Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: A Little Bit of Magic
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Life at most training camps is repetitive.
Their job is to give recruits basic training for a month before sending them off to the main force.
But this time, the 3rd Training Camp seemed a little different.
“I heard there was some friction between the platoons. Are there any issues?”
Barus, the company commander of the 3rd Training Camp, had been briefed on the recent dispute.
Apparently, there had been a minor scuffle between soldiers from different platoons during training.
But Raymond, the lead instructor standing before him, shook his head.
“It was just a small squabble.”
“Is that so? Hmm…”
Barus looked over the list of new recruits.
“Hmm… Are there any promising ones among this new batch of recruits?”
“There are a few with some real potential. Most of the current platoon leaders are following the training well and showing promise… but among the recruits, these two in particular stand out.”
Without hesitation, Raymond pointed to Demian and Apel.
After all, there had never been anyone who performed like this at thirteen and fourteen.
“…Is there anything special about them?”
“I’m not entirely certain, but… it seems they can handle mana.”
“…!”
At those words, Barus’s eyes wavered slightly.
Most who enlist in the training camps are commoners. But commoners who can use mana?
“Do they have some kind of backing?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, it seems. In the case of Recruit Demian, the platoon leader for the 1st Platoon, it appears his parents passed away recently, and he enlisted to stand on his own two feet.”
“What about this one?”
“The same. Though, he’s so ordinary it’s actually a bit suspicious.”
Learning a mana cultivation method is incredibly expensive in itself.
It wasn't just about knowing the method; one had to learn how to feel and move mana at the same time.
Unless one was exceptionally wealthy, mana was like an unknown power to commoners.
“Hmm… I see.”
Barus murmured softly, stroking his chin. But it wasn't as if they had done anything wrong.
“How are the other men?”
“About the dispute from earlier. The truth is, the conflict started because the other platoon members looked down on Recruit Demian for being the 1st Platoon's leader, but this incident seems to have actually strengthened their platoon's cohesion.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Every now and then, interesting things happened in this line of work. Just like now.
Even though they all enlisted at the same time and were part of the same intake, the moment they were divided into platoons, they started seeing each other as separate groups.
“The fact that there was friction means the 1st Platoon acknowledges their young platoon leader, doesn't it?”
“That’s right.”
“Interesting.”
A corner of Barus’s mouth lifted. He then looked at Raymond and spoke.
“In that case, how about we increase the training intensity for the platoons involved in the dispute?”
“Increase the intensity?”
“If their bond is that strong, it should be worth a try.”
“But… couldn’t that backfire?”
Raymond asked cautiously. But Barus just shrugged.
“Then it just means that’s all they’re capable of.”
“…Understood.”
As Raymond replied, Barus casually set down the documents he was reviewing.
“Report if anything else unusual comes up.”
“Yes, sir. Rest well.”
With that, Raymond left the company commander’s office.
This batch of recruits certainly felt different from the others. But… would they be able to endure if the training intensity, which they were already struggling with, was increased?
“…It can’t be helped.”
He could already imagine their cries of complaint.
* * *
“What’s this about the training suddenly changing?”
“It’s not changing, they’re adding more.”
“So why are they suddenly adding more training?”
At Kyle’s words, another soldier next to him scratched his head, his face a mask of irritation.
“From what I hear, only our platoon and the 4th Platoon are getting extra training, so I’m guessing this is punishment for that scuffle the other day…”
“What? Shit, they’re adding more training just because we exchanged a few insults?”
Kyle scowled and glanced over at Demian.
“Demian, is this for real?”
“Well, whether it is or not, what are you going to do about it?”
Demian firmly tied his bootlaces and tapped his boots lightly on the floor.
With cheap boots like these, he felt that was the only way to make sure his feet were settled properly.
After finishing his preparations, Demian looked at Kyle and the other squad members.
“What’s the extra training?”
“I heard it’s crawling…”
“Crawling? Shit, crawling on this crappy ground?”
“Crawling? What a pain in the ass.”
The training grounds of the 3rd Training Camp were mostly covered in sand and gravel.
Crawling here would undoubtedly scrape your elbows and knees raw.
Demian nodded in full understanding. However…
‘Crawling, huh…’
If it were for punishment, they usually would have added strenuous strength or stamina training.
But crawling.
It felt like someone had ordered this with a specific intention, but there was no way to confirm it.
Soon, however, Demian spoke to his platoon mates.
“So what’s the complaint?”
“No, does it make any sense that only we get extra training just for a little scuffle?”
“The 4th Platoon is getting it too, right?”
“Yeah, but the other platoons aren’t.”
“That’s because we and the 4th Platoon were the only ones who caused trouble.”
At Demian’s words, Kyle pounded his chest in frustration.
Demian was right, but that wasn’t the point he was trying to make.
But Demian looked at Kyle and the others and asked.
“Did you guys come here to play?”
“…?”
“It’s true that the additional crawling practice will be tough. But to put it another way, it’s an opportunity to get ahead of the others if we do it well.”
Crawling was an essential skill that every soldier had to master.
In an emergency, proper crawling could save your life many times over.
The platoon members fell silent at Demian’s words.
If anyone else had said that, there might have been some backlash, but…
‘Even a kid that young thinks like that…’
‘Why does it feel like I’m talking to my great-uncle…’
‘If I get pissed off now, I’m worse than a thirteen-year-old.’
Everyone kept their mouths shut and accepted Demian’s words.
A smile almost broke through Demian’s lips at the sight, but he managed to maintain a calm expression.
“It might be tough since it’s our first time doing this training… but if we prepare well, we can get through it. I’ll help you, so let’s all hang in there.”
“…You all heard him, right?”
Kyle said, glancing around at the others. In response…
“No, I was going to do it anyway.”
“Me too. A little crawling? It’ll be a breeze.”
“Ah… but I heard the crawling at the 3rd Training Camp is no joke. They say your skin gets completely scraped off after just one session.”
A few of them were worried.
Kyle looked at Demian and asked.
“But they’re not seriously going to make us crawl on this bare ground, are they?”
“You think they’re going to lay out a fluffy blanket for you? If they tell us to crawl, we crawl.”
“…You talk like you’ve done it a lot.”
I have.
A hell of a lot.
There were countless moments when he had no choice but to flatten himself to the ground and crawl to survive.
Of course, the addition of crawling wasn’t just about crushing them with more training.
It was about how they would overcome the stress generated by that training.
‘I’m sure… it caused a huge fuss last time, too.’
After crawling for three or four hours, the scraped areas would bleed enough to form significant wounds.
And the stress of enduring other training while carrying those injuries was beyond what recruits could handle.
The platoon’s atmosphere would instantly turn gloomy, and it was common for soldiers to get irritated over trivial matters.
It was only natural.
When their bodies were already exhausted and their wounds were a constant source of pain, it was inevitable they’d get annoyed by things they would normally let slide.
‘Their intention is obvious. I can’t just let it happen.’
Demian looked at his platoon mates.
“Everyone, take out the socks you were issued.”
“…?”
Why socks all of a sudden?
Looking at the bewildered platoon members, Demian said.
“I’ll show you a little bit of magic.”
* * *
Nilson, the instructor in charge of crawling training, hastily prepared the session after receiving a sudden notice.
Crawling was usually part of the final, fourth week of training, but now they were adding it in the second week, on the third day, no less.
“What are they thinking?”
He found it a bit strange, but what could he do?
Orders are orders.
Nilson watched the recruits enter the training ground under their platoon leader’s command.
Their faces were etched with fatigue, likely from the shield and spear training they had just completed. But…
‘Their eyes are still sharp.’
He’d heard that unlike the 4th Platoon, who went to the officers to protest the additional training, the 1st Platoon had accepted it calmly.
It was an admirable attitude, but.
‘Still, I can’t go easy on them.’
*Swish.*
Nilson glanced over the crawling course.
The ground was covered with everything from sand grains the size of a fingernail to rather large pebbles.
Anyone who thought they could simply crawl through it was in for a rude awakening.
“Good to see you. I’m Nilson. For today’s final training, you will learn the low crawl.”
Nilson got down in the demonstration area and explained the low crawl.
Since you couldn’t drop your weapon, the hand holding the spear was to be held tightly against your side to keep the spear straight, while you used the opposite hand and knee to move forward quickly.
The soldiers of the 1st Platoon gasped in admiration at the skilled instructor's demonstration.
Pleased with their enthusiastic reaction, Nilson stood up and gave them a wide grin.
“First, we’ll practice the posture a bit where you are, and then we’ll finish the training by passing through this obstacle course.”
“Yes, sir!”
Seeing the soldiers move so briskly, Nilson nodded, impressed.
He then began to move around, correcting the platoon members’ posture as they practiced the low crawl.
After the practice, the platoon members stood before the obstacle course.
Now the real test began.
“Alright, from this point on, you will move through the obstacles quickly. If the group in front is slow, the groups behind will get backed up, so move out swiftly!”
Unlike practice, most would falter in a real scenario.
That was because crawling on uneven ground was less about exhaustion and more about pain.
‘But they have to overcome that, too.’
They probably knew what to expect from what they’d heard.
Nilson looked at the members of the 1st Platoon standing before the obstacle. But…
“…”
Was it… just his imagination?
Why… did they look strangely relaxed?
‘…What is this?’
He didn’t know why, but some of them were even sporting faint smiles, unlike typical recruits.
Something felt off, but…
“First group, enter the obstacle course, now!”
Nilson shouted. At his command, the recruits entered the area with the low obstacles.
“Hyaaaaaaaah!”
“Yaaaaaaaah!”
Nilson’s lips curled up at the sight of the recruits starting to crawl with fierce battle cries.
‘Just as I thought.’
This was likely an unfamiliar pain they had never experienced before.
They might start off strong, but soon the pain would…
“…Huh?”
“Yaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Hyaaaaaaaah!”
Their shouts continued unabated as they crawled forward at an insane speed.
Faced with the unbelievable sight of their pace not slowing down, Nilson’s eyes widened.
“Wha-what the…?!”
“Instructor! When does the second group start?”
“Uh, oh? Ah, second, second group, go!”
He had been so stunned he forgot to direct the training.
But the second group was no different.
“Hyaaaaaaaah!”
“Yaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Nilson could only stare, dumbfounded, at the sight of the men crawling with their spears like famished berserkers.
And after the training was over…
“Phew! It’s over!”
“We’re home!”
The members of the 1st Platoon shouted as they burst into their barracks and collapsed onto their bunks. But soon…
“Hehehe, Demian. This is incredible.”
“I had a hard time pretending it hurt.”
“It still hurt a little… but it was way better than nothing.”
The men began to pull something out from inside their uniforms with sly smiles.
And what they held in their hands was…
“Heh, who would’ve thought you could cut up socks to make elbow and knee pads.”
At those words, the platoon members just chuckled and burst into laughter.