Chapter 14
The Jeep's rattling subsided, and the familiar smell of dirt and dust stung my nose. I was on my way back to regimental headquarters after completing a two-week special mission. Perhaps because I had grown accustomed to the tranquility of the Mana Spring, the thunderous shouts of commands and the noise of training coming from the parade ground seemed especially loud.
As soon as we passed through the unit's main gate, the guards standing at the guardhouse turned their eyes toward us. Their gazes were filled with blatant curiosity.
"Hey, isn't that Lieutenant Jaeger, the commander of 3rd Platoon? Is he returning from a mission?"
"And beside him… Corporal Hanna? What happened to her? She seems like a completely different person."
I pretended not to hear them, stopped the Jeep, and got out.
"Good work, Corporal. First, return to your platoon and get some rest. Unpack your things and take some time to recover. Stay ready to come whenever I call you."
"Yes, understood, Lieutenant. Salute!"
Hanna saluted and headed toward 3rd Platoon's barracks. I turned and headed for the company command tent. I had to report first.
As always, a guard was standing outside the company command tent. Recognizing me, he gave a brief salute, and I answered with a slight nod before entering.
"Come in."
A cold voice was the first thing to greet me. Inside the tent, Seraphina was, as always, studying the operations map. She did not turn around even when she heard me enter.
"Lieutenant Max Jaeger, reporting back as ordered. Salute!"
"The results?"
Only then did she turn around. Her uniform was immaculate, her silver hair as white as a snowy field, and her blue eyes shone with a cold, jewel-like light. I met her gaze without flinching and quietly activated my newly enhanced skill.
"It was successful. Corporal Hanna's mana awakening has been completed without incident."
'Status Analysis.'
Her information unfolded before my eyes.
['Status Analysis (Lv.3)' is being used on 'Seraphina von Reinhardt'].
[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Imperial Army's 7th Infantry Regiment]
[Rank: Captain]
[Status: Satisfaction with the report, suppressed fatigue]
[Emotion: Trust in Max Jaeger's competence, anticipation and anxiety about the results]
[Hidden Trait: Mana Overload - Chronic internal injury. Currently slightly worsened.]
[Hidden Desire: I want to escape this excruciating pain.]
"Good work, Lieutenant Jaeger. Were there any problems?"
"No, none. Everything proceeded smoothly."
I gave my report concisely.
"Well done. Corporal Hanna will remain in 3rd Platoon. I'll leave her training and care entirely to you. Develop her into the regiment's finest special asset."
"Understood."
In response, Seraphina gave a short nod. As if that marked the end of the report, she immediately turned and walked back toward the enormous operations map. However, her shoulders were trembling slightly. She was trying to hide it, but the anxiety she could not conceal was palpable. It was probably because of the worsening [Mana Overload] shown in her status window.
I quietly saluted, turned around, and left the company commander's tent.
Just before leaving the tent, I stopped for a moment. Unable to suppress my curiosity, I decided to try the final function of [Status Analysis].
'Check Sexual Experience.'
The system window flashed and displayed new information.
[Sexual Experience]
Kiss: None
Sex: None
Oral Sex: None
Anal Sex: None
Other: No sexual experience, no romantic experience.
"……."
I held my breath for a moment. The five instances of [None] that appeared in the information window were striking. Her private life was a completely blank slate.
So Seraphina's nickname was the Ice Witch, was it? The rumors that she never let any man get close and kept an impenetrable wall around herself were entirely true.
I wondered why, but I already knew the answer. In the midst of the terrible pain caused by [Mana Overload], romance or sex could hardly have been on her mind. Nor could she exactly show her greatest weakness to someone else.
Before long, I had left the command tent. I forcibly shook off those thoughts and headed for 3rd Platoon's barracks. My return report was finished, so it was time to take care of my platoon.
*
As expected, the open ground in front of the barracks was bustling. Unfortunately, it was not a welcoming crowd waiting for me. Beside several large military trucks, all kinds of supply crates were stacked high as mountains. Apparently, the special supplies the regimental commander had mentioned had arrived. The platoon members were clamoring like children as they looked over the high-quality goods they had never seen before.
"Wow, these combat boots are the real deal! Look at those soles! Even if we put our feet in a stream, our socks wouldn't get wet!"
"These field rations even have dried fruit in them! Damn, does this mean we don't have to chew hardtack that tastes like sawdust anymore?"
"If it weren't for you, Lieutenant, when would we ever get special-A-grade supplies like this? The guys in the other platoons must be green with envy!"
The men who spotted me stopped what they were doing and came swarming over. At the center of them stood Sergeant Gunter, a man built like a bear. He shouted in his characteristic booming voice.
"Welcome back, Lieutenant! Corporal Hanna has safely returned to the barracks!"
"Good. You worked hard."
I patted Gunter on the shoulder and entered the barracks. Despite my two-week absence, the place was spotless, without a speck of dust. Judging by how well the barracks were maintained, the men seemed to have developed a decent amount of discipline even without me.
As soon as I sat down, Corporal Kurt quickly brought over a canteen and placed it in front of me. An information window appeared over his head.
[Name: Kurt]
[Emotion: Awe at the lieutenant, eagerness to have his efforts recognized, competitiveness to flatter before the others]
'His mind is still as noisy as ever.'
I chuckled and took a sip of water.
"So, nothing out of the ordinary happened while I was gone?"
"Of course not! We followed the training plan you drew up without deviating by an inch. Now the guys in the other platoons don't even dare pick a fight with 3rd Platoon! What kind of platoon do they think ours is, anyway!"
Gunter puffed out his chest and spoke proudly, as if it had all been his own accomplishment.
"The atmosphere in 2nd Platoon has been pretty awful lately, though."
Kurt chimed in from beside him.
"The 2nd Platoon? You mean the one led by Lieutenant Stahlberg?"
Gunter nodded at my question.
"Yes, that's right. From what I hear, while you were away on your special mission, Lieutenant Stahlberg got chewed out terribly by the captain."
Lieutenant Stahlberg? By Captain Reinhardt? That was an interesting story.
"What happened? Tell me in detail."
At my question, Gunter glanced around, lowered his voice, and began.
"The 2nd Platoon went out instead on the Ashen Forest reconnaissance mission we had originally been assigned, but apparently their results were pretty underwhelming. Not only did they return without even catching sight of an orc, they came back with casualties too. They say the captain went berserk."
It was then.
An irritated voice came from the entrance of the barracks.
"You'd better leave it at that, Sergeant Gunter."
I turned my head. A female officer with flame-red hair tied into twin tails stood there with her arms crossed, glaring daggers at us.
It was Lieutenant Erika von Stahlberg, the commander of 2nd Platoon.
"It's not polite to talk so carelessly about someone else's platoon."
She spoke while pretending to be calm, but the faintly reddened tips of her ears revealed her embarrassment completely.
"Well, well, look who it is. Did your guilty conscience bring you here? The subject of all those rumors has graced us in person."
My teasing made Erika's face flare up instantly.
"W-who are you calling the subject of the rumors! I was merely on my way back after checking the terrain of the next operation area! It really was just a coincidence that I stopped by!"
She cleared her throat awkwardly and changed the subject.
"So, did that impressive special mission go well? I heard you took a corporal with you."
"It was nothing special. I merely carried out the regimental commander's direct orders."
"…The regimental commander? Personally?"
When I mentioned that I had received orders directly from the regimental commander, Erika's expression stiffened slightly. A complicated mixture of agitation and jealousy flashed through her eyes.
I chuckled as I watched her. She had not changed one bit since our days at the academy.
She had been a classmate of Max Jaeger—the man whose body I had possessed—at the Imperial Central Academy. Ever since our cadet days, she had treated me as her rival and clashed with me over every little thing—a long-standing bad blood between us. Outwardly, she was aloof and prideful, but in truth, she was a hard worker who wanted her abilities recognized more than anyone.
"W-what does the regimental commander see in someone like him, giving him one important mission after another…."
I ignored Erika's continued muttering and used my skill.
'Status Analysis.'
['Status Analysis (Lv.3)' is being used on 'Erika von Stahlberg'].
[Name: Erika von Stahlberg]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Imperial Army's 7th Infantry Regiment]
[Rank: Lieutenant]
[Status: Unable to stand Max Jaeger achieving another noteworthy feat]
[Emotion: Burning rivalry toward Max Jaeger, and a tiny bit of curiosity]
[Hidden Trait: None]
[Hidden Desire: I want to be acknowledged by my father, a great soldier. And I absolutely don't want to lose to Max Jaeger of all people.]
'…So she wants to be acknowledged by her father….''
The contents of the status window perfectly explained her prickly personality. She was struggling to live up to the expectations of the prestigious Stahlberg family and escape from the shadow of her great father.
'…But why did I have to be her rival of all people.'
I then used the same function I had tried on Seraphina.
'Check Sexual Experience.'
[Sexual Experience]
Kiss: None
Sex: None
Oral Sex: None
Anal Sex: None
Other: No sexual experience whatsoever. Not even romantic experience.
"…Pff."
In the end, I couldn't hold back, and laughter burst out of me. First Captain Seraphina, and now this girl too. Why did all the capable women in this world shut themselves off from romance? Well, considering what the [Harem Overlord Integrated Pack] was all about, it made sense. Of course, virginity was a serious matter. It wasn't as if I had anything to complain about, so I decided to take it in stride.
Meanwhile, Erika's eyebrow twitched when she saw me laughing.
"W-what's so funny?"
"No, it's just that you're still the same. You haven't changed one bit."
"What do you mean, I'm still the same? Are you looking down on me right now?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly in indignation.
"Don't get too full of yourself just because you succeeded in one mission. War isn't won by luck alone. Just you wait and see how thoroughly I crush your 3rd Platoon during the next training exercise!"
With those words, Erika abruptly turned around and ran out of the barracks as if fleeing.