The inside of the association instantly turned cold. Judging by my observations, I felt that they probably never gave good evaluations.
Still, having beaten up the association’s security guard right in front of everyone, they had managed to quickly turn the atmosphere around.
“What should we do, Captain of the First Platoon?”
“Endure it, Lumina.”
I stopped Lumina, who was about to move. It wasn’t our time to act yet.
Although I didn’t know what was happening, judging by how the security captain reacted so aggressively, there must have been conflicts between the association and ‘Il-yon’.
Along with the recent freezing of ledgers, there was an indescribable smell.
The scent of an incident.
I moved slightly away from the reception desk with Lumina to a corner. It was fortunate that I hadn’t come dressed in military uniform.
If we attracted unnecessary attention, all the effort put into disguising ourselves would be for nothing.
Sure enough,
As soon as we changed positions, Ramur slammed his fist onto the reception desk.
“Shakhov! Bring him over!”
“Calm down, Captain Ramur of the Security Division. Won’t the merchants be startled?”
At that moment, a man appeared leisurely from inside the reception area. He looked to be in his 40s, with distinct wrinkles on his face, but his gaze was as strong as Ramur’s.
‘This must be Shakhov, the association head.’
The clothes he wore were noticeably different from those of regular receptionists. If he wasn’t the head, he must be at least a high-ranking official of the association.
“What kind of nonsense is this!”
My initial feeling quickly turned into certainty. The security captain grabbed him by the collar and growled.
“Shakhov, did you plan to die together?”
“It would be better if you put this down. Originally, you were supposed to escape, and they only intended to kill me, right?”
“……This bastard!!”
The security captain’s fist was raised high. Why does he always resort to violence first? I can almost understand why troublemakers stick together.
Just as I thought it might be necessary to intervene, Ramur’s attack was blocked by an invisible barrier. A palpable mana aura could be felt, with green mist rising into the air.
“You won’t gain anything by causing such a commotion. The one who will lose is you, Captain of the Security Division.”
“Grrr……!!”
Captain Ramur finally looked around. Not just us, but everyone gathered was watching the two of them.
Even with the guards, they couldn’t just kick out guests without a proper reason.
In the end, the security captain was overwhelmed by their presence.
“Damn it, let’s go inside and talk.”
“Could you also send the soldiers back? They’re disrupting business.”
“Stay back. The association head has something to discuss privately with me.”
“But……”
“An order. Go back.”
The guards reluctantly withdrew at the security captain’s words. Lu-mia approached me and whispered cautiously in my ear.
“They brought heavily armed guards, but they don’t seem to be planning such a big fuss.”
Though her warm breath tickled my ear, I ignored it and replied.
“It seems like even your guards aren’t supposed to hear this. Moreover, both the association head and the security captain seem to have found each other’s weaknesses.”
I pondered the association head’s statement. Originally, the security captain was supposed to escape, and only the association head was supposed to die.
It’s highly likely that the sudden freezing of the association’s transportation ledgers is related to this statement.
‘I should meet the association head once the security captain leaves.’
There’s no need to dig too deep.
After announcing that I came from the 3rd Battalion, it would be best to ask the reason for the ledger freeze.
Asking about it is naturally part of the duties when requesting military supplies.
As the two people disappeared into the association’s interior and the intimidating guards dispersed,
The association head’s tense atmosphere began to ease. Merchants left the association to unload their luggage, and visitors who came for transactions or exchanges started negotiating enthusiastically, seemingly indifferent to what happened.
Among them was our silver-haired military officer.
“Then, since the ledger has been frozen, either lower the transportation fee ratio or reduce the unit price.”
“That…… That might be difficult?”
“I’ll pass on your statement directly to our battalion commander and the logistics officer. They’ve already been upset about the recent fee hikes. They might actually come to break the association.”
“Oh, I understand!! Then, we’ll reduce the ratio by a certain amount. Please sign the document…….”
Why does it look like bullying is so exciting? It must be just my mood.
“Ah~! We’re out!”
“Thank you!”
“No, this gentleman here looks oddly familiar. Have we seen each other before?”
“Oh, yes…….”
I answered with a slightly muddled voice.
I had planned to eat lunch at the restaurant Bella Meyer took me to last time, but I had momentarily forgotten that I was in disguise.
“Hmm, we get so many customers. We must have seen each other sometime! Haha! Enjoy your meal!”
“Aha ha ha.”
Since I’m in the food industry anyway, it doesn’t matter much if I reveal it, but explaining it is quite a hassle.
Fortunately, our cheerful host didn’t pursue any unnecessary attention.
“By the way, Sergeant Lumina, did you know about this place too?”
“I knew about it because Sister Bella…… No, Sergeant Bella told me. I often use this place when I come to the city.”
“Both of you seem to travel quite a bit.”
“……Sometimes, just coming to the city is enough when you’re really struggling.”
Lumina said while putting food in her mouth. After chewing a few times, her purple eyes sparkled.
“Oh, it’s delicious.”
“This place always seems to have great food. It’s really a good restaurant.”
“Right?”
Lumina nodded with a happy smile.
“I’ll enjoy my meal too.”
I started eating along with her.
Last time, it was breakfast and had a brunch feel, but this time it was more like a proper meal.
Looking at it, it was somewhat similar to a Korean restaurant. There are no other options at places that really excel in making bibimbap.
There was warm beef soup, white wheat bread, and chicken cutlet dripping with oil.
‘Wow, this is really delicious.’
As the saying goes, ‘after eating, everything else comes second’, investigating spies also requires a full stomach to proceed smoothly.
With plenty of time ahead, it’s important to gather information as naturally as possible.
Incidentally, visiting a place like this is also part of the plan.
If I get caught, it’s all for naught. I need to enjoy this leisurely moment to make sure no suspicious people notice.
“Captain of the First Platoon.”
“Yes?”
“……Thank you.”
“Wha—, cough, cough!! Cough!”
Surprised by the unexpected gratitude, I choked. As I was coughing, Lumina hurriedly brought water.
“Captain! Water, water!!”
“Cough! Cough!! Ah, cough!!”
After gulping down some cold water, the burning sensation in my throat subsided.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes…… Ah, I’m fine now.”
“I’m sorry. I startled you.”
“It’s alright. You don’t need to apologize to me, Sergeant Lumina.”
I brushed off the scattered food mess. Both the seat and my clothes were in disarray. I used a napkin nearby to clean myself up.
If I had worn military uniform or the new clothes I bought last shopping trip, I would have been in tears.
“But why did you say that all of a sudden?”
“Because I haven’t thanked Corporal Rex personally yet.”
“It’s only been two days, after all. I think Sergeant Lumina’s victory is enough.”
Hearing this, Lumina stared at me intently. What’s wrong? Did I miss cleaning some food remnants earlier?
“Do you still have any food residue?”
“No, no! It’s not like that……”
Lumina hesitated and then reluctantly spoke.
“For the first time, I thought of a truly admirable officer…… No, a really impressive person.”
Lumina placed her utensils down.
“Never before has a platoon captain cared for our platoon members this much.”
“That’s because…… I’m a newly appointed officer. Of course, I shouldn’t betray my first platoon members, right?”
“No, Captain, you’re special. When Colonel Sony Chepelin offered you a recruitment proposal last time, I was sure you would accept.”
“I thought you felt the same way, Sergeant Lumina.”
I smiled lightly.
Back then, I had already anticipated the response based on the reactions of the platoon members.
“But I really want to work hard with this platoon for a year.”
“Me too, Captain. I’ll work hard with you. I trust you, Captain. Trust me too.”
“Of course.”
I could feel the strong bond forming between Lumina and me.
The derisively nicknamed ‘Worn-out Platoon’.
A platoon that received no attention or protection from anyone.
One of my goals is to transform these members into proper individuals within the remaining year.
I plan to share all the expertise I learned from the ‘Master Craftsman of the 10,000 Hours’ completely.
Even though it’s a fleeting connection, no one knows where or when we might meet again.
The five years given are not short.
“By the way, Lumina, why do I smell something burning?”
At my words, she sniffed the air. Her nose twitched, and her expression turned grim.
“Hmm? It smells unusually strong, but it doesn’t seem to be coming from the kitchen……”
Noticing something strange, she stood up.
Clunk!!
“Oh no, sir, it’s a disaster!”
The tightly closed door of the restaurant opened, and a man with a pale face rushed in.
As soon as the door opened, the smell of burning intensified.
This was a fire.
“There’s a big fire in the merchant association building, we need to evacuate quickly! It’s spreading to the entire street!!”
As the man jumped and shouted, I and Lumina rushed toward the association building.
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