Huh?
The Ghost of Kaldburg?
Pavela stared at the report in her hands, a bit dazed.
Tucked inside the report was a photograph.
It was black and white, the print quality poor, with blurry edges.
But she was all too familiar with the object in the image.
A thug-iv type cha.
That familiar, ugly silhouette that looked like it had been haphazardly welded together, those armor plates layered with patches upon patches, that crooked exhaust pipe—even the crack at the left knee that she had barely managed to bind with iron wire was clearly visible.
The cha held a sword in its hand.
It had a strange shape.
The blade was dull, but a separate small high-pressure boiler was embedded at the hilt.
The Soul-Eater Sword.
She recognized this.
After all, that thing had spent so ti in her hands as well.
Pavela's gaze lingered on the photo for a few seconds.
Then she looked up and out the window.
The train was hurtling along.
The scenery outside was like a shredded canvas, a blur of farmland, woods, and the occasional flash of a village, all left behind in their wake.
Her mind was a bit of a ss.
If he's the Ghost of Kaldburg, then who am I?
She looked down again, staring at the photo.
She looked closer.
The more she looked, the more things felt off.
This cha...
The modifications were wrong.
Pavela furrowed her brows.
She rembered very clearly.
On the Night of Kaldburg, the thug-iv she piloted had its right shoulder armor salvaged from a scrapped guardian-v.
The welding angle was a bit crooked, causing the entire right shoulder to sit three centiters higher than the left.
But the one in the photo?
Both shoulders were symtrical and perfectly neat.
And the left leg.
The hydraulic rod on her cha's left leg had been leaking badly for a long ti.
She had barely patched it with rags and tape; it was hideously ugly.
But the one in the photo?
The hydraulic rod looked brand new, without so much as a scratch.
Pavela stared at the photo.
A sense of absurdity welled up in her heart.
This isn't right at all.
The thug-iv I was piloting back then wasn't modified like this.
She wanted to laugh, but she couldn't.
Soone was impersonating her.
And they were doing it so... perfunctorily.
Truly fucking miraculous.
"Little Pa?"
Eleanor's voice ca from across from her.
Pavela snapped out of it.
She looked up and t Eleanor's gaze.
There was a hint of worry in those ice-blue eyes.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah."
Pavela nodded.
"It's just... a bit unexpected."
She placed the report on the table.
"The Ghost of Kaldburg."
"I thought that was just a battlefield legend."
"I didn't expect it to actually exist."
Her tone was very calm.
So calm that even she felt it sounded a bit fake.
But Eleanor didn't suspect a thing.
She simply sighed.
"I didn't expect it either."
The train carriage was quiet, save for the rhythmic, monotonous clatter of wheels over iron rails, sounding like a blunt instrunt striking the ground.
This was a private carriage.
A privilege that ca with Eleanor.
Only the two of them were in the carriage.
Deep red velvet seats lined the sides.
In the middle was a small round table with a tea set, but the tea had already gone cold.
Pavela's gaze fell on the teacup.
The gas lamp on the ceiling was reflected in the water's surface.
Swaying back and forth.
Her thoughts were still drifting.
An hour ago.
She had still been in that forgotten reading room at the academy.
Sitting at the head of the long table.
Facing the other mbers of the White Dove.
Frederick, Reinhardt, Alicia, Katya, Natasha.
Six people.
None of them were in great shape.
Frederick's bandages hadn't been removed yet.
Reinhardt's leg was still in a splint.
Alicia had dark circles under her eyes, looking like she might fall asleep at any mont.
Katya's hand was wrapped in gauze.
Natasha's eyes were sowhat red and swollen.
But their ntal states were all good.
Especially Natasha.
She sat up straight, her eyes clear, as if she had set down so heavy burden.
The eting had gone smoothly.
They discussed future plans.
How to expand the White Dove's influence in the academy, how to win over more students, and how to push the goal of "ending the war" without exposing the organization.
Katya ntioned that the election for the next leader of the Dawn Brigade was about to begin.
She was confident she would win.
On the night of the fire in the Old City, the temporary command post she established by the canal had saved too many people.
Reinhardt said there was movent within ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the Iron Cross as well.
Julian's performance that night had impressed many.
However, he had begun to actively approach the Dawn Brigade and the commoner students.
Frederick said with a smile that perhaps in a few years, there wouldn't be such obvious factional opposition in the academy anymore.
Alicia didn't speak.
She simply nodded.
And then she yawned again.
When the eting ended.
Natasha walked up to Pavela.
She paused for a mont.
Then she reached out her hand.
"Thank you."
She said.
Her voice was soft, but very sincere.
Pavela took her hand.
"Don't thank ."
"This was your own choice."
Natasha smiled.
Then she turned and left.
The smile was faint.
But it was clean, like the sky after rain.
Pavela watched her retreating back.
Suddenly, she felt.
Perhaps things weren't so bad after all.
And then Eleanor arrived.
She pushed open the reading room door.
Her expression was grim.
"Little Pa."
She said.
"Co with ."
Her tone brooked no argunt.
Pavela didn't ask questions.
She followed Eleanor out of the academy.
They got into a steam car.
The car drove straight to the train station.
And then they boarded this train.
Bound for Victoria.
Eleanor handed her the report.
And then she told her—
Dr. Lovelace was dead.
Duchess Erwina was also dead.
The suspected killer was the "Ghost of Kaldburg."
Pavela's first reaction was:
Huh?
Her second reaction was:
What?
Her third reaction was:
Wait, this script isn't right.
Now, she had finally co back to her senses.
"Eleanor."
Pavela spoke.
Her voice was calm.
"Can you tell in detail?"
"What exactly happened?"
Eleanor looked at her.
She was silent for a few seconds.
Then she sighed.
"Things are a bit complicated."
She said.
"If I start from the beginning..."
She paused.
As if organizing her thoughts.
"Do you rember the Soul-Eater Sword?"
Pavela nodded.
"I've heard of it. A sword that could absorb souls appeared during the Night of Kaldburg."
"Correct."
Eleanor said.
"That sword was captured by the Usar military after the Night of Kaldburg."
"And then?"
"And then, about ten days ago, during the ti you were test-piloting the new cha."
Eleanor's tone was sowhat subtle.
"The Usar military took the initiative to return the sword to us."
Pavela was stunned for a mont.
"They returned it?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because they wanted to stir up trouble."
Eleanor's lips twitched.
It was unclear if it was a sneer or sothing else.
"Thirteen souls are sealed within that sword."
"All of them were my forr comrades."
"mbers of the Seventh Knight Order."
Her voice faltered for a mont.
"They died on the Night of Kaldburg."
"But their souls were devoured by that sword."
Pavela didn't speak.
She knew.
Of course she knew.
She was the one who had sent those souls in there.
She lowered her eyes.
She didn't want Eleanor to see her expression.
"When the Usar military returned the sword, they included a report."
Eleanor continued.
"The report detailed the origins of the sword."
"It was manufactured by the Royal Research Institute."
"The purpose of its creation was to study souls."
"And in order to obtain enough experintal material, as well as to curb our Spear of Dawn offensive during the Night of Kaldburg, the Royal Research Institute sent this sword to the front lines through certain channels."
"It was delivered into the hands of the Usar army."
Pavela's pupils contracted slightly.
"So..."
"So the Royal Research Institute is suspected of treason."
Eleanor said.
"For the sake of research, they did not hesitate to cooperate with an enemy nation."
"Turning the souls of Imperial soldiers into experintal subjects."
Her tone was calm.
But beneath that calmness, a cold fury was suppressed.
"This report was brought back to Victoria by Dr. Lovelace and General Margaret."
"It was handed over to the pro-peace faction."
"To my mother, and Marquis Hohenheim."
Pavela understood.
"So the pro-peace faction obtained leverage that could completely crush the Pro-war faction."
"Exactly."
Eleanor nodded.
"The Royal Research Institute is the core of the Pro-war faction."
"They need war."
"Because war brings them research funding and experintal materials."
"Once this matter is exposed—"
"The Pro-war faction is finished."
Pavela finished the thought.
"Yes."
Eleanor said.
"So the pro-peace faction launched a full-scale offensive."
"From the parliant to public opinion."
"In just ten days."
"The pro-peace faction snatched five seats from the neutrals."
"The Pro-war faction is in a precarious position."
"As long as the pro-peace faction had Dr. Lovelace produce the Soul-Eater Sword as evidence—"
"Everything would be over."
User Comments
0 comments from readers