After saying goodbye to the Southern Army, the Touri Medical Platoon rejoined under Major Renvel.
However, the Touri Medical Platoon will not be disbanded, and it will continue to be treated as a single medical group.
Whether fortunate or unfortunate, my platoon has gained a fair amount of combat experience.
The Major may have wanted to keep a medical squad that could follow dangerous missions.
And so, we went to the newly established medical department of the Renvel Army.
"I'm Medical Sergeant Dollman."
In the field hospital, lined with temporary tents, there was an elderly man with an impressively thick beard.
Although he was elderly, he was larger than Platoon Leader Garback. He was missing his left hand and old scars all over his body.
"I'm just an old man who's been retired for six years. Before I head to my grave, I was called to the front lines to take command of you all as a medical soldier."
'P-Pleased to meet you.'
"I've no magical power left and won't be much of a fighter… but I could still manage in war better than any of you."
As soon as he opened his mouth, he grabbed my head and spoke intimidatingly.
"Let me tell you one thing, I hate rebellious soldiers. At this age, I'm better at hitting people than healing them."
"Y-Yes, Medical Sergeant Dollman."
"Chief Medic Touri. You have a decent rank for such a young brat. Did you shake your ass for the higher-ups with that puny appearance?"
"No, nothing like that."
To be honest, I felt intimidated when I was glared at by such a scary-looking soldier.
There have been a lot of kind people around me recently, so it's been a while since I've seen someone so military-like.
"You might be Major Renvel's favorite, but I'll be back in retirement as soon as the war ends. Pressure from the higher-ups won't work on me."
"Yes."
"Take your work seriously. If you spout any spoiled nonsense, I'll punch you without mercy. Go cry to the Major if you start missing mommy's milk."
The grip on my head tightened.
Sergeant Dollman probably wanted to put a little fear into a young girl with ties to Major Renvel.
"The Captain has something to say. Go right away."
Perhaps satisfied with his intimidation, he finished speaking and shooed me away.
…Though I've been appointed platoon leader, I'm still a new recruit. There are plenty of things I need to learn from my seniors.
It's been a while since I've had such a strict and scary superior. However, I think there is a lot I can learn from him.
Even a little bit—whether as a medic or as a soldier—I intend to learn all I can from him."
I will try to learn as much as I can from him as both a medic and as a soldier.
***
"Haha, we've got quite the old-school medic, haven't we?"
When I went to meet Aria as instructed by Sergeant Dollman, she greeted me in a good mood.
"Dollman used to be an instructor at the military academy. He came up as an assault soldier, but he also had a record of working in the medical department, so I appointed him as the head of the medical unit."
"…He was an assault soldier?"
"Yes. It used to be more relaxed back then. If you had the will, you could be an infantryman even if you could use healing magic. Dollman worked as an assault soldier on the front lines and then in the medical department after losing his left hand until he retired."
"That's an incredible career."
No wonder he had scars all over his body and such an intimidating presence.
It's hard to believe that there are people who would willingly choose such grueling work as being both a medic and an assault soldier.
"He's reliable and will likely keep his subordinates well-disciplined. It's a good thing we had such talent remaining in the capital."
"I'm grateful."
Aria had a high opinion of Sergeant Dollman.
As a soldier, I suppose such strict people are more trustworthy.
"Touri, you are the Chief Medical Officer. This is the second-highest rank in the medical department after Dollman."
"Yes."
"So I'll also be giving you the title of Deputy Head of the Medical Department. There will be a bit more paperwork, but the pay will be better."
"I-I understand."
It looks like I'll be in a sort of middle-management position for now.
Is it okay for me to be deputy head when I've only been in the military for just under a year?
"Don't worry, Dollman will handle most of the troublesome matters. He's an old-fashioned soldier who's willing to shoulder the resentment that comes with the job."
"I see."
"You can leave the tough discipline to him. Instead, I want you to focus on supporting your subordinates' mental well-being."
"Mental well-being?"
"Pairing a strict type with a kind type balances out the unit nicely. It's the carrot and the stick approach."
That's how Aria explained my role to me.
I see, so that's why she chose such a strict military man as head of the medical unit.
"I understand. I'll do my best to fulfill my role."
"Good, do your best. But don't push yourself too hard."
It certainly feels like Sergeant Dollman has the ability to "force his subordinates to obey him."
I'm sure he will be able to guide us forward and avoid needless losses like Lakya.
I should stand in the forefront to ensure no one is crushed by his pressure.
"Also, Captain Aria. Actually, I received this from Sergeant Major Zafqua of the Southern Army…"
"A gun possession permit?"
After receiving that order, I submitted the document I had prepared so I wouldn't forget about it.
***
"Well, I understand the details."
The approval for the rubber bullet magazine and the mass-produced rifle possession permit was granted more easily than I expected.
Sergeant Major Zafqua had preemptively applied for it under the guise of [Shield] magic training.
With Aria's approval, I could carry the gun immediately.
"I'll give permission under my name as well. If anyone finds out and it causes any trouble, just have them come speak to me."
"Thank you."
"However, it's strictly for training purposes. Don't use it on your own. The permission to carry it is mainly for theft prevention. If you need to use it for training, make sure to submit a request for the location and time in advance, and report how many rounds you've fired."
Aria didn't oppose it and granted the permission without issue.
Now, I could carry the rifle without worrying about getting punched by Dollman.
It's important to get permission in advance.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"No, Captain."
"Okay, just come again if you have any problems."
With that, I happily received permission to sling the mass-produced rifle over my shoulder.
Guns are great. If I'm unarmed, enemies can target me freely, but they need to take cover if I have a gun.
Just carrying the mass-produced gun alone serves as a strong deterrent.
It's heavy enough to provide a good bit of muscle training as well.
…If possible, I hope I won't have to use it to shoot anyone.
***
However, this became a bit of an issue.
It's quite unusual to see a medic carrying a mass-produced gun on their right shoulder.
Although I placed it on the floor during treatments, sometimes patients gave me startled looks.
And more importantly…
"Oh…? You bastard, you're walking around with a gun on your back?"
"Sergeant Major Zafqua recommended it to me. He said I should keep it as a way to prepare myself for the battlefield."
This caught the eye of Sergeant Dollman, who immediately called me out upon seeing it.
I showed him my carry permit and explained that it uses rubber bullets.
"What's a little girl who's never seen real combat going to do with a gun?! Once the barrel's pointed at you, you'll freeze up and won't be able to move."
"Yes, Sergeant Dollman. That's why I've received training during the winter."
"Why in the world are you receiving infantry training?!"
"I realized the importance of infantry training when I was previously assigned to an assault unit, and I volunteered for it myself."
"I see!"
After hearing my explanation, Sergeant Dollman's eyes widened in surprise and…
"Alright, I like your spirit!"
He laughed heartily.
***
He was already serving as the head of the medical department and was rigorously training the new recruits during the march.
Tough discipline helps subordinates grow, but it also increases the risk of pushing them too far mentally, which could lead to reckless behavior.
Aria wanted me to take a different stance from Sergeant Dollman and care for those new recruits.
"You're a real promising young lady. That's right, even if you're a medic, as long as you're on the battlefield, you have to be prepared to risk your life against the enemy."
"Yes, Sergeant."
"I was the same when I was younger. The place healing magic is most useful on the front lines. The faster you can heal, the more lives can be saved!"
As someone with a history of serving in an assault unit and who enjoyed infantry training, I think that really struck a chord with Sergeant Dollman.
"Despite your appearance, you're quite something! More young people should be like you."
"…I'm honored."
I had definitely won his approval.
He likely saw his younger self in me.
"Ah, a training gun! I'll apply for one too. I didn't know there was such a loophole in carrying a gun!"
"Yes."
After losing his left hand and being assigned to the medical department, he was no longer allowed to carry weapons according to military regulations.
However, he had been dissatisfied with this and had requested permission to carry weapons, claiming that "even with one hand, I could still throw a grenade."
Eventually, his magical powers waned and he could no longer use healing magic. He was transferred to the military academy as an instructor, feeling useless on the front lines.
He was thrilled to hear that he could hold a gun again.
When I asked him how he planned to fire a gun one-handed, he proudly declared, "I can manage it."
Apparently, the early model of the OST-1 rifle was single-shot, but it had a simple loading mechanism. With enough practice, it could be reloaded with one hand while spinning the rifle around.
It sounded like something you'd see in an action movie.
He said he still wanted to be an active soldier, and he excitedly applied to Aria for permission to carry a gun for training.
"I'm sorry, but production of the early-model training ammunition has been discontinued and we no longer have any in stock."
"…"
"We can grant you permission to carry a new model, along with training rounds."
When Aria apologetically rejected his request, he was understandably disappointed.
The latest model rifle, the OST-3, has smaller ammunition, increased range, and more rounds.
As a downside, its loading mechanism has become somewhat complex.
"…Could I have live ammunition instead?"
"That's against regulations…"
Reluctantly, he borrowed the same type of new rifle I had and tried for a day to load it with one hand. In the end, he gave up and returned the rifle.
He looked like a tearful chihuahua when Sergeant Dollman went to return the gun.
Despite his appearance, he was actually quite an emotional person.
***
"Oh? Reitalyu became the head of the medical department in the Southern Army?"
When I was talking with Sergeant Dollman, the topic turned to Reitalyu.
He narrowed his eyes fondly when he learned that she was the medical director for the Southern Army.
"I never thought that little girl would rise to such a high position. Maybe I should go and visit her again sometime."
"Are you two acquainted?"
"Yeah, Reitalyu was my subordinate. I always thought she had potential."
Sergeant Dollman had a very high opinion of Reitalyu.
In fact, she is well-liked by many of the medics for her personality. She does have a few bad habits, but there's no doubt that Reitalyu is one of the top medics in the military.
As I was thinking this, the conversation took another turn.
"How is she? Is she still as rigid as ever?"
"…Eh, huh?"
"You must've had fun during the winter. You and Reitalyu seem to get along quite well."
"…"
I feel like there's a big gap between the image of Reitalyu in my mind and the image Sergeant Dollman described…
"Oh? You look a little uneasy. Didn't you get along with her?"
"No, we got along quite well. As my superior officer, there are many things about her that I respect…"
"Sounds like you're holding something back."
There was no doubt that I respected her as a person.
I still had a long way to go to match her level of medical skill or charisma.
However, whether I would say if she's a rigid person or not… That's up for debate.
"I don't know what happened, but she's an excellent medic. Don't be too harsh on her."
"I agree, she's a very likable person. It's just that, I got a laid-back impression from her."
"Oh?"
When I indirectly disagreed with the "rigid" label, Sergeant Major Dollman looked at me with a puzzled expression.
And then…
"The Reitalyu I knew was a woman who always spoke formally with a lack of expression, just like you."
"…"
He told me the story of Reitalyu from before.
***
A serious, no-nonsense female medic who puts duty above everything else.
That was Sergeant Dollman's impression of Reitalyu when he was still active.
She efficiently carried out the tasks she was assigned and didn't hesitate to push herself. Her treatments were thorough, and she had the trust of her superiors. Truly the ideal medic.
Despite being quite popular among soldiers, she wasn't interested in getting into a relationship.
"If I had any time for romance, there are other things I should be doing instead"
She said this without so much as changing her expression.
"Well, she did find someone just before I retired."
"That's…?"
"I wonder what happened to that guy. It looked like things were going well, but then I retired. I don't know what happened after that."
Apparently, after months of persistent pursuit, a soldier managed to capture Reitalyu's heart.
Sergeant Major Dollman was deeply moved by the news, feeling deeply that Reitalyu of all people had finally found someone.
"I heard that Reitalyu lost her lover in the line of duty shortly after they started dating."
"I see… Well, infantrymen die. It can't be helped."
The result is well known. I heard she lost her lover and was heartbroken.
After that, she would repeatedly enter relationships, only to lose her partners to combat.
She earned a reputation as something of a "Grim Reaper" in the eyes of many.
When I mentioned this to Sergeant Dollman…
"Ah, I see. That sounds like the serious Reitalyu I remember."
"What do you mean?"
He nodded in understanding as he said that.
"Her lover used to say, 'Rei should smile more.'"
"…"
"He'd say, 'soldiers would feel more at ease if you act cheerful,' so she practiced smiling in front of the mirror."
And so, I learned more about Reitalyu.