"This is Lieutenant Touri Lowe. I have come in response to your request."
"…Ah. Thank you for coming, Lieutenant Touri."
The next morning, I visited Verdi's tent.
It seemed that the arrangements had been made, as I was allowed in without having to wait.
"…"
"…?"
Inside the tent, Verdi did not seem to be fully recovered.
He had a bandage wrapped around his shoulder, his face was pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"Good morning, Lieutenant Touri. …Are you in good health?"
"Yes. Fortunately, I am in good health."
"I see…"
For some reason, Verdi's tone was hesitant.
He looked uneasy, shifting his gaze and avoiding eye contact.
"Umm, may I ask why you called me…?"
"Ah, yes, of course. The reason I called you today is nothing more than this."
He then fell silent for a moment.
After gathering his resolve, he looked up and said:
"I owe you an apology and my gratitude."
"An apology and gratitude?"
With that, he bowed his head to me.
"I made a serious mistake in my command the other day. As you know, it was regarding the gas attack."
"Gas attack…"
"I was worried that the gas would cause collateral damage to our allies, so I reduced the number of personnel for the operation. I was overconfident that the enemy would not retaliate."
Verdi said this while biting his lip.
He continued to speak with an expression as if he were confessing his sins.
"It was the height of stupidity. As a result, the Sabbatian Army broke through our defense line and caused heavy damage. It was the worst possible outcome, diminishing Austin's advantage. Because of this, Private Lenalee also lost her life."
"…"
"I had heard about your relationship with Lenalee. She had reported happily that she had gained a new family member. At that time, Lenalee was truly happy."
"…!"
Verdi then lowered his gaze and bit his lip.
Lenalee Lowe. The only sister of Rodri, who was supposed to become my younger sister.
"Lenalee might have survived if only I had commanded properly."
"That's…"
"I'm sorry. It was my mistake."
Verdi apologized, saying that it was his mistake that caused her death.
It seems that Verdi is treating me as the bereaved family of Lenalee.
"On the contrary, your judgment was excellent. As soon as you understood the situation, you threatened the rear of the Sabbatian Army and defeated an enemy ace. Your judgment was truly flawless."
"In that situation, most commanders would have done the same. As for Mr. Gorski… the fact that I was able to kill the enemy ace, and achieve such success, was simply due to luck."
"No, I would have avoided combat if I were in your position. I would have watched idly as my allies were being shot. An officer should not start a battle without permission from above, and that is the proper decision to make."
Verdi lifted his face and said this with a sad expression.
I recall that Sergeant Gavel also made a similar judgment.
"Perhaps it's a matter of combat intuition, or as you say, luck. I think Lieutenant Touri possesses such qualities."
"…"
"…Is that why Uncle promoted you to the position of company commander? I am truly sorry."
"Oh, please don't apologize. I feel very honored."
"I had made a promise to my cousin Aria when she was alive. You are a kind person. The more you carry, the more you end up hurting. I promised to make sure you could remain a private."
I was taken aback by what Verdi said.
Did Aria really care about me that much?
"Then, Major Verdi, you were trying to lower my rank as well?"
"Yes."
"…Thank you for your consideration."
I later heard that Verdi had quite a fight with Renvel when trying to lower my rank.
He had to calm down Renvel, who was furious about lowering the rank of a relative, and push through to demote me to a medical sergeant.
By accepting the promotion, I ended up ruining all of Verdi's hard work.
"I have been approached by the head of the medical department, Reitalyu, and am currently negotiating to see if I can at least return you to the medical department."
"Thank you. However, I am fine with remaining an infantryman. I no longer have any hesitation about killing the enemy."
"I see…"
Verdi looked a little sad upon hearing this.
But he quickly composed himself, cleared his throat lightly, and said:
"Then, Lieutenant Touri will be leading the guerrilla company for a while. There will be a training period, so please be fully prepared."
"Understood, Major."
"You will probably start off with transport missions, but don't underestimate them and do your best to complete them. When the decisive battle comes, you will likely participate as a guerrilla unit. Please train thoroughly."
"Understood."
He gave me these orders.
I returned the salute and looked up at Verdi.
…Since we were already discussing it, I should consult with Verdi as well.
"Major Verdi, regarding the training…"
"What is it, Lieutenant Touri?"
"Perhaps due to my youthful appearance, there is to be a rumor among the soldiers that we are a 'propaganda unit.' Because of this, there are some soldiers who are not taking the training seriously."
"Ah, yeah, I see. Well…"
When I consulted about the issue of soldiers slacking off during training, Verdi's eyes wandered for a moment.
I stared at him suspiciously, and sensed he was trying to hide something.
…Oh, no way.
"Of course, that's not the case, so please train them diligently. If necessary, I can arrange for specialized training instructors─"
"…Umm, Major Verdi."
"What is it?"
"Is it really a propaganda unit?"
"Ugh…"
Wondering if that was the case, I looked at Verdi's face and could certainly see his agitation.
…I thought the propaganda unit thing was just a rumor.
"Ah, well, I apologize. To be honest, when organizing your company, my uncle emphasized that promoting the 'Lucky Carry' name to boost morale was one of our selling points."
"I see."
"It's true that there is a propaganda aspect. However, we expect the soldiers to go into actual combat, so please make sure they train properly."
Verdi conveyed this with a vague smile.
Well, that rumor certainly could be a good propaganda tool if used effectively.
"The military uses whatever is available. The soldiers' morale cannot be underestimated. Touri may have her own thoughts on this, but…"
"No, if that's the case, I have no complaints."
"That's good to hear."
Verdi showed a relieved smile at my response.
…Somehow, I feel like he's still hiding something.
"Even if it's for propaganda purposes, is it correct to assume that we are actually going to fight in real combat?"
"Of course. I certainly hope the soldiers will demonstrate their abilities in actual combat."
"I see."
So he wants the soldiers to demonstrate their abilities?
The way he phrased it slightly caught my attention.
"Well, then,"
"What is it? I won't speak any further."
"I have a question, Major Verdi. Considering that we are expected to see real combat, there is a surprising amount of new recruits."
"…Well, recently we've been short on personnel."
There are far too many new recruits in my unit for it to be intended for combat.
Yesterday, there were so many amateurs gathered that it was impossible to conduct proper training.
…And the veterans are all rather elderly.
It's almost as if they were assigned just to instruct the new recruits—
"Could it be that my unit is actually a training unit that doubles as a propaganda tool?"
"Oh dear."
Verdi was at a loss for words at my question.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, he sighed.
"Why did you come to that conclusion, Touri?"
"If this is intended for combat, there should be a more balanced mix of new recruits, mid-level soldiers, and veterans. The proportion of new recruits is just too high."
"…"
"There are hardly any mid-level soldiers who can be used in actual combat, and there are only new recruits and veterans whose physical abilities have declined. Even though Austin is short on personnel, I thought it was strange."
Yes, it was strange when I thought about it.
Inexperienced commanders are usually accompanied by veterans as aides.
Yet, the company commander is me, in my third year of service, and the vice commander is Sergeant Gavel, in his first year of service.
When you think about it, it would be unthinkable to deploy such an inexperienced duo in actual combat.
"You have a quick mind, Lieutenant Touri. You would have become an ace staff officer if you had been born into our family."
"Are you not going to try to deny it?"
"Yes, I give up. I'm sorry, but I have no intention of letting Lieutenant Touri, who didn't graduate from a military academy, take part in an actual battle. I had a fierce argument with my uncle about it, but I firmly rejected the idea."
Verdi had no intention of letting me take command of an actual battle from the beginning.
The purpose of my unit is to make use of the "Lucky Carry" propaganda while conducting frontline training for new recruits.
That's why experienced veterans like Nauman were assigned as instructors, and the rest were new recruits or problematic mid-level soldiers.
Apparently, he planned to gradually "redeploy" the soldiers who had trained under me to the front lines.
"Recently, the quality of new recruits in the Austin military has declined. Given that we're short on manpower, I suggested that it would be better to give them thorough training without rushing."
"I see."
"Austin's population has significantly decreased. To protect the new recruits, we shouldn't be conscripting them and immediately putting them into combat like we have been doing up until now."
A lot of things made sense to me after I heard Verdi's explanation.
He had raised concerns about deploying inexperienced new recruits in combat and argued for establishing a unit focused on training.
This proposal was accepted by the Operations Headquarters, and plans were underway to experimentally organize a unit that would not be deployed in actual combat, but would be used for soldier's to gain experience.
Because I had made such an achievement while this was being discussed, and I was recommended as a commander because I was "somewhat accomplished, usable for propaganda, and capable of medical treatment as a medic.
I see…
"I understand Major Verdi's intentions. I will ensure that my subordinates undergo training to be combat-ready."
"Thank you."
At that moment, I felt a bit disappointed.
Even though I had resolved to kill the enemy, I learned that my unit would not be deployed in combat.
But fulfilling the assigned role is a soldier's duty.
With that thought, I returned the salute properly.
"…You have a dissatisfied look on your face."
"Sorry, did it show on my face?"
"Only someone who has known you for a long time would notice, but yes, you certainly looked dissatisfied. It was the same expression you had when Sergeant Rodri gave you the cold shoulder."
"…I never made such a face."
Major Verdi gave a wry smile after cracking a light joke.
Suddenly, his face became serious and he continued speaking as if he had just remembered something.
"We will soon advance into mainland Flamel. We will target the civilians and whittle down the enemy's population."
"…"
"I don't want you to take part in that role… This is just my own selfish feeling."
"I see…"
He said this firmly in a tone that left no room for argument.
Austin now sets out to plunder and massacre civilians, heading for the Flamer capital.
"We are also considering a gas attack on the city. Do you have the resolve to carry out such attacks?"
"Gas attack on the city?"
"Do you have the resolve to fire bullets into Flamer citizens as they suffer and writhe before your eyes?"
"Th-that's…"
I was completely shocked by the strategy that Verdi told me.
But when you think about it, it makes sense that Austin would come up with such a strategy.
For Austin, which has few troops, the most efficient means to eliminate the enemy is undoubtedly gas attacks.
"Can you do that, Touri?"
"…I have concerns about that from a humanitarian perspective."
"Yes, it's true that some of the staff officers loudly opposed the idea, saying it was 'inhumane.' However, I proposed and intend to carry out this gas attack."
It would certainly be effective.
It is unlikely that civilians have any effective means of fighting back against gas attacks.
However, that strategy is too much… and it will likely create great friction after the war.
"Are you opposed, Touri?"
"…Gas attacks come with various risks. For example, sudden changes in wind direction or enemy soldiers lying in wait with wind guns."
"Well, that's certainly true."
"Also, the post-war handling… it will have a negative impact on civilian sentiment. I don't think operations that deviate too much from humanitarian standards should be carried out."
"I see. I will take that as one opinion."
Verdi looked a little saddened by my opinion.
While it might be effective, I find it difficult to support such methods due to the post-war consequences.
"…Don't worry, Touri. There is too much opposition to this plan. It will probably be rejected."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. At the recent meeting, there was strong opposition saying, 'Such inhumane operations are outrageous.'"
Wow, there still some staff officers in Austin who retain a sense of decency.
Certainly, given the current situation, Austin doesn't have the luxury of being picky about its methods.
However, attacking urban areas with gas is something that should be avoided at all costs.
"Haha, Touri is really kind. Didn't you hate the enemy so much that you wanted to kill them?"
"That…"
"I don't ask such things from you. Please focus on training the recruits so that they don't die."
Verdi, seeing my inner conflict, showed a gentle expression.
…It's not that I'm kind, I'm just against gas attacks because I know how history in my previous world played out.
"Austin will continue to resort to unscrupulous tactics."
"…"
"I will bear the brunt of being called the devil. So please, don't change, Touri."
Verdi said this with a gentle smile.
"Well, we don't know yet exactly what means we will use to invade. There's no such thing as a humanitarian invasion."
"That's certainly true."
"Most likely, Major Bern will be responsible for proposing something."
"Major Bern?"
After muttering this, Verdi's face became somewhat self-deprecating.
"Actually, Major Bern strongly opposed my gas attack proposal on the grounds of 'humanitarian concerns.'"
"…Really?"
Verdi informed me that the man who is the furthest thing from being "humanitarian" was the one making the loudest objections in the meeting.