喵绅HCMOIC士网页版

Side Stories 18

As summer passed and the cool autumn air gradually turned chilly, Selena was slowly transforming from a beautiful woman into a mother.

Of course, she wasn't becoming unattractive. Even with a growing belly, Selena was still Selena.

In fact, with a touch of mature charm, she now resembled... a big sister, perhaps?

In the early stages of her pregnancy, her morning sickness was surprisingly severe. She couldn't eat any of her favorite fruits.

She would throw up at the mere smell of them, which was quite alarming.

It got to the point where I even begged our baby to stop making her mother suffer.

"It seems our baby prefers meat over fruit."

"Meat is the best, isn't it? But you can't be picky, right, Bom-i?"

We even gave a nickname to our child, who was peacefully sleeping in her mother's womb.

Bom-i, meaning ‘spring.’ We initially wanted to name her ‘summer,’ but it turned out she was a honeymoon baby.

We both laughed at the thought of seeing her a month, maybe even two months, earlier than expected.

Anyway, our Bom-i was quite the carnivore.

There was one evening when Selena ate more than two servings of meat by herself.

And this was Selena, who normally loved fruits and was a light eater!

"It's gotten a little better lately, though. If it were like before, I would've kept wanting to eat more and more."

"I guess she's had enough. Or maybe she wants something new? Should I ask Lasker for some of their dishes? You said they were good last time."

"Ugh, if I keep eating like this, I'll really become a pig."

"Even if you become a pig, Selena, I'll love you forever, so don't worry."

The Empire raised cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, and many other livestock.

The most consumed meat was beef, thanks to the vast pastures.

In my past life, I ate more pork, but here, I eat twice as much beef.

On the other hand, Lasker mainly consumed pork, along with lamb, chicken, and whale meat.

I heard they were bringing a new wave to the Empire's culinary scene with their unique pork dishes.

I tried it once by chance, and it was definitely different from the Empire's pork dishes.

"That sounds good. Ah, now that you mention it, I suddenly have a craving!"

"Just wait. On my way back, this husband of yours will get it for you no matter what. Bom-i! Daddy will bring you delicious meat, so wait a little longer with Mommy, okay?!"

I wish I could be with Selena and Bom-i every day, but it's not possible.

I'm now officially the head of the Friedrich County and an important figure in the Empire.

Especially when it comes to military matters, I've become a person they must invite, so I'm inevitably busy.

"What's on your schedule today?"

"It's the official establishment day of the Empire's Sharpshooter Brigade. Most of them are Lav's trainees, so I thought it would be good for me to go and show my support."

"I see. Lav will be there too, right?"

"Probably?"

"Tell her I said good work. If it weren't for Bom-i, I'd go with you."

Yes, ma'am! This loyal servant will be back soon!

* * *

“Squad, attention!! Present arms to the Imperial flag!!”

Damn, just watching this brings back my military PTSD. Guys, at least none of you shout 'Chung!' like someone did back in my day.

During my time as a trainee in a previous life and even in this one, someone always shouted 'Chung!' from the back, causing us to get massively screwed over.

You think it might have been me? I clenched my teeth to make sure it wasn't.

These guys are true aces. Being a sharpshooter isn't just about being good with a rifle.

In critical situations, they need to function as a one-man squad, no, a one-man platoon, or even a one-man company. A top-tier sharpshooter like Lav over there could even make contributions on a battalion level.

They need to be prepared for various scenarios, including approach and withdrawal from targets.

They must have top-notch physical and mental strength, truly the elite of the elite. Perhaps these friends are the kind of special forces I remember.

…Maybe I should create a unit like that for real. But to do that, we'd need assault methods, and we don't have helicopters or transport planes here. I'll just propose the concept and let them figure it out later.

"Orabeoni."

While the ceremony is ongoing, Lav, having just finished her speech, sneaks over to my side.

“Oh, Lav. You’ve worked hard. Selena also asked me to tell you that you did a great job.”

“It’s nothing. The ones who worked hard are the juniors over there.”

“It's tough for those being taught, but it's also tough for those who teach. The way these friends fight and how they pass it on to their juniors depends on every word and action you take.”

There's a reason the Imperial Army pulled its veteran soldiers back to the rear in past wars.

It's not just about preserving their lives because they're good fighters.

It's about using them to transform raw recruits from ‘cannon fodder’ into soldiers who can actually fight.

Because there's a world of difference between being taught by someone with no experience and someone who's been there and done that.

Lav would have known this too. The pressure must have been immense.

But she did it. Just look at that sharp aura radiating from her.

'The Kanfras should be grateful. If these guys had been on the battlefield, you'd be screwed.'

Of course, it's not like they didn't see any action. Some of them did participate in the war.

But if you ask if they performed like Lav did, unfortunately—or rather, fortunately—no.

Because me and our reservists had already wiped them out before they got there.

"You will become the most lethal force in our glorious Imperial Army. At the same time, you will be the most effective deterrent to war itself. If you want peace, prepare for war!"

"If you want peace, prepare for war!"

Right. That's it. Peace through mere words? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.

Some say we're a group of murderers. That peace would prevail if we didn't exist.

They ask why we provoke others with such words and training.

They say that if we lay down our arms and embrace peace, only love will remain.

'That's a load of bullshit.'

In human history, peace has always been simple. It's about holding a bigger stick than your opponent.

If the world were truly beautiful and pure, there would be no evil deeds.

Why do we lock our doors, why do we have laws, why are we taught from a young age that certain things are bad?

It's all the same context. Words alone won't do. It's inevitable with all the conflicting interests involved.

And the most massive group, the most lethal weapon they wield, is war.

We exist to prevent it. We endure this hardship to protect.

That's why those guys are shouting like that. That's why my comrades and I shed blood and sweat.

It's something you'll never understand, even if you die and come back to life.

"It is an honor to witness the birth of the first Sharpshooter Brigade. To all of you, I wish you continued success. Dismissed!"

"Attention! Present arms to the Brigade Commander!"

"Sir! Yes, Sir!!"

Is it over? It must be, right? Oh dear, those guys must be exhausted.

Ceremonial practice is the worst of the worst, even more grueling than regular training.

The desire to finish quickly and return to the barracks to rest becomes overwhelming.

"Um, brother?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any words for the trainees? The Brigade Commander left some time in the schedule just in case you wanted to say something."

Me? Nah. Why would I do that? They want to finish quickly and rest.

Even though I'm a Medal of Honor recipient, I have no interest in tormenting active-duty soldiers.

They've worked hard for days preparing for this event, so they should go and rest.

"Let's do something else."

Yes, something else. Let's approach this in a way that benefits our juniors.

"In my name, tell them to slaughter one cow per squad... no, no. Per two people."

"Oh, isn't that too much?"

"They have to feed all the soldiers, NCOs, and officers. Tell them to eat and drink to their hearts' content. A feast is the perfect way to celebrate after all their hard work."

Eat your fill, everyone. This is on your senior, a Medal of Honor recipient!

* * *

I had forgotten. Today's schedule wasn't over yet. There was one more thing left.

"Oh! He's finally here!"

"Well, well, our esteemed Medal of Honor recipient seems to think it's okay to keep Marquises and Counts waiting!"

"Hurry up and get over here. No, I mean, hurry up and get over here, Count Friedrich!"

"...Sorry, Karl. These guys are going absolutely nuts."

The three were at it again, with Joachim acting as the sole voice of reason.

I was genuinely worried. At this rate, Joachim might be the first to go from stress-induced illness.

"What's the big deal? You could have done this without me."

"Nonsense! How could we not wait for the creator of this masterpiece!"

"...Hey, Wilhelm. Why is he so excited?"

"Shulifen? Ah, he opened a card pack and got a golden card."

"Really? And he didn't buy it?"

"I don't know. He says he got it from a pack."

I hope that's true. It wouldn't look good for a Marquis to be spending money on cards.

I shook my head and glanced up.

[ 1st Imperial Card Tournament ]

"Hmm."

It looked a bit dull. Come to think of it, the banner seemed a bit shabby too.

Hey, you four. Are you sure you prepared this tournament seriously? What the—

"Alright! Now that the main character is here, let's get rid of that drab thing!"

"Yes, Your Grace!"

"Next! Put up the real banner!"

"Understood! Get moving, everyone!!"

What the... what's going on? Before I knew it, the banner had been replaced.

[ Congratulations! 1st Karl Adelheit Imperial Card Tournament! ]

[ Who will be the champion of the first official Empire tournament? ]

"..."

What the f*ck!