The Elder Sister Who Ran Away After Being Cheated by Her Fiancé and Younger Sister - Chapter 9:

I washed my face on the bus and felt refreshed.

My eyes were still red, but I felt clear-headed.

I’m sure there will be times when the sadness returns and the tears flow again.

But when that happens, I’ll remember today.

The main reason Valken had come was about Estelle’s assignment.

She spoke while flipping through documents.

“The soldier training institute is nothing but a den of good-for-nothing scum. It’s a place where they crush subhumans and remold them into something barely resembling human beings. It would be terribly dangerous for women to be walking around there.”

“That’s how it is in Hollanders. Don’t worry, Miss Estelle. In that regard, the men of Hanzelka are quite civilized.”

“Oh my, I just heard about a rare pig that recently learned to speak. Something about his name being Theo, I believe?”

“I heard about that too. Apparently, he shares the same name as Miss Estelle’s childhood friend.”

“How unfortunate. You must be feeling unwell.”

Estelle chuckled at their exchange.

“Please don’t worry about me. I’ve already packed that away in the box called the past. I threw the key into the river.”

When she answered to match their tone, they both returned warm smiles.

“Even though we’re accepting female soldiers, we can’t possibly manage if we take in too many at once, so we’re starting with just a few people first.”

“As the first of that group, we’d like you to lend your efforts, Miss Estelle. And Valken as well, incidentally.”

“And Fretes here will be providing support.”

“Thank you, Lord Fretes, Lady Valken.”

“Whether you should be thanking us or not is something you might want to judge a bit later.”

“I can’t argue with that. But Miss Estelle, the Hanzelka military is much more civilized than you might imagine.”

Since she had no knowledge of it at all, Estelle had no basis for comparison.

She smiled vaguely and drank the tea Fretes had brewed for her.

It was truly delicious.

“Initially, there was a proposal to assign female volunteers to facility operations.”

“What are facility operations?”

“Managing and operating military-owned facilities – maintenance, cafeteria operations, basically building management. But soldiers who sustain injuries or illnesses during training or missions and can no longer serve on the front lines are also assigned to these departments, and we thought it might be inappropriate to assign women there just because they’re women.”

“Is that not allowed?”

Fretes crossed his arms and hummed thoughtfully.

“Individual qualities and aptitudes should be respected. If there’s a woman like Valken here who has the talent to slaughter enemies on the front lines, what would be the point of human resource utilization if we placed her in the rear?”

“A woman doesn’t really begin until she’s killed three men.”

“That’s how it is in Hollanders.”

Estelle understood their concern – if they predetermined assignments from the start, it could affect those who followed.

“So for that reason, let’s have you experience all departments across the board. Something to look forward to, isn’t it, Miss Estelle?”

“Huh?”

“After all, the Hanzelka military has never had female soldiers before. We thought it would be faster to just have you experience everything directly.”

“Um… meaning…”

“Something to look forward to.”

Valken’s beaming smile was so beautiful that Estelle found herself captivated, but she understood that she was being told something outrageous.

And that it was unavoidable.

◇

True to Valken’s declaration, Estelle spent two years moving through every department of the Hanzelka military in the capital city alongside Valken.

The basic training was tough, and at first she cried.

The soldiers initially watched from a distance as Estelle continued running even while crying. Eventually, some rough characters started laughing and teasing her, but they got designated as Valken’s training partners and ended up in the infirmary.

There were times when her whole body hurt so much and she felt so miserable that she even thought she didn’t want to wake up when she went to sleep at night, but having Valken with her helped her push through.

She wondered if this was what comrades-in-arms meant.

Fretes compiled Estelle’s experience reports for her. She hoped they would be useful for those who followed.

In the end, Estelle developed considerable physical strength and muscle power. While she couldn’t beat male soldiers like Valken could, she became capable enough to keep up at the end of marches.

She learned that physical strength builds confidence.

“Muscles after all.”

“You understand now too, Estelle? Yes, it begins and ends with muscles.”

“That’s how it is in Hollanders. Don’t be fooled, Miss Estelle.”

During her days moving through the Hanzelka military, she asked around and confirmed that Fretes and Valken were indeed from Hollanders.

They were apparently on temporary assignment to help with the acceptance of female soldiers.

The two years the three of them spent working as a team passed in the blink of an eye, but Estelle had enjoyed them.

Even when she cried while vomiting during training, or cried from her whole body hurting, or cried covered in wounds and bruises, it was the happiest time of her life so far.

In the end, Estelle was assigned to the supply department.

Coming from a merchant family, educated, with both knowledge and experience – it was the result of considering where she could contribute most to the military.

Valken moved on to support another volunteer.

Estelle missed her, but they exchanged contact information and continued writing letters.

Fretes said, “We have follow-up surveys too,” and regularly met with her for report preparation.

After their meetings, they would go out to eat, and when schedules aligned, Valken would join them. Sometimes they would meet other female volunteers that Valken was supporting.

Estelle’s world, which had been narrow, gradually expanded.