Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: A Private's Life
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Just as he’d said, Carlyle was indeed in a difficult situation.
Until he passed the [Noble Proof], Carlyle would be stuck rolling in the dirt as a lowly private under Helen's command.
What if Helen decided to send him straight into a deathtrap?
What if he ended up surrounded by barbarian warriors?
‘My head would become a soccer ball for those barbarian bastards.’
Carlyle scowled, imagining a barbarian warrior kicking his head around like a ball.
‘That’s not a great look.’
If he was going to die, he wanted to at least leave a whole corpse behind this time.
In his previous death, he’d been crushed by a massive, multi-ton dump truck, so recovering his body would have been next to impossible.
‘No. What does a corpse matter when I’m dead? It’s not my original body, anyway.’
As he was lost in thought, Helen’s voice cut through.
“What did you just say?”
“Huh?”
“Did you not hear me?”
Helen glared at Carlyle with icy eyes.
“Say what you just said again.”
“I’m screw— Ah.”
Whoops.
Carlyle’s expression turned to one of regret.
He realized he had let something slip while his mind was wandering.
He’d played the part of a scoundrel for so long that the habit of speaking his mind bluntly seemed to have stuck.
‘I need to get my head on straight.’
For the time being, at least until he passed the [Noble Proof], lying low was his best bet.
Carlyle wasn’t foolish enough to antagonize the person holding his life in their hands.
Especially when there was a grudge between them.
‘Why do I have to pay for the karma that bastard Carlyle built up? Hah.’
It was unfair, but there was nothing he could do.
Having possessed another’s body, bearing his karma was an unavoidable fate.
“Private Carlyle van Sigmund.”
“Yes, Sir Helen.”
“Get down.”
“Get down.”
Carlyle dropped to the ground like lightning.
“...!”
Helen was taken aback by Carlyle’s swift reaction.
‘This easily?’
She never imagined the world’s worst scoundrel, the man who had once slapped her, the second son of the Sigmund family, would immediately echo her command and drop to the ground.
The others watching were just as stunned.
‘That… that lunatic is actually obeying orders?’
‘Am I seeing things?’
Carlyle’s reputation was so infamous that the onlookers couldn’t have imagined such a scene even in their wildest dreams.
But only for a moment.
Helen spoke in an icy voice.
“You dare curse in front of your commanding officer, despite being a mere private.”
“I apologize.”
“Does your noble blood give you that right?”
“No, sir.”
“This is the first and last time I will let it slide. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Get up.”
“Get up.”
As Carlyle echoed the command and rose, Helen warned him in a cold voice.
“Watch yourself from now on. If this happens again, you will face the appropriate punishment according to military law.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Follow me.”
“Yes, Sir Helen.”
Carlyle followed Helen into the fortress without a word of complaint.
‘Does even a scoundrel like him become obedient on the battlefield?’
‘This is unbelievable.’
‘What’s he scheming?’
The onlookers were confused and unsettled by Carlyle’s compliant attitude.
To a third party, Carlyle was like a ticking time bomb, and it would have been more reassuring if he had just thrown a tantrum.
“We’re heading back.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as they handed Carlyle over, the escort party fled Bowden Fortress as if escaping.
Like people running away after passing off a bomb.
* * *
As Carlyle followed in silence, Helen spoke without turning around.
“Effective immediately, you will serve in the reconnaissance team with the rank of private.”
Carlyle frowned slightly.
He’d expected to be an engineer at best, digging for mana stones, but the reconnaissance team?
‘She’s planning to run me ragged.’
Knowing better than anyone how grueling the reconnaissance team was, he could only see it that way.
“Why the silence? Surely a direct descendant of the Sigmund family isn’t afraid to join the reconnaissance team?”
“It’s a… No, sir.”
Carlyle had almost unconsciously replied, ‘I can’t stand troublesome things.’
This must be why they say habits are a scary thing.
“I trust I don’t need to tell you that someone from the Sigmund family cannot command soldiers right away.”
“Yes, Sir Helen.”
Ding!
A quest window appeared.
[Noble Proof]
Survive three battles and be recognized by your comrades as worthy of being a commander.
Type: General
Progress: 0% (0/10)
Reward: Promotion (Private → Second Lieutenant)
Note: If you do not receive a unanimous vote, you must restart the quest from the beginning.
‘Always with the damn duty, duty.’
Carlyle secretly disliked the Sigmund family’s traditions.
‘What’s so wrong with enjoying pleasure without responsibility?’
Helen’s voice cut into Carlyle’s thoughts.
“I will emphasize this again: from this moment on, all your actions will be strictly governed by military law. So act according to your rank and faithfully carry out your assigned duties.”
“Yes, Sir Helen.”
“And you would do well to be especially careful with your conduct. If you even think of harassing someone, be prepared to bet your life on it. I will see to your summary execution myself.”
“...”
“Why the silence?”
“...I will keep that in mind.”
Carlyle felt deeply wronged, but he didn’t act foolishly.
“Reconnaissance team, fall in.”
“Fall in.”
Helen arrived at the barracks where the reconnaissance soldiers were quartered and summoned the unit members.
“I’m introducing a new recruit. His name is Carlyle van Sigmund. Rank, private. He’ll be serving with the reconnaissance team starting today.”
“...”
The faces of the reconnaissance soldiers crumpled.
‘Why us, of all people!’
‘Fuck!’
No one dared to speak due to the strict military discipline, but their expressions made it painfully obvious what they were thinking.
“I will not tolerate any special treatment based on his status. Ensure he is treated according to his rank, and nothing more. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
Helen turned to Begman.
“You’re the senior man, so see to the new recruit.”
“Yes, sir.”
Begman’s face was full of displeasure, but he didn’t argue with Helen’s order.
“Follow me.”
Begman led Carlyle inside the barracks and pointed to a worn-out field cot in the corner.
“This is your spot from now on. Unpack your things and change into your uniform.”
Carlyle followed Begman’s instructions without a word.
‘Comfortable.’
Carlyle found the old, worn-out military uniform more to his liking than the Sigmund family’s formal attire.
It was frayed and worn in places, but since someone had already broken it in, the fabric wasn't stiff, making it comfortable to wear.
Besides, Carlyle had always hated the constricting feeling of formal uniforms...
Of course, it lacked style, but Carlyle couldn’t care less about clothes.
It wasn’t so much that Carlyle wore the clothes, but that the clothes wore Carlyle.
“Ahem.”
An uncomfortable cough escaped Begman’s lips.
‘So the rumors about him being the most handsome man in the North weren’t an exaggeration.’
Usually, a new recruit fresh in his uniform looks awkward and clumsy, but not Carlyle.
Being so handsome, he managed to pull off even the shabby old uniform, and far from looking clumsy, he actually exuded a certain style.
“You’re more obedient than I expected. Good, you’d better stay that way. We don’t give a damn about your status. If you step out of line, I’ll be sure to give you a warm welcome. Hehehe.”
With that warning, Begman left the barracks with a gait that seemed to say, ‘Just you wait.’
Left alone, Carlyle was able to lie down on the field cot and rest for a bit.
Compared to the plush yet firm bed at his family home, this was pathetic—no better than the bare ground—but he didn’t complain.
Seeking comfort here in Kuberin was a fool's errand.
‘It would be better to just get into a battle quickly.’
Carlyle wanted to pass the [Noble Proof] as soon as possible.
Only then could he shed the label of a private and live a little more comfortably as an officer.
‘Can I kill someone?’
A sudden worry crept into his mind.
Previously, like any ordinary person, he had lived a life far removed from war...
‘I guess I’ll find out when the time comes. How I’ll react.’
Carlyle was suddenly curious about how he would be when he faced an enemy.
The moment he would be entangled with the enemy, killing and being killed.
* * *
Stationed at Bowden Fortress, Carlyle was given a few days to acclimate.
The reconnaissance soldiers treated Carlyle with indifference, keeping their distance.
It was close to outright ignoring him.
Even though he was a private, he was still a member of the Sigmund family, and no one was brave enough to mess with the son of Grand Duke Guntram, the Lord of Decaron.
They didn’t want to get tangled up with him, fearing what kind of retaliation they might face later.
Thanks to this, Carlyle was able to live quietly without getting caught up in any trouble, allowing him to focus on adjusting to the unit.
The one who helped him during this time was Russell, a man nicknamed [Piss Stench].
This was because Begman had ordered him, as Carlyle’s senior, to look after him.
Russell was a private first class, one rank above Carlyle, but he didn’t look tough enough to be in the reconnaissance team.
But Carlyle didn’t look down on Russell.
To be part of the reconnaissance team, considered the elite of the elite, he had to be good at something.
Carlyle didn’t ask why Russell was called [Piss Stench].
It didn’t seem like a complimentary nickname.
“Uh. Um. Well, you see.”
“You can speak casually.”
Carlyle said to the hesitating Russell.
“C-Can I really?”
“For now, at least, you can.”
“But still...”
“I’m just a private right now.”
“Then I’ll really speak casually?”
“Yes.”
“O-Okay.”
After dropping the formalities with Carlyle, Russell began to tell him about life at Bowden Fortress.
“Being in the reconnaissance team isn’t actually that hard. We just secure the area beforehand so the engineers can mine mana stones safely, and then we stand guard.”
“Oh?”
“Of course, we go out on patrol a lot, so there is danger.”
“Do you run into barbarians sometimes?”
“Sure~ We run into them sometimes~”
Russell answered.
“...If our luck is shit.”
“...”
Seeing Russell’s expression turn serious, Carlyle could guess what an encounter with barbarians truly meant.
“We run into them about once every ten patrols, but don’t worry too much. The barbarians have been pretty quiet lately.”
“Hm. I see.”
Carlyle replied nonchalantly.
If encounters with barbarians were rare, it meant he’d have no chance to pass the Noble Proof.
‘Then again, it’s not like it’s a good thing for a battle to break out.’
Carlyle decided to just go with the flow.
Wishing for a battle just so he could pass the Noble Proof was absurd.
Why?
Because battle meant someone would die.
Whether they were friend or foe.
“You’ll probably go out on a basic patrol tomorrow. You need to learn the routes to serve as a member of the reconnaissance team.”
Russell was right.
The next morning.
Carlyle left Bowden Fortress with a few other soldiers.
Just as Russell had said, it was to learn the basic patrol routes.
Just before they left.
“Hey, you.”
Wilson, [The Barber], approached Carlyle and growled.