Chapter 21
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Neokalitz Unit
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A road flanked by dense trees.
Fog obstructed the view.
As they continued up the slightly inclined path, Erkal eventually came into sight.
Starting from the entrance, they could see obstacles and the figures of Erkal’s garrison.
“This is Erkal?”
Kyle got out of the carriage and glanced around.
Even though they had entered the town, there were hardly any civilians, only soldiers.
Demian also surveyed the area.
“...Is it because of the monsters?”
‘Lifeless’ was the perfect word for it.
Though people could be seen here and there, they all seemed to shrink back, hurrying to get away.
Most of the people in Erkal made a living by venturing into the Broncerian Forest to gather medicinal herbs.
It was a dangerous line of work, but their options were limited.
Ironically, perhaps because of the danger, the quality and quantity of the herbs were substantial.
‘In the case of amancho, it accounts for 60% of the entire kingdom's production.’
Amancho was a peculiar herb, possessing a toxic quality.
Consuming it raw would cause high fever and diarrhea, but with proper processing, it became an ingredient for a potent painkiller.
Besides that, a great many other things came from the Broncerian Forest.
For that reason, the kingdom couldn't afford to abandon the Broncerian Forest either.
“Let’s head to the unit.”
“Alright.”
After a quick look around, Demian headed toward the Neokalitz Unit’s base.
Unlike Erkal’s garrison, the Neokalitz Unit was located deeper inside the town.
*Thud, thud.*
Just as they arrived in front of the Neokalitz Unit’s base.
“...Huh?”
Kyle stared at the base with a puzzled expression.
“Do people actually live here?”
The base wasn’t very large.
And what's more…
“...I bet one punch would bring it down.”
The walls were cracked.
There was no one guarding the entrance.
Inside, the base was silent, without a single person walking about, filled only with a strange, eerie atmosphere.
It was an awkward situation to walk into.
But just then.
“...?”
The faint scent of blood drifted on the wind.
The familiar smell made Demian turn his head and look back.
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re coming.”
Though hidden by the fog, their figures slowly began to emerge.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
Soldiers with blood-soaked weapons slung over their shoulders.
A few of the wounded walked with the support of their comrades.
“…”
And there was one who had met his end, carried on a stretcher.
A blood-stained insignia was pinned to their shoulders.
Beneath the image of two crossed swords, the letters NEO were engraved, flanked by angel wings that seemed to embrace them, stretching downward.
It was the Neokalitz Unit.
*Gulp.*
At the gruesome sight, Kyle swallowed hard without realizing it.
Beside him, Demian simply watched them with hollow eyes.
Every one of them had a look that hadn’t shed its bloodlust.
They walked as if nothing was wrong, but the hands gripping their weapons trembled faintly.
Each step they took was heavy and labored.
Demian understood their situation better than anyone.
He himself had once looked just like that.
Soon, they entered the base.
“...Phew!”
Kyle let out a huge breath.
He had been holding it, overwhelmed by the intense tension and pressure.
“Why do they all look like that? Like… like ghosts or something?”
“You’ll have to get used to it. This is that kind of place.”
An era of peace.
And this was one of the few fierce battlefields within it.
For them, life was a daily struggle for survival, a desperate clawing to stay alive.
Suddenly, he remembered something he had once said to his subordinates.
—"What do you think is the most important duty of a soldier?"
—"Carrying out orders?"
—"Well, isn't it to kill the enemy well? Fuck, even if I die! Huh? I'll take down twenty of them with me!"
The boisterous replies of his men.
Demian had smacked the back of the head of the subordinate who said he’d kill twenty before dying.
—"Ow! Why'd you only hit me!"
—"Because your answer was the worst."
Everyone could have their own opinion.
But in Demian’s mind, there was only one correct answer.
—"To not die."
Don’t die.
Never take your lives lightly. Survive and return, no matter what.
Demian had always emphasized ‘not dying.’
Because no matter how many merits you earn, it all ends if you die.
‘…Though they all died in the end.’
You must gather your strength to avoid death.
You must execute tactics to avoid death.
To avoid death…
‘You must become stronger.’
Demian watched the backs of the Neokalitz Unit members as they disappeared inside.
Demian said to Kyle.
“Let’s go too.”
“R-Right now?!”
*The atmosphere is so damn heavy.*
Seeing Demian already walking into the base, Kyle swallowed his remaining words and hurried to follow.
* * *
“Fuck, those damn garrison bastards!”
*CRASH!*
He threw his helmet into a corner.
As if that wasn't enough to vent his anger, he continued to spit out a stream of curses.
But no one tried to stop him.
It wasn't because he was a senior or because they were afraid of him.
It was because they all felt the same.
Something had been wrong with the operation.
“They said it was a single squad of orcs.”
“A single squad, my ass!”
Orcs were similar to their lesser kin but were considered a higher-grade monster.
A single squad consisted of about twenty. But…
“There were over thirty orcs. And there was even an orc mage!”
Adding a single mage was equivalent to the fighting power of an entire additional orc squad.
They had essentially faced two and a half squads.
Reconnaissance was solely the responsibility of the Erkal garrison, which only fueled their rage.
“Since they’re not the ones going out, they always half-ass it. We can’t just let this slide.”
“I’m going to go tear the heads off those recon bastards today!”
His anger hadn't subsided.
“Toad’s arm is about to fall off. If he doesn't get treated in time, he’ll be forced into an immediate medical discharge.”
Discharge.
Fucking great.
But that was a word that didn't apply to the members of the Neokalitz Unit.
Most of them had been sent here in lieu of receiving severe disciplinary action.
Voluntary discharge was impossible.
Their only options were to rot in prison for life or wallow in this hellhole.
The only sliver of hope was that the pay in the Neokalitz Unit was enormous.
Several times that of a regular soldier.
Many of them had families to support, which was why they had chosen this hell over prison.
But if someone became crippled like the man called Toad and was forcibly discharged…
“There’s nothing you can do after being discharged.”
“Fuck, you just get thrown away.”
That was why they had to save him, no matter what.
The reason was simple.
Next time, it could be one of them.
“...First, call a physician and send someone to the temple in Adelant. Tell them to send a priest urgently.”
“Captain, do you have any idea how much those holy rollers charge?”
A priest could certainly heal Toad’s arm.
But the wound was so severe that they would need at least a mid-level priest.
A single healing session cost tens of gold.
An emergency request, in particular, could cost a year’s salary.
The man called captain pulled a pouch from his locker.
*Jingle.*
“Here’s 20 gold. Chip in.”
“Huh? Captain, isn’t this the money you were saving for your mother’s surgery?”
“Her condition has improved a bit, so she doesn't need surgery right away.”
He said it calmly, but everyone knew it was a lie.
They were all close enough to know the number of forks in each other’s homes.
The other men bit their lips hard.
“Ah, fuck it. I’m in.”
“Me too. It’s not much, but…”
Two gold, three gold.
It was a mystery where these men, who usually squandered every coin they earned in this hellhole on fleeting pleasures, had managed to save such money.
Just then, the youngest member, who had been standing in a corner, hesitantly approached and held out a few silver coins.
“I-I’ll contribute too…”
“Rookie, use that to get yourself new boots. Your soles are completely worn out.”
“Yeah, get a good pair, not that trash they issue you. That’s your lifeline.”
The unit members tried to dissuade him, but the rookie placed the money he was holding onto the growing pile.
“Corporal Charlson got hurt because of me. Please, let me help.”
It seemed Toad’s name was Corporal Charlson.
At his words, another senior beside him threw an arm around the rookie’s neck.
“Atta boy.”
“Speaking of which, how old are you, rookie?”
“Eighteen.”
“It’s already been well over a year since you got here.”
Just surviving in this hellhole was an achievement in itself.
The senior who had collected the money grinned.
“Alright, I’ll allow it. I’ll send someone to Adelant right away.”
“I’ll go see if we can find any of the necessary herbs.”
Everyone moved to help their comrade.
But just then.
“New recruits have arrived!”
A strange voice called from outside.
* * *
“I’d forgotten.”
Tarone, the captain of the Neokalitz Unit, pulled a document from a messy pile of papers.
It was a transfer order announcing the arrival of new soldiers.
He had completely forgotten about it in the aftermath of the battle.
*Sweep.*
Tarone’s gaze fell upon Demian and Kyle.
The tall one looked sturdy and powerful, like he could be useful.
The one next to him, however…
“Thirteen?”
That was the age written in his personal information.
A deep line creased Tarone’s brow.
The youngest member of his unit was eighteen.
And now a kid five years younger had shown up?
“Volunteered… a volunteer, you say.”
Was this some new method of suicide?
He couldn't begin to understand what went on in the minds of kids these days.
Just then…
“This one graduated first in his class at the training center.”
He could tell what the captain was thinking just by the look on his face.
Sensing his thoughts, Kyle spoke up.
Tarone looked at Demian again.
“This place isn’t like the training center.”
“I know. That’s why I came.”
“You knew, and you still came? Hah… well, I suppose there’s no stopping someone who wants to die.”
Tarone looked toward the door and shouted.
“Dianal!”
“Sir!”
At the shout, a man ran in as if he had been waiting right outside.
He had grayish hair.
His short-cropped hair and sharp eyes suited him well.
He had an affable yet handsome face.
His well-built muscles were visible through his thin undershirt.
“Take these two, assign them a spot, and have them clean up.”
“Understood.”
Dianal replied, then turned his gaze to Demian and Kyle.
“Follow me.”
Dianal led them out and into a barracks.
He entered his own quarters and spoke.
“Here, previous ranks don’t matter. Seniority is based strictly on arrival order. The man you just saw is our captain. Forget titles like platoon leader or company commander. There’s only the captain and the vice-captain.”
His tone was anything but friendly.
Dianal pointed to a few lockers in the corner of the barracks.
“Pick whichever one you want. It’s not like you’ll be using it for long, anyway.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Kyle, who could no longer just listen, questioned Dianal.
He understood that the atmosphere was grim, but he felt this was going too far, especially on their first day.
At Kyle’s words, Dianal’s sharp eyes glared at him.
“Remember what I said about seniority being based on arrival order?”
“You just said it.”
“I’ve been in this unit for over a year. And I’m still the youngest. Do you know what that means?”
“How should I—”
Before Kyle could finish.
*THWACK!*
“Ugh!”
Dianal kicked Kyle squarely in the shin with his booted foot.
Even caught off guard, Kyle, with his sharp reflexes, had been struck without a chance to react.
Kyle’s eyes widened as he glared at Dianal.
He was about to shout something, but…
“It means that every single person who came after me is dead.”
Dianal’s eyes glinted with a cold light.
Kyle flinched.
He might be the youngest, but this was a man who had survived in this hell for over a year.
He was nothing like a regular soldier.
Overwhelmed by Dianal’s gaze, Kyle forgot the pain in his shin and simply stared at him.
The strange pressure radiating from him felt as if it would swallow him whole.
“Unpack your things and clean the barracks until it’s spotless. I’ll explain the rest after that.”
Dianal turned and walked out of the barracks.
Kyle spoke, a dumbfounded look on his face.
“What kind of an asshole is that?”
“Hehehehehehehehe.”
But as soon as Dianal was gone, Demian, who was standing beside him, began to laugh, his shoulders shaking.
Seeing this, Kyle asked.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. It’s just that he seems the same as ever.”
Demian looked toward the doorway where Dianal had disappeared, recalling memories from long ago.