Rumble.
Lumia was uncertain whether the alcohol was going down her throat or through her nose. The flickering candlelight danced on the table, and across from her, Enok Revendale savored a glass of wine.
Lumia’s eyes sparkled at the scene, reminiscent of a play.
“Thank you for your hard work, Lumia.”
“Ah… I haven’t done anything.”
“Even if I took care of the guests, it was you, Lieutenant Lumia, who provided support from behind the scenes. Without you, I wouldn’t have met so many influential people.”
That was true.
Even though she was invited under the pretext of Count Petrinant’s exhibition, for Enok, this was an opportunity to exchange contact information with individuals he couldn’t buy with money and to strengthen relationships.
To save Okhraine from the impending storm that would sweep the entire continent, close cooperation with neighboring countries was essential.
For Enok Revendale, it was a reward that went beyond simple networking. If Lumia hadn’t proactively arranged the gatherings, prepared refreshments for every meeting, he wouldn’t have left such a good impression on them all.
“I-is that so…?”
Blushing slightly from the pure compliment, Lumia scratched her cheek. Whether her skin was turning red from the alcohol or for another reason was uncertain.
Come to think of it, had Captain’s lips always been that moist? As the sour scent of wine teased her nose, impudent thoughts filled Lumia’s mind.
Exchanging glances, she imagined approaching Enok to kiss him. As they embraced, Enok’s rough fingers traced her spine, while his other hand brushed through her hair.
The kiss, starting from his lips, slowly descended, his blond hair tickling her chin. The sensation of his lips against her soft skin and the sound of a light kiss made her heart skip a beat.
‘I’m going crazy─!!’
Slap!
Lumia slapped her own cheek to regain her senses. At this rate, she felt like she would end up so drunk she would cross a line that should never be crossed.
“Lumia, are you very drunk?”
“No, I’m not! It just suddenly got hot, ahaha…”
“The air is indeed warm. I suppose the high-quality fruit wine has a high alcohol content.”
“I’ll open a window!”
Lumia jumped up from her seat and opened the window. A cool breeze rushed in, quickly dispersing the heated air.
“It’s nice.”
Enok said as he finished the remaining glass. The bottle of wine was starting to show its bottom. They had really consumed a lot.
“Lumia.”
“Yes?”
“I’m always grateful…”
Enok said that. Upon closer inspection, his eyes were slightly glazed. Could he be drunk? Lumia cautiously returned to her seat and looked at the captain.
His face was flushed.
His breathing was longer than usual.
“If it weren’t for you and the platoon members… I wouldn’t have come this far.”
“No, Captain! It was all your skill.”
“I’m not as capable as you might think. Rather… I’m closer to being trash. Everyone has their stories, don’t they?”
Enok chuckled and lightly tapped the empty glass with his finger. A bright sound rang out as he swayed a bit.
Ah, he is drunk. Lumia was sure of it. They had drunk together several times before, but this was the first time he was showing such a reaction.
He had always gone home before getting completely intoxicated. Now, he appeared completely vulnerable.
“Hmm, I guess I’ve had a bit too much. It’s because I feel so comfortable being with you, Lumia.”
“Ah… it’s okay to feel comfortable.”
“I’m really relying on you.”
That single sentence pierced through Lumia’s heart. Thump, an emotion coursing through her nerves made her flinch and pull back.
“In the future, there will be many difficult challenges. More than you can imagine.”
“What do you mean?”
“Four years from now….”
At her question, Enok Revendale hesitated, closing his mouth shortly after starting to speak. He wore a pondering expression for a moment.
Maybe Lumia can handle this, he whispered, looking directly into her eyes. Though his focus was blurred from intoxication and his expression was slack, a glimmer of certainty shone through those eyes.
“Okhraine will be destroyed.”
“Y-yes…?”
“After the full-scale invasion of the Soviev Empire, Okhraine will completely lose its sovereignty with further invasions from the Pry Free Democratic State and the Rhinehardt Empire.”
It was an unbelievable story.
As before, though the Soviev Empire was constantly waging localized wars, could they really invade with both the Pry Free Democratic State and the Rhinehardt Empire?
If someone else had said it, it might have been dismissed as the delusions of a drunken person.
But since the source was Enok Revendale, Lumia couldn’t simply ignore it.
“I have been running to prevent that tragedy. Fortunately, I met you and our battalion, but I’m still lacking.”
“Captain.”
“And so your role is incredibly important. You must never give up.”
“Captain…!!”
“You can do it, because you are my most trusted… and relied upon aide.”
Thud.
With that last word, Enok slammed his head onto the table. It seemed he had reached his limit.
Just moments before he had been on the verge of drunkenness, but now, Lumia found herself completely sober.
She had just heard something huge. The destruction of Okhraine, in only four years? Lumia’s mind was in chaos.
But this was Enok Revendale. He was a remarkable individual who always accomplished what no one else could foresee. Perhaps… the essence of the subtle unease Lumia had felt all along stemmed from this.
He always looked toward far-off horizons. He possessed the decisiveness to make challenging and proactive choices. He had genuinely cared for and nurtured them, a platoon that was practically scrap.
What if all of that was a desperate move to stave off the disaster approaching in four years?
“… So you’ve been silently suffering all this time without telling anyone?”
Lumia spoke to Enok, who had buried his head in the table. No answer came.
“My goodness.”
Enok Revendale had been waging a lonely battle. Preparing for a horrific future that no one could have dared to predict.
Who would genuinely take such a story seriously? Even Lumia had doubted it, let alone the high-ranking officials who were mired in desk jobs.
So perhaps he had chosen the fifth platoon. A unit that was free because it had been abandoned.
Lumia slowly approached Enok. She took his limp hand in hers. It was warm.
“Down Weight.”
A magical phrase slipped from her slightly parted lips. Enok’s body was enveloped in a gentle green mana, and Lumia lightly lifted him.
She then carefully laid Enok down onto her bed. She thought about changing his clothes, but that felt a bit inappropriate, so she dismissed the idea.
Lumia stared intently at him as he slept soundly. She then carefully lay down beside him.
Did he hide such a story behind his always kind and warm smile? Lumia lightly raised her hand to touch Enok’s cheek.
The man who had saved her. A person she could never repay her debt to during her lifetime. And the man who made her understand the feeling of love for the first time.
“You’ve worked so hard until now. And in the future… you’ll have to endure even more.”
Lumia squirmed and nestled closer. Now, Enok’s breath brushed her nose.
“From now on, I’ll fight alongside you. I don’t want it to be a lonely battle. As your comrade and subordinate, I can’t live without you, Captain.”
It was a voice that would never reach him. Silver hair shining under the moonlight spilled over Enok’s fingers.
“So please always stay by my side. I will always be by your side as well.”
Whether it be war or anything else, if you are by my side, I can overcome anything.
Lumia gently closed her eyes and thought.
*
My head hurt. I cautiously got up from the bed. How much did I drink yesterday? I couldn’t remember anything after the fifth glass.
Crazy, is it really high-quality alcohol? The rate of absorption in my body was on a different level compared to the cheap beer or low-quality spirits sold at pubs.
But something felt off.
The feel of the bed, and upon closer inspection, the layout of the room felt slightly different…
“?”
Turning my head sideways, I caught sight of the distinct silver hair. Following the sight, there was soft skin and a disheveled uniform shirt, with a glimpse of black lingerie in between.
“AAAH!!?”
As my consciousness jolted back, I tumbled off the bed.
“Ugh…”
“L-Lumia!?”
I strained to remember but could think of nothing. Could it be that in my drunken stupor… I crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed?
The hangover that had been pressing down on me dissipated in an instant. My slightly muddled mind cleared as if struck by lightning.
“Captain…?”
I rubbed my eyes and sat up to find Lumia. As the shirt slipped off her shoulder, the silhouette that had been hidden was completely revealed. It looked like very high-quality fabric.
“Ah.”
Lumia, realizing the situation a moment too late, her face turned bright red, and I hurriedly fled her room.
Various thoughts flashed through my mind, but one thing was certain.
“This is really bad!!”
I felt like I wouldn’t be able to face Lumia ever again.
