My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 156

D-Day: Discharge

“Wow.”

The moment I opened my eyes in the morning, an exclamation burst from my lips. I immediately realized what day it was.

“Discharge day? I’m actually getting discharged?!”

On any other day, the freezing weather would have made it nearly impossible to crawl out from under the blankets. But today? I practically floated out of bed.

“Discharge! I’m finally free! Woohoo!”

I burst out of my covers and cheered. At this moment, everything in the world seemed beautiful.

Stepping out into the hallway, I saw the juniors heading for breakfast. Like a scene from a musical, I twirled past them, singing.

“Hello, my dear comrades~! Oh ho, your blond hair is dazzling~! Erica? What a lovely name~! Ooooh, your green eyes are mesmerizing~!”

“...Has she lost it?”

“She’s getting discharged today.”

“...Fair enough.”

Ignoring their reactions, I practically flew down the hallway. And I mean that literally—half-floating down the corridor.

Breakfast? Who needed food when the taste of freedom was this sweet? Besides, the battalion commander had gathered all the officers and soldiers set to be discharged today, so I headed there immediately.

To my surprise, another soldier from the adjacent company was also getting discharged today. Our eyes met, both of us grinning like fools.

“Congratulations on your discharge.”

“You too!”

We didn’t even know each other’s names, but today, we were kindred spirits.

Then, the battalion commander entered.

“Well, you must be today’s dischargees. Miss Salvia and Tycoon.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Congratulations on your discharge.”

Hearing those words, our smiles grew even wider. It finally felt real.

‘Meanwhile, Dalin is still stuck in this insane army...’

Seriously, that girl had to be insane. Why wouldn’t she want to experience the sheer joy of being discharged?!

Anyway, the battalion commander looked pleased as he began his customary farewell speech.

“You have all endured much. I hope you’ve learned valuable lessons through your experiences and the people you’ve met. Now, as you step into society, you’ll find a whole new world awaiting you. I trust you’ll navigate it well.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Regarding your compensation, you’ll receive it once the contract magic is lifted at the designated location. Until then, you’ll be transported there by carriage.”

“Yes, sir!”

Compensation. Right. In all my excitement about discharge, I had nearly forgotten about that.

‘I’m going to be rich!’

I felt like I was floating among the clouds.

As I reveled in my joy, the battalion commander gestured for Tycoon to leave.

“I have something to discuss with Miss Salvia privately.”

‘...What now?’

A strange feeling crept over me.

If he wanted to talk to me specifically, then...

‘Sir Kaisen and Lady Laila!’

Realizing the gravity of the situation, I tensed up. The battalion commander gestured for me to sit comfortably on the sofa, so I did.

“...Miss Salvia, don’t you think you’re sitting a bit too comfortably?”

“I’m about to be a civilian, after all. Haha.”

He looked at me in exasperation, but I didn’t bother correcting my posture. I had been eyeing this comfy sofa for ages. Might as well enjoy it while I still had the chance.

Still, since I was about to outrank him as a civilian, he couldn’t reprimand me further. Instead, he simply continued.

“After listening to what you said, I started reconsidering whether they truly died at the hands of a monster.”

I swallowed hard, sensing the serious tone in his voice.

“Now that I think about it, the non-commissioned officer who first reported the monster attack was a sergeant who had only recently joined our unit. Shortly after the incident, he abruptly requested a transfer, claiming he couldn’t stay in the Snowy Mountain Battalion any longer. And... several other officers left with him.”

“Then... does that mean...?”

“Yes. It’s possible that they were spies from the capital. If the government suspected something, they might have made a move.”

Ahhh! I wanted to clamp my hands over his mouth.

STOP throwing around dangerous information so casually!

“The fact that a monster just ‘happened’ to appear where Kaisen and Laila were stationed is also suspicious. Everyone in the unit knew they frequently met there. That means it could’ve been a deliberate setup.”

I was speechless. My mind went completely blank.

“But right now, the political struggles surrounding the imperial throne are reaching their peak. The capital has more pressing concerns, so they’ve stopped paying attention to this unit. Ever since that incident, we’ve been left in peace.”

...Oh no. I can feel it coming.

That cliché atmosphere where a major revelation is about to drop—like something straight out of a shounen manga.

“...So, if there’s ever a time to make a move, it’s now.”

AGH! You really went and dropped the dramatic line! Can you stop acting like you’re in some revolutionary war film?!

Internally screaming, I forced myself to calm down and think.

Truthfully, I was only startled because I had just gained an unexpected ally. But our goals aligned.

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At some point, we probably would have had to work together anyway.

The real problem was that my chances of survival had just plummeted. But aside from that, there was no issue with him revealing the truth to me.

“I have a thorough map of the imperial palace’s structure from back then. It may come in handy.”

The battalion commander’s expression was laced with hidden meaning.

Realizing there was no point in hiding my own intentions any longer, I decided to reveal part of my hand.

“I’ve also gathered some people who share our goal.”

Well... technically, April had gathered them.

“I’m heading to the Black Magic Special Investigation Unit after discharge.”

“...You’re enlisting in another military unit?”

He blinked at me in disbelief before letting out a breath of pure astonishment.

“...You’re really something else.”

For the first time, he looked at me like a normal soldier reacting to utter insanity. I felt deeply wronged. I’m not going there because I want to!

“I’ll contact you once I’ve settled in after discharge.”

“Alright. I look forward to hearing from you.”

And just like that, we had successfully discussed treason without ever saying the word.

Of course, if anyone overheard, we’d be arrested on the spot as insurgents. But hey, at least we tried to be subtle.

With that, I left the battalion commander’s office.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

There was one thing I had always dreamed of.

Something I had watched with envy time and time again.

The discharge ceremony.

“...Ah.”

Before me, a path formed by soldiers holding up their swords stretched ahead. Each blade shimmered with auras of different colors, creating a mystical passage leading into the unknown world beyond.

That unknown world... was civilian life.

As I stared at it, I finally understood why some of my seniors had shed tears while walking this path.

I had survived the Border Defense Army.

I had fought alongside many comrades, and I had watched many of them die. Yet I had no time to grieve. I had to keep running forward to survive.

In this army, insanity unfolded at every turn, constantly threatening my life. And so, I had kept moving—never stopping, never looking back.

And now... I had reached the finish line.

The race was over.

“...Thank you, everyone.”

I felt a lump in my throat. I kept my words brief, struggling to hold back the emotions welling up inside me.

“You’ve all worked hard. And your turn will come. I know you’ll make it. Stay strong.”

With that, I stepped forward.

As I walked through the path of swords, the shimmering light cascaded around me like a blessing.

Step by step, I moved forward.

Beyond this path, the way down the mountain awaited.

Of course, the carriages couldn’t make it up here, so I’d have to hobble down with a cane.

But honestly? I had enough energy to just roll down the damn mountain.

At last, I reached the end of the path.

I didn’t look back.

And with that, I left the mountain behind.

***

“We’ve arrived!”

The coachman’s shout rang through the air as I stepped down from the cart alongside Tycoon, the other officer being discharged today.

Honestly, a proper carriage would have been nice. Instead, we were hauled like cargo on a rickety cart, making for the worst possible ride.

But the moment my eyes landed on the familiar landscape before me, I no longer had the energy to complain.

“Ah....”

The place where I had first enlisted.

The place where I had first met Aquila.

The place where I had first realized this world was ‘Nemijip.’

Of course, ‘Nemijip’ didn’t matter anymore.

This world was mine now.

Just as I had done on my first day of enlistment, I held out my wrist. The contract magic was lifted, and as the golden inscription vanished, my skin was left clean and unmarked. The sight felt strange.

Next, we were given a check that could be immediately deposited at the bank.

The soldier who handed it over warned us to be careful not to lose it or get robbed, but honestly? No thief in their right mind would dare try to steal from a freshly discharged Arkon.

For a brief period, we were ten times stronger than usual.

With that settled, only one thing remained.

Finding Aquila.

But with so many people around, spotting him wasn’t going to be easy.

‘He’s here somewhere....’

If his hair were pink, maybe he’d stand out more. But in this sea of soldiers, locating him was a challenge.

Where could he be—?

“Salvia.”

“Aquila!”

At the sound of his familiar voice, warmth wrapped around me from behind. I immediately turned around, a radiant smile spreading across my face.

The person I had wanted to see most was standing right in front of me.

Like me, his wrist was now unmarked, free of the contract. In one hand, he held the same bank check.

“Salvia, congratulations on your discharge.”

“You too, Aquila!”

In this moment, I was truly happy.

The weight that had restrained me for so long was finally gone. And I could finally be with the person I loved.

This was the life I had dreamed of.

“We actually did it... We’re finally free... This [N O V E L I G H T] doesn’t even feel real....”

As emotion welled up again, I grabbed onto his sleeve and murmured, my voice trembling.

Aquila’s lips curled into a relaxed, knowing smile.

“Yeah. And now we don’t have to worry about getting locked in the detention center anymore.”

“...Huh?”

And then—

It all happened in an instant.

His face drew close.

His lips met mine.

...And at that moment, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

So, I parted my lips for him.

This was true freedom.