Chapter 407

Mile Chapter 407: Leisure Story The Burning Man 2

「No, no. There’s no rank limit written, but it’s implied that you must be C-rank or higher to take such a request…」(Receptionist onee-san)

「Ah, I’m C-rank though」(Mile)

「「「「「「EEEEEHHHH」」」」」」(Everyone)

The loud collective cry echoed throughout the guild, Again.

Well, at the place where there is no hunter training school, usually you can register as an F-rank hunter at 10 years old. But you can’t rise to C-rank, 3 ranks, in just a few years.

Certainly, there is a skip system at the time of registration, but Mile dressed as a swordsman and her physique didn’t look like she could be skip-registered to D rank or C rank.

If she is a magician, it’s not impossible for her to have ridiculous talent. However, as she dressed as a swordsman, people judged her through her physique, muscles, how she walks, movement of the center of gravity, alertness, intimidation air, and facial expression, etc.

…Everything about her shows that she is an amateur.

If anything, she is E-rank, it’s definitely not C-rank skill.

Everyone here could say so with confidence.

With a suspicious eye, the Receptionist onee-san silently stares at Mile.

Inevitably, Mile pulled out a chained-pendant type from the inside of her clothes.

Then, she showed it to the receptionist.

「Yes, here you go…」(Mile)

「Eh…, Ah, yes… Hey, EEEEHHH!!」(Receptionist onee-san)

Astonishingly, the receptionist’s eyes were opened wide.

Yes, it was a Hunter registration certificate.

The rank will decide what material and letter designed on the front side. While the branch and registration number are engraved on the backside.

Look at it from both sides, you will know the hunter name, rank, job type.

「C-rank Magician~!?」(Receptionist onee-san)

「「「「「「She isn’t a swordsman」」」」」」(Everyone)

So, the request was taken successfully.

The Receptionist and local hunters were desperately trying to stop her but in order to stop a full-fledged C-rank hunter to take a request, the guild master must officially announce the sound reason.

If he did that for no good reason, members of the guild wouldn’t accept it.

But when Mile added more, “That’s my homeland…”, no one stopped her anymore.

And while Mile isn’t related to the Baron, it’s no lie that the Brandel Kingdom is Mile’s homeland.

…Well, even without telling them the reason, they wouldn’t be able to stop her from taking the request.

And then Mile departed.

Crossing the border from that place, normally you need 1 day to reach but Mile is walking twice the normal speed now which means she will only need half a day.

The destination is the baron land…

＊ ＊ ＊

Kelvin von Barium

The fifth son of the Baron family in the Kingdom of Brandel, which is by no means wealthy.

He is the son of the second wife.

Even though his mother is called the second wife, she isn’t formal concubine but a maid, who her master got interested in. After she gave birth to Kelvin, she became a mistress.

In this country, noble and royalty’s concubines are officially-authorized wives. Their life will be well-taken-care off, their children’s rights are also recognized.

On the other hand, “Mistress” is a shaded existence and their rights aren’t guaranteed. They don’t know when their husband changed his mind and be thrown away.

But Baron Barium and his wife were considered as good as aristocrats.

Both the maid and her child were welcomed and taken care of as family members.

…They are quite nice people.

Especially the wife.

Kelvin, who entered the Ekland Academy, met his lifelong rival there.

…(or at least) From the perspective of Kelvin.

Far from their rivals, the other side (Adel/Mile) only perceived him as an annoying beetle.

Kelvin was unilaterally hostile to her, but one day, she couldn’t take it anymore and reprimanded him.

He received enthusiastic words about “How to be a nobleman”, no, “how to live like a man” and opened his eyes to his own way of life.

And after graduating from school, as those who are from lower-class Ekland Academy will not be able to succeed (raise high rank), Kelvin avoided the Guard Army that wouldn’t give good treatment to anyone other than those who were from the advanced Ardrey Academy from the beginning.

He decided to join the lord army of his family.

The territorial army consists of general soldiers, noncommissioned officers from volunteers and forced recruitment soldiers,

And of course, as the Lord child, he got the preferential treatment of being an officer.

It’s common to have the third or younger son to join the army and raise them to become mid-level officers for the future. But of course, the command of the entire lord army is left to trusted vassals…

No matter how amateur he can be, it’s not possible to put a noble under a commoner, so even if he is still young and immature, he is still treated as an officer from the beginning.

And if he is a minor, he would be either an officer apprentice or a cadet candidate.

But whether or not he can be recognized as a superior, gets trusted by his subordinates, especially other officers is a different story from the rank given from the beginning.

Kelvin was hired as a cadet by the Baron’s territory army, facing the border with the neighboring Alban Empire.

As for the Baron, he would welcome hiring personnel to take command in dangerous situations, but for Kelvin, he would acquire the knowledge and skills of the field here, so he was enthusiastic.

And he had no intention working as an officer in such a small Baron’s Lord army for the rest of his life.

The Lord of the small territory Lord Army would be the Baron himself, only his heir could become the next Lord.

Any high-rank officer slots will be given to second or third brother.

As for Kelvin, he was hired as an extra officer, who is mostly in charge of chores, troublesome work, and dangerous work.

So no matter how hard you work, Kelvin can never raise his rank.

An aristocrat would never want to get such a job, so, he would gladly let Kelvin, who is in a weak position of the Mistress’ son, to take his place.

And then, one day…

「The Imperial Army is invading?」(Kelvin)

「That’s right!

I will go to ask his Majesty to send the reinforcements.

I hereby appoint you as an officer, so defend my territory until we return with the reinforcements.

It’s not possible to escape!

If you run away, the enemy will chase you,

No, before that, you will be punished for abandoning the territory!」(Baron Aleymen)

Putting all responsibility on Kelvin, who has only been hired for a few months, the Baron planned to escape with his family, his vassals, and subordinates, that’s why he ordered Kelvin as such.

Normally, he wasn’t allowed to escape without permission.

But then appointed Kelvin, his son to be in charge of defending his territory, he could report that his family has fought hard to protect his territory, he could also save the honor of his family.

Suddenly Kelvin was appointed as an officer, although his father insisted “We went to request reinforcements” but Kelvin thought it was rather like “He pressed everything to the apprentice officer”

However, the Barium family has treated him, a mistress’ son like a family member. Running away here would taint Baron Barium family name so Kelvin agreed.

Similarly, some other soldiers of the Lord army, who have been drawn to the bad pick, they have no choice but to protect the territory.

Yes, the soldiers whose themselves, their family and relatives are all from this territory,

The soldiers who could not escape against the lord’s orders.

Information on the Imperial invasion was known at a very early stage.

In this era, it would not be possible to completely conceal military actions.

The country intelligence unit is always paying attention to such things, such as hiring mercenaries, purchasing goods, and preparing for transportation. They will immediately understand.

And, as he has the territory facing the border, the Baron has always been paying attention to the Empire’s news.

It seems like he had eyes at the bar in the Imperial City, something like “If something happens, just let me know and I’ll buy that information.”

He had a lot of time to spare.

He didn’t think it would work but he formally put requests to recruit personnel from mercenary guilds and hunter guilds in the neighboring town.

But the recruitment just extended to a friendly neighborhood town near the borders just around the corner.

…Of course, there are no idiots who want to join in the battle of the Earl’s Army versus Baron’s Army, while the Earl’s Army has been prepared and ready to attack.

On the contrary, looking at the announcement of the Baron’s mercenary recruitment, people might want to join the empire side instead.

Eventually, all the Aristocrats, senior officers fled, leaving only Kelvin, non-commissioned officers, and a handful of recruited soldiers to fight against the enemies at this (a mere small nameless town).

The reason why they don’t fight at the border is, of course, to impose a supplementary burden on the opponent.

And if they fight in the Baron’s territory, the field of the Baron’s Territory will be destroyed.

But well, it’s no use giving priority to not ruining the field if the Lord Army is destroyed in the battle, the territory will be robbed by the enemy.

「The acting commander has pulled out the poor lottery…」(Senile Officer)

「Acting Commander? Such a big responsibility…」(Kelvin)

Kelvin has a bitter smile when he is called an “Acting Commander” by a senile officer.

「No, all the higher-up guys were gone, you are the only officer left,

And you make a fine Commander!」(Senile Officer)

「…Is that so…」(Kelvin)

When he says it like that, it’s true.

Since Kelvin is the highest rank in the field, he is the commander now.

Kelvin, who is already 14 years old because his birthday is early. Because he is similar to the Western people on Earth, and he had been training since he was a child, so he got a good physique.

So it will be fine even if he fights against adults.

…But still, he still need nearly a year to reach the adult age of 15.

Kelvin was about the age of his grandson but the veteran senile officer has properly recognized him.

Perhaps because he didn’t behave like other high-rank officers, Kelvin has gained “trust from his men” over the last few months.

And…

The Imperial Army has finally arrived in the Baron’s territory.

…Actually, it’s not the Imperial national army, but the Lord army that is adjacent to this land. But for the people of this country, it’s the same because it’s “Invading Army from the Alban Empire”.

「Alright, let’s go」(Kelvin)

This is just a Baron’s land.

The territory is just a small town, there’s no fort or castle.

So, Kelvin couldn’t fight in town, the townspeople would be involved in the battle, which only caused more damage.

Therefore, he went out of the territory and fought in front of it.

Although their annihilation is inevitable, the Lord Army must fight to protect the territory.

So that even after being occupied by the enemy, they won’t be underestimated as a “Coward Town”

And when the Royal Army recaptured it, it won’t be disdained as “the town of traitors who running away without fighting”

…In return the kindness for the Barium family who raised him, a mistress’s child, as a member of the family. And, he considered it’s an honor that he could command the Lord army and fight well to protect the territory even he is still young.

Thinking so, Kelvin led the army and left the territory.

But before that, he told the soldiers:

「If you wish for it, you are allowed to leave this group.

Change to plain clothes and stand among the people of the territory as ordinary people.

And as a commoner, live happily…」(Kelvin)

And Kelvin led the troops, which had been cut in half, stood up before the territory…