I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 18
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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 18
My head is spinning.
It feels like my life is flashing before my eyes.
“Why can’t you answer?”
I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer at the Emperor’s urging.
“I… I’ve been assigned to the Eastern Coastal Guard Battalion.”
“The Eastern Region?”
A questioning tone, as if asking why I would go there.
It wasn’t easy to answer.
“Y…Yes.”
“Why would you, who took second place, go to the Eastern Region instead of the Western Front?”
The Emperor turned his head to look at the Training Corps Command commander.
At that moment, the atmosphere froze cold as thin ice.
‘I’m really screwed.’
This is why you shouldn’t stand out.
I’ve never resented my past efforts to work hard so much.
“Th…That…”
The commander broke out in cold sweat and turned to glare at General Chelsa.
“Training commander, what’s the situation?”
“Well…”
One question leading to another.
Everyone here probably knows what’s going on.
All the stars here hold education-related positions and would have graduated from this place in their youth.
“Well…”
General Chelsa dragged out his words, then suddenly stood up as if sensing a threat to his life.
“Your Majesty, this is a matter I must speak of carefully. May I approach you for a moment?”
“Speak to the envoy.”
“Thank you for your permission.”
I don’t know what he’s thinking, but General Chelsa whispered something to the Emperor’s envoy.
‘Hey, what’s so secretive about it?’
It’s definitely about me.
“I will relay this.”
The envoy, having heard everything, nodded and approached the Emperor, whispering in his ear the same way.
“XX XX XX, X XX XXXXX XX.”
What on earth are they talking about?
I caught a few scattered words, but it’s impossible to guess from that.
“Hmm, ah!”
After hearing everything, the Emperor’s expression brightened and he suddenly smiled.
“I almost made a big mistake. I see, I see.”
Suddenly the Emperor placed his hand on my shoulder and nodded.
“I clearly remember your loyalty to the Empire. Keep showing us good things in the future.”
What is it, what on earth is it?
When the Emperor handed me the graduation certificate, I knelt and respectfully received it with both hands.
“Your… Your grace is overwhelming.”
While the third-place graduate received his certificate, I racked my brain but gained nothing.
‘Let’s just be thankful I got through this.’
I sighed in relief as I came down from the platform and returned to my seat.
“Next, we will have words from the sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”
Is he planning to handle everything while he’s already up there?
The Emperor stepped forward and looked around at the cadets.
“It’s good to see everyone’s eyes are alive.”
An atmosphere that wouldn’t allow even the smallest cough.
Everyone was looking up only at the Emperor’s face.
“Surely among those here, there are still some who haven’t realized why they must go to the battlefield.”
‘That’s me.’
I wanted to confidently raise my hand, but unfortunately I’m not that great a person.
“To tell a bit of the past, I first went to the battlefield at the age of fifteen. If you studied history, you’d know it was the war with the Kingdom of Osiris, which sought to advance onto land.”
Searching my memory, I think there was something like that.
“It was a brutal war. Tens of thousands died and were wounded. We won in the end, but not a single soldier who went to war was smiling.”
“But do you know who laughed the loudest and were the only ones laughing when that war ended? The Empire’s nobles.”
A voice thick with disgust.
Hearing this much, I could understand why he established Noblesse Oblige and forced noble heirs into military service.
“Without getting a single drop of blood on their hands, watching them monopolize all the benefits, I thought it was wrong. Your parents don’t know how brutal war is. They’re just busy clicking their abacuses in their offices.”
The more I listened, the more it seemed right, and I was strangely drawn in.
‘Right. Even that bastard Tems, when he heard about war breaking out, thought about military supplies.’
He didn’t actually think about going to war, just making money from behind.
‘But… if he’s saying this with all the nobles gathered here, isn’t he just calling them out?’
The noble parents who came to watch their children graduate from the audience seats.
Looking now, some of them were trembling.
“The nobles who will lead the Empire in the next generation must be those who know the brutality of war.”
It seems a bit extreme, but anyway, no one would fail to understand what the Emperor wants.
“Go and show who will be the talent to lead the future of the great Raikane Empire! Then I will never forget your names, as I said at the entrance ceremony.”
The Nth confirmation.
You could say I’m getting tired of it now, but isn’t it new and happy every time a lover whispers they love you?
This is the same.
Just go to war and I’ll be your backing.
And it’s none other than the Emperor saying this.
In terms of women, it’s like a top idol whispering that she loves me right now – how could I not go crazy?
“As the supreme commander of the Empire’s military, I authorize the promotion to second lieutenant of the 1,307 cadets present here! I trust you all!”
“His Majesty the Emperor!! Long live!! Long live!! Long live!!!!”
Cheers filling the parade ground with louder voices than ever before.
‘Really… he’s incredibly good at speaking.’
If not for the System Message that appeared before my eyes, I would have become an ardent fan of the Emperor like everyone else.
[Following the flow of fate, you are granted a new skill as you are commissioned as an officer.]
As if mocking me, the system mentioned fate again, and I almost raised my fist without realizing it.
‘Hold it, hold it. There are many eyes watching.’
With the Emperor present, even slightly strange behavior could get me dragged away.
[A skill appropriate to your rank and position will be granted.]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Eyes of Truth.’]
[You have graduated from the Training Unit with excellent grades.]
[Additional rewards will be given based on your activities in the Training Unit.]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Swordsmanship Mastery.’]
[+50p]
‘Eyes of Truth…? Swordsmanship Mastery…?’
I don’t know about the eyes, but Swordsmanship Mastery was the combat-related skill I’d been waiting and waiting for.
‘If my Training Unit grades had been bad, I would have just gotten the eyes and that’s it. That was close.’
Having felt firsthand for two weeks how important and overpowered skills are, I couldn’t help but be greedy.
[Blessings to those who accept fate.]
“Ugh.”
‘It’s not fate, you bad thing!’
While I was holding back harsh words that were about to come out, the Emperor descended and the graduation ceremony concluded.
“Family and relatives, please go down to the parade ground to give encouragement and congratulations to your sons and daughters who have become proper soldiers.”
At the host’s words, the nobles sitting in the audience began moving to find their children.
“My family… they came too.”
I spotted my mother and father approaching from afar.
‘Both of them came?’
Honestly, I expected mother to come.
Even if the siblings don’t get along well, mother loves everyone.
But father next to her.
That man is the variable.
“Haha! Our admirable son. Congratulations on graduating safely. You’re not injured anywhere, are you?”
“You look like you’ve lost weight, haven’t you been eating well? And second place! Mom was so surprised.”
Mother and father offering congratulations with the most affectionate expressions.
I don’t know about anything else, but father definitely ate something wrong.
‘Why is he doing something he’s never done before? Did he develop health problems?’
This is the same man who skipped my eldest brother’s academy graduation after four years, saying he had business appointments.
“Ah… yes. Well, I got by fine.”
I was responding awkwardly to this uncomfortable meeting when father suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Our wonderful son, why couldn’t I recognize such talent?”
‘What’s really wrong with this person.’
This is exactly the situation where you’d say someone did a complete 180.
“Brother Paran, I’ll be going ahead. See you next time.”
While I was continuing this awkward meeting with father, Derick approached and greeted me.
“Oh, right. Be careful during training.”
My goal is to see that kid again in good health.
“Don’t worry.”
“Is this the friend you mentioned?”
While Derick was answering with a smile, a huge shadow appeared from behind.
“Yes, that’s right. Brother, this is my father.”
The man Derick introduced with a smile.
Aside from his serious atmosphere, their faces were so similar I could tell immediately.
That he was Count Rahila, the former Imperial Knight Commander.
“I greet Your Excellency the Count.”
I bowed my head in respect.
“Though it was brief, I heard the story. I’m told my son received much help thanks to you. Thank you.”
“Not at all. Rather, I was the one who received help.”
Without Derick, I wouldn’t have gotten the 3 bonus points from the march, so it’s a fact that I received more help.
“No need to be modest. If you beat the Marquis Linton house and took second place, that says it all.”
“Ha…haha.”
There was nothing I could do but awkwardly scratch my head at the excessive praise.
“From the atmosphere earlier, it seems you’re going somewhere important. Work hard for the Empire.”
“Right, brother. You’re keeping it secret from us too and we don’t know where you’re going. Hang in there.”
‘What on earth are you talking about.’
These people were seriously misunderstanding.
“No, it’s the Eastern Coastal Guard Battalion. It’s already been confirmed, what could change?”
Since the misunderstanding could become reality if I stayed quiet, I quickly corrected them.
“Candidate Paran, no, Second Lieutenant.”
Just as I was about to tell Derick goodbye and escape this damn training camp.
Lieutenant Gavin with his familiar face called out to me.
“Second Lieutenant Paran!”
The rank and name came out habitually.
This drew the surrounding gazes to me.
“Ah, well… keep it quiet and follow me.”
The nobles’ gazes seemed burdensome even for the instructor, as he bowed his head slightly and signaled with his hand.
“I’ll be back shortly.”
“Alright, we’ll wait here.”
“So that’s the instructor. He looks younger than I expected.”
After getting permission from my parents, I followed the instructor out of the parade ground.
“May I ask why you called for me?”
“I don’t know the details either. I was just told to bring you.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Since he said he didn’t know either, there wasn’t much to say.
‘It’s probably related to that whisper from earlier.’
Actually, at this point, I couldn’t help but think of the worst-case scenario.
‘They didn’t change my assignment to the Western Front to avoid crisis, did they?’
If that’s the case, I’ll lie down on the ground right away and stage a protest.
No matter what anyone says, the Eastern Region is the result I earned through hardship.
“You need to go inside here.”
After arriving in front of a small single-story building, the instructor pointed to the door.
“Do I go in alone?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask who’s inside?”
If it’s even the Emperor, shouldn’t I prepare myself mentally?
“That’s… go in and see for yourself.”
The instructor turned around and left without telling me anything.
‘Damn, saying it like that makes me not want to go in.’
But what choice do I have.
A superior told me to enter.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue once, opened the slightly rusted door, and stepped inside the building.
“Oh, you’re here. Come and sit.”
The person waiting for me inside the building was far beyond my expectations.
‘One… star.’
General Chelsa, the training camp commander I’d seen at both the entrance ceremony and graduation ceremony.
He was waving his hand as if happy to see me.
“Is this the guy? He doesn’t look particularly useful.”
“What are you saying? And he’s 2nd in the training camp rankings. Same rank as you.”
“What meaning does 2nd place have in a class full of noble young masters?”
A man in a pitch-black dark coat frowned as if displeased.
“It’s just a figure of speech. Just a figure of speech.”
“Hmm.”
The man stroked his chin with his hand and looked me over from head to toe.
‘Why are his eyes so menacing?’
Like a herbivore standing before a predator, the pressure made it hard to even breathe.
“May I ask why you called for me?”
Thinking I couldn’t just stay still like this, I forced out my voice with difficulty.
“Ah, right. As you know, there was a small incident earlier, wasn’t there?”
General Chelsa began explaining as if the timing was perfect.
“Yes, sir.”
“If you had told the truth then, probably neither you nor I would have gotten through it safely.”
‘Well, that would be the case.’
Especially seeing the 2nd place candidate going to the Eastern Region, the Training Camp commander would have had to resign given the Emperor’s personality.
“So I racked my brain, and I happened to remember this guy asking me to send someone useful.”
Tap! Tap!
General Chelsa patted the back of the man in the coat.
“I didn’t ask for it as a way to dump leftovers on me.”
“Why do you keep saying that? The instructors unanimously praised this candidate.”
“Um… wasn’t I supposed to go to the Eastern Coastal Guard Battalion?”
My utopia.
My heart grew anxious at the feeling that I was moving away from that place.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you too. What kind of achievements could you make going to the Eastern Region now?”
‘No, you crazy bastard, I’m going to the Eastern Region because I don’t want to achieve anything!’
I couldn’t say it honestly, and this was completely suffocating.
“Ha… haha.”
“He doesn’t seem to have any intention either, so I’m not interested.”
The man who confirmed my expression shook his head and turned to leave.
Seeing this, General Chelsa grabbed the man’s coat.
“Why are you doing this? You said you needed someone of noble status for this operation. Look, here’s the heir of a Marquis Household beyond suspicion. Where else can you find such a perfect talent?”
“Hmm.”
Suddenly hearing talk of an operation, the man turned his head back.
“And please save me just this once. I already told His Majesty that I’d send him there.”
“Sigh, it’s troublesome when you create problems and then ask me to solve them.”
At General Chelsa’s words, the man let out a small sigh and shook his head.
“Well, he does have the right status needed for this operation, so I’ll take him along.”
‘You crazy bastards, what do you mean take me? I’m supposed to go to the Coastal Defense Battalion.’
They were just making a complete ruckus among themselves.
“Sorry, but I already have my assignment.”
“When there’s clearly a position that suits you, what meaning does some assignment have? Come on, introduce yourselves to each other.”
At General Chelsa’s words, the man approached me and extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Captain Eden from Intelligence Command.”
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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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