I don't know yet, but

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"It's not so much that I dislike it, but it is wrong."

--Why?

"Soldiers have a duty to protect civilians. It must never be the other way around."

Shirley seemed to ponder that answer for a moment.

--The nobles of the Obscure Kingdom have a similar way of thinking, you know. They don't hesitate to risk their lives to protect the people.

"Then..."

--But you see.

A whisper overlapped Finn's words.

--They spend all day training in martial arts, patrolling, and debating national policy. So, who do you think provides the food they eat and the clothes they wear?

"The citizens, is it?"

--Exactly. Nobles protect the people, but they are also protected by the people. It's not a one-way street. They protect each other. I think that's why the Obscure Kingdom has lasted for ten thousand years.

Ten thousand years. It was an unfathomable amount of time. Even by Finn's knowledge of history, there was no political system that had lasted that long.

--I don't mind being protected. It just means I'm thought of as that precious, and it makes me feel strongly that I want to protect everyone in a way that only I can.
--Finn, you said you would protect us, even though we were strangers. I was very happy. But, but...
--Can't I protect you, Finn?

"Th-that is..."

His eyebrows drooped. He was troubled. He didn't know how to answer.
A faint giggle escaped beside his face.

--Your troubled face is cute.

His cheek was poked with a fingertip.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Finn looked down.

--Anyway, that's how I feel. I'd be happy if you remembered that.

"I-I am..."

A finger is pressed against my lips as I start to speak.

――No more difficult talk. Hey, I want to know more about you, Finn.

“About me, ma'am?”

――Hmm, for example, what's your favorite food?

As for favorite food, Finn's staple diet is processed rations. It's not a matter of liking or disliking them. Eating everything to maintain one's body is one of a soldier's duties.

But on rare occasions, there were opportunities to eat luxury items. Chocolate was issued to the regiment in small quantities as a high-calorie field ration, but some veterans would obsessively use more chocolate than they were issued as currency for gambling. One of them shared a little with me, saying, "Don't tell the old man," though it remains a mystery why it had to be a secret. Adults must have all sorts of things going on.

“Chocolate was delicious, ma'am.”

――Chocolate?

“Um, it's a brown, hard, sweet, and slightly bitter food, ma'am.”

――Hmm, I can't imagine it. Anything else?

“Um, um, pudding! Pudding is what I like best, ma'am!”

――What kind of food is that?

“It's jiggly, soft, and sweet, ma'am!”

A faint, soft laugh.

――So you like sweet things, Finn.

The shock and excitement of the one time I ate pudding can still be vividly recalled even now. It was an event that completely changed my way of thinking about food.

――Once things settle down, I'll treat you to the sweets of this world.

“Are you serious, ma'am?”

――Yes, I promise.

Finn's heart raced. For some reason, there have been too many fun and happy things since coming to this world. This is strange. No matter how I think about it, it's wrong. But the sensation of the arms, body, and knees holding me was so gentle that, for just a moment, Finn allowed himself to be wrapped up and protected. ――Just a little. Just for a few minutes.

In this person's arms, I felt I could briefly forget my sorrows and my pain.
I remember the warmth of being held by Mother.
It has been a very long time since I last saw her.
And I no longer know if I will ever be able to see her again.
It is not a question of whether I can return to my original world, but whether there will be any room left in Finn's world to meet after I return.
With the Cainians monopolizing air superiority and long-range communication, and moving at the speed of bullets, hope for the survival of the Setsu people was all but extinguished. I had not been told the situation in great detail, but I could sense from the atmosphere among the adults that the time of ruin was near.
Finn stiffened as he imagined the twisted blade of a Cainian piercing Mother's chest. If that were to happen, he would no longer be able to fight. He would not be able to live. He would not be able to stand up again.

Squish.

"Huh?"

His cheeks were pulled to the left and right.

[To be continued]

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