Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
That night, after she finished off the mountains of bureaucratic paperwork. Chamille returned to the restricted area, and welcomed Ikuta who returned from the base as usual.
「I’m home, Chamille. You must have had a hard day too.」
「... Yes, welcome back, Solork.」
They chatted right after he walked in. This was already a daily routine, but the girl still couldn’t suppress her heart racing at that moment.
She stiffly looked at the youth as he took off his coat and put it on the rack. He walked right for the canopy bed, then sat down after putting his walking stick aside.
「Come here.」
Ikuta stretched his empty hands to Chamille and called out to her gently. The girl walked wobbly forward as if she was in a trance, and he embraced her with both arms.
「Anything unusual happened when I wasn’t around?」
Ikuta combed the girl’s blonde hair gently with his fingers and whispered into her ear. The breath on her skin made Chamille’s heart race, and she pretended to be calm and answered:
「...Vackie invited me to tea, together with Lucanti.」
「Oh~ so how was it?」
「Terrible. Her tea brewing skill is substandard, worlds apart from Haro.」
The girl complained. Her words made the youth smile.
「 It’s too harsh to compare her to Haro for tea brewing. What did the three of you chat about?」
「... We talked a bit about how you and her first met.」
Oh～Ikuta nodded with an awkward smile. Chamille could feel on her back that he was reminiscing the past.
「I was in High School then, I just talked about this with Yorga just now. She was the same back then, like a rabies dog with fangs called intelligence.」
Rabies dog, Chamille muttered. Ikuta nodded.
「It might be hard for you to empathize, but she had always hated abstract things since the past. Simply put, she would destroy ‘meaningless complexity’ whenever she finds one. That was a shocker── I was in the vicinity, and received a letter from Professor Anarai saying 『Your junior disciple is rampaging, rein her in.』」
Ikuta said with a slightly cramping smile, then sighed.
「There is a reason why she is like that… Sigh, I won’t say anymore. She will tell you sooner or later. And of course, you can tell her all the things you had experienced too in retaliation, she will probably be interested.」
「... Is that why you called her here? So she can chat with me…?」
「What do you think? But this palace is too quiet, having a rowdy idiot isn’t too bad.」
Ikuta answered vaguely and suddenly hugged Chamille tighter.
「And of course── it will be better to stay quiet when I spend time with you.」
「────!」
The cheeks of the girl were burning red. Ikuta sniffed her slender neck.
「... This perfume is sandalwood? It has a nice and mature fragrance, but you can choose a more elegant perfume for your age. I will bring some lavender perfume next time, Vackie will be interested too.」
Solork whispered lovingly. His breathing on her skin melted Chamille’s wits away── a while later, the girl called out with trembling lips:
「..... Solork......」
「Hmm?」
The youth answered her call. The girl struggled for a few minutes before squeezing out her next words.
「...... Can I turn towards you......?」
After a long hesitation, she squeaked out this wish of hers. Ikuta smiled gently when he heard that.
「You prefer hugging?」
She gently held the back of the girl, lifted her up and turned her around. She stared at the youth with moist eyes. Ikuta spread his arms silently, preparing a space for her to come in.
「... Ah, ah...」
After a slight hesitation, a thirst overwhelmed her restraint, pushing the girl forward… She straddled the youth’s lap, and seized the chance of him not showing any signs of rejection to lean on him.
「... Ahhhh...!」
The girl’s breasts stuck tightly to the youth’s chest through their clothes. The strong arms behind her hugged her slender body close firmly. The intoxicating feeling was far beyond that of being hugged from behind, and Chamille couldn’t help crying out:
「...! No! No, Solork...!」
Her mind that was on the verge of breaking warned her. Before she lost herself in her lust, Chamille pushed the youth’s chest to get away.
「I’m turning strange── I’m going to turn weird──!」
「No. I won’t let you go.」
Despite the girl’s plea, the youth denied her efforts and held her even more strongly. The sweet sensation in her body made the girl’s resistance weaken immediately.
「It feels nice to be held tightly, right? But this is just the beginning.」
The youth hugged her strongly and kissed her forehead repeatedly. A sense of joy coursed through her body like lightning from her head to her toes, and Chamille moaned with a quiver.
「As for the methods to dote on you── I have a hundred more just like this.」
Ikuta’s loving kiss shifted from her forehead to her cheeks. She was kissed everywhere aside from her lips, and the girl couldn’t say sensible words.
「There’s nothing to be afraid of… This is something all children should be given from birth. You are just late in receiving it.」
「── Ugh, ahh── Ahh──!」
Chamille was immersed in a sensation of endless moans. She had long left rational thoughts behind── losing her mind for the youth before her. She forgot everything and drowned in his gentleness. How wonderful it would be if she showed all her uncouth wishes and he would accept it all──
「── Ughh, ahh...」
However── even at this juncture, the girl still prohibits herself from realizing that wish. Just like before, her guilt towards the vermillion-haired girl became a cog of self restraint── pushing her to act. To search for the sensation of cold steel and warning, her hands reached for her waist──
「──?」
But she didn’t touch the sabre that was supposed to be there. That saber and the youth’s short sword were placed beside the bed together. Realizing her mistake surprised the girl.
「── Ah── Ah──!」
In that case, she had to use pain to stop her lust. Chamille opened her mouth wide and was about to bite her index finger── but two other fingers were shoved deep into her mouth, as if her intentions had been seen through.
「── Uhmm?」
「You can’t. If you want to bite, bite this. It’s fine to bit them off if you want to.」
Ikuta made a bold move to stop the girl from hurting herself, and said to her patiently. There was no way Chamille would harm him, and with her mouth sealed, she could only look at the youth with tears in her eyes.
「... See, you are really kind.」
「... Umm?... Ummmm! ...Umm──!」
There was a slicking sound as the youth’s saliva covered fingers caressed her tongue. The stimulation turned into elation, turning her mind blank.
Ikuta gently took out his fingers from the dazed Chamille’s mouth. The saliva formed a long string between her lips and his fingers.
「... Hah, ahh… ahh...」
With his nose almost touching the red faced Chamille, the dark-haired youth said:
「I have to apologize first… This is my first time too, so I’m not sure where to draw the line, so my way of doting you might be a little overboard.」
「────」
「However, this is two people’s worth of love. I hope you can treat this as the love from me and her, as your parents… Relax.」
The youth put his arms around the girl’s back again, and pulled her in close. Ikuta held her powerless body and whispered into her eyes as if to engrave this deep into her heart.
「I love you, Chamille… I will use the entire night to convey my feelings to you.」
He declared without any hesitation. And true to his words, the girl spent the entire time in sweetness until dawn.
＊
The development and proliferation of small unit tactics, and the mastery of Blast Cannon usage. The Imperial Army led by Ikuta Solork started sprinting with these two main pillars. The military as a whole felt dissatisfied and uneasy about the overly young Field Marshal, and after the military coup, it was more advantageous for the younger generations. Craving for the chance to make it big, they searched for a chance through Ikuta’s revolution.
「I’m Major Nabufura Shiburu! I had the pleasure of listening to your lecture on strategy a few days ago, and was deeply moved! It would be an honour to learn by your side!」
「Oh, erm, thanks. Well...」
And the youth announced his intention to recruit adjutant in such a situation, so the officers seeking this role flocked to his side. The lines that formed before the office were an eyesore to Sazarf, so he set up a place for interviews. And now, he and Ikuta were scrutinizing the applicants side by side.
「What about that guy? He’s driven and has a pretty good resume.」
「He is passionate, but his eyes are too bright… He is the type to use his position as adjutant as a stepping stone, a bit different from what I’m looking for.」
「That’s a problem. The young people gathered now are all like that!」
Sazarf scratched his head as he looked at the resumes. As the two of them spoke, the next applicant entered.
「Good Afternoon! I’m First Lieutenant Niam Nei who is enthusiastically looking for work～ do you need an adjutant during night time?」
「Hey～ what should I retort about first?」
Sazarf stood up in surprise. Before him, Niam sat nonchalantly into the chair for interviewees.
「I was demoted to First Lieutenant～ but before that, I was an adjutant to a colonel in the past. The Field Marshal is very young, so I should have a chance too～?」
「Are you sane? The Mitokazuruku incident isn’t that long ago!」
「Yes～ sorry, Brigadier General. You seem to know her, but I’m not too──」
「Oh… Right, it happened when you were still in the harem. I will be brief, Colonel Naian Mitokazuruku started a coup with his forces garrisoned in Fortress City Garurujan. Empress Chamille personally went to suppress the revolt, and this woman is the enemy’s adjutant...」
「Oh, I see, I get the gist of it. Matthew mentioned that too── First Lieutenant Niam Nei, what do you want to do if you are appointed as my adjutant?」
「I can ‘do’ whatever you want. What kind of play do you like?」
「Ahaha! ── Guards, throw her out.」
Sazarf immediately clapped his hands to summon the guards. Ikuta laughed as he watched the woman get dragged out by two fearsome looking guards.
「Haha── great, I like your shameless mentality. I will never appoint you as my adjutant, but I will consider giving you an interesting post. Anyway, thank you for your hard work, First Lieutenant Nei.」
「Please give me a relaxed post～!」
As she was dragged out, First Lieutenant Nei made a thick-faced request. From how shameless she acted, she was a talent who could do well in an adverse situation── Ikuta thought. She didn’t know yet, but that impression pushed her down an arduous path.
「Tch, how unsightly… Hey, next applicant!」
On Sazarf’s urging, a troubled looking middle aged officer entered, in stark contrast with Niam. He gave an impeccable salute then took his seat before introducing himself:
「... I’m Major Nudakka Megu. I’m here today… to ask for a chance to redeem myself.」
Sazarf opened his eyes wide when he saw the resume. Ikuta who was equally surprised asked quietly:
「You are the officer who commanded the Igsem search team together with Yatori during the coup.」
「Yes… Although I didn’t act like her senior during that battle at all.」
The Major muttered with a bitter face. Ikuta looked at his changing expression and got right to the core of the question.
「What do you mean by redeem?」
Major Megu fell silent at that question. He then squeezed out an answer from deep within him.
「She’s dead, but I’m still living shamelessly… There’s nothing more regrettable than that.」
The youth stared at the major who was gritting his teeth with trembling fists.
「Back then── I was tired of killing fellow soldiers, and as the final battle with your group loomed, I handed all command authority to Lieutenant Colonel Yatorishino who was far better than me… But I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t just rely on her strength. I gave up thinking back then── and until this day, I can’t stop thinking that way.」
「......」
「Why didn’t I rack my brains together with her? If I did, we might come up with another plan, and choose another method, then perhaps she wouldn’t have died… For the past two years, my mind was filled with such thoughts. Thinking about how I didn’t fulfil my role as a senior, and how I can right my sins...」
「... And your conclusion is to be my adjutant...?」
Major Megu nodded to the youth’s question.
「She died protecting you… It’s shameful, but I wasn’t aware of her feelings back then. I know it’s too late to make up for it now… But even so, even so...!」
The man struggled clumsily in his attempt to put his feelings into words. Ikuta kindly stopped him by raising his hand, then said quietly:
「I understand── I will be in your care from tomorrow onwards, Major Megu.」
「... Huh?」
The surprised Major Megu turned stiff, and Sazarf was even more surprised. But Ikuta stood up without hesitation and bowed deeply to the old field-grade officer.
「As you can see, I’m younger than you. I will be grateful if an experienced person like you can assist me. I will be leaving many troublesome matters to you in the future though.」
Major Megu stood stiffly. He didn’t expect to be hired, and looked confused as Ikuta explained his future duty.
Shortly after, the puzzled Megu left on their urging── and it was Sazarf’s turn to question Ikuta’s intentions.
「... I-Is this really fine?」
「What do you mean?」
「You are asking me that…? Major Megu is much older than you, and he is a veteran officer from the Igsem faction. Isn’t that enough to put him out of consideration as Ikuta Solork’s adjutant?」
He expressed his views based on common sense, and the dark-haired youth shook his head.
「Many people misunderstand, but I don’t intend to take old soldiers lightly. The same goes for the Igsem faction, I will make full use of all talented people without any discrimination. I want to avoid any clashes between the young and the old, which might spark off a new conflict.」
「You are right… but putting it bluntly, the adjutant you appointed in this situation is an old officer from the Igsem faction, what are you going to do about that?」
「He is my first adjutant. In any case, there can’t be just one adjutant supporting the Field Marshal, I will consider balance and choose a young Remeon officer for my second choice. There is a strong trend of the military being biased to the young, so appointing Major Megu is the right move.」
「Hmm… I see, that’s another way of looking at it...」
「Sigh, but that’s not why I chose him.」
Sigh～Ikuta leaned back and breathed out heavily as he thought about the past── She’s dead, but I’m still living shamelessly… There’s nothing more regrettable than that── The face Major Megu made when he said that. He regretted for two years over a promising young woman dying before he did── and he was searching for a way to redeem himself, showing a commendable attitude for adults.
「How can I turn him down after hearing him say that?」
Ikuta muttered in resignation, then reverted to his cheerful self.
「Alright, call in the next one.」
「Huh? We are continuing?」
「Of course. I just told you I need multiple adjutants, and this is getting interesting. Let’s use this chance to pick some interesting characters. There’s still plenty of applicants, right?」
Ikuta took the piles of documents from Sazarf’s hand and flipped through them with a grin.
「The more troublesome the work, the more we should cherish the joy we get from it── alright, next! There’s a long line waiting, so keep your self marketing concise!」
While Sazarf and Ikuta were interviewing applicants, Sazarf’s adjutant Lieutenant, Colonel Melza, was displaying her all rounder skills on her battlefield.
「... This plan is not up to standard. There are too many shortages for a month’s campaign. I marked the dubious places in red, use it as reference to amend it.」
She instructed strictly, rejecting the document submitted by her new subordinate. Unlike Sazarf who was a flag officer, her work was middle management, and covered a wide range including administrative matters.
The nurturing of new officers was an urgent task. Two years after the coup, they had not recovered from the loss of personnel yet.
「... First Lieutenant Clarissa. Can you explain how you got these numbers?」
「W-Well...」
「You can’t, because you didn’t consider the situation on the grounds, and just copied the numbers from your reference materials. We will get another resupply request in three days with your plan. There are quite a number of mistakes, please rewrite it after studying the situation in detail.」
Her subordinates whose mistakes were pointed out returned to their seats sullenly. Lieutenant Colonel Melza looked to the last female officer who had stayed silent. She glanced at the proposal in her hand and called out her name.
「..First Lieutenant Lance.」
「......」
「...First Lieutenant? ── Are you listening? First Lieutenant Lance Metrache!」
The Lieutenant Colonel called her again, and the female officer hanging her head snapped back to attention.
「── Y-Yes?」
She finally spoke with a cautious voice that lacked any ambition. Lieutenant Colonel Melza maintained the strict expression of a superior officer, then said curtly with the proposal in her right hand.
「Full marks.」
「Huh?」
「This is a well written plan. The default route, the alternate path, the contingency plans and the supplies for the advance── they are all impeccable, this is good enough to be a textbook model.」
Lieutenant Colonel Melza said with the same face when she admonished a subordinate, so First Lieutenant Metrache didn’t realize she was being complimented at first. She noticed a while later, then looked around her with timid eyes.
「... T-Thank you. But...」
「You hate being praised and being in the spotlight?」
Lieutenant Colonel Melza pointed out her mentality right away, which made First Lieutenant Metrache dumbstruck.
「It’s natural for you to think that… Honestly speaking, I don’t like that attitude. The current Empire doesn’t have the leisure of holding back capable and experienced personnels.」
「......」
「Be more confident in your work. You don’t have to feel inferior because of the Garurujan incident. The Empress already pardoned you, so I will treat you the same as my other subordinates.」
Lieutenant Colonel Melza announced── just like Niam Nei, Metrache Lance was Naian Mitokazuruku’s adjutant during the coup in the Fortress City Garurujan.
「First Lieutenant Lance, what I want you to know is, you are in an environment where the results of your work will be evaluated fairly.」
「...Huh?」
That unexpected line made Metrache raise her head timidly. Lieutenant Colonel Melza looked right at her and continued fluently.
「Unlike your experience where Mitokazuruku’s mood determines everything, what matters here is your capability as an officer. There are no other evaluation standards aside from your capability. The point is, you can’t make up for any deficiency in abilities by sucking up to others.」
「......!」
「And that is why, this is the best environment for you. Our young newly minted Brigadier General might be a little unreliable, and your peers lack experience── do you get it? We need your skills. We need Metrache Lance, the soldier here.」
Lieutenant Colonel Melza gave a forthright compliment, then lightly knocked on the plan with her left fist.
「I won’t accept the unreasonable situation of someone who can write such an outstanding proposal not getting her due recognition. Accept the compliment, First Lieutenant Lance. You are worthy of it.」
Her words moistened Metrache’s withered heart── tears then rolled down her cheek.
「... Ahh...」
The efforts she made for that man wasn’t rewarded, and he even betrayed her in the most vile manner at the time of their parting. This experience closed off her heart. And so, the only thing her superior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Melza, could do was to justly evaluate her work.
「You don’t have to cry anymore… It must have been hard on you.」
Her superior officer hugged her shoulder gently, and Metrache sobbed silently for a long time.
＊
「... Hmm～...」
Under the vicious rays of the sun, in the center of the vast and flat proving grounds spreading far in all directions. Matthew watched his men exhausted from making unfamiliar moves, and crossed his arms with a troubled face.
「Working in tandem with artillery units is unexpectedly difficult… Because of the Wind Cannon’s ineffectiveness in field battles, we have been putting our heads down and just forcing our way through...」
「There is no reason not to use this powerful weapon. There is a limit to the artilery’s movement speed and deployment, so we have to match their pace. But that is difficult...」
Torway beside him answered while watching his worn out troops. Matthew thought for a while, and stated his analysis.
「The problem is that we have not tied down how we should utilize them… Ikuta said in a lecture some time ago that Blast Cannons can deal a powerful counterattack against cavalry charges, that should be the same for line infantry too. But it is weak against agile and scattered units. We should prioritize the strengthening of this weakness.」
「Then we have to hold a joint exercise with cavalry units. Unlike infantry and cavalry, artillery cannot deploy on their own. We have to consider the effectiveness of partnering it with other units depending on the situation...」
「Hey, wait, Toruru.」
A crude voice interrupted their conversation. The jade-eyed youth turned around in surprise, and saw his brothers from the Remeon family.
「Big brother, second brother...?」
「You are making things too complicated for a start. You might be the elite moving at the forefront of the battlefield, but the Empire is mostly composed of line infantry. It will take some time for us to transition to small units operation. Don’t just focus on the future and neglect that fact.」
Sarihasrag continued, ignoring his youngest brother. The second brother Sushuraf added:
「Like what big brother said, we should start by utilizing it in the simplest manner. Because of its extended range, there can be more preparation time between shots. We have to assume we can use it directly in field battles. And this might be the only way to deal with enemy with sturdy square formations.」
Not just Torway, his two brothers also acknowledged the importance of the new Blast Cannons as weapons. However, they explained their views from a different perspective from their youngest brother.
「Anyway, we should fire indirectly at an arc from afar, and when the enemy closes in, we can fire directly upon them. After cutting down the enemy’s number, we will send the infantry behind to charge them. The Blast Cannons should be deployed in a fan shape or diamond shape to deal with any attempts to flank us… That should be the basic plan for now.」
「Big brother… But...」
「I know what you are thinking. You think that highly trained small units can charge with the support of artillery fire, right? I won’t refute that, and there is no harm in trying that tactic… But before you sprint, don’t forget to plant your feet on solid ground. No matter how far ahead you get, there’s no point if others can’t catch up to you, right?」
Torway was dumbstruck. It had been years since his big brother gave him advice instead of lashing out at him. Seeing the atmosphere about the brothers had changed, Matthew was hesitant about butting in── at this moment, someone tapped his shoulder from behind.
「... You seem to be discussing difficult things.」
「Uwah...? ...Huh? P-Pommy ?」
Matthew jumped from surprise, and opened his eyes wider when he saw who was behind him. The female pirate, who was a descendent of the legendary Captain Garciev, smiled fearlessly and was elated to be united with the pudgy youth.
「Long time no see, Matthew. Uncle got summoned by Her Majesty again, so I’m here again. They are probably discussing the implementation of the weapon called Blast Cannons.」
「Admiral Jurgus is here too...? You are right, Blast Cannons can be installed on ships too. In the previous battle, we had a hard time dealing with the enemy’s Blast Cannon ships, so implementing it is an obvious thing to do.」
Matthew followed the logic and understood the situation. At this point, Pommy clinged to his shoulder and whispered passionately.
「That’s how it is… So, are you free today?」
「...? W-Wait! Personal matters will have to wait──!」
Matthew backed away with a blush. He stood beside the troubled Torway who was talking with his brothers, but couldn’t calm his heart.
While Polminue Jurgus was visiting Matthew at the proving grounds, the head of the pirate navy, Erynphin Jurgus, was attacking the palace.
「── which means, if you look at the source, our navy are the ones who captured the Kioka navy’s Blast Cannons in the first place!」
「......」
「And so, in order to bolster our naval defences, I am urging Your Majesty to allocate a larger share of the weapons to us.」
「......」
「... Hello～? Your Majesty? Are you listening to me?」
Her lack of reaction made Admiral Jurgus furrowed his brows. He was seeking an audience with the Empress in the Deep Green Hall, and had his scummy nature with superficial niceties on full display, but didn’t get any good reaction.
The reason was obvious── the Empress he was speaking with was spacing out.
「...Oh? M-My apologies, Admiral Erynphin Jurgus. It’s regarding the implementation of Blast Cannons, right?」
Chamille finally snapped back to reality. Admiral Jurgus shrugged and continued:
「Yes, that’s right. Be it mastering its usage or coming up with countermeasures, there will be a huge difference if we have the actual item with us. I know there is a huge demand for a limited supply, but 10 Blast Cannons is too small a number for the navy, right?」
The boss of the pirate navy demanded firmly at the crucial point. Empress shook her head to clear her mind, in her attempt to focus on the person before her.
「I understand your concern and have evaluated the possibility. However, it will be difficult to increase the supply substantially. I’m not being biased towards the army, it’s just that we have too few Blast Cannons on hand. The allocation of the limited Blast Cannon is done by Solork… the Field Marshal.」
「I plan to negotiate directly with him on this trip, but isn’t he coming? I was looking forward to seeing the youngest Field Marshal in Imperial history.」
Admiral Jurgus looked around him, then pouted unhappily. At this moment, General Remeon who was watching quietly on the sidelines interjected:
「Admiral Jurgus, the Field Marshal asked me to relay a message. I will say it now── 『There are no plans for large scale naval operations in the near future, and it’s unlikely for Kioka to start a naval battle. I will send more Blast Cannons to you next year, so make do for now』.」
「What is this, he’s just brushing me off! Since he isn’t here, then he should be more sincere in his message!」
「Wait, there’s more. He also said: 『I know you don’t intend to return empty handed, so I prepared a gift as a replacement. How does me giving implicit consent to the navy’s tradition of having a 「source of income not reported to the Empire」 sound to you?』...」
When he heard that, Admiral Jurgus who was going to complain further suddenly stopped moving. He then turned his sails artfully with a generous and friendly smile:
「── Teehee, General Remeon. You think I’m an unreasonable person? Just waiting a year will do? Wonderful, we will be happy to do so.」
「... That’s great. But that aside, I want to ask you about that 『source of income』...」
「I don’t know what you are talking about── Your Majesty, meeting you is an honor, I will take my leave now!」
Seeing that the situation had turned bad, the boss of the pirate navy brushed off the jade-eyed General’s question and left. On the other hand, Chamille who should admonish him recalled what happened last night and stared blankly into space. At the sight of that, General Remeon’s heavy sigh echoed in the Grand Courtyard.
Chapter 3: Heart Shape
Closing the distance with the subject of your observation was important in analyzing it. The closer you were, the clearer you could see it── and of course, this principle was true for most things.
「... Approach slowly...」
And so, Scientists would observe the subject whenever they had the opportunity. Be it feral beasts or volcanoes overflowing with magma, when their curiosity surpassed their fear, they would take action. The same goes for this girl too── However...
「── Is something the matter, Third Grade Administrative Officer Shattouiettanyerushisukattsu?」
「Uwah, he noticed right away!」
When she was three steps away from her target’s door, the subject noticed her this time too. Third Grade Administrative Officer Vackie slowly poked her head in through the office’s open door, and said nonchalantly:
「Good Afternoon, Chancellor. You seem busy, but can you spare some time for me?」
「If it’s about administrative matters, then yes. If not, you should leave.」
Imperial Chancellor Trisnai Izanma kept writing at his desk as he answered plainly. That answer made the Scientist girl pout, and she walked in without any hesitation.
「You don’t have to be so cold. In this palace, I’m probably the only one who doesn’t detest you emotionally.」
She said as she approached the desk inside the room. Trisnai continued working without even glancing her way, but the girl wasn’t bothered by his cold attitude.
「Chamille is obvious, but even Ikuta-nii can’t face you calmly. This should be a reason to invite me over. To stop you, there needs to be an outsider to see you objectively.」
The Chancellor’s silence showed no signs of breaking. Vackie stared at his profile with her black pupils.
「You don’t fear being detested by others, and are making full use of that fact instead. To be frank, you feel like a kindred spirit to me. Compared to Chamille, I’m actually more like you.」
「── Like me?」
Trisnai asked when he heard that last part. The girl answered with a nod:
「Lacking empathy with others, and possess a strong sense of ego. There are some who say I’m not human.」
Vackie twirl her hair with her finger then continued:
「For example── if there is an injured person before them, most people will think that 『that looks painful』. But for us, we will just acknowledge that 『he is hurt』. That’s the difference.」
「......」
「Because empathy can be suppressed through training and adaptation, the boundary between these two types of people are blurred. However, we become like this naturally. Leaving aside when we got like this, I think we can draw a clear line on this point.」
The girl said confidently. The Chancellor who always wore a mask-like expression squinted his eyes at that.
「For me── according to my analysis, I wasn’t born this way, this was the result of growing up in an environment where my feelings were neglected. So I adapted to my environment. When I’m surrounded by people who will accept me, my character softens a lot. Since this would make my relationship with others more comfortable for both sides, it is natural for me to change my ways.」
There was a hint of a bitter smile on her lips, which vanished the next moment.
「Returning the topic back to you── in this palace, no, somewhere in this world, is there someone who will think for your sake?」
He didn’t respond. Taking his silence as an answer, Vackie said without any reservation:
「I guess not. The people in the palace call you a fox or villainous minister, the common theme is that they don’t acknowledge your humanity. And you act in a way to deepen that weird impression.」
The Chancellor’s pen suddenly stopped. The girl stood beside the Chancellor and slammed a hand heavily on the desk.
「This is the typical construction of a monster by the masses. Everyone unconsciously falls into a vicious cycle. Leaving this alone won’t benefit anyone.」
Right after she said that, Vackie’s face relaxed and she offered her right hand.
「So, let’s start as friends～ I will call you Tririn──」
Before she even finished, Trisnai, who had set his pen down, grabbed the girl’s face with his right hand.
「This monkey is more annoying than I thought── shall I get rid of it?」
He rolled his eyes and stared at her with reptilian-like eyes. His monotonous voice was devoid of any humanity.
「Wait!」
At that moment, a skinny youth barged into the room. It was Third Grade Administrative Officer Yorga, who came to the palace together with Vackie for their court appointments.
「Unhand that girl… No, please let her go, Chancellor Sir. I apologize on her behalf as her colleague, and Vackie is also a vassal of Empress Chamille. You don’t have the authority to sentence her to death for lack of etiquettes.」
The youth pleaded with trembling lips. The man looked at the youth with a cold piercing gaze.
「What if I tell you that there are many ways to settle this after the fact?」
Yorga felt as if his heart was being grasped. He endured the feeling of fear and detest, and glared back at him.
「... I will get her back even if I have to kill you on the spot. With no regards for the consequences.」
Yorga reached into his sleeves with a determined answer. At that, the Royal Sprite’s robotic voice came from the Chancellor’s waist pouch.
「── Killing intent detected. Warning to assailant. The death of authorized person will affect the humanity assistance program of the AE system──」
「Skip the rest.」
Trisnai cut short the Royal Sprite’s warning. He gently pressed on the Sprite’s head and said:
「When I’m serious about killing someone, I won’t make threats── do you understand?」
「......」
「Good── don’t let uncivilized monkeys roam free.」
With that final warning, the fox let go of the girl’s face and left the office. The Scientist girl scratched her head as she watched him go:
「... Oh, he left. He sure is a handful──」
She muttered. The next instant, Yorga sprinted over and hugged her with his knees on the ground.
「... Don’t be reckless, idiot...!」
The lingering fear and his relief after the danger made the youth’s body quiver. Feeling him shake with her body, the girl looked down bashfully for the first time.
「Hah～... I was a little rash just now...」
「That’s not a little! The most dangerous person in the entire palace is Trisnai Izanma! It won’t be a surprise if he killed you with just that!」
Yorga was almost screaming and hugged her more tightly. Hmm～Vackie grunted and closed her eyes.
「I approached him because I’m sure that won’t happen── but you’re right. Sorry Yorurin, I made you worried.」
The girl admitted her mistake and apologized, then patted the youth’s head to console him. Her gaze fell on the corridor where the Chancellor left when she did that.
「However── the Chancellor doesn’t have anyone who is worried about him...」
「.. Solork. What’s this...?」
At the same time. Chamille was staring hard at the unfamiliar object on the table. Ikuta stood beside her rattan chair and explained.
「Yaponiku has a traditional art called Bonkei where you arrange dirt, sand, pebbles, moss and other items within a tray in a way you like. This game is a derivation based on that.」
<TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonkei>
Ikuta said as he reached for something on the table. Before them was a box without any cover that was 40 cm on the side and 10 cm tall.
「This box has a layer of white sand, with dolls, furniture and mini models placed around it, a sandbox game. I hope you can try this.」
「Hmm… There are no rules? How will the work be evaluated?」
「There are no rules, that’s not the point of this game.」
「Ughh… Then where should I start...」
「Ehh, try touching it. You don’t need to learn anything before playing this game, just do what you want.」
Ikuta urged with a casual tone and just watched from the side with a smile. Facing the untouched sandbox, the blonde girl cast an uneasy gaze towards him.
「... Can you give me some advice?」
「If I tell you a particular way is better, your design will trend towards that direction, right? That won’t do. The point is to not make this for anyone, but to create your own sandbox with your own will..」
Spurred on by that, Chamille reached for the various parts beside the box. She took everything she saw, and stopped when she happened upon a particular part.
「... Is this a shell? There’s blue sand. Then I will make a seaside scenery. I haven’t seen the ocean since we took the sea route to the Hioredo Ore Mines...」
Once she decided the plan, the girl’s hands moved smoothly. She gathered the sand according to the designs in her mind, arranging and adjusting the position of the parts into the image she has of the sea. As Ikuta watched on, the plain sandbox became more elegant.
「...How’s this?」
Chamille asked, feeling satisfied with her work, Ikuta leaned far towards the table and studied the sandbox.
「Let’s see── Oh, amazing! It’s so detailed, can you tell me about your work?」
Ikuta didn’t give any comments, complimenting the completeness of the sandbox before asking the creator Chamille to walk her through the scene. The girl nodded and said:
「... My theme is a well developed fishing port. The fishermen goes out to sea and fish with their nets, while the children pick shells on the beach.」
「Oh, and that fish?」
「That’s the biggest catch of the day. Most of the meat had been cut off to be sold at the market, while the meat on the bones were brought back by the fisherman and his family. They will scoop the leftover meat with spoons, mix it with flour and roll them into balls. They will then grill or boil them...」
「So fish balls? That’s a dish found near the coastline, I’m surprised that you know.」
「I only read it from the documents. There are lots of dishes I heard of but never tasted, and that had only increased after I took the throne.」
Chamille said with self mockery. With a hand on her shoulder, Ikuta added gently:
「You will have plenty of chances in the future. Before you get to eat them, feel free to use your imagination. Enjoy the time you spent imagining it too.」
「... Hmm. I see, if it’s just imagining...」
Then even I have the right to do so── Ikuta could clearly hear the rest of the sentence she didn’t say. Chamille didn’t realize what the youth was thinking, and fidgeted with the spare parts.
「... After trying it, this game is unexpectedly interesting. Solork, can I make a different scenery」
「Of course. I’m looking forward to your next sandbox.」
The youth urged her to continue with a smile. The girl nodded and started moving her hands again.
「Well then, I will try making a hill village. From what I know, the most beautiful part about this sort of terrain is──」
The tranquil time they spent together came to an end, and they had to fulfil their role as Empress and Field Marshal. Their day started off with bad news.
「── The situation is deteriorating?」
The Empress asked after receiving the report at the meeting. The admin officer continued nervously.
「Yes, it’s regrettable… The group at the borders living a self sustenance life is growing, and has reached ten thousand during the last survey. And as we predicted, this number is too great, and there are some who are starving due to a lack of food.」
Chamille clicked her tongue because they failed to prevent the situation they foresaw from happening.
「... So the countermeasure to prevent this didn’t work...」
「... We apologized for our incompetence… We prepared new farmlands and attempted to divert the people there, but few took up on our offer. We spent a lot of time in our attempt to convince them, but their distrust towards the government is too deeply rooted...」
The admin officer was hesitant to go on. Distrust towards the government meant distrust of the Empress. She understood this better than anyone── so her next line was inevitable.
「... I will go personally.」
「Chamille!」
Ikuta beside her gave her a stern look. The Empress quietly shook her head in response to his stare.
「Don’t worry, Solork, I’m not sending a punitive campaign. I’m planning to go personally to convince them. No matter how deep their distrust is, anyone can tell the Empire is serious if the Empress goes there personally.
However, exerting too much pressure might have the opposite effect. I will lead a small unit and make this part of an inspection tour. I will be away for a while, but...」
「And I will be going──」
「P-Please wait, Field Marshal Sir!」
The youth didn’t hesitate to express his intent to accompany the Empress. When she heard that, a female Field-grade officer stood up in a hurry.
「It can’t be helped if Her Majesty has to go, but it is too troubling if the Field Marshal leaves so easily! The army is being reorganized on your orders, and work will be halted if you are absent! It might be fine if the system is already set, but everything is still up in the air!」
From her perspective, this protest was very reasonable, and Ikuta was momentarily dumbstruck. After a pause, she squeezed out a rebuttal.
「... I know the progress will be stifled if I’m away, but...」
「──Solork.」
He was unwilling to let the girl go alone even if it wasn’t logical. His concern made her chest feel constricted, but the Empress tried to tell him with a firm tone.
「... Don’t worry, I will be fine going there alone. You should know that this isn’t my first time. I went out to various places to put down rebellion before. Furthermore, I’m going there to convince the people, not fight rebels. You don’t have to worry.」
「While I was slumbering, you were facing such harsh circumstances… Even if that’s true, letting you go through all that alone is something I regret.」
Ikuta said bitterly. She was hesitant to speak because of the air between them, but the female Field-grade officer made up her mind to voice her opinion.
「... Pardon me for my impudence, but even if the Field Marshal can’t leave the capital, you can send a trustworthy subordinate as escort. Can you consider this as a compromise...?」
She considered the position of the subject and proposed a middle point that was acceptable for everyone. Even Ikuta couldn’t reject this proposal── so he decided to implement the best safety measures for the girl.
After deciding to go personally, Chamille acted swiftly. She made the travel plans and arrangements, as well as which commander will lead which unit there. And the day of departure arrived.
「... Your Majesty, will you be fine riding such a big horse?」
Haro, who had already mounted a horse, asked worriedly. Chamille was riding on a majestic looking horse, and she answered with a firm hand on the reins:
「Don’t worry, Haro. I’m not on the level of Yatori, but my horsemanship isn’t too bad either.」
The girl responded. For the past two years, she had received consistent training. She was unwilling to compromise the speed of her army if she couldn’t ride a horse, and immediately learned horse riding after taking the throne. She had a serious nature and a strong memory, so her horsemanship had reached an acceptable level.
「There are no plans for the battle at this destination, so it will be fine for the entire unit to be light cavalry. Lucanti will be my bodyguard as usual, and you are coming too. More importantly──」
The Empress paused here and looked behind her.
「── There are no better escort in the entire Empire, Honorary Field Marshal Solvenares Igsem.」
The vermillion haired middle aged man, the former leader of the Imperial military, saluted silently on horseback.
「You flatter me with your kind words… I will give my all to protect Your Majesty.」
「That’s right! And I’m coming too!」
A carefree voice interjected with no regards for the mood. Chamille looked at the person approaching with her hand raised, then sighed blatantly.
「...Vackie. Because of you, we have more targets to protect, that’s just creating more problems.」
「Not at all! Look, I’m better with a horse than you, Chamille.」
Vackie said as she pulled on her reins, and her mount closed in on the Empress in a zig-zag. Chamille frowned at that:
「... Better than me? … Wait, what’s your basis for thinking that?」
「Because I started riding since a long time ago. The level of experience is completely different from Chamille who just started riding～」
She shrugged with a taunting declaration, and the blonde girl retorted angrily:
「... We will be moving very fast for this campaign. Are you fine with us leaving you if you fall behind?」
「Hmm～? That’s fine too, but how about a race to the first resupply point. The loser will have to play a punishment game.」
「A race? Stop messing around in the middle of a march...」
「Huh～? Not confident?」
The Scientist girl tilted her head with a faint smile. She knew this was a childish provocation, but Chamille couldn’t suppress the reaction in her heart. She accepted the taunt this time.
「... Can you say the same line when you see me disappear beyond the horizon?」
「Maybe I won’t～ it’s hard to see the horizon behind me after all.」
Sparks flew between the two girls. As the worried Haro watched from the sides, Chamille announced loudly to the troops around her:
「──Move out! We will reach the destination in the minimal number of days! Don’t fall behind!」
「Huh? P-Please wait, Your Majesty～!」
Haro immediately led the unit to give chase. Chamille and Vackie, who were riding side by side in front, couldn’t see anything aside from their opponent.
The two of them traded leads by the smallest of margins, and the duel ended in a draw four days later. After the conclusion of the intense final battle, the two girls dismounted at the destination and laid sprayed on the grass with ragged breath.
「... Huff～! Puff～! ...Y-You just keep sprinting all out, Chamille...」
「... Hah～! Hah～! ...T-That’s my line. You keep passing me...」
They continued squabbling even then. Haro looked at their interaction with a bitter smile as she asked her Sprite partner Mia to pour iced water into two cups.
「Here── Have some iced water. It’s really hot today, so Your Majesty and Vackie-san shouldn’t push yourself, alright?」
「... Ugh. Sorry, Haro.」
「Pwahh～ I’m alive again～」
The two thirsty girls gulped down the water as if they were competing. After catching her breath, the Scientist girl looked down the road.
「── I can see a village there, is the rumoured group over there?」
Chamille beside her saw the same scene. From the hill they were on, they could see a river flowing from northeast to southwest, and a tight cluster of rundown houses. Farms spread out around the houses, and livestocks could be seen grazing here and there.
「... This matches the report. They are staying in the farmland that got abandoned because of the purge of corrupt nobles, and built a village there. The river nearby is a good water source. An environment suitable for self sustenance.」
「Yes, but only without a sudden increase in numbers. If they accept newcomers indiscriminately, they will reach their limits in no time. This place is already beyond capacity. I don’t think that farm can last till its first harvest. They are just making ends meet with the food left behind by the purged landlord. This place isn’t set up for self sustenance at all.」
Vackie stated the facts she saw before her. Chamille stood up with the empty cup in her hand.
「The scouts will be returning soon. This can’t go on… right?」
Even without the race with Vackie, the four day journey wasn’t easy, but Chamille wouldn’t bring her fatigue to the workplace. As she watched that reliable profile, the Scientist girl asked:
「What are you planning?」
「Summon the representatives of these people and negotiate firmly. Since they lack supplies, it should be easy to barter with them.」
The Empress affirmed strongly. Vackie grunted:
「I’m not against this plan── but you should adopt a strong stance of 『Disperse right now』, and not 『Please disperse』. It’s fine to show concern, but if they treat you lightly, the negotiation will drag on.」
「Your worries are wasted on me. I told you that I’m a born tyrant.」
「Well～ it’s fine to forget about that.」
Vackie crossed her arms with her head tilted. Chamille looked at the village that had no future, and considered the steps to convince them.
The negotiation started outside the Empress’ expectations right from the start.
「── You mean they are all representatives?」
The girl’s voice filled with shock and doubt echoed in the tent. It was natural for her to react this way, since there are ten odd people gathered before her as the representatives of the village.
「That’s too many. If it’s three or four, no, even five or six is fine. But why seventeen? My orders were to gather the representative of the village. Do they not understand the criteria of being a representative?」
Chamille asked an obvious question. The officer leading the group of representatives answered:
「No… These are the right people. They are a community that occurred naturally, and aren’t an organized group like us. They will have more authority if they lead more people, but unfortunately, they started off with several leaders of similar sized groups. After some internal scuffles, they split further and this is the result.」
The Empress clicked her tongue. She expected the group might splinter, but it was more serious than she expected.
「Even for smaller groups, there are exceptions that refuse to be absorbed by larger organizations and remain independent. We passed over some groups that are too small, but still had to deal with 17 separate organizations.」
The officer bowed apologetically after his explanation. Chamille crossed her arms.
「... Looks like I was too optimistic. I thought there would be someone with exceptional leadership since there are so many people.」
「That’s right. The Peace Sect had someone like that in the start, but he lost authority after the food supply failed to keep up with demand. The people here might be at that stage now── the late stage before the end of the organization.」
Concurring with Vackie’s deduction, Chamille stepped forth with determination.
「If that is so, we should count ourselves lucky to be here before the group dissolved.」
The girl cheered herself up and got to work.
「There might be a lot of them, but it’s just seventeen. Not so many that we can’t negotiate the terms── first representative, step forward.」
「... Hey, she’s here! The Empress is really here!」
News of Chamille’s arrival caused a stir in the villages. There were dangerous gleams in some of their eyes, and there was a quiet conversation mixed amongst the panicking mob.
「From the troops she brought, she doesn’t seem to be trying to disperse us mercilessly like that time in Garurujan.」
「The Empress summoned the representatives for a meeting. Logically speaking, her goal is to dissolve this group.」
「The group isn’t even set up properly, so it won’t end by convincing one leader. It will take a lot of time to convince them. Her opponents are unarmed civilians, so her defences must be laxed… This is a great chance.」
「That’s right. It has been months since that humiliation we suffered── our efforts in disguising ourselves here have finally paid off.」
His companion clenched his fists and his shoulders were trembling. The man patted his back and said:
「But, how should we deploy? Security is tight around the Empress, and there’s the ‘Vermillion-haired Igsem’ blocking the path.」
「Indeed, if we attack rashly, all our heads will roll── but they are not aware of our presence yet, so there will be a way.」
They nodded at each other and ran to their respective villages.
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