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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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In Hearts of General, unit evaluation events were essential for future promotions and stat increases.
As the name suggested, it involved assigning a specific mission to the target organization—be it a company, platoon, or battalion—and closely observing how they handled the mission.
That was the unit evaluation, and practically speaking, it was the most efficient way to earn promotions and build a commendation record before the world war five years later.
Naturally, it was an important evaluation, and a single mistake could mean losing the most important opportunity of the entire year.
And now, it was scheduled for next month.
‘I’m screwed.’
A month might be considered ample time for a typical platoon to prepare for an evaluation. But who was my platoon?
Excluding Claude, they lacked real combat experience and were a collection of individuals, each with their own quirks. Starting with me, the platoon leader.
I couldn’t just grind down my squad members in a short period like in a real-world army. Not everyone would be cooperative.
Claude, nearly uncontrollable, had been promoted to Sergeant Major only to be demoted, so he wasn’t likely to be eager for promotion. Someone indifferent to promotion wouldn’t be cooperative during an evaluation.
Thankfully, Lumia showed a clear desire to climb the ranks. Belle Meyer didn’t seem particularly interested in commendations, and Roxana, having just joined, was practically a non-combatant.
“Looks like continuous training is the only option.”
Almost immediately after being assigned to the unit, I was deployed to retake Belgorod Fortress, which led to the expulsion of the treasonous faction in Chernoe City alongside the National Military Police.
Even I found it hard to believe this was the track record of a newly commissioned second lieutenant fresh out of the officer academy. But come to think of it, I hadn’t actually done much of it myself.
During the fortress recapture, Lumia and Bell fought alongside me, and although Claude joined later, Belle Meyer was the only one who actually followed my commands.
In Chernoe City, Lumia worked with me on the investigation and intelligence gathering, but strictly speaking, we hadn’t properly assessed her ‘combat ability,’ a required attribute for a military mage.
She used magic, but only for firefighting.
In short, we had never worked together as a proper team. I suspected this had been the case even before I arrived.
“Sigh…”
“Platoon Leader, what did the personnel officer say?”
The women, gathered in the lounge as before, asked as I returned to the quarters.
“It’s not confirmed, but he said our platoon might be going to the capital.”
“The capital?”
“Could it be… that the report went all the way up to the commander of the National Military Police?”
Lumia Blyue asked with an incredulous expression. Wasn’t it natural for a report to reach the commander?
A city’s chief security officer had openly committed treason; it had to reach the commander at least. The problem was that the final decision-maker wasn’t the commander, but someone higher up.
“Not only the commander of the National Military Police, but His Majesty King Orlando Luce himself mentioned our platoon by name.”
“What—!?”
Bell and Lumia were startled, and even Roxana, who had been fast asleep, suddenly opened her eyes.
“Is that true?”
“Why would I lie about something like this?”
“Oh my god, oh my god… Unbelievable…”
Lumia was beyond surprised; she was trembling. Was it really that shocking? From a modern perspective, it was like meeting the president.
It was the highest honor for a soldier and would be an exciting experience for anyone, but I wasn’t sure it warranted that level of reaction.
Of course, I had to consider that a proper democratic system hadn’t been established in this world yet. Currently, the King was the absolute ruler of the Principality.
Being summoned by him must have been a significant shock for Lumia, a lifelong citizen of Ukraine.
“Anyway, it’s good news, but… the problem is something else.”
“??”
“The personnel officer said there’s a company evaluation scheduled for next month, and our platoon has to participate.”
“….???”
Confusion replaced the surprise in their eyes.
“That’s why I need your help. Haven’t I told you time and time again? Follow me, and I’ll give you opportunities.”
Thinking positively, this was an opportunity. The platoon, and the platoon leader, had been treated as rejects.
While we had achieved significant feats, it was highly likely they hadn’t made much of an impression on our fellow soldiers or others.
It seemed quite a few senior officers and others weren’t happy with this perception.
So, what if we dominated the company evaluation so completely that no one could refute our abilities?
It was a golden opportunity to not only showcase our accomplishments but also shed our image as rejects in one fell swoop.
“Our goal is to get a perfect score on the company evaluation,” I said firmly, looking at my stunned squad members.
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“…And that’s why you came looking for me?”
“Yes, Facilities Management Chief Debra Bennett.”
“Simple defensive magic deployment should be manageable with just your squad members, right?”
she said, wearing a black eyepatch that matched her hair color.
Second Lieutenant Debra Bennett, the facilities management chief. I’d heard she’d returned to base yesterday after overseeing the repairs to Belgorod Fortress, which had been heavily damaged in the previous attack.
But she was lounging in a hammock slung up in her office, enjoying some personal downtime.
She truly lived up to her title of ‘Facilities Management Chief.’ I couldn’t understand how she, seemingly close to my age, exuded the aura of a seasoned warrant officer from the transport corps.
Debra peeked her head out of the hammock and looked at me, since I had arrived unannounced.
“I’ve heard so much about Chief Debra Bennett’s defensive magic skills being the best in the battalion.”
“Hmm, that’s true, but…”
“Besides, didn’t you express interest in my magical abilities last time, Chief? I think this is a perfect opportunity for you to see them firsthand.”
I coaxed Second Lieutenant Debra Bennett.
While our first encounter at the medical unit had left me with the impression of her being a “self-righteous, odd woman,” I thought she’d be all the more interested in my proposal because of it.
She seemed surprisingly intrigued by such things.
Debra Bennett’s eyes darted around, she sniffed once, and then…
“Not bad.”
She jumped down from the hammock. My prediction was spot on.
“The facilities management officer position looks busy on the surface, but in reality, there’s not much to do during peacetime. And you guys even took care of the old barracks renovation and repairs, which was the only work left.”
Shouldn’t she be grateful that I took care of her work for her? I heard from the personnel officer that she was practically a captain (acting).
Despite having a secured promotion and setting up a hammock in her office, she was a strangely work-oriented character. Was that how she managed to get promoted? By getting things done when necessary?
“I was curious about your true abilities. I need to see for myself if the rumors are true.”
Debra winked, closing one eye with a smile. I had no idea what those rumors were…
Between this and the last time, I was starting to get curious about the kind of image Second Lieutenant Enoch Levandal had in the battalion.
In any case, Debra accepted my request and followed me to the open space behind the headquarters building. A wasteland as vast as the headquarters grounds.
It felt about three times the size of a typical military firing range. Apparently, it was supposed to be a magic training ground managed directly by the corps, but it had been neglected for years.
Thanks to the 3rd Battalion mages constantly firing magic there, all that remained were massive craters and piles of reddish-brown dirt.
“Glory to the Motherland!”
Upon arriving at the open space, the other squad members, who were already there, saluted Debra.
“Oh, you’re all here.”
“We didn’t have anything to do either,” Bell said curtly.
Debra’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but she showed no outward reaction and let it slide.
“So, you said you wanted to know the squad’s maximum combat power?”
“Yes. I heard… that you, Chief Debra Bennett, are capable of deploying up to 2nd-grade magic barriers.”
“Where did you hear that?”
Debra Bennett made a complicated expression as I glanced towards Belle Meyer.
“Ahem, well… Yes. That’s right.”
I wasn’t sure what their past relationship was, but it was clear they weren’t as close as one might think, considering how openly friendly they were.
Both Belle and Second Lieutenant Debra’s expressions carried a mix of emotions.
“L-Let’s get to the main point. What do you want me to do, Platoon Leader Enoch?”
“I’ve prepared five targets.”
I pointed to the wooden scarecrows piled up in the corner. They were magic bombardment targets that had been left in the training supply warehouse.
They were all in bad condition, and I’d struggled to find ones in decent shape.
“I would appreciate it if you could cast a 2nd-grade magic barrier on each of those targets.”
“…On each target?”
“Yes, on each target.”
According to Lumia and Belle, company evaluations, unlike battalion-level ones, focused on the overall combat capabilities of each platoon rather than the entire company.
During the Belgorod Fortress incident, Company Commander Arendt Schultz of the 2nd Company, which included my 5th Platoon, hadn’t given any specific orders. Repelling the bandits and using flares to illuminate the area were all based on my judgment.
Even though it was called a company evaluation, it was practically a platoon evaluation. It assessed how efficiently and wisely platoon leaders acted upon the company commander’s objectives.
In other words, it was about being efficient and wise. It was about using the most powerful magic appropriate for the given situation.
Debra Bennett, having undergone company tactical evaluations as a platoon leader numerous times, seemed to have grasped what I was trying to do.
The facilities management chief looked back and forth between the targets, me, and the assembled squad members, then said with a horrified expression,
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to drop a Meteor?”
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