[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
Chapter 181
The Minister of War, Boss Ahsim, was once again racking his brains and groaning in frustration.
“Sir! The sons of noble families are lining up to enlist!”
“They’re asking why Sergeant Karl Adelheit has to fulfill his duty when they don’t have to, since nobles aren’t conscripted…”
“The families of these young men are also raising objections. What should we do?”
Damn it.
‘Cigarettes. Where are my cigarettes? I need a smoke.’
“…”
Ah, this isn’t enough. I know it’s crazy to do this during work, but I can’t stand it sober.
Rummaging through his drawer, he soon found a bottle of liquor hidden in the back.
Pop!—
He pulled out the cork and took a generous swig.
The pungent aroma and burning sensation flowed down his throat, sending a wave of warmth through his body.
“Ah.”
That’s better. I feel alive now. My head is finally clearing up.
As they say, a soldier lives on cigarettes and alcohol. It seems that trait still lingers even though it’s been a while since I left the military.
Of course, this is just a temporary solution. A brief escape.
Even now, my subordinates are screaming while dealing with those nobles.
They ask why they can’t fulfill their duties like Karl Adelheit.
‘Duties my ass, they’re burdens. You bastards.’
I don’t know what kind of fantasy they have. Do they really think they can become like Karl just by enlisting as soldiers?
Do they think it’s easy to enlist, go to war, and survive on the front lines for two years?
And on top of that, you have to single-handedly save hundreds of your comrades to earn a medal of honor.
What delusion are they living in?
I thought it would be great to use it as much as the Public Relations Department did since his name was spread throughout the empire, but as you can see, the worst drawback was slowly strangling me.
“Minister. It’s the Director of Personnel Administration.”
“Come in.”
The door opened and Baden Yorul, the Director of Personnel Administration of the Ministry of War, entered.
“How’s it going?”
“The same as always. The young ones are still asking to be drafted as conscripts so they can fulfill their duties, and the heads of their families are encouraging them instead of stopping them.”
“Damn it. Have they lost their sense of what war is because they’ve only been in the countryside?”
I guarantee you, if we draft them as soldiers, most of them won’t even make it through basic training.
And of those who remain, most will quit as soon as they meet their seniors after being assigned to their units.
Even if a very small number remain, the other soldiers in their units will be complaining that they’re a nuisance.
They’re literally burdens. It’s better for everyone if nobles just stay in their place as nobles.
They talk about duty and all that, but they can just apply to be officers or donate more money instead.
“Explain it to them clearly and send them home. If we let these nobles in and something goes wrong, they’ll all come whining to the Ministry of War.”
“They say they’ll never do that.”
“Who will believe that? At least Sergeant Karl Adelheit’s Friedrich County was a family of warriors for generations, but these guys are all just a bunch of nobodies.”
I understand their admiration for Karl. But they can never be like Karl.
He’s just unique. He has incredible luck. Goddess loves him.
And his abilities are unmatched.
Frankly, could they even kill the head of Luzernes with a single bullet?
‘No. Could they even survive on the battlefield for more than three days?’
If they get captured and ask us to pay a ransom for their sons, it’ll only hurt morale.
Besides, the empire isn’t even in danger right now. There’s no war!
“Enough. Give them three days and send them all home. If they really want to fulfill their duty, tell them to apply to be officers or donate more money to the soldiers. We’re not taking any more nobles as soldiers.”
“Yes, sir. But, sir, three days is a bit short. We need at least five days…”
“Four days. No more. Think about the Ministry’s schedule.”
Considering the victory celebration and soldier appreciation event in a few days, three days is already very generous.
The director seemed to know this as well, sighing and bowing his head before leaving.
* * *
While the Ministry of War was struggling with the unreasonable demands of the nobles, the Ministry of Welfare was also being overwhelmed by a literal tsunami of work.
“Manager! Here are the review results from each region!”
“Director! These are the requests for grade review re-evaluation!”
“Minister! These are the important matters that must be confirmed this time!!”
From the lowest-ranking officials to the minister, everyone was being equally crushed in this terrible situation.
Sadly, Karl was involved in this as well.
It all started with the Karl Adelheit Veterans Pension Foundation.
It started with good intentions, and the Ministry of Welfare responded by expanding it.
Up to that point, it was really good. The Ministry of Welfare felt like some of their work was being taken care of.
The problem was that this stimulated others to sprout up like bamboo shoots after rain.
They wanted to support not only veterans but also a wider range of fields.
As these overlapped, the Ministry of Welfare was suddenly hit with an increased workload.
“Gaaaaaaaah!!”
“Why?! Why is everyone becoming so kind!?”
“Why are so many people donating now when they barely did a few years ago?!”
The investigation revealed that the reason was, as expected, Karl’s existence.
More precisely, it was because of a series of events.
The establishment of a pension foundation for veterans after receiving the Medal of Honor and the huge number of people involved in it.
It didn’t stop there, and even the church was involved, so now it wasn’t just ‘an honorable thing to do,’ but ‘something you’d be cursed for not doing.’
Compensation is natural for those who sacrifice.
Those who don’t know how to express gratitude shouldn’t even dream of enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice. As this awareness spread, support expanded everywhere rapidly.
The first project to grow in size was the one to support discharged soldiers.
Countless nobles joined the project started by the Ifrit family of the Marquisate of Nafplion, willingly donating money and taking good care of the citizens of the empire.
It didn’t stop there, and the next plan was, of course, the Active Duty Soldier Support Project.
It mainly focused on improving the treatment of soldiers and promoting proper living spaces, and it began to progress steadily.
“Remember our heroes! Never forget the sacrifices that brought us this far!”
“Surely, the Goddess is by the side of those who sacrifice themselves. Look at Sergeant Karl Adelheit! The Light shines upon him, so we must express our gratitude to all those he calls heroes!”
The empire already had a good perception of its soldiers.
But with Karl, who had even received a miracle from the Goddess, soldiers were elevated to an untouchable realm.
Just mentioning the fact that he had been a soldier of the empire brought respectful gazes.
As perceptions changed, thoughts about national defense naturally improved, and as someone set an example, naturally, many people followed him in admiration.
On a grand scale, the status of all soldiers in the empire was elevated. On a personal level, Karl achieved unprecedented fame and glory.
Even the ‘War Hero Karl’ compiled by the Ministry of Education was only a small part of it.
Regarding the sacred relic, they had to talk to the Radiant Church first, and for the Legion of Honor medal, they had to discuss with Hyzens for how much more to promote it.
Finally, a new discussion was scheduled with the educators from the Lasker region.
Even the imperial family, who were typically uncomfortable with excessive praise for an individual, had no particular objections.
Rather, they were subtly pushing him forward.
He was the younger brother of the crown princess and the uncle of the imperial heir.
The higher he rose, the higher the evaluation of the future rulers of the empire, who would have him as their subject, would also rise.
* * *
“…Meanwhile, I’m dying of embarrassment.”
I’ve been hearing all the news lately. Everyone’s busy, right?
But why do I have to cringe every time I see this?
Wow. Look at that. My statue is so shiny. It’s blinding, isn’t it?
Should I be thankful they didn’t make it out of gold? They didn’t actually put any in there, did they?
“Student Karl. It seems like it’s time to enter.”
“Yes, instructor. I’m going in.”
Now it’s come to the absurd point where a student is giving a lecture.
This is absolutely ridiculous, but what can I do? I have to endure it.
Besides, I gave permission to use my name for national projects.
If I go back on my word now, my pride will be completely shattered. I can’t allow that.
I’m embarrassed. It’s awkward. But I have to do it.
So that everyone I fought with can become heroes.
So that they can all be remembered and appreciated.
“Students, I would like to introduce Student Karl Adelheit, no, Sergeant Karl Adelheit, who will be giving a special lecture today on the weekend.”
A sudden thought comes to mind. The elves and Lasker should really be grateful to me.
It would be a disaster if I wrote something like, ‘The only good Kanfra is a dead Kanfra’ on the blackboard.
Or maybe, ‘Lasker are actually just wimps with swords.’
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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