Chapter 71

Chapter 71

A month had passed since the recapture of the base.

During that time, Damian focused on just two things: training the archers and improving the overall stamina of the unit.

Whether in offense or defense, stamina is fundamental in war.

The battlefield is a place burdened with the weight of life and death.

Simply stepping onto the field drains more than average stamina.

Weaker soldiers would gasp for breath after just a few swings of their swords.

Therefore, sharp situational awareness, mental fortitude, and unyielding stamina were essential on the battlefield.

“Haah... haah... haah...!”

“Breathe deeply through your nose, then exhale slowly through your mouth!”

“Yes, sir! Hah... hah...!”

Just thirty minutes.

But in those thirty minutes, every single one of them looked like they were about to die.

Some had already collapsed, crawling on the ground like dogs.

They kept moving because Damian had warned them they would be killed if they stopped.

“Stop!”

“Aaahhh!”

“Ugh!”

“God, I’m dying!”

With Damian’s command, the soldiers collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

Some of the squad leaders, perhaps out of pride, didn’t sit down, but...

“Huff... huff... huff....”

They stood bent over, hands on their knees, shoulders heaving.

Damian approached the first squad leader and poured water over his head.

“How are you holding up?”

“I think... I’m dying... Ugh!”

More than half of them vomited after each stamina training session.

The first squad leader straightened his back, trying to suppress his nausea.

“What kind of training is this...?”

It was training unlike anything he had ever experienced.

“Do all regular soldiers do this?”

“No, not everyone. It’s something... only a select few elites go through.”

“Training for the elites...?”

The stamina training Damian implemented was known as interval training.

It was something he had endured under Leonhark in the past.

Slow jogging and all-out sprints alternated within short intervals.

The sprints could last anywhere from one to three minutes, depending on the case.

While jogging slowly, it was crucial to catch their breath and recover.

Repeating this pattern unpredictably pushed the heart to its limits, strengthening both cardiac and pulmonary functions immensely.

‘In the end, you need stamina to endure.’

As proof, the soldiers’ complexions had noticeably improved recently.

Intense exercise and proper nutrition.

These two changes had brought them up to par with regular soldiers in terms of basic fitness.

The first squad leader looked at Damian, who was observing the unit.

He felt that if they continued to follow this man... things might really change.

The first squad leader spoke to Damian.

“Sir... Captain.”

“Go on.”

“If, by any chance... really, just hypothetically... when the war here is over... could I join your unit?”

“What, you planning to put down roots in the military?”

“Not really... I mean, what would a guy like me do out there except get into trouble again? But if I were under someone like you, maybe I wouldn’t cause any trouble....”

“True, anyone under me would think dying might be better than screwing up.”

Damian’s sharp gaze made the squad leader flinch.

Damian continued.

“We’ll see how you perform. But first, we need to get this place sorted out.”

“Yes, sir!”

The first squad leader responded loudly.

Damian glanced at the exhausted soldiers on the ground.

“In the afternoon, we’ll move straight to formation and archery training. Make sure to be ready.”

“Understood!”

As Damian turned away, he recalled the first squad leader’s earlier words.

—If the war here ends... could I join your unit?

“...”

These men were criminals.

But Damian himself had once been much like them, having committed many wrongdoings in the past.

He wasn’t one to believe people could change easily.

‘But if given a chance...’

“.......”

It was a feeling he had never experienced before.

He discovered for the first time that immersion could be this enjoyable and exhilarating.

‘Maybe...’

Could this be the thing that finally freed him from his nightmares?

When he first arrived here, he thought he might as well die.

In fact, most of the large scars on his body were from his time on this battlefield.

But somehow, with a tenacious will to live, he survived even the gravest of injuries.

As if following her dying wish for him to keep living.

‘Do I... deserve to live?’

The guilt of failing to protect her still weighed heavily on his heart.

The third squad leader raised his bow again.

During these moments of shooting, everything around him seemed to fade into white.

It felt as if he was the only one existing in the world.

Thud! Thud!

The sound of arrows hitting the target echoed late into the night.

“.......”

And Damian watched the third squad leader in silence.

* * *

Life in the Makstri unit was always the same.

Grueling stamina training drained their souls in the morning, followed by intense archery training in the afternoon.

But after a month, there was a slight change...

“Captain, I think it’s possible to form an archer unit of about thirty men.”

“Are they skilled enough?”

“Yes, with a bit more training, they’ll be able to shoot while moving.”

At the third squad leader’s report, Damian nodded.

Over the past month, the third squad leader had not only continued his own archery training but also identified other soldiers with talent for archery and trained them.

Thanks to his efforts, Damian now had an unexpected strategic advantage.

Damian nodded in approval.

“Good. From now on, you’ll command the archer unit. Don’t waste time on anyone else; focus solely on the archers.”

“Understood.”

“And one more thing.”

“...Yes?”

As the third squad leader turned, he flinched and looked back at Damian.

Damian pointed to the long bangs covering the right side of the third squad leader’s face.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable? I don’t know what kind of scar it is, but here, a few scars aren’t something to hide.”

“...It’s fine.”

“If you say so.”

“Anything else you need me to do?”

“No, you can go.”

“Then.”

The third squad leader bowed politely and left.

Damian watched him as he walked away.

Everyone had their own stories, but Makstri seemed to have more than its share of men with unique backgrounds.

The third squad leader was particularly on his mind.

He was quiet, rarely spoke, and had a strong sense of duty, silently doing what needed to be done without complaint.

And that scar on his right side...

—”It’s a burn mark. He never said how he got it, but it’s quite gruesome, so he covers it up.”

“...Damn.”

He had thought all he needed was to prove himself.

He had come here to be tested for the position of captain in the Caion unit.

But the longer he stayed...

The more he learned about these men...

Damian felt an unsettling pressure on his chest.

The reason was simple.

These men reminded him too much of his past self.

When this battle ended, the men here would scatter.

Some would be dragged to work as nameless laborers in remote lands, while others would vanish silently as pawns in another war.

“Damn it. This is why I didn’t want to get too involved....”

But how could he half-ass it now?

Not when he saw how hard these men were fighting for their lives.

Damian got up.

To deal with this situation...

“I guess I’ll have to meet with the Corps Commander after all.”

He wasn’t sure if a mere sergeant like him could secure a meeting with the Corps Commander...

“But I have to try at least once.”

With newfound determination, Damian began to walk purposefully toward his next destination.