"Since we haven't been able to reach a ceasefire, we must settle things with the Workers' Council as soon as possible. General Blake is planning to launch a winter offensive."
"That's insane! We don't even have enough food and supplies for a march on the capital!"
September 1918.
The Sabbatian government forces resolved to mount a winter offensive to recapture Josegrad.
"They say they'll collect supplies from the villages along the way. It's a national crisis, so I'm sure the people will cooperate."
"If they do that, the nation really will collapse!"
However, there were not enough food supplies because the ceasefire attempt with Austin failed.
An offensive costs money, water, food, and ammunition. All things that were in short supply.
In an act of desperation, the Sabbatian government decided to seize goods from neighboring villages.
"At this rate, no one will be happy even if we win… The people will only hate us."
The villages in eastern Sabbath subjected to looting lost many to starvation and freezing during the winter.
With the sacrifice of such people, the battle to capture Josegrad began. It was one in which both advancing and retreating could only lead to hell.
The Battle of Josegrad would go down as the greatest tragedy in the Sabbath's history and is still spoken of to this day.
It is said that the root of all evil lies with Sylph Nova.
***
The night the winter offensive was decided.
The setting sun signaled it was nearly time for bed.
There was a knock on the door of Sylph's private room.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
Sylph was alone with Elijah, working on paperwork.
From beyond the door came a voice she knew well, the imposing golden-haired man, Gorski.
"I'm coming in."
"…I'm still working. Bring it up tomorrow if it's not an urgent matter."
Sylph Nova, a captain in the Sabbatian Army. She's known as a harsh, high-strung young officer to her subordinates.
"No, it's for personal business. I'll wait until you finish."
"Personal business? It's rather rude to come to a woman's room at night for that."
"Oh, don't say that. Look, I've even brought Vok and buckwheat porridge."
"…Hmph."
Her severe demeanor was a result of how seriously she took her duties. However, that was something hard to recognize without a certain level of perceptiveness.
"Let's have a drink tonight. I'll listen to your complaints. Would you like to join us, Elijah?"
"If Sylph-sama is going to drink, then I will as well."
Sylph never acted out of self-interest. Everything she did was for the sake of her country.
In Gorski's eyes, she was a young woman doing her best.
"Sylph, you're in the mood for a drink too, aren't you?"
"…You really are perceptive, Gorski."
"Well, we've known each other for a long time."
With that, Gorski sat himself down at the table in Sylph's room without another word.
Looking at him, Sylph gave an exasperated, yet subtle smile.
"Mm."
Gorski nodded and poured liquor into three glasses.
"So then, what do you honestly think of the army's latest decision, Sylph?"
"Foolish. I can't think of any other word for it. What on earth is General Blake thinking?"
After she finished the paperwork, Sylph grabbed a glass and downed the Vok in one gulp.
"The politicians don't understand why the people rose up in the first place."
"That's right."
"They're mixing up ending the rebellion with retaking the capital. If they start looting supplies, the rebellion will only get worse."
Sylph Nova was a patriot through and through.
She worried for the nation's future and wished for a country that would be better for its people.
That was why she was more dissatisfied with the military than almost anyone else.
"Is their own wealth really that important to them? Those complete idiots!"
"Easy there."
"I… I didn't become a staff officer to do something like this!"
To love the people and care for the country's future. Such pure and uncompromising ideals are typically found only in the young.
"Gorski, am I the one who's wrong?"
"No… you're right, Sylph."
Sylph had always faithfully carried out her duties as a staff officer for the army.
But now, she was beginning to question whether those duties were just.
"Hey, pour it, Gorski! My glass is empty."
"What a tyrannical superior."
They washed away their pent-up stress with Vok while cracking jokes. This was how Sabbatians maintained peace of mind.
"…Sylph-sama, you seem quite close with Gorski."
"Yeah, we go way back."
However, Elijah looked at Sylph with surprise.
It was rare for Sylph to publicly express such dissatisfaction about the higher-ups.
Sylph was sharp. She didn't show weakness easily.
She would never openly vent her frustrations unless she trusted someone deeply.
"How long have you and Sylph-sama known each other?"
"We've known each other for quite a long time, since Sylph was a child."
Elijah couldn't help but ask the two of them.
"Ah, well… Gorski was in my father's unit."
"That's not all. I am also Sylph's fiancé."
"Bwaa?!"
"Huh?"
Sylph nearly choked at Gorski's response, while Elijah's eyes went wide in shock.
Gorski, who was more than twice Sylph's age, claimed to be her fiancé.
"W-What do you mean?! And what about the age difference?!?"
"Don't lie, you muscle-bound idiot! Where on earth did you hear a story like that?!"
"Hmm, it was back when I was invited to a rally organized by General Brustav."
Sylph swung a punch at Gorski without hesitation, but the burly man caught her fist with his arm and continued speaking with a laugh.
***
It's a story from ten years ago, right after the onset of the East-West War.
At that time, no one expected the war to drag on. Most believed it would end by the new year.
"To the glorious future of the great Sabbath Federation!"
"Cheers!"
Gorski, highly regarded as a soldier, was appointed as a platoon leader in the Brustav Battalion.
"It's a great relief to have a capable platoon leader like you."
"The honor is mine, General Brustav."
Back then, Gorski was known as one of the strongest assault troops among the young soldiers.
"…Are you strong?"
"Hmm?"
Looking over, there was a high-handed, bold little girl dressed up in a fancy dress, peering up at Gorski.
"I'm sorry about her. She's my daughter, Sylph."
"Oh, what a cute little lady."
"Haha, no need for the flattery."
That was Brustav's beloved daughter, the very same seven-year-old Sylph.
Gorski thought she was unusually calm for her age.
"Hey now, Sylph. He's giving you a compliment."
"A soldier needs no flattery. If he's competent, that's enough."
"…Ha! Exactly right! What a spirited young lady."
The young Sylph didn't show any fear toward the blonde giant that was Gorski.
Rather, she looked at him with the eyes of a superior officer, as if she were "judging" him.
"Then rest assured, Miss Sylph. I am indeed capable."
"Oh?"
"For the Sabbatian Army, and for General Brustav, I have trained diligently and honed my spear skills."
"Hmph, it's good that you're confident."
Gorski responded cheerfully, and Sylph gave a backhanded compliment in return.
Her father, Brustav, was troubled by his daughter's behavior.
"I can definitely feel your presence."
"That is an honor."
"Use your skills to the fullest. May it be a blessing to the future of the Sabbath."
Sylph continued with a satisfied smile emerging on her lips. With her eyes fixed on the young and ambitious Gorski:
"Show me you can achieve many victories. Then maybe I'll consider becoming your fiancé."
"…Pfft! Hahaha! That really would be an honor!"
The then seven-year-old Sylph Nova spoke with incredible condescension.
Hearing those words, Gorski burst out laughing while her father Brustav could only awkwardly smile.
***
"And then I achieved the greatest success in Brustav Battalion, Sylph."
"You…"
That was how Sylph and Gorski first met.
The "engagement" Gorski spoke of was actually a declaration Sylph made on her own.
"After that, General Brustav asked me, 'Are you seriously considering marrying Sylph?'"
"…What did you say?"
"I said I was just trying to survive for now, and that if I was still alive when the war ends, then sure."
Brustav trusted Gorski enough that if Sylph truly wished it, the match could become real.
"That's not it."
Sylph blushed deeply and waved her hands in front of Gorski.
Perhaps remembering that moment, her ears reddened with embarrassment.
"Well, it was, umm, partly to spite my father."
"To spite him?"
Sylph didn't have any romantic feelings for Gorski.
However, at the time, Sylph's father had told her that she would be engaged to an excellent soldier in the future.
She naturally assumed that Gorski, the most capable man in Brustav Battalion, was her intended fiancé.
"Everyone praised you as outstanding. I just misunderstood that I'd be married to you."
"Haha, is that how it is? Well, that explains it!"
Sylph was unhappy about her parents deciding her marriage partner without her say.
She thought that if she acted cheeky and arrogant, maybe they'd dislike her.
With that in mind, she spoke in such a high-handed manner as a form of rebellion.
"I was just a child back then. Making that kind of misunderstanding is normal. You don't have to dredge it up now."
"No, it was really adorable, Sylph. You were like a cat with its fur standing on end."
"I would have liked to see a young Sylph-sama myself."
Gorski was not the type to be offended by the arrogant attitude of a child.
If anything, he looked back at Sylph with fondness.
From then on, Gorski took a liking to her and would strike up a conversation with her whenever he had the chance.
"Ah, I wish I could crawl into a hole right now…"
"Come on now, Sylph. Still, how did things turn out after that?"
For Sylph, it was nothing but a black stain in her dark history.
Being made into a topic for two adults' drunken conversation, she glared at Gorski with resentment.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, did you receive any marriage proposals?"
"No. My father must have decided not to have me join another family, but to raise me as a soldier instead."
"I see."
However, because of Sylph's extraordinary talent, Brustav put an end to the marriage arrangement.
With the East–West War dragging on, skilled staff officers were in short supply.
He must have thought it a waste to confine her to domestic life.
"Well, that's why I don't have a fiancé. I also don't have any intention of getting one."
"Hmm, have you ever fallen in love with someone?"
"…In the past, I did think I'd have those kinds of feelings."
After all, Sylph was of an age where being interested in romance was only natural. She simply never had a specific partner.
The reason is:
"All the men are idiots. I wish they were a little more intelligent."
"That's harsh."
All the young men she had spoken with at the military academy had seemed like idiots to her.
In truth, their minds probably did work more slowly when compared to Sylph.
"I refuse to date a fool. It's too stressful."
"However, it would be difficult to find someone with the intelligence to match Sylph-sama's."
"They don't have to be as smart as I am."
There really were only a few individuals in the world as intelligent as Sylph.
Sylph Nova had graduated at the top of her class from the military academy.
In her thesis, she had developed the simultaneous multi-point breakthrough tactic, making her one of the greatest geniuses in Sabbatian history.
This was a fact acknowledged by everyone, including herself.
"It'd be fine as long as they're not too stupid. They need to at least be intelligent enough to hold a proper conversation with me."
"I see."
"It'd be even better if they were someone I could respect. Someone who's brave and dependable. That sort of thing."
"Oh?"
After saying that, Sylph shot Gorski a sidelong glance and grinned.
"In that sense, Gorski isn't bad. He might have been a candidate if there weren't such an age gap."
"That's unfortunate. So you dislike older men, Sylph?"
"It's not so much the older part, I just don't like it when the age gap is too big. I'd prefer someone from my generation."
Perhaps the alcohol was starting to take effect, because Sylph began speaking at length about her type of man.
It was a sign that her mood had lifted and she had set aside her troubles.
The two adults nodded along to Sylph's story as they poured themselves Vok.
"Someone around your age, reasonably intelligent, brave, and dependable?"
"What other qualities do you look for in a man?"
"Well… let's see. Someone who can accept me for who I am."
"Accept you?"
"I'm aware that I have a harsh personality and act arrogant. I'm not exactly well-liked."
Her cheeks flushed and her eyes slightly narrowed. The young soldier downed her drink with a lonely air.
"When I get angry, I end up saying harsh things. I just can't seem to fix that."
"Sylph-sama…"
"It may be asking too much, but… I'd like someone who can accept me despite all that."
She knew that it was something she should fix someday, but so far she had made no progress.
"Well, I don't think there's anyone like that."
"Don't worry, Sylph-sama. He'll turn up eventually."
"As if. There's no way."
Wanting someone to see and accept her was a rather cute wish for someone her age.
Gorski listened to the young woman's complaints with quiet amusement, but then…
"That's why lately, I've been thinking of handpicking a subordinate and training him into my type."
"Training him…?"
"Yes. I'll take a younger, talented subordinate and educate him until he's fit to be my right-hand man."
Before long, Sylph flared her nostrils and she let out a disgusting laugh.
Training a younger man like that was a little… no, a rather abnormal fetish.
It seemed Sylph's disappointment in men had twisted her tastes.
"Uh… Sylph, about that plan of yours…"
"What's wrong with it?"
"I wouldn't recommend it either."
Gorski tried to gently warn her that it might be a bit too much, but Elijah pretended to go along with it and said:
"A man who only does what he's told is boring. Someone who lacks initiative is no good."
"True enough. I have no fetish for doting on a mindless puppet."
"Exactly."
She gently chided Sylph, despite the slightly warped reasoning.
"I want a partner, not a tool. Someone who's obedient, but also trustworthy."
"I understand, Sylph-sama."
"And from time to time, I want him to show a sudden, startling ferocity. Not some domesticated pet, but the force of a wild beast."
"Then, an obedient man, but one with a backbone?"
"Exactly. Even if he's normally quiet, he should have that sort of primal side…"
Perhaps because of the alcohol, the women's conversation veered into strange territory.
Sylph was becoming more and more talkative, speaking with great enthusiasm.
Elijah was likely egging her on deliberately.
All the while, Gorski decided to stay silent and simply listen.
"That said, someone violent is no good. He has to understand moderation."
"Not just forceful, but strong in a way that makes you want to rely on him in a pinch. Someone who will support and protect me in my endeavors."
This was clearly not a conversation for a man to butt into.
After all, Gorski had experience talking with other men about their "ideal woman."
Someone with a warm heart, a busty figure, tolerant of cheating, and a good cook…
And of course, the end result had been an unrealistically convenient woman.
"There's no way a man like that could exist in real life. I have no choice but to raise one myself."
"You might find one if you look hard enough."
There was no need to be a killjoy when it was just a bit of lighthearted talk.
With that in mind, Gorski chose not to interrupt and simply watched over them with a lukewarm smile.
***
And so…
"Excuse me."
"Hmm?"
As the party was in full swing and the women deep in lively conversation, the sound of knocking came, followed by a voice from outside.
"Who is it? State your name and unit."
"This is Touri Lowe, a member of Gorski Platoon. I heard the Platoon Leader is here."
"Oh, Touri?"
The voice belonged to Touri Lowe. She had apparently come all the way to Sylph's private room to find Gorski.
"Never mind, come in. We're in the middle of a party."
"I see. Then, please excuse me."
Prompted by that, Touri gave a polite bow and stepped inside.
…And when she saw the very drunk Sylph, her face froze into an indescribable expression.
"Platoon Leader Gorski, there's an error in the documentation regarding the ammunition. I need you to confirm it immediately…"
"Oh, sorry about that."
A man visiting a female officer's room at night was considered bad manners.
That's why the soldiers of Gorski Platoon had used Touri as their messenger instead.
"The ammo count doesn't match, correct?"
"It's most likely a simple calculation error. This total here doesn't add up."
"You're right. Huh, I must have overlooked that."
Sylph stared at Touri, who was engaged in serious conversation.
Touri noticed her gaze, but she just ignored it since she didn't know how to react.
"Hmm… so you can do math, Touri. You're not as foolish as I thought."
"Huh? Ah, thank you. I'm honored by the compliment."
Sylph's expression shifted to one lost in thought.
Touri, who knew the fear of being harassed by a drunk superior officer, was a little troubled.
"A sudden, startling ferocity. Reliable, protective, and from the same generation… I see, I see…"
"Umm, Sylph?"
After a few seconds of silence, the drunk Sylph's eyes suddenly sparkled brightly.
"Touri, aren't you actually a guy?"
"…Eh?"
At that moment, Touri's expression gave away that she'd hit close to home.