My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

Ash, who had randomly been told that his name wasn’t to my liking, simply nodded.
"Yeah, she does seem like kind of a nasty person."
"But she said she just wants to keep her head down, so isn’t it fine if we just ignore her?"

Norman, the third senior soldier who had been silently listening, responded with a serious expression.
With Norman included, the three of them made up all of the senior soldiers in Alpha Platoon.
"That’s true."

"Still, she looks kind of… I don’t know."
Norman tilted his head as he recalled the image of Salvia—delicate, like a single elegant flower.
Here in Snowy Mountain Battalion, where even plants froze to death, bright colors were a rare sight.

"Yeah, I wasn’t expecting much from her."
"But maybe she has strong Arkon blood?"
"Her eyes looked too soft for that."

They each shared their doubts about what kind of person Salvia really was, but none of their thoughts were particularly positive.
In the end, though, they came to an agreement—
There was no need to pay any attention to her.

Of course, they weren’t childish enough to bully her or try to challenge her authority.
Surviving in this brutal environment was hard enough. Wasting energy on pointless drama was stupid.
So, they decided—Salvia simply wasn’t worth their time.

***
'Is it just my imagination?'
No.
It definitely wasn’t.

The soldiers in this unit were completely ignoring me.
"Hey, it’s way too cold. Can I get an extra blanket?"
"No."

"Oh… okay."
If I tried to start a conversation, they’d shut it down with short, clipped responses.
And if I tried to continue?

They’d vanish under the excuse of having work to do.
"Why didn’t anyone tell me the supply shipment arrived?"
"I knocked, but you didn’t answer."

"Then open the damn door and wake me up next time!"
They had zero intention of approaching me or getting along.
I had planned to just keep my head down, but at this point, it was getting annoying.

On top of the freezing cold, I was now suffering through silent meditation training.
"Haaah…"
Feeling stifled, I stepped outside for some fresh air.

The moment I did, the bone-chilling cold slammed into me.
Even bundled up in my thick coat, my teeth started chattering.
"Fuck this…."

Maybe the stuffy, stale air inside the barracks was better after all.
Just as I was about to head back inside, I suddenly came face-to-face with Ash—one of the soldiers who had been ignoring me.
'Ash is probably the top dog here.'

Among the three senior soldiers, Ash and Luna seemed to be the highest-ranked.
But Ash was the one with a stronger personality, while Luna mostly just went along with whatever he said.
Spending years in the military sharpens your ability to read people, after all.

Ash didn’t seem to have personal hatred toward me.
But among the senior soldiers, he was definitely the one who disliked me the most.
"Haaah…"

I sighed and turned to head inside—but then my eyes caught something in his hands.
A box.
And inside that box?

Scarves.
"Hey, what’s with the scarves?"
My voice came out a little too hopeful.

Ash glanced at me briefly before answering.
"Supplies."
"Can I take one now?"

"Not yet. We distribute them to the new recruits first. That’s the rule."
…Technically, that was correct.
New recruits were always given priority for supplies.

But usually, in cases like this, senior soldiers were taken care of first.
Back in my old unit, I would’ve chewed someone out for this.
"I’m freezing my ass off, and you want to play by the book?"

But right now?
I was too cold to even be angry.
So I just kept my mouth shut.

'I’ll remember this…'
Not that I could do anything about it later, but still.
As I stomped back inside, I spotted Frost approaching in the distance.

The moment he saw me, he smirked and waved.
"Salvia."
Frost was, unfortunately, the only person here who actually talked to me.

He didn’t try to stop the others from ignoring me, but he also didn’t actively participate.
Instead, he just observed.
Which was why I had been avoiding him.

"Hahaha, you look irritated."
"Yeah. I wonder whose fault that is."
"Oh, I already know exactly what’s on your mind. Haha."

To make matters worse, around his neck was one of the new scarves.
The very same ones Ash had refused to give me.
'This bastard. So they can bend the rules when they feel like it?'

They had no problem giving Frost special treatment.
But me?
Oh, gotta follow regulations!

I scowled at him openly.
Frost, clearly amused, tilted his head.
"Still having trouble adjusting?"

"I’ve lost all interest in adjusting."
At this point, I was too petty to even bother trying to get along with them.
"Oh? So you’re really planning to stay like this?"

"Yeah, pretty much."
I shrugged, but Frost simply chuckled.
"Hmm… Life tends to take unexpected turns, you know. Hahaha."

…What the hell was this guy’s deal?
Every time he spoke, it was like he was trying to foreshadow some big revelation.
Annoying.

And knowing my shit luck, he’d probably end up being right.
***
To Salvia,

Salvia, how are you doing?
I received your letter yesterday, so by the time this reaches you, you’ll have already spent a few weeks in your new unit.
I’m worried that you ended up being assigned to Snowy Mountain Battalion of all places. Make sure to dress warmly so you don’t catch a cold. If you keep your neck warm, your whole body will feel warmer, so don’t forget to wear a scarf, button up your coat all the way, and if your hands start cracking from the cold, try collecting the mucus from certain slug-type monsters—it could help.

Two years might feel like a long time, but if you take it one day at a time, it’ll pass before you know it. I know you’ll do well. Like always, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to write to me.
Hoping you’re doing well,
Ishina
To Ishina,

I’m freezing to death.
It’s cold. Really cold.
I got my scarf way too late….

And while you say I’ll do well, I’m struggling to adapt here….
With frozen fingers,
Salvia
To Salvia,

I was a little worried after reading your letter, but I still believe you’ll adjust in no time. You’re good at that.
Actually, I’m not worried about you adapting.
I’m worried about whether your subordinates can adapt to you.

That’s what really concerns me.
Still, I’ll keep cheering you on.
Ishina

"Wait, shouldn't you be worrying about me?!?!"
I shouted at the letter, fuming.
What the hell did she mean they might not be able to adapt to me?!

Did she think I’m the problem?!
Feeling unreasonably betrayed, I reached for another source of comfort.
"Aquilaaa…."

Unlike Ishina’s nonsense, my reality remained unchanged.
I was still struggling to adjust.
No—this entire battalion was insane.

No—this mountain itself was insane.
It was actively trying to kill me.
It was colder, mintier, and icier than even the Cool Mint Ice Maniacs from my old unit.

I thought I’d eventually adjust to the cold, but every single day was just as freezing as the first.
And to make things worse—Ash had delayed giving me my scarf!
…Though, if nothing else, I had finally gotten a taste of a lazy life for the first time since enlisting.

Wake up slowly in the morning, eat breakfast, go back to sleep.
Wake up for lunch, do minimal effort during guard duty, nap again.
Eat dinner, wash up, read Aquila’s letters, and then fall asleep again.

Sleep, sleep, sleep.
Since it was so cold, I ended up sleeping more just to conserve warmth.
I’d sealed my windows shut, layered multiple blankets, and bundled up as tightly as possible, but none of it stopped the cold from creeping in.

At first, I genuinely wondered if I was falling into a hibernation coma every time I drifted off.
I even tried yelling motivational quotes at myself:
"Wake up! This is an apocalypse! If you fall asleep, you die!"

But eventually, sleep won.
…And after waking up multiple times, I realized I wasn’t actually dying.
So, that was fine.

But still, every single night, I missed Aquila so much I could cry.
If he were here, he would have saved me from this frozen hell.
And on top of that—I was lonely.

I had sworn not to care about these cold-hearted soldiers, but coming to a new unit and having no one to talk to felt more miserable than I expected.
The only thing keeping me sane was Aquila’s letters.
Every day, I’d open one letter, whisper his name, and cling to his words for comfort.

Especially my favorite letter—the one I read over and over:
To Salvia,
Salvia, did you arrive at your new unit safely?

Everything there must feel strange and unfamiliar, right? New environment, new people.
I was worried you might be nervous about it.
But Salvia, everything is fine.

Nothing has changed.
I’m still here, waiting for you, thinking about you.
We’re just spending two years apart, but we’ll meet again.

Your world hasn’t changed.
You don’t have to feel afraid.
"You crazy bastard…"

I clutched the letter to my chest, my heart aching.
He understood me.
He knew exactly what would make me anxious.

That was why this was my favorite letter—the one I kept re-reading.
"I want to desert, goddamn it…"
The thought hit me hard again.

The one person who actually understood me wasn’t here.
I desperately needed to stop thinking about that.
So, I ripped open today’s letter early—even though I usually saved them for bedtime.

I just couldn’t wait.
To Salvia,
Salvia, it’s been a week since you arrived.

Have you adjusted to your new unit?
You’ll do well wherever you go.
And even if you haven’t adjusted yet, it’s okay. There’s plenty of time left.

I felt warmth spread through my chest as I read his words—until I reached the next part of the letter.
You’re strong, but don’t forget to get used to the weapons in your new unit.
Especially the firearms—your supply stocks might be different now.

"…Weapons?"
Now that I thought about it, I’d only been carrying my sword during guard duty.
I hadn’t bothered trying out the firearms here.

I already knew how to fight with a sword, so I just couldn’t be bothered.
But soon, there would be a regular monster extermination mission.
And Aquila was right—I needed to get used to the guns here.

"I can’t afford to be careless and die as an officer."
Yeah, fuck that.
I didn’t survive this long just to die because of laziness!

Aquila had saved my life yet again.
Feeling reinvigorated, I jumped up and marched straight to the training grounds.