MDHO 08

Chapter 08

At that, Elliot also closed his eyes briefly and replied in a small voice.

“Yeah, in the end, not everyone can survive. Only the strong live.”

Earlier, he had said he didn’t want to lose even a single subordinate, but they all knew.

Weak ones die.

Every month, at least one soldier dies, and there was no way to expect all the rookies to survive while facing first-class monsters. In the worst case, the entire unit could be wiped out.

April subtly turned her head to check if the rookies were keeping up from behind. They all looked a bit dazed, but in terms of physical stamina, they had trained well and didn’t seem exhausted despite walking for quite a long time.

Among them, the one who stood out the most was Aquila.

“User of fire-attribute aura. He might survive. But…”

April pretended to look around at the other rookies. There was no hope for them.

“And this one is a bit… tricky.”

Her gaze landed on Sarubia. Sarubia looked tired, but she seemed to be trying hard not to slow down.

The most noticeable female rookie in this batch. There weren’t many women in the unit, but Sarubia was exceptionally beautiful.

Coral-colored hair, golden eyes, delicate features. Her appearance was like a single blooming flower, perfectly matching her name.

“So she’s got guts.”

She had seemed fragile at first, but she hadn’t fallen behind and was keeping up with the training.

In the Border Defense Force, surviving as a “strong one” usually meant being a bit of a madman. Even if someone’s abilities were slightly lacking, the tough ones always found a way to survive.

“Don’t die… please.”

With her usual expression, April looked back toward the rear and shouted loudly.

“Hey, Sarubia! You look like you’re struggling!”

“I-I’m sorry!”

Seeing Sarubia widen her eyes in surprise and then compose herself, April smiled in satisfaction and looked forward again.

“Yeah… you have to be ruthless to survive…”

At that moment, Sarubia thought:

“That crazy bastard is at it again.”

We had ventured deep into the mountains, but so far, we hadn’t found any traces of monsters.

After walking for so long, our clothes were soaked with sweat, and our feet, which had initially just tingled, were now swollen, making our shoes feel tight.

Along the way, we had met a few members of Beta Squad and moved together, but it seemed we had little interaction with other squads. The senior sergeants, having more experience, greeted their counterparts from other squads, but since we didn’t, nothing really changed when they joined us.

The main difference was that the highest-ranking officer had shifted from the Alpha Squad leader to the 18th Company commander.

Meanwhile, the sky had grown darker than before. The dense trees blocked the sky, so if night fell, we wouldn’t see anything at all. We needed to hurry.

“Tonight, we camp here. Prepare to rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

The company commander gave the order, and the squad leaders of Alpha and Beta began instructing their soldiers.

The company commander seemed considerably older than us, appeared to be a different species like us, and maintained a calm demeanor despite the chaos.

“Louise, organize the night watch.”

The seniors started discussing things in front, and soon Leon came over to instruct us on pitching the tents.

“Ishina, show the rookies how it’s done.”

“Ah, understood…!”

Ishina beckoned us, who were hesitating, to come closer.

“See, guys? You secure it like this.”

Following Ishina’s instructions, I, along with Linia, anchored the tent to the ground from the opposite side.

Late at night, swollen feet, pitching tents in the mountains… suddenly, a wave of despair about my life hit me.

“Why is my life like this?”

“Same here.”

Linia, silently tying knots, nodded in agreement.

“I hope I don’t get reincarnated as a different species in my next life.”

She said this while habitually brushing the long scar across her eye. I stared without thinking, then quickly pretended not to notice, worried my gaze might be intrusive.

“Curious?”

“Huh?”

“Do you want to know how I got this scar?”

“Oh, no, it’s fine if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Surely there was a deep story behind it, so I didn’t want to pry.

Linia was silent for a moment, then muttered in a small voice:

“I’ll tell you if we survive this.”

“No! Wait!”

A strong sense of impending doom surged!

‘This world is supposed to be a novel!’

And Linia had just stepped on a dead flag!

“Hey, hey…! Undo what you just said!”

“What?”

“That’s a dead flag! Don’t say ‘I’ll tell you if we survive!’ Just say you’ll never tell, ever!”

“What’s a dead flag?”

“Just say it! Don’t tell them, even if we survive!”

“Ah… fine. I’ll never tell why my eye is scarred.”

“Good.”

I nodded proudly. I had saved a fellow rookie!

‘Phew… Linia almost triggered a dead flag herself…’

That night, I was inside a narrow tent with April and Yuri.

The mountains were freezing, but being packed together, we could feel each other’s warmth. I couldn’t tell if the tent’s narrowness was a blessing or a curse.

“Sarubia. You’ve been trained for the night watch, right? If someone wakes you, get up immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you’ve memorized all emergency procedures by now.”

“Yes, I’ve memorized everything.”

After confirming a few more things with me, April finally lay down and closed her eyes.

‘How is anyone supposed to sleep like this?’

The tent was cramped, my body was cold, and worst of all, we had to sleep with our boots on, ready to run in an emergency. Swords lay beside our heads for the same reason.

I tried to find a comfortable position and closed my eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come.

‘How can I sleep in such an uncomfortable place…’

Just then, a voice jolted me awake.

“Hey, rookie! Get up! Quickly!”

“Y-Yuri?”

Yuri shook me violently, her eyes fierce as a demon’s.

‘…When did I even fall asleep?’

Sleeping at my desk in school had probably been more comfortable. Considering how fast I had dozed off in this freezing, cramped tent, I must have been utterly exhausted.

‘Well, that worked…’

Half-awake, I scrambled to grab my sword and followed Yuri out of the tent.

“…Ah!”

As soon as I stepped outside, I froze at the sight of the dragon.

A grotesque ochre dragon, covered in scales, bellowing and thrashing wildly. The soldiers surrounded it, cloaked in aura, attacking together to fend off a single dragon.

They clearly seemed outmatched, yet they didn’t retreat.

“Do not fall back! No matter what happens, we cannot let the dragon reach the village!”

I heard the company commander shout. Plato grabbed me, who was frozen in panic.

“Focus, Sarubia! Dragons breathe fire! Don’t lose your focus for even a second! Know your position!”

Finally snapping out of it, I looked for my position.

‘Second squad… number five…’

But only the number flashed in my mind. I couldn’t remember who was beside me.

“Focus! Your position is here!”

Plato shouted, moving me to his right. That’s when I realized Plato was on my left, and Karl on my right. Karl was trembling violently.

“We’re waiting behind the first squad! Watch the situation closely!”

Elliot, also part of the second squad, shouted.

I took a deep breath and tried to steady my eyes.