The medical unit was the cleanest building in the corner of the base. As soon as we stepped inside, the smell of disinfectant stung my nose.
Hanna, standing beside me, fidgeted anxiously with the sleeve of her uniform.
“Um, Lieutenant… am I really so strange that I have to come all the way to the medical unit?”
“You’re not strange. You’re special, Corporal.”
I spoke as if to reassure her.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. This is only a simple examination.”
We headed toward the inner examination room. When we opened the door and entered, a woman who had been organizing documents looked up.
Her honey-blond hair was braided and draped over one shoulder. The white coat worn over her uniform added to her intellectual air. Her warm brown eyes curved gently.
“Oh my, Lieutenant Max.”
She recognized me and smiled.
“You haven’t come because you got hurt again, have you?”
Captain Elise von Kleist. A talented woman of noble birth and a capable medical officer. Whenever I had ended up in the infirmary, she had treated me with gentle hands.
I quietly used the [Status Analysis] skill.
[Name: Elise von Kleist]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Imperial Army 7th Infantry Regiment Medical Unit]
[Rank: Captain (Medical Officer)]
[Status: Slight fatigue from overwork]
[Emotion: Pure delight at an unexpected visitor, curiosity toward the lieutenant]
I returned her greeting with a brief salute.
“It’s been a while, Captain Kleist. I’m not injured. I stopped by under the company commander’s orders.”
“Do you mean Captain Reinhardt?”
Elise looked puzzled, but soon turned her characteristic gentle smile toward Hanna.
“Does it have something to do with the soldier beside you?”
I explained in her stead.
“This is Corporal Hanna from my platoon. We’re here for a mana reaction test.”
“A mana reaction test?”
Elise’s eyes widened. She looked back and forth between me and Hanna. She seemed troubled.
“But that is… officially, a special examination conducted only for priests or mage candidates. For an ordinary soldier, the procedure is…”
“This is being carried out under Captain Seraphina’s authority. Here are the orders.”
I took out the documents Seraphina had prepared in advance and handed them over. Elise read through them carefully, then soon looked at Hanna again with a surprised expression.
“…Understood. I’ll need a little time to prepare, so please wait a moment.”
Elise guided us to an inner examination room. It was a small room with one bed and various medical instruments. Elise had Hanna sit on the bed and said,
“For an accurate measurement, you’ll need to remove your upper garment. The mana measuring crystal sphere has to come into direct contact with your skin.”
“What? M-my clothes…”
Hanna’s face flushed bright red. At a loss, she looked back and forth between her two superiors. Her hands, clutching the front of her uniform tightly, were trembling faintly.
“Um… with the lieutenant watching…”
Her voice was as small as a mosquito’s. Taking off her top in front of a male officer who was her superior was something hard to even imagine. Elise seemed to recognize that as well, and looked at me with a troubled expression.
“Lieutenant, perhaps you should wait outside for a moment…”
“…No.”
But I spoke firmly.
“This is an examination that requires strict security. The company commander also ordered me to personally confirm the entire process.”
I skillfully mixed in a lie. Of course, Seraphina had not said that much, but… to guide the situation the way I wanted, I exercised a little overreach in authority.
I turned my gaze to Hanna. She looked like a frightened little animal.
‘Captivating Speech.’
Activating the skill, I spoke in as gentle and trustworthy a voice as possible.
“This is nothing to be ashamed of, Hanna. It’s only an important process to confirm the special talent sleeping inside you. As your commanding officer, I have a duty to be with you at that moment and protect you. Don’t be anxious. Nothing will happen.”
A strange power was carried in my voice. A power that soothed anxiety and swept away doubt.
Ding—
[The skill ‘Captivating Speech’ is influencing Hanna Meyer.]
[Hanna trusts your words and begins to feel a sense of stability.]
[Name: Hanna Meyer]
[Emotion: Extreme shame, trust and reliance toward her superior]
The effect appeared immediately. Though hesitant, Hanna slowly began to move. She took a deep breath, then began undoing the buttons of her uniform one by one with trembling hands.
Her bare skin was gradually revealed. Her body had been tempered by training, but rather than being muscular, it had smooth, supple lines. Her gently rising chest was wrapped in a plain, regulation-issue cotton bra. At last, once all the buttons were undone, she hesitantly opened her uniform jacket to either side. Finally, after removing even her bra, Hanna covered her chest with both arms and lowered her head deeply. From the nape of her neck to her ears, she was dyed bright red.
Elise, who had been watching the sight with an awkward expression, gave a couple of light coughs before opening the silver box beside her. Inside was a transparent crystal sphere about the size of a fist.
“Now then, I’ll begin.”
Elise picked up the cold crystal sphere and approached Hanna.
“Please lower the arms covering your chest for a moment.”
Hanna bit her lip and lowered her arms. The chest that had been hidden was exposed defenselessly. Her full breasts formed soft curves, and at their peaks were pale pink nipples raised by embarrassment and the cold.
“Ahem, ahem…”
Elise cleared her throat awkwardly to dispel the atmosphere, then carefully brought the crystal sphere in her hand over Hanna’s left breast.
“It may feel a little cold.”
“Hnng…!”
At the cold sensation, Hanna’s shoulders shrank. Soon, the once colorless crystal sphere began to glow faintly. At first, tiny particles of light seemed to drift like dust, and then the entire crystal sphere was tinged with a weak yet distinct blue glow.
“…Good heavens. It’s true.”
Elise’s brown eyes filled with astonishment. Unable to take her eyes off the crystal sphere, she said,
“I can’t believe it… To think a mana reaction like this would appear in an ordinary soldier. …Corporal Hanna’s talent is genuine. This is an extremely rare case.”
“Are you certain?”
Elise explained.
“I only knew of it in theory. Among ordinary soldiers, for this kind of talent to manifest is a one-in-tens-of-thousands chance… no, the odds are even slimmer than that. This is the first case I’ve seen in all my time serving as a military physician.”
With eyes mixed with excitement and curiosity, she turned back to me.
“How on earth did you know, Lieutenant? This kind of talent is a rare case that might appear once or twice in a century across the entire Empire…”
At that moment, Hanna shuddered and let out a small groan. Only then did Elise come to her senses and hurriedly drape a clean sheet over Hanna’s body.
“I’m sorry, Corporal. I got too excited…”
“It’s all right…”
Hanna curled up under the sheet. I approached her and placed the uniform jacket she had taken off over her.
“It seems the examination is over. May we return now?”
“Ah, yes, of course. I’ll compile the results report and submit it to the company commander immediately.”
Elise smiled at Hanna one last time.
“Don’t worry too much, Corporal Hanna. This isn’t a curse, but a blessing. If you ever feel anything strange in your body or have any questions, come see me anytime.”
“…Thank you.”
Hanna answered in a small voice.
*
Several hours after sending Hanna back.
I headed to Seraphina’s tent. When I knocked on the door, a reply came from inside.
“Come in.”
Seraphina was sitting at her desk, waiting for me. In front of her lay the report Elise had sent.
“I received the report. It was true.”
‘Status Analysis.’
[Using the skill ‘Status Analysis (Lv.2)’ on ‘Seraphina von Reinhardt.’]
[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]
[Status: Confidence in a new strategic value, evaluation of Max Jaeger raised by one level]
[Emotion: Satisfaction with a result beyond expectations, relief that her own secret has not been exposed]
“…Lieutenant Jaeger. You have exceeded my expectations. In addition to achieving victory in the Ashen Forest, you even discovered valuable talent. I didn’t think you possessed not only simple bravery, but also the ability to see through a person’s potential.”
“You flatter me.”
“I will report this achievement directly to the regimental commander. But there is something more important than that.”
She held out another document.
“Corporal Hanna must be managed specially from now on. I am entrusting all authority over her training and protection to you, Lieutenant Jaeger.”
“…To me?”
“Yes. You were the first to discover that child’s talent, and you are also the superior she trusts most, are you not? You are the most suitable person.”
“Understood.”
I answered briefly and left the company commander’s office.
A few days later, I was summoned to the regimental commander’s office. The regimental headquarters was a stone building of a different class from the temporary tents. Throughout the corridor, the sound of my military boots rang out sharply.
A woman was standing in front of the regimental commander’s door. She had pitch-black hair neatly pinned up, and wore an impeccably pressed major’s uniform. With her arms crossed, she looked me up and down with sharp gray eyes.
‘Status Analysis.’
[Name: Helga von Strauss]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Imperial Army 7th Infantry Regiment, Direct Adjutant to the Regimental Commander]
[Rank: Major]
[Status: Cool-headed analysis of the newly appointed officer before her, carrying out duties]
[Emotion: Professional curiosity]
[Hidden Trait: Tactical Insight]
The regimental commander’s adjutant. No wonder her presence felt different.
“Lieutenant Max Jaeger?”
“That is correct.”
“I’ve been waiting. Go in.”
She spoke curtly and opened the door. When I stepped inside, the regimental commander, who had been seated behind a heavy oak desk, greeted me.
“You’re here, Lieutenant Jaeger.”
“Loyalty! You called for me, sir!”
“Sit.”
The white-haired veteran smiled kindly at me. He was Colonel Karl von Dietrich, commander of the Imperial Army’s 7th Infantry Regiment. A seasoned warrior who had seen countless battles. Even merely sitting at his desk, he exuded an oppressive presence.
‘Status Analysis.’
[Name: Karl von Dietrich]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Imperial Army 7th Infantry Regiment]
[Rank: Colonel]
[Status: Satisfaction from reviewing the report, expectations toward a capable subordinate]
[Emotion: Kind on the surface, but sharply observing and evaluating]
[Hidden Trait: Veteran Commander, Outstanding Political Sense]
Colonel Dietrich lightly tapped my report and continued speaking.
“I have heard a great deal about your accomplishments. The destruction of the orc shaman’s altar, the rescue of the missing reconnaissance unit, and… even the discovery of a soldier with the talent for sensing mana. Each and every one is a remarkable achievement.”
“It is more than I deserve.”
“There’s no need for modesty. The merits you’ve earned have raised the morale of the entire regiment.”
He gave a glance to Major Helga standing beside him. Helga placed a document on the desk before me.
“It is a recommendation for a reward. Personally, I would like to grant you another medal, but it has only been two weeks since you received the Iron Cross and were specially promoted.”
The document Helga had handed over detailed the merits of my actions during the operation, along with my name. Beneath that were the regimental commander’s handwritten signature and the recommendation details.
“Instead, I have decided to grant you a monetary reward. It is an amount equivalent to half a year of your salary. In addition, I have arranged for your platoon, 3rd Platoon, to receive priority distribution of new supplies. Waterproof combat boots and new bulletproof vests will be issued within this month.”
“Thank you, Regimental Commander.”
Inwardly, I shouted for joy. I would be able to buy the loyalty of my platoon members without spending a single coin. The regimental commander smiled in satisfaction and patted my shoulder. This was the main point.
“And… there is one more special mission I would like to entrust to you.”