"Major General Girn ...... I disagree!　Why would you suddenly send a talented person, who was also selected for a special class, to his death!"

"Your Highness Merillia, ...... you should not speak of such things too loudly. ......"

"But ......!"



　The expedition to the southern front has finally begun.

　Major General Girn has left the training school with 10,000 men as originally planned. Several other generals from the training school had also left the training school to lead their units.

　On the way to the Ring Castle, which is a relay point, we are to move as a unit under the direct control of Major General Girun as part of the class, and for some reason we are now a combination of Major General Girun, myself, and Merillia.



"I've enchanted it just in case. ......"

"Thank you, Mr. Lilt."



　Ever since we left, and even before we left, Merilia had been protesting against my going to the Cologne front.



"Well, ...... you know that in the Reich, the tougher the battlefield, the better the treatment and the higher the morale of the volunteers."



　Major General Girn begins to explain as if he had no choice.



"That's why we can't just take them away by force like this. ......"



　Melillia's argument was this.

　Why, she asked, when only highly motivated volunteers would go to the battle zone?

　But the answer is simple.



"If it could be maintained by volunteers alone, it would never have been a war zone in the first place. In short, only a handful of officers would volunteer to go. The rest are either nominated by them and taken away or automatically assigned.

"But as candidates for these very officers, we are ......."

"You're still an apprentice officer. You're class 0, you have no authority. Not technically."



　Melillia is right.

　The special class of students at the training school can be a valuable asset to the empire.

　So it was implicitly agreed that they would not be sent to their deaths out of the blue, and they would be carefully nurtured. But that is not a written rule.

　As Rear Admiral Girn says, in reality, they are nothing more than apprentice officers.



"It's a dead zone. As long as that man...Cheb...volunteered to take him there, and he himself appointed him, I'm sorry, but I can't do anything about it.



　That's what I meant.



"Then I'll come to you as well. ......"

"No, I want Merilia to go somewhere where she can be more active."

"Why not!"

"You may not be able to stand alongside a lieutenant, but you should be able to rise through the ranks on the battlefield enough to pull me out."

"It's ......."



　This is not peacetime. The Empire's original idea of meritocracy functions more clearly on the battlefield.

　If you defeat the commander class of the enemy, you will naturally rise in rank and your voice will increase accordingly.



"Until then, there is no guarantee that Mr. Lilt will be alive. ......"

"I'll be fine, I've got Awen, too."



　Lt. Cheb nominated me and Awen.

　I'm not sure if he picked up a non-aristocrat or if he had other intentions. .......



"What. It doesn't mean you're definitely going to die. I think he'll do just fine."

"The problem is that there are no guarantees!"

"Then I promise you. I will survive.



　He had no experience on an actual battlefield, but he still wanted to reassure Merillia.



"I promise ...... I won't ...... forgive you if you break it."

"Okay."



　I don't know what stirred Merilia so much, but I don't feel bad that she likes me.

　I don't know what stirred Melillia up like this, but I don't feel bad that she likes me.