“Effect of light artillery operated by battlemages appears to be the most successful form of deterrence against more minor demonic threats. However, the Imperial Mage Corps must soon respond to these threats, as conventional deterrence is proving to be inadequate until further improvements against these threats. Otherwise, the stability of Ygeia is at extreme risk.”

- Letter by the 44th Free Regiment “Leviathan” to the IYC leadership.

+++

+++ Lieutenant Hans Hoffman +++

Rousselot City

“So how does it look? Come on, I’m open to being called gorgeous.”

“I guess it’s something—”

“Just answer it! Also what does being ‘something’ even mean?!”

“Okay, it’s half-decent.”

Hans watched as Adelyn crossed her arms and frowned at him. She was now wearing one of the new clothes she had procured from a local tailor. Apparently, weeks ago in advance, she already had herself sized in order for them to design and produce a few sets of clothing for her.

It was a part of her “blending in” strategy. Being a Virtus “noblewoman”, she had an air that she must keep maintaining going forward if she was going to be in more and more civilian activities. In other words…to rub shoulders with the local nobility, she had to become truly one of them.

Hans of course had no need for that, so he really just bought a few sets of normal clothing (and a cavalier hat he fancied) from the tailor, and all of them weren’t custom designs for him. He had his own modern clothing anyway. Well…all of them were military-issued, but it wasn’t like he was out of duty.

“I sometimes wonder if you ever have the ability to at least say, ‘damn, you look good’, Lieutenant Hoffman.”

“You know, that probably violates a few regulations, Ma’am,” Hans tried his best not to grin from stabbing her with his words, but it came anyway.

“Well, from now on, I'll decide what the regulations are!” Adelyn declared. “And in my new regulations, well, we’d be like special forces. Like, I don’t know, light infantry scouts who go and train rebels. Folks who have to blend in. See? Now the regulations for that problem are gone.”

“We’re a part of an LMB formation,” Hans laughed. “We’re not SEG commandos.”

Not that Hans wanted to be in the SEG (Sondereinsatzgruppe). He imagined that they probably must be having the worst time in his homeland by virtue of being tasked with the most high-risk and secretive combat operations. Not fun. Fighting Flandrian armor using his mech was a pain. Being inserted behind the line to sabotage Flandrian logistics or organize partisan warfare? Screw that.

Being in a light mech brigade formation was a pain since they were usually the main stopping force against hostile breakthroughs or were the tip of the spear during counter-attacks, but at least it wasn’t that bad.

“Well, to be honest, you’d need to update that thinking already, Lieutenant.” Adelyn countered.

“Why?”

Adelyn shook her head with a smirk.

“You’re so clueless. Can’t you see? We’re both cut off from our world, but we have such extreme powers we can cultivate. I mean, I’m the Angel of Justice. It’s an awful title to have considering the duties it must entail, but that sure does mean we’re quite the special team from now on. See? Special forces.”

“You know, you really have a grandiose mind.”

She nodded while closing her eyes, a soft smile gracing her face. She seemed to have accepted Hans’ words as a compliment.

“Of course, of course,” she said. “Just comes from being a noble. As the daughter—”

“Spare me your speech.”

“Come on…”

“Anyhow,” Hans leaned down and took the bags where she placed her other folded clothing inside. Being the guy, he was naturally her pack mule. “What else do you think we need tomorrow? I mean…we’ve got some clothing for the three of us, food…hmm…supplies. What more?”

Adelyn pulled out her notepad and checked it. Quite frankly, shopping around Rousselot for everything they’d need in the expedition was a massive pain, but it had to be done. They needed to be prepared wherever they would go. And hey, the bounty money was large, so they were able to budget enough to splurge some of it for their needs (and in Adelyn’s case, some of her womanly luxuries).

“Hmm…I think we need to go buy some…medical stuff. Think about it. Those potions and stuff. Elixirs and the like.”

“Yeah, as if I’m trusting something concocted by an alchemical madman that never went through clinical testing.”

“Well, you do have a point in that,” Adelyn said. “But, weren’t you the first one who told me that we have to accept a new, outrageous reality? Healing potions sound stupid, but magic is true. We’ve seen it heal people. Sometimes even better than modern medicine. I mean, one of the nuns closed a major stab wound in just five minutes.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get that. But we have so many antibiotics. Pills. Painkillers. The whole shebang of medications that we might need in a first aid situation. I don’t know, do you really wanna trust…those things? I mean they put strange things on it. Like…friggin glowing herbs and other crap. It’s scary.”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

“Well, they don’t die drinking it.”

“And what if it’s a placebo?”

Adelyn groaned.

“We watched them heal people clean within minutes. That crap ain’t placebo and you know it. You know, it’s funny how distrustful you are of magical items. I mean, you’re still running around with multiple magazines of enchanted bullets.”

“Well, I’ve tested it and it works so I have a good reason for it. Plus, unlike you, I don’t have an open skill that actually lets me use magic, Miss Privileged.”

“And that’s why we should expand the scope of things to magical healing items too. We have the money for it, so it should be a good investment. Then we’ll check what further things we can do with it. Hmm…do you want armor?”

“No. I like being mobile. And I got Kevlar. Plus, I doubt any trinket will survive a slash from an anomalous demon. If you get hit, it means you’re dead. Useless.”

“Fair. A sword?”

“Anyone who brings a sword in a modern conflict is a moron. And unlike Countess Fresnel, I’m not parrying a goddamned demon. I prefer being at least three hundred meters away firing my bullets at it, thank you very much.”

“W-well, it’s not like we’re in a modern setting…”

Hans still shook his head.

“Nah.”

“I just, well…you know, I feel it’s kinda unfair that I get to buy all that while you have none,” Adelyn said. “I mean, swords, armor, and some stuff are like…I thought they were cool guy stuff.”

What am I to you?! A six-year old?

“Are you trying to gift me?”

“I feel self-conscious!”

“Okay, first of all, I’m not a child. Second of all, I never disapproved of you buying those stuff. You have a good reason for it. Plus, hey, you’re a woman, so you’re naturally going to incur higher maintenance costs—”

“Now I feel more self-conscious.”

“How much did it all cost?”

“Erm…seventy-eight Imperial Marks. But still! I feel bad.”

“Okay, it was a joke, relax,” Hans chuckled. “I mean I wasted more buying enchanted bullets. Look, I just found it amusing watching you going all fashionista with an outfit shopping spree. I don’t know. I didn’t imagine I’d see that in the middle of a war. Nor did I imagine I’d see my commanding officer doing it.”

“Well…” she seemed a bit flustered. “I’m sorry then…”

“I said I was joking. You know, making fun of you. Gee…did that go over your head? Ma’am…you really need a good head check.”

“Don’t Ma’am me! Anyway…I wanna check that store you got your enchanted bullets from. See what they have. Maybe we’ll find some half-decent items there. Anything that might, I don’t know, help us.”

“I think what will really help is more APFSDS or MPAT rounds.”

“That’s true. But hey, you never know. What if the unexpected happened and we needed it? Better to have something to pull during those situations than have nothing.”

“Alright…alright…we’ll go see it…”

I seriously doubt there’s anything there that’d be useful. Then again, maybe I can get some better-enchanted bullets from Moritz. Maybe…maybe…

+++

Moritz seemed half asleep on the counter when Hans and Adelyn arrived.

But while the old wizard…or mage or whatever he was sleeping soundly on the counter—his little girl certainly wasn’t. He remembered he called her Felizia. The girl’s eyes widened as Hans and Adelyn went inside, closing a book she was holding and standing. Hans could even swear that the teenage girl’s eyes shined when she saw him.

“Wait, it’s the metal knight!”

What the hell did you call me?! Why’d I turn into metal?! And why does everyone have to refer to me as a knight?!

“I’d appreciate it if you just woke up your father. We’re buying crap—ow!”

He felt Adelyn pinch his side as she glared at him.

“Don’t act like an asshole to a girl. She’s clearly looking up to you, you moron. I swear, your pastime must be breaking everyone’s hearts.”

He looked back at the girl. She certainly looked dejected.

“Okay, okay! Sorry. It’s just…why’d you even get all excited seeing this goober?”

“You two saved this city!” the girl said. “Like…against that demon. You two looked so awesome doing it!”

“Did you even see us doing it?” Hans asked.

“Nope! But other folks did. And they say you guys did it so awesomely!”

“I don’t think anyone saw the last part considering how deserted the streets were—okay fine, whatever.”

Adelyn huffed.

“Just let her have her hero, Lieutenant.”

Well, I’m not anyone’s hero. I refuse to be that. Gee…your propaganda to paint us positively is starting to get a little on my nerves. I bet you were the one who started spreading this behind my back…can we have some OPSEC, please?

Then again…propaganda was a part of all warfare anyway. And he seriously doubted that the Calamity of Desire was monitoring anything and everything that “she” would attack for OPSEC (Operations Security) to be a big deal. Perhaps, he really was stupidly treating all of this as if he were fighting a normal state actor. Hans mentally succumbed to Adelyn’s wisdom.

“Papa! Wake up! Your previous customer is here. And he also dragged the lady knight with him! I think they’re buying big stuff.”

“Felizia…I told you to flip the placard on the door—” Moritz sleepily raised his head off the counter. “Oh. Lieutenant Hoffman. You’re back again.”

“That I am old man,” Hans grinned. “I gotta buy more crap from you. Up for more enchanting? I got sixty more bullets I’d need. And I’m willing to pay. Big time.”

Moritz yawned and stood up.

“Alright. I’ll see what I can do tomorrow.”

“No not tomorrow, tomorrow we’ll move out with the 4th Holy Ygeia Regiment. Big mission.”

Moritz frowned.

“What?”

“We’ll hunt the Calamity of Desire itself,” Adelyn answered in Hans’ stead. “And we need any magical items that you have that you think will help us. Enchanted bullets. Elixirs. Potions. Um, anything really.”

“As much as I can see the hopes in both of your eyes rising, I seriously doubt that whatever my shabby store has can fight that thing,” Moritz replied. “The truth is, if that was something possible, we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. I know I’m no demon killer like you two, but I think it’s pretty obvious that if that thing attacks you and hits you, none of my healing elixirs here is going to help.”

“You know, you should be trying to advertise your product to get our money,” Hans said.

But Moritz simply shrugged.

“I’d never do that to the saviors of this city. And if you do succeed in your next mission, the possible saviors of Ygeia. I believe I, like everyone else in this city, owe you two big time. That’s why I’ll be blunt with the reality here. My simple ass magic isn’t going to help you two. That’s just the truth.”