Chapter 46

Indeed, Selina's judgment in that moment was quite regrettable.

The airship and the crew.

No matter what, she should have quickly abandoned one of the two and given the next command, leaving the soldiers and crew enough time to act, but she failed to do so.

If it hadn't been for the old man's magic, the crew, the soldiers, and the airship itself—they might have faced the worst possible future of losing everything.

"I-It's okay! That wasn't the commander's fault! It was unavoidable."

"I think the commander did her best."

Lirisa and Latia tried to comfort a dejected Selina.

Judging by the unfolding situation, empathy and comfort were their roles, and my role seemed to be to offer unpleasant criticisms.

I didn't want to blame someone for making a mistake.

How could a person be perfect in every way?

They might make mistakes.

But a commander should not use the phrase 'it could happen.'

A person in a position bearing the lives of many must feel that weight and, accordingly, must succeed.

"Selina."

"Yes!"

She stiffened, her face showing that the inevitable had arrived.

The two people who had been desperately comforting Selina also tensed up as if they had done something wrong, carefully watching her from beside her.

"As a human, how can you always make the right decisions? Even if your judgment leads to a bad outcome, I won't blame you. But the judgment itself shouldn't be delayed. Overthinking in search of the best path can lead to the worst results."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Selina, with serious eyes, nodded.

Since she wasn't someone lacking comprehension or someone who let advice go in one ear and out the other, I didn't think it was necessary to elaborate on the criticism.

I should stop here.

Thinking that and turning my head, I met the gaze of the old man, who was sending me a peculiar look.

"Your relationship is quite unique. It's hard to see it as a relationship between a commander and a field commander. It's more like... you're educating a novice commander."

"..."

I remained silent.

Selina, on the other hand, smiled and agreed with the old man's words.

"Ryan's judgment on the battlefield often reminds me of an excellent veteran commander. That's why, when Ryan speaks, I unconsciously agree."

"Veteran, you say... Experience as a commander, not to mention in other fields, would be difficult to gain anywhere else..."

Where would I have gained that experience?

It was the knowledge and experience accumulated while serving as an Odin commander.

The old man's gaze turned to me again.

It would be strange to avoid his gaze here, so I met his eyes, feigning the innocent look of a child who knew nothing.

The moment the old man opened his mouth to say something.

"Excuse me for a moment."

A third party intervened at a timely moment.

He was a very well-built man.

His clothes looked expensive but were crumpled and covered in dust, making him look rather shabby.

A bandage was wrapped around his head, and a little red blood was seeping through the bandage near his left eye.

Judging by his appearance, his age was estimated to be in his late twenties, but because of the aura he exuded, he felt older than he looked.

Despite his haggard complexion, the presence of several knights accompanying him allowed me to easily deduce his identity.

The guardian of the fortress.

Count Derak Dman must be the man in front of me.

As expected.

"The guardian of Ahinrab Fortress. I am Count Derak Dman. I would like to express my gratitude for responding to the request for support. May I ask your affiliation and name?"

"I am Selina Verdin, commander of Unit 917, affiliated with the Mergan Kingdom."

"I had heard news that the young lady of the Verdin family was serving in the military, but I never expected to meet you like this. Is the Margrave well?"

"He is well, except that he is so busy it's hard to see his face. Oh, and this is..."

Selina's and Count Dman's greetings lengthened.

Since it was a meeting of nobles before being a meeting of soldiers, their conversation, though seemingly concise, was subtly mixed with formalities.

Furthermore, the introduction of the Archmage, the old man, could not be omitted.

The time I and my party, mere low-ranking soldiers, stood awkwardly lengthened.

"…?"

I felt a gaze.

I wondered if it was my imagination, but it wasn't.

Count Dman had been glancing this way for a while.

It seemed I wasn't the only one who felt his gaze.

Lirisa, standing beside me, panicked and subtly hid behind me, Byan stiffened, and Latia flusteredly bowed her head repeatedly.

And Sergel avoided eye contact, unable to hide his discomfort.

Upon closer inspection, I understood.

Count Dman's gaze was fixed on Sergel.

'...Do they know each other?'

If it had been Lirisa or Latia, I would have thought he liked their appearance.

But Sergel was a man.

There was no other way to explain it.

I'd have to ask him later.

Just as I thought that and was about to turn away.

"Hmm... Do you perhaps have something to say to one of our soldiers?"

Selina, perhaps having a similar thought, naturally changed the subject.

Count Dman, whose eyes widened for a moment as if caught off guard, then laughed awkwardly.

"It seems to show. There's a familiar face in your unit, and I was wondering if I could speak with him for a moment?"

"Of course."

Once Selina's permission was granted, Count Dman approached.

I subtly moved aside.

The rest of the group also fled, clearing the way, and eventually, a path was made between Count Dman and Sergel.

"It's been a long time. You said you wouldn't return before this war ended, but you've come back sooner than expected."

His voice was gentle, filled with longing.

And Sergel sighed deeply, bowing his head.

"I too wanted to keep my word, but things in the world don't always go as planned."

"Nevertheless, I'm glad to see your face. It's truly heartbreaking that this isn't a situation to enjoy our reunion."

"...I feel the same way."

Finally, Sergel lifted his head and smiled a smile he had never once shown to us before.

"Brother."

* * *

During anti-aircraft bombardment from Ahinrab Fortress, even Odin's medium-sized airships had no choice but to retreat beyond effective range.

Using the brief respite gained by pouring in an enormous amount of supplies, the command staff entered a countermeasures meeting.

And the soldiers, including myself, were filling our bellies heartily in the mess hall, both to rest and prepare for the intense battle ahead.

The food was delicious.

To be precise, it was not bad for military rations distributed during wartime.

However, the food on my plate barely decreased even as time passed.

What was I hiding?

It was because of Sergel.

'Brother... Brother, he said...'

Derak Dman.

Sergel Fram.

Probably not just me, but everyone present must have been curious about the relationship between the two.

Indeed, other members, including Lirisa, were barely eating, casting glances at Sergel.

And Sergel looked as if he was dying from the uncomfortable atmosphere.

Finally, Byan couldn't stand it any longer, put down his fork and knife, and pushed himself up from his chair.

"Sergel. I have a question—"

"It's nothing. It's just a common story that can happen anywhere, to anyone. I'm not exactly hiding it, but you'll only be disappointed if you get your hopes up for nothing."

"...I haven't said anything yet."

"You were going to ask about my relationship with my brother anyway, weren't you?"

"That's true."

Byan nodded and sat back down quietly.

Sergel's gaze turned to me.

He didn't speak, but I could tell what he wanted to convey just by his eyes.

'Are you curious too?'

The nuance might be different, but he probably wanted to say something like that.

I couldn't stand this.

I also nodded in response, and Sergel, placing a hand on his forehead, let out a deep sigh and began to speak.

"The former Count Dman had two children. The first was Derak Dman. The second was Sergel Fram. If you ask why their surnames are different, it's because they had different mothers. I'll explain it that way."

I didn't know because I wasn't interested.

It seemed polygamy was accepted in this society.

"Though their mothers were different, the brothers got along well. But there was one problem. Unlike my brother, my mother was a commoner. The probability of me, born to a mage father and a non-mage mother, acquiring magical power was fifty-fifty, but..."

Sergel closed his eyes tightly.

I had the Eye that Seeks Truth, so I had already discerned Sergel's information.

Without the benefits of the growth system, Sergel's magical power was 0.

He was not a mage.

"Perhaps out of pity for me, my father showed me a lot of love, in particular. Wherever and whenever we went, and even until the moment he closed his eyes for the last time, he only sought me out."

"Did that cause the rift in your relationship with the current Count Dman?"

Latia, unable to restrain herself, interrupted Sergel's story with a question.

Although it might have been uncomfortable, Sergel shook his head with a calm expression.

"My brother also felt sorry for me, and he never showed any jealousy even though I monopolized our father's love. From the start, he was a very independent person and wasn't the type to crave parental affection... The problem was the perception of others."

"Ah..."

I roughly understood.

The death of the former Count Dman.

Naturally, the next successor should have been Derak Dman, the eldest son and also a mage.

However, it was perhaps natural that some of the retainers, who had watched Sergel Fram monopolize the former Count Dman's love for years, or even more than a decade, harbored different thoughts.

"...The seat of Count Dman remained vacant for over a year. That was because the factions supporting my brother and those supporting me were so evenly matched. However, I know my place. I am not fit to be a Count. What kind of noble cannot even wield magical power, anyway?"

"So you left home and joined the military?"

"I never intended to return again, but..."

"And you were forced to return because the operation area happened to be Ahinrab Fortress?"

"...Sigh."

Sergel let out a sigh, I don't know how many times, as if he disliked the current situation.

Silence followed.

Our curiosity was satisfied.

Sergel's family history was unusual, but from a modern perspective, it wasn't all that exciting.

It was a theme that appeared casually in fantasy novels or comics, and even without going that far, stories of half-siblings were very common in melodramatic dramas.

Now that our curiosity was satisfied, we could finish our meal in a comfortable atmosphere and focus on recovering our condition.

That's what should have happened, but...

"..."

"..."

The surroundings had been too noisy for a while now.

Given that it was a very large common dining hall and Alliance soldiers gathered from various places were using it simultaneously, it was natural for it to be noisy.

I had thought so, but upon paying a little more attention, I realized.

That most of the many people gathered in the dining hall were focused on the table we were sitting at.

"Sergel. Thanks to you, I'm getting this much attention in my life."

To lighten the somewhat heavy atmosphere.

I threw a light joke at Sergel.

In response, Sergel gave me a bewildered look, as if he had no idea what I was talking about, and, to exaggerate a little, an expression that asked what kind of nonsense I was spouting.

"What are you talking about? Do you really think they're interested in my family history and are looking this way?"