Having captured Fort Rusovets, the Sabbatian government forces were celebrating their victory.
The battle to capture Fort Rusovets had faced overwhelmingly unfavorable supply conditions.
Given that this reckless battle had been won completely in just one day, it's no surprise that morale was high.
"The enemy is really weak."
"We can win, we can win"
It is said that there were about 7,000 to 8,000 casualties in the Battle of Rusovets.
Most of them were volunteer soldiers who had responded to the call to defend Fort Rusovets.
The majority of these volunteers were 'young men before conscription age' who were enamored by Remi's ideals and took up arms to build a new era.
"Today we celebrate! Surely, we can let loose for today, right, Captain Sylph?"
"…Ah, I'll go announce the rewards."
"We're counting on you, you damn brat of a staff officer!"
The soldiers of Sylph Company were also in high spirits as they heard the victory cries at their secured base.
Being a medic, I hid inside the fort and watched what was happening.
"You all did well."
And as for Sylph, who had achieved this astounding victory…
While giving a suitable response to the soldiers' words, she absentmindedly gazed at the body of a boy with a youthful face lying near the fortress.
"…"
The boy's face was smeared with dried grass and mud, and his pupils were clouded gray.
A ribbon wrapped around his arm had the words "See you in the future" written briefly in Sabbatian.
It was a prayer for survival, like the kind of phrase families might say to a soldier going off to war.
"What are you looking at, Captain Sylph?"
"It's nothing."
This deceased boy appeared to be in his early teens.
This boy must have gone off to war without receiving adequate training as a soldier.
That's why he was stationed in this second layer of the fortress instead of the front line.
He surely had a family. Maybe he even had a lover.
"…Tch."
Sylph hated seeing civilians get hurt.
She had a firm belief that soldiers should risk their lives to protect the people.
She even saw any harm to civilians as a defeat.
What kind of thoughts does she have as she fights against citizens who have risen up in armed uprising?
"If we don't crush the revolutionary forces quickly, this tragedy will spread even further. You guys can let loose, but don't let your guard down."
"Roger that, our brat of a Captain!"
"And you, the one who's been mouthing off since earlier. No alcohol for you."
"Wha-"
At least from my perspective, Sylph did not seem particularly pleased with this unprecedented victory.
***
"Hey, Touri. Care to join me for a game of chess?"
"Again?"
"There's no hidden agenda today. I just want you to join me.
General Blake rewarded Sylph for her achievements as the first to attack with alcohol and dried meat.
The soldiers who received it occupied a corner of the fortress and began a drinking party.
"Elijah's been called in to treat the wounded. I'm bored."
"Now that I think about it, I don't see you talking much with anyone besides Elijah."
"…Don't mention that."
Elijah, who is always by her side, is very busy providing treatment after the battle.
I was a medic for the enemy country, so I wasn't made to work.
Being an Austinite, they probably thought I might cause some trouble.
"I think the alcohol would taste better if you drank with a more cheerful soldier than with me."
"That's not true."
I accompanied Sylph and arranged the chess pieces as instructed.
I don't particularly like chess, but I didn't dislike the calm atmosphere Sylph exuded.
"I can't feel very cheerful about today's battle."
"Is that so?"
"Isn't it the same for you, Touri Lowe?"
I'm not feeling very happy today either.
This is probably because the enemy we fought today was younger than I had imagined.
"I… for the first time in my life, I killed someone younger than myself."
"So, you fired your gun as well?"
The enemies we fought today included very young individuals.
I saw many innocent-looking enemy soldiers who looked like middle school students from my previous lives.
"They were surely…"
"They are citizens who have been manipulated by the Workers' Council. Drinking after killing children doesn't taste good."
"…"
"But I can't handle it without drinking. Ah, alcohol is like a drug."
Talking like this made me realize something.
Despite being a military commander, Sylph was still a girl with ordinary feelings.
She had to be driven to madness by the war, but parts of her hadn't fully succumbed yet.
"We must not let those terrorists take over. The country would be doomed."
"You think so?"
"Of course."
Sylph drank resentfully and began to complain about the enemy, the Workers' Council.
"…A society in which all citizens share wealth can only function if there are no liars. You can live a wealthier life than others just by growing extra crops and hiding them."
"I think so too."
"Then everyone starts lying, and the society becomes rife with deceit and bribery. What awaits beyond that will be even more chaos. Those terrorists' ideology is flawed."
"So, is it impossible to create a system where no one can lie?"
"No, it's possible. It's terribly simple."
Sylph absolutely despised the ideology of the Workers' Council.
During my time in the military, she would often curse at them, saying, "It's a stupid system devised by a foolish dreamer."
"If they create a country with only their ideological fanatics, it might work. Then they can have their ideal state where no one lies."
"…"
"If they do that in a remote village, it's their business. The problem is when they force that ideology on others and try to build a massive state."
Yes. Despite not having the knowledge of a past life…
"Anyone who isn't a fanatic is nothing but a criminal in the society they're trying to create. This leads to the birth of a dictatorship that will execute criminals who were previously ordinary citizens."
"Right."
"Given the enemy's actions so far, I doubt they'll hesitate to execute us. If they win, all that will be left is hell."
She confidently asserted the fate of communist states, as though she had witnessed it herself.
"I believe, Touri, that as long as I'm in the business of taking lives, I must ensure 'peace' equivalent to the lives taken."
"…"
"I must protect the peoples' happiness with these blood-stained hands."
Sylph had been troubled about this for a long time.
Her job involved killing large numbers of enemies.
To keep fighting despite being hurt every time she killed, she had to convince herself that peace awaited beyond this slaughter.
"I've already lost my family, but I still want to protect someone else's family."
"…"
"That includes you too, Touri. My current goal is to create a place where you and that child can live out your lives in peace."
"…Thank you."
"Well, I'll need your help for that. It's not something I can do alone."
Sylph Nova is a girl who is hurt and on the verge of being conquered by insanity, yet still tries to move forward for the sake of someone else.
I hope a certain other genius who loves killing people can follow her example.
***
"Look, Touri. What should you do with this board?"
"Umm. If I attack with the queen, I might be able to get a piece for free."
"Unfortunately, that's a trap. It looks free at first glance, but it would close off your escape."
"Ah…"
"The correct answer is to move the pawn forward. It's better not to rashly attack with the queen."
Sylph took a sip of the Vok and began to teach me how to get better at chess.
"What happened to your usual intuition? Look at the entire board more."
"The entire board?"
"Many chess pieces can affect the entire board. If you only look at a specific area, you'll lose sight of a lot of things."
I guess it's true that chess was is her hobby, as Sylph spoke with an unusually cheerful tone.
Following her teachings, I moved the chess pieces accordingly.
Well, it's certainly a deep game that requires a lot of strategy. Thinking carefully about how to move your pieces might be a good way to train strategic insight.
"Well then, I'll move the knight forward here."
"Hmm…"
"Think carefully. Your move just now may have seemed strong, but it was a very careless one. If you play well from here, you could checkmate me."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
This time, Sylph seemed to be going easy on me, intentionally making careless moves to make me think.
It must be enjoyable for her to spread her expertise to others. Unusually, she had a genuine smile from the bottom of her heart.
Like this, Sylph looked just like any other girl her age.
"Is this the first move?"
"Great job. You indeed have talent, Touri."
I managed to find a narrow checkmate route after careful consideration.
I'm not entirely confident if this is the correct move, but judging by Sylph's expression, it should be correct.
"The next move is a bit tricky. Think carefully."
"Hmm, really?"
"Yes."
I groaned and stared at the chessboard as the amused Sylph gazed upon me.
"What's this? Captain, why are you spreading out a chessboard at a party?"
"This is just making the atmosphere awkward!"
"Hey, what are you guys doing?!"
While we were doing this, some of Sylph's completely drunk subordinates stumbled in.
"Hey, where's Gorski? Put these idiots down."
"Mr. Gorski drank a Vok Iron Hat and fainted."
"What the hell is that idiot doing?"
The surroundings became noisy, but I continued to focus on the chessboard without caring.
Hmm… Maybe it would be more effective if I didn't insist on moving the queen, but instead used the other pieces better…?
"I get it, they're playing strip chess! The loser has to strip, right?"
"If that's the case, then I understand!"
"Is it better for Aust-chan or the Captain to strip…?"
"Who's going to strip?! You guys recognize me as your superior officer, right?"
Ah, I see. I can keep attacking if I check first with the rook before moving the queen.
In that case, the next move should be from the rook, not the queen…
"Check."
"Ah…"
I see it now, this does lead to checkmate.
How many moves ahead did Sylph foresee this board?
"Oh! The brat Captain lost!"
"Strip, strip!"
"…"
Thinking that, I looked up confidently and saw Sylph with a bright red face.
"If you guys don't cut it out, I'll make you all strip naked and go running in the snow!"
"Eek!."
She chased the drunken soldier around with angry eyes.
…Sabbatian Army parties are really something else.
***
"Speaking to a young woman like that… It's not just about superior and subordinate, but about basic human courtesy. Don't you think so?"
"Yes, you're right."
After the party was over, the soldiers of Sylph Company wore faint smiles as they dozed off.
…I'll have to make sure they don't choke on their own vomit later.
"But they're just trying to get Sylph to fit in with them."
"Even so, I'm not saying they should be a bit more respectful, but I think they should respect the hierarchical relationship."
"That's… difficult. Appearance is important. I also had a hard time getting my subordinates to follow me."
"Well, your appearance is… Wait, you had subordinates?"
"I was the commander of a medical platoon in Austin. There was this major offensive by some country and all of my superiors were lost."
"If only I'd been able to finish them off there. No, I guess I had finished them off, seeing as I had managed to extract an unconditional surrender."
Sylph seemed lost in thought about that major offensive.
For me, it was a retreat that was nothing but trauma, but for her, was it a moment of honor…?
"Touri, you must have hated the atrocities committed by the Sabbatian soldiers in Austin."
"…"
"In fact, so did I. There was no need for it. All that pointless slaughter would accomplish is harm post-war governance. I screamed at the soldiers celebrating victory not to commit any more unnecessary killings, and they looked at me with disdain."
Sylph slightly looked down as she spoke.
"I still didn't hate Austin at that time. After all, I was just a naive girl fresh from the front lines. I didn't have any personal grudge against Austin; I just wanted my father to praise me, so I desperately devised strategies."
"I see."
"It wasn't until I lost my father in the battle with Austin that I finally understood the feelings of the soldiers who committed those barbaric acts. I hated the enemy, I wanted to kill them, I wanted revenge. After our defeat in the Battle of the North, I was consumed by thoughts of revenge for a while."
"…Do you still hate us?"
"I do. But you know what? Seeing you made me change my mind a little."
She exhaled a white breath that smelled of alcohol, then glanced at me before continuing.
"You're supposed to be my hated enemy, but when I talk to you, you're just an ordinary girl. …A bit peculiar, though."
"Yes, I'm just an ordinary person you can find anywhere."
"When I first heard you were from Austin, I wanted to kill you. But the more I heard you crying and screaming as you told your story, the more I didn't understand why I had to kill you."
"…"
"We shouldn't have started killing each other in the first place. We shouldn't have pursued the interests of the country by killing each other."
"That's true. I'm sure of it."
Sylph took another gulp of Vok with a slightly flushed face.
Drops of spilled alcohol dripped down her red cheeks.
"After reclaiming the capital, Josegrad, I think we should propose peace to Austin. However, there will be obstacles that will need to be dealt with."
"Obstacles… as in people?"
"I just can't make that kind of decision. Even if it's to save more people, I can't bring myself to dirty my hands and remove the cancer. I guess I'm more of an ordinary person than I thought."
Sylph was unusually full of self-mockery tonight.
That last part also contained some very ominous content.
"Touri, what would you do if you could save the majority of lives by killing a single person?"
"That's a difficult question. If that person is innocent, I don't think I could pull the trigger."
"And if that person is an unforgivable criminal?"
"Well… Depending on the severity of their crime and the circumstances, I might choose to save the majority of lives."
"I see."
She sat while hugging her knees, her voice unusually weak.
"So you think so too, Touri?"
She fell silent after murmuring that.