Chapter 64: Hera

“Well… yes, you’re right. You’re absolutely right. I never properly introduced myself when you were first assigned, Brigadier General Willard. You simply called me ‘General Newsbeck,’ and I just… assumed you knew my name.”

“My apologies. It’s only natural that one should remember their superior’s name.”

“…No, no. You’re not at fault, Brigadier General Willard. It’s true—people don’t usually go out of their way to remember first names. I’m the same. Yes… you’re not to blame at all.”

“No, really, it’s just—”

The fact that I hadn’t remembered her name seemed to have struck deeper than I’d expected.

General Newsbeck slumped forward, her face buried against the desk, her entire body sagging as though the weight of the revelation had drained the strength from her limbs. I opened my mouth, intending to say something—anything—to encourage her, but…

What was I supposed to say?

None of the words in my vocabulary felt appropriate for salvaging this situation.

“Uuugh… I’m sorry. I’m your superior, and yet I’ve made you feel like you have to tiptoe around me…”

“No! Not at all! It’s nothing like that—General Newsbeck, you’ve achieved countless accomplishments! Your victories on the eastern front were extraordinary. Without you, that overwhelming success in the East would never have happened! You’re a superior I’m proud of. Please, have confidence in yourself!”

“Uuugh…”

I tried my best to encourage her, but nothing I said seemed to land quite right.

Simply praising her achievements wasn’t enough.

“My lady.”

Stepping forward as if to rescue the situation, Lilith moved ahead of me.

“……”

“Leave this to me.”

If anyone could fix this, it would be her—someone who had served the general since childhood. With that hope in mind, I looked toward Lilith, who nodded confidently before speaking.

“I properly introduced myself as Lilith at the very beginning, you know?”

“…Huh?”

But what came out of her mouth contained not a shred of comfort.

It was, quite simply… a declaration of superiority.

“Noooooooo—! You! Do you enjoy asserting dominance over your superior like this!?”

Naturally, General Newsbeck responded with a cry of anguish.

“Ah…”

At this point, I was starting to feel a little tired of the whole situation.

Wouldn’t it be fine to just… leave her alone? She’d probably recover on her own eventually.

“My lady, if you keep making such a fuss, Brigadier General Willard might start to find you off-putting. Isn’t that right? Brigadier General Willard?”

“Wha—!?”

“…No, not at all.”

I denied Lilith’s words, quietly averting my gaze from General Newsbeck as I did so.

“Look me in the eyes when you say that!”

With a dramatic wail, General Newsbeck collapsed face-first onto the desk once more.

That one seemed to hit particularly hard.

“……”

Now what?

As I scratched my head, unsure of what to do, General Newsbeck suddenly lifted her face.

“My name is Hera. Remember it.”

Her expression had turned serious in an instant, her voice calm and steady as she stated her name.

“…Eh?”

“Feeling a bit more relaxed now? I had the chance to meet someone from a merchant group you’re familiar with. They described you as a boy with a strong sense of justice—easygoing, gentle, and a bit carefree. Lately… haven’t you found it harder to smile naturally?”

“Eh… well, hearing my own evaluation stated so bluntly like that is… a little embarrassing…”

“There’s nothing good about war, is there? Facing reality, taking lives… I can tell it’s wearing you down. Haven’t you been unconsciously holding yourself back—stopping yourself from expressing your true feelings out of guilt? Becoming self-punishing, perhaps?”

“…General Newsbeck.”

“That slightly exasperated look you showed earlier… for the first time, I feel like I caught a glimpse of your true self.”

“Well, even if you suddenly act all serious now, the impression you dropped earlier isn’t coming back, you know?”

“…Lilith! Be quiet for a moment!”

“…Hmm.”

Honestly, I might have preferred it if Lilith had really stayed quiet.

It felt like General Newsbeck had been about to wrap things up nicely—but thanks to that interruption, the moment lost all its weight.

“Come with me into town, Brigadier General Willard! Consider it some leisure before heading to the western front. You’ll be meeting your sister as well, won’t you?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Then enough with that gloomy expression! Let’s go!”