Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Qimo Castle’s New Commander-in-Chief

"Robson, it’s really you!" Leo’s voice was filled with surprise. Although he had his suspicions after learning the new Commander-in-Chief’s name, he was still pleasantly surprised to see Robson actually arrive.

"I never thought that in just a month, you’d become a Commander-in-Chief, while I’ve ended up as your subordinate..." Viscount Leo remarked with a sigh. In the past, the Viscount had mocked Robson’s status in a meeting; now, in a sudden turn of events, the man had become his superior.

Robson looked toward the source of the voice and saw Viscount Leo standing beside a man dressed as a priest. Understanding dawned on him.

’No wonder Valentino sent me to Qimo Fortress,’ Robson thought. ’It’s because Viscount Leo is here.’

’Based on my experience from my past life, people like Viscount Leo are the most difficult to get along with. If I hadn’t saved his life, he’d probably be giving me the cold shoulder right now.’

’But on the other hand, once I earn his admiration, my rear flank will be secure. At the very least, he won’t oppose me at every turn.’

Now that Valentino had shifted his mindset, he was prioritizing stability above all else.

"Viscount Leo, it is my honor to be working with you again," Robson replied.

"You two know each other? In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer. The Earl is probably waiting for me to report back," said Knight Commander Elon.

"You don’t have to be in such a hurry, Knight Commander Elon," Robson said, urging him to stay. "You’ve been force-marching day and night; the Knight Order must need some rest. And I’m sure that after this defeat, it will take the Beastmen some time to organize another attack."

’It wasn’t that he actually wanted Elon to stay. In fact, he couldn’t wait for these nobles from Mold Fortress to leave.’

’In the past, I was just a pawn under someone else’s command. The distribution of spoils after a battle never had anything to do with me; I could only wait for the higher-ups to carve it all up and hope they left me some scraps.’

’But now I’m the Commander-in-Chief of Qimo Fortress! When it comes to dividing these spoils of war, my word is final.’

’It would be better if they just left. That would save them from carving up my—Lord Robson’s—property.’

’After all, even though the Bear Race’s armor is generally a size larger than what humans wear, it could fetch a good price even if we just melted it down for scrap iron.’

’I, Robson, now have several thousand more mouths to feed, and the soldiers’ equipment is still unaccounted for...’

’Unfortunately, I have no choice. I still need Elon for many things.’

’After all, Elon’s status is special; he represents Valentino. If Elon just runs off, there’s a lot I won’t be able to get done, or progress will be painfully slow.’

’For instance, there’s the matter of the nobles’ time-honored tradition: corruption. I refuse to believe the noble lords of Qimo Castle are somehow above it all.’

"My Lord, Sir Robson has a point. Such a long forced march has taken a considerable toll on both the Knights and their mounts. Why not rest for the night and depart tomorrow?" Viscount Fuman chimed in, trying to persuade him.

These past few days, Viscount Fuman could hardly believe what he was seeing.

’A once-unknown Knight has climbed, step-by-step, to the position of Commander-in-Chief. After this battle, Robson’s barony will surely be secured.’

’Now that Robson is the Commander-in-Chief of Qimo Fortress, I, Fuman, will probably have to go back to my old trade.’

As a member of the nobility himself, Viscount Fuman’s understanding of these nobles surpassed Robson’s.

’For this very reason, I know that if I don’t seize this opportunity, while Elon is still here, to use Count Valentino’s name and pry some resources out of their hands, my future job as head of logistics is going to be incredibly difficult.’

’After all, Qimo Fortress just went through a leadership vacuum, and that was long enough for the rats in the warehouses to starve to death.’

"Yes, My Lord, since Sir Robson is being so hospitable..."

"Our men and horses are exhausted. We might as well rest for the night..."

The nobles of Mold Fortress also spoke up one after another. They weren’t doing it for any other reason; they simply wanted to divide the spoils of war.

Having just earned military honors, their minds began to race. They knew they couldn’t expect any rewards for their deeds; those would all be used to cover for past failures.

If they wanted to gain anything, their only chance was to get a piece of these supplies. They had come all this way, after all. They couldn’t just leave empty-handed, could they?

"You all came to rescue us at Qimo Fortress. Resting for a night before departing will also give us a chance to express our gratitude," Bruce Priest stepped forward and said with a smile.

He was, for all intents and purposes, speaking for the nobles of Qimo Fortress.

The nobles of Qimo Fortress hadn’t thought that far ahead. After all, they were the ones who caused the trouble, and others were the ones who put out the fire.

Kicking someone out the door right after they’ve put out the fire for you...

Such ungrateful behavior—like cursing the one who fed you the moment you put down your bowl—was unbecoming of the nobility.

"Be that as it may, the provisions we brought for the march are already running low, and our equipment needs to be repaired by a Mage..." Elon said, looking at Robson with a frown.

Elon was a veteran retainer who had served the Fengman Clan for three generations, so he naturally understood what Robson was trying to do.

To Elon, the interests of the Fengman Clan were paramount.

’Of course I can help Robson,’ Elon thought. ’I’m not going to be stationed at Qimo Fortress, and helping Robson get on his feet is one of Valentino’s orders.’

’But that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own agenda.’

’After all, maintaining Knights isn’t cheap. Besides, I’m representing the Count here. Fighting corruption is a surefire way to make powerful enemies.’

His words were a signal to Robson. He wanted compensation for the political risks he and the Fengman Clan would incur—compensation in the form of a share of the spoils and a favorable distribution of military honors.

After all, Robson was the nominal commander-in-chief of this rescue mission—a move designed to pave the way for him. Elon, naturally, wouldn’t undermine Robson’s authority.

So, the distribution of the spoils would naturally depend on Robson’s intentions.

"You need not worry about that, Knight Commander. I trust that Qimo Fortress has the necessary facilities. As for the Magic Equipment, Master Kosen will take care of that for us, won’t he?" Robson asked with a smile.

"You needn’t worry, My Lord. These are small matters. This old man can still handle them," Kosen said with a laugh.

Since the officers in charge of the previous handover at Qimo Fortress had been completely wiped out, everything needed to be replaced. From now on, Kosen and his disciples would be working under Robson.

Bruce Priest, however, finally felt a sense of unease upon hearing Robson’s words.

Right now, probably no one understood the situation in Qimo Fortress better than he did.

’Repairs? With what? Our heads?’

It only took Bruce a moment of thought to understand Robson’s intention. After some deliberation, he chose to keep his mouth shut.

’I haven’t just been in Qimo Fortress for a day or two. I can’t bring myself to throw my friends under the bus.’

’But these people have been too greedy. If this isn’t dealt with, the very operations of Qimo Fortress could be jeopardized.’

’In any case, I’m not the one playing the bad guy here. My hands are clean. At worst, I’ll just have to endure a few complaints later.’

’Compared to stepping out now and publicly challenging Robson, I can still weigh the consequences.’

Seeing that no one else had responded to Robson, Viscount Leo stepped forward to break the awkward silence and chimed in, "Of course! Please rest assured, Sir. Arranging these matters will be no problem at all."

"In that case, I’ll be troubling you all," Knight Commander Elon said with a smile.