I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 1

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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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Episode 1

“Ah.”

I feel intoxicated even though I haven’t had a drink.

My heavy shoulders feel lighter.

My body feels languid.

As if today were the last day of the world.

How could the red glow of the sunset, which I never bothered to look at before, be so beautiful?

‘It’s not the last day of the world, but today is the last day of my military service.’

640 days.

It was damn long.

No, saying it was long isn’t even enough.

It was just fucking awful.

But if there are meetings, there are farewells.

Just as if there are beginnings, there are endings.

Eons of time flow and flow again, trying to conclude this grand narrative.

<877th Class Discharge Ceremony Notice>

Due to tomorrow’s heavy rain warning, the discharge ceremony will not be held. Those scheduled for discharge may leave the base starting from 07:00.

You remain military personnel until midnight today, so please maintain a soldierly appearance until the very end.

Is heaven patting me on the shoulder for all my hard work?

The boring and unmoving discharge ceremony has been canceled.

‘What’s gotten into them, even letting us leave early.’

The commander must have had something good happen yesterday.

“Maintain a soldierly appearance until the end. Should I just file a complaint? They’ve lost their minds.”

Those damn disgusting words like military discipline, order, and soldierly behavior make me want to vomit just hearing them now.

“I’m finally getting out. I’m finally getting out. Haha!”

Have I developed bipolar disorder?

Just 10 seconds ago I was smiling about the early departure, then 5 seconds ago I was angry about that bullshit about being soldierly.

And just now, I smiled thinking about discharge.

‘Yeah, anyone would go crazy after doing this for over 600 days.’

And I know the cure for this mental illness well.

‘Once I get out, I’ll have a hot bowl of soup and go to a PC Bang, and I’ll be completely cured.’

Just thinking about it gives me chills, doesn’t it?

I didn’t hide my rising smile as I enjoyed the leisure of the day before discharge.

And then the discharge event held after roll call.

The nasty seniors got discharged after being cursed at and deemed human failures, but maybe it’s because I used them as negative examples and lived relatively well-behaved?

Live well out there.

Keep in touch.

Let’s have a meal together.

I was able to spend my last day hearing very pleasant and nice words.

‘I don’t think I really did much for them.’

I didn’t care whether they caused trouble or did whatever.

All I did for the juniors was buy them drinks occasionally.

I guess this is why they say half the time passes just by staying quiet.

‘Can I say I did my military service reasonably well?’

Honestly, my military service wasn’t easy at all.

In boot camp, I got brainwashed by the drill instructor for a moment and applied for SDT, which is a kind of special forces unit.

‘I was really crazy. I came to the Air Force to have an easier military life, but special forces?’

Intense training and harsh seniors that regular soldiers couldn’t even imagine.

They gave me hell, and I can’t even remember how many times I regretted it.

“Still, looking back now… it was bad but not the worst.”

I properly developed exercise as a hobby, and I managed to achieve 800 points on the TOEIC from zero base.

“At least I’m taking something away from it.”

I lay down on the bed, recalling the good moments.

“Lights out.”

My vision darkened as the lights went out.

‘It feels like just yesterday I heard “the remaining days of your military service.”‘

The speed of time is really something I’ll never understand.

“Sergeant Lee Ji-ho, congratulations on your discharge.”

“Just call me hyung, what sergeant? Do you have about two months left?”

“Haha, that’s right. Soon.”

“Soon my ass, that’s when it really starts. You used up all your leave meeting your girlfriend.”

Usually it’s the rule to save up leave for the final year, but soldiers with girlfriends tend to use up their leave recklessly.

“She’s coming to visit next week, so I have to hang in there.”

“Lucky bastard.”

They say most relationships end badly, but Kim Si-yeop in front of me has maintained his relationship.

Of course, you have to see it through to the end to know, but I’ve been envious watching from the side more than once or twice.

‘Once I get out, I’m definitely getting a girlfriend first.’

That’s why I worked out in the military, isn’t it?

I even read some books I’d never read in my life to seem more intellectually sophisticated in conversations.

“Now that you’re discharged, getting a girlfriend should be a piece of cake, right?”

“Thanks for saying that. Take care.”

For leaving a place I’d stayed for 21 months, I headed to the main gate quite lightly and quietly.

Whoooooosh!!!

“It’s raining pretty hard.”

There was a reason for the heavy rain warning.

‘Of course, thanks to that I’m leaving two hours early, so I can happily take this much rain.’

It might be a gloomy day for someone else, but for me, it couldn’t be more atmospheric.

“You’re military personnel until midnight, so wear your uniform properly without any sloppiness when you go home. It’s the last time, so that much should be possible. Anyone who wants to become a professional sergeant even now, step aside.”

The Sergeant Major came out to the gate to inspect the discharged soldiers’ uniforms.

That’s obsession if anything, but what’s scarier is that he’s still trying to recruit slaves until the very end.

‘This is no place for humans to live. I need to get out quickly.’

Shaking my head, I showed my discharge certificate, passed through the main gate, and finally came out into the outside world.

I could feel the envious gaze of the military police behind me.

My shoulders rising unconsciously was an instinct I couldn’t stop.

‘Keep spinning your wheels. Your hyung is going ahead.’

Saying words I couldn’t speak aloud to myself, I got into a taxi.

“Please take me to Hoengseong Station.”

“Understood. Did you get discharged today?”

“Yes, I finally did it.”

At the taxi driver’s question, the corners of my mouth rose unconsciously.

“You worked hard in your youth. You should eat something delicious today.”

“I have to eat until my stomach bursts.”

Beef is definitely on the basic menu, and I’m thinking of going for seafood as a side dish too.

“Well then, I should get you there quickly.”

The driver started whistling and stepped on the accelerator as if he himself had been discharged.

The taxi driver’s driving getting faster in the heavy rain warning.

‘Wait… wait, is this okay?’

We were already going over three digits on the national highway.

And in weather with a heavy rain warning at that.

The moment I felt instinctive danger and tried to speak to the driver.

An accident had finally happened.

“Uh…”

Screeeeech!!!

In an instant, the car lost control and skidded off the road.

There was no friction on the water-soaked road, and the taxi crashed straight into the guardrail, spun around once, and fell down the cliff.

At the same time, consciousness began to fade.

I instinctively sensed death approaching.

‘Shit, I just got discharged!!!’

Before I could even voice my frustration, I lost consciousness as overwhelming pain crashed over me.

*    *    *

[Calculating your life.]

[Sin(D), Good deeds(B), Luck(F)]

[Investigation proceeding regarding your desperately low ‘Luck’.]

[…]

[Mercy is granted to your pitiful life, having died during 21 months of military service after being forcibly drafted despite being innocent.]

‘What a miserable life.’

As my consciousness gradually returned, these words came into view.

After being called a military dog and soldier scum, hearing my life described as pitiful somehow felt comforting.

[Your second life will begin in a better position and situation.]

‘Second life…?’

When I heard “better position,” the first thing that came to mind was naturally being a chaebol heir.

‘Wait. But if I’m reborn, I’ll have to go to the military again.’

I worried for a moment, but it was brief.

Even celebrities who appear on TV regularly dodge military service by claiming mental illness like it’s nothing, so a chaebol could definitely avoid it if they wanted to.

‘Right, let me enjoy life a bit too.’

I was about to close my eyes, satisfied with the result, but such happiness wasn’t allowed for me.

[For quick adaptation, your life will be adjusted so the same profession continues in your next life.]

[Your last profession was soldier.]

“What the hell? What did you say?”

My drowsy mind cleared instantly as those words burst out.

If those had been spoken words instead of text, I would have grabbed someone by the collar without hesitation.

[With luck correction, you’ll be able to start as a soldier in a better environment.]

[I hope you achieve what you wish to accomplish in your second life.]

“No… no, not a soldier.”

Before I could say anything more, my vision blurred and I lost consciousness again.

*    *    *

“Young master, please wake up.”

The soft touch of a mattress.

And a voice like chirping birds—anyway, a woman’s voice.

The situation of a woman other than my mother waking me up was so unfamiliar that my eyes opened immediately.

“Where is this… ugh.”

A massive amount of information suddenly pierced my head, bringing on a headache.

Things like who I was, where this place was, and the name of the woman in front of me.

‘A completely different world.’

A somewhat Medieval Empire where fantastical things like magic engineering had developed and emperors and nobles existed.

The mixing of that person’s memories with Lee Ji-ho’s caused more conflicts than expected.

“Whew.”

“Are… are you alright?! I’ll call a physician right now.”

I barely caught Aurora, the woman—no, this household’s maid—as she tried to rush out of the room.

“I’m fine, so don’t worry. It’s just from getting up suddenly.”

Holding my forehead and pretending to be okay, I drank the tea in the cup Aurora had brought.

‘I feel better after drinking something.’

After a few conflicts, the information began organizing itself quickly.

To mention the important things, first my name seems to be Paran, with the surname Oclo.

‘Paran Oclo, youngest son of the Oclo Count Family.’

A man far from the line of succession who enjoyed entertainment, if not quite gambling.

You could see him as a typical youngest son of a noble family living life to the fullest.

‘Anyway, did I possess someone’s body?’

Accepting this unrealistic situation wasn’t easy, but there was no chance this was a dream.

I had definitely died falling off a cliff.

‘I thought death was the end, but I came back to life like this. Who knew web novels were based on fact.’

Feeling amazed, I examined the organizing information a bit more.

‘A noble family that leads a large trading company, so they have quite a bit of money.’

Not just a lot—by South Korean standards, it was chaebol level.

‘This is incredible.’

A second life where everything seemed perfect.

But there was one thing that bothered me.

“By the way Aurora, I have something I’m curious about. Can I ask you?”

“Huh? If you’re curious about something, just ask. Why are you asking permission?”

She looked at me as if wondering why I was suddenly acting so differently.

‘Right, I’m a noble.’

Being pushed around by officers who constantly used leave as hostage to force obedience had unconsciously made me submissive.

“Haha, is that so?”

“Did you sleep late yesterday? You look a bit tired. Anyway, feel free to ask.”

“Right, it’s nothing serious. Do I have to enlist by any chance?”

If my memory is correct, Paran isn’t a soldier.

But according to what I saw in that hazy state, I was definitely supposed to become a soldier.

That left only one option.

Enlistment.

And enlistment in this era could be avoided if you wanted to.

It wasn’t forced conscription like in South Korea.

‘Would someone get angry if I called it forced conscription?’

But really, if they drag you away regardless of an adult man’s will, what is it if not forced conscription?

“Young master enlisting? Did you have a nightmare or something?”

“Yeah, it was a terrible dream. Anyway, if not, then good.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I quickly adapted to my second life based on my newly acquired memories.

*    *    *

Two months later.

“Sorry to interrupt your meal! There’s urgent news…”

“If it’s that urgent, get to the point.”

The head of the Oclo Count Family and my father in this second life.

Broad Oclo looked at the man who had burst through the dining room door.

“The Adits Empire has just invaded the Western Border!”

What the man said was much bigger than I had expected.

‘Are you saying a war just broke out…?’

War.

It was a familiar word from living in a divided nation, but having it actually happen was a completely different story.

“Tsk, it finally happened. I had my suspicions when they recently blocked our trading company’s carriages from entering.”

Broad Oclo frowned and put down his fork.

“I’ll go to the Palace. The Western Border is on the complete opposite side from here, so don’t worry and act as usual.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Please be careful on your trip.”

My sister and mother saw Father off as he left the mansion.

“War, those arrogant bastards from the Adits Empire don’t know their place.”

Now that the head of the family was away.

Tems, the eldest son and effectively first in line, muttered angrily.

“Brother, we won’t get conscripted, will we…? I’m scared of battlefields, ugh.”

Edmon, my timid second older brother, asked with trembling hands.

“Unless the war situation becomes seriously unfavorable, there’s no chance of conscription, so don’t worry.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

Edmon let out a sigh of relief.

And I, who had been quietly listening to this conversation, also felt my chest ease.

‘I’m saved.’

I thought I might actually get dragged off to the military, but hearing Tems’s words, it seemed unlikely.

“Actually, this might be an opportunity. If we catch His Majesty’s eye by supporting military supplies…”

Tems, quick with money calculations, was already working his abacus even in the midst of war breaking out.

The household quickly found peace after the brief moment of seriousness.

After finishing dinner, I returned to my room and continued reading the novel I had left unfinished.

That is, until I faced the bombshell news that Father brought back the next day.

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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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