Makai Hongi – 20
Chapter 20
“…I’m back.”
I opened the door and stepped into the house. My parents, younger brother, and sister were waiting there.
As ogres were very strong, they tended to have a lot of children.
Of course, we also tended to die a lot.
“Welcome home. I heard about the Gekokujyo. So you’re a Commander now?”
“It just sort of happened. I didn’t have much choice.”
“You’re as lacking in energy as ever, my son. Still, I am glad that you are back safely.”
My father said as he grabbed me by the shoulder and hit me happily.
My father had lost one of his arms in a battle and hadn’t fought since then.
He currently earned a living by cutting down trees in the forest.
Even though we were residents of the Demon World, we had to work in order to survive.
“And your mana seems to have increased a lot. It’s hard to believe, considering where you started off.”
My mother was quite impressed as she looked at me.
“I think you were only slightly above the average ogre before you left.”
“Really?”
It was clear they hadn’t really been looking at me.
I wasn’t expected to live long as a child. And for a long time, they acted as if I wasn’t even there.
“Everyone in the village is happy that you’ve returned. You should go to visit them later.”
“Fine.”
“The festival is also approaching, so you should help with that.”
“I know.”
I had just come back and was already being used. Was I really a Commander?
They treated me exactly like before…
Under a king, the line of command went as follows.
General, Corps Commander, and Commander.
In my case, I was the Commander of the Ogres, which made me the most important person in all six of our villages.
One might assume that the village chief was the most important, but strength was everything in the Demon World.
So if I decided to leave the village in someone else’s hands, it was because I appointed that person. And not because the Chief was powerful.
A Japanese person might think of civil officers and military officers. But they didn’t separate things like that in the Demon World.
It was perhaps similar to the ancient theme system, where a Strategos had both military authority and jurisdiction over the land.
“Hey, Commander. Grab some of that wood for me.”
“This?”
“Yes. Bring 10 of them over here.”
“Fine.”
In other words, the Commander was supposed to be important. The number one in all six villages…
“Hurry up. The festival will start soon. Stop dawdling around.”
“Yeah…”
“Run faster.’
“Yeah…”
And so I moved faster. Though, I was the Commander.
While there was no distinction between military and civil officers, and the Commander exercised control overall, preparing for the festival was the work of the craftsmen.
There was no point in me leaning back in some fancy office chair and doing nothing.
If Guden were in my place, he would have probably laughed boisterously, ‘Gahahahaha!’ and worked the hardest.
“Come on now, Commander. Put your back into it.”
“F-fine.”
But, it still didn’t sit right with me.
Thanks.