Veteran of the Northern Front - Chapter 8

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Asakusa

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Veteran of the Northern Front ◈

Chapter 8: Escort Mission (1)

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Fifteen days had already passed since I joined the unit.

In that time, our ten-person squad had undergone many changes.

First was the training.

After confirming that the squad members had built a basic foundation, I immediately increased the intensity.

“All right, one hundred and fifty now. You can’t be struggling over something this minor. Down again. One.”

“One!”

“Two.”

“Twooo!”

The squad members did push-ups in time with my count.

The harsher training had strengthened their bodies, but the groaning had grown just as loud.

“What are you doing? If you’ve finished your push-ups, get ready for the next exercise.”

“C-Commander, could we rest for just a moment...”

“T-That’s right. I feel like I’m going to die.”

What? They were tired?

These bastards were getting soft.

“Unacceptable. Everyone, front-rest position.”

“F-Front-rest position!”

Because Walter and Raul had complained, the other squad members were punished alongside them and glared at the pair as though they wanted to kill them.

“What are you doing? Stop letting your eyes wander and focus.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

As I scolded them, I reminded them why we trained.

“I don’t care if you push yourselves to the limit and collapse afterward. But whining that you’re tired before you even collapse is unacceptable. Do you think the barbarians we saw before will care about your circumstances?”

“No, sir!”

“Then why are you saying such things when you know that?”

“We’re sorry, sir!”

Walter and Raul, the ones who had caused the trouble, answered the loudest. It was rather impressive.

Seeing the others still shooting them sideways glances, I emphasized something I had said before.

“Don’t think it’s unfair to be scolded together because someone else made a mistake. You are comrades who must fight back-to-back. What have I told you over and over? What is a comrade’s mistake?”

“Collective responsibility!”

Good. At least they remembered.

Of course, that didn’t mean I intended to let them off.

“Your voices aren’t in sync. Back-rest position, again.”

“B-Back-rest position!”

“Oh? You’re gritting your teeth. Are you angry?”

“No, sir.”

“If you’re angry, tell me anytime. This squad commander is willing to remove our rank insignia and spar with you if you want.”

Of course, I called it a spar, but it would have been little different from a beating disguised as one.

No one actually asked for a spar.

While I was putting them through their punishment, I heard whispers from far away.

“Hey, look over there.”

“Where?”

“Those guys over there.”

“Tsk, tsk. They’re having a miserable time again.”

By now, everyone in the unit knew I worked my subordinates hard. The penal soldiers who had initially envied my squad members after hearing rumors about me now looked at them with pity, as if they had never felt that way.

“Ugh, those poor bastards.”

“Seriously. I take back what I said about envying them.”

“Heh. How do they live like that?”

The squad members ground their teeth with murderous expressions, clearly having much to say in response to the other penal soldiers’ mockery.

“Those sons of bitches...”

“Pant... pant... Do they think... we’re doing this... for no reason?”

“Later, when we fight, I hope they get stabbed and die.”

Their fondness for me and their dissatisfaction with the training were conflicting emotions. As they mixed together, the squad members began rationalizing that all of this was for their future.

‘It’s not entirely wrong.’

Training really did raise their chances of survival.

‘Still, if I work them this hard for one more month, they’ll at least become decent soldiers.’

I wanted to teach them spear techniques as well and improve their individual abilities, but...

‘I wasn’t a spearman in my previous life, and I don’t know the first thing about spear techniques. What could I possibly teach them?’

My own knowledge of weapon techniques was shallow, so I had no choice but to give up on it.

‘Hm? What did you say?’

Did I seem like I was working the squad to the bone while taking it easy myself?

Sorry, but I was being worked just as hard.

After the day’s schedule was over and the squad members were resting,

“You put more strength into your arms today.”

Thud!

Berun’s sword struck my wrist.

My wooden sword flew far from my hand.

Perhaps Berun had decided to stop holding back entirely, because mana was now being used openly.

Clutching my wrist, I muttered a quiet complaint.

“Could you not go a little easier on me?”

“Haha, I’d like to, but your ability is extraordinary. This is all for your training, so don’t think I’m being too harsh.”

It was hard to argue with such a reasonable point.

It had already been eight days since I started learning from Berun.

They said people were creatures of adaptation, and it seemed to be true. As I learned while getting beaten around, weapon techniques gradually began to feel familiar.

Thanks to that, I had reached the point where I could put up a somewhat convincing fight against Berun, but I was still a step short of gaining the upper hand.

“You worked hard today. Let’s end the spar here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Was today’s training over?

‘I should rest when I return to the barracks.’

Just as I was about to tidy the training ground while soothing my exhausted body, Mac came looking for Berun.

“Lord Berun, I brought the item you requested from the supply depot.”

“Oh! It’s finished already? Excellent timing. Ubel!”

“Yes, sir!”

I approached with a puzzled expression at the sudden call, and Berun handed me the box Mac had brought.

“Open it.”

At Berun’s urging, I opened the box and found an iron breastplate inside.

“Lord Berun, what is this?”

“I’ve heard reports recently from the supply officer and the other squad commanders. Not only do you carry out duties every day without rest, you also volunteer for work even when no one tells you to. I hear nothing but praise.”

“That’s true, but...”

After telling Berun that I wanted to be assigned more duties, I had worked every day without rest. Whenever the unit needed extra hands, I volunteered to help.

Since I had decided to work hard, I wanted to give it my all.

As a result, I was now treated like a special A-grade soldier within the unit. Still, I had never imagined Berun would give me a gift over it.

“As a commander, this is a reward for the most diligent soldier in the unit. Don’t refuse. Take it.”

“Even so, this is a bit...”

When I hesitated, Mac spoke up as well.

“Don’t refuse it. The centurion personally asked the supply depot to make it for you.”

“Ahem. I only had some unused armor melted down and fitted to you. There’s no need to feel burdened.”

Berun told me not to feel burdened, but breastplates were extremely expensive equipment in this world.

They were not something an ordinary soldier could wear.

Even most regular soldiers wore padded armor called gambesons. A penal soldier wearing an iron breastplate?

Even if it had been made by recycling old armor, this was too much.

‘Is this a gift for a future junior who wants to serve in the military?’

Berun mistakenly believed that I wanted to remain in the army, so it was entirely possible.

I felt as though I was deceiving Berun, but there was no undoing what had already happened.

I would let it slide just this once.

“If you put it that way, I’ll accept it gratefully.”

“You should try it on to see whether it fits. Do you know how to wear a breastplate?”

“Well... honestly, not very well.”

“I’ll help.”

With Mac’s help, I put on the breastplate.

Fortunately, it fit perfectly.

The sensation was unfamiliar, and since it was my first time wearing iron armor, I examined myself from every angle.

Clank.

‘It’s not as heavy as I thought.’

It was a dull ash gray without any notable pattern, so it looked plain. Still, it protected my entire upper body except for my shoulders, including my chest, abdomen, and sides. It seemed highly practical.

Satisfied with how it fit, I thanked Berun again.

“Thank you. I’ll take good care of it.”

“Haha, then work even harder now that you’ve received a gift.”

“Yes, sir!”

As I spoke warmly with the two of them, Mac suddenly clapped as though remembering something and asked Berun,

“Come to think of it, Lord Berun, what will we do about the new recruit escort in two days? I heard Squad Commander Pellon will oversee it, but the rest of the personnel need to be decided quickly as well.”

“How many people are needed for the escort mission?”

“About thirty.”

“Headquarters recently sent an order to strengthen sentry duty, so we’ve increased how frequently the regular soldiers are deployed. Because of that, we only have around twenty regular soldiers remaining in the unit whom we can send.”

“Could we not send penal soldiers in place of the regular soldiers for that one day? As you know, it’s customary to leave escort missions to the regular soldiers...”

“That would be difficult.”

Then,

“Hm?!”

Berun’s eyes gleamed as though an idea had just occurred.

“Escort missions are assigned to regular soldiers because penal soldiers frequently cause trouble during them, are they not?”

“That is correct.”

“Then what if we sent penal soldiers we could trust?”

“What? Where would we find people like that...”

Both pairs of eyes slowly shifted toward me.

They looked like people who had finally found a remote that had been lost in a sofa.

It was not hard to guess what they were thinking.

“How about you go?”

“Me?”

“I think you’re someone I can trust with this. Isn’t that so?”

“That’s right. If it’s Squad Commander Ubel, we can send you without concern.”

Mac and Berun placed boundless trust in me. I wondered whether the two had eaten something strange, but it was not bad for me.

It meant they trusted me enough to break the usual custom.

“If you entrust it to me, I’ll do it.”

“Haha, I knew you’d say that. Thank you very much.”

Perhaps pleased that I had accepted the mission without hesitation, Berun unexpectedly brought something else up.

“Ubel, is your ten-person squad not short a member?”

“Yes, it is.”

Our squad currently had nine members including me.

We were one person short.

“Choose any one recruit you want from the new arrivals.”

“Thank you!”

The right to select a recruit.

It might not seem like much, but it was quite a privilege.

Penal soldiers were people dragged in after causing trouble, so there were, to put it bluntly, plenty of screwups and deadweight. With selection rights, I could at least bring in someone decent.

“Then I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me!”

After Berun left, Mac called to me.

“There are matters you need to know regarding the escort mission. Follow me.”

“Yes.”

We went to an office inside the supply corps building.

When we arrived, Mac handed me a document.

“This is the list of people being escorted. When you take custody of the recruits, you’ll need to confirm the number is correct, so memorize it well.”

I slowly read through the document.

It listed the incoming recruits’ personal details, sentences, and charges.

Then I froze. Seeing one of the names, my eyes widened involuntarily.

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- Name: Marcus

- Charge: Insulting a noble.

- Sentence: Five years.

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