The Strange Young Sergeant
“It’s my free time again until the 4th Platoon arrives.”
“I am grateful for your consideration.”
Arteon said to Claw.
He had been assigned as the 4th Squad Leader of the 4th Platoon, yet the 4th Squad that had marched off to the battlefield was still absent.
Claw let out a soft laugh.
“Keep the wound on your hand from getting infected. Small cuts can fester and cause a lot of trouble if they’re not managed properly.”
Even after only a few days, he seemed to have grown a little closer to Arteon.
Claw offered Arteon an herb good for reducing inflammation.
“Grind it well and apply it to the wound; it should work wonders.”
Steel’s Heart! Thank you very much!
“I’ll keep an eye on you. You work hard here too.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Claw turned to leave.
……
Claw recalled Arteon’s appearance.
At best, he was a one-year veteran.
His gaze, his bearing, and that oddly natural air of composure—it was impossible to believe he had served less than a decade.
Here too, the feeling was that this fellow would accomplish something.
Arteon stood at attention, watching Claw until he had completely vanished, then finally stared at the herb clutched in his hand.
……A lot had changed.
Since he had first joined the army.
In his past life, he had been treated like air until he reached the rank of 4th Platoon Leader.
No one had watched over him, no one had cared.
He had barely scraped through those lonely years of struggle.
But……
The very start of things had changed completely now.
Of course, he didn’t know whether this was a true promotion to 4th Squad Leader or some kind of demotion.
Soon Arteon pulled the staff from behind his waist.
Until now he had deliberately avoided using Vargas’s spear to keep a low profile, but
“Here, it won’t matter anymore.”
If asked, he could simply say he had received it as a reward.
Even if it differed from the public version, hardly anyone would pay attention to a single staff.
And……
With a light flick, it would revert to the appearance of an ordinary stick without mana infused.
This way he could easily avoid the eyes of his new squad mates.
Return.
He probably wouldn’t do it today.
At the earliest, it would be tomorrow.
Arteon stepped inside the barracks and began tidying his assigned quarters.
From now on, this was where he would stay.
Arteon had barely reached the second-star realm after two weeks of brutal training.
Vargas’s spear skill could only be used when mana cultivation methods kept the mana level in check.
The magic circle that amplified mana density had been a tremendous help.
Despite the short two weeks, he had achieved this result by not wasting a single second.
And if he continued to push himself……
I can do it.
In his past life, Arteon had been nothing more than a tool for Moldrek—discarded the moment he was no longer useful.
It hadn’t stopped there.
Politics among the upper echelons of the Empire had been using the northern battlefield solely for their own gain.
……Further, the Kar Tribe warriors facing them across the front had done the same.
In the end, every soldier on the northern front was merely a chess piece for the Empire’s vested interests.
But……
This time it would be different.
No matter what you want, you will not get it.
How strong are these soldiers fighting at the very front of the northern front?
I will show you clearly.
So first, we must seize the northern front.
……Hah.
I will live each day like a year.
And I will pay it back in full.
The unjust deaths of my comrades.
……A million times over.
By now Arteon’s eyes had grown cold and sharp.
A day passed.
And the 4th Platoon that had marched to the battlefield returned.
* * *
……A new squad leader has arrived?
Hendris, upon learning the news the moment the platoon returned, wore an astonished expression.
Although the 4th Squad Leader was temporarily in charge, they were suddenly appointing one?
Moreover, this soldier had only just been promoted to private—how could they make him the 4th Squad Leader?
But…… that soldier this time……
The soldier reporting to Hendris approached closer.
Hendris’s eyes widened.
……He survived the Bareda Hill punishment?
He had even committed noble murder.
Hendris pressed his temples with both hands, the pain in his head throbbing.
What sin had he committed in his previous life that they would station such freaks here?
They were actually trying to pile all the dregs together in one place.
Of course, just looking at the composition of the 4th Platoon made that clear.
Almost all of them had been sent to the northern front after committing major crimes in the Empire.
But that was exactly why the platoon leaders had to be normal.
Only then would the unit be able to function properly.
……Now they were even planning to abandon the 4th Platoon altogether. What on earth was the Division Commander thinking?
Hendris sighed. There was no way to reverse a decision that had already been made.
He said, “Bring him in. I’ll meet him first.”
If he proved unsuitable after meeting, Hendris had planned to go see the Division Commander.
But……
Steel’s Heart! Private Arteon. I report to the 4th Platoon Leader, Hendris!
……Sit down.
Yes, thank you.
For some reason, the soldier who had only been in the military for a year carried himself with absolute discipline.
His salute was perfect.
It was the first time in a long while that Hendris had seen a real soldier in this filthy 4th Platoon.
Hendris asked, “I heard you were appointed 4th Squad Leader. Do you know what kind of platoon the 4th is?”
Arteon looked at Hendris.
This man……
Is the one who led the 4th Platoon before me?
This was the first time they had met face to face, but Arteon knew quite a bit about Hendris.
He wasn’t outstanding in any single area, but he possessed a well-rounded set of abilities.
The thing that had impressed Arteon most deeply was
The ability to handle matters strictly by regulations without letting personal feelings interfere.
In other words, a proper soldier.
Arteon liked people like that.
There was no greater annoyance than a superior who changed his mind based on mood.
Arteon said, “I’ve heard it before.”
“Then you know it won’t be easy…… but are you sure you’re up for it?”
Hendris looked at him with concern.
Even if he was a soldier with iron discipline, things could change completely when facing the 4th Platoon members.
These were literal hooligans who had been dragged to the front after committing serious crimes.
That was why they were always the first to be thrown into the most dangerous operations, and their numbers changed frequently.
Because they had to fill the empty spots left by the dead.
Discipline was nonexistent, and the majority of them paid no heed to their superior’s orders.
Arteon’s lips curved into a small smile at Hendris’s words.
Yet Hendris saw nothing funny about it.
His gaze was cool and lowered.
This kid…… was he really a one-year soldier?
He had said he was fifteen.
A fifteen-year-old, one-year veteran……
How could he possess such eyes?
Hendris had been fighting on the northern front for three years.
The northern front was the most brutal battlefield in the Empire—where survival rates were the lowest.
He had experienced countless things and had developed a keen eye for people.
Even among the five- or six-year veterans, no one possessed that kind of gaze.
The closest was probably
The one called the Ogre—Velkain Caeron of Benhard?
Hendris swallowed hard without realizing it.
At that moment Arteon said, “I have one request, sir.”
“Go ahead.”
“For the time being, while we get the squad members back on track, I plan to let them do things their own way. I ask that you trust me and give us the time we need.”
Hendris understood the meaning at once.
He said, “I should warn you…… the 4th Platoon soldiers are rough. It will be different from your previous unit.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
I’m pretty rough myself.
He didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning had clearly come through in his eyes.
Hendris nodded.
He felt that this kid could be trusted.
It was nothing more than a veteran’s instinct, but still.
“Do as you wish.”
Hendris accepted.
“Yes, thank you.”
Arteon rose from his seat, saluted Hendris, and left the barracks.
Alone in the barracks, Hendris was left staring at the empty spot where Arteon had stood.
……What a bizarre fellow they had sent to the unit.
* * *
Bert—Murder for power struggles among street gangs.
Raymon—Insulting and assaulting a noble.
Raphelson—Illegal weapons trading.
Zalbarog—Murder of a noble.
Graphil—Pickpocketing.
After the operation, Arteon was reviewing the information on the five surviving members of his squad.
Unhappily, none of them had been part of the squad he had led before.
And, as expected, none of them were easy to handle.
Of the bunch, the one with the lightest crime was Graphil, the pickpocket.
……Nearly a hundred pickpocketing attempts on noblewomen.
It was an almost unbelievable number considering how many times his wrist had not been cut off.
To face these fellows with no easy prey, Arteon stood up.
Still, the squad members did not carry records he could not forgive.
If there had been any criminals who targeted women or children, he would have turned them into cripples on the spot.
……If they are like this, they could become useful if shaped properly.
Moreover, all five who had survived until now had been at the front for more than two years.
Surviving more than two years in the 4th Platoon—the unit thrown into the most dangerous operations—meant they each had some backbone.
And that was proof they were not easy to handle either.
That was why Hendris had looked at him with such concern.
But……
They would do better to just bite their tongues and die.
This was the very first step toward the grand plan.
Arteon immediately headed toward the barracks where the 4th Squad members were gathered.
When he reached the barracks, the stench of unwashed sweat and the untidy interior assaulted his senses.
Weapons and armor lay scattered in the corners like rubbish, and everyone was sprawled across the bunks without a care, fast asleep.
Bloody crusts clung to every part of their bodies.
Dirt baked into their sweat left clear marks on their clothes.
Arteon let out a small sigh.
Then, slowly drawing in mana, he focused his voice.
Everyone, rise—knightaaaaang!
……!
The voice carrying mana echoed through the barracks like a loudspeaker.
The sleeping 4th Squad soldiers shot upright, eyes wide open, unable even to scream.
Ke, keuk!
What the?! What the?!
Latecomers who cleared their throats and the ones shouting saw Arteon standing at the entrance.
Arteon looked at them and said, “Greetings. I am the newly appointed 4th Squad Leader, Arteon.”
Arteon smiled with genuine joy, gazing at them.