"Are you sure? Perhaps I shouldn't be saying this, but…I heard the Seventh Unit is like a dumpster where they throw all the problem kids. I mean, it's popular now thanks to Commander Gandesblood, but still."
It was the day of her graduation from Mulnite Military Academy.
Her schoolmate Camilla gave her a worried look, but Esther Claire felt not a shed of concern.
The Half Moon emblems the principal had given them symbolize the fact that they endured the intense training at the Military Academy. She was confident she could get by, even in the Seventh Unit.
Though that way of putting made it sound like she'd been assigned there against her wishes.
No, Esther was happy. She herself had written on her assignment survey that there was nowhere else she would rather be than the Gandesblood Unit. The mere thought of getting to work in the Seventh Unit set her heart aflutter.
Esther smiled and turned to look at her buddy.
"Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine."
"How do you know?"
"Because Commander Gandesblood will be there!"
Camilla sighed dramatically.
"The instructor was weeping about letting a student of your caliber wind up in the Seventh Unit, you know."
"But they're the heroic force that saved the Mulnite Empire! Don't you remember? The Commander was so amazing when everything happened. I couldn't do anything but stay put in my house, but when I heard her voice, a fire lit up inside my chest."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Commander Komarin is so cool… I can't believe I get to work with her! It's like a dream come true!"
"I feel like she might kill you if you call that to her face."
"I know! I'm smart enough to be respectful in her presence."
Any young person looking to get into the Imperial Army idolized Terakomari Gandesblood. They all admire her crushing combat ability and charisma. The Imperial Academy held frequent Crimson Lord popularity polls, and she always ranked number one, by a large margin.
But Esther looked up to Commander Komarin for different reasons.
Last summer, the Six Nations War broke out.
Esther's home was in Mulnite territory in the Dark Core Zone. The Gerra-Aruka Republic Army nearly trampled it during war, but Commander Komarin swooped in to unleash her Core Implosion and save it.
It was all thanks to her that Esther and her family could live in peace.
From there, her Komari fanaticism only intensified.
Her wish to fight for Komari once she graduated grew stronger by the day.
Half of the Military Academy students wanted to be assigned to the Imperial Army. Though the school surveyed these brave youth to find out where they hoped to be placed, graduates claimed that only a fifth got assigned to the unit of their choice. It was even rumored that the instructors made their decisions by throwing dice.
And yet, miraculously, Esther wound up exactly where she had hoped to be.
She'd jumped on her bed out of sheer excitement when she got the news.
"I mean, you're free to look up to whomever you like, but I'm just saying, you should probably think about why the giga-popular Seventh Unit is turbo-unpopular as a workplace.
Thirty people graduated from the Academy this year.
And Esther was the only person in her class who would be going to the Seventh Unit.
"Yeah... I guess the First and Third Units are more popular."
"Right? And even the Academy says they don't want promising graduates to go to the Seventh Unit. The instructors are making sure that doesn't happen. It's gonna be a sign there's something wrong."
"Are you implying they're a bunch of problem kids?"
"Do you even know who's assigned there besides Commander Gandesblood?"
"I know a few names and faces."
But she didn't know what sort of people they were.
For good or ill, the Seventh Unit's presence as a group was so strong it was hard for the individuals who supported their leader to stand out on their own. What kind of people were Commander Komarin's subordinates? Esther had heard about them rampaging in the Mulnite Palace, but it was by no means uncommon for Military Academy students to cause troubles on their summer breaks. She thought it couldn't be that big of a deal.
Indeed. Esther Claire simply did not care.
Just the fact that she would get to join the unit of her dreams was enough. She was sure she could manage, even if she found herself among some scary senior members. Yes. She was underestimating them.
And so, Esther hugged her diploma and smiled from ear to ear as she said:
"I'll be fine! It's Commander Gandesblood's unit! I'm sure it'll be full of cool and strong people! They must be living examples of the perfect soldiers."
"I hope so, for your sake…"
Camilla's expression was sour to end.
Incidentally, she was going to head back to her hometown in the Dark Core Zone and join the police. Not everyone who graduated from the Mulnite Military Academy signed up for the Imperial Army.
The two friends promised to meet again one day and parted ways. The snow fell silently on the Military Academy as the birds left the nest.
Time went by, and a new year came. In the blink of an eye, the day of Esther's enlistment arrived.
★
"So you're our latest officer. Welcome to the Imperial Army's Seventh Unit."
January 5. The start of a new year in the Mulnite Palace.
Clad in a brand-new military uniform, Esther shivered not out of cold, but nerves. She had arrived at the office of Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood, on the top floor of the Crimson Tower.
She couldn't stop sweating. What if she said something disrespectful? No problem, I'm ready for seppuku at any time. She walked into the office literally prepared for death, only to be received by someone other than Commander Komarin.
She had blue hair and tranquil eyes. She was Commander Komarin's confidant and maid.
"Don't just stand there, come in."
"E-excuse me!"
Flustered, Esther stepped inside.
She racked her brain and recite the introduction she had thought up beforehand.
"I—I…! I've been assigned to the Seventh Unit starting today! My name is Esther Claire, Second Lieutenant! I am still a greenhorn, but I appreciate would your guidance and support! It's a pleasure!"
Esther saluted as she sneaked a peek at her surroundings.
The office was befitting of a commander. There was a map of the Six Nations on the wall, along with shelves full of books on tactics and magic. There was also a Mulnite Imperial flag, an emergency Correspondence Crystal, and a luxurious sofa, atop which lay a bloody corpse... Wait. A what now?
"I am the Seventh Unit's Special Lieutenant, Villhaze. I am Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood's right arm, her strategist, her partner, and future wife."
"Um…"
"Lady Komari is absent at the moment, but I'll give you the rundown on your duties."
"... Excuse me! I think…someone's dying right there?!"
"Huh? Oh, you mean Lieutenant Yohann Helders. The other members ganged up on him and killed him, yes."
"They what?!"
Villhaze sighed.
"It all started when Lady Komari offered blondie over here an unfinished steamed bun. 'You want some?' she said. Unbelievable, don't you think?"
"I'm not following…"
"Anyone could see a lynching coming. The vampires grew incensed and threw a blood bath."
Esther was at a loss for words. Was there some sort of secret to that steamed bun?
Just then, she heard a scream come in on the wind from the window. That death rattle was accompanied in short order by magic being fired indiscriminately, explosions, and bodies flying.
"...What's that noise?"
"Oh, that's just the Seventh Unit killing one another."
"Wha... Are they training?"
"No. Wasn't it obvious from the context I provided you that they're taking each other out for the bun that didn't reach Lieutenant Helders's hands?"
"I-I'm sorry! It wasn't!"
"I see. You seem to have surprisingly normal sensibilities."
The sound of battle continued intermittently.
Just outside the window, a palace spire burst into flames.
What? Am I dreaming? Why would members of the great Imperial Army be ripping out one another's throats over a steamed bun? Is this really the Seventh Unit? This madness was so incomprehensible to someone with a normal brain such as Esther.
"Um... If I may ask, where is Commander Gandesblood?"
"She's in the kitchen, making steamed buns. She has to finish five hundred of them within one hour or the world will end."
The absurdity of it all almost had her in tears.
An instant later, Villhaze's Correspondence Crystal glowed.
"Hey, Vill! We're in trouble!"
Esther raised her head.
That was the same voice she'd heard on the night of the riots in the Imperial Capital.
"What's the matter? Don't tell me you couldn't contain yourself and ate all the buns?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?! Listen! The buns just blew up! Even though I followed your recipe!"
"I'm sorry, it seems I gave you the recipe for explosive buns by mistake."
"Why do you have something like that?!"
"But don't worry about that. Forget the buns; the palace is already blowing up."
"And I'm supposed to be making these buns to prevent that! For heaven's sake, when did my subordinates even start liking Eastern sweets?! Are they trending now or something?! Whatever, just come over and help me! We gotta get them their buns, or Flöte's gonna skewer me!"
"I hear you loud and clear. Let's solve this by whipping up some poisoned buns."
"Forget what I said!! I'm making them on my own!!"
Esther was moved. Even though it was only through the Correspondence Crystal, she could hear Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood's voice.
She did not understand the conversation that was taking place, but it seemed like they were in a life-and-death situation.
It made sense—every day for a Crimson Lord was a battle for dear life. Can I really become like that one day? Esther thought, her respect deepening.
"Now then, let's set aside the steamed bun issue."
"Um… I didn't really get that, but should we really?"
"Yes. Ignoring them from time to time sometimes works in my favor."
Violent explosions started going off one after the other outside. You sure ignoring that won't actually end the earth?
"Plus things like this are commonplace," Villhaze said. We should focus on going over your duties right now. Please, take a seat."
"Ah... No, I am all right standing!"
"If you say so."
There was too much on Esther's mind. The mysterious war taking place outside, the dead body lying right in front of her, Commander Komarin… But if Lieutenant Villhaze said she needn't worry about it, then she wouldn't. She had been taught in the Military Academy that orders were absolute.
Then a frightful voice echoed from the Correspondence Crystal on the table.
"This is Lieutenant Cerbero! It's over, Flöte Mascarail is coming after us! We're all done for! Get the buns here ASAP! Are you listening, Lieutenant Villhaze?!"
...How am I supposed to not worry?!
Villhaze, however, paid no heed to the crystal and launched into an explanation.
"As you may know, Second Lieutenant Claire, the Imperial Army has two main jobs: elevating Mulnite's prestige by achieving victory in sports-war, and leading the way in times of crisis. Both are important, but our main duty is the former. Turbulent incidents such as those from this past year aren't all that common."
"Y-yes, ma'am! I will give body and soul and do my best for the sake of the Mulnite Empire!"
"I have all the details write out, so read them at your leisure. Now, I hear that you're an elite student who graduated at the top of your class. That means you're joining the Seventh Unit as an officer."
"An elite…! Oh no, I still have much to learn!"
Villhaze giggled.
"We're a popular unit and the face of the Mulnite Empire at this point, yet human resources won't give us any new recruits. They only handed us murderers who've caused chaos elsewhere. We've been wanting someone who's completed their studies and gone through the proper training like you."
"I-it's an honor."
As far as Esther knew, there were three ways to join the Mulnite Imperial Army.
First, apply to the Crimson Tower. If they recognized your potential, they assigned you to one of the seven units. Crimson Lord Sakuna Memoir was an example of this method.
Second, get scouted. The Crimson Tower was of the mind that hidden talent might be out there anytime, anywhere, so they directly recruited outstanding outsiders into the Imperial Army. Commanders Helldeus Heaven and Millicent Bluenight had been recruited at the behest of the government. Commander Komarin, too.
Third, graduate from the Military Academy like Esther. People who entered via this route were designated as second lieutenants from the moment of their allocation, so they were better received than regular enlistees. However, since they commonly thought of themselves as chosen people and caused issues, they were referred to as "bookworms" or "nobles" behind their backs.
Regardless, the Seventh Unit really was just as Camilla had described. Most of its members were enlistees. And all of them were troublemakers, demoted from other units.
Maybe it won't be as cozy as I thought.
"The work is tough, but someone with credentials like yours will do just fine. Glad to have you with us, Lady Claire."
"Thank you! But oh, please, don't call me 'Lady'! There's no need for titles, just use my name."
"I see. Very well, then, Esther."
"Yes! Thank you!"
"You can call me Vill. Lieutenant Villhaze is too long a name, and simply referring to me as 'Lieutenant' would be confusing with the other vampires around."
"…!"
Esther was somewhat embarrassed that they would be calling each other by their first names…but she was happy about it. It felt like she'd gotten her recognition.
"Now, then," Villhaze said as she looked out the window. "The buns! Give me the BUUUNS!" came a shrill voice from the Correspondence Crystal. What about that? No, don't think about it. Consider it a hallucination.
"Your first job will be for the Super Massacre Gratitude Fest."
"Th-the Super Massacre…? I am so so, but I'm not aware of what that is…"
"Sports-war, basically. It's a festival where every nations will be spending a few of their battalions to fight one another. Our Seventh Unit will be going up against the Polar Union's Butcher Corps."
"Um, is that Prohellya Butchersky's?"
"Yes. We need to formulate a strategy, since simple kamikaze attacks won't work against them. I'd like you to help me out with that… I'll be blunt: I want you to be the leader of the Seventh Unit's special team, Second Lieutenant Esther Claire."
Her head filled with question marks.
"Leader? Me?"
"The Seventh Unit is divided into six teams. The sixth one, the special team, has long been without a leader. we just haven't had enough officers to give each division a leader… But either way, we need to get the whole unit together in order to win against Prohellya Butchersky. So, I'd like you to be the one to lead the barba—I mean, the elite men of the sixth team."
Esther was moved to her core.
She'd never imagined she would get assigned such an important task right out of the gate. It wouldn't be conceited of her to think they had high hopes for her, wouldn't it? I will dedicate myself to the Seventh Unit and, above all, to Commander Komarin! Esther clenched her fist as she fire herself up.
"Roger! As team leader, I will bring glory to the Seventh Unit!"
"That's the spirit. Now, please don't quit if your underlings try to kill you."
"Yes! …Yes?"
Was she just hearing things? She could have sworn that something terrible had just passed her ears.
Esther tried asking about it for clarification, but before she could…
"Heh. Heh-heh-heh. You're a new recruit?"
She jumped, startled.
The corpse at her feet was talking. Rather, it wasn't a corpse anymore. Lieutenant Yohann Helders looked up at her with dead eyes. Somehow, he was still breathing.
"Want a piece of advice? You should go back to studying at your cozy desk in the Academy."
"Wh-what are you trying to say?!"
"Heh-heh-heh-eh. I'm just trying to be nice. There are a bunch of crazies who'll stab you in the back in this unit. A little girl like you'll end up stripped down and cooked in omelet rice… If you're not looking to bleed, then go home."
"Wha…?!"
That did it.
He was her superior. She wasn't allowed to argue back. But she couldn't stand being minimized for no reason. She, too, had come here prepared to work for Commander Komarin, so how dare he tell her to go back home?
Esther glared sharply at Yohann and raised her voice:
"E-excuse you! I am a soldier with the rank of second lieutenant! I'm not afraid of blood!"
"GHBEUBEBABHUAHBUHUBUABABBABAAAAA!!"
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK?!"
Blood spurted out from Yohann onto her.
Esther screeched like death and fell on her butt.
The gush of blood flew so quickly it created a bloody rainbow in the air before staining Esther's uniform. It was brand-new! Stunned, she wallowed in despair as Lieutenant Yohann Helders looked around and cursed.
"They won't get away with this… I'll kill them… I'll murder them all… after I come back to life… Damn buns…"
He drew his last breath.
Esther watched in shock, trembling.
What is happening? Why did they kill this guy? Should we contact the police? She asked herself a few questions that any sane individual would have in this scenario.
"Now then, good luck with your new job, Esther."
Lieutenant Villhaze, meanwhile, was munching on a steamed bun.
I don't get it. But I gotta work hard. Maybe this is how the Seventh Unit does initiations. Very well, then. Let's do it. Esther took a deep breath as explosions echoed from the garden. She clenched her fist.
I won't let this bring me down!
Esther had another reason for working hard—she had a sickly sister back home. She had to show her that her big sister could succeed as a soldier to cheer her up.
So began Esther Claire's nightmare.
Parenthesis: Commander Flöte Mascarail stopped the steamed-bun war from taking place at the Mulnite Palace. Commander Komarin apologized by offering her five hundred steamed buns (the ones she couldn't finish on time), but Commander Mascarail, fuming, challenged her to a duel.
It was all incomprehensible to Esther.
★
"Second Lieutenant Claire, no one will blame you if you ever decide to flee. Don't hesitate to do so if you think you won't be a good fit."
"Don't worry! I am also a proud soldier of the Imperial Army!"
"…I believe eighty percent of the Imperial Army would say there's nothing to be proud of in the Seventh Unit," said the beast-folk walking ahead of her—Lieutenant Bellius Hund Cerbero.
He was showing her the way to where the special team gathered.
This man was the most outstanding of the Seventh Unit, below Commander Komarin herself. The image of the man with a dog's head going wild among the group of vampires naturally drew her attention. It was a mystery how he'd ended up in the Imperial Army, but according to Villhaze, he was one of the few odd beast-folk registered to Mulnite's Dark Core. Esther found it wonderful that her workplace was free of racism.
After chatting for a while, they arrived at a spot behind the Crimson Tower. Bellius stopped as they reached a warehouse-looking building.
The place wasn't well-maintained. The walls were darkened and full of cracks. They had also sprayed some weird doodles on them. The skull and ghost drawings were on the decent side—but there were also words and phrases she dared not to read out loud.
"What is this place? It's like a thugs' den."
"It used to be an armory. The special team took it over, though. It's their base now."
"I have a lot of questions…"
"To begin with," Bellius said as he scratched his head, "they're not the sort of people someone like you could rally up."
"And what do you mean by that?"
"I mean you'd better be off working under Lieutenant Villhaze. They're too much for an Academy graduate to handle."
"…!" Esther was teeming with self-confidence. Just hearing Bellius's warning annoyed her to no end. "Lieutenant Cerbero, I am well aware I'm still unexperienced, but one cannot give up before trying. I'm here because Lieutenant Villhaze told me to be the special team's leader to begin with."
"I know that, I'm just saying…"
"You're not saying anything!" She stood on her toes and glared at him. "I have my own apprehensions, but Vill appointed me because she thought I could do it. So if you're against it, then bring it up with her!"
"I don't think that maid thinks about anything."
"Well, I believe she gave proper judgement of my capacities."
They locked gazes. Bellius couldn't take it and looked away.
Then Esther realized this wasn't how she should be talking to her superior. However, Bellius was the spitting image of her childhood dog. She wasn't trying to belittle him, but his resemblance made him feel more approachable than the other members.
"E-excuse my rudeness…"
"No, it's fine. I get it. Sorry. You're just following orders. But I will say…" Bellius faltered, then continued. "The special team is like an amalgamation of everything wrong with the Seventh Unit. Be prepared."
"Everything wrong…? Like what, exactly?"
"Like their taste for killing without reason."
"…"
How could there be soldiers like that? Surely the beast-man was only trying to scare her. She had heard of graduates from years past getting put through nasty hazing rituals. Surely the special team was just a bunch of problem kids who skipped work and spent all their time playing around.
"... Are they all in here?"
"Yes. This is basically where they live. Rumor has it they have an underground hideout, and that they get their food by stealing from the castle town."
If that was true, that would make them a group of criminals.
This had to be some sort of hazing. she wouldn't lose to such things.
Esther mustered her courage and placed a hand on the door.
Then she heard someone laughing. She figured the special team was merrymaking inside. In that case, she needed to establish herself as their superior and correct their mischief! Her will steeled, she opened the door.
Fwoosh!
Something grazed her cheek.
"Huh?"
Esther looked back in confusion.
The tree behind her had been sliced through. The top part slid off to the ground with a crash.
"…Huh??"
"That was close! I missed!"
A screeching voice echoed, followed by riotous guffaws. Esther looked into the warehouse in shock.
Inside were a group of vampires in the Mulnite military uniform. Just over thirty of them. They all had disrespectable faces and rough looks.
Esther was so shocked to move.
These are my subordinates? They're a bunch of lowlifes!
The inferior of the warehouse was in a terrible state. Empty liquor bottles and cigarette butts lay all around. As did corpses. And bloodstained saws and hammers. A long-haired vampire began playing a powerful metal guitar riff. The others synced to his headbanging as they chanted shrilly, "FOWOWOW! KOMARIN! KOMARIN!"
Then Esther realized that the tree behind her had fallen after she was attacked.
Bellius had told her they killed without reason.
Somehow, this wasn't a hazing. It took Esther a single glance at this hell on earth to accept the truth.
"Hey, hey, hey, Bellius. What's with this girl?"
A man with a shaved head approached.
He changed some mana at his fingertips. He must have been the one to shoot that spell just now.
"This is the home stadium of the fearsome Seventh Unit's sixth team. You wanna go on a date, then go watch a dolphin show at the aquarium. but if you're lookin' for our particular flavor of entertainment, then so be it."
He shot her a deadly glare.
Esther hid behind Bellius on reflex.
These aren't just troublemakers. What are they doing in the army? She trembled.
"Don't threaten me for no reason." Bellius took a step forward, covering for her. "Human resources sent her. She's not here to battle."
"Human resources? So you're sayin' she's here to appoint me, Ununga the Banshee as team leader? Then I welcome her with open arms! Finally, Commander Komarin recognizes my skills!"
"What?!" "You've got to be kidding!" "Who appointed him?!" "I'm gonna kill everyone here and then myself!" The rest of the special team sent murderous glares at the skinhead. Esther felt like dying. These dudes could start beating each other to death at any moment. Clearly, they'd been doing that already before she arrived.
"Calm down, Ununga. You're not the leader," Bellius said.
"The hell?! Oh, I get it! We're deciding it in battle!"
"That's not it! This girl here is your new leader. Second Lieutenant Esther Claire."
"Fweh?!" Esther shouted as Bellius grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her to the front.
"Hah?" the man screeched. "This kid is the leader?"
"Yes."
"You're joking, right?"
Ununga the Banshee looked at her up and down. The rest of the thugs gazed rabidly upon her, too. Esther shrank.
"Well then, Second Lieutenant Claire," said Bellius. "My work here is done. The sixth team is in your hands."
"Hold on!" Esther grabbed him by the arm before he could depart. "Don't leave me alone! They're going to kill me!"
"L-let me go! Weren't you saying you can't give up before you try?"
"Aww… I did! And that's right! But still!"
The sixth team didn't look like they were going to give her a chance to try.
She wanted to cry. That was way too big a responsibility for her first mission! Esther clung to Bellius for dear life and stared deep into his eyes, until finally, he sighed and headed over to the skinhead.
"Ununga, Second Lieutenant Claire is and elite graduate from the Military Academy. She has the skills to be your leader. Don't be mean to her."
"Tell me, Bellius. Who appointed little lady second lieutenant here as our leader?"
"Lieutenant Villhaze."
"So it wasn't on Commander Komarin's order?"
"The Commander has left all personnel decisions to her maid."
"Then no waaaaaay I am doing what she saaaaays!" The skinhead flipped the bird. "You know why we do our ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows to the south-southwest every morning, don't you?!"
"No."
"Because Commander Komarin's house is in that direction! Listen here, we don't serve Villhaze. The Seventh Unit protects Commander Komarin only! Am I right, guys?! Who the hell are we?!"
"""Commander Komarin's faithful dogs!!"""
"You heard 'em! I'm not listening to Villhaze's orders just because she's friends with the Commander. We are the strongest army, and we fight only for Commander Komarin! We fight, fight, fight… And if we're lucky, we'll die and get to be reborn as chicken eggs to be served in omelet rice, and find eternal rest in the Commander's stomach one day! Komarin! Komarin!"
"""Komarin! Komarin! Komarin! Komarin!"""
...
...…
…They're insane.
"So no! We don't accept HR's dumbass orders!"
"Telling me that won't do you any good. She's already your team's leader, on paper."
"Do I look like I give a shit?! She clearly can't handle the job to begin with!"
"He's right!" The vampires echoed the skinhead's response.
"The Seventh Unit is not place for a bookworm! Send her to Flöte Mascarail's braindead unit! And if she doesn't wanna, then she should pack her bags and go back to the sticks!"
"That's right!" "We're an elite troop! If you don't got the skills, then go!" "Everyone here grew up on muddy waters from the back alleys!" "We're filth!" "Do you got the guts to become trash, kid?!" "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be in a garbage dumb like this!" "Go get doted on somewhere else!" "Fowowowowow!!" The vampires jumped around the warehouse as they yelled.
What the heck? What the heck?
Huh? Huh? Am I crying?
I never cried in the Academy.
"There's no fixing them. Are you okay, Second Lieutenant Claire?" Bellius gave Esther a worried glance.
She was not okay. She was so shocked she could die. She hadn't been expecting them to tell her to "go back to the sticks" to her face.
But she couldn't stay silent after enduring all this ridicule.
Think of your sickly little sister back home!
Esther wiped away her tears with her sleeve and gathered her courage to yell:
"I! Am Second Lieutenant Esther Claire! And I've been appointed as leader of the Seventh Unit's special team! From now on, you will be following my orders! So start by cleaning up this me—"
"Oh shoot, it's already noon! It's time for the Leader Death Match!"
"""UOOOHHH"""
They ignored her.
Her voice was but a breeze to them. The members of the sixth team all gathered their weapons and started killing one another without rhyme or reason. Esther watched as her (tentative) subordinates gradually lost their lives, wondering why she ever come here.
"Waaa-waaa…! Listen to me!!"
"Don't cry. That's just how things are in the Seventh Unit."
"B-but…! Lieutenant Cerbero…!"
"Let's try again tomorrow. They won't stop until they've killed everyone."
It felt like her head was on the verge of exploding at the outlandishness.
Meanwhile, heads exploded in reality right before her eyes.
"Let's go." Bellius jerked his chin.
Esther left the place, weeping.
★
Her official title was Second Lieutenant Esther Claire, Leader of the Special Team, the Sixth Team of Gandesblood's Seventh Unit of the Mulnite Imperial Army.
But that was just on paper.
In reality, the members of the sixth team didn't listen to her in the slightest.
Ever since that shocking meeting, Esther had frequently visited the sixth team's home turf (the warehouse) and tried to convince them to follow her, but they seemed to think of her as nothing more than a pebble on the road. No matter how many times she yelled at them to listen or told them she was going to explain their strategy for the next war, they never paid attention.
Her team spent their time drinking, fighting, and cheering for Komarin. Thankfully, they didn't try directly attacking Esther, but with how hard they were ignoring her, she was still getting butchered mentally.
A prime example of that was the sports-war they'd held just the other day.
A penguin troop from the Lapelico Kingdom had declared war. According to Villhaze, they didn't hibernate, unlike most other beast-folk. Esther didn't even know the beast-folk hibernated. But in any case, this would be the first time she fought a real battle.
It would be no exaggeration to say all the training she did at the Military Academy has been for this day. She fired herself up to honor the name of Commander Komarin.
The morning of the battle, as she was getting ready in her room in the woman's dorms of the Imperial Army, the Correspondence Crystal on her dresser started glowing.
"Good morning, Esther. It looks to be a good day."
"Lieutenant Villhaze... Er, I mean, Vill! Good morning! To what do I owe this pleasant call?!"
"Oh, nothing. I was just trying to make sure you wouldn't sleep in out of nerves."
There was evident kindness in her cool tone.
Esther shed tears of joy at the mere thought of Lieutenant Villhaze getting worried over a girl like her, who couldn't even control her subordinates.
"Thank you for your concern! But I'm already well awake! I've been preparing for this day."
"Very well. By the way, have you been communicating with your team?"
"Uh… About that…"
She had come up with a strategy for the special team to use in this battle, but she didn't know whether they'd follow her orders or not... Actually, she did know. They wouldn't.
But she had to deal with it somehow. She was their boss.
"That doesn't sound good."
"N-no, not at all! I mean… Yes, a little… But I'll stay strong and make them look my way! No matter how difficult the path, I am ready to tread it!"
"Excellent. Would you mind telling them to stop rioting in the Mulnite Palace, then?"
"Huh?"
"It appears they've started fighting another unit. We won't even get to battle the Lapelico Kingdom at this rate. The palace hasn't even been fixed yet, and your troops are tearing it down again."
"...…"
All color drained from her face.
Esther hurried over to the Mulnite Palace without even brushing her hair.
The first thing she saw was a mountain of corpses.
It had been one week since she'd joined the Imperial Army. By now, she had witnessed her subordinates die on countless occasions, but it didn't look like they had wiped themselves out through infighting this time. The winning troops were still on their feet, after all.
"Oh my."
A vampire standing atop the pile of dead bodies noticed her arrival. A woman with noble bearing. She shook her bloodstained rapier before giving her an oppressive glare.
"What unit are you from? Don't worry, I've taken care of the barbarians."
Crimson Lord Flöte Mascarail.
She was a legend in the Military Academy, said to be its strongest graduate.
"It's unbelievable! We went through this just last week! If you want to lead a righteous and proper life in the army, I recommend you stay away from the Seventh Unit, young lady!"
Esther gulped. I'm part of the Seventh Unit's management, actually.
Flöte frowned in annoyance and sighed.
"Bachelard! Call Ms. Gandesblood! Gosh, what is that vampire thinking? Nothing good, I'll tell you! The last time I came across her, she scowled like she'd just seen a monster and turned around! Oooh, how I want to squish her! Don't you think the same, young lady?"
"Um…," Esther replied.
"Hey, Flöte. These lowlifes are from the Seventh Unit's special team. They're extremists even within their group."
Esther gulped.
A masked vampire had appeared out of the blue.
She recognized that figure. Crimson Lord Delphyne.
He (she?) held up an Army-provided dog tag. He must have taken one of the defeated vampires' uniform. Esther squinted to read it.
SEVENTH UNIT'S SPECIAL TEAM: SERGEANT MAJOR GOL UNUNGA
"The special team? I've never heard of it."
"Basically, they're unstoppable beasts. According to my Subordinates' reports, they caused this riot over a limited-edition Commander T-shirt."
"Excuse me?"
"A T-shirt with Terakomari's face on it. They made a limited-edition variant for New Year's featuring Komari's sleeping face and only produced a hundred of them. One of the member of the special team got a hold of one, and they began killing each other for it."
"Who would want that?!"
"Here's the item in question."
"I don't want it!"
Flöte slapped Delphyne's hand, and the T-shirt fluttered to the ground.
I want it… No, stop.
Everyone in the Military Academy knew about the Flöte Mascarail and Delphyne pair. They were about five years older than Esther, so while she hadn't gone to school with them, she had heard about them ad nauseam.
Those two were always top of their class. The Military Academy had been in total disorder during the time of their enrollment, and they went around killing all the delinquents one by one until they whipped their class into shape. They'd even challenged then—Crimson Lords when they were still students and emerged victorious. Rumor had it that even the principal kowtowed to those two when they crossed paths.
Basically, they were super amazing.
And Esther wasn't experienced enough to maintain a cool front in front of such super-amazing people.
"Whatever. I'll go speak with Ms. Gandesblood myself. Last time she scurried away and said something about having to polish her statue, but I won't let her get away again! I'll follow her to the depths of hell if I have to and put her in her place!" Flöte said.
"Honestly, though, I don't think Terakomari could've managed this."
"What? You're taking her side?"
"That's not it. It's true Terakomari holds a powerful Core Implosion, but she's just a little girl when she isn't using it. Or at least that's what it seems like. Don't you think so, Flöte?"
"Yeah… I suppose."
"And a little girl ignorant of the ways of the military wouldn't be able to control these wild beasts. So we should hold someone else in the unit accountable for mismanaging them."
"Even so! It's still Terakomari's responsibility!"
"I get how you feel, I do… But I think this wouldn't have happened if the special team's leader had been doing their job. Don't you agree, Second Lieutenant Esther Claire?"
Delphyne turned around and glared at Esther.
His eyes were bright and sharp behind his mask. Esther felt like she had just been thrown into the abyss. He knew who she was.
Delphyne paid no heed to Flöte's confusion and slowly approached Esther.
"I've heard about you from my underclassmen in the Military Academy. They say you graduated top of your class in all subjects. And that you were assigned to the Seventh Unit…then designated the leader of this pile of corpses. Which means this massacre wouldn't have happened if you had kept your subordinates in line."
"I-I'm very sorry!"
"Apologizing won't turn back time. And just so you know, Her Majesty the Empress assigned my Fourth Unit the task of repairing the palace. We've been working day and night without rest to fix it up, and all our hard work is gone now thanks to your team. You're making me want to cut my wrists, and I'm already anemic as it is…"
"Um, I've heard eating broccoli can help with that…"
"That's not the problem."
It most definitely wasn't. Esther couldn't think straight after being reproached for incompetency by a Crimson Lord.
"I'm not your boss, so I can't say much. But you must pay for this."
"Del! Stop picking on her!" Flöte grabbed Delphyne's arm in exasperation. "Don't talk to her like that just because she's your junior. You're scaring the girl."
"But I worked so hard to get that lawn just right, and now it's all full of holes…"
"Everybody makes mistakes. It is our duty as commanders to be the bigger person and let them off, don't you think?"
"So you're going to forgive Terakomari?"
"Not while I still draw breath. Ahem, Ms. Claire, I assure you Commander Delphyne didn't mean to berate you like that. Would you please forgive us?"
Esther had shrunk up. Commander Flöte Mascarail had a reputation for being commandeering, but it seemed she was quite kind in reality.
"P-please! It's my fault for not keeping them in check!"
"Indeed, that much is true."
"…"
"We aren't trying to vilify you, but in society, one must make up for their mistakes. So I'd like you to clean up this mess. Would you mind, Second Lieutenant Esther Claire?"
The garden was in shambles before her eyes. On it sat a pile of dead vampires. The special team was in no condition to participate in sports-war. So ended Esther's first battle, without even getting started.
She wound up helping Delphyne.
Although Esther said she would fix it alone, Delphyne had insisted he couldn't let someone without knowledge of architecture take care of it. She couldn't argue against the facts.
By the time the lawn was back to normal, her whole body was screeching from the strain of moving rocks and wood.
The sun had dipped behind the horizon before Delphyne told her she could go.
Esther fell onto her bed and let out a deep sigh.
"Sounds like the sixth team won't be able to join us for war. You follow Delphyne's instructions and get the palace back in shape," Lieutenant Villhaze had said.
It was supposed to be her first battle. Her chance to fulfill her duties as a soldier. Her opportunity to see Commander Komarin in action. And it was all ruined. All because of those damn vampires on the sixth team.
"Gosh! I'm pissed now! What's with those idiots?!"
Esther threw her pillow at the wall.
She knew it was also her fault for not being able to guide them, but they were just too much. Weren't soldiers meant to follow orders? Those crazy jerks weren't normal. This was all their fault. Esther was only going through this because they were so weird.
"I! Am! Working myself! To the bone! I tell them to stop killing each other! Time and time again! And they don't understand! They have no sense of morality!"
She punched her sandbag over and over. It swung back and came swinging forward to slam her in the face. Screeching, she rolled back and stayed silent on the floor for a few seconds before she began to feel guilty.
No. I shouldn't blame other people for my failings. This is all due to my lack of experience. As she mulled things over, she heard whispers from the room next door.
Was I being too loud? she worried, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"Ms. Komari Ms. Komari Ms. Komari Ms. Komari…" Someone was chanting the slaughter champion's name like a curse. In the week since Esther moved into the dorms, she would hear a strange voice coming from the other side of the thin wall frequently. It seemed she was neighbors with another crazy Komarin fan.
"Ms. Komari, did you like the omelet rice I cooked for you?"
"Hee-hee. I'm so happy. I'll make you some whenever you want."
"Let me help you with that. Here, say ahh… Ms. Komari, please! That's not the omelet rice, that's my finger! Eep, don't just start sucking my blood! Geez!"
Sometimes, her neighbor would also hold conversations all by herself, but Esther couldn't let any more weirdos take up more of her time. She had more important things to think about.
She had a sickly sister back in her hometown. And she, too, was a passionate Komarin fan. She always replied indifferently to anything Esther said, but when she told her little sister that she'd been assigned to the Seventh Unit, the girl's eyes lit up. "That's amazing!" she exclaimed.
Esther had to stay strong. She had to keep going at it to cheer up her little sister.
★
Three days later.
Esther and the other officers of the Seventh Unit were summoned to Commander Gandesblood's office.
Special Lieutenant Villhaze had called them here. Apparently, they held a management meeting every Friday. However, it just so happened that everyone but Bellius had been dead for last week's.
This was Esther's first management meeting.
"Now then, I would like to start off today's meeting." Villhaze cut to the chase. For some reason, she was seating on Commander Komarin's chair. "By the way, Lady Komari is out for lunch with Her Majesty the Empress. I would rather be there poisoning Her Majesty's tea, but oh well, we have work to do. This week's topic will be…"
"About the special team, right?" Lieutenant Bellius Hund Cerbero interrupted. "We need a unit-wide strategy to go against Prohellya Butchersky's troops. And for that, we need the sixth team to be under control."
Esther's mood sank.
It had been three days since Flöte killed her subordinates; the Dark Core had already revived them.
And yet, her troops showed no sign of self-reflection. They still got into fights at the drop of a hat. They still didn't listen to Esther's instructions. At this rate, it was obvious they'd end up killing themselves in the Super Massacre Gratitude Fest, too.
"What about you, Bellius? Do you have your subordinates in check? Wasn't it your team who led the steamed buns war the other day?" Lieutenant Caostel Conto replied provocatively.
He was the PR leader of the Seventh Unit. Apparently, he was adept at using a rare variety of magic known as Void Magic. According to Villhaze, however, "He's under suspicion of kidnapping little girls, so it's better to steer clear of him." Even in this important meeting, he was wearing a Commander T-shirt (Bashful Komari Edition). It was obvious he was a weirdo.
"My team's fine. We're talking about the special team here."
"I don't even think the Seventh Unit needs to come together like that to begin with. We're the strongest unit out there, and we've achieved victory through chaos and suicide attacks so far. I don't see how we need to change our ways just for that silly Sapphire."
"And you call yourself the Seventh Unit's strategist?"
"Yes. And my master strategy is that we need no strategy."
"While you may be right, Lieutenant Conto, we would only be putting ourselves in Prohellya Butchersky's crosshairs by using tactics like that. I think we really do need a proper plan this time... Esther, how is the special team doing at the moment?"
The question took her off guard.
Everyone turned to look at her. Esther awkwardly stood up.
"There is still a bit of infighting. I frequently find them drinking and smoking on the clock... However! I will eventually rally them into a perfect team! Or at the very least, I'll get them to not ignore my orders…"
"The Super Massacre Gratitude Fest is next Sunday, though?"
"Oof… I, um…"
Villhaze's orders were to get the sixth team together before the Super Massacre Gratitude Fest. Esther had practically failed her first mission already.
No. Not yet. There's still time. I've overcome every obstacle in my way until now. I can do it this time, too; I just gotta give it my all. Don't give up, Esther Claire!
"Hah! That's obviously impossible."
Suddenly, she heard a jeering voice. The blond vampire, Lieutenant Yohann Helders, got up in her face and glared at her.
"The special team would never bend to a little girl like you! Even I got killed like that when I tried! You don't have the guts to get them in line. You can't make it as a member of the Seventh Unit, let alone as a team leader. I don't even think you're fit to be a soldier."
"Th-that's not true! I studied a lot in the Military Academy to—"
"Ugh, that's it! The Military Academy's the place where they teach you manners and how to drink tea and shit, right? You haven't ever killed a person, kid. Know your place."
"…How many people have you killed, then, Lieutenant Helders?"
"You keep a count? Then how many have you killed?"
"Zero! But that's only because I just graduated…"
"Who cares! Everyone in our unit's a criminal who committed murder before even becoming a soldier. The Imperial Army's no place for a sweetie like you!"
You're bragging about being a criminal? Stupid asshole. She kept her reply to herself.
Esther obviously knew she was still immature, but she didn't understand why Yohann had to criticize her to this extent. The troops here sure did hate the "bookworms" from the Imperial Army. Maybe she should have applied to Commander Mascarail's unit, where there were many graduates.
No. She wanted to work for Commander Komarin.
And she had decided to do everything she could in the Seventh Unit.
But…
"So, I recommend you go apply for a decent job in a decent company."
"Shut your trap, kid," Bellius interjected. "Lieutenant Claire is trying her best. Don't attack her when you don't even know what she's been doing."
"What do I care?! Actually, I think I haven't attacked her enough… Hmm? Huh?"
Oh no. Shoot. I'm crying. I can't stop the tears.
I can't have a breakdown over something so little. They're going to mock me even more. But I just can't control my emotions with how everything's gone wrong lately. I can't. I'm going to embarrass myself again.
"Aww... Hic... D-don't... look at me…"
Yohann stood up, shaking.
"...But, no, I... Was what I said bad enough to make you cry?"
"I'm not crying… I just got something in my eye…"
"Yohann, how dare you make a woman break into tears, you piece of garbage! You should hang yourself in apology," Villhaze said.
"What?! I didn't mean to…"
"Check it! Yohann loves pie, he makes all the girls cry, he's got a blue spot on his behind!"
"Shut the fuck up! I'm gonna kill you!!"
"My. It's raining," said Captain Mellaconcey as he handed Esther a handkerchief.
Am I all right with things now? she thought, wiping her cheeks.
Why had she joined the Seventh Unit? It wasn't to get her colleagues and subordinates to flip her the bird while telling her to go back to the sticks. It was for her sickly sister, for Commander Komarin, and most of all, to accomplish her dream of becoming a soldier who fought for her country.
She had no time to waste crying, then.
Or at least she knew that in theory.
"Esther, I think I might have given you too heavy a load for a new recruit," Villhaze said kindly. But this only ripped Esther's pride to shreds. "Let's keep the sixth team on the backburner. How about you become subleader for my team in the meanwhile? You can see firsthand how the work gets done in the Seventh Unit and learn that way."
"W-wait, Villhaze! How about you give her a bit longer? It's only been like two weeks, right? Even I couldn't tame those guys in that amount of time," Yohann said.
"Hmm? You've gone in the opposite direction now."
"So what! People can change their opinion every now and then."
"But still, Esther is new here, and I wouldn't like to overwork—"
"No, I'll be fine."
Esther put the handkerchief away in her pocket and stood up.
She placed a hand on her chest and regulated her breathing before shooting a glare at Yohann.
"I…I can still do it! I can't abandon my mission after being made fun of."
"I wasn't trying to make fun of you."
"But you did! I wouldn't be able to face everyone back in the Academy if I ran away! Vill, please let me bring the sixth team together under my leadership! We will help lead you to victory in the Super Massacre Gratitude Fest! Please, don't dismiss me! I beg of you!"
Esther bowed hard to Villhaze.
Perhaps her show of bravery was reckless.
Yet Villhaze responded coolly, "Very well. I will leave them to you. Please go and tame the special team."
"Yes! I will! Now, if you'll excuse me!"
Thank goodness. I still have a chance. I gotta go to them right away. With a will of steel, Esther bowed to her superiors and left the room.
"Wait, please. We still have to talk about whether we're building a second Komari statue."
"Huh…?! I-I'm sorry!"
Esther hurried back to the room and sat down.
She was so embarrassed that she couldn't look up for the rest of the meeting.
★
Sadly, Esther's wish didn't come to fruition.
In the end, nobody in the special team recognized her as leader, and the day of the Super Massacre Gratitude Fest arrived.
To make a long story short, Gandesblood's Seventh Unit won.
Arctic Master Prohellya Butchersky caught a cold before the match, and Major Pitolina Shelepina stood in to lead the Sapphires, but she greatly underestimated her enemy.
"According to my calculations, we can crush the vampires without any sort of strategy! They're insects! Mosquitoes! Let's give our lady in bed a present of mosquito corpses! Go, my dear Sapphires! For the motherland! For our lady! For tonight's gorshok! Burn those lowly lifeforms!"
Is she all right in the head? her troops' expressions seemed to ask, but Pitolina ignored this and ordered an attack.
Prohellya was an expert at surprise attack strategies, so the full-frontal assault approach Pitolina demanded was clumsy at best in the Sapphires' eyes. The Seventh Unit, on the other hand, could do nothing but go all in from the front. It was obvious that the vampires would run them over.
Esther couldn't really contribute.
The special team rushed ahead the moment the battle began, ignoring her cries of "Please wait!" and "I have a plan!" If they'd even heard her in the first place.
As Esther moved left and right in confusion, someone blew up Major Pitolina Shelepina, and the Sapphire disappeared from this world.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. It was too fast for Esther to even process what went on.
In that moment, the only thing Second Lieutenant Esther Claire knew was that she did not achieve anything in battle.
★
Esther wobbled her way across the premises of the Mulnite Palace.
She was coming home from the warehouse. She had tried again to make the special team understand, but they'd brushed aside her pleas and even asked her to join them for a drink. Setting aside the fact that they ignored her orders, her subordinates were surprisingly friendly, so she'd just barely managed to not get her spirit broken. But even then, she had her limits. She was also underage, so she couldn't drink.
"Gosh… I'm pooped…"
Esther sat down on a bench near the Crimson Tower.
The sun was setting. She gazed at the carmine sky and was overcome with the urge to cry. It felt like she had done nothing but weep ever since joining the Imperial Army. It must have been because nothing went her way at work.
She hadn't been able to achieve anything at the Super Massacre Gratitude Fest. The Seventh Unit won, yes, but she hadn't contributed to their victory.
"...Am I unneeded?"
She couldn't help but feel that way.
She was even starting to feel bad about getting paid for this.
Maybe she ought to beg Lieutenant Villhaze to let her quit as team leader, or even ask to quit the Seventh Unit altogether.
Just as pessimism seized her thoughts, a cold wind blew.
"What's the matter?" someone asked.
Started, Esther looked behind her. The surprise almost killed her.
A small girl was standing beneath the dusky sky. Her long hair was a vivid blond, and her eyes were crimson. She held a bag full of foodstuffs, and her military uniform was decorated with a full moon crest—the symbol of first rank.
Which meant…that this girl…was… But Esther didn't even need to check her rank. She knew that face better than anyone.
"Koma… Commander Gandesblood?! Why are you here?!"
"Huh? You know my name?"
Crimson Lord Terakomari Gandesblood.
What's she doing here? Come to think of it, I haven't spoken to her once, even after joining the Seventh Unit. Does she even realize that I'm working for her? No, she clearly doesn't. She just asked me how I knew her name. Who would say that to her subordinate? But then, why would she talk to me? I can't. My head feels like it's about to burst.
It would be rude to keep quiet, though.
Esther stood up and saluted her.
"E-excuse me! M-my, my name is Esther Claire! I'm the leader of the Seventh Unit's special team!"
"The Seventh Unit?"
"Yes! I was appointed just two weeks ago! I—I am sorry for not introducing myself earlier!"
Esther felt shivers go down her spine as she said that. She'd been appointed two weeks ago and still hadn't introduced herself to her commander? How could she have been so insolent? Commander Komarin was well within her rights to kill Esther on the spot…but for some reason, she just stared at her vacantly instead, her jaw hanging open.
"Huh…? You joined our unit? Why?"
"I asked to be assigned to the Seventh Unit. Erm, at the time of my graduation from the Military Academy, that is."
"But you don't look like a murderer."
"I'm sorry! Should I be one?!"
"No, please don't!"
Esther was too anxious to understand what Commander Komarin was talking about.
She carefully and respectfully observed her idol. She was much smaller than she'd imagined. Maybe a head shorter than she was. And above all else…she was cute. So pretty. And she smelled like flowers. No wonder people called her a once-in-a-generation knockout beauty.
Crap. What do I say to her? Whatever comes out of your mouth, it better not be rude.
Commander Komarin, too, was thoroughly observing Esther. She looked her newest subordinate over from the top of her head to the tip of her toes and began nodding to herself.
"I see, I see. So a decent person has finally joined our group…" She smiled and held out her hand. "N-nice to meet you! I'm Terakomari Gandesblood! I'm Crimson Lord and commander, I guess. I hope we can be friends."
"Friends! Oh my…! I would be very glad to!"
Esther shook her hand, albeit shrinkingly.
Oh no. My palms are sweating. And hers are so soft and squishy.
"So…why are you sitting out here? Aren't you chilly?"
"I'm fine. I'm used to the cold."
"It seemed like you were worrying about something…"
"I-I'm fine! I wouldn't want to concern you, Commander!"
"Hmmm."
Commander Komarin held her paper bag close to her chest and stared at Esther with concern.
Esther couldn't show weakness. She knew well that the Seventh Unit was adamant about putting the strong at the top. The commander could fire her on the spot if Esther gave her the impression that she was a weakling.
"Sorry." Commander Komarin scratched her head awkwardly. "Actually, my maid told me that there was someone down in the dumps around here, and that I should go help them. Though I don't think there's anything I can do…"
"Huh…?"
"I just made some steamed buns in the kitchen over there. Wanna go eat them at my office?"
She couldn't refuse.
Esther let Commander Komarin take her hand and lead her away.
"I see. I get it now."
The seventh floor of the Crimson Tower. Commander Terakomari Gandesblood's office.
Esther ended up coming clean about everything.
She told Commander Komarin how her subordinates wouldn't listen. How nothing she learned at the Academy seemed useful. How she'd stood there without doing anything during the Super Massacre Gratitude Fest.
She didn't have the guts to bluff to the Crimson Lord she idolized.
But most of all, she just felt like letting out all her concerns to her. Having finally met Terakomari Gandesblood for the first time, she felt a curious kindness, friendliness, and open-mindedness in her. It was almost like the aliases that Six Nations News had given her, such as "slaughter champion," "the ketchup empress," and "USB" (Ultimate Scarlet Berserker), were all phony.
Esther munched on a steamed bun as she waited for Commander Komarin's reply.
Did I disappoint her? Her worries, though, ended up being for nothing.
"Sorry! I gotta apologize!"
"Fweh?"
Why would Commander Komarin ever apologize for this?
"I have no idea what goes through Vill's head. What's she thinking pushing such an absurd job on a rookie? No, I guess it's my fault. You wouldn't be going through this if I was a better commander. I'm sorry."
"N-no! It is entirely my fault for not being capable enough."
"No, it isn't. Those guys are just uncontrollable."
"But…I think you would be able to keep them in check."
"There's nothing you can't do that I can. I mean, you actually went to the Military Academy, right? You're a respectable vampire, as opposed to someone like me, who spent the whole day lazing around in her room before joining the army—NOT! No, no, I was marching and striding about the Dark Core Zone, street-fighting day in and day out! Piling up the corpses until I reached a hundred million, all felled by a touch of my pinky…GOSH! No! Forget it! Anyways! What I mean is, I'm sure you can do anything I could and better."
Esther didn't understand what she was saying. It seemed as though Commander Komarin wasn't sure how to approach her. It was almost like…she was hesitating over whether to spill a big secret.
However, Esther did understand that Komari was worried about her. Even though she was a useless soldier.
"Commander... It's true, I graduated top of my class, I've almost never placed second, much less lower. My teachers and classmates have always commended me on my achievements."
"Good. You're the kind of person I wanted to join us."
"... However! None of that is of any use in the real Army!"
Esther had felt like she would be able to take on any mission, but that assumption turned out to be totally misplaced. The vampires on the special team had torn her tiny sense of self-respect to shreds.
"I don't know why I'm here anymore. To be honest…I have a sickly sister back in my hometown. She was really happy when I told her I'd been assigned to the Seventh Unit. You may not realize, Commander, but you saved our home during the Six Nations War."
"Huh? I—I did?"
"Yes. So my sister and I are huge fans. Which is why…I have to stick it out in the Seventh Unit, so I can cheer her up. And it's not just for her. I want to become a soldier like you, Commander Gandesblood. But I don't have the talent. I don't think I'm a good fit. I'm beginning to think I might have been better off staying back home and taking over my family's hot springs inn."
Esther let out a weak chuckle.
Many vampires in the Mulnite Empire admired soldiers. They looked up to the brave souls who fought other countries while bearing the hopes of their people. It was a dazzling position to be in.
And an inappropriate position for an incompetent vampire like her.
People should have dreams that were "just right." Dreams that went beyond your capabilities were like chains holding you down. They only distressed you whenever you had to face the difference between your ideals and reality.
"Maybe I should look for another job. There must be something out there I can do better…"
"Th-that's not true!"
Commander Komarin squeezed Esther's hand. She stared closely at Esther, her eyes filled with a twinge of hesitation, but also full of heartfelt concern.
"Wait... I didn't mean to say that you can't do anything better... What I mean is I think you have what it takes to be a soldier. At the very least, I think I need you."
"H-how can you tell…? We just met today…"
"Because you're a decent person."
Decent? How?
"Er, what I'm trying to say is, my unit loves killing more than three square meals a day. It doesn't have anyone in it who got properly educated, like you did. I think you'll change the Seventh Unit for the better."
Lieutenant Villhaze had said the same. But the members of the Seventh Unit seemed to think her educational background was only a negative. A reason to treat her like an outcast.
"That won't happen… I mean, you can't be a soldier just by being good at studying…"
"I support you in following your dreams."
Komari's genuine crimson eyes peered deep into hers.
"You shouldn't put everything on yourself. I imagine you approached the guys in the special team feeling like you could do it all, but there's no way you can whip them into shape by yourself. Whoever can do that is a super berserker among super berserkers."
"But I was given a mission to lead the special team."
"I was also given a mission to be a Crimson Lord, but I don't do it all by myself."
"What do you mean…?"
"That riots at the end of last year taught me that I can't be a commander on my own. I'm only able to keep up with my duties thanks to the support of everyone in the Seventh Unit and my friends from other countries. I'm not sure I'm actually doing a good job…but that's beside the point. Now that you've shared your worries with me, I've decided to help you make your dream come true. I mean, I am your boss, after all. Improving your work environment is part of my job."
Commander Komarin got up with a "Hup!"
Esther stared up at the small commander like she was her savior.
It was strange. Just listening to the commander's words filled her with the courage to stand up. It was exactly like what happened during the vampire riots; the commander's voice had echoed through the night, leaving a huge impression on Esther.
"I'll do everything I can. So let's get going, all right?"
"Huh? Excuse me, but go where, exactly?"
"To the special team's warehouse! Hmm, we should bring Vill along just in case…" Commander Komarin took out her Correspondence Crystal. "Hello? Vill? I just heard from the person who's been having trouble. She's okay now, so please come out here."
"I'm already here."
"WAAAH?!"
Lieutenant Villhaze popped out of the refrigerator. She'd been listening in on them from the very beginning.
Commander Komarin threw her Correspondence Crystal at her maid and yelled.
"What the hell were you doing in there?!"
"I was concerned about Esther's future, so I took the liberty of eavesdropping. It seems that she's fine now. She's looking much brighter thanks to you, Lady Komari."
Now Esther was self-conscious. So it was the maid who'd gotten Commander Komarin to meet her; had she also been worried for her?
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, but weren't you cold?! You know, from hiding in the fridge?!"
"I destroyed the cooling Magic Stone, so that's not an issue."
"WHAT?! I had my pudding in there!"
"I ate your pudding, so that's not an issue."
"It's a huge issue!!"
Villhaze ignored Commander Komarin and turned to Esther. With a soft smile on her face, she said:
"Well then, Esther, let's go to the warehouse. Don't worry, even if the members of the special team attack, Lady Komari can turn them to ash in the blink of an eye with her amazing magic."
"Hey, stop making things harder for me. That's supposed to be your job…"
"What are you saying? Don't you realize your subordinate is listening?"
"R-right! Don't sweat it, Esther. I'm here with you! Go say your piece to the special team! That means speaking! Only talking! No provocations, all right?"
It was time for the final battle, and she had Commander Komarin to back her up. Esther felt invincible just knowing she was there for her.
★
The warehouse on the fringes of the Mulnite Palace.
Esther placed a hand on the door as Commander Komarin and Villhaze watched from behind.
She came here every day, but the vampires had never once recognized her as team leader.
Now, however, she had Commander Komarin on her side.
"Good evening! It's Second Lieutenant Esther Claire!" she exclaimed, throwing open the door.
Inside, the vampires were hanging out like always. They stopped chattering immediately.
"Hah? Oh, it's Esther. Wanna join us for some Tycoon?"
"I'm not here to play card games! I'm here to talk!"
Esther strode into the warehouse
The vampires glared at their official boss like murderers.
"As you know, I am the leader of the sixth team! We need some actual organization to win our next war! I've come up with a few rules so we can—"
"Hah! Go do that somewhere else! We've got no reason to obey a little girl!"
"""That's right!!"""
Her subordinates ignored her and returned to their Tycoon tournament.
It's no use. They won't accept me. Maybe I just don't have what it takes to be team leader.
Just as Esther felt as though she had plunged into the abyss, a light shined behind her.
"Hey, everyone! Listen to what she has to say!"
The next instant, all sound cut out, as if everyone had died. But the silence didn't last long.
"Commander…?" "It's the Commander…!" "The Commander's here!" "What's she doing here?!" Voices of shock and delight echoed. The members of the special team were like believers witnessing the advent of their goddess. Commander Komarin paid their stares no heed and continued speaking.
"Esther is your team leader! Stop making things hard for her! And if you won't listen, then I won't make any more sweets for you!"
"""We're sorry!!"""
The vampires kowtowed in perfect sync, kicking up a gust of wind that nearly blew Esther away.
Esther stared in shock and disbelief at the sight of the vampires rubbing their foreheads on the dirty floor. Was this really the same team of berserkers who hadn't listen to a thing she said?
Commander Komarin approached them with a series of booming steps.
Only then did Esther realize that the prostrated vampires were trembling. They must've been terrified that their boss was yelling at them. But this only served to emphasize what Esther Claire already knew was obvious—she could never hope to reach Terakomari Gandesblood's heights.
"The highest-ranked person here is…Ununga! Why have you been ignoring Esther?"
"W-we…" The skinhead, Ununga the Banshee, looked away awkwardly. "The sixth team follows an ironclad rule: only the strongest can lead…"
"That's it? Didn't you stop to think about how she feels about being ignored?"
"It's for her own good! She had the honor of graduating from the Military Academy, so it would be a waste to end up with a bunch of scumbags like us! She deserves better than to be stuck in this dump!"
"It's actually impressive how easily you debase yourselves…"
"That's what we really believe… We think our leader should be someone befitting us. And the most important quality for leadership in the Seventh Unit is strength. Everyone else in management is real powerful, right? Well, except for Yohann, so he's in for a killing the next time we see him... What I'm tryin' to say is, we think Esther would just get hurt staying with us."
"My, Sergeant Major Ununga. Are you making up excuses for Lady Komari?" asked Villhaze.
"Huh?! No, that's not my—"
"Good heavens. You've angered her now. I can already see your skeleton adorning the entrance to the Crimson Tower tomorrow morning."
"Vill, stop making stuff up!" Komari interjected.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!"
"She's joking!!" Komari clarified.
Ununga wailed and begged for forgiveness as the rest of the sixth team froze in fright.
"As I was saying!" Commander Komarin brought the conversation back on track. "I get that you have your reservations about this, but I want you to consider Esther's position."
"Understood! As you wish, Commander. I will consider it with my life!"
The vampires prostrated themselves like obedient dogs.
Problem solved…or was it?
Esther still felt uncertain. Unfortunately, she couldn't just feel happy about it. She was glad that Commander Komarin had helped her out, but Esther wasn't out of the woods yet just because the special team had recognized her. And she didn't feel good about having Commander Komarin work out everything for her.
As though reading her mind, Villhaze gave Esther a bold smile.
"I see… Lady Komari, please look at the poster right there."
"Hmm? What poster?"
Esther also looked at the wall.
On it was a sign written in bold black text that read:
THE STRONGEST IS THE LEADER. RANK DOESN'T MATTER. NO ONE MAY BREAK THIS RULE.
"As they say, when in the warehouse… not even a Crimson Lord should bend the special team's rules."
"Is that so…?"
"Which means you can go ahead and kill all of them, Esther."
"Wha—?!" Esther and Commander Komarin exclaimed in shock unison.
"The Seventh Unit is made up of barbarians who prioritize strength over everything else to begin with. So wouldn't showing them your might solve everything? That would force you to recognize her, right, Sergeant Major Ununga?"
"Yeah, that is true... But we were ignoring her to avoid having to hold her to that."
"Wait a second, Vill! That's too much! What if—"
"May I?!" Esther leaned forward.
Everyone around looked at her like she was some sort of freak of nature.
"Well," Vill said as she placed a hand on her chin. "So long as Lady Komari gives you permission."
"Are you serious?!"
"Murder is illegal in the Mulnite Empire, but there is a clause in the law stating that it's permitted with the authorization of a Crimson Lord."
"Huh? I don't get it."
"Basically, you just have to say, 'You can kill them.' Then Esther will be legally allowed to take the special team's lives."
"Why would they give me such power?! I'll never sanction that!"
"But Lady Komari, Esther needs your help to make her dream come true."
The most efficient way of securing leadership of the special team was to dominate them with force. Esther had realized this early on, but she'd been hellbent on talking things out. This was partly because she did not like unnecessary conflict, but above all else, it was because killing was prohibited by law.
Even though slaughter was the easiest route to respect, Esther couldn't take it. Not as an honors student who'd graduated from the Academy with SS grades in conduct, etiquette, discipline, and disposition.
But if she had permission…then perhaps she could turn things around.
"Commander, please!" Esther begged desperately. "Please grant me the permission to kill them! Then I'll finally get them to understand!"
"Huh…? Esther... Were you not actually on my side of reality?"
"I don't get what you mean... But please, I want them to recognize me!"
"But…" Commander Komarin winced.
She looked away from Esther and glanced at Ununga and the rest, before she finally stared at her maid, as though asking for help. Villhaze went up to her and whispered into her ear. "Don't worry, Lady Komari. If anything happens, I'll take care of it." Then Commander Komarin made up her mind.
She met Esther's gaze, locking onto her with crimson eyes.
"...Fine. I really don't want to say it…but I will if you insist. Go ahead, but try not to put them in the grave, okay? Don't go overboard."
The battle kicked off.
The next moment, a loud metallic clang echoed as Esther took a chain enveloped in magic out of her uniform. A sharp blade gleamed at its tip. This was her strongest weapon, which she had used to defeat her classmates in mock battle countless times at the Mulnite Military Academy—the Chain Metal.
Everyone gasped.
Esther lifted the chain up in the air with magic and glared at the special team.
"So the strongest gets to be leader, right? I will join the battle, then!"
"H-hey, Esther, we can fight, sure, but you think you can take on our powerful blows with that to—EEEAAAGGH!!"
She sent the blade at Ununga's head with godlike speed.
Then the chain pivoted noisily in midair, striking the skinhead, who collapsed to the floor like a broken scarecrow. He wasn't dead—only unconscious. Commander Komarin had specifically asked Esther to avoid taking their lives.
She had never killed anyone, but she had been trained to kill ad nauseam. There was no way she could fail to put these guys down.
"Come at me. I won't stop until you've recognized me as your leader!"
One of Esther's teacher from the Military Academy had this to say about her:
"Oh, her? Yeah, she's an excellent student. Her grades are even better than Commander Mascarail's and Commander Delphyne's. Though she does follow the rules to a tee, to her detriment, in my opinion."
Second Lieutenant Esther Claire.
Her graduating grades in combat skill: SS.
"Whew." Villhaze sighed in admiration.
"Am I dreaming?" Commander Komarin pinched her cheeks as she chuckled.
Meanwhile, the special team's vampires…
""'YOU ASKED FOR IT!!"""
…rushed at Esther in a frenzy.
So began a bloody clash.
Esther pierced every vampire who approached her with the Chain Metal. Their movements were so obvious it would be harder to avoid hitting them than not. We could never defeat Prohellya Butchersky's troops with such a simpleminded assault, Esther coolly thought as she dyed the warehouse in blood.
"Get wrecked, bi—AUGH!!"
Esther wrapped her chain around the neck of a long-haired vampire who'd tried to punch her from behind. That was the last one. Upon confirming he had been knocked out, she shook off the blood clinging to the Chain Metal and looked around.
She saw piles of corpses in puddles of blood. Metaphorically speaking, of course. None of them were dead. They were only unconscious, and the Dark Core would get them back to full health in no time. Regardless, there was no one left to attack her.
It had taken her all in a minute. A minute she couldn't have earned without Terakomari Gandesblood.
Esther turned to her idol and beamed.
"Thank you so much! I've finally gotten them to understand me. It's all thanks to you, Commander!"
Commander Komarin responded weakly.
"...Ha-ha. Ah-ha-ha-ha. Yeah. Good for you…"
"Lady Komari, snap out of it. Accept reality."
Villhaze propped up the commander just after she fainted for some reason.
★
One month had passed since Esther had been appointed to the Seventh Unit. It was Sunday.
Esther was at a restaurant in the Imperial Capital, on a call with her sister.
She didn't want to use her Correspondence Crystal in her room. The walls were too thin, so everyone would be able to hear her conversation, just like she could hear her neighbor chant "Ms. Komari, Ms. Komari" like a spell every night.
On the other hand, the restaurant was pleasantly noisy around noon.
Esther swallowed a spoonful of stew as she chatted merrily.
"The other day, the members of the sixth team held a welcome party for me in the garden of the palace. I'm so glad they finally recognized me as their leader."
"Wow."
"They're all very good people. It's not great that they tend to solve everything with their fists, but they stop whenever I tell them to now. I was very worried at first, but it looks like I'll be able to manage."
The special team's attitude toward Esther had changed entirely after their fight in the warehouse. Now they even seemed to fear her. Ununga had even bought her a lemonade, crying, "I'm sorry for everything I did, leader!" The others acted similarly, in their own way. They no longer ignored her or disparaged her.
It was all thanks to their philosophy that strength was justice.
Afterward, Esther learned that Commander Komarin had also won their trust by killing one of her subordinates. Esther had been right to shut them up by force.
"I owe everything to Commander Komarin. Her support was what let me keep hanging in there. That's the slaughter champion for you! I'm glad I got to join the Komari Unit... I'll keep doing my best, so I hope you can keep hanging in there, too, Monique."
"...Yeah."
Her sister, Monique, only gave Esther curt responses.
The mysterious illness ailing Monique was more mental than physical. It made her lose interest in everything. Half a year ago, she'd been a guileless girl who smiled all the time, but now she never got out of her bed.
"Commander Komarin…"
"Do you want to meet her?"
"Yeah. That's what the shadow says…"
Esther ran her hand through her head.
Her sister had started having hallucinations. She would sometimes talk about a "shadow" when she talked to Esther. Apparently, it followed her around, whispering all sorts of things to her.
Their mother said she had never seen anything of the sort. Which meant it had to be a figment of Monique Claire's imagination. She must've been seeing weird things because of her fragile mental state.
Despite that, it was true Monique wanted to meet Commander Komarin. Perhaps she would cheer her up if Esther could invite the commander to the hot springs in back in their hometown... But things weren't so simple. The Crimson Lords supposedly had a deadly amount of work, and Esther wasn't close enough with the commander to nonchalantly invite her to the hot springs.
Just then, her other Correspondence Crystal (for work) glowed.
"Sorry, Monique! I'm getting a call from the Unit!'
"It's fine."
"I'm really sorry. I'll call you back."
"Yeah... Hang in there, Esther."
She said bye-bye before hanging up, then immediately poured mana into the other crystal. The call connected, and she heard that familiar cool voice.
"Good afternoon, Esther. It's Villhaze."
"Good afternoon, Vill!"
It was Commander Komarin's maid and confidante. Special Lieutenant Villhaze.
She was also essentially Esther's instructor within the Seventh Unit.
"Sorry to interrupt your break," she prefaced before cutting to the chase. "I have an important job for you. Since you're not a sicko, you're the only person I can turn to."
"A sicko... What? What do you mean?"
"You see, I've received an invitation from President Nelia Cunningham of the Aruka Republic. It seems she wants us to discuss celebrating Lady Komari's birthday. I would like nothing more than to ignore her, but I can't have her do as she pleases on the day of Lady Komari's birth. It would be wisest to respond to the invitation and keep her in check."
"Uh-huh…"
"So I'd like you to come with me. Unlike the rest of the Seventh Unit, you are not a sicko. I believe you have normal-minded sensibilities just like Lady Komari. I would very much appreciate it if you could be there to give your opinion."
What a godsend! Now Esther could find a way to pay Commander Komarin back. And perhaps she could even get an opportunity to invite her to her hometown.
Villhaze gave her the details for the date and place as Esther pumped a fist under the table.