The Girl Raised by the Death God Holds the Sword of Darkness in Her Arms V2 (2 of 7)

Translator: Skythewood

Editor: Hiiro

Ⅱ

The Autonomous Cavalry Regiment headed north from Fort Galia, towards their first waypoint, Canary town. The weather was clear, and with the Est mountain in the distance, a large variety of flowers were blooming. A gentle breeze swept across the grass beneath the horses’ hooves, and Claudia could smell the fragrance in the air. In a fortnight, the flowers would be in full bloom.

“Major, please look to your right. It’s getting warmer around here, and the flowers are starting to bloom.”

“…………”

“Major, can you hear me?”

“…………”

No matter what Claudia said, Olivia didn’t respond, and just combed the mane of her black horse with a pout.

“Sigh… Major, it’s about time for you to stop throwing a tantrum. It will affect the morale of the troops.”

“… Can we stop by the capital on our way to Emreed?”

“Like I told you, no.”

Claudia rejected her, and Olivia turned her face away with puffed cheeks. For some reason, her dark horse was looking their way with grudging eyes too. Claudia felt so uncomfortable that she thought about moving away, which showed how hateful its eyes were.

“Olivia, I will make your favourite mustard jerky bread during our next break, so don’t be so angry, alright?”

Ashton rode forth and offered a high quality bait to please Olivia. Olivia’s body reacted a little, but her head was still facing the other way. Even the special mustard sauce couldn’t move her.

『— Can we stay in the capital for one night tomorrow? 』

On the way to the Fortress City Emreed, Olivia was excited because she had the chance to head to the capital. However, the one day visit to the capital was rejected, and Olivia showed her obvious displeasure for all to see.

There were two very different routes from Fort Galia to the Fortress City Emreed. One would take them pass the capital towards the west, the other would pass through Canary town and up through the desert before turning east.

The Autonomous Cavalry Regiment chose the latter. The reason was simple, because Hosmund’s Cavalry Regiment selected the former. Unlike the first wave that had the goal of reaching their destination as soon as possible, Olivia’s unit was focused on learning the movements of the Imperial forces, and naturally went with a different route.

Even though Olivia had more autonomy, she was still a soldier, and couldn’t divert from the planned route for personal reasons.

(We are in a rut right after setting off.)

Claudia sighed in her heart, and continued explaining in an attempt to convince Olivia:

“Major, even if we visit the capital, you won’t be able to take your time and investigate. Besides, it’s not that easy to visit the Royal Library.”

“… Why is it hard to visit the Royal Library?”

Olivia drew close with a frown. Claudia lifts two fingers and said:

“Firstly, the paperwork to access the library would take two days. You will also need a recommendation from a credible person. This means an aristocrat, and a high ranking one at that. After all, the information inside the Royal Library is very important.”

“I wanted to go in too, but as a commoner, I don’t have any chance of doing so.”

Ashton who was beside them mutter enviously. He couldn’t hold a candle to Olivia, but he was still a book lover. The Royal Library was a special place for him. As for Olivia, Ashton’s moan didn’t move her at all.

“But I’m already an aristocrat, right? Why can’t I go in then?”

She protested with a pout.

“It’s regrettable, but no. Being a noble is just one of the requirements for visiting the library. Having a recommendation from someone credible is a must.”

In the end, Olivia’s origins was still a mystery.

When she asked Olivia about her hometown, Olivia said it was a shrine deep in a forest. With the help of a map, she figured out that the location was on the western end of the Dubedirica continent. It was commonly known to be a vast forest with a small number of settlements. From Olivia’s dark eyes and silver hair, she wasn’t a native of that place. According to Olivia, she was picked up and raised by a person named Z. As Olivia described her turbulent past with a smile, Claudia couldn’t help being speechless.

And that was a problem, since the Royal Library wouldn’t permit entry just because you were a noble. In the end, she would need the intangible trait of ‘credibility’, which wasn’t something that could be obtained in a short period of time.

No matter how grand her achievements might be, Olivia still lacks credibility. However, Claudia couldn’t bring herself to say it so bluntly.

But there was an exception. Ashton might not know about this, but if you spend enough money, you could visit the Royal Library. For better or for worse, the power of money could make up for the lack of social standings. However, Claudia felt only a handful of merchants could pull this off.

“Claudia, can’t you just give me a recommendation?”

Olivia looked at Claudia with eyes filled with expectations.

“Well, that is hard to tell. The Jung clan has a storied history, but I can’t be certain it will be approved.”

The Jung clan could be traced back to the reign of the First King, Julius Zu Farnesse, which shows how long its history was. In their 600 years of history, they produced many outstanding knights, and was a clan well known for their martial prowess. The Jung clan even taught the Royal family swordsmanship at their heights.

However, they were just one of the nobles in the borders now, and couldn’t even afford a villa in the capital. That was why Claudia couldn’t guarantee that it would work.

“Whose recommendation will be rock solid then?”

The expressionless Olivia leaned even closer as she asked. Claudia quickly racked her brains, and the first person that came to mind in terms of accomplishment, fame and lineage was Paul.

If Olivia asked him, Paul would gladly act as her guarantor. However, Paul was a General and commander of the Seventh Army, so it would be unwise for him to get involved in such private matters too much.

Claudia decided to not tell Olivia about the option of asking Paul.

(In that case, we have to find someone we can ask without any worries, and have the calibre to be a guarantor. How can there be someone so convenient… Wait, there really is one such person.)

The person on Claudia’s mind was a man with light blonde hair like her. When Claudia was young, she admired his swordsmanship too.

“Neinhart-nii— Ahem, Brigadier General Neinhart will be a good choice. He is well connected, and the two days of paperwork might even be waived.”

“Brigadier General Neinhart?”

Seeing Olivia tilt her head in confusion, Claudia smiled awkwardly. The two of them had met several times, but Olivia couldn’t remember him. Ashton knew Olivia had a great memory, but that was only towards things she was interested in.

“Don’t you remember? He visited you to offer his thanks to you for killing Violent Thrust Samuel.”

“Violent Thrust Samuel?”

Olivia crossed her arms, unable to recall this person. Claudia started describing Neinhart’s appearance in detail, and Olivia finally opened her eyes wide:

“Oh, I remember now! It’s that human who is terrible at mimicking a fish!”

“Pfft!”

Olivia’s unexpected answer made Claudia laugh. Even though he was her cousin, she felt Neinhart was really handsome. Olivia evaluation about him being terrible at mimicking a fish was a riot. Women who favors Neinhart might even faint on the spot.

That only applies to women who likes him though.

(Really now, if I get the chance, I will let Neinhart-nii know about this.)

Claudia smiled deviously in her heart at the thought of that. In the meantime, Olivia muttered: “Now that you mentioned it, he did give me a fruit called peaches”.

(He wanted to avenge Florence personally… In any case, Neinhart-nii is really grateful for what the Major did.)

Claudia understood how much Neinhart values his relationships. If Olivia asked him for a favor, he would not hesitate to agree.

Claudia thought about Florence’s gentle smile, and for the sake of making Olivia focus on the mission, she said in a serious tone:

“Major, if you want to ask Brigadier General Neinhart for a favor, then you need to complete this mission properly. If not, he won’t accede to your request.”

“Yes, you are right, Claudia! I will work hard!!”

Olivia nodded with clenched fists. From the way she was acting olivia’s mood had gotten better. As expected, being gloomy didn’t suit Olivia. The soldiers around them probably felt the same, and all heaved a sigh of relief.

(We can finally focus on carrying out the mission now.)

Claudia sighed in relief, and Ashton complemented Claudia for a job well done, which made her a little happy.

— Two days later.

The Autonomous Cavalry Regiment reached the Canary town.

Ⅲ

“This… is really a terrible sight.”

Claudia’s comment described the current state of Canary town adequately. The wooden walls around the town were mostly destroyed. Strong and able bodied men carrying lumber were focused on repairs, but progress was slow.

After going over the bridge and destroyed gates with melancholic feelings, what they saw was even more terrible. Debris and broken windows were all over the place, and it was difficult to even find an intact building. There was blood everywhere, which showed what happened to the town back then.

The recaptured Canary town was filled with gloom.

“Ugh, this smell…”

Claudia’s face cramped. The corpses had probably not been dealt with, and there was a stench of rot in the air. She had gotten used to this on the battlefield, but it was definitely not a good thing. Ashton covered his nose with his sleeve and frowned.

On the other hand, Olivia didn’t seem to mind, and watched the town curiously. The citizens of Canary had already gotten used to this stench, as they looked at the Autonomous Cavalry Regiment with tired faces.

“— It seems the progress of the restoration works is different from the reports.”

Ashton muttered in a bitter tone.

“Yes, it appears so.”

Canary town that was built along the river was known for its beautiful sights in the south of the Kingdom. However, that was gone now. Claudia couldn’t imagine how long it would take Canary town to recover from this set back.

When they reached the base in the center of the town, Ashton’s group dismounted and greeted the local Platoon Commander. The children who had been observing quietly then gathered around Olivia before they realized it. There was a boy and a girl about 6 or 7 years old, and a 10 years old boy.

The children were looking at Olivia with sparkling eyes. Olivia, the exceptional beauty, had drawn the attention of these kids.

“Onee-san, you look as cute as my doll.”

The girl showed her torn up doll to Olivia proudly.

“Really—? I’m not too interested in how I look though.”

Olivia touched her face as if to ascertain that. A few young boys sniffed at Olivia.

“Do you smell something?”

“Yes, something smells good.”

“Oh, it must be this.”

Olivia smiled brilliantly, and took out a cookie from her bags proudly. The eyes of the children started to shine.

“Uwah! Onee-san, this is a snack, right!?”

“Yes, it is— Have you tried this before?”

The boy was taken aback by Olivia’s question, and shook his head with his eyes wide open:

“There is no way I could have eaten that before. Only the nobles can eat it, right? That’s what my mother tells me.”

“Is that so?”

Olivia looked at Ashton quizzingly.

“Well, it’s more common in the capital, but it is still considered a luxury. Commoners won’t be able to eat it.”

“But aren’t you a commoner, Ashton? And you had cake in the past. I remember on the way to Fort Lamburg, you told me that you know what cakes are, and have eaten it before.”

Olivia showed her outstanding memory once again.

“Because my family runs quite a big business.”

“—What do you mean?”

“It means my family is relatively rich… Simply put, we have more money.”

Olivia lacked common sense. She said she grew up in the forest, but Ashton was still surprised when he heard that she didn’t even know what money was before joining the army.

“Hmm~ that’s why Ashton gets to eat cakes…”

Olivia inspected the cookie in her hand, then turned to the children:

“Want to try one?”

When they heard that the children all blinked, and weren’t sure what to do. They were hesitant to accept this offer.

“C-Can we? We don’t have money?”

A young boy turned out his pockets, which only had dirt and scraps.

“Ehh~ I don’t need your money. The books says that your jaw will drop from how sweet it is, but that won’t actually happen. So you can relax and eat it.”

With that, Olivia gave each of the three children one cookie. After the children took the cookies, they looked at each other, and bit it with big smiles.

“Onee-san, this taste great!”

“It’s yummy!”

“Uwah! It’s so good! So good!”

The children shouted their praise. Olivia crossed her arms smugly at the sight of that. The dumbstruck Ashton then said:

“Really now, I was wondering why you had that on you. So, how many do you have left?”

“Hmm, let me see… about ten?”

Olivia answered after looking into the bag. When Ashton heard that, he looked to the building with a red roof to the west, where some children were watching timidly.

“Two, four, six… Oh, the numbers are just right. Then share your cookies with these kids too, alright?”

“Ehh...!? B-But… I won’t get to eat any…”

Olivia’s face turned into absolute despair. She then lashed out at Ashton like a kid, calling him a demon. Seeing her desperate resistance, Ashton couldn’t help smiling.

“Calling me a demon or whatever is fine, but if you give these kids cookies, but don’t give any to those children, won’t you find that pitiful?”

“But if all the cookies are gone, won’t I become pitiful?”

Ashton patted the shoulder of Olivia who was puffing her cheeks angrily, and said:

“I will treat you to cake next time. And not just your average cake too— Hehe.”

“W-What kind of cake?”

Olivia forgot about her anger and gulped.

“Actually, there is a cake shop in the capital that only the regulars know about. They say that once you eat there, other cakes won’t satisfy you again.”

“Once you eat there, other cakes won’t satisfy you again…”

Olivia repeated with a mesmerized face. Ashton used this chance to go for the kill:

“That’s right. What this means is— it’s incredibly delicious.”

—But it was just rumours though.

“R-Really!? You will bring me to that cakeshop!?”

“I swear in the name of Ashton Senefelder.”

Ashton placed his left hand on his chest, and bowed sincerely.

“No take backs!”

Olivia who took the bait leaned in close. Ashton laughed in his heart, and then waved to the children. The children gathered around timidly.

“Alright, this lady will now distribute delicious cookies to everyone. It’s free, if you understand, then form a line in front of her—”

Before Ashton even finished, the children lined up like well trained soldiers. Ashton smiled wryly at this scene, and gestured to Olivia with his eyes. Olivia handed out cookies to the children with a cramped smile.

After she gave out the last piece, her hands seemed to be shaking. Ashton decided that he was just seeing things.

“You are really gentle.”

As Ashton watched the interaction between Olivia and the children, he suddenly heard a clear voice from behind. He turned, and saw Claudia whose smile was as warm as the sun during spring.

The bashful Ashton scratched his nose.

“Well, this is all we can do for them right now. We can only pray that Canary town will recover soon.”

“—That’s true.”

Claudia answered curtly.

The two of them looked to the front, where Olivia was smiling innocently as the children surrounded her.

— The next morning.

Olivia and company was dining in their temporary quarters, when the local platoon commander visited with a sour face.

“What’s the matter? We plan to set off after having breakfast.”

When he heard Claudia say that, the platoon commander scratched his cheeks troublingly:

“Pardon me for disturbing your meal. Actually—”

“Please! Please, please save Lieutenant General Sara!”

A man suddenly dashed out from behind the platoon commander and pleaded with his arms on Olivia’s legs. He was covered in dust, but the emblem of six purple stars were still visible on his shoulders. He seemed to be a messenger from the Sixth Army.

“Why is a messenger from the Sixth Army here… I remember that the Sixth Army is garrisoning Fort Peshita.”

In response to Ashton’s question, the man nodded repeatedly.

After the Sixth Army lost to the Full Metal Knights in the Southern warfront, they managed to escape the fate of being wiped out. Right now, they should be assigned to Fort Peshita and tasked with the defence of the western part of the central zone.

“You are Berhard, right? Let go of the Major’s legs. We will talk after that.”

Claudia slowly got up from her seat, and applied pressure to Berherd with her gaze from above.

“P-Pardon me.”

Berhard let go of Olivia’s legs in a panic, and prostrated with his forehead to the ground. Claudia sat back down with a grunt. Olivia wasn’t bothered at all, and asked even manneredly:

“So, what happened? I heard you asking us to save Lieutenant General Sara or something.”

“Y-Yes Mdm! Our forces have been surrounded by the Swaran Army! Please save us!”

Ⅳ

Royal Army Peshita Fort

“Looks like this is a lost cause.”

Sara said as she watched the Swaran Army from a corner of the fort. Senior Colonel Roland then pulled her arm with ragged breath.

“Your Highness Sara! Please don’t observe the battle from a place like this! What if a stray arrow hits you!?”

“The worst that can happen is that I will die from that arrow?”

Sara whose arm was being tugged answered nonchalantly.

Lieutenant General Sara Sem Livia was a 21 years old beauty with delicate features, and the only female General officer in the Kingdom.

— Aside from that, she had another title.

The fourth princess of the Farnesse Kingdom. She was a means of relaying to the commoners that the royals were also fighting on the frontlines. That was the background on how Sara who was less capable than the other Generals ended up leading the Sixth Army.

In other words, because of the political standing of the Fourth Princess, and her admiration of Knights that prompted her to learn swordsmanship, made her the perfect propaganda tool for the Farnesse Royal family.

“Since you understand, please stay clear of the wall! If the enemy kills you, then the Sixth Army is finished!”

Roland sighed heavily, then lectured the escort team that arrived one step later, ordering to protect Sara carefully. All this while, soldiers from the Swaran Kingdom was still attacking with siege ladders. The defenders retaliated with spears, dropping rocks and pouring scalding water.

The Swaran Kingdom which was the Empire’s vassal state invaded the Peshita Fort one week ago. Because of the vast difference in numbers, Sara had opt for a defensive fort battle, but their food supply that was crucial for defending the fort was lacking. Even an elite army couldn’t win a battle on an empty stomach, and the Sixth Army was in no way an elite force.

“Are the reinforcements coming?”

Sara was forced by her subordinates to sit in a chair, and muttered casually as she hugged her knee. She didn’t make it clear that she was asking Roland, but Roland still answered:

“I sent a messenger to seek aid from the Seventh Army…”

Roland stopped mid sentence, and Sara understood what he was implying. He did request for aid, but they already knew that the Seventh Army had been sent to engage the Imperial forces in the north that decimated the Third and Fourth Army. Their request for aid was just a gamble.

Would the Seventh Army be willing to assist them—?

“From our estimates, the reinforcements would take at least a week to reach here. I don’t think this fort can hold out for that long.”

Sara sighed deeply, then smiled at Roland.

“…………”

Roland remained silent, but his face had grown gloomier. This proved that what Sara said was correct.

Peshita Fort was built hastily during the final stages of the warring era, and was in no way a sturdy stronghold. With each hit of the battering ram against the main gates, the wooden brace would moan. The defenders were doing all that they could, but they couldn’t win against the enemy’s superior numbers, who could easily reinforce their numbers and continue their assault on the gates.

They managed to withdraw after their loss to the Full Metal Knights, but the situation was different here. There was no way to escape a siege.

(We can just surrender when all hope is lost. If I offer them my head, they will probably spare my men. I might be on the tail end of the rights of succession, but the head of a Princess still holds some value.)

As the battle raged on, Sara made her resolve quietly.

After the Autonomous Cavalry Regiment was done resting and resupplying, a group of children saw them leave Canary town with cheers. Olivia waved goodbye to the children, but the moment she left the entrance, she pulled the reins and looked towards the forest.

“Major, is there a problem?”

Seeing Olivia’s face turn serious, Claudia kept her guard up and asked. However, Olivia’s answer was confusing.

“I’m just thinking that gutter rats are running around here.”

“… Hah, gutter rats, huh.”

Claudia felt the strength went out of her shoulders. What kind of gutter rats made Olivia rein her horse in? Claudia looked around curiously, but saw no signs of any rats. In the first place, it was unlikely for gutter rats to scurrow around in broad daylight.

She tried scanning the area with the powers of her eyes (Olivia dubbed them ‘Celestial Eyes’), but the results were the same.

“I don’t see anything though?”

She told Olivia the truth, and Olivia turned her gaze away from the forest disinterestedly, and started stroking the mane of her black horse.

“Pay it no mind. I will stamp on them if they get too close. Let’s hurry to aid the Sixth Army.”

With that, Olivia rode westwards, which was in the opposite direction of their original destination, the Desert City Keffin.

“Is this really fine? We are moving away from our original objective…”

“But we can’t leave them to their doom, right? Even if we send a messenger to inform the main forces, they won’t be able to reach in time.”

With that, Olivia looked towards Berhard. Berhard lowered his head so low that he almost hit the back of the horse he was riding on.

“You are right, but it would be bad if the Second Army falls into danger because of this…”

In terms of urgency, the Sixth Army was in more imminent danger. But from the big picture, the Second Army was far more important. Helping both sides would be arrogant, but that was what Claudia hoped they could do.

“The Second Army will be fine. Didn’t Ashton already say that? The Imperial forces in the north are waiting for the Seventh Army. So they won’t take any actions before we arrive.”

With that, Olivia looked to the tense faced Ashton beside her.

“W-Well, I did say that, but that’s just my gut feeling, and there is no guarantee…”

Ashton alternates his gaze between Olivia and Claudia, and explained a little sheepishly. Olivia patted the back of the deflated Ashton and said:

“Ahaha, Ashton, you are really interesting.”

“What’s interesting!?”

“The way you answer the question correctly, but lacks the confidence to back it up. That’s why you always loses to me in chess. Being careful is important, but being too careful will backfire on you.”

Olivia warned him with a serious face.

“—!?”

Ashton wanted to refute— but lowered his head halfway. Olivia locked her palms and stretched her back, then turned to Claudia:

“Okay, time is short, let’s make haste and move out.”

As if it understood what Olivia said, the black horse neighed and galloped on the plains in accordance to its mistress’ wishes. Ashton, Claudia, and the rest of the Autonomous Cavalry Regiment quickly chased after her.

(Lieutenant General Sara, please hang on.)

Berhard tightened his grasp on the reins, and spurred his horse forward.

— After the Autonomous Cavalry Regiment disappeared into the distance.

“Did that girl notice our presence?”

“That’s impossible.”

Two men dressed in black appeared in the forest. They were First Lieutenant Alvin and Sergeant Major Leicester from the Empire’s Intelligence Bureau, “Heat Haze”.

“No, it is obvious from her movements that she noticed. She actually detected us from so far away. Considering her appearance, she must be that rumored monster…?”

“First Lieutenant Alvin, that can’t be possible. She isn’t using a telescope, so I think this is just a coincidence.”

Leicester shrugged, and placed the telescope back to his waist.

“This is why you are still a Sergeant Major after working for so long. You are bound by common sense, which constrained your vision. There are things in this world that are beyond our imagination.”

“… You mean Sorcerers?”

Leicester asked in surprised, and Alvin nodded.

“Sorcerers are one such example. We can also assume that there are other existence similar to theirs?”

“Are you saying that girl is such an existence? To be honest, I can’t even imagine her killing a fly.”

Leicester frowned as he looked at the direction where the Autonomous Cavalry Regiment was headed.

“The Royal Army isn’t stupid enough to let an innocent girl command a unit. She is a typical example of a book that shouldn’t be judged by its cover. Sergeant Major Leicester, you must have heard about what happened to Kasper Castle, correct?”

“You mean the rumours about that girl that can’t be harmed with blades? That’s just rubbish soldiers commonly says.”

“Your so-called rubbish subdued 4,000 troops, and coerce them to surrender Kasper Castle without a fight. Lord Osborne and Lord George were probably killed by the subject of that rumour too.”

“Are you serious?”

Leicester was dumbstruck.

“We are still gathering ‘shards’ right now, so I can’t say for certain.”

“… Have you reported this to Lady Rosenmarie?”

Leicester asked quietly. Alvin shook his head.

“Not yet. Like I said, we are still gathering leads.”

The entire Heat Haze knew that Rosenmarie bears a strong grudge towards the Seventh Army that killed Osborne. It was easy to deduce that, since half of Heat Haze’s agents were sent to investigate the movements of the Seventh Army.

That was why it was difficult to report this without getting more evidence. Alvin knew that half assed intel would just create chaos.

“Do you know? No matter how absurd something sounds, there must be a shard of truth in them. We are Heat Haze of the Intelligence Bureau. Collecting these shards and reporting the intel in its totality is our duty. Fighting is our last resort, don’t forget that.”

Alvin seemed to be saying that for his own sake. He then tapped Leicester’s shoulder.

“Yes, I will keep that in mind— By the way, did you see their banners?”

“Of course, a lion and seven stars, they are definitely the Seventh Army.”

Tracking down the Seventh Army after all this while made Alvin sigh in relief. Rosenmarie’s constant pressure had risen the tension in his mind.

“But this is strange. If they are heading north, shouldn’t they go towards the east first…?”

Leicester looked at the dust kicked up by the Seventh Army, and tilted his head bafflingly. As he said, if they want to head for the northern part of the Kingdom, they should turn east here. But the Seventh Army unit they spotted was going west.

“Maybe they are heading to the Central Frontline?”

“What should we do then?”

“… Let’s see, I will lead the rest of the unit to continue tracking them. We must find out their goals, or we can’t make a proper report. Sergeant Major Leicester, relay the news that we have spotted the Seventh Army to Lady Rosenmarie immediately. Take note, do not mention anything related to Lord Osborne.”

“Yes Sir!”

“— One more thing, tell her that the girl might be the rumoured monster.”

“W-Will that be alright?”

“We need to warn her, although she might not be interested in that monster.”

“Understood.”

“Alright then, go.”

Leicester saluted Alvin, and rushed to the east with his orders. Alvin watched him go and thought about a colleague who had gone missing.

(Contact with Second Lieutenant Zenon was broken after he infiltrated Fort Galia. That Zenon is the cream of the crop in martial prowess in the Heat Haze. There’s also the issue with the monster, so it’s better to play it safe.)

Even through his telescope, he could tell that the girl’s beauty was out of this world. Feeling a chill for some reason, Alvin disappeared deep in the forest.

Ⅴ

Imperial Army Windsam Castle, Gaier’s office

The moment Gaier returned to his office, his attendants who had been waiting saluted him. After returning their salute, Gaier slowly sat down.

“Colonel Gaier, this is today’s report.”

Gaier took the report quietly and started browsing it. It was basically the complaints of the landlords who were being used to shield the Empire.

(Her Grace’s scheme is working. It seems like we will control the north of the Kingdom faster than expected.)

With that in mind, Gaier’s gaze fell on the tail end of the report.

(The time has finally come. It just has to be now…)

Gaier sighed, and got up from his chair that wasn’t even warm yet.

“Colonel, will you be leaving?”

“Where is Her Grace?”

“The usual spot.”

“Got it. I will be back in an hour.”

With that, Gaier marched towards Rosenmarie’s office.

“Gaier here, seeking an audience with the commander.”

Gaier said as he pushed open the door of the commander’s office, and felt a heavy air inside the room. The drapes were drawn, but the windows were tightly shut. Gaier opened the window to ventilate the room, walked up to Rosenmarie who was writing at her desk and said:

“Your Grace, may I have some of your time?”

“—Huh? It’s Gaier, huh… As you can see, I’m swamped with work.”

Rosenmarie didn’t even look his way, and answered impatiently. She must have ruffled her hair unhappily earlier, since her beautiful red hair was quite messy.

The tall Rosenmarie who prefer to wear male uniform was popular amongst the noble ladies and the maids, and would be surrounded by them during balls and parties. Rosenmarie was quite troubled by that too.

(By the way, she seemed to be in a foul mood.)

Gaier cast his gaze towards the cause of all this. The piles of documents on her desk.

It has been almost a month since they routed the Third and Fourth Armies in the Northern War Theatre. Recently, Rosenmarie spent most of her days inside her office.

The reason was simple. They gained control of the northern part of the Kingdom too quickly, and the administrative process couldn’t keep up. Most of the administrative works were settled by the horde of civil officers, and the sound of their pens next door could be heard even now.

However, there were still too many documents that require vetting from Rosenmarie, and the civil officers couldn’t handle in her stead. She had no choice but to work hard on that, but if she needed any help from Gaier, her adjutant, he would be more than happy to help.

(Her Grace is brilliant, so I don’t need to tell her that.)

Gaier adjusted his sitting posture, and said the words Rosenmarie was hoping to hear.

“Heat Haze sent in a report.”

The moment he said that, the pen in Rosenmarie’s hand snapped. She then raised her head slowly with a twisted smile.

Her unusual expression shocked Gaier, who backed away.

“— And?”

“Y-Yes Mdm. Heat Haze found traces of the Seventh Army in the south of the Kingdom, near Canary town. They are 3,000 strong, and is probably the vanguard doubling as scouts. And also...”

“Also?”

Rosenmarie repeated intriguely. She seemed so excited that she might start humming a tune, which seemed a little scary. Gaier licked his dry lips, and told her what he was hesitating to say:

“… This is just the subjective view of the Heat Haze, and isn’t verified...”

With that warning, Gaier relayed the intel that the unit was led by a silver-haired girl, and she might be the rumored monster— to Rosenmarie. This intel was just speculation, but since it came from Heat Haze, Gaier felt it was very probably true.

As for Rosenmarie, her smile became more twisted after hearing this intel, and she finally laughed out loud:

“Ahahahaha! Good! As expected of Heat Haze, well done!”

“However, the movements of that unit is a little strange.”

“Haha… Strange? Why do you say that?”

Rosenmarie’s face turned a little gloomy.

“They aren’t heading north, and are turning west.”

“West? Aren’t they moving away from us?”

Rosenmarie brushed her lips a little seductively, and fell into deep thought. But she was done in no time and said:

“Tch! Graden that old fool, making unnecessary troubles again.”

She criticized the Field Marshal of the Empire loudly. Gaier knew that the two of them were alone, but still couldn’t help looking around the office.

“Your Excellency, please mind your words. Criticizing the Lord Field Marshal is going too far.”

“Hmmp. We are the only ones in this room, so it’s fine.”

Rosenmarie paid it no mind, but Gaier persisted:

“Even if that is true, you should still exercise care. There are many people eyeing your position, and what you just said would be excellent material for them to drag you out of your seat.”

Rosenmarie’s lineage and accomplishments were impeccable, but she still had her enemies in the Empire. There were plenty of people who would love to see her fall from grace. Of course, it would be pointless if they didn’t have the capability of a Tri-General, but offering up materials that could be used against you was still unwise.

“I get it, I get it. I’m not that fond of the position of an Imperial Tri-General, but I don’t plan to hand it over to incompetent ones either.”

Rosenmarie then scoffed:

“It’s great that you can understand the implications— But, is the Seventh Army’s movement really related to the Lord Field Marshal?”

When she heard Gaier’s question, Rosenmarie slowly turned the chair and answered:

“Yes, and he played a big part in it too. To the southeast of the Central War Theatre, is Peshita Fort defended by the Sixth Royal Army. If I remember correctly, Field Marshal Graden ordered the Swaran Kingdom to attack that stronghold.”

Gaier looked at the map hanging on the wall, and nodded.

“I see… So their vanguard is rushing over to relief the Sixth Army?”

“That’s probably it. He is really a nuisance.”

Rosenmarie clicked her tongue again. Gaier suddenly realized he let out a sigh of relief.

(Am I scared of the Seventh Army, and that so-called monster…?)

Gaier thought to himself and continued asking:

“So they have no plans of heading north?”

“In any case, they won’t be stupid enough to leave us alone to do whatever we please. Since the vanguard has already set off, the main force will soon follow.”

“So the main force will head our way?”

“That’s right.”

Rosenmarie nodded in a relaxed manner. Her speculation made sense, and Gaier had no doubt she was right. There was a chance that the Seventh Army main force might rush to aid Peshita Fort in the Central War Theatre, but given the current situation, the chance of that happening was infinitely small.

“How should we deal with the enemy’s vanguard?”

“We don’t have to do anything, since we have to be considerate towards the Field Marshal’s reputation. I’m pissed about him getting in my way though.”

“… And if the monster repel the Swaran Army?”

Gaier braced himself to open Pandora’s Box, and asked. Rosenmarie leaned heavily back in her chair, and her eyes wandered for a moment.

“Well… If it comes to that, send Volmar to deal with her.”

Rosenmarie snapped her fingers proudly as she stated her answer.

“Lieutenant Colonel Volmar?”

“Yes, he told me he didn’t get to rampage enough yet. He will be well suited to test the mettle of that monster. But only if they manage to defeat the Swaran Army.”

Volmar was one of the most powerful fighters in the Crimson Knights. His hobbies and interests might be creepy, but Gaier felt he was the best candidate to cross swords with the monster.

Even so, Gaier didn’t expect Rosenmarie to say that. He thought Rosenmarie would abandon her duties, and rush to fight the monster. He was prepared to stop her at all cost, and felt a little lost that things ended up this way.

(Just what is Her Grace planning?)

Gaier was baffled by Rosenmarie who was smiling gleefully. Gaier was glad that Rosenmarie chose to act this way, but he still had lingering doubts about all this.

He was sure that Rosenmarie was incredibly obsessed with the Seventh Army that killed General Osborne. Even so, she still dispatched Volmar to engage the enemy. It was only natural that Gaier was confused by the way Rosenmarie was acting.

“What’s the matter? You look surprised.”

“N-No, not really…”

Gaier quickly shook his head.

“Hmm—? Did you think that I would cast everything aside and challenge that monster to a duel?”

“—!? T-That’s…”

What Rosenmarie said seemed to have seen right through Gaier’s mind, and rendered him speechless. Intrigued by Gaier’s reaction, Rosenmarie explained:

“Don’t be so surprised, it’s not that complicated. My goal is to destroy the Seventh Army that killed General Osborne, not to take care of that monster. And a mere mob of 3,000 troops isn’t worth my time to take the field, I will end up becoming the laughingstock of the Empire.”

Rosenmarie laughed out loud.

(Her Grace is interested in that monster, but don’t intend to fight her directly. That’s the gist of it…)

No matter what, it was great that the monster didn’t draw all of Rosenmarie’s attention. Before Rosenmarie could change her mind, Gaier quickly concurred:

“Sending Lieutenant Colonel Volmar is a good choice. Monster or not, it would be unwise for Your Grace to take to the field personally.”

“Isn’t that right? It’s fine if Volmar can kill that monster, since that means the monster isn’t worth my attention. But if Volmar dies, then I will crush that monster together with that army. It’s that simple.”

— The preparation after this would be handled by Gaier.

With that, Rosenmarie started working on her papers again. Unlike before, the sound of her pen had more of a rhythm to it.

Gaier quickly left the office with his orders. After closing the door, he could hear Rosenmarie’s crazed laughter, and felt a chill down his back.

Chapter 3: The One Who Spreads Death

Ⅰ

“It’s just one crumbling fort, how long do you need to seize it!?”

The Field Marshal of the Swaran Royal Army, Liberal Ertoria, vented his anger at the officers before him.

It has been a week since they launched an attack against the Peshita Fort garrisoned by the Sixth Army. They expected to take the fort easily in three days, but in reality, the gates of Peshita Fort remained tightly shut. They tried to attack with siege ladders, but failed to break through.

Liberal crushed the papers in his hand and threw it onto the ground.

(Graden that old weasel! He wants to strip me of my command if I don’t take the fort within the time limit? He actually sent me this letter so urgently!? What is he trying to do!? Even if the Swaran Kingdom is a vassal state of the Empire, that doesn’t mean he can do whatever he wishes!)

— One year ago.

When Farnesse Kingdom’s Fort Kiel fell, the Empire extend its claws towards the Swaran Kingdom. Their young king, Hyde fon Swaran was hot blooded, and tore up the letter sent by an envoy from the Empire.

To summarize the long letter, they basically want the Swaran Kingdom to swear fealty to the glorious Arsbelt Empire. It was worded with utmost arrogance.

The enraged Hyde executed the Imperial Envoy. He ignored the advice of his vassals, and stubbornly led an army to fight the Imperial Army. The two forces clashed at the northern borders of Swaran, on Lunwhal hill.

Historians called this the 《War of Swaran》, the Swaran forces lost against the Full Metal Knights led by George. Hyde who was captured was executed three days later, together with his close aides.

After that, the Empire didn’t conquer Swaran directly, and pushed the young Allen fon Swaran to take the throne. On the surface, the Swaran Kingdom continued to exist, but Allen held no real power. In the end, Graden had full control as the acting Chancellor of the Swaran Kingdom, and ruled the Kingdom from Fort Kiel.

As Liberal continued to rage, one of the officers said timidly:

“Your Excellency, the enemy is clearly exhausted. In my humble opinion, the situation will turn to our advantage soon.”

“Soon, soon, everyone of you keep saying that word… I remember hearing that three days ago. Just how long will that ‘soon’ of yours take?”

As Liberal asked furiously, the officers all wiped the cold sweat away from their brows and shirked away.

At this point in time, all the Swaran officers, including Liberal, didn’t notice one fact.

The Sixth Army was actually forced to the brinks by the Swaran Army’s relentless assault—

Peshita Fort, Sara’s Chambers

“Your Highness Sara, it’s time to eat.”

Sara slowly propped her body up on her bed, and looked at the plate Roland placed on the table. On the table half a piece of bread that was turning black, and soup that was almost no different from water. Normally, this wasn’t something that should be served to Sara, who was a Princess.

“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”

Sara lowered her gaze, and shook her head at the concerned Roland.

“Pardon me, but you said the same thing six hours ago. If you don’t eat, it will affect your health.”

Roland showed no intention of leaving, and insisted that Sara should eat. After a short moment of silence, Sara looked at Roland sternly:

“Then I will make myself clear. I’m still a princess, and this coarse dish is not fit for me. It’s obviously stale, if you understand, then take it away!”

Sara said as she threw her pillow. It hit Roland, and the feathers inside spilled out, and floated in the air. Sara pouted and turned around.

“… Your Highness, it’s useless to pretend. Even if others can’t tell, this Roland will still understand.”

“W-What do you mean…”

Sara stuttered, and Roland smiled a little sadly.

“You are just too kind. You are thinking that if you don’t eat, you can give your share to another soldier, right?”

“Fufufu, that’s just your imagination. Didn’t I make myself clear? This thing is not good enough for a Princess like me.”

Roland ignored Sara’s false front, and continued with a serious face:

“And you are planning to settle this with your death.”

“—!?”

“… I have served you for over ten years, Princess Sara, so I can tell. You might be thinking that you can trade your life for the enemy to spare the troops. But the enemy might not accept this proposal.”

“But I’m a Princess—”

“So you are really planning to do that…”

When she heard Roland say that with a sigh, Sara realized her mistake. Now that the cat was out of the bag, Roland would not let the matter rest. With that in mind, Sara confessed:

“… There’s no other way. If there is a chance that everyone can live if I offer my head, then it’s worth a try… It seems we have lost our gamble…”

“Are you talking about the reinforcements?”

Sara nodded silently. It has been a week since the messenger left Fort Peshita, and there was no signs of the Seventh Army. Sara had given up hope of them ever showing up.

“Not yet… It’s not over yet.”

Roland’s voice was trembling a little when he said that. Sara got up from bed and stretched her back.

“The time limit is up. It’s fine now, please get my armour ready. If I lose my head dressed like this, it will bring shame to the Livia clan and the Royal family.”

Sara tugged at the hem of her pyjamas with a smile that was a little stiff.

Swaran Army, Reserves

A young pale faced soldier barged into the tent when Second Lieutenant Macier was having breakfast.

“What’s with the ruckus so early in the morning? Have we finally seized Peshita Fort?”

“N-No! Enemy forces are attacking us from the rear, and is about to surround us!”

When he heard that, Macier spit the bread he was chewing out.

“The enemy!? The Farnesse Kingdom!?”

“Y-Yes! They are hoisting banners with lions!”

Macier might be in command of the reserves, but he only had 500 men under his command. This hinted at the fact that the reserves were just a formality. In other words, after the higher ups assessed the situation of the Farnesse Royal Army, they concluded that there wouldn’t be any reinforcements to relieve Fort Peshita.

Macier thought he would spend some time away from the war, but things turned out differently.

“The numbers!?”

“Huh?”

When he saw the soldier’s confusion, Macier shouted angrily:

“What’s with the hold up? I asked you what are the enemy’s numbers!”

“A-Around three thousand!”

The soldier stummered.

“Three thousand…”

Macier gulped just like the soldier did earlier. A simple calculation told him that the enemy outnumber his unit 6 to 1. There was no chance of winning. Macier’s mind immediately leaned towards retreating.

“Second Lieutenant Macier, what should we do?”

“There’s nothing we can do. Prepare to retreat immediately.”

By right, he should send an urgent report to the main forces to inform them of an enemy attack, but there wasn’t even time for that.

“A-Are we retreating back to Swaran?”

“Are you stupid? We are obviously going to link up with the main force! Stop yapping and get ready!”

“Y-Yes Sir!”

Macier sighed heavily as he watched the young soldier scramble away from the tent. After suffering heavy losses over the years, Swaran’s reserve unit was composed entirely of inexperienced recruits, who were tilling the fields not too long ago.

Macier held the hilt of his sword with a self mocking smile.

Macier who left the tent a little later than the others was shocked by what he saw. At this moment, he realized how careless he was with the defences. His unit had been surrounded, and the enemy had their bows and arrows ready. His men had all raise their hands and surrendered.

“—These corpses are?”

Macier looked at the corpses strewn before him and asked a pale faced soldier. All the corpses were cleaved in half, and looked absolutely ridiculous.

“S-She did all this by herself!”

A soldier pointed with a trembling finger at an incredibly beautiful girl. In her hands was a bloodstained dark sword, and she appeared to be a soldier wearing armour of a Farnesse Kingdom.

（This young girl cut a man in half? From the reaction of the enemy, she seemed to be their commander… What kind of joke is this?）

Macier couldn’t link the corpses cleaved in two with that girl at all, as the girl approached him with a brilliant smile.

（—Hmm... ? What’s this strange feeling?）

Macier who hailed from a family of mediums felt something strange from that girl. As she approached him, that feeling grew stronger. When that girl stopped before him, it took everything he had to suppress the fear welling up inside him, and not vomit right there.

“Are you the commander of this unit?”

“…Y-Yes.”

“May I have your name?”

“……Macier.”

— It feels like I’m being consumed by Darkness.

“My name is Olivia, nice to meet you. Speaking of which, will you listen to my request?”

“It doesn’t seem like I have a choice.”

—Yes, that’s right.

“Alright then, I want you to take me to the Swaran Army’s main forces. If possible, right to the commander-in-chief.”

“I understand. I will bring you there. In exchange, I hope you can spare my men. They are just farmers who had been conscripted recently.”

— You must never defy this girl.

“Got it. If they don’t resist, I won’t kill them, so don’t worry. By the way, soldiers from the Swaran Army are different from the Imperial Army, you are so honest. It’s a big help that things are progressing so smoothly. Well then, to keep my identity as a soldier of the Royal Army secret, I need a disguise. This is just like the ‘Masked Knight Celia’, how exciting!”

With that, the girl slowly caressed the armour of a soldier who was on the verge of tears.

You must never—

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