Konflik di Antara Bawahan - 21

Konflik di Antara Bawahan

Aku bangun menara pengawas di keempat sudut desa. Tapi karena kekurangan bahan, menaranya cuma dua lantai dengan satu ballista di atasnya. Meski gitu, aku puas lihat desa sekarang punya nuansa kastil gitu. Yah, skalanya masih kecil sih.

Pas semuanya kelar, hari udah gelap banget. Till manggil Kamsin buat nyiapin makan malam.

"Kamu udah kerja keras," sapaku.

Kamsin malah liat ke bawah dengan muka kesel.

"Kenapa?" tanyaku.

Kamsin ngepalin tangannya yang penuh tanah, lalu ngeluh.

"Aku cuma numpuk batu beberapa meter. Master Van ngubah desa jadi begini, tapi aku cuma numpuk batu dikit..."

Aku ketawa liat Kamsin yang kempes, suaranya sampe mirip rengekan.

"Aku kan tuan tanah. Tugasku bikin desa lebih baik. Tujuanmu apa, Kamsin?"

Muka Kamsin berubah ruwet denger pertanyaanku. Kayaknya pertanyaan itu terlalu berat buat bocah sepuluh tahun.

Pas aku mikir gitu, Kamsin balik menatapku dengan tekad.

"...Tujuanku adalah melindungi Van-sama."

Aku langsung ciut. Suasananya bukan tempat buat bercanda... artinya dia serius.

"Nggak usah maksa diri. Tapi makasih."

Aku agak malu, tapi tetep ngucapin terima kasih.

Sambil jawab, Kamsin tiba-tiba jalan di depanku, kayak mau ngawal aku dengan aman. Aku nggak bisa nahan ketawa liat cara jalannya yang dada membusung, mata waspada ke sekeliling.

Kalau ada orang ketiga liat, mereka bakal senyum lihat anak sepuluh dan delapan tahun main perang-perangan.

Tapi Kamsin ngejar tujuannya dengan semangat yang nggak kalah sama orang dewasa. Cuma orang luar mana tahu.

Liat dia jalan gagah gitu, aku jadi pengen bikinin dia baju zirah. Mau keliatan kayak ksatria beneran, meskipun cuma sebentar.

Tiga hari berikutnya, aku kerja keras banget. Pake sihir produksi buat perkuat seluruh tembok desa. Batu-batu kutempel di permukaan tembok, kusatukan jadi sekuat beton. Tingginya agak pendek, tapi masih tiga meter di bagian tertinggi.

Di atas tembok ada jalan setapak selebar satu setengah meter. Juga ada seratus ballista berperisai dengan jarak sama di sepanjang tembok. Kalau ini game tower defense, aku pengen pasang machine gun dan rudal permukaan-ke-udara. Tapi sayang, nggak punya alat buat bikin senjata secanggih itu.

Katanya ada orang yang pelajari bubuk mesiu dan bikin senjata api, meskipun bentuknya aja. Nanti kalau pedagang datang, harus kutanya soal "senjata" itu.

Omong-omong, parit di luar tembok pertahanan juga kelar dalam tiga hari ini. Satu-satunya cara nyebrang cuma lewat jembatan di depan desa, yang bisa naik-turun pake katrol. Gerbang desa juga diperkuat dengan lapisan logam di bagian dalam.

"Mmm. Puas sama pertahanannya. Nggak banyak desa yang sekuat ini."

Till dan Kamsin jawab seneng, "Iya!"

Pas mereka jawab, Espada dan Dee mendengus, alis berkerut.

"Yah, ini udah bukan desa lagi."

"Ini benteng kecil. Bandit mungkin bakal kabur lihat ini."

Mereka berdua juga muji. Meskipun mungkin cuma perasaanku, ada nuansa heran di udara.

Dee buka mulut dengan frustrasi.

"...Kalau Jalpa-sama sadar potensi Van-sama, dan keluarga Marquis bisa berkembang pesat dengan sihir produksinya..."

Espada angkat alis denger gumaman itu.

"Kau tak boleh bicara begitu. Tuan rumah hanya menganggap kemampuan bertarung yang penting. Entah itu benar atau salah, bukan urusan kita sebagai pelayan."

"Tapi, Espada! Apa kau tidak lihat! Tuan Van itu kekuatan yang harus diperhitungkan! Kalau saja kita punya waktu, kita bisa tumbuh lebih kuat dari siapa pun...!"

"Kekuatan Van-sama adalah kekuatan untuk melindungi. Karena dia tak bisa memindahkan benteng ini, kekuatan Tuan Van tak cocok buat serang negara lain. Tapi kalau kita diserang, Tuan Van bisa lindungi rakyat."

"Omong kosong. Lord Espada, perang nggak cuma soal tentara bentrok. Perang bisa dilakukan kalau ofensif, defensif, dan pasokan bekerja sama..."

Perdebatan mereka makin panas. Till dan Kamsin mulai ciut lihat intensitasnya. Aku nonton sampe akhirnya nggak bisa diem aja.

"Nggak guna nyeselin keadaan atau bakat. Kalian harus bersaing dengan apa yang ada."

Aku nasehatin pake kata-kata bijak dari tokoh terkenal.

Mereka berdua langsung beku, mata melotot. Liatin aku beberapa saat, sampe Dee ngakak.

"Huha, hahahahaha! Iya, tepat kayak kata tuan muda! Ngeluh nggak bakal ngubah apa pun! Meskipun kita terusir ke ujung wilayah ini, Tuan Van bisa rebut kembali! Dan akhirnya, wilayah Tuan Van...!"

"Apa kau mengusulkan kita lawan putra-putra Marquis lainnya?"

Espada potong monolog Dee dengan tenang, matanya nggak lagi merah marah. Ekspresinya nggak banyak berubah, tapi keliatan dia puas sama omonganku.

Omonganku kayaknya bakal bikin mereka lebih semangat nyuruh aku belajar besok. Jadi aku catat dalam hati: pura-pura sibuk bikin senjata biar nggak dipaksa les spartan lagi.

Sambil mutusin buat molor, aku sadar Till dan Kamsin liatin aku dengan mata berbinar.

Uh, nggak tega liat langsung. Aku nggak bisa bilang kalau tadi aku pasang muka sombong sambil ngomongin kutipan cheesy.

Bingung, aku jalan keluar desa buat liat parit. Paritnya baru digali, belum diisi air. Ada parit kosong yang cuma dilapisi anak tangga, tapi parit berisi air lebih ideal. Soalnya cocok sama tema kastil.

Yah, ada sedikit air di parit. Tapi nggak cukup, cuma bikin tanah becek. Kita perlu keraskan dasar dan sisi parit. Juga perlu aliran air buat ngisi parit.

Kalau ada sungai atau danau di deket sini, bagus. Tapi sayang, nggak ada. Kadang aku ke sungai agak jauh buat ambil air, tapi nggak mungkin dapet jumlah gede buat isi parit. Sumber air lain cuma tempayan buat nampung air hujan.

"Kita harus cari sumber air lebih baik. Air kan sumber kehidupan pemukiman."

Sambil bergumam gitu, pas balik ke pintu desa, seorang penduduk lari dari luar. Mukanya panik.

"Bandit datang! Cepet mendekat dari jalan! Cepet angkat jembatan!"

Aku cepet angguk sambil lambaikan tangan. Penduduk itu teriak-teriak ngos-ngosan.

"Angkat jembatan! Tutup gerbang! Aku mau tahu jumlah mereka!"

Atas instruksiku, penduduk langsung bergerak. Yang satu angkat jembatan, yang lain tutup dan kunci gerbang. Perempuan dan anak-anak dievakuasi cepet dan rapi.

"Oh! Dalam beberapa hari aja, mereka udah ngakuin aku sebagai tuan! Semua bergerak sesuai perintah!"

Agak terharu, aku cek situasi. Jembatan bakal segera naik, gerbang udah tertutup. Saatnya atur pasukan.

"Yang ke menara pengawas, baris satu-satu! Minimal lima orang jaga barikade di tiap arah mata angin! Sepuluh orang jaga sisi gerbang!"

Abas ngasih instruksi berikutnya, aku coba naik ke barikade. Tapi Till narik aku.

"Till? Aku harus pimpin mereka."

Pas aku noleh, muka Till penuh air mata. Dia marah. Aku langsung tahu. Soalnya ini pertama kalinya aku liat Till marah.

"Maaf. Dee, tolong bawa anak buah cek situasi? Kasih info, aku kasih arahan dari belakang."

Dee nepuk dada, ujung mulutnya naik membentuk senyum lebar.

"Serahkan padaku!"

Conflict Among My Subordinates

I built watchtowers on all four corners of the village. But due to lack of materials, they're only two-story with a single ballista on top. Still, I'm satisfied—the village has that castle vibe now. Well, scale's still small though.

By the time I finished, it was completely dark. Till called Kamsin to start preparing dinner.

"You've worked hard," I said.

Kamsin looked down, frustrated.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Kamsin clenched his dirt-stained hands and sighed.

"I only piled up a few meters of stone. Master Van changed the village so much, but I've only piled up a few stones..."

I laughed at deflated Kamsin, his voice sinking into a whimper.

"I'm a lord, you know. It's my duty to make the village better. What's your goal, Kamsin?"

Kamsin's face crumpled into a complex mess at my question. Guess it wasn't a question to ask a ten-year-old.

As I thought that, Kamsin looked back at me with determination.

"...My goal is to protect Van-sama."

I couldn't help but cringe. Not the kind of atmosphere where you can joke... which meant he was serious.

"You don't have to push yourself. But thank you."

I was a little embarrassed, but made sure to express my thanks.

While replying, Kamsin suddenly started walking in front of me, like trying to escort me safely. I couldn't help laughing at the way he walked with his chest puffed out, warily eyeing surroundings.

If a third party looked, they might smile at what looked like ten and eight year olds playing pretend.

Well, Kamsin aims at his goal with passion that wouldn't lose to an adult's. But no way a random outsider would know.

Looking at him strutting around, I decided I wanted to make him a set of armor. Make him look like the noble knight he thinks he is, even if just for a moment.

The next three days. I worked extremely hard. Used production magic to fortify the entire village wall. Placed stones on the surface and joined them to make a substance as strong as concrete.

Height shortened slightly, but still three meters at the highest part.

Atop the wall, there's a walkway about a meter and a half wide. Also a total of a hundred shielded ballistae at equal intervals across the wall's length. If this was a tower defense game, I'd set up machine guns and surface-to-air rockets. But unfortunately, I didn't have means for such high-tech weaponry.

I hear there are people in the world who studied gunpowder and built guns, even if just in form. Should ask about those 'guns' next time peddlers come.

Incidentally, the moat outside the defensive wall was also completed in these three days. Only way across is a bridge at the village front, raised and lowered by pulley. The village gate was also reinforced with metal plating on its inner side.

"Mmm. Satisfied with the defensive works. Not many villages this well defended."

Till and Kamsin replied happily, "Yes!"

As they replied happily, Espada and Dee snorted, wrinkling brows.

"Well, this is no longer a village."

"It's a small fortress. Bandits would probably run at the sight."

The two also praised my work. Although likely my imagination, I felt an air of dismay.

Dee opened his mouth in frustration.

"...If Jalpa-sama had only been aware of Van-sama's power, and that the Marquis family could have developed greatly by his production magic..."

Espada raised an eyebrow at the muttering.

"You must not speak of such things. The master only considers fighting ability important. Whether that opinion is right or not isn't for us servants to decide."

"But, Espada! Can't you see! Master Van is a force to be reckoned with! In fact, if only we had time, we could grow even more powerful than anyone else...!"

"Van-sama's power is the power to protect. As he can't move this stronghold, Lord Van's power is unsuitable for attacking other countries. Instead, if attacked by a foreign country, Master Van will protect our people."

"Nonsense. Lord Espada, warfare isn't only about troops clashing. One can conduct war when offensive, defensive, and resupplying forces work together..."

The two men's argument quickly became heated. Till and Kamsin began to cringe at the intensity. I watched until it escalated beyond passively observing.

"It's no use regretting circumstances or talent. You just have to compete with what you have."

I admonished them with words of wisdom from a famous character.

Then they both froze, eyes wide open. They stared at me for a while, until Dee burst out laughing.

"Huha, hahahahaha! Yes, exactly as the young master said! Bemoaning disadvantages won't change anything! Even if driven to the edge of this territory, Master Van can take it back! And eventually, Master Van's domain...!"

"Are you suggesting we go up against the other sons of the Marquis?"

Espada calmly interrupted Dee's monologue, eyes no longer livid with anger. Not much change in expression, but one could tell he was pleased with what I said.

My words will likely cause them to be more enthusiastic about making me study tomorrow. So made mental note: act busy making weapons so they couldn't force me through another spartan education course.

While deciding to slack off, I notice Till and Kamsin looking at me with sparkling eyes.

Ugh, can't look directly at them. Can't tell them I made a smug face while saying a cheesy quote.

Troubled, I walked out of the village to look at the moat. The moat's only just been dug and not yet filled with water. There are empty moats lined with steps, but a water-filled moat is ideal. Fits well with the castle theme.

Well, there's a little water in the moat. Not a useful amount though, only enough to make the ground muddy. We need to harden the bottom and sides. Also need to secure a water route to draw water for filling.

Would be good if there was a river or lake nearby, but unfortunately none. I sometimes go to a farther river to fetch water, but can't get enough quantity to fill the moat. Our only other water source are jars catching rain.

"We have to secure a better water source. Water is the lifeline of any settlement."

While muttering this, returning to village entrance, a villager came running from outside. Desperate look on his face.

"The bandits are here! Rapidly approaching from the road! Hurry and get the bridge up!"

I quickly nodded and waved as the villager shouted breathlessly.

"Raise the bridge! Close the gate! I want to know how many are out there!"

At my instructions, villagers immediately began to act. One raised the bridge, another closed and bolted the gate. Women and children evacuated quickly and efficiently.

"Oh! In just a few days, they've recognized me as lord! All move according to my instructions!"

Feeling a little emotional, I took stock. Bridge would be up any minute, gate already closed. Time to arrange defenders.

"Those going to watchtowers, single-file! At least five men man barricades in each cardinal direction! Ten men man the side with the gate!"

After giving instructions, I tried to climb the barrier too. But Till pulled me down.

"Till? I have to go lead them."

Then I turned and saw Till's face, full of tears. She was angry. I knew right away. First time I've ever seen Till angry.

"I'm sorry. Dee. Would you take your men and check the situation? Give me information, I'll give directions from behind."

Dee slapped his chest and lifted the edge of his mouth in a wide smile.

"Leave it to me!"

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