The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 111

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 111

It was chaos.

There was no other way to describe it.

The Second General, right behind the Grand General. On top of that, with independent operational authority that even the Grand General doesn’t have.

Since it was appointed by the King, it couldn’t be overruled through Duke Hellian, so I fell into a panic.

But only for a moment.

‘Well, it’ll work out somehow.’

I decided to think optimistically since it had already happened.

There’s a high chance there won’t be any wars for a while anyway. I had no intention of using the operational authority either. I just need to stay quiet.

That’s how I thought about it nonchalantly, but those around me didn’t.

As the party continued late into the night, I ended up staying in Alphensard for a day and attended the academy with a sleepy mind.

At the academy I arrived at, I could hear whispering voices.

“To think Elaine is the 2nd General…”

“And he even has operational authority. If he wants to, he could invade any kingdom!”

Even the officer acting as a teacher was visibly flustered.

“Ge-General. Please take your seat. We’re about to start the class.”

Unlike yesterday, the teacher was using honorifics. No wonder, as I’m now second-in-command of the military. To an officer acting as a teacher, I’m a far superior.

Watching him tremble was somewhat refreshing.

During break time, as I walked through the academy garden, not only regular students but even mere servants tried to catch a glimpse of me. The young ladies, as if they had received some orders from their parents, tried to strike up a conversation with me however they could.

This part was annoying, but strictly speaking, it was something that happened normally. It just got a bit more intense.

‘Still, it’s tiring. I should go home and rest soon.’

In the past few days, Master Ilya’s labor pains had worsened, and the delivery date was expected any day now. I decided to return to Rainpol quickly to check on her condition.

That’s when classes ended.

“It’s meaningless!” Suddenly, Casper stood up from his seat and shouted. “It has no meaning or use at all!” He cried out with hollow eyes. 

He must have thought I stole his general position and lost his mind.

Everyone’s attention turned to him.

“He has no soldiers! What good is being a general! What good is having operational authority! When there are no soldiers to follow him!”

The classroom buzzed with murmurs.

Seizing the moment, Casper’s faction raised their voices.

“Th-that’s right! The royal family’s direct soldiers are at most 20,000. Beyond that, they need to receive support from nobles’ private armies. Who would do that for a general from a baronial family?”

“Casper is right! It’s just an empty position!”

Even other students who didn’t speak up seemed to agree, apparently displeased with my exceptional promotion.

Casper’s faction openly disparaged me to gain the agreement of other classmates.

“He must have used some dirty trick! Maybe he seduced a young lady from a high-ranking family using his superficially attractive appearance!”

“Or perhaps the Hellian faction used an easily manipulated baronial family to keep Grand General Altior in check!”

The slanderous front crossed the line. They were even dragging my family through the mud.

‘These kids have gone crazy.’

They must have thought it was really okay since I hadn’t shown any reaction until now. “You guys, those words just now. Are you serious?”

I turned my gaze to them.

Usually, I would have ignored it, but now it’s different.

I had no intention of using my position as general, but I also didn’t plan to stand by and watch discipline crumble.

If I let them slander me, regardless of the content, people who believe those words will appear. Because of that, people who casually disregard my authority will emerge.

Such a thing shouldn’t happen, for my sake and for the sake of the Calliper military.

Well, it would be a lie to say there wasn’t any personal grudge. These guys have been too annoying until now.

“What did you say?”

“If you didn’t hear, I’ll ask again. Casper, and the rest of you. I asked if you were serious about what you just said.”

Then Casper gritted his teeth and spat out. His eyes seemed to be shooting sparks. “Do you think we’re just saying it? Your general position is meaningless! You know it too!”

“That’s right! Casper is correct!”

Casper faction lunges at me as if to devour me. I sneer.

“Hey.” I nod to the officer playing the role of teacher, and he quickly approaches at attention.

“Yes, General.”

“I’ll handle this as insubordination. Punish them according to military law.”

“In-insubordination, sir?”

At those words, the classroom fell silent as if a mouse had died.

The Casper faction guys are momentarily bewildered, unable to grasp how things are unfolding.

“Insubordination? We were just…”

“What are you talking about?”

Their expressions gradually hardened. Everyone’s attention turns to the officer beside me.

I pressed the officer. “What’s the matter? Deal with it immediately.”

“Yes, sir!” The officer turned his gaze towards the guys and said, “Normally, this should be referred to a military council, but your actions were witnessed by far too many cadets, not to mention myself. The crime of insubordination, insulting the General, is clear as day!”

The severity of punishment for insubordination varies depending on its gravity.

For example, if a low-ranking soldier commits insubordination against a soldier just one rank above, in general cases, they won’t receive a severe punishment. At most, they might be reprimanded and reassigned to a different unit.

Conversely, this means that the higher the rank, the more severe the punishment must be.

I am nominally the second-in-command of the military. What if mere cadets commit insubordination against someone of such rank?

“You are immediately dismissed from the military! Do not call yourselves cadets any longer!”

Originally, there would also be fines and physical punishments, but cadets are exempt from such punishments due to the Continental Treaty.

Therefore, dismissal was the greatest punishment for cadets.

“W-wait!” Casper shouted with wide eyes. “Dismissal? I… I only said what was obvious…”

“Shut up! Pack your things and leave the academy immediately! All of you!”

At this, the Casper faction kids started wailing.

“What… What’s going on…! Casper! Do something!”

“Dismissed…? If my father finds out, I’m dead! Casper! Use Wade’s power and resolve this quickly!”

In fact, I could have raised the issue of insubordination before. After the Chimera War, I outranked the other kids in terms of position.

However, at that time, I knew that even if I raised the issue, it would likely be glossed over, so I just let it slide because it was bothersome.

They thought I would let it pass as usual, so they were arrogant, but that’s a big mistake.

All eyes turn to Cssper.

He swallowed hard and said to me in a trembling voice.

“Do… Do you know who I am? I, I am Wade! Wade! Do you think you’ll be safe after messing with me?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at this threat.

“Ha! If you’re Wade, that’s fine. Just use that power to get reinstated. Go ahead, try your best.”

“You, you bastard…!”

He seemed to have finally grasped the full seriousness of the situation, his face turning pale.

He probably thought he was looking down on someone from a less influential family as usual, but regardless of family influence, there was a world of difference between his rank and mine.

Ruan was sneering at Casper, saying, “Stupid fool, unable to use proper judgment due to jealousy…” while Denian, Joshua, and Yubel were shaking their heads.

Thinking that I wouldn’t listen to reason, he shifted his gaze to Dorofei.

“Dorofei! Say something!”

“That’s cowardly, Casper.” Dorofei looked at them with cold eyes. “I… I’ve always told you guys. Don’t speak ill of Ars. That Ars isn’t that kind of person. Always, always, always, always I’ve said it. Yet you still did this. And now you’re asking me to mediate? That’s cowardly!”

“What…”

Dorofei getting angry.

They say that when usually quiet people get angry, it’s scary, but it didn’t feel that way.

He just showed a more decisive side than usual.

“Before, you might have thought it wasn’t wrong to do that. But now it’s become wrong. So you should rightfully face the consequences.”

“I, I didn’t know it would turn out like this! I just… Told the truth…! What the others said has nothing to do with me!”

Dorofei glared at Casper with contemptuous eyes. “I’m disappointed. If you had said you’d take responsibility alone, I might have reconsidered… But trying to escape by yourself. And you know what, even the ‘truth’ you claim to have spoken is wrong.”

Dorofei spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. “You say there are no families or soldiers following Ars? That’s wrong. My Grimwood Count family will support Ars!”

The declaration of support from the Grimwood Count family, one of the high-ranking noble families among the Counts, considered part of the great nobility.

This was the final nail in the coffin.

As the situation concluded, the officer raised his voice.

“That’s enough! Get out now!”

The guys, trembling and unable to take any action.

The officer sighed and ended up calling the guards near the academy to drag them out.

The Casper faction caused a commotion, crying and wailing.

Casper was dragged out with a face that looked as if his soul had left his body.

***

Large-scale dismissals due to insubordination and the declaration of support from Count Grimwood.

This news stirred up the nobility.

Most of the dismissed cadets were children of noble families.

Moreover, even Casper was dismissed.

“Haa! Haa…!”

Casper, unable to contain his excitement, breathed heavily.

Without even thinking to knock, he barged into Gilbert’s office.

“Lord Gilbert!”

“….”

Upon seeing Casper, Gilbert didn’t hide his contemptuous gaze. Now he openly criticized him. “You fool. How dare you show your face here.”

“L-Lord Gilbert…?”

“I’ve heard everything. How could you do something so stupid!”

“I-I just…!”

“Just what! You were jealous? Because you lost the position of general? You can’t control your petty jealousy for the sake of your ambition!”

“Ugh…!”

Casper gritted his teeth, knelt down, and bowed his head. “I have no excuse! It’s my fault, please forgive me!”

“Forgive? Me? Why should I? The one you should be asking forgiveness from is that Elaine fellow!”

“….”

“You don’t want to, do you? Haha! You still haven’t realized your mistake. You’re just begging me to save face.” Gilbert speaks coldly. “I’m afraid I can’t cover this up for you either.”

“W-Why not!”

“Isn’t it obvious!”

Ars was appointed general by the king’s sole decision. In such a situation, to commit insubordination the very next day is tantamount to challenging the king.

If Gilbert were to cover this up, it would mean he’s siding with it.

So no noble could sweep this incident under the rug.

“I-I’m known as Wade. If we use that aspect…”

“You’re not really Wade. Many people know that. To cover it up that way, you’d need to bring someone like Juras Pamilion at least. Is that possible for you? Even I can’t do that! Apologize to Elaine. That’s the only way you can stay in the military.”

“I refuse. I don’t want to bow my head to that guy! Another way… Please tell me another way!”

“There is no other way. Unless you become the head of the Millias family… So go to Elaine right now and apologize!”

“…I understand.”

Casper left the office with slumped shoulders.

***

Not long after, Erina came to visit.

“Father, you called for me.”

“Ah, yes. Sit down.”

Erina observed Gilbert’s expression.

“What’s the matter…?”

Gilbert nods and says.

“You must have heard about what happened today.”

“Yes… It’s become big news throughout the academy.”

“Ars Elaine. He’s a fearsome fellow. To wield power so ruthlessly as soon as he gets it.”

“I don’t think that’s the case. Lord Elaine isn’t someone who acts on personal emotions.”

“Well, Casper was greatly at fault this time. More importantly, Erina. How’s your relationship with him?”

“Re-relationship…?”

“Have you won his heart?” Erina’s face turned as red as a tomato.

Recently, her relationship with Ars has been very good. She didn’t know what kind of change of heart Ars had, but from a certain day, he had become gentler.

If before he intentionally ignored her goodwill, now he was responding to kindness with kindness.

It was her personal prediction, but she thought they would soon become lovers.

‘No, maybe we’ve already become that kind of relationship….’

However, she couldn’t reveal such a relationship. After all, she had family matters to consider.

‘I envy Estelle who doesn’t have the constraints of a family.’

Her father, Gilbert, wanted to use Ars somehow.

There’s no way the clever Ars wouldn’t notice that. So if approached in that way, Ars would try to distance himself. That means distancing himself from her too.

The relationship they’ve built up until now could vanish like a bubble. There are many good people around Ars, so he would soon forget someone like her.

‘Should I just leave the family?’

If Ars had been from another kingdom, she might have done so.

But as they belonged to the same Calliper Kingdom, there was no point in abandoning her family and going to Ars. It would only cause trouble.

So for now, she had no choice but to deny it.

“We’re not in that kind of relationship yet. He’s such a dense person. Even if we sent a marriage proposal, I think he’d refuse.”

It was almost unheard of for a baronial family to refuse a marriage proposal from a ducal family, but even Gilbert understood the situation now. “That would be the case now. He’s gained enormous power. He won’t easily agree to a marriage proposal. Sigh! It’s troublesome that he belongs to the Hellian faction. If it weren’t for that, there wouldn’t be this much to worry about.”

Still, Gilbert decided to rationalize that it was okay.

Because there was Altior who had been appointed as the Grand General.

“As father expands his influence in the military, it will naturally keep him in check.”

Moreover, Ars wasn’t an enemy. He just belonged to the Hellian faction. He was maintaining an amicable relationship with them too.

There’s almost no possibility of war for the time being anyway.

So for now, they’ll watch the situation.

However, an event beyond Gilbert’s imagination would soon occur.

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TL NOTE:

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