My Platoon is Fucking Hopeless – Chapter 61

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The heavy, awkward silence lingered longer than I expected.

Faced with the nation’s leader, I hesitated to speak, and Orlando Luce III simply observed me without a word.

‘Sit down,’ he said.

Why isn’t he saying anything?! I wanted to shout, but I wasn’t stupid enough to stick my head in a guillotine.

It was the King himself who broke the silence that had persisted even after we left the battalion.

“Do you understand why I came all this way?” he asked, his tone probing.

My treatment would likely depend on our conversation in this carriage. This transfer order almost certainly had the King’s direct involvement. That explained the ‘irregular’ transfer structure, with an entire platoon being moved separately.

Whether it was Lieutenant Colonel Lockhart or the Personnel Command, such procedures were meaningless before absolute power.

“I only know it’s related to the Special Response Brigade.”

“That’s because the transfer order itself states that. There’s no need to deduce that.” I’d cast a line, but the King didn’t bite. He wasn’t easily swayed.

“Try to guess why I sought you out. We have plenty of time until we reach our destination.” I calmly reviewed the situation in my mind.

‘Special Response Brigade, entire platoon transfer, separate escort, divided departure, the King in my carriage…’

The common denominator was ‘secrecy’. The King wouldn’t be hiding his identity in an escort carriage, and my squad wouldn’t be traveling separately unless it was to intentionally create confusion and protect information.

The problem stemmed from the stolen artifact from Belgorod. Security Chief Lamur, confirmed as the one who leaked the information, had been executed, but the mastermind remained unknown.

One thing was certain: there was a traitor within the Ukrainian military or the cabinet. I answered the King in a calm voice.

“You’re concerned about traitors within the administration. The fact that you’re not conveying this through a messenger or letter… means our destination within the Special Response Brigade is not a typical location, correct?”

“What do you mean by ‘not a typical location’?”

“A training ground or a research facility for a specific purpose?”

The King’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Did Sony tell you something?”

“No. I haven’t spoken with Colonel Sony Zeppelin since then.”

“If that’s true, your insight is truly frightening. I understand why she holds you in such high regard.”

Orlando Luce nodded, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

“It’s a training facility. A training facility for a top-secret project, known to very few within the Ukrainian military.”

As I suspected, my prediction was correct. Using magic troops like special forces was a common tactic in Hearts of General. With increased mobility due to technological advancements, magic troops could be deployed via airborne insertion, like paratroopers, to destroy enemy facilities behind the lines and then escape.

With Archmage Sony Zeppelin leading the Special Response Brigade, it was clear the Ukrainian military had been considering this type of magic troop deployment from the start.

A special unit capable of delivering firepower comparable to artillery on key enemy facilities with a single deployment? Only a fool wouldn’t utilize it.

Of course, even if Ukraine did use them, their incompetence in other areas would prevent them from achieving anything significant. But I remembered struggling against Sony Zeppelin’s Special Response ‘Division’ in every playthrough.

In short, it was considered one of Ukraine’s elite units, a main offensive force capable of performing well even in a real war. And such units weren’t built overnight.

“You and your squad members will be assigned to this training unit to train personnel. You’ll be founding members, so to speak.”

“It’s an honor.”

One of my plans for the war five years later was crumbling, but it didn’t matter much. Perhaps… this would give me even greater influence within the Ukrainian military. The fact that King Orlando Luce III himself came to meet a mere second lieutenant implied significant expectations.

The reason Sony Zeppelin could hold her own among the other generals, despite lacking a star, was her close relationship with King Orlando Luce. There was no reason I couldn’t achieve the same. I was well-versed in political maneuvering, and I had MAX Political Power as a stat.

I was always prepared to survive in the jungle that was the military.

“Those who will lead this nation in the future must be young officers like you, not old generals clinging to a comfortable reality.”

The King looked directly at me as he continued, “The global landscape is changing rapidly. During the century of peace, our people have grown weak.”

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage wheels rattled against the uneven ground.

“Ukraine must survive the storm that will one day engulf the world. For that cause, I expect you to work diligently.”

“I promise.”

There was no need for flowery words. A soldier’s duty was to follow orders. I nodded and shook the King’s hand.

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“I must return to the capital now. If I’m gone any longer, people will notice my absence.”

“Safe travels, Your Majesty.”

A separate escort was waiting where the carriage stopped, as if planned from the beginning. I saluted the King and watched his escort disappear into the setting sun. From there on, it was a solitary journey.

I gazed at the passing scenery. A vast plain, unlike the mountainous terrain of the north. Fields of lush wheat stretched endlessly beyond the horizon. It seemed my new unit would be stationed in the south.

Southern Ukraine was a vast plain, bordering the Reinhardt Empire to the southeast, the Free Democratic Republic of Pry to the southwest, and the similarly neutral Swiss Kingdom.

Due to its flat terrain, once the defensive lines were breached, enemy forces could advance rapidly, making it a terrible defensive position. This was why even the North, which had held out for a while, eventually fell due to the Reinhardt Empire’s intervention.

‘Maintaining this area will be key.’

I had a general strategy in mind. It was unrealistic for the Ukrainian military to go on the offensive early in the war. For now, the only viable strategy was a defensive one.

Orlando Luce III and the Ukrainian Army seemed to believe that they could fight the Soviette Empire without the Reinhardt Empire intervening… but strategizing after being betrayed was pointless.

‘Ideally, we should build a fortified line, like the Maginot Line, along this axis.’

As a training unit within the Special Response Brigade, I wouldn’t be able to exert much influence immediately. But like my meeting with King Orlando Luce today, if I steadily built connections, I could prepare for the war.

Then, this southern front would be drenched in the blood of those clueless Reinhardtians.

Oh, right. My affiliation had changed, so I wondered how my status window had been updated. I hadn’t checked it recently since there was no need to allocate stat points.

“Status window.”

A translucent window appeared before me. Despite being a familiar ability, it still felt strange. Even my dreams were now from Enoch Levandal’s perspective. I was truly adapting to life in Hearts of General. There wouldn’t be any changes in my personal information, so I skipped that.

The key was the unit management window. With the transfer order, my affiliation should have changed from the 3rd Magic Battalion, directly under the Northern Corps, to the Special Response Brigade.

My exact position was still unknown. Was I an instructor, or a trainee under Sony Zeppelin? The status window would tell me.

“Unit management.”

I opened the unit management window with anticipation, and what I saw was more shocking than I could have imagined.

…

…………

“I expected Colonel Sony Zeppelin… but…”

Assault Magic Infantry Battalion? What kind of bizarre unit composition was this?

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