It was too much for Roan.

“Squad Commander Richard. Even though you are from the Special Squad, isn’t this too much?”

The person stiffly raising his voice was Gale.

“Troop Commander Gale. Are you really getting angry at me?”

A low voice filled with resolve.
Gale coughed and smacked his lips.

“Ahem. Anyways, we can’t give you Roan.”

At those words, Richard shook his head as if the matter was baffling for him.

“It seems like you don’t realise how outstanding Roan’s spearmanship is. Roan’s level of skills isn’t one to be wasted in a normal squad, especially as a low ranked spearman.”

Expectation fills his eyes.

‘It’s really amazing for such skills to be displayed from an 18 year old novice. If he’s polished well, he may even become as powerful a person as Reil Baker.’

If you were a Troop Commander who lead a Troop, it was only human nature to want the best weapons available.
Then, Gale who was hesitating, abruptly yelled.

“Who, who’s a low ranked spearman?”

Richard frowned.

“I’m talking about Roan. I know that he’s just a normal spearman with no assigned positions.”

At his words, Gale grinned while shaking his head.

“Where is that story from? There are merits Roan already accumulated, and because he’s also rendered a great number of solutions, I was planning on awarding him a position as a Squad Commander.”

In that instant, it was obvious for Richard, but Roan along with the Rose Troop who were also listening on the sidelines, looked on with surprised expressions.

‘Squad Commander? Already?’

Roan felt his heart thumping excitedly.
It was true that he had accumulated quite a few merits with the Goblin Marauders incident, Slave Merchants and also in this surprise attack, but even so he was still only an 18 year old novice spearman whose just finished his recruitment training.

“Tr-Tro-Troop Commander!”

The urgent voices of the officers.
Gale looked at them as if ordering them to shut up.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Richard asked back with a composed voice.
Even if he had his merits and his skills were excellent, it was still excessive to appoint an 18 year old novice as a squad commander.

‘Because leading your underlings isn’t only done with skills.’

The Squad Commander’s lead 20 plus soldiers.
Because of that, one needed leadership to be able to lead the squad members into the battlefield with experience.
So it was difficult to expect that from Roan who had just experienced the battlefield two or three times.
But of course, this was Richard’s belief.
Actually, Roan was an experienced soldier who had roamed the battlefield for 20 years.

‘Even if I do say it, no one will believe me. Anyways…….’

Roan put on a bitter smile and started to remember.

‘The first time I became Squad Commander……….Was it 15 years from now?’

Quite a late promotion.
His friends at that time, were already at least adjutants or troop commanders.
Or they had retired soon, and returned to their hometown to farm.
Roan was the only one who drifted the battlefields as a normal soldier.

‘But to become a squad commander so soon…….’

A bewildering feeling, yet overflowing with joy.
Then, Gale’s voice was heard.

“I am not out of my mind. I’m planning to add one more squad with this opportunity.”
“And how are you going to fill the squad members?”
“There are squads who suffered immense losses in this battle.”

At Gale’s reply, Richard frowned.

“Are you saying; that you are willing to gather squad members from other squads to form a new one?”
“Yes! You can see that the newly formed 42nd Squad, will comprise as a unionized squad.”

An unobstructed reply.
Richard looked at Gale’s eyes fixedly.

‘It seems like you don’t want him to be taken.’

In the end, he let out a sigh and shook his head.

“If you are willing to go up to that point, I will fall back.”

Richard looked at Roan.

“If you need some help, come and look for me anytime.”

Roan bowed his head instead of replying.
Richard moved his feet and when he looked at the dispirited adjutants, he shook his head.

“You too will have it real hard.”

Incomprehensible words.
But the adjutants slightly lowered their heads, as if they had understood enough.
As Richard walked out, Keniss; who had the fiercest temperament, stood out to try to hold back Gale.

“Troop Commander. I think that a seat of Squad Commander for an 18 year old novice – is too excessive.”

The other adjutants also stand up.

“That’s right. Why don’t you give him a seat of Senior for the 13th Squad?”
“Or raising his salary should also be good enough.”

However Gale wasn’t planning on stepping back.

‘I will certainly keep the words I said.’

He looked at the adjutants with fierce eyes.

“I have no plans on changing my word. Keniss, Jack and Dosen, proceed to the other squads and bring in some squad members. The Lieutenant for the 42nd Squad shall be Roan.”

Gale directed his sight towards Roan.

“Roan. You can do it well right?”

At those words, Roan slightly lowered his head.

“I can do it well.”

He didn’t say that he would try his best, or will work hard.
‘Will do it well.’
This situation needed those words right now, and he was also confident.
Gale nodded with a satisfied expression.
Then, Roan raised his head and after glancing at the cold officers, he spoke with a low voice.

“Um but……”

As his words became hesitant, Gale made signs with his eyes as if it was alright to speak.
Roan laughed awkwardly and continued speaking.

“I have some soldiers that I wish to secure for my squad.”

*****

Austin was a 28 year old hot blooded man who has been roaming the battlefield for 8 years.
Although his spearmanship was shapeless, he had really superb strength so he managed to render small merits many times.

‘Good. If I keep this, in one more year I will become promoted to squad commander.’

When he was in his break daydreaming.

“Austin. It’s a transference order.”

The transference orders dispensed throughout Rose Troop abruptly.

‘Maybe! Already obtaining the promotion for Squad Commander?’

If it wasn’t for that, there was no reason for him to transfer squads.
Expectation made his chest heave up and down.
But the reality which fell was drainwater.

‘To serve this novice as my squad commander?’

His face kept contorting.
And this wasn’t only Austin’s thoughts.

‘Damn. I stepped on shit.’
‘To serve a novice who just finished his training as a squad commander.’
‘Aren’t we only going to die because of this novice squad commander?’

On the faces of the soldiers; anger, annonyment, rage and finally disappointment could be seen.

‘Yea. I understand you.’

Roan looked at the faces of these soldiers and smiled.
Because he would also become annoyed if he was told to serve an 18 year old novice as a squad commander.
He took in a deep breath and looked at the eyes of the soldiers fixedly.

“You all should have complaints. And you may not be able to understand.”

A childish voice.
The faces of the soldiers contort even more.
Roan didn’t become disturbed and kept talking.

“I won’t talk for long.”

He raised his ten fingers.

“Just ten days. Just believe in me for ten days and follow me. If perhaps, you still don’t like me after ten days, I will make you return to your original squads.”

Only then did the faces of the soldiers loosen up.

‘Ten days……..’
‘So I only have to endure it for ten days, right?’

They would have to act sloppy until then.
Then, behind the dispirited soldiers a loud reply could be heard.

“Understood!”

The owners of those voices were no other than Pierce and Glenn.
They were the soldiers Roan wanted to take in.
Roan turned back and let out a loud laugh.

‘Rest well tonight. Because you won’t be able to think straight starting from tomorrow.’

His corner of the mouth raises with an ill nature.

*****

A group of people enters the camp.
A worn out armor drenched with blood stains.

“Huk. Huk.”

Chests that shake roughly.
However their eyes were fierce and their steps imposing.
The soldiers whom were having their break near them started to whisper.

“It’s the Ghost Squad.”
“They say that they also did it this time?”
“That Lieutenant over there is the Ghost of the Battlefield. It is Ghost of the Battlefield.”
“He’s really amazing. Amazing I tell ya!”
“They say Ghost Squad annihilated three monster dens in just ten days.”

The soldiers of that group received the gazes of the other soldiers and marched towards a deeper part of the encampment.
Then, a magnanimous voice was heard.

“Oho! Ghost of the Battlefield!”

The man who approaches while shaking his hand was Pete.
The man that was walking in front of the group smiled brightly and bowed down.

“Mister Pete.”

A kind salute.
At that instant, Pete shakes his body and his hands with big motions.

“Ahh. Squad Commander Roan, please talk to me at ease.”

A humorous voice.
Roan smirked and shook his head.

“Stop making fun of me.”
“Ahem. It’s because it’s funny.”

Pete smiled brightly and scratched his chin.
He looked at the men behind Roan and exclaimed in amazement.

“Squad Commander Roan. You also did one today?”

At those words, Roan looks back.
Fierce eyes and imposing attitudes.
They were the soldiers that just ten days ago wore faces full of annoyance and outrage.
The newly established 42nd Squad.
Now, the 42nd Squad was being called as the Ghost Squad.

“Yes. We encountered some goblins.”
“You encountered them? You didn’t move to find them?”

Roan just smiled brightly instead of replying.
Pete put on a humorous expression.

“Squad Commander Roan, your nickname is Ghost of the Battlefield, Ghost.”

He hit Roan’s shoulder and continued speaking.

“Because you guess where the monsters are, and where the den of the monsters is located. That’s why you are a Ghost.”

At his words, Roan put on a bitter smile.

‘It’s fortunate that I’m not the ‘Divine Teller of the Battlefield.’

< The Ghost of the Battlefield (6) > End

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Translator’s note:  Thanks for reading!

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Translator : Subak Editors: Sai101 & Fujimaru \ Edit v3.0: Deathwing

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