Chapter 28
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28
The rebellion of the Three Families ended in a purge. Even the nobles taken alive would either die under torture or be left in a state worse than death.
"An impressive record, Platoon Leader Luka of the 21st."
The Imperial Guard Captain leaned back comfortably in his chair, fingers laced over his stomach. Now that the rebellion had been crushed, he seemed considerably more at ease. Fair enough—he'd been one of the busiest men around lately.
The suppression force hadn't yet returned to the capital, Akbaran. Post-war cleanup was every bit as critical a mission as the battle itself.
The Captain had summoned me alone. There could be any number of reasons for that.
Worst case, he suspects what I did.
The Captain had taken an interest in me. That was both a blessing and a curse.
"Thank you, Captain."
"Well, I've read the report. Judging that your exhausted platoon would struggle to move right after such a fierce battle, you pursued the Ramones family alone. Then you joined up with Ilay to eliminate Hugo Ramones and his family."
The Captain summarized my report. I answered with a brief "Yes, sir," and waited for his next question.
"You didn't execute Lillian Ramones on the spot. You took her all the way down to the lowest district. The reason's in the report, but I'd like to hear it from your own mouth."
The Captain narrowed his eyes. It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.
"We learned of the teleportation device's existence through Lillian Ramones. We wanted to secure it in advance to keep the rebels from escaping."
"So, guided by Lillian Ramones, you moved to the lowest district. And the moment you secured the teleportation device, you executed her. Why choose Lillian specifically as your guide?"
I stood perfectly still. No need to falter. I'd crafted a consistent lie.
"Because among the Ramones family, Lillian had the weakest combat capability. Since there's no telling what variables might crop up on the battlefield, I chose the prisoner easiest to control."
"Hmm. A rational decision. But Luka, I have more questions. May I?"
Here it came. The Captain surely already knew. I intended to head him off before he could press further. A bit rude, maybe, but it was the better play.
"You mean the relationship between Lillian and me?"
"Not just you. You and Ilay had dealings with Lillian Ramones."
I frowned slightly. From past experience, the Captain often seemed to appreciate my insolence.
"...Ilay and I are exceptions. Yes, we had personal ties to Lillian Ramones, but we're hardly the sort of idiots who'd ruin a mission over it. You know that better than anyone, Captain."
I parted my lips and let more words spill out.
"And honestly—I wanted to give Lillian hope. I'm not entirely without feeling. Lillian died believing she'd live once she finished guiding us. In her final moments, she probably didn't even realize she was dying. That was the only bit of human decency Ilay and I could offer her. I saw no reason to include such sentimental details in the report. It might make us look weak."
A lie must be mixed with truth to be convincing. What I'd just said was exactly that.
The Captain, who'd been listening intently, leaned forward and rested his chin heavily on his hands.
This should do it.
I screamed the words inwardly.
The Captain wouldn't have much time to spare for me. There was a whole truckload of others still waiting to give their reports.
"...I see. That settles my doubts, Luka. I won't put what you just said into the records. Like you said—it might make you look weak."
Relief welled up in my chest. It felt like all my tension was melting away at once.
If the Captain was convinced, I wouldn't be questioned about this again. It wasn't as though our actions had caused any real disaster. If anything, Ilay and I had pulled off quite a feat.
"Well then, let's leave the matter there. You must be tired."
"Then, if you'll excuse me—"
"No, no. Wait a moment. There's still the next matter."
Just as I was about to leave, the Captain shook his head and pulled up another report on the hologram.
Kodrak's report.
It was from my deputy, Kodrak.
"Kodrak rated you highly. Especially your combat ability—he went so far as to write that you're the best among the platoon leaders and cadets he's seen to date. Seems the Akies Combat Style has done wonders for your skill."
I feigned surprise. I hadn't expected such a generous evaluation from Kodrak.
"That said, he noted your bonding with subordinates is lacking. Anything to say to that?"
"No, sir. It's true—I treated my subordinates harshly. It was to establish my authority as their superior in a short span of time."
"That's one method. But... no, never mind. Kinuan knows how to handle subordinates well. Just learn from him. His way might suit you better."
Kinuan's name came up out of nowhere. I swallowed my curiosity and simply nodded rather than ask.
Now it really did feel like it was over.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Ah—Luka."
I stopped halfway through turning. The Captain took a leisurely sip of water, then tossed out a remark as if it were nothing at all.
"By the way, the Ramones family's skills were surprisingly good. To think Ilay's whole platoon would be wiped out so cleanly."
I'd already written everything in the report. Ilay's platoon had rushed the pursuit, walked into a Ramones ambush, and been annihilated. No reason for me to panic.
But what was he probing for? Curses climbed up my throat. If my breathing wavered even slightly, cold sweat would start pouring.
"...If it'd been me, I wouldn't have been caught. Looks like I'll be graduating top of the class."
The Captain burst into hearty laughter at that.
"I look forward to it."
* * *
The maglev train was quiet. Only an intermittent high-pitched whine occasionally grated on my nerves.
I slept like the dead on the way back to the capital. And for good reason—I'd been on the move for days without ever being able to lower my guard.
A lot had happened. All of it damned awful.
Ilay Kartika. Lillian Ramones. Imperial Guard Captain Heilas Custoria. The Arcane Fortress and its artifacts. The teleportation device.
Faces and scenes flickered through my mind.
Border City.
The place Lillian had wanted to reach. She'd died without ever escaping the Empire—shot by Ilay, the man she'd believed to be her knight.
It was tragic. But I didn't want to pity her.
Both Ilay and Lillian had simply acted on their own selfishness. If anything, I was the victim, dragged along in their wake.
Back in the capital, Akbaran, we maintained our gear and rested. Rewarding merits and playing politics were matters for the upper command. Lowly grunts like us just waited for the next order.
Two days later, I called Ilay out behind the dormitory building.
Slam!
I grabbed him by the collar and drove him into the wall. Ilay didn't resist. He just looked at me, his expression empty.
"You. Quit being a cadet. Right now. You're not cut out to be a soldier, you piece of trash."
I scowled fiercely. I hadn't forgotten what happened that day.
Ilay killed his own platoon over personal feelings.
By my standards, that was unforgivable. For a while I'd even harbored genuine hatred and murderous intent toward him.
"I'd quit too, if I could," Ilay said, turning his face away.
"Should I cripple you right here and now?"
"Luka, unless you kill me on this spot... my family will make me an Imperial Guardsman one way or another. It's a position decided the day I was born. If you want to vent, go ahead—I'll let you hit me."
He didn't even try to resist. That took the wind out of me.
Crack!
I struck him in the solar plexus with enough force to hurt but not kill. Three, maybe four of his ribs snapped clean.
Ilay staggered but somehow kept his feet. He coughed up blood-flecked spit and met my eyes.
"What? You said you'd let me hit you. Thought I wouldn't? Now that I've vented a little, let's talk."
I shrugged. Clutching his chest with one hand, Ilay slumped hunched against the wall, catching his breath.
"Well. Didn't think you'd actually break bones. This hurts like hell. Might've damaged an organ or two..."
"If something's broken, replace it with a prosthetic. Quit whining."
Ilay and I lined up our stories about the report one more time. We were deceiving the upper command. No amount of caution was too much.
Even on a second pass, there were no discrepancies. We'd fed them the exact same account.
"I didn't think you'd actually kill Lillian. Honestly, I figured you'd charge the Imperial Guard even though it was hopeless."
"If I'd been alone, I would have," Ilay said calmly.
So that was it, after all.
The answer I'd expected. There was no way Ilay had killed Lillian because he valued his own life. Because I was there, he'd chosen the best course and carried it out.
His reasoning was plain to see.
At that moment, his own survival hadn't mattered to him. What mattered were Lillian's life and mine. And he'd prioritized mine—the only one he could actually save.
If I hadn't shown up... Ilay would have died alongside Lillian.
I felt sorry for Lillian. But I'd achieved my goal.
As long as I saved Ilay, that's enough.
Only now did my chest feel light. I stepped back, watching the sky, and leaned against the wall. The weather in Akbaran was usually gloomy. Today was no exception.
"My family was pleased I helped bring down the Ramones. Even though we'd dealt with them plenty over the years. I suppose that's just noble society for you. Anyway—you and I might both get a Military Medal out of this."
Ilay rummaged through his pocket. Something unfamiliar came out of his coat.
"Cigarettes?"
"My deputy was a heavy smoker. Got some off him to get closer. He loved watching me cough."
"Cigarettes, huh... whatever."
I didn't stop him. Ilay clumsily fit one between his lips and lit it.
Along with his coughing, the smoke drifted lazily on the wind. My eyes followed it.
"Luka."
He suddenly called my name. I deliberately kept my gaze away from his face—because there was a sob buried in the voice that called me.
"What?"
"What the hell did I even do..."
Ilay slid down against the wall. He buried his face in his knees, shoulders trembling. Only cigarette smoke drifted past his ears.
I nearly cursed at him, then stopped. I waited in silence.
Feelings suppressed because they were useless in battle sometimes came surging back, like an aftershock, once you returned to daily life.
Ilay was no murderer. There was no way he felt no guilt over killing his own subordinates. Our aversion to killing might be low, but we weren't unfeeling machines. And after causing all that carnage, he hadn't even managed to save Lillian. The depth of the self-loathing he must be feeling was beyond my ability to guess.
I'd reached my goal. Ilay had failed at everything.
And now I was certain. Ilay should not stay in the Empire. He didn't belong here. Sooner or later he'd die—whether it was his mind or his life that gave out first.