My Platoon is F**king Hopeless

The day broke.

Lumina, who had cried her heart out, returned just before lights-out, but I, still suffering from insomnia, could only manage to fall asleep around 4 AM after much struggle.

The bugle resounded as usual at 7 AM.

I could only barely escape the barracks in a half-zombie state.

“Yawn…”

“Good morning, Lieutenant Colonel.”

“Good morning, Bella.”

As we headed towards the wide parade ground, Bella Meyer, who was already ready, greeted me.

“You look particularly tired today.”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. And is Sergeant Claude on leave again today?”

“Of course. He was snoring so loudly he was practically sprawled out, even with his nose whistling.”

In truth, I had pretty much given up on Sergeant Claude. There was no way I could do anything about him being left alone by both battalion and company commanders.

Moreover, during the last battle, I had witnessed Sergeant Claude’s strength, even if only partially.

His combat stats were not 90 for nothing. He excelled in speed, attack sense, strength, and magic. He was superior in every aspect.

That is to say,

He would do well on his own without needing any help.

“By the way, where is Bella?”

“She’ll be here soon. But what did you talk about yesterday that made her come in crying?”

“Hmm…”

I couldn’t bring myself to answer. It was too embarrassing to say it out loud.

“I just comforted her.”

“Are you trying to seduce her?”

“No, why would you say such a thing? That will never happen.”

“Haha.”

Bella Meyer burst out laughing, her slightly curved eyes looking alluring. Ironically, it seemed she was the one who could mesmerize people, not me.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant Colonel. I overslept.”

Before I knew it, Lumina joined us on time, her hair still dripping with water.

“Bella Sergeant? Your face looks swollen.”

“…It’s not.”

Sure enough, the moment Bella arrived, she playfully teased Lumina, who tried to deny it by averting her gaze.

Of course, it was true that her face was indeed swollen.

“At least these two are getting along. If they had completely fallen apart, there would have been no hope.”

I thought to myself as I reported the muster count to the company commander.

“Total five, on leave two, one for the infirmary, one waiting.”

“…Alright, hold on a moment.”

Captain Arrend sighed deeply after hearing my report.

It was all due to Sergeant Claude.

Though he was still an FM, he didn’t like Sergeant Claude very much, yet he also deeply understood how far this former war hero had fallen.

He had grown up listening to tales of Sergeant Claude’s feats.

To meet a hero he once idolized as a mere C-rank member, their fates were truly tragic.

“There are no abnormalities among the Second Company personnel.”

“Good. Did everyone sleep well?”

Colonel Lockhart said standing on the podium.

Usually, the battalion commander lived outside the camp and rarely participated in roll call, but today he attended because it was his day off.

“Today is our rest day after the operation, so let’s make sure everyone gets a good rest! Rest is always important!”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Then dismissed!”

Since it was a magical battalion, unlike other units that needed to check weapons and equipment, resting was essential for mages whose bodies were their weapons.

In a way, this could be seen as maintenance.

But even on rest days, one couldn’t just laze around. I planned to go into town today.

Since it was a rest day, light outings were freely allowed.

Once the roll call ended, the gathered people dispersed, and Bella and Lumina approached me.

“What are your plans for today, Lieutenant Colonel?”

“Oh, me…”

Wait a minute.

Isn’t this the first time I’ve gone outside the camp?

I’ve been in this unit since I joined.

So, I might need some guidance.

“I plan to go into town. The Third Platoon Commander mentioned it’s quite a nice city to explore.”

“Oh, are you going to Chernov?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Chernov City.

One of the few trading cities in northeastern Okhraine and the closest to the border.

If the border fort fell or a large-scale front battle occurred as it did last time, it would also serve as a fortress city, part of the first line of defense for the Okhraine Duchy.

“But I don’t know the area well, so would you mind accompanying me?”

“I’d love to! I get so bored just staying in the camp all the time.”

Bella smiled brightly and answered. She seemed excited.

Compared to Lumina, who looked hesitant.

“What about Sergeant Bella?”

“Ah… Me?”

She seemed somewhat restless. What’s wrong? She doesn’t seem to be in her usual condition today.

“I think I’ll just rest today.”

“Understood. Thinking about it, you probably need more rest.”

The mission went smoothly, and the injuries were completely healed with recovery magic, but the aftereffects of being hit by a bullet remained.

“I’m sorry, I forgot.”

“No, No! You don’t need to apologize! Then I’ll leave it at that!”

She couldn’t maintain eye contact with me and quickly turned away. She must still be thinking about last night.

There’s no need to feel bad about showing weakness.

But ultimately, it’s up to her.

All I can do is help her as a lieutenant colonel.

“Then, Bella Sergeant, let’s start preparing for the outing. I’ll wait for you here at 8 o’clock.”

“Yes, I confirm!”

Bella replied calmly and hurriedly chased after Lumina.

Well, there’s no point in asking Sergeant Claude anyway.

There’s no need to insist on going together.

It would be lucky if he didn’t complain about why he should go.

It’s better to just go with Bella, which would be more comfortable.

“Alright… then I should quickly prepare too!!”

This is my first outing in the world of Generals. Somehow, my heart was pounding with excitement.

*

“Why are you in uniform?”

“Thinking about it, besides my work clothes, I don’t have any civilian clothes.”

“Eh, really?”

This was an unexpected problem.

Even though I don’t know what kind of person possessed me before, this guy didn’t have any clothes except those issued by the military.

Until now, I hadn’t thought about going out, and I was busy with paperwork and magic studies, so I hadn’t felt the inconvenience.

But now, with frequent outings, I realized I needed to buy some clothes.

“Then we should go shopping together. I’m fine with that. Leave it to me.”

Bella confidently said. Indeed, she seemed to have a good sense of fashion.

Her black skirt with a white blouse tucked in, and the tailored jacket over it, looked great on her.

Her black hair matched perfectly, giving her a neat and mature look.

Of course, this mature look was partly due to her physical features.

“I like shopping too. I know some shops in advance, so I’ll take you there.”

“If you’re willing, I’d be grateful.”

“Then let’s go!”

As Bella and I boarded the carriage, the driver shouted.

There was no public transportation like buses or taxis in this era. It wasn’t feasible to walk either.

The city hall’s drivers were always on standby like modern taxis.

They were already lined up at the camp gate when they heard we had just returned from an operation.

It made me realize that life is much the same whether here or in reality.

“By the way, Lieutenant Colonel, where are you from?”

“Ah… me?”

Bella’s sharp question caught me off guard. My status screen didn’t show my origin.

I could only vaguely say the capital of Okhraine, ‘Kayaf.’

Like in Korea, when asked where you’re from and you say Seoul, you usually don’t get follow-up questions.

“Oh! Kayaf! You’re definitely a city boy~.”

Bella chuckled and nudged me. Thankfully, she took it lightly, just like I expected.

Surprisingly, she didn’t make a big deal out of it.

“But why did you suddenly want to go to the city? Just feeling suffocated?”

“That’s partly it, but I also wanted to familiarize myself with the surroundings. And I really wanted to see some furniture.”

In fact, the apartment was almost like renting the entire building.

Other rooms were just empty, dusty spaces.

So, I thought, if I’m not going to use them, I might as well decorate them.

Since the battalion commander especially values aesthetics, if the interior is done well, there won’t be any problems.

If they ask me to move out, then it would be another story.

“Hmm… Furniture. Lumina is good at decorating.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Lumina decorated our apartment. When we first got it, it felt like a prison.”

Indeed.

Unlike the beautifully decorated ground floor, the basement hadn’t been managed at all.

Yet, the Fifth Platoon members’ quarters were surprisingly decent.

There were sofas, a fireplace, and an air purifier that looked expensive.

Although there were no windows due to the underground location, it felt cozy, like a snug hideout. It turned out to be quite nice.

“The battalion commander’s office was also decorated by Lumina.”

“Oh.”

The colonel, who admires design, would acknowledge it, so there’s no need to say more.

“In that case, I should visit with Sergeant Bella next time.”

“There’s plenty of time.”

While chatting like this, we noticed the gray walls of the castle through the trees.

“Oh, it’s starting to appear.”

Bella pointed at the tall spire with her finger.

“This is the largest trading city in northeastern Okhraine and our battalion’s supply hub.”

It was Chernov City.

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