“Now.”
At my command, Private Klaus’s body went rigid for an instant. He held his breath, then pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The silence of the quiet forest shattered. The bullet struck the orc shaman squarely between the eyes. The creature’s enormous head burst like a ripe watermelon. Brain matter and shards of bone sprayed in every direction, and the arm holding the staff swept once through the air before drooping limply.
Kwaaaaaa!
The mana the shaman had been maintaining began to run wild. The surrounding air trembled, and the altar that had been stained black lost its light.
“Graaaagh?!”
“G-Grimtooth!”
The orcs nearby fell into chaos. With their dull orc brains, it would take them a while to grasp the situation. Now was the perfect time to strike.
“Now! Throw!”
The soldiers lying prone along the ridge hurled their grenades in unison. The grenades traced arcs through the air and fell into the middle of the loosely gathered group of orcs.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-boom!
A chain of explosions shook the basin. Dust, fragments, and torn pieces of orc flesh mingled together and rained down.
“Open fire!”
I adjusted my grip on my rifle, aimed at the head of the nearest orc, and pulled the trigger.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
The soldiers’ muzzles spat fire all at once. A dense net of gunfire engulfed the orcs. With the sudden ambush, the death of their commander, and the successive explosions, the orcs were thrown into complete confusion.
“Graaaah! Humans!”
“Where are they?! Where are they shooting from?!”
Some stumbled about searching for their weapons, some threw themselves toward cover, and some, enraged, charged blindly toward our ridge. Their movements were vividly displayed as red dots on the minimap.
‘Take care of the most dangerous ones first.’
Using [Status Analysis], I spotted one of the charging orcs that was particularly large and ferocious-looking.
[Name: Morg]
[Race: Orc]
[Affiliation: Ashen Claw Tribe]
[Rank: Warrior]
[Status: Enraged, Reckless Charge]
“Second Squad machine gun! Suppress the one charging from eleven o’clock first!”
At my order, the machine gunner immediately swung his muzzle around.
Dududududu!
Under the fierce hail of bullets, the orc warrior’s body was riddled with holes, and he collapsed. The momentum of the other orcs, now deprived of a focal point, faltered as well.
It was right then.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
“For the Empire!”
“Kill the orcs!”
First Squad appeared from the side of the basin. They poured bullets into the orcs’ flank.
“Damn it! The side!”
“It’s a trap! Run!”
Having completely lost their will to fight, the orcs began to turn tail and scatter into the forest. The battle was practically over.
“No pursuit! Maintain formation and mop up the remaining enemies!”
The platoon members calmly fired at the orcs. A few minutes later, the gunfire in the basin ceased, leaving only the smell of gunpowder and blood filling the air. I rose from my position and surveyed the battlefield. The more than twenty orcs that had been there were now corpses scattered across the ground.
“Lieutenant!”
Sergeant Gunter ran over, his face flushed with excitement.
“Reporting friendly casualties! Two lightly wounded, no deaths! It’s a perfect victory!”
“Well done, Sergeant.”
Joy appeared on the faces of the platoon members.
Lastly, I moved to the location where three green dots remained on the minimap. There, three scouts were shivering in the cold. They were the ones who had gone missing.
“Rescue the prisoners and take everything useful! We return as soon as that’s done!”
At my command, the platoon members moved in perfect order.
*
We were soon able to return to base.
As the base’s main gate came into view, the eyes of the guards standing at the sentry post widened.
“…Are those guys really Third Platoon?”
“The people behind them… aren’t those the missing scouts? I can’t believe they were alive.”
“I definitely heard they went out to scout the Ashen Forest. Don’t tell me… No, couldn’t be…”
I took care of the rescued scouts first.
“You men are to go to the infirmary immediately and have your condition checked. They’ll take the necessary measures.”
The scouts did not leave right away. They approached and saluted.
[Status: Extreme fatigue, relief at being rescued]
[Emotions: Deep gratitude and awe toward Lieutenant Max Jaeger, trauma from a horrific experience]
“Thank you for saving our lives, Lieutenant. This debt…”
“That’s enough. Go rest.”
I watched the scouts’ backs for a moment, then turned my gaze to the members of Third Platoon.
“You all worked hard. The wounded are to go to the medical unit, and the rest of you are to maintain your equipment and get plenty of rest. Dismissed.”
“Loyalty!”
And so, my first mission after being assigned to Third Platoon came to an end.
Still wearing my combat uniform, dirtied with blood and dust, I returned to the barracks. Only after I roughly threw myself into the creaking chair did the tension finally leave my body.
Ding—
As expected, the notification sounded.
[You have perfectly completed the mission to search a dangerous area and rescue prisoners.]
[You acquire a large amount of experience as a reward.]
[Your level has risen to 5!]
[You have acquired 1 new skill point.]
‘As expected.’
I grinned. Another level-up. It felt worth it to have boldly gone all the way to the orc altar.
[Skill Points Held: 1]
[Please select one of the options below to obtain your reward.]
1. [Enhance Existing Skill]
2. [Acquire New Skill]
The time to choose had come once again.
I first selected [Acquire New Skill] and checked the skills.
1. [Bullet Time]
Detailed Description: Upon activation, you enter a super-accelerated state in which you perceive the flow of the world, excluding yourself, as slowed to 1/10 speed for up to 3 seconds. Can be used once per day. The number of uses increases as the level rises.
2. [Enchanting Eloquence (Charismatischer Sprecher)]
Detailed Description: During conversation, you exert a subtle influence on the other party’s subconscious, making them listen more closely to your words and accept them more positively. You receive a bonus to all verbal interactions, including persuasion, negotiation, and command. The effect is maximized especially when making proposals related to desires the other party is hiding. The effect grows stronger as the level rises.
The skills were the same as the last set of choices.
‘So if I don’t pick a skill, the options don’t particularly change?’
I pondered for a moment.
[Bullet Time] was still an attractive choice. Today’s battle had been a perfect ambush, so there had been no casualties, but the battlefield would not always go according to my will. If it had been a head-on fight, I could not guarantee that I myself would have come out unscathed.
‘But what decided victory or defeat was information and command.’
I reviewed the previous battle. I had moved the troops based on the [Minimap] and discerned the enemy’s weaknesses and my allies’ hidden talents with [Status Analysis]. Then, based on that information, I devised the optimal operation and led the platoon members. As a result, we achieved a perfect victory.
There had been no need for me to dodge bullets personally. Thanks to perfect command, the danger itself had been blocked in advance. Paradoxically, the surest way for me, as the commander, to survive was to avoid creating dangerous situations in the first place. [Bullet Time] was nothing more than a remedy after the fact, to be used only once things had already gone wrong.
Then what about enhancing [Status Analysis]? It seemed like quite a fine option. Hadn’t it shown tremendous power as soon as it reached level 2? But what I needed right now was not deeper information. I could already peer into people’s inner thoughts and talents. The issue was how to make use of that information.
I thought of Captain Seraphina. She carried the fatal secret of [Mana Backflow]. It was tremendous information, but there was nothing I could do with it right now. If I rashly acted like I knew, I would only make her wary.
It was precisely there that the value of [Enchanting Eloquence] shone.
Beyond making dissatisfied subordinates obey, I could draw out voluntary loyalty. I could coax difficult superiors and make them take my side. I might even be able to persuade enemies I met on the battlefield or make them spill the information I needed as though it were nothing.
I could grasp the other party’s desires and weaknesses with [Status Analysis], then use [Enchanting Eloquence] to pierce that exact spot. The synergy between the two skills I already possessed also fit well.
Without hesitation, I reached out toward the second skill floating in the air.
[You have selected the skill ‘Enchanting Eloquence.’]
[You acquire a new skill!]
Along with a ding, a new sensation flowed into my head. Information was engraved into me—what tone to use when speaking, which words to choose, how to control my breathing, how to make eye contact. It felt as if I had become a seasoned politician who had dealt with people for decades.
‘I’ll have to test this too.’
But this was not a skill I could test alone. I needed a target. And just then, a good test subject came to mind. I rose from my seat and opened the barracks door. Then I called to the guard loitering in front of the barracks.
“Bring me Sergeant Gunter.”
Not long after, the large Sergeant Gunter came hurrying over.
“You called for me, Lieutenant!”
As he saluted with a booming voice, an information window appeared above his head.
[Name: Gunter]
[Rank: Sergeant]
[Status: Tension at being summoned by the platoon commander, pride at completing the mission]
[Emotions: Awe toward his superior’s command ability, vague loyalty]
[Hidden Trait: None]
‘Vague loyalty, huh…’
He was the perfect test subject.
“Come in, Sergeant. Sit comfortably.”
I pointed to the wooden chair by my bed. Gunter carefully sat down.
‘Good. Shall we begin the experiment?’
I gave a somewhat abrupt order.
“Sergeant Gunter. Right here, right now, perform twenty squats.”
“…Sir?”
Confusion appeared on Gunter’s face. His thick eyebrows twitched.
“Squats, sir? Here, now… Why…”
It was the reaction I had expected. No one would be foolish enough to follow such an order without any context. This was the time to use the skill.
‘Enchanting Eloquence.’
I activated the skill and continued speaking while looking Gunter straight in the eye. I strung together words that sounded reasonably plausible.
“Immediately after combat, excitement often prevents one from recognizing fatigue or injury. I need to personally confirm that my key noncommissioned officer is in the best condition to carry out the next mission. Your physical state is the squad’s combat power. This is an order.”
Even to me, it was bullshit with a flimsy basis. Would this really work?
Ding—
[The skill ‘Enchanting Eloquence’ influences Sergeant Gunter.]
[Gunter accepts your words positively. He begins to perceive your order as a rational and important instruction.]
As soon as I finished speaking, the doubt and confusion vanished from Gunter’s face like melting snow. Instead, realization flickered in his eyes.
“Ah…! Yes, understood! I hadn’t thought that far! As expected, Lieutenant, you’re different!”
Gunter sprang up from his seat and began doing squats without the slightest hesitation.
“One! Two! Three!”
As his massive body moved, the floor of the barracks creaked. Watching him, I swallowed dryly.
‘…This ability is more dangerous than I thought.’
This was not simply a matter of gaining someone’s favor. It was close to a rather subtle form of mental interference, if not outright hypnosis. Right now, it was only squats, but what if I could demand something more? If I could force him to carry out an order like, “Hurt yourself, Gunter”?
Of course, according to the skill description, the chance of success would decrease, but the possibility would likely not be zero.
“Twenty! Completed, sir!”
“Good. It seems there’s nothing wrong with your condition.”
‘Where are the limits?’
Gunter wiped away beads of sweat. I made a far more unreasonable demand.
“You will give me your entire salary for this month.”
“……Sir?”
Gunter’s face instantly stiffened. It was an expression incomparable to before. Tendons stood out on his thick neck.
“My salary… sir? Why…”
His voice trembled. It was only natural. Telling a soldier to hand over his pay?
I took another deep breath and activated the skill.
‘Enchanting Eloquence.’
“Our Third Platoon has just been reborn. But there are clear limits to military supplies alone. I intend to take your salary and use it to privately purchase better equipment and supplies for our platoon members. For example, things like boots with better waterproofing or warm winter undergarments. This is an investment in the survival of the entire platoon. And I want you, my most reliable noncommissioned officer, to be the first example.”
I gave a plausible justification. I mixed the cause of serving the entire platoon with sweet words about my special trust in Gunter.
Ding.
[The skill ‘Enchanting Eloquence’ influences Sergeant Gunter.]
[Gunter considers your words positively. He begins to deeply agonize over the justification behind your proposal.]
There was an effect. Gunter’s gaze began to waver. I turned on [Status Analysis] to check his condition.
[Status: Extreme internal conflict]
[Emotions: Fierce agony between loyalty to his superior and his own realistic problems, confusion, rising sense of betrayal]
His head was lowered. It was obvious that he was agonizing fiercely. But he did not give in as easily as before. Time continued to pass.
It was then.
Ding!
A new system message appeared along with a sharp warning sound.
[Persuasion failed!]
[The difficulty of the request directly conflicts with the target’s core values. The target’s resistance has offset the skill’s effect.]
Gunter suddenly raised his head.
“…I cannot do that, Lieutenant.”