Chapter 18

By the time Aethlyn opened her eyes, the train was almost at its destination.

I really passed out.

Pulling out her book had been pointless. She had slept for two or three hours as though she’d blacked out.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have drooled or sprawled all over the seat. Her cap was still properly on her head, and she was sitting in the same posture as before.

Carefully, Aethlyn glanced to her left.

Beside her, Sergeant Gennadi Vilev sat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. His cap rested on one knee.

“Sergeant.”

“Yes, Second Lieutenant.”

The reply came immediately.

“That was awfully fast. Weren’t you asleep?”

“I wasn’t sleeping. We were about to arrive anyway.”

His clipped, deliberate way of speaking somehow sounded comforting.

“Still, weren’t you bored sitting here by yourself?”

“Not really.”

“You have a habit of answering ‘not really’ whenever you’re not sure.”

The man awkwardly added,

“…I wasn’t bored.”

Heh.

Aethlyn chuckled softly.

Sergeant Vilev’s way of speaking was blunt, but somehow oddly likable.

As she adjusted the brim of her cap with her fingertips, she said,

“We should get ready to get off.”

The train gradually slowed before coming to a complete stop.

The moment they stepped out of the carriage, it felt like they had entered an entirely different world.

Unlike the silent Kran Station, Parieri Station—the capital of Pharos—was overflowing with life.

The capital really is different.

No sooner had Aethlyn and Gennadi stepped onto the platform than a tide of people surged into the train.

They were all bound for the Republic of Esta, the Kingdom of Willem, or the Kunetz Union.

The sudden flood of passengers nearly caused Aethlyn to lose sight of Sergeant Vilev.

Good grief. They’re all boarding here.

Fortunately, Sergeant Vilev was exceptionally tall, so he wasn’t difficult for Aethlyn to spot.

She waved an arm to signal where she was.

“Vilev!”

“—Second Lieutenant.”

Sergeant Vilev, who had been calmly scanning the crowd, reacted instantly to her call.

His brilliant golden eyes found her with the precision of a searchlight.

She waved more energetically.

“Stay there. I’ll come—”

…to you.

Before she could finish, Sergeant Vilev strode straight toward her.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the sea of people seemed to split before him like waves breaking against the shore.

Stopping beside her, he quietly extended an arm.

Is he telling me to take it?

It reminded her of being escorted at a formal ball.

Of course, this wasn’t the same situation.

Yet for some reason, she hesitated.

“…”

That brief hesitation made her miss the moment entirely.

By the time Sergeant Vilev awkwardly lowered his arm again, Aethlyn hadn’t said a single word.

I hope I didn’t offend him.

Watching him silently continue walking ahead, she felt a pang of guilt.

He had probably only been trying to help.

But the thought didn’t linger for long.

The moment they left the station, another entirely different world unfolded before them.

If Estaria, the capital of Esta, was a dazzling golden city, and Boheten, the capital of the Kingdom of Barbaros, was a gray metropolis of concrete and steel…

…then Parieri, the capital of Pharos, was a city painted in every imaginable color.

Red, purple, and orange banners fluttered through the streets.

The scent of exotic spices tickled her nose.

But the most striking thing was—

It’s so loud.

Incredibly loud.

Ironically, despite having spent quite some time in Pharos already, this was the first time she’d heard so much Pharosian spoken all at once.

Merchants haggled loudly.

Children ran through the streets laughing.

And—

“Real wine! Real tobacco! Perfect for our brave soldiers!”

Peddlers carrying portable stalls over their shoulders constantly stepped into Gennadi and Aethlyn’s path.

“We buy medals! Military gear too! Imperial Army equipment gets the best prices! You won’t find a better offer anywhere, sir!”

Aethlyn glared sharply at the merchant.

“We’re not interested.”

The merchants immediately lost interest and moved on.

She sighed toward the man walking behind her.

“Just how many soldiers have been selling military supplies here for them to be this aggressive?”

“Technically, that’s embezzlement.”

To her complaint, the sergeant replied indifferently,

“They don’t even pay that much.”

“…”

“Imperial Army gear fetches a better price, though. A canteen in good condition gets you about a bottle of cheap wine. Medals… their value changes all the time.”

Aethlyn shot him a sidelong glance.

He sounded as calm as someone discussing the market price of pork.

An instinctive sense of disgust rose inside her.

I’d never do that.

I’m not going to loot dead men’s belongings and sell them.

The words rose to the tip of her tongue before she swallowed them.

Right… we’re in different positions.

She quietly looked ahead again.

Their destination was a hotel in the heart of Parieri’s new downtown district.

The High Mountain Hotel.

Not only the most expensive hotel in Parieri, but arguably in all of Pharos.

The lavish lobby certainly supported that reputation.

While it couldn’t quite compare to the finest hotels in Esta, the luxurious woven carpets and rich fragrance gave it an elegant, exotic atmosphere.

In one dim corner of the first-floor lobby sat two officers who appeared to belong to the Morning Star Alliance.

Judging by the number of empty liquor bottles scattered between them, they’d been drinking there for hours.

The moment Aethlyn and Gennadi entered the lobby, the two drunken officers called out.

“Looks like an Estan Magic Army officer. Who’s the big guy beside her?”

“Probably a bodyguard. Those mages always get special treatment.”

“Judging by the shoulder boards, she’s a second lieutenant.”

Looking closer, Aethlyn realized they were officers from the Kingdom of Willem Army.

Both captains.

Their alcohol-flushed faces twisted into mocking grins.

How tiresome.

For a moment, she considered removing the Magic Army insignia from her uniform during her leave.

Then one of the shorter officers deliberately raised his voice.

“Who knows? Maybe they’re here to spend a hot night together. That guy looks like he’s got plenty of stamina.”

“You Estans have it good. Pretty female officers willing to warm your bed. Makes me wish I were an Estan citizen.”

Sigh…

In the past, Aethlyn would have confronted them immediately.

But today, exhaustion won out.

For one thing, she’d heard that kind of crude insult so many times back at Kran Trench that she was sick of it.

Besides, their intentions were painfully obvious.

The fact that they were speaking in Estan instead of Willemian made it clear they wanted to provoke her.

They’re not even worth dealing with.

Maybe I’ll find out their names and unit later.

When she had the time, Aethlyn intended to file a formal complaint with the Alliance Headquarters.

Seeing the icy look on her face, the taller of the two officers seemed to realize what she was thinking. His expression stiffened.

As though suddenly sobering up, he quickly lowered his head and whispered into his companion’s ear.

“What? You want me to stop? Why should I? Since when is saying I’m jealous because he’s sleeping with a pretty woman an insult? Those Estan bastards hog all the women in Pharos too!”

The hotel lobby fell into an icy silence.

Even the staff behind the front desk had gone pale.

At this point, Aethlyn could no longer pretend she hadn’t heard it.

The taller captain, who at least seemed to have come to his senses, hurriedly offered an awkward apology.

“My apologies. My friend drank himself senseless for the first time in a while and spoke out of turn.”

“Why are you apologizing? If anyone should apologize, it’s the Estans. They’re the reason we’re caught up in this.”

“Shut up! Once again, my apologies. I’ll drag him outside myself, so please pretend you didn’t hear any of that.”

Without saying a word, Aethlyn simply stared at the two men.

They’re having a grand time arguing with each other.

She was exhausted.

She didn’t want to waste another second on them.

Just as she turned toward the front desk—

“AAAGH!”

A shrill scream erupted behind her.

Startled, Aethlyn spun around.

Her face immediately filled with shock.

How could it not?

Sergeant Vilev had the shorter captain by the collar.

Not just by the collar—

He was holding the man high in the air as though hanging a condemned prisoner from the gallows.

“H-Hey…! Somebody help me!”

The Willem Army captain’s arms and legs flailed helplessly in midair.

His companion belatedly shoved at Sergeant Vilev’s shoulder, but the sergeant didn’t budge.

Punches landed.

He was shoved with full body weight.

He didn’t move so much as an inch.

The captain, who would have been considered a fairly large man by ordinary standards, looked as frail as a straw doll standing beside Sergeant Vilev.

Without taking his eyes off the man in his grip, the sergeant spoke in a low voice that scraped like stone across the floor.

“…Apologize.”