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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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Chapter 3 - The Beginning of Military Life (2)
As Clyden was heading toward the guardhouse, he noticed something strange and looked at the gate.
One of the guards conducting security checks was glancing around nervously.
A well-dressed merchant, waiting to enter the capital, handed something to the guard.
The guard secretly tried to pocket it, but when his eyes met Clyden’s, he fumbled awkwardly.
Clyden pretended as if he hadn’t seen anything and followed Rex into the guardhouse.
Inside it was just as Rex had said, the place was dimly lit.
Most of the soldiers seemed to be asleep, The only light came from a small corner that appeared to be the operations room.
“Salute! I’m Eres, and I'm responsible for platoon operations. I am also in charge of the platoon runner duties. Looking forward to working with you.”
A man stepped out of the operations room and introduced himself to Clyden.
Even in the dim lighting, his striking features stood out.
His emotionless expression somehow suited him, making him the kind of guy who’d probably be popular with women.
“Well, I’ll be heading out since I’m on duty. If you have any questions, just ask Corporal Eres. He knows everything.”
With a chuckle, Rex stepped outside while Clyden followed Eres into the operations room.
One wall had a map marked with the situation overview and mission zones.
Another wall displayed an organizational chart listing the names and ranks of the squad members.
However, the slots for the platoon leader and deputy platoon leader were left blank.
On the desk, there was a communication device, a few stacks of documents, and two chairs.
As Clyden took a seat, Eres stood by the situation map.
He pulled out a pointer and straightened his posture.
“Now, I will begin the guard post situation briefing. Currently, our—”
“Ah, forget it. I’ll figure things out just by doing my shift.”
Clyden interrupted with a bored expression.
Eres gave him a curious look before sitting down.
“Well then, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll continue my work.”
“Yeah, sure. Don’t mind me, just keep doing what you were doing.”
Eres glanced at Clyden briefly before turning back to his paperwork.
Leaning back in his chair, Clyden idly examined the situation map and the organizational chart for a while before speaking up.
“How many soldiers are in First Platoon right now?”
“Yes, First Platoon right now… ….”
“Oh, you don’t have to look at me like that. Just tell me while you’re doing work.”
Clyden stopped Eres from sitting up straight and speaking.
He turned his gaze back to the paperwork.
“Yes, currently, First Platoon should have a total of 32 members, but due to delays in reinforcements, we only have 25. Each squad has eight members, plus one platoon runner—that’s me.”
“Hm… Now that I think about it, I didn’t see any cooking facilities. How do you guys eat?”
“Our meals are provided through a contract with a nearby restaurant.”
“Hm… How many soldiers are close to discharge?”
“As of now, the only ones nearing discharge are Sergeant Hamilton, who has one month left, and Sergeant Max, who has three months remaining. After Sergeant Max leaves, there won’t be any discharge-eligible personnel for about six months.”
“So, that means most of the guys here are sergeants or corporals. Recruits coming in?”
“The garrison battalion is the least preferred, so we don’t get many volunteers.”
“Hm… Yeah, I get that. Even I wouldn’t want to be stationed in a place like this.”
Although the Imperial Army had a conscription system, soldiers were allowed to apply for their preferred unit after completing basic training.
However, the garrison battalion which offers low pay and a heavy workload was not an ideal choice.
Clyden leaned back in his chair, lazily tossing out questions whenever they came to mind.
Eres answered each one diligently.
“Hm… Oh, call Rex.”
“Yes, understood.”
Running out of questions, Clyden gave the order.
Eres stepped outside to call Rex.
Both Eres and Rex returned to the guardhouse.
Eres quietly sat back down and resumed his paperwork.
Meanwhile, Rex looked at Clyden with an anxious expression,
“Sir, you called for me?”
“Yeah, Squad Leader Rex. Before I came into the post earlier, I noticed something strange.”
“Ah… Uh…, are you talking about Corporal Crane?”
“Oh, so his name is Crane, huh? Hm, if I remember correctly, receiving something from a civilian while on duty is considered a court-martial… or am I mistaken?”
At Clyden’s words, Rex turned pale.
Even Eres stopped his work and focused intently on the conversation.
“H-hm… I’ll give him a proper scolding. If you could just overlook this one time, I swear my loyalty to you.”
“Looking at it, this isn’t his first time, is it? And I doubt he’s the only one doing it. How much do you all pocket, anyway?”
Rex froze, completely at a loss for words.
Clyden poured himself a cup of tea from the kettle on the table, took a sip, and spoke in a calm, almost friendly tone.
“Look, I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble… I just think good things are meant to be shared, don’t you?”
“…Excuse me?”
“What do you think I mean? I’m in.”
“……”
Rex and Eres both stared blankly at Clyden as if trying to figure out what kind of person they were dealing with.
Newly assigned officers usually follow the rules to the letter.
But this guy acted more like a seasoned veteran who had been through it all.
Of course, having experienced nearly everything in South Korea’s most remote frontline units, Junyoung—now Clyden knew that going with the flow made life a whole lot easier.
But Rex and Eres had no way of knowing that.
“Go on, get back to work.”
“Ah, y-yes! Understood! Sir!”
Still looking bewildered, Rex hesitated for a moment before stepping out of the post.
Eres quietly refocused on his paperwork.
Clyden leaned back in his chair, rocking slightly, then suddenly spoke up.
“Oh, right! Prepare appropriate equipment for me.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Eres with a puzzled expression.
“The standard-issue equipment for the garrison unit—there’s gotta be some, right? Weapons, armor, etc.”
“Officers usually use their personal equipment rather than…”
“Heh, well, I’m not like most officers.”
“……”
Clyden lifted his chin proudly as he spoke.
When Eres stared at him with a blank expression, Clyden awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Was my joke a bit too sophisticated? Tsk. Well, I’m an orphan with no patrons, my only asset is this body.”
“As far as I know, noble pensions should still be provided.”
“Oh, that… You know the saying, ‘If you throw a stone in a crowded place, four out of ten people you hit will be barons.’ And that tiny pension? It prioritizes those with dependents or those unable to make a living on their own. At best, it’s barely enough for a week’s allowance so I’m broke!”
“…I’ll have it prepared by tomorrow.”
As Eres nodded, Clyden grinned with satisfaction.
Clyden was determined to save every penny during his four-year mandatory service.
His plan was simple, making full use of the military’s supplies and spending nothing of his own.
“I’m starting to get hungry. Where’s the restaurant?”
“It’s still a bit early for dinner…”
“Well, it’s not like I’m paying for it, right? You have to eat it while you can.”
“…If you head 200 meters east from here, you’ll reach an intersection. From there, go right for about 100 meters, and you’ll find a restaurant called Angel’s Spoon.”
“Huh, that’s quite a unique name.”
“The food is worth recommending.”
“Alright then, Take care. Since we’ll be stuck together every day from now on, if you have any complaints, just endure them until I’m discharged. Tell the other platoon members the same.”
“Yes, sir!”
As Clyden stepped out, Eres saluted him from behind.
By now, the city gate was bustling with people finishing their work for the day and heading out.
“Hey! Rex, Keep it up. I’m heading out.”
Amidst the busy guards conducting security checks, Clyden spotted Rex and waved.
Rex quickly approached him with a smile.
“Heh, See you tomorrow, sir.”
“Yeah, Take care.”
Clyden patted Rex’s shoulder a couple of times before turning to leave.
Just as he took a step forward, Rex swiftly slipped something into Clyden’s pocket after looking around.
“Hmm?”
“Hehe, today’s visitors showed their appreciation.”
Clyden glanced at Rex and smirked. Rex returned an equally knowing smile.
“Ahem. Well… good job.”
“Loyalty! Sir!”
Suppressing a gleeful inner scream, Clyden walked away with a spring in his step.
He took a detour through a quiet alleyway.
He looked around and then checked how much money Rex had given him.
“How much is this? One, two… Huh?! 80 Mega?!”
Clyden’s eyes widened, a conflicted expression appearing on his face.
The Empire’s currency was divided into Bits, Bytes, and Megas.
At the Southern Gate, the area with the highest foot traffic, 80 Mega was a substantial sum.
A significant portion of that day’s total earnings.
“This… I meant we should share the profits, not hand them all over to me… Tsk.”
Of course, there was no way Clyden was going to give it back.
Humming cheerfully at his unexpected windfall, he started heading toward the restaurant.
“Wait a minute. Now that I’ve got some extra cash… maybe I should take Mrs. Rines and Lina out for a nice meal today.”
With that, Clyden changed direction and began walking toward home.
“Should we hit up a fancy restaurant and get some good meat? Hmm… maybe I should buy a new outfit. And for Mrs. Rines… what kind of present would she like?”
As Clyden happily pondered, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
“Hey, big brother. What’s got you grinning like an idiot?”
“Huh? Oh! !”
Before he knew it, Lina was already standing beside him.
Clyden lifted her up and spun her around in the air.
“Ahhh! What are you doing?! Put me down, now!”
“Hoo-ha! Hoo-ha!”
Ignoring Lina’s, Clyden let out a series of nonsensical sounds before seating her on his shoulders.
“I said put me down already! What the hell are you doing in the middle of the street?! It’s embarrassing!”
Lina’s face turned bright red as she vigorously pulled out Clyden’s hair.
However, Clyden took things a step further—bursting into song with an exaggeratedly joyful voice, completely indifferent to the amused stares of passersby.
- Hey-hey-ra-di-ya! Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- Laugh and smile, enjoy the ride!
- Even the grumpy old neighbor—Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- Even the boss who wants me dead—Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- And for the lovely ladies passing by, a little extra charm—Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
Lina, still hiding her face in embarrassment, kept grabbing Clyden’s hair
Eventually, she joined in singing along.
- Hey-hey-ra-di-ya! Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- Life is short, so let’s live it to the fullest—Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- Happiness brings fortune, they say—Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- Everyone, sing along—Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- Though, fortune never actually comes.
- Ahem. Well, whatever.
- Either way, We just gonna enjoy our life—Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
- Come on, everyone! Let’s all sing together!
- Hey-hey-ra-di-ya! Hey-hey-ra-di-ya!
Clyden had planned to go out for dinner with them, but Mrs. Rines had an evening gathering to attend.
He ended up taking only Lina along.
The two of them enjoyed a delightful meal at an upscale restaurant before heading out for some shopping.
At the store, Clyden bought Lina a pair of brand-new deer leather shoes of a fresh release from Minus Trading Company and a white dress imported from the Kingdom of Rotten.
As a result, he was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from Lina.
After finishing their shopping, they were about to head home when Clyden suddenly screamed while walking past a general store’s display window.
“Eeeek!”
“Whoa! What the heck, oppa?! Why are you screaming in the middle of the street like that?!”
“T-Tobacco!”
“Huh? Tobacco? What’s that?”
Overcome with excitement, Clyden rushed into the store.
“Welcome, sir.”
A middle-aged man with a distinctive mustache greeted him warmly.
Clyden closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed nostalgically.
“Ahhh… That familiar scent.”
“Ugh! Oppa, it stinks in here! Cough, cough! What’s with this smoke?!”
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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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