「General Shiba, please watch your words before Her Majesty. Don’t scare me like that.」
As they walked shoulder to shoulder on the pavement outside the Deep Green Hall, General Remeon complained to the man beside him. General Shiba showed a bold smile.
「I’ve gone way past that two years ago, General Sir. The times and situation have changed, I won’t turn back to the man I was back then.」
The man answered the jade-eyed General who held his forehead with a sigh.
「You have lost your edge recently though. The patriotic General Remeon who rose up to the occasion two years ago would have interjected more times than me in today’s audience. Are you withering away because you lost your trusted adjutant?」
The merciless accusation made General Remeon hold his breath, and he averted his eyes bitterly.
「... You sure got guts. I know I’m mentally weak...」
「I can tell. You’re not rebutting even after I went that far, that’s really serious.」
He sounded more concerned than sarcastic, which made the jade-eyed General spend a lot of effort to figure out how to answer.
「Instead of that, I’m shocked that you can stay so motivated. General Shiba, considering how the figurehead you propped up two years ago is doing, I thought you would be more depressed.」
Why are you still so energetic? General Remeon asked directly and General Shiba closed his eyes with a serious expression.
「Indeed, that coup ended in an unexpected fashion. It wasn’t an ending that I hope for ── but nothing ever goes perfectly.」
He opened his eyes and looked back at the Deep Green Hall they just left.
「Well, the reigning Empress is outstanding. She has a clear head and unwavering will at such a young age, although her eyes are too gloomy ── even so, she is the most capable monarch that the Empire had for the past few centuries.」
「You evaluate Her Majesty highly, so why is your attitude so strong towards her… from the perspective of a bystander, you look suicidal.」
The jade-eyed General nursed his stomach, and General Shiba smiled.
「Her Majesty has the resolve to be feared by the masses as a tyrant for her actions. That makes her reliable, but it is worrying for the future at the same time. To stop the pendulum from swinging in a negative direction, my attitude is my way of expressing my concern.」
「I understand how you feel. But you will lose your head if you keep this up.」
「If I can lay the foundation for the future, then my head is a small price to pay.」
The man laughed heartily── then shrugged with a bitter smile.
「...I might say that, but the situation doesn't allow me to be careless with my life. You are in such a terrible state, and I share your burden of being a General now. Put everything down and quit ── I know things won’t be that simple and clean.」
「... Can you not mix your encouragement for me together with your self reflection?」
「That’s the proof that you have taken my advice to heart. I will be troubled if you stay useless. Compared to you, your son is full of drive.」
The face of his son flashed across his mind and General Remeon frowned── His youngest son Torway Remeon had changed drastically. Torway has become dependable and at the same time, his father felt he was treading on thin ice around him.
「... My behaviour was unsightly during the coup, and is in no position to say anything about my son. But, do you really have the resolve? The resolve to serve as the head of the Imperial Army under Her Majesty?」
「That’s impossible. Have you forgotten, General Sir? I’m just the Chief of Staff.」
General Shiba cheerfully said something that was opposite of the truth. The jade-eyed General recalled that he said the same thing two years ago when they met as enemies.
「You might not understand, but waiting isn’t painful for me anymore. Because I already know that the dawn will come.」
General Shiba looked at a large building in a different direction from the Deep Green Hall and told him quietly. That was the Harem where the concubines of the previous Emperors used to reside. He was waiting ── waiting for the sun to rise from there again.
「Even so, those who have passed can never return...」
General Remeon muttered wearily and General Shiba nodded.
「Yes, after two years, I realized many things will never return to the way it is before, and I have concluded so.」
That includes many of their subordinates. The two Generals would have those deaths weighing on their shoulders. So many that they couldn’t finish mourning them all after two years.
「Accepting that emptiness would take some time too. Waiting is the only thing we can do. Because the young untainted souls aren’t as used to losses like we are.」
＊
「──Damn it!」 After entering the Field-grade Officer’s common rest area, a pudgy youth sat in a corner and smashed his fist on the table. A female officer walking along the corridor scattered into her room when she heard the bang.
「Welcome back, Matthew-san. I heard the attack on Garurujan went smoothly.」
「Oh, it’s you, Haro... Yes, I’m back.」
Matthew’s anger subsided when he saw a dear friend. Haro sat down opposite him and looked around.
「Torway-san isn’t here? Both of you came back to the Central Base together, right.」
「He went to train his men. I told him to at least take the day off, but he won’t listen.」
The youth sighed again and grumbled with furrowed brows.
「He has completely changed. He is talking less, and I have not seen him smile for the past two years. He is always showing an obstinate face, eats his food expressionlessly, but he refuse to discuss things with me...」
The moment he spoke, his grievances started flooding out. Haro listened seriously and tried to answer as gently as she could.
「I think it’s because of the heavy responsibilities he’s shouldering. Torway-san’s Remeon House... is now the leader of the three Houses.」
「It’s the same for us too. Before we knew it, we are both Field-grade Officers.」
Matthew said with disgust and went prone onto the table.
「Give me a break... I’m not confident that I’m capable of living up to my status... but Her Majesty keeps giving me missions, and the older officers look at me strangely now. Then during the key moments, she refuse to listen to my opinion!」
The youth used this chance to vent his frustration. He made it big at such a young age, but things were tough for him too. His situation was also an exception among highflyers. In the military, promotions due to the backing of the Empress felt out of place instead of being honourable.
「... Hey, Haro. You know how we captured Garurujan?」
「... I heard a little, it’s done through shaking the hearts of the people.」
「Shaken? It’s not that simple, it was blackmail. Threatening the citizens that we will kill their friends and relatives if they don’t open the gates, forcing them to turn. We gathered death row inmates from the provinces and executed them on the pretence of them being accomplices. After stuffing the bones of livestock into the remains of the death row inmates, then catapulted them into the city...」
All this information was confidential, but Matthew didn’t hesitate to tell Haro. He felt that he would really fall apart if he couldn’t even discuss things with her.
「What a detestable war. The fighting was already revolting, but worse of all ── was how the mastermind Naian Mitokazuruku got executed. I don’t want to talk further about that. I want to erase that memory from my mind, but his death throes kept reverberating in my ears...」
Matthew covered his ears and groaned. Haro couldn’t bear seeing him like this and got up from her chair.
「You should rest for today. I will accompany you to your room...」
「I know, I know. But please, let me say a bit more, if I don’t vent, I won’t be able to sleep.」 Forcing Haro who was worried about him back into her seat, Matthew continue speaking passionately:
「To me, this isn’t simply choosing a brutal execution method. Her Majesty── she fought a battle that dragged the citizens in. I can’t help thinking she did so intentionally. It’s a miracle that there weren’t many casualties amongst the civilians. When the citizens flood out of the city gate, one mistake from the commander or the sappers, and it would have been a tragedy. And that would have been of our own making ──」
Haro gasped. Instead of the criticism that would have earned him lashes, she was more worried about the danger that Matthew felt.
「I-I’m scared of Her Majesty. Not knowing what she’s thinking scares me. Is the person sitting on the throne really the Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik that we knew? She wasn’t like that in the past, back when we address her as Her Highness...」 He said nostalgically, and tears welled up in Matthew’s eyes. He frantically wiped away the tears with the back of his palm. Thinking back to the days before they lost anything was too much for them right now.
「──Haro. Have you seen Ikuta while we were out on campaign?」
To conceal the fact that he cried, Matthew changed the topic. Haro nodded with a weak smile.
「I saw him twice. With permission from Her Majesty, I spoke to him about all manner of things… But didn’t receive any response.」
I see. After hearing the answer he expected, the slightly plump youth nodded firmly.
「... What should we do? If that guy never recovers...」
Haro couldn’t answer. There wasn’t any light shining on this silence that was as heavy as lead, the two of them stared at the table.
At the same time, The screams of soldiers echoed deep in the forest some distance from the base.
「Shyyaa──!」「Warrghh!」「Hyaaa!」
The explosion of compressed air and the screams of their comrades drew closer from behind. A young soldier holding a Wind Gun barely dodged the pursuing attackers and ran desperately into the forest.
「──Hah! Hah!──」
He stumbled across the roots and soft rotting leaves on the ground. His limbs were worn out from exhaustion and he couldn’t afford to stop to catch his breath. Because the enemy was picking off the ones who were least guarded first.
「Hah! Hah! Hah── Uwah!」
A figure suddenly appeared before the soldier focusing on running, making him raise his Wind Gun in alarm. The other party did the same, but a few seconds after their standoff, both men recognized each other and lowered their weapons.
「Sergeant Shikrat...! Where’s the rest of your section?」
「Sergeant Major Mishan! You are safe!」
Sergeant Shikrat smiled after meeting a comrade, and the older female Non-Commissioned Officer nodded, pulling him into cover under a tree.
「My section is almost wiped out. The same for Sergeant Major Tatai’s section...」
「They got taken out? Fell into a trap, the enemy pursued us persistently, and they 『died』 after they got separated from their section... Pretty much the same as my section.」
The next moment, respect and self-mocking showed in equal parts on the face of Sergeant Major Mishan.
「Can you believe it? They only have 8 men, and they are giving our platoon of 40 a good whipping...」
「To be honest, I can’t figure out what they are doing, or what we should do about them. Is my training insufficient?」
「That’s one part, but the main reason is that the opponent is too strong...」
The sound of shrubs being pried open interrupted their conversation. The two of them immediately pointed their muzzles at the source of the sound.
「They are here...! Don’t show any opening, use the trees as shield and raise your weapons!」
「Yes!」
Sergeant Shikrat who was still hiding under the shade of the tree put a finger on his trigger. Above the head of the Sergeant who was waiting eagerly for the enemy to show up, a rope slowly descended silently down from their blind spot.
「──Uwah?」
The rope hooked his neck and pulled up strongly. The pain of his windpipe constraining made the Sergeant drop his Wind Gun, Sergeant Major Mishan beside him shouted in panic.
「Shikrat～!」
She stood up and tried to use her knife to cut the ropes, but a pink ball hit her head sticking out from behind the trees and exploded.
「── Guuu!」
With an impact that shook her brain, Sergeant Major Mishan became the last 「dead soldier」 and fell on her knees.
「...Do you understand? This is your standard right now.」
In the forest that returned to silence after the end of the battle, a jade-eyed youth looked sternly at the 40 soldiers covered in pink paint and sitting exhaustively on the ground.
「When snipers and traps are laid out in a dense jungle, the battlefield will become completely different. It will be more complicated, harsh and cunning ── all of you already experienced that.」
The youth pointed to the woods behind as he spoke. With him at the lead, everyone else was wearing camouflage uniforms developed for jungle combat. They could blend people into the background, unlike the uniform of the past.
「I already taught you all the techniques. There are differences in our abilities because you have not made these knowledge a part of your flesh and blood. There are countless number of situations you might encounter on the battlefield, I can’t tell you what’s the correct course of action for each case. That’s why you have to learn to think and independently judge on your actions without any orders from a commander.」
The youth stated the theory of his lessons he had repeated countless times. He wanted to carve the bitter memory of defeat along with his lecture deep into the flesh of his subordinates.
「All sections are to submit a reflection report. The next mock battle will be planned based on the point raised ── That’s all for today, dismissed.」
With no regards for his exhausted subordinates, the youth concluded things calmly before turning and leaving. He walked alone through the dim forest back to the base, mumbling self-reproaching words to himself.
「...... Not enough, not enough... soldiers, instructors and training time are all not enough...!」
The hunter said to himself gloomily. His aura scared the little critters on the trees and sent them scrambling, and the falling leaves fell in front of the youth.
「──Phew!」
Three leaves dropped about 30 m away. The moment he saw that from the corner of his eyes, the youth slid his Wind Gun down his shoulder and opened fire with just his right arm ── the single shot pierced all three leaves before disappearing into the sky.
「... It’s fine, Yatori-san. Don’t worry, Ik-kun. I can do it. I will do it properly...」
He pleaded with twitching lips… The two people he respected the most weren’t with him, so a lot of pressure was resting on his shoulders. Tormented by despair and his sense of responsibility, the youth’s mental state was slowly going off track ── He obtained god-like shooting prowess, as if that was the return he got for the sacrifices that were made.
However, this could be a form of adaptation too. His capability had improved to take on the mantle of the Igsem who bore the heavy burden of battle in the past, and the youth was always at the forefront of the battlefield ── where the concept of war was constantly developed. As long as he stayed there, there was no chance he could maintain a normal mental state.
「I will fight... A Remeon has to defeat the enemy and protect everyone. In place of the Igsem, and Ms Yatori...!」 In a realm where no one but him can step into, Torway Remeon struggled alone at the expense of grinding his very soul. Only the vermillion hair burned into his eyes was his only spiritual support.
「... Sir.」
There was a sound, but the man ignored it.
「... Sir, Brigadier General Sir.」
That person kept calling him, but the man didn’t answer. He was tricking himself into thinking that the person being called wasn’t him and was adamant on ignoring it. However...
「Brigadier General Sazarf Sir!」
The voice shouted his name loudly into his ear, shattering his delusion.
「You are dealing with military documents here! This is the personal chamber of a General-grade officer, but this is still a base, please pull yourself together!」
「────」
When he snapped out of it, the man’s vision quickly returned to reality. This is a room with a desk and filing cabinet, a luxury room that even had a bed for a nap. A female officer with the epaulette of a Lieutenant Colonel was standing before him. She was his adjutant, a subordinate.
「... Impossible. Frankly, this is impossible...」
Even with reality right before his face, Brigadier General Sazarf still scoffed at it. He was hoping to dispel the day dream by saying「impossible」. But the scene before him continued to admonish him.
「What are you muttering!? Get a hold of yourself!」
「... Ughh... Guu...」
「You should know who you are! You are Imperial Army Brigadier General Senpa Sazarf, a high ranking officer of the Imperial military!」
「I-I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you! I can’t hear anything～!」
Sazarf drowned out the other person with his loud voice, got out of his chair and duck under his desk. His action which looked like a child who was afraid of lightning struck Lieutenant Colonel Melza dumbfounded, and she sighed softly.
「...Sir...」
「Impossible! A Brigadier is of the General-grade! At worst, I can accept being a Field-grade officer, but not General-grade! I never imagined this in all my life! Hey, god, enough already! Send me back down the correct path at the crossroad!」 The man ranted shamelessly. But the deflated words from under the desk were still rejected mercilessly by his adjutant.
「There is no turning back, this is your life now! Don’t regress to a child and accept reality, Brigadier General Sazarf! The famed hero of the northern territories war!」
「Don’t call me that! What do they expect of someone who didn’t receive proper officer training from the Military Academy!?」
He retorted with his hands on his ears. The path he took in the past few years against his will flashed across Sazarf’s mind and vanished.
「Northern territories... That’s right, that is the beginning of everything. If I didn’t volunteer to rear guard duty during the withdrawal... No, before that, if I didn’t get cocky because they call me their best commander...」
As she looked at him mumbling 「If I... what if?」 repeatedly, Lieutenant Colonel Melza thought for a moment before speaking to him.
「Was that how you got to know the members of the 『Knights Corp』? No matter how many times I hear that, I feel so envious. My subordinates have never trusted me so much before.」
「It’s an illusion, an illusion… Because they keep running into black-hearted superiors, they overestimate me since I take care of my subordinates normally...」
He finally sounded like he was going to cry. Sazarf timidly touched the epaulette on his shoulder and continued ranting:
「Why does everyone want to force the incredibly mediocre Sazarf to be a General? To prop me up high, expose my flaws and hang me out to dry? I’m already a fish on a chopping board? The next step is to fillet me? Is that it? I’m going to die?」
The man’s monologue started turning masochistic, and Lieutenant Colonel Melza said sternly.
「If you say their trust in you is a mistake, then isn’t now the chance for you to make that mistake a reality?」
Sazarf who was hiding under the desk shut his mouth. With that silence as a start, his adjutant continued to persuade him.
「They are having a hard time. A few of them will show up on base from time to time, but the air about them is getting gloomier. The two pillars supporting the group ──一 one is lost forever, and there is no telling if the other can ever recover. And this is the most trying time for the Empire in the past millennium… It won’t be a surprise if they lose their drive.」
Sazarf ground his teeth. His emotion had gone beyond masochistic and was now anger at his own incompetence.
「... I couldn’t do anything to help them. It’s always been like this. It took everything I had to give them cover support, and the crucial parts are left to them. It has always been this way since the northern territories war...」
「I don’t think so. Even from the resurrection of the 『Rising Sun Regiment』, there had been several times when the situation would have collapsed without you. And General Shiba won’t promote an incompetent man. You are here because your talent has been recognized, Brigadier General Sazarf.」
Lieutenant Colonel Melza refuted Sazarf’s self-evaluation. Since he was depressed because of his own incompetence, then she had to change that perspective of his.
「I will support you with all I can. I have served as General Shiba’s adjutant for a long time and can help make up for your lack of experience. If there’s anything you are unsure about, I will give you an answer.」
She took action at this moment, going around the desk to push away the chair, then offering her hand.
「So let’s work hard together, Sazarf Sir!」
Sazarf slowly raised his gaze. Ever since he met the members of the Knights Corp, he had pitifully lacked the pride to reject a sincere hand offered out to him.
「... I can’t imagine how I can treat you like my subordinate...」
「You have never tried it before, so you can’t imagine anything good. Enough, stand up! Half of the General-grade officer’s work is to hold the fort at the base! If you look the part, then that’s already 50 points! Give it a try before you worry about it, come!」
Lieutenant Colonel Melza firmly held his hand to pull him up. Sazarf stood up with resignation, while Lieutenant Colonel Melza motivated herself before him── It seems her superior officer this time would be a handful.
The sound of the lecturer scribbling on the blackboard persisted for the entire class before the bell announcing noon was rang.
「── Good, that’s all for class today. Remember to read up on the next lesson when you go back.」
Once he said that, the Officer Cadets all stood up and saluted. The atmosphere relaxed when the lecturer left, and the students started chatting.
They walked to the mess hall with their friends, leaving a woman behind by herself.
「... Sigh...」
This is the same as usual. Warrant Officer Suya Mittokarifu, who was enrolled into the Officer Cadet Academy after being exempted from the examination, watched the other cadets leave before exiting the classroom with a sigh.
「... What should I do now?」
Normally, she would head to the mess hell to eat, but if she went over with the crowd there, she would look out of place since she didn’t have any friends. She had to go over when the crowd was gone and find a place to kill time before then.
「I borrowed my book too... let’s head outside.」
With a book she loaned from the Historic Record Library in her bag, she decided to spend her time with this make-shift friend. After going through the exit, she went to the back of the school building, and sat on a bench there. The sports field was in front of her and she could see recruits marching while they endured their hunger.
「Hah... What will become of me in the future?」
Suya muttered to no one in particular. For the past two years── More accurately speaking, since she got transferred midway into the Officer Cadet Academy a year and 6 months earlier, she spent her time learning military knowledge in silence. With her experience as a Non-Commissioned Officer, she performed better than her peers at commanding troops. However, that created a gulf between her and the other cadets instead.
They saw Suya as an eyesore after she was exempted from the enrolment exam, but her capabilities made it hard for others to mock her. More importantly, there were rumours that she had the Empress’ backing ── All these elements combined ostracized Suya Mittokarifu in the Officer Cadet School.
「──You seemed depressed.」
「What?」
She heard a voice in her ears while she was concentrating on a book under the blue sky. Suya turned back with a start, and saw a petite girl with tanned skin. Her blouse was short, her skirt didn’t reach her knees, and her dark plaited hair all showed that she was from the mountain tribe found in the north end of the Empire.
「If I was an assassin, I would have killed you. You are too careless, Suya.」
It took Suya almost ten seconds to recover from the surprise of seeing this unexpected person:
「Nanak Dar...? What are you doing here!」
「Since I’m standing right here, that means I came to visit you.」
Nanak said nonchalantly. Without waiting for Suya to recover from her confusion, she sat down on the bench without even greeting her.
「I heard you enrolled in school. Is your school work progressing smoothly?」
「Huh...? H-Hard to tell, but I have been officially promoted to Warrant Officer...」
「Why are you stuttering, not happy about your promotion?」
In the face of her relentless questions, Suya took some time to explain how she felt.
「... I thought I would end my career as a Non-Commissioned Officer, so the promotion chance surprised me… Besides, I didn’t plan to climb up further in my career as a soldier.」
「But you still got promoted. And your pay have increased too, right?」
「That’s true.」
When Nanak pointed that out so plainly, Suya wasn’t sure what was troubling herself. Suya realized the difference between her sensibility and Nanak’s. Nanak said quietly.
「── I heard the red one is dead.」
Suya was silent. Those words echoed mercilessly inside the hole in her chest.
「I already heard about that a long time ago. I wanted to rush over to check, but after the coup two years ago, the surveillance on us became stricter. To avoid them suspecting the Shinnack Tribe, I had to stay obediently for two years. I had to go through a lot of troublesome matters to come here today.」
Nanak snorted in complaint. At this point, she remembered something and added with a smile:
「I think you are worried too, but Yunakura province is relatively peaceful. We didn’t have any major clashes with the local Imperial citizens, and the cultivation of corn is going smoothly. That Tetzirich is really capable, making our lives more convenient in all sorts of ways. Recently, we have started growing white grains... known as rice. I heard it’s to earn money by selling grains that yield a lot of profit.」
Reporting the situation of the place they lived together in the past was her way of showing her concern. This made Suya feel a little better.
「── So, the red one is dead, what about Ikuta?」
Even so, she didn’t deviate from the topic. Suya shook her head in resignation.
「...I haven’t seen him.」
「What?」
「It’s true. Two years ago, the reigning Empress... Empress Chamille kept him in her palace. From what I heard, the Regimental Commander had not come out once. I applied several times for permission to visit him, but all of them had been rejected.」
Suya told her the truth with fist clenched on her knees. Nanak frowned suspiciously.
「That small blondie Chamille? She abducted Ikuta and hid him away?」
Her choice of words made Suya check her surroundings frantically.
「Please, call her Your majesty, Nanak... People from this base had been executed because they insulted Her Majesty.」
This wasn’t a light hearted topic. When Suya told her that, Nanak pouted.
「── How annoying.」
「It can’t be helped even if you find it annoying. Without Her Majesty’s permission, we can’t enter the palace.」
Suya told her with a sigh, she knew it herself too. She can’t meet Ikuta── To escape from that reality, she had devoted herself to studying and training until this day.
「I came all the way here and have to go back without meeting him? Has anyone you know met with Ikuta?」
「Even if you tell me that... I heard the members of the 『Knights Corp』 would occasionally get the chance to meet him.」
「Then, let’s find one of them to try. I will negotiate myself.」
Nanak got up from the bench after saying that and Suya quickly grabbed her shoulders.
「W-Wait, Nanak! Even if you got permission, it will definitely cause trouble if you walk around the base by yourself!」
「Why don’t you come too? You want to meet Ikuta too, right?」
「Well...」
Her forthright question made her dumbstruck. With no regards for how she felt, the Shinnack Tribe girl said without hesitation:
「I want to meet him. That’s all I think about these past two years.」
Suya bit her lips and lowered her head, envious of how honest Nanak was.
「── You want to meet Ikuta-san…?」
The two of them searched around the base and happened to find Haroma Becker. When Suya relayed Nanak’s request. Haroma fell silent troublingly.
「I want to help... But even us could only see him a handful of times. I’m not sure if Her Majesty will agree if Nanak-san tagged along...」
So that was the problem after all? Suya hung her head. Even so, Nanak still pressed stubbornly:
「How’s Ikuta? I heard his leg got seriously wounded, has he recovered?」
「He has recuperated from his wounds, but his left thigh was pierced by an arrow... It might look fine from the outside, but there might be pain or lingering effects.」
「Why are you being so vague? If you want to know if it hurts, why don’t you ask him?」
Nanak asked directly, and Haro shook her head with a gloomy face.
「... Even if I asked, he won’t answer.」
「What did you say?」
「No matter what we ask or say, he won’t answer. For the past two years, no one who has met Ikuta-san had a conversation with him… that’s probably true for Her Majesty too.」
Nanak turned pale when she heard that. She grabbed Haro’s shoulders and asked:
「──Haroma. Please ask that little blondie for me. If Ikuta is in that state, then I won’t go back unless I can see him...!」
「I-If it’s just a request, I can do that if you wait a few days… But like I said, I can’t guarantee whether Her Majesty will agree.」
「I don’t care if she agrees! If she won’t let me see Ikuta, then I will sneak into the palace...!」
「Nanak, don’t say that! Think about your position as the Tribal Chief!」
Suya couldn’t ignore that and grabbed Nanak’s arm to admonish her. Nanak snapped out of it and bit her lips.
「... You are right, I can’t be rash. Thank you, Suya.」
Nanak smiled weakly at her, which made Suya realize two things. First, Nanak had opened herself to Suya more than she expected. Two, her days spent worrying about Ikuta’s safety had ground away Nanak’s heart.
「Haroma, I want to amend my earlier request ── I’m not asking this as Nanak Dar, the individual. I’m seeking an audience with Her Majesty as the Chief of the Shinnack Tribe. Could you tell that to Empress Chamille?」
Nanak bowed her head deeply and begged her. She had been forced to deal with many changes over the past two years, and had learned how to put aside her pride and ask for help.
「...Ugh...」
The fourth day after he returned to the Central Base. With the sun shining in from the west, Matthew stirred from his bed, his body heavy from fatigue.
「...Tsu, what time is it?」
「Three twenty two PM. You woke up in the morning, but returned to sleep right away.」
His Sprite partner Tsu answered. The pudgy youth sat up on his bed and scratched his head in the Field-grade Officer single room that lacked any decoration.
「... I slept for really long, even though it’s an off day.」
Matthew was really tired and received a week of vacation. He sensed that Haro probably asked Her Majesty to grant him a vacation. To be honest, that was a god send. If he took on another mission in that mental state, he couldn’t imagine what kind of mistake he would make.
「I’m hungry, but I don’t want to stay on base… Let’s take a stroll on the streets.」
Matthew quickly washed up and changed, then left without his Wind Gun ── His shoulders felt light when he walked. That was a feeling he had not felt for some time.
He was searching for a carriage heading into the capital at the station when someone covered his eyes from behind.
「Heehee! Guess who am I──」「Woaaahh?」
His body pounced forward on reflex to evade. After rolling on the ground to face his back, he saw a dumbstruck woman standing there.
「S-Sorry! I didn’t know you will be so surprised.」
She had tanned skin and a crossed scar on her right cheek. The pudgy youth would never forget that face and he opened his eyes wide.
「──You are Pommy? Naval Lieutenant Polminue?」
The named person smiled cheerfully. The Imperial Naval First Grade Lieutenant Polminue Jurgus was standing right there.
「Long time no see, fatty. You have gotten thinner, have you been well?」
「Y-Yes, not bad… But, what are you doing here?」
「It’s only natural for you to ask. I’m here for work, and she is just tagging along.」
A flirty male voice interjected. When he saw the person behind Pommy, Matthew immediately straightened his back.
「──Admiral Erynphin Jurgus! L-Long time no see!」
「Well well, it’s been a while, Second Lieutenant Matthew. No, you are a Major now? Young people who follow the trend grow really fast.」
「T-Thank you. But for the Admiral to visit personally...」
This was a rare event which confused the slightly plump youth. Admiral Jurgus shrugged with a wry smile.
「It’s a pain～ I will go say hi to Terushinha and old man Shiba before seeking an audience at the palace. It’s been a busy year, so I don’t have the chance to send my regards to the Empress, so I want to make up for it with this trip.」
「And I will be accompanying the Admiral. Heehee, aren’t I amazing?」
「It is customary for attendants to accompany me, I don’t care whether they are cats or strawmans. But out of my 4 attendants, you are the only one who got in by drawing the winning lot.」
I see. When Admiral Jurgus revealed what happened behind the scenes, Matthew thought ── As a descendent of Captain Garciev, she used the luck she was born with to secure the ticket to Central.
Switching his gaze between his niece and Matthew, Admiral Jurgus averted his face with a smile.
「I change my mind── Pommy, I order you to act independently, and carefully find out the details of how the army has changed over the past two years from Major Matthew. This will benefit you greatly. An officer in his position can show you the actual operations most clearly.」
The unexpected proposal made Matthew stare with his eyes wide. Before he could speak, The boss of the Pirate Navy looked at his three subordinates behind him and said:
「We just need three people here. I will treat them to a good meal, and you will meet up with us back at base tomorrow afternoon. Understand?」
「Aye aye, Admiral! Naval First Grade Lieutenant Polminue Jurgus, will now act independently!」
Pommy accepted it unquestioningly, so Admiral Jurgus’ group briskly walked towards the base. Matthew watched them leave blankly while Pommy said cheerfully:
「── Where shall we go, Matthew? This is actually my first time in the capital.」
Matthew and Pommy got on a carriage towards the capital. He couldn’t think of a good route to show her around, so he decided to take her to the restaurant with the best dishes that he knew about.
「This is it. The place isn’t that clean but...」
The smell of spice lingered in the air of the crowded restaurant. The sun was still up, but the patrons at the dining table were already drunk. Pommy looked around the rowdy place and sighed in relief.
「Hmm, so the bars around here aren’t too different, I got nervous for nothing. I thought you will take me to a more high class restaurant.」
「The Officer mess hall is much quieter. Want to take a look?」
「That’s where all the top wigs of the army gather, right? No way I will go.」
Me too. Matthew answered with a wry smile after hearing her forthright response. Feeling relaxed for the first time in a while, the pudgy youth picked a random empty table and sat down opposite Pommy .
「Sigh, there are many new faces in the group of big shots... All the officers formerly from the Igsem faction all took a step back from the top postings, and Field Marshal Igsem is now an Honorary Field Marshal with no real authority. He took on the post of Empress Chamille’s assistant in military affairs.」 He was about to take a swig of the beer that was served but stopped himself. He moved his mug towards Pommy, and she tapped her mug on his with a smile.
「Anyway, cheers. I never thought you will come to the centre of the continent.」「Me too, it’s great that you are still alive.」
After cheering to their reunion, they started drinking. Feeling the alcohol seep into his tired stomach, Matthew took a breath before continuing:
「...Phew. So, Empress Chamille has control of the army both in name and in practice. She is literally using her authority over the military, and no one can complain about it. General Shiba and General Remeon are both working directly under Her Majesty, but General Shiba has a stronger presence for now. General Remeon’s ambition and drive seems to be lacklustre recently.」
「That’s roughly the same as what we heard. To return the favour, I can tell you that the Navy is very peaceful. Ever since that incident with Naval Commander Kanron, the Navy has been keeping a close eye on internal affairs, but everything is the same as usual. From the perspective of the boss, he doesn’t think much about the coup in the capital.」
Pommy thinking everything is the same as usual made Matthew shrug with a sigh.
「To be honest, I’m envious of such a never changing situation… The past two years has been very volatile for us, be it the military or the government, the head of various departments keeps changing.」
He looked down at the foam on his beer and continued calmly:
「This is the fifth serious revolt we have to put down. This time, it was started by a soldier from an old famous house of the warring era, but before that, they were started by Governors whose vested interests were harmed by Her Majesty’s policies ── and manipulated by the nobles. It’s probably the same this time too… After the background investigation is done, more heads will roll.」
「Whenever there is unrest, the Empress will send you to the frontlines as a key appointment officer? That’s amazing!」
Pommy was genuinely happy for his active performance. But Matthew shook his head quietly in response to her smile.
「... It’s tiring. Because I’m alone in that battlefield.」
Her hand moving the mug to her mouth froze and Pommy stared right at him. The youth cut the mutton served to him and muttered quietly:
「That wasn’t the case two years ago. I had comrades who were better than me, and I just needed to fight alongside them. We could discuss the allocation of tasks and help each other when a problem arises. We were lucky to get a good superior officer...」
Reminiscing the scenes which were now lost forever, Matthew’s eyes turned gloomy.
「But it’s different now. I have my own subordinates. The Staff Officers older than me aren’t enemies, but not allies either. The Empress refused to open up to me. And Torway… It’s been a while since I last chatted with him properly. Although he will support my proposals during war conferences.」
Pommy seriously listened to everything the youth said. At this moment, Matthew realized he was the only one talking. He shut up and finished his beer.
「──Sorry, I just felt like ranting. You want to ask about the changes within the army, right? What I said isn’t really a report.」
「It’s fine, it’s fine, go on.」
Pommy urged with a serious face. She didn’t want him to hold back.
「Continue, it’s fine to rant or talk about anything, I’m here to listen to you, Matthew.」
At the same time, two women were inside the waiting room of the Palace’s Deep Green Hall, waiting for their turn to an audience.
「What’s wrong, Suya? Your shoulders are shaking.」
「B-Because... I never thought I will get a chance to see Her Majesty so quickly...」
Suya checked her uniform again and couldn’t calm down ── After asking Major Haroma to send in the request, things progressed quickly, and the audience was set within a few days. It was what she had hoped for, but she wasn’t mentally prepared yet.
「The sooner, the better. I have the problem of not being clear in my explanation, so I hope you can help me with that.」
「I’m not confident too! You might not know, but when speaking in court一一 there are protocols you have to follow...!」
As they chatted, a martial officer ordered them to enter. Suya gasped while Nanak scowled her eyes as they followed the martial officer. The two of them passed through the last set of doors and entered the Grand Courtyard, on the red carpet leading to the throne was a decapitated man.
「──That thing will get in the way of the audience. Clean it up, Lucanti.」
「Yes!」
The Empress ordered coldly and the female knight in charge of the Royal Guards, Captain Lucanti Hargunska, picked up the corpse. With the body on her right shoulder and the head in her left hand, the corpse of a noble in extravagant attire was carried out of the Grand Courtyard.
「────」「......」
The first scene they saw after entering froze Suya and Nanak’s feet. One of the martial officers waved them over anxiously, and they managed to collect themselves to move forward.
「── G-Greetings, Your Majesty.」
I have come to a scary place. Her staunch belief made her voice shook as Suya genuflected before the Empress. Nanak quickly mimicked her.
「Shinnack Tribal Chief Nanak Dar and Warrant Officer Suya Mittokarifu? At ease, raise your head.」
It would be easier for her to keep her head down. Suya thought as she looked up timidly at her Monarch.
「L-L-Long live Your Majesty ──」
「Save your slip short pleasantries, don’t do things you are not used to.」
The Empress dismissed her nonchalantly. She seized the initiative and spoke to Suya who was spooked:
「Are you doing well in the Academy, Mittokarifu Warrant Officer? You should be taking charge of your training platoon now.」
「Y-Yes! Thanks to the support of Your Majesty, I got this golden opportunity...!」
「Good, then work hard so you can serve in the frontlines soon. You might have risen through the ranks, but you are Solork’s disciple. I have more expectations of you then the other Officer Cadets.」
When she heard that, Suya realized that the girl was like her guardian. Being too fearful of someone who was supporting you would be rude. However ── she thought her reaction was justified after seeing that corpse.
「Well then──Nanak Dar. This audience seems to be your request.」
Chamille shifted her gaze to the side and asked. Nanak looked back at her and asked:
「That’s correct. As the chief of the Shinnack Tribe, I’m here to learn what Your Majesty thinks.」
「My thoughts? I will answer it if I can, what do you wish to know?」
「First, what does Your Majesty plan to do with us?」
She was asking as a representative of her Tribe. The Empress answered without missing a beat:
「──Are your lives in Yunakura province going well?」
「For now.」
「Then, I don’t require anything of you. Just don’t start any pointless scuffles and live in peace. Some of the past Emperors detested the Shinnack Tribe, but I’m not one of them. If you don’t harm the Empire, I will guarantee your basic rights as a citizen.」
Empress stated her reasonable plans for the Shinnack Tribe. With half her worries cleared, Nanak bowed in gratitude.
「... As the tribal chief, I’m thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness.」
「Your taxes will be the same as other citizens. If you don’t manage your lives properly, your tribe will starve. Don’t forget that.」
Empress Chamille added sternly, her gaze suddenly turning icy.
「Enough about that. You two are here to request a meeting with Solork, right?」
She got right to the point, which made Suya and Nanak hold their breath. Since Major Haroma made the request on their behalf, it was only natural for her to relay their goal too. The two of them answered with silence, waiting for her to go on.
「Not granted, that’s my only answer.」
The Empress concluded unhappily without any ground for negotiation.
「M-May I ask for the reason?」
Suya could instinctively tell that Nanak would go berserk if she kept quiet, so she asked instead. The Empress responded without beating a brow:
「Ikuta Solork belongs to me. There are no other answer to that question.」
「──When did Ikuta become yours?」
The female Shinnack hero’s patience was running out, and it was clear from her fiery tone. Chamille showed a cruel smile she was very familiar with in response to the agitated Nanak.
「You don’t understand, Nanak Dar? I will tell you then. The moment I ascended the throne, everything in this Empire belongs to me. Even the lives of you two.」
She was clearly abusing her authority as the monarch to shut Nanak and Suya up. Showing the face she made when Naian Mitokazuruku accused her of inhumane actions, the Empress continued:
「I will decide what I want to do with my property. So I forbid you from meeting Solork. As for the reason── Right, I’m just not in the mood. I won’t ask you to accept it, since that is your only choice anyway.」
「── You!」
The enraged Nanak was about to stand up when Suya pressed her shoulders down desperately ──「That action will lead to death」.
Sensing this message from the intense force in Suya’s fingers, the Shinnack Tribal Chief forcibly suppressed her emotions.
「... You... What are you trying to do by imprisoning Ikuta? I heard after that red one ──Yatorishino Igsem died, he won’t respond to the words of anyone. Isn’t that true for you too?」
The air within the Grand Courtyard was trembling. After hearing that, the Empress’ eyes changed prominently.
「For your own safety, let me give you some advice ── be really careful when you mention Yatori’s name before me. Even if I don’t intend to, my mouth might order your execution on the spur of the moment.」
The girl in a black coat glared at Nanak, with emotions raging like lava in her eyes, her fingers digging into the armrest on her throne ── But that only lasted an instant. The Empress took a deep breath and quickly concealed her emotions under her cold smile.
「As for Solork’s illness, I don’t have any obligations to tell you. I can only say his condition has been stabilized, and he is receiving the best medical treatment the Empire can offer.」
「That’s not an answer. I’m asking what you plan to do by imprisoning Ikuta ──!」
Nanak wanted to press on, but Empress Chamille deepened the crack-like smile on her face.
「Don’t get cocky, Nanak Dar. I have no qualms about ravaging a minor tribe already on the verge of extinction.」
The Empress’ words had a crazed sense of seriousness, and Nanak didn’t say anything more. Seeing both Suya and her were now silent, the Empress decided the discussion was finished.
「End the audience. There are others waiting after you, dismissed.」
After the two of them left, a tall and handsome man stepped into the Grand Courtyard to take their place.
「Greetings, Your Majesty── Did Your majesty bullied the two girls that passed me by?」
Admiral Erynphin Jurgus genuflected respectfully as he questioned the Empress on the throne. Ignoring his impudence, Empress Chamille nodded sagely.
「That’s right. Does the Boss of the Pirate Navy feel adverse to serving a monarch who bullies little girls?」
「No such thing. Being sadistic is the hobbies of monarchs ── you really take after your father in that aspect.」
The second salvo was clear sarcasm. The girl who had calmed down felt enraged, glaring at the officer before her in an attempt to burn him to crisp with her eyes.
「── It will tarnish my name if I execute you here.」
「It’s wonderful that you realize that, Your Majesty. You might not know, but that’s how we Jurgus have always been.」
Admiral Jurgus declared fearlessly. Sensing that his attitude was his means of self-introduction, the Empress grunted.
「You will serve, but not butter up your masters? Is that the so-called pride of pirates? ── A bunch of thugs.」
In the end, that’s how Admiral Jurgus, the head of the Katjvarna Pirate navy, was. Accepting this fact, she slowly suppressed her seething rage.
「Fine, I will spare you. It will be a pity to lose the fun of taming you.」
「I’m impressed, Your Majesty.」
Admiral Jurgus said without any sarcasm this time. His eyes were shining as he evaluated his new monarch.
「... Ughh...」
「A-Are you alright? You can lean on me, here, walk slowly.」
Supporting Matthew who was stumbling, Pommy walked down a crowded street in the Capital.
They got pumped up after drinking at the first bar and would stop for a drink whenever they passed by another bar. Matthew finally hit his limits at the fourth bar.
「The ground is incredible… It’s spinning round and round...」
「You are drinking too fast, you will throw up if you get on a carriage.」
Pommy said as she scanned the area.
「W-Want to find a place to rest? Look, there’s an inn nearby.」
The youth didn’t answer, but Pommy forcefully interpret his silent as consent and continued:
「I-It’s decided then! Ehh~ Which one should we choose ──」
Abusing Matthew’s lack of resistance, she kept progressing the conversation. Pommy rushed to the innkeeper inside the first inn she saw and handed a stack of notes over.
「Double room, one night! I will pay upfront with this!」
「P-Please enjoy your stay.」
A really hyped up customer was here. The innkeeper stared with his eyes wide open and ushered them to their room.
「Huff～! Puff～!...」
After going into the room, Pommy headed into the bathroom to take off her clothes and splash water onto herself with a pail to wake herself up.
「... I really came in… What do I do...?」
She muttered to herself in a trembling voice. Act first and worry later, for someone like her who lives life to the fullest be it good or bad, this was the norm. Act first── Not think carefully before acting, act first, think later. This reckless and aggressive nature was only natural for the Jurgus bloodline.
「D-Don’t be scared! This is going just as planned, yes!」
Pommy pinched her cheeks and suppressed her timid feelings. It was fine to rush like this too, Pommy tried to convince herself── there wasn’t much chance for her in the navy to meet Matthew who was in the army, so it’s only natural she wanted to progress as much as possible. I will support you, go as far as you can. Didn’t her uncle hint that with his eyes?
「... That’s right. The next time we meet, it won’t be a surprise if either of us died...」
She had to live a life without regret even if she died tomorrow. After she survived her first battle, she naturally thought that way. Even if she ignored that, having a wishy-washy romance wasn’t the style for women of the sea.
「──Good!」
She pulled herself together, put on her clothes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Pommy resolved herself and returned to the room where the youth was waiting.
「──I-I’m back! Sorry for taking so long. Are you feeling better?」
She tried so hard to sound natural that it came out stiff instead. With the oil lamp illuminating the room, Matthew was still looking at the ceiling blankly from his bed.
「...Yes, a little… Sorry for the trouble, even though it’s a rare trip to the capital for you...」
「Don’t mention it, I was in your care in the sea.」
Pommy answered and sat down on the youth’s bed as it was only natural. Normally, Matthew would be panicking by now, but he was too drunk. Unaware of the situation he was in, he slowly said:
「... The sea? That did happen.」
「That’s right. Or rather, I caused a lot of trouble at the start… I never properly apologized to you and it has always been on my mind.」
Pommy naturally spilled her true feelings as they chatted. Everything was frantic when they first met, but now that they thought about it, it was really nostalgic.
「I’m sorry for bullying you like an idiot when you boarded the ship. To be honest ── I was envious. You are around my age, but you already made several achievements and were treated like heroes. I didn’t want to lose out to you, at least on the sea, so I acted really lofty and detestable... I’m really sorry.」
If she didn’t apologize, this wouldn’t go anywhere. She sincerely wished to apologize for torturing the youth in the past. After a moment of silence, Matthew answered seriously:
「... You asked me to climb the mast to take down the ropes tying the sail down.」
「Sorry...」
「You forced me to eat raw fish. When I went to dinner, there was only a slab of raw fish on the plate. What’s the excuse again? To avoid scurvy?」
「...... I’m really sorry...」
「What did you call me back then? I can’t recall, can you repeat that?」
「...... Meanie...」
Pommy lowered her head with tears in her eyes. Seeing her shoulders trembled slightly, Matthew stopped teasing her and smiled awkwardly.
「I’m sorry for letting it get into my head… the past is past. Ikuta said ── blaming the ones who made mistakes wouldn’t solve anything. You did make a mistake, but you have reflected on it adequately, so that’s good enough.」
He spoke frankly to a comrade who had gone through life and death battles with him. If not for her, Matthew would have already drowned in the bottom of the ocean.
「That aside, it was tough after that battle ended… Because Ikuta was injured in the earliest skirmish, I had to attend the War Conference on his behalf. I was so nervous when I had to give a speech to Admiral Jurgus and other high-ranking Naval officers… I’m not confident at all, but Ikuta still recommended me, and Yatori had no objections...」
As he chatted with Pommy, his memories started to turn clear. The nostalgia circulated around Matthew’s body along with the alcohol.
「Those two were good at tricking people and had excellent teamwork. Even if I didn’t bite, they would somehow spur my intrigue and make me give it a try. Maybe that was why I felt happy when they acknowledged my work. More than my superior officer or the Empress... That made me happier than anything else.」
The youth poured his heart out like he had never done before ── and his voice started to waver.
「But── Why did you die?」
Pommy turned her head in bated breath and saw the deep emptiness piercing Matthew’s chest.
「Yatori── Why did you die? Ikuta── Why didn’t you come back? Without you two… Who can I boast my achievements to? Who’s back should I chase after?」
Tears rolled down his eyes and the youth covered his face with his arms ── He didn’t recover at all. These two short years wasn’t enough for him to accept the reality. A cold breeze blew through the hole that couldn’t be filled after he lost the vermillion haired girl.
「I have been chasing you── chasing your backs! Not just me, Torway, Haro and the princess too, they all followed you all the way! Advancing under your lead! ── B-But in the end!」
「Matthew...」
Pommy couldn’t say anything else. Anything besides silence had been sealed. She realized that the sadness tormenting the youth before her wasn’t something she could heal.
「── Damn it. I’m the only one there. Without you guys, I’m all alone.」
Matthew moaned like a child abandoned by his parents. Unable to find the words to refute that, Polminue could only lean onto him.
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