Chapter 1: Varèse’s Mission
Chapter 1: Varèse’s Mission
July 20th, night, in the Grebeauvoir iron district—
Varèse peeked out from the building before quickly drawing his head back in. Fel waited in the darkness behind him, her curly blonde hair and greenish eyes faintly glimmering as they caught the meager traces of moonlight streaming in through the doorway.
“How’s it look, Varèse?”
“Your information was accurate. Four soldiers watching the alleyway... They’re equipped with rifles, and they’ve got knives at their hips.”
Varèse and Fel were standing before a street that divided the district in two, large enough that it seemed impossible to cross without being spotted. They were up against four troops, but they were all poorly trained; Varèse could tell their skill level just from how they carried themselves. The men kept their eyes on their surroundings, but they were enjoying a pleasant chat. Defeating them would prove simple enough.
“But if even a single shot is fired, my work here becomes a lot harder,” Varèse murmured.
“Yeah...”
The enemy soldiers were still wary of the First Army stationed outside the city, but that wouldn’t stop them from investigating the northern district if a gunshot rang out.
“My mission is to meet the civilian representative and convey the details of our rescue operation.”
“I know. You’re going to save everyone, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And then you’re going to slaughter those guys, right?”
“I see no reason to let them live.”
Fel had lost her mother because of the High Britannian soldiers, and now she was forced to do business with them just to live under their rule. Varèse was an accomplished chevalier, but as far as family memories went, he only remembered training in an orphanage to become a soldier. He did not know what it meant to have a mother, yet he still tried to understand her hatred.
“To complete my mission, I must avoid engaging the lookouts,” Varèse said. “Do you have any ideas?”
“Yeah. Leave this to me. I’ll draw their attention, so use that opportunity to cross.”
“What are you going to do?”
“You want to know? Do I really have to say it?”
“...Many lives depend on my mission. If your idea is unlikely to succeed, I must remain cautious and choose something else.”
“Hm... How about you hide somewhere nearby? Then, if you think I’m doing a good job, you’re free to cross the road.”
“Won’t that put you in danger?”
“More or less.”
Varèse was reluctant to drag a civilian into the mission, but he knew there was no time to waste. He needed to have spoken to the representative and prepared the civilians for their rescue by the time the plan was executed.
“...Understood,” he eventually said with a nod. “I’m leaving this to you. I’ll cross only once I’ve determined that you have successfully distracted the guards.”
“Got it!” Fel replied, balling up her fists. It was a childish gesture, but one that was to be expected, considering that she was still only fourteen years old.
“I’m sorry...” Varèse murmured. “I know I shouldn’t be bringing a child into this.”
“Aha. Is that what’s bothering you? You sure are weird.”
“Why am I weird...?”
“I mean, this is war, you know? Even the kids are at risk of dying unless they put up a fight. That’s why you’ve gotta do what you can.”
“...I really am sorry.”
“Oh, hush up,” Fel shot back with a smile. She picked up her wicker basket, then removed the bread and wine from inside.
What’s she planning to do...?
✧ ✧ ✧
Fel confidently strolled across the moonlit street. She was a civilian being held captive in the iron district, so that much was hardly a problem. Varèse, meanwhile, watched from the shadow of a nearby building.
How’s she going to draw their attention?
A few of the lookouts turned their attention to Fel as she approached, but there were four in total, and at least one was always watching the road. Even if Varèse moved without a sound, he would most likely be spotted.
“Good evening, soldier,” Fel said to the nearest lookout.
“Oh, you again. You can pass,” the man curtly replied, nodding her through. It seemed at least one of the soldiers knew Belgarian.
Fel returned the nod, but then she stood still for a while, looking somewhat lost.
“What are you waiting for?” the soldier asked.
“Y-Yeah, um... Business didn’t go so well today...” she said weakly, showing him the basket devoid of all the supplies she had received for her services.
The lookout merely shrugged. “How unfortunate.”
“Please, just some bread is enough... Won’t you? My mom is waiting for me. I’ll be in for a smack if I return empty-handed.”
“Our supplies are running low too.”
“Oh, don’t be stingy. I’ll make it worth your while. All four of you for a loaf of bread. How about it?”
The soldier raised an eyebrow, then turned to the other lookouts and started to interpret for them. «She said the four of us for one loaf of bread.»
The men all exchanged glances, then their expressions twisted.
«That’s cheap.»
«Goddammit... Look at her. She’s still just a brat.»
«Doesn’t bother me.»
“...That’s cheap, I’ll admit.”
“Isn’t it?” Fel replied, her smile widening. “I usually charge a bottle of wine too, but that didn’t quite work out after all the ruckus today... How about it, soldier?”
Fel moved her thumb up to her lips, tracing it with her tongue before lightly sucking on the tip. A soft smacking noise was audible each time her lips parted, and by that point, the guards’ attention was entirely focused on her mouth.
“So, what do you say?” Fel asked again. “I can guarantee your men will love you for it, and all for a measly loaf of bread.”
“Y-Yeah... It’s not exactly a bad deal...”
The lookout relayed the message to the other soldiers, at which point the lips of one man in particular curled into a wicked grin.
«Do we have a deal then?» the translating soldier asked. «We’d just need to take turns, right? Pretend we’re going to take a leak.»
«Hah! Sounds good to me!»
All of a sudden, a rough hand grabbed Fel by the shoulder. «Last chance to back out,» said the grinning lookout. «I can be pretty rough.»
“O-Okay? I, err...don’t know High Britannian.”
“He said to keep quiet no matter how much it hurts.”
Fel could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she heard those words, but she forced a smile onto her face nonetheless. “O-Oh, I see... I’ll keep that in mind... Aha... Aha ha...”
The soldiers’ attention was concentrated on Fel, meaning they had completely neglected their lookout duties. Varèse rushed out at once; this was his chance to cross the street.
The plan must succeed. This is to save the captives!
Fel had willingly accepted this role, and it was clear from her exchange with the men that she wouldn’t lose her life. There surely wasn’t a problem.
“...Of course there’s a problem!”
Varèse ran with hushed footsteps, but his destination was different than originally planned. He didn’t cross the street, nor was he still actively avoiding the soldiers’ not-so-watchful eyes.
The man holding Fel raised his head just in time to see the figure racing toward them. «Hm? What...?» His reaction was somewhat lax, considering that Varèse was wearing a High Britannian uniform, but it wasn’t long before the other soldiers were also focused on the approaching man.
«Halt, you!» one of the lookouts yelled, readying his gun. «Which unit are you from?! Stop, or I’ll—!»
“No!” Fel cried, wrapping herself around the soldier’s arm.
«Out of the way, Galian!»
“Gnn?!”
Fel was knocked away with an elbow to the temple. She dropped to the ground, no longer able to restrain the lookout, but the time she had bought Varèse was more than enough.
“Rot in hell!”
Belgaria’s army was recognized as the strongest on the continent. Their greatest elites were gathered in the First Army, and Varèse stood out even among them. In contrast, those in the High Britannian Army received much less training. These lookouts weren’t even considered good enough to contribute to the city’s defenses, instead having been relegated to night watch, so to say they were outmatched was a grave understatement.
Varèse needed only to flash the dagger in his right hand for fresh blood to gush from the throat of the soldier who had struck Fel.
«Guh?!»
«E-Enemy attack!»
The second soldier screamed out a warning to the others, but Varèse’s dagger pierced straight through his heart a beat later, killing him instantly.
The third soldier, poised with his gun, was a half-pace too far away to be taken out. Varèse instead opted to aim for his finger, which was just barely within reach; the gun couldn’t be fired without anything to squeeze the trigger.
Having seen his comrades cut down, the fourth lookout started to run, but Varèse tossed his dagger at his fleeing back. Its blade stabbed into the man’s cervical vertebrae, causing him to crumple to the ground before he could raise his voice.
In this brief moment, the third soldier, who Varèse had not yet managed to kill, drew his combat knife with his left hand.
«G-Graaah!»
“Silence.”
Varèse stepped forward, avoiding the knife that was thrust at him, before grabbing the lookout by his neck and crushing his windpipe in one deft motion. It wasn’t a move that would cause instant death, but it stopped the final soldier from being able to cry out. He fell to the ground, convulsing in pain; he would inevitably die soon enough.
“Suppression complete...” Varèse muttered to himself.
By the time he looked back at Fel, she was crouched down and quivering in fear. She had tried her best to put on a brave face, but she was a civilian, a girl, and a mere child; he couldn’t blame her for letting the mask slip.
“Ah... Did, err... D-Did you kill them...?” Fel asked.
“Yes, they’re all dead—or as good as dead. If you can stand, then help me clean up.”
Without waiting for a reply, Varèse hoisted up a corpse in each arm. Things had become somewhat troublesome. Perhaps these guards were due to change shifts soon, or maybe a patrol would come by. That was why he needed to hide the bodies quickly. They would surely be found eventually, but he just needed enough time to meet with the civilian representative.
Fel collected the fallen combat knife. “You need to hide this too, right...?”
“Yeah.”
“W-Was my plan...no good...?” Fel stammered. She looked terrified beyond words.
Varèse opened the shed of a nearby house and shoved the bodies inside. He then picked up the remaining two and threw them on top before retrieving his dagger from a corpse.
“Your plan...successfully drew the attention of the guards,” he said.
“R-Right? So why did you do something so dangerous?”
“Because I couldn’t just sit back and let that happen.”
“But! But! If they’d shot at you, your mission would be over!”
“It would complicate the situation, yes, but it wouldn’t guarantee failure. I would much rather evade a search party than allow those men to do as they had intended. I’m here to save the civilians, and that includes you. I will get you out of here.”
Varèse was honestly quite aware that he had acted recklessly. It was foolish to expose so many people to danger just to save one individual—this was a teaching that had been hammered into his head over years of training.
A clear droplet ran down Fel’s cheek, but she quickly wiped it away with her small hand. “Thank...you...”
It could surely be argued that Varèse had made a foolish decision. As he saw Fel’s desperate attempt to hold back her tears, however, he knew in his heart that it had been the right one.