The sound of a steam whistle spread across the sky.
There were too few people to call it sparse, and far too many people to call it busy, waiting for the arrival of the Aether locomotive.
The ether locomotive on the track slowly stopped, and the double doors opened with the sound of the exhaust, and a man in a black military uniform jumped out of the locomotive while stretching his back.
──Odon Imperial Territory Sargon Street──
The Odon Empire is a military state that exists in the southwestern part of the Sertia continent.
With the imperial capital Vooranger at its center, there are large towns in each region connected by land routes to the north, south, east, and west.
Sargon Street is located in the west of the north, south, east, and west.
Each region has nobles appointed as lords by the emperor, and most of the soldiers belonging to the Odon Empire are organized as guards and armies of each lord.
However, in the wake of an unprecedented incident known as the Akataka Incident 14 years ago, the empire established independent special forces in each of its major cities in order to improve the slowness of the chain of command in emergencies and to train young people.
The Odon Empire Independent Special Forces are independent from the military chain of command and can act at their own discretion.
Of course, they often respond to urgent requests from the military, but they are within the scope of requests rather than orders.
The 4th Special Forces, commonly known as Flags, returned to their home in Sargon Street on an ether locomotive.
"Fuu, I'm finally back... I'm hungry..."
"Oh, Buffer. Too bad, there's still work left to do, right? The Valken incident, and the results of the Voranger audit.
The job you don't like is writing reports."
"Kahhhhh! Independent Special Forces sounds good, but that kind of place is really so plain that it makes me cry..."
"Then Buffer, when the report is ready, I'll bring it to the office."
"Huh? Captain... Ah, no... that's true..."
“That’s right, captain.
"Oi oi, I'm not spoiling you.
I've been asked by the vice-minister to come to the headquarters at the time of the wind (Airi).
Then let's be efficient. ”
“For Conrad-sama?
"Now then, I'm not going to spoil you, Buffer.
We still have plenty of time until then.
After I finish writing the report, I'll do some basic magic training today."
Buffer, who was secretly happy that he could rest as long as he wrote the report, cracked as if he had been smashed by a hammer, and even Aki, who was always smiling, seemed a little tense.
On the other hand, as for Alf...
"Oh, and Alf, you were the one on duty shopping today.
Then go out with me."
"understood"
The youngest, Alf, answered immediately without hesitation, and walked towards the home house with Jin without changing his expression.
Aki and Buffer stare at his back with a silence and expression that seems to be mixed with admiration and respect.
"Ugh...why are those two in such good spirits?"
“Aside from the captain…Alf…hmm…why don’t you learn Buffer and do some more martial arts training?”
"If you say that, the vice-commander who is reading books all the time will probably be too.
Well, someday I will..."
Buffa muttered as he spread his hands like scales and closed his eyes.
When he suddenly raised his head and looked over the sky, the battle between Alf and Jin during the operation came to mind, and a faint smile welled up in his mind.
"Haha... There are things that are not suitable for humans, vice-captain.
You can't force yourself to do anything else, can you?"
“I agree… as expected, jumping from the roof of a building doesn’t seem to have the courage.
Well then, let's quickly put together a report and let the Tetsujin-san rest early."
"Understood."
With a little laugh, they followed Jin and Alf to their home house, a short distance from the center of town.
Looking up, the sky was wide and blue, and a flock of white birds were flapping their wings.
Occasionally, the guards passing each other in the city gave a small salute to the Flag Squad.
When you think of Special Forces, what you usually think of is a top-secret unit.
However, Flag and other independent units are not secret entities, but units that are on the table as a bill.
In other words, it would be more appropriate to call it something like a team of adventurers who belonged to a nation and carried out missions for the benefit of the nation.
Therefore, the home house, which is their base, has a structure like a small inn, and in the wide entrance there is a large wooden table where everyone can do miscellaneous tasks and meals, and on the second floor there is a private room for each. , Not only the members but also the captain Jin is currently living here.
More like a guild house than a military barracks──
When the Flag members returned to the home house, there was no time to rest. Alf prepared tea for the number of people, and Buffer and Aki immediately sat down at the table and began writing reports with paper and quill pens.
As Buffa writes, he speaks to Alf as if it's just a thought.
"Hey, Al. Today's... Bal Institute? Do you know what the institute is for?"
"Yeah, I asked the security guard...it seems to be a research facility related to etherology."
"Huh? It didn't look like a magic research facility at all.
If so, is it related to Orikiki? ”
"Antisense and Etherology in Mana Inheritance"
Aki, who was listening beside me, intervened while writing the report.
The words bothered Alf and Buffa, who stopped and looked at Aki.
"Ah, Anticession?"
"You fool, antisense, antisense.
That person who thanked me at the end, Mr. Curwen Offal, Director of Bal Research Institute.
He's famous for his paper on Mana's genetics."
"Antisense...isn't it the part of a creature that generates mana inside its body?"
"That's right. Biology in the field of aether... Hmmm, maybe it's a research institute for magical talent?
In the first place, ether is affected by the mana of living things, and the ether itself changes its nature, or it becomes magic by phenomenon magic.
Then why does the influence of mana on ether differ from organism to organism?
Well, it's true that there's certainly room for genetic information to be considered... but that doesn't mean that the quality of mana is determined by heredity, so I see, so the relationship...'
Seeing Aki start thinking about it alone, Buffa secretly talks to Alf.
(Hey Al... Did I say something unnecessary?)
(Isn't it nice? The vice-president seems to be having fun, and... don't you feel that's Aki=Falma?)
When Buffa looks at Aki again, she deftly snaps off her glasses with her left hand, continuing her reflection, while continuing to write her report with her right hand without stopping.
Characterized by her long pink hair and red glasses, she is the only girl in the flag squad and her brain.
Odon Empire 4th Independent Special Force Flag Deputy Commander Aki Falma.
She often conducts tactical planning and mission command in Flag Corps.
Her combat skills are raw and unmatched by even the general guards around her, but her strength is above all her ability as a lieutenant.
In fact, since Aki became her lieutenant eight years ago, her mission efficiency has actually been shown in numbers, and Flag Squad trusts her, just like Jin-Douglas.
It was her suggestion that the Flag Squad began to use ether communication devices.
Buffa tilted her chair slightly and spread her hands at shoulders like a scale, and they both let out a small sigh of laughter.
"Then I'll bring Pitu tea to the Captain, too."
"Okay"
Buffa started writing her report again, and Alf went upstairs with a cup of pitu tea in her hand.
There is one rule at the Flag Squad's home house...that is, there is no need to follow the discipline inside the home.
This is not a rule set by Jin or the military, but a trend that naturally developed within the Flag Corps in the past.
Knock twice on the door of Jin's room on the second floor, and Alf calls out.
“Alf, enter.”
When Alf entered the room, Jin, who was sitting on a chair, was looking at some material without looking at me.
"Captain, I have tea."
In response to Alf's concern, Jin stopped looking at the materials and talked while looking at Alf.
"Oh, I was just thirsty, thanks."
"No, then"
"Oi oi, I'm home now. I don't think I behave like that."
"... that's right, sorry"
As if to say goodbye, Jin took the cup from Alf and put the pitu tea in her mouth.
Then she returned to her chair and slowly spoke to Alf.
"Really... working hard is good, but overdoing it is also a bad idea.
But over-dried pitu grass loses its flavor, which is directly related to its taste.
I've told you many times that everything should be in moderation."
"I'm the result of growing up watching the captain closest to me.
If that's the case, it means that the captain is also over-dried pitu grass..."
"Oi oi, no one said they allowed sarcasm."
Alf suddenly gave an Odon-style salute to avoid those words and looked up.
After getting up for a moment, Alf gently looked at Jin from the ceiling, and the two of them laughed slightly.
Alf is a war orphan who was picked up by Jin 14 years ago.
At that time, the western part of the Odon Empire was in a state of panic due to the Red Hawk Incident, and the flag team took over Alf temporarily as the orphans were not ready to receive them, and he grew up being loved by the former flag team members.
After that, even though the orphanage was prepared to accept him, Alf himself had a strong request (selfishness) to raise him at Flag's home with Jin's authority and special exception.
He has been with Jin longer than anyone else in the active flag corps, and for Alf, Jin is the same as his parent.
"Well done, including today's work."
“Since I am receiving direct guidance from Jin Douglas, I can’t help but become a fighting force.”
"I can't help it, really... I still think that I should have stopped when I forced myself to apply for the army."
"……sorry"
“Well, tell Aki and Buffer.
Later, from the time of the soil (stall), temporary magic training will be conducted. Repeat"
“Each member will have a meal after the report is prepared.
This time, instead of a salute meant as a joke, Alf gave the original Odon salute and left Jin's room.
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