I was reincarnated as the carefree duke’s second son, and somehow, my random remarks got me treated like a hero
The sky over the academy city was endlessly blue and refreshing.
Preparations were underway for a special competition held as part of our classes, known as “Flag Capture.”
I had been appointed as the leader of the Empire Team. Beside me stood my loyal attendant, Julia, her fluffy head resting under my hand as I stroked it while reviewing the team arrangements.
“Lord Fly, is this arrangement acceptable?”
“Yes, it’s fine. What’s your name?”
A male student who had taken charge in organizing everyone on my behalf stepped forward.
“My name is Churros Brief. I am the third son of the Brief Viscount family, and since I hold the second-highest rank after Lord Eltor in this setting, I took the liberty of commanding the team.”
“Good. As the leader of the Empire Team… it’s quite a responsibility. So, I think I’ll leave the command to you.”
Honestly, delegating this kind of thing is best. If I were to take command myself, I wouldn’t have a clue how to manage things effectively.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Well, I can still offer advice, right?”
“Of course! This Churros will serve as your hands and feet, Lord Eltor! I’m deeply honored!”
He’s quite earnest, isn’t he? His attitude feels more like that of a soldier than a noble, but perhaps that’s due to the significant rank difference between a duke and a viscount.
“Lord Fly, we’re counting on you!”
“Thank you, Julia.”
Julia’s cheerful voice brought some relief, and I surveyed the vast expanse of the competition field before me. The expansive grounds were divided into four bases, each with distinct terrain.
– **Kingdom Team**, led by Prince Ice: Positioned on high ground, offering excellent visibility and defensible terrain.
– **Beastman Team**, led by Beast King Logan: Covered by dense forests, ideal for stealth and ambush tactics.
– **Empire Team**, led by Duke Fly: A flat grassland area where mobility would be key.
– **Commoner Team**, led by Gung the Commoner: Situated along a riverbank, with numerous obstacles forming natural defensive lines.
Three fishfolk had joined the Commoner Team, moving freely within their ranks.
A teacher fired a magical flare into the air, signaling the start of the game.
Each team began their strategy meetings.
“Lord Fly, what shall we do?”
All members of the Empire Team turned their gazes toward me. Wait, didn’t we just say Churros would be the commander? Even Churros himself was looking at me expectantly.
“Well then, let’s keep it simple.”
“Simple, my lord?”
“Yes. Three Guardians will defend the flag area. Two Scouts will observe the movements of the Beastman and Commoner teams on both flanks. The remaining five Attackers will stay on standby.”
There’s no need for us to launch an offensive just yet.
“As expected of Lord Eltor! Brilliant orders!”
Churros, you’re the one who’s good at flattery.
After I gave the instructions, Julia’s eyes sparkled, and the team nodded in agreement before heading off to their positions.
♢
I moved to the front lines and lay down on the central grassland with Julia, observing the enemy camps. Prince Ice’s forces on the high ground seemed to be staying put, carefully observing their surroundings.
“For now, we’ll focus on defense. Only one Scout will monitor the enemy’s movements closely.”
The Kingdom Team appeared to be relying heavily on their advantageous position, adopting a flexible yet solid defensive stance. Their strategy was steady and left little room for error.
In reality, both Prince Ice and I anticipated that Logan of the Beastman Team would make the first move, so we prepared accordingly.
From the forest came the sound of barking commands.
“There’s no need to guard the flag! Our only goal is attack! Everyone, charge through the forest! We’re the fastest and strongest!”
True to their creed of power and speed, the Beastmen surged forward under Logan’s command, launching sporadic attacks on all teams to create chaos.
Meanwhile, the Commoner Team quietly devised their strategy. Their leader, Gung, was one of the most capable commoner students in the first year.
“We’ll stick to the basics. Guardians will focus on defense, while Attackers target the Empire, who are easier to assault than the Kingdom. Scouts, keep an eye on the Beast King and the Kingdom.”
They were making full use of their natural defenses, sticking to a fundamental and reliable approach.
As I received reports from the Scouts, I led the Attacker team into action.
“Julia, follow me.”
“Woof! Understood!”
In the central shared area, accessible to all teams, the Beastman and Commoner Attackers were already clashing. The Beastmen’s agility was putting the Commoners on the back foot.
“I see, Julia.”
I gave Julia instructions and sent her running.
“Now, the five Attackers will use magic to launch long-range attacks. But I’ll direct when and how to strike.”
Churros, acting as the commander, remained behind with the Guardians to protect the flag.
Hmm. I still don’t quite understand his role here.
Just as I was about to issue attack orders, arrows flew down from the high ground where the Kingdom Team was stationed.
“Oh dear, they should’ve just stayed put.”
Before I could launch an offensive, Prince Ice initiated his attack, drawing the attention of both the Beastmen and the Commoners.
It seems we share the same idea.
“Too slow, too slow!”
Logan’s Beastman Team, leveraging their mobility, charged up the high ground. I expected them to rush straight at us, but it seems they prioritized challenging the stronger opponent instead.
“Your defenses are as thin as paper!”
The Beastmen launched a fierce assault on the Kingdom’s base, forcing their archers to retreat.
The Commoner Team, meanwhile, was desperately holding their ground, successfully fending off the Beastmen’s attacks. Their endurance-based strategy was paying off, leaving the Beastmen struggling to break through.
“Two Scouts and five Attackers—send one Scout to target the Commoner Team’s flag.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. I’ll act as a Scout myself, so leave it to me.”
I watched intently as everyone fought.
“Youth is wonderful, isn’t it? Swords and magic clashing. Since this is an academy, killing is prohibited, and we fight under sportsmanship rules, which allows for fair competition.”
I enjoyed the four-way battle, watching as the hour-long Flag Capture competition drew to a close.
The signal flare marking the end of the match shot into the sky.
The results were as follows:
– **Kingdom Team**: Flags captured: 1, Flags lost: 1
– **Beastman Team**: Flags captured: 1, Flags lost: 1
– **Commoner Team**: Flags captured: 1, Flags lost: 2
– **Empire Team**: Flags captured: 2, Flags lost: 1
In the end, the Empire Team emerged victorious.
Victory was determined based on the number of flags captured and lost.
– The Kingdom captured the Commoner Team’s flag but lost theirs to the Beastmen.
– The Beastmen captured the Kingdom’s flag but lost theirs to the Empire.
– The Commoners captured the Empire’s flag but lost theirs to both the Kingdom and the Empire.
– The Empire captured flags from both the Beastmen and the Commoners but lost one to the Commoners.
The representatives of each team gathered in the center.
“Not bad, Fly.”
After the match, Prince Ice approached me, extending his hand.
“No, no, it was just luck. Our real commander was Churros here.”
“Is that so? Well, let’s leave it at that. But next time, I won’t lose. I’m looking forward to it.”
Prince Ice smiled brightly and walked away.
“Tch! Just you wait!”
Prince Logan left in frustration, clearly unhappy with the loss. Though I considered making him pay for his defeat, I decided to forgive him for accepting the loss gracefully.
Still, he managed to get one over on me. As expected of the royal family.
“Lord Fly is the strongest!”
Julia bounced around happily, so I patted her head and concluded the post-match greetings. I saw off the two male representatives.
But there was still one more person I needed to greet.
