SYNO Chapter 44

“Does that mean I can go back to sleep? And stop doing this?”

“No. I’m asking what caused this change of heart.”

Ssangryeong pulled his arm free from Frederick’s grasp and said casually,

“What will you do if I don’t?”

“…What?”

“Do you think I want to do this? This ridiculous charade?”

Ssangryeong tossed the mop to the floor and continued,

“I made a deal with the Commander, and I’m being dragged to the Home Nation, so I have no choice. Speaking of which…”

Frederick swallowed hard, bracing himself for whatever outrageous statement would follow.

“Teach me properly from today onwards. You know, all those things a military officer should know.”

“…That’s what I’ve been teaching you every day.”

“I don’t remember. I never paid attention.”

Ssangryeong scoffed, almost sneering, at Frederick’s dumbfounded expression.

“I’m leaving. Write down everything I need to memorize and bring it to me.”

Ssangryeong left just like that.

Frederick was still stunned, trying to process how the world’s biggest headache, Ssangryeong, had changed overnight.

As Frederick stood there frozen, a low voice came from behind,

“Frederick.”

It was the Commander. He was walking towards them, a stack of documents in one hand.

“Regarding the construction of the Dependent Nation prison. The progress report…”

“What kind of magic did you use?”

Frederick, interrupting his superior for perhaps the first time, looked up at him with an awestruck expression.

Pienne frowned at the intense gaze, sparkling like the scales of a fish in the sea.

“What are you talking about?”

“Ssangryeong. That scoundrel suddenly changed drastically, Commander. In a good way, too.”

Pienne raised an eyebrow at the unexpected news.

Ssangryeong… changed?

Pienne, who had been looking for the Vice Commander to discuss official business, turned his head at the surprising news.

Although he had a couple of buttons undone, Ssangryeong was wearing his uniform and pretending to clean alongside the other soldiers.

It certainly wasn’t something Ssangryeong would normally do, as Frederick had said.

If someone asked why Ssangryeong had suddenly changed…

“Well, I have no idea.”

He had no clue. All that came to mind was Ssangryeong’s flushed, ecstatic face from last night.

Pienne’s blue eyes landed on Ssangryeong’s clumsy mopping.

His movements were awkward, clearly showing he had never cleaned anything in his life. Or rather, more accurately, he didn’t seem particularly motivated to clean properly.

The sight of him moving around, reluctantly cleaning the dirty floor, was somewhat amusing.

Pienne chuckled.

“It seems he’s in the mood to finally cooperate.”

From what he had seen, Ssangryeong was the type of person who prioritized survival.

He was quick to grasp the situation he was in based on a few clues, and he knew when to swallow his pride and surrender if necessary.

His self-preservation instincts and recklessness, evident in his jump into the raging Deruns River, were also in the top one percent.

Even when he was scraping by as a thief in the Home Nation, he had managed to escape to the Dependent Nation, slipping through the government’s extensive net.

Ssangryeong was the type who would do anything, even pretend to be an secretary, in order to survive.

Pienne had made his plans based on that conviction.

He looked away from Ssangryeong and continued what he was about to say.

“Resubmit the construction progress report. You omitted a few things.”

“Ah, is that soy? I thought I checked it thoroughly… I apologize. I’ll review it and resubmit it.”

“How many days until we arrive in the Home Nation?”

“About four days, I believe. If the weather holds.”

The sky was overcast, the wind was strong, and the waves were high. The salty smell in the air suggested a heavy downpour might hit within the next day or two.

‘If that happens, our arrival will be delayed by a few days.’

Frederick thought that would be preferable. A few more days would give him more time to educate Ssangryeong further.

Frederick glanced at the sky, then back at Ssangryeong.

“About Ssangryeong. His sudden change is a bit concerning… Will he be alright? He probably won’t follow my instructions completely, will he?”

Frederick, having been burned by Ssangryeong several times before, bit his nails nervously.

His worries proved unfounded two days later.

The ‘Ssangryeong Education Log’ report was submitted, filled out satisfactorily.

Pienne set aside his other documents and opened the education log first.

[- Instruction on saluting completed.

• Corrected his slouching posture, unbefitting of a soldier. (He goes back to slouching when no one is around…)
• Taught him basic etiquette, such as how to use cutlery, but he often eats with his hands because he finds it bothersome. However, I expect him to use them properly when necessary.
• His memory is exceptional. The rumors about him never forgetting anything he sees are not exaggerated. He has perfectly memorized the military organizational structure, key figures, and essential information. (He gets irritated easily, so it was very difficult to assess him.)
• Thoroughly instructed him on his duties as the Brigadier General’s secretary. His memory was a great help, but his patience is still thinner than a grain of rice.
• Teaching him how to control his temper. He seems to be able to hold back when others are around, but he reverts to his usual self when we’re alone.
• He lacks social skills. I’m teaching him basic social language, but he’s not showing much interest.
• Decided on an alias for Ssangryeong to use in the Home Nation. He apparently used the name “Aaron” occasionally during his requests, and he insisted on using it, so I agreed for now.

……]

It was a document that reflected Frederick’s hard work.

Pienne slowly twirled his pen as he read the report.

‘He’s putting in quite a bit of effort.’

The mere fact that Ssangryeong was cooperating with Frederick’s training was significant.

Pienne himself had been keeping a close eye on Ssangryeong, worried he might reveal his true identity on the warship.

It was somewhat amusing to see Ssangryeong, with his clean face and furrowed brow, trying to fit himself into an environment he clearly didn’t belong in.

Sometimes he looked ridiculous, and other times, he was strangely endearing.

It was a relief, wasn’t it?

He hadn’t caused any major trouble on the warship so far…

Crash!

Pienne looked up as the door to his office burst open with a loud noise.

“He can’t be tamed.”

As expected, it was Ssangryeong who had barged in, his heavy footsteps echoing as if they would dent the wooden floor.

He was holding a soldier by the collar.

“Ugh, fuck… Reporting to the… Commander… sir!”

Ssangryeong yelled at the top of his lungs and threw the soldier to the floor.

“Please do something with this bastard, Commander! Ah, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. He’s been watching me creepily for days, like a crazy psycho or a stalker. I’ve told him off several times, but he keeps staring at me. Isn’t this insubordination? He can be punished for this, right? Isn’t this a violation of Article 2, Clause 3 of the military code?!”

He had even memorized the military code and was even using it appropriately.

It seemed Frederick’s training about using honorifics when others were present had been effective, as Ssangryeong, despite fuming, was adhering to the rules.

Pienne rested his chin on his hand and spoke in a slow voice,

“You seem to have forgotten about knocking, Captain Aaron.”

Ssangryeong’s brows twitched slightly at the mention of his alias. He looked displeased, as if wondering why Pienne would mention something trivial like knocking in this situation, but he held back and replied,

“I apologize for that.”

Bormann, who had been thrown to the floor, scrambled to his feet as he realized he was in the Commander’s office.

He saluted, his arm bent at a sharp angle.

“R-Reporting to the Commander, sir!”

“Your name.”

“Second Lieutenant Bormann, 1st Battalion, sir!”

Bormann’s jaw was red and swollen, as if he had already been punched by Ssangryeong.

Pienne’s gaze went back and forth between Ssangryeong and Bormann silently, then landed on Ssangryeong’s right hand. His small fist, which didn’t seem capable of inflicting much damage, was swollen.

“Insubordination is a serious offense.”

A faint hint of satisfaction appeared on Ssangryeong’s face at Pienne’s low words.

“But assaulting someone is also a serious offense.”

“But Commander! …Sir! Is hitting that stalker bastard also a crime? He was asking for it!”

“Then there’s no further reason to punish Second Lieutenant Bormann, since you’ve already taken matters into your own hands.”

“Huh…? What kind of nonsense is that? Is this even right? Are you saying you’re going to let this damn stalker off the hook with just a punch?”

As Ssangryeong protested, a comical scene unfolded as the startled Bormann grabbed his arm and tried to restrain him.

As far as he knew, Commander Pienne was a cold and ruthless superior. He wasn’t the type to tolerate such disrespect.

He would surely be reprimanded severely.

As Bormann predicted, Pienne’s expression hardened.

“Second Lieutenant, you’re dismissed.”

It meant the Captain was to stay.

‘He’s going to scold him severely.’

The relieved Bormann saluted sharply.

“Thank you, Commander!”

After Bormann hurriedly left, Ssangryeong’s eyes, left alone with Pienne, blazed with anger.

“I can’t believe this. You’re taking that pervert’s side?”