Chapter 35
“What were you two talking about?”
“Ah, nothing much. We were just discussing proper tactics.”
…Even though I didn’t hear exactly what they said, I could tell for sure that wasn’t the real topic.
“Did Aquila do something wrong?”
I asked again, puzzled, but Ishina only replied in a calm, almost indifferent tone.
“Hm? No, nothing like that. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“It’s nothing serious,”
Aquila added with a casual expression.
So, in the end, I just gave Ishina a suspicious glance and closed my mouth. I’d have to drag the truth out of Aquila later when we were alone.
“So then, Sarubia, what brings you here?”
“Oh, nothing important. I just ran away because I was sick of doing laundry.”
“…You dumped it on the kids, didn’t you?”
“It was only about ten minutes’ worth of laundry.”
“I see…”
Ishina gave me a knowing look. Then, glancing behind me at Caron—who stood there with a bright expression—he muttered,
“You’re teaching the kid all the wrong things… No, actually, looking at him, I think he was already like that from the start… ha…”
‘Lately, Ishina’s been talking to himself a lot,’ I thought.
That kind of trait suits a novel character. Internal monologues are convenient for readers, after all.
Anyway, since it looked like his business with Aquila was done, I started chatting with Aquila as usual.
“Oh right, Aquila—who has the armory key this week?”
“This week, it’s Lady Zara.”
“Right, that’s what I thought.”
Aquila took both of my hands into one of his, and warmth quickly spread through my fingers that had gone numb from the cold water.
…Along with that warmth came the faint smell of toothpaste from our hands.
‘Now that I think about it—maybe the reason we never smell sweaty isn’t some “romance-fantasy buff,” but simply because the toothpaste smell is overpowering everything else?’
If our clothes have already absorbed it, that actually makes perfect sense.
‘Still… if this were a real romance fantasy, the male lead should smell like refreshing mint or forest woods…’
Well, toothpaste is minty, I guess.
I closed my eyes, nodding faintly, and thought of Winter—the embodiment of cool mint.
“Sir Winter,” Ishina greeted suddenly from behind me.
Startled, I turned my head to see Winter walking toward us.
Aquila immediately let go of my hand, and we both saluted him.
“Hey, you two.”
“Yes, sir?”
Winter spoke just as suddenly as he had appeared.
“Do you happen to know Article 93 of Chapter 15 of the Military Code?”
We all looked at him blankly.
Who on earth memorizes that kind of thing?
When he saw from our faces that we had no clue, Winter gestured to Caron.
“Caron, go fetch the military code from the barracks library.”
“Yes, sir!”
Caron quickly ran off.
The military code was, quite literally, a massive encyclopedia that contained all the regulations of the Border Defense Corps. It sat untouched on the shelf in the company records room.
No one ever read it. You learned what not to do through experience, not by reading a book. And besides, no one in this unit liked reading—myself included. We were all people of action. The few who did read only picked up the practical monster guides that sat beside the military code.
Once, April had been reading the code with an oddly fascinated look, and I thought she’d finally gone insane. After she got transferred to another unit, no one so much as looked at that book’s cover again.
Before long, Caron came running back, clutching a thick green volume.
“Here it is!”
“Hand it to Sarubia.”
I accepted the heavy book from Caron, not sure what Winter intended to do.
“Turn to page 194.”
“Yes, sir.”
I flipped through the dense pages until I found it. The tiny letters were packed so tightly that my eyes started to blur.
“Now, read Article 93 aloud.”
“Ah…”
I glanced nervously at Winter. Obeying that order was… impossible. Because—
“I… can’t read.”
The body I possessed—Sarubia—had never learned how. Growing up in a place that barely qualified as an orphanage, there was never a chance to learn.
“…What?”
Winter’s eyes widened in surprise, and Ishina also looked startled.
‘Come on, I’ve managed fine without reading so far…’
Feeling stupid, I lowered my head. I’d survived here for over a year and a half without needing literacy.
‘You don’t need brains in this world anyway.’
If someone ever asked me to review the original novel Four Madmen Obsess Over Me, I’d definitely include this line:
– Is the heroine smart? No.
Is the male lead smart? No.
Is the villain smart? Also no.
In this story, intelligence is optional.
Exactly. The only things that mattered in this world were violence and fear.
“Then how did you memorize all that monster data?” Winter asked, now calm again.
“I just listened to my peers read it aloud and memorized it.”
“…I see. Then I’ll read it for you.”
Winter didn’t ask further questions. Without even glancing at the page, he began to recite Article 93 of Chapter 15 from memory.
“One: If a romantic relationship occurs between soldiers, the parties involved shall be transferred to separate units.
Two: If such a relationship involves a superior and subordinate, the guilty parties shall face up to one year of imprisonment.
Three: Any soldier who engages in sexual misconduct shall face up to two years of imprisonment.”
…What the hell?
‘So basically, if you date someone in the Border Defense Corps, you either get transferred or thrown in the brig?’
“Be careful not to invite misunderstandings,” Winter warned, pointing at the hands Aquila and I had been holding earlier. “Rumors could cause unnecessary trouble.”
“Yes, sir…”
When I glanced at Aquila, his face mirrored my own disbelief.
‘Seriously? I transmigrated into a romance fantasy, and now I’m at risk of military prison?’
I’d rather be accused of treason or attempted murder of the heroine than end up jailed over this.
The mere fact that “military prison” existed here proved this world was far from a proper romance fantasy.
And what’s even more absurd—
‘The original heroine, Dalin, flirted freely with everyone!’
She hugged the male leads, linked arms, even got carried in a princess lift!
Winter, that hypocrite, only ever warned Dalin that guns were dangerous. The favoritism is unreal.
“Sir Winter, have you really memorized that entire book?” Ishina asked, pointing to the hundreds of pages.
Winter nodded solemnly.
“Of course. To uphold the law, one must first know it completely.”
‘Is he human or an android…?’
Realizing that he had the entire page 194, Chapter 15, Article 93 memorized word-for-word, I felt my face freeze.
“So, make sure to read it thoroughly. It’ll be useful one day.”
‘Did he not hear me say I can’t read?’
Then Winter continued, “Sarubia, I’ll teach you how to read for the time being. You should at least know your letters.”
“…Sorry, come again?”
So now I had to spend extra time with my superior officer?
Wait, think about this—someone might interpret this as a romantic development.
But to me, this wasn’t romance at all. It was—
‘Just another example of military exploitation.’
Another task added to my list. Fantastic.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall, fuming. Only after Winter disappeared completely did Ishina speak again.
“Aquila, I’ve told you many times—your behavior is problematic. See? Even Sir Winter pointed it out.”
“…I understand, but maybe we could discuss that later, when we’re alone?”
Aquila shot him a look in my direction. I, however, didn’t have the energy to care what they meant.
‘Why am I the only one who can’t read?’
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
Winter, raised by Archon parents, was an elite from birth—of course he could read.
I glanced weakly at Aquila.
“Why can you read?”
“…Should I not?”
“No, I mean, where’d you learn?”
“My parents taught me when I was young.”
‘Damn, I sound like I’m picking a fight now.’
“And you, Ishina?”
“Both my parents were Archons, so I was always educated.”
Ah, so Ishina was another elite type, like Winter.
“…What about you, Caron?”
He’d supposedly lost all his memories in that fire accident, yet he could still read?
“Hmm, I’ve known how to read since before I can remember, so I guess my birth parents must’ve taught me.”
“Your birth parents?”
“Yes! I was told they were both officers in the Border Defense Corps, but they died.”
“I see…”
‘So, I’m literally the only one who grew up completely alone, without Archon guardians.’
Feeling a sudden surge of frustration, I made an impulsive vow.
‘When I’m discharged, I’m going to make my own Archon family.’
No matter what, I’d build a family—and I’d definitely marry another Archon.
I meant it.
“Now then, try reading this.”
“…O-one, never turn your back on the ene… no, on the enemy during battl—battle…”
“You’ll be fine with a little more practice.”
“Yes, sir…”
I sat in front of Winter, looking bored out of my mind. Studying was never fun.
Thankfully, learning to read in this world wasn’t too difficult.
I already spoke the language fluently, so all I had to do was memorize which symbol made which sound.
Of course, there were still plenty of confusing parts, especially learning the grammar I’d been using unconsciously all this time.
‘Still, I’m glad the structure isn’t too different from English.’
Even the basic alphabet looked similar, so it wasn’t hard to memorize.
To me, being able to write after just a few days was natural—but apparently, Winter didn’t see it that way. He probably thought I was a complete illiterate.
“At this pace, you’re doing quite well,” he said. “You have a good sense for language.”
