Chapter 22
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Going Out (1)
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The day broke.
Lumia, who had poured out all the tears she had been holding back, had returned before lights-out, but I, still suffering from insomnia, barely managed to fall asleep around 4 AM.
“Taa~taataataa~ taataataataataataataa~!”
And the wake-up bugle rang out unfailingly at 7 AM.
I had no choice but to stagger out of the barracks, half-turned into a zombie.
“Whew... ahhh...”
“Good morning, Platoon Leader.”
“Good morning, Sergeant Bell.”
As I headed for the wide training ground, Bell Mayer, who had already finished her preparations and was waiting outside, greeted me warmly.
"You look especially tired today."
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. And is Sergeant Claude on leave again today?"
"Of course. He's sprawled out, snoring away."
In fact, Sergeant Claude was pretty much half-given-up. There was nothing I could do about a man who had been abandoned by both the battalion commander and the company commander.
Plus, in the last battle, I got a glimpse of Sergeant Claude's strength, even if it was just a fraction of it.
It wasn't for nothing that his combat power stat was at 90. Speed, attack sense, strength, magic. He was superior in every way.
Meaning...
He'd do just fine on his own even if I left him alone.
“By the way, where's Lumia?”
“She'll be out soon. But what on earth did you talk about yesterday? She came in completely bawling her eyes out.”
“Uh... well...”
I couldn't answer. It was a bit... embarrassing to say it out loud again.
“I just comforted her a bit.”
“You're not hitting on her, are you?”
“No, what kind of thing is that to say? That's absolutely not the case.”
“Hehehe.”
Bell Mayer let out a playful laugh. The slight upturn of her eyes was bewitching. If anyone was being charmed, it seemed to be her, not me.
“Sorry, Platoon Leader. I'm late getting up.”
As we were chattering away, Lumia joined us right on time. Drops of water were beaded up on her still-damp hair.
“Sergeant Lumia? Your face is swollen?”
“...It's not swollen.”
Just as expected, as soon as Lumia arrived, Bell Mayer teased her with uncanny precision, and Lumia turned her head away, trying to deny it.
Of course, from my perspective, her face was indeed swollen.
‘Thank goodness the two of them are on good terms. If their relationship had completely fallen apart, it really would have been hopeless.’
I reported the assembled personnel to the company commander, struck by this renewed thought.
“Total of five, two on leave, one of the leavees is at the infirmary, one is on standby.”
“...Haa, understood. Stand by for a moment.”
Captain Arendt sighed deeply after hearing my report.
It was a hundred percent because of Sergeant Claude.
He was still a stickler for the rules and strongly disliked Sergeant Claude, but at the same time, he deeply understood just how far the former war hero had fallen.
He had said he grew up listening to Sergeant Claude's heroic tales.
For him to meet the hero he once admired as a completely useless member of his unit... it was a truly tragic fate for the two of them.
“2nd Company personnel accounted for.”
“Good. Did everyone sleep well?”
Major Rockheart, standing on the podium, spoke.
Usually, as a battalion commander who lived in a villa outside the base, he rarely attended roll call, but it seemed he had made a special appearance today as it was a holiday.
“Today is a day off after the operation, so everyone can get some proper rest! Rest is always important, after all.”
“Yes, understood-!!”
“That is all, dismissed!”
Since we were a Magic Battalion, unlike other branches that had to inspect weapons and equipment before a sortie, the mages, whose very bodies were weapons, needed to rest.
Strictly speaking, this could be considered a form of 'maintenance' as well.
But a day off doesn't mean you can just play around all day. I was thinking of heading into the city today.
Since it was a day off, light outings were freely permitted.
After roll call, the gathered people dispersed in all directions, and Bell and Lumia came over to me and asked.
“What are your plans for today, Platoon Leader?”
“Ah, I...”
Wait a minute.
Wasn't this my first time leaving the base?
I'd been in this unit ever since I first woke up in this world.
Then I'd probably need a guide.
“I'm thinking of going into the city. The 3rd Platoon Leader said last time that it's a pretty nice city to walk around.”
“Oh, are you going to Cherno?”
“Yes, that's right.”
Cherno City.
One of the few trade cities in northeastern Ukran and the city located closest to the border geographically.
If the border fortress were to fall like last time, or if a large-scale full-scale war were to break out, it was also a fortress city that served as the first line of defense for the Ukran Duchy army.
“But I don't know the geography around here very well, so would you mind accompanying me?”
“I'd love to!! It's so boring being stuck in the base all the time.”
Bell Mayer replied with a bright smile. She was already excited.
In contrast, Lumia seemed to be hesitating slightly.
“What about you, Sergeant Lumia?”
“Ah... I...”
She seemed a bit fidgety. What was it? Today, her condition didn't seem to be up to her usual standard.
“I'll just rest today.”
“Understood. Come to think of it, you still need to stabilize.”
She had finished her treatment safely, and her wounds had completely healed thanks to recovery magic, but the aftereffects of being shot would still remain.
“I'm sorry, I forgot about that for a moment.”
“Ah! No! It's nothing! There's no need for you to apolo... uh... um... I, well then, I'll be off!”
She couldn't bring herself to meet my eyes, and hurriedly turned and disappeared. Was she still thinking about what happened last night?
She didn't need to feel sorry just for showing a weak side.
But that was ultimately her own burden.
I just needed to help her as her platoon leader.
“Then, Sergeant Bell, let's start getting ready to go out. I'll be waiting here at 8.”
“Yes, got it~!”
Bell replied in a soft voice and then scurried off after Lumia.
Well, Sergeant Claude wasn't the type to complain about why I didn't ask him.
No need to specifically invite him.
He'd probably just curse at me for asking why he'd want to go in the first place. It was much more peaceful and easier to just go with Bell.
“Well then... I should get ready quickly too!!”
My first outing in the world of Hearts of General. My heart was pounding with excitement.
***
“But why are you in uniform?”
“Come to think of it, I don't have any civilian clothes except for my casual wear.”
“Huh, seriously?”
“It's true.”
It was a problem I hadn't even thought of until now.
I didn't know what the body I possessed was like before, but...
This guy didn't have a single piece of clothing other than what the military had issued.
I hadn't thought about going anywhere until now, and I'd been too busy with paperwork and magic studies to feel any inconvenience, but...
I needed to buy separate clothes since I'd be going out more often from now on.
“Then I guess I'll have to go shopping with you too. Alright, leave it to me.”
Bell Mayer said confidently. She certainly seemed to have a decent eye for fashion, matching her confidence.
The black skirt and tailored jacket over the white blouse tucked in at the waist suited her very well.
Her hair was black too, and dressing to match the color gave her a very neat and mature image.
That mature charm was, of course, also due to her 'physical characteristics.'
“My hobby is shopping, believe it or not. I know a good store, so I'll guide you there.”
“If you do that, I'd be very grateful.”
“Then let's be off!!”
Once Bell Mayer and I got on, the coachman on the carriage shouted.
This was an era where public transportation like buses or taxis didn't exist. And we couldn't just walk.
So, the city's coachmen were constantly waiting at the base, just like taxis in the modern era.
In fact, since they heard we had just returned from a mission, the main gate of the base was bustling with carriages from the city.
It made me think that life here wasn't all that different from reality.
“By the way, Platoon Leader, where are you from?”
“Ah... me?”
A sharp question from Bell Mayer, suddenly thrown at me. My origin wasn't written on the status window either.
I had no choice but to vaguely say it was 'Kayaf,' the capital of Ukran.
In Korea, if you said you were from Seoul when asked where you were from, you usually didn't get any follow-up questions.
“Oh! Kayaf!! You're a real city boy~.”
Cough, cough.
Bell Mayer poked my side, playing along. Fortunately, as I thought, she just brushed off the fact that I was from the capital.
Thankfully, she was simple-minded.
“But why did you suddenly decide to go to the city? Just feeling cooped up?”
“That's part of it, and I was thinking of getting familiar with the surroundings. And I wanted to look for furniture if possible.”
The lodging, which was practically my residence, was as good as me renting out the entire building.
The other rooms were just dusty, empty rooms.
So I thought, if I'm not going to use them anyway, I might as well decorate them.
Since the battalion commander especially valued aesthetics, I figured there wouldn't be any problem if I just made the interior look neat.
If they told me to move out, I'd deal with that when it happened.
“Hmm... furniture. If it's about interior design, Lumia has a good eye.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, our lodging was decorated by Lumia. When we were first assigned, I thought it was a real prison.”
Definitely.
Unlike the beautifully decorated ground floor, the basement wasn't maintained at all, but...
Even so, the 5th Platoon's lodging was quite decent.
There was a sofa, a fireplace, and even an air purifier that must have been quite expensive.
Since it was a basement, there were no windows, but that made it feel even cozier. It felt like a compact underground hideout, so it was actually pretty nice.
“Lumia also decorated the battalion commander's office.”
“Oh-ho.”
If our mustachioed Major, who lived and breathed design, acknowledged it, then there was no need to say more.
“So I'll have to come with Sergeant Lumia next time.”
“We have plenty of time.”
As we chatted about this and that, a gray city wall appeared beyond the stretch of forest.
“Ah, it's coming into view.”
Bell Mayer pointed at a tall, soaring spire and said.
“This is the largest trade city in northeastern Ukran, and our battalion's supply base.”
It was Cherno City.