Chapter 373

"Commander, the total number of orc heads from the Southern Front Army is three hundred and six!"

"Three hundred and six? Excellent!" Hearing this, Lei Meng's face lit up with surprise, and he couldn't help but cheer.

Although these heads did not belong to him, as commander, any merit earned by the nobles of the Southern Front would inevitably include his share.

Moreover, this figure had been compiled by Li De—there could be no error.

"Commander, here is the detailed tally of orc heads from the Southern Front Army!" At that moment, Lieutenant Colonel Li De handed him the registration ledger.

"Good!" Lei Meng swiftly took it.

Yet he still did not realize how unusual the situation was.

This ledger served as the official record submitted to the main army headquarters to report head counts.

It contained not only the total number of heads, but also the individual counts for each noble.

Thus, when Mi Er took it, he too grew curious and began to examine it, eager to confirm who had claimed the most head-count merit.

But the moment he looked, Commander Lei Meng froze—his smile stiffened on his face!

"This... two hundred and ten of these heads belong to Gervas, Viscount?!"

Lei Meng turned to Lieutenant Colonel Li De, since he was the one responsible for recording them.

Lieutenant Colonel Li De nodded in confirmation.

Lei Meng then looked at Gervas and Mi Er.

Especially Mi Er.

If this data were false, Mi Er would have immediately raised objections.

Yet to his surprise, Mi Er simply nodded, "Commander Lei, this tally is correct!"

"The vast majority of the orc heads were claimed by Viscount Gervas, and it was Viscount Gervas who actually defeated the orcs tonight!"

"I... I merely followed Viscount Gervas's battle plan!"

In truth, even these heads would have been unattainable without Gervas's help.

That was why Mi Er and the others had unhesitatingly stepped forward to reject Solit's overtures.

And Commander Lei Meng, though he had sensed earlier that something was amiss,

had never imagined the truth would be so extraordinary.

"Viscount Gervas, Baron Mi Er, could you tell me what truly happened tonight?"

Gervas smiled and nodded, "Of course. It is also my duty, after all, Commander Lei, you are the commander of the vanguard camp."

Lei Meng finally exhaled in relief, "Then let us go to the command tent to discuss this."

Under Lei Meng's lead, Gervas and Mi Er proceeded to the command tent.

After seating themselves, Gervas wasted no time, instructing Mi Er to recount the events of the night to Lei Meng.

How they dealt with Barto's hundred orcs, how they persuaded others to aid the main camp, how they arranged the diversion, and how they eliminated the enemy—all of it!

"Commander Lei, all the merit from what happened tonight belongs to Viscount Gervas!" Mi Er said humbly.

"Mi Er, don't omit your own men's merit just to highlight mine!"

"Without your cooperation, I could never have driven off the orcs so smoothly!" Gervas would not claim all the glory, so he immediately spoke up to affirm their contributions.

Yet Lei Meng and Solit's attention was not on these details at all—it was fixed entirely on Gervas's abilities and his subordinates.

Learning of the strength of Gervas's spear infantry and his sword guards left both men stunned.

They were not titled knights, yet possessed strength rivaling that of orcs—something exceedingly rare before!

"Viscount Gervas, I never imagined you were so concealed, with such formidable subordinates!" Solit praised Gervas.

"Just good fortune! The magic spring has now dried up—there will be no more training for such elite soldiers in the future!" Gervas quickly demurred.

Lei Meng and the others did not press further; instead, they asked curiously, "Viscount Gervas, if all this merit is yours, why didn't you let Baron Mi Er reveal it earlier?"

In this world, some nobles would go mad to gain fame.

To achieve it, they even hired skilled bards to write books glorifying their deeds.

The content of these books, of course, was two parts truth, eight parts exaggeration.

One could imagine that, given the chance,

they would red-facedly scramble to claim every scrap of merit.

Yet here was Gervas, actively pushing it away.

"Commander Lei, this is precisely why I asked for your help earlier, alongside Baron Mi Er!"

Gervas did not delay—he told Lei Meng how he had been targeted by Solit,

and then by the Southern Front's inspector.

After hearing Gervas's account, Lei Meng and Solit stared at him in silence for a long while.

Being targeted by Solit was one thing—but to have angered a Southern Front cabinet official as well? No one had ever done that.

"Viscount Gervas, so you mean you want me to record the head-count merit truthfully, but attribute all other matters to Baron Mi Er?"

"Exactly, Commander Lei. The head-count merit is enough. I care little for empty fame. Better to remain low-key."

"Viscount Gervas, since you've said so, I won't refuse this favor—it's only right to thank you for helping us repel the orcs!"

"Still, although the matters you attribute to Baron Mi Er carry no real merit, they do present a genuine opportunity to enhance reputation!"

"If I include this in the official report, it will be permanent and cannot be changed later!"

"Commander Lei, I understand. I beg you!" Gervas had made his decision.

Lei Meng nodded, then instructed Gervas and the others to return to the victory banquet.

He himself began drafting the report.

The orc incursion deep into the interior must be reported immediately.

The earlier delay had merely been waiting for the head-count tally.

Soon, by the time the victory banquet ended, the battle report was complete.

Commander Lei Meng summoned Gervas again and showed him the full content.

Of course, this was partly because Gervas's merit was immense.

But also because the report had embellished the entire vanguard camp's role.

For instance, Gervas and Mi Er being assigned to the ravine was not Solit's malicious retaliation,

but a preemptive deployment planned by Lei Meng and Solit.

Furthermore, the ranger's accidental discovery of the orc attack

was recorded as a deliberate, cautious arrangement by Lei Meng and Lieutenant Colonel Li De.

In short, the head count remained unchanged, but the narrative had been "beautified."

And good reputation was shared by all—even the western and eastern nobles within the main camp were now portrayed as bravely resisting the orc ambush with their retinues.

In the end, they joined forces with Gervas's group in a coordinated strike to crush the orcs.

Gervas had no objection—he knew shared joy was greater joy.

Though Solit gained some advantage, there was no help for it.

After all, if Solit didn't gain something, neither could Commander Lei Meng.

His own merit was already substantial—he'd simply give Lei Meng a convenient favor.