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 177

Episode 177

“I’ll make an exception and allow you to play Titanic at the bow of the ship.”

A few hours after departing from the ancient ruins in the unexplored region beyond the Eastern Front of the Tashman Kingdom, at an altitude of 1000 meters. Captain Victor addresses Jez, Erin, and the others with a proud look on his face. They are either marveling at the stunning scenery or making a commotion over the view below.

The ship is completely covered by a protective barrier, so the deck isn’t affected by the wind. Additionally, unlike on the sea, there are no vibrations because the ship is flying through the air. The journey is incredibly comfortable.

Right after boarding, Victor’s first instruction to all the crew was, 

“From now on, call me Captain Victor.”

He is not in his usual white lab coat but rather in a naval uniform, complete with a captain’s hat, which he must have acquired somehow.

Jez, unsure where to even start, responds with, 

“Then Victor, you can call me Admiral.”

Victor, who enjoys Jez’s occasional playful banter, decides to call him Admiral from now on. Jez is unaware that this casual remark would result in him being called Admiral, unlike other legion commanders.

The strategic-grade conceptual armament / pseudo-divine artifact, the Skybound Ark—Mandjet/Mesektet, cruises silently through the air at about 200 km/h, showcasing its overwhelming presence with a leisurely pace.

This ship, summoned from a mysterious space by Victor, had descended to pick up personnel immediately after its summoning. It then reascended, heading straight for the capital.

The ship can accommodate between 500 and 1000 people, depending on the equipment and supplies. Although it wasn’t possible to board all the members of the 5th Legion led by Raja Raj, about 200 of Erin’s group were on board for departure.

After battling the monster army in the plains near the ancient ruins, the members of the 5th Legion had been on high alert. They were momentarily stunned by the appearance of the massive flying ship.

For a brief moment, they hesitated before deciding how to respond to this unknown, colossal structure floating in the sky. Raja Raj, the commander of the 5th Legion, quickly resolved to launch an attack with the entire army.

Just as they were about to initiate a magical assault, the Skybound Ark—Mandjet/Mesektet unfurled the flags of the Tashman Kingdom, the 7th Legion, the 11th Legion, and the Fourth Saintess.

Although Raja was unfamiliar with the 11th Legion’s flag, seeing the flags of the Tashman Kingdom, the 7th Legion, and the Fourth Saintess (representing Saint Lucretia) flying together, he decided against attacking and halted the preparations for an assault.

As they encircled the lowered giant ship with caution, members of the ship, including Princess René, Erin Saylor, Lucretia Alma, and the troublesome duo of Jez Norman and Victor Alchemis, descended to the ground.

Raja Raj first expressed relief and joy at seeing Princess René return safely, then gave Erin Sailor an approving look, and showed proper respect to Saint Lucretia. Finally, he sighed in resignation at the sight of Jez Norman and Victor Alchemis.

It seems Jez Norman had successfully protected and returned with Princess René. While this was good news, Leo would also be pleased with René’s safety. Despite Leo’s tendency to be overly lenient, that was another matter.

The pairing of Norman and Alchemis, however, was less desirable. Over the past ten years since their graduation from the Royal Academy, the once most feared duo, who had seemed to quiet down, had somehow reunited. With the appearance of this unrealistically enormous flying ship, it was hard to make sense of it all.

Raja had given up on worrying about the details. Moreover, it seemed that Jez Norman had been appointed as the commander of the 11th Legion.

Given that Jez had become a Dragon Slayer after defeating a dragon in the capital, this appointment was somewhat expected. However, his sudden assignment was to lead an overseas expedition.

On top of that, the Divina Papal State was in a state of internal conflict. One might wonder what King Ramses, Prime Minister Saylor, and the Kingdom’s council were thinking.

Normally, such a mission would be extremely difficult. Even experienced legion commanders would likely find it challenging to fulfill their duties. However, Jez Norman, being both competent in martial and scholarly matters, might have the capability for it.

Alternatively, it could be that this task is so challenging that it was deemed best to avoid creating any gaps in the current defense line.

In reality, the damage from the Southern Uprising had not been fully repaired, and the 9th Legion was still in the process of reorganization. The 7th Legion also needed urgent restructuring due to the long-term absence of Princess René and key figures like Erin Saylor and Lilly Johnson.

The 10th Legion, led by Serena Castillo, had been providing long-term support in the south, but they couldn’t be stationed there indefinitely.

The 5th Legion, led by Raja, and the 6th Legion, also tasked with defending the Eastern Front, were difficult to move given the current situation with the monsters in the Eastern Front.

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Legions defending the Northern Front were also not to be moved given the threats from the north.

Other main forces, such as the Royal Guard Legion and the 1st Legion, were the final defense line for the capital. Naturally, they could not be easily moved either.

Considering these circumstances, it was inevitable that any expeditionary force sent to the Divina Papal State would need to be newly formed.

It was likely that troops would be drawn from the Northern Front, which had relatively more strength compared to other fronts. Hence, appointing Jez Norman, who was from the North and an adopted member of the Norman family, as the commander of the newly established expeditionary force was fairly reasonable.

In fact, there had been petitions from the North a few years ago requesting that he be given a high-ranking position such as a legion commander.

Given this background, it was still puzzling why he had been working as a civil servant until now.

Raja and his team exchanged information with Princess René and others who had disembarked from the massive ship. As Raja watched the Skybound Ark–Mandjet/Mesektet rise into the air once more, he thought to himself: 

“…This is definitely going to turn into something troublesome.”

The members of the 5th Legion, who had been observing Raja, silently nodded in agreement.