Toward the Gateway

“All three of you, your promotions are confirmed.”

The unexpected bombshell news brought different shades of surprise to the three faces.

Psyche’s sky-blue tail wagged frantically from side to side, unable to contain her excitement.

Seraphine was also busy trying to suppress the corners of her mouth from rising.

Loen was no different.

Though maintaining an expressionless face externally, her red eyes couldn’t hide their intense trembling with unmistakable agitation.

‘It hasn’t even been two years since I joined the Inspection Corps… Already promoted to Senior Investigator?’

She thought this would only be possible after successfully completing the Western expedition at the earliest.

This was way too fast.

Then, Commander Muston spoke again.

“Loen, stay behind for a moment. I have something to discuss with you.”

Psyche and Seraphine bowed their heads at the commander’s gesture and left the office.

Their footsteps disappearing outside the door were filled with unmistakable lightness and excitement.

Now only Loen and the commander remained in the room.

“I heard from Director Derek. You’re planning to go to the West?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The commander’s gaze fixed on Loen.

He seemed to be choosing his words, moving his lips before finally speaking.

“If you return safely after completing the traitor elimination in the West…”

Loen’s ears perked up.

Return safely…?

Then came the commander’s second bombshell announcement.

“You’ll be promoted from Senior to Team Leader, so keep that in mind.”

“…Did I hear wrong?”

Loen asked involuntarily.

It was an unusually flustered voice from her.

Wait, Investigation Team Leader? Me?

The commander chuckled at seeing Loen’s flustered expression for the first time.

Then he suddenly hardened his expression completely.

“You heard correctly.”

“…”

Loen’s head became tangled with complexity.

“Then, will Team Leader Ead be promoted to Assistant Director?”

“No.”

At the firm denial, Loen’s red eyes widened.

So there would be two team leaders? That means…?

A possibility flashed through her mind.

The commander nodded, turning her assumption into certainty.

“What you’re thinking is correct. His Majesty has directly ordered the creation of Investigation Team 2.”

Following the unexpected number of traitors and organized counterattacks from demons, the Inspection Corps had suffered considerable losses. Combined, it amounted to losing an entire team.

Since the Inspection Corps’ strength for rooting out and eliminating subversive elements within the Empire must always be maintained above a certain level,

the Emperor ordered the creation of a new team to reinforce the lacking strength.

Conveniently, there was a suitable candidate to lead the new team.

“And you will be assigned as Team Leader of Team 2.”

Loen’s body suddenly froze.

Beyond exceptional promotion, this was nearly preferential treatment.

She even had the ominous thought that she might end up as commander at this rate.

“Senior Babil is also here, so why me specifically?”

Loen cautiously expressed her doubt.

No matter how much she had achieved, being promoted to Team Leader over Senior Babil, who had long experience and skill, seemed difficult to accept no matter how much she thought about it.

Tap, tap, tap.

Instead of answering, the commander rhythmically tapped the desk with his finger.

For quite a while.

Soon he looked directly into Loen’s eyes and asked in a much lower and more serious voice.

“Regardless of being an inspector, what do you think would happen if you suddenly placed a noble lady with absolutely no military experience as a Corps Commander, Loen?”

Before Loen could speak, the commander continued.

His words held conviction.

“Nine out of ten would struggle to even properly control the command structure, let alone gain trust from soldiers and officers.”

Since it wasn’t wrong, Loen nodded. Then the commander asked.

“But how were you?”

The commander’s gaze pierced through Loen.

“You’re one of those rare exceptions, not nine out of ten. You’ve already proven this with results.”

The commander thought to himself.

There was another real reason why His Majesty suddenly assigned Loen to the Southern Corps Commander position.

It wasn’t purely because of rewards for traitor elimination or inexplicable favor. Rather, it was more for

Loen Franz’s capacity as a person.

Namely, to test her leadership and crisis management abilities.

And Loen passed the test splendidly.

By swiftly taking control of corps command and leading five thousand troops to devastate the Southern Alliance, she proved her own worth.

This exceeded everyone’s expectations.

“Loen. His Majesty never acts without meaning. Even less so when showing favor without reason.”

The commander’s voice resonated deeply in Loen’s ears.

“I trust you understand what I mean after hearing this much.”

Loen was silent for a moment.

Her confused thoughts gradually organized.

She finally nodded quietly.

Then Loen voiced a new curiosity.

“I’m curious. How will the team composition for Team 2 be configured?”

“You’ll recruit directly. You can even transfer from other teams if necessary.”

“Directly?”

“Yes. But don’t drain the Investigation Department. Ah, of course your adjutant Psyche is an exception. She already seems one with you.”

Loen’s eyes narrowed.

Direct recruitment…

This was an unexpected authority.

“Would… external recruitment be acceptable?”

“As long as they have ability, no problem. Of course, they’d need thorough verification through interviews.”

Several names flashed through Loen’s mind.

Those she hadn’t met or even thought to find due to hectic days since joining the Inspection Corps.

Perhaps she could bring them into her team.

‘Though this only applies if the Western expedition ends safely.’

Loen forcefully suppressed her rising thoughts. She needed to focus on immediate matters.

Anyway, this added one more reason to succeed in this operation.

The commander spoke again.

This time with a voice tinged with concern.

“By the way, you’re planning to lead the Southern Corps to the West, correct?”

“Correct.”

The commander tilted his head.

“To be honest… It’s a corps that hasn’t even completed a year of reorganization. I wonder if any meaningful power increase was achieved in such short time.”

He crossed his arms and continued.

“Moreover, muskets and cannons? Tactics for these new weapons wouldn’t even be properly established yet…”

Introducing new weapons doesn’t end there.

Naturally, matching new tactics are needed to properly feel the change.

Whether Loen had considered that far.

Honestly, it was questionable.

This wasn’t the only concern.

Commanding a corps within jurisdiction versus taking it on expedition to another region were entirely different in terms of command and supply difficulty.

No matter how exceptional Loen was with leadership, wasn’t this too much of a stretch? Such worries were unavoidable.

The commander subtly expressed concern.

“Honestly, just taking yourself, the Armored Knight Corps, and the corps’ knight order would suffice. Taking all soldiers too would mean countless things to manage. Will it really be alright?”

To his worried question, Loen answered without hesitation.

“Yes. It’s fine. Preparations are sufficient, so please don’t worry.”

At her firmness, the commander inwardly clicked his tongue.

“Understood. If you say so.”

Then the commander waved his hand.

“You may go now, Senior Loen.”

Loen bowed briefly and left the office.

In front of the Southern Corps fortress.

The vast plains.

Training intensity of the Southern Corps, nearing reorganization’s end, burned hotter than ever.

The plains filled with steel, gunpowder, and fervent shouts.

Bang! Ta-ta-tang!

Leading were heavily armed musket infantry advancing with heart-shaking gunfire.

Their movements were surprisingly coordinated.

When one line took firing stance and spat fire, the next moment they bent to quickly reload. Not missing this gap, soldiers in the rear line aimed their barrels forward.

The continuous sequential firing was like unceasing hellfire.

“Advance! Fire! Reload!”

Following their commander’s resounding command, infantry continuously advanced forming fire webs.

Their plate armor covering their body and long muskets had weight reduction magic precisely engraved.

Thanks to this, their movements were agile and nimble like light infantry.

Even if enemies closed in, no problem.

The sharp bayonets attached to lengthy barrels were lethal spears themselves.

In emergencies, they would fearlessly charge toward enemy lines with bayonets forward, or form solid defensive lines to overwhelm regular infantry even in melee.

Behind them, artillery shook the earth.

BOOOOOM!

Dozens of new cannons simultaneously spat fire.

Heavy cannonballs curved through the air to shatter temporarily set targets.

The cannonballs lacked explosive power.

But their overwhelming mass and kinetic energy alone were lethal enough.

“With that power…”

A staff officer watching training gulped.

That level of power would definitely work against enemy knight orders.

Of course, knights could withstand cannonballs with mana and shields.

But their warhorses absolutely couldn’t survive this metal barrage.

If cannons reduced enemy knight orders’ charge power, then allied knights could rush them – that alone completed the cannons’ job.

Clank, clank.

And on both flanks of formation.

The corps’ heart and powerful breakthrough force – the corps’ knight order was positioned.

Black plate armor engraved with subtle blue magical patterns.

Even horses wore thick barding with both blade defense and weight reduction magic complexly engraved.

Their magnificence matched the Empire’s finest, called the Armored Knight Corps. Moving fortresses of steel themselves.

Watching all this, the Armored Knight Corps commander and Chief of Staff, plus Operations Staff Officer Bern, wore confident smiles.

“Hehe, this level could surely win against similar-sized armies. Unless significantly outnumbered in knights… could even handle double the enemies.”

Operations Staff Officer Bern spoke unable to hide excitement.

The Chief of Staff nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, the Corps Commander’s insight is remarkable. How could someone without military experience conceive such ideas… The more I think, the more puzzled I become.”

“Exactly…”

Of course for Loen… merely sharing vague military knowledge from her previous life with them.

But to them, even that was remarkable.

Several small battles had already occurred.

Against lingering Partisan remnants crossing Western mountains and elf forces lurking at Southern borders.

Results were naturally overwhelming victory with exchange ratios.

Thanks to this, corps morale already pierced the heavens.

Then Bern suddenly asked.

“By the way, still no contact from the Corps Commander?”

“She seems busy with capital matters.”

Just then.

“Chief of Staff!”

From afar, a messenger galloped raising dust.

“Message from the Corps Commander!”

The two staff officers immediately read the letter.

The content was brief.

Orders to march immediately to the Southwest Gateway.

Their eyes gleamed intensely as if waited for this.

“Finally…”

“Issue departure orders to all troops!”

Under corps banner.

The Southern Corps, armed with steel discipline, overwhelming firepower, and conviction for victory, finally began moving.

Their target was singular.

The Empire’s West, consumed by chaos and darkness.

Meanwhile, Loen, preparing to depart from headquarters to Southwest Gateway, reluctantly headed to the main house after receiving her mother’s letter asking her to stop by the estate.

She already felt her mother’s nagging in her ears somehow.