Ch.37Second Escape (3)

# Reunion with a Superior

The reunion with my superior was paradise—no, it was the worst.

Johannes Kalon, the former battalion commander who had died at the hands of a Valkyrie months ago, somehow appeared before me as a stone.

[“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t roll me! I’m getting dizzy!”]

No matter how I think about it, that familiar voice is unmistakable.

Am I hearing things?

No, that’s impossible.

Just as everyone has unique fingerprints, the magical wavelengths emitted by Mages are also distinct. These wavelengths are commonly called magical traces. Any proper Mage can detect these traces and identify friend from foe.

There’s no doubt. This magical trace definitely belongs to Commander Kalon.

“Is it really, really you, Commander?”

[“Yes, it’s been a while.”]

Actually, I had felt the magical trace when I first met David too. But I didn’t realize it then. How could I have known a person would be turned into stone?

How fortunate.

“How on earth did you end up in this form?”

[“I don’t know the details myself. It’s a long story… but before that, could you please stop touching me? It feels really awkward being caressed all over by a man.”]

“Ah, yes.”

[“Although I’ve taken this form, I still consider myself human. I’d appreciate if you treated me accordingly.”]

I examined the humming stone.

From the outside, it’s impossible to tell what kind of stone it is. It appears unprocessed yet forms a spherical symmetry. No mineral naturally cleaves in this pattern.

Unnaturally natural.

How fascinating. My scholarly curiosity is bubbling up.

The Commander asked to be treated like a human. But looking at his exterior makes that difficult. He looks like a rock from any angle. Surely checking his streak color wouldn’t be inappropriate?

[“…You were just thinking about scratching me with a streak plate, weren’t you.”]

“Commander.”

[“No. Don’t do it. That’s an order.”]

“Commander, or rather, senior, you know you can’t resist either.”

The reason I can call this person my senior is because we actually have a senior-junior relationship.

Commander Kalon and I first met at Larron Academy. We were in the same department. When I was a freshman, he was a senior about to graduate, running the rock exploration club. Our connection began there.

Our club members would roam mountains and valleys every week. Ostensibly to collect rocks for research. Of course, we had some personal interests too.

Anyway, from then on, my senior and I knew each other for quite some time, and when I was assigned to the 8th Fleet, he served as my mental pillar. At least there was no hazing, which was nice.

So despite this being a reunion that should be filled with emotion, my senior Kalon would surely understand this ill-mannered junior who feels academic curiosity first.

“Can I just scratch you a little bit?”

[“Ugh, ah, no. Absolutely not!”]

I guess he doesn’t understand.

[“Look at this perfect body of mine, or rather, stone form. It’s a flawless spherical symmetry. How unsightly would it be if it got scratched?”]

“Hmm.”

[“A fine stone reveals its true value only when appreciated. I’ve always told you to distinguish between research specimens and display pieces. Besides, I’m harder than most streak plates now. Don’t waste your energy.”]

“That’s logical.”

[“Right?”]

“But senior, you know my personality.”

[“Huh? Aaaaargh!”]

I tried scratching him with my streak plate.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

It doesn’t scratch.

[“It hurts! It hurts, you fool! What are you doing to your superior and senior?”]

“I’m sorry. This is my first time scratching a stone with consciousness… I’ll be gentler next time when I find a harder plate.”

[“Just don’t do it at all!”]

I hear a sigh in my mind.

[“Still, I’m glad. You seem to have returned to the Erich Lohnstein I knew from the academy. Before I died, just a few months ago, you were living without expression.”]

“What do you mean?”

[“I mean you’d become emotionally dried up, you hopeless junior. I told you to lighten up despite the war, but you didn’t listen and just kept making military magic stones. You seemed completely devoid of any leisure back then.”]

I remember. Those days when I worked without sleep.

It was to avenge my seniors, juniors, and peers. They died unjustly. All I could do was create stronger magic stones to shoot down as many Dragon Riders from the sky as possible.

[“Your face back then was just a vengeful spirit. You seemed like a component of the state rather than a human.”]

“…Was I like that?”

[“Judging by your appearance, you seem to have been shipwrecked on this island… Well, being stranded might be better than war. So, is your improved complexion thanks to those ladies over there?”]

Only then did I notice the presence behind me. The Valkyrie and the Holy Maiden. Two women were looking at me with pitying gazes.

“This man has definitely lost his mind. Talking to a motionless stone…”

“It happens all the time. He does this several times a day.”

“He must have been under a lot of stress from the war. He might have a mental illness. Even though the Magic Kingdom was the aggressor, I still feel sorry for him.”

“…Ah.”

What, why, what. Is it the first time you’ve seen someone talking to a stone?

[“Both are beauties. But they seem to be enemies. Hmm, this is an unusual situation.”]

I told the Commander about everything that had happened. Meanwhile, the faces of the Valkyrie and the Holy Maiden grew darker.

[“I see. So that black-haired woman is the one who killed me.”]

“Aren’t you angry?”

[“Well. I just feel empty.”]

There was one more entity who agreed with Kalon’s words.

[“I feel the same.”]

It was David.

[“You are…? Ensign Kanichi? How did you end up like that?”]

[“I don’t know. When I came to my senses, I had become a star-shaped stone. I was in a daze thinking it was a dream, but somehow Major Lohnstein picked me up.”]

[“So Erich got promoted. Is he the battalion commander now?”]

[“Yes. Major Lohnstein succeeded Major Kalon’s position.”]

[“I’m a lieutenant colonel now. Because I’m dead.”]

[“Please call me lieutenant as well. Because I’m dead too.”]

An impromptu alumni meeting had begun. Between the dead, no less.

It’s confusing. It’s troubling.

All this time, I thought my comrades killed by the Valkyrie would ask me for revenge in one voice, but something different happened.

At the same time, I began to question what I had been accepting without thought.

Why did these two become stones instead of ghosts?

“Come to think of it, I heard a stone that a Mage was carrying speak before. It definitely said ‘wah’ or something. What was its name again? David, was it…?”

“…Colonel?”

“It’s true! Don’t look at me like that! I’m telling the truth!”

There was no time to think deeply. Let’s first escape this island and uncover the truth once we’re completely safe.

***

We found more sea maps and some ancient documents on the mountain. After recording the mana compass readings, there was nothing more to see, so we decided to descend.

During our descent, David and former Commander Kalon chatted incessantly. It was somewhat noisy, but I rather enjoyed not having empty audio. It felt like taking a walk while listening to the radio.

Suddenly, Kalon posed a question.

[“Despite all our talking, it seems most of what we say isn’t audible to those women.”]

[“Exclamations seem to work though.”]

[“Really? Let’s try.”]

Ooooooooh.

The two stones resonated. The Valkyrie and the Holy Maiden, who were leading the way down the mountain, jumped like cats whose tails had been stepped on. The two female soldiers instantly distanced themselves.

“W-what was that sound?”

“It came from these stones.”

“What on earth are they?”

“They’re my military comrades.”

“Don’t say such strange things.”

“It’s true. As I’ve said repeatedly, my dead colleagues are here.”

“…”

The Holy Maiden’s eyes turned a dull blue. The emotion I sensed was pity.

[“She seems to sympathize with you, Major.”]

[“Damn it, Erich. What have you done? How did you make a military chaplain from the Holy Spirit Kingdom look at you with such pity?”]

A sigh escaped my lips. No matter what I said, the Valkyrie and the Holy Maiden wouldn’t believe me. In situations like this, keeping quiet is best.

After returning to the base, we began gathering water and food in abundance. At the same time, we compared the maps obtained from the Sirens and Ghouls to select the next island to visit.

Choosing an island wasn’t difficult.

“North-northeast.”

When I tied a piece of Origin Stone to a leaf and floated it on water, it pointed in that direction. The place with the strongest mana reaction. In other words, the direction where the entrance to the barrier might be.

1 week, 2 weeks.

By the time winter was in full swing in Hazkhail’s capital, our party had finally completed all preparations and launched the lifeboat.

Our next destination was a dumbbell-shaped island.

***

Magic Kingdom Southern Fleet.

The personal room of Air Force General Tedman Giford.

Tedman let out a quiet sigh. He had a lot on his mind lately due to a series of unfortunate events.

“Not good.”

He lamented as he put down the cigar he had been smoking.

“So, has General Adora arrived?”

“Yes. She’s waiting outside now.”

“Tell her to come in.”

The aide-de-camp saluted Tedman and opened the command room door. Shortly after, a young woman in a black uniform entered.

The Seven Swords.

A uniform that only the Führer’s personal guards were allowed to wear.

The woman in the Seven Swords uniform gave a casual salute and closed the door. Her short dark gray hair swayed as she turned her head. Her eyes conveyed both languor and composure simultaneously.

“Reporting to you, General. Yes.”

“Adora. You’ve grown a lot.”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

Tedman’s gaze shifted slightly downward. Adora was wearing a silver sword at her waist.

“Didn’t my aide tell you to surrender your weapon?”

“I told him it was fine. Yes.”

“Haa, that guy…”

“It should be okay, right? Between you and me, General.”

“Public and private matters must be kept separate. This is the military. At your age, having attained the rank of general, shouldn’t you be more careful about your conduct?”

“That’s why I’m wearing it.”

Chew, chew.

Adora approached while chewing her lips.

“I’m in charge of guarding the Supreme Führer. Surveillance or assassination attempts could happen anywhere, anytime, so I should at least carry a sword.”

Adora’s breath drew closer. Tedman narrowed his eyes. Her lips were almost at Tedman’s ear.

Whoosh, pop!

A loud noise echoed through the command room.

“Isn’t that right? Daddy?”

“Hey, you brat! Who blows bubble gum during official business? Spit it out right now!”

“If I don’t chew this, I get bored. Yes.”

“Spit it out while I’m still asking nicely!”

Adora Giford whimpered as she wrapped the gum in tissue.

After calming down, Tedman asked.

“So, why are you here?”

“Confidential orders from Supreme Command. They want us to block and destroy with full force the Holy Spirit Kingdom’s Divine Engineer Corps that’s trying to approach our ‘facility.’ Yes.”

Adora grinned.

“I hear it’s a unit composed of beastfolk. Let’s take this opportunity to eradicate those filthy creatures.”