Chapter 3: Misplaced

As usual, Olaf was wide awake at daybreak. He got dressed and went to explore. The remains of some snacks and dirty cups were all over the lounge when he walked out. The other bedroom door was closed so he made his way out by retracing his steps from the previous evening.

The sun was just coming up when he walked out through the main entrance of what he could only describe as a huge villa. Two marines were on duty outside the entrance and both came to attention when they saw him. He just waved them off as he strolled out towards the edge of the paved area in front of the entrance.

The marine shuttle was still next to the building and two more imperial marines were wandering around with their weapons over their shoulders. Olaf could now clearly see that the villa was close to the sea, either on an island or on a peninsula; behind the villa was a low hill with the sea on either side of it. Olaf suspected they were on an island, a private island.

Olaf noticed a dirt path along the cliff edge below him so he searched for a way to get down. The path down was close to where the shuttle was parked. As Olaf started down the narrow path, the two marines were watching him. The two seemed slightly agitated but stayed where they were. Olaf ignored them and walked down towards the sea cliff, which was about thirty meters away.

When he got to the junction point where the downward path intercepted what looked like a circular path along the cliff top, he stopped and looked around. The coast at that point was rocky with waves breaking on the rocks about fifty meters below where he was. There was no evidence of a beach in any direction.

Olaf was about to set off along the cliff-top path when somebody came rushing down the path from the villa. The next moment a marine came into view from among the low shrubs covering the hillside. The marine seemed to be in a hurry so he stood waiting. The marine was looking down at his feet as he came skidding out of the shrubs. As he reached the junction point, he realized that it was the end of the path, and that Olaf was standing in his way. The marine tried to stop in time but his boots slid out from under him on the loose gravel, causing him to lose his balance. He gave a un-manly high-pitched squeak, as he landed on his butt in front of Olaf. That was when Olaf discovered that the marine was a girl.

Olaf didn’t even think, he just reached down, grabbed the surprised marine under her arms and lifted her off her butt, placing her on her feet.

“You okay?” he asked as the brown-haired girl gaped at him in surprise.

“Don’t do that!” she scolded him. “You can get shot for man-handling a marine.”

“Sorry if I embarrassed you,” Olaf said as he turned and headed down the path. He was feeling equally embarrassed about touching her without her permission. He was about ten meters down the path when he discovered she was following him. Thinking that she was going somewhere specific, he stepped aside so she could pass. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him.

“Are you going somewhere or are you following me?” Olaf asked. The girl gave him a surprised look as she took a half-step back.

“I’m sorry, My Lord, I was sent to escort you,” she said. “We are tasked to ensure the safety of all nobility until the perpetrators have been caught.”

“I’m nobility?” Olaf wondered in surprise. “I grew up as a bastard on a fishing island. You marines decided to grab me and now everybody keeps claiming that I’m part of the nobility. I just wish somebody would explain that to me. I’m Olaf, no last name, by the way, no lord. Is it causing problems for you and the other marines if I take a walk?”

“No real problems, My Lord..., ah, Olaf,” she said as she blushed. “Everybody else is still asleep. Colonel Crenshaw sent me to guard you.” Olaf gave her a raised eyebrow look, causing her to glare back at him.

“I’m used to either swimming or running a few kilos every morning,” Olaf said. “Since I got grabbed without even a toothbrush, I decided to just go for a walk. I did not intend for the imperial marine force to stop whatever they are doing to escort me around. What is your rank?”

“I’m Corporal Thorn,” she said. “I’m actually the BC’s secretary, I take care of the battalion’s paperwork.”

“BC?” Olaf asked as he subtly examined her. She seemed to be very young, in her early twenties at most. She also had a trim and petite figure with some promising bumps under her uniform shirt. Her battledress pants were loose-fitting but tight enough around her hips to emphasize the fact that she was female.

“The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Crenshaw” she explained.

“I was not aware that the imperial marine corps had female marines,” Olaf said as he turned and headed further down the narrow path. The path was about two meters from the edge of the cliff. The cliff had a sharp edge but didn’t drop off very steep.

“Not for combat roles,” Thorn said as she followed Olaf. “There are some women, but we only get to do support roles. I have heard that the Grendel system trains female marines in combat roles, but I don’t know if they actually get used.”

“The Grendel system?” Olaf asked. “Are they at war or something?”

“Hardly,” Thorn said. “They just train their own marines and do a much better job than most other systems. As a matter of fact, there are more Grendel marines in the imperial marine corps than from any other system. Their officers end up with degrees by the time they are commissioned.”

“Is this an island or a narrow peninsula?” Olaf asked.

“Ah, it is an island,” Thorn replied. “It is actually the private retreat of the duke of Ceres, where he and his family come for vacations.”

“Very private and with not much to do,” Olaf said.

Olaf and the corporal followed the hiking path for about half a kilometer before he was able to see that the rocky coast continued as it curved around the low hill. There was no evidence of other islands or even the mainland. When he encountered a path heading back towards the villa, he turned up and headed back.

“Let’s go see if the cook will give us some coffee,” Olaf said when they approached the back part of the villa.

“Are you offering to buy me coffee?” Thorn asked with a teasing smirk on her face. Olaf could feel his face getting hot as she gave him a teasing look.

Olaf, Thorn, and the girl who made Olaf a sandwich the night before was all sitting at a table in the kitchen when the housekeeper lady came bustling in. She came to a stop when she noticed them.

“This is not proper!” Mrs. Simms huffed as she glared at Olaf.

“He insists that his name is Olaf, just Olaf,” the cook said. “He claims to be a fisherman.”

“You should be having your breakfast in the breakfast room with the others,” Mrs. Simms said with a frown.

“All those Lords and Ladies?” Olaf asked. “I’d much rather eat here, unless I’m in the way.” Mrs. Simms huffed and walked off, causing Thorn and the cook to giggle softly. It turned out she went to fetch reinforcements. A few minutes later the butler walked in and also glared at the three.

“I understand your hesitation, young Olaf with no last name,” Becker said. “Regardless, it would do you good to actually join the others for breakfast. Let me escort you there now.” Olaf just groaned as he stood.

“Thanks for protecting me, and thanks for the coffee,” he said to the two girls. Both of them giggled shyly as the butler escorted Olaf out of the kitchen.

“Young Olaf, if you ever find your way back here in the future, and do what you just did, you will be putting the cook at a severe disadvantage; she would not be sure how to react towards you and might end up being disciplined by others for being overly familiar towards a nobleman.”

“You just assume I will end up being a nobleman,” Olaf said. “I am nobody. Everybody here will laugh at me when the marines finally figure out that they grabbed the wrong person.”