Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
At the same time, at the other end of the jungle where the Kioka basecamp lies. Most of the refugees had been brought to their country, and the atmosphere of a temporary refugee camp was faint now. Major General Jean received his subordinates report in the command post, and just as the pudgy youth feared, he kept a keen eye on any signs of the enemy retreating.
「── Okay, we are going on the offensive. All units prepare to advance and strike the enemy’s back.」
Jean said calmly, one of the officers glared at him sharply at that. He was the direct superior of the fort that fell to a surprise attack at the start of the conflict.
「... Will that be wise? The earlier reports showed no signs of the enemy withdrawing, if we attack too hastily, we will suffer heavy losses when we exit the jungle. In my humble opinion, we should be patient and take action when the enemy has turned around for certain.」
His tone was courteous, but his words had a clear hostility. Jean answered candidly to the older Field-grade officer, as if he was talking to any other subordinates.
「Yah*, you have a point. But in this case, I have confidence in the enemy commander retreating when the effectiveness of their rescue operation drop below a certain threshold.」
The white-haired officer said smoothly. He ignored the open hostility for now, explaining his methods to the other subordinates who had doubts. This wasn’t troublesome or a painful affair for Jean.
「It would be difficult for you to accept with just that. However, the enemy would want to engage us after they reach a favourable terrain in the mountains. Their tactical options would be too limited if they engage us right after we exit the jungle. Don’t you think this would go against the wishes of the enemy?」
「......!」
「Furthermore, if we delay our movements at the start, the enemy would be well prepared to defend when they reach the mountains. Our losses in that situation would be greater than any potential losses we would suffer if we got hit while exiting the jungle. So we need to act now, no matter if we can hit the enemy in the back or not.」
Jean already weighed the possibilities on the scale in his heart. In most cases, his thoughts run deeper than the other officers, this time was no exception. Realizing that he couldn’t refute the general directly, the field-grade officer scrowled his face unhappily and said reluctantly.
「... Pardon me. It seems the famous 『Insomniac Brilliant General』 doesn’t need the advice of a mere grunt like me.」
He got up after saying that, then left the tent with the parting words 「I will go check on the men.」 He wanted to use this chance to lower Jean’s repute with this debate, but since he failed, he couldn’t stand being there. Anarai who observed the chain of events shrugged.
「Hmm, he’s so easy to read. Jean, when you have to deal with such people, what kind of position do you usually take? I want to use that as reference.」
「Mum*, nothing special. If the person is capable, then I will show my prowess and make him obey, even if it takes me some time. If it’s someone incompetent, I will remove him from my direct command. As for that man── regrettably, if he doesn’t plan to change his attitude, he would be relegated to the latter group.」
「Insomniac Brilliant General」 said with conviction. He had his way of rising through the ranks as a young genius. However, his methodology bordered on arrogance.
「My expectations of my subordinates are for them to be my limbs, carrying out my intent with quick precision. As long as they don’t affect that, they can strive for fame or be as cocky as they want. However, it goes without saying that anything that goes beyond the limits will endanger the organization.」
「That’s true. Unfortunately for you, there are many people in any era who put their stock on seniority based on age and experience.」
「Syah*. I hope people like that will just look at my hair. They will have peace of mind that way.」
Jean pointed at his white hair in answer. I see～ the old sage laughed at that joke.
「As the Professor said, I have enemies within our ranks. From those just trying to trip me up, those who will stab me in the back with any opening, and people who try to exploit me── there are all sorts of troubles.」
The young Jean was promoted repeatedly contrary to the norms, and made lots of enemies for his efforts. There was a difference in scale, but his problem was similar in nature to what Matthew Tetzirich faced── the key difference was that Jean spoke from the position of a victor. From his capabilities as a strategist and the political power struggles of his backers, he achieved victory in all that and reached the rank of a general, and would soar higher in the future. The complaints of a field-grade officer wouldn’t waver his steady foundation.
「That might be so, but I want to focus on our external enemies. A new unknown unit has joined them, and the pressure we exerted on them isn’t enough to gauge their true worth.」
Unconsciously showing the ease and aura of a person in high standings, Jean enjoyed the clash against the enemy commander he couldn’t see yet. He didn’t think he was taking this lightly. No matter what the subject was, he would get hyped up when the time comes to show his strength.
「Be it friend or foe, I would hold expectations towards things I have never seen before. It’s a bad habit that worries my adjutant── Let’s get on with the war.」
The nasty family has 8 males and 7 females, ranging in age from 15 to 70 years old. ■ all of them in one night would be a tall task, even for the mischievous Patrenshina.
However, she wasn’t troubled about how she should ■■. She already thought up plenty of good ideas in the past. When she tended the fire in the kitchen, when she used a charcoal iron to smoothen clothes, when she drew water from the well, she would keep thinking in the stead of the good girl. What she needed to do to not cause a ruckus when she ■■. How she could torment them as much as possible when she ■■. There were plenty of ways, she just needed to adjust the plan to the situation and carry it out.
「Hmm? What are you doing here at this time── Bleah?」
Her first target was Aunt Kumuru. Arrogant and lazy, she always pushed her work onto the girl and her brothers.
When she saw the girl at the entrance, the Aunt wanted to shout at her, but not having a Sprite on her was her mistake. The girl stuffed a white cloth into her Aunt’s mouth to shut her up, pushed her to the wall and slit her throat and thigh with a fruit knife. This was the technique used to slaughter pigs, and blood gushed out of her arteries. Her screams must be just like a pig, and the girl felt it was a pity that she couldn’t hear it.
The girl backed away when Aunt Kumuru stopped moving, covered in her Aunt’s blood. This method’s no good, Patrenshina reflected. She was smart, and wouldn’t make the same mistake again. She stripped the clothes off her Aunt’s ■■, then shoved her under the passageway. She haphazardly cut the cloth to fit her stature, washed the blood off with well water before putting it on. It was shoddy tailoring so the result was terrible, but it didn’t look out of place on her since she was always dirty.
Patrenshina perked herself up and set Uncle Tabura as her next target. He was violent and would vent his rage on others when he got drunk. The main reason why her youngest brother collapsed was because her uncle kicked him in the stomach.
She made her move right after seeing Aunt Kumuru, but she chose to exercise caution and ambushed outside this time. When she struck indoors, the blood and ■■ was a pain to deal with, so she hoped to take out half of them outside. As she expected, her target appeared a short while later, exiting from the entrance with a Luminous Sprite. He probably felt something was wrong since her Aunt didn’t come back, but he wouldn’t check the bottom of the passageway out of the blue. After Uncle Tabura checked the surroundings, he headed to the well behind the house.
「Kumuru, where are you>? Did you fell into the well── Gwah?」
Patrenshina predicted his actions perfectly, and it was easy to push him down when he leaned in to check the well. She closed the well lid before her Uncle could scream. The well was deep, and it was impossible to climb out without anyone’s help.
Now that she actually tried it, it was a breeze. Not letting her target easily ■■ was ideal too. She stabbed Uncle Tabura’s flank when she pushed him down too, so he should be floating in the water dyed red from his blood.
「Hmm hmm～」
Patrenshina turned to hide in the trees near the entrance again. If possible, she would like to use the same method to take out two people, but the problem was, her next prey wasn’t coming out. It was late, so the others should be sleeping. She was dejected that she didn’t get her way, but that fit her plans just fine.
「Well then, let’s follow the set order.」
Patrenshina said as she entered the dark house from the entrance. They got the girl to do their every whim, so the girl knew who slept in which room. She didn’t sense anyone as she walked in the corridor for a while, and judged that the only ones awake were the three sons gathered at the stand alone shack. They probably planned to drink until morning, and use the water in the water vat instead of drawing from the well. She didn’t need to worry about them intruding for the time being.
However, the difficult part would be next. Since they were with their Sprites, it would be difficult to assault them in their sleep. Barging into the room to cover the Sprite’s mouth then stab its owner’s chest── she could pull it off, but she didn’t think it was possible to do it ten times. The humans or Sprites would realize halfway through that something was wrong and start making noises. It was even more dangerous when the people in the room didn’t sleep alone.
And of course, Patrenshina had a plan. She walked past the room of her prey and headed into Uncle Tabura’s room. After sneaking in and closing the door, she opened the closet deep inside, where he kept a large crossbow. That drunkard’s hobby was hunting.
「Heave ho!」
She picked up the crossbow and took a stance. The crossbow was heavy, but the girl was used to carrying heavy loads and could handle it. The problem would be drawing the crossbow. The girl saw her uncle turn the windlass to draw back the string in the past. She was certain that she could do that with the device too.
Patrenshina carried as many bolts into a quiver and brought it with her. She was more reliable now, but her preparations weren’t finished. Even with a different weapon, the difficulty in barging into the rooms remained the same.
Leaving the loaded crossbow in the corner of the room for now, Patrenshina pulled the beddings off the beds and laid it before the door. The beddings laid on top of each other was worlds apart from the straws the girl slept on. She resisted the urge to lay on it and finished her preparations.
She walked to the wall and knocked it with the back of her hand. The second daughter of the married couple was sleeping next door. After knocking for a while, the rustling sound of someone getting up came from the next room, probably woken by the knocking. When footsteps approached, Patrenshina picked up the loaded crossbow, standing behind the door that was intentionally left open.
「Really now… Dad, you’re noisy… What are you doing in the middle of the night!」
Bones cracked loudly. The shooter approached the second daughter from her blindspot and fired the crossbow point blank at the back of her head.
The second daughter fell forward right onto the beddings. Blood stained the beddings from the bolt wound on her head. Her spasm stopped after a while.
「Yes, this was a triumph.」
She made a note here, huge success. Patrenshina showed an innocent smile. She took out the target in one shot without any resistance, and minimized the noise. No one in the house was any wiser, and the silence was proof of that.
「Alright, next.」
She quietly closed the door after leaving the room and head to the room of the second daughter she just ■. The first thing she did was to bundle up the Sprite resting in a basket. After she was done, she pulled out the bedding and laid it eagerly in front of the door── and repeated what she did earlier.
「... Hey, Sis, why all the ruckus this late at night!」
「Hey, big Sis, your knocking is noisy!」
「You are still awake? Give it a rest── Guh!」
She moved to the next room after ■ a person, putting down six people consecutively. Things were progressing smoothly and Patrenshina was in a great mood. The siblings in this family were in their teens, and it was convenient since there weren’t any children sharing rooms. Partway through her plans, she changed into a set of old clothes.
Aside from the three sons in the standalone shack, the only ones in the house were the two couples, the parents and grandparents. The married couple slept in the same room, so ■ them would take some effort. If she woke both of them up and they both came to check, her earlier methods wouldn’t be able to deal with them safely.
She was reluctant to do so, but Patrenshina decided to wait near the toilet on the first floor, waiting for one of those four to use the washroom. Recently, the old couple often frequent the toilets, so this plan has a high chance of success── As expected, after waiting for less than an hour in the dark, she heard footsteps coming down.
「Ughh, I have to pee so often recently, what a pain… Hmm?」
The grandfather who visited the toilet together with his Luminous Sprite stopped near the entrance of the toilet. Because he saw a bedding about 50 cm from the toilet.
「Why is this thing here… Someone wet the bed?」
He was puzzled, but there was no way his brain groggy from sleep could understand the significance of the bedding here. The old man opened the door in a panic.
「Good night.」
The familiar girl in the toilet said, and his forehead was struck at that very moment. The old man fell back onto the bedding behind. His ■■ had a surprised face with his mouth wide open, a sign that he didn’t understand what happened until the very end.
Patrenshina bundled up the Sprite and shove it into the toilet, turned to the ■■ of the old man and scrowled. She could see a wet stain spreading from his groin. The result was obvious since he was here to use the toilet, but she was still too careless.
「Ugh～ how dirty. I wanted to wait for grandma here… but forget it, scratch that.」
She readily changed her plans and left the toilet, returning to the second floor to stow away the crossbow in the eldest daughter’s room for now. She stood before the old couple’s room and knocked.
「Grandmother, sorry to disturb you so late, it’s me.」
Patrenshina called out softly, and an unhappy voice replied.
「... What’s the matter this late at night?」
「Well… Grandfather is nursing his chest uncomfortably, and wants to see grandmother. Can you come down to the first floor and take a look?」
Unable to ignore this excuse, the old crone in pyjamas quickly opened the door. She clicked her tongue when she saw the girl.
「Really now, letting the servant girl into the house so late at night… Lead the way.」
The old crone said with disgust, urging Patrenshina to walk in front. She seemed to think the girl was sent here by her husband. That suited her just fine, so Patrenshina didn’t correct her misunderstanding and led her to the stairs leading to the first floor.
「Hey, lend me a shoulder. Dull witted and slow wench.」
The old crone’s legs were weak and demanded the girl help her down the stairs haughtily. Patrenshina nodded with a smile and took her left arm, then slowly descended the stairs.
「── Oh, please wait, Grandmother.」
She suddenly stopped midway. Ignoring the frowning old crone, Patrenshina took one step back up, and stood behind the old crone.
「This is just right.」
After deftly adjusting for the difference in height, Patrenshina used the knife she hid on her to slit the old crone’s neck, covered her mouth before she could scream, then stabbed her between her ribs. This technique used on livestocks was effective, and the old crone soon stopped resisting.
「I changed my clothes, but it got dirty again.」
She grumbled after laying the old crone’s ■■ on the stairs. Getting stained with blood was unavoidable when she used blades. Looking at her arms and chest that had been dyed red, Patrenshina smiled wryly.
「Never mind, the rest is simple.」
Putting her knife away, she returned to the second floor and retrieved the crossbow from the eldest daughter’s room── and headed to the middle-aged couple’s room, the last ones left.
「...Hmm, huh...?」
The irritating sound of several people knocking on the door drowned out the morning caw of the birds, stirring the man from his dream.
「Hey, open up! Is someone in there?」
Someone outside was yelling aggressively. The man lying on the table sat up, nursed his head that was aching over a hangover, then headed to the entrance of the shack. He unlocked and opened the door, then saw his neighbours standing outside with serious faces.
「... What is it? Why is so many people visiting our place?」
He asked confusedly, and the man leading the group shot him a stern look and questioned him.
「...Rukatoga, where were you from last night until this morning, and what were you doing?」
「What was I doing… I’m here drinking beer with my two younger brothers...」
That man── Rukatoga turned behind him and finally realized something was amiss.
「... Huh, I’m by myself? Where did those two go?」
His brothers who drank with him were missing. The face of the man before him darkened and he answered with a frown.
「They are outside… Both of them are corpses now.」
「... Huh? The hell are you saying?」
「You really don’t know── or are you just feigning innocence?」
「No, I don’t get what you are saying. What happened?」
「It’s a massacre. Except for you, your entire family is dead.」
The contents were too absurd for him to take it literally. Rukatoga opened his mouth wide in shock, and that neighbour continued irately.
「Surāka, Kujimu, Sērute and Kumuru… we found their bodies in the main house. They either got their throat sliced by a blade, or got shot through the head with a bolt. Only a child servant survived. That child has a serious wound on her back too.」
「A-Are you kidding me──」
Rukatoga shrugged and laughed it off as a malicious joke. However, when he turned to the direction where the group was looking, his hope was dashed.
「──Harushi? Hey, pull yourself together, Harushi!」
He pushed through the mob and rushed to his kid brother. The mob looked at him coldly and then averted their gazes.
「We want to check something, and search the shack.」
Instead of a request, it was more like a notification. The group stepped into the shack as Rukatoga held the corpse of his brother with a blank face. Shouts erupted a few seconds later, and a man rushed out of the shack.
「──Rukatoga, what’s this?」
In that man’s hand was a big crossbow. He raised the crossbow and continued.
「This is Tabura’s crossbow, right? I hunted with him before, and remember this. Why is this crossbow with you?」
「Huh...? H-Hell would I know! Why would I have that thing──」
Rukatoga kept shaking his head confusedly. Then another man walked out of the shack.
「You want to use the same excuse for this bloody knife?」
In his hand was a blade stained with dark red fluid. When he saw that knife, Rukatoga finally realized the situation he was in, and he screamed reflexively.
「No── No! It wasn’t me!」
「── How unfortunate. You must be so scared.」
A few hours after day break. In a house some distance away from the nasty family, the residents were bandaging the girl’s wound.
「I heard what my husband said after he investigated the place. Who would have thought the third son of that family would go insane. I know he is always drinking and playing around, but...」
Patrenshina remained silent as she listened. However, everything was as she expected. She wanted to find a scapegoat as naturally as possible, so she obviously picked someone with a questionable reputation.
「And that man… still claims he didn’t do it, and that you set him up. Can’t he think of a better excuse? Really now, how can a twelve years old kill several adults in one night?」
Her age made the third son a bigger suspect. Massacring an entire family in one night didn’t match the impression this young girl gave. Furthermore, she had a serious injury on her back, so she looked like the victim to a bystander.
「The wound isn’t deep, you will recover with adequate rest. Just sleep until lunch.」
Patrenshina smiled weakly and watched the gentle woman leave the room. Her pitiful and determined face was a far cry from her true nature, but she didn’t need to switch personalities since she just needed to pretend for a while.
「... Fufu!」
When the presence on the other side of the wall faded into the distance, she laughed as she laid down in her bed and reviewed the work she had done.
── After taking out everyone in the house, Patrenshina started destroying the evidence. She first checked the sole of her feet. No problems there, there weren't any blood stains. There shouldn’t be any footprints too, but to be safe, she wiped down the path she took with a rag.
「Oh, before that...」
She took off her blood soaked clothes and changed into old children’s clothes found in the third daughter’s room. She has changed three times now. She planned to cut the two sets she changed out of into strips later, and bury them outside. It would be unnatural if her clothes were too clean, so she messed herself up adequately with dirt. It’s a bother, but she pulled out Aunt Kurumu she stuffed under the passageway when she ■ her at the start, and changed her into new clothes. It will be strange if she was the only one who was stripped bare.
After finishing these tasks, Patrenshina headed to the shack and lured out the other people aside from the third son, and ■ them with her crossbow to their backs. Patrenshina already planned to leave one person alive, so her ■■ was complete. She then worked on silencing the Sprites.
Starting from the last person she ■, she took the soul stone of all the Sprites in the house. She just needed to threaten the Sprite with 「do as I say, or I will finish off your master」, it was easy to get her way. She took the Sprites away from the corpses for that very reason. If there was a possibility that their master was alive, they would have to submit to her threats.
She buried the gathered soul stone in the earth outside. The only problem is Uncle Tabura’s Luminous Sprite that fell into the well. She lowered a bucket to pull up the Sprite, and forced the Sprite to hand over its soul stone in exchange for saving its master later. She struck a deal, so her uncle had probably just ■■, or was still breathing. That didn’t matter. Her priority was to move the soul stones to a place that wouldn’t be discovered easily.
After doing all that, Patrenshina went to the shack again. Careful not to wake the snoring third son, she put the tools that she used, the crossbow and the knife, inside the shack.
「Hmm── just one last step.」
She mumbled as she returned to the house, took a knife and rope from the kitchen and left. She tied the knife horizontally on a branch with the right height, but securing the knife became the last problem. After experimenting for almost 30 minutes, she got a satisfactory result.
「It will hurt.」
Her short words were for the true user of this body, but Patrenshina didn’t hesitate. She aimed her back at the tip of the knife a few steps away, adjusted the angle── then pushed off the ground firmly with both feet.
「── Fufufu.」
The knife stabbed into a spot between her back and shoulder blade, which had been bandaged now. Patrenshina forced the knife into her body with her body weight, stopping when the depth of the wound was almost fatal. Thinking back on the sensation of blood rolling down her back, Patrenshina closed her eyes satisfactory.
「I’m so glad that nasty family is gone──」
She muttered, and then fell silent── ten minutes or so later, she slowly opened her eyes. The girl’s eyes were confused, completely different from before.
「...Huh? Erm, this place is...」
She looked around her nervously. The pain on her back, the sensation of ■■ felt fresh in her hands, the sound of ■■■ moaning lingered in her ears. All those memories flashed in her mind and vanished.
「── Oh, I see. Patrenshina was here.」
The girl thought and sighed in relief── because she knew she did nothing wrong even though so many things happened.
「Let’s start our wonderful work. Let’s get on with it.──」
Kioka Republic Capital Norandot, in the Parliament House located in the heart of the capital, Prime Minister’s chambers.
Prime Minister Ario Kyakushii hummed a children’s song that was out of place as he reviewed some documents. His working attitude naturally attracted the scornful eyes of his secretary who was in the same room.
「... Can’t stop yourself from breaking into song? Your work seems to be progressing smoothly, Prime Minister Sir.」
「Oh, sorry. I just remembered a wonderful meeting.」
He apologized but didn’t sound like he meant it. The best proof of that was how he followed up with more words.
「How nostalgic. It all started with the murder case of the third son of a wealthy farming house massacring his whole family. Back then, I was a ground level bureaucrat in the local precinct, and I went over to take a look since I just happen to be in the vicinity.」
The secretary resigned to his fate and listened to the Prime Minister talk about the past. Once he gets like this, he wouldn’t stop.
「At the crime scene, I immediately sensed that ──『a monster rampaged through here』. Fourteen murders happened in the house in just one night, but there were almost no signs of any struggles. The murderer acted swiftly without hesitation, and wasn’t fazed by murder at all.」
The hands of the secretary sorting his documents gradually stopped. How troubling, he thought. For an idle chat during a lull time at work, it was too stimulating.
「It was rash of me, but I got interested in the killer after seeing these signs. Hearing that the culprit had been apprehended, I met him immediately── just one look and I thought 『It’s not him.』 The unsightly behaviour of the mediocre third son didn’t fit that extraordinary murder scene.」
It wasn’t clear if the Prime Minister knew how his listener felt, he got more and more hyped up. Even the secretary who was just listening could visualize the scene from the past.
「During the meeting, he kept screaming 『I was framed』. He didn’t have to tell me that. I left immediately and visited the only survivor of the massacre, a girl who was a servant in the house──」
I was sure of the truth by then, Ario muttered. I thought as much, the secretary nodded. In terms of unearthing talents, this man had superhuman intellect and sensitivity.
「When I met her, the girl was really docile. Her innocence and kindness were shocking, as if the negative aspect of her personality had been removed, so unnatural that it gave me goosebumps ── after a short chat, I probed her out and said 『It must be tough killing 14 people in one night, huh』.」
The secretary could easily imagine his reaction. If it intrigued him, he would even put his arm into a beast’s den. Even if his arm got torn off, he would still wear a smile── this politician always gave an extraordinary impression.
「I will never imagine the change she showed at that instant. Reveal her true nature? Showing her dark side? No──『A different person from one second ago appeared.』 In a word, those were the eyes of a predator. It was the face of a killer only thinking about ways to kill me and hide my body.」
「......」
「That terrifying presence... was a huge contrast to the accommodating and kind girl from one moment ago.── it mesmerized me, how wonderful. There are humans with such contradictory personalities within one body, it moved me to tears, this was love at first sight. When I realized it, I already started courting her.」
The clinking sound of metal grinding against each other rang out. The Prime Minister had grabbed some puzzle rings and started playing with it enthusiastically.
「I placed the girl by my side and continued to observe her, slowly understanding ‘them’. I made several assumptions. First, for Haroma kindness wasn’t an act, the opposite was true. Anger, hatred and the intention to hurt others── these negative traits are all shouldered by Patrenshina, leaving Haroma with the kind side of humans. And because of that, she wasn’t troubled by killing and betraying others, since those are handled by Patrenshina. No matter what malicious things she did, Haroma won’t feel any guilt. It’s not that she is unwilling to bear the guilt, she is unable to.
I was mistaken at the start, but their memories aren't shared. What Patrenshina knows Haroma knows too, and the converse is also true. However── whenever Patrenshina assumes control, those memories will become a story that seemed unreal to Haroma, relegating it to a children’s tale of a mischievous girl.
I believe this to be an extreme form of self deception, and this was a great quality for espionage where one has to be flexible and act out different roles depending on the situation── so I didn’t hesitate in handing ‘them’ to the Phantoms.」
A chill ran down the secretary’s spine. The metal rings separated with a clink── The untangled puzzle rings were then put back together by the Prime Minister again. They were tangled together but wouldn’t merge or separate… Just like how this condition was the most natural for ‘them.’
「You know the process. As she was drilled with the techniques of espionage, the trigger to switch her personalities when needed was set up. And so, they were a complete product. The maiden with two souls grew up under the influence of the Shadows, and now, she threatens the Empire as the most vicious Phantom.」
Ario smiled at the Secretary who couldn’t help quivering. Seeing the talent he uncovered perform wonderfully would always bring him utmost joy. It was the same for the 「Insomniac Brilliant General」 and the 「Great Mother of White Wings」. They were irreplaceable masterpieces to this man.
「Have fun, Patrenshina. And don’t worry, Haroma── you did nothing wrong this time too.」
After retreating to the mountains with the troops under her command, the Empress thought── something was amiss.
This ominous feeling wasn’t recent, and had been lingering on her mind since Matthew and company’s secret reconnaissance failed to uncover this plot. The devotee’s Grand Escape, the battles after pursuing the devotees to the mountains, and worse of all, the Kioka unit at the foot of the mountain in Imperial territory── She deduced that these soldiers probably escaped from the prison camps, but the timing of all couldn’t be a coincidence.
Kioka and Ra Saia Alderamin would obviously work covertly. But all of these couldn’t be implemented by a few agents here. When viewed independently, the actions of the devotees, and the prison break of the Kioka troops were both plausible occurrences. However, this situation couldn’t be possible unless both of them happened at the same timing.
── The Imperial forces on the mountains might suffer a pincer attack from both fronts
「......!」
She wasn’t sure how Matthew’s unit was doing in the frontlines, or grasped the battle situation yet. But what if they had to withdraw? The situation would deteriorate with time since her unit that should be providing support from the rear couldn’t spare the effort to do so.
And of course, she was confident of overcoming the worst possibility. Her biggest worry wasn’t this. What frightened her was the nightmarish situation of an agent who could grasp the inner workings of the Imperial forces and could carry out the instructions of their home nation.
── There’s a spy by my side?
From her deduction of the situation, it was natural for this idea to surface. Next was the problem. Who was the traitor?
From the weight of the intel that was leaked, that person was a field-grade officer or higher to have learned the intel for this plan. This couldn’t be explained away as the betrayal of a low leveled personnel── the situation was very dire.
Chamille thought with a chill on her back… Assuming── This was just an assumption.
If the person besides her right now was a spy, then all the doubts in her mind would make sense──
「── Your Majesty, danger!」
The sharp warning disrupted her mind── the next moment, blood sprayed before the Empress’ eyes.
「Guu...!」
The person blocking her front moaned in pain. The spraying blood on her face made Chamille understand the situation. She── Haro, took the bullet meant for her.
「Ughh… on the slope to the right! Protect Her Majesty!」
Haro didn’t give in to the pain and gave out instructions. There was a shooter in the direction she gave, and the soldiers around her returned fire hastily. They never dreamed that the enemy was so close.
「Get a medic here! Haro, pull yourself together! I will bandage you──」
「P-Please don’t worry, Your Majesty. See, the bullet hit my shoulder, the wound isn’t too deep. We just need to extract the bullet, disinfect the wound and then bandage...」
「That’s a bullet aimed at me, what if it’s poisoned!? Lie down at once!」
Chamille looked at Haro receiving treatment with a scary face. On the other hand, confident that the Empress’ doubt against her had been cleared, the woman with Haro’s face── Patrenshina, showed a pitiful smile.
── Just as planned.
That’s right, this was all part of her plans. She subtly misdirected the escort detail to create a gap in security, then called in a comrade to shoot at herself. She even got the best situation where she got injured while protecting the Empress.
── Fufufu.
And of course, the bullet wasn’t poisoned, Patrenshina even lowered the shooter to reduce the air pressure to be safe from serious injuries. However, one wrong move and she might get hit in the head, so it was unfathomable that anyone was willing to injure themselves.
「I will be fine. Your Majesty, please focus on your own safety.」
Patrenshina feigned a determined expression and said a line filled with the spirit of loyalty── That’s right, she would be troubled if this girl wasn’t in great health. She was similar to Patrenshina, and one of the irreplaceable heroines prepared by Ario Kyakushii.
That Prime Minister didn’t want the Empire to lose its ruler and fall into chaos at this stage. If they revert back to the warring era, their land would be devastated and the wealth they would obtain when they conquer the Empire would drop drastically. So the Empire needed to maintain minimal order, while the Republic gradually absorbed the land and people that the Empire couldn’t manage. That was the winning with patience method that Ario hoped for.
── To be honest, I’m surprised that you came here directly.
This plan has three main objectives. Help the devotees with their exodus, recover Elulufay and the prisoners of war, and strike a heavy blow to the Imperial military. Assassinating or abducting the Empress wasn’t part of the plan. Chamille’s presence was an abnormality.
── But don’t worry, I will protect you.
The plan was now 90% complete, Patrenshina had to be careful not to overdo it now and stay with the Empress to keep her safe. Ironically, that was the same duty Haro had. The suspicion of her betrayal was cleared for now, and wouldn’t affect future operations── However.
── But everyone else might die.
The figures of Matthew, Torway, and the others who were probably pulling back from the frontlines appeared in her mind. It would be more convenient for her if the two of them survived, but she wouldn’t feel guilty if they didn’t. The minute details of kindness were under Haro’s jurisdiction, she never possessed them in the first place.
── Fufufufu!
Patrenshina── the evil idol born out of the admiration of a girl who couldn’t become a bad girl.
Becoming Patrenshina made her a sadist beyond comprehension. She was someone even Ario Kyakushii couldn’t rein in completely.
To run free and amok, and be a completely merciless scum.
Taking the form of another person’s wish, and frolic on the battlefield as if she was running in a field of flowers.
──Let’s start our wonderful work. Let’s get on with it.
The children's song echoed out. It described her great performance and the hellish scenes.
「── Ugh, this is troubling.」
In the Imperial Capital Banhataal far to the south, away from the fires of war ravaging the Grand Arfatra Mountains. On this day, a rare scene was happening in the palace erected in the center of the capital. In the face of this tough situation── Captain Lucanti crossed her arms in deep thought.
「No── I know you don’t have ill intentions. However...」
The way she stammered wasn’t like her at all. From the very start, she couldn’t use her quick and decisive nature against the person trying to persuade her. How many times had this female knight furrowed her brows like so?
「However, Her Majesty’s mission for me is to not let anyone pass during her absence.」
Since that was the Empress’ request, there was no need for her to feel troubled. Lucanti Hargunska was a knight who swore fealty to the Empress, she only needed to perform her duties to the best of her abilities. If need be, she was prepared to lay down her life.
「... Is that the last will of that great person? That is troubling for me.」
However── when she remembered the person who gave her this duty, she couldn’t treat things as simply as she did before── Knights had to pursue the path of righteousness, but they couldn’t be as precise as machines. She was more aware of her way of life than before.
「── Ahh, really now, I get it! I will let you through!」
After struggling til the end, Lucanti threw her arms up in surrender and said with a pout.
「But when Her Majesty come for my head, I will drag you down with me.」
Even in the palace, the harem was silent, unchanging be it night or day.
No one wished to risk their necks for meaningless curiosity. The Empress had taken the throne for more than two years, and the concubines who lived here had long gone. Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik had guarded the harem as the largest sanctuary to her.
And now, only one youth lived there. He was both the crime and the punishment to Chamille, and also her love. Today, he stayed in the room facing the inner courtyard, and spent his time in silence too.
「────────」
Anyone who knew the youth would think at this sight── he looked just like remnants of his past self.
There was nothing there. None of his unending jokes, teasing words whenever he got a chance, his exaggerated actions that amused others and his dark eyes filled with complicated emotions and intellect. Everything that made him the person he was, was gone. Only a hollow human form that showed that he used to exist was there.
There was only one information to be gleaned from that. Loss. This youth had lost too many things.
「── Pardon the intrusion, Regiment commander.」
At this moment, a strong voice disturbed the peace that was on par with a cemetery without any reservation.
「This is my first time in the harem, I never imagined it to be so stifling and sullen. If it was me, I will fill it with my mistresses.」
The man who claimed to be the Chief of Staff of the new 「Rising Sun Regiment」, General Kubalha Shiba, said with his usual heartiness. He walked right to the youth he was friends with, and picked him up with no room for negotiations.
「Alright, take a stroll with me… Hmm? What’s that in your hand?」
The youth didn’t react. When he looked down at his hand covered by a cloth, there was a short sword there. General Shiba nodded sagely.
「... That her sword? Yes, that’s important. Secure it properly to your waist.」
After securing the short sword and his partner Kusu onto the youth’s waist, Shiba carried the youth on his back.
「Let’s be off then. The weather’s great, Ikuta-kun.」
To a bystander, it was like a man going on a trip with a friend’s son, but this was actually Shiba taking the youth out of the harem after two years.
After leaving the harem, it was clear how liberal Shiba used the phrase ‘stroll’. The two of them rode on a carriage through the capital and then headed north, it was clear this would be a long trip.
In contrast to the silent youth who appeared to be dumb, Shiba talked nonstop along the way. He gave his opinion on the scenery outside the carriage window, the memorable times he worked under Bada, mentioned that 「and now, the Empress travels around the country more than I do」, complaining how he couldn’t travel easily now.
Time passed by without anyone answering, and the carriage stopped at their destination. Shiba carried the catatonic youth on his back, and locked eyes with the vermillion-haired man standing nearby.
「Did I make you wait long, Field Marshal Sir?」
「──No. You are right on time.」
The middle aged man with dual blades on his waist── Honorary Field Marshal Solvenares Igsem said with a tough iron-like timbre. He looked to the woods behind him and said without any changes to his face.
「The road ahead is hard to traverse.」
「It seems so. Looks like we will be taking a hike.」
General Shiba gauged the quiet woods in front of him. He rolled his shoulders to warm up with the youth on his back, unfazed by the poor terrain. Honorary Field Marshal Igsem added.
「The journey will take 40 minutes. I don’t want you to shoulder all the burden for this trip.」
The vermillion-haired general said as he turned his back to the two of them. He rested his knee on the ground and put his arms behind him, ready to carry a person. Sensing his intentions, General Shiba opened his eyes wide.
「This is the responsibility of the host── I will carry him.」
His vision was dark grey. The light was dim and the sound was muffled as if his head were covered by a thick blanket.
Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, all the muscles in his body── all his senses had been cut off from the world. He only wished for nothingness and sunk into darkness. That was enough. There wasn’t anything that interested him in the outside world.
However── if that was so, then how did this start?
When he realized it, he was shaking on a broad back. This was the only thing he felt through his vague consciousness.
It wasn’t that comfortable. Aside from the sense of safety, he felt vexed and uneased.
He searched through his memories, but he had never asked his father to carry him. He would always ask that of his mother, but would restrain himself from being wilful to his father. That guy was a wall he would overcome one day── he bore a childish sense of rivalry towards him.
So, he was only carried by his father when there was really no other choice. For example, when he sprained his ankle── that was why he felt vexed. He showed weakness to the person he wanted to surpass, and relied on that person. The feeling of helplessness frustrated him.
「── How light.」
Suddenly, the voice sounded different from his father’s. A stiffer and clumsier voice came over the man’s shoulder.
How light. Two short words without anything further.
But for some reason, he understood. Understood how many words appeared and vanished in that man’s mind before he uttered that, along with many of his thoughts.
Have you been eating properly── he wanted to ask, worried about the son of his old friend.
Your companions are worried about you── he wanted to advise him as an elder.
But the fact was, the man would never say either sentence. He understood that he didn’t have the right. An adult should naturally show concern, and give valuable advice as seniors in life. But if it was done in just form without substance, it would be the worst excuse.
The man had always been a soldier who protected his nation. To keep order amongst the people and keep the world from falling into chaos. However, this was fatally incompatible with his role of protecting children as an adult.
Not just his own child. In his lifetime, the man had been forced to put everything against the country on a scale. Compared to the absolute weight of protecting the nation, everything else would be sacrificed as trivial matters.
Unfulfilled promises. Friendship he couldn’t repay. The man’s life was built on countless corpses and regret.
Or rather── he was forced to build on them.
There wasn’t much time left. The man and the country he would protect to the bitter end would rot into bones in the near future.
Thinking back, their positions were too similar.
Both of them were failures who failed to protect their loved ones.
After passing through a small path in the woods, a crude stone building that looked large and out of place welcomed them.
「Hi── Welcome, you three.」
When they reached the door, a middle aged man who appeared to be the house owner appeared with a pleasant smile to usher them in. Field Marshal Igsem bowed and entered with the youth on his back. General Shiba followed closely.
「You must be tired, this isn’t a convenient location for travel.」
After bringing the three of them to the drawing room, he served them iced tea. As they quenched their thirst with tea, the man looked at the youth who didn’t take the cup and asked.
「Is this young man General Bada’s...?」
Field Marshal Igsem nodded quietly. The man showed a gentle smile with complicated feelings.
「I see… Well met. Really, well met.」
Without saying anything more, they slowly finished the tea in their hands, as if they were tasting the gravity of the time that had passed.
「It was worth it protecting this place until today.」
After their brief respite, the three men were guided deep into the mansion. The men and women they met along the corridor saluted them, and Shiba noticed when he returned their salutes── they weren’t mere mansion servants, and were former military.
「I thought no one would visit again. I was in despair, thinking this will be buried in the shadow of history.」
The way the owner said this emotionally showed there was a reason for the mansion to be built here. He heard Field Marshal Igsem’s explanation before, but this was General Shiba’s first visit here. He thought about the things lying in wait ahead as he stole a peek at the youth on the vermillion-haired general’s back.
「This is the room. Please come in.」
With the locks undone, the double doors opened for the three visitors. Field Marshal Igsem and the youth entered together with General Shiba following right behind in bated breath.
「Ohh...」
Shiba sighed in awe as he surveyed the room. This was a space that should have been lost with time, so nostalgic that it made him tremble.
「These are the things he used...」
A compass, crossbow, pocket watch── there were many relics displayed tidily on the cabinet and table. One of the 「Twin Jewels of the Sun」 looked at the items that had the strong presence of Bada Sankrei with wavering eyes.
「It’s well preserved, isn’t it? We never neglect in maintaining them.」
The master of the mansion smiled proudly after saying that, and Shiba nodded deeply with gratitude… no one mentioned it, but it’s a miracle that these items had survived. No matter what the truth was, these were the belongings of a convicted war criminal. They weren’t expected to be safely preserved, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were thrown hastily into a furnace.
They remained unscathed because someone didn’t wish for that to happen. Surviving a living hell because of the sacrifice of his old friend, the vermillion-haired general did all that he could to set up and preserve this place. Even General Shiba who was a close aide of the late Bada couldn’t fully understand how Solvenares must have felt.
「That thing is right at the end── I will take my leave. Please, take your time.」
Seeing that it was the right moment to go, the owner bowed and left the room. His presence faded into the distance after he closed the door, leaving the three people with close ties to the person who had passed on inside. Solvenares Igsem slowly said:
「... I brought you here because──」
He said as he placed the youth in an old chair which was one of the relics. Before him was a rectangular object covered by a cloth, about 50 cm tall, 80 cm wide, and less than 5 cm thick. That object cast a blur reflection on the youth’s black pupils.
「First, I want you to see this.」
With that, Solvenares slowly took the covers away.
The moment he witnessed it, the youth’s blurry vision was greatly shaken.
「── Ah...」
Bright and vivid colors entered his dim and grey world.
The paintings in the wooden frame didn’t feature any unique techniques, the plain strokes and composition that could be found anywhere, and a normal theme that surprised no one. However, the strong feelings of the painter was obvious with every stroke and coloring done properly without cutting corners. It could even be said to be done with too much effort.
「── Ahh, ahh.」
In the painting of the mediocre but passionate painter── was everything that he had lost.
Yuka Sankrei was smiling. The corners of her exquisite lips were slightly raised, she looked as frail as she did in life.
Bada Sankrei was smiling too. He stood by his beloved wife, savouring the happiness he felt.
And then── in front of the harmonious couple standing were a boy and a girl standing side by side.
A dark-haired boy standing with his chest raised arrogantly, enjoying his parent’s love.
And a vermillion-haired girl standing stoically beside the boy.
「── Ahhhh......!」
Holding the frames of the painting with both of his trembling arms, Ikuta Solork cried wildly.
The scene from his past was right inside this painting. He wanted to protect it all, but failed. There was no mincing it, he failed to protect it.
He missed his hometown so much that it tore at his chest, the tears that should have run dry two years ago rolled down his cheeks. The happy times that were forever gone, striking the heart of the youth who was living in the present that had completely changed.
── In the past, he didn’t have any doubts. His past self believed deeply that this scene would last forever. He was confident that he could protect it no matter what happens. He was sure that if she was by his side, as long as they were together, there was nothing to fear.
But he lost it all piece by piece. His father died in a place he couldn’t reach, his mother passed away right before his eyes, and the girl expired right in his arms. He did all that he could, but the lives he wanted to protect still slipped through his fingers
And then, he was all alone. He was as good as dead, wasting his life away.
He didn’t even know why he was still breathing──
「── The painting is 『Family portrait』. He drew it when my daughter went over to visit.」
When the crying subsided, Solvenares said in place of the silence. His words didn’t have the steel-like resolve he usually had.
「Including this painting, these are the Bada’s belonging that you refused to accept in the past. Back then, you said── 『I don’t know that person who chose to protect his country instead of his family.』」
「......」
「As his son, it couldn’t be helped that you think that way. As the person who caused his ultimate demise, I don’t have the right to say anything. Except for this one thing that I must tell you one day. That wasn’t Bada’s choice.」
His crimson eyes were saying all that happened today was for the sake of relaying this point.
「Back then, in order to fend off the Kioka army’s grand invasion, either Bada or me had to engage them. However, the edict forbids us from mobilizing. And so, one of us had to defy the edict and be prepared to be convicted for being a war criminal.」
Solvenares said. The dark-haired youth intentionally avoid asking for the truth behind his father’s death.
「At that time, I gleefully thought that it was my time to face death. I had complete trust in Bada, and thought of him as the only candidate to take the reins of the Imperial army, after the Igsem leaves the main stage.
But thinking back now, this thinking stems from my own weakness. I admit that deep inside, I was at my limits watching the twisted existence of the Empire over such a long period of time. I was searching for a candidate to take over the heavy burdens of the Igsem, and I saw the potential in your father. I foolishly held such expectations of him.」
Each of his words oozed with self reproach. General Shiba gulped.
「As you know, Bada didn’t have such grand ambitions, and didn’t enlist voluntarily in the first place. From a bystander’s perspective, his meteoric rise through the ranks looked amazing, but he just thought of it as a byproduct of surviving numerous obstacles after getting dumped on the frontlines. You are probably familiar with similar situations.
Despite that, or because of that, he was more dazzling than anyone on the battlefield. His analytic prowess from a unique perspective on the battlefield, the imagination of proposing plans no one would even consider, and the resolve to execute them. The figure of him commanding was mesmerizing, and I was more taken by him than anyone else. He was a one of a kind comrade… and a hero.」
Thinking back on his past self, Solvenares confessed painfully.
「Tel saw him as a sort of rival, but not me. It was the opposite, I hoped that Bada could surpass me and rise to great heights. I dreamed about him guiding the future of the Empire. That’s right── I couldn’t show it openly, but I wished to serve under Bada.
However, the Igsem faction, which included me, couldn’t allow that to happen. The high command showered Bada with praise, but was also guarded against his sense of value which was different from normal officers. They attempted to tame this outstanding talent who might revolutionize the country's foundation… The Igsem in me agreed with this plan.」
The man said in a cold tone── During that period, his mentality had a fatal contradiction.
「The only independent all territory stronghold in the Empire’s history ── better known as the 『Rising Sun Regiment』, this was the result of a compromise in such a situation. He was given exceptional privileges, but he was just a Regiment commander. We gave you so much special privileges, that should make you happy ── that was it. That was the limit of Bada’s military career, and he had no objections ── the one unhappy about that was me.
On one end, I dreamt about the revolution Bada brought to us, but at the same time, I was an Igsem through and through. Given the effect my actions would cause in the military, I couldn’t directly hail him as a superior. With the clashes between the Igsem faction and Remeon faction intensifying, as the leader of one of these factions, I couldn’t push for a completely different person to shoulder the future of the next generation ── Who knows what kind of chaos will befall us if I acted so recklessly.
And so, I waited for a chance. A chance to change the leader of the Imperial military from Igsem to Bada. For a situation where the Empire had no choice but to do just that.」
This man was forced into a dead end too. The Empire he should be protecting had no future to speak of. The fact wouldn’t change even if he delayed the inevitable. For the Empire’s guardian, this contradiction weighed heavily on him.
No one realized his anxiety, even the one he had secretly bet his hopes on, Bada, didn’t understand how his friend was feeling. No ── He couldn’t let others understand.
「And so, the topic looped back to the beginning. When Kioka launched their invasion, when either Bada or me had to defy the edict ── I realized my chance was here. I couldn’t wait for the coming revolution. Once I lost my standings for defying the edict, Bada had to lead the military. Tel wished for the same thing too. I was sure with the change in leadership, the Empire would head in a new direction.
This came about because of the schemes of corrupt nobles, but the results were what I hoped for. I was willing to become a sacrifice if the Empire’s future could develop in a new way. So I told Bada everything I had in mind, and said that I would engage the invading Kioka army ── or rather, I was supposed to.」
Solvenares smiled in a self-mocking way with his fingers touching a part of his face.
「And then, Bada punched me hard in the face for the first time.」
TL: Next part will be a flashback.
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