My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 7Vol 2.

Since I ended up re-enlisting, a lot has happened. But to get straight to the conclusion—yes, I re-enlisted.

...That was too much of a summary, wasn’t it? Alright, let’s go back to the beginning.

When I revealed the truth about the Arkon contract magic, my former seniors were outraged. They looked ready to drag me into a full-blown revolution at any moment.

“Please, just give me a week before I enlist again! Please!”

I begged with all the desperation I could muster, but, unfortunately, they had absolutely no interest in my opinion.

And so, when I came to my senses, I found myself standing in front of the building of the Black Magic Investigation Special Forces, right next to Aquila.

“H-Haha...”

The building was small. Just as I had heard, this wasn’t a properly established military unit run by the state but felt more like a privately operated organization.

“M-Me, re-enlisting...?”

I muttered in disbelief as I watched April personally retrieve enlistment papers for us.

Gripping Aquila’s hand tightly, I could hear his voice, low and filled with resignation.

“Even if I have to re-enlist, I still love you, Salvia...”

“Wow, now that’s true love...”

With this, I confirmed once again that Aquila’s feelings for me were real. He actually re-enlisted just to follow me—there was no doubt he was completely serious about me.

Meanwhile, I turned my head toward a familiar figure standing behind us.

“...Ishina.”

He had been dragged here along with us.

“I’m really sorry... Because of me, you had to re-enlist—”

“Salvia...”

For some reason, Ishina looked at me with a distant expression.

“I already re-enlisted.”

“...What?”

“You said that once you were discharged, you’d come here. I couldn’t just let you roam free in society, so I re-enlisted in advance.”

“...Excuse me?!”

What the hell did I just hear?

April, still smiling brightly, confirmed Ishina’s words.

“That’s right, Salvia. Ishina actually re-enlisted three months ago.”

...Is he insane?

Why are there so many crazy people around me? At what point did things go so wrong?

As I tried to process everything, I suddenly locked eyes with Winter, who had been quietly observing me.

“Winter... but why did you re-enlist?”

“To create a just world.”

“...Ah.”

As expected, an answer that screamed Winter. The guy was so obsessed with justice that he didn’t even hesitate to re-enlist.

I was about to nod, deeply moved by his unwavering principles—until I noticed Altair standing behind him. He discreetly made a hand signal at me.

Pointing at me first, then twirling his finger near his temple.

And of course, I wasn’t dense enough to miss what that meant.

‘Ah, so he’s saying I’m insane.’

So, to summarize—three of the original novel’s male leads had all re-enlisted because of me?

The title Four Obsessed Madmen Cling to Me was definitely well-chosen. These guys really were insane.

“Ugh, why are there so many crazy people around me? Who the hell re-enlists like this...”

“Salvia, if I remember correctly, you were actually the first one to decide to re-enlist.”

Ishina said this with a smile, but I chose to ignore him. No way. There was no chance I was crazier than these original male leads.

“Salvia.”

“Yes?!”

April suddenly called my name, drawing my attention. In her hands, two sheets of paper fluttered lightly.

“Here. These are the enlistment forms. Just sign here.”

“...Is this one of those contracts where, once I sign, a magic spell binds me, and if I desert, I die?”

“No, it’s just a regular enlistment form. If you desert, you’ll be punished, but your head won’t explode or anything.”

Hearing that, I was genuinely moved. I turned to Aquila with a bright smile.

“Wow, you can desert without your head exploding. This really is a progressive military unit.”

“Yeah, the Black Magic Investigation Special Forces seems like a pretty decent place.”

“Haha, that’s right, kids. So hurry up and sign.”

Together with Aquila, I wrote our names on the papers.

...But wait. Isn’t the fact that your head exploding upon desertion was the norm the actual problem here?

By the time I realized the truth, it was already too late.

In the end, Aquila and I re-enlisted.

And that’s everything that’s happened up to this point.

***

As Aquila and I stood there, blank-faced and drained of all hope, April led us forward with an uncharacteristically kind voice, explaining the Black Magic Investigation Special Forces in a way I had never heard before.

“First of all, this is a commute-based position.”

“Woooow....”

“There’s no training either. You just have to show up for duty.”

“Woooow....”

“And after completing a simple orientation, you’ll start with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Since you’ve already served eight years in the military, of course.”

“Woooow....”

That was actually something worth being impressed about. I could start at the same rank as a platoon leader?

I glanced around, checking the ranks pinned to the uniforms of those around me. Ishina wasn’t wearing a uniform, so I couldn’t confirm his rank, but he was probably a Second Lieutenant too—after all, Winter, Altair, and Yuri were all wearing Second Lieutenant insignias.

Meanwhile, April, who had more experience than any of them, had a First Lieutenant rank.

So that’s how it was. She’d always be ranked above me, no matter what...

“Well, isn’t this a great place?”

“Yes, a wonderful place....”

There were definitely a lot of things that seemed off, but after just a few weeks of freedom, we had once again ended up as April’s subordinates. What could we do about it now?

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

It was then, while April was distracted with something else, that Yuri quietly leaned in and whispered into our ears.

“They don’t provide XX supplies here. You have to buy everything yourself.”

“...Of course.”

“And whether you’re a Second Lieutenant or a First Lieutenant, it doesn’t really matter. No one actually gets assigned under anyone here.”

“...Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”

A bad feeling crept over me as I looked at Yuri nervously. She gave me a look of pure pity, as if I was about to hear some truly tragic news.

“Arkons go to the Border Defense Army, and imperial citizens, even if they enlist, usually apply to other units. This place was nothing more than a showpiece the government set up.”

“...So you’re saying...?”

“The government is probably just as surprised as we are that anyone actually enlisted. No one was supposed to be here in the first place. So, yeah—there won’t be any soldiers under you. Ever.”

...Wait. That means—

“I’m the rookie again?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

I clutched my head in despair. XX! A few weeks ago, I was the most senior soldier in my unit, and now I was back to being the lowest-ranked one?

Sure, I wouldn’t have to do laundry or menial chores here, and I wouldn’t be stuck with these lunatics twenty-four hours a day, so life would be a lot more comfortable.

But still—being the rookie always felt terrible!

‘Wait, no, it’s not over yet.’

There was still one way out of this. One last hope for escaping my newbie status.

“Karon, see you soon. Heh ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) heh heh.”

“Oh, god, she’s crazy.”

Sorry, Karon, but there’s no choice. I’d have to drag you into this, too.

***

Next, we applied for our military uniforms.

It would take a few days for them to be tailored to our measurements, but the design was already far superior to our previous uniforms.

A crisp white shirt with golden buttons and decorations, topped with an equally white jacket. The trousers were also white, giving the whole ensemble an elegant, dignified look. And the pièce de résistance—a long, flowing white cape.

It was the kind of outfit that made everyone look cool, whether it was me or the original male leads.

‘...Though it definitely doesn’t look practical.’

Why were military uniforms in this world always so needlessly impractical? Was this another sign that I was stuck in a romance fantasy novel?

As I stared at the uniform displayed inside the building, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

Who even designed this?

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

This unit was just for show—there shouldn’t have been much thought put into the details. And yet, the uniform was genuinely well-designed.

Just as I was squinting at it, someone entered the room and spoke.

“I designed that.”

“...Who—Ah!”

I squinted at the unfamiliar face, but then, recognizing the long green hair, my eyes widened.

“Lady Louise!”

It was Senior Soldier Louise—the man who had taught me swordsmanship back when I was a recruit!

‘And April’s direct senior, too.’

That fact had left a deep impression on me back then. He was one of the few people who could have a normal conversation with April without suffering.

He still had that calm expression, his long green hair cascading down like an elf’s. But... he designed this uniform?

“Why did you design these?”

“There were no uniforms here originally,” he said, leaning casually against a table.

“If I had to start picking out my own clothes every day, that would be annoying. And we were getting funding anyway, so I designed them.”

A true soldier to the core.

...But honestly, I also found choosing outfits tedious. Damn it. The Border Defense Army really turned me into this kind of person.

“Oh, I didn’t know you had that kind of talent, Lady Louise. But...”

A new curiosity arose in me, and I cautiously asked:

“...How did you end up here?”

“...Because of my direct senior....”

“Ah. Got it.”

We locked eyes, both wearing the same defeated expression.

Of course. April had dragged everyone she knew into this.

At this point, I had a feeling Louise wasn’t the only one. If April trusted someone, chances were, they’d been forced into this unit too.

“Who else is here?” I asked.

Louise sighed and began listing names.

“Well, first, there’s Plato.”

Plato—one of the rare, fair-minded seniors who had actually been normal.

“Then there’s Taro.”

“...Excuse me?”

No way.

Taro had been the least motivated person in the military. He had zero enthusiasm for anything. And it wasn’t like he had any ties to April, either. So how on earth did he end up here?

‘Poor Taro... I even wished him a happy, peaceful life after his discharge...’

Maybe he really was cursed. He needed an exorcism at this point.

“And Leon and Brave are here too.”

Leon and Brave—the terrifying duo who had made my life hell back in training! I flinched at the mere mention of their names.

At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if every single person I knew had been dragged here.

Like... a certain notorious batch of recruits.

“...Are Blair and Topio here?”

“Oh, April’s working on recruiting them, actually. Said something about their ‘talent for charging in without thinking.’”

Of course. It was inevitable.

Why did I have to be caught in April’s recruitment radar?

Sure, I joined this unit for revolutionary purposes, but why had she set her sights on me since the moment I enlisted?

Just as I was brooding over the injustice of it all, April entered the room, looking satisfied.

“April.”

I couldn’t hide my frustration as I pouted and called her name. She, in turn, laughed as if she found this hilarious.

“What’s wrong, Salvia? Got a problem?”

“Well, uh... I just don’t get why you recruited me....”

Hearing this, April’s grin widened like she had been waiting for this exact question.

“Hmm, Salvia... for some reason, my heart races whenever I see you.”

“...Huh?”

“I always want to keep you by my side. It feels like there’s this unbreakable bond between us.”

“...Huh???”

Wait. Was my genre shifting again?

I wasn’t prepared for this kind of novel.

“...It’s as if we’re connected by blood. I just had to keep you under my command.”

“...Ah, I see....”

Nope. She was just being a psychopath again.