Chapter 21
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: After-Action Review (5)
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"No."
"Right, I figured you'd say that... Wait? What did you just say?"
I answered her with a resolute voice as she replied in a bewildered tone.
"It is a true honor and I am deeply grateful that you think highly of me, but I must decline your offer, Colonel."
Soni Chepelin, who seemed to have never even considered the possibility of being refused, made an expression like a heartbroken person and staggered back.
"Ah, no... Why? Is it because the rank of brigade commander isn't to your liking? This is just the beginning, so it's a brigade for now, but once I get promoted, it'll definitely go up to a division!"
"That's not it."
I looked back at my platoon members again. Just look at their expressions. Their eyes are wide open, looking as if they've seen a ghost.
It wasn't just my 5th Platoon. The entire 2nd Company—no, the entire battalion—was making faces of utter shock.
"I have platoon members I am currently in charge of. As I have promised to be with them, it is a duty I must uphold as an honorable officer of Ukran."
This was also a matter of my own stubbornness.
To be honest, not a single one of my platoon members is in great shape, but even so, I have a plan for how to lead them for the remaining year.
It doesn't suit my temperament at all to run away without even getting that plan started.
"And above all, I need more experience. The Special Response Brigade, with you as its commander, must surely be a unit filled with elites. I am not yet a container big enough to hold that unit."
Seeing Soni Chepelin's personality, it seemed she was thoroughly hooked on the fact that I had accurately pointed out the mastermind behind this incident.
But that's only because I know about the future that will unfold five years from now, right?
I still don't know how to handle mana efficiently, and my actual command experience is sorely lacking. I need that experience far more.
"And it has been less than a month since I was assigned here. It doesn't feel right to abandon the battalion commander and the other senior officers and leave."
I laid out every reason, point by point. She listened to all of my words and simply clicked her tongue.
It was a three-hit combo aimed right at the vitals. No matter if she's a brigade commander, a colonel, or a grand archmage, there's nothing she can do against the sharp truth of a born spicy Korean.
"...Haa, to think you'd say it like that."
"I apologize."
"Damn it. The more you play hard to get, the more I like it."
Soni Chepelin tapped her military boots and said to Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart.
"You've got a great subordinate officer, Battalion Commander? A newly commissioned lieutenant just transferred in, and he talks like this. How on earth did you cook him?"
"'Cook' him? Brigade Commander. Isn't this proof of how outstanding Lieutenant Enok Levandel's character is? Hahaha!"
Twitch.
Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart's beard twitched.
From what I've seen of the battalion commander's patterns, that's his reaction when he's in an extremely good mood but can't show it openly.
"Platoon Leader."
"Yes, Lieutenant Enok Levandel!"
"Still, think about it. Our Special Response Brigade always welcomes capable officers like you."
"I will give it serious consideration."
And besides, the one who's at a loss isn't me, it's Soni Chepelin.
I'm just a new lieutenant.
Since I've also regained some of the battalion commander's trust thanks to the Belgorod Fortress attack incident, there's even less reason for me to leave the battalion.
And accepting Soni's offer right now might become a huge mistake in the grand scheme of things.
My goal isn't to get a good position and get promoted while farting around under a grand archmage brigade commander.
Of course, promotion is important, but to prepare for the horrific war in five years, I need to interact with more people.
If I get stuck in the Special Response Brigade, I might miss those precious opportunities.
To win in Hearts of General, a one-man show is impossible.
This is a world where the more comrades, subordinates, and superiors who trust and follow me, the higher my chances of winning.
That's not just empty talk; that's what real war, strategy, and actual combat are.
For now, it was enough to engrave my name in Soni Chepelin's mind.
"Then I understand your intentions. I will withdraw the order from the personnel command."
"Thank you, Colonel Soni Chepelin."
"If you ever change your mind, come find me. I'll be waiting."
The woman who had barged in so forcefully, just as before, left behind only a few words and turned to disappear.
Truly a grand archmage.
It was an arrogance born from the confidence that she has nothing to be ashamed of, so she can do whatever she wants.
Honestly, if you're ranked about 12th on the continent, you have every right to be arrogant.
After all, it means you're the acknowledged strongest, by yourself and others.
She's the kind of person who could single-handedly wipe out an entire legion. It was only natural for her to have a personality that didn't care about the consequences.
'As far as I know, she's the youngest among the grand archmages...'
Well, that's all in the past now.
If I continue to prove myself in this godforsaken Ukran military, as Soni Chepelin said.
Whenever I join the Special Response Brigade in the future, she won't dwell on what happened today. This is also a way for me to increase my own value.
"Ahem, ahem! Right, there was a bit of a commotion. Now, I will deliver the final order for this operation to all of you."
After confirming that Soni Chepelin had completely left the hall, Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart cleared his throat and sorted out the situation once more.
"3rd Battalion, withdraw!"
All operations for the Belgorod Fortress attack incident were officially concluded.
"Haa."
The moment I entered my room, I threw myself onto the hard bed.
It's only been a short time since I possessed this body, but it's strange how I suddenly feel like I'm back home.
Of course, the walls of the room I had completely demolished were still in a ruined state.
They had made a makeshift partition by patching up planks, but wind still seeped in through the holes scattered everywhere.
The facilities management unit was currently deployed with the division's engineering corps for the Belgorod repair work, so I'd have to live like this for a while.
Ventilation must be great, damn it.
Still, being worn out in the field for several days made the fatigue wash over me in waves. The best cure for insomnia is indeed to exhaust your body.
If you push yourself to your limits, your brain shuts down first.
Even the bed that was normally hard and uncomfortable felt much more stable and comfortable than the temporary field bed I had set up in the tent.
Lying under the blanket, drowsiness began to set in.
I needed to change my clothes, but all the strength had drained from my body, so I couldn't even do that.
'They said the entire unit has the day off from today until tomorrow, so I should get a good rest now.'
As my eyelids closed under the encroaching sleep and my consciousness slowly faded away...
"Platoon Leader... Are you there?"
A faint voice from beyond the door awakened my consciousness. My eyes snapped open, and my drowsiness scattered like dust in the wind.
A soft, hesitant voice.
It was Sergeant Lumia Blue.
It was already too late to fall asleep now.
I let out a deep sigh, got up from my spot, and opened the closed door.
"Ah."
"Come in."
Lumia was in uniform.
Unlike me, who only had relatively light injuries, Lumia was seriously wounded with a gunshot, so she should have been evacuated first... but she hasn't changed her clothes yet?
"What brings you here? Your injuries haven't even healed yet; you should be resting."
Even though my precious sleep time had been interrupted, I spoke in a gentle voice.
I had a vague idea of why she was visiting me at this hour.
She must have come to apologize to me.
And my prediction was spot on.
"I'm so sorry, Platoon Leader. I... I don't know what to say."
Lumia said, trembling. Her voice was a little shaky; she was apologizing with genuine sincerity.
Panicking in an urgent situation and abandoning the front line, causing great damage, on top of being subdued by a group of unidentified mages she happened to encounter...
It was a mistake no less than the worst a soldier could make.
Not just desertion, but defeat at the hands of the enemy. How humiliating is that?
Lumia was not someone who lacked ambition in the military. Rather, she was a person who took pride in serving her country.
That had nothing to do with the trauma she carried.
But ever since she heard that I, her platoon leader, had saved her and even covered up her mistake by 'lying'...
Lumia must have been consumed by guilt and self-loathing.
Knowing full well what she had done, she likely lacked the courage to face me, the victim.
"Lumia."
When I called her name, Lumia hung her head low.
"That wasn't what I intended. Without realizing it, even though I knew I shouldn't have..."
It was pitiful.
The sight of her, hunched over and crushed by guilt, looked just like my past self.
"It's okay, Lumia. You did your best. I know that."
"Yes...?"
"This is also my responsibility. I knew you had a tendency to avoid close-quarters combat, but I didn't pay enough attention to it."
At my words, Lumia's expression wavered. As her emotions churned, her eyes quickly grew moist.
Her face looked like it would burst into tears at the slightest touch.
"Besides, you played a very important role. If you hadn't encountered those mages, the background of this fortress attack incident would have been buried completely."
In fact, Lumia hadn't just run away. She discovered the unidentified mages and immediately engaged them in combat.
Thanks to that, I was able to witness them.
I was able to provide an important clue to the military police, who were investigating the mastermind, and to Soni Chepelin.
Even if it was just luck, results-wise, it's all thanks to Lumia.
"That's... not true."
"Didn't you hold your own against five of them, even while in a panic? The gunshot wound on your shoulder is proof of how fiercely you fought—a medal of honor."
Perhaps these people could have been saved much sooner.
Not just Lumia, but Claude, and even Roxana, whom I haven't even met yet.
The only reason they were pushed to their limits like this is probably because no one paid any attention to their stories.
"You've been through a lot, Lumia."
As I said that, I hugged Lumia tightly and patted her back, which had been hunched over.
Yes, she's still young.
Even though she wears the sergeant rank insignia and is dressed in a proper uniform.
Lumia is still too young to be called a real soldier, and the burden on her shoulders was too heavy for her to bear.
It was a miracle that she had held out this long.
"You don't need to say anything else. Sometimes, showing weakness is part of being human. Soldiers are people too, so it's a natural thing."
The Hopeless Platoon.
It's only been a month since we started, but I feel like I can understand a little of the emotions each platoon member holds.
In the end, both hopeless and aces are made.
If someone guides them properly, they can cast off the label of being useless at any time.
I was like that, and just as I have done for them...
They can surely do it too.
"For the remaining year, just trust me and follow me. I will definitely help you. I promise."
"Platoon Leader..."
At my words, a tear fell from her eye.
Time seemed to stop inside the tiny room. Just like that, Lumia continued to cry quietly, buried in my embrace.