Gomuji and I were protected by joining up with Garback Platoon, which was positioned in the direction we were retreating.
The Platoon Leader noticed that I was the one who had taken on the guise of a city girl and was engaged in combat with enemy forces.
After learning that the enemy troops ahead had been decimated, he rushed to our aid.
"Touri's command will now be under me. And Private Gomuji will return under my command once more."
"Understood."
And so, after a long absence, I returned to Garback Platoon.
Escorted by Garback Platoon, we managed to leave the hellish city of Marshdale.
***
"───That concludes my report, Platoon Leader Garback."
After escaping Marshdale, we reunited with our allies who had already taken up position.
During that time, I was able to hear from my comrades about what Garback Platoon had been doing since I had left.
The Garback Platoon, which had made a name for itself on the Western Front, is said to have also performed heroic work at Marshdale.
Their strength was evident even within the fort, where they fought off many enemy soldiers who charged at them. They greatly boosted the morale of our allies.
Today too, Garback Platoon was serving at the most intensely contested area and had continued to hold without suffering any casualties.
"I see. Is there anything else you want to report, Touri?"
"…None."
The magic circle that was set up in that alley was also at the instruction of Platoon Leader Garback.
By intentionally limiting the magic circle's power to only blow off feet instead of causing immediate death, it was a vicious trap aimed at causing secondary damage to rescuers.
It is said that those traps resulted in several soldiers (including Gomuji) being injured and forced to retreat.
"…Hmph."
The magic circle that was set up is a weapon akin to a landmine.
It has a mechanism that causes it to explode upon contact, and it can be set up by sappers.
After arriving in Marshdale, Gomuji and a sapper named Yacht were transferred to Garback Platoon in my place.
Sappers are a members of the military that specialize in combat support by setting traps and scattering barbed wire as obstacles.
It seems Platoon Leader Garback was able to bring out the full potential of Yacht, a sapper who normally wouldn't be included in an assault unit.
"Now, grit your teeth, Touri."
"…"
I heard that the Platoon Leader strongly requested Major Renvel to deploy sappers if urban warfare was anticipated.
Although it was as selfish a request as ever, the Major, who felt indebted for poaching me, readily accepted it.
────Thud.
While I was thinking such carefree thoughts, I was punched in the gut by Platoon Leader Garback.
A dull pain and rising nausea shook my body.
"I understand the situation. I think there is room for leniency in your use of a handgun to shoot the enemy."
"Yes… thank you very much, Platoon Leader."
"But this is definitely a violation of military regulations. It's completely unacceptable for a medic to be armed and fire a gun. Accept this as your punishment."
"Thank you for your guidance…"
When Platoon Leader Garback heard that I had used a handgun during the retreat, he punched me with all his might.
It seems he understood that it was necessary for us to retreat, but military rules are military rules.
I guess he hit me as a punishment.
"You and Gomuji are forbidden from receiving any treatment. Touri, stay put with Gomuji on your back."
"Yes, Platoon Leader."
"I'm going to see the Major. Touri, Gomuji, you two wait for further orders."
And behind me, having been beaten up, Gomuji lay sprawled, battered and barely breathing.
He too had fallen victim to Platoon Leader's iron-fisted discipline.
"Ugh, it hurts…"
"…Come on, let's go."
Before I reported, Gomuji had already been swiftly pummeled by the Platoon Leader.
Well, it's his own fault, so I don't really care.
"I'll try not to touch the broken bones as much as possible, so please hold on."
"W-What's wrong with that guy… Something's not right."
"Oh, Gomuji, you noticed too?"
As the Platoon Leader had instructed, I stood up carrying the teary-eyed Gomuji on my back.
We then waited for the Platoon Leader to return from reporting to Major Renvel.
We are currently retreating from Marshdale towards the capital. We can't afford to rest for too long.
I'm sure he'll be back soon.
"There's no need to go so far on someone who's seriously injured, sniff."
"…"
I could feel Gomuji's tears, snot, and blood running down my back. It made me feel quite uncomfortable.
Did he include this as punishment?
"Besides, I can't believe he'd hit you for shooting the enemy in that situation. He's out of his mind…"
"Hey, Is your 'guidance' finished, Shorty?"
"Ah, Rodri. It's been a while."
"Yeah."
Rodri, who had been watching the corporal punishment between me and Gomuji from afar, spoke to me.
It had been a week since we last spoke, but seeing his face brought me relief.
"Oh, Rodri. You've got a cut on your arm."
"Hmm? Oh, a bullet grazed me."
"Are you okay? Did you disinfect it properly?"
"No need. Besides, there's no disinfectant on the front lines."
"No, you can't just ignore it because it's a small cut. Please rinse the wound with drinking water at the very least."
"…Yeah, yeah."
"Um, Senior? There's a severely injured person covered in bruises and fractures on your back, you know?"
Rodri didn't appear to have any serious injuries. He had a few scratches, but they were all minor.
He has naturally sharp instincts and good reflexes. I've never actually seen him suffer any serious injuries even during training.
That said, I was worried because Rodri can be reckless when it comes to helping others.
I'm glad he wasn't injured.
"So, Shorty, did you notice too?"
"Yes. You're talking about the Platoon Leader, right?"
"Yeah."
Rodri quietly whispered into my ear.
There's something that's been bothering me for a while now.
"You talking about Garback? What's wrong with that crazy Platoon Leader who beats a severely injured person?"
"Yeah, that's right, Gomuji. The Platoon Leader is acting strange."
"Right? He's obviously lost it."
"Seriously, yeah. That guy's crazy."
Even though he had already left, we gossiped quietly behind his back so the Platoon Leader wouldn't hear.
The Platoon Leader earlier was acting a bit off.
"That was way too lenient a punishment for breaking military rules."
"Huh?"
Pointing out a military violation and then just punching me in the gut is far too lenient for our Platoon Leader.
It might have been out of consideration due to the retreat, but… if that were the case, he could have disciplined me thoroughly once we reached the capital.
It could only be described as kind that he gave me such a light punishment during the retreat.
"Has the Platoon Leader's conscience finally awakened?"
"Maybe he was always kind. I thought I was prepared to get a few full-body bruises when I reported it, but… just one punch to the stomach was completely unexpected."
"Normally, kind people don't beat up injured people, right?"
Gomuji made a sarcastic comment, sounding unimpressed.
If you consider it from a normal perspective, it definitely looks like harsh punishment, but in terms of the Platoon Leader's usual standards, it was really mild.
That being said, I feel like his treatment towards Gomuji was quite lenient even by normal standards.
Because Gomuji…
"Gomuji, you've been spared despite deserting in the face of the enemy, which is ridiculously lenient. I honestly thought he was going to shoot you on the spot and leave you for dead."
"What?!"
Unable to endure the fear of charging alongside the Platoon Leader's back, Gomuji apparently fled alone.
However, he encountered enemy soldiers while fleeing and ran around the area, eventually meeting up with me.
Deserting in the face of the enemy is punishable by death. It's a mystery why Gomuji thought he would be spared.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
"It's true. He was being unnaturally lenient, nothing like what you'd expect from the Platoon Leader."
"Well, he probably did it because of Touri."
"Oh, Senior Allen."
As we were discussing how strange the Platoon Leader was acting, Senior Allen called out to us with a wry smile.
It looks like he also made it through alive.
"Gomuji was saved because Touri risked her life to carry him. He probably didn't want to create any discord by executing him."
"I see, I get it now."
"Especially since Touri was pretty emotional the other day. Considering we're in the middle of a retreat, I think he's trying to avoid that kind of risk."
"Oh, I get it now."
According to Senior Allen, the main reason he didn't kill Gomuji was for my sake.
I guess he didn't want to deal with the complaining from a rookie like me.
"I am a soldier too. I understand the importance of military discipline. He didn't have to be so considerate."
"Senior? The way you put it makes it sound like you wouldn't have minded if I had died."
"And besides, Touri, you're now directly under Major Renvel. I'm sure he didn't want to hear any unnecessary remarks."
"Ah, right."
Come to think of it, I'm no longer a medic in Garback Platoon, but a direct subordinate of Major Renvel.
Although my rank is lower than Platoon Leader Garback's, I'm technically in a position where I could report anything about him to the Major if I chose.
Does this mean I've somehow taken up the same role as Corporal Verdi?
"Ah… I apologize for the embarrassing display the other day."
"We're all human, after all. As you gain more life experience, you'll be able to handle things without losing your composure."
"Thank you. I'll make sure I don't let my emotions get the better of me again."
"Haha, as long as you're saying that, it's impossible, Touri. Emotions are trickier and harder to control than you think. Instead of aiming to never be emotional, try to recognize it when you are."
"I see…"
In other words, it's not about suppressing my emotions but coming to terms with them.
This means a lot coming from the experienced Senior Allen.
"That's right, Senior. It's often easier in life to hide your true feelings, especially when tricking idiots!"
"…"
And as always, I question Gomuji's character.
"Maybe it was also a reward for Gomuji for helping Touri retreat. Balancing the merits and demerits, maybe he resolved it with corporal punishment."
"I-I see! Then it was worth risking my life!"
"I think you caused more trouble if anything…"
"Senior!?"
"This is the first time I've seen someone treated so coldly by Touri."
Well, whatever the reason, if the Platoon Leader has decided to let him live, I just have to obey.
I have no intention of going against Platoon Leader Garback.
Even though I've been reassigned, I'll likely never be able to stand up to him.
***
"Hey, Touri."
"Ah, what is it, Platoon Leader?"
Platoon Leader Garback returned after a few minutes.
He looked down at me and motioned with his finger to follow him.
"I'll bring you to the Major. Come with me."
"Understood."
Platoon Leader Garback's expression remained as unreadable as ever, and his tone was displeased.
Considering the unusually lenient punishment, he doesn't seem to be in a very good mood.
"…"
The two of us walked through the dim encampment.
I must admit, I'd felt quite relieved just moments ago, being reunited with the platoon after so long.
Escaping that life-or-death situation must have played a part in that.
"There are so many wounded soldiers…"
"Is it bothering you?"
However, walking around the camp made me realize once again how dire the situation in Austin is.
Many of the wounded sat in a daze, heads bandaged, some lying down, some hugging their knees with vacant eyes, others checking their guns with a limp arm.
It was a scene of utter despair.
"…With so many injuries, who should I treat first?"
"Hmph."
The Platoon Leader and I walked through the camp filled with wounded soldiers.
Treatment is possible with medical resources such as elixirs and bandages, but how much we did actually bring with us?
"The people here don't need any treatment. The seriously injured ones who can't withstand combat have been transported away first."
"Oh, I see…"
"The ones here now are those who still have the strength to fight. They're preparing for enemy pursuit."
It didn't seem like it, but the injured men sitting here were judged to have only relatively "minor injuries" and were soldiers who were not allowed to retreat to the rear.
This means that there must be many more seriously injured people being transported behind the scenes. Mr. Kuma must be desperately trying to save their lives right now.
"…Can we really fight with this many wounded?"
"If you're ordered to do something, you have to do it. That's the role of a soldier. Even if it means your right arm gets blown off or your whole body gets set on fire, you have to carry out your orders."
Platoon Leader Garback scoffed.
…It's true that this person can fight no matter how injured he gets, but how can regular soldiers?
"Well, there probably won't be any more fighting."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
The Platoon Leader spat these words out with a bitter look on his face.
As I was puzzled over his remark,
"Look, there he is."
Ahead of us was a large man sitting on a rock.
It was Major Renvel.
"Ah, so you're here, Medic Touri."
"Major Renvel, I'm glad you're safe."
He looked at me, visibly relieved.
"It's thanks to you. I'm glad to see you've survived."
He then smiled broadly and shook my hand with joy.
From the looks of things, the Major doesn't appear to have any serious injuries. It was worth risking my life to treat him.
"You really did well, Garback. Name any rank you want, and I'll promote you as high as my authority allows."
"Ha, I don't want to be promoted like that on a sinking ship."
"Don't be modest. How about taking my position as Major?"
"That's beyond me."
Major Renvel continued speaking in a joking tone, in stark contrast to the sour Platoon Leader.
He's the kind who never loses his composure, no matter how dire things seem.
"Medic First Class Touri, reporting back after a shameful retreat. I'm ready to serve under you once more, Major."
"Ah, no need for that. You should stay under this man's protection."
"…Understood."
The Major had transferred command of me back to Platoon Leader Garback.
Is it because I'd failed to prove useful after getting injured?
"Oh, there's no need to look like that. Since there likely won't be any more fighting, I just want you to retreat to the capital with your familiar comrades."
"No more fighting…?"
"Yeah."
After saying that, the Major quietly closed his eyes and smiled.
Just like Platoon Leader Garback, Major Renvel also declared that there wouldn't be any more fighting.
"Um, may I ask you a question, Major Renvel?"
"What's the matter, Medic Touri?"
"When you say there won't be any more fighting… what exactly do you mean?"
"Oh, so you haven't heard from Garback yet."
The Major looked at me with clear eyes and gave a straightforward answer:
"Just earlier, the government issued an unconditional surrender to the Sabbath Federation."
And with that, I understood from his words.
"The war is over."
I learned that my home country of Austin had been defeated.