So, it’s impossible for me to fully utilize the knowledge of the original story without sharpening my memory, right?
Unlike other transmigrated heroines who remember the original work perfectly, I need the help of that candy.
First, I have to figure out where the candy is.
‘The company commander confiscated it, didn’t they?’
If so, it’s probably in the commander’s office—or maybe the supply storage?
Honestly, wherever it’s being kept, there’s a good chance the company commander has completely forgotten about it. I could probably sneak it out without anyone noticing.
Considering the price required for black magic, it’s unlikely they’d have dared to use the artifact themselves....
‘Let’s start by asking Sanchez.’
To figure out where the artifacts are being kept and probe more about the price of using black magic, I decided to track down Sanchez.
***
“Sanchez, about the artifacts you brought in that got confiscated!”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“One of them was a candy that sharpens memory, right?”
“Yes.”
Even though the topic came out of nowhere, Sanchez listened intently. His unwavering loyalty to his master was almost touching. If it’s Sanchez, I don’t have to worry about him finding my sudden interest in black magic suspicious and reporting it to the higher-ups.
“How does it work? What’s the price for using it?”
“Are you planning to use it?”
“Yeah, I need it for something. And keep this conversation a secret. Swear it on your master’s honor.”
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“...Yes, I’ll keep it a secret.”
As expected of Sanchez. His loyalty to Benny is truly remarkable.
“For the candy, you’re supposed to focus on the memory you want to sharpen while letting the candy dissolve in your mouth. The more you concentrate, the clearer the memory becomes,” he explained.
“And the price?”
“It takes another memory as payment. Since the candy sharpens one memory, it demands another as an offering.”
“Another memory? Does it just take one at random?”
“No, you can choose which memory to sacrifice. However....”
Sanchez’s wolf-like gray eyes locked onto mine.
“It has to be a very precious memory to you. Something deeply significant, something you would hate to lose.”
“A very precious memory?” I blinked slowly. This talk of “black magic” felt so far removed from the reality I was used to that my brain was struggling to keep up.
“How exactly does it take the memory? I’m still not clear on how black magic works.”
“The candy itself is imbued with the black magic. Once you meet the conditions, the spell activates. As you focus on the memory you want to recover and let the candy dissolve, there will come a moment when you receive a signal. At that moment, you must declare the memory you’re willing to sacrifice, and the magic will take effect.”
“So, what’s this ‘signal’ supposed to feel like?”
“Well... it’s hard to explain, but you’ll know it when it happens. That’s just how black magic works.”
I still didn’t fully understand, but as Sanchez said, I’d figure it out when the time came.
...And I already knew what my most precious memory was.
‘Whether I’m willing to give it up is another question entirely.’
For now, the most important thing is restoring my memory of the original story. If I can save Altair or Yuri—and maybe even help myself later—it will be worth it.
Deciding whether or not to use the candy can wait until after I’ve secured it.
“Sanchez, do you know where the company commander took the artifacts after confiscating them?”
“If I knew that, I’d have stolen them back already.”
“...Damn, Sanchez, you’re terrifyingly competent....”
***
When I thought about who might know the location of the artifact, the first person that came to mind was the company commander.
...Well, that was too obvious. Pass.
‘No, is there anyone in our platoon who might know?’
Honestly, I’d been avoiding this thought for a while, but I had a suspect.
‘Winter.’
He’s the one who originally found the artifact in Sanchez’s belongings, someone trusted by the company commander, and he frequently goes in and out of the HQ building. If anyone knew, it would be him.
But the problem was that asking Winter directly was out of the question.
Sure, ever since I helped bring down Gagne’s power, Winter had been a little more lenient toward me. For example, Altair sometimes adjusted my shifts to better hours, and Winter didn’t seem to mind or reprimand me for minor mistakes.
It was uncharacteristic of someone as rigid as him, so anyone could say I was part of his “line.”
However, even if I was in his “line,” there was no way Winter would overlook something as serious as “black magic artifacts.” That would be outright treason against the empire, and while Winter might occasionally bend the army’s unspoken rules, he would never break the laws of the Adolph Empire.
‘I need to think carefully.’
I couldn’t be honest with Winter. So how should I approach this?
“Salvia, by the way....”
“One second, let me finish my thought, then we can talk....”
As I absentmindedly brushed off Karon, who was clamoring for attention, an idea struck me.
‘Distraction!’
Karon was a master at throwing me off my train of thought. If he could disrupt my focus so easily, maybe I could do the same to Winter.
‘I’ll throw Winter off his game!’
Ishina would probably faint if he found out what I was planning, but it was the best idea I’d had.
***
“Winter, Winter, Winter!”
“Salvia, when addressing someone, lower your tone and call their name once.”
Winter started lecturing me, as usual, but I had grown immune to his criticisms.
“Winter, remember the black magic artifacts that the company commander confiscated from Sanchez...?”
“Black magic artifacts?”
The moment I mentioned something I shouldn’t, Winter’s expression turned cold. A chill seemed to emanate from him.
“...Yes, yes. Those black magic artifacts. Are they in the commander’s office?”
“...Why are you asking about that?”
“This isn’t the time to stand by idly! This is urgent! I think Sanchez is about to storm in and retrieve those artifacts himself!”
“What? Explain yourself.”
“There’s no time to explain! We have to act fast! With the upcoming march creating so much chaos, I think he’s planning to strike now! Are the artifacts in the commander’s office?”
“...No, they’re not in the commander’s office. Are you saying Sanchez is about to make a move?”
“What? Then where are they?! Sanchez asked me where the artifacts might be, and I told him everywhere except the commander’s office!”
That’s right. My strategy was to keep talking so Winter couldn’t think straight.
“Imagine if he searches the control room, the supply room... What happens if he finds the artifacts in one of those places?!”
“Did you mention the supply storage?”
“Uh... no, I didn’t mention that.... Oh! Wait, now that I think about it, I could ask Benny to stop him! Sorry for troubling you with this!”
“...Why are you just now realizing this?”
“Who knows? I was in such a rush that I didn’t think clearly....”
“...For the sixteenth time, Salvia, I suggest you think for five seconds before acting.”
Winter’s criticism didn’t faze me this time because I was grinning internally.
Thanks to his reaction, I now knew where the artifacts were: the supply storage.
***
It was an incredible stroke of luck that the company commander had stored the black magic artifacts in the supply storage.
He probably tossed them there carelessly out of laziness, but the supply storage was an easy place for us to access.
If the artifacts had been in the commander’s office, I might have had to give up. But everything was working in my favor.
And, of course, there was only one person to help me retrieve the artifacts from the supply storage.
“Karon, are you ready?”
“Yes!”
As always, my loyal junior Karon was eager to help. After proving himself during the love letter incident, he was a reliable ally.
“You promise that after this, you’ll tell me more about egalitarianism and the purpose of nations, right?”
“Uh, sure.”
...Karon had lost his memories, so he found my stories entertaining. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell him much about this world, and I certainly couldn’t talk about the world I came from.
The only topics I could share were abstract ones like those. At least he seemed to enjoy them. Honestly, Karon would enthusiastically listen to anything I said, which made him an easygoing junior to have.
‘...Maybe Karon doesn’t really need his memories back?’
Truthfully, he probably needed those memories more than I did. I wasn’t even sure if I had the right to use that candy.
“Karon.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you want your original memories back?”
“Not really....”
Karon shrugged indifferently. Was he seriously not even curious about what he’d forgotten?
“I’m happy with how things are now!”
His optimism was almost frightening.
“...I see. But are you sure you don’t need them? Why not?”
“Well, because this way, you pay more attention to me, and also...”
“...Hmm.”
He really was becoming more and more of an attention seeker.
“And I also just don’t like black magic artifacts.”
“Why? Is it the price?”
“I don’t know. I just have this instinctive aversion to black magic.”
Karon didn’t seem to fully understand his own feelings, but I had a pretty good idea why.
‘In the original story, Karon was said to have exceptional intuition.’
Like animals fleeing before an earthquake, Karon might instinctively sense the harmful aura of black magic and avoid it.
In any case, it was time to get to work.
“Keep watch!”
“Yes!”
While Karon kept an eye on the entrance to the supply storage, I rummaged through the shelves.
“...Is this it?”
In a shabby box that looked like it belonged in the trash, I found items that were unmistakably strange and suspicious.
A fan, a small straw doll, and... a pink rabbit plushie.
The fact that Sanchez had carried these things himself was baffling.
And finally, at the bottom, I found a candy wrapped in foil.
“Got it!”
The moment I grabbed the candy, I heard Karon’s voice at the entrance.
“Huh? Oh, hello there!”
That meant someone was approaching!
I quickly shoved the candy into my pocket and grabbed the nearest random object to act casual.
The person who entered was—
“Salvia? What are you doing here?”
“Blue?”
It wasn’t a senior, thankfully, but my peer from Beta Platoon, Blue.
...Unfortunately, Blue’s eyes had already zeroed in on the axe I was holding, and his expression had grown suspicious.