—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“We’re here!”
“Thank you for your service.”
I handed the coachman a silver coin and jumped out of the carriage. In the game, the amount of money involved was ridiculously high, so it was a headache trying to memorize these small denominations.
As we stepped out of the carriage and entered the city, a completely different atmosphere unfolded.
Neat wooden buildings lined the streets, and children ran through the alleys with cheerful laughter.
Merchants and citizens bustled about, creating a lively scene, while a band played music in a corner of the city.
‘…It’s like I’m in a fantasy world.’
I was momentarily captivated by the scene. Belle Meyer, noticing my distraction, said,
“Nice atmosphere, right? It’s generally like this, but it’s best to avoid the back alleys. There are too many crazies there who don’t care about consequences.”
“Crazies?”
“They don’t care if you’re a soldier or a government official. It’s best to avoid them since there’s nothing to gain from picking fights with civilians.”
“Hmm.”
I nodded slightly. There were those kinds of people everywhere.
Even in the 21st century, there were incidents of high school students openly assaulting soldiers, so it wouldn’t be any different in Hearts of General.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So, where should we go first?”
After a moment of thought, I made a wise suggestion.
“Let’s have breakfast.”
We had come straight out after roll call. My stomach, now fully awake, was demanding food.
“Good idea. Then let’s go to a place I know. Their soup is truly excellent.”
Belle was quick to respond. She was practically a Chernoe City guide.
“You seem to go out often, Sergeant Belle. You’re very familiar with this area.”
“I don’t really want to study magic… and it’s just boring to stay in my room all the time.”
I was surprised by her cheerful personality, considering she suffered from depression. Even though her status window indicated the trait “Friendly,” I didn’t expect her to be this sociable.
But I soon understood why she had developed such a personality.
“And if I just stay in my room, I get depressed. I don’t like it.”
“That’s understandable.”
When suffering from depression, staying indoors usually made things worse. She was struggling, preventing the feelings of depression and negativity from consuming her.
Having experienced depression myself, I could empathize.
“You’re a strong person, Sergeant Belle.”
“Huh? Oh… thank you, Platoon Leader.”
That was all I could say. No one could truly understand how another person felt.
“So, where should we go?”
“This way! It’s just a short walk.”
I followed Belle’s lead and entered the depths of the wide market alley.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Clink-.
“Welcome!!!”
As soon as we opened the door and entered, the owner’s booming voice greeted us. Eight four-person tables and two long tables lined the walls.
Candles on the tables added a soft ambiance.
‘Oh.’
The restaurant didn’t seem that big, but the atmosphere and the wafting aroma were appealing. The savory and sweet scent was enough to make my mouth water. As a result, despite it being relatively early in the morning, there were quite a few customers.
“This is a real hot spot.”
“The menu changes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so it’s always new every time I come.”
When Belle Meyer greeted the owner with a smile, the man who peeked out from the kitchen beamed.
“Oh, the mage lady!”
It seemed Belle was a regular, recognizable by the owner.
“Who’s that next to you? A colleague?”
“This is our platoon leader. He’s new, so he’s taking a look around the city.”
“Aha! An officer! Come, have a seat! The ‘Warm Morning Birdsong’ will do, right?”
“Yes, please.”
Warm… What?
“Don’t you have a menu?”
“No. Here, it’s up to the owner.”
When I asked, the owner inside the kitchen let out a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! It’s our restaurant’s motto! If I let customers choose, they often order strange dishes they don’t know well!”
“But isn’t it a bit extreme to not have a menu…?”
“Oh! Platoon Leader! Trust my judgment. You don’t need a menu here.”
With such a strong assertion, I couldn’t help but trust her. I decided to wait until the meal was ready. And I realized Belle was absolutely right.
“This is… delicious.”
“Right!?”
“Truly… delicious.”
I honestly thought the food provided at the base wasn’t bad, but it was on a completely different level from this. It was like comparing army rations to ordering chicken takeout.
This was way beyond PX level.
Warm corn soup, freshly baked bread, a fresh salad, and a neatly cut club sandwich.
‘This is crazy. What have I been eating until now?’
The texture, taste, aroma, and temperature—everything was perfect. There was a reason Belle Meyer had recommended this place.
After we finished our delicious meal, the owner, sweating profusely, emerged from the kitchen. His arms were almost as thick as Dwayne Johnson’s. He looked more like a thug than a chef.
“Glad you enjoyed it! Come again often!”
I bowed slightly to the satisfied owner and left the restaurant with Belle. With our stomachs full, it was time to explore the city and enjoy some shopping.
I hadn’t received my salary yet, but I had 20 gold coins, the initial funds provided. Normally, it would be used to upgrade equipment or boost platoon morale.
However, in my current position, where I had to handle all negotiations and strategizing, I couldn’t always insist on wearing a uniform.
Besides, I needed a few more sets of uniforms anyway.
“This way. I saw a men’s clothing store last time. The clothes looked great, and I think they would suit you perfectly, Platoon Leader.”
Belle Meyer navigated the streets without hesitation. With each alley we passed, more clothes and accessories were added to her hands.
“Do we really need this much…?”
“As you get promoted, Platoon Leader, you might be invited to banquets. You’ll definitely need them someday.”
She was right. ‘Banquets’ were also a feature in Hearts of General.
Through these events, players could increase their political power, receive better positions, promotion promises, or even arrange political marriages, facilitating the ‘domestic’ growth of their character.
Naturally, appropriate attire was required for such banquets. The dress uniform provided by the military was only given to field-grade officers.
As a mere company-grade officer, I had no choice but to wear a tailcoat specifically for such occasions.
“Try this on too, oh…! That looks good on you as well.”
As soon as we entered the street lined with clothing stores, Belle Meyer went into overdrive. In the end, we had to buy a new bag because we had accumulated so much.
“It’s fun dressing you up since you’re such a good clothes hanger.”
“Is that so…?”
“You need to smile more, Platoon Leader. Your expressionless face is stiff and cold, and that won’t make you popular with the ladies.”
That was unfair. It wasn’t intentional; it was because of the traits I had chosen before entering this damned world.
“Phew! All done. I think this is enough.”
We finally finished shopping well past lunchtime. Belle Meyer shrugged, seemingly satisfied with our haul. The leather bag was bulging. The number of gold coins I had dwindled to 17.
17 gold coins. That was 300 silver coins. Enough to custom-order a top-notch firearm.
However, I decided to let it go since Belle Meyer was so excited. Even if it was technically overspending, it wasn’t wasteful spending.
“Shall we head back now? We’ve pretty much seen the whole city… and you said you’d come with Lumia for furniture, right?”
“I suppose so. I’ll aim for next weekend.”
It would be a while before sunset, but it was better to return to base early, organize the clothes, and get some rest, since I hadn’t been able to rest even today.
Just as I adjusted my bag and was about to head out to the main street,
“H, Help!!!”
Someone’s urgent cry reached my ears, followed by the loud crash of something collapsing.
Belle and I exchanged glances and instinctively approached the source of the sound.
Crash!
Peeking around the corner of the alley, we saw a small child surrounded by several men, being severely beaten.
“Hey, fuck! What are you gonna do about it!”
“Who told you to wander around here? You little shit, hand it over!”
“N, no! I can’t! I really can’t!”
The moment I witnessed the scene, I assessed the situation. It was clearly thugs extorting a child.
“Th, they’re going to kill him…!”
“People don’t die that easily.”
“No, Platoon Leader! Even if you say that…!!”
I couldn’t help but fall into serious contemplation. Normally, I would have just passed by.
I could beat up those guys no matter how many there were, but for them to act like this in broad daylight meant they were either crazy or had backing from law enforcement.
It wasn’t my style to interfere in something that could become complicated. But Belle was with me now.
She looked ready to intervene, and if I just slipped away, it would damage my authority as a platoon leader.
‘…It can’t be helped.’
I took off my military coat and handed it to Belle. My back injury from before was due to not using my body for a long time. So I needed to loosen up a bit.
“Platoon Leader?”
“Hold this for me.”
I put my bag down in a corner and slowly entered the alley.
“Who the hell is this?”
The guy standing at the entrance, blocking the child’s escape, turned around and said. He had buck teeth that I felt like pulling out.
“A passing soldier.”
“Soldier?”
At that, the guys beating the boy also looked at me.
“Soldier? Fuck, why is a soldier here? Looks like you’re out with your girlfriend, so stop showing off and get lost.”
“You have quite the potty mouth. Is that the proper way to address a soldier?”
“Ha.”
The guy who had been kicking the child swaggered over. With his dyed yellow hair, he was the epitome of a thug, from head to toe.
He could be stuffed and put on display as a specimen in a museum.
“Hey, looks like you’re an officer, a new face. You’ll get your nose bloodied if you try to pull rank in Chernoe.”
These were likely the thugs Belle had mentioned. Normally, they would run away or quickly back down after being told I was a soldier.
These guys… they had harassed soldiers before, hadn’t they?
‘This is even better.’
I glared at the blond thug.
“You’re not backing down? Damn, these stuck-up soldiers only listen after a lesson…”
Wham!
Instead of replying, I punched him in the temple. The guy, who had been spouting threats and curses just moments ago, crumpled to the ground.
“Luke?!”
“Do you know what I hate the most?”
“You fucker!!”
I easily blocked the punch thrown by another one, grabbed his collar, and pulled him down. As he stumbled, losing his balance, I drove my knee into his chin.
“Gah… Urk!!”
The thug collapsed to the ground without even a scream. One of his annoying buck teeth popped out. He should have behaved himself.
Looking at the remaining two, frozen stiff in the back, I said,
“You don’t appreciate those who protect the country, and you even disrespect them. You’re worse than scum.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
