My Platoon is Fucking Hopeless – Chapter 59

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The busiest times for the Ukrainian Army Personnel Command were February, June, and September.

February was when officer academy graduates and other officers and NCO’s received their first assignments. Personnel were adjusted according to the needs of each corps and command, and troops were allocated based on branch demands.

June was the month for reassignments of existing NCO’s and officers. From command to field units, and vice versa. After preliminary surveys regarding their service duration and desired positions, units were reorganized for fairness.

Finally, September was the month for promotions. All promotion-eligible personnel in the Ukrainian Army, from privates to generals, were promoted simultaneously, excluding special promotions.

Existing personnel records had to be extensively revised, and official documents had to be sent to prevent confusion between units.

With these major events occurring every three months, the Ukrainian Personnel Command was perpetually swamped until October, when everything finally settled down. And if you were to ask them which period was the most hellish…

Nine out of ten would say June.

“Damn it.”

Lieutenant Colonel Laviet, the Deputy Chief of Personnel Operations, was no exception. Spring, with its refreshing breeze, had passed, and the temperature was steadily rising with the arrival of early summer.

This meant the lieutenant colonel’s workload was about to skyrocket.

He’d just returned after two all-nighters, only to face another morning. While the NCO reassignment matters for the 1st Department had been processed, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

NCO’s usually stayed in one unit for a long time, and reassignments were infrequent. Yet, he’d pulled two all-nighters. Now, it was time to revise the officer assignments, and the true ‘hell gate’ had just opened.

“Deputy Chief Laviet, here’s your coffee.”

“Oh, thanks.”

At least he had good subordinates. Deputy Chief Laviet took a sip of the coffee offered by his subordinate NCO and smiled faintly.

“How many officers need urgent processing today?”

“Thirty-two.”

“Fewer than I thought. Have you collected all the application forms with their desired units?”

“Yes, you don’t have to worry about that… but there’s a matter that requires even more urgent handling.”

“Sigh.”

The Deputy Chief sighed deeply. A matter requiring urgent handling. So, that was why his subordinate NCO’s looked like constipated dogs. There was nothing Laviet hated more than unexpected tasks popping up.

His previously amiable expression contorted.

“Where did it come from?”

It was probably a request from a department head within the command or a division or corps commander from some front-line corps.

Had those damned field officers’ brains gone soft from being out in the field for too long? Ignoring such requests that bypassed proper procedures was the best course of action. Especially during a busy period, such behavior was an insult to the Personnel Command’s work. But his subordinates’ reactions were strange.

Normally, they’d be cursing up a storm, but now they were silent as clams.

“What is it?”

Lieutenant Colonel Laviet snatched the document from his subordinate. It was about eight pages long, the first five being personal information forms.

“Five people at once? What are they thinking?”

“…Y-You probably know one of them, sir.”

The lieutenant colonel narrowed his eyes and slowly read through the documents. Branch: Magic Troops. Assignment: From the 3rd Magic Battalion, directly under the Northern Corps, to the 8th Battalion, Special Response Brigade, directly under the Central Corps.

‘The Special Response Brigade? That’s the unit that’s been causing a stir lately.’

It was established earlier this year, but due to chronic manpower shortages, they were constantly recruiting NCO’s and officers. Were they making another unreasonable demand?

“Ah, Enoch Levandal? That famous first lieutenant? The one promoted after just one month of service…”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“Right, he wouldn’t be able to stay in his current unit.”

The seniority system was deeply ingrained in the Ukrainian Army. It was natural for a second lieutenant who defied that system to be unable to remain in his original unit.

“But… wait a minute.”

Flipping through the documents, the lieutenant colonel noticed something odd.

“Their affiliations are all the same?”

“That’s the problem. It seems an entire platoon is being reassigned.”

“They’re insane.”

Even with the manpower shortage, this was too much. Laviet, exasperated, tossed the papers aside.

“Deputy Chief!”

“I’m not handling this. Make up some excuse and ignore it. Tell them to submit a proper request.” If they were going to be unreasonable, he would respond in kind.

“And their assigned unit is the 8th Battalion, Special Response Brigade? That unit doesn’t even exist. How can I assign personnel to a non-existent unit? Tell them to fix it from the beginning and resubmit.”

The rank of lieutenant colonel wasn’t particularly high, but as the Deputy Chief of the Army Personnel Command, it was a different story. At least in practical terms, his authority surpassed even corps commanders, unless it was his direct superior, the Head of Personnel Operations, or the commander himself.

Even the famous Archmage Sony Zeppelin couldn’t overstep the boundaries after all the favors he’d granted her.

“Sir… This isn’t something we can just ignore. Please look at the name of the requester.”

The NCO who brought him the coffee hurriedly picked up the scattered documents.

“Requester?” The lieutenant colonel’s eyes widened as he checked the indicated section.

‘This letter is a decree from King Orlando Luce. The recipient, Deputy Chief of Personnel Operations, and relevant personnel are to maintain confidentiality. Strict secrecy.’

The seal on the document was unmistakably that of the royal family.

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June arrived sooner than expected. The trees, once in full bloom, were now covered in green leaves, and the once refreshing breeze now carried a sticky summer heat.

‘This is the end of my time in this dreadful battalion.’

Enoch looked out the window, lost in thought. The barracks, once abysmal, were now much more livable thanks to Debra Bennett’s renovations. The windows were the best improvement. Before, the room felt like a solitary confinement cell, closed off on all sides.

He only had a few days left in this now-familiar room.

‘This feels strangely bittersweet. It reminds me of when I transferred to the field.’

It was the opposite situation now; he didn’t want to leave, but he had to. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. Lost in nostalgia,

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Platoon Leader Enoch, it’s Lumia.”

“Come in.”

A woman with beautiful silver hair tied back entered the room, carrying a brown envelope.

“Here are the documents you need to process today.”

Since this was Enoch’s personal quarters and also served as the platoon leader’s office, all simple paperwork was handled here.

“Haha, this might be the last batch of documents. Who are they from?”

“…The Personnel Command.”

“Ah, so it really is the last batch.”

Enoch replied with a bitter joke. It had finally come. That was probably why Lumia’s voice sounded heavy.

“It would be selfish of me to ask you to stay, wouldn’t it?”

“Even if I wanted to, I doubt the Personnel Command would agree.”

“Still… We’ll meet again someday.”

“Of course. If you miss me that much, Sergeant Lumia, you can apply to my unit during the next reassignment period.”

“I might be addressing you as Company Commander by then.”

There were meetings and partings in life. Enoch Levandal reminded himself that he had fulfilled all the promises he made to the Battalion Commander and platoon members when he took charge.

In the four months since his arrival, significant changes had occurred in the 5th Platoon. Lumia Blyue had overcome her trauma of using magic against people. Belle Meyer’s depression and dissociative amnesia were less frequent. She was now able to cope on her own, even without Enoch.

Roxana Elim had moved all her belongings from the medical unit to the annex. Even Edward, the attending physician, confirmed Roxana’s condition had stabilized, so there was no need to worry for a while.

Indeed, since the last platoon evaluation, Roxana’s abilities had been steadily improving. And lastly, Claude Rain. His clashes with Sergeant Belle had decreased significantly, and there hadn’t been any recent complaints from other officers.

He seemed to be focusing on exercise rather than drinking all night. The unfriendly and intimidating war hero from their first meeting was gradually softening.

The reject 5th Platoon had finally integrated into the 3rd Battalion. From now on, they would pave their own path, without relying on outsiders.

Enoch calmly opened the envelope and said to Lumia, “Thank you for looking after the platoon and assisting me all this time. You’ve worked hard.”

“Platoon Leader…” That was all he could say. He couldn’t make irresponsible promises about staying or taking them with him.

“You’re strong, Lumia. You’ll do well even without me.”

Lumia didn’t reply, suppressing her emotions.

Creak— Thud.

She quietly closed the door behind her, then leaned against it, gazing at her platoon leader with trembling eyes.

Lumia had no intention of backing down.

Normally, reassignments occurred three days after receiving the orders. But considering the Battalion Commander’s scheduled meeting and meetings with other officers before his departure, this was her last chance to speak with Enoch alone. She had to express the feelings she’d kept hidden.

“P-Platoon Leader…! I have something to tell you.”

Lumia squeezed her eyes shut. She’d already started, so she had to see it through.

“As you just said… I’ll work hard, and someday, I’ll definitely come see you again, Platoon Leader!”

Enoch Levandal had become a significant figure in Lumia Blyue’s life. No matter what, she would return to his side. That was her resolve. The reason was simple. She had fallen for him. What grand reason did she need when she’d fallen for someone?

For the first time in her perpetually unlucky life, there was a connection she desperately wanted to hold onto. Yes, Lumia was confessing.

“So… so…! Until then, absolutely…!”

“Wait a moment, Lumia.”

Enoch’s voice interrupted her rapid-fire confession. Lumia opened her eyes to see Enoch’s face contorted in disbelief.

Thud.

Lumia’s heart sank at his disheartening reaction.

She stammered, her voice trembling, “Ah… N-No… It’s nothing. S-Sorry…”

“Lumia!”

“Yes? Y-Yes, s-sorry… I was being presumptuous…”

“There’s no need for that. Look at this.”

A white sheet of paper fluttered before her eyes. Her vision blurred with tears, but she managed to read the words.

“Huh…?” A dumbfounded sound escaped her lips.

“Gather the squad members immediately.”

This was an outcome neither Lumia nor Enoch Levandal had anticipated.

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