Chapter 92
A neighbor is a term that refers to the person living next door, the person living downstairs, the person living upstairs, and so on.
However, just as noise between floors is easily heard when close together, the neighboring Pescara and ssina had traditionally been on bad terms.
And being on bad terms with a neighboring country also ant they had waged wars so nurous they were recorded multiple tis in history books.
If it weren't for the money problems, Pescara and ssina would never have joined forces against Fasa.
But seeing Rene get beaten to a pulp by Rhom evoked a sense of sympathy even in Luca.
Rhom had crushed Rene as if twisting a child's arm.
Compared to a proper knight who had rolled in the mud, the young master of a prestigious family was no match.
Realizing this fact, Rene's spirits were completely dampened.
Luca approached Rene to console him and spoke.
“I'm sorry about what happened earlier.”
As he said this, Luca offered a gentle smile.
Hearing the kind words, Rene's eyes widened.
“You bastard, are you mocking now?”
Luca's face hardened at the aggression Rene displayed.
Luca had overlooked how sensitively an adolescent boy's feelings would take the recent defeat.
That was precisely the problem.
One should never approach a wounded animal.
Being beaten in front of others had shattered Rene's pride, and he was ashad of being laughed at by others. (Though in reality, no one had laughed.)
When Luca spoke to him and even smiled at such a mont, Rene perceived it as mockery.
“What are you looking at? Is this funny?”
Rene's decision might have been because Luca seed like an easy target, or because he didn't like Luca's handso appearance.
Or perhaps it was because Rhom hadn't broken his spirit enough.
However, Luca was not as soft as he looked.
By the ti Rene said, "What are you looking at," Luca had already clenched his fists.
The Orso family was also a prestigious family of Pescara.
They did not simply back down after being insulted for no reason.
The Orso family had not taught Luca to do so.
Thwack!
“You ssina pig!”
“Ack! A Pescara bastard is hitting people!”
***
I listened to the screams coming from the training ground as I sipped the coffee Theo poured for .
God must have blessed caffeine when He created this world.
“Sweet.”
“The screams?”
What kind of talk is that, Theo.
“What do you take for? I was talking about the coffee. And I'm not that cruel of a person.”
“I don't know who would agree with that, but fine, take a look at this.”
“What's this?”
I scanned the paper Theo handed .
“It's a list of the people who have joined the rcenary company this ti. I thought you should take a look.”
“Well, what could be so special about it?”
Honestly, wondering what great figures could possibly be there, I casually flipped the first page of the docunt, and my eyes imdiately widened.
“Huh? Look at this?”
“What is it?”
“There are a few nas I know.”
Theo, who leaned in from the side, read the nas I pointed to.
“Luca Orso. Rene Calaci? Do you think these guys will be alright? Have you t them before?”
“I've heard their nas.”
“Where?”
“Around.”
“Ugh, why do you have so many secrets?”
Because you wouldn't believe even if I told you.
Who would believe if I said I had the soul of a modern person?
I'd just be treated like a madman.
Instead of making excuses, I marked the nas on the list with red ink.
It was like hitting a dium jackpot on sothing I hadn't expected much from.
Unless I was mistaken, these were definitely characters who appeared in .
Of course, that didn't an they were incredibly high-performing characters.
In user evaluations, they were B- rank at best?
Then why were they important?
Because they were the right kind of talent for our rcenary company, which was weak in the mid-tier.
Due to the developers' tricks, it was impossible to fill all companion slots with aces even in the ga, and it wasn't possible for one ace to handle the work of a hundred people alone.
Now that the ga had beco reality, it was even more so.
Besides, in our company, most mbers, aside from Eleonor or Selvi Murray, didn't even appear in the ga.
But even Ishmael and Rhom showed they could perform well if given the opportunity.
So, my expectation for these two was that since they appeared in the ga, I could hope for more potential from them than from others.
“If we use these guys well, we won't have to worry about a shortage of people in the future.”
“You've never even t them, yet you have such a high opinion of them. Did you perhaps take a bribe behind my back?”
“What do you take for. It's a gut feeling. I just have a feeling about them.”
“Co on. If you've got sothing good, share it.”
“There's nothing!”
Just then, a loud noise ca from the training ground.
The sound of soone fighting.
The sound of soone trying to stop it.
Shouts, and so on.
Considering the considerable distance from the training ground to the office, it seed a major brawl had broken out.
“Hmm, surely Rhom hasn't caused trouble already? I told him that a fatal accident must never, ever happen. It hasn't even been a few hours since they joined?”
“Should I go and beat them up a little?”
“No. I'll go and check myself.”
If Rhom was to be scolded, I should be the one to do it.
I quickly grabbed my coat and rushed outside.
Finding the source of the problem wasn't difficult.
I just had to find the place where a lot of people were gathered.
When I appeared, the scene of the incident froze over.
It ant that both the rcenaries in charge of training and the new recruits were watching cautiously.
Among them, I spotted Rhom trying to sneak away and pointed my finger at him.
By the power of the rcenary captain, Rhom froze like a stone.
“Rhom, who the hell are the ones causing trouble on the very first day?”
“I'm sorry.”
“That's not what I want to hear. What is it?”
“Well, the culprits are trainee Luca Orso and trainee Rene Calaci. A fight suddenly broke out.”
“What?!”
Of all people, it had to be them?
As their nas were called, two young n with bruised faces stepped forward timidly.
At least they weren't acting up in front of the captain, and as expected, I felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if I knew who they were the mont I saw them.
“Damn it, what a bunch of unnecessarily hot-blooded guys.”
“They're at that age.”
“I wasn't like that.”
“I'm sure you were.”
Theo, who rembered this body's delinquent past, muttered skeptically.
I ignored him.
Asking why they fought here wouldn't be important.
They might not have liked the way they looked at each other, or they might not have liked each other's appearance.
But co to think of it, that was quite possible.
Even in , the fates of Luca Orso and Rene Calaci were very different.
As long as Pescara didn't fall, Luca often beca the leader or dictator of Pescara in the latter half of the ga.
On the other hand, Rene, perhaps due to the many ups and downs in his life, left his country and often served as a knight commander or rcenary captain of another nation in the later stages.
I didn't know why such a big difference occurred when both ca from prestigious family backgrounds.
There must have been a good reason for their fates to diverge.
Judging solely from the information at hand, it was clear that the two of them were not compatible.
Theo whispered from behind.
“It seems so troublemakers have joined us. Should I go beat them up a little?”
“That's enough. This is not for you to handle.”
“Aww.”
“And if you hit them, they'll die…”
I stopped whispering and looked at the rcenaries who resembled frightened ostriches.
This was also a kind of ordeal.
If I couldn't solve this, I wouldn't be able to gain the trust of my subordinates.
After racking my brain for a while, I made a decision like an adult.
“As punishnt, have those two clean the latrines for a month. They'll probably beco friends while doing it!”
***
Leon thought he had dealt with and solved the problem like an adult, but as is often the case with adult solutions, Leon's decision overlooked many things.
Especially the fact that children have their own ways.
(Since they were young n who had just passed their sixteenth birthday and had their coming-of-age ceremony, they could be called kids by Leon's modern standards.)
“Hey, kill that one!”
“No, don't kill him, just beat him up!”
“Waaaaah!”
It is difficult for neighbors to live in harmony.
The closer they are, the more clearly they see each other's flaws.
Although they had allied by chance this ti, Pescara and ssina were traditional rivals.
Moreover, they were blaming each other for the defeat in the recent war.
As a result, what seed like a minor clash between Luca and Rene began to develop into a brawl with the pride of Pescara and ssina at stake.
Every training session, one trainee after another would end up with a black eye or be carried off to the infirmary.
The people from Urdino and Fasa at least stayed back, but that fact did not bring peace to Leon's mind and body.
“Don't you think Pescara will win today?”
“Rene is stronger than Luca, but it's about ti he won.”
“Hey, hey, the captain is here.”
When there was a fight, you couldn't leave out betting.
Those who didn't participate in the brawl were naturally placing bets.
Leon, who had appeared behind them at so point, stared at the gamblers with dead eyes.
The mbers who were betting quickly overturned the board, but it was already too late.
Theo had appeared with the military police.
“Theo, write down the nas of every single person here without exception.”
“Understood.”
“And Sir Eleonor, what is a person who should be controlling her subordinates doing here?”
“I was rely recording a daily event…”
“……”
Eleonor, who was bold enough to talk back to the Duke of Aquitaine, couldn't even make an excuse under Leon's indifferent gaze.
Everyone said that the number one in the rcenary company's hierarchy was the approval docunts, second was Eleonor, and Leon was just third, but that was just a joke.
A joke is not the truth.
‘He's serious. If I talk back here, he'll get really angry.’
People naturally expect to be relied on by others in relationships, even without saying a word.
Leon's gaze, devoid of such expectation, instinctively set off alarm bells in Eleonor's brain.
“Sir Eleonor, did I ask for much?”
“I'm sorry.”
“A high-ranking officer should be helping to control the unit, not participating in gambling?”
“I'm sorry.”
“...Let's talk about this later. For today, you may go back up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Eleonor quickly gathered her subordinates and fled into the headquarters as if escaping.
In the anti, the military police suppressed the brawl.
They beat down the troublemaking fighters with clubs.
The military police were very accustod to this kind of work.
Because rcenaries getting drunk and fighting in pubs was a daily occurrence.
Leon let out a deep sigh.
“I don't know if this is so back-alley pub or the rcenary headquarters. It's a real disgrace to the company.”
“I'm sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for. This is all my karma.”
Theo kept his mouth firmly shut.
Leon was the supre commander of the rcenary company.
Of course, Leon was not without responsibility for things turning out this way.
But if he said, 'Yes, it is your fault,' here, a real life-or-death struggle could ensue.
Of course, if they really fought, Theo would win…
“Was I too lenient? Was it impossible to proceed with both at the sa ti?”
Theo felt a chill run down his spine as he heard Leon's sudden muttering.
A cold anger had surfaced on Leon's face.
The deanor of a ruler, forged through nurous incidents, was now beginning to appear in Leon as well.
That appearance reminded Theo of the traces of soone familiar.
Theo couldn't help but see that person superimposed on Leon.
‘The young master is indeed of imperial blood.’
Although everyone considered him friendly, Leon was the captain of the rcenary company.
It was unknown what would happen if Leon beca aware of his power and wielded it in earnest.
Instinctively feeling a sense of crisis at Leon's new side, Theo urgently ca to his senses and made an excuse.
“It's just that the people of Apennia are too passionate. People here are known for that one thing, aren't they.”
“Still, this isn't the way to do it, really.”
Leon's insides were boiling.
The slowdown in personnel recruitnt would hinder progress on the next plan.
But he couldn't ignore it and carry on with internal problems.
It was a problem that had to be resolved here and now.
“The old guys and the young guys are all the sa, I can't stand to look at them. These guys are causing trouble because life is too easy for them! At least they could have fought where I couldn't see them! Doing this out in the open? I can't just let this go.”
“Have you thought of any good solution?”
“I have to fix their ntality first. Even if it ans working overti because of delayed work, this won't do. If I don't improve their constitution now, it will hold back for a long ti.”
“Huck.”
Theo was dismayed at the sudden declaration of overti, but Leon had no more patience left.
Leon brought out his final solution.
“From this mont on, the rcenary company will switch to a 24-hour intensive training week. If this place feels like heaven, I'll turn it into hell.”
In the movies, the only mont earthlings, who waged war amongst themselves daily, united was when a powerful alien invaded.
To make the young n of Pescara and ssina reconcile, they needed a common enemy of that caliber.
And in Leon's mind, the angry senior rcenaries who didn't want to work overti seed more than sufficient to beco that common enemy.
Reviews
All reviews (0)