Chapter 42
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Untouched Squad Members (2)
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"Roxana!"
Just then, an old man wearing a pristine white coat came rushing out from the other end of the corridor. He was wearing a Ukran military uniform underneath, and the patch on his shoulder was clearly a military doctor's insignia.
But I had no idea who he was.
He was a military doctor I had never seen before, even though I had been consistently visiting the infirmary since my transfer.
I thought there were only two military doctors stationed with the battalion?
'Who is that man?'
My confusion was brief. Roxana scratched her head and looked at the old man.
"At the very least, you should be resting..."
"I'm completely recovered now! Look, I just supplied my mana and I'm perfectly fine!"
"What? Mana supply!?"
The old man hurried over and grabbed my pulse. I could feel a faint but distinct mana from his fingertips.
It was a sensation I was experiencing for the first time, but I could tell he was checking the mana flowing through my veins.
"...It's true. Roxana! What on earth were you thinking, doing something like this?"
"How could I just watch when you were showing symptoms of a mana shock right in front of me?"
Roxana answered in a firm voice. The old man, completely taken aback, let out a hollow breath and shook his head.
Speaking of which, I heard Roxana had a serious problem with her heart. Is it really okay for her to be walking around like this?
"Wait, which unit are you with..."
"I'm Enok Levandel, Second Lieutenant. I was assigned to the battalion about a month ago."
"Enok Levandel?! So you're the one..."
The old man looked back and forth between me and Roxana, then clapped his hands together.
"So you're Roxana's new squad leader!"
"Yes, that's correct."
As I revealed my identity on the spur of the moment, Roxana's green eyes fixed firmly on my face. As if she couldn't believe it, her lips parted slightly and a thin voice flowed out.
"Squad Leader?"
"...I didn't expect our first meeting to be like this. It's nice to meet you, Roxana, Sergeant."
As expected.
Our first meeting was far from easy.
***
"How on earth did you graduate from the officer's academy?"
The old military doctor asked as he prodded various parts of my body. He was looking at me as if I were some kind of fascinating life form.
"The military doctor from the 18th Infantry Regiment said something similar."
"I've never seen a mage with a body like this, let alone a malformed mana core. It's as if your body was modified solely for the purpose of using magic."
That must be the majesty of the 'Combat Power Stats' being MAX.
I had to be good at combat, but my body was a complete mess with all sorts of debuff traits, which must have resulted in this deformed body.
"Why does this keep happening? If your body was modified solely for using magic, you should be showing signs of mana deficiency even with just a little overexertion..."
"Have you ever heard the military doctor's opinion during your initial physical examination?"
Of course I hadn't. I woke up inside the 3rd Battalion barracks, so there was no way I'd have that memory.
As I answered with silence, the old military doctor propped up his own forehead.
"Even if the conscription officer dispatched to the academy or the official who judges mana compatibility is just a bureaucrat, they really don't do their jobs properly."
He cleared his throat a couple of times to adjust his voice, then pointed his finger directly at the location of my mana core.
"The reason you waste mana so excessively is quite simple. Your mana core is in a state of severe sclerosis."
Sclerosis? He means that thing that gets hard and stiff? The moment the words 'mana core sclerosis' came out of the military doctor's mouth, I got a terrible fright.
Lung sclerosis, body sclerosis—those are serious illnesses.
Am I also dying...?
"Don't make such a serious face. Mana core sclerosis is a surprisingly common condition. To be precise, you can't even call it a disease."
"What exactly is mana core sclerosis?"
"Muscles get more flexible and firm the more you use them. The mana core works on the same principle. Judging by the looks of it, you've never properly used magic before?"
"Yes, that's correct..."
"Usually, once mana manifests, you start using magic, even if it's just a little. However, your mana core seems as if it hasn't used magic at all since then."
So that was the backstory.
I may have become Enok Levandel, but I didn't know anything about what happened before the possession.
It had only been a month since I, Kim Jin-hyuk, a retired army officer, became Enok Levandel, an active-duty mage officer.
In the world of Hearts of General, there were many minor details I couldn't possibly have known.
Who would pay attention to details like mana core sclerosis or when someone first used magic in a strategy simulation game?
In the first place, it wasn't even displayed in the status window.
"So, this mana core sclerosis condition is..."
"Just as it sounds, it's like trying to use a muscle you've never used before. You can't use it properly, and the mana core itself can't react properly."
"You probably can't control your mana well either. That's why your mana is leaking from your body to a dangerous degree."
Picking up where the military doctor left off, Roxana, who had been sitting right next to us, continued.
"To give you a simple example, if the mana cost for a normal Fire Ball is 10... your mana core is like using 100 to wastefully increase the spell's power. It's an extremely inefficient way of controlling mana."
Hearing that made it feel all too real.
I thought I was just being an idiot, but it turns out I was forced to be an idiot?
I lowered my head and looked at my mana core, which was faintly radiating mana.
God damn it, what the hell is this situation.
"But here's the strange thing. If your mana core were really like that, it would be natural for you to fall into a deficiency state after using magic just once or twice."
"That's true."
"Your mana core's capacity and density aren't normal. I've been in this field for a long time. I'm really curious enough to want to dissect your mana core."
The military doctor said something terrifying as if it were nothing.
"Huh?!"
"I'm joking. Though I am curious."
Is this guy a total psycho?
At first, I thought he was just a kindly-looking grandfather, but after hearing that, he seemed more like a mad doctor who had seen it all...
I felt a bit creeped out, so I quickly changed the subject.
"Ah, by the way, is Sergeant Roxana's condition okay? If what you're saying is true, it means it takes an enormous amount of mana to fill my mana core's capacity to some extent..."
The moment I collapsed, Roxana happened to supply me with mana, which is why I could move around like this.
If it weren't for her, I would have been lying flat on the floor until someone from the infirmary came out or a soldier came up for their duties.
Doesn't that mean she sucked her mana dry for me, even though she's just as frail?
I wanted to return it if possible. The military doctor did say there was no big problem.
"I'm fine, you don't need to worry. I know Roxana's condition better than anyone. I was worried too, but it seems she controlled it well in her own way."
"...Controlled it?"
"Roxana has a more serious problem with her mana core than you do."
Cardiac Mana Core.
A congenital disease born when the mana core and heart, which should normally be separate, merge.
While the heart performs the functions of the mana core as well, the density, quality, and efficiency of the mana are incomparable to other mages.
However, if too much mana accumulates beyond what the heart can handle, or if too much mana is consumed to the point where the heart can't sustain itself, it leads to death—.
Sergeant Roxana Elim was in that state.
"Because of that, Roxana enlisted purely for treatment. There's no place other than the Magic Battalion where she can receive and expel mana at any time."
So that's why the special notes on the document I first saw said, 'Let her stay in the infirmary as much as possible.'
I readily accepted it as the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly, but the当事人, Roxana herself, seemed displeased with the doctor's explanation.
"Uncle Edward! You promised you wouldn't say it like that!"
"At the very least, I should tell the squad leader the truth, shouldn't I?"
"No, I didn't come here just to receive treatment!"
Roxana approached me. Her emerald eyes shimmered faintly.
"I can do it too...! You just saw it, Squad Leader! I can be of help too!"
She was actively advocating for her own necessity. I recalled a conversation I had heard from Bell and Lumia some time ago.
- Roxana overdid it during the last training and is now in the infirmary.
I just brushed it off back then, but thinking about it now, a heart patient was said to have undergone normal training.
A patient with a Cardiac Mana Core doing training? Has she gone completely insane?
"Sergeant Roxana."
"Please don't you say that too, Squad Leader. I can take care of myself."
"Didn't they say you were carried out on a stretcher during the last training...?"
"Th-that was...!"
Having hit her right where it hurt, Roxana's momentum, which had been strong just a moment ago, faltered.
"I was overdoing it back then... It was an important training where the entire battalion was deploying, so I did a little more than usual..."
Honestly, her motivation was admirable. When I first heard about Roxana through the documents, I hadn't even considered her as a potential combatant.
But after meeting her, Roxana was a much more spunky and enthusiastic friend than I thought.
It was hard to believe she was someone who had been holed up in the infirmary just a few weeks ago, having narrowly escaped death.
What officer would dislike a subordinate who tries to challenge themselves, even burning their own body?
However, there is a big difference between simply overexerting oneself and potentially dying.
"I'm not trying to exclude Roxana. Sergeant Roxana is also a precious member of my squad. However, it is a fact that her current physical condition is too dangerous."
Her motivation is good, but as the squad leader, preventing accidents is more important.
If she overexerts herself and truly reaches the brink of death, it would no longer be just Roxana's problem.
At my words, Roxana bit her lip hard. She tried to suppress her emotions as much as possible and bowed her head deeply.
"I... understand."
"However."
"...?"
As I added one more word, her head shot back up.
"Doctor, you're saying it's perfectly possible for Sergeant Roxana to be discharged?"
"That's right."
"As long as it doesn't put too much strain on her heart. I'd like her to return to our squad and live with us, separate from the training."
"Really?"
Her gloomy expression brightened in an instant.
It was like watching a dog whose mood goes up and down with a single word from its owner.
'Well, the squad members seem to get along fine. The barracks have been newly renovated, so we should stick together at least once.'
I properly put on the shirt I had half-undressed and approached the pink-haired sergeant, extending my hand.
"It's nice to meet you officially, Sergeant Roxana Elim. I'm Second Lieutenant Enok Levandel, your new squad leader."
"Ah...! I, I am...!"
She grabbed my hand tightly and broke into a wide smile.
"I'm Sergeant Roxana Elim! It's a pleasure to work with you!!!"
There were a few incidents along the way.
But now, all the squad members have finally gathered.