Chapter 31

After a while, he arrived at the headquarters of the 6th Special Operations Regiment.

"Yui! Is that really you, Yui?"

A clear, resonant voice, a handsome face that looked honest and refreshing, and a well-built physique.

I felt a bit uneasy about my old classmate from the military academy, who still looked as handsome as ever, but I smiled with nostalgia.

"Roz! I heard you were injured in the leg, but I'm relieved to see you looking well!"

"Nothing serious, it didn't get blown off. It's still attached, just a bit hard to run with."

Lieutenant Roz chuckled. Upon closer inspection, he was slightly favoring his left leg.

From the looks of it, not only would running be difficult, but riding a horse would also be challenging.

If his mobility on the battlefield is impaired, he can only be assigned to rear duties. However, positions like instructor or combat tactics researcher are typically held by veterans. Young officers are usually dismissed.

That's why I decided to take him in.

Hanna, the sergeant major who had come to greet him, was saluting, so I introduced him.

"This is Roz Steyer, a brilliant artillery officer. Hasn't he become a major yet?"

"Heh, no way. Still a lieutenant. I heard you became a staff lieutenant. Congratulations. Just as I expected, my judgment of people is pretty good."

Lieutenant Roz winked. He really is a refreshing guy. It's annoying.

"Hanna, be careful with him. He's quite the talker. 'Chatty Roz' was known as the top womanizer in the artillery corps. He even managed to win the heart of the third daughter of the Duke of Mildor's younger brother."

"Hey, that's a bit harsh. I just asked for her hand properly and kept trying until I succeeded."

Roz Steyer comes from a wealthy merchant family, though he is the second son. He's quite different from me, belonging to the upper middle class.

He is gentle, well-liked, and good-looking. He doesn't slack off and is academically excellent. His military service is impeccable. He is diligent and straightforward, a model soldier.

That's why the Duke of Mildor's younger brother approved of his marriage to his precious daughter, judging him to be a valuable asset to the Mildor family.

...However, he was a bit unlucky.

"But is it really a good thing? The 6th Special Operations Regiment is an all-girls regiment, and we only have one infantry platoon right now. You'll be teaching artillery to girls."

Roz chuckled.

"If I'm discharged from the military, I'll have nowhere to go. My older brother is taking over the family business, and I'm just a simple-minded artillery expert."

"You're not simple-minded."

He is incredibly skilled with women.

That's why I thought he wouldn't cause any problems in our regiment. He is not the type to be condescending to women, regardless of their status.

"But now that you've been kicked out of the 3rd Regiment, your wife...?"

She has probably already been divorced. The Duke of Mildor's younger brother wouldn't allow it, no matter what his wife thinks.

But then, someone came from behind him.

"Sir, is this gentleman Mr. Chrombertz?"

A refined and gentle-looking beauty was smiling. Could this be Roz's wife?

Roz chuckled.

"Hey, you naughty princess. I told you to stay in the carriage."

"I wanted to meet you quickly. You're his best friend, right?"

Is that so?

Roz's wife bowed to me.

"Nice to meet you. I am Yulina, the wife of Roz Steyer."

"Isn't it customary for a husband to introduce his wife first in the Mildor family?"

"Oh, the Steyer family doesn't have such a custom."

She seems like an interesting lady.

Even more interestingly, a little girl of about two years old peeked out from behind her skirt.

"Come on, Marett, say hello."

"Umm... hello."

She bowed shyly and then quickly hid again.

I greeted them one by one.

"I am Lieutenant Yui Chrombertz, staff officer of the 6th Special Operations Regiment. I was greatly helped by Lieutenant Roz at the military academy. ...Marett? I'm a friend of your father. Nice to meet you?"

I started to break out in a cold sweat. A happy family has come to a den of troubled individuals.

Roz scratched his head.

"Yulina insisted on not getting divorced. After a stubborn standoff, Marett even joined in to persuade her father-in-law."

I can imagine. Grandpa couldn't win against his grandchild, could he?

"But the real reason her father-in-law gave in is that the 6th Special Operations Regiment distinguished itself in the defense of Zepher Fortress. He said you are genuine warriors, not just for show."

It's nice to hear that. Everyone risked their lives in that battle.

Roz added.

"Also, if we can establish a connection with Minister Altsar, it will create a pipeline to the Medilen family. The Mildor family is in a bit of a difficult position right now."

"I understand. It's the 'East' group, right?"

The northeastern part of the Mildor territory includes the Lutreuil territory and the imperial direct-controlled territory.

Roz nodded silently and then smiled brightly.

"So, we'll be a family here. If you have anything to say to the Mildor family, just ask my wife. The younger brother of the Duke is in charge of the family's finances."

"I will... thank you."

It seems we've acquired some powerful connections. It's a blessing, I suppose.

Hanna and I exchanged glances and laughed, then smiled at the Steyer family.

"Welcome to the 6th Special Operations Regiment. The regimental commander has prepared quarters for you, so please take your belongings there."

* * *

A few days later, Colonel Altsar was laughing in the regimental office.

"Lieutenant Steyer is an excellent artillery officer. He's a good teacher and well-liked by the soldiers. You've brought in a good talent. As expected of my staff officer."

"I just picked up a bargain from the clearance section."

Lieutenant Roz was injured by the artillery fire of the Bruges army, making it difficult for him to perform front-line duties. If it weren't for the recent battle, he would still be a promising young officer in the 3rd Division, active on the front lines.

He is a victim of the Duke of Lutreuil's plot, which derailed his life.

I suddenly realized that the colonel was staring at me.

"You look happy. Are you glad to have saved a friend?"

"Well... I'm not feeling bad."

I'm honestly relieved that Roz didn't lose his job and family. It's an uncharacteristic emotion for me.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I tried to look stern.

"I'll make good use of him. We've received five used field guns from the 5th Division, complete with past firing records. We'll use them for artillery conversion training right away. It was a good decision to have them study reading, writing, and arithmetic thoroughly. After all, artillery requires both textbooks and arithmetic."

I rattled off quickly, but the colonel was still looking at me.

"...What?"

"Hehe."

He laughed with a warm smile.

Hey, I'm the Death Staff Officer. I'm scary.

Thus, the 6th Special Operations Regiment's training ground was filled with the sound of artillery from morning till evening.

Two infantry platoons of about a hundred men, a field artillery platoon with five guns, a band, and reconnaissance cavalry.

It's still a small force, but it's gradually growing stronger.