“I’m a bit doubtful whether it was really the right choice to make that woman our subordinate,” said Min-jae hyung with a small sigh.  

Hmm.  

Honestly, I had anticipated this kind of reaction.  

There was a similar situation when we used a monster that eats humans to make our cuisine.  

Now that we’re actually using a monster that had eaten humans, it’s not surprising that there’s some backlash.  

But I thought Min-jae hyung was more pragmatic than this.  

I didn’t expect this kind of reaction from him.  

It caught me off guard a bit.  

“After the battle with the vampires, we suffered our first casualty after we came down from the mountains,” he said.  

“Hmm.”  

“Many in our unit were deeply saddened then. The funeral was held immediately… If I’m not mistaken, you were the one who grieved the most at that time.”  

Min-jae hyung’s gaze on me was quite sharp.  

It was a rather unfamiliar feeling.  

“The one responsible for that funeral was precisely this monster. Surely you haven’t forgotten that fact?”  

Min-jae hyung was one of the few who had staunchly supported me from the beginning.  

This sense of wariness from him was something I was experiencing for the first time.  

‘I should have anticipated that Min-jae hyung could react this way. I made a mistake.’  

Among the officers in our unit, Min-jae hyung and Su-hyeok were known to prioritize pragmatism the most.  

But unlike the extreme pragmatism of Su-hyeok, Min-jae hyung was a bit different.  

‘He pursues gains but is also soft-hearted.’  

When faced with the choice between ruthless decisions for profit and humane decisions that incur losses, Min-jae hyung would secretly hope that I choose the latter, even as he advises me to take the former.  

He was the second to awaken in our unit.  

He’s a smart guy and has a certain charisma.  

He could have easily taken on the role of the unit’s commander.  

‘And yet, it was this man who actively made me the commander, without even asking for my consent.’  

Come to think of it, that decision was likely a reflection of his contradictory nature.  

Pursuing pragmatism in his head, while longing for human connection in his heart.  

Struggling between the two must have been quite a headache.  

That’s why he entrusted the decision-making to someone he trusted, so he could coldly propose the pragmatic option while avoiding the agonizing choice himself.  

‘This backlash is likely similar in nature.’  

The monster that killed our comrades.  

Just because it’s useful, is it really right to have it as our subordinate?  

Normally, he would have advised me to pursue the pragmatic course.  

But now that he had seen me bringing in the vampires as our subordinates.  

So, he was against it.  

I wouldn’t call it cowardly, though.  

Many people must be living with such dilemmas.  

Unless there’s some other reason…  

If the sole reason is that “it’s the monster that killed our comrades,” then my answer is simple:  

“The dead are dead. The living must strive to survive. Unless it’s for the sake of the living, I can’t afford to be concerned about the dead.”  

“Are you… truly saying that?”  

“That vampire will be of great help to our survival. We’ve already experienced it firsthand, haven’t we?”  

Most of the unit members still don’t know that the “Vampire Queen” has become my vassal.  

Only a few, including Min-jae hyung, are aware of this fact.  

But Min-jae hyung knows how helpful she and her servants were in the last battle.  

“Abandon such a powerful asset just because it killed our comrades? That’s a suggestion that doesn’t consider the survival of the other members.”  

Min-jae hyung seems to have noticed his own excitement.  

He took a moment to wipe his face before continuing.  

“The soldiers can’t possibly trust and entrust their backs to those monsters. It might even become a seed of division within the unit. Maintaining the unit’s unity has always been your priority, Young-joon.”  

“Hyung. The essence of that creature is irrelevant.”  

What matters is only one thing:  

“Absolute obedience to my command.”  

After a brief argument, Min-jae hyung sighed and uncrossed his arms.  

“Honestly, the other reasons aren’t that important to me either.”  

“Then?”  

“What I’m afraid of is… you are brushing aside and forgetting the deaths of our comrades.”  

I was about to say something, but he cut me off.  

“If you’re going to easily forgive and overlook the deeds of those monsters, just because they’re a little useful…”  

“Forgive? What nonsense.”  

Forgiveness, really?  

“Ariella.”  

I called her name again.  

“Yes, master.”  

She who had disappeared with a man for a long time soon revealed herself again.  

“As you had commanded, that trash has been recycled as my servant. If there is anything else, you would like me to do-.”  

“Lie down and do pushups.”  

“Ye- Yes?”  

The woman was momentarily flustered.  

She must have wondered if she had heard correctly.  

From her perspective she had successfully completed the task, and this was something that I said to her completely out of the blue.   

But.  

It is not my problem to worry about.  

“I said lie down and do pushups.”  

“Yes!”  

Realizing she had not misheard; she immediately placed her hands on the ground and lay down.  

“You, Young-joon. What are you trying to…”  

“50 pushups. Start.”  

Leaving the bewildered Min-jae hyung behind in this sudden situation,  

I gave her additional orders.  

“Roll to the right.”  

“Roll to the left.”  

“Forward into a prone position.”  

“Backward into a prone position.”  

A set of military-style disciplinary exercises.  

I ended up making her do things that I had never even asked my subordinates do.  

After the disciplinary session was over,  

“Good work.”  

“Huff…huff… Yes, thank you. But, beloved master…? May I ask one question?”  

“Go ahead.”  

“What is the meaning of this unproductive act just now?”  

I told her to do it, so she did.  

But she seemed bewildered, not understanding the situation at all.  

I suppose I could give her an answer.  

The meaning of the disciplinary exercise?