Chapter 26

Leaning against the wall, the sergeant stood with his head lowered and his arms crossed.

Perhaps because he was standing in the dark, Aethlyn couldn’t make out his face very well.

She slowly opened her mouth.

Before she could say, “I’m sorry. My little brother ended up dragging you into this as well—”, Sergeant Gennadi Vilev spoke first.

“I’m sorry, Second Lieutenant.”

“What are you apologizing for? I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

“I didn’t know he was your younger brother.”

“Of course you didn’t. It was your first time seeing him.”

Besides, Arthur had suddenly appeared by using Teleport magic.

Anyone would have mistaken him for an enemy.

It would have looked as though some insane Imperial Army mage had launched a terrorist attack.

“Fortunately… or unfortunately… he doesn’t seem to be seriously hurt. I’ll talk some sense into him and send him back on the first train tomorrow morning.”

“…”

Only then did Sergeant Vilev raise his head.

He looked just as he had the first time she’d met him.

Between the dim hotel corridor and the brim of his cap, half his face remained hidden in shadow.

His lips were slightly parted, and he looked down at her with the same slightly hunched posture.

“Anyway… I’m really sorry. I feel bad that my immature little brother seems to have ruined your leave too.”

Aethlyn forced an awkward smile.

The corners of her mouth trembled from exhaustion after staying up all night.

Sergeant Vilev gave a small nod.

“…That’s a relief.”

Does he mean it’s a relief Arthur wasn’t badly hurt?

Aethlyn quietly watched the man, who looked as though he had neither the intention of moving nor of saying anything else.

“…”

Silence settled between them.

A cold, rigid silence.

Only then did Aethlyn realize what a mess she must have looked like.

Her hair was completely disheveled, she was wearing a somewhat stiff nightgown with a shawl carelessly thrown over it, and she looked every bit like she had during the days she’d stayed awake night after night before her Academy graduation exams.

Feeling self-conscious, she looked away first.

“Get some proper rest during the two days you have left before returning. I’ll take care of Arthur.”

Leaving the still-silent sergeant behind, Aethlyn went back into her room.

The thought of facing Arthur gave her a headache, but she had nowhere else to go.

More than anything…

She didn’t want the sergeant to see her without her uniform.

The next morning, Aethlyn paid the hotel a hefty sum in compensation.

She even gave them more than they had asked for.

Handing the thick envelope to the hotel manager, she repeated the same request for what felt like the tenth time.

“Please keep this completely confidential.”

If word of this incident ever reached the people of Esta, it was obvious how troublesome things would become.

The ordinary citizens would make an even bigger fuss than the mages.

People would undoubtedly spread rumors that the Wintercrown siblings had fought a duel abroad.

She wanted no part of that.

“Of course!”

“I mean it. If this story gets out…”

The manager’s mustache quivered as he shook his head vigorously.

“Absolutely not! Fortunately, while you were staying here, the only other Estan soldier in the hotel was that sergeant over there. We’ve already told the other guests that a gas burner exploded, so you truly have nothing to worry about!”

“…Thank you.”

“That sergeant over there.”

Aethlyn turned toward Sergeant Vilev.

He was helping the hotel staff clean up the lobby.

More specifically, he was casually carrying massive chunks of rubble outside.

I told him to spend the rest of his leave resting.

Yet Sergeant Vilev silently continued helping clean the hotel.

It felt awkward to stop him again, so she let him be.

Still, she couldn’t shake the weight in her chest.

Just then, she watched him effortlessly hurl what looked like an enormous slab of stone outside.

His strength really is… incredible.

Looking at him now, it was almost miraculous that Arthur’s left hand hadn’t been crushed.

Aethlyn frowned without realizing it.

No matter how irritating her half-brother was, she never wanted Arthur to suffer the same pain she had.

No…

She wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

There was nothing more pitiful than a mage who had lost the use of their left hand.

A conversation she’d overheard at Kran Trench a few days earlier came back to her.

If you captured a mage on the battlefield, the first things you cut off were their left hand and their tongue.

It had sounded like nothing more than a horrifying rumor.

They’d even said that was why mages were never exchanged as prisoners of war.

According to the rules of engagement, such things should never happen.

If it had been before the raid on the trench, Aethlyn would have sternly declared such acts unjust.

But…

She was no longer that naive.

She knew instinctively.

Whether it was the Morning Star Alliance or the Barbaros Imperial Army, both sides would undoubtedly do exactly that when driven into a desperate situation.

Sergeant Vilev probably hadn’t shown much mercy to Imperial Army mages either.

“Aren’t you curious what really happened during Operation Frozen Fortress, Second Lieutenant?”

…There was no need to bring up Operation Frozen Fortress.

Common sense alone made it obvious that mages were the highest-priority targets on any battlefield.

With nothing more than a flick of their fingers, they could blow dozens of people apart.

So either they were never taken prisoner in the first place…

Or if they were killed… it wouldn’t be a gentle death.

Her thoughts stopped there.

Aethlyn gave the satisfied manager a brisk nod.

For now, she just wanted to finish sending her troublesome little brother home.

Arthur complained the entire way to the train station.

“I feel sorry for you, Sis. Having to spend your time in a backward place like this without a single bit of intellectual stimulation.”

“Taking care of an ill-mannered little brother is far more pitiful, so shut up.”

“Your language has gotten rough. I suppose that’s what happens after living in the cesspool they call the military…”

“The military didn’t make my mouth foul.”

“You did.”

Trading sharp words the whole way, the two quickly arrived at their destination.

Looking at Aethlyn, who had accompanied him all the way to the platform, Arthur spoke in a sulky voice.

“I told you, I can just Teleport back.”

“Quit talking and get on the train while I’m still asking nicely.”

“What a waste. The fact that I have to ride a useless heap of metal like that is an insult to magic.”

“Arthur. I told you to shut up.”

Any sisterly affection she had felt for him was gone now.

All that remained was irritation.

I can’t believe I have to compete with someone like him to become the heir of the family.

Suppose Arthur truly possessed the astonishing ability to cast Teleport over and over on the spot.

(No, “astonishing” wasn’t even the right word. It was extraordinary. But Aethlyn chose not to dwell on that.)

So what?

He still lacked the most basic judgment.

Along with her frustration, her sense of responsibility toward House Wintercrown only grew stronger.

The train sounded its whistle as it began pulling into the platform.

“Hey. That’s your train.”

At that moment—

Pop!

A small popping sound, like popcorn bursting, echoed through the station.

Startled, Aethlyn hurriedly looked around.

The platform was still packed with people.

Then one fact became painfully clear.

Arthur had vanished.

“Arthur?”

The realization came almost immediately.

He had escaped by using Teleport.

Right while she’d let her guard down.

That little…!

Every foul curse she’d ever overheard from the soldiers rushed to the front of her mind.

Then, before long, she burst into laughter.

“Just wait. I’ll make sure you pay for this.”

She had just decided what the very first thing she’d do after becoming the head of House Wintercrown would be.

She would lock Arthur inside the Magic Tower.

She would layer barrier after barrier so he couldn’t Teleport out.

She’d even make him wear an iron gauntlet on his left hand.

That was the best outcome—

For herself, for the family, and for everyone else.

The rest of her leave passed in the blink of an eye.

Aethlyn spent most of it dealing with the aftermath at the hotel and finally catching up on the rest she’d been denied.

She didn’t particularly feel like going sightseeing anymore.

It wasn’t until the last day, when it was almost time to return to the trench, that she finally packed her luggage.

Just thinking about going back to Kran Trench already made it hard to breathe.

What am I supposed to tell the battalion commander… and Captain Gordon?

Arthur had Teleported there before coming to the hotel.

There was no way he hadn’t caused an uproar.

How am I even supposed to report this?

No excuse she could think of sounded convincing.

“I’m terribly sorry. My younger brother suddenly appeared and must have startled everyone. But please don’t worry. Mages insane enough to Teleport around like that are incredibly rare. I’ve already given him a thorough scolding.”

…No.

That still sounded pathetic.

Dragging her heavy feet, she walked down to the hotel lobby, which had finally been restored to normal.

Sergeant Gennadi Vilev was there.

Apparently he’d gone shopping somewhere in the city during the two days Aethlyn had stayed holed up in her room, because he was carrying a rather large travel bag.

At least it looks like the sergeant enjoyed his leave.

Aethlyn felt relieved.

Yes.

As long as Sergeant Vilev had managed to get some rest, that was enough.

The moment she finished checking out and turned around, the man gave her a small nod.

“Shall we head out?”

“Yeah.”

As though nothing had ever happened, the two of them started walking back toward the train station.