23 – The Mine (1)
The squad changed. From the 4th Platoon, 13th Squad…
To the 1st Platoon,
Elliott Moot sharpened his teeth.
＂Why the hell are you…!＂
He didn’t suffer any retribution. After signing a contract with Besmopf Litton, the necklace disappeared.
The fact that his neck had cooled was keenly felt on his skin. In turn, the detached Abakusa chuckled.
＂hehehe. Looks like I’ll live!＂
＂Are you coming too?＂
＂Why. sh*thead. Are you suspecting me? Well, I guess you would be nervous with such a talent by your side.＂
＂You can’t even punch properly with your mouth alive.＂
＂You’re exceptional! You sh*thead!＂
Garcia and Edan couldn’t follow. Only the two of us will cross.
There were no farewells. It was the same unit after all.
Even with the change of the unit, the job didn’t change.
＂For now, act like an ordinary soldier.＂
They worked the same, cut the same bodies, and cleaned up the same Ascal Plateau.
＂…but it’s the same, right?＂
＂Do your job. b*tch.＂
The lack of personnel was to blame for no changes. The fact that the squadron leader wasn’t there yet also hindered anything they could do.
The punishment unit had the most personnel losses in the division. However, adding regular soldiers was out of the question, with the whole unit being criminals.
The simple problem of filling in prisoners, there were rumors that prisoners from other areas were coming under the demand of Besmopf Litton. There were also rumors that various dangerous major criminals would be put on the front lines.
＂…major criminals.＂
＂Well, it’s probably similar. Cut the bodies. b*tch.＂
They had to focus on the work with the shortage of personnel. The recognition was not favorable.
＂Hey. Leave it to those guys.＂
＂Trash should clean itself.＂
Abakusa, whose leash went missing, often rushed in, but that only lasted a day or two.
In the face of constant accusations, Abakusa chose to listen with one ear and let it go with the other.
＂Come to think of it, it’s a story that doesn’t concern me. Why? Because I’m not a criminal anymore!＂
Whether it was wicked or simple.
Elliott Moot and I often met during our work. His gaze was still hostile, but I just passed by.
Why the hell does he hold such a grudge against me?
Once the Ascalon Plateau operation was somewhat settled, Besmoph Litton immediately promoted some of the squad members to fill the vacant position of Sergeant Major.
Contrary to Elliot Moot’s expectations, he did not rise to the rank of Sergeant Major. It was quite strange considering his expertise as an armor user and his extensive knowledge.
…It couldn’t be because of me, right?
“Damn bastard. Have you heard the rumors?”
“Well.”
“We’re getting additional personnel today…”
Abakusa clenched his fist tightly.
“I heard there are women involved! sh*t!”
He seems to be really excited.
…Because they’re women.
I wonder if they’ll come from another battalion. If they end up in this platoon, I thought they won’t be normal soldiers.
It might be a little unreasonable to like them already.
…
Besmoph Litton called for Abakusa.
There was only one reason for calling him. To introduce the person who will command 1st Platoon, 13th Squad.
“Nice to meet you.”
Abakusa cheered. In contrast, I couldn’t cheer.
Elliot Moot was a squad leader who had some flexibility. He may have been strict, but he didn’t invade personal space unnecessarily.
In contrast, the new squad leader in front of me…
“The headquarters is Tetis Librada.”
I can tell just by looking.
The stiffness of a new junior officer filled with FM.
“I entrust it to you.”
A composed movement with a lively edge. Abakusa giggled without noticing the atmosphere.
“Hey, damn bastard. Don’t even think about it. The new squad leader is mine.”
Abakusa, who showed no interest in girls before, drooled.
“She’s my type.”
“Really now.”
“She’s a girl you don’t have to pay for! She’s pretty and has big breasts! Just look. How will I show this girl to you? Soon enough, you’ll be captivated by the charm of my muscles and won’t be able to escape.”
The self-confident expression on Abakusa’s face didn’t last a day.
“I’ve never seen such a pathetic woman in my life!”
It wasn’t that Avakusa couldn’t understand her feelings.
As soon as she entered the assigned temporary barracks, a barrage of nagging began.
“Is it normal for your shoes to be in that condition?”
“The gun maintenance is a mess. Clean the insides properly. It’s easy for it to malfunction in a real battle if you use it like this.”
“You shouldn’t eat anything other than the designated meal times. There’s a risk of food poisoning.”
“When the higher-ups see this squad, it’s almost like we have no military discipline.”
It felt like they had returned to a real military unit.
Avakusa, who had lost all her hidden jerky, cleaned her gun after a long time.
“I have to kill that woman, even if it means dying myself.”
“Do you think you can trade your life for a few pieces of jerky? Killing a superior is execution. You brat.”
“…You want me to go through all this nonsense during my military life?! I can’t do this with a sane mind!”
Avakusa screamed as she tore down a lewd poster.
“Don’t people have a limit to what they can endure? That’s why those geeks exist!”
“That’s discriminatory speech. Avakusa, write a reflection letter and submit it.”
“aaah!!”
Fortunately, I didn’t receive any criticism. I fixed it immediately when I was criticized.
“…Did you say Draco?”
“Yes.”
“It’s an excellent posture. Maintain it just like that.”
However, that didn’t mean it was comfortable. It felt like being constantly monitored.
As days went by, Avakusa’s expression became more and more lifeless. Once the training started on the Ascalon Plateau, her already rotten face deteriorated further.
“It’s an order from the captain.”
Captain Felipe Ginchef. The acting captain who filled the vacant position after the original captain died.
To put it briefly, someone like a loyal servant of Bismuth Litton showed great interest in the 13th Squad.
The 13th Squad, the last squad of each company.
That 13th Squad was like Bismuth Litton’s sword. In case of combat, all command authority was directly managed by the battalion commander, a special mission squad.
Since the day-to-day management was entrusted to the squad leader, Felipe Ginchef constantly bothered us to impress the battalion commander.
“The 13th Squad of each company receives training instead of work. It’s a special order from the battalion commander. Our squad is no exception. The battalion commander has specifically ordered me to pay more attention.”
So, this is it.
Besmof Litton spoke of special treatment.
Each platoon’s 13 squads had to go through rigorous training to perform special missions if necessary.
We have mastered basic physical training and tactical norms to prepare for any situation.
“Memorize everything in your head. The main stage has already passed.”
“… Do you remember all this?”
Tetis Libra raised her head arrogantly.
“The main stage is a graduate of the War College as the top-ranking military officer. I came here following Commander Besmof Litton, whom I respected. “
“…”
“If you have any shortcomings, ask the main stage anytime. The main stage will teach you step by step.”
Abakusha, who could not endure studying, heard it from another 13 squad.
“We? We don’t learn those things? Well, the physical training is the same. Our platoon leader doesn’t expect anything from us in the first place.”
“Tactical norms? We learn the basics, but most of them follow the platoon leader’s command. They say we only need to know the basic ones.”
Abakusha screamed.
“Then what the f***! Why do I have to deal with this s***!”
I quickly skimmed through the Tactical Norms book. Maybe it’s because I learned how to deal with most situations in simulations.
There was no difficult information. It’s just an application level.
“You said you’d do it even if it meant you had to cheat. You little b****.”
“F***! Show me within a week! You little piece of s***! Do you know who I am!”
“I bet 10 silvers you can’t do it.”
“Wait and see! You motherf*****!”
A week later, Abakusha handed over 10 silver coins.
“I hate women now.”
“Tsk.”
One by one, new prisoners began to arrive at the punishment unit. But our platoon’s new member did not arrive.
It seems that something happened in the middle and was delayed. But work had to be done even during that time
“Disease.”
“You can’t curse in front of your superior. Avakusa, submit a reflection. “
“Uwaaah!”
It’s a search mission.
“Where are you searching?”
“Inside the mine. Before the miners coming up enter the base inside the Ascalon Plateau, we need to search the entire mine. If there are any human remnants or dangerous creatures, we will remove them immediately on site.”
Tetis Libra tapped her forehead.
“I’ll divide the headlights. The mine is dark, don’t forget the extra batteries.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Answer only once, Avakusa. You will also receive a tactical headset. If you shoot a gun inside the mine, it will damage your hearing. Wear it even if it’s annoying.”
“…Yes.”
After the squad leader left, Avakusa whispered.
“What if we bury the squad leader when we go in there?”
I looked at him coldly and threw a piece of jerky I had hidden.
“Don’t cross the line, just eat this.”
“…How did you hide this, you bastard?!”
“Eden gave it to me.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“You’re not a bastard anymore! You’re just a brat!”
“It’s disgusting, so just call me a bastard.”
I disassembled the gun and cleaned the inside.
Inside the mine.
It’s been a month since taking over the Ascalon Plateau. Now, the weather has gotten quite cold, and I couldn’t walk around without a coat.
It must be colder inside. What kind of state would a surviving human be in?
. . .
I put a headlight on my helmet. The cleaned gun was the same as the weapon I first received.
Still an uncomfortable weapon. The semi-automatic rifle still didn’t fit in my hand.
At least I was given a sidearm. The resistance’s common revolver. It was slow to reload and had weak power, but it was among the toughest unarmed weapons.
It was also a common gun that rolled around in the supply warehouse.
I also put on a tactical headset that was attached to my ear. A flag-shaped object. If the sound was too loud, the tactical headset automatically lowered the volume.
It wasn’t something that came out of elf’s scientific level, so we could assume it was something they took from the humans. In fact, it didn’t fit well in the elf’s ear, and Tetis Libra had to force it in.
“Do not feel suffocated. In closed spaces, sounds are amplified. If you don’t want to lose your hearing, get used to the tactical headset.”
“I swear, if I hear another nagging, my ears will explode. Damn brat.”
“I hear you. Avakusa. Submit your reflection statement.”
“…”
I hold my rifle in front of me. After checking the ammunition room, I load the magazine.
“You handle firearms skillfully. Drakan. Have you learned before?”
There’s no need to talk about the past.
“The Ascal Plateau War was helpful.”
“…Oh? Impressive.”
It’s like looking at a mature child. Despite appearances, there is something a bit irritating about him.
We stand in front of the mine. Dim lights could be seen leading inside, but some bulbs were broken, perhaps due to an incident during the Ascal Plateau War.
“We’re entering. 13th Squad.”
Tetis Libra takes the lead.
We follow behind.