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墨書 Inktalez
Bel IV arrived at Kairuot's squad with two accompanying soldiers, and the entire squad was bustling with activity.
Upon seeing Commander's arrival, Kairuot quickly ordered the soldiers to stop training and line up to welcome Commander, demonstrating a formal and respectful demeanor.
Bel IV assumed an authoritative stance, looking at the muddy soldiers, and began to speak: "You lot are the most unkempt troops I have ever seen! Look at you all covered in dirt; you've lost the dignity of a soldier. You cannot train like this anymore!" He then turned to Kairuot beside him and said, "Did you hear that?"
"Yes, sir!" Kairuot saluted in response.
Bel IV turned to the neatly lined-up soldiers and commanded, "You all go back, change into clean uniforms, and come see me again."
Kairuot seized the opportunity and shouted, "Attention! Dismissed!"
The soldiers dispersed as ordered.
-
Afterward, Kairuot had no choice but to accompany Bel IV around the military camp for inspection.
Bel IV initially intended to express his anger here, but upon seeing that aside from the earlier scene, the camp was orderly with no further issues to address. Moreover, the Royal Guard regulations did not prohibit soldiers from training; it was actually beneficial for enhancing combat effectiveness. By the end of the inspection, Bel IV changed his tone and said, "From now on, your squad's mechs should not conduct training in the air casually; it disturbs the civilians and could lead to complaints. Look, this has already alarmed the king, and I have troubles because of it."
"Understood!" Kairuot saluted as he watched Commander leave the military camp.
-
Belche was a suspicious person. After Bel IV reported on the situation at the military camp, he remained uneasy and inquired through his Wristband to Bel I: "What is different about this batch of Clone soldiers compared to previous ones? How can they manage to train themselves? What is going on?"
Bel I had already prepared a response. He replied, "Esteemed Belche King, this time the leader of my Clone Royal Guard has indeed been improved compared to before. I have slightly relaxed my control over their brains so they can think through some simple problems on their own. I believe they are all commanders; if they lack independent thought and are indistinguishable from machine soldiers, they won't be able to march or fight effectively. This is an improvement based on lessons learned from past failures and also respects your directives. Your Majesty, do you see any issues with this approach? If not acceptable, I will return them for re-Clone."
Upon hearing this, Belche immediately nodded in approval and praised him: "You did well! Truly worthy of being my High Advisor! However, control over their brains must remain strict; do not let any mistakes occur, understood?"
Bel I assured him: "Rest assured, Your Majesty; you can absolutely control them!"
Although the report from Bel IV barely passed, Belche never just listens to what his subordinates say; he wants to test whether Bel IV is lying. So, early the next morning, he issued a command to all Clone Officers: "The King urgently summons you! You have five minutes to arrive at the Capricorn Palace hall!"
Although Kairuot and Xiaoli did not have a Controller installed in their brains, Bel I had equipped them with a device in their ears that received Belche's commands, allowing them to quickly receive instructions and rush to the hall of Capricorn Palace to listen to Belche's speech.
Belche sat upright in the King's throne, his eyes gleaming with cunning as he looked down at the dozens of National Guard officers. Without needing to call names, he pulled out a needle-sized device from the wristband on his arm and unfolded it into a small screen Controller. He turned it on and saw that all the officers in the hall had their Controllers displayed on this screen; no one was absent.
All the officers, led by Bel IV, knelt on one knee, shouting: "Long live the King! Long live! Long live!!"
Belche smiled with satisfaction. He whispered a few words to High Advisor Bel I, who immediately called out loudly: "Captain of the Fifteenth Legion, step forward; the King wishes to summon you!"
A robust man stepped forward briskly, saluted with a fist, and knelt on one knee: "I pay my respects to the King!"
Seeing that the captain was handsome, Belche turned to Bel I and said, "High Advisor, your cloned officer this time is quite impressive; he is much more handsome than before."
Bel I quickly bowed and respectfully replied: "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!"
At this moment, Belche felt extremely pleased but immediately restrained his smile and asked the Captain of the Fifteenth Legion: "Captain of the Fifteenth Legion, let me ask you: why did your squad conduct comprehensive training on both land and in the sky this time?"
The dashing Squad Leader replied: "Report to the King, we are improving each member's quality and physical fitness while training to enhance team cohesion."
Belche turned to ask Bel I: "Do our robotic soldiers still need to undergo training?"
Bel I respectfully answered: "Although the robots' programs are pre-set, it is quite necessary to conduct training to check for any errors in the program; this also draws from lessons learned from previous failures..."
The King thought for a moment and found it reasonable. He then asked: "I see. Tell me, has your training shown significant results?"
"Reporting to the King, there have indeed been significant results," replied the Captain of the Fifteenth Legion. "The combat effectiveness of our squad has improved considerably."
Upon hearing the response, the king did not ask further. He waved his hand and said, "You may go." In that moment, as Captain Fifteen looked up, their eyes met for a second—just that brief moment shook the king's heart, making him feel that this person seemed familiar, and the figure walking away felt so recognizable, as if he had seen him somewhere before... He wanted to call him back, but by the time he regained his composure, the man had already returned to his unit, leaving him with no choice but to give up.
Then Belche examined and questioned all the officers in the hall, and overall, he felt that the king was still satisfied. Belche intended to praise a few words, but at that moment, Commander Bel IV was trying hard to please the king. He said, "This reform of the Royal Guard is due to your wise leadership, Your Majesty, which has achieved the glory of the Royal Guard. We, the Royal Guard, pledge our loyalty to you and are willing to do everything in our power to protect the palace and ensure the prosperity of the kingdom, even at the cost of our lives."
Hearing Bel IV's words made the king feel uncomfortable instead: "Glory? What glorious deeds have we accomplished in the Royal Guard?"
Bel IV was momentarily taken aback: "This..."
The king sighed lightly and continued to ask, "Bel IV, anyone can say flattering words; I hope they come from your heart. If you are dissatisfied with my decision to weaken your military power, you may speak frankly."
Upon hearing this, Bel IV immediately knelt down and bowed his head to the king, saying, "If I have said anything inappropriate just now, I ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness. I would never dare to be dissatisfied with you; please see it clearly, Your Majesty!"
"I suppose you wouldn't dare," the king said while looking at Bel IV's servile demeanor. "You are indeed not suited for this position as Commander. You have so many soldiers and such good modern weapons yet took hours without being able to encircle two intruders; you truly are pathetic. Let your brother, High Advisor Bel I, take this position instead."
Bel I wanted to step forward to speak for his brother but was stopped by a wave of the king's hand. The king continued ordering Bel IV: "Considering how many years you've been with me, I will naturally secure a good future for you. After you hand over your military power to High Advisor Bel I, you can stay by his side as an assistant and learn strategy from your brother."
Bel IV was clearly dissatisfied with this arrangement; however much he pleaded, it was already futile. The king gestured for his guards to "invite" him out of the hall.
This sudden turn of events surprised Bel I. He bowed respectfully to the king and said, "Please reconsider, Your Majesty. Bel IV has devoted himself tirelessly to serve you for so many years; he may not have achievements but certainly has put in hard work. I dare to suggest... I believe Bel IV is indeed the best candidate for Commander."
The king did not listen to Bel I's words at all; he coldly stood up and said, "My decision is final; High Advisor need not say more. I am tired; today's audience ends here." With that, he left for his chambers under the escort of his guards.
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