"Ha, calling the entire Special Task Force to rescue an Academy cadet—there's no waste like this."

The youngest member of the 5th Division's direct Special Task Force grumbled with discontent.

Having recently joined the Special Task Force, Maknae seemed to still be under the illusion of what the Special Task Force truly was.

To correct this notion, the Special Task Force Commander opened their mouth.

"We're not mercenaries who pick and choose missions. We follow orders from above without inserting our own judgment. Complaints are unnecessary."

"...Still, this is a bit much, isn't it?"

Maknae continued.

"Sending the Special Task Force to rescue someone like... some kind of thug... we're not mercenaries, after all..."

Maknae grumbled, dissatisfied.

Though the Special Task Force Commander understood Maknae's discontent, this was not a place to express it. Therefore, the Commander issued a stern warning to Maknae.

"I'll say it again, we're not mercenaries, so stop grumbling."

Upon receiving the Commander's warning, Maknae fell silent.

In the quiet atmosphere that followed, the Special Task Force Commander fell into thought.

‘Rescue the Academy cadet.’

Viewing it as a trivial mission, the Commander believed it would have sufficed to handle it alone.

Yet, were they not deploying the entire Special Task Force along with the Division Commander?

Worried about possibly missing details, the Commander revisited the profile of the mission's target.

There was nothing particularly special.

Having someone expected to receive a medal at that age was impressive, but just impressive—not enough reason for the Division Commander to personally intervene...

Why, then, was the Division Commander going to rescue such a cadet?

"...I still don't understand."

The Special Task Force Commander murmured.

"Injured soldiers, please come this way!"

After descending from the mountain, the unit marched for an additional three hours.

They had distanced themselves considerably from the Monster Horde.

As they were about to pass through the Contaminated Zone, the unit paused to tend to the wounded.

The soldiers unloaded their gear and dropped to the ground, as medics swiftly moved among them.

Among the soldiers, another figure moved similarly—a cadet named Gardner from the Academy.

"He's just full of energy, isn't he..."

Hadn't he sprinted at the front line during the escape?

The radiant Colorful Flame he wielded then was still vividly imprinted in their minds.

Despite having used such extraordinary power indiscriminately, which surely left him exhausted, he tirelessly moved around without taking a single breath.

Observing the medics treat the soldiers, "He doesn't heal, but he does possess an ability to invigorate."

He moved among the soldiers, doing something that seemed to offer them vitality.

All he did was clasp the soldiers' hands and close his eyes as if in prayer, but it was evident that his touch brought the soldiers visible comfort.

Whatever the degree of help it provided, he was busily occupied.

That fact alone was astonishing.

"How can he do that?"

They had barely made it through the damned Monster Horde.

The unit that had initially declared they'd wait was annihilated.

Then they marched non-stop for three hours, as if fleeing.

"And I heard he had stayed up all night yesterday, arriving by car..."

Despite all this, he was acting as if nothing had happened.

He must be tired, so how can he act like it's nothing?

He was truly an extraordinary human.

‘The person who should be the most exhausted isn’t showing any signs of fatigue… It makes it hard for others to complain about being tired…’

Unknowingly, he maintained the discipline of the unit.

After he invigorated the nearby soldiers, he approached a soldier who was lost in thought.

“Senior, could I borrow your hand for a moment?”

“Oh, sure…”

She offered her hand to Gardner.

Then, she looked on absentmindedly as he held her hand and concentrated.

She felt vitality slowly transfer from the grasped hand, filling her heart with something.

‘I don’t know what he’s doing… but it’s a warm and comfortable feeling…’

She looked down at Gardner slowly and thought, ‘What could he be thinking right now?’

What kind of heart does he have that allows him to act so devotedly?

‘When Iscaliote wakes up, should I ask if she'll consider becoming a Division Commander?’

I thought as I infused starlight into the soldiers for a quicker recovery.

At least then, the front lines wouldn't be pushed back.

I should ask Iscaliote when I get a chance to sleep later.

Maybe, if she wakes up, she might consider enlisting and becoming a Division Commander.

‘Though becoming a Division Commander isn't something that simple, so it might be impossible.’

But what harm is there in asking?

I entertained these thoughts as I moved energetically among the soldiers.

Soldiers were unpacking their gear and sitting down to rest.

Others showed their injuries to medics for treatment.

Seeing them, I thought it was fortunate that there wasn't any substantial loss of manpower in the unit.

If someone had lost a leg, additional losses would have occurred from carrying them, and we couldn't ensure safety in the upcoming entry into the Contaminated Zone.

In that condition, entering the Contaminated Zone would have been impossible...

We would have had to take a large detour around the Contaminated Zone, and by then, all our supplies would have run out even before reaching the 4th Battalion.

We would starve to death out there in the field.

‘Anyway, at least we avoided the worst…’

Now, what remained was how quickly and safely we could pass through the Contaminated Zone...

It's not as if we had many options.

We were just soldiers who had fallen behind.

We had to walk through the Contaminated Zone and head to the 4th Battalion.

If we do just that, it would take about a day.

After about a 30-minute rest here, we would start marching.

Once I finished infusing starlight into the last person, I sat down at a spot with a good view for a rest.

‘Why would the Division Commander call me to such a unit, perhaps to get me killed?’

If not for that, there would be no reason to send me to this unit.

Moreover, the retreat order came as if it were anticipated.

‘Did the Division Commander really not know about the incoming monster wave?’

While I was pondering such questions, someone approached.

A soldier with an ordinary appearance.

It was Lily, a fellow soldier.

"What are you thinking about?"

-Thud.

She sat down next to me and looked in the direction I had been staring.

‘Probably nothing special.’

I turned my head to see the view I had been watching. There wasn't much, just some tumbleweed rolling by.

"I wasn't thinking about much, just... why was I called here for a medal ceremony?"

"Why call us here for that... were you thinking the same thing?"

"No, it's not that..."

I was worried about how to express my fear that the Division Commander might be plotting something against me. However, I couldn't come up with a suitable answer.

She spoke.

"You might think I'm being selfish, but... I'm glad you're with our unit."

"...Even without me, you would've evacuated just fine."

You would've managed somehow.

If, by any chance, if the Division Commander's motive was to have me, this cadet, killed, and wanted to bury me along with the unit...

This unit might not have faced such danger if I hadn't been here.

That's why, although I stood at the front of the soldiers leading the escape, breaking through the path, I didn't feel any sense of satisfaction or pride for saving the unit.

Just... a bit of guilt and relief that I was able to help, that's all.

"Come on… What would we have done without you?"

"…"

Being with her, who had such an opposite impression from mine, made me feel a sense of disconnection.

"When they said they were bringing the Division Commander, I thought it was with the importance of the Trumpeter of Destruction... but who would've thought you'd be the Lucky Bluebird?" (korean idioms)

She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and gently clasped my head with both hands.

"I'm glad you're here. Thank you."

The words ‘thank you’ felt like too small a container.

It wasn't enough to convey all of her gratitude, so she used her whole body to express it.

'Thank you…'

...It feels rather heavy in many ways.

"…Please stop, Senior."

"What… embarrassed?"

"It's heavy."

I was so taken aback that I turned to look at Senior Lily.

I hadn't really taken in her face before, thinking it was just a one-time acquaintance...

Only then did I really see her.

Brown hair, a mischievous upward curve to her lips.

A woman exuding a playful vibe.

She had patches of dirt on her, and there was a hint of maturity that came with age.

But, to my eyes, she still seemed young.

Considering my age from a previous life, that is.

Having someone like her tease me felt like dealing with a younger sibling, and I couldn't help but smile.

'It's been so long since I felt this kind of comfort.'

At least since my back got wrecked in my previous life, this was the first time.

"Oh? Are you smiling?! Hey! What are you smiling at!!!"

"Senior's chest."

"What?!"

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