When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 8

Episode 8

What makes a good man or woman? This question is quite challenging. In Erin’s case, she is an exceptional talent herself and has a keen eye for recognizing and evaluating the talents of others, making her judgment reliable.

However, the ability to judge people is different from judging men or women. In other words, there’s a distinction between job-related skills and whether someone is enjoyable to be around in private life, whether they are happy or not.

Consider this: imagine a highly competent business improvement consultant who, at home, starts commenting on household chores in the same manner as at work. Most people would undoubtedly feel annoyed and want to kick them out.

Mixing work and romance, let alone marriage, is risky. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, but…

Anyway, with Erin’s sudden declaration that “Jez is my ex,” the atmosphere in the 7th Legion Officer’s Mess fell into a brief silence, followed by an unnatural return to the previous commotion.

Jez, internally thinking “Well, that wasn’t necessary,” glanced around at the surroundings. Chief of Staff Hugo, showing an expression fitting his age, remarked, “Erin is still young,” relatively unchanged. Princess René, who had never heard any floating rumors before, was unexpectedly interested, with a slight blush, in her dedicated knight’s surprising past.

Then, looking at Rail’s expression, Jez recalled Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” and thought it looked somewhat similar. Moreover, scanning the surroundings away from their table, he noticed young officers reacting similarly to Rail here and there.

Admiringly, Erin, while evasively confirming the surroundings, said with a frivolous expression, “Don’t be so angry. Anyway, it’s something that will come out sooner or later.”

Indeed, as Erin pointed out, while not many of their peers from the Royal Academy knew about Erin and Jez’s relationship, it was not entirely unknown. If their fellow peers from the 7th Legion found out about Erin and Jez’s relationship, it would undoubtedly become known throughout the Legion through word of mouth. If there was a chance that private conversations like this could affect morale and relationships within the Legion when some abnormal situation arose in the future, it was understandable to defuse the situation at this calm moment.

Jez thought that Erin probably made such a rational judgment, but looking at Erin, whose bottom was always a bit hard to read, he sighed again.

“Anyway, it’s fine. Let’s leave it at that. You might have framed it like I’m solely at fault, but it’s a mutual thing, isn’t it?”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

“Yeah, it’s true that I didn’t contact you much, but in the first place, there were many times when I didn’t even know where you were, Erin, so there was no way to contact you.”

As the former couple spoke with a subtle distance unique to them,
“Hehe, I see. Now I understand very well how close you two were,” Princess René interjected with a smirk, while Hugo, taking an understanding superior stance, looked at the two with warm eyes. Startled by the surroundings, Jez and Erin exchanged awkward looks and returned to their meal.

During this time, Rail remained silent like Edvard Munch’s painting. Rail’s friends and peers who were watching at the table around Jez and Erin later held a mixer for him, unable to bear his unbearable state, or so the rumor went.

—

It had been about a month since Jez transferred to the 7th Legion. Since his assignment to the staff department, the operational situation within the department had greatly improved, and Jez himself had been successfully building relationships within the 7th Legion.

He had become quite close with married colleagues and female officers, including Erin. On the other hand, there was a somewhat subtle distance with male junior officers, including Rail, who admired Erin. Nevertheless, it could be said that his abilities were recognized within the 7th Legion in practical terms.

Furthermore, through the mock battle with Princess René and the morning activities (physical training), he had also been getting acquainted with the operational units on the field. One day, the monthly regular meeting was held in the conference room of the 7th Legion. It was the meeting where Jez received the transfer order from Princess René.

Amidst the gathering of high-ranking military officers of the 7th Legion, as well as civil servants from the Kohane Administration and administrative organizations of the southern cities, the meeting progressed. Hugo, the Chief of Staff, explained the background and future policies.

“So, the preparations and adjustments for the reinforcement to the southern front have been largely completed over the past month. As planned, the 1st Regiment of the 7th Legion will head to the 8th Legion base, the 2nd Regiment to the 9th Legion base, and the 3rd Regiment will remain in Kohane as a backup while awaiting the arrival of the 10th Legion.”

Each division of the Tashman Kingdom’s legions, including the 7th Legion, consisted of roughly 5,000 personnel. For example, the 7th Legion had about three regiments of around 1,500 soldiers each, supported by about 500 personnel from rear support units such as the staff department, medical, food, and logistics.

This deployment was somewhat unconventional, with the 1st and 2nd Regiments dispatched as reinforcements to the frontline bases of the 8th and 9th Legions, respectively. Princess René would lead the 1st Regiment of the 7th Legion, with Erin and Jez accompanying her. Chief of Staff Hugo and Rail would remain in Kohane with the 3rd Regiment to provide overall command support.

Once Hugo had conveyed all the necessary information, Princess René stood up, exuding determination with a dignified expression.

“Well then, everyone. Let’s go. To battle!!!”

“Oorah!!!”

“Phew…”

“Don’t you dare run away, okay?”

“No way, that would be too much, just kidding.”