Seraphina shoved the pile of documents aside and rose from her seat.
“Let’s talk outside for a moment, Lieutenant.”
Without sparing Hermann so much as a glance, she jerked her chin toward me. I gave a short nod and followed after her.
We left the bustling supply depot and stood beneath the shade of a tree in an open lot a short distance away. Sunlight poured down from above, breaking apart as it filtered through the leaves.
“…It is not an especially important question. There were simply still matters regarding the operation that I had yet to discuss with you.”
After opening like that, Seraphina asked,
“First… yes. How was the soldier with the mana detection ability? Corporal Hannah Meyer, I mean. Was she able to properly demonstrate her ability in actual combat?”
This mission had been Hannah’s first operation since awakening at the Seventh Mana Spring. As her commander, it was only natural for Seraphina to want to confirm Hannah’s performance.
“Corporal Hannah’s performance was perfect. Without her, it would have been impossible to break through the enemy’s magical traps. She detected every threat without error, and her detection range was considerable as well.”
“I see.”
Seraphina answered briefly. Her status window changed ever so slightly.
[Emotion: Satisfaction that the company is operating smoothly, a high level of trust in Max Jaeger]
Then Seraphina asked another question.
“How did you use that new model mana round? Did you fire it yourself?”
Since that, too, was an important supply item, it seemed she wanted to confirm the details properly. I answered truthfully.
“It was fired through a sniper rifle, the same as a standard shot. However, I was not the one who fired it.”
“Then who fired it?”
One of Seraphina’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly. It seemed she found it unexpected that I, the platoon leader, had not personally fired something so important.
“Private First Class Klaus of the 3rd Platoon sniped with it.”
“Private First Class Klaus…”
She repeated the name to herself for a moment. It was probably not a name she remembered. Even if she looked through the records, he was an ordinary soldier without a single noteworthy entry.
“Was there any particular reason?”
Seraphina asked for the reason. But I could not answer truthfully. After all, it was information I had learned through the [Status Analysis] skill. I let out a suitable lie.
“…Private First Class Klaus is a soldier I have been keeping an eye on for some time. During marksmanship training, his ability to maintain his shouldering posture and control his breathing stood out compared to the other soldiers. In particular, his eyesight is good, so he has often been assigned observation duties. I judged that he had a talent specialized for sniping in many ways, and I had already begun actively making use of that ability during the last reconnaissance mission.”
“……”
When I finished speaking, Seraphina stared fixedly at me. Her lips were pressed firmly shut, as if she had nothing to say. After a brief silence, she opened her mouth.
“…Again? How curious. First Corporal Meyer, and now Private First Class Klaus. Clearly, you have an unusual eye for seeing the talents of soldiers. That alone is no easy feat, yet you apply it immediately in the field and even force it to succeed…”
Seraphina looked me over for a moment with a gaze that could have been admiration or suspicion. I calmly met her eyes.
“You flatter me. I only did what I naturally ought to do as a commander.”
“There is no need to act modest, Lieutenant.”
She shook her head and continued. Her voice sank ever so slightly.
“Because most commanders cannot even do that much. Even I… miss many things at times.”
Her gaze briefly turned toward the 2nd Platoon barracks, then returned.
“In any case, I will make a separate record regarding Corporal Meyer and Private First Class Klaus. I will see to it that they are officially assigned positions and given training support appropriate to those roles.”
Then Seraphina said,
“As for those new supply rounds, I will handle them personally. I will make sure they can be issued directly from the regiment to your platoon.”
My eyes widened slightly. The company commander personally taking care of supply matters was a considerable show of favor.
“…Thank you. It will be a great help to my platoon members.”
“It is merely the proper reward for the results you produced.”
It seemed our conversation would end there.
“You may go now, Lieutenant. I should rest a little as well.”
Seraphina turned and was about to head toward the barracks. It was right then.
“……!”
Her shoulders suddenly stiffened, and her body trembled very slightly. A bead of cold sweat formed on her forehead and fell. She tried to walk as if nothing had happened, but as though the strength had gone out of her legs, she immediately staggered.
“Kh…!”
Reflexively, she braced herself against the tree beside her. As if trying to endure the pain, the veins stood out starkly on the back of her pale hand. Before I knew it, her face had turned as white as a sheet of paper.
“Captain…?”
I instinctively used [Status Analysis].
[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]
[Condition: Struggling to suppress extreme internal pain.]
[Hidden Trait: Mana Backflow (Mana Overload) - chronic internal injury. Currently having an attack]
‘This is…’
[Currently having an attack]. The pain from her already severe [Mana Backflow] had intensified even further. At the unexpected situation, my eyes narrowed.
“Are you all right?”
“…It’s nothing. I was merely dizzy for a moment.”
She answered while trying to remain composed, but her physical condition did not look fine at all. Her hand unconsciously clutched at her own chest.
“Ghk…!”
Her body staggered again. I quickly stepped closer and supported her. The arm that touched my hand was as cold as ice.
“Captain, this is…”
Before I could say anything, Seraphina’s thunderous order fell.
“…Let go.”
Her voice was cracked. In the end, she put strength into her arm and tried to shake off my hand.
‘Captivating Eloquence.’
“In this condition, it is dangerous. You need to go to the infirmary.”
Ding—
[The skill ‘Captivating Eloquence (Lv.3)’ affects ‘Seraphina von Reinhardt.’]
[The rationality and sincerity of your suggestion begin to penetrate her wariness.]
Her blue eyes shook violently. For a very brief moment, the strength seemed to leave her body, and she seemed to lean on me. But that was an illusion.
“I said… let go…”
Squeezing out the last of her remaining willpower, she forcefully shook off my hand.
Ding!
[Persuasion has failed!]
[The request directly conflicts with the target’s core values. The target’s resistance has offset the skill’s effect.]
[The negative effects that occur upon persuasion failure are greatly reduced.]
In the end, a sharp warning tone announced the failure.
‘Status Analysis.’
[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]
[Condition: Barely overcame a Mana Backflow attack. A serious burden has accumulated in her body.]
[Emotion: Determined never to let her secret be discovered, wariness toward Max Jaeger has reached its peak.]
She refused firmly. As if she did not want to reveal the fatal secret that was [Mana Backflow], clear wariness was displayed in her emotional state. She was reluctant to go to the infirmary as well. Because her weakness would remain on record exactly as it was.
‘Damn it.’
I swallowed a curse inwardly. This was the first time [Captivating Eloquence] had failed to work since I had asked Sergeant Gunter for his salary. It meant Seraphina’s pride and her will to protect her secret were powerful enough to shatter the skill’s mental interference.
‘…I have no choice.’
I took one step back. Any further approach would be meaningless.
Leaning against the tree, she caught her breath with labored gasps. After several deep breaths, she barely managed to straighten herself. A little color returned to her pale complexion, but she could not hide the cold sweat beading on her forehead.
“…Pretend you saw nothing, Lieutenant.”
At last, she opened her mouth. Her voice was still trembling faintly, but its weight was not light in the slightest.
“It was merely post-battle fatigue catching up to me. Nothing more.”
Pretending nothing was wrong, she looked me straight in the eye as she spoke. But I could see the anxiety wavering from deep within those blue eyes.
[Emotion: Extreme shame at having shown her own weakness, faint relief that she nevertheless protected her secret, wariness toward Max Jaeger has reached its peak]
“…Understood.”
I answered briefly and saluted. She said nothing, gave me one last look, and abruptly turned away. She did not stagger like before, but her gait was unstable somehow.
Only after her back had completely disappeared did I let out the breath I had been holding. The scene from moments ago, and her status window, continued to circle through my mind.
‘A serious burden has accumulated, huh…’
Even if the attack seemed to have subsided, I could not feel at ease. The phrase [A serious burden has accumulated in her body] especially bothered me. How long could she hold out like that? One day, she would definitely reach her limit.
That woman was carrying a time bomb inside her body, one that could go off at any moment. A time bomb whose second hand was ticking faster and faster, at that.
How was she supposed to command a battlefield in that condition? An attack like today’s could happen again at any time. What if it happened during combat? Just the thought was horrifying. The entire company could be put in danger.
And a woman like that was my direct superior.
“Fuck.”
The curse slipped out on its own. Nothing in this damned world was easy. I deliberately shook my head, trying to shake off my stray thoughts. For now, there was nothing I could do.
If I acted rashly, I might only wound Seraphina’s pride and completely ruin our relationship. Rather, maintaining the position of a capable subordinate who kept her secret and slowly repairing the relationship would probably be better in the long run.
‘…No, wait.’
That was when something flashed through my mind. The list of skills I had seen when I leveled up because of what happened with Hannah not long ago. Among them, I recalled one skill I had judged useless and passed over.
‘[Touch of Attunement].’