Veteran of the Northern Front - Chapter 5

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Asakusa

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Veteran of the Northern Front ◈

Chapter 5: First Duty, and an Engagement (1)

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After winning Mac’s favor and being promised a few conveniences,

the quality of life for my unit improved.

“Wow... Is this today’s lunch ration?”

“It’s at least twice as much as before.”

“Squad Commander Ubel, can we really eat all of this?”

“Yes. The quartermaster set it aside for us, so don’t worry. Eat as much as you want.”

Someone who had never known hunger might ask why they were so happy over a meal.

But only someone who had never gone hungry could say that.

For soldiers who had lived on barely enough food not to starve, a plentiful meal was enough to raise morale.

And that was not all.

“Once you’re finished, assemble in the open ground in front of the barracks.”

“Yes!!”

The unit had become more enthusiastic about training as well. Full stomachs played a part, but they also knew they had escaped hunger because of me, so they trusted and followed my orders more readily.

Of course, training was still hard on them.

“Everyone, form a circular formation.”

“Yes!”

At the command, the members moved quickly.

They formed up in less than five seconds.

“Break and reform.”

“Break and reform!”

At the moment, I was focusing on formations and drilling the members to respond immediately to orders.

‘If I want to make them useful, they need to master these two things at the very least.’

There was a reason I was so obsessed with those drills. It was because of the chronic flaws of penal soldiers.

‘It’s also why players never use them in the game.’

Penal soldiers had the advantage of requiring almost no upkeep, making them cost-effective. Even so, their combat ability and capacity to follow orders were abysmal.

They were nowhere near high-grade troops like Rangers or cavalry. Compared with ordinary regular soldiers, they were little better than walking scarecrows.

They disobeyed orders and deserted as if it were routine. Even in the game, they only became remotely useful after harsh training and the deployment of disciplinary officers.

They were the second-weakest military class after slave soldiers.

Turning people like that into elite troops would never be easy.

“Hey, hey, the line’s out of order!”

“Ren, move farther left!”

Still, seeing the members train hard without complaint, it seemed there was at least some hope.

About a week after I had arrived in this world, Pellon came by.

“Been a while.”

“Yes!”

“Have you adjusted to the unit?”

“I have.”

Pellon spoke as though it had truly been a long time, but I had already noticed him lingering around the barracks and watching us for the past few days.

“Hmm, that’s good. You seem to have adjusted somewhat over the past week, so I’ll put you on duty starting today.”

Already?

That was much sooner than I had expected.

“Ask the soldiers about the exact details of your assignment.”

“...Understood.”

With that, Pellon left the barracks.

The members were just as startled by the sudden order.

“Do they usually send us out this soon?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Right. The people in the neighboring barracks had it easy for a month after their new squad commander arrived.”

“Did we get on someone’s bad side?”

“Hmm...”

That was possible.

‘I don’t think I did anything to upset Berun or Pellon.’

What was this about?

Still, an order was an order.

“When do we go on duty?”

“I’ll go check.”

Quick-witted Max immediately ran outside. Not long after, Max returned with the time and details.

“It’s guard-post duty. The final watch of the afternoon.”

I had already gotten a rough idea of guard-post duty.

All we had to do was watch for barbarian incursions from the posts scattered throughout the mountains. It was not especially difficult.

Apparently, barbarians occasionally attacked.

‘But there’s no way that would happen on our very first day of duty, right?’

If it did, that would be truly rotten luck.

I put aside the pointless worry and prepared for the watch.

“Is there anything we need to bring?”

“You should wrap fur over your gambeson.”

“Fur?”

“Yes. The wind is strong around the guard post, and there’s no proper shelter. Without fur, you’ll be very cold.”

“Where do we get fur?”

“...The supply unit gives it out occasionally, but most people find it themselves nearby.”

“Hah!”

“For today, you can use mine. When we have time, we can find some for you, Squad Commander...”

“No, it’s fine.”

Why would we do that?

We had a reliable patron.

A little later,

“Thank you!!”

“It’s nothing. Just make sure you do your duty well.”

After visiting the supply unit, I received fur from Mac.

What Mac had given me was a black bear hide.

I was already large, and with a bear hide draped over me, I looked downright terrifying.

‘As long as it’s warm, that’s enough.’

After getting the fur and resting for a while, it was soon time to leave.

“Squad Commander Ubel, it’s time to go.”

When I stepped outside at Max’s call, eight members wearing furs were waiting for me.

Normally, a ten-person unit should have ten members. But since penal soldiers were only meant to serve as meat shields, their official numbers were meaningless. Few penal soldier units were ever fully staffed.

‘Now that they’re lined up, they finally look like soldiers.’

Pleased by the results of our training, I led the way toward the guard post.

＊＊＊＊＊

Enough time had passed since I entered this world that I had grown somewhat accustomed to this ragged gambeson and the cold feel of a spear.

However,

Crunch, crunch!

‘There’s way too much snow.’

I still could not get used to the deep snow piled everywhere.

Whenever the freezing wind brushed my cheeks, my body trembled without my meaning to.

In my previous life, people who had done their military service in Gangwon Province would sometimes say this.

“It’s no different from Russia there.”

They meant that it was roughly that cold.

But if Gangwon was Russia, this place was the Arctic.

‘And this is how warm it gets near the end of winter.’

I had to wonder whether this was really a place fit for people to live.

After pushing through the biting cold and reaching the guard post, we were greeted by the soldiers of another ten-person unit waiting to be relieved.

“You’re here. Then we’ll be heading down.”

The squad commander, who looked to be in the late fifties, gave a slight bow and went down the mountain with the unit.

‘That old man wasn’t even out of breath?’

I had heard that he had survived as a penal soldier for nearly ten years.

Whether in my past life or here, experience was not something to dismiss.

“Let’s get a fire going first.”

“Yes!”

To warm ourselves, we lit the brazier inside the guard post.

“How should we post the watch?”

At Walter’s question, I rubbed my chin.

‘From what I saw earlier, three people stationed along the path leading up to the post should cover the whole perimeter.’

There were nine of us in total, including me, and we only needed three people at a time.

“Three people will stand watch in rotation. The rest can stay here and warm themselves.”

“Yes!!”

The first three went out on watch. As warmth gradually filled the guard post, the members began swapping stories, as soldiers everywhere did.

There was nothing remarkable about them.

Stories about hometowns.

Stories about women they had met.

Mostly the usual stories filled with men’s bragging.

Still, some things made me pause.

“Hey, did you hear the rumor? They say the barbarians might launch a major attack soon.”

Martin responded to Max’s claim with an indifferent expression.

“When has that not been the case on this front?”

Max thumped his chest in frustration at the lukewarm response.

“No, I’m telling you, this time is different.”

“How?”

“You know there are merchant companies beyond the front that trade with the barbarians, right? Someone from another unit said that a friend of a relative supplies grain to those companies, and lately the barbarians have been buying up grain like mad.”

“Grain?”

“That’s right. What do you think that means? It means they don’t have enough food.”

Max confidently laid out the theory as though he were some great strategist.

“Spring will come soon, and as every year, the Empire will ban trade with the barbarians. Once they run out of food, it’s obvious what they’ll do. They’ll probably grit their teeth and come raid us.”

“Ah, Max, sir, that’s going too far.”

Marco, whose gleaming scalp stood out, shook his head.

“The whole continent has had good harvests for the past few years. How could they be short of food?”

“Seriously, what are you even talking about?”

“Max, where do you keep hearing these strange stories?”

“I’m serious! Squad Commander Ubel, what do you think?”

“Well...”

Despite my indifferent answer, I was inwardly startled.

‘That bastard Max is sharp.’

As Ren said, the Empire had enjoyed good harvests for the past few years.

‘That was why it managed to hold on even under the tyranny of that idiot emperor and the treacherous ministers.’

But that was about to end.

‘Starting next summer, abnormal weather will bring bad harvests across the Empire.’

The people of the Empire had yet to notice anything unusual, but beyond the Elnes Mountains, where the barbarians lived, signs of abnormal weather had likely already begun to appear.

Their frantic purchases of grain from Imperial merchant companies were proof.

‘Well, they won’t be able to get any in a few months anyway.’

For generations, the Empire had prohibited trade during spring and summer to keep the barbarians in line.

In other words, in a few months, the barbarians would no longer be able to obtain food from the Empire.

They would face a choice.

Starve to death as they were,

or risk their lives and fight to plunder the Empire.

Their choice would be to fight.

It was unfortunate for the Empire.

‘Especially considering that the Great Invasion will be the beginning of the coming age of chaos.’

As I sighed inwardly, lost in thought,

Thud!

Ren, the youngest member of the unit standing watch, rushed in with an urgent expression.

“Squad Commander Ubel!”

“What? Why are you making such a fuss?”

“It’s barbarians!”

“What?”

They really came?

On our first day of duty?

When I asked blankly, Ren spoke again with a pale face.

“Th-the barbarians are approaching the guard post quickly!”

Hearing Ren’s words, I immediately ran out of the guard post and looked down the mountain.

Eight men covered in strange tattoos were climbing the mountain. Even in this cold, they wore only leather clothing that left their arms and legs bare.

‘Now I understand why they’re called barbarians.’

They were moving in a small group, so they probably were not here to fight a proper battle.

‘Apparently, barbarians sometimes attack guard posts, kill soldiers, and steal their weapons and equipment. Are these ones after the same thing?’

Or they could be here for an adulthood ritual.

Among certain tribes, members who came of age presented prey they had hunted to the rest of the tribe to be recognized as adults. Imperial people were included among that prey.

I did not know which it was.

But either way, it was a shitty custom.

‘Hmm. At least they don’t have scars.’

Northern barbarians regarded scars gained in battle as marks of glory, so they displayed them where others could see.

No scars?

That was proof they had barely seen combat.

‘Their clothes are tattered too.’

Barbarians made clothes from furs they had hunted themselves.

Wearing shabby clothing meant they lacked the skill to hunt properly, even compared with other barbarians.

I had sized them up.

‘We can handle them with our current strength.’

What?