Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Real Start, Damn It!
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Damn it, this is where it really begins!
"…."
Not a single word from the book was sinking in. All that filled my head were the events from a few days ago.
Could I see Marie as a woman, not just as a little sister? Sorry, Marie, but I just wasn't sure. If anything, I felt even more sorry toward Ar.
But I didn't like the idea of treating my little sister, whom I'd known for over ten years, like some other guy might. Even if things got messy, I wanted her to remain that sweet-hearted girl with her fragile body.
"Richi!"
"Huh, what?"
"What are you thinking about? I've called you a bunch of times and you didn't even respond."
I hadn't even noticed her sitting down next to me. Ar sat there with her arms crossed, shooting me a sharp glare. Just looking at her made an apology spill out almost on instinct.
I was the sinner here. With marriage talks on the table, how could I suddenly bring another girl into the picture? No matter the cause, I couldn't claim to be blameless.
"Sorry."
"Ugh, that again. You and Marie both. Apologies only feel sincere the first couple times—keep it up, and it just makes the listener uncomfortable. Don't you get that?"
"But…."
"Enough. I don't want to hold onto it anymore, so drop it."
Ar cut me off sharply, glanced at her book for a moment, then tossed out a casual remark.
"Marie seems to really like you. Like, a lot. Apparently it's been that way for a while. You had no idea?"
Of course, the content was anything but casual.
"No clue."
"Why not?"
"She never said it outright."
"Just because she didn't say it? The Richi I know isn't that oblivious."
I knew that. I knew, but damn it, I felt wronged. I'd only ever seen her as a little sister—I couldn't even imagine it.
She was a distant relative, sure, but liking your friend's little sister still felt taboo somehow.
In any case, I'd never even considered viewing Marie romantically, so everything just left me flustered.
"Let's drop the Marie talk."
"Why?"
"Why? It's super uncomfortable for you…."
"I was chatting with Marie just yesterday?"
…Wait. Hold up. Who'd she say she was chatting with?
"You talked with Marie?"
"Yeah. I asked Enter to deliver a magic communicator to her."
"When did you…."
"Heard her health's so bad she's never even gone out except for treatments. Probably doesn't meet many people. Must be lonely as hell. Plus, I've always wanted a little sister myself."
Ar shrugged once, then turned back to her book.
Little sister. Little sister, huh. Now that I thought about it, on the day I'd met Marie, she'd requested a magic communication right when we got word of arriving at the Mets County.
[Um, I made it back home safely.]
"Good. Get some rest. Take care of yourself."
[Yeah. Sorry, bro. And to Ariete sis too….]
She definitely called her "sis." I'd let it slide at the time, but looking back now, that explained it.
Something felt off about how this was all unfolding… Good or bad? Hell if I knew.
"Let's knock out this assignment first. Things are already tense around here—if we screw this up too, the professors will blow a gasket and eat us alive."
"…Can't deny that. Sad, but true."
Whether it was Koenihesen's massive offensive or our empire repelling it and counterattacking.
The academy would keep doing its job as an educational institution, same as always. And that meant assignments pouring in—no escaping that.
"Richi. There you are."
My chaotic thoughts had mostly settled, and the assignment was nearly done. As I started to stand,
a burly guy lumbered over and plopped down right across from me.
"…Garen?"
"First time seeing you since the semester started. Long time no see. You been good?"
"Yeah, doing fine. Asking you the same feels pointless, though."
What the hell had he been eating? He was already taller than me, but now bulkier too—straight out of that Garen legend.
You raising a cat or something? Not named Yumi, I hope?
"Heard the news. Jealous. Getting to clash head-on with Koenihesen."
"Jealous?"
"Fighters who've tangled with the enemy, even once, are on another level from those who haven't. You've got that under your belt. Me? Best I did over break was train with the family knights and help prep for deployment."
Dunno about that. Was it really something to envy? Gaining real combat experience, earning merits—sure, from an aspiring knight like Garen, it'd look appealing.
But in exchange, hadn't I lost so many comrades who'd fought and suffered alongside me?
Not a good thing. Pitiful, if anything. Should I say it, or let it slide? Before I could decide, a tap-tap on the table came from beside me.
"Garen. That's not cool."
"Huh… Why, Ariete? Did I mess up?"
"War is tragic. Gaining experience is one thing, but calling it enviable? You don't know what we faced that day, or what we went through."
"…."
"Don't say stuff like that. I still have nightmares sometimes about the enemy swarming right up to our faces. 'You worked hard' is fine, but 'jealous'? That's too much."
Ar said exactly what I'd wanted to. I wished he wouldn't say things like that.
To someone who hadn't been through it, maybe. But right after experiencing it yourself? You couldn't even utter those words.
"…Sorry. I misspoke. My bad, Richi. And Ariete."
Garen wasn't a total lost cause—far from it. As a knight hopeful, he understood the brutal tragedy of war all too well. He nodded at Ar's words, scratching the back of his neck.
He'd realized he was dredging up trauma in front of someone who'd witnessed the horrors firsthand.
Hm, the mood's getting weird. Better lighten it up before it sours more.
"Anyway, enough of that. Get to the point already, Garen."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? You're here 'cause you wanna ask me something. Let's see—you haven't applied for revenge studies yet, so not Officer Department homework like Ar. Not Knight Department stuff either. So, gotta be that one thing? How the Koenihesen bastards really were in that fight."
"…."
Garen stared blankly before letting out a chuckle. Then he hit me with a lame joke: "What, you learn mind-reading in Officer Department or something?"
"Dude, Garen. Don't ever try stand-up. Keep that Knight Department humor under wraps."
Ar even went "Eww," shuddering. Guy's got knight potential for days, but his sense of humor? Tops out at dad-joke level, best case.
"What exactly do you wanna know?"
"Richi, what you felt fighting them. Not the big picture— the fine details. Oh, Ariete, if you've got anything to add, even better. Wanna bring it back to Knight Department for our Koenihesen battle discussion."
Garen pulled out a notepad and pen like some reporter, ready to jot down notes.
A guy who looked like he'd charge around yelling "For the Empire!" with a sword his size—cognitive dissonance overload. Man… does not suit him at all.
"If we're skipping the big stuff for other details… Hm, Ar. It's gotta be that one, right?"
"Most important part. We almost got wiped because of it."
We nodded at each other, then I dove into explaining for Garen.
"No telling when, but fighting Koenihesen? Watch out even in small-unit skirmishes. They don't wait for top-down orders—they act first, report up, then get guidance for next moves."
"…So they can maneuver flexibly across every battlefield?"
"Exactly. And once you're swept up, good luck breaking free."
Scribble, scribble—
"But Richi, doesn't our Imperial Army do something similar? I thought field commanders had discretion. Knights too."
"Sure, but Koenihesen's on another level. They give even tiny units under thirty men full judgment and execution authority. And everyone's adapted, from field commanders to grunts."
"Hmm."
"This is them weakened. Veterans, NCOs, officers—despite decades of fight-rest cycles wearing them down, they're still like this."
They were a well-oiled war machine. Weakened? Sure, compared to their past selves—not ours.
Koenihesen's defeat came down to their offensive power falling short at the critical moment.
Our empire scraped together manpower and resources via alliances with elves and beastkin. Koenihesen couldn't match that supply flow.
"So, we need to focus on fluid troop movements and combat flexibility in those inevitable small-unit clashes."
"Spot on. To do that…."
"Hey! Richi, you bastard! There you are!"
Ah, what now. Who is it this time? Why do they keep hunting me down!
I turned to see Lester and Michel. What were those two, Pat and Matt? Glued at the hip or what?
"Get to the professor's office, now! He's calling for you!"
"…The professor?"
"Yeah! Urgent—go!"
No clue what it was about. Not grad school, right?
…Nah?