I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 15

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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 15

“If you fall behind like this, can you face your comrades when you return to the dormitory?! You’ve ruined other people’s lives with your own hands!”

“No… no, it’s just falling behind in a march, what’s the big deal.”

“Right, just keep giving up and living comfortably like that. Then let’s just go to the front lines together and die. Looking at this, it’d be better to die and start over.”

“I’ll walk! Walking is fine, isn’t it!”

At words that could be considered curses, the cadets who were about to give up stood up once again.

“Because of your selfish actions, we’ve lost time, so we’re going without rest. Pull yourselves together and follow me.”

Derick began walking ahead with large strides.

The cadets wanted to say something to him, but seeing their own gear strapped to Derick’s back, they couldn’t even open their mouths.

“Hurry up!”

“Al… alright, we’ll go, so please just slow down a bit.”

Whether it was morning with the rising sun or evening with cold night air.

The squad led by Derick kept walking without stopping.

Catching up, falling behind, catching up, falling behind.

The intensity of the march was so inhuman that even the instructors and assistant instructors watching clicked their tongues.

“It looks like someone might die at this rate. Is it okay to just watch?”

The assistant instructor assigned to Derick’s squad asked the instructor with a worried voice when the cadets weren’t around.

“When they’re trying so hard, should we interfere? More than that, that kid is really impressive. To have that level of leadership at eighteen. He’s a natural-born soldier.”

The instructor’s eyes looking at Derick were unusual.

*    *    *

“Just 20 kilometers left now.”

Day 3 since the march began.

If there are no major variables, we’re scheduled to return to the training camp today.

“Cough! Cough! I feel like I’m dying.”

“I want to lie on a bed so badly. I’m hungry too.”

It hasn’t even been a week, but the cadets look like they’ve been living on the streets for a month.

This is all because the night air is already cold and they’re not even eating.

‘They’re practically begging to catch a cold.’

You know what’s even worse?

Even if they catch a cold, they haven’t touched a single combat ration.

‘It was edible though.’

I didn’t mention it separately, but the contents are just fried rice with a bit more seasoning.

‘This is why nobles are…’

I already thought these noble brothers were brats who didn’t know how the world works.

Through this march, I’ve become even more certain.

Most of them are spoiled brats at a level that could appear on TV.

“If you’re done eating, we’ll be departing soon, so please get ready.”

After announcing the end of lunch time, I put on my gear and stood up.

“It’s getting pretty heavy now.”

I’m trying not to show it since I’m the representative candidate, but honestly, I feel like dying too.

‘I’m definitely getting a good night’s sleep today.’

If we return and they tell us to attend classes, I might really start a coup.

“Alright! Let’s head to the training camp now!”

*    *    *

<Adelphe Military Training Camp>

The fact that we didn’t have much left created strength we didn’t have.

Finally, we succeeded in setting foot inside the military area before the sun set.

“Haah.”

My legs were in tatters.

Since we had really arrived, I let out the breath I’d been holding and collapsed to the ground.

“I think we’re first, right?”

“Yeah, when I asked the person guarding the outpost on the way, they said no one had come in yet.”

At Ion’s news, the corners of my mouth lifted without me realizing it.

‘We’re first place by main unit standards.’

But since the squad led by Derick hasn’t arrived yet, I can’t pop the champagne.

‘Please, please come quickly.’

As long as Derick is there, they wouldn’t have collapsed midway, but if they’re too late, it won’t mean anything even if they arrive safely.

“If we just go in like this, even if we’re first in time, we’ll be last overall, right?”

“Definitely.”

Currently, there are 83 people in the group led by Derick.

‘If nearly 100 people fall behind, the result is obvious without looking.’

It’s my guess, but given the nature of military training, the number of dropouts will have a much bigger weight in the score than time.

“Come on already.”

One hour, two hours.

Even as time passed, not even an ant was visible, and eventually the 2nd Battalion appeared first.

“Liberation! It’s finally over!”

“But why aren’t these guys going in?”

“Then we’re first place?!”

The 2nd Battalion entered the parade ground without hesitation.

When I heard the results shortly after, they said there were 61 dropouts.

“This is driving me crazy.”

“Shouldn’t we go in now?”

“It looks like they won’t come until at least nighttime.”

The squad leaders who were getting anxious pondered with the finish line in the middle, but my intention remained unchanged.

“We’re already late anyway. Let’s just trust and wait.”

Actually, my faith is being chipped away minute by minute, but what can I do?

Now it’s really so late that going in would be meaningless.

“1st Battalion! I’m proud of you all! It’s over now!”

“Waaaahhhhh!!!”

“Let’s go in! You all worked really hard!”

The 1st Battalion arrived an hour after the 2nd Battalion went in.

The number of dropouts was 47.

I don’t know how they managed it, but the number was smaller than expected.

‘If it’s not in the 30s… there’s no answer.’

I thought it would be a blessing if they brought even half, but not anymore.

“This isn’t easy.”

With two battalions having entered, I gradually felt resentful gazes directed at me.

‘Derick, where are you?’

One minute feels like an hour, and I’m so suffocated I can’t turn around to look at the battalion members behind me.

“We suffered so much, and now we have to be last place?”

“I don’t care about anything anymore, I just want to go to the barracks. We’re screwed anyway.”

“We shouldn’t have split the squads in the first place. If you group tired kids together, they just get slower. Tsk.”

Cadets sighing and voicing their complaints.

There are many unfair aspects, but if the result is last place, it’s my responsibility regardless of the reason.

‘Should I prepare a public apology?’

Just as I was about to close my eyes tightly and accept reality.

A very small shadow appeared in the distance.

“Uh… uhh!”

The small shadow gradually grew larger.

The moment it became visible that there were many of them.

The cadets who had been sitting on the ground began getting up one by one.

“Wait…”

“That’s our battalion, right?”

“At that pace, they’re almost all here, aren’t they?!”

The moment it was confirmed they were from the same battalion.

Before anyone could say anything, everyone rushed out to greet them.

“Give me your pack! Just hang in there a little longer!”

“Ugh, save me.”

“We’re right there! Right there!”

They carried their packs, pushed the backs of cadets about to collapse, and dragged them all the way to the parade ground.

‘How many is this in total.’

Even a rough count showed well over 60 people.

‘We did it! We actually did it!’

Elation surged through me at this miraculous situation, and my fists clenched tight.

“Hyung, we’re not late, are we?”

Derick, exhaustion visible on his face, stood before me with a hoarse voice.

“Yeah, you really worked hard. Thank you.”

I pulled Derick into a tight embrace and patted his back.

“Ha…haha, I seriously almost died from exhaustion.”

“You’re a hero. Let’s go in together.”

I put my arm around Derick’s shoulder and turned toward where the battalion members were.

“Alright! Let’s go now! It’s over!”

“Waaahhhhh!!! Finally, finally this damn march!”

“Let’s go, we’re in first place!”

The atmosphere instantly soared.

Without a single person missing, everyone linked arms and stepped onto the parade ground.

“With the arrival of the last battalion, we will conclude the march training.”

At the time when the sun had completely set.

The instructor climbed onto the platform and announced the end of training.

“Since the number of dropouts from each battalion has been confirmed, we will announce the march rankings and return to the barracks.”

Essentially the most important moment of this training.

The cadets looked up only at the instructor’s mouth and fell silent as mice.

“Before that, I’ll ask the cadets. When we first announced this training, did anyone think it was possible?”

Honestly, I thought it was possible, but given the atmosphere, I couldn’t raise my hand.

“However, the cadets accomplished it. Most of them, in fact. To the cadets who completed this training, the instructor wants to say this.”

Judging by the buildup, he’d definitely done this several times before.

“If you don’t set limits on yourself, nothing is impossible. During your time in the military, there will surely come moments when you want to give up and run away, and I hope you remember today during those times.”

I’d suffered quite a bit during the march trying to empathize as much as possible, but as expected, what the instructor was saying wasn’t easy.

‘If it’s hard and you want to run away, you should escape. Is enduring it really the right thing to do?’

Unless you enjoy being beaten, enduring it just leads to illness and eventually even extreme choices.

‘Am I being too emotionally detached right now?’

When I turned my head left and right to look around, most of the cadets seemed moved.

“That concludes what this instructor wanted to say. Now I’ll announce the rankings. First, unfortunately, the battalion with the lowest overall score is… the 2nd Battalion.”

Since the scoring criteria weren’t disclosed, last place was announced from within a maze where no one could see an inch ahead.

The 2nd Battalion’s atmosphere, which had been heated with anticipation, died so completely it reminded me of a funeral home.

“We’re screwed.”

“Last place…? Even though we worked so hard.”

Faces showing all kinds of emotions, including despair.

Among them, the representative cadet who had been at the very front was so shocked that he completely collapsed to the ground.

‘Suffer a bit. What can you do about it.’

It’s a bit harsh to say this, but.

I’m really relieved that last place isn’t me.

“The part about arriving first is highly evaluated, but there were far too many dropouts in the process.”

As expected, the key point was dropouts.

Then our 3rd Battalion’s ranking is.

“Next, for 2nd place… no, I’ll announce the most outstanding battalion.”

The instructor, who knew what he was doing, raised the corners of his mouth while looking back and forth between me and the 1st Battalion’s representative cadet.

“The most outstanding battalion in this class, which minimized dropouts in a way even this instructor couldn’t imagine, is the 3rd Battalion.”

As soon as the number ‘3’ came from the instructor’s mouth, I raised my fist toward the sky with all my strength.

And a few seconds later.

.

.

.

“UAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Cheers echoed across the parade ground.

“We! We’re the most outstanding!!!”

“Paran, you monster!”

“I thought we were doomed, sob sob.”

Feeling joy and emotion simultaneously, the final training concluded successfully.

Not knowing that the performance shown here would return as a thorn later.

*    *    *

[Training Unit Rankings]

1st Place Ion Velburn

2nd Place Paran Oclo

3rd Place Aisa Linton

.

12th Place Derick Rahila

.

.

“Hehe.”

The day before graduation.

After taking the comprehensive evaluation in the morning, when I came back after dinner, the rankings were posted on the bulletin board.

My ranking was, well, as you can see, 2nd place.

Happiness and relief so intense they were hard to express in words melted my brain.

‘I’m alive, I’m alive.’

2nd place, a rank good enough to go not just to the rear but to the very back if positions were available.

‘Endure until the war ends, then discharge and become a count. Perfect.’

The world tried to screw me over by sending me to the military, but who am I?

A veteran among veterans who served 640 days, even in special forces.

I’m an ace incomparable to these rookie scrubs.

“We’re 1st and 2nd place. Where are you thinking of going?”

Ion, who had taken 1st place in rankings with perfect scores on all exams, approached from the side and asked.

“I’ll have to think about it after seeing Tio. I’d like to go to the Eastern Region if possible, but I’m not sure if there will be positions there.”

Anyway, this cadet class was specially recruited due to wartime.

So while there might be rear positions, there’s a chance there won’t be any far rear positions like the Eastern Region.

“I see.”

“Where are you thinking of going?”

“I don’t know. Originally I was thinking of going to the rear. But when I think about it, I’m not sure if that’s right.”

“Suddenly…? You worked hard specifically to get to the rear.”

It’s no different from studying desperately to get into medical school, then saying you want to go somewhere else after the college entrance exam.

‘Don’t tell me… did I fall for the Instructor’s gaslighting and actually develop patriotism…?’

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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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