“That’s why my age or anything else is completely irrelevant. In fact, the reason you’re still a lieutenant at this age is that you don’t even understand such basic things.”
“Guh…but I don’t think Lieutenant Hazen has been very loyal to me, his former superior officer!”
“That’s because you’re incompetent.”
” …… ” “
Lieutenant Mospitza glared at Hazen intensely. Why, though? Hazen was just stating facts plainly.
“The core of top-down command is that the superior officer has better insight than the non-commissioned officer. People like you, who try to attack the nuances of speech to indulge your personal interests, are extremely incompetent and despicable, and should be excluded accordingly.”
“…”
It was frustrating that he couldn’t get Mospitza to understand. To be honest, reforming this man was a difficult mission. But as a military officer, Hazen had a duty to develop his subordinates, so he had to give it his all.
“You might think it’s contradictory, but I actually believe dissent and objections are perfectly fine. Free discussion makes judgment more flexible. But military discipline must be maintained. In more common terms, it’s about maintaining propriety. Understand?”
“…”
“Next time if there’s no response, I’ll punish you with a cane. Understand?”
“…Yes.”
“Hey, Lei Fa. Restrain Lieutenant Mospitza.”
!?
“But I already responded!”
“I couldn’t hear it.”
“No, but…Gyah!”
As the cane struck Mospitza’s behind, a red stain gradually appeared on his pants. Hazen sighed, feeling displeased that this fang was being used to hit such a dirty behind.
“Listen up. A response only has meaning if the recipient can hear it. It’s for conveying intent. I didn’t think I’d have to explain something this basic to an officer, but I guess that’s part of my duty as a military officer.”
Hazen let out a deep sigh.
“…Hic, hic, hic.”
“Alright, stop crying and get on the horse already.”
“But blood is coming out of my behind…”
“Isn’t that your own doing? Endure the pain.”
“Ugh…Gyaaaah!”
Mospitza gritted his teeth and mounted the horse.
“Riding a horse is an essential skill for an officer. That’s why you’re looked down on by the non-commissioned officers. You tried to suppress them with authority, but don’t do that. Understand?”
“…”
“Hey, Lei Fa. Restrain Lieutenant Mospitza.”
“Yes! Yes, I responded just now!”
“Too slow.”
“No, but…Gyaaaah!?”
The fang struck Mospitza’s behind again, and blood gushed out, instantly staining the saddle.
“Ah, the horse got dirty. Make sure to wash it properly later.”
“Hic… hic… hic…”
“Hey, Lei Fa. Restrain Lt. Mospitza.”
“Hiii! Please, no more! I beg you!”
“If you don’t answer, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Hic… AAAAAAHHH!”
Yet again, blood spewed out. His face was now pale, and a bit of foam was coming from his mouth.
“How lamentable. You can’t even give a proper response. As a senior officer, you should be upholding the standards of the Imperial military.”
“Uh… Hazen,”
Lei Fa said hesitantly.
“What?”
“If we keep going, Lt. Mospitza might… he might die…”
“I don’t care.”
!?
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“Hic… No, please…”
Lt. Mospitza turned his tear-stained face towards them.
“An officer who can’t even respond properly is better off not existing. And a soldier this weak, succumbing to such light torture – Lt. Mospitza, listen carefully. I’m not asking for anything difficult. Just give me a proper response.”
“Y-yes…!”
“Then, get on the horse.”
“Huh!? Nooo…!”
Lt. Mospitza cried as he mounted the blood-stained saddle.
“Ugh… Ugh…”
Watching the weeping Lt. Mospitza, Hazen let out a deep sigh.
“Don’t cry so much. If you can’t handle this, you won’t survive the training ahead.”
“Hiii…!”
” …… Huh. “
Completely useless. If he were an excellent combat soldier, Hazen would have considered utilizing him, but in this state, he’s no good.
“Maybe I should just kill him.”
“Huh!?”
“Ah, that was just me thinking out loud. Ignore it.”
“…! That’s definitely not okay! That was a lie, right? A joke, right?”
Lt. Mospitza’s face contorted in fear.
“Didn’t you hear? It was just me thinking out loud. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Absolutely not! I’m a high-ranking nobleman, you know… a high-ranking nobleman?”
At that moment, Lt. Mospitza’s expression changed drastically.
“Ah, yes, that’s right. You are a high-ranking nobleman.”
“…That’s right. That’s right, Lt. Hazen. You’re just a commoner, aren’t you!?”
“Lei Fa, restrain him.”
!?
“Gah…! Let go…! Ugh, aaaahh!”
A small chunk of Lt. Mospitza’s flesh fell off.
“You really don’t understand, do you. I told you to use respectful language. But I’ll answer your question. Yes, I am a commoner by birth.”
“Hic… Hic… So you think it’s okay to do this to me, a high-ranking nobleman?”
“Yes.”
“…Don’t you understand the difference in status between a commoner and a high-ranking nobleman?”
“Of course I do. What are you trying to say?”
Hazen sighed, truly perplexed by this man. But in Lt. Mospitza’s eyes, a spark of determination reappeared.
“You! You, as a commoner, have harmed me, a high-ranking nobleman! According to Imperial law, your actions deserve the death penalty!”
” …… “
At those words, Hazen fell silent. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, and his expression grew quite grim.
“Aha, ahahaha, so you’ve finally understood!? Realized it!?”
Lt. Mospitza wore a triumphant smile.
“…How terrifying.”
“That’s right? The death penalty, isn’t it? But it’s too late now. Hazen Heim. You’ve harmed me, a high-ranking nobleman! It’s too late to regret it now!”
“Truly… your complete lack of learning ability is terrifying.”
!?
“What did you say!?”
“If you weren’t a military member, you’d be right. But in the military, rank is everything. Seniority, gender, social status – all distinctions are disregarded. It’s written in the law.”
“…!”
“And I thought I had drilled that into you just five minutes ago. The extent of your incompetence is chilling.”
This meant that all the instruction he had given so far had been a complete waste. For the efficiency-obsessed Hazen, this was a significant blow.
He had planned to devote no more than 30 minutes of his life to Lt. Mospitza, but it now seemed he might have to spend an entire hour.
“You… even if it’s like that within the military, my family won’t stay silent. If this comes to light, you’ll be sentenced to death for sure!”
“…Really?”
Hazen peered intently into the eyes of the boastful former superior officer, as if seeing into the depths of his weaknesses.
“Wh-what?”
“Lt. Mospitza. You’re the fifth son. Naturally, you have no inheritance rights. And yet, as a high-ranking nobleman, you’re still only a lieutenant in your 40s. You’re considered a complete failure by society.”
“…!”
“Your family has likely disowned you. That’s why your identity as a ‘lieutenant’ in the military has become so important to you.”
Indeed, Lt. Mospitza had mentioned his status as a high-ranking nobleman, which was not solely due to his poor memory.
“I had forgotten about it because it wasn’t that important to me.”
“You probably used a lot of connections to pass the officer’s exam. But since you lacked the essential skills, You just been boasting to others and sucking up to the superiors to get by in the military…I see, that explains your incompetence.”
“…Ugh.”
“Since you’re just a useless burden to your family, I doubt anyone would even listen to your complaints and gripes.”
“That’s not true!”
“No, in fact I’d say you’re practically estranged from them, aren’t you?”
“I said that’s not true! What are you basing that on?”
“Because it must be embarrassing to have someone like you as family.”
“…Ugh.”
” ” ” ” ” …… ” ” ” ” ” ” “
Not only Lieutenant Mospitza, but the entire 8th squad as well as Lei Fa, were all swallowing hard. Hazen had merely voiced what everyone was thinking – had he said something wrong?
“The objective evidence is that since your assignment, you haven’t returned home even once.”
“H-h-how did you know that?”
Lieutenant Mospitza was sweating profusely.
“You probably don’t know this, but it’s also the duty of a superior officer to plan their subordinates’ leave time. I was going to prioritize leave for those who couldn’t take long breaks to visit their hometowns – and it turns out that was you. What an ironic twist.”
“…Ugh.”
“Anyway, I don’t care what tricks you try, but you’ll be punished.”
“Huh!?”
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