Reveille for Trench Duty
From afar came the sound of the reveille trumpet—puuuuw. Not the Korean-style pam pam pam pam pam, but something a bit fresher. Of course, that was just because it was new to me. I'd get used to it soon enough, hearing it every day.
I kept my eyes shut. My body was slowly waking up, but my mind was still deep in sweet slumber. Then—bang—the door flew open. Click-clack, click-clack came the sound of heels approaching. My eyes stayed closed. I knew exactly who it was, but I figured I'd hold out as long as I could.
"Your Highness, I know you're awake."
"......"
"I'm going to lift you up now."
"...Just five more minutes like this."
"You can't start slacking off on day two."
"Argh... seriously..."
I didn't want to get up. Trench construction, for fuck's sake. Does it make any sense to have that on the day after enlistment? What kind of rotten luck is this?
Elina let out a bubbly giggle, either oblivious or fully aware of my plight.
"It's been ages since I've seen you like this, Your Highness. You were always like this on academy exam mornings."
"Elina, you wouldn't get it. Trench construction isn't on the same level as some exam."
"You'll pull through like always, though, right?"
......
Haa....
"Yeah. I have to."
"All right! Up you get—time to wash up!"
Her pep talk wore me down. I dragged my feet all the way to the bathroom. Once I'd straightened myself out and headed downstairs, a delicious aroma wafted over. The maids had finished preparing breakfast: bread perfectly baked with cheese on top, steaming tomato soup, crispy bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs with their bright yellow yolks and whites.
Damn, this was leagues above last night's mess hall slop. Eating with the maids had its perks.
I scooped up some soup for my first bite. As I blew on it to cool it down—
"Double time, sing the marching song! The marching song is the empire's morning! Begin— one, two, three, four!"
A booming command was followed by the gravelly voices of the men belting out the tune. The soldiers must have been at morning roll call. Looking back at my spread with that in mind soured my mood a bit. They're choking down mess hall grub while I'm here with this? Is that okay? To be fair, this wasn't even officer chow—it was straight-up noble fare. Finish this, and I'd bet cookies and tea would come out 100%.
......Tch.
"Sorry, but I'll have breakfast at the mess hall."
"P-Pardon? Your Highness! If the food isn't to your liking, we'll prepare it again right away!"
The maids jumped in shock at my words, probably thinking they'd messed up somehow. I reassured them.
"Nothing like that—don't worry. I just want to get used to military life a little faster."
Honestly, it was all for show. But wrapping it in fancy words like that boosted my dignity, didn't it?
"Elina, it'd be a shame to waste this, so you eat it."
"Sure thing."
"And if the other maids try to chew out the kitchen staff not knowing the situation, stop them."
"Of course. I know exactly what you mean."
I left the rest to her! And so I arrived at the mess hall. The soldiers startled when I barged in, but I ignored them, grabbed a tray, and got my rations. Hard bread that clattered onto the plate and some thick stew—I had no idea how long it'd been simmering—then sat at an empty spot.
I tore off a chunk of bread and dunked it deep into the stew. Popped the sauce-soaked piece in my mouth. One chew, two—the tough, chewy texture hit first, followed by the mushy mush of unidentifiable chunks. It was hearty enough to fill you up, but the taste? Meh. Not that I'd expected much from army chow. Even in the Korean military, where cooks were specialists, the food got complaints. Here, where soldiers took turns cooking? No contest.
......Haa. Honestly, I regretted it after one bite. Should've eaten at the house. Cheese bread and tomato soup were dancing in my head. No more showboating next time.
I was grumbling internally when—
"Didn't expect to see you eating here."
The platoon leader's voice. He sat across from me, tray in hand—looked like he'd just finished and was heading to return it.
"Trying to get used to the chow."
"You won't."
Hey, man! I know!
"Heard you're on trench duty starting today?"
"Yes, sir."
"As you know, we don't have a 1st Squad Leader right now. So take charge of 1st Squad temporarily and oversee the construction."
"Understood. But I don't know the trench site's location yet."
"Doesn't matter—we're moving by platoon anyway."
Fair enough. I nodded, and he got up like that was that.
Workday begins. Time to head out for trench construction. Everyone from the battalion except 2nd Company—assigned to base guard duty—gathered in the parade ground.
The battalion commander stood before the assembled troops and said just one thing.
"Time to go dig."
That was the signal. Platoons near the guard post departed first, one by one. While waiting our turn, I asked the platoon leader something that'd been bugging me.
"We're heading out to build, but no one's carrying tools?"
Oddly, nobody had picks, shovels, or saws. They had sacks for hauling dirt, so they weren't digging bare-handed. Even the battalion commander had said "go dig."
"You know the Silver Eagle Corps' main mission, right?"
"Protecting the Irons pine Mountains mines."
"Exactly. That's why our trenches are mostly right in front of the mines. And the mines have storage for shovels, picks, and such."
"Ah... Makes sense. Miners come and go daily, so inventory's easy to track."
"Spot on."
That explained it. Construction was one thing, but lugging tools would've been a pain. Having them ready at the site? Perfect.
"3rd Company, move out! 1st Platoon, step off!"
The company commander's voice. Our turn.
"Form up."
At the platoon leader's order, soldiers loaded onto the supply wagons by squad. The platoon leader and I took the front, 2nd and 3rd Squad Leaders the rear. Following 2nd Platoon, we set off. The column snaked deep into the Irons pine Mountains, splitting off at forks—our platoon branched away at one point.
"How much farther from here?"
"Past this ravine is an abandoned mine, then about 20 more minutes."
Closer than I thought. Good. I'd assumed trench duty meant overnight stays, but our battalion's sites were close enough for daily commutes. Korean units varied too—I'd just gotten spooked from my past life's memories.
"What kind of ore comes from our trench's mine?"
"High-grade mana stones. Needs fine work, so we collaborate with kobolds mostly."
Whoa, kobolds. Race that sticks to mines—never crossed paths before. Guess today was the day.
"Oh, speaking of kobolds."
"Yes?"
"Obvious, but they have a different culture from humans. Living habits, speech patterns, all that."
"Different species, after all."
"So whatever they do, just roll with it."
Roll with it, huh... What happened with the kobolds to warrant that? Or was it just prep because I'm a princess? Whatever—I'll see soon enough.
Getting hot, though. Sweat trickled under my helmet, prepped for potential rockfalls. I raised my visor to wipe it, pulling a handkerchief from my pocket to mop my face. Felt the platoon leader staring.
"Want one, sir?"
"...No thanks."
Offered it—he shot it down flat. Suit yourself.
True to his word, 20 minutes past the abandoned mine brought the mine entrance into view. And clustered in front: kobolds.
At a glance, they looked like kids, 80-90 cm tall. But pointed ears, conical hats, and glowing blue eyes screamed "not human."
One that seemed like the rep approached us. The platoon leader dismounted to meet him.
"Mr. Tikpic."
"Leonid. Trench day today, huh?"
"Yes."
"Forgot all about it, haha."
Seemed like a jolly uncle type. So why the "roll with it" warning?
As I pondered, Tikpic turned to me. His eyes bulged like saucers, and he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"What the—there's a female here?!"
......Huh? What'd he just say?