I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 63
Nad, a soldier in Rufus’s platoon, died in the first battle.
He was torn apart by the demons, his limbs shredded, screaming for Rufus to save him until the very end. How could one forget such a sight?
“……”
Nad bowed his head with his mouth tightly shut.
Rufus approached another platoon soldier standing beside him.
“Barzan.”
“Yes, Lieutenant.”
The bearded man stiffened, tense and upright.
“You have a pregnant wife at home, don’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“For your wife and your unborn child, you must survive.”
Barzan died five months after joining the subjugation army.
His wife, cradling a newborn, wept over Barzan’s cold corpse. She sobbing uncontrollably while calling her dead husband’s name until she could no more, fainting.
Once was enough. Rufus would no longer leave Barzan to die.
Afterward, Rufus called out each of his squad members’ names, one by one.
He remembered all twenty of them. They all wanted to survive till the very end. And they all died miserably before Rufus’s eyes.
This time, he would not lose anyone.
Not even one.
“Lieutenant, won’t you say something for me? I’m the poor one with no mother and ignored by my father!”
Iruel, lingering in the back, interjected. Rufus ignored him and stood before his platoon members again.
“Listen carefully. Even if you practice your swordsmanship every day, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to defeat the demons.”
The squad members’ attention was entirely on Rufus. They listened to him with a more serious attitude than before.
“The demons will charge at you with blood-red eyes and sharp claws. You might feel fear, but if you flinch even once, you’re done for.”
With that, Rufus drew his own sword.
“Everyone, draw your swords. Let’s start with something simple.”
***
After that, Rufus’s special training continued. Initially, the squad members grumbled about being tired, but soon they began training with passion.
“Look at that squad, training every evening.”
“I heard their lieutenant is quite skilled.”
Other soldiers came to watch Rufus’s squad, having heard the news. They admired Rufus and his squad members, who were training diligently.
Lieutenant Rufus was more competent than expected. He accurately understood the characteristics of the demons and meticulously explained their vulnerabilities and approach strategies.
“Demons attack with the strength of their arms rather than using weapons. So, target their arms first.”
“Not the head, but the arms?”
“Do they teach you to aim for the head in regular training?”
Rufus snorted.
“Of course, beheading is the most standard approach. But by aiming for a demon’s head, you’ll likely have your stomach pierced first.”
“Then…”
“First, attack their arms to incapacitate them. Then go for the head. That’s a more viable strategy.”
“How do you know so much about the demons, Lieutenant?”
“I am from the Inferna Barony.”
Lieutenant Rufus revealed that demons often appeared in the Inferna domain that his family governed. It wasn’t surprising that he possessed extensive knowledge about demons.
Everyone was impressed with the techniques he passed down based on his experience.
Rumors about Lieutenant Rufus spread throughout the army. Not only Rufus’s squad members but also soldiers from other squads came to participate in his training.
“Let’s end today’s training here. Thank you all for following along.”
“Sir, thank you, sir!”
The squad members shouted heartily.
The twenty members led by Rufus sat down inside a tent, wiping off their sweat.
“It turns out our lieutenant is quite something. He wasn’t appointed just by chance.”
“Exactly. If we just follow Lieutenant Rufus’s instructions, we might be able to take down a demon right now!”
As the squad members spoke, Iruel, lying on the ground, clicked his tongue in disdain.
“Oh boy, you’re all so delusional. Do you think demons are just stray puppies? You’ll be the ones crying and sniveling when you actually face a real demon.”
The squad members burst into laughter at Iruel’s words.
Iruel had a friendly relationship with the squad members. Although of noble descent, his behavior didn’t have a trace of noble etiquette. He would lie down anywhere to snore and sleep, and if upset, he’d argue and throw tantrums, no different from the coarse nature of commoners.
Initially wary of Iruel due to his nobility, the squad members now mingled with him without any reservations.
