After meeting with some rather special platoon leaders, I was able to meet the soldiers under my command. I thought they might have picked only strange people, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Most of them were soldiers who had served on the frontlines in the north or south, and not a single one had physical or mental issues.
If there had been problems among these soldiers as well, it would have been more appropriate to take down the banner of the Paratrooper Mage Infantry Battalion and call it Sony Chepelin’s thumping mental reconditioning unit instead.
This battalion, named Paratrooper Mage Infantry, was presumably created with the intention of combining mage and infantry operations.
If it’s called “Paratrooper,” then it should utilize the mobility of mages to quickly deploy infantry to the battlefield and perform the role of completely annihilating the rear with overwhelming firepower support. Without both the commander and soldiers being in good condition, such operations wouldn’t be possible.
“Well, regardless of what roles they actually perform, the unit Sony Chepelin is currently envisioning is ahead of its time in terms of tactics.”
The concept of paratroopers could only be applied after airships were developed.
Even the Rhinehardt Empire, famous for its high-speed airship technology, hadn’t developed airships beyond prototypes at this time.
It was surprising that a soldier from the small Okhraine Duchy could come up with such an idea.
He’s no ordinary Great Mage. Although I’m still uncertain whether he’s someone I can trust, respect, and follow.
“Puhah—!”
I placed the empty beer glass on the table and raised my hand to call the waiter.
“Another beer and a plate of assorted sausages, please!”
“Yes~!”
While the Eighth Paratrooper Mage Battalion didn’t have any advantages over the previous 3rd Mage Battalion, there was one thing that stood out: the proximity of the battalion to a civilian village.
The quiet rural village of Stout.
Though it couldn’t compare to Chernov City or the capital Kaieff, it had everything you’d expect in a village.
There were two pubs, general stores, herbal shops, laundries, and tailors.
Of course, there were reasons behind why the battalion was so close to the village, but those details were separate matters.
“Why is this secret unit so close to the village?”
“Huh? Of course! We don’t have supplies.”
“What?”
“How could supplies and provisions enter an unregistered unit? It was already difficult enough to secretly form the troops, so asking them to supply provisions would be impossible.”
“So, do you mean to say food and other supplies will be provided by the village? And we’ll pay for them ourselves?”
“I’ll use my own money to buy basic supplies, but as for meals…”
“Truly… remarkable.”
Since they couldn’t officially request supplies from the Army Headquarters, they made the unit adjacent to the village to receive supplies from civilians.
It’s like a modern North Korean military tactic. While the situation differs slightly, it essentially means self-sufficiency.
But it wasn’t entirely unreasonable either.
Sony and the co-king couldn’t trust the existing army, so the unit needed to be highly secure. Additionally, Stout is Sony Chepelin’s hometown.
If she strongly insisted on keeping it a secret, the concern about the unit being rumored here would be eliminated.
“If it becomes an issue, it would be more like regional entanglement than a security leak…”
I shook my head in thought.
“Here’s another beer and a plate of assorted sausages.”
“Thank you.”
The waiter quickly brought a glass of beer and food. I handed him three silver coins and looked at Sergeant Claude sitting across from me.
“Please eat, Sergeant.”
“Sure.”
The sergeant took a bite of the well-cooked sausage, chewed a few times, and swallowed it down like a bear eating salmon.
“I always wanted to drink with you someday. Looks like we have the chance now.”
As I raised my beer glass, Claude silently clinked his against mine. The glass chimed.
“Seems like you drink well?”
“In my past life, I was known as a whale when it came to drinking.”
“Past life?”
“No, no… Before I enlisted.”
“Hmm, you didn’t seem like it at first.”
Claude narrowed his eyes hastily to cover his slip-up.
“…That’s fine. Why did you call me?”
“Is it wrong for a captain to have a drink with subordinate platoon leaders to relieve stress?”
“No, it’s not, but…”
“There’s no particular reason. Just having a drink together and expressing gratitude for the future…”
I gulped down the new beer. Must be because it’s close to the Rhinehardt Empire? For a village store, the beer is quite good.
Honestly, I didn’t use the base pub much because I didn’t like the taste of the alcohol there.
But I’d probably visit this place often.
And, a captain must live by drinking.
Whether it’s subordinates or battalion commanders, being in between, there are many more people to take care of compared to when I was just a platoon leader.
“How are you feeling physically?”
“I’m fine now. Training with Sergeant Claude was effective.”
“That’s good.”
Despite his gruff demeanor, the hostility from our first meeting had faded significantly.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve gotten to know him over time.
“But, Sergeant, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“You mentioned Azoff in relation to the Quernen War.”
I approached cautiously.
Sergeant Claude seemed to accept the past calmly but could sometimes react sensitively.
Just a few months ago, Bella Meyer and Sergeant Claude had a heated argument over the Quernen War.
I had to try to talk to him without provoking him too much.
“…The Quernen War. Was it because of what the 4th Platoon leader said today?”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, the sergeant didn’t show much reaction. If he had been truly irritated, he would have glared fiercely with his yellow eyes.
“The existence of the ‘Azoff’ islands off the southern coast of Okhraine is something you should know.”
“The Red Sea?”
“Yes.”
Red Sea.
Okhraine isn’t a landlocked country. Even though it doesn’t border an ocean, it touches the inland sea known as the Red Sea.
The name comes from the red coral formations along the coastline. Azoff refers to the eight islands that rise prominently in the middle.
“Ten years ago, a war broke out there. The indigenous people living on the islands and the people on the southern coast, especially in the Quernen territory.”
This was part of Okhraine’s history, which I didn’t remember. It happened long before the background of Hearts of General.
“When I was twenty, I participated in that war as a soldier. It was a brutal battlefield. The Azoffs never left prisoners alive.”
“…War crimes?”
“No, it wasn’t even on the level of war crimes. It was barbaric acts that occurred during ancient wars when people fought with swords and spears. They would impale corpses to mock the dead, and captured Okhraine women were subjected to unspeakable atrocities.”
I frowned. Though I hadn’t experienced it firsthand, just hearing the story made me feel a visceral disgust.
They were truly barbarians.
“Although we won the war, its impact still lingers horrifically in the south. Could you really forget the sight of your sister being raped and your parents being massacred just ten years ago?”
Absolutely not.
Humans tend to hold onto bad memories longer than good ones. Whether it serves any purpose or not, that’s just how trauma works.
Even with Bella Meyer and Lumina Blue, they had gone through terrible experiences. But…
Witnessing family and friends being brutally murdered and violated is not something one can endure mentally.
“Most people in the south of Okhraine still bear a grudge against the Azoff people. Sergeant Hilton Callia is surely one of them.”
Claude said this and drank his beer in one gulp. Foam bubbled up from the glass where he hadn’t finished drinking.
“Me too.”
“Sorry for asking such a pointless question. At fifteen, I didn’t understand the world back then.”
“I get it. There shouldn’t be many like them.”
Claude’s head turned toward me, but his gaze was directed further away.
“Revenge is the strongest driving force for life in humans. No harsh training could break her will.”
The eyes of the seasoned elite soldier flashed.
“If nurtured well, you’ll become my sharpest sword, Captain Enok.”
*
Two weeks have passed since the completion of the Eighth Paratrooper Mage Infantry Battalion.
During this time, the battalion headquarters and staff led by Sony Chepelin have stockpiled supplies according to their training plan.
Meanwhile, the personnel of the combat platoons, including myself, conducted personal training or went out to the village for socializing among platoon members.
Although it’s uncertain how many soldiers will join the formal formation, it’s necessary for internal cohesion.
“How are you feeling, Roxanna?”
“Yes, Captain. I’m fully prepared!”
Given her rank as a sergeant and her critical illness, Marcin Disease, Roxanna Elrim was assigned to my direct battalion headquarters. It’s a nominal position, but she’s currently the logistics officer.
Neither administration nor logistics have much to do at the platoon level.
Surprisingly, the 3rd Platoon Sergeant Erwin Ruth and the 4th Platoon Sergeant Hilton Callia maintained close relationships with their units despite their initial awkwardness.
Erwin’s cheerful and straightforward personality and Hilton’s shy yet warm nature positively influenced the soldiers.
Bella Meyer was similar, and for Claude… perhaps due to his status as a war hero, his subordinates’ morale and loyalty soared even without much interaction.
“It’s not for nothing that he has the ‘Charisma’ trait.”
Among the many traits in Hearts of General, his talent in managing units and controlling them in wartime is highly valued.
With him in command, it’s understandable why the atmosphere in his platoon is so spirited.
“Now that everyone is gathered, you’ve been working hard for two weeks and also doing personal training, right?”
Standing on the dais, Sony Chepelin surveyed the saluting troops. Her eyes met mine briefly before shifting away.
“After relaxing for two weeks, it’s time to spend the next two weeks in hell.”
Her playful tone carried a different weight today.
“I believe you’ll get hurt and even risk your lives during this training. But if you survive, I promise to make you the finest elite unit in Okhraine with the honor of a Great Mage.”
The colonel paused for a moment.
Then, changing her attitude 180 degrees, she shouted:
“…Survive! Somehow! Then you’ll be the heroes of your era, bringing glory to Okhraine!”
A jolt of electricity ran through the troops, who shivered in unison.
“To our homeland! To the Eighth Paratrooper Mage Infantry Battalion!”
At Sony Chepelin’s lead, all the troops responded with powerful voices.
“Glory!”
