Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: It's Not a Self-Deprecating Stream
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『Victoria! That was a perfect answer!』
『Ttalgwi's viewers are reacting well too!』
I nodded proudly as I read Shin Ara's chat.
The response I'd just given was the best improvisation I could muster.
Following Shin Ara's advice, I'd kept all my answers vague and noncommittal.
I hadn't really intended to clear up the controversy in the first place, so I'd only said enough to avoid sparking new ones.
Now, I'd be seen as a pitiful girl who had merely experienced war in a region near Russia.
Neither Ttalgwi nor the viewers would know if I'd fought on Russia's side or against it—or even if I'd been a soldier or a civilian.
Of course, I worried a bit that I might have come off as too cunning.
I hadn't lied, but I hadn't been fully honest either.
But war is such a heavy, sensitive topic, isn't it?
If I got tangled up in even the slightest hint of war crimes, it would be a real headache, so I had no choice but to keep things vague and avoid taking sides.
"By any chance, do you know what CQB is, Ttalgwi?"
"Yes! It's the acronym for Close Quarters Battle!"
Either way, now was the time to calm my pounding heart by focusing on Ttalgwi.
It was up to the viewers to judge me, and worrying about it wouldn't change anything—it would just give me a headache.
I nodded in satisfaction at Ttalgwi's resounding answer.
Then I headed toward the cabin to share the combat knowledge I had.
A promise was a promise, even if I'd blurted it out on impulse.
Now that she was my trainee, I intended to take responsibility all the way.
"There's a handy cabin right here, so I'll teach you indoor combat."
"Hehe. Feels kinda weird learning close quarters with a sniper rifle."
"......The Mosin-Nagant isn't a sniper rifle."
But something her following trainee said really grated on me.
She was calling the Mosin-Nagant a sniper rifle—even though it didn't have a scope.
That reminded me of a subordinate I'd trained on the Eastern Front.
The face of that idiot who said the exact same thing—and got killed the moment he was thrown into combat.
Repeating such mistakes was something I couldn't bear.
I hid my stiffening expression and continued quietly.
"Not every bolt-action rifle is a sniper rifle. Sure, it's a well-made gun often used that way, but the Mosin-Nagant was a standard-issue service rifle."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Thinking you have an inferior weapon only causes hesitation. No matter what you're holding, don't think that way. Hesitating in front of the enemy is the same as begging them to kill you."
"Ah, yes... Sorry..."
Of course, I'd used the Mosin-Nagant as a sniper rifle too.
Until I was hailed as a symbol of victory and issued new guns, I'd been just like any other soldier, relying solely on it.
Come to think of it, I'd learned sniping from comrades Lyudmila and Vasily with a Mosin-Nagant as well.
I'd thrown a tantrum demanding an SVT-40 semi-auto, only to get a knuckle rap and sent packing.
She'd definitely said something like, 'A little runt like you couldn't handle the weight anyway.'
Remembering that forgotten black mark on my history only hardened my face further.
"Um... Sukka... But did you learn stuff like CQB on the battlefield?"
Then Ttalgwi interrupted my thoughts with a question.
From her hesitant, guilty look, it seemed her viewers were egging her on to ask.
I pondered how to respond, then decided on vagueness again.
It wasn't a lie anyway, so no guilt.
"No. To be precise, I learned it from games. I used to love FPS games back in the day. War made me scared of them, though."
"Games?"
"Yeah. My playtime was probably pretty high. How much playtime do you have in FPS games, Ttalgwi?"
"Uh... A little under 2,000 hours for me..."
"You're still a newbie. Gotta step it up."
"Ugh..."
In fact, before I got isekai'd into the game, I'd loved FPS games more than anyone.
I loved them so much that I got pulled in while testing an unreleased one.
Naturally, in the early days after isekai, I hated my past self for it.
I'd endlessly berated myself: Why games? Why FPS games of all things?
But eventually, I couldn't bring myself to hate that past me.
Because the knowledge I'd built up from games was the reason I existed now.
Knowledge of history. Tactics. Guns. Without it, I wouldn't have lasted a single day on the Eastern Front.
I nearly died because of games, but it wasn't an exaggeration to say I'd survived thanks to them.
"But it feels like I'm talking about myself too much..."
"Ah! S-Sorry! My viewers kept pushing me to ask... You little punks! Cut it out already! What am I, your interpreter?!"
Watching Ttalgwi interact with her viewers made me feel oddly sorry.
I'd gone secret stream this time to avoid stealing her audience, but it felt like all the toxic ones had swarmed her instead.
But my guilty feelings were quickly shattered—thanks to our side's viewers.
My one and only viewer, Kukudas. Her chat revealed what was going on over there.
『Hehe! Just asked that question and made 50,000 won!』
『Guess they set up a mission: donate if you get her to ask questions!』
I stared at Ttalgwi in disbelief.
Come to think of it, the corner of her mouth was twitching upward.
Time to end the chit-chat, I supposed.
I looked at her with a firm expression.
"If there are no more questions, let's start training."
"Ah! Yes! Sorry!"
"Alright, first assume there are multiple enemies inside the cabin. We don't know the interior layout, but the outside is secure. I need to check your skills, so clear it solo."
"Yes! I'm pretty confident in CQB!"
I eyed Ttalgwi suspiciously as she puffed out her chest.
Soon after, she began entering the cabin, like she'd seen it done somewhere before.
I'd noticed it when she threw the grenade, but her movement was truly the worst.
As someone who needed to boost her survival odds, it was only natural for my instructions to get a bit harsh.
"Standing right in front of the door like that, like you, Ttalgwi? High chance of death. Assume no door stops bullets. And when you don't know the interior, don't open it all at once. Open it slow so we control the sightline."
"Ah! Yes! Got it!"
"Now, let's enter together. No— if you're on the left of the door, enter right. That's a cross-entry. Never heard of it? What you just did was basically volunteering as bait. Don't sacrifice yourself for allies in front of me."
"Ugh... Y-Yes..."
"Next, treat that flowerpot right there as an enemy and attack. Why are you aiming? That close, just poke with the muzzle and fire. Stay flexible to survive. Remember, bullets aren't the only threat."
"......Yes."
As training continued, Ttalgwi's face crumpled more and more.
But I pushed on without letting it faze me.
With moves like hers, she wouldn't last a day in real combat.
Hard to believe she was an FPS streaming pro.
"I'll teach you knife fighting too. Handy there are two skinning knives. Spar with me. Good thing it's a healing game—no worry about injuries."
"Got it! H-Here I go!"
"Don't just slash. Even a sharp knife gets caught on thick clothes. Target vitals and thrust fast like this."
"Whaaah!!"
"And overbleeding doesn't kill instantly. Incapacitate quick. Gouge the eyes to break their will. They often give up thinking it'll leave them disabled forever."
"Aaah!! My eyes!!"
We could run pretty rough drills.
Thanks to Maria being a healing game, no gore effects, and watching Ttalgwi banished my PTSD under sheer frustration.
Sorry as it might sound, this was the worst trainee I'd ever seen.
If this were the Eastern Front and she my subordinate, I'd confiscate her vodka for a week.
"And confirmation kills have to be habit. They might not be dead and attack. See a body? Shoot or stab it first. On the battlefield, enemies trying to take you with them are the scariest."
"Uh... Isn't that a bit much..."
"......Why?"
"Shooting corpses... It's bad manners..."
"......Blin Sukka."
"Uh, what?"
"Ah, nothing. Slipped out. Forget it."
"......What does it mean?"
"......You don't need to know."
Streamer Ttalgwi.
I'd thought we'd click as gaming buddies, but I'd judged too hastily.
Time to find a new friend—or raise Ttalgwi up.
Looked like it'd take a while before I could return to Frontline Archive for my PTSD therapy.