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Vol 02 Chapter 47: Soldiers

「Hmm, more people signed up than I expected.」

I observed, watching the people who had responded to the recruitment call.

We were in the midst of testing them. Surprisingly, seven hundred people showed up for the five hundred and thirty available spots.

Honestly, I’m surprised. Having fought under King Ferme for many years, I thought the people would be sick of war by now. But it seems I was wrong.

Many were conscripted for a long time and got used to life in the military. Then, when King Ferme died and they were told to go home, they found their fields had been taken from them.

When they were thinking about what to do next, they heard of this recruitment… It seems that was the reason most of them came.

The second most common reason is simply a dislike for farming.

「If I can get paid, I’d rather join the military!!」

Or so they said.

The third most common reason is a desire for advancement and status.

I was honestly expecting to fall short of the quota, so this turnout is surprising. But thinking about it, war is as common as storms on the Adernian Peninsula, so the people are not that averse to it.

◇

The competition looks fierce for the exam. That’s probably because many of those who applied are former military men.

They already understand formations, so selection will largely be based on physical fitness and age.

The composition I’m planning for the Aris army includes five hundred heavy infantry, two hundred archers, and one hundred cavalry. I already have plans for securing the cavalry, so what I need are the heavy infantry and archers.

I’ll leave the test to Boros, Ron, and Gram.

「Hey, leader. Do we have the financial leeway to hire eight hundred soldiers? I’ve heard King Ferme could barely manage these numbers with heavy taxation. And we’re not conscripting; we’re hiring. Are the finances really okay?」

「It’s tight, but we’re not in fiscal trouble, you know?」

「Why is that?」

It’s natural to be curious. Alright, Tetra, please explain.

「I’ve got it. Ron, do you know why King Ferme struggled so much?」

「Um… because the Aris territory was poor? But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be the same for us? …I don’t know.」

「Firstly, subsidies. In King Rosais’ Country, there are lords who do not border foreign lands, so they don’t need to maintain an army. Instead, they have an obligation to pay a certain amount of wheat to the country. This wheat is then distributed fairly among the lords guarding the borders. That’s why most of the border lords don’t struggle as much as King Ferme did.」

「I see… But I still think maintaining eight hundred people would be tough.」

Tetra showed Ron a piece of paper in response.

We are already mass-producing paper. We not only have the widows working on it now, but also specialized personnel and farmers seeking a small income, this increase in personnel lets us expand the production.

「The second reason is this. Sixty percent of the Aris territory’s income comes from paper. We sell this paper to Kirisian merchants. In return for the paper, we receive Kirisian jewelry, Persis glassware, and eastern spices from the merchants. We then sell these goods to the patricians in King Rosais’ Country and Adernian merchants. The payment comes in the form of wheat or salt. This way, our domain earns enough to cover the wages for eight hundred people.」

「I see…」

Ron seemed convinced.

By the way, among our clients, there are undoubtedly many patricians from King Domorgal’s Country. They don’t declare themselves as such or admit to being from King Domorgal’s Country, but…

Well, as long as they pay, they’re customers. Luxury goods won’t turn into military power no matter how you look at it, so there’s no problem selling as much as we can. In fact, the plan is to completely deplete the enemy’s resources through trade.

It’s also worth mentioning that tax embezzlement has been eradicated, which is another reason for our financial stability. Though the amount is minor…

Now that Ron seems satisfied, let’s head over to Roswald’s place. It’s time for the main topic of today.

◇

「Roswald,」

「What is it?」

「Actually, today we’re expecting the arrival of a hundred horses and fifty combat slaves from Ainz-san.」

Even someone as resourceful as Ainz-san seems to struggle with preparing three hundred horses on short notice. However, I’m surprised he could prepare a hundred in such a short period.

「And?」

「I want to entrust you with the command of the cavalry. That means I need you to take care of those fifty combat slaves.」

「Why me? Wouldn’t someone like Boros have more experience?」

I answered Roswald’s question.

「First off, Boros has no experience commanding cavalry. So, you and he are starting from the same point. Plus, out of everyone I know, you’re the best horse rider. And you’re close to Lia, right?」

Roswald blushed as I said that.

「That’s why I think the Germanis slaves will respond well to you. Your marriage with Lia, a former Germanis slave, should also contribute to that, so stop procrastinating and get married already. Also, it’s a significant factor that you can speak some Germanis.」

I returned the [Blessing of language] to Griffon-sama years ago, so communication with the Germanis slaves will be left to Lia and Roswald.

「I understand. I’ll do my best!」

Roswald nodded firmly.

◇

Several hours later, Ainz-san arrived with the horses and slaves.

「Please verify them. A hundred horses, as promised.」

「Thank you. May I ask how you managed to gather so many in such a short time?」

「Well, I already had a stock of thirty. Then, coincidentally, another Kirisian merchant brought in fifty horses, and the remaining twenty were purchased in small quantities from some nomadic settlements that exist within the Adernian Peninsula.」

Wow… it’s surprising what can be gathered.

I didn’t think about it, but there are nomadic tribes in the Adernian Peninsula too. I should make contact soon and start sourcing from them directly. Relying solely on purchases from Ainz-san can get costly.

「And these are the combat slaves. I’ve chosen ones that seem to be of good quality,」

Said Ainz-san in a tone that was entirely like that of someone selling goods. Indeed, that must be the perspective here.

I looked over the slaves in front of me. The first thing that struck me was their height, significantly taller than the average Adernian. Most had black or chestnut hair, but there were also some with blond hair and blue eyes.

「I’m Almus, your master. Nice to meet you.」

I said to the slaves, and Lia translated it into Germanis. The slaves said something back to me.

「He says he’s hungry and wants some food, he doesn’t care about anything else…」

Lia looked up at me with an uncertain face. The expression on her face seemed to question whether translating what the man was saying was a good idea.

I observed the slaves. The one who said he was hungry was a blond Germanis man in his late thirties, he was muscular with scars here and there.

The most noticeable was a scar stretching straight from the area around his ear to his chin.

He was looking at me with a smirk on his face. However, not all the slaves had such an insolent attitude as him.

In fact, many of the Germanis slaves were glaring at the blond man with a look that said, 「What the heck are you saying to him?」

「Good. Prepare some food for them. And also, heat up a bath so they can wash off the grime…,」

I instructed Lia, and she conveyed it to the slaves. The blond man’s eyes widened.

◇

After the meal, with the slaves now changed into clean clothes, Roswald addressed them.

「I’m Roswald. The Lord has placed me in charge of you. Your job is to fight as cavalry. If you achieve merits, you will be freed from slavery. I’ll also give you some pocket money.」

Roswald, with some difficulty and humorous pronunciation, managed to say those words in Germanis, aided by Lia. It was a shock to the Germanic people; it was rare for a master to adapt to the language of slaves.

「Really? ‘Work properly, and you’ll be freed from slavery’ sounds like the usual empty promise. It must be a lie,」

The blond man said with a smirk. Roswald, slightly annoyed, asked,

「What’s your name?」

「You can call me Vilgar, Master. You have a strange hobby, asking a thing for its name.」

Vilgar replied with another smirk.

「And what would make you believe my words?」

Roswald inquired.

「Hmm, I guess seeing someone who was actually freed would do…」

「I am a former slave.」

Lia interrupted Vilgar’s words.

「I have been freed.」

Hearing this, Vilgar was taken aback. He had assumed Lia was just a slave used for interpretation.

Indeed, she wore clean clothes and no collar, clearly indicating she was a freed slave.

Though Lia’s freedom came not from her achievements but from Almus’s meddling to support Roswald’s romantic pursuits, but that wasn’t important.

「So, are you willing to obey now?」

Roswald challenged Vilgar, who shook his head.

「I dislike obeying someone weaker than me. So, no thanks.」

「Then, if I prove I’m stronger than you, will you obey me?」

Roswald proposed.

At that, Vilgar smirked.

「Of course. Let’s have a joust, Master. But there’s no merit for me if I win… So, if I win, you’ll release me. You’ll accept, right? Surely, you’re not scared of losing?」

「Alright. If you win, I’ll release you. But if you lose, you must submit.」

And so, it was decided that they would have a joust.

◇

「Hey, Ainz-san. I was wondering, are Germanics a nomadic people?」

I asked while watching Roswald and the blond man prepare for the duel.

If the Germanis are nomadic people, I doubt Roswald has a chance.

「No, most Germanics are involved in farming and hunting for their livelihood. However, since their living areas are adjacent to those of nomadic tribes, they often learn horseback riding skills. Plus, the Germanic region has forests but also vast plains where good horses are bred.」

I see. So, they’re not born cavalrymen. That means Roswald could very well have a chance to win.

「What’s this?」

Goldie1 commented on the stirrup attached to the horse, which Lia immediately translated.

「This tool is called a stirrup. It helps you stabilize on the horse. It wouldn’t be fair if I used it and you didn’t,」

Roswald explained, to which Goldie snorted.

「Thanks, Master, but I’ll have it removed. I can’t use a tool I’m unfamiliar with and have never used before.」

Lia quickly translated.

Not a bad decision. While stirrups do provide stability, using unfamiliar equipment and failing would be disastrous.

Both men mounted their horses, ready for the duel, each clad in armor for a true battle format.

However, to avoid fatalities, both used safety weapons—a wooden stick with its tip wrapped in layers of cloth. Still, a hit in the wrong place could be lethal.

「Let’s review the rules. First, no hits to the head. Anywhere else is fair game. The one who surrenders or is unseated loses. Begin!!」

As I clapped my hands to signal the start, the two horses charged forward. Their sticks clashed.

The outcome was decided in an instant. Roswald managed to knock Goldie off his horse.

Well, Roswald is strong enough to battle a bear from the front with only a spear, and he had the help of the stirrups, so victory was somewhat expected. Goldie looked up at Roswald with a frustrated expression.

Roswald dismounted and offered a hand to Goldie.

「Here, get up.」

「…Thank you.」

With Roswald’s help, Goldie stood up. Roswald, looking quite pleased with himself, asked,

「So, do you acknowledge me?」

「…Fine. I acknowledge you, Master.」

Goldie grimaced as he conceded.

It seems everything is settled. That’s good.

「By the way, stop calling me ‘Master.’ Your Master is the Lord. You can call me… ‘Captain’ will do.」

「Understood, Captain. I look forward to working with you.」

Goldie bowed to Roswald.

「And later, you’ll clean my house.」

「Eh? But, I’m a combat slave…」

「You said you’d submit, right? A man’s word is his bond, isn’t it?」

Goldie sighed deeply at Roswald’s words.

Now that the cavalry is in place, everything is set.