The Eve
The Eve
Two days later at General Headquarters.
Daniel Steiner's private office.
"Good. I think this will do."
After finishing the documents related to the operational situation, Daniel opened the briefcase he'd set on his desk.
He slipped the documents inside, closed the briefcase, and glanced up at the wall clock.
He'd spent so long reviewing the paperwork that quitting time had come and gone without his noticing.
Lucy, who had been nearby, checked the time as well and turned back to Daniel.
"Quitting time has passed. It seems we've managed to work overtime without meaning to."
"So it seems. Though we didn't need to come in today in the first place."
With the single-point breakthrough order in hand, Daniel was to proceed to the corps' field command post the next day.
That was why, even though he had no reason to report to General Headquarters today, he'd deliberately come in and worked.
Lucy found that curious and spoke up.
"Why did you come to General Headquarters today when you didn't even need to report for duty?"
"You could say it's for a reason similar to yours."
"A reason similar to mine?"
After locking the briefcase, Daniel let out a low chuckle.
"Honestly, I'm nervous. This is the final battle—I couldn't just sit around eating dessert. I needed to do something to settle my nerves."
Lucy felt the same, and gave a small nod to show she understood.
Seeing that, Daniel pushed his chair back and stood.
Lucy stood as well, and Daniel spoke.
"You go ahead. We depart at dawn tomorrow, so you should get some sleep."
"Before you, sir?"
"Yes. I plan to stop by the operations staff office to say my goodbyes. In many ways, it could be the last time."
Lucy opened her mouth to say she would go with him, then closed it again.
There was no need to intrude on Daniel's farewell to the staff office personnel, she thought.
"Understood. Then I'll take my leave first."
With that, she bowed deeply and left the office.
Daniel tidied up the odds and ends on his desk, then headed out.
Out in the hallway, the General Headquarters personnel were bustling back and forth, busier than usual today.
That was only natural—Empress Selvia had likely issued the order for a general offensive against the Allied Nations.
After passing by them, Daniel entered the staff office. The personnel working there were startled by his sudden appearance and all rose to their feet.
As they saluted him, Ernst, sensing the commotion, emerged from his own office.
Ernst's face showed a mix of surprise and pleasure at seeing Daniel.
Ernst made a fuss, remarking that another star had been added to our war hero since the last time they'd met. Daniel exchanged idle chatter with him, saying it just sort of happened.
He deliberately refrained from mentioning that he was headed toward the Allied Nations' capital.
He figured Ernst would already know, so there was no need to explain.
After they had talked a while, Daniel bid farewell to Ernst and left the staff office.
When he stepped out of General Headquarters, countless stars already filled the sky.
Wondering if it had gotten that late already, Daniel walked toward the entrance to head to his quarters.
As he approached the guard post at the entrance, the guard commander hurried out.
The guard commander rendered a salute, and Daniel returned it.
Lowering his hand, the guard commander addressed him with respect in his eyes.
"Lieutenant General Daniel. You've worked hard again today, sir. Are you heading home?"
"Yes."
"Very good. I'll open the gate for you at once. However..."
The guard commander looked around as if something were strange.
"Your adjutant is nowhere to be seen today, General. Is she working overtime?"
A question mark seemed to appear over Daniel's head.
"I sent my adjutant home first. She didn't pass through here?"
"Pardon? Ah. As far as I know, your adjutant hasn't passed through here at all, sir."
"She didn't leave Headquarters..."
Then where was she, and what was she doing?
Thinking of the places Lucy might be, Daniel looked at the guard commander.
"I'll come back later. I left something behind."
*
Lucy stood on the rooftop of General Headquarters, looking down at the imperial capital.
The night view, with countless lights spreading out before her, naturally evoked a sense of beauty.
As she stood before the railing enjoying the wind, she heard footsteps behind her.
She could tell without turning around.
Those footsteps belonged to Daniel Steiner.
"Adjutant."
Daniel's voice came on the wind.
"The rooftop door was open. Normally this place is padlocked. Makes you suspect a thief might have broken in."
At Daniel's jest, Lucy let out a quiet laugh.
"And what do you intend to do if it's not a thief, but a skilled spy?"
"I'd have to find them and conduct an interrogation. Find out what their objective is."
"If they spoke of it so easily, they wouldn't be a skilled spy..."
Something warm touched Lucy's cheek.
Startled, she turned her head to see Daniel pressing a mug to her cheek.
He had a blanket draped over his other arm.
"Coffee I brewed myself. Let's talk while you drink."
Lucy, who had been blinking blankly, came to her senses and accepted the mug.
"...Ah. Thank you."
"Don't thank me. It's just a bribe to make the interrogation go more smoothly."
A hint of mischief in his expression, Daniel turned his gaze forward.
"Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd state your objective. Why did you come up here?"
Feeling the warmth of the mug in her hands, Lucy gazed out at the night view again.
"...Hearing that we're attacking the capital of Edria, I found myself thinking about the old days without even realizing it."
Lucy's eyes half-closed.
"The capital of Edria is a prosperous city too, though not as splendid as this imperial capital now. Countless people play their own roles and form one vast society. Count Kaledra could not have been unaware of that, and yet..."
She couldn't understand why he insisted on a desperate resistance, knowing the capital could be turned into a sea of fire by a nuclear attack.
"Is life merely a means to an end for Count Kaledra? Just as he killed Experiment Subject 96 and the mansion maid to awaken me..."
How could a person become so twisted?
She simply could not understand what had turned him into a monster.
Daniel felt the same and could offer no suitable answer.
After pondering for a moment, he carefully spoke.
"I've heard that dictators sometimes confuse work done for themselves with work done for the nation. I suspect Count Kaledra might be a similar case. He may believe that the acts he commits to protect his own power and honor are for the nation's benefit."
Daniel turned to look at Lucy.
Her expression was impassive, but he could tell the emotions within her were churning.
"Adjutant. One thing is certain: subduing Count Kaledra is the only shortcut to ending the war. It was Count Kaledra who rejected the Empire's proposal to end the war."
Lucy gave a small nod.
Then she lifted the mug with both hands and sipped the coffee.
Seeing that, Daniel squared his shoulders confidently.
"How is it? I put some effort into brewing it."
"It's tasteless."
It was an immediate reply.
"The grinding and extraction times seem to be the problem. If you grind the beans too fine, the astringent taste becomes severe when filtering. It also seems the coffee was steeped for too long."
Being cut down with such a sharp critique left him with nothing to say.
It seemed his skills had greatly diminished lately from relying on the coffee Lucy and Frien brewed.
Feeling unnecessarily sorry, Daniel let out a dry cough.
"Then I'd like the mug back. I'll brew it properly this time..."
Lucy shook her head.
"It's all right."
Her saying it was all right after pointing out all its faults felt strange.
Even though the astringent taste must have been strong, Lucy paid it no mind and kept drinking the coffee.
In the meantime, an increasingly cold wind swept past them.
Feeling the chill, Lucy trembled slightly, and Daniel unfolded the blanket he had brought.
He'd brought it on the off chance, and thinking it had turned out well, he draped it over her shoulders.
"How is it? It should be quite warm now."
This time, he'd said it believing she couldn't help but praise it.
Lucy, too, didn't seem to dislike the gesture, and gave a small nod.
That was all, but Daniel did not show his dissatisfaction.
He knew well that Lucy was clumsy when it came to expressing emotions.
Just as Daniel, having shifted his gaze, was admiring the night view, Lucy broke the silence.
"...It will certainly be colder than this. When we go to see the sea together, though I don't know when that will be."
"Ah. I suppose so. The coast tends to be quite windy."
"If that's the case, then at that time... would you hold me instead of giving me a blanket?"
Daniel's hand, which had been about to give an ordinary reply, flinched.
Lucy's remark had sounded deeply suggestive.
He wanted to know her intentions, but he could read nothing from her expressionless face.
After a lengthy silence, he cautiously asked in return.
"...Could you tell me what that means?"
Having finished the remaining coffee, Lucy turned to Daniel.
A serene smile, as if to say she couldn't tell him yet, formed on her lips.
After a brief silence, against the backdrop of the moonlit night, her lips moved playfully.
"It's a secret."
After all, a skilled spy never divulges her objective.