Chapter 20 — The ghost of the battlefield (6)

It was too much for Roan.

“Squad commander Richard. Even though you are from the special squad, isn’t this too much?”

The person that elevated his voice was Gale.

“Squad commander Gale. Are you getting angry at me?”

A low voice but with strength.

Gale coughed and smacked his lips.

“Ahem. Anyways, we can’t give you Roan.”

At those words, Richard shook his head as if it was stifling him.

“It seems like you don’t know how outstanding Roan’s spearmanship is. Roan’s skills isn’t one to be at a normal squad as a low ranked spearman.”

Expectation fills his eyes.

‘It’s really amazing for it to be skills from an 18 year old novice. If he’s polished well, he may become a powerful person such as Rale Baker.’

If you were a commander that lead a troop, it was human nature to want to have a weapon.

Then, Gale that was hesitating, abruptly yelled.

“Who, who’s a low ranked spearman?”

Richard frowned.

“I’m talking about Roan. I know that he’s a normal spearman with no assigned positions.”

At his words, Gale grinned and shook his head.

“When is that story of? There are the merits Roan accumulated, and because he had also rendered great amount of help, I was planning to give him the position of squad commander.”

In that instant, it was obvious for Richard, but Roan and the rose troop army that were also listening put on a surprised expression.

‘Squad commander? Already?’

Roan felt his heart beating.

It was true that he had accumulated quite a few merits with the goblin army, slave merchants and also in this surprise attack, but even so he was still an 18 year old novice spearman that has just finished his training.

“Tro, troop commander!”

The urgent voices of the adjutants.

Gale looked at them as if ordering them to shut up.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Richard asked back with a composed voice.

Even if he had his merits and his skills were excellent, it was still excessive to appoint an 18 year old novice as a squad commander.

‘Because leading your underlings isn’t only done with skills.’

The squad commanders lead 20 plus soldiers.

Because of that, one needed the leadership to be able to lead the squad members in the battle field with experience.

So it was difficult to expect that from Roan that had just experienced the battlefield two or three times.

But of course, this was Richard’s thought.

Actually, Roan was an experienced soldier that had roamed the battlefield for 20 years.

‘Even if I do say it, no one will believe me. Anyways……’

Roan put on a bitter smile and started to remember.

‘The first time I became squad commander………Was it 15 years from now on?’

Quite a late promotion.

His friends at that time were already at least adjutants or troop commanders.

Or they had retired soon and returned to their hometown to farm.

Roan was the only one that roamed the battlefield as a normal soldier.

‘But to become a squad commander so soon……’

A bewildering yet overflowing with joy feeling.

Then, Gale’s voice was heard.

“I am out of my mind. I’m planning to add one more squad with this opportunity.”

“And how are you going to fill the squad members?”

“There are squads that suffered in a big way in this battle.”

At Gale’s reply, Richard frowned.

“Are you saying that you are going to gather squad members from other squads as one?”

“Yes. You can see that the 42nd squad is a union squad.”

An unobstructed reply.

Richard looked at Gale’s eyes fixedly.

‘It seems like you don’t want him to get taken.’

In the end, he let out a sigh and shook his head.

“If you are willing to go up to that point I will fall back.”

Richard looked at Roan.

“If you need some help, come and look for me anytime.”

Roan bent his head instead of replying.

Richard moved his feet and when he looked at the dispirited adjutants, he shook his head.

“You too will have it real hard.”

Incomprehensible words.

But the adjutants slightly bend their heads as if they had understood enough.

As Richard walked out, Kenny, that had the fiercest temperament stood out to try to hold back Gale.

“Sir commander. I think that the seat of squad commander for an 18 year old novice is too excessive.”

The other adjutants also stand up.

“That’s right. Why don’t you give him the seat of vice squad commander of the 13th squad?”

“Or raising his salary should also be good.”

However Gale wasn’t planning on stepping back.

‘I will certainly keep the words I said.’

He looked at the adjutants with fierce eyes.

“I have no plans on changing my word. Kenny, Jack and Dosen, go to the other squads and bring in some squad members. The squad commander for the 42nd squad shall be Roan.”

Gale’s sight is directed to Roan.

“Roan. You can do it well right?”

At those words, Roan slightly bent his head.

“I can do it well.”

He didn’t say that he would try his best, or will work hard.

Will do it well.

This situation needed those words right now, and he was also confident.

Gale nodded with a satisfied expression.

Then, Roan raised his head and after glancing at the cold adjutants, he spoke with a low voice.

“Um but……”

As his words became cloudy, Gale made signs with his eyes as if it was okay.

Roan laughed awkwardly and continued speaking.

“I have some soldiers that I want to bring to my squad.”

*****

Austin was a 28 year old hot blooded youth that has been roaming the battlefield for 8 years.

Although his spearmanship was shapeless, he had really good strength so he rendered small merits many times.

‘Good. If I keep this, in one more year I will get promoted to squad commander.’

When he was in his break day dreaming.

“Austin. It’s a transference order.”

The transference order fell in the rose troop abruptly.

‘Maybe! Already getting the promotion for squad commander?’

If it wasn’t for that, there was no reason for him to transfer squads.

Expectation made his chest heave up and down.

But the reality that fell was a drainwater.

‘To serve this novice as my squad commander?’

His face kept contorting.

And this wasn’t only Austin’s thoughts.

‘Damn. I stepped on sheet.’

‘To serve a novice that just finished his training as a squad commander.’

‘Aren’t we only going to die because of this novice squad commander?’

In the face of the soldiers, anger, annonyment, rage and disappointment could be seen.

‘Yea. I understand you.’

Roan looked at the faces of the soldiers and put on a smile.

Because he would also get annoyed if he was told to serve an 18 year old novice as a squad commander.

He took in a deep breath and looked at the eyes of the soldiers fixedly.

“You all should have complaints. And you may not be able to understand.”

A childish voice.

The faces of the soldiers contort even more.

Roan didn’t get disturbed and kept talking.

“I won’t talk for long.”

He raised his ten fingers.

“Just ten days. Just believe in me for 10 days and follow me. If perhaps, you still don’t like me after 10 days, I will make you return to your original squads.”

Only then did the faces of the soldiers loosen up.

‘10 days………’

‘So I only have to endure it for 10 days, right?’

They would have to sloppily act until then.

Then, behind the dispirited soldiers a loud reply could be heard.

“Understood!”

The owners of those voices were no other than Pierce and Glenn.

They were the soldiers Roan wanted to take in.

Roan turned back and let out a laughter.

‘Rest well tonight. Because you won’t be able to think straight starting from tomorrow.’

His corner of the mouth raises with an ill nature.

*****

A group of people enters the camp.

A worn out armor with blood stains.

“Huk. Huk.”

Chests that shake roughly.

However their eyes were fierce and their steps imposing.

The soldiers that were having their break near them started to whisper.

“It’s the ghost squad.”

“They say that they also did it this time?”

“That squad commander over there is the ghost of the battlefield. Ghost of the battlefield.”

“He’s really amazing. Amazing.”

“They say that they annihilated three monster dens in just ten days.”

The soldiers of that group received the gazes of the other soldiers and went towards a deep part of the camp.

Then, a magnanimous voice was heard.

“Oho! Ghost of the battlefield!”

The man that approaches while shaking his hand was Pete.

The man that was walking in front of the group smiled brightly and bent down.

“Mister Pete.”

A kind salute.

At that instant, Pete shakes his body and his hands with big motions.

“Aigoo. Squad commander Roan, please talk to me relaxedly.”

A humorous voice.

Roan smirked and shook his head.

“Stop making fun of me.”

“Ahem. It’s because it’s funny.”

Pete laughed brightly and scratched his chin.

He looked at the men behind Roan and said in amazement.

“Squad commander Roan. You also did one today?”

At those words, Roan looks back.

Fierce eyes and imposing attitudes.

They were the soldiers that just 10 days ago had faces full of annoyance and rage.

The newly established 42nd squad.

Now, the 42nd squad was being called as the ghost squad.

“Yes. We encountered some goblins.”

“You encountered them? You didn’t go to find them?”

Roan just smiled brightly instead of replying.

Pete put on a humorous expression.

“Squad commander Roan, your nickname is ghost of the battlefield, ghost.”

He hit Roan’s shoulder and continued speaking.

“Because you guess where the monsters are and where the den of the monsters is. That’s why you are a ghost.”

At his words, Roan put on a bitter smile.

‘It’s fortunate that i’m not the divine teller of the battlefield.’

End

Translator: Subak