The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 94

“What? Reserve training?”

“What is that? Huh? There’s something called the Reserve Mobilization Act?”

The current influential family, formerly known as the Old Centurion Family of the Rozin Region, could only stupidly question the sudden visit from the Rozin City Hall.

These families had ancestors who had come to this land with Duke Jang Si-on and, in return for receiving his grace, were granted 30% of the harvest from 20 to 30 households, under the condition that they pledge allegiance to the Ducal Family.

Though the Centurion system was abolished decades ago, these families still served as landlords in each village and town, often doubling as the heads of the local vigilante groups.

However, despite the sudden increase in monster sightings, no special orders had come from Rozin City’s commander, leaving them unable to take any action. So when a city official suddenly visited them, they were met with these words:

“Oh, it must’ve been so long ago that you don’t remember. If you look here, it states that in the event of war or disasters comparable to natural calamities, those registered as vigilante captains must be summoned for reserve training twice a year.”

“……?”

“Villages need to gather at least 20 adult males, and towns need 50. You haven’t done that yet?”

“……???”

Most people showed expressions that said, ‘What the heck is he talking about?’ But the decree the official presented was indeed legitimate.

In short.

“Your grandfather was a Centurion, wasn’t he? And for about 20 years since you first came to this village, you’ve received 30% of the residents’ harvest as payment, right? That was all funded by taxes, you know. You still receive about a penny in subsidies each year, don’t you? And what does that mean? It means you’re a semi-public official.”

“Wait…”

“Do you not have a roster? That’s fine. You can make one right now. You just need to meet the headcount.”

“Is… is that so?”

“Yes, yes. Of course, you’ll have to attend the training. Do you have weapons at home? If not, that’s okay. The city provides basic equipment for the reserves.”

“Oh? So it’s just training then?”

“With the monster situation these days, things are crazy, right? A real field unit and top-notch instructors have been dispatched from Sionia. It’ll only be about two weeks of training.”

“Well, in that case… sure, why not!”

There was no cost involved, and equipment was even provided, so the influential families had nothing to lose.

No, in fact, it was rather favorable.

With the increasing threat of monsters and the actual damage suffered by smaller villages, it was a relief that regular troops from the Ducal Capital were coming to help!

But that was only from the perspective of the influential families.

“Oh no, Sarah’s father! What are we supposed to do if you leave?”

“Waaaah! Daddy!”

“Father! Father!”

A village needs 20 able-bodied men, and a town needs 50.

At first glance, that doesn’t seem like a large number.

However, a village consists of about 50 to 60 households, and a town, 200 to 300. Mathematically, that means one man from every 3 to 4 households would suddenly be “dragged” into the army.

“Hurry up!”

“Look at your moves! You idiots!”

“Please spare me!”

“Daddy! Daddyyy!”

From all corners, tearful farewells unfolded, scenes that could bring anyone to tears.

To anyone watching, the soldiers harshly kicking the young men seemed like villains, while the men being dragged off looked like pitiful commoners oppressed by the powerful.

But a closer look at the truth revealed a very different story.

“Bilbo Winston. You’re only 26, so why are you moving so sluggishly? Weren’t you the one who voluntarily joined the vigilante group seven years ago?”

“Uh… back then, the vigilante group seemed cool…”

“You little punk! Didn’t you get to skip out on communal labor and receive preferential treatment for everything, from threshing machines to wells, because you were in the vigilante group?”

“D-did I?”

“Did I? My foot! Anyone who sees this would think you’re being forced into this!”

“S-sorry…”

That’s how it was.

The vigilante group wasn’t formed through conscription but through voluntary recruitment, and it was quite competitive since members received various benefits.

But since actual combat was rare, the twice-a-year training sessions gradually turned into mere gatherings for gossip and lounging around.

In fact, it was rare for them to even meet twice a year.

So now that they were being summoned for “actual training,” these tearful farewells were unfolding.

The women were terrified because the burly, rough-looking soldiers had stormed in and demanded the men come out, and the children cried because their mothers or older sisters were crying.

But those tears didn’t last long.

“Oh my! Who will handle the harvest and feed the cattle while our eldest son is away! Boohoo!”

“According to the reserve law, the neighboring villagers will take care of that. And here, take this.”

“Oh? W-what’s this?”

“It’s a sack of rice, about 15 kilograms. It’s provided to households of men participating in the training, as per the reserve law.”

“Bilbo, be sure to come back safely. Fulfill your duty proudly as a citizen of the Ducal Territory.”

A sack of rice weighing 15 kilograms wasn’t much, but still, who would turn down something free?

Thus, the commotion caused by the tearful farewells quickly subsided.

In fact, some families even asked the soldiers to make their usually idle sons work harder, hoping this would make them shape up.

Though the threat of monsters was real, most households, especially those worried about the situation, felt somewhat reassured when they saw groups of Peregrine Division members dispatched to each village.

Fully armored in gear that looked expensive and riding on Gau, the Peregrine Division members appeared like knights to the common people.

As a result, the residents assumed that the real monster subjugation would be handled by these knights, while their husbands or sons would merely receive training from these trustworthy knights.

The young men themselves thought the same.

They simply believed that this time, unlike before, they were going to Rozin City to receive some proper training.

“While I’m in Rozin, I should buy my wife a hairpin.”

“Hehe! If I gift some leather shoes to Karin from the house next door, she’ll be totally into me!”

For these young men, who were mostly simple farmers, getting to Rozin was a rare occasion, as it would take at least half a day on foot or even a full day at times.

So, some of them were more focused on shopping than on the training.

However, within a day of arriving in Rozin, the young men from the region’s villages were faced with a grim reality.

“W-what’s that?”

“Are they beggars?”

“Hey, look at that. It’s a corpse, a corpse.”

“Ugh!”

The young men, who had come from fairly sizable villages, were now witnessing the aftermath of an attack.

Villages in this area typically had at least 50 households and a population of over 200 people.

Small monster hordes rarely attacked such villages, even with the current increase in monster numbers, usually only lurking around the outskirts.

But small hamlets, like those that the Si-on Duchy and the Peregrine Division had initially encountered and wiped out during their clash with the kobolds and gnolls, were a different story.

There were over ten such hamlets in the Rozin Region, where the number of young men capable of fighting barely reached 20 to 30.

What these young men saw upon arriving in Rozin were the victims and refugees from such hamlets that had been attacked.

“……”

The young men, silent in shock and fear, were approached by the Rozin guards who had brought them here.

“You’re lucky. If your village had been any smaller, you and your families would’ve ended up there.”

“……”

The somewhat casual tone of the guard continued.

“Take this training seriously. It’s just two weeks, but if you put in the effort, you’ll make it. Oh, see those guys over there?”

The young men immediately turned their heads to where the guard pointed, like meerkats.

“About half of those guys were in the same position as you just ten days ago. Hard to believe, huh?”

“Wow…”

The eyes of the young men, especially those around 16 to 20 years old, sparkled with admiration.

“One! Two! One! Two!”

About 200 soldiers were marching in perfect sync to the drill commands.

Their black helmets, which exposed their ears and faces, and the matching black gambeson armor, combined with their formidable appearance, exuded an imposing aura.

In the center of their gambeson was the Peregrine insignia.

Although the insignia wasn’t embroidered like on the regular members’ uniforms, this alone was enough to make a strong impression on the young vigilante members.

“Are those guys regular soldiers? Are they from the same unit as the knights who brought us here?”

“Those guys are Peregrine Division trainees. They’re talented and have shown excellent discipline during training, so they’re being trained as part of the Peregrine Division. Some are like me, a city guard, and some were once vigilante members from villages just like you.”

“Wow…”

The younger men were filled with even more awe and admiration. Noticing their reaction, the guard spoke in a more enticing tone.

“Want to know something even cooler?”

“……?”

“Those guys are still just trainees, but they’re already getting paid. One hundred Dien a month.”

“Really?”

One hundred Dien wasn’t a huge amount.

Most of the young men here made at least two or three times that amount just by farming or even tending to someone else’s cows or sheep.

But the idea of earning money while wearing such cool helmets and armor?

And they weren’t even full-fledged soldiers yet, just trainees?

“So, what happens if they become full-fledged soldiers?”

“Well, just because you finish training doesn’t mean you automatically become a regular soldier. After three months of training, you have to pass an exam to officially join the unit. But once you get the insignia on your shoulder…”

The young men’s gazes fixated on the red insignias worn by the Peregrine Division members confidently riding their Gau.

“You’ll get a base salary of 1,000 Dien a month, plus allowances, making it at least 1,500 Dien. And on top of that, you get a share of the monster spoils from the subjugations, which is quite lucrative. So, you’ll be making at least 2,000 Dien a month.”

“Two… two thousand Dien?!”

“Gasp!”

All around, young men gasped in amazement.

Most of these young men had been born on farms, spent their childhoods tending to crops and livestock, and assumed they would continue that lifestyle until they died.

For them, the idea of suddenly tripling their income was nothing short of a dream.

“Ah, if you become a Peregrine Division soldier, you’ll even attract lots of young ladies. So jealous, huh? Alright, let’s go.”

Even as the guard urged them to move, the young men couldn’t take their eyes off the Peregrine Division trainees.

Indeed, several young women passing by the road squealed in excitement or cast amorous glances at the trainees as they marched past.

“Huff! Huff!”

The faces of the young men, mostly around 20 years old, turned beet red, and some even started snorting with determination.

‘I… I’m going to join the Peregrine Division too!’

‘I’ll make lots of money! I’ll wear cool armor!’

The guard—no, the former Janstrick mercenary and current Peregrine Division soldier Miska, who had disguised himself as a guard—grinned as he glanced back at the young men who were undoubtedly thinking the same thing.

Indeed, the instructor was always right.