Episode 398 Dead Man Walking (3)

The box opened, and a pillar of silver light rose from within.

It was a badge of rank, a badge with a silver Rose of Sharon embroidered on it.

It was the symbol for the rank of Major.

“……This?”

Vikir looked up, and Lt. Colonel Bastille opened his mouth with a friendly smile.

“I see your construction progress has been over 100% every time, and last month you finally hit 200%?”

“Thanks to the good work of my colleagues.”

“Hahahaha – how humble, I love that kind of comradeship. Anyway, how can I keep a competent subordinate who outperforms everyone else by double or triple every month as a lowly guard?”

A guard was judged on his ability to organize and lead prisoners.

Vikir was recognized for both his resourcefulness and his integrity.

Lt. Colonel Bastille was also an adjutant in Colonel D’Ordume’s line, and Colonel D’Ordum was currently devoting all of his attention to Nouvelle Vague’s grand project, the new Level 10.

Lt. Colonel Bastille, therefore, had everything at stake in this massive expansion.

Vikir, who had been able to safely eliminate any distractions and whose workload was far greater than anyone else’s, had earned the favor of Lt. Colonel Bastille.

“You’re not the kind of person to work with just a dozen low-level prisoners. Even the great masters who united half the world during the Warring States Period began their careers guarding warehouses loaded with military munitions.”

“…….”

“I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with the countless guards you’ll have, and the countless prisoners under you. Do you know if my unusual choice will dramatically accelerate the construction of Level 10?”

Lt. Colonel Bastille was a seasoned politician.

He saw through Vikir’s extraordinary plan at a glance and recognized it as the key to getting the Level 10 completed ahead of schedule.

And that was good news for Vikir.

“I’m going to put everything on the line and make a difference in Nouvelle Vague.”

Vikir was honest about the plan he’s had since he arrived.

And this brought a smile of satisfaction to Lt. Colonel Bastille’s face.

…Chuck!

The rank insignia inside the box hung on Vikir’s chest.

Thus, Vikir was promoted from Captain Garm Nord to Major Garm Nord.

It had happened in less than a year, if you don’t count the time Garm had been a lowly rank.

“Hahaha. I didn’t get promoted this fast when I was a junior guard, either. The only people who ever did it in the first place were Colonel D’Ordume and Colonel Souare… and aside from those two earlier examples, you’re probably the first in decades.”

“I will work harder.”

“Okay then. You have to work hard, now that I’m counting on you and watching over you. How sad and frustrated have you been because you haven’t had a chance to show off your abilities? If you think about it that way, that guy named Sakkuth, who is no longer around, must have been lucky for you.”

“No, I didn’t think of it that way.”

“Hahaha! That’s what I think. I think so. He was lucky for me, because he allowed me to find such a capable subordinate as you.”

Vikir looked down at the silver and black Rose of Sharon on his chest.

This insignia of rank, which was made by covering BDISSEM pieces with silver, was quite valuable as a sculpture.

But it was the symbolism of the rank that was important: the various privileges guaranteed by the rank of Major.

For starters, a Major is recognized as the end of the junior guards and the beginning of the senior guards.

After being promoted to Major, a person accumulates a small amount of seniority and is treated as a senior guard, with the following privileges

1. Recruit and impose discretionary labor on up to 108 prisoners within the limits of Level 3.
2. Summarily execute one prisoner for grave inferior offenses, such as refusing to serve or injuring a guard, within the limits of Level 7.
3. Freely move in and out of the entirety of the Labor Camp at any time of the day or night, without needing to report to a superior.
4. Access to the ‘Breeding Grounds’, ‘Execution Grounds’, and ‘Punishment Rooms’ if authorized by the higher-ups.

.

.

Vikir’s attention was drawn to numbers one and three of these.

He could conscript prisoners at his discretion and make them serve at his discretion.

He could even inspect the labor camp whenever he wanted, regardless of the time of day.

‘……These are the optimal conditions to operate on Poseidon.’

‘I didn’t even need to be promoted beyond Lt. Colonel.’

Major was the ideal rank for Vikir, as he had all the key authorizations he needed for the jailbreak, as well as the relative lack of attention and ease of maneuverability.

Lieutenant Colonel Bastille gave Vikir a stern look.

“Just as you have the privileges of being a Major, you also have the responsibilities of being a Major.”

With privilege comes responsibility.

A certain amount of construction progress, the number of times prisoners rioted, the time it took to quell them, the evaluations from superiors and subordinates, etc……..

But Vikir didn’t care about any of this.

‘It’s not long now, anyway.’

The countdown. The moment of escape was approaching very fast.

Vikir was already slowly putting his second plan into action following his transformation into a guard.

Then.

“By the way, now that you’ve been promoted to Major, I think it’s time for a new adjutant. What do you think? You can have up to three adjutants.”, said Lt. Colonel Bastille.

The eyes of the lower-ranking guards around him changed color in unison.

Now none of the men who had looked down on him as an idiot remained.

But Vikir shook his head as if he didn’t care.

“One Lieutenant Kirko Grimm will be enough.”

For a moment, there was a slight hush around them.

“……?”

Vikir turned his head, puzzled by the sudden change in the atmosphere, but all he could see was Kirko, her head bowed low and her ears red. 

(Proofreader: tch what a clueless idiot! But isn’t that why we love him?)

Then Lt. Colonel Bastille chuckled.

“Hahahaha – an internal love affair, not a bad thing, as long as you watch out for a few factors.”

As he finished speaking, Lt. Colonel Bastille looked at Kirko, who was standing next to Vikir, with a strange gaze.

“…… An internal love affair, hmmm. Strange fate, indeed. Children are like their parents after all.”

For some reason, the voice exudes a bit of pity.

He shook his head, wondering why he had muttered such a thing.

“Lieutenant Kirko Grimm. A lieutenant is an adjutant, a rank somewhat insufficient to assist a Major.”

“I’ll work hard to make up for it!”

“You’re already working hard. You’ve consistently performed well on your monthly evaluations, you sacrificed yourself for your comrades during the last Level 8 prisoner riot, and you did an excellent job assisting Major Garm during this execution.”

Lt. Colonel Bastille patted Kirko on the shoulder and said.

“I have prepared a reward for you as well.”

With that, he handed Kirko a box.

Inside were three diamonds and a badge symbolizing the rank of Captain.

“You must have gained quite a bit of experience in this riot and learned a lot. I’m pleased to see that you’ve paired up with a great officer and a great subordinate, and I wish you both the best. Always remember that your promotion is extremely unusual.”

“YES!”

Both Vikir and Kirko echoed at the words of Lt. Col.

Major Garm. Captain Kirko.

They were promoted one rank at a time, to the admiration, respect, and envy of all their junior guards.

It was then.

“……Lt. Colonel Bastille.”

A guard with the rank of Major next to him spoke up in a concerned voice.

Lt. Colonel Bastille turned his head with a puzzled expression.

“What?”

“Well, sir. An order has come down from above.”

“From above? From who? Colonel D’Ordume or Colonel Souare?”

“……Neither of them.”

For a moment, Lt. Colonel Bastille’s expression hardened as he listened to his adjutant’s report.

“Is this, by any chance, an audit of the specialist?”

“That’s right, Lt. Colonel ‘Black Tongue’ is taking an interest.”

Lt. Colonel Bastille covered his face with his hands.

“…… What kind of whim did that crazy person suddenly have?”

“They say good things always come with a price, don’t they?”

“Okay. There is nothing wrong with military law. Where gratitude is expected for unusual promotions.”

The conversation between Lt. Colonel Bastille and the adjutant was becoming increasingly serious.

Meanwhile, watching from the sidelines, Vikir thought to himself.

‘……Black Tongue.’

Lt. Colonel ‘Black Tongue’. A man with no name and an unpleasant nickname: Black Tongue.

He was one of the top five wardens in Nouvelle Vague and a member of the ‘audit team’.

However, the Audit Team was a team and an organization, and was actually made up of only one person, Lt. Colonel Black Tongue.

Another nickname for the Black Tongue was “the jailer who catches jailers”.

The Nouvelle Vague has its own system of laws and punishments because the laws of the land don’t apply to it, and that goes for the guards as well as the prisoners.

Unusually for a guard, Lt. Colonel Black Tongue doesn’t punish prisoners, he punishes guards.

He was the only one of the guards at Nouvelle Vague who was feared, as he investigated internal irregularities, breaches of military discipline, and other misdeeds, and punished them at his discretion.

But he was also the least known of the five wardens, even more so than Brigadier General Flubber, whose identity was a mystery to the lowly guards, who were never likely to do anything wrong in the first place.

Vikir thought for a moment.

‘…… Lt. Colonel Black Tongue. Good, because he’s someone I’d like to meet personally.’

Unlike BDISSEM and Flubber, who were essential to meet before jailbreak, Black Tongue had no direct business with Vikir.

However, Vikir had a very personal reason for wanting to see Lt. Colonel Black Tongue.

at that time.

ppudeug-

There was a faint, dull noise.

It was the sound of grinding teeth.

Vikir heard it and turned his head.

There stood Kirko, her face impassive.

“…….”

But judging by the faint veins of blood on her neck and chin, it was Kirko who had just been grinding her teeth.

Vikir was just about to call out to Kirko to find out what was going on.

“Major Garm, Captain Kirko. I need to go to the audit room right now.”

Lt. Colonel Bastille spoke up again.

“Apparently, your promotion was too quick, and the audit team has raised questions. You have a clean background, a clean past, and a clean record, so there shouldn’t be much of a problem, but…….”

He trailed off, his voice a little underwater.

“Lt. Colonel Black Tongue. Judging by ‘personally’, he’s a man to be very wary of. Just keep that in mind and go.”

An ominous tone that could turn a good mood upside down in an instant.

All the guards, who only moments ago had been looking at them with envy, now look at Vikir and Kirko with sympathy and anxiety.

But. The hound’s eyes, facing this overwhelming ominousness, were calm as always.

“I’ll be going, then.”

No, rather, it glowed with a ‘personal’ interest.