts” they wanted, the soldiers all began to train in earnest.

Two busy weeks passed like that.

“It’s about time the supply detachment arrives.”

Rijen, who had been tidying up the training grounds, said to Azadine.

“Supply detachment?”

“The levy officer from Fireglyph. They take the cinnabar quota, and in exchange they provide the supplies we want—or handle things like letter transport.”

“Supplies?”

“Yes. It’s not like they fulfill requests just because we submit them. They buy our cinnabar at this unit price, and in return they sell goods at this price. Here’s the list.”

Rijen handed over his notebook.

“These prices are shameless.”

Azadine frowned as he looked at the cinnabar purchase price set extremely low and the supply list priced extremely high.

It was a rate sheet that, by any fair reading, meant the Rescue Knights Order was exploiting Vermilion Fortress.

“Yes. That’s why trading with civilian merchants is more profitable. We only have to meet the minimum quota here. Fireglyph won’t ask for more than that anyway.”

It seemed that as long as they delivered the fixed amount, the upper ranks didn’t meddle further.

Just then, Arael’s voice—doing a superb job as Azadine’s scout—spotted the supply detachment overhead.

“So even tigers show up when you speak of them. Looks like we have visitors. That’s a problem. I still haven’t even reported that Macdogal died.”

Azadine had been writing regular reports to Fireglyph—the city where the Rescue Knights Order’s headquarters on the Chadra Plateau was located—and to his patron, Bishop Akenar, but he’d put them off because he had no courier to send them.

He still hadn’t reported that the archivist Macdogal had died in the line of duty—what would happen once he did?

Soon after, the supply detachment entered Vermilion Fortress. Their archivist pulled out a letter with an arrogant posture.

“A letter from Fireglyph’s Chapter Master, Sir Hexenmaier. Sir Azadine, commander of this fortress, is hereby ordered to present himself in Fireglyph at once with only the minimum number of attendants!”

‘Present myself in Fireglyph?’

Though he’d received a sudden summons order, Azadine first stayed calm, served the supply men liquor and food, and had bathwater heated.

The detachment’s archivist looked ready to tie Azadine up and drag him off at any moment, but the lavish hospitality immediately softened his mood.

“Then, since you’ve shown such kindness, I will accept it with thanks. Sir Azadine, finish your travel preparations, and we’ll depart together tomorrow.”

“Understood. Then please rest comfortably.”

Azadine said that, excused himself, and called for Camilla.

“What is it, Azadine?”

“After they’ve had a few drinks, squeeze some information out of them.”

“What kind of information?”

“This summons order only says to come. I want to know the real reason, what the mood is like, and why they’re telling me to present myself.”

“Ah. Got it.”

“Yeah. I’m counting on you.”

Azadine left after asking Camilla.

A while later, Camilla finished talking with the supply men and slipped out.

“Azadine. I’m done.”

“How was it?”

“Bad. Even the supply men don’t know why the Chapter Master called you. But ordering someone to come with only a few attendants is usually how they summon a person suspected of a crime—so they were predicting you’ll lose Vermilion Fortress and get arrested. They said it’s not normal to issue a summons like this to someone who’s already been assigned a post.”

“Did they find out I’m using undead?”

Azadine panicked, because that point did hit close to home.

“I don’t think so. But, Azadine—can I give you one piece of advice?”

“What?”

“Take off the mask.”

“Mask?”

“Yeah. You’re handsome. Why aren’t you using that? If you walk around wearing some weird mask, you look suspicious even if you do nothing.”

“This mask is a keepsake from someone precious.”

“If it’s that precious, then don’t hang it on your face—store it somewhere safe. Why are you covering your face? Is the mask more precious than your face?”

“Mm. Well….”

Azadine hesitated, unsure how to explain.

In truth, even Azadine had never really thought about it. He’d simply lived out of habit, always hiding his face, and kept doing it.

And beyond that, Azadine now believed his face was something he had stolen from Arael.

Arael had said, as he died, that he was returning what Azadine had taken—but Azadine couldn’t accept it.

Because he hadn’t properly reconciled with Arael while he was alive and regretted it deeply, Azadine didn’t want to acknowledge any reason to hate Arael.

So Azadine saw his current appearance as “Arael’s,” and had never once thought of “selling” it for some advantage.

Yet astonishingly, Camilla—a complete outsider—had seen straight through that.

“Azadine. If you take off the mask and deal with people, they’ll all treat you well.”

“What kind of joke is that, Camilla? This is serious.”

“I’m being serious too.”

“Even though I’m of the Messenger bloodline?”

“Better to be of the Messenger bloodline and handsome than of the Messenger bloodline and wearing a weird mask. Or what—are you hoping people will see some sincere value that transcends beauty? Arthur. Just use the fact you’re handsome and push straight through. People pick what looks nicer when it costs the same—that’s human nature. You can charm people without spending a single coin, so why not use it?”

“Mm. I don’t want more people like Rijen.”

“That guy’s a special case. Anyway, he’s on your side now, and things are going well, aren’t they?”

In fact, thanks to Rijen, it became much easier to command the soldiers.

“When you go to the Chapter Master, take off the mask and act sweet and polite. If that still doesn’t work, we’ll think then. Just try it once—consider it a gamble. I’m not telling you to seduce people; I’m saying show your face and stop hiding it.”

“Alright. I don’t think it’ll help much, but I’ll try.”

Azadine decided to take Camilla’s advice.

The next day, Azadine finished preparing to present himself in Fireglyph with Camilla, Kuntachi, and Bernard.

Azadine put on the finest navy gambeson among the former platoon leaders’ gear in Vermilion Fortress and, as Camilla advised, removed his mask.

The supply detachment’s archivist looked startled.

“Uh… are you Sir Azadine?”

“Yes. Did you rest well last night? I’m sorry I didn’t have much prepared.”

“N-no, not at all. You’re a Hospitaller-Errant, so… please speak comfortably. I’m the inferior here, yet you treated me so well—I’m the one who feels sorry.”

It was definitely the same man who had accepted Azadine’s liquor, food, and bathwater the day before without the slightest hesitation, yet overnight he now acted overwhelmingly honored and grateful.

What was more, he acknowledged Azadine as a Hospitaller-Errant.

Up until now, those who knew Azadine was of the Messenger bloodline hadn’t regarded him as part of the Rescue Knights Order.

“Hm?”

Azadine was flustered at the supply officer’s sudden change in attitude.

And it wasn’t only him.

The soldiers the supply officer brought were shocked to see Azadine, and even the people of Vermilion Fortress froze the moment they saw him.

To the people of Hubris, someone tall with clean skin like Azadine carried the air of nobility—no, something closer to royalty.

If Azadine claimed he was royal blood from somewhere, most people would believe it.

Even those who knew he was of the Messenger bloodline were cowed by Azadine’s clear skin, tall and confident build, and beautiful features.

‘See? I told you.’

Camilla silently mouthed that without making a sound.

‘No—are they really acting like this just because of my looks?’