Several years have gone by since Tanya's magic evaluation. In those years, Tanya ran away from the orphanage on her tenth birthday, growing sick of the religious teachings that were shoved down her throat every day.

  She managed to find a storekeeper who let her stay with him as long as she worked for him. She didn't find any problem with this and worked with the shop for a few years before she grew sick of that as well.

  Luckily, Tanya's 16th birthday has already passed, and she found out the military would accept anyone over the age of 16. She didn't really want to join the military, but she didn't figure anyone would hire an orphan. Nonetheless, she applied and was accepted without any issues.

  Tanya's new life in the military began with a strict training regiment that pushed her both physically and mentally. She endured grueling drills and exercises, but her determination never wavered. She knew this was her chance to escape her past and forge a new identity.

  As she progressed through basic training, Tanya found herself drawn to the idea of commanding a tank. The sheer power and maneuverability of these armored vehicles captivated her. She threw herself into learning everything she could about tank tactics and strategy.

  One day, during a live-fire exercise, Tanya caught the eye of a stern-faced sergeant who watched her with a critical eye. As the exercise ended, he approached her.

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  "You've got potential, recruit," he said gruffly. "I hate to say this, but I've seen your scores. If you keep this up, you might just make a damn good soldier."

  Tanya smirked at his words. And replied with fashion, "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure not to disappoint that assessment."

  As the months passed, Tanya's skills grew by leaps and bounds. She excelled in both the classroom and on the training grounds. Her peers began to look up to her, and even the most hardened drill sergeants took notice of her dedication and natural talent.

  But Tanya's life took an unexpected turn when she was approached by a high-ranking officer after a particularly impressive display ofcombat skills. He offered her a chance to join a special unit with a focus on armored technology, promising her a path to become the tank commander. Starting with an instant assignment as a panzershütze.

  Tanya hesitated, unsure if she wanted to leave the world of conventional warfare behind. But the promise of the chance to command her own tank unit proved too enticing to resist.

  Finally, basic training ended after about 10 months. Tanya stood at attention in the office of the high-ranked officer. He was Colonel von Schwarzholz, as Tanya found out after that day.

  "Congratulations on your passing, Degurechaff. But that's not why I summoned you here." Colonel von Schwarzholz said as he puffed his cigar.

  "I've taken the liberties of assigning you to armor training prior to your graduation from basic. So you'll be reposted soon. After that, well, you might be able to join as a tank commander in a panzer division if you do well in training." The Colonel sat up and handed Tanya some pieces of paper.

  Tanya accepted the papers and read through them. They were the details of the armor training and what they entailed. After she was done reading it, she handed them back.

  "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure you won't regret assigning me as a panzershütze." Tanya saluted and left when the Colonel dismissed her.