"Though, that doesn't stop them from trying to eliminate us." Noel shrugged, speaking from experience.
Stella fell silent, understanding Noel's anger. Although the three of them were keeping each other in check, it didn't change the fact that those three would turn a blind eye if one of them targeted someone not important to them.
In this case, if the Royal Family wanted to eliminate Noel, the commander would turn blind eyes to this case since it didn't hurt the Demon Banner Army that much.
But it would be a different case if Noel had become a Vice Captain or even a Captain. The Commander would fight the Royal Family to the death if they dared to eliminate Noel.
This was the reason why Noel planned to hide his identity until he became a Vice Captain, allowing him to change his career from the Vice Captain to a Baron. He would immediately reclaim the empty Ardagan's territory without hesitation and the commander would help him in that matter.
At the same time, Stella didn't know that the commander was working with the Third Prince. The Royal Family should have heard about Noel's graduation, but they hadn't sent anyone to eliminate him. It should be due to the influence of the Third Prince.
As for the Tower Association, he didn't know anyone from that place, so they must remain Neutral, Noel thought.
Noel scratched the back of his head, apologizing. "Sorry. It seems my casual remarks make it awkward. Still, do you mind telling me more about the state of the world? This is the first time I've seen someone so knowledgeable."
"I read books before sleeping." Stella shrugged. "Alright. Let's go back to the previous topic. Where were we earlier…Ah, right. The map!
"The map is where our current situation comes from. You should know the Demon Banner Army has fifteen squads, right?"
"Yes."
"Basically, the fifteen squads are divided into three categories: Sword, Shield, and Hammer. Sword means fighting on the frontline. They're people who fought the most since they're the ones expanding our territory. This year… Should be Captain Shale's time. His Demon Extermination Squad is one of the swords. There are also Demon Hunting Squad and so on.
"If you want to become rich, strong, or influential, you should go to the swords since it'll give you an opportunity to grow as fast as possible.
"As for the second category, the shield… It's basically the ones fortifying what the Swords have done. For example, they create bases and supply routes along with protecting the exhausted soldiers from the swords. The Demon Barrier Squad is among them and they're the ones who will hold next year's training.
"If you want a stable and safer path of advancement, this is a place to go. Though, sometimes, they've to bolster the other squads to make sure the expansion can keep going.
"Last but not least, the hammer. They're basically the ones handling the miscellaneous stuff. We are the Demon Relief Squad, which handles the living area near the border since it'll be affected by the demons. I mean, the kingdom keeps expanding, so it's clear that they'll send people to live near the border. That's where we come in.
"There is also Demon Observation Squad, whose captain is one of the most talented people the Demon Banner Army has received in years, Septa. And a squad like Demon Construction Squad is the one creating a fortified base that can be used as a temporary headquarters for the advance squad.
"Basically, the Sword, Shield, and Hammer cooperate with each other to expand," Stella explained.
"I see." Noel thought for a moment and asked, "Then, I heard there are five elite squads among those fifteen squads…"
"Ah, these five elite squads just mean they're the favorite. They're judged by the strength of their captain, the overall power of the group, their work, and so on.
"The current five elite squads from the first to the fifth are Demon Destroyer Squad, Demon Extermination Squad, Demon Shield Squad, Demon Assassination Squad, and our Demon Relief Squad."
"Huh? Our squad is that strong?" Noel widened his eyes in shock.
"You don't know about it?" Stella thought Noel came here because they were the top in the Hammer Category, but it seemed she was wrong. "Well, the strength of the captain matters a lot to the ranking.
"For example, thirty years ago, no one came close to the Demon Assassination Squad. It's like their golden age because of their Captain. He was known as Shadow. All kinds of enemies whether they were from normal people or even the Supreme Devil Organizations were scared if they knew the Shadow had invited them to the abyss. It was said that if Shadow kept working for at least another decade, he would be able to become the commander.
"But he chose another path and no one ever heard about him anymore. And right now, the Demon Assassination Squad could only reach the 4th spot.
"At the same time, our Captain, Clara, is the best after many generations. He might be a healer, but her spirit is a type of spider. Her threat can reattach the blood vessel and even the limbs. But you don't mess with her… As I said earlier, she is like a spider…
"Last year, Paul teased her too much and she ended up getting angry. She sewed his lips, eyes, and limbs and even attached poison that made his body in pain before hanging him on a wall upside down for a whole day."
"…" Noel blinked his eyes a few times as he couldn't believe it. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. That's why no one wants to provoke her anymore. Even on the battlefield, she once sewed a bird to a ball and compressed it to death."
"…" Noel pointed at himself. "Then, aren't our lives in danger?"
"Hahaha, not really. The punishment is severe and she is a sadist, but as long as you don't provoke her, she will be your best captain and comrade. Just remember not to mention anything about her sadistic nature and age. After all, she is our young and beautiful captain."
Noel sucked a cold breath, remembering why they suggested to call her by using 'captain' instead of other titles.
"I'll remember it."
