Chapter 4: 9 Years old?

First Month of 1930, Kronfeld – Capital of Felsburg

The old radio on the table vibrated slightly, filling the room with a deep and commanding voice. I sat cross-legged on the sofa near the fireplace, letting the warmth of the flames accompany the cold afternoon. Outside, snow continued to fall gently, covering the rooftops and streets like an endless white blanket. But what caught my attention was not the silence of winter—it was the voice echoing from the radio.

"Brothers and sisters of the nation!"

Erzregen's shout cut through the air, met with thunderous cheers from the gathered crowd outside. I could imagine thousands standing in the city square, listening to their leader with unwavering enthusiasm.

"Look at this land, the land we have defended with blood—zzzt—and tears! Look at—zzzt—our history, how we have endured storms that sought—zzzt—to erase our existence! And yet now, dark clouds—zzzt—loom once again. Noirval—zzzt—is expanding its grip, threatening our borders, threatening our families—zzzt—threatening—zzzt—the future of our children!"

The applause and cheers grew louder. I glanced at the cup of tea in my hands, its steam still rising in slow, delicate wisps.

"Will we remain silent? Will we—zzzt—wait until they—zzzt—set foot on our land, until—zzzt—they seize the independence—zzzt—that we have built—zzzt—with great struggle?"

"NEVER!"

The chorus of voices roared, even through the old radio. I exhaled, letting the sound wash over my thoughts.

"Then we must unite! Felsburg will not survive on prayers and hope alone! We need strength, we need courage, we need unity! Veldenmark is the land of our ancestors, and as long as it remains divided, we will never truly be safe!"

Without realizing it, my fingers tightened around the blanket in my lap. I never fully understood politics—after all, in my previous life, I had been a soldier, not a politician. Soldiers are instruments of violence, deployed when politics fails. But there was one thing I did know—Erzregen's words ignited a fire in the hearts of the people.

"Rise, people of Felsburg! The future is in our hands! For our homeland! For our honor! For our children and grandchildren!"

The cheers erupted once more, flooding the air with euphoria. I turned to the window, seeing some neighbors standing in their yards, swept up in the wave of passion spreading through the city.

I only let out a sigh.

Slowly, I sipped my now-cooling tea, trying to ignore the commotion outside. But deep down, I knew—it was only a matter of time before Erzregen's words changed everything.

"And for—zzzt—Albert II, who has oppressed the people—zzzt—only to flee to Columbara to live in luxury!—zzzt—we will not—"

Click!

As if experiencing déjà vu, the once-fiery speech of Erzregen vanished, leaving the radio as nothing more than a useless box.

And as expected, my mother stood beside it, wearing a slightly annoyed expression.

"…Eh? Why did you turn it off? I was listening."

Inge—my mother—sighed before saying, "Day by day, you're becoming more like your father. Staying home just to listen to the radio."

From the outside, it certainly looked that way. But unlike my father, who listened to the radio out of duty, I only did it to pass the time.

This year—or more precisely, in three days—I would turn nine years old. Time had truly flown by before I even realized it.

Word had it that Paul—my father—would return home exactly on my birthday. He was no longer a paramilitary member like before. After Erzregen's regime defeated the Royalists in the south, the paramilitary forces were gradually disbanded, with many of their members being recruited into the regular army—including my father.

It was a necessary move. Too many of them had begun abusing their power, oppressing civilians for personal gain. Not wanting his image tarnished, Erzregen chose to integrate them into the regular army for stricter discipline. After all, paramilitary forces were not a true military, so it was no surprise that they lack of discipline.

"…Erina, you're thinking about something strange again, aren't you?"

"—E-Eh?! W-What do you mean, Mom?!"

"You stuttered."

A mother's intuition is terrifying… Do they have mind-reading abilities?!

"Ah, well, I don't really have anything else to do, so the only thing I can do is listen to the radio. Besides, did you know, Mom? Information is the currency of survival—whether in war, business, or daily life. Those who seek it thrive, while those who ignore it are left in the dark."

Mom's sighed again, waving her hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, my genius daughter. If you really have nothing to do, how about helping me buy ingredients for your birthday cake?"

"…Eh? But—"

"If I'm not mistaken, Aunt Elke just received some tea from the Aussian continent in the east. One of her merchant relatives brought it here."

"Roger that!"

"Huh? Roger what?"

"Nothing!"

Damn, she's getting better at controlling me. I had no idea where Aussian was, but it certainly sounded like good tea. Besides, I'd loved tea ever since my past life, back when I was still deployed on the battlefield.

There had been a British volunteer who joined our unit to assist in the Balkan conflict. He was assigned to my team, and in no time, we became close. And of course he the one who make me love tea.

Unfortunately, during a mission in a certain town, our T-72MS tank was ambushed by militants. The engine was disabled, and in the chaos, we were forced to evacuate and flee. In the process, I got separated from him. I could only hope he had made it out safely and returned home after the war ended.

Ack!

Lost in thought, I was suddenly snapped back to reality when Mom's flicked her fingers against my forehead. I couldn't see it, but I was sure my forehead was now turning red!

"What was that for?! That hurt!"

"Erina, you made a sad face again…" Her voice was gentle, yet filled with concern. "I don't like seeing you like that."

I blinked, still slightly overwhelmed by the situation.

"I know times are hard right now," she continued, "but believe me, everything will be alright."

Then, without warning, she pulled me into a warm embrace. A warmth so familiar, a soft lavender scent so distinct… I didn't have to think to know who it was.

"Mom…"

Unconsciously, my body relaxed in her arms. Warm… comforting… I really liked this. In my previous life, I rarely—if ever—experienced a hug like this.

But then, a few seconds later, my awareness returned.

Wait… wait a second! Who even am I?! Why am I enjoying this so much?!

Suddenly, my face felt hot. I could practically feel how red my cheeks were. Damn it! This is embarrassing! I squirmed, trying to break free, until Mom finally let me go—wearing an expression that, for some reason, seemed mischievous.

I had a bad feeling about this…

"Oh? My baby is growing up, huh? She's embarrassed to be hugged by her own mother~" she teased. "Children grow up so fast… It makes me sad."

"S-Stop talking nonsense! Didn't you tell me to buy ingredients?! Where's the money?!"

"Fufu, alright, alright. Here it is. Be careful on the way!"

After receiving the shopping money from her, I quickly dashed outside, lowering my head in an attempt to hide my burning face.

Damn… she's getting way too good at teasing her own daughter!