"I'm a little curious. Based on what you're saying, the higher-ups don't do anything about it?
Don't they have the military police and the military judge? "Claude asked Bale after swallowing a mouthful of porridge.
"Of course they do. Why wouldn't they? It's useless anyway."
Bale's face darkened. It seemed that he had been bullied before. "The problem is that they don't make big mistakes. They ask you to wash a pair of socks for them, buy them some alcohol and tobacco, but they beat you up if you don't want to.
Even if the military police come, they can only scold you a little. That's not enough to warrant punishment.
But once they leave, you'll be in trouble. A bunch of them will swarm you and beat you up. You won't even know who did it. They won't admit to it anyway. Who are you going to sue if you don't have evidence?
You won't even be able to sleep well at night. They might even throw a scorpion, spider, or four-legged snake on your bed and cause a ruckus in the middle of the night. If the military police come, you'll be sentenced to confinement for violating military orders. "
Claude understood now. It was the same as the loan sharks from the online loan companies he saw in his previous life. They walked on the edge of the law.
If it was against the law, it wasn't a big deal. Even if the police came, they wouldn't be able to do anything.
But if it wasn't against the law, it was disgusting. The phone would ring non-stop, paint would be splashed on the door, and the walls would be filled with curses. What was even more infuriating was that they would harass your family and friends and cause a huge ruckus.
That was why his boss had warned him in his previous life that he would rather sell his house and kidney than borrow money from the internet. It was all talk and no action, but it was nothing more than a loan shark. It was just an excuse to solve the problems of the people.
If he got involved with them, even if he only borrowed ten thousand, he might not even be able to pay off his debt even after paying off a million.
Even though the veterans didn't use loan sharks in the camp, their actions were just as disgusting as those debt collectors.
As Bale said, they didn't make big mistakes, but small ones. It wasn't exactly illegal. It could only be considered a minor violation of military discipline. It wasn't as serious as being on duty.
"If they bully you like this in the camp, don't you report it to the higher-ups? Won't they be able to do anything about it?" Claude asked again.
"Of course, but what's the use? At most, we can only demote them. We can't chase them out of the camp."
Bale sighed. "Actually, these old soldiers have been in the army for five or six years and have some achievements.
They were originally sergeants and sergeants, but because they always bullied others, they were demoted to corporals and sergeants.
For example, Engel, who had a broken wrist, had been a sergeant two months ago, but had been caught blackmailing people and had been demoted to corporal.
This NCO training was actually their best chance, but because of their bad reputation, they had offended many people in the camp, so no one was willing to speak up for them.
Although the higher-ups usually can't do anything to them, they can eliminate them early on with the reason that their conduct is not good and they can't convince the masses. It's very satisfying. This is also the reason why they always find trouble with you recruits who are participating in the NCO training. "
Claude could only smile bitterly. As a transmigrator and reincarnator, all he wanted was to live a simpler, happier, and freer life.
That was why he could live the perfect life of a 16-year-old youth and enjoy his youth after his reincarnation without worrying about too many problems.
Even if something happened to his family that he couldn't control, he would only think of ways to change his situation at the last moment.
Now, on his first day in the army, he got into an unexpected fight with a few rogue veterans. He thought it was a simple matter, but he didn't think there would be so much more to it.
He recalled a saying on the internet in his previous life. He couldn't remember who said it. The simpler something seemed, the more complicated it would be on the inside. The simpler you tried to deal with it, the more complicated it would be, until you collapsed.
After swallowing another spoonful of porridge, Claude asked, "By the way, you said those old soldiers have some achievements. What do you mean by that?
I don't recall our kingdom going to war with other countries in the past few years. Where did they get their achievements from? "
Bale smiled. "They don't get their achievements from wars. To be honest, those old soldiers were just lucky enough to get their achievements.
Two years ago, there was a riot in Kafreizit. I remember when I first joined the army, there were many people protesting on the streets, demanding the kingdom to return Kafreizit to Nasri.
"Of course, we couldn't do that. Back then, our battalion was ordered to suppress the rioters in Gourneygada. I thought I was dead for sure.
"But to everyone's surprise, Jom and the other old soldiers only fired one shot and took down about ten people. The tens of thousands of rioters threw the flags and sticks in their hands to the ground and scattered.
After that, our battalion easily took control of the situation in Gourneygada, and Jim and the other veterans were rewarded for firing a shot. The officers in the barracks allowed them to do as they pleased, and it became a habit for them to bully the new recruits in the barracks. "
Claude was shocked. "No way. Kafreizit has belonged to our kingdom for more than two decades. Why would the natives still want to return to Nasri?"
"I don't know about that." Bale fed Claude another mouthful of porridge and furrowed his brow. "I've been in the army for almost three years and I've always been here. Sometimes, I'll go to Gourneygada for a stroll during my holidays.
How should I put it … I feel like the people here don't see themselves as members of the kingdom and they seem to reject us.
I also heard that the order in the cities is slightly better. We have to be careful in the wilderness and not be left alone.
Otherwise, any native, be it farmers, fishermen, merchants or hunters, might turn into our attackers at any time. Of course, that's what I heard from the old soldiers. "
How did that happen?
Two decades ago, Nasri suffered a crushing defeat in the second war with Aueras. They had no choice but to cede three prefectures to Aueras as compensation before they could sue for peace.
So many years had passed since then, yet Aueras still hadn't gained full control of the three prefectures. It was unbelievable.
However, Bale really didn't know why that was the case. He had only been in Bluefeather for three years and rarely left the barracks. He wasn't interested in exploring such matters either.
The middle-aged herbalist understood the situation and told Claude that it was mainly a matter of policy.
More than two decades ago, the second war between Aueras and Nasri broke out. Kafreizit, Lasdonkelen and Botarnia were all close to Aueras and almost all of the prefectures were soldiers. After the war ended, more than three hundred thousand youths were killed. Almost every family had a relative who died on the battlefield.
Nasri, on the other hand, had no choice but to cede the three prefectures to Aueras as compensation. That was the reason why the natives of the three prefectures didn't consider themselves citizens of Aueras.
First, the casualties of their loved ones and second, the three prefectures were ceded by Nasri as compensation. As such, the natives of the three prefectures didn't consider themselves citizens of Aueras.
Another thing was that Aueras and Nasri had spent a great deal of resources during the second war.
In order to make up for the huge debt owed to the national treasury, they had no choice but to target the three prefectures that belonged to the new kingdom.
More than two decades had passed since the war, but the natives of the three prefectures still had to pay heavy taxes. On average, they had to pay three times more taxes than the rest of the kingdom.
For example, the new taxes that were set up for the second war were stopped a year after the war ended, but the three prefectures still had to pay them until now.
Because of their poverty, they had been oppressed by the kingdom in terms of economy, so the natives of the three prefectures were very disunited. There were many who wanted to return to Nasri.
Nasri, on the other hand, showed signs of revival after the war. So, some people started to incite the natives of the three prefectures to stir up trouble in an attempt to stir up trouble in Aueras.
Over the past decade or so, the Kingdom of Nasri had been smuggling weapons and equipment into the three prefectures to arm the rebels and rebels. This was the real reason why the three prefectures had been under military rule for so long.
"Actually, killing people isn't the best method," the apothecary said, "If the kingdom's army catches anyone with Nasri firearms or privately made firearms in the three prefectures, they'll be executed without a second word.
The more they kill, the more people rebel. Some rebels don't want to return to Nasri, but because their loved ones were killed. That's why they took up arms to rebel against the kingdom's rule.
We're all at the bottom, so we don't understand what the big shots are thinking.
"In fact, as long as the policies are consistent and the natives of the three prefectures enjoy the same treatment and taxes as the rest of the kingdom, along with basic education and training, the natives of the three prefectures will submit in less than ten years.
The military system that is being implemented now clearly treats these three prefectures as if they are newly occupied territories. After more than twenty years, who can endure such exploitation and oppression, especially in terms of personal rights and interests? Unknowingly, they are just like slaves … "
As the apothecary went on and on, Claude finally finished his bowl of porridge.
Bale took a linen towel and wiped Claude's face and body. At the same time, he changed the ointment on his broken bones and bandaged them.
When Bale was done, the apothecary finally stopped criticizing the kingdom's policies. He waved the tube in his hand and said in a self-deprecating manner, "I'm just talking to my heart's content. Insignificant people like us can't change the policies and measures that the higher-ups come up with.
Even if it doesn't work out, it's the subordinates' fault and not the policies and measures they came up with. "
Claude was speechless. He didn't know how to respond to the apothecary's words at all.
Bale, on the other hand, said with a cheeky smile, "Doctor Perunt, it's a pity that you're working as an apothecary in our camp. You're actually quite talented. It's just that luck isn't on your side. Otherwise, you'd be more than qualified to be a viceroy or prime minister."
The apothecary's name was Perunt and the title behind it was' doctor '. That meant that he was already or was about to become a mid-rank apothecary.
The apothecary glared at him. "Are you done packing? If so, you can scram now."
Bale picked up the basket with a smile and walked out with a grimace. But when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned to Claude. "By the way, buddy. When you recover, be careful of Sergeant Fitney. He's the leader of Jim's veterans.
You were quite lucky yesterday. Sergeant Fitney didn't go to the canteen with the veterans, so he wasn't there when you fought. Otherwise, you might've ended up in a worse state.
But tonight, the head of the canteen told me that Sergeant Fitney said that he would teach you a lesson when you came out. "
Claude didn't care who was taught a lesson. He didn't think much of Fitney either, so he simply thanked him.
After Bale left, Perunt, the middle-aged apothecary, brought the tube to Claude's mouth and had him drink it.
After he drank it, he asked, "Doctor Perunt, how do you think the higher-ups will punish me when they return?"