I Won’t Let the Execution Battalion Die, ~Even If the Empire Falls, We Want to Survive~ - Chapter 38: Ghost Road ③

The Ceremonial Battalion Second Company’s checkpoint was a makeshift one partitioned by simple fencing. Field camping tents were set up, with familiar NCOs conducting inspections.

Oh, there were also recently assigned infantry soldiers. Rehired invalids. With just over ten people here, this probably wasn’t a number anticipating combat.

This shouldn’t cause too much trouble, but I couldn’t see any officers. The Second Company had several second lieutenants and first lieutenants, and the company commander and deputy were captains.

There couldn’t be only NCOs here, but which officers had come?

“Oh my, if it isn’t Fonkt!”

Called from an odd direction, I looked sideways.

A small woman emerged rustling from the bushes. Her complexion was terrible.

Her long black wavy hair was bouncing freely in all directions, which strangely suited her. She wore a black military uniform, but her insignia showed lieutenant-equivalent civilian personnel. She also wore a surgeon’s armband.

I approached while giving a light salute.

“Dr. Buho, what are you doing in a place like this?”

“Hey there.”

The woman who raised her hand limply was Dr. Nania Buho, attached to the Second Company.

She was thin with such a poor complexion that she looked less healthy than the sick, but since she dealt with corpses, this apparently wasn’t a problem. Her main job was writing death certificates for condemned prisoners.

“What do you mean, urination of course. I’d rather not have to say it.”

“Not that part.”

“Ah, were you hoping for the other kind? Sorry about that.”

“That’s not what I mean either.”

Dr. Buho belonged to the Second Company but was quite eccentric, getting along well with us in the Third Company.

My public face was “Roxon Boltaren,” an internal medicine military doctor, but Dr. Buho had taught me medical duties and regulations. She’d also advised me “Stick with internal medicine. The treatment’s better than surgery, and you don’t have to operate,” so I owed her personally.

Dr. Buho seemed somehow happy.

“To meet you in a place like this, I’m so happy.”

She used masculine speech patterns despite being female. She looked like a child too, but rumor said she was in her thirties—quite incomprehensible. (T/N: The character’s use of 僕ぁ (boku’a) and なあ (naa) reflects a casual, masculine speech style common among young men, giving a friendly and informal tone.)

Dr. Buho then straightened her expression and coughed lightly.

“However, you’re getting slack. Rather than asking about my urination, shouldn’t you be asking about the mission here?”

“I’ve been trying to ask that the whole time.”

Conversations with this person were exhausting. I knew she meant no harm.

As expected, Dr. Buho flushed red.

“Ah, was that it!? No, sorry about that. Since you’re such a closet pervert, I thought you might be interested in women’s excretory functions.”

I felt like she was misunderstanding various things about me.

“What exactly do you think I am, Doctor?”

“A seducer who bewitches us female officers?”

“I’ll get angry.”

Though lieutenant-equivalent, this person was civilian personnel. Her actual importance was probably just slightly above an NCO. I used polite language because she was my mentor as a military doctor.

When I made a scary face, Dr. Buho became oddly familiar in her smile.

“W-well now, don’t make such a scary face. Ah, right now we’re searching for a wanted political criminal.”

“That sounds difficult.”

Our battalion had finally begun operating as secret police. We probably had to catch political criminals now too.

“But Doctor, you don’t have command authority, do you?”

“That’s right, but the officers alone weren’t enough, so even I got dragged out. It’s unreasonable no matter how you look at it.”

I agreed. Since this person was an amateur as a soldier, she couldn’t even order enlisted men to change formation.

“So there are no officers here?”

“That’s right.”

Dr. Buho sighed tiredly. I felt a bit sorry for her.

Second Lieutenant Crimine also came over.

“Lieutenant, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, the Second Company is apparently searching for a political criminal, but Dr. Buho is apparently the only one at this checkpoint.”

Hearing this, Second Lieutenant Crimine looked sympathetic.

“That must be difficult, Doctor.”

“Thank you, you’re such a good girl.”

Dr. Buho smiled happily, but Second Lieutenant Crimine turned back to me.

“What should we do, shall we go now?”

“Wait wait, you’re planning to abandon me here? You’re proper officers, aren’t you?”

“But this is the Second Company’s mission.”

“A girl who makes a surgeon like me compound internal medicine prescriptions says that!? I know absolutely nothing about menstrual pain medication.”

When small Dr. Buho clung to small Second Lieutenant Crimine, it looked like children interacting and was strangely cute.

That aside, this was troublesome.

Regarding military chain of command and mission handling, Second Lieutenant Crimine was correct. Participating in another company’s mission without permission wasn’t allowed.

On the other hand, having civilian personnel commanding enlisted men was also against regulations, so if trouble occurred here, the Second Company commander would be punished. Depending on circumstances, the battalion commander’s position might worsen too.

I thought briefly and derived the most reasonable solution:

“How about getting a company commander’s order added afterward?”

“What do you mean?”

With Dr. Buho still clinging to her waist, Second Lieutenant Crimine asked, so I answered concisely:

“Have it arranged that the Second Company requested officer dispatch from the Third Company, with me temporarily taking command here. After that, I’ll order the NCOs to maintain status quo and leave.”

By making me the responsible party on paper, if anything happened, I’d take responsibility. Dr. Buho and the company commanders wouldn’t be punished.

Yet Dr. Buho looked exasperated.

“How much of a bleeding heart are you?”

“Really. That would only disadvantage you, Lieutenant.”

Even Second Lieutenant Crimine.

I gave a wry smile.

“I just want to cooperate within my means as a Ceremonial Battalion comrade.”

“That’s exactly what makes you a bleeding heart. Really, what about your promise with me?”

“Sorry.”

Since I hadn’t made reservations anyway, I could try again later. I could take leave again.

Then Dr. Buho made an “oh?” expression.

“Come to think of it, what are you two doing in a place like this?”

I could probably speak honestly with this person.

“We took a trip during leave, but happened to spot the checkpoint.”

“I see, leave with Crimine. Nice, bittersweet.”

“Shouldn’t that be ‘sweet and sour’?”

Dr. Buho was grinning, but eventually nodded firmly.

“Well then, sorry, but could you take charge here briefly? I’ll send a messenger to battalion headquarters right away.”

“Understood. Then I’ll accept command authority here.”

When I saluted, Dr. Buho saluted back.

“Thank you, I’m in your debt.”

Second Lieutenant Crimine also saluted, then said as if just noticing:

“Ah, I’ll have the carriage wait nearby. Let me go tell them.”

As we watched her run off, Dr. Buho spoke as if just remembering something:

“Oh right, I should tell you something important.”

“What is it?”

Then Dr. Buho made an extremely proud expression.

“I examine Crimine regularly, but she’s probably the type whose uterus is sensitive. After all, just pressing lightly from above makes her produce sultry sounds. Handle it well, won’t you?”

“Please refrain from leaking patients’ personal information to others.”

This would be unthinkable in my previous life, but this world had no concept of protecting personal information.

Especially since Dr. Buho dealt mostly with corpses, she was extremely casual about this. Corpses don’t complain.

I adjusted my military cap with exasperation.

“I’ll take field command of the checkpoint. Doctor, please quietly write documents or something.”

“Thank you, I’ll do that.”

Well, time to work with my leave canceled.

“So what exactly is this political criminal?”

As I asked while considering future arrangements, Dr. Buho answered leisurely:

“A woman named Yuo Nevilnel. Do you know her?”

…Yes, very well.