Chapter 112: 111

"Jupiter."

Startled by my voice, Jupiter turned around, her single eye widening.

"Your Highness! What brings you here?"

"I came to give you a bonus."

I threw a bag of gold coins to Jupiter and shrugged my shoulders.

"I had a bit of good luck today."

Jupiter whistled as she confirmed the contents of the bag.

"Isn't it too generous of you to give this much to an old woman who can't even work and just sits around?"

"You've worked hard all this while, it's no big deal."

"Thank you, Your Highness. May I buy you a drink in return?"

"Sure."

I didn't refuse and sat next to Jupiter. She showed a devilish grin.

"It's an honor to be able to pour a drink for Your Highness."

She poured whiskey into a fresh glass and handed it to me.

Jupiter lifted her glass and I followed suit.

Clink-

We clinked glasses and drank in silence.

"Your Highness..."

After quietly draining her glass and refilling it once,

Jupiter let out a long sigh.

"I've been quite a burden to you, Your Highness, but I take pride in the fact that I've been of considerable help in defending the front lines."

I nodded.

"You should be proud. It's true, after all."

"In that case, Your Highness... I know it's impertinent of me, but... Would you listen to this old woman's ramblings?"

"Ramblings?"

Jupiter filled her glass, looking a bit embarrassed.

"I'm ashamed of myself, but I wonder how I've lived my life to end up like this... I don't have a single friend around me to share a drink with."

"Is it because you're a wandering mercenary?"

"Wandering, right. Wandering..."

Jupiter savored the word 'wandering' for a while.

I chuckled.

"Just let it all out."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After taking a sip of whiskey, Jupiter slowly swallowed and opened her mouth.

"You probably guessed it, but it's about my granddaughter."

"..."

"Even though it's been 15 years, I remember it as if it happened yesterday."

There was a far-off look in Jupiter's single eye.

"The moment I first met her..."

***

15 years ago.

The northern front of the Everblack Empire.

The magical corps of the 1st Division of the Imperial Army. The 2nd Unit's barrack.

Click. Click. Click.

Jupiter, who was struggling to light a wet matchstick, furrowed her brows.

Her vivid eyes, like bottled lightning, flashed with irritation.

"Darn, it just won't light."

Click. Click. Click.

"Damn it!"

Jupiter eventually threw the matchstick on the ground in annoyance and snapped her fingers.

Crash!

A bolt of lightning struck the dried tree next to her, setting it on fire.

"Hoo..."

Jupiter lit her cigarette with the fire.

"This is why I learned magic."

Jupiter exhaled a satisfied cloud of smoke, and then,

"You've been told not to use magic in the camp, Jupiter."

The voice of a faultfinder came from the side.

As Jupiter frowned and glanced to the side, a middle-aged woman officer, her hair tied up tightly and in a neat uniform, plodded along towards her.

Captain Reina of the Empire Magic Corps Unit 1.

"What kind of insane magician lights a cigarette like that?" she grumbled.

Jupiter grinned slyly, a smirk spreading across her face. "Why, none other than yours truly, Captain Jupiter of the Empire Magic Corps Unit 2. This is how I light 'em."

"Bloody hell..." Muttering under her breath, Reina swished her hand, a gust of wind swooping in to extinguish the flame on the tree.

"Hand over some of your leftover cigarettes," Reina winked at Jupiter as she arrived beside her, a smirk playing on her lips. Jupiter, however, looked shocked.

"What am I, your supplier? Every time you see my face, you want a cigarette."

"It's been a month since the last cigarette supply arrived. Among the entire Magic Corps, you're the only one left with any decent cigarettes."

"Only because I've been conserving them so well. Anyway, no way!"

Reina responded to Jupiter's firm refusal with a suddenly sweet voice, her hands pressed together in an exaggerated plea. "Aw~ just give me one~"

"Damn... Hey! Aren't you too old for that sort of cutesy behavior?"

Startled by Reina's low-grade flattery, Jupiter handed over the cigarette she was puffing on. "Try a puff of this cigarette."

"Why can't you just give me a new one?"

"This is my last. There's no more."

"Always smoking the last one, every single time, huh?"

In the end, Jupiter and Reina alternated taking drags on the single cigarette.

As the two women, letting loose clouds of smoke and a string of expletives, shared the cigarette, the passing soldiers repeatedly saluted.

"Salute!"

"Salute!"

"Ah~ Salute."

"Salute~ Salute~"

Even though they were two women lounging about, smoking like ruffians, the soldiers looking on were filled with respect.

The two aces of the Empire Magic Corps.

Windblade Reina. Lightning Jupiter.

The dominant position of the Empire Magic Corps within the Empire's army was entirely due to these two.

In the 20 years since the establishment of the Magic Corps, the Empire's army remained undefeated in any battle involving these two magicians.

Once the soldiers' salutes ebbed away and the surroundings quieted down, Jupiter said to Reina, "You know, seeing our guys salute us so respectfully reminds me of something. Hey, all the other unit captains have loads of scars on their faces, all weather-beaten."

"Hmm? Well... They probably all got promoted after some skirmishes on the front lines."

"But our magicians, not a single scar. Even their faces are pale from lack of sun."

Despite her lifetime of military service, Jupiter's face was unmarred.

Reina glanced sideways at Jupiter and chuckled. "Well, that's the role of a magician in today's wars. Command gives us the coordinates, we bombard, and that's it."

It seemed that the Imperial Army Command thought of mages as good cannons.

And indeed, their jobs weren't much different.

Jupiter, chewing on a cigarette, shook her head.

"Well, yes. Firing off magic from a safe distance is our job. It's intelligent, it's gentle. I like what I do."

"But what is it? You got a problem?"

"It just feels like as a leader, my authority is somewhat undermined. It seems like the other squadron leaders subtly ignore me during the meetings."

Jupiter swiped her finger beneath her left eye.

"That's why I've been considering getting a tattoo for the next meeting."

"What a load of crap... Look, the reason you're being ignored at the meetings is because you're always playing around."

"Hey, how many times can one be reprimanded for a single mistake. Fuck."

"Especially when your mistake happened during a meeting that the Emperor himself attended! You're such a mess!"

As the two mages started arguing again, a lieutenant hurriedly ran over from the other side.

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"Captain Reina! Captain Jupiter!"

"Mhm~ I'm listening. What's up?"

"There was a communication from the Command. They have discovered a facility that seems to be the military base of the Camilla Kingdom on the northern foothills of this base."

The 1st Army Corps of the Empire was currently invading a small kingdom known as the Camilla Kingdom.

The war was in its final stages, but sporadic resistance continued.

The magic troop was carrying out a boring and messy task of clearing Camilla Kingdom's guerrillas scattered throughout the area.

"Like an ant nest. You erase them, and they just pop up again. Huaaam."

As Jupiter yawned lazily, the lieutenant handed over the Command's communication.

"At 05:00 tomorrow morning, both of you are instructed to strike simultaneously."

"Our Command sure loves dawn operations... Anyway, let them know we got it. If we have to do it, we have to do it."

Jupiter, who carelessly crumpled the communication paper and stuffed it into her pocket, gave Reina a sly wink.

"Hey, Reina. Once this war is over, how about we go on a trip to the south?"

Reina shivered at the thought.

"Two women over fifty going on a trip, that's gross."

"What's wrong with that? Two wealthy, capable missus going for a cool trip. You know, we might even catch some young, hot guys."

"Oh, come on, they have eyes too..."

"Hey. Serving in this cold, damp northern region is making you increasingly negative. Let's go to the warm south for a change."

Jupiter chuckled.

"When I retire, I'm definitely living in the south. Lying down at a resort with a pool filled with water, bathing in the warm sunlight."

"..."

Listening to Jupiter's extravagant retirement plans, Reina also eventually cracked a smile.

"Indeed, whether we go on a trip or purchase a resort after retirement... let's visit the South at least once before we die."

The idea seemed as far from reality as the distance from their current battlefield to the South.

The two wizards spent a good deal of time laughing while discussing their plans for retirement and old age.

***

The next day. 4:30 in the morning.

Jupiter, who was looking at the operation point directed by the headquarters through a telescope, frowned.

"Hey, is that really a military base?"

Reyna, who was sipping hot tea with a sleepy face, turned to look at her, confused.

"Why? Doesn't it look like a military base?"

"It just looks like a village. What does it look like to you?"

Taking the telescope, Reyna tilted her head.

"Hmm... I'm not sure. I don't see any cannons or weapons typical of a military base."

Jupiter gave an order to the lieutenant.

"Contact headquarters. Ask them to confirm if it's a military base."

"Roger that."

The lieutenant sent a message to the headquarters.

Shortly after, the message came back, and the lieutenant who had heard the response reported.

"According to headquarters, it's definitely a military base."

"..."

"Camilla's guerrilla tactics are notorious, often involving disguises as civilians. Headquarters believes that village has already been occupied by the guerrillas."

"I see..."

The lieutenant, who checked his pocket watch, nodded.

"There are 30 seconds left until 05:00 sharp. I'll count down to the start of the operation."

"..."

"30, 29, 28..."

As the countdown decreased, Jupiter, who was grimacing and staring north, glanced at Reyna, who already had magic concentrated in both hands.

Her eyes met his, and Reyna's face lit up in a faint smile.

"Vacation in the South, you said?"

"..."

"So how about we finish this up quickly, Captain of the Second Squad?"

"10 seconds remaining till the operation begins! 10! 9! 8! 7!"

Listening to the count silently, Jupiter began to gather lightning in both hands when there were 5 seconds left.

Zap...!

Headquarters' judgment was always accurate.

And this was the duty she had been performing all her life.

When given a command, you carry it out. Because that's what soldiers do.

Rumble...

Dark clouds gathered in the sky,

"3! 2! 1!"

The countdown ended.

Crack-boom!

Dozens of lightning bolts summoned by Jupiter rained down on the enemy base.

Buildings swept by the bright lightning crumbled, catching fire and burning up.

In an instant, everything turned into ashes.

Following that, a massive tornado summoned by Reyna erupted over the remaining debris.

***

"The operation is over. Both of you commanders have worked hard."

The lieutenant who confirmed the total destruction of the military base said.

"The medium cavalry division will now move in to clean up and investigate the enemy base. You two can return to the base."

"..."

Jupiter, who had been silently watching the enemy camp she had set ablaze, suddenly murmured.

"I want to go."

"What?"

"There, I need to see it myself."

A startled Reyna tried to stop her.

"The Magic Corps is prohibited from going on-site. We are strictly long-range bombardment specialists, you know that, so why are you doing this?"

"..."

"If you go unnecessarily and get ambushed by the enemy's remnants, our troop's combat power will drop significantly..."

"I want to go."

"Hey, Jupiter!"

Reyna tried to hold her back, but Jupiter was unstoppable. She was already running up the slope of the mountain.

"Hey, someone grab her."

Looking around at the surrounding soldiers, Reyna urgently shouted.

"Grab her! Quick!"

But who would dare to stop a magician?

Pushing through the soldiers trying to stop her, Jupiter ultimately entered the enemy base.

In the darkened, burned village, only the embers were left flickering. Everything was in ruins.

Jupiter carefully approached the charred bodies of people.

They were unarmed. Instead, they held dolls in their arms.

"...It's a child."

Jupiter's legs started to tremble. She staggered through the devastated village.

There were hardly any soldiers, or even young men's bodies.

Bent old people and small children lay huddled together, turned into ash.

"Civilians...only civilians."

The realization of what she had done crawled up her spine, making her neck rigid.

"These damn bastards! There were no armed forces here!"

Jupiter screamed at the soldiers who belatedly followed her into the village.

"Everyone...everyone here was just old folks and children!"