Chapter 45

After annihilating the enemy's pursuit, there was no further chase. The battered caravan of wagons continued to move further east.

The bodies of the three fallen soldiers were wrapped in canvas to prevent maggots and were to be transported back to the empire. We could return to imperial territory in one or two days. We would bury them in the fortress city of Tsimmer.

The girl who had been hit by an arrow and was on the brink of death also followed them.

"Adviser... Adviser..."

"I'm here."

For some reason, I had been designated to take care of her, and before I knew it, I had become her nurse. After all, I was now a powerless adviser with no options left. All I could do was accompany the wounded soldiers.

It had been two days since she was hit by the arrow. Without blood transfusions or antibiotics, the treatment of merely stitching the surface wounds had reached its limit. Her internal organs were likely damaged, and the bleeding was sapping her strength, while infection was spreading throughout her body.

Even though I could deduce this much, we could do nothing for her.

"Just a little more, and we'll be back in the empire. When we return, you can take a leave and rest for a while."

Unable to bear the dense aura of death, I said this, knowing it was just a comfort. She wouldn't last. She would die within a few days, or perhaps even the next moment.

But she gripped my hand and smiled faintly.

"Y... it's a... perk... hehehe."

Even in this state, she was still happy about the leave. I felt guilty for deceiving her.

She had no strength left and hardly spoke. For some reason, everyone had pushed the nursing duty onto me and kept a slight distance, so if I didn't speak, there would be nothing but silence.

The only sounds were the creaking of the wagon wheels and the flapping of the canvas.

Unable to bear the awkwardness and guilt, I opened my mouth, despite knowing it would lead to a quagmire.

"What do you want to do on your leave? Maybe visit your hometown? I think it was Schreiden in the Medilen territory. I've heard it's a lively place."

I messed up with that question.

A young girl from the city serving as a line infantry must have had some family issues. She wouldn't have ended up here unless her background was particularly unfortunate.

As I felt like I wanted to die, the one who was really about to die laughed.

"Mom... it's... Adviser... Lieutenant Crombartz..."

Did she need me to accompany her home? Her eyes were unfocused, and she seemed to be seeing hallucinations.

She must have been in a lot of pain and distress. Should I let her die like this?

Some of the wounded soldiers with fatal injuries had begged to be killed. Those who did were quietly sent off by their comrades.

But this girl didn't say she wanted to die. I couldn't kill her without her consent.

Still, prolonging her suffering...

As I was thinking this, she smiled again.

"Adviser... you... don't hit... like... Dad... you're... so... kind..."

Her eyes were vacant, but she looked very happy. What was she seeing?

I didn't know what to do, but since I had lied, I decided to take responsibility for it until the end.

"Yeah, that's right. And you don't have to fight anymore."

I didn't know if she could hear me, but she looked at me blankly.

The next moment, her eyes suddenly focused.

"Huh...? Riza?"

Riza was the infantry girl who died in the battle a few days ago.

She continued.

"Shuna... Piora?"

Shuna and Piora were also among the dead.

But neither I nor the others had told her about the deaths of the fallen. We didn't want to discourage her.

"Why are you here...?"

She wasn't looking at me. She was looking behind me.

I turned around in fear, but there was no one there. Only the tattered canvas remained.

What was she seeing? Was it a hallucination? Or was there really something there?

In my previous life, I didn't believe in the existence of spirits, but having been reincarnated, I couldn't deny their existence.

As I stood there, frozen, the dying soldier shed a single tear.

"Yeah, let's... go together..."

"Wait! Don't go!"

I shouted without thinking, even though I knew she couldn't be saved.

Since being born in the Schwaider Empire, I had seen countless deaths. Death had been a constant presence since my street child days. I had become numb to it.

But for some reason, I had shouted.

She had a blissful expression and was looking somewhere far away.

"Are you... the... Grim Reaper...?"

Was the Grim Reaper visiting her deathbed? Or was she talking about me?

I wanted to ask, but it was too late.

Those were her last words.

After a while, the infantry girls cautiously peeked in.

"Um, Adviser?"

I pulled myself together and turned to the survivors.

"She's gone."

There was no time for sentiment. We were still in retreat.

I put my cap back on and took action.

"Wrap her body in canvas and move her to the rear wagon. Help me."

"Yes, Adviser."

That day, the number of fallen soldiers in the 6th Special Task Regiment increased to four.

* * *

I gripped the reins on my horse and recalled her last moments.

It was a pitiful end, but there were also puzzling aspects.

How did she accurately name the other fallen soldiers?

She might have heard the conversation outside the wagon, so I couldn't definitively say she saw the spirits of the dead.

Still, the fact that "death is not the end" was proven by my own reincarnation. It was frustrating.

And the Grim Reaper—could it be that I was possessed by one?

I glanced back, but there was no sign of any spirit. I didn't believe in such things.

I felt like I had a better grasp of this world, but the mystery only deepened.

Well, it's fine. Accepting what you don't understand is a scientific attitude. I hope I'll understand eventually.

More importantly, it was crucial to get the survivors back safely.

"Captain Crombartz, there you are."

"Yes, sir."

Colonel Altsar approached on his warhorse, and I fell in line beside him.

The colonel smiled at me with a gentle look.

"She didn't die in the mud and filth but passed away surrounded by comrades, with love and peace. Don't be so down."

"I'm not down, sir."

I smiled. Officers must always act normally, no matter what.

But I could probably vent a little to the colonel.

Still, I didn't want to show weakness directly, so I said it with a bit of a joke.

"If I didn't feel anything about the deaths of my subordinates, I could be more relaxed..."

The colonel looked troubled and said with a slight pout.

"I don't want to see such a you. I like the you I see now."

"I'm sorry."

Of course. It was a bad joke.

I shouldn't even be able to make a proper joke. This would hinder my military duties.

As I thought this, the colonel looked worried.

"Don't dwell on it. You tend to push yourself too hard."

"I'll be careful."

"Then don't push yourself."

It was hard to respond to that...

The colonel looked at my expression and chuckled.

"No, I was wrong. I said I like the you I see now, but then I started making demands."

"No, it's my fault for saying something inappropriate for my age."

Considering my previous life, I should be quite old, yet I felt completely inadequate.

But the colonel looked surprised.

"Are you younger than me?"

Oops.

I tend to speak more freely in front of the colonel. It must be her charisma.

I had to cover it up.

"Even though I'm young, I'm already over twenty."

Commoners start working as apprentices around ten years old, so being in your early twenties makes you a seasoned veteran. I had been in the military for years in this world.

I hoped this would convince him.

The colonel looked at my face for a while, then nodded and looked ahead.

"That's true. But you seem more mature than your age. It's almost worrying."

"Thank you."

I managed to cover it up... I hope.

At that moment, a message came from the reconnaissance cavalry guarding the front.

"We've discovered about ten thousand soldiers from the 1st Division on the march! They welcome the 6th Special Task Regiment's joining them!"

The colonel and I exchanged glances.

"A straggling unit. The emperor's direct guard division not only failed to support but retreated on their own."

"They had no obligation to follow the suicidal actions of the 2nd Division."

I shrugged on my horse.

"Regardless, since they welcome us, let's join them. We're almost to the fortress city of Tsimmer, and it will be reassuring to be with the emperor's 1st Division."

"Agreed. Let's join them gratefully."

I looked back at the last wagon.

The bodies of the four fallen soldiers were placed there.

"We're almost there."

At least I could bury them on Schwaider soil.