Chapter 404

Meanwhile, in the human camp's southern border noble region, Mil looked utterly helpless.

"Gervas, this victory was clearly due to your Storm Legion—why are you saying it was my help that won the day?!"

"Mil, you're already famous enough; letting you be even more famous won't hurt. Are you afraid the orcs will come after you?" In fact, the very first person to shout "Mil is mighty!" had been Gervas himself.

He naturally wouldn't admit he was worried the orcs would target him.

He was even more afraid that the kingdom's many nobles, big and small, would now pay him too much attention because of this dazzling victory.

His lands held too many secrets that couldn't see the light—too much fame would bring him endless trouble from now on!

Though he couldn't hide anything from the Legion Commander, he could at least hide from the lesser nobles—every one he fooled would spare him some trouble.

"Gervas, of course I'm not afraid of the orcs! But I feel uneasy and guilty taking credit for your achievements!"

"You don't know—these past two days, every noble who saw me treated me with extreme courtesy. But the problem is, this achievement… it's all fake!" Mil looked utterly helpless.

"Mil, as long as the Legion Commander hasn't exposed you, then it's real!" Gervas clapped Mil on the shoulder.

What could Mil say?

This kind of glory—others could only envy it endlessly…

…

As the orcs withdrew, it meant the first major legion battle after the kingdom's army had marched out had ended in victory—undoubtedly a morale-boosting triumph.

The supporting forces could now safely enter Shicheng.

After entering Shicheng, the southern border nobles, without surprise, immediately received orders to be summoned by the Commander.

Though Gervas didn't want to go, he knew that if he wanted this achievement, he couldn't avoid it.

Unless he gave up the orc chieftain's head as battle merit entirely.

But that head was the key to being promoted to Count—unlike mere public commendations, which were just empty honors.

So he absolutely wouldn't give up the head; even if this time his merit wasn't enough for promotion, merit could be accumulated.

If not this year, then next year; if not next year, then the year after.

In short, Gervas knew that without becoming a high noble, in this rigidly stratified noble world, he'd still struggle to hold his ground.

Even if your fists were strong, without the hide of a high noble draped over you, others would inevitably treat you with disrespect.

And you can't just show off your fists to everyone, everywhere, can you?

"My lord, Baron Mil and his companions have arrived!"

"Oh? Have them come in at once!"

The Legion Commander and the two Dukes immediately halted their war discussions.

Following his order, Gervas and Mil and the others finally saw the supreme commander of this northern campaign for the first time.

"Greetings, Legion Commander! Greetings, Your Graces!"

Everyone quickly bowed and saluted.

The Legion Commander and the two Dukes carefully scrutinized Gervas and his group.

After a long moment of observation, the Commander smiled warmly: "Gentlemen, don't be formal. Your crucial role enabled our army's first victory against the orc tribe!"

"Such merit—I, as Commander, must thank you personally. Please, take your seats!"

Seeing the Legion Commander so approachable, Mil and the others relaxed slightly, then cautiously sat on either side of the war tent.

Inside the tent, only nine people were present—making the space feel unusually spacious.

After everyone sat down, several servants entered the tent and brought tea and snacks.

Only then did the Legion Commander speak again.

"You are Baron Mil, correct?"

When entering the tent, Mil had led the group.

And Mil wore a Baron's Badge on his chest—so the Legion Commander didn't need to guess to identify him.

Mil felt a slight thrill.

He'd participated in royal campaigns more than once.

But in the past, he'd never even met someone as high as Marshal Mi Xiusi face-to-face, let alone the Legion Commander.

Now, the Legion Commander was speaking to him so warmly—his emotions were unmistakable.

Though he'd expected this, Mil still stammered slightly: "Y-yes, Legion Commander—I am Mil!"

"Hmm?" The Legion Commander noticed Mil's nervousness and paused slightly.

But his reaction was swift—he immediately returned to calm: "Baron Mil, your role in the Verdant River Valley and the southern gatewood fortress of Shicheng was absolutely crucial!"

"And in this legion battle, victory again depended entirely on you and your companions."

"I'm curious—how did you manage such brilliant strategy?!"

"This…" Mil's face flushed crimson—after all, these were all false claims.

But Gervas had already told him before: don't worry about false glory, just accept it with a clear conscience.

He instinctively glanced at Gervas, who was acting as if nothing concerned him, eyes darting everywhere—and finally forced himself to calm down.

"My Lord Commander, it was merely good fortune. Though I played some part, it was the fierce combat power of my companions' troops that truly secured victory in these battles!"

The Legion Commander's eyes flickered with thoughtful interest.

But he smiled and made no judgment, instead shifting topic: "Speaking of fierce combat power, I'm curious—across the two previous battles and this one, the one who killed the most enemy heads was always Viscount Gervas!"

"So the spearmen and the guards who could fight orcs one-on-one—they're all your subordinates, Viscount Gervas?"

Among the nobles present, only Gervas wore a Viscount's Badge—so even though this was their first meeting, the Commander and Dukes could instantly identify him.

"Yes, My Lord Commander! The spearmen and the swordsmen who could stand up to orcs face-to-face are indeed my men!" Gervas had deliberately kept low profile, standing unobtrusively among the nobles.

But now, with this answer, the Legion Commander and the two Dukes' eyes instantly gleamed.

Because Gervas's demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant—he showed none of the subservience common among lesser nobles before superiors, nor the excitement seen in Baron Mil.

He merely replied in the calmest tone, which was utterly astonishing.

A minor noble possessing such composure.

Had Gervas's identity and origins not been confirmed beforehand, the Grand President would have even suspected that Gervas was an illegitimate son of some great family.

"Viscount Gervas, I have a question that piques my curiosity; I hope you do not mind: how exactly were these guards of yours trained!"

"They are not Title Knights, yet they surprise us even more than Title Knights would!"

Gervas smiled faintly; he had long anticipated what questions the Legion Grand President and the two Dukes would ask after summoning him.

"Grand President, my subordinates owe their state not only to arduous training but also to good fortune; on an island along the coast of my territory, I happened upon a peculiar well of mana..."