Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 38 - Chapter 2

Unexpected Attack

Wednesday, August 17th

With a third Sanae having joined the Corona House crew, a certain problem arose—how to address her. Having Sanae, Sanae-chan, and Sanae-san already was confusing enough, so the group deliberated on how to address the new Sanae from another world. They suggested all kinds of nicknames, resulting in a great fuss. They fielded everything from “Healing Magical Girl Sparkling Sanarin” to “Super Space-time Detective Sanaban,” but in the end, everyone agreed that addressing the slightly more mature Sanae like an older sister would be best. The Sanaes had petitioned for a nickname more like an anime heroine’s, but they couldn’t deny the appropriateness of Shizuka’s suggestion. Thus it ultimately passed unanimously.

“Say, Onee-chan,” called Sanae.

“What is it?” replied Sanae-nee.

“I have some really good news and some really bad news. Which do you wanna hear first?”

“Hmm, let’s have the good news.”

“The Sun Rangers really do have robots that they can combine into one giant robot.”

“Heck yeah! For real, Megumi?!”

“Yes, for real... But that’s supposed to be a state secret, Sanae,” Megumi reminded her.

“It’ll leak eventually anyways.”

“Maybe so, but in the adult world, we have to save face.”

“So, what’s the bad news?” asked Sanae-nee.

“When we raided the enemy’s secret base the other day, one of the giant robot’s legs blew up.”

“Oh no! Say it isn’t so!”

“Sanae-chan, please!” begged Megumi.

“Eeheehee.”

Today, both Sanaes were in the Harukaze High infirmary so Sanae-nee could get a physical. Clan had given her a check-up aboard the Hazy Moon the day she arrived, but they also wanted her to have an exam with standard medical equipment just to be absolutely certain she was in good health. Forthorthian medicine was far more advanced than that available on Earth, but it technically wasn’t designed for Earthlings, and they didn’t want to leave any room for doubt. No one had ever traveled between parallel worlds before, after all.

“Let’s see...” Megumi, the school nurse, looked up from her chart and said, “Everything looks good to me.”

“Good for you, Onee-chan!”

“Told you I was fine.”

“C’mon. Everyone’s just worried ’cause they love you.”

“Oh... In that case, I guess I don’t mind.”

“That’s what I wanna hear!”

Fortunately, all was well with Sanae-nee. Kisshouharukaze High School was now equipped with Sun Ranger technology, including a state-of-the-art infirmary. Megumi was also a trained combat medic with a doctor’s license. And according to both her and the equipment in the infirmary, Sanae-nee was in great shape.

“All right, let’s go help Koutarou and the others!”

“Roger that, Onee-chan!”

“Onward, Private!”

“Aye, aye, sir! But I wish you’d promote me!”

“I’ll consider it!”

With Sanae-nee’s physical over with, the two Sanaes bolted for the door and burst through it. It seemed that, though she was a little older, Sanae-nee hadn’t grown up all that much.

“Hey!”

“Whoa!”

As the girls shot out of the room like cannonballs, they flew past Hayato and Kotaro, who were about to enter.

“Sorry about that!”

“My bad, Kotaro!”

Both Sanaes apologized but neither slowed down one bit. They left Hayato and Kotaro in the dust, and the two Sun Rangers watched them go in disbelief.

“Say, Kotaro, not much surprises me anymore after meeting that girl...”

“Yeah, same.”

“But... weren’t there two of her just now?”

“Physically and everything. No doubt about it.”

“Thought so. That actually did surprise me...”

“It got me too...”

Hayato and Kotaro stood frozen in place for a while, struggling to come to terms with what they had just seen. They’d witnessed lots of things before, including Sanae astral project, but how could they not be surprised after literally seeing double?

As the calendar creeped toward the end of summer vacation, it was soon time to receive the new round of transfer students from Forthorthe. The Harukaze dorm and other facilities were completed, essentially transforming the campus into a small town. It had a convenience store, cafeteria, and even a post office. The transfer students would be able to live there comfortably without ever going down the hill into the city.

“How’s it looking, Clan?” asked Koutarou.

“I’m not detecting any strange signals or gravity waves,” she replied.

“There’s nothing on Karama and Korama’s spiritual energy sensors either,” reported Kiriha.

“No aura-based communication going on around here, ho!”

“And no enemy presences, ho!”

“You got anything, Aika-san?” inquired Koutarou, turning to her.

“There are no signs of mana within a 150-meter radius. A sorcerer like Grevanas might be able to conceal his, but in that case, there’d be almost no disturbance in the natural mana, so I think we’re fine.”

Koutarou and the girls were currently walking around the school, examining the newly completed dorm and surrounding facilities while they were at it. They wanted to eliminate any possible danger as well as thwart any more spying incidents, so these patrols had become a regular occurrence for them of late. They never knew when trouble might strike.

“This area seems all clear, Master,” said Ruth. “Let’s move on to the next.”

“Okay,” he replied. “Let’s get a move on, everyone.”

“At this rate, it’s going to be smooth sailing,” Theia sighed, relieved that they hadn’t come across any issues yet. Of the schools accepting transfer students, Harukaze High fell under her jurisdiction.

“Don’t let your guard down,” Koutarou implored her.

“I won’t. The athletic grounds are next, though. It’s not really worth spying on or attacking since ceremonies and such take place at the gymnasium instead,” she countered.

“I guess that’s true. The fields are wide open, so it’d be better to strike somewhere else.”

“Right? So we should be safe for now.”

There was little strategic value in targeting such an inefficient location—one with only a handful of spread-out targets. It would be far more effective to prioritize somewhere people gathered in large numbers, like the dorm or gym. The same was true for reconnaissance.

“Ooh, Satomi-kun! Please don’t let Theia-chan lure you into a false sense of security,” hummed Shizuka.

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, Theia. We gotta keep at it.”

“Okay, okay.”

“You only need to say it once.”

“Okay.”

In reality, Shizuka didn’t think they were in for any danger either. Nevertheless, there was always the off-chance that something might happen. If trouble was brewing at the athletic grounds and they weren’t prepared for it, they’d be in real trouble. Her crisis management skills as a landlord kept her calm and alert.

“Kiriha-san, factoring in Landlord-san’s concerns... where do you think Ralgwin’s forces would attack? Maybe at the welcoming ceremony for the new transfer students?”

Koutarou had no intention of letting his guard down as Shizuka feared, but there was a realistic limit to how thin they could spread their forces. They’d need to keep a vigilant eye on the most at-risk areas.

“Unfortunately, terrorists do like to attack symbols of peace and unity,” Kiriha acknowledged.

“I was afraid of that...” Koutarou mumbled.

“However, it’s also possible they might take advantage of that line of thinking. They might strike locations less populated than the ceremony venue, or even somewhere far away from it. Anywhere with Forthorthians is a potential target.”

The welcoming ceremony would be a heavily guarded event, so Ralgwin might choose another location. He’d most likely weigh his options and choose the most effective yet least guarded target.

“How do we stay a step ahead of him?” asked Koutarou.

“We position a network of guards for easy deployment to any location,” replied Kiriha.

“But that’ll increase their response time.”

“Indeed. So we’ll call in Nefilforan’s airborne troops as our first responders.”

“Good plan. We can definitely count on them.”

It was impossible to account for every potential scenario. The safest play was to station guards at key locations based on their risk. Areas of minimal concern would receive minimal protection, and all leftover units would be strategically positioned in a net for easy deployment wherever Ralgwin decided to strike. It would take the units time to reach the location, however, so they’d be calling in Nefilforan’s unit to fill the gap. They could deploy near instantaneously, making them the ideal forces for that kind of situation.

“Still, we cannot overlook the possibility of a diversion, so we’ll split Nefilforan’s airborne troops into five strike forces,” Kiriha concluded.

“Now that’s thorough,” remarked Koutarou. “Guess I had nothing to worry about.”

“Knowing that the commander-in-chief cares about the details is reassuring for both tacticians and troops on the ground.”

“Yeah, it’s too bad the commander-in-chief is kind of an amateur when it comes to modern warfare...”

Koutarou was confident in his military knowledge, but he was only familiar with the ancient ways of two millennia ago. He had no familiarity with the present-day ways of war, and that made him uneasy.

Seeing him fret, Harumi gently called out to him. “Don’t worry. All you have to do is trust in the competent people who support you, and then ultimately take responsibility. That’s the commander-in-chief’s job.”

“Yeah, it’s almost too bad that you’d make a better leader, Sakuraba-senpai...”

Whenever Koutarou found himself hesitating, Harumi always showed him the way. Each and every time, he felt that she should be the one leading—not him.

“Did you say something, Satomi-kun?”

“Yeah. I said you’re looking cute again today, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“Jeez! You should be taking this more seriously, Satomi-kun!”

“Sorry. You’re just so cute, I wasn’t even thinking.”

Sakuraba Harumi had all the makings of a good leader, but she personally preferred only to be a princess behind the scenes—or perhaps one day to a small family. Knowing this, Koutarou refrained from commenting further on her leadership qualities. She didn’t seem too unhappy about being called cute, however, so all was well.

“Sorry to interrupt your fun, but let’s get back to business,” interjected Kiriha.

“S-Sorry,” apologized Harumi.

“Let’s have more fun later, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“I hate that side of you, Satomi-kun.”

Ignoring the pouting Harumi for now, Koutarou and Kiriha returned to the discussion at hand.

“...Now, I want you on guard at the welcoming ceremony,” she informed him.

“Shouldn’t we all be with the surface troops on standby?” he questioned.

Kiriha wanted Koutarou and the girls on location for the ceremony, but that didn’t make sense to him. Given the odds of an attack elsewhere, he wanted to be somewhere they could deploy with ease.

“The problem is if you or Theia-dono are targets yourselves,” Kiriha explained. “If you’re mobile, they may try to lure you somewhere.”

It was hard enough to get a read on the enemy’s behavior, and it would be even trickier to predict their reactions to the way Koutarou and the girls behaved—there were two layers of deduction. That being the case, Kiriha wanted to simplify the equation by having them in a static location. Even if they could count on a diversionary attack, there was too much to account for if they were on the move.

“If we fall for a diversion and you, Clan, or I die, it would be a heavy blow to Forthorthe. We need to be as prudent as possible here,” Theia cut in.

“This must be pretty serious for you of all people to say that.”

“Why do you have to put it like that?”

“It was a compliment, you know? You’ve grown over the past two years and learned to be patient.”

“Indeed. You serve an excellent princess.”

“See, this would’ve been a nice little exchange if you hadn’t gone and said that.”

A diversion would be a big risk, but one that could be mitigated by keeping Koutarou and the girls stationary. This was the best plan Kiriha and Theia had been able to come up with. Yet just as Theia was about to speak up again... the haniwas came flying over with dire news.

“Ane-go! We just got an emergency message from Daiha-sama, ho!”

“Sial City was attacked, ho!”

The city of Sial was an underground settlement of great importance to the People of the Earth. Their capital, in a sense. An attack there was most alarming news to Koutarou and the girls.

“Why would they go for Sial now?!” Kiriha exclaimed, her face pale.

As the daughter of the People of the Earth’s chieftain, she was particularly stricken. She hadn’t expected a blitz attack while she and the others were distracted with the transfer students. There was no apparent reason for the enemy to target Sial, so it hadn’t been a location of any concern.

“What’s the extent of the damage?” Kiriha’s expression and voice were both tense. It was difficult to remain calm and collected in the face of an attack on her hometown.

“The battle is already over. Fortunately there were no casualties, ho!”

“The enemy only attacked the old city, ho!”

Some time ago, Sial had entered a redevelopment phase. Its older districts were virtually devoid of people and rarely saw visitors—that was where the enemy had struck, which thankfully had kept the victims to a minimum. At worst, some of the visitors to an old cemetery had suffered light injuries.

“Good... That’s the most important thing.” With a sigh, Kiriha’s expression eased. She was extremely relieved to hear no one had died.

“That’s great news, Kiriha-san,” Koutarou said with a small smile.

Sial was Kiriha’s home, and Koutarou had been there several times himself. He was personally invested in what happened to it, so he, too, was relieved to hear there were no fatalities.

“It is...” Kiriha smiled softly at Koutarou, but a pensive look soon overtook her face. “Still, the situation is rather strange.”

“That’s true. Why did they attack the old city? Is there something special there?”

Koutarou was curious about that part. As far as he knew, there weren’t any important facilities in the older districts. All the military and industrial centers were on the newer side of town. A military strike would have prioritized those targets, while a terrorist strike would have prioritized populated areas. Either way, there was no reason to attack the old city.

“Hey, hey, what are you guys talking about?”

“Yeah, why the serious faces? Cheer up, everyone!”

That’s where the Sanaes of both worlds joined in. It hadn’t taken them long to pick up on the serious mood. Sanae-nee wanted to know what was going on while Sanae wanted to lighten the mood.

“My hometown, Sial, was attacked, but fortunately no one was seriously hurt,” Kiriha explained.

“Oh...” Sanae-nee sighed.

She was a little relieved. She’d been on guard for an attack by the Gray Knight, so she was glad to hear it wasn’t him. The Sanae of this world, however, was unfazed and didn’t miss a beat.

“That’s a surprise, but I’m glad everyone’s okay. If the bad guys didn’t kill anyone, though, does that mean they stole something?”

From the explanation she’d heard, Sanae was imagining a burglar breaking into a house. The haniwas didn’t seem to think she was far off.

“Maybe so, ho! Ane-go, we have a follow-up report, ho!”

“The attacking force was made of walking corpses and skeletons, and they went after an archive and a cemetery, ho!”

“An archive and a cemetery?”

Kiriha furrowed her brow as a thought flashed through her mind. She looked over to Maki, but before she could say anything, Maki nodded. She’d had the same thought.

“I think so too. If it were me, that’s what I would do,” she said.

“You would, hmm? This might be problematic,” Kiriha mused.

“What are you talking about?” Koutarou wasn’t able to follow their exchange, but Kiriha was now deep in thought, so he turned to Maki for an explanation.

She began, “If walking corpses and skeletons were involved, then a magician is responsible. And if a magician is attacking an archive and cemetery, it can only mean one thing.”

The old city was home to a state cemetery and a historical archive. The cemetery had been part of the redevelopment project, so many families had chosen to move their loved ones to new resting grounds in the newer districts. The deceased without any living kin, however, remained in the old cemetery. The archive, meanwhile, had been built upon freed-up land in the old city in order to display objects of historical value—the most irreplicable of which were replicas, with the real artifacts kept in the vaults below.

“In other words, the goal was to plunder graves and steal artifacts in order to revive someone.”

Only the oldest part of the cemetery, which contained graves relocated from the surface when the People of the Earth moved underground, had been attacked. The archive vaults had also been pilfered. Indeed, the enemy’s goal seemed clear.

“They’re after Violbarum Maxfern...”

Koutarou now understood the situation. There was no rationale for a magician to target those exact locations unless their intent was to revive Maxfern. The reason for the cemetery was obvious, and they’d needed to raid the vaults as well because, unlike the Folsarians, the underground dwellers didn’t bury their dead with possessions.

“Indeed, Grevanas was behind this and his goal is to resurrect Maxfern. That leads us to a certain conclusion,” Kiriha announced, taking over the explanation.

Not just any magician knew about the People of the Earth, the same as normal underground dwellers didn’t know about magic. Only those in high places on either side knew the truth (a protective measure to combat the leak of spiritual energy technology and magic). Aside from them, only Ralgwin knew about both factions. He’d already gotten his hand on spiritual energy tech, and though the evidence was purely circumstantial, Koutarou and the girls now believed he had access to magic too. He was using the power of the whirlpool of chaos, and to control it, magic was a must. Ralgwin, however, stood to gain nothing from raiding an underground cemetery and archive. That meant he had to be working with someone else.

“Grevanas has allied himself with Ralgwin,” Kiriha concluded. “That explains the attack.”

Grevanas likely meant to revive his sworn friend Maxfern. To that end, he needed Maxfern’s remains and belongings. That indeed explained the attack on the cemetery and archive—but it also suggested he was working with Ralgwin. Grand magician or not, there was no way Grevanas had realized so soon that the underground dwellers were the descendants of Maxfern and his alchemists. Someone must have told him.

“I really wish this wasn’t related...” Koutarou said with a heavy sigh.

The group had had a hunch all this time, but they’d been hoping it wasn’t true. A rebel army armed with spiritual energy technology working together with an evil grand magician was the worst possible development.

“That being the case, Ralgwin may have actually been responsible for Grevanas’s revival as well,” Kiriha speculated.

It would’ve been far too much of a coincidence if someone else had decided to revive Grevanas at such a convenient time for Ralgwin. It was easier to think that he was really the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

“But then how did the bad guys find out about Folsaria? They shouldn’t have known about magic,” Yurika asked—a reasonable question.

Ralgwin and his forces had quickly gotten ahold of spiritual energy technology, but magic still should have been an unknown to them. Moreover, who would believe it even existed? Yet lo and behold, Grevanas was shortly thereafter revived and now the two of them were working together. The group thought it was quite strange. Sanae-nee, however, had the answer.

“It’s his fault. The Gray Knight, I mean,” she said. “He can use spiritual energy technology and magic. He brought them together.”

The Gray Knight could use both spiritual energy technology and magic—meaning he ultimately had a connection to both Folsaria and the underground, even if from another world. Presuming that he’d been the one to draw Grevanas and Ralgwin together, everything started to make sense.

“This might actually be our chance to get a leg up on them,” Kiriha said with gleaming eyes. While most would be intimidated by two of their enemies joining forces, she saw it as an opportunity

“What do you mean?” Koutarou asked.

“If they want technology, there’s something they’ll inevitably need to do—and we can take advantage of that.”

Kiriha spoke in such vague terms that Koutarou couldn’t grasp what she was getting at. He could hear the confidence in her voice, however, and he knew that she was extraordinarily dependable at times like this.

As Kiriha and Maki suspected, Grevanas had attacked the People of the Earth with the intent to resurrect Maxfern. He’d retrieved his remains from the cemetery and his belongings from the archive vaults. He would gather the requisite residual thoughts for the ritual from those, allowing him to recreate Maxfern’s soul.

“You seem to be in a foul mood despite how well things went, Grevanas,” remarked Ralgwin.

Since Koutarou and the girls had been fully preoccupied with the transfer students, the attack had gone off without a hitch. It was almost like stealing candy from a baby. But in spite of their success, Grevanas looked displeased to Ralgwin.

“I am impressed you can tell given my current appearance,” replied Grevanas.

“It’s nothing special once you get used to it. And, appearances aside, you’re still human.”

“Your manner of speaking reminds me of Maxfern-sama.”

“Now then, what’s the problem?”

“Simply put, the degradation of his residual thoughts is terrible.”

“I see. Well, it has been ten millennia since he and his alchemists arrived on this planet.”

“Even with the help of spiritual energy technology, it’s most difficult to make up for ten thousand years.”

Grevanas wasn’t getting the results he’d hoped for with the recovered remains and belongings from the raid. The wear and tear of time on residual thoughts was extreme. Spiritual energy technology had come a long way, but not even it could make up the difference. If Grevanas attempted a revival now, he’d only be able to create a man that resembled Maxfern. And that wasn’t what he wanted; he wanted the real thing.

“In that case, what if you only needed to make up for two millennia?”

“Oh...?” Grevanas turned his desiccated eyes on Ralgwin. Physical sight failed him, but Grevanas could perceive Ralgwin clearly with his powers as a magical being. Ralgwin could also detect a hint of surprise in those dried-up eyes. “Based on what we know, two thousand years should be workable.”

It was possible to get material that was eight thousand years more current by taking Grevanas to Forthorthe. There, he should be able to get his hands on Maxfern’s belongings and even a DNA sample with far less degradation. That alone would significantly increase his chances of resurrecting Maxfern perfectly.

“Then would you accept my help?” Ralgwin offered. “I’ll expect your help in return.”

“I have already agreed to share my techniques upon Maxfern-sama’s resurrection... Does this mean you seek further aid?”

Strictly speaking, Ralgwin and Grevanas weren’t exactly allies. Grevanas had offered to provide the weapon known as magic, but he had no interest in joining Ralgwin’s fight. At present, his only goal was Maxfern’s revival. He had no reason to go out of his way to fight Koutarou and the others.

“That’s right. I think it’d be best if we further our cooperation. I’m sorry to say it... but you would stand out in modern Forthorthe.”

“You hit where it hurts, but I do imagine you are correct.”

Grevanas had no way to get back to Forthorthe on his own, and once there, his lich form would stand out like a sore thumb. He could change his appearance with magic or use magic to quell anyone who would oppose him, but that would be risky and ineffective. In that sense, Ralgwin offering a free ride to Forthorthe was a most tempting offer. Grevanas was ignorant of the ways of the modern world, meaning he’d need Ralgwin’s assistance anyway.

“It would also be for our safety,” Ralgwin reminded him.

“I’d expect as much from a descendant of Maxfern-sama... How draconian.”

Ralgwin’s proposed arrangement had one additional benefit for him—to make it difficult for Grevanas to turn on him. As things stood, once Grevanas made good on delivering magic to Ralgwin, they would go their separate ways. That meant they might find themselves working against each other in the future, but an established alliance between them should prevent that. At the very least, Grevanas would work with Ralgwin until he found a base of operations upon returning to Forthorthe. The arrangement would give them both a sense of security.

“Understood... Let us work together for a while longer, then,” Grevanas agreed.

“The less trouble, the better. If possible, I’d like to defer it all until later.”

“You can say that again. Hahahaha...”

Grevanas’s dry laughter reverberated in his room. His haunting voice made Ralgwin uneasy, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be intimidated. He immediately began thinking about how to reap as much as possible from their deal.

With that sealed, Ralgwin left the room. There was work to do. Following close behind was his subordinate Fasta. Ralgwin wore a serious expression, but hers was downright grave. She looked full of grim determination.

“Ralgwin-sama, please allow me to make a suggestion.”

“Fasta?”

She was asking for permission to speak her mind—an unexpected request that surprised Ralgwin a little. She’d worked under him for some time now, faithfully completing even the most difficult of missions... but she’d never offered much in the way of an opinion. Curious about this, he was willing to hear her out. Such flexibility was something that his uncle had lacked.

“Go ahead and speak,” he urged her.

“Ralgwin-sama, even if it’s to defeat the Blue Knight, you mustn’t trust those men! You should cut your ties with them as soon as possible!”

Fasta meant Grevanas and the Gray Knight. She believed that they were dangerous and that Ralgwin was better off keeping his distance from them.

“I understand that you might be repulsed by his appearance, but I would prefer you didn’t say as much out loud.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!”

This wasn’t something Fasta had just decided to blurt out. She’d been stewing on it for a while now. It was impossible to tell what Grevanas and the Gray Knight were thinking. Dealing with such inscrutable people was dangerous. Even black market agents were a safer bet. Their goal was always money, so it was easy enough to gauge their motivations and the associated risks—but there was no telling what was at stake with Grevanas and the Gray Knight. All they could do was guess, and that made Fasta extremely nervous.

“I understand,” Ralgwin acknowledged. “But cutting ties with them would leave us unable to defeat the Blue Knight. It would mean everything we’ve done so far was for nothing.”

The same reservations had crossed Ralgwin’s mind, but his uncle had invested too much in the war against the royal families. Lives had been lost. Cutting ties with the two mysterious figures who’d appeared would be easy enough, but it was as good as admitting defeat. The battle against the royal families would be lost, and everything that had gone into it would be wasted. Ralgwin wouldn’t stand for that. At the very least, he couldn’t cut ties with them until Grevanas shared his magic with them.

“But even the Gray Knight said our alliance would only be temporary... He clearly means to break things off with us eventually!”

The Gray Knight was cooperating with Ralgwin because it benefited both of them for the time being—and it wouldn’t necessarily in the future. If the Gray Knight also meant to conquer Forthorthe, he and Ralgwin would eventually butt heads. Fasta dreaded the idea of having an opponent who knew everything about them, so as far as she was concerned, the faster they cut ties, the better. Ralgwin understood that.

“That’s why I’ve forged ahead for now. As things stand, they won’t betray us until we reach Forthorthe. Our safety is assured until then.”

Since he couldn’t cut ties with Grevanas, Ralgwin had chosen the second best option. In orchestrating his deal, his primary concern was their safety. Like Fasta, he didn’t trust Grevanas or the Gray Knight.

“I’m worried for you, Ralgwin-sama!”

“Fasta...”

“I don’t want to see them take you in!”

Grevanas and his undead ways, the Gray Knight and his mysterious techniques... Who knew what terrifying things either man was capable of? If they unleashed them on Ralgwin, they might even take over his forces. That concerned Fasta, but it was just a front. In truth, she was most concerned about Ralgwin himself. Though he’d taken up arms against the crown, he was a master she’d served for a long time. A comrade she’d been with through thick and thin. She’d never abandon him.

“Fasta... When we get back to Forthorthe, leave the army. Creating a fake identity for just you will be easy.”

“Ralgwin-sama?!”

Fasta’s eyes shot wide open. She’d never dreamed she’d hear Ralgwin say that. It was nearly unthinkable for someone so cold. Just the other day, he’d severely punished a group of would-be deserters as traitors. She’d steeled herself for similar treatment before she made her suggestion, so what he said shocked her immensely.

Ralgwin was driven by revenge. He wanted to defeat the man who’d killed his uncle, and he was willing to accept and even exploit civilian casualties to that end. But even so, he wasn’t thoroughly heartless. He held his longtime forces dear. Ralgwin resembled Vandarion in many ways, but they were fundamentally different people. Being harsh with deserters was a necessary evil to protect the soldiers he cared about. Ralgwin and his men were stranded on Earth, so traitors leaking information could spell the end of their entire unit. Even when their base was under attack, rather than order his soldiers to fight to their deaths, he’d asked them to surrender if it came to that. He cared about his men. If he didn’t, the mission on Earth would’ve long collapsed already.

He cared about Fasta too, which was why he didn’t consider her suggestion the act of a traitor in any way. If she meant to betray him, she would’ve fled in the midst of battle. Speaking her mind to her superior wasn’t a betrayal; at worst, it was insubordination. That was why, rather than punishing her, he was giving her an out.

“Live a normal and happy life. You’re competent... but too kind.”

Forthorthe was a big empire. Even if it turned to war, removing the planet Fasta lived on from the list of targets would be simple. She could live out her life in peace no matter what happened in the future. Losing a competent ally would sting, but even so, Ralgwin couldn’t bring himself to punish a subordinate who’d risked everything for him.