Chapter 2: Ham and Eggs with Two Eggs

The two nations of Pelfe and Wiltia once shared a border. After Wiltia annexed Pelfe, they were unified and a rail line connected their two capitals. It would take surprisingly little time for Lud and the others to travel from their home in Organbaelz to the Wiltian royal capital of Berun. The journey would take less than two hours by air, and if they left by rail in the morning, they would arrive by evening.

An uncomfortable atmosphere enshrouded a corner of their railway car.

Chatter... chatter... chatter...

The other passengers showed a mixture of curiosity and fear. They were staring at a group of individuals who were clearly different.

“I just might be the most normal in this bunch,” muttered Blitzdonner.

“What do you mean by that, Major Blitzdonner?” Sophia looked pale as she spun around to face him.

“After all, you...” Blitzdonner quickly averted his eyes.

The compartment held the four of them: Blitzdonner, the military officer Sophia, the bizarre and clown-like Daian, and the frightening Lud with his scarred cheek. That alone was enough to make a very strange group, but in addition, Sven and Rebecca—white and red beauties—were sitting in the compartment behind them.

“They have no idea who we are...”

Saying they were a group of traveling performers might have put the other passengers at ease.

“Yeah, well...” At a loss for a reply, Sophia just hung her head wearily.

“Rundstadt, are you all right?”

The late night of drinking was taking its toll, and Sophia was in the throes of a hangover.

“Agh! I totally failed!”

“Are you all right, Sophia?!”

“I’m fine!” As if to salvage her pride, Sophia answered with a show of strength, holding her splitting head.

“Sophia, don’t exert yourself. How about lying down?” Daian made his suggestion with a slightly exasperated voice.

One bench in a neighboring compartment was unoccupied. There was plenty of space for her to lie down.

“I said I’m fine!”

But that wasn’t a sufficient reason for a proud Wiltian military officer to give in and show weakness.

“Oh dear... Well, I don’t expect violence to break out here, so suffer as much as you like.”

Finding it pointless to force her, Daian shifted his gaze around the car as he spoke. His departure from the capital should have set various intelligence agencies in motion, but it didn’t appear that anything would happen right now. The situation was abnormal precisely because nothing abnormal was happening.

In that case, it was right to leave him behind...

Blitzdonner thought of his son Jacob. That morning, when Jacob heard they were leaving for Berun, he had asked to come along. In part, he asked out of pride because he was Lud’s first friend in Organbaelz. Blitzdonner had forcefully refused, and the boy had stayed behind at home.

“I wonder if Organbaelz is all right.” Lud looked worried as he spoke.

“It’s probably fine. Actually, it’s probably safer without you and me. It is ironic though...”

Terrorists controlled by an Augustan covert agent had once threatened Organbaelz because there was an unopened Door in the area. It turned out that the Door held nothing of value, at least not now. That fact was public knowledge, so there was no reason to breach the border to reach it.

“Besides, those two are still in Organbaelz.”

“Yes, those two... Um, Director? Who are those girls?” Lud asked Daian to explain.

“I’m sorry, but that’s a national secret, so I can’t tell you anything.”

Daian’s reply didn’t help.

“But they’ve got excellent skills. And we can count on them to discourage an attack.”

“?” Lud didn’t understand what Daian was saying and looked perplexed.

“Pardon, can I get by?” Lud was about to ask for more details when Sophia, looking pale, stood up. “I need to... take care of some business.”

After muttering, she tottered unsteadily toward the car’s lavatory.

“She’s got motion sickness on top of a hangover...”

“Well, getting it out will make her feel better.”

And with that, Blitzdonner and Daian said no more.

Meanwhile, the two girls they were just talking about were in Organbaelz.

“There wasn’t any need for us to stay here, was there?”

The “girl” named Lillie was complaining to the “girl” named Hilde inside the shop area of Tockerbrot.

“Who cares? There’s no reason to hurry back to the royal capital.”

After the attack a few days earlier, Tockerbrot’s walls were damaged, the glass windows were shattered and even the roof had caved in. The shop was lucky to have survived with no further damage after a gunfight inside and a shell exploding from a grenade launcher. Nonetheless, if it wasn’t repaired, one good rain would damage even the unharmed areas.

The carpenters Sven had hired were making a lot of noise as they worked, and Hilde was keeping an eye on their progress.

“We owe Lud Langart and the others a lot, so this is the least we can do.”

“But there isn’t much to do.”

“Take it easy, okay?” Hilde tried to soothe Lillie’s complaints.

A little over six months ago, Hilde had come to the bakery to kill Lud, but now she was very fond of him.

“Then do you want to go back ahead of me? I don’t mind, so—”

“No, I’ll stay as long as necessary! I’ll even become a permanent resident!” Lillie insisted immediately.

She had a powerful feeling of friendship for Hilde—so strong that Hilde shrank from its depth and intensity. For Lillie, leaving Hilde’s side was the greatest pain in the world. In any case, it was important for these two to stay in Organbaelz.

Although Lillie appeared to be the daughter of an average Wiltian household, she was actually on loan from Yamato, a nation allied with Wiltia. If anyone interfered with her, whether from Wiltia or another country, it would spark an international conflict. That was what Daian had meant by telling Lud that Lillie and Hilde’s presence discouraged any attack.

As long as they were there, Tockerbrot and Organbaelz’s safety was ensured. Furthermore, Hilde’s presence was necessary to keep Lillie from leaving. However, the two girls were not aware of the reasons behind those decisions. So, they engaged in this back and forth like a pair of comedians.

“You two should find an audience!” Jacob grumbled at them with a cross voice.

“What? Why are you so cranky?”

“Because they left me behind!” Jacob sighed.

He didn’t know why Lud and Sven had left for Berun. But he was a clever boy. He had guessed from their behavior that it was important. No matter what, he didn’t like being shut out of the problem.

“Ha ha...” Hilde laughed at him.

“What are you laughing at?!”

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking that you’re acting your age.”

“Don’t treat me like a child,” Jacob said, irritation adding to his crankiness.

“No, I mean you’re usually too mature for your age.”

Hilde understood a little about Jacob’s background. She was born into a family of fallen nobility and was herself a former member of the Schutzstaffel, so she had lived a complicated life. Jacob’s childhood was even more complicated. Perhaps that was why he was so mature for an eleven-year old.

“I’m relieved to see you act like a child sometimes.”

“That’s treating me like a child!” Jacob continued to glower.

“Hilde, did you hear why Lud and the others went to the royal capital?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Hilde didn’t think she needed to hear.

“Lud said he was leaving Organbaelz and you two in my care.”

Lud treasured both the town and the shop. He had entrusted them to Jacob, which showed how much he trusted him.

Sometimes there are things you can’t reveal precisely because you trust that person. Hilde was old enough to understand that.

“You really have changed,” Jacob told her.

“Really?”

Jacob couldn’t help but feel better when he saw the calm smile on the face of the girl who had once come to abduct him.

“Pardon me!” As they were talking, someone else joined them. It was Milly, Tockerbrot’s apprentice baker. “If you’re not doing anything, try a taste!”

Since morning, Milly had been holed up in the oven room baking bread.

“Wow... that looks gorgeous!”

Seeing the bread, which gave off a mouth-watering aroma, Hilde’s compliment wasn’t empty flattery.

“It hasn’t been even a full year since you started baking here!”

“Well, I wasn’t completely new to it.” Milly’s tone was slightly uncomfortable.

Her late father had also been a baker. He hadn’t taught her the trade, but she had naturally picked up some experience from watching him. She had observed her father baking, so when Lud began instructing her, she had quickly understood. By following him, she had learned to bake roughly the same breads and pastries.

“I still can’t sell anything I bake though. The shape isn’t right and my bread didn’t bake the way I intended.”

Milly’s dream was to have her own bakery someday. She had once thought about reviving her father’s old bakery, but now she hoped to get Lud’s permission to open her own branch of Tockerbrot.

“Lud said I can use the bakery’s flour to practice, but only if everything gets eaten.”

He had stipulated that condition so Milly would learn the value of the baking supplies she used.

“Since you men are here, would you try some too? It doesn’t taste bad!”

“Oh! Can we?”

Milly gave some of her bread to the carpenters making repairs. She wasn’t anywhere near competent yet as a baker, but like Lud, Milly knew the value of pleasing others with the work of her own hands.

“...............” Jacob looked troubled as he looked at Milly.

“What’s wrong, Jacob?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s just...” Jacob’s reply to Lillie was vague.

Everyone is changing...

It wasn’t just Sven and Lud. His parents, Marlene, Hilde and Milly... Jacob sensed everyone around him had changed over the past year. One day, all the fun they were having was sure to end. No, that wasn’t right. Something new would begin.

But what about me?

A feeling of both loneliness and impatience welled up inside the boy.

“Well, there’s no hurry,” Hilde said.

“As I said, you’re still a child, so you have time to think. If you hurry too much, you’ll fall like I did,” she continued with a wry laugh.

“Hey, don’t read my thoughts!”

“Ha ha ha!” Hilde laughed in amusement as Jacob frowned at how she had correctly guessed his feelings.

Lud and Sven arrived in Berun, the royal capital. First, they had to find lodging as a base to launch their search for Meitzer. Although his exact identity was unclear, as a general for the major nation of Noa, Meitzer was a man of significant social standing. He wasn’t the kind of person a mere baker—whatever that baker’s past—could meet simply because he wanted to. Their request for a meeting would be discarded before it could even reach Meitzer. However...

Some in their group had both official and backdoor connections that could be used to make contact. Daian was the director of the Royal Weapons Development Bureau, Blitzdonner was an agent for the intelligence agency Apuvea, and Sophia had been in charge of Meitzer’s security.

They hoped to get permission for a meeting in one day, but...

“What is the meaning of this?!” At their lodging, Sven raised her voice.

“Shouting at me won’t help!”

They had received responses to two of their three requests. Rebecca had come that night to tell them that Daian’s and Blitzdonner’s requests had been denied.

“Whatever the circumstances, that’s odd.”

During Meitzer’s visit to Wiltia, assassins from a rival nation tried to kill him. As events unfolded, he had hidden temporarily in Organbaelz. It would make sense if, now that he had returned, Wiltia would prevent encounters with anyone unknown in order to avoid another attempt on his life, but...

“The director and Major Blitzdonner are special, aren’t they?!”

Even if official channels were closed, it should be possible to arrange a meeting unofficially.

“As I said, asking me won’t help!”

Sven was gripping Rebecca’s lapels and almost shaking her as she questioned the girl. Breaking free of Sven’s grip, Rebecca responded.

“Like the director said, something inside the military... inside the Wiltian government, has caused confusion.”

“What did you say?”

Rebecca had taken on the role of messenger because Daian sensed the situation was abnormal. Some kind of incident was rocking the royal capital, and all of Wiltia.

“Is that the reason he can’t have anything to do with us?” Lud asked, uncertainty on his face.

“No, something has happened to Meitzer himself.”

“He wasn’t killed, was he?!”

Sven shook in surprise. She had recently experienced the shock of having someone who had been alive and well one day, suddenly disappear from the world the next. Mary Ville Mehl was a lawyer with a past connection to Lud, but she had become embroiled in certain dangerous affairs and departed this world.

“We will see. The director is using his connections to find a way, but...”

“Something happened?”

Genitz’s face appeared in the back of Lud’s mind. The man had attempted a coup and almost conquered the royal capital. Was something on the same scale occurring now?

“What shall we do, Master?”

“Hmm...”

He might have said there was nothing they could do at present. That’s how powerless Lud’s group was.

“This leaves only Sophia’s request. It would be good if we could learn something.” Lud spoke softly in hope that their last connection would open a way forward.

Meanwhile, Sophia...

“General Douglas is missing?!”

“Keep your voice down.”

When Sophia visited Marshal Elvin in his office at Wiltian military headquarters to inform him of her return, he told her about Meitzer’s abduction.

“But... why?!”

“I don’t know. We had secretly assigned guards to go with him, but they haven’t returned. I suspect they’ve been killed.”

Two days had passed since Douglas Meitzer asked Elvin to allow him to visit the Association for Space Travel.

“I’m at a loss. Presently, we’re negotiating with the embassy of Noa. We’ve ceased communications with the island itself, but we won’t be able to cover it up for long.”

Before Meitzer came to Wiltia, assassins had attacked and he had temporarily disappeared. The embassy of Noa had tried to hide that disgrace from Wiltia, and Noa had no recourse but to send a penguin in his place in order to buy time.

“I didn’t think saving that penguin would mean they would pay us back like this.”

Sophia thought it was ironic. Noa’s ruse would normally be taken as mockery, and handled through official diplomatic routes. However, if dissidents kidnapped Meitzer in Wiltian territory, things were different.

“Well, I used the penguin disturbance as a pretext to buy some time, but... only three days. If we rescue Douglas Meitzer in that amount of time, they’ll agree to act as if nothing happened.”

“Three days? That’s not long.”

That schedule was too tight to investigate this abduction.

“............”

“Marshal?”

However, Sophia didn’t see urgency on Elvin’s face.

“Do you... by any chance have an idea about who did it?”

“Yes.”

Long ago, a strategist said that war was but one form of diplomacy. In diplomacy, cutting deals is paramount. Elvin had accepted the conditions because he already suspected who the abductors were.

“The Security Department did it.”

“So that’s where...”

It was the armed organization nominally used to preserve the peace at public facilities in the Principality of Wiltia. Due to its secretive nature, the investigation after the recent rebellion had not extended to this group, allowing it to become an enclave for many of Genitz’s followers. The members were war hawks who rejected peaceful methods and truly believed that if another war occurred, it would end with Wiltia ruling the world.

“In the recent Great War, our nation was victorious because Noa maintained its neutrality. It would be foolish for us to let the primary cause of our victory slip away.”

Elvin shook his head in exasperation.

“General Douglas said he wanted to visit the Association for Space Travel. I don’t know why, but apparently the unit is made up of Genitz’s supporters.”

Elvin had ordered a subordinate to investigate. The bizarre situation that came to light was dizzying.

“What are they thinking?”

Sophia was talented but serious—some would describe her as stubborn—so she couldn’t even imagine what this situation might be.

“A lower-ranking officer will explain further.”

At that moment, as if perfectly timed, an officer entered the room.

“Are you the Azure Shudder?!”

Sophia recognized the man. Wiltia had many ace pilots, but only some were given nicknames. Lud was the Silver Wolf and Blitzdonner was the Crimson Hawk. The nicknames raised the morale of their allies while breaking their enemies’ fighting spirit.

“Long time, no see. Major Rundstadt, I believe we haven’t met since the ceremony celebrating our victory.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The Azure Shudder was the nickname of Leia Toolman, the man who stood before her. He had yet another name. The Bulletproof Baron. He was the captain of the guard unit serving directly under Marshal Elvin and was Elvin’s right-hand man.

Sophia didn’t think he surpassed her as a Hunter Unit pilot, but in combat ability as a soldier... During the post-war confusion, he completed many difficult missions and had come to be called the Bulletproof Baron.

“Hm?”

The military saber at his side rattled.

“This? The captain isn’t comfortable with a European saber, so we ordered this from Yamato.”

Yamato was the island nation off the far eastern edge of the eastern continent. In Yamato, they called sabers katana. In addition to their strength, they were as beautiful as works of art.

The sword hanging from Toolman’s belt was from Yamato.

“I’d offer a more detailed introduction, but unfortunately, there’s no time.”

“Yes, I understand. Go on.”

Prompted by Sophia, Toolman explained the situation.

“First, look at these.”

He presented a number of documents. Among them was a page that looked like a blueprint.

“What’s that?”

“The Security Department calls it Verne 1. Supposedly, it’s a rocket.”

“Rocket?”

“A rocket is a type of vehicle propelled by chemical fuel for enormous propulsion, and is capable of reaching outer space. This rocket, however, is for unmanned flight.”

Under the rubric of scientific and cultural progress, the Security Department had been providing financial support to the Association for Space Travel.

“How do they plan to use it?”

“Major... once launched, this will indeed fly into space, but depending on its trajectory, it could cross national boundaries and directly attack distant enemy nations.”

The impact of science and technology could be both a positive and negative. A deadly poison, if weakened, could be a medicine.

The rocket developed by the Association for Space Travel was a new weapon, never dreamed of by anyone in Wiltia, the entire continent of Europea, or anywhere in the world. It was a long-range ballistic missile.

“What? And those people are trying to build one?!”

“No.”

Sophia was gripped by shock and revulsion as Toolman continued.

“They’ve already built one, and they’re going to launch it in three days.”

“That’s incredibly dangerous!!”

If they launched such a missile, it would set off chaos around the world. What had started the recent Great War was a shooting committed by a single unruly youth in a small nation. This time, the spark for a Second Great European War would be Wiltia.

“If they actually use this as a missile, where would they drop it? I suppose it would be August.”

August and Wiltia had signed a cease-fire but not a peace treaty. When it came to international treaties, their relationship was as fraught as if they were still at war.

“Can they do that?”

“We can only estimate from the blueprint, but a specialist said it’s quite possible.”

“Argh!”

Without thinking, Sophia hit the wall. If the marshal hadn’t been there, she would have kicked the desk and pulverized it.

“That’s right, Rundstadt. They were desperately hiding this information, but during the last few days their guard has dropped.”

Because there was no longer any need to hide it.

“We must stop the Security Department from stirring up trouble. We must rescue General Douglas, stop Verne 1 from launching, and make it appear as if nothing happened.”

Sophia nodded quietly at the marshal’s words. They could not allow this threat to go unchecked.

“Their facility is twenty kilometers from Berun in a rural town called Penmunde. I will send a unit of rangers to suppress them immediately.”

Next, Toolman handed her orders.

“Major Rundstadt, I want you on the team. Is that all right?”

“You don’t need to ask.”

Sophia was a military officer. She was a career soldier, so fighting was a way of life. However, precisely because she was a professional, she hated unnecessary battles and knew the value of life. She despised anyone who caused war and involved innocent civilians because they liked it.

“Oh...” Sophia remembered something. “Captain Toolman, I have a request.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Toolman’s rank was lower than Sophia’s. However, Marshal Elvin was responsible for this operation and he had entrusted the captain with full authority.

“There is someone I would like to add to the team.”

Sophia was making a request instead of giving an order.

“You probably know him. I would like to take Lud Langart.”

Meanwhile, Meitzer...

“Now let’s see...”

He was alone, confined to a stone cell without a window.

“This construction is classic. I’m surprised buildings like this still exist.”

His hands and feet were bound, so while his treatment didn’t qualify as torture, it was far from humane. He had come to the edge of Berun to visit the Association for Space Travel. With their cover as a social club researching how humankind might advance into space, they had concealed research and development into space rocket technology that could be used for military purposes.

“Is anyone there? I want to talk.”

Meitzer had guessed that the person behind it all hoped for a new war. He had plunged in alone to convince them to give up their plans.

“There’s still time, but once your activities are known, your lives will be forfeited,” he had warned them.

But that had failed. Their reach was greater than he thought. They had taken him prisoner and drugged him. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in this cell.

“Are you awake?”

Several men and women appeared. There were no guards outside his cell, but they had come so quickly, although the cell looked like a regular room in an old castle, there must be hidden surveillance cameras and microphones.

“General Douglas, it is an honor to meet you.” A man who was perhaps the group’s leader spoke to Meitzer in an oily tone of voice.

“You know my name?”

His name was Douglas Meitzer. This man knew the identity of a general in Noa’s army, and he had captured and imprisoned him. That meant these people had full knowledge that their actions could cause a diplomatic and military conflict.

“Then what should I call you? I don’t care if you use a false name.”

“Oh, how rude of me. I am Hitzinger, chief of Security Department headquarters.”

Surprisingly, the man offered his name and organization. He said it so casually that Meitzer almost suspected it was false.

“I wish you were lying.”

But it was true. It was dark with no moonlight, but the man held an antique lantern in his hand. The lantern lit his face and it was Hitzinger, the chief of the Security Department, whose face Meitzer had once seen in secret documents.

“I’m surprised that I’m meeting Genitz’s successor like this.”

Six months ago, Genitz instigated a large-scale rebellion that threw the royal capital into turmoil. Genitz was no longer alive, but his subordinates were stationed all around Wiltia, including inside the military. Their effective leader was this man with a creepy reptilian face—Hitzinger, chief of Security Department headquarters.

“Do not misunderstand. I don’t pretend to fill our deceased leader’s shoes. I merely want to complete the work he was unable to finish.”

“You mean by pulling the trigger on the Second Great European War?”

Genitz’s goal had been to rule Wiltia himself and start a new war. He wanted to conquer not just the continent of Europea, but Noa and Aesia, among other places, and create a single nation comprised of all humanity—the first since the ancient European Empire.

It was a delusion. A giant delusion. Even if he wasn’t able to achieve that goal, Genitz had possessed the talent and know-how capable of throwing the world into chaos.

“I see... You cannot be his successor.”

Looking directly into Hitzinger’s eyes, Meitzer was certain. Unlike Genitz, this man had no vision. Why did he want to start a war and what did he hope to achieve by doing so? Genitz had at least understood his own goals. Meitzer knew what Genitz was after and how he had transformed his ambitions, bordering on megalomania, into action.

“Hitzinger, you lost your leader, so you’re chasing a ghost to fill that void. Trust me. You should stop.”

Meitzer knew it was a waste of breath, but he warned Hitzinger anyway.

“..................”

Hitzinger didn’t reply. However, the air around him grew tense. While he didn’t lose his scornful smile, it was obvious he was uncomfortable and angry.

He’s a third-rate actor, too...

Meitzer had never met Genitz face-to-face, but from what he had heard, Genitz would never have revealed his emotions. In a way, this man Hitzinger was pure. And that was why he would not stop. He believed, and would accept nothing to the contrary.

“I doubt I can get through to you, but you’re being manipulated. Verne 1? If word gets out that you launched that missile, even as a test, animosity toward Wiltia will quickly spread!”

The Security Department was conducting a rocket launch experiment. That was their story. In truth, they were testing the ballistic missile’s automatic attitude control and inertial guidance to drop it via sub-orbital flight.

“Wiltia must be strong. The strong have the right to dominate the weak. No, they have the obligation to lead the human race!”

Hitzinger repeated his empty words like a parrot.

“As you know, August to the north is gradually encroaching on our territory. While we’ve been downsizing the military, drunk on peace, they’ve been advancing! What we’re doing is defensive!”

“You fool...”

They were giving in to a military provocation. War was but one form of diplomacy. But, it was a fight. When your opponent sets the pace and you echo its mood, it was natural to see the situation as already dangerous.

“Once Wiltia stands tall, we will get approval from many other countries! When they see the power of Verne 1, they’ll rush to us on their own!”

Even if Wiltia made this show of great force and gained vassal states, in order to lead, it would have to maintain and continue demonstrating that force. Wiltia didn’t have that much power. It simply had a larger population, more national territory and greater production capacity.

“So what do you want from me?” Meitzer realized talking was pointless, so he changed the subject. He merely wanted to know why they had taken him captive and why they let him live.

“You’re a hostage, material for negotiation.”

“Huh?” Without thinking, Meitzer blurted his surprise at Hitzinger’s response. “Surely you don’t think if you hold me hostage Noa will take Wiltia’s side.”

Meitzer was the top-ranking officer in the army of the great nation of Noa. His influence extended throughout the whole army.

“Don’t be foolish! It’s a soldier’s duty to defend his country. No nation would go to war to protect a soldier!”

“That may not be true. Noa has long remained neutral, but once it sees the power of Verne 1, they may think differently. Furthermore, if you convince them, it will all go well.”

“You must be either stupid or insane!”

A tower of building blocks would have a stronger foundation. It was one thing not to be choosy about your means in order to secure certain ends, but if the means were too unscrupulous, it would merely generate panic without gaining any allies.

Fear was an effective means of control, but too much could inspire resistance. A cornered rat will bite the cat.

“How long have you been working on this plot?” Convincing them to stop was already impossible. Meitzer accepted that he was unable to make them realize their folly, so he asked one final question.

He had told few others that he was visiting the Association for Space Travel. Only the Wiltian military marshal Elvin, whom he had asked to serve as intermediary to the Association, knew of his plan. However, Elvin was at odds with the Security Division, making him more of an enemy than August in some ways. Yet someone had leaked his activities to the outside.

“You...”

He saw the answer before Hitzinger could tell him. He saw the young woman by Hitzinger’s side.

“Marissa... was it you?”

Sophia’s subordinate in the guards at the Royal Weapons Development Bureau—Corporal Marissa Haven. She had been Meitzer’s guide, and because she had been taken hostage, he let himself be seized without a fight.

“Yes, allow me to reintroduce her. She is an agent of the Security Department, planted in the Weapons Development Bureau. She’s what you would call a spy.”

Hitzinger’s words, spoken as if revealing a treasured secret, surprised Meitzer.

“She informed us of your every move. You even came without a struggle to spare her from harm. I thank you for that, Corporal. As your superior officer, I must express my gratitude.”

Marissa looked embarrassed, while beside her Hitzinger laughed merrily.

“I see. So I’m a fool.” Meitzer sighed and that was all he could say.

“Now, General Douglas Meitzer, you must think calmly about what comes next. The sooner Wiltia forms a firm military coalition the better it is for Noa as well.”

Hitzinger then left, along with his subordinates. However, Marissa stayed.

“Um, General Douglas?”

“Aw, who cares. Argh... I’m old and losing my edge.” Marissa looked troubled, so Meitzer made light of the situation. He was proud in his belief that no ordinary intelligence officer could trick him. So, it was only natural that a very unspy-like spy got the better of him.

No, that isn’t all...

He couldn’t let a girl about the same age as Sven die, even if their personalities were different.

“I’m always like this. Something similar happened before.”

Without thinking, he got a faraway look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“You shouldn’t apologize.”

If Hitzinger knew she felt guilty, there was no telling what he would do to her. It was a strange sight to see: Marissa was crying and apologizing now that her identity was known and the man she had betrayed was consoling her.

“Um... at the very least, is there anything I can do?”

“Yes, but what you can do is very limited.”

The cell had no window. Or there had been a window but it was covered. That way the prisoners wouldn’t know where they were.

“You can’t undo these bonds, can you?”

“No, I don’t have the key.”

“I thought not.”

The only other thing he could request was a decent meal.

“Then I want ham and eggs for breakfast. Two eggs.”

“All right, I’ll see to it.”

Seeing Marissa on the verge of tears made Meitzer sad. Marissa probably wasn’t a professional spy. Most likely, she had met someone from a key organization and was either bought with money or pressured into helping. Because of her poverty, she had been enticed to cooperate although she would ordinarily have refused. When Meitzer considered her situation, he found it even harder to hate her.

“Oh, but...”

“Yes?” Marissa continued talking as Meitzer thought. “I can’t bring you a metal knife and fork.”

“That’s all right.”

Only wooden utensils were allowed to prevent prisoners from using the metal to escape. That was basic. There was no need for her to say it. He already knew.

“However, I can bring a paper napkin.”

“Oh?”

Meitzer didn’t know what she was hinting at, so he responded with a perplexed look. However...

“............”

Meitzer noticed something in Marissa’s expression.

“I see...”

Then, with a smile, he made one further request.

“Marissa, would you lend me the pen in your breast pocket?”

She did not refuse.