First Mission (7)
Arisha frowned as she read the report in the commander's office. "Is this really true?"
"Yes," Garan replied with a stiff expression.
"A magic-using kobold... It really does sound absurd. Haah."
Just thinking about the characteristics of this newly reported variant made it hard to believe how ridiculous the situation was. And it wasn't just the kobold that used magic. Spears made of bone. The way they attacked soldiers without killing them outright, or deliberately left traces to lure other troops into formations advantageous for combat. Various signs that clearly showed 'intelligence' and strategic thinking.
It was information that could not be ignored.
Arisha sighed as she committed the details to memory. The demonic beasts were beginning to develop intelligence.
"The Central Command will never accept this..."
There was no way to know how the central command would receive this report. No. They wouldn't accept it at all.
The very act of pondering it already revealed that she knew exactly how the central command would react.
"I don't think they'll accept it for now," Garan shared the same thought. "It might be better to conduct more investigations and only submit a report once we have solid evidence or proof."
"That makes sense. But..."
Arisha trailed off. This time, they had been lucky enough to end it with only two injured soldiers. But no one could guarantee that the next encounter would end the same way. If casualties appeared on the next mission...
She shook her head, forcefully scattering the ominous thoughts that rose up.
"Huu. Yes. There's no point in worrying about it now."
This was a battlefield. No matter how careful they were or how vigilant they remained, it was a place where you could never predict what variables might arise or what sacrifices they might bring. That was why she had to steel her heart again and again.
Only then did she recall the rest of the report's contents. It concerned one soldier who had stood out remarkably during the 4th Search Unit's mission.
"This man... He's the one Uncle brought in back then, right?"
"Yes." Garan added more details about Han Jungwoo from the report. "If we're only talking about combat ability, there's no one in the squad who can match him."
"...That much?"
"It's not just combat power. His ability to grasp the enemy's characteristics and the situation, then respond accordingly, is also outstanding."
He had immediately identified the kobold shaman's traits and taken action to counter the magic it used, contributing the most to leading the battle to victory. He had also been the first to point out the sense of unease regarding the 'intelligent strategies' the kobolds had employed.
In any case, within Garan's search unit, Han Jungwoo had become the soldier with the greatest influence after just his first mission. Whether that was good news or bad news, it was impossible to judge.
"From your perspective, Uncle, what do you think of this man named Han Jungwoo? Do you really believe he can be trusted?"
Since Arisha had already received a report from Garan, she knew that the man named Han Jungwoo had been a slave soldier before drifting through the monster-infested forest. She was very familiar with the process by which slave soldiers were created and the background behind it.
It was a punishment given to criminals who had committed various crimes in nations belonging to the Allied Forces, in order to fill shortages in military strength. The term slave soldier meant he was a criminal who had committed unforgivably heinous crimes.
No matter how capable someone was, they would still be used, but could she really trust a criminal with her own back, or those of her comrades and subordinates? The fact that the subject had once been a slave soldier made trusting him or not an entirely separate issue.
Preparing for the possibility that he might betray them and harm her or the unit was also important. After all, Arisha was a commander responsible for many soldiers.
That was why she respected Garan's insight and judgment enough to trust him, but she also had to be thoroughly prepared against him. Garan naturally understood this as well.
Even knowing that, he spoke.
"At the very least, I and the soldiers of the 4th Search Unit have decided to trust him."
From a third party's perspective, it was such an absurd statement that they would call him a good-natured fool, easily deceived. But even before hearing that he had been a slave soldier, the first impression of receiving help from him had been so shockingly positive that the subordinates unanimously agreed to believe in him until the facts were revealed.
"If you and the search unit members have decided that... then I'll do the same."
Since they knew him and had chosen to proceed that way, there was no reason to stop them.
"From having done missions together, I want to trust him."
"Want to trust him, huh..."
Arisha knew very well how personal and soft that judgment was, but she didn't express any dissatisfaction with Garan's statement. After all, she herself was relying on and depending on him with her own personal and soft judgment.
In the end, even while always wishing to be armed with cold and thorough reason, she was aware of her own weakness in coming to depend on him.
"If Jungwoo had truly been a villain, I don't think he would have needed to reveal from the beginning that he had been a slave soldier."
If he had wanted to return to human society, he could have hidden his identity with any number of lies. But Han Jungwoo hadn't done that. Rather, he hadn't even considered returning to society at all.
As if he couldn't do that, he had completely erased that option from his mind. That was why Han Jungwoo might have spent several months, or perhaps even longer, drifting through the forest filled with demonic beasts.
"Uncle, do you want to help this man named Han Jungwoo?"
"......"
Garan didn't answer. Instead, Arisha asked again.
"If it's because it reminds you of Baran..."
Baran was Garan's son's name. When his son's name was mentioned, a bitter expression appeared on Garan's face.
"If he were still alive, he would be about that boy's age now."
"I suppose so..."
Arisha nodded slightly and refrained from saying more. She could fully understand why he wanted to help Han Jungwoo. But she suspected there was more to it than that.
"The reason you want to help that man. It doesn't seem like that's the only one, is it?"
"Yes." Garan voiced another reason for wanting to help Han Jungwoo. "This is also for you, Captain. No. Young lady. For your sake as well."
"......"
When Garan's tone changed, Arisha's eyes narrowed. This wasn't a suggestion from a subordinate in the 9th Defense Division to his superior. It was closer to advice from his father's friend, acting as a godfather to his friend's daughter.
It was also the reason why, in private if not in public, she treated him with respect unlike the commanders of other units. Arisha understood Garan's intention.
"The reason you want to investigate that man's past... isn't simply to confirm whether he was a villain or not."
Garan had told Han Jungwoo, 'I will investigate your past actions to determine whether you are a villain or not,' but he didn't actually think of him as a villain. He probably believed there was some reason behind the punishment that made him a slave soldier.
Even so, the reason he wanted to look into his past actions wasn't just for simple verification. There was meaning in identifying his past itself.
"Are you saying to tame him well and use him as a 'blade'?"
"It could sound that way."
Garan smiled bitterly at Arisha's direct way of speaking. More precisely, his judgment was that by identifying Han Jungwoo's past actions, bestowing some grace upon him, and accepting him as a comrade, there would be no more reliable person. Though confirming his combat ability and character as a person through just one operation seemed terribly insufficient.
Still, Garan trusted his own insight. Han Jungwoo was valuable both as a person and as a soldier.
"And... as recognition for his contributions in this mission, I intend to grant his small request."
"A request? Did that man make one?"
"No. This is something I suggested."
Arisha had momentarily thought Han Jungwoo's request was presumptuous, but upon hearing that Garan had suggested it because he wanted to give it, she let out a sigh. As expected, he was far too kind-hearted.
"...So? What did he request?"
"He asked me to look into the current whereabouts of his former comrades."
"What... did you say?"
At the completely unexpected request, Arisha's eyes widened. Garan explained in more detail.
"It's about the current status of the members who were part of the 11th Special Task Force he once belonged to. Especially their commander, Rumia Bedisha, and the dedicated priestess who was assigned to them, Seo Hayun. He said he absolutely wanted to know about those two. Whether they survived the last operation two years ago, and if they did, where they are now and what they're doing."
"...Hmm."
It wasn't a particularly difficult request. Since they would be investigating Han Jungwoo's own past anyway, it was information they could easily find out with a bit more effort.
What surprised Arisha was that it wasn't the kind of request a villain would make at all. It sounded like he was worried about the whereabouts of comrades he had parted ways with.
"I understand. I'll look into it together with you."
"Thank you. Then, I'll conclude my report and take my leave."
After finishing his report, Garan saluted and left the commander's office.
Once Garan left, silence settled over the now-empty commander's office. Arisha scanned the report's contents once more and murmured.
"Han Jungwoo..."
She repeated his name slowly, as if savoring it. What kind of man was he, that Garan and his subordinates would show him goodwill despite the stigma of his past as a slave soldier trailing behind him like a label?
Suddenly, she found herself curious about him.
After completing my first mission involving combat with the kobold pack, I carried out three more search missions after that.
I didn't encounter any bizarre incidents like during the first mission. Instead, it was a series of smooth operations where we explored the terrain, subjugated the demonic beasts we encountered, and returned without significant damage.
After finishing the fourth mission and returning, I was given free time until the next mission was assigned. Originally, this time was meant for personal maintenance under the pretext of individual training to hone one's combat abilities, but adjusting one's condition was also considered part of personal maintenance.
So during this time, some people trained themselves or rested all day in the barracks, while others went out to the village, drank heavily, met with the opposite sex, and returned to the outpost.
Among them, I discovered a new hobby.
"I'll eat well."
It was eating the meals served three times a day. What completely captured my heart among them was the meat dish covered in bright red sauce filling the bowl. Steaming white rice. And the stir-fried pork piled on top of it.
The moment I scooped up a full spoonful and put it in my mouth, the explosive aroma of the spicy sauce burst forth, and the rice and meat were chewed naturally. It was delicious. So incredibly delicious.
I was convinced that with just this menu, I could easily get through a week. And as if to prove that conviction, from the day I returned from my first mission until today, the third day, I hadn't missed a single meal of stir-fried pork.
The day before yesterday, yesterday, and today. I repeated the pattern of having all three meals as stir-fried pork, and just as I was about to start today's dinner with satisfaction.
"Hey, you fucking bastard!"
A roar filled the military mess hall. It was just as I was about to push the spoon loaded with rice and stir-fried pork into my mouth.
I had no choice but to freeze. Because I realized that the roar was filled with anger directed at me.
It was similar to killing intent but different. There was no murderous, bloodthirsty emotion, but it clearly contained obvious anger and hostility.
I turned my head toward where the voice had come from. There, a soldier with the same black hair as me was huffing as he approached me. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be a soldier from the Ricon Kingdom, like me.
When he came right up to me, he glanced once at the plate on my table where stir-fried pork was piled like a mountain.
"It's you?"
"...Yes?"
"The bastard who comes first every single meal and sweeps up all the stir-fried pork?"