Chapter 4 The Sixth Special Brigade (With Map)
The beautiful woman responded to my offhand joke with a perfectly serious tone.
"I assure you, I simply happen to be heading in the same direction. Escorting you, Lord Krombelts, is purely a coincidence. There are no ulterior motives."
Hearing that, I couldn't exactly argue. I had no choice but to accept her at her word.
Come to think of it, if she'd planned to kill me, she'd be more cautious of a counterattack. It's not like I'm defenseless—I'm an active-duty officer. She wouldn't risk being alone with me unless she was confident I wasn't a threat. Or... was this her way of reassuring me by deliberately creating a private space?
Without warning, she changed the topic.
"How much do you know about the 6th Special Task Brigade, Lord Krombelts?"
"Nothing at all," I answered plainly.
"What about the Brigade Commander?"
"I'm afraid I've never heard of them."
"I see."
She went quiet. Hey, don't just stop there. Now I'm curious. But then she smiled slightly, as if reading my thoughts.
"I believe the 6th Special Task Brigade will become the core of the Imperial Army in the near future."
...That's your belief, sure, but seriously—who are you?
Before I could ask, the carriage came to a gentle stop. We hadn't reached our destination yet, but the woman stood up.
"I'll be taking my leave here. We'll meet again—someday."
I didn't know what she meant by that, but I nodded anyway, pretending to understand. Still... couldn't she have at least told me her name?
* * *
Eventually, the carriage brought me to the headquarters of the 6th Special Task Brigade, just as promised.
"So this is it..."
As I stepped down, I found myself standing before a modest castle gate. The entire area was surrounded by dense forest and steep mountains—nothing else in sight.
Even on the military maps, this place is just a void. It lies deep within a mountain range that stretches east to west across the southern part of the Empire. There's nothing of strategic value out here, no important roads, no population centers. It's the last place you'd expect to station a brigade. You can't even wage a proper war in terrain like this.
And this "castle" in front of me... it's beautiful, sure, but it doesn't look like it could survive a real battle.
The high stone walls and pointed spires—it's the very image of a "Western-style castle," just like the ones I saw in textbooks back in Japan.
But castles like this were built for medieval warfare. Catapults, ladders, that sort of thing. If someone rolled up with siege cannons, this place would crumble before sunset.
At the main gate, a plaque read:
Headquarters of the 6th Special Task Brigade.
In the Schwidel Army, any unit with the word "Special" in its name is bound to be... unusual. And I don't mean that in a good way. Personally, I prefer "normal" or "standard."
As I stood there, deep in thought, the gate suddenly creaked open—and a large non-commissioned officer rushed out.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing just standing around?!"
A young woman's voice. Wait, a female NCO? This was a first for me.
She was tall. No—she was bigger than me. With broad shoulders and a powerful, athletic frame, she looked like she could carry an entire squad on her back. And she carried herself with total confidence.
"You there! You look like a civilian! Civilians aren't allowed inside! This is a military zone, not a tourist attraction! Please leave immediately! Also—where did that carriage go?"
I'm not a civilian. Or a tourist.
Ah, right. I guess my personal coat makes me look like one. But I'm still wearing regulation military pants, and my Command Sword is clearly visible.
Facing the tall woman—er, tall female non-commissioned officer—I calmly produced my insignia.
"I'm Second Lieutenant Krombelts, assigned to staff duty here. You should have received notice of my transfer."
"Wha—?! Y-you're... I-I apologize for my behavior!"
She snapped to attention and gave a sharp salute.
"I'm Corporal Hannah Hayden!"
In this world, 'Corporal' is a special rank, somewhere between a sergeant and an officer cadet. They act as team leaders and sometimes even command platoons in place of lieutenants.
But this girl looked so young...
...This place really is weird.
I returned her salute with a light gesture—just two fingers—to avoid showing how unsettled I was.
"Sorry if my coat confused you."
"N-not at all! I sincerely apologize, Second Lieutenant Krombelts!"
Her flustered reaction was oddly charming, despite her towering presence.
I pulled out the envelope I'd received from division headquarters.
"This contains my orders. I'd like to report my arrival to the Brigade Commander. Could you escort me, Corporal Hayden?"
"Yes, right away! Oh—and I'll carry your luggage!"
"No, that's alright. I can't ask a lady to carry—"
"No, no! It's my duty to carry the belongings of a superior officer!"
After a brief, pointless back-and-forth, I reluctantly handed over the trunk. By Schwidel military custom, she was right—but I still wasn't used to seeing female soldiers, let alone ones this strong.
"Then, allow me to guide you!"
With a flushed face and steady breath, Hannah hoisted the heavy trunk with ease. She was every bit as strong as she looked. Honestly, I might've lost that strength contest.
"Second Lieutenant Krombelts has arrived! Open the gate!"
At her command, the guards quickly opened the castle gates. All of them... young women.
Yeah. This place is definitely not normal.
Notes:
• Hannah - Hannah Heiden. Female. A Corporal in the 6th Special Task Brigade. Her appearance is tall with broad shoulders and a reverse triangle athletic build. She has a confident and assertive demeanor. Her relationship with Second Lieutenant Krombelts is initially formal but becomes more respectful after recognizing his rank. She is strong and capable, easily carrying heavy luggage.
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