“It’s been a while, Svelgen! Or should I call you Avei?”
“Either way. What’s the meaning of this?”
“Stop shooting daggers at me and come inside.” Daian invited Sven in and recommended a seat on the sofa, but Sven remained standing.
“I’m here for Major Rundstadt.”
“Hee hee hee!” Instead of answering the question, Daian merely laughed. “You don’t have to be so cautious. I have no intention of dragging you back to the royal capital.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
All of Sven’s parts were made with the precision of works of art. The production cost of one Hunter Unit was comparable to the cost of funding an entire division in the military. But compared to the budget poured into developing humanoid Hunter Units, even that was a trivial amount. That’s how valuable Sven was.
“Can you just let me go free forever?”
Daian had discovered her location. But Sven assumed he let her go so he could obtain plentiful data by allowing her to blend in with human society. And she was half right. Which meant she was also half wrong.
“Hee hee... If I were the army’s dog, that would indeed be the correct course of action.”
In that case, Daian would remove the rezanium reactor that was Sven’s heart and brain, analyze the data, and preserve her as a sample to improve the next generation of humanoid Hunter Units. That was actually what he should do.
“But don’t worry. I don’t feel like it.”
“Why not?”
Daian answered Sven, who was still suspicious. “The honest answer is I don’t have time to do that sort of thing now.”
“That sort of thing...?” Sven couldn’t imagine why Daian would leave her when she was a walking conglomeration of military secrets. As she overcame her suspicion, her expression became perplexed.
“Besides, I’m not the army’s pawn. I’ll just come out and say it: I’m a love hunter!”
“Huh?”
The man in front of her spewed incomprehensible nonsense along a completely different trajectory. “If I did something like that to you, Sophia would despise me. She’s a big softie at heart.”
“Oh... right. Where is the major?”
Sven had assumed that Daian had taken advantage of her business with Sophia and somehow got her to come to his room, but that wasn’t the case.
“Um, Sophia is occupied at the moment.”
“Occupied?”
“She’s in the shower.”
“Huh?!”
That meant Sophia and Daian were staying in this room together. It was spacious, but it was still one room. A man and woman under the same roof, and the woman was now freshening up...
“Oh... you two have that kind of relationship?” Sven guessed.
“Yes, we do.” Daian affirmed it.
“Nooooo!!” But Sophia appeared and denied it forcefully.
“Sophia... What is this? The full service?!”
Apparently, it was true that Sophia had been taking a shower. She was wet and wearing nothing but a bath towel. At that moment, the smile Daian showed Sven disappeared, replaced by a broad grin.
“Shut up!! You really... You shouldn’t joke about that!!” Tears welled in Sophia’s eyes.
“Major, show some shame,” said Sven.
“What do you mean?!” Sophia lashed out at the thunderstruck Sven.
“I had no idea you and the Monster of the Royal Capital were an item!”
“As I said, we’re not!”
“Okay, whatever. But will you put on some clothes?”
“Oops! Hold on a sec!” Sophia went to get dressed.
“Oh dear, oh dear...” Sven sighed in exasperation.
Sophia was the daughter of nobility, a military family stretching back generations. And she was an unusual woman who refused to rely on the advantages of her birth. She had applied herself and become a military hero known as the Black Spear—and she was feared accordingly.
Military life doesn’t conform to pretty words. Many situations arise that require casting shame aside. Nonetheless...
“She’s too wild.”
“Yeah, and I like that about her.” Daian laughed with amusement at Sven’s chilly attitude.
“So... what did you come for?”
“This.” Sven handed the letter Lud had given her to Sophia, who had returned quickly, now fully dressed.
“It’s from Captain Lud Langart?” Sophia looked mystified, but understanding soon dawned as she read the letter. “That guy... He’s as discreet as ever.”
Lud didn’t know the details, but he guessed Sophia was staying in Saupunkt on military business and hadn’t immediately returned to Berun. In fear of surveillance, he gave Sven a letter instead of phoning Sophia.
If he were to call me at military headquarters, he could use a military line, but if he called from the bakery...
Lud had quit the military, but Sophia was pleased he was still attuned to military considerations. She knew Lud regretted his past as a soldier. However, if he denied his past entirely, it also denied everything about their shared history in life and death situations. For that reason, she felt lonely, not as a senior officer deprived of a subordinate, but as a comrade-in-arms.
“Hmf!” Before she was aware of it, Sophia smiled.
“Ur...”
“Urgh...”
Sven and Daian looked a bit put out.
“What is it, you guys?”
“It’s nothing at all,” said Daian.
“Yeah, nothing,” agreed Sven.
The two simultaneously answered alike.
“Anyway, what does the letter say?” Sven asked.
“Hm? You haven’t read it?” Sophia replied. Sophia was still perusing the letter.
“Of course not! I can’t read a letter from Master without permission!”
However, Lud didn’t say she couldn’t ask what was written in the letter. So she asked Sophia.
“Well, the first line says...” Sophia flashed a mischievous grin. “... that I’m under orders not to tell you what’s in the letter!”
The letter was an invitation to Sven’s birthday party. Lud wanted it to be a surprise, so it had to be kept secret from Sven. Even though the party was for Sven, it was Sven who had unknowingly delivered the invitation, so Sophia struggled to contain her mirth.
“Whaaat?!” Sven was surprised Lud got the drop on her, but... “Th-That’s just like Master! He knows me better than anyone!” Actually, it made Sven a little happy.
“Ur...” Seeing Sven’s joy, Sophia looked miffed.
“Urgh...” Seeing Sophia’s irritation, Daian looked miffed.
“Why do you look unhappy?!”
“Never mind that!” Sophia immediately shushed him. Daian looked away, but then swiftly peeked at the letter in her hands.
“Um... hey!”
“Oh, I see...”
Sophia objected, but Daian had already taken most of it in.
“That guy does the darnedest things...” Daian chuckled as if he found it fascinating.
“Uarrrgh...” Sven groaned in frustration. Lud had told Sophia not to tell her, so she didn’t bother asking again. She understood this was a matter she mustn’t inquire about, but it frustrated her.
“Aw, don’t sulk!” Sophia spoke as if she were talking to a younger sister. “I can’t reveal any details, but I’m supposed to go with you to Organbaelz.”
“With me?” When she heard that, Sven looked surprised. She had gone to the trouble of delivering the letter, only to find out it said she was supposed to return with Sophia, so the whole mission felt pointless.
“But... Hmm... There’s a problem.” In contrast to Sven, however, Sophia looked troubled.
“What’s wrong? Do you have to go back to Berun right away so you can’t come to Organbaelz?”
“No, that’s not the problem. I want to return, but I can’t yet.”
“Huh?”
Sophia wanted to return with Daian to the royal capital as soon as possible. However, now that she had heard about the Saint, either August’s or the Saint’s minions might attack at any moment. Until the regular military from the royal capital came, even the Black Spear couldn’t act.
“I don’t mind going, but...” Sophia glanced at Daian. Daian was under her guard, so she couldn’t leave him.
“I don’t mind, Sophia. Don’t worry about me.” Daian spoke as if he had read her thoughts.
“Well, I should mind. Let me be clear, though. I’m not worried about you. I feel a sense of responsibility.”
“Well, that’s putting it clearly!” Daian responded to Sophia’s bluntness with a droll expression.
“No, I don’t mean that, Sophia. Why don’t I just go with you?”
“What?”
“I mean... if we go to Organbaelz together, isn’t that more strategically sound?”
“Hmm?”
Lud Langart the Silver Wolf, Blitzdonner the Crimson Hawk, and the three humanoid Hunter Units—Sven, Rebecca and Lillie—were all currently in Organbaelz.
“Altogether, we could take on a whole company!”
What’s more, Sophia von Rundstadt, aka the Black Spear, would be joining them.
“Oh, I see. In that case... Aw, man!”
Sophia thought Lud might have foreseen all this when he sent the invitation. With Sven and her together, they would be safe on the journey to Organbaelz.
“Well, do you suppose it’s all right?”
Sophia felt a slight pain in her neck. It was something that happened on occasion. It was the feeling when an enemy army caught you off guard, or you fell into an ambush, or were attacked by guerilla soldiers disguised as civilians while patrolling an occupied territory.
I’ve got an uneasy feeling about this...
Sophia was worried, not from reason, but from instinct—a soldier’s instincts.