Prologue: The Isolated Second Army
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
Farnesse Kingdom, Central War Theatre
The Kingdom shared its borders with three countries in the center of the Dubedirica continent, namely the minor states of Swaran Kingdom and the Principality of Stonia, as while as the Arsbelt Empire. And the central war theatre was where the fighting was most intense in this war.
With the fall of the supposedly impregnable Fort Kiel and the decimation of the Fifth Army, a group of Kingdom soldiers were fighting desperately in this dire situation—
“Your Excellency, there’s an emergency report from the capital.”
When he heard his adjutant say that, the man who was observing the battle through his telescope sighed softly. He could tell it was bad news from his adjutant’s bitter tone. For this man, emergency communications from the capital were nothing but trouble.
“Can I choose to ignore it?”
The man asked with a sense of resignation, and his adjutant responded flusteredly:
“O-Of course you can’t! What are you—”
“Sigh. I get it, I get it, don’t yell.”
The man kept his telescope back to his waist, and turned to the person speaking with him— the stern faced Captain Liz Ploise.
He gestured with his chin for her to continue, and Liz said with a melancholic face:
“According to the reports, the Third and Fourth Armies defending the northern frontlines had been destroyed. Lieutenant General Ritz Smith and Lieutenant General Linz Baltic died fighting for our Kingdom.”
Liz’s report was completely unexpected, and for an instant, time seemed to have stopped for a moment.
“… Are there any doubts on the accuracy of this report?”
Just to be sure, the man asked again. Liz shook her head firmly. At that moment, the images of the times he spent with the other two people in the Military Academy flashed across his mind. For him, these times were fulfilling, and seemed so far away.
“I see. Ritz and Linz are gone, huh…”
Unable to hide the wavering in his heart, the man ignored the other officers with him, and lit a crumpled cigarette and started smoking. Mourning in silence wasn’t his style, he still offered a silent prayer to the souls of his two comrades.
The man was Brad Enfield.
The commander of the Second Army, the last line of defence in the Central War Theatre, and what was stopping the enemy from marching on the capital.
“My condolences, but there’s more.”
Liz said reluctantly, and Brad ruffled his hair and urged her to continue. He was upset, since he knew it was definitely not good news.
“Orders from the capital, Lieutenant General Brad is to defend the Central War Theatre, and also keep the Imperial forces from the north at bay.”
“… Excuse me, can you say that again?”
Brad was wondering if his hearing was going because of his age.
With that in mind, Brad asked again, however...
“Lieutenant General Brad is to defend the Central War Theatre, and also keep the Imperial forces from the north at bay.”
Liz’s reply was exactly the same as before. So his ears seemed to be fine.
Brad then looked up slowly, and the sky was so blue and clear, that it didn’t sound like a joke at all. A few grey birds soared in the air, mocking the foolish humans on the ground sloughing through a war. If this wasn’t a battlefield, resting in this plains would definitely be a treat.
“… Sigh… What a pain. I should just pack my bags and run.”
“Your Excellency!!”
Liz’s angry shout made Brad shirked away. Brad then explained his reasons:
“Well, this is impossible, right? It takes everything we have just to hold on to this war theatre. And they want us to fend off the attacks from the north on top of that? Captain Liz, I think you understand how unreasonable the brass’ orders are.”
“W-Well…”
Liz lowered her gaze, unable to refute him.
Once the Imperial forces that destroyed Ritz and Linz head down south, the Second Army would be surrounded. When that happens, Brad would join Ritz and Linz in the other world soon. The image of those two welcoming Brad with sheepish faces flashed across Brad’s mind.
He wasn’t kidding just now. Brad had no intentions of dying in vain, or letting the Second Army be destroyed. He was more than half serious, and didn’t care what the brass thought.
（Enough. Let’s see what are the escape routes…）
As Brad was drawing a route in his mind, he locked eyes with Liz.
“……”
She was staring at him, as if she had something to say.
“If there’s more, can you say everything in one go?”
“Please don’t be so obtuse. I forgot to add that the Seventh Army vanquished an Imperial Army of 50,000 on the Iris Plains, and succeeded in retaking Kasper Castle.”
“What!? Is that true!?”
Brad asked in surprised, and Liz finally smiled.
“It is. The Seventh Army won a great and splendid victory.”
“A great victory…”
It had been ages since Brad heard any good news. And this wasn’t just winning a battle, but a great victory. The first since Fort Kiel fell.
When Brad heard from Liz that they only suffered casualties in the single digits when retaking Kasper Castle, he laughed and fist pumped excitedly:
“Haha! As expected of Paul, that old geezer. To score an incredible victory in such a dire situation, no wonder they call him a demon god. —wait, in that case…”
Brad thought for a moment with his hand on his chin, then ordered Liz to take out the map of the Kingdom’s south with haste. When she brought it out, Brad impatiently laid it out on his table.
“If we set up a defense line over here…”
Liz quietly watched as Brad busied himself in front of the map, letting him think without any disturbance. Be it for better or worse, he was thinking about things desperately—
“— This should work.”
A while later, Brad shifted his gaze away from the map, and took a puff of smoke smugly.
“Your Excellency, did you think of a good idea. If so, may you share it with me?”
Liz looked at him and asked. The other officers all cast hopeful gazes towards Brad.
“— Hm? Well… aside from running away, the only other option is for the Seventh Army to deal with the Imperial Army from the north. There’s no other way.”
Brad said confidently. Most of the officers were confounded by Brad, including Liz who asked with a frown:
“Sending the Seventh Army to engage the Imperial Army? Not the Sixth?”
“The Sixth Army? That’s not possible.”
After suffering terrible losses to the Full Metal Knights in the Southern War Theatre, the Sixth Army consolidated their forces and was now garrisoned in Vegeta Fort. Liz felt bashful when Brad reminded her of that.
“Indeed, that was thoughtless of me.”
“Even if the Sixth Army is available, I don’t want to ask Lieutenant General Sara for aid. I’m not good with the likes of Princesses.”
Sara’s cryptic smile flashed across Brad’s mind.
“Leaving Your Excellency’s personal preference aside, the Sixth Army is bogged down right now. But isn’t the Seventh Army pinned down in the south too? And just as much as the Sixth Army too.”
Liz still refuted his point, and was confident of it. The other officers all nodded in agreement.
“The Seventh Army is pinned down? Why do you think that?”
Brad couldn’t understand why his subordinates couldn’t accept his views, and answered seriously. Liz was dumbstruck, and her face seems to say: “You can’t even figure that out?”.
“You are seriously asking why? We retook Kasper Castle, but Fort Kiel is still a threat, so we can’t move recklessly.”
“Which means?”
“It means the Seventh Army can’t leave Kasper Castle easily.”
Liz said as she pointed out Kasper Castle and Fort Kiel on the map, adding her analysis on why the Seventh Army couldn’t be moved.
After hearing her out, Brad smiled proudly.
“Wrong. You are wrong, it’s the opposite, the Seventh Army have broken loose of their shackles.”
“Broken loose of their shackles? What do you mean by that?”
Liz’s blue eyes were filled with confusion.
“I mean that literally. The importance of Kasper Castle lies in the solid defence line that can be set around it.”
“A solid defence line…”
“That’s right. The terrain there is complicated, and if we made good use of that, we can hold off a large army with a small number of men. However, that will only be true if an excellent commander is in charge. That is a mandatory condition.”
War couldn’t be easily won by a smaller force by using the advantage of terrain. It would be pointless if the commander couldn’t make full use of their advantage. This was basically true whenever you were fighting an enemy superior in numbers.
After listening to Brad’s explanation, Liz looked at the map and muttered to herself, pushing her glasses up from time to time:
“— I see. The river flowing eastwest serves as a natural moat, and the cliffs to the south is very treacherous. The paths are narrow and not ideal for deploying a large army. It’s a great defensive position for us. But it is as you said, Your Excellency, an excellent commander will be necessary.”
Liz raised her head enlightened.
（She is quick on her feet, as expected of the top graduate from the Royal Military Academy. She will be perfect if she is more flexible…）
Brad thought as he watched Liz say all that as easily as a flick of her finger.
“If I remember correctly, that baldie Elman is in the Seventh Army. Give him 10,000 men, and the south would be safe and secure.”
“I concur. Major General Elman is known for his defensive abilities, and can repel an Imperial Army.”
“That’s right. And so, we don’t have to place too much attention to Fort Galia. In other words—”
“In other words, the Seventh Army will be free to move.”
Liz finished Brad’s sentences. Brad smiled awkwardly, and nodded gently.
“That’s how it is.”
“Understood, I will send an urgent message to the capital.”
As he watched Liz leave with brisk steps, Brad bit onto another cigarette. To be honest, he was hoping for the First Army to move out and assist immediately. But he didn’t list that as a possibility because he knew Alphonse wouldn’t give permission to send out the First Army. After the demise of the Fifth Army, the Third and Fourth Army had fallen too. The Empire was fully capable of attacking the capital now.
Brad didn’t see Alphonse as a man wise and decisive enough to send the First Army out to the frontlines.
（Even though I’m the one who brought it up, I don’t want to owe any favours to the Seventh Army either. Old geezer Paul is really scary.）
Brad puffed out smoke along with a sigh, which vanished into the air along with the dust.
Chapter 1: The Girl Known Both as a Hero and a Monster
Ⅰ
Lunar Calendar 999.
The capital bid farewell to Spring, and ushered in the warmth of the early Summer days. Normally, this would be the period where commercial activities were at its peak, however—
“The Royal Army in the north has been destroyed.”
“Ehh? Won’t the capital be in danger?”
“The First Army led by the Ever Victorious General, Lord Cornelius is here, so it will be safe. However…”
“There’s no telling how things might turn out. If the worst happens, they might abandon us and flee on their own.”
News of the Third and Fourth Armies’ demise weighed heavily in the hearts of the capital’s citizens. The two armies won recently in the Battle of Berkerley, and was even poised to invade the Empire too, so this sudden turn of events were even more disappointing. And of course, this meant the north of the Kingdom had fallen into the hands of the Empire.
Merchants who were sharp concluded that the fate of the Kingdom had been sealed, and rushed to move their family to the Confederation of Sutherland in the south of the continent. This would accentuate the pressing matter of food supply. The loss of merchants would cause the stagnation of supplies, which was just common sense.
Fizz was the Royal capital, and had plenty of food stored in warehouses. And with the First Army garrisoned here, there weren't any riots, unlike other cities.
But it was clear that the situation would only get worse with time.
Royal Capital Fizz, Leticia Palace, Audience Hall
When news of the Seventh Army recovering Kasper Castle arrived, the King of Farnesse, Alphonse Sem Garmund, was having his meal. Even so, he still waved his arms around in joy. It wasn’t just happiness from winning a battle after such a long time, he also saw the hope of retaking Fort Kiel.
However, the situation was turned on its head in just two months.
When he received news of the Third and Fourth Armies’ demise, Alphonse fell into despair. The recapturing of Fort Kiel was built on the condition that the Third and Fourth Armies were still intact, and he knew that attacking Fort Kiel with the First Army would be foolish.
Bad news kept coming.
The 《Lloyds Merchants》 that had close dealings with the Farnesse Royal family for generations had vanished. When he heard this report, Alphonse could almost hear his standings crack literally. This meant the future of the Farnesse Kingdom had been completely dismissed—
As if to hint the future of the Kingdom, the Audience Hall was dyed red by the setting sun. The sentries that always stood guard by the door were nowhere to be found.
（This war had gone on for four years… Compared to the past, it had grown much quieter.）
Cornelius who was here to seek an audience with Alphonse looked up at the vast empty space up above, and smiled awkwardly.
There were no signs of frequent visitors seeking audiences, and the doors engraved with lions did not open and close repeatedly as it once did. The place were still cleaned, but even the decorations adorning the Audience Hall seemed lonesome.
Cornelius was feeling sentimental when he heard faint footsteps. It came from inside the hall, and there was a hint of haste in the even pacing. A sound Cornelius was already familiar with.
（Well well, he is finally here…）
Cornelius knelt down and genuflected before his liege. Shortly after, the door opened and Alphonse entered with a few escorts. After glancing at Cornelius, Alphonse got onto the throne as if he was falling down into it.
“Gramps. What… What should I do? I don’t know what I should do now… No, I didn’t know what I should do from the very start…”
Alphonse sighed deeply, and said depressingly. His words lacked dignity, and his face was as pale as ash. According to the servants, Alphonse had lost his appetite, and was much skinnier now.
Such a weak demeanour was unfitting for the King of Farnesse, and he only appeared like a King because of his lavish dressing and silver crown.
Cornelius was pained by this scene, and advised:
“Your Majesty, please don’t blame yourself. We have repelled the Imperial Army in the south, and it will just be a matter of time before we recover the north. Pardon my impudence, but the First Army will gladly take on this task.”
In response to Cornelius’ hopeful words, Alphonse answered sternly:
“A-Absolutely not! The First Army just have to guard the capital and the central territories!”
Alphonse’s agitated response made Cornelius shrug and sigh.
The central territory was the capital Fizz and the surrounding cities that were prosperous from commerce. The movement of people was worlds apart from the northern and southern areas, and was a financial hub. The Kingdom had fallen on hard times in recent years, but it was still the backbone that supports the entire Kingdom.
Alphonse’s military acumen was mediocre, but he had an eye for economics matters. He objected to the plan to retake Kasper Castle in the past, but the complication of this issue was on an entirely different level. Hence Cornelius, didn’t insist on deploying the First Army.
“Then are we going with the current standing orders, and let the Second Army in the Central War Theatre fight alone? Once the Imperial Army in the north march southwards, the Second Army would be surrounded and destroyed.”
“That’s right...! I know it’s difficult, but there’s no other way…”
Alphonse said as he held his head in resignation. Cornelius was speechless when he saw that. He watched Alphonse grew up, and had never seen Alphonse act so dejected before. At the same time, he felt relieved that Alphonse understood how much of a pinch the Second Army was in.
“Your Majesty, the Second Army had requested for the Seventh Army to engage the Imperial forces in the north. May I have your permission to proceed with this request?”
Surprised by what Cornelius said, Alphonse raised his head, and brushed his neat brows:
“The Seventh Army...? Don’t they need to garrison Kasper Castle and Fort Galia?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. We have built a solid defense line around Kasper Castle, so the Seventh Army is free to move.”
“… You are not lying to me, right?”
Alphonse looked at Cornelius with suspicious eyes. To ease his suspicions, Cornelius looked right back at him:
“I wouldn’t dare lie to you, Your Majesty.”
Alphonse asked what would they do if Fort Kiel sent in a large army to invade. He was afraid of the fort that was recovered after so much effort falling into enemy hands again. It might sound pessimistic for a ruler, but as one in charge of the military, he had the responsibility of considering that possibility.
“Kasper Castle will be garrisoned by the best defensive General in the Seventh Army. We have the advantage in terrain, and will be secured even if the Empire attacks with huge numbers.”
Seeing Cornelius answer so firmly, Alphonse closed his eyes and started to think. Five minutes passed, ten minutes, maybe even longer.
Cornelius waited quietly all this while. Finally, Alphonse opened his eyes, and sighed heavily:
“—Alright then, I will trust you. Send the Seventh Army to the north as reinforcements. But in exchange, the First Army have to focus on defending the central area around the Royal Capital from now on. How about it?”
“Yes my liege! Thank you for accepting my proposal!”
“I’m afraid of you threatening to resign again.”
After saying that in jest, Alphonse left the Audience Hall. As his footsteps grew distant, the Audience Hall fell silent once again.
Cornelius who was left behind stood up slowly and let out a deep sigh.
（That’s all I can do for now. The rest will be up to the Seventh Army and Paul…）
Ⅱ
Royal Army, Fort Galia War Room
Paul who had been promoted to General for winning the Battle of the Iris Plains gathered the key officers under him for a war conference. Alphonse issued an edict, ordering the Seventh Army to engage the Imperial Army that crushed the Third and Fourth Armies in the north.
Major Olivia who was exceptionally promoted three ranks were amongst the officers gathered, together with the First Lieutenant Claudia who was promoted two grades, and an uneasy youth. He was recognized for the success of his plan to seize Kasper Castle, and was fast tracked from Private all the way up to Warrant Officer.
“— As you have already heard, we will be engaging the Imperial forces to the north on the King’s orders.”
Similarly, Otto had been promoted to Senior Colonel. All the officers nodded tensely when they heard that. （Except Olivia who was staring at the ceiling with a bored expression, and supporting her cheeks with her palm）.
Otto suppressed the urge for his fists to tremble, and explained the situation. As the officers shared their views and opinions, one man raised his hand. He was Major General Hosmund Chrysler who commanded the right flank during the Battle of Iris.
“Since the Second Army is in peril, then we should make haste. I volunteer to lead 3,000 troops as an advance party, and also use this chance to scout out the situation?”
When Hosmund said that, there were mainly two types of reactions. Those who agreed and nodded, and those with lukewarm expressions. The reaction of the former was obvious to Otto, but those in the latter group appeared to have seen through Hosmund’s eagerness to earn war merits.
And that was the truth, Hosmund was very anxious. He didn’t achieve great results in the Battle of Iris, and wanted to make up for it during the siege of Kasper Castle. But Olivia captured the Castle before he even reached the place.
Elman who was a commoner getting promoted to Lieutenant General made him even more anxious.
“Your Excellency, what do you think about Major General Hosmund’s proposal?”
He handed the buck over to Paul, but Otto had his reservations about this. Scouts would be more than enough for reconnaissance. He could understand that Hosmund wants to earn war merits, but their mission was to vanquish the forward elements of the enemy that might be marching onto the central territory. And of course, they need to take into consideration the plans to recover the northern zone too.
To Otto, 3,000 men wasn’t a small number, and he wanted to avoid as much risk as possible.
“Major General Hosmund, if we want to conduct reconnaissance, can’t we just send out scouts? I don’t see any point in spreading our forces out.”
Paul felt the same way too, and Hosmund stood up agitatedly and refuted loudly:
“Lord Paul, even as we are deliberating here, there is a chance that the Imperial Army is already marching down south. In my humble opinion, our biggest enemy right now is time. If we move too slowly, we might lose the Second Army too. We can’t afford to send out scouts and wait leisurely for intel!”
“Hmm… You do have a point.”
When Paul said that, most of the officers nodded in agreement. The exception would be Olivia who asked loudly: “Another cup of tea!” as well as Claudia and Ashton who were hanging their heads sheepishly beside her.
Otto forced a cough, and asked Olivia:
“Major Olivia, what’s your opinion on this?”
“Me—? I will think about it when I meet the enemy.”
As she said that, Olivia added the expensive sugar into her tea without any reservations, and started sipping it. Otto felt speechless about her attitude, and looked to Ashton to her right.
“What about you, Warrant Officer Ashton?”
“Y-Yes Sir! I— in my humble opinion, I don’t see the need to send out an advance party!”
Right after saying that, Ashton’s face started to cramp. All the officers looked at him with surprise, since he had obviously misspoken.
（It’s only natural for them to react that way, but we are discussing whether to send out scouts, or for Major General Hosmund to lead the advance party personally. Both options includes sending men out in advance. It is ridiculous to deny the need to perform recconaisance.）
Otto thought, and Hosmund asked Ashton impatiently:
“I have heard of your outstanding performance during the assault on Kasper Castle. It is truly impressive and beyond me. Hence, I’m very interested in the reason why you refute my proposal. I still have much to learn, and I hope you can enlighten me.”
The Conference Room grew tense, and the subject who caused this scene looked to Otto for help. Otto gestured with his lips for Ashton to go on, because he was interested in the opinion of this youth who looked unreliable at first glance.
Ashton jerked his shoulders, and stuttered his opinion with a pained expression—
— The day after the War Conference in Fort Galia.
Major General Hosmund led a Cavalry Regiment of 3,000 men and set off for the largest city in the north of the Kingdom, the Fortress City Emreed. The War Conference concluded that if the Imperial Army was to march south, they would definitely seize Emreed. In short, Ashton’s opinion was rejected, and Hosmund’s proposal was accepted. On top of that, Olivia’s Cavalry Regiment would set off one week later as the second wave, while the main force would move out two weeks later.
As Fort Galia were busy preparing for war, Claudia who was walking down the passageway with a document in hand saw Olivia exit the archives room.
（Hmm? Why is the Major going to the archives room? There isn’t any books she likes in there…）
With that in mind, Claudia called out to her from behind, and Olivia turned around lethargically.
“Oh, Claudia.”
“You don’t look good, are you feeling unwell?”
Normally, Olivia was the very sign of vitality, but she looked depressed now.
“No, I’m fine. I’m on my way to the mess hall.”
“What’s wrong?”
Olivia feeling depressed over something other than food was rare.
“Well, I can’t find any clues…”
Olivia smiled weakly. Speaking of which, Claudia would lose sight of Olivia at times. She thought Olivia had gone to the mess, but it seems that she was searching for something.
“May I help?”
She didn’t know what Olivia was searching for, but two would be better than one. Olivia patted Claudia’s shoulder, and said:
“Okay, I will be counting on you next time. Let’s go eat something for now.”
Even though she said that, Claudia had the feeling she had been rejected.
（Since she isn’t feeling unwell, then it should be fine. I might be her Executive Officer, but I shouldn’t interfere too much into her private matters.）
With that in mind, Claudia headed to the mess together with Olivia.
At the mess, the two of them found Ashton sitting by himself in a corner. He was drinking soup with a bitter expression.
（Speaking of which, I should ask him about what he said yesterday.）
Claudia swiftly took the bread and bowlful of soup from the busy lunch lady, and sat down opposite Ashton.
“Hey, why did you say all that yesterday? Isn’t that too fantastical? I was surprised.”
When Claudia said that to him, Ashton’s right hand that was holding a spoon turned stiff, and he raised his head timidly. He looked like a child who got caught in the middle of a prank, and was very apologetic.
“I really thought that way at that time. Well, it’s true that sounded rather fantastical…”
“Halb halb edicius nietspe?”
Olivia who sat down beside Claudia stuffed bread into her mouth and supported Ashton’s opinion.
“Major, please swallow before you talk. This is unsightly.”
Claudia advised Olivia quietly. Olivia nodded docilely, and Ashton’s expression relaxed after seeing their sisterly interaction.
The sight of the blonde Claudia and the silver haired Olivia reminded Ashton of the golden and silver lions on the Kingdom’s coat of arms. Then the cup between them would be the grail on the coat of arms. Ashton’s thoughts started to wander.
“I don’t think that’s impossible. Like Ashton said, isn’t that too much of a coincidence? Just two months after we capture Kasper Castle, and the Third and Fourth Armies got crushed. It should be fine to think of that as a taunt towards the Seventh Army.”
Olivia concurred with Ashton again. Why didn’t she do so during the war conference? Claudia thought suddenly, and then remembered that Olivia was mesmerized with her tea back then, which answered her own question.
“However, this is still too large a leap in logic. Why would the Imperial forces in the north want to lure the Seventh Army there?”
—What Ashton said was as follows:
『In my humble opinion, the Imperial forces deployed in the north are waiting for the Seventh Army, so we don’t need to rush.』
The moment he said that, most of the officers cast sympathetic gazes his way. Paul and Otto remained silent, but still showed a troubled face as the other officers were watching. As for Hosmund, he said: 『As expected of the strategist of Major Olivia, your thinking is really unique.』, and showed a condescending smile.
He was also taking pot shots at Olivia, so Claudia was furious. However, she couldn’t rebuke a general, and just scolded him in her heart. Rank was everything here. In this world, what your superiors said was law.
But that aside, Ashton’s words were too strange. Claudia thought of herself as Ashton’s supporter, but she couldn’t find the reason and courage to defend him.
（But the Major understood what Ashton said. Am I unable to gauge Ashton’s capabilities as a strategist?）
With that in mind, Claudia looked right at Ashton:
“W-Well, actually, I said that without thinking. And my opinion was rejected, so don’t pay it any mind.”
Ashton said as if the matter didn’t concern him, and started drinking soup to avoid Claudia’s gaze. He needed to be disciplined.
“You fool! Then don’t say that in the first place!”
“E-Even if you say that, but that demon— Senior Colonel Otto suddenly put me on the spot, and I was really nervous…”
Ashton scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and Claudia sighed in response. He was just commissioned recently, so it was understandable that he felt uneasy, but that wasn’t a reason why he couldn’t get out of the mindset of a foot soldier.
“Really now… It is only natural for the higher ups to seek your opinions during such occasions. And you are the Major’s strategist. Ashton you need to be more firm in your attitude.”
“Haha, Ashton is getting scolded.”
Olivia looked at Ashton gleefully.
“You...!? Sigh, I’m very sorry.”
Ashton slouched his shoulders depressedly. To console him, Olivia gently stroked his back and said: “Don’t take it too hard.” She looked like an older sister soothing her brother, although Ashton was four years older than Olivia.
Claudia smiled wryly at them in her heart, and said to Olivia:
“You too, Major, now isn’t the time to laugh at others. Please choose your family name by today, you can’t drag it on any longer.”
She spent four hours catching Olivia last time, and two hours for the day before. When Olivia saw the smiling Claudia drew near, she protested quietly:
“Family names are unnecessary. I don’t want to be a noble either. And I already have the wonderful name Olivia.”
“You can’t. Since the Major has been officially appointed as a Chevalier of the Kingdom, then you will need a family name. Senior Colonel Otto is also urging you to decide quickly?”
Peerage in the Farnesse Kingdom were hereditary. Scions of nobles were nobles, while commoners would always be commoners. However, there were exceptions. For example, a noble man taking a commoner wife, and the wife would then be a noble. Many wealthy merchants marry their daughters to nobles to gain all sorts of benefits, while the nobles would join the family of merchants in maritony to secure funds and wealth.
There was another exception. Those who achieved remarkable feats, and was bestowed with the title of Chevalier. This was the law set by the founder of the Farnesse Kingdom, Julius Zu Farnesse, and how Olivia received her peerage.
As Claudia said all that, Olivia covered her ears defiantly. She even pressed her head down onto the table. Claudia was at a loss, and Ashton gently tapped Olivia’s shoulder:
“Olivia, you should decide quickly. The de— Senior Colonel Otto can be really scary.”
Ashton trembled when he said that, as these words resonated with him. Olivia slowly raised her head and agreed reluctantly. He then drank all the soup and said.
“— I’m going back to work.”
Ashton who had eyes like a dead fish returned to Otto’s office. After seeing him off, the two of them headed to Claudia’s room.
“Oh~ Claudia’s room is so tidy, unlike mine.”
Olivia surveyed the room curiously. A plain bed, desk and shelf, without any decorations. Claudia thought Olivia’s room was messy, but couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“It’s only natural since I only used this room to rest.”
With that, Claudia took a thick book off the shelf. It has the records of all the noble clans that had been discontinued for all sorts of reasons. She urged Olivia to sit on the bed, and flipped the pages after sitting down beside her.
“— Wait, Major! What are you doing!?”
“I want to sleep after my meal.”
Claudia dragged Olivia out of her blanket, and shoved a book before her. If Olivia didn’t decide on a family name soon, Otto would start banging tables again.
“Enough, choose.”
“Claudia, you are so forceful.”
Olivia grumbled as she took the book, and flipped the pages disinterestedly. She couldn’t sit still just one minute later, and asked Claudia:
“… Hey, why don’t we play tag instead—”
“No.”
“What about hide and seek—”
“Absolutely not.”
“…Claudia is so wilful.”
Olivia said with a serious face:
“That’s my line!”
Claudia shouted angrily, and at this moment, Olivia stopped flipping the pages randomly.
“This coat of arms…”
“Hmm? Which one?”
Something finally caught Olivia’s interest, so Claudia looked at the page. What she saw was a skull surrounded by crimson roses. On the forehead of the skull was a diamond-shaped ruby, with two black scythes crossed behind the skull.
（What an ominous coat of arms.）
Claudia thought. She checked the year the clan was discontinued, and saw it was Year 840 of the Lunar Calendar. A clan that died out more than 150 years ago, but the reason wasn’t recorded.
“The Valedstorm clan, huh… How strange, the reason for its discontinuation should be recorded, but there’s nothing written here…?”
Beside Claudia who was tilting her head bafflingly, Olivia stared at the coat of arms on the book with an incredibly serious face. Her usual carefree expression was nowhere to be found. Claudia wanted to observe such a rare sight for a little longer, but Olivia slowly raised her head.
“—I have decided. This will be my family name.”
“Ehh!? It’s urgent, but you don’t have to be so sloppy about it. There’s plenty of other clans too.”
Why did she have to choose this one out of all Coat of arms? Claudia snatched the book from her, flipped to another page and said:
“What do you think about this one? It matches your hair colour, I think it suits you.”
It was a little forceful, but Claudia still pointed to a coat of arms which was a silver moon decorated with Salsasou flowers. But Olivia didn’t even look at it.
“No need. From henceforth, I’m Olivia Valedstorm.”
“But… I see, understood.”
Claudia could tell Olivia’s resolve from her eyes, and gave up.
“By the way, is it possible to find the reason why is this clan discontinued?”
“The reason, huh…”
Claudia touched the book gently as she thought about Olivia’s question. This aristocratic family had been gone for more than 150 years, so it wouldn’t be easy to investigate. With that in mind, Claudia raised her face and saw Olivia was very serious.
“Well… I think we can find out if we visit the Royal Library in the capital.”
“Royal Library?”
Olivia tilted her head.
“Don’t you know? It has the records of the entire history of the Kingdom. The Farnesse Kingdom is the country with the longest history in the entire Dubedirica continent. It is not a stretch to call this country as history itself. We should be able to find out anything if we go there.”
“The place that holds all of history…”
Olivia muttered with a face stiffer than ever. This made her delicate face look even more unreal.
“Major?”
“……”
“Major!”
“Ah, sorry.”
Olivia finally came back to her senses, and forced a smile.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, don’t mind me. Speaking of which, Adjutant Otto wants me to decide on a name quickly, right?”
“Ehh? Yes, that’s true…”
“Then you should hurry up and tell him then, Claudia.”
“Ehh? Wait, don’t push me! I will go, I will go!”
Olivia pushed her with her superhuman strength, and Claudia reluctantly left the room. When Claudia turned back, the door was already locked. There was no going back now.
（But that’s my room… But what’s wrong with the Major?）
She was puzzled by the sudden change in events, but Claudia still headed towards Otto’s office—
Olivia listened to Claudia’s footsteps that grew distant as she picked up the book that fell on the bed. She then took out a large gem.
It was a crimson gem that was left for her along with that dark sword. She flipped to the page with the Valedstorm clan’s coat of arms again, and compared it with her gem.
（… As I thought, the shape and color are an exact match.）
With that confirmed, Olivia looked at the two scythes behind the skull. The corners of her lips raised gradually, before she laughed out loud in glee:
“Ahaha! I finally found a clue on Z! Wait for me, Z!”
Ⅲ
Olivia Valedstorm, who was known in the future as the Dark Hero, was said to have made her debut in the Dubedirica continent in the Lunar Calendar Year 999.
Chronicles of the Dubedirica Hero was set during a war, and describe the exploits of the silver haired girl Olivia who wields a dark sword. It was so popular that a picture book for children was published too. But unlike the other chronicles about heroes, one part was completely different.
Compared to other chronicles where the story starts from the protagonist’s childhood, the Chronicles of the Dubedirica Hero begun with Olivia’s exploits as a 15 years old girl in the Royal Army. In other words, there were no earlier records. The drawing books did mentioned her childhood, but that was just fiction made up by the author for his target audience who were children.
Her origins were shrouded in mystery, but the biggest mystery was about her being raised by a Death God. Death God had always been a fictional existence, and most people would scoff at any suggestion that a Death God exists. Even if one did exist, why would it raise Olivia? No one could answer this question.
However, stories about the Death God that was supposedly said by Olivia sounded really convincing. That was what baffled many researchers. Most scholars thought the Death God was a euphemism for the person who raised Olivia, but there were some who really believed that the Death God exists.
They based this on a letter discovered in recent years. More accurately speaking, it seemed to be a letter. It was found between a book that was believed to belong to Olivia, and was discovered by chance by an administrator. It might be a letter written to Olivia by the Death God, but there are many curious points.
One of the reasons this was said to be a letter from a Death God was the words on it. Through the entire history of the continent, they couldn’t find a language that matches that of the letter. And as to collaborate this evidence, Olivia would at times speak in an indecipherable language. The scholars would debate over this intensely.
Even now, there still wasn’t any conclusion to this argument.
Olivia Valedstorm had always been shrouded in mystery, which was one of the reasons why people were drawn to her.
Imperial Army, Windsam Castle Commander’s Office
Windsam Castle was now the base of one of the three generals of the Empire, Rosenmarie, commander of the Crimson Knights. The beautiful white walls built along the hill were pristine and untarnished by the fires of war. It was clear that Windsam Castle was seized without a fight.
After the landlords ruling the territories around Windsam Castle surrendered the stronghold, they used the excuse of “greeting” her and offer tributes of famous paintings, swords and bags of gold in an obnoxious display of currying favour.
The reason was simple, they were the first to learn of the Third and Fourth Armies’ demise, and quickly submit to the Imperial forces. As a result, Rosenmarie gained control of the northern part of the Kingdom easily.
To those landlords, the Kingdom was doomed. To give a good impression to their new overlords, they showed no regards for their reputation—
（Really now, this must be what they mean by slackjawed from surprise…）
Rosenmarie’s adjutant, Colonel Gaier Neurat looked at the pile of documents on her desk, and sighed:
“I can’t believe this is the famous Kingdom that was known as the Lion State. Especially that man who surrendered this castle unconditionally. It might sound strange for me to say this, but he is so ready to butter up to us, the invaders, that it makes me sick. Don’t they have any shame?”
“The results speak for themselves. They are more bark than bite.”
Rosenmarie scoffed.
“Never mind, thanks to that, it saves us a lot of trouble.”
“Instead of that, what about the movements of the Seventh Army that killed General Osborne? It’s about time for the Heat Haze to submit their report, right?”
Rosenmarie looked impatient when she asked that. Gaier shook his head silently on response. They already despatched Heat Haze agents to scout out the movements of the Seventh Army, but had not gotten any useful intel yet.
“Tch! Heat Haze is so useless sometimes… Hmm? What’s wrong? Something worrying you?”
When he saw Rosenmarie looking at him with probing eyes, Gaier clicked his tongue in his heart.
（Shit, did I show it on my face… Sigh, looks like I still have a ways to go.）
Adjutants had to appear calm and composed at all times. Even more so for the adjutant of someone as feisty as Rosenmarie. But it would seem unnatural if he still held back, which would make Rosenmarie unhappy.
With that in mind, Gaier made his resolve and answered:
“Your Excellency, have you heard about the rumour that the Seventh Army has a monster girl amongst their ranks?”
Before he even finished, there was a loud moan from Rosenmarie’s chair. From her reaction, Gaier could tell Rosenmarie had heard about them. After the prisoners exchange, the repatriated Imperial soldiers mentioned about a beautiful girl who was a monster in disguise, which had spread amongst the troops.
She couldn’t be harmed by blades.
Arrows was rendered useless.
Death awaits all who dare challenge her.
This wasn’t the first time such rumours spread. When the fear of an opponent passed a limit, it wasn’t strange for people to view that opponent as being superhuman. Gaier felt this was no different from the characters of a fictional work.
However, there were too many delusional victims this time. This single monster girl managed to send thousands of soldiers into hysteria. Many of the soldiers who engaged with her lost their minds. It was difficult for Gaier to dismiss all this as just delusions.
He felt a sense of unease on the prospect of fighting the Seventh Army. It wasn’t clear if she understood how he felt, but Rosenmarie said with a smile:
“Monster girl? Hah! So what? No matter who my foe might be, I will make them pay for murdering General Osborne. With this thing I have just gotten!”
Rosenmarie stood up and took one of the swords hanging on the wall behind her. The blade she drew out was dyed red, as if it was heated. Gaier wasn’t sure if he was imagining things, but the temperature seemed to be rising too.
“… What a curious sword. Is this done with the miracle of the goddess, ‘Sorcery’?”
“I don’t know the details, since Felixus is the one who gave this to me. But one thing is for certain, it will give a taste of hell to anyone it cuts. Even the monster.”
Rosenmarie took a stance and rose the corners of her lips. Compared to winning the war against the Kingdom, obliterating the Seventh Army that killed Osborne was more important to her. That was understandable, but she was still one of the Tri-General of the Empire. Rosenmary had an obligation and duty to the troops and citizens of the Empire.
Gaier felt it was necessary to caution her, and said:
“Avenging Lord Osborne is important, but Your Excellency, you are still the Commander-in-Chief of the Crimson Knights, and the important post as one of the Tri-Generals of the Empire. Please don’t forget that.”
“You don’t need to remind me. That’s why I’m dealing with the administrative works right now.”
Rosenmarie tapped on the documents on her table, and looked away unhappily. Because of her position, she had to govern the northern territories of the Kingdom that she had seized. Since the landlords surrendered to Rosenmarie, she decided to exploit them, so the unhappiness towards the Empire would be directed to those landlords instead.
Right now, they would impose policies that would be detrimental to the residents through these landlords. When the unhappiness of the people reached its peak, she would have the mandate to replace the landlords with bureaucrats from the Empire, and let the residents execute those landlords themselves. That was Rosenmarie’s plan.
Rosenmarie was well known for her martial prowess, but she was also an outstanding administrator too. Although her governance methods were incredibly sly.
（It would take a lot of time to control the northern territories of the Kingdom. Looks like we will need to shore up the foundations first…）
Their war with the Royal Army was still ongoing, and they would need to be perfectly prepared in order to destroy the Seventh Army. After all, they had a monster girl working under them.
Chapter 2: The Autonomous Cavalry Regiment, Begins
Ⅰ
“Z, is it fine now?”
“No. You won’t hit your target like this.”
“But why? It has already stopped.”
In the sights of the girl who had drawn her bow’s string fully, was a grey fox. Grey foxes could be found throughout the Dubedirica continent, and its ears that had some patches of black were twitching.
“Grey foxes are timid creatures. Its ears are always listening. Something like a sonar.”
“What’s a sonar?”
“A complicated machine that uses soundwaves to detect objects.”
“Soundwave? Complicated machine?”
Z would sometimes use difficult words. The girl tilted her head bafflingly.
“… Don’t mind what I just said. You just need to know that at your level, you won’t hit your target if you shoot now.”
“What should I do then?”
“I always told you the same thing. Observe your opponents carefully.”
The girl put down her bow, and stared at the grey fox as Z instructed. A while later, the fox’s fidgeting ears suddenly pointed in the same direction.
“Z.”
“It seems to have found a prey. Follow the grey fox’s sights.”
Z leaned close to the girl’s face and pointed forward. The girl felt bashful, but still looked as instructed.
“Oh, a spotted hare.”
As its name implies, it was a hare with spots in its fur. It had blended into the background, and changed its fur into a shade of light green. Because of its abilities, it was also called a mimic hare.
“Remember. No matter how wary the fox might be, it is a different matter when it hunts. Since they are alive, they have to eat to survive. When its attention is on the prey before, it will let down its guard. So this is a good chance.”
“Got it!”
The girl drew her bow fully again. She aimed at the fox, but Z shifted her aim towards the spotted hare instead.
“You have to aim for the moment the grey fox pounces on the hare. Even at your level, you will find your mark.”
“Okay!”
The motionless grey fox started getting ready to strike. It suddenly pounced forward at the hare, and at the same time, the girl released her arrow, which hit the fox right in the neck.
The girl and Z sat under a campfire in this starry night. The girl’s eyes were shining as she placed skewers of her dinner around the fire.
“— You have improved your skills with the bow a lot.”
Z mumbled as it watched the pile of prey to the side. The girl looked at the white sword leaning against the tree and said:
“Yes, but I prefer using the sword.”
“That might be so, but your opponent might not give you the chance to fight up close. You have nothing to lose from mastering this weapon.”
With that, Z snapped its fingers, summoning a dark mist in mid air. As the girl watched intriguely, Z tossed the bow and arrow into the mist. The weapons vanished, and the scenery reverted back to normal, as if nothing happened.
“Is that Magic? Can I do that too?”
This was like the “mysterious box” in stories that could hold anything. The girl looked at Z with great expectations, however...
“This isn’t Magic, so you can’t do this.”
It was a devastating no. The girl shrugged depressingly.
“I see… that’s a pity. By the way, it’s almost done and ready to eat. This ‘Blood sucking bird’ is really tender and tasty.”
The girl quickly got over her depression, and bit into the golden bird meat. The juice spread in her mouth, and she looked absolutely blissed. Z shook its head as it flicked a branch into the campfire.
“Ehh? Aren’t you eating? Why not?”
“There’s no point in eating. I can’t taste it, and it won’t satiate me. My diet is fundamentally different from humans.”
“I see… then what do you eat, Z?”
The girl stopped eating and asked. Now that she thought about it, she had never seen Z ate before. Z looked at the girl for a while, and answered slowly:
“Human souls.”
“Hmm~ are souls tasty?”
The girl wanted to try some if it tasted good.
“… The question is, whether the quality is good. Recently, the ‘Odic force’ of humans are diminishing. Good quality souls are hard to find.”
Z’s face got gloomier as it spoke. However, Z’s face was just a shadow, so that was just how the girl felt.
“So it’s not very tasty?”
Z nodded.
“In human terms, that is correct. Recently, there aren’t any wars, and humans don’t die that easy now. Thanks to the advance in technology, the average lifespan has been lengthened. The future seems grim.”
“Z, can’t you just kill the humans and eat their soul?”
Instead of waiting patiently for the humans to die, killing and eating them will be more direct. The girl asked with that in mind, and then…
“I can’t kill humans.”
Z rejected this idea. Z then tossed branches into the campfire, and continued speaking:
“More specifically speaking, except for a small people, I can’t kill people. Like I told you, I can only set my hands on humans who had died recently, or babies who don’t have a sense of self. I can harvest the souls of babies, but there’s not much point since their vessel is too small.”
The girl thought about what Z said, and then asked:
“So it’s not filling enough?”
“Yes, that analogy makes sense.”
After that, Z taught the girl a lot about souls.
What surprised the girl the most was that the soul would persist shortly after the body of a human dies. That soul possess all the experience of that human’s life, which garnishes the soul. The girl thought that unlike beasts, dead humans that couldn’t be eaten was just garbage. But she learned something new now, so studying was really important.
By the way, souls not eaten by Z would drift to a place called ‘zero realm’, where it would linger until it reincarnates.
“— Thank you for teaching me so much. Eating souls sound so tedious. Want me to help you kill some humans? There are plenty of humans if we pass through the forest, right? How many do you need to fill your stomach, Z? Ten? Twenty?”
When it heard the girl say that, Z observed her carefully.
“You are really worthy of observation. Don’t you want to return to the world of humans at all?”
“Why should I go back? I never thought that at all. Although I want to try the dessert I read in books.”
After the girl expressed her bewilderment, Z tossed the last branch into the campfire. The fire crackled and pretty flicks of fire danced in the night sky.
“I see… it seems that I have worried you, but there’s no need for that. I have been eating properly.”
“Hmm. That’s great.”
The girl smiled brilliantly in relief, and started eating the bird again.
“… After you finish this meal, let’s prepare more variety of food next time. You are about to reach your growth spurt.”
“What’s a growth spurt?”
“Simply put, your bones and physique will grow bigger. If you are picky about your food, it will affect your growth. You can’t just eat meat, you have to eat vegetables too.”
“Ehehe, I got it. You really know a lot, Z!”
In response to the girl’s innocent smile, Z thought about the times it spent with her and looked up at the stars.
“Well, my meaningless existence has persisted in purgatory all this time…”
“—— It’s already morning, huh…”
She turned to the open windows, and the sun shone into her eyes. A wind that had the scent of the green grass gently caressed Olivia’s cheeks.
（I think I overslept. By the way, it has been a while since I dreamed about my childhood. I wonder what Z is doing now. I want to find Z soon.）
As she thought about it, Olivia reached for the silver pocket watch by her pillow. She opened it, and realized it was 9 am. Breakfast was over, so there was no point in using Fleet Foot Dash to rush to the mess hall.
（Ahh. I missed breakfast… Never mind, I will get Ashton to make mustard bread for me. I want ten!）
Olivia jumped up from bed, then put one leg perpendicularly on the wall, before stretching herself. A while later Claudia asked with an exasperated voice: “Major, are you still asleep?” as she knocked.
Olivia quickly put on the uniform hanging on the wall and opened the door. She finally remembered that they would be setting off for the Fortress City Emreed today.
— Two hours later, Training Field
The expedition to the Fortress City Emreed was starting soon, and the soldiers were mustering in the training field. As Claudia organized the troops into four ranks with sweat in her brows, beside her was…
“Mr Ant~ and Mr Ant. Fight~”
Olivia was humming and playing happily with ants. Not just that, she was muttering something dangerous: “It’s been a while, should I try eating one~” Claudia was worried that Olivia would really eat the ants, and called out to her hastily:
“Major, stop playing with the ants. The preparations are done, please give your speech.”
“Yes, got it.”
Olivia dusted off her hands, and walked up the podium briskly on Claudia’s urging. Before her were the soldiers from the former detachment unit, and recently recruited soldiers.
This was a newly set up 3,000 strong Autonomous Cavalry Regiment. Unlike normal Cavalry Regiments, Regiment Commander Olivia had been given much more autonomy. This was Paul’s way of showing how much he valued Olivia.
The former detachment unit troops waited for Olivia to speak with serious faces. On the other hand, the recruits reacted mostly in two ways when they saw her.
“This is the first time I have seen such a beauty. Is she really human like us?”
Some were mesmerized, while others…
“That little girl is the Regiment Commander? Are we really entrusting our lives in her hands?”
Looked at Olivia with dubious gazes.
（There would be some objections to this. A young girl leading a regiment was completely unheard of. Well, they will understand after seeing her on the battlefield.）
As she thought about Olivia’s gallantry on the battlefield, Claudia said loudly:
“Next, the Regiment Commander Olivia will say a few words! Attention!”
All eyes fell on Olivia on the podium. Olivia cleared her throat, then put her arms on her hips:
“People die easily in a war. If you die, you can’t eat yummy food, or sweet desserts. So don’t die so easily. Me, Claudia, and the strategist Ashton will formulate the battle plans. Everyone, work hard to survive, for the sake of eating yummy food and desserts.”
With that, Olivia turned and left the stage with skips and hops. Ashton who was beside the podium facepalmed himself in despair. Most of the new soldiers looked lost and slack jawed.
Guile then shouted: “I’m in tears! Commander Olivia’s words are so moving! As expected of the silver haired Valkyrie!”
Claudia quickly rushed up to the stage and yelled:
“A-Actually, what Regiment Commander Olivia meant is that we will come up with the plans for everyone to survive, so don’t worry and focus on the fighting! Autonomous Cavalry Regiment, prepare to move out!”
On Claudia’s orders, those who were formerly from the detachment unit mounted their warhorses. When they saw that, the confused new soldiers snapped out of it and started moving.
Olivia caressed her black horse gently, and rode forth in a gallant manner. The black horse wagged its tail and neigh happily.
“—Major, the preparations are done. Please give the orders to move out.”
Claudia rode over and reminded Olivia, who then raised her fist up high:
“Alright, let’s set off for Fortress City Emreed. Move~ Out~!”
At the same time, the horns signalling the unit to advance blasted through the air.
Olivia’s Autonomous Cavalry Regiment started their journey towards Fortress City Emreed.
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