"Good morning Vice President"
Alf slowly descends the stairs leading from the corridor lined with private rooms to the first floor of the platform.
"Good morning Alf. Did you sleep well? How are you feeling?"
“Yeah, I don’t think there will be any particular problems.”
"Yes. It's almost noon, but what about breakfast?"
"You can have lunch with everyone."
The sun has already risen considerably, and the sunlight is shining through the window into the room.
In contrast to such a calm weather, there was only Aki holding his head while staring at a map with a quill pen in his hand, and Alf glanced around the platform.
What caught my eye was the magazine on the table, the Daily Walter that Buffer asked me two days ago.
"What about the captain and the buffer?"
"The captain left early this morning. Buffer is self-training."
"A buffer?"
"Th. Did someone influence you? You can take it easy, Alf, until the next operation."
While talking to Aki, Alf sat down on a chair, picked up the "Daily Walter", and started reading the magazine as if crouching down on the table.
The Daily Walter is a publication published by the Walter News Agency in the central part of the Odon Empire, and it is a magazine that contains many articles ranging from domestic and foreign affairs to information on current trends.
The fact that items issued in the central part of the country are lined up in general stores in major cities in the north, south, east, and west the next morning is probably due to the distribution power of the ether-powered locomotives within the Odon Empire.
When I was skimming through the articles in page order, I found a photo of the Flag Squad, including Alf, walking in the Daily Walter I was reading.
"Hey Vice-Commander, what is this?"
"Ah, it looks like it was taken the other day when I left the Bal Research Institute.
It wasn't that long after the incident occurred until we evacuated, and to have rushed all the way from the middle of the city in the middle of the night... Walter's reporters are also very enthusiastic about their work.
…Well, we are similar.”
(I see... Buffa realized that he was being photographed by a reporter, so I guess he tried to buy a magazine, which is unusual.)
"I don't think I want to send special forces members to the surface forces, but I wonder what the Imperial Capital's intelligence department is doing."
“But it’s about the flag squad.
"That's right. The independent unit system is still experimental, but in our case, the name recognition of the captain has a big impact.
It's a special case even among special forces. Well, thanks to that, it's a little unthinkable that we'll have a lot of missions to do with the amount of tail fins."
While talking to Alf, Aki stares at the map spread out on the table with his quill in one hand.
“…It looks like you’ve been staring at the map for a while, are you planning your next strategy?”
"That's what I want to say, but this time it's not a plan, but a confirmation. Also, I'm thinking about something that I personally care about."
Saying that, Aki pointed twice with her index finger to the Nikkan Walter that Alf was holding, and made a small twist with only his fingertips.
(...Daily Walter?...You mean read the next page?)
──Overseas News……The Kingdom of Almeria, the neighboring country to the west of the Odon Empire, is suffering from tragic news.
Last night, we received news that Her Highness Setina-la-Almeria, the first princess of the Kingdom of Almeria, had gone missing due to an unexpected accident.
According to a person concerned, she has not been able to confirm her body yet, but due to the circumstances of the accident, the probability of her survival is extremely hopeless.
Speaking of the Kingdom of Almeria, the current king, King Zefar, is ill and is having trouble with his official duties.
This accident occurred in the face of rumors of her succession to the throne to Her Royal Highness Princess Setina, while the national government was already in an extremely unstable situation.
Aria, the second princess who also has the right to inherit, is still young. Due to the above, the public is raising concerns about future trends in domestic politics and diplomacy.
"...Almeria?"
"That's a problem with the tail fin."
"Tail fin? The day before last is the day before the Bal Lab Incident, so it happened three days ago....Did Odon chew on one?"
"No way. My job is not to bite."
Alf couldn't see the whole story from what Aki was saying.
As if only one of his eyebrows had been twisted, he held the magazine forward with both hands and stared at Aki.
However, Aki, who is the conversation partner, continues to look at the document without making eye contact even though she mumbles with her glasses shining.
(Deputy Commander... the switch is on)
Alf was looking at Aki like that, but he slowly brought the magazine he had knocked over to his face, hid his mouth with the magazine, lowered his eyes, and continued looking at the magazine.
──Time passed, and before noon, when Buffer returned from his voluntary training, Alf and the others had already begun preparing food.
The door of the home opened while carrying a plate of spiced mushroom albiata and sliced pickled Orba meat to the table. It's gin.
Alf and the others looked at the entrance all at once and tried to throw words at Jin, but there was an unfamiliar man standing behind Jin.
(Who...?)
As if in a hurry, Jin walked up the stairs leading to the second floor and threw a word at the soldier.
“Ah, just prepare it as it is.
I'm done, so give him my share. Aki, the document."
"sure. Go ahead"
After receiving the materials and map from Aki, Jin went back to his private room by himself.
The man who came with Jin stood at the entrance as if he had been left behind.
His unkempt hair is almost black, but has a hint of green in places.
The man, a little taller than Buffer, has a garb-like cloak covering his entire body below his neck, as if he were about to go to a cold place in the north, and a blue bandana wrapped around his forehead. It is written.
While Buffer and the others silently prepared the meal to the extent that the clanking of the dishes made them feel a little awkward, Aki spoke to the man in the bandana.
"Suddenly, our captain is sorry.
I'm Aki Falma, the deputy commander of the Odon Empire's 4th Independent Special Forces Flag Squadron. Um..."
"... No, it's fine.... It's Sten."
"Sten-san. I'm preparing food, so could you wait a little longer?"
"……have understood"
The man who called himself Sten was guided to a chair by Aki, but during that time he didn't even try to make eye contact with anyone.
Seeing Sten sitting in a chair and looking eerily downward, Buffa whispered into Alf's ear.
(……Who?)
(... now?)
──After finishing the preparations, the members began to eat.
While Alf and Buffa started eating deliciously, Sten stared down without touching anything.
"Don't worry, eat as much as you want"
Aki spoke to Sten, who was looking down without moving, and Sten slowly picked up the fork while thinking about something and stared straight at the food.
Even though he picked up the fork, he didn't speak immediately, and Sten was so still that Alf and the others couldn't think of what he was wondering.
He took a slow, slow, deep breath, and Sten put the spiced mushroom alviata into his mouth as if nothing had happened.
For just a moment, it seemed as if Sten's time had stopped, and then Sten started eating food one after another like a patient dog.
Seeing that, Buffer spoke to Sten with a surprised look on his face as if he was eccentric.
“What the hell is this guy eating?
Buffa pointed at Alf with his fork, and Sten stopped eating and looked straight at Alf.
This was the first time a man named Sten had seen Flagg's face.
"It's good..."
"Of course it is. It's a loss for the captain not to eat such delicious food."
"……Totally"
Sten's unexpected remark in no time changed the atmosphere of the platform completely as it was filled with laughter.
"I thought you were a scary person, but surprisingly you can talk. I'm a buffer."
"I'm Alf, I still have more refills, so please tell me if it's not enough."
“…I’m Sten.
"Ah, maybe this atmosphere is only ours. I think the others are more disciplined."
"……Really"
Sten continues to eat while thinking about the past as he regains his peace of mind and sees the sight of the Flag members eating harmoniously.
──As if he had just waited for the meal to finish, Jin spoke to the members as he descended the stairs.
“Looks like fun.
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