After the debacle with Wagner, Inés met with Klaus the next day.
"Yes, I was looking over the restrictions you've put in place."
Klaus handed over a stack of papers.
"This new training I've developed is lenient on supplies as it focuses more on endurance and survival. I do not doubt that Alexander will frequently detach himself from supply lines if he sees opportunities that require it, so I think it works for everyone."
Inés looked over the papers with a satisfied nod.
"This is perfect, we'll implement it immediately."
She continued flipping through the pages.
"Though, it makes me wonder why Alexander didn't use you to train the men to begin with."
Klaus signed.
"I did train the soldiers when we first started, but after the raid on Elena island the commander was changed."
Inés looked up from her papers.
"What do you mean? He wasn't always like this?"
Klaus tilted a hand.
"He was always eccentric, but after watching his men get gunned down by pirates using slave shields, he broke. At first he seemed genuinely remorseful, but… it was Wagner who put the final nail in the coffin."
He gestured outside.
"He called him names, mocked his failure, and I suppose Alexander just couldn't handle it."
He hesitated, as if remembering the day.
"He broke into a manic laughter and promptly promoted him. Saying he wanted to become a monster just like him."
Inés shook her head.
"So this boy is traumatized and we're making him a commander?"
"Good commanders are hard to find these days."
He shook his head.
"You'd be hard pressed to find someone who willingly dives headfirst into the chaos and comes out victorious."
Inés pressed her fountain pen to her cheek.
"Hm, I suppose you're right. Most combat officers I've met are strictly by the book. Any problem that can't be solved with firepower, is solved with pathfinder saboteurs."
Klaus nodded; that was exactly what he had seen in the field during the war with the Empire.
Pathfinders assassinating mages, blowing up entire artillery batteries, raiding supply lines…
The Fallen kingdom must've burned through hundreds of them.
"The commander represents a new kind of warfare, whether we like it or not."
Inés stamped Klaus's training plan with a seal of approval.
"Then let's keep his war machine lethal and effective, otherwise his madness will consume us all."
— — —
Five months later Charlotte was reading Davout's latest report on Alexander.
Your majesty,
The situation at Fort Daname has undergone a complete transformation since I first arrived.
The Marines: they are the epitome of disciplined chaos.
No order is ever questioned, Alexander's authority is absolute. This is a result of fanatical loyalty and fear of failure.
And the catalyst was the death of his top sergeant, First Sergeant Wagner.
The support core: they're the backbone of the base, handling everything from supply chain management to advanced first-aid.
They also act as elite marksmen, quartermasters, and signals.
I find myself constantly in awe at how well they perform.
Brigadier General Inés: She is responsible for most of their success. She and the pathfinder sergeants are miracle workers.
And now with Alexander finally having convinced the pathfinders to join his corp, Inés has grown more successful.
I fear we've wasted her potential in our hands, but Alexander has already put her to full use.
Commander Alexander: he's barely been on base since the execution of Wagner. He's spent most of his time training with D'élite Hinata.
When I asked about it, he laughed.
He told me, "Old man, I lead my men from the front, I want them to see that I'm untouchable."
I believe his arrogance isn't because of his ego, but because he genuinely believes what he says.
Everything about him suggests that he isn't resistant to change or being proven wrong.
He simply needs evidence of the flaw.
And now I am accompanying him and her highness to secure his first contract.
If all goes well, by the time you receive this, Alexander will be preparing for departure.
Your humble servant,
Field Marshal Davout.
Charlotte smiled as she set the letter down.
"This is even better than I expected, he's perfect."
Donna loomed over Charlotte's shoulder, reading the letter.
"Hm, and here I thought he was just a know-it-all -."
Charlotte turned to Donna.
"Do you know what this means? Our kingdom will have a buffer in the demon continent. And a competent one. Anyone ignorant enough to challenge him will be so brutally blindsided, that a war will be avoided entirely."
Donna crossed her arms.
"But what if losing makes them double down? Try again…"
Charlotte gestured towards Alexander's exam packet, which she kept near her desk.
"He'll probably wipe them off the map entirely."
— — —
Alexander, Fredrick, and Elizabeth sat across from Lord Altergott of the first Major House.
Davout sat at the head of the table.
Lord Altergott narrowed his white eyes as he stared at the map laid before him.
"So three iron veins are suspected to be along the Ta-kora mountain range. One is owned by Sparsia and the other by Ambur. The third one, however, is owned by one of the largest demon tribes in the area."
Fredrick spoke with a neutral, business-like tone.
"It's at the center of the other two veins, so the route to get to it is complicated. But, if it and the route are secured, you'll be pleased to know that not only is the vein suspected to be the largest, but it makes a great place for a settlement."
Lord Altergott frowned.
"Yes, but there's a reason no one owns the mine. Isn't it?"
Fredrick sighed.
"The demon tribe that resides there is the Gual'torah, is well entrenched in their mountains. Even if a force could reach the mine, they'd be subjected to constant raids. Any attempt to push up into the mountains has resulted in…"
"A massacre."
Davout chimed in, leaning closer.
"Behind every jagged rock or tree would be a demon waiting to jump down and rip out your heart. Even platoons of pathfinders struggled to make permanent gains. They could clear the paths, but the moment they left the demons just occupied them again."
Lord Altergott sighed, stroking his chin as he met Fredrick's gaze.
"So you want me to pay for a mine that needs a constant military presence? Where raids from demons will be a guarantee? I fail to see the benefits of this 'deal' you claim."
He turned to Davout.
"But what do you say?"
Davout took a long sip from his glass, setting it down with a quiet click.
"Had this request come across my desk I'd have it thrown out just as soon as it arrived."
Lord Altergott smirked smugly. "Oh?"
"Indeed," Davout continued, tracing a line from the beach to the mine.
"A conventional force would burn through any profits made from the mine. You would be building fortifications, paying for hundreds of soldiers and their equipment. Not to mention the constant ambushes and night raids on supply lines."
He shook his head.
"By all metrics, a conventional force would be in an unwinnable situation. You could look into using pathfinders, but the cost would balloon. Not to mention they'd be on a time limit. Every day there are a dozen different requests for them."
Lord Altergott chuckled softly.
"Then that settles it, either find another target or leave this place. I don't want to waste any more time on this."
Alexander looked up with an unreadable expression.
"You're so confident in it being unattainable, because people used the wrong tactics?"
He leaned back, crossing his arms.
"Have you even considered what I'd do? Or do you wanna keep sitting smug?"
"Excuse me? Boy, I don't need your opinion when her Majesty's top office is right here!"
"I'm better than him."
"What?!"
"I said I'm better."
Davout chuckled softly.
"Lord Altergott, I believe you should hear the boy out. You'd be surprised."