Chapter 2
I crossed the parade ground. Just then, I heard the voices of soldiers working nearby.
"Did you hear? I'm talking about the person newly assigned as our company commander this time."
"Ah, that woman? Seraphina von Reinhardt, was it? I heard she's from a noble family."
"Noble or not, who cares? First off, they say she's drop-dead gorgeous. Pretty face, amazing figure... Damn."
One of them swallowed hard and made a lecherous face. The others chimed in as if they had been waiting for him to start.
"Hey, still, a captain's rank isn't something to scoff at. I hear she's the real deal when it comes to ability. There's even a rumor that she wiped out an entire orc squad by herself on the northern front last time."
"An angel's face but a devil's ways, huh? A woman like that must be wild at night... You know?"
"You crazy bastard. How many lives do you have? They say her nickname is the 'Ice Witch.' If she takes a dislike to you, she'll break you in half."
"Still, wouldn't you like to be held by her at least once? Just imagining that icy woman getting excited and disheveled..."
The sound of their snickering fouled my ears. Pretending not to hear them, I continued walking.
Captain Seraphina von Reinhardt.
It wasn't as if I hadn't heard the rumors either. She had been boldly appointed to the vacancy left when the previous company commander was killed in action. Even before her arrival, the soldiers had been talking about her remarkable ability, ice-cold temperament, and goddess-like beauty.
'The Ice Witch...'
Her nickname came partly from the ruthlessness she displayed on the battlefield, but also from her aloofness and refusal to let any man get close to her. Countless noble heirs and officers had approached her, but all of them had reportedly turned back after hearing nothing but icy rejections.
Before long, I stood in front of the company command tent. The sentry guarding the entrance recognized me and saluted with a stern expression. I answered with a short nod and entered.
The inside of the tent was barer than I had expected. There was only a desk, two chairs, and a large tactical map hanging on one wall.
Every trace of the previous occupant had been erased, and the space was ready to welcome its new owner.
At the center of that space stood a woman with her back to me.
Her silver hair, reminiscent of a snow-white plain, swayed below her shoulders. Her close-fitting officer's combat uniform revealed the slender curve of her waist and the fullness of her hips without concealing a thing.
Even though I approached with my bootsteps muffled, she turned as if she had already known I was there.
Her lips parted. An icy, clear voice rang out.
"Lieutenant Max Jaeger."
I felt as though my breath had stopped.
The soldiers' words had not been exaggerated. Her skin was pale enough to seem white, with a sculpted nose and red lips.
Most captivating of all were her blue eyes, shining coldly like jewels.
"Lieutenant Max Jaeger! Reporting to the company commander! At your service!"
I straightened my back and saluted. She didn't blink once as she received my salute.
"…Good to meet you. I'm Captain Seraphina von Reinhardt."
Her gaze swept from the top of my head to the tips of my boots. But I wasn't intimidated in the slightest. No, it would be more accurate to say that I couldn't be intimidated.
The skill 'Strong Mind' was smoothing all my emotions flat.
'Status Analysis.'
I quietly activated the skill without changing my posture.
[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Imperial Army's 7th Infantry Regiment]
[Rank: Captain]
[Status: Evaluating her newly assigned unit, coolly observing the subordinate before her, fatigue suppressed deep within]
'...Deep inside? ...Suppressed fatigue?'
It was unexpected information. Did it mean that, despite appearing perfect on the outside, she was hiding something within? Still, it wasn't information I particularly needed right now.
"Sit down."
I obediently took a seat.
Captain Seraphina picked up the folder on the desk. The cover bearing my name and rank caught my eye.
"I've read your report, Lieutenant Jaeger. A promotion only six months after commissioning... You're highly capable."
"The praise is excessive, Captain."
I answered as calmly as possible.
"It isn't praise, Lieutenant. It's merely a confirmation of fact."
She set the folder down on the desk and continued.
"The previous company commander was incompetent. Thanks to him, our company became the biggest nuisance in the regiment. Discipline was lax, and our casualty rate was the highest."
Her blue eyes pierced straight through me.
"I intend to turn this company into an elite unit. To do that, I need your ability."
"I'll do anything within my capabilities."
It was an immediate answer.
"Good."
Perhaps she liked my response, because Seraphina gave a short nod.
"The previous company commander, as well as several other officers, was killed in the last artillery battle. You know that the third platoon leader was among them, correct?"
"Of course."
"I intend to entrust that position to you."
I flinched slightly. As expected, Seraphina elaborated.
"The third platoon has especially serious problems. The veteran soldiers have grown lazy, while the recruits are terrified. Double the intensity of their training starting tomorrow. If any complaints or insubordination arise, I'll grant you the authority to punish them on the spot. In return, I'll be watching to see whether you whip the platoon into shape."
"Understood."
"Good. Then leave. I expect results starting tomorrow."
"At your service!"
I stood, saluted, and left the tent. Only after the creaking wooden door closed did I release the breath I had been holding.
'She's no ordinary woman.'
I could tell even from that brief encounter. Seraphina von Reinhardt was not merely an officer from a noble family.
She had accurately identified the company's problems and possessed a concrete plan and the determination to solve them. She had arrived early at her newly assigned company, and she had summoned me separately as well. She seemed very determined to turn things around.
'When a superior has a strong will, the subordinates are the ones who get worn out.'
But put another way, it also meant that her subordinates would have more opportunities to distinguish themselves. Perhaps this would be my chance to show the true value of my skills.
*
The next morning, I headed toward the area where the third platoon's barracks were located. Morning roll call had just ended, but the atmosphere was even more lax than I had expected.
Most of them were smoking in small groups or sprawled beneath the shade of the barracks, chatting with their boots not even properly polished. One group had even laid out a gambling table in plain sight.
'So this is why they call them a nuisance.'
Even after I appeared, not a single one of them properly saluted. They merely glanced at me before going back to snickering among themselves. How incompetent must the previous platoon leader have been to let things reach this point?
At the center stood an unusually large sergeant. He was one of those tattooed punks. A black design was boldly inked across his forearm. Despite his rank, he had left two of the buttons on his combat uniform undone.
The soldiers around him appeared to have formed a clear pecking order centered entirely on him.
'That must be the cancer at the heart of this place.'
I quietly activated a skill.
[Using skill 'Status Analysis' on 'Sergeant Gunter'.]
[Name: Gunter]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Imperial Army's 7th Infantry Regiment]
[Rank: Sergeant]
[Status: Testing and mocking the new platoon leader, overconfident in his own influence, slightly hungover from drinking too much last night]
'Overconfidence and a hangover...'
As I slowly approached, one soldier finally noticed me and reluctantly got to his feet.
"Hey, the new platoon leader's here."
At that, Gunter turned his head. Still sprawled where he lay, he looked me up and down without bothering to stand.
"Well, aren't you a pretty one. Think you'll fit in with the likes of us?"
Laughter burst out around us. I approached him without saying a word.
"Stand up, Sergeant."
Gunter's brow twitched at my voice. He rose slowly. He was a huge man who looked a good two meters tall.
"What's your name?"
"Sergeant Gunter, sir. Second Lieutenant... no, Lieutenant, sir."
He deliberately pretended to confuse my rank. It was an obvious provocation.
"Your uniform is out of order. Button it up."
"...What did you say?"
Overt displeasure spread across Gunter's face. The snickering voices around us abruptly fell silent.
"You have five seconds. Five, four, three..."
I began the countdown. With every number, Gunter's expression grew more vicious. His intimidating presence might have cowed someone else, but...
[The skill 'Strong Mind' is active.]
[Resistance to all fear and confusion effects has increased significantly.]
With the 'Strong Mind' skill, I felt no intimidation whatsoever. I merely found it laughable that a mere sergeant would dare defy me.
"You green little shit...!"
Just before my count reached one, Gunter's patience ran out. He strode toward me and reached out to grab me by the collar.
But his movement was sluggish, riddled with openings from last night's hangover and his overconfidence.
Without hesitation, I thrust out my right arm. My target was the nape of Gunter's neck.
"Gueeerk!"
A shriek like a pig having its throat cut burst out. The two-meter-tall giant crumpled helplessly. I seized him by the hair and slammed his head into the ground.
"I don't repeat my orders, Sergeant."
I whispered into Gunter's ear while his face was buried in the dirt. Then I rose and looked around at the platoon members. The smiles had vanished from their faces.
"I hear the third platoon is the regiment's garbage dump. As of today, we'll shed that disgrace."
Wherever my gaze landed, the soldiers flinched and lowered their heads.
"This is the company commander's order. Starting today, the third platoon's training intensity will be doubled. Anyone with a complaint, speak up now. I'll send you to another company without a fuss."
No one dared open their mouth.
"Good. Then here's the first order. Everyone will be in full combat gear and assembled on the parade ground within ten minutes. Anyone even one second late had better be prepared to spend time in the brig."