Chapter 15 - Sweet Traces Part 15: He is in the Sky

When the voice of Luciano resonated through the transport ship, every individual present could not help but be taken aback. Many female members of the Joint Forces nearly jumped in joy.Luciano succinctly outlined the battle plan before the earpiece fell silent. They were now ten minutes away from the battleground on the edge star.Noticing that Filia had awakened, Cole seized the opportunity to engage her in conversation. Running his fingers through his golden hair, he approached her, directing his gaze first at ToTo, who was sitting beside Filia.With just a glance, ToTo understood Cole's intention and promptly moved to a different seat.Meanwhile, Filia listened as several female members of the Joint Forces conversed nearby."Have you heard? The commander got married recently.""Of course! I was close at the mobilization meeting and saw him wearing a wedding ring.""Rumor has it, the commander married a half-blood, half-human. She seems like just an ordinary clerk and looks rather plain. I really don't get what our commander sees in her.""Exactly! With such an unremarkable background, how could she be worthy of our male god? Even if he doesn't marry someone of his own race, he should at least marry a human!""Our male god said he likes gentle and obedient women. Honestly, if he were willing to marry me, I could change my personality for him. It's just a matter of being suitable for marriage, right? I could endure it for a month."At this point, a comment from a female werewolf sent everyone into fits of laughter. Filia watched these women gossip about herself and her husband, feeling the anger well up inside her as she could say nothing, merely grinding her teeth in silence.After contemplating for a while, she took off her gloves, retrieved her wedding ring from a small pocket near her heart, slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand, and then put her gloves back on.Cole observed this entire exchange."You're married?""Huh?"It took Filia a moment to realize someone had taken ToTo's place beside her."Who are you?""I..." Cole was nearly amused by his own frustration; how could someone forget a striking figure like him?"Ah, Captain Conan, right?" Filia expressed indifference toward those she deemed insignificant.Just hearing this made Cole nearly choke, but he managed to keep his composure and reintroduced himself."Cole, captain of the Ninth Division."Once again, Cole extended his hand toward Filia."Hello.""You too." Unable to evade this interaction, Filia extended her hand briefly, yet she quickly retracted it after the handshake."I never would have guessed you were married at such a young age. However, I looked into your profile and noticed that you mentioned having no relatives when you joined, even stating that your pension should go to an orphanage. Is it that your husband has... passed away?" After a thorough rational analysis, this was Cole's conclusion—without anyone to claim her pension, and now wearing a wedding ring, he assumed her husband must no longer be alive.Filia was initially taken aback, staring at Cole for three seconds. Uncertain of how to respond, she gathered her thoughts and finally uttered a semblance of the truth."He is in the sky; whenever I look up at the stars, I can see him.""Really? What does he do?" Cole finally struck gold with a topic that might allow him to converse further with Filia, transforming into the caring older brother."He was a soldier." As Filia spoke, her expression turned solemn.At that moment, Cole was deeply affected. It dawned on him that Athena was the widow of a comrade. The thought of her husband sacrificing his life in service, while she now operated in a unit with a high casualty rate, caused tears to well up in his eyes."Cole? Are you alright?" Filia noticed tears nearly spilling from Cole's eyes and quickly inquired."Ah, it's nothing." Cole raised his chin and swallowed the rising emotion before continuing, "Athena, if you're considering transferring to the regular army, come to my unit. I swear on the honor of the commander that I will protect you."Filia gazed at Cole in silent disbelief, ultimately managing only an awkward smile.Cole intended to say more, but just then, the transport ship began its descent.Luciano's voice returned through the earpiece."Everyone, the transport ship will land in 20 seconds. Colonel Cole, be sure to execute a feint attack decisively to provide Alpha ample time for rescue. Additionally..."Luciano paused, his gaze fixed on the screen displaying the names of the squad leaders from Team Alpha and ultimately made a bold decision."Is Captain Athena present?"Filia instantly straightened her back, swallowing hard before steadily responding into the microphone."Commander, I am here.""Your team is to undertake a special mission. In one minute, your channel will be encrypted. After receiving the orders, report directly to me.""Athena acknowledges.""Alright, soldiers, the mission has commenced. Wishing you triumph."As Luciano uttered his last words, the transport ship touched down. Each division quickly commenced battle preparations according to orders, while Filia positioned her squad, awaiting their assigned task.Moments later, Lucian's voice echoed in her earpiece once more."Athena, we have just received intel that a senior engineer has defected and is being escorted to the Beastmen's teleportation point by a small squad of demons. Your task is to intercept this squad and bring back the defector. Coordinates will be sent shortly.""Are there any stipulations on how to handle this, Commander?" After being rebuked not long ago, Filia felt a bit awkward discussing matters with him under her Athena persona."Anything goes; assess the situation. If retrieval isn't feasible, eliminate them.""Understood."At that moment, the coordinates appeared on Filia's portable device. A quick glance revealed that the target wasn't far—it should be possible to catch up within five minutes.Briefly explaining the mission to her teammates, Team Five prepared to set off. As they traversed swiftly, Filia reflected that being dispatched into battle by her husband was surprisingly romantic, though she worried that one day he might discover her enlistment and the well-hidden truth of her presence on the battlefield. Would he be so enraged that he might consider divorce?In her musings, Filia pressed her earpiece."Commander, is this channel encrypted? Can others hear me if I speak?"