Ch.307307. The Sirah Migration War (1)

Although not as luxurious as buildings in the capital, it was still a suitable place for a command center.

Outside the building, a girl was repeatedly raising and lowering her ahoge, worrying all by herself.

Looking at her, one could almost imagine a speech bubble filled with swirls above her head.

“Hmmmm…”

She had been pacing back and forth for a while, her silver hair swaying gently as she moved, clearly troubled by something.

The cause of her concern was something that happened just a few dozen minutes ago, right before she was about to enter the building.

-‘Renias. I’d like you to stay outside.’

Junon had patted her shoulders and asked her to wait outside.

Renias had nodded and respected his opinion, assuming he must have his reasons, but the question of why she shouldn’t enter wouldn’t leave her mind.

“Hmmmm. Why did he tell me not to come in…?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Eek?! Senior Senia?”

Another person who wasn’t participating in the meeting, Senia, suddenly poked her face over Renias’s shoulder.

“If you went in, the meeting room would be in chaos.”

“Chaos…? Why?”

As Renias calmed her wariness and listened attentively, Senia gave her a mischievous smile.

“Well, primarily because your presence is overwhelming. It was the same on the battlefield, wasn’t it? All eyes drawn to you.”

“Eh… but wouldn’t it be better if I heard the strategy too?”

Of course, Senia thought so as well.

Who could be more reassuring than Renias? Having her in the meeting room to appropriately support Junon’s position would be nothing short of a blessing.

‘But that’s exactly why they left you out.’

Currently, the rumors spread by Erika and Kelnur had significantly damaged Junon’s image.

Suspicions were rising that he had kept information to himself, not sharing it with anyone, taking unfair advantage, and even using others to save his own life.

If Renias were to step in now, it would reignite the fuse they had barely managed to put out. Given how precious Junon was to her, Senia suspected some officials might use Renias’s actions as an excuse to bring him down.

So, Senia put on her usual mischievous smile.

“No, think about it. If such a preeeeetty girlfriend were there, how jealous would everyone be? Right?”

“Wh-what? P-pretty… Senior, you and others are plenty pretty too…”

Unfortunately, Renias had no awareness of her own beauty.

Yet even so, she was blushing slightly at being called Junon’s pretty girlfriend.

‘Oh, how cute.’

Thanks to this, Senia was able to divert the silver rabbit’s attention by targeting this soft spot.

“Hmm. Even so, it’s not like you two were doing something naughty in a secret place like a cave, right~?”

“Huh? Th-th-that was, that was just…! I-it was nothing!”

“Whyyy~? I could just tell everyone that you two were kiiiissing so intimately.”

“S-Senior?! W-why do you keep bringing that up…”

“Oh. Should I ask that person passing by? Whether Junon would call for you if you did such things.”

“Eek! No, no!”

Renias jumped up and down, blocking Senia’s way.

Just hinting at the pink-tinted scene of the two of them being intimate in the cave was enough to turn Renias into a docile rabbit.

‘Actually, I’d like to spread the word that you two are dating, but I can’t do that yet.’

So Senia calmed Renias down and tried to persuade her in a different direction.

“Enough teasing. Why do you think I’m here?”

“Huh? Um…”

Come to think of it, Senior Senia was also a Tembris member, so why was she out here instead of in the meeting room?

Renias must have just realized this question.

“I’m in the same position as you. Junon told me not to come in too.”

“What?”

The reason wasn’t difficult to explain.

“Well, let’s say there’s a quite competent soldier. But this soldier has a trauma. They can’t order others to risk their lives, though they might risk their own. However, this soldier’s help is essential for the operation. What would you choose if you were in that position, Renias?”

“I would…”

Though she seemed to be thinking hard, Renias couldn’t readily answer.

“If they don’t hear the operation details, they won’t be disturbed. That’s why the commander only gave instructions without revealing the full plan to that soldier.”

“Ah, I see. So they can use their skills within the scope of what they’re told to do?”

“Correct. You’re smart, aren’t you?”

“Hehehe.”

Laughing shyly at the compliment, Renias stopped worrying.

“If he’s concerned I might cause trouble after hearing it… then I can wait.”

The silver-haired girl, having resolved her concerns, promised herself she would wait patiently until the meeting ended without complaining.

‘They really do suit each other.’

This silver girl radiated light by her very existence.

Enough to color the shadows surrounding Junon—always full of calculations and unspoken secrets—with bright light.

She was a person full of positive energy, good influence, and vitality.

“Would you wait here for a moment?”

Senia asked Renias to wait there briefly. She returned shortly with a bag containing coffee.

“Here, a gift.”

“Coffee beans?”

If anyone needed coffee right now…

It would definitely be Junon, who was struggling through arguments with the officials.

“How tired will he be after the meeting ends? That guy might have to stay up all night, so make this for him.”

“But… is that okay?”

“It was meant for me, but I don’t really like coffee. I prefer something like milk tea.”

And truthfully, there was an even better gift than coffee.

“Th-then would it be okay if I brew the coffee and bring it to him? I’m worried I might disturb him…”

“Why would you worry about that? Geez.”

Renias herself was the greatest gift.

For Junon, who would be exhausted from managing outposts and reports all night.

Suddenly, the silver rabbit’s face fell. Why was she looking sad when she should be happy?

“Why the long face all of a sudden?”

“But I don’t know how to brew coffee…”

Ah.

She received the coffee but doesn’t know how to make it?

That’s easy to understand.

“Don’t worry, you have an expert here.”

A modern person’s part-time job experience should never be underestimated.

***

As expected, opinions were not reconciled at all.

For the relocation to Sirah, everyone needed to be united in holding the front line, but from their perspective, abandoning Levrant, a naturally fortified capital, for Sirah, a rural village, as the new capital was simply incomprehensible.

“Sigh.”

He had anticipated resistance, but it was even stronger than expected.

Everyone seemed to have heard some malicious rumors and developed prejudices against him.

“No. Perhaps rumors have already spread.”

Since he was the only person found beside Goden when facing Ashpern, and given the high expectations for Goden, it wasn’t strange that suspicions arose that someone else had hindered him.

Even today, there were pointed remarks suggesting he hadn’t been the only one who knew. Quite meaningfully.

In the end, it was the same situation as before. Just like before.

“I’ll have to prepare more thoroughly.”

Although Michelle had been intervening at appropriate times, he couldn’t always rely on her help.

Before he knew it, the day had grown dark.

Time had flown by, not only because of the long arguments but also because he had been organizing documents and thinking after the meeting.

Perhaps he would have to stay up all night for tomorrow’s meeting.

Having come this far, he was prepared for it anyway.

“…There should still be some chicory in the storage.”

To stay awake with minimal consumption, he would choose that option. Chewing on it would keep him awake for hours.

As he was about to head out.

“”Ah?””

We made eye contact and uttered the same sound at that moment.

Unable to say what we had both intended to say, we awkwardly avoided each other’s gaze.

It was because we weren’t used to this yet.

That was the reason.

The fragrant aroma of coffee broke this awkward atmosphere.

“Coffee…?”

“Ah, I-I came to bring this to you.”

“I see… but I’m fine without it.”

I already knew several ways to stay awake. So rather than drinking coffee, which was becoming scarcer as time passed, I chose the option that consumed fewer resources.

“Hmm!”

Renias perked up her hair and closed the door. Then she grabbed my hand and tried to lead me to the sofa.

“Sit down. Don’t even think about going anywhere today.”

“Suddenly?”

“I’ll bring everything here, food and all. Is that not okay?”

“Well… it’s not that it’s not okay, but…”

Is there really a need for this?

“Come to think of it, you haven’t eaten, have you? I didn’t see you eat before the meeting started, and it doesn’t look like any dishes have been brought in since then.”

“…”

That’s right. I needed to be on an empty stomach to work, and chewing chicory while hungry would help me stay awake longer by borrowing the power of hunger.

That’s why I hadn’t eaten.

“Don’t move from here until I come back. Understood?!”

Renias put her hands on her hips and furrowed her brows, forcing me to take a break.

But this.

This doesn’t seem like a break at all.

Sure enough, when Renias returned from outside, she brought in what looked like a feast that could make the table legs bend.

“Um… Renias. If we use food like this…”

“This much is produced locally in Sirah anyway.”

“Still, this amount is a bit much. Everyone else eats this food too.”

“It’s not okay to waste food? But it’s okay for the commander to skip meals and abuse his body?”

Oh no.

Did she hear about that?

‘If someone told Renias about this…’

It must have been Senia.

“Everyone else needs to eat to fight. But what if you don’t eat?”

Although food should be distributed equally, making an exception for just one person isn’t right.

Even in wartime, a commander should especially keep himself well-fed.

“And I heard from Senior Senia. You even chew chicory to stay awake, don’t you?”

That’s not food. Even if you need to stay alert, it’s a hundred times better to fight off sleep in a normal way.

“If you’re going to stay up all night, I’ll brew the coffee for you. I’ll watch over you with both eyes open.”

I couldn’t refute any of Renias’s arguments.

“Now, eat first. I know exactly how much you eat, so don’t even think about leaving anything. I’ll really get angry.”

“Uh, umm.”

“After you finish eating, since coffee might be a bit much… a short rest! Got it?”

“Y-yeah…”

I forcibly pick up the spoon. I don’t know what words will be exchanged later, but right now, I have no choice but to pick up this spoon.

‘It tastes better than usual.’

I wonder if it’s because I’m eating on an empty stomach, but Renias’s cooking was always good.

Yet as I keep eating… somehow, I can’t shake the feeling that it tastes even better than usual.

I should be thinking that this isn’t the time to be leisurely eating.

That I should be focusing on reinforcing the strategy even during the time I would be sleeping.

Such thoughts had made me more comfortable being awake than sleeping, and chewing chicory than eating meals.

But I don’t understand why the food I’m eating now tastes so sweet.

I don’t understand why I feel so happy even though I’ve been scolded.

Perhaps it’s because…

“Are you planning to leave some?”

“I’m just trying to eat slowly…”

Having someone by my side seems to bring a different feeling.