[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
Chapter 140
I often wished I could share my military stories, but I had no one to tell them to.
I wanted to turn those painful memories into fond ones, to laugh and reminisce about them with someone who’d say, ‘I’ve been there too.’ But that was impossible.
After all, who else but a crazy noble would enlist as a common soldier?
The quartet had some training, but that was it. Selena listened intently and offered support, but her knowledge was limited. Eloise was an officer from a foreign military, and Lefia… Well, there was no need to explain.
That’s why I was so grateful for Lav’s presence. It was a relief to have someone who shared the same memories.
“Those bastards! Why would they leave crap in the trenches they dug?!”
“Ugh, I’ve been there. Luckily, I didn’t step in it…”
“Damn 3rd Platoon. They think they can do whatever they want because it’s not their trench.”
Recently, I’ve been meeting with the families of former Medal of Honor recipients, my direct seniors.
They told me that if I keep layering happy memories over the sad ones, one day I’ll meet those fallen comrades in my dreams and be able to face them with a smile.
I think it’s good advice. I can’t dwell on the pain forever. They didn’t die for me to be like this.
“If they hadn’t performed well on the front lines, I swear I would’ve hunted those bastards down and wiped them out.”
“Perhaps they fought their hardest, knowing how you’d react, Master?”
“Is that so? Damn those guys. They knew better than to mess with the company’s top dog.”
Live well and be happy. Be so successful that they’d be proud to see you.
No matter how hard it gets, no matter how much you regret it, live on. Because the days you regret were the past that your comrades sacrificed their lives to give you.
“But Lav, you were a sharpshooter. Why were you on the front lines so often?”
“Our front lines were dangerous at times. I often disobeyed orders and fought alongside the soldiers.”
“….”
Wow. I didn’t know Lav had that in her. Disobeying orders, no less.
I’m glad she is a damn good shooter. If she wasn’t, the superiors would have sent her to the rear lines immediately.
“It’s surprising. I didn’t know you had that in you.”
“Huh? Oh, I learned it all from you, Master.”
“From me?”
When did I teach her that? I swear, I never taught her anything like that!
“Didn’t you rush to the front lines, or even into enemy territory, to save your comrades countless times, Master? I thought you were telling others to do the same.”
“Absolutely not.”
I was just out of my mind. My direct superiors must have been going crazy.
I was disobedient, always rushing into close combat, disobeying orders to save my men. And to top it off, I was the son of a Count, so they couldn’t even beat me up.
Thinking about it now, it’s amazing they left me alone. If it were me, I would have beaten the crap out of myself, regardless of my background.
“I’m reminded once again that I’m Lavs teacher.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve always been my teacher.”
“But I’m telling you, I taught you that for no reason at all.”
“So you even performed acts of kindness without any reason.”
Even if I told her otherwise, she wouldn’t listen now. I might as well just agree with her.
As we leave the Cemetery, Lav looks at me with a subtle glint in his eyes.
This doesn’t bode well.
“Did your trip to the Holy See with Senior Selena go well?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. It went well.”
“I see. Did anything happen?”
“Happen? A lot happened. As you know, Lav, I received that mysterious miracle or light several times, the four of them teased me endlessly, and I even received a blessing from His Holiness on my greatsword—Lav?”
I felt a strange gaze and turned to see Lav looking at me.
To be precise, there was a hint of a glare in his eyes.
“There’s no need to hide it from me, Master.”
“Huh?”
“It’s really okay. I already had an inkling.”
“No, I mean, which part…”
“I spoke with Senior Selena. About how far things would go, and what we could promise each other.”
Wait, did she just say ‘promised each other’ and ‘how far things would go’? Does that mean what I think it means?
Suddenly, I remember the first kiss I shared with Selena in the Holy See. Ah, yes. The moonlight was beautiful.
“I’ll ask again, Master. Did anything happen?”
“….”
“It’s okay. I’m already in agreement.”
In agreement. Hearing those words, a sudden surge of courage welled up within me.
It should be okay to tell her, right? If Lav already knows, Selena wouldn’t mind if I was honest, would she?
“A kiss.”
“A kiss.”
“Yes, a kiss.”
“Just a kiss?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
At my confirmation, Lav hums and keeps looking at me.
Then, she suddenly mutters, ‘Thank you for your honest answer, Master. Thanks to you, I’ve gained an advantage.’
…Wait a minute.
“Lav? Don’t tell me.”
I have a bad feeling about this. It’s like the feeling of dozing off during guard duty and then the commander shows up for inspection!
“Don’t tell me you were lying.”
“….”
“Hey! Tell me honestly! There was no agreement with Selena, was there?!”
Lav subtly avoids my gaze and answers!
“On the battlefield, deception is key, Master. You know that.”
“No!”
“Anyway, so you and Selena kissed. Thank you for the useful information.”
“Hey!!”
Damn it! I’ve been had!
* * *
The matters between the Empire and Lasker were finally settled. There were both undisclosed unpleasantries and public cooperation.
Lefia felt a mix of tension and relief.
Honestly, just thinking about that time still made her heart pound. To come all the way to the Empire, as a foreign exchange student, and make such a proposal… Were they insane?
Thankfully, the Empire turned a blind eye. If they had immediately severed ties with Lasker and demanded an explanation, there would have been nothing her home country could have done.
‘If it weren’t for Senior Karl…’
The Empire subtly expressed their displeasure by involving Karl, a Medal of Honor recipient.
Fortunately, the news reached Lasker, and they also expressed their regrets.
Afterwards, the Empire demanded a sort of ‘compensation’ by sending a congratulatory delegation for the new queen’s coronation.
Lasker accepted, seeing it as an indirect way to acknowledge the Empire’s superiority.
In addition, it was confirmed that the fear of the ‘Baba Yaga,’ which had been fading, was still alive and well.
In any case, two things were now certain.
One, Lusker was no longer a powerful nation rivaling the Empire, but simply a neighboring country with friendly relations.
And two, Lefia herself had to sever almost all ties with her home country.
Honestly, it wasn’t difficult. There was nothing to regret. Lefia knew herself well.
She was a coward, a princess who lacked the courage befitting her royal bloodline. Thus, her status as a princess was only a heavy shackle, and she decided it was better to cut it off quickly.
So, she gave up her title as a princess and decided to stay in the Empire after her studies were over. Her home country accepted this and even offered some support.
However, the question remained. How would the Empire view her? That was the problem—
Thwack!—
“Eek?!”
“What are you doing, Lefia?! Spacing out like that after coming all this way?!”
“…Ah! I-I’m sorry!”
It turned out better than expected. Her classmates were even more accepting of Lefia than before.
Whether it was because abandoning her royal status had removed a sense of distance, or because rumors were circulating among the first-years that ‘Lefia is close with Senior Karl Adelheit?!,’ it didn’t matter.
Lefia got up from her seat and walked towards the beach.
“….”
The warm sun. The wide sandy beach spread out beneath it. And the blue sea.
It was a sight rarely seen in her homeland. There was a sea, but the North Sea was much colder and rougher than this one. Almost every day was a storm.
At first, she slightly regretted not going to the Holy See with Karl. But looking at the sea, and seeing herself getting closer to her classmates, the regret faded, leaving only joy.
“Lefia. Lefia.”
A female student approached Lefia, who was dipping her feet in the seawater.
“Did you hear the news?”
“News? What news?”
“About the miracle that happened in the Holy See.”
Miracle?
This was the first she’d heard of it.
Did miracles even exist?
She thought they were just legends passed down in the Church.
“Not just any miracle. In front of His Holiness the Pope, the Cardinals, and all the believers, during the Feast of All Saints, Senior Karl was praying, and light just shone on him, like whoosh!!”
“…Huh?”
Wait. Who? Who was bathed in light? Lefia was flustered and asked without thinking.
“Who? Who received the miracle?”
“Senior Karl! What, didn’t he contact you?”
“Why would he contact me about that—”
“Because you seem close to Senior Karl!”
It was a misunderstanding.
They weren’t close at all. They just happened to be entangled.
Lefia hurriedly explained, not wanting any strange misunderstandings to arise.
But—
“Junior Lefia.”
“Eek?!”
That very evening, Lefia and her companions ran into Karl.
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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