"There's no hope for this person. Please lie him down somewhere where he won't get in the way."
Three days have passed since the enemy's surprise attack.
With winter approaching, the standoff between the two armies, backed by the Marshdale stronghold, has been progressing in Austin's favor.
The enemy's plan seemed to have been to launch a surprise attack, inflict damage to disorient us, and then retreat toward the Western Front after dealing significant damage.
By using a hit-and-run strategy to conserve resources, they aimed to devastate our rear units, which are the army's lifeline, and cause our collapse.
Had this plan succeeded, it would have been highly effective against our already dwindling forces.
"Hey, Little Boss."
"…? What is it, Cale?"
Why can we say that the enemy's aim was a hit-and-run?
That's because the enemy's infantry clearly had only prepared for a short-term battle.
The Austin side has been aggressively attacking for the last three days.
However, the return fire from the Sabbatian side was not proportional.
Faced with our increasing offensives, the enemy has been retreating slowly, fighting back from their trenches but carefully avoiding being cornered.
Based on these movements, it's expected that the enemy's current tactical objective is to retreat.
"When was the last time you took a break, Little Boss?"
"Umm…"
To be honest, the Sabbatian Army probably wants to run away immediately.
However, doing so would cause too much damage, so it seems they are gradually retreating.
It is likely that this is one of the reasons why the medical platoon is able to function with a reduced number of personnel even though full-scale fighting has begun.
"Doctor's orders, Little Boss. Please get some rest."
"Why? I still have plenty of energy."
"…What's keeping you going right now isn't energy."
Even though we are able to get the work done, we are in a tight spot.
While Lakya was a rookie medic, she could use healing magic and was able to heal those with minor injuries.
Now that Lakya is out of the picture, we are severely understaffed.
"What is driving you right now is obsession… No, it's delusion."
"No, it's willpower. Besides, I don't have time to rest."
"It's fine. It would be troublesome if even you collapsed."
"…"
"I'll take care of things for now. Could you at least take a short nap?"
Cale repeatedly urged me to take a break.
Despite what I may look like, I can work all night long. I once worked for a week straight in the field hospital on the Western Front.
I don't think I need any rest yet.
"That's no good, Cale…"
"Why?"
"Because…"
I rejected Cale's suggestion and headed off to see the next patient.
My body can still move.
"If I rest now, Lakya will get angry."
"…"
"She just stares at me. She's always standing there in the dark."
If I try to sleep, Lakya comes in my nightmares.
There is no way I can be allowed to rest peacefully after letting Lakya die.
"Please, don't take my work away from me…"
"Little boss…"
"I need to be thinking about something. I need to be doing something."
The only time Lakya doesn't say anything is when I'm treating patients.
She understands the importance of treating the wounded too.
That's why as long as I don't slack off, Lakya won't blame me.
"Alright, let's keep pushing forward."
"…"
Come to think of it, Captain Aria also helped me with my work when her lover died.
Maybe because she didn't want to think about anything, she buried herself in work.
I think I understand how she felt at that time.
I feel much more at ease when I am focusing on the patients in front of me.
"Next patient, please."
At the same time as I called out, two soldiers walked towards me.
One of them has a broken leg.
The other soldier appears to be lending his shoulder to the wounded soldier.
"Can you tell me the situation of the injury? From the looks of it, it looks like your leg."
"I got hit by a rock blasted by the explosion, and it crushed my leg."
"…I see. But don't worry. You'll be able to walk again if we set this right."
As usual, I spoke to the patient and washed the wound with the hot water that had been prepared.
After clearing away the dirt and rotten bone fragments, I'll need to reset the bone to its original position.
Then cast a light healing spell once I have enough magical energy, and it'll be okay.
"Please, medic…"
"It will be alright."
Well, I'll do my best as always.
Because as long as I'm working like this, my mind is at peace—
"Hey."
"Yes, what is it?"
"…What's wrong? Your eyes are empty, Shorty."
As I bent down to grab a towel, a very familiar voice spoke to me.
When I looked up in surprise, I realized that the person supporting the soldier with the broken leg was…
"R-Rodri, is that you?"
"You didn't notice?"
An old friend from the Garback Platoon and one of my most important comrades.
I realized it was Rodri.
"But, uh, why are you here?"
"…I carried him here because the rookie said he couldn't walk."
"Oh, uh, well…"
My mind started to spin at this unexpected meeting.
Rodri doesn't appear to have any serious injuries. I guess he really is just there to help the injured.
"You must be… the boy who went to the theater on a date with the Little Platoon Leader."
"Oh, you're Arunoma, right? I completely forgot you were here. It's surprising that an actor like you would take on such grueling work."
"I wasn't told it would be this demanding."
Let's calm down for now.
Right now, my job is to treat the injured soldier in front of me. It doesn't matter that Rodri is helping him.
First, I need to carefully debris the wound and then clean it…
"Look, my platoon leader is on her limit no matter how you look at it."
"…Yeah. You've got something bottled up again, huh, Shorty?"
"As her boyfriend, can you convince her to take a break? Neither I nor First Class Medic Cale are getting through to her.
"Huh? Boyfriend?"
"Hey, Arunoma?!"
Just as I was about to start treating the wound as usual, Arunoma chimed in with an unnecessary comment.
Please don't say weird things.
"You two went on a date, didn't you? Isn't that what it was?"
"No, didn't I explain this before?"
"She's more like a little sister than a girlfriend. Well, whatever."
Without a hint of embarrassment, Rodri sighed and glared at me.
"Hey, Shorty. Didn't you say you wanted to become a popular platoon leader?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah."
"If your two subordinates are both telling you to rest, then you should listen and take a break."
He then flicked my forehead with his finger.
"Ouch!"
"We're still rookies, so we should respect the opinions of those older than us, even if they are your subordinates. Now repeat after me."
"Yeah?"
"You're still a rookie, so respect the opinions of your subordinates. Now, repeat it."
"Y-Yes!"
I hastily repeated Rodri's words after being scolded by him.
But wait a moment. Why am I the one being forced to repeat Rodri's commands?
Huh? Rodri, you're a private, right? I'm a higher rank than you, right…?
"I heard about the retreat. Verdi praised your guidance that time."
"Ah, no, I—"
"But Verdi was able to achieve great results because he accepted the suggestions of his subordinates. You should do the same and listen to their opinions."
"B-But…"
"I can tell just from glancing at your face that you're in no state to keep going. Patients feel uneasy with that kind of expression during treatment."
After grumbling, Rodri continued.
"Just go hug that weird fox doll I bought you and go to sleep. The rookie who broke his leg can just be left alone."
"Eh, Squad Leader Rodri?"
"It's because this rookie got too cocky and stepped forward. Next time, follow Platoon Leader Allen's orders properly."
While lecturing the injured soldier he brought in, Rodri grabbed me by the collar and lifted me to my feet.
"But, Rodri…"
"No buts."
He immediately began to push me away.
But if I'm left alone now, I'll be tormented by that hallucination again…
"What's wrong? If you're not going to walk, I'll drag you."
"…"
…
"I'm afraid of being alone, so please drag me along…"
"Huh?"
Remembering the figure of Lakya in the darkness made my body tremble.
I grasped Rodri's hand, almost pleading with him.
***
"Ah… So that's why you had such a troubled look on your face, Shorty."
"Well, it's because it's my fault that Lakya…"
In the end, I ended up being led by Rodri to the rest area.
The injured soldier he brought was handed over to Cale.
"Don't worry about that stuff. Just forget about it and get some sleep."
"But!"
"A rookie who's been given command can't do everything. Even Senior Allen messes up all the time."
"…"
During this, Rodri asked me what was troubling me so much.
I confessed that during the recent surprise attack, my own negligence had caused Lakya's death.
"During the Western Front, our comrades died all the time. What's the big deal now?"
"But Lakya was one of my subordinates…"
"Even if they're your subordinates, rookies die. Just think of Platoon Leader Garback."
I almost cry every time I think about the kind, honest, and cheerful Lakya.
But even after listening to me, Rodri only gave me a tired look.
"Hey Shorty, in what ways are you better than Platoon Leader Garback as a platoon leader?"
"Huh?"
"That guy was strict and annoying as hell, but he was an outstanding superior officer. So, how about you?"
Rodri asked me how I compare to Platoon Leader Garback.
I didn't even need to think about it. Since I became the medical platoon leader, I've often imagined about what it would have been like if Platoon Leader Garback were still here.
I don't measure up to him in any way.
"There's no way I can compare to an ace."
"Yeah, that's true. But even Platoon Leader Garback would lose soldiers every time he went on a charge."
Rodri said with a look of disbelief.
"You have too much of a sense of responsibility. I'm not saying to disregard your subordinates' lives, but don't carry the burden too much."
"Ah, but…"
"If it were Platoon Leader Garback… He wouldn't have cared about the death of that dead medic and would have confronted Major Renvel, saying, 'Next time, send me better subordinates.' Guaranteed."
…It's true. Platoon Leader Garback would never have cared about the death of a subordinate.
"But there's no way I can just forget about Lakya and move on."
"Well, I guess it's impossible for you. Still, it's not good that you're taking on too much and making your other subordinates worry."
"…"
"We had a senior who was very reliable. Remember what he said. Alright, end of the conversation."
After saying that, Rodri waved me off at the door of the warehouse where we were supposed to take a break.
"Sorry, but I'm busy too. I'll come see you when I get a day off."
"Oh, um, thanks."
"Don't worry too much."
With that, he briskly returned to the medical area.
────Mourn the death of your comrades, but find the strength to move forward.
The voice of my senior, who was always kind and admirable, echoed in my head.
Lakya's death is a sad thing. That night became an experience where I had many things to reflect on as a platoon leader.
But I have to move forward. I can't afford to stop and grieve over her death.
"Lakya…"
As expected, Lakya is still standing in the dark warehouse.
She stares at me with resentful eyes.
I'm sorry. I will never forget you, Lakya.
But if I stop now, I might not be able to save the lives I can still save.
"That's right… The fox doll."
Following Rodri's advice, I hugged the fox doll that I had loved since I was a child to my chest.
Hugging this doll while sleeping was something I did often when I was little.
It always made me feel safe and able to sleep well.
"…"
Rodri's suggestion worked wonders.
Lakya's figure began to fade the moment I hugged the doll, and I stopped being so preoccupied with her presence.
In the quiet atmosphere, I slowly drifted off to sleep under the watchful presence of the translucent Lakya.
***
"…I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"Oh."
I only intended to take a one-hour nap, but it was already evening when I woke up.
It seems like I slept for quite a while without anyone waking me up.
"I ended up leaving it to Cale and the others for quite a while, but were they okay?"
"Don't worry, there wasn't any fighting today. We managed somehow."
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll do my best from now on, so please rest for a bit."
It feels like it's been quite a while since I had a good rest.
All of this is thanks to Rodri.
Talking to him really helped lighten my heart.
"I see… Well, there are fewer patients right now. I guess I'll take you up on your offer and rest for a bit."
"Yeah, you look much better now. You should be fine."
"…You were as pale as a corpse until noon."
"Sorry for worrying you."
Arunoma and Elma also seemed relieved when they saw my face.
Did I really look that bad before I took that break?
I really regret worrying my subordinates.
"Alright, let's do our best."
"Yes."
With that, I managed to pull myself together mentally. Looking back objectively, I was under a lot of pressure at that time.
If I had continued to push myself, I might have ended up mentally broken like a new recruit.
If I did that, how much trouble would that have caused my unit?
Platoon Leader Garback once said a rookie who has given up is useless.
I regret it.
"Even so, that soldier Rodri has potential."
"…His language is a bit rough, but he seems like a good kid at heart."
"Yes, he's kind, reliable, and a great comrade."
Rodri received high praise from my unit.
Seeing him being praised for some reason made me feel good as well.
"But his reaction was pretty underwhelming."
"No, he was acting disinterested, but I think it'll work out if she pushes a little."
"I feel there's definitely a good chance if she really makes an effort to appeal."
"…? What are you talking about?"
However, if there was one downside to Rodri's intervention…
"Fight on, Little Platoon Leader!"
"Well… do your best."
"Eh, yes. I'll put my all into it and do my best."
Apparently, a misunderstanding spread among my subordinates that I had a crush on Rodri.
I noticed it halfway through and denied it, but Arunoma and Elma just grinned mischievously.
It's such a hassle.
…If only Lakya were alive, she would've jumped right into this conversation.