Saga of Tanya the Evil (幼女戦記)

Late November, Unified Year 1926

Nothing but ammo.

Not nearly enough stuff for daily life.

I was hoping for some socks, at least.

We work directly for Strategic HQ, and this is all we get.

That tells you everything you need to know about the Eastern Front.

What an awful sky.

This story is a work of fiction. People, organizations, locations, laws, names, etc. have no relation to any real-life counterparts.

Sorry I'm late.

It's rare for you to invite me to go drinking, though.

I actually found something interesting.

Start it up.

What a surprise.

It reminds you of the days with Regiment Commander Laudon.

Brings you right back to those days in hell, right?

Yeah.

I can feel my back soaking with sweat.

It wasn't just used in place of a wake-up trumpet.

It was for food, baths, even the toilet.

I don't know how I made it through.

I never would have without you there.

That goes for both of us.

I was told they stopped making these.

I found it at a flea market.

They didn't let it go for cheap, though.

It's a small price for a chance to look back on those days.

That's right.

I'll leave it here. Come listen any time you want.

I think I'll do just that.

Episode Two: A Strange Friendship

It's been over 30 years, huh?

Time does fly, doesn't it?

Sure does.

But we don't have time to reminisce upon the good old days.

That's right.

Zettour, you and I have known each other for eons.

As an old friend, I want you to give me your honest opinion.

Winter came too soon.

Quickly eliminating the enemy's field army is impossible now.

We should rebuild our lines.

So we have to be prepared for insults from the incompetent, huh?

The problem is what happens when spring arrives.

Are we assuming we'll resume the offensive?

It's the only way forward.

The Empire is just barely managing to keep itself supplied.

And that's assuming it uses every possible resource.

Blood continues to flow, even now.

And yet...

Our future is not totally hopeless yet.

Allied Kingdom Capital: Londinium

Now, how's our new friend, the devil, working?

Ideally, they and the Empire slaughter each other.

The Federation is... struggling.

They'll be bringing back the mages that they purged, it seems,

but they won't be able to take advantage of numerical superiority.

And so...

Let's use that volunteer army.

We'll be able to make it look like we're working with the Federation,

while getting the same intelligence we would if we were spying on them.

Are you sure about this?

Federation Capital: Moskva

Of course.

Sending forces to the volunteer army is just what we need.

I'd rather have the Allied Kingdom

working for us as an ally than being our enemy.

We'll need a propaganda strategy from now on.

Thankfully, we're at war with the Empire, the collective enemy of the world.

We need to show everyone that the Federation are the good guys.

So we'll pick someone appropriate for the task.

Yes. Someone loyal to the party, and idealistic, should be in charge.

And someone charismatic should be the mage.

Understood.

Of course, right?

That's the army that saw the fairy!

Don't worry, I'll catch you soon!

Jeez... the brass are pushing dealing with their friends onto us.

Multinational Volunteer Army Battalion Leader (Allied Kingdom Citizen) Lt. Colonel William Douglas Drake

Federation Political Commissar Attached to the Multinational Volunteer Army Lt. Liliya Ivanovna Tanechka

Multinational Volunteer Army Federation Commanding Officer Colonel Mikel

I apologize for keeping you waiting.

I am Liliya Ivanovna Tanechka.

This is Colonel Mikel, a Federation mage.

I am a political commissar and a lieutenant in the Federation Army.

I'm just a flunky, you could say.

I'll look up what "flunky" means in Federation language later.

I'm Lieutenant Colonel Drake, with the Allied Kingdom's 42nd Aerial.

We're glad to meet you, Lieutenant Colonel Drake.

On behalf of the party,

I give my deepest thanks to your unit's sacrifices and contributions.

I'm sure my fallen comrades will appreciate that.

Um...

Are you a Federation Political Officer?

Unified States Volunteer Lt. Mary Sue

Lieutenant Sue?

I'm Lieutenant Mary Sue.

I've heard that political officers give advice on aspects of military life.

You see, our unit's fallen are buried in this land...

Lieutenant, we discussed this.

But they need to rest in their homeland!

Please, allow them to be buried in their homelands.

Everyone cares for their homeland.

Right?

I know exactly how you feel!

If you'll let me, I'll help you in any way I can!

R-Really?

Lieutenant Sue, may I call you Mary?

Of course!

Thank you.

Call me Liliya, too.

Would you please be my friend?

Yes, I'd love to.

I'll help you prepare the memorandum.

Yes, please do.

Your lieutenant friend works fast.

I'm sure you've got it tough, Colonel.

She's better than most, actually.

She is? You're joking.

It's impossible to believe she's one of my country's political commissars.

Well...

I don't know what to say to that.

But it's not good news.

These harassment attacks get worse by the day.

Why do the Federation soldiers go along with all these reckless attacks?

What did the MP interrogators learn?

The prisoners all said the same things.

The sort of stuff you'd expect to hear from any communist sympathizer.

I guess that's Commies for you.

It looks like their "noble ideals" have spread

throughout every inch of their territory.

You really do hate communists, don't you?

I've been like that since my past life.

Um...

I read the reports too.

They all seem so identical, and filled with prejudice.

What do you mean?

I interviewed several of them myself.

This is the report.

Come to think of it,

the lieutenant's family fled the Federation during the revolution.

It's good to have a living speaker of Federation language.

All of them except the political officers

expressed a sentiment of estrangement from communism?

Yes.

More specifically, a lack of support for their superior officers.

And it seemed like those voices were absent from the final reports...

Officer, can I get a smoke?

I'm an aerial mage. Regulations say I can't smoke.

Tobacco ruins the lungs.

No lighter then, either?

Correct. My apologies.

Major Weiss is an old hand at this.

Tell me... Why do you people—no.

Why do you fight?

Why do we fight? We fight for ourselves, of course.

We're fighting for a better future.

A better future?

If we beat you, our society will get a little better, right?

Let me ask a different question.

Why do you believe that fighting us will make your society better?

Because you believe in communism?

I believe in it about as much as you do.