Chapter 51
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Kaion Unit's First Briefing
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"...And those are the ten squad leaders."
Demian was chosen as the deputy commander, and then the ten squad leaders were announced.
Interestingly, among those ten were Dianal, Kyle, Jerka, and Terka.
The twin brothers, Jerka and Terka.
Both had been Demian's subordinates in the past.
Vincent continued.
"From now on, the training will be quite intense. And all training for the Kaion Unit will henceforth be..."
Vincent glanced at Leonhard, who stood beside him.
"Conducted by Instructor Leonhard here. He is known as the finest instructor in the kingdom. I dare say, disobey his orders, and you will be severely punished under military law. Be warned."
"Yes, sir!"
Vincent nodded in satisfaction at the thunderous reply from the unit members.
There had been a bit of friction at the start.
But once they moved past it, things seemed to be proceeding smoothly.
Vincent continued.
"Our primary mission is to conduct operations at the border. We've recently detected signs of reconnaissance soldiers from other kingdoms crossing over. Your first task will be to capture them, and further, to engage enemy soldiers who have secretly infiltrated the kingdom."
Demian's expression hardened at Vincent's words.
He now understood why the Kaion Unit had been designated as an independent unit.
'So, we're a kind of special operations force.'
It explained why they placed such a high value on martial strength.
'And at the border, no less.'
There had been intelligence for several months about individuals suspected of being Imperial scouts entering the border region.
Seeing that they had gone so far as to create an independent unit to counter them...
'It seems the problem hasn't been solved yet...'
As far as Demian knew, the northern border patrol was no pushover.
Though it was an era of peace, the border with another kingdom was always manned by elite soldiers.
"Time is short, so I'll be brief."
Vincent continued speaking.
"The first operation will be carried out by a small team. Only myself, the deputy commander, and the squad leaders will be deployed. The rest of the soldiers will remain at headquarters for training."
The plan was to select soldiers with special skills through training and reorganize the unit later.
"Furthermore, as I said at the beginning, this unit requires formidable martial strength. Therefore, for those who wish to become a squad leader or even the deputy commander, I will provide an opportunity to challenge for the position on a designated day."
"Hmm?"
"An opportunity?"
"Oh?!"
In that instant, a glint appeared in the soldiers' eyes.
It meant there was always a chance to rise through the ranks.
Feeling the gazes of the unit members, Vincent seemed to ponder for a moment.
"Hmm, let's call them promotion matches. We'll hold them on the last day of every month. Anyone who wishes to challenge may do so. And those who wish to keep their positions had better work hard to defend them."
"Yes, sir!"
"Since we are just starting out, there will be some bumps along the road. We will resolve them through communication as much as possible, and..."
Vincent paused for a moment.
He looked at the unit members and said firmly.
"Remember the chain of command."
"Yes, sir!"
And with that, the Kaion Unit was officially launched.
The unit members began to unpack their belongings at their assigned spots in the barracks.
From now on, this place.
"Is where we'll be living."
"The barracks seem decent enough, though."
"Much better... than when I was in the Neokalitz Unit."
It seemed that since they had created an independent unit for difficult missions, the support was substantial.
And...
"The deputy commander and squad leaders will assemble in the meeting room in thirty minutes. We will begin the operational briefing."
Along with Vincent's words.
"The rest of you, assemble on the training grounds in thirty minutes. Training begins now."
At Leonhard's command, the soldiers tensed up.
After all, Leonhard was famous for training so intense it made even knights tremble.
The beginning of the Kaion Unit.
An unusual tension filled the air from the very start.
***
*Fwip-fwip!*
"Dammit!"
He had given it his all in the chase, only to lose them right before his eyes.
One of the border patrolmen scowled and swore under his breath.
"Sons of bitches! Where the hell did they go?!"
The intruders, who had once only been a nuisance lurking around, had recently begun to cross into the border.
It had been quite some time since they first spotted them moving stealthily, as if scouting the area.
But.
"...Did we lose them?"
The patrolman leading the pursuit team let out a small sigh.
He was sure they were Imperial scouts based on suspicion alone, but he had no physical proof.
Of course, the royal palace would send a letter of protest to the Empire over this, but without evidence, it would have no effect.
In fact, a strong protest might even give the Empire an excuse to cause trouble.
Ultimately, to lodge a definitive protest, they needed to capture the intruders and secure evidence.
"Damn it... We should have caught them."
They were incredibly fast.
But more importantly...
'They know the geography of this area too well.'
That fact had several implications.
Either there was a spy among the kingdom's soldiers, or if not that...
'Do they have an information route we don't know about?'
Either way, it was a very unfavorable situation for them.
It meant that, one way or another, their intelligence network was far superior.
With a sense of unease, the pursuit team's leader sighed softly and looked at his men.
"We're heading back."
They had gained nothing, but they couldn't afford to waste any more time here.
Their steps on the way back.
Felt as heavy as if their boots were filled with lead, but they simply returned with grim expressions.
***
Demian and the other unit members gathered in the meeting room.
Vincent stood before a wall with a map of the kingdom and spoke.
"The northern border is adjacent to the Spenian Kingdom. The area we've been assigned is this section here, in the east."
Vincent said, circling an area with a pointer. Demian then asked.
"Does that mean the border patrol is responsible for the other side?"
"No, our mission is to support the border patrol."
"Ah... I see."
Even though they were an independent unit, it seemed they wouldn't be sent on such a dangerous mission alone, being newly formed.
Vincent then turned his attention to the Spenian Kingdom on the map.
"Lately, individuals suspected of being Imperial soldiers have been continuously infiltrating the border. The situation is quite difficult, as there is still no concrete evidence."
"But how can those Imperial bastards reach the northern border? What is the Spenian Kingdom doing?"
For the Empire to reach the kingdom's northern border, they would have to pass through the Spenian Kingdom.
Between the Empire and the Baroque Kingdom.
Were three other smaller kingdoms, including the Spenian Kingdom.
At Kyle's question, the others also looked at Vincent with curiosity.
"This is just speculation, but it could be a result of the recent war between the Spenian Kingdom and the Empire. Soldiers who entered the Spenian Kingdom during the war might have been given a mission to target their next objective."
"Their next objective, you say..."
Dianal's expression tensed.
To which Demian added.
"It means the Empire is planning to expand not only into the smaller kingdoms in this central region but also into our own."
"...I believe so as well. The current ruling class of the Empire has long held ambitions of territorial expansion."
Vincent agreed.
What was slightly surprising, however, was how sharp Demian's assessment of the situation was for an ordinary soldier.
'He's only fourteen...'
But Vincent quickly dismissed the boy's age from his mind.
Hadn't Leonhard advised him?
*—What does age have to do with skill?*
He decided not to judge him by the standard of his age.
Vincent continued.
"First, we must operate under the assumption that the Empire has other intentions."
"But, Commander."
"Speak."
At Vincent's prompting, Dianal spoke.
"What if they aren't Imperial scouts? It seems we're jumping to the conclusion that they're Imperial soldiers."
"Whether they're from the Empire or not doesn't matter much. We only assume so because their reconnaissance methods are similar to the Empire's. Regardless of where they're from, we still have to capture them."
Demian nodded at Vincent's words.
"An engagement could occur in the process, then."
"That's right. They'll do anything to avoid being captured."
Besides, though they were called scouts, they were skilled enough to have repeatedly evaded the kingdom's border patrol.
Their skills were anything but ordinary.
"However, you must remember that our role is 'support,' not a frontal assault. Do not forget that our mission is to assist the border patrol by blocking the enemy's retreat or slowing their movements."
"Yes, sir!"
The unit members replied.
Vincent looked at the map and said.
"First, we will..."
He tapped the map.
"Move to this location."
At his words, the unit members in their seats nodded.
***
Night had fallen.
While everyone else was asleep, Demian lay with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
'...A mission.'
This was a mission qualitatively different from simply hunting monsters.
He realized that far more people were actively working to maintain this era of peace than he had thought.
'I thought everyone was just taking it easy and enjoying the sweet life during this period.'
The Neokalitz Unit had been like that, and so was the newly formed Kaion Unit.
He didn't know how dangerous this mission would be, but.
'It's an operation where people could die.'
Although it was a support mission, the risk was considerably high since they would be encountering enemy scouts.
He also learned later that most of the soldiers gathered here had at least four to five years of military experience.
The three from the Neokalitz Unit actually had the least experience.
'Well, that doesn't matter.'
What did concern him, however, was how quickly everyone would be able to react when facing an enemy in real combat.
Especially.
'The feeling of having to kill someone... will be completely different.'
Dianal and Kyle had experience hunting monsters.
But those were just monsters.
It was a completely different concept from facing a person.
No matter if they were enemies who had crossed the border, the hesitation that comes with having to kill a person was unavoidable.
It's only human to hesitate when it comes to killing another human.
That's why actual combat experience is crucial.
How one can suppress an opponent in such a situation without hesitation is a huge part of warfare.
Demian closed his eyes.
Whenever he closed his eyes, scenes from the battlefields of his past came to mind.
The first battlefield of his past appeared before Demian's eyes.
The time he had to fight his first battle with the hastily formed Punishment Squad.
'...A lot of them died back then.'
Some died because they were outmatched in skill, but a great many also died because they hesitated at the critical moment.
In a way, he thought that what happened then could repeat itself.
Demian opened his eyes again.
'Perhaps...'
This mission.
This factor could become a significant variable.
He didn't know what kind of experience the others had.
'It wouldn't hurt to be prepared.'
That way, at least one more person might survive and return.
And if there was one fortunate thing.
'I never expected to meet Jerka and Terka here so soon.'
They had the dispositions of wild beasts, but their talents for war were exceptional.
Unsuited for an era of peace, but essential in an age of turmoil.
For now...
'I'll need to use this mission to properly awaken their potential.'
A time would surely come when he would need them in the operation.
Demian closed his eyes again, picturing the upcoming mission in his mind.