Chapter 4: You can’t trust rumors (2)

“Captain! Are you out of your mind?!”

Slaying the dragon’s nest alone was worthy of being praised as a legend, but despite that, what awaited Wolfgang upon his return to the base was a bombardment of nagging from his lieutenant.

She had silver hair tied back, similar but slightly different from Wolfgang’s, and her fierce, beast-like blue eyes looked like those of a wild dog that would bite at anything without hesitation.

In fact, it wasn’t entirely wrong to think so.

Lieutenant Galina of the Vendetta Legion.

Her other name was the Mad Dog.

Her alias didn’t exactly match her rank, but she managed her duties as the lieutenant of the Vendetta Legion flawlessly, and her abilities were more than enough to belong to Vendetta.

If her beast-like ears were standing upright above her head, and her tail was pointing toward the sky, it meant she was quite furious.

At times like these, it’s best to stay silent and let it pass.

“I encountered it during a patrol, so I had no choice.”

“Don’t lie! You flew straight toward it!”

“……”

Making an excuse with a lie like this would only result in a more vicious counter-argument.

Even though it was a rather decent excuse, it was cut down with precision.

“Captain, I know why you went alone.”

Maybe she thought scolding him wasn’t enough anymore.

Galina was now gently persuading Wolfgang.

However, Wolfgang was secretly startled the moment he heard her words.

She knows the reason!?

“Could it be… I’ve been found out?”

As mentioned before, Wolfgang fought for highly personal reasons.

And of course, those reasons had never been discovered.

That’s why she was now called a war hero.

But what if that truth were revealed?

And to none other than the Vendetta Legion?

In the worst-case scenario, the fangs of the Vendetta, filled with betrayal, might be directed at him.

Eventually, Galina, with a sad expression, spoke what she believed to be the reason.

“You were worried about us, right?”

“…?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I already figured it out.”

Galina had entirely misunderstood.

However, from her perspective, she couldn’t help but think this way.

Just like the others in Vendetta, Galina’s life had also been saved by Wolfgang.

In her eyes, the sight of Wolfgang throwing himself alone into the dragon’s nest appeared to be the ultimate act of self-sacrifice.

Fearing that any of them might die or get hurt.

He somehow handled it alone.

That was the reason she had concluded, and at the same time, the reason Galina was so infuriated.

Galina gently clasped one of Wolfgang’s hands with both of hers.

“Just as you worry about us, we also worry about you more than anyone else.”

“……”

“Of course, I know your strength is nearly invincible, but… please, think about our feelings a little. Okay?”

No, I’ve never worried about any of you.

But since it was easier to just go along with it, Wolfgang didn’t bother correcting the misunderstanding.

When someone chooses to misunderstand so favorably on their own, there’s no need to correct it.

“My apologies. I’ll try to be more considerate from now on.”

“That’s all I ask.”

Perhaps thanks to his apology, Galina’s ferocity greatly diminished, and with the tension lifted, Wolfgang pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

At least the annoying part was over.

Of course, there had been some collateral damage when the dragon’s nest collapsed.

But since they had confirmed the area was uninhabited, once they cleaned up the aftermath, he could return and rest.

It wasn’t the wrong judgment.

After all, nothing is sweeter to a tired soldier than a battle furlough.

However, it seemed like the cleanup ahead was far more than he had expected.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The ground trembled, causing Galina to flick her cigarette ash excessively.

Sensing the ominous situation, Wolfgang threw his cigarette to the ground and stood up.

Something was coming.

“A dragon’s nest is a haven for monsters who are drawn to the thick magic. Just to eat the scraps that fall from the nest, countless monsters always gather underneath.”

“But now that their mother, who fed them, is gone, it seems they’re out for revenge.”

It’s similar to baby birds in a nest.

The difference is, unlike the baby birds who just eat the food their mother brings them, these things have the power to seek revenge.

But the Imperial army stationed there didn’t flinch at the sight of the wave of monsters coming their way.

In fact, they all grabbed their weapons, ready to respond, with Galina leading at the front.

Dressed in the same uniform as Wolfgang, she pressed the same military cap onto her head, a sign that she was ready for battle.

“Captain, I’ll show you.”

“Though I may not be as strong as you, I’m not weak either.”

Galina dismissed the soldiers.

It meant she intended to fight alone.

The monsters that fed on the magic from the dragon’s nest were stronger than ordinary ones.

And she planned to fight them alone?

That’s madness.

No.

It’s suicide.

If even a slightly knowledgeable adventurer knew about the dragon’s nest.

No, even if a complete rookie adventurer saw this, they would see her as nothing more than a death-seeker.

However.

A result no one could have imagined unfolded.

The one who had seemed like a death-seeker.

Single-handedly exterminated all of the monsters in less than an hour.

That was the reason why, despite being such a small group,

they were called a ‘Legion.’

Each one of them could face an army.

They were literally strong enough to be called a ‘one-man army.’

That is precisely the Vendetta Legion she leads.

‘Who is worrying about whom here?’

I can’t even handle my own situation right now.

Discharge.

A goal that most men in conscription-based countries have dreamed of at least once.

To speak more grandly, it could even be called salvation.

Of course, Wolfgang’s situation was slightly different.

She was a case of voluntary enlistment, not conscription.

Although it was a semi-forced situation where she couldn’t survive unless she enlisted,

voluntary enlistment was still voluntary enlistment.

It’s impossible to develop immunity to the question, “Were you dragged to the army?”

Moreover, thanks to the brilliant remarks she made during the Winter War to boost morale,

Wolfgang now found herself in a dire situation.

As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little.

The Empire’s trust in her was far greater than she had ever imagined.

But what if that belief, bordering on fanaticism, were to break?

The aftermath would be unimaginable.

In the worst-case scenario, disappointed soldiers might all unite and start a revolt.

And Wolfgang wasn’t a crazy arsonist who could burn people alive and still remain sane.

“How can I get discharged safely?”

Even in this very moment, as she received praise for her contributions in subjugating the Dragon’s Nest from the Emperor himself, her mind was filled with thoughts of wanting to be discharged.

But after much deliberation, she had to admit.

The risks of discharging right now were far too high.

For one thing, the unnecessarily massive title of Legion Commander was a problem.

Legion Commander was not a position that could change overnight.

In fact, if that were to happen, the Imperial Army could descend into great chaos.

In other words, a proper handover was necessary.

And that became the reason she couldn’t discharge immediately.

As long as there wasn’t a successor to take her place, she had no choice but to remain in this position.

But.

Even if it was a problem with no immediate solution, if she put in the effort, eventually, an answer would emerge.

To be honest, the discharge issue wasn’t even a real problem compared to the Winter War.

Back then, she genuinely thought she would either die fighting or starve to death.

Now then.

What should I do from here?

She tossed her uniform jacket, which now had one more medal pinned to the chest, onto the desk and plopped down in her seat.

Her ample chest pressed against the desk.

“This is still uncomfortable.”

At least ten years ago, back when she was still a girl,

it wasn’t this bad.

But once she hit puberty, her chest started growing, and eventually became like a massive mountain.

Setting aside the discomfort that came from memories of her past as a man,

the sheer size, which was at least an F-cup, was a significant inconvenience.

The biggest problem was crossdressing.

Whether it was due to her past memories or some instinctive resistance, she didn’t like people viewing her as a woman, so she always dressed as a man.

But her ample chest always got in the way.

It was so bad that Wolfgang had even spent her own money to hire mages to make her magical compression bandages.

But even those didn’t fully alleviate the discomfort.

As a result, whenever she was alone, she would free herself like this.

‘In many ways, a woman’s body has a lot of inconveniences.’

Her ample chest, freed after so long, gently moved with her breathing.

But she paid it no mind and began thinking about her next steps.

Anyway, to get back on track, if she couldn’t discharge all at once,

she would have to take it step by step.

First, she had to choose a successor to take her place.

In this case, it would likely be her adjutant, Galina.

Even Wolfgang acknowledged Galina’s talent and skills.

She would gradually begin the handover process, let Galina take over the position, and then quietly move to the rear before finally discharging.

Just as this solid plan was starting to take shape.

“Commander!! Have you heard the rumors・・・・・・ ?!”

“……?”

A boy with long, purple hair flowing down like a rocker burst into the room, only to blush and quickly retreat after seeing her.

Wolfgang smirked and said,

“Why is that? Weren’t you usually the one pestering me to compete?”

“Th-That’s not it! Just put your clothes on first!!”

“What, was it too much of a shock for the little one? I understand.”

“Ugh・・・・・・!!”

Still, I guess he’s a man after all.

He didn’t like being treated like a woman, but when he reacts so innocently like that, it makes me want to tease him even more without realizing it.

However, if I just stayed like this, the conversation obviously wouldn’t get anywhere, so Wolfgang put his military jacket back on that he had carelessly tossed aside.

Her chest became flat as if by magic.

The boy, having peeked through the door to check if she was dressed, sighed in relief and came inside.

Watching the boy Iming, Wolfgang grinned.

“So? What brings you here, kid?”

“I’m not a kid! I have a name, it’s Jackal!”

“I already know that.”

“It doesn’t seem like you do・・・・・・ Anyway, there’s a strange rumor going around.”

Wolfgang tilted her head in curiosity.

Jackal wasn’t usually the type to care about rumors.

But for him to come directly to talk about it?

“What kind of rumor is it?”

She had an instinctual feeling.

This was a rumor she had to hear.

“Well, the thing is, the captain is supposedly a villainess exiled from the kingdom.”

And that instinct was spot on.