I looked down from the platform.

The soldiers of the Western Army stood with tense faces, their hands clasped behind their backs.

The man wearing the staff armband was sweating profusely.

‘Well, that’s because their superior is bowing his head.’

At the front of the soldiers, the commanding general and the troublemaker were bowing their heads.

I surveyed the soldiers and spoke.

“The lower ranks keep whining in the barracks.”

The troublemaker knight’s back twitched.

“The higher-ups don’t even do their rounds.”

The commanding general and other officers flinched.

“Some lie sprawled out, while others crack dirty jokes whether the superior comes or not.”

Most of the knights looked defeated by my words.

“What do you think, commanding general?”

“I will correct that.”

“Good.”

The soldiers wore dumbfounded expressions.

They seemed to think forgiveness came easier than expected.

Some looked relieved, murmuring, ‘Well, they’re just kids after all.’

So I smiled broadly.

“Let’s lightly attach 3-kilogram sandbags to each arm and leg and run about 20 kilometers.”

“...What?”

The staff officer looked so shocked he widened his eyes and asked again.

‘What’s there to be shocked about?’

My father’s troops carry 45 kilograms of gear in spring and autumn and run two nights and three days straight.

“What are you waiting for? Five minutes, then.”

“...?”

“Run!”

“Run, run!”

The soldiers, completely deflated, started running.

Erilot Astra brought chaos.

The soldiers looked as if they might die, barely moving their legs.

“Huff, huff...!”

“Huff, huff, ugh...”

How long had they been running?

They panted as if their lungs would burst.

Still, ordinary soldiers without blessings fared better.

Without blessings to lean on, their stamina was stronger.

Meaning the blessed officers suffered the most.

Of course, the commanding general, staff officers, and unit leaders were dying too.

The Western Army commanding general gritted his teeth, glaring at the platform.

‘That crazy girl...!’

Marshals were originally honorary positions.

They were like supporters or mascots for the troops.

‘How could a kid lead an army?’

Even if marshal armies were more like training camps for boy soldiers.

The real leadership belonged to the commanding generals.

‘But treating me like this?’

What could they do without my help?

The commanding general’s expression darkened.

The staff officer watching him glanced at the platform and said,

“Your thoughts are showing, sir.”

“Let them show.”

“She’s the Duke of Astra’s most cherished granddaughter.”

“So you’re obeying orders.”

At first, he tried to test the waters.

He even hurried to pretend to treat the marshal properly.

But once given an inch, she tried to take the whole crown.

“What can they do without me?”

“But...”

“Watch. Soon they’ll bow their heads to me.”

“What?”

“The year-end festival challenge is a ghoul extermination. If you can’t lead the soldiers properly, there’s no chance. They’ll definitely need my help.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“Just wait. By tomorrow, they’ll be fawning over me.”

The other officers also wore displeased looks.

The administration chief clicked his tongue openly.

“She’s just a pampered girl grown under the duke’s patronage, so she doesn’t know better.”

In the rough world of men, there are things that family power alone can’t accomplish.

While the Western Army commanding general ground his teeth, the staff officer glanced at the platform again.

“Sir, something must be going on.”

“What?”

The commanding general turned his head toward the platform.

Erilot was speaking to the Western Army’s administrative chief.

Gorgo’s expression was ominous.

‘What’s she saying...?’

Narrowing his brows, Erilot suddenly shouted,

“Do you find my words difficult? Bring me the knights’ personal records and the Western Army’s accounting books!”

What?

The commanding general who heard Erilot stopped abruptly.

As he stopped running at the front, a soldier collided into his back.

“Ugh!”

The soldier went pale, but the commanding general had no time to care.

‘Ac-accounting books?!’

Even the staff and some knights started to halt.

The Western Army didn’t know.

Erilot’s chaos hadn’t even begun yet...

I shook my head.

Most soldiers ran with drained faces.

‘I can tell how much they’ve been loafing.’

They couldn’t even run properly.

‘Only 30 minutes in.’

If my father or Enzo (Daymond’s deputy commander) saw this, they’d foam at the mouth.

And now I’m the one foaming.

Looking over the materials the administrative soldier brought, I burst out,

“One knight with a holy blessing?!”

The administrative soldier looked embarrassed.

“There were seven last year...”

“But they’ve all been taken by other marshal armies, leaving only one.”

“...Yes.”

My blessing wasn’t a support type.

Fake blessing .

Real blessing .

Neither could support soldiers like a holy blessing.

‘Last term’s Western Army marshal wasn’t a support type either...’

But they took all but one away?

Not only that.

They took all the capable soldiers, leaving only thugs.

“These immoral people... Wait, why is the Western Army’s budget balance like this?”

The administrative soldier broke out in cold sweat.

“It’s the year-end, so naturally...”

“No matter the year-end, it can’t be negative. And such an enormous debt at that.”

“Oh, large expenses were invested in this year’s winter training.”

The last marshal resigned in autumn.

He quit suddenly due to illness.

‘So that means there was no marshal in winter.’

“How do you run big training without a marshal?”

“Because there’s no marshal, they try even harder not to lose their grip on discipline...”

“Trying so hard that they’re whining in the training ground?”

The administrative soldier looked helpless.

Then a man stepped forward.

“I’m Gorgo, responsible for the Western Army’s administration. May I speak?”

“Go ahead.”

“Though the commanding general and unit leaders tried hard, the marshal’s vacancy can’t be filled by effort alone—”

He spoke sluggishly.

‘Look at this.’

Gorgo always sounded like that when asked to bring materials.

“We weren’t prepared because we didn’t expect the marshal’s visit.”

“It’s fine, bring whatever you have.”

“If you give me time, I’ll prepare it so the marshal can understand the data easily—”

“Should I go personally to the administrative office to check the documents?”

“Oh dear... Well, since you insist, I have no choice.”

He kept chuckling even while bringing the documents.

In the family, these matters were handled by clerks.

The master received neatly organized papers.

‘They think a ten-year-old can’t understand.’

That’s why they were so brazen.

“Sure, they must have tried.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Bring all the accounting data.”

“...What?”

“Don’t miss a single receipt for soldiers’ underwear, everything.”

Though it might sound ridiculous, I had lived through all sorts of hardship in my past life.

I was so disregarded that I even did the clerks’ work.

‘I’m a pro at administration.’

Gorgo smiled awkwardly.

“There’s so much data...”

“Doesn’t matter, bring it all.”

“If you give me time—”

“Fine, I’ll come myself.”

“W-Western Marshal!”

I stood abruptly.

‘I’m dead.’

— I thought.

I started walking briskly, with Gorgo sweating nervously, chasing after me.

“Marshal, this is so sudden we’re not prepared at all...!”

“I was appointed marshal some time ago. If you’re still not ready, that’s neglect of duty.”

When I gave him a cold look, Gorgo turned pale.

He looked helpless and glanced down from the platform.

He seemed to be watching the commanding general’s mood.

Regardless, I got off the platform and headed straight to the administrative office.

Until sunset, I checked receipts one by one, matching them with the accounts.

The result was obvious.

‘A waterfall of embezzlement.’

I muttered holding the ledgers and receipts.

“Someone—”

“Yes, Marshal!”

“Speak.”

The line of officers, the administrative manager Gorgo, staff, and commanding general flinched and answered.

“Someone has no conscience at all.”

“...”

“...”

“If you’re going to embezzle, you should at least prepare records. Right?”

“...”

“...”

“Even if the amounts don’t match, they should have actually bought something.”

At my words, the commanding general swallowed dryly.

“Oh, that’s a misunderstanding, Marshal. The data is so vast that the administration doesn’t keep all of it...”

“Not keep?”

“Well, so, we’ll find the data, so please give us time...”

“Does the Western Army run on a different schedule than others?”

“Excuse me?”

“Other armies have their data organized, but the Western Army needs more time.”

“So...”

“Both the commanding general and the administrative manager keep saying they need more time.”

The commanding general opened his mouth but had no words.

Then Gorgo, the administrative manager, stepped forward.

“That’s because there’s no marshal...”

“No marshal means they’re all greedy to embezzle!”

I clapped my hands cheerfully.

The commanding general shouted.

“Th-That can’t be! How dare you misunderstand so terribly, Marshal!”

“Then where is the equipment?”

“...What?”

“This says it was replaced~. 3 million gold spent replacing it.”

“Well, many weapons get damaged during training...”

“Bring the blacksmith who made the deals.”

I smiled slyly and continued.

“Buying that kind of equipment is disrespecting the Western Army. I’ll kill whoever did that.”

“W-Western Marshal!”

“Bring them now while I’m in a good mood.”

My voice suddenly changed, and the commanding general flinched back.

But he kept babbling.

“When managing an army, you have to be flexible...”

Even # Nоvеlight # with evidence before their eyes, they still denied it.

I understood why.

‘The army’s already a mess. What could you do without the commanding general? They’ll just scold me and stop.’

I raised an eyebrow.

And spoke very kindly.

“Before I officially raise the issue, all of you resign.”

“What?!”

Everyone looked extremely shocked.

“W-Western Marshal!”

“Wh-What are you saying...!”

Even sluggish Gorgo was at a loss for words.

She’s a young girl, so she doesn’t know better. I understand. But...!

But I just smiled sweetly.

Then the commanding general’s face gradually stiffened.

“I have served in the Western Army for seven years.”

“So?”

“This place is full of rough men. How do you expect a young and naive marshal to manage soldiers without us?”

Han Ji-hyuk’s expression twisted beside me.

‘That’s almost a threat.’

What that meant was,

[I understand you’re angry.

Management has been neglectful.

But what will you do without us?

The Western Army will become a mess.]

—That was the exact meaning.

“I admit the management was lacking. But please understand that the marshal had no time to prepare.”

His words sounded reasonable, but his expression was arrogant.

Not only the commanding general but also the administrative manager Gorgo and some unit leaders.

‘If I let this slide because it’s partly my fault, I’ll apologize?’

They were all much older men than me.

The commanding general and some unit leaders were adults.

‘They must think I’ll back down...’

I softly curved my lips.

“Do you want to quietly take off your armbands and leave, or do you want to go through the first, second, and third military trials, lose an arm each time, and then be dishonorably discharged?”

I planned to completely overturn the Western Army.

To bring in new knights, I had to clear space.

‘If trash occupies the positions, there will be no openings.’

After seeing my attitude, the officers finally realized how serious the situation was.

“M-My lady!”

“My lady? Do I really look like a lady to you?”

“W-Western Marshal!”

The commanding general and knights were thoroughly frightened.

Despite clashing like this,

‘Finally, they’re starting to understand.’

I walked lightly into the room and sat down in a chair.

“Now, you only have one option left. Listen carefully.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Yes!”

Their faces were drawn tight.

I extended one finger.

“First, spit out all the stolen money.”

“...Yes.”

The knights looked gloomy.

I raised another finger and continued.

“Second, use all your personal connections, families, and information to bring capable knights into the Western Army.”

“What?! Th-that’s...!”

“Bring them.”

“...Yes.”

Some even began to choke up.

Finally, I raised the third finger.

“Third, one of you will take responsibility for this embezzlement scandal. You, commanding general. You’re the highest-ranking, so you take responsibility and leave.”