Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: This Is the Real Start, Damn It!
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Damn it, this is where the real hell begins!
My last weekend flew by in the blink of an eye. Why was it my last? Because from now on, weekends are a thing of the past.
I can't give up on the academy. But I have to work in the Quartermaster Department too. What does that mean? Overtime on steroids.
Night shifts are a given, and if I don't want people saying I'm slacking off like I've got it made, I'll have to pull weekend duty too.
Plus, at the academy, whenever there's no class, I'll have to cling to my work. It's horrifying. Shit.
"Welcome, Richi."
Monday. When I arrived at the Ministry of War, the guy who'd met me before handed me my ID last time greeted me.
One of the people who'd come to give me this pass, right? Yeah, that's him.
"I'm Vandenberg, chief of the Quartermaster Department's 1st Section. Just call me Ben."
"...?"
What the hell. You're my boss? Wait, my superior? Then why are you speaking so casually?!
"Pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Richi Reinhardt!"
"Yeah, nice to meet you. Oh, don't be so stiff. Our Quartermaster Department isn't that rigid. At least between people, it's pretty laid-back."
Laid-back? I can't even imagine it. Is that even possible?
"And until recently, I was a regimental staff officer in the 1st Cavalry Division."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. I got transferred here to the Ministry of War right before Koenihesen's big offensive. Having been so impressed by Division Commander Douglas, I can't bring myself to treat his little brother casually."
And besides, he'd say, once I start working here, I'd realize we can't treat each other casually within the department anyway. With those ominous words, Ben led me inside the Ministry of War.
The Ministry of War building spans from the first floor to the fourth, covering an area larger than most nobles' castles.
As far as I know, it's one of the top three largest departments in the Empire...
"...There's a basement?"
"Yep. Our 1st Section is down there."
"Ah..."
"Curious why?"
Something tells me I really don't want to know. It feels like a place I shouldn't even step into.
But this guy's my boss. Telling him straight up, "No, I don't want to hear it," would just prove I'm an asshole, no matter how I spin it.
"What's... the reason?"
"Even if you draw the curtains, no bright light leaks in."
"...Pardon?"
"Thanks to that, you can't tell if it's day or night, so you lose track of time and can focus even more on work."
"..."
"And when you're pulling an all-nighter and nodding off at your desk, no one draws the curtains and makes you scream. That's probably the biggest reason, honestly."
So, in summary, it's a black company where clocking out is a pipe dream. Damn it.
I resolve once again: I can't give up the academy. Gotta grit my teeth and live this double life.
"Oh, we're not stuck underground all the time, of course. 2nd and 4th Sections are on the second floor."
"I see."
"That's why everyone complains like crazy. They hate when someone draws the curtains while they're catching a nap. Wanna see?"
...It's already scary. How the hell does the Quartermaster Department even function?
I thought people were dying to get out for the glory or field experience, but maybe they're actually filming a life-or-death escape movie here.
"Oh, perfect, there's the 2nd Section Chief heading out. Hey, 2nd Section Chief!"
At the 1st Section Chief's shout, a man in his early thirties, heading for the stairs, slowly turns around.
Hmm. Is that a human or a zombie? It's ridiculous even to wonder. That's a zombie, no doubt. Anyone could see it. No human looks like that!
"...Why'd you call? I gotta head up."
"Got someone to introduce. Say hi. New guy in our 1st Section."
"Didn't hear about any new transfer..."
"Direct order from the Minister. And you know where that comes from, right?"
Oh, I know all too well. It had to be that. Only one place can issue an order that makes someone both a parachute drop and not: the Imperial Family.
Give special treatment to a plant from them? The whole department might vanish overnight.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Richi Reinhardt."
"Reinhardt?"
Whoa. The zombie's coming back to life. Could the name Reinhardt be some vaccine that lets them feel human again, even briefly?!
"I'm Selber, 2nd Section Chief of the Quartermaster Department."
No, wait... don't salute too. What am I supposed to do here? I'm just a rookie fresh in 1st Section, and you're a veteran who's survived this hell.
"Ease up, 2nd Section Chief. Richi probably hates that stuff too."
"Damn it. You might be used to it since you're connected to them, but not me. If you tell me to act casual in front of the Supreme Commander's son, I'd rather pull more overtime."
The words made me a bit uncomfortable, but at least there's no hostility toward me. The 2nd Section Chief was just grumbling about the endless overtime—today, tomorrow, until the war ended.
"2nd Section was on overtime till yesterday, right?"
"Yeah."
"Everyone's probably catching a quick nap now."
"Time to wake 'em up."
That's how it is, apparently. "Wanna check it out, Richi?" The 1st Section Chief grinned and followed the 2nd up the stairs.
Am I here to work or on a field trip? But when the boss says let's go, what choice do I have? "Sure," and hurry after him.
"Here we are."
- Quartermaster Department 2nd Section -
"..."
I can feel it. This dank, oppressive aura. You couldn't tell if you'd entered the Ministry of War or some underground dungeon.
Screeech—
For the record, it's morning, sun's fully up. Yet opening the door lets in zero light. Those curtains must be sealed tight.
"Groooan—"
"Ughhhh—"
Half snoring, half groaning in agony. Is this really the Empire's Ministry of War Quartermaster Department?
Then the 2nd Section Chief clicked his tongue and headed to the window. Without a shred of mercy, he yanked the curtains open.
Shwaaak!
"Aaaargh!!"
"Wh-who is it?!"
"Kieeeek!!"
"Fuck! Curtains! Close 'em!"
"..."
Ah, aah. So that's what he meant by the basement being great...
Do I love this or hate it? I hate myself for seriously pondering it.
*
"What'd you think?"
"I... definitely get why the basement's a plus now."
"Right? Ventilation's handled by magic, no issues there. But imagine catching a quick nap, then bam! That blazing sunlight hits you? Unbearable."
Suddenly, a memory flashes: teacher bursts into class, rips open the curtains. Students scream. And the classic line: "Hey! Are you kids children of the dark?!"
One thing's clear now: whether children of the dark or not, they're slaves to a black company. Turns out the Quartermaster Department gets the worst grind in the Ministry.
"What we do in the Quartermaster Department is incredibly broad."
As we headed back underground, the 1st Section Chief started explaining their work.
"We're not just prepping war supplies. We handle troop expansion, morale management, training, health checks. Weapons, rations, water—all essential supplies verified. Horses too, and fodder for those horses. Then transport methods and schedules, plus supplies for the transport units themselves. Accounting for losses or consumption en route, and most critically—"
"The budget, right?"
He clapped lightly at my answer. Spot on. But none of it—not a single bit—sounds fun.
I knew most of it already, but hearing the gritty details from a veteran made it pure hell. And that was just for sporadic skirmishes with Koenihesen.
Why's the department spinning out now? Because the Empire's launching a massive offensive, forcing a complete overhaul. It demands grinding people to dust.
"Richi, I already know about your frontline exploits. You handled our kind of work there—small scale, but masterfully precise."
He looked at me as he said it... like a regiment commander eyeing a captured engineer veteran.
For a split second, I nearly stared back pleading, "Please, spare me."
"We have high hopes for you. Workload's tripled—no, tenfold—and we're short-staffed. Everyone knows it's better to command in the field than get buried here where people burn out. Haha."
Seeing him like this, the 1st Section Chief seemed half-resigned to his fate.
Wonder what it was like transferring from 1st Cavalry regimental staff to Quartermaster section chief.
By protocol, it's equivalent to regimental commander rank—not a demotion...
"Please, do your best, Richi Reinhardt. We need experts like you in the Quartermaster Department. Bonus if no one can mess with you."
He gripped both my hands—not a boss pat on the shoulder—like praying a wish, his sincerity so raw it was heartbreaking.