episode_0018

It was an unfamiliar ceiling. No, in fact, it was a white cloth tent that was not unfamiliar at all. My eyes were stiff. I thought they were covered with dust, so I tried to rub them with my right arm, but contrary to my intention, they didn’t move at all. What’s going on? I can definitely feel something in my hand. Something rough.

“Umm….”

“Huh?”

Startled by a voice that wasn’t mine, I sat up. I don’t know how long I had been unconscious, but just sitting up was painful enough to make me aware of every muscle in my body.

“Lieutenant Claire?”

The one pressing down on my right hand was Claire. Her small chest was exactly what my palm was pressing against. Her usually tied-up golden hair was now disheveled and free-flowing.

Looking around, it was a familiar place. The personal tent of the Magic Corps Major. In other words, it was Claire’s private room. So, the bed I was lying on must be Claire’s. How did I end up here?

Gently removing my right hand from under Claire, I tried to recall my memory. Right, I had fought for life and death in front of the 7th Leg. Claire said she wouldn’t retreat and would fight to the end… infused mana into the lily, and a huge dome-shaped light spread out from the flag, turning the tide. And then I collapsed from exhaustion. Did I die? Or just faint?

But my hand won’t come off. Was it always this sturdy? Carefully stroking Claire’s head, who was sleeping next to the bed, I figured it should be fine since she’s asleep. I shouldn’t get whipped for showing disrespect like this.

Stroking the hair of an older person had its own kind of fun. She looked similar to me, but she was four years older. I twisted and messed with her hair with my free left hand. Still, Claire didn’t wake up. Maybe I could play a little more.

[Right hand trembled. A prickling sensation spread to the fingertips. It’s definitely different from touching my own. Something feels fuzzy.]

“What are you doing?”

“…!”

My heart sank. I couldn’t respond to Claire’s question. My right hand, which had been playing around, and even my body, stiffened. It was as if I’d been caught red-handed secretly doing something inappropriate.

“When did you wake up?”

“From the moment you started twisting your body to get up.”

So, it was from the beginning, wasn’t it? Why did you keep pretending to sleep? Claire stretched out. Since I had occupied the bed and slept on my stomach, her whole body must have felt stiff.

“Marianne, you’re not a ten-year-old boy, yet you play such mean tricks. Boldly engaging in inappropriate behavior with a direct superior makes you seem perfectly fine.”

Claire’s assessment was accurate; there wasn’t much of an age gap, and since I was a man, her words were spot-on. Yes, I had played a mean trick. However, it wasn’t easy to move as if everything was back to normal.

“Sir, how long have I been lying down?”

“Two days. At first, I thought you were really dead, Marianne. Your pulse was so faint that even the medics were having a hard time.”

“You nursed me for two whole days?”

“Well, Marianne, you’re the last remaining comrade from the old training unit, and you’ve also saved me at Saint-Marc. So, it’s like an old debt, I suppose.”

Claire gave a nonchalant explanation, scratching her cheek, but that alone was enough to feel grateful. Thanks to her devoted care, I managed to survive after even the medics had given up on me. If I were truly an immortal being, I would have been dragged away by the church as soon as I resurrected from anywhere.

“Thank you, sir.”

“If you’re thankful, then get up quickly.”

Every time I moved my muscles and joints, my whole body screamed in agony. I gave up trying to move and asked about what happened after I lost consciousness.

“Did we repel all the monsters? Did the Moscovian Plague Battalion retreat? What about the 8th Division…?”

“There’s no need to rush, Marianne. After all, you’re exempt from today’s duties.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Let’s answer one by one. We succeeded in defeating the monsters that appeared at the river. Our allies suffered heavy losses, but it’s still a momentous first victory. By now, news of our triumph must have spread like wildfire.”

We won. Before losing consciousness, I remembered how those creatures turned to dust not from curses, but from bullets. Was it also influenced by the light I created?

“And the Ch’anggi Legion from the Moscovi Republic didn’t move toward Bridge 7. They held their position, even as the Yangik Infantry Division retreated. There were reports from scouts stating that they withdrew as soon as the monsters appeared.”

It was unexpected that the Ch’anggi Legion didn’t move. Sasha could have achieved overwhelming victories on both flanks. But why did they stay put? Considering how the Mado Platoon provoked my forces while hiding in the bushes, it felt like they were waiting for me. It’s anyone’s guess unless it’s Sasha.

“Clare told me everything I was about to ask before I even asked. It made me feel like I was a superior officer receiving a report.”

The infantry division at Bridge 8 was nearly annihilated, but they managed to repel the monsters. The casualties were high because my light formation couldn’t reach there. They couldn’t receive additional support from the main force due to monsters appearing on their end as well. Well, they wouldn’t just appear in one place, would they?

“Marianne, so, all your questions have been answered?”

“Yes, thank you. I’ve received all the reports, and you’ve made quite a name for yourself.”

“Well then, this time I have a question.”

“Yes, please ask anything.”

Clare gently took my hand and sat back down beside me.

“What was that light?”

The light Clare referred to was the one emanating from the flag. There’s nothing else to say. The problem was that I didn’t know either. But saying, “It seemed like a gift from the deity in my mind,” might lead me to be dragged off to the Inquisition Court, yelling, “This is heresy!”

“I-It was magic. When I planted the flag in the ground, I inadvertently infused it with magic…”

“The effects of magic are known to be tinged with blue. Like mana. However, the light Marian emitted in the last battle was golden.”

“I guess I’m a bit unusual…”

“I’m sorry, but do you think I wouldn’t know that even the so-called average level of magic power extends all the way to Sang Marg? And Marian’s mana is also blue. It’s not at a level to emit such a huge amount of magic.”

Ah, so that’s what you were thinking.

“From now on, I’m going to channel my magic into Marian’s body for examination. You must not let go until I withdraw the magic. It’s crucial for both of us. Understand?”

So that’s why she held my hand. As mentioned before, magical aptitude tests are conducted for all Frankean citizens when they turn 16. Known as the Magic Aptitude Test, it’s a simplified method that measures only the approximate level without physical contact. After physical contact, as Claire is about to do, a more in-depth examination becomes possible.

However, sudden magic withdrawal, as warned by her, can cause serious harm to both the examiner and the examinee, which is why it’s generally avoided unless absolutely necessary. In this day and age, it’s something an ordinary mage soldier would rarely experience. It’s something found in textbooks from training schools.

With a tingling sensation, Claire’s magic cautiously flowed through my palm. Magic often reflects its owner. What had crept up to my forearm was strong, yet in some ways, gentle, much like its owner’s personality. I simply remained still, taking deep breaths while her, as the examiner, closed her eyes, concentrating to ensure no harm came to my body.

As the magic passed through my heart, what had been moving slowly and carefully began to spread rapidly throughout my entire body.

“Ha-ugh!”

Heart pounding, a rush of magic surged through my body at an incredible speed. I even felt intoxicated by the overwhelming force coursing through me. It was a sensation I had never experienced before, a sudden surge of magic filling me in an instant. The magic, independent of my will, flowing through every vein and every single cell was not something easily encountered.

“K-Kler, Captain Kler. Is this normal?”

“Don’t talk, Marianne. I’m concentrating.”

But this concentration seemed to be focused in an unusual place. While the magic spread throughout my body, it seemed to gather most intensely in my head, heart, and lower abdomen.

I vaguely speculated that if the power given by the being I thought to be a god was concentrated in my head, then surely Kler’s thoughts would be different. After passing through my head and heart a couple of times at the beginning, the magic was only swirling around my lower abdomen. The problem was…

“Ah, huff!”

The involuntary gasp came out against my will. Every time the magic swirled around my lower abdomen, such sounds escaped my lips. Even the hand I held with Kler was drenched in sweat.

“Investigator, heeek! When will it end? Agh! Can’t this stop?”

Kler’s face was also flushed. It wouldn’t be strange for her to make embarrassed groans beside me.

“Yes, it’s all over now. Just stay still until the magic recedes.”

The magic, having completed its final circuit through my body, retreated in the same direction it had entered, gradually fading away. Only after her magic completely left my body could I release the hand I had been holding. My palm was flooded as if suffering from severe burns. Not just my hands, but underneath my clothes, there was a sticky sensation. This is insane.

“Well, hmmm. Marianne, after examining, there seems to be a lot of unknown magic at the lower part. I don’t know if it’s magic or something else. It’s similar to the energy I felt when surrounded by golden light in the last battle.”

The magic had drained away, but my body was still unsettled. My face was flushed red, a clear indicator even without looking in the mirror. Gasping for breath, I rubbed the hand that had just been clasped with Clair.

Not only that, I wanted to change my clothes and undergarments as well. It seemed unreasonable to lie back down in this dampness. I glanced around the tent, but there was nothing suitable to change into. Even if there were, it would probably be Clair’s undergarments. If I were in my right mind, I wouldn’t wear someone else’s undergarments, so the result would have been the same.

“So, you still don’t know what it is, sir.”

“To investigate accurately, it would be best to go to the capital and get examined by renowned mages… But someone like Marianne making strange noises, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It’s not that I’m strange, sir, it’s just that you keep focusing on the weak areas…”

Clair couldn’t meet my eyes and kept looking at the ground. After the contact magic examination, she probably couldn’t bear to look at me. She fidgeted with her small hands.

“By the way, you seemed quite skilled in the examination. It wasn’t your first time, was it?”

“You can’t use a risky technique for the first time. To use something like the contact magic examination on a person, you need plenty of practice.”

“So, what is your conclusion, sir?”

She answered, rubbing her cheeks with both hands, perhaps to return her flushed face to normal.

“I don’t know, that’s the conclusion. Maybe after a few more tries, we’ll find out, but my judgment is too shallow, which is the problem. For now, since it seems to add to the battalion’s combat power, we should just consider it a good thing.”

It seemed like a few more examinations might reveal something. Rumors will surely spread throughout the battalion. They went into a private tent together, and if strange moans were heard, it would cause a stir.

“Anyway, Marianne. Rest today. I’m going out.”

“Uh…”

Clair tried to stop him, bowing deeply, but no words came out. In terms of embarrassment, it was truly the worst thing I had experienced in this lifetime. The embarrassing part was what Sasha had done to me.

“Sir, why did you call?”

“Please… [pause].”

“What did you say?”

“P-Please bring me a new pair of underwear!”