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Castor’s Marine Diary
Early in the 2nd month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar — Lagoon City
It was winter, but on this morning, the skies were clear and the temperature was warm. Aboard a single cruiser stopped in the military port at Lagoon City, someone was singing off-tune.
“I’m a sea hardy dragonewt. Instead of flying, the sea is my route. Keep her steady! Keep her steady! Lai-la-la-lai-lai-lai.”
The voice belonged to the former General of the Air Force, Castor, who was currently in the custody of Excel Walter after having taken part in Georg’s rebellion. He was in the middle of swabbing the deck while singing a song that he was making up as he went along.
“D-Duke Vargas, what are you doing?” A middle-aged human man ran over to Castor. He was the second-in-command on this cruiser.
“Huh?” Castor shouldered his mop, and looked at the man sideways. “Can’t you tell? I’m swabbing the deck.”
“That’s a job for the young marines. If a former duke like you does it, it will make the lower officers feel tense and the higher-ranked officers feel awkward.”
Castor responded with a somewhat self-mocking smirk, “I’m a fresh recruit now. Hasn’t Duchess Walter told you to treat me like one, too?”
Under Excel’s custody, Castor participated in training as a common marine by day, and received instruction on the Navy’s operations from Excel by night.
Castor had been bewildered about suddenly having to learn about the Navy at first, but with nothing to do while in the custody of another house, and also because of his deeply ingrained military mindset, he was enjoying the opportunity to serve in a military force, even if there were differences between the Air Force and the Navy.
“Also, don’t call me Duke Vargas,” Castor added. “I’ve been stripped of my family name.”
“Ah... Sir Castor, then. No, but still, you’re also Duchess Walter’s nephew...”
Though Castor had accepted his new position, those around him had not. Because he had formerly been one of the three dukes, and also husband to the daughter of Excel, the top of the National Defense Force (though he and his wife were officially separated), the people here didn’t know what to do with him. The higher up in the chain of command someone was, the more apparent that became.
Castor noted the second-in-command’s response and exasperatedly said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m just Castor now. Besides, I don’t dislike swabbing the deck. When I was in the Air Force, I took care of my own wyvern. It’s something I’ll ride, and be entrusting with my life, so, in that sense, a ship and a wyvern aren’t so different. By cleaning her every nook and cranny like this, I’ll get a feel for the shape of the ship.”
“I wish some of the young marines who whine about having to clean up could have heard you say that,” the second-in-command said with a sigh.
He himself had been a fresh recruit once upon a time, and he had hated his days of swabbing the decks and getting sunburned daily. It wasn’t until much later that it had taught him important lessons little by little. Castor’s ability to immediately understand that was impressive, but no less than might be expected from the man who had commanded an entire army for many years.
Castor rested his chin on the end of his mop which was pressed against the deck. “Besides, if I don’t work, I can’t go out drinking.”
“Is it an issue of money? ...Come to think of it, what were we doing about your salary?”
They had been ordered to treat Castor as a new recruit, but he was technically under Excel’s custody, and wasn’t formally a marine. Naturally, that meant he wouldn’t be drawing a salary from the National Defense Force.
Castor’s shoulders slumped. “I’m living entirely off of Duchess Walter’s pocket money.”
“Um... Is money tight?” the soldier asked.
“No, she gives me a good amount for someone being kept in custody. I don’t have any living expenses living in the Walter mansion, either... But still.”
“Is there something that dissatisfies you?”
“This is Duchess Walter we’re talking about,” Castor said. “She holds it over me. If I don’t take my training as a marine seriously, and I don’t learn how the Navy operates from her, there’s no telling what she’ll say to me. She’d start needling me with a smile on her face, I’m sure.”
“...I understand.”
The second-in-command sympathized with Castor’s situation.
The marines all referred to Excel as Mom out of respect, but they were also well aware that she had a personality that went much too far to simply be referred to as playfully mischievous. She had a beautiful, shapely body that made her look like a woman in her mid-twenties, and she was highly accomplished in both military and political strategy, but only a fresh new recruit who didn’t know her true nature could sincerely be happy to have her call out to him.
Castor let out a deep sigh. “I wish I could go back and warn my younger self who was pining after Duchess Walter: ‘Stop. That woman is more than you can handle.’”
“So you went through that, too, did you, Sir Castor? Every man in the Navy falls for the beautiful Duchess Walter at some point. Naturally, that love never comes to fruition, and only brings agony when they think back to it years later.”
“I know how they feel,” Castor said. “But once in a very long while, some crazy bastard manages to shoot an arrow through her heart. That was how Accela was born, after all.”
“Oh, now that you mention it... No, it’s nothing.” The second-in-command started to say something, then stopped.
Castor grew suspicious and asked, “What? If something’s bothering you, then say it, please.”
“No, um... Your wife is Duchess Excel’s daughter, so there were rumors that you went after her daughter because Duchess Walter rejected you...”
“...Oh. Yeah, I’ve heard those rumors.”
Castor shrugged his shoulders in exasperation. It was true, rumors like that had gone around for a while. Though when word had gotten around about how close he and Accela were... or rather how much she had him under her thumb, the rumors had faded away on their own.
“Well, the truth is a little different. The opposite, you could say...”
“Huh? What does that mean?!”
“It means, well... Let me keep it a secret.”
“Ohhh, now you’ve got me curious.”
Seeing the look of genuine interest on the second-in-command’s face, Castor smiled wryly and said, “Well, how about you treat me to some drinks tonight? If you do, I’ll tell you all about what happened back then.”
“I’ll show you the best place around.”
And so, the two went out for drinks that night.
Incidentally, the place the second-in-command introduced Castor to was the sort where you enjoy talking to pretty ladies while you drink, and this lead to some troubles later, but Castor couldn’t have known that yet at this time.