Chapter 8

In the capital of the Kingdom of Miransia—

The Holy Dragon Knights hold a captain's meeting once a week.

The knights are divided into eleven squads, and only the squad captains are allowed to attend this meeting.

Reiza was also present as the captain of the Second Squad.

The topic of the day was the captain of the new Twelfth Squad that was about to be established.

"How about Gido Lang, a seasoned warrior?"

One of the captains suggested a candidate.

"Deputy captain of the First Squad and also a senior lecturer at the knight training institution, right?"

"Indeed, his career and achievements are impeccable."

"But wouldn't it be better to appoint a younger captain to bring a fresh perspective to the new squad?"

One of the captains who agreed with the suggestion countered.

"No, no, we should prioritize ability over image. I think Gido is a good choice."

"I believe image is important too. It affects morale. I would rather recommend Sasha Levellin, a rising star from the Seventh Squad."

"Then maybe Wendy Noah from the Fifth Squad would be good too."

"Both are young female knights, which would give the squad a vibrant image."

While listening to the various opinions, Reiza raised her hand.

"I have someone I would like to recommend."

She looked around the room.

"Really? Who is it, Captain Reiza?"

The general captain looked at her.

"About a month ago, he joined our squad and has shown remarkable performance. He was originally just a farmer, but he defeated the monster Manticore and the fierce general Grimwald in quick succession. Since then, he has contributed significantly to our squad's victories in several battles."

Reiza spoke passionately.

"Actually, the term 'contribution' might be an understatement. There were battles where he practically won them single-handedly. In terms of pure combat ability, I believe he surpasses me."

"Surpasses Captain Reiza...!?"

"I had heard rumors, but I didn't realize it was to that extent..."

The room buzzed with murmurs.

"Indeed, his skills are formidable. I've seen it with my own eyes, so I can vouch for it."

The captain who agreed was Althure of the Fourth Squad.

"Perhaps the strongest in the kingdom—no, maybe even the continent. He is a truly elegant warrior."

"What, are you no longer looking down on him just because he's a former farmer?"

"W-well, I retract my previous comments. I will apologize to him for my rudeness."

Reiza teased him, and he looked embarrassed.

"Captain Reiza and Captain Althure both speak so highly of him."

A wild-looking young man in his mid-twenties smiled.

He was Gail, the captain of the Seventh Squad.

"He sounds like an interesting candidate."

"I'm also intrigued. I'd like to meet him."

A beautiful woman with brown skin smiled seductively.

She was Dorothea, the captain of the Third Squad.

She looked to be in her late twenties, but no one knew her actual age.

The conversation quickly shifted to focus on Marius.

Of course, there were concerns.

After all, Marius had been just a farmer a month ago.

As a knight, he was essentially a rookie.

Naturally, he had no experience leading a squad.

However, his combat ability more than made up for it.

If Marius, with his absolute power, could become a symbol of the new squad—

It might bring hope to the ongoing war against the Gaiaus Empire, which had been at a disadvantage.

Such was the hope.

In the end, the two candidates for the new squad captain were narrowed down to Marius and the veteran knight Gido.

And then—

"Shall we appoint Marius Farma as the candidate for the captain of the Twelfth Squad and Gido Lang as the candidate for the deputy captain?"

The general captain looked around the room.

Everyone nodded.

Some looked satisfied, while others seemed displeased, but that was to be expected in a meeting.

"I will have Gido assist him as the deputy captain. If Marius proves to be unsuitable as a captain, we can demote him and promote Gido to captain. I will report this decision to the king and recommend both of them."

The general captain concluded.

The king had never objected to the decisions made in these meetings.

In practice, Marius's appointment as the captain of the Twelfth Squad was a done deal.

"Still, a former farmer as the new captain..."

Some captains still seemed unhappy.

"He has that much power."

Reiza smiled at him.

"I agree. His overwhelming presence on the battlefield will surely boost the morale of his subordinates."

Althure concurred.

"Well, let's see how he performs."

Dorothea smiled seductively.

※

One month in the capital.

And somehow, I've been appointed as the captain of the new Twelfth Squad.

It's a huge promotion.

To be honest, I was more bewildered than surprised.

I didn't particularly want to advance in rank.

I just wanted to fight the imperial forces.

Being a captain isn't really my style, and I even considered declining—

But this might be a path to ending the war.

With that in mind, I decided to accept the position.

On my first day of taking office—

I arrived at the Twelfth Squad's barracks.

Since it's a new squad, the barracks are also new.

They were probably just built.

"Alright... let's go."

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

I was wearing a new knight's uniform.

It was white with red stripes, with pants for men and skirts for women.

The symbol of the Twelfth Squad, a griffin, was on the chest.

A knight walked toward me from ahead.

He had silver hair tied back in a ponytail and a gentle smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Gido Lang. I was the deputy captain of the First Squad, but I've been transferred here."

Gido bowed politely.

"Are you Marius? You defeated the monster Manticore and the fierce general Grimwald. I heard you've been appointed as the captain. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you too."

I bowed to Gido.

Incidentally, he would be the deputy captain of the Twelfth Squad.

Most of the knights in the Twelfth Squad were young, mostly in their teens and twenties.

At forty, I felt a bit out of place.

But I was relieved to have Gido, who was in his early sixties, as a senior presence.

With his extensive experience, I could rely on him a lot.

"Don't be too formal. It's fine to talk casually."

Gido said, with a gentle demeanor.

But on the battlefield, he was a seasoned warrior who could take on a thousand men.

He was said to have defeated a hundred knights single-handedly.

"You might hear a lot of talk about your sudden promotion, but don't worry. Just let your actions speak for you."

Gido smiled.

"We will support you fully. Let's work hard together."

"Thank you."

Indeed, my appointment as captain was a huge promotion.

There would be those who envy me.

But at least Gido seemed different.

His cooperative and friendly attitude was reassuring.

"Ah, the new captain!"

A young girl ran up to me.

She had green hair in a ponytail and matching green eyes.

She looked to be around seventeen, younger than my niece Mel.

She wore the female knight's uniform, which had been modified to have an unusually short skirt.

It was almost a mini-skirt, and her healthy white thighs were quite eye-catching.

"My name is Wendy Noah. Nice to meet you."

She bowed politely.

"She may look cute, but Wendy was the third-ranked member of the Fifth Squad. She is a strong and capable knight, and she will be one of the top-ranked members in this squad."

"Hehe, I'm pretty strong, you know."

Wendy puffed out her chest proudly, and her surprisingly ample bosom jiggled.

Then,

"Captain, nice to meet you."

Several men and women approached me and bowed.

They were all young knights, mostly in their late teens and early twenties.

They all seemed to be members of the Twelfth Squad.

"Nice to meet you all."

I returned their bows.

It seemed they were generally receptive to me—

Finally, I fell off the daily overall ranking... I'm so disappointed... (´Д⊂ヽ

However, it's only a slight difference from 5th place, so there's a chance I might reverse it in tomorrow's morning ranking... or maybe not... (´・ω・｀)

If you found it interesting and want to read more, your reviews, bookmarks, and point ratings at the bottom of the latest chapter would be a great encouragement (*´∀｀*)

The 10 points from the daily overall ranking are very significant, so I would really appreciate your support!

※ The point rating section is below the advertisement on the latest chapter.