The girl who ate the death god

Chapter 11: Absinthe Is to Die for Delicious

Around when a grand welcome event for "His Excellency David The Next Field Marshal" was being held in Castle Belta's VIP room:
Schera together with her cavalrymen were attending to a duty of sheer utmost importance assigned in the name of Belta's highest emissaries–The ruinous crest of the Third Army's flag that invited utter defeat for the Kingdom. All of them would be disposed of and replaced with the Fourth Army's glorious banner... that kind of supreme order.
In simpler terms, it was a present harassment from the Fourth Army to Schera. According to the esteemed officer, "You guys are fit for these kinds of odd jobs." This kind of treatment was enforced not only on Schera but also on all the other persons.
There was no way mixing the stranger soldiers that came from the northern area and the soldiers that had defended Belta and Antigua would turn out well. They mutually hated each other, and fighting broke out in many places over the most pointless to speak of disputes. Thus, even when they were unfastening the unneeded flags, boos and insults could be heard nearby. Seeing the flags of the Third Army stacked like a mountain, Vander offhandedly complained.

"......Should I have been an artisan, a flag weaver?... I am definitely folding flags."

He took the flag off the pole, and then replaced it with the new one. He was sick of it that he would collapse.

"Move your hands, not your mouth. There are still some hundreds more as you can see."

"Yeah... Roughly 1,000 I guess?"

"Ahh-, I'm hungry. How healthy to be under such a bright, glorious sun. Anyone have a nice boxed lunch?"

"There are none, Major. Though I think where His Excellency General David is has some. Luxurious food piled high like a mountain that is. They are surely having a staggering feast you know."

"Second Lieutenant Vander, mind going over there and getting me some?"

"Please excuse me, but I cannot follow that order. I personally do not want to go to jail, and I cannot escape like you can Major."

When Vander joked around, Katarina threw the battleflag that she was holding at him.

"Hey, didn't I tell you to move those hands? We won't finish by today at this rate!"

"Yeah yeah. I understand, Oh Magnificent Second Lieutenant Katarina. ......Major, we will do the rest. A commanding officer doing such menial tasks concerns our dignity."

"As he says Major Schera. There is no need for Major to do these kinds of things!"

Katarina raised her voice. This was not work for a hero. However, Schera indifferently continued working.

"I don't know what dignity you mean, but go feed that to the dogs. I have spare time so I don't mind. Besides, look. Those guys of my unit are doing something interesting."

Where Schera pointed, a crowd of soldiers with special paint were making a commotion for some reason. It seemed they were repainting the Third Army's flag. A soldier who seemed to have some artistic skill was holding a brush and carefully moving his hand.

"......What the heck are those guys doing over there? It does appear that they are writing something but."

When Vander concentrated his eyes, they had finished painting it pitch black it seemed. They had turned it into a suitable flag for Schera.

"They said they're putting scrapped materials to effective use. Thinking that it's trash anyway so no one will care, I gave them permission. They can still be used, and it would be a waste."

"......If they behave willfully like that, they are going to be scolded again. They are already being glared at it seems."

Warned Katarina, but Schera had not the ears for it.