The uniform pants were made of a special material with good elasticity and sweat-wicking properties. It clung tightly to Sel’s lower body, revealing its contours—along with the special sausage she had tucked into her pocket.

“!”

The eyes of everyone watching widened in shock. All gazes were fixed on Sel’s lower half.

The mercenaries standing behind Braeden whispered among themselves.

“Hey, didn’t the Commander say something about how he stopped growing because of the magical aura in the Black Forest?”

“…Looks like all those growth hormones went to one place.”

“Ah.”

Listening to their foolish banter, Sel rolled her eyes. The tightness in her crotch was uncomfortable, but the reactions of the mercenaries in the cafeteria were similar. Even Philip, whose mouth hung open in astonishment, murmured in awe.

“…Amazing. Even there, the strongest of men.”

Even Philip, who had given her the sausage, seemed to be misunderstanding the situation. And apparently, so was Lavi, who had been absent for a while but was now watching, frozen in place.

At some point, Braeden cleared his throat awkwardly and let go of Sel’s waistband. He shifted his stance, crossing his legs politely, and his posse followed suit, suddenly subdued.

“…Manly. Yeah. Well, not that size matters… or anything.”

Braeden tried to wrap up the situation quickly, but his face betrayed an inexplicable sadness. Although everyone in the cafeteria was watching him, he’d already lost his nerve and looked deflated.

As Braeden and his posse turned to slink out of the cafeteria, a large shadow fell over them. It was Lavi.

Moments ago, he had been staring in shock at Sel’s waistband, but now he stood right behind Braeden.

“Seems you forgot the rules of this mercenary corps,” Lavi said slowly, pulling a pair of glasses from his pocket—the same thin-rimmed glasses he’d worn before.

The mercenaries in the cafeteria swallowed nervously. They knew what the sight of Lavi with glasses meant, and it filled them with fear.

Braeden was no exception.

“C-Commander!”

“To request a duel with Sel, shouldn’t you defeat me first, since I already lost to her?”

“B-but, Commander, don’t you spar with us daily? I was just curious about Sel’s abilities….”

“That’s just my duty as Commander to train you,” Lavi said, placing his large hand on Braeden’s shoulder. The veins on the back of his hand bulged visibly.

“Each stage.”

Thud. Lavi’s palm pressed down on Braeden’s shoulder, seemingly gentle, but Braeden’s knees began trembling.

“Properly.”

Thud. Braeden’s shoulder tilted, one of his feet sliding back. His thigh muscles bulged as if they were about to burst from the force.

“You must master.”

Thud. Braeden collapsed to his knees, clutching his shoulder, wincing in pain as if it had been dislocated. His whole body shook as he bowed his head.

“Ugh, I apologize, Commander. I was careless.”

Watching Braeden from above, Lavi crouched down to his eye level, removed his glasses, and tucked the arms into the front pocket of his shirt.

“Let’s stick to the rules, Braeden. Be good.”

Braeden quickly nodded in agreement, and the posse behind him all knelt, bowing their heads.

“Right. With the upcoming deployment season, everyone should stay alert. And behave.”

Lavi gave Braeden’s shoulder a light pat, though Braeden’s entire upper body flinched with each touch.

Sel, who had watched the entire scene from behind, was left with her mouth agape.

Lavi, now standing tall with a straight posture, casually put his hands in his pockets and glanced over at Sel. His deep green eyes lingered on the part of her face and parted lips visible beneath the mask.

The look on her skin felt like a prickling heat.

Her throat suddenly felt dry, and her lips parched. She poked her tongue out slightly to moisten them. Her blue eyes moved at an angle, cautiously gauging Lavi’s reaction.

A moment ago, Lavi’s face had been expressionless, but now it twisted into a scowl.

Damn it. Muttering an expletive, Lavi quickly turned and headed back to his room.

***

“I really get my own room?”

For once, Sel’s usually composed face was lit up with a childlike smile. Even with her mask on, the movement of her cheek muscles was unmistakable.

Raising an eyebrow, Eric nodded.

“Yep, that’s how it is, rookie.”

“Thank you! Where’s the room?”

“Hmm, it’s on the fourth floor, right next to mine.”

Sel’s voice faltered.

All the mercenaries stayed in shared dormitories on the third floor. Eric, the deputy commander, occupied the fourth floor, while Lavi, the commander, had the fifth floor to himself.

By rights, Sel should have been assigned to the third floor.

Yet here she was, assigned a room on the fourth floor. Sel couldn’t help but wonder why.

“Why am I staying on the fourth floor with the Deputy Commander?”

“They said it was dangerous.”

“…What’s dangerous?”

“You, rookie.”

“What exactly is so dangerous about me?”

Eric paused at Sel’s question, then reached into his inner pocket to pull out a notebook. Flipping to a specific page, he read aloud in a flat tone.

“‘Incites competition among members and causes confusion. Can manipulate and corrupt others with impure thoughts.’”

“Me?”

This description sounded more like a demon than a person. Sel stared at Eric in disbelief.

But Eric showed no reaction.

“If someone in the corps feels that way about you, then it’s their truth, Sel.”

“Who would think that?”

“Good question. I wonder who.”

Eric gave a sarcastic smile, tore the page from his notebook, and folded it like a note. Moving to the window, he tied the note to the leg of the half-crow from before and sent it off.

“…Are you selling information to other mercenary guild or something?”

“If you’re asking so directly, you must already know the answer is no.”

“Well, I figured you wouldn’t.”

Eric simply shrugged, smiling without a word, while Sel followed him into her new room on the fourth floor.

The room, with its blue wallpaper, was tidy. Best of all, it had an attached bathroom, which meant she wouldn’t need to sneak around the other mercenaries as she did in the library; she could handle things comfortably here.

“If you have any questions about the room, feel free to ask.”

“If I use a room like this, does the rent come out of my salary?”

Eric was silent for a moment. He’d expected her to ask about using the bathtub or the magic lights, but she went straight to money.

“…There’s no rent.”

“It felt uncomfortable being treated like a demon, but I’m glad to stay here. Thank you, Deputy Commander.”

Eric raised an eyebrow and chuckled as he looked down at Sel, who only called him Deputy Commander in moments like this.

“Don’t thank me. Thank Lavi. It was his decision.”

“…Alright.”

After a pause, Sel responded, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Ever since the knee kick incident, Lavi had been deliberately avoiding her. Just a while back, he’d left the cafeteria as soon as he saw her.

She knew she wasn’t staying long, so she hadn’t planned to build any trust or connection with others. And yet, she found herself disappointed—she must have expected something from Lavi.

Reminding herself that she would eventually have to return to her cabin, Sel tried to calm her emotions. She kept telling herself that since they’d part ways anyway, it didn’t matter, but there was still a bitter taste in her mouth.

Just then, Eric pulled something from his pocket and tossed it to her as she stood there lost in thought. She caught it reflexively: a strawberry-flavored candy wrapped in a spotted shell.

“Thoughts can take many forms, but the ones that grow too large can be like poison. When that happens, take a break from thinking, rookie.”

It was as if he’d read her mind. Looking down at the candy, Sel murmured a quiet thanks.

“…Thank you.”

“No need.”

Eric chuckled warmly, waved, and stepped out of the room.

Sel looked at the strawberry candy, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. The sweet flavor spread, soothing her.

***

One of the perks of staying on the fourth floor was its proximity to Lavi’s room, where the account books were stored. This meant fewer stairs to climb, a small detail that, unexpectedly, added to her satisfaction.

After reviewing last year’s records, Sel now needed to check the books for the first half of this year, so she headed to Lavi’s room. Normally, his door would be open, but today it was shut, a heavy iron door.

Only Eric and Choro among the mercenaries could open that door; the rest wouldn’t dare. Lavi usually kept it open unless he had private business, so Sel found the closed door odd. Just then, she spotted Eric carrying small glass bottles and stopped him.

“Eric, is the Commander in there?”

“Uh… what do you need, rookie?”

“I’m here to review the financial records for the first half of this year. I finished last year’s.”

“Fast.”

Eric furrowed his brow, eyeing the record book Sel was holding, as if deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Philip, who had been waving at Sel as he came up the stairs, glanced at Eric with a mischievous expression.

“Deputy Commander, is Flora in there now? I’d really like to see her!”

Flora? Sel tilted her head in confusion, and Eric cleared his throat, nodding with a hint of discomfort.

Philip bounced excitedly.

“Does this mean our Commander finally has a lover?”

Sel’s eyes widened at Philip’s words.

“Quiet, Philip. This isn’t a matter for minors.”

“Exactly why it’s more interesting!” Philip’s eyes sparkled.

Finally understanding, Sel let out a soft “Ah.” Strangely, rather than curiosity, she felt embarrassed.

“Didn’t the Commander keep switching women for a while? But Flora’s visited him three times now!”

“Zip it.”

Eric ground his teeth, sending Philip a warning glare. Feeling the chill, Philip shrank back and lowered his head immediately.

“Sorry, Deputy Commander.”

“If you understand, go downstairs with Sel. Peacefully, hand in hand.”

No more nonsense.

Eric shot Philip a sharp look before disappearing into a storage room.

Looking deflated, Philip extended his hand to Sel, who just stared at it.

“What are you waiting for, Sel?”

Sel, lost in thought, glanced up at Philip, who wiggled his hand insistently.

“Hand. The Deputy Commander told us to go down holding hands, remember?”

She doubted he meant it that way, but with her mind still foggy, Sel ended up taking Philip’s hand.

With their similar heights, the two walked downstairs to the second floor, side by side like good friends.