Signe looked distinctly unsure of where to direct her gaze. Though she tried to act nonchalant, brushing her cheek and jawline with her palm, her heated skin clearly betrayed her flustered heart.
She needlessly tilted her head and kept glancing at the knot of her military boots. Soon, she muttered in a voice that had retreated inward.
“You already bought me a lot on the train... is it okay to give me this too?”
“How much could those snacks have cost? Once you’re in, you’ll probably have more expenses than you think. Supplies are short, but as a trainee, you can’t even go outside. When that happens, merchant carts sometimes come up to the front of the Port, and the quality’s much better if you ask the sentries or seniors to buy things with your own money.”
“...How do you know all that? You’re not even a soldier, but you know so many things.”
It was meant to cover her embarrassment, but Leonardo was momentarily stung. Fortunately, his face was covered, so it didn’t show. After taking his time, he slipped his wallet away and smoothed it over with a suitably diplomatic answer.
“...Actually, I have family in the military.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I have an older brother and an older sister. ...And a younger brother, too.”
By the time he finished the last words, he thought of Nero calling him “brother.” Well, it wasn’t wrong.
“Wow, it seems like most of your family is in the military. No wonder you’re so good at organizing military gear, too. Do ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ you have a lot of siblings?”
“...Quite a lot. So many we run into each other, and I’ve picked up things about the military here and there.”
“Wow, so you were a senior all along.”
Signe joked and gave Leonardo’s chest a light punch. Then she brought her fist to her own chest. It was a clumsy imitation of an Imperial Army salute.
“What senior.”
Leonardo snorted. It was an embarrassed reply, but to Signe it looked like he was pleased. No—more than pleased, he looked delighted. His sharp eyes had softened more than they had at any point since they met.
Thinking he might actually like being called a senior, she wanted to see his uncovered face again as she looked into those curved eyes. Signe lowered her fist and opened her mouth with effort.
“Um, Teo—”
“Signe, I have a favor to ask.”
Leonardo, who spoke first without meaning to, wiped away the smile from a moment ago. Signe blinked.
“Huh?”
Unconsciously scanning the surroundings, Leonardo planted his hand beside her head against the wall. Then, eyes calm and bright, he leaned in and murmured softly.
“The fact that you met me yesterday and today, and that we went to the station of beginning and end together... can you keep it a secret from other people? Whether they’re close to you, or your sister.”
Signe’s eyes went wide. The sudden closeness of a handsome man, the atmosphere it made, couldn’t help but tense a young woman in her prime. But more than that, she was overwhelmed by the weight in his eyes and voice.
“Um... even from my sister? Why?”
As expected. Maybe because she was such a sister complex, she had nothing she kept from her sister. Leonardo weighed how to answer. In the middle of that, Signe narrowed her eyes and shot back in a suspicious tone.
“Don’t tell me—you snuck out without permission from your troupe?”
“.......”
“I thought it was weird. Your time seemed oddly free when the end of the year should be the busiest season for troupe events. Usually there are lots of performances around this time.”
Having reached her own conclusion again, Signe nodded like she finally understood. Leonardo, silently judging the situation, was happy to go along with it.
“You’re really perceptive. I didn’t say it on purpose, but how’d you figure it out right away?”
“Huh, it really was that? See, I told you I’m perceptive. One knows one’s own kind. Anyway, you’re asking me to keep it secret in case it gets out that you snuck off?”
“Yeah. I was actually... almost confined for a while. I was just working, feeling suffocated, so I slipped out, but if the owner finds out, I’m a dead man.”
“Owner? Confined?”
“My owner has a wide information network, so if even a little gets out, I might be found. Then the person I was supposed to meet, or my siblings, could get dragged into it. The owner has a nasty personality—if I don’t move according to their will, they even harass the people around me. So keep it a secret. Not just for me, but for your sake too, I’m asking.”
Leonardo let his brows droop sadly and pressed with a soft, “Okay?” Signe heard him and, at first, tilted her head, thinking, The owner is that obsessive? But looking into his eyes, her doubts became... understandable. Even she would watch and obsess over an actor like this if she feared he might run away. Of course, confining him was beyond common sense.
Signe nodded blankly before she realized it. Experiencing this kind of beauty tactic for the first time, she was defenseless. If anything, she even felt the urge to protect this pitiful man from the person called the owner.
“Trust me. I’ll keep it a secret.”
Leonardo, having gotten a clear answer, curved his eyes into half-moons again.
“You’ll keep it from your sister, too, right?”
“Mm... since you’re asking, of course I should. And honestly, my sister and I aren’t the kind of relationship where we talk about that sort of private thing. By the way, that troupe... are you okay there? Someone like you could go somewhere better. How about finding a different owner?”
“...I’m planning to, soon. Thank you, Signe.”
Signe touched the nape of her neck, embarrassed. Leonardo, still smiling calmly, reached into his inner pocket and took something out. In his hand was an amulet shaped like a necklace piece, made of Siculus. It was what remained after he’d given one to the shop owner in Riverside.
“It’s a gift. Take it.”
“...What is this?”
The amulet, polished to a glossy sheen even though its color wasn’t clear, looked like a crafted jewel piece. With the air of a precious ornament, it captivated Signe at once.
“The military has a lot of dangerous things, so think of it as a talisman. It’ll protect you from external shock three times total. Keep it close at all times. You can attach it to your dog tag, too.”
“Wow... thank you. I’ve only ever gotten weird-looking things from the old man, so this is the first time I’ve received something so pretty.”
Signe’s eyes shone, genuinely moved. Seeing that, Leonardo smiled gently—and, on the other hand, felt a flicker of guilt. It worked as a talisman, but it also detected when she uttered certain words.
‘Still, it’s not like I engraved a spell on her tongue. Forgive me, Signe.’
Still thanking him and rubbing the tip of her nose, emotional, Signe carefully tucked the amulet into her uniform pocket. Then, after checking her military watch once, she looked back. It really seemed like it was time to go. There were more people at the stop than before, and traffic guides were controlling the surrounding roads. The tram would arrive soon.
“I’ll treasure this. Thank you so much. But I think I should go now.”
“Alright. Take care. Oh—wait. Stand at attention for me.”
“...All of a sudden?”
“Unit, attention!”
At the drill-instructor voice she’d said was chilling, Signe’s body moved reflexively. Her overarched back, lifted chin, and the awkward angle of her arms were all the same. Leonardo shook his head, circled her once, and corrected what was wrong, one by one.
“Relax your shoulders. Straighten your back. Tuck your chin. Your center of gravity is here.”
“Oh, uh...”
Signe creaked like a machine as she adjusted, piece by piece, to his orders. Her body wobbled for a moment as she tried to catch unfamiliar details, but she regained her balance at once and complied.
The posture she ended up with was still awkward, but far better than before. It felt like a long-standing indigestion had finally eased. Looking refreshed, Leonardo faced Signe as she held it.
He was the perfect example of the attention posture he’d just ordered.
“It’s better to know in advance than to learn it while you’re getting chewed out.”
“Yeah, but...”
Still dazed, Signe carefully studied the angle of his shoulders, abdomen, and arms. Then Leonardo gave one more command.
“Salute to the fatherland.”
“G-Glory to Raina Logia!”
With the slogan she blurted on instinct, Signe’s fist came to rest in front of her left chest, the back of her hand showing. Oddly enough, only her salute was flawless. Leonardo, staring at her resolute fist, raised his right arm to the end of his eyebrow.
Similar, yet different from the Council’s salute. His posture wasn’t the same as Signe’s, but it, too, was a salute where the back of the hand showed more than the edge from the front.
It was a method mainly used by Imperial Army officers, and in the man before her, Signe saw an overlapping image of her sister, who sometimes trained her in saluting.
“Glory to Raina Logia.”
Leonardo lowered the hand from his eyebrow. Just then, the tram came into view from the opposite side. He stepped closer to Signe, who still had her fist clenched at her chest. Then he gripped her shoulders, turned her the other way, and whispered in her ear.
“Remember. Always devote yourself to the Empire and do your best in your mission. But more important than that—don’t forget it’s your life.”
“.......”
“Alright. Crash course is over. You should go.”
As the tram stopped, enlistees streamed across the path. After confirming the carriages were slowing, Leonardo gave her shoulder a light push forward. Signe, forced a step or two by the pressure, paused and looked back at him.
From the shade of a tree, the man gave her a bright smile and a small wave. Even with most of his face covered, it was a fresh, dazzling sight that would stay with her for a long time.
Pressing her beret down tight, Signe hesitated, reluctant to move. At last, she bit her lower lip hard and answered like she was shouting.
“Teo, my name is Signe Penret. When I finish training, I’ll treat you to something delicious!”
“Sure.”
If the opportunity arises.
Signe didn’t hear his last words. She started toward the stop, then halted halfway and turned back to shout again.
“My sister’s name is Margo Penret! If she might know your siblings, ask them later!”
Waving her arms energetically, Signe ran straight to the crossing. Even with her heavy gear, her speed was impressive. She kept waving at Leonardo until the last moment, until the crowd swallowed her up. Because of that, he couldn’t bring himself to leave until she boarded.
‘Margo Penret?’
Entangled in the black mass, Signe watched two trams arrive in a row and barely managed to squeeze onto the last one. The tram, loaded with enlistment candidates, slid along the main road toward the Port. Leonardo lowered his half-raised hand and checked the nearby clock tower.
It was close, but she didn’t seem like she’d be late.
“Hah... finally she’s gone.”
He was relieved that package three had detached, but he was also uneasy he hadn’t been able to share more tips for lack of time. Still, it would be fine. She’d adapt well to military life.
‘By the way, Margo Penret... where have I heard that?’
It was a name both unfamiliar and familiar. And he was also curious about the slight mismatch between the sisters’ names, Signe and Margo. Signe was a name common in the Westforce region; Margo, on the other hand, was more... how to put it. Like the word “Romance,” it was a name used more often in the east.
Leonardo walked alone along the path he’d walked with Signe, hands in his pockets. Heading back toward the station square, late arrivals streamed out like the ebb of a tide. Now and then, Leonardo looked at the juniors hurrying past, lugging their gear. They looked so dazed he wondered if these kids could really protect the country.
He clicked his tongue, but hugged the edge of the sidewalk to make room, as if urging them to hurry. At the same time, as he drifted through his memory, a conversation exchanged by knights from the east came back to him.
