I Won’t Let the Execution Battalion Die, ~Even If the Empire Falls, We Want to Survive~

“In the end, I still haven’t gotten compensation for the compensation.”

My subordinate was grumbling, so I apologetically offered a pitiful apology.

“Sorry.”

As compensation for carrying out unreasonable orders, I had proposed a tour to eat exquisite fresh cheese, but had canceled it due to my own circumstances.

I’d even requisitioned Second Lieutenant Crimine’s family carriage and cavalry that she’d prepared.

This alone was terrible enough, but months had passed since I’d promised compensation for the compensation. There was no room for excuses anymore.

I outranked her, but we were senior and junior colleagues in the same workplace. I could only apologize as one human to another.

“I’m truly sorry. Since then, my leave applications haven’t been approved. With the tense situation, Company Commander Yugi has been reluctant to have two company officers absent…”

The Third Company had become chaotically busy due to too many non-execution missions, turning us into a jack-of-all-trades unit. If I were a company commander, I probably wouldn’t approve of it either.

Then Second Lieutenant Crimine fiddled with her bangs while muttering:

“Well, that’s… because I…”

“What about you?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Second Lieutenant Crimine straightened her back and responded with a straight face. What, what?

She leaned her face close to mine and emphasized:

“It’s absolutely nothing.”

“Yeah.”

“Nothing at all.”

Stop emphasizing so much… Why are you averting your gaze? This one’s suspicious.

Could she have begged the company commander not to approve leave applications?

But Second Lieutenant Crimine should have been looking forward to the compensatory leave… Eh, what’s going on?

Could it be that she really didn’t want to go on a trip alone with me?

That made sense. Thinking about it, a private trip alone with a male superior was normally impossible. Get it together, me.

But then, what was this whole flow about…?

“Lieutenant? Hey, Lieutenant? You’re making a difficult face—what’s wrong? Lieutenant?”

The universe expanded in my brain, with mozzarella cheese streaking comet-like while stretching strings.

After blankly seeing it off in my mind, I concluded:

—I don’t understand.

I really didn’t understand women’s hearts one millimeter.

The idea that people could understand each other was an illusion. Because we couldn’t understand each other, we exhausted words trying.

I clenched my fists tightly.

“Sorry, Second Lieutenant Crimine. I keep causing you trouble due to my inadequacies.”

“Eh!? No, that’s not true!? What’s gotten into you so suddenly?”

“It’s fine, don’t force yourself.”

I smiled as gently as possible. I should have taken those compliance training sessions more seriously in my previous life.

That aside, Second Lieutenant Crimine had turned red to her ears.

“Th-that face won’t work. I won’t forgive you. I won’t forgive you, but…”

Second Lieutenant Crimine kept looking at me then away again, busy.

After several deep breaths and a final cough, Second Lieutenant Crimine began complaining again:

“Since compensation for the compensation has been delayed this much, you’ll need to add considerable interest.”

Could she have been obstructing leave applications to demand “interest”? Like predatory lending tactics. Give me back my reflection and resolution from earlier.

“Even if you say that…”

The moment I hesitated, straight-faced Second Lieutenant Crimine made a sweet nasal sound:

“Anh anh anh anh.”

“Hey stop that, cease fire.”

Would I be blackmailed like this forever? I shouldn’t have given such orders.

I’d probably keep paying only interest forever, never able to repay the principal.

I rested my elbows on my desk and asked her with a bitter expression:

“Let’s hear your demands.”

“Our next mission takes us south, but I’d like to extend the trip slightly to visit my family home.”

You can’t do unauthorized things during missions.

I naturally intended to refuse, but Second Lieutenant Crimine made that expression again, so I hastily stopped myself.

“Wait, don’t be hasty.”

“Anh…”

So she really planned to do it. Damn, the enemy firepower was too strong.

I considered from multiple angles in my head for a while, then quietly nodded. In my mental universe, the mozzarella comet flew far away.

“The mission period and scope aren’t specified, so I’ll modify the plan to include your family’s region in our investigation area. You can go when there’s time.”

However, Second Lieutenant Crimine shook her head.

“No, I want you to come too, Lieutenant.”

“Why?”

“Anh anh anh anh.”

She fired without warning. Way too ruthless.

I held up one hand to stop her while raising a white flag in my heart.

“Understood, understood. However, our affiliation is secret. I’ll appear as my public face—Internal Medicine Military Doctor Roxon Boltaren, equivalent to lieutenant. Got it?”

“Yes, a military doctor would be welcomed.”

By whom?

Second Lieutenant Crimine nodded, then turned her back to me and made a victory pose while muttering “Yes!”

I don’t really understand, but your senior is very afraid of you.

“If your mood’s improved, let’s depart quickly. Recently the highways safe for travel are limited, and they’re constantly changing.”

“Officially nothing’s happening though.”

Second Lieutenant Crimine smiled wryly, and I sighed.

“Apparently they’re going at each other fiercely underwater. There have been considerable deaths from executing each other’s spies and collaborators. We need to be careful or we’ll be assassinated too.”

Our battalion had been executing people left and right brandishing imperial edicts. We’d earned resentment from all kinds of anti-imperial factions.

“You should use your public face too. Come to think of it, what is your public face?”

Then she smiled softly and saluted:

“Imperial Guards Division Ceremonial Band member, Second Lieutenant Equivalent Sue Vagils, sir.”

I was speechless for a moment.

Well, a proper young lady would have some musical accomplishments. But in this one’s case, it was quite suspicious.

“Can you play instruments?”

“Dance and singing to some extent too.”

Second Lieutenant Crimine spun around to show me. She certainly looked the part.

Her voice was good too. Though she didn’t say decent things with it.

“Female military musicians aren’t unusual. But amateur performance skills won’t fool anyone. Are you okay?”

“My assigned instrument is Volynigraphon, so it’s fine.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a large fixed instrument embedded in walls. Haven’t you seen them in temples?”

“Ah, that monster-like thing?”

It was a massive wind instrument that only existed in this world. Principally similar to a pipe organ, but played with foot pedals rather than keyboards.

Since each pipe handled one musical scale, the number of pedals was enormous, usually requiring several people to perform.

They were designed building by building for specific purposes like funerals or celebrations, so no two were identical.

“With those, it’s natural not to play well on anything other than your usual instrument, so I won’t be troubled if asked to ‘try playing.’ It’s the optimal ‘face’ for field work.”

She usually seemed like she wasn’t thinking about anything, but she really did think things through.

“That’s the instrument where you do body expression with free upper body movement, right?”

“That’s what the singing and dancing are for. Plus we had two at home, so I’ve actually performed on them.”

What kind of home had multiple pipe organ-like instruments?

Then Second Lieutenant Crimine smiled somewhat proudly:

“Plus I studied transverse flute for about ten years, so I’ll carry that as my sub-instrument. Under the pretext of still practicing.”

“Then there’s room for excuses too.”

There should be a big difference between professionals and amateurs, but we’d somehow bluff our way through.

When I nodded with some admiration, Second Lieutenant Crimine licked her lips and smiled meaningfully:

“Shall I blow the Lieutenant’s flute too?”

The worst kind of dirty joke came out. If she had any love for instruments, she’d never say that.

“Unprofessional remarks could expose our disguise, which I don’t admire. Also it’s plain sexual harassment, so stop.”

“Sexu… what?”

Imperial language didn’t yet have expressions corresponding to “sexual harassment.”

I waved my hands to shoo away this troublesome partner.

“Forget it. More importantly, let’s prepare for departure. Procure the tools needed to disguise our public identities. Don’t forget practice sheet music and instrument maintenance tools.”

“Yees, understood.”

Second Lieutenant Crimine saluted looking quite displeased for some reason.