The boy who was bullied - Chapter 0
Huh? Why am I leading a troop and fighting a small number of enemies while heading towards the friendly base camp? Isn’t this weird? It hasn’t even been half a year since I was drafted for national military service.
Snapping back to my senses while contemplating the situation, I receive incoming arrows with my shield while leading the way. Then, I hear a voice from my comrade who is slightly behind.
“Squad leader! What should we do?”
“Zakusu has been temporarily given command. Don’t ask me. Ask him. For now, we retreat.”
The squad leader who responded to the question from behind received large wounds on his right hand, right leg, and left side as he’s being carried away by his subordinates and following behind.
I am Zakusu. I’ve been called useless, a weakling, a good for nothing, even by my comrades in the troop I was drafted into.
That I…
I hear a sound. It’s the sound of something cutting through the air. Moreover, there’s a large number of them flying together. I call out.
“Expect an attack from the front and above! Everybody, protect yourselves! Don’t stop moving, move forward at a slow pace! After the attack from the front, expect a similar attack from the right rear!”
Arrows and magic attacks are flying. Everyone is defending themselves with their shields or cutting them down with their weapons. It seems like a few were hit, but none seem to have died. The current situation is an utter defeat. Furthermore, we’re surrounded. The enemy isn’t approaching us, it seems like they plan on eliminating our troops with ranged attacks.
Thanks to the enemy’s current response, I decide on a course of action, believing that I can make it back to the friendly base camp with a bit of a gamble.
It would be the fastest to head straight towards the base camp, but it’s been confirmed that a troop of around 1,000 men, 10 times the size of our troop, is blocking our way. If we charge them head on, we’ll be annihilated. That’s easy to predict. However, there’s a forest to the right, and if we go through there, we can avoid a head on confrontation with the enemy troop.
However, the forest is home to some fairly strong monsters, and if the military were to march through there, we would be attacked by those monsters and sustain some damage. As the forest is unsuitable as terrain for a military group to march or station, I can immediately deduce that no troops but special forces are deployed in forests.
Judging from the forest as I traveled on the main road, the monsters that inhabit the forest can’t be subdued without 5 to 8 people fighting together against one, if we were to fight them head on. What’s more, they seem to be quite hungry, and the way they were staring at me remains in my mind.
However, in order to lead these friendly troops that number over a hundred back to the main camp, there’s no hope of returning if we don’t go through there. I think to myself that if I were alone, I could just run and run and run, and I would easily be able to get through the forest, but when I look back, I sense an unpleasant atmosphere that gives off the impression that the entire troop is completely fatigued, filled with despair, and fleeing in defeat. I take a deep breath and give a loud order to the friendly troop.
“After marching forward for a bit, we will turn right and enter the forest. Be on your guard as there are many strong monsters in the forest! If you don’t want to die, do as I say!”
Then, I take out a pouch from my bag. Next, I pour water into the pouch, knead what’s inside the bag, and mix everything together.
“We will be entering the forest soon! Do not touch any of the trees until we rest. I know it stinks, but please bear with it!”
A sense of tension different from before is born among the friendly troops. It wasn’t like the tension of retreating, or the tension of war where you’re fighting people, it was a tension of fighting monsters, an enemy that fights in a slightly different way.
I turn the mouth of the pouch I was holding slightly downwards, and apply the liquid inside the pouch to the trees, using the mouth as a brush.
The man immediately behind me makes a face because of the smell, then asks me.
“What are you doing? You told us not to touch the trees, yet what are you applying to the trees?”
There’s no reason for me not to tell him, so I honestly answer.
“What I’m applying is a smell and poison that the monsters hate. With this, while the monsters will be somewhat wary of us, they won’t easily attack us. However, it smells so bad that if you put it on yourself, it’ll be very unpleasant. There’s also poison mixed in, and since the smell is so strong, it’ll attract monsters from a distance even after we’ve passed though the forest. It stinks, but since they won’t attack us, I’m applying it to the trees.”
Those who followed behind me and heard my explanation nod while holding their noses, acknowledging what I said. If only the monsters don’t attack us…and the enemy soldiers don’t enter the forest, I thought as I lead the troops towards the depths of the forest.
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It became night. I’m at the base camp now.
When we returned to the base camp, we had more people than the number the squad leader counted when he decided to retreat. It seems like some people joined us between the time we entered the forest and the time we exited the forest. Moreover, since command was transferred to me, the number of deserters has been 0. However, everybody has sustained some minor injuries. And the heavily injured squad leader managed to make it back to the base camp without dying. Furthermore, we weren’t attacked by monsters in the forest, and we managed to pass through the forest without incident.
When my group arrived at the campsite, they let out a big cheer, but the medical team members stationed at the campsite immediately rushed over to us. The medical team was flustered at the sight of our heavily wounded troops and immediately began carrying the seriously injured to the medical tents, where they began treating everyone.
Recovery magic and healing potions were employed generously. Some of our men were wrapped head to toe in bandages.
I, Zack, recall that scene as I gaze at my own hands before the day ends.
When I returned, I was also battered. My hands were riddled with cuts and bruises from arrow strikes that had pierced my shield. Now, my wounds have been treated, bandaged up, and despite the pain, I recognize that they are nothing serious.
However, my hands continue to tremble. It is not merely a consequence of the battlefield, but an indescribable feeling that emanates from the responsibility I bear for leading my troops back alive.
I let my arms hang lifelessly and look up at the night sky, lost in contemplation.
I made it back alive. I am… still alive. I, a mere grunt and foot soldier, had to lead…
Man, that really is something I never want to do again.
In another year and a half, once my remaining year and a half of military service are up, I can finally return to my hometown village.
When I return to the village, a peaceful life awaits me. A tranquil and slow-paced life awaits me. Even a nobody like me can live a decent life. Somehow, I need to make it back alive.