***READ THIS AFTER THE MAIN STORY AND EPILOGUES***
[These are the translated portions of light novel exclusive content. This takes place 20 years after the war ends. The light novel is framed as someone discovering Touri's diary and reading it. There are major spoilers in the first few volumes of the light novel for events that occur in future arcs.]
Part 1
[Start of Volume]
Ah, how depressing.
I had taken the first train of the day back to the capital, Winn.
Even though my long vacation was over, I couldn't go to work for three days due to poor health.
I can already imagine the boss' sarcastic remarks, and the thought weighed on me.
"Reporting for work. Here's my time card."
"Showing up at this hour? Must be nice."
It was already 3 p.m. when I arrived at work and handed over my time card.
The receptionist's gaze was icy, unimpressed with my far-from-punctual appearance.
"Don't be so cold. I was sick. Even you must catch a cold from time to time."
"Sorry to disappoint, but I have perfect attendance. I hate men who can't even manage their health."
"That's harsh."
She said that and curtly handed my time card back to me.
Winn Monthly Heart Publishing is one of the publishers that publishes monthly magazines in Austin.
The Winn Monthly Heart magazine is a general-interest publication covering a wide range of topics, from popular entertainment to politics and economics.
I work as a junior reporter in the politics department at this publisher.
I haven't had the opportunity to write an article yet.
My tasks involved doing odd jobs around the office and gathering information under my boss's direction.
"…Sedol Weber. Reporting for duty."
"Ah, so you've finally shown up. Did you enjoy the extra vacation you tacked on with your no-show, Sedol?"
When I sat down, the boss piled a stack of articles onto my desk as if he had been waiting for me.
"Proofread these. It's today's batch."
"Got it."
"Tomorrow, you'll be flying to Paschen for coverage. Don't expect another vacation anytime soon."
Faced with the mountain of work handed to me, I felt like my spirits were about to crumble.
Looks like investigating the telegram from Touri will have to be put on hold for a while.
But showing up to work this late is my own fault.
I gave up and turned to face the pile of articles in front of me.
"Honestly, catching a cold at the worst possible time. We're totally swamped right now."
"Did something happen?"
"Read the articles I handed you. It's all in there."
At my boss' urging, I began proofreading the articles that had been handed to me.
Proofreading involves finding and correcting spelling mistakes and typos in the text.
As I read through the first article, the headline stood out: "Austin Prime Minister Spotted in Secret Rendezvous with a Beauty in the Provincial City of Paschen?"
"A secret rendezvous…? So what? Men do that sort of thing all the time."
"Idiot! The Prime Minister is married. That makes it a full-blown scandal."
"Oh…"
"This is a scoop none of our competitors have caught wind of yet. We'll blow it wide open."
Feeling a bit bewildered, I kept reading through the article.
Though much of the information is still unverified, it detailed how a sultry beauty had been seen linking arms with Austin's Prime Minister.
"If we can get solid evidence, it'll sell like crazy."
"Right…"
"First thing tomorrow, you're flying to Paschen to confirm the story. That's your job."
"But how exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"Bribe the staff at the hotel the Prime Minister used. There aren't many big hotels in Paschen. Check them one by one."
The boss said this while continuing to tap away on his typewriter.
He must have been incredibly busy; there were ink stains on the back of his hand.
"Am I going to handle this investigation on my own?"
"We're short-staffed. You've been with the company for a year now. It's about time you proved you can work independently."
"Y-Yes."
"I'm counting on you."
He kept typing away, a tense atmosphere radiating off him.
Apparently, he was irritable because Winn Monthly Heart's sales had been declining recently.
"Umm… about the bribe money…"
"Pay it out of pocket. If you bring back solid information, I'll reimburse you."
"…Understood."
***
────The next morning.
Following the boss' orders, I set off for Paschen.
The sheer triviality of the assignment left me feeling a bit exasperated.
"…A scandal involving the Prime Minister, huh?"
What a peaceful world we live in. The Prime Minister's affair is headline news.
A stark difference from wartime, when reports included how many people died in battle and which cities were occupied.
"I wish I could have followed up on the telegram from Touri."
I couldn't get her off my mind, but neglecting my job any further wasn't an option.
Feeling resentful towards the Prime Minister for not being able to control his lower body, I boarded the train to Paschen.
I'll use the connections I've built at the publishing company to look into Touri once this job is wrapped up.
"…Still half a day to Paschen."
As the train rattled along, I slowly opened her wartime diary.
With a crisp crackling sound, a fragment of the page's edge broke off and fluttered down.
A photo was glued there, showing Touri Noel with her shoulder held by a cheerful-looking girl.
Part 2
[Starts after WN Chapter 43]
It took half a day, but I finally arrived in Paschen.
Paschen is a city along the border with the Sabbath known for its tourism appeal; including river fishing on the Tar River.
Being a northern city, the weather is cool for summer.
The street stalls caught my eye, but I headed straight to the hotel that the boss had supposedly booked in advance.
"I have a reservation for a single room starting tonight."
"May I have your name?"
"Sedol Weber."
The hotel is reasonably clean and bustling with vacationers enjoying their holidays.
If the price is low enough, I might consider staying here on my next vacation.
"I've found your reservation. Shall we prepare your meal?"
"Yes, please."
I didn't hesitate since the company will be covering the costs.
My task here is to gather information from the hotel staff.
Eating in the hotel rather than outside seems like the more strategic choice.
"Understood. However, I regret to inform you that lunch service has already ended."
"Got it."
Checking my watch, I saw it was already past 3 p.m.
There's still some time until dinner.
"Then I'll head out for lunch. Please have my luggage taken to my room."
"Understood."
After making the request at the front desk, I handed over a generous tip.
With just my wallet in hand, I stepped out into the streets.
The streets are lined with countless food stalls and small restaurants.
Pickled river fish in olive oil seems to be a local specialty, and the tangy, sour aroma tickled my nose.
"Hey there, young man! Freshly made pickled trout! It'll last for a year since it's canned—perfect for souvenirs!"
"…Alright, thanks. I'll take one."
"Much appreciated!"
I walked along the street, casually browsing the stalls.
"Hey, owner. Any recommendations for good brothels around here?"
"Oh, you're interested in that kinda place? I can introduce you to one, but keep it a secret from my wife, okay?"
"Thank you. I don't mind the cost. Please recommend a good one."
The purpose of visiting the stalls is information gathering.
If the woman the Prime Minister invited to his room was a prostitute, he would have used one of the brothels in the area.
"Do you know if there are any brothels that offer in-room services?"
"Nah, I don't think any do that around here."
For these kinds of salacious details, asking locals in the lower parts of the city should be more reliable than questioning hotel staff.
I continued asking around and narrowed down which high-end establishments the Prime Minister might have used.
…Let's do the actual investigation at night.
"…Hmm?"
Having gathered a decent amount of information and thinking about heading back to the hotel, I suddenly noticed a peculiar store among the street stalls.
It was a store with a stone-faced man sitting on a chair at the entrance, silently puffing on a cigarette.
"What do you sell here?"
"Our main dish is fish meunière."
The man replied curtly.
I guess it's also a restaurant specializing in meunière.
There is certainly a fragrant, delicious smell in the air, but there isn't a single customer inside.
"Is that girl the poster girl for the store? Quite the indifferent attitude, though."
"Does that look alive to you?"
In the center of the store stood a mannequin dressed in a cute waitress uniform.
It clashed with the atmosphere of the place, making it feel eerie and unsettling.
I have a feeling that mannequin is keeping customers away.
"You eating here?"
"…Yeah, I guess I will."
An empty restaurant would likely serve food quickly.
Since I wanted to finish my meal and get back to my room to continue reading Touri's diary, I decided to eat there.
"Hey, owner."
"What is it?"
"…Do you have this risotto?"
Scanning the menu, my eye fell on a dish called chicken risotto.
Meunière isn't bad, but risotto is a personal favorite of mine.
It's inexpensive and particularly appetizing.
"That dish is crossed out, isn't it?"
"Yeah, which is why I'm asking."
"They're crossed off because we're not serving them. The chef isn't here."
"I see."
Guess I can't order it right now.
What a shame. Feels like my plans have been thwarted right from the start.
With no other choice, I ordered the store's signature meunière.
***
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
A cooled meunière came out just a few minutes after I ordered it. They must have had it prepared in advance.
"This is… delicious."
I ate in silence, savoring the dish in the empty restaurant.
Even though the meunière is slightly cold, the creamy sauce has a rich flavor that pairs wonderfully with the fish.
It was undeniably a top-tier dish, but…
"This tastes just like something I've had in Winn before."
"Yeah. We use ingredients imported from Winn. Fish included."
"…"
This restaurant apparently went to the trouble of transporting fish via rail from Winn.
Maybe due to the time spent in transit, the fish is slightly dry.
It could have been better if they'd just used local fish…
"The check, please."
"Two gold coins."
The price is steep, likely because of the costs involved in shipping the ingredients.
I could have enjoyed the same meal in Winn for half the price.
"It was good, thanks."
"Yeah, come again."
While silently grumbling to myself that this place was a bit of a miss, I kept a neutral expression as I thanked the owner and left for the hotel.
***
"What time would you like your dinner reservation for?"
"Book it for a late hour."
"Understood."
After returning to the hotel, I prepared a report summarizing the information I'd gathered during the day.
To prove I hadn't been slacking, even trivial details needed to be included in the report for the company.
"Alright, it's going to be a busy night."
With that thought, I rubbed my full stomach and flopped onto the soft bed.
The next phase of the investigation will be at dinner time.
I'll try to use tips to find a bellboy who might have served the Prime Minister during his stay.
Until then, I'll take a short break.
I opened Touri's diary once more.
[In unfamiliar handwriting scribbled in the margins]
"Platoon Leader Touri! If you have time to write your diary, why don't you talk to me instead?"
Part 3
[Starts after WN Chapter 47]
"A swing and a miss…"
That night, when the crowds from the street stalls had disappeared and the area fell silent, I continued my investigation in the red-light district just as I'd been instructed.
"No one's taking the bribes. That's unexpected."
In the end, I wasn't able to gather any new information about the Prime Minister's scandal—the big scoop my boss had been after.
The hotel staff were either playing dumb, or maybe there's no truth to the claim that the Prime Minister rented a hotel room at all.
When I tried offering a larger tip, my hand was pushed away in response.
"I guess the Prime Minister wouldn't use it for an affair if it weren't a tight-lipped hotel."
It was clear to me that the hotel staff wouldn't budge no matter how much money I offered.
With that in mind, I decided to move on and head into the night.
"There are two high-end brothels where I can take a woman out. I'll have to check both."
If I can obtain the evidence, it could even be used to blackmail the government.
This will also benefit Winn Monthly Heart.
That's the kind of work I do; like a leech digging into people's dark secrets.
"…I'll probably get chewed out again if I don't bring back any information."
I don't feel motivated, but I have to do it to make a living.
That's the job of a magazine reporter.
Whether or not the Prime Minister's affair would harm anyone doesn't concern me…
"For now, let's start from the closest one."
I grabbed the introduction letter from the street vendor and headed to the high-end brothel.
***
"…"
The next morning.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and collapsed face down on the bed in my hotel room.
"No."
Even though I spent the whole night bar-hopping last night, I didn't find much useful information.
Not a single customer saw the Prime Minister at the bar.
I tried slipping some money to a few of the boys at the brothels, but nothing came of it.
There were no details about the Prime Minister inviting a woman to his room.
"Maybe he didn't buy a woman after all?"
The Prime Minister's tryst may not have been with a prostitute, but an affair with an ordinary woman.
If that's the case, I'd need information on the woman herself to continue my investigation.
"Another miss, huh?"
There's no way I can keep investigating further with the information I have at hand.
I'd probably get an earful from the boss if I returned to the office now.
I can already hear his scolding, and it makes me feel even worse.
First of all, did the Prime Minister really come to Paschen?
I haven't even managed to track down any trace of his footsteps here.
"…"
With that thought weighing heavily on my chest, I drifted off to sleep.
***
"Sir, it's time for check-out."
"…Ah, thank you."
A few hours later, I was abruptly woken up by the hotel staff.
They were probably just trying to make sure I wouldn't miss my train.
"I'll clear out of the room right away."
I'm grateful for the wake-up call.
I wouldn't be able to return to the capital by rail if I missed the train.
I quickly packed my bags, paid the bill, and left the hotel.
"Is there time for lunch?"
After buying my ticket, I saw that the train to the capital wouldn't leave for another hour.
There should be enough time for a quick meal.
"Everywhere's crowded."
Maybe it's just because it's lunchtime, but the street stalls are busier than yesterday.
Families and groups of tourists are walking back and forth along the main street.
It's probably always this lively.
"…"
Of course, there's no time to wait in line at a popular restaurant.
I need to find an open restaurant that can prepare food quickly
It would be really embarrassing if I missed my train again today.
"Ugh…"
Then, I spotted a clearly empty restaurant, sitting all alone on the main street.
It's the strange store with a mannequin dressed in a waitress uniform out front.
I knew that the food at that place would come out quickly.
"Should I just order the cheapest thing on the menu there?"
I don't have time to enjoy a slow, leisurely meal in Paschen.
That place is overpriced, but the food is still good.
And anyway, the company is covering the cost of my meals.
***
"Owner, it's me again from yesterday."
"Oh, you're back again?"
I compromised and went back into the restaurant from before.
I called out to the store owner, who was sitting in the same spot as before.
"I'll take something cheap and quick. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Sure thing. We can get a soup ready in no time."
"Alright, I'll have that."
I sat down as the store owner gestured to a seat.
I pulled out the diary from my bag and began reading the next entry.
[Small piece of paper tucked into the diary]
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble. Please forgive Rove and the others."
Part 4
[Chapter 53 is split up in LN. This is after Touri tells Arunoma to value his life more right before Lakya dies.]
The dish that came out was steamed chicken soup.
It's the cheapest and simplest dish on the menu.
"Well, it's tasty."
As expected from a high-end restaurant, the soup had a good flavor.
The bread served with it is also delicious, perfectly complementing the vegetables and soup.
…This place might be more popular if the prices weren't so ridiculously high.
"Owner, just curious… Is there any way to lower the prices a bit?"
"Not gonna happen. I don't do any price negotiations."
"I'm just worried. Won't you go out of business if this is how many customers you get during the day?"
"We're a high-end restaurant that prides itself on the quality of our ingredients. As long as we attract people who know what good food is, that's all that matters."
The taste is common in the capital, Winn, but it's certainly delicious.
Maybe some people find value in enjoying the taste of the capital in a backwater place like Paschen.
"It's popular with tourists from the Sabbath. You can enjoy authentic Winn cuisine without having to go to the capital."
"Is that a price tourists can afford?"
"Rich people are everywhere. You're not saying you can't afford it, are you?"
"Nah, I can pay. I just felt like complaining about the price."
"If you've got complaints, then don't come."
The store owner's attitude is unfriendly.
I'm surprised this store hasn't gone out of business.
"…"
I reached for my wallet in a bad mood.
At that moment, I noticed a small door at the back of the restaurant.
It's strangely positioned for a kitchen door.
"Owner, is that door a bathroom? I kind of need to go."
"No, the bathroom is through the door in the front. That's a private room for customers with reservations."
Curious, I asked the store owner about the door.
"I see, so there are private rooms too."
"It's a high-end restaurant, after all."
Behind that door appears to be a private room.
If this place claimed to be a high-end restaurant, it wouldn't be surprising for it to have private rooms.
"…"
But I somehow "smelt it," maybe it's a reporter's intuition.
If the Prime Minister had come to Paschen, it's odd that there were no reports of him being seen at the street stalls.
He could have stayed inside the hotel, but…
If he had gone out to eat, there was no way that no one would have noticed him.
Even if he stayed in the hotel, there should have been rumors.
The waitstaff have their own lives too, and someone might talk if I slipped them some money.
"Owner, would it be possible to stay in that private room if I pay extra?"
"…Yeah, there's a bed in there. Some celebrities use it that way."
What if the Prime Minister didn't stay at a hotel crowded with people, but instead stayed in a private room at a quiet, personal restaurant?
"How much is it for a night?"
"It's twice the price of a normal hotel."
"Got it."
It feels like I'm taking a bit of a gamble.
"Then I'll pay double that amount. In exchange, I want to hear about Prime Minister Fogman who stayed in this private room last month."
"…"
I tried to shake the store owner by mentioning Prime Minister Fogman's name.
"Sorry, but I won't reveal any customer information no matter how much you offer. Go away."
"I see, that's unfortunate,"
He made a somewhat irritated face before turning his back on me.
"Fine, I'll take the room at the regular price. Rent me the private room as a normal guest."
"…"
With a smile, I pulled the agreed amount of gold coins from my bag.
I'll probably get in trouble for overspending on this investigation, but getting scolded for not bringing back information would be worse.
"As long as you pay, you're a customer. We don't have any other reservations for today. Use it as you please."
"Thank you."
The store owner said this and handed me the key to the private room.
Earlier, he said that he, "won't reveal any customer information."
This means he just acknowledged that the Prime Minister had used the restaurant's services.
"I'll have to send a telegram to the head office. Since I'm staying another night, maybe I can gather some useful information."
The room has most likely already been cleaned, and any evidence would be long gone.
But if a celebrity had stayed at such a rundown restaurant, it surely would have caught attention.
If I asked around at nearby restaurants, I might be able to get some information about the restaurant's patrons.
***
"…Well, this room's surprisingly spacious."
"I'm glad you're satisfied."
When I opened the door to the private room with the key given to me by the store owner, I was surprised at how spacious it was.
It's large enough to accommodate about ten people, suitable for a small party.
There are two beds in the back, along with a large table and chairs.
It's a luxurious room fitting for celebrity clientele.
"Ring the bell if you want to order food. Just don't order after ten o'clock."
"Got it."
He said this with little enthusiasm and started to leave the room.
I grabbed his shoulder and, with a friendly smile, stopped him.
"Wait a moment, owner. There are no other customers right now, are there?"
"So what?"
"I'm in the mood for a drink. Would you join me?"
"Don't be ridiculous. If you want a drinking buddy, go to another bar."
He glared at me with suspicion.
But if I backed off here, my reputation as a reporter would be ruined.
"I just want to talk to you."
"No thanks. I'm not interested."
The store owner responded coldly to my invitation.
Extracting information from people like him is what reporters do best.
"You've got good cooking skills, owner. Where did you learn to cook?"
"I was taught by my old man when I was a kid."
"He must've been a great chef. A well-known one, I bet."
"Just a regular cook, nothing special."
As my senior had taught me, I first tried to flatter him.
His response wasn't great, but I decided to keep trying.
"You have a good sense of interior design too. That landscape painting on the wall, it really fits the atmosphere of this place."
"Ah, you mean that shabby painting? Yeah, I guess it fits the empty store."
"…Your outfit is good too. With how good you look, I think it's pretty stylish."
"This is just mass-produced clothing."
I used all the compliments I could think of, but the store owner just scoffed.
He probably saw right through my intentions.
"Well now, customer, are the compliments done?"
"Ah, not quite yet. The old photo on the wall, that's probably a picture of you when you were younger. I have to say, you were really cool back then."
"Thanks for that. But praising me for how I looked 20 years ago isn't exactly doing it for me."
"I'm just saying you were handsome even back then."
He remained distant no matter what I said.
I gave up trying to persuade the store owner and decided to go and investigate elsewhere.
"Ah, owner, I'm going to step outside for a bit. Do you need anything as a souvenir?"
"If you're going to buy something outside, I'd prefer it if you ordered from here."
"Well, that's understandable."
I was about to smile bitterly at his stubborn attitude, but I didn't show it on my face and headed amiably to the exit.
I'm staying at this place tonight, so I still have a chance.
Let's start somewhere else for now—
"…Hmm?"
"What's it this time, customer?"
I noticed an old photo displayed at the entrance.
The girl in the photo looked familiar.
It's the same lively young girl who had appeared in the diary I had just read before dinner.
"I think this girl is…"
I couldn't help but step closer and examine the photo more closely.
No doubt about it, the girl in the photo is…
"Is this… the medic, Lakya?"
"!!"
The store owner's face changed drastically as soon as I whispered her name.
He grabbed my arm with terrifying strength.
"You… How do you know that name?"
[A curse scribbled in the diary in familiar handwriting]
"I won't forgive you. I won't forgive you. I won't forgive you. I won't forgive you."
***
[November 7th]
I haven't been able to write in my diary for a while, but I've decided to pick up the pen again.
I want to record that event while my memory is still clear.
You could call it a sixth sense.
…Thinking back, I had an unusual feeling of unease from the morning that day.
It was as if a terrifying monster had set its sights on me, licking its lips in anticipation.
But I didn't pay any attention to that feeling.
I rationalized it as my mind being weakened from witnessing such horrifying scenes.
Looking back now, it must have been my instincts sounding an alarm.
Just like during the retreat from Marshdale.
What I'm about to write is a confession of my sins.
So that I never forget this guilt, I intend to leave everything I know written as it is.
To whoever reads this diary, I beg you—do not repeat my mistakes.
Part 5
[Starts after WN Chapter 56]
Pressed by the store owner's outburst, I confessed honestly.
I told him that I had found Touri's diary during my recent vacation.
Inside the diary is a photograph of a girl named Lakya.
"…Could you let me read that diary too?"
"Uh, sure. Go ahead."
I then ended up reading the diary with the store owner.
The store is deserted despite it being mealtime.
The sight of two men sitting side by side reading a diary must have looked strange from the outside.
"…Owner. I have a question for you."
"What is it?"
"What was your relationship with Touri?"
As I continued reading the diary, I asked the store owner.
This diary was originally written by Touri for Director Isaac, after all.
If I were to show it to an unrelated person, I thought I should ask about the reason.
"…What kind of relationship? When you put it like that, it's hard to say."
"Are you not friends, or something like that?"
"No, that's not it. She was my benefactor… no, that doesn't sound right. But it wasn't that she was my enemy either."
It seems the owner's relationship with Touri is complicated.
He wasn't trying to avoid my question; he looked genuinely troubled trying to answer it.
"Right now, I'm just an empty shell. I can't really explain my relationship with her properly."
"An empty shell?"
"I'm still trapped by the war. That's why I can't put it into words."
For the first time, the store owner showed a more human expression.
With a nostalgic look on his face, he took out the photograph that had been tucked inside the diary.
"Would it be alright if I looked at it?"
"Of course."
In the photograph, soldiers wearing medical and nurse uniforms were gathered around Touri.
Among them, there's also a photograph of the girl named Lakya.
"Ah, it's been 20 years since I last saw your face. You remain youthful and cute, just as I remember you."
The store owner gazed at the medic Lakya with flushed cheeks.
Then, in a trembling voice, he began to speak to the girl in the photograph.
"I kept my promise. I built the store just like I said. The main dish is the fish meunière, just like you wanted. I've also prepared many of the dishes and desserts you liked."
"…Owner?"
"You're still trapped there, aren't you? Please come to the store soon. I've been waiting, preparing for you all this time."
As he spoke to the photograph, the store owner's eyes were filled with madness.
He could no longer distinguish between reality and the past in the photograph.
"I want to hear it. I want to hear your voice again."
"…"
"Please, come out soon. If you don't come out, I'll be trapped in the war forever."
The store owner continued to bow his head, pleading with the photograph.
I couldn't bring myself to speak to him at that moment.
"Please, Lakya…"
He finally muttered in a faint voice.
Part 6
[Starts after WN Chapter 60]
"Could it be that you're…"
"Yeah, the Rove mentioned in this diary is me."
The store owner introduced himself to me as Rove.
20 years ago, he volunteered for the Austin Central Army with two friends and was the only one to survive.
"We never intended to become soldiers. But Lakya was deceived and volunteered."
"…"
"Lakya wasn't very bright. She must have been persuaded into volunteering."
Rove spoke bitterly about the events of that time.
"We had a dream. The three of us wanted to open a fancy restaurant in Winn."
"…"
"Lakya was a girl with a big appetite. I threw myself into studying cooking so I could fulfill her wishes."
Hearing this, I understand why the store owner is so particular about Winn cuisine.
This restaurant is for Lakya.
That's why the menu is filled with her favorite dishes.
Not only that, but this man must still be…
"Rove, are you perhaps…"
"What is it, customer?"
"Are you still waiting for the two of them to come back?"
In Rove's mind, his childhood friends hadn't faded.
The dishes that can't be made due to the absence of the chef.
The waitress uniform made to fit a young girl.
It was clear that these were meant to remind him of his childhood friends.
"Yeah, I'm waiting."
"…"
"Is that such a bad thing?"
In response to my question,
He looked at me with clear eyes and said it firmly.
"I'm still not free from the war. When the war ends, Lakya and the others will return."
"Rove…"
"Isn't that enough? We've suffered enough already. Please, set us free."
Rove's time had stopped 20 years ago.
He left his soul behind on the day he lost his childhood friends.
"…The war has already ended, Rove."
"It hasn't ended. Look, there's Rakya smiling right here."
"That's just a photo."
"Theyre still trapped. One day, the two of them will come to my store."
It's so painful to witness. Is this the depth of his heart?
Even though the war has ended, he continues to suffer.
"It won't be long now. Soon, they'll come back."
"…"
"Oh, Lakya, I want to see you. This time, I'll tell you what I couldn't say before."
I was at a loss for words as I watched Rove gaze into the empty space.
There was no point in saying anything anymore.
My words will never reach his heart. I can't save this man with my words.
"Thank you, customer. Thank you for letting me read that diary. For showing me my friend who's trapped."
"…It's nothing."
Unfortunately, I hadn't gotten any information about Touri.
What remained here was the sad end of a soldier's broken heart, destroyed by the war.
"Ah, right. I should give you something in return for showing me the diary."
"In return?"
"You wanted to know about the Prime Minister, didn't you? It's supposed to be confidential, but you're special."
Rove smiled and patted my shoulder.
The man, with his broad grin, looked nothing short of eerie.
"────The age of war is coming back."
He whispered that in my ear.
"The reason the Prime Minister stayed here wasn't for an affair. He was having a secret meeting."
"What?"
"This is a town on the border with the Sabbath. Prime Minister Fogman was negotiating with a diplomat from the Sabbatian government."
I can't understand what Rove is saying.
The Prime Minister was supposed to be meeting with his lover.
The information I wanted to know isn't anything like this.
"This is a place for those who talk about 'underground matters.' I'm the only one working here. In the 20 years since I opened, I've never leaked any information. That's why people trust me and use the place."
"…A meeting? Austin, with the Sabbatian government?"
"Prime Minister Fogman signed a secret non-aggression pact with the Sabbath. It's to prepare for war again."
I'm suddenly being told state secrets.
This information is too important for a mere magazine reporter to know.
"…That must be a lie. That can't be true."
"If you don't believe me, feel free. But I heard it with my own ears."
"Don't they know how many people died in the last World War? Didn't they learn that war only breeds hell?"
But I can't believe the words he said.
There's no way the Prime Minister of a country wouldn't understand something so simple as: never letting a war between nations happen again.
"The age of war is coming back to Austin."
"It's a lie. There's no way humans could be that foolish. There's no way anyone would make the same mistake again."
"It's coming back. Soon, the age of war will return!"
Rove laughed with a look of ecstasy, his cheeks flushed.
He's ecstatic about the prospect of war breaking out again.
"If the world is once again ensnared by war, I'm sure I'll be able to see the two of them again…"
For him, the days when his childhood friends were alive and at war were everything.
"…I feel sick. I think I'll be going now."
"Oh? Aren't you staying the night?"
"I don't want to be near you."
I felt so nauseous that I had to leave the restaurant.
The food I had eaten there felt like poison coursing through my body.
"…It's a lie."
Dizziness made the world spin, and the noise of the main street amplified my headache.
Unable to stand, I eventually collapsed onto a corner of the road.
"It can't possibly happen."
Rove must be confused, his memories distorted.
He had seen a picture of his childhood friend for the first time in a while and had blurted out something strange in excitement.
Humanity isn't that foolish.
After the horrors and the massive number of casualties of the World War, there's no way they would repeat such a thing.
"Isn't that right, Prime Minister? You're not that stupid, are you…?"
…A second World War.
A second world war will break out.
Confronted with such a possibility, I couldn't hold it in and vomited on the roadside in Paschen.
***
That night, I took the train back to the head office in Winn.
It was past the closing time by the time I arrived in the city, and the building was completely dark.
After glancing at the darkened office building, I returned to my boarding house without having dinner.
My lodging is a small company dormitory built next to the office.
I turned the information I gathered in Paschen into a report and went to bed that night.
"Hah…"
The next day, I walked to work with heavy steps.
In the end, yesterday's investigation was a failure.
Despite extending my investigation by a day, I had only gathered information that wouldn't make a good article.
If it's true that the Prime Minister held diplomatic negotiations with the Sabbatian government, there's no way I can write an article about it.
It would be a leak of state secrets, and I would be arrested and stopped from publishing it.
If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if just knowing this information got me assassinated.
I feel like crying, realizing how much of a failure my investigation had been.
It's his fault that I've come across such dangerous information.
I'll present my boss with this report and drag him into it.
With that in mind, I carefully prepared the report.
***
"Good morning. Sedol Weber reporting in."
"You're late! You were supposed to come back yesterday!"
The next morning I was met with a barrage of insults as I entered the office.
The boss is clearly upset at my decision to extend the investigation on my own.
"You're really useless, Sedol! You can't even keep a deadline!"
"I'm sorry."
"I need you to get moving today. Leave the report from yesterday on my desk!"
The boss showed no interest in the report I had prepared and angrily typed on the typewriter.
He looks like he's in a very bad mood.
I can't help but wonder how he'll react when he finds out that I had stumbled upon state secrets.
"You got the information, right?"
"Yes, I got a scoop. The real deal."
"Then I'll confirm that later. Right now, take a look at this."
He roughly shoved a few articles and a map in front of me.
It's likely the next location for my investigation.
"…Is this a map of Paschen?"
"Something interesting happened right after you returned from Paschen. I sent you a telegram asking you to investigate the incident because you had stayed behind without permission, but you're back. What's the deal with that?"
"Oh…"
"You're really useless. Don't you have an instinct as a reporter?"
My boss is red-faced with anger.
Even though he's yelling at me, there's no way I could have predicted the event.
Fed up with the unreasonable nagging, I went to read the details of the incident.
"A restaurant owner was shot in the head and killed last night. Since the money from the restaurant wasn't stolen, it looks like it's a case of a personal grudge."
"…Huh."
"And there's a witness account of the suspect. A customer left the restaurant just after the gunshot was heard."
He quickly rattled off the details of the incident.
If it were just a typical murder case, we wouldn't bother covering it.
But since we're investigating it, there must be something with mass appeal, something scandalous.
"The interesting part is the murderer is a small girl holding a gun. She's described as a young, cute, expressionless, and doll-like girl."
"A small woman with a gun?"
"Yes. People are talking about who that girl is."
I see, that's certainly interesting.
A murder case in which a young girl takes the life of the store owner and walks away without even touching any of the store's money.
It stirs up all kinds of imagination.
"You were in Paschen until yesterday, weren't you? Did you see a girl like that?"
"Unfortunately, I didn't."
I'd rather not return to Paschen.
I don't want to get anywhere near that creepy restaurant.
But if it's for work, there's no other way.
I braced myself and picked up the article.
"You're really useless. You'd better get results by the deadline this time."
"Yes— Wait, what?"
Then, I froze when I saw the photo of the victim.
"The restaurant owner who was killed was a 39-year-old man named Rove Krister."
The man in the photo had red hair and a nervous expression.
"I hear he was a former soldier from the Austin military. It was probably someone with a grudge."
It's the man who had been driven mad by the war, who knew state secrets, and who leaked information to me.
End of Volume 3