"Let's warm ourselves up with some wine on a cold day like this!"
A few days have passed since we joined up with the Southern Army.
As the blizzard intensified, the fighting stopped and the number of patients coming to the medical department steadily decreased.
"Abnormal weather is the best! I wonder when the last time we've had so few patients was."
The medical department was so peaceful that it was hard to believe it was a field hospital.
As for patients, we only have the occasional person with a cold who comes in asking for antibiotics.
"Newbies, this is your chance to study up. Rei-sensei's lesson is about to begin!"
As soon as Reitalyu found herself with nothing better to do, she began chasing after Arunoma and Cale on a daily basis.
Her "instruction" for the new recruits was essentially a pretext to flirt.
When she teaches them, she always gives guidance at a fairly close distance.
For a rookie like Cale with little experience treating war injuries, getting direct instruction from a highly skilled medic like Reitalyu was invaluable.
"…Hey, Arunoma. Are you free tonight?"
"Ahah, ha…"
So the new recruits have no choice but to listen to her while enduring her advances.
I actively went to listen to the lectures since they were quite useful.
It was kinda funny that the lessons always end with an invitation to visit her at night or some risqué joke.
***
…Well, this has been my daily life since joining the Southern Army's medical department.
I received a lot of guidance, but since there were no patients, it didn't feel very productive.
Practice makes perfect. Since healing magic improves with practice, the best training is during actual combat.
While frustrated for not improving as the number of patients decreased, I absorbed the lectures I heard from my seniors and spent my days watching Reitalyu's antics.
For about a week since joining the Southern Army, it's been surprisingly peaceful given that we're in a war.
────And it was this very peace that frightened me.
I'm still inexperienced as a platoon leader. Is it really okay to be taking it this easy?
Isn't there something I should be making an effort towards right now?
Since the day I first lost a subordinate, I've been wanting to prevent needless losses like Lakya's.
Even though I may be considered young, counting my previous life, you could say I'm an adult.
If anything, I'm older than Platoon Leader Garback. It's unbelievable, but he was technically younger than me.
That's why I really should be holding myself to a higher standard.
Learning from Lakya's regrets, I started sharing stories of my failures over drinks since joining the Southern Army.
Experiences of being thoroughly disciplined by that tough Platoon Leader are countless; there's no shortage of stories to tell.
Although the subordinates may find my experiences tiresome, I've asked them to bear with me as it's important.
Now that I have more time, I have resumed the training regimen that Platoon Leader Garback once gave me. You can never have too much stamina.
Since joining the Southern Army, I've been balancing my medical studies with physical training.
But even that felt lacking somehow. I feared that someone close to me might die one day, and I'd regret not putting in more effort.
That kind of anxiety certainly existed within me.
Around that time, I heard a rumor.
It was said that the leader of the company currently protecting us was a specialist in [Shield] magic—one of the Austin Army's proud aces.
***
"Everyone, pay attention. Starting today, Medic Chief Touri will be joining our training."
"Nice to meet you."
After speaking with Reitalyu, I got permission from Sergeant Major Zafqua, the leader of the defensive unit, to join their training.
Since a skilled infantry officer was nearby, it would be a missed opportunity not to learn from him.
Initially, Sergeant Major Zafqua showed reluctance to let a young medic girl participate in training, saying, "It's impossible for you. If you can't use [Shield] properly, the training won't be effective."
However, he gave me the green light when I demonstrated how the [Shield] that Platoon Leader Garback taught me.
It seems that my [Shield] met Zafqua's standards.
"Thank you for the introduction, I am Chief Medic Touri.
"She may be a medic, but don't go easy on her. Her [Shield] skill is at the level of a top infantry soldier. Train her thoroughly.
With Sergeant Major Zafqua's introduction, I stood before a group of soldiers dressed in rough military gear.
These soldiers made up the "Defensive Unit."
Unlike assault units such as the Garback Platoon, this unit is made up of many soldiers suited to defense.
On the Western Front, they spent long periods holed up in trenches, fighting off the enemy.
Armored soldiers were clad in heavy armor, designed to survive in the midst of explosions.
Their original role was to defend against cavalry charges in close quarters combat.
In the past, they were required to wear heavy armor and be equipped with large swords capable of cutting through horses, so they were often made up of large, muscular men.
However, cavalry is nothing more than amusing targets for gunfire on today's battlefields.
Nowadays, armor soldiers are usually smaller, chosen for their smaller size to reduce the risk of being hit and to endure long assignments.
Sergeant Major Zafqua was no exception. He's a slightly small man.
"She's a medic, and if she's injured she can heal herself. Don't let her appearance fool you; show no mercy and feel free to inflict as much pain as you want.
""Yes, Sergeant Major.""
And one thing that is essential for an armored soldier is the ability to use [Shield].
[Shield] is actually a pretty common spell that many people have the aptitude for it. If you have the aptitude, you're likely to be assigned to armored units.
Even though there are many people with aptitude, they often die in the line of duty, making it a highly demanded role.
If I were a man and had no talent for healing magic, I would 100% have been assigned as an armored soldier.
Head Medic Gale taught me [Shield], but it's possible that she confirmed my aptitude for it during the conscription examination.
***
The training with Sergeant Major Zafqua's unit started with a warm-up.
As expected of an ace unit, even the warm-up involved a tremendous amount of physical activity.
The soldiers quickly moved through stretches, running, and strength training.
Even though I had been training regularly myself, I found it difficult to keep up.
"Chief Medic Touri, I'll lend you my rifle. Do you know how to fire the OST-3 model?"
"Yes, sir. I'm embarrassed to admit, but I haven't learned yet."
"I see, then Private First Class Gospel, give her a quick lesson."
After finishing the warm-up, I was immediately handed a rifle.
Is it really okay for a medic to be armed?
No, this is for [Shield] training.
Since training doesn't classify as combat, it's not a problem under military regulations. …I think.
"This is the bolt. Rotate it and pull it back, then eject the cartridge—"
"…Yes, understood."
Private First Class Gospel, appeared to be in his 30s and kindly taught me how to handle the rifle.
In games, I didn't really notice because reloading is done with a single button press, but when I hear how to actually use a gun, it sounds like it will take quite some time.
…By the way, is it really alright for me to learn how to handle a gun?
"Don't worry, these are rubber bullets for training. You won't die even if you get hit."
"…Right."
"Training with rubber bullets doesn't count as using a gun. There's no problem if a medic like you handles it."
As if anticipating my worries, Sergeant Major Zafqua handed me his rifle without hesitation.
If there are no problems with military regulations, I'm grateful to be able to practice.
"If you get hit, it will hurt a lot. But the job of a soldier is to grow through pain. Don't complain."
"…Yes."
As I was slightly excited to receive a gun for the first time, Sergeant Major Zafqua gave me a serious warning.
No, getting excited about FPS-related stuff is a bad habit. I need to learn to manage my emotions better.
"Now, get ready to fire. Deploy the [Shield] as you shoot."
"Understood."
At Sergeant Major Zafqua's command, soldiers immediately aimed their guns at the soldier in front of them.
Just as I had been taught earlier, I aimed my gun at the soldier's abdomen.
It was my first time holding a rifle, and it felt quite heavy, making the barrel shake slightly.
"Fire!!"
Immediately after Sergeant Major Zafqua's thunderous command:
With a dull, intense pain in my abdomen and a piercing shock, I staggered back and fell down.
I had been too focused on the fear of being aimed at by a rifle and on targeting the enemy with my own gun, and as a result, I wasn't able to deploy the [Shield] in time.
***
"When you fire, assume you're also being shot at. If you can deploy [Shield] at the same time you're attacked, it greatly reduces your chances of dying."
"I see."
"This will be good shooting practice for you. Now, try your best to block the bullets."
The content of the training was very practical and realistic.
In defensive units, it's common to be shot at right after firing.
You can't fire your own weapon if you keep the [Shield] deployed. That's why, after shooting at the enemy, you deploy the [Shield] to protect yourself.
This is how defense units fight.
"The rubber bullets are soft and won't penetrate the body. However, they can be fatal if they hit vital areas like the eyes or ribs."
"Yes."
"That's why you must be conscious of deploying the [Shield]. And don't perform any treatment until the training is over. In actual combat, you won't have the luxury of healing yourself—the enemy won't wait for you to recover."
While I don't expect to have many opportunities to fire a gun, I might face situations where I need to deploy the [Shield] while doing something else.
For example, when I was treating Major Renvel in Marshdale, I might have avoided that life-threatening retreat if I had been more skilled in my [Shield] usage.
Training to deploy the [Shield] at a moment's notice will surely be beneficial for me in the future.
"Break's over, everyone, get ready!"
With that, Sergeant Major Zafqua ordered the soldiers to face each other again.
Ignoring the pain in my abdomen, I also stood up.
As Sergeant Major Zafqua said, the enemy won't wait for treatment.
"Now, back to training!"
I regained my determination and aimed the rifle while protecting my sore abdomen.
Though the training was tough, I felt that it was extremely useful.
***
"Chief Medic. How was today's training?"
"Yes, I learned a lot."
"Will you come back tomorrow?"
"If you'll allow it, I'd be happy to."
After struggling for five hours with the rifle, the training finally ended.
In the end, I wasn't allowed any treatment throughout the day, so my whole body was covered in bruises.
Other soldiers only had minor injuries compared to me.
The reason why I have so many injuries is that I'm not very skilled.
"That's good. Since you're already covered in bruises, you should come back tomorrow."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Pain exists to teach you. People try to avoid pain, and in doing so, they think about what they can do better and work hard."
Sergeant Major Zafqua didn't laugh or show any concern for my battered body.
He simply gazed at my swollen shoulder with a serious expression.
"If you run away now, all you would have gotten is pain. To turn pain into training, you need to keep going."
"Yes, sir."
"You did well. Now, it's just repetition and persistence."
With that, he turned his back to me.
"My unit's training is designed to help us survive on the battlefield. At least, it won't be a waste."
"Yes."
"…I don't know why you rushed to join the training, but it'll give you a good opportunity to prove yourself. Stay strong, young lady."
Even though the training had just ended, he gathered the soldiers and immediately moved to a patrol mission.
***
Looking back, Sergeant Major Zafqua must have seen through my worries at the time.
There were soldiers who had quickly become commanders despite their lack of experience, and some of them were the type to get overwhelmed and ill from trying too hard.
I definitely fit that type of person. It must have looked dangerous to those around me.
What such a person needs is confidence.
If you can gain confidence in your abilities, you'll naturally feel more relaxed and less nervous.
I think Sergeant Major Zafqua saw my immaturity and allowed me to participate in the training to help me build up my confidence.
Training to protect yourself as part of a defensive unit is certainly not a skill that would go to waste.
In fact, what he taught me would later go on to save my life many times thereafter.
For me, meeting Sergeant Major Zafqua was my second stroke of luck, after meeting Platoon Leader Garback.