My Platoon is Fucking Hopeless – Chapter 3

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The Battalion Commander’s office was tidy.

As if to reaffirm that I was inside the world of HOG, the flag of the Principality of Ukraine hung on the wall, and a map of the continent I had seen countless times in the game lay on the desk.

West of the Ukraine Principality was the Free Allied Forces, and east was the Imperial Alliance.

‘Seeing it drawn on leather instead of digitally makes it feel real.’

I marveled at the tactical map.

“Well, take a seat. Your name is…”

“Second Lieutenant Enoch Levandal, sir.”

“Right, that’s right. Second Lieutenant Enoch Levandal. No, I should call you Platoon Leader now.”

The Battalion Commander was a middle-aged man with a distinctive handlebar mustache, like Pringles. A name tag engraved with “Lockhart Cromwell” caught my eye.

Of course, I noticed more than just his name. I had familiarized myself with the Ukraine military’s rank system in the game, so I could immediately tell that he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Well, it was only natural for a Battalion Commander to be a Lieutenant Colonel.

“So, have you looked around the base?”

“Ah… yes.”

I had only just seen the front of the building, but I decided to bluff my way through.

“The architectural style is harmonious. I quite like the headquarters building.”

“Yes, yes. Our 3rd Battalion was ranked second in the Northern Corps for having beautiful landscaping. You can’t help but like it!”

Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart burst into a hearty laugh. It seemed to have been the right answer.

‘Well, beautiful landscaping is utterly useless in war.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly. With even the Battalion Commander like this, it was no wonder the country was doomed.

A soldier should focus on training! Ugh! This kind of landscaping work would all be done by the soldiers, wouldn’t it? That was a pointless loss of combat power.

Of course, voicing such thoughts as a mere Second Lieutenant would guarantee a demotion, so I had no intention of saying anything. There was no reason to walk into a bad ending myself.

“Ahem, yes… you have a good eye for things, I see.”

“You flatter me. Anyone would think the same.”

“Haha! Is that so? Well, that’s why it was ranked second among so many bases.”

As I played along, I could see Lockhart’s favorability rising in real time. He seemed extremely proud of his battalion’s landscaping.

This kind of thing existed in reality, too. Commanders who were so enamored with their units that they decorated them like their own homes or companies, and then bragged about it to others.

‘This guy is easy to read.’

But for me, people who were this transparent were easier to deal with. It was much easier to get on the good side of someone straightforward, rather than a superior whose thoughts were unreadable.

And contrary to my worries, the conversation flowed surprisingly smoothly. Was this the power of MAX Political Power? It felt strange, like it was me, but not me.

“Good, good! We have a very bright and sensible Second Lieutenant! I like you very much!”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

I bowed my head again to Lockhart, who was stroking his chin with satisfaction. He waved his hand and said,

“Oh, don’t praise me too much. I don’t mind, but your seniors might not like it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

From what he said, it seemed there was something like hazing here as well. Hazing of Second Lieutenants, hazing of juniors.

‘Damn it, isn’t this game too similar to reality?’

The thought of having to go through that crap again stressed me out, but… I clenched my fist under the desk and repeatedly chanted the mantra of patience.

There was always a way to deal with such things.

Even if I couldn’t avoid the initial hazing, I could gain recognition from the senior officers by buttering them up and showing results.

But I would also need to be smooth-talking to avoid becoming a pushover.

“By the way, Second Lieutenant Enoch.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you checked your platoon’s personnel files? You arrived so late yesterday that you might not have seen them.”

“No, sir. I’ve checked them.”

“Oh, that was quick.”

Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart’s eyes narrowed. Just as his personality was easy to read, so were his intentions.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I gave the most optimal answer for the current situation.

“I have no intention of complaining about the personnel selection.”

I mustn’t forget. The primary goal was to gain the Battalion Commander’s trust.

If I whined about wanting a different platoon here, I might get a new one, but in the long run, it would be a huge loss. It would be difficult to recover from that.

To get a recommendation from here and move up to a higher unit, I was willing to swallow this bitter pill.

“Hmm?”

“Platoon assignments are also orders. With the spirit of obedience, I believe this is the mission entrusted to me and will dedicate myself to it.”

I spoke confidently, without a single tremble in my voice.

Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart tilted his head slightly, as if doubting his ears, and asked,

“So you’re saying that platoon is fine?”

“Yes, sir. Isn’t it the duty of an officer to properly educate and train even the most lacking platoon members and turn them into excellent soldiers?”

“Second Lieutenant Enoch Levandal, you…”

The Battalion Commander’s eyes gleamed. Ah, did I overdo it? I hoped it wasn’t too much. But my worry was short-lived.

“You’re a rare new officer. In the past few years, you’re the first I’ve seen with such a mindset.”

Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart Cromwell straightened his uniform and stood up. His expression was quite different from the hearty laugh he had shown just moments ago.

“I’ve seen your spirit and resolve. I appreciate your sincerity.”

As he extended his hand, I quickly stood up and shook it.

“I look forward to working with you, Platoon Leader Enoch.”

“Likewise, sir.”

The Battalion Commander meeting. It was a pretty good result for a first time.

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The Battalion Commander meeting was over. Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart Cromwell slumped back into his chair.

He had thought it would be just another ordinary meeting… but the moment he heard Second Lieutenant Enoch Levandal’s calm voice and saw his cold eyes, he couldn’t help but feel it instinctively.

This guy was the real deal.

‘This is completely different from the Personnel Command’s evaluation. What happened?’

Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart rummaged through Enoch Levandal’s personnel file, which he had stashed somewhere on his desk.

Interestingly, Second Lieutenant Enoch Levandal was evaluated by the Cadet Disciplinary Unit as being close to unfit for service.

It was the worst possible evaluation for a new officer. That was why Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart had taken a relaxed approach to the meeting.

No, to be honest…

He was more interested in seeing the look on his face.

Assigning 5th Platoon, the only headache of the 3rd Battalion, to Platoon Leader Enoch Levandal could be seen as a form of disciplinary action.

A useless platoon leader for a useless platoon.

If you couldn’t fire them, you could make them leave on their own. For Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart, it was a no-lose situation.

And the platoon members under such a platoon leader would surely be weeded out eventually. The basic principle was that it was easier to manage troublesome personnel by grouping them together.

But after meeting him in person, he was clearly a different person from the Disciplinary Unit’s evaluation.

It wasn’t just because of his handsome appearance. Rather, his appearance was somewhat off-putting – closer to unfavorable.

How should he put it?

A cold and distant impression that made it difficult to approach him casually, someone you wouldn’t particularly want to get close to.

What impressed Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart wasn’t his outward appearance but his sincere words and actions and the conviction in his eyes.

He couldn’t trust everything just because it was the Personnel Command’s opinion.

Having once been a new Second Lieutenant himself, Lockhart knew all too well about the ‘hanging’ that openly took place in the Disciplinary Unit.

If someone got on the bad side of an evaluator for even a minor reason, a perfectly fine person could be ruined in an instant.

‘But I can’t rule it out completely. Who knows what kind of wind blew and changed him like this?’

Even the fiercest flames would die down in a strong wind.

‘He’s someone to watch.’

Even he, who had risen to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in an army rife with schemes and power plays…

He had declared that he would take charge of the platoon as it was, so time would tell whether he was genuine or just momentarily fired up.

“…Then shall I give him some busywork?”

It was 5th Platoon, after all, a platoon with no regular or dispatch missions due to its special nature.

“The one who is lacking should be the one to prove themselves, shouldn’t they?”

Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart muttered to himself, twitching his mustache.

Whether he would be an obstacle in his path or a stepping stone to greater heights was something he would judge later.

At least, that’s what Lockhart thought.

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Meanwhile…

“Is it up? Is it up???”

Having completed my first meeting relatively well, I immediately returned to my quarters and checked Lumia’s stats, which I hadn’t been able to see before.

The stats in HOG could be divided into four levels:

0 to 30: Poor

40 to 60: Decent

70 to 80: Excellent

90 to 100: Overwhelming

The higher the stat level, the harder it became to reach the next level. It was easy to go from Poor to Decent, but difficult to go from Decent to Excellent.

Reaching Overwhelming, a level above Excellent, required more than a few years of grinding.

Therefore, having at least three or four Decent stats could be considered ideal. The realm of innate talent was more cruel than one might think.

I wasn’t a masochist who enjoyed choosing the hard path and suffering in real time.

“It’s open!!”

Four Decent stats and one Excellent stat. This wasn’t someone to be simply dismissed as useless.

“Oh!! This is way beyond average?! This is almost excellent…!!”

…

…………

My optimistic circuits, running at full capacity, instantly cooled down. The little bit of hope I had harbored shattered into pieces.

Nope, she was indeed useless.

“F**k.”

I was in despair.

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