The Conscript Wants to Be Discharged!

After leaving my luggage at the barracks, I went to Eliza’s office and knocked on the door.
-Knock knock knock
“Lady Roterschuden, it’s Yujin. May I come in?”
There was a sound of something opening and closing inside the office for a moment, then Eliza’s permission came in a soft voice.
-Come in, Yujin.
“Excuse me.”
I carefully pulled the doorknob to open the door and went inside.
“Lady Roterschuden, I’ve come as you called.”
Although she was socially higher than me, she was ultimately a noble who came to support the defense of the fortress and the eastern front, so she had no specific position. Therefore, instead of saluting, I simply showed respect by placing my hand on my chest and bowing my head.
“Welcome, Yujin. Would you like some tea?”
“I’m worried I might make you uncomfortable, Lady Roterschuden, as I don’t know the tea ceremony.”
“The etiquette for drinking tea isn’t that difficult. And even if you’re a bit clumsy, it’s alright. I’ll teach you step by step.”
Eliza stood up from her desk and lifted the teapot placed on a small table in the corner of the office.
-Asun·derha·bar
Eliza whispered quietly as she opened the lid of the teapot. As her small lips moved a few times, small water droplets gathered in the air and began to fill the open teapot.
‘Is that magic? I’ve seen it burn and tear people apart on the battlefield many times, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it used like this.’
Arrow showers might have been frequent in the medieval world I lived in before, but here, with fantasy added to the medieval era, magic is added to the threats filling the sky along with arrows. So on the battlefield where people fight running on two legs with swords and spears, human turrets called mages are added, filling the sky of the battlefield with ominous appearances along with arrows. Seeing it used in daily life like this rather than that sight, should I say it feels fresh? It was a perplexing feeling.
While I was lost in thought for a moment, Eliza boiled water with magic, steeped tea leaves, and offered me a seat at the table.
“Yujin, come sit here. The tea has steeped just right.”
“Thank you, Lady Roterschuden. Excuse me for a moment.”
Sitting in the chair opposite her and receiving the tea she poured, I picked up the teacup with both hands.
After looking into the teacup for a moment, with its faint rising tea fragrance and reddish tea water swirling, I watched the high-ranking Eliza drink her tea first, then I too slowly poured the tea into my mouth.
“Is the taste alright?”
“Yes, even for someone ignorant about tea like me, I can tell it has a good aroma and deep flavor. I can taste that your skill in brewing tea is excellent.”
Honestly, the taste of the tea Eliza handed me was bitter. When I held it in my mouth, it felt like the fragrance was drifting in my nostrils, but the moment the tea water moistened my tongue, I was surprised by the subtle bitterness and astringency. But I couldn’t disappoint Eliza who had brewed the tea, so I pretended it was delicious.
For me, with the taste of familiar sweet and cool coffee or drinks from the past etched in my mind, the deep and rich taste of tea was quite difficult.
“Huh, thank you. Many people are surprised by the taste when they first drink tea. I’m sorry I don’t have anything to add for Yujin, who’s not used to the taste of tea.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine.”
It seemed Eliza knew that what I said was just to keep the atmosphere from turning bad.
“And Yujin, when we’re alone, would you call me by my name instead of my family name?”
“What? How could someone like me carelessly call a noble person by name?”
“It’s alright for you. I’m asking you to call me that when we’re alone, not in front of everyone, so please don’t refuse.”
Eliza, who for some reason emphasized the word ‘alone’, had such a strong will in her red eyes that it felt like they were filled with magical power. I slightly avoided her eyes and slowly nodded.
“I understand, uh… Lady Eliza.”
“Hu, huhu, I like it. Very good.”
Observing her seemingly pleased mood, I carefully placed the teacup on the table and cautiously opened my mouth.
“So, the reason you called me here…”
“Ah, I forgot because I was in a good mood. Please wait a moment.”
Fortunately, the answer “How dare a commoner question a noble first?” didn’t come out of the kind Eliza’s mouth in response to the situation where a commoner questioned a noble first. Eliza got up from her seat, took out a palm-sized wooden box from her desk drawer, and returned with it.
“Here, this is my gift to Yujin, who has been incorporated into the regular army by the grace of the royal family. Please accept it without burden.”
Eliza placed the luxurious black lacquered box on the table and gently pushed it towards me. She said to accept it without burden, but I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I, a commoner, could really accept such a thing. But refusing a gift bestowed by a noble was also an act of disrespect, so I carefully accepted the box.
“Thank you, Lady Eliza.”
“Open the box once.”
At Eliza’s words to open the box, I untied the string sealing the box and opened the lid.
“This is?!”
“Do you like it?”
Inside the box were three thumb-sized glass bottles placed on luxurious cloth. The glass bottles filled with a beautiful red liquid like the color of Eliza’s eyes sparkled as they caught the sunlight coming through the window, looking luxurious.
‘What is this?’
Unfortunately, I, who had spent a lifetime plowing wheat fields and swinging swords in this world, couldn’t recognize what this was. I just pretended to be surprised because I didn’t have the confidence to say “What’s this?” in front of the person who gave it as a gift.
“Thank you very much, Lady Eliza. I will cherish it.”
“I’m glad you like it. It’s good to cherish it, but I would be happiest if it helps you when you need it.”
Eliza said this would help me. Her words that a moment of need might come where I would use this on myself made me quickly rack my brain.
‘Saying a moment of need will come for me means I will use this. It’s not paint or dye used artistically as I don’t need that, and in a medieval fantasy world, a red liquid in glass bottles…’
As I quickly thought, I came to one conclusion.
‘It’s a potion!’
It would be helpful to me serving in a fortress on the front lines where combat could break out at any time, and considering her words that a moment of need would come for me and that this is a medieval fantasy world, this must be the potion I’ve only heard about.
“It would be best if there’s no need for it, but the battlefield is an unpredictable place, so make sure to carry it with you.”
“Thank you so much, Lady Eliza. It’s incredibly reassuring, like having an extra life.”
“The potion isn’t such an amazing item that it would be like an extra life for Yujin, but I’m pleased you say so. And you always need to be careful when using it.”
“You mean not to drink it excessively?”
“Pardon?”
At my answer not to drink it excessively, Eliza showed a puzzled look.
“Yujin, did you just say you would drink the potion?”
“Yes, that’s right. Is that the wrong way to use it?”
“Ah… I see. Being a commoner, Yujin has never used a potion before.”
Although she probably didn’t mean to mock or ignore me, I shrank at Eliza’s words that basically meant ‘You’re poor, so you’ve never used something like this, right?’
‘Honestly, a farmer who just digs the earth can’t even see, let alone use, expensive items like potions.’
Eliza, born as the youngest of a count’s family, might have easily encountered such expensive items, but I’m different. Born in a farming family that piled up potatoes to eat through the winter and smiled feeling secure, I was a lower-class commoner in both my past life and current life.
“I’m sorry, Yujin. I sometimes forget that you’re a commoner because I meet with you often.”
“Not at all, Lady Eliza. It’s the fault of an ignorant country bumpkin with shallow knowledge.”
Eliza meant to compliment him indirectly by saying she sometimes forgets he’s a commoner because Yujin’s speech is cultured unlike a commoner, but unfortunately, her true intentions didn’t get through, and it made Yujin shrink even more.
“This is not to be ingested orally, but to be applied to wounds.”
“Applied to wounds, you say?”
“Yes, the potions made by our Roterschuden family can be drunk, but it’s not recommended unless it’s severe internal injury. It’s used to quickly regenerate damaged areas by applying or pouring on visible wounds.”
It was a medicine made directly by her family, to be applied or poured on wound areas.
‘It’s red medicine?’
Her family was a family of mages and pharmacists who produce drinkable povidone-iodine.
“It’s truly amazing. Not only is Lady Eliza’s family deeply versed in magic, but they’re also excellent in pharmaceuticals.”
“Thank you for the compliment. In any case, it would be best if there’s no situation where you need to use this, but since the battlefield is not a place where you can predict what will happen, always carry it with you.”
“Thank you once again for giving such a precious thing as a gift, Lady Eliza.”
“If a potion worth only 10 gold coins can save your life, that would be most fortunate.”
-Your value to the kingdom and to me is incomparable to that.
Eliza muttered something quietly, but it didn’t reach my ears as I was deep in thought, organizing my thoughts.
‘The price of 3 bottles of potion is 10 gold coins, that’s my salary for how many years?’

Learning the price of the potion swirling in the box, I felt my hands holding the box start to sweat.
“Ahem! Anyway, the reason I called Yujin was to give you this gift, and to say that we’ll be moving together in the upcoming operation to block the rebels’ invasion, so I look forward to working with you.”
For some reason, Eliza’s face had reddened, and she changed the subject after clearing her throat.
“An operation to block the rebels coming down from the north?”
“Yes, based on the information Yujin brought this time, it was concluded that the rebels will come down from the north and surround Sordan Fortress soon. According to their plan, while the main force coming down from the north draws the fortress’s attention, a separate force would disrupt our rear to disperse our forces and destroy supply routes, then attack from front and back. But thanks to you, Yujin, we were able to prevent this.”
“It’s all thanks to the excellent soldiers of our Hundred-man Unit.”
“Originally, the merit of subordinates is also the merit of the superior, so there’s no need to be modest.”
Eliza leaned her body slightly against the chair backrest and continued speaking.
“They will maintain some distance from the fortress and only threaten until their rear separate force moves. When the enemy’s separate force coming to support the wooden fortress we occupied sends a signal, they plan to surround the fortress, so if our troops already stationed there deal with the separate force’s reinforcements that infiltrated the rear, there will be a gap in the enemy’s plan.”
“And before the rebels’ main force notices something’s wrong, we create a separate unit to target their rear?”
“That’s right. Since they dared to target our rear, it would be good to retaliate in the same way. And the unit infiltrating the rear will be the mages I lead and two Hundred-man Units, the 1st and 2nd Hundred-man Units will be with me.”
It seems that as soon as the combat rest ends, another hard time will open up again.
“Hm?”
“What’s wrong?”
Suddenly, I had one question.
“Why tell only me about participating in the next operation together?”
“Eh, what?”
“If Captain Samuel is also participating in the operation, wouldn’t it have been good to call him together?”
Did my sharp question hit some vital point? Eliza opened her mouth with a slightly flustered tone.
“Th-that’s because I wanted to give you a gift too, and just, tw-two, two of us…”
“Lady Eliza?”
Did I ask a bad question? While I was worrying inside, Eliza suddenly stood up from her seat.
“Congratulations on becoming a regular soldier in recognition of your merits this time! The t-tea was delicious and I gave you a gift, so let’s end this trivial chat now. Y-you, Yujin, need to rest enough too, and also, also.”
“Lady Eliza? Are you alright?”
“I don’t know!!!”
-Slap!
For some reason, I was hit on the forearm and kicked out of her office.