Calm Before the Storm (9)
"I'll say it again. I want to know where Legion is now and how she's doing."
At my voice, Zaiya and Ricky straightened their backs.
For a mont, I thought they looked like privates standing before a division commander.
"I'm sorry, but at the mont, we don't know where Commander Legion is."
Ricky's answer left feeling empty,
and before I could ask why, Zaiya added an explanation.
"After we learned that Commander Legion was alive, the two of us searched for her whenever we could. We scoured the 'Nest of the Red Rooster,' of course, and every region she frequently scouted, as well as all the temporary bases."
"And you still couldn't find her?"
"Yes. We searched everywhere, but we couldn't find even a trace."
There was sadness in Zaiya's voice.
I felt deeply sad, too.
If we couldn't find Legion, everything we'd done would be for nothing.
'To tell the battalion commander about White Fang, I need to learn Legion's code first.'
It felt like the situation kept slipping further away just when it seed within reach,
but I had to gather even the smallest possibilities.
I quickly organized the other pieces of information I might extract from them.
1. Where the two were planning to kidnap when Schutmann caught them.
2. What is the relationship between Zaiya and Legion?
Both are very important pieces of information,
but I decided to ask my highest priority question first.
"When and where did you start planning to kidnap ?"
"Well, actually..."
Ricky, seeming awkward, scratched the back of his head.
"It was right after the battalion commander's summons."
So that ans
they started talking about it as soon as they left the battalion commander's office, before even leaving headquarters?
'I knew it. They got caught whispering at headquarters.'
On one hand, I was relieved that Schutmann's surveillance range hadn't expanded,
but why did these guys start planning to kidnap right after leaving the battalion commander's office?
'What did the battalion commander say to them?'
As I stared at them with that question in mind, Zaiya confessed.
"The battalion commander said he'd be assigning both of us to the ss platoon... I'm, I'm sorry!!"
Zaiya suddenly stood and bent over so much it looked like she would bash her head on the table,
and not to be outdone, Ricky did the sa while yelling, "I'm sorry, platoon leader!"
Their pitiful display made almost sigh.
'Are special operations corporals so kind of buy-one-get-one-free deal, old man? Giving Zaiya after Ricky.'
Even in Korea, if you told ace paratroopers to trade their rifles for a cooking spatula, they'd probably quit,
and these special operations corporals with brains made of honor?
Well, plotting a kidnapping is almost understandable.
Of course, I could guess at the battalion commander's real intent.
'He probably wanted to strengthen my personal protection.'
He's sharp as a tack, that bald old man.
He must have sensed sothing was off.
Anyway, now the only remaining question was what kind of relationship Zaiya had with Legion.
'Looks just like Legion, but much taller and a weaker 3rd-rank.'
It was obvious at a glance—Zaiya was Legion's younger sibling.
Having deduced that, I channeled my inner Conan and asked,
"Zaiya, you're Legion's younger sibling, aren't you?"
At my question, Zaiya answered with a girl's smile reminiscent of Legion.
"I'm her daughter."
Ace detective Ian, retiring.
*
The Middle Ages are different from modern Korea.
In this world, people have children in their late teens or early twenties.
"Commander Legion gave birth to at eighteen. She's thirty-five this year."
Well, considering how long it takes to reach the 4th-rank,
Legion did have to be in her thirties.
I was just fooled by her girlish appearance.
'So that's why a monk was living as a soldier in the northern Duchy.'
Now that I'd heard it all, I understood why Zaiya had gotten so upset at ,
and why she always went around with her face hidden by a helt.
But these were just side details.
'None of this gives any clues about Legion's whereabouts.'
Even the two special operations corporals couldn't find Legion despite trying.
On top of that, it seed Zaiya didn't have any ans of contacting her either.
'What should I do?'
As my head grew muddled again, for the first ti, I heard Plerine's voice.
"Zaiya. Who created the code that only you and Legion share?"
Zaiya flinched at Plerine's blunt speech, then answered.
"Of course, commander Legion created it herself."
"Did anyone else help make the code or anything like that?"
This ti, Ricky answered.
"All the code systems used by special operations were created and managed solely by Commander Legion."
"I see. Wait a mont."
With that, Plerine left for her room and returned, tossing parchnt in front of the two.
"Could you write out all the code keys you use? Every single one."
At Plerine's request, Zaiya and Ricky hesitated with the parchnt and quill in front of them.
Their instincts as special operations soldiers seed to hesitate at leaking information.
But I was not the sort to watch my subordinates hesitate in silence.
"What are you waiting for? Start writing."
Only after my order did they reluctantly take up the pens and begin scribbling out the codes.
Of course, I had no idea what Plerine's code talk was about,
but trusting in a 6th-circle mage's intelligence and reasoning, I kept quiet.
'From now on, maybe I'll leave all the detective work to Plerine.'
About an hour passed like that,
and just as I barely stifled a yawn, Zaiya spoke.
"It's done."
I took the densely written parchnt from them and handed it right to Plerine.
Anyway, I wouldn't understand it even if I looked.
On the other hand, Plerine quickly flicked through the code keys with her fingers. Flick, flick.
Then, about ten seconds later—
"Hmmm."
Setting the parchnt down on the table, Plerine spoke.
"It's definitely true that Legion created all these herself. Even if the outcos differ, the system and process are the sa, and Zaiya's code is the most decisive."
Ricky and Zaiya exchanged glances as if asking 'How can she be sure?',
but it was clearly visible to the eyes of a 6th-circle mage.
"So, Plerine? Did you figure anything out?"
Instead of answering, Plerine grabbed a quill and explained formulas as she scribbled on the paper.
Of course, I couldn't follow a single word.
'What the heck are you saying?'
As a business major, accounting was the one subject I hated most,
yet here I was listening to a lecture on encrypted numbers.
"That's enough, Plerine. What's the conclusion?"
"... Oh right, boss, you're bad with numbers. Sorry about that."
Her innocent disregard stung a little,
but I waved my hand for Plerine to hurry up and explain.
"If you combine these—"
Seeming conscious of Zaiya and Ricky,
Plerine made her voice audible only to in our team voice area.
"If you combine them like this, you can create a new code."
"A new code? And where would you use that?"
"Old Baldy is using Legion's codes, right?"
"That's... true?"
"If I send a ssage to Old Baldy using this new code I made, he'll be able to understand about 50% of it. Depending on how smart he is, maybe even up to 60%."
Plerine sounded confident,
but I had to ask about any risks.
"What if Schutmann figures it out?"
"There's a chance, but even at the highest estimates, he'd only understand 5% at most. He doesn't know Legion's code patterns."
"So Plerine, what you're saying is... even if delivery isn't perfect, we can get a ssage to the battalion commander that Schutmann couldn't understand?"
"Yep."
Plerine's bright smile was refreshing.
At last, the stone that had weighed on my heart cracked and crumbled.
With all the stress that had piled up evaporating,
I let out a strange noise.
"Uwaaah."
Sixth-circle mages really do have extraordinary intelligence.
I never thought sothing like this would be possible using codes.
'If that's the case, we don't even need to find Legion to achieve our goal!'
Realizing yet again that Plerine is the best whenever things look bleak, I said,
"All right. Let's move quickly on to the next step."
Because I wanted to let the battalion commander know about the dark side of White Fang as soon as possible.
* * *
Two days passed since Zaiya and Ricky were transferred to the ss platoon.
The battalion commander's office at Granfen headquarters was still filled with thick, hazy cigarette smoke today,
and Battalion Commander Kratan set aside his pipe, gazing at the operations map with empty eyes.
"My lungs might rot soon. Heh heh."
The battalion commander was a smoker, but not a chain smoker.
There were two reasons he'd recently started smoking much more.
First, due to extre stress,
and second, because it was much harder for others to hide their presence in a room thick with smoke.
In other words—
'You never know when Squire Schutmann might start spying.'
In truth, the battalion commander had never directly caught Schutmann spying.
But he was inherently distrustful of people,
and he judged that with Schutmann's abilities, it was always possible to be monitored in secret.
'Given the skills I saw on the day with Ian and the HR interview, it's plenty possible.'
On the battlefield, it's not the strong who survive—it's the survivors who are strong.
To the eyes of the battle-hardened veteran battalion commander, everything seed like a threat,
so it was a habit to always be on guard.
'But even such self-preservation and cautious habits have no defense against a powerful offense that can break through any guard.'
Kratan's thoughts continued.
What was the "real intention" behind the Sovereign lending White Fang's squire to Granfen?
"Haaa."
Just as another wave of frustration rolled over him and he reached for his pipe—
"Battalion commander. It's Lantz."
He heard the voice of his most trusted subordinate in Granfen.
"Co in."
Kkiik. The door opened, and Lantz saluted.
The battalion commander casually returned the salute and spoke.
"How are the preparations going? There's only four days left now."
"Yes, sir. Company Commander Ralph has fully adapted to the commander role, and there are no issues with our combat power. In fact, thanks to Platoon Leader Ian, we're in top form."
On the surface, it sounded like a standard report between a boss and subordinate.
But Lantz's eyes said sothing different,
and the battalion commander nodded slightly, slowly.
'Please don't let Schutmann catch on.'
With that thought, he accepted the note Lantz handed over,
and Lantz continued his verbal report as if nothing had happened.
"We're fully ready to begin repairs as soon as we arrive at the frontline."
After about three minutes of this basically aningless report, Lantz left.
The battalion commander put the pipe back in his mouth and filled the room with smoke as he spread out his energy sense.
Sssssss.
Sure enough, there was no sense of being watched.
But Kratan kept his senses open as he opened the note.
'What is this?'
He struggled to hide his disappointnt.
He'd expected it to be a secret pigeon from Legion, but it wasn't.
The note was filled with code he couldn't make heads or tails of.
'What fool sent this kind of prank?'
His anticipation turned to disappointnt,
and disappointnt to rage.
He crumpled the note.
As he moved to burn it in an ashtray—
'Wait.'
The afterimage of the open note flickered in his vision.
It was an unfamiliar code, but there were sections that sohow felt readable, perhaps connected.
If so, then maybe—
'A new code made by Legion?!'
With a start, the battalion commander rescued the note and blew on it.
It would have looked ridiculous to the soldiers of Granfen,
but Kratan barely cared how he looked now.
"Whew! Whew!"
Barely saving the note, he unfolded it.
In that short mont, a quarter of it had charred and burned away.
Kratan cursed his age.
'If I had my brain from when I was young, I'd have spotted it at a glance.'
He rubbed and salvaged what remained of the burned note and began to read.
"...."
Deciphering a code that was familiar but completely new was no ordinary task.
Sweat beaded on the crown of Kratan's head before he knew it.
"Heh."
When he finally finished reading the note after a long struggle, the battalion commander let out a hollow laugh.
He'd barely understood even 20%, enough to make him angry at himself.
"Heheheheh."
Still, Kratan was just barely able to infer the crucial line,
so he repeated it to himself.
'White Fang is Granfen's old enemy.'
It was neither the ti to chase after the now-missing Jeros and his tracks,
nor to prepare for war with Heroni.
The real threat was the Duchy's knight order,
the squire of White Fang, Schutmann.
'White Fang is Granfen's old enemy.'
The battalion commander set a new piece on the operations map.
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