Chapter 8
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The hopeless squad, Assemble (5)
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My head ached. My vision was pitch black. Forcing my eyes open, my blurry focus slowly came into alignment.
“Where am I?”
I retraced my memories. I vividly remembered getting chewed out by the battalion commander for breaking a perfectly fine building wall with a Fire Ball.
The problem was what came after. No matter how hard I tried to remember, nothing came to mind. I didn't know why I was lying here, of all places.
One thing was certain: this wasn't my room. Sunlight was streaming in through the window. The bed and bedding were quite fresh and in good condition, so... was this the infirmary?
A few days ago, Lumia had accompanied me on a tour of the base, and the medical corps building I saw then felt just like this.
“Oh, what’s this? You’re awake?”
Just then.
The closed door opened, and a woman stepped into the room. She had red hair tied in a bun at the back with a string.
She was one of the senior officers in the unit, and her name was probably Debra Bennett.
“You remember me?”
“Lieutenant Debra Bennett?”
“Oh, quite the memory. We’ve only properly introduced ourselves once, haven’t we?”
Debra said, looking impressed.
Putting aside the fact that her name was written on her chest tag, I had made a special effort to memorize it since her position as the Facilities Management Officer was particularly important.
Even if I didn't know other officers or NCOs, it was always beneficial to know the names of company commanders or department heads.
“I make sure to memorize the names of my seniors properly.”
“Aha~ You’re good at sucking up, too?”
“I don’t see it as sucking up, but as the proper respect a subordinate should show.”
“Ugh~.”
Debra recoiled with a disgusted expression. Did she hate pleasantries?
“Well! Whatever. I wasn’t going to give you a hard time about that anyway...”
As I bluntly replied, the lieutenant slightly closed the door and leaned against it. It was as if she was deliberately blocking the way.
“You knew the wall you destroyed had a protective enchantment on it, right?”
“I did not.”
“Then why did you cast a spell on a perfectly fine wall?”
My head was still foggy, but I had a vague idea of what kind of answer she was expecting from me.
‘She seems to be talking about the Flame Buster. Something like, I cast a spell on the wall to test its penetrating power... is that the inference she’s making?’
As the Facilities Management Officer, she might be in a situation where she has to write up a statement and a report on this incident.
So, the correct answer here would be...
“I failed to control it. That’s all there is to it.”
I definitively shut down the controversy. I had already told the battalion commander and Lumia this part. If I added any other words, the matter could get bigger by being seen as perjury.
Unless I wanted to aggro everyone by being seen as a madman who cast a spell on a wall just to investigate its power, it was easier to just admit 100% of the fault.
Being a lunatic with no control is much better than being an idiot who can’t even control a basic Fire Ball.
“So you really just failed to control it? What kind of spell were you trying to demonstrate?”
“A Fire Ball.”
“......”
Debra’s pupils wavered with confusion. Yes, I’m that moron. Call me an idiot who can’t even control a Fire Ball despite being a magic officer.
“Are you really sure it was a Fire Ball?”
“Yes.”
“Really, really?”
“What is it that you want from me?”
The circumstances were simple.
I messed up while researching a spell and accidentally fired a Fire Ball without realizing it.
The Fire Ball that was fired like that struck the unfortunate barracks wall, and the already-aged building wall crumbled down.
End of story.
Was there anything else to say?
Lumia did say that a magic barrier was cast on the outer wall of the building, but I don't know how I broke it.
“No, I don’t get it. It’s strange that a protective enchantment would be breached by a mere Fire Ball.”
“Who knows? Maybe it’s not me, but the mage who cast the barrier who’s weird.”
The moment I said that, Debra’s gaze turned icy cold. She pointed at herself with her finger and answered.
“I’m the one who cast that barrier.”
“Ah.”
“So it’s even more of a mystery. Enok Squad Leader, are you really sure you cast a Fire Ball?”
God damn it! I told you I did!
I instinctively realized that talking more would just give me a headache, so I just nodded.
“Do you have any aptitude records from the military academy’s disciplinary corps?”
“No. Wouldn’t the battalion commander or the personnel officer have those records?”
“I suppose so...”
Debra made a complex expression for various reasons, then soon, as if she had made a decision, opened the door and left.
“What was that.”
A sudden exit, just like her sudden entrance. Witnessing it firsthand, the image of Lieutenant Debra Bennett was being re-established in my mind.
‘She’s a strange woman who only says what she wants to say.’
But not even a few seconds after she left, she burst back into the room.
“Wh-what is it?”
“Right. I almost forgot. The medical officer asked me to give you this.”
She said, handing over a single sheet of paper.
[Medical Opinion]
Below the doctor's scribbled signature next to it, my current physical condition was written in stark detail.
“By the way, you were out cold for two days. They said it was a stress shock. You collapsed with frothing at the mouth the moment you entered the battalion commander’s office, you know how scared I was?”
“Excuse me?”
“Anyway, get some proper sleep. The medical corps has sleeping pills, so get a prescription. They say no one takes responsibility if you get hurt in the military? This is advice from your senior.”
It’s all for your own good, you know.
Lieutenant Debra Bennett left only that message and left the room.
At the same time, the information on Debra, the Facilities Management Officer, was updated once again in my mind.
‘She’s a strange, condescending woman who only says what she wants to say.’
***
“So, to sum it up... my reputation has become quite something, you’re saying.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Bell Mayer answered, shuffling her feet. She was wearing a short dress that exposed her thighs, so I quickly averted my gaze.
Since I was the one who came to find her while she was relaxing comfortably, I couldn’t very well tell her to go change her clothes.
“But are you really not?”
“Not what?”
“An inspector. From the moment I first saw you, you seemed to have a great deal of authority for a newly commissioned officer.”
“If you think so, then that’s fortunate.”
I already knew that my name was being passed around all over the base. I just didn't say anything.
That’s just how gossip works.
After all, it’ll be buried without a trace once time passes or another incident occurs, so the best response is no response.
But if what Bell Mayer says is true, it might be better to take some measures.
An inspector, of all things. A silly rumor like being the army commander’s son would be one thing, but an inspector is too specific and dangerous.
It’s a circumstance that could be misunderstood as a pretty malicious case of impersonation. It would certainly be great for screwing over that shitty battalion commander, though.
But that’s only a one-time payoff.
Unless I plan to flee the country to escape the flames of war, as someone who has to stay in the military, it’s a gamble I don’t need to take.
“Who is spreading that story?”
“Hmm, it’s so widespread that it’s hard to pinpoint a specific person. But do you really need to clarify? It’ll die down on its own anyway.”
“It’ll be a big problem if it’s exposed.”
“Huh? Ex-exposed? Pfft!!”
Bell Mayer suddenly burst out laughing. What’s with her, that’s scary. Was there a point in what I said that was funny?
“What’s so funny?”
“Puh-huh, I just didn’t expect the squad leader to use a word like that.”
The sergeant laughed, her eyes crinkling. She looked at me and added a few words.
“You know? Among the rumors I haven’t told you, there’s one that you’re a prominent noble heir, and even that you’re a duke’s illegitimate son.”
“Not surprising at all.”
I do have a face that could be mistaken for a noble. That’s because I customized it so well.
If my appearance were also expressed with stats, I could confidently say it would be at least an 80.
“And the way you speak is so stiff... and that Lumia kid also seems to find you intimidating for some reason. She says you have an aura that’s impossible to approach.”
I do have the traits Cold, Stiff, and Unapproachable.
Even in the game, it was hard to gain favor with subordinates and superiors if you started with those three traits, so it turned out to be like this in reality too.
“So I laughed. ‘Exposed’, it’s funny.”
Bell Mayer snapped her fingers.
“Besides, I’m also someone who’s been discriminated against a lot for my looks. I don’t really care about that stuff either.”
“Are you saying that, a beauty like Sergeant Bell Mayer?”
“Oh, thank you for the compliment.”
I feel awkward saying this, but in the military, looks can surprisingly be a big merit. Because they can be used intensively for propaganda.
Why, in reality too, handsome male celebrities come out, wear military uniforms, and shoot videos. Female celebrities also wear uniforms as an annual event.
That’s no different in the world of Hearts of General or in South Korea.
If Bell Mayer really had no intention of being a magic soldier, she could have gone to morale or public affairs.
“But that only works if she’s a capable woman. You know it too, Squad Leader. I may look fine on the outside, but I’m not on the inside.”
“A time will surely come when that can be proven.”
Even if she seems to be acting with a lot of leisure, her life must have been corroded to the point of being utterly wretched.
But that’s all I can say. I’m a soldier, not a nanny or a psychiatrist.
“I’m glad you at least say things like that.”
“By the way, where are Sergeant Lumia and Sergeant Claude?”
“Claude went out to the city, and Lumia is probably in the logistics section.”
“The city?”
She waved her hand dismissively as I repeated the word that had suddenly popped out.
“Well... I never expected him to tell you anyway. That guy is always like that.”
“You don’t mean he’s out without permission?”
“It’s not a day trip, it’s an overnight stay. Actually, the company commander said he’d give him disciplinary action, but he can’t punish him properly. I heard they fought together during the war, along with the current regimental commander... If even the battalion commander is helpless, that says it all.”
That’s a bit much.
I’ve seen plenty of senior NCOs acting like masters in the unit, but this is the first time I’ve seen one this out of control.
“I should say something to him.”
“Hmm, honestly, I don’t think he’ll listen.”
“Still, I am the squad leader.”
“There have been more than one or two people who approached him like that and got totally screwed. And...”
Bell said, turning her gaze away. What was frozen in her red eyes was, for some reason, a sense of pity.
“Even if it’s hard to look at, that guy has his own circumstances too.”
“...Is it a story from the war?”
“I don’t know the details either. He almost has a fit of anger whenever the past is brought up.”
After observing for a few days, Claude Raine and Bell Mayer were on such bad terms that they were practically enemies.
It was common for them to raise their voices at each other, and they didn’t hesitate to use harsh words.
It seemed she had some affection for him, even if it was dislike, as she was secretly concerned about Claude.
“Sergeant Bell Mayer.”
“Yes?”
“You’re very kind.”
“Ah, ahaha...”
As if she never expected to hear such a thing, Bell let out an awkward laugh.
“Um, thank you. What’s this? I’m getting praised by the squad leader all day today.”
With that, silence fell upon the barracks. An awkward atmosphere. In the meantime, Bell Mayer kept avoiding my gaze for some reason.
“Th-then you should get to work! You came because of the rumor, right? Lieutenant Debra seems to be talking a lot about various things too...!!”
Ah, the condescending lieutenant. I had a feeling it would be something like that.
“Thank you. Then I should go back to the Facilities Management Office.”
“Be careful on your way back!”
It was just as I was about to turn around and leave.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-!!
A bell sound that rings clearly all the way to the underground barracks. The short noise continues on. At the same time, I met Bell Mayer’s eyes.
She quickly assessed the situation and hurriedly put her clothes on, and I also rushed out of the barracks.
“Emergency muster for all personnel...?”
It was a bell that signaled an emergency situation.