Idle Asides, No. 5, Cercis’ Perspective — On the Frontlines

✦✦✦Idle Asides, No. 5, Cercis’ Perspective — On the Frontlines✦✦✦

“Hmph!” I sneered, without really meaning to.

The letter that had just arrived was from my childhood friend Celosia, the second son of the Argenteia family. He was a consul—a high-ranking civil servant—at the Royal Palace.

The letter briefly described the military rally that had been held the previous day at the Royal Palace. He said that some guys from the First Cavalry Company had been unknowingly hitting on my wife.

She is, of course, undeniably adorable. At first glance, she seems sensitive and fragile, but her smile almost blossoms across her face, overflowing with tender care, her bearing elegant and fluid like water. She usually dresses in a way that enhances her natural light, and sometimes I am moved to speechlessness by her beauty.

Having said that, those men had no right to be speaking to her like that. Don’t you look at her! She’s mine. You couldn’t help but run into other nobles at a military rally, but still, that sort of behavior is upsetting. And I can’t help but be furious as well, knowing that Viola had been exposed to their coarseness.

Thankfully Celosia had also included the names of the men who’d harassed her. Atta boy, Celosia. I guess there was something to you memorizing the list of peerage for fun after all. You can count on a consul’s memory.

So, the cavalry. And the First Company at that.

I was just wondering what I would do for frontline troops for the attack. I see. The First Cavalry Company, then. The scope won’t be too broad, and the unit is more than capable.

Hmm.

I think I’ll use them for this operation.

I felt myself being watched as I thought about the upcoming operation after reading Celosia’s letter. When I looked to see who it was, my lieutenant commander Corydalis was staring at me like he’d seen a ghost. What’re you looking at me like that for?

“What do you want, Corydalis?”

“Nothing. It just looked like you were reading a nice letter, and I was curious.”

Ah, so he thinks this is what I look like happy.

“I guess it is funny in its own way.”

“In its own way?”

“You want to read it?”

“Am I allowed to?”

For god’s sake, don’t pretend like you don’t.

“Yes. It’s from Celosia. It’s just about yesterday’s rally at the Royal Palace.”

“Celosia...? Oh, you mean Consul Argenteia. I didn’t expect a report already about something that happened only yesterday.”

“That’s Celosia for you,” I said, tossing Corydalis the letter. He skillfully caught it and examined the contents.

A dark grin spread across his face as his eyes tracked over the words. Heh, I see you’re pissed, too.

“Heh hey... that was pretty funny. Those bastards. That’s just bad form, flirting with someone who obviously isn’t interested in you,” Corydalis smiled.

“Of course it is. We’ll have to work them to the bone here to retrain them from the ground up,” I said firmly, a dark smile of my own slowly appearing on my face.

“Yikes, I don’t wanna know what’s got the commander and lieutenant commander smiling like that.”

“Yeah, that’s the look you get when you’re thinking of something really wicked.”

“I bet they came up with some absolutely brutal strategy for the attack.”

“Something positively evil, even.”

“Gyaaaah! Reading it over is going to be a nightmare! Oh, what do you know, I think I feel a stomach ache coming on!”

“You what now?!”

The members of our unit stood around Corydalis and me, shaking in their boots as they watched us. They were whispering, but I still heard every word. Seeing this, Corydalis said, “Oi, you all aren’t going to let these guys get away with this, are you?”

“Absolutely not!” my unit replied in unison. Glad to see my men practically revere Viola.

“I thought you might say that. They’re on board, too, then,” Corydalis smirked as he looked back at me.

It was settled then. Seems we’d be using the First Company in this significant operation.

“Hm. That’s that, I suppose. Let’s have the First Company cover our front for our most important and difficult operation.”

“Yes, sir!” the division replied in a moment of unity.

“They’ll regret crossing me from the moment they arrive,” I murmured out loud, not entirely on purpose. I won’t accept anything less than 150% from them. Viola’s made a new man out of me, it seems.