Rebirth in a Ruined Nation! The Life of a New Strategist Starting From Now - Chapter 53

The New Knights’ Welcoming Ceremony, The Mock Battle (2) – The New Knights

Even though I only had a few days to prepare for the mock battle, I did everything I could. 

When I told everyone my plan, the 6th Division’s knights widened their eyes in surprise, Luzel and Frein were dumbfounded, Nelifa and Sazabi gazed at me with interest, and Diku’s stomach grumbled. 

Regardless, everyone now knew my plan, and we left the tent after I answered a few questions and we had a more detailed discussion of the plan. We still have some time before the mock battle begins. 

I used that time to gather the new knights and inform them of their roles. 

I requested Diku, Nelfia, and Sazabi to accompany me as I stood in front of the new knights.

I asked Diku because I believed his massive stature would intimidate the new knights, and that having an attractive guy like Sazabi and a beautiful woman like Nelfia by my side would create an image of my superiority, making them more willing to listen to me. 

To be honest, I also wanted Luzel and Frein to accompany me, but they, along with the captains of the 6th Division, needed to inform their own unit about my plans, so they didn’t have time to spare for me. 

There were approximately 500 new knights assembled here. Because there were the same number of new knights on Rays-sama’s side, the total number of new knights who entered the Order this year was around 1000.

Looking around, I noticed a young man with a tense expression on his face and an older man appraising me with a disdainful gaze. 

There was no age limit to join the Order. Basically, anyone could join the order as long as they applied to one of the Order’s garrisons located throughout the country. 

The Order, however, reserves the right to accept their application. Furthermore, having their application accepted did not mean they automatically became a member of the Order. They must first pass an aptitude test administered by each garrison. 

If they passed the aptitude test, their application would be sent to the capital, where the people there would conduct a background check, including checking their criminal record and their ties to other countries. Once it was determined that the candidate’s background was clear, they would be sent to their local knights garrison for training. 

Because both the document screening and the training were extremely harsh, a huge proportion of people would give up at this point. Only those who had endured them were able to stand here. In summary, despite the fact they were called “new knights,” they were all skilled knights in their own right. 

… At least that’s what Luzel told me earlier. 

Aside from the traditional method, there were alternative ways to join the Order, such as how I entered the 10th Division at the invitation of the 10th Division’s commander, Rays-sama. However, people who joined the Order in this way were extremely rare. 

Another more common method of joining the Order was through your connection. This path was only available to nobles. 

It was considerably easier to join the Order in this manner than the traditional way. However, if you joined the Order this way, what happened after you joined could become a huge problem for you. 

Even if you were the son of a noble, if you were unable to demonstrate your ability as a knight, you would be sent back to your parent’s house without mercy. 

If you were not good enough, or if you became too arrogant as a result of your position, you would shame not just your own name, but also the name of your family.  In the worst-case situation, if you displeased the King, your parent’s status in the court may be jeopardized. These types of incidents have actually occurred in the past. 

Furthermore, children of nobles who were expelled from the Order after joining it would have a tougher path to success in other careers, so joining the Order was a double-edged sword for them. 

The 10th Division was especially strict about admitting nobles to its ranks, or rather, Rays-sama was a complete meritocrat who didn’t care about someone’s social status. 

As a result, there were only a few sons of nobility in the 10th Division, and they were known for having knights from varied backgrounds. 

“That’s why this guy, Frein, is extremely impressive for being a captain in his age. But that’s probably the only thing worth respecting about him.” 

“Luzel! What do you mean by the only thing!? Argh… Let’s stop talking about me.” 

That was how Frein abruptly ended the conversation that time with his face as red as tomatoes. 

In any case, because these new knights had gone through a rigorous selection process, they were all far stronger than me. 

When they saw me, I was very confident they all thought, “I can definitely beat this guy in a fight.” Obviously, they wouldn’t say it aloud, but it was clear from their expressions it was exactly what they were thinking. 

Anyway, I had to get them to listen to my words. 

As I began to explain the strategy, they all glanced at me puzzledly, but they all seemed to be intently listening to my explanation. 

After I finished explaining, the new knights dispersed, and I took a deep breath as I gazed at their back

“Roa-sama, thank you for all your hard work,” Nelfia said. 

Nelfia narrowed her eyes as she examined the new knights’ backs, then added, “I wonder how many are spies among them this year.” 

I gave Nelfia a shocked look, and she returned it with a smile, as if she was enjoying the situation. 

“Don’t you usually…investigate someone to see if they’re a spy or not before allowing them to join…?” 

“Of course, we investigated all of them before allowing them to join, but a professional spy will be able to get around that. You could even say that this is where the true investigation will begin.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“We, the King’s secretaries, are in charge of monitoring the new knights who are staying in the capital. Many of them took advantage of this opportunity to investigate our country. Ah, please keep what I just told you a secret. “

“Really?” 

That sounded scary. 

“The majority of them are Gorber or Empire spies, but there are also spies sent from other countries.  Every year, about ten soldiers are arrested,” Sazabi added. 

“Come to think of it, aren’t there some new knights from Gorber or the Empire? Are they the types of people you’re wary of?” 

“Not necessarily. After all, if you reveal your birthplace, you are bound to be thoroughly investigated. Instead, spies will try to conceal their birthplace.” 

“That makes sense.” 

Many people were unable to remain in their own country for various reasons and instead moved to Rudek. Rays-sama, in particular, liked to recruit people of foreign origin, hence the 10th Division is diverse. 

Rays-sama told me once that he did this because ‘information about other countries that came from people who have lived there is more valuable than anything else.’ It was true that some wars were won because the general had intelligence from the locals. 

… I’m curious whether this was why Rufa was sent to the 10th Division. 

Frein appeared as I was thinking about that. 

“The battle is about to start!” 

I immediately chased my thoughts away and focused on the mock battle. 

T/N: Sorry for the delay, I have had a bit of a hectic week. The author liked to jump to a past scene suddenly so I italicized the past scene to avoid confusion.