Late at night.
Headquarters Company office of the 8th Assault Magic Infantry Battalion.
The office, which was bustling with activity during the day, was now filled only with a calm silence as darkness had descended.
Without a single candle lit, the moonlight streaming in through the window was the sole source of light in the room.
There were three people present there.
“Well then, let’s get down to business.”
The one who broke the serene atmosphere was a woman with silver hair tied into a single strand. Her amethyst eyes shimmered clearly even in the dark. She was Lieutenant Lumina Blue, the closest confidante and current adjutant of Colonel Enok Revendale.
“Do we all know why we’re here?”
“Of course.”
A short-haired woman responded. Black hair, crimson eyes—an appearance that would certainly draw attention—but more noticeable than her looks was a certain body part.
Captain Bella Meyer, the head of the medical platoon.
“It’s about deciding who will be accompanying us on this Rhinehardt Empire assignment, right?”
“But is this really a story that needs such serious and secretive vibes…?”
And finally, Roxanna Elrim, looking somewhat bewildered. Every time she tilted her head, her pink hair fluttered softly.
“Naturally. This is a major issue.”
“Is it…?”
“Exactly.”
No matter how incomprehensible the situation seemed, the unwavering determination of the two older sisters left Roxanna with no choice but to go along with it.
“We need to decide by tomorrow.”
“Why can’t someone from another department go?”
“The general staff is completely incapacitated, and we can’t pull anyone from the other companies currently in training.”
“So, it comes down to the spare personnel going…”
Roxanna said.
It was a painful topic, but what could they do—it was the truth. The aviation platoon was nothing more than a signboard; there was nothing substantial about it yet.
Even the medical platoon led by Bella Meyer was just for show. It consisted only of a few individuals who had volunteered as medics.
Among them, the only ones capable of using magic were Captain Bella Meyer and the emergency care officer.
Compared to the aviation platoon, their situation was slightly better, but they were still far from fully operational.
They would need at least the completion of training for the newly recruited soldiers to achieve full complement.
Or perhaps when the workload of the general staff decreased.
In any case, due to these reasons, these relatively free three individuals, along with Enok Revendale, were selected as candidates to attend the military exposition in Rhinehardt Empire.
And among these three, one person alone would have the honor of spending a month abroad with Lieutenant Enok Revendale.
“Of course, I, as the adjutant, should be the one to go.”
“Hmm~? I think differently.”
“Lumina-nee…?”
“On the contrary, isn’t it better for the adjutant to stay behind? Even though Major Yosef will take over the battalion commander duties, there isn’t a separate adjutant for him, right?”
“Bella-nee…?”
Both women exchanged words with cheerful expressions, but the tension between them was anything but comfortable. What was this strange competitive dynamic?
“Besides, the medical platoon leader can’t leave either. It’s a newly established organization, so it wouldn’t be good if its leader is absent, right?”
“It’s fine~ Anyway, we don’t have much work to do. They say the trainees are all learning emergency treatment from other mages on the field anyway?”
“If that’s the case, then why suggest creating the platoon in the first place…?”
“There’s a difference between minor injuries from training and getting shot, you know?”
Tsk, tsk.
Invisible sparks were flying. Normally, these two would compromise whenever they had differing opinions, but not this time—there was no sign of backing down.
After exchanging a few more words, both Lumina and Bella simultaneously turned their gaze towards Roxanna.
“What does Roxanna think? Who do you think should go?”
“Aha-ha, I’m completely out of this, nee-chan…”
“Uh? Do you want to go?”
“No, no! Not particularly!”
Roxanna hastily waved her hands in denial. Why would she want to involve herself in such a mess?
At her words, the tense expressions of Lumina and Bella gradually relaxed.
“Not really… Hmm… If Roxanna wants to go, we could send her.”
“I’m fine. My body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
A solid excuse.
Honestly, she wasn’t entirely against going. It was Rhinehardt Empire after all—the nation known for its delicious beer and sausages, where festivals happen every day.
Born with an innate love for drinking, Roxanna Elrim had never been outside the country before.
Frankly, with Lieutenant Enok Revendale around, they could exchange mana to prevent her condition from worsening.
However, Roxanna didn’t voice this opinion. Why ruin things when her two older sisters wanted to go so badly?
‘Besides, I fly around with Enok-sensei often enough.’
She reassured herself with this thought and smiled apologetically at her two sisters.
“One of the two should go.”
“Right?”
“Yeah, Roxanna. Bring me back some souvenirs.”
But even though Roxanna had given up, the problem hadn’t been resolved. After all, they still needed to choose between Lumina and Bella.
“You gave in last time, didn’t you!?”
“That was an unavoidable concession.”
“Ugh… Bella-nee, when did you start being interested in the lieutenant?”
“I’ve always been interested, but…”
Bella replied with a gentle smile.
Roxanna could detect a clear sense of shyness and jealousy in her expression.
“Isn’t it frustrating to just watch such a man from afar?”
“…”
“Just because Lumina isn’t dating him doesn’t mean anything.”
“Sis-?!”
It was a bombshell. Lumina’s mouth dropped open. All this time, her casual remarks about how desirable Lieutenant Enok was—were they actually sincere?
Caught off guard for a moment,
Lumina clenched her lips tightly.
“When did you start?”
“I don’t know exactly. It just kind of seeped in. Do you remember when you started liking the lieutenant?”
Bella’s words struck a chord deep within Lumina.
Perhaps it had been about eight months. But in Lumina’s twenty-three years of life, there was no one who had stirred such a powerful romantic interest in her like Enok Revendale.
If asked what the turning point was…
An uncertain future no matter how hard she tried. Added to that, the burden of past mistakes.
The one who pulled her out of that swamp of defeat, where she thought she’d never escape, was Platoon Leader Enok Revendale.
Even though she hadn’t met him long ago, she caused immense trouble in actual combat.
Yet, Enok Revendale consoled her, saying it was alright. He praised her, saying that without her, they might not have noticed the group behind the fortress attack.
She was forgiven and acknowledged.
How much she had longed to hear those words.
“Sis, you know too!”
“I know. I know too well. But you also know, Lumina. Not just you benefited from the lieutenant.”
Bella placed her hand on her chest.
“Not just you was saved. I’m simply being true to my feelings. I have no intention of telling you to give up.”
“Then!!”
“So you shouldn’t tell me to give up either.”
Goodness.
Though they had known each other for over a year, this was the first time Lumina and Bella had fought over a man.
Mostly, their disagreements were about Claude, weren’t they? And even then, Bella would get angry while Lumina would calm her down.
Now, neither of them seemed willing to give even an inch.
Finally, unable to bear it anymore, Roxanna interjected.
“Wait! Wait!!”
“…?”
“Sisters, fighting here won’t change anything, right?! How about we settle this fairly with rock-paper-scissors?”
Fair and square.
To Roxanna, both Lumina and Bella had valid claims. Making either of them back down would be ridiculous.
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“Okay, then Roxanna can be the judge.”
The gazes of Lumina and Bella aligned in a straight line. Initially, there was some attempt to hide it, but now, there was only a firm resolve not to give the other a chance.
Where did everything go wrong?
That question held no real meaning. Besides… she herself wasn’t much different from her two sisters. Lieutenant Enok Revendale was special. Could any woman who got close to him avoid developing feelings for him?
‘…But with these two, it’ll be fine.’
She thought, glancing away from her sisters. As a drinker, Enok Revendale was an impossibly precious gem beyond her reach.
“Then let’s begin? Rock, paper, scissors!”
*
“Yo! How’ve you been?”
“Brigadier General, is this really proper?”
“The idea of moving quickly came from the captain himself, didn’t it?”
At the entrance of Stout Village, Brigadier General Sony Chepelin burst into a shameless chuckle. I clicked my tongue in disapproval and shook my head.
“That’s one thing, but I still don’t want to go.”
“But it’s Rhinehardt Empire! The most technologically advanced nation on the continent! Plus, the timing coincides with the festival. Think of it as taking a vacation. The captain hasn’t had a proper break yet.”
“Vacation…”
Indeed.
New officers usually get sent on leave after about six months of duty, but nearly eight months had passed and I hadn’t taken a real vacation yet.
Not that I hadn’t planned to visit nearby mountain streams or lakes for a summer getaway.
Given the priority tasks of battalion formation and training plan establishment, taking actual leave remained a distant dream.
“The expo schedule isn’t long, and the rest is just meeting a few people with Count Petrinant!”
“Hmm, sounds pretty decent.”
“Of course, except for the part where I’m planning to overwhelm you with social engagements.”
“In that case, it sounds pretty bad.”
“Kukuku! Your reaction is amusing. You’re definitely our battalion commander.”
As Sony Chepelin clapped her hands, a grand carriage adorned with uniforms appeared.
“You can leave your luggage with this gentleman.”
“We shall serve you diligently.”
Apparently, since this was official business, the royal court provided a special mission carriage. I handed over the luggage I was carrying in both hands to the driver and turned to look at those who had come to see me off.
“I’ll be back.”
“Safe travels.”
“But why does Captain Bella Meyer look so downcast? Did she not sleep well last night?”
For the first time, she looked dejected. Concerned that something might be wrong with her memory, I was relieved when Roxanna, standing nearby, awkwardly assured me she was fine.
“She said she wasn’t feeling well yesterday!”
“Ah, is that so? Definitely, both Roxanna and Bella must take care of themselves while I’m gone.”
“I will keep that in mind!”
Claude and the other company and platoon leaders would be busy drilling new recruits.
This was sufficient as a farewell.
“Then, Lumina, let’s go.”
“Yes! Battalion Commander!!”
“Are you really that enthusiastic?”
‘Why is Lumina’s enthusiasm higher than usual? What’s with this extreme contrast?’
I had a premonition that I was caught up in something inexplicable. Probably just my imagination, right?
Since it’s just an expo, how troublesome could it be?
With a peculiar feeling, I boarded the carriage.
Clunk, thud!
The carriage began moving immediately after closing the door.
Its destination lay toward the Rhinehardt Empire.
