My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

Before I could even report it, someone else had already noticed the tracks and shouted.

“There are tracks here!”
The soldiers’ expressions hardened at the sight of the footprints leading down the mountain. If a monster had crossed the border and attacked a village, they’d be the ones held responsible.
“Follow the tracks down! Move!”

As soon as the platoon leader issued the order, the soldiers sprinted down the mountain in perfect formation. Despite the frozen ground, they moved swiftly without slipping.
‘This is hell.’
Keeping up with their speed was nearly impossible for someone unfamiliar with navigating frozen terrain like this.

As I clung to tree branches for balance, struggling not to slip, Ash’s voice came from behind, laced with mockery.
“You should start getting used to this, don’t you think? Around here, we can get down a slope with our eyes closed without tripping.”
…I had been holding back, but their attitude really pissed me off. It was easier to ignore them when I was holed up in the barracks, but now, even during a monster subjugation, they were acting like this.

But Ash had a point. My ability to traverse the snow was lacking. Gritting my teeth, I focused on keeping pace with them.
“Left!”
At the urgent shout, everyone turned their gaze.

A massive beast covered in white fur stood on two legs. At its feet lay a bloodied rabbit, and its mouth was smeared with red.
“Squad One! Hold formation and charge!”
At the command, the soldiers swiftly took their positions and lunged at the yeti. Since I carried a firearm, I was positioned in the rear, gripping my gun tightly as I aimed.

A yeti was classified as a second-tier monster, meaning it was dangerous. If they let their guard down, some of the less experienced recruits could easily end up dead.
This was my first time witnessing the battalion in combat, and I could tell right away that they were well-trained. The high casualty rate had shaped them into disciplined soldiers.
“Squad Two, fill in the gaps immediately!”

…But there were moments when strict formations weren’t enough.
A few inexperienced soldiers from Squad One stumbled, and their formation collapsed instantly. Even as the fallen soldiers were left vulnerable, Ash merely shut his eyes for a moment before barking an order for Squad Two to cover the gap.
But if they wanted to maximize survival…
“Get down!!”

My throat felt like it was tearing from the sudden shout. Since being assigned to this unit, I had never raised my voice like this.
But screw it. I decided to just go back to the way I used to be. I was done holding back.
Because my patience had officially run out.

“You’re all fucking dead!”
***
“Shit…!”

The recruits were in danger, but maintaining formation meant leaving them behind.
Luna clenched her eyes shut, gripping her sword tighter as she prepared to stay in the fight. Then, a commanding voice rang out—a woman’s voice, filled with authority and power.
“Get down!!”

The sheer weight of that voice made the recruits in Squad One drop to the ground all at once. They didn’t even know whose order it was; they just obeyed instinctively, following years of drilled-in discipline.
At the exact moment they dropped, blood spattered in the air, and the yeti staggered back.
“You’re all fucking dead!”

Luna finally turned around—only to see a woman standing with a gun, her fiery gaze burning beneath coral-colored hair, loosely tied back.
It was her.
The woman who had done nothing but sleep in the barracks since arriving in the unit.

Their officer, Salvia.
She had always seemed too delicate for this freezing hell, struggling to adapt. But right now, at this moment, her eyes blazed with an intensity that surpassed anyone else’s.
Bang! Bang!

Two shots rang out, and both of the yeti’s eyes exploded in a spray of blood.
The sudden move left the recruits floundering in shock. But before they could react, Salvia barked out again, voice razor-sharp.
“What the hell are you waiting for, you bastards?! Stab it from below, or just fucking die!”

Finally snapping out of their daze, the soldiers swung their swords from where they lay, cutting into the yeti. The force of their strikes helped them push off the ground and back to their feet.
It was a completely different way of fighting from what they were used to.
“Get your shit together, dumbasses!”

With that, Salvia fired round after round, her expression somewhere between rage and insanity.
At that moment, Luna understood.
‘She’s fucking nuts.’

Like so many soldiers in the Border Defense Army, their new officer was absolutely insane.
***
‘This gun is solid.’

As I examined my weapon after taking down the yeti, I had to admit—it was good. The accuracy was leagues better than my previous one, making it easier to target weak points without worrying about hitting allies.
Because of that, I had been able to aim for the monster’s eyes even with the recruits so close.
I had raised my voice earlier out of frustration at the way they were scrambling to reform a broken formation instead of just attacking. But in the end, the mission had gone smoothly, so it was fine.

‘Fuck it. I might as well just live how I used to.’
Trying to suppress my personality had been a pointless endeavor.
As I finished my thoughts and looked up, I found myself locking eyes with several recruits—who were all staring at me with strangely intense expressions.

“…What? You got something to say?”
“N-no, not at all! Hahaha!”
Senior Soldier Norman let out an awkward laugh. Behind him, Luna forced a stiff smile.

“Haha… I just thought your shooting skills were really impressive…”
These guys had ignored me this entire time, so why were they suddenly so chatty?
Well, sometimes, after an intense battle, people got caught up in the adrenaline and started feeling weirdly sentimental about their comrades. Maybe that was happening now.

But just so you know, I have no intention of sitting around and sharing warm, fuzzy feelings with you assholes.
“What? Didn’t you already see me shoot before? What, got memory issues?”
“N-no, not at all! Hahaha…”

Even after I openly called them out, they still stared at me with admiration. They didn’t seem offended in the slightest.
Hmph. I had assumed all the soldiers in the Snowy Mountain Battalion were elite warriors. But now, I was starting to think there were quite a few dumbasses among them.
***

“You all saw it today, right?”
After the yeti subjugation, three senior soldiers from Alpha Platoon gathered.
“She’s strong. It makes sense how she’s survived this long.”

That was Luna’s assessment of Salvia’s skills.
“She told me she hadn’t handled a gun in a while, but she adapted quickly and had excellent combat instincts.”
That was Norman’s comment on her shooting ability.

Ash, looking unusually serious, finally spoke.
“No, her skills aren’t the issue here.”
“…Ah. That’s true.”

“Yeah, you’re right…”
“That woman is fucking insane.”
“Well, to be fair, half the people here are.”

“We need to be careful around her.”
Having reached a firm conclusion about Salvia’s personality, they began brainstorming ways to handle her moving forward.
“Obviously, we need to get on her good side, right?”

“How, though?”
Norman spoke up first.
“I’ll make sure the recruits treat her with proper respect. She seems to get even more irritable in the cold, so I’ll keep the juniors in check.”

Luna nodded.
“Then I’ll try to get closer by chatting with her. Since we’re both women, that might give me an advantage.”
Finally, Ash chimed in.

“I handle the company commander’s newspapers. I’ll slip her some world news and use it as a conversation starter.”
Thus began the three senior soldiers’ campaign to befriend their terrifying officer.
***

To Salvia ♡♡♡
Hello, Salvia!!♡ How have you been?! ><
Ever since you left, the unit has been so peaceful!! :D The officers are all beaming, and the recruits are practically glowing with joy!! XD

But I’m so sad TT I feel kind of lost without you TT
Not just me—Aquila, Karon, and Benny seem down too… And apparently, someone named Violet has been going even harder in duels now that she doesn’t have someone to swear loyalty to?
Anyway, a lot of people miss you T^T

I don’t know how to live without you….
Your dearest junior, Dalin ♡♡♡
To Salvia,

Are you doing well, Salvia? It’s Benny. The weather here is finally warming up, but I can’t help worrying about you up in the Snowy Mountain Battalion.
Honestly, I was going to hold off on writing to you. Aquila keeps sending you letters nonstop, and I didn’t want to intrude on that—things are always more precious when they’re one of a kind, right?
But there’s something I wanted to tell you.

I know you’re probably worried about Aquila or Karon, but I think the one who really needs concern right now is Dalin.
She’s still running around yelling, “Huh? You still haven’t finished that?” while bossing around the recruits, and the new recruit Tia is still grinding her teeth while glaring at her from behind. So at a glance, she seems the same.
But honestly, I think she’s struggling. Lately, she’s been questioning herself—whether she’s actually improving, whether she’s capable, and where she’s headed in the future.

I wanted to help her, just like you helped me. But if there’s anyone who can actually get through to Dalin, it’s you. I know she can be annoying, but a single word of advice from you would mean a lot.
Oh, and don’t worry about Aquila. He’s still completely obsessed with you. I’ll keep an eye on him, but I doubt anything will change.
If possible, could you at least wait until after I’m discharged before anything dramatic happens? If I have to, I’ll write to my father and have him send a piano to the base. I’ll practice every day—just please…

Benny
To Dalin
Dalin, how are you doing? Benny sent me a letter too, but honestly, I didn’t understand half of what he was saying. I guess geniuses really do think differently.

But I get what you mean.
It sounds like you’re trying to figure out what you’re capable of. When that happens, don’t focus on what you want to do—think about what you’ve already done.
You’ve accomplished a hell of a lot. You’re a capable soldier of the Border Defense Army. So have some confidence.

P.S. Next time you write to me, cut down on the hearts.
To Salvia ♡♡
Salvia, thank you!!

That really helped >I feel a little more grounded now, but… do you really think I’ll be able to do well? 0?
Dalin ♡♡

To Dalin
I don’t know what exactly you’re talking about, but yeah, you’ll be fine. Have I ever told you something was possible and then been wrong?
P.S. Cut down on the hearts.

To Salvia ♡
Salvia, I’ve decided to go career military. ;)
Dalin

“…What?”
I mean, sure, Dalin had mentioned once before that she might stay in the military long-term, but I never thought she’d actually do it.
“…Nah, she probably just said it on impulse.”

But after that letter, Dalin never wrote again.
‘I raised a fucking lunatic.’