Chapter 57 - Ashes
"If I'd known I'd have to do this damned stuff, I never would've come to the Military Academy."
Life at the Imperial Military Academy, where boys from all ranks and regions gathered, had a way of making even the most refined young nobles develop rather foul mouths.
"Calm down. At least it's not raining."
"No, I'd actually prefer rain. As long as it's not that cursed spring rain."
"I used to like spring rain before I came to Grimman. It meant winter was finally over."
"You didn't like winter?"
"My hometown's in the Northern Region. Winter means death. It's a way of life, but it's also a sentence."
"That sounds awful."
"But skiing down the mountains is incredible. Every year dozens get killed crashing into trees or getting buried in avalanches, but everyone still looks forward to the snow. When spring comes and the snow melts, they find bodies everywhere—yet come winter, they're back up on the mountain with their skis."
"You're all crazy. Doing something that dangerous… Could I visit your estate in the winter?"
"I have a villa. It's very close to the mountains."
"Great. I'll come right away."
The cadets lay flat in the snow-covered winter forest for the mock battle, whispering quietly to distract themselves from the cold.
Most of their talk revolved around where and how they would spend the winter.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The hushed cadets fell completely silent at the sound of footsteps on snow.
"Stop talking and wait quietly."
Ernest passed by behind them, warning them in a low voice.
"We weren't talking."
"I can see your breath. If this were a real situation, your position would be exposed, and that would get you killed."
They tried lying, but there was no fooling Ernest.
As they whispered, their warm breath drifted visibly through the cold air with every inhale and exhale.
If you didn't keep your mouth firmly shut and only breathe slowly through your nose, even behind a mask, the vapor could easily give away your position.
"Hey, Krieger, stop acting like such a jerk. You're not even an instructor."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Argh!"
"..."
The cadet who had jokingly teased Ernest let out a noise like a squashed frog—because Ernest pressed down hard on his leg.
The cadet who had backed him up quickly shut his mouth and focused his attention on keeping watch.
"There are things I can do because I'm not an instructor."
"Damn it. This isn't fair. Controlling and oppressing your peers with violence? Seriously?"
"I don't really want to hear that from someone who just puts others down with snarky comments."
"Put others down? Everyone already knows you're annoying."
"Do you want me to step on you again?"
"I guess that just means you're impressive."
Everyone chuckled.
Even though Ernest had stepped on his leg, thanks to their thick, furry boots to keep out the cold and the snow, and the fact that Ernest had been careful, it didn't hurt at all.
"You've basically locked in the top spot. How does it feel?"
"Hmm... I guess it's nothing special."
"Shouldn't you be a bit happier? This means you're the top First Year."
"That's not enough for me."
"Are you aiming to be top of your class for all four years?"
"Even that wouldn't be enough."
"Then what?"
"My goal is to become a Beowatcher."
"Hmm..."
The cadets groaned at hearing Ernest's goal.
"You might actually pull it off, but you can't become Beowatcher if there's no vacancy in the first place."
"By the time I'm ready, maybe someone will retire?"
"I don't know… but hey, good luck."
"Yeah, hang in there, Ernest."
"Don't say that."
"Oh, sorry! That was a slip of the tongue. I'm not Marie Fiders or anything."
"Hehehe…"
"Argh!"
"…Ugh! Why me!"
After giving both of them a good stomp on the foot, Ernest strode off purposefully in another direction.
Everyone now knew that when Ernest met Marie in the evening, all he ever said to her was, "Hang in there."
At first, people thought maybe he was singing some kind of romantic serenade, but that was it—just those simple words.
In fact, their relationship was surprisingly dry.
They were definitely closer now, but never spoke about anything personal.
"So, what's their deal, anyway? They're not a couple."
"Come on, even Krieger has better taste than to fall for a tiny little girl like that—she's from Aeblon, and a Fiders on top of that. By the time he graduates, there'll be a line of women wanting to marry him. If he's top of the class, getting into the Capital Defense Force will be a breeze."
"That's true. And if he actually becomes a Beowatcher, I bet even the Count's House and the Duke's House would reach out to him."
"I'm not even dreaming about becoming a Beowatcher—just getting into the Capital Defense Force would be more than enough for me."
"You, in the Capital Defense Force? Talk about dreaming big."
"Compared to your dreams, mine are at least within reach."
"Ha. No matter what, my grades are still better than yours."
"We'll see about that later."
"I told you to quit yapping."
Ernest, who had walked some distance ahead, called back another warning.
They all knew they shouldn't be talking, but the biting cold and the excitement of soon heading home made them chatter nonstop.
"...Oh. They're coming."
"It's the enemy!"
Crunch!
"Argh! Damn Baltracher!"
The battle started in a flash—and ended just as quickly.
The Baltracher charged in, overturning all the snow and exposing the Alliance Army's position completely.
With their vision blocked, they couldn't even budge.
Even so, the cadets of the Imperial Army didn't look too pleased either.
Trekking through the forest, knee-deep in snow, had worn them out.
"Looks like the best plan in winter is just not to fight, right?"
"It'd be great if the higher-ups thought the same way."
"The high officials at Imperial Army Headquarters really ought to know about things like this."
Without anyone needing to explain, the cadets were learning firsthand just how important field experience was.
Going through it themselves, they could see that fighting a war in this kind of weather was sheer madness.
And yet, history showed an unbroken line of lunatics who waged wars in the depths of a snowy winter.
"Damn winter. I wish it would just end already."
"Wait till you get home, you'll probably wish winter would never end."
"I suppose you're right."
The cadets giggled in anticipation at the thought of returning home.
The year-end party would be held soon.
After that, they'd go back to their hometowns and stay there until spring arrived.
Of course, before that, their grades would be announced and many cadets would end up discouraged, but the First Year boys didn't want to let such practical concerns ruin their good mood. It was their way of escaping from a harsh reality.
"Where's the House of Duke Ravid?"
"…All of a sudden?"
"I don't know, it just popped into my head."
"You're not actually planning to come there, are you?"
Wilfried spoke with a calm tone, not even looking at Ernest as he played with his quill pen.
"I'm not actually planning to go to Ravid. I just said it crossed my mind."
"Good. That's a relief. If you came, I'd have to leave Ravid. Wait, actually, if you went to Ravid, I could just stay in Grimman."
"Couldn't you just stay in Grimman anyway?"
"But what if I ran into you? That would be unpleasant."
"I'm already annoyed by you this very moment."
"Oh, how unfortunate."
"Next time, I'm going to turn you upside down and bury you in the snow. I want to see you flailing your legs and begging me to let you out. Since we'll be enemies, I should try to join a different platoon."
"..."
Wilfried fell silent, remembering how he'd kept teasing Ernest and then, during the mock battle, Ernest had tackled him straight into the snow.
He'd been helplessly stuck there, completely humiliated.
"How did I end up like this...?"
Wilfried suddenly realized just how undignified he had become, and lamented it.
"Ah, right. That's how it was. It was all because of you, Ernest. If only you hadn't been here..."
"If I weren't here, you wouldn't have been able to do as well as you have now."
"There are things in life that are necessary evils. Things we can't entirely cut out, so we just have to live with them. Truly a tragedy."
"Don't you think the real tragedy was you stuck upside down in the snow, kicking your legs and begging me to save you?"
"I think that's enough for today."
Wilfried realized that nothing good would come from talking any further with Ernest, so he gave him his marching orders.
Ernest, who had been sitting quietly and supplying information he'd gathered from observing their classmates—just to keep his promise to Wilfried—stood up without protest.
"Next time is the last, right?"
"Yes."
There was no way Ernest could keep providing information just for a single piece of advice given once.
Next time would be the last.
When the First Year ended, so would their agreement.
"See you tomorrow, Wilfried."
"I suppose I'll have to, whether I want to or not."
When they were alone together, Wilfried no longer bothered to hide himself and unleashed every bit of criticism and sarcasm he had on Ernest.
However, Ernest didn't particularly find it unpleasant. While Wilfried was clearly annoyed with Ernest, at the same time, he felt comfortable enough with him to show his true feelings.
It was probably the result of Wilfried, in his own way, redefining his relationship with Ernest as something akin to a frenemy.
And because Wilfried knew that Ernest was aware of this, Wilfried felt another wave of irritation—and didn't bother to hide it from Ernest.
That's the kind of strange relationship they had.
"At last."
Robert spoke in an exaggerated voice.
"We finally get to go to the year-end party not in our drab, conspicuous cadet uniforms, but in fancy party clothes."
"That color is a bit… isn't it?"
Ernest replied in a reluctant tone as Robert, showing off, pulled out the party suit his father had sent him and held it up high for them to see.
"Oh, Ernest. It seems you don't know, but this color is the latest trend in Grimman these days."
"..."
Ernest narrowed his eyes and looked at Robert's outfit.
"Egg yolk, huh."
"That's right! Egg yolk color is all the rage! From now on, address me as Robert Egg Yolk Jimman! Damn it all to hell!"
With all his might, Robert hurled the outfit to the floor.
He truly did not want to wear this.
But his father had insisted—he wouldn't tolerate his son falling behind in noble society's trends—so instead of sending a safe black or deep blue suit, he'd shipped off this Egg Yolk Colored Outfit.
"Don't be so disappointed. I mean… it's a very fresh egg yolk color, right?"
"Argh! It's shameful!"
"Don't worry. If it's trendy, I'm sure someone else will be wearing it too. At least you won't be the only one.… Probably."
"I wanted a neat, inconspicuous outfit like yours!"
"My clothes are nice, aren't they?"
"They are! Let's swap!"
"No way."
Ernest went out of his way to take out the simple, neatly designed suit his father had ordered for him from his wardrobe and held it up in front of Robert, who had ended up with the Egg Yolk outfit.
"Black is truly the color of a gentleman, Student Robert."
"Ughhh…"
It was obvious that the fabric was of the highest quality, perfectly matching the suit's simple, refined design. Haires had insisted on just one thing after stripping away all unnecessary embellishments—"Use only the best material."—and his efforts had paid off. Black never goes out of style. With a bit of tailoring, he could probably wear this suit until graduation.
"This won't do."
After agonizing for a moment, Robert spoke in a determined tone, picked up the Egg Yolk Colored Outfit, carefully brushed off the dust, and straightened it out.
"What are you doing?"
"I can't be the only one wearing this at the year-end party."
"You said it's trendy. I'm sure others will show up in something similar."
"There's no way anyone actually wants to wear this."
"So what are you going to do?"
With a resolute expression, Robert declared firmly,
"Since I'm not sure if it's really in fashion, I'll just have to make it the trend."
"…Can you even do that?"
"Of course I can! Let's go, Ernest!"
"Where to?"
Robert shouted in a booming voice.
"Toward the Duke's Young Master! Charge!"
If Wilfried, the Duke's son, wore it, then it would obviously become a trend. So, Robert's plan was to have Wilfried wear his Egg Yolk Colored Outfit and at least within the military academy, set a new fashion trend with this color.
"He'll never agree to that…"
"We have to try anyway!"
With head held high, Robert strode out, showing no intention of hiding that embarrassing outfit, but wearing it with absolute confidence.
"What's that you've got?"
"My outfit for the year-end party."
"Pfft—hahaha! Are you really going to wear that?"
The sight of the outfit—supposedly all the rage back in Grimman—made everyone burst out laughing. The military academy was a closed-off place, making it distant from whatever was fashionable outside. Maybe it simply wasn't a trend at all.
"Of course!"
Robert declared, surprisingly confident.
"This is the latest trend! You guys just don't know it yet!"
"A trend? You call that a trend? Robert, are you out of your mind?"
"Who am I? Huh? Who am I, really?"
Robert spread out his ridiculous outfit for everyone to see as he spun around the hallway. Everyone looked at that crazy bastard with expressions of disbelief.
"My father doesn't invest in anything that doesn't make money!"
"…Oh, that's true."
Everyone was taken aback by Robert's words. Robert's father, despite being a commoner, was a hugely successful merchant back in Grimman. It was that very father who had sent Robert this outfit, claiming it was the height of fashion.
"Get it now? At the year-end party, it won't be me who's the laughingstock—it'll be all of you!"
Robert waved his clenched fists enthusiastically as he continued his speech. Ernest stood back from Robert with his arms crossed, silently observing the spectacle. There was no need to even involve Wilfried at this point. By the end of today, plenty of cadets might be sending letters to their families, asking for that same egg yolk colored outfit.
"We'll see who gets the last laugh at the year-end party, my friends."
With a confident grin, Robert raised that ridiculous outfit high and strode down the hallway. Ernest let out a quiet sigh and followed after him.
"Can you handle this?"
"Handle it? That's only something to worry about if I fail."
When Ernest whispered the question, Robert whispered back in reply.
"As long as I get Wilfried to wear it, it's over. Victory is mine."
"Right…"
Would Wilfried ever actually agree to Robert's plan and put on that humiliating egg yolk colored outfit?
Ernest thought there was absolutely no way.
"Ha… Just this once, okay"
"Yahoo! I knew I could count on you, Wilfried!"
"…Why?"
Despite looking a bit embarrassed, Wilfried agreed to Robert's request without much fuss.
Ernest stared at Wilfried in shock, utterly unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
"It's just wearing a coat for a friend. No big deal."
With a casual shrug, Wilfried took off his own coat right there and put on Robert's over the top of his cadet uniform.
Amazingly, the coat that had looked so humiliating and ridiculous in Robert's hands somehow became the most perfect and beautiful piece of clothing in the world the moment Wilfried put it on. Even the fact that it was a bit loose on Wilfried—since he was on the smaller side—looked intentional, as if it added to its charm!
"Now that I'm wearing it, it's actually not bad. Maybe I should order one for myself."
"Oh, really? Should I ask Father about it?"
"Hmm… Sure. I'll write him a letter."
"Eh, why bother? I can just talk to him for you."
"Still, that wouldn't be polite. I should double-check the measurements, too. I'll send my coat along with the letter."
"Well, if that's the case."
Wearing Robert's coat, Wilfried stepped out into the hallway. When Robert had been holding the coat, the cadets had laughed and sneered, but the moment Wilfried put it on, they could only gasp in admiration. After all, Wilfried was not only strikingly handsome but also the Duke's son.
"Why is Wilfried always so nice only to you?"
Ernest grumbled in protest. Robert just grinned and replied,
"It's not that. He's only unfriendly to you, Ernest. You really should've listened to this Teacher Robert's advice when you had the chance!"
"..."
Ernest had nothing to say.
The truth stung so much it felt like he couldn't even breathe.
Thanks to Wilfried, by the time free time ended that day, the Egg Yolk Colored Outfit had become the latest sensation at the Military Academy.
Of course, only a handful of the most fashion-forward cadets—even including Robert—actually owned something in that color.
But what's popular is what's popular.
"Robert, where did you get that outfit?"
"My father sent it to me."
"Could I ask him for one too? Please?"
"Of course! I'll write to my father right away!"
Robert's plan was a resounding success. Not only had the Egg Yolk Colored Outfit become the latest trend, but now everyone was flocking to Robert, the merchant's son who already owned the clothes, to place their orders.
"Even if you threw this bastard naked onto the street, he'd be sleeping in a fine house in three days."
"Thanks for the compliment.
" "It means you're a swindler."
"I know. That's why I'm saying thank you."
Robert chuckled as he organized the mounting pile of order forms—or rather, letters—handed to him by his fellow cadets.
Ernest let out a long sigh.
Robert's father would probably jump out of his seat and scream when he received this flood of letters.
And that scream would be one of sheer joy.
Taking orders for just one or two cadets' outfits was already a huge win, since it meant making connections with noble houses.
But now, they were ordering outfits for several dozen cadets—and even one for the Duke's son.
The profit would be beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
He wouldn't need to take even a single deck in payment. In fact, this was the kind of deal where you could practically beg to make the clothes and pay money for the privilege.
I wasn't sure if that blinding egg-yolk yellow would actually become a real trend.
But after the year-end party, it undoubtedly would be.
And all of this had happened simply because Robert didn't want to be the only one wearing that outfit.
"You really should have been a merchant, not a soldier."
"I know. That's why I told you—I'll take my commission as a Second Lieutenant after graduation, and then retire almost immediately."
"That's some impressive judgment. I'll give you that."
"Oh, this is nothing. Anyway, Ernest, looks like the tables have turned. Are you sure you're going to stick with that out-of-fashion black outfit?"
Robert sneered as he spoke to Ernest, but Ernest wasn't even slightly tempted to wear anything else.
"I don't need any outfit except this one."
"Pfft… fine, whatever…"
Apart from his father's gift, he had no intention of wearing anything else Robert didn't say anything more.
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a knock at the door. Ernest opened it right away.
"Hello, Ernest."
"Hello, Marie."
Marie looked up at Ernest with an expressionless face. In her features and gaze, Ernest could sense something subtle.
As these quietly indefinable stretches of time grew more frequent, Marie had learned to show her feelings in ways other than just her usual sharp expression. But right now, her face bore nothing at all, as if she were suppressing every emotion beneath the surface.
"..."
Unlike usual, Marie avoided Ernest's eyes. Her dull blue eyes wandered downward. As she lowered her gaze, anyone could see the deep gloom hidden within them.
Still, Ernest didn't ask Marie what was wrong. He simply watched her quietly. Marie didn't speak about her troubles, either. She merely raised her head again, as if preparing to resume her usual routine—only to suddenly freeze in place
"Is that…"
Marie spoke almost without realizing it. Following her gaze, Ernest turned around. It was Robert's egg-yolk yellow coat, carelessly thrown on the bed.
Ernest saw Marie's widened eyes, her lips parting slightly in surprise, and her hand unconsciously starting to lift.
"Do you want to go to the party?"
Ernest asked Marie in a quiet voice. Marie flinched and stepped back.
"N-no."
She shook her head, denying it. But her eyes still wouldn't leave Robert's coat.
"Can't a Baltracher Cadet attend the party too?"
Robert spoke without looking up from sorting the letters.
"She can."
Ernest replied matter-of-factly.
"Then what's the problem?"
At Robert's question, Ernest looked down at Marie. She glanced around nervously, waving her hands, but she didn't say she didn't want to go—or that she'd be fine either.
"A dress?"
"...."
As soon as Ernest spoke, Marie, who had been flustered and restless, froze in place. In that moment, Ernest realized it wasn't that Marie wanted to attend the party—it was that she wanted to wear a dress.
Scrape.
Robert pushed his chair back and turned to look at them. Resting his arm casually on the back of the chair, he took in both Ernest and Marie at a glance. He pursed his lips, scrunched his nose, and let out a deep sigh.
"Well, we could always mention it to Father."
Robert noticed Marie's eyes growing wide and smirked.
"After everything we've done, getting one dress shouldn't be an issue."
"I—I…"
"It's not a free gift, though. You'll have to repay the favor during the upcoming Mock Battle."
Robert chuckled as he said this, then started writing a new letter. Marie looked helplessly up at Ernest. Ernest just shrugged his shoulders.
"Just so you know, it might not exactly be the latest fashion."
Robert said this as he continued writing to his father.
"There are… people who might not be too happy about it."
Many people would frown just seeing Marie, an Aeblonian, take part in the party. If she were to show up in clothes that followed the latest trends, it was easy to imagine just how offended anyone wearing the same color or design would be.
Marie must have realized this too. She looked up at Ernest again, her face gone completely pale.
"Hang in there."
That was the only thing Ernest could say to her in that moment.
After hearing those words, Marie hesitated for a long while, torn and still pale. In the end, she didn't say there was no need for any of this—she just ran out, almost as if escaping.
"What are you thinking?"
After Marie left, Ernest closed the door and turned to Robert with a question.
"Hey, Student Ernest," said Robert, stuffing the hastily scribbled letter into an envelope.
"Unlike you, I'm actually a very kind, gentle, and warmhearted person. I may not have said much about it, but after knowing someone for half a year, I can at least get them an out-of-fashion, lower-quality dress."
"Hmmm..."
Ernest folded his arms and let out a long sigh.
After a moment, he nodded.
"I can't agree that you're kind, but this is something Marie wants, even though she knows her circumstances."
"What are you talking about? Is there anyone in this Academy kinder than me?"
"You're the worst guy here."
"Only compared to Teacher Ernest, maybe?"
That was the end of the conversation. Robert rushed off to the Disciplinary Officer's Office to send the letter before free time was over, while Ernest got ready to wrap up his day.
Ernest wondered if this was truly a good thing for Marie. If it ended with her just receiving the dress, that wouldn't be so bad. But if Marie attended the party, that would cause quite… yes, quite a stir, and it wouldn't be good for her.
Even so, if Marie wanted to go to the party, Ernest wouldn't try to stop her. Marie was by no means foolish. She knew her circumstances very well. The fact that she still wanted to attend meant she must really, desperately want to.
No one—not Ernest, not anyone—had the right to stop her from that. Even if Marie was an Aeblonian bearing the Fiders name.
At least that was Ernest's belief, and Robert, having spent so much time with him, had come to feel the same way.
They both knew that this way of thinking was, in itself, exceedingly out of place here.