Right?

"Heh"

"Heh"

"Heh"

"Shit."

"At the very least, I hope it is as they say... if your situation is bad, it can't get worse, right..?"

Ssllaf~

Bartolomeo muttered, taking one of the numerous monthly reports that were brought for him.

"Right..?"

...

..

.

"Heh, well shit."

"Whoever made this phrase lied..."

He murmured, rubbing his glabella with his free hand.

"Fuck."

His hand slowly moved, again and again, trying to ease his tired mind, yet, nothing seemed to work...

Ssllaf~

"Shit..."

Sllufff~

"Seriously, these reports, are shit..."

Spluaf~

"Why everything seems so bad in my life??"

Spluuuyf~

"..."

Splaffyn~

"Heh~"

'What a funny question to ask myself... principally when I already know it's my own damn fault...'

"Haaaaaaah~"

'At this rate, these sighs will become my only catchphrase...'

"Haaaaah~"

'298 soldiers...'

That was the number of soldiers his regiment currently had.

'356 soldiers...'

That was the number of soldiers his regiment had one month ago.

'389 soldiers...'

That was the number of soldiers his regiment had two months ago.

"643 soldiers..."

That was the number of soldiers his regiment had when he took control of it three months ago...

'The infamous New Moon knights...'

Who only were famous because of their greedy and incompetent commander. There were even some rumors that said one's military career has faded to an end if they got deployed under the command of Bartolomeo Di Siracusa.

"Heh, heh, heh damn..."

'That's unfair.'

At that time, where many still thought he didn't know about this gossip, he always knew about this unfair assumption, just why would they think he wouldn't know about a rumor of this size?

One that was spreading among the ranks of the entire kingdom?

Most people truly underestimated his intelligence, yet, the fools talked about him without even trying to know the truth behind it...

Many talked about incompetence, but, from the start, there was simply nothing he could do.

He sure was greedy, just as they said, yet, the soldiers weren't getting out of his army because of his poor leadership. It would simply be unwise to judge his ability to lead with only three months of work under his belt.

And so, there was only one reason so many people started leaving the regiment in a short span of time.

And that reason, was his predecessor, Bedross, the oldest knight alive.

He, who sometimes was described, as the oldest and most loyal knight of the kingdom, suddenly retired. And while it couldn't be called as sudden, after all, the old age wasn't kind to his body, his retirement still was shocking news to the entire kingdom.

'Bedross, the Average Knight'

That old knight, who lived with a sick body, and a more than strange reputation, strangely could still stir up a huge change on the kingdom...

Funnily, in the end, he, who was always called 'average', made a giant impact on the veterans around the entire kingdom.

It sure was funny, but it wasn't a surprise, after all, even amongst the common people, who in the kingdom of Axiass, didn't know about the 'Average Knight', Bedross?'

Who didn't hear about his strange, yet, inspiring journey?

Bedross, one of the few commoners in the entire history of the kingdom, that in the end, lived to become a war general. Certainly was a living legend... he was loyal, experienced, kind, and also...

'Average.'

Being recruited on a small village, he started his career very averagely as a low-ranked soldier... and then, he participated in some of the wars... survived at numerous terrifying situations... and at some point became a knight commander.

Then, one day, suddenly, just as averagely, his career started, it ended...

For years, the bards always praised his ever longing loyalty, as he spent his life serving the kingdom... still doing it even at the old age of fifty-five.

Yet, even so, on the same moment he made enough accomplishments to gain a small plot of land, and the title of 'baronet' he retired from the army.

Without even previously warning about his retirement, he gave his resignation letter and got out as soon he could. Making it impossible to have a trusty successor from being previously chosen.

'He sure wasn't as loyal, experienced, and kind, as they said.'

'But, even so, I guess I can't blame him...'

'The only reason I got such a high position is because of his irresponsibility after all...'

And so, right after, 'Bedross, the Average knight' retired. The king's office was just like a graveyard of old bones, as resignation letters started popping from veterans across the entire land.

And with that, the New Moon knights, who were already previously the smaller army, got even smaller.

"Haaaah~"

Bartolomeo sighed with a tired expression because he knew the truth.

He knew about one upsetting fact...

The fact that even if this army was mostly composed of old people before, he couldn't deny that his greedy mind surely had a part in the decadence of it.

"Hah!"

'Why I was so dumb?'

Small were the signs of embezzlement in the papers, yet, even so, people could spot it if they keep looking thoroughly. Thankfully, the quantity wasn't astounding, but that didn't change the fact, he has been neglecting the funds of his army, for his self-benefit in the last two months.

"..."

"Well, fuck."

'I guess I dug my own grave.'

"Haaaaaaaaaaah~ Shit!"

'Who in their right mind would pass the leadership of their army to a shady guy like me?'

'Hey! I'm a young, walking barrel, I certainly didn't buy my knight certificate from a random noble!'

'Yeah, I can assure you I'm not shady! I've been training since I was young... I swear!'

His depressing 'jokes' weren't ever said as they were stuck on his throat.

'Fuck, I'm tired...'

"Haaah."

'The phrase: In the end, your worst enemy is yourself. Never made so much sense before...'

"Heheheh~"

"Sincerely, just how in the world, can I improve my reputation?"

'I doubt the soldiers would follow all of my orders if a war broke out right now, well, at least in their place, I wouldn't follow my orders...'

"This is hard..."

'It isn't like I can go there and say 'oh, the ones who retired or deserted were mostly the old ones!!''

'Or even the famous 'I only embezzled a bit of money! In the truth, our army always looked this poor!!''

"Heheh~"

'I don't know which would be the worse one, I for saying that, or someone who believed my statements'

'Who in the right mind would believe in a shad-'

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~ ~ Fuck..."

'This pessimism will end killing me.'

"Heheh~ ~"

"Well, I guess you can't kill what is dead inside..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"My god, this is s-"

PLAAK!!

"Noo!!"

Spluufyy~

Spluuuuffy~

Spluyyf~ ~

At that moment, he was so embarrassed with the phrase that he accidentally knocked all the papers on the ground...

All he wanted was to end his embarrassment, yet, now he got something beyond it.

""What was that!?""

""Sir!! Are you okay!!?""

Hearing his strange shout, the two guards outside the room asked with worried voices.

"..."

Bartolomeo just wanted to end that embarrassment, yet, in the end, he not only got beyond embarrassed, he also had to clean all of that mess.

...

..

.