"Good morning, Lieutenant Touri."
"Oh."
The next morning, Sergeant Gavel entered my tent with an exasperated expression.
"Good morning, Sergeant Gavel."
"…Yeah. Maeve told me about what happened yesterday. Are you an idiot?"
He started scolding me right away.
"Are you talking about the matter with Argie?"
"Yes. What's with you getting beaten up?"
"Well, I thought it was one way to handle the situation."
Collective responsibility is not an uncommon punishment in the military.
It helps foster a mutual understanding among comrades to avoid wrongdoing and to look out for each other.
Since Argie is a nurse under my direct command, I thought it was not wrong for me to share in the punishment.
"It's a bad look for a company commander to be beaten to a pulp and forced to stand."
"I decided it would be best to punish Argie while keeping her from becoming disgruntled."
"…You feel pain too, right?"
"Well, a little."
"Then…"
Hearing my explanation, Sergeant Gavel mumbled as if he wanted to say something.
But in the end, he just sighed with a resigned look on his face.
"Since Argie is my direct subordinate, I want to have a relationship where we can share our pain."
"If we go by that logic, then if one of my subordinates messes up, I'll get beaten up too."
"Oh. Well, I guess that's how it is?"
"You've created a nasty precedent. It's a real nuisance."
After muttering that, Sergeant Gavel sat down brusquely and started working.
Feeling a bit awkward, I also took a seat.
"Seeing you getting beaten up really bothers me."
"Bothers you?"
"It makes me feel really guilty. If possible, please don't do it again."
Sergeant Gavel, sitting across from me, muttered softly.
***
In the end, he was probably worried about me.
I've gotten used to corporal punishment, but normally being beaten up would be painful.
"Oh?"
"There's some commotion at camp."
The morning continued as it was, with Sergeant Gavel and I doing some paperwork.
Thanks to our efforts over the past few days, we had managed to get through more than half of it, leaving only a few days' worth of work remaining.
"Do you hear the sound of music?"
"Yes, I do."
During lunch, I stretched to take a short break.
I noticed that I could hear the sound of a stringed instrument being played coming from the soldiers' camp.
"Let's go check it out. Lieutenant Touri should come too."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, it's a patrol. We've just had a case of some idiot sneaking out alcohol, haven't we?"
Sergeant Gavel stood up and cracked his shoulders, possibly using the patrol as a break from work.
"Alright then, let's go."
"It's probably just some soldiers having fun."
He chuckled and headed out of the tent.
It is not prohibited to play musical instruments on the battlefield during breaks.
In fact, music is recognized as an effective way to boost morale.
There's even a dedicated unit known as the "military band" for this purpose.
"Oh, there are soldiers gathered around that tree."
"Perhaps someone is holding a performance?"
Once outside, the beautiful sound of the stringed instruments became clearer.
As we stepped outside, the beautiful sound of the string instrument became clearer. It was a calm and uplifting melody.
"It's a guitar. Someone is playing the guitar."
Drawn by the music, we walked towards the source.
The performance was quite skillful. Let's take a moment to enjoy it.
***
"Humans are creatures that feel pain. That's why everyone struggles to escape pain and suffering."
"I see."
"But, I once met a boy who seemed completely unable to feel pain."
In the center of the group was a man wearing a hat pulled down low, playing and singing with a leaf in his mouth.
"It's called congenital analgesia. When exposed to overwhelming stress, a person's senses become dulled."
"Ohhh."
"Strictly speaking, he does feel pain, but he loses the 'aversion to pain,' so to speak."
Looking at the man up close, he was a middle-aged man with a mustache, gray hair, and a distinctive, deep voice.
He chatted with the surrounding soldiers while smiling enigmatically.
"Well, it's about time for me to start singing. It's a story from over 10 years ago, in a remote village before the East-West War began," he began strumming his guitar.
"He's good."
"In the back alleys of a poor neighborhood, the old man met a boy with congenital analgesia. He had scars from burns and punctures all over his body, and with a large screw stuck in his cheek, he was prostrating himself on the side of the road, begging for money.
The middle-aged man had his eyes closed while playing the guitar and singing.
Many soldiers surrounded him with curious looks on their faces.
"…Umm? Who is he?"
"I-I don't know."
Oh no. It's a suspicious person.
Someone I didn't recognize had broken into my unit's camp and is holding a concert.
I remember the faces of all my subordinates, but I have never seen this man before.
"One day the boy was arrested. He was accused of theft. All he had been doing was begging on the street."
"Hmm."
"He was punished without question because they assumed, 'Since he's a beggar, he must steal things too.' Even though his body didn't feel pain, his heart was hurt. What happened to the boy's pride and true nature…"
"Umm…"
He wasn't really doing anything wrong, but it's problematic to have an unknown person in our camp.
Whether he is military personnel or a civilian worker, I need to verify his identity.
He might even be a spy.
"…Oh?"
"Umm, excuse me, I am Lieutenant Touri Lowe, in charge of this camp. May I ask who you are?"
"Oh, you're the one! I'm sorry for the disturbance; I'm not a suspicious person."
When I called out to him timidly, the middle-aged man smiled brightly.
He then stood up and saluted.
"It's nice to meet you, Lieutenant Touri. I'm Corporal Nauman, a sapper. I've been assigned here as of today."
"Oh…"
He introduced himself.
"Corporal Nauman? I've heard that name before."
"Yes, that's me. I arrived early, so I was just mingling with future comrades."
I knew the name.
Nauman was scheduled for an interview later this afternoon.
He arrived early and was waiting at the camp.
"Lieutenant, what do you think? Would you like to stay and listen?"
"Ah, well, alright then."
"Yes, please enjoy."
Nauman is apparently a very experienced soldier in his field.
He is said to handle any given task well and is quite capable.
"…"
Since I had some free time, I joined Nauman's performance and found it quite enjoyable.
He seemed very practiced and his singing was clear and easy to understand.
My blood as an entertainer was boiling, but the atmosphere wasn't right for me to jump in, so I just quietly watched.
"He's quite skilled."
"Corporal Naumann has experience as a member of a military band."
"Really?"
"He's a highly-experienced veteran with more military experience than Corporal Maeve. I was so excited when my application was approved."
During the performance, Sergeant Gavel whispered to me.
Nauman is a rare highly-experienced veteran in Austin, huh?
"Of all the personnel we were able to get this time, he's the best pick. Take good care of him."
"I understand."
At first glance, he looks like just a skinny old man with graying hair…
But according to Sergeant Gavel, he's a remarkable person, perhaps too good to be my subordinate.
"…So that's it for the story today. Thank you for listening."
"That was interesting!"
"Thank you, thank you."
From the way Nauman was bowing and smiling around, it was hard to imagine his excellence.
To me, he just seems like a nice and humble old man.
"That was truly wonderful. Let's have a meal together, old man."
"I appreciate the offer, but I need to go and introduce myself to the Lieutenant now."
"The Lieutenant is right there. Isn't the song enough of an introduction?"
"Well, I really should have a proper interview."
Nauman smiled wryly and gave me a small wink.
According to Sergeant Gavel, the man he considers to be "the best pick" is Corporal Nauman.
"Thank you for your consideration, Corporal Nauman. Please come to my tent."
"Yes, understood, Lieutenant."
At the very least, I think he's a friendly person. It should be easy to work with him.
Since I tend to be rather unsociable, it feels like he'll balance that out.
"See you later, old man!"
"Yes, yes, see you later."
It's Naumann's first day at the unit and he's already beginning to blend in with the rest of the team.
So, what kind of person is he?
***
"Hahaha, it's troubling that you overestimate me like that. I'm just a weak and cowardly old man."
"…"
"I have heard many stories about your wonderful achievements, Lieutenant Touri. I am truly lucky to have had the opportunity to fight under you. It is something I will be proud of for the rest of my life."
Even when speaking with him directly, Nauman is a rather elusive character.
He answered politely and respectfully, cracking some light jokes without being rude.
"Corporal Nauman will lead the Sapper Platoon."
"Yes, understood. I'll do my best with my limited ability."
Sergeant Gavel had also applied for several other sappers in addition to Nauman.
This was because he felt that a certain number of sappers was necessary to allow for a greater range of operations to be carried out.
Unfortunately, most of them are newcomers, and Nauman will likely be the main force.
"Yes, that's right, Sergeant Gavel…"
"Yes, Corporal Nauman?"
"If you're free tonight, would you like to join us at the commissary? I'm planning to invite some other soldiers too. Let's get to know each other better."
As he was leaving, Nauman cheerfully asked Sergeant Gavel.
Sergeant Gavel's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. But aren't you forgetting to invite our company commander?"
"Well… The Lieutenant is, you know…"
"See? The Lieutenant looks a bit sulky now."
"…I'm not sulking."
The commissary is essentially a place for selling goods and socializing.
If I, as a superior officer, were to attend such an event, the alcohol was sure to taste bad.
So, there's absolutely no reason to be unhappy about not being invited.
"Ahaha, I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to leave Lieutenant Touri out, so please don't misunderstand."
"It's fine. Sergeant Gavel, please enjoy yourself to your heart's content."
"Please don't be sulky. But the commissary right now is… a bit, you know?"
Nauman began to explain with an apologetic look, as if reluctant to talk.
If there's an issue with the commissary, what could it be?
"Is there something wrong with the commissary?"
"Ah, well, you can probably guess. With the decrease in luxury items, you can imagine what the main 'products' are."
"…Oh, women."
"There are soldiers who buy women there. The atmosphere would freeze if we brought Lieutenant Touri along."
I see.
The commissary was originally a place mainly for selling goods, but now there are almost no products for sale.
So, it was expected what kind of activities might be going on.
"I'm not into that sort of thing…"
"I'm already married, so I intend to enjoy my meal as usual. Eating delicious food with comrades is an important ritual."
"Right."
"Let those who want to buy women do as they please. Let's just have a good time together."
Nauman extended his hand to Sergeant Gavel with a sardonic smile.
Although hesitant for a moment, Sergeant Gavel shook his hand.
"Have a good time, Sergeant Gavel."
"I'm not interested in women. I'm just going to tag along."
"Sure."
Perhaps feeling embarrassed, Sergeant Gavel looked away and began making excuses.
I had forgotten because he was so reliable, but now that I think about it, Sergeant Gavel is younger than me.
"Have you never had such experiences?"
"What are you asking?"
"I just thought your reaction was unusually innocent."
"Shut up, stop poking me."
When I teased him playfully, he blushed deeply and turned away.
He's still quite innocent in this regard for his age.
"Let me give you a word of advice. Don't be so careless as to rush in naked."
"Huh?"
"Sometimes, there are people who trick new recruits into charging into a male brothel completely naked."
"What's with that? That's so scary."
There's no guarantee that there aren't people like Senior Gray out there, so I warned Sergeant Gavel.
This kind of atmosphere feels nostalgic. It really makes me feel like I'm back on the front line.
…Charging into such a room with dreams and ulterior motives while naked is quite a terrible prank.
"You've been busy with work for the past few days. Try to unwind tonight, Sergeant Gavel."
"Yeah. Well, I'm just going along for the company."
"Even if it's just for company, you'll benefit from enjoying yourself."
He must be quite tired, so it would be good for Sergeant Gavel to take a break.
The remaining paperwork should be something I can handle alone.
"…Well then, I'll head out."
"Take care."
I hope it helps him unwind, even just a little.
***
"Oh, welcome back, Sergeant Gavel."
"…"
I thought that, but…
"You're back quite early."
"…Shut up."
Sergeant Gavel returned to the tent with a flushed face in less than an hour.
Something must have went wrong.
"Did you really end up in a male brothel or something?"
"It wasn't like that."
With his face still red, he unceremoniously spread out his sleeping bag.
Without even looking at me, he lay down and began to fall asleep.
"…?"
I heard later that it was Sergeant Gavel's first sexual encounter.
He was taken to a place more risqué than he had imagined by Nauman and, unable to endure it, had fled.
Having just graduated from the military academy, he must still be in his innocent phase.