IBAOAWIJM 03

Episode 3

‘Then was that reaction earlier because I was being too nice to you?’

I walked along the yellow line, making various guesses.

“It’s really, really wide.”
A road that seemed endless even after walking for 10 minutes. I saw many things during this time, but what impressed me the most was, of course, the atmosphere.

‘Are you all walking around with scary swords?’

Maybe because it was a wartime situation, but the security was very tight.

“Is that it?”
Just as I started to sweat, the yellow line ended and a wide parade ground came into view.

‘There are already a lot of them.’

Men who appeared to number in the hundreds, if not thousands….

‘What, there are women there too.’

It wasn’t just one or two; more than I expected, about one in twenty.

‘No, if it was like this, my sister could have come.’

Of course, if you asked her, she would have said she’d rather die than go.

“Why should we go out when we could just offer a bounty and conscript the commoners to fight them off like we always do? If things go wrong, I don’t even want to imagine it.”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s His Majesty’s order, so I can’t refuse.”
As I entered the parade grounds, I heard the conversation of noble sons and young masters.

‘Everyone is in a similar situation to me.’

There really were family heirs.
There were also those who, like me, were pushed to come after being promised compensation, but surprisingly, the former were far more numerous by percentage.

‘That must mean that this war is politically important.’

I’m speaking from my experience living in Korea.
Clearly, after this war ends, whether or not one participated in it will become a label among the nobles and follow them for the rest of their lives.

“Attention!!”
While not socializing and seeing no familiar faces, I was just sitting in a corner. Someone’s booming voice on stage caught everyone’s attention.

“The orientation ceremony will now begin. All prospective cadets, please line up in rows of 50.”
“What is ‘Jongdae’?”
“More than that, who is that person speaking informally to me now?”
As expected, our noble brothers.
They absolutely cannot tolerate informal speech.

“If you don’t want to be admitted, please step aside immediately. We won’t force you.”

‘Oh, shit.’
Familiar gaslighting.
They were so similar that I almost ended up using harsh words.

‘You’re threatening me with a knife, but you’re not forcing anything on me.’

A structure where someone must be drafted.
I couldn’t understand where it was said that it wasn’t forced.

“Based on the preliminary candidates in front of you.”
Suddenly, the man raised his arm and pointed at me.

‘Why me?’

If he had pointed vaguely, they would have pretended not to know, but because it was so direct, it was too obvious.

“Standard!”
He raised his right arm and shouted “Standard!” recalling memories of his days as a training unit member and private.
At the same time, countless eyes were focused on me.
In particular, the soldiers on the platform were even quietly exclaiming in surprise, as if they had not expected it.

“Gather in a column of 50. Implement!”
“Implement!”
A habitual repetition of the same words.
The man standing on the podium raised the corners of his mouth openly this time.
He sent me a hot look as if he liked me.

‘Ugh, I feel like things have been messed up from the start.’

Anyway, even though it was a bit messy, we managed to form a 50-column formation.
The entrance ceremony began immediately.

“We will now hear a word from Brigadier General Chelsea, the training commander.”
After the boring and uninteresting national anthem, a high-ranking official appeared.

‘If you’re a brigadier general, that’s one star, right?’

In the military, he’s almost like a god.
The power they have can be seen as omnipotent.

“Salute to the training commander! Loyalty!”
“Loyalty…?!”
As soon as the host started the call, I raised my hand and saluted in return.
The problem is that less than ten people, including me, had done this properly.

“You still don’t feel like soldiers. That’s okay. You’ll learn properly during your time here.”

I could see it because it was right in front of me.
The distorted expression of the large, imposing Brigadier General Chelsea.

“I have a lot to say today, but due to time constraints, I will keep it brief.”
He looked at the candidates, turning his head from side to side.

“The peace we thought would last forever has been shattered after twenty years. Given the time frame, you soldiers here probably don’t even know what war is. Most of you haven’t even been born yet.”
That’s right.
The age of this body I am possessing now is only nineteen.

“As someone who experienced war as a soldier, I can tell you that it’s horrific. It’s beyond anything you could ever imagine. You will soon be thrown into the middle of such a war.”

Could it be the power of words that come from experience?
Or maybe it’s because he’s talking about the future we’ll soon have to face.
At some point, the noisy parade grounds became as quiet as a mouse.

“If you want to survive, you’d better train yourselves instead of complaining. After all, it’ll be too late to regret it once the sword is stuck in your throat. Good luck. That’s all.”

“Salute to the training commander! Loyalty!”
After Brigadier General Chelsea came down, the next person to come up was a man wearing something very luxurious.

“Uh… uh, wait a minute. Why is the Agent here?”
A few who recognized the man’s presence glared and stuttered.

‘Agent?’

Although I didn’t notice it right away, it didn’t take long for me to realize his identity.

“I will read His Majesty the Emperor’s imperial edict. Be courteous!”
If you were born in the empire, it might be because you learned it so many times.
It took less than five seconds for the training commander on the podium and over a thousand candidates to bend their knees.

“Ahem!”
The Agent, having confirmed that the preparations were complete, took out a scroll from a box that was not only luxurious but also elegant.

“I would have liked to attend the inauguration ceremony myself, but I am sending an imperial edict due to the heavy workload of state affairs.”
The Agent’s voice echoed throughout the parade grounds through a loudspeaker device similar to a modern microphone.

‘He was planning to go there himself? That’s a dangerous situation.’

The Emperor’s status in the Empire is close to that of a god, so if he had come here, there’s no telling what would have happened.

“First of all, I am proud of you who volunteered to practice noblesse oblige.”

‘It’s not a volunteer thing! Shit.’

Gaslighting starts again.
I wanted to frown, but even that was a time when I had to be careful.

“I will never forget your names. You have no doubt that you will lead this empire into the future.”

The path to success guaranteed by the emperor.
As soon as those words came out, many people’s faces began to brighten.

“It will be awkward. An organization like the military, with its top-down command and new hierarchy. However, I believe. That you will perform admirably.”
Indeed, the Emperor’s decree.
The volume of content was substantial.

‘It’s on the level of a school principal’s lecture.’

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can doze off.
You’d be executed for the crime of insulting the imperial family.

“1,307 prospective cadets. As of this moment, you are the proud officer cadets of the Empire. I hope you fight for pride and victory. That is all.”
The decree ended with the removal of our ‘provisional’ tag.

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!! Long live!! Long live!!”
Following procedure, three cheers filled the grand parade ground.
And so, at the moment the irreversible label of ‘soldier’ was stamped upon us,
the damn message revealed itself for the first time since my possession.

[You, riding the winds of fate, are provided with a privilege.]
[The Status Window has been unlocked.]
[You have acquired the specialty ‘Physical Training’.]
[If you leave the soldier identity, all privileges will disappear.]
[May there be blessings at the end of your fate.]

“Fate, ah….”

‘No!!! Damn it!!!’

The timing and the message itself—it’s clearly making fun of me.

‘If my fate is to do something like being a soldier, then just kill me! Why give me a second life!’

I thought it was a precious second life, but now I see it’s not at all.

“Cadets, please follow the instructors in front of you to the barracks.”
The entrance ceremony ended, and we left the grand parade ground in our lines and headed towards the building on the uphill slope.

“It’s 8 people per room, so please fill them up.”
“What on earth is this! You expect me to live in a place like this?!”
A man from the front who checked the room first ran to the instructor and raised his voice.

“Is there a problem.”
“There’s no personal space. And why is the room so small? It’s not enough for one person to live in, how are eight supposed to use it!”

‘What’s it like that he’s so upset?’

I peeked out to check the room he found so appalling.

“Huh?”
Eight single beds and lockers placed at regular intervals.
It’s hard to say this, but having lived for two years in a barracks built in the 1970 this was almost like a hotel to me.

‘Can military facilities be this good?’

I expected bunk beds or at best two-tier beds, but these were single-level.
My lips naturally curled up.

“Cadet, this is the military. Return to your room.”
The instructor’s expression, which had turned very stiff.
He’s definitely pissed off.

‘This feels ominous.’

Even though it’s a different place, I know from experience.
Training unit drill instructors and trainers are insane groups that apply collective punishment for the slightest thing.

“I can’t live in a place like this!”
The man who kept complaining.
It didn’t take long for the instructor’s patience to reach its limit.

“Sigh, this won’t do. You, get down.”

“What…?”
“If you disobey one more time, I will impose a demerit. You probably have a rough idea what that means.”
As soon as the word ‘demerit’ came out, the man’s pupils shook.

‘That demerit is definitely connected to the training unit grades, right?’

So, the lower your score due to demerits, the lower your chance of getting the assignment you want.
In the end, you go where you’re left.
And everyone knows that place will be the front line.

“W-wait! I think there’s been a misunderstanding, let’s talk—”
“Get down. Do it.”
Faced with the instructor’s unyielding attitude, the man gritted his teeth and finally placed both hands on the floor.

“The rest of you, continue into your rooms. If you have complaints, come out.”
The man remained lying face down in front of the instructor like a spoil of war.
No one was brave enough to voice a complaint after seeing that.

‘Why did he have to act up and make the atmosphere so tense?’

This is why these noble guys are a problem.
Clicking my tongue, I entered my assigned room number 7 and sat on an empty chair.
My roommates who filed in one after another.
Every single one had a deathly expression, creating a strange sense of kinship.
Except for the one who entered last with a smile on his face.

“Uh….”
“Hmm….”
The eight of us sitting facing each other.
Surprisingly, no one was the first to speak.

‘Time’s being wasted, should I check it now?’

Based on experience, this silence would last a while, so I opened the so-called Status Window that had unlocked earlier.

Name: Palan Surname: Oklo
Affiliation: Adelph Military Training Unit
Rank: Cadet
Specialty: Physical Training

‘Why does it look so flimsy?’

Common sense says a status window should have something.
Stats like Strength, Intelligence, Agility, Stamina, and a godly system where you grow by allocating points.
I expected something like that, but this is really of no use at all.

‘And the specialty, Physical Training? What’s this?’

Moving my hand as naturally as possible, I opened the additional description.

[Physical Training]
A strong spirit resides in a strong body. Consistent physical training is not a choice but a necessity for a soldier. Train your body and prove the results.
Ability: Increases efficiency of muscle recovery and growth, unlocks Physical Fitness Test.

‘Physical Fitness Test…?’

My head tilted involuntarily at the term I’d only heard in the military.

[Physical Fitness Test]
Grade: Not Yet Tested
Next Grade: 9th Class
Evaluation Items: 3km Run (15 min), Push-ups (30), Sit-ups (35)
Reward: Store Unlocked, 50p

‘Oh….’

Unlike the military where there’s only the whip, here there was a carrot if you passed.
No, to be precise, there was only a carrot.

‘Looking at it like this, it’s kind of like a game.’

Especially the Store—I was really looking forward to that.

‘If it was my previous body, I would have passed immediately, but now it won’t be easy.’

My current body, with muscles so soft it’s a miracle I don’t have a belly.
Since I have to start from scratch, I can already see the difficult road ahead.

‘But it’s still quiet.’

Whether they’re all introverts or what, the silence lasted longer than I thought.
Of course, even so, I had no intention of stepping forward.

‘Standing out is out of the question.’

Unless points are given by popularity vote, it’s important to move substantively.
After an intense standoff, a delicate-looking man finally opened his mouth.

“It seems like we’ll be living together like this for two weeks, so how about we introduce ourselves? I am Ion Bell burn of the Bell burn Dukedom.”
At the unexpected heavyweight, everyone’s eyes widened.

‘A Dukedom is a bit suffocating.’

I’m from a Viscountcy, which is absolutely not low, but a Dukedom is on a whole other level.

“Krushel Castel of the Castel Barony. Pleased to meet you.”
“I am Palan Oklo of the Oklo Viscountcy. I hope we can get along well.”
“Derek Rahila of the Rahila Viscountcy! Hehe, I’m dying of curiosity about what kind of training we’ll do, I wish it would start soon.”
Once one person started, the self-introductions came pouring out.
To summarize simply: four Baronies, one County, two Viscountcies, one Dukedom—the average was quite high.

‘He wishes training would start soon? He seems already crazy.’

There was a reason he came in smiling while everyone else looked like they were about to die.

“Did the Rahila Viscountcy receive an enlistment order? To my knowledge, they should have been exempt.”
Ion asked with eyes that couldn’t understand.

‘The Rahila Viscountcy… they’re definitely that famous swordsmanship family that consistently produces Imperial Knights.’

It’s a family famous enough to be in Palan’s memories.

“We were exempt, but, well, I just always dreamed of being a soldier, so I thought this was a good opportunity and came.”

‘Oh… insane.’

So there really was a true volunteer, as the Emperor had said.
And not just anyone, but a scion of a Viscountcy living a life lacking nothing.

“Be…being a soldier is your dream. That’s admirable.”
“Hehe, we’re all soldiers now, right? Let’s work hard for these two weeks. I’m so excited right now. This is going to be fun.”
If he had said it in a mocking way, I would have had a word, but from his expression to his voice—he was genuine.