In this world, there are people known as "Aces[1]" on the battlefield.
In my previous life, this term was often used to refer to excellent fighter pilots.
Apparently, if a pilot shot down five enemy fighter planes, they would become famous as an ace pilot and be awarded a medal.
There is no clear definition of what it means to be called an ace in this world.
When a soldier consistently achieves remarkable results, they naturally begin to be called one by those around them.
Platoon Leader Garback was once recognized for his ridiculous success rate in assaults. Over the course of 10 years, he became renowned as an ace.
…It takes someone like Platoon Leader Garback to survive on the front lines since the start of the war and finally earn the title of ace.
For soldiers, the term "Ace" is not taken lightly. To those on the front lines, it represents a symbol of hope.
In total, Austin had 13 aces on the Western Front.
There were many monstrous soldiers like Platoon Leader Garback.
Each of them supported their allies on their respective fronts and dealt significant blows to the Sabbatian forces.
"If only there were 10 more of me."
Platoon Leader Garback's words come to mind.
In fact, there really were 13 monsters like Platoon Leader Garback in Austin.
If they had come together, would Austin have been able to break through the front lines?
…Although, in reality, it wasn't possible to gather all the aces from around the country.
Most of these aces have already perished.
Nine of them, including Platoon Leader Garback, fell in the Sylph Offensive.
Of Austin's heroes who have supported the front lines until now, only four remain.
It is said that a single ace is worth more than 1,000 normal soldiers.
Perhaps the biggest blow in the Sylph Offensive was the loss of these nine aces.
And looking back, I realize how lucky I was.
Ever since I was a new recruit, I had been personally trained by Platoon Leader Garback, a true ace.
From behind him, I was able to admire his skills, which were described even back then as "the pinnacle of an assault soldier."
The striking sight of him running across the battlefield, cutting through bullets was quite frightening, but it was definitely something I admired.
***
"I'm surprised…"
The rugged soldier with the shaved head squinted as he looked at the [Shield] I had created.
"I heard you were a medic, but you can also act as an armored soldier?"
"To protect myself and my comrades, I once received guidance from Head Medic Gale and Platoon Leader Garback."
"Garback, that guy? I've heard he's a charge-happy maniac, but he was quite skilled."
The soldier heard that I could use the [Shield] magic, and gave the order to demonstrate it.
In response, I deployed a [Shield] as taught by Platoon Leader Garback.
"The deployment speed and shape are both satisfactory. I think it's more than sufficient."
"I am honored."
"If you undergo appropriate training, you'll soon be deployable as an armored soldier. At the very least, your [Shield] magic meets the acceptable standard for a typical armored unit."
"Thank you."
Apparently, Platoon Leader Garback had trained me more rigorously than I had thought.
I was informed that my [Shield] had reached a level that was sufficient for normal use by an armored soldier.
"Well then…"
"Yes, a soldier doesn't go back on his word. Come to the training ground at 6 a.m. tomorrow."
"…Understood."
Back then, I was feeling a bit anxious.
Having lost Lakya due to my own negligence, I was obsessed with never wanting to regret neglecting something ever again. The idea of letting days drift by aimlessly filled me with fear.
"I grant you permission to participate in my unit's training."
"Thank you."
Since it was winter, the medical department had a lot of free time and things were relatively relaxed.
I found myself standing before a slender mage—a master of defensive magic, capable even of blocking artillery.
"I don't show favoritism to women and children. I'll train you strictly."
"Understood, Sergeant Major Zafqua."
I requested to become the apprentice to one of the few men left in Austin who bore the title of "Ace."
***
The story goes back to a week ago.
It was after we had met up with the Southern Army.
"How dare you do that to our hometown!"
"You've got a lot of nerve pulling something like that!"
The Austin soldiers' pursuit of the Sabbatian forces was relentless and intense.
We had just seen with our own eyes the scenes of villages that were massacred.
Driven by our anger over the murder of our comrades and family, we charged at the Sabbatian soldiers with fierce resolve.
"…The blizzard is getting thicker again."
"So this is as far as we go."
Fearing our pursuit, the enemy retreated and finally withdrew back to the northern Austin territory.
This area was also the planned site of the northern battle, as the Austin command had intended.
In other words, we successfully achieved our initial tactical objective.
After driving the enemy back, we began digging trenches and constructing a defensive network to hold out through the winter.
Once winter arrived, the frigid weather made it impossible for either side to launch an offensive.
We were left glaring at each other across the snowy field until spring comes and the snow melts.
***
"Well, well, you're the surviving medic? Just as I've heard, you're quite cute."
"Nice to meet you, Medical Director Reitalyu."
"Since it's long, you can just call me Rei. You've done well so far with such a small body!"
I heard this story from a soldier who came from the front lines for treatment.
Of course, as medics, we didn't participate in the combat.
Our Touri Medical Platoon had split from the pursuit unit and joined up with the Southern Army's medical department in a city called Paschen.
"And… hehe, you brought along some handsome men. Are you aiming for either of them?"
"Uh, no, not really…"
"Then is it okay if I snatch one up?"
"Feel free…"
The person in charge of the Southern Army Medical Department is a warrant officer named Reitalyu.
She's a charming woman with black hair, a curvy figure, and cute freckles.
"Welcome, rookie medics! You still have a lot to learn, I'm sure. I'll teach you everything, nice and hands-on♪"
"…"
Medical Warrant Officer Reitalyu was quite forward.
As soon as she saw the two handsome men in our unit, she began flirting with them without even greeting them properly.
"Are you guys married? Or are you single?"
"Uh, well… kind of…"
She didn't seem to care that her subordinates looked on in exasperation.
Her boldness in ignoring me, the platoon leader, and going straight to Arunoma and the others was somewhat admirable.
"It's been a while since we had new recruits. I'm getting excited! We need to prepare for a welcome party!"
"Umm, thank you."
"How about we have a party after we finish our rounds? I even have some wine saved up."
After saying that, Reitalyu hummed saying, "I'll go get some wine," and left the tent.
I got the impression that she's like a typhoon.
"She's a rather energetic person…"
"I'm glad that our superior had an easygoing personality."
The two rookies she'd flirted with just chuckled awkwardly, looking like they wanted to say something but didn't.
Well, I'd rather have someone like her than a more intimidating figure like Platoon Leader Garback.
"Hey, you two rookies. Director Reitalyu may have said that, but don't get any strange ideas with her."
"Huh? Oh, ok."
After Reitalyu left, a serious-looking male medic with a furrowed brow approached us.
From the looks of it, he's one of Reitalyu's subordinates.
"That's right, acts that could lead to pregnancy are a violation of military regulations."
"Uh, no. That's not what I mean. Well, I guess there's that too."
"What's the matter? It feels like you're hesitating on saying something."
After glancing around, he leaned in and whispered to Cale and Arunoma.
"Director Reitalyu has a bad habit of making advances on new recruits. She likes to play the senior card and seduce them gently."
"I see."
"Problem is, every guy who's dated her ended up dying in combat within a week. I'm telling you, she's cursed."
"Oh, wow…"
According to him, Reitalyu has a tendency to bring misfortune to her partners.
I heard male soldiers regard her as a "dangerous person who might get them killed" if they got involved with her.
…
"If you plan to get involved with her, do so with that in mind."
"…R-Right."
Even in my previous life, I'd known people who seemed to bring fortune to their partners and others who brought the opposite.
It's probably more about fate than anything they could control.
"Hey, I'm back~"
"Oh, Director Reitalyu."
Just as the other medic was finishing his warning, the Medical Director of the Southern Army returned to the tent with a big smile on his face.
She held a sealed bottle of wine in both hands.
"Alright! Time for a mixer! A welcome party for the new recruits!"
With a delighted look on his face, she rubbed her cheek against the bottle.
***
Just as I had imagined, Reitalyu was a friendly and easygoing person to get along with.
"You're not sure how to handle that? Leave it to me, your big sister is great at this kind of thing!"
Whenever we had questions, she would patiently and kindly explain things to us.
She'd actively encourage soldiers who looked down, always making an effort to talk to them, and even volunteered to do the menial tasks that her subordinates should've handled.
Considering she was in charge of the Southern Army's medical department, she's a woman of excellent character.
Her one flaw is her issues with men.
While she followed military regulations and avoided pregnancy, she had a tendency to flirt with and "snack" on new recruits, mainly young male soldiers.
Even those who were just flirted with often ended up severely injured, and those who dated her ended up killed in action. This was her romantic history.
She would cry bitterly after losing a lover, then quickly move on to the next one, only to repeat the cycle again.
This is apparently something she'd been doing for a long time.
The high casualty rate is likely because she targeted new recruits, but soldiers, who were always close to death, took superstitions seriously.
Reitalyu had become feared as a "succubus that drains the life and vitality of men."
Because of this reputation, she hadn't been able to attract any new rookies for over a year.
"It's been a while since we've had new recruits! And they're good-looking too!"
She was well aware of the rumors about her and thought it would be difficult to find a lover in the Southern Army.
That's why she was so happy when we, the Touri Medical Platoon, including the rookie soldiers, were placed under her command.
She had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new male medics, excited at the prospect of finally having new recruits to flirt with.
That's the reason why she was so excited when we first met.
"U-Uh, I think I'll pass on that."
"As an actor, I'm trying not to get involved with any specific individual…"
"Eh? Oh come on, don't say that!"
The men in our group had slightly stiff smiles, but overall there were no problems.
Reitalyu happily accepted us, the Touri Medical Platoon.
***
At the time, the Southern Army Medical Department, led by Reitalyu, was staying at the ruins of a city called Paschen.
We were located about 10 kilometers back from the front lines, within Austin territory.
Paschen was a northern city in Austin, one of the settlements that had suffered from the Sabbath's looting.
We set up tents in the nearly abandoned city and used it as a base to serve as a field hospital.
There is a reason why we established our base in such a remote location.
Although the Southern Army was advancing, the Sabbatian side still had the advantage in terms of military strength.
Furthermore, because of Sylph's command, the Sabbatian forces at the time were perceived as an unpredictable enemy that disregarded risks.
To be safe, the medical department and supplies were kept away from the front lines to protect us.
Additionally, with poor visibility in winter, there was a risk of enemy ambushes by taking a longer route. Therefore, a defense unit was stationed at the base.
This showed that Austin's leadership valued the medical units and military supplies.
In the end, there were no battles during the winter, and we just stared each other down.
During this peaceful period, I received direct training from Sergeant Major Zafqua, the ace of the Southern Army.
[1] In first-person shooter (FPS) games, an Ace occurs when a single player eliminates every member of the opposing team by themselves during a single round. It is considered one of the highest individual achievements in competitive tactical shooters, symbolizing superior skill, timing, and often a "clutch" performance.