Chapter 15

- POV: Private First Class Brenner -

"I have to sleep here?" Louise complained.

It was long after the end of the night, with all customers having been cleared out after their meals were served. From what I heard, Louise had some trouble with the role of serving: mainly threatening to clock any of the patrons who tried to get handsy with her. While that wasn't exactly good news for business, I was more than a little bit happy to see her knock out a few perverts.

As for me, I was exhausted as hell. Jessica was very helpful, as well as chatty as we worked. None of the food we served was behind schedule, and none of it was cooked improperly. Cleanup was simple, and Jessica allowed me to head to bed early, offering me to finish the last of the dishes herself.

One of the rooms in the upper levels was cleared out, consisting of a single moderately large bed: though not as large as the bed in Louise's room. It was dusty, but relatively spacious with plenty of blankets and pillows. We were fairly certain it was an attic, but only one of us had a problem with that.

"It's a bed," I pointed out as I stretched my arms. I wasn't about to complain, especially since we were getting a room with a bed."It could be a lot worse, so quit complaining."

"B-but a duke's daughter shouldn't have to-" Louise tried to complain, as she did many times before. But I wasn't having it - not when things were finally looking up.

"Hey, we have a place to work, a place to sleep, and Scarron's nice enough to actually pay us for our work, even if he has every right not to. He's been straightforward with us so far, so the least we can do is accept it," I said. I looked around, dusting off the few cobwebs before looking down at the bed, dusting that off as well after a momentary inspection. While old, the place seemed solid as a place to sleep. "Better than sleeping in the streets."

"B-but in a place like this?" Louise whispered. "It's filthy and dark...and it smells...and-"

"Hey, aristocrats come to eat here as well. So if we're gonna continue our investigation and stake out the area, then a place like this is a good start," I said as I lifted the covers to check underneath."Alright, looks clean."

Louise simply let out a haughty "Hmmph!" before she sighed. There was silence for a good few moments before she spoke up once more. "You sure looked like you enjoyed working in the kitchen."

"Hm? Yeah," I muttered. "Being in the kitchen brought me back to the Army..." I sighed, grinning lightly as I slowly went back down memory lane. "I mean, there was usually more than one helper in the kitchen, but it wasn't so bad."

"I bet, talking and smiling with that girl," Louise mumbled.

"Jessica?" I asked. I didn't miss how Louise's eyebrow twitched at the mention of her name. Jealousy, perhaps? "She's pretty nice. I haven't really had a chance to talk with anyone as freely as I did with her. I mean, I did get to chat a little bit with Siesta back in the school, but she's a busy girl and I always had to be around you, so..."

"You're saying you don't like to be around me?" Louise whispered. She was sitting on the bed now, hands bunching up the edge of her nightgown at her knees. She looked down, her features hidden by her long hair.

I saw where this was going now. Sitting next to her, I ruffled her hair - a bit satisfied when she didn't seem to fight it off. "...not at first. But then the two of us actually got to spend time around one another. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to protect you," I said. "You're like a little sister to me now."

She didn't seem to feel much better after I said that, but she did stop complaining. "...let's get to sleep..." she mumbled before she got up and slipped under the covers. I moved to take my own share of blankets to lay on the floor when I felt her smaller and more dainty fingers wrapping around my wrist. "...there's a little room on the bed," she said softly.

"...you sure?" I asked. I was a bit worried that she would've started something with that remark about Louise being like a little sister, but to my surprise, she seemed morose.

"I-If you want to protect me, then w-we need to be around each other a lot!" Louise stammered as she looked away. "A-and things will be like this when we return to the school too. G-got it?"

Needless to say, I was taken aback by this bold demand. Nevertheless, I sighed. "...sure," I mumbled as I shuffled my way under the covers alongside Louise. With a yawn, I rubbed my eyes and leaned against the soft pillows.

The feeling of a proper and comfortable bed had been long forgotten since I'd joined the Army, and I found myself nodding off rather quickly. "...good night..." I managed to get out as I finally drifted off to sleep.

Before I passed out for the night, I felt something resting on my arm - something warm. I didn't think much of it as I slipped into dreamland.

- POV: Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière -

I shivered as I felt him slip under the covers with me. I was worried he'd take up too much room, but he simply laid near the edge of the bed. As I watched him rest his head on the pillow, I realized just how tired he was.

I watched as Brenner fell asleep, almost too easily. Even with the abysmal state of our living situation, Bremmer had shrugged it off. He shrugged almost everything off, and it made me feel...spoiled.

I pushed back a huff as I looked down at my lap. I guess I would be spoiled compared to him. He'd worked in a kitchen both in his own world and last night. He was used to working...to fighting...

Used to the possibility of dying.

I thought back to when I woke him up from his nightmare back at the institute. I didn't know if he had any other nightmares earlier since I usually woke up after he did, but. I hadn't thought much about it last time, but looking back - I realized just how unsettling he was, as well as how unsettled it made me.

He'd looked scared, which concerned me more than it should have. How he woke up wasn't exactly different from how a typical person woke up from a stressful nightmare. However, it was how quickly he had pushed the topic aside that bothered me, almost like he didn't want to talk about it around me. And from what little he bothered telling me about war on his world, it sounded like a nightmare come true.

Yet he would brush it off whenever he could.

I felt a pang of guilt over the way I'd treated him when I first summoned him, finally seeing just how rude I was. Even if I believed it to be acceptable due to his status as a peasant...he didn't deserve my scorn. And he rarely raised his voice against me ever since. He'd turned down Kirche and even shown righteousness when he rescued Siesta against a noble. Closing my eyes and laying back, I looked to the young man who'd changed my life.

Watching him smile at the dance after stopping Fouquet was an eye-opening experience for me. If he could handle a harsh life regardless of everything that's happened to him, then maybe he deserved to smile in easier times. I'd rarely seen him smile since.

I slowly gripped his arm and pulled myself closer, feeling his limp and resting hand press against my stomach as I snuggled up to him under the warm covers. As I closed my eyes and waited for sleep, I found myself feeling a little bit warmer.

Things would change when this was over.

- the next day, POV: Private First Class Brenner -

The next morning was spent with us preparing the tavern for lunch rush, mostly with us setting up tables and cleaning up the kitchen, as well as preparing food to be cooked while the other girls got dressed. It didn't take too long to get everything complete, at least a few hours before lunch would start.

"You sure?" I asked as Jessica took the last plate from me.

"Of course!" she said, smiling as she set the plate aside. "Lunch is always more manageable than dinner. And I've always done it myself in the past. You and Louise can spend the next few hours as free time. After all, you did come here for her to escape getting married off. It'd be nice if you two didn't spend every minute worrying or working. Have some fun!"

I'd almost forgotten that the two of us had come here undercover, and I nodded. I turned to see Louise approaching in that same 'peasant' dress from yesterday. "Okay, thanks. Don't burn yourself out."

Jesscia just bumped shoulders with me, giggling. "I should be telling you that when dinner starts," she said as she waved to Louise. "Go on, have some fun."

"And don't forget your pay from your exemplary work last night!" Scarron called, rushing over with a small sack of gold coins. "You did such good work!"

I took the bag, feeling it to be a little bit heavy. As I put it in my bag, Louise bowed and profusely thanked the man, who simply shrugged off the gratitude and told us to have fun.

And that was that.

The two of us left the inn to enter a city much busier than last night, watching as people left and right walked to and from places all over. Despite the work that was yet to come, I was determined to see our mission through to the end. "So, where do you wanna go first?" I asked.

"You're asking me? I thought you had a plan," Louise said, crossing her arms.

"I'll be honest, stuff like sneaking around is really outta my depth," I admitted. "I trained to fight loud battles so I can handle explosions and run through pure chaos, but I can't exactly lie to save my life. I figured you'd know more about aristocraft life and stuff like that more than I do."

Louise fell silent, momentarily pondering my words as she stroked her chin. "Well, they won't exactly talk in the open or really do anything to expose their wrongdoings in any way that can be exposed. Aristocrats are delicate and very careful with what they do," she said.

"So...sneaking around won't do us any good. Think we should just head back? Try anything risky and we'll probably not only lose our lead, but we'd probably get worse repercussions," I said.

"I...that's likely the best option," Louise sighed. "We'll need a new plan to deal with this setback. Maybe if we-"

"Or...we could focus on making money for now," I said, quick to interrupt her. "We have a good...four, maybe five hours? We should try and relax. We won't get any real planning done if we're so damn stressed out."

"We shouldn't worry about fun. We have work to do, and-" Louise began, clearly about to dismiss my words.

I was quick to stop her from doing that. "Louise. I fought in a war. I know all about having work to do, and I know even more about needing a break. Getting the chance to stop and relax could mean the difference between life and death," I said. "So let's just...go have lunch and worry about our given task later."

Louise looked down, clearly unsure of how to feel. Eventually, she simply nodded. "O-okay," she whispered. "I'll listen to you."

I nodded before looking around. There were stores and restaurants nearby, though it was difficult to read the signs on them. By that, I meant impossible - because it was in a language I couldn't understand in any way. "Umm...you don't mind translating, do you?" I asked. "I can't read anything about the language in this world."

- POV: Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière -

The two of us made our way to a small cafe on a street corner - the sweet aromas of hot tea and baked bread reaching our nostrils. "Here's one that charges relatively little," I said, feeling a little bit excited to properly show my familiar around - despite me not knowing too much about this town myself.

The cafe was a small place with at least a dozen tables with either two or four chairs each. The counter held display cases containing the kinds of pastries they sold ranging from jelly stuffed buns, small slices of cakes, tarts, custards, and even whole pies. The floors were of hardwood that creaked lightly under each step, and the walls were decorated in ornate flowery designs.

The place was mostly empty, with only three customers minding their own business. Two of them were a man and a woman, chatting happily with each other while sharing a pie and a small teapot.

"Welcome!" the cafe owner called. He was a middle aged man in a neat formal uniform, brown hair combed neatly as he bowed. "Where would you like to be seated?"

"By the window would be marvelous," I said politely.

"Of course, I'll bring you some tea," the owner proclaimed. "Do you have any preferences?"

"I shall defer to your judgement, sir," I said as I eyed the display case. "We won't be long - one fresh apple pie and one pot of tea, please." And with that, our order was placed. Brenner sat down across from me by the window, looking around as I clasped my hands in my lap.

A minute passed, and I realized that Brenner had no intention of starting a conversation. He looked rather uncomfortable - his gaze turning left and right as he rested his cheek on his arm. "So what do you think?" I finally asked after finding the silence to be a bit unbearable.

"Well...I do like it. But it feels off to me," said the soldier from another world. "To be honest...I've never eaten at a place like this. Quiet...cozy. It's all a bit new to me."

I blinked curiously as Brenner looked down, pulling the bag from his shoulder and setting it by his feet to safeguard it. "What do you mean by off?" I found myself asking.

"It feels like it's too quiet. We've had situations like this before where it all seemed too peaceful. No good soldier likes that - not when a battle could break out at any time, in any place," Brenner explained. "I feel like something's gonna get us."

"You don't need to be so worried. Didn't you say it was good to take some time and relax?" I asked, reaching over and taking his hands in mine. I was surprised when he jolted, almost as if he were frightened by my touch.

His panic died down in a split second, and he sighed - resting his forehead in his other hand. "Well, I guess that'll be easier said than done," he muttered, smiling awkwardly. There was no mirth in that grin, not even a sliver of positivity.

He was faking it.

Maybe going here wasn't a good idea.

Before I could say anything, our order arrived. A gray holding a steaming hot apple pie, stirring spoons, forks, two small plates, two teacups, a small cup of sugar cubes, a tiny pitcher of cream, and a pot of tea was lowered onto the table. The cafe wonder smiled kindly before leaving to head back behind the counter.

"Well?" I asked as I began to help myself to the tea first - pouring enough to fill the cup just a little bit over halfway through before moving on to the little pitcher cream. Pouring a thin stream into my cup, I began to stir and watch as it clouded in the tea before all coming together slowly as one color.

Brenner didn't do the same. He simply poured himself a full cup of tea and looked back out the window, eyeing the outside all the while. His finger tapped the table lightly, and he was bouncing his foot on his heel repeatedly.

What was happening?

I dropped a little sugar cube in my cup and went back to stirring. "You should eat," I said, looking at the vacant gaze in his eyes. It was almost like he wasn't there - and that scared me a little. "Brenner."

The young man looked down at the cup before sipping it - no cream and no sugar. "Hm," was all he said as he looked back down at his tea. After a moment passed, he raised his cup to his lips and sipped quietly at the steaming hot beverage.

I sipped mine as well, finding the proportions of cream and sugar to the tea rather adequate before lowering the cup. The pie before us had already been sliced into eight pieces, and I took one of the slice, setting it on one of the plates. The aroma of sweet apple and cinnamon filled the air, with the crust glistening in sprinkled sugar.

It very much smelled amazing, and it was sure to taste even better. "Here," I said, setting the plate of pie in front of Brenner, a fork on the corner of the little porcelain dish. "Eat."

Brenner did so, slowly cutting himself a piece of pie and biting into it. To my delight, a bit of that light returned to his eyes, watching the end of the fork disappear into his mouth, lips wrapped gently around the metal-

His lips looked rather soft, I realized. Despite some of his facial hair starting to slowly grow back over his admittedly rough face, he still looked as gentle as ever. His hair was starting to grow out as well, as were his sideburns. Did he take care of himself often? I wonder-

I flinched upon realizing my thoughts, and I looked away at once before he could notice. I wasn't going to stare at my familiar any longer - no matter how handsome and rugged he may be! I'd be no better than Kirche! Grabbing my own slice of pie, I started to eat, trying to focus on something else other than the burning feeling in my face.

"S-so! What do you think?" I asked after a few bites of this delectable hot pie, turning just in time to see Brenner already starting his second piece.

"It's good," my familiar said as he dug his fork into the pie once more. "Haven't had anything this good since I enlisted."

"Well...we could come back here again. Once we finish the task of the princess," I said, twirling a lock of my pink hair as I looked down. "If you really love the pie."

I watched as he slowly ate another forkful of the pie, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. "Reminds me of home," he said, and I felt my smile from earlier slowly dwindling down. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, looking more tired than I'd ever seen him before. "I...I should probably stop thinking about that kind of stuff, huh?"

"No...you shouldn't," I said before thinking. "Let's just eat and drink."

Brenner looked up, his eyes cloudy yet confused before he nodded and looked back down. "Yeah," he muttered quietly as he cut himself another piece of pie. "...yeah..."

- POV: Private First Class Brenner, several hours later -

We were back in the inn for dinner rush, having spent most of our time in silence at the cafe. As I washed dishes left and right, I couldn't help but wonder how the absolute hell I'd gotten the jitters in the middle of peacetime of all times.

"So this is what trauma's like..." I mumbled to myself, setting aside another plate and grabbing a bowl to wash next. I'd heard stories about the first war, they had called it the Great War. My uncle on my mom's side had gone to war, and from what he described, the year and a half he spent in Europe were some of the worst times he'd ever lived.

He called it the worst of all hells, and I could never see what he meant by that. From what mom told me, he had plenty of nightmares about the war, though he always said others had it worse. "Nothing breaks honor and soul like the bloodiness of war," he'd once said to me. "Pray you're never in that situation."

And here I was, an American soldier thrown into Europe like he was. Though the stakes were much higher now. Unlike the stories of shit drowned and sick ridden warfare in the trenches, the combat I'd seen was much more nerve wracking, constantly fast paced with the constant possibility of being outmaneuvered present in every possible battle we fought.

I bet my uncle never fought in a city. The Germans had a death grip on Aachen, and it took nearly three weeks for five entire infantry divisions and plenty of armored support to even begin to drive the Germans out. It was almost endless at first, with one side constantly pushing the other back no matter how much ground was gained or lost.

I shook my head. I was getting ahead of myself - the war wasn't something I was trying to get lost in. At the cafe, I'd thought I would be looking forward to the chance to relax - but I couldn't have been any more wrong. Without the antics of the institute, work, or even Louise hounding me, I realized just how much the peace bothered me.

Quietness felt like too much, and my mind had started racing. It was only thanks to the pie that I'd been able to avoid causing a scene. Still, the events did make me somewhat nervous. Was I always going to be like this? Unable to accept peace due to the war?

"Hey."

I whirled around quickly - much too quickly. I'd accidentally flung the bowl away like a weapon, flinging it into Jessica's chest in the process. "Whoa, didn't mean to scare you. You alright?" she asked, coming over to set the bowl aside.

I sighed tiredly as I turned to look at the girl. Without meaning to, my eyes fell down to her bust - specifically how generously exposed it was. "Just...thinking," I said quietly, trying not to think about the soapy water dripping down that smooth skin.

"About home?" Jessica asked. "You did mention it last night. You must miss it dearly."

"A lot," I said, pushing myself to go back to work, grabbing a plate. "Not sure I can ever go back."

"Well...you shouldn't have to worry so much over that," Jessica said. "If you keep thinking about the stuff you lost, then you'll never be able to focus on what you can earn."

I looked over to Jessica, her smile not as cheerful now. "You seem like you have a lot of experience," I remarked.

"I have some. My mom died a few years back...she helped run in the inn with father. Now, I do my part to make sure this place doesn't go under," Jessica explained as she joined me in washing the dishes.

"I see," I muttered before the words began to sink in. I ended up stopping for a few seconds in order to do the math before realizing there was little math to be done in the first place. "Your dad. He's not..."

"Yep. He's Scarron," Jessica said with a giggle. "Trust me, it's surprising to everyone given how he acts, but he's a sweetheart when it comes down to it."

I watched as Scarron spoke to a few guests, chuckling. "Guess nothing should surprise me anymore," I sighed. "I'm sorry for your loss, by the way."

"Oh, don't apologize. My father and I came to terms with her passing long ago," Jessica reassured before nudging me with her hip. "Now come on. No more moping, not when there's food to be served."

"Turenne!"

I blinked as all of the commotion in the inn died out almost instantly. Turning to look out of the kitchen, I watched as a fat and ugly man in noble clothes walked inside, surrounded by what looked to be five guards armed with basic swords.

"Great."

I turned to see Jessica glaring at the newly arrived man from the kitchen, though she was making sure to stay out of his sight. "Who's that?"

"That's Turenne. He's one of the kingdom's revenue agents - and the one in charge of this part of town," Jessica explained. "He pushes stupidly high standards on us, and he taxes us exorbitantly if we're unable to fulfill them. He also gets touchy and refuses to tip, so no one wants to cater to him of all people."

So this was corruption in this world. I couldn't help but grit my teeth. Scarron was still with the greedy man, offering his own services despite the noble's constant rejections. "Looks like this is our guy," I thought to myself. "The only question is how do we deal with him?"

As the noble haughtily demanded the inn to be emptied, I watched as the server girls nervously left, escaping before he could demand any of them to himself. My anger rose up at the gross abuse of powe, before dying down instantly upon seeing a pink figure making her way towards him, tray carrying a glass and an open wine bottle in hand. "Wait, is she-"

"Looks like it," Jessica said, her voice laced with worry.

Louise was still in that maid outfit, a fake smile on her face as she began to make her approach. I was quicker, though - reaching out the kitchen door and grabbing her by the arm before pulling her into the kitchen. "H-hey! Let go!" she cried out as I shut the door, hiding her from open view.

"Louise, what are you doing?" I quickly asked.

"I'm going to serve that aristocrat and I'm going to win this tip war!" she said. "Now let me back out there!"

"Tip war? What?" I asked.

"It's a little event we have going on right now," Jessica said. "The server who wins the most tips gets a new outfit. As well as bragging rights. Among other things."

"Exactly. And I refuse to lose," Louise said as she turned back towards the door.

"Louise, forget the tips. You really want that fatass to get grabby with you?" I asked, blocking the door before she could open it. "Don't answer that, cuz I'm not letting you."

"Brenner!" Louise cried, and I knew for a fact that she wasn't going to be deterred. Fortunately for both of us, neither was I.

"I think this is the guy we're looking for," I said, much more quietly to avoid Jessica overhearing. "The mission was to investigate any evidence of corruption or greed under the name of the princess, right? If what she says is true-"

I turned and gestured towards Jessica momentarily before turning back to look at Louise. "I'll see if I can get him to admit the abuse he does, then you come out and arrest him, okay?" I whispered. "You have the princess's authority, right?"

"W-well, yes. But-" Louise tried to say.

"That's the plan," I said. "I get this guy angry enough to spill his crimes, and you come out and arrest him. You're the noble here, so you have the right. Is that good?"

Louise seemed ready to shout back at me before stopping, looking down in what appeared to be deep thought. After a few more seconds, she nodded - much to my surprise.

"Jessica, keep working. The two of us will explain things later," I said as I snatched the tray. Leaving the kitchen and Louise behind, I approached the snobby aristocrat and his guards. "Scarron, I think you're needed elsewhere. I'll handle this guy for now."

"Are you sure?" the owner asked, his joyful tone not very effective in hiding just how weary he was feeling.

"I'm sure," I said. As the man left, I turned to Turenne. "Wine?" I asked, not bothering to sound half as polite as I was probably supposed to.

"Eh?" the noble grumbled. "They actually let guys work here?"

"Yes," I said, filling the glass with wine before setting it down on the table. And by setting it down, I meant that I lightly dropped it on the table with a quiet thud, the wine sloshing around inside. "So, what do you wanna eat?"

"Excuse me, that is no way to serve a noble! I demand someone of better expertise!" Turenne scoffed, slamming his fist on the table hard enough to slosh some of that wine out of the glass.

I turned partially just in time to see Jessica pulling Louise away from the kitchen door, barely visible through the large opening in the wall where food was brought out. "Sorry, sir. The girls are busy with other jobs, so you're stuck with me tonight," I said.

The man growled. "This will not do! Do you wish for me to lower the revenue of this establishment?!" he demanded.

I blinked. That was quicker than I thought. All it took was for me to not be a cute girl he could get touchy with.

"Can you legally do that?" I asked, and the man's eyes narrowed. "As far as I'm aware, it's illegal to manipulate taxes for your own gain."

"Oh, and you're going to stop me? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a noble! Power and status comes with my name, and it's by my name that I am allowed to do such things!" Turenne scoffed. "But if you're a good boy and send for one of your cute servers instead, I'll forgive all transgressions tonight."

I crossed my arms. "No thanks. In fact, someone else would like to-" I began.

"Enough!"

I turned around at the sound of the angered shout, Louise having stormed out of the kitchen. "I've Turenne!" she barked, her wand in hand. "I shall not hear another word of this!"

"What is going on here?!" the fat noble growled, standing up at once. His guards did so as well, ready to draw their weapons.

"I said enough!" Louise shouted with more authority in her voice than I'd ever heard before. "Turenne, by the name of the Queen and the decree of the royal palace, you are under arrest!"

"W-what?" the man croaked. "Who do you think you are?! You have no right to-"

"I have more right to speak than you have any right to breathe!" Louise reached into her dress before pulling out a scroll, unrolling it and flashing the seal on the bottom of the parchment. "Don't think I don't know anything about the crimes you have committed! Your abuse of power at the expense of the peasants comes to an end!"

The man shut up at once before stumbling on his feet, bowing at Louise's feet in a frantic manner. "I deeply apologize to her Majesty! P-please have this and forget this little matter! We beg of you!" he blubbered, pulling out all the gold coins on his person. The guards had done the same, heads against the floor as they held up every bit of money they had.

"Bribing? You've gotta be kidding-" I began.

Louise was quick to cut me off. "Promise to never throw your power over the people at once, or else the princess shall know the full extent of your crimes!" she barked.

...what?

"W-we promise! It shall never be done again! T-the Charming Fairy Inn shall never be taxed once more, I swear upon my name!" Turenne cried out.

"Very well. In the name of the Queen, I shall never mention a word of this matter. Now leave!" Louise shouted, much to my shock. But I couldn't say anything about the matter.

And so, the investigation and overall mission was completed. The corrupt noble and his men fled the inn, and all was well. As the girls celebrated Louise's handling of the matter, as well as the immense amount of coin left behind for the inn, it all seemed like it was supposed to be a happy ending.

But I couldn't bring myself to see a happy ending anywhere. "She let them go..." I muttered as I made my way back to the kitchen, away from the cheering. "She accepted the bribe..."

Regardless of money lost, the man had gotten away scot-free. Despite the many crimes he likely committed with greed, he was still a free man because Louise had accepted his money.

She accepted the bribe.

Needless to say, I was not pleased.