Ho Sweet Ho (1)
Compared to the walls of Grey Fortress, this was an utterly shabby wooden fence.
It showed just how hastily Granfen village had been put together.
And yet—
'Why does it feel like I've co ho?'
Even though I'd only spent a little over half a year here, I found myself feeling glad to be back.
The emotion that surged up was just right for the word "returning."
But it seed the security guards stationed at the entrance to the village didn't feel the sa.
"Stop right there."
They aid their weapons at us with wary eyes.
Grey Fortress might have looked superior on the surface,
but when it ca to the discipline of its soldiers, Granfen was the clear winner.
"State your purpose for coming to the village, and tell us what's loaded on the cart."
I couldn't help but think that Jeros was probably the only crooked guard in this village,
but, on the other hand, the security guard glaring at us was actually soone I knew well, which was a relief.
"It's , Ian."
Saying that, I pulled back the hood that had been covering my face.
Ralph, with his jutting chin, widened his eyes and shouted.
"Huh?! Hey, you, Ian! Why did you take so long to co back?"
His reaction was more intense than I'd expected, leaving a bit awkward.
Did he miss our shop's food that much—?
"The company commander said to bring you in as soon as you showed up."
Ah, so much for that idea.
"For what reason?"
"There have been rumors, but I can't be the one to tell you."
Ralph expertly tied my hands with a rope.
"Ow, that hurts. Please go easy on ."
Squeeze.
"Don't whine. Considering the mood the day you left, this is going easy on you."
"Isn't this welco a little too intense after so long?"
"Take it easy, Ian. I'm letting you off because it's . If it was anyone else, you'd have been beaten already."
Just as Ralph said, the other guards were glaring at with outright hostility.
Hmph.
Guess I just had to quietly go along for now.
Even so, I had to say my piece.
"Not just , these people ca from the stonemason guild in Grey Fortress. The things loaded on the cart are repair materials."
At Ralph's signal, another guard pulled aside the tarp covering the cart.
"Eek!"
The guard jumped back in shock, imdiately drawing his sword.
Quick reflexes—truly, the soldiers of disciplined Granfen.
"Ice Bear?!"
The guard who saw the Ice Bear carcass on the cart was horrified, and Ralph, flustered as well, asked ,
"What is this, Ian? Don't tell ... an Ice Bear isn't a repair material for the shop, is it?"
"We caught it on the way here."
"What? Who did?"
"I did."
Strictly speaking, it was thanks to Plerine's support and the strength buff from cooked rice,
but there was no need for that kind of detailed explanation.
"You? You caught it?"
"Yes."
Ralph snorted.
"That's ridiculous. You've gotten cheekier with your jokes."
He then looked at Plerine and asked,
"Was it you?"
Apparently, he'd recognized Plerine's strength and was subtly fishing for confirmation.
Even though I'd asked her to keep it hidden before we entered the village...
'At this level, I suppose perception would get sharper.'
"You don't an you're also with the stonemason guild, miss?"
Plerine shook her head side to side.
Ralph looked at her suspiciously then spoke.
"Are you blind and mute too? Tsk. Only the stonemason guild passes. Detain the woman as well."
We'd deviated slightly from the ideal scenario.
The best outco would have been for Plerine to pass with them,
but at least it wasn't the worst.
I'd worried about the stonemason guild getting detained with .
The old man from the guild exchanged a quick eye greeting with , then entered the village with the workers.
Plerine, like , was tied with rope.
We were led away by the guards for quite so ti,
and soon, we were thrown into a jail cell in the corner of the main village headquarters building.
Once the sound of footsteps faded, Plerine grumbled quietly.
"I kept still because boss told to behave, but honestly, I'm not happy about this, you know?"
"For here, this is pretty respectful treatnt."
"This is?"
During the procession, they hadn't insulted or struck us, not even spoken to us.
Surely, the battalion commander had given special instructions.
But what did that bald guy want so badly that he's searching for like this?
'I'll find out soon enough.'
It was while I was lost in thought—
A clink as the cell door unlocked.
In ca the green-eyed man.
The guy who'd led the search for the day I left the village—if I rembered right, company commander Hank.
He was glaring at .
"You filthy outsider bastard."
He started with an insult.
That's a marker of soone unhinged.
"Because of you, I lost face with the battalion commander."
He shot a nacing aura at ,
and his subordinate, behind him, cut in.
"Company commander. The battalion commander said to bring him straight away."
"Shut up. I heard."
He strode up to —
Wham!
With a thud, I was sent sprawling backward.
The madman's kick had landed squarely on my stomach.
'Damn it!'
I barely managed to tense my abs with mana in ti—if not, my guts might have been twisted.
"Ptooey."
I spat out the tallic taste rising in my mouth, blood mixed in.
Looking up at the green-eyed dog,
he curled up one side of his mouth and muttered,
"Mana? An outsider, and you use mana?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Plerine shot to her feet, ready to cast a spell at any mont.
She's going to go crazy.
"Stop, Plerine!"
Even at my shout, the green-eyed bastard fixed his gaze on Plerine and said,
"What's this, woman? You want to try sothing?"
Thud, thud.
He walked up to Plerine.
"... Woman. You're strong."
He grinned with interest.
Yes, this was the north.
The northerners were obsessed with strength—
people starving for power and fighting,
madn who would spar just because soone seed stronger than them.
"What rank are you? At least 3rd-rank, I'd say."
I answered in her stead.
"Company commander! Didn't you say the battalion commander was looking for ? If you waste any more ti here, you'll only lose more face with him."
Reluctantly, he tore his gaze from Plerine and fixed it on .
"..."
Just then, his subordinate broke the silence again.
"Company commander. The battalion commander is waiting—"
"I KNOW!!"
The green-eyed bastard's outburst made his subordinate flinch,
and I heard him grinding his teeth, gnashing.
"Take the outsider. Lock up the woman."
It finally started to feel real.
I was back in the frontline village, Granfen,
where madn prowled everywhere.
*
The green-eyed bastard led,
and his subordinate dragged to a room like a conference room.
A large map was spread across the table,
with wooden pieces on top—this must be the operations room.
Anyway, people who looked like officers were all gathered there,
and at the head sat the bald battalion commander.
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes weren't, making uneasy.
Even with my arms tied, it's best to salute with words to stay alive longer.
"Upon my steel, I swear."
"Loyalty will illuminate you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I apologize for not being able to give you a proper military greeting given the circumstances."
"Heh heh. Looking at you, it seems my subordinates went a bit overboard. I never wanted you treated that way."
At the battalion commander's words, the green-eyed bastard naturally shouted at his subordinate.
"What did I say? I told you to bring him politely, didn't I?"
"... I-I'm sorry."
The subordinate hurried to untie .
'This bastard's just a dog.'
He just cursed out, kicked ,
now shifts the bla to his underling.
This isn't just a crazy guy—he really is a dog.
'Why are you glaring at ?'
He stared at like he wanted to kill ,
and it wasn't hard to read the intent in his eyes.
'If you say a word about earlier, I'll kill you. That kind of thing.'
What would happen if the battalion commander found out?
I curled my lips in a subtle grin and t the green-eyed bastard's eyes.
"..."
His jaw clenched even tighter, his eyes narrowing.
Cute, how quickly he reacted.
"Heh heh. Hank, you've done well, now take your seat."
"... Yes."
The green-eyed bastard sat next to the battalion commander,
across from him was another company commander, a blond man.
Was his na Lantz?
Only the green-eyed bastard kept darting his eyes at the bald commander and the blond guy.
'I get the dynamic now.'
It's the sa in the Middle Ages or modern tis.
Powerful battalion commander and his right hand Lantz,
plus Hank, full of inferiority but unable to rise.
Whatever, their inner politics wasn't really my concern.
"So, you. I hear you ca back from Grey Fortress?"
Dozens of officer eyes focused on at the bald commander's question.
"Yes. I went to contact the stonemason guild for repairs to the shop."
"Heh heh. I see. And yet..."
Suddenly, cold sweat ran all down my spine.
The battalion commander's aura pressed down on .
"Was that more important than my 'request'?"
How could his eyes radiate such force while he was smiling?
'By "request", does he an having keep an eye on Jeros?'
But more than that, the glances from the other officers grew even more nacing.
Probably because the word "request" had co out of the commander's mouth.
"Heh heh heh. If you were actually in my command, you'd be dead by now."
I bowed my head slowly and replied,
"I'm sorry. It will never happen again."
"Heh heh heh. It wasn't an order, just a request. That said, I have another favor to ask you."
"What is it?"
For a mont, the gleam in the commander's eyes was terrifying.
Goosebumps broke out all over as fear swept over .
"I want you to join the military. So I can issue you orders, not requests, in future."
"... What?"
I was so stunned I asked again.
Damn. Did I hear that wrong?
No, the thing I was half-dreading was really happening.
"You dare to question the battalion commander?" said the green-eyed bastard, jumping up,
"Calm down, Hank."
Lantz, the blond, tried to rein him in, but—
The commander spoke in a low, hard voice.
"Both of you be quiet. Don't butt in. The other officers are here, aren't they?"
"Sorry."
"Sorry."
The other officers watched the three nervously.
After a brief silence, the commander's mustache twitched again.
"Heh heh. Are you going to pretend you didn't understand? I'm telling you to beco a soldier belonging to this company. In other words, my subordinate. That's my 'request'."
"..."
Damn. Of all my imagined outcos this was the worst possible.
That was why the company commander had let the soldiers search for .
I'd guessed all sorts of reasons, but
of all the scenarios, the worst one had co true.
'Re-enlistnt.'
It had already been eight years since I left the Republic of Korea Army.
Now re-enlistnt? What a bolt from the blue.
But—
'Can I really refuse here?'
Fierce.
The stares directed at were now burning.
It was because I'd been silent too long in response to the bald commander's words.
'Damn.'
I really hate this.
If the choice was re-enlist, or die?
The officers' stares stung unbearably.
I had to make a choice, eyes tight, breath in—
"I'm honored you'd give the chance to beco a proud soldier of the Duchy, but—"
If asked, "Want to die, or re-enlist?"
I would answer:
"No, thank you."
'Now that I've actually refused, I kind of regret it.'
A phrase n often joke about.
Saying they would rather die than reenlist.
It's not like I was trying to put that saying into practice by refusing.
Of course, if soone threatened with a sword, I'd choose reenlistnt.
Survival cos first.
But I said, "I don't want to reenlist."
The officers reacted fiercely.
"That crazy outsider!"
"Is he completely insane?"
The two company commanders flanking the battalion commander were no different.
They were glaring at as if they wanted to kill .
Only the battalion commander wore an ambiguous smile, as if he found this interesting.
"Hoho. Everyone, quiet."
At his voice, the officers gritted their teeth and fell silent.
The murmuring faded away, and only then, as calm silence settled, did the battalion commander speak.
"So, foreigner. What's your reason for refusing my request?"
I felt a small sense of relief upon hearing the battalion commander's question.
I'd been worried that he might just sentence to death without a word.
At least half my gamble with my life had paid off.
'Negotiations begin now.'
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