It's been about a month since winter began.
"Guardianship?"
"Yes."
As we continued our slow winter march, the medical platoon's work began to become more relaxed.
I was called by Captain Aria and given a certain proposal.
"I heard about your achievements from Verdi during the recent retreat. I would like to commend you for them."
"Thank you."
"However, you have already received a rank well within your ability, given your experience and age. There is no precedent for a conscripted soldier to receive further promotion than this."
"Yes, I've already received more than enough praise."
From what I gathered, Verdi, recently promoted to First Lieutenant, had reported on my achievements during the retreat.
Apparently, I was called in today for that evaluation.
"…Well, let's drop the formal tone. No one else is around right now."
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, Touri, but could you let Verdi have the medal? He's a serious guy who's good at studying. I'm sure he'll be fine with the extra work."
"I would be grateful for that as well."
It appears Captain Aria had no intention of promoting me further.
I was very glad to hear that.
"So, I was thinking about how to reward your achievements other than with a promotion. Then I remembered the orphan guardianship system and thought that could work."
"I see. So you want to be my guardian?"
"Yes. As your guardian, I can take care of you if something happens."
Captain Aria's proposal was that she would act as my guardian.
She's Major Renvel's daughter and the commander of this battalion. It'd be hard to find a better person to back me up.
"I don't intend to blatantly favor you like my father does, but I could step in if you ever face serious trouble as your guardian."
"Yes, Captain."
"For example, if you get seriously injured and are forced to retire, I could ensure your medical care and help support your life. I think that would be beneficial for you."
"That is certainly a very appreciated suggestion. …But why would you go so far for me?"
The proposal was indeed very attractive to me.
I had no relatives to rely on after my hometown was burned down, and I had nothing but myself to depend on.
If I were to suffer an irreparable injury and could no longer work as a soldier, with no one to rely on, I would have no means to earn a living and would likely die in the streets.
However, if Captain Aria becomes my guardian, things would change significantly. Her family is a renowned military family, and her father, Major Renvel, has a lot of influence.
Surely, even if I were injured, they would take good care of me.
"Touri, you've saved my family twice now. At Marshdale, you saved my father Renvel from a critical situation. Recently, you played a significant role in ensuring my cousin Verdi's safe return. In other words, you are a benefactor to my family."
"No, I was just doing my duty."
"That alone is reason enough for me to become your guardian."
Captain Aria continued with a gentle tone.
"I've already discussed it with my father. He was very supportive and thought it was a great idea."
"…"
"If you don't mind, would you let me take care of you, Touri?"
It was an offer I had no reason to refuse.
"Thank you very much, Captain Aria."
"Good, leave it to me. I won't let you down."
I accepted Captain Aria's offer without hesitation.
Maybe it was because I was starving for a sense of family.
I was born an orphan, lost the orphanage that was my pillar of support, and the only people dear to me were comrades who could die at any moment.
I think at that time I was looking for someone for emotional support.
"That's all. Touri, feel free to rely on me more openly than before."
"Thank you."
Incidentally, I heard later that…
While Captain Aria had made this offer out of kindness, there was a darker motivation behind it on Major Renvel's part.
There are various factions within the military. For instance, most of the current commanders in this army belong to Major Renvel's faction.
Even though there are various military factions, everyone is united on the single goal of "total resistance against the Sabbath," so there hasn't been any conflict in terms of policy.
Even so, there was a quiet struggle for positions vacated due to the high number of casualties beneath the surface.
Major Renvel's faction has always been nepotistic and had a bad habit of trying to promote people who are under his control.
At that time, the Major learned that I was hoping for a deployment of medical personnel from the Southern Army. He worried about the potential impact.
The medical department is the backbone of the military. If I were to be influenced by incoming Southern medical officers and align myself with that faction, Major Renvel's influence over the medical department could wane.
When he heard the proposal from Captain Aria to become my guardian, he wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "That's a great idea."
This would kill two birds with one stone, allowing him to maintain influence in the medical department while also serving as a reward for me.
Thus, I found myself under Captain Aria's guardianship, effectively joining Major Renvel's faction.
At that time, I didn't think much would change; I simply felt I had gained a strong backer.
It would be a long time before I truly understood the complications of factional politics in the military.
***
"It's already a high risk to launch a major offensive in winter."
Taking advantage of her role as my guardian, I decided to ask Aria about the upcoming battle plans.
While she prefaced her response by saying she couldn't share specific details due to military secrecy, she ended up telling me most of it anyway.
"If we were still in a standoff with the Sabbatian forces like on the Western Front, with both sides dug into trenches, there might have been a chance to go on the offensive."
"Yes."
"But how can we carry out an attack in a situation like the current one where we don't even know where the enemy is? Unless we can pinpoint the enemy's exact location, we have no choice but to continue advancing slowly towards the rendezvous point."
In her opinion, there won't be any major combat for a while.
For now, she advised me to focus on training my subordinates.
"Will the capital be sending reinforcements for the medical platoon?"
"Right now, reinforcements for the medical department are hard to come by. You'll have to hold out for a while."
"Understood."
I asked about any chances of replacing the medical personnel, but the chances are looking slim.
Platoon leaders can request replacements if there are vacancies in their unit.
While supplies are regularly sent from the capital, Winn, getting additional soldiers has proven much more difficult.
Austin is currently desperately trying to round up soldiers.
It seems they don't have the resources to send soldiers to the front lines immediately.
***
Therefore, I must take great care to protect the surviving members of my platoon.
Cale is strong and dependable.
Arunoma is a confident person and very strict with himself.
The nurses, led by Elma, worked tirelessly to support the medics.
With only this small group, we are tasked with maintaining the health of the entire military unit.
Therefore,
"Um, Arunoma, you have a bruise on your side again."
"Ah…"
Even though Arunoma is an adult, I can't turn a blind eye to bullying.
"This isn't normal. Medic Second Class Arunoma, please provide a detailed report on the exact circumstances that led to this bruise."
"Uh, well, you see…"
"You may see me as an unreliable little girl, but as your superior officer, I can't overlook this any longer. I need a truthful report."
It had been about two weeks since I noticed the bruises on Arunoma's body.
I had asked him several times about his injuries, but he always evaded the question, making it hard for me to press further.
But now, I needed a proper report.
"Who did this, Arunoma? These are clearly marks of an assault."
"No, uh. I really don't want you to worry about it. I plan on settling this soon."
"And how exactly do you plan to 'settle it' in your position? I have access to superiors who ensure fair discipline. Please consult with me."
"Well, there was a bit of a fight, but it's really not an issue. I'll handle it smoothly."
As usual, Arunoma brushed off my questions with a vague smile.
Senior Allen told me to leave him alone, but he's an important member of the medical platoon.
It would definitely be better for me, as his superior, to share his concerns rather than leaving it up to him to resolve them alone.
"My goodness. It's good to see that our Little Platoon Leader is back to normal. But having you there might complicate things."
"I see. If that's the case, I can try to avoid acting openly, depending on the situation. Just tell me what's going on."
"…"
"You mentioned a fight earlier, Arunoma. Any trouble among subordinates is also the responsibility of the superior officer."
Arunoma and Cale helped me out when I was in a tight spot.
Thinking back, talking to myself and staring into the void are typical signs I saw many times in new recruits about to break down on the Western Front.
Despite being in such a state, I had no awareness that I was in serious trouble.
When someone carries their troubles alone, their perspective tends to narrow more than they realize.
"This is an order. Report to me."
So I want these things to be reported properly.
"Fuu, if that's an order then I guess there's no other way. Understood, Little Platoon Leader."
"You understand?"
"However, it might take a while to explain. I'd like to organize my thoughts before explaining."
Arunoma, seemingly swayed by my determination, finally agreed with a wry smile.
"By tonight, I will report the details in writing. It will be easier for you to consult your superiors with a written report."
"I understand. I'll await your report."
Although I couldn't hear the details right away, Arunoma promised to bring a detailed written report by tonight.
"Okay, I'll start preparing the paperwork. Please wait a moment."
"Yes, Arunoma."
The fact that he puts things in writing rather than just giving a quick verbal report reminds me of Arunoma's work experience.
Thinking like that, I decided to wait until the evening for his report.
***
At that time, although I had mentally recovered, there were still many things occupying my mind, such as Aria's offer to be my guardian. As a result, I had forgotten a few important details.
First, Arunoma was a foreign national.
He is from a country of Flamel in the east. Foreign soldiers in the army were often suspected of being spies.
That's why Senior Allen advised me to get evidence if Arunoma seemed like a spy and to protect him if he didn't.
However, I simply trusted Arunoma.
I had never actually seen a spy before, and Arunoma was an excellent person.
Although his healing magic skills were still developing, he was kind, reliable, and self-disciplined.
I had let my guard down because of his character.
But on the other hand, some experienced soldiers knew that spies could infiltrate the military and send crucial information to the enemy without anyone noticing.
These were soldiers who had long understood the significance of information warfare.
And it was the main reason why Warrant Officer Faris had been approaching the medical platoon at this time.
He wanted to interrogate the Flamer medic, who had been assigned to the Renvel Army's medical platoon.
Warrant Officer Faris was apparently suspicious of Arunoma from the start.
He apparently also had some racist prejudices and had a negative impression of the Flamers as a race that was "untrustworthy and arrogant."
When he heard about Arunoma's background, he apparently decided that Arunoma was indeed a spy.
Thus, while trying to establish a connection with me, he would visit the medical platoon and secretly conduct intimidating interrogations on Arunoma.
These interrogations involved threats, physical assaults, and even the occasional firearm pointed at him.
I had no idea what Warrant Officer Faris and Arunoma were doing behind the scenes.
Naively, I thought, "Arunoma is handsome He probably attracts jealousy from other men."
Arunoma was simply caught in a situation that, in hindsight, I should have anticipated: being suspected as a spy due to his background.
And so, that night…
The incident finally happened.
"Chief Medic Touri, come quickly!"
"What's going on?"
While waiting for Arunoma to arrive, I was preparing today's report from the medical platoon for Verdi.
Urged by an unknown infantryman who had rushed into the medical department in a panic, I ran off into the chilly winter night.
"What…"
I was so engrossed in paperwork that I didn't hear the commotion.
It turned out that just a while ago, a gunshot had echoed through Verdi Company's campsite.
The soldier on guard heard the sound and immediately ran to the source.
There, they found a body with a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head.
"…Is there any chance of saving him, Chief Medic?"
"There's no way he could survive this."
The body was still warm, arterial blood spurting from the gunshot wound in the back of the head.
The figure lay face down, unmistakably dead.
"Warrant Officer Faris…"
"Do you know him?"
The victim was none other than Warrant Officer Faris, the very man who had expertly scouted and secured our safe retreat in the recent operation.