Chapter 44
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Evaluation Preparation (1)
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In Hearts of General, unit evaluations are considered essential for future promotions and stat improvements.
It literally involves assigning a specific mission to the target organization, and focusing on how the company, platoon, or battalion accomplishes its assigned actions.
That is the unit evaluation, and before the World War breaks out five years from now, it is the most efficient opportunity to accumulate promotions and combat records.
It really is that important, and a single mistake could mean squandering the most important opportunity of the entire year.
And that evaluation is scheduled for next month.
‘We’re screwed.’
If it were a month, one might say that’s a fairly generous amount of time to prepare for a typical platoon evaluation.
But who is our platoon?
Aside from Claude, everyone else has significantly lacking practical combat experience, and they are a gathering of people who all have something strange about them. Worst of all, I—the platoon leader—am in this pathetic state.
Just like in the real military, I can't just drill them hard in a short period of time.
I don’t think everyone will follow me well, and Claude, who is nearly uncontrollable, was demoted after reaching the rank of Master Sergeant, so he doesn't seem to be desperate for promotion either.
A person who thinks promotion doesn't matter much is unlikely to cooperate enthusiastically with an evaluation.
At least Lumia seems to be showing clear ambition to climb higher, which is fortunate.
Bell Mayer doesn't seem to have much greed for combat records either, and Roxana, who just joined, is frankly no different from non-existent combat power.
"I guess we have no choice but to keep training."
Almost immediately after being assigned to the unit, we were thrown into the recapture of Belgorod Fortress, and linked with that, we purged the hostile forces in Cherno City alongside the National Gendarmerie.
Even I find it hard to believe that this is the track record of a brand-new Second Lieutenant who just graduated from the military academy.
But if I think about it carefully, I did all of that myself.
During the fortress recapture, Lumia and Bell fought with me, and Claude joined late, but the only person who was effectively under my command was Bell Mayer.
In Cherno City, Lumia also conducted the investigation and intel gathering with us, but strictly speaking, she hadn't properly grasped the 'combat ability' required as a military mage.
Even though she used magic, it was purely for fire suppression, wasn't it?
That is to say, we have never once coordinated proper teamwork. As I expected, there was none before I arrived either.
"Haa…."
"Platoon Leader, what did the Personnel Officer say?"
As I returned to the barracks, the women, who were huddled together in the lounge just like before, asked.
"It's not set in stone yet, but she said our platoon might be heading to the capital."
"The capital?"
"Don't tell me… the report went all the way up to the Gendarmerie Commander?"
Lumia Blue asked with an expression of disbelief.
Isn't it natural for a report to go up to the Commander? When a city's chief of security openly committed treason, it has to go up to at least the Commander.
The problem is that the final decision-maker is not the Commander, but someone above them.
"Not only the National Gendarmerie Commander, but His Highness, Duke Orlando Ruth, personally summoned our platoon."
"Yes—!?"
At the startled reactions of Bell and Lumia, Roxana, who was sleeping soundly, also opened her eyes wide.
"Is that really true?"
Why would I lie about something like this?
"My god, my god… This is unbelievable…."
Lumia was now trembling all over, beyond just being surprised. Is it really that shocking?
From a modern perspective, it's no different from meeting the President. It's the highest honor for a soldier, and even for a civilian, it would be a heart-pounding experience.
I'm not sure if it's enough to react to that extent.
Of course, I have to consider that a proper democracy hasn't settled in this world yet. Right now, a Duke is a ruler of a duchy boasting absolute power.
I thought that for Lumia, who has lived her whole life as a citizen of the Duchy, being summoned by such a person could be a very fresh shock.
"Anyway, it's good news… but the problem is something else."
"???"
"The Personnel Officer said that a company evaluation is scheduled for next month, and our platoon must participate without fail."
"……???"
Question clouded the eyes of the two, who had been filled with surprise.
"So I need you all to help me. Haven't I told you multiple times? If you just follow me, I will give you opportunities."
Looking at it positively, this was rather an opportunity. A platoon and platoon leader that had been treated as trash until now.
They have achieved significant combat records, but in the eyes of their fellow unit members or others, there is a high probability that it doesn't really resonate. In fact, it seems there are quite a few senior officers and others who don't look favorably on this atmosphere.
Then, if we completely dominate the company evaluation to the point where no one can refute it?
It is a golden opportunity to transform the image of being trash that we've built up until now, not to mention the combat records.
"Our goal is to get a perfect score in the company evaluation."
I said firmly, looking at the platoon members with blank expressions.
"……Is that why you came to find me?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Debra Bennett."
She, who was wearing a black eyepatch matching her hair color, spoke. Facility Management Officer, Lieutenant Debra Bennett.
I heard she went out to repair the heavily damaged Belgorod Fortress due to the last attack and just returned to the unit yesterday.
Did she set up a hammock in one corner of the building and was enjoying her own break?
It really matched the atmosphere of the title "Facility Management Officer." She doesn't seem much older than me, yet I wonder why she gives off the vibe of a seasoned transport section sergeant.
Anyway, since she came without a word, Debra raised her head slightly from the hammock and looked at me.
"If it's just deploying simple defensive magic, your platoon members should be enough, no?"
"I've heard from people around me that you, Officer Debra Bennett, have the best defensive magic setup skills in the battalion."
"Hmm, that's true, but…"
"Plus, didn't you show interest in my magical skills last time? I think this is a great opportunity for you to verify it with your own two eyes."
I gently coaxed Lieutenant Debra Bennett.
My first impression was cemented as a 'strange, nagging woman who only says what she wants' due to the incident at the infirmary, but because of that, I thought she would be even more interested in my proposal.
It seemed she was someone who took quite an interest in such aspects.
Soon, Debra Bennett's eyes rolled around, she sniffed once, and then.
"Not bad."
She jumped down from the hammock. My prediction was exactly on the mark.
"The job of a facility management officer looks very busy on the surface, but in reality, there's nothing to do usually? The only work left was the reconstruction and repair of the old barracks, but you guys did that yourselves."
Isn't this a situation where she should be thankful for having her workload taken care of?
I heard from the Personnel Officer that she's practically a Captain (Provisional).
She's a strange character, a workaholic who, despite having her promotion confirmed, went as far as to set up a hammock in the building.
Is that why she got promoted? A 'do what needs to be done' kind of feeling?
"Still, I was curious about your true value. I need to verify with my own eyes whether the rumors are true, right?"
Debra smiled, lightly closing one eye. I couldn't figure out what those rumors were at all…….
Just like last time, I'm starting to get curious about what kind of image Officer Enok Levandel has in the battalion.
Anyway, Debra, who ultimately accepted my request, followed me out to the vacant lot behind the main building.
A wasteland stretching as wide as the main building's lot. It feels about three times larger than a typical military unit's shooting range.
Originally, a mage training ground was supposed to be built by the Legion itself, but it seems it has been left abandoned for several years.
Thanks to the 3rd Battalion's mages shooting magic there every day, the only things left in the vacant lot were huge craters and piles of yellowish-brown dirt scattered around.
"Glory to the Fatherland!"
As we arrived at the vacant lot, the other platoon members who were waiting there saluted Debra.
"What, everyone was already here."
"We also have nothing to do, so…"
Bell said in a blunt voice. Debra's eyebrows twitched slightly, but she showed no outward reaction and simply brushed it off.
"First, you said you wanted to know the maximum combat power of the platoon members?"
"Yes, I heard… that you, Officer Debra Bennett, can deploy up to a 2nd Class Mage Barrier."
"Where did you hear that?"
As I subtly shifted my gaze toward Bell Mayer, Debra Bennett made a complex expression for various reasons.
"Hmm, ahem… Right. Yes. That's correct."
I don't know exactly what kind of relationship the two had in the past, but it's clear that they aren't close enough to say they are on good terms.
Bell's expression toward Lieutenant Debra also contained a mix of various emotions.
"L-Let's get to the point quickly. So, what exactly do you want me to do, Enok Platoon Leader?"
"I have prepared five targets."
I pointed with my finger to the wooden scarecrows stacked in a corner.
They were magic-specific bombardment targets that were piled up and abandoned in the training supply warehouse. None of them were in good condition, so I had a hard time finding the somewhat decent ones.
"I would appreciate it if you could cast a 2nd Class Mage Barrier on each of those targets."
"……On each target?"
"Yes, on each target."
I heard from Lumia and Bell that a company-level evaluation, as opposed to a battalion-level one, focuses on the overall combat capabilities of each platoon rather than the company's overall skills.
Last time at Belgorod Fortress, Captain Arendt Schultz of the 2nd Company, which included my 5th Platoon, didn't give any particular orders.
Repelling the bandits and using Flare to illuminate the field of view were all ultimately based on my own judgment.
Even if it's called a company evaluation, if you think about it practically, it's a platoon evaluation.
It evaluates how efficiently and wisely the platoon leaders of the company under evaluation act under the commander's assigned objectives.
In other words, 'efficiently and wisely' is just a way of saying it.
You just need to cast the strongest magic suited to the given situation.
Since Debra Bennett, who has already received company tactical evaluations as a platoon leader several times, seemed to have an idea of what I was trying to do.
The Facility Management Officer looked back and forth between the targets, me, and the gathered platoon members, then.
"Don't tell me you're planning to drop a Meteor?"
She answered with a disgusted expression.