Chapter 42

Odin never let an enemy live.

It didn't matter who initiated the attack.

If an Odin soldier was harmed, the enemy who inflicted that harm would be relentlessly pursued and killed, no matter what.

Even if the opponent retired and hid deep in the rear, whether through treacherous tactics or by sending assassins, they would inevitably kill the target.

That's how Odin built its notoriety, which soon became its fame, and that was my policy.

At the time, I thought it was natural, but who knew that policy would come back to haunt me now?

I had killed Balta with my own hands.

Even without my policy, Leisia would never allow an enemy who dared to kill an Odin soldier to live.

I was now in a position where I had to survive this war and, at the same time, evade Odin's pursuit.

Looking closely, Selina, despite her lighthearted demeanor, was actually very thoughtful.

The old man said he would have abandoned me if he were the commander.

I wholeheartedly agreed.

"My thoughts... have changed."

I realized that now was not the time to be picky.

Being chased by swordsmen coveting a renowned sword?

Compared to Odin, that wasn't frightening at all.

If it were just me, there might be a way to survive even if I encountered Leisia, but I couldn't put the entire Unit 917 at risk because of myself.

"You said earlier that I was utterly disappointing. I would like to know in what aspect I disappointed you."

He probably hadn't thrown those words just to get under my skin.

There had to be a reason.

I only hoped it was a reason I could manage.

The old man, who had been staring into my eyes for a long time as if we were in a staring contest, suddenly burst out laughing.

"Then did you think you would meet my expectations?"

"No, I didn't."

I was sincere.

Even from a player's perspective, the current Ryan Kaltz was not particularly meritorious.

He didn't have outstanding stats.

Nor did he possess many great powers.

He didn't excel in areas not expressed by numbers, such as swordsmanship, reflexes, or luck.

He was the epitome of ordinary.

Just a commoner.

However, the old man must have known these facts.

If he had intended to end it there, he wouldn't have wasted his time on Selina and me.

"Have you ever heard what the young lady's aspirations were when she was commissioned?"

"...I heard her ambition to create the best unit in the Alliance, surpassing Odin."

"Is that so."

The old man smiled and looked at Selina, who subtly avoided his gaze.

"I was curious myself. Whether the soldiers benefiting from the growth system would become the trump card to turn the tide of war, or if they were merely a mirage. I wanted to take a chance on you, who recorded the most notable achievements among the soldiers. And the young lady also asked."

He said that, but judging by his demeanor, it seemed there were other reasons I wasn't aware of yet.

At this point, Selina, who should have been proudly puffing out her chest, was still avoiding eye contact and pretending to be busy.

"When I actually met you, I was disappointed not to feel anything special about you, but I'm not an omniscient god, how could I understand everything just from a person's first impression? So, for now, I will observe you from the sidelines. Then I will make my judgment."

"Observing from the sidelines, you mean..."

"Didn't a vacancy just open up in Unit 917?"

"..."

"Well, at least I'll get to see what the sky on the battlefield looks like before I die."

The old man laughed heartily.

I stared at Selina.

It seemed this hadn't been discussed beforehand, as she was also giving the old man a bewildered look.

And so, the 6th spot in Unit 917 was taken by the elderly Archmage.

Though it was only temporary.

* * *

"Damn it. It's finally over..."

The long period of suffering was finally over.

As of today, Odin's airship had been cleanly transformed in appearance, making it clear to anyone that it was indeed an "Alliance airship."

The interior... that is, the performance, had also been somewhat downgraded.

After all, Odin's airship was technologically superior compared to the Alliance's, so the crew couldn't fully operate it.

It was a shame, but an unavoidable choice.

The flag, too, seemed newly made, and a scent of ink stung my nose every time it fluttered in the wind.

It felt refreshing.

"Now I can finally sleep peacefully."

After wiping away a single tear of emotion with the back of my hand, I lay down on the bed.

The soft touch of the bed and the warmth inside the blanket, heated by body temperature, made a person happy.

Closing my eyes like this, it felt as if sleep would come immediately.

That should have been normal, but...

"...Damn it."

Sleep wouldn't come.

Perhaps because I had been forcefully waking up early in the morning for the past few days, regardless of my will, my mind was too alert.

From past experience, I knew that no matter what I did in my current state, sleep wouldn't come, so I reluctantly kicked off the covers and got up.

But even getting up was a problem.

In this world, where entertainment was hard to find from a modern perspective, it was incredibly boring.

"...Sigh. I guess I'll train for a change."

In the end, I picked up a wooden training sword for the first time in a while.

The sword I had been using was broken during the battle with Balta, so this was a temporary training sword I was using until new supplies arrived.

It lacked sharpness, but its shape and weight were identical to a real sword, so there was no problem with practice.

I stood in the corner of the deck and swung the sword.

A slight pain was felt in various parts of my body that hadn't fully recovered yet.

It wasn't enough to make me wince, so I ignored it and continued to swing the sword.

My mentor was Selina.

She, who handled not only magic but also swords with skill, had consistently taught me swordsmanship since I officially joined Unit 917.

When I closed my eyes, her image swinging the sword appeared so vividly, as if it had been etched onto my cornea.

"...Oh?"

As I swung the sword, something felt different today.

Perhaps the experience of battling a strong opponent like Balta had helped, but I felt as if I was able to follow what Selina had shown me a little better.

Feeling like I was growing, I became inexplicably happy and trained even more passionately than usual.

Clap, clap, clap!

As I was concentrating, I heard the sound of hands clapping.

I gasped for breath and wiped the sweat from my brow with my sleeve.

The clapper was Byan.

His complexion was noticeably better, as if he had thoroughly enjoyed his vacation for several days, and he was giving me that same uncomfortably intense gaze.

"As expected of our field commander. During your vacation, and even though your injuries hadn't healed, you were training every morning..."

Something was wrong.

I had been having a lot of fun lately.

Just recently, I even went on a tour of the Verdin estate with Selina.

My conscience pricked me, and I tried to correct his misunderstanding, but...

"Ryan! Long time no see! How have you been?"

"...I've returned, Field Commander."

"Oh, senior. Training? How about a match with me later?"

Other unit members arrived one after another, and I missed my chance.

Judging by the boisterous expressions of the group, they seemed to have enjoyed their vacation more than enough.

Their faces seemed to glow with vitality.

I had been seriously worried that the first battle had been too harsh and that someone might have been broken, but it seemed my worries were unfounded.

Above all, perhaps because I had just discussed Selina and Edam, I had been slightly worried that some might not return, so I was relieved.

"Oh? Everyone's gathered here. Perfect timing."

Finally, Selina returned with the crew members.

Unlike Selina, who approached with a grin as if something good had happened, the crew members following her were sweating profusely, carrying large boxes.

When they set the boxes down, there was a loud crash and a clatter of metal from inside.

I instinctively knew what was in those boxes.

"They're new supplies."

As expected, the contents of the boxes were equipment.

I wasn't the only one whose equipment had been damaged in the previous battle.

In fact, it was safe to say that nothing except Lirisa's bow had maintained its original form.

"Everyone, look forward to it. These are made from completely different materials than the cheap supplies the army provides."

Selina was so excited that her voice tone was much higher than usual.

I wasn't sure, but hearing Selina's confident voice, I suspected they were products from the Verdin estate's blacksmith's forge.

I subtly craned my neck to examine the supplies in the box, but honestly, I couldn't tell what made them different.

In D&K, equipment grades were determined by attack power or bonus options, so I had neither the ability nor the criteria to look at something and immediately judge, "Ah, this is a good sword."

"To think the day would come when I'd use equipment made in the Verdin workshop..."

Seeing the usually stoic Sergel muttering in an emotional voice, it seemed the name definitely lived up to its reputation.

Selina distributed the equipment one by one.

It seemed she had custom-ordered not only weapons but also armor to fit each person's body size.

With cheap supplies, it always felt like I had to adjust myself to the clothes, not the other way around, so the complete absence of that feeling was an attractive point.

Expensive armor would protect the precious lives of the unit members accordingly.

I thought to myself that I had chosen a good commander, and I found myself smiling contentedly.

I, too, received a sword and a shield.

"It really is different."

I realized it once I put it on.

The supplies I had been using until now couldn't even compare.

As I marveled, examining the new supplies from various angles, I heard heavy footsteps.

"Do you like it?"

"...You've arrived?"

It was Archmage Oscar.

I still had a faint hope that perhaps his words were just a threat, not meant to be taken seriously.

Hope was for suckers.

Perhaps because he had little time left to live and had become fearless, the old man truly boarded the airship heading for the battlefield.

"I didn't actually think you'd come. It'll be dangerous..."

"I'll just be on the airship, unlike you all, so what's there to worry about?"

"An airship isn't necessarily safe, you know."

"I trust the young lady. And though I am a blacksmith, I am also an Archmage. I know at least basic magic, so I should be able to help protect the airship."

"..."

Judging by his resolute demeanor, persuasion seemed impossible.

The group eavesdropping on the conversation from behind gasped.

They had been curious about the identity of the old man who suddenly appeared, and the word "Archmage" clearly startled them.

"Uh... Oh, since I'm back after a long time, I should start by cleaning my room!"

"...Let's go train, Byan."

"Yes, yes sir!"

"I'll help clean too... No, train? Let's do anything together!"

The guys who had been happily reuniting and catching up on deck moments ago scattered with clumsy excuses.

Even Selina, whom I had trusted, fled, claiming she needed to do a final check before takeoff.

Only the old man and I remained.

"Since we'll be living together for a while, would you mind showing me around? It's my first time on an airship, so my heart is pounding as if I've returned to my boyhood."

"...Yes. Of course."

In the end, Unit 917's airship ascended into the sky, accompanied by the overly excited old man.