I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 120
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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 120
If I didn’t know how the Special Forces fought, I would have just said I understood.
However, I witnessed how insanely they fought at Rimircastle.
I have absolutely no confidence in keeping up with their tempo.
“It’s beyond my capabilities. The Special Forces are monsters.”
“The Captain can do it. Didn’t you successfully complete the recent joint mission in the Gork Mountains?”
“No, that’s different from this.”
This is war.
War that pushes forward relentlessly without a moment to breathe.
“Captain, didn’t you make a promise with me?”
“Yes…? Don’t tell me now.”
One promise made recently.
“To do your best in this operation without complaint. As I understand it, merchants value promises like their lives.”
Lieutenant Eden speaking as if saying ‘What are you going to do about it.’
This bastard is Satan. Satan.
“Sigh.”
“Don’t think about it so negatively. I put people you’re familiar with in the 103rd Battalion to accommodate you as much as possible.”
“Yes…? Don’t tell me.”
“Lieutenant Garen as 1st Company Commander and Lieutenant Derick, was it? You’ll be moving together so there shouldn’t be any uncomfortable situations, right?”
‘Aaaagh, you crazy bastard.’
My neck was tensing up, stress was at its breaking point.
“I…I see. Really, thank you so much.”
“Mm, and I’m saying this out of concern.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t stand out too much in this operation. If you want to become the Mess Hall Captain. I trust you understand what I mean.”
“That, I understand.”
Certainly if I stand out again and get caught by higher-ups, even Lieutenant Eden won’t be able to do anything.
‘This time I’ll really just quietly guide from behind and finish.’
Navigation, I resolved to absolutely do nothing more than that.
But if things in the world went as planned, wouldn’t I have been in the northern mountain guard battalion instead of here in the first place?
* * *
“We’re meeting again after a month. Captain, at this point wouldn’t it be right for you to just come over to our side?”
The pier of the First Fleet Command.
Lieutenant Garen, who had arrived two days earlier, spotted me and showed a hearty smile.
“Ha…haha, I’m really happy to see you so often.”
Not happy at all, but I answered with an awkward smile for now.
‘I feel like I’m seeing him too often.’
Someone like Lieutenant Garen is perfect to see once a year, so why do things always get tangled up?
Just hopeless.
“I heard about the operation. It seems you and we are quite important.”
“That’s right. I wonder why such important roles are always assigned to me.”
“Isn’t that all proof that the Captain is capable?”
Thump! Thump!
Lieutenant Garen came to my side and patted my back, but his strength was so strong that my body kept leaning forward.
“Lieutenant Derick is here too, so meet him later and exchange greetings. He’s very much looking forward to hearing that the Captain is coming.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And the Battalion Commander wants to see you once, is now a good time?”
“Time, sir? Yes, it’s fine.”
Since I had finished all the paperwork and such tasks, there’s no separate schedule until boarding.
“Good. Let’s go right now.”
Lieutenant Garen put his hand on my shoulder and led me forward.
‘Battalion Commander.’
The battalion commander assigned to the newly formed 103rd Battalion is Colonel Schultz.
‘Someone scheduled to be assigned to the Imperial Knights soon, right?’
So that means he’s the top ace even among the Special Forces.
“What kind of person is the Battalion Commander?”
I know details like his career, but I don’t know his human side, so I asked Lieutenant Garen.
“Colonel Schultz? Hmm, he’s a flawless monster. Respectable, but also makes you wonder if he needs to be that strict.”
It wasn’t a very long explanation, but I got a rough sense of what he’s like.
‘Shit, he’s exactly the type I hate most.’
Seems like the type who values military discipline and such, my hands and feet are already trembling.
‘Don’t be scared, we’re from different units anyway, what could he say to me?’
Trying to calm my mind, I boarded the warship that the 103rd Battalion would be sailing on.
“Stay here. I’ll call the Battalion Commander.”
Lieutenant Garen sat me down in the rest area on the second floor of the warship and left the room.
‘It’s my first time on a ship, somehow it’s fascinating.’
It’s not at the level of the monster-like warships I saw in South Korea, but still the scale is quite large and the armament is considerable.
‘The interior facilities are also neat, they definitely have the technology.’
While I was looking around at various facilities including the billiard table, the rest area door opened earlier than expected.
“Loyalty, Captain Paran Oclo.”
A fierce-looking man with slicked-back hair walking in while looking straight into my eyes.
With lieutenant colonel rank insignia, there’s no need to ask his name.
“I’m Colonel Schultz. Nice to meet you.”
I saluted and we shook hands, but the feeling was somewhat different.
‘What kind of calluses are these…’
Hands so hard I doubted if they were human skin.
With some exaggeration, it felt like touching stone.
“It’s an honor to meet you as well. Please take care of me during this operation.”
“I’ll be counting on you too.”
A low, gentle voice.
It was a bit different from what I had thought.
‘What’s this, is he a decent person?’
Or maybe he’s really showing respect because we’re from different units as I thought earlier.
‘Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like the worst case.’
I was about to let out a sigh of relief, but you can’t judge everything by first impressions.
“Since we have time, I’d like to hear about how we should move after landing, would that be possible?”
“You mean the movement route?”
“That’s right.”
An unexpected briefing request.
Well, it’s not a big problem though.
I’ve spent the past few days planning and revising this all day long.
“Yes, but to explain I’ll need a map…”
“I have a map, so let’s look at this.”
Colonel Schultz took out a neatly folded paper from his pocket and spread it out.
‘Wow, what the hell is this.’
All sorts of writing densely packed throughout the map.
From what I could see, it was content about various contingencies and things to be careful about.
‘This person seems to have studied it more intensively than me.’
If he has this level of foundational knowledge, I need to do my best in explaining.
“First, the expected landing time is 23:15. At this time, the 103rd Battalion will disembark from Ship 1 and move along this route.”
I started the briefing while pointing out the route with my finger.
“When moving this way, the place we’ll encounter is Gobitz Gorge, which was originally planned to be passed through, but we’ll detour for safety reasons.”
“Has the detour route also been scouted?”
“Yes. We didn’t discover any facilities like enemy outposts.”
“If there’s a gorge like this, there’s bound to be a bandit’s mountain lair nearby. Has that been confirmed as well?”
“A mountain lair…?”
We confirmed the village’s location, but we didn’t check for the bandits’ mountain lair.
No, it would be difficult to confirm such things with just two people in the first place.
“Even if they’re usually bandits, when enemy forces enter, they too would side with the Adits Empire, so there’s a high probability they’d relay information. Does the Intelligence Agency think differently?”
Colonel Schultz glared at me with eyes that seemed ready to devour me if I answered wrong even once.
I began to desperately wish I could call Lieutenant Eden right now.
‘Mountain lair…’
Why didn’t we check for it?
Since Lieutenant Eden isn’t a careless person, there must be a reason.
‘Let me think.’
After thinking for a few seconds, surprisingly, I could somewhat read Lieutenant Eden’s thoughts.
“The area we detected during reconnaissance was about this much, and within this area there was only one village, with no separate mountain lair.”
“That’s not what I’m trying to say…”
“Battalion Commander, the main activity time for bandits is the afternoon when merchant guilds come and go, not the evening when the sun has completely set. The probability of encountering them while passing through the gorge is extremely low.”
The bandits’ business hours are naturally the same as the merchant guilds’ business hours.
‘Unless the Adits Empire guilds do dawn deliveries, there’s no way bandits would be in the gorge at 11 PM.’
Lieutenant Eden probably didn’t bother looking for the mountain lair because of this reasoning.
“But isn’t there still a possibility?”
“Considering the limited environment and time, as well as the urgency of the operation, I judge that such a small possibility can be excluded.”
“Hmm.”
It might sound bold in a way, but this kind of attitude is necessary right now.
‘In a way, I’m here representing the Intelligence Agency, so I can’t accommodate every single objection like this.’
I need to maintain courtesy but still say what needs to be said.
“I understand that part. Certainly, considering the time period, it would be right to exclude the possibility of bandits.”
I thought he would nitpick more, but he surprisingly acknowledged it cleanly.
“Thank you for thinking that way.”
“Not at all. Continue with the explanation. Having someone who actually went on reconnaissance explain it certainly makes it easier to understand.”
“Yes.”
After barely getting through the first hurdle, I continued the explanation.
Unfortunately, his questions and challenges were endless.
“If it snows, wouldn’t this road be too dangerous?”
“Isn’t there a road where we could go a bit faster? I think this one doesn’t look bad either.”
“That side is just because it’s a narrow alley…”
.
.
A repetition of questions and answers.
I only survived because I had researched so frantically that I practically mastered everything.
If not for that, I would have been thoroughly beaten down to dust.
‘And why is that gentleman just watching from behind?’
Lieutenant Garen standing behind Colonel Schultz.
He was looking at me with eyes that seemed somewhat curious.
“It seems reassuring that a more capable officer than expected will be joining us. I look forward to your performance as operations staff.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best for victory.”
I shook hands with Colonel Schultz while letting out a sigh of relief at the fact that this pressure interview was finally over.
‘Operations staff, what a grand title.’
I’m not actually giving operational orders; think of it as just being a navigation system attached to the battalion commander’s side.
“Lieutenant Garen.”
“Yes, Battalion Commander.”
Lieutenant Garen answered with a tense voice at Colonel Schultz’s call.
“Take the operations staff around to make introductions. We need to familiarize faces before departure so there won’t be communication problems.”
“Understood!”
“Then I’ll see you again later. Good work.”
“Yes! Good work, sir!”
“Good work, sir!”
Colonel Schultz lightly raised his hand to acknowledge our salutes, then left the rest area.
“Phew, somehow I got through it.”
After confirming that the door closed and even the footsteps had faded away, I let out a big breath and collapsed onto the sofa.
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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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