By Zephyria Signe was increasingly at a loss as to where to look. She stroked her cheeks and jawline with her palm as if nothing was wrong, but her flushed skin clearly revealed her confused heart.
She turned her head to the side for no reason and kept glancing at the knots of her boots. She muttered in a barely audible voice.
“You already bought me a lot on the train… Is it okay to give me this too?”
“How much is a snack anyway? You’ll have more opportunities to spend money than you think once you get in there. Supplies are scarce, but you can’t go outside when you’re a recruit. In that case, merchant wagons sometimes come to the port, and it’s much better quality to ask the sentries or seniors to buy them with your own money.”
“…How do you know that? You’re not a soldier, but you know a lot about this and that.”
It was a remark she made to hide her embarrassment, but Leonardo flinched for a moment. Fortunately, it wasn’t visible on the outside because he was covering his face. After hesitating, he put the wallet back in and got away with an appropriate tactic.
“…Actually, I also have a military family.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I have an older brother and an older sister. …And a younger sibling.”
As he finished speaking, he thought of Nero, who called him ‘hyung’. Well, it wasn’t wrong.
“Wow, most of your family members are from the military? No wonder you’re so good at organizing military gear. Do you have a lot of siblings?”
“…Quite a few. I’ve been bumping into them so much that I’ve learned about the military one way or another.”
“Wow, you’re a senior.”
Signe joked and punched Leonardo’s chest with her fist. Then she brought her fist to her own chest. It was a clumsy imitation of the Imperial Army’s greeting.
“Senior, my ass.”
Leonardo scoffed and replied. It was a reaction that he found embarrassing, but in Signe’s eyes, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood. No, he didn’t just seem to be in a good mood, he seemed to be happy. Because his sharp eyes had softened more than ever since they had met.
She wondered if he liked being called a senior, but when she met his curved eyes, she wanted to see his face without covering it one last time. Signe slowly lowered the fist she was holding to her chest and opened her mouth with difficulty.
“Theo—”
“Signe, there’s something I want to ask you.”
Leonardo, who unintentionally took the lead first, erased the smile from earlier. Signe asked back in a daze.
“Huh?”
Leonardo, who unconsciously looked around, put his hand next to the head of the person leaning against the wall. Then, he made his eyes shine quietly and leaned in, whispering softly.
“Can you keep it a secret from other people that you met me today and yesterday, and that you went to the Station of Beginning and End together? Whether it’s a close friend or your sister.”
Signe’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s, and she blinked her eyelids. Suddenly, a handsome man was setting the mood and approaching her, so as a young woman in the prime of her youth, she couldn’t help but be nervous. But more than that, she was overwhelmed by the weight conveyed by his eyes and voice.
“E-even from my sister? Why?”
As expected. She seemed to have no secrets from her sister, probably because she was a siscon. Leonardo pondered for a moment how to answer. In the meantime, Signe narrowed her eyes and asked back in a suspicious tone.
“By any chance, did you sneak out without the theater’s permission?”
“……”
“I knew it, it’s strange that you seem so free when the end of the year is the busiest time for theater events. You usually have a lot of performances around this time.”
Signe, who had come to a conclusion on her own again, nodded as if she finally understood. Leonardo remained silent, grasping the situation, and willingly met her expectations.
“You’re really quick-witted. I didn’t say anything on purpose, but how did you know right away?”
“Huh, it was true? See, I told you I was quick-witted. I can tell right away. Anyway, so you want me to keep it a secret because you’re afraid of getting caught for sneaking out, right?”
“Yeah. I was actually… kind of trapped for a while. I was just working and got frustrated, so I snuck out, but if the owner finds out, I’m a dead man.”
“Owner? You were trapped?”
“My owner has a wide network of information, so even if a little bit of the story leaks out, I might get caught. Then the people I promised to meet or my siblings might get into trouble too. The owner has a bad personality, so if I don’t move as he wants, he’ll harass the people around me. So please keep it a secret. Not only for me, but for you too, please.”
Leonardo lowered the ends of his eyebrows sadly and urged, “Huh?” Signe, who heard his story, initially tilted her head, thinking, ‘Does the owner obsess that much?’ But soon, when she saw his eyes, the question became understandable. Even she would watch and obsess over an actor like this, fearing that he might run away. Of course, keeping him locked up was an act that went against common sense.
Signe nodded blankly without realizing it. As someone who was experiencing a honey trap for the first time, she was helpless. Rather, she even felt like protecting this pitiful man from that owner.
“Trust me. I’ll definitely keep it a secret.”
Leonardo, who had received a confirmation, curved his eyes like a crescent moon again.
“You’ll keep it a secret from your sister too, right?”
“Ahem… Since you’re asking, I have to keep it a secret, of course. And originally, I don’t even talk about such personal things with my sister. By the way, is that theater… okay? Someone like you could go to a better place, why don’t you meet with another owner?”
“…I’m planning to do that soon. Thank you, Signe.”
Signe fiddled with her neck as if she was embarrassed. Leonardo, who was smiling calmly, put his hand in his inside pocket and took something out. What he held in his hand was an Amulet in the form of a necklace part made of Siculus. It was the one he had left after giving one to the owner of the supplies store in Riverside.
“It’s a gift. Take it.”
“…What is this?”
The Amulet, whose color was not clear but whose surface was polished smoothly, looked like a jewel-made artifact. With its appearance like a precious ornament, Signe was quickly captivated.
“There are many dangerous things in the military, so think of it as a talisman. It will protect you from external shocks a total of three times. Always keep it close. You can put it on your dog tag.”
“Wow… thank you. I always only received weird-looking things from my uncle, but this is the first time I’ve received something so pretty.”
Signe’s eyes sparkled as if she was genuinely touched. Leonardo smiled gently at the sight, but on the other hand, his conscience pricked him a little. It also had the function of detecting her uttering certain words, in addition to the function of a talisman.
‘But I didn’t engrave a spell on her tongue. Forgive me, Signe.’
Signe, who was constantly saying thank you and rubbing her tingling nose, carefully put the Amulet in her military uniform pocket. Then, she glanced at her military watch and turned around. It seemed like it was really time to go now. There were more people at the stop than before, and traffic controllers were seen controlling the surrounding roads. It seemed like the tram would arrive soon.
“I’ll keep this safe. Thank you so much. But I think I have to go now.”
“Okay. Get in safely. Oh, wait a minute. Stand at attention.”
“…Suddenly?”
“Unit, attention.”
At the command in the voice of the training drill sergeant that gave her goosebumps, Signe’s body moved reflexively. Her excessively tilted waist and chin, and the awkward angle of her arms, were still the same. Leonardo shook his head and pointed out the wrong parts one by one as he circled around her.
“Relax your shoulders, straighten your back, and pull your chin back. The center of gravity is at the waist.”
“O-okay…”
Signe, who was creaking like a machine, corrected her posture one by one according to the command. Her body tilted for a moment as she tried to take care of unfamiliar details. But she quickly regained her balance and faithfully carried out the instructions.
The posture that was created in that way was still awkward, but it was much better than before. It felt like the long-standing indigestion had been relieved. Leonardo, who had a refreshed expression, returned to Signe’s front in that state and stood facing her.
It was a perfect example of the attention posture he had ordered her to take a little while ago.
“It’s better to know in advance than to learn while being scolded.”
“That’s, but…”
Signe was flustered, but she carefully examined the angles of his shoulders, abdomen, and arms. Just in time, Leonardo gave one more command.
“Salute to the nation.”
“Glory to Laina Rogia!”
With the slogan that popped out instinctively, Signe’s fist was placed in front of her left chest with the back of her hand showing. Surprisingly, her salute posture alone was flawless. Leonardo stared at her determined fist and raised his right arm to his eyebrow.
It was similar to the Council’s salute, but different. The posture was different from Signe’s salute as well, but similarly, the back of the hand was more visible than the edge of the hand from the front.
It was a salute method mainly used by Imperial Army officers, and Signe occasionally saw her sister, who used to train her in saluting, overlapping with the person in front of her.
“Glory to Laina Rogia.”
Leonardo, who responded simply, lowered his hand that was attached to his eyebrow. Just in time, a tram was seen entering from across the street. Leonardo approached Signe, who was still clenching her fist in front of her chest, by one step. Then, he grabbed her shoulder and turned her body in the opposite direction, whispering in her ear.
“Keep in mind. Always dedicate yourself to the Empire and do your best in your mission. But, don’t forget that what’s more important than that is your own life.”
“……”
“Okay, the crash course is over, so go now.”
When the tram stopped at the stop, many enlistees ran across the street. After confirming that the carriages were slowing down, Leonardo pushed her shoulder forward slightly. Signe, who had taken a step or two by force, stopped for a moment and looked back at Leonardo.
The man was smiling brightly and waving his hand lightly from the shade of a tree. Even though most of his face was covered, it was a refreshing and dazzling sight that would remain in her mind for a long time.
Signe, who pressed down on her beret, hesitated to move forward, feeling regretful. Then, she bit her lower lip tightly and shouted as if exclaiming.
“Theo, my name is Signe Penlett. When I get out after training, I’ll buy you something delicious then!”
“Okay.”
If there’s a chance.
Signe, who didn’t hear his last words, was about to head to the stop as it was, but stopped on the road in the middle and turned around again to shout.
“My sister’s name is Margo Penlett! Maybe your siblings know each other, so ask them later!”
Signe waved her arms wildly and ran to the crosswalk as it was. Her running speed was quite fast even with the heavy military gear on her back. She waved her hand at Leonardo until the last moment when she was swept away by the crowd. Thanks to that, Leonardo couldn’t leave his spot until she boarded the tram.
‘Margo Penlett?’
Signe was entangled in the black crowd and sent off two trams in a row, and barely boarded the last tram that arrived. The tram carrying many prospective enlistees slid across the avenue in the direction of the port. Leonardo lowered his half-raised palm and checked the nearby clock tower.
The time was tight, but it didn’t seem like he would be late.
“Hah… She’s finally gone.”
While feeling relieved that baggage 3 had fallen off, he was worried that he hadn’t been able to share various tips with her because he didn’t have enough time. But it would be okay. She would adapt well to military life.
‘By the way, Margo Penlett… Where did I hear that?’
It was a name that felt both unfamiliar and familiar. On the one hand, there was a slight discrepancy between the names Signe and Margo, the two sisters, which made him wonder. The name Signe was a common one in the Westforce region, but the name Margo was more… how should he put it? Like the word ‘romance,’ it was a name often used in the East.
Leonardo Blaine put his hands in his pockets and walked alone along the path he had walked with Signe. As he headed towards History Square, those who had arrived late at the station were flowing out like the tide. Leonardo occasionally looked back at his juniors, who were hurrying past with their packs on. They looked so dazed that he wondered if those youngsters could protect the country.
Tsk, tsk, he clicked his tongue, but moved to the edge of the sidewalk as if to tell them to hurry along, making way for them. At the same time, as he vaguely retraced his memories, he recalled a conversation between knights from the East.