Chapter 3

When had he first realized he’d transmigrated into the novel he used to read on and off?

If memory served, it was before entering the military academy, when he was still just a boy.

They said realization comes suddenly, and it was true: the awareness that this world was, in fact, the novel ‘The Flower of the Battlefield’, the only one he had ever bothered to read.

And not only that. He had taken on the role of Luke, the so-called villain: the rival who clashed endlessly with the protagonist for the ultimate goal of becoming Commander-in-Chief, and who, in the end, committed countless villainous deeds.

Why, of all roles, did it have to be the villain?

Like every other transmigrator, he had asked himself the same question.

But then he recalled his own unusual view of villains, one different from most people’s, and wondered if perhaps this was inevitable.

A villain, after all, was another kind of guide for the protagonist. He had never thought of them as mere objects of blind hatred, and maybe because of that, the heavens had chosen to punish him with this role.

“Hey.”

Inside the quiet barracks, Luke was resting when Mile barged in without so much as asking permission. Luke rubbed his face with his hands and sat up on the cot.

“A knock would have been nice.”

“Who knocks in a barracks?”

Mile looked down at him with that same mocking expression. Yes, that gaze. That unfriendly, hostile, scorn-filled look was the sort that clung to villains like a shadow.

“Thanks to you charging in without consulting anyone, the raid seems to have succeeded. Reports say Membern’s forces are withdrawing from the maritime sector. For the time being, they’ll be focused on replenishing manpower and supplies. Or perhaps they’ll shift toward ending the war altogether.”

“So, you came all the way here just to tell me that?”

“No, I came to tell you to get ready. We’re pulling out. Leave a minimum force here and the rest are returning to headquarters. Do as you like, though, knowing you, you’ll just do whatever you want anyway.”

Mile’s eyes flashed cold as he spat out the words and stormed out of the tent. Luke shot his retreating back a magnificent middle finger, then flopped down onto the cot again.

He would have loved to stay behind, maybe grab a few moments of sleep, but he couldn’t. Even villains had lines they couldn’t cross. With a groan, Luke dragged his heavy body up and began preparing to depart.

******

Whoever said a villain only had to be ‘bad’?

If anything, a villain needed qualities greater than those of the protagonist.

For instance—

“So, Captain Luke succeeded in routing the enemy forces stationed there with his surprise attack?”

“Yes, Commander.”

Even knowing it was something that would not be well received, he still had to carry himself with a proud expression, pretending confidence. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Behind him, he could hear Mile and the other unit commanders scoffing.

“Captain Luke.”

“Yes, sir.”

The supreme commander of the army, the man who held the greatest authority, Veil Winium, rose from his seat and placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder.

“Well done. Thanks to you, we crushed the enemy without suffering any losses. But launching an operation without reporting it or consulting anyone was not the right choice.”

“…I will correct myself.”

Veil nodded without further reprimand. Among all the commanders the army had ever had, Veil was considered the most gentle and moderate. A soldier, yes, but one who disliked fighting and bloodshed; a man who cherished his subordinates like family. A saintly temperament, some said.

Because of this, outsiders sometimes claimed he lacked proper martial spirit. But those who served under him respected him more than anyone.

“Yes. With this, Membern won’t be charging at us immediately. We’ll have to watch and see how they respond, but unless something drastic happens, they’ll have no choice but to agree to the peace treaty the Empire offers. We’ve already stationed personnel in the east, so the Third Unit and the other detachments may rest for the time being.”

Luke saluted smartly and left the Commander’s office. Mile, of course, shot him another glare before going his own way. Luke started down the corridor, heading back to his quarters.

“So? Captain Luke went off on his own again?”

From an open window, voices drifted in. Luke turned his head slightly. Three soldiers on break were huddled in a corner, speaking in hushed tones.

“Yeah. He supposedly stormed into Membern’s raiding ground all by himself.”

“And? How’d it go?”

“Seems like the raid succeeded. But what’s the point? I heard he told the detachment soldiers to just put up shields while he went in alone.”

Luke leaned silently against the wall, listening.

“What do you think that means? He wanted all the credit for himself, that’s what. I even saw him walking into the Commander’s office earlier.”

If that’s how it looked to the outside world, then good. The truth was, he hadn’t cared about hogging the glory; he’d simply hated the thought of innocent soldiers getting hurt in a reckless raid.

Another quality of a villain: even when hearing such whispers behind your back, you had to act like nothing was wrong.

An ordinary man, even a protagonist, might be wounded by words like those.

“You’ve hit the nail on the head.”

Luke swung the window wide and grinned down at them.

“C-Captain Luke…!”

The soldiers shot to their feet, snapping to attention in panic.

“Anyway, instead of wasting time gossiping like that, how about you train? You’re too weak to even be useful in a raid.”

“…We’re sorry, sir.”

Their brows furrowed in frustration.

“Good. Now go spar twenty rounds each. That’s your punishment for badmouthing your captain.”

The soldiers saluted again, lips pressed tight, then hurried away.

“Get stronger. That’s the only way you’ll survive the battlefield.”

Luke murmured the words as he watched their slumped shoulders retreating.

“Captain Luke.”

At that moment, a familiar voice called out. Luke turned his head to see Theo, the protagonist of this story, and the man who would one day become Commander-in-Chief of the imperial army.

“Just came from seeing the Commander?”

“So what if I did?”

“I’m curious what he said.”

Theo approached slowly, eyes flicking over Luke’s pale face. His gaze caught on the gauze taped to Luke’s forehead.

“If you were hoping I’d be severely scolded, then too bad. The Commander praised my achievement instead. Captain Theo, looks like you’ll have to step up your game.”

Luke flashed a grin. Yes, the words were meant to sting. Because Theo was his goal. His dream.

Being thrown into the villain’s role wasn’t the only punishment.

The real problem was that this novel had never been completed.

‘The Flower of the Battlefield’ was supposed to be the chronicle of Theo: his enlistment, his struggles, his growth, and his rise to the pinnacle of the army. But it had been unpopular, and perhaps because the author lost interest, the serialization had stopped. In other words, even in the original work, Theo had not yet reached his ending.

“I’ll take your advice to heart.”

Yes, please. Take it to heart, or don’t, but hurry up and become Commander-in-Chief already.

Luke prayed desperately inside.

When he first realized he’d been transmigrated into a novel, his plan had been to toss the villain’s role aside and live freely, traveling like a vagabond. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] But then he thought: since he was here, wouldn’t it be better to see it through properly? To ensure there would be no unfinished business when he finally left?

After all, being placed into such a pivotal villain’s role surely had some purpose.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

Luke brushed past Theo, striding down the corridor. To him, this novel amounted to one thing: giving the protagonist his happy ending.

Theo stood and watched Luke’s retreating figure, the villain, reminding himself of his goal with every step.

“…Seems your treatment went well enough.”

Only after Luke’s silhouette disappeared did Theo quietly turn and leave as well.