"Thirty-six! Thirty-seven! Thirty-eight! There are thirty-nine fairies in total!"
Less than a minute after entering the supply room, Patty shouted out the exact count with uncanny accuracy.
‘Of course. The kid grew up working in his family’s merchant caravan—makes sense he’d have a knack for this.’
"Alright, then I'll take care of them with this paper!"
‘As expected from someone who mastered life in the countryside. Fearless as ever.’
Matty’s voice carried no hint of hesitation, and soon, the sounds of chaos erupted from within the room.
A few minutes later, Patty and Matty emerged, both grinning from ear to ear.
"Don't worry, Jason!"
"We took care of the fairies!"
"Salvia, it's done!"
"Mission accomplished!"
"Wh-what?!"
Jason stammered in disbelief. With a newfound burst of courage, he opened the supply room door to confirm their claims.
Moments later, his voice echoed from inside.
"It's true! They’re gone! And the count even looks accurate!"
"This kind of job? Totally our specialty!"
"Another task complete!"
With lines that sounded like they belonged in a magical girl anime, Patty and Matty chattered excitedly, throwing their arms around each other before vanishing down the hallway.
Patty and Matty, in the original novel, had been close allies to Dalin, the heroine, serving as cheerful, chatterbox side characters who shared endless exposition about themselves. Because of that, I knew their backstories well.
Patty, the son of a merchant guild leader, had no head for business and was relegated to menial warehouse duties.
‘But in doing so, he developed this incredible ability to accurately assess inventory with just a glance.’
Matty, on the other hand, was terrible at farming, so his parents tasked him with household chores.
‘And in the countryside, bugs are everywhere.’
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This task was practically tailor-made for them.
Jason, still standing at the supply room door, muttered in disbelief, “They’re... actually useful...”
It seemed Jason had finally started to recognize Patty and Matty’s value. Good. From here, he’d grow closer to them, just as he did in the original story.
As I watched with satisfaction, ready to leave, Jason suddenly bolted toward me.
"Salvia!"
"Yes?"
Then, to my surprise, he bent at the waist in a perfect 90-degree bow, just like Sanchez always did.
"Thank you!"
"What?"
Why was this kid thanking me?
"I had no idea you understood Patty and Matty so well! And to think you sent them in to help me! I hate bugs so much, but you looked out for me—thank you!"
"W-what? Jason, what are you even talking about?"
This was bad. Jason was supposed to feel gratitude toward Patty and Matty and bond with them, but instead, he was directing that gratitude at me.
‘Then who’s going to handle Patty and Matty if he doesn’t?’
I could barely manage them myself—no, wait!
‘This is an opportunity!’
Jason seemed to hold me in high regard now, which meant I could use this to nudge him toward forming a stronger connection with Patty and Matty. That way, I could rely on Jason to deal with them in the future.
Smiling to myself, I quickly schooled my expression into something more serious and looked at Jason.
"Listen, Jason. There is one thing I’d like from you in return for this."
"What is it?"
"Be good to your fellow recruits."
"What?"
Jason’s eyes went wide, but I pressed on.
"See? Patty and Matty have their own talents, don’t they? If you keep helping them, who knows? They might help you someday."
Of course, I knew they’d never actually be helpful to Jason in the long run, but I couldn’t exactly tell him that. I just needed him to keep managing them, like in the original story.
Jason suddenly seemed to have a revelation, his face lighting up.
"Yes! I’ll do that!"
‘...He really believed that. Perfect.’
With this, Jason would eventually become the weary yet reliable character from the novel, managing his chaotic comrades with exasperated patience.
***
After I left, Jason stood where I’d been moments earlier, mumbling to himself.
"Salvia is better at looking out for her juniors than I expected..."
"Yeah, I’d say so," Benny chimed in, nodding slowly.
"She’s helped me a lot, even though she pretends not to care. She always seems to know what’s going on."
Completely unaware of Salvia’s ulterior motives, Benny smiled bashfully.
"Right. She could’ve avoided me because I’m Jaiden’s recruit, but she doesn’t seem to care about that."
Oblivious to the fact that Salvia simply didn’t care about him at all, Milphy also nodded in agreement.
Benny met Jason’s gaze and said earnestly, "Honestly, she’s a little crazy, but she’s not a bad person."
"...Benny’s not wrong," Milphy added. "But it’s more like she’s a lot crazy, not just a little."
Regardless of their chatter, Jason clenched his fist with determination.
‘Just like Patty and Matty helped me, recruits are meant to cover for each other’s weaknesses. That’s what being comrades is about! I have to look out for my team from now on!’
Jason’s eyes sparkled with newfound resolve.
***
“Salvia.”
“Yes?”
Just as I was walking down the hallway, still riding the high of successfully resolving the fairy situation and offering advice to Jason, Isina’s voice called out from behind me.
Startled, I turned to see that, without me realizing, Isina had been following me.
“...Can I ask what you’ve been up to lately?”
“Pardon?”
Isina’s gentle, evergreen eyes curved with his usual soft smile as he spoke.
“You’ve been showing a lot of interest in black magic recently. And, though this is just a guess, it seems like you’ve also used Sanchez’s black magic artifact...”
A chill ran down my spine.
‘I knew he was sharp, but this...’
I shouldn’t have been surprised. There was no way Isina, with his quick wit and perceptiveness, wouldn’t figure it out. But I hadn’t expected him to bring it up so directly.
“H-how do you know that?”
“...Salvia, when you throw the packaging from a black magic artifact into the trash, it’s pretty obvious to anyone who sees it.”
...He was talking about the candy wrapper. Damn it. I should’ve been more thorough. That one’s on me.
“As you know, I’m in charge of waste disposal, so I took care of the evidence for you. So, could you stop looking at me like I’m suspicious?”
“...I’ll keep that in mind.”
As expected of Isina, he was sharp enough to pick up on things I didn’t even notice myself.
“And more importantly, Salvia...”
Suddenly, his eyes grew serious.
“You’re not the type to care about Patty, Matty, or Jason, yet you’ve been going out of your way to make them bond as a team.”
“......”
“What are you scheming?”
...Now that I thought about it, Isina had witnessed nearly all of my recent activities.
He’d seen me talking about black magic with Altair and Yuri, and he’d seen me giving Jason advice just earlier.
Under the weight of his probing gaze, I swallowed hard. The air between us grew heavy.
For someone who always seemed so kind, Isina’s gaze now felt suffocating, like a predator watching its prey.
...But then again, we’d been together for three years. Maybe he’d grown fond of me in his own way. Maybe he’d even help me if I asked.
‘Let’s test the waters.’
“If I tell you the truth, will you help me?”
Tilting his head slightly, Isina replied without hesitation.
“No.”
A flat-out rejection.
Well, fair enough. He didn’t know my plans, so why would he agree to help?
“Understood... But then why are you asking what I’m scheming?”
“Because I’m worried you’ll mess something up.”
...Somehow, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, his words left me feeling guilty.
***
D-1826 until discharge.
Today marked two significant events: Officer Taro’s long-awaited discharge and the transfer of the Cool Mint Ice Trio, the 78th Squad, to other units.
‘Taro... what a rollercoaster it’s been...’
I wiped a tear as I recalled how Taro had grown haggard and weary over his two years in this unit.
‘Taro, I hope you live a long and healthy life out there...’
As I silently held my own little discharge ceremony for him, Yuri, packing her things beside me, spoke up.
“I’ve been assigned to the 40th Infantry Brigade.”
“At least it’s not as grueling as the Snowfield Brigade. That’s a relief.”
“Yeah, it’s one of the closer units, too. But honestly, what does it matter anymore?”
Despite having to leave the unit she’d spent years with, Yuri remained her usual calm, detached self. Watching her pack up, I couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Eventually, I broke the silence.
“Thank you for everything.”
“...You too.”
Of course, that wasn’t all I had to say.
“Make sure you settle down with the Black Magic Special Forces.”
“What kind of goodbye is that? Are you insane?”
Though she couldn’t exactly do anything to me since she was leaving, Yuri glared at me sharply. Ah, it felt so satisfying to finally tease her after three years.
“Do you know where everyone else is going?”
“Altair’s been assigned to the 107th Mountain Brigade, and Winter was called into the company commander’s office later than us, so I’m not sure about him yet.”
“I see... Oh, wait, if you’re in the 40th Infantry Brigade, that means April is in the 39th Infantry Brigade...”
The moment I mentioned April’s name, both of our expressions turned somber.
“She must’ve discharged by now... that crazy woman.”
“I still can’t bring myself to use anything but honorifics with her...”
“She’s not really planning to commit the thing that must not be named, is she?”
“I wouldn’t know. I can’t even begin to understand what goes on in her head.”
Shaking her head, Yuri finished packing. As she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out, I followed close behind.
‘Yuri’s leaving too.’
God, that meant I still had five years left until discharge!
...Five years?
‘Five years?! Are you kidding me?’
As I trudged behind Yuri with a rapidly darkening expression, Altair waved at us from a distance.
“Yo, Yuri! All packed up?”
“Yeah.”
“Salvia, take care of yourself!”
Altair greeted me with his usual cheerful demeanor before turning back to chat with Yuri. Watching him, I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud—after all, I was the one who saved him.
“Is everyone here?”
“Oh, Winter!”
Winter appeared, his low voice drawing our attention. Both Altair and Yuri turned to face him.
“So, where are you headed?”
Altair, grinning, slapped Winter’s shoulder a few times before suddenly giving him a strange look, scanning him up and down.
“...Why aren’t you packed? Don’t tell me...”
Yuri’s voice trembled.
“W-Winter, don’t tell me...”
Winter nodded slightly, his voice calm.
“I’m staying here as an officer.”
A brief silence followed.
“No!”
Altair and Yuri shouted in unison.
“This is bad! If he stays, he’ll definitely end up in the brig!”
“...There’s only one solution left. Winter, please, for the love of God, transfer out! Become an officer somewhere else!”
While the two of them were practically screaming, Winter turned to me with his usual composed demeanor.
“Salvia, it’s good to see you. I’ll be here for another two years.”
“Oh... congratulations.”
Since I already knew this would happen thanks to the original novel, I wasn’t particularly shocked. My reply came out flat.
Great. The starting point of the original story was drawing near.
...And so was Salvia’s death in the original story. Damn it!