Chapter 46: Robin and the Grand Duke

While Vincent was meeting with Marquis Hyd, Robin also arrived at the Black Mountain Army camp. It was currently rest time.

Unlike Marquis Hyd's side, which kept soldiers awake and on high alert, Grand Duke Benito struck a balanced approach of tension and relaxation.

The rest period was scheduled for about five hours. Once it concluded, the Black Mountain Army would resume its march toward the city of Volsinii.

Because Grand Duke Benito maintained a state of constant preparedness while still allowing his soldiers time to rest, ensuring they were well-fed and provided for, the troops remained exceptionally high in both energy and morale.

When Robin and Vincent arrived, the rest period was more than half over, with only an hour left before departure. Some of the soldiers had already finished sleeping.

Robin stood outside the military camp, looking at the Black Mountain Army encampment before him with a complex gaze.

This was his first time returning to the Black Mountain Army since recovering his full sanity.

As a Delosian who had received a higher education in Delos, only to be betrayed by his own people, it was ultimately the Black Mountain Army that had saved him and taken him in.

His survival afterward was entirely due to Grand Duke Benito.

And right before him was the very army that had sheltered him.

Even though the Grand Duke had his own objectives, they had at themselves provided him with a great deal of hope for survival.

"What do you think? Fine military bearing, isn't it?" Damien asked, his tone tinged with a hint of pride. "Of course, while these lads are outstanding, you are even more extraordinary. After all, you are their role model!"

"Mhm." Robin nodded. "What do I need to do next?"

"Change into your uniform first. At three o'clock, the Grand Duke will see you," Damien said. "Oh, by the way, there's a surprise waiting for you in a moment."

"A surprise?" Robin asked, somewhat puzzled. "What kind of surprise?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore," Damien said with a mysterious expression.

Robin blinked.

Could it be that they were going to give me a new medal?

That couldn't be right. The First-Class Silver Wing Medal was already the highest honor attainable by a soldier.

No matter how many medals soldiers who later became generals possessed, the First-Class Silver Wing Medal was always worn at the very top.

As for other medals...

Based on Forrest's memories, it seemed he had no qualification to acquire any others.

A promotion? A monetary bonus? Or... finding my old gun for me?

Soon, Damien found a tent for Robin where his uniform had already been prepared.

Meeting the Grand Duke certainly meant he could not carry a gun.

Robin took off his civilian clothes and changed into the brand-new military uniform.

He glanced at himself in the mirror and felt somewhat... well, awkward.

The Black Mountain Army's uniform wasn't particularly stylish, though it did look sharp.

Speaking of uniforms, Robin still preferred the aesthetic of a certain failed art student.

Speaking of which, wasn't Forrest also a failed art student from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna?

Too bad his surname was wrong—it was Rommel; otherwise, it really would have matched up.

Robin finished changing his uniform, pinned the Silver Wing Medal to his chest, and stepped out of the tent in his military boots.

The time was three o'clock. The night was still long, and it should have been sleeping hours.

Yet, many of the soldiers who ought to have been resting were currently gathered outside Robin's tent.

As Robin emerged from the tent, the first person looked at him, then the second person looked at him...

It was as if an Amon virus had infected them, and every single soldier stared at Robin with the exact same expression.

They formed two living walls, leaving a clear path for Robin that led straight toward the Grand Duke's command vehicle.

Seeing Robin come out, they did not crowd around him, nor did they cheer.

Clack!

A division commander heavily hammered his right fist against his chest.

This was the military salute of the Kingdom of Anzio!

Following the division commander's action, one soldier after another slammed their right fists against their hearts.

This was their highest tribute to a hero!

Robin was momentarily stunned, then returned the military salute.

He knew these men were saluting his Silver Wing Medal, saluting his battle achievements.

This military salute was one Robin deserved, for it was indeed he who had once galloped across the battlefields.

This solemn atmosphere caused Robin's spine to straighten involuntarily.

For the first time in a long while, Robin felt a trace of hot-blooded fervor burning within him.

One had to admit that the military truly was a magical place.

At that moment, Robin truly understood the weight behind the phrase: lighting a cigarette for Gu Yue.

Led by Damien, Robin walked with resolute steps, stride by stride, until he reached the exterior of the command vehicle.

"Please enter."

Balbo, Grand Duke Benito's chief of staff, made a gesture inviting him in.

To have the chief of staff personally come to receive Robin showed just how much the Grand Duke valued heroes.

Robin gave him a military salute, and alongside Damien, the three of them entered the Grand Duke's command vehicle.

Looking at the complex equipment and busy personnel inside the vehicle, and looking at Grand Duke Benito sitting in his chair with his arms crossed, chin tilted upward, watching him in silence, Robin instinctively gave a military salute.

"Private Robin Rommel, reporting for duty!"

"Not bad." Grand Duke Benito looked him up and down with an appreciative gaze.

Meanwhile, Robin's eyes swept over the Grand Duke's detailed profile.

[Benito Amilcare Andrea]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 59]

[Benito was born in the town of Predappio, the son of a blacksmith. Ambitious from a young age, he thoroughly read The Prince, taught himself multiple languages, and graduated at the top of his class from the normal school. After becoming a teacher, he took great pleasure in developing affairs beyond friendship with his landlord's wife. When discovered, he was expelled from the school. Returning home, Benito learned that his father had been imprisoned for plotting an uprising, leaving him uncertain of where his future lay.]

[After a period of despondency and confusion, Benito entered a newspaper office and became an editor. His writing style was vivid and forceful, paying little heed to logic or factual accuracy, and his articles typically concluded with a whirlwind of curses. This unique style earned him a dedicated readership.]

[Upon becoming editor-in-chief, Benito fabricated his own background, claiming his grandfather had been a papal guard of the Earth Mother Church (the state religion of Anzio).]

[Unfortunately, before Benito could fulfill his ambitions, Gaul invaded. Benito enlisted in the military, suffered numerous wounds on the battlefield, awakened his transcendent powers, and became a war hero.]

[After the war, the state failed to properly resettle the demobilized veterans. Their numbers exceeded one million, turning them into a destabilizing factor in society. Benito began giving speeches during this period, proclaiming that many people held a mistaken understanding of the Earth Mother's doctrines, and recounting in his speeches how a certain monarch led veterans across a river during wartime to capture traitors. Countless veterans became his supporters, and within a mere two years, his followers surpassed two hundred thousand.]

[Fearing he harbored ulterior motives, the King bestowed upon him the title of Duke.]

[After becoming Grand Duke, Benito spent twenty years paving roads, building bridges, establishing schools, and opening hospitals.]

[In order to realize his political ambitions, Grand Duke Benito deemed the time ripe and initiated an uprising, seeking to seize greater power.]

[Weakness Analysis: Cruel, uses any means necessary to achieve his goals, and frequently makes irrational decisions. Combative, arrogant, and conceited, believing everything is under his control. Lewd; he usurped his subordinate aviator's fiancée, making her and her younger sister serve him simultaneously, and even threatened his own father with a pistol to force his father's consent for him to marry his stepsister.]