Chapter 62

The office was filled with key retainers, including Herbert.

With the army’s return, post-war reports were formally received.

“388 dead and 157 wounded, huh?”

From the knowledge of my previous life, I would have thought there would be more wounded than dead. However, in this world, where medical technology is underdeveloped, infections and the inability to provide appropriate treatment inevitably result in higher death tolls.

“Well, we should count ourselves lucky it was contained to this extent.”

Herbert’s remark garnered agreement from everyone present.

In this world, peasant soldiers are often treated as expendable, leading to a significant number of deaths. In comparison, the estimated death and injury toll among the peasant soldiers of the besieged nobility we fought this time is nearly 2,000. Given that, sustaining this level of casualties while in numerical disadvantage could be considered a success.

Still, leaving things as they are isn’t acceptable.

Ideally, wounded soldiers would return to their villages, where the community might support them. This isn’t just a matter of profit; it’s a structure ensuring mutual aid when one is in need.

But that’s not the case this time.

Most of the soldiers were recruited from slums or were outcasts expelled from villages. These individuals can’t expect local community support upon returning.

Thus, it’s necessary to develop better medical care for the wounded and provide support for their future paths. If possible, I want the soldiers to reintegrate into society. Steps need to be taken to improve relationships between the duchy’s citizens and the soldiers, so they can find work within the duchy.

This won’t be a quick fix—it’ll require steady effort over time.

Switching my focus, I turned my attention to the next report.

“Three new knight apprentices? That’s good news.”

During the recent battles, three individuals with the talent to sense auras were discovered.

“Currently, Sir Herbert is leading their training in aura techniques.”

I trust Herbert completely, but there are two matters I wish to address.

“There are two things I’d like to propose.”

“What might they be?”

It was Erich who responded.

“First, I’d like Werner to assist Herbert in the training. I want the two of them to handle this together.”

“My lord!”

Werner raised his voice, but I gestured for him to stop. He probably felt like I was favoring him. Training knight apprentices is an important task that carries significant influence in the long run.

It might seem like favoritism, but I had a valid reason.

“The reason is their backgrounds. Most of them come from slums or were outcasts, so Werner, with his similar background, might be able to connect with them better.”

Aura talent tends to have a hereditary aspect.

As a result, it’s most common among nobility or knight families. But when someone from a commoner background possesses it, there’s often a difference in values that can lead to friction during training.

Of course, training and education often transform personalities over time—a sort of Spartan approach that eventually produces fine knights.

For now, seeing no objections from the retainers, I moved on to my second proposal.

“And the second is that I propose knights not be involved in internal affairs training.”

My statement caused confusion.

Naturally, it would. After all, I was essentially saying knights shouldn’t handle domestic governance. To them, it might sound like I was infringing on their role.

“Rest assured, I have no intention of changing your current roles. This is about future direction.”

“…May I ask your reasoning?”

It was Erich who inquired again, likely speaking on behalf of the concerned knights.

“The reason is that losing knights in battle directly weakens national strength.”

Having struggled with a shortage of knights repeatedly, I wanted to build a system that didn’t rely on them for governance. A knight’s death in battle equates to the loss of an administrator for the territory. Each time a war depletes the knights, national strength declines.

While I don’t intend to recklessly sacrifice them, preparations must be made.

The current system likely stems from the tradition of granting authority to the strongest. The kingdom’s foundation gave local powers legitimacy, and authority naturally accrued to the strong.

“In the future, I want to cultivate officials dedicated solely to governance, much like civil servants. I even plan to educate and appoint wounded soldiers for this role.”

Depending on the severity of their injuries, even someone missing a leg could still write with their hands, and someone with only one hand could use weights to hold paper. While not every injured soldier could become a civil servant, I hope to create opportunities for them.

Helping them after the battle is part of my responsibility for having commanded them to fight.