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Chapter 281: 148. Train like it’s the Real Deal -1 (Part One)

Translated by A Passing Wanderer

Edited by RED

**

Holy Emperor Kelt was walking down the Imperial Palace’s corridor, Cardinal Raphael keeping him company.

The palace, a sacred place, placed importance on maintaining its quiet stillness and a serious atmosphere, so much so that servants and maids were taught to walk without making a sound as their first lesson in basic etiquette.

A small commotion breaking out nearby was instantly noticed, as a result.

Kelt looked outside the window. The Imperial Palace was shielded on all sides by the tall outer walls. On its massive and wide practice grounds, thousands of people were gathered.

The task the Seventh Imperial Prince wanted to start, the nurturing of ten thousand Priests, had begun in earnest.

Kelt stopped walking and asked, “Don’t you find this miraculous?” Raphael bowed his head a little and listened. “A boy, a mangnani, has spread the fame of the Imperial Family far and wide, throughout the continent.”

The coronation of the Holy King, and the vampires’ sudden raid on the ceremony after they were frightened by him, had managed to transform the atmosphere throughout the continent.

The influence and strength of the Imperial Family had become renowned throughout the continent, and requests for Paladins to be dispatched to help came in more frequently than ever before.

The ferreting out of the traitors in cahoots with the vampires, or those suspected of doing such things, had begun in earnest, in other words.

“Isn’t this truly commendable? The idea of unifying the races and religions into one,” Kelt commented further, and Raphael nodded in silent agreement.

The army of Priests Holy King Allen wished to create had no discrimination whatsoever.

The only restriction it had imposed on itself was the number of people, at ten thousand, but things like one’s race or the religious background didn’t matter one jot.

Also, there was no discrimination based on one’s station, either. As long as your character had been verified and you were deemed to possess an unyielding drive, all were welcome to join.

“...The main god, the goddess of life and love, Gaia.”

And then Tomer the God of Abundance and Farming, and Heim, the God of War, etc, etc...

“And even the God of Death, Yudai.”

Up until now, each individual had fastidiously placed emphasis on their own beliefs, while disparaging the faith of others. But now, the walls standing between such religious views were coming down.

These people, who resented and hated others who did not follow the same doctrine as them and willingly turned their backs on others, and despite the memories of previous war hanging over their heads, their disparate religious views were gradually unifying under one banner.

The reason for that was the Dark Elf Princess Tina’s coronation. Through the appearance of the World Tree, Aslan had turned into the land of abundance. Allen’s role in that incident was undeniably great.

It had resulted in believers worshipping Gaia emerging from Aslan.

‘We also have the exact opposite of that, too.’

Indeed, many believers that worshipped the God of Death had also emerged from within the Theocratic Empire. This was the result of Allen wielding Necromancy openly.

There was no bitter conflict here, just devout theologians from various nations coming together to passionately discuss their beliefs and grow closer in the process.

“The world has begun unifying under one banner.”

Nothing remotely close to something like this had occurred during the past several millennia in the continent’s history. But there was no denying the fact that this kind of solidarity played a crucial role in driving out the vampire menace for good.

“However, ten thousand...” Emperor Kelt muttered, frowning deeply.

No matter how excellent the financial health of the Imperial Family was, it’d still be a challenge to come up with enough funds in the short time span of one year to support such a large number of people.

“...Your Majesty, His Imperial Highness has requested that the supplies be ready on time.”

Raphael’s cautious reminder caused Kelt to powerfully massage his temples.

Supplying enough provisions, armour, and even weapons and other sundry equipment for the entire duration of one year. That’s what the boy had requested.

Of course, it was not an impossibility if the Imperial Court decided to open up its treasury, but even then, the cost involved was enormous.

“However, it’s too late to go back on my word now,” Emperor Kelt sighed.

He had his pride as the Holy Emperor. Besides, the grandson he was so proud of was about to embark on his first wide-scale operation, so it would not be good if the supposedly-doting grandfather decided to stand in the boy’s way, now, would it?

“Raphael. Open the Imperial Palace’s treasury. Then we should be able to meet our financial obligation.”

“Your Majesty... The funds have already been prepared, my lord.”

Kelt’s brows shot up high at that. He quickly turned around and stared at Raphael.

The cardinal could only groan softly under his breath as his reply, “...His Highness the Seventh Imperial Prince has provided the necessary funds, Your Majesty.”

**

(TL: In 1st person POV.)

I was walking down the palace’s corridors, accompanied by Hans and Charlotte, who were following right behind me.

“There shouldn’t be any problem with the funds,” I said.

That’s right, absolutely no problem on that front.

Money? Such a thing was nothing to me. I still had all those treasures I had, uh, retrieved from the ancient Aslan tomb in my possession, after all.

“And I guess the recruitment process won’t be an issue, either.”

Here was an opportunity for them to raise their status. Not just serfs, but commoners and mercenaries hailing from all corners of the continent, and perhaps even runaway slaves...

I had bet they’d flock here.

If there was a potential problem here, then it’d be with their character and their tenacity, their drive not to give up. That’s what they needed to be tested on.

“I ended up asking for an impossible favour from my oldest sister, though.”

I smiled wryly after remembering something. Before Hilda left for her own territory, I had basically demanded enough equipment to outfit ten thousand people from her, stuff like chain mail, swords, spears, arrows, maces, and shields, etc, etc...

We weren’t talking about one type of each armament, either, but every variety imaginable.

{Don’t you worry. Three months will be enough!} Hilda told me, while giving me a rather manly thumb-up.

Well, at this point all I could do now was to pray that the poor dwarves didn’t keel over from overwork.

I stopped walking down the corridor and stared at those currently gathered in the practice grounds of the Imperial Palace. Under Harman’s command, the new recruits were standing around in sloppy approximations of rank and file. Some were even yawning grandly. I couldn’t spot a single lick of fighting spirit anywhere.

“Well, it’s like I’m looking at the Tang Dynasty’s army.”

“...Tang Dynasty?” Charlotte repeated softly, tilting her head in confusion.

I noticed a couple of familiar faces among the recruits. One of them happened to be Gril, from Ronia. You know, Charlotte’s adopted father.

“Hang on, did Gril also volunteer?”

“...I tried to talk him out of him, but he insisted.” Charlotte shook her head and held her forehead as if a migraine had suddenly begun assaulting her.

Well, if that dude was dreaming of becoming a Paladin, who was I to say no to him?

If he was suddenly overcome with a desire to move up in the world despite his age, then I had no thoughts of dissuading him.

The other familiar faces belonged to Adolf and Yuria from Aihrance. I had sent special letters of recommendation for those two, actually.

I smiled faintly while staring at the two. “Still, changing your status won’t be as easy as they think.”

I turned around to face Hans and Charlotte. What we needed were capable soldiers, not some delectable prey that would only serve to stoke the enemies’ fighting spirit.

“What are you planning to do with them, my lord?” Charlotte asked me seriously, and I briefly glanced back at the would-be soldiers.

It didn’t matter whether they swung their swords hundreds of times in the air or trained tirelessly inside a definitely-not dangerous greenhouse, they’d still fall way short of the soldiers who had experienced real combat.

“They are supposed to go up against the vampires.”

So, I figured it’d be good to make them earn some real-world experience.

“Send a communique to Queen Tina of Aslan.” When I suddenly mentioned Aslan’s ruler, both Charlotte and Hans began tilting their heads in more confusion. “Tell her that we’re going to utilise the walls of the border region. We shall move this army over there.”

What we’d find there should be ‘wonderful’ opportunities to let them experience real combat situations.

**

(TL: In 3rd person POV.)

It had been two weeks since the new recruits came in.

They continued to build up their stamina through regular training. Just as they became more or less used to the training regime, they were supplied with their own equipment.

After receiving his, Gril could only make a stupefied face.

The equipment resting before him was old and shabby. Not even the abandoned weapons found in some rural farmstead would be this rusty.

Gril hesitantly picked up an axe with its blade dyed mud brown, as well as a wooden shield that had rotted until there were holes in it. “What are we supposed to do with these things?”

“I wonder about that myself.”

Gril shifted his gaze to his side. He spotted the former mercenary, Adolf, picking up his sword.

That sword’s blade had been chipped so badly that forget about cutting something with it, using it like a club would be a far faster way to kill an enemy instead!

“And this is mine...”

Gril heard that soft murmur and looked around Adolf’s frame. He noticed a young girl tightly holding onto a shortsword there.

He couldn’t help but comment when he saw her, “What the... I heard that you have to be eighteen or older to join up, so why is there a shorty like her here?”

Yuria furrowed her brow, then suddenly kicked Gril on his shin. He grunted in pain and hurriedly rubbed his aching limb.

“I came here after getting a letter of recommendation, you know!”

“A letter from who?”

Adolf’s question was answered energetically by Yuria, “The Orichalcon-ranked mercenary, Lord Allen, of course!”

Adolf instantly clamped his mouth shut. What she said just now implied that the Seventh Imperial Prince, no wait, the Holy King himself, had personally written the recommendation for this girl. “Ah. I see...”

Which also meant that Adolf was in no position to look down on Yuria, since he too came here with such a letter of recommendation.

“By the way, a lot of people have gathered here,” commented Yuria, staring at the others currently standing around in the practice grounds.

Adolf replied to her observation, “I heard that the first batch of the recruits numbers around two thousand and fifty or so. The plan is to accept up to ten batches of recruits.”

“Ten batches, you say?” Yuria ended up tilting her head at that revelation. Did that mean rather than ten thousand, now it’d be twenty thousand, instead?

Adolf shook his head to say he wasn’t sure, either.

“Whatever the case may be, we’re all classmates, so to speak, so let’s work together to get through this!” Gril extended his hand energetically.

“Ah, yes. Of course. Let’s give it our all, together.” Adolf grabbed and shook Gril’s extended hand.

Yuria also cautiously reached out and placed her hand on theirs, prompting Gril to quip again, “But, it might be too much for a little girl like you, tho...”

Which promptly earned him another kick in the shin.