Previously
Corporal Dudery and his subordinates plan to psychologically pressure Henrietta into resigning as revenge for their lost snacks. Henrietta, accustomed to social ostracization from her life as a noble, remains unfazed by their cold treatment but finds the lack of guidance practically inconvenient.
Hearing realistic examples drawn straight from Henrietta’s personal experience, Billy clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“That’s truly devious. No, honestly, it’s impressive. If it were me, I wouldn't even realize I was being bullied.”
“I didn't know at first either. But because I was so slow to catch on, the bullies grew even angrier, and the torment only escalated.”
“Good grief…”
Henrietta merely shrugged as Billy looked at her with pity.
“Don't look at me like that. I didn't just take it lying down.”
“Then what did you do?”
“Once you’re targeted in a noble ladies’ circle, there’s only one way to escape the ostracism: you become their queen bee. When the queen bee stings, people tend to get stung quite easily, you see. And as you can tell, I have all the qualifications to be one.”
“The qualifications of a queen bee? What are those?”
Henrietta spoke with a light toss of her freshly cropped hair.
“Power and beauty. The authority of a countess, and the beauty of an incomparable peeress.”
“…Well, that’s out of the question now.”
Henrietta was no longer a countess, and being an incomparable beauty was hardly an advantage unless she planned on using seduction. If the soldiers had been susceptible to her looks in the first place, they would have been offering up their sweets to her, not ostracizing her.
In fact, no matter how breathtaking she was, the soldiers were treating her quite rationally in light of her notorious record.
Furthermore, by her queen bee theory, there wasn't a single soul in this division who would understand such refined rhetoric. Which meant it was utterly useless here.
Knowing this full well, Henrietta hadn't been able to take action. Subduing soldiers who were shunning her in the military required a different approach.
“Which brings me to my point: there is one method far better than an apology.”
“So you do have an idea. All right, what is it?”
“I simply have to become their superior officer.”
“…”
It was the most absurd thing Billy had heard in recent memory. He did not even know how to respond.
“Please teach me how to get promoted as quickly as possible.”
“Well, there is a way. You just have to achieve a great military exploit in the Monster Forest.”
“I knew it. I figured as much. When is the next subjugation?”
“Forget military exploits; you should be worrying about whether you’ll return alive. Besides, shouldn't you be focusing on enduring this place without quitting before that even happens?”
“Do not worry. Aside from being a bit cumbersome, it isn't difficult at all.”
‘It’s difficult for me!’
Swallowing the desperate urge to scream those words aloud, Billy immediately went to find the one person who could solve this problem.
***
The only one who could resolve an issue troubling the Division Commander’s aide-de-camp was, naturally, the Division Commander himself.
Kalinin was maintaining his bow, letting Billy’s indignant appeals go in one ear and out the other.
To sum it up, Trainee Matyas was being ostracized, but Matyas herself was entirely unfazed while Billy was suffering to death, so the Division Commander who caused this mess needed to fix it. After all, it only happened because the Division Commander had punished the men.
Naturally, it was completely unreasonable.
Billy grew all the more furious because the Division Commander did not take the current state of affairs seriously in the slightest.
“Division Commander, are you listening to me? Hello? I am truly in serious distress here.”
“Quiet. Whenever people gather, there’s bound to be one person who gets ostracized. There are surely others among the enlisted ranks besides Trainee Matyas. Since when did you care so much about such things?”
“She keeps coming to bother me! If we’re being technical, it’s not that I care about her, it’s that Trainee Matyas cares far too much about me!”
“Do you really have so little to do? Then again, you must have plenty of free time if you’re granting every single request from a mere trainee.”
“Then what am I supposed to do? Should I shun her too? No one else will help her, so she comes asking me. Am I supposed to just turn her away? In her own way, she thinks we’re close. If even I turn a blind eye, won't she just quit and leave?”
“Trainee Matyas leaving this place…?”
At last, the Division Commander paused what he was doing and lifted his head.
“Didn't you say she herself isn't having a hard time?”
“Haven't I been telling you that from the start? I’m the one having a hard time, so please do something about it!”
“She isn't having a hard time because you keep helping her. Send her back and tell her to manage on her own.”
“And what if she really struggles then? Ah, was this your plan all along? A secret scheme to kick out a troublesome trainee without dirtying your hands?”
“If it truly gets too hard, she’ll compromise with the soldiers.”
“I told her that too!”
Billy was driven to utter frustration by the conversation running in idiotic circles.
“She said an apology wouldn't do any good, so she won't bother! She asked me how to get promoted instead! She doesn't intend to get along with the soldiers at all; her entire mindset is to crush them underfoot!”
“Your mindset is worse than a trainee’s. Why don't you emulate Trainee Matyas’s resolute and proactive attitude?”
“Is that so? Then give her a special promotion. Make her my superior officer.”
“That’s one way to do it.”
This time, Billy did not erupt in anger. Instead, he crossed his arms and clicked his tongue, looking strikingly similar to Henrietta just a moment ago.
“This is why you don't understand. Taking sarcasm at face value like that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I just learned from Trainee Matyas about the way noble ladies use language to ostracize each other, and it is extraordinarily difficult and downright terrifying. Would you like to hear an example?”
Billy pitched his voice into a lilting tone, even mimicking feminine hand gestures.
“‘Oh my, you made it! You’re earlier than expected.’”
“What are you doing?”
The Division Commander asked, his brow furrowing.
“What do you think that means?”
“It sounds like she’s pleased the person arrived early.”
Billy’s eyes filled with contempt.
“Ha. It means: ‘We thought you wouldn't come, yet you dragged yourself here anyway? We didn't prepare a seat for you, so wait over there.’”
To his aide’s insolent glare, Kalinin responded with a look reserved for a madman.
“Just how twisted does a person have to be to interpret it like that? Is it the brain? The ears?”
“It’s true! Trainee Matyas said so herself. In fact, there was no seat, so she was left standing, and not a single person offered her one. So when she asked for a chair to be brought over—”
Pausing briefly, Billy began his feminine impression again.
“‘Oh dear. Have you been standing all this time? You should have said something sooner. I’m so sorry. Your legs must be aching. Please sit here and rest for a bit. We’ve been sitting for far too long, so we were just about to take a stroll in the garden.’”
“She apologized sufficiently out of remorse and showed consideration, didn't she?”
“It means: ‘You’re so completely oblivious that you stubbornly stood around instead of leaving. If you won't get lost, I suppose we’ll leave instead.’”
“Nonsense.”
As the Duke looked ready to turn his attention back to his bow in disbelief, Billy hurriedly grabbed his hand.
“Listen to more.”
And so, Billy Temperk’s one-man play unfolded.
“‘I’ve never met anyone I wanted to help as much as Henrietta. It brings me so much joy and fulfillment.’ That means: ‘You are such a demanding, pathetic fool. Just how long do I have to keep babysitting you?’”
“…”
“‘The tea seems to suit your palate. Shall I pack some for you to take home?’ That means: ‘Why did you come and ruin the mood if all you’re going to do is sit there sipping tea? Won't you please just get lost?’”
“‘How do you like this carpet? I purchased it specially for today. Does it meet Countess Salt’s approval?’ That means: ‘This isn't a carpet meant to be trodden on by the likes of you, so would you mind watching your step?’”
Focus slowly faded from the Division Commander’s eyes.
Billy tilted his chin up arrogantly.
“If you had been born a highborn lady, Division Commander, you wouldn't even have been treated like a human being.”
“Do you think you’d be any different?”
“I’d certainly be better than you.”
“If that is truly the case, are noble ladies all geniuses? They understand all of that and apply it?”
Kalinin rested his chin on his crossed hands, murmuring with a grave expression.
“Trainee Matyas even reigned over them as their queen bee! Just imagine how sharp she must have been to pull that off!”
“Right… So that’s why I was drawn into her pace.”
“Pardon?”
Kalinin recalled his first encounter with Henrietta. What had caught his interest back then seemed to have been her cunning and clever manner of speaking.
‘Perhaps she really does have a map of the forest in her head.’
She was a sharp woman. Look at her even now. Wasn't she using Billy to subtly make her situation known? She seemed fully capable of serving as a psychological strategist.
“What are you muttering about over there? We might have gotten sidetracked, but please come up with a countermeasure already!”
Now that it had reached his ears, he could not simply ignore it.
“If you want to keep her from drifting on the outside, give her a sense of belonging. Promote Trainee Matyas to private and assign her to Nick’s squad.”
“You can’t do that! Corporal Dudery is in that squad! Dudery seems to be the ringleader behind this ostracism!”
Moreover, Sergeant Nick, the leader of the 24th squad, was currently preparing for his non-commissioned officer exams, so Corporal Dudery was the one managing the squad’s affairs in his stead.
“If Private Matyas causes trouble, the entire squad will be held responsible. Corporal Dudery will have no choice but to look after her.”
In the end, Henrietta received the promotion she had wanted. Even if it was by only a single rank.