Tense Encounter

“Sssip, ha…, cough cough!”

As I inhaled strongly through my nose, dusty sand filled my lungs. With each step, grains of sand crunched under the soles of my military boots.

Ah, the not-at-all-missed air of Astrakhan.

“You may disembark now.”

I had just arrived in Astrakhan and hadn’t even passed through the military academy gates, but already my shoulders felt weighed down by fatigue.

“Ugh…”

Even I couldn’t overcome the tiredness that comes at the end of a vacation. If only the climate was better, I might have endured and entered the academy with some patience.

The remote areas of the Federation are truly a grueling piece of land.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Anyway, as long as I don’t forget my duties as a cadet, I had to pass through those solid iron gates ahead, so I got off the truck.

“Take care.”

“That cadet Yena Freud.”

“Yes?”

“I listened to your speech well. It helped me awaken from my misguided values of trying to live complacently in this life.”

As he said this, the driver finished our final conversation and raised his eyebrows in a round arc.

“…It’s an honor.”

Although it was a sentence with no special meaning other than an expression of respect, it gave me confidence that most students and faculty in Astrakhan had received the news.

Certainly, it was enough for Ernst and Erdoff to be favorable.

It had enough impact for core politicians of the power elite to personally humble themselves and approach me.

“Well then, good luck!”

The driver who had suddenly approached to shake hands left abruptly after that brief greeting.

Vroom!

In the dust left behind by the imposing military truck, only two gift-wrapped boxes with red ribbons stood lonely.

“How kind of them to unload my luggage too.”

The identity of these items was none other than products I had personally purchased, gifts for Erika and Lina.

It’s a reason I can’t view my increased fame entirely negatively.

Although the doubled scrutiny and attention compared to before is annoying, conversely, there are cases like this where such attention returns as unexpected kindness.

“Heave-ho.”

It’s convenient.

Trudge! Trudge!

After roughly dusting off the boxes placed on the dirt ground, I finally slowly advanced towards the main gate of the military academy.

“Yena──!”

As expected, the first welcome was a familiar voice ringing out loudly.

How could I forget that clear, powerful shout? Squinting my eyes, I could see a faint human figure flailing about.

“I’ve been waiting so long──!”

It was Erika, vigorously waving both arms.

It doesn’t seem like much has changed.

Her sea-colored hair was still the same, and her height, barely half a span shorter than me, was exactly the same as before.

Her manner of speaking and behavior were just like her always cheerful personality from before I left for Bern.

Swish, swish!

Of course, I had no intention of ignoring her kindness. I put down the boxes I was carrying in both hands for a moment, and greeted her with a smile that she couldn’t see.

At the same time, I conveyed my gladness to the middle-aged man and the young woman standing to her left and right.

It was Gartel and Lina.

“……”

“……”

The only difference was that in their case, unlike Erika, they showed a cold response.

I can understand Lina, as she has a passive personality that restrains from showing emotions, but what about Gartel? He who was usually jovial, at least in front of me, maintained silence.

…Is it because of that after all?

If I had to guess, there’s probably only one reason.

“Yena, welcome…”

“Erika von Rosehild. Let’s postpone the emotional reunion for a moment.”

An unwritten rule as an Astrakhan Military Academy cadet, no, an action that the military would not tolerate under any circumstances and that must be avoided as a Bern soldier.

“Yena, you follow me. I believe that you, as the most promising cadet in the academy, know the reason well enough.”

Instructor Gartel had arranged this meeting to hold me accountable for publicly supporting the Labor Party.

“Yes, I understand.”

There was no choice but to comply given how strongly he was coming on.

“Erika, let’s talk again later.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

There wasn’t even time to exchange greetings properly. I left only a brief word that might have lasted a few seconds to Erika, and followed Gartel’s lead, almost being dragged along.

“Yena Freud…”

All that could be heard from the suddenly desolate school gate was Lina’s muttering, biting her lower lip as if grasping it.

---

“Ithrite.”

Clack, clack!

“Hm?”

“Yena Freud has returned.”

In the office where only the friction sound of the typewriter had been echoing as they prepared for the task presentation to be held in a few days, Berto broke the messy air and approached Ithrite.

“I know.”

“You must have seen it too, that child’s speech.”

“…Yeah.”

However, the gloomy atmosphere showed no signs of dissipating. Unlike usual, there was tension in the conversation.

The subject of the conversation was the problem.

‘Even though she’s not just a simple first-year, I didn’t expect it to be this much…’

Clack, clack, clack─

Ithrite gradually slowed down the speed of her fingers hitting the typewriter while tightly closing her eyes, recalling the time when she had cheered as the recommended cadet entered.

With barely a year left until graduation from the military academy, she knew the duties and rules of a soldier better than anyone.

“Sigh…”

That’s why she felt conflicted. She had seen many classmates have political leanings before, but it was the first time she had seen someone put their face in front of a big shot like the Prime Minister and the world media.

‘It’s only been a month since she entered the military academy!’

No matter how much they say today’s kids have different enthusiasm and fighting spirit than their seniors, isn’t this too reckless?

Of course, if this was all, she wouldn’t have been so worried. She could just wait for the treatment of Yena to be discussed according to the academy’s rules while focusing on her studies.

“Your argument was right, Ithrite. Yena wasn’t just a novice who luckily got a recommendation letter.”

“Uh, yeah?”

But the biggest problem at this point was that the noise was too loud to be seen as simply the deviation of one cadet.

“She was an excellent one. An talent recognized by none other than the great Party Leader Erdoff. And she’s good with words too, I guess your eye for talent shines at times like this, Ithrite.”

Just look at Berto.

“But Ithrite, you would know. The arrogant violence of the military academy towards a cadet who revealed their political orientation.”

“Y-yeah, that’s right.”

“Using this as an excuse, many vermin will attack Yena. Those disgusting and arrogant reds might come running, feeling inferior to that child’s abilities.”

Crunch!

“As a senior, as a member looking at the same sky, I think there’s a need to ensure Yena’s safety.”

“…I see.”

The sentences uttered while tightly clenching that murderous-looking fist were clearly not ordinary. It meant there was a risk of conflict within the military centered around Yena.

‘After all, she’s gained the favor of none other than the Prime Minister.’

Yena wasn’t an ordinary party member. She had already far surpassed that position, enough to gain support from Berto, an already passionate Labor Party supporter.

Even without knowing much about politics, it was possible to roughly infer the future where a major crack would form in the military academy’s discipline if Yena were to be punished.

‘What kind of courage is this.’

Ithrite sighed while twisting her light pink hair.

---

“At some point, life became impoverished due to defeat, and I lost my passion in the continuous days of not being able to eat a proper meal. I had forgotten the glorious past of Bern.”

Crackle, crackle!

“We must wake up now! Even to eliminate the Bolsheviks threatening our fatherland today, we must now overcome the shame of the Great War and be reborn as true Bern citizens!”

A familiar voice mixed with the radio waves echoed in the air.

“Pff──.”

The first thing I encountered after being led into the principal’s office by Gartel was the sight of Lustet puffing heavily on his pipe while listening to a rebroadcast of my speech.

In his eyes was the eerie glint of an old warrior I had only encountered during the Great War era, dimming the dignity of the Eastern Commander-in-Chief of the Bern Army that was not easily approachable.

This conversation won’t go smoothly.

“……”

Although I hadn’t exchanged a word with Lustet yet after facing him, I sensed it from the atmosphere surrounding us.

“Yena Freud.”

At least, that I wouldn’t be able to leave this room easily.

“I’m here to see you, Principal.”

I saluted, putting my hand to my forehead covered with disheveled black hair.

“Right.”

While facing Lustet, who slowly moved his stiff military boots after tapping the cigarette ash into a crystal ashtray.

“…I see I’m meeting a celebrity.”