Amid the crowd of boisterous soldiers, Tiana and Ryatt stepped forward and performed a salute to Eluria.
“Reporting for duty, Lady Eluria,” said Tiana.
“In place of His Excellency, I have gathered the captains of each squad in the former Altanian Special Combined Forces,” Ryatt reported. “We shall fulfill the orders of Vegalta’s Sage to the best of our abilities.”
“Thank you both.” Eluria nodded. She smoothed her expression and straightened her back before continuing. “With these present members, we will now conduct a meeting of utmost importance. All matters discussed today are to be considered top secret.”
The clamor and chatter instantly died down, and everyone straightened up to face Eluria.
“Now...” She swept her gaze across the group, then slowly opened her mouth to speak. “Tell me everything you know about Raid.”
Silence reigned. Nobody spoke a word or moved a single muscle.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ryatt quietly raised his hand. “Sage of Vegalta, may I be permitted a question?”
“Very well. Also, you may call me by my name.”
“In that case, Lady Eluria, could you provide us specific parameters as to what would be included in ‘everything we know about His Excellency’?”
“Everything,” Eluria repeated, the look in her eyes dead serious. “What he likes and dislikes, what he’s good at and not good at, what types of people he is fond of and not fond of, how he usually spent his time a thousand years ago, his habits, birthday, birthplace, blood type... Anything and everything you can tell me.”
“Understood. May I ask another question?”
“Mm. Permitted.”
“There may be an overlap in the information we possess and the information you already possess. Would it be possible for you to tell us what you are already aware of?”
“He likes fighting, richly flavored food, and animals.”
“Thank you very much for answering. I was not aware of the last item. I shall interview the other members of the brigade to corroborate this new information.”
“Mm-hmm. I heard you also worked as Raid’s assistant. I’ll be counting on you.”
Eluria and Ryatt’s exchange progressed steadily, but not a single peep was heard from anyone else. For a while, Wisel watched them with a grimace before leaning over to whisper to the woman beside him. “Instructor Alma, why did their discussion just begin like the most normal thing in the world?”
“It’s probably because Ryatt is such a serious guy,” she replied, looking just as exasperated.
Fortunately for them, as well as the rest of the brigade members, Tiana was willing to step up and voice the question that had been swirling in all of their heads: “Er, Lady Eluria, did you hold this ‘meeting of utmost importance’...to ask about Raid Freeden?”
“Mm-hmm. I wanted to urgently gather as much information on Raid as possible.”
“Then why not ask the man himself?”
Eluria pouted. “I was too embarrassed to...”
“That’s my Lady Eluria!” Tiana cheered. “Too embarrassed to ask—oh, how adorable! In that case, let us gather as much information as we can! Even intel from third parties, when collated in enough quantities, can boast high accuracy!”
“And we have another one who just accepted the order like it was nothing,” Wisel deadpanned.
“You can’t tell me you were expecting anything less from the fangirl herself,” Alma replied with an empty look in her eyes, like she had given up and lost interest entirely.
Eluria shot her a sideward glare. To her, at least, this was every bit the important meeting she’d said it was, so she was hoping for Alma to give it her all.
“But, Lady Eluria,” said Tiana, drawing her attention back, “why are you gathering this information now?”
“Mm... It’s because I’ve realized that I am currently suffering an overwhelming loss. Look at this,” she said, handing Tiana a small notebook.
“These are...Lord Freeden’s notes?”
“Mm-hmm. He asked me to hand this to you, so you could take care of me while he’s gone. He wrote down how to prepare my milk tea just the way I like it—which he discovered through a series of trial and error, by the way—down to the perfect temperature; how to adjust my bath to the right temperature so as to guide me out of my floatiness as quickly as possible; and how to efficiently arrange my clothes while taking into consideration my habit of searching from the left-side shelf, among other things Raid has observed about me.”
“He has been taking such thorough care of you all this time?!” Tiana gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. “The Hero of Altane... Truly formidable!”
Eluria smirked. “Mm. Isn’t he amazing?”
The conversation was only getting weirder as it progressed, Alma realized with a dry chuckle. “You know, Wisel, when you realize all these guys are lined up here just to listen to their bosses being lovebirds, this whole situation actually starts looking really funny.”
“Had Ms. Millis been here, she would’ve come up with the perfect thing to say...” Wisel sighed. “Unfortunately, neither of us have her prowess when it comes to these matters.”
Eluria blatantly ignored the dry remarks coming from behind her and firmly clenched her fist. “In war, information is key—and I cannot stand that I am now losing so severely to my former rival. Thus, I am taking advantage of his absence to aim for greater victory.” Brow furrowed, she raised her fist high into the air and declared with utmost vigor, “With this operation, I will learn more about Raid...and become the best wife in the world!”