Future Knight

Chapter 77

Although he said it that way, the way he looked at Erika and Zikyon with a lecherous gaze suggested that he intended to take them to some dubious place.

Perhaps a place used for entertaining the command staff.

After a moment of deliberation, Kang Chan spoke to Zikyon and Erika.

“Then only Loki and I will join.”

“What? What about us?”

“You can barge in with Erika later.”

“Right, that works.”

It was a straightforward idea only Zikyon and Kang Chan, who didn’t care about anyone else, could come up with. Moreover, since she wouldn’t have to be conscripted, Zikyon eagerly agreed with Kang Chan’s suggestion.

When Kang Chan and Loki decided to enlist alone, the interviewer, looking very disappointed, placed parchment in front of them and asked.

“Are you really thinking of enlisting as conscripted soldiers?”

“Yes.”

“I say this out of concern…”

The interviewer leaned in close to Kang Chan and Loki and whispered in a low voice.

“Just remember, it’s not a place you want to volunteer for.”

The interviewer winked at Kang Chan and handed over the parchment documents.

These were the soldier’s service records.

“Now, if you’ve decided, both of you sign here. Remember, once you sign, you become proud conscripted soldiers of our continental alliance.”

That meant there would be no backing out.

“Sign? What’s that?” Loki asked Kang Chan, having never signed anything before.

“Just scribble anything.”

“Got it.”

Loki’s signature was a messy scrawl that looked like three worms wriggling around.

Without hesitation, the two signed the parchment, and that day, Kang Chan and Loki became conscripted soldiers of the continental alliance.

“Hasse!”

“Yes, interviewer.”

“Assign these two here.”

The soldier named Hasse took the documents from the interviewer and was shocked.

“What! Interviewer, th-this place?”

“They want to go there. What can I do? I have to let them… Ahem! Next!”

As the interviewer called out, a gaunt refugee stepped forward, and Kang Chan’s group naturally moved aside to follow the soldier named Hasse.

The soldier named Hasse, seemingly unable to keep his composure due to Zikyon and Erika’s dazzling beauty, spoke with a trembling voice.

“From here on, only conscripts can enter.”

It was the place where they received their combat equipment.

“See you later then.”

“Yeah, go ahead and get settled in. We’ll join you after some fun.”

“Got it.”

Hasse couldn’t understand Zikyon at all. They were heading to the front lines swarming with enemies. How could she, a woman, dare say she’d catch up later?

‘Doesn’t she know where they’re going? Well, maybe it’s better if she doesn’t know…’

While the soldier was lost in his thoughts, Zikyon took Erika and disappeared, leaving the soldier to distribute equipment to the new recruits.

“Hmm, conscripted soldier uniforms and… leather armor… here it is. Take it!”

The soldier handed out uniforms that were no better than rags and leather armor that looked quite shabby.

It was clear at a glance that these items were far from new, with dried blood stains caked all over them.

They had clearly changed owners many times.

Kang Chan grimaced as he poked his fingers through the large knife marks at the heart and solar plexus of his leather armor.

Kang Chan’s armor was relatively better off.

Loki’s armor had a large axe mark on the back.

Just wearing it felt like it might kill him.

From Kang Chan’s perspective, the leather armor the soldier handed out was unwearable.

Then he noticed some clean armor in the distance.

Unlike his own shabby leather armor, this one was sturdy and clean, with an elegant emblem of the Visman Empire engraved on the chest.

“Excuse me, but could you please exchange this for that armor?”

The soldier looked at the armor Kang Chan pointed to and suddenly flared up at him.

“How dare a conscript try to wear the regular army’s armor of the Visman Empire? Do you think this is your living room? Huh?”

The soldier’s demeanor was the exact opposite of how he had been when Zikyon and Erika were present.

Kang Chan felt a surge of anger at the soldier’s discriminatory treatment. However, being from a hierarchical society, he understood the soldier’s actions and remained calm.

If there was a mistake, it was clearly his own.

The fact that he enlisted as a conscript was entirely his choice.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“You’re not a civilian anymore! You’re a soldier! So, you take and wear whatever I give you! Got it?”

“Understood.”

Loki looked puzzled at Kang Chan, who was bowing to someone who seemed insignificant.

Not understanding human hierarchical society, Loki couldn’t grasp their system of ranks.

Well, he’d eventually come to understand it.

“Here, take it.”

This time, the soldier handed out helmets.

However, they were more like crude leather caps than helmets, and they reeked of foul sweat.

Lastly, the soldier handed out a longsword with chipped edges and a crude hammer.

The longsword, which didn’t even have a scabbard, looked lonely and forlorn, while the hammer had someone’s hair tangled around the joint.

Kang Chan momentarily lost his words as he looked at them.

“…”

“Alright, which one will you use?”

“I’m fine without a weapon. I have my own.”

Kang Chan pointed to the two daggers at his waist. The soldier, looking at Kang Chan’s short daggers, spoke with disdain.

“You’d live longer using this than with those daggers…”

Hasse recommended the hammer to Kang Chan.

“I’ll be fine with the daggers.”

“Really? They must be some good daggers, then?”

Hasse’s eyes briefly filled with greed as he looked at Kang Chan’s daggers.

The daggers were clearly of high quality, even at a glance.

Taking belongings from new recruits here was easier than taking candy from a baby.

However, as soon as he met Kang Chan’s eyes, he felt a murderous aura as if his entire body was being cut to pieces.

“Ugh!”

“…”

Realizing the soldier’s greedy gaze, Kang Chan released a deadly aura towards him.

The soldier instantly trembled like a mouse before a cat.

“W-well… If you insist… Next, you!”

The soldier, who had softened again, asked Loki kindly. Loki wore a very conflicted expression.

If he reverted to his ogre form, the longsword the soldier handed out would be no more than a toothpick, so he wasn’t thrilled about it.

Still, he had to choose one, so Loki eventually chose the hammer.

Since he planned to discard it once the battle began, he chose the smaller hammer over the cumbersome longsword.

However, holding the hammer seemed too much for Loki, and Hasse let out an involuntary sigh.

“Can he even swing that with those thin arms?”

Seeing Hasse’s contemptuous look at Loki, Kang Chan wondered if he would still have that expression if he saw Loki’s true form.

Afterward, Kang Chan received a few more crude supplies, put them in a bag, and donned the issued leather armor and helmet.

However, as soon as Loki put on the armor, he started massaging his shoulders with a strange expression.

“What’s wrong? Is it too big?”

“No, it feels weird.”

“What’s weird?”

“It feels like something is pressing down on my shoulders.”

“…”

Kang Chan felt a chill as he looked at the large axe mark on the back of Loki’s armor. But he forced a smile and reassured Loki.

“Haha… It’s probably just the weight of the armor.”

“It doesn’t seem like that. It really feels like something is on my shoulders…”

“Come on! Stop worrying and let’s go.”

Kang Chan hurriedly headed towards the drill ground, thinking to himself.

‘A ghost haunting an ogre, that’s one bold ghost.’

The drill ground was already filled with numerous conscripts.

All of them looked pitiful, most being serfs forcibly conscripted.

Kang Chan and Loki were the only ones who had volunteered.

“Alright, men, good luck! Move out!”

With a very brief speech, the conscripts began their reluctant march to the front lines.

Being pushed to the battlefield, it was natural for them to feel depressed, knowing they were going to their deaths.

Meanwhile, Loki, excitedly looking around, kept asking Kang Chan questions.

“Why were you so deferential to that guy? He didn’t seem like much.”

“Because he’s my senior.”

“Senior?”

“Don’t you know about hierarchical societies?”

“Hierarchical society?”

Loki looked completely clueless.

“You can’t be a soldier and not know about hierarchical society. Hierarchical society is…”

Kang Chan explained the concept of a hierarchical society to Loki as they kept walking.

Thanks to Kang Chan’s detailed explanation, Loki finally understood Kang Chan’s behavior.

“So that’s what a military hierarchical society is?”

“Yeah.”

“Such a strange place. Even if they’re weaker than me, they’re considered seniors just because they joined first.”

“Well, you just need to earn achievements to climb up the ranks.”

Loki thought that the military was simpler than he had initially imagined.

“Is that so? But once those higher-ups learn about your true abilities, will they still keep you here?”

Loki knew well that with Kang Chan’s skills, he didn’t deserve such treatment. However, Kang Chan seemed unconcerned about it.

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. By the way, do your shoulders still feel weird?”

“Oh, it suddenly got better as soon as we started moving. Now, I’m just hungry…”

‘It seems even a haunted armor can’t handle an ogre…’

Kang Chan thought that the ghost must have realized Loki was an ogre and fled in terror.

Growl~

“Hmm, I’m starting to get hungry too.”

As Loki mentioned his hunger, Kang Chan felt his own hunger pangs and took something out from his pocket, handing it to Loki.

It was the pill that had revolutionized the diet of space travelers.

“Eat this.”

Loki snorted at the tiny pill Kang Chan handed him.

“That’s not going to be enough.”

“Just try it. Don’t chew, just swallow.”

Loki, curious, took the pill from Kang Chan and swallowed it.

Moments later.

“Gosh! I’m full!”

Loki’s loud exclamation drew the attention of all the conscripts.

They looked at Loki with pity.

“Tsk tsk, how did such a young kid end up dragged into this hell?”

“He’s already lost his mind.”

“Tsk tsk tsk.”

“……”

Loki had suddenly become the crazy kid in their eyes.

After filling their stomachs with the pill, Kang Chan and Loki continued their march for about half a day until they finally arrived at the battlefield reeking of decaying bodies.

The area was littered with corpses, all swarming with insects.