How a Two-Life Scoundrel Lives - Chapter 71
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 71】
“Private Carlisle.”
“Yes, Sir Helen.”
“Do you know why I called you aside separately?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“I saw your expression. It didn’t look like you were pleased about the promotion.”
“Yes, well. Something like that.”
Carlisle nodded without bothering to deny it.
“You don’t want to be promoted?”
“No.”
“What’s the reason?”
“Hmm.”
Carlisle thought for a moment before speaking.
“If I get promoted… I’d become an officer.”
“That’s right. Since you’re a noble and have proven your abilities in actual combat, you’ll be promoted to second lieutenant. Of course, the higher-ups will conduct a review, but given your clear achievements and the unanimous approval from the scout members, the promotion should be approved without any issues.”
“I see.”
“So what’s your reason for not wanting the promotion, Private Carlisle. Most people would normally be happy about it.”
“I don’t want the responsibility.”
“You don’t want responsibility…?”
“Because if I become an officer, responsibility comes with it whether I like it or not.”
“Ah.”
Helen nodded as if understanding what he meant.
“So what you’re saying is that you don’t want to be responsible for your subordinates’ lives.”
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
“It’s hard enough just keeping myself alive, how can I be responsible for others? I can’t even take proper care of myself.”
“Kuk.”
Helen laughed.
“Is that funny?”
“N-no, it’s not.”
Helen quickly composed herself.
“But you laughed.”
“I just sneezed for a moment.”
“Your face is red though.”
“The sneeze was a bit severe. Ahem.”
Helen cleared her throat as if trying to calm down, then spoke.
“You seem surprisingly good at self-objectification.”
“So that’s why you laughed.”
Carlisle realized why Helen had laughed and said.
‘Well, I suppose it would be amusing to hear the Northern Scoundrel say with his own mouth that he can’t even take proper care of himself.’
Helen neither confirmed nor denied Carlisle’s words.
That probably meant it was a confirmation…
“Responsibility.”
Helen spoke again.
“Your reluctance to take responsibility is probably partly because of things I’ve said.”
“To some extent, you have a share in it.”
Carlisle didn’t deny it.
– If it were a problem that could end with just me, I would order a retreat right now. Rather than driving my subordinates to death with my own hands, it would be better for me to die instead.
– If it were a problem that could end with just me, I would order a retreat right now. Rather than driving my subordinates to death with my own hands, it would be better for me to die instead.
– Me? I… I’m not afraid of dying either. This is a place where people die every single day. If I had been afraid of death, I couldn’t have served here for several years. However, it’s true that it’s not easy to bear when subordinates die due to my incompetence, due to my orders. That too is a responsibility and duty that a commander must rightfully shoulder, but…
– Me? I… I’m not afraid of dying either. This is a place where people die every single day. If I had been afraid of death, I couldn’t have served here for several years. However, it’s true that it’s not easy to bear when subordinates die due to my incompetence, due to my orders. That too is a responsibility and duty that a commander must rightfully shoulder, but…
Carlisle recalled Helen’s words and spoke.
“Of course, it’s not just that. My personality is originally like this. I hate taking responsibility. Especially when it involves people’s lives.”
“You must have understood the meaning.”
“Of what?”
“The responsibility and duty a commander must shoulder, and the unavoidable guilt.”
“…”
“You’ve experienced actual combat, lost comrades, and through the words I’ve spoken, you’ve come to understand the weight of being a commander. Isn’t that right?”
“Something like that. Though not entirely.”
“Then I’d say you possess the qualities to be an excellent commander.”
“Huh…?”
Carlisle made a displeased expression.
Why was the conversation going in that direction…
“A commander should be someone who understands that weight.”
“Isn’t that only applicable to people who know how to shoulder that weight?”
“Of course, that’s also correct. But there’s no one who can shoulder that weight from the beginning. If someone could, they’d either be a thoughtless fool or someone born lacking emotions.”
“…”
“I understand that you don’t want to be responsible for your subordinates’ lives. But once you’re actually in that position, you’ll naturally develop a sense of responsibility.”
“Are you trying to say that the position makes the person?”
“You catch on quickly.”
“What if I still don’t want to?”
“Then there’s nothing to be done about it. Since you’re a Sigmund, you’ll be obligated to serve as an officer, right? Something like the right to refuse wasn’t an option from the beginning.”
“That’s… true.”
“If you really don’t want the promotion, you’d have to cause some kind of incident.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If you cause some kind of incident, you could miss the promotion…”
“There was a method like that?”
Oh no.
Helen suddenly realized she had made a slip of the tongue.
Look at that strange and ominous expression.
It seemed like the Northern Scoundrel would return immediately and cause some kind of incident.
“Private Carlisle.”
“Yes?”
“Wait, listen to more of what I have to say.”
Helen said urgently.
If she ended the conversation like this, that Northern Scoundrel might cause a major incident…
“Do you know why I became an officer?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Then listen to my story once.”
“…?”
“You see…”
Helen’s story about her past began to flow from her lips.
* * *
Young Helen had no parents.
Her father, who served in the Decaron Army, died in battle against the barbarians when Helen turned ten.
A few years later, when her mother was also killed during a barbarian raid, Helen became an orphan along with her two younger siblings.
Suddenly becoming the head of the household as a young girl, Helen did every job imaginable to feed her siblings.
There was compensation money for her father’s death in battle and monthly support funds provided by Dekaron Territory, but that was woefully insufficient for three people to survive on.
Meanwhile, when her youngest sibling began falling ill, their circumstances became even more dire.
Eventually, Helen chose to enlist.
“Now that I think about it, it’s such a common story.”
Helen gave a bitter smile.
“Yes, it’s a common occurrence.”
Carlisle nodded as if he understood.
Losing parents to barbarians was common, and orphaned children choosing to enlist when they had no other way to survive was also common.
For the Northerners who had been waging fierce wars against the barbarians for hundreds of years, such stories didn’t even count as tragic tales.
It was so common that personal attacks like “bastard without parents” weren’t even considered insults in the north.
Why?
Because everyone, you and I alike, had no parents.
Take Gwen, for instance—hadn’t she enlisted after her father died in battle, playing the role of a young household head for her sick mother and siblings?
“I also started my military service as an engineer. Every day, I did my best to survive day by day, mining magic stones under the constant threat of death.”
“Is that how you became an officer?”
“That’s right. For a commoner and ordinary soldier like me to become an officer, field commission was the only path.”
“That’s impressive.”
It wasn’t empty flattery.
The main duties of engineers were magic stone mining and position construction.
To enlist as an engineer—a non-combat branch—distinguish oneself, and become an officer meant Helen’s talent was truly exceptional.
“It’s not impressive. I simply hated it.”
“Hated what?”
“Watching my comrades die.”
“…”
“With my limited abilities, I wanted to save even one more comrade. That’s why I chose to become an officer. Because I didn’t want to lose my comrades.”
“Because if you become an excellent commander, you can make judgments and choices that save even one more ally?”
“Exactly.”
Helen nodded.
“Of course, I’m still a very inadequate commander. I’m continuing to learn, and I will keep doing so. The stronger I become, the wiser I become, the more of my subordinates will survive.”
“I see.”
“Private Carlisle.”
“Yes, Sir Helen.”
“As you experienced this time, losing a comrade is a very heartbreaking thing. If it’s a comrade you were close to, it hurts even more.”
“That would be true.”
“If you don’t want to lose your comrades, become a commander. Become a commander and directly protect the comrades by your side.”
“But…”
“Just try it first.”
Helen spoke in a firm tone.
“Try it, and if you really can’t bear the weight of being a commander, you can step down then. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I understand… I understand.”
Carlisle readily nodded.
“Good. Then you’ll need to get promoted and become a commander.”
“Hah.”
Carlisle let out a deep sigh.
Somehow he felt like he’d been swept up by Helen’s persuasive words.
However, there was nothing wrong with what Helen said.
If he wanted to save even one more person, if he didn’t want to helplessly watch his comrades die.
He could become a capable commander himself and lead them.
He would have to shoulder the accompanying responsibilities and duties, but it seemed better than grieving over lost comrades.
Of course, it would require exceptional martial prowess and strategic and tactical abilities to back it up…
“Well, then I have no choice. I have to complete my mandatory service anyway, so I might as well become an officer.”
“Yes, that’s good thinking.”
Helen felt relieved at Carlisle’s answer.
‘If I’ve said this much, at least he won’t deliberately cause trouble aiming for promotion denial…?’
Of course, Helen wasn’t entirely confident in her thinking.
* * *
Two days later.
The soldiers led by Helen left Bowden Fortress and headed for Decaron.
They had finished post-war processing and handover procedures and were departing for ten days of commendation leave.
“Still, I’ll be able to rest comfortably for about a month.”
Carlisle muttered to himself while looking at the piece of parchment in his hand.
[Commendation Leave Certificate]
[Commendation Leave Certificate]
Unit: Decaron Army 2nd Corps Command Subordinate Unit
Rank: Private
Name: Carlisle van Sigmund
Period: 20 days
Commendation leave is hereby granted as above
Helen
Commander
Helen
(Seal)
[Commendation Leave Certificate]
Unit: Decaron Army 2nd Corps Command Subordinate Unit
Rank: Private
Name: Carlisle van Sigmund
Period: 20 days
Commendation leave is hereby granted as above
Commander
Helen
(Seal)
[Commendation Leave Certificate]
Unit: Decaron Army 2nd Corps Command Subordinate Unit
Rank: Private
Name: Carlisle van Sigmund
Period: 20 days
Commendation leave is hereby granted as above
Commander
Helen
(Seal)
[Commendation Leave Certificate]
Unit: Decaron Army 2nd Corps Command Subordinate Unit
Rank: Private
Name: Carlisle van Sigmund
Period: 20 days
Hereby granted commendation leave as stated above
Commander
Helen
(Seal)
[Commendation Leave Certificate]
Unit: Decaron Army 2nd Corps Command Subordinate Unit
Rank: Private
Name: Carlisle van Sigmund
Period: 20 days
Hereby granted commendation leave as stated above
Commander
Helen
(Seal)
Carlisle received a commendation leave of 20 days from Helen in recognition of his achievements during the past period.
With an additional 20 days on top of the basic 10 days, he would be taking a long vacation of 30 days total.
It was an extremely generous reward for a mere private, but no one complained about it.
Carlisle’s achievements had been that brilliant and worthy of everyone’s recognition.
“Young Master, are you that pleased? You’re treasuring that commendation leave certificate.”
“It’s not like I’m extremely happy or anything.”
Even as Carlisle said this, he carefully tucked the leave certificate into his chest, worried it might tear.
“Uung…”
The baby dragon sleeping in his chest stirred slightly.
“Still, I can rest peacefully for about a month. I’m not going to do anything. Really, I’m just going to rest and do absolutely nothing.”
“Hehe.”
Maranello laughed.
“I doubt that will be possible.”
“What do you mean? I said I’m going to rest and do nothing.”
Carlisle frowned.
“When you get promoted to second lieutenant, you’ll need to take a promotion review and also attend an officer commissioning ceremony.”
“That’ll be two days at most.”
“That’s true, but will you really be able to rest and do nothing?”
“…?”
“You’ll need time to reflect on and organize what you’ve seen, heard, and felt on the battlefield, so you won’t really just laze around, will you? Hehehe.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
Carlisle made an expression as if he’d been caught off guard by something he hadn’t thought of.
Though it had been a short period, what Carlisle had gained on the battlefield was by no means small.
He needed to organize not only his combat experience, but also his improved swordsmanship skills and newly acquired skills.
Since he would have to roll around on battlefields for several more years until his mandatory service ended, he needed to pursue his own development day and night even during leave to survive…
“And you’ll probably have to participate in events too.”
“Events? What kind?”
“Isn’t the Victory Day coming up soon?”
“Victory Day… Ah.”
Carlisle’s expression hardened.
Victory Day.
It was considered the most important day among Decaron’s and the Northern Region’s commemorative days.
Which meant…
‘A bunch of incredibly annoying people will come flocking. Sigh.’
Carlisle inwardly let out a deep sigh, thinking of those who would visit Decaron for the upcoming Victory Day.
Lords from various territories and their children.
And even the Crown Prince.
From the main characters of the game [Overlord] to supporting characters, pretty much every notable figure was scheduled to visit Decaron.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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