The unrest in Chernov City was quickly quelled.
Originally, all units connected to the city should have been swept simultaneously as per the plan. However, with such clear evidence, there was no need for that.
Colonel Lannister, who had seized all authority from Ramur, immediately freed Shakhov, the guild master, who had been imprisoned underground and was waiting for the arrival of the military police.
The moment the guild master, along with Chief Secretary Alfera, opened Pandora’s Box, the city turned upside down.
The ledgers kept by Shakhov detailed the corrupt activities of traders and the security force, excluding his own faction.
Even Colonel Lannister was stunned by the vast and detailed evidence.
– Such a merchant must have been prominent even in the center, not just in this backwater.
– You flatter me.
Since the momentum was already lost, the people who were opposing Shakhov’s faction ignored their claims regardless of what they said.
Who could have missed that the evidence presented by Shakhov was biased?
In reality, history only remembers the victors. The moment Ramur’s influence disintegrated, their defeat was decided.
Thus, individuals amounting to several dozens were arrested, spanning from the security force, the traders’ guild, to the city’s autonomous administrative department.
The security force, harboring resentment towards Ramur, began reorganizing, focusing primarily on those who had not committed illegal acts. Anatoly, the mayor of Chernov City who had passively observed the entire situation despite knowing about it, was swiftly dismissed.
Amidst the mass arrests of officials, the fate of Gabial, a clear criminal organization, was also sealed.
Louro and his gang, including the boss, were executed on the spot in the central square, and their bodies hung there for three days as an example.
Soon, Ramur was scheduled to be executed for treason, so he and his brother would meet in hell.
Congratulations, congratulations.
Although swift and decisive punishment was highly commendable, the fact that even the bureaucrats were swept away meant that the administrative tasks in Chernov City were nearly paralyzed.
Colonel Lannister, including the National Military Police, had no choice but to request support from nearby units to prevent the inevitable security vacuum and paralysis of administrative tasks.
Naturally, under Major Lockheart’s special orders, our Third Heavy Cavalry Battalion also sent personnel from logistics and personnel departments to carry out these duties.
And the additional mission assigned to me and our Fifth Platoon, which could be considered as having played a significant role in this incident, was…
“Captain, can you help move this?”
“Yes, I understand.”
It was time to decorate the barracks.
“Hmm, I think we’ve moved most of the furniture now, don’t you?”
The lounge, which had been empty and sparse due to the scattered furniture, now felt quite tidy and comfortable with the addition of a wool sofa, a luxurious rocking chair, and an antique fireplace.
Bella Meyer’s parrot cage was placed in one corner of the lounge.
“…That’s a bit random. A parrot?”
I allowed it since she wanted to keep it in a wide space like the lounge.
Having a pet shouldn’t be a problem, right?
It somehow felt cozy too.
Most importantly, all this furniture was provided “free of charge.”
Thanks to Guild Master Shakhov going to great lengths.
Although I was not the only one thinking of a response, I was the reason I was released immediately after being detained.
As Lumina roughly arranged all the furniture, Bella started whining.
“Luminaaa~! Let’s stop now~~!”
“Oh no! Sergeant Bella, you shouldn’t do that.”
“Aaah… I don’t know… I’m tired…”
Despite her firm refusal, Bella jumped onto the sofa and lay down in protest.
“Tsk, if you have nothing to do, go inside and rest.”
Sergeant Claude looked at her with disdain and then quietly disappeared into his room.
Seeing the situation fall apart so quickly, Lumina had no choice but to give up.
“Well, I guess we’ll finish today’s work here. After all, we’ve already brought all the furniture inside.”
“That’s not a bad idea. There’s no need to rush.”
Unfortunately, I was also starting to feel exhausted.
Though I wasn’t physically exerting myself, I used simple wind attribute magic to move things.
After expending a considerable amount of mana with a water cannon last time, I noticed symptoms of anemia whenever I used even a little magic after that day.
“Oh! Sorry! Captain, I didn’t consider your health either!”
It seemed Lumina finally noticed my poor condition.
Bella, who had been joking around, slowly got up and approached.
“Captain, are you dizzy again? Shall I cast a healing spell?”
“No, it’s fine. I can still endure. I can’t rely on Sergeant Bella or Sergeant Lumina forever.”
“You haven’t fully recovered from the flu yet.”
“But…”
I had jokingly mentioned possibly catching a flu, but ironically, I caught it the very next day after capturing Ramur.
The medic said it was because I hadn’t fully recovered and overexerted myself.
The ‘Slow Recovery’ debuff I had been given was surprisingly effective.
“d*mn.”
I couldn’t depend on them forever.
Even while feeling unwell, I continued to train slowly, so from now on, I’d have to push through with determination.
“I’ll go get some medicine from the infirmary for a bit.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, it’s fine. Sergeant Lumina is also resting.”
Since I intended to smoke a cigarette anyway, there was no point in bringing Lumina along.
I left the barracks, leaving behind the worried eyes of the two.
*
“Cough! Cough!”
I spat out the cigarette in my mouth. I hadn’t even taken a full drag when dizziness suddenly hit me.
My body swayed, and my head felt light.
“Oh… This isn’t good.”
I quickly stepped on the b*tt to extinguish it and headed straight for the main building where the infirmary was located.
They said that pulling too much mana at once caused the production rate to lag behind the consumption rate.
Normally, this could be easily resolved by receiving mana from a third party.
But the problem was that the density of my mana core was ten times higher than that of a typical mage.
The medic added that even if they brought Lumina or Bella, both first-class mages, they would still need to supply mana until they were almost drained before there would be any improvement.
They said it would be enough to just rest for a few days, but…
“This is ridiculous. Slow Recovery, you’re really holding me back.”
In Hearts of Generals, some debuffs can be changed or removed through experience and effort.
For instance, frailty.
These debuffs could be overcome with consistent training.
On the other hand, there are debuffs that cannot be removed no matter what you do.
One of these, as I’ve been saying, is ‘Slow Recovery.’
While it’s an unremovable debuff, it merely means injuries take longer to heal, illnesses take longer to recover from, and mana recovery takes a bit longer.
It’s not a debuff that significantly affects the outcome of battles. It’s also a trait that doesn’t cause major issues in securing a foothold and advancing early on.
So, it was one of the debuffs I often used, but actually experiencing it firsthand was quite annoying.
Especially for a mage officer, the delay in mana recovery was critical. I wondered if I would even be able to fight properly on the battlefield five years from now.
“d*mn…”
Ping.
My vision wobbled as I stumbled up the stairs, barely managing to grab the railing to avoid falling.
If I had known it would be this sudden, I would have brought Lumina along.
I struggled up the stairs, regretting my foolish decision.
“Huff.”
I took a deep breath.
The most basic symptom of mana deficiency is shock due to breathing difficulties, so maintaining consciousness and regulating breathing is crucial.
Even though I felt like a fool, it had been almost a month since I was possessed by this body.
I had accumulated enough experience to manage it somewhat.
“Puh, Pufu.”
Every step made me dizzy. How could a two-story height feel so high?
This discomfort was different from the stress-induced fainting episode in front of Major Lockheart.
The sensation of hitting my limit and the overwhelming sense of self-loathing came flooding in.
Shouldn’t I be a low-grade dog at best? Is this really a body like radioactive waste?
Just as I managed to stagger up the stairs and into the infirmary.
Thud.
“Aah!”
I couldn’t see properly and collided head-on with someone approaching from the opposite direction. The slight impact cut off my barely maintained consciousness.
I fell backward, hitting my head on the floor with a thud.
Fortunately, the carpeted floor only made my head throb, but I wasn’t seriously injured…
d*mn, I couldn’t move my body.
“What?! No! Are you okay?!”
“Med… Medical.”
Struggling to speak, I managed to say, and a woman with pink hair leaned in.
“What?! Please repeat clearly!”
“…Medical Officer.”
“Oh! Medical Officer!! Just wait a moment! But these symptoms are exactly like when mana is insufficient…”
She tilted her head, looking around, then sat down on me.
“What are you doing…?”
“Just wait a moment!”
Her small hand pressed against my heart, and an overwhelming amount of mana instantly flowed into my mana core.
Instinctively, I felt it.
What is this?
The mana felt incredibly fresh, like it had just been created, and its concentration was denser than any mana I had ever felt before.
My blurry vision quickly returned to normal, and as my breathing steadied, my mind cleared.
The muscles that had lost control for a moment returned to their original state.
Mana supply.
It was as if bl**d was being transfused, injecting her mana directly into my mana core.
I quickly checked her condition.
They said even first-class mages like Lumina and Bella would be exhausted to the point of collapse, yet she supplied enough mana to make my mana core function normally in just a few seconds.
With that amount, wouldn’t it strain even her own mana core?
However, the mage in question sighed in relief, seemingly unaffected.
Moreover… this person seems familiar.
I couldn’t confirm her rank since she was in civilian clothes, but her emerald green eyes, her thin frame, and her light pink hair…
Could it be?
As I got up, she extended her hand and smiled.
“I’m Sergeant Roxanna Elrim. I believe this is the first time we’ve met in the unit! Have you just arrived?”
