I returned to the headquarters of the Imperial Ceremonial Battalion and reported the completion of Lord Grien’s execution.
「That concludes my report.」
「Very well.」
The one who nodded was a woman who looked barely over thirty.
Her rank was Major, the commanding officer of the Imperial Ceremonial Battalion. She was the boss of us headsmen. A beautiful woman who wore glasses well, and as it happened, also the mother of one daughter.
She went by the name Filia Gehenbach, though of course that was a false name. In this line of work, it was easy to earn grudges, so most of us were registered in the army under aliases.
Her nickname was “Ink Seller.” As the only field officer in the Battalion, her main job was to give documents their necessary legal authority with her signature.
The Major looked at me with a smile that seemed equal parts amused and exasperated.
「But you… did you really poison him using that method?」
「Yes. I never once claimed the pastries themselves contained poison, so there was no falsehood in the duel. The terms of the match were simply, 『Victory goes to whoever makes the opponent ingest poison.』」
「So you say…」
The Major rested her cheek against her hand.
「But what if Lord Grien had asked you, 『Do these pastries contain poison?』 How would you have answered?」
「In that case, I would have truthfully said no, and simply moved on to the next round with another poisoned pastry.」
Fortunately, this world also had mushrooms equivalent to Hotei-shimeji and beans equivalent to Calabar beans.
The Calabar beans I had prepared for the third box were from a distant place of origin; obtaining good quality ones had been a real struggle. Best to save those for another time.
The beautiful Major scratched her head in a sloppy gesture.
「You really leave no gaps. Perhaps I should have ordered you from the start.」
「Apologies. I was away for some time.」
「It’s fine. I’m the one who gave you that other mission. Soldiers like you—unorthodox—are often surprisingly useful.」
The Major chuckled softly.
「A normal officer would never stoop to trickery in a duel with one of the Empire’s highest nobles. Professional pride, and the fear of reprisals from family or supporters if the scheme were exposed, keeps most from trying.」
Well, yes. Not my concern though.
I sighed.
「Reprisals would be troublesome. It’s true I deceived him, but I didn’t speak any falsehood, nor did I violate any clause of the Imperial Dueling Law. The failure to properly inspect the tools of the duel rests squarely on him.」
The whole system is insane anyway. Having a condemned man duel his executioner? If you want executions by duel, just use the Aztec method. That way, the executioner can’t possibly lose, and you can kill with peace of mind. Stupid Emperor.
「Even if they perform an autopsy, the slop in his stomach will only show traces of poison. Whether it came from the pastries or the tea will be impossible to tell.」
Eat twelve pieces of dry pastry like that and of course you’ll get thirsty.
If at that moment Grien had noticed, 「Why does my young opponent have no drink?」 he might have survived. But he was too arrogant, too used to special treatment, and that dulled his perception.
Besides, even if round one hadn’t ended it, round two would simply have begun. So either way the result was the same.
I spoke bitterly.
「To think I lost a drinking companion because of such a worthless man—infuriating.」
「Meinen skipped work five times because of heavy drinking. Wait a minute—why is it you never missed duty?」
My superior looked at me with genuine curiosity. I answered with a straight face.
「Because I don’t drink that heavily.」
「Fufu, I see. Excellent.」
The Major let her abundant blonde hair spill forward as she smiled, gazing out the window.
「Lieutenant Meinen was officially listed as belonging to the Engineer Corps. Cause of death: gas poisoning in a mine shaft. At the request of the family, no funeral was held, and the body was buried in the Army’s communal cemetery.」
Lieutenant Meinen had neither wife nor children. If he had, we wouldn’t have let him duel.
He had said he was estranged from his family too. No one to claim his body.
The Major’s voice softened.
「He used to laugh and say, as an engineer, any cause of death would make sense. But in the end, it’s sad that there was no one left to care.」
When I died in my previous life, I wonder if anyone grieved. I doubt it.
That’s why I spoke aloud the thought I always told myself.
「No. When one dies, the fewer who mourn, the better. He and I often talked about that.」
――That’s true. Making sure no one is saddened is a good thing. You’re clever, you know that?
For just a moment, the smile of my drinking buddy flashed across my mind, then vanished into the dark.
I know death isn’t the end.
I wonder if you were reborn somewhere too. I hope so.
The Major smiled faintly as she looked up at me.
「You are a kind man, yet when it comes to death, you seem strangely detached. As if you’ve already seen hell once before.」
「I am merely an unbeliever.」
Her perception was sharp. Too sharp.
I had never told anyone I was a reincarnator from another world.
This world’s “common sense” allowed for no such thing. A world not recorded in the scriptures of the state religion could not exist, and no soul could possibly come from there.
I wanted to live as a peaceful man of common sense. So I kept silent and lived quietly.
The Major slid a new document across the desk with her smile still lingering.
「Now then, your next task. Find Yuoh Nevilnel, the leader of the peasant revolt in the northern Kavallaf region, and after summary trial, execute him.」
「Find him, you say?」
We are an execution unit, not a search party.
She knew that, of course. So there must be some hidden circumstances.
As an aside, I always get this sort of assignment.
The Major went on, her expression bright with mischief.
「We have imperial orders to cooperate with the Second Army Division already searching for the leader. He must be captured and executed. 『At all costs.』」
「Ah, 『At all costs,』 is it…」
I’d worked under her long enough to know exactly what she meant.
In other words, despite the orders, she was really saying, “Let him escape.” Why, I didn’t know, and didn’t need to.
Whoever he was, if he could avoid death, good for him. Easier on me too.
The Major then added:
「That said, sending only you would look bad. I’ll assign Lieutenant Crimine to accompany you.」
「With respect, are you sure that young lady is suitable?」
The Major gave me a dazzling smile.
「Probably not. But I trust you’ll make her suitable. Let’s say… by 『next summer.』」
So now I’m expected to babysit. Damn this Major.