Illusion Sword Master

＜ Imperial Inspector (2) ﹥

The day I departed for the western front as the Imperial Inspector for my first mission.

“It’s still awkward.”

I couldn’t get used to the new uniform.

As the Imperial Inspector, the official attire was all black, from the shirt to the coat and hat, to intimidate others.

Next, I checked my equipment.

I wore the Black Thunder on my back, with four long swords attached to my waist, two on each side.

Inside my coat, I had an X-shaped leather belt with eight daggers attached.

All of these were dwarf-made weapons provided by the dwarf commander who treated me like a benefactor.

“Ugh…”

Despite being fully armed, the anxiety of heading to the front lines didn’t dissipate.

The mission itself wasn’t about direct combat; it was just an inspection task to take appropriate measures for a lax military unit.

However, I knew my unfortunate fate all too well, and the anxiety that things wouldn’t go smoothly lingered.

“Sigh… What’s the point of worrying?”

I had already prepared as much as I could. Worrying more would only give me a headache.

“It’s about time.”

I tried to shake off my anxiety and waited for my assistant, who would support me in my Imperial Inspector duties.

[My assistant will arrive soon. He’ll guide you to the western front lines. Since he’s a talented individual selected by Rolland, he’ll likely be of great help.]

Even if I tried not to think negatively, the fact that Rolland had chosen him stuck in my mind.

Half of the hardships I faced were due to him misunderstanding me as a loyal and righteous subject.

Soon, a carriage stopped in front of me.

It was a sturdy carriage for long-distance transportation.

“That must be my assistant.”

I looked at the person holding the reins and thought so.

He was a man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, giving off a serious impression at first glance.

Judging by his appearance, he seemed like someone who didn’t have much charm or wit but was diligent in his work.

He was the type of subordinate who might be boring to work with, but you could rely on him to do his job.

Just as I finished my assessment, the man dismounted and gave a loud, exaggerated Imperial salute.

Like how orcs demonstrated their strength with loud battle cries, these military men from the Imperial Army tried to prove their loyalty with the loudness of their voices.

“Long live the Empire! Long live glory! I am Inspector Ollik, honored to serve as your assistant, Imperial Inspector!”

I felt like covering my ears or his mouth.

For a moment, I was tempted to do so, but I barely managed to resist and responded with a salute.

“Long live the Empire! Nice to meet you, Ollik. I’m the Imperial Inspector, as you know.”

His tone was as stiff as his expression.

As a high-ranking official of the Empire, having escaped from being a trainee, he had to be mindful of his dignity to avoid being ridiculed.

“It’s an honor to serve the renowned hero─! I’ll devote my life to the great task of protecting the Empire with the Inspector General─!”

“Well, I’d rather not devote my life just yet.”

“Did I mishear─!”

Yes, I had already realized that he wasn’t the type to understand jokes.

“No, it was a joke. Besides, I don’t need to shout like an orc. My ears are quite sensitive, you know.”

“I apologize. I’ll correct myself.”

Olek responded with an overly serious expression, which seemed unnecessary, but at least he understood what I meant.

I extended my hand to him.

“Anyway, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

Well, whatever. In a perilous journey, a trustworthy companion is essential.

#

Dulkerdung. Dulkerdung.

If I had a sensitive constitution, I would’ve jumped out of the carriage right away, but the ride was extremely uncomfortable.

However, having trained in aerial combat and developed a tolerance for turbulence, I could read a book while lying down comfortably.

“The Imperial Inspector’s Manual”

The book I was currently reading contained the roles, authorities, responsibilities, and cases of an Inspector General.

In the case of Roland, who I had seen before, he couldn’t fully demonstrate his abilities due to secretly handling tasks or being hindered by noble families backing other princes.

Fundamentally, as the representative of the Imperial authority, the Inspector General’s authority was immense. It was necessary to create a separate manual to organize their authorities and cases.

The key points were as follows:

1. They could request cooperation from Imperial citizens for mission accomplishment (and even force them to comply). This also applied to Imperial soldiers.

2. Regardless of actual application, they could investigate based on suspicion alone, disregarding the target’s status.

From noble mtl dot com

3. They could exercise command authority over a large unit and revoke it if the commander’s abilities were deemed insufficient.

4. They could impose immediate judgment on Imperial enemies, bypassing some legal procedures. Representative examples of such enemies included treason, mutiny within the unit, and dark magic users.

It was an unparalleled authority that could be wielded without restriction, as long as the target wasn’t a direct imperial family member or a close aide.

The Inspector General was a position that could freely exercise this authority under the pretext of Imperial defense.

Of course, I had no intention of doing so.

“Just do it moderately and come out.”

Inspector duties were structured to increase enemies the more you worked hard.

There was no need to create unnecessary enemies; I had to handle things moderately.

“For a peaceful life.”

I still hadn’t given up on my dreams.

As I read the manual, I was determining my future course of action, and before I knew it, the sun had set.

The carriage, which had been traveling through the forest, came to a halt.

Tat-tat-tat.

“Inspector General.”

As soon as Olek opened the carriage door, he greeted me with an Imperial salute.

“For the glory of the Empire─!”

“For the glory of the Empire. Besides, there’s no need to salute every time we meet. Let’s skip the formalities.”

“… Yeah. Got it.”

Ollec seemed reluctant, but he nodded his head without objecting to my words as his superior.

“What’s going on, anyway?”

“Since the sun is setting, it seems like we should set up camp here and depart again at dawn.”

Camp. I wasn’t fond of the idea, having grown accustomed to the comfort of Huangdao’s beds, but it was better than wandering around in the dark and searching for a village.

“That’s what we’ll do.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare the camp.”

Ollec quickly finished the preparations, as if he was familiar with this kind of task.

“Great job.”

He swiftly prepared the firewood by cutting down nearby trees, and even took care of dinner preparations without a hitch.

After a while, we sat down facing each other, with the campfire between us.

Inside the pot hung over the fire was a humble stew made with smoked meat and seasonings.

“Why does this taste so good?”

Ollec wasn’t very talkative, probably due to his serious personality, but he was excellent at handling various tasks.

“You’re good at cooking. What did you do before?”

I asked him after filling my belly, as there was nothing else to do until bedtime, and I wanted to learn more about my subordinate.

“I used to be a knight’s attendant on the western front until recently. My lord was very particular about food, so I had to learn how to cook.”

This was an unexpected background.

“If you wanted to become a knight, wouldn’t it be better to continue training?”

“My lord said I didn’t have the talent and kicked me out. But thanks to Lord Rullan, I was appointed as an inspector.”

“That’s how it happened. Did Lord Rullan say anything to you?”

Ollec’s eyes sparkled as he replied.

“He said loyalty is the greatest talent. And it was truly a wise saying!”

It was a situation that made sense. Rullan, who valued loyalty above all else, must have seen Ollec’s FM-like qualities and appreciated them highly.

I asked him a few more questions.

Ollec was knowledgeable about the western front, having been stationed there until recently.

The western front, which was the core of the 6th Corps, had been on the defensive since the Umber fortress was captured, and they couldn’t regain their footing.

It was barely holding on, thanks to the support of the Zephyr family’s mage squad, which wasn’t originally part of the western front.

The sudden appearance of the Orc king.

The elevated tactics of those bastards.

The Orcs, strengthened by dark magic.

The ominous signs I saw during my magic academy days had become a more realistic threat.

“It’s still fortunate. Now is the time when Inspector Rullan’s heroic actions are needed! I’ll also do my best to support you.”

I responded to Ollec’s words with an awkward smile.

‘Ah, I don’t want to go.’

I didn’t want to go in the first place, but now I wanted to go even less.

“You must be tired. Let’s take turns keeping watch every three hours.”

“No, Inspector Rullan has a heavy responsibility. Please conserve your energy. I’ll take care of the night watch alone.”

“It’s fortunate that I have confidence in my physical strength. I’m fine, so take a breather.”

I tried to wrap up the uninteresting conversation with Ollek, but a cold sensation crept up my spine.

The feeling soon turned into conviction.

Beyond the dark forest, red lights glowed, and non-human beings slowly revealed their silhouettes.

A rabbit, a deer, and a pack of wolves.

“What a beautiful friendship that has overcome the food chain, it’s like a fairy tale.”

If the situation were different, I might have felt that way. But it wasn’t like they were approaching us with friendly intentions.

The deer had the fangs of a carnivore, the rabbit had antlers shaped like a pillar, and the wolf’s tail had a stinger reminiscent of a scorpion.

Each of these grotesquely transformed beasts had one thing in common: a snake protruding from their bodies.

Ma-su.

They were beasts twisted and strengthened by black magic.

“Ugh, what a miserable fate.”

Being dragged to the battlefield is already miserable, but encountering Ma-su at the campsite before we even arrive?

“Be careful, Inspector.”

Ollek drew his sword and stood in front of me.

Although he was tense when facing the Ma-su, he didn’t show any fear.

I couldn’t help but admire him and asked, “Will you be okay?”

“It’s part of my duty as a lieutenant to protect the Inspector in times of need.”

As I watched Ollek approach the enemy with a calm demeanor, I had a momentary expectation.

“Ollek was trained by a knight, so he’ll handle these small fries.”

But that expectation was quickly shattered.

“Ollek, didn’t the knight who trained you teach you swordsmanship?”

“No, they taught me for about two years.”

“That knight must have had great patience.”

“Yes, they were a person with excellent character. But in this situation…”

“No way.”

I let out a sigh and replied.

Ollek’s spirit was impressive, but his sword stance was seriously lacking.

It was clear that he hadn’t learned proper swordsmanship, despite being trained by a knight for two years.

“What a disappointing talent.”

“You should stay back.”

“No, Inspector! I can’t let you face the enemy alone!”

I grabbed Ollek’s back and pulled him back. He stumbled backwards.

“If you die, who will pull the carriage and cook the meals?”

I couldn’t afford to lose a capable worker like that.

I let out a sigh, and with a swing of my Black Thunder, I faced the approaching Ma-su.

It wasn’t what I had hoped for, but it was an opportunity to test the results of my training.

＜End of Imperial Inspector (2)﹥