Chapter 3
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: A Good Start is Half the Battle
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The battalion commander's office was neat and tidy.
Hanging on the wall was the flag of the Ukran Duchy, as if to prove once again that I had entered the world of Hearts of General. On the desk was the continental map I had seen throughout the game.
With the Ukran Duchy as the center, the west was the Free Alliance Army faction, and the east was the Imperial Alliance Army faction.
'It's not a digital map, but seeing it drawn on actual leather makes it feel so much more real.'
As I looked over the tactical map, I let out an involuntary sigh of admiration.
"Right, have a seat first. Your name was..."
"Second Lieutenant Enok Levandel, sir."
"Ah, that's right. Second Lieutenant Enok Levandel. No, I should call you a platoon leader now."
The battalion commander was a middle-aged man with an impressive, Pringle-like curved mustache. The nameplate engraved with 'Rockheart Cromwell' caught my eye.
Of course, I noticed more than just the name.
I had seen the Ukran military's rank system in the game, so I could immediately confirm that he was a Lieutenant Colonel.
Well, it's only natural for a battalion commander to be a Lieutenant Colonel.
"So, have you had a look around the unit?"
"Ah... Yes."
The truth was, I had only just seen the surroundings, but I decided to try and bluff my way through it.
"The architectural style is very harmonious. I'm quite fond of the main building."
"I see, I see. Our 3rd Battalion was even selected as the 2nd best unit in the Northern Legion for its beautiful landscaping. It's only natural you'd take a liking to it!"
Rockheart, the Lieutenant Colonel, burst into a wide grin. Fortunately, it seemed my answer was the right one.
'Well, beautiful landscaping is a completely useless element in war, though.'
I clicked my tongue internally.
If the battalion commander is like this, it's no wonder the country is going to hell.
If you're a soldier, you should be focusing on training! Huh?!
Wouldn't all this landscaping work be done by the soldiers' hands? That's exactly what a waste of combat power is.
Of course, as a greenhorn, if I opened my mouth and said something like that, my transfer to a backwater post would be guaranteed, so I had no intention of saying it out loud.
There's no reason to walk straight into a bad ending with my own two feet.
"Ahem, hmm. I see... You have a better eye than I thought."
"You flatter me. Anyone would think the same."
"Kahaha! Is that so? Well, of course. That's why we ranked second among countless units."
I just played along, and I could see Rockheart's favorability rising in real-time.
It seemed he was extremely proud of his unit's landscaping.
It exists in reality, too.
Commanders who are so engrossed in their own units that they treat them like their own home or company, and even go around bragging about them to others.
'This guy is so easy to read.'
But for me, people like this who are transparently easy to understand are easier to deal with.
It's much easier to get on the good side of an obvious person than a superior whose thoughts you can't read at all.
And contrary to my worries, the words flowed out of my mouth surprisingly well.
Is this the majesty of MAX Political Power?
It felt strange, as if I was me, but not me, and it left me feeling quite unsettled.
"Good, good! A very smart and sensible platoon leader has arrived! I like you a lot!"
"Thank you for thinking so highly of me."
As I bowed my head again toward Rockheart, who was stroking his chin with satisfaction, he waved his hand and said.
"Ah, don't flatter me so openly. It's not bad for me, but you might make your seniors dislike you."
"I will keep that in mind as well."
From the way he spoke, it seemed there was some kind of hazing in this unit, too. Things like picking on new second lieutenants or the new guy.
'Damn it, is the game too realistic or what?'
The thought that I had to go through that kind of bullshit again made my stress levels skyrocket...
I clenched my fist under the desk and kept repeating the word 'patience'. After all, there's a way to solve everything.
It can't be helped if you take the first hit, but after that, you can earn the recognition of your senior officers by currying favor and showing results.
If I don't want to become a pushover who gives everything away, I'll have to know how to flatter them properly as well.
"By the way, Second Lieutenant Enok."
"Yes, sir."
"Have you checked your platoon's personnel list? You arrived so late yesterday, you might not have had the chance."
"No, sir. I've checked everything."
"Oh, you're fast?"
The corners of Rockheart's eyes narrowed. Just as his personality was easy to understand, his intentions were also very easy to read.
I didn't hesitate for a moment and gave the most optimal answer for the situation.
"I have no intention of complaining about the personnel assignment."
I must not forget this.
The first objective is to earn the battalion commander's trust.
If I whine here about wanting to change platoons, I might be able to change the platoon, but in the long run, it would be a massive loss.
It would be impossible to reverse with any ordinary effort.
If I want to get a letter of recommendation here and move up to a higher unit, I'm willing to swallow this bitter pill.
"Hmm?"
"The platoon assignment is also an order. In the spirit of the chain of command, I will devote my full effort to the mission you have entrusted to me."
I spoke proudly, without a single tremor in my voice.
At this, Rockheart tilted his head slightly, as if he couldn't believe his ears, and asked again.
"So you're saying that platoon is fine?"
"Yes. Isn't it an officer's destiny to properly educate and train even the most lacking soldiers and turn them into outstanding troops?"
"Second Lieutenant Enok Levandel, you..."
The battalion commander's eyes flashed. Ah, did I go too far? I hope I didn't have a brain fart.
But my worries were only momentary.
"You're a rare new officer. Among the officers who have come in over the last few years, you're the first I've seen armed with that kind of mindset."
Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart stood up, straightening his uniform properly. It was a completely different demeanor from the one who had just been laughing boisterously.
"I saw your spirit and drive. It was good to feel your sincerity."
I shot to my feet and shook the hand extended before me.
"I'm counting on you, Platoon Leader Enok."
"I'm the one who should be asking for your guidance."
The battalion commander's meeting.
For a first time, the result wasn't bad at all.
The battalion commander's meeting was over. Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart Cromwell slumped into a chair in his office.
He had thought it would be just another routine meeting, so he could relax... But the moment he heard Second Lieutenant Enok Levandel's cold eyes and words, he couldn't help but feel an instinct.
This guy is something else.
'This is completely different from the Personnel Command's evaluation. What the hell happened?'
Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart rummaged through his desk for Enok Levandel's personnel file, which he had tucked away somewhere.
[Transfer Officer Service Record]
[Subject: Enok Levandel]
[Evaluator: Cadet Training Brigade of the Military Academy]
Interestingly, Second Lieutenant Enok Levandel was a personnel who was evaluated as nearly unfit for service by the Cadet Training Brigade.
'His mana level is extremely high, and his understanding of tactics and strategy is outstanding, but he is uncooperative with organizational activities and has poor physical strength to the point of saying himself that he is not suited for the military.'
It was, quite literally, the worst evaluation for a new officer. That's why Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart had intentionally taken it easy during the meeting.
No, to be honest.
His real intention was stronger: he wanted to see what kind of face this guy had.
Assigning the 5th Platoon, the sole headache of the 3rd Battalion, to Second Lieutenant Enok Levandel could also be seen as a form of disciplinary action.
A trash platoon leader with a trash platoon.
If you can't fire them, just make them leave on their own. For Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart, it was a deal where he had nothing to lose.
The platoon members under such a platoon leader would surely all scatter and leave on their own eventually, too.
It's a basic principle that it's convenient to manage troublesome personnel by bundling them together.
But upon meeting him in person, he was a completely different person from what the training brigade's evaluation suggested.
It wasn't just because of his handsome looks. In fact, his appearance was slightly off-putting—closer to an unlikable face.
How should I put it.
An impression that made you hesitant to approach him carelessly, and that was so cold in everything that you didn't even want to befriend him.
The part that moved Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart was not such an external aspect, but his words and actions that came from the heart and his conviction-filled eyes.
You can't believe everything the Personnel Command says.
Since Rockheart himself had once been a new second lieutenant, he couldn't be unaware of the "hazing" that openly occurred in the training brigade.
If a evaluator found even a minor fault, a perfectly fine person could be ruined in an instant.
'But that doesn't mean I can exclude him entirely. I don't know what got into him to make him change like that.'
No matter how fiercely a fire burns, it naturally dies down in the face of a strong wind.
'He's a man to watch.'
He had climbed to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, which is rife with all sorts of scheming.
He said he would take the platoon as it is and carry it with him, so whether he's the real deal or just a momentary whim will be revealed in time.
"...Then, maybe I should give him a little something to do on the side."
Since it's the 5th Platoon, which has no routine duties or dispatch missions due to its unique nature.
"Normally, the one who is in need is the one who has to prove themselves, right?"
Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart muttered to himself, twitching his mustache.
Whether he would be an obstacle blocking his own path, or a stepping stone to fly higher, was something to be judged later.
At least, that's what Lieutenant Colonel Rockheart thought.
At that moment.
"Did it show up? Did it show up???"
Having completed the first meeting in its own way, I immediately returned to the barracks and checked Lumia's stats, which I hadn't been able to check yet.
In Hearts of General, stats could be divided into four stages.
From 0 to 30 is Unstable.
From 40 to 60 is Decent.
From 70 to 80 is Outstanding.
From 90 to 100 is Overwhelming.
That's how they are represented.
The higher the stat stage, the harder it is to advance to the next stage.
It's easy to go from Unstable to Decent, but it's hard to get Outstanding stats from Decent.
To reach the next level, Overwhelming, you'd need to grind for several years, which is completely out of the question.
Therefore, it could be considered the most ideal to have at least 3 or 4 decent stats.
The realm of talent determined by nature is more ruthless than you might think.
I am not a masochistic pervert who enjoys suffering in real-time by choosing the difficult path.
"It's open!!"
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Name: Lumia Blue
Affiliation: 3rd Magic Battalion, 2nd Company, 5th Platoon
Rank: Platoon Member
Title: None
Four decent stats and one outstanding stat. At this level, she wasn't someone you could just dismiss as trash.
"Oh!! This is way above average! At this level, she's even top-tier...!!"
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Additional Penalties
When using attack magic, a strong sense of rejection is felt. The accuracy of magic drops significantly. The efficiency of mana cores decreases, and there is a high probability of entering a panic state.
When there are signs of combat, there is a high probability of leaving the position.
...
.........
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The hopium that had been running at full capacity cooled down in an instant. It was the moment when even the small hope I had held in my arms shattered into pieces.
It's a no. She's trash.
"Shit."
I fell into despair.