Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 22: Towards the Center of the North, Capital Helon
Melissa couldn't smile in the end.
"Three days... isn't it too fast?"
In front of Iden, she tried to speak as usual, but the end of her sentence kept blurring.
Since the Engineering Unit started breathing again, Melissa felt the sensation of 'not being alone' for the first time.
But to think the person at the center of it is leaving like this.
It was inevitable that deep regret would remain for her.
"You'll come again, right?"
In that question, a heart not expecting an answer was mixed.
Because she felt the same as Erwin.
Towards Melissa who asked as if complaining for no reason, Iden nodded and smiled.
"Someday."
As if that word was enough, Melissa also forced a smile.
The farewell ended like that.
And two days passed.
The Engineering Unit was quieter than thought.
It was so quiet that it rather felt empty.
Ambiguous gap, neither tension before war nor commotion right after war.
Along with the Engineering Unit, the entire Hamelon seemed to be catching its breath.
Of course, under that tranquility, things were rolling fast.
The Commander position was filled by the Vice Commander promoting, and the Lord position was taken by the first daughter of the Vermir family.
News was also heard that an official dispatched from the Wintel family would stay by her side until she got used to territory management.
Also, those involved including the treasurer who participated in corruption entered immediate disposal, and it was said most were dismissed through heavy disciplinary action or sentenced to imprisonment.
Like that, Hamelon was normalizing, and that normalization wasn't limited only to Hamelon.
To protect Hamelon's people.
For my dream.
The bank account that had become completely empty was also normalized.
The Northern Grand Duke settled all the private funds I spent along with the private funds the Engineering Captain used during that time.
By confiscating part of the Commander and Lord's property.
Reward money received for the Northern Barbarian Chief: 50 gold.
Cost settled by the Northern Grand Duke: 75 gold.
It was investment recovery recording a whopping 50% profit.
Perhaps the percentage paid to Erwin wouldn't be much different either.
Of course, I didn't invest hoping for profit, but anyway, the more the balance, the better is the truth.
75 gold is an amount that would remain leisurely even after buying a large mansion or lower-class noble status, and as a commoner status, it is enormous money that cannot be spent all even if playing and eating wastefully for a lifetime.
With that, I was going to execute the next plan in the capital Helon.
'Eliminating political enemies.'
It's the next plan.
Time has come to execute one of the two plans set up.
Plan for when the Northern Grand Duke calls me to the capital, and plan for when he doesn't.
Among them, it is time to execute the former.
Something I must check if I go to the capital Helon.
An incident mentioned in just three lines in the original work.
Record that Helon faced a great crisis due to internal political enemies, and Grand Duke Eldmonde's eldest son, caught in a scheme, died during the war.
Seeing there is no mention that the capital Helon collapsed afterward, it means Grand Duke Eldmonde went on a large-scale search due to the eldest son's death, and blocked the aftershock at the end of a blood wind.
But since the eldest son, the family successor, died, it was an incident settled with damage irreparable for the Wintel family, and what I had to do was clear.
The name of the political enemy didn't appear.
Only the expression 'opposing forces of the Northern Grand Duke' remained.
In the past, when receiving the reward in Helon as the Blue Wolf Corps, I also tried to find clues to that entity.
However, there were no noticeable forces.
Neither nobles, nor merchant guilds, nor the military.
So the conclusion was one.
Opposing forces are hidden deep.
Enough not to be revealed on the outside.
And that deep place is highly likely within a range adjacent to the Wintel family, and it was a situation a hundred times better than having many revealed opposing forces.
First.
'...I should check from under the lamp.'
Like that, until the night before departure, I quietly retraced the moves ahead.
Together with the path already passed, and the future not yet come.
**
The central road of Hamelon in the early morning was unusually busy.
The procession of the Wintel family returning to the capital Helon lined up long, and soldiers wearing silver armor were arranged orderly preparing for departure.
Horses' breath rose white, and the sound of carriage wheels scratching the stone floor rang low.
In the center of the procession was a prison carriage.
Inside the iron bars, the bound Commander and Lord were sitting back to back, and neither authority nor leisure remained on their faces anymore.
It was the end of those blinded by self-interest, and that end was being paid equally in front of the absolute power called the Northern Grand Duke.
People didn't look that way long.
It was a story with a predetermined ending, and to those blinded by self-interest rather than their own safety, it was just a too appropriate and serves-them-right ending.
Now.
The people were in a hurry to put the great ruler of the North, whom they might not see once in their lifetime, in their eyes.
Eldmonde, the protagonist of that admiration, waved his hand briefly towards the people, then boarded the carriage with the white lion, and Iden, about to board the rear carriage, looked around for a moment.
Citizens offering words of congratulation and gratitude, brightly opened shop doors, buildings standing intact. Undestroyed streets and uncollapsed castle walls entered his eyes at a glance.
He quietly contained that scenery.
For the past 1 year, he had no leisure to enjoy.
He lived as if consuming day by day amidst documents and construction, war preparation and tension.
But the appearance of this city visible now was clearly the result protected through his hands.
If it's affection, it was affection.
If it's attachment, it was attachment.
At that time, a few faces caught his eye among the crowd.
They were Engineering Unit members.
Those who dug soil, erected wood, and matched blueprints staying up all night together. When eyes met, they waved their hands, and someone bowed deeply to greet.
"Farewell—!"
"Thank you for everything—!"
Iden answered nodding slightly towards them.
And looked around.
But faces that should be among them were not visible.
Neither Melissa, nor Erwin.
Something was deeply regretful, but he didn't place big significance on it.
The Engineering Unit will flow busily from now on too.
Because there are many things to repair right after the war.
Since they wouldn't be leisurely enough to see off someone leaving, Iden moved his steps toward the carriage.
Departure time was approaching.
It was then.
"Wait—!"
At the voice heard from behind, Iden stopped reflexively, and in the vision of him looking back, a figure of a person running hurriedly entered.
It was Erwin.
Neither uniform, nor military cap.
Neat but casual clothes different from military uniform.
Erwin, who should be wearing a uniform and military cap at this time, was running.
That appearance was so unfamiliar that Iden forgot words for a moment.
And...
'Today... is she off duty?'
An extremely him-like, and extremely pure question brushed by.
Erwin stopped in front of him.
She bowed and raised her head for a moment as if catching her breath, and opened her lips as if trying to say something, then closed them again.
"Captain...? What brings you...?"
To say she simply came to see him off, the large luggage bag held in her hand and her attire were strange.
And if it were a send-off, Melissa would have also followed moving her short legs busily.
Iden looked at her with a puzzled yet bewildered face, and Erwin, with a face red from running hurriedly, repeated spitting out and swallowing words, then...
"Ah, um, that..."
Abruptly turned her body toward the carriage.
Before Iden could grasp the situation, Erwin boarded the carriage with unhesitating steps.
"Uh...? Ca, Captain?"
Iden looked at Erwin who boarded the carriage, but Erwin, knowing that gaze, ignores it with effort and organizes her luggage.
With exaggerated hand gestures and body movements.
"......?"
Iden became blank.
When the signal announcing departure rang, he had to board the carriage hurriedly.
Full of questions.
**
Inside the carriage was quieter than thought.
Outside, the sound of horse hooves and rolling wheels continued regularly, but no rhythm was created between the two people.
Iden glanced at Erwin sitting opposite, then turned his gaze away for no reason to look out the window.
Erwin was also looking straight ahead with her back straight, but her eyes seemed to be floating somewhere in the air.
A while later, Iden opened his mouth first.
"I didn't see you for three days, so I thought something urgent happened. Since family matters were also involved."
Only then did Erwin turn her head.
Hesitating for a moment, she spoke calmly.
"I was handing over duties to Melissa. The new Commander permitted it. Since I manualized the Engineering Captain's duties from one to ten during that time, handover was no problem either. Since I connected an emergency line too, if it's Melissa, she will do well."
Iden nodded.
Then it explained.
Also the reason Melissa couldn't come out for the send-off.
'From Junior Adjutant to Engineering Captain...'
That position will be heavier than thought.
A position responsible for Hamelon's defense, and a position to settle confusion right after the war.
Even without asking, he could know that Melissa had no choice but to be busy without even a gap to come out for send-off.
"Then..."
Iden blurred his words, then added carefully.
"It turned out well."
He considered it turned out well.
Two-rank special promotion.
He considered it an appropriate reward and measure for the Junior Adjutant of passion and positivity named Melissa whom he watched for 1 year.
Erwin exhaled shortly and nodded.
"Should be."
"Then did you retire?"
"Right."
"...Then what brings you to the capital Helon?"
Iden's pure question.
Erwin told him what she contemplated for three days.
The result of worry that ended truly insignificantly.
No, to be precise, worry still in progress.
"...To cool my head, and I have business too."
Conversation ended with that vague answer.
Awkward air settled again.
The two looked beyond the window without a word.
Passing streets, Hamelon's castle walls getting farther away, familiar landscapes flowed backward.
Iden felt that silence strangely long.
He felt like he should say something.
"Um, Captain?"
Eventually, what came out inadvertently was the title.
But Erwin answered immediately.
"Not Captain or anything like that anymore."
Iden was speechless for a moment.
Then, what should I call her?
That blockage jumped out of his mouth straight away.
"Then... what should I call you?"
Erwin thought for a moment, then lowered her shoulders a little and said.
"Call me comfortably. Since I'm okay."
Those words sounded rather more difficult.
Iden closed his mouth and worried for a moment.
Calling by name immediately was somewhat awkward and he thought he shouldn't, and he couldn't attach a position like before.
Numerous options brushing through his head all looked wrong.
After a long while, he opened his mouth carefully.
"Erwin... '-nim'?"
The moment words came out of his mouth, Iden realized himself that the choice was truly right and well done.
She said call comfortably, but eventually a title where only the job title was removed from 'fact' as is.
If it's a relationship where they drank comfortably regardless of status and got to know each other for 1 year, he wonders if it could be a little comfortable, but anyway, she and he are noble and commoner.
Iden prided himself that it was a very excellent answer.
'Young Lady' is too stiff like turning 1 year of time to nothing, and calling by name cannot be done due to status, so he thinks it's a just right title.
It was the best he could produce, from whom the fluffiness called romance and fantasy called fantasy were erased through harsh mercenary life and terrible Engineering Unit life.
Because to him, this place has now become 'reality' where he has to strike and climb up fiercely.
"...."
Erwin blinked her eyes as if bewildered for a moment, then turned her head and looked out the window again.
A very faint, hard-to-notice smile brushed her lips.
Because she thought it was a title truly Iden-like pure, and truly Iden-like stiff.
The carriage ran quietly towards the capital Helon like that.