The Slave Soldier
Slave Soldier. It was one of the systems the Central Command used to replenish its forces. In a world like this, the monsters poured endlessly from some unknown source, plunging the continent into slaughter, chaos, and terror. Naturally, the nations of the continent formed a coalition army and established the Central Command as a unified command structure to resist the monster threat. Yet the endless war showed no sign of ending. Unlike the monsters' overwhelming numbers, the coalition's war of attrition grew increasingly unfavorable. Supplies were one problem, but the most urgent issue was the rapidly dwindling number of soldiers. The count of those who fell in battle kept rising, while the number of replacements steadily shrank. That was why, in addition to the regular volunteer system, they began conscripting convicted criminals and sending them to the front lines.
"……."
In other words, revealing that I had once been a slave soldier meant admitting I was a criminal who had committed a terrible crime. The squad members who heard me all wore expressions of shock. Garan, who had made me such an unexpected offer, was no exception.
"…I see."
For a moment, Garan was at a loss for words. He nodded with a heavy expression.
"I had a feeling you were a soldier before. So… that explains why you were wandering this forest."
"Yes."
I confirmed it. The reason I could never return to the Central Command was clear. I had already been listed as killed in action, and because I had been a slave soldier. Even if I reported my survival, it would not cause much trouble in itself. The real problem was that even if I returned alive, my status would revert to that of a slave soldier. Living among ordinary people as a normal human being would be impossible. Even if I wished for it, the world—the Central Command—would never allow it.
'More precisely, that bastard…'
The one who had turned me into a slave soldier would never let it happen. That was why I could not return to the army. Rather than going back and living as a slave soldier again, it was better to wander the forest hunting monsters. I never knew when, where, or what danger might strike, but at the very least, I did not want to live that life again.
'I'm curious whether Lumia or Hayoon and the others are safe…'
Even if I returned as a slave soldier, learning about their well-being would be difficult. At best, a slave soldier would never be granted the authority or freedom to find out such things.
"Then, for now, come back with us. We'll decide what to do after we look into your situation."
"…Pardon?"
I had no choice but to ask again at the completely unexpected answer.
"If you became a slave soldier because you committed some unforgivable, horrific crime, then I will cast you out again."
"……."
"If that is not the case, then I want to help you."
Garan spoke with a resolute, upright expression. I could not understand the offer at all.
"Why? Why are you trying to take me with you?"
"Because, at least from what I have seen, you do not look like someone who would commit such a terrible act."
"……."
"It is hard to think that way when I owe you so much. That is why. If… I misjudged you, and you truly are a villain who committed an unforgivable crime…"
Garan gave a bitter smile as he continued.
"Then it simply means I was wrong about you. At the very least, I want to hold on to the impression I had of you when we first met."
He said he wanted to preserve both the goodwill I had shown and the goodwill he had shown me. I did not know how to respond. I could not accept this offer. It was not a proposal that made sense rationally. Yet, on the contrary, my heart kept urging me to accept it. A feeling I had not even been aware of.
'Was I… this lonely?'
In the roughly three months since my resurrection, I had spent every moment hunting monsters in a haze of blood and death. This was not the first time I had met people. But it was the first time since coming back to life that I had received such intense goodwill and such an offer. Without realizing it, I had been longing for human connection.
"If you truly believe you are an unforgivable criminal, then refuse this offer. But if you are not…"
Garan smiled and extended his hand to me. Perhaps he already understood me better than I understood myself. That was why he offered his hand. Otherwise, he would not have tried to help me, knowing I would break otherwise.
"Come with me."
"…Yes."
As if entranced, I took his hand. The moment our hands met, something deep inside me that had been tightly wound began to slowly loosen.
◆ ◆ ◆
From the point where the forward base came into view, the formation of the 4th Search and Reconnaissance Unit—including Garan, the soldiers, and myself—changed. The possibility of combat with monsters had completely vanished, so Garan, the unit's captain, took the lead and guided his subordinates.
"Good work on the mission."
The sentries on guard duty recognized Garan's face and saluted. Then their eyes fell on me, walking at the very rear behind the reconnaissance team.
"Who is that man?"
"A survivor we found during this search mission."
"What? A survivor?"
The sentry's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at my face. He scanned me from head to toe, taking in my appearance. After nearly three months in the wild, my ragged state made him stare in astonishment.
"He survived alone in that forest…?"
"That's right."
Garan nodded and added a brief explanation.
"This man is the so-called 'Drifter of the Forest.'"
"Huh… So the rumors were true?"
The sentry's eyes widened again. He glanced back and forth between me and the other soldiers, seeking confirmation. When the others nodded in agreement, he accepted it and lifted the blockade. Apparently, my story was fairly well-known around here. I wondered what the survivors I had rescued and sent back to the base had said about me.
"You all did well. Take some personal time until further orders. Ah, you—go to the infirmary for treatment, then report to me."
"Yes!"
As if they had been waiting for those words, the soldiers saluted in unison and scattered like arrows. Because over a dozen of them had been moving together, the sudden absence left only Garan and me, creating an oddly empty atmosphere.
"You come with me for now. I need to report to the captain."
"Understood."
I nodded. Reporting to a superior immediately upon return was standard procedure. Especially since bringing someone like me into the forward base was a highly unusual case. I could not help but feel a little tense. What kind of commander was the captain of the 9th Defense Force?
'The only superior I have experience with is Lumia.'
I had died right after being transferred to the unit where I became a slave soldier. It felt rude to say this about her, but I hoped this captain was at least not like her. Lumia had been a truly grateful benefactor and a good person to me personally. But as a soldier or a superior, she had been the worst. Rumors of her being a "worthless commander" had spread not only within her own unit but to other units as well. Praying that this commander at least possessed basic common sense, I followed behind Garan.
When we finally arrived in front of the commander's office, Garan knocked on the door.
"Captain. This is Garan of the 4th Search and Reconnaissance Unit. We have just completed our return."
"Come in."
A voice came from inside the room almost immediately.
'…A woman?'
I was inwardly surprised by the unexpected voice from within the commander's office. Lumia had also been a female commander, but that had been a special case due to her and her family. While there were female soldiers, as far as I knew, Lumia had been the only woman appointed as a commander. At least after joining her unit, I had never seen another female commander during joint operations with other units.
When Garan opened the door to the commander's office, the air inside felt different. It was much quieter and colder than outside. A sharp gaze came from within.
"……."
I looked straight ahead. The woman sitting at the desk closed the documents she had been reading and looked up. Our eyes met. The insignia on the shoulder of her uniform caught my attention.
'This woman… is the commander of this unit…'
Any doubt I had about a female commander vanished. She was assessing me with a sharp, composed gaze. There was no need to question that she was the commander—I accepted it without hesitation.
"Good work on the mission. Any unusual developments?"
"Reporting. During the mission, we discovered one survivor in the forest and would like to recommend him as a new unit member, Captain."
Garan's voice was perfectly straight, heavy with military discipline. But the woman's gaze on me was far heavier. In this space where Garan and I stood together, she was clearly the one in the highest position.
"That man?"
The captain spoke without taking her eyes off me.
"Yes."
"And the reason?"
"He is strong."
"He does look it."
She scanned my ragged, almost feral appearance from top to bottom. I thought her silver hair was beautiful. Crimson eyes that felt almost fierce stared at me. Though they seemed like they should burn hot, her gaze was terribly cold.
"And?"
"He is a slave soldier who has already been processed as killed in action."
"…Hmm."
The moment she heard Garan's report, her eyebrows narrowed as she stared at me as if trying to pierce through. With just those words, she had grasped the general situation, just as I had feared. The possibility that I had committed a horrific crime and become a slave soldier. The question and suspicion of whether such a person could be placed under her command as a subordinate. It was a familiar gaze.
"And yet Garan brought him here and introduced him, which means there must be a reason, correct?"
"…Yes."
Garan answered with a confident voice.
"Very well. I understand. Assign him under you and put him to use."
As if satisfied with those words, the woman merely gave a small nod without saying anything further.
"Report separately later."
"Understood. Thank you. We will take our leave now."
Garan saluted her with a precise motion. Once she accepted the salute, he led me out of the commander's office.
"It seems… it ended more easily than I expected…"
I had thought the woman would express displeasure or opposition upon learning I had been a slave soldier. But the fact that she had accepted my existence far too easily left me feeling dazed.
"Haha, does it seem that way?"
Garan's bitter smile suggested his thoughts were completely different from mine.
"Our captain is an extremely cool-headed person. The reason she accepted you is… well, it is a bit embarrassing to say, but it is largely due to her trust in me. It does not mean she has fully acknowledged your existence yet."
"……."
"I am going to assign you to the unit and send you to the front lines myself. I also plan to investigate your record from your time as a slave soldier. Do you understand what those two things mean?"
"It means I have to accumulate merits to prove my worth. Enough to cover my past crimes."
"I like how quickly you understand."
Garan smiled as if pleased with my answer.
"Of course, if you turn out to be an irredeemable villain whose crimes cannot be covered by any merit, then the story will change… In that case, you will also understand why I have not asked you for the details yet, correct?"
"You wish to judge my misdeeds based solely on thoroughly recorded facts."
It contradicted his earlier statement about wanting to preserve his initial goodwill and impression of me, yet it was also rational. After all, to reach a reasonable conclusion about an incident, one must hear both sides and find the middle ground.
"I want to believe in you. But to know you better, I think it is also important to see how the world evaluates you. So once I have completed all my investigations, I will ask you about your past."
"…Understood."
I nodded at Garan's words.