Chapter 106
“Absolutely… absolutely not.”
Helen gritted her teeth and said.
“Don’t lie.”
Krabel didn’t believe her.
“Even I would fall at first sight if I saw someone like Private Carlisle. You’d admit that, wouldn’t you?”
“That’s true, but…”
Helen had no choice but to admit that.
Carlisle was undeniably someone anyone could fall for at first sight.
“But absolutely not.”
“Hm?”
“Private Carlisle and I are tied by a bitter fate.”
“A bitter fate?”
Helen recalled the incident from years ago.
“He slapped me once.”
“He tried to tease me, but when it didn’t go his way, he couldn’t control his anger and slapped me.”
“Hm. So that happened, huh.”
“How could someone like me ever like Private Carlisle?”
“You still don’t understand.”
“…?”
“You seem inexperienced in romance. Surprisingly often, people who hate each other end up falling in love.”
“Th-That’s… what?”
“You may think it’s nonsense, but it’s actually quite common. I’m just teaching you something you might not know, so remember it.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying, but it’s absolutely not true. I have never once held feelings for Private Carlisle.”
“Is that true?”
“If it’s not, I’ll offer my life.”
“No need to go that far. Either you do or you don’t.”
Krabel nodded, seemingly satisfied, and then offered another perspective.
“If you truly have no feelings… then I suppose you, like me, are protecting Private Carlisle for another reason.”
“…?”
“Actually, wouldn’t it be advantageous to be in his good graces? He is a direct descendant of the Sigmund family. You have ambitions too, don’t you?”
“What on earth…?”
Helen was utterly baffled by Krabel’s line of thinking.
“If you were lucky enough to catch Private Carlisle’s attention and even marry him, you’d instantly become a member of the Sigmund family. Not a bad choice. You understand, don’t you? You and I are both common-born officers. To truly rise, you’d need some ambition…”
“What are you saying right now!”
Helen finally raised her voice.
“I have absolutely no intention of using Private Carlisle for my own ambitions!”
“Why raise your voice? Either you do or you don’t.”
“You made an absurd assumption, Commander.”
“Why absurd? For common-born officers like us, this is one of the ways to climb the ranks.”
“That’s not me. I don’t want to advance by such means, not even a bit.”
“Disappointing. I thought you had ambition, but apparently not.”
“I didn’t become an officer to advance my own career.”
“Hah.”
Krabel sneered at Helen.
“So, I’m corrupt, and you’re noble? What a tearfully virtuous stand.”
“That’s not what I mean. Why do you keep twisting my words?”
“I don’t want to hear it. Now get out of my sight.”
Krabel, looking displeased, chased Helen out.
“Private Carlisle’s punishment will be thirty days in solitary confinement. Don’t mention him again. If you plead for leniency even once more, it’ll be up to two months.”
“Commander…”
“Out! I said out!”
In the end, Helen was thrown out of Krabel’s office without obtaining any leniency for Carlisle.
“Phew.”
Leaning against the wall, Carlisle let out a deep sigh in the cell.
“Butler.”
The baby dragon rubbed its sleepy eyes and peeked out, only to frown upon realizing how dark the cell was.
“I’m hungr… Where am I?”
“In the cell.”
“Whhhhaaaat?”
“You rebelled. You had a fight with the commander.”
“….”
The baby dragon fell silent. The thought of a private going head-to-head with the commander was astounding.
“So I can’t eat?”
“You’ll eat, but it won’t be anything good.”
“That’s not good.”
The baby dragon frowned.
“Be patient.”
“How can I be patient when I’m hungry?”
“If you’re really that hungry, you can sneak out and get something to eat.”
Carlisle gestured toward the iron bars. The small dragon could easily escape the cell.
“So, what will you do now, Butler?”
“Hmm.”
Carlisle shrugged at the dragon’s question.
“I’ll rest here for now and think. Maybe this is better. At least that person won’t bother me here.”
“Hmm.”
The baby dragon thought for a moment and then said:
“Butler.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you hold back until now? That’s not like you.”
“For Lady Helen’s request.”
“Do you like Lady Helen, Butler?”
“I respect her.”
Carlisle answered firmly.
“I admire her as a commander. Nothing else.”
“Hmm.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Now that you’re in the cell anyway, you don’t have to keep holding back.”
“That’s true. I’ve already made a mess anyway.”
“Then you can do whatever you want.”
“Do whatever I want?”
“Yes. You weren’t going to keep holding back anyway, and you’re not the type to bow down to the commander.”
“That’s right.”
“Then make even more trouble.”
“Make more trouble?”
“Yes.”
“Well, now that it’s come to this, I might as well go all out. It’ll probably trouble the commander more.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you go as far as deserting or doing something extreme, won’t your father Butler go crazy? He’ll know the commander harassed you, and that’s why things went wrong. Even though you’ve been obedient and working hard, the commander will get blamed for messing things up.”
“Ah?”
“So go ahead and cause a commotion. Then the commander will have to beg you personally.”
“A genius idea?”
Carlisle marveled at the baby dragon’s suggestion.
“How did you even think of that?”
“I’m a dragon. We’re wise creatures!”
“Agreed.”
“Then where do we start?”
“Hm.”
The baby dragon thought for a moment and said:
“Let’s start with a simple desertion. The commander will have to search the whole forest for you.”
“Really?”
“The commander will never report to the higher-ups. If it comes out that he messed with you, he’ll be in trouble. This is a battle of nerve. He’s counting on you being too scared of punishment to act. I guarantee it.”
“Ridiculous. I was only holding back for Lady Helen and the squad.”
“From the commander’s perspective, you were holding back out of fear. Not true obedience.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Then do as you wish. As long as you don’t commit a heinous crime, nothing serious will happen.”
“Alright.”
“How do I desert, though? I don’t even have my sword.”
“Wait. I’ll help.”
The baby dragon tapped its chest confidently, signaling Carlisle to trust it.
In the dead of night, the baby dragon stealthily stole the key from a dozing guard’s waist and delivered it to Carlisle.
“Here.”
“Impressive.”
Carlisle smiled as he took the key.
“There are guards at the entrance, so let’s go this way.”
“Got it.”
Following the dragon’s guidance, Carlisle slipped out of the cell through the window.
“Finally, some freedom.”
Carlisle felt relieved. The stale air of the cell was replaced with fresh air, clearing his mind.
“My sword?”
“It’s probably with the commander.”
“Hm.”
“Hide for now. I’ll bring it to you soon.”
Thirty minutes later, the dragon delivered Grimoiremand to Carlisle.
“Good work.”
“This is nothing. Heh.”
Carlisle and the dragon avoided the guards and climbed over the wall.
A few hours later.
“Do me a favor.”
“No.”
“Ah, why not?”
“Really? How long have we known each other?”
Bergman argued with the guards outside the cell. According to regulations, visitors weren’t allowed for imprisoned soldiers.
“Ah! I said a favor!”
“If I go in, I’ll be held responsible for you ending up in the cell too.”
Unable to watch further, Kudo stepped in and slipped a coin to each guard.
“You can get something nice for your leave later.”
“I-I can’t accept this…”
“It’s fine. Take it.”
The guards reluctantly took the coins, despite protesting.
“Those brats!”
Seeing this, Bergman furiously scolded the guards, who looked away awkwardly.
“Stop wasting time and guide us in.”
“Right this way.”
The guards led Bergman and Kudo inside the cell.
All that was there was a sleeping military policeman at a desk—no one else.
“No one’s here?”
“Exactly.”
“Maybe he’s in another cell?”
“That doesn’t seem likely.”
“Then?”
Kudo noticed the cell door was slightly open.
“It’s open.”
“…!”
The guards rushed to Carlisle’s previous cell.
“He’s… gone!”
“Gah!”
The guards were shocked. Carlisle, who should have been locked up, had vanished.
“Wow.”
Kudo, genuinely impressed, clicked his tongue.
“Private Carlisle must have been really fed up. He couldn’t stand it and escaped.”
“You! Why are you laughing?”
“What else can I do? It’s already happened.”
“Ugh.”
Bergman clutched his hair, imagining the disaster.
“What now? No matter what, I think we’re doomed.”
“We’re not doomed. The commander is.”
“Huh?”
“We made him harass the obedient Private Carlisle until he escaped. If it goes up the chain of command, he might not only lose his promotion but even his uniform.”
“R-Really?”
“We can just watch from the sidelines and bring Carlisle back.”
“Are you sure?”
“Probably. The clever part is that he’ll be scrambling, not us.”
“How do we find him now, in the middle of the night?”
“That guy is right here.”
Kudo pointed to an old wolf that followed Bergman closely.
“Ah! Right!”
“Of course…”
Kudo whispered in Bergman’s ear.
“The later we find him, the better.”
“So the commander’s panic will worsen?”
“Exactly. Quick to understand, huh? Heh.”
Kudo grinned mischievously.
