My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

It was my first time coming to the firearms training ground, but I already had a rough idea of its location.
After all, I’d been keeping track of where the soldiers gathered whenever I walked to the mess hall.

The moment I entered, several soldiers turned to stare at me.
Well, obviously. I’d done nothing but sleep since arriving here.
There were only three soldiers currently training—Norman and two other juniors.

I walked up to them.
"Norman, I want to practice."
Norman froze in place, looking startled that I had actually spoken to him first. Then, as if shaken awake, he rushed to the storage area to grab a firearm for me.

"That was... fast?"
Normally, the upper-ranked soldiers followed my orders begrudgingly, always delaying by claiming they had other priorities to handle first.
But today?

Norman was moving like his life depended on it.
"...The hell?"
I took the firearm from him and examined it.

"A rifle?"
It was one of the new models I had seen during guerrilla training—the kind that was only just starting to be issued in some battalions.
My old unit hadn’t gotten these yet, but since Snowy Mountain Battalion faced more dangerous threats, they had already started using them.

It felt heavier in my hands than my previous firearm, but I already knew how to use it.
"Hmm."
It had better accuracy, could hold more rounds, and had an overall stronger impact.

I adjusted my stance, loaded the rifle, and positioned it against my shoulder.
And then—
BANG!
"Shit—forgot to reinforce my aura."

My ears rang painfully as the gunshot echoed through the training grounds.
For a moment, I couldn’t hear a damn thing.
But more importantly—

"I actually hit the target dead center?"
My old firearm scattered bullets too much to be precise. It was great for suppressing enemies, but not for accuracy.
This felt... different.

It actually felt satisfying to shoot.
It’d be easier to hit enemies without risking friendly fire, too.
Just as I was admiring the rifle, I noticed Norman inching closer.

He had been eyeing me for a while now, and his expression looked... weirdly hopeful?
"...What?"
He hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.

"Um, Salvia... we have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
I turned my head, and that was when I saw the two juniors behind him.

They looked at me with pleading eyes, almost... pitifully.
"Was firearms your primary specialty?"
"Yeah, why?"

At that, Norman’s expression brightened instantly, and he asked in a desperate tone—
"Can you teach us how to shoot?"
"...What?"

Wait.
Wait, wait, wait.
Did they just say they don't know how to shoot?

Even if this was a new model, they should have at least received basic training on it.
I gave them a long, hard stare, but they only grinned sheepishly, waiting eagerly for my response.
And so, they explained the situation.

Apparently—
Every single designated sharpshooter in this battalion had died.
A Rank 1 monster had attacked during a recent extermination mission, wiping out every trained rifleman.

This wasn’t just Alpha Squad.
Beta Squad and Gamma Squad lost their sharpshooters too.
Now?

The only remaining sharpshooters were one or two rookies stationed at the rear lines.
"...You have got to be fucking kidding me."
I stared at Norman in disbelief.

"Are you joking?"
Even if swords were their primary weapons, they should have at least learned the basics of firearms.
Even Winter, who wasn’t a sharpshooter, had taught me how to shoot when I was still a Private.

And yet—
These guys had a brand-new, top-tier rifle in their hands, and they didn’t even know how to use it?
"This is literally dereliction of duty."

I could feel my old temper from 18th Company resurfacing.
"Are you trying to get your juniors killed?"
"W-We’re sorry… Please help us…!"

"...Oh, now you need me?"
Now that they needed something from me, suddenly they were polite.
Where was this attitude before, huh?

Just a few days ago, they’d been ignoring me like I didn’t exist.
I almost wanted to grab my rifle and smack each of them in the head, then go right back to my room.
But—

If I didn’t teach them, they’d just end up dead later.
And if the battalion lacked sharpshooters, that meant I’d be in danger too.
Besides…

Their faces looked so desperate.
"…Goddamn it."
In the end, I sighed and took a deep breath.

"Fine. Get your asses ready for training."
"No, dumbass, hold your arm higher. Keep the stock pressed against your shoulder!"
"Ohhh! Thank you, Salvia!"

"Don’t thank me—just fucking practice, you idiots! And don’t talk to me after this! I’m still pissed off!"
Thus, for the first time in this godforsaken battalion, I reverted back to my 18th Company self.
And in the end, I ended up saving this damn unit from its own incompetence.

***
“Really? You taught her how to shoot?”
“Yes, sir! And her accuracy was incredible!”

At Norman’s excited exclamation, Luna and Ash exchanged skeptical glances.
“She specialized in firearms, yet she’s been using a sword this whole time?”
“Who knows what she was thinking.”

Now, they finally understood why the recruits had been looking at Salvia with newfound respect throughout the day. She had proven her worth in front of them.
“Well… If she seemed that weak but still managed to survive this long, she must be pretty skilled.”
Luna nodded grudgingly. The only reason they had looked down on Salvia was because she came from the Mountain Battalion. Regardless, any soldier who survived long enough to be promoted to an officer objectively possessed above-average abilities.

“Skilled but with a terrible personality. The usual.”
The phrase “Skilled but an Asshole” was a common label in the Snowy Mountain Battalion. The longer one survived, the more their abilities and personality seemed to be inversely proportional.
“So, does this mean we should start treating Salvia with more respect?”

Norman looked between Luna and Ash, wondering if they should start acting differently now that Salvia had proven herself.
But Luna and Ash simply shook their heads.
“She said she just wants to lay low and get out of here, didn’t she?”

“Just because she’s capable doesn’t mean we have to start groveling.”
“…Understood.”
Norman responded hesitantly, unable to shake his doubts.

‘Is this really okay?’
Salvia was someone who could potentially help them, yet they were still giving her a hard time. Was this the right call?
More than anything, though…

‘She doesn’t seem like someone you can mess with.’
For some reason, he had the unsettling feeling that, before long, Salvia would have them by the collar, shaking them senseless.
***

To Salvia,
Hello, Salvia!!!! I’m so relieved that Aquila said he’d deliver my letter to you!!!
I missed you so much that I actually considered deserting, but Aquila stopped me, saying that was out of the question. It’s truly a shame…

But of course, if you want me to desert, I’d be more than happy to! Just write me back and let me know!
Salvia, I really miss you… I miss you… I miss you… I miss you… I miss you… I miss you…
To Aquila,

Aquila, you’re doing great. Please, for the love of god, keep stopping Karon whenever he starts talking about desertion. I’m seriously worried about him—he’s unhinged.
Also, tell Karon that I already got the message—he misses me. He can stop filling up three whole pages just to repeat it over and over.
How are you doing? I’m a little curious about the other recruits too, but not enough to actually want to see them again.

Lately, I’ve been missing you. Really, really missing you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you—wait, now I sound like Karon.
It’s freezing here. This place is hell. I want to desert!!! Oh, great, now I sound like Karon again…
To Salvia,

You don’t have to worry about Karon, Salvia. I’ve got him under control.
The other recruits are the same as ever. Sanchez is still strong, Patty and Matty are still causing trouble, Jason is still struggling. Dalin’s been acting a little different lately. Benny is still a great recruit.
But I got worried when you said it’s cold there. You get irritable when it’s cold.

I don’t mind if you get irritable, Salvia. I don’t care what the other recruits think. But be careful when you’re out on a monster subjugation. If you get hurt because of it, that’s the only thing that matters to me. The other recruits aren’t important.
To Aquila,
Thanks. I’ve been rereading the letters you gave me in advance.

But I have a question—why do you keep bringing up the other recruits whenever you mention me getting irritable?
Are you saying I get irritated at them? I don’t think I’m that type of person.
Of course not. Whenever you get irritated, they’re just overreacting. You’re not a scary or bad superior, Salvia.

***
D-702 until discharge.
Today was the scheduled monster subjugation mission that took place once a month.

Monster subjugations had always been a pain, even in my previous unit, but since this was the Snowy Mountain Battalion, it was bound to be even worse.
Bundling up in thick layers made it hard to move, but taking them off would mean freezing to death. There were too many things to worry about.
“Ah, fuck…”

The thought of having to fight in this freezing hell put me in a foul mood. Muttering curses under my breath, I trudged forward.
After a month of enduring these frigid conditions, I could feel myself growing more irritable by the day.
Not long ago, I had been woken up by a commotion in the hallway. For a brief moment, I had nearly bolted out of bed to grab the culprit by the collar. But in a supreme act of restraint, I had managed to let them live.

Anyway, since the geography here was completely different from my previous posting, so were the types of monsters. Most of them had evolved specifically to survive in the cold.
Recently, there had been reports of yeti sightings in these mountains, so our mission today was to track it down.
A yeti was a massive monster covered in snow-white fur, resembling a gorilla—but far more vicious. Anything caught in its grasp was ripped apart without mercy.

While the other soldiers scanned the area with sharp, eager eyes, I hunched my shoulders against the cold, scowling as I observed my surroundings. The freezing weather made it impossible to move properly.
Snap.
The sound of a branch breaking underfoot drew my gaze downward.

As I moved my foot away from the broken twig, I noticed something in the snow.
“Yeti tracks.”
They were massive—several times the size of my own footprint. They resembled the tracks of a gorilla, only much, much bigger.

As soon as I confirmed it, I swiftly turned my head and scanned the area.
Down the slope, I saw more tracks leading further into the mountain.