When Count Pereira remarked that Derek was worthy of a position as a thousand-man leader, it was undoubtedly a compliment. The title might sound ordinary, but it was actually a mid-level officer rank. In the entire temporary Second Legion of the Northern Province, there could only be ten such leaders. Besides a few officers under the Count, some barons personally leading troops would inevitably hold positions, and there were also officers from nearby cities filling the ranks. This meant that most of the thousand-man leader positions were already occupied.
Then came the military nobility like Marco, who were strong in their own right and usually held titles ranging from hundred-man leaders to five hundred-man leaders. The Count, in his excitement, effectively promised Derek a thousand-man leader's position, which could lead to complications, but the benefits outweighed the drawbacks for Derek.
Even Count Pereira, after his initial excitement, realized he may have misspoken. It was truly the performance of Derek's knights that had surprised him so much. The Count hurriedly concluded the inspection, moving on to finalize the reorganization.
As Count Pereira discussed matters with a few close advisors, he found himself in a quandary. “An honorary knight as a thousand-man leader is too much. He wouldn’t even qualify for a five hundred-man leader without raising eyebrows.”
In the army, nobles enjoyed preferential treatment. However, an honorary knight typically ranked no higher than a ten-man leader. Even in a temporary legion, considering the soldiers Derek brought, giving him a hundred-man leader title would be pushing it. The harsher option would be to assign him the rank of a flag captain, and he wouldn’t have much ground to contest that.
Of course, if someone had the capability and military merit, even a commoner could rise to the ranks of hundred-man leader or thousand-man leader. But usually, a kingdom wouldn’t be stingy about granting an honorary knight title.
So, it was natural for there to be dissenting opinions. Count Pereira hesitated; he thought that granting Derek a five hundred-man leader title wouldn’t be unreasonable.
“I believe it would be fine to assign him some additional personnel and give him the title of thousand-man leader. It could boost morale. We’re about to engage with the barbarians, and if the soldiers don’t see any benefits, I fear their spirits may falter,” someone suggested.
Others felt there was nothing wrong with the Count being generous; it would offer hope to the soldiers. After all, if he performed well, the Count would certainly advocate for a reward from the kingdom.
As opinions diverged, someone suggested a compromise: “Let’s make him a five hundred-man leader and fill out the ranks.” This seemed to align more closely with Count Pereira’s initial thoughts.
However, before the Count could make a decision, Caesar suddenly spoke up, “Count, Knight Derek is one of our own from the knight order, and the Second Legion is only a temporary assembly.”
Count Pereira immediately grasped Caesar’s implication. The Second Legion had been hastily formed by the governor, and its future was uncertain. Most likely, after driving off the barbarians, it would be restructured for direct involvement in the war against them, leading to another reshuffling of ranks.
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Thus, the significance of the thousand-man leader position might not be as heavy. Yet, even in a temporary legion, once it was officially established, they wouldn’t simply cast aside the officers. It was quite common to downgrade ranks, which was another advantage for Derek.
Moreover, Derek hailed from the Pereira Knights, inherently marking him as part of the Count’s faction. Even if he operated somewhat independently, the bond was undeniable. The Count might need to vie for a commanding position in a formal legion in the future, or even just want to deepen their relationship; thus, making this investment was necessary.
After all, the temporary nature of the legion meant that resources from the kingdom could be utilized for his own connections. This kind of opportunity was rare. Even for Count Pereira, leveraging political resources was limited, and recommending a thousand-man leader was incredibly challenging unless in exceptional circumstances.
Considering this unique situation, selling this temporary political capital to Derek was reasonable. Count Pereira made up his mind, disregarding Caesar’s reservations, and signed the appointment papers.
“Tell that lad to do well and not embarrass me. I’m giving him the title of thousand-man leader, and he can recruit five hundred soldiers and three hundred farmers. The rest, he’ll have to manage himself.”
“Understood, I’ll make sure he knows of the Count’s generosity,” Caesar replied.
The Count had invested political resources, so it was important for Derek to be aware; otherwise, it would be a wasted effort. Of course, it was Derek’s background and his relationship with Caesar that afforded him this opportunity.
Otherwise, with this temporary political capital, someone else could have easily taken the opportunity—why was it Derek?
Following this, Count Pereira quickly finalized the composition of the army and completed the final preparations. Caesar personally brought the appointment letter to Derek.
“Knight Derek, the Count has taken special care and has promoted you to the position of the tenth thousand-man leader of the temporary Second Legion of the Northern Province, with an additional five hundred soldiers and three hundred farmers. The rest will be up to you,” Caesar said with a smile as he handed the appointment letter to Derek, also sharing the discussions that took place with the Count.
“Fortunately, you’re one of our knight order; otherwise, there would have been even more opposition, and this opportunity wouldn’t have come your way. Do well; once we drive off the barbarians, the war will continue, and the Second Legion will surely transition to a formal structure. You won’t just be a five hundred-man leader; if you perform well, you may even retain your position.”
This was something Derek wasn’t fully aware of. Caesar, with his experience, understood many of the military rules. If the barbarians hadn’t invaded, by the time a formal army was established, Derek might have ended up as a hundred-man leader, which was still largely due to the two hundred men under his command.
Having a lower title with high authority was not uncommon. So, it was clear he had to thank the barbarians for their sudden incursion.
Derek understood Caesar’s meaning; he was indeed speaking on his behalf. While it might have been a casual remark for Caesar, it altered Derek's fate.
Expressing gratitude was entirely normal. Derek appreciated such straightforward friends who were willing to speak up for him and bring him benefits. He was even more generous than Caesar, directly going to the stables to fetch one of the three excellent quality warhorses.
Northern Warhorse
Quality: Excellent (5/100)
Experience Pool: 0/100
This excellent Northern Warhorse boasted outstanding endurance and carrying capacity, with good explosive power and speed. It was a rare resource capable of bearing heavy armor that couldn’t be bought on the market.
“Brother Caesar, I won’t say much more; thank you for your help. I don’t have many ways to express my gratitude, so I’ll give you this warhorse.”
Derek immediately addressed him as “brother” and offered the gift generously.
What was the significance of such a gesture? It was essentially like gifting someone a luxury car worth millions.
Even though Caesar served under Count Pereira, saving up for several years without eating or drinking could barely allow him to afford such a horse, if at all.
He was immediately stunned.