I was led to the barracks of Albert-niisan’s private army. While usually home to only a few dozen soldiers, the headcount had swelled to roughly three hundred. He had likely recalled those stationed on other duties to bolster the ranks.
"Oh, what a sight. This many people are going to fight under you, Albert-niisan?"
"Hardly. No matter how many Magic Swords we have, this few soldiers won’t be able to accomplish much. However, by my estimation, I expect the number to eventually grow to around twenty thousand."
"That many?! Ah, I see. You’ll be recruiting from the commoners."
It was common for farmers and commoners to volunteer for war or monster culling. Since they were putting their lives on the line, the pay was quite lucrative. I had participated a few times myself in my previous life.
But Albert-niisan shook his head.
"That’s not a bad idea, but a motley crew lacks morale, and the quality drops significantly. It would be too much for them to handle monsters. This time, I’m taking a different approach. ...Well, just watch."
"I see..."
Albert-niisan gave a wink and stood before the soldiers.
"Everyone, I am glad you could gather here. It pleases me."
At his words, the soldiers’ expressions turned uneasy. They were reasonably accustomed to combat, but they had never experienced a battle of this scale. I remember being quite anxious the first time I went to war in my previous life, too. ...Though in the end, my greed for materials won out, and I participated frequently after that to fund my research expenses.
Albert-niisan looked over the troops and gave a wry smile.
"Now, now, don't look so anxious. This is an opportunity, you know?"
He paused for a breath before continuing.
"All of you are third and fourth sons of noble families who cannot inherit your houses. I took you in when you were struggling to survive. However, I didn’t do so simply out of pity. You are different from the eldest sons who were born with everything, or the second sons who received the leftovers. You are the ones who had to acquire the means to survive with your own hands. You possess mental fortitude! This Stampede is a national crisis unlike any we have faced before. Those who achieve merit shall be granted whatever they desire—rewards that cannot even be compared to what your older brothers have back at your family homes!"
Before I knew it, the soldiers had lifted their heads. Their darkened expressions brightened, and the light returned to their eyes. After looking over them once more, Albert-niisan nodded with satisfaction.
"Yes, that’s the spirit. After all, you have Magic Swords that haven't even been properly deployed in Big brother Shneider's unit. Furthermore, anticipating such an event, I have had you circulate through various parts of the city to make your names known. If you call out, talented people and funds will surely gather. Now, everyone—all that's left is to achieve merit!"
A thunderous roar of cheers erupted. The uneasy faces from moments ago were gone; the soldiers’ morale had reached its peak.
"Heh, stoking their inferiority complex before dangling a reward, eh? Quite skillful," Grimo remarked.
"Yes, they are people who have always been smoldering. If they have the weapons and the means to prove themselves, they will certainly find motivation," Jiriel added.
They were both impressed by Albert-niisan’s handling of the situation. He really was good at this sort of thing. The soldiers were completely fired up.
"Umu. Now then, since morale has sufficiently risen, let me introduce my Vice Commanders. First, as you all likely know: the Seventh Prince, Lloyd di Saloom!"
...Clap, clap, clap. Sparse applause was sent my way, and I responded with a wave. The excitement from a moment ago had died down so much it felt like a dream. Well, I was still a child, after all. I had made sure to let others take the credit so I wouldn't stand out, so it was only natural for the soldiers to feel uneasy about me.
"None of these guys get it. If they just follow Master Lloyd, they’d be guaranteed great merit right then and there," Grimo grumbled.
"Yes, how foolish. To not even perceive the power of my master," Jiriel muttered.
They were both grumbling, but no one would want to work under a child. Albert-niisan seemed to understand that as well, as he was wearing a wry smile. If that was the case, I wondered why he had made me a Vice Commander in the first place.
"...Er, and one more person. Saias, come forward."
"Yes!"
A man who had been at the front of the formation stepped forward. He had long golden hair and sharp eyes. When Saias stood beside Albert-niisan and bowed, a thunderous round of applause broke out. It was a complete reversal from my introduction; the excitement was incredible.
"He's really popular."
"Saias Low Revenant. He is the third son of House Revenant, one of the top ten great noble families in Saloom," Sylpha explained, sounding a bit indignant. "He graduated as the valedictorian of the National Magic Academy, then went on to a military academy to study tactics. He is an excellent individual who commands deep trust from the soldiers, and as a Mage, he is said to possess strength second only to Master Albert... though any discussion of strength that does not include Master Lloyd is utterly meaningless."
The National Magic Academy... wasn't that the school I attended in my previous life? How nostalgic. Saias looked to be around thirty or so. If I had lived in my previous life, I would have been around that age. Perhaps we might have been in the same year. That said, the Academy was mostly for high society, and as a commoner, I didn't have any friends, so he wouldn't be an acquaintance.
While I was lost in thought, I noticed Saias was looking at me.
"Hello, you must be Lloyd-kun. I have heard the rumors. They say you are a Mage so skilled that, at only ten years old, you are considered Master Albert’s right hand."
"No, haha... I think that’s an overestimation..."
I wondered when such a rumor had started spreading. I thought I was being low-key.
"Regardless, let us join forces as fellow Vice Commanders to repel this national crisis."
Saias held out his hand, and I accepted the handshake. At that moment, I felt him pour magic power into his right hand. Oh, how nostalgic. This was Magic Matching. It was a sort of game where two people tried to match their magic power quantities as quickly and accurately as possible. I see, so he wanted to deepen our friendship this way. ...There.
When I immediately matched his magic power, Saias looked a bit surprised. He quickly readjusted, and I immediately matched him again. There, hop, ta-da. ...Hmm, I wondered why he kept the levels so low. It was actually harder to match because the quantity was so minuscule.
After repeating this several times, Saias finally let go of my hand. Good grief, was it finally over? Regardless, this should have deepened our friendship significantly. Thinking that, I smiled at him, but Saias was wearing a troubled expression for some reason.
"...Is something the matter, Saias?"
"Ah, no! My apologies. I was just... lost in thought. Forgive me, Lloyd-kun; please excuse my lapse."
Saias immediately broke into a smile and withdrew his hand. I wondered what was wrong with him.
"...I thought I’d test him a little, but I’m surprised," Saias muttered under his breath. "I underestimated him because of his age, but to think he has nearly as much magic power as I do. Truly, he is worthy of being called Master Albert’s right hand. However, I wasn’t being serious yet. No matter how much magic power he has, he’s still just a child. I shall teach him that in war, many more factors determine victory or defeat. Hehe."
He was muttering something to himself, but he was likely just feeling the pressure of being a Vice Commander. He was being entrusted with this many soldiers. People would actually die based on my command. Thinking about that made even me feel a little tense.
"I want the two Vice Commanders to lead them and gather more soldiers. If possible, I would like you to gather five thousand. Meet my expectations. ...Now, dismissed!"
At Albert-niisan’s command, the soldiers dispersed. Watching them leave, I considered my options.
Gathering five thousand soldiers... they would probably use their connections to hire mercenaries, but that didn't change the fact that I’d be entrusted with human lives. Hmm, it’s fine for me to do whatever I want, but I don’t really have a taste for involving others in danger. I’d heard that when soldiers die, the commander has to go apologize to their families. Is there some way I can avoid taking that kind of responsibility...
"—That’s it! If I use that...!"
I could gather a massive number of soldiers, and what's more, I could enjoy a large-scale battle without a single one of them actually being killed. Now that I’d decided, I’d better get started on the preparations immediately.