Shinigami ni Sodaterareta Shoujo wa Shikkoku no Ken wo Mune ni Idaku

─ ─ Gallia Fortress Barracks Dining Room

In the corner of the dining room, overflowing with large numbers of soldiers, there was a young man who exhaled deeply.

The young man's name is Ashton Zenefilda. He is one of the finest prestigious schools in the kingdom and has a very good grades. He was exempt from conscription because of his high future. But as a result of successive defeats, that privilege is also stripped. He is the holder of a background that he was sent to the front line without a doubt.

"Ha-ha-ha..."

Ashton was giving me pessimism. You can call it despair. For myself, who has never held a sword or spear properly, the Gallia Fortress is the earliest graveyard. He's stuck one foot in the grave himself. No matter how heavily trained you are, you are confident that you will easily lose your life if it becomes a battle.

Next to such an Ashton, there was sometime a girl with bread on her cheek. Clear eyes like fresh streams on white fine surfaces. Ashton knows no other girl whose word "extinction" suits her so well.

When the girl finishes her bread, she stares at an empty tray looking lonely. Ashton's tray, by contrast, still had bread on its hands.

(You don't look like you're missing something. You can give me my bread... No, it's not like I have a heart or anything...)

That's how Ashton is making excuses to himself, and he accidentally meets the girl.

"─ Huh."

"Hmm?"

"Hey, why don't you eat my bread, too? Beh, because it seems like it's kind of enough, not that I have anything to be offended about. Besides, I haven't put my mouth on it yet, so I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Thank you very much. You are such a good person!

(Wow, unintentionally speaking... Hmm? A good person?)

Somehow I was uncomfortable with the girl's story, but Ashton offered the girl some bread. Show me your white teeth. When the girl receives the bread, she keeps cheeks all over her mouth.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."

"... you want to say this bread is delicious?

The girl snorts at me just because she got my will. Looking at him, Ashton tilts his neck slightly.

Compared to Wang Du's bread, the bread here is stiff and bossy. Not a substitute for flattery. Compared to bread sold outside the Wang capital, the quality is largely reduced.

"It's rude of you to tell anyone who's eating good, but the bread here, honestly, doesn't taste very good"

"Huh!? Oh, really?

Ashton feels a little superiority bubbling up at the girl with a full look of amazement.

"Oh, Wang Du's bread tastes better at all. It's crispy out there, and it's motchy inside. But now that we're short on food, it's hard to get good bread inside."

"Heh yeah. I've never had bread before, but it was delicious. There's a lot in the book, too. I've always wanted to try it."

The girl says, staring at the bread that has been reduced to less than half. Ashton accidentally blew out the thin soup he was drinking. A female soldier sitting across the street stares blatantly at me with an unpleasant look. I'm in a hurry to apologize, but I'm full of what the girl said in my head.

I've never had bread at this time, etc. Whatever the border land, if I go to the city, I usually sell bread.

You must be joking anyway.

I immediately thought so and waited for the words to follow. But the girl just chews the bread and doesn't show any bare gestures to keep talking. Ashton finally realized that it seemed to be true.

"... where the hell did you come from when you first ate bread?

"Er. It's from a temple called the Gate of the Underworld in the deep woods. You know what?"

Asked by the girl, Ashton explores her memory. Swordsmanship is no good, but I still have the pride of having read a lot of books and accumulated vast amounts of knowledge. Ashton rebels in his heart with the gates of the underworld, the gates of the underworld.

But the girl said, "The gates of the underworld and I didn't remember.

"─ I'm sorry. I didn't ask you."

"Oh well. Well, I lived there too, but you don't really know me."

Haha the girl laughs without giving in. When I got up from the chair, I lifted a tray that I had finished eating beautifully.

"Dear bread treat. Can you tell me your name?

"Oh, oh, my, my name is Ashton"

Suddenly he is asked his name, and Ashton follows and answers.

"Ashton. I'm Olivia. I'll see you when I get a chance."

With that said, Olivia left as she waved over her back. Looking at the silver hair reaching up to her waist thinking she was tall enough, the next chair was pulled and slapped on her shoulder abusively. Turning around, a bossy blonde with a light grin.

It's Maurice, who came to the fortress about the same time as Ashton.

Thank you. As far as I can tell, he also seems to have been stripped of his privileges and sent to the "graveyard". Besides, like Ashton, swordsmanship is not working. He's a regular who gets yelled at by two superiors during training.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Ashton. You, you know what a woman looks like right now?

"What is it? From scratch to stick. Is Maurice the one who knows her?

Ashton asks, Maurice nods loudly just saying she was waiting. And as he moved his neck left and right as if to be vigilant around him, he began to whisper.

"This is classified information, so there's no point in saying anything else. A while ago, I had a volunteer who packed the neck of an Imperial soldier in a bunch of bags and brought it as a souvenir replacement, remember?

"That's what I'm talking about. Besides, that's just a rumor, right?

Ashton laughs with his nose at what is "top secret information". But Maurice shook her neck sideways with a niggling grin.

"No, that's the real story. And the woman you were talking to right now is the rumored volunteer, Brigadier Olivia."

"What!? That girl...... no, that one was a lieutenant!?

Next to Ashton's surprise, Maurice has turned a frightened gaze.

"Are you surprised? Normally... well, okay. He did volunteer, and all of a sudden, the lieutenant seems unusual."

"You're not lying."

"Lie to me. What's in it for me? Better than that, you looked like you'd have fun if you did something. Let me know what you talked about."

That's what I'm saying, Maurice, she's safely turning her hand around her shoulder. Ashton paid lightly by hand, but I didn't think the conversation would last this long if it was usual.

Apparently, he cares about Brigadier Olivia.

(Well, if that look does bother you. That's not surprising)

Ashton has no choice but to open his mouth when he sighs small.

"It's nothing. It's not fun, and I'm not making a big deal out of it. You said it was your first time eating bread or that you lived in a temple. I just wanted to talk about it."

"Were you living in a temple?... of St. Illuminus Church for a moment... are you a" magician "?

Maurice asks with a surprised look. The Church of St. Illuminus was one of the major religions worshipping the goddess Citrescia and had a large number of enthusiastic followers throughout the continent. He who dwells in the temple, among them, is called a magician and is afraid. Anything is about dealing with the "magic" that perished in the ancient days of Tai.

According to the "White Book" published by the Church of St. Illuminus, the goddess Citrescia exercised mighty magic and created the Dubedilica continent.

(Stupid. It's a fairy tale, and there's no such thing as magic. It's a fabrication made by the church anyway. What a surprise Maurice believes in such a frown-spitting existence)

Ashton answers as he opens himself to Maurice's gaze as if he were shooting an arrow.

"No, it seems to be a temple called the Gate of the Underworld. As much as I've never asked before, don't think the church has anything to do with it."

"Is that true?

"No, even if they ask me if it's true... but it's not in my memory, and all I can say is yes"

"... hmm. Does it have nothing to do with the Church? Well, that certainly wasn't a very interesting story."

Then I raised my hand gently and Maurice just left the dining room. Apparently, he lost interest knowing he had nothing to do with the church.

(Maybe Maurice is a follower of the church?... Well, I don't care)

Ashton exhaled in a deep sigh and was forced to drink up the remaining thin soup.