Chapter 12

My thoughts became complicated.

Anya Kail... no, selina Verdin.

Why was she using an alias?

Unlike us, who were involuntarily conscripted into the military as refugees, she joined the army of her own free will.

What reason would someone with such a strong sense of patriotism have to use an alias?

No plausible answer came to mind. After much deliberation, one word surfaced.

'What are the chances she's a spy?'

In D&K, combat basically meant drawing swords against each other.

However, not everyone engaged in simplistic back-and-forth fighting.

Some players, especially high-ranked ones, valued information highly and used all sorts of means to secure not only magic sources but also information.

Planting spies was often one such method to obtain high-quality information.

Otherwise, I couldn't think of a reason why she would use an alias.

'I want to get rid of Viscount Lemming, but I also have to worry about someone suspected of being a spy? Nothing is going smoothly.'

"Ryan!"

Suddenly, a soft, high-pitched voice reached my ears.

Startled, I turned my gaze to see Lilisa's somewhat displeased face.

"...Why?"

"It's not 'why'... we were talking! I've felt it before, Ryan, but you think too much. How many times has it been already? I'd appreciate it if you'd focus."

"..."

Only then did I realize that I had been too deeply engrossed in the word 'spy.'

Not just Lilisa, but all the other members' gazes were fixed on me.

"I'm truly sorry."

"Please be careful."

"Well, since it's come to this, I'll apologize for one more thing, but what were we talking about?"

"..."

Lilisa's reproachful gaze stung.

In the end, before Lilisa could get too upset, Theo intervened.

He tried to pat my shoulder with his right hand and Lilisa's shoulder with his left but failed and smiled bitterly.

If only one less part had been attached to the airship, Theo could have had a fairly high-performance prosthetic arm.

Such a regrettable thought crossed my mind.

"Ryan must have had something to think about. Don't push him too hard. And Ryan, you were clearly thinking of something important, but we were talking about the strategy for Labias Valley. Please focus on the meeting."

"Understood."

I nodded, but honestly, it was hard to believe the meeting would be meaningful.

I felt bad for the others, but I had no intention of releasing information about the Labias Valley battle.

This was not information a refugee soldier would know, and I didn't want to be suspected of being a spy because of it.

The rest of the group were just rookie, low-ranking soldiers.

They couldn't possibly know information about the front lines, and without information, a proper strategy planning or meeting couldn't take place.

It shouldn't have. But...

"Ravian Lizards are creatures very sensitive to magic. If you use magic, divine power, or magic-infused equipment, the lizards within a 100-meter radius will all rush at you, so be careful. Their size is considerable, and their speed is by no means slow, so if you're surrounded, it's dangerous. So always watch your escape route. The venom in their teeth is especially dangerous. Most cases end with a few days of illness, but rarely, lives are lost, so detoxification is essential. And..."

Unexpectedly, there was someone leading the meeting.

selina Verdin.

The very person I suspected of being a White spy.

'...What is this?'

My head was in a whirl.

Normally, a spy would try to avoid attracting attention.

It's normal to try to hide as much information as possible.

But selina wasn't like that.

As if she were a machine for spewing information, if you poked her, she would spill it all without resistance.

Nor was there any falsehood mixed in with the information.

The information she was spewing, compared to the knowledge I had accumulated playing D&K, had shortcomings if any, but no inaccuracies.

"I see... It would have been a disaster if we had gone into the operation without knowing. Thank you, Anya."

"Don't mention it."

"But how do you know all this so well, Anya?"

Unlike Theo, who expressed pure gratitude, Lirisa asked a sharp question with a smiling face.

One might have expected her to be flustered.

But selina responded with a smile instead.

She just smiled, but it felt as if the surroundings had brightened by a notch.

"I studied hard. This and that..."

"I see. You're younger than me, but Anya, you're amazing."

Lilisa readily accepted it.

It seemed that her question was not born of suspicion towards selina for knowing various pieces of information, but out of pure curiosity.

When the conversation seemed to have settled down somewhat, Adam, who had been quietly listening to Celina's words, raised his hand and requested to speak.

"Well then, let's stop talking about Labias Lizards here... How about we sort out our relationship?"

"Sort out our relationship?"

"It's just... I didn't intend it, but I was suddenly designated as the field commander, right? But the three of you here are also my seniors..."

"..."

A heavy silence fell.

He was right.

This was the military, and although it was only a matter of days, as Adam said, I, Theo, and Lilisa were his seniors.

However, our glorious commander of Unit 707 had placed a junior in the position of field commander, creating an ironic situation where his rank was higher.

"This isn't about asking for respect. The three of you here already have combat experience, whereas I'm a complete rookie who knows absolutely nothing. To be honest, I'm not confident in leading you well... So, if one of you three could subtly take command... Or should I formally suggest it to His Lordship?"

"Hmm..."

I, Theo, and Lirisa exchanged bitter smiles.

Even after only one operation, we already knew.

What kind of person Viscount Lemming was, and how Edam's suggestion would be resolved.

"Forget it. You'll just fall out of favor with the Viscount too. He's a tight-fisted nobleman."

"...Is it okay to evaluate a noble in such a way?"

"Adam will be no different from us after this operation."

"..."

At my words, following Theo's, Adam wore a complex expression, a mixture of various emotions.

Still, much of the initial awkward atmosphere had disappeared.

When soldiers want to get to know each other, what better topic of conversation is there than badmouthing an undeserving superior?

After summing up the discussion, our relationship was neatly settled.

Mutual respect.

We would respect Adam's command, and just as Theo had done when he was interim field commander, Adam would also actively listen to the opinions of other members.

Furthermore, due to Lirisa's vigorous insistence, everyone decided to speak informally to each other.

Her argument was that as comrades who would face life-and-death situations together, they should become at least a little closer.

"But Lilisa."

"Yes, ;Ryan."

"...Why are you still using honorifics?"

"It's more comfortable for me."

"...Then why did you make the suggestion?"

Lilisa merely smiled brightly.

I thought I had learned a little more about her, but it seemed I still had a long way to go.

* * *

Unit 707's airship continued to fly even on moonlit nights.

However, perhaps because fewer crew members were needed for night flights, the bustling deck was empty.

It felt as if I had chartered the whole thing.

I found a suitable spot and wielded my sword, enjoying the pouring moonlight.

Swoosh!

"...Utterly clumsy."

A downward vertical cut from above my head.

I must have swung it over 30 times, but it didn't seem to have improved at all compared to the beginning.

Even to an amateur like me, the sword path was incredibly awkward.

I even wondered how unfair it must have been for the White soldiers to fall after being cut by such a sword.

Swoosh!

I swung the sword again.

Still so clumsy that it was hard to watch.

I doubted there would be any progress even if I kept swinging it repeatedly like this.

The canvas I had was blank.

I wanted to draw a magnificent picture on it, but I had no knowledge of painting, so I had no idea where to start.

A situation where I couldn't even tell if a line I drew was well-drawn or poorly drawn.

It was hard to believe that a proper picture would be completed if I continued to draw like this.

I needed a teacher.

But the other unit members were also novices who had never even learned swordsmanship, and it would be better for my mental health not to expect Viscount Lemming to pay for an instructor.

What could I do?

Maybe if I kept drawing clumsy lines, something would click.

Swoosh!

After swinging the sword a few more times like that.

"What are you doing?"

A familiar voice was heard.

"...Anya?"

"Yes. It's Anya."

Anya, my foot.

It was Selina.

She, who used honorifics for everyone except Adam for a different reason than Lilisa (that she couldn't speak informally to seniors and elders), sent an intrigued look at the sword in my hand.

"Practicing, as you can see."

"Practicing?"

"Yes."

"You're working very hard, even at this late hour. Unlike me, I heard Ryan was conscripted. Yet, you're trying so hard to protect the kingdom."

"No. Quite the opposite."

She was mistaken about something.

I wasn't obliged to correct her misunderstanding, but I thought it was better to talk about this than to have an awkward silence.

"I'm trying to protect myself, not the kingdom. As you said, I'm a conscript. I'm not even from the kingdom to begin with. I have absolutely no patriotism. Not even 1 percent of the patriotism you possess."

"Then why..."

"Because I figured I should at least know how to wield a sword. Because I figured that's how I could survive under a shitty superior. I know nothing about swords, but I'm trying to do something."

"Now that you mention it, Ryan, and Lilisa and Theo too... you all seem to have a lot of complaints about Viscount Lemming. Is there a reason?"

I still suspected Selina was a spy.

Although she had said and done things that a spy wouldn't, she hadn't been completely cleared of suspicion yet.

Therefore, while being wary of Celina, I also held a certain expectation.

A glimmer of hope, perhaps, that she might serve as a bridge between me and Odin.

Was that why?

Hesitantly, I explained what happened at Outpost 28 to her without stopping my sword practice.

Selina frowned as she listened to the story.

"Such a thing happened... I hadn't heard."

"......?"

"Haa."

She let out a deep sigh.

Then, she suddenly drew a knife from her waist.

Wondering what she was going to do, I stopped swinging my sword and faced her.

Selina, who had put about three meters of distance between us, pointed her sword at me.

"It seems you need a teacher."

"That's true."

"Due to circumstances, I cannot be Ryan's teacher. But I will be your sparring partner."

"That's quite..."

I still had no idea. Selina Verdin. What her true identity was.

"That's a generous offer."