Guiding the Male Lead out of His Trauma - Chapter 46.1
On the day of deployment, the train bound for Lomdina that we boarded at the break of dawn was bustling and disorderly with soldiers moving back and forth.
Although it departed from the capital and passed through Estra, only Acteon and I had boarded at this station.
Despite it being a military train, the inside was unexpectedly… chaotic.
Far from maintaining discipline, the soldiers’ uniforms were rumpled and worn. We squeezed through them to finally find an empty seat, but the dark blue uniform designated for awakened soldiers stood out no matter how similar it looked to the standard ones.
“Everyone’s looking this way.”
“Just ignore them. It’ll be the same in Lomdina.”
“Hm, is it that rare for cadets to be deployed? I heard A-Classes and above are always in short supply, so trips to Lomdina are a regular thing.”
It wasn’t wrong.
Especially for Guides, sometimes even B-Classes were needed.
Even if I hadn’t been deployed under these disruptive circumstances, I would’ve ended up in Lomdina by the end of the year, or by next year at the latest.
Deployments of cadets aren’t common, but they’re not unheard of either.
‘So there must be another reason we’re drawing this much attention.’
Most of the soldiers looked at us with pity, but about half seemed already used to this kind of situation, indifferent and apathetic.
And the attention didn’t last long.
About an hour after the train began to run, the stares faded.
As the train clattered along, some dozed off from fatigue while others turned their seats and got absorbed in card games like poker.
With the rising chatter and shouts, it was hard to tell whether we were on a train headed for the front lines or in the middle of a market.
Just then, a superior officer we didn’t know approached our seats.
He plopped down beside Acteon like it was his rightful place.
“So, you’re the ones they said were coming this time? Still just kids, hm. Make sure to look after them.”
Casual speech right from the start. That rank insignia…
I quickly calculated.
Two flame-shaped symbols.
‘A lieutenant.’
Ever since he came looking for us, several soldiers passing by had bowed their heads and greeted him.
Amidst the small talk exchanged, we managed to catch the term ‘platoon leader’.
Having figured out who he was from the context, Acteon and I exchanged glances.
‘Should we play along for now?’
‘Yeah, for now.’
With Barmos’s political situation in shambles and the war dragging on, discipline in the military had crumbled.
As time passed, the number of soldiers dropped drastically, and minor skirmishes increased, ironically loosening the tension among the troops.
But the biggest reason was…
‘The fact that he came to get a look at our faces says enough about what kind of treatment we’re in for.’
The tide of the war had come to rely entirely on the abilities of awakened soldiers.
A single A-Class could handle an entire platoon on their own. It was only natural.
Unlike the early stages, the current state of war depended on battles between awakened units.
Regular soldiers had long since been reduced to mere numbers, and in that relaxed atmosphere, ironic sights became common.
Even if a young awakened soldier enlisted, no one hazed them or tried to instill discipline. They were simply left alone.
An unbridgeable gap existed between awakened and unawakened soldiers.
After all, when an enemy raid occurred, it was usually carried out by a platoon or two of awakened soldiers.
This side would respond in kind with a similar number of Awakener troops.
The balance of power had inadvertently evened out, and with neither side able to end the war, a stalemate had set in.
That was why the war dragged on.
Yet, no one could easily back down from the fight over the Great Forest, where magic stones were mined.
The opposing sides Uskal and Zenabart were no different.
So, including the platoon leader, the soldiers were unusually generous toward us.
To them, the magic stone war was just a means to secure a steady paycheck.
The platoon leader chatted idly with one of the soldiers who had greeted him.
“Platoon Leader, they look so young. Aren’t they cadets?”
“Like this is the first time cadets have been deployed? Listen, you’re going to sleep like a baby tonight. These two? They’re a pair personally selected by His Highness and assigned to our unit.”
“By His Highness… Do you mean H-His Highness Sibellin?”
“Our unit’s been through a lot lately, right? As a reward for all the hardship, we’ve been sent not one, but two S-Classes. So treat them well.”
The soldier exaggeratedly gasped and exclaimed in awe.
A master of flattery.
“If they were assigned under you, Platoon Leader, that must mean His Highness has high hopes for you. Congratulations on the promotion.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Let’s all get along, yeah? Introduce yourselves and all that.”
He was blatantly staring at Acteon.
Being the second son of Brondearn, the man was clearly full of curiosity.
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