"Warrant Officer Faris, this is Chief Medic Touri. I have come as requested."
Having been called by Warrant Officer Faris, I immediately headed to the location he specified.
Since this is someone who Lakya had previously caused trouble for, it would be best to deal with him politely.
"Thank you for your hard work. Sorry for calling you here."
"No, please don't worry about it."
An infantry platoon led by Warrant Officer Faris had set up camp on the main road near the main gate.
His platoon was a little larger, about 20 people in number.
It's what is called a reinforced infantry platoon.
"May I ask what your business is?"
"Oh, it's a personal request. There's no need to be so stiff."
When I saluted and asked what he wanted, Warrant Officer Faris gave me an ambiguous smile and gestured for me to have a seat.
It doesn't seem like an urgent matter.
"What do you think, Chief Medic Touri? These are the supplies from our unit. Take whatever you like."
"No, I'm good."
"Don't be so reserved."
As a platoon leader with the rank of Warrant Officer, he offered me some tea and snacks.
It belonged to Warrant Officer Faris' unit, and it was not something I should take just because he offered.
I tried to politely decline, but he almost forcefully placed a cookie in my hand.
Just what does he want from me?
"Um, Warrant Officer Faris?"
"Well, on to the matter at hand."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Today, the entire army is on a rest day. In order to deepen the bond between our units, I would like to invite your platoon to a party hosted by our Faris Platoon."
Warrant Officer Faris then pointed to the infantrymen behind him and continued.
His soldiers looked at me with rather awkward expressions.
Somehow, I began to understand what he was trying to say.
"A party?"
"Well, more or less. It's an opportunity to relax and have some fun, Chief Medic."
"…"
It seems that this person knew that there were a lot of women in my platoon so he invited us to a drinking party.
I never imagined I'd be called out for something like this…
"Don't make that face. To be honest, it's more about the mental care of the new recruits."
"What do you mean?"
"After seeing the devastation in the villages along the way, several of them became useless."
"Oh, I see."
According to Warrant Officer Faris, the new recruits in his unit were deeply shocked.
Especially, he mentioned that two of Lakya's friends had cried, wanting to go home to their families.
"I remember that a medic girl is close with those guys. I heard they're good friends."
"I see."
"That's why I wanted to get them drunk and let them vent. If they can relieve some stress, that'd be great. I'm sure that girl from your unit was also pretty shocked."
Hearing this, I started to understand.
Come to think of it, Lakya's friends were in Faris Platoon.
So, he's trying to help them blow off some steam by letting them talk amongst themselves.
"Certainly. Lakya from my platoon was quite shaken up as well."
"Then it's settled. How about we start now─"
"But I'm sorry, our platoon has work to do. We've received word that several wounded soldiers are being brought in, and we will be occupied with treating them for a while. We likely won't have time for a drinking party."
"…Really?"
If that's the case, then it's certainly something worth considering.
But unfortunately, we can expect to be inundated with requests to examine patients for minor injuries during this break.
We'll probably be busy with treatment until the evening.
As for those with minor injuries, I'm thinking of handing them over to Lakya or Arunoma, so it would be difficult for them to step away.
"How about in the evening, at least?"
"That will be tough. I think I'll have some free time when late at night, but I'm sure my subordinates will want to get some sleep."
"…"
Warrant Officer Faris looked disappointed, as if things hadn't gone as he expected.
It seems he grossly underestimated the workload of the medical platoon.
I'm sure I told him before we left that the lack of medical personnel was a serious issue, and to please refrain from using violence…
"Hmm, I wanted to cheer up those young lads with some girls."
"Volunteers are welcome to help out with the medical platoon. There's a ton of work to do, like organizing queues, carrying supplies, and helping with cleaning."
"Hmph, why do we have to work even on rest days? Unlike you guys who aren't fighting, fatigue directly affects our survival rate. As a platoon leader, I can't allow that."
"I see."
After Warrant Officer Faris realized I wasn't going to join his party, he turned with a sign of frustration.
"Sorry to take up your time. You may return to work, Chief Medic Touri."
"I apologize for not being able to meet your request."
"Take those cookies with you and eat them on the way."
With that, he dismissed me.
***
"Warrant Officer Faris is well known for being a womanizer. You were right to turn down that invitation."
"Is that so?"
After that, I headed to Marshdale Central Hospital as originally planned.
Marshdale Central Hospital is one of the flagship hospitals in the city.
It's a large facility with three floors and inpatient beds, a major hospital in the area.
"You'll probably get more invitations like that in the future, but you don't have to accept them. Parties forced by a platoon leader aren't likely to be enjoyable."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"If you want your subordinates to take a break, give them time off. It's better to let them go out drinking on their own."
"Alright, thanks for the advice."
Captain Aria was there to inspect the Marshdale Central Hospital.
She probably came to check on me.
It seems she was quite concerned about not having the chance to follow up after scolding me before.
"Or rather, Faris just wanted to make an excuse so he could become friendly with the girls from the medical unit."
"…"
"Seeing the critical patients abandoned in Marshdale, the soldiers probably thought, 'If I get close to a medic, they'll prioritize saving me.'"
"…I try to triage patients based on the severity of their condition without letting personal feelings get in the way."
"Well, we're human. Emotions sometimes get the better of us. At least, that's what the soldiers believe."
I see, I can certainly understand that thought process.
If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, being in a romantic relationship with a medic might increase your chances of survival.
It does sound like something that could happen in reality.
"Well, medics are already popular and are seen as 'angels of the battlefield'. Be careful not to get fooled by bad men."
"Yes, Captain."
But at least when it's my turn to triage, I intend to remain calm.
…Even when Rodri or Senior Allen are brought in, I'll try to stay composed.
"Also, to prevent personal feelings from getting in the way, don't triage acquaintances as much as possible. It's hard to make an objective decision when emotions are involved."
"I see."
"If someone you know is brought in, ask another person to triage them. That way they can make a calmer decision."
That seems like the best course of action.
If there is even the slightest chance that Rodri can be saved, I feel like I would treat him even if he had a serious injury that I would normally abandon.
If members of the old Garback Platoon are brought in, I'll leave the decision to Cale.
"Now, onto the main topic."
As I was thinking about this, Captain Aria suddenly came close to me and whispered in my ear.
Apparently, that was just a prelude.
"What is it?"
"We found signs that the Sabbatian Army is still fairly close by."
After saying that, Captain Aria quietly lowered her eyes.
"It's likely that the Sabbatian forces are retreating. We may encounter them soon, so be prepared mentally."
"…"
I thought the enemy had already abandoned Marshdale and retreated further away.
To my surprise, the enemy was lurking nearby.
"Keep this between us. Don't tell any of your subordinates."
"Understood."
"Taking a rest here in Marshdale was also partly so we could spend more time searching the surroundings."
I hadn't realized the enemy was still hiding so close. What could their objective be?
Perhaps they're scouting for our pursuit force.
"Father is on guard against a potential ambush. Be sure to take into consideration the possibility of a battle starting."
"Yes, Captain Aria."
It's also possible that we could face an ambush, as Major Renvel warned.
We will proceed behind the advance party once they have ensured it's safe.
Even if a battle breaks out, it's likely the fighting won't reach us.
However, if mountains of wounded soldiers arrive, the medical platoon may become overwhelmed with fatigue.
I need to give Cale and the rookies some good rest before then.
"Well then, Touri. Do your best."
"Thank you, Captain."
In that case, should I try to introduce a shift system during times when there are fewer patients?
This will slow down the speed at which patients are seen, but it would allow those on break to get a few hours of sleep.
If there's a possibility of coming into contact with the enemy in the future, we need to conserve our strength.
***
This was the Touri Medical Platoon's first encounter with the enemy.
At that time, I still had no experience as a commander, and I only thought of the position of platoon leader as someone who organizes the unit.
Even now, I regret not having conducted simulations of getting caught in combat beforehand and training to give precise instructions.
In the first real battle, it is rare for anyone to do everything perfectly from the start.
Most people have areas where they fall short, reflect on and regret their actions, and gradually grow from those experiences.
This was true when I was a rookie, and it hasn't changed now that I'd become the platoon leader.
That's why I should have at least prepared in advance through training.
It was my first time as a platoon leader and my first time commanding others.
I was in a position where I was responsible for the lives of my unit, but I lacked that awareness.
I believed that as long as I provided treatment from the rear, that would be enough.
I thought that I just needed to keep treating patients for hours, heal those in front of me, and send them back to the front lines.
At that time, I honestly believed that this was all that was required of me.
That is the thinking of a low-level soldier. The complacency that comes from being the one under command.
A commander is the person responsible for the lives of all members of a unit.
I would come to realize this responsibility during this first battle.
At the same time, it was also the first battle for another person.
Most of the Austin Army at this time was made up of platoon leaders with little command experience.
Similarly, in the Sabbatian Army, there was one person who was also making her first appearance on the front lines as a commander.
"I've never heard of such a strategy."
"Good, then the enemy won't expect it either."
That person, at the young age of 15, brought an unprecedented victory for the Sabbatian Army.
The Sabbatian Army, having struggled against the Southern Army led by Austin's rising star, Bern, appointed the "other genius" as their commander in a desperate move.
"As a prelude to facing the Southern Army, let's first take the head of the old fool, Renvel."
It was also the first battle of Sylph Nova, who would later be ridiculed as the most foolish commander in history.
At this time, she was ordered to intercept us, the remnants of the Austin Central Army.
Thus, as the temperature dropped and winter began to set in that week, we would face the enemy Sabbatian forces once again after a long time.
And so…
Although we had no way of knowing at the time, this would be the first encounter between me and Sylph Nova.
…It was also the start of our bitter relationship as fated enemies.