My Platoon is F**king Hopeless

“So the platoon leader suddenly swished and whacked the punk’s head!”

“What!?”

“Trying to dodge the attacks of the remaining guys, but you know, he just turned them into pancakes.”

Bella Meyer was excitedly recounting the tale. In contrast, Lumina Blue felt as if her heart was pounding every time she heard the story.

Even if the punks had started it, hadn’t they been punished too harshly?

“Bell, why didn’t you stop him!”

“Well, it’s kind of hard to just stand by when someone’s getting beaten up.”

“That’s true, but…”

Lumina said this with a worried tone. What concerned her wasn’t something else—it was that Chernov City, though undoubtedly a pleasant place to live, couldn’t be called entirely safe.

It’s a city where gangs openly strut around.

Of course, there is still a proper law enforcement organization in place, so these guys can’t commit any crime they want.

But powers that have somewhat colluded with the authorities subtly interfere with the lives of the townsfolk.

Being a soldier doesn’t make much difference.

In fact, because outsiders are involved, some stores collude with delinquents and charge higher prices than usual market rates.

All sorts of illegal businesses catering primarily to soldiers also thrive.

For example, the red-light district below the northern city wall or the illegal gambling den set up beneath the largest tavern.

With no real hobbies or leisure activities, bored soldiers would wander around the red-light district or the gambling dens on holidays, which was considered an unwritten rule for some soldiers.

Whether enlisted men, non-commissioned officers, or officers, everyone was part of this.

Therefore, soldiers couldn’t just deal with such criminals however they pleased. If anything, they could become vulnerable due to their own weaknesses.

“You know what I mean, sister.”

“Of course I do. But turning a blind eye to injustice is another matter, isn’t it?”

“What if they try to harm Platoon Leader?”

“They won’t dare. They probably don’t even know who we are.”

Bella shrugged indifferently.

How many nearby units were there around Chernov City? Even if the criminal groups were deeply embedded in the city administration, they couldn’t possibly check every officer one by one.

After all, local autonomy and military personnel authority are strictly separated.

“Besides, does our platoon leader seem like someone who’d easily fall for that?”

Bella didn’t think Enok Revendale would ever lose to such punks under any circumstances.

She was honestly a little surprised.

She hadn’t expected the platoon leader to be this strong.

When Enok first handed her the military coat, Bella tried to protest, startled.

Naturally.

From Bella’s perspective, the best approach would’ve been to reason with them properly or, if not, give them some money and send them off.

The punks were ultimately after money.

They were beating the boy because they judged that he might have something valuable.

These guys may harass anyone regardless of whether they’re soldiers or civil servants, but there’s always a limit.

If Enok had tried to reason with them at that moment, they might’ve said some nasty things, but no one would’ve gotten hurt.

However, the platoon leader didn’t choose that method.

– “You ungrateful bastards. Disrespecting those who protect the nation.”

That line had been so refreshing. It felt like the built-up frustration inside her had finally eased.

“As time goes on, I like him more and more. And…”

Bella Meyer recalled the time when the bandits attacked.

The flames Lumina conjured were nothing compared to the enormous fire Enok Revendale casually summoned, making Bella momentarily mistake him for the sun.

‘No way that was Solar Prominence.’

Even though she appeared casual, Bella Meyer held the official title of a Grade 1 Blue Mage.

Not only did she have a high understanding of magic, but as a mage herself, she could analyze what the platoon leader had done without much difficulty.

Solar Prominence is an advanced magic spell that intensely condenses fire-element mana to create a massive solar shape.

Especially since it’s based on ‘red mana,’ which has a particularly complex structure and is difficult to control, it wasn’t a spell that could be activated simply by waving a hand.

‘It’s just that his mana density and quantity are absurdly high, so even deploying a simple flare automatically amplifies it.’

At least from Bella Meyer’s perspective, Enok Revendale undoubtedly possessed a once-in-a-lifetime genius for magic.

Hadn’t Debra Bennett, the facilities management director, already had her carefully laid defensive magic shattered by a Fireball?

At first, she hadn’t understood, but now, looking back, everything seemed to fit together like a puzzle.

“I don’t care about myself, but Lumina, you need to hold onto our platoon leader. Got it?”

Direct Division of the Northern Corps, 3rd Magic Battalion, 2nd Platoon, 5th Squad.

It’s usually referred to derisively as the “waste squad,” and even the members themselves don’t deny it—it’s the worst exile destination.

But this unexpected arrival was the first and last golden opportunity amidst such despair.

He’d already caught the attention of Colonel Sony Chepelin, and from the battalion commander down to the platoon commander, his image was quickly being established.

He was someone who could change Squad 5. And later, when his efforts were recognized and he left the battalion, the person who could remain by his side…

Would surely be the gentle younger sister before her eyes.

“Bell…sister…”

“No matter what happens, stay with Platoon Leader Enok. You can trust him.”

Soon, a turbulent era would arrive.

Though seemingly abandoned, she was still the daughter of a high-ranking noble family.

Always appearing indifferent, Bella Meyer was actually extremely sensitive to world affairs.

The global situation was gradually twisting.

The days people celebrated as the Age of Peace wouldn’t last much longer. Instinctively, Bella could sense it.

“Lumina, I’m serious. Promise me.”

“Exactly what aspect of the platoon leader makes you so sure? I know he’s a really good person…”

To Lumina’s question, Bella answered with confidence.

“My intuition.”

Her crimson eyes sparkled.

‘Someone who seems capable of surviving even if the sky falls apart.’

He was that strong.

Bella Meyer trusted her intuition.

*

“Wow, I feel like I’m going to collapse.”

Or maybe just collapsing would be better.

“Cough cough!!”

“Platoon leader… are you alright?”

“No, I’m not alright… please get me some medicine from the medical unit…”

“Just wait a moment!”

After confirming a slight fever, Lumina rushed out of the room.

I spoke in a voice that sounded like I was dying. Just moving my fingers slightly made my muscles scream in agony.

Damn.

Just when I thought this body was moving well, I woke up the next day to find myself stricken with a severe cold.

And it’s the bad kind.

I was perfectly fine while beating up those punks yesterday, but this delayed attack came out of nowhere.

‘This damn weak body.’

My whole body ached as if it was filled with rats. With a body like this, how could I survive an actual war? This physical condition was utterly hopeless.

“I need to seriously boost my immunity.”

Five years isn’t a long time. Unless I get kidnapped by headquarters, I’ll face the war as a field commander.

And hygiene in field conditions is far worse than imagined.

Even in modern battlefields with advanced medical systems, it was tough. How much worse must it be here, where there aren’t even proper hospitals?

If I go out and encounter unknown diseases without seeing the enemy, then…

I really need to build up my immunity.

Moreover, this stress.

I keenly realized again how important stress management is.

Apparently, I unconsciously relieved my stress by using my body yesterday.

If I hadn’t released the stress while already feeling sick, it would’ve been disastrous.

Fortunately, it happened this way.

Although I clearly overexerted myself yesterday, this was a cold that was bound to hit eventually. Better to suffer through it now.

‘When I renovate the barracks, I must definitely bring a punching bag for the training room.’

In reality, whenever life became unbearable, going to a boxing gym instead of a regular gym and hitting the punching bag always improved my mood significantly.

Stress is unavoidable for everyone, so wouldn’t promoting mental health among the platoon members also be quite effective?

Claude would probably enjoy it too.

Actually, it was right after receiving permission from Colonel Rockhart to convert the barracks into our exclusive dormitory for Squad 5.

While the current quarters are cozy enough and livable,

More than anything, the lack of windows and the gloomy underground atmosphere were bothersome.

People are surprisingly affected by their environment. Staying cooped up in such a place for too long could even cause mental illness.

Now that we have official approval to use the barracks, there’s no reason to stick with the basement quarters.

‘Then I’ll use this room as my quarters and office, turn the adjacent room into a common area, and assign the rooms at the back as personal quarters…’

I roughly sketched out the layout of the barracks in my mind and thought about redecorating the dormitory.

‘Anyway, I’ll leave this unit in a year.’

It was one of the best gifts I could give our pitiful Squad 5 members.

…But hasn’t it been twenty minutes already? Why hasn’t Lumina come back yet?

I tried waiting a bit longer, but my headache worsened, so I finally got up and went outside.

Since I’m going to get diagnosed anyway, it’s better to head straight to the medical unit rather than stay in the room.

As I stepped out of the dormitory…

Zzaak!!!

Not far away, in the smoking area, Lumina was slapping Sergeant Rex across the face.

---