The Final Morning (1)
However, the leisurely prepared morning of the final day was utterly shattered by someone who burst into the commander's office without warning.
“Hey, you!!!”
Silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, stark against the deep green uniform. Her clear, deep turquoise eyes sparkled as brightly as the medals pinned to her chest. Lieutenant Colonel Arhen Orca, the deputy commander. No—she would soon be promoted to brigadier general, succeeding him. With Graveyard Fortress slated for decommissioning today, she would take command of another stronghold. She was more than worthy of that honor. After all, she was an exceptional combatant and strategist who had personally slain five Catastrophe-class Titans.
“It seems you've been helping yourself to supplies at your own discretion. Even if this is a victory celebration, you can't just take the unit's property without proper procedure!”
Ah, so she'd come to nitpick about that again. Even after the war's end, Arhen's trademark by-the-book attitude remained unchanged. Lutus merely shrugged at the woman jabbing her finger at him.
“The commander has discretion over unit supplies anyway.”
“Only within the scope of operations. This could be considered embezzlement—embezzlement!”
“Fine, fine. Go ahead and report me to High Command if you want.”
“Y-You…! You really are…!!”
“Is that all? We still have an hour until assembly.”
“That's not it. Since this is the last time for you and me—”
“Don't pretend we're close now. It's not like any affection will suddenly appear. You've been waiting for this eyesore to disappear, haven't you, Colonel? …No, I suppose I should call you Brigadier General now.”
“…”
Arhen's face twisted with frustration, flushing red, before she slammed the door shut and vanished. Her muttered words drifted faintly from the other side.
“Fine, if that's the farewell you want! Good. I shouldn't have expected anything from someone like you anyway…”
Lutus stared at the closed door for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh. She was kinder than she appeared. Even now, she'd come all this way with some flimsy excuse just to see him one last time. Behind that rigid, principled exterior lay a heart that truly cared for her comrades. She would undoubtedly become an excellent superior wherever she went next.
Yet not long after Arhen left, another visitor arrived at Lutus's door.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Three knocks. He knew instantly who stood outside. Of course he did—there was one person who followed Arhen around like thread trailing a needle.
“Honestly… I knew it would come to this.”
Brown hair tied in a side ponytail. Her amber eyes shimmered like sunlight on gold. Instead of her uniform, she wore a stylish red dress.
“Leah, what's with the outfit?”
“It's just a casual ceremony, right? It's not like the Supreme Commander is coming. We don't need to stand on ceremony among ourselves~”
Supply Company Commander Leah Gilliard. Though called a company commander, she held only the temporary rank of warrant officer rather than a formal commission, so she had no official rank insignia. She approached Lutus with quick steps and a bright smile. The sudden wave of perfume made him flinch and step back, prompting a mischievous glint in Leah's eyes.
“Wow, first time using this perfume and it scored a direct hit. I should wear this from now on.”
“Hey, just… back off a bit.”
“No way~ We still have an hour left~ And the commander hasn't prepared anything yet, so you can't even make an excuse to kick me out~?”
Leah burst into giggles at the commander's visibly disgusted expression. Her playful tone and manner were exactly what one would expect from Graveyard's youngest member. With humanity pushed to the brink of extinction, the Defense Force had conscripted every man and woman between eighteen and thirty-five. She had enlisted at exactly eighteen and was now twenty-one, in her third year of service. Even so, her ability to secure the supply company commander's post at such a young age was beyond question. In war, logistics and supplies were paramount. She and her platoon had been the true architects of this victory.
“Did you get scolded by Deputy Commander Arhen earlier?”
When Lutus didn't answer, Leah pouted.
“Not even answering is a bit much. That actually hurts a little.”
“If that's all you came for, I'd appreciate it if you left.”
“It's not just for small talk. I came to see your face one last time, our ever-stoic war hero commander.”
Leah was always like this. No matter how coldly he pushed her away, she somehow managed to close the distance before he realized it. For Lutus, accepting that closeness was genuinely exhausting. He would have preferred keeping things strictly professional, like with everyone else—or at least having her openly show her displeasure the way Arhen did.
“But at least for today, shouldn't you tidy yourself up a bit? I've said it before, but if you put in even a little effort, you'd look incredibly handsome and dashing.”
“Enough. Like you said, it's just a casual event. No need to dress up.”
The victory commemoration ceremony at Graveyard Fortress. Though called a ceremony, it was hardly a grand affair. It was simply an internal event for the fortress's own personnel, and Lutus intended to use the occasion to announce his retirement and the unit's disbandment. Since Leah had no way of knowing that, she raised an eyebrow.
“You're aiming that at me, aren't you?”
“No.”
“Sigh, your conversations are still as dry as ever. I thought the last one might be different. No wonder Arhen unnie stormed out looking disgusted.”
Leah let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
“I figured our commander would just say a few words at the ceremony and disappear. Even so, I thought you should at least leave behind a word of thanks.”
“…”
“You really worked hard all this time. That's all I wanted to say. I did want to get closer, but even my pride has its limits, you know?”
“Sorry. Having close relationships with subordinates doesn't suit my temperament.”
“That's exactly what everyone finds so frustrating. Well… saying it now won't change anything.”
She must have been quite fed up. Even Leah, who rarely showed negative emotions, now had a faint trace of irritation in her voice.
“Still, I don't think you're a bad person… Anyway, thank you for everything! No one in this fortress would deny your abilities.”
With that, Leah turned on her heel and strode out the door just as briskly as she'd entered. Then she poked her head back in for a moment, flashing her usual smile and waving.
“Straighten those shoulders and back! Even if you look a bit rough, the hero who saved humanity should have some confidence! Walking around looking so miserable just drains the rest of us. Today's supposed to be a happy day for everyone, right?”
Tap, tap, tap. Her footsteps gradually faded. That was the last of it.
Lutus carefully closed the still-open door and locked it. A wave of nausea and dizziness washed over him. Perhaps it was because he'd heard those words before.
“Embezzlement, you say—embezzlement! So next time, don't drink alone. Call me too… got it…?”
“Straighten your shoulders and back! You've got a handsome face, but no confidence! Walking around looking so miserable makes me look bad when I'm standing next to you!”
Similar lines, different tones, different atmospheres, different expressions. Familiar voices he had tried to forget kept echoing in his ears. Lutus immediately pulled the tranquilizers from his desk drawer and chewed several tablets. There was still some time left before the disbandment ceremony. He needed to clear his head.
===
The victory commemoration ceremony at Graveyard Fortress proceeded in an exceptionally relaxed atmosphere. Some attendees wore civilian clothes or formal evening attire like Leah's red dress. Others, like Arhen, wore proper military uniforms. There were even those dressed in blood-stained combat fatigues, as if to honor the scars of war. It was a scene befitting Graveyard. As humanity's ultimate frontline, the people gathered here could all be called eccentrics without exaggeration.
And if one were to ask who among Graveyard's eccentrics best embodied that label, it would undoubtedly be Fortress Commander Lutus Edan. True to that reputation, Lutus's attire matched none of the others assembled before the stage. He wore a uniform, but without the blazer. For an officer, the blazer adorned with rank insignia, service ribbons, and medals was considered the very embodiment of honor—yet Lutus wore only the white shirt meant to go beneath it. His trousers were jeans, and his feet were clad in combat boots. Faced with such a mismatched ensemble, the Graveyard personnel could only shake their heads in disbelief.
“Ahem, microphone test.”
Lutus stepped onto the stage to begin his commemorative address.
“Before we begin the official ceremony, I have something to say to all of you.”
He paused briefly, surveying the fortress grounds. It had been a long time. His fortieth regression. There had been times he'd died before even a year passed, but on average, he'd lived about three years per cycle. A simple calculation put it at 120 years. For 120 years, Lutus Edan had been bound to this place. It was only natural to grow weary of it. He muttered the bitter thought to himself.
Then he looked out at the comrades standing before him. Arhen glared sharply. Leah sighed, as if to say I knew he'd show up like that. The assault captain watched with a rigid expression while the reconnaissance captain turned away in disinterest. Their reactions varied, but none held genuine goodwill toward him. By now, he should have been used to it—yet for some reason, a dull ache spread through his chest.
'No.'
He steadied himself once more. What meaning was there in growing weak now? Everything had already twisted beyond repair, and he had crossed a river that could never be recrossed. Drawing a deep breath, Lutus spoke the words he had kept buried.
“Effective today, I am retiring from the military.”
“…?!”
“Accordingly, Graveyard Fortress under my command will undergo a phased decommissioning process per military directive.”
It was both a sudden retirement announcement and the order to disband Graveyard Fortress.