The Girl Raised by the Death God Holds the Sword of Darkness in Her Arms - Volume 7 - Chapter 5.3

III

Twenty and four days had gone by since Olivia’s training began. The lakefront, aglow in the light of the sunrise, was full not with the fierce clangor that had become practically routine, but rather the gentle chirping of little birds. For the first time in a long while, the lake welcomed a peaceful morning...

This marks the completion of your training. You have done well. Z addressed the ground where Olivia knelt on hand and knee, her shoulders heaving as she dripped sweat. Though it was no easy feat for her, brow furrowed with the effort it took to breathe, she managed a smile at this—the first words of praise Z had ever given her.

As I warned you when we began, the sword technique you have learned is magical in nature and will consume even the wielder. The magic ruby may only be used once, and no more. Do not forget it.

“Yeah...” Olivia replied between breaths. “I know.” She braced her hands on her knees to get to her feet, then drew out the scarlet gem from her shirt. Squeezing it tight, she nodded determinedly. Z clicked its fingers.

“Wha—?!” Before she knew what was happening, Olivia found herself wrapped in Z’s arms, just like the parents with their children she had sometimes seen in towns. She felt her cheeks rapidly grow hot. Z was staring away to the north. “Z, you’re embarrassing me...” Olivia mumbled, squirming slightly.

Xenia’s puppet has not been subtle with his first move, it seems. People are waiting for you to return home. I will now take you to them.

Before Olivia could get another word out, her vision undulated, again and again, until she found herself looking at the orange spires of the Emaleid Citadel.

Z must have teleported us... Based on the position of the sun, they were on the hill that lay to the southwest of Emaleid—but before she took her leave to head back to the citadel, there was something Olivia absolutely had to know.

Afraid of what she might hear, she asked, “Z, are you going to go away again?”

Z lowered her carefully onto the ground, then stroked her head. You need not worry about that, it said. Then, it melted away into the scenery.

Z never, ever lies, Olivia thought, filled with a deep sense of relief. Thank goodness... She interlinked her fingers over her head and stretched. Then she looked back at the spires of the Emaleid Citadel. But why the Emaleid Citadel and not the royal capital? Did something happen before they got back?

She made her way down a gently sloping path until it deposited her on the main road to the citadel. Not long after, she arrived at the familiar main gate. A guard she knew named Malkin called out to her with relief all over his face.

“General Olivia, I’m overjoyed to see you safe.”

“Yep, I’m safe and sound as can be, but...” Olivia hesitated. “Is everyone from the Eighth Legion here, then?”

“Yes ser. The Second Legion has returned too.”

“The Second Legion? What are they doing here?” Olivia asked at once. Consternation flashed across Malkin’s face.

“I am only a gate guard, my lady. I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that...”

“Oh, right. Well, seeing as they’re here, I’ll just ask them myself.”

“I’m very sorry, my lady.” Malkin bowed deeply. Olivia waved, then set off for the military district. To get to the military district, however, one had to pass through the residential district. Sure enough, no sooner had she set foot into its streets than a delicious smell wafted over to her, prompting a riot of merriment from the orchestra in her stomach. But we can’t right now... she told them. Mostly for the reason that Ashton and the coin purse he carried weren’t there, she shook off all the smells, then picked up her pace. Then, out of nowhere, she heard a familiar voice.

“Here, over here!”

Olivia turned and, through a gap in the crowd, she caught a glimpse of a face she recognized. A smile broke across her face, and she waved enthusiastically.

“Mrs. Stallkeeper!”

“Budge up, I’m coming through.” The stallkeeper made her way over to Olivia, using her large behind to bounce people out of her way in an impressive performance that Olivia couldn’t have reproduced to save her life. Judging by the large paper bags in her arms, she was on her way home from shopping.

“I knew it was you the moment I saw that silver hair, Major General.”

“It’s ‘Lieutenant General’ now.”

“Eh...?” For a moment, the woman froze like a statue. Then she inspected Olivia closely.

“Is it, now? Ah well, nothing’s impossible where you’re concerned, eh? Anyway, the important thing is you’re safe.” She said all this with a strained smile, her eyes flicking back and forth to either side of Olivia.

“What’s wrong?” Olivia asked.

“That lad’s not with you today?”

“What lad? You mean Ashton? We split up during the battle, so no, he’s not with me. I only just made it back now.”

“That right? I don’t know, after only ever seeing the two of you together, it feels off seeing you alone...” The woman leaned in to put her mouth to Olivia’s ear. “On that note, was there some trouble in the army? Thing is, every soldier I see looks so grim, I wondered if the war had taken another turn for the worse. Oh, but I’m being silly. It’s not as though you can answer me anyway, Lieutenant General.”

Olivia, unable to get a word in edgewise, felt a little overwhelmed. “Um, well, yes. I am a soldier and all...” she mumbled. Because Twin Lions at Dawn had been kept secret from the general populace, all she could do was try to laugh it off.

“Ah well. Never mind that. Now, take these with you.” The stallkeeper’s hand thrust into the paper bag, then came back out with two cloudy peaches. She placed one in each of Olivia’s hands.

“For me? You know I don’t have any money, right?”

“Don’t be silly. I bet you’re hungry.”

“You can tell, huh? I actually didn’t even get to have breakfast before I left, so I’m starving.” As she took the cloudy peaches, the orchestra in her stomach crescendoed to a frenzy.

“When you get to my age, you pick up on these things straightaway,” the woman said, her belly bouncing as she laughed heartily. Olivia stared at her, wondering if her belly would bounce like that when she got to the same age. She thought that might be fun in its own way.

“Anyhow, I’d best be off,” the woman said. “I’m sorry to have waylaid you when you’re in a hurry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Olivia replied. “Thanks for these.”

“You needn’t thank me. Just mind you don’t take too many risks.” With that, the stallkeeper set off once more, nudging passersby out of her way with her bottom until she disappeared into the crowd.

Olivia tucked into one of the cloudy peaches as she continued on her way to the military district. Its aroma and refreshing sweetness filled her mouth.

Mmmm! In the blink of an eye, she’d polished off one peach. Just as she was about to pop the second into her mouth, she pulled up short. Come to think of it, Ashton said he likes cloudy peaches too... She remembered him munching on a peach with relish. The orchestra in her stomach was clamoring for her to hurry up with the second peach. Olivia gave it a long look, then tucked it away in her bag. Ashton will be so pleased. As she pictured the happy look he would give her, Olivia couldn’t help but smile.

She arrived at the military district with a spring in her step. In sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of the residential district, the gloom that hung in the air was palpable. Given the despondent looks on the soldiers’ faces, it was not simply her imagination.

I wonder what happened. Is it because Twin Lions at Dawn failed? Darmés’s interference had dashed any hope of success for the operation, but Olivia thought they ought to have more than enough opportunities to recover the situation. As such, the atmosphere puzzled her.

She started up the long stone staircase to the commander’s station, when, partway up, she spotted Evanson engaged in conversation with a few other soldiers, his expression grim. The moment their eyes met, Evanson practically fell over himself rushing down to reach her.

“You were so late in returning I was worried.”

Olivia laughed. “Sorry about that. I was doing a bit of training for the first time in ages.”

“You what? Training?”

“But forget that. Is everyone depressed about something or what?”

“Well...” Evanson seemed to hesitate before he told her in a mutter that she should ask Claudia directly. Olivia was confused, but agreed to do just that, then headed into the building that housed the commander’s station. She returned the salutes of the soldiers she passed on the way until she arrived at the quarters of the second-in-command—her own rooms. She opened the door and saw through the window that it was raining.

It wasn’t raining just before. Oh well. I’ll take a break, then go and find Claudia and Ashton. She opened the large bay window behind her work desk, then bopped the gray rabbit soft toy that sat on the windowsill. Claudia had found the stark emptiness of the room so unbearable that she had left it there, looking mortified all the while. Olivia took off the bag from her waist, then placed the cloudy peach the stallkeeper had given her on the desk. Then, she swiveled the chair around to face the window and leaned slowly back. The soft pitter-patter of the rain was soothing. Drowsiness crept over her, and she was just drifting off when there was a half-hearted knock on the door. Olivia sensed at once that it was Claudia, but it didn’t sound like the Claudia she knew. That was enough to banish all her sleepiness.

“Come on in.”

Even though it hadn’t been so very long, the sound of Olivia’s voice filled Claudia with nostalgia as she opened the door. But then, when she thought about it, it was only natural given they had scarcely been apart since she had first been assigned as Olivia’s aide.

Olivia sat in a chair with its back facing away from her, staring out the window. With the sound of the rain in her ears, Claudia came up to the desk, then clicked her heels smartly and saluted.

“I’m glad to see you safe, General...”

“I was just taking a break before going to find you,” Olivia said. “But Claudia, what happened? You sound really down.” Olivia didn’t turn around to face her, for which Claudia was extremely grateful. She felt like she might start shaking at any moment, so she clenched her fists to hold it at bay as she forced herself to string words together.

“Ser, I have a report for you. Two weeks prior, the imperial army mounted an ambush on Fort Tezcapolis. Lieutenant Colonel Ashton Senefelder was killed in the fighting, along with at least four hundred of his soldiers.”

The silence could not have lasted more than ten seconds, but to Claudia it seemed like an eternity. She felt as though she was suffocating as she waited for Olivia to speak.

Olivia did not so much as twitch. “I didn’t understand you just now, Claudia. Could you repeat that?”

“As many times as you wish.” Claudia repeated her report, identical down to the letter. “Two weeks prior, the imperial army mounted an ambush on Fort Tezcapolis. Lieutenant Colonel Ashton Senefelder was killed in the fighting, along with at least four hundred of his soldiers.”

There was a slight creak as Olivia’s chair slowly turned. At the sight of her, Claudia’s breath caught in her throat. Olivia’s face, usually so expressive, was now entirely devoid of anything resembling emotion. Meanwhile, her ebony black eyes seemed to have grown even darker. For the first time, Claudia felt afraid of her.

I do not understand you, Claudia.

“G-General...?”

I said that I do not understand you.

“General, forgive me, I don’t know...” The cold, inhuman sounds that issued from Olivia’s mouth seemed to be a language, one that sounded at once like the irregular droning and keening of an insect cry, and also like a song. Either way, it was totally incomprehensible to Claudia.

She stood there at a loss, Olivia’s eyes boring into her. Then, Olivia slammed her fist down on the table. There was a mighty crack and the whole thing broke clean in half. A cloudy peach rolled onto the floor, coming to a stop at the toe of Claudia’s boot.

“Are you deaf? I’m telling you that this joke isn’t funny!”

“I’m not joking!” Claudia exclaimed. “Ser, do you seriously think this is something I would...I would joke about?”

Oh, if only it had been a joke. When Claudia had come face-to-face with Ashton’s body, her world had grown dark and cold. Even now, her memories of what had happened after were hazy, as though obscured by mist. All she did remember was being held in Lise’s arms. It had been two weeks since she had learned of Ashton’s death, but just the thought that she would never again see his smile or hear his voice made her shake.

But Ashton was not the only one who had died. Many of their soldiers had fallen in the battle, Gile among them. When seen in the light of all the lives that had been lost so far, it was unacceptable that the aide to the commander of the Eighth Legion should allow herself to wallow in grief over a single soldier. Every moment, Claudia sternly reminded herself that the war was not over yet.

“There is more, General,” she said. “Marshal Cornelius, Senior General Paul, and Brigadier General Otto all lost their lives in the battle with the undead.”

Olivia stared down at the worktable she had destroyed, then, without another word, she started walking toward the door. Claudia reacted instinctively to place herself in the way.

“Move.”

“Where are you going, ser?”

“Where else would I be going? I’m going to murder the human who killed Ashton and the undead who killed Grandpa Cornelius and Grandpa Paul and Otto.”

“You can’t possibly know which soldier in the imperial army killed Ashton, to say nothing of the dead who killed the three commanders.”

“Then I’ll kill the whole lot of them!”

“Lieutenant General Olivia!” Claudia barked. “This is war. In war, people die easily. Those are the words you always said to the soldiers.”

“Colonel Claudia Jung,” Olivia replied at length. “I order you to move aside right now.”

“I do not accept that order. You are not just any soldier, ser, you are the general in command of the Eighth Legion. I will not stand by any longer while you put your personal feelings above your duty.”

“All right. Then I quit the army. Now you’ve got no grounds to stop me.”

“You—?!” Claudia exclaimed. “I am still not letting you go, and that’s final!”

If Olivia had really wanted to, she could have eliminated Claudia without breaking a sweat. But Claudia still grabbed hold of her to try and stop her.

“Let me go.”

“I will not!”

Olivia didn’t drag herself from Claudia’s grip; instead, she started walking without another word, and Claudia found herself bodily dragged along.

“Get yourself under control, for Ashton’s sake!” she burst out. Olivia stopped short, then looked furiously at Claudia.

“For Ashton’s sake?! He’s dead, and you’re...! Claudia, aren’t you even sad?!”

“How the hell could I not be sad?!” Claudia shoved Olivia away from her as hard as she could. Olivia stumbled a few steps, a look of utter surprise on her face. “Of course I’m sad,” Claudia went on. “I still can’t sort out everything I’ve been feeling since I heard he was dead. Every day I ask myself why I wasn’t there when he needed me most, and the guilt I feel only grows. But even then, even then, I have no choice but to move forward.”

She fell silent for a moment, then continued, “Ashton once said there was so much he wanted to do when peace returned. For us, the ones left behind, we’re the only ones left who have the power to bring about the peace he so wished for. In other words, ending this war. After all that time that Ashton fought when he never wanted to fight, this is what I can do for him... That’s why I’m...why right now...just for now...” Claudia let out a sob, her tears splashing on the floor. Olivia sat down there and then and began to bawl like a child.

The rain did not let up for three days and three nights, as though it too sympathized with the two in their grief.