My Platoon is F**king Hopeless

“Battalion Commander, it’s the Personnel Officer.”

“Ah, come in.”

“Honor to the Motherland!”

Captain Mikhail Robon carefully stepped into the battalion commander’s office.

Fortunately, Colonel Rockhart’s expression was quite good today.

No, if you think about it, it wasn’t just today. Since Lieutenant Enok Revendale refused Sony Chepelin’s proposal in front of all the officers of the battalion, giving a boost to the battalion commander’s morale.

Colonel Rockhart Cromwell had been in this state for days. He had been grinning from ear to ear all day long.

Not only that,

He had made sure his name was firmly imprinted on the 18th Regiment and Major General Nobgordov of the 8th Division.

Captain Mikhail understood that the battalion commander’s mood wouldn’t easily settle down. Next year wasn’t even the year he would be eligible for promotion to major.

In the Ukrainian Army, where connections play a significant role in promotions, having your name known to the division commander was more valuable than anything else.

If Mikhail were in the same situation, he would have done the same as Rockhart.

‘Is this guy siding with Rex? Will he get back at me for speaking up to the battalion commander?’

The Personnel Officer gathered his resolve.

Although there were many things he had taken advantage of, he hadn’t been the only one to benefit.

As Enok said, this might be an opportunity to cut ties decisively.

‘It seems the Military Police are starting to realize how bad the city situation is. I should stick close before they cause trouble.’

Surprisingly, field commanders like battalion commanders often don’t care much about the lives of soldiers or junior officers.

Colonel Rockhart was no different.

It would be better to tell him beforehand, even if he had to endure some criticism, rather than being interrogated by the Military Police later.

Moreover, since he had been in a good mood lately, the chances of getting criticized were low.

“So, what’s your business? I heard you called urgently.”

“There’s a complaint within the battalion that I came to report.”

“A complaint? Not from outside but from within?”

“Yes, Battalion Commander.”

Rockhart’s mustache twitched. His slightly raised lips drooped.

“Why can’t you handle this yourself? It’s not from outside but from within, so even more so.”

“It’s a serious matter.”

“How serious?”

As soon as he heard ‘serious,’ Colonel Rockhart’s face hardened. Captain Mikhail Robon only spoke like this when it was truly urgent.

“It’s something that shouldn’t be leaked externally.”

“Tell me quickly.”

“There’s a soldier named Rex, a sergeant in the Supply Department of the Headquarters Company. He claims that his ankles were completely fractured by magic yesterday.”

“Fractured? Wait… By magic!?”

Colonel Rockhart, who understood the Personnel Officer’s meaning, stood up abruptly from his seat.

“Who the hell used magic to break a soldier’s legs?!”

Though the battalion commander was furious, he couldn’t help but show a confused expression upon hearing Captain Mikhail’s next words.

“It was Lieutenant Enok Revendale.”

This person, who did such a thing, was a newly appointed officer whom Rockhart had been watching closely.

“Even after doing this much, he still hasn’t moved him out of the platoon? Is he protesting? He hasn’t even served a month yet, but changing positions…!!”

“That’s not the reason, Battalion Commander. Lieutenant Enok has no intention of leaving the 5th Platoon.”

“Then why, why would he attack a perfectly fine… No, even a non-combatant soldier from the Supply Department? Was it another accidental discharge like last time?”

Captain Mikhail thought that an accidental discharge might have been better.

However, since he had already agreed to go along with Enok’s plan, he couldn’t back out now.

“Sergeant Rex committed insubordination. Furthermore, he attempted to sexually assault Sergeant Lumina of the 5th Platoon.”

“Damn it.”

The colonel’s previously composed expression crumpled instantly.

*

Politics isn’t complicated.

Even conflicts arising from simple misunderstandings can explode with just a few casual words added.

That’s how situations are shaped in one’s favor.

That’s politics.

I’ve experienced and fought against it endlessly. In the military, where resources like rank and position are limited, all sorts of dirty tricks and politics flourish.

Considering my wild behavior in modern times, restraining or even checking someone like Private Rex was beyond my reach.

Honestly, it was surprising that I could do this much as a mere soldier.

“Oh, Lumina. Put it here.”

“Understood.”

I looked at Lumina Blué, who was moving furniture from the underground storage to my quarters before we started rebuilding the barracks.

“Platoon Leader, where should we put this?”

“In the room in the middle.”

“This room is mine, so don’t touch it.”

It’s not just Lumina Blué.

Bella Meyer and Sergeant Claude Rain are also silently moving their belongings.

Even the usually stoic Claude was very cooperative in moving to new quarters.

– Being cooped up underground was driving me crazy. This is good news.

Since refusing Sony Chepelin’s offer in front of the battalion, Sergeant Claude Rain had softened his attitude towards me.

While he still didn’t make eye contact or participate in official events like roll call, he would answer when I asked a question and showed willingness to participate in renovating abandoned barracks.

Thinking back to when he first met me and insulted me, this was a considerable improvement.

“It looks cramped because everything is stuffed into such a small space. It seemed cozy in our original quarters.”

“It’s because the furniture hasn’t arrived yet. I’m planning to go to the city with Lumina this weekend.”

“To, to the city…? Wouldn’t it be safer to order here, Platoon Leader?”

Lumina gave a strange reaction to my words.

Since she had clearly clashed with Rex yesterday, she might be worried about thugs in the city causing trouble.

I understood her concern. She had already attracted a lot of attention after subduing a few thugs with Bella Meyer during their outing, and adding Rex to the mix would make things even more troublesome.

But unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.

Bam! Clatter!

The barracks door opened, and a man stumbled in with crutches, tripping at the entrance.

Despite the embarrassing situation, he approached us with tears streaming down his face.

“Platoon Leader Enok! Sergeant Lumina!! Please help me!! I was wrong!!”

It was Rex.

“I acted without thinking. I’ll take full responsibility for Gabrial. Just give me another chance!!”

He kept hitting his head on the floor and rubbing his hands. The sergeant, who once considered himself a key figure in the battalion, had lost all pride and confidence.

I glanced up and saw people standing outside the door.

A pitch-black uniform and a guard carriage next to it.

They wore the same uniforms as the Military Police seen at Belgorod Fortress last time.

It seemed the battalion commander had given appropriate orders immediately after hearing the Personnel Officer’s report. As expected, Rockhart doesn’t hesitate in these situations.

“Please!! Give me another chance!! Neither you nor Sergeant Lumina want this to escalate, right?!”

“It’s too late for that. The Military Police are already here. What’s the point? If you wanted to avoid this, you should have apologized to Lumina yesterday, not to the Personnel Officer.”

“Guh, huuu…!”

Even though he was given a chance, he stubbornly refused to change his mind.

Given the situation, I had no intention of accepting his apology directly. Unless Lumina, who is involved, wanted it.

“Platoon Leader… What’s going on…?”

“Lumina, what will you do? I’ll follow your wishes, Sergeant Lumina.”

Now, the decision was in Lumina’s hands.

Seeing this, Rex crawled towards Lumina and pleaded.

“Sergeant!! I was wrong!! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!! I’ll salute properly every time I see Sergeant Lumina and won’t say anything inappropriate! Please!!”

Even if he is a key figure in the battalion and part of a criminal organization with ties to Chernov City,

That’s only relevant locally.

In the entire army, Private Rex was merely the worst soldier causing military discipline issues.

Like other armies, the Military Police, who need results, would find him an easy target to deal with.

In the worst case, he could be falsely accused and receive severe punishment.

“Please, Sergeant Lumina!!”

Rex knew this too. Being sent to Military Police custody is like a death sentence for soldiers.

Perhaps he should have planned to desert the moment the Personnel Officer stopped talking.

Well, it wouldn’t be easy to escape with broken ankles.

Lumina calmly watched Rex sobbing in front of her. She felt no sympathy for him anymore.

“… ”

“Se, Sergeant?! Sergeant!!”

Lumina’s silver hair fluttered. She turned around and disappeared into the room.

A clear rejection.

A final verdict.

There was never a last chance for Rex.

“That’s his answer, Sergeant.”

“This can’t be happening…”

“Meeting you was a waste of time. I never want to see you again.”

“Please, just one more chance!!”

The Military Police, who were waiting outside, approached to drag him away.

What conclusion Rex will reach is irrelevant now. The sentence will be decided by investigators. And given the severity of his crimes, he won’t receive any lenient punishment.

So, the only thing I could say was:

“Life is about real battles, you know.”