Armor rattled raucously in her vicinity. Footsteps rumbled around her, thumping with a discordant rhythm as the soldiers trampled down the forest path. Suisei watched in awe from the back of a supply caravan, staring at a portion of the five hundred strong battalion of Houshou Legionnaires in march.
Calling it a 'march' might be a stretch.
When viewed objectively, the Houshou Legionnaires were probably best described as an organized mob, walking in some rough semblance of a three-column formation. Respectfully, there were many steps before the Houshou Legionnaires can be considered anything close to a disciplined army. Still, it would have been foolish to expect anything more out of a ragtag group composed of thugs and mercenaries hastily assembled just two weeks ago.
If anything, Suisei was surprised at their performance. The legionnaires marched through the harsh, dense foliage without complaint. Even from the caravan, Suisei was starting to sweat from the heat. The forests between Kalinga and Mount Iya were apparently absurdly humid during this time of the year. Suisei could only imagine the legionnaires' discomfort while also carrying weapons and armor. Marine's leadership and competence were on full display.
I remember the manager was nearly in tears trying to organize my concert back home. And all she had to do was coordinate with a small team of ten.
A sadistic grin emerged on her face as Suisei pictured how her manager would react if she was suddenly told to lead a group of five hundred unruly thugs.
Probably a panic attack, then a mental breakdown, followed by threatening to resign—before retreating to the nearest bar to get blackout drunk.
"Maintain the pace! We march for one more hour before break!"
Marine's distant voice echoed from the front of the line. Couriers soon rushed down the column, repeating the instructions to the rest of the battalion. The first day of the expedition to Mount Iya was coming to an end.
"Seriously, just what the hell is that woman?!"
Suisei turned towards the person that was sharing the caravan with her.
"First it's her inexplicable martial prowess, and now it turns out she can also lead an army?!" Alice was throwing a tantrum. Her words sounded slightly slurred, likely due to the nasty swelling on the side of her cheeks. The aftermath of Marine's "physical examination" still hadn't subsided.
To her surprise, Suisei felt herself feeling a tiny smidgen of pity for Alice. In spite of her misgivings about being abandoned in Eden's stronghold, seeing Alice be beaten to the point of losing her charms was a tough sight to swallow. A woman's face was one of their greatest assets.
At least she won't be able to seduce Vesper anymore.
Probably.
In hindsight, maybe this was Marine's intentions from the very beginning.
"Suisei! Explain this to me! Just who the hell is your companion?" Alice asked. If the state of her face bothered her, she didn't let it show.
Suisei shrugged, "She's...was the leader of a pirate crew."
"A pirate crew?" Alice narrowed her eyes. Suisei's answer was definitely unexpected. "Is that why she wears that silly eye-patch?"
"Good question. Maybe? I'm not so sure myself."
I doubt it's purely for vanity. Marine seems to always have a reason for her actions.
"Ugh, I guess that explains why she seems oddly at home leading this group of thugs," Alice grumbled, "Actually, that explains a lot of things. Her brutality, her complete lack of compassion, her nastiness..."
YOU ARE READING
A Distant Reverie
Fanfiction"Careful now. Try not to move too suddenly, alright?" Vesper Noir wakes up one day in a foreign land with gaps in his memories...and a sharp blade pressed against his throat. His assailant? A beautiful, self-proclaimed female pirate with a sweet voi...
