223 - A Certain Soldier’s Sigh (2)

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

After collecting Argos’s belongings and returning to the base, I found a newly added bundle of documents.

Faced with the subordinate holding them, I unintentionally took a posture of refusing to accept them.

If this had been another mountain, I would probably have shouted, “Don’t screw with me.”

“Major. These are from Lieutenant General Nival.”

Once I knew who they were from, I could guess the reason and purpose.

(From Grandfather? In that case, the contents must be…)

Thinking that if they were something that grandfather had sent, I changed my mindset and reached out.

The instant I looked through the materials in my hand, I held my head despite being in front of my subordinate.

Why had the higher-ups not sent this information from the beginning?

I dismissed the subordinate, who looked uneasy, and continued reading through the contents of the documents.

I also read the letter from my grandfather, and it seemed the higher-ups had already vaguely realized Argos’s true identity during the Orc Hazard incident and had been gathering materials related to the Genetically Enhanced Soldier Project.

He had used his authority to force them to send those materials to me, which made clear who had wanted to hide what in this matter.

There was no physical evidence, so I could not state it definitively, but it was probably not wrong to say there were people plotting to revive genetic manipulation technology.

The relatively new documents included what seemed to be analyses written by modern researchers, the facilities and technology needed for reproduction, and even realistic routes for acquiring them. Since they concluded by saying it would not be impossible if an Old Imperial research facility were discovered, it was only natural to think that way.

I did not understand the technical side, but it was not hard to imagine that this was probably grand talk aimed at securing a budget.

There were obvious limits even to imitating Imperial technology… but there were also fools who did not understand that.

(So this was the bait that hooked those idiots.)

What was written in the document I held was the details of Type “Angel,” one of the Genetically Enhanced Soldier Project types.

The trait “agelessness” found within it must have looked extremely attractive to those with power.

“The successful examples are eight: ‘Guardian,’ ‘Ogre,’ ‘Titan,’ ‘Kelpie,’ ‘Banshee,’ ‘Angel,’ ‘Behemoth,’ and ‘Goliath.’ Details remain only for the three late-stage types…”

The thought crossed my mind that whoever caused the Orc Hazard might have been one of them.

At the very least, I could say for certain that it was not Angel, Behemoth, or Goliath, whose detailed information remained. But if it was one of the other types, then they might very well have had a reason to attack the Council-State.

Because I thought that way, I could not ignore the image of the test subject drawn in the documents I was holding.

“Type Goliath…”

That was the true identity of the new species of monster called Argos.

When I looked at the details, there were many parts that made me think, “I see,” and they matched the abilities I had seen myself.

I could not help but think that if we had faced him using this as a basis, things might have gone differently. Unfortunately, however, there was no useful information regarding his runaway state, and worse, it turned out that state was caused by a different factor.

That was the Nemesis Code—a self-destruction factor for when a test subject became uncontrollable.

There was no detailed information on that, but apparently genetic manipulation technology itself had still been under development, and the documents stated the view that some kind of safety mechanism had been necessary.

So this was the result of applying an uncertain technology to military use, I thought, then sighed as I looked at the personal information of the test subjects.

What I needed to examine among these were the test subjects of Type: Goliath.

There were eight in total, but four were confirmed dead, and Argos was among the remaining four.

(Three from the military. One from the civilian sector…)

The reasons written there were probably common enough for that era: someone who lost family in the war and volunteered, someone who devoted herself to the Empire as a noble, and someone scouted by the military to become a test subject.

The ones among them who could correspond to Argos were either the noble or the one scouted by the military.

If revenge was his objective, then his reason for coming to the Council-State would have to involve either the Haile Federation or the Reberen Republic, which had already fallen.

Argos seemed to know that, so one could be excluded.

And from the reports that had come in so far, it was clear Argos was not female, so the noblewoman could also be excluded.

“…These two, then.”

A volunteer soldier who rose to protect his country, and an oddball who answered the draft despite being part of the privileged class living in the Imperial Capital.

If it had simply said he had been drafted, I could still imagine his personality and background, but the fact that I did not know why he had not refused despite being in a position where he could do so bothered me.

He was probably not merely a patriot.

I held the two sheets and compared them.

“Clausen? Or Yunos?”

The odds were one in two.

If only I had been able to use this earlier, I thought, another sigh slipping out just as the sound of a knock echoed through the room.

“Enter.”

I returned the documents to the desk, and the subordinate who came in reported that the inspection of Argos’s belongings had been completed… but as expected, they apparently could not make a judgment regarding the holy sword, and had come to call me because they had no choice but to have me come.

It would have been better if I could leave it to the Lieutenant Colonel, but the superior officer who had only just arrived was not lightly wounded.

Realizing I had no choice but to go myself, I sent the subordinate ahead and headed to the place where Argos’s possessions were being stored.

I had thought it would become a problem.

After all, it was a holy sword.

It was a troublesome item not only in terms of handling, but also because of its political implications.

“Um, Major…?”

“I know. I am somewhat confused as well.”

Who could have imagined it?

The hilt sticking out of the case caught my attention, so when I casually touched it to put it back inside, the people around me were surprised that the sword did not reject me. I knew that if I only touched it briefly, I could let go before the rejection reaction came, so I said, “It is fine as long as I do not grip it like this,” and then gripped the holy sword—only to be able to hold it normally.

I could not understand the situation to the point that a voice of “Huh?” slipped out.

And so, I was holding my head while lifting the holy sword in one hand.

In this situation, yet another troublesome matter had been born.

And it was my own mistake, no less.

Who could have predicted that the problem would occur in this form?

(This makes marriage with the Lieutenant Colonel feel much more realistic.)

I did not dislike him, but he was not my type either.

I had kept my distance from political marriages, but now I could no longer say that.

If someone else who could use it appeared, there would be no problem, but… the future of being sent off to the front lines as a nuisance because of this came to mind.

“So my own career turns into a liability here,” I sighed, and with timing that was either good or bad, Lieutenant Colonel Kavasa appeared. Upon seeing me holding the holy sword, he clapped his hands in delight.

I could only envy how carefree he was.

As I stared at him in exasperation, he said, “There is something I want you to see,” and handed me something like a diary.

When I took it and checked the contents, I realized it was a researcher’s journal.

Since Argos had owned it, it was clearly related to someone involved in the Genetically Enhanced Soldier Project, and I judged that we needed to read it urgently.

Then, with a nervous, “And there was also something like this…” he handed over a single photograph.

When I took it, what I saw was myself in a swimsuit.

I nearly let out a strange voice, but I had no memory of wearing such a swimsuit, nor did I remember having a full-color photograph taken.

If so, who was this?

The answer was written on the back of the photograph, which had been processed for preservation.

“Mireina…”

I remembered seeing that name somewhere.

And my instincts told me it was something extremely important.

(Remember! Where did I see it!? What is bothering me!? What is about to connect!?)

Something in my memory appealed to me, but it would not take shape, and what I tried to grasp did not remain in my hand.

Perhaps finding it suspicious that I was glaring at the photograph, the Lieutenant Colonel peered over at it.

“That’s not the Major… The hair length aside, the way the muscles are built is different.”

I wanted to praise him for being able to tell at a glance that it was someone else, but I wished he would stop comparing us.

From his gaze, I could tell where he was looking, so when I glared sharply at him, the Lieutenant Colonel took one step back.

“This is beyond just looking alike. A relative? If I’d met her before meeting you, I’d definitely have wanted an introduction.”

I sighed and traced my memory again—then turned back at the Lieutenant Colonel’s words.

The Lieutenant Colonel looked surprised when I suddenly turned around, but thanks to his words, I was finally able to remember.

“So that’s what it means…”

It connected.

But there was one more thing I wanted to confirm before I could be certain.

“Lieutenant Colonel. I have thought of a strategy against Argos.”

Will you cooperate?

At that question, he showed me a ferocious smile.

I am a soldier of the Council-State.

There is no room for personal feelings there.

As expected, I ended up facing Argos again.

The documents were useful, but they did not allow me to connect Argos to a specific person. With the missing information, I could not secure superiority over someone who had lived through that era, and a rematch became unavoidable.

In that case, what I had to do was seize victory.

The higher-ups seemed to want to secure Argos, but if he was the person I expected him to be, then killing him here was the best I could do.

If he was going to be used up as a monster, then I would bury him as a human.

That was what I had resolved, but… unable to keep indulging the Lieutenant Colonel’s selfishness, I joined the battle, only for him to completely push me outside and start fighting.

Because it was a tactically understandable move, I could not take it as confirmation, and the battle dragged on.

The genetically enhanced soldier suppression weapon I had given the Lieutenant Colonel had also exploded and become unusable, so it became necessary to settle things before he entered another runaway state.

Even so, I pressed on.

Using the holy sword I was not yet accustomed to, I succeeded in closing in and drove a certain strike into his arm.

However, that was his aim as well, just as it was mine.

Securing the holy sword—I did not know when that had become his objective, but he achieved it by letting the holy sword pierce his own arm.

And he accomplished it while also satisfying the condition of “not hurting me.”

By this point, it was enough.

“I’m certain now. You’re ‘Yunos,’ aren’t you?”

From his actions so far, I knew that what I was about to do was despicable.

Even so, I would do it without hesitation.

He, who could not even bring himself to hurt me, must surely have made his choice for the sake of his family.

Without knowing that the result was different from what he had wished, he had revived in the present age and was living while fighting the terror of becoming someone other than himself.

If he would eventually lose his human reason, become a monster, and spread disaster throughout the world, then I would bury him here as a “pitiful victim of the Old Empire.”

As a soldier of the Council-State, that was the least mercy I could offer him.

That was how it was supposed to be… but the result was defeat.

Ah, life truly does not go as one wishes, I thought, letting out a small sigh.