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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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My head ached. My vision was dark. As I forced my eyes open, the blurry focus slowly sharpened.
“Where am I?”
I retraced my memories. I clearly remembered being chewed out by the Battalion Commander for destroying the barracks wall with a Fireball.
The problem was what happened after that. I couldn’t remember anything, no matter how hard I tried. I didn’t even know why I was lying here.
One thing was certain: this wasn’t my room. Sunlight was streaming in through the window. Judging by the clean and comfortable bed and bedding… was this the infirmary?
I had toured the unit with Lumia a few days ago, and the infirmary I saw then was exactly like this.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
Just then, the door opened, and a woman entered the room. She had red hair tied up in a bun.
She was one of the senior officers in the unit, Debra Bennett, if I remembered correctly.
“Do you remember me?”
“Lieutenant Debra Bennett?”
“Oh, your memory is pretty good. We only properly introduced ourselves once, didn’t we?”
Debra said, sounding surprised. Besides her name being on her name tag, I had memorized it because she was the Facilities Management Officer.
Knowing the names of the Company Commander and department heads was always beneficial, even if I didn’t know other officers or non-commissioned officers.
“I always make sure to remember the names of my superiors.”
“Aha~ you’re good at flattery, too.”
“It’s not flattery, but rather what I consider proper courtesy as a subordinate.”
“Ugh~”
Debra recoiled in disgust. Did she dislike formalities?
“Well! Forget it. I wasn’t going to say anything about that…”
As I replied curtly, the Lieutenant closed the door slightly and leaned against it, as if blocking it.
“You knew there was a protective barrier on the wall you broke, right?”
“I didn’t.”
“Then why did you shoot magic at a perfectly good wall?”
My mind was still hazy, but I could vaguely sense what kind of answer she was expecting.
‘She’s probably talking about Flame Buster. That I used magic on the wall to test its penetration… or something like that.’
As the Facilities Management Officer, she might be in charge of writing statements and reports about this incident.
Then, the correct answer here was…
“I lost control. That’s all.”
I shut down the speculation firmly. I had already said this to the Battalion Commander and Lumia. Adding anything else might make things worse, potentially leading to perjury.
Unless I wanted to attract attention as a madman who blasted magic at a wall to test its power, it was easier to simply admit 100% of the fault.
A clueless idiot who couldn’t even control the most basic Fireball was far better than an uncontrollable madman.
“You’re saying you just lost control? What magic were you trying to demonstrate?”
“Fireball.”
“…”
Debra’s eyes wavered with disbelief. Yes, I was an idiot. A moron who couldn’t even control a Fireball, despite being a mage officer.
“Really, Fireball?”
“Yes.”
“Really, really?”
“What are you getting at?”
The details of the incident were simple. I was researching magic, made a mistake, and unintentionally fired a Fireball.
The Fireball hit the barracks wall, and the already dilapidated wall crumbled.
The end.
Was there anything else to say? Lumia did mention that there was a magic barrier on the exterior wall, but I didn’t know how I broke through it.
“It’s just… hard to understand. It’s strange that a protective barrier could be broken by just a Fireball.”
“Who knows? Maybe it’s not me, but the mage who cast the barrier who is strange.”
Debra’s gaze turned icy at my words. Pointing at herself, she replied,
“I’m the one who cast that barrier.”
“Ah.”
“That’s why I’m even more puzzled. Second Lieutenant Enoch, are you sure you used Fireball?”
Yes, I’m sure!
Sensing that further explanation would be futile, I just nodded.
“Did you receive a magic aptitude evaluation from the academy disciplinary unit?”
“No, ma’am. The Battalion Commander or the personnel officer should have those records.”
“That’s true…”
Debra looked troubled for a moment, then, as if making up her mind, opened the door and left.
“What?”
An abrupt exit, just as abrupt as her entrance. Witnessing this, my image of Lieutenant Debra Bennett began to solidify.
‘She’s a strange woman who only says what she wants.’
But not even a few seconds after she left, the Lieutenant burst back into the room.
“Wh, what is it?”
“Right. I almost forgot. The medic told me to give you this.”
She handed me a piece of paper.
[Medical Report]
Below the scribbled signature of the medic, my current physical condition was described in detail.
“By the way, you were unconscious for two days. Stress-induced shock, they said. You collapsed foaming at the mouth as soon as you entered the Battalion Commander’s office. Do you know how surprised I was?”
“Huh?”
“Anyway, get some sleep. The infirmary has sleeping pills, so get a prescription. No one will take responsibility for you if you get hurt in the military, you know? This is advice from a senior.”
All very helpful advice.
Lieutenant Debra Bennett left the room after delivering her message. At the same time, my information on Facilities Management Officer Debra was updated once again.
‘She’s a strange, condescending woman who only says what she wants.’
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“So, to summarize… that’s the rumor going around about me.”
“Yes.”
Belle Meyer replied, swinging her feet. She was wearing a short dress that revealed her thighs, so I quickly averted my gaze.
Since I was the one who came to see her while she was resting, it felt awkward to tell her to change her clothes.
“But is it really not true?”
“What isn’t?”
“That you’re an inspector. From the first time I saw you, you seemed very experienced for a newly appointed officer.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
I already knew that my name was being mentioned throughout the unit. I just hadn’t said anything.
That’s how gossip worked. It would disappear without a trace with time or another incident, so it was best to ignore it.
But according to Belle Meyer, maybe I should take some measures. An inspector? While rumors like being the Corps Commander’s son were harmless, ‘inspector’ was too specific and dangerous.
It could be misconstrued as a serious case of impersonation. It would be perfect for screwing over that annoying Battalion Commander, but… that was only a short-term reward.
Unless I was planning to defect to escape the flames of war, I had to stay in the military, so it was a gamble I didn’t need to take.
“Who is spreading that rumor?”
“Hmm, there are so many, it’s hard to pinpoint. But do you really need to clarify? It’ll die down on its own.”
“It’ll be a big problem if it’s exposed.”
“Huh? Exposed? Pfft!!”
Belle Meyer suddenly burst into laughter. What was this? It was scary. Was there something funny about what I just said?
“What’s so funny?”
“Hehehe, I didn’t know you’d use that kind of expression, Second Lieutenant.”
The Sergeant smiled, her eyes crinkling. Looking at me, she added,
“You know, among the rumors I haven’t told you, there are also rumors that you’re from a prominent noble family, or even the illegitimate child of a duke.”
“Not surprising at all.”
I did have the looks to be mistaken for a noble. My customization skills were excellent, after all. If looks were also displayed as stats, I was confident I would have at least an 80.
“You have a very stiff way of speaking… and even Lumia seems to find you somewhat intimidating. She said you have an unapproachable aura.”
I did have Cold, Stiff, and Aloof among my traits. In the game, starting with these three traits made it difficult to gain favorability with subordinates and superiors. So this was how it manifested in reality.
“That’s why I laughed. ‘Exposed,’ it’s funny.”
Belle Meyer snapped her fingers.
“Besides, I’m someone who faces a lot of discrimination based on my appearance, so I don’t care about those things.”
“Someone as beautiful as Sergeant Belle Meyer?”
“Oh my, thank you for the compliment.”
Though it felt strange to say this, looks could be quite advantageous in the military. They could be effectively used for propaganda.
I mean, even in reality, handsome male celebrities filmed videos in military uniforms. And female celebrities wore uniforms like it was an annual event.
That was no different in the world of Hearts of General or South Korea.
If Belle Meyer truly had no intention of staying in the Mage Corps, she could have gone into public relations.
“But you need to be somewhat competent for that. You know, Second Lieutenant, even though I look fine, I’m not on the inside.”
“There will definitely come a time when you can prove yourself.”
Even if she appeared relaxed, her life must be utterly worn out and miserable.
But that was all I could say. I was a soldier, not a babysitter or a psychiatrist.
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Where are Sergeant Lumia and Sergeant Claude?”
“Claude went into the city, and Lumia is probably in the Logistics department.”
“The city?”
When I questioned the unexpected word, she waved her hand dismissively.
“Well… I didn’t expect you to have been told. That man is always like that.”
“Is he absent without leave?”
“It’s not just leave, it’s probably overnight. Actually, even the Company Commander only says he’ll discipline him but can’t really punish him. I heard he fought alongside the Regiment Commander during the war… The Battalion Commander is even wary of him, so that says it all.”
That was a bit much. I had seen seasoned non-commissioned officers acting like kings in units, but this was the first time I had seen someone this out of control.
“I need to have a word with him.”
“Hmm, to be honest, I don’t think he’ll listen.”
“Still, I’m the Platoon Leader.”
“There are countless people who have tried that and suffered the consequences. And…”
Belle averted her gaze and continued, a hint of pity in her red eyes,
“Even though I hate to admit it, that man has his own story.”
“…Something from the war?”
“I don’t know the details. He only gets angry, almost like having a seizure, whenever the past is brought up.”
From what I had observed over the past few days, Claude Rain and Belle Meyer’s relationship was terrible, almost like sworn enemies.
They often shouted at each other and exchanged harsh words, but… perhaps she cared about Claude, despite her dislike for him.
“Sergeant Belle Meyer.”
“Yes?”
“You’re very kind.”
“Ah, ahaha…”
Belle let out an awkward laugh, perhaps surprised by my words.
“Um, thank you. What’s going on? Today is a day of compliments from the Second Lieutenant.”
Silence fell over the barracks after that. The air was awkward. Belle Meyer kept averting her gaze for some reason.
“Y, you can go back to work now! You came here because of the rumors, right? Lieutenant Debra seems to be talking about it a lot…!!”
Ah, that condescending Lieutenant. I had a feeling it was her.
“Thank you. Then I should go back to the Facilities Management department.”
“Take care!”
Just as I turned to leave…
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!!
A bell rang clearly, even reaching the basement barracks. The short rings continued. I met Belle Meyer’s eyes. She quickly assessed the situation, grabbed her clothes, and we both rushed out of the barracks.
“Emergency assembly of all troops…?”
It was the bell signaling an emergency.
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Thx