I Won’t Let the Execution Battalion Die, ~Even If the Empire Falls, We Want to Survive~ - Chapter 34: A Man Who Cannot Escape ②

I changed my voice from before and shouted again:

“The Admiral’s been murdered! It’s all over! Run!”

Admiral Telzen, the military faction’s leader, was dead, and the only warship at this secret base was burning. Both the software and hardware pillars had been lost simultaneously. It must be quite a shock.

Even so, the seamen’s morale might not collapse, but if their organization became even slightly disrupted, it would create opportunities for escape.

In any case, staying here long was dangerous.

Beacon fires burned on the beach, making the darkness even deeper. The bright light broke everyone’s dark adaptation, leaving them all with poor night vision.

I had the same problem and struggled considerably, but I found a boat moored at the pier. No seamen were nearby. I’d take that one.

“Hey, wait.”

A voice called from behind, and I stopped.

Currently I wore the same clothes as the seamen, but if my face was seen, it would obviously become “Who the hell is this guy?”

When I turned around quietly, a man who seemed to be an NCO was looking this way. He had a pistol hanging at his waist. Troublesome.

“You’ve got an unfamiliar face—what’s your unit?”

“I’m a craftsman from the naval arsenal. The Admiral summoned me, but if the Admiral’s dead…”

The craftsmen employed by the Imperial military weren’t soldiers but military personnel. Since they just hired ordinary civilians, identity verification took time. Especially on an island like this, it would be impossible.

As expected, the NCO made a sour face.

“That doesn’t mean you can wander around freely. If you’re free, come here and help.”

This was bad. I couldn’t seem to escape.

Just then, someone ran past me.

“There’s a boat!”

“Right, launch it!”

Two seamen were trying to jump into the boat.

Seeing this, the NCO drew his pistol.

“You bastards! I won’t allow desertion!”

He fired without hesitation. With the gunshot, one of the seamen fell into the sea.

“Damn, shut up!”

The surviving seaman abandoned his companion and started rowing the boat. As expected of a seaman, the boat accelerated rapidly.

The NCO was frantically reloading, but of course it wasn’t in time.

Meanwhile, unrest spread.

“What? Another gunshot?”

“What happened?”

I immediately shouted:

“Deserters! They stole a boat and ran!”

This island had over a hundred people, but there weren’t enough boats or fast craft for everyone to evacuate. The ship of the line could easily accommodate everyone, but that ship was currently burning.

—At this rate, we’d be stranded on the island.

That fear became the final push.

“Run!”

“Hand over that boat!”

“You bastards, don’t leave your posts!”

“Shut up!”

Brawls broke out everywhere, with gunshots thundering. Several people fell on the sand, but this wasn’t my fault. I think.

As for that NCO from earlier, he was being beaten up by other seamen.

“Stop acting so high and mighty!”

“If the Admiral’s dead, we got no reason to defer to you people!”

“Kill him!”

Not my fault. …I think.

Since getting involved in the boat scramble looked deadly, I decided to sit quietly in a corner of the pier.

Eventually a fast boat was also seized and began moving slowly.

“Hey, let us aboard!”

“Sure, fine! Get on quick!”

However, numerous seamen swarmed the pier, becoming like the damned souls in “The Spider’s Thread.”

“We’ll never be able to depart at this rate!”

“No more room! Get on that one!”

“Please, don’t leave us behind!”

They were fighting over there too.

Originally the seamen were civilian sailors with weak loyalty to the Navy. They could make a living on trading ships or fishing boats. So when something happened, they quickly changed allegiances.

At this rate, I probably didn’t need to worry about being caught, but I couldn’t rendezvous with Captain Yugi and the others.

In the worst case, I was fine being left behind. As long as the mission was accomplished and someone returned to report, that was enough. As a soldier, however minor, I was prepared for this.

If I played it well, I might survive safely and return on my own.

While thinking such things and gazing at the sea surface, something bobbed up with a splash.

Was it the seaman who got shot earlier? I should rescue him.

Thinking this, when I brought my face close, I heard a familiar voice:

“What are you doing? We’re going back.”

Oh, it was Second Lieutenant Crimine.

“You swam here well.”

Then Crimine patted a one-gallon-sized small liquor barrel.

“I swam here holding this. There’s one for the ‘Laundry Man’ too.”

“That’s helpful.”

“Let’s hurry. The ‘Toy Dealer’ has secured a boat in the shadow of the inlet’s cape.”

I took off my boots, wrapped them in my jacket, and tied them to the barrel’s handle. It was clever that it had a handle since it was sometimes carried to tables.

While admiring this, I looked at the barrel’s brand mark:

“What happened to the contents?”

“I dumped it in the sea.”

“Right.”

Ten-year-old brandy, two gallons… The fish around here would have a drinking party tonight.

I embraced the empty barrel, entered the sea, and began swimming quietly without making splashes.

“I thought the ‘Toy Dealer’ would come, but it was you.”

Then Second Lieutenant Crimine smiled:

“The ‘Toy Dealer’ said that I could find the ‘Laundry Man’ immediately, no matter where he was.”

“I see?”

She certainly found me quickly, and thanks to that I was saved.

Glancing back, seamen who’d missed their rides were gathering at the pier where I’d been. Knowing the dangerous currents around the island, none tried swimming.

Instead they were murderous, with some even firing at the boats. Like pirates.

As for that NCO from before, he’d collapsed at the pier’s base and showed no signs of moving.

Fortunately, we went completely unnoticed. The burning ship of the line and the beacon fires on the beach served as decoys, and our figures drifting among the waves seemed to melt into the darkness.

Crimine spoke happily:

“No matter where you are, I’ll always find you.”

“Thank you. That’s reassuring.”

I thanked my comrade-in-arms, but couldn’t shake the feeling of invisible bonds tightening.

What was this…?