86 - Volume 7 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 

HAZE BLUE 

Every light in the room was off. Tendrils of white cigarette smoke danced through the air. 

“…Regarding our pending issue.” 

Sunlight filtered in through the window. Outside, all was bathed in the blinding-white glow of midday summer. The Federal Republic of Giad’s summers were not as brief as in the United Kingdom, due to being a good distance away from the frozen north. Theirs was a summer where flowers bloomed with all their might, as if trying to celebrate their short lives for as long as possible. 

There were vibrant petals as far as the eye could see—in the streets, in the fields, and even on the western front, all flaunting their vitality. The lush green of the vegetation had deepened in hue so much that it almost seemed black. Growing ever defiantly, it stretched toward the azure sky, which boasted a clarity unique to the summer months. 

The dark silhouettes sitting in the dim room oddly contrasted the brilliant scenery outside. One man—a one-eyed officer wearing a black eyepatch—broke the silence. His steel-gray uniform’s left breast was adorned by a ribbon bar. He had the pitch-black hair and eye color characteristic of one of the old Empire’s pureblood races: an Onyx. 

He was the commander of the western front’s 177th Armored Division, Major General Richard Altner. 

Another officer, also a major general, with one artificial leg and the air force’s insignia still appended to his uniform, responded to Richard’s words while blowing out a puff of white smoke. He flicked his thick fingers, dropping the ash into a gorgeous silver tray sitting on the polished, amber-colored wooden mosaic table. 

“The Eighty-Sixth Strike Package’s 1st Armored Division… The detachment led by the Bloodstained Queen and the Headless Reaper.” 

“They’ve accumulated a bit too much experience. Or perhaps I should say they’ve seen too many things they should not have seen,” Major General Altner said grimly, to which the other silhouettes in the room nodded. 

Badges identifying high-ranking officials of the Giad military glittered from all their lapels. They were the generals in charge of the western front. These officers continued their confidential meeting, as if trying to hide from the summer sun. 

“We must come up with a countermeasure at once.” 

“Thankfully, the Legion offensive seems to be quieting down for the moment. Apparently, they’re reorganizing their forces. If we’re going to do this, now would be the time.” 

“Even those murder machines can’t stay composed after losing two production bases and having one of their commander units seized.” 

“Which is convenient for us. It gives us ample time to enact our countermeasure.” 

The Eighty-Sixth Strike Package. A raiding force built around the Eighty-Six. Their activities greatly exceeded expectations. In the three months since the unit’s birth, they brought down two Legion bases. They exposed the existence of the Sheepdogs and the Phönix and both discovered the reality of the theorized Zentaur units and managed to subjugate several of them. 

They had recorded video data and brought back sample parts of the Weisel and Admiral units in the Dragon Fang Mountain base. And in that same operation, they saved the United Kingdom from crisis and even captured a Legion commander unit. 

They racked up achievements that were unrivaled not just in the entire western front but also by any other unit among their allies, the United Kingdom and the Alliance. 

“The Merciless Queen,” one of the silhouettes spat out bitterly. “The commander unit speculated to harbor the consciousness of Zelene Birkenbaum… I hear the one who made its capture possible was that Reaper, as well. This is all quite troublesome.” 

“Heroes have no place in this world, after all.” 

“Soldiers are to be seen as replaceable parts. Victory in battle must not rest on the shoulders of a single hero.” 

“…Don’t worry.” 

The one silhouette who had kept silent so far, the chief of staff for the western front, Commodore Willem Ehrenfried, parted his lips. 

“I’ve already put something in motion. I believe you will receive the report soon enough.” 

Major General Altner scoffed. 

“You work quickly as usual, Willem. Your reputation as Ehrenfried’s murderous blade is well earned.” 

The chief of staff, Willem, regarded him with a sardonic smile. He gave off the atmosphere of a cold, well-whetted military saber. 

“You exaggerate, Major General. This is just paperwork. All I did was sign a few pesky documents and place them in the settlement box.” 

He gave an exaggerated shrug. In one hand, he held a cigarette, and in the other, he held materials regarding the aforementioned countermeasure. Deciding he no longer needed the document, his aide, who had been standing by during the exchange, stepped forward, accepted the proffered document, and returned to his spot near the wall. 

Willem’s aide came from a long line of servants who had attended his family for generations. He would always hide in the shadows until he was needed, appear at his master’s side a moment before he was called, and return to his place in the shadows as he did what needed to be done. Such diligence was the product of his upbringing. 

This aide, who was still fairly young, returned to his spot without another word. His flawless performance was met with no praise from either the chief of staff or the other officers present. Before the Federacy’s founding, they were all high-ranking nobles in the Empire and were used to seeing aides and servants as those who remained out of sight. 

The aides themselves did not require any recognition, either, with the exception of the words their masters gave them at the end of each workday. They were shadows, not meant to be acknowledged. If anyone was to offer them words of praise, it would simply show they were being too conspicuous and thus failed in their duties. 

And so the officers immediately forgot the aide’s existence and continued their conversation as if they had never been interrupted. The aide didn’t show any sign of displeasure at that fact. He stood as expressionless as a doll for the duration of his duty, breathing as quietly as he could. 

His black eyes turned a fleeting glance at the “document” the chief of staff had just handed him, however. In the ten years the Legion War had raged on, there was no need for the Federacy to update it, and so its cover was quite old and weathered. 

It was a document that seemed to be the worst possible match for this extravagant—yet slightly gloomy—room in the western front’s HQ, full of smoke and stern Federacy officers. Even in his hands, it seemed to stand out with its gaudy cover with frivolously colored text. 

ALLIANCE OF WALD 

TOUR GUIDEBOOK 

Looking down at it, the aide thought: 

So in other words… Those children had seen a warehouse full of skeletal corpses in the Republic operation… They had to climb up a cliff along a road formed from their allies’ remains. These poor child soldiers have been faced with one gruesome sight after another, and so the adults have sought to ease their troubled minds by sending them on vacation… 

Why must the chief of staff and the other officers spend their cigarette break pretending to be a bunch of evil masterminds plotting something terrible…? 

Such was the aide’s exasperated, silent soliloquy. 

“I…can…” 

As they ran forward with young and shapely limbs, their bare feet slapped against the marble floor. The light reflected off the slightly tanned yet pale skin unique to girls of their age. 

“…flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” 

Raising her voice in a spirited cheer—a far cry from her usual demeanor—Kurena plunged into the pool. A warm spray flew up in her wake. It was hard to see the green stone bottom of the pool through the steamy water, but it was deep enough for one to dive without issue. 

Kurena submerged herself until only the very top of her head was above the water. Then she bobbed her face up past the surface before spreading out her limbs and enjoying a leisurely float. 

“Wheeew… It’s so waaarm…” 

Frederica, who happened to be in Kurena’s splash zone and had failed to avoid the water in time, adorably furrowed her brows. 

“Kurena! Where are your manners?! You’re an adult, are you not?!” 

“But it’s my first time being in a bath this big…” 

Yes, they were in a bath. But the word bath could not accurately reflect the sheer scale of the luxurious complex. It had been built long ago, as part of an emperor’s villa, and the domed structure was easily large enough to fit an entire sports track. The floor was covered in ancient, well-polished marble. Building blocks made from various types of stone were meticulously placed together, creating a multicolored geometric pattern on the floor. 

The bath itself was dug out in a rectangular shape and could have easily been used as a competitive swimming pool. Its surface was carved from a massive marble monolith, and to everyone’s surprise, there weren’t any seams at the bottom of the bath, meaning it had been created from a single slab of marble. The answer to how many human hands and horses were required to carry such a gigantic slab up a steep mountain in the ancient times would remain a mystery. 

Standing in the middle of the bath, as if to divide it in half, was a line of stone sculptures, with the emperor sculpture set front and center. Next to it were statues of nymphs, surrounded by baskets of blooming flowers that added a pleasant aroma to the steam. 

And most of all, beyond the steam and the statues was a stunning, grand view of the mountains. Each one was topped by a crown of snow and donned an emerald cloak of conifer trees with cuffs of silvery mist. 

Standing composed like ancient dragons, they rested alongside Mount Wyrmnest like vassals obeying their queen, with a breathtaking sky serving as the backdrop to their beautiful ridgelines. While this facility was outfitted with the latest technology, much of its interior retained the elegant, extravagant design of the ancient times. This window offered a clear view of this affluent location. 

The majesty of this land of misty peaks likely hadn’t changed in the last thousand years. Its magnificence was everlasting. 

“I can understand your desire to frolic about this place, and yet…” Frederica gave an exaggerated sigh. 

“It really is amazing… This isn’t so much a bath as it is a heated swimming pool.” 

Anju spoke as she slipped into the water with elegant, reserved motions that seemed to deliberately contrast Kurena’s splash landing. Minding her hair—which she’d tied up so it wouldn’t get wet—she stretched her slender arms. 

“Yes, it feels nice. It’s a bit lukewarm, but it’s just the right temperature for enjoying a long soak.” 

“I think it’s called a hot spring? They draw this hot water up from a geothermal spring in the mountain. And in the past, all this belonged to a single emperor. Can you believe it…?” 

Michihi lamented as she scooped up the murky water in her hands. She gazed vacantly with her dark-black Orienta eyes at the subtle relief carved into the rock dome. 

“How many people can fit into this place at once…? Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Though I guess that’s a commoner’s way of thinking…” 

Annette spoke, leaning her back against the edge of the bath where a rose-vine relief had been carved—likely to prevent guests from slipping. Her silver eyes surveyed the area, watching the several dozen other girls either bathing or playing in the water of the bathhouse. 

It was the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package’s 1st Armored Division, which was made up of the first hundred or so Eighty-Six to join. And these girls were the survivors of that batch. They were in the right half of the bathhouse, which was divided by the statue column. But even with so many of them in just one half of the bath, there was still plenty of space. 

Shiden, who was reclining near her, combed her wet crimson hair and shrugged. 

“Well, if Princess Annette is gonna start calling herself a commoner, we Eighty-Six are gonna have even fewer spaces to occupy, huh?” 

“I’ll have you know I’m effectively homeless at the moment. Meanwhile, you guys were adopted by top government officials, even if only on paper. Your social standing’s probably higher than mine right now.” 

Annette responded to Shiden’s quip with a sarcastic jab of her own. The Eighty-Six were the oppressed, and the Alba were their oppressors. But that line became blurred within the Strike Package, and more and more people on either side had grown used to referring to one another by name. 

And speaking of other Alba, Annette turned around, looking at the mosaic tile arch located at the bathhouse’s entrance. Standing there was a lone silhouette trembling like a newborn fawn. 

“Lenaaa. Don’t just stand there—come on in!” 

Lena jolted and recoiled upon hearing her name. She quickly hid in the shadow of one of the basket-carrying statues. 

“B-but…” 

An ancient statue made in a girl’s image was far too small and slender for a real person to hide behind. But Lena just barely managed to do it, fidgeting all the while. After all… 

“…I’m not used to seeing other people so exposed…” 

She did both her schooling and her training for the Republic military while commuting from home and had no experience living in dormitories. Even in the Federacy, Lena had a personal bathroom attached to her room in their base. And while she had used public showers a few times during the large-scale offensive and when receiving aid from the Federacy, those still had separated booths. 

Never before had she walked around with this much skin exposed—and certainly not in such an open space full of other people. Annette simply scoffed at her predicament, though. In her nervousness, Lena kept fidgeting and rubbing her thighs together, resulting in a sight that was far more sensual than she had probably intended. Annette seriously wanted her to stop it. She could sense that a door to another world was on the verge of opening. 

“And you think I am? Besides, wearing swimsuits is mandatory here. It’s not like we’re naked, so I don’t think you need to be so bashful.” 

“Well, yes, but this place… It’s in plain view…!” 

Surrounding the bath and the statues was a cluster of ancient pillars, and beyond it was a view of the snowy mountain peaks. In other words, there was nothing impeding the view into this bathhouse from the outside. 

After all, this place was originally a villa for the emperor of Giad, and those of Imperial descent did not view their servants or the populace as equals. As such, they weren’t ashamed of being seen bathing by their servants, in much the same way one wouldn’t feel embarrassed about being naked in front of an insect. 

Worse yet, because extra measures were taken to make the view from inside the bathhouse clear and breathtaking, the visibility from outside was also quite good. Of course, if the windows had been fully transparent, the air in the bathhouse would have been colder, so they were made from insulated, double-paned glass. But they were designed not to cloud over too easily from the steam, so the view was still quite clear. 

This view from their location meant anyone looking in would have to do so from the other side of the mountain, but that did little to ease Lena’s anxiety. 

“And well… They’re…they’re right there…” 

“Yes, but we’re wearing swimsuits.” 

Annette resolutely cut down Lena’s arguments before suddenly smirking at her. 

“And despite your shrinking-violet act, you sure picked a raunchy swimsuit. Is this the one we bought together before?” 

“A-Annette…!” 

Annette grinned at her broadly. 

“What’s wrong? Go ahead and show off. Like you said, he’s right there.” 

“Annette!” 

Lena’s rosy cheeks grew even redder at Annette’s teasing. Pure-white strings were tied along the back and waist of Lena’s brand-new bikini. When Grethe had informed them of this event and told them to bring swimsuits for the bathhouse, Lena took the day off with Annette, Kurena, Anju, and Shiden, and they went on a trip to buy some. 

They all screeched and chattered and compared figures. It was a fun outing, but Lena also looked forward to actually wearing hers during the trip. To that end, she bought what struck her as the most appropriate swimsuit for today. 

…But that didn’t mean she had intentionally picked a “raunchy” one… 

And besides, Annette bought her own swimsuit after a great deal of deliberation, too. Hers was an orange bikini that contrasted her naturally pale skin and silver hair. Kurena, who was floating in the water nearby, chose an emerald-green bikini with a strapless top, which accentuated her thighs and chest. 

Anju’s swimsuit was light blue and, surprisingly enough, covered her chest entirely below the neck and stopped just below her bust. It did cling to her skin, however, displaying the curvature of her breasts. Frederica, in an endearing attempt to appear more mature, wore a frilly black children’s bikini. 

Michihi wore a red-and-gold bikini that accentuated her shoulders as a nod to her Orienta roots. And as if to contrast Michihi’s ivory skin tone, Shiden’s swimsuit boldly showed off her assets as the most developed member of the group with the darkest skin. It was a tiny black bikini that left little to the imagination. 

And so, Lena thought, it wasn’t that her choice of swimsuit was particularly racy or erotic compared with the rest. Swimsuits were naturally designed to show the lines of one’s body to begin with, and she knew they’d be going into a hot bath, so she deliberately picked one that left her skin as exposed as possible. 

The thought of her being seen like this, or rather, what he might think if he were to see her, hadn’t crossed her mind. 

It’s not like…I want him to see me like this… I wasn’t…thinking about that… 

But Lena managed to muster her courage and, after giving a brief nod, took a vigorous step forward, only to… 

“Aaaah?!” 

Having stepped forward too enthusiastically, Lena’s foot landed right on a bar of soap—made in a citrus-yellow color, specifically so it would be easy to see—and she slipped. 

“Ah, Lena, are you okay?!” 

“O-ow, ouch…” 

“Ah, wait, wait, Lena, don’t stand up! They came undone! The strings came undone!” 

“Huh? No…! Wh-which strings…?” 

“…You’re so tightly wound, Your Majesty. Can’t you at least tie these properly?” 

“Ah, stop thrashing around; I’ll tie them for you. Geez.” 

“……You know, guys…” 

Hearing the screams that were coming from the other side of the emperor statue, Theo grumbled with a sigh. His consciousness kept getting drawn to the sound of splashing water, but he forced himself not to look. 

“…I was kind of used to this ever since the Eighty-Sixth Sector. Honestly, it’s a long time coming with Kurena. But seriously, I’m at my limit. Can’t they keep it down? Or at least choose their words more carefully before they scream them?” 

“It’s not like we don’t exist just because they can’t see us…,” Raiden muttered wearily, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. 

Rito was already beet red despite having only entered the water a short while ago, and Dustin kept his eyes covered with his hand. Marcel sang a Federacy marching tune to himself in a trembling voice, desperate to drown the girls’ voices out. 

The boys’ presence likely made it obvious, but they were in a mixed bath. The statues dividing the bathhouse weren’t put there to act as a partition. They were just for decoration. 

So if the boys simply turned around, they would notice that the area the girls were occupying was only a short walk away. If they were to stand up, they’d be able to see everything beyond the statues. The washing areas between the statues were for everyone as well, of course. 

Incidentally, the cultural sphere of the continent’s northern regions—which included this hotel and the Federacy—often had bathhouses that offered mixed bathing with swimsuits. As such, the girls naturally inhabited the right side of the emperor statue, but the boys were forced to sit on the left side, paralyzed with fear. 

In the Eighty-Sixth Sector, girls had a much lower survival rate than the boys, and there were fewer girls than boys here, too. But even with the bathhouse being large enough to house a bomber jet, somehow it felt extremely cramped with half of the bath occupied by girls. The atmosphere was beyond awkward, and the boys all wore complicated expressions. 

Putting aside Yuuto, who had a blank expression almost all the time, even Shin, who rarely had much of a reaction to most things, and Vika, who was utterly incapable of reading the mood, were completely silent. 

The atmosphere was unbearable. 

“I’m technically on duty, so it’s different for me. But you’re all on vacation… I can’t see how this is relaxing,” Vika said. 

“Next time, we should swap time slots with them…” 

But switching time slots with the girls wasn’t actually a reliable solution. Shin got the feeling that trying to do so with Lena would actually make him run into her instead. And that led to another train of thought… 

It was then that Theo regarded Shin with a nasty catlike grin. 

“You still alive, Shin? What’s on your mind, bud?” 

“…Shut up.” 

Theo’s eyes were fixed on Shin, who remained absolutely silent and refused to look back at him. The changing rooms in this bathhouse were all booths. And since this was a mixed bath, the exit from the locker rooms led straight out to the bath. As such, there was only one exit. And that was where Shin had run into Lena, completely by accident. 

To reiterate, they were all obligated to wear swimsuits. The two of them were by no means naked. And it wasn’t as if the barracks in the Eighty-Sixth Sector showed any regard for separation between genders. Having lived there for years, the Eighty-Six had developed some degree of immunity to seeing the opposite sex naked. That was the case for Shin and Theo, at the very least. 

But Lena wasn’t an Eighty-Six. 

And worse yet, she had no male siblings and had lost her father when she was still very young. She grew up a sheltered, affluent girl, with her only friend close to her age being Annette. 

In that moment, Lena had frozen. Shin had been at a loss for words. And then Lena had gone red up to her ears, yelped incoherently, and run off to the other side of the bathhouse. It was quite the impressive scream, actually; it echoed throughout the entire facility. 

This was the fundamental reason why Lena was currently being so bashful. She’d become keenly aware of the fact that she was surrounded by members of the opposite sex in swimsuits and that she herself was walking around essentially half naked. And Shin was left quite shocked by her suddenly blushing and running away screaming. As such, he’d been quieter than usual ever since. 

Or…maybe the source of that silence wasn’t actually shock. 

“So it was a string bikini, huh?” 

“Shut. Up.” 

Shin retorted immediately. He had put the image from his mind. Or rather, he was trying not to remember. If he didn’t consciously restrain himself, the memory would resurface. He’d apparently gotten a real eyeful in that one moment. 

“Lena’s pretty bold, too.” 

“Who cares?” 

“…Were they big?” 

In less than a second, Shin’s bloodred eyes had become so intense, they seemed ready to burn a hole in Theo’s face. Without wasting a second, Shin grabbed Theo—who had failed to evade his grasp—by the head and forcefully dunked it in the water. 

The girls suddenly heard the sound of splashing coming from the other side of the sculpture, where Shin and the other boys were. 

“…Bfwah! Geez, Shin, I know that one was my bad, but stop resorting to lethal force at the drop of a hat!” 

“My hand slipped.” 

“What the hell was that clichéd, monotone excuse? At least try to come up with something believable!” 

“Theo, don’t tease him. He’s got zero chill when it comes to stuff like that.” 

“No, no. This is quite entertaining, so I would like to see how far he might go. Do be a noble sacrifice, Rikka.” 

“Wow, Vika, what the hell?” 

They could be heard teasing one another and playfully arguing from the other side of the statues. 

“…Guess the boys are having their own fun,” Annette said, furrowing her brows. 

“S-so long as they’re happy…,” Lena muttered, submerged in the water down to her mouth after having secured her frontal armor in place. 

The fact that they could hear Shin and the boys so clearly made Lena worry that her own commotion earlier might have reached their ears, too. And if it did… 

They heard me during such a…shameful moment… How embarrassing… 

Looking over the two of them and Anju, who happened to be standing between them, Shana cocked her head to the side. 

“Hey.” 

As the three of them turned to stare at her questioningly, Shana looked from one of them to the next before parting her lips. 

“You’re all standing in size order.” 

The three of them exchanged gazes at those words. Size didn’t seem to refer to their hair length. It wasn’t height, either, since Anju was the tallest. So that meant… 

The three of them, as well as the rest of the girls nearby, looked down at their individual bosoms, wrapped in colorful fabric and floating in the steamy water. 

Then came a moment of silence… 

…after which all the girls scrambled to their feet and started comparing bust sizes. 

“Aaah, I’m bigger than Anju but smaller than Lena!” 

“And I’m bigger than Annette but smaller than Shana… Hmm.” 

“Whoa… Impressive, Shiden. There’s no beating you…!” 

“Who’re you calling small?! I’m average!” 

“That’s right! If Annette’s small, what does that make me?!” 

“I already knew about Kurena, but even Lena’s bigger than me… Aw, I’ve been trying not to let it get to me, but it’s so frustrating…” 

“Th-these things just get in the way! It hurts when they move around too much, especially in battle. And they just get hot in the summer! And they’re murder on my shoulders!” 

“Silence, fools! Why do you all insist on pushing my buttons?! This is an outrage! A personal attack!” yelled Frederica, feeling left out. 

“Quiet, munchkin. Come back when you’ve got anything at all to add to the convo.” 

The friendly buzz continued as the girls arranged themselves by size. Was there a point to any of this? Who could say…? 

“All right, let’s see what you’re working with, Lena—D-damn, they’re huge… What do you eat to get a pair like that?!” 

“H-huh? Stop it; don’t push me…! Now, listen here!” 

Lena protested as she tried to shake off the Processors pushing her from behind and into the spot near Shiden and Kurena. She spoke desperately with the girls grabbing both her arms. 

“I know we’re on vacation, but you’re being too carefree! We may have the entire hotel rented out, but, er, right next to us…” 

Shin was on the other side of the emperor statue, close enough to hear their voices and even see them, if he stood up. 

“Th-the boys are right there! So act a little more modest, if you please!” 

“Yeah, listen to her! We really want you to knock it off!” Theo cried out, unable to put up with the girls’ shenanigans any longer. 

Sadly, Lena was the only one who seemed to hear him—or rather, the only one who listened. The girls’ clear, high-pitched laughter echoed off the ceiling. 

Eventually, one idiot climbed over the emperor statue and stuck her face out. 

“We hear ya loud and clear, fellas! But deep down, you’re dying to sneak a peek, riiiiight?!” 

It was Shiden, waving with a radiant grin that resembled her usual crocodile smirk. And while they couldn’t deny they wanted to hear more of what the girls were talking about…it was also common courtesy to pretend they didn’t. And so they desperately tried to ignore her. 

Yet the very subject of the girls’ discussion was now hanging heavily over the laurel wreath atop the emperor’s head, effectively thrust out before them, two heaving reminders of the things they were actively trying not to think about. 

“C’mon, guys, where are my cheers? At least whistle or somethi—Bfah!” 

Before Shiden could finish her sentence, Shin picked up a bucket and threw it at her, hitting her square in the forehead. Her fingers let go of the emperor statue, and she fell back into the water with a bombastic splash. He’d done it swiftly after she’d appeared, leaving Raiden torn between shock and exasperation. The fact that he’d launched his attack as soon as he spotted her was impressive in and of itself, but… 

“…Seriously, man. Shiden’s the one person you show absolutely no mercy to.” 

Shana’s cool, collected voice reached them from behind the statue. 

“Sorry, Shin. Giving Shiden attention at times like this just gets her excited, so ignore her.” 

Shiden remained completely submerged, bubbling her complaints up to the surface. They couldn’t make out what she was saying, naturally, but it was probably something along the lines of I’ll show you excited! Sleep with one eye open. All in attendance hoped she would settle down soon. 

“But yeah, all things considered, I did think hers were pretty big…,” Marcel muttered as he looked off in a random direction. 

Revealing swimsuit aside, Shiden’s chest was so large that she was able to turn heads when wearing her uniform—and even her panzer jacket. The heavy-duty jacket was partially bulletproof and crafted to withstand high Gs during intense operations. The fact that the curvature of her bust was visible even beneath such dense material was nothing short of incredible. 

The thought of it seemed to have stirred something in Marcel, because he clenched his fists excitedly. 

“I mean, come on! Guys love big boobs! Haven’t you seen statues of goddesses? You know what they all have? That’s right! Huge tits!” 

“I have to disagree with you there. In my opinion, they’re the best when they fit perfectly in the palm of your hand.” 

“…Wow, Yuuto, didn’t expect you to chime in. And seriously, change your facial expression every once in a while, will ya? Especially during a conversation like this.” 

“Dustin… On second thought, I don’t need to ask you. But what about you, Nouzen? I believe now’s as good a time as any to ask.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” yelped Dustin. 

“Size isn’t all that matters. But just because they don’t care that we’re here doesn’t mean we should be talking about this while they’re within earshot,” said Shin. 

“You say that, but you should be careful, too, Shin. I’m pretty sure you just sank poor Kurena with that comment. Like, literally sank her.” 

With that, Raiden cast a sidelong glance at Kurena, floating in the water and foaming at the mouth, like she’d caught a stray bullet. Shin largely ignored her, though a bit of guilt crept onto his face. 

“Well, you have the right idea. We should probably revisit this topic during a nighttime chat, hackneyed as it is.” 

“Uh… So you’re telling me you’re looking forward to talking about girls well into the night, Prince…?” 

Rito groaned as if his dreams had just been mercilessly trampled. Vika ignored him, but another idiot soon crawled out of the woodwork, stepping away from the wall where she’d been standing by. 

“Leave it to me, Your Highness! Incompetent though I may be, I, Lerche, shall set out in search of a suitable topic for you to discuss—Huh?!” 

Swiftly picking up the bucket that had hit Shiden earlier, Vika wordlessly tossed it at Lerche’s forehead. True to his background as a prince of a militant country, he lobbed an incredibly strong fastball, thrown with perfect form. 

“Shut up, you seven-year-old. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” 

“M-my shame knows no bounds…” 

Lerche squatted and cradled the spot where it connected, despite being unable to feel pain. She stood out in the bathhouse since she was dressed in her uniform as usual. The Eighty-Six had already gotten used to seeing her, but Lerche wasn’t human. She was a drone component in human form. She may have looked like a living, breathing girl, but her body’s interior was as mechanical as a Feldreß. 

She wasn’t perfectly waterproof and was therefore unable to go into the water, and so she’d been standing at the corner of the bathhouse, holding a tray that offered extra towels, soap, and a pitcher full of a cold drink as well as ice. 

…And while it was entirely irrelevant, the boys couldn’t help but wonder about how the Sirins’ bodies were designed, with the exception of their heads. Their hair colors and the quasi-nerve crystals in their foreheads aside, their faces were indistinguishable from humans’, but if they were no different from real women under their clothes, too, it would be rather…well…creepy. 

“It’s interesting how, um…girls are more open with those kinds of topics.” 

Dustin bluntly changed the subject. 

Everyone’s faces asked the question You’re bringing up something that dangerous? which caused Dustin to flinch. 

“Er… You do realize they pretty much always talk about stuff like that… When we’re not around…,” Rito whispered. 

“They’re talking about it right now, actually.” 

“Yeah, they’re saying stuff like Muscles are hot and Necks are hot. I can hear ’em pretty clearly.” 

The girls on the other side of the statue, who were eavesdropping on the boys’ conversation, nodded sagely. 

“Oh yeah, muscles are hot.” 

“Yep. And although we hardly get to see them, I like how nice and firm calves and ankles look.” 

“For me, it’s all about the nape of the neck… I mean, shoulders are pretty hot in general, too. But that line that extends from the shoulders to the back is just… Mmm.” 

“Oh, and I only saw this for the first time when I came to the Federacy, but I love the way a guy’s hand looks while it’s holding a cigarette! That’s the good stuff!” 

“I’ll give you that, but arms are where it’s at. Heh. Like when a guy’s sweaty, and he rolls up his sleeves, and you can make out his tan lines… The way the veins bulge…” 

“Veins are pretty hot.” 

“And scars are really cool. The ones that look like the wounds were really painful are kinda…not… Buuuut when you can kind of imagine the expressions they made when they were in pain… Unf…” 

“I mean, even the boys are comparing scars and showing off.” 

I got this one while fighting in this place or I got this one when a Löwe busted my rig or I got this one climbing the fence in the internment camp. These were the kinds of stories only the Eighty-Six could look back on fondly. 

The girls had no idea what reasoning there was for them to go from dirty talk to stories about how they got their scars, but such was the nature of idle chatter. The boys likely didn’t know how it came to this, either. 

But that reminded Lena of how scarred Shin’s body was, which made her grimace. Grizzly scars—some probably as old as seven years—marred his flesh. The most notable of them all was the one around his neck. Lena never asked how he got it, but every one of those scars was a silent reminder of the countless battles and injuries he’d endured. Most of them were probably mementos from the Eighty-Sixth Sector. 

…And incidentally, despite having run away screaming, she did…get a good look at him, too…(as immodest as it was). And the moment she realized this, Lena’s face went red again. She’d noticed things like the clear distinction between his natural skin tone and the tan marks that stood as evidence of his long time on the battlefield. His lean, muscular frame. 

He would likely stop growing soon, but there could be no doubt that his body was maturing into that of a remarkably handsome man. Even on the occasions where he’d caught her eye while wearing his normal uniform, it was hard to ignore the fact that his body and hers were like night and day. His skeletal structure, his muscles, the texture of his skin… Her eyes couldn’t help but wander. 

And while she was lost in those thoughts… 

“Lenaaaaa?” 

She looked up to see the Eighty-Six girls—who had been scattered across the bath until now—closing in on her like a group of cats cornering helpless prey. 

“Hmm…?” Lena stiffened. 

They were close, and there were a lot of them. And their eyes seemed to glint as they scrutinized her. Lena was…quite intimidated. 

“Your skin looks so smooth, Lena.” 

“No tan lines, no scars… Could I feel for myself?” 

“Don’t worry; it’ll only be a second. Just a few pokes. Okay?” 

“Ah, er, w-wait, I, aaah…” 

Lena’s half-hearted attempt at resistance was steamrolled in an instant. Hands extended from every direction, poking, rubbing, and caressing her skin. Lena could only let out small squeals. And Lena then realized that the boys had, once again, fallen silent. 

With the boys slightly dizzy from the whole ordeal, and with the girls even more exhausted than before they entered the bath (thanks to playing around so much), they all left the facility and spent some time lounging in the reception hall. 

This annex was made using the ancient building, with a peristyle inner courtyard that was recently closed off with a glass ceiling. Now that this place had been made into a hotel, it served as a rest spot. There were many large couches that allowed one to two people to recline comfortably. 

The sofas were spacious enough that there would be no need for a tight squeeze between the seats, and they were adorned with lambswool that felt as soft as a cloud. The reception hall was cooled by air-conditioning, and waiters dressed in the Alliance’s national outfits walked across the room, carrying trays with pitchers full of cold drinks and glasses. 

The sofas were soft enough to sink into, and the fur spread over them was pleasant to the touch. Overcome by temptation, Shin closed his eyes but then lifted his surprisingly heavy eyelids for fear of falling asleep. Some part of him felt like he was growing complacent, but that didn’t mean he intended to stop relaxing. 

A month or so had passed since the Dragon Fang Mountain operation in the United Kingdom ended. This time, their detachment was exempt from operational activity, which also meant they had a break from their curriculum in the special officer training. As such, even Shin knew he’d be better off adopting a mindset tamer than the one that kept him alive on the battlefield. Especially since he realized this was a place chosen for them to get some much-needed rest. 

They were in the territory of the Alliance of Wald, a mountainous state located along the Federacy’s southwestern border. To be specific, they were in a health-resort hotel located in its second capital, Hesturn. This state boasted the tallest mountain in the continent, the sacred Mount Wyrmnest, which served as the heart of the confederacy of small countries. What little flatlands existed between the peaks housed these small countries. 

Given its small amount of habitable land and meager population, all citizens—men and women alike—were charged with the duty of conscription. This policy of universal conscription afforded the state considerable military might. Seven hundred years ago, it had gained independence from the Giadian Empire. 

In place of a monarch, a council was formed from the influential people of each country in the confederacy. One hundred and sixty years ago, they granted all their civilians voting rights, shifting to a Republic rule—a full century after the Republic of San Magnolia set that precedent. 

“…May I sit next to you?” 

Shin looked up, knowing full well that the voice belonged to Lena. He gave her the okay with a simple gesture, and she took a seat next to him on the sofa. Her long silver hair was still a bit wet. And as she parted her lips, she seemed bashful for a reason Shin couldn’t identify. 

“I’m sorry about what happened earlier. Er, I mean, screaming all of a sudden…” 

“…It’s fine.” 

In Shin’s opinion, the conversation that came afterward was far worse. But bringing it up now would only dig him a deeper grave. A female attendant approached them, her high-laced shoes clicking audibly against the floor. With practiced, flowing motions, she extended a glass container toward them. 

“Would you care for some ice cream? …You’ve played around quite a bit, so you must be in the mood for something cold.” 

Owing to the multiple countries between the mountains that constituted the Alliance, there were several ethnic groups that composed the state’s population. The largest of them were the blue-eyed Caerulea. This attendant was likely mixed with L’asile blood, judging by her dark-blond hair and the near-indigo shade of her eyes. She wore a dress that incorporated the green hues of the forest the hotel was built in, accented with brilliant red. 

“This pitcher contains condensed milk. It’s the Alliance’s special product. We have many dairy farms, so we take great pride in the quality of our dairy products. We hope you enjoy it.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Thank you very much.” 

Shin and Lena both thanked the attendant and accepted the drink she offered. The lady beamed at them. 

“Sadly, in these trying times, there isn’t much in the way of food variety. So we hope you don’t mind the limited selection.” 

The Alliance of Wald was a mountainous country. The peaks were so steep that, to this day, railroads had a hard time making it to this nation, and the elevated rock face of its territory meant there was hardly any arable land. What little agriculture they could manage was present only in the valleys, which wasn’t nearly enough to support the population’s needs. 

Normally, a country in such a position would turn to technology and trade to compensate through importation. And indeed, the Alliance relied on trade to resolve its food shortages. But when the Legion War broke out, each of the continent’s countries became isolated. 

This was a grave problem for the Alliance, which had effectively been cut off from its food supply chain. While their situation wasn’t quite as extreme as the Republic’s—which had nearly 100 percent of its food synthesized from factories—the Alliance did have to rely quite heavily on factory food production to feed its population. 

Shin and Lena were offered frozen fruit with condensed milk and ornate shaved ice cream that melted the moment it entered their mouths. It was unbelievably fresh and slightly earthy. As Lena brought a spoonful to her mouth, her eyes shot open. 

“This is so tasty…! To say nothing of that delightful woodsy aroma. I wonder how they achieved that.” 

“I think they used pine leaves,” Shin answered. 

“Pine leaves? Oh…” 

Lena squinted curiously at her spoonful of ice cream. 

“The cuisines in different countries sure do vary… It’s the first time I’ve ever had food that included pine needles among its ingredients.” 

“I agree with that first statement, but I’ve seen them used as a substitute for tea leaves in order to neutralize the odor from meat back in the Federacy. We even used them in the Eighty-Sixth Sector.” 

The Eighty-Six were originally citizens of the Republic of San Magnolia, though Shin was loath to acknowledge that fact. Using pine leaves for tea was probably integrated into the Republic’s culture, as well. 

“That could be, but…” Lena puffed out her cheeks grumpily. 

“Maybe you should come visit the Eighty-Sixth Sector someday, Lena. You can enjoy our lovely view of the rubble and appreciate the synthesized food.” 

Lena noticed his joking tone, of course. 

“Oh, I know all about it. I had to eat it so many times during the large-scale offensive.” 

“And what did it remind you of? I won’t be upset by your answer, so be honest.” 

“Hmm… Well, it was…” 

It was one of the Eighty-Six’s long-running jokes. Stifling a giggle, Lena pretended to ponder the answer for a moment, and then… 

““Plastic explosives,”” they said in unison. 

Lena chuckled, which made Shin’s lips curl into a smile. But her laughter soon died down, and she narrowed her eyes. The hall they were in was once a courtyard, but by now, the ceiling was outfitted with glass arrayed in a geometric pattern. The light streamed in through the glass, adorning the white floor with a glow in that shape’s form. The colors changed subtly depending on the time of day. It was an intangible beauty—art made of light. 

That transient glow reflected in Lena’s eyes. 

“This place really is lovely. It’s quiet… And no matter where you look, the scenery is gorgeous.” 

“…” 

As small as the Alliance’s territory was, the health resort that housed this hotel was far from the front lines. This was where the world’s first polypedal drone—the original Feldreß—was developed. Years ago, this state’s mountain denizens used these weapons to stave off fifteen tank divisions sent by the Empire. And they remained stalwart even when faced with the threat of the Legion. 

And thanks to that, the flames of war ultimately did not reach this land. There was no cannon fire echoing in the distance. No buzzing from the hangars. Even the Legion’s incessant wailing felt distant here. Shin couldn’t get used to this silence. 

The tumult of war was the constant backdrop of his daily life. The roar of artillery never stopped, and the scent of machine oil and smoke always hung in the air. A cloud of sand and battle dust always hung over the world. Because that was his version of “normal,” the idea of people enjoying this constant serenity was entirely alien to him. 

But even so… He began to feel that even he could relax here. 

“Yes… I agree.” 

There were still a few hours before dinner, and Lena returned to her guest room in the hotel every now and then to pick up things she would need while bathing. Lena and Annette shared the room, but Annette hadn’t come back yet. Their beds had been made while they were out; when Lena got back, she happily dived onto the clean, straightened sheets and lounged for a long moment. 

She was still a bit light-headed from the bath. Maybe she’d simply had too much fun. Whatever the reason, as soon as she was alone again, all the tension drained from her body, and the pleasant softness muddled her consciousness. TP, whom she left behind in the room, tottered over to her and greeted her with a familiar high-pitched meow. 

Lena couldn’t take it along for their assignment in the United Kingdom. Not seeing Lena or Shin for over two months made the black cat a bit clingier than it had been before. Feeling TP make itself comfortable on her stomach, Lena leisurely petted it with one hand, and it purred with satisfaction. 

As her consciousness began to wane, she thought back on the events leading up to today and eventually stopped on a certain memory. She recalled the words Shin told her after her encounter with the Phönix on the frozen battlefield of the United Kingdom. 

Desperate words, like those of a lost child. Words that exposed his weakness and pain but also contained his most fervent desire. 

I’ll come back, for sure. So don’t leave me behind. 

I want to show you the sea. 

…So is it safe to assume…he thinks of me that way…? 

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Lena was overcome with shame. She covered her cheeks with her hands as she started rolling around on the bed. 

Am I reading too much into it…? 

But that meaning was the only one that made sense. I’ll come back, for sure, he’d said. So don’t leave me behind, he’d said… I want to show you the sea, he’d said. If he didn’t mean it that way, how else was she supposed to interpret this?! 

But… No…I’m definitely getting ahead of myself… 

In the days leading up to this vacation period, Shin spent his time studying in the town adjacent to their base. Lena, who’d already finished her higher education, was enrolled as a student there as well for some reason, so they frequently studied together. And through their increased interaction, Shin seemed to have come to terms with his emotions somewhat. He started smiling more often and would joke around occasionally. 

For Lena, this was a truly pleasant, unforgettable school life, but…the whole time, Shin never once mentioned that wish of his. The raw emotion he displayed when he first made it was nowhere to be found. 

And so Lena concluded that she was just overthinking things. Yet she couldn’t come up with any other explanation for what he could have meant… And every time she thought about it, she would feel conflicted. 

Massaging her flushed cheeks, Lena rolled around in bed some more. 

When Shin and Lena had that exchange, they were in the middle of an operation and weren’t in a state of mind to confirm how they felt. But at this point, Lena thought that if she had to feel this way about it, she should have talked it out with him calmly as soon as the operation ended… 

Wait, after the operation? Talk it out with him—calmly? No, no, I couldn’t; I can’t do that! No, no, no, it’s so embarrassing! I can’t ask him that! 

What if I…? 

I asked him… 

…and it turns out I had it all wrong…?! 

Lena rolled left and right atop her bed, her hands clasped in front of her flushed face. She was so anxious and afraid that if she didn’t keep moving, she felt like she’d go crazy. To begin with, she was so occupied with Shin’s feelings, enough to become self-conscious and embarrassed… 

How do I feel about Shin…? 

The door to her room swung open with a clank. 

“I’m back, Lena. They handed out some lemon water. You want some? I’m pretty sure the lemon is synthesized, but the mint is the real thing. Wait…” 

Looking down at her, Annette gazed at Lena dubiously. 

“…What are you doing?” 

“Annette…!” Lena peered up at her friend, desperate. 

Her bed was a mess, and the silver, lustrous locks she’d thoroughly combed earlier were awfully frayed. 

“Annette, I… How do you think Shin feels about me…?” 

Annette fell silent for a long moment before eventually heaving out a long, deep sigh. As if to release some inner pressure that had built up inside her. 

“…Lena.” 

“Urgh…” 

“Knowing you for as long as I have, I get that you’re a total ditz, but I think I’m entitled to smack you this time. Don’t you?” 

“………I’m sorry.” 

TP meowed shrilly in what was a cry that came off as both affirming and utterly indifferent. 

Shin returned to his room, feeling a bit dizzy. Some part of him also felt that he couldn’t afford to become too complacent. As soon as he entered the room, a certain recollection surfaced vaguely in his mind. Staring up at the artistically arranged wooden ceiling, Shin pursued that memory. 

It was a conversation he had a few days ago with his comrades, during their time at the special officer academy. It was over mundane, trivial things, and it was odd that the memory had crept up on him in the first place. It was an altogether unremarkable scene. 

But eventually, it was Lena who occupied the majority of that recollection. Their exchange a month ago in the United Kingdom. The words he’d uttered. 

…Don’t leave me behind. 

He had to own up to the facts… He had to stop turning a blind eye to the truth. He had to admit that he’d faced his true desires head-on… That he’d realized what would allow him to keep living, even if it was a lie. 

His feelings for Lena. 

The thought made Shin feel awkward, and he let his head crash against the pillow. It wasn’t an emotion he was familiar with, and that made it much harder to deal with. It put him in a fidgety, restless sort of mood. He didn’t know what to do with himself. 

He was afraid—no doubt about it—and couldn’t bring himself to take the next step. If someone were to call him a coward for it, he would have no choice but to agree. Over the days they spent studying during their time off, he’d intended to talk to Lena about it several times, but in the end, he couldn’t say anything. Recalling his inaction only served to make him more depressed. 

Shin didn’t quite know when he started feeling that way. Before he knew it, she had taken up permanent residence in his heart. And when they reunited and started fighting together on the same battlefield, the spot she occupied gradually grew larger. To the point where he couldn’t delude himself anymore. 

And once he’d become aware of this emotion, he couldn’t go back to being ignorant of it any longer. Searching his memories, he realized that all he had ever done was selfishly shove his wishes into her hands. Remember us. Live on. Don’t leave me behind. 

She’d granted all those wishes, and he felt like he couldn’t allow himself to take advantage of her kindness any longer. 

I want to show you the sea. I want to see the sea, with you. 

And now that he realized who he truly made that wish for… 

“—n.” 

But even still, that wish was Shin’s selfish desire. Lena had answered all his wishes so far, but there was no reason she would have to answer this one, too. 

“…Shin.” 

She could reject him, after all. 

“Yo, Shin.” 

And besides, for how much she’d supported him so far, he had nothing to offer in return. That being the case… 

“Hey, dumbass, I’m talking to you.” 

Shin jolted and looked around, only for his eyes to settle on Raiden, who’d apparently returned to his room at some point. He was standing in front of the door, making a face Shin had never seen before. He looked exasperated and fed up all at once. As if he’d been forced to swallow some kind of dessert he deeply detested. 

“…What?” 

“You know…,” Raiden said, heaving a heavy sigh. “You’ve really changed, man.” 

The Alliance’s food industry was supplemented with synthetic substitutes and vegetables raised on artificial growth accelerants. But given that they’d had to rely on the production plants to compensate for their food supply even before the war, its quality was comparatively quite good. 

Since the state had relied on trade to feed its people since time immemorial, their cuisine had a mixture of styles. This resulted in flavors that were a combo of the north-central regions of the continent as well as the south. The Eighty-Six and Lena were all quite taken with the unusual dishes they were given and happily dug into their dinners. The waiters at each table regarded them with satisfied smiles. 

Much like the Federacy (and in contrast to the Republic and the United Kingdom), the Alliance preferred coffee over tea. And so they sipped cups of coffee substitute—which bore a different aroma from the one they knew in the Federacy—along with their dessert and let out content sighs. 

It was then that a silver shadow stood at the entrance of the great hall where they ate. 

“It’s time, everyone.” 

Short blond hair and lips painted a brilliant shade of red. Contrasting the teenagers filling the room, Grethe wore a distinctive silver uniform. The atmosphere immediately grew strained as a few people stood in response to her call. Lena was one of them. Regarding the table with a nod, she left her seat. 

As they walked, Anju, Kurena, and Frederica called out to her. Good luck out there. Do your best. Do not strain yourself too much. She went back to her room, opened the closet, and found her trunk. Unlocking it, she took out a certain set of clothes and put them on. Ultramarine with golden rims—the uniform of the Republic. The soldier’s outfit she hadn’t worn for over a month, ever since her time off began. 

Putting it on for the first time in so long made her switch gears naturally. Brushing her argent locks back, she left the room with Annette, who wore the same uniform. They went down to the hotel lobby, where they met Grethe, who awaited them with Shin, Vika, and Lerche. Each of them was clad in their respective uniforms. Steel blue, dark violet, and rouge. 

“Sorry for the wait.” 

“Don’t mention it… Let’s go, then.” 

Curling her famously crimson lips into a smile, Grethe turned around and led the group outside. Lena and Annette followed closely behind her, with Shin and Vika behind them and Lerche bringing up the rear. 

They stopped before a pair of double doors. A doorman who also doubled as a porter stood there, dressed in an elegant, antiquated uniform. He regarded them with an exemplary salute that contrasted his outfit before opening the doors for them. This was yet another reminder of how the Alliance was a state of universal conscription, where men and women were all equally recruited to the military. 

At the porch, they found a large vehicle waiting for them. It was painted in a drab olive and sooty brown, forestlike camouflage colors. On both the front and rear doors was the emblem of a mountain goat, its horns pointing up proudly toward the heavens. The driver and his assistant got off the vehicle and opened the doors to the back seat, inviting Lena and the others inside. 

This was a vehicle for transporting personnel and supplies along the rear, beyond the reach of enemy fire. It easily had room for at least ten people. The doors closed, and the engine soon roared to life. The vehicle smoothly cruised away. 

Looking outside, they saw Theo shift away the curtain of the window to wave good-bye to them from the other side of the tinted glass. 

“My apologies for calling you here to help, Lieutenant Colonel Idinarohk, Captain Nouzen. Normally, we wouldn’t have combat personnel help us here…” 

“Don’t worry about it.” 

As most of the Alliance’s cities were built along what little flatland was nestled between its mountains, a short drive was all it took for their field of vision to be obstructed by greenery. With the exception of the moonlight, there was nothing to brighten up the trees, whose spear-like tops pointed up into the night sky. 

When that darkness enveloped the vehicle, Grethe parted her lips to speak, and Shin simply shook his head lightly. Lena and Annette were only coming along as witnesses, but the ones who were actually called in to play a role in what was to come were Shin and Vika. 

“Normally, the 1st Armored Division would have finished its vacation by now, and we’d be entering training. But that prototype equipment is still being tuned, so if it wasn’t for this matter, you’d essentially be on standby for no reason. It ends up working out conveniently for us.” 

The two thousand Processors who made up the Strike Package were broken up into four groups. Two of the groups were in charge of operational activity. One was in training, and the remaining group was on leave and given time to focus on their studies. Following the operation in the United Kingdom, it was Shin’s 1st Armored Division that entered their time off. That month was about to end, which would mean they would be going into their training period. 

Or they should have, but since the training schedule revolved around using a new type of equipment, and since its development began only recently, that equipment’s final tests were still underway. 

This was the Alliance’s part of the technological exchange with its neighbors. It wasn’t an entirely new invention—but a piece of equipment used by the Alliance’s Feldreß, retrofitted for use by Reginleifs of the Federacy and the United Kingdom. 

Even still, development had only begun over the course of this month and was already this close to completion. The Alliance’s reputation as a technological giant was well deserved. But since they obviously couldn’t begin training with equipment that wasn’t ready yet, the training phase of their schedule had to be postponed. 

With the exception of Shin and Vika, all commanders and their respective squadrons were brought to the Alliance to visit while also assisting with the training. As a favor from the Alliance, all the squadrons—not just Shin’s and Vika’s—were given permission to use the health resort, which was usually reserved for the Alliance army. 

Thinking back to the boisterous fun he’d seen earlier, Shin shrugged. Yes, after all, this was… 

“It just means our time off was extended a little. And everyone else is having fun. Myself included.” 

“That’s good to hear… The 1st Armored Division and your six squadrons, which form the core of the unit, have seen too many horrible things—and far too often. The top brass has decided you’re in need of some special care, and you had business here in the United Kingdom as it is.” 

The mountain of decomposed corpses they found in the Charité Underground Labyrinth. The siege road made from the mechanical corpses of Sirins and Alkonosts in the Revich Citadel Base. The discrimination and disproportionate hatred they were subjected to ever since they were children. The mental health unit had reported that the Processors urgently required some form of stress relief. 

Normally, soldiers were given periods of leave to relieve stress that built up during operational activity. But in the case of the Eighty-Six, they had no hometowns or families to return to. The closest place they could call home was the city across the river from the Strike Package’s home base at Rüstkammer, where their schooling facilities were. 

True, they were across the river, and they could live in the school’s dormitory facilities for the duration of their leave, but the place felt like an extension of the base, and the sounds of training and blank shots could still be heard in the air. 

For years, the Eighty-Six were immersed in combat. They were more used to the sounds of war than they were to peaceful silence. So if they couldn’t shake off the presence of war during their leave, it wouldn’t truly undo the burden on their psyches. 

“I’m sure you’ve heard, but the other kids from the 1st Armored Division were sent to recreation facilities throughout the Federacy. Master Sergeant Bernholdt and the Nordlicht squadron turned down the offer, however, and preferred to spend time in their hometowns.” 

“That makes sense,” Lena said. 

Incidentally, the Processors who weren’t here all stayed in tourist attractions and health resorts that once belonged to their legal guardians. Those past nobles still possessed some latent power over those places and used it to ensure the unit received preferential treatment. 

“…Once the war ends, I’d like to take the entire unit to a resort,” Grethe said. “There’s one near the south sea. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise. It wouldn’t feel like the war ended.” 

The sea. Shin, who sat next to Lena, jolted at the sound of that word. Grethe didn’t say it deliberately, but… 

I want to show you the sea. 

That vast expanse of blue Lena had never seen. Once the war ended. Together, just the two of them. 

…Just the two of us? 

Lena shook off that sudden thought. This was work. She was on duty. Now wasn’t the time. 

Incidentally, the Reginleif’s mission recorder preserved everything the Processor boarding it said. And that was why Grethe, the brigade commander, actually heard what Shin said during that exchange. Lena didn’t know that, though. Having made that implicit comment, Grethe eyed Shin meaningfully, but he bluntly and deliberately looked away. 

The corporal who drove their vehicle held his tongue so far, as he had to focus on driving through the dark night. But now he spoke to them without taking his eyes off the road. 

“Once the war ends, do come visit the Alliance again. Just for sightseeing. We have many wonderful spots that have not been overrun by those infernal contraptions. We would love for you to see them.” 

“Thank you, Corporal.” Grethe smiled. 

Their car soon pulled over. The Alliance wasn’t as cold and received more sunlight than the Federacy and the United Kingdom, so it was blessed with dense forests. The woods served as natural cover and formed a thick canopy of foliage if left to grow. Beneath them was a single facility that seemed to have been built into the ground. 

The place was probably designed to function as a headquarters camouflaged by the elevated land. It was heavily guarded by double layers of barbed wire and two sentries. Lena and the Eighty-Six had seen something like this in their home base in the Federacy. 

This was the level of vigilance one would expect from a military facility that guarded highly confidential information. Entering and of course looking inside was incredibly restricted. It was a cage that guarded the secrets of a nation’s defense. 

The driver held up his ID card, which opened the gate to the base. They went down a winding road before eventually stopping in front of a building. There they had to leave the car and show their individual IDs for the metal door to open. 

After closing the door, Grethe asked: 

“Now, then. What do you know about the current situation?” 

The two drivers weren’t allowed to enter this building. They lacked the clearance to access the information inside. As such, they simply saluted them and returned to the car. This was a question Grethe wasn’t allowed to ask until now. 

“A joint interrogation performed by the intelligence sections of the Federacy, the United Kingdom, and the Alliance, though the Alliance wasn’t part of the previous operation.” 

“They’re considered a friendly nation, and we have no reason to exclude them from the interrogation. As compensation for taking part in it, they took over developing the new gear for us.” 

The Alliance of Wald developed the world’s first Feldreß in the past in order to defend its mountainous territory with its uneven terrain. Since the Alliance had very little pastures and farmlands, many people didn’t have the option of working in food production. For years, those spare hands were relegated to trade, military, research, and industry, and as a result, the Alliance had a great edge when it came to its industrial forces and technological developments. 

That said, they weren’t quite a match for the Giadian Empire in its heyday. With their large territories and a considerable amount of harvest and tax income from their many subjects, the great noble houses of the Empire could sink all their wealth, industrial forces, and spare time into research. Each noble house competed against the others, and the Empire eventually came to possess transcendent technological prowess. 

“But in this case, the Alliance’s true value lies in its neutrality… The Federal Republic of Giad stands on the same land as the Empire, which created the Legion. And the United Kingdom developed the Mariana Model. When the time comes to disclose everything to the other countries, having the Alliance of Wald—a neutral nation—on our side would help improve our credibility. Even if ever so slightly.” 

Much like the United Kingdom’s Revich Citadel Base and reserve formation encampment, this base housed its central facilities underground. They took an elevator several levels down and exited into a cold, artificial-looking corridor. 

“A common interrogation between the three countries’ intelligence branches…” Vika, who’d held his tongue until now, finally parted his lips to speak. “And after a whole month of interrogation, they still have nothing?” 

Lena’s eyes widened in surprise. Grethe turned around and narrowed her eyes at him. He said those words as blankly as someone reciting the contents of a book from memory. To him, this was more than mere conjecture. 

“Otherwise, intelligence officers could never bring themselves to ask combat personnel like Nouzen and myself for help. They have their pride to consider. They see themselves as those who fight a war of information, unlike barbarians who wield violence. Calling combat personnel to their battlefield? In most cases, their dignity would never allow it.” 

Grethe heaved a short sigh. 

“Yes. You’re right… They couldn’t get anything out of it. Not even its name from when it was still alive.” 

One’s name, rank, date of birth, and identification number: These were the details a captive soldier was required to divulge to their captors, as agreed upon in the war treaties. Assuming, of course, that said countries conformed to those treaties. 

The Legion didn’t take prisoners, nor did they distinguish between soldiers and civilians when they slaughtered people. They were not programmed to acknowledge peace treaties that forbade taking prisoners and killing civilians. 

Even still, the intelligence branch had to pursue that basic information. It would put their name to shame if they didn’t. But the Legion weren’t affected by drugs or sera. They had no sense of pain, so they couldn’t be tortured. 

Interrogation officers had ways of squeezing information out of a prisoner even without resorting to those measures. It was said that the truly skilled could get the information they needed without so much as laying a finger on their target. 

“Apparently, it’s completely unresponsive to any and all communications. Speech, text… Nothing seems to get a reaction out of it.” 

“…I see. What a bother,” Vika said. 

In that case, it was clear why even the most experienced of interrogation officers would yield no results. 

“Is it even possible to converse with it? Is that unit really her? Does she still retain the memories and personality she had as a human? They’re all starting to have doubts.” 

“…And that’s why they called us.” 

Much like on the surface, the long corridor was built in a winding manner, so as to curb the enemy’s marching speed in case of an invasion. And at the end of this corridor was a sturdy metallic door with three locks. The door opened, and upon entering, a voice with the Federacy’s accent began instructing them through the speakers. They did as they were told and entered the next room. 

There, they were met with soldiers who turned to face them. Some wore the steel-gray Federacy uniforms. Others had the United Kingdom’s dark violet. And some of them had the yellow-brown uniform of the Alliance. 

Among the Federacy soldiers was a young female officer with scarlet hair and bloodred eyes, who regarded Shin with a glance. She cracked a thin smile only he would notice. Shin could tell she was a special operative for the Federacy who made use of her extrasensory powers. 

She likely descended from the Maika bloodline—his mother’s clan, which possessed the power of telepathy. Marquis Gelda Maika had told them that the Maika clan had branch families capable of reading the minds of people who weren’t related to them. 

If even she couldn’t sense the target’s thoughts… It only made sense they would start doubting if the thing they were handling was at all sentient. 

The room they were in was originally meant for testing weapons in developmental stages. The walls were covered in metal plates, likely as a means of preventing electromagnetic disturbance. An armored wall separated the part of the room they were in from the back, which housed a large containment cell and a cramped observation chamber right beside it. 

The window was likely bulletproof and blast proof. A polarized light was set up to shine into the constraint chamber, making it so the observation chamber wouldn’t be visible through the thick acrylic window from the inside. 

And beyond that window… 

Sitting with its legs removed, confined in place by multiple bolts fixing it to the floor, was a single Ameise unit. 

Lunar-white armor. A golden optical sensor unique to this unit. Its armaments were missing long before it was captured, and it bore the Personal Mark of a goddess leaning against the crescent moon. 

The Merciless Queen.