My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 150

92 Days Until Discharge.

“Oh my god....”

The moment I opened my eyes in the morning, I clapped a hand over my mouth in pure emotion.

“Three months! I just have to endure three more months!”

Ever since the hellish ordeal of suppressing the Second Prince’s forces, nothing disastrous had happened to me.

I still hadn’t heard what exactly became of the Second Prince’s army, but given the sheer chaos within the Imperial military, the Border Defense Army remained largely unaffected. There was no war with the Felony Empire, either.

Since then, I had been safely holed up in this snowy mountain battalion, spending my time shooting at targets and hunting monsters—no unnecessary external missions or joint training exercises.

The sergeants I had grown close to—Luna, Ash, and Norman—had all been promoted and reassigned to different units. Left alone in my quarters, I had passed my days exchanging letters with Aquila.

The only thing that had piqued my interest lately was the suspected presence of a revolutionary faction among the officers of the Snowy Mountain Battalion.

From my previous conversation with the battalion commander, it was clear that he was involved. The company commander also had to be a part of it.

I had confirmed the organization’s existence to some extent, yet despite spending nearly two years in this battalion, they had yet to trust me enough to reveal its full scope.

If I could connect them with April after my discharge, it would be useful.

With that thought, I slowly slithered out from under my blankets. It was time for breakfast.

But when I stepped out into the hallway, something felt... off.

What’s gotten into everyone?

Normally, I’d have snapped at them for making such a ruckus in the corridors. But as someone in the final stretch of their service, I decided to let it slide. A soon-to-be civilian should maintain their seniority and avoid unnecessary disputes.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

I slung an arm around the shoulder of one of the recruits in the hallway. He flinched before hurriedly answering.

“S-Sir, you’re awake! It’s just... a new company commander is being assigned today.”

“...What?”

Company commanders changed fairly frequently.

But this replacement felt sudden.

Had the previous commander left without any formal notice?

Why?

Had the revolutionary faction been discovered? No, if that were the case, there would have already been a bloodbath. It had to be something else.

Still, it wasn’t something to be too concerned about. Company commanders in the Border Defense Army were experts in disappointment; this one would likely be no different.

Following the recruits, I lazily made my way to the assembly area, where the new company commander stood on the podium.

I narrowed my eyes and examined his face.

Hmph. Looks kind of sneaky.

Slanted, fox-like eyes. A gaunt, sunken face. A greasy little mustache that made him look like a scheming bureaucrat.

And judging by his features, he wasn’t an Arkon—he was of imperial descent.

There was nothing about his face that inspired any confidence.

As I scrutinized him, he glanced around at the gathered soldiers before beginning his introduction.

“Damn, this place is unbearably cold.”

...?

“Well, I don’t plan on staying here long, so you lot figure things out on your own.”

With that, he stepped down from the podium, muttering to himself.

“How did I end up in a backwater unit like this...? I’ll find my way back. Just you wait.”

There was no dignity befitting a company commander, no sense of duty as a soldier.

I exchanged confused glances with the other recruits before his words finally clicked in my mind.

Oh. ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) He got demoted.

A unit posted at the far edge of the Empire, deep in the freezing mountains?

Without a doubt, this was the worst possible posting.

Even if there were tougher special forces out there, this was certainly the most remote and isolated unit in the entire Empire.

In other words, it was the perfect place to dump someone out of sight and out of mind.

Nothing to worry about, then.

I didn’t know where he came from, but he was clearly determined to claw his way back up and had no interest in us.

Which meant...

“Hey, let’s go eat.”

“Yes, sir.”

I casually stuffed my hands into my coat pockets and strolled toward the mess hall, my steps light.

Judging by that guy’s personality, he probably wouldn’t bother reprimanding me if I slacked off.

Hell, he might even slack off with me.

One of the recruits walking beside me, his hair unkempt and his coat buttoned haphazardly, glanced at me and spoke hesitantly.

“Sir, you don’t have much time left before discharge. You should be careful.”

“Hm?”

Ah, right.

The Cledore Mountain Battalion had an old saying: A soldier nearing discharge should even fear a falling leaf.

“In the Snowy Mountain Battalion, we say you should even be wary of falling snow.”

...Of course that’s how it goes here.

Wait, hold on.

“You know what? You’re right. Snow is slippery and dangerous. I should be careful.”

“Yes, sir! You must safely complete your service.”

“...Wouldn’t I be safer if you guys shoveled the snow for me?”

I grinned as I joked, but the recruit in front of me turned pale.

“...Hey, I’m kidding. Come on. What could possibly happen in three months?”

For the record, I later realized that this was a death flag.

My life had never once gone smoothly.

***

A few weeks had passed since the new company commander had been assigned. As expected, he had no interest in us, and in turn, we didn’t bother with him either.

The only noteworthy thing about him was his excessive belief in superstitions.

“Scatter cinnamon sticks in the hallway! They ward off ghosts!”

“Listen, if someone dies in battle, make sure to tell me! I’ll sprinkle salt on you when you return!”

“I’m telling you, soy sauce is the best thing to pour on an open wound!”

His ridiculous beliefs were a constant nuisance, but aside from that, he was tolerable. After all, the military was full of all sorts of weirdos.

“Salvia, you’ve got mail!”

Today was mail day. I received several envelopes from my subordinates, with one from Ishina sitting on top.

Wait a second, Ishina...

By now, he should have completed his service. That meant this letter was probably the last one he wrote before his discharge.

I hastily tore it open. True to his character, his handwriting was neat and elegant, almost old-fashioned.

To Salvia,

Salvia, this is the last letter I’ll be writing from the Border Defense Army. By tomorrow, I’ll be discharged.

As I write this, memories of our time together come flooding back. All the trouble you and Karon caused, and how Aquila and I had to clean up after you two....

Salvia, you’re nearing the end of your service now. Please, be careful. For some reason, soldiers always seem to run into misfortune near discharge—they get injured, dragged into unexpected training, or caught up in other nonsense. You’re a bit reckless, so I really hope you stay alert.

I told you this before, but once you’re discharged, send me a letter first. I’ll come find you.

Wishing you good health,

P.S. You used to send me letters asking for advice, but you won’t be able to anymore. However, I don’t recommend talking to Aquila about your troubles. He’s a bit extreme when it comes to anything related to you. Obviously, Karon isn’t a good option either.

Instead, try opening up to the recruits in your unit. You’ve spent a long time with them. Trust can be built through that, and you might even grow closer.

—Ishina

Why does this sound like a curse?

Bad luck before discharge? This felt like a serious death flag. And me, asking my subordinates for advice? Not likely.

I frowned but moved on to the next letter. It was from Karon.

To Salvia!

Hello, Salvia! It’s me, Karon!! How have you been?!

Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.

I suddenly remembered something I forgot to tell you last time! It’s about the vision I saw through my father’s keepsake pendant.

In it, I saw my father lying wounded, his eyes closing for the last time. But the injury... it looked like it came from a blade.

You once told me that my father was killed by a monster, but the pendant showed something completely different. I thought you should know.

I hope any information I provide is useful to you!

I’ll write again if anything new comes up! Take care!

—Karon

“That’s... strange.”

This was something worth thinking about.

As far as I knew, Kaisen was killed by a monster.

But if Karon’s vision was accurate, then... was he actually murdered?

Wait a minute... this smells fishy.

Going by the usual romance-fantasy novel tropes, Karon’s father was absolutely assassinated.

There was no way his death didn’t have some grand conspiracy behind it. Death in these kinds of stories always had layers of secrets.

This mystery is definitely going to unfold later...

Maybe I should bring it up with the battalion commander?

“Salvia?”

“Yes?”

Just then, I heard the company commander calling for me.

He had peeked his head through my doorway, looking at me with an oddly serious expression.

When he spotted the open letters in my hands, he scowled.

“Just as I thought! You opened those letters before shaking the envelope three times, didn’t you?!”

“...Excuse me?”

I was already on edge, thinking about Karon’s father, so his sudden appearance felt even more suspicious.

“You have to shake an envelope three times before opening it! Otherwise, you’ll lose all your luck!”

“...Right. Got it.”

Of course. Another one of his ridiculous superstitions.

I was an idiot for thinking this was important.

“Salvia, take this too.”

He held out another letter.

I blinked in confusion.

Wait, is this actually something serious?

“What is it?”

His expression turned even more somber.

“This is a very important letter. Open it only after I leave.”

With that cryptic statement, he shut the door and left in a hurry.

Feeling a strange sense of foreboding, I carefully opened the envelope... and immediately regretted it.

This letter originated from the Border Defense Army and has been passed around once per year, bringing good fortune to its recipients. Now it has reached you.

You must send seven copies to those who need luck within four days. If you fail, misfortune will befall you.

“...Oh, for f—”

That damned company commander!

I had expected something serious, and he handed me a damn chain letter?!

Seriously, was there not a single normal person in this army?!