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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Sergeant Rex, are you alright…?”
“Fuck, does this look alright to you? Take me to the personnel department, not the infirmary.”
“B, but…”
“You bastard, do I look easy to you?”
Eric cowered at Rex’s murderous glare. Even though they were close enough to share cigarettes, Rex was still a terrifying senior to Eric.
“Understood.”
In the end, Eric had no choice but to take Rex to the personnel department. Rex could barely walk, even with Eric’s support, as if both his ankles were broken.
Several people glanced at them, but quickly averted their gaze at Rex’s murderous glare.
As they entered the personnel department,
“Rex? What brings you here? And… what happened to your feet?”
Personnel Officer Captain Mikel Lovron, who had been organizing documents at his desk, stood up.
“Fuck, Personnel Officer. That Enoch bastard broke my ankles.”
Rex, as if waiting for this moment, recounted what had happened to him, conveniently omitting his behavior towards Lumia and Enoch.
“Call the military police and have that bastard arrested!!!”
The personnel officer, who had been silently listening to Rex, frowned. Enoch Llevandel? Why would he suddenly attack Rex?
Several reasons came to mind. Sergeant Rex wasn’t exactly a model soldier. He had been warned several times for harassing female superiors.
And if he thought someone was beneath him, he would treat them disrespectfully, regardless of whether they were a superior or subordinate.
The complaints filed against him alone were too numerous to count on one hand.
However, while Mikel reprimanded Rex, he never punished him.
First, Battalion Commander Lockhart Cromwell believed in resolving internal unit matters internally. And Mikel himself received quite a few favors from Rex.
Even just for entertainment. Just being with Rex cut the prices at Chernoe City’s high-end bars in half. And he could buy things at much lower prices than usual.
That was just what was out in the open; the secret nightlife activities that couldn’t be revealed were another story altogether.
He always received VIP treatment and could enjoy the company of high-class prostitutes, who charged several gold coins per hour, at a discounted price.
Rex was a valuable connection for Personnel Officer Mikel Lovron.
“Sergeant, did you harass Sergeant Lumia again?”
“…Is that important right now?! He broke my damn legs with magic!”
Rex retorted. Mikel’s frown deepened.
‘This bastard is crossing the line.’
He had been lenient with Rex so far, but the problem was that Second Lieutenant Enoch Llevandel was now involved. If it was just a non-commissioned officer, he could handle it with his authority.
But if it was a fellow officer, and a newly commissioned platoon leader who was being watched by the battalion commander due to his recent achievements, it was a different story.
No matter who he was, Mikel had to take better care of a fellow officer than a thug soldier. Moreover, now was the time to approach Enoch Llevandel favorably.
The 3rd Magic Battalion, under the direct control of the Northern Army Corps. While not a bad place to serve, it couldn’t compare to the Central Army Corps, considered the elite course in the army.
And Enoch was someone who had even received a scouting offer from the commander of a newly established brigade in that Central Army Corps.
He had secretly dismissed Enoch as useless, but he couldn’t deny that Enoch was holding a golden ticket.
Some other officers seemed jealous, saying that a useless second lieutenant had just gotten lucky, but Captain Mikel Lovron didn’t think so.
He was a personnel officer who oddly got along well with Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart. He was someone skilled at recognizing what was beneficial to him in rapidly changing situations.
His gut feeling told him that it would be far more beneficial to bring Enoch Llevandel to his side than to antagonize him.
“Rex, go to the infirmary and get treated first. If your ankles are really broken, you’ll need crutches.”
“Personnel Officer—!!”
“I’ll go to Platoon Leader Enoch later. Get treated first, and then we’ll talk.”
At Captain Mikel’s words, Rex clenched his teeth in frustration. There was nothing he could do. The personnel officer held the power here, not him. The decision rested solely with Mikel.
-It’s just one soldier. I think it’ll be hushed up as usual, don’t you think?
Enoch’s words echoed in Rex’s mind. He sensed that the personnel officer’s attitude was markedly different from usual.
‘That sly bastard, he’s abandoning me after taking all the benefits.’
He wanted to grab Mikel by the collar, but he couldn’t because of his ankles. Besides, Rex wasn’t stupid enough to not know what would happen if he did that.
The position of a newly commissioned second lieutenant and a seasoned personnel officer was vastly different.
“Hey, help me to the infirmary.”
Wham!
Rex smacked Eric, who was standing dumbfounded beside him.
“Y, yes! Understood!”
All he had wanted was to smoke a cigarette with his senior, but this was a disaster. Eric really felt like crying.
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“Platoon Leader Enoch, let’s have a talk.”
My prediction was spot on. Someone who would openly plan a sex crime against a non-commissioned officer in the unit wouldn’t give up just because his ankles were broken.
He had acted all pathetic in front of me, but he must be seething with a desire for revenge behind my back.
People didn’t change easily. Especially those who were inherently evil.
“Glory to the Motherland.”
I immediately stood up and saluted. Since I was in my fatigues, I didn’t have to change.
“Forget the salute.”
“Understood.”
“So, ahem! Are you feeling better…?”
“Of course. I feel much better after a nap.”
As I rotated my arms, the personnel officer nodded and continued,
“That’s good to hear. The reason I came to see you is…”
“I have a vague idea. It’s because of Sergeant Rex, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
Mikel Lovron readily agreed. He didn’t try to turn the tables. This calm demeanor suggested he had come to reach some kind of agreement with me.
“I heard you broke Rex’s ankles with magic. They said the ankle bones were completely shattered by strong pressure. What kind of magic did you use?”
“Just ‘Air Bind.’ He probably lost his balance, fell, and broke them.”
“That doesn’t make sense… Well, anyway, that’s not important.”
Captain Mikel Lovron approached me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“A magic officer used magic to seriously injure an unarmed fellow soldier. Do you understand how serious this is?”
His low voice was heavy with gravity. It sounded almost like a threat.
‘A negotiation.’
That’s the conclusion I reached. It wasn’t a bad approach. If he had blindly taken Rex’s side, he might have had to contact Sony Zeppelin. I had unexpectedly gained the backing of a colonel; I had to use it while I could.
“Of course, I understand.”
“Then-”
“But, sir, you’re also well aware of the seriousness of Sergeant Rex’s offense, aren’t you?”
Mikel’s mouth closed at my sudden interjection.
“The sergeant tried to rape Sergeant Lumia Blue.”
“Rape?”
“He confessed to me quite casually. Not only that, but he seemed to have plans to gang-rape her with his friends if things went well.”
Rape and gang rape. Mikel was clearly flustered by the two words that didn’t easily come out of one’s mouth.
Judging by his reaction, he hadn’t expected Rex to have gone this far. It made sense. A guy like Rex, full of himself, wouldn’t have told the personnel officer the truth.
“That’s a violation of military discipline and insubordination right there. And there are countless other violations. Am I wrong?”
“That’s true, but seriously injuring a soldier is a major…”
“I’ll definitely accept punishment for that. But please punish Sergeant Rex according to military law as well.”
The personnel officer’s eyes wavered at my firm stance.
Honestly, I had nothing to lose. Regardless of my achievements, I had to stay in this unit for a year. Unless someone like Sony Zeppelin came to take me away, ignoring all procedures.
Even Mikel knew I, already in the useless platoon, couldn’t sink any lower. At least in this battalion.
“Platoon Leader Enoch, I understand how you feel, but the battalion commander wouldn’t want this.”
There it was. Now that he had used the battalion commander as an excuse, Mikel had shown all his cards. He hadn’t been threatening from the start, so he couldn’t become aggressive now.
I took a deep breath and looked directly at the personnel officer.
“Sir, are you really one of the sergeant’s cronies?”
“Wh, what… !?”
Captain Mikel jumped at my bombshell.
“Sergeant Rex mentioned that you were his powerful backer. That you’d do anything he said.”
“Th… Th-that!! That bastard said that?!”
Of course, I was exaggerating, but since he had said something similar, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
The momentum had completely shifted to my side. It was time to draw a clear line.
“I never believed you would be like that, Personnel Officer, but now I don’t know. Why are you defending the sergeant like this?”
With each word I spoke, the personnel officer’s face changed color. From pale gray to blue, and finally, to red with rage.
“That damn thug… I went easy on him, and now he’s…!!”
“Sir.”
I grabbed the personnel officer, who was about to storm out in anger.
“He’s a soldier who has caused a lot of trouble. I think it’s best to deal with him now.”
“I agree. However…”
“I have a brilliant idea. Would you like to hear it?”
The personnel officer’s eyes momentarily gleamed at my suggestion. I was certain it was an offer he couldn’t refuse in this situation.
Thugs like Rex, who relied on connections to act up, became nothing once their power and connections were taken away.
Since he had brought this fight to me using connections, I would sever those connections one by one and isolate him. I smiled, confident of an overwhelming victory.
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