novelraw Chapter 77 : Granfen (10)
Chapter 77 : Granfen (10)
Granfen (10)
During the dark times, Burt was killed.
In January, I became a cook and went to the minor Demon Realm.
In February, I made makgeolli.
March arrived.
March in the North is still cold,
but even so, it's still March.
It feels like spring is near.
So much so that droplets of water begin to drip from the icicles on the plaza stage.
Drip!
Just like that, spring was arriving.
For us as well,
and for him, too.
"I will now announce the next company commander who will lead the 3rd Company in place of Devanne..."
The battalion commander was not looking at Jeros,
but rather, at the big-jawed man right behind him.
"Nagel Ralph."
"!!"
Ralph's expression was extremely calm.
As if he already knew, he took a well-prepared step forward.
Ralph strode toward the podium. Step, step.
'Did I hear that right?'
Sniff.
Someone could be heard sniffling.
It was Ruth, who had kicked up a fuss, crying and wailing just yesterday.
He was biting his lower lip, tears streaming down.
'So Ruth knew all along.'
For a moment, I found Ruth's muffled sobs amusing,
'What the...?'
Clap. Clap.
He suddenly started to applaud.
"......"
All the soldiers' eyes widened in surprise.
'Is he nuts? Pulling something like this at a departure ceremony?'
At events like departure ceremonies, it's basic military etiquette not to make any movement apart from orders.
But maybe Ruth hadn't sobered up from all that drinking yesterday, and kept clapping.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
He wouldn't stop.
In the end, security Squad Leader Keil, unable to bear it, tried to step forward,
but—swish—a long arm blocked him.
"Kukuk. What's the problem? It's a good sight."
Keil scowled at Jeros,
but Jeros just smirked and brushed it off, clap. Clap. Clap.
and started clapping along with Ruth.
Then suddenly, Jeros's slitted eyes landed on me.
I felt my hair bristle.
"Ian, aren't you going to clap? Kukuk."
Damn it. Why are you doing this to me?
Yet, listening to those two clapping, I started to feel my own mind slipping.
No, no!
Clap. Clap. Clap.
... I must be losing it.
In the end, I too started a palm blood flow expansion exercise.
To think I'd engage in such a disgraceful act on my second run through military service!
Just then, Hank, who'd been standing behind the podium, started to step forward to say something,
but the battalion commander stopped him with a glance.
"Hoho, it's fine, Hank. Isn't this a good sight?"
"... Understood."
Hank bowed meekly and returned to his place.
And as a result,
"Waaaaaah!!"
Everyone started shouting without prompting.
They clapped as if crazy.
The excitement spread instantly.
'As expected of Northern soldiers. They're all nuts!'
They were all drunk on strength and honor.
We were too busy cheering the miraculous achievement of a veteran soldier.
Ralph was no longer the "old training maniac".
"Ralph of Fruition!"
"Of Fruition!"
"Ralph!"
Everyone shouted his new nickname.
Goosebumps ran all over my body.
'Damn.'
For some reason, I felt my eyes welling up red.
It's just that Ralph became the company commander—and yet I'm this overwhelmed by it.
But Ralph remained calm as ever.
His steps up the stage were neither fast nor slow.
He looked as if he was simply going his own way, comfortable and at ease.
"I'll be looking forward to what you'll do. Hoho."
The battalion commander spoke as Ralph arrived in front of him.
"I will live up to your trust."
Ralph knelt down.
Just as the gold-embroidered Duchy scarf was about to be draped around his neck—
"I swear on iron!!"
A desperate shout made the battalion commander pause.
Of course, everyone's eyes turned to the man who made the salute.
'Sergeant Pab?'
It was confusing, but I could roughly guess why that guy was interrupting.
"What is it, Pab?"
"First, I apologize for interrupting the departure ceremony, but I must speak, even at the risk of rudeness."
"Speak."
"Even if Squad Leader Ralph has excellent relations with the soldiers and a great personality, he only recently became a 3rd-rank! I question whether Ralph is fit for the position of company commander."
At those words, the murmurs of the soldiers fell silent.
While Ralph's promotion was something to be celebrated,
Pab's words struck a chord.
But the battalion commander, as if expecting Pab's objection, said with composure:
"I know well your effort and attitude, Pab, but to tell you the truth, I'm a little disappointed. Do you not trust your own battalion commander?"
Pab, looking flustered, dropped to his knees with a thud,
and once again Hank stepped out.
"That's not it, battalion commander! Sergeant Pab didn't mean—"
"Hohoho. I know. Can't you take a joke?"
Old man. No one likes your jokes if you're the battalion commander.
"Since it's come to this, Ralph. Show them."
"Understood."
Ralph stood at the very edge at the front of the podium.
Drawing his sword, he jerked his chin in Pab's direction,
then—whoosh!—he swung the strong sword through the air.
Kakang!
Right in front of where Pab sat, snow, debris, and stone fragments exploded skyward.
"!!"
Srrng. The sound of steel going into its sheath was heard.
'No way...?'
Before long, my eyes spotted a long sword mark gouged into the ground.
A sword mark in a spot the blade couldn't reach.
'He released Sword Energy!'
Ralph has become 4th-rank.
While I was busy immersing myself in making makgeolli!
I must look ridiculous right now.
But it was the same for all the soldiers.
They looked as though their eyes would pop out in shock.
'He rose from 3rd-rank to 4th-rank in just a few months!'
But the reason for their shock and mine were different.
They didn't know how Ralph had reached the 4th-rank,
but I knew very well.
'Argh! My Fragment of the Firmament!'
If I said I wasn't jealous, it'd be a lie.
I was struck by the thought, "It really is a broken OOPArts," and
resentment toward Ralph surfaced as well.
'Still, even so, you kept it secret from me and only reported it to the battalion commander?'
That was truly troubling.
Ralph and I had snuck into the minor Demon Realm together.
Even then, Ralph raised himself to 4th-rank on his own,
and not only that, he reported it to the battalion commander.
When we had agreed to keep the minor Demon Realm incident a secret.
'Oh, my head...'
Now I just don't know anymore.
Big-jaw big brother really is impossible to figure out.
"Hoho. Have you got your answer, Pab?"
I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of the battalion commander's voice.
Pab, with a devastated expression, bowed his head and said, "I apologize for my rudeness."
"No need. One can't call himself a Duchy soldier without a competitive spirit. If you press on with that same spirit, you'll soon reap results. Hoho."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Then let's proceed."
With the party-interrupting troublemaker silenced,
the battalion commander handed Ralph the white scarf symbolizing command and finished the company commander appointment.
Naturally, Ralph did not step down to where we were.
He walked behind the podium where the two company commanders stood and took his place next to Hank.
I was dumbfounded.
'Did Ralph really become the company commander?'
I had tossed out the "Sir, let's make you company commander!" as a promise to drag Ralph to the minor Demon Realm,
but to think it would actually come true.
But, that aside—
'Who's that person standing next to Lantz?'
A man wrapped in a robe, his face covered even to the hood and mask, was there.
It was odd to see him standing there by the company commanders—
"...?"
He met my gaze.
He suddenly gave a sly eye-smile.
Is he some kind of pervert? That thought lasted only a second.
'Ah?!'
My brain cells recalled who he was.
That familiar expression and that mask—
'Schutmann?!'
The "White Fang", that squire guy—what's he doing there?
As far as I know, I hadn't heard anything about a squire arriving in Granfen.
Just what is going on?
As my mind was tangled up in confusing calculations,
the battalion commander drew his sword, iljeom, and spoke.
"Before announcing the next Special Operations Commander, let's all honor Legion together."
He thrust the tip of his sword to the sky,
and immediately all the soldiers took the same stance with their weapons.
My kitchen knife felt rather embarrassing in that moment.
"We shall follow, comrades."
The battalion commander closed his eyes and spoke, with the soldiers echoing after him.
I didn't really know what I was doing, so I just copied as best I could.
Once the ritual, similar to a moment of silence back in Korea, ended, the battalion commander spoke up.
"I will now announce the Special Investigator."
Gulp.
I could hear someone from the special ops unit behind me swallow nervously.
Direct supervisor assignments are always tense.
"The one to succeed Legion as head of the Special Operations unit will be..."
Could it possibly be that Schutmann over there is the new Special Investigator?
But that doesn't make sense either.
Wouldn't it be hard to use a squire openly for local operations?
Or will he pretend to be a 4th-rank and keep his real ability hidden?
"It's Jeros."
"!!"
All the soldiers, including me, turned their heads toward Jeros.
"Kukuk. Why is everyone so surprised?"
His reaction was similar to Ralph's,
as if he already knew. Jeros received the news without a hint of surprise.
'So this is how the circumstance of the duel between the battalion commander and Jeros came to light.'
The battalion commander must have tried to make Jeros the Special Investigator,
Jeros must have refused and they dueled over it,
and in the end, Jeros surrendered and accepted.
—That's my guess, but still, 'Why did Jeros surrender without a fight?'
If he was going to give up, there was no need to duel in the first place.
It seemed suspicious. Just then, a sharp, cutting voice struck my ear from right behind me.
"This is bullshit."
It was a special ops soldier right behind me.
He was glaring furiously at Jeros.
'The other Spec Ops soldiers feel the same.'
Well, if Legion left and Jeros took over, I'd be pissed off too.
Not that I have any intention of comforting them with, "Legion might still be alive!"
"Kukuk. Looks like they need a lot of discipline."
As Jeros locked eyes with the cursing special ops member,
the battalion commander spoke again.
"What are you doing, Jeros Dagnès. Come up on stage."
Jeros started walking up to the podium, chuckling.
... Wait a minute.
'Did the battalion commander just call him Jeros Dagnès?!'
In my system [Regular Customer], he's registered as "Jeros Silver."
Even when I received Recognition points, he was "Jeros Silver."
This means—
'That slit-eyed bastard was hiding his real surname and doing military service here in Granfen.'
Damn you, Jeros.
Just who the hell are you, really?
To think Jeros has been hiding even his real surname during his time in the army.
That changes things.
'I might have to report Jeros's real surname to the battalion commander.'
I'm personally going out onto the battlefield,
and Jeros is becoming Special Investigator—there's no room for dangerous variables.
Another question came to mind.
'Why is Schutmann attending the departure ceremony? Why is he hiding his identity and standing by the company commanders?'
It's enough to make my head hurt.
Would the battalion commander tell me if I asked?
"Now, I will announce the squad leader-level assignments."
Next, the battalion commander went through the minor personnel changes.
Sadly, I wasn't included.
'... Even though I'm 3rd-rank.'
I even defeated Sergeant Pab in a duel.
Hm.
I didn't expect anything, but I'm a tad disappointed.
"Hohoho. There are many changes to troop formations. But one thing remains unchanged."
As soon as he finished the restructuring announcement, the battalion commander began his speech.
"It's still true that your battalion commander stands with you. This undefeated Kratan speaks! Hohoho."
As expected, he couldn't leave out a boast during the principal's pep talk.
"And one other thing remains unchanged."
His voice, which had seemed playful, suddenly grew sharp.
"It's still Granfen—the name of the land we must defend."
The atmosphere was overpowered by his charisma in an instant.
I was the same.
It felt like he was sucking me in.
"Did you all enjoy last night's eve? The miners of the spirit stone quarry, the lovely working women, those cocky mercenaries, the greenhorns and the shepherds—even all of Granfen gathered for a joyful drink."
Remembering yesterday, the battalion commander showed a dreamy smile,
then abruptly hardened his expression.
"If we lose, all of them will die, just as always."
If we lose, the people who enjoyed makgeolli at the eve will die.
My heart pounded in my chest. Thump, thump.
"If we lose, those who laughed and drank with us will perish. Do you wish for their deaths?"
"No, sir!"
"Do you want to save them?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Remember this. When one of you kills a beastkin, ten will live. And furthermore,"
The air changed.
It wasn't a matter of temperature or wind.
"When a single one of you dies, a hundred will live."
"......"
"So kill and kill again, and die and die again. And when you truly can kill no more, that is when you may at last die."
At last, the battalion commander smiled strangely again.
"That is an order."
He turned around and stepped away.
The speech was over.
Strange emotions surged in my chest.
My cherished shop,
my precious employees,
the village where they live.
"Granfen!!"
A soldier shouted.
Soon the others shouted in chorus,
each waving their weapons high.
"Granfen!!"
"Granfen!!!"
It was blazing hot, electric.
What I'd experienced in Korea wasn't real military life.
This—this was true military life, this was the mindset of a soldier before war.
I was shaking with excitement.
I couldn't help but shout along.
I shouted an ancient word for "road to the afterlife."
Or perhaps,
a word that meant, "I offer my life to you."
For this village.
No human voice could overcome this sound.
Bwooo—
The sound of a horn echoed out.
Slowly, people's voices faded away,
and the eyes of the soldiers in the square turned to a single man.
Someone recognized him.
"Carlson?"
Gripping the horn, he hurried toward the podium, panting.
"Huff... B-Battalion commander! Huff! I swear on iron—"
"What's the matter?"
Carlson swallowed hard and shouted, "A surprise attack!! Beastkin troops are crossing the frontline and approaching the spirit stone quarry!!"
... Huh? What did he just say?
"How many?"
"Estimated at about 400!"
The silence was deafening.
There was a chill as if no one had ever shouted at all.
But the old man spoke as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Lantz. Hank. Ralph."
As the battalion commander called, the company commanders shouted in response.
"Companies! Prepare to sortie!!"
Spring came to us even faster than expected.