I returned to my own office inside battalion headquarters.
Even I, an officer, was granted a private office. It was small, but in the army, simply having a private room was extravagant treatment.
From the shelf I pulled out my white uniform.
「This will be the first and last time I change clothes for that guy’s sake…」
On paper, the late Lieutenant Meinen had been a combat engineer officer. If I visited his grave in the Ceremonial Battalion’s black uniform, it would stand out too much.
Our battalion was folded into the Guard Regiment, and Guard officers in peacetime wore white uniforms.
That meant if we wore white, it wasn’t against regulations. So whenever we wanted to conceal our identity, switching to white was the quickest method.
Only problem: laundry was a nightmare.
A knock came at the door.
「Who is it?」
Following military custom, I called out, and from beyond the door came Lieutenant Crimine’s voice.
「Second Lieutenant Risha Crimine, reporting!」
「Come in.」
Her tone lacked any real tension…
She entered, also dressed in white. Perhaps because she was from a wealthy family, the color suited her perfectly. When Captain Yugi wore it, it looked like a burial shroud. Curious, the difference.
I fastened the buttons on my jacket, forcing a wry smile.
「Sorry you had to see me like this.」
「Not at all.」
She was staring fixedly. Scary. Was her breathing heavy?
「An officer should never let enlisted men see him half-dressed, but you’re an officer, so that’s fine, right?」
「Yes, most commendable.」
Somehow I sensed our conversation wasn’t aligned. Deeply unsettling.
「Shall I fasten your hook, Lieutenant?」
「No, I’ll do it myself.」
「Ah, your collar insignia is off.」
「It’s not off.」
Why was she targeting my throat so persistently? Was she a predator?
Feeling oddly restless, I finished changing and checked my reflection.
If an officer dressed sloppily, he lost his soldiers’ trust. On the battlefield that could cost lives.
Not that we had a single soldier under us.
「It suits you well, Lieutenant.」
「So you can flatter too, I see.」
「I do not flatter.」
Said completely straight-faced. Once again, conversation failed to match. Maybe I was the one exhausted.
Trying to reset, I asked:
「So, what did you come for?」
「I heard you were going to visit Lieutenant Meinen’s grave. I thought I might accompany you.」
「Ah, that’s best. Let’s go together.」
The Company Commander had ordered it anyway, so that was convenient.
We left the battalion headquarters, passing the Guard Regiment HQ nearby, and stepped onto the capital’s main street.
Crimine looked as expressionless as always, but somehow in good spirits—she was humming.
「After seeing empty Kavallaf, the Capital really does seem prosperous.」
「Indeed.」
This was the busiest part of the Empire, yet compared to Japan in my previous life, it was like a small regional station-front at best. With such a low population density, there was no helping it. In truth, I’d never seen what counted as a “city” here.
Perhaps amused by my reaction, Crimine pressed further.
「Do you dislike crowds, Lieutenant?」
「This much is nothing.」
「This much?」
Ah, damn. I forgot this was the most crowded place in the entire Empire. She’d think me strange.
I quickly patched over.
「Compared to the officer school’s mess hall at peak hour, this is nothing.」
「That’s true.」
She nodded vigorously. Thank God she was a sheltered lady.
「Hm?」
I felt a strange twinge of unease. I told her as well.
「We’re being followed. Not very skillfully.」
「Eh!?」
She managed not to dart her eyes around—commendable composure—but she looked uneasy.
「Followed?」
「Can’t look back to confirm, but there’s an old man walking unusually fast. He’s keeping pace with our military stride.」
If you wanted to shadow an officer, a different disguise would have helped. His stride alone gave him away.
Though Crimine hadn’t noticed, so maybe I wouldn’t have either before. Officer school training had sharpened me.
「Lieutenant, who could it be?」
「I don’t know. But we’re wearing Guard white. If he saw through the disguise, then maybe he was waiting for us to leave battalion headquarters. That’s a little dangerous.」
The Ceremonial Battalion’s black uniform was rare, and carried much hatred. Guard officers, on the other hand, were generally respected.
Of course, to anti-Emperor types, we’d be nothing but irritating.
「It could be anti-Emperor agents watching Guard movements. Too soon to say.」
「True.」
They likely wouldn’t strike here in town, but it was troublesome enough.
「If we go to the Army cemetery with a tail, they could link Meinen’s true name to the Ceremonial Battalion.」
His gravestone bore his real name. If Guard officers were seen leaving our battalion to visit a “combat engineer’s” grave, that could lead to complications later.
As annoying as it was, better to shake the tail now.
「Lieutenant Crimine. Tell me your favorite food.」
「Eh, I like cheese.」
「Perfect. There’s a restaurant nearby run by a cheesemaker. Both the restaurant and dairy are under the same family. Let’s have lunch there.」
It was a little early for lunch, but we’d need food before and after walking all the way to the cemetery.
Crimine practically skipped with excitement.
「There’s such a restaurant?」
「The Company Commander once took me there.」
「Ah… I see.」
Suddenly she deflated. What now.
「Don’t misunderstand. I was assigned to guard the Major’s child. We disguised ourselves as a family outing, that’s all.」
「Disguised as a family outing in civilian clothes!?」
That’s the part she fixated on? Honestly, I had no idea how to handle a younger female subordinate.
To cheer her up, I scraped my brain.
「The owner knows the Major. I’ll explain the situation and borrow a private room. We can enjoy ourselves without worrying about the tail.」
「Oh—then I’ll enjoy it!」
Her expression—was she sulking or delighted? Hard to tell. This girl was impossible to handle.