Chapter 5: Wilhelm the Annoying

The cobbled streets of Kronfeld were covered in a thin layer of snow, crunching softly beneath my steps as I made my way toward the market. The cold air nipped at my cheeks, but it wasn't enough to chase away the lingering warmth of my mother's embrace.

I pulled my coat tighter around me, tucking my scarf deeper into my collar. The city was as lively as ever—merchants calling out to customers, children laughing as they kicked up the snow, carts rolling by and leaving deep tracks in the slushy ice. But something felt… off.

At first, it was just a vague unease, like a whisper at the back of my mind. But the farther I walked, the stronger it became.

There were more soldiers than usual.

Not just a few extra patrols—no, this was different.

They moved in organized groups, their steps precise, uniforms crisp and spotless, rifles slung neatly over their shoulders. Some stood at intersections, their gazes sharp, their postures rigid and disciplined. And the most telling sign—they weren't ordinary city guards.

I knew it at a glance.

The way they moved, the insignia on their coats—these were combat troops, not mere peacekeepers tasked with maintaining order in the streets.

I kept walking, pretending not to notice, but my instincts screamed at me to stay alert.

This wasn't normal.

Even in the capital, soldiers didn't gather in these numbers unless something had happened—or was about to.

I stole a glance at two officers standing near a bakery, their breath misting in the cold air as they spoke in hushed tones. One of them kept checking his pocket watch, his fingers tapping anxiously against his belt. Not far away, a group of soldiers stood near the tram station, their faces serious, their eyes sweeping the crowd as if searching for someone.

Were they preparing for something?

A chill crawled down my spine, and this time, it wasn't because of the winter air.

The last time I felt this kind of tension, I had been living a very different life—a life as a soldier, where troops never mobilized without reason.

And now, that feeling was creeping back, making each step feel heavier with every passing second.

What exactly was going on?

I knew getting involved would be dangerous, but my curiosity was hard to suppress. Fufu, surely they wouldn't pay much attention to a small child who just happened to overhear a conversation, right?

Carefully, I crept closer to the two officers, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

But before I could get any closer—

"Erina, what are you—ARGH!"

Suddenly, someone clapped a hand on my shoulder from behind.

That was a mistake.

My body may have looked like an ordinary girl's, but my reflexes and instincts were still sharp, remnants of my past life on the battlefield. In an instant, my hand moved on its own, twisting the arm of the person who had touched me.

Only when I recognized who it was did I hurriedly let go.

"Ah… Sorry, Will. Next time, don't sneak up on me like that," I said, feeling a bit awkward.

The boy—Wilhelm—pouted as he rubbed his arm. "Damn, you're small, but you're strong. Just because your dad's a soldier, huh? If my dad were still alive, I'd totally be able to beat you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

Wilhelm—a cocky ten-year-old brat—was the same kid who had once yanked my hair. He didn't remember it, but after hearing the story from my mother, he had been oddly proud of being the first person to make me cry.

Honestly, sometimes it felt like he was closer to my mother than to me…

His father had been a soldier when Felsburg was still under the rule of Albert II, but unfortunately, he had died not long after being sent to suppress the uprising in Veldenmark.

I studied Wilhelm for a moment before asking, "How's Aunt Elke? Is she doing well?"

"Yeah, she works really hard—sometimes too hard," Wilhelm said with a hint of reluctance.

"I see… I hope she stays healthy."

Elke, a single mother, had to provide for both herself and Wilhelm alone. She worked as a receptionist at a well-known photography studio in the city.

But before I could steer the conversation further, Wilhelm narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously.

"Hey, don't try to change the subject. What were you doing just now? Sneaking around like that—it looked really suspicious."

Damn. I had tried to distract him by bringing up his family, but this brat wasn't so easily fooled.

"Well… I was just curious. Why are there so many soldiers in the capital lately?" I finally asked.

Wilhelm stared at me as if I had just said something incredibly stupid.

"Hah? Are you an idiot?"

"Hah!?"

Sometimes, his rude mouth really got on my nerves. I wasn't sure if he had inherited it from his father, because Elke herself was a gentle and polite woman.

"It's the Routine Rotation, you idiot."

"...Oh."

I fell silent for a moment.

I had completely forgotten about that.

I had gotten so used to a peaceful life that I'd overlooked something so obvious.

Due to rising tensions between Felsburg and Noirval, both nations had been deploying more troops to the border to keep an eye on each other.

However, to maintain morale before a possible war, the government had implemented a Routine Rotation system. Twice a year, certain units were given leave to return home for one to two weeks before being sent back to the border. This policy had been in place for the past five years.

And now, I felt like an idiot for forgetting about it.

In my father's case, he always applied for leave around my birthday. What surprised me was that he was actually quite respected in the military.

Back when he was still part of the paramilitary, he and his platoon had carried out a heroic mission to reclaim a building overrun by Royalists during the southern battles in 1922. That was one of the reasons he was still well-regarded among regular soldiers, even now he actually already become an officer leading a company unit.

But even though I had figured out the answer… why did I still feel like something was off?

I mean, why did the soldiers look so grim?

Shouldn't this be a happy occasion—a chance for them to enjoy some well-earned time off?

Wilhelm folded his arms behind his head, grinning smugly. "Hah! Unbelievable! In the end, Erina is just a spoiled little girl who can't wait for her daddy to come home so she can cling to him. Hahaha!"

I stopped walking and turned to him with a sharp glare. "...Huh? What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?"

Wilhelm looked at me with a triumphant expression, as if he had just uncovered the greatest weakness of my life. "The proof is that you even forgot about the Routine Rotation! That means the only thing on your mind all this time has been your father! You must've been counting down the days just so you can get hugged by him again, huh?!" he snickered.

My face immediately grew hot. "S-Shut up! I don't want to hear that from a ten-year-old boy who's still afraid to sleep alone and begs his mother to stay with him every night!"

Wilhelm, who had been laughing proudly just a second ago, suddenly froze. His eyes widened, his face turned pale—like someone who had just been caught red-handed committing a crime. "W-What!? H-How do you know about that!?"

I smirked, crossing my arms. "Fufu, don't underestimate my intelligence network!"

Wilhelm still looked flustered. "T-That's impossible! The only person who knows about that is—"

Then, as if realization struck him, he groaned and smacked his forehead. "Ugh… That nosy mother of yours, isn't it!?"

I covered my mouth with my hand, feigning shock. "Oh? This brat is blaming my mother now? Wilhelm, how could you say something so cruel about someone who always gives you cookies whenever you visit my house?"

"I-I didn't mean it like that! But… damn it! I can't believe she just blurted it out like that!" Wilhelm hung his head, looking genuinely frustrated.

I chuckled. "That's what happens when you talk too much, kid. A counterattack can come at any moment!"

Wilhelm huffed, then narrowed his eyes. "Alright, then I won't hold back either!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Go ahead and try."

With full confidence, Wilhelm pointed at me. "You're short!"

"..."

"And even so, you still hope to grow taller!"

I let out a long sigh. "Seriously? That's all you've got?"

Wilhelm grinned slyly. "You check your height in the mirror every week!"

My eyes widened. "Hah!?!?"

"One time, your mother caught you standing on your tiptoes in front of the mirror, muttering to yourself, 'I'll definitely grow taller! I'll definitely grow taller!'"

"W-WHAT!?" My face burned red. "S-She told you that too!?"

Wilhelm burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. "Hahaha! Oh god, this is amazing! The mighty Erina actually has such a ridiculous weakness!"

I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the fiery embarrassment bubbling inside me. "Damn… I really need to have a talk with Mom after this…" I muttered, still seething with frustration and shame.

Wilhelm continued laughing triumphantly beside me, and I shot him a sharp glare—but that only seemed to make him even prouder of his little victory.

And so, we kept walking along the city sidewalk, throwing insults and jabs at each other without pause. Every now and then, I caught the soft chuckles of passersby—they must have thought we were just two kids bickering as usual. I could almost feel their amused smiles as they watched us argue endlessly.

Yet beneath it all, something dawned on me.

I was really starting to think and act like a child.

Back then, my mind had been consumed with life-and-death decisions, cold calculations of battle. But now, I could laugh just because of a silly argument with Wilhelm.

Something about it felt… strange.

There was warmth in it, innocence. But at the same time, there was an unfamiliar feeling that made my heart waver just a little.

I let out a quiet sigh, trying to push the thought away.

But then, Wilhelm suddenly stopped walking.

Still lost in thought, I nearly bumped into him from behind. "Huh? Why'd you stop?" I asked, looking up at him.

He didn't answer right away. The smugness from earlier had completely vanished from his face. His usual bright, confident eyes now seemed darker, as if something was weighing on his mind.

I frowned. Wilhelm being serious? That wasn't something I saw often.

"What is it?" I asked again, this time more carefully.

Wilhelm took a deep breath before finally speaking.

And from the tone of his voice, I could tell… whatever he was about to say, it wasn't something trivial.