Chapter 27
Early the next morning, before dawn had broken, I woke to faint sounds coming from outside the barracks. I had just sat up in the bed still bearing the traces of the night before and was hastily pulling on my uniform trousers.
Knock, knock-knock!
The sharp, irritated knocking shattered the silence.
"…Who is it?"
I frowned. Was there really anyone who would come looking for me this early?
'Status An…'
But before I could even use the skill, the door swung open by itself.
"Hey, Max Jaeger! You…!"
With her fiery-red hair tied in twin tails, Erika von Stahlberg strode in, shouting forcefully. Then she saw the scene inside the room and froze.
Her gaze swept over my body, clad only in trousers. Then it shifted to the bed behind me, where it finally found Hanna. Woken by the noise, Hanna was just sitting up.
The blanket slipped down below her shoulders, revealing Hanna's pale skin. The marks I had left on her over the night were starkly visible, especially the vivid red marks clustered around her breasts. Hanna belatedly realized what was happening and barely managed to cover her mouth with both hands before she screamed.
"……."
Erika said nothing. Her eyes darted frantically between Hanna's naked body, the sheets crumpled into a mess, and me standing there half-naked. Even a virgin like Erika seemed to understand what the subtle, heady atmosphere filling the room meant.
"You… you two… right now…."
Erika's face instantly turned bright red. No, it became so red it looked ready to burst. Overwhelmed by extreme shame and embarrassment, she fidgeted helplessly as though she herself were naked.
'…What timing.'
I clicked my tongue inwardly and activated the skill, this time without fail.
'Status Analysis.'
['Using the skill 'Status Analysis (Lv.3)' on 'Erika von Stahlberg'.]
[Name: Erika von Stahlberg]
[Status: Greatly shocked by the unexpected sight]
[Emotion: Slight disgust at the situation before her and a sense of betrayal whose cause she cannot understand. Shame on the verge of exploding at the thought that, while trying to repay Max Jaeger, she had instead suffered an even greater humiliation]
'So she came to repay me.'
Her status window made the situation clear. She had apparently come to offer her thanks for what happened yesterday. For someone as proud as her, it must have taken enormous courage. And of all things, she had ended up witnessing this scene.
Erika flung something toward me with trembling hands. It was a small bundle.
"Y-you perverted bastard! Disgusting! I never needed help from the likes of you, not ever! Don't get the wrong idea—just die! Drop dead!!"
She cried out, whipped around, and fled. She wrapped both arms over her chest as though protecting it, then ran off. The door slammed shut with a loud bang.
I picked up the bundle from the floor. When I carefully undid the wrapping, a small, luxurious silver flask emerged. The Stahlberg family crest was faintly engraved on it. When I opened the cap, the sharp scent of premium whiskey stung my nose.
"……."
I stared at the flask for a moment, then let out a quiet laugh. She had a surprisingly cute side to her.
*
The two days of blissful rest passed in the blink of an eye. 3rd Platoon was fully refreshed, and its members' morale was soaring. They were especially abuzz over the reward money they had just received.
"Damn, did you see this? This is three months of my pay!"
"I could buy clothes for all my younger siblings back home and still have money left over…."
"This is all thanks to our platoon commander, isn't it? Long live Lieutenant Jaeger!"
"Now that we've got money, how about a nice round of cards?"
"Which bastard brought up gambling just now? Did you already forget the lieutenant told us not to cause trouble?"
Then, on the morning our break ended, new orders were issued to the entire company.
"All officers, report to the regimental operations room immediately!"
A messenger came to our company. This time, it was a direct order from regimental headquarters. I clicked my tongue and got to my feet.
'The break is already over.'
I hurriedly straightened my uniform and stepped outside. An unusual scene unfolded before me. Not only the officers of our 2nd Company, but also those of the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Companies—even the officers of the artillery and engineer units directly attached to headquarters—were emerging from their barracks and heading toward regimental headquarters.
I entered the regimental headquarters, a large stone building. Inside, the sound of officers' boots moving through the corridors filled the air. Its usual quiet was nowhere to be found.
When I opened the heavy door to the operations room and entered, dozens of officers had already arrived. The room was packed so tightly there was barely room to stand. Every officer in the regiment stood in formation by company, while the regimental commander and his adjutant stood before the enormous operations map at the center.
I pushed through the crowd and found where 2nd Company was standing. Captain Seraphina stood at the very front, with 1st Platoon Commander Lieutenant Walter, 2nd Platoon Commander Lieutenant Erika, and 4th Platoon Commander Lieutenant Franz standing behind her from left to right. As 3rd Platoon Commander, I slipped into the gap between Erika and Franz and took my place.
"……Tch."
Even that alone drew a tongue-click from my left. I turned my head to look at her. It was Erika.
"…W-what are you looking at!"
I hadn't done anything, but Erika snapped at me in a low voice. She recoiled, then raised both arms to subtly cover her chest. Seriously, how self-conscious was she about that?
I let it slide and quietly activated the skill.
'Status Analysis.'
['Using the skill 'Status Analysis (Lv.3)' on 'Erika von Stahlberg'.]
[Name: Erika von Stahlberg]
[Status: Extremely conscious of Max Jaeger's presence. The scene from the morning two days ago has come to mind, and she is feeling intense shame.]
Her [Status] was unchanged. She must have spent the entire two-day break thinking about it. I stopped paying attention to her and turned my gaze forward, fixing it on Seraphina. This was what mattered.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]
[Status: Detecting the tension spreading throughout the regiment and thinking tactically; suppressed fatigue. Signs of slight mana reflux.]
[Hidden Trait: Mana Reflux (Mana Overload) - Chronic internal injury. Condition worsened.]
'A slight sign?'
I slightly furrowed my brow. I just couldn't let that ticking time bomb go off at a crucial moment. If necessary, I might have to reach out and place my hand directly on her body.
"The Ashen Forest operation was a resounding victory."
Soon, after confirming that everyone had gathered, the regimental commander spoke. He slowly looked around the operations room as he continued.
"We completely neutralized one of the orcs' main encampments and dealt a devastating blow to their supply network. In particular, the performance of 2nd Company, led by Captain Reinhardt, was outstanding."
His gaze rested on Seraphina for a moment. Seraphina silently bowed her head in acknowledgment.
"But the real battle starts now."
The air in the operations room grew heavier at his words.
"The orcs we are facing are not a single power. They are a sort of tribal confederation made up of multiple tribes: the Black Fang Tribe, the Bloodclaw Tribe, and… the ones who have tormented our empire the most."
The tip of his pointer tapped the area around the Ashen Forest.
"The Ashen Claw Tribe. The Ashen Forest encampment we wiped out was one of their forward bases as well."
The regimental commander's pointer moved slowly across the map. The officers' gazes moved in perfect unison, following its tip.
"Just yesterday, we received decisive intelligence from a forward reconnaissance unit."
Several officers swallowed dryly.
"The grand chieftain of the Ashen Claw Tribe, 'Gromnar Ironfist.'"
At the name, quiet sighs escaped several officers. It was a nightmarish name that had haunted the Imperial Army for the past several months.
"He's appeared. Having lost a large encampment, he's enraged and leading the main force to the front himself."
The regimental commander's eyes flashed.
"Cut off the head, and the snake dies. This is an opportunity to crush their chieftain and main force in one blow. If we break the Ashen Claw Tribe, the other lesser tribes will scatter on their own."
His pointer slammed down hard on the map.
"The success of this operation means more than simply securing the Ashen Forest. This will be a crucial turning point capable of changing the balance of the entire Empire's western front."
His voice rang throughout the operations room.
"Failure will not be tolerated. The fate of the Empire, and the lives of every one of us here, hang in the balance."
At the grand phrase—the fate of the Empire—the officers' faces hardened in different ways.
'What a load of nonsense about the Empire's fate.'
From my perspective, it had little to do with me. What mattered was how much experience this battle would give me, and whether I could survive it.
"Then, I will explain the operation."
At the regimental commander's nod, Major Helga, who had been standing beside him like a shadow, stepped forward. She took the pointer from him and indicated the map.
"This operation is a regimental all-out offensive."