"Y-y-you... What- What did you do?" (Y)

 

I can't quite believe this.
Elin just punched Silvia in her face.
Silvia is almost eighteen, and a whole lot taller than her, even surpassing Ethan in sheer size.
And this lunatic punched her.
Furthermore, she jumped to get high enough to deliver that hit.

 

"I'm pretty sure I punched that bitch in the face." (E)

 

The question wasn't meant like that!

 

"But what was that?" (Y)

"I merely applied the fruits of my training. You know, I think this was a breakthrough for me." (E)

 

Congratulations, but that's not the point!

 

"You don't understand! Soldiers aren't supposed to become violent with each other. This, this could lead to disciplinary action." (Y)

"Oh, it will! I'm gonna make sure of it." (S)

 

Silvia!
Oh no, her nose is bleeding quite fiercely!
This doesn't seem like something that will be resolved quietly.

 

"Oh, someone's already getting up again. Do you need another beating?" (E)

 

At this, Silvia shows actual apprehensiveness.

 

"E-Elin, you can't just hit your comrades." (Y)

 

Spoken out loud, this truly sounds silly, given how obvious it should be.

 

"Whatever! I am not even military. I'm a bloody courier!" (E)

 

Why again was I so concerned for Elin?

 

"You will be punished. You, you hear me?! I'll report you!" (S)

 

Still, this sounds kinda bad.

 

"I think this won't be necessary. Although an official testimony might be required later on."

 

Huh?
Who's that?

 

"S-sir!" (Et)

 

Ethan quickly salutes to attention, which implies this could be bad.

 

"Captain Tiberon! This feral harpy attacked me unprovoked!" (S)

 

A captain?
Ethan's captain?
That isn't good.

 

"Unprovoked?! Hah, you definitely had it coming." (E)

 

You're not doing well with arguing your defense, Elin.
And while she got a point, Silvia is kinda truthful that Elin wasn't personally provoked.
The gaze of the newly arrived captain speaks of similar notions.
He turns to Elin and speaks.

 

"Would you have anything to state in your defense that would make me reconsider throwing you into a cell for attacking one of my scouts? Something that isn't based on you being unaffiliated with the military?" (T)

"No, no. Please do. Just make sure to tell that lunatic Relia that I won't appear for training in that case. If I can dodge practice through this, I'm perfectly content with my verdict." (E)

 

Does she seriously believe Relia is going to let her dodge training like this?
No, I don't think so, but on the other hand, that would imply...

 

"Commander Relia, you say?" (T)

 

The captain eyes Elin now very sternly.

 

"In that case, I'll submit a formal complaint about this event to your superior, so you may be adequately punished by her." (T)

 

Is he truly letting Elin off?
I mean, okay, he'll issue a complaint, and Relia may do 'something' once she hears about this, but still, he won't act against her, so I doubt there'll be official repercussions.
Is Elin right to believe that nobody would want to interfere in Relia's affairs and risk that disturbing her tasks could backfire?
So this was it?

 

"Sure, do what you have to. My arms were apparently a whole four hours too long left unbroken." (E)

 

Elin seems pretty confident in her position.
Well, she might be right that she's still going to face the consequences.
Yet probably nothing long-term.
If only because mutilation would disenable from training at her full capacity.
But still...

 

"So, would you leave now, or do I have to forcefully remove you?" (T)

 

Oh no!
We are creating disorder!

 

"One last thing!" (E)

 

Elin?!
She walks right toward Ethan.

 

"If you're her supposed friend, then act like it. Seriously, you're quite the letdown." (E)

 

Then she spins on her heels and walks right out of the place, smoothly grabbing my wrist and pulling me along in the process.
She doesn't seem the slightest bit afraid of touching me.
Only once we're a bit away from the entrance does she let go.

 

"Huh, this was quite the event. Guess we should slow down with raising this kind of ire for the rest of the day." (E)

 

Why is she so unbothered?

 

"What was that all?! Why did you do this?!" (Y)

"Couldn't just let that bitch slander you. You certainly didn't deserve this, and I had a pretty punchable face in front of me." (E)

"Silvia is my friend... Or was." (Y)

"Yeah, certainly didn't seem that way to me. You should seriously consider getting new friends. Not dead ones, if possible. I'd be available." (E)

 

So blatant?
Is she for real?

 

"Was that your plan?! To make me feel indebted to you so you could claim the position as my friend?" (Y)

"Well, partially. I'm not much in terms of a long-term schemer. I tend to mess up my act if I'm around someone too long. But honestly, who could stand stupidity for so long? So, if you ask me if I hit that girl because of some wicked ploy? Nope, I just did it because she had a really punchable face and I couldn't help myself not to take this invitation." (E)

 

I'm absolutely not sure if this makes this any better!

Thus, we walk back together into the inner fortress.
I can’t really bring myself to ask where we're even going before the smell starts telling me more.
It's the officers' food hall.
The fact that they do have better tables and chairs here, in contrast to the group tables and long benches the common food hall uses, goes in my opinion a little against the idea that our military isn't supposed to treat the higher ranks better.
However, I do get that those working in the inner ring can't always be bothered to join the soldiers in the second, and they may have to maintain appearances in case some high-ranking individual comes by the fortress.
Therefore, for sheer convenience, the officers get to share their meals among each other.

 

"Kinda cool that I get to take my stuff from here. Probably a boon of having been royally screwed against my will." (E)

 

While the army makes it a point that officers don't get better food than the soldiers, Elin looks pretty excited.
This reinforces my thought that she can't have been all that well off before somehow landing here.

 

"Hey, I'm gonna grab some food. You want some too?" (E)

"Ehm, you see..." (Y)

"Ah, dead, of course! Makes sense. Well, then wait here till I get back." (E)

"Why would..." (Y)

 

Aaand, she's gone.
Damn.
Can't really just leave if I'm expected to wait for her.
Even though I've got no idea what I'm even supposed to do at this place.
Elin, meanwhile, crams her plate so full, I'm asking myself if she wasn't just poor, but seriously underfed.
Some give her looks, as she's clearly too young to be an officer.
Even for a soldier, it would be a little problematic.
While children are going to work at the age of fourteen, to become a soldier and risk their life, you'd either have to be sixteen or require a special admission.
Yet Elin remains apparently completely unbothered, which, given her attitude until now, shouldn't come as all that big a surprise.
Also, nobody quite prevents her, after all, you'd be inspected to even get in here, so there must be a reason.
The girl in question is right with me after not too much longer.

 

"Come, there's a spot for us." (E)

 

She wants us to sit there?
It's at least a little bit at the sidelines, but didn't the fact that I can't eat get quite through to her?
Apparently picking up on my hesitance, she gives me a look.

 

"Come on, I get that you're not the most sociable, and eating isn't your thing, but do you just because of that lock yourself in your room all day?" (E)

 

I can't quite retort, which is invitation enough for her to drag me along.
Just moments after we sit down, she's already deep into her tray.
I kinda need to commend her on how dexterously she handled this severely overloaded thing with one hand, while pulling me along.

 

"You, seem, to, have a good appetite." (Y)

"Mmmmnnnngh, mnmnhmnnnh!" (E)

 

Ehm, yes, okay.
Maybe I should wait for her to swallow.

 

"Nnnngh! Whoah! That hits the spot! Seems like Akaras really gets all the good stuff. I mean, eggs, meatpie, five variants of vegetables, really, can't complain." (E)

"You, you really ate a lot." (Y)

"Well, what can I say, kinda felt famished. No idea why. Usually, I'm used to less. Though it's not surprising. Health potions don't just magically heal you. Okay, yes, they do, but everyone knows they use your energy to restore you. As many as I had to chug today, I probably needed that for balance." (E)

 

 

I didn't know this.
So the potions made her hungry.
Still, it's a little weird to me that my presence isn't lowering her mood.
I don't know anything to say, and therefore decide to keep quiet.
Though Elin is apparently not a friend of silence.

 

"Swallowed your tongue? And I thought I was downing everything. You can talk to me, you know?" (E)

"N-no. Just don't know what to say." (Y)

"Hah! To think that you are the shy kind. You are totally the least intimidating monster I've ever met!" (E)

"How are you this calm around me? I almost killed you!" (Y)

"That was an accident, and I am conscious enough not to take it against you." (E)

 

I never heard of someone who got this kind of dismissive attitude.

 

"But... aren't you afraid of me?" (Y)

"You know, if you're constantly around someone who believably threatens to remove your outer skin layer, you start reevaluating the threat levels of those who surround you. You're fine enough in this regard." (E)

 

Just what did this girl live through?!

 

"Anyway, no, no reason to be afraid of you. You are really not all that terrifying. The only one I have mild respect for would be-" (E)

"Ah, there you are. Good to find you here. I was already looking for you." (R)

 

I look at Elin's suddenly completely frozen, pale face, then at Relia, and I l know perfectly what she means.
We are screwed!