Chapter 1: Hildegard Von Hessen Case File

Dangoltinoza Officer’s School was located in a suburb of Berun, the royal capital. A busy, international city, Berun was celebrated as the center of the world. Just twenty kilometers away from the royal castle, however, the bustling, populated landscape became rural and peaceful.

“... sigh...”

In the corner of a classroom, Hildegard von Hessen, also known as Hilde, exhaled deeply.

“Mumble mumble mumble mumble...”

“Whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper...”

“Chatter chatter chatter chatter...”

Other girls of Hilde’s age whispered as they glanced at her.

“...............”

Hilde looked tired as she returned their stares.

“Yikes!”

Acting as one, the girls made small cries and looked away.

How long will this continue?

Hilde sighed again, but this time only inside her head.

The coup d’état in Berun, which Genitz considered a rebellion, was three months ago. The principal offender in the incident, the Schutzstaffel, had disbanded. Authorities had stripped half the participants of military rank and arrested the first- and second-tier leaders. However, 30 to 40 percent of the soldiers had been reassigned—with restrictions—as common soldiers, since they had only been following the orders of their senior officers.

Hilde’s situation was difficult. She was from a noble family, and had been a first lieutenant in the Schutzstaffel, serving directly under Genitz, at just fifteen years old. However, after her encounter with Lud and Sven, and especially after Genitz rejected her, she had effectively betrayed the Schutzstaffel and joined the effort to liberate the royal capital. Through the king’s good graces, she did not face charges of treason. But she wasn’t completely cleared either.

I’m a soldier, so I know I have to accept this decision.

Nonetheless, she found herself in circumstances that made her sigh in resignation.

Hilde had carried the burden of being alone in a family of warriors, and had tried to become a soldier. In pursuit of that goal, she had become narrow in mind and warped in spirit. But through her encounters with others, she had started to seek new possibilities.

She had grown tired of familial obligation and was looking for a new way of life when she became involved in the recent commotion in the capital. She had been cleared of the charges, but Genitz’s ideas had influenced her. She was now free of his control, but the military wouldn’t simply overlook her actions and say, “Oh, that’s all right.” She had to go through military training again and then decide whether she wanted to continue military service. In short, her probation included reentering military academy.

It’s a hassle, but there’s nothing I can do since so many people have gone out of their way for me.

Supreme Commander Elvin and even the king had been involved in the decision. It was actually a compassionate measure, so she should be thankful for this punishment. If she had been ten years older, she would have gone to prison. She understood that. But still...

“She looks terrifying! No wonder she was in the Schutzstaffel!”

These were the types of comments she now heard.

“... sigh...”

She sighed a third time.

Dangoltinoza Officer’s School was also known as the Preparatory School for Young Ladies. But that didn’t mean it was a girls’ school. In all of Wiltia... No, in all of the European continent, no military school was as undemanding as this school. The graduates would become mere functionaries assigned deskwork. The school’s nickname had come from graduates of the more macho and rigorous military schools as an insult to the students at Dangoltinoza, whether they were men or women.

Elvin and the king showed consideration for me.

They must have thought the students at other schools would bully her for being former Schutzstaffel. So they arranged for her admission to this much quieter, less competitive school. Hilde was keenly aware of the thoughtfulness shown by the adults involved.

“Hilde, what’s the matter? You’re making that scary face again.”

“Oh... Lillie.”

The good-natured girl speaking to the frowning Hilde, was named Lillie.

“As usual, you’re being unfriendly again. You’re pretty, so you should smile more!”

“I can’t be nice because things are as usual. Besides, I’m not pretty.”

Hilde wasn’t in a good mood, but her reply wasn’t cold enough to push Lillie away.

“You can’t help it. You know our school’s reputation. This is the Prep School for Young Ladies.”

Lillie found this funny and laughed.

“If you have something to say, then say it.”

In the three months since Hilde had entered school, Lillie was the only person to really speak to her. Other students, the instructors, the old ladies in the cafeteria and old men in the school shop all tensed when they saw Hilde. It frightened them that she had been in the Schutzstaffel.

“Let’s go have lunch. You haven’t eaten, have you?”

“Um... no.”

At Lillie’s invitation, Hilde stood and they left the classroom. She could hear the chatter pick up behind her as soon as she closed the door. As she set off down the hall, she tried to ignore the vicious talk.

Dangoltinoza Officer’s School was more like a vocational training school than a military training facility. Most of the students were from middle-class families in Berun. Lillie’s family owned a restaurant in Berun’s business district. It was spacious enough to host a fairly lavish wedding if all the seats were reserved. They weren’t nobles or merchant princes.

Parents who wanted to provide their children with a sufficient education sent them to Dangoltinoza. While Wiltia had been fighting a ten-year war, it spent its education budget on cannon shells. So during the war, in order to increase the number of schools, many became military schools in name only. Less than half the graduates would ever actually see military service.

“Is it hard, Hilde?”

After entering the cafeteria and finding a table, Lillie began poking at her lunch.

“Um...”

After thinking a moment, Hilde answered.

“To be honest, it’s not so bad.”

“Really?”

Lillie looked impressed, but Hilde wasn’t trying to sound tough.

When Hilde was growing up, people had called her a fallen noble and a black dog, and her own father had called her a child of Polpora. Compared to such open ridicule, discrimination, and contempt, being feared was nothing. At least no one was throwing rocks at her.

Above all, during the months leading to her reenlistment in school, she had almost died several times. Compared to those days, school was peaceful.

“But it’s annoying to hear everyone whispering about me.”

“Well, the way you first reacted didn’t help.”

“Ugh...”

On the first day of school, Hilde had grown so angry at all the whispers mixing fact and fiction, she had yelled out, “You got some kinda problem with me?!” Then she had glared at one girl who was especially loud.

That girl was the leader of the female students, and Hilde’s ferocity caused her to burst into tears. But Hilde’s current situation wasn’t because she made the leader her enemy. It was because she had behaved like a rabid dog from the Schutzstaffel who was beyond the reach of even a class leader at a school like Dangoltinoza Officer’s School. At this rate, there was no chance of a normal student coming near her.

“Your glare is too sharp.”

“That’s not true.”

Lillie looked impressed, as well as astounded, but Hilde meant what she said.

“I know a man whose eyes are so fierce, even as he goes about everyday affairs, that women, children and even grown men freeze with fear!”

Hilde had suddenly recalled the baker in Organbaelz.

“Is he... human?”

“Yes.”

Hilde tried to calm herself and relax in her seat. Meanwhile, the other students in the cafeteria were whispering.

“Yeah... this is better.”

She couldn’t deny it was uncomfortable, and if she hadn’t almost died, she wouldn’t have appreciated her current freedom from being killed or from killing others.

“If I have a complaint, it’s the poor bread here.”

As she muttered, Hilde tore off a chunk of rye bread and spread cream cheese on it.

“Really? It seems normal to me.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Hilde was from a family that was noble in name only, so she was used to living in poverty. She wasn’t picky about food. However, she had become particular about bread during her one-month tenure at Tockerbrot Bakery.

“But something seems different lately.”

For the first month or two, the students had kept their distance from Hilde because she was former Schutzstaffel. Recently, there was another reason.

“Is my black hair really that unusual?”

Hilde used to feel inferior because of her black hair, but events had taught her to adopt a more positive view. However, she heard students whispering about her black hair. She had just heard such a comment when leaving the classroom.

“No, I don’t think so. We don’t obsess over that like nobles do. Oops... Sorry.”

Realizing she had made fun of nobles in front of Hilde, who was more or less a noble herself, Lillie hurriedly covered her mouth.

“Don’t worry.”

Hilde waved her hand as if to say, “I don’t mind.”

Nobles valued family blood, and black hair signified an impure Wiltian family line. But since most students at Dangoltinoza Officer’s School were middle class, it wasn’t likely they valued such things.

“This is just my guess, but maybe it has something to do with that ghost they’ve been gossiping about.”

Lillie spoke as if she had something difficult to say.

“Ghost?”

It was obvious from Hilde’s face that she found the idea ridiculous.

“They’re making a fuss about something absurd.”

“Don’t you believe in ghosts?” Lillie asked.

Hilde almost sighed again in amusement.

“Of course not. I’ve never seen one.”

“But—”

“Besides, I’m more afraid of living people than ghosts.”

In her fifteen years of life, Hilde had never seen a ghost, but living people had pointed guns at her.

“You’re... one tough cookie.”

“Why do you say that?”

This time, Lillie looked speechless.

“Anyway, what’s the ghost got to do with me?”

“Let’s see, um...”

Lillie hesitated. It was difficult for her to tell Hilde.

“The ghost has black hair.”

“Hwah?”

Unintentionally, Hilde made a funny sound.

“And I have black hair too, so they think I have something to do with it?”

“Yeah. They think the ghost saw your black hair and has been wandering around thinking you’re her friend.”

“But that’s ridiculous!”

The insult and discrimination directed at Hilde was because of silly superstition. She couldn’t stand the idea that the students were ostracizing her for having summoned a ghost.

“Very well then! If that’s how it is, I’ll show them just how bad a former member of the Schutzstaffel can be!”

Hilde had experienced many things in life. She had grown as a person, but she was still a 15-year-old girl. There was a limit to how much childish nonsense she would overlook.

“What are you going to do?”

“That’s easy! I’m getting rid of that ghost!”

Dangoltinoza Officer’s School wasn’t much like a military academy, but it was still a military training facility. Its grounds were large enough for activities involving guns and combat exercises. A small city would actually fit inside.

Just after ten o’clock that night, Hilde and Lillie were hiding in the bushes on the edge of a backyard in the northwestern section, rarely visited by students.

“Let’s go back, Hilde.”

“Not yet. I want to stay another hour.”

They were on a mission to get rid of the ghost, which reportedly had appeared around there.

“What if it really shows up?” Lillie asked.

“Not a problem. I’m prepared.”

Hilde produced a club. But it wasn’t just any club. It was an eastern weapon called a tonfa. It was made of hard oak and had a handle perpendicular to the main body.

“I started using this recently and it’s quite handy. With enough force, you can break bones, so it’s excellent for protection. Much better than a cheap knife!”

“Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.”

Hilde was happily explaining away, but Lillie interrupted.

“You know we’re dealing with a ghost, right? Don’t you have anything else?”

“Like what?”

“Like holy water or maybe a symbol for exorcising evil.”

“I don’t know where to buy those things!”

Hilde would use whatever was handiest, whether her opponent was alive or dead. If it worked, great. If not, retreat. That was a basic tenet of soldiering.

“But you can’t get rid of a ghost with this, can you?!”

“It’ll work just fine if the ghost isn’t really a ghost, or if there never was a ghost!”

“What do you mean?”

Hilde continued speaking to Lillie, who wore a blank look.

“What matters is proving I have nothing to do with it!”

That’s why Hilde had brought Lillie. If the “ghost” was just some creepy person, then the problem was solved. And if they didn’t encounter a ghost at all, then the witnesses had been mistaken about what they saw. Either way, it had nothing to do with Hilde. And if Lillie would spread that around, then at least the annoying whispers linking Hilde to the ghost would stop.

“Um, may I ask something?” Lillie inquired with a trembling voice.

“What will you do if there is a ghost?”

Lillie’s eyes were staring at the space past a fountain and beyond the bushes. Her eyes were fixed on a woman with black hair who was walking slowly... almost as if she was drifting.

“What?!”

Hilde barely stopped herself from loudly crying out.

The woman didn’t belong to the school. She wore foreign clothes and her features didn’t look European.

“I’ve heard our school was once a noble’s mansion.”

The name of that noble was Zaltobar, but he was also known as the Headhunter Duke. He had thoroughly defeated the pagans attacking his territory. He was a general and was said to have decapitated prisoners and catapulted their heads into enemy territory.

“He buried the pagans alive, and their dead bodies are still somewhere on campus!!”

“S-Seriously?”

Things you can’t see don’t exist.

Hilde wasn’t really that close-minded, but as she watched the woman with her own eyes, she felt an uncomfortable sweat running down her back.

“Lillie, you stay here. When the moment comes, run away without me.”

“Huh? But—”

“I mean go get help!”

Since they didn’t know how strong their opponent was, if both of them ran, it would only invite pursuit. It was better for one to hold the enemy while the other summoned help. This is another sensible tenet held by soldiers.

She’s a military cadet, but she doesn’t know that unless I tell her?!

Compared to Lud and Sven, Hilde lacked actual fighting experience and was an amateur. But even to her, the students at this school were ignorant.

“..................”

Then the ghost beyond the fountain turned her eyes on them.

She’s seen us!

There was no time to hesitate. Hilde sprang from the bushes, readied her tonfa, and attacked as if victory would favor the one who struck first.

“Graaaaah!!”

She aimed at the woman’s face. Whether Hilde hit her or not, she would at least impede her opponent’s movement. If she stalled her even a little, she would aim for her legs next. Breaking her knee would immobilize the woman and increase the chance of winning this fight. However, that was only if the ghost had legs. But...

“Huh?”

The next thing she knew, her surroundings had changed. The moon, which had been in the sky, was now shining beneath her. And the ground was blanketing the sky.

No way! What the...

Before she could understand what happened, Hilde was swept upward... No, she was smashed down to the ground. In a flash, the ghost grabbed the tonfa and spun Hilde head-over-heels as if by magic.

“Ow!”

Hilde immediately covered her face and head, but her breathing was uneven from the pain of hitting the ground.

“Hilde?!”

“... idiot! What... you...”

She couldn’t say what she wanted—“What’re you doing?! Get out of here fast!”—to Lillie, who was shouting.

“Huh? I thought a villain had attacked me, but you’re just kids!”

The ghost didn’t sound the least bit disturbed.

“D-Do ghosts... do this kind of thing, too?!”

Hilde didn’t believe in ghosts, but the ones she had heard about moved things with invisible forces, passed through walls, and wielded some kind of spiritual power. But this ghost had just used a physical attack.

“Huh? What are you talking about? And who’re you calling a ghost?!”

The ghost was offended.

“Huh? You’re not a ghost?”

“Of course not.”

The woman sounded insulted at having been mistaken for dead.

“I am Amaki Suzuka, military attaché to the Yamato Embassy.”

She had a strong accent, but she spoke in the Wiltian language.

“Ha ha ha... I see. What courageous girls you are to take on a ghost!”

Hilde and Lillie had explained to Suzuka what they were doing.

“S-Sorry. Um, I know it’s strange, but we heard the ghost is pretty, so we thought you must be the one!”

“Oh my! You can compliment me all you like, but I don’t have anything to repay you with. Do you want some candy?”

Suzuka’s good mood returned when the girls told her she was pretty. She handed some amber-colored candies to the girls.

Lillie handled that deftly!

Hilde was impressed at the skillful way her classmate had calmed the woman’s anger by flattering her.

“Um, why is a military attaché from Yamato wandering around campus?”

Hilde was still in a lot of pain, so it was Lillie who asked.

They accepted that the woman wasn’t a ghost. She was a human being with a clear identity, but she hadn’t explained why she was walking around campus in the middle of the night.

“The school invited me to be a guest lecturer.”

“A guest lecturer?”

“Yes. You know, for cultural exchange between East and West? I’m out here training for hand-to-hand combat.”

Yamato was an island country in the continent of Aesia, which had a very different culture from Europea’s. For a long time, Yamato had limited trade or any interaction with other nations, but it had opened diplomatic relations half a century ago after a change of government.

At first, Europea had looked down on Yamato as a nation of barbarians. The people of Europea typically thought of themselves as the most cultured and advanced of all nations, so they tended to look down on people from other continents.

Wiltia thought the same until fifteen years ago when Yamato was victorious in a war against the Grand Duchy of Lushana, a large nation to the north. Everyone had expected an overwhelming victory for Lushana, but Yamato had decimated Lushana’s vaunted navy, drastically reducing the duchy’s prestige.

Later, the Great European War erupted. In the beginning, Wiltia fought against Yamato, but after various twists and turns, it concluded an alliance with the island nation. Now, cultural exchange between the two was a regular occurrence.

“Hand-to-hand combat... Do you mean bujutsu?”

“Oh! You know a thing or two!”

Suzuka looked surprised at Hilde’s question.

Bujutsu was a combat technique developed in the East. Instead of punching and kicking with full strength, combatants incapacitated their enemies in the most efficient way based on theoretical analysis of the human body.

“Not many people know about it here.”

However, mastering the art of bujitsu required advanced skills and intuition. Also, few people were capable of teaching it. Only a small number of the hundreds of thousands of Wiltian soldiers mastered the art through military exchanges.

“Actually, I met someone proficient in it.”

“Then the world is smaller than I thought.”

Hilde had once witnessed bujitsu. Lud Langart, the former ace pilot known as the Silver Wolf, was highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and had demonstrated the astounding techniques of this art.

“Well, the type I use may be a little different.”

After she spoke, Suzuka laughed.

“What I use isn’t bujitsu, it’s budo.”

Then Suzuka extended a hand to Hilde as if offering a handshake.

“............?”

Hilde took Suzuka’s extended hand, and the next moment...

“—?!”

Hilde crumpled to her knees.

“W-What did you just do?!”

From the position of a handshake, no amount of strength could defeat an opponent. Hilde felt like a giant had pressed down on her head. Or rather...

“Did I fall... by myself?”

It was hard to believe, but that description seemed to fit what had happened.

“This is budo. Bujutsu is a technique for freely moving your body with utmost precision. Budo goes even further so you can freely move your opponent’s body.”

There’s an expression: Seeing is believing. Simply hearing a theory, you might think, “That’s ridiculous.” But when you actually see it, you have to believe it.

“Physical strength doesn’t matter in budo. Whether the practitioner is a weak, pretty girl like me or a wrinkly old man, mastering budo makes you indomitable, even against a much larger opponent.”

“Oh...”

Hilde was too stunned to point out that Suzuka had casually called herself pretty.

“Could I master it?”

Since the school had invited Suzuka to lecture on combat, there might be a chance for Hilde to learn the woman’s fighting style.

“Don’t be silly. This isn’t a minor skill that students can master in their spare time.”

Hilde didn’t know that only people with advanced physical abilities and intuition, like Lud and Sophia, could learn to use even bujitsu. Budo was only open to mastery after relentless, agonizing trials from an early age.

“Hmm... Well, there was one person—someone who learned it in his spare time. And that shocked my master.”

Suzuka spoke with nostalgia. Perhaps she said “was” because that person no longer existed in this world.

“So what’s a special lecturer doing out this late?” Lillie asked.

The girls had mistaken Suzuka for a ghost and attacked her in part because Suzuka attracted attention through her own odd behavior.

“The moon.”

“Huh?”

Suzuka answered Hilde by pointing at the full moon.

“The moon is beautiful tonight. In my country, we call such a moon jugoya. And this feeling is furyu. It gives me the urge for a night stroll.”

“Um...”

Hilde was sensitive enough to look at the moon and appreciate its beauty, but hearing the reason for Suzuka’s odd behavior confounded her.

“What the heck... You’re confusing.”

So the excitement surrounding the ghost stemmed from old ghost stories and accidental sightings of Suzuka wandering the grounds at night. Either way, there was no problem. Tomorrow, when Lillie spread the news about what had happened... No, when Suzuka herself appeared before the students as a guest lecturer, the whole matter would be over.

“Hmm...”

At that moment, Hilde felt a strange sensation. She felt... It.

“—!!”

“What’s the matter, Hilde?”

Hilde turned around, her face pale. Lillie had spoken anxiously to Hilde after noticing her unusual behavior.

“No...”

Hilde’s gaze was directed at the bushes they had just used for cover.

“Hey, um... Suzuka? Can I ask something?”

Hilde’s voice was a little shaky.

“When did you come to this school?”

She had forgotten one crucial detail. Suzuka just arrived today. If she had been here earlier, she might have been the object of the ghost story instead of Hilde, who had been at the school for three months.

No... In the first place, everyone would assume Suzuka was wandering around campus in the middle of night.

“I got here this afternoon. I just unpacked my stuff and was finally relaxing.”

Suzuka’s answer confirmed it. The ghost was seen before Suzuka arrived. And just now... For a moment...

Someone was watching. But who? Hilde felt someone there. It wasn’t Suzuka. Someone had been watching them since they started hiding in the bushes. When she turned around, the feeling disappeared, but she saw red lights.

“Hey... Did you just see something?”

“Hm? What?”

Hilde asked Suzuka again, but apparently she hadn’t seen anything.

Is there another ghost?

It was the next morning at Dangoltinoza Officer’s School. The special class of the day was a lecture on hand-to-hand combat by a military attaché serving as guest lecturer from an allied nation in the East. The lesson was being held in a training area large enough to hold students from several classes.

“Thank you. I am Amaki Suzuka from Yamato. Don’t hold back, and please be friendly, but I will ask you to maintain a certain degree of formality and call me Ms. Amaki.”

Suzuka started her lecture with a warm smile, but quickly established her boundaries. This eastern woman with her terse manners took the students aback.

“Hm?”

Suzuka tilted her head at the students lined up before her.

“Hey, is that Miss Freckles?”

“M-Me?”

She spotted Lillie, who she had met the night before.

“Where’s the shorter girl I saw with you last night?”

“Um...”

Hilde wasn’t among the students.

“Uh... She said she has a stomachache.”

The way Lillie mumbled made clear she was lying.

“Ahh... she’s skipping my first class. Oh dear, oh dear... She must not take me seriously.”

Suzuka continued smiling as she spoke. Or maybe this was just how she normally looked. She was smiling even when nothing was funny, so her expression wouldn’t falter even if she was angry.

“The next time I see her, I’ll treat her to a special lecture. Tee hee hee!”

“Oh...”

The students’ faces grew tense at Suzuka’s spooky laughter.

Meanwhile, Hilde was searching the backyard.

“There are three possible reasons.”

As she looked around, she organized her thoughts by speaking aloud.

“One... It could just be my imagination. That’s the simplest answer, but it won’t explain the ghost seen by the other students.”

She had felt an unusual presence last night. She thought there might be a clue left behind, but there wasn’t even a footprint.

“Two... There really was a ghost.”

If so, there was nothing Hilde could do. The only option would be to call in an exorcist, but that could only happen after ruling out the third possibility.

“Three...”

“Who are you?”

Just as Hilde was about to voice the third possibility, someone spoke to her from behind.

“Isn’t it time for lectures? This simply won’t do... Are you skipping classes?”

It was an old man dressed for yard work. He didn’t seem to be accusing Hilde. Instead, he was giggling like something was funny.

“And you are?”

“I’m the gardener. But I handle other chores, too.”

He must be some kind of janitor working at the school.

The old man was holding clippers for trimming trees and had a folding ladder over his shoulder.

“If you want to skip classes, you should do it somewhere else. Even the delinquents don’t come around here.”

“Why?”

The area was behind one of the school buildings, so people rarely passed through it. It must have been the perfect gathering place to meet at night, as well as during the day when skipping classes.

“Oh, you don’t know about that? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen you before.”

“I just transferred here three months ago.”

“Then that explains it!”

The old man chuckled creepily and extended his gloved hand to point at the far side of the yard.

“Is that a storeroom? No... it’s some kind of warehouse?”

It hadn’t been visible to Hilde in the shadows last night, but there was a small stone building there.

“That’s a charnel house.”

“What?!”

“You know this school used to be a noble’s mansion, don’t you?”

Last night, Lillie told Hilde about Zaltobar, the Headhunter Duke.

“That place used to hold the noble’s remains.”

Nobility is based on an individual’s family line, so the tombs of a noble’s ancestors are important and deserve protection. For that reason, the dead were often preserved in tombs on a noble family’s residential lands.

“Even without a ghost, I suppose it would be uncomfortable clowning around near a burial spot.”

“That’s right.”

As if finding something funny, the old man laughed at Hilde, who seemed to have understood.

“Hey, Mister? When did the rumors about the ghost start?”

Hilde asked in hopes of gaining a clue.

“Ghost?”

Again, the old man laughed with amusement at her question.

“That again, huh?”

“What?”

His reply surprised Hilde.

“The young folk busy themselves with all manner of rumors. A moving statue, a walking headless knight, a middle-aged man running around in only his underpants, a giant wolf as big as a cow...”

One of those examples was a little too easy to imagine—and a bit too weird—for Hilde to casually dismiss, but she let it go.

“Is there a female ghost with black hair among those rumors?”

“I’ve never heard that one.”

“The students are talking about such a ghost. And that’s why I...”

The students blamed Hilde for summoning the ghost with her own black hair.

“I told you. For a long time, people have shunned this place as too darned spooky. So ghost stories naturally arise around it. It’s like the site itself is trying to keep people away.”

“To keep people away...”

If the old man was telling the truth... Before Hilde could complete her thought, another voice joined the conversation.

“You over there! What’re you doing?!”

It was a thunderous, cringe-inducing roar.

“You there! Lectures are in session! State your name and class!!”

It was an elderly man with a stern expression and anachronistic kaiser mustache, rare at this time of the year.

Hilde recognized him. The old man’s name was a tongue twister: Alexander von Schubert Fautio Raimazen. And he was the principal of Dangoltinoza Officer’s School. He was a former army general and had been a friend of the Wiltian emperor three generations ago. However, he was from the time when soldiers rode horses and wielded lances in battle—the era before Hunter Units, tanks and fighter planes.

Even though he was nearly one hundred years old, his spirit was still actively kicking, so he styled himself an “advisor,” and would storm into military headquarters to offer counsel when he thought it necessary. For that reason, the royal palace had exiled him to the Dangoltinoza Officer’s School.

“Answer me!!!”

“Uh-oh...”

The principal’s shouting startled Hilde, and she wondered how someone so decrepit could yell so ferociously.

“Um... I’m, uh...”

“‘I’m, uh, Sir!’ Speak like a soldier!! I demand that you use the proper form of address!!”

“S-S-Sir, yes, Sir!!”

Hilde’s father had verbally abused her when she was small. Thus, she had a subconscious dread of men who yelled. Flustered, she immediately made an excuse to silence him.

“Um... I was... helping the gardener!”

She looked to the old man for help.

“What gardener?”

“Huh?”

When Hilde turned around, the old gardener had disappeared.

“What is the meaning of this?! Are you showing contempt and playing me for a fool because I’m an old man?! The youth these days!!”

“Eeeeep!!”

When an old man talked about “the youth these days,” arguing was a waste of time. Even if she completely surrendered and apologized, he would claim she was talking back and ridiculing him. And if she tried to explain the circumstances, he would say, “Don’t make excuses!”

“All the students at this school are slackers! I never trust commoners! Anyone who turns their colors and flees in a pinch is a coward!”

The conversation digressed by leaps and bounds. He had started with a minor infraction, but now he was yapping about ranks and past generations.

“Since days of old, warrior families have been obliged to struggle on the battlefield with a sense of responsibility, duty and faith! That’s how they became honored and noble knights! But now look around! There are weapons developed by barely intelligent people everywhere and the nation’s former dignity has disappeared!!”

The principal held forth as if addressing a great assembly and not just Hilde. It was annoying and dampened Hilde’s spirits.

What’s with this old guy?! He speaks just like my father!

Although their social statuses were as different as heaven and earth, Hilde was getting irritated at the principal for berating her like her fallen noble father had. He was in histrionics over beliefs, principles and pride, but only people who stayed in the rear at headquarters could peddle that stuff. On the actual front lines, dozens died every time gunfire flashed. How could he chatter on like this when those people were merely a casualty statistic to him?

If I think about it, the Schutzstaffel’s rebellion was just like that!

Although she had parted ways with the ringleader Genitz, it was true that his ambitions and dreams had been enormous. However, as soon as the monarch had declared the Schutzstaffel a rebel army, the soldiers had rapidly disarmed and skulked off one by one. Moreover, after the suppression of the rebels, the same people who had pledged their loyalty to Genitz tried to cover for themselves, blaming everything on the dead and claiming they had been forced or hadn’t meant to commit such crimes.

The same goes for this old man. He can say whatever he wants, but if a war starts, his age will spare him from battle. He may have played an active role when young, but he escaped to safety and had an easy life in a leisurely post now.

Such people spent their lives prattling about money, honor and high-flown sentiments, and Hilde wondered if they really understood how young people today suffered.

I can understand why the students here are unmotivated. There aren’t many schools, so they may have had no choice but to enter a military school. If they don’t have an academic background, they have precious few alternatives. Everyone is wracking their brains to get by, but the nobles don’t even try to understand.

“Bwa ha ha...”

That thought suddenly made Hilde burst out laughing.

And that’s exactly how I’ve behaved until recently!

“You!! How dare you sneer at me when I’m talking!”

Hilde was laughing at herself, but the principal didn’t see that. He thought she was treating him with disdain and raised a clenched fist to discipline her.

“W-W-Whoooaaa! There you are! Sorry!!”

At that moment, as if perfectly timed, someone intervened.

“Hey there! Sorry I left you alone! My apologies!”

The man who had arrived looked, in a word, suspicious. His flabby belly was protruding and his jowls drooped, but his voice was oddly firm. However, what stood out most was his bad taste in sunglasses. Hilde wondered where he had bought them. And she wondered what moron would sell them.

“Oh, Principal! Is something the matter?”

“Is something the matter?! Mr. Samon! Does this girl have any connection with you?”

Hilde didn’t know this man. But apparently his name was Samon and he was a school lecturer. Some lecturers, like the school janitor, didn’t have to wear uniforms. His age was around forty, so he was too old to be a student.

“Well, to be honest, she was helping me haul out some documents. You know, from the underground library? It’s hard for me to carry what I need all by myself.”

“But classes are in session.”

“You’re exactly right about that! I thought we could finish by break time, and we would have, but then I couldn’t find the key! So... you know Ms. Laveival in charge of security in the faculty room? I thought I’d ask her, but I couldn’t find her, so I hunted and hunted! And by the time I found her, I remembered I’d left this student here all by herself. What a dunce I am!”

“Well, in that case...”

“Yes, you’re spot on! If I managed things better day to day, and if I were more careful, this kind of thing wouldn’t happen. Right as rain, you are! A careless heart breeds careless action! My belly’s already gone soft, so if my noggin goes soft too, all hope is lost!”

“Y-Yes...”

If the principal’s harangue was like a cannon volley, Samon’s chatter was machine gun fire. He rattled on, aimlessly and incessantly, never allowing his listener a chance to respond and gradually wearing down the other’s will to interrupt.

“Oh... Anyway, you should return to class right away, Miss.”

“Yessirree! Roger that and understood, Principal! Just leave everything to me—Samon Hunter! Good work, Sir!”

Samon continued talking at the principal, who stammered a few words and left.

Listening, Hilde noticed Samon hadn’t stumbled over his words even once. He was skilled in fast talk, and that—but only that—impressed Hilde.

“Whew! The scary geezer’s gone!”

Then the man turned and asked Hilde a question.

“Who are you?”

When she realized he had stood up for her without knowing who she was, Hilde’s shoulders slumped.

Dangoltinoza Officer’s School was a military school, but it was also allowed to secure a wartime budget set aside for increasing the number of educational institutions. A man like Samon wasn’t, at first glance, suited to training soldiers. His position was as a lecturer.

“It would be too awkward to join class now. Why don’t you have some tea? Let’s see, um... Hilde!”

Samon had been assigned a private office in a distant corner of the faculty building, far from the classrooms. Samon had invited Hilde there for tea.

“Um, what’s that?”

The correct way to prepare tea was by putting tea leaves into a teapot, pouring hot water over the leaves to steam them, then pouring in hot water again. Only then was it ready to be served. However, Samon took a paper-filter bag attached to a string that contained dried leaves, and placed it in a cup before pouring in water directly from the kettle.

“This is called a teabag. It was invented in Noa. It’s a magnificent invention making it possible to drink delicious tea without all that tiresome paraphernalia.”

Noa was located on a different continent. It had been “discovered” four hundred years ago and was known as the New World.

In the recent Great European War, Noa remained completely neutral and severed all interaction with the nations allied with Wiltia, as well as with the opposing nations. It had established an economic zone restricted to its own continent and had pursued a thorough policy of self-sufficiency that amounted to a kind of isolationism.

“It’s a wonderful nation! No king or nobility! Just people running their own country! Now that’s democracy!”

“Oh...”

As suggested, Hilde sipped her tea made with a teabag. And it wasn’t bad. She didn’t care much about how food tasted anyway, so she wouldn’t have complained. However, something was missing.

Hilde had been a shop girl at the bakery in Organbaelz. And the tea made by the waitress there, even as she complained, had been... No, even the tea clumsily prepared by the unusual nun Marlene was better than this.

“Let’s see... Your name’s Hilde, right? I see... So you’re the notorious girl from the Schutzstaffel!”

Apparently, her disturbing background was well known among the teachers as well as the students.

“Why were you in a place like that?”

Hilde had never met Samon and had never attended his lectures. The sign outside his office read “Social Humanities” and Hilde wasn’t interested in that subject.

Hilde had no connection to Samon, so he might have put on that little show to rescue her from the principal because...

“Ahh... Now I get it! The Ghost of the Charnel House! Uh-huh... I suspected as much. Then it’s a good thing I spoke to you!”

Samon had known about Hilde, but he hadn’t recognized her face. He had rescued her simply because she was a student under fire from the principal.

“If you’re former Schutzstaffel, then you must at least know his name. He used to be a member of the Council of Nobles.”

“What?!”

The Council of Nobles was a political group consisting of elder nobility promoting a return to the good old days of Wiltia, when tradition and status reigned.

“The ‘good old days’ sounds good, but they’re mostly just old goats hungry to reclaim their authority.”

“I remember. I heard all the council’s key members were arrested during the recent commotion.”

They had cooperated with Genitz... Actually, Genitz used and abandoned them in the end, so the regular army arrested them as it rushed to recapture the royal palace.

“The principal left the council over ten years ago, but he was one of its founding members. He was a powerful noble and an acquaintance of the king three generations back.”

Even though House Hessen, the fallen noble family to which Hilde belonged, also had the title von, there was a world of difference between the two clans.

“He didn’t come to Dangoltinoza because the central authorities sent him away but because he was skillfully eluding pursuit. He’s a fierce old bugger!”

“What does that have to do with the charnel house?”

Hilde wasn’t interested in what kind of person the principal was. The issue was his connection to the Ghost of the Charnel House.

“I’m sure you know that building dates back to the Headhunter Duke. And beneath it, there are instruments of torture used by Duke Zaltobar.”

The dungeon contained many implements frequently used for the cruel execution of hostages, such as pagans, heretics and members of different ethnic groups and wild tribes.

“The members of the Council of Nobles are historical revisionists of a sort. To them, Wiltian nobles are virtuous and upright, so they are treated with leniency even when they’re from a different ethnicity. They believe other people naturally accept their control. That’s the kind of nonsense they try to pass off as authentic history.”

Human beings are neither gods nor devils. Their behavior is not always good. However, history is written by the winners. The winners always seek to portray their path as glorious and blessed. They pretend their past—their cowardly, traitorous, oppressive and bloodstained past—never happened. Or they try to cast it in a new light. And every time they do, they make use of people incapable of protest. The dead... The defeated... They come in many forms.

“That’s why he doesn’t want anyone to go near the charnel house and acts as if there never was a Headhunter Duke. But that old man wanders around there whenever he has the chance!”

Despite his past military exploits, the principal was now elderly, so he was limited in what he could do. Besides, he held an honorary post reserved for veterans, and he didn’t have much work.

“Then what about the ghost?”

“Perhaps that old man was playing a trick. Maybe he hired an actor or had his lover wear a disguise!”

“Huh? Would he let someone from outside enter school grounds?!”

Dangoltinoza was an educational institution and military-affiliated facility. It had outdated rifles for training, and old bullets to go in them.

“That sort of man doesn’t care. He may be old, but he’s still active in the sack. He wants to look like a hero. It’s disgusting.”

Samon spat his words.

“But...”

Hilde didn’t know what to say about this shocking revelation.

“This place is dirty. I feel sorry for you guys.”

“You feel sorry for us? Then why’re you lecturing here?”

Sometimes, pity is the same as contempt. Hilde sounded offended as she questioned him.

“So that old man can’t have his way. I have connections with the more conscientious members of the Council of Nobles. Despite restricted circumstances, I can manage to put in a few words. I just want to protect the students of this school.”

He spoke in a theatrical way, as if delivering a speech.

“You mustn’t let that old man brainwash you. If you run into any trouble, you can talk to me anytime. I’m on your side.”

After these words, a bell rang to signify the end of class. It almost seemed as if it were signaling the end of an act in a play.

That night, Hilde didn’t go ghost-hunting. She lay on her bed, just spacing out. That’s when something she didn’t want to remember crossed her mind. She wasn’t sure whether she was awake or asleep. In a trance, she recalled something that had happened not long ago...

“Oh! Hilde! Is it already that time?”

Hilde didn’t remember why, but the man had told her to visit his office. She knocked on his door and entered. He wasn’t at his desk. Instead, he had his legs up on the sofa and was reading an old book.

“Oh, this? It’s a book on foreign military history. Fascinating stuff. Whether one likes it or not, the battlefield exposes the human disposition!”

Instead of reading a paperback to kill time, he appeared absorbed in a book written in a language that wasn’t European.

“Hilde? Here’s an easy quiz for you. Suppose you’re the commander defending a fort when the enemy attacks. How do you deploy your soldiers?”

The fort was situated in the center of a plain and had gates to the north, south, east and west. Hilde had answered that she would assign an equal number of soldiers to all four directions.

“Hmm... That’s no good, Hilde. You should gather as many soldiers together as possible. Breaking into separate locations prevents even a large army from bringing its full force to bear.”

By assigning soldiers to cover every direction, she would be able to temporarily address any attack when it came. But with a quarter of her total number of soldiers, there was a limit to how many opponents she could defend against.

“Remember, you’re not just guarding the castle gates. In war, defense is also offense.”

Hilde realized the man wanted her to guess which gate the enemy would attack first. If she knew where the enemy would strike, she could leave a minimum number of soldiers at the other gates and attack the enemy with the rest of her force. If she knew that, it wouldn’t be hard.

“There are various options. You could engage in reconnaissance, deploy a secret operative, or send traitors to infiltrate the enemy soldiers. But there’s a more interesting way. You could break one gate on purpose.”

This would induce the enemy to attack at the weakest point. But it didn’t quite make sense to her. She suspected it might be too obvious.

“That’s right. If your opponent is an excellent commander, then it’s especially obvious. In that case, what do you do?”

Hilde didn’t know. And she admitted as much. Amused, the man spoke as if revealing a trick.

“You should be even more obvious.”

That’s it! Hilde was half asleep, but she finally understood the real nature of the Ghost of the Charnel House.

She grabbed the pocket watch she had set by her bed. She had received the watch when she was assigned to the Schutzstaffel. It had luminous paint for night visibility, so she still used it. The time was shortly after ten o’clock. That was about when the ghost would appear in the backyard near the charnel house.

She rose and looked at the bed next to her. Her roommate Lillie wasn’t there. Hilde put her hand on the bed sheet... It was cold. Lillie had not gone to the restroom. She must have left at least thirty minutes ago.

“Lillie’s probably... there,” Hilde mumbled.

She took off her nightwear, hurriedly changed into her uniform, and set out. At the same time, a woman was visiting the charnel house.

“After jugoya is izayoi... This too is furyu.”

The woman was mumbling in a lilting voice as she watched the moon gradually wane.

“Miss... What are you doing out this late at night?”

An old man spoke to her.

“At this school, no students or lecturers are allowed out at night. I won’t tell anyone, but you should go inside now.”

It was the gardener Hilde had seen during the day. His back was curved and he was bow-legged. The way he walked hunched over and leaning on a stick looked like a dwarf in a fairy tale.

“Who are you?”

“I’m a gardener employed by the school.”

The old man answered the woman’s question.

“Oh my, that’s strange.”

With exaggerated gestures, the woman feigned surprise.

“I didn’t think this school hired a gardener. There’s the janitor, but he’s in his forties and not as old as you.”

After the woman spoke, the gardener... No, the old man in disguise, looked surprised for a moment and burst into loud laughter.

“What a surprise! Who are you?”

When laughing, his voice sounded much younger.

“I’m Suzuka Amaki, a military attaché from Yamato invited here as a special lecturer.”

Suzuka was still smiling... No, she merely appeared to be smiling as she shot a sharp look at the man.

“Oh... You were invited? According to my sources, the foreign affairs ministry played a role in your assignment as special lecturer. One of the officers graduated from the same university as the person in charge at the military department of education and training.”

“So what?”

“That officer has close ties with the Yamato Embassy. I’m sure he would happily oblige with a small favor, such as introducing you into the academy.”

“Oh dear...”

They glared at each other.

“—!!”

Suzuka moved first. But she didn’t run or jump. Instead, she rapidly closed in on the old man, sliding across the ground and then grabbing his shoulder. The technique she used could subdue a large man simply by touching his body, even with just her pinky. As soon as she touched him, she would have a 90 percent chance of overpowering him. However...

What’s with this guy’s body?!

With her detailed knowledge of the human body and her expertise in techniques for efficiently destroying enemies, Suzuka could immediately sense his alien nature. His body wasn’t human.

“Hyah!!!”

Nonetheless, she used brute strength to throw the man. Even though she could not pull it off to maximum effect, the old man would still trace a wide arc through the air before smashing to the ground.

“Too bad, huh?”

But it didn’t happen that way. Instead, he landed lightly despite his aged appearance. At the same time, his body started to transform.

“What are you?” Suzuka asked.

Her smile was steady, but a cold sweat spread over her face. The old man’s body was expanding. Furthermore, it was rattling and clunking like a machine disassembling and reassembling.

“Do you know how many joints the human body has?”

Every time the man’s body made a noise, it enlarged.

But that wasn’t all. He was getting younger.

“Of course I know! Who do you think I am?! There are 230!”

As Suzuka answered, she understood the man’s point.

Human joints contain small spaces between the bones. They consist of synovial fluid and cartilage, which allow bones to move. Compressing those spaces would make the body shrink accordingly. That’s why aging causes the body to diminish in size.

And that’s why the man in front of her seemed to gradually grow younger. He had simulated the body of a little old man by artificially packing his joints to compress his body.

“Are you even human?”

“That’s mean. I’m half human.”

When the man answered Suzuka’s question, his younger form matched his voice.

“A wig and artificial skin for a wrinkly face... The power of science is horrifying indeed!”

The man grinned, giving him the appearance of a mischievous boy.

“I’m sorry, but would you mind not looking deeply into the background of this place? It’s private, and we don’t want others—even allied nations—to know about it.”

“The way you speak... I get it... I’ve heard rumors about Apuvea, and you’re one of them!”

Apuvea was the Principality of Wiltia’s intelligence agency. Its role was information warfare against its foreign counterparts, as well as the investigation and arrest of domestic rebels.

“I bet you caught wind of a scandal in Wiltia and want to use it as leverage in future international negotiations. But that can’t happen. If you leave now, I’ll pretend I didn’t see you. I wouldn’t want to hurt a girl.”

“Oh, you’re such a gentleman...”

The man made tight fists, but Suzuka dangled one arm and her voice maintained a carefree tone. That was her combat style.

She yielded like flowing water even against an attack by someone with powerful strength.

“I can’t go home just because you told me to. That’s the troublesome part of a government official’s job.”

Her opponent was obviously not entirely human. He was a mechanical soldier with superhuman strength.

“Would you like to tell me your name? A woman likes to know the name of the man with whom she spends a thrilling night.”

“Heh... Sorry, but I can’t tell you that. There are too many stories associated with all my names, both fake and real. But, you may call me a Gespenst (Ghost).”

“Well, isn’t that something!”

Suzuka didn’t know the true nature of this man claiming to be a ghost. But his name was Erich Blitzdonner, a.k.a. the “Crimson Hawk,” and he was the strongest man in the Principality of Wiltia’s military.

Meanwhile, in the southeast corner of campus exactly opposite the charnel house...

The lecture hall, which was big enough to hold the entire student body, was used every week by the principal for his lengthy speeches. But it was also used for school ceremonies. Now there were dozens... No, there were close to one hundred students gathered in the building.

“As the Schutzstaffel’s rebellion made clear, this country is rotten! Our victory in the Great War has already become just a past glory! The government and parliament are decaying, so a drastic solution is necessary!”

A man was loudly addressing the students. He had a clear voice and spoke smoothly, with gestures to draw in his listeners. The students’ faces shone with adoration.

“How did this happen? There is one cause! And that is the distortion caused by the outdated system of monarchy! The true owner of the nation is the people! That’s democracy!”

Every time the man shouted, the students’ cheeks blushed and their excitement increased.

“We are the ones to win the future! You are the ones who will win the future! Cast down this pitiful government! Expel those pitiful fools! Set a precedent and lead the ignorant masses!”

The man’s voice was heating up.

“To avoid another tragedy like the Great War, we must rise up! This is a fight for peace! You must become soldiers of peace!”

As the students raised their fists high in excited agreement, the doors to the lecture hall opened.

“Oh, I see... I get it now.”

The black-haired girl, Hildegard von Hessen, entered the hall. The students stared at her.

“I remembered something a man told me not long ago.”

She repeated what a man she used to believe in had said.

“Uncertain information sometimes gives birth to a Gespenst.”

By manipulating information to make it look as if something exists, it is possible to restrict, and even control, enemy activity. It was basic information warfare.

“There was never a ghost.”

She wasn’t talking about whether or not ghosts existed. The Ghost of the Charnel House definitely didn’t exist. Only unreliable information supported its existence; claims such as “I saw it,” or “someone saw it,” or “I know someone who saw it.”

“From the beginning, it was a lie that the students concocted to keep me away. But not away from the charnel house. They wanted to pull my attention away from this meeting opposite the charnel house!”

Human beings are animals with curiosity. If people heard there was a ghost, they might be scared, but they also might start focusing attention on the place that was supposedly haunted. Some would even go there to find out if there really was a ghost. And Hilde had done just that.

“You didn’t just make up a ghost story. You implied there was more hidden behind it, something underneath the charnel house.”

A man had told Hilde about a castle siege in a certain country.

“You should be more obvious.”

If you revealed an opening, the enemy would suspect a trap and steer clear. However, what if you made the trap obvious? Then the enemy would guess uselessly. They might wonder, “Is this trap fake, too?” or “Maybe they’re just pretending because they don’t want us to come near.”

This strategy was called Needle in the Air. It was a strategy that involved purposely neglecting your own defense so the enemy would suspect a trap and retreat. She believed this was a version of that. The students thought they could hide one trap inside another, so she would avoid the false trap but fall for the real one.

“You didn’t want me to discover this meeting in the lecture hall, right? I understand that. After all, this is a military academy and you’re engaging in anti government activity.”

Hilde then strode forward with ringing footsteps and glared at the man standing on stage.

“What a surprise. I thought I could hide this a little longer.”

The man didn’t appear anxious that she had discovered his plan. Instead, he looked calm and composed as he pushed up his glasses. It was Samon Hunter, the lecturer at Dangoltinoza Officer’s School.

At the same time, in the backyard, in front of the charnel house...

Urgh! You’re such a pain in the butt!

Blitzdonner continued fighting Suzuka. He wasn’t holding back because his opponent was a woman. Suzuka Amaki possessed such advanced combat skills that restraint was unnecessary. On the contrary, making allowances for her gender would only endanger him.

That wasn’t the problem. She was a military attaché assigned to the Yamato Embassy. If he pushed too hard, this could turn into an international problem.

“Tch! This is awkward for me, too! The situation is so weird!”

Apparently, Suzuka felt the same way.

“Hey, Miss! Would you mind backing off? I doubt either one of us enjoys anything other than an all-out fight!”

Both Suzuka and Blitzdonner had risen to the top because of their talents in the art of war. They were no good in fights when they couldn’t hit their opponents hard.

“You’ve discovered a Wiltian scandal, so isn’t it enough to report my presence to your superiors?”

An investigator from Apuvea was conducting a secret investigation. That in itself was an admission that Dangoltinoza Officer’s School was hiding something from the public.

“That simply won’t do. I’m about to obtain information on the Peace Faith.”

“Oh, so that’s who you’re after!”

The Peace Faith was a group of extremists quietly active in the underground after the Great War... No, even before the war. They were vicious, trying to destroy their own country while cooperating with other nations.

Tanks, fighter aircraft and Hunter Units ate up money. Weapons are costly. So the Peace Faith cried, “If you’ve got money to spend on weapons, then give bread to the poor!”

Since soon after the end of the ten-year Great War, measures to protect social security were faltering in Wiltia and in other nations. However, if the country neglected national defense, both the poor and rich would lose their lives.

“They always focus on immediate problems... Rather, they simplify everything so they can present themselves as warriors for justice and peace.”

Blitzdonner let out a tired sigh.

Arms were necessary to protect the nation’s territory, assets and people. However, the Peace Faith considered them a waste of money. And yet, if the nation waged war with poor equipment and insufficient supplies that led to casualties, they would brand the government as murderers. It was enough to make one shout back, “Do you expect something to come from nothing?!”

“And that isn’t enough for them.”

Wiltia had a limited monarchy. The king had authority, but it was limited by the constitution. Even a pronouncement from the king lacked the power to infringe on the people’s rights. Absolute monarchy was a thing of the past. Therefore, since the people had freedom of speech, they could speak out. In fact, it was a sign of a healthy democracy. However, this was where the problems started.

“The Peace Faith doesn’t allow different opinions. They consider their doctrine alone to be absolute, and anyone who opposes it is considered the pawn or lapdog of the powers that be. They’re fanatics who refuse to acknowledge dissident voices.”

Democracy can only exist because of such objections and arguments. However, the Peace Faith was one-sided and refused to listen. To them, anything aside from their noble ideas was an evil conspiracy, so destroying it wasn’t a sin. In fact, they claimed it was all for the sake of peace.

“They’re radical terrorists with attractive rhetoric and flowery slogans.”

Suzuka sounded tired of it, too.

The Peace Faith would do anything to achieve its goals, but those goals were twisted. They chanted slogans about creating a peaceful world. But their means were hardly different from terrorism. Not only did they target senior military officials and politicians, they would also hunt down their immediate families and friends.

Naturally, not everyone thought such methods were right. Some people thought it was very wrong. But those “heretics” were eliminated. No, to be precise, they were corrected. They would be repeatedly threatened with violence until they were convinced their ideas were wrong. But most of them died along the way. The Peace Faith would claim they had admitted their mistakes and killed themselves in shame.

This wasn’t ideology. It was religion. And that’s why the group was called the Peace Faith.

“It was a little better when they restricted their activities to their own country.”

The Peace Faith didn’t believe in borders. They prattled on about all of humanity being one in peace. Their network even included ties to enemy nations. As a result, people began using it to their own advantage. It would be strategically beneficial if enemy nations delayed the introduction of new weapons and the development of new armaments in the cause of peace. So the Peace Faith’s benefactors included many suspicious individuals.

“I don’t care about fanatics. My greater object is finding the people behind them. But I won’t figure out anything if I only catch fringe members.”

So far, Suzuka had only been able to catch those who wholeheartedly believed their actions were for world peace.

“I’ve finally spied some movement, and Samon Hunter is active in this area.”

“I see... So they’ve also given you trouble, huh?”

Their network wasn’t confined to Wiltia and the other nations on the European continent. They were also active in Aesia.

“Then shall we cooperate?”

Up to this point, they were still engaged in a fierce battle. Blitzdonner and Suzuka had been exchanging blows. Blitzdonner threw fists and kicks that churned the earth, and Suzuka narrowly evaded and forced him to the ground with budo techniques. It was at that point, however, that Blitzdonner offered a ceasefire.

“I’ll provide you with info, and you can participate in interrogations. I’m sure you know this already, but even a military attaché stationed at an embassy doesn’t have the authority to perform investigations.”

She wasn’t actually in a position to investigate openly, so her plan was to enter Dangoltinoza as a special lecturer so she could happen to witness something.

“Hmm...”

Suzuka briefly thought it over. Yamato Embassy’s plan had nearly failed when Blitzdonner found her. It was better to proceed as allied nations on friendly terms.

“Understood. Let’s do it.”

“That was easy!”

In Wiltia, the people of Yamato were known as hard working, serious and strait-laced. But Suzuka seemed to be a little different.

“The way you talk... Do you know who Samon is?”

“Of course. He was the mastermind behind the biggest false alarm of the century.”

During the war, an outrageous rumor had spread through the countries of Europea. According to this rumor, the Wiltian military had created an illegal drug and systematically leaked it to Pelfe, thereby destabilizing Pelfe even as Wiltia used the profits for military funding. The claim was far-fetched, and it had been uncertain whether the Wiltian soldier, Samon, who claimed to be a witness, even existed. The photographs he had provided as evidence were from a pharmaceutical factory creating painkillers for the military.

“How did someone banished from press relations become a lecturer at a military academy?”

“Well, he never admitted it. It is much harder to prove something doesn’t exist than to prove it does. There are even sympathizers defending him in parliament.”

“Oh, dear... What a mess!”

You can repeatedly give someone good reasons why they’re wrong, and they can use sophistry to insist there’s no real evidence that proves their error. No matter how often you tell them their information is false, the truth would fail to reach them because they act on raw emotion.

In Samon’s case, he had even gained prestige as a hero for refusing to compromise his ideals despite oppression by national authorities.

“But then his calculations went awry.”

Samon had entered the military academy as a lecturer and gradually disseminated his ideas among the students. He planned to draw in more “believers” and eventually use them as his soldiers. At a military academy—even one like Dangoltinoza that was mockingly considered a school for young ladies—half of the students would ultimately join the military. Samon would be able to send future collaborators into the armed forces. But then a certain girl had confronted him.

“That black-haired girl threw off all his calculations.”

Hilde, the black-haired girl, had come to Dangoltinoza bearing a letter of introduction. It was from Marshal Elvin, the top official in the Wiltian military. His letter held no particular meaning. He had simply written, “This girl has issues. Take care of her.”

Her status as a former member of the Schutzstaffel, one who had a complicated history, had created an opportunity for the regular army to strike back at the recent rebellion by her former organization.

“But someone with a connection to the marshal would be a threat to someone with a weakness.”

Samon’s Peace Faith had suspected she was a spy sent to investigate. So they made up a silly ghost story to divert her attention.

“I see... So that’s why you took a chance to come and catch Samon at his surreptitious plot.”

“That’s right.”

Blitzdonner nodded in response to Suzuka’s question.

“At the same time, I changed my physical appearance and guarded the girl.”

“I see... But...”

Suzuka put a hand to her mouth and looked troubled.

“That girl is in serious danger right now.”

Back in the lecture hall...

“I never suspected you had snuck into a military educational facility to raise a revolutionary army!”

Hilde had revealed Samon’s intrigue.

The main clue that had aroused Hilde suspicions was Samon’s own words. “I’m on your side.” People who said such things were usually trying to manipulate others. Compared to the man who had used her in the past, Samon was nothing but a third-rate actor.

“I see... So the marshal did indeed send you here as a spy.”

“That’s ridiculous, you dimwit! Why do you waste time being suspicious over everything! Anyway...”

Hilde looked at the students—Samon’s believers—gathered in the lecture hall.

“I suppose you were keeping an eye on me.”

Hilde looked at Lillie with her innocent freckled face that was impossible to dislike.

“Hilde, it’s not what you think!”

The only person to treat Hilde decently here had been someone ordered to do so.

“What a pity... I thought I’d made my first friend!”

As I expected, this hurts.

If she hadn’t been so injured that day when the masked man betrayed her, she would have cried. Sadly, however, one can grow accustomed to heartbreak.

“Ahh... You mean you aren’t the marshal’s spy and you haven’t brought soldiers with you?”

Samon confirmed this as if insinuating the opposite.

“No... So stop this farce! The charge of treason is severe! Don’t you know that?!”

The nation would fully respect the people’s rights. Even if people spoke against the government or held protests, the nation wouldn’t interfere. The government would tolerate abuse as long as the people were merely throwing pebbles. However, when the people exceeded their rights, the authorities would act. This was because the government existed to protect its people. When citizens violated other citizens’ rights and the government determined it was harmful to the national welfare, the offenders would become the enemy.

And a government is ruthless toward its enemies.

“This isn’t child’s play anymore!”

Hilde tried to dissuade the students, but their reaction was cruel.

“Just shut up!”

“What do you know about us?”

“You’re the system’s fawning lapdog!”

A storm of abuse fell upon her.

Hilde could understand why the students idolized a man like Samon. They had left their parents at a sensitive age and now lived in a communal environment. They lived according to different rules from those in the outside world, so they would not permit any disturbance to that order. Opposing that order would make them just like Hilde, the former Schutzstaffel agent they had kept at a distance.

When someone told them, “Poor you,” “You didn’t do anything wrong,” or “You were a kind person to begin with,” they thought that person understood them. On top of it all, that person had told them he was on their side.

They’re like I was not long ago!

That man had manipulated her, but he had been everything to her. The students behaved just like she had when she served that man.

“We won’t back down in the face of your threats! We’ll stand for our belief in peace and freedom! Right, everyone?”

Samon collected people who couldn’t stand without leaning on someone—and he gave them a push.

“We will not back down!! We will not back down! We will resist our oppressors with a firm will!”

As if that cry served as a signal, the students raised their weapons. Their firearms were outdated models used in training. The guns were from two generations back, but they fired bullets that could kill.

“How stupid can you be?! Do you know what it means to kill someone?!”

As she shouted, Hilde recognized once more how naïve she had been. Until a few months ago, she hadn’t hesitated to point a gun at someone. However, on the night of the Thanksgiving Festival, she had seen a bullet pierce a man’s skull.

“Death is the end of everything!”

She had also seen a former Wolf suffering and worrying, bound by a past when he had killed as easily as breathing.

“If you kill someone, that’s the end for you, too.”

One bullet could easily poison a man’s days with unimaginable pain and regret—as well as negate all hope he might find.

“Shut up! You’re just the authorities’ dog!”

“We have risen up in faith and determination!”

The students were aiming at Hilde and not stopping to listen. They thought she was warning them that if they committed a crime, the police would catch them.

But that wasn’t the case. Words like faith and determination shouldn’t be thrown around so easily. Those were words for people capable of bearing the insult of a violent death, and having their name recorded as a failure, and being remembered as a fool for all eternity. Like Heidrig, Lud and Genitz...

Whether you’re a good person, bad person, or neither... Everyone takes life seriously. And no one should ever rely on borrowed words.

“You idiots!”

At Hilde’s last words, gunshots rang out.

“What?!”

But no bullets penetrated her body. She didn’t have a single scratch. Lillie had rushed over at the last moment and covered Hilde like a shield, taking all the bullets with her own body.

“W-Why, Lillie?! Are you stupid?!”

At first, Hilde didn’t understand why a spy assigned to observe her had protected her.

“... friend... It’s because... you called me... friend,” Lilly mumbled after collapsing into Hilde’s arms.

“What are you talking about?”

Hilde still didn’t understand.

“I never had... a friend... either.”

Hilde didn’t understand, but her tears overflowed when she saw Lillie close her eyes as if falling asleep. Now Hilde realized there had been one real thing amid all the falsehoods and deceptions.

“Lillie! You dummy! Don’t die!!” Hilde shouted.

Yet again, she was witnessing the death of someone she knew. It was unbearably painful.

“Huh?”

However, she noticed something strange. Lillie had been hit with a barrage of bullets. She should be dead, and even if she didn’t die, there should have been plenty of blood.

“Why?”

However, no blood flowed from Lillie’s wounds. There were bullet holes in her clothes, but the bullets hadn’t penetrated her body. Instead, they were smashed flat as if they had struck a bulletproof wall.

“Huh?”

Lillie slowly and silently rose to her feet. Her movements didn’t suggest someone near death. She didn’t even seem human. She stood as if raising her body merely with the strength in her ankles.

“You... Lillie... Why are your eyes red?”

Hilde recognized those eyes.

They were like the eyes of the silver-haired waitress who worked with Lud Langart. They were like the eyes of the red-haired girl who had appeared when they infiltrated Berun. Pure red eyes...

“Release pseudo-interface... Acknowledge emergency situation... Prioritize protection of the life and body of primary object of security Hildegard von Hessen!”

Hilde was shocked at the difference in Lillie’s tone, despite being the same voice coming from the same mouth.

Lillie stood, her tone more cold and lifeless than quiet—almost mechanical.

“For seventy-five seconds, release limiter to level two!”

As soon as Lillie spoke these incomprehensible words, which sounded almost like an incantation, Hilde found herself pulled into the air by an enormous force.

“Yaaaiiieee?!”

The ceiling of the lecture hall was about ten meters high. That was equal to three floors in a typical building. Holding on to Hilde, Lillie rose that height in a single leap and used the roof as a foothold to jump higher.

“Yiiiiikes!!”

Hilde didn’t know what had happened, so she just kept screaming.

“Whaaaaah?!”

As did Samon, who earlier had stood so triumphantly atop the stage.

As soon as Lillie’s soles kicked off the roof, she zoomed closer in a kind of dive-bomb, plummeting at enormous speed and planting a foot on Samon’s face.

“Oogyah!”

Samon squealed like a pig and flipped over.

“Mr. Samon?!”

A beat later, Samon’s students—his believers—turned around.

“Total number of enemy combatants: forty-seven. Begin disablement,” Lillie spoke mechanically.

Hilde didn’t know what had happened or what was going on. But she did know Sven and Rebecca. And if Lillie was anything like them...

“Don’t kill them!!”

She at least had to make sure of that.

“Understood.”

After replying, Lillie started running. Since Lillie was holding Hilde, her arms were full. So she attacked with her legs.

“Gah?!”

“What the?!”

“Oof!”

Lillie blew through them like the wind, at such a speed that although it looked as if she was just running through the students, actually she was throwing kicks. One kick per student. That was all. However, each kick was strong, breaking the arms and legs of every opponent.

“Ow!”

“It’s broken! She broke my arm!!”

The students cried out in panic.

Even with one broken arm or leg, they could have fired their guns. But, everyone abandoned their weapons, overcome by pain. The young warriors for peace had been quick to crumble.

“Oh, dear... It’s already over.”

Suzuka and Blitzdonner arrived. The situation had been resolved in a flash without them.

“Hey, Yamato girl! What is that thing?”

“This? I got it from one of your scientists.”

During the recent rebellion, the Yamato Embassy had secretly cooperated in recapturing the royal palace. In return, and through an extralegal measure, it received a prototype of Wiltia’s top secret humanoid Hunter Unit.

“Its communication skills aren’t much, though. It wasn’t realistic enough.”

The prototype’s basic abilities were equal to Sven and Rebecca’s, but its “heart” was insufficiently developed, so it had no sense of self. Thus, its interpersonal reactions were exceedingly mechanical.

“So I asked that scientist to install a pseudo-interface.”

A pseudo-interface artificially represented facial expressions and movements that a humanoid Hunter Unit with a “heart” would display from emotion. The interface was a combination of programs directing the unit how to behave in certain situations. It made the Hunter Unit look like she was smiling, but inside she didn’t actually experience happiness.

“To test it and gather data, I sent her among her own age group.”

“And you had it engage in intelligence-gathering and investigate that black-haired girl’s affairs?”

“Of course!”

Daian had other motives, but the stated reason for developing the humanoid Hunter Unit was intelligence-gathering and undercover espionage. From that perspective, Suzuka’s actions made sense.

“Testing it and collecting data in a real conflict... Talk about reckless!”

“But it worked out in the end, so it’s okay!”

Suzuka laughed mischievously at Blitzdonner’s amazement.

“Even so, don’t you find something strange?”

In the center of the lecture hall, surrounded by moans, Lillie was still holding Hilde. Her face was faintly flushed.

“Hilde, you are safe now. I have stopped all the bullies. Do you feel safe?”

“Um, yeah. Uh... thanks. Um...”

Hilde didn’t fully understand the situation, but for now she decided to offer thanks. Yet there was a more pressing problem.

“I can still call you Lillie, right? Um, your face is a little too close.”

Lillie was blushing and her face was so close that Hilde could almost feel her breath.

“Hilde, I’ve never felt like this. I had orders from my master to protect you, but that didn’t matter. When I saw you might die, a large jolt of static coursed through me.”

“S-Static? Um... Anyway, can you please pull back? Let’s chill for a second, okay?”

Hilde tried to move away but found she was still in Lillie’s arms. Hilde moved her arms and legs but couldn’t free herself from Lillie’s grasp. Lillie was holding Hilde gently but firmly, as if to never let her precious treasure slip away.

“Hilde, you are... cute.”

“You’re too close!!”

Suzuka and Blitzdonner were quietly watching the inexplicable current between the two girls.

“Um, what’s going on over there?”

“Oh my! While I wasn’t looking, she developed deep emotions!”

The prototype known as Lillie was unable to develop a “heart,” so she was deemed a defective product. However, unknown to Suzuka, Blitzdonner and even her creator Daian, she possessed numerous heart pieces. By spending time among her peer group, those pieces had stirred and gathered. Then Hilde’s words had provided a nucleus around which they had rapidly connected into a sense of self.

Human beings are social animals. The nature of their existence is determined not only by what they think about themselves, but by what others think of them. Like when Svelgen Avei met Lud Langart. And when Rebecca Sharlahart met Erich Blitzdonner.

“Friend.”

The prototype obtained an individual personality named Lillie when another girl saw her as a friend instead of as a humanoid Hunter Unit. Right now, Lillie was like a chick that just poked its head out of its broken shell. Just as it would believe the first thing it saw was its mother, Lillie had attached herself to Hilde.

“Hilde... I love you!♡”

“Now hold on a second!”

KISS!

This past winter, Hildegard von Hessen turned sixteen. She had no romantic experience and she was still a virgin. She had never even kissed someone on the lips.

“!!!!”

A silent cry rang out.

“Hey, did you name that girl?” Blitzdonner asked Suzuka.

He had covered his face with both hands as if he couldn’t stand watching.

“Yes. It’s derived from the lily in my family’s crest.”

The students were moaning in pain from their broken bones. Hilde was shouting from shock. Lillie was blissing out. And...

“Ungh... ggh... My nose! Argh! It’s broken!”

As blood dripped from his nose, Samon tried to escape.

“Oops. I forgot.”

Blitzdonner and Suzuka blocked his way.

“For now, the charge against you is treason. Or rather, unlawful assembly with dangerous weapons. That’s enough to arrest you, but our investigation will ensure we have a long relationship.”

Until now, Samon had skillfully managed to avoid capture with help from his supporters. However, it would be impossible to escape after he was taken into custody. It was only a matter of time before his treacherous actions, under the guise of fighting for peace, would come to light.

“Shut up and get out of my way!”

In a rage, Samon tried to force his way through them. He threw a punch at Suzuka, since he thought she looked easier to overcome.

“Oh no you don’t!”

However, his opponent was a martial arts master capable of incapacitating anyone she touched. Samon’s hand bent at an unnatural angle.

“Y-Youuuch!”

“Now those charges include assaulting a woman.”

As she spoke, Suzuka looked down at Samon writhing on the floor. She had dislocated all the joints of his arm; from the shoulder, to the elbow, to the wrist.

“Y-You... Don’t you know this is suppression of thought!! You people from the system are forcefully oppressing a seeker of freedom and peace!! This is a human rights violation!”

Forcefully detaching joints caused intense pain greater than breaking bones. However, Samon was still talking and spraying tears, mucus and drool.

His glib tongue was impressive and had helped him become influential in the Peace Faith. But that was the only impressive thing about him.

“Spare me your nonsense. You? Seeking freedom and peace? You make me laugh!”

What Samon had done was incite children in order to use them as his soldiers. The children didn’t even understand what he wanted from them. They had done nothing but join a grand narrative and earn praise as if they were the only people trusted with the truth. Samon was responsible for that.

“You tried to silence that black-haired girl for contradicting you. Alone, without weapons or support, she tried to convince you to stop, but you tried to kill her.”

The real oppressor here was Samon.

“Shut up! What are you talking about?! You’re just the system’s lapdogs!”

Samon would not accept defeat. He still believed he was right. Reason wouldn’t work on him.

Some people believe that only they represent justice. They see anyone who thinks otherwise as the enemy. So they believe it’s all right to eliminate them, even to kill them. Because they alone are in the right, fighting for peace and freedom.

“You sure have it easy! You get all puffed up, just shouting with outrage! If I’m a dog, then you’re a pig!”

“What?!”

Samon’s face visibly flushed. He burned with hatred toward Blitzdonner and forgot his pain.

“You won’t get away with this!”

Then he mumbled ominously.

“Our comrades are everywhere. We’ll find out about you and that black-haired girl in no time! Your kith and kin! Your friends and acquaintances! I hope they don’t meet with an accident!”

Then he began laughing mirthlessly.

“You’re the bad guys! We fight for peace and freedom! Anyone who opposes us is an enemy of peace and freedom!”

“Wait. Who appointed you to represent world peace and freedom?”

Suzuka couldn’t help asking, but the man putting on airs wasn’t listening.

“Shut up, you yellow monkey!!”

Apparently “peace and freedom” discriminated by skin color.

“... siiigh...”

Blitzdonner sighed as if he found Samon exhausting. He turned toward Samon and spoke with an expression that suggested this was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

“May Lin Po at the Western Seal, right? You like ’em big-boobed with baby faces.”

“Whaaat?!”

Samon’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

“And you’re infatuated with Anri Jasmine at Lorrain Poir, no? They’re all high-end establishments. How can you afford to go every week?”

The names Blitzdonner had given belonged to brothels in Berun and to prostitutes working there.

“As a man, I understand your desire for such places, but that isn’t easy on the salary of a military academy lecturer.”

Those brothels were all so expensive that even military field officers could rarely visit. Even nobles and merchant princes would struggle to become regular customers. Yet Samon went every week, sometimes without two days in between.

“Are those places really that expensive?”

“Yep. In addition to admittance, the money goes toward the dresses, jewelry, flowers and gifts required by the ladies. Presents for their managers and other brothel staff are basic. To go once would cost this much.”

In response to Suzuka’s question, Blitzdonner raised a few fingers to show his estimate of the cost.

“Wow! What the heck?! That’s about three months of my pay!”

The situation was simple. Decent people who loved peace and freedom had given money to Samon. Money had poured in as activity fees and donations and so on.

“No, that’s...”

Samon’s eyes were swimming. If this got out, he would lose his reputation as a warrior for freedom and peace who battled oppression.

“Your peers can decide whether it’s true or not.”

But that wouldn’t be the end of it. His peers would condemn him as a heretic and fanatic. There would be no escape. That would extend to his relatives, friends and acquaintances, and he would be completely ostracized. No... He would be murdered.

He had witnessed many people suffering the same treatment. And the reason wouldn’t be that he had dipped into funds for peace and freedom. It would be because he had dishonored the organization’s mission to fight for peace and freedom. That was his sin.

“H-Help!!”

Samon clung to them, his face white.

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know! You gotta protect me! Protecting witnesses is part of your duties! Right?!”

There was a program called the witness protection program. The nation would arrange new housing, employment and census registration to protect someone who would testify to the disadvantage of an organization to which he had belonged, thereby risking retaliation. Samon was shamelessly begging for help from the very man he had just called a dog.

“All right, we’ll protect you.”

Too stunned to speak, Blitzdonner sighed more deeply than before.

“That’s a troublesome part of a government official’s job—for both of us.”

Suzuka spoke sympathetically.

“There’s no choice. Even a guy like this is a Wiltian citizen. As a servant of the nation, I must protect him.”

And so the incident came to an end. It never became public knowledge, so no harm was done to the students involved. However, Dangoltinoza Officer’s School had to close. Samon’s student devotees weren’t arrested, but they were placed under temporary probation. Naturally, they weren’t allowed to transfer to any military-related educational institutions. After closing, the school became a museum showcasing the noble culture of medieval times.

As a side note, the belongings of Zaltobar, the Headhunter Duke, were not really under the charnel house. There wasn’t even an underground chamber. As honorary director, Principal Alexander (other names omitted) took it for his office. The one or two visitors who came each day—whether they were interested or not—were treated to a lecture showcasing his profound knowledge of the exhibitions, which were of no particular historical importance and not much to look at.

Samon squealed to Apuvea and in return obtained a new census registration and fled to a Wiltian colony to avoid pursuit by his followers. Rumor has it he requested plastic surgery to disguise his face, but no one knows for certain. And as for Hilde...

“...mumble mumble mumble...”

“...whisper whisper whisper...”

“...chatter chatter chatter...”

In a classroom at a military academy—not Dangoltinoza—in a suburb of Berun...

From a distance, students were whispering and staring at Hilde as she sat at her desk. How did this happen? It wasn’t only because she once belonged to the Schutzstaffel. It was because she was a bona fide troublemaker who was responsible for the closing of her previous school. As a result of the vague explanations behind the closing of Dangoltinoza, rumors spread that pegged Hilde as the main culprit.

“She slaughtered everyone at the school!”

“She may be small, but she’s a master of eastern martial arts!”

“Huh? I heard she’s an agent for a military intelligence agency.”

Since they consisted of half-truths, the rumors were particularly hurtful. And that wasn’t the only problem. The adults who thought she was finally leading a peaceful life at school learned she had become involved in another mess and decided to help her once again.

“Oh, that little girl... Poor Hilde. Shall I write a letter of introduction?”

Marshal Elvin of Wiltia took up his pen and offered to help.

“Oh, that little lady... Shall I make a phone call on her behalf?”

Shylock directly called in a favor. He was Jacob’s grandfather, Blitzdonner’s father, and chairman of Billions Trading, one of Wiltia’s largest corporations.

“Hmm... Yes, that girl... I know her, so please ask them to treat her kindly.”

Even Wilhelm the Third, the monarch of Wiltia, made a rare request. But all that good will from Wiltia’s pooh-bahs only complicated her situation.

“I heard she’s the secret child of Marshal Elvin.”

“No, there’s a rumor that she’s Greedy Shylock’s granddaughter!”

“No! She’s the monarch’s stepsister!”

The stories snowballed. However, from Hilde’s point of view, it wasn’t so bad. At least when compared to her other problem.

“What’s the matter, Hilde? You look frightening. And it spoils your pretty face!”

“Lillie, why are you here?”

Somehow, Lillie had transferred to the same school as Hilde.

“I think you know why!”

Lillie’s smile was dreamy as she spoke, her cheeks blushed and she crossed her arms.

“Because we’re friends.”

Hilde didn’t know it, but Lillie was technically a weapon belonging to Yamato. A school environment seemed beneficial for the development of her personality, so she had been allowed to continue attending school.

Then Lillie made a forceful request to be assigned to the same class at the same school as Hildegard von Hessen—and even an adjacent seat assignment. Her administrator, Suzuka, had frowned. But Lillie warned her, “If you don’t agree, I’ll slice open my stomach and self-destruct right here.” So Suzuka had to grant her request.

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...”

Hilde laughed tiredly.

Whatever Lillie’s true nature, she wasn’t a bad person. Far from it. She had protected Hilde and risked her own life. Hilde saw that Lillie thought of her as a friend, and she thought of Lillie as her friend too, so there shouldn’t have been a problem. However, Hilde couldn’t help noticing something more than friendship in the red lights that sometimes shone in Lillie’s eyes.

“Hilde, what would you like to be in the future? I want to be your friend forever!♡”

Lillie spoke from the next seat, and moved her chair closer to Hilde, fawning like a cat.

“I... I just wanna be a normal girl!”

That was a sincere wish from the depths of Hilde’s soul.

Hilde would be involved in a number of incidents at other military academies, and she would solve them all with her best friend Lillie. But those are stories for another time.