Chapter 8: Awarded

Words : 1883 Updated : Sep 24th, 2025

The day's training wrapped up quickly. After dinner, everyone returned to the barracks to rest. Daniel walked up to Pablo with a sunny grin. "Squad leader." "What is it?" Pablo looked up, his face still serious. Daniel had only been around for two days, but Pablo's attitude toward him had already shifted. Daniel smiled. "Squad leader, I heard we have to memorize the military regulations, right?" "Hey, kid, you do know quite a bit." Pablo looked genuinely surprised. Daniel played it cool. "My uncle served in the army. Before I enlisted, he told me all kinds of things about military life, and he stressed the regulations. I figured there's not much to do before lights out, so why don't we make our beds and memorize the regulations while we're at it?" Pablo burst out laughing. The kid was sharp, even knew how to manage the schedule. "You do have to memorize the regulations. Wait here, I'll grab copies for you, one for each of you." With that, he turned and left the barracks, humming under his breath. Adriel flung his blanket onto the bed and scowled. "Daniel, you're just asking for trouble. Making these beds is hard enough. Why memorize some stupid regulations?" "You don't know anything." Daniel snorted. "Every soldier has to memorize the regulations. If a leader drops by for a spot check and you can't recite them, you're in big trouble." "Besides, what a soldier can and can't do is spelled out clearly in there. Learning it helps everyone." Adriel rolled his eyes. "Quit putting on airs; stop acting like you're such a big shot. We're all new recruits. Why should we take your word for it?" "I trust him. Whatever he says is always right!" Vincent chirped, looking every bit the starstruck fan. The others chimed in to back Daniel. If he hadn't taught them how to make their beds and warned them about unit rules, who knows how badly they would have been punished by now. Adriel ground his teeth. Daniel had shown him up again, and there was nothing he could do about it. Just then, a roar sounded from outside. Edison darted out to look. When he came back, his face was pale. "What happened? What happened?" Everyone crowded around him. Edison spoke, still rattled. "Second and Third Squad are redoing daytime drills. Every single one of them was punished by being made to stand on those low wooden stools. Their squad leaders look ready to tear someone apart. Sounds like the guys upstairs are training too." They swallowed hard. It seemed the entire recruit company, apart from First Squad, had been thrown into extra practice. Vincent practically bowed to Daniel. "Thank God we listened to you. Otherwise, not a single one of us would've escaped." The others nodded. "Right, right, all thanks to Daniel! We'll really learn those regulations. If Daniel says it's useful, then it's useful!" Adriel clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes as usual. He looked down on city boys who acted like they were better than everyone else. In his eyes, those self-important city kids always looked at kids from the outskirts of town like him with condescension. The more popular Daniel became, the more he disliked him. Even when Daniel was probably right, he just wanted to oppose him out of spite. Before long, Pablo came back with the military regulations and handed them out, one per person. As soon as they got them, everyone bent over the pages, eyes glued to the print. None of them had ever been this serious back in school. Pablo watched with quiet satisfaction, his gaze lingering on Daniel. This recruit was the real deal, a genuine pacesetter. With him around, Pablo's job was easier, and the whole squad was learning much faster than the rest. He might not even need to wait until the end of recruit training; he could get a commendation early. Over the next few days, everyone in First Squad treated Daniel as their backbone. No matter the task, they held him up as the standard. Even eating, sleeping, and going to the restroom, they followed his lead. Daniel found it annoying; he'd basically become the squad's den mother. Still, if he wanted to avoid getting dragged into punishments because of them, he had to grit his teeth and keep it up. A little annoyance was nothing compared to other squads getting thrown into extra sessions at the drop of a hat. They were living easy by comparison. A week flew by. First Squad's progress outpaced the others by a mile. Their barracks management was outstanding. Their ability to stand at attention and their close-order drill were sharp. They already had the beginnings of a soldier's bearing. Even Pablo got called into the office by Zeke and was praised up and down. He strutted about afterward, proud as could be. Early one morning, First Squad was tidying their barracks when Zeke suddenly walked in with a few people. "Attention!" Pablo bellowed, and everyone sprang up and saluted. "Good morning, Instructor!" Zeke waved a hand and smiled. "No need to be nervous. At ease. We've been watching your performance. First Squad's leader has done well, and you've all stood out. Especially your barracks management. You've left the others far behind." He nodded toward the soldier behind him. The soldier stepped forward, holding a small triangular red pennant in both hands. Pablo's face lit up with excitement, and even Daniel's eyes gleamed. The Traveling Red Pennant. In the company, the squads competed weekly for best barracks management. Only the squad with the best skills received the Traveling Red Pennant, a symbol of honor. At year's end, the squad with the most pennants had the most to brag about. Daniel, however, didn't crack a smile. He thought, "This is bad. Things are getting out of hand. All I wanted was to dodge punishment. How did we end up with the pennant?" Zeke handed the pennant to Pablo. "The Traveling Red Pennant stands for honor. Winning it means your effort and hard work haven't gone to waste. I hope you keep up the momentum." "Yes, sir!" Pablo nodded, thrilled. Out in the corridor, the other squad leaders looked on, green with envy. When they thought of their own undisciplined recruits, their blood boiled. They needed to whip those boys into shape, or soon they'd be left in First Squad's dust. Zeke turned to the other squad leaders. "Don't just stand there. Go learn from First Squad." "Yes, Instructor." Seeing their envious faces, Pablo lifted his chin like a proud rooster. He hurried to hang the pennant on the wall and told everyone, "We have to keep pushing and keep our edge. Come on, keep making those beds. Make them even better. We can't let the other squads catch up." Daniel turned to the bed in front of him and stared. "We're in trouble. The squad leader looks totally fired up." With the pennant on the wall, Pablo seemed like he'd gotten a shot of pure adrenaline. He had no intention of easing up; he wanted them to push even harder. Who could stand that? First Squad had already surpassed Daniel's expectations. They absolutely couldn't keep climbing at this pace. Otherwise, the days ahead would give him no peace at all. Daniel's eyes darted, and a new plan formed. "Looks like I need to switch tactics."

Chapter 8: Awarded

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