Veteran of the Northern Front - Chapter 27

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Asakusa

◈ Veteran of the Northern Front ◈

Chapter 27: Camilla Fortress (4)

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A test was held among the soldiers.

The centurions and those whose posts had already been decided had no reason to participate, so the members of the existing ten-person squad did not enter the test.

Except for one.

“Hey, Marco, are you really entering the test? Why not just talk to the commander and get a different post...”

“Haha, Martin, don’t worry about me. Just watch. I’ll take first place in this test.”

“Ah, well, if you’re set on it, how can I stop you? If you’re doing it, give it your all.”

“Yes! The test is starting, so I should get going.”

“Alright.”

I accepted Martin’s encouragement with a bright smile, but inside, I felt unbearably heavy.

Clench!

‘...I have to prove my worth this time and earn the commander’s recognition.’

In the past, there would have been no need to think like this.

It had been enough to suffer together and laugh together under the commander.

But then the others began finding their own paths, one by one, and everything changed.

“I am Marcus, commander of the First Strike Force. We will now begin the assessment. First is the physical fitness test. You must complete thirty laps around the training ground. Rankings will be decided by the order in which you finish, so do your best.”

Marcus had shown extraordinary skill from their very first meeting and earned the position of centurion through sheer ability.

“Those who have finished the physical fitness test, gather over here. Hey, you! Get over here, on the double! What’s with that look? You little shit, do you think I can’t see properly just because I’ve got one eye?!”

Max had been recognized by the commander for his characteristic fierceness and charisma, becoming a centurion.

“Max, calm down a bit. Now, soldiers, pay attention. We still have plenty of tests left, so those who passed the first one may rest here for a while. Take it easy.”

Martin had become a centurion after being highly regarded for getting along well with others and for looking after comrades even in urgent situations.

“It’s packed over there.”

“How are they supposed to manage that many soldiers? I couldn’t do it if it killed me.”

“Well, those three will handle it. But Jackson, did you get a look at the others?”

“I didn’t properly introduce myself. I just looked them over while passing by. Why?”

“Your unit and ours will probably have plenty of dealings with each other because of their roles. It’d be good if the soldiers got to know one another while we have the chance.”

Walter and Jackson watched the test from one side.

The two had also solidified their positions by making use of their specialties.

‘Then what about me?’

I knew it better than anyone.

Of all the comrades, I was the most middling.

I was confident in my combat ability, but...

‘Compared to Marcus, I’m far behind, and I don’t have Max’s charisma.’

I was not as experienced as Martin, nor did I possess special skills like Jackson or Walter.

I was not as quick with calculations as Raul, as cool-headed as Kram, or as dexterous as Ren.

Middling skill.

A mind far too lacking to command anyone.

That was all I had.

But I did not want to simply give up.

‘I want to confirm that I have my own path too.’

I wanted to show the commander, who had believed in someone so unremarkable as me, that I was useful too.

“Now, all the basic tests are over. Those who placed in the top fifty will determine their final ranks through separate sparring matches, so wait in front of the training ground.”

Passing the test had not been difficult.

What mattered was the sparring.

In truth, I had entered the test for this alone.

‘I’ll win the sparring matches and become the Guard Unit commander.’

This was a test.

‘A test of whether I deserve to remain under the commander.’

A test of whether I could prove that worth.

If I failed, I would give up everything and leave.

Thanks to real combat experience and the commander’s training, I had somehow managed to survive every sparring match without being eliminated.

The problem was the final opponent.

The long-awaited final match.

“Urk!”

A wooden practice staff stabbed sharply into my abdomen.

I leaned back to soften the impact and glared at the opponent.

‘This one’s name was... Garban, right?’

I had learned from Marcus but was still clumsy with weapons. Garban, on the other hand, displayed sharp spear techniques worthy of a squad commander who had been a regular soldier.

Realizing that I would inevitably lose at this rate, I decided to take a bold risk.

“Raaah!”

I charged headlong to close the distance, gripped the staff short, and swung it down with all possible strength as though wielding a club.

Crack!

Garban lowered their stance and barely deflected the attack.

Then came Garban’s counterattack.

The wooden staff mercilessly battered my entire body.

‘Urgh...’

Dizzying pain surged through me.

I clenched my teeth and endured, trying desperately to withstand it.

Thwack!

Garban’s staff struck me squarely in the temple.

Riiiing...

The world spun along with the ringing in my ears.

Perhaps certain of victory, Garban turned away without hesitation.

I gritted my teeth at the sight.

“It’s not... not over yet.”

Garban shook their head as they looked at me, barely standing with my hands braced on my knees.

“Give it up. Push yourself any further and you could end up dead.”

“Heh. What a joke.”

Compared to the beatings I had taken from the commander before, this was no more than a tickle.

“Come at me, you bastard.”

“You brought this upon yourself.”

Garban raised the staff again and pressed the attack. I knew that normal methods would not be enough to win, so I chose the approach I was most confident in.

Focusing only on defense, protecting vital spots, and advancing little by little, I finally closed the distance until Garban was within arm’s reach.

I threw the weapon at Garban and drove a fist forward.

“Did you think I’d let a cheap trick like that land?!”

Garban knocked aside the weapon and twisted away from the fist.

Whoosh...

As though waiting for that, I raised an arm, spun, and drove an elbow into Garban’s temple.

It was the technique I had been struck by during the first fight with the commander.

‘Even if it’s only a clumsy imitation...’

Having experienced it firsthand, I knew well how powerful the technique was.

Crack!

With a satisfying impact, Garban rolled across the ground.

“Th-this... what...”

Garban tried desperately to rise.

Thud!

But Garban could not withstand the blow and finally collapsed limp.

A heavy silence fell.

The soldiers watching the sparring match stared blankly for a moment.

Then they erupted with thunderous cheers.

“Waaahhh!!!”

“They beat Garban?!”

“Who the hell is that?!”

“That was incredible!!”

As I felt emotion welling up while listening to the soldiers’ cheers...

“Commander?”

I spotted the commander’s face watching from afar.

＊＊＊＊＊

“That Marco really was a dark horse, just like Marcus said.”

When Marco asked for some time, I thought Marco might need time to think things over.

I never imagined Marco intended to enter the test and take first place.

I could roughly guess why Marco had participated.

‘He wanted to become the Guard Unit commander.’

I could not hide my proud smile as I watched Marco work toward that goal and finally achieve it.

‘I’ve been privately worried about the squad members lately.’

But seeing Marco made me think those worries had been unnecessary.

‘Marco proved he could do it.’

The others would soon find their own paths too.

Just as they always had.

Hoping the squad members would continue to grow, I returned to my office.

＊＊＊＊＊

The day after the sparring matches ended, the reorganization was complete.

Posts had been assigned according to performance, so while some were disappointed, no soldiers voiced complaints.

With the squad commanders and other officers all gathered, I congratulated them on the completion of the reorganization and delivered several instructions.

“You all worked hard. Now that the reorganization is complete, make an effort to adapt to your newly assigned units.”

“Yes!”

“Also, the six who achieved the best results in the sparring matches will be selected for the Guard Unit. Marco is appointed commander of the Guard Unit, and the guards will hold the same rank as squad commanders.”

At the words “Guard Unit commander,” Marco, standing behind me, smiled.

“In addition, we will begin full-scale training from now on. I will provide the detailed plans to each unit commander. Give your all to the training. Understood?”

“Yes!!!”

Watching the spirited officers, I thought to myself.

‘How long will that spirit last?’

Unlike before, the units had been divided by branch and had different missions, so I arranged training schedules suited to each unit’s characteristics.

The commanders, who were at least somewhat accustomed to my training, would endure it.

For the other soldiers, though, it would be quite harsh.

Five days after training began, cries of misery rose from all over the fortress, just as expected.

“Now, on the count, we’ll perform full-body twists.”

“Yes!!”

“What did I say you answer with during training?”

“Agh!!”

“Good. Ten full-body twists. How many?”

“Ten!”

“Listen to those voices. Twenty. How many?”

“Twenty!!”

“Perform thirty full-body twists.”

“Perform!!!”

The soldiers could not hold back their cries at the unfamiliar pain they had never experienced before. Marcus, Max, and the other centurions leading the training felt a strange sense of satisfaction as they watched the soldiers walk the same path they once had.

Of course, that did not mean I was simply grinding them down without thought.

‘If I push people without a solid foundation too hard, it’ll cause trouble.’

I ordered them to work the soldiers only hard enough not to overtax their bodies, while also feeding them generously.

After all, people needed to eat to have strength.

“Commander, here is this month’s food budget.”

Raul handed me the document listing the funds used to purchase food.

“As ordered, we secured about one and a half times the usual rations.”

“Good work. The soldiers’ wages were paid properly, right?”

“Yes. We distributed all the overdue pay as well.”

“The budget will be just barely enough.”

“Yes, but Commander, what are you planning to do with that slush fund you secured earlier?”

“It has its uses. Don’t worry about it.”