“H-Helen-san. Do you know what the base explosion was about?”
The girl asked Helen fearfully as she jogged, trembling.
She was actually scared to hear the answer. But she couldn’t help but ask.
“I heard from a knight, it seems the military’s teleportation device was destroyed. Since the enemy was few, the base wasn’t taken over. But if the teleportation device is destroyed, it’ll take time for reinforcements to arrive.”
The girl felt a slight relief at hearing that. If the device was only broken, there was a slightly lower chance that her mother, a military doctor, would be killed.
“I’m okay. Your mothers are alive.”
“…Yes.”
Helen seemed to sense her anxiety. Encouraged by Helen, the girl nodded quietly.
Then, the wall behind them collapsed, shaking the ground.
A swarm of pitch-black birds flew out from the empty hole, screeching eerily as if pouring out.
“…Looks like we need to think about how to survive ourselves.”
The girl swallowed hard at Helen’s pale face.
The invading beasts were in a frenzy, attacking anyone they found indiscriminately. There was no time to worry about her mother’s safety; she just had to evacuate with Helen.
However, on the way, they were caught up by a deer-like creature drooling from its mouth and had to take refuge in a nearby house. Despite the adults desperately holding the door, it was smashed open with its large horns…
…The events after that are hard to recall.
The girl found herself lying on a makeshift bed in the shelter, its floor covered with thin mats.
It marked the beginning of a four-year-long battle between the Magenta Empire and the Cyan Kingdom over the Forras territory of the Cyan Empire.
In this conflict, the girl lost her mother and younger brother. The most devastating blow in the Battle of Forras was when wild beasts tumbled down from the broken city walls. The secondary effects of the disaster, which involved civilians, were significant.
She was just one of many unfortunate victims who had lost loved ones due to the imperial invasion,
but what set her apart from other war orphans was that she had memories of her past life.
“Please let me join the army.”
Rather than waiting to be pitied and offered help by adults,
she chose her own path, understanding that she was now alone and had to figure out how to live. Like her father and mother before her, she wanted to serve her country as a soldier by her own will.
“Please.”
Pretending to have lost her way while searching for her parents, she sneaked into the room of General Clalodos Hashe Zeseman of the Cyan Kingdom Army and knelt before the rugged man with a beard on his chin.
“…What’s your name?”
The girl remained unfazed even when a sturdy soldier pointed a sword at her.
Having lost something precious to her, she had no regrets about dying here.
“I’m Raze Orphan.”
The girl—Raze Orphan—had decided in her heart to become a servant of the country, understanding what it meant to be a soldier.
The general’s puzzled expression changed into a wary one as he looked into the calm eyes of the ten-year-old.
“Raze Orphan… I see. You’re Colonel Legs Nagi Orphan’s and Dr. Camilla’s daughter.”
“Yes.”
“How did you get here?”
He asked, frowning as he saw Raze, who had suddenly jumped into the room from the window.
If she had been a few seconds slower to realize, he would have mistaken her for an assassin and killed her with the weapon in his hand.
“I don’t have a magic stone, so I didn’t trigger the magic stone detection. I came here on my own, saying I was looking for my father.”
“…If I hadn’t stopped the sword, I would have killed you, mistaking you for an assassin.”
“Yes.”
Even when told that she would have been killed, her expression remained unchanged.
Zeseman let out a deep sigh.
It was clear from looking into her raven-colored eyes. She was the daughter of one of his former subordinates.
He remembered being asked by a friendly and well-liked man to be the girl’s godfather just the other day. Although he knew she was the late Legs’s legacy, he couldn’t bring himself to punish her.
He keenly felt the danger that if he left this girl alone, she might venture into enemy territory alone. He had seen many people driven by a desire for revenge.
It seemed insane for a magic stone-less girl, almost unarmed, to navigate the desolate city teeming with beasts and make her way from the shelter to the army headquarters.
“However, in Raze’s icy gaze, Zeseman couldn’t see the flames of revenge raging. He simply saw a resolve as if Raze had chosen his own way of life and put away his sword.
“Don’t misuse your life, fool. Follow me.”
Raze’s face stiffened as he was scolded by Zeseman, but he followed him afterwards.
He wasn’t taken to a prison cell for his disrespect but to the base’s kitchen.
Zeseman received bread and soup from the cook, then made Raze sit on a nearby stool and handed them to him.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Eat.”
“Uh, um?”
Raze was flustered, realizing he had done something quite reckless.
“First, build up your strength. Or can’t you even follow orders from your superior?”
“!”
She was startled by Zeseman’s words.
“Making it this far is commendable, but it’s not that easy. I won’t treat you like any other child wandering around. Since you’re going to be a soldier, you’ll be put on duty immediately. Are you prepared?”
His choice of words was merciless towards a child. Raze felt as if he were standing in front of a fierce beast, but he never took his eyes off him.
“Yes.”
“Then, eat.”
Raze straightened her back and replied to him.
Watching her tentatively sip the warm soup after her confusion, Zeseman stared at her intently.
He would assign her menial tasks and rigorous training from now on. And he would prepare her to live as an ordinary girl if she ever spoke out again, he thought. She’s a comrade’s daughter.
He muttered to himself that he should at least do that much for her to wake up from her temporary folly.
However, contrary to his thoughts, Raze never complained even once about any menial tasks or tough training he gave her.
In fact,
“Y-Your Excellency. Orphan may be a genius.”
She possessed abilities that were on par with adults.
“What did you say?”
Upon receiving a report from his deputy whom he had entrusted with her care, Zeseman was perplexed.
“It seems she can decipher codes, and she uncovered some of the Empire’s secrets.”
The deputy couldn’t hide his surprise as he handed over the revealed information to Zeseman.
“You let children…?”
His voice was tinged with anger, but he didn’t say more because he knew the code deciphering had been difficult. He looked down at the documents explaining how to decipher the code.
“Is it really her who did this?”
“Yes. She’s an exceptional talent. I think we should seriously consider enlisting her. Especially for intelligence operations.”
It was then that Zeseman learned for the first time that his deputy was seriously considering accepting Raze.
“Are you serious? She’s only ten years old, isn’t she?”
“Yes. But didn’t Your Excellency say to treat her as an adult?”
Retorted like that, Zeseman fell silent.
“Orphan is excellent. It would be a shame to lose her just because of her age.”
After a brief silence, Zeseman looked at the documents Raze had written once again and spoke.
“Let her take the entrance exam. And prepare for her magical aptitude.”
“Understood.”
The deputy nodded strongly.
The next day.
“Orphan’s test results are out.”
Zeseman sighed as he looked at the document handed to him.
“Beyond expectations.”
“Yes. Not only her intellect but also her specialty is in movement magic. She’s suited for intelligence work.”
After seeing Raze’s answers, he made up his mind.
“Raze-Orphan will be raised as an intelligence agent. Prepare a recommendation letter and send her to the training facility. Until she’s ready, focus on building her physical strength and giving her menial tasks.”
“As you wish.”
That day, Raze-Orphan was officially enlisted in the Cyan Empire Army.
This is a story from about six years ago, when a mob girl learned that this world was that of a maiden game.”
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated.
Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
Thanks for the chapter