Chapter 72

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I felt uneasy about Colonel Altsar's sudden mood swings, and it seemed my concerns were justified.

"Yui, why don't you call me 'Mother'?"

"…Sir?"

Seeing Colonel Altsar smiling gently from behind his desk, I hesitated about whether to call for Hanna. She could probably restrain the colonel calmly. There are no psychiatrists in this world, but there must be experts in mental care. I should start looking for one now.

"Wait, Yui. Don't look at me like that. This is a serious matter, and there are some complicated circumstances."

"Is that so?"

"Trust your superior officer a bit more. It's about your promotion. …I apologize for trying to surprise you."

The colonel blushed, then cleared his throat and resumed his professional demeanor.

"Due to your success in preventing Duke Retray's rebellion, the imperial court is considering promoting you to major. Recommendation letters have come from the Jihotenberg and Mildor families, and of course, from the Medilen family as well."

"I am honored."

It seems I'm being promoted quite easily.

However, as a commoner, I can't become a major just like that. There's an unwritten internal rule that prevents it. I need to become a noble in some form.

"But, sir, I am a commoner."

"I know. That's why I want you to join the nobility."

"Oh, so you want me to become your adopted son…"

It wasn't as complicated as I thought. It's a straightforward matter.

Commoners can receive noble treatment if they form a connection with a noble family. The most common way is through marriage, but adoption is also an option, though it's less frequent.

"Sir, you're single, right?"

"Yes. To avoid causing family disputes, I intend to remain single. However, being an adopted son is different. You won't gain the right to inherit the family name, and in our country, trusted retainers are sometimes adopted to manage the estate."

I see. The noble society is hard to understand.

Colonel Altsar chuckled and looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What do you think? You can be affectionate with me. Try calling me 'Mother'."

"Sir, I'm a reincarnated person, so if you include my previous life, I'm much older than you."

My memories from my previous life are a bit vague, but I remember commuting on the train.

What color was it? It was the same color as the Sixth Special Task Brigade's uniform, so it must have been maroon. I can't remember now, though.

"Sir, you're more like a daughter than a mother."

"You're talking about my appearance, right?"

"No, not at all."

The colonel does look like a middle school student. Everyone who meets him for the first time looks uneasy.

The colonel pouted and started touching his chest and waist.

"Both Midona and Rosel said, 'It'll be fine once you reach a certain age,' but I feel deceived. Even my mother is still mistaken for a child…"

"Is that a long story?"

I interrupted him, but I wanted to prioritize the work discussion.

The colonel seemed to realize this and crossed his arms with a grim expression.

"So, what do you think? Will you become my adopted son and be promoted to major?"

"I'll pass. I don't particularly want a higher rank."

The colonel looked at me as if I were a rare creature.

"Do you really intend to refuse a major's position?"

"If I can remain as your chief of staff, I don't care about the rank."

"You're too unambitious."

After a deep sigh, Colonel Altsar looked at me seriously.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. As I mentioned, recommendation letters have come from the five royal families. They are official documents. Refusing them would put the families in a difficult position."

"Is my promotion not my own decision?"

I smiled wryly, but I understand that the Imperial Army is such an organization. The more you are promoted, the more political implications it carries.

"I have no choice. I'll accept the promotion."

"You always make decisions quickly, which is a relief."

"But I have one concern."

"What is it?"

Leaning in, I got closer to the colonel.

"Can I marry you after becoming your adopted son?"

"Wh-What!?"

The colonel jumped up slightly and turned bright red.

It was a bit of a low blow, but I'll pass on being adopted. A tiny mom like this… it's a bit amusing, but I don't want anyone else to change our relationship. We should decide our relationship ourselves.

The colonel, looking troubled, muttered to himself.

"It's probably impossible to marry an adopted son… But if we live together and share a grave, it would be like a de facto marriage… No, that's ethically wrong…"

It seemed amusing to leave him like that, but I didn't mean to tease him. I had an alternative.

"Sir, um… Sir?"

"I'll check with the Medilen family's legal officers, so wait a moment."

"That's not what I meant."

I took a deep breath and said the embarrassing word.

"If you make me your 'Silndanyu,' would that solve the problem?"

After a moment of confusion, the colonel's face brightened.

"Oh, Silndanyu! I completely forgot! That's great, Silndanyu!"

The colonel nodded enthusiastically with a satisfied smile. Please, don't say such things.

"You are the Silndanyu of Duke Jihotenberg, and making you my Silndanyu would be sufficient in terms of status. While it's not a significant position on its own, those who are recognized as Silndanyu by multiple 'Five Fingers' are all top talents. From today, you are my Silndanyu."

Please, stop.

Noticing my expression, the colonel tilted his head.

"What's wrong, my excellent chief of staff?"

"Um…"

"Is there still a problem?"

Seeing the colonel's worried face, I decided to be honest to avoid any misunderstandings.

"Actually, 'Silndanyu' has a different meaning in my previous life…"

"What kind of meaning?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Very much so."

Since there was no choice, I explained it as tactfully and briefly as possible.

"That's the end of my explanation."

"Such a position exists… The other world is amazing…"

The colonel, blushing, looked down. I felt like a criminal and averted my gaze. What should I do?

"Um, so, are you interested in that kind of Silndanyu?"

"What do you want me to do with that information?"

I'm done. If only the pronunciation was 'Shurndanyue' or 'Shildunyuf.'

In any case, I became Colonel Altsar's "backdoor friend" and gained a guest status from the Jihotenberg and Medilen families.

This meant I was no longer just a commoner.

Being recognized as a lover, a somewhat casual guest status, but being recognized by multiple main branches of the five royal families was not a coincidence.

This would likely make the Army's upper echelons recognize my promotion. If they didn't, the Second and Fourth Divisions would complain, "Are you going to ignore the talent our boss recognized?"

It's a rather sordid matter, but the glorious Schweider Imperial Army is a sordid organization. This is true for most large organizations.

A few days later, the rank of major was sent from the capital. Now I'm a major.

Colonel Altsar, now wearing an unfamiliar rank, smiled wryly.

"It's a newly created rank called 'Brigadier General.'"

"A rank between general and major?"

"The generals of each division complained, 'We can't stand a girl as young as our granddaughters becoming a general,' so the rank of Brigadier General was created to be equivalent to a general. I'm the first one."

In the Imperial Army, there are no ranks like major general or lieutenant general; all generals are simply "generals."

This rank is not easy to achieve even for nobles, requiring relentless effort, long service, and winning factional struggles.

For those with strong ambitions and power, the position of general is almost sacred. Messing with it could lead to a real rebellion.

I sighed and smiled wryly.

"It's a ridiculous story. Other people's ranks shouldn't matter."

"You're the only one who says that, my reincarnated person."

I don't mind the possessive pronoun.

"Anyway, sir, now I can call you 'Brigadier General.'"

In my previous life in Japan, and in the empire, "Colonel" is not used as a title. A colonel, who is also a brigade commander, can be called "Brigade Commander."

However, now that you're a Brigadier General, you can be called "Sir" even without your position. I'm genuinely happy for your promotion.

Brigadier General Altsar… no, Brigadier General, looked exasperated.

"You don't seem to care about your own promotion, but you're happy about mine?"

"Of course."

"Who said that other people's ranks don't matter?"

"Who was that?"

Just show me the Brigadier General's rank already.

The Brigadier General, no longer a colonel, sighed deeply and stood up.

"The rebellion of Duke Retray Minsiana has been suppressed, but the political situation both domestically and internationally is becoming increasingly unstable. As a Brigadier General, I will face many difficult decisions. I will feel more confident if you are by my side. I count on you, Yui Crombertz, Chief of Staff and Major."

This straightforward trust feels good. Brigadier General Altsar is attractive not only as a person but also as a superior officer.

I stood at attention and saluted sharply.

"Leave it to me, Brigadier General. I will serve you with all my heart and soul."

"Thank you."

The small Brigadier General smiled, and I smiled back.

The empire will likely decline, but with Brigadier General and me, we can probably protect the Sixth Special Task Brigade.

However, the situation was deteriorating faster than I imagined.

A few days later, a notice arrived from the capital: "The Mildor family's remnants and the Jihotenberg family have defected to the Duchy of Bruges, and unidentified forces are gathering in the new border region."

It was the moment the empire's collapse became inevitable.