That's How We Necromancers Do Things

Chapter 145: Chapter 96: Lynch! Heaven Has a Path, but You Don’t Take It

When it came to the specific arrangements, Senior Brother Raymond immediately perked up. He drew a circle on the map with his finger and pointed to it. "Junior Brother, you’re one of us, so of course I won’t treat you poorly. Look, this is where you’re going—Lakefront Town."

"It’s right next to Mirror Lake, so it has abundant water. The land is fairly fertile, and there are all sorts of mineral resources nearby. It’s the most prosperous town in the Red Ridge Territory, with several major trade routes converging there. Its strategic importance is paramount."

"Securing and organizing Lakefront Town, and developing it into our supply transit station and forward base, is a critical part of our ’Grand Strategy for the Restoration of Red Ridge Territory.’ Junior Brother, this heavy responsibility is one only you can handle."

Lynch leaned in for a closer look at the map. It did indeed seem to be a rather large town.

However, that wasn’t what he cared about most. The town wasn’t far from the Mist Forest.

He had come here with the intention of looking for Lester’s legacy on the side.

If he could gain control of Lakefront Town and build it into a base of operations, exploring the Mist Forest and opening a path to the Angelo Mountains would undoubtedly be much more secure.

’This senior brother of mine accidentally hit the nail on the head.’

The chill in Lynch’s heart thawed a little. He nodded and said, "Since Senior Brother trusts me, I will naturally do my best. It’s just... I’m not sure about my troop allotment and specific authority..."

"Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of everything for you," Senior Brother Raymond said, turning to rummage through a messy pile of documents.

A moment later, he pulled out two documents stamped with the Battle Group’s seal and SLAPPED them down in front of Lynch.

"Here, your military appointment orders. And this one is your letter of commission, granting you full authority over all military, political, and civil affairs in Lakefront Town."

Senior Brother Raymond beamed. "Junior Brother, you’re already a Tier One Mage, and I hear you also hold the title of an Imperial Knight, right? Good. In that case, we’ll give you a premium posting."

"I am appointing you as the Battalion Commander of the Ninth Battalion, Thirteenth Battle Group, North Wind Legion. Your unit will have a full strength of five hundred men. Lakefront Town and its surrounding areas will fall under your battalion’s jurisdiction. You’ll be in charge of both its defense and its management."

Lynch took the two documents. The North Wind Legion’s insignia and Raymond’s signature and seal on them were indeed clear and correct.

He quickly scanned the contents, which were basically consistent with what his senior brother had said. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

The position was Battalion Commander, with a full-strength unit of five hundred men, and complete jurisdiction over a town.

This package was far beyond Lynch’s expectations.

According to the Empire’s military system, a newly-minted Tier One Mage like him lacked the military merits and prestige to command more than a company of a hundred men, and that would be considered good. Yet, Senior Brother Raymond had directly made him a Battalion Commander—and one with real authority over a territory at that. It was an absolutely exceptional promotion.

’It seems that even though my senior brother is in a tough spot and is great at making grand promises, he doesn’t skimp when it comes to rewarding his own people.’

The warmth in Lynch’s heart grew a little stronger.

’Perhaps, even though this ship is a bit dodgy, my spot on deck is still pretty good.’

He looked at Senior Brother Raymond and asked tentatively, with a hint of expectation, "Thank you for placing such trust in me, Senior Brother. So... when can I expect my troops and initial supplies to be ready?"

"I know things aren’t easy for you right now, Senior Brother. You can just give me a portion of the men and some basic supplies to start. Enough for me to establish a foothold in Lakefront Town. I can slowly recruit and gather the rest myself."

He wasn’t expecting his senior brother to allocate him a full-strength unit of five hundred. But as long as he could get one or two hundred veterans, along with some basic weapons, equipment, and two months’ worth of rations, he would have a foundational crew.

With that, relying on his own Undead Corps and the title of "Governor of Lakefront Town," he would be able to slowly get things under way.

But unexpectedly, the moment the words left his mouth, Senior Brother Raymond’s generous, enthusiastic smile instantly froze, replaced by a look of utter misery.

"Ah, Junior Brother..." He heaved a long sigh, his chubby face etched with difficulty, as if he’d been struck to the very core.

Lynch’s heart immediately sank. That ominous feeling washed over him once again.

"It’s not that I don’t want to give you men and supplies, Junior Brother, but you’ve seen the situation for yourself." Senior Brother Raymond looked aggrieved. "I barely have enough men as it is. Once I spread them across the various defensive lines in the Red Ridge Territory, I’m stretched incredibly thin. It’s gotten so bad that I’m constantly harassed by those damn Blue Scarves and Gnolls until I’m at my wit’s end. And don’t even get me started on the warehouses—a rat would go in and come out crying!"

He spread his hands wide, looking at Lynch with an incredibly sincere gaze. "Junior Brother, you’re a smart and capable man. I’ve handed Lakefront Town over to you; it’s your territory now. You can conscript your own soldiers there. You can exercise ’Temporary Wartime Taxation Rights’ to raise military funds. You can even organize the mining and use of the resources around the town... With all that, won’t you have soldiers when you need soldiers and money when you need money?"

"I believe that with your abilities, Junior Brother, even starting from scratch, you’ll be able to carve out a new world for yourself in Lakefront Town and become a benchmark for our Thirteenth Battle Group."

’Conscript my own soldiers? Wartime taxes? Start from scratch?’

Lynch was dumbfounded. He glared at his senior brother.

And his senior brother glared right back, with a look that screamed, ’I have it tough, too! I’ve done all I can!’

For a moment, the two were locked in a stalemate, just staring at each other.

***

In the end, Lynch politely declined his senior brother’s warm invitation to dinner, using the excuse that "the military situation is urgent, and I must take up my post to organize the defenses as soon as possible," and left Red Ridge Castle.

As he walked out of the Red Ridge Territory with his maid, Sea Song, and his manservant, Aus, he still felt a bit dazed.