Marine Corruption
While chatting with Tumstone this time, I heard some unexpected news. Who would've thought a halfling would volunteer to enlist!
"In a way, since he asked for weight training last time, you could see this as a natural extension."
"Big Brother, is it no good?"
"Let me think for a moment."
Halflings, in human terms, had the forms of boys and girls. They were known to be skilled in handiwork and magic, but hopeless when it came to physical prowess.
But!!! They had come to admire the Marines so much that they wanted to surpass those limits!!!
"Ahh... To see such enthusiastic volunteers. This is what emotion is all about."
"Ahahahaha..."
"Tumstone!!"
"Yes, sir!!"
"Call the shamans right now!"
If physical methods wouldn't work, we could borrow the power of the mystical, right? The shamans I'd asked for help from wore deeply intrigued expressions.
"It's understandable. Living here, one can't help but admire the warriors."
"We sometimes feel our hearts pounding too."
"Really?"
Well, no helping it then! Right now, have the shamans don red shorts—!
"Ahem!"
"We're truly sorry, but we still crave freedom..."
"We'll join after more training."
Tsk, I wanted to enlist the shamans too. What a shame. Anyway, the shamans began listing out numerous methods, narrowing down to the more promising ones.
"The first is, of course, borrowing the aid of this land's spirits."
"Halflings are inherently fairy folk, so their affinity for spirits is extremely high. If done right, most could handle the same training as our current warriors."
"The downside is they still can't truly undergo physical training."
"A racial limit after all, huh."
This was tantamount to saying they couldn't become true Marines, so the first method was out.
The second was creating a separate training curriculum just for halflings.
"As you know, Drengg..."
"Worse than doing nothing."
"Exactly."
"Plus, using this could lead the warriors to look down on the halflings doing comparatively easy training."
We couldn't create such a spineless future!
Now the final method emerged, but the shamans grew cautious in their words.
"Just ask Grandma Helga for help."
"As you saw in the last battle, the great shaman and her disciples can use giant transformation spells."
"It's safe to say it completely changes the race itself—the most perfect method."
"Perfect timing."
I'd meant to show Mjolnir to Grandma Helga, but she'd vanished right after the feast. Might as well show her Mjolnir and ask for her help now.
"For these eager volunteers, this much effort is nothing."
"Hahahaha, Drengg truly cherishes his tribesmen."
"That's why the ancestors and spirits love Ulfrik."
With advice from the shamans secured, the moment I called Hakon for communication with Grandma Helga...
"Hohohoho... So my grandson was that eager to see me?"
"Huh? Grandma!"
""""We greet the Great Shaman!!!""""
"We greet the Master!!!"
Suddenly, the division commander appeared behind me.
***
Just like last time, whenever Grandma Helga showed up, the shamans snapped to attention with perfect discipline and spirit. Even Hakon, who usually exuded a somewhat sloppy vibe, turned strict, solemn, and serious.
"Hakon, why the sudden change?"
"N-nothing, Ulfrik sir!!"
His desperate flailing created a brief awkward atmosphere, but there was surely a reason, so I just welcomed Grandma Helga warmly.
"Grandma!! Thanks so much for your help last time!"
"How could this old woman sit out defending this land? It was only natural—don't take it to heart."
"Still, thanks to you, our warriors on the brink of death survived. I'll definitely repay you."
"Hohohoho... Then just take good care of that young one over there."
Hakon, catching Grandma Helga's gaze, stiffened even more. Right here, I understood why he could act like an SSS-grade subordinate.
'Yeah... Go through the military twice, and you'll grasp all the essentials.'
From the shamans' behavior so far, Grandma Helga's Frost Giant tribe seemed practically a military unit. And close with the division commander? Whew... No wonder Hakon was an SSS-grade recruit.
"My grandson's thinking something weird again."
"You read my mind again this time? Anyway, Grandma, mind if I ask a favor?"
"I heard roughly from the spirits on my way here."
As expected of a great shaman's experience—she not only grasped my request instantly but proposed an entirely new method.
"Grandson, do you know the legend of the changeling?"
"Changeling? What's that?"
"Dear? Explain it for him."
"Yes, Master!!!"
The shamans hurriedly fetched a chair for Grandma Helga to sit in. Hakon then explained what a changeling was, step by step, following the who-what-when-where-why-how.
"So... It's a story where evil fairies swap human babies with fairy ones?"
"Precisely!"
"And the kidnapped human child becomes something entirely different..."
Even if the child returned home after being taken by fairies, its monstrous changed form would make its own parents turn hostile. And if the evil fairy who stole the child's appearance watched that vile scene with glee—!!
"What a spineless legend!"
"Grandson, surprisingly, these were real events."
"What?!"
"Fortunately, Master eradicated all those evil fairies, turning it into legend."
Kya~ As expected, my grandma was a shaman who couldn't tolerate such nonsense.
"But why bring up this creepy legend?"
"For the current situation, rather than my giantification spell, the curse from the changeling fits best."
"Hold on—does that mean you can use that transformation curse, Grandma?"
"Of course. For example..."
Poof!!!
"Like turning into this youthful form!"
"Ugh......"
"Gr-grandson?"
Grandma Helga had transformed into a pint-sized young woman straight out of a fairy tale. But knowing the context, it only made my stomach churn.
The surrounding shamans and Hakon looked like they had some very rude words on the tip of their tongues.
"Grandma, enough dramatics—please turn back to normal?"
"Tsk tsk tsk... Nord men have no taste for this sort of thing."
Poof!
"That's the curse, anyway."
"A spell you can undo that easily isn't much."
"Hohohoho, only a shaman like me can wield such curses lightly."
Grandma Helga truly lived up to her title of great shaman.
***
It'd be great to just apply the changeling curse to the halfling right away, but Grandma Helga said it wasn't that simple.
"Ulfrik sir, this curse is on the level of grand magic or great shamanism."
"Yeah... Figures."
A curse that could freely alter someone's form. If she could spam that, she'd have conquered the world, not just be "world's strongest" in name.
"First off, this curse has several issues."
"Most notably, without a medium to fix it—like a tattoo—it won't work on anyone."
"In a way, that's a relief. So, what preparations do we need?"
"Simply, the halfling's resolve."
Hearing more, if the changeling curse was undone, it was like Cinderella's spell breaking—all the trained strength would vanish!!
"But since it's tattooed as the curse itself, no one else can force it off."
"It's designed as a playful curse, so the user can undo it themselves."
"That's some massive-scale prank."
With the curse prep left to Grandma and the shamans, I had Tumstone fetch the halfling who wanted to volunteer.
"Big Brother! This is the guy!"
"D-Drengg sir!! Greetings!!"
"So you're the volunteer. What's your name?"
"B-Brimbo!!"
Watching this grown man stammer before me made me itch to force some camaraderie into him!! But to confirm if he truly wanted to inherit the Marine spirit, I tested him right away.
Thud!!
"Wh-what's this..."
"Prove your resolve here."
What fell to the floor was none other than a small knife. Tumstone, realizing what I intended, glanced back briefly.
"Stab your hand with it."
"Pardon?!"
"What's wrong? It's just a tiny, cute fruit knife in your palm."
Even basic drill and individual combat brought pain worse than a fruit knife in the hand. And with more varied training ahead, if he couldn't handle this, no dice.
Realizing this was no joke, the halfling Brimbo gripped the fruit knife with trembling hands.
I figured we'd have time while the shamans prepped the curse, so a short wait...
Stab!!
"Guhk!!!"
"Oh ho."
Surprisingly, Brimbo plunged the knife into his own hand without hesitation. Blood streamed to the floor—normally, pain and panic would follow, but instead, he shouted with a resolute expression.
"Drengg sir!! I want to enlist no matter what!"
"Good!! Follow me now!!"
All preparations complete! Grandma Helga, quite satisfied with my test, healed the halfling's hand and prepped to tattoo him.
"Now, while we draw the tattoo, imagine what you truly desire."
"Imagine... you say?"
"Yes~ Isn't some form already taking shape in your heart?"
"!!!!"
As expected of someone who could read others' minds—Grandma instantly saw through the halfling's inner vision.
Thus, a massive tattoo was etched onto the halfling's back as the curse ritual proceeded. But the curse reversed into a blessing, and light erupted from the halfling's entire body.
"WRYYYYYYYYY!!"
Whoosh!!!
Brimbo's body exploded outward, transforming into the sturdy, burly form of a Nord man like us.
He then swore fealty to me.
"Drengg sir!! Please accept my honor!!"
"Hahahaha!! Volunteers are always welcome!!"
Thus, the boy who admired the Marines succeeded in enlisting. And witnessing this curse, I realized infinite possibilities!
"We can enlist any race!!"
"Hohohoho, my grandson dreams big."
If we refined and improved this changeling curse, then recruited hordes of cheap, numerous goblin slaves?
Ahh! This was the mass Viking production project for the future!! The birth of a true Marine corps with no racial discrimination!!