OPDSP 30

Even Aeryl, who was deliberately ignoring him, was having a miserable time. Mason, oblivious to the situation, was on the verge of fainting.

“Ah, it’s not even assembly time yet. Is my outfit not in order? What did I do wrong this time? I didn’t forget to check my weapon, and I ate just the right amount. Ah! I couldn’t be bothered, so I didn’t change my underclothes—could that be it? But how would he even know?!”

“……”

Then suddenly, the pheromones cut off completely.

“He’s not looking anymore. Phew!”

Mason gave a full-body shiver. Finally! That brief moment had felt like an eternity.

“Oh? Looks like there’s an announcement.”

At Mason’s words, Aeryl also turned to look. Beside the Grand Duke stood the commander of the knights—and Innis. The three exchanged a few words before the Grand Duke turned to face the gathered crowd. With just one sweeping glance, the once-noisy clearing fell into complete silence.

“There has been a change.”

The Grand Duke’s calm voice fell like a command over the crowd. Even Aeryl, who had been doing his best to pretend not to notice him, found himself focusing on that voice.

“I hereby appoint Innis Fenier as the captain of the soldiers. Mercure, who previously held the post, will return to his former rank as a regular soldier.”

Without further explanation, the Grand Duke said only what was necessary and turned to Innis. She stepped forward.

“It’s sudden, but I’ve been appointed captain. I look forward to working with you for the rest of the purge!”

She shouted with energy, then gave a deep bow. When she straightened, her expression was still as stern as ever, but visibly bright. The soldiers of the unit clapped in response.

“Congratulations, Captain Innis! Please lead us well!”

It was Mercure—now demoted—who shouted that. He had been burdened with a role he never wanted, so he was more than glad to see Innis return.

“We almost broke our necks waiting for you, Captain Innis!”

“Do you know how lonely it’s been for six days without a captain!”

“Quiet, you brats! I left for a bit and everything fell apart! You’re all getting drills!”

“We missed you!”

The soldiers swarmed around Innis with noisy congratulations. It was clear how deeply trusted she was.

The mood among the rest of the purge unit was also positive. Even compared to the previous year, the soldiers’ cohesion had been weaker this time. So most were clearly pleased with the change in leadership.

Good.

Aeryl watched the scene with satisfaction. Then, his eyes met Innis’s. She gave a subtle nod his way, her expression regretful that she couldn’t show her gratitude more openly. Aeryl waved a hand to signal that it was fine.

“Did you heal Captain Innis’s injury, sir?”

Mason caught on immediately and asked. His attention had been fixed on Aeryl, so he hadn’t missed the small signs.

“That’s a secret.”

Aeryl pressed his index finger to his lips. He trusted Mason wouldn’t go blabbing.

“Of course! The soldiers had been worried she was about to retire—it’s such a relief! You’re amazing, sir! Not just for the purge unit, but it’s a huge boost to the Grand Duke’s forces too!”

Mason lavished him with praise. According to him, Innis was not only a centurion but also an instructor at the training camp, so most of the soldiers were either her subordinates or students.

“Whether Captain Innis is around or not makes a huge difference in morale. Even the commander was worried that the troops hadn’t been holding formation during this purge.”

“Haha, you’re making me blush.”

The treatment wasn’t even finished yet. Aeryl tried to be modest, but the thrill wouldn’t fade.

This situation—it was satisfying, even exhilarating. Maybe being dragged into the purge wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Aeryl beamed from ear to ear.

***

After the commotion died down, the combat unit deployed. Those who had come to see them off dispersed to their respective duties.

Innis, after confirming that Aeryl was heading to the infirmary with the medics, took her soldiers to a more secluded spot. A small clearing surrounded by their tents—this was where the soldiers gathered among themselves.

“Formation.”

“Formation!”

At Innis’s word, the soldiers lined up neatly. She stood before them, looking each one in the eye. The time for celebration was over. Now it was time to get back to work.

“Bang your head.”

“Bang your head!”

The soldiers dropped to the ground, prostrating themselves with their foreheads on the dirt.

“I was disappointed by the way you acted these last five days. You were acting like a bunch of street thugs. Mercure!”

“Yes!”

“Is this how I taught you?”

“No, ma’am!”

“And yet, you let a single medic mutter nonsense and you ignored the army physician, refusing treatment? During the purge, no less? Since when did you all start thinking you have two lives?”

Innis harshly reprimanded them. Regardless of her gratitude toward Aeryl, this was something that had to be addressed.

Refusing treatment while going into battle. A small mistake could lead to a much bigger disaster. What the hell were they thinking, putting their lives at risk?

“Your minds must have been completely gone!”

“We’re sorry!”

Innis made the soldiers sweat, her scolding as severe as the patience she had been holding back.

Once the scolding was over, Innis took a seat. The soldiers followed suit, settling down. The mental adjustment was complete, and now it was time to ease them back.

“So, what’s going on with Fedel?”

“He’s locked up and under surveillance. He keeps insisting that he’s being wronged.”

“Tsk. You all should properly apologize to Sir Aeryl.”

“Yes, sir.”

““Yes. I mean, no—but I definitely heard someone say their arm wouldn’t move because he botched the treatment.””

“What? Who said that?”

“It was during a conversation when everyone was gathered. Debbie? It was Debbie, right?”

The soldier named Debbie was shocked.

“It wasn’t me. My arm is fine.”

“I heard it too. I was in the bathroom. It was definitely Renor’s voice.”

Renor’s, a soldier who had been silent until now, raised his hand.

“I wasn’t saying it. It was Dorea who told me.”

Dorea raised her hand in turn.

“Yes, I told Renor. I heard it from Peter. Peter said his neck wouldn’t turn.”

“I’ve never been in battle with Sir Aeryl. Was it me?”

“I thought it was you… but now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever saw the person’s face.”

The soldiers, trying to piece together what happened, found the situation growing stranger. Someone had been spreading the rumor that Aeryl’s treatment had been sloppy and that it had made the injury worse. There were people who had heard this, but no one could identify who started it.

“This isn’t some visit from the goddess of discord…”

Mercure muttered under his breath as he pieced things together. The atmosphere among the soldiers grew tense.

“The goddess? No, this is all because of the lack of discipline. Do you want me to make you all run drills again?”

Innis quickly delivered a sharp reprimand. Damn Mercure. He made the soldiers uneasy with unnecessary talk. Fortunately, her intervention shifted the topic.

Something’s off.

This wasn’t just a simple misunderstanding. Someone had clearly stirred up trouble.

Who? For what reason? These were soldiers who had participated in the grand purge for years.

There shouldn’t be any reason to cause a disturbance…

Innis’s mind deepened with concern.

***

After seeing off the combat unit, Aeryl headed to the infirmary. Today, Jenx had been showing Aeryl what needed to be done.

The infirmary was relatively quiet. After checking on the patients in their beds, Aeryl would sit at a desk, treating the occasional visitor. Smaller tasks were handled by the medics, so they didn’t always reach the military physician.

The purge unit was isolated in the forest, and injuries from battles with monsters were inevitable. In the unpredictable wilderness, the only thing they could rely on was the army physician’s healing abilities. That’s why they were given time to rest and conserve energy whenever possible.

“Not many people in the infirmary today.”

“It’s been like that this year. Fewer injuries than usual.”

The people in the infirmary were those who had been wounded during the battle but hadn’t received proper treatment. Because army physicians needed to conserve their magical energy for emergency situations, healing spells weren’t used in every case. Those with minor injuries were transferred to the infirmary for further treatment.

“Shall we treat everyone and send them off?”

“Only those who are close to being deployed.”

“We should be able to treat everyone.”

“It’s better to save some healing energy. You never know when an emergency might pop up.”

Jenx offered her advice seriously.