My Platoon is F**king Hopeless

Colonel.

The final rank of the field-grade officers.

Typically, this is a position responsible for an individual regiment, commanding around three thousand troops in a standard infantry regiment.

Three thousand men.

This meant that the fate of a mid-sized town could be swayed by his words alone. In fact, it wouldn’t be far off to consider him akin to a mayor.

He is treated with corresponding respect and, within his jurisdiction, holds absolute power without needing to bow down to anyone.

However, even such a colonel cannot compare to a general.

Neither the size of the forces they command, the regions they oversee, nor the weight of responsibility symbolized by their insignia, nor the power they wield can be compared.

A colonel is on an entirely different level.

Even someone equivalent to a city mayor is treated as nothing more than trivial when compared to the true center of power.

And that was exactly what the general officer represented.

It wasn’t for no reason that among military officers, the saying “becoming a general is like plucking stars from the sky” existed.

From this perspective, the actions displayed by Colonel Sony Chepelin at this moment were absolutely unacceptable.

Not just one star but two.

She had not only barged uninvited into a meeting presided over by a brigadier general but also showed no deference to Novgorod. She didn’t even salute and spoke casually to the general.

Such behavior is unimaginable in an army, which possesses one of the most vertical structures among all organizations.

If Novgorod were to slap her right now, everyone present would likely accept it without question.

But Novgorod did not do so.

Rather, accurately speaking, he couldn’t.

There is one exception who stands outside the strictly enforced ‘rules of the military,’ and that person is none other than Colonel Sony Chepelin.

The Grand Mage of the Skies.

The title of Grand Mage isn’t something anyone can simply earn.

One must be a magician officially recognized by the Central Magic Academy for their accomplishments and possess overwhelmingly powerful magic compared to all magicians across the continent.

On top of that, countless stringent conditions must be met, achievements accumulated, and further recognition gained before one can reach this level.

Thus, across the entire continent, there are only twelve individuals officially titled as Grand Mages.

A Grand Mage is essentially regarded as a kind of ‘strategic weapon.’ A supreme weapon capable of turning even the most unfavorable battle situation with a single move.

Given that she was arguably the strongest combatant within the Okhraine Army,

Even General Novgorod, who was much older, more experienced, and of higher rank, had to yield.

Not only because of her status as a Grand Mage, but also because she was a scion of the Chepelin family, the closest confidants of the Duke.

If Novgorod were to slap her, it would be akin to dismantling with his own hands everything he had built up until now.

“Hmm… Colonel Sony Chepelin, don’t you think it’s inappropriate to treat someone in front of all their subordinates this way?”

“Ah, glory to the motherland.”

“…”

A crooked salute accompanied by a wobbly gesture. Novgorod’s expression twisted.

Not only was the salute poorly executed, but what Novgorod had said wasn’t merely about the salute.

“Well, let’s leave that aside. Could you tell me the name of that officer and where they are?”

“Colonel Sony, I can’t keep indulging your whims indefinitely. Forty soldiers were killed in a bandit attack! Are you really unaware of the gravity of the situation?”

The division commander’s voice trembled with anger. Grand Mage? Fine. But this has gone too far.

Novgorod was here in his capacity as a division commander.

Since Belgorod Fortress had been attacked, he, as the senior commander overseeing the 18th Regiment stationed there, bore the responsibility to convene a meeting and thoroughly investigate the matter.

In contrast, Colonel Sony Chepelin had no connection to this fortress attack.

She had no reason to attend the meeting, and even less reason to inquire about the identity of the junior officer involved in the incident.

“You’re committing a serious overreach of authority.”

“Unless you can prove otherwise?”

The division commander issued a firm warning, but Sony Chepelin stood her ground, boldly asserting her authority.

“Colonel! Are you suggesting we play games or eat snacks right now!?”

“General Novgorod, you’re equally uninformed.”

She pulled out something from her uniform and showed it to the gathered officers.

A golden insignia bearing the image of a bear—something no soldier in Okhraine would fail to recognize.

It was the emblem of Duke Orlando Rus III of the Okhraine Duchy.

“The Duke commanded me to thoroughly investigate the truth behind this incident.”

Her tone was markedly different from before. Even Division Commander Novgorod fell silent, listening intently to her next words.

“While I haven’t mentioned it separately due to the operation being classified… The Belgorod Fortress that was attacked was temporarily storing a valuable ‘Artifact.'”

“An Artifact?”

The atmosphere in the conference room shifted upon Sony Chepelin’s revelation. Why was such an Artifact stored in that remote fortress?

The colonel quickly addressed the puzzled looks on the officers’ faces.

“I can’t divulge the full details… Nonetheless, it is a direct order from His Majesty. I’ve just received authority from the head of the national gendarmerie team investigating the scene.”

In an instant, the mood of the room flipped. With a royal decree in place, the authority of Division Commander Novgorod diminished.

“So, getting back to our earlier discussion… What is the lieutenant’s name, unit, and current location?”

*

“It failed.”

“Ugh… There’s nothing we can do.”

Sergeant Bella Meyer shuffled back into the hospital room after a brief absence. It seemed she had been turned away, as expected.

“He told me not to bother him while he’s so busy.”

She pouted childishly.

I could somewhat understand. If the division commander himself was involved, the staff headquarters must have been on the verge of explosion.

“Still, thank you.”

“Of course, it’s for the First Platoon leader. Oh, by the way, did Claude come and go?”

“Yes, before Sergeant Bella arrived.”

“At least he showed some remaining conscience by visiting. I was going to say something if he hadn’t shown up.”

“Haha…”

True, the visit might have been a bit too casual for someone checking on an injured superior.

His hair was tousled, and there was a strange smell of alcohol, indicating he had probably visited straight after waking up from a night of heavy drinking.

– I heard you got hurt trying to rescue Lumina.

– Yes, that happened.

– Damn. In my years of military service, I’ve seen many wounded soldiers, but never one as absurd as your case.

– My body is particularly weak.

– Tch.

Our conversation wasn’t exactly robust…

But still, it was nice that he came despite everything.

Honestly, if he hadn’t visited, I might have felt a bit hurt.

And notably, Sergeant Claude refrained from using any swear words, which was quite unlike his usual demeanor.

“Ugh, I should probably go now. If I stay, Lieutenant won’t get any rest, right? You need to rest properly to recover.”

Sergeant Bella Meyer dusted off her seat and stood up.

“Then, rest well?”

“Wait a moment. Sergeant Bella Meyer.”

“?!”

I grabbed Bella’s sleeve as she was about to leave.

“That… The content about Sergeant Lumina leaving the frontline remains a secret between us two. Lumina spotted a suspicious figure during her detour and went to block their path following my orders.”

Soon, both the military police and our internal investigation team will cross-check testimonies from both Sergeant Bella and myself to uncover the truth.

If it were revealed that Sergeant Blue Lumia left the line without permission during this process,

Even engaging with unknown figures wouldn’t exempt her from punishment. There was even a possibility she might face a court-martial.

Fortunately, due to the chaotic nature of the battlefield, only Bella and I knew that Sergeant Blue Lumia had retreated due to panic.

I intended to cover up this desertion.

“Of course, Lieutenant.”

“This is something we take to the grave, understood? For all of our sakes.”

I wasn’t exaggerating.

Had it not been for the lucky discovery of Soviet Empire-affiliated mages behind the fortress attack, our contributions would have been undervalued.

Worse still, the blame might have fallen on our regiment.

That’s how armies operate.

Bella Meyer, aware of these facts, nodded in agreement.

“I promise to keep it. Secret.”

“Good. Our secret.”

Just as we reaffirmed our commitment by hooking our pinkies together,

“Hah! Caught you red-handed!!!”

Bang!!!

The door slammed against the wall, and a woman appeared. Three chrysanthemums adorned her fluttering officer’s coat.

“Oh ho~ What’s this? What secrets are you two sharing that make your faces look like that? Tell me too!”

What the… Who is she?

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