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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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What… what was going on? I was confused, but no one offered a clear explanation.
Captain Mikel Lovron, the personnel officer, simply said it was a unilateral “official notice” from higher-ups. Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart Cromwell, the battalion commander, seemed to know something… but he wouldn’t elaborate.
He just told me, with a smile, to prepare for my transfer starting tomorrow. For someone giving me the cold shoulder, he seemed strangely cheerful.
There was no farewell party, no send-off. I felt like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.
“You won’t all be leaving together. The transfer will be done in three stages. You’ll leave first, then Sergeant Lumia and Sergeant Claude the next day, followed by Sergeant Roxana and Sergeant Bell on the last day.”
“Why is the transfer being handled this way? Are we being assigned to different units…?”
“No, your assigned unit should be the same. You can ask about the details when you get there.”
The battalion commander was being cryptic. He stood up and offered me his hand.
“You’ve worked hard in our battalion. You kept the promise you made when you first arrived.”
“Th… thank you.”
I was still bewildered. I didn’t understand Lockhart’s reaction. Originally, I was the only one scheduled for transfer because of my unusual rank and seniority. This was essentially like losing an entire platoon, yet Lockhart seemed oddly unconcerned.
It felt like a clear infringement on the battalion commander’s personnel authority. And in such cases…
‘Just who issued this order?’
It had to be someone at least the level of Sony Zeppelin or Viktor Zelensky. Even they couldn’t overrule a magic battalion commander’s authority like this. Colonel Sony had tried something similar and ended up with egg on his face, thanks to me.
And it wasn’t just me; the entire platoon was being transferred, which meant they needed not just me, but all of the 5th Platoon’s personnel. That implied a unit with enough leeway to reorganize an entire platoon…
Only two possibilities came to mind: the Central Education and Technology Research Center, where Colonel Viktor Zelensky, the evaluator from our last platoon evaluation, had recently been assigned, or the Central Special Response Brigade, where Archmage Colonel Sony Zeppelin was the brigade commander.
Both were led by colonels and were newly established/reorganized units chronically short on personnel.
‘Even if those are the two potential units, the person who issued the transfer order must be even higher up…’
I racked my brain. Could it be a direct order from the Ukrainian Army Command…? Or perhaps the Corps, one level below. It was absurd to think King Orlando Luce himself would appoint an entire platoon.
In the end, I had no say in the matter. With the official transfer order issued, I couldn’t refuse it like last time. I’d finally gotten the platoon back on track, and now we were being transferred… What a twist of fate.
Orders were orders. My cigarette tasted unusually bitter that day. Sure, whether it was Sony Zeppelin or Viktor Zelensky, it meant joining a promising colonel’s line… but this transfer order didn’t feel like it was filled with dreams and hope.
“I should at least say my goodbyes.”
I tossed the cigarette butt on the ground and entered the headquarters building.
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“Sigh… what should I do with all this? Should I just leave it behind?”
“Just buy new ones.”
Belle Meyer said, approaching Lumia, who was packing her belongings. She seemed relieved, having already finished packing. She didn’t have much to pack besides clothes and her parrot’s supplies.
In contrast, Lumia Blyue intended to take all her accessories and decorations.
“If only we had more time… I could have sold them. If I leave them here, who’s going to appreciate them?”
“The Battalion Commander would be thrilled” Belle quipped, chuckling.
“Belle, honestly…”
Lumia, with trembling hands, reluctantly picked out only the essentials. It had only been a day since they received the shocking news from the platoon leader.
The news itself was confusing enough, but to be transferred starting tomorrow? It was incredibly sudden.
“You’re lucky, Lumia. You won’t be separated from the Platoon Leader.”
“Hmm, that’s definitely a plus.”
“Aren’t you glad you didn’t confess? I bet you would have been too embarrassed to even show your face.”
“Ugh…”
That hit a nerve. If she’d known things would turn out like this, it was a stroke of luck that her confession that day had fizzled out.
‘The Platoon Leader wouldn’t have had the time. He would have rejected me, for sure.’
It was a certainty. From her time with Enoch Levandal, Lumia knew he was someone who kept his professional and personal life separate. He was the same during training for the evaluation. While generally warm and approachable, he was strict when it came to practical magic application.
Thanks to that, even Lumia, with her trauma regarding magic, could participate in training more comfortably. Perhaps it was also because there was no one else within the range of her magic, but Enoch’s attitude had reassured her unconsciously.
He controlled the platoon members far more effectively than Company Commander Arendt Schultz, making her forget that he was a newly commissioned officer, barely a month into his service.
“Are Sergeant Claude and Roxana packing properly?”
“Yes, Roxana’s coordinating her schedule with the external physician. Claude… he doesn’t seem to have any luggage.”
Claude had always lived a carefree life. Lumia could easily picture him snoring in his room with his belongings bundled up in a corner.
“Is the physician going with us, too?”
“Yes, it’s unavoidable. Roxana’s a special case.”
Mana Heart Disease.
The greatest blessing and the worst curse for mages. It drastically increased mana efficiency and capacity, but also weakened the body’s organs, leading to death if mana wasn’t handled carefully.
Roxana was managing it well, but that was thanks to her dedicated physician. Even in the capital, Kayef, it was uncertain if there were any physicians specializing in Mana Heart Disease. Hence, the physician had to accompany her.
“It’s ironic, isn’t it? I thought that day would be my last time in the capital, but now I’ll be living there.”
“I know, right? We’re capital citizens now.”
“Hee hee, you really love the capital, don’t you, Lumia? Well… I can’t say I don’t understand.”
Despite their different pasts, their paths had converged at the 5th Platoon, 2nd Company, 3rd Battalion. A ray of sunshine had broken through the bleak future where they were scorned as rejects, destined to be stuck here forever.
“It’s… all thanks to the Platoon Leader.”
“Yes, thanks to Platoon Leader Enoch.”
They exchanged smiles.
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“So, this is it, huh?”
I muttered, gazing at the headquarters building standing tall at the battalion entrance. My first unit, where I’d spent my time after arriving in this world. It was a humble beginning, filled with disdain, but… it wasn’t a bad first posting.
Captain Arendt Schultz, Captain Mikel Lovron, the personnel officer… While not exactly exemplary officers, they weren’t bad seniors. And despite my rapid rise as a newly commissioned second lieutenant, they could have harbored resentment, yet even the other platoon leaders bid me farewell with genuine regret.
Even if it was partly due to having one less competitor…
‘I’ve somehow become well-liked.’
It always happened this way. If I worked hard, ignoring the initial dismissive glances, people’s perceptions eventually changed. Whether it was reality or this world, the inner workings of the military were eerily similar.
“Take care, Enoch!”
“Let’s meet again sometime!!”
My fellow officers had even come to see me off. I met their gazes, offered a final salute, and boarded the waiting carriage.
I still didn’t understand why the platoon members were being transferred separately, or why the unit listed on my transfer orders, which I’d asked the personnel officer to investigate, appeared to be an unformed reserve unit.
I would find out soon enough. As I climbed into the carriage, I was surprised to see a robed figure already inside.
“…? Who are you?”
The robed figure didn’t answer. As the carriage door closed and began to move, the figure carefully removed their robe. Blazing red eyes. Golden hair, much brighter than mine. I recognized the man instantly.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a secret meeting like this” he chuckled, amused. I jumped to my feet.
“G-Glory to the Motherland!!!”
“There’s no point in disguising myself if you’re going to make such a fuss. Sit down.”
It was Orlando Luce III, King of the Ukrainian Principality.
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Hmm, I sense a conspiracy afoot…🤔🧐