"Thank you for your hard work. Is this Colonel Henri's tent up ahead?"
"Yes. …Are you a medic? May I ask the purpose of your visit?"
The next day.
"I got myself ready, put on my medic uniform, and went to Colonel Henri's tent.
"I am Sergeant Touri Lowe. I have come here at the request of Colonel Henri."
"Ah, I have been informed about Sergeant Touri Lowe. Your identification… Yes, confirmed."
"Thank you."
"I will put you through then. Please wait a moment."
The reason I wore my medic uniform was that they didn't have infantry uniforms in my size.
Even though there are medics, there are no female soldiers on the front lines.
"…"
While I was talking with the receptionist, a soldier with a gun kept his eyes on me without shifting away.
It might just be his duty, but it was uncomfortable.
"Permission to enter has been confirmed. I will now guide you to the Colonel."
"Thank you."
"Then Sergeant Touri, please excuse me. Before the meeting, may I conduct a body check?"
"Yes, that's fine."
Before entering the tent, I underwent a body check.
Under the watch of the escorting soldiers, I was thoroughly examined by a female staff member.
For some reason, she patted my head at the end.
"There are no issues. Please follow me."
"Yes."
This staff member might be Colonel Henri's secretary.
Given that he is the highest commander of the Austin Army, it wouldn't be surprising if he had a secretary.
"Please enter."
"Excuse me. Sergeant Touri Lowe, entering the room."
Following the female staff member's guidance, I took a deep breath.
I bowed politely and ducked through the tent entrance.
"Welcome."
"It's an honor to meet you, Colonel Henri."
Inside the tent, a man was waiting for me, surrounded by a pile of documents on an old, expensive-looking wooden desk.
There were several soldiers waiting in the room, glaring at me with sharp looks.
"Well, don't be so tense. Please take a seat."
"Thank you."
My first impression of Colonel Henri was that he was a very ordinary person.
He's a slender man with good posture, an older gentleman with a face marked by wrinkles and a white beard, with kind eyes.
If he were to blend into the city wearing normal clothes, I'm sure people wouldn't immediately recognize him as the Colonel.
"Yes, you are indeed as young as I had heard. The tales of your bravery mentioned in the report are hard to imagine."
"Thank you for your kind words."
"Young and capable officers are the future of Austin. Truly commendable."
…But there's one thing that bothers me.
It is impossible to read any emotion from what Colonel Henri is saying.
I can usually sense lies or deceit, but…
"I am really glad to have met you today. Conversations with young people with bright futures are few and far between."
"N-No. Colonel, you are still young and active. That is how I see it."
"You don't have to be so considerate. My hair is already mixed with gray. I would like to retire soon and enjoy some tea."
Since earlier, I have been unable to grasp the true meaning behind his words.
Is he speaking seriously, or is he trying to deceive me by being playful?
What is he hiding behind that seemingly kind face?
Unfortunately, I can't gauge his true intentions.
"Well then, let's start the discussion."
"Yes, Colonel."
This… is a different type of remarkable person compared to Renvel.
Colonel Henri seems to be a type of military leader more specialized in political power rather than frontline command.
His polite and gentle demeanor gave me an eerie impression.
"Sergeant Touri Lowe."
"Yes."
Colonel Henri, who had been scrutinizing me, suddenly asked:
"Are you interested in marriage?"
"…Excuse me?"
With an excited expression, he began arranging photos of young men on the desk.
***
"Look, how about him? He's a very handsome young man, just like me when I was younger."
"Umm, I'm not really into that kind of thing…"
…I honestly couldn't understand the true meaning of Colonel Henri's words.
Is he scheming something, or is he not thinking about it at all?
"Colonel, what exactly is this about?"
"If you don't have a partner, it could be inconvenient."
"Uh, well…"
I feel like I had this same conversation with Renvel just recently.
Why do older people want to arrange marriages for young people so much?
…Is this a roundabout invitation to join his faction?
"High-ranking female officers are rare. If you don't have a specific partner, you'll be inundated with marriage proposals."
"…Is that so?"
"It's quite rare for a woman to become a second lieutenant. As of now… I think there's only Reitalyu.
Now that I think about it, I'll be at the same rank as Reitalyu.
…Being at the same rank as that remarkable woman feels extremely inappropriate.
"While it's common for women to be head of the medical department, we haven't had a female commander on the front lines since Miss Aria."
"Is it really that rare?"
"It's extremely rare for women to even be on the front lines. Among those who advance to become commanders, there aren't many."
It's true that I've never seen any other women on the front lines besides Aria.
If a woman is thrown into an all-male environment, it's probably inevitable that she'll be the center of attention.
"I often hear stories of female soldiers struggling with marriage proposals and flirtations. Both Miss Aria and Reitalyu managed to find partners."
"…"
"Well, Reitalyu's case is a bit unusual, but…"
Reitalyu, does the Colonel also think you're some kind of strange person?
"That's why you should at least have a specific partner, even if it's just for appearances."
"Hmm, then I'll get a suitable ring to indicate I'm married."
"I see… Well then, let's stop discussing marriage for now."
Colonel Henri, sensing that I had no intention of accepting any marriage proposal, smoothly ended the topic.
I really appreciate how he quickly picked up on the atmosphere.
"I'll consider the interview problem-free. I'll inform Renvel of my agreement to your promotion to second lieutenant."
"Thank you."
"It's a rare case of that man having decent personnel decisions… He usually only promotes his favorites."
Colonel Henri gave a troubled smile as he grumbled.
…Well, this still feels like it involves a considerable amount of connections.
"I've heard a lot about you from Bern. He said that you are the most promising young talent, and asked me to agree to your promotion if it came up. I was eager to meet someone he spoke so highly of."
"…Major Bern Valou?"
"Yes. He seems quite enthusiastic about you. He even asked me to recruit you if possible."
"…"
Deep down, I thought that was probably the case.
There's no way I'm in a position to have a one-on-one meeting with Colonel Henri otherwise.
It was precisely because Bern Valou asked him that Colonel Henri made time to talk to me.
"He even said he would marry you if it meant recruiting you. What do you think? If you're up for it, we could proceed with the engagement to Bern─"
"Please, not that."
In front of Colonel Henri, who was laughing as if revealing a joke, I immediately knelt and bowed deeply.
I was surprised at how loud my voice was.
"Oh my. Is it really that bad?"
"I'm sorry, but Major Bern and I are simply incompatible."
Just looking into that man's eyes makes my whole body break out in goosebumps.
He's the most unsettling person I've ever encountered.
The very thought of being married off to him makes me want to throw up.
"Hmm… Bern is smart and competent, and he's the man who will shoulder the future of Austin. Do you really dislike him that much?"
"It is a matter of personal preference and compatibility. If it means avoiding marriage to him, I'd be willing to marry just about anyone else."
"It's that bad?"
"For example, even an ant crawling around there would be fine. I'd prepare food every day, change the soil, water it, and build a happy home."
"You're more interesting than I had expected."
Even if I had to marry an ant, it would still be preferable to marrying Bern Valou.
I may have said something strange in my confusion, but that man is simply that repugnant to me.
"I understand. There's no need to force anything. Just recognize that we value you highly."
"I am very grateful for that."
"Well, sorry for saying something strange. …Worse than an ant, huh? I think I might have found an interesting topic for teasing."
Colonel Henri didn't seem offended by my reaction and even appeared somewhat entertained.
…I'm relieved that I was able to decline without any ill will.
"Now, let's move on to the main topic."
"The main topic?"
"Yes. Well, the previous discussion was just a prelude."
I thought the discussion was over, but Colonel Henri, still smiling, offered me tea.
Certainly, he wouldn't call me out just for marriage proposals.
"As you know, our forces suffered significant damage from the recent surprise attack by the former Sabbatian government forces. It was our first defeat in a long time."
"…Yes."
"In response, the Alliance has been persistently sending diplomats demanding a ceasefire. But there's no way we can accept a ceasefire here."
Colonel Henri waved a letter written in Framer language with disdain.
…I don't read Flamer, but is it okay for me, a regular soldier, to see something like this?
"Yes, that's not a problem. We'll just reject it."
"Is a ceasefire really that difficult?"
"Of course. Accepting the ceasefire would mean we could no longer advance our troops. A ceasefire under the current territorial situation is tantamount to defeat."
Colonel Henri showed no intention of accepting a ceasefire.
As Verdi said, strategically speaking, we cannot have a ceasefire.
…Until we crush Flamel beyond repair.
"However, the diplomat brought a peculiar letter along with it."
"A peculiar letter?"
"Yes. He said, 'This is not an official document but a personal letter,' and addressed it to a specific soldier."
After saying that, Colonel Henri frowned in a troubled manner.
He placed a crumpled envelope on the desk, offering it to me.
"Do you know her?"
"…"
On the front of the envelope was written, in elegant Sabbatian:
────Dear Touri Lowe, from Sylph Nova.