"I'm so sorry, dear Yuriko, what are you saying?"
Rodney XVIII actually heard it clearly, but found it hard to believe.
"I said… uh…" Yuriko sensed the surprise in her brother's words, but still said, "I want to be the commander of the 1st Royal Infantry Regiment."
An awkward feeling rose in Rodney XVIII's heart.
"What do you think, my dear brother?" Yuriko asked again, seemingly oblivious to his brother's embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Yuriko, I can't grant your wish." Rodney XVIII frowned and firmly refused his brother's request.
"Father, why?" Yuriko seemed to have been hit over the head, her face quickly filled with disappointment.
"What do you mean, 'why'? Yuriko, do you think this is child's play?" Rodney said seriously, "The army is a vital asset to the Kingdom of Aldor, and our new army only has six regiments in total. How can we just randomly choose anyone to be the regimental commander?" The king's tone was unusually firm.
But before he could finish speaking, Yuriko exclaimed, "What do you mean by 'just pick anyone'?"
He found it hard to believe that his brother could say such hurtful things. He even considered that he was not yet qualified, which was why he did not ask for the position of commander.
Yuriko said with dissatisfaction, "I am your brother. In this country, besides our father and our brother Auguste, can you find a third man who is as close to you as I am? Don't you think that something as important as the army should be managed by your own blood relatives? Or do you actually think that those guys who don't have the surname Rodney are closer and more reliable than your own brothers?"
Rodney XVIII shook his head. "Yes, what you said is true. In terms of closeness to me, few in the Kingdom of Aldor can match you. However, whether or not you can serve as the new legion commander requires consideration of many factors, not just blood ties!"
Yuriko simply couldn't understand it. Traditionally, it was easy for noblemen from prominent families to hold important positions in the army. With just a letter of recommendation, they could command an army or serve as an adjutant to a commander.
In his understanding, Levin and Chambers both became leaders through similar means, and both came from the aristocratic family of Crystal Radiance.
"Then can I serve as the commander of the second regiment?"
"no!"
"The Third Regiment?"
"no!"
...
"Are you questioning my abilities? Ged! Don't forget, I was in charge of recruiting for the new army in its early stages. I recruited more than 5,000 soldiers in a short period of time. In a sense, I am one of the creators of this army! Before those guys from Northwest Bay came, I led them to protect Crystal Radiance!"
Yuriko felt a sense of humiliation and sadness that his merits had been forgotten. "I received knightly training from a young age and read a lot of military books. I am no stranger to marching and fighting."
Rodney XVIII said helplessly, "I appreciate your hard work—although you had plenty of military scrip at the time —but don't forget, I gave you a chance. But when I decided to train the army in the Alda way, you strongly resisted even basic attendance and eventually handed the army back to me. In your mind, the rules in the army are all made for subordinates, and superiors are not bound by red tape.
But I know very well that is an outdated view. If Aldor wants to build a strong armed force, it must abandon the outdated view and at the very least ensure that discipline applies to every member of the army."
Yuriko retorted, "Then why do you value Levin and Chambers so much? Don't tell me they'll live each day according to the so-called schedule like the soldiers."
The new army commander Harrison was still in the South commanding the four regiments he had left behind. Yuriko only saw these two regimental commanders at the banquet, so she turned her attention to them.
In the early days of Rodney XVIII's reign, these two were nobody in Yuriko's eyes, so much so that Rodney XVIII needs to reintroduce them today.
The king replied, "I'm sorry, but in the barracks, they do follow the schedule every day. They have all overcome their old habits and passed the instructors' rigorous tests! They are able to work well in this new system and play a constructive rather than destructive role! You are completely ignorant of the new army. You cannot be given a position such as battalion commander or company commander, let alone a regimental commander."
Yuriko waved her arm. "Ridiculous! Does going there mean I'm causing destruction? Besides, I can learn something too."
Rodney XVIII nodded. "To be honest, your request today is undermining this system! The New Army's promotion mechanism has its own strict process; no one can become a regimental commander right away."
Levin and Chambers were able to become leaders partly because the new army was in its infancy and had no one else available.
Rodney XVIII looked at his angry brother and wondered if he had been too harsh in his words.
"I should show him a way," he thought to himself.
" Yuriko, if you really intend to serve in the military, you can try becoming a recruit first. After six months of basic training, you can officially become a member of the military. I believe that with your physique and abilities, you can easily pass the basic training. After becoming a formal new soldier, if you perform well, you will quickly get promotion opportunities."
"You... what did you say?" Yuriko was shocked, even doubting that he had heard correctly. He, a prince of Aldor, was going to become an ordinary soldier first.
Does Ged know what he's saying? This is a disgrace to the Rodney name.
" Ged, even though you are now the king, you shouldn't humiliate your own brother like this!" Yuriko shouted harshly.
"Humiliation?" Rodney XVIII's eyes widened. "Why do you think this is humiliation?"
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"Isn't it humiliating to make me a soldier? Those guys don't even get proper pay!"
"I'm so sorry you think that way!" Rodney XVIII's loud voice startled Yuriko.
"Those men you speak of, every single one of them is my pride!" the king retorted angrily. "It was they who crushed the rebellion with courage and blood, and defended the throne of Aldor."
"Please note, it is them, not you," the king said, pointing to his brother and emphasizing his words.
Yuriko's face flushed red, his chest filled with resentment. In his memory, his brother had never spoken to him so harshly.
Ged has always been tolerant and patient with his two younger brothers.
Now that he's king, why is he so harsh on himself? Can power really corrupt a person's mind like that? Just like those clichéd plots in novels, Ged, now king, has become so emotionally cold that he doesn't even recognize his own brother.
Yuriko was both sad and angry.
The two brothers stood silently in the throne room, where the court servants, who were waiting for orders, were too afraid to even breathe.
Rodney XVIII broke the silence, "If you really don't want to start as a soldier, I have another option."
Yuriko asked somewhat defiantly, "By what means?"
"I will write a letter of recommendation..."
A glimmer of hope returned to Yuriko's eyes; he still thought his brother had given in to him.
"I'll send you to Alda's military academy! If you pass, I'll promote you to second lieutenant; if you excel, I'll promote you to first lieutenant; and if you are outstanding, I'll promote you to captain."
The king's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Yuriko's head.