Boris, the sergeant, was truly having a hard time. At first, he felt angry and annoyed, but now he just wanted to give up and lie down on the floor.
It was true that only those who aspired to become elite combatants under the Special Response Brigade were accepted, but…
They rolled him around without even changing his clothes right after he arrived. What kind of situation is this?
His clothes were full of dust, and his hair, which he had waxed to commemorate his new life in the battalion, was a mess.
His legs were numb and his arms ached, but the red things in front of him didn’t blink and continued to roll him.
Is this a punishment unit?
Was he dragged to the military police instead of the Special Response Brigade because they found out he had embezzled some military supplies last time?
Just as such thoughts came to mind.
DING DING DING DING DING—!!
A sharp bell rang out in the sky. At the same moment, the drill instructors stood up all the soldiers.
“Owls, get up and look at the sky!!”
The exhausted soldiers staggered to their feet, but it didn’t take long for their expressions to turn to shock.
A huge flying ship blocked out the sun.
“……!!!”
An overwhelming presence. Just looking at it trampled on one’s thoughts. Sergeant Boris’s mouth fell open.
“Look closely! This is your future! In your weak minds! Make sure to engrave it firmly!!!”
At the same moment the drill instructor spoke, over a dozen people jumped from the airship. Without hesitation, they dove like eagles.
They freely soared through the sky, rolling backward and spinning.
‘Flying…?’
To be precise, it was more like a dive than a flight, but there was no point in fussing over details. They were still flying through the sky.
Once upon a time, someone might have dreamed of flying in the sky when they were young.
Seeing the dream realized by people right before his eyes, a spark of romance ignited in Sergeant Boris’s heart.
Amazing.
Incredible.
‘Can I do that…?’
Although it was an unbelievable scene, from his perspective, it was already impossible to think negatively.
Soon, those flying in the sky landed in formation on the training ground.
It was natural that tremendous cheers and thunderous applause erupted among the dumbfounded soldiers.
And among them,
Sergeant Boris clenched his fist and cheered along with the others.
The momentum of the new recruits, which had been about to dissipate, exploded immediately after witnessing a single descent.
While grumbling complaints during the ongoing rolling, the discontent vanished, leaving only adoring gazes towards the drill instructors and instructors.
Thanks to this, the first day of training ended successfully.
I held a grand party for morale-boosting purposes.
“Welcome to the 8th Assault Magic Infantry Battalion, you fools!!!”
“Assault! Assault! Assault! Assault!”
“Tomorrow will also be hellish training. Eat well today, and I’ll roll you plenty tomorrow, so look forward to it!!”
“AHHH!!!!!”
New recruits devoured the well-prepared meat dishes under the control of the instructors and drill sergeants. I was quite pleased to see the glint of discipline in their eyes already.
‘This is why we should recruit volunteers.’
I nodded contentedly as I passed by the soldiers’ barracks.
I shouldn’t interfere too much; I need to focus on the training. Anyway, I heard that Sony Chepelin would return by the time the real airship assault training begins, so it wouldn’t be too late to meet her then.
A commanding officer should remain a commanding officer.
Since I’m already performing the duties of a battalion commander, I can’t act like I did during my battalion days. Especially in such an elite unit, a commander’s charisma is crucial.
Unlike the bottom-of-the-barrel sardines, now it’s better to build strong relationships with the subordinate officers and staff rather than the soldiers.
Passing by the barracks, I entered the tavern in Stout Village.
“Attention!”
The troops, dressed in drill instructor and drill sergeant uniforms, stood up simultaneously. The sound of boots clicked sharply.
“Relax, relax. There’s no need to do this since I’m not the battalion commander.”
“Relax.”
The tavern, which had seemed frozen in time, regained its vitality. Those who had been silent resumed conversations.
Indeed, the battalion members showed nothing but the perfect image of elite soldiers who work when needed and rest when needed, completely different from their previous uncertain appearance.
So, they’ve seen actual combat, huh?
“Is Major Claude here?”
As I approached the two lieutenants who were talking near the entrance, a deep voice responded soon.
“Right here.”
“Second Lieutenant Erwin Ruth is also here.”
“Let’s have a drink, Acting Battalion Commander!”
As I sat down, Second Lieutenant Erwin Ruth suddenly brought another glass and poured transparent liquor.
“The boss ordered a massive supply for the new recruits.”
“Moldova Whiskey. A good drink.”
I lightly swirled the glass filled by Erwin and raised it slightly. Claude and Erwin clinked their glasses and drank them down in one go.
“Gahh. This is my fourth glass, but I can’t taste it.”
“It suits me.”
Even Second Lieutenant Claude, who isn’t known for drinking, looked quite satisfied. It was quite impressive to see him show a rarely seen expression here in the 8th Battalion, unlike when he was in the 3rd Battalion.
“But how was it when you tried it yourself?”
“They’re still trash. Even if they’re volunteers, their mental state might be better, but their combat abilities aren’t promising.”
A harsh critique. That’s definitely Claude Rain.
“But they seem to have gained some spirit after the descent.”
“We’ll see. Maybe it’s a blessing if even 80% of them graduate.”
“…What about the magic drop pod?”
“That one seems quite useful.”
Claude added while refilling his empty glass.
“I certainly understand the convenience of magic engineering technology.”
The official name is Chelpan Magic Drop Pod Type 1.
We call it simply the Type 1 pod for convenience, a new invention from Okhraine. To be precise, it was a joint invention between the Rhinehardt Empire and Okhraine.
Count Petrinant of the Rhinehardt Empire was very happy that the pearls of the precursor were safely recovered, and immediately started a large airship production project.
Furthermore, the Rhinehardt Empire army was seriously considering “airborne assaults” due to this operation.
This next-generation drop equipment was created based on the ideas I previously provided, strongly advocated by Sony Chepelin.
The personnel who descended this time included half of the magic users led by Major Claude Rain and half of the ordinary infantry who couldn’t use magic.
All of them were equipped with this Type 1 pod and jumped in.
“Direction changes and altitude adjustments are possible. Of course, since it’s a newly developed device, it’s inevitable that it’s incomplete. If properly improved, it won’t be a problem as long as the user isn’t an idiot.”
I took out my notebook from my pocket and quickly jotted down what Claude said. Despite being a soldier, he made objective judgments that could be frightening.
If he acknowledged it to this extent, it should be fine even if mass production begins.
“Oh, by the way, Captain, I heard you’re going on a short deployment to the Rhinehardt Empire. Their beer is amazing. You should try it and come back…”
“Huh?”
What’s this nonsense?
When I widened my eyes, Second Lieutenant Erwin Ruth also blurted out something foolish.
“Eh…?”
“No, wait. Where am I going?”
“To the… Rhinehardt Empire… Didn’t Captain Joseph say you were going?”
“THUD.”
My head ached after a long time.
*
I left the tavern and went straight to find Major Joseph Lebandovsky. The answer he gave while enjoying a leisurely cup of black tea was—
“Oh, sorry. I must have forgotten. A letter from Brigadier General Sony Chelpan arrived yesterday. I completely forgot to pass it on.”
“Why did Second Lieutenant Erwin know about it if I didn’t?”
“He was briefly at the headquarters at that time.”
Joseph casually took a sip of his tea. I picked up the letter he pulled from a pile of documents and began reading slowly.
Each time I read Sony Chelpan’s tiny handwriting, a sense of panic bubbled up in my mind.
“Isn’t this a one-month assignment?”
“Yes. It seems the Rhinehardt side is interested in your other ideas. I heard they’re holding an exhibition this time, so they probably want to pull you out under that pretense.”
I already knew that I had become a notable figure within the military’s pro-Sovie faction.
Given that the Limansk weapons factory was completely burned down, it’s impossible for high-ranking officers, at least colonels or higher, not to know about it.
Anyway, since we’ve taken hold of the leash for mutant development, the empire side officially recognized the attack by the Red October to control information, but everyone knows the truth.
Amidst this, me visiting the Rhinehardt Empire? No matter what pretext is used, it would be troublesome for the higher-ups.
However, if the reason is attending the exhibition, it might be somewhat acceptable as an excuse.
The problem is,
“Why did you tell me this only a week before it starts?”
“How should I know? It’s strange to think that anyone can predict what our brigade commander will do. I thought you had given up long ago, but apparently not.”
“…Then, who is performing the acting battalion commander duties?”
“Of course, me. Since it’s just training, it doesn’t matter if I take charge, they said.”
Major Joseph smiled.
W-Wait…! Could it be that he’s going himself and just giving me a break?
My reasonable suspicion turned out to be true according to the Major’s words.
“If I go, it will paralyze the headquarters work, so I hope you’ll take care of it for me.”
“Oh my, are you abandoning me too, Major?”
“If I go and vomit bl**d or have a nosebleed at an official event, what will happen? We can’t afford national humiliation.”
Indeed, recently, the frequency of Major Joseph vomiting bl**d has decreased significantly. It seems the battalion is running smoothly, and he’s under less stress.
But this is a different story altogether.
“I-I’m also quite frail.”
“Heh heh, where else can you find such a handsome man like Major Enok Revendale? I heard a rumor that he attracted all sorts of noble ladies at Baron Pedro’s party last time.”
Major Joseph’s eyebrows twitched happily.
How did you find out?
Bella Meyer, this traitor!
“Leaving such talent in this remote area isn’t proper either. Do you know if any diplomatic connections can be made?”
