Chapter 29

“Devotion. Sacrifice. A spirit of service?”

She had become a soldier just to learn things like that?

It was absurd.

If she’d said she wanted fame, a pension, or simply hated the Empire enough to enlist, he could have understood.

But devotion?

This was the first time he’d ever heard an officer claim they’d joined the military to practice something so lofty.

She came all the way here… for something like that?

For a moment, Gennadi wondered if Aethlyn was making some tasteless joke.

But the face looking back at him couldn’t have been more serious.

Hah.

The corner of his mouth twisted on its own, as though it had a mind of its own.

Aethlyn immediately challenged him.

“What is it? Do you have a problem with my answer?”

He knew he should simply say, Nothing at all.

But the words rising into his throat refused to stay there.

“I just don’t understand what sacrifice or devotion has to do with becoming a soldier.”

The moment the words left his mouth, a tiny crack appeared in Aethlyn’s composed expression.

A faint sense of satisfaction flickered inside him.

It didn’t last long.

She quickly composed herself, shrugged, and proceeded to say something even more unbelievable.

“Of course I know ideals and reality are different…”

Then came the explanation.

A war to end all wars.

He nearly laughed again.

The corners of his mouth trembled ever so slightly as he forced them back down.

A single war that ends every war.

What was that supposed to be?

Operation Velor Decapitation?

The Arsul Suppression Campaign?

Every time Esta declared war against the Empire and its allies—or launched another campaign against the “dissidents” who followed the Golden Dragon—the government repeated the same slogan like a broken phonograph.

This would be the one war that prevented countless others.

Everyone had to unite for that one decisive war.

If any of that had been true, Gennadi and his comrades would have been out of work long ago.

It was complete nonsense.

And yet…

The fool who actually believed it was sitting right in front of him.

Are you making fun of me?

He wanted to ask her that.

He wanted to grab her slender shoulders with both hands, shake her back and forth, and demand to know whether she really thought he was some clueless idiot.

If she genuinely believed what she was saying…

That was an even bigger problem.

She came all the way to a place this dangerous… for something like that.

Eastern Pharos was the front where the Imperial Army fought with the greatest determination.

The war had settled into a stalemate, but everyone knew that if a single spark caught, it could explode into a massive full-scale conflict.

It was the heart of a powder keg.

Should he tell her to request a transfer somewhere else?

The valuable experience you’re looking for… you could find it on another front. Or even in some office.

Countless thoughts and emotions flashed through his mind in those few short seconds.

Then Aethlyn looked at him.

She met his gaze directly, just as she always had.

The instant he saw those eyes, Gennadi gave up.

There was nothing more he could do.

With his limited knowledge—and even poorer way with words—anything else he said would only make things worse.

He wouldn’t persuade her.

He’d only leave her with the wrong impression.

…This isn’t my place.

If they were never going to meet again anyway…

Swallowing the bitterness inside him, Gennadi settled for a joke instead.

“If there’s only one war, then I’ll be out of a job.”

It wasn’t funny in the slightest.

Until the train reached Kran Trench, silence filled their carriage.

After talking for more than an hour, it was now so quiet it almost felt as though none of that conversation had ever happened.

Aethlyn silently watched the darkening scenery beyond the window.

I probably won’t ever become close to someone like Sergeant Vilev again.

Though perhaps she’d only imagined they’d grown close in the first place.

“What I was trying to say is… you and I aren’t the same, Second Lieutenant.”

Even after they got off the train and boarded the military truck sent to pick up the soldiers returning from leave, they didn’t exchange another word.

Aethlyn stole a glance at the man climbing into the cargo bed behind her.

His military cap was pulled low, hiding his face.

No emotion could be read from it.

The shadow covering his eyes was as dark as camouflage paint.

For some reason, she felt lonely.

Lonely?

The thought itself left her dumbfounded.

Sergeant Gennadi Vilev wasn’t even one of her direct subordinates.

They had merely happened to fight together in a single operation.

As he’d reminded her himself, there would probably never be another chance for them to meet.

So why was she feeling something so pointless?

I’m just inexperienced.

That was the explanation she gave herself.

She was still a new officer, overreacting to every little thing her soldiers did.

By the time they reached Kran Trench, the sun was just about to set.

The wind had grown noticeably colder over the past few days, brushing softly across Aethlyn’s cheeks.

Winter will be here before long.

Eastern Pharos was famous for the way winter arrived without warning.

Before anyone had time to prepare, the cold would descend, freezing everything solid and bringing all movement to a halt.

In truth, this wasn’t entirely bad news for Esta and the Morning Star Alliance.

Once winter comes, the Imperial Army won’t have any choice but to stay where they are.

The Kingdom of Barbaros suffered from the cold just as much.

That meant the current front lines would remain locked in place until spring.

For the Morning Star Alliance, which was fighting a defensive war to hold back the Imperial Army, that was an advantage.

The truck rattled along the unpaved road before finally coming to a stop at its destination.

Just as Aethlyn hopped down from the truck, a chorus of voices erupted behind her.

“Platoon Leader! You’re finally back!”

Startled, Aethlyn turned around.

Then she froze.

A sight she never could have anticipated unfolded before her.

The soldiers of Delta Company’s Fourth Platoon were standing in neat, orderly ranks, saluting her in perfect formation.

“What…?”

Without even thinking to return the salute, Aethlyn instinctively took a step back.

What’s going on all of a sudden?

But the surprises weren’t over.

“Oh! Second Lieutenant Wintercrown. Back from your leave, I see.”

Captain Gordon, the company commander, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, rubbing his palms together as he approached.

Only then did Aethlyn notice him.

Awkwardly, she raised a salute.

“Captain. Thanks to you, I had a good leave.”

“Good, good. Your complexion looks much better somehow.”

He stepped closer until he was standing beside her.

Then he leaned in and whispered coldly into her ear.

“Why didn’t you mention your father is Duke Wintercrown?”

“…Sir?”

Captain Gordon immediately stepped back again.

His tone shifted into one wrapped in an obviously fake smile.

“I mean, with such a distinguished father, you’d think you’d mention it at least once in passing. You gave all of us quite a surprise.”

“…Ah.”

Only then did Aethlyn fully understand what had happened.

Arthur really did stir up a storm here.

She remembered what he’d said.

“Actually, I stopped by Kran Trench earlier because I wanted to see you, but you weren’t there.”

“…“

“Some major or whatever told me you’d be here, so I teleported over.”

…Sigh.

A dull ache spread across the back of her head, and a deep sigh rose from the pit of her stomach.

Now came the cleanup.

“I wasn’t deliberately hiding it.”

That was the truth.

She had never gone out of her way to brag about it, but neither had she hidden it.

She openly used the surname Wintercrown, after all.

Her confusion was quickly answered when Captain Gordon continued.

“Oh, we know that. Of course we do. We just never realized you were the great Duke’s own daughter.”

So they thought I belonged to a branch family.

Captain Gordon smiled with only the corners of his mouth.

“Second Lieutenant, if anything ever troubles you, just let me know. Anytime. Whatever you need.”

Rather than answering, Aethlyn simply looked at him.

Only after the captain’s smile began to stiffen under her gaze did she finally reply.

“Yes. Thank you for your concern.”

Captain Gordon cleared his throat several times before shifting his attention past Aethlyn to Sergeant Gennadi Vilev.

His face twitched.

As if he’d just seen something he shouldn’t have, he hurriedly looked away from Gennadi and turned back to Aethlyn.

“Second Lieutenant, you must be hungry after traveling so far. Come with me. The battalion commander wants the three of us to have dinner together.”