"I had decided that if I survived this battle, I would tell the Lieutenant this again."
"Uh… yeah."
"You are a flower, a single blossom blooming on the battlefield. I have loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you, Lieutenant."
In a faraway and foreign land, the Argalia Valley.
Here, a rookie soldier confesses his feelings to the young female Company Commander.
"Lieutenant Touri. Please, would you become my lover?"
The day after they escaped a life-threatening predicament and survived a miraculous defensive battle.
Several soldiers, driven by passion, confessed their feelings to Lieutenant Touri Lowe.
"…I'm sorry."
"…"
"I'm very grateful for your feelings. However, there is someone I can't forget…"
Just like that, he suffered a painful defeat in love.
***
"Lieutenant Touri has too much integrity…"
The soldiers who had impulsively confessed and were met with rejection gathered on the riverside of Argalia, where they were celebrating their victory, and quietly cried.
Most of them had already confessed once before and been turned down.
"She's actually older than us despite her appearance… That's what's appealing though."
"She's kind, calm and mature."
"Ah… I just can't get motivated."
The Touri Guerrilla Company had many new recruits, most of whom were boys around 15 years old.
To the younger recruits, she was seen as "a kind, caring older woman, rare in the military."
Touri wondered why she was suddenly popular, but it was only natural that she was attractive to the new recruits.
"But, the Lieutenant was a bit scary during that night raid."
"People's personalities change under extreme conditions. We were saved thanks to the Lieutenant."
This is why many soldiers confessed and suffered a tragic defeat.
Regarding this incident, Touri has been reflecting on the matter, wondering if there was anything she did that might have led people to misunderstand.
"…I hear we're called the 'heartbroken group.'"
"Who came up with that nickname?"
"Those guys over there playing in the river. They're saying things like, 'Don't get too close; it's bad luck,' or something."
"What?! That's unforgivable!"
Incidentally, the only people with gloomy expressions in Argalia Valley at the moment are those who have just been rejected.
All of the other soldiers were excited, saying, "I'm so happy to have survived."
This further irritated those who had been rejected.
"Well, there's no use in getting angry. We're all in the same boat, rejected by the same girl. Let's just console each other."
"Is there any way to get closer to Lieutenant Touri?"
"She always seems to keep her distance. It's probably impossible."
It was a love that was never meant to be.
Those who were carried away by the joy of the unprecedented victory in Argalia, confessed their feelings once again without much thought and faced their end.
There was no choice but to accept it.
"Lieutenant Touri has called for everyone to gather together."
"Hey, we're being called."
"…Should we go too?"
The heartbroken group had been doing nothing but tossing small stones into the river like the dead to soothe their broken hearts.
A few days after the Miracle of Argalia, Touri once again called all the soldiers to a meeting.
***
"The food reserves are finally running out."
Lieutenant Touri said gravely as the soldiers gathered around.
"It will take a few more days for aid to arrive. In the meantime, we need to procure food locally."
"…"
"Starting today, we will all work together to gather food. We will bring it together, share it, and get through this difficult time."
She said this and glanced sideways at the remaining supplies.
There were only a few bottles of wine and some canned goods left in the box.
"Those with fishing experience will catch river fish. Those with knowledge of plants will gather wild vegetables. Even the frogs hopping around are important food sources. Everyone, please cooperate in collecting food."
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
Those who have been heartbroken no longer have any time to slowly sort out their feelings.
He who does not work, shall not eat. From now on, they must face the food issue.
"Lieutenant, may I have permission to speak?"
"What is it, Private Carol?"
"I have a suggestion to improve the efficiency of food procurement."
However, among the heartbroken group, there was one person whose eyes lit up.
His name was Carol, and he was a fresh recruit who had just been assigned this year.
"Oh, I would like to hear it. Please go on."
"Lieutenant, you just mentioned that everyone will share the food, but wouldn't this mean that those who worked hard to collect food would end up losing out?"
"Hmm, that is certainly true, but the efficiency will vary based on experience. We are a military unit, and we are a single entity. I'm sorry, but I would prefer to distribute the food equally."
"That's understandable. However, how about preparing rewards for those who work hard?"
With permission to speak, Carol gave an impassioned speech with a sparkle in his eyes.
Touri listened quietly, but the surrounding soldiers looked a bit taken aback.
"I see. So what kind of rewards are you suggesting?"
"It can be anything within the range you can permit, Lieutenant. For example, remaining luxury items or the right to sleep in a preferred spot in the fortress."
"Hmm, alright. In that case, that should be doable."
But Carol was entirely undeterred by those around him.
He looked at Touri's face and continued speaking earnestly.
"Personally, I would like to request that Lieutenant Touri become a training instructor for me."
"A training instructor?"
"I was impressed by Lieutenant Touri's brave and daring actions during the recent night raid. For surviving the war and achieving victory for our country, if Lieutenant Touri could provide me with individual training lessons, there would be no greater reward for me than that.
"How diligent."
Carol paid no attention to the suspicious looks he received from the other soldiers.
He spoke out loud as Touri was lost in thought.
"Well then, Lieutenant Touri."
"Hmm, let me think about it."
The heartbroken group immediately understood the intention behind his words.
This man had taken a gamble.
In order to seize the opportunity to get closer to Lieutenant Touri, he carried out a desperate, all-out assault with the resolve to face certain destruction.
"Alright. Then, I will promise some kind of reward to the person who makes the greatest contribution to today's food procurement."
"Thank you very much, Lieutenant!"
"I promise to provide rewards within the range mentioned earlier. Now, everyone, begin the operation."
"Understood!"
And thus, Carol's persuasion succeeded.
Touri declared that the person who brought the most food would receive a reward—an individual training lesson.
"Yessssss!"
"Let's do it!"
This assurance caused great excitement among the heartbroken group.
Lieutenant Touri is a kind and sweet person.
Although it was called a "training lesson," in reality, it was just a date.
"…"
Carol briefly glanced at his fellow heartbroken comrades.
─────The path has been cleared.
Yes. This is a battle between men for love.
The day after the Miracle of Argalia, a second chance appeared for the men who had faced heartbreak.
"I will bring the most food!"
"I'm definitely not going to lose!"
"Wow, you're really motivated."
Thus, the battle that the heartbroken group could not afford to lose began.
***
"Hey, it went over there!"
"…Leave it to me! I got it!!"
Many soldiers gathered by the riverside after Lieutenant Touri gave the order.
They all started making spears from branches and went barefoot into the river to spear fish.
"From what I can see, fishing is popular."
"Yeah, it's something people can think of right away. There are some people fishing with rods too."
When they heard about food procurement at the riverside, many soldiers immediately thought of fishing.
They were being taught how to catch fish by a former fisherman turned soldier and were enjoying spearing the fish.
"Fishing won't cut it. At this rate, we won't be able to come in first."
"We can't beat someone with experience."
The former fisherman was catching fish one after another and throwing them into his basket.
There was no way they could compete with him in fishing.
"We'll need to beat that fisherman to win first place."
"Then what should we do?"
"It's simple."
Carol said confidently and picked up the Flamer spear in his hand.
Then he cast a sharp gaze at the large forest that surrounded the river.
"I'll hunt animals. If I can take down a big one, it could provide enough food to equal dozens of fish."
Carol swung the spear around vigorously.
His stance was strikingly impressive.
"But isn't that a bit dangerous?"
"It's okay. The Lieutenant will gently heal me even if I get hurt."
"Can you handle hunting a beast alone?"
"We should be able to manage if we all work together."
Carol looked around at his fellow heartbroken comrades and said:
"Everyone here will work together to hunt the prey. But, how about the person who contributes the most will get to take the whole thing home?"
"…What?"
"If one person brings home the prey that everyone has caught, they will win first place. We'll decide who takes it home by vote, no hard feelings."
"I see."
With that, the chances of taking first place in this food procurement operation increased significantly.
At the very least, it was a much better chance than just fishing.
"So, what do you say? Are you in?"
"Count me in."
The remaining heartbroken comrades nodded at Carol's proposal.
Even though they were rivals in love, they were also comrades in this romantic battle.
"Let's go! Everyone!"
"Let the hunt begin!"
Thus, the boys who had fallen for Lieutenant Touri eagerly grabbed their bows, arrows, and swords and entered the forest.
***
However, things did not go so smoothly.
"We've been searching for two hours and still haven't found anything."
"Maybe they're on guard and hiding."
First and foremost, they couldn't find any prey.
They would get lost if they ventured deeper into the forest.
Naturally, they had no choice but to explore areas not too far from the camp…
"The animals will be wary if we hunt with so many people."
"Well, they'd definitely be hiding after such a spectacular shootout."
Just a few days ago, there had been a dramatic gunfight in Argalia.
And even now, nearly 70 soldiers were still making noise and camping by the riverside.
It was only natural that wild animals would be cautious and stay hidden.
"Should we explore deeper into the forest?"
"Be sure to mark our trail so we don't get lost."
Determining that hunting would be difficult around the camp, the group mustered up their courage and ventured deeper into the forest.
They moved silently, holding their breath.
"Hey, this is an animal trail. There's feces."
"There must be something ahead."
After three hours of wandering, one of the soldiers finally discovered traces of animals.
The animal droppings were still soft, suggesting it was still nearby.
The soldiers followed the path of trampled vegetation deeper into the forest.
"Look, a wild boar."
"It has piglets. Can we take it?"
Finally, they spotted a wild boar hiding among the trees.
It was their first prey of the day.
"Hmm, did it notice us?"
"Hey, it's charging!"
The soldiers had no experience in hunting.
They had only trained with firearms.
When it came to hunting, they were complete novices.
"Ouch! Shit, I think my leg is broken."
"Die, get lost!"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!!"
The wild boar with piglets was highly aggressive.
Misjudging the speed of the charging boar, one of the soldiers ended up injured.
The soldiers who came to support him tried to stab him with swords and spears, but they only missed.
"That bastard got away!"
"Shoot! Shoot!"
"Damn, it's not hitting!"
Surrounded and attempting to kill the boar, it quickly escaped.
There was no way they could catch up with the wild animal as it fled through the forest. The group soon lost sight of the boar.
Their first encounter with prey only resulted in one of their comrades being injured.
"Should we head back?"
"No, I'm fine. It's only a bruise."
Fortunately, the soldier only suffered minor injuries.
However, the faces of the soldiers were grim.
"But… can we really do this hunting?"
"Maybe we should give up and look for another method?"
They couldn't even get close to the wild boar they had finally found.
The reality of this fact cast a large shadow over the group's spirits.
'Can we really manage to hunt and return with prey?'
'Was it reckless to go hunting without any experience?'
Such resignation briefly crossed their minds.
"Let's push forward."
However, the man who proposed the idea, Carol, did not give up.
"There was a wild boar. There must be other animals around."
"Private Carol…"
"I want to be trained personally by the Lieutenant. I want to be thoroughly drilled. I'll do whatever it takes for that."
The boy's eyes were burning with determination.
His focus was resolutely set on Lieutenant Touri.
"Yeah, me too."
"Sorry, I got discouraged."
It wasn't a matter of whether they could or couldn't do it.
It's now a matter if will they or won't they.
The men took up their weapons once more.
"Let's find the next prey. We'll meet another one soon enough."
Carol said, rallying his comrades.
***
"Hey, over there! There's something!"
"It's a deer!"
After searching for another hour, just as the sun was beginning to set, the men discovered a herd of deer.
"They're crossing a pretty steep cliff."
"It looks like it's going to be hard to get there."
The deer were crossing the slope of a mountain several dozen meters away, forming a line.
The adult deer were leading the fawns, moving carefully to avoid slipping.
It would be challenging for humans to venture into that area.
"Can we shoot them with a bow?"
"Let's try."
With ranged weapons able to reach them, they took aim and tried to shoot the deer.
However, the boy's arrows missed entirely and instead flew off in different directions.
The deer don't even notice they were being attacked.
"Damn, is it really not possible?"
"Maybe if we get a bit closer, we might hit them?"
"…I'll go."
Unable to wait any longer, Carol lost patience and ran toward the deer.
As Carol approached, the deer, realizing the danger, attempted to flee.
"You idiot, we hadn't even been found yet!"
"No wait, that guy couldn't be…"
With a roar, Carol swung the spear he was holding with all his might.
And then…
"Hit itttttttt!!!"
He threw the spear at the deer that just about to cross the slope.
The spear, spinning in the air, struck one of the deer's legs.
The injured deer let out a cry and slid down the slope of the mountain.
"Now catch it!"
Carol leaped onto the fallen deer, trying to strangle it with his bare hands.
He encountered fierce resistance and suffered abrasions all over his body.
"That guy, I can't believe it."
"Everyone, follow him! We'll take down that deer!"
Encouraged by Carol's impressive feat, his comrades joined in.
The men surrounded the wounded deer and beat it until it was subdued.
"Did we get it?"
"…Yeah, we got it."
And after a long and tough struggle…
The deer, whose head had been split open by the sword, finally stopped moving.
"Yesssss! We caught a deer!!"
"It's our victory!"
Thus, the heartbroken group successfully hunted a deer.
***
"That's a big one, a big one!"
"I'm going to drain the blood. Make room for me."
"Wow."
The men then tied the deer to spear shafts and carried it back to camp.
Many of the soldiers looked at the heartbroken group in disbelief.
"Lieutenant Touri! We've caught a big one."
"That's amazing… I didn't think you'd be able to hunt an animal with our current equipment."
"Yes, we did our best!"
The deer was quite large.
At the very least, it would provide dozens of kilograms of meat.
Even if shared among the entire unit, this deer would be enough for several days' worth of food.
Carol was beaming with pride.
"…Oh, you look to be quite injured."
"Haha, I got into a bit of a tussle with the deer."
"That's not good. I need to check your wounds. Please show them to me."
The men left draining the deer's blood to their comrades and each one received a thorough check-up from Touri.
"Make sure to disinfect it properly."
"Understood, Lieutenant!"
As they were tending to their wounds, the sun was setting and the hunt for the day came to an end.
***
"Today, we've gathered a lot of food thanks to everyone's cooperation. Thank you all."
"Yay!"
"Whoa!"
Shortly afterwards, everyone was gathered together and the results of the day were announced.
"I never expected you'd bring down a deer. Thanks Private Carol."
"Hehehe."
The deer was officially credited to Carol.
By unanimous vote, the heartbroken group begrudgingly awarded him the victory.
"Looks like it's decided."
"As expected of Carol."
A lot of food was gathered at the riverside.
But no one else had brought in a catch as significant as the deer.
"…Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Now, let's start preparing the food we gathered today."
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
"And the top honor for today is…"
The fact that he drew praise from Lieutenant Touri.
Without regard for the danger, he charged at the deer and killed it in hand-to-hand combat.
Without a doubt, it was Carol who killed the deer.
Thus, he was recognized for having the greatest achievement, and was to receive the reward from Lieutenant Touri—
"Hmm, it looks like first place goes to Argie."
"Puku puku!"
He did not receive it.
"Eh?"
"Ah, Carol. Your achievement is also remarkable, but…"
Carol, with a bewildered voice, noticed Touri pointing apologetically to a corner of the riverbank.
There, a sign reading "Puku puku Zone" was set up, displaying a mountain of wild vegetables, 5-6 plucked wild birds, and numerous skewered river fish.
The sheer amount was so overwhelming that he thought someone must have brought it.
"Argie is knowledgeable in trapping. She set traps in the morning, collected edible wild plants at noon, and retrieved the prey from the traps in the evening, which resulted in this."
"Puku puku puku!"
"Carol's deer is also a great achievement, but…"
Carol only managed to kill one deer.
Argie's total catch certainly surpassed the deer.
"Ah, so Argie, what would you like?"
"Puku (alcohol)!"
"Of course."
With a big smile, Argie pointed to the remaining alcohol in the luxury items box.
Touri, with an exasperated expression, handed her a bottle of wine.
"No way…"
"…Well, she does show unusually extraordinary ability when alcohol is involved."
This "puku puku" girl had gone completely off the radar.
They never expected to be defeated by such an incomprehensible being.
The heartbroken group all looked up to the heavens and collapsed.
"However, Carol. If it's alright with you, I'd be happy to be your training instructor."
"Huh?"
Touri gently spoke to the kneeling Carol.
"Your dedication is truly admirable, Private Carol. Training is the most important thing to increase a soldier's survival rate."
"Lieutenant Touri…"
"If you wish to receive training, as an officer, I would be happy to do so. I will be your instructor, so let's start with voluntary training from tomorrow."
"Is that alright?!"
"Yes. Is that acceptable to you, Carol?"
"It's an honor!"
Although Carol did not achieve first place, Touri, understanding his intentions, announced that she would hold voluntary sessions open to all.
The declaration greatly energized the heartbroken group.
"Me too! I want to join the training too!"
"Lieutenant! I also volunteer for the training!"
"Puee (rejection)"
Touri smiled with satisfaction at the high-spirited soldiers' declarations.
"Well, let's start with a warm-up. We're starting with sit-ups. Follow the same rhythm as me."
"Yes!!"
***
And as promised, voluntary training under Lieutenant Touri began the next day.
"199, 200. Alright, 10 seconds of break time. Next, we'll move on to squats."
"…Y-Yes!"
"One, two, one, two. That concludes the warm-up. Next is running—"
It was then that the soldiers realized they had a major misconception.
"Your voices are getting quieter. Raise them more!"
"Yes, ma'am!!"
"Let's sing while we run. 'It shines ever so brightly~ Our homeland♪'"
"I-It shines ever so brightly. Our homeland."
Up until now, training had been led by Corporal Maeve, with Touri only observing from the sidelines.
So the soldiers were overconfident, thinking Touri's training would be a piece of cake.
"You're starting to get out of breath, huh? From here, we'll do sprints."
"…"
"Since we're simulating running between trenches, run in a zigzag while aiming with your rifle and dodging obstacles."
However, the training methods she introduced were practical and extremely tough.
In fact, Maeve's training seemed easier in comparison.
"Enemy sights, 10 o'clock direction! Take aim and prepare!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Number three, number seven, your aim is too slow. Go back and run again!"
These training methods were ones assigned by the late Sergeant Garback and Mr. Zafqua from the elite defense unit.
There's no way it was going to be easy.
"W-What is this, it's too tough."
"But Lieutenant Touri is doing it with a calm face."
"You're kidding…"
And Touri, acting as an example, did the same training as the soldiers.
Her effortless handling of the training made it impossible for the soldiers to complain about the difficulty of the exercises.
The soldiers, denied of any excuses, had no choice but to follow Touri in silence.
"Oooh… Ooooh!!"
"Hang in there, Carol!!"
"I won't loseeeeee!"
This voluntary training would continue daily until help arrived.
The heartbroken group continued to participate in the training every day until the end, and their skills improved significantly.
"One, two! One, two! Ooooh!"
"Oh, good spirit."
Seeing the soldiers full of motivation, Touri was very pleased.