Alex's Point of View -
"Oi! Keep training! You'll die on the battlefield if you slack off!"
Cloe, Mr. Willson's assistant and the lieutenant shouted at us, his voice cutting through the dry air like a whip.
We were footmen, gritting our teeth through the harsh training under the scorching sun. Sweat soaked our shirts, our arms ached from drills, but no one dared stop. Not with her watching.
It had been two weeks since I began training as a soldier under Mr. Hex's group.
During that time, I started to learn more about the people around me.
Aside from myself, Mr. Hex, and Marci, there were four others—Will, Sam, Flim, and Esta. They were all former adventurers who, from what I heard, had been arrested after getting caught up in some kind of scandal.
Then there were three more—Oscar, Lim, and Slar. All of them were ex-convicts, former criminals from other towns. Murderers, some whispered.
Moreover, the group wasn't exactly unified. Everyone seemed to keep to their own side, and most of them rarely spoke unless they had to.
Will, Sam, Flim, and Esta usually stuck together. As former adventurers, they carried themselves with a kind of quiet confidence like they'd seen more than the rest of us could imagine. They often talked about monster hunts and dungeon raids like they were telling casual campfire stories.
Marci and I would sometimes eavesdrop on their conversations without meaning to. Honestly, it was hard not to. Their stories were fascinating tales of beasts I'd never even heard of, of near-death battles and forgotten ruins.
Oscar, Lim, and Slar were the complete opposite. They kept their distance from everyone. When they did speak, their words were clipped, cold, and heavy. No one dared to ask what crimes they'd committed, but the whispers around camp made it clear.
As for me I naturally stuck close to Mr. Hex. So did Marci. Maybe it was because he felt like the most reliable one here, the only one who didn't carry an air of secrecy or threat.
But the more I looked at our group, the more I realized just how unique it was.
Well except for Marci.
He was the only one who seemed genuinely ordinary, kind, gentle, and a little awkward at times. Compared to the others
Right now, we were in the middle of bodyweight training. Push-ups, squats, planks again and again under the scorching sun. The heat made the ground feel like it was on fire, and sweat sting my eyes, but somehow... I was holding up. Ever since I started training as a soldier, my stamina hadn't wavered much. Maybe all those years of farm work were finally paying off.
Cleo, though that guy was ruthless.
He barely spoke when we weren't training, but once the drills started, he turned into a completely different person. He barked orders like a madman, scolded us without mercy, and if someone slacked off—he'd kick them back into position like they were a sack of potatoes.
Marci had already collapsed from exhaustion, lying face-first in the dirt.
All 200 footmen recruited from the town were training together in one grueling session. After the bodyweight exercises, we moved on to weapons training and sparring drills.
It was the first time I had ever learned how to use a sword.
It was surprisingly light compared to the farming tools I was used to. The blade was sharp and easy to grip, but without proper swordsmanship, it was hard to control. Just swinging it around wouldn't be enough in a real fight.
We were trained by knights and soldiers from the garrison, drilling from morning until evening.
That had been our routine for the past two weeks.
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In the evening, we all had dinner with the groups we'd been assigned to. The meals were simple bread, oat porridge, boiled potatoes, and dried meat. Nothing fancy, but enough to keep us going.
As always, I ate with Marci and Mr. Hex. Will's group sat off on their own, chatting among themselves, while Oscar's group stayed quiet at a separate corner. Each group kept to itself, like invisible lines had been drawn between us.
Breaking the ice felt impossible. Even Mr. Hex had given up trying.
"Two weeks left..."
Marci muttered as he slowly chewed his food, his voice barely above a whisper.
"…It's gonna be your first battle, hehe."
Mr. Hex chuckled, giving us a sideways glance.
I knew exactly how Marci felt—because I was feeling it too. We were both new to this. Neither of us had ever stepped onto a battlefield.
Sure, I had faced goblins before… but that wasn't the same. Fighting monsters was one thing. Fighting other people—humans, with swords and fear in their eyes—was something else entirely.
Mr. Hex, though, seemed almost relaxed. He'd been through it before.
"Is Marci here?"
A voice called out from outside the tent, It was a soldier one of the regular calling out in that usual, impatient tone.
"Lieutenant Cloe is calling for you!"
Without waiting for a response, the soldier left.
Cloe always seemed to call Marci out three or four times a week. I couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was because Marci was still the slowest in training. He wasn't lazy, just a little soft compared to the rest of us. He probably messed something up again and was about to get scolded. Not really my problem, though.
"Okay!"
Marci answered cheerfully, flashing a small smile before stepping out of the tent and heading toward Cloe's.
I glanced at Mr. Hex. He didn't seem bothered at all—just calmly chewing his food like nothing had happened.
But I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling building in my chest. It wasn't just about Marci. A part of me couldn't help but wonder... would he even survive the battle?
Would any of us?
Even Mr. Hex, as composed as he looked, wasn't invincible.
War was something everyone tried to avoid. But for people like us peasants, foot soldiers, the lowest rung in a kingdom ruled by status our lives were nothing more than small sacrifices on someone else's battlefield.
I hoped that I would survive the war and got to meet my family once again if I got a chance.