"I think we should scale down the medical system."
"Oh?"
After receiving the information quietly whispered by Captain Aria, I immediately took action.
I decided to set aside rest periods to maintain the stamina of my subordinates.
"Given the current number of injured soldiers, I believe that a medical system at half the current scale will be sufficient."
"Well, there's a lot of free time anyway."
"Considering the state of the platoon, some may drop out if we continue treating without sleep or rest."
To be honest, I would like the two new recruits to work continuously so that they can get used to working all night and gain some experience.
However, it would be a nightmare if a battle breaks out while they're fatigued and a large number of patients came in.
"So, what does that mean?"
"We will implement a shift system with designated rest periods."
"Yayyy!!!"
Hearing the word "rest," the voices of the platoon members rang out in joy.
Recently, they had been forced to deal with patients who came in waves late into the night.
As a result, everyone had been sleep-deprived, so this was perfectly timed.
"From this evening, we'll divide the shifts into two—one for the first half and one for the second half, each with five hours of rest. While drinking and going out are not allowed, I will permit you to sleep in the on-duty room beds."
"Got it!"
"Now, Head Nurse Elma, I'd like you to assign the nurses to the first and second halves. I'll assign the medics myself."
Regarding the specific break method, I divided the time into two shifts.
Based on past trends, I expect the first half (day shift) to have slightly more patients.
To ensure fairness, I'll rotate the shifts daily.
"As for the assignment of medics, let's have myself with Arunoma, and then Cale with Lakya."
"Oh? Didn't we just talk about pairing male and female medics for training?"
"If we were to split up the shifts, it would be a different story. If Lakya and I were paired together, we would have to wake one of you up when we needed male help."
"Oh, right."
There wasn't much need to debate the team assignments.
The work can't get done without either myself or Cale, so we've decided to split up.
The next decision was how to divide Lakya and Arunoma. I chose the combination that would ensure we had enough male personnel.
It is absolutely necessary for when a soldier becomes unable to bear the pain of the treatment and acts out.
"Well then, how about myself and Arunoma for the first half today, and Cale and the Lakya for the second half?"
"Got it, Little Boss."
"If we get too many patients to handle, we may need to ask for help. Please understand that."
"Yeah, of course."
Thus, our medical platoon had its first rest day.
Proper rest will increase the unit's work efficiency.
I'm sure this rest will serve the entire medical platoon well.
***
"Um, Little Boss. Do you have a moment?"
"Yes, there are currently no patients. Is something wrong?"
Well, this was my first break.
Patients continued to show up as usual, but by evening their numbers had stopped.
So, while I was chatting with Arunoma and eating bread for dinner until it was time to switch shifts, Cale and Lakya showed up in the examination room.
"sniff, sniff..."
"Actually, Lakya's been crying nonstop since earlier."
When I looked at the two entering the room, Lakya's eyes were swollen, and she was hiccuping from her sobs.
Cale had a troubled expression as he looked at Lakya.
Arunoma was panicking, unsure how to handle the situation.
It looks like they're struggling with how to comfort her.
"I feel sorry leaving her like this by herself. Could you let Lakya rest here for a while?"
"Alright…"
Lakya was deeply shaken by the sight of that village.
Even on our way here, I often heard her crying out from nightmares in the middle of the night.
It was tough even for medical staff who are used to seeing dead bodies. For a civilian like Lakya, it must have been a traumatic experience.
"I can't do it, Platoon Leader Touri. Whenever I get in bed, all I can think about are scary and unpleasant things…"
"…"
"It wasn't supposed to be like this. I had heard it was going to be a more fun and rewarding job…"
After saying that, she lowered her head and started crying again.
Both Cale and Arunoma had troubled expressions, unsure of how to comfort her.
Neither of them had children, so they probably don't know how to treat adolescent girls.
"Platoon Leader Touri is amazing. You're so much calmer and stronger than me."
"That's…"
"I can't stay calm and do my job like you. I didn't hear anything, I didn't hear anything about this. I'm scared, I don't want to die…"
"Lakya…"
Lakya must be troubled by the gap between what she had been told and reality.
I remember when I went for my conscription examination, the soldiers there told me all sorts of comforting lies too.
Certainly…
"I had heard stories like, 'Because you're at the back of the line, it's a safe workplace and everyone will teach you kindly,' or 'You'll be adored like an angel by soldiers on the front lines and maybe even fall in love with a charming soldier.'"
"…"
"Who came up with those ridiculous stories?!"
I remember being told similar things too.
It was nothing short of a scam. Honestly, it was really misleading.
"The soldiers are scary, I run marathons during the day, and I'm up almost all night treating victims of corporal punishment. I haven't been able to sleep well for three days because I've been having nightmares about the villages…"
"Please calm down, Lakya."
"All of that was a lie! This is a scam! I want to go home! Let me go back to Winn!"
Before long, Lakya broke down in tears and began shouting uncontrollably. Cale desperately tried to calm her down, but there was no sign of her settling down.
This… I've seen this before.
This is a common occurrence among rookie soldiers who are becoming desperate and start lashing out at those around them.
"…"
This will only get worse unless I take action quickly.
If this progresses, the person becomes more withdrawn, muttering to themselves and sinking into depression.
In the end, they may commit suicide or flee. If they're a man, they may break military discipline and assault a woman.
"Please stay calm, Lakya. We are genuinely appreciated by the wounded soldiers."
"I had no idea the working conditions were so harsh…!"
When I tried to calm her down, Lakya started crying and throwing a tantrum.
…To be honest, it's not really that bad yet.
But if I say that, Lakya will probably get even more worked up. I'll just keep quiet about it.
"You're right, I know it must be tough. For someone like you, Lakya, who was just a student not long ago, this workload must be overwhelming."
"Yes, that's right!"
"I myself had a very hard time getting used to the job. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have volunteered."
"That's right. Adults are really such liars!"
In situations like this, it's important to first empathize with their dissatisfaction, allowing them to vent their feelings.
Outright denial usually makes the situation worse.
After empathizing, you state your opinion in the form of, "But…".
"But, we aren't the only ones facing tough conditions. The infantry on the front lines are still carrying out dangerous reconnaissance missions, risking their lives. The environment they're in is much, much harsher than ours."
"…"
"The ones suffering the most are the ordinary citizens who have been invaded by Sabbatian forces. You must have seen the devastation, Lakya."
"Uh, um…"
"Even Winn was on the brink of being burned down. There is no safe place left for us Austinites."
"Uhh…"
"Right now, we are surrounded by many infantrymen who are protecting us. That's something we should be truly grateful for. That is why we too must work hard for the soldiers of this army."
I tried my best to explain the current situation to Lakya without provoking her.
Of course, it would be wonderful if everyone could continue to live peaceful lives at Winn as they have been until now.
I often find myself daydreaming about how great it would have been if I had been able to live a peaceful life as a traveling entertainer after leaving the orphanage.
But the reality is that the Sabbath is attacking. If we don't fight, even our capital will be burned to the ground.
I need to make Lakya realize that even if she runs away, she won't be able to go back to her old life.
"I know that already… But still, the promises were so full of lies."
"There's still a chance you might meet someone wonderful here. Look, Cale and Arunoma are both great people, aren't they?"
"But they're way too old for me…"
I tried to put on a smile and point out the two eligible men in our platoon.
When I brought it up, both of them struck a cool pose. They played along well.
"I don't think Cale is that far off in age."
"He's in his early twenties, right? But even then, that's quite a gap, isn't it?"
"Hey, I still consider myself young."
Lakya's expression softened a little. Maybe I should keep going with this topic about love.
Girls around this age tend to warm up to discussions about romance.
I learned this from being surrounded by girls my age back in the orphanage.
"It's not just limited to this unit. If you look around other units, there are boys close to your age. I had a date with someone in another unit, too."
"Eh?"
I'm technically not lying.
Lakya really took an interest in the word "date."
Let's just change the topic and distract her.
"Now I'm really curious. Wait, Platoon Leader Touri, you have a boyfriend?"
"Unfortunately, we're not at that stage yet. We're just good friends."
"Can I ask what kind of person he is?"
"He's a boy close to my age that I met in the army. He's very kind and reliable."
As expected, girls around this age are very interested in love talk.
Rodri and I aren't like that, but I'll take advantage of this.
"Don't you also have two boys you're close with?"
"Huh? Oh, no, those two aren't like that…"
"Those two stepped forward to protect you earlier. I think they have feelings for you."
"It's really not like that!"
Whether it's the topic she's interested in or just the excitement of possibly finding a romantic partner, Lakya gradually started talking more freely.
"Really, they're just friends."
"Then, Lakya, could you tell us about them?"
"I'm interested too. Young girls' love stories are always interesting."
"I'd love to hear about the Little Platoon Leader's love life."
The two adults read the mood and joined in the conversation.
Lakya's face was red with embarrassment, a far cry from a moment ago.
It's difficult for anyone to control their emotions perfectly.
That's why we need to talk to others, vent our frustrations, and protect our hearts.
"Why's it only me?! Let's start with Platoon Leader Touri!"
"…Well, I don't mind, but my story isn't that exciting."
While male soldiers tend to relax with crude jokes, female soldiers seem to relieve stress through talking about love.
Come to think of it, female medics would talk animatedly about affairs and marriage prospects even at the field hospital.
It looks like Lakya has taken her first step as a proper female medic.
"…I have an even more interesting story."
"Oh, Elma."
Thus, the night in Marshdale passed quietly.
Since it was a complete rest day, the number of people who were severely injured from corporal punishment was low.
We had a relaxing day for the first time in a while.
"Ack, Elma!"
"This is the story of a young male doctor."
"Wait a minute, that story…!"
During this rest day, a large-scale reconnaissance operation was conducted at the front line.
But it came up empty. There was no sign of any enemy units hiding, so the risk of a surprise attack was low.
We concluded that the "signs of enemy presence" Captain Aria mentioned were likely a reconnaissance unit monitoring us.
"Whoa, that's pretty crazy."
"Unbelievable, right? This guy really went and did it."
"…Hey Elma, can't I at least defend myself?"
In this reconnaissance mission, the focus was on investigating the forest in our direction of advance.
We planned to head west across the plains and join up with the Southern Army.
From Marshdale to the Western Front, plains and forests spread out.
It's the forest where I have vivid memories of retreating under Platoon Leader Garback's command.
Since the plains offered an unobstructed view, reconnaissance was deemed unnecessary there.
So, Major Renvel focused reconnaissance efforts on the forest.
"At the time, I was, uh, in a bit of a wild phase…"
"But still…"
"Making excuses isn't very manly."
However, if there was one thing to reflect on…
While our allies' reconnaissance wasn't lacking, we should have at least checked the terrain of the surrounding plains.
We were in a forced march and had no time to spare. Since most of the local villagers had been massacred, we couldn't gather any information.
Though the plains appear open, there were some parts hidden from our view as we advanced.
"Don't worry, Cale. I personally like guys who are a bit frivolous."
"…"
Thus…
Not long after departing from Marshdale, we would be ambushed by the Sabbatian Army.
"…I don't get your taste, Platoon Leader Touri."
"I don't like guys who are only superficial, okay?"
At that time, unaware of this future, the medical platoon was enjoying peaceful girl talk.
"Well, it's just the folly of youth, Cale. I used to be a bit wild myself back in the day."
"You understand me, Arunoma?"
"I've never cheated, though."
When it was discovered that Cale had once dated three women at the same time, he was nicknamed Third Class Lecher Cale.
Since I used to be a man in a past life, I was honestly more impressed by his boldness, but Cale's reputation among the women in the unit significantly declined.
After all, cheating is no good.