Chapter 62
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The 8th Assault Mage Infantry Battalion (1)
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A quiet plain, nestled against a lake and surrounded by mountain ranges. Five solitary wooden buildings. Anyone could see they were old-fashioned structures, hastily converted from what were once farmhouses.
"Welcome to the 8th Assault Mage Infantry Battalion~ Ta-da-da-dum~!"
And standing there, arms crossed with an air of satisfaction against the backdrop of those buildings, was a woman with lavender hair. I'd seen her so many times by now I was getting sick of her.
"Glory to the Fatherland."
"Alright, alright! Saluting again? By the way, didn't I tell you we'd meet again!?"
"I had a feeling, back when you anomalously transferred the entire platoon."
"Well... I thought you seemed to have a soft spot for your platoon."
Frankly speaking, it was a pointless consideration. Lumia, Bell, Claude, and Roxana were all good people... but if I thought about whether they were useful for the plans I was about to unfold, the answer was a resounding NO.
I needed a well-trained elite unit, not a rehabilitation squad.
"And the reason I called all your platoon members is that I got curious about their skills, too."
"Their skills?"
"Hey, do you think 1st-class mages are common? You should know this. They're talents too precious to just stick in a field unit."
That... was true.
Claude had already proven his strength with the title of war hero, and aside from the strange rivalry he had with the officers, he was an impeccable fighter.
And the other platoon members, aside from each having a screw loose somewhere, had combat power that wasn't just good, but top-tier.
Of course, the problem was that those "screws" were so big they made up most of their beings, causing them to rattle and fall apart at the slightest provocation.
"Have you checked all their... peculiarities?"
"They're a bit unusual, but... I'm writing it off as individuality."
You can't just call that "individuality."
Well, it's not like I can change a decision that's already been made. In fact, it might be much easier to control the original 5th platoon members, whom I've been with for a while, compared to complete strangers.
And since their conditions have improved a lot, they might even show new promise here.
"Ah, one more thing! Lieutenant Enok is the company commander. A company commander who hasn't even finished his platoon leader term! Doesn't it feel... refreshing?"
"...Isn't this a training unit anyway?"
"Still, it's important to look the part."
Soni Chepelin waved her hand dismissively, as if it was too tiring to worry about such details. But for a unit called the Assault Mage Infantry Battalion, it felt too empty.
Even if the buildings were temporary for a training unit, there were just too few people.
"If it's a battalion-level formation, shouldn't there be at least a hundred personnel?"
"Yup, that's right."
"Then why does it feel like there's only you and me in this whole wide area?"
"Ah... about that. The rest of the unit hasn't arrived yet. There's one person left, though."
Soni Chepelin turned her head, looking at the two-story building standing in the center. It seemed to serve as a sort of headquarters. Compared to the lavish main building of the 3rd Battalion, this one was shabby, flimsy, and crude.
"Come on, I'll introduce you while we're at it."
I followed Soni Chepelin, who walked with a light, flitting step, into the headquarters.
Creeeak— Clatter.
"The hinges are rusted, they need to be replaced."
The inside of the headquarters was exactly as I'd imagined. A building made of lumber that hadn't been maintained for a long. It had avoided the worst-case scenarios like the floor collapsing or the ceiling hanging loose, but it still didn't look in good shape.
"The rooms along that corridor are, in order, personnel, intelligence, logistics, and facilities management."
"Is there a headquarters direct unit?"
"It's on the second floor!"
So there was a direct unit. It really seemed like they'd just barely managed to get the form right. It was hard to imagine people actually working here, but the formation itself was that of a proper battalion.
As I was taking in the view of the headquarters, she threw open the door to the second room with all her might and shouted.
"Chief of Staff! The first company commander has just arrived!"
Thud— Slam! The wooden door hit the frame, spitting out sawdust, and a man who had been slumped over a desk in the corner pushed himself up.
"Ughhh..."
He staggered to his feet, his figure emaciated. Wait, my body is no prize either, but what happened to this guy?
The way he swayed his arms was more like a walking corpse than a living human. If I were a cowardly person, I would have instinctively shot a spell at him.
"Meet our 8th Assault Mage Infantry Battalion's Chief of Staff, Major Joseph Levandofski."
"Uh... ah, Glory to the Fatherland!"
As I saluted, Joseph returned it with a limp, wavering arm.
"Ma'am... is he going to be alright?"
"Yup, he says he's fine. Look, he hasn't thrown up blood yet."
"*Cough cough! Hrk!*"
"Ah, there it is."
Blood spewed from Joseph's mouth. I couldn't for the life of me understand what was going on. Was I dreaming?
"He's just a bit more frail than others. You know, the 'sickly' trait."
"Vomiting blood is not 'a bit frail'!!"
I supported the Chief of Staff, who was dripping blood from his mouth, and sat him back down. His eyes, shrouded in dark circles, stared blankly at me.
"Hmm... Enok Levandel... was it, Lieutenant...?"
"Yes, Major Joseph Levandofski."
"Thank you... I was up all night... I must be a little tired..."
"Then why didn't you just go in and sleep? What were you doing?"
"I passed out."
This is insane. My body is far from normal, but the chief of staff, one of the unit's top two, looks like this?
Forget assault mage infantry, shouldn't we change the unit's name to Emergency Medical Battalion?
I looked at the Colonel with an incredulous expression, but she just shrugged as if it were nothing.
"You'll see this often. I prepared so many blood transfusion packs for Major Joseph."
'So that's why you thought our platoon members' condition was just a simple 'individuality'?'
I guess if you have a Major vomiting blood right in front of you, our platoon members, with their mere light(?) mental illnesses, seem cute by comparison.
Roxana, who suffers from bulimia, actually looked healthier than him.
"I don't... always... do this..."
"You mostly do."
"Only when I need... intense concentration..."
Joseph trailed off weakly. Soni Chepelin patted his shoulder and said.
"Then go get some rest. You have nothing to do today."
"Understood..."
Joseph trudged out of the office, completely drained. I was about to follow him to make sure he was okay, but Soni Chepelin stopped me.
"You don't have to. You might not realize it, but Major Joseph isn't as easy-going as he seems."
"You're telling me a superior who spews blood the moment we meet is 'not easy-going'?"
"He looks like that, but he's a professional who received training in the Free Republic of Pru. He even got top marks at their Mountain Assault Division."
"Excuse me?"
I knew the Free Republic of Pru's Mountain Assault Division very well. It was a division that boasted the second-greatest power after the 'Foreigners' brigade in Pru.
It was a large-scale division covering the entire mountainous terrain of the country, an elite unit composed only of soldiers selected after incredibly grueling training.
They could exert 100% combat power in any situation, and in mountainous terrain where other units' combat power plummets, they even received combat power bonuses—a crazy decisive weapon unit.
And Major Joseph was first in class in their training program? Even hearing it directly, I couldn't believe it.
"Are you joking?"
"Haha, Lieutenant. Don't be so arrogant? Your potential is outstanding among the soldiers I've seen... but there are many people in the military with far more experience and training than you."
Soni Chepelin was smiling, but her voice was sharp. She was drawing a line.
"Don't get cocky. I gave you the company commander position because I evaluate you highly, but it's temporary. It can be changed at any time."
I straightened my posture again and answered loudly.
"My apologies! I'm sorry!"
"Right, that quick judgment is another reason I think highly of you."
The Colonel's tone returned to normal.
"By the way, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Actually, before I arrived here, His Highness the Crown Prince came to see me directly."
"What...?! No, really? Tsk... I told him not to."
A flicker of worry crossed Soni Chepelin's face. I immediately realized she was concerned for the Crown Prince's safety and the security of the operation.
"It's fine, he left before anyone else could get suspicious."
"Anyway... what's your question?"
"His Highness said this unit was a training unit. How exactly does the temporary commission work? Are we to receive training, or to give it?"
In response to my question, Soni Chepelin answered while making a V-sign with one hand.
"Both, of course!"
"Both...?"
"Aside from me and the Chief of Staff, there are 10 officers including you. There are 50 non-commissioned officers, including your former platoon members. And 100 soldiers who graduated from boot camp with excellent scores."
A total of 160 people.
"Based on the know-how directly from the Pru Mountain Division, the 160 personnel, provisionally organized, will be thrown into training all at once."
The Colonel's eyes sparkled with interest.
"During that process, real-time evaluations will be conducted. The structure is such that those who endure until the very end without being weeded out will be assigned positions based on their evaluation! The evaluation criteria are also quite detailed, so we can accurately assess whether someone should be staff or a commander."
I was taken aback by Soni's bold declaration.
"You mean a survival-style program?"
"It's a competition to see who can last longer and do better."
So, you'd better not get arrogant and stay sharp, Lieutenant.
Soni Chepelin added with a smile.