My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

‘What should I do?’

In the original NemiJip novel, there wasn’t a clear villain due to its military-focused setting.

This was largely because the male leads, having spent enough time in the military to become influential, faced no real opposition within their ranks.

The closest thing to an antagonist was Jaiden. At the time Dalin enlisted, Jaiden was a private first class and took advantage of moments when the seniors weren’t paying attention to bully her. Later, as a corporal, he caused trouble for Aquila, even putting him in dangerous situations—like deliberately leading him to hazardous areas during monster extermination missions.

Of course, rank hierarchy was absolute in the military, so Jaiden couldn’t deal any meaningful blows to Aquila. Still, he was undoubtedly an irritating presence.

And I wouldn’t tolerate any junior who dared to bother my comrade. No way, not happening.

So, what should I do about Jaiden? Should I try to win him over by being nice and making him an ally from the start? No, absolutely not. That little punk crossed the line the moment he acted disrespectfully toward me.

The only option left is…

“Hey, are you cleaning right now, or just savoring the feel of the mop?”

“S-Sorry!”

“Are you already trying to slack off? Hurry up!”

“I’ll fix it immediately!”

Even though I was cleaning alongside him, I decided from now on to draw a clear line between us. I would ensure he never gained any footing within this unit by establishing the pecking order early.

Sure, Jaiden might be in Corporal Magne’s circle, but whenever it was just the trainees working, I made sure to pick at him while avoiding Magne’s watchful eye.

“Hey, why are you glaring at Ishina like that?”

“I-I wasn’t doing anything like that!”

“Salvia, I’m fine—”

“Ishina, my heart just hurts too much!”

“Ugh… Fine, do whatever you want.”

Having spent over a year with me, Ishina had long since grown used to my antics. She merely shook her head as if washing her hands of the matter.

“Huuuh…”

“W-Why are you sighing?”

“I’m just sighing. Got a problem with that?”

“N-No, not at all…”

“Haaa…”

“…Did I do something wrong?”

“Your blond hair annoys me.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said I hate that your hair is blond! Why? Why is it blond? I hate blond hair!”

“I’ll… fix it—no, wait, that’s not possible… I mean, I’m sorry…”

“Argh, I hate blond hair so much!”

When I glared at him with wide eyes and yelled, Jaiden gave me a look that said he thought I was completely insane.

But honestly, my complaint about his blond hair wasn’t just baseless nitpicking. It was genuine. Both April and the Crown Prince had blond hair, and the sight of it made my skin crawl thanks to the trauma they’d inflicted.

“Don’t you think Salvia’s losing it a bit?”

“Yeah, being stuck in this unit for so long must’ve made her mean.”

“Heh, looks like she’s finally learned the truth that swearing makes work easier.”

“No kidding. Swearing while you work is the way to go.”

“Though, honestly, I kind of hate blond hair too.”

“Damn, I think everyone in this unit feels the same about that…”

As I overheard Blair and Topio clicking their tongues while passing by, I thought, Even I don’t deserve to be gossiped about by those sociopaths.

‘…No, no way. There’s no way I’ve turned into someone as bad as them.’

***

Time passed, and two months had gone by since the new recruits began participating in full-scale monster extermination missions.

Two of them had lost their lives, but Jaiden, predictably resilient, had survived and even shown some competence during the missions.

And it had also been two months since I started picking fights with Jaiden over every little thing.

Ishina, looking concerned, called me aside.

“Salvia, can we talk for a moment?”

“What’s this about?”

She had made sure to separate me from Aquila and Karon before sitting me down. Then, cautiously, she began.

“Has Jaiden done something serious to you?”

“Hmm, well…”@@novelbin@@

I hesitated, debating whether to tell her about Jaiden’s insolence toward me or the time he nearly put me in danger. Ishina, however, continued speaking.

“I noticed his attitude was disrespectful toward you at first…”

‘You noticed that?’

Of course. She’s a dark horse in the shadows, always observing everything with sharp insight.

“But has he ever done anything that put you in real trouble?”

“Well… there was a time he ignored my instructions, and once he nearly injured me with a misfired aura. Instead of apologizing, he cursed under his breath.”

“Is that why you dislike him?”

As she was still my senior, I couldn’t retort with What does it matter? Instead, I stayed silent, trying to figure out how to explain myself.

“…Yes, that’s why.”

It was the most plausible excuse I could come up with, given that I couldn’t exactly tell her I was trying to stop him from troubling Aquila in the future.

“Even so, is it really okay for you to keep tormenting a rookie like that? Salvia, try to be a little more forgiving.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

“Jaiden doesn’t seem to think you’re a pushover anymore, so why not stop now? I know you don’t like him, but don’t you think you’ve made your point?”

Sure, he probably didn’t see me as easy to mess with anymore. But I wanted to eliminate even the slightest chance of him ever becoming a problem for Aquila.

“And if you keep bullying him like that, don’t you think the senior officers will notice? Jaiden is close to Corporal Magne. Maybe it’s time to let this go.”

“The senior officers… you’re talking about them?”

“Yes, the senior officers. Especially Corporal Magne. If the corporals find out a trainee like you is picking on another trainee…”

“…As expected of you, Ishina.”

Hearing her words, something clicked, and I looked up at her with shining eyes. Ishina flinched at my sudden enthusiasm and took a step back.

“You’re absolutely right, Ishina.”

“…You really understood me?”

“Yes, I understand completely.”

As expected of someone who played the role of a kind yet shadowy figure in the original story, Ishina’s insights were invaluable.

As a trainee, my ability to make life difficult for Jaiden was inherently limited. At best, I could employ the petty tactics that Blair and Topio used—nothing substantial. Plus, if the senior officers caught wind of my actions, it could lead to bigger problems. And even if I managed to suppress Jaiden for now, it wasn’t clear that it would weaken his influence in the long run.

Jaiden’s strength came from his association with Corporal Magne. Even if I tried to crush him, his power wouldn’t truly diminish as long as he remained in Magne’s circle.

But there was a better, more effective way to deal with him—one that wouldn’t cause trouble while still ensuring my success.

‘I’ll join a line!’

Yes, I needed to join a line—a senior’s inner circle.

By doing so, I’d gain the protection of a powerful backer, paving the way for future promotions and influence within the platoon.

If Jaiden had Magne, I just needed to align myself with another senior officer!

Ishina had subtly hinted at the solution: leverage the senior officers.

“Ishina, thank you so much.”

“…Did I say something worth thanking me for? I don’t think so…”

“I’ll do exactly as you said! Thank you! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something to take care of!”

“…You misunderstood me again, didn’t you? Ugh, this is so frustrating… You never listen…”

As Ishina sighed heavily and pounded her chest in exasperation, I dashed off into the building to set my plan in motion.

From now on, I’ll ride a line!

***

‘Damn it.’

In the nearly empty training field with only his fellow recruits, Jaiden muttered curses under his breath as he maintained his blade alongside his two remaining peers.

It had been two months since he joined this hellish Border Defense Army. And every moment of it was absolute hell.

Two of his fellow recruits were already dead, and the other two were just as likely to follow. The grueling training, the endless chores, the looming specter of death—it was all suffocating.

And then there were the people in this unit, many of whom were utterly insane.

There was Commander Elliot, who constantly shouted, “Time!” and turned everyone around him into a walking clock. Commander Taro, who barely made his presence known until someone disturbed his sleep, only to punish them with, “You wanted to stay quiet, didn’t you?” Then there was Corporal Altair, who smiled warmly until someone made a mistake, at which point he’d transform into a complete psychopath. And, of course, Privates Blair and Topio, who seemed to think hurling curses at juniors was their daily duty.

But the person who stood out as the most insane of them all was his fellow trainee—Salvia.

When Jaiden first saw her, he thought she didn’t belong in a place like this. Just her presence seemed to brighten the dreary environment.

With a face impossible to ignore, Jaiden found himself drawn to her. His possessiveness, strong even before enlistment, began to stir.

But Salvia wasn’t the gentle personality he had imagined. From the very beginning, she confronted him with a sharp, “What are you staring at?” Her hostility was palpable.

Her attitude, acting as if she were superior to him, rubbed Jaiden the wrong way.

So, Jaiden resolved not to shrink before her. He believed that as long as he refused to back down, Salvia would eventually falter and start paying attention to him, perhaps even becoming cautious around him.

But Salvia’s reaction went far beyond anything he could have predicted.

‘If only she had just gotten angry, that wouldn’t have been so bad…’

If she had been angry, he might have even found it endearing. Her beauty, paired with frustration, could have been charming.

Instead, Salvia’s behavior grew more unhinged by the day. Her eyes would glint with a manic edge, and her actions exuded not love but terror.

‘That woman is a lunatic.’

The mere memory of Salvia’s relentless confrontations sent shivers down his spine. He had become so wary of her that even seeing flowers along the roadside in a shade similar to her hair would make him jump in alarm.

His fellow recruits had their own take on Salvia. They often muttered, “The best way to deal with a crazy person is to avoid them.”

Indeed, Salvia seemed less like someone to grasp and more like someone who would grab him by the hair first. Yet Jaiden refused to admit defeat.

Once he set his sights on something, he wouldn’t back down.

‘I’ll make her mine, no matter what.’

Ignoring the ominous feeling rising within him, Jaiden fueled his determination to overpower Salvia. The fire within him burned brighter as he vowed to bring her under his control.