I Won’t Let the Execution Battalion Die, ~Even If the Empire Falls, We Want to Survive~ - Chapter 10: The Hanged Woman ⑤

The morning after successfully completing our mission of executing the nonexistent “Yuo Nevilnel.”

As I was being treated to a luxurious breakfast full of game at a settlement house, Second Lieutenant Makaran arrived.

“Good morning, Lieutenant Fonkt.”

He was alone, without his subordinates. Since independent action by a platoon leader was unlikely, he’d probably left them waiting outside the settlement.

Second Lieutenant Crimine tactfully excused herself. I nodded lightly, showing appreciation for her consideration.

Then I smiled at Lieutenant Makaran.

“Is there something you need, Lieutenant Makaran?”

“I have some concerns about yesterday’s events. If you have time, could you listen?”

“Of course. Since it’s difficult to talk here, let’s take a walk through the woods.”

Makaran and I walked side by side through the settlement’s wooded hills.

“So, what are your concerns?”

“Well… By the way, what happened to that woman who was hanged?”

“I prepared an autopsy report and buried the body.”

“I see.”

Lieutenant Makaran fell silent.

After walking a few steps, he said:

“Was this the right thing to do?”

“There’s no right or wrong. It was an imperial decree.”

I answered quietly. Of course it was a lie, but revealing the truth was too dangerous.

But Lieutenant Makaran still didn’t seem convinced.

“This incident will strengthen the resentment of Kavaraf region’s lords and people toward the imperial house. Considering the Empire’s overall interests, I feel it wasn’t good.”

“We are soldiers. Our duty is to pledge loyalty to His Imperial Majesty and faithfully execute his orders. Personal judgment should only be voiced when asked.”

I hadn’t pledged any loyalty at all and did whatever I wanted, but I’d maintain appearances. It was worth my salary.

Lieutenant Makaran looked at me with a pained expression.

“I am a noble, so frankly speaking, I dislike commoners. They’re lazy, don’t maintain order, are selfish, and cunning.”

Commoners think the same about nobles.

But I kept that to myself.

“However, executing a young woman just for petitioning her lord is definitely excessive, no matter how you look at it. She didn’t kill or steal anything, right?”

“That’s correct. The only reason for execution was treason against the imperial house.”

Most cases our battalion handles were like this.

Since I wasn’t fazed, Lieutenant Makaran glared at me.

“Even though you’re also from commoner origins, don’t you feel anything?”

From a commoner’s perspective, we weren’t “the same,” but from a noble’s viewpoint, all regional farmers were equally “the same commoners.” A young master wouldn’t understand.

Looking at Lieutenant Makaran’s serious expression, I decided to walk a slightly dangerous tightrope.

“Lieutenant Makaran. As a noble, what do you pledge loyalty to?”

“Eh? O-of course, to His Imperial Majesty…”

“That’s a lie. You question imperial decrees because something different shines in your heart. What is it?”

I turned toward Makaran and stepped closer. Makaran reflexively backed away.

I moved even closer, cornering him against a large tree trunk.

“Answer me, Makaran. What do you truly pledge loyalty to? If you want to extract the truth from me, you must offer the truth yourself.”

Makaran’s eyes went wide, but after agonizing, he finally answered.

“I… I pledge loyalty to the noble spirit of knighthood! I don’t carry a sword to kill unarmed women!”

“Well said.”

I patted Makaran’s shoulder, then ruffled his blonde hair.

“Then swear by your knightly noble spirit. You won’t tell anyone what you’re about to hear.”

“What do you mean? Lieutenant, who exactly are you…”

“Will you swear or not?”

Makaran worried with a boyish expression, but answered anyway.

“I swear. I swear it. On my sword, I won’t leak any secrets.”

“Thank you, Makaran. Then I’ll tell you.”

I confirmed no one was around, then whispered in his ear.

“The person ‘Yuo Nevilnel’ never existed to begin with. Of course, no one was executed. Yesterday was a fake.”

“What?!”

Too loud.

I brought my index finger close to Makaran’s lips to quiet him.

“That woman was a faithful collaborator. At that time, I hung the ropes around her shoulders and waist, not her neck, to fake a hanging. She’s alive, of course, but since she was exposed in that state, I can’t reveal her identity.”

Sorry, Second Lieutenant Crimine. I’ll absolutely never reveal this part of the secret.

Lieutenant Makaran had gone pale.

Of course. We’d defied an imperial decree and faked an execution. If discovered, I’d be executed.

“You… this is a lie, right?! Why would you…”

“It’s impossible to execute someone who never existed. But then the imperial decree would never be fulfilled. Someone would definitely be punished if this continued. So I balanced the books.”

I answered and released Makaran.

“Now, what will you do with this fact? Report it to a cavalry battalion commander or someone?”

“Wait, give me a moment, my head can’t keep up. Um, what would happen if I reported…?”

I explained to the sweating Makaran:

“I and Lord Fumazov would definitely be executed. Our entire families might be executed by association. Oh right, our battalion commander would also be in danger. And of course, all the officers who were present would be interrogated. There’d be suspicion of collusion.”

“That’s plausible…”

Makaran nodded but voiced a question.

“Then why did you leak such an important secret to me? There’s no benefit to it.”

“Is that all?”

I smiled wryly.

“Because you pledged loyalty to your own justice, not the emperor. You’re unfit as a soldier. In other words…”

“In other words?”

“You’re like me.”

Makaran stared at me blankly with an astonished expression. Quite an interesting fellow.

I turned my back to him and waved my hand.

“I’ve taken a liking to you. I hope we can meet again somewhere, Makaran.”

* * *

And now I was being persistently lectured by Second Lieutenant Crimine.

“I can’t believe it. Leaking classified information to an outsider.”

“Sorry.”

“What if something happens because of this?”

“Sorry.”

I apologized for now, but of course I didn’t do such a thing without any plan.

“Don’t worry, Second Lieutenant. Even if he accuses me, no evidence will emerge. ‘Yuo Nevilnel’s’ grave properly exists, and a body is buried beneath it.”

Probably an unidentified vagrant’s corpse.

In an era with much disease and murder, many people died while traveling as merchants or pilgrims. Unlike modern times, corpses were familiar sights.

If you searched all of Fumazov territory, you’d find a suitable corpse without much waiting.

What mattered was the “fact” that an execution was carried out and witnessed by many officers.

“This settlement’s residents consist of former Fumazov house servants and their descendants. Since it’s a specially treated settlement exempted from taxes, they’ll protect the Fumazov family’s secrets with everything they have.”

Unlike others, this was the lord’s settlement. When peasants made unreasonable demands through “wife disputes,” they’d apparently crush them with opposing “wife disputes.” Scary.

“The Second Division officers who witnessed the execution won’t say anything that would worsen their own position either. They’ll definitely answer ‘It didn’t look fake to us.'”

“So if no evidence emerges, the accusation would miss completely. You’re frightening, Lieutenant.”

Frightening, right?

I gave an evil laugh in my mind, but Second Lieutenant Crimine said something like this:

“By the way, Lieutenant, are you okay with men as long as they’re blonde?”

Huh?

“What… do you mean by that, Second Lieutenant Crimine?”

“Because earlier, you were patting that second lieutenant’s head, right? You like blonde hair, don’t you?”

Why does it go there? It’s male friendship.

“No, that’s not…”

“The battalion commander is also blonde, so I see, that’s how it was.”

To Second Lieutenant Crimine, who was reaching her own conclusions, I hastily explained:

“Don’t make strange interpretations. I don’t choose people based on hair color.”

If I had to say, I liked blue and green-haired girls in anime.

But thinking about it, they probably made them those colors because black hair would make the screen too heavy.

Which means I liked black hair?

The moment I thought that, it came out of my mouth.

“But if I were allowed to choose, I might like black-haired women.”

“Eh?!”

Second Lieutenant Crimine stopped. She was trembling in small movements. Like a washing machine on spin cycle.

“L-Lieutenant… could that possibly mean?!”

“No, it’s a misunderstanding. Don’t look at me like that.”

Because of this exchange, we ended up quite late setting out on our return journey.