My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 122

"Aquila, take good care of Karon...."

"Don’t worry, Salvia. I’ll keep practicing."

"Salvia! P-please, take care!"

Karon’s eyes were welling up with tears as he bid me farewell. In the end, I couldn’t just walk away. I pulled him into a tight hug.

"I’ll discharge first and wait for you, so let’s meet again then, Karon."

"Yes...!"

After saying my final goodbye to Karon, I took a deep breath and looked at the path before me.

A senior from Gamma Platoon had already walked this road for their discharge. Now, it was my turn—along with Blue and Damian—to take this path toward our promotion.

Behind me, Aquila stood, watching over me as I left.

"Hoo..."

"Salvia, salute!"

Swords were raised high, forming a pathway for me.

The road ahead led to my new unit. And at the same time, it was the final step in leaving Cledore Mountain Battalion behind.

***

Every time the wagon hit a rocky patch, it jolted violently.

To reach Snowy Mountain Battalion, I had first taken a cart down the mountain, then switched to a horse-drawn carriage. The ride had been long, and as expected, the carriage’s suspension was terrible. It made me long for the comfortable transportation of my previous world.

The closer I got to Snowy Mountain Battalion, the more I could feel the temperature drop.

My breath turned visible with every exhale. The frigid air stung my skin. I pulled my thin military uniform tighter, fastening it all the way up to my neck, trying in vain to block out the cold.

"Time to disembark!"

"Understood."

And finally, when I stepped out of the carriage, what lay before me was a mountain covered in ice.

This was where I would live for the next two years.

***

D-729 Days Until Discharge

The ground was completely frozen, making it impossible for a cart to travel uphill.

That meant I had to climb the damn mountain on foot.

The driver who had escorted me handed me two walking sticks, and I had no choice but to stab them into the icy ground and start hauling myself up.

With each step, I wondered—Was I really at the point in my life where I had to conquer an actual frozen mountain?

Snowy Mountain Battalion was infamous even among the Border Defense Army for being one of the toughest assignments.

The cold was unbearable.

The ground was perpetually frozen, making training a nightmare.

The extreme temperatures froze the water supply, leading to frequent shortages.

But the biggest problem with this place was—

"Garbage falls from the sky!"

Back in my old unit, we had to deal with rain.

Here?

It was mountains of garbage-tier snow constantly dumping on us!

I could already tell we’d be breaking our backs shoveling just to keep the base operational.

The reason this mountain was so damn cold had something to do with arctic air masses or whatever, but I tuned out the explanation. Not important.

...At the very least, the lakes and rivers must be frozen, which meant no swimming drills. That was one small mercy.

Up ahead, I finally caught sight of what looked like my new barracks.

I gritted my teeth and kept climbing.

Dragging two fully-packed bags up a mountain was no joke. One of them was stuffed full of Aquila’s letters, making the hike even harder.

When I finally reached the entrance of a building, a soldier passing by stared at me in surprise before speaking up.

"Oh, are you the new officer arriving today?"

"Yes, that’s me."

"The company commander’s office is this way."

He led me toward the commander’s office, and as I followed him, I began mentally outlining my survival plan for this unit.

I would NOT be like Rosan, who terrorized juniors for no reason.

I would NOT be like April, who meddled in everything.

...Would I try to be like Winter, an exemplary and efficient senior?

Nope.

The ideal officer in my eyes was none other than...

Taro.

Sure, my time in the military had been one crisis after another, but Taro had mastered the true art of self-preservation—by spending his entire service lying down in his barracks, doing nothing.

That was the goal.

I didn’t care what state the unit was in. I was going to stay out of trouble and quietly coast through my remaining time.

They say in your final year of service, even falling leaves are dangerous.

Here? Falling snow was the enemy.

Knock, knock, knock—

"Officer Salvia, newly assigned to the 288th Company, Alpha Platoon."

"Ah, come in."

The commander gave permission, and I straightened my posture as I stepped inside.

The company commander’s personality would determine how hellish my life would be here. I had to gauge him carefully.

...At a glance, he seemed normal.

A typical Border Defense Army company commander.

But I couldn’t be sure yet.

As I kept my expression neutral, analyzing him, he walked over and patted my shoulder.

"What’s your name?"

"Salvia."

"Alright, Salvia. Make sure you don’t disappoint me and adapt well to your new unit."

...What?

"There was an incident recently that left me very disappointed in my soldiers. I hope you’ll contribute to maintaining a spotless record."

...Okay.

I no longer needed to figure out what kind of person he was.

He was just another typical commander who excelled at being disappointed in his troops.

I could handle this.

I’d managed my last commander just fine.

***

After that, I moved to Alpha Platoon.

The fact that my new unit had the same name as my previous one made it feel oddly familiar.

The company commander assigned one of the platoon officers to guide me, and he introduced himself as Frost.

A fitting name for someone in Snowy Mountain Battalion.

"Where are you coming from?"

"Cledore Mountain Battalion."

"Ah, the mountain battalion... I see. Hahaha."

Frost let out a strange chuckle.

"Compared to there, this place will be much tougher. The cold here is unreal—so harsh that outsiders crumble before they can adjust."

'...Why is he talking like that?'

Then again, the Border Defense Army was full of weird people.

I decided to just go along with his theatrics.

"Yes, it does feel extremely cold."

"Hahaha. You’ll need a coat. It’ll help you withstand this demonic chill. Go pick one up."

Frost was wearing a thick navy coat, which seemed to be part of the standard gear for Snowy Mountain Battalion.

It made sense. There was no way I’d survive in just this thin uniform.

"And the soldiers here... they have high standards."

"Excuse me?"

"You’ll understand soon enough. Let’s see if you can meet those standards and pass the test."

His words sounded cryptic, but I chose not to ask further.

If what he said was true, I’d find out soon enough.

More importantly—

'I should avoid talking to Frost as much as possible.'

I had zero resistance to dealing with this kind of over-the-top, dramatic type.

After arriving at Alpha Platoon, Frost gathered the soldiers for my introduction.

"Everyone, assemble."

As they gathered, I studied them carefully.

Strangely enough, compared to my previous unit, the soldiers here had paler skin and were more heavily built.

Maybe it was a natural adaptation from living in this freezing hellhole for so long.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Salvia."

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It felt odd, repeating the same lines I had once heard from my seniors.

Trying to sound composed, I continued.

"I just want to spend the next two years quietly. I’d appreciate your help in adjusting to this unit, and I hope we get along."

Clap, clap, clap.

The soldiers applauded mechanically, but their expressions carried an odd discomfort.

And I knew exactly what that meant.

'They’re looking down on me.'

From their perspective, it made sense.

They had spent years enduring the infamously harsh conditions of this battalion, forging themselves into strong warriors.

Meanwhile, I was some outsider from a relatively easier unit, and on top of that, I didn’t look particularly intimidating.

They weren’t happy about someone like me being placed above them.

Frost’s earlier words had been a warning. The soldiers here wouldn’t acknowledge me so easily.

...If this were 18th Company, I would’ve spent the next few days breaking their spirits to put them in their place.

But...

'I’m in my final year. I should just keep my head down.'

I couldn’t bring myself to care.

None of my friends were here—no Ishina, Aquila, Karon, or Benny.

That just made me feel even more disconnected from this unit.

So I ignored their sharp stares and decided to react indifferently.

***

"This will be your room."

One of the senior soldiers guided me to my personal quarters.

Being promoted to an officer came with the perk of having my own space, even if it was cramped as hell.

Still, I’d take solitude over sharing a room any day.

I glanced at the soldier who had guided me.

He had gray hair and gray eyes, with a perpetually tired expression.

"Where’s the bathroom?"

"Down the left hallway."

I cracked open my room’s door—and immediately flinched as a wave of cold air rushed out.

"The hell? Why is it so cold in here?"

"Snowy Mountain Battalion is always like this. You wouldn’t know since you came from somewhere else."

'...This little shit’s got an attitude.'

I clenched my fist—but forced myself to let it go.

No need to start unnecessary fights.

"What’s your name?"

"Ash."

"Hmph. I don’t like that name."

"...Excuse me?"

"What, am I not even allowed to talk to myself?"

I waved my hand dismissively, signaling him to leave.

'This is me being a reasonable senior, right?'

I wasn’t going to yell at my subordinates.

I wasn’t going to grab them by the collar.

I was going to be calm and mild-mannered from now on.

Yeah. That sounded good.

"What do you think of the new officer?"

"I don’t know. She’s... weird."

Ash’s fellow senior, Luna, responded.

She was one of the highest-ranking soldiers in this unit—long golden hair, golden eyes, and a sharp presence.

Luna recalled her brief introduction meeting with Salvia earlier.

"What the hell? Ugh, I hate blondes...."

"Uh... Salvia?"

"Oh. What’s your name?"

"Luna."

"Luna? Huh. I like that name."

Salvia had immediately scowled the moment she saw her hair color.

But when she heard her name, she nodded in approval, as if that somehow made up for it.

Luna narrowed her eyes.

The new officer might be a bit insane.