Chapter 65
I accompanied Al up the slope. The sky was clear, and the greenery gleamed in the morning sunlight. The sea breeze was pleasant as well, making it a perfect day for a walk.
As I walked pleasantly, Al followed behind me.
"That's right, Al. Actually, there was something I wanted to confirm with you."
"Huh? What is it? If you're talking about sneaking a bite, I don't usually do that."
"No, that's not what I meant."
I smiled. I already knew that the earlier incident had been a lie Al and the others had told so they could share Zeze's punishment.
"It's something else entirely. Al, you've experienced actual combat several times, haven't you?"
"Yes, more or less. It started with hunting monsters, and I even fought the Demon King's army once."
In response to my question, Al counted on his fingers as he reviewed his past battles.
"I nearly died fighting the Demon King's army back then, but I can give them a taste of their own medicine now."
Al clenched his fist and declared this with determination. I nodded with a smile at his fiercely competitive spirit.
Demon King's army soldiers were said to possess twice the strength of human soldiers. But Al had grown stronger by fighting a wide variety of enemies. At his current level, he would probably be able to hold his own or better against soldiers of the Demon King's army.
Al had only been conscripted this year, and he had not even been a soldier for a full year. His growth could only be called astounding. Even so, he was still woefully short on experience. There were things in this world that could not be overcome through strength alone.
"Al. Have you ever fought another human?"
"Why are you asking that out of nowhere? Once, yes. You know that, don't you? We fought at Carlus Fortress."
As Al said, there had indeed been an incident in which Selbek, the former magistrate of the Kashu region, incited soldiers to attack me.
At the time, the Romelia Unit, led by Al, had fought to protect me. But the soldiers at Carlus Fortress were, in a sense, Al's comrades. The members of the Romelia Unit had not taken their opponents' lives, and the battle had ended quickly. It could not be called a fight to the death.
"Then let me phrase the question differently. Have you ever cut down another person?"
"That... No, I haven't."
Al lowered his voice as he admitted it. Most of the opponents Al had fought until now had been monsters—beasts that had turned ferocious. He had never cut down another person.
"Then if you were ordered to cut down a person, could you do it?"
At my question, Al's expression hardened.
Normally, there would have been no need to ask a soldier such a question. Until around ten years ago, humanity had waged war against itself. But since the Demon King's army appeared, no major wars had broken out between nations. With the Demon King's army as a common enemy, people could hardly afford to fight one another.
Al and the members of the Romelia Unit had been conscripted after the Demon King's army appeared. They had never anticipated fighting other humans. They were not prepared to fight their fellow man.
"...I can. If they're enemies, I can cut down anyone, no matter who they are."
After thinking for a moment, Al answered decisively. I nodded at his response.
"Then what about the members of the Romelia Unit? Or the soldiers of the Kashu Garrison currently undergoing training?"
Al did not answer my next question right away. After thinking for a while, he opened his mouth.
"...That would depend. It might be difficult, depending on the opponent and the circumstances. Of course, some of them could fight without a problem, but others might hesitate."
The fact that Al had not answered immediately made his words all the more credible.
It was important to understand soldiers' state of mind in battle. Of course, soldiers would obey an order. But if they had doubts about it, they would not be able to fight at their full potential.
"What is this about? Are you planning to fight someone?"
"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that..."
As I answered, I continued up the slope. Looking toward the top, I could hear men's shouts and the sound of wooden swords clashing near the summit.
When we reached the top of the slope, the mountain peak opened into a spacious plaza with a sweeping view. Nothing obstructed the vista, leaving only the blue sky and sea in sight. Looking back, I could see the slope we had climbed and take in a panoramic view of the harbor of Merka Island below.
I exhaled and looked around. I was always cooped up in my room, so it felt good to have nothing blocking my view around me or overhead.
After enjoying the excellent view, I turned my attention to the plaza. Three soldiers were training there. Zeze and Jini were clashing wooden swords, while Ray was shirtless and doing push-ups.
"Ah, Romelia-sama. Good morning."
Jini noticed me and stopped swinging his wooden sword. Zeze also turned and bowed.
"Ah, don't let me interrupt you. Please continue."
I had no intention of interrupting their training, so I urged them to keep going. Jini nodded, raised his wooden sword toward Zeze, and resumed training.
"Romelia-sama. Good... morning. Are you... out for a morning walk?"
Ray noticed me too and approached with a towel in one hand. Having just finished strenuous exercise, he was breathing heavily. Sweat streamed down his bare upper body like a waterfall.
"Yes. I was trying to go for a walk when Al caught me."
"Yeah. You were trying to wander off alone, so I caught you."
When I looked at Al, he nodded as if that were only natural. I had wondered about it for some time, but did Al think of me as some kind of pet that kept trying to escape?
"Ray. I'm going to train, so guard Captain Romelia for me."
Al left Ray behind and moved away from me.