- Relia -

  Urgh.

  Getting called over is the worst.

  I never did well with authorities, and that guy just has this sense of how best to get under my nails.

  I'm pretty sure, already, that needing to wait here is part of his plan.

  "Ah, Relia. Please, come in. I was looking forward to this." (Zervion)

  Sure you were.

  But certainly not for the nice tea time.

  "Please, stop acting like the nice grandpa next door." (R)

  "What would you mean? Can't I just have a nice little chat with one of my most prosperous commanders?" (Z)

  "You? No, sorry. That's just not your style." (R)

  "How hurtful. But be that as it may, I'm still interested. So, how is training with our 'irregular' recruit going?" (Z)

  "You mean the corpses-reviving piece of dead meat you pushed onto me?" (R)

  "Awh, that is not nice. I'm sure you could word that better. But yes, I was asking about her." (Z)

  "Her skills are abysmal. Combat simply isn't her forte. When I grind her some more, she may actually hold her own for some minutes in a fight, but winning... Don't see that happening. Her powers, however, those are the real deal. Pretty disconcerting, if not an outright aberration against nature itself, but far beyond anything I’ve ever seen a mage do. Absolutely unrefined, but at a capacity that goes beyond common sense. This corpse trick in particular. I sure hope there's a limit to this, or that girl is just some more practice and a corresponding cause away from becoming some kind of death lord or so." (R)

  "So she's making progress? That is good to hear." (Z)

  "You actually heard that part of her being a walking calamity, didn’t you?" (R)

  "Certainly. Which makes her a valuable asset to control. 'Control' being the keyword here. Yet you can 'control' her, can’t you?" (Z)

  I know what he means, but leashing that girl is really not my style.

  "I can slice her down if the need shall arise, but I'd prefer not to. And to say it bluntly, this girl absolutely does not have the makings of a soldier. She's squeamish, naive, and about her physical capabilities, I don't even want to get started." (R)

  "You'll train her nonetheless, won't you? If it's you, I'm very certain you can turn her into a decent recruit. The kind who's capable, motivated, and most importantly, follows orders." (Z)

  "Sir, I'm saying this now just once. I may drill into her the stuff she needs to survive whatever you have planned for her. I may even drive every ounce of reluctance about the required out of her, but I certainly won't turn her into a puppet you can use as you please." (R)

  There is that look again.

  His way of staring at you in this grandfatherly manner.

  Enough to cause a shiver to roll up my spine once he starts speaking, as I know too well what lies behind this facade.

  "When you came here, back then, I saw potential. Well, to be honest, I saw raw, unbridled hatred directed at the very enemy we fight against, but that comes down to the same. You are skilled, Relia, and what's more important, you possess the drive to make something out of it." (Z)

  Argh!

  I can't hear it anymore!

  The same crap he told me when he took me out of active frontline duty, where I was doing really well, and riled me up into officer duty.

  Since then, I only saw battles from afar, as 'officers need to keep a clear head'.

  "Listen, old man. I came here because I was promised I'd end up killing a lot of orcs. Yet for some reason, this ended up with me playing the babysitter for your little corpse girl. Could you explain to me the idea behind that?" (R)

  "The idea is that this position suits you best at the current time. I'm just that confident in your expertise in this field." (Z)

  "The current time? I don't know if you noticed, old man, but the orcs are more active than ever. Not just their dumb little raids, they're going for something big. Meanwhile, I can't see you preparing to reclaim Feros mine. What's the logic supposed to be behind that?" (R)

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "You are exactly right. The orcs are definitely planning something. Which is why we need to apply caution. Charging right into whatever they're up to without the intelligence to back it up would be a fool's act." (Z)

  "So we're just going to keep sitting here, twirling our thumbs, while the orcs amass iron? I can't be the only one seeing how bad that's gonna be. We need to do something. And that soon, before it blows up in our asses!" (R)

  "What language. But fear not. Something will be done. In fact, you're right now working on our solution." (Z)

  "Solution? You can't mean... Seriously!? You know that she isn't even the slightest bit combat-ready? I wouldn’t even trust her to go out by herself, as little control she has!" (R)

  "In that case, we should hope that she is doing well on her own at the moment." (Z)

  Sigh, if I just could share his leisure.

  I sure hope the old man knows what he’s doing.

  "Also, while you're already here, there'd be another job I intend to leave in your capable hands, my dear." (Z)

  Goddamnit!

  - Yomi -

  So, here I am, having some free time on my half-healed hands.

  What are you even supposed to do if you're lacking the ability to grab stuff?

  Even doors prove a hindrance to me like this.

  Yet at the very least, I got my watchers.

  If they are just following me around, waiting to make me dead…dead-er, they may as well serve as my hands.

  Speaking of which, while I'm somewhat grateful about it at the moment, it's actually kinda weird how I don't feel all that much pain.

  I mean, my hands got both cracked off, but aside from a dull ache that feels more uncomfortable than actually painful, and the slight stinging sensation I experience as they grow back, I'm just not in the kind of agony someone who just lost their hands should be in.

  And the same was already the case for my arm.

  That's... I don't quite know what to think about this.

  Maybe I should just see it as a good thing for now.

  As I got no real way to spend my time right now, I decide to stroll around again in this place.

  My way leads me to the exercise fields.

  Hey, isn't that Marcus?

  I could talk to him.

  Catch up on our old times.

  "Ms. Yomi, what are you doing there?" (Kilian)

  Do I seriously need to explain every little thing I want to do to my keepers?

  "Ehm, I saw one of my friends and wanted to talk to him." (Y)

  "That might be problematic. Official attendance is still due, even though they are at a break." (K)

  But I can still try, right?

  "Just one talk shouldn't be an issue, should it?" (Y)

  They don't fight me further on this, and I head over.

  "Hello, Marcus! Long time no see!" (Y)

  "Y-Yomi? Is that really you?" (M)

  "It's the hair, right? Or the eyes?" (Y)

  Ah, crap!

  Waving with partial hands might have been a bit strange!

  Behind my back they go.

  "Ehm, d-don’t mind the hands, they’re, er, already growing back again… So, uh, you see, crazy magical stuff happened, and now they made me an officer, would you believe it?" (Y)

  At this, he looks a little at my arms.

  "Your, hands... O-okay... And an officer?" (M)

  "Yes, crazy, right? Although, I don't believe I got any actual commanding capabilities." (Y)

  Aside from the corpses, maybe.

  "Ehm, what are you doing here?" (M)

  "I just had some time on hand and thought that maybe I could talk to someone." (Y)

  "I, I think it's inappropriate if an officer is too close with a lower rank." (M)

  "Oh, okay. Sorry, I didn't mean to bother." (Y)

  Guess I'm troubling him.

  I may rather leave it at this, then.

  Is there a chance I could meet up with Revan, now that I'm officially part of the military, kinda?

  But I guess there would be problems if I just barge into their barracks.

  Especially, the main ones.

  While interaction is, as far as I'm aware, a non-issue, at least private rooms are usually separated.

  Then what about a female friend?

  There'd be Silvia.

  Maybe I could talk with her?

  It's been a while, but we've been great friends.

  I roughly remember where she said she'd be stationed.

  Next to the building for the rangers, the women's barracks are close to the shooting range.

  A lot of women take up the ranged weaponry, not being confident enough to hold a spear line.

  In my opinion, that doesn't really matter, but shooting a bow is cool as well.

  Thinking about it, maybe she could teach me some archery.

  So I head over to the place, ignoring the looks of my watchers.

  Hey, there is Silvia!

  I'd recognize this dark blonde hair everywhere.

  She's also particularly tall, which is a source of envy, I need to admit.

  Never mind that she's also extremely athletic, being toned through and through.

  No idea why she wouldn't apply for the spear with a build like that.

  I'm sure she could pull it off.

  Well, she seems to be off duty.

  No hand waving this time.

  "H-hello, Silvia! It's me!" (Y)

  "Ahh! Uh, Y-Yomi? T-that really is you? I, I’ve heard talk. But to see it..." (Silvia)

  Such a start!

  And why is she trembling?

  Don't tell me she is afraid of me.

  Why would she be?

  I mean, yeah, I occasionally drained people on accident, and I could command their bodies, but... that's kinda about it, isn't it?

  "I know I look a, a bit different, but-" (Y)

  "Sorry, I, I have something to take care of." (S)

  She didn't look as if she had to do something.

  "Uh, yeah. I didn't want to keep you up." (Y)

  That... didn't work out as intended.

  Yet there's nothing I can do about this.

  Forcing the issue won't make things better.

  After that miss, I head back into the inner fortress. I guess by now, I can just as well go to sleep.

  Yet before I get there, I spot someone who may brighten up my day.

  Verad!

  Finally, someone who'd be willing to listen to my troubles.

  "Verad! Hey! Do you have some time?" (Y)

  Oh, he doesn't look too happy.

  "I'm very sorry, Yomi. I wish there was more that I could do, but I'm currently on duty and need to take care of a really annoying issue." (V)

  Another blank.

  Today is really crap.

  Nobody has any time for me.

  I wish there were at least one friend I could speak with!

  As I slowly shuffle away, head hanging low, I hear someone engaging in a talk with Verad.

  "You know, if you'd just send me on my way, we could spare each other a lot of work."

  "Sure. Letting you run off is certainly going to help me avoid trouble." (Verad)

  "Seriously, just quickly look the other way, and I'll be gone."

  "You don't seriously think that ignoring that missive is going to do you any good, is it? Look, I'm sorry for you. I gathered that you truly delivered an important message, so this isn't quite the kind of reward you would expect for an accomplishment." (Verad)

  "Argh, why do you have to be so stubborn?!"

  Hah, seems like I’m not the only one having a hard time.

  Verad was one of the only ones being fair to me since I returned.

  I kinda hope for him that this person isn't going to be too much trouble.