My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

It seemed something was wrong with Winter’s body. Though he staggered, he tried to get up again without collapsing.

“Winter! Are you okay?”

Yuri rushed over, forced Winter to kneel, and naturally removed the paralysis needle from his neck, making sure the Crown Prince didn’t see.

“Winter’s been in poor condition ever since he was poisoned by a monster a few days ago. It looks like he overexerted himself!”

“Winter, if you weren’t feeling well, you should have said something!”

Yuri and Altair shouted with a ridiculously shameless expression. Yuri, with Winter’s left arm slung over her shoulder, signaled to Ishina, who was nearby.

“Help Winter up quickly.”

“Got it.”

Ishina’s whispered voice could be heard as he helped support Winter’s right arm.

“I’m sorry, Winter-nim…”

“No, it’s the monster’s poison…”

“You didn’t think the monster’s poison would be that strong? You still need more rest!”

Yuri covered Winter’s mouth and dragged him away.

“I’m sure you were startled by the unexpected situation! Instead, I’ll take on the duel since I’m second-best at swordsmanship in this unit and would like to challenge His Highness!”

Altair, having already grabbed his own sword, stepped forward to take Winter’s place in the fight against the Crown Prince…

“Ugh! The aura…”

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to use that technique…”

“Whew, you’re no easy opponent…”

“There’s an opening! No, it’s a trap!”

I stared coldly at Altair, who was narrating his own fight while in combat, and at Winter, who was being dragged away by Yuri. Was this really how the male lead from the original novel was treated?

‘Winter, I thought things would get better after you got promoted to corporal…’

But who could have predicted the Crown Prince would suddenly appear and have the company commander grovel like this?

In this Border Defense Army, if you don’t bend your beliefs or your pride, you’ll end up like Winter—forced to break.

“The new commander is truly capable.”

“That’s right. And Altair, Winter’s comrade, also seems to be an elite. Just look at him.”

The company commander and platoon leader, without seeing anything wrong with the situation, happily praised Taro and Altair.

“Not bad at all! Defeating me…!”

Watching Altair speak like a sidekick from a boy’s manga, I was once again painfully reminded of reality.

‘What kind of mess is this military, anyway...?’

***

After that absurd duel, we had a meal together.

For the record, when I say "together," I mean with the Crown Prince included, damn it...

‘I’m jealous of Beta and Gamma squads. They didn’t have to eat with him...’

There were some outsiders in the unit, but the cooks in charge of the kitchen were all hired by the state. Since the news of the Crown Prince’s visit had been delivered in advance, today’s meal was truly extravagant.

“Do you always eat like this?”

“Yes, fortunately, His Majesty the Emperor has generously provided for the military, so we never lack food.”

“Hm, good meals are essential if we’re to defend the borders properly.”

‘Well, we always eat well, that’s true...’

I looked down at the steak on my plate with a blank expression.

‘When have we ever eaten steak...?’

And the worst part was that the person sitting next to me was the Crown Prince...

Fortunately, Altair, sitting in front of the Crown Prince, was drawing all the attention, so the Crown Prince didn’t seem to care about me. But how was I supposed to eat calmly in this situation?

‘How long has it been since I’ve had steak...?’

I couldn’t remember the last time I had it before possessing this body, but it had definitely been over a year since I came to this world.

With trembling hands, I grabbed the knife and tried to cut the steak, but it had been so long that, of course, I couldn’t cut it properly.

‘Am I supposed to cut it along the grain? Why isn’t this cutting properly?’

As I awkwardly struggled with the knife, Altair, sitting diagonally across from me, mouthed something to me.

‘If you act awkward, we’re all dead.’

...Damn.

‘Pretend like you eat like this all the time.’

...In the end, I focused aura into the knife to cut the steak without the Crown Prince noticing.

Winter had told me that I could channel aura into anything, not just a combat sword, but I never thought I’d use it for this. Damn it.

Seeing me cut the steak with an aura-infused knife, Karon rubbed his eyes, clearly doubting what he was seeing, but I figured it was better than leaving the meal uneaten.

‘Usually, in worlds with aura, doesn’t this lead to some kind of Sword Master or something...?’

Sadly, the only thing I could master with my aura was not swordsmanship, but cutting steak.

After putting in all my effort, I, along with the others in the unit, ate as if it was just another usual meal. The Crown Prince nodded with apparent satisfaction, watching us.

“You seem to be lacking nothing in your military life.”

“Yes, not at all, haha!”

“They provide us with good meals and the best supplies.”

Altair and Plato quickly followed the Crown Prince’s words, praising our living conditions.

“Well, do you think so too?”

“Y-Yes?!”

The Crown Prince suddenly addressed none other than me.

“What’s your name?”

“Salvia!”

My voice came out stiff and nervous, a far cry from the usual tone.

“Ah, Salvia. Do you have any suggestions for the unit?”

‘Damn... What should I even say here...’

If I acted crazy and said something like, “I want to desert!” or “The treatment of hetero sapiens is completely unjust!” or “The training is too harsh!” I could already imagine the consequences. Ugh, I didn’t even want to think about it.

I hesitated, trying to find a way to answer, when I locked eyes with Altair and Yuri, who were glaring at me.

‘Think about the consequences.’

‘Answer smoothly.’

How do they convey such a message with just a look?

“What do you think? Do you like it here?”

What came out of my mouth was, of course, a mechanical answer.

“I can feel the energy of nature, and every day I feel healthier since joining this unit. Moreover, the seniors and comrades have been so helpful, making military life enjoyable. It’s an honor to serve the Adolph Empire!”

Sniff...

I almost choked back a sob as I said the words, and when I finished, all the unit members stared at me with tearful eyes.

“Hm, it seems like everyone is really disciplined.”

Was the Crown Prince actually buying my words? Why does he always come across as so insufferable?

Damn it, after possessing this body, I thought I would get to live comfortably in a glamorous world like the Crown Prince, but now, seeing all the pampered nobles, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

‘Damn it, I need to show this Crown Prince the "taste of Earth"...’

Typically, in a romance fantasy world, female leads from Earth would use Earth's knowledge or items.

For example, they might show them the taste of Korean cuisine, or use mathematical formulas, or fashion trends, or various inventions...

One of the most common things, of course, is showing them Korean food. A picky male lead would eat the food the female lead prepares and fall in love with her.

But the "taste" I wanted to show this Crown Prince wasn’t just food.

‘Revolution. I need to show him the taste of revolution...’

If we’re talking about the true “red taste,” it’s not Korean food; it’s revolution.

I really miss April. From now on, my dream is “to destroy the system.”

‘Revolution, only revolution...’

As I was thinking about showing the Crown Prince the taste of the guillotine, the suffocating meal time came to an end.

“Well, good work, everyone.”

The Crown Prince said this in his best serious voice from the entrance of the unit, but with his unmistakable youthful voice and everything he had done until now, it only made him more irritating.

“Thanks to all of you, I was able to reflect on the country I will govern in the future and reaffirm my resolve. And I also had a good duel.”

“It’s an honor I will remember for life.”

“Yes, we had a great time watching the duel.”

Altair quickly jumped in, grinning, while Plato nodded in agreement.

“Hm, really?”

But the Crown Prince looked at them with an unexpectedly puzzled expression.

‘Damn, I feel uneasy about this...’

I had been sensing it from the start, but the Crown Prince really was clueless...

“Since it’s come to this, I don’t see why I can’t stay the night.”

“C-Cough!”

“Ugh!”

‘My stomach...’

It seemed like the steak I had just eaten was coming back to haunt me.

And it seemed the others weren’t doing too well either. Yuri looked like she was about to vomit, Taro’s dark circles had reached his chin, and I could hear several others coughing, clearly struggling.

“Haha... How could His Highness stay in such a humble place...”

“Haha, this is the place where my people who dedicate themselves to the nation live. I hope you don’t think I’m that foolish.”

“B-But for someone of your stature, Your Highness...”

The platoon leader spoke with a voice that sounded like he was on the verge of passing out, and my head began spinning faster than ever.@@novelbin@@

‘We need to get rid of this Crown Prince somehow.’

I couldn’t let him stay in this unit for even one more minute!

“M-Monsters...”

The moment I blurted out the word that had suddenly come to my mind, everyone’s gaze focused on me. The sharp looks from the veterans pierced my skin, but right now, the only thing that mattered was getting rid of the Crown Prince.

“W-We occasionally have emergency patrols at night due to monsters…”

I said, giving Altair a subtle look, and the master of social tactics, Altair, seemed to understand my silent message and took over.

“Yes, that’s right. Sometimes, we have to go on emergency patrols at night due to monsters, so it might be dangerous for His Highness as well.”

“That’s right. Also, since our unit is always on guard duty, it’s likely to be noisy at night.”

“Hm, I see. I wouldn’t want to interfere with your work.”

As the company commander jumped in to support Altair’s words, the Crown Prince nodded in agreement. The veterans sent me warm, appreciative glances, ones I had never seen before.

‘Damn, I’ve never used my brain this much.’

The longer I stayed in this unit, the more I felt like I was embracing violence and fear...

***

“Well, I’ll be leaving now.”

“It’s really a shame.”

The platoon leader said this with a completely uninterested expression, and then, realizing his own demeanor, he quickly lowered the corners of his mouth.

“Salute to His Highness the Crown Prince!”

At the platoon leader’s command, we all saluted the Crown Prince in unison, and finally, the Crown Prince left the unit.

As his figure slowly descended the mountain, disappearing from view, and the sound of the hooves of the horse he had ridden faded away, Taro staggered and collapsed onto the ground.