[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]
Side Stories 18
As sumr 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 re sll 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 at over fruit."
"at is the best, isn't it? But you can't be picky, right, Bom-i?"
We even gave a nickna to our child, who was peacefully sleeping in her mother's womb.
Bom-i, aning ‘spring.’ We initially wanted to na her ‘sumr,’ 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 at 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 sothing new? Should I ask Lasker for so of their dishes? You said they were good last ti."
"Ugh, if I keep eating like this, I'll really beco a pig."
"Even if you beco 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 consud at 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 consud pork, along with lamb, chicken, and whale at.
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 ntion 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 at, 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 cos to military matters, I've beco a person they must invite, so I'm inevitably busy.
"What's on your schedule today?"
"It's the official establishnt day of the Empire's Sharpshooter Brigade. Most of them are Lav's trainees, so I thought it would be good for 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 soone did back in my day.
During my ti as a trainee in a previous life and even in this one, soone always shouted 'Chung!' from the back, causing us to get massively screwed over.
You think it might have been ? 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 ntal strength, truly the elite of the elite. Perhaps these friends are the kind of special forces I rember.
…Maybe I should create a unit like that for real. But to do that, we'd need assault thods, 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 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 soone with no experience and soone who's been there and done that.
Lav would have known this too. The pressure must have been imnse.
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. So of them did participate in the war.
But if you ask if they perford like Lav did, unfortunately—or rather, fortunately—no.
Because and our reservists had already wiped them out before they got there.
"You will beco the most lethal force in our glorious Imperial Army. At the sa ti, 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 re words? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.
So 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 sa 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 sothing you'll never understand, even if you die and co 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 becos overwhelming.
"Um, brother?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have any words for the trainees? The Brigade Commander left so ti in the schedule just in case you wanted to say sothing."
? Nah. Why would I do that? They want to finish quickly and rest.
Even though I'm a dal of Honor recipient, I have no interest in tornting active-duty soldiers.
They've worked hard for days preparing for this event, so they should go and rest.
"Let's do sothing else."
Yes, sothing else. Let's approach this in a way that benefits our juniors.
"In my na, 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 dal 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 esteed dal of Honor recipient seems to think it's okay to keep Marquises and Counts waiting!"
"Hurry up and get over here. No, I an, 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 ."
"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 Tournant ]
"Hmm."
It looked a bit dull. Co to think of it, the banner seed a bit shabby too.
Hey, you four. Are you sure you prepared this tournant 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 Tournant! ]
[ Who will be the champion of the first official Empire tournant? ]
"..."
What the f*ck!
[Translator - Angel Dust]
[Proofreader - Prototype]
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