Chapter 242
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 242
Chapter Title: #Stay of Execution (14)
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Is there some other reason? He didn't seem like a rigid stickler for rules, judging from the order to skip the report or the open-plan command post. Winter pondered, choosing his words carefully.
"Unlike other animals, I've heard that dogs and cats are designated for accompanied withdrawal even in non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO). They're considered family members, so abandonment isn't allowed."
"People always come first, of course, but so what?"
"I think that means dogs and cats are universal pets that resonate with a lot of people. That shared empathy could help the soldiers here too. Don't they use animal interactions to treat post-traumatic stress disorder?"
"Was that really a judgment you made as a commander?"
The Major General tilted his head with a scoff.
"I'm talking about your actions during that last mission. At the point when you took in that dog, the operation was still ongoing. Regardless of success or failure, secrecy was essential for the safety of your subordinates. Aren't you saying you took unnecessary risks out of misplaced compassion?"
"It was a manageable risk."
"Why did you take it in?"
"Because one of the team members was showing signs of psychological instability."
"Was it urgent?"
"No. But if we'd abandoned or killed the dog, it likely would have caused problems. It had already tracked us once after we left it behind by scent."
It seemed the dog itself hadn't been the issue. Winter had gone from combat medic to Major in less than a year, so his combat prowess aside, his command qualifications were fair game for scrutiny. He'd prioritized youthful sensitivity over a commander's sense of responsibility.
The general gave a slight nod.
"Understood."
"Thank you, sir."
"Now, onto the humans who are worth less than dogs. Did you spare them for the same reason?"
"If you're asking whether I didn't kill them to avoid burdening my team mentally, then yes and no."
"Yes and no?"
"We couldn't just kill them off simply because they were death row inmates."
"Why not?"
"Death row inmates are people who've been sentenced to death. But death isn't just any method of killing that wraps it up. For both the one dying and the one doing the killing, I judged that on-site execution at a commander's discretion was wrong. If I may be so bold, I believe you and I have a duty to refuse inhumane orders."
That last duty had emerged since the Nazis and Imperial Japan.
"They're going to die anyway," was exactly the logic spouted by Team Leader Chadwick.
The machine-like Rogers Major General fell silent. The dry, rapid-fire exchange was taxing even for Winter. Despite having anticipated every question before coming. This was the general's way of demanding honesty.
"You speak well."
"I prepared."
"I figured."
Rogers Major General showed emotion for the first time.
"I hate giving that order too. But wasting manpower and resources managing petty criminals is even worse. Especially when we have so many soldiers who already need managing."
"I understand, sir."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
"......"
"Good intentions you can't handle alone are evil. Especially for a commander. Every decision risks your subordinates' lives. In war, no matter how good the process, a bad outcome means nothing."
You learn that writing letters to the parents of dead unit members. Rogers said.
Winter agreed. People have limits. He'd told the alliance members differently because they were unilaterally leaning on him. If you want something from me, accept me as I am. Only come if you're confident in that. I'll protect my own heart. I won't hold back those who leave.
"Diverting personnel from prisoner management to operations increases the odds of one more survival."
The general shifted in his seat.
"So we can't keep them alive. Speak up now if you have objections."
"You've already decided, haven't you, sir?"
"You're a key asset to the U.S. Army. Better to sideline you if this kills your fighting spirit."
It felt like he wasn't treating Winter as a person, but rather evaluating each subordinate's life with cold objectivity. Hard to call it good or bad.
Even if sidelined, Winter's credibility to the general would stand apart.
"I'll follow whatever decision you make, sir. But first, please take a look at this."
Winter stepped forward, placed the children's letters on the desk, and retreated. The crumpled pink paper lay atop the tactical map. The frowning general unfolded the letters one by one.
After reading them all, the major general sighed and asked.
"What is this?"
"As you see, sir. Petitions from the children. When I went to check on civilian survival at the outpost, a prisoner named Manuel Hayes was protecting them."
"......"
"I spoke to him myself....... He said he killed someone over hunger and a hamburger. Even if true, there's no sympathy there. He killed his wife and kids to eliminate witnesses. But without him, the kids at the civilian outpost I visited would already have been infected or eaten by mutants."
Rogers Major General read the letters once more. Then folded and pocketed them neatly.
"I'll review this matter further."
To the girl Marie, who'd hooked her pinky promising to do his best, Winter couldn't push more here. It would backfire with someone like Rogers.
"You've done well. Take two days' rest."
The major general's closing words.
"A new operation is coming up soon. Full-scale offensive. Use the rest to take command of your independent company within two days. The familiar soldiers should make it easy. Any questions?"
"None, sir."
"Good. The company staff should have everything ready for takeover and operations."
That was it. Rogers Major General waved him out. Winter saluted and turned away.
Outside, dusk was falling. A Humvee waited for Winter, driver Jinseok. Unlike earlier, he wore standard combat fatigues instead of dress uniform. Still armed, though. The clear work-life divide showed how stable this base was.
"We've been waiting, sir."
Get in. Jinseok opened the rear door.
"This is pretty new."
The driver chuckled at Winter's comment.
"Until Company Commander...... no, until you left, sir, we didn't even have our own operable vehicles. In a way, this is thanks to you too, sir."
The entire crew was from the Winter Alliance. The soldier sitting beside Winter stiffened like stone. He gripped his rifle diagonally, staring 45 degrees upward. Questionable if he was even breathing.
In the machine gun turret sat Casey Blackwell, the Korean adoptee with the distinctive forehead scar. Now in Jinseok's platoon, apparently. Expressionless, but not as dark as before.
"Jinseok. Is the company base far?"
Jinseok frowned at Winter's question.
"Sir, don't call me that in front of the troops."
"Hm, got it. Lieutenant Park Jinseok. That's awkward too."
"Lieutenant Lee Yura and I went through the same thing. Hard to adjust even to something so minor."
Commissioned as officers, their old Winter Alliance squad leader titles meant nothing now. No need for them anymore. With an independent company made entirely of alliance members, no other groups would pick fights.
"The company base is right nearby. Even if unit bases are spaced out, they're within mutual heavy weapons range. Training said it's a lesson from Vietnam. The blockade bunkers are positioned the same way."
Heavy weapons meant machine guns or automatic grenade launchers. With bases covering each other, they could provide fire support in emergencies and secure mobility routes.
"By the way, sir. I heard you brought back the death row inmates."
This topic again. Winter nodded.
"Yeah. They were at the civilian outpost. Must've fled when the front lines collapsed."
"Did you discuss it with the division commander, sir?"
"Hm, how'd you know?"
"Little Boss...... sorry. I figured you'd do that, Company Commander."
Winter gave an awkward smile. Jinseok, conversely, hardened his expression. His already humorless face grew even drier. The other soldiers tensed further.
"Honestly, I'm worried, sir."
Winter tilted his head at Jinseok's words.
"Worried I'll fall out of favor?"
"Something like that. A lot of people have staked their lives on you, Company Commander."
Some things hadn't changed. Jinseok had always prioritized alliance members first. Borrowing Lt. Gen. Sieru's words, protect your own fence first. The world is too big for one person to handle. Beyond human limits......
"Don't worry too much. Major General Rogers didn't seem displeased."
"This isn't just about this incident, sir."
At least Jinseok's demeanor had grown more polite.
"While you were gone, a lot of dirty things happened at Fort Roberts. Especially when they said you were dead......"
Jinseok trailed off. Winter had suspected as much.
"I couldn't do anything."
"......"
"It has to be you, Boss. Alliance or not, without Little Boss, we're all just dogs. No such thing as separate trash humans."
Winter didn't correct the title. These were words bottled up too deep to notice. Now he understood the poor complexion since reunion. In hindsight, it even felt listless.
"So this is personal, but...... I wish you'd be a bit more selfish, Company Commander."
No real reply needed. Sometimes just voicing it satisfies.
There'd be time for more stories during reunion. No, he had to hear them.
The independent company's base was identifiable from afar, thanks to the soldiers' skin tones. Still daylight. Soldiers spotted the approaching Humvee, stopped what they were doing, and gathered.
Finally, Winter felt like he was returning to his story.
============================ Author's Note ============================
#Q&A
Q. Carpis: @How long did it take Winter to go from Private First Class to Major?? A year or two?
A. Less than a year, as mentioned in the main story.
Q. Phoenix's Era: I'm lost on the flow.. Yura and the others didn't come looking for him, right? Winter returned to his original base??
A. No. Earlier, the President said he'd send an independent company of Winter Alliance members to FOB Olema and asked Winter's opinion.
Q. Please Pick Up The Soap: Author-nim, are you a full-time writer???
A. Yes. I make my living from novels.
Q. Ronap: What's the survival rate for troops committed to the overt liberation op? It'll probably wrap up by chapter's end, but curious. After the overt liberation op, overseas deployment? Excited for the next developments.
A. Survival rate... Since we committed so many troops from the start, the percentage isn't that low.
Q. Rumen: Bahadar... Ethiopian?
A. No. Sing is from elsewhere.
Q. Ghost Char: @I get emphasizing East Asian when signing, but did it have to be in Hanja? Protagonist is Korean-American by setting, and with the nuke incident, views on China are bad... Korean Hangul would emphasize East Asia without lagging behind Hanja.
A. It's Burrowta: Korean is only used in Korea, but Hanja is officially used in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and North Korea, Taiwan, Singapore are seen as Hanja cultural spheres. Considering the U.S. policy to quell rumors like nuke incidents or plague China origin theories by emphasizing East Asian, choosing the more inclusive option makes sense.
Burrowta's opinion is correct. To add a bit, think from an American perspective. Most don't even know where East Asian countries are on a map. Hangul is just as foreign.