"Let me introduce myself. I'm Major Alonso, the one that heads the eleventh to fourteenth companies."
Jack nodded. There was nothing that he was supposed to say to that. As such, he decided to continue waiting to see what the major wanted to see him for.
"So, the main reason that I invited you over here was simple. I have gone through your information, the one that we have gathered, if you don't mind. And, from the information, I came to know that you are an expert when it comes to fighting."
"I have also gone through the footages from the hotel recently. Although you were not visible in the video, I could still tell that you were the one according to the information that we received from the witnesses.
So, from the way that you handled the attackers was so sublime that it impressed me to call you over so that I can give you an offer or an invitation.
Jack, I would like to invite you to join the military as a captain. We will create another company for you so that you can lead them. But of course, all of this is only if you are going to accept the invitation that I'm extending to you." Major Alonso continued with a long string of words.
Jack took another sip of the juice before he placed the glass on the table. On his face, there was completely no change in his expression at all.
But, that didn't mean that he wasn't surprised. To say the truth, he was greatly surprised, not by them asking him to join the military, but by the fact that they had offered him a rank the moment that he agreed to join their ranks.
In the military, one had to use merits to get a higher position. And although there were those that used their fighting prowess to get the positions, that was only after they had stayed in the military for a long while.
This was completely new and shocking just by looking at the expression that Valnaro was putting at the moment. The captain had definitely spilled the juice that he was just about to drink on his shirt.
Although it seemed like something big to join the military and immediately become a captain, it was nothing but a bother to Jack.
If he was going to have to spend a lot of his time at the camp, how was he going to enjoy his youth by spending his time with Celine?
Furthermore, there was a fact that he would have to follow several commands of those that were supposedly his superiors. He wasn't ready for any of that.
So, he spoke, "I'm sorry major, but I definitely cannot accept to join you. This will definitely compromise my freedom and that is just something that I don't like. I'm a person that likes to be free, doing whatever I want.
So, if I'm told to come over here so that I can start following what others are saying, that would definitely be the thing that I would hate the most."
Hearing Jack's straightforward answer, Alonso sighed. He had expected this from a person that was a part of 'that' group. So, he had been prepared.
"I know that. But, you know that you will have a lot of freedom the moment that you become a soldier. There are some things that can be said to be illegal if you do them right now.
But once you are soldier, even if you do that, there would be no problem as long as you show your badge. So, do you think that you can try thinking about it again?"
Jack shook his head at this. "If I was the one that is commanding the whole military, then I can definitely join you guys. But, if it someone at lower ranks, them forget about that."
Valnaro looked at Jack with his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. He had always been proud that he had been able to achieve the position of a captain in a military where there was a lot of competition.
But, all of this was gotten through sheer hard work and dedication plus sacrifices. On the other hand, Jack was being offered the same position as him just so that he could join them.
And that was not all. In just a few years, Jack would be able to raise his rank due to his abilities as long as he put on some effort.
But now, Jack had just refused all of that and wanted to get a position of the commander of the whole military in the country. This was something that made him somehow angry.
But all the same, he managed to keep himself in check because he was in the presence of his direct superior, a major.
Alonso on the other hand, although he was surprised, he wasn't the least angry at what Jack had said. He knew that it was hard to convince Jack to join them. But still, he had a few other cards that he could play with.
He smiled as he looked at Jack. Then, he said, "You should know that this is an impossibility, right?"
"That's what I was trying to imply. It is impossible for me to join the military. It's not that I'm a criminal or something, but I just don't like the thought of being under someone. I like being someone independent." Jack replied.
Alonso shook his head as he decided that it was better for him to use the trump card. It seemed that the low offers would do nothing to attract the young man that was seated before him.
"So, what about we make a compromise?" Alonso asked.
"What compromise?" Jack asked with raised brows.
"We can do this. You join the military, you maintain your freedom, but you can come and do something for us when we need your help. You can decide to agree or refuse to do that according to your convenience." Alonso stated as he locked eyes with Jack.
Jack's brows raised again after hearing the offer. From what he could tell, this was indeed a good offer. But, there must be something that they wanted from him for them to offer something like that.
Jack wasn't a fool to believe that they would just allow anyone to use the military name and badge to do what he liked but had no commitment to the country. That was an impossibility.
"And what do you get in return?" Jack asked with narrowed eyes.
"Hehe, don't worry at all. What we will get would simply be what you offer to us. When you agree to help us, then that's what we get. Furthermore, we are already getting something from you, the body strengthening solution.
Although you are free to ask for something from us in the future, I'm sure that the price of the solution is higher than what you asked from us. The results that they have brought are enough to tell us that." Alonso replied honestly.
He knew that for a person like Jack, there was no need for him to involve lies. He was supposed to come out clean and say it all to his face rather than hiding it.
In case in the future he came to find that they were using him, they would fall out and this would be something that they couldn't afford at the moment.
Not only were the body strengthening solution that Jack was providing them important, but if he began giving them to the enemy nations, it would cause them a lot of trouble.
So, he had to make sure that even if they didn't come to an agreement with Jack, at least they didn't have to be enemies. Neutrality was also an option to them.
Jack thought through what Alonso had said. To say the least, the deal wasn't bad. He could agree to help them when there was a mission and he could refuse if he didn't want to do it.
But then, there was something else that he had to ask. "Will I still have to follow orders and so on?"
Alonso sighed again. He wondered what was wrong with Jack that he was simply refusing to follow another person's order. In the end, he could only relate this to his youth hot-bloodedness. In other words, youths were usually unruly and didn't like being controlled by others.
"You don't have to worry about that. Just like I had said it before, you will maintain your freedom. Nobody in the military will be able to order you to do something at all.
It will only be a request and that's it. Furthermore, with your rank, you can command the other soldiers that are at a lower level from you. The prerequisite is that, whatever it is that you are ordering them to do is not to commit a crime or kill themselves.
But, you won't have soldiers that you would be leading at all. In other words, you would have a rank but no subordinates. All the soldiers below you in terms of rank can be considered your subordinates." Alonso stated.
Valnaro who was listening to all of this was about to die from both shock and jealousy. Even he himself, a captain, he could not command any soldier that was a part of another company.
Jack thought about it and questioned, "What rank was I receiving again?" Jack wasn't willing to get a rank that was so low that he didn't have that much authority at all.
"You will be given the same rank as the one that I. You will be a major as long as you agree to the deal." Alonso replied with a wry smile on his face.
