Under the Empire's Wing
Lati brought my meal into the tent. “Boss, I’ve brought your food.” It was some kind of porridge whose ingredients I couldn’t identify. I wasn’t sure if rice even existed in this world, but I had to eat if I wanted to stay alive. Eating with my left hand when I was right-handed felt unbearably awkward.
“I can feed you if you’d like.”
“No. I need to practice using my left hand anyway. By the way, those elves in the black uniforms haven’t been bothering you, have they?”
“Richel has been looking out for me, so nothing like that has happened.”
That was a relief. The Imperial Guard hated dark elves and orcs with a passion, but they seemed at least somewhat tolerant toward beastmen. Of course, being locked in a camp was the same for everyone, but even cold water has layers, as they say.
This porridge tasted like death. What a bleak joke to make right after nearly dying myself. Losing an arm must have taken my brain along with it. Still, anything too rich or luxurious would probably finish me off, so I had no choice but to eat for survival. Felt like something straight out of Victorian England. Damn that martial artist. I’ll pay her back someday, just like the Western powers crushed the Boxers.
I forced the bowl down through sheer willpower. Even so, having something in my stomach made me feel properly alive again.
“Aren’t you hungry, Lati?”
“I already ate before you woke up, Boss.”
“I see. Well, make sure you keep eating properly.”
My body itched to move, but in this state I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything. It was driving me insane. No wonder hospitalized patients sneak out behind the nurses’ backs. I sat on the bed, killing time. At least Lati’s presence kept me from getting too bored.
I leaned close to her cute ears and spoke quietly. “Don’t you want revenge?”
“Revenge?”
“You said the empire’s elves killed your parents. And you were dragged into a camp and suffered all kinds of hell. If it were me, I’d want to grind them to dust.”
“That’s true, but killing those elves won’t bring my parents back. And I don’t have that kind of power anyway.”
“I could take revenge for you. We’ll talk about it later, though. Too many ears around here.”
I had only agreed to stay under the empire’s shadow, not to actually side with them. Besides, I still had my deal with Admi. The elven chancellor, the purge-loving communist, and the fanatic leader—I would take all three down. I used to think I could manage that much with my excellent summons like Tirga. But after everything that happened, I realized my power was still lacking. And Admi’s quest was brutally difficult. For all I knew, that martial-artist woman who cut off my arm could be working directly under one of those leaders.
First, I needed to build massive strength under one faction. In open-world games, joining a faction was a natural progression. I already had ties with the empire, and they were treating me favorably. This was an opportunity.
“How is Marquelon’s condition?”
“Tolerable. Thank you for your kindness.”
“Think nothing of it. After everything you’ve done for the empire, this is the least we can offer. Lati, would you mind stepping out for a moment? Go wait with Sergeant Ibre.”
Ibre was one of Richel’s subordinates, wasn’t she? Hadn’t heard that name in a while. Lati obediently rose from the bed and left the tent.
“The guards didn’t lay a hand on Lati, did they?”
“Don’t worry about that. The chancellor ordered us to bring you and your companions back safely. Touching that beastman would be more than simple insubordination.”
In other words, anyone who touched Lati would end up in the gas chamber. That was reassuring.
Richel approached and perched on the edge of my bed. Then she suddenly pulled me into an embrace. It reminded me of our time at Fort Troopers. Back then we’d tangled our bodies together every single day, and now, like a conditioned reflex, blood rushed downward.
“I’m sorry, Marquelon. Even in the middle of an operation, I can’t seem to set my personal feelings aside.”
“Richel?”
“Do you know how devastated I was when you left? I cursed and resented my own weakness for being unable to hold on to you. So I trained. And trained more.”
“Meanwhile, I’ve only gotten weaker. Lost an arm and everything.”
“Don’t say such awful things. As long as you’re alive, there’s always a next time. From now on, I’ll protect you. Don’t go anywhere. Just stay by my side.”
Never thought I’d be the one receiving a confession. Did this world even have April Fools’ Day? Honestly, I’d only ever seen Richel as a sex partner. I never expected something like this. If I was going to operate under the empire anyway, having a connection wouldn’t hurt. An elf girlfriend was very on-brand for a fantasy world, too. I’d said I planned to use the empire and kill the chancellor, but I could think about that later.
“Understood. By the way, isn’t my name difficult to say?”
“A little, but…”
“Just call me Mar. And drop the ‘sir’ too. Speak casually.”
“All right. No—got it, Mar.”
I ran my awkward left hand through her hair. When I first met her it had been short, but it had grown quite a bit since then. Her beige hair reminded me of a luxurious coat. Below it was a sharp, competent, pretty face. Like a capable and beautiful female superior. She’d probably look good in glasses, too.
Drawn like a magnet, I kissed her lips. So this was the sweetness of romance? I wasn’t sure. Back in the modern world I’d been too busy surviving to even consider dating. Women had seemed untrustworthy, something best kept at arm’s length. Comparing Richel to that felt rude.
“Mar, do you remember that?”
“Remember what?”
“Back at the camp, when you said you’d stab me with this the next time we met.”
Richel’s hand was already stroking the erection between my legs. Damn it, had I actually said that? My mouth was going to get me killed one day. Richel just laughed it off, saying she wasn’t enough of an animal to pounce on a patient.
“I-I’ll make it up to you properly next time.”
“Hehe. I’ll be looking forward to it, Mar.”
Her smile was simply beautiful. An elf girlfriend might actually be incredible. I’d met plenty of beauties so far, but Richel’s looks held their own.
“How long have you been staying here?”
“About four days.”
“I’ll summon a mount. Let’s head back to the empire quickly. I don’t feel safe staying here any longer.”
“You still need more rest. Using magic now would be dangerous.”
“That swordswoman coming back is far more dangerous.”
I clenched my left fist. Lightning crackled in response, proving my power hadn’t died with my arm. But Tirga’s lightning alone wasn’t enough. If I could properly wield Morvanel’s strength, could I stand against that martial artist? Or would I need another SSS-rank summon? More than the summons, I needed to strengthen my own body. I had to stop relying on summons to fight for me and start fighting alongside them as equals.
“Richel, could you help me up?”
“All right. On one condition.”
“Condition?”
“You have to speak casually too. Hearing that stiff tone come out of such a handsome, cute face feels wrong.”
“Underst— I mean, got it.”
Fantasy elves supposedly lived a thousand years. Hearing one call me an old man felt strange. I’d only used that formal speech to sound more authoritative as a mercenary, but if my girlfriend wanted casual, then casual it was.
Leaning on Richel, I stepped outside the tent. The sunlight after so long made me squint like a vampire.
“Summon Provecti.”
A single airship materialized in the air and descended, crushing the surrounding vegetation. Richel and the surrounding guards stared with open mouths. Did this world not have airships? Why were they so shocked?
“Unbelievable!”
“The imperial air force and arsenal technicians would faint if they saw this.”
“He can just summon something like that?”
If they saw the far larger and grander Solaris, their jaws would have hit the floor. Solaris was comfortable for travel but slow, so I’d chosen the Provecti instead.
“Mar, you really can call forth something this magnificent without a second thought.”
“This is what magic is. Let’s get ready to leave. This should be able to carry plenty of supplies.”
“Yeah, got it.”
Richel ordered her subordinates to load the airship. Unfortunately, the Provecti had no crew, so I couldn’t help with the carrying. A one-armed cripple wouldn’t have been useful anyway. Lati worked hard in my place, assisting the elves. At least summoning didn’t strain my body, which was fortunate. With only about ten people and not much luggage, preparations finished faster than expected.
“All right, let’s go, Richel.”
“Yeah, Mar.”
> Marquelon, please set the movement route and destination point.
A map window appeared before my eyes. Unfortunately, Richel couldn’t see it, so I had to ask for her advice while plotting the route. Solaris had been convenient because the capable dwarves handled everything automatically, but having the ship move with a single click was extremely handy in its own way.
The Provecti rose powerfully into the sky and began flying like an airplane. I’ll be back someday, Holy Empire. That means the quest the dwarf gave me will have to be postponed indefinitely.