I Won’t Let the Execution Battalion Die, ~Even If the Empire Falls, We Want to Survive~ - Chapter 69: In the Prairie Fire ③

“I see, so you’ve been appointed Third Company commander.”

Second Company Commander Goffel made his Kaiser mustache tremble while nodding gravely.

“I thought you were the best among the young ones, but the situation is severe.”

“Yes sir!”

Since I’d get lectured if I said anything unnecessary, I saluted for now.

Among the Ceremonial Battalion as law enforcement, only this old man gave off an atmosphere suited to terms like “field fortification,” “firepower projection,” and “general assault.”

He had the unusual background of serving nearly twenty years as line infantry company commander before coming here. He’d apparently deployed several times in campaigns against other countries. A rare land warfare specialist in the Ceremonial Battalion.

Instead, he was frankly “rough” as a law enforcement manager, but that was probably unavoidable.

Such Captain Goffel crossed his arms.

“Our Buho has been dispatched to Penderltaine Fortress since this morning. They’re short of military doctors. Seems like other Imperial Guards Division doctors were also completely drafted.”

Second Company’s Lieutenant equivalent Buho—that shabby, strange female military doctor—was a surgeon.

If they’d pulled surgeons from such rear positions, there were probably many wounded soldiers sent back from the front to Penderltaine Fortress. The war situation was certainly poor.

I’d only come to give appointment greetings, but I’d gained valuable information.

Captain Goffel twisted his Kaiser mustache and glared at me.

“You should understand what this means?”

“The battle line is approaching the capital. Too close.”

“Correct.”

Captain Goffel nodded with a displeased expression.

“Wounded soldiers requiring treatment in rear evacuation are severely injured. The fact that they’re brought to Penderltaine Fortress without dying means they’re being wounded very nearby.”

“Yes.”

There was virtually no blood transfusion or disinfection. Without sanitary water, wounds couldn’t even be properly cleaned. Without treatment, they’d die quickly.

“By the way, you apparently saw the ‘nightingales” scheming in the south too.”

“Yes. I saw Second Division’s Cavalry Lieutenant Makaran cooperating with the ‘nightingales.'”

Then Captain Goffel’s expression became stern.

“Not only Third Division but Second Division too? What do you think will happen next?”

“Armed uprising in the south, then advance on the capital?”

When I answered, Captain Goffel sighed.

“Probably so.”

Captain Goffel stood from his chair and roughly patted my shoulder.

“Our Second Company has been conducting peacekeeping activities in the capital until now. But division orders came down to deploy north of the capital with fifty soldiers for capital defense.”

Unreasonable. Fifty line infantry was company-scale. Plus ours were all old soldiers.

But perhaps reading my expression, Captain Goffel shook his head as if to say not to worry.

“I’m poor at navigating society. I was smoldering for years when the battalion commander saved me. For this battalion’s sake, I’ll gladly become a shield.”

Then Captain Goffel grinned. I’d never seen this person smile before.

“I leave the rest to the Third Company. Don’t you die.”

“…Yes sir.”

I saluted and saw off the veteran senior captain.

Since the Second Company that handled regular execution duties was gone, the Third Company took over those duties.

Moreover, we were also being made to do secret police work now, so we were short-handed for everything.

“Going on capital patrol!”

Second Lieutenant Crimine departed from battalion headquarters with one NCO and four soldiers.

Though patrol just meant walking around, it was necessary for self-preservation to appear like we were “doing something.” It was the same in my previous life.

“I’ll go too. Sergeant Decoct, come with me.”

“Yes, Company Commander.”

When I called to document forgery specialist Sergeant Decoct, he immediately gathered four soldiers.

“Second Lieutenant Crimine is covering the western district. We’ll cover the eastern district.”

Though all old soldiers, having four soldiers with fixed bayonets on their muskets following behind still created an intimidating presence.

But while patrolling the capital, I immediately noticed that citizens’ gazes were different from before.

“Sergeant Decoct, the citizens’ gazes seem frightened somehow.”

“Yes.”

The taciturn Sergeant Decoct fell silent.

So I had to ask.

“What happened while I was away?”

Then he answered in a small voice:

“Are you aware that the Imperial Household encouraged denunciation of the anti-imperial faction?”

“Ah. I heard many denunciations came to us, making things difficult.”

After returning, I’d been told various things by the battalion commander.

“Most denunciations turned out to be mere personal grudges or reward-seeking, which the battalion commander rejected. However, upper division levels questioned why no one was arrested despite numerous denunciations arriving…”

Here it comes.

Sergeant Decoct continued whispering:

“So to appear like we were investigating, we summoned randomly selected people for questioning, but then the Imperial Household became insistent that suspects be executed.”

“That must have been difficult…”

The battalion commander probably didn’t tell me these troubles because she knew I’d act on my own again if I heard. That person understood me well.

“So the battalion commander exploded saying ‘Can we kill innocent people?’ and executed regular death row inmates while claiming denunciations had been made against them.”

Typical battalion commander judgment. Since death row inmates were scheduled for execution anyway, whether there were denunciations or not didn’t matter.

Legally quite problematic, but since this Empire itself was problematic, it was too late now.

However, Sergeant Decoct continued with a dark expression:

“However, it apparently served as a good example to the capital’s people, making the Ceremonial Battalion even more feared than before.”

“I see, so that’s it.”

Citizens who came to watch executions didn’t understand the circumstances, so they believed people were executed based on denunciations. And we were the ones handling those executions.

“Come to think of it, we’re doing a firing squad execution of a robber-murderer in the plaza this afternoon—is that the same?”

“Yes. As additional charges, he’s accused of passing information to the anti-imperial faction.”

Though I felt sorry for the criminal getting unrelated additional charges, since he was getting death penalty for robbery-murder anyway, he’d have to endure it. We couldn’t execute innocent people.

“This isn’t the time for such things.”

I sighed and continued walking with clicking sounds on the capital’s stone pavement.

What were we really doing?