Some Go on Dates. Others Go to Meetings
Show me a better side than the Gganf. As I said that, I fiddled with the baby in my arms.
The juniors standing before me were all students from noble families. There were no commoners among them.
That's why they were showing resentment toward the elf students here. It was true that they had been boasting about how great they were so far, and from the juniors' perspective, that must have been quite embarrassing.
As a noble of the Empire, I acknowledged that it was unpleasant to be in the position of the privileged class in this land.
It was only natural. They wouldn't have growled "Yeah, whatever, the Gganf all need to die" even if they were doing it in their own country, let alone in the Empire.
In the midst of that, the situation in the Heigens homeland became very chaotic, and the students suddenly changed their routes due to some change. That route showed a very pro-Empire tendency.
"That must be quite annoying for the juniors. I understand."
Not long ago, they had been clinging together muttering "Humans are..." even though they barely survived thanks to the Empire's help, and now they were constantly saying how great they were.
If I saw those kinds of guys, I might have growled whether to kill or not.
But that was just my inner thought. The feeling I should have. It shouldn't be shown on the surface.
The moment I openly reveal that, we become no different from those Gganf.
"I hope you understand what I'm saying, juniors. You need to become better people."
If words didn't persuade, then I would have no choice but to persuade with the baby and words.
Thinking that, I was about to take the baby out of my arms, but fortunately, the juniors didn't seem to be those kind of noble ruffians.
"...I'm sorry, senior."
"We were too hasty. We'll reflect."
Hmm. Unexpected. I thought because of my past life memories, these guys would immediately rebel.
Why is there something like that? I expected the ones who are obsessed with noble privileges to shout "Traitor! How can you do this after receiving medals from the Empire!" But they didn't?
I secretly put down the baby I was fiddling with. Good. I didn't become a crazy senior who waves the baby around to the juniors. And then I turned my gaze to the elf students who were watching the situation.
"You too. If you really want to get along closely with my juniors, don't distinguish between Empire, Heigens, human, or elf. Approach them as academy students on equal footing. If I see you acting superior as elves one more time, then—"
By the way, I only meant to say "You'll get scolded by me." Really.
It was never my intention to say with this baby "We'll cut your pretty necks and use them as mood lamps in our queen's room" or something.
"Then I'll cut your ears and salt them to send to the homeland?"
Until Eloise suddenly pulled my ear with a hehe! laugh.
"Hiiik!"
"Hwaek!"
I was properly scared. Especially the elves were so shocked they were trembling.
It was only natural, as I'm the commander of a unit that acts as a beheading squad. Sneaking up on humans or elves without them noticing is not even a job.
There, Eloise smiled even brighter and added more.
"Well, then, let's get along well with each other? Like me and Karl! Ah, like Karl-senior!"
Why are you sneaking into my arms like that? I tried to push Eloise away quickly.
But at that sight, the elf students did "neep!" and hugged their juniors, which was funny, so I missed the timing.
"Well, then, shall we go? We can't fight again, right? Then Karl. Ah, Karl-senior is going to do something to these guys! Then it's not just words! Ehehe!"
Strange. Really strange. When I hear Eloise saying "senior" like that, it's really weird.
I was thinking of calling her by her name as usual, but since it wouldn't fit the academy atmosphere, I had no choice. Seriously, I didn't know it would be so embarrassing to be called "senior".
"Karl."
After moving a bit away from the juniors and elf students, Eloise called me with a giggle.
"You shouldn't say things like that after doing this."
What kind of nonsense is this.
I stared at Eloise as if to say "finish what you were saying and stop talking nonsense." Then Eloise winked once and continued.
"I'm not that great of a man, or rather, I'm not such a great human. Like this."
"Saying that suddenly makes me want to become a really mediocre man."
"No way! You've already shown everything, what! Karl doesn't know? Picking to take the hearts of women, but not knowing himself!"
At that, I unconsciously scratched my head. Was that aimed at women's hearts just now?
Which part? I just didn't like them doing the same as me and my comrades in arms.
Eloise is one thing, but Lavrenti is the same. I only taught them how to shoot guns properly.
In the process, I gave softer, more realistic helpful advice. And then I added praise, but that was all. Did I work on them or manage the situation?
Rather, I can say there's nothing to say about Lepia. It was coincidental that I helped the juniors.
My body reacted faster than my head and jumped out, but in the end, I caught what was about to fly out of the carriage and stopped them from getting into trouble.
In this situation, when the four of them misunderstood, I thought "What kind of nonsense is this" but I didn't understand it very well.
"This one thing, remember, Karl. You're too great."
"You say that without any hesitation. Are you trying to make me die with a new assassination method because my body is twisted?"
"Well? Since you're assassinating, why not do it in bed with a heart attack?"
"..."
"Stop talking. This woman doesn't let a single word go. Even my words get stuck."
"Anyway. Unexpected. Karl."
"What is unexpected?"
"I thought everyone would hate you if you were called Karl."
"I said it last time. My enemy was the Gganf, not the elves. Elves were my comrades from the beginning."
"At my answer, Eloise nodded with 'Hmm.'"
"If you hated everyone because they were elves, you wouldn't have made Eloise my neighbor."
"I'm excluded? I'm a woman who is pretty and begs for love and wants to be loved?"
"Now I can send respect and reverence to this woman."
"But, thinking about it, it's understandable. Honestly, elves aren't ugly."
"Especially Eloise is prettier... Well, I won't deny it. Of course, Selena is always the prettiest."
"As I said earlier, I was only opposing the Empire's enemies. I don't hate or despise all elves. I have no intention of turning them into enemies. That would make me the same as the Gganf who hated all humans."
"After cursing a lot, fighting bloody. The reason I believed that war was right. Maybe the justification."
"I don't want to deny that myself. I can't become the same. If I do, the sacrifices of me and ours would be meaningless. It's scary."
"So, don't think that because I lost a lot in the Luzens war, I would hate elves no matter what. Rather, it's very unpleasant."
"I understand. Sorry. I won't say that again from now on. Um, then from now on, I can really relax and say it's good. I was a bit wary because you're an elf."
"...Was that being wary?"
"Which part? How did you see it? If that's being wary, what about others? Explain!"
"Well! Then! Today, let's start with a simple date!"
"Can you explain why it became like that? And it's not simple at all?!"
"Hehe! First! I already know that Selena is busy today! Second, since Karl stole my heart, I have to take responsibility! Isn't this enough?"
"So what? You're saying you won't refuse the chicken position instead of pheasant?"
"Truly amazing sincerity. It's unbelievable, and the more I think about it, the more I can't push her away. Aigoo."
*
The ministers and staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice gathered. After exchanging light handshakes, they exchanged appropriate greetings and then moved on to the main topic.
"I don't think we should approach this matter too carefully."
"I agree. If we mess up, it might be interpreted as a political element."
"Additionally, it might give the impression that we've lightly regarded the many heroes of the Empire that have existed so far. We must be even more cautious."
"Are they trying to establish a new law? Preparing some new policy?"
"To put it bluntly, I still wonder if this is right..."
"I understand. There was no such case? To create a new medal by taking the name of a living person."
"But this is also the Empire's atmosphere, no, not even the continental atmosphere..."
"The Imperial civil servants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Justice had to hold their heads. What on earth should we do about this."
"If we do it, it seems a bit off. If we don't, those ridiculous young man's deeds are too grand."
"They looked at why they had gathered again. They looked at the title of the document in front of them."
"- Important meeting regarding the establishment of the Karl Adelheit Medal -"