Chapter 32 - Out With The Bad

“I am not offended in the least, so speak at ease.”

“…During my time with Fabian’s expedition corps, we focused on clearing high-level dungeons and it turned out to be effective. I believe that is what the Dark Knights should be doing now.”

“That was a curious thing. Back then, it was as if Fabian’s corps already knew when and where the gates to high-level dungeons would open.”

I fell silent. At the time, the members of Fabian’s corps had all thought God had chosen them when their good opportunities had originated from the information I secretly gave to Fabian.

“But now things are different. Both Fabian and I remember the first playthrough, do we not?” Mayer pointed out. “In other words, we both know where the big dungeons will open. It will be a game of dungeons, a contest of who does the closing first, yes? Therefore, the side with more numbers will hold the advantage.”

“…But things won’t go exactly the same way as they did the first time.”

Games designed for multiple playthroughs wouldn’t proceed identically when playing for the second time. Naturally, the second playthrough would become easier, but that wasn’t synonymous with lower difficulty. In the case of The Sacred War, additional dungeons with increased difficulty would appear, and this was something Fabian didn’t know.

“You seem to know something.” Mayer stared at me for a long while as if craving the answer to it all, but I couldn’t tell him. I pried open my dry lips to give the best reply I could.

“…Since I’ve joined, it’s only natural for me to aim for our victory in the performance report meeting. I want you, Captain, to please focus on improving your skills for the future after that—for the battle against the Demon Lord.”

Thankfully, Mayer didn’t dig too deeply. He backed off from the subject without a fuss and turned back to my original topic. “Very well. Then by what standard do you intend to manage the 3rd Corps?”

“I also acknowledge the necessity of the 3rd Corps since there’s no harm in closing many dungeons. But right now, we have way too many unnecessary personnel assigned.”

“There are no financial problems in keeping them.”

“It’s not a problem of finances,” I began carefully. “It’s a problem of will. There’s been too little movement between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Corps as of recent. It’s stagnation. Maybe that’s why, but I could see several members who’ve fallen complacent. Members who plant themselves in the 3rd Corps with no thoughts of moving up to the 2nd.”

“Hmm…” Mayer seemed to know what I was talking about as well. Still, he said, “Even so, they are useful for closing low-level dungeons. Did you not say it yourself too? That there is no harm in closing many dungeons?”

“Those members are like rotten tangerines, Captain.”

“Rotten tangerines?”

“Leave them be, and the rot will spread.”

This was why it was important to establish the right atmosphere. There was a large difference in work efficiency between everyone being motivated and everyone being lazy, taking things for granted. It might’ve not mattered until I joined, but since I did? Not anymore. I intended on pushing the members on a hard schedule that didn’t end at closing dungeons but also involved personal improvement, and this was sure to draw out ready complaints. I had to get rid of the potential issue beforehand. “By sifting out the unwilling, the Dark Knights will become much stronger from within, which will lead to faster closing of dungeons. My conclusion is that even among our men, it’s necessary to sort out the wheat from the chaff.”

“It will be a significant undertaking to distinguish every single one of them… It will take quite a while, no doubt,” he murmured, pensive.

“Fortunately, I happen to be talented in that regard.” I smiled brightly. Thanks to the party member window, I was capable of checking combat-related parameters of party members in detail as well as their will to fight. I had zero intention of buttering up rotten tangerines to inject some motivation into them; that would simply be a waste of time. I preferred to focus on giving experience to those full of drive and talent instead.

As for those who did have the right spirit but disapproved of me, I didn’t mind. From their perspective, they were hard workers whereas I was just somebody who got in through connections. But wouldn’t it be utterly contemptible for one to complain despite not having even put in the effort? Whiners like that wouldn’t give a darn how hard I worked, or how much I contributed to the corps. In short, these sorts of people were my number one priority target of removal, but I had no thoughts of getting rid of them immediately—there had to be an order to things. “Of course,” I added, “there will be protests if I proceed with the reformation right after becoming vice-captain. Besides, I also need time to understand the ins and outs of the Dark Knights… So first, please give me a special unit to work with.”

Mayer immediately asked, “A special unit? Do you wish for members that are tried and tested?”

He seemed ready to put every elite in the special unit if I so much as nodded, but since that wasn’t what I wanted, I refused with a shake of my head. “No. In fact, I want the opposite. I bet that even if I do my best helping those kinds of geniuses grow, I’ll just be seen as piggybacking.”

“Then?” He prompted.

“I am certain there are members within the corps who are devalued and lack recognition. I’ll take my pick from among them and raise them well. I have to prove my worth to have some grounds in making the changes I’m proposing later.”

Of course, if people still rejected me and spread false rumors after everything I did, there’d be no choice but to resort to a more forceful method.