I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 215
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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 215
“You are all currently useless beings who do nothing but waste food.”
As if looking at insects.
I looked down at the cadets and twisted my voice.
“No strength to protect your families, no strength to protect your precious wealth. You don’t even have the strength to protect the comrades beside you.”
Perhaps they didn’t expect me to pour out such harsh words.
Various emotions including bewilderment and anger were rising on the cadets’ faces.
‘Just this much causes changes in their expressions?’
How disappointing.
I haven’t even properly started yet.
“Such useless humans are what you currently are. Beings worse than vermin, yet afraid to go to the Western Front.”
I stared straight at the cadets and raised the corners of my mouth.
“I’m sorry to say this, but at this point, the ones trembling in fear the most are the field senior officers who have to have trash like you under them.”
Somewhat mockingly.
I continued speaking while mixing in derision.
“The Western Front is hell, just as you think. Blood splatters and thousands die and get injured in a single battle.”
The more I spoke, the less I could hear even the sound of the cadets shifting their bodies.
“All the people standing in that hell are soldiers with the courage to protect others. Even if they lose their lives to enemy blades, they don’t lose their smiles until the moment they depart if the battle was won. Why do you think that is?”
This time I looked at another cadet in the front row and asked.
“Uh…”
A cadet who couldn’t answer even though it wasn’t a question intended to prevent response.
I waited a moment then withdrew my gaze.
“You wouldn’t know. You’re just selfish insects who waste food.”
Harsh words raised almost to the limit.
What should I say each time I do this.
It feels like the frustration that was twisted up inside is being relieved somewhat.
‘I really have a nasty personality too.’
But what can I do.
These bastards made me this way.
“Because they risked their lives fighting to protect their families, protected their comrades, and furthermore protected the Empire. Have you done even one of these things?”
Naturally, no answer came back.
They wouldn’t have done any of it.
“Tsk tsk, never challenging anything, never practicing anything, so your actions are nothing but hesitation. It’s utterly shameful to wear the same military uniform.”
I shook my head and clicked my tongue.
“Why don’t you just run away somewhere? Why enlist in the military and make everyone tired? I don’t understand.”
I checked the time on my watch, then walked slowly across the stage in silence for a moment.
Another 10 seconds like that.
20 seconds.
.
1 minute.
.
2 minutes.
The auditorium remained quiet even though twice as much time had passed as before.
I too organized my thoughts once before opening my mouth.
“At Belzium Castle, I lost 173 out of 1,500 battalion members. It was the lowest death toll across all infantry battalions.”
A story that’s heartbreaking no matter when I bring it up.
I suppressed the emotions trying to rise and continued speaking.
“Everyone praised me as an excellent commander. However, I don’t think so. If only I had done a little better, moved a little faster. Regret toward time that won’t return endlessly circles in my head.”
Perhaps because I was telling a sincere story.
I could feel through my skin that their focus on me had deepened even more.
“This isn’t because I’m special. Any field officer, even His Highness the Crown Prince, lives with the same regret and self-criticism as I do.”
Honestly, I’m not sure about that.
Usually when doing this kind of thing, you add some exaggeration.
“The weight of my life isn’t 1. It contains the lives of the 173 lost at Belzium Castle. More broadly, the lives of the 10,000 who departed. Are you even slightly prepared to bear this weight?”
I asked while looking intensely at the cadets.
As if becoming one with me, I could see their eyes changing somewhat too.
However, I have no intention of letting them lead me where they want.
“The cadets I saw today were not prepared at all. Insincere attitudes, loose discipline. And arrogance that fails to understand your place.”
Did I hit the mark with each point?
Several cadets straightened their posture and backs.
“So I earnestly request that you use any means necessary to go somewhere other than the Western Front.”
If the Western Front had been a threat until now.
I told them in a serious voice not to come to the Western Front.
“Even if you do come, it would be better not to catch my eye. I’m not good-natured enough to leave cancerous beings that lower military morale alone.”
This should be enough of what I wanted to say.
However, checking my watch, there was still some time left.
I caught my breath for a moment and lowered my tone a level before speaking.
“I’ll say one last thing and finish.”
Having poured out my emotions, I was somewhat tired too, but I must never show weakness.
“If a person’s life were a sentence, everyone has a period. And when you look back, if the sentence’s content contains only personal things, it takes less than a year to be erased.”
Like building a tower.
I continued speaking without rest.
“If you did good deeds right before the period, 3 years; if it overflows with family stories, 5 years; if you lived a famous life that made your name known, 10 years. This is your limit.”
After looking around, I squeezed out strength with the thought that this was the last and raised my voice.
“What comes after would be useless for you to know, but if you lived your whole life devoted to others, 30 years; if you achieved something in one field, about 50 years. And finally.”
For the first time, I looked straight down at the cadet in the front row whom I had asked a question earlier and slowly opened my mouth.
“The names of those who risked their lives fighting in war are carved under the Lycans’ banner and remembered forever, never to be erased. That is all. Live your respective lives well.”
Originally I was thinking of taking questions too.
But as soon as I finished speaking, I turned around and went down to the back of the stage.
“Whew.”
When I closed the curtain and was freed from countless gazes.
I exhaled the breath I had been holding.
‘Did I get a bit too absorbed?’
Looking back, I think I said some strange things too, but I don’t remember well.
‘It’s quiet.’
Usually when a speaker leaves, there should be applause or at least murmuring sounds as tension is released.
Still, there was just no sound at all, quiet as a mouse.
‘I don’t know. Let’s just escape.’
Anyway, they’re people I’ll never see again.
The Training Camp is also a place I’ll never come to again, so I went into the waiting room and gathered the luggage I brought.
“Lieutenant Colonel!”
When I was wondering which door to escape through to avoid encountering the cadets.
An instructor called me and approached.
“Ah, it’s gotten too late so I think I should go. Has the Commander arrived?”
“The Commander said the meeting ran long so it would be difficult to see you off.”
“That’s really good news.”
I was worried he might have heard my speech from behind.
Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.
‘No chance of running into him either, which is good.’
What should I say.
It’s pretty damn dirty though.
This is a golden opportunity to escape without having to unclog a blocked toilet.
“I’ll escort you out first before the cadets leave.”
“They haven’t left yet?”
Since it was still quiet, I thought they had left while I was gathering my things in the waiting room, but the instructor said otherwise.
“No sir, do you need a little more time?”
“No. Let’s go.”
Wondering why they were being so quiet, I followed the instructor out of the auditorium.
“Your speech today was truly inspiring.”
Is he desperate for a promotion?
The instructor suddenly gave me unexpected praise.
“Really? I thought I went a bit overboard.”
“Not at all. Every single word made me reflect on my life. Thank you so much.”
He really must be desperate for a promotion.
‘Sir, even if you tell me this, there’s nothing I can do for you.’
He was trying too hard to grab onto a rotten rope.
“Is that so? I’m a bit embarrassed.”
“After hearing your words, I felt so ashamed to be here instead of at the front lines.”
‘There’s nothing to be ashamed of.’
If you’re enjoying the honey, just savor it.
“Everyone has their role.”
“I’ll work harder to be of even a little help.”
“Sure.”
Since I had nothing particular to say, I nodded and headed toward where the carriage was waiting.
“I hope to see you again if the opportunity arises. Today was truly an honor! Loyalty!”
“Yes, go inside.”
The instructor saluting toward me.
It was so rigid that it felt quite burdensome, so I quickly returned it and closed the door.
“It wasn’t the cadets but the instructor who was moved.”
Well, anyway, since he’s an instructor teaching cadets, in a way I indirectly had a good influence.
“I’m really exhausted to death.”
The process of dramatically raising emotions and then pouring them out is incredibly draining.
‘Let me sleep a bit.’
Since it would take quite a while to get there anyway, I leaned back completely in the carriage and closed my eyes.
* * *
“….”
Heavy silence settled over Room 9.
It wasn’t because there was no one there, nor because they were tired from training.
“Damn it, why should I have to hear such things!”
Bang!
Franco Galt bit his lip and slammed the desk, humiliated by insults he had never heard once in his life.
“But… it wasn’t wrong.”
Obel, who had been staring blankly out the window, spoke quietly in a powerless voice.
“Wrong… damn it!”
Franco knows too.
That there wasn’t a single wrong word among everything Paran had poured out before leaving.
“How should I put it. I’m ashamed. That I heard such words from someone only one year older than me.”
Lieutenant Colonel Paran and these cadets.
Looking at rank alone, there should be decades of difference.
But the actual age gap is at most three years.
There are quite a few people who are actually older than Paran.
And Franco is one of them.
“If you’re saying that, then what about me, damn it!”
All of Paran’s words were fatal blows, but what stabbed Franco’s heart was the question of whether he had ever done anything.
‘He said that and just left, making me feel like a person who’s done nothing.’
Franco knows it’s not just a feeling but the truth.
Despite being a cadet, he had never properly participated in training.
He never thought about fighting for even a second, and when unluckily sent to the Western Front, he only thought about escaping.
‘Does that mean trash like me isn’t even needed?’
Until now, he thought he had to avoid the Western Front.
But after hearing Paran’s words and looking again, it was the Western Front that was avoiding him.
And realizing this truth, he couldn’t look more hideous to himself.
“Damn it, why am I like this?”
Harsh self-criticism.
Franco bit his lip tightly and buried his head on the desk.
And though they didn’t voice it, the other roommates felt exactly the same.
“I… I…”
In that terrible silence, time passed once more.
Obel, having sorted through his complicated thoughts, spoke up.
“Starting tomorrow, I want to train hard. All this time… I think I’ve been living too much like a child.”
In the regretful past time, what Obel chose was change.
“And… I’ll go to the Western Front and ask him face to face again. Whether I’ve become somewhat more soldier-like now.”
“What…? You’re going to the Western Front?”
“Are you serious?!”
Training hard was understandable.
But going to the Western Front was on a completely different level, so Franco and the other roommates asked in surprise.
“Yes, I’m going to the Western Front. I want to stop living a shameful, running-away life… now.”
Obel’s voice was still conflicted.
But he endured everything and spoke each word clearly, and that conviction was more powerful than anything.
“Damn it! Yeah, let’s go. Shit, it’ll be either death or becoming a hero.”
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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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