Chapter 31 – Out With The Bad

“…Sister, I am August Divinitas.” August bowed his head in greeting, expression flat.
“Then, do enjoy your talk.
If you will excuse me…”

He strode out of the office before I could even reply.
Perhaps he didn’t like me—considering my current reputation among the Dark Knights, that seemed to be the case.
Getting on a priest’s bad side was a bit worrisome, though…As I gazed at the door August had just exited through, I swallowed back a groan.
As if he had read my mind, Mayer said, “Reverend August is always like that.
Do not worry too much, his attitude does not imply he disapproves of you.”

“I wasn’t worrying, I was… How did you know?” For a moment, I considered playing dumb but decided not to.
I didn’t want to seem pathetic by trying to give a poor excuse.

“It shows on your face,” Mayer answered with a smile.

“But I had my head turned around—my face wasn’t visible to you,” I said.

“Then allow me to put it like the back of your head showing it as well.”

He was completely messing with me.

“Oh, come now.
Do not pout like that.” Mayer smiled.
“So, what has brought you to me?”

My lips were acting out of my control, it seemed.
I cleared my throat with a cough.
While this was far better than having Mayer be in a bad mood, it was necessary to stop fooling around.
I fixed my posture into a disciplined, rigid stance and began, “I have something to discuss regarding the reorganization of the Dark Knights.”

“Reorganization…” he hummed.
“You did not seem very pleased about becoming the vice-captain, yet you’re already performing your duties even before your official appointment.”

So he knew I didn’t want the position! He knew it all along and pretended not to see anything.
How nasty! I felt an urge to give him a piece of my mind spark inside me, but I quickly shut my mouth, afraid of being strung along with his pace.
I forced a smile on my lips.
“If I have to do it anyway, I have to do it right.”

“That part of you is very trustworthy.
Then how do you intend on proceeding with this matter?” Mayer stared at me with plain interest.
Having those golden eyes fixed on me made me feel like a gazelle being chased by a leopard in the savanna grasslands.
But I couldn’t give in to the pressure.
This was the time to stand strong and deliver my opinions.

Steadying my heart, I held my head high and began explaining with confidence, “I have been informed that when desertion occurs within the 1st Corps, which is composed of elites who’ll join the battle against the demon lord, the numbers will be replenished by members with potential from the 2nd and 3rd Corps.”

“Indeed.”

The 1st Corps had been founded by the strongest Dark Knights members in their respective fields, such as Mayer, Axion, and August.
Compared to them, the 2nd Corps members were skilled but not enough to be part of the 1st Corps.
As an aside, Vegan and Zinnia, the two I chatted with on the way back to base, were part of the 2nd Corps.
Dungeons of the average level were mainly cleared by those aforementioned two corps.
It was rare for only the 1st Corps to clear a dungeon unless it was of high difficulty.
I assumed that the idea behind this setting was to have the 2nd Corps experience various high-level dungeons as a form of training.
And finally, the 3rd Corps was composed of members who had the skills but still hadn’t adjusted to the Dark Knights.
They weren’t incapable—incompetent people couldn’t even join, to begin with.
But… “The 3rd Corps’ size is the same as the 1st and 2nd Corps combined,“ I said.
“I believe it’s too big.”

“So you suggest I get rid of it?”

“Yes,” I nodded.

Mayer hummed and rubbed his chin, thinking deeply.
“The 3rd Corps has its use.
Members of both the 2nd and 3rd Corps are mixed in groups to clear low-difficulty dungeons that the 1st Corps does not need to mind.”

As the saying went, “many a little makes a mickle”.
I could understand his line of thought as during performance report meetings, expedition corps were judged by the number of dungeons cleared and their difficulty level, which was why even low-difficulty dungeons couldn’t be given up on.
It was necessary to get a good grade on the performance report to gain the chance to battle the demon lord.
Regarding that, he had lost to Fabian Corps by a hair during the first playthrough.
Each and every dungeon must count to Mayer this time.

Fabian Corps had managed to top the Dark Knights because they had focused on quality rather than quantity, and that was possible because of the information I had provided them.
I cautiously started, “You may be offended by this, Captain, but…”