Chapter 55 - The Lifeline Called 'Communication Intelligence'
The magic communication lines drawn from various regions converged in the communication room.
Lining the walls were wooden boards filled with small holes. Above each hole, the names of villages and hamlets were inscribed, while beneath each hole, luminescent buttons utilizing magic crystals were installed.
It was named the Communication Desk.
The one who came up with the name was my childhood friend. Rubbing the space under his nose, he proudly told me about it. He always indulged my unreasonable requests. More than anything, he understood the importance of his own work. He wasn’t a master magitech craftsman for nothing; he was also a man who lived in the frontier. Sitting in front of the Communication Desk were a few people I personally hired from around the Fortress.
I named them Communicators.
They weren’t part of the knightly family’s military but were my personal hires. Though their work was deeply related to military affairs, the content of the communications wasn’t limited to that. I wanted them to be able to handle emergencies too. That’s why I made them my personal hires, operating separately from the knightly family’s army.
In reality, many of them were widows who had lost their husbands to military service.
They were people on the verge of losing their livelihoods, and I wanted to help them rebuild their lives... That’s why I prioritized hiring these women for this job. Of course, since they were wives of soldiers, there was also the consideration of preventing leaks of highly confidential information. Being spouses of military personnel, they naturally understood the concept of confidentiality.
Sitting in front of the Communication Desk, they wore a head-mounted communication device (headset)... a receiver covering one ear and a transmitter attached to a magic crystal thread extending from it. This simple magitech tool was clipped onto a headband. I intended the job to be straightforward and clear in its procedure.
First, when a call came in, the luminescent button would glow. They would record the name of the village or hamlet inscribed above the glowing luminescent button on a sheet of paper, then insert the connector of the magic communication line extending from the headset into the hole above the luminescent button. After that, they would attempt to converse and record the conversation on the sheet.
They would receive the report, write the content on the record sheet, and submit it to the Fortress’s office.
That was essentially the job. However, there was the issue of timing. Since it was impossible to predict when a communication might come in, someone had to be seated at the Communication Desk at all times. That’s why I prepared multiple people for the role. Also, to ease any anxiety, I made sure that at least two people were always on duty.
The shifts were already set at three-hour intervals, with four shifts a day. Considering rest times and days off, a minimum of twelve people were needed. I decided to pay the widows hired as Communicators the same salary as soldiers. It was an important role, and I didn’t want this job to be neglected. There was a valid reason for treating them on par with soldiers.
Their ages varied, and I hoped the older ones would guide the younger ones...
I wished for them not to reach the point of desperation... to avoid falling into the depths of despair just to survive. I wanted them to live with smiles on their faces. One of the older widows, who laughed heartily, gladly took on the role. I was deeply grateful.
――― § ―――
I managed to secure both the magitech tools and the personnel. The path from trial operation to practical use wasn’t smooth, but through trial and error and constant effort, I was able to get it up and running. Ever since it began running, I’d noticed Old Man watching the women as they entered my office, his gaze gentle.
It was true—they brought a certain “softness” to the Fortress, something that had never existed before.
In front of them, even the stern fifth-year soldiers began to straighten up their behavior, which I thought was a good sign in a different sense. On top of that, a few who could no longer pay rent or maintain their homes started staying at the Fortress, and since they had time, they began taking care of my personal needs.
Somehow, I felt like Mother might have had a hand in this...
While entry into the dangerous research lab was strictly prohibited, they used the facilities left behind by Granduncle when he lived in this Fortress—like the office, kitchen, laundry room, and household chores room—to make life more comfortable. I gratefully accepted their kindness.
After centralizing the information and organizing it, I began to notice a few things. Using the record sheets I had, I started pinning markers onto a map depicting the Demonic Forest bordering the territory ruled by the knightly family.
There was a noticeable bias.
Of course, there were also misreports due to misunderstandings or errors. But those were outliers, and to some extent, they became predictable before deployment. The accuracy of the information improved, and I was able to create a threat distribution map of the Demonic Forest.
This was also why my brothers started visiting the Fortress more often instead of waiting at the main estate. Today, Eldest Brother and Second Brother were exchanging opinions in front of the large map, and I stood by their side. This had become a common sight lately. Behind us were Old Man and the sergeant major. The matters discussed here often became the military guidelines for the knightly family.
“The central area... It seems there’s something in the middle layer.”
“Brother, I sense a problem in the deep layer.”
“When the main force deploys, it’s difficult for the guerilla unit alone to eliminate or subdue the threat. This usually happens when a medium-sized or larger monster appears or when a large number of magical beasts are on the move. How about overlaying the recent deployments of the main force onto this map?”
“As far as I can recall, I’ll do it immediately.”
I handed color-coded pins to Second Brother. After a nod, he began inserting them into various points on the map. The distribution showed a concentration near the areas where biased reports had come from. Even when the guerilla unit didn’t go, the main force was often deployed to those areas for critical issues brought to the main estate.
As he placed the pins, Second Brother recounted the situations at the time. Sometimes reminiscing, sometimes with anger in his voice... I realized then that countless losses were flashing through his mind. I, too, am a commander. When my beloved subordinates are seriously injured or die, my heart wavers.
The losses of the main force, which often faces powerful enemies, have long been a problem. That’s why I’ve been distributing the equipment and tools I developed to Second Brother as well. Compared to neighboring knightly families, our loss rate is much lower. But the undeniable fact is that lives are still being lost.
Lives are not just numbers.
The faces of those we’ve lost flashed through my mind, and a bitter feeling welled up. I imagine it’s the same for Second Brother and Eldest Brother.
――――
A knock came at the office door. I granted permission to enter, and one of the communicators came in, handing me a record sheet before quickly leaving. They didn’t dare crack jokes when the heir of the knightly family (the future head of our family) was present. I skimmed the record sheet in my hands.
“From: Edge of the Forest village. To: Fortress Communication Room. Report: A hamlet hunter spotted a small-sized monster near the Middle Forest, deep in the Shallow Forest. About the size of an eight-year-old child. Black fur. No noticeable patterns, fur is jet black. Bipedal. Carries a club-like weapon. It quickly left toward the middle layer. Upon investigation nearby, what appears to be red fur was found. Request further investigation.”
A monster... small, about the size of an eight-year-old. Jet-black fur with no patterns. My mind raced through the monster compendium. One matched: the beast-type monster Piscus. A monkey-like monster. Highly dexterous, capable of using various spells, and cunning. In other words, they’re intelligent. And they form groups. If this report is accurate, the danger level is quite high.
――― Tension filled the Fortress office...
Comments
Post a Comment