Became The Son Of The Final Boss [EN]: Chapter 152

152.

The evening meeting was led by Ken.

It was natural for the strategist to lead the operation meeting, but the commanders, many of whom were still unfamiliar with Ken, didn’t look too happy.

“Does this lack of focus mean you have a better strategy than the strategist, or are you so outstanding that you don’t even need to listen?” Ken asked, his voice sharp.

Andre, like all the other commanders, was a noble.

I had appointed Ken as the strategist, Hamilton as the commander of the assassination squad, and Riorden and David as the commander and vice-commander of my personal knights.

All of them came from commoner or slave backgrounds, not noble families. David was from a fallen noble family, but mercenaries were generally considered no different from commoners.

Inside the temporary barracks, the commanders seemed to maintain an invisible wall between themselves and my subordinates.

‘I have to be firm this time,’ I thought. ‘The only ones they acknowledge are Olivia and Gale. I think they doubt my ability to command on the battlefield because of my young age.’

Of course, they only showed it subtly and didn’t directly express their dissatisfaction.

I figured any doubts about me could be resolved on the battlefield.

What remained was their discrimination against my subordinates’ social standing.

Hamilton had been granted the title of Baron by his father, and Ken, David, and Riorden had been given positions by me, but I couldn’t grant them noble titles.

‘It’s fortunate that Ken was once appointed as a strategist by Father, and his position is maintained in this expedition…,’ I mused.

I sighed as I watched the commanders staring blankly at Riorden and David despite my somewhat stern words.

“Let’s end the meeting here and rest for tomorrow’s march,” I announced.

There was no point in trying to force harmony.

I felt frustrated.

‘I’ve encountered an obstacle from the very beginning of the expedition.’

This was unexpected. I hadn’t anticipated the other commanders would discriminate against Riorden and David and openly antagonize Hamilton.

I was so focused on successfully leading the Eastern Expedition that I never considered the harmony of the allied commanders.

The central nobles were still resentful of Hamilton receiving a title, and many openly expressed their dissatisfaction.

I belatedly realized that Andre was the only one who somewhat acknowledged Hamilton.

“Damn it,” I muttered.

Olivia was slightly surprised by my rough language, and Ken smiled as if he had guessed what was going on.

“Many nobles have dispatched their knights for this expedition. It’s one army, but it’s no different from mixing several armies together. I expected the issue of status discrimination to some extent.”

“It’s fortunate that they listen to the strategist to some extent… but it seems like they have almost no trust in the strategy itself. This is bound to cause problems.”

Forcing them to submit would be meaningless. It’s really hard to erase discriminatory attitudes from the depths of their hearts.

‘I have to make them acknowledge our abilities.’

“If Commander Hamilton brings Lillian’s head, everyone’s gaze will change. Gale and Olivia are not subject to their discrimination in the first place, and all that’s left is me, David, and Riorden.”

“The fact that they are my direct subordinates also seems to be fueling their resentment.”

“The Commander has placed those he trusts most in key positions. And I believe that I, David, and Riorden are the most outstanding of the commanders, so I have no complaints about the Commander’s placement,” Olivia cautiously interjected.

“Their resentment is also related to the Commander’s dignity. Rule them strictly.”

I shook my head.

“No. Ruling strictly may bring control, but it won’t foster true harmony. Not being able to trust your comrades in war is dangerous. Harmony among the commanders is essential.”

I looked at Ken and asked, “Do you have any good ideas?”

“The border is not far away. Once we cross it, we’ll be in the territory of the Pyreon Kingdom. Although His Majesty has conquered it, there are still rebels scattered throughout, waging guerrilla warfare against the Imperial Army.”

Ken’s eyes sparkled.

“We need to showcase Riorden and David’s abilities against the guerrilla forces first. And we also need to apply the part about ruling strictly that Olivia mentioned.”

“What do you mean?”

A smile spread across Ken’s face.

“The easiest way to make someone acknowledge another’s ability is through comparison.”

“Comparison?”

“Yes. Divide the troops and suppress the guerrilla forces.”

Ken added, “Don’t think of it as sacrificing soldiers. Disbelief in Riorden and David is not limited to the commanders.”

“You don’t mean even among the soldiers….”

“Mercenaries are one of the most despised professions. David is a famous mercenary with the nickname ‘Dull Sword,’ and Riorden is the same, but that’s only in the mercenary world.”

The problem was more serious than I thought.

I had to gain the trust of the soldiers who followed me, not just the fellow commanders.

I leaned back deeply in my chair.

“His Majesty will be deploying according to our schedule anyway. We’ll take this opportunity to clean up the Pyreon guerrilla forces. In the process….”

Ken’s smile deepened.

“We will make sure to show a clear difference. By the time we arrive in Kailaha, no one will doubt us.”

Ken confidently concluded, “We will make even those who despise us for our status acknowledge us.”

* * *

It was only after marching for about ten days from the capital that we reached the border.

The Marquis of the Frontier, who was in charge of the eastern border, welcomed us generously.

Since the area beyond the border was practically a combat zone, I gave the soldiers ample time to rest.

Ken was in close communication with the Imperial Palace.

I heard that Father was slowly preparing to deploy.

And I never mentioned the harmony of the commanders or the issue of the soldiers’ trust in my subordinates.

Riorden and David also had parts they had to overcome on their own, and there were parts I could help with, so now was the time for them to build trust and abandon prejudice on their own.

‘Once we cross the border, it’s time to prove ourselves.’

That was no different for me.

The fact that I stabilized the West, prevented the revival of evil forces, and caught the Wyvern was all just results.

Those who didn’t witness the process didn’t fully believe it, no matter how great my achievements were.

Everyone knew that I was a high-ranking spirit master [a magic user specializing in spirits], but my level and war command ability were separate abilities.

I also steeled my resolve and crossed the border.

And on the first night after crossing the border, all the commanders gathered in my barracks.

“Commander Hamilton and Commander Andre will naturally separate from the main force during tomorrow’s march to carry out the assassination operation,” Ken announced.

Everyone was focused for once at Ken’s words.

It seemed that they were somewhat nervous because they knew they couldn’t sleep comfortably from this point forward.

The direction of the war changed depending on the chief strategist’s operation, so they were all taking a stance to listen for now.

Ken spread out the entire map of the Pyreon Kingdom and calmly proceeded with the meeting.

“Here are four locations. These are the presumed main bases of the Pyreon Kingdom’s guerrilla forces. We will clear all four of these bases before arriving in Kailaha.”

A knight raised his hand.

“Yes,” Ken acknowledged.

The knight, boasting a dark beard, spoke without hesitation, “Do we have time to waste on guerrilla forces? The Sword Masters of Kailaha already know about our deployment and are even monitoring our route through spies. If the march time is delayed, it will only give the enemies more time to prepare.”

Ken smiled gently.

“Then are you saying that we can destroy Kailaha by marching at maximum speed and besieging it upon arrival? And that the enemies won’t be able to defend because we are marching quickly?”

The knight frowned. Just as he was about to open his mouth, thinking that he was being nitpicked, Ken continued.

“We march at maximum speed and start the siege of Kailaha. If the guerrilla forces gather into one unit and strike the rear, how would you respond? There are already three Sword Masters [elite swordsmen]. If Commander Hamilton fails, there is also an 8th circle mage [a very powerful mage]. What if the Sword Masters stir up the battlefield and the 8th circle mage unleashes a wide range of magic? And what if a large army suddenly attacks from the rear?”

The knight closed his mouth.

“The first thing that must be done to recover Kailaha is for Commander Hamilton to bring Lillian’s head. If anyone has any questions about this, please speak up.”

No one questioned the assassination operation.

Ken spoke as if he had the momentum to say, ‘If Hamilton can’t do it, then you do it.’

Everyone was underestimating Hamilton’s ability, but at the same time, everyone felt that no one could replace him.

“Commander Hamilton and Commander Andre have a very important mission. The failure of the assassination operation is no different from the defeat of this war.”

Groans erupted here and there. As they felt that their fate was in someone’s hands, they had no choice but to hope that Hamilton would succeed.

“The next thing is rear security. Since the 1st Eastern Expeditionary Force withdrew as it was, there are only defensive forces in the key locations of the Pyreon Kingdom, and the rest of the territory is practically defenseless. That’s why the scale of the guerrilla forces has grown.”

“Then how about dividing the troops to strike the guerrilla forces? The strategist’s words are somewhat correct, but it is also true that time is running out. We are already behind in elite forces, so we must not give the enemies more time to conscript soldiers. If there are additional troop dispatches from the Kingdom Alliance, we will have even less chance of winning.”

Ken nodded at the properly presented opinion.

“Yes. We will divide the troops. The guerrilla forces are a large army when gathered in one place, but they are divided into four locations. So we will also divide the troops, simultaneously suppress the guerrilla bases, and then immediately head here.”

Ken marked a point on the map.

“We will gather here. Gathering near Kailaha would be dangerous, as we could be defeated individually by the Sword Masters.”

“We cannot assume that the enemies will leave the castle. It would be faster to gather near Kailaha.”

Ken shook his head.

“There is no guarantee that the Sword Masters will only be holed up in the castle. How much would the Sword Masters fear the expeditionary force without His Majesty, unless His Majesty is present?”

I summarized, “The main force will take charge of one location, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd units will be divided to suppress the guerrilla bases. The meeting point is the point the strategist mentioned. Gale will take charge of the 1st unit, Riorden will take charge of the 2nd unit, and the 3rd unit….”

I looked around at the knights.

‘That guy would be good.’

I designated Count Dareon, who had the greatest voice and influence among the commanders.

He was one of the central nobles who directly participated in the war.

The nobles who only sent knights bore the burden of not only the knights but also the supplies, and they also drafted soldiers.

The nobles who directly joined the unit only sent a knight order.

Count Dareon joined the unit because he was confident that he could survive the war himself and wanted to spare his knights.

He was one of the main figures of the noble faction among the central nobles and was known as a confidant of the head of the Beregon family.

As expected, he despised Hamilton for being a slave and looked down on Riorden and David for being mercenaries.

Of course, as a central noble, he was accustomed to hiding his true feelings. He was the type to mobilize those under his influence to attack the three and only smile kindly himself.

“Commander Dareon, is it possible?” I asked.

Although he was a count, he was in charge of the knight order in the military formation.

As one of the commanders, he was the commander of the knight order he brought with him.

“Of course, Commander,” he replied.

“Then Strategist Ken will select the locations that the main unit, including me and Olivia, as well as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd units, must take charge of.”

Ken smiled gently.

“Yes, Commander.”

The main unit with me and Olivia, and Gale’s 1st unit, took charge of places that were not difficult.

Rather, Riorden’s 2nd unit, which had no Sword Master, and Dareon’s 3rd unit, took charge of the guerrilla bases known to be large in scale.

The bases in charge of the 2nd and 3rd units were not only large in scale, but the terrain of the bases themselves was also disadvantageous for the besieging side.

“How about I take charge of the location that Commander Riorden is in charge of? Isn’t it one of the key locations in the Pyreon Kingdom?” Dareon asked.

Could the hidden meaning be that Riorden’s ability makes it impossible to suppress it?

Ken replied briefly to Dareon’s words, “It was selected considering the capabilities of Commander Riorden’s unit.”

Dareon was experienced.

“Yes. It can’t be wrong since it’s the strategist’s insight.”

The meaning of Dareon’s smile was simple: ‘You’re going to hold the strategist responsible for the failure.’

I had no choice but to smile along with Ken.

Because I, Ken, and Riorden believed without a doubt that we were superior to Dareon.