People Who Want to Be Forgotten (1)
Once the decision was made, everything proceeded smoothly. Lutus Edan boarded the helicopter from the Graveyard and headed straight for Forbidden Lake. And contrary to its ominous name, Forbidden Lake was an incredibly beautiful place. A fortress headquarters built around a massive lake. The undulating sunset reflected on the water's surface, scattering like grains of rice. The flowers and vegetation blooming along the lakeshore were like a scene from a picture book.
“....”
Overwhelmed by the beauty, Lutus fell silent for a moment, taking in the view. It truly felt like the war was completely over. Landscapes he had never paid attention to before now caught his eye. Even his reflection in the window seemed to wear a rather sentimental expression. It was fortunate that it was an unmanned helicopter. No one would see him making such a foolish face.
Thududududu.
The helicopter slowly and leisurely began to descend over Forbidden Lake. The first impression of the fortress as it drew closer wasn't bad at all.
“Hmm....”
That is, until he saw the completely destroyed and chaotic interior. It seemed like quite a daunting journey to turn it into a usable fortress. Lutus thought so.
===
“Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Lutus Edan. I'm Second Lieutenant John Hobbs, the facilities officer in charge of managing Forbidden Lake Fortress.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“It's an honor to meet the Empire's hero here.”
Lutus shook hands lightly with Second Lieutenant Hobbs. He recalled the personnel records of the fortress staff he had received in advance on the helicopter. As expected of someone who had been promoted from enlisted to officer locally, he looked a bit older for a second lieutenant. His experience seemed richer than expected.
“Likewise, Lieutenant. I heard there was an attack before.”
“Ah, yes. It was a year ago. Out of 230 personnel, only 5 remain now. Those five are practically....”
“No need to explain in detail. I already read everything on the helicopter.”
Lutus cut off the lieutenant's words. He had seen plenty of how survivors of annihilated fortresses broke down, and he himself had been one of them.
“Then, Second Lieutenant John Hobbs.... Are you also part of the Security Strategic Agency?”
“So I've been told. It's only been a couple of days since Supreme Commander Arthur Philias informed me of that information.”
As expected of the Supreme Commander, it was a haphazard personnel order. The position boasted authority comparable to the Empire's Chancellor in military matters. Transferring the troops under his command to a new department would have been no trouble at all.
“Since it's a unit no one looks for anyway, I thought we'd just be forgotten like this.”
Second Lieutenant Hobbs said with a laugh.
“Then I'll guide you through the facility. This way, please.”
But there wasn't much to guide at Forbidden Lake. From the barracks and living quarters to the facilities, there wasn't a single intact place. At best, the watchtower overlooking the lake was among the intact ones, and even the garden on the building's rooftop had been neglected for so long that weeds had overgrown everywhere.
“Hahaha....”
The lieutenant scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed even to himself. He tried to add an excuse.
“With only five people, managing the facilities is a bit tough. Still, we've cleaned up the place where the Director will be staying neatly.”
“I'm sure you did. I understand. It has its own charm, in a way.”
As he said, the overgrown weeds made it look like a small forest. The trees had taken root properly and were larger than typical shrubs.
“Since we have plenty of time anyway, let's clean it up together later.”
“I'd like that. I was a gardener before enlisting, after all.”
“Is that so?”
When Lutus asked while looking at the rooftop, where no trace of a gardener's touch could be found no matter how he looked, the lieutenant replied in a bitter voice.
“Repairing the facilities is the top priority, so what's the point of tending a garden that no one will see?”
Lutus could only nod. He was right. Humans are social animals. And that society is usually formed through interactions with others. Tending a garden that no one sees and is left neglected wouldn't have any meaning.
And as John said, there were many things in the fortress that seemed more urgent than the garden.
“Let's go down.”
“Will you head straight to the Director's office?”
“Yes.”
The structure of Forbidden Lake Fortress was even simpler than the Graveyard. Two four-story buildings built in a C-shape. Since the buildings faced each other, from above it looked more like a square. To the left of the lake was Building A, and to the right was Building B, which housed the armory storing vehicles, weapons, and ammunition. Naturally, the Director's office and living quarters were concentrated in Building A.
“The armory is completely empty. The Supreme Command retrieved everything in preparation for possible explosions or seizures.”
“We'll have to request resupply soon. To prepare for the unexpected.”
They wouldn't need tanks or missiles, but at least weapons to distribute to the troops in case of emergency seemed necessary. After all, Arthur Philias himself had said he wouldn't spare support. According to the schedule, maintenance personnel for the facility were supposed to arrive within a few days, so if they waited a bit, it would transform to a completely new level. Since there had been many fortresses destroyed by Titan attacks, humanity's construction technology had made tremendous progress.
“Hic... sob, sob....”
It was then that a strange sound was heard. As Lutus walked down the corridor leading to the Director's office, he heard what sounded like someone sobbing. When he stopped in his tracks, Second Lieutenant Hobbs made a face as if he had expected this.
“What's that sound?”
“Ah... It's one of the few survivors in our fortress. Her name is Karin Maven.”
Karin Maven. Lutus recalled the personnel records of Forbidden Lake Fortress once more. Unlike the others, she had an unusual nickname despite being a combatant rather than an officer. Or rather, it was closer to being blatant than unusual. The Grim Reaper, Karin Maven. It was a name and nickname he had heard in one of the previous regressions. During training, they were attacked, and all the trainees in the same class were wiped out. She barely survived and was transferred to a replacement unit, but in the battle that broke out there too, she was the only one to survive. And finally, even here at Forbidden Lake, her curse didn't end. It was no wonder she was called the Grim Reaper and treated ominously. Even John Hobbs, her fellow survivor and comrade, clearly showed discomfort toward her.
“Director?”
“I'll just take a look at her face and come back.”
Lutus strode forward. The closer he got, the louder the sobs mixed in became. It was so sorrowful that it wouldn't feel out of place even as background music in a horror movie.
Creaaak.
As the rusty hinges let out a groan and the door opened, he saw Karin sitting sprawled on the dark floor.
“Hic, sob... ugh, sob.... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Because of me, everyone because of me....”
She looked in bad shape at a glance. The woman sat there, continuing to sob without even glancing at Lutus. Classic post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Hey, Karin, no matter what, the new commander has arrived....”
Just as John Hobbs, who had followed, frowned and was about to say something to Karin, Lutus blocked the lieutenant with his hand.
“I've seen her face, so that's enough. Let's go now.”
“But, Director.”
“It's fine. Continue with the facility explanation.”
He casually closed Karin's door and left.
“...?”
The lieutenant couldn't understand Lutus's actions, but soon followed behind him and continued explaining.
“Ahem, ahem! This is the boiler room, one of the few facilities that are still functioning properly. And next to it is....”
===
“Hoo....”
Lutus Edan sat in the chair in the Director's office and let out a deep sigh. As Second Lieutenant John Hobbs had said, the Director's office was very neatly organized. But what good was it if only the Director's office was in good shape? Almost nothing in Forbidden Lake Fortress was functioning normally. The food supply was at a truly basic level. No, it was hard to even call it basic. It was all combat rations and preserved food. The war was over, yet combat rations and preserved food? Of course, the number of stationed personnel was small, but even so, it was absolutely unacceptable. Apparently, the facilities officer, the lieutenant, had originally been a gardener before the war and had no choice but to take on the role.
“They said support would be plentiful as soon as I took office, but... those few days are going to be tough.”
The face of the Supreme Commander, laughing slyly, flashed before Lutus's eyes. He hadn't interacted much with him in this life, but up until the previous regression, they had been close enough to share drinks almost every day. Since construction robots and heavy equipment worth hundreds of millions per unit were scheduled to arrive soon under the authority of the Supreme Command, the facility itself could be repaired quickly. Since it was during the war, there had been no need to repair bases that had already fallen and become the rear after the front lines moved. It hadn't bothered him much in the first place. It had only been a few months since he had lived in the field, crawling with bugs. Having a roof and a bed was no less than a five-star hotel.
Lutus rummaged through his front pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Whether it was the Security Strategic Agency or the Strategic Security Agency, the name was confusing, but he had suddenly become the head of the organization. In fact, the Commander's words weren't wrong either. He wanted to retire, but he hadn't decided where to go. During the forty regressions, old connections from before enlisting had long since faded from his memory. After all, wasn't he an orphan with no family, siblings, or friends? Lutus wondered if he could settle down well after leaving the military. Moreover, the future after winning the war was unfamiliar to Lutus. He had only thought about victory in the war until now, and had never once thought about what came after.
“....”
Ah, of course. There was one thing.
[When the war ends... I want to marry you, Lutus.]
As soon as he recalled that fact, a voice echoed in his ears like a ghost.
[And we'll build a large mansion overlooking the lake and live there. How about it? Isn't it quite romantic?]
Arhen's face, smiling softly with her silver hair swaying, came to mind. Lutus reached out toward the illusion that seemed as if he could touch it right away, then shook his head and stood up from his seat. The lake. He wanted to go see the lake.