A triple promotion in rank
and the conferral of a hereditary viscount title!
The moment Norland announced the king's decree; every officer present was struck dumb with astonishment.
One by one, they turned toward Arik, their eyes filled with jealousy, resentment, and disbelief.
Through his refined mastery of Observation Haki, Arik could clearly sense the emotions of those around him.
Just as he expected, most of them were harboring malice and even the smiling, benevolent-looking Supreme Commander Norland, seated at the head of the table, was no exception.
Rapid promotion breeds envy.
Arik's foundations within the Royal Army were weak; he had no backing, and the label of "former traitor" still clung to him.
All these factors combined to make his position precarious.
Aside from a few lower-ranking officers whose lives he had personally saved, no one was truly on his side.
Despite his current prestige hailed as a hero and treated as the army's banner against the rebels, Arik knew full well how fragile it all was.
Once the civil war ended, all the power he had earned through blood and battle would vanish as quickly as it came.
This was already evident: despite being promoted to Major, he hadn't been granted even a single new soldier under his command.
Clearly, the higher-ups were wary of him, unwilling to let him wield too much military strength.
In the army, one's true status is defined not by rank, but by the number of troops one commands.
Though inwardly irritated, Arik showed nothing on his face.
He played the role of a delighted young noble perfectly beaming with gratitude at the king's reward, ensuring the atmosphere in the tent remained harmonious.
Of course, Norland and the other high-ranking officers didn't actually believe Arik was a naïve fool.
They were careful not to provoke him unnecessarily.
After all, Arik's personal strength was undeniable, he was a major combat asset, and one of the key forces responsible for cutting off the rebels' supply lines.
If he chose to hold back or sabotage their efforts at a critical moment, the Royal Army would suffer dearly.
Thus, to soothe his pride, Norland showered him with gold and silver, and even allowed him to select a favorable plot of land for his new fiefdom.
Soon, the merit reports concluded, and the military meeting was dismissed.
Groups of officers left the tent in pairs or trios
leaving Arik standing alone.
"How did it go, Lord Mesfield?"
Outside the tent, Dalton approached quickly, flanked by Chess and Kuromarimo, concern written all over their faces.
Dalton, Chess, and Kuromarimo had survived that chaotic battle years ago though badly injured.
However, because of Wapol's death, they were deeply implicated.
As Wapol's personal guards, their failure to protect him was an unforgivable sin.
Only King Gresham's mercy had spared their lives, he acknowledged that they had fought valiantly and endured much through the years.
Still, while death was avoided, punishment was not: they were stripped of all titles and wealth, and forced to serve in the army for an extended term to atone.
Because their disgrace stemmed from Wapol's death, their status in the military was abysmally low.
They were treated as pariahs, no one wanted to associate with them.
Even their bravery and accomplishments on the battlefield earned them no recognition or reward.
Had Arik not taken them under his command, they likely would have rotted away at the army's lowest ranks or defected to the rebels.
Now, their fates were bound to Arik's.
His glory was their glory; his fall would be theirs as well.
And since Aaron (through Arik) had captured Philip, commander of the Blizzard Legion's Reindeer Cavalry, a major victory, the three knew that their commander was certain to be promoted.
As his trusted subordinates, they too hoped to rise along with him.
"Let's talk once we're back,"
Aaron through Arik said calmly, his expression unreadable.
The three men nodded immediately and followed him back toward their encampment.
When a man is ostracized, his troops are treated no better.
Arik's hundred-man unit had been assigned quarters at the farthest edge of the camp directly in the path of the rebels' main advance.
"Damn it! Those bastards are just jealous of your ability, my lord!"
Kuromarimo slammed a fist onto the table, his face red with anger.
"That's right!" Chess chimed in furiously.
"You've done so much for the army, yet all you got were hollow honors and a bunch of useless trinkets. Not a single tangible reward! They didn't even allocate soldiers or rations! Expecting us to supply ourselves, how outrageous!"
For weeks, the two had endured discrimination within the ranks.
Their resentment toward the Royal Army had long since taken root.
Had it not been for Arik's sudden rise giving them hope of reclaiming some of their former standing, they might have already defected to the rebels.
Now, learning that even Arik had been treated unfairly, their indignation boiled over.
Dalton remained silent.
He still bore guilt over Wapol's death and had accepted his punishment as penance.
But seeing his new commander whom he had come to regard as a true sovereign suffer the same unjust treatment stirred anger even in him.
As a seasoned soldier, he understood well what it meant to have no men and no food, it was the most blatant form of marginalization.
"Calm yourselves," Arik said with a faint smile.
"If we lack soldiers, we'll recruit them. If we lack food, we'll seize it. What matters most is that my rank has risen. On paper, I now have the authority to command two thousand troops.
And as a hereditary viscount, I can legally maintain a private army of one thousand.
Once we recruit and train them, we'll have the foundation we need to stand on our own."
He spoke lightly, as though he wasn't troubled at all in fact, he almost sounded pleased.
The truth was, from the very beginning, Arik had never expected real support from the Royal Army or their so-called king.
He and Aaron's true objective had always been for the Mesfield persona to obtain a high military rank and secure noble territory.
Now that both goals were achieved, he could officially command troops and legally develop his own power base.
In short, all they had ever needed was legitimacy.
As for the lack of manpower and supplies?
That was never a problem.
Aaron had already arranged everything, the Shining Gold Chamber of Commerce, with its international trade routes, could deliver vast quantities of food at any time.
And in times like these, as long as one had grain, recruiting soldiers was never difficult.
Dalton, Chess, and Kuromarimo, seeing their leader's composure, immediately felt their spirits lift.
They realized that their formidable commander already had a plan in motion.
They had followed him since his earliest days as a mere soldier and knew well that he was not without powerful allies.
Behind the scenes, there was always a mysterious organization supplying him.
Every so often, shipments of food and weapons arrived
keeping their unit in peak condition.
Without that secret support, there was no way they could sustain such high intensity training every day with only meager rations and limited spoils from raids.
"My fief has been confirmed," Arik said, smiling faintly.
"It's that small town near Snowstorm City, the one destroyed by the rebels.
Pass down my orders: tomorrow at dawn, we march.
From this day forward, that will be our new base."
Seeing their commander's confident grin, the three men's anger turned into excitement, they could already picture the rebirth of their lord's new domain.
---
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!