Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116. A Motley Crew (2)
Alexis's direct command unit, along with the vanguard battalion, was strongly pushing the Imperial Army, centered around Kroxen Castle.
On the other hand, the main battalion, which Roden had newly come to lead, was staying in Kroxen Castle and carrying out missions to assist the operations.
For that reason, they had a relatively relaxed schedule.
Perhaps that was why.
Late one night in Kroxen Castle, the three company commanders of the main battalion were gathered and talking.
The first one to speak was the Infantry Company Commander, Heinrich Stahl.
“It's already been over a month since ‘he’ became the new battalion commander, but he hasn't caused any particular problems yet. What do you all think of this?”
The Archery Company Commander, Günter Adler, with a stiff face, received his words.
“I still don't trust ‘him’. Of course, it's true that his skills are outstanding and that he has achieved great merit this time. But that doesn't mean I've heard any stories about ‘his’ popularity being particularly great. On the contrary, I've only heard rumors that he's a scoundrel.”
The Cavalry Company Commander, Otto Brandt, nodded his head enthusiastically in agreement with Günter's words.
“That's right! There's a saying that you can fix things, but you can't fix people! If that's true, we can never trust ‘him’! He may not have shown his true colors for now, but the fact that ‘he’ is a scoundrel will remain the same!”
Heinrich, who had first brought up the topic, didn't seem to have a very different opinion from the two.
“As expected, everyone's opinion is the same. I also cannot trust ‘him’ as a person. I just hope that he doesn't treat his subordinates like pigs and dogs like the previous battalion commander. To be honest, I don't know if that's possible.”
For reference, the 'he' who was being continuously mentioned here was, of course, Roden.
And as can be predicted from the conversation just now, the gazes of the three company commanders towards Roden were not very favorable.
This was because the previous commander, Linor, had planted a bad impression.
For Roden, who had not yet done anything, it was an unfair situation.
However, looking back at the main battalion's past, one could understand why this had happened.
The previous Main Battalion Commander, Linor, was a problematic figure in many ways.
He would change his orders according to his mood, and he consistently maintained the attitude that trampling on a soldier for a minor mistake was nothing.
Every day, someone's scream would leak out of the tent, and the soldiers were less afraid of fighting the Imperial Army than of Linor.
He even deliberately repeated favoritism and sowing discord to foster suspicion and jealousy among his subordinates.
For Linor, the main battalion was not an organization but an outlet for his inferiority complex.
As a result, it was inevitable that the gazes of the three company commanders towards the position of Main Battalion Commander were not favorable.
It wasn't just the three company commanders; the soldiers also had a negative view of Roden.
They trembled with the anxiety that they didn't know when Roden would change into someone like Linor, even though he wasn't showing any such behavior for now.
And this was the point that was currently giving Roden the biggest headache.
The distrust towards Roden was preventing the main battalion from uniting as one.
In a battlefield where the number of dying soldiers changed depending on the organizational strength, this situation was fatal.
The three company commanders were not unaware of this fact, but they were more worried about Roden turning into someone like Linor.
This was because, during the time Linor was the Main Battalion Commander, there were soldiers who died unfairly without even being able to fight the Imperial Army.
Heinrich warned Günter and Otto.
“In the end, we have to be on our toes and keep an eye on ‘him’. And if we see even the slightest sign that he might change into someone like the previous battalion commander, we must take action. Otherwise, we'll end up like Allaya.”
Allaya Vince.
She was the person who had been the Infantry Company Commander of the main battalion before Heinrich.
At the same time, she was also the first and last person to report Linor's harsh behavior to Alexis.
And the end of this courageous act was tragic.
One day, Allaya was suddenly pointed out as a traitor to the Allied Forces and lost her life after being severely tortured.
Naturally, it was Linor who had framed her out of revenge.
And at that time, Günter and Otto, who had been deceived by Linor's sowing of discord and had looked at Allaya with unfavorable eyes, finally snapped to their senses and grasped the situation.
However, it was too late to turn things back.
The main battalion had already been torn apart at Linor's whim.
In the end, the three of them could not get a chance to reverse the situation until it was revealed that Linor was a spy for the Imperial Army.
And the three company commanders had decided to stick together in advance to prevent such a thing from happening.
They had judged that if they tried to correct the problem from the beginning, if the three of them stuck together and reported Roden, they would at least not meet a tragic death like Allaya.
“We must. We must never let ‘him’ hold power in vain.”
“This time, I will not lose a comrade in vain!”
Thus, Günter and Otto agreed with Heinrich's words, and that day's secret meeting came to an end.
And it was a direction that was not very constructive.
***
Currently, Roden was on his way back to Kroxen Castle after briefly meeting with Abtal in Vinchih.
This was because for the Billem Caravan, which had now become the most important intelligence network of the 3rd Corps, to operate in its current state, Roden had to consistently show his face to Abtal, the garrison commander.
'It's not just Abtal. I'll have to visit the five territories that are currently trading food with the Billem Caravan soon. I'll need to meet with the lords or treasurers to gather information and solidify my position.'
However, due to the situation in the main battalion, it was burdensome to be away frequently.
'At least it's a relief that the Special Task Force Company has adapted well to the main battalion.'
Currently, the organization of the Special Task Force Company had changed a lot.
This was because as Roden became the Main Battalion Commander, someone had to fill his place.
Normally, Chevalier, who had consistently played the role of the second-in-command, would have become the Special Task Force Company Commander.
However, Chevalier could not become the Special Task Force Company Commander.
This was because Roden had made a separate request to Alexis and made Chevalier the Deputy Battalion Commander right away.
Alexis had originally intended to appoint someone else as the Deputy Battalion Commander, but he accepted Roden's request.
He had judged that it was right to appoint someone whom Roden could trust and rely on as the Deputy Battalion Commander.
Most importantly, Chevalier was also a person who had achieved many merits as a member of the 3rd Corps.
Moreover, his skills had also reached the level of a 4-star, so he had met all the minimum requirements to become a Deputy Battalion Commander.
Thus, as Roden and Chevalier became the Battalion Commander and Deputy Battalion Commander respectively, a new person had to be appointed as the Special Task Force Company Commander.
Fortunately, the appointment of the Company Commander and Deputy Company Commander was something that could be handled by Roden, the Battalion Commander.
So, after much consideration, Roden appointed Olinto as the Special Task Force Company Commander and Liviano as the Special Task Force Deputy Company Commander.
He had judged that Olinto was more suitable for the position of Special Task Force Company Commander than the overly aggressive Liviano.
“You're not upset, are you?”
Roden casually asked Liviano, who was returning to Kroxen Castle after visiting Vinchih with him.
Liviano easily understood what Roden was talking about and chuckled.
“It would be a lie to say I'm not upset at all. But I trust the Battalion Commander's judgment. Most importantly, it's not like I didn't get a promotion at all.”
Fortunately, Liviano seemed to have readily accepted the position of Special Task Force Deputy Company Commander.
It wasn't just Liviano.
Despite the major change in the organization, none of the soldiers of the Special Task Force Company had any complaints.
The current organization of the Special Task Force Company was as follows:
<Special Task Force Company>
Special Task Force Company Commander: Olinto Colombo (3-star)
Special Task Force Deputy Company Commander: Liviano Varese (3-star)
Infantry Platoon Leader: Nedhab (3-star)
Infantry Deputy Platoon Leader: Federico (2-star)
Archery Platoon Leader: Rolf (2-star)
Archery Deputy Platoon Leader: Peter (2-star)
Cavalry Platoon Leader: Konrad (2-star)
Cavalry Deputy Platoon Leader: Uwe (2-star)
An interesting fact was that all the officers of the Special Task Force Company, except for Olinto and Liviano, were of commoner origin.
[If you follow the new training method I've devised, anyone can become a knight.]
Roden was definitely keeping the promise he had once made to the soldiers of the Special Task Force Company.
Perhaps because they had trained together from the bottom up, risen to the ranks of knights, and become the best unit in the 3rd Corps.
The Special Task Force Company, despite the major change in its organization, quickly adapted by putting forward its unique bond.
On the contrary, they felt great joy and pride in seeing a familiar face rise to a higher position.
It was also proof of the hope that they too could aim for a higher position.
However, a third of the entire personnel of the Special Task Force Company could not enjoy this feeling for long and had to return to Vinchih.
This was because at least one platoon operated the Billem Caravan in Vinchih.
Thus, the Archery Platoon was currently leading the Billem Caravan.
And they had decided to rotate every four months.
Under the assumption that the identity of the Billem Caravan would not be revealed.
“My promotion is secondary; I'm worried about the situation in Vinchih. If the Battalion Commander doesn't visit Vinchih frequently, the Billem Caravan won't be operated well.”
Liviano was right.
To operate the Billem Caravan without any problems, Roden had to be able to visit Vinchih frequently.
Although the distance was a bit far, coming and going was not a problem.
This was because Roden had a way to visit Vinchih without being noticed by the Imperial Army.
However, because the atmosphere in the main battalion was not good, it was awkward to be away frequently.
This was the reason why Roden was in a hurry to return to Kroxen Castle after meeting only with Abtal.
“That's right. To operate the unit smoothly in the future, I need to take this opportunity to sort out the atmosphere once and for all. The current main battalion is too much like a motley crew.”
“Do you have a way?”
At Liviano's question, Roden replied with a smile on his lips.
“Men always get closer by fighting.”