Has the War Ended?

Has the war ended...?

In this Battle of Mien, if Li Qi had not killed Mad Axe and stopped more Falor soldiers from entering, the Mien Defense Line might truly have fallen.

It was only natural for Li Qi, who had rendered such great service, to receive a Medal of Honor along with a promotion and pay raise.

But judging by Berry's expression, things were probably not that simple.

"Promotion... what does that mean?"

Li Qi looked at Berry.

After hesitating for a moment, Berry said,

"According to my little sources, the higher-ups are divided over where you should go next. One side thinks you're strong, and since you've earned a Combat Medal, you should remain on the front line.

"The other side thinks you're still too young. Sending someone like you into battle would make it easy for enemy countries to criticize us, so they want to transfer you to the rear for clerical work...

"If it's the former, they'll give you the rank of Second Lieutenant and make you a Company Commander. If it's the latter... they'll transfer you to the Intelligence Department with the rank of Warrant Officer... Li Qi, personally, I hope you can be transferred to the rear."

Rarely serious, Berry spoke to Li Qi with great earnestness.

Although Uno's higher-ups had known of Li Qi before, they had not known much about him personally.

Or rather, no high-ranking officer would take the initiative to learn about a mere Squad Leader.

But this time, Li Qi had killed the enemy's Titled Ace and achieved such tremendous merits that he had completely entered the Duchy's upper circles' field of vision.

Only then did the high-ranking officers realize that Li Qi was merely a thirteen-year-old boy.

And he did not even come from a knightly family.

That was what caused the disagreement among the higher-ups.

Most people felt it was too cruel to send a child who had not yet come of age to the front line. Moreover, whether Li Qi earned military achievements or died on the battlefield, it would make the Duchy of Uno lose face.

Think about it. A child, and a commoner at that, could achieve what other adults could not. Wouldn't that make everyone else in the Duchy of Uno look utterly incompetent?

And if that child died on the battlefield, it would be even worse. Other countries would think the Duchy of Uno was useless for actually sending a child to war.

In this era, the various nations had not yet gone to war with one another and still maintained a superficial sense of morality and rules.

Aside from Uno and Falor, the other countries were still content to uphold the old principles of war.

That was, nobles led the troops, the two sides fought symbolically for a while, and then negotiated over benefits.

A war like the one between Uno and Falor, where both sides had truly been enraged and nobles had died on the battlefield, was the first in centuries.

For that reason, most nobles in the Duchy of Uno still cared greatly about appearances.

It did not matter what those bitches in the Kingdom of Falor thought, but at the very least, they could not lose face before other countries.

Still, everyone understood.

With the introduction of firearms, mages and knights were growing weaker and weaker, and the nature of warfare would change accordingly. Whether the old rules would still count was uncertain.

That was why some officers believed that, face or no face, as long as Li Qi could be put to use, he should remain on the front line.

The decision would have to be made by Li Qi himself.

Berry had revealed this to Li Qi in advance because she wanted him to transfer to the rear.

Although transferring to the rear would mean a lower military rank and far less authority,

Li Qi's age was right there for all to see. He still had plenty of room to rise in the future, and the difference between Warrant Officer and Second Lieutenant was not that great. There was no need to stay in such a dangerous place as the front line just for the rank of Second Lieutenant.

That was what Berry thought.

After listening to Berry, Li Qi thought for a moment.

"Don't worry. I'll go to the rear."

"Really?! Li Qi, you're such an obedient little brother—!"

The moment she heard Li Qi was going to the rear, Berry happily jumped up and moved to give him another "hug of love."

But Li Qi's raised foot soon kicked her in the face.

"Don't come any closer!! And what does me transferring to the rear have to do with you?!"

Forcefully stopping Berry from approaching, Li Qi complained.

Berry was in the Medical Department, and she was assigned to the front-line Medical Department at that. If Li Qi transferred to the rear, they would definitely see each other less and less in the future.

So why was this girl so excited?

"Hm? You didn't know? Tonalie didn't tell you just now?"

With Li Qi's bandage-wrapped foot pressed against her face, Berry asked in a muffled voice.

Li Qi froze. "...Tell me what?"

"Falor announced a ceasefire. The notice was issued today."

"A... ceasefire?"

"Yes, so the war is over. I'll be transferred to the rear too, which means we'll have tons of time together from now on!"

Berry spoke excitedly and finally slipped around Li Qi's foot as she pounced at him.

But Li Qi swiftly dodged, leaving her to miss completely.

Berry fell onto the bed, while Li Qi looked out through the tent window.

Sure enough, most of the soldiers outside were cleaning up the battlefield, looking as though they were preparing to withdraw.

This really was a sign that the war was about to stop.

In fact, Falor's sudden large-scale assault on the Mien Frontline that day had been a sign of the ceasefire.

According to Berry, that day had been the last day before the higher-ups of both countries signed the ceasefire agreement, and the criterion for the ceasefire was whether the Mien Frontline remained in Uno's hands.

If Falor's leadership could capture the Mien Defense Line before the ceasefire agreement was signed, the agreement would become void, and other countries would join this war.

That was why they had been so desperate to charge into the defense line.

Yet they had not expected the elite unit led by Mad Axe to be held outside the defense line by Li Qi alone.

That was also how Li Qi had earned his medal.

Otherwise, an ordinary offensive and defensive battle would not have been enough to earn the rare First Class Unicorn Medal.

Unable to capture the Mien Defense Line, and with the higher-ups of both sides having signed the ceasefire agreement, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Falor could only retreat in the end.

That was the full story behind that day's offensive and defensive battle.

"A ceasefire..."

Having received the Unicorn Medal from his superior and chosen to return to the rear, Li Qi gazed at the sky and murmured.

He had thought the war would last a long time, but he had only been enlisted for a year before it ended just like that.

Li Qi had even been one of the great contributors to ending the war.

Thinking of that, Li Qi felt that it was all slightly unreal.

"But this is good too. I'll have time to study magic from now on."

Li Qi patted his cheeks, forcing himself to clear his head.

After choosing a rear position, the transfer order Li Qi received from the higher-ups was to first enter the Officer Academy for two years of further study.

After graduating from the academy two years later, his rank of Warrant Officer would be promoted to Second Lieutenant, and he would then be transferred to work in the Intelligence Bureau.

During that time, Li Qi would have plenty of time to study the magic of this world, which was exactly what he had always wanted.

"Squad Leader!"

Li Qi was sitting on a crate outside the tent, lost in thought, when he suddenly heard someone call for him.

Turning around, he saw Generro and Rick walking over side by side, both of them likewise covered in bandages.

Rick leaned on a crutch, while Generro's left hand was bandaged and hung before his chest. The two smiled as they greeted Li Qi.

"Looks like you two were seriously injured too."

Li Qi glanced at their wounds and said with a light laugh.

Rick grinned.

"That's nothing compared to you, Squad Leader."

"You brat, are you asking for extra training again?"

Li Qi narrowed his eyes and looked at Rick with feigned hostility.

Rick's smile froze. He immediately clutched his leg and began acting dramatically.

"Ow... my leg... my leg hurts so much!"

"Enough. Stop acting in front of me."

Speechless at Rick's performance, Li Qi shifted his gaze from him to Generro.

"After this war, you should have been promoted too, right?"

"Yes, Squad Leader. I'm a Sergeant now and qualified to form a squad of my own. This guy was promoted from First Class Soldier to Corporal and transferred to the newly established Communications Department."

Generro patted Rick on the back.

The group had earned considerable merit this time, and everyone had risen one or two ranks. If Li Qi had stayed on the front line, he would have been promoted three ranks in a row.

"The Communications Department?"

Li Qi raised his head in surprise.

Rick immediately explained,

"I heard the Research Department developed some kind of device that can use magic for long-distance communication, so they're forming a Communications Department. I know some Communication Magic, so I was assigned there."

Rick had originally been the communications soldier in Li Qi's Squad.

He was responsible for using magic to receive communications from their superiors and relay orders to Li Qi.

Being transferred to the Communications Department was indeed quite fitting for him.

Having learned where his two subordinates would be going in the future, Li Qi nodded slightly.

He jumped down from the crate, straightened his Military Cap, and then turned to face his two subordinates.

"First of all, congratulations on your promotions."

"What are you talking about, Squad Leader? Without you, we couldn't have earned such great merit."

Before Li Qi could finish, Generro spoke directly.

If Li Qi had not led them charging into the enemy army that day, they could never have achieved so much.

And Li Qi had saved them as well.

After all, without Li Qi, two ordinary soldiers—one with no magic power and the other with only first-level magic power—would certainly have died among the enemy troops.

So the two were immensely grateful to Li Qi.

Li Qi smiled at that and said,

"You did well yourselves. And actually, I should thank you too. You were the ones who brought me back from the battlefield, right? Without you, I might have died on the battlefield as well, so I should thank you too."

Li Qi spoke with great sincerity.

Generro and Rick exchanged smiles and accepted Li Qi's gratitude.

Li Qi then said seriously,

"And then... the war is over. From now on, we'll each be going to our own departments. This is probably the last time our squad will meet on the battlefield, so... I hereby announce that Li Qi's Squad is disbanded!"

Smack!

Li Qi gave the two a military salute.

"May the Glory of Uno Last Forever!"

"May the Glory of Uno Last Forever!!" X2

Amid their returned salutes and loud cries, Li Qi's final day on the front line came to an end.