Chapter 94

As we approached the northern border, we were halfway through our journey, and it had been a month since we set out.

If we were a smaller group, we could have reached our destination much faster, but we were moving as a military unit.

We couldn't afford to spend half a day on the move, and the longer we traveled, the more fatigue accumulated.

Even a slight delay caused a difference in the arrival times of the front and rear units.

Of course, this would lead to additional burdens and a lack of focus at various points.

"Are there any injuries?"

I woke up in the dim early morning because I received a report that a small fire had broken out near the tents where the porters, who were carrying the supplies for my unit, were staying.

The campsite was not properly set up, and the fire from the bonfire used for dinner had spread to the edge of a tent that was flapping in the wind, causing a small fire.

"It's good that no one was injured. What about the damage? Can the tent still be used?"

As I asked, Helkof, who had been dealing with the situation, responded.

"Just one tent was scorched. But it has holes, so it needs to be repaired."

That meant we would have to request help from the engineering battalion.

However, I doubted they could handle such a task properly.

Which would be better, doing it ourselves or leaving it to them?

As I was thinking, a group of footsteps approached, and voices rose.

"Where is the fire!?"

It was General Wageris, leading soldiers with buckets and bags of sand.

"Who told you?"

"When there was a commotion, the patrol asked what happened after the fire was extinguished. I told them it was a small fire that had already been put out."

With his ears perked up, Helkof was watching General Wageris, who was loudly asking about the source of the fire.

After catching someone nearby, General Wageris finally learned that it was just a small fire that had been extinguished and began to get angry.

"Why did you start a fire in such a place!? Who is responsible!?"

A porter who happened to be nearby was intimidated by the shouting.

He was just a civilian porter, tasked with carrying the supplies I had prepared.

Is it appropriate for a general, who leads an army, to shout at such a person?

Besides, they couldn't eat without a fire.

This is an unreasonable accusation.

"If I'm asked here, no one else will step forward except me."

I deliberately responded as if it were nothing and stepped forward.

General Wageris was surprised, apparently not expecting me to be there.

Since this is the case, I might as well speak my mind directly.

However, we still had a few months to work together.

It wouldn't be good to just stir up trouble, so I decided to see how he would react first.

"......His Highness, please return to your tent. This is a practical matter."

After being surprised, General Wageris said this with a troubled look.

In other words, he considered me a hindrance to practical matters?

"Calling someone a responsible person and then treating them like this? That's not right, especially since this happened in my unit. What's the problem with me being here?"

He seemed to think I was just a child who couldn't be reasoned with.

"Is His Highness the one who caused a small fire and made a fuss? That's not the case, and I can't call someone who can't take responsibility a responsible person."

His attempt to cover up was sloppy, and Helkof immediately closed the distance.

"Hey, Rock. I told the patrol it was a small fire that had been extinguished. If that's the issue, it's the patrol's fault for not passing the message correctly."

"What? Are you saying it's our fault, Helkof?"

Ah, it seems Helkof and Wageris know each other.

He calls him the same way he calls Mori.

"Arrogant. Besides, this was a small fire outside the patrol route. Starting a fire without permission in such a place......"

"Wait a moment."

This time, Wearrel spoke up to General Wageris.

Yeah, I also couldn't let this slide.

"This place is not on the patrol route. Does that mean it's outside the camp?"

"Huh, can't you even understand that? The area inside the fence is the camp. We patrol areas that are somewhat distant, but they are not on the route. Why would the prince be in such a place?"

General Wageris' words made the porters and officers start to murmur.

This is an unexpected admission.

I had thought his response was sloppy, but I might as well take advantage of this to get another admission.

"The layout of the tents within the camp should be under General Wageris' command and approval, right?"

"Yes, that's why there shouldn't be any unauthorized placement of supplies or small fires in such a place."

"We have been requesting improvements. The one who said it was fine to leave it as is was also the general."

He seemed a bit taken aback, probably because he didn't expect me to know this.

Well, the officer who reported it must have heard it.

He was speaking loudly, after all.

People who work with their bodies tend to be like that.

"Indeed, I said that. Being uncomfortable and dealing with the wind is normal. This isn't a palace. No matter how much you complain, it won't change. That's how a military unit operates."

Hearing this from General Wageris, I was taken aback.

"Prince Asha?"

Ikt, noticing my unusual reaction, called out to me with concern.

"Yeah, it's the first time I've been called a whiner."

My aides understood, but General Wageris and his entourage were taken aback.

"Limited resources, schedule, and supervising personnel. That's how the military operates. If you don't understand that and try to push your demands, you should just be quiet......"

"Hey, it's getting light. Can't you see that?"

Since I didn't have to listen to his irrelevant lecture, I interrupted and pointed out.

The surroundings were dim, but now colors and shapes were becoming visible.

"According to the tent setup plan approved by General Wageris, my unit's tents are within a hundred steps of my tent. Is that correct?"

A hundred steps is about 140 meters.

The area around my large tent, about 200 meters in circumference, was my designated area.

"Hmph, if you knew that and still violated the rules......"

Again, it was irrelevant, so I pointed without saying anything.

The tents forming the camp were illuminated by the morning sun.

And the flags indicating the units were fluttering above the tents.

I, as a prince, also had a seal.

A black lion on a blue background, which of course was fluttering on my tent.

"W-Why is it here?"

After confirming the seal in the morning light, General Wageris was flustered.

"That's what I'm asking, and I've been requesting improvements for a while, haven't I?"

"What? No, it was just a complaint about being uncomfortable, this is ridiculous."

"The issue was both the location and the poor setup. The conclusion that it was uncomfortable is valid, but why did you ignore everything else?"

Pointing out his misunderstanding, I confirmed again.

"General Wageris, you said it was fine to leave it as is. Now you're asking why a fire was started here. Does that mean, under your command, my unit is not allowed to start a fire to prepare meals or provide light in the dark?"

The engineering battalion sets up the tents before they arrive.

Of course, I wouldn't move to such a place, and if I did, it would be reported.

"It seems General Wageris is unwilling to take the basic step of seeing the situation with his own eyes or sending a trusted person to check. Perhaps it would be better to see it now?"

Ikt, with a hint of sarcasm, suggested that I point out the poor condition of the tents.

He seemed angry about being called a whiner.

"Come on, let's go. See it with your own eyes and try to deny it again."

Still not grasping the situation, General Wageris was half-dragged by Helkof, who grabbed his arm with a familiar ease.

"What the hell is this!?"

General Wageris shouted as soon as he saw the tents.

Of course, they were only set up in form, and the edges were flapping in the wind, a poor setup.

Seeing the actual conditions, General Wageris and his subordinates were speechless.

"General Wageris, I recommend you don't neglect to check things in the future."

In response to my advice, General Wageris gritted his teeth but didn't shout at me again.

"Send someone to the engineering battalion, no, I'll go now! Helkof! Don't touch anything, maintain the current state!"

"Like hell I will! Fix it quickly!"

It's good that he's taking immediate action, but shouldn't he leave someone here to confirm the situation?

And is it normal for him to shout like that? Hmm, I haven't seen this type in the palace.

It seems, as Sefira said, that he's a bit of a dim-witted general.

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Next: Marching and the General 5