Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 55: Mobilization
Out of the corner of his eye, Kadir spotted his teammate Blue from the same tent talking to the knight in charge of today’s militia training.
So envious!
Because of his outstanding performance, Blue had been promoted to one of the deputy squad leaders and was even praised personally by Lord Owen—something he could boast about for the rest of his life.
That incident had deeply inspired Kadir.
He wanted to be promoted too—not just for the extra pay, but to prove that he was also capable.
If even someone like Blue, who always seemed a bit slow, could gain the lord’s recognition, then there was no reason Kadir couldn’t do the same.
With that in mind, Kadir threw himself even more enthusiastically into training. After daily drills, he would even spar extra rounds with Blue. He also paid close attention in literacy lessons, and by now he could read and write basic commands without issue.
Additionally, in the training classes, Theresa often spoke about the significance of defending their homeland, helping everyone understand the pride and honor in what they were doing—instilling in them a genuine sense of purpose.
Under her influence, Kadir believed joining the militia was the best decision of his life, and he began to feel shame toward those who had fled their homes.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A string of loud gunshots rang out in the distance—it was the shooting squad practicing.
Currently, the squad had only five muskets for ten members. So they alternated: five trained with muskets, the other five with crossbows.
Still, things were much better now compared to when they only had two muskets.
At first, the loud sound had frightened everyone, but by now, they had mostly gotten used to it.
What excited Kadir most, however, was the musket itself. He’d seen those hunters shoot through an iron plate with it.
Such a powerful weapon! Just like when he saw the explosion demo—it had left a lasting impression.
He longed to hold a musket, to aim it at an enemy and fire—how heroic that would be! With one in his hands, no one would dare belittle him for being short again. Want to taste a lead bullet? Bring it on!
Even more important, Lord Owen had said once production increased, they would select outstanding individuals from the militia to form a musket unit.
That was one of the main reasons Kadir trained so hard and studied so diligently—he wanted to be chosen.
“Stand up quickly—the lord is coming!”
Before rest time was over, the one-eyed instructor walked over, clapping his hands and shouting to everyone.
Hearing that, Kadir immediately grabbed his spear and stood at attention. Absolute obedience to orders was a soldier’s duty—they had learned that in cultural training.
On the other side, the lizardmen and knight units also stopped their drills, and the shooting squad quickly assembled in formation.
Owen and his group walked past the right side of the units, soon arriving at the front.
Seeing the neat and orderly formations before him, Owen felt deeply moved. Just a while ago, these lines were a complete mess—now they showed the early signs of a powerful army.
Clearing his throat, he channeled his magic and raised his voice:
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work!”
“It’s not hard!”
The militia replied in unison, their voices loud and full of energy.
Clearly, the troops had embraced the essence of military discipline—their response to the supreme commander was textbook perfect.
The lizardmen on the side were startled. They had only recently joined the training and were not yet accustomed to their ways.
Now they understood—why humans shouted so loudly.
“What is our mission?”
Owen asked.
“To defend our homeland!”
Even though everyone had been told in advance how to answer, hearing the whole force shout together made it feel as if those four words—defend our homeland—would soon be engraved in their hearts.
“Very good.”
Owen then prepared to give a mobilization speech to boost everyone’s morale.
“In a few days, winter will officially begin. The undead in the north are stirring—they want to break through the northern wall, massacre our families, and destroy our homes. For many years, they’ve never stopped. Every winter, they launch full-scale invasions from the north.”
With this reminder, many suddenly realized just how close winter was.
They had been so focused on grueling training that few had paid attention to the season.
“In the past, we relied on the power of the Holy Knights(Temple Knights) to survive the winter. But this year is different. Duke Eddie has detained the knights at the Dongsheng Fortress to force us to abandon Bianshu Town. I gathered you all to train for this exact crisis.”
At this point, Owen dramatically spread his arms wide.
“Look! We’ve repaired the wall breaches, we have thunderous explosives, muskets that can pierce armor, and even the full support of the lizardmen. Now answer me—do you have the confidence to defend the northern wall and keep the undead outside?”
“Yes!”
Came the resounding answer.
Yes indeed—with such powerful weapons and the lizardmen’s help, they didn’t even need the Holy Knights. No one doubted the lord’s words.
The energy was electric, and Owen seized the moment to stoke it further.
“We must protect our homeland with our own strength—right?”
“Right!”
“As the lord of Bianshu Town, I will stand with you through thick and thin. Will you follow me?”
“We will!”
“Excellent. Tonight, everyone gets two pieces of jerky.”
The moment “two pieces of jerky” was mentioned, many people gulped visibly—clearly tempted by its savory, salty flavor.
“Enjoy the taste of meat—but remember: only by protecting Bianshu Town will we continue to have meat to eat.”
In the end, everyone raised their weapons high and shouted:
“We fight for our lord!”
Mission accomplished—the mobilization was a success. Owen left the training grounds under the admiring eyes of his troops.
After he left, training resumed in an orderly fashion—but now, many trained with even more seriousness and determination.
As soon as Owen returned to the castle, he saw Clive waiting in the main hall.
“Oh? Clive, something to report?”
“Yes, Marquis.”
Clive handed over a document, along with two small pouches—one containing cement powder, the other black powder.
“According to a report from the townsfolk, we captured another spy. He has already been executed by hanging. This is what we got from his interrogation, and these two pouches were confiscated from him.”
“Oh? Getting ahold of cement isn’t a big deal, but black powder too?”
Since the cement workshop had been temporarily shut down and left unguarded, Owen guessed the spy had taken leftover raw materials from there.
But the black powder—that was a different matter. It was stored in the warehouse under tight 24-hour security. There was no way the spy had stolen it directly.
“Marquis, it turns out the black powder was bought from one of the shooting squad members. Should we intervene?”
So that was it. Since the shooting squad needed powder for practice, someone had apparently sold some for money.
“No need. I’ll inform Viscount Jarvis to take care of it.”
“Understood.”
“You may go. And don’t forget to reward the person who reported the spy.”
“Of course not, Marquis.”
After Clive left, Owen casually sat down and began reviewing the report.
As expected—it confirmed that Duke Eddie had sent spies to gather intelligence. Owen’s prolonged presence in Bianshu Town must be making the duke nervous.
Sooner or later, the Holy Knights would learn Duke Eddie had lied. When that happened, all his schemes would fall apart.
Inside the report was also a letter. Owen opened it—the spy had documented everything happening in Bianshu Town, including the involvement of the lizardmen.