I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 119

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Oh? You’re saying we’ll retake Fort Four in one fell swoop?”

As expected, Kane, the Imperial Knights Commander, was the first to raise an objection.

Well, it wasn’t exactly an objection. He was probably voicing the doubts of the other knights, who were too intimidated to speak up.

“You seem to be mistaken, thinking that retaking Fort Four would be as easy as it was on the first day. Back then, Fort Four was practically defenseless, with barely any garrison. But now? Not a chance. They have at least a thousand troops stationed there. How are you going to break through without any siege weapons? Are you going to blow up the entire castle?”

“…”

Well, he was trying to be helpful, right?

His theatrical performance was impressive, though a little too dramatic.

In any case, Kane was right. It was practically impossible to take a castle defended by a thousand soldiers by force.

Even with all sorts of stealth magic and infiltration tactics, I couldn’t single-handedly wipe out a thousand enemies like Sergei.

Blow up the entire castle…

He had used the perfect expression.

“You’re right. I’m going to blow up the entire castle.”

“The entire…?! But the prisoners are all being held captive in Fort Four!”

“That’s right! You’ll be killing all the residents as well!”

The knights, unable to contain their anger, started shouting.

Honestly, it was a little disgusting.

These were the same people who had been enslaving the beastmen residents of Fort Four after they captured it, and now they were pretending to care.

I was annoyed, thinking about them taking the residents as spoils of war after the war ended.

“Of course, the prisoners and the residents will be fine. It’s a magic spell that specifically targets the rebels.”

“Such magic…?”

“The elites of the Imperial University can do it. Right?”

“…!”

I turned around to see Erica and Ainz fidgeting nervously.

They looked like they were about to hyperventilate.

I should stop teasing them.

“And there’s something I want the Commander-in-Chief to formally declare.”

“What is it?”

“The Emancipation Proclamation.”

“Excuse me?”

“I intend to prohibit the enslavement of beastmen who surrender to the suppression force and all beastmen residents of the occupied territories.”

“…!”

The knights glared at me.

Their eyes turned murderous when they realized their spoils of war would be reduced.

“The suppression force is currently severely understaffed. We don’t have the manpower to manage prisoners and slaves. It would be a disaster if we recaptured Fort Four, only to have it taken back by the residents who are enraged by our exploitation.”

“…”

“Furthermore, increasing the number of freedmen means increased tax revenue. As loyal subjects of His Imperial Majesty, I believe you understand what must be done for the prosperity of the Empire.”

“…”

The knights, who had been about to voice their complaints, shut their mouths.

They couldn’t argue when I mentioned the Emperor.

The south was the main source of slaves for the Empire, supplying half of the Empire’s slave population.

The slave traders and the future Duke of the South would be devastated if the Emancipation Proclamation was implemented.

But that wasn’t my concern.

Winning the war was our top priority.

“At this point in time, with no effective way to control the slaves, this is an unavoidable decision. As the Commander-in-Chief of the suppression force, I hereby declare the emancipation of all slaves in the Southern Colonies. Any objections?”

“No, sir…”

“Then, after this meeting, we will send messengers to all four castles to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.”

The Emancipation Proclamation wouldn’t have an immediate effect. If they were free regardless of whether they sided with the suppression force or the rebels, they would naturally flock to the stronger side.

But once we gradually whittled down the enemy forces and turned the tide of the war the residents would all become pro-suppression force, making it easier to fight the war.

“Do we know how many allied prisoners are currently being held captive in Fort Four?”

“The enemy messenger claimed that there are over five hundred prisoners, but we have no way of confirming that…”

Pelaine replied, lowering her head in shame.

This was a serious problem.

We didn’t know how many allied prisoners had been captured or how many had died or been executed during the battle.

That meant we didn’t even know the approximate size of the enemy forces.

Our intelligence network was abysmal.

“We’ll plant informants.”

“It’s pointless. The informants who were cooperating with the suppression force have all been captured or gone silent…”

“We’ll send Saintess Iris.”

“Huh?!”

I heard the sound of a chair scraping against the ground behind me.

Iris was staring at me with wide eyes, trying to suppress her shock.

What? Had she not seen this future?

It seemed like her foresight didn’t show her everything.

I had never seen Iris so surprised before.

“Are you insane? You’re sending the Saintess into the enemy’s den?!”

“I am perfectly sane. And so is Duke Lorraine. He would never harm the Saintess.”

The rebel army, or rather, the Southern Republic, was desperately trying to gain support from other countries.

They were allied with the Great Forest, receiving military support, and they were likely receiving supplies from the Kingdom of Trud.

The desert elves were currently neutral, but if the Southern Republic’s independence was secured, they would likely recognize them as a legitimate nation.

The more forces they had to counter the Empire, the better.

But harming the Saintess, chosen by the one true God, Aegis, would mean making enemies of all the nations on the continent.

“Iris’s mission is to infiltrate the enemy ranks and secretly relay information to us through communication magic. Do you accept?”

“Mission? I am merely heading to Fort Four to provide medical aid to the wounded, regardless of whether they are rebels or part of the suppression force, based on humanitarian grounds. It’s not appropriate to call it a mission.”

I was satisfied.

She understood the nature of her mission.

Right.

Iris couldn’t kill, but she was invaluable as a scout, able to freely move through enemy lines.

She was an invincible scout, untouchable by the enemy.

“Then I’ll summarize the results of the meeting. We’ll send Saintess Iris first to gather information on the enemy’s movements, and then we’ll launch an attack at dawn to break their encirclement. The Holy Knights will lead the assault formation, with the mages in the middle and the Imperial Knights guarding the rear. The attack on Fort Four…”

“Will commence tomorrow afternoon.”

“Will commence tomorrow afternoon.”

Pelaine parroted my words, concluding the meeting.

At this rate, I wasn’t sure who the Commander-in-Chief was, me or Pelaine.

Well, I wasn’t good at handling people, so I was basically Pelaine’s advisor.

An advisor with an unusually loud voice…

“I understand that some of you might be uncomfortable with me as your Commander-in-Chief, a beastman and a woman. But please remember that I am loyal only to the suppression force, the Empire, and His Imperial Majesty. I wish you all the best of luck.”

“Good luck!”

A loud cheer erupted.

It felt more like they were forcing themselves to sound enthusiastic than genuinely believing in victory.

But this atmosphere would change tomorrow morning.

Because I was going to give the suppression force the decisive victory I had promised them.

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After the meeting, Iris prepared to depart from the fortress.

As she stood before the main gate, mounted on a horse, along with the messengers who would announce the Emancipation Proclamation, the soldiers and knights came out to see her off.

“Saintess, if you encounter any danger, fire a signal flare into the sky. We’ll come to your rescue immediately.”

“Haha… I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“The beastmen are savages! Please be careful!”

“…”

Iris shook hands with each of them, maintaining a natural smile.

Her eyes suddenly fixed on something, and she started walking, as if in a trance.

The crowd parted, creating a path for her.

“Oh! She’s going…!”

The knights gasped.

Iris was heading towards the wall of the fortress, where the heads of beastmen were impaled on spears.

She stood before the heads, displayed high for all to see, and closed her eyes, clasping her hands together.

Pelaine immediately understood what she was doing.

She was praying.

Praying for the repose of the dead and asking Aegis to guide them to heaven.

The knights, who had been watching in bewilderment, started closing their eyes and praying as well.

‘A true Saintess…’

Pelaine was genuinely impressed.

Just a few hours ago, these were the same people who had been severing beastmen heads and collecting their ears as trophies.

And now they were paying their respects to the enemy.

It seemed like she possessed a divine power that could influence the hearts of those around her.

“She’s gone.”

The main gate opened, and the Saintess and the messengers rode out on horseback.

The enemy seemed ready to react, but after seeing the flags held high, they gave up on pursuing them.

It seemed unlikely that the messengers would be captured and the Emancipation Proclamation would fail to be announced.

Pelaine let out a sigh of relief and turned around.

“Good work.”

“Ah…”

Schlus Hainkel patted her shoulder, smiling warmly.

Pelaine felt tears welling up in her eyes.

It had been so long since someone had offered her words of encouragement.

As a leader, she had always had to be strong, never expecting to be comforted.

And she wouldn’t have been recognized as the Commander-in-Chief without Schlus’s help.

“Commander-in-Chief, it’s a heavy burden, but you were the only one for the job.”

“No, sir. I’m simply grateful for this opportunity. It’s a chance for the Holy Knights to prove themselves.”

She couldn’t thank Schlus Hainkel enough.

The Holy Knights Order had started as a small group, founded by Taylor, a retired knight turned adventurer, and herself.

Their ambitious plan to recruit and train talented young boys and provide their services as a military force for a fee had hit a snag from the very beginning.

Money.

Money was always the problem.

They didn’t have enough money to buy weapons and armor, feed the members, and provide them with shelter.

Taylor had suggested going public.

Who would invest in a knight order with no achievements and no future…?

But they managed to raise a decent amount of funds in the beginning, enough to recruit ten members.

But then the problems started.

It took too long to train the members and produce tangible results.

The investors, losing patience, started selling their shares and pulling out.

Just when it seemed like all the investors were about to abandon them…

…Schlus Hainkel appeared and bought all their shares.

Thanks to him, they were able to prevent a complete collapse of their stock price.

And that wasn’t all.

He even provided them with additional funds.

He reinvested all the dividends.

He never interfered with the operation of the knight order, only providing them with unconditional support.

To think he would do so much for a knight order that had no achievements, a money-eating hippopotamus…

Thanks to him, they were able to raise all their members into proper knights without having to expel anyone.

They could feed everyone and provide them with warm beds.

That’s how the Holy Knights Order had come this far.

She could never thank Schlus enough.

“Thank you? Save that for the Vice-Commander and the members. You’re going to face some difficult battles ahead.”

“I’m willing to fight any battle, as long as I’m under your command, Mr. Schlus.”

“It’s not my command, it’s yours, Pelaine. I’m just an advisor, offering suggestions.”

“But…”

“I’m not the owner of the Holy Knights, just an investor. I’m simply reaping the benefits of your hard work in establishing and operating a private knight order. I don’t want you to treat me as your superior. It would disrupt the chain of command if people think I’m above the Commander-in-Chief.”

“Ah… I understand.”

Pelaine chuckled.

He was exactly as she had imagined him to be, based on their interactions through letters.

A man who valued principles and humility above all else.

A man who didn’t care that she was a beastman.

A man who, instead of withdrawing his investment when the knight order was in trouble, had come to their aid.

“Investor Schlus Hainkel.”

“That’s a bit too formal, isn’t it?”

“Mr. Schlus.”

“Yes, that’s perfect. Casual and respectful.”

A hero.

To her, Schlus Hainkel was a true hero.

“Pelaine… This is… a bit difficult to ask, but…”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Forgive my rudeness, but… could I…”

The hero was suddenly acting shy.

Ask me anything.

I’ll do anything you ask.

“Could I… touch your ears?”

“…”

Pelaine’s eyes filled with contempt.

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