Chapter 14: The Approaching Shadow ①
I returned to my office in the battalion headquarters.
Even as an officer, I’m afforded my own private office. It’s very cramped, but in the army, just having a private room is exceptional treatment.
I took a White Military Uniform from the shelf.
“Changing for his sake… this will probably be the first and last time.”
Lieutenant Meinen, who died in the line of duty, was officially an engineer officer. Visiting his grave in the Ceremonial Battalion’s black military uniform would make us stand out.
The Ceremonial Battalion is incorporated into the Imperial Guard Regiment, and officers of the Imperial Guard Regiment wear White Military Uniforms during peacetime.
In other words, it’s not a violation of regulations for us to wear White Military Uniforms, so it’s the quickest way to conceal our identities.
Though, laundering these is a real pain.
Just then, I heard a knock on the door.
“Identify yourself.”
When I replied, following military custom, Lieutenant Krimine’s voice came from the other side of the door.
“It’s Second Lieutenant Leesha Krimine, sir~”
“Enter.”
Her voice was subtly lacking in tension…
Lieutenant Krimine, who entered, was also in a White Military Uniform. Perhaps because she’s a young lady from a good family, white suits her well. When Captain Yugi wears it, it looks like a burial shroud. Strange, isn’t it?
I gave a wry smile while fastening the buttons of my jacket.
“Sorry, you caught me in a state.”
“Not at all.”
She’s staring intently. Scary. Isn’t her breathing a bit heavy?
“An officer shouldn’t let enlisted soldiers see them like this, but since you’re an officer, it’s fine, right?”
“Yes, it’s perfectly fine!”
I have a feeling our conversation isn’t quite connecting. I’m very uneasy.
“Lieutenant-dono, shall I fasten your hooks?”
“I’ll do it myself, it’s fine.”
“Ah, your collar insignia is crooked!”
“It’s not crooked.”
Why is she so persistently aiming for my throat? Is she a predator?
Feeling strangely restless, I finished changing and checked my appearance in the full-length mirror.
If an officer is sloppily dressed, they lose the trust of their soldiers. On the battlefield, that can be fatal for everyone involved.
Not that we have any enlisted soldiers in our unit, though.
“Lieutenant-dono, it suits you very well.”
“So you give compliments too, huh?”
“No, I do not.”
She denied it with a straight face. As I thought, our conversation isn’t connecting. Maybe I’m tired.
Pulling myself together, I asked Lieutenant Krimine.
“By the way, did you need something from me?”
“Yes, I heard that you would be visiting Lieutenant Meinen’s grave, Lieutenant-dono, so I thought I would accompany you.”
“Ah, that’s good. Let’s go together.”
The Battalion Commander had ordered it as well, so it was perfect timing.
We left the battalion headquarters building. Glancing sideways at the nearby Imperial Guard Regiment headquarters, we emerged onto the main street of the Imperial Capital.
Lieutenant Krimine had her usual deadpan expression, but she seemed to be in a somewhat good mood. She was humming.
“After seeing the Kavalaf Region, where there’s absolutely nothing, I really think the Imperial Capital is prosperous, don’t you agree?”
“You’re right.”
Even this area, the busiest in the Empire, is only about the level of a station front in a regional city in my previous life’s Japan. The population density is fundamentally different, so it can’t be helped, but I’ve never seen a true “metropolis” since coming to this world.
Perhaps finding my reaction amusing, Lieutenant Krimine started to bother me again.
“Perhaps you dislike crowds?”
“A crowd of this size is no problem.”
“This size?”
Ah, crap. This is supposed to be the most crowded place in the Empire. She’ll think I’m weird.
I hurriedly tried to cover it up.
“Compared to the crowded mess hall back in our officer academy days, this is nothing, right?”
“That’s true.”
Lieutenant Krimine nodded repeatedly. Thank goodness she’s such a sheltered young lady.
“Hm?”
Just then, I noticed a strange sense of unease.
I made sure to tell Lieutenant Krimine about it.
“We’re being tailed. Not very skillfully, though.”
“Eh!?”
It’s impressive that she didn’t look around frantically and maintained her composure, but Lieutenant Krimine looked anxious.
“Tailed?”
“I can’t turn around to confirm, but there’s an old man out for a stroll who’s walking remarkably fast. He’s keeping up with a soldier’s quick march, after all.”
If you’re going to tail a soldier, you should probably try a different disguise. His pace gives him away completely.
Still, Lieutenant Krimine hadn’t noticed, so perhaps I wouldn’t have noticed in my previous life either. I was trained reasonably well at the officer academy in this life.
“Lieutenant-dono, who do you think it could be?”
“I don’t know, but right now we’re in the White Military Uniforms of Imperial Guard officers. If they’ve seen through this disguise, it’s possible they were lying in wait for us to come out of the battalion headquarters. This could be a bit dangerous.”
The Ceremonial Battalion’s black military uniform is unusual, and many people bear grudges against it. However, Imperial Guard officers are, if anything, figures who command respect.
Well, I suppose to the anti-Emperor faction, they’re probably an annoying presence.
“But it could be the anti-Emperor faction trying to track the movements of Imperial Guard officers. We can’t say for sure yet.”
“That’s true.”
They probably won’t attack us suddenly in the middle of town, but this is a troublesome situation nonetheless.
“If we go to the Army Joint Cemetery with the tail’s identity unknown, there’s a chance the Ceremonial Battalion and Lieutenant Meinen’s real name will be linked.”
Lieutenant Meinen’s epitaph bears his real name. If we, as Imperial Guard officers who came from the Ceremonial Battalion headquarters, are seen visiting an engineer officer’s grave, it could cause trouble later on.
It’s a hassle, but it seems we’d better do something about this tail.
“Lieutenant Krimine. Tell me your favorite food.”
“Um, I like cheese.”
“Oh, then that’s perfect. There’s a restaurant run by a cheese shop nearby. Let’s have lunch there. Both the cheese shop and the restaurant are directly managed by a dairy farm.”
It’s still a bit early for lunch, but considering the round trip to the Army Joint Cemetery, we’ll need to eat something anyway. We have quite a bit of walking to do.
Lieutenant Krimine followed along, looking like she was about to skip.
“There’s a restaurant like that?”
“The Battalion Commander took me there once.”
“Oh, is that so…”
Lieutenant Krimine suddenly looked dejected. What’s with you?
“Don’t get any strange ideas. There was a mission to guard the Battalion Commander’s child, and we just disguised ourselves as a family in civilian clothes.”
“Civilian clothes, as a family!”
Is that what she’s reacting to? I don’t know how to deal with a younger subordinate of the opposite sex.
To cheer up Lieutenant Krimine, I wracked my meager brains.
“The owner there is an acquaintance of the Battalion Commander. I’ll explain the situation and borrow a private room, so you can enjoy yourself without worrying about the tail.”
“Ehh—then I suppose I’ll enjoy myself.”
That expression, is she sulking or happy? This girl is hard to handle.