Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
Royal Army, Fort Gallia Mess Hall
In a corner of the mess where a large number of soldiers had gathered, a youth kept on sighing.
His name was Ashton Senefelder. He was studying in one of the top schools in the Kingdom, and had great academic results. He was exempted from the draft as his future was bright. Unfortunately, with the Kingdom’s situation deteriorating, his exemption was revoked, and he was drafted into the army in the southern war theatre.
“Sigh……”
Ashton was in despair. He had never wielded a weapon properly before, so to him, Fort Gallia was a ticket straight to his grave. His death was almost certain now. The youth was confident that he would die on the battlefield, regardless of what kind of training he would undergo.
Before Ashton realized it, a girl had sat down beside him and started eating bread. Her face was well proportioned and her eyes were mesmerizing. This was the first time Ashton saw a girl whom he literally thought was out of this world.
After the girl finished her bread, she looked at her tray with begrudging eyes. In contrast, the bread on Ashton’s tray was still untouched.
(It seems that she had not eaten her full. Should I give her my bread… No, I don’t have any ulterior motives——)
As Ashton was looking for an excuse for himself, he locked eyes with the girl.
“——”
“Hmm?”
“H-Hey, do you want my bread? I-I don’t have any ulterior goals, I just think you aren’t full yet. I haven’t touched my bread yet, so don’t worry.”
“Can I? Thank you very much. You are a good human!”
(Uwah一 I said it—— Huh? Good human?)
The girl’s choice of words felt odd to him, but Ashton still offered his bread to the girl. The girl was all smiles as she took the bread, and stuff it into her mouth.
“Namuh, gnirefforuoy htiwdesaelpmaI.”
“… Are you saying that you find the bread tasty?”
The girl nodded with an expression that said Ashton was correct. Ashton felt confused at her reaction. Compared to the bread in the capital, this bread was hard and dry. It was a far stretch to call it delicious. Even if you compare it to bread from outside the capital, the quality was really substandard.
“It might be rude saying this to someone who thinks this taste good, but the bread here isn’t that tasty, you know?”
“Huh!? I-Is that so?”
The girl looked very surprised.
Ashton felt a sense of superiority.
“That’s right, the bread in the capital taste far better. It’s crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside, a real delicacy. But with the problem with food supply, it isn’t easy to get tasty bread.”
“Hee~ I see. This is my first time eating bread, and I already thought it tastes awesome. The books often mentioned bread, so I always wanted to try it.”
The girl said as she looked at the half piece of bread in her hand. When he heard that, Ashton spit out the soup in his mouth. The female soldier glared at him, it was like she was looking at walking garbage. Ashton apologized, but his mind was filled with the words the girl just said.
How was it possible for someone to have never eaten bread? No matter how remote a place she lived in, there would be bread sold there.
—— She must be joking.
With that in mind, Ashton waited for the girl to continue. But contrary to his expectation, the girl focused on eating her bread, and showed no intentions of talking anymore. The girl finished her bread in no time.
(Are you serious…)
Ashton stared at the girl, as if he was trying to stare a hole into her. And from that, he realized that the girl was telling the truth.
“… So, this is your first time eating bread. Where did you come from?”
“Oh. I came from a shrine called the Gate of the Underworld, deep in a forest. I had been living there all this while, have you heard of it before?”
The girl looked right at Ashton’s eyes. Ashton’s heart started racing, and was worried that the girl might hear the pounding of his heart as he started digging through his memories. Despite how he looks, Ashton was very well read. He repeated the term Gate of the Underworld in his heart, but couldn’t find any relevant memories.
“—— Sorry, I never heard of it.”
“I see~ Well, that’s only natural, since I don’t really know anything about it, even though I lived there.”
The girl laughed out loud, got up from her chair and picked up her empty tray.
“Thank you for the meal. Can you tell me your name?”
“Oh, I-I’m Ashton.”
Ashton answered stiffly when he was suddenly asked for his name.
“So you are Ashton. I’m Olivia, let’s meet again if the chance arises.”
With that, Olivia turned around and left with a wave. Ashton looked at her silver hair that reached up to her waist, and thought Olivia was unexpectedly tall. At this moment, someone pulled the chair beside him, and tapped his shoulder hard. Ashton turned and saw a man with messy blonde hair. He was Maurice, who arrived at the fort at the same time as Ashton.
When they chatted some days ago, he seemed to be in a similar situation as Ashton, having been stripped of his exemption and sent to this “cemetery”. And like Ashton, he was terrible with the sword. The two of them were often admonished by their superiors during training.
“Yo Ashton, do you know who that girl is?”
Maurice asked with a devious smile as he pointed at the girl.
“What are you saying out of the blue. Do you know then, Maurice?”
Ashton asked in return, and Maurice showed a face that said “I thought you would never ask.” He said quietly, careful not to let others hear him:
“This is classified, so spread this out—— have you heard the rumour of someone signing up with the army with a bag full of Imperial soldiers’ heads?”
“So that’s what you want to say. Isn’t that just a rumour?”
What do you mean by classified, Ashton scoffed when he heard that. After all, if a private like Maurice knew it, then it couldn’t be classified, right? Ashton retorted in his heart.
“No no no, it’s not a rumour, it’s true. And on to the main topic—”
Maurice stopped, and smiled deviously at Ashton. Ashton had enough of his attitude and lost his patience.
“If you don’t want to say it, then I’m leaving.”
Ashton stood up after saying that, and Maurice pulled at his arms frantically to sit him down.
“I know, I know. Don’t be mad. The girl you were chatting with is the legendary headhunting recruit—— Warrant Officer Olivia.”
“Ehh!? That girl… No, that lady is a Warrant Officer?”
Maurice felt dumbfounded from Ashton’s reaction.
“The reason you are surprised is off. Normally… Never mind. Indeed, it’s an extremely rare exception for someone who just enlisted to be appointed to the rank of Warrant Officer.”
“You are not kidding?”
“What good will it do to lie to you? Instead of that, you two seem to be having fun chatting, tell me what was your conversation about.”
Maurice then put his arm around Ashton’s shoulders intimately. Ashton pushed his arm aside, and thought that their conversation usually wouldn’t last that long. It seemed that Maurice was pretty interested in Warrant Officer Olivia.
(Well, it’s normal to be attracted to her looks.)
Ashton sighed and said exasperatedly:
“I don’t know what you expect, Maurice, but we didn’t talk about anything special. She just said that this was her first time eating bread, and she used to live in a shrine. That’s all.”
“She lived in a shrine? Could it be the Church of Saint Illuminas… Is she a ‘Sorcerer’!?”
Maurice’s gleeful expression changed, and he started pressing Ashton to answer with a face of surprise.
Church of St. Illuminas was a popular religion that worships the Goddess Citresia, with many devout followers in the continent. It was said that devotees living in their shrines were called “Sorcerers”, and were highly revered. That was because they could use “Sorcery”, a skill that had been lost since ancient times.
According to the “Bible White” published by the Church of St. Illuminas, the Goddess Citresia created the Dubedirica continent through powerful Sorcery.
(Ridiculous. That’s just a fairy tale, there’s no way Sorcery exist. It’s all fabricated by the Church to elevate themselves. I’m surprised that Maurice believed something so dubious.)
Troubled by Maurice’s sharp gaze, Ashton continued:
“No, the shrine she was staying in is called the Gate of the Underworld. This is the first time I heard it, so it’s probably not related to the Church.”
“Really?”
“Well, even if you ask me… I can’t find it in my memories, so I don’t think it’s related.”
“… Hmm, she’s not related to the Church, huh. Well, I guess that’s that.”
Maurice waved goodbye, then left the Mess Hall with brisk steps. He seemed uninterested in the conversation after learning Olivia wasn’t related to the Church.
(Is Maurice a follower of the Church…? Well, whatever.)
Ashton took a deep sigh, then forced himself to finish his soup.
Royal Army, Fort Gallia Training Grounds
The silver moon had concealed itself as if it had put on dark clothes, and the heavy rain pounded on the ground, as if it was venting its rage. On this rainy day, a man went to a corner of the city wall with light steps. He was wearing dark garb, melting right into the darkness. Even his face was covered with a black mask.
—— He was Second Lieutenant Zenon of the Imperial Army’s intelligence division, “Heat Haze”.
<TL: 陽炎, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage#Heat_haze >
He skillfully evaded the view of the soldiers, and leaned closely on a tree beside the Training Grounds. A short moment later, a man in a long cloak appeared from the shade of the tree.
“Second Lieutenant Zenon. It’s been a while.”
The man said with a smile.
He was an imperial spy who had infiltrated Fort Gallia——Sergeant Major Maurice.
“Enough with the greetings. Report.”
“Yes Sir, the Royal Army did’nt do any noteworthy movements. They seemed content with defending this fort.”
“You have the numbers in the fort?”
“Yes, there’s about 40,000 men garrisoned here.”
Zenon nodded with satisfaction.
“Well done. Anything else to report?”
“— There’s something that caught my attention.”
Maurice’s tone turned sombre.
“Go on.”
“A girl joined the army here after bringing the severed heads of many Imperial Soldiers.”
Zenon was shocked, and remained speechless for some time. He never thought the rumoured girl was in Fort Gallia, and felt like kicking himself for his shallow mindedness.
It was so obvious if he thought about it. Since the girl was heading for the capital, her shortest route would take her straight through Fort Gallia. It was no surprise that she stopped here. Or rather, he should have thought of this first. This was a serious oversight.
“… Does she have silver hair?”
“That’s right… So you know about her?”
There weren't any doubts now. Zenon sighed and nodded.
“Yes, she killed Captain Samuel after all. It caused a big stir in Kaspar castle.”
“She killed that ‘Violent Thrust’!? How is that possible!”
It was Maurice’s turn to be surprised. Zenon quickly check their surroundings.
“The rain is loud, but this is still enemy grounds, keep your voice down. In the beginning, I thought I misheard it too. But regrettably, this is the truth.”
“My apologies. Now I can understand why she was appointed to the rank of Warrant Officer. But for that girl to kill Captain Samuel… Could it be!?”
Maurice opened his eyes wide, and seemed to be in deep thought. Zenon couldn’t afford to linger on enemy grounds, and urged Maurice to speak with a click of his tongue:
“What is it? If you have a clue, then tell me!”
“Ah, yes Sir. I heard that the girl used to live in a shrine, and suspect that she might be a Sorcerer.”
“Sorcerer...!? If that is true, then things will become complicated.”
“Battling a Sorcerer would be a tedious affair.”
The two of them became silent at this juncture. A voice as clear as a bell then interjected amidst the noise of the rain.
“Ehh~ I’m not a Sorcerer though.”
““—— What!?”
The sudden voice made Zenon and Maurice leap to the sides. They drew their swords and turned around to find a girl drenched by the rain.
“Who are you!?”
Maurice yelled.
“Hey, the rain is so heavy, so what are you two doing here? Night training? You will catch a cold, you know?”
The girl flicked her wet silver hair, and showed a charming smile.
“Silver haired girl…”
“It’s her.”
Maurice said curtly.
“As I thought.”
Zenon swiftly took a dagger out and threw it at the girl’s face. The dagger was custom made for throwing, and had been painted black to blend in with the dark.
The eyes of normal people wouldn’t be able to track that dagger.
It blends into the dark, and made it hard to gauge the distance.
But the girl dodged it easily with a sway of her head. Zenon continued throwing daggers at her chest, arms, and legs, but none of them found its mark. The daggers all disappeared into the dark, as if he had thrown them at an illusion.
(Oh~, she dodged my daggers… Interesting. As expected of the person who slew Captain Samuel.)
Zenon licked his lips, and closed in on the girl quickly. The girl didn’t move or even draw her sword, and just looked at him with a smile.
—— This was the pride of someone who had absolute confidence in her strength.
When he thought this far, Zenon felt a sudden chill down his spine. A feeling he never had before coursed through his body. It was different from killing intent, and was something more horrifying. If he had to describe it with a word, it would be the feeling of “death”.
(This feels bad! I have to pull away and see what my opponent does.)
Zenon firmly believe in his instincts. He understood that it could be the difference between life and death. And the truth was, Zenon’s instinct had already helped him escape from certain death several times. However, he was very close to the girl, and it might be more dangerous to take evasive actions now. And from the way the girl dodged the daggers, her riposte might prove fatal.
Zenon’s mind started churning at high speed.
—— Should I attack with the resolve to die.
—— Or should I evade at the risk of death.
One of these two choices.
Zenon made his decision in an instant, and increased the speed of his thrust. When his sword entered its attack range, Zenon intentionally dropped the weapon in his right hand.
“Ehh!?”
The girl yelped, and looked incredulously at the weapon Zenon abandoned, unable to tell the goal of this move.
(I tricked her!)
Seeing that his scheme worked, Zenon surprisingly started thanking the Goddess Citresia in his heart. If there was a mirror showing his face, Zenon would definitely see his own malicious smile. He then pulled the mechanism on his waist, and the “click” sound that followed was music to his ears. A hidden blade sprung out from Zenon’s left sleeve, and he thrust it at the girl’s throat. The attack from her blindspot was a brilliant plan, however…
“H-How is this… possible…”
What he saw next plunged Zenon into despair. The girl turned her body to evade the attack, and used her momentum to draw her sword. Her move cut through bone and sinew, and the sound it made reverberated in Zenon’s brain. He felt like he was in another world, and Zenon’s vision turned dark——
“Hmmp~ that’s an interesting idea. Z taught me lots of things though. Unfortunately, you are too slow. You need to work on your speed.”
Olivia sheathed her sword, and said to Zenon who was bisected at the waist. And of course, Zenon could never answer. This eerie scene made Maurice shiver. It wasn’t because of the cold from the rain, but pure fear for the girl.
“—— I really like rainy days.”
Olivia looked up at the sky and said something out of the blue. Maurice backed away with trembling steps, and asked:
“W-What are you talking about?”
“Because no matter how much blood gets on me, the rain will wash them away. Don’t you think that’s great?”
Olivia turned to Maurice with dance-like steps. Her face covered by the blood and the rain had a bright smile.
“—— Hiiee.”
Maurice turned and ran. Zenon who was one of the most skilled amongst the intelligence division was killed by the girl in seconds. Maurice had survived through many battles and was confident of his abilities. But despite all that, he didn’t dare to challenge this foe.
(I already confirmed an escape route in case of emergencies. There is only one thing I can do. Survive and report whatever intel I have to the Empire. I can’t die to this monster here.)
However, Maurice fell flat on his face after running a few steps. Mud got into his throat, and he coughed intensely. He tried to get up, but his legs wouldn’t move. When he propped up his body and looked at his feet—— his legs below the knees were gone, and blood was gushing out.
“Kyyaaa!!”
“Pardon me. I swung my sword instinctively when you tried to run. Let me return these to you.”
Olivia jogged over, and placed Maurice’s legs before him.
“Actually, I heard everything you two were saying, so I know you are a spy. What should I say in such a situation...? …Hmm~… I remember! ‘I will be taking you prisoner’, right? Aren’t acting just like a soldier?”
Olivia saluted and showed an innocent smile. Her figure was just like that of a devil or a Death God.
To escape from the pain and fear, Maurice gave up his grip on consciousness.
Fort Gallia fell into chaos. The reason was the severed mask head she was holding on her left hand, and the legless man she was dragging with her right, as she walked boldly through the fort. The guards immediately informed Otto, and she was quickly sent to an interrogation room for questioning.
Otto and Olivia sat opposite each other in the interrogation room, with a table between them. Paul who was in his pyjamas stood behind Otto with a smile.
“Excuse me~ do I have to continue to sit here? I want to go back and sleep already.”
“We are still performing checks, please wait.”
“How much longer do I have to wait?”
Olivia pressed. Otto didn’t answer, as they had this conversation plenty of times already, and he had grown weary of it.
In Otto’s 25 years in the military, he had seen all kinds of soldiers. However, he had never met a soldier like Olivia. Less than a week after enlisting, she killed the enemy soldier who infiltrated the fort, and caught the spy who had already set down roots in the unit. There had never been a soldier who had produced such results.
But he couldn’t just stand around in surprise. Otto heard footsteps and looked outside, and received some documents from the person who was walking briskly to the interrogation room. Inside was the investigation report on the body left on the training grounds. The report confirmed that the body belonged to an Imperial intelligence operative.
This evidence was a relief to Otto. To be safe, he had several elites hidden in the interrogation room, which had proven to be unnecessary. The report concluded that Maurice’s condition was stable.
When he recovers, he would undergo interrogation.
“We secured the evidence.Warrant Officer Olivia is right, they are spies.”
“It’s finally over~ I already told you so many times~”
Olivia grumbled as she stretched her back, and Otto said with a scowl:
“Watch your tone. Military regulations must be followed strictly, I can’t just take your words at face value.”
“Yes Sir! I hear and obey!”
She might be saying that, but Olivia was puffing her cheeks unhappily. She might have incredible skills, but she looked just like a 15 years old girl right now. Otto smiled awkwardly with complicated feelings, and a question flashed across his mind.
“By the you, Warrant Officer, how did you uncover the spy?”
“Yes Sir, I was strolling outside when I happen across someone who was acting suspiciously. I followed him, and realized he was whispering to another person. After listening in on their conversation, I realized they were Imperial spies.”
What do you think, I’m awesome right? Olivia puffed out her chest and answered smugly. Otto looked at her drenched figure again and said:
“How elegant of you to take a stroll in such heavy rain.”
“Yes Sir, I love rainy days!”
“… There’s a curfew at night, correct?”
“Yes Sir, I forgot about that!”
Olivia said boldly, which made Otto nurse the spot between his brows. Paul’s stifled laughter came from behind, and Otto cleared his throat in protest.
“Never mind, I will overlook your breaking of curfew, but don’t violate any more orders—— Anyway, you did well this time. To be honest, the problem of spies had been troubling me.”
“Yes Sir! Thank you for your compliment!”
Otto suspected that Imperial spies had infiltrated Fort Gallia. But with 40,000 troops and thousands of non-combatants, it was almost impossible to sieve them out.
Otto had already launched an investigation in secret, but failed to obtain any leads. Olivia’s accomplishment far outweighs her violation of her orders.
“Alright then, Warrant Officer Olivia. We will give you a bonus pay in the short future for your accomplishment. You are dismissed.”
Otto stood up and dismissed Olivia, but the girl showed no intention of standing up. On top of that, she muttered with a displeased face: “Bonus pay… huh.”
“What’s the matter? Not happy about your bonus pay?”
“Yes Sir, if possible, I want delicious bread from the capital.”
For a moment, Otto thought he was hearing things, but Olivia repeated herself. She said exactly what he thought he heard, so there wasn’t any mistakes. Instead of money, she preferred bread, which made Otto suspect if the girl was a fool.
“… Why do you want bread from the capital?”
“Because Ashton told me that bread from the capital taste good, so I want to try it. It’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.”
“… I understand now. And who is that Ashton?”
“Huh? Ashton is Ashton, a human.”
Olivia looked surprised, and her face was saying “You don’t even know that?” Otto suppressed his anger, glared at Olivia and asked:
“Of course I know he is human. I’m asking you who he is.”
“Like I said~ he is a human. It seems I can’t convey my words properly.”
“You wench! If you speak to your superiors with that tone, you will be punished for impudence!”
Otto slammed his fist on the table in anger. He then reflected on himself, thinking he shouldn’t lose his cool because of a little girl. As Otto nursed his temples to calm down, Olivia leaned towards him and asked: “Are you alright?”
That enraged Otto, and he almost yelled “Whose fault do you think that is!?” But he managed to swallow those words.
“Lieutenant Colonel Otto, please calm down. Aren’t you always composed? This isn’t like you at all.”
Paul patted Otto’s shoulders gleefully, and stood before Olivia. Olivia looked at Paul with a baffled face. That was because Paul had only told her his name during an unofficial occasion.
“Warrant Officer Olivia. The bread from the capital might be good, but their cake taste even better. My granddaughter loves cake too. Have you tried them before?”
Olivia’s reacted dramatically, and her eyes shone like jewels. She had a brilliant smile unique to girls in their youth.
Her beauty extinguished Otto’s anger, and mesmerized him.
“Cake!! Grandpa Paul, you said cake, right!? I never had cake before, but I read about it! It’s a very sweet dessert, correct!?”
Olivia jumped up happily from her chair, grabbed Paul’s shoulders and shook him. Paul nodded with a smile.
“Haha, I see. In that case, we will give that to you together with the bonus pay in the near future.”
“Really!? That’s great!!”
“You wench! Watch your tone and be aware of your place when you speak to Lieutenant General Paul!”
“It’s fine, I’m dressed like this after all. It’s alright to let loose a little. And to Warrant Officer Olivia, I look just like a grandpa. There’s no problem.”
“Your Excellency! We need to set an example to the men——”
“Otto. This is an unofficial setting. And Warrant Officer Olivia.”
Paul cut off Otto with a calm tone, then changed from his persona of a kind grandpa, and assumed the attitude of the commander of the Seventh Army.
“What is it, what is it?”
“Despite how I’m dressed right now, I’m still the commander of this fort. I had to set an example for everyone. You have to be careful with your tone with me during formal settings. Alright then, you can go back and rest.”
“?… Yes Sir! I hear and obey. Warrant Officer Olivia, will now go back and rest!”
Olivia saluted with a complicated expression, and muttered “Human language sure is complicated” as she opened the door. She yelled “Cake! Cake!” as she left the interrogation room, which made Otto hold his head.
“Fufu. She killed Samuel and apprehended spies… I thought she would be a buffed woman, but she is pretty enough to star in a play. She has an interesting personality too.”
“Your Excellency, this isn’t funny. She had proven her abilities with this incident, but the way she holds herself is no different than a wench from the boondocks. I will need to educate her properly.”
“Well, this isn’t a proper place to learn etiquette and common sense, so don’t overdo it.”
Paul left with a faint smile on his face. Otto who was alone collapsed onto his chair and let out a long sigh. The corpse of the Imperial spy he saw before the interrogation flashed across his mind. This was the first time Otto saw a corpse that was bisected along the waist. Olivia’s prowess could be clearly seen.
(It seems that letting Olivia execute the plan that I had given up on would be an option…)
Otto thought as he looked at the flickering candle flame.
Ⅴ
Arsbelt Empire appeared on the stage of history during the year 700 of the Lunar Calendar.
There were many more countries back then, and they all fought for dominance over the continent. The Empire was founded during that chaotic era. The most popular theory stated that the empire was founded by a landlord of the Farnesse Kingdom, Richard Heinz. He revolted because of the Kingdom’s corruption, and gathered many companions to build his own ideal country, and set off for the north.
However, there wasn’t any conclusive evidence that supported this theory, and many scholars disprove it. It didn’t make sense for a landlord of the Kingdom to have the luxury of deflecting and founding an independent nation.
However, there wasn’t any doubts that the political scene of the Kingdom back then was rife with corruption. However, Chief Minister Leonheart Várquez used his exceptional political skills to revolutionize the Kingdom’s political landscape during this era, so the time period matches. That was the reason why this theory was the mainstream amongst scholars.
The second popular theory the Church of St. Illuminas, which was known as the “Sect of the Goddess Citresia” back then, was closely tied to the founding of the Empire. The reason being that their archbishop’s name was amongst the list of the founding members.
However, the Church of St. Illuminas had officially refuted this point.
The northern lands where the Empire was based were mountainous, and plains were sparse. On top of that, the land was infertile, so the crop yield was poor. Feral beasts also roamed freely, so it wasn’t a place suitable for human inhabitation.
Despite these conditions, the Empire rose up to be a power that was on par with the Kingdom because of the brilliant administrations of their Emperors. And now, a vegetable called “Ars pumpkin” that could be grown on barren land was popular in the land.
And this crop was being improved by researchers, on orders from the Emperor. Aside from that, the Empire had plenty of other accomplishments.
From another perspective, the Empire enjoyed 200 odd years of prosperity because the other nations left it alone. The Empire was surrounded by mountains, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Since the land was infertile, the rulers didn’t pay it any mind.
With such a backdrop, the Empire enjoyed an era of peace during these warring times, and could concentrate on building its national power. Their past Emperors detesting war also played a big part.
The warring era that seems as if it would last forever, ended around the year 950 of the Lunar Calendar. The Kingdom grew weary of the long war, and withdrew the armies it dispatched to the other nations. After that, a group of small nations in the south of the continent formed an alliance, and called themselves the Sutherland Confederation of Cities. There were still minor frictions between the smaller countries, but over all, the continent was at peace.
During that time, the previous Emperor, Ramza the Twelve passed away from illness in the year 965 Lunar Calendar.
He was just 40 years old, and his reign lasted seven years.
He was the shortest lived of the Emperors. Succeeding him was the First Prince, Diethalm, who was coronated as Ramza the Thirteen. At the tender age of 15, he showed excellent political skills, and brought the prosperity of the Empire up another level. When he reached the age of his predecessor, 40 years old, he was evaluated as the most eminent of all Emperors, and was revered as the“Benevolent Emperor”, his name famous throughout the continent.
And that Benevolent Emperor suddenly declared his intention to conquer the continent. Not just the citizens of the Empire, the people of the other nations were stunned by the statement of Ramza who hated war just as much as his predecessor. But the Imperial citizens didn’t feel any unease. They firmly believe that their Benevolent Emperor was always right.
The Imperial Capital Orsted of the Arsbelt Empire, Listerine Castle, Audience Hall
As the largest nation of the continent, the Audience Hall of the Arsbelt Empire was majestically designed to impress the foreign dignitaries it hosts. The walls were adorned with intrinsic decorations, and famous paintings were also prominently displayed.
Golden chandeliers hung all over the ceilings, illuminating the room with brilliant light. The red soft carpet covered the floor, and had excellent noise cancelling effect. On the wall at the end of the room was a blue banner with crossed swords in the shape of a ‘+’. This was the Empire’s coat of arms.
The master of Listerine Castle, Emperor Ramza the Thirteen sat on his throne and listened to the war reports by his vassals. Standing beside Ramza in his rightful place was Chancellor Dalmes. The report was being made by a young officer of the Empire, General Felixus von Zega, a man that Ramza evaluated to be extremely talented since his youth.
He was one of the three Generals of the Empire, and led the elite Knights of Azure. Honest and sincere, he was a handsome man that mesmerized the ladies in court. These two factors combined to give him immense popularity with the masses.
Felixus used the large map on a pedestal to give a detailed explanation of the northern, central and southern war theatres. Ramza nodded in acknowledgement, but didn’t say a word.
“—— That concludes my report on the war. With the blessings from Your Majesty, we can begin our assault on Fort Gallia. May we have your permission, my Liege?”
Felixus asked with a complicated expression. Ramza then slowly whispered into the ears of Dalmes. It was impudent of him to do so, but Felixus still grumbled in his heart “This again?” Recently, Felixus didn’t have any chance to converse directly with Ramza, with Dalmes always serving as the messenger. After asking around, it seemed that it was the same for everyone.
Dalmes nodded respectfully, then answered Felixus:
“On behalf of our great Emperor: ‘It is too early for that, we shall observe for any movements from the Kingdom.’ End of edict.”
“… Yes, my liege.”
Felixus placed his hand on his chest, took a step back and bowed deeply. He then turned and walked towards the entrance of the Audience Hall elegantly.
(As expected, the Emperor has been acting weird in recent years. He wasn’t talkative in the past, but not this silent either. From his face, he seemed to be ill. But why won’t His Majesty give the order to attack Fort Gallia? I can’t fathom why.)
The battle plans devised by General Osborne was flawless. They had plenty of troops in the south, and morale was high. The only surprise was the baffling report of one of their elite soldiers was slain by a girl traveler.
From the grand scheme of things, that was just a trivial detail. Now was the best time to attack Fort Gallia, which was why Osborne was seeking permission from Ramza. This didn’t seem to be a decision that the sharp Ramza would make. The thought of that filled Felixus with worries.
Felixus left the Audience Hall with a sigh. Dalmes bowed towards Ramza respectfully, and followed Felixus. When the two of them exited the Audience Hall, the guards closed the door with practiced motions. Only Emperor Ramza and a few guards stayed inside. As the sun set in the west, the Audience Hall was dyed red.
The expressionless Ramza simply sat on the throne without moving an inch.
Ⅵ
Farnesse Kingdom, Letizia Castle within Royal Capital Fizz, War Room.
By order of King Alphonse, the First Army held a war council to retake Fort Kiel.
According to the records of the Dubedirica continent, the main participants were the old general Cornelius, the strong general Lambert, and the adjutant Neinhart.
“Have we confirmed the forces within Fort Kiel?”
“Yes Sir, according to our agents, their total garrison number is… 80,000.”
The room fell silent. Lieutenant General Lambert was the first to speak up. He was a fierce officer who had survived hundreds of battle within the First Army, and was a man of pure martial might. The scars all over his body spoke of his battle history.
“80,000, huh… The First Army numbers 50,000. We are heavily outnumbered.”
Colonel Neinhart placed the pieces on the map and added more bad news that were as good as a death sentence:
“80,000 refers only to the Imperial Army. If we include the nearby Imperial vassal states, Swaran and Stonia, their forces would reach 140,000.”
“Haha. It’s hopeless to pit 50k against 140k. I know this is difficult, but can we count on the assistance of the Third and Fourth Armies?”
“I tried probing before, but both sides expressed that they couldn’t spare any men.”
Neinhart answered Lambert calmly, as he calmly placed white pieces on the northern war theatre marked in red, and surrounded them with black pieces.
When the war first broke out, the Imperial Army sent an army of 80,000 to attack the north of the Kingdom. Their goal was to seize the limited number of granaries the Kingdom had, and force them into a food shortage. It was clear from this move that the Empire expected this war to last a long time.
In response, the Royal Army mobilized the Third Army led by Lieutenant General Rex Smythe and the Fourth Army commanded by Lieutenant General Linz Balt, and engaged the enemy with 60,000 men. Lieutenant General Rex and Linz had been fast friends since their student days, and their cooperation was flawless, and they toyed the Imperial Army with ease.
After that, they built on their success with the Battle of Verkul, which was a textbook example of perfect tactics.
The Third Army feigned defeat and retreats, successfully luring the Imperial Army into a narrow valley. With the Imperial Army formation dragged into a long line, the Fourth Army that was lying in ambush attacked. The Third Army also turned back to assault their pursuers.
The Imperial Army immediately fell into confusion, and was routed. That battle resulted in the Empire losing 40,000 men. After that, the Third and Fourth Army ride on the momentum to recover the Kingdom’s territory, and seemed ready to invade the Empire.
Unfortunately, after losing the Battle of Arschmitz, the situation was reversed. The Fifth Army being wiped out meant the Third and Fourth Army was in danger of being attacked from behind. Some of the officers strongly suggest that they should invade the Empire, but were rejected by Rex and Linz. Their frontlines were pulled back drastically, and they settled on covering each other’s back.
Their judgement wasn’t wrong, but they couldn’t work together strategically. This results in the Third and Fourth Army fighting by themselves, and they had to defend against the relentless attack from the enemy, as they try to hold the defence line.
“Lieutenant Genera, don’t push for it if you know it isn’t possible. I’m impressed that they held the northern war theatre with their small numbers, which is a commendable performance.”
Field Marshal Cornelius glanced at the map, and sighed. He was the commander of the First Army, and was known as the Ever Victorious General in his youth. However, he had mellowed as he was in his 70s.
Lambert shrugged, and looked towards Neinhart.
“By the way, how goes the southern war theatre?”
“According to Lieutenant General Paul’s report, the Imperial Army is mustering their forces around Kaspar castle, in preparation for their assault on Fort Gallia.”
“In that case, the Seventh Army won’t have any soldiers to spare.”
“There is no helping that. Paul received a direct order from His Majesty to defend Fort Gallia to the death. And if he moved his forces recklessly in such a situation, it would just draw in more enemy forces.”
Cornelius’ words made all the officers present winched. Fort Gallia was an important stronghold, and the Royal Capital would be wide open if it falls. The Imperial Army could then cross the Est mountains and march right into the Royal Capital, Fizz. If it comes to this, then the Royal Army would have no choice but to fight to the death against the enemy.
But even so, it wasn’t wise to just wait and watch the Imperial Army do as they pleased. The Royal Army couldn’t just let the Seventh Army that suffered almost no loss in combat potential to idle. They couldn’t say it out loud, but that was what the officers thought.
“If only we still control Kaspar castle…”
One of the officers mumbled, and everyone’s eyes fell on one point of the map.
Kaspar castle has a long history that went back all the way to the warring era. It was first built to intimidate the nations to the south, but its strategic importance fell with the construction of Fort Kiel, and was almost abandoned in recent years. However, the fall of Fort Kiel changed everything, and the importance of Kasper castle increased since it could serve as a forward base to attack and take back Fort Kiel.
It was already too late when the Kingdom responded. After the Imperial Army seized Fort Kiel, they sent a unit to attack Kaspar castle a fortnight later. Before reinforcements could reach them, First Lieutenant Kutom and his 500 men garrisoned in the fort were wiped out.
And now, Kasper castle had transformed in the Imperial Army’s hands into a bridgehead to assault Fort Gallia.
“Well, no point crying over spilled milk. Instead of that, do we have an idea of how large a force is garrisoned in Kaspar castle?”
“A moment please.”
Neinhart flipped through the document he had on hand, and found a report on the 《Estimated forces in Kaspar castle》. This report wasn’t completely reliable, and had the tendency of underestimating the figures to present a more ideal situation. However, the report this time was an exception.
With the face of that iron mask man in man, Neinhart answered:
“— According to estimate, they have about 50,000 men.”
“Hmm, 50,000, huh…”
After saying that, Lambert crossed his arms and fell into deep thought with his eyes closed. He should be thinking about a plan.
Neinhart wasn’t the only one who thought so.
“Lieutenant General, what are you scheming?”
Cornelius asked Lambert with a questioning gaze. With everyone’s eyes on him, Lambert slowly opened his eyes and said:
“Well, I just thought of this idea. Why don’t we retake Kaspar castle instead? The First Army can spare 25,000 men, and combine that with 30,000 men from the Seventh Army to make a force of 55,000. Then we would have an even chance of winning.”
A few officers piled praises on Lambert’s suggestion. They were buttering up to Lambert since he would be the commander of the First Army in the future. However, Lambert didn’t care about the people sucking up to him.
(The Kingdom is wavering from the storm, and these people still have the heart to do this.)
Neinhart looked at them with a speechless face, but they didn’t mind at all, and made a show of discussing Lambert’s proposal. Instead of the Kingdom’s fate, they cared more about their own future.
Cornelius didn’t pay much attention to that, and said:
“We already discussed this, the Seventh Army can’t move their forces recklessly right now.”
“We just have to make sure the move isn’t reckless. If we retake Kaspar castle, then the Empire’s encirclement of Fort Gallia would be broken. We can then work together with the Seventh Army to recover Fort Kiel.”
“Indeed… That’s true… But His Majesty…”
Cornelius muttered as he stroked his beard. He didn’t have a rebuttal since Lambert was right. To make a final push to convince him, Lambert continued:
“From the earlier reports, our forces alone stand no chance of recovering Fort Kiel. Field Marshal Sir, you must understand that too. Pardon my insolence, but you don’t wish for the entire First Army to die for nothing below Fort Kiel, correct?”
“Hmm…”
Lambert’s sarcastic advice turned Cornelius’ face sour. The other officers watched their interaction with bated breath.
“… I understand. I will handle the issue of convincing His Majesty. I will leave the battle plans to Lieutenant General Paul and you. Discuss it properly before coming to a decision.
“Yes Sir! Thank you for accepting my proposal!”
Cornelius waved off Lambert who wanted to stand up and salute. The other officers looked at each other and sighed in relief, glad that they could avoid a reckless battle. Neinhart felt the same too.
Neinhart quickly gathered his thoughts, and proposed to Cornelius:
“Field Marshal Sir, may I handle the communication with the Seventh Army? There’s something I’m concerned about.”
“—— Fine. You will be the best candidate for this. I don’t know what you have in mind, but don’t overwork yourself.”
With that, Cornelius got up from his chair. With that signal, Lambert ended the meeting, and all the officers left the War Room with exhausted faces.
Neinhart tidied the documents he had on hand, as he looked at a report from the Seventh Army. It wasn’t relevant to the meeting, so Neinhart didn’t bring it up. The report mentioned that a soldier killed Samuel, his sworn enemy who killed his dear friend Florentz during the Battle of Arschmitz.
—— It was a report on Warrant Officer Olivia.
(From the reports, she is just a 15 years old girl… It’s hard to believe this, but Lieutenant Colonel Otto isn’t someone who will lie in an intelligence report. No matter what, I have to meet her and offer my thanks.)
Neinhart thought about the girl he had never met, and quietly closed the door of the war room.
Royal Army, Fort Gallia, Lieutenant Colonel Otto’s office
While the war council to retake Fort Kiel was ongoing in the capital.
Otto summoned Olivia to his office to tell her about a certain mission. However, Olivia didn’t show at the appointed time. Five minutes passed, then ten, and a rhythmic creaking sound came from the office. The soldiers passing by the office all tilted their head in confusion when they heard that sound.
After 30 minutes, Olivia finally reported to Otto’s room. And she saluted smartly without any sense of guilt. Otto suppressed his displeasure and asked:
“Warrant Officer Olivia, first of all, why are you 30 minutes late?”
“Sir, the reason is because of the clock!”
“… Clock? What has that got to do with you being late?”
“Sir, I don’t have a beautiful watch like Adjutant Otto, and can’t tell the time accurately. That’s why I’m late!”
Olivia said as she looked at the Pocket Watch on the desk enviously. Otto sighed at this absurd excuse, then reached towards his desk. He reached for the silver Pocket Watch with a shallow engraving of a flower on the cover. He opened the cover, and the red second hand ticked along with a fixed rhythm. Otto stared at the Pocket Watch for a while, then tossed it. The Pocket Watch drew an arc in the air, and Olivia caught it hurriedly.
“… Huh?”
“I will give you this Pocket Watch. And now, you don’t have an excuse to be late anymore.”
Otto lost his cool because of Olivia a few days ago. After that experience, he knew it would be better for his mental state if he gave her the Pocket Watch.
Otto gave the Pocket Watch to Olivia with that kind of feeling in mind, but Olivia alternate her gaze between the Pocket Watch and Otto in surprise. She seemed really shocked. Otto waved his hand in response to Olivia’s stare.
“Can I keep this?”
“Yes. And you should say ‘May I accept this gift?’ I told you plenty of times to be more respectful when you speak with your superiors.”
“Yes Sir, my apologies! I will gratefully accept Adjutant Otto’s Pocket Watch!”
After she said that, Olivia started fidgeting with the Pocket Watch gleefully. She opened and closed the lid of the watch repeatedly. The way she played with her new toy like a kid reminded Otto of his 6 years old daughter back in the capital. After reminiscing for a while, he noticed that Olivia was looking at his face curiously. It seemed that he was too relaxed.
“I-It’s almost time to get down to business. Put your Pocket Watch away.”
“Understood, I will put it away now!”
Olivia carefully kept the Pocket Watch like a treasure. Otto cleared his throat and crossed his arms.
“The reason I summoned you, Warrant Officer Olivia, is to assign a special mission to you. As you know, you have the option of rejecting special missions. Time is short, so I hope you can make the decision immediately, Warrant Officer.”
Special missions were secret and difficult tasks assigned to a small group of people. There was a high risk of death, so the assignee had the right to reject the mission.
By the way, if the mission was carried out successfully, she would definitely get promoted. Considering Olivia’s personality, Otto didn’t think she would reject this. And as expected, Olivia answered without any hesitation:
“Understood, I have no objections. Warrant Officer Olivia will take on this special mission!”
“Good answer. Then I will tell you the content of your mission. Warrant Officer, I need you to lead a team and retake Fort Lamburg.”
Otto stood up from his chair, and pointed at a spot on the map that was on the wall behind him. It was a fort marked with an X, and labelled 《abandoned》. Olivia looked at the map, and tilted her head slightly.
“Isn’t this castle abandoned? —— Oh, no, in my humble opinion, that castle appears to be abandoned.”
Realizing she was speaking casually, and quickly changed her tone. Otto sighed as he watched her giggly face, and said:
“That’s right, as you mentioned, this fort was abandoned a decade ago. It’s now a hideout for bandits. In other words, I want you to take back the fort from the bandits.”
“Why are you taking back something that was thrown away?”
“Your phrasing… Never mind. Times are different now. As you know, Warrant Officer, our army is at a disadvantage against the Imperial Army. To stop further attacks from the Empire, we need Fort Lamburg now.”
Otto sent several platoons to subjugate the bandits in Fort Lamburg, but it always ended in failure. The survivors said that most of the soldiers were killed by a skilled spear wielder.
He thought about sending a company sized expedition over, but it didn’t materialize. A large scale operation would draw too much attention. With the imperial having set up eyes everywhere, he couldn’t move his forces hastily, since he didn’t know whether the imperials were watching.
If the mission was discovered and the Empire learns about Fort Lamburg’s existence, they would send a unit to seize it. In the worst situation, this would strengthen the attack by the Empire. After weighing his options, Otto gave up on retaking Fort Lamburg.
However, the situation has changed now that Olivia was here. To deal with that skilled spear wielder, they just need to send out Olivia, who was probably the strongest person in Seventh Army.
After Otto gave a detailed explanation, he asked Olivia as a final confirmation:
“— Like I said, all the past subjugation mission failed. Do you still want to accept this mission?”
“Yes… I just need to kill all the bandits, right?”
Olivia answered dangerously, and Otto’s face turned tensed. She was right, so he nodded:
“Yes, simply put, that is it.”
“I understand. By the way, do you want me to give you head?”
“Head?”
“Yes. Human heads.”
Otto was confused that she suddenly mentioned heads. He pressed Olivia for a clearer explanation, and she said incredulously:
“I thought humans will feel happy to receive the severed heads of their enemies?”
When he heard that, Otto finally remembered that she presented a bag of Imperial Soldiers’ head when she first arrived at the fort. Otto felt a chill around his neck, and said with a shake of his head:
“—— N-No, you don’t have to bring back their heads.”
“Understood, then I will retake Fort Lamburg as ordered!”
“Very good, I look forward to your good news. You may leave.”
Olivia turned and left the office smartly. Her strides were filled with confidence, without a shred of unease towards the mission. As if to prove that point, Otto could hear a carefree voice outside his door saying “Oh, I forgot to ask when I will get my cake.”
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