My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending

Forty stories

It's hard to say I'm ready, but there's no time waiting for me where I've raised how much dissatisfaction. In the end, I could not think of any measures that could be expected to be effective other than requesting cooperation from the task.

Whether you touch around that this expedition is a trap or not, there is no way you can believe it, even if the content of the story is true, unless there is solid evidence. If there's anything else I can do, it's enough to alert Cody and the others.

It doesn't make much sense either.

Proceed at a slow rate as you pull the pawn-loaded horse's reins through a rocky area where large and small rocks are rolling. I felt that my moody heavy footsteps were getting even heavier on the bad road.

"Get more out of your shoulder, Harold. Your face is five times stronger than usual."

One way or another, Harold has thrown words at me so that Sid, who was walking side by side, can tear it up.

Cody squad faces have been told something similar every day since the first day of the expedition. Perhaps they think I'm nervous on my first assignment.

The implications are definitely as nervous as they are different.

But the trouble is that Harold's various statements, such as "Don't Pay Attention" and "Pay Attention to Your Surroundings," are perceived as excessively distracting by tension. The more experienced people, including the Robinsons, many saw this expedition as less dangerous or urgent.

It's not that I'm not alert or ready, but I'm probably making room for it. In a bad way, there's no tightness in the air somewhere.

"You guys are just too loose. If the battle starts, you'll die first."

"Who are you fighting?

"The sentry location is along the border. A suspicious witness might be an imperial person."

"Well, maybe there is. But it's a lot of intel, about 30 people, and it's for reconnaissance, right? This one's over 200 men, and in case it's a fight, it's over with a kick in the ass."

It won't be a fight first. I don't know what Sid's trying to say, but I don't.

It's like 30 reconnaissance fights a well-equipped and supplied opponent on enemy land and crushes the power in vain. The Knights humans understand how pointless it is, but therefore conclude that no battle can happen.

But that is if the prior information was correct. It is likely that this time it has collapsed from that premise.

It was a battle in which a large number of dead were supposed to come out in the original. You should see ambushes and ambushes waiting in the woods.

More or less Sid said he ran into the Early Cloud in the meantime and was dying. It is even questionable how he could afford it.

Shall we treat such spare time to pieces of wood dust at dawn when we can return safely than ever before?

Harold stabs a nail that he doesn't remember how many more bottles he's going to have while he thinks bad and awful things like that.

"If you don't want to die, get ready to respond even if the battle starts at this moment right now. Well, you probably know a lot about it."

"Heck."

It seemed like an arm push on a warm curtain to Sid, who is getting used to Harold's disgusting remarks.

It makes me want to punch the future I'm waiting for, but I don't have enough evidence for you to believe me, and on the contrary, I can be distrustful or unwanted suspicious.

At least I tried to plant a sense of crisis in the face of the Cody squad alone, but it didn't work out, and eventually a few days later I arrived in a town near the Bertis forest. I will be on sentinel duty in and near the woods while I stay here.

(Uh... I don't know what to do)

Sometimes it was evening when he arrived in town, and early when he was ready for the next day, Harold, free of time, lost his way through the town stained with sunset.

There's time and shadows are sparse. Not a very big town in the first place.

Walk the idle streets troubled by unanswered problems. Sometimes he was devoting most of his resources to his thoughts, and Harold's feet, not conscious, proceeded to the back alley.

Then I lose so much and my leg stops.

For returning it to me. And I also realize I'm lost. I'm not even sure where I've been walking.

I get scared myself of what the hell I'm doing. I got that thought on my mouth in an unpopular back alley.

"... it's stopped now. I don't care how long it lasts."

Harold's mouth is somewhat high-pressure, even if it is solitary to himself.

But the next moment, a shadow appeared from nowhere. Those in black like melting out of the sun. It's like being a ninja.

Surrounded by such a creepy group, Harold's vigilance instantly rises to its maximum, no way an enemy attack.

But against expectations, a dozen black outfits don't move. I thought I'd keep staring at each other, and one of my black clothes walked forward and removed a cloth covering my face that was hiding anything but my eyes.

"Long time no see, Harold."

An unsuitable prolonged voice of tension. The outfit has changed a lot from what I found out about the cooking outfit, but it was definitely Yuno who was supposed to be Erica's entourage there.

Tension loosens up and forces out of your body over the relief that your opponent was on your side, not your enemy.

"Using a Task"

"Yes ~"

Assistance from tasks that we managed to take after the negotiations. I'm very grateful that you sent the personnel as promised.

But why is Yuno in it? To be clear, the samurai Yuno has a heavy load of work to do.

Well, maybe she's a hidden strength because she was used, but if so, it's likely that she also served as Erica's escort.

He used to allow you to come here.

"Yes. Erica told me to do what you think."

(Yeah?)

The response from Yuno does not engage. As for Harold, I asked him if he had been ordered to the task and drank the story reluctantly between Erica and Yuno's master.

But in Yuno's words, it was as if “Yuno himself came here wanting to."

I remember something getting caught up there, Harold, but I can't even afford to worry about that right now.

"Hmm, okay. So, how far are you guys listening?

"Roughly ~"

Yuno clouding words. It wasn't like talking about going out and out, no matter how uninhabited.

I don't even know where my ears and eyes are lurking.

"Then I'll move the place. That's where the details are."

"Then come here. We have an invisible room for you ~"

That's just the use of the task and it's handy.

In response to Yuno's lines, the other black clothes disappeared once again to melt into the shadows. Does the guidance mean that she will serve alone?

A fuzzy smile awaited me that would soothe that seer if I turned to Yuno.

Harold prayed silently for her to cover her well.

◇

Already three days after arriving in the nearest town in the Bertis Forest. Cody, who hasn't apparently broken his usual attitude while doing his job as a backup force, was troubled inside that chest.

The seed of worry is Harold, a boy who recently joined his own squad.

I'm doing Harold's surveillance at the request of Vice Commander Fincent, who is also an old friend of Cody's, as Knights No. 2, but it doesn't feel good to suspect his own men.

But it was troublesome for Harold to have enough puzzling points to doubt.

Initially all attention was paid to overwhelming combat abilities, but doubts became clear in the battle against the mysterious red and black fog encountered during the exam.

Unidentified monster. That and Harold's reaction I encountered was something I just thought I knew about foggy monsters.

The person insisted and acted like it was the first time he had ever seen it in words, but that was clearly showing Cody and the others how to fight the red and black fog.

If there had been no request from Fincent and I hadn't suspected it from the beginning, I might have overlooked that indissolubility.

It's not a detrimental behavior to the Knights, but if you know it, why did you make such a roundabout choice?

(I don't want them to know that I know there's a "red and black fog." It's creepy considering that.)

I have no idea why.

I don't even know what the red and black fog is in the first place. Maybe if we can figure out who that fog is, we can see what Harold's doing.

But I can't say such a long thing right now. Make it the way you fight the Knights. Make it a mysterious monster, Harold knows very well what ordinary people can't know.

Such was clearly upsetting when he was informed that he would participate in this expedition. And since the beginning of the expedition, he has repeated his remarks to the effect that if he opens his mouth, he will "prepare for the attack".

It's as if you "know” you need to.

Plus, it's also a matter of concern that I've been blind in my free time since I arrived in this town.

I can't wipe my bad feeling. I seem to assume that the members around me are because they are nervous about their first assignment, but I know Harold is not such a carefree little boy.

Even if it was shrinking inside, you wouldn't be ashamed of your fear and putting it on the table.

Anxiety is fuelled by Harold's insistent remarks just to see it.

Should I force myself to throw up what I know? I don't really think Harold will confess to that, but if it's something that's likely to involve a life-threatening crisis, he may also have to choose a tough means to keep his men.

(But come on, Harold's my precious man, too.)

That was Cody's unshakeable will and at the same time the cause of his troubles.

I understand that Harold is not as bad a person as he is on the outside because he has been in close contact with him for months. He seems to have some secrets, but he hasn't done anything to the detriment of the Knights so far.

I want to believe Harold, I think. As a superior officer, I take it for granted.

But I believe because I want to, then I won't talk about it. Unconditional trust is blindly stupid.

I can't keep doing Fincent a favor.

Exhale one deep, long sigh.

It's not clear that I'm just thinking about it anymore.

I was just saying hello to Harold, and he said, "Hey, good morning. Mr. Harold, are you hiding something?" Why don't you cut right in front of them?

It may be too dawn and clear for the servant Harold to overflow the information.

No, I don't know, get into my own ideas.

But it doesn't suit the sex, but I wonder if there are times to talk about it with a broken stomach. If anything happens during sentinel duty, there may be no more time.

That's what I thought. I was about to head to Harold's place, and the message rolled into the room packed by less than a squadron leader, and the door just broke.

"Shit, there were reports of troops on sentry being attacked by someone! Many wounded! We need immediate backup!

Each captain moves quickly on the occasion of a transmission. The fastest of them all was Cody.

When I open the door to the room filled by about 20 members, including Harold and the others, I say without letting my hair in.

"It's time for work. Gather your gear and assemble outside. And then you, Robin."

"Ha, ha!

"Harold, where are you?

"I was here, but I just went somewhere..."

It was late. Perhaps he's on his way to the scene.

Cody realized that by intuition.

"As the Cody squad follows the instructions of the Malik squad. I'm looking for you, Harold. Say hello!

"Bu, Squad Leader!?

Cody, who shook out Robinson's voice calling him off, first takes confirmation with the stables clerk at the stables. If you ask, there are no humans who borrowed the horses left behind, and the number hasn't decreased.

I guess Harold also thought a rookie with no authority whatsoever couldn't borrow an emergency horse.

I mean, Harold is going for the Bertis Forest on his own feet. If you ride a horse, you should chase him.

Cody, who loaned a horse from the stables, aims for the forest in a straight line. Then I'll capture Harold's back in sight in less than five minutes.

And it's amazing leg strength. It took longer than I expected to chase him down.

Keep pulling Harold out and out front, he gets off the horse and gets stuck in front of Harold.

"Where are you going in such a hurry? Mr. Harold."

"... what's wrong with you and them?

"Robin, are you guys here? I've left their command to the rest of the team."

"Go back. You'll be the captain of them."

"If you're gonna say that, so are you. If you're going back, why don't you join us?

"Say no."

Refusal to surrender. Harold means he's going to move alone.

There's no way Harold doesn't understand what that would do. Self-serving solitary action in defiance of the superior officer's instructions.

Moreover, if we were to intervene on the battlefield, we would not be spared punishment. It goes beyond what Cody can shelter. Worst case scenario, possible discharge or imprisonment.

Still, I guess he has a reason why we have to go.

A boy named Harold never bends his own beliefs. He has the strength to make you think so.

I'm sure verbal persuasion doesn't make sense.

Having a strong subordinate makes you struggle, and leaks a bitter laugh.

"As for me, it would help if you came back as an adult?

"It's tough. Get the fuck out of here."

"Yes, really, you can't overlook it. Don't you hate being hit by a barn?

Well, I wish I was alive.

I can understand if I don't like Harold's eyes. Those are the eyes of those who are ready to jump into the dead.

Often Cody has seen those eyed humans become impotent. Few of them are dead.

……

"Not really? Then let me tell you something"