Chapter 281: The Castle

[Relia, Tia, Karinal]

The time was two, past midnight.

Normally we would already be asleep, but we had gathered in Relia’s bedroom in nightclothes.

Karinal had found two sheets of paper just now. They sat on the round table, and looking at them we were working our heads.

"This does not make sense..."

"It does not seem to mean he held two units... does it?"

"Yes. A unit has one captain. Captains of two units, and even the vice-captains being the same... I have never seen that."

Karinal set freshly poured tea in front of Relia and Tia. The two thanked her even with worrying faces.

The three of us had been looking into Raide no matter what because we could not stop being curious.

On a sudden thought we had been looking into units that had been wiped out when we found these papers.

Units that were wiped out, or units that vanished for some reason, are gathered on a separate shelf.

We had thought there would be no traces in a place like that, and we found them.

One sheet had Raide’s name written together with Captain and Vice-Captain Taylor, and also the name of Gate Captain Dalai, who had given a hint.

And the other sheet was a wipeout report with only Captain and Vice-Captain Taylor’s names.

Raide’s name was not there. Not understanding the meaning, the three of us worried.

If you think of existing units... the wipeout report should be the earlier unit, and the unit with Raide’s name written should come after.

And the strangest thing is that not one of the member names on the wipeout report is written on the unit Raide belongs to... and both unit names are the 382nd Infantry Unit.

Which unit was Raide in? In the first place, a wipeout report has been made, so why is the unit treated as existing?

"Asking Dalai-sama would be fastest, I think..."

"But Ane-sama, from that look he does not seem likely to talk."

"Yes... I think so too. He will probably say to ask the man himself... Relia-sama, Tia-sama, did you see where the unit was wiped out?"

When Karinal asked the two of them, they lifted their cups, tilted their heads, looked at Karinal, and answered.

"Yes. Dice Fort. Count Cados led it, I believe, kept dead and wounded few, and it was treated as an impregnable place on the front..."

"...If they were wiped out there, the one who made the report would be Count Cados, who held command. But Count Cados was ’killed in action’ near the end of the war, so we cannot ask."

"Yes. If it follows the wipeout report, Count Cados should have made it. But this paper does not have Count Cados’s seal."

At Karinal’s words the two looked a little startled, hurriedly set their cups on the saucers, and peered at the wipeout report.

Indeed as Karinal said there was no Count Cados seal. Relia and Tia exchanged doubtful faces.

Meaning this wipeout report was submitted without Count Cados knowing, and the Kingdom of Libertonia accepted it.

Impossible... no one to approve it, no seal, and it is still accepted. That is odd.

During the war the castle moved busily too, but would they manage that sloppily?

If we may speak from our eyes as princesses, we can say clearly and with confidence, "They would not."

But... still looking doubtful the two turned to Karinal. Karinal had her brows drawn too, a troubled face.

Still troubled, Karinal dropped her eyes to the wipeout report, then lowered her voice a little and asked.

"Is there a chance Raide-sama belonged to a special unit?"

"No. There is not. The only special unit the Kingdom of Libertonia holds is the fairies’ hidden unit."

"And if they are hiding something, it would be the heroes."

"I... see."

Even the maybe-thought was denied by Relia and Tia shaking their heads. Karinal’s shoulders dropped.

Having come this far asking the man himself is best, but the three of us did not want to see Raide’s sad and frustrating face we could not name.

The captain is a little far on a mission, so even contacting her is hard.

Then if we can ask anyone it would be Vice-Captain Taylor, who is in Santony.

If we ask him and he will not tell us, we will have to brace and ask Raide himself.

The three of us decided that, nodded to each other, and went to sleep as we were that day.

The Chancellor

Even though it was past three, Galt sat at his desk in the office working his head to lay plans.

Does that idiot truly mean to kill me? He grimaced and muttered that in his heart, but his writing hand did not stop.

He has all sorts of complaints toward Raide, but the paving plan he proposed was splendid.

Originally you would have costs for craftsmen to work the stone clean, transport to carry it, and labor for that.

But what Raide proposed was only hardening earth with magic. A method anyone might think of.

And you can use your own country’s soldiers in the name of magic training, and if it is far you can even do it on expedition training.

Anyone might think of it, and still I never thought of it. That makes me angry at myself too.

In the end it was decided to test first, and this is also Raide’s idea. Testing in front of the capital’s four gates was decided.

Through the meeting King Adom watched me holding my head the whole time and laughed like a fool, but when I told him I would have him work on somehow giving Raide a reward he let out a big sigh with a clearly tired face.

Hmph. I cannot see my wife, so I will not break even unless he does at least that.

A chime sounded, the hidden unit’s signal that they had visited the room. I checked the time, tilted my head, looked at the door with a doubtful face, and answered.

Then the door opened and shut at once. Something unseen opened its mouth in a quiet voice.

"Chancellor. A report."

"Sanai? For you to move, what happened?"

Sanai is King Adom’s exclusive hidden unit and stays beside him as much as she can.

Even when he sleeps she spends it in the next room. That thorough.

That Sanai would leave his side and come report is not ordinary. Galt straightened and listened.

"The two princesses and Karinal found the wipeout report of the 382nd Infantry Unit. What will you do?"

"Found it, huh. Hmm... I will do nothing. You heard as well, Sanai? We cannot ’speak’ it, but if they reach it themselves that is fine."

"Even if the result is they are disillusioned?"

"To keep a country going you cannot do it with only pretty talk. Goodwill does not turn a country. War is the same. The two princesses understand that too, most likely."

Sanai gave off an air like a wry smile, said "Then...", and left the room. I let out a small sigh and leaned into the backrest.

We cannot ’put that matter into words.’

It has been made into something we do not know, so we cannot ’tell’ it.

That the 382nd Infantry Unit contributed greatly to the Kingdom of Libertonia is not only because they protected the two princesses.

Until the war ended the 382nd Infantry Unit kept contributing.

King Adom and I owe the 382nd Infantry Unit a large debt. They have scattered, but if something happens to them we will take some kind of hand.

Even so...

"That man never runs out of topics... honestly."

Galt looked at the ceiling, grumbled alone, smiled wryly, then started finishing the work left.

To finish quickly and go home to the house where his wife waited, he ran his tired head at full.