I Became the Commander in a Trash Game Who Copies Skills

Chapter 37. Hero (4)

I visited the makeshift graves last night.

The temporary graves were near the command post where I had met the Emperor.

Similar to the one set up at Burken Fortress, but on a larger scale, the burnt bone powder was neatly arranged in boxes.

The number was quite large, so it took some time to find the names I wanted.

I spent about thirty minutes searching and found them, then wrote them down in my notebook and returned.

[Hansen Matheisen]

[Carlson]

[Samuel Ham]

[Frank Sommer]

[John]

[Walter]

Hansen Matheisen.

A middle-aged crossbowman.

My memory of him goes back to our mercenary band’s first battle.

He tried to support me while I was fighting a Necro Ogre, but he almost hit me instead.

Thanks to the [Ironclad Defense] trait, a critical accident was avoided, but he was scolded by Karen and later received a pay cut.

Samuel.

A young man who received a pay cut along with Hansen.

This one actually hit an ally.

Fortunately, it hit the back of his left forearm and wasn't a fatal wound.

Nevertheless, after the first mission, the nickname ‘Forearm Fetishist Samuel’ stuck to him like a stain.

What’s funny is that while Samuel expressed his apology to the colleague he had hit, he also secretly enjoyed the new nickname.

The reason is simple.

Whether good or bad, getting a nickname is as good as proof that you’ve been accepted into a rough mercenary group.

The rest also had their own nicknames.

‘Eyebrow-less Carlson. Bald John. Dwarf Frank Sommer. Cowardly Walter.’

There were a total of six casualties.

It was a fierce battle.

Most of the casualties occurred during the battle on the walls.

Surprisingly, in the labyrinth where Olif took command, there were injured squad members, but no fatalities.

A testament to the prowess of a hero who has survived on the battlefield for decades, I suppose.

It’s not for nothing that I welcomed this old man’s joining.

“Instead of just holding our ground, we moved around as a reserve force and saved the front line here and there. It was a loss that would have been difficult to prevent no matter who was in command.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes, the fact that we held out in the labyrinth was thanks to the training you’ve led us through and the generous amount of potions you provided. So please don’t blame yourself.”

Does decades of experience show not only on the battlefield but also in reading people’s hearts?

Receiving Olif’s thoughtful comfort, I stood up from my seat.

I don’t blame myself.

I just get feedback.

What if I had conducted the training a little more diversely?

Would it have been better to respond with a different formation and tactics on the wall?

Would it have been different if I had prepared higher-grade regeneration potions?

Things like that.

‘…Let’s think about it later.’

Anyway, the living must live.

Six have died, but over a hundred are still following me.

The promise I made to Deputy Teren in front of the makeshift graves at Burken Fortress is still valid for those hundred-plus squad members.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Captain! There’s a letter for you!”

Karen entered the room with a letter.

“Hmm? A mercenary band?”

What was written in the letter was something I hadn’t thought of at all.

“A mercenary band, you say?”

“Yeah, the approval for the establishment of a mercenary band has been granted. Olif, did you ever apply on my behalf?”

“Establishment of a mercenary band…? I haven’t. Squad Leader Karen?”

“I haven’t either. Brol probably doesn’t know much about that stuff.”

An administrative error?

Or is someone playing a prank?

But for that, the enclosed certificate and seal are too thorough.

The mystery was solved by the small writing on the corner of the letter.

[A humble gift. And an apology for last night.]

“…….”

A gift from the Emperor?

It seems that in this playthrough, my relationship with that psychopath iron monarch will start off quite strong.

Whether that relationship will be a win-win for both of us, or a bad one, remains to be seen.

Of course, that’s not something to worry about right now.

“Olif, you said a mercenary guild has been established in Wolfskrig, right?”

“Yes. A temporary branch has been set up.”

“Let’s go.”

It’s time to grow our forces.

* * *

A mercenary band.

One of the most standard ways to conquer ‘Warlord Conquest’.

When starting with a human faction like the Empire, the Theocracy, or the City-State Alliance, it’s often the only way.

Because joining the army as a commander is only possible if you are born with a high status.

There is the option of enlisting as a soldier and working your way up from the bottom, but….

This takes too much effort.

By the time you get a decent command authority, the tide of the game is often in a state where it’s impossible to do anything.

After a few attempts, I didn’t choose this path.

Anyway, the broad outline of a mercenary band playthrough is as follows.

‘A mercenary. A mercenary team. A mercenary company. A mercenary band. And then either the noble route or the secession and independence route.’

You work as a mercenary individually or as a team, building up money and connections.

Based on that, you create a mercenary company and expand it into a mercenary band.

After that, you assess the situation and circumstances and either become independent from the existing faction or become a core part of that faction.

People often think that the last part, where you form a full-fledged force, is the most difficult.

That’s not true.

The part with the highest difficulty is the middle part.

Going from a mercenary company to a mercenary band.

‘…It can’t be helped. Time is short.’

The continent enters a full-scale war period from around the year 1030.

To secure a force before then, I need to create a mercenary band in the shortest amount of time and grow its scale.

Achieving results, building a reputation and trust, and securing funds within a not-so-generous amount of time requires a lot of calculation.

On top of that, the conditions for establishing a mercenary band include the condition of ‘having been a mercenary company leader for 2 years or more’.

That two-year period was skipped overnight.

With a single certificate enclosed in the Emperor’s letter.

“Customer Ash!”

A familiar shout.

I stand up from my seat and sit in front of the desk.

An administrative center staff member with a business-like smile handed me various documents and explained.

“These are the requirements for establishing a mercenary band. Here, you see the seal and signature… Ah, it would be a good idea to have a seal made. The company we’re affiliated with….”

This is the temporary branch of the mercenary guild.

While I was unconscious, a mercenary guild had also come to Wolfskrig.

I heard from Olif that they had been given two buildings near the command post in their entirety.

One was being used as the branch headquarters and administrative center, and the other as an inn and pub.

Anyway, since I had received the approval for a mercenary band, I came to upgrade the mercenary company to a mercenary band without waiting.

But there was something I hadn’t expected.

“…Haaam.”

“Leader? You need to look at the terms and conditions….”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

The establishment process takes a lot longer than I thought.

In the game, this was also done with the press of a single button.

Come to think of it, even if I received approval from above, the establishment procedure couldn’t be simple.

Mercenary bands are not as common as mercenary companies.

If I had to make an analogy, it would be the difference between a sole proprietorship and a corporate registration.

Anyway, is it because I didn’t sleep well last night?

I keep yawning….

“…Uhaaaam.”

“Leader?”

“Ah, yes.”

“…The benefits are as written here. Representatively, there are tax reduction benefits, the establishment of a formal employment channel with the Imperial family, an increase in the minimum wage, an increase in the personnel limit……”

Is it because he keeps speaking in a gentle voice that I’m getting sleepier?

Still, the benefits part is important, so I focused and listened.

The most noteworthy part is the ‘increase in the personnel limit’.

To go back in time for a moment, the reason I formed a mercenary company of just over 100 men was due to two constraints.

The first was a budget issue.

The second was the maximum formation limit of 200 men.

‘With this, both constraints have disappeared.’

A mercenary band has no limit on the maximum number of personnel.

Literally, you can have an infinite number of members.

Of course, if a mere mercenary band leader tries to command thousands of troops on his own, he won’t be able to avoid pressure from above….

But that’s something that’s difficult to happen in the first place.

‘There’s the money issue too. To feed and clothe thousands, I’d need a territory.’

Anyway, the personnel issue is resolved.

The budget issue also disappeared as the long-standing financial difficulties were resolved.

Right now, a considerable amount of money is sleeping in my pocket.

The payment vouchers received from the command for completing various missions, plus the hefty fee the Viscount gave me as a commission.

Perhaps even if I increase the personnel by several times, I would still be comfortable.

Should I try running an elite unit of 300 men like a certain king of Sparta in the old days?

Or should I be a little more greedy and aim for 400?

“…You’ve worked hard. It has been established under the name Ash Mercenary Band. Here are the mercenary band documents, the seal, and the leader’s badge.”

Thump!

While I was happily lost in my imagination, the establishment of the mercenary band was completed.

I stamped the seal, received the documents, and left the administrative center.

“Oh! We’re a mercenary band now?”

“That’s right.”

I joined the squad members who were waiting outside.

The next destination is the building opposite, that is, the temporarily established mercenary guild pub.

Naturally, the purpose is recruitment.

If a mercenary company has been reorganized into a mercenary band, more members are needed.

However, there is something I hadn't expected.

The first floor of the building was already so crowded with people that it was difficult to enter.

“Will there be a seat?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Should we kick out a couple of guys?”

…How on earth does one come up with the idea of kicking out perfectly fine customers?

Ignoring it appropriately and looking for a seat, a burly figure drinking at an outdoor table turned to look this way.

The burly figure’s eyes widened when he spotted me.

He opened and closed his mouth and then shouted.

“C-Captain Ash!”

That was the beginning.

“It’s Mercenary Captain Ash.”

“Ash? Who’s that?”

“He’s the guy who killed the vampire count….”

“The mage who uses holy aura?”

The mercenaries who had been chattering loudly turned to look one by one.

“Hey, hey, everyone, let’s make some room!”

At someone’s words, a path opened up among the bustling mercenaries.

The man who had shouted was a mercenary captain with a generous impression.

He offered the spacious table inside the pub that they had been occupying.

“The hero of Wolfskrig! Thanks to you, we survived! You are the savior of all our lives!”

The savior of my life.

It was a moment when I truly realized what Karen had said about becoming a hero.

For reference, mercenaries are by no means quiet.

Even as I approached the table, they were banging their beer mugs and shouting my name from all directions.

“Ash! Ash! Ash!”

“Mercenary King Ash! Mercenary King Ash!”

…The last one seems a little dangerous.

Well, what’s good is good, I guess.

“You’re popular, Captain.”

“I’m a little envious.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I headed to the table with my companions.

For reference, there is a reputation stat in this game as well.

It’s a stat that is used as a useful bonus when operating a large number of troops or receiving a noble title.

On the other hand, when operating an underground organization like an assassination guild, you have to be wary of your reputation stat going up.

‘The play to raise only the reputation was called reputation farming.’

However, the key to reputation farming is not a simple number.

What’s important is what kind of image is built on top of the accumulated reputation.

Especially the timing when the reputation starts to rise, like now, was the most important.

Because the image now becomes a rumor that tails another, and often remains as it is later on.

In that sense, my course of action is set.

“Innkeeper! Let’s have a round of beer for everyone here! Put the bill on the Ash Mercenary Band’s tab!”

“Woooooah!”

You know what they say.

If you buy food and drinks for people, you’re a good person.

By the way….

[Achievement Unlocked! Your reputation has reached 10.]

[Randomly acquire a trait.]

[Fatigue is Because of the Liver]

[Grants a bonus to the detoxification check for alcohol and low-grade poisons.]

It seems the gacha roulette has failed again today.

This damn luck-based shitshow game.

* * *

“Hey! Line up! Line up!”

The hall of the crowded temporary pub.

A long line has formed along one wall.

All of them are applicants wanting to join the Ash Mercenary Band.

Holding a beer mug, I smiled as I looked at the mercenaries in line.

How should I express this feeling welling up from my stomach?

A sense of accomplishment?

A feeling of satisfaction?

“Captain,”

“What is it, Karen?”

“…your expression is weird.”

That can’t be.

[Lord’s Unyielding Mind] is not some F-grade trait you find rolling around in the neighborhood.

Of course, what it automatically blocks are things that have a negative effect on the mind, like morale fluctuations, and to hide positive emotions, you have to consciously deploy the trait.

Come to think of it, unlike usual, I didn’t really have any intention of maintaining a poker face.

Well, what does it matter?

After all that hardship, isn’t it okay to enjoy a few hours of happiness?

“If you keep cutting in line, I’ll send you to the back!”

“Just write down your specialties and abilities! You keep writing long, drawn-out stories, but we’re not going to read them anyway!”

Anyway, the management of the applicants was being handled by old man Brol, Karen, and a few other squad members.

Although mercenaries are burly and loud, they are not entirely disorderly folks.

Even now, they are moving forward little by little like meek sheep, following the instructions of my squad members.

At the end of the line, two tables have been set up.

A table where applicants can write down their specialties, abilities, and other noteworthy points on a piece of paper.

The so-called 21st-century-style document screening.

“That person….”

“Didn’t they say he’s a mage…?”

“…Ash? Is that him?”

As I was sitting near the document screening table, I heard some murmuring from the entrance.

They are mercenaries who have come to the pub for a drink.

“…He established a mercenary band, they say?”

“Then this line is for the applicants….”

After exchanging information among themselves and hesitating for a moment, a few of them joined the back of the line.

Roughly one in five seems to be applying.

A support rate of a whopping 20 percent.

It must be because of the reputation gained in the recent battle and the image of a hero.

Of course, that’s not the only reason.

The war is over.

To be precise, at dawn today.

That is, not long after I met the Emperor, the command announced the end of the punitive expedition.

‘Having broken the momentum of the traitor Duke Yulister’s forces and retaken Wolfskrig, which they had illegally occupied, the punitive expedition is suspended for the stability of the southern region.’

It was announced something like that.

But the truth is a little different.

Let’s borrow Olif’s words on this matter.