My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

Elliot closed his eyes briefly before replying in a low voice.

“Yeah, not everyone can survive. Only the strong make it.”

Just moments ago, he had claimed he didn’t want to lose a single soldier, but they both knew the truth.

The weak die.

Every month, at least one soldier from their platoon died. Expecting all the recruits to come out unscathed from a battle against a Class-1 monster was foolish. In the worst-case scenario, they could be completely wiped out.

April glanced back to check if the recruits were keeping up. They all looked clueless, their expressions blank. However, thanks to their rigorous training, they seemed to be handling the long march without showing signs of exhaustion.

Among them, one recruit stood out unmistakably—Aquila.

A user of fire-attribute aura. He’ll probably make it through this… but…

Feigning indifference, April let her gaze shift to the other recruits. None of them inspired much confidence.

And that one… she’s a bit of a toss-up.

Her eyes landed on Salvia. Though Salvia looked like she was struggling, it was clear she was pushing herself not to fall behind.

Out of all the new recruits, Salvia was the most striking. While there weren’t many women in the platoon, Salvia stood out even among them.

Coral-colored hair, golden eyes, and delicate, lovely features. Her name suited her—a single blooming flower amidst the barrenness.

She’s got grit.

April had been worried that Salvia’s frail appearance would be a liability, but she had managed to keep up with the grueling training.

In the Border Defense Army, the “strong” who survived weren’t necessarily the most skilled—they were often the ones who were just a bit crazy. Even those with mediocre abilities could find a way to survive if they were determined enough.

Don’t die. Please.

With her usual stoic expression, April turned her gaze toward the rear and shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Hey, Salvia! You look like you’re struggling!”

“S-sorry, ma’am!”

Startled, Salvia’s eyes went wide as she quickly composed her expression. Watching her reaction, April allowed herself a faint, satisfied smirk before turning her attention back to the path ahead.

Yeah, you’ve got to be tough to survive here.

***

At that moment, Salvia thought to herself:

‘That crazy b**** is at it again.’

***

We had ventured deep into the forest but hadn’t encountered any traces of monsters yet.

After walking for so long, my clothes were drenched in sweat. What had initially been a dull ache in my feet had turned into full-on swelling, making my shoes feel painfully tight.

At one point, we met up with a few members of Beta Platoon and continued moving together, but there wasn’t much interaction between our platoons. While the seasoned soldiers exchanged greetings with their counterparts from Beta, we recruits had no such connections, so their presence didn’t change anything for us.

The only notable difference was that the highest-ranking officer had shifted from Alpha Platoon’s leader to the captain of the 18th Company, who now held command.

Meanwhile, the sky had grown even darker. The dense canopy of trees blocked out what little light remained, and once the sun fully set, we wouldn’t be able to see anything. We needed to hurry.

“For tonight, we camp here. Prepare for rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

The company captain gave his orders, and the platoon leaders of Alpha and Beta Platoons began issuing instructions to their respective soldiers.

The captain seemed to be older than most of us and, like us, appeared to be a hetero. Despite the tense situation, he maintained a calm demeanor, which was oddly reassuring.

“Louise, handle the watch rotations as usual.”

The seniors up front began discussing the details, and soon Leon approached us, instructing us to set up the tents.

“Isina, show the recruits what to do.”

“Oh, yes, sir…!”

Isina hesitantly motioned for us to come closer.

“Alright, watch carefully, everyone. You secure this part like this.”

Following Isina’s guidance, I helped Linia secure the tent to the ground from the opposite side.

As I knelt on the forest floor, exhausted and with my feet swollen, the absurdity of my life hit me like a wave of sorrow.

“Why is my life like this?”

“Same here.”

Linia, who had been silently tying knots, nodded in agreement with my lament.

“In my next life, I hope I’m not born a hetero.”

As she spoke, Linia absentmindedly ran her fingers over the long scar on her face. I glanced at her reflexively but quickly looked away, pretending I hadn’t noticed, worried that my gaze might make her uncomfortable.

“Are you curious?”

“Huh?”

“About this scar. Want to know how I got it?”

“Oh, no, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.”

I was sure there was a deep story behind it, and I didn’t want to poke at her wounds unnecessarily.

Linia was silent for a moment before muttering softly, “If we make it back alive, I’ll tell you.”

“No, wait! Stop right there!”

A sudden wave of dread washed over me.

‘This world is still a novel, after all!’

And Linia had just triggered a death flag!

“Hey, hey! Take back what you just said, right now!”

“What?”

“What you said! That’s a death flag! Don’t say things like, ‘If we make it back alive.’ Just say you’ll never tell me!”

“What’s a death flag?”

“Just trust me and say it! Say you’ll never tell me, no matter what!”

“Uh… okay. I’ll never tell you how I got this scar, even if we make it back.”

“Good. That’s perfect.”

I nodded with satisfaction, feeling a sense of accomplishment. I had just saved a comrade from imminent doom.

Phew, that was close. Linia almost stepped on her own death flag.

***

That night, I found myself crammed inside a small tent with April and Yuri.

The mountain air was freezing cold, but with all of us packed tightly together, I could feel the warmth of their bodies. I wasn’t sure if the cramped tent was a blessing or a curse.

“Salvia. You’ve been trained for night watch, right? If someone wakes you up, get up immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you’ve memorized all the emergency protocols for nighttime situations?”

“Yes, I’ve learned them all.”

After confirming a few more things, April finally lay down and closed her eyes.

How am I supposed to sleep like this?

The tent was narrow, my body was cold, and worst of all, I had to sleep with my shoes on in case we needed to rush out for an emergency. A sword lay by my head, ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice.

Sleep seemed utterly impossible. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position.

“…Hey, are you insane?”

“Sorry….”

Yuri’s icy voice from beside me stopped me in my tracks. I had no choice but to lie stiffly in a straight position.

Eventually, I closed my eyes, determined to fall asleep somehow, but no matter what, it didn’t seem possible.

How can anyone sleep in a place like this?

Just as I was grumbling internally and squeezing my eyes shut, it happened.

“Hey, rookie! Get up! Now!”

“Y-Yuri?”

Yuri’s dark eyes were wide open, glowing like those of a demon as she shook me awake.

…Wait, when did I even fall asleep?

I must have been so utterly exhausted that I passed out without realizing it, despite how uncomfortable the tent was. It was almost impressive.

Well, great. I slept after all….

Still groggy and disoriented, I blinked up at Yuri, who was yelling at me while shaking me violently.

“It’s an emergency! A dragon—there’s a dragon!”

“I-I must’ve misheard you?”

A dragon? Here?

Suddenly, I felt wide awake. The thought of a dragon appearing here made the stakes feel like they’d just jumped to another genre entirely.

Before I could process the situation, I grabbed my sword and bolted out of the tent after Yuri.

“…Ah!”

The moment I stepped outside, I froze.

A massive, grotesque dragon covered in ochre-colored scales was rampaging before us. It let out an ear-splitting roar, its monstrous form thrashing wildly as soldiers wielding aura-covered swords threw themselves at it.

It was clear to anyone watching that we were outmatched. But even so, no one retreated.

“Don’t fall back! No matter what, we can’t let the dragon reach the village!”

The company captain’s voice roared through the chaos, snapping me out of my daze. Plato grabbed me roughly, his eyes sharp and intense.

“Snap out of it, Salvia! Dragons breathe fire! Even a moment’s distraction can kill you! Get to your position—now!”

His words jolted me awake, and I scrambled to find my spot.

Second squad… fifth position….

I recalled the number I had drilled into my head during training, but I couldn’t remember who was supposed to stand next to me.

“Focus, damn it! Your position is here!”

Plato’s furious voice rang out as he shoved me into place to his right. It wasn’t until then that I realized Plato was on my left, and Cal was on my right. Cal was trembling like a leaf.

“We’re standing by behind the first squad! Keep your eyes open!”

Elliot, the commanding officer of our squad, shouted instructions.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on the scene unfolding before me.

Beta Platoon was engaging the dragon on its right and rear flanks, while Alpha Platoon attacked its front and left. The first squad of our platoon was charging head-on, while our second squad formed a line behind them, standing by.

Can we even do this?

Seeing the dragon in person made my body tremble uncontrollably. It was nothing like the majestic creatures depicted in fairy tales.

Its grotesque, terrifying presence sapped my will to fight. Even the soldiers attacking it seemed to be making little progress.

With every step the dragon took, soldiers clinging to its body were thrown off and fell to the ground. Yet, gritting their teeth, they got up and swung their swords again.

While I stood frozen, struggling to adjust to the reality of the situation, Plato’s voice cut through the chaos.@@novelbin@@

“Hey, you! On your right!”

His voice was urgent—panicked in a way I’d never heard before.

Confused, I turned my head to the right and froze.

“…Oh.”

The sight before me was unmistakable.

Cal lay there, dead, his body crushed by the dragon.