NOVPUBWe successfully integrated a relatively disciplined information guild into our ranks.
However, they are still from the slums, and trusting these would-be criminals without caution is challenging.
People’s perspectives and mindsets can change based on their environment. Now that they’re in stable positions as my family’s vassals, some of their criminal tendencies should have lessened.
“But it’s still not enough.”
Ideas, mindsets, and habits, once ingrained, aren’t easily uprooted. There’s a reason people say you can’t “fix” a person.
“So, after setting up the guild, I made sure they each became heads of their own families by arranging marriages for them. I wonder if they’re enjoying their blissful new lives with their wives now.”
It’s not a guarantee, but it’s common for those once living recklessly to change when they have a spouse or a child on the way.
They’ll dye their gold hair back to black, and struggle to get a job, be it in a small business or a trade, with all they’ve got.
I’ve given them food, a modest home, and a reason to stay grounded. Anyone with a glimmer of hope for reform should turn their life around and put in effort.
If they can’t straighten out despite all this, well, then I’ll have to step in and shape them myself.
“Let their morals remain filthy if need be, but loyalty is non-negotiable.”
As I pondered, there was a knock at the door.
"Sir, the man Captain Marina recommended has arrived. Shall I let him in?"
"Yes, send him in."
The office door opened immediately at my signal.
The man who entered wore a lieutenant’s uniform, adorned with every honor available to soldiers and non-commissioned officers.
Unlike most lieutenants, however, he was a grizzled old man with hair and beard entirely white.
"Lieutenant Lupo Giorgio, reporting as recommended by Captain Marina to meet Baron Rothschild."
By Korean military standards, such a thing would be unheard of.
Why would a man well past his fifties be a mere lieutenant? But in the neighboring country’s Self-Defense Forces, for instance, a soldier can rise through the ranks as “Third Warrant Officer,” similar to a lieutenant.
In Toscana’s Imperial Army, an enlisted soldier or a non-commissioned officer can be promoted to “lieutenant” with outstanding merit, thus rising in status.
Only the top 1%, or perhaps the top 0.1%, of non-commissioned officers are as skilled as he is, evidenced by the sheer number of medals on his dress uniform.
“Take a seat.”
Lieutenant Lupo followed my instructions and sat down. His precise movements reflected the discipline typical of a retired soldier.
The last I heard, he had served until recently, and to the slum-dwellers he once handled, he was probably as fearsome as a legendary marine.
“It’s an honor to have someone of your skill guard me.”
"Many men more qualified than myself hope to serve as your guards, so I can only be grateful you chose an old man like me."
I intend to keep the establishment of this intelligence branch a secret, even from the Emperor.
Not even the Visconti Duke nor Erica, my future wife whom I’ve yet to meet, will know about it.
So, I had only asked Captain Marina to introduce a capable guard.
‘I stumbled upon a real gem here.’
And frankly, none of the other candidates’ combat experience could compare with his.
“To be honest, there’s one thing I’ve lied about. Let me start by confessing it.”
A crease appeared on Lupo’s brow.
“A talent of your caliber is too precious to use merely as a guard. I have a confidential mission for you.”
Though it’s classified, it’s actually a task anyone who has overseen higher-ranking non-commissioned officers could handle, provided they maintain “discretion.”
I want him to conduct loyalty training, instilling a deep sense of allegiance to our family.
“What’s the mission, exactly?”
“Our household required an information guild, so I absorbed an entire guild as vassals.”
Lupo’s eyes widened in surprise.
Yes, it was an unconventional, almost insane move on my part.
It’s akin to recruiting high school graduates with bottom-tier grades into a top corporation.
‘Even Kris asked what I could possibly be thinking.’
“Although their actions are vile, they gather information effectively. So, since I needed that, I bought them.”
When Albert tried to swindle me out of 7,000 gold coins, I had the information guild spread false rumors, and cash flowed in immediately.
“But they’re still clinging to their old habits.”
I don’t mind if they indulge in drinks and suffer a hangover now and then after a big celebration.
Though I don’t live that way, I can accept such indulgence.
However, I can’t condone an idle life of merely eating, sleeping, and engaging in nightly activities with their new wives.
They shouldn’t live like that continuously, not if they’re under my command.
“We need to guide them toward a more respectable life and instill unwavering loyalty toward the Rothschild family. And nothing instills loyalty quite like the military, does it?”
Of course, in the empire, non-commissioned officers above the rank of sergeant are highly respected.
The conscripted soldiers, however, aren’t typically filled with fervent loyalty to the empire after training alone.
They often lose what little patriotism they had.
‘It’s unusual for someone to serve three years by force and then be brimming with patriotism.’
“True.”
But my new vassals chose this path voluntarily, seeking a better life.
So, I made sure they enjoyed more stability than they ever had in their lives over the course of a week.
I arranged marriages, provided housing, kept them well-fed, and gave them allowances.
It would be harder to list the things I haven’t given them.
Given that I’ve provided them with these things, loyalty should take root deeply.
I gave hope to people who had been scraping the bottom of the barrel.
“What’s the best way to reform their way of thinking?”
In truth, non-commissioned officers of this era are merely tools for the officers.
So, they haven’t been trained to think proactively...
But a talent in the top 0.1% might be different.
Surely, he didn’t reach his position by sheer effort alone.
“Rigorous physical training in the mornings and afternoons would be effective. And before dinner, they should receive loyalty training directed toward the Rothschild family.”
“Why do you think that approach would work?”
Without hesitation, Lupo answered.
“Intense physical training isn’t solely about enhancing a soldier’s fighting capability. It’s about pushing them beyond their limits to develop resilience. And have these thieves ever strained themselves to the point of bleeding?”
“They’d have had no reason to push themselves that hard.”
“That’s precisely why they need to train beyond their limits, fostering tenacity and transforming their character.”
Athletes are known for their indomitable spirit.
Some figure skaters practice spins so intensely that they twist their organs; basketball players will run even with broken legs during crucial games.
Exercise seems like a fitting method to foster resilience.
“When a person is utterly exhausted, intrusive thoughts fade away. At that point, if we speak of their wretched lives as slum dwellers versus the hopeful future under your grace, it will resonate deeply.”
Conscripts might scoff at this, but if they chose this path willingly and are compensated...
Their loyalty would likely soar.
“Finally, every night, they should write letters to their wives. When times were hard, even I found strength thinking of my wife and children. These men, too, will grow more loyal to you, knowing their families are thriving thanks to you.”
...Is this really a top 0.1% non-commissioned officer?
I should reward Captain Marina handsomely for the recommendation.
I handed Lupo the red, octagonal hat hanging from my coat rack—a hat reminiscent of a Marine drill instructor’s.
“Carry out your plan as you see fit. If you can make men out of those scoundrels, I’ll see to it you’re richly rewarded.”
In a neighborhood on the outskirts of Florence, the cries of former information guild members rang out.
It wasn’t the shrieks of murder, but the sound of growth and training.
