My Platoon is F**king Hopeless

“Here we are!”

“You’ve done well.”

I handed a silver coin to the driver and jumped off the carriage.

Since the game has extremely high moving currency units, I had to memorize even these small denominations, which was quite a headache.

After getting off the carriage and entering the city, a very different atmosphere from the military camp unfolded.

Neat wooden buildings lined the streets, and children ran around with joyful laughter between the alleys.

Crowds of citizens and merchants gathered at the market, and bands played music on one side of the city.

‘…It feels like I’ve entered a fantasy world.’

I couldn’t help but feel this way. As I was slightly dazed, Bella Meyer spoke beside me.

“The atmosphere is nice, isn’t it? Generally, it’s like this, but it’s better not to go into the back alleys. There are too many crazy guys there who don’t care about anything.”

“Crazy guys?”

“They attack whether you’re a soldier or a bureaucrat. It’s best to avoid getting into disputes with civilians, so it’s better to stay away.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded lightly. Such guys are always around wherever you go.

Even in the 21st century, there were incidents where high school students openly attacked soldiers. It wouldn’t be any different in Hearts of General.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Then, where should we start?”

After a moment of thought, I made a wise suggestion.

“Let’s have breakfast first.”

We had just been released for roll call and went out, and my stomach was starting to demand food after the initial grogginess.

“That sounds good. Then let me take you to a place I know. Their soup is really top-notch.”

Bella seemed to know the area well. She might as well be a guide for Chernov City.

“First Lieutenant Bella often goes out? You seem to know the geography very well.”

“I don’t particularly want to study magic… and being cooped up in a room gets boring.”

She seemed quite active despite suffering from depression, which surprised me. Even though there was a ‘Affinity’ trait in her status, I didn’t expect her to be this friendly.

But I could vaguely guess why she had such a personality.

“And being cooped up in a room makes me feel gloomy. I don’t like that.”

“Yes, I understand.”

It’s common for someone with depression to worsen if they stay indoors all the time.

She is struggling to prevent negative emotions from consuming her mind.

Given that I also once suffered from depression, I could fully empathize with her.

“First Lieutenant Bella is really strong.”

“Huh? Ah… Thank you, Captain.”

There’s nothing else I can say.

No one can truly understand another person’s feelings.

“So, where should we go?”

“This way! We just need to walk a bit more.”

I followed Bella’s guidance and entered a wide market alley.

Clang-.

“Welcome!!!”

As soon as we opened the shop door, the owner’s loud voice greeted us.

There were eight four-person tables placed, and two long tables lined up straight along the walls. The candles on them added to the ambiance.

‘Oh.’

The shop wasn’t particularly large, but the atmosphere and the scent appealed to me.

Especially, the sweet and savory scent was so inviting that it made my mouth water.

So, despite it being early morning, there were quite a few customers.

“What a great place.”

“We serve different menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so it’s always fresh when you come.”

When Bella smiled and greeted the owner, a man peeked out from the kitchen and his face lit up.

“Oh, it’s the young lady mage!”

Bella seemed to be a regular customer whose face the owner remembered.

“Who’s that next to you? A colleague?”

“This is our Captain. Since he just arrived, I thought he might enjoy sightseeing.”

“Aha! So you’re an officer. Come, sit down! We’ll order ‘Morning’s Fresh Sound’, right?”

“Yes, that’s what I’ll have.”

Fresh… what?

“Do you have a menu?”

“No, here the owner decides.”

When I asked again, the owner in the kitchen laughed heartily.

“Kahaha! That’s our motto! If we leave menu selection to the customers, they often end up ordering strange dishes!”

“Well, having no menu is a bit extreme…”

“Captain! Just trust my judgment? Here, a menu isn’t necessary.”

Given how strongly he insisted, I couldn’t help but agree. I decided to wait until the meal was ready.

I realized Bella’s suggestion was spot-on.

“It’s delicious.”

“Yes!?”

“It’s… really delicious.”

Honestly, I thought the meals provided by the military weren’t bad, but this was on a whole different level.

It felt like comparing homemade food to fast-food chicken.

Beyond PX standards, it was exceptional.

Hot corn soup, freshly baked bread, a fresh salad, and a neatly cut club sandwich.

‘I’m amazed. What have I been eating all this time?’

The texture, taste, aroma, and temperature.

Everything was perfect. No wonder Bella Meyer said so.

After finishing our meal, the owner, sweating profusely in the kitchen, appeared. His arms were as thick as Dwayne Johnson’s.

He looked more like a thug than a chef.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it! Please visit us often!”

Smiling contentedly, I gave a slight bow and left with Bella.

Now that we were full, it was time to explore the city and do some shopping.

Though I hadn’t received my salary yet, I had the initial grant of 20 gold coins.

Normally, I would use it to upgrade equipment or boost morale, but given the current situation where negotiations and operations were crucial, sticking solely to the uniform wouldn’t do.

Besides, I needed additional uniforms anyway.

.

“This way. Last time, I saw some nice men’s clothing. It would look great on Captain.”

Bella walked confidently, grabbing clothes and accessories every time we passed a street.

“Do we really need this much…?”

“Since Captain’s rank will rise, you might get invited to banquets. You’ll definitely need something sooner or later.”

That was true.

In Hearts of General, there were events like banquets where players could increase their political power, receive better offers, or get promotions.

Naturally, proper attire was required for such events.

The ceremonial dress provided by the military was only given to higher-ranking officers, so I needed to wear formal evening wear for these occasions.

“This fits well… Oh! This looks good too.”

As soon as we entered the street lined with clothing stores, Bella started picking items fervently.

Eventually, we had to buy a new bag because the load became too heavy.

“It’s fun to dress people up.”

“Is it…?”

“Captain needs to smile more. You’re already stiff and cold; if you don’t, you won’t be popular with women.”

I felt wronged.

It wasn’t intentional; it was due to the traits I had before coming to this world.

“Puh! Done. This should be enough.”

Finally, after skipping lunch, we finished shopping. Bella shrugged her shoulders, satisfied with the outcome.

The leather bag was bulging with items. My gold coins had dwindled to 17.

17 gold coins.

That’s equivalent to 300 silver coins.

Enough to order a custom-made handmade gun.

However, given Bella’s excitement, I decided not to mention it.

Strictly speaking, it might be considered excessive spending, but it wasn’t entirely wasteful.

“Shall we head back now? We’ve seen most of the city… and Lumina is waiting for us, right?”

“Yes, we should. Let’s plan for next weekend.”

If the sun sets, we might need to stay longer.

But it would be better to return to the base early, tidy up the clothes, and rest.

As I adjusted my bag and headed towards the main road,

“Help! Please help!!!”

A desperate voice echoed. Following it, something crashed loudly.

Bella and I exchanged glances and instinctively moved towards the source of the sound.

Bang!

Checking near the alley wall, we found a small child surrounded by several men, getting beaten up.

“Hey, you punk! What are you doing?!”

“Who told you to walk around here? Little brat, give it back now!”

“No! This is wrong!! Really wrong!”

Seeing that scene, I felt a surge of anger.

Anyone could see that these thugs were trying to extort money from a child.

“He’s going to die…”

“People don’t die that easily.”

“But Captain! You can’t just…!!”

I had to make a difficult decision. Normally, I would have just walked past.

These guys could beat someone to death, but acting so brazenly in broad daylight means they’re either crazy or have powerful connections.

Interfering in such complicated matters isn’t my style.

But Bella was right there.

Clearly, she was about to intervene, and leaving her alone would damage my captain’s authority.

‘…There’s no other choice.’

I took off my military coat and handed it to Bella.

My lower back was hurting from not moving for a while. Time to loosen up.

“Captain?”

“Hold onto this for a moment.”

I put the bag down and slowly walked into the alley.

“What’s this punk doing?”

One of the guys blocking the entrance turned around and said. He had a protruding tooth that looked annoying.

“Just passing through.”

“Soldier?”

At that, the guys beating the boy looked at me.

“Soldier? Fk, why is a soldier here? Looks like you’re just out with your girlfriend. Stop showing off and get lost.”

“Even with a gag in your mouth? Is that how you treat soldiers?”

“Hmph.”

Another guy, who had been stepping on the kid, approached casually. With dyed yellow hair, he was the epitome of a thug.

He looked like he could be stuffed and displayed in a museum.

“Hey, looks like you’re a new officer. In Chernov, waving your authority around like that will get you into trouble.”

These must be the delinquents Bella mentioned.

Usually, when someone reveals they’re a soldier, they’d run or at least show submission.

But these guys must have faced soldiers before.

‘It works out well.’

I stared directly at the blonde thug.

“Hey, no need to be rude. Fking soldiers need to be taught a lesson to listen.”

Bang!!

Instead of answering, I punched him in the temple. The guy who was just threatening me fell to the ground.

“Luke?!”

“Do you know what I hate the most?”

“Fk!!”

I blocked another punch aimed at me and pulled the guy down by his collar.

As he stumbled, I kneed him in the jaw.

“Gah… Ugh!!”

The thug couldn’t even scream as he collapsed on the floor, a tooth falling out. He deserved it.

Looking at the two frozen thugs behind me, I said,

“I may not appreciate soldiers, but I don’t ignore them. Not even scumbags like you.”

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