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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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Chapter 25 - First Mission! (2)
“Okay, everything’s fine but if we’re going, why only four of us?”
“That’s… to maintain mobility and deliver the documents as quickly as possible!”
“Did you even read the orders properly? It says there’s no deadline!”
“W-Well, that’s…”
Lydis was clearly at a loss for words under Clyden’s sharp criticism.
“Besides, if you’re gone and I’m gone, who’s supposed to manage the rest of the squad?”
“T-That’s…”
“And if Eres goes too, who’s in charge of personnel and unit operations?”
As Clyden kept pressing with logical jabs, Lydis went silent.
She lit up with a smug grin and proudly declared.
“You’ll take care of it!”
“…Huh? My name’s literally on the orders.”
“Exactly! So you’ll figure it out!”
“…Unbelievable.”
“You’ve gotten shameless, you know that?”
“Ahem! Anyway, I have preparations to make, so I’ll be off now. We’re leaving today. Handle
everything else for me!”
Clyden stared at her in stunned silence.
Lydis flushed slightly from the awkwardness and hurried out of the room.
Clyden sighed and turned to Eres beside him.
“You heard all that, right?”
“Uh, what?”
“Handle it.”
“Wh—?!”
“You want me to do it instead?”
“No, sir…”
Clyden narrowed his eyes and frowned.
Eres looked like he was on the verge of tears and bowed his head in defeat.
Standing up from his chair, Clyden stretched and spoke.
“I’ll head to headquarters to figure out what this mission is and stop by home to grab some clothes. Get everything ready in the meantime.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Clyden walked out of the barracks and dragged his feet toward headquarters.
“Sergeant Clyden, reporting in.”
When Clyden knocked on the door and entered, Sergeant Major Sigarus said calmly, as if he had expected him to come in after working.
“You’re here. Sit down.”
“Yes, sir.”
Clyden sat on the couch and waited quietly.
A runner soon brought in a cup of tea, which he sipped as he waited for Sigarus to finish signing documents.
Once he was done, Sigarus called the runner over and handed him the papers.
Then he took a seat across from Clyden.
“Just think of it as a vacation.”
“…Sir?”
"That little Lydis has been showing up to the morning status meetings every single day, hoping to get assigned a mission, just sitting there quietly before leaving without saying a word."
“Honestly, I don’t know what to say to that.”
"Hey, think about it! A stunning beauty shows up every morning, sitting there all serious, eyes sparkling with hope like she's waiting for something, only to walk away all gloomy when nothing happens. The Commander said it kills his appetite just watching her."
"Men are hopeless creatures…"
"It probably hits harder because the Commander from the South."
"But… why me? Can’t she just go on her own for something like this?"
"You think anything the Special Operations Command does is easy? This is just a routine document delivery but I was worried about where it would lead, so I assigned you. And I even assigned two more soldiers to back you up, didn’t I?"
"You’re calling them normal soldiers?!"
"If you weren’t someone who could handle it, I wouldn’t have assigned you in the first place. Besides, it’s just a teleport gate trip. It’s barely a week’s journey even if you take it easy. Just treat it like a little break."
"But if it’s official documents, shouldn’t they be sent to a military base? Why are we going to some village? And it’s in the Ziras Mountains at the far eastern edge! Past that it’s just ocean…"
"That’s classified Level-One Security. Which means you don’t have the clearance. So just do what you’re told."
“Ugh…”
Sigarus patted Clyden on the back and tried to comfort him.
"Hey now! That’s just how military life is!"
Clyden trudged out with a resigned look.
Just like Sigarus said, he decided to treat this like a vacation.
Although it seemed like it would be a tiring vacation.
When he got home, he found Lina sitting at the kitchen table scribbling something.
She looked up in surprise.
“Huh? What are you doing home at this hour?”
“Oh, Lina! Gave up on school these days? Haven’t seen you leave for classes.”
“Ugh! It’s summer break, you dummy!”
“Ah, right. Is Miss Rines home?”
“Nope, she went out grocery shopping.”
“Hmm… When she gets back, let her know I’ll be gone for about a week. Take care while I’m gone.”
Lina stared at him, wide-eyed.
“What?! Where are you going?”
“Well, I’ve been such an outstanding, exemplary soldier that the army decided I deserve a little vacation.”
“…Do you expect me to believe that?”
“Take it or leave it.”
Clyden headed upstairs, packed a few changes of clothes, and came back down.
“Alright then. Lina, don’t get too sad while I’m gone. Be strong and hold on, okay?”
“Be careful.”
She held onto the hem of his uniform as he was about to step out, her face anxious.
Perhaps it reminded her of the day their father left.
Clyden gave a cheeky grin, ruffling her hair.
“Aw, my sweet little wife. Don’t worry! I’m loyal to the end. I won’t go running off with anyone else. Want me to swear on it?”
“Ugh! I told you, I’m not your wife!”
Clyden just laughed, gently patting her messy hair.
"Be careful! If you get hurt, you're dead meat!"
Lina called out with a worried look on her face.
Clyden waved back a couple of times and jogged off toward the unit.
At the platoon grounds, Kaysis looking like he was about to cry, stood beside Eres.
Eres, who wore his usual indifferent expression, and Lydis who looked positively giddy.
They were all waiting for Clyden.
"You're late, Sergeant!"
"Welcome, sir."
"Everything ready?"
"Yes, sir. We've prepared the standard gear and supplies for camping. If we need anything along the way, we can restock at nearby villages."
"Where’s the closest city with a gate around here?"
“It’s installed in Farid City, one of Raisen’s defensive cities to the east. We’ve already secured the transport orders. We just need to show up."
"Damn it, Farid? That’s a three-day trek! How the hell are we walking all the way there?"
"While we were picking up gear, I also requisitioned courier horses."
“…Horses?”
"Yes!"
“I don’t know how to ride a horse."
"In that case, you can ride with me or Kaysis."
"You want me to cling to some sweaty guy the whole way?"
"Then would you prefer to ride behind the Lieutenant?"
"Are you insane?!"
"Are you insane?!"
Lydis and Clyden shouted at each other in perfect sync.
"Hah! Sergeant, you mean to tell me you don’t even know how to ride a horse?"
"Well, sorry, unlike some people, I didn’t have the luxury of sitting around doing nothing all day."
"Ugh! How dare you!"
Clyden ignored her tantrum and started looking around for an alternative.
That’s when he spotted a work cart parked near the edge of the yard.
"Oooh?"
A wicked grin spread across Clyden’s face as inspiration struck.
Kaysis standing in the same direction panicked, thinking that smile was directed at him.
He was the poor soul who had joined the military on a whim and had been regretting it ever since.
"Oww, take it slow!"
"Wouldn't it be better to just learn how to ride a horse, sir?"
"No way! It makes your butt sore!"
"This seems way more uncomfortable."
"You have no idea how comfy this is!"
Clyden had only ever seen horses in documentaries or at racetracks.
The idea of riding one, especially something that massive was frankly terrifying.
Maybe riding for 10 or 20 minutes for fun was one thing but hours on horseback? No way.
He’d read plenty of novels where the protagonist ended up with a bruised and battered backside after riding for days.
That was not a fate he intended to experience.
Thus, Clyden’s personal ‘chariot’ was born.
They modified a work cart by extending the legs to reach horse height, then installed a resort-style chair on top.
Clyden could lounge in luxury, enjoying the scenery while being towed along.
It looked absurd and didn’t even have a proper name, but it worked surprisingly well.
Lydis couldn’t help but look a little envious, but she didn’t dare say it out loud.
Instead she let her jealousy seep through in a sarcastic jab at Clyden.
“Hmph! I’ll admit one little thing! You’re really good at thinking small.”
“Wow, what an honor. I’m blessed beyond words. Hey! It’s bumpy back here! Watch where you’re going.”
Kaysis who suddenly became a coachman, grumbled inwardly while laughing with a mean expression.
“Don’t laugh, dumbass! Seriously, are we camping out on the first night already? This is what happens when someone throws a fit instead of planning properly and insists on a late start. There's a saying, If you’re dumb, your body pays the price.”
Clyden muttered loudly and pointedly as he stared at Lydis.
She shot a glare right back but kept quiet.
She was excited about his first mission and didn’t look into it in detail and made a fuss.
Trying to smooth things over, Eres stepped in.
“It’s not a problem. Farid City is only about a day and a half away. We’d need to camp out one night regardless, so setting off today is just fine. We’ll get there by evening tomorrow and can use the gate.”
After hearing that, Lydis visibly perked up and looked at Clyden with a smirk.
Clyden who didn’t like Lydis' expression, scolded Eres.
“I get it. Blood’s thicker than rank. You’re just openly taking her side now. Guess I should just sit quietly and fade into the background.”
“No, that’s not what I meant—”
“Hmph! Sergeant! I say this not just because Eres is my brother but if I had to pick
Between Eres and you, I’d choose Eres any day! One Eres is worth ten of you!”
“Wow, thanks so much. Eres, you agree with that?”
“Uh, well… I…”
Caught in the middle of the two, Eres didn’t know where to look.
As he struggled to dodge their gazes, his eyes landed on Kaysis.
He was snickering at the whole thing and a smile spread across his face.
“Oh? You laughing? Little Private Greenhorn thinks it’s funny to chuckle while your superiors are talking? Must’ve lost all sense the moment we stepped outside base.”
“Ack! No, sir!”
Kaysis hastily wiped the smile off his face and snapped to attention.
“Hey! Watch where you’re driving, dumbass!”
“Yes, sir! I’ll be careful!”
Kaysis’s sudden jolt of tension startled the horse, which stumbled a little, causing the cart Clyden was lounging in to shake and rattle.
To Kaysis, this mission was starting to feel like hell.
He’d grown up pampered in a noble duke’s household and had only joined the military because he’d been dazzled by Lydis’s beauty.
He’d never imagined he’d end up suffering like this.
No one had his back.
Lydis and Eres, from the rival Iron family, were practically waiting for any excuse to roast him alive.
Clyden treated him like a stray dog and kicked him around for fun.
And thanks to that cursed contract he’d somehow signed while passed out, he couldn’t even speak up for himself.
He was completely alone.
Kaysis was seriously considering desertion.
“Your face looks suspicious. Why? Thinking of running away now that we’re outside?”
“What?! No, sir!”
Kaysis surprised by Clyden's sharp judgment of his feelings quickly denied it.
Lydis and Eres had already caught on, and their expressions shifted into something far more dangerous.
“Oho~ Planning to desert. Go ahead. I dare you.”
Eres even begged him.
“Mmm… Armed desertion is punishable, you know.”
Lydis absentmindedly stroked the hilt of her sword, wearing the kind of expression that said she wouldn’t mind if Kaysis did try to desert.
“Where exactly would you run off to? Home? Oh, they’d love that. Bringing shame to the Duke’s house? If it were me, I’d erase you from the family register. Just thinking about it is embarrassing.”
Clyden added his subtle threat, layered with just enough sarcasm to sting.
“Why would I ever desert? I’m the very model of a loyal soldier! Nobody’s more dedicated than me, I swear!”
Kaysis immediately bowed and grinned with the most pathetic face imaginable.
The group who had been glaring at each other and walking amicably arrived at a campsite on one side of the government road around sunset.
Minus Trading Company Direct Campground.
‘We promise a restful night’s sleep for all travelers.’
“You’ve got to be kidding… This is an actual campground?”
Clyden blinked at the sign in disbelief.
“You didn’t know? Minus Company’s campground business is well-regarded by travelers, traders, and mercenaries.”
As darkness set in, several large lamps lit up the area so brightly it was visible from far away.
Rows of massive tents and smaller personal tents lined the grounds in neat order.
As the group approached the entrance, an attendant selling entry passes hurried over with a welcoming smile.
“Welcome! I’m Copse, the manager of Minus Company’s 7th Campground. We always work with our customers' comfort in mind. We’re truly delighted to have you here!”
“You got any spots open?”
Copse smiled at Lydis’ words and kindly guided the group.
“Of course! Right this way!”
Copse eyes kept flicking toward the strange cart Clyden was riding.
“That looks… surprisingly comfortable.”
“Oh-ho! You’ve got an eye for quality.”
Clyden puffed up proudly.
“Although it needs some work and looks shabby here and there, the idea is unique.”
“Do you think it’ll make any money?”
Clyden's sly question made Copse chuckle.
“I’m just a humble staffer, I don’t make those decisions. But I think it’d get a decent evaluation.”
“Too late! Already filed a patent!”
Clyden said triumphantly.
“Really? That’s a shame.”
“Wait, hold up!”
“You just threw that thing together today. When did you have time to file a patent?”
Clyden shot her an annoyed look and muttered something about how unhelpful she was before turning back to Copse.
“Ahem. What I meant was that I will be filing the patent. So don’t get any ideas.”
“Well… Isn’t the first person to apply for a patent the owner?”
The two men locked eyes, each wearing a thin smile that barely hid the sparks flying between them.
The rest of the group stood awkwardly to the side, silently agreeing that it was best not to get involved in whatever this was.
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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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