At the Felsen lord’s estate, a furious shout shook the office.
“I ordered you to bring him here yesterday!
Where were you all night, Bartos—without a single report!?”
Lord Gustav von Felsen slammed his fist on the desk, scattering papers.
Bartos received the anger head‑on, yet bowed deeply with a calmness he never would have shown before.
“My deepest apologies, my lord.
There is no excuse.
However… the reason we could not return immediately is that we obtained knowledge so critical, it overturns the very foundation of Felsen’s defense.”
He raised his head and presented the “fragments of wisdom” bestowed by Zect—
a scribbled shift chart and a copied page of organizational theory.
“…What is this?
‘One: The competent and diligent are suited for staff work…
Two: The competent and lazy are suited for supreme command…?’”
Gustav frowned as he read.
But as he continued, Bartos saw the color drain from his face.
“…‘Four: The incompetent and diligent must be executed at once’?
Such cold, ruthless logic…
Is this… military doctrine?”
“Yes.
Master Zect declared that the current Felsen Knight Order is a collective of ‘incompetent workers.’
Our constant patrols, our needless killing intent spread across the land—
all of it convinces the demonfolk that Felsen is preparing for war, provoking them into striking first.”
Bartos explained how Zect’s concept of “deterrence” applied to the entire territory.
To win without moving.
To feign indolence, organize the army, and reveal nothing.
To instill fear through perfect silence.
The pinnacle of strategy: victory without battle.
Gustav leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
“…So we exposed our own shallowness by swinging our swords desperately.
Zect…
Is that name of some ancient god of war?”
“That is not all.
In the forest behind the manor resides Lady Tarmane, the apostle of darkness.
With a flick of her fingers, she reduced a pack of werewolves to dust and rewrote Elishua’s spellwork into something divine.
This overwhelming power is what physically guarantees Master Zect’s theory.”
Silence filled the office.
Gustav made his decision with unprecedented gravity.
“…Bartos.
From this moment, the entire Felsen Knight Order will transition to the ‘new defense system’ proposed by Master Zect.
Begin structuring the operation.”
Bartos explained Zect’s “shift system” and presented the reorganization plan.
“First, we divide all knights into three teams and ensure complete rest cycles.
This maintains a constant supply of fully capable soldiers while reducing unnecessary intimidation across the territory.
Next, we establish functional outposts at key locations.”
“Outposts… to define clear bases of operation.”
“Exactly.
Each outpost will house a small elite force.
We abolish wide‑area patrols.
Only when an anomaly is detected will scouts be dispatched.
Before the enemy can interpret our intentions, the outpost deploys force instantly—
the ‘efficient hammer’ Master Zect described.”
Gustav nodded deeply.
“Excellent.
He has taught us not how to fight, but how to *exist*.
Very well. Begin immediately.
Budget is no concern.
Designate the forest around the manor as an absolute forbidden zone.
Restructure the perimeter.
Fill all of Felsen with the refined silence he desires.”
From that day, Felsen’s defense changed dramatically.
The exhausting, intimidating patrol marches were abolished.
Outposts appeared across the city and forest.
At a glance, it looked like the army had shrunk—
but in truth, it had been optimized.
Rested elites hid sharpened fangs within the outposts.
A precise network of scouts covered the land.
The entire territory became a fortress with no gaps.
A few days later, Bartos stood at the forest boundary, gazing at the quiet manor.
Around it, Elishua had restored the perception‑blocking barrier.
Knights waited silently in the outposts, guarding the “source of silence.”
(Master Zect…
Please rest easy.
The peace born from your ‘competent indolence’—
we of the Felsen Knight Order shall protect it with our lives.)
Meanwhile, the master of the “sanctuary,” unaware of the military reform reshaping the entire territory, was sprawled lazily on his sofa.
“…Man, it’s been so quiet outside lately it’s kinda scary.
Maybe the demonfolk gave up?
Well, quiet is better than noisy.
Tama, you hungry?”
“Mrrp. (While you were asleep, this entire country started moving like a well‑oiled machine.)”
Tama stared at Kazuya, then hopped onto his stomach.
Peace wrapped the land warmly once more.
NEXT→