I Won’t Let the Execution Battalion Die, ~Even If the Empire Falls, We Want to Survive~ - Chapter 41: Ghost Road ⑥

When we entered Penderltaine Fortress, an NCO from the fortress garrison immediately greeted us.

After walking through the vast grounds, long corridors, and complex hallways, we arrived at what appeared to be a meeting room of imposing construction.

“Whoa!?”

The moment the door opened, Second Lieutenant Crimine froze with a strange voice and strange pose.

Understandably so. The insignia of those gathered in the meeting room were all field grade officers and above. There was the fortress deputy commander, a lieutenant colonel, and an Imperial advisory military officer, a major.

“You’ve come, Lieutenant.”

In the meeting room full of colonels, lieutenant colonels, and majors, Major Filia Gehenbach of the Ceremonial Battalion was smiling. She was smiling, but her eyes weren’t.

“This man is my subordinate who executed ‘Yuo Nevilnel.'”

Ah, could this possibly be an extremely bad situation? All my fault?

Cold sweat ran down my back, but the people lined up at the heavy conference table seemed calm.

Since being charming at times like this was pointless, I saluted the battalion commander.

“Battalion Commander, I have reported in response to the summons order.”

I didn’t know about other countries, but in the Imperial military, soldiers who support their direct superiors were valued more than affable soldiers. Being faithful to orders and earnestly upright was considered a good soldier.

So I saluted my own battalion commander first, before greeting the bigwigs.

After all, if my evaluation dropped, even the battalion commander’s reputation would be completely ruined. Since the military was also a kind of government office, I had to be careful about such things.

Ignoring the bigwigs’ gazes and looking only at the battalion commander, our battalion commander understood my intention and chuckled.

“Sorry, he’s inflexible like this.”

“No, quite good. It would be troublesome otherwise.”

An old man with Imperial Guards colonel insignia responded curtly. He was the regimental commander of the Imperial Guards Regiment to which the Ceremonial Battalion belonged. For me, he was also a direct superior, but he probably didn’t think of it that way.

“So Gehenbach, we can entrust this matter entirely to the Ceremonial Battalion?”

“Yes, please leave it to us.”

I couldn’t read the flow of conversation at all, but I was just a lieutenant. I wasn’t in a position to speak at a table full of field officers. Second Lieutenant Crimine, being the lowest rank, was practically ignored.

The elderly bigwigs exchanged glances, then stood up.

“Then according to the meeting’s decision, we’ll each do our respective jobs. Keep reports frequent.”

“Understood.”

The battalion commander responded with a gentle but never careless smile.

And the elderly field officers filed out of the meeting room.

Left behind were me, Second Lieutenant Crimine, and the battalion commander.

“That was faster than expected. Sorry you had to see something boring. Well, sit down.”

“Then I’ll accept your kind offer.”

Since it was just Ceremonial Battalion members now, there was no need to hold back anymore.

Second Lieutenant Crimine immediately sidled up to the battalion commander.

“So what exactly is going on?”

“I’ll explain now, so wait.”

The battalion commander sighed lightly while wiping her glasses lenses, then put them on.

“We’ve discovered the true identity of ‘Yuo Nevilnel.'”

“Really?”

I was surprised, but thinking about it, the higher-ups couldn’t have done nothing.

Well, sometimes they did nothing, but this time they seemed to have done their job properly.

The battalion commander nodded and continued:

“‘Yuo Nevilnel’ appears to be not an individual but a group. We still can’t grasp the scale of the organization, but they’re operating covertly across quite a wide area of the Empire. They definitely have influence that can’t be ignored.”

I see, so it was a group operating under an individual’s name. Come to think of it, there were people like that among creators in my previous life. It was a bit frustrating that I didn’t think of it despite knowing actual examples. Previous life knowledge depends on who uses it.

The battalion commander rested her elbows on the desk and drooped tiredly.

“Apparently only some civilian officials in the Imperial Household knew about it, so notification to the military was delayed. Our Empire lacks coordination between bureaucrats and the military.”

“Every department doesn’t get along well.”

The Ceremonial Battalion didn’t even get along with the Imperial Guards Regiment we belonged to.

The Empire was a giant of tremendous strength, but couldn’t grasp what it saw with its hands. Because its eyes and hands were antagonistic toward each other.

That’s why I was constantly nervous about when this country might collapse.

“Just as the pro-imperial faction is divided among itself, the anti-imperial faction is also fractured, but ‘Yuo Nevilnel’ has been uniting the anti-imperial side..”

“What do you mean?”

When Second Lieutenant Crimine tilted her head, the battalion commander answered quietly:

“They don’t cooperate with each other, but they’re making the same moves in trying to create the established fact that ‘Yuo Nevilnel is alive and active in various places to overthrow the Imperial Household.'”

Since Second Lieutenant Crimine was still tilting her head, I explained:

“A company without a commander can’t win battles, right? The anti-imperial factions were moving as scattered squads like a company without a commander, but the fictional existence of ‘Yuo Nevilnel’ is becoming the equivalent of a commander.”

“I see…”

When Second Lieutenant Crimine nodded, the battalion commander also nodded.

“Moreover, this company commander cannot be killed. Lieutenant Fonkt, you actually executed ‘Yuo Nevilnel,’ but she’s been resurrected like this.”

At that moment, Second Lieutenant Crimine looked startled.

“Isn’t this terrible!?”

“Exactly. That’s why the bigwigs gathered and held their heads.”

Nothing was more troublesome than a leader who couldn’t be killed.

The Empire didn’t recognize freedom of faith or thought, and secular authority was concentrated in the Emperor, but Yuo Nevilnel was becoming the equivalent of faith, thought, and authority for the anti-imperial factions.

“This time might genuinely be dangerous.”

When I said this, the battalion commander also nodded.

“Right. If we can’t eliminate her even by execution, our battalion can’t do anything about it.”

However, Second Lieutenant Crimine looked at us anxiously.

“Then why did you accept this case?”

Then the battalion commander smiled.

“By sticking our necks into this matter, we can get information first when the worst situation seems imminent.”

“I see, I thought you just couldn’t refuse.”

“That’s part of it too. Right now we’re the Emperor’s hunting dogs. We can’t disobey our master’s orders.”

After muttering this in a low voice, the battalion commander clasped her hands behind her head and threw her feet up on the desk.

“Ugh, we’ve taken on a shit job.”

“Battalion Commander, please don’t put your butt or feet on the desk.”

“I’m not putting my butt on it right now!”

While sulking, the battalion commander glared at us.

“If you don’t want my butt placed on the desk, think about how to execute Yuo Nevilnel.”

I keep saying you can’t kill someone who doesn’t exist.

But well, since it was a battalion commander’s order, I stated my own thoughts.

“Basically we need to collapse the anti-imperial factions’ symbol, right? Then we should spread things that diminish Yuo Nevilnel.”

“Specifically?”

“Have plays and songs with fabricated history created, plus paintings and stories. It would take time, but we could erase Yuo Nevilnel’s charisma from people’s minds.”

It was running a negative campaign, but the battalion commander shook her head.

“I think it’s a good plan, but do you think those hardheaded old men would allocate budget for plays and picture books?”

“Probably impossible.”

That’s why they’re declining.

I thought a bit and proposed a more forceful, crude method:

“Then let’s execute Yuo Nevilnel once more. This time we’ll show her face and really kill her in front of the public.”

“Eh, me!?”

Second Lieutenant Crimine reacted with interest, but I shook my head.

“No. I won’t let you die. There’s someone impersonating Yuo Nevilnel and running away right now, isn’t there?”

“Ah, I see.”

Second Lieutenant Crimine clapped her hands, and the battalion commander also nodded.

“Exactly. That’s why we absolutely want to catch her. But well, it’s probably pointless. Yuo Nevilnel will be resurrected any number of times.”

In an era without newspapers or television, the fact of execution didn’t spread easily. During that time, another Yuo Nevilnel would start operating.

“So this is a meaningless mission?”

“Exactly. Drag it out appropriately.”

“Again with these strange missions…”

When I sighed, the battalion commander chuckled.

“It’s a mission fitting for the Third Company, isn’t it?”

“Certainly.”

I straightened my back and saluted the battalion commander.

“Mission received. I’ll drag it out appropriately.”

“Very good.”