The Trap
I was certain this regression wouldn’t end after just one attempt. The commander and I were bound too deeply by our contract. Without a doubt, we would turn back time together again and again. If this truly was the final loop with no next chance… well, that would be disappointing. In any case, that was precisely why it was problematic for him to reveal that he was a regressor. While it could be an effective means of solving the problem, it was also a dangerous variable that might slip beyond my control. In short, he was a bomb that could detonate at any moment.
In other words, for the sake of the delightful regression life I would share with the commander going forward, I needed to correct that nasty habit of his as soon as possible. If he carelessly announced that he was a regressor, he would meet a truly horrific fate. I intended to carve that fact deep into his bones.
‘Preparations are almost complete. All that’s left now is…’
For the commander to reveal to me that he was a regressor. I waited for that inevitable moment with bated breath. Would it be today? Or tomorrow? While I waited like that, three whole days passed in the blink of an eye.
“Huh.”
It seemed there was some kind of problem.
*
Fifth day of the second loop.
My daily routine as adjutant went something like this. First, I would arrive at the commander’s office around seven in the morning. The commander would then appear with a disheveled face. We would lightly sip coffee together while sorting through documents. The mountain of year-long troubles that had piled up since the previous commander’s tenure. Simply organizing the materials into their proper places took an eternity.
“Which platoon is it today?”
“The medical platoon. They asked us to check the healing ports.”
After pouring most of the morning into paperwork, we would tour the Lumia branch and visit each platoon. It served both as a greeting from the newly appointed commander and adjutant, and as an inspection of each platoon’s supplies and equipment status.
“I’m Eugene, newly assigned as commander here.”
“Yes. It’s a pleasure. I’m Sepia, the medical officer. These are the members of our platoon.”
“Hello, Commander.”
“P-please take care of us…”
“Of course. I’ll be counting on you as well.”
It had already been four days since he first showed his face, yet the Valkyries still seemed intimidated by the commander. Well, with that perpetually stern expression that never cracked a smile, it was probably difficult to warm up to him. It looked like I would need to demonstrate the proper hierarchy here.
Standing beside the commander, I casually scanned our surroundings.
“If there are any issues within the unit, please feel free to consult me anytime.”
“Kyaa! Lady Layla!”
“I’ll consult you anytime!”
Aaah, this popularity of mine. I waved with a bright, beaming smile. The Valkyries responded with eyes full of admiration. A reaction in stark contrast to the commander, who was being treated like cold leftover rice. Finding it almost amusing, I made an effort not to look at him.
“Whew, fortunately the medical platoon doesn’t have any major problems. Though their blood reserves seem a bit lower than the recorded amounts.”
“It appears they consumed quite a bit during the last battle.”
“In that case, I suppose I’ll have to contribute by donating some blood too. Oh, what’s your blood type, Commander? Mine is O, so…”
On the way back to the commander’s office after finishing our duties, I walked down the corridor chatting lightly with him. Then, suddenly, he asked me in a rather serious tone.
“Just how do you manage to get so close to everyone?”
“Pardon? What do you…”
“It’s only been four days since we arrived in Lumia, yet it seems you’ve already earned everyone’s trust. I… found myself envious of that.”
“Ah… There is a secret to it, of course. Are you curious?”
“…Yes. I am.”
The commander looked almost desperate. I crossed my arms and answered with a relaxed smile.
“Hehe, the truth is I visited their quarters yesterday. We had dinner together and played board games. At first they were a bit awkward, but once I opened up to them first, they gladly welcomed me.”
“That’s… impressive. Approaching strangers without hesitation is something I genuinely respect.”
“Is it? Ahaha, that’s a little embarrassing…”
I laughed as if slightly bashful, gently touching my neck. Of course, every single action from start to finish had been calculated. In truth, it would have been strange if I hadn’t grown close to them. I had a beautiful face, a good personality, and was an elite from the Central branch. There wasn’t a single flaw; at least in this place, I was a perfect superhuman. Besides, Valkyries could sense strength even without fighting. When someone far stronger than them smiled first and suggested becoming friends, how could weaker ones possibly refuse? In a way, it wasn’t entirely different from suppressing them with force.
After that, we exchanged some trivial conversation. On the surface, the atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed. But inside, I was slowly burning up.
‘When on earth is he going to say he’s a regressor? That’s the only thing I’m waiting for…’
There were only three days left until Midir appeared. To secure his cooperation, I needed to start moving soon. Yet from the look of things, there was no sign of that at all. Could he still be hung up on what I said last time…? No, seriously? I had only said that because I was in a hurry and blurted out whatever came to mind. If that was really the case, I might need to give him a little push.
“Commander. Do you have time this evening?”
“Time… I do.”
“Oh, then would you like to join me for a bit? Let’s go on a date!”
“A date, you say?”
Now, let’s take a look inside his heart. I smiled sweetly.
*
She was like the sun—warm and radiant. Whenever Eugene looked at Layla, that impression would suddenly come to mind. She treated everyone kindly without discrimination. Sometimes she would scold them sternly like an adult. Yet there was always clear affection behind her actions. Just by talking with her a little, one could feel that warmth. Eugene thought it was perfectly natural that she had opened everyone’s hearts in just four days.
‘As expected, I absolutely cannot let her die.’
However, the reality before his eyes was utterly bleak. A mysterious erosion species that traversed through shadows. The horde of hundreds of erosion species it summoned. How could he possibly protect Layla from all those threats? Eugene could find no solution. He hadn’t even earned the trust of Lumia’s Valkyries yet. Just as Layla had said there was no way he could be a regressor, it seemed no one would easily believe his story. He even wondered whether Lumia’s forces could resolve this in the first place.
‘And requesting support from headquarters would be difficult too.’
In a way, it was only natural. Humanity was engaged in real-time war against the erosion species. Strengthening one area meant weakening another by the same measure. Without proper justification and evidence, even receiving help was difficult. Especially since Lumia was a low-priority city. Located on the remote frontier where it produced no significant value, even if it disappeared, other cities could simply take over its role. It wasn’t strange that there wasn’t a single A-rank or S-rank present.
‘Just what should I do…’
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way out. As Eugene clenched his fist with that thought, someone lightly tapped his shoulder. Startled by the sudden touch, Eugene turned around. There stood Layla, holding two crepes—one in each hand.
“What’s wrong, Commander? You were staring blankly at the sky.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Eugene remember that he was out with Layla. Though she had called it a date, in reality it was an outing to buy office supplies. Layla had been distracted by a street stall and had just returned. He needed to focus on the present. Eugene forced his emotions down and answered that it was nothing. Layla slightly furrowed her brows before offering him a crepe.
“Is that so? Hmm… Here, take this.”
“Thank you.”
“Well then, since we’ve bought everything, shall we head back to the branch?”
Nom nom. Layla took a bite of the crepe she was holding. Perhaps because it was a remote border city with scarce supplies, the snack wasn’t of particularly high quality. It was merely enough to enjoy the atmosphere. Nevertheless, she wore an incredibly happy expression. A smile bright enough to slightly ease the tangled knot in the commander’s chest. Walking beside him, Layla asked lightly.
“Commander. Is something troubling you?”
“Ugh, that’s…”
“Your face looks incredibly dark sometimes. Is it… difficult to adapt after all?”
“It’s not… that.”
I don’t know how to save you. Unable to say those words, Eugene gave a vague answer. But in the end, that only suppressed his emotions without resolving them. The dark clouds on Eugene’s face did not clear. Perhaps Layla noticed that too. Chewing on the slightly damp crepe, she spoke gently.
“If there’s something on your mind, please tell me. I’ll listen to any worries you have. After all, I’m your adjutant, Commander.”
“…”
Eugene agonized. If only he had a little more time. If only he had earned everyone’s trust. If only the enemy’s threat had been even slightly weaker… But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to speak. What if Layla looked at him with strange eyes? That thought left him completely without courage. Finally, feeling frustrated, Eugene said.
“I’m sorry. A little later…”
“Do you find me a bit unreliable?”
“Ugh…! That’s absolutely not it!”
“Hehe, I know. You just don’t want to burden me with your worries, right?”
“…”
“You could just comfortably open up if you have concerns. You really are a kind person, Commander.”
“That’s…”
Eugene stared blankly at her bright smile. For some reason, he felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had heard these words before.
‘This is… when I was troubled last time…’
Thud. It felt like a blow to the back of his head. The reason was simple. He had finally realized he had been overlooking an obvious truth all this time. Even if time rewound, Layla was still Layla. Just what had he been arbitrarily fearing?
Overwhelmed with emotion, Eugene unconsciously grabbed her hand.
“Hweh? C-Commander?!”
“There’s something I need to talk about with you. Just the two of us.”
“Just the two of us…?”
Startled. Layla’s eyes widened roundly as he suddenly took her hand. It was clear agitation from someone who usually maintained a relaxed demeanor. Layla fidgeted with her hand shyly, as if slightly intimidated. The two left the eastern district and headed straight for the central district. Their steps stopped at a quiet park where no one was passing by. Finally, Eugene released Layla’s hand, which he had been gripping tightly.
“Commander…? What you wanted to talk about…”
“It’s truly important.”
“Important… I see…!”
With her face slightly flushed, Layla wore a tense expression. Her heart pounded anxiously as she swallowed hard. But perhaps Eugene didn’t notice her unusual behavior. After pondering for a long time, he finally opened his mouth.
“I… know a future in which you die.”
“Eh.”
Layla froze at his abrupt words. But as she slowly chewed over the meaning, her expression gradually calmed. Her face turned a little red, perhaps realizing she had misunderstood, but she seemed to sense instinctively that this was no mere joke.
“Knowing the future… Do you mean something like a prophetic dream?”
“No. I have returned from three days in the future to the past. So if I had to classify it, it would be time regression… in other words, regression.”
“That’s…”
At Eugene’s answer, Layla’s eyes widened. Perhaps she was recalling the conversation they had shared a few days ago. After sinking deep into thought, she looked at him seriously.
“Could you tell me in detail? Exactly what happened?”
“You believe me? Such an absurd, ridiculous story…”
Eugene said it without thinking. It wasn’t something he should be saying after bringing it up himself, but that was how unbelievable the story was. Yet Layla did not mock him. She simply smiled kindly with clear, bright eyes.
“I believe you. You’re not the kind of person who would lie about something like this, Commander.”
“How… We’ve only known each other for four days…”
“You’re wrong. It’s been four days since we met.”
Eugene’s eyes widened. Layla’s profound trust made his chest swell. Soon after, she clasped both hands together in front of her chest as if in prayer and said.
“Commander. I believe the depth of trust isn’t necessarily proportional to the time spent together. A friend of ten years might betray you overnight, while you might willingly stake your life on a comrade you met today.”
It was, after all, an idealistic theory. Most people would never trust someone they had met only a few days ago. Anyone who did would be a fool—or already dead. But Eugene knew. She had staked her life for him, even though they had only met a week ago. Layla’s words… contained not a single ounce of falsehood. They were her true feelings.
“Could you tell me more… in detail?”
That was why Eugene failed to notice it. Deep within Layla’s eyes, which gazed at him with overflowing trust, a pitch-black emotion flickered for a single instant.