The Other Side of Her
After that day, Ceres returned to her usual self.
I tried inviting her out to a cafe after an intense training session to help her unwind, but all I got in return was a death glare sharp enough to kill.
She pushed herself harder than before, and maybe because of that, her training results barely improved.
And it wasn't just the Journey training that seemed affected...
It's gotten kind of extreme lately.
"I must get stronger! I must push myself harder!"
"Lydia, don't do that. Lydia, stay sharp. Lydia, never let your guard down."
If she finishes the Journey like this and comes back...
More than half the Western Liberators might just quit on the spot.
Ugh, I was hoping some time in NOA would broaden her perspective a little.
This isn't good...
Seriously, how long does she plan to live in her sister's shadow?
Her sister... the former commander, right?
Strength is... being unshakable.
The ability to stay focused on your goal, no matter what.
...Just like my sister.
She always put her duty as commander above herself.
She never once showed weakness... or lost her composure.
Unlike me... who's far too soft-hearted.
If her obsession with staying strong came from admiring her sister...
Then maybe I needed to understand her sister better.
Oh, you mean the former commander?
Is there anyone who might...?
...Come to think of it, that blacksmith who maintains Commander Ceres's swords...
He used to take care of her sister's blades too.
I heard they were pretty close.
If anyone knows something, it's probably him.
Do you know where he is in NOA?
Sure do.
Good morning, Captain.
What's on the agenda for training today?
...A field trip?
I don't know what you're thinking, but the West isn't some place to take lightly.
Huh? You want to check something about my sister, the former commander?
Why bring her up all of a sudden...?
We don't have the time or luxury for thi—
It's something we need to do.
...Mm.
...You wouldn't say that without a reason, would you?
Fine. It's true I haven't had a chance to return to the West in a while...
A brief visit to assess the situation wouldn't hurt.
Even after getting off the train at the last stop, we still had a long way to go.
We switched to a carriage and continued on.
As time passed, even the landscape outside the window began to look unusual...
The ground... it's red like blood.
That's because of the red wind. It carries blood-red sand in from the west.
Nothing grows where it settles. You can't farm or graze livestock.
See those rotting fence posts?
That used to mark farmland. People once worked these fields.
I see...
You don't have to look so sad, Captain.
If I complete the Journey and gain overwhelming strength...
I can take it all back. I'm sure of it.
After a long journey, we finally reached Raven Wall.
C-Commander Ceres?!
We weren't expecting you so suddenly. If we'd known ahead of time...
I'm only here briefly. I'll leave as soon as I'm done.
No unnecessary fuss. Everyone remain at your posts and carry on as usual.
...Understood.
We stood in front of the former commander's room.
Ceres looked hesitant.
You okay, Ceres?
Oh, yes. Just...
I told myself I wouldn't enter this room until the West was fully reclaimed.
...Is there really something we need to find in here?
Would you rather not go in?
...
...No, it's fine.
It's not like I swore an oath or anything. And I trust you have your reasons.
The air was thick with dust, carrying the scent of time long passed.
But aside from that... it was perfectly preserved. Almost lived-in.
...It's a humble room.
...Yeah. Just as I remember.
The wooden desk... The small bed...
She was always working. Even here, not just in the office.
Even after the fiercest battles, this room stayed lit deep into the night.
She really was someone a soft person like me could never match...
...Captain? What are you doing?
Looking for something.
...By banging on the walls?
How do you even know there's something here—
Found it.
Hmm? So you're the one guiding Commander Ceres these days?
You came to ask about the former commander of the Western Liberators? You mean Lady Venera?
...Mm. I'm sure you didn't come just to ask what she was like or hear old stories...
...Well, there is one thing most folks don't know.
She once came to me in the middle of the night. Real hush-hush.
Showed me these complicated-looking schematics and asked if I could build it.
Turned out to be a clever little contraption.
A fake wall that opens when you twist a hidden latch.
We don't have time to find the switch...!
W-wait...
What are you...
What did you do, Captain?!
I trusted you enough to let you in here and you break the wa— *Sigh*
...What's this?
Behind the shattered wooden wall, there was a hidden compartment.
And inside it...
...Books?
A small shelf packed with books.
This is...
Silverblade Saint Knights...? That old pulp series?
I never saw her read anything like this...
The shelf was packed with every volume, and three copies of each at that.
Only one notebook tucked into the far corner seemed out of place.
A... journal?
Date: --/--/----
I finally got my hands on volume 13 of Silverblade Saint Knights!
NOA's already up to volume 17, but books get to the West so late.
Next time I go to NOA, I'm buying every volume up to the latest one.
That's her handwriting.
...Of course it is.
Date: --/--
The next push past Raven Wall is coming along well.
There's been so much to manage, I haven't been eating or sleeping properly.
I gave up and took a day off. Curled up in the back room and read through my Saint Knights backlog.
It feels like my head finally cleared.
I never knew... I saw her reading late at night, sometimes, but...
Venera...
Most of the journal was overflowing with love for the Silverblade Saint Knights series.
It seemed Ceres's sister, the former commander of the Western Liberators, had found an outlet for her pent-up stress in these novels.
To borrow Ceres's words, the journal was full of explicit language Venera would never normally use, along with praise for the novel's story and characters and her own fantasies.
And behind the perfect image she upheld for others, Venera was fighting to carve out time for herself to enjoy something she loved.
Date: --/--
I saw Ceres at the training grounds late at night, so I asked around. Apparently, she had been swinging her sword since seven in the morning.
She spends nearly every day at the training grounds, swinging her sword...
I had hoped Ceres would never become a Liberator.
But if she has chosen to become one, she needs resolve to match that choice. Otherwise, she will only break.
Even so, I think I've been too harsh with her lately.
...She's still just a child.
We had to visit NOA for a supply support matter, so I brought Ceres along.
I took her to a cafe... and I couldn't help but smile as her eyes just lit up when she saw the parfait.
I should've taken her out more often. I didn't know Ceres liked desserts.
Then again, there's hardly anything like that in the West.
I wish I had taught her better that sometimes, short breaks like this matter too.
Don't worry, Ceres. I'll make the West a place where you can enjoy anything you want.
For my sweet little sister Ceres, for the people I love in the West.
And for the day when I can relax with a Silverblade Saint Knights novel in peace.
I will make this offensive succeed.
There's a photo tucked in here.
A worn photo of two people.
A girl with sparkling eyes, gazing at an enormous parfait.
...And another who looked just like her.
...
Your sister, Ceres.
Maybe she wasn't as unshakable... as you thought.
...
Yeah.
You're... probably right.
Ceres quietly put the journal back where it belonged, but kept the photo.
And on our way back, she stared at it in silence the whole time.