The Imperial Supreme Commander Has Returned - Chapter 41

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Supreme Commander of the Empire Has Returned — Chapter 41

Naturally, the Empire had no shortage of Heroes.
Think about it.
The Empire, led by Delram, had swept the entire continent clean.
Talented individuals tempered by prolonged war rising to the rank of Hero was inevitable.
And it was precisely because such Heroes existed that the Empire could slay every Hero of the rival kingdoms and conquer them all.

But then came the Demons.
When those creatures displayed their terrifying might, what became of the Heroes?

‘A third of them betrayed and sided with them…….’

One might call it madness, but there was reason enough.
What did the Demons look like?
Hideously, they came in every conceivable shape and form.

‘But that only held true for mid-rank Demons and below.’

High-ranking Demons were fundamentally identical to humans.
And so people came to think of Demons this way.
As merely uncommonly strong humans.

That was why they opened the gates and surrendered.
During the long wars, hadn’t their own homeland been annexed by the Empire?
They saw the fight against the Demons as nothing different.

“Of course they all died. They became delicious sustenance for the Demons, went into their bellies, and came out as excrement.”
“…Huh.”

Nuark exhaled a sigh, visibly taken aback.
Among the memories the God of Light had restored, there was apparently no betrayal.

Still, it wasn’t something he couldn’t understand.
He had spent a lifetime in service, encountering every variety of human nature.
And in this world, the wicked outnumbered the righteous.
That was the conclusion Nuark had reached.

Yet he had never ceased his service for a simple reason.
To believe in human goodness.
Which meant accepting human weakness and limitation as well.

“Then I must be cautious about reviving Heroes as well.”

Nuark pressed his brow, feeling a headache coming on.
Was it not so?
If you revived a Hero whose character was plainly wretched, all that formidable power would flow straight to the Demons. And if they became Demons, they grew even stronger.
Even stronger once they became Demons.

“Humans are corpses, save for betrayal.”
“I know. Still, I never thought it would happen even in that situation.”
“I knew it would. In any case, by my thinking, betrayal is not the real problem. The true issue lies elsewhere.”
“…This is growing tiresome to hear.”
“It’s not shocking to say. Do you happen to know what level I had reached before my Regression?”

Nuark nodded.

“I recall you were an Advanced Knight.”
“Precisely. Yet I defeated Sword Masters, defeated Grand Mages, and ultimately unified the continent. How was that possible?”
“It was thanks to the camaraderie among comrades.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“…….”
“Of course it was due to rigorous training, absolute unity, and an efficient chain of command. But can Heroes truly achieve such a thing?”
“…….”

Nuark found himself at a loss for words once again.
Those called [Heroes] had skill as their bare minimum.
At the very least, they had to be recognized as the finest in their respective domains.
To be a Hero, one had to be capable of single-handedly contending with an entire army.

So here lay the problem.
Would such exceptionally talented individuals willingly submit to someone’s command?
Much less that of a foreign commander?

“Most of them will try to seize leadership for themselves and cause internal strife. And that’s not all—insubordination becomes standard, desertion follows, and they’ll even murder their own allies.”
“…….”
“That’s precisely why I didn’t capture the enemy Heroes. I slaughtered every last one of them.”

But the true nightmare lay elsewhere.
Opportunists.
They preyed on the continent’s chaos, building their own factions while causing mayhem, and he desperately wanted to hunt down every single one and tear them limb from limb.

In fact, he despised them more than Demons.
At least Demons united humanity against them.
These wretches only sowed discord and fragmentation.

—What good does it do to defeat the Demons?
—Those lurking safely in the shadows will strike at my weakened back and steal everything I’ve built.

Even someone like Delram was not worth the effort to fight.
And so the conclusion was―

“We find ourselves in a thoroughly damnable situation.”
“…heh heh heh.”

Nuark let out a hollow laugh.
Of course, he didn’t know if those words were true.
He was merely a Bishop, after all—he knew little of military affairs.

But would Delram have reason to lie?
At this rate, in forty years everyone would be dead anyway.
Whether the Reincarnated Commander-in-Chief or the Cardinal—all would fall equally.

So what good would riches and glory bring?
Delram too would have to do his utmost if he wished to survive.

“In any case, do you understand the situation?”
“At least that saving Heroes isn’t the whole solution.”
“Then that will do. This has been a worthwhile meeting.”
“You’re leaving?”
“There’s nothing more to gain by staying here. After the Merit Awards Ceremony concludes, I’ll return. By then, give thought to which Heroes to save and how to unite them.”
“I’ll do what I can…….”

He didn’t say it was impossible.
[Save as many Heroes as possible and rescue humanity]
Now that he recognized this fundamental premise was fundamentally flawed, he had to devise alternative measures as quickly as possible.
Or find some way to supplement it.

“Oh, take this with you.”

Nuark handed something over.
Smaller than a palm, it looked rather like a compass.
He’d never seen such a thing before the Regression.

“What is this?”
“Demons use a force called Demonic Energy instead of mana, yes? I’ve made a device to detect it.”
“A priest made this?”
“Don’t you dare disrespect priests! Demonic Energy is the exact opposite of Holy Power. Which is precisely why a priest like me can make this more easily than a mage would.”
“I see.”

In truth, the clergy had proven invaluable.
Holy Power excelled at lifting demon curses.
The only pity was that Holy Power itself lacked offensive strength, so direct combat contributions remained limited.

Delram examined the detector.
Small, light, convenient to carry.

The detection range was about two hundred meters.
When Demonic Energy is first sensed, it vibrates faintly.
The stronger the Demonic Energy grows, the stronger the vibrations become.

“In theory, it can even detect residual traces of Demonic Energy.”
“Residual traces as well?”

The implication was straightforward.
It meant they could find locations where demons had used Demonic Energy, or track places they’d passed through—even if no demon was currently present.

Like the excessive perfume a newly rich man splashes about.
If he doesn’t know the proper amount and just douses himself ignorantly because it’s expensive, what happens?
That reek lingers like a tail behind him.

“This will be excellent for catching traitors.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. I’ll need to produce more then.”
“How long will it take?”
“With materials on hand, about one per day. If other priests help, we could make them much faster.”
“Hmm.”

Delram turned the detector over in his hands, lost in thought.
Why did he suddenly need this……?

* * *

A month after Delram arrived in the Royal Capital.
The Royal Capital, which had been abuzz with victory, had grown quiet as if nothing had happened.
Loyalty to the kingdom and patriotic fervor among the common folk lasted only about a week before concerns about food and livelihood took over.

But that was the common people’s story.
Among the nobility, the war remained a hot topic.
The Merit Awards Ceremony was underway in the Royal Palace.

“Commander of Special Forces Delram—raise your head.”

The grand throne room of the kingdom, its long brilliant red carpet unfurled.
Dozens of nobles lined the sides.
The king seated upon his throne commanded the kneeling Delram.

Leosachs II

A Conqueror King whose name would echo through history!
That future had not yet arrived, but even now, in his early thirties, he bore some of the majesty of a hegemon-king.

Delram lifted his gaze to regard such a king.
Golden hair that gleamed as if wrought from bullion, eyes the color of deep blue.
So, what was his impression?

‘Why did it seem so magnificent before?’

Delram felt a bitter smile twist inside him.
Whenever he stood before the king, he had always been crushed beneath the weight of that presence.

Dignity handed down through bloodline to bloodline!
Authority so noble it seemed to pierce the heavens!
The overwhelming charisma they created!
Before all that, Delram had always felt small.

But now he saw it had all been a delusion.
The man was simply—disgustingly—handsome. That was all.
No majesty like before, no authority at all.
Every feeling he’d harbored had been nothing but the fruit of learning and indoctrination.

‘Still… I don’t regret the loyalty I gave.’

The reason Delram had offered his life to the king was simple.
Because the king had given him so much in return.

‘He elevated a commoner like me, granted me a title, gave me a grand estate and gold coins, and even bestowed upon me the honor of being called the finest general of the continent.’

He gave me everything!
Then wasn’t it only natural to repay his loyalty?

To give fair compensation for work done.
To honor those who have earned merit accordingly.
It seemed like common sense at first glance, but it was actually rare.
Promises made on the tongue were broken in a heartbeat, and rewards meant to be given were routinely halved and halved again.

And that was assuming they were given at all.
Not even being jealous of a subordinate’s success put you in the top ten percent.

But the Emperor was different.
There was no personal warmth between them, yet at least he didn’t speak out of both sides of his mouth—what he promised to give, he gave without fail.
So of course one followed him!

And that was happening now.
The king recited Delram’s deeds, inscribed upon silk.

“In your days as a soldier, you stood against barbarian warriors to protect your comrades and took their lives. Moreover, across more than thirty missions, you never once failed, bringing great advantage to the war effort. Furthermore, you persuaded Sambala—”

The merit Delram received this time was nothing less than 1st Class.
Of all merits, which went up to 5th Class, this was the highest rank.
In particular, a 1st Class Merit Medal was the kind of deed whose recipient and its account would be recorded in perpetuity in the royal histories compiled by the crown itself.

‘What, he’s giving me a 1st Class Merit Medal?’

Truth be told, he hadn’t expected it.
For all his accomplishments, he was still a commoner, after all.
They could have easily given him a 2nd or 3rd Class and called it done.
The nobles would have raised considerable objections too.
But seeing that he gave it anyway, it seemed that his generous nature when it came time to reward was just like it had been before the Regression.

‘This way, I’d be tempted to pledge my loyalty all over again.’

Of course, the victory wasn’t the King’s alone.
No matter how generous a monarch might be, he sat at the very apex.
In the end, the information the King received came up from below.

What if the Commander had intercepted Delram’s achievement in the middle?
It would have meant there was nothing to receive.

Sure enough, through the gaps between the nobles, the Commander’s face was visible.
Judging by the satisfied smile, it seemed he had not only conveyed Delram’s accomplishment faithfully but had also recommended him strongly.
Meeting such a superior was its own kind of fortune.
This life seemed determined to unfold smoothly.

“―Therefore, we bestow upon Special Operations Commander Delram the 1st Class Merit Medal. Furthermore, we elevate him to the rank of Baron, effective immediately. This is done by our sacred prerogative, which none may dispute, and we will brook no further discussion on the matter.”
“It is a great honor, Your Majesty.”

Leosachs II rose from the throne and approached.
He affixed the medal to Delram’s chest and posed a question.

“As a nobleman, have you given thought to a surname?”
“Humble though it may be, I was told that the founder of my clan was once a nobleman. The surname used in those days was Fleur.”
“Then from this day forward, you are Delram Fleur.”
“Thank you. I, Delram Fleur, do solemnly swear to dedicate all my abilities solely to Your Majesty and to mankind.”
“Mankind……? Excellent!”

Leosachs II hesitated for a moment, then laughed with evident satisfaction.
He felt the sincerity behind the words—they were no mere formality.

Unfortunately, no territory was granted.
He was still young, and besides, he had just completed an unprecedented promotion.
He had risen from a common soldier to Special Operations Commander, after all.
It would have been difficult to bestow more on top of that.

Of course, the title was not everything.
He received a substantial quantity of gold coins and a pass—an entry token to a certain place.
Access to the Golden Heart, the kingdom’s treasury.

Time had passed, and the Merit Awards Ceremony drew to a close.
The 2nd Class and lower merit awards were presented in groups all at once.
Because of this, the proceedings did not take nearly as long as one might have expected.

“We offer our thanks once more for your service.”
“All is as Your Majesty wills!”

Delram bowed his head earnestly among the gathered nobles.
The treasures housed in the Golden Heart seemed to shimmer before his eyes.

‘Just you wait.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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