Chapter 63. Dispatch(2)
Although it was a bit difficult due to the hazing, the 3rd Infantry Platoon was adjusting well to the vanguard, in their own way.
It seemed that being given about a week to adjust instead of being thrown into the front lines right away was helpful.
And so today, the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon were out on the training grounds earlier than anyone else, stretching to prepare for regular training.
Roden opened his mouth to the soldiers who were silently warming up.
"Good morning, everyone. Did you sleep well last night?"
At Roden's question, the soldiers answered in unison.
"Yes!"
"Alright. Are there any difficulties with being newly assigned to the vanguard?"
"None, sir!"
There must be some inconveniences.
Roden had heard the soldiers of other platoons whispering several times.
What's more, recently, there were many soldiers who did not spare their ridicule for the 3rd Infantry Platoon's strange-looking training method.
Nevertheless, not a single soldier of the 3rd Infantry Platoon showed any sign of this.
For that reason, the words that Havier had muttered while moving to the vanguard last time came to Roden's mind.
[A superior trusted by his soldiers... I envy you.]
At the time, he didn't understand what this meant, but now he thought he did.
The soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon trusted him.
A trust that he would lead the 3rd Infantry Platoon brilliantly even in the midst of the current hazing.
It was a new experience for Roden, who had only been respected as a magic theorist and had never been trusted as a leader by anyone.
But receiving this kind of trust was not bad at all.
Rather, he was happy.
It felt like all his efforts for the 3rd Infantry Platoon were being acknowledged.
Compared to his past life, where he had to receive envy and jealousy along with praise, the current situation felt even more joyful.
And so, Roden silently looked at the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon with a fresh perspective and spoke.
"Alright. It's a relief if there are no problems. Then let's start the regular training."
As soon as he finished speaking, Roden did his pre-training stretching and began to perform a sword dance.
It was a sword dance to increase the aura absorption rate of the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Platoon.
The soldiers of other platoons who arrived at the training grounds late whispered among themselves after seeing Roden's sword dance, but no one in the 3rd Infantry Platoon reacted to this.
***
Roden met Bent when he was returning to his barracks after finishing all the regular training.
‘Whew. That’s refreshing. It's a good thing there's a valley next to the vanguard's camp.’
If there were no valley, it would not have been easy to do a cold water compress.
But next to the vanguard's camp, there was a valley that was much wider and deeper than the one they used at the Transport Battalion.
For that reason, the 3rd Infantry Platoon was able to keep their original routine of doing a cold water compress after training.
It was then.
"I heard that the 3rd Infantry Platoon takes a group shower in the valley every evening, and it's quite interesting."
A voice was heard, breaking Roden's thoughts.
When he turned his head, it was Bent standing there.
"Ah... you're here?"
"I stopped by on my way. The Battalion Commander told me to bring you."
"Me?"
"Yes. You. But answer me first. Why does the 3rd Infantry Platoon take a group shower in the valley every evening?"
It seemed that Bent was really curious about this.
The proof was that he was continuously asking questions.
Roden thought for a moment about how to answer and then opened his mouth.
"It's like a tradition that the 3rd Infantry Platoon happened to establish. We found that taking a group shower like this somehow strengthens our bond. The effect is good, so we're continuing the tradition."
"Then what about the strange movements before and after training? Is that also a tradition of the 3rd Infantry Platoon? It's a bit strange."
"There's a soldier in our platoon named Nedhab, from a small tribe called Sapkota, and he taught us. He said that warming up with those movements increases the effectiveness of the training."
"If it's the method of a small tribe, it's probably close to a superstition. Do you really believe that?"
"What does his origin matter? What's important is that we're both in the 3rd Infantry Platoon. The 3rd Infantry Platoon always respects each other's opinions."
"Then what about sleeping early in the evening? Is that also pre-arranged?"
"Of course not. That's just a coincidence. People usually sleep well at night when the training is tough."
"The intensity of the training is high. But I wonder if that's enough for everyone to fall asleep as if they've fainted at the same time. Then I'll ask one more thing."
"You're very interested in the 3rd Infantry Platoon?"
"I can't help it. It's a unit that's been newly assigned to my company. Then I'll ask. I've seen you performing a sword dance every morning. Why do you do that? I know that the sword dance is not included in the Glockner Swordsmanship."
To even know that the sword dance was not related to the Glockner Swordsmanship.
He was a formidable opponent.
More than anything, Bent had a different kind of persistence than Havier.
As Roden failed to answer immediately, Bent's eyes narrowed.
Confirming this, Roden opened his mouth.
"I'm originally a very enthusiastic person."
"...What?"
"What is a sword dance? Isn't it a dance after all? That's why I do a sword dance every morning. Because I feel good after dancing."
"......"
At the unexpected answer, Bent was at a loss for words.
But Bent had nothing more to ask.
What could he say to someone who said he danced because he liked it?
"So you dance because you like it... I see. Now let's go see the Battalion Commander."
In the end, Bent gave up on questioning Roden further and started walking toward the battalion meeting barracks.
Roden followed Bent with a natural smile.
***
A moment later.
In the battalion meeting barracks, all the officers of deputy company commander level or higher in the vanguard were gathered.
As Roden, the only one with the rank of platoon leader, appeared, Tobias opened his mouth.
"Welcome, 3rd Infantry Platoon Leader. Are you adjusting well to the vanguard in your own ‘unique way’?"
It was obvious who would have made such a report, so Roden glanced at Bent once and then answered.
"Thanks to the Infantry Company Commander's great interest, we are getting along without any difficulties despite being a ‘unique unit’."
"Gahahahahaha. I'm glad to hear you're getting along well. I was a little worried because of the 3rd Infantry Platoon's notoriety."
Even though Roden deliberately emphasized the words ‘unique unit,’ Tobias didn't care and laughed it off.
Because of that, Roden found it difficult to grasp the character of Tobias.
He couldn't tell if he was really dense or just pretending to be.
But he would soon find out which it was.
Tobias, unlike his bandit-like appearance, was deliberately pretending to be dense.
"As you may have expected, we've been holding meetings here every day since before the three units joined to discuss how to utilize you. In the end, the reason the high command decided on this dispatch was to use you to turn the tide of the stagnant war, but we couldn't find a suitable way."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. But a good idea came to me today."
Roden suddenly felt a sense of anxiety at Tobias's words.
He had a feeling that the idea Tobias had come up with was not very good.
Just as he thought.
A very bad story came out.
"The rear disturbance operation that the Transport Battalion carried out for the main battalion. I'd like to carry out that operation, what do you think?"
He wasn't really asking for Roden's opinion.
He was just pretending to ask for his opinion, just as he pretended to be dense.
Roden knew this, but he answered in a roundabout way.
"...Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"
In the end, it was a plea to cancel the operation because it was dangerous.
But this did not work on Tobias.
"It might have been dangerous under normal circumstances. But our unit has the 3rd Infantry Platoon. The 3rd Infantry Platoon, which has already succeeded in a rear disturbance operation. What's more, besides the 3rd Infantry Platoon, our platoon has two other units that have directly witnessed that operation."
He rather pushed the 3rd Infantry Platoon's back by countering Roden's question.
Naturally, he roped in the 1st Light Cavalry Platoon and the 2nd Archery Platoon as well.
Feeling dizzy, Roden refuted Tobias's words.
"Thank you for rating the 3rd Infantry Platoon's abilities so highly. But the success of the rear disturbance operation at that time was thanks to the Transport Battalion's Infantry Company Commander. More than anything, the 1st Light Cavalry Platoon and the 2nd Archery Platoon, who were dispatched with us, did not participate in the rear disturbance operation. In the end, only the 3rd Infantry Platoon participated in that operation, so how can we succeed in another rear disturbance operation?"
It was a logically sound refutation.
But the answer was already decided.
Tobias answered with a grin.
"Don't worry. The battalion will fully support your success. And I have prepared a gift for this."
"A gift?"
"Yes. A gift. I will make full use of my authority to promote you to company commander and make you the overall person in charge of the rear disturbance operation."
"......"
A special promotion.
It was a situation that could only be described as such.
It was only natural, as he had become a company commander, not even a deputy company commander, from a platoon leader with just one word.
But Roden was not satisfied with this result in the slightest, far from being happy.
This was because Tobias's words contained the following meaning.
‘I will not lose any of the vanguard's existing personnel because of the rear disturbance operation. I'll promote you, so you guys who were dispatched and newly assigned, go and die on your own.’
A hidden meaning that was not just heartless, but cruel.
Roden, who had easily read the hidden meaning, felt his body stagger.
But he couldn't die like this.
For that reason, he barely held on to his senses and asked Tobias.
"...When should we leave for the operation? Is it possible to delay it?"