I Won’t Let the Execution Battalion Die, ~Even If the Empire Falls, We Want to Survive~ - Chapter 29: A Dangerous Woman ②

I was paddling a boat with splashing sounds across the pitch-black sea.

“I haven’t rowed a boat since the military academy.”

When I complained, Captain Yugi, who was handling the steering, said with a voice containing laughter:

“Oh my, is your hometown inland?”

“Isn’t asking about backgrounds forbidden?”

Due to our profession of executing even nobles and clergy, we carried many secrets. Prying into each other’s pasts was also off-limits. If we knew too much, there was always the danger of letting something slip somewhere.

Then Captain Yugi said something like this:

“Then I’ll tell you about my past, so we’ll call it even.”

“No, I can’t listen to that. If you give information to someone as careless as me, it would put you in danger, Company Commander.”

A slightly sulky voice from the darkness ahead:

“If Lieutenant Fonkt won’t do, then I can’t reveal it to anyone but the battalion commander.”

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t reveal it?”

After a brief silence, Captain Yugi said quietly:

“Well then, this is my monologue. If you don’t want to listen, please cover your ears.”

“Um, before my ears, both my hands are occupied.”

How was I supposed to cover my ears while rowing a boat?

However, Captain Yugi began talking regardless.

“Once upon a time—though not a hundred years ago.”

“Is that preface necessary?”

“Not ten years ago either… ah, no, it was ten years ago after all. Wow, ten whole years have already passed…”

It was oddly specific and relatively recent.

Also, what was with that sentiment?

Ten years ago was when I was still working as a tenant farmer in my hometown. I was fed up with the boring, inconvenient life of poverty and was wondering whether to join the military.

After that, I was picked up by our battalion commander and hired as a clerical enlisted man, promoted to NCO, and ended up advancing to officer school.

I see, ten years since then… wow, ten whole years have already passed…

The conversation had gotten too sidetracked.

Captain Yugi also seemed to have returned from ten years of reminiscence, clearing her throat lightly before continuing:

“In the frontier of the Empire, there was a clan that preserved a branch of Shao martial arts. The founder was apparently a court martial arts instructor, but was exiled from his homeland due to political upheaval, and his descendants had fallen to working as bodyguards and mercenaries in foreign lands. In that clan was a beautiful girl particularly gifted in martial arts.”

…You’re talking about yourself, right?

I wanted to interject but remained silent and listened.

“The beautiful girl accepted an assassination contract after being promised a large reward, but failed at the last moment. Being kindhearted, she absolutely couldn’t bring herself to commit the atrocity of killing an infant.”

…You’re definitely talking about yourself!?

“In the end, she became close friends with that infant’s mother and decided to work as her bodyguard. Frankly, the advance payment alone was sufficient, and the client was executed shortly afterward anyway.”

That explanation seems unnecessary. You were quite wild in your youth, weren’t you, Company Commander?

“That infant’s mother is still her superior today.”

“Eh!?”

I involuntarily cried out.

Wait a minute.

That self-proclaimed beautiful assassin was Captain Yugi, and her superior would be Major Gehenbach. Since Yugi was a company commander, only the battalion commander was above her. The Imperial Guards Regiment Commander was technically a superior too, but he was an unpleasant old man, so that wasn’t it.

Which meant the one whose life was targeted was the battalion commander’s daughter!? What kind of situation would lead to assassins being sent after that child!?

“Um, Company Commander.”

“What is it?”

“That monologue of yours is making it hard to concentrate on the mission.”

Then Captain Yugi chuckled.

“I apologize for that. I was inconsiderate. However…”

I couldn’t see her expression, but I felt her tone change.

“I wanted you to know. Why I’m a soldier who uses concealed weapons instead of guns. What I’m doing in the Ceremonial Battalion for. And what I fight for.”

This person was the same type as me, someone who pledged loyalty to the battalion commander personally. I knew that, but I hadn’t known about such circumstances.

I responded brightly while rowing the boat:

“I’ll remember your monologue well, Company Commander.”

“Thank you. Then tonight, I shall employ my secret techniques to the fullest.”

Saying this, she smoothly drew a fan from her clothes.

That wasn’t a pun, was it? We weren’t conversing in Japanese anyway.

****

Eventually the boat emerged from Zelan Bay. The waves became slightly rougher, but this level was no problem.

Moonlight streamed through breaks in the clouds, illuminating the third island hidden by the other two.

Captain Yugi issued a warning in a serious voice:

“The currents seem complex, perhaps due to the terrain. If we’re not careful, we’ll capsize.”

“If you think so, please take over the rowing.”

“If you’d take over the steering.”

Hmm, if I handled the steering we’d definitely capsize… I might as well give up and keep rowing.

“Company Commander, as I mentioned earlier, that was an island formed from a volcanic crater. We probably can’t dock unless we enter the bay.”

“It’s fine. I can climb vertical cliffs. If they overhang, it’ll take a bit more effort.”

“Either way, I’ll be left behind.”

Having a superior who was like a real ninja was troublesome. I was just an ordinary person.

As the island gradually approached, tension settled between us.

“It’s been fortified, Company Commander.”

“Yes. There are camouflaged gun batteries everywhere. They should also serve as observation posts, so please keep low. Hide among the waves.”

“This makes rowing difficult. And the current is against us…”

Perhaps because currents flowed between the islands, the flow seemed fast. The currents fought against us as if rejecting our approach to the island.

However, Captain Yugi said happily:

“With these currents, no people or boats would drift to the island. That means their surveillance should be lax too. They’re probably only watching for large ship approaches.”

“That might be true.”

From the perspective of the one rowing, it wasn’t much consolation.

We struggled quite a bit after that, but somehow managed to dock on the outer side of the arc the island formed.

Barely visible in the moonlight, this appeared to be a rocky shoal. If the waves had been rough, the boat wouldn’t have survived unscathed.

“Company Commander, I can barely see anything.”

“The gun batteries can barely see anything either, so don’t worry.”

What was I supposed to not worry about?

I could only hear the sound of pitch-black waves against the dark cliff face, with no way to gauge the depth. If I carelessly fell into the water, I’d probably drown.

“You don’t need to be afraid.”

Before I knew it, Captain Yugi was on top of a large rock. When did she jump? The boat didn’t even sway.

Captain Yugi pulled the boat close with a rope and moored it to the large rock. It sounded simple to describe, but I would have struggled much more to do it. Our company commander really was superhuman.

“Still, it’s quite convenient to have such suitable rocky terrain.”

Since Captain Yugi was tilting her head, I touched the rock surface and answered:

“Since none of the rocks have much seaweed growing on them, this probably becomes temporarily moorable only at high tide. If we dawdle, the boat will be stranded on top of the rocks.”

“Indeed. Then let’s hurry.”

Captain Yugi stood up smoothly and removed her coat.

Why was she still wearing the cheongsam…?