Chapter 1: Grand Escape
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
In the heart of the Imperial Capital Banhataal lies the vast palace that was now the core of the government in both name and fact. On this day, a man was brought into the Deep Green Hall Courtyard.
「Ugghhh...!」
A man wearing priest robes of the Church of Aldera was escorted by two martial officers and forced to kneel on the red carpet. He was breaking out in cold sweat, worried he would be executed, and also because he couldn’t stand the immense pressure of the monarch’s gaze in front of him.
「This is the priest who attempt to cross the border without my permission?」
Empress Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik who sat on the throne in her black robes asked. The female knight standing beside her answered swiftly.
「He is Bishop Hardin Karufa, arrested after his scheme to escape fell through, and presented here on Your Majesty’s request.」
「And the content of his scheme?」
Chamille asked, and the martial officer beside Bishop Karufa answered immediately.
「He refused to confess, so the details are unknown… But it’s clear that the scheme involves a lot of people.」
Ohh～ the Empress mumbled after hearing that, turning her gaze towards the priest once again.
「The army’s interrogation must be harsh, yet he refuse to give up the details?」
Bishop Karufa shivered as those golden eyes stared right at him. The Empress asked directly at the back of that man who had shrivelled into a ball.
「I don’t like beating around the bush. I will get straight to the point, are you people attempting to revolt?」
At that, the Bishop shook his head violently. This was his way of expressing himself since he was not permitted to raise his head or even speak directly. Chamille grunted.
「No one would dare say 『Yes, I plan to revolt』... The fact is, I don’t think you are planning to rebel. As a ruler, I know very well how much frustration has been accumulating amongst the followers of the church.」
She judged from the instinct of a ruler that she had honed over the past two years. How much had the citizen’s unhappiness accumulated, when would it reach the breaking point ── any ruler would be sensitive to that breaking point. While Chamille was showing the stance of a tyrant, she was keeping watch over that part too.
「But it is also a fact that the devotees are growing uneasy with each passing day, so there would be people trying to use this opening to incite you ── Be it Kioka or Ra Saia Alderamin.」
Bishop Karufa pursed his lips when he heard the Empress mention those names.
「I know you priests had been secretly keeping in contact with the Main Cathedral. I had been giving silent consent to that ── so there would still be a diplomatic window open in case of an emergency. But recently, the communications between me and your group has been suspicious.」
「......!」
「I don’t blame you for that.『That fellow』 is an Archbishop, and it’s only natural for you to want to maintain distance from the government… However, it’s regrettable if you think I intend to persecute the followers of Aldera. To undo this misunderstanding, I declare that during my reign, the Church of Aldera will remain the state religion, and you all will still be recognized members of the clergy.」
Chamille said with a slightly slowed pace and ordered the priest to raise his head. The Bishop timidly raised the upper half of his body and saw the face of the Empress who was much calmer than he imagined.
「I understand that breaking off ties from the Main Cathedral will have a heavy burden on the daily work of the priests. First of all, graduates from the Seminary couldn’t be inducted into priests. In that case, I will make a guarantee in place of the Main Cathedral. You would not need to seek permission from the Pope, and may form an independent organization in the Empire.」
Bishop Karufa opened his eyes in surprise, a ray of hope entered his face that was filled with fear and doubt. The Empress didn’t overlook this change and continued.
「Do you think I’m just trying to buy time with these words? I have nothing to gain by antagonizing the Church of Aldera, when more than half the citizens follow the Church of Aldera. That would just be shooting myself in the feet.」
That was simply a fact. There were limits to her tyrannical reign. Those attempting to revolt or profiting from the nation without offering anything in return ── the targets of her purges largely fall into these two categories. Just dealing with them was tiring enough, there was no way she would want to make more enemies without any reason.
「I’m not your enemy. After openly establishing that position, I will ask you once more ── what are you scheming? More importantly, what does the Main Cathedral want you to do?」
The Empress string of logical statements from the perspective of the ruler slightly lessened Bishop Karufa’s fear. He couldn’t continue to cower in fear now. The Bishop squirmed his stiff lips and answered the monarch.
「... We only have one wish, that is for the Empire to resume normal diplomatic relations with Ra Saia Alderamin.」
「That’s not possible for the moment.」
「We understand... That’s why we are so troubled. We don’t know the right answer, or what action we should take that would befit our faith.」
Bishop Karufa stated the facts plainly. He had lost his way for a long time now, so it was difficult for him to mince his words.
「I don’t know any information more in depth than what you have deduced thus far, Your Majesty. I wish to cross the border into the Grand Arfatra Mountains in order to seek directions for our future from the Main Cathedral. I have no intentions of following blindly, and hope to recover diplomatic relations through negotiations. The idea of the church being established independently as Your Majesty mentioned is one of the Trump Cards we have prepared...」
Bishop paused for a moment here, gulped, then continued.
「Pardon my impotence, please allow this prisoner to speak ── if it is true that you don’t intend to persecute the Church of Aldera, please share your views with the citizens post haste, with as many people as possible. No matter what the goals of the Main Cathedral may be... This will tie the Church followers to the Empire.」
There were tears in his eyes and his clenched fist was quivering. His stance was clearly saying that Bishop Karufa was ready for death the moment he spoke.
「...... I see.」
Seeing that the other party was serious, Chamille nodded slightly.
「Your advice has been noted. I will consider it, you are dismissed. You must be tired from your long journey, so rest before your next audience.」
The unexpected words of concern from the Empress made Bishop Karufa look at her with shock.
「May I ask what my punishment would be...?」
「What are you saying? I’m not someone who wants to lop off heads at a whim. I just want to speak with you all this while.」
Chamille said with a sigh, then looked sternly at the priest.
「There will be changes depending on future developments, but you will be in charge of contacting the other church followers from now on. The goal is the continued existence of the Church and the establishment of a new order. I will accept your proposal, do you have any objections?」
If what she said was true, then there was no contradiction with Bishop Karufa’s position. It was his turn to determine the intent of the other party. Risking being punished for disrespecting the crown, he stared at the monarch before him.
「... Your Majesty, can I believe your words?」
「Decide for yourself. What are your eyes and ears for?」
Empress concluded with a stern question. The Bishop lowered his head frantically and fell silently into deep thought.
「I had an easy time today, Your Majesty.」
After Bishop Karufa left with the two martial officers, Captain Lucanti said to the Empress. Chamille showed an awkward smile.
「... Since you are the one saying it, that’s not sarcasm. It’s rare that no head had rolled today.」
「It might just be lopping one’s head off, but it isn’t simple to do it in one shot painlessly. And to be frank, I thought the priest would be executed and already braced myself.」
Lucanti stated casually that she was ready to kill just now. As expected of the captain of the Royal Guards, she was exceptional. The Empress shook her head with a sigh.
「It’s my mistake for only focusing on putting down rebellion and not soothing the Church of Aldera in a timely fashion… And he didn’t commit a crime for selfish reasons, and even gave me advice at the risk of death. It’s illogical to execute moral citizens lightly. That is all.」
「So that’s all there is to it. I’m happy to hear that.」
The female knight said with an innocent smile. The human named Chamille had not lost her senses, which made her happier than anything else.
「── With all that said, law and order is another matter. It would be too lenient to release you without any punishment.」
However── when the girl was about to relax, a voice instantly set her on edge. Chamille looked sharply at the entrance of the Grand Courtyard, her tone hostile.
「I don’t recall summoning you into the palace. Have you gone mad, fox?」
「Only a second rate vassal would come only on a summon. I will be by your side when Your Majesty really needs me.」
A man wearing Kiaki robes that symbolized his status as the top bureaucrat in the nation stood there with a crack of a smile on his face. Imperial Chancellor Trisnai Izanma, a man who used the many authority inherited from the previous regnant, a monster that was still lurking in the courts,
「But summoning that man here to question him is short sighted! I have always implored you to leave intel related duties to me. I just need a hundred men, and I can immediately find out the inner workings of the priests.」
「That doesn’t sound like an empty promise. But I can’t be certain how you will brainwash them in the process. As long as I sit on this throne, I won’t give you the chance to work in the dark.」
「It’s fine for Your Majesty to think that. But this is a practical problem, we have to uncover Ra Saia Alderamin’s schemes quickly. And to do that, we have to interrogate that priest with torture, find his accomplices and arrest them all, and then confirm what they heard in that secret meeting.」
The fox questioned the judgement of his monarch directly. That arrogance made the Empress roar with rage.
「You overstep your bounds, fox! No need for interrogations, I will get the intel from that person in good time! I just need him to understand that I have no intention of persecuting him!」
「You are missing the forest for the tree, Your Majesty. Both methods would yield the necessary information, but interrogation would get us results at least two days quicker.」
Trisnai stated the results of his simple calculation and continued.
「This is a war of intelligence. The key to victory is to grasp the situation swiftly, Empress Chamille. Now isn’t the time to care about the life of one priest. For the stability of the nation, you have to steel your heart ──」
「I refuse! It won’t be acceptable for me unless you lose your head after that man is tortured!」
Empress refuted with a ferocity just short of charging at him, and the fox shrugged lightly.
「Since your mind is set, I won’t say anything more… But do be aware of the time. If you take countermeasures too slowly, the Church followers might riot.」
「You don’t have to tell me that… Be gone if that is all, fox! Unless you want to test my patience!」
Not antagonising the Empress anymore, Trisnai bowed and then left leisurely. As his presence grew fainter, the Empress’ nails sunk into the armrest of the throne as she ground her teeth.
「... There is nothing more displeasing than this, Lucanti. That fox has a point.」
She had to take that into consideration now. No matter how much she hated Trisnai Izanma, she had to be impartial as a monarch── that was the discipline she imposed on herself.
「There is no merit in even discussing the point of interrogating a person I spared. However, I have to think of a way to make up for the delay because of this restriction… How can I obtain intelligence swiftly?」
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes in deep thought, then concluded.
「As expected── I can only rely on trustworthy people.」
The next morning, three soldiers walked shoulder to shoulder on the paved road towards the Deep Green Hall of the palace.
「...Sigh.」「...Sigh...」
Brigadier General Senpa Sazarf and Major Matthew Tetzirich took turns sighing. Haro who was walking between them kept encouraging the two who were lethally lethargic.
「Both of you, don’t look so depressed when we meet Her Majesty! Even the people who see you will get depressed! Get yourself together, even if you have to force yourself!」
「I know... But my heart feels heavy just imagining the loathsome work Her Majesty will be giving me again.」
「Me too, the general ranks that I’m not worthy of makes me tired...」
「Really now! If you stay like this, Her Majesty will tell you off again!」
Haro patted their backs and pinched their cheeks in an attempt to cheer them up. The group reached the Deep Green Hall as they chatted. Sazarf and Matthew stopped their sighing before the Empress. The subject before them prohibited them from acting that way.
A pair of golden eyes stared at the three people who had been granted audience.
「Thank you for coming── But, Haro, you are here too?」
Chamille mentioned the fact that someone she didn’t summon was present. Haro stuck her tongue out casually.
「I followed them because I’m worried about leaving Matthew-san and Sazarf-san alone… Did I cause you any trouble?」
「No, it’s fine. I will permit you to sit in, you need to know this too.」
Empress didn’t admonish her and got straight to the point after acknowledging her presence. She had always given special treatment to the 「Knights Corp」, but recently, Chamille had been especially lenient towards Haro.
Unlike her demands of exemplary military performance from Matthew and Torway, Chamille’s expectation of Haro was to play the role of social lubricant with her steady personality. There was nothing to gain from robbing her leisure, so Chamille would usually keep an eyes close to her trivial transgression of etiquette.
「I summoned you here because there are suspicious movements amongst the devotees of the Aldera Church.」
The pudgy youth frowned. The distaste in his face made Chamille’s chest ache.
「A-Another uprising...? If it’s the Church of Aldera, then it’s not soldiers or nobles, but commoners?」
「Calm down, Matthew, the situation hasn’t deteriorated that far, yet.」
She then continued without showing what her thoughts were. As the three of them seek an explanation with their gazes, the Empress answered personally.
「The Main Cathedral on the other side of the Grand Arfatra Mountains ── messengers from Ra Saia Alderamin are inciting the devotees to do something. It’s only natural for the churches to remain in contact, but recently, high ranking priests of the ranks of Bishop are on the move. I suspect that they are scheming something.」
Understanding the concern of his monarch, Sazarf raised his hand and spoke.
「... Your Majesty, may I ask something? The diplomatic relations between us and Ra Saia Alderamin are still officially closed, but are the unofficial channels still shut?」
「We are pushing to resume ties, but the other party is adamant in their refusal. There is no way to probe them through that channel.」
The main Cathedral of the Aldera Church was working behind the scenes to keep diplomatic relations severed. After hearing the Empress’ explanation, Sazarf realized once again how disturbing its presence was.
「To avoid any serious issues, I want to keep the Church followers in the Empire in check, and at the same time, find out what their plans are. That’s why I’m assigning this task to you all.」
The Empress touched on the core of the issue. Matthew was surprised and asked in return.
「... So this is a secret reconnaissance?」
「That’s one part of it. Further to that, I hope the act of sending a unit from Central would have an inhibitive effect.」
Sazarf supported his chin with his palm and peeked at his subordinate beside him.
「I will readily accept any decree… Pardon me for saying this, but are there experts in this field among us? Both Major Matthew and me trend towards open warfare in our experiences thus far, and might not be suited for a secret reconnaissance mission.」
Treating his question as an obvious concern, Chamille answered plainly.
「Even if I seek to dispatch the experts you speak of, almost all of them have been sent on espionage missions against Kioka, so it is difficult to gather the members to conduct a wide range investigation. That’s why I ask for you ── not experts in this field, but as people I trust.」
She emphasized on the last part. She obviously thought of them highly, and for the Empress, she couldn’t emphasize this enough. Unwittingly deteriorating their relationship with vassals was a serious problem for any monarch. What she feared the most was losing the trust of the 「Knights Corp」, the last bastion of her relationships.
「......!」
Realizing her own fear, the girl bit her lips. It wasn’t like this in the past ── when the vermillion-haired girl was still alive. Despite hiding a deep secret, the members of the Knights Corp were friendly and warm. Surrounded by the warmth of old friends, the girl experienced the joy of a girl befitting her age.
Now that she was gone, how much weight did she have in their hearts? The girl realized this point whenever she brushed across the edge of the gaping hole in her soul.
「... I think you are suitable candidates too. I’m not asking you to be typical spies, it doesn’t matter how you do it, just figure out what the Church followers’ intentions are. I’m sure your experience conversing with the civilians in the Ebodolk Province and Yunakura province will serve you well.」
Aside from her secret conversation with Ikuta in the palace, she didn’t have much chance to converse privately with the members of the Knights Corp. Drawing a clear line between master and vassal might sound good in theory, but their relationship had changed into one that could only happen through official summons── the warm human relationship of the past was now a cold and rigid hierarchical audience.
Chamille said with complicated feelings in her heart, and the slightly plump youth nodded slowly.
「... I’m not very confident, but I will accept this mission. Anyway, this is not a subjugation but the prevention of a rebellion, right? I will do what I can. If things go well, no one will die.」
「That’s right... But Matthew, you are detesting war even more now. As an officer with the future of the Empire on your shoulders, wouldn’t that be a problem?」
Merciless sarcasm spew out of the Empress’ mouth semi-automatically. It was only natural for Matthew to be adverse against ally casualties, but she put him down with an arrogant tone. This was the role of a tyrant that she was forcing herself to play.
Interpreting the Empress’ taunt literally, Matthew looked back at her with fiery eyes.
「I’m just tired of civil squabbles, I will be very motivated if I had to fight Kioka. Defending the citizens against foreign forces── that’s the duty of a soldier after all.」
Ignoring Sazarf’s gaze that was asking Matthew to restrain himself, he said that firmly. His words showed his displeasure towards the current situation, implying that 「you are the one who keeps ordering to fight wars that aren’t in defence of the country.」
「──!」
Matthew’s gaze was hostile and his words thorny, piercing Charmille’s chest like a barbed spear. No one but her knew how intense that pain was── but she would never let it show.
Brushing it aside like water off a duck’s back, the girl smiled tragically like usual.
「I’m glad to hear that── Brigadier General Sazarf, any objections?」
「... Well, I don’t have any complaints with this job. I hate war after all.」
Sazarf was relieved that the series of interactions didn’t create any mishap. He developed his bad masochistic habit during his time in the Northern Stronghold.
「──Question! May I take part in this mission?」
When the discussion was almost done, Haro who had been watching from the side suddenly spoke out. Chamille looked at her, a little surprised.
「You? Why──」
She wanted to ask Haro her intentions when she realized it ── There was too short of a break since Matthew or Sazarf last set off on campaign. Instead of physical fatigue, they were probably more mentally exhausted from repeatedly taking part in battles they didn’t want to fight. Matthew’s reaction to sarcasm just now was worrying.
「... Let’s see. Since Lieutenant Colonel Torway is occupied with training the troops, you will be an invaluable support for them. I will permit Major Haroma Becker to follow, can you lead a battalion?」
「Yes! Thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty!」
Haro lowered her head with a brilliant smile. However ──「she」 didn’t show her intentions that ran completely contrary to the Empress’ assumptions.
Returning to base after the audience, the three of them immediately went to a meeting room to discuss their plans.
「The question right now is where and how do we go about our investigations.」
Matthew pointed out the root of the problem. Leaning back slightly on his chair, Sazarf fell into deep thought.
「Hmm... the devotee’s activities are centred around the Cathedrals in the country. We should head there first, then investigate the surrounding villages.」
「It’s difficult to balance between a show of force and secret reconnaissance. Aside from the unit advancing slowly in, we also need people to conceal their alignment with the military and investigate. These people will need disguises.」
「That’s right. We need to gather lots of pilgrimage robes in the capital for our subordinates… I’m not sure how to go about this.」
They lacked experience in this type of mission, so their war meeting was proceeding slowly. They thought of getting the opinions of their subordinates or superiors, but due to the secret nature of the reconnaissance mission, they couldn’t consult others.
Unwilling to let the meeting go awry if she remained silent, Haro shouted cheerfully.
「Alright! The priority should be detaining the priests, right? We have the list of important targets after all.」
Sensing her attempt to approach the meeting from a different angle, Matthew and Sazarf browsed the name list on hand.
「...Yes, that’s right. If we find any priests on the list, we will immediately detain them for questioning. We will then decide whether to hold them with us, or let them roam free under our surveillance… It’s possible that the other party is innocent, so doing so makes my heart heavy.」
「I feel the same, but I understand Her Majesty’s concern. Don’t underestimate the influence of the priest over their flock, there had been numerous rebellions instigated by them in the past.」
「That happened centuries ago. Back then, it was easy to get military power by colluding with one of the warring factions... But what about now? Even if the Church of Aldera tried to rebel, do you think there are any officers or units willing to assist them?」
Matthew raised the primary question. No matter how driven they were, the Church of Aldera alone couldn’t start a revolution. First was the issue of weapons. The main weapons of the modern battlefield was the Wind Gun── if they couldn’t gather enough of it, they would just be a farce of a combat unit. The manufacture and distribution of Wind Guns were restricted by law, so it would be difficult for the common man to even get the outdated smoothbore Wind Gun. If they wanted to get a large quantity of it, they would need specialized channels.
「That’s hard to say... But after Her Majesty put down four rebellions splendidly and the leader of the extremist, Mitokazuruku, had just been executed in a brutal manner. Compared to when the Empress just took the throne, the factions resisting her ascent to power had been greatly diminished. If I am in their shoes, I will keep my head down.」
Matthew felt the same way too. Now was a bad time to start a revolt. It might be possible if a riot was started in concert with the uprising in the Fortress City Garurujan, but the way that uprising was crushed spread the brutal fame of Empress Chamille across the entire nation. It was difficult to imagine devotees who weren’t soldiers overcoming their fear to raise a flag of rebellion.
「However, there are officers who are really pious too. I see some familiar names on this list. So, this investigation even took that into account...」
Sazarf picked out the personnel he came into contact with during his time in the Northern Territories as he thought about it without much confidence. He suddenly raised his head, realizing that didn’t befit his status ── It was different from two years ago, the dark-haired youth and vermillion-haired girl weren’t here, so things wouldn’t progress if he didn’t chair the meeting as the superior officer.
「── Sorry. Everyone can’t take action if I, the commander-in-chief, don't give clear directions. Let’s lay out the plan.
First, we will divide the personnel into two main categories, the unit openly wearing uniforms as part of the inspection party, and the search team in civilian or clergy attire to blend into the crowd. I will take command of the former, you two will direct the latter. My goal will be distracting them and keeping them in check, while you go for the actual objective」
Matthew and Haro nodded. Suppressing the urge to ask 「Is this enough?」, their superior officer reminded himself to speak as clearly as possible.
「First, we gather a large number of pilgrimage clothes and set off... This goes against protocols, but we will pay a visit to the local garrison after everything has been settled. Those units might have spies after all, and this is a secret reconnaissance. We will deal with it if a conflict might break out… No, I will handle that part.」
Sazarf changed his mind after some thought. His personality of giving up the initiative so readily even surprised himself.
「I understand! Then leave the pilgrimage clothes to me, in the meantime, please get ready to set off. It’s quite a number, so you will have to wait for a while...」
Haro volunteered for the miscellaneous task. Sazarf was grateful for that, then added a point of concern after some thought.
「That can’t be helped, but due to the nature of the mission, bulk ordering the clothes might be too blatant. The best way would be to get our subordinates to wear casual attire and buy in small quantities through many different shops. That means shopping in all the tailor shop in the capital, do you have enough manpower for that?」
「It will be tedious, but I will find a way by activating the entire battalion! Oh, it will be better if I start early. May I get on with it?」
Haro left her seat before she even finished talking. Sazarf nodded to concur, and she saluted with a very brilliant smile.
「Well then, Major Haroma Becker will now set off to procure the supplies!」
She declared swiftly before turning and running out of the meeting room. Her energetic figure made the two men left behind sigh in awe.
「... We made her worried. I have to pull myself together.」
「Yes… That’s right.」
Matthew slapped his cheeks to perk himself up. He strictly reminded himself not to make meaningless complaints.
「──And so, today’s mission is to procure pilgrimage clothes. Time is short, so it will be tough!」
After giving the minimal explanation and telling them to keep things confidential, Haro’s medic battalion changed into civilian wear before heading into the capital. Their destination was the hundreds of tailor shops spread out in the city.
「Try to act natural, and buy in small quantities from as many different shops as possible! It will be fine as long as it isn’t too small! If it is too big, we can just tailor it down to size!」
「「「「「「「Yes Mdm!」」」」」」」
The details of what to do on scene had already been conveyed. The soldiers arrived in the capital in separate carriages and moved in teams of five.
「Mission starts! Please head to your assigned location in the capital, then gather here at 6pm in the evening! We don’t have enough people, so I will be shopping too! It’s fine for you to finish early, but I will be embarrassed if you are faster than me, so do take note of that!」
After hearing her subordinates burst out into laughter, Haro pushed them from behind.
「It’s great that everyone is so lively! Let’s go~!」
The Battalion Commanding Officer seemed more lively than usual, but no one found that strange.
「Good── Let’s start from that shop.」
Haro’s team visited a small shop deep inside an alley.
「I will talk to the owner. It’s a small stall, so I will do a demonstration, everyone please wait outside for me.」
With that, she entered the dim shop alone. This was a place where you needed some courage to go inside alone, but Haro greeted cheerfully without hesitation.
「Excuse me～ I want to buy pilgrimage clothes, do you have any stock～?」
The shopkeeper smoking a pipe behind stood up. He seemed to be running this tailor shop alone since there wasn’t any other staff inside.
「...Oh, pilgrimage clothes, huh. I remember I kept some inside… What are the sizes, and how many do you need?」
「I want ten, 7 male 3 female. Average adult sizes for both. And also ──」
She approached the owner bending over to check his stock from behind and whispered into his ears.
「── Central will be sending troops to keep watch on the Cathedral in the Northern Territory. They will set off three days later. Tell the priests inciting the masses to hurry and hide, Comrade Craig.」
「──?」
The shopkeeper turned around immediately. The man named Craig looked at the innocent smiling face in surprise.
「Y-You too…?」
「That’s right. But I have been sleeping soundly until recently～」
Haro yawned gently. Craig watched her every move closely.
「... You know my name and channels, but I don’t even know your face. We are both agents, but the levels are too far apart.」
「Maybe. But it’s not good to be interested in unnecessary things ── it might lead to an early grave, you know?」
She said something that Haro never would. Craig gulped.
「... I will keep that in mind. In any case, I will take care of this matter. I will contact my contacts through pigeons and horses by today. But the army is setting off in three days, huh. I’m not sure if the priests can convince their flock ──」
「That won’t be a problem. After setting off, I will slow the speed of their movement.」
The woman promised easily. This time, Craig was dumbstruck.
「... You have infiltrated into the Imperial Army? Your standing is high enough to interfere with the advance of a large unit. Of all the comrades active here, there aren’t many agents ──」
He stopped mid-sentence, finally realizing the true identity of the person before him.
「──Could it be, you are──」
「Oh, one more thing.」
Leaning forth to stop him from finishing his sentence, the woman who had the same face as Haro pulled out a stack of paper and shoved it to him.
「As for the captured Navy Admiral, this is the plan I came up with to rescue them. I can’t take part since I will be in the north, but even a monkey can carry them out. So get it done in your spare time while you are on it.」
「Hey, what do you mean by spare time...」
「I will take these then, bye～」
She grabbed the clothes without waiting for an answer, leaving as if to say that she was done with him. Leaving the exasperated Craig behind, the woman jogged back to her subordinates and showed them her spoils.
「Sorry for the wait! I got ten pieces! Let’s head to the next shop before it gets dark!」
They procured the required quantity by the second night, and by the time they distributed the clothes and got ready to set off, it was already the afternoon of the third day. She planned meticulously so they wouldn’t set off any sooner or later, but she still lowered her head and apologized embarrassedly.
「My apologies, it took longer than expected to procure enough quantity. I might have been too cautious and bought too little at a time...」
「No, it’s fine. There’s no point in this type of operations if we don’t move covertly.」
Sazarf who planned to leave sooner didn’t blame her for that. He was erring on the safe side, and was more cautious for his first secret reconnaissance mission.
「I never thought I would ever wear pilgrimage clothes... How do I look, Haro? Like a pious follower of Aldera?」
Matthew tried on some clothes and asked for comments. Haro checked him out with a groan.
「... You look too buff? You will look more like a pilgrim if your face is thinner.」
「You really don’t mince words. I have slimmed down a lot over the past two years...」
The youth mumbled unhappily after being called fat. Sazarf patted his shoulder with a wry smile and gave the last order before setting off.
「Avoid starting any fights, but this will still be a military campaign. As per yesterday’s instructions, the unit will advance in small groups. After setting the destination, we will split into sub sections on the move. Even if we disguise ourselves, a large group showing up would still be too prominent.」
「Understood... We will split up for now. The infiltration unit will go first, it will be more natural for us to set off at different times. Who will go first?」
「Oh, then let me take the lead! Be careful, both of you, see you at the Northern Territories!」
After nonchalantly getting the first slot to leave, she led her subordinates and left Central.
After heading 30 km northeast from the Central Stronghold, the sun had completely set, and Haro’s group's first day of marching ended. They had dinner and lodged in a village along the way. She laid on a bed that would creak when she turned and rested with her subordinates ── that night.
「──Uwah～」
She opened her eyes as if she was woken by the moonlight, then left the house silently before entering the woods behind.
「Wow, the stars are so pretty ──」
The rain an hour ago washed away the murkiness in the air, making the stars in the sky even brighter. Mesmerized by the countless stars above her, she suddenly said.
「── Those four over there, there’s no point in hiding. Come on out.」
The presence of people turning stiff could be felt through the air. Shortly after, four people of mixed genders appeared silently from the woods.
「... Not just our position, but our numbers too? We underestimated you, Comrade Patrenshina.」
「hmm～ it’s the opposite for me, I’m a little disappointed.」
Haro casually approached the man leading the group and suddenly grabbed his neck.
「Kyaa──?」
「What low standards. It would be too harsh to demand you ragtag agents to reach the standards of 『Shadow』, but you would need more than that to work under me, you know? And what’s with that terrible game of hide and seek? You think this is a kid’s games?」
Her fingers sunk deep into his neck and almost crushed his windpipe. She suddenly let go and push him down. The man fell on his butt and covered his mouth to stop himself from coughing. That woman ──Patrenshina curled her lips seductively, watching him suppress his natural reaction with a red face.
「Good, at least you understand that this isn’t a game. Sigh, never mind. You might be a bit incompetent, but I wasn’t expecting much.」
Right after saying that with a giggle, the smile disappeared from her face as she glared at the other three.
「However── don’t get in my way. If you dare buzz around me, I will swat you down.」
Sensing unbridled seriousness behind her words the four of them straightened their backs on reflex. She would swat down any fly that bothers her ── that was all that she was saying. But that’s what makes it abnormal. It meant she could kill a human like swatting down a fly.
After that conversation, it was clear who was in charge. With the authority to command these four as she wished, Patrenshina leaned on a tree nearby and started thinking.
「Alright～ anyway, we have to slow down the other units～ it must not tarnish Haro’s reputation too much, or trouble our side either. We have to rack our brains.」
After a few seconds, the woman suddenly clapped her hands.
「Oh right, let’s aim for the common weakness of that fatty and beard stubble. You there, you know what their weakness is?」
「The common weakness of Major Matthew Tetzirich and Brigadier General Senpa Sazarf? N-No...」
The female agent didn’t know the answer and fell silent. Patrenshina looked at her with condescending eyes.
「You don’t know? Really now? Huh~ How dumb~ Isn’t the answer obvious?」
She lamented the low standards of her subordinates again and stated the answer without giving them a chance to think.
「They are both nice people. So nice that it’s a fatal flaw for soldiers.」
In the afternoon on the second day after setting off, Matthew saw that scene.
「── Hmm? What’s that?」
They had not left the Empire’s central region yet, so he was still wearing uniform and moving with a company of 200 soldiers. A group arguing around a few wagons appeared before him.
「The wagons can’t move…? Oh, they are coming here.」
When they saw the uniform on the pudgy youth’s group, they ran over elatedly. Before Matthew could enquire about what happened, the other party drowned him out.
「Are you soldiers? Please help us!」
「Uwah── C-Calm down, what happened?」
「I’m a lumberjack living nearby, my colleagues got hit by a falling tree. We want to send them to a clinic 20km away...」
The man paused at that and pointed at the horse that had collapsed onto the road.
「It’s too hot, the horse suddenly collapsed…! We can’t ferry the injured away now!」
Matthew leaned forth and looked at the carriage that the man pointed out. There were many casualties with bloodied bandages inside. The man pleaded with a pained look at Matthew who was furrowing his brows:
「Those people need immediate treatment. If we don’t move them… Mr Soldier, please help us!」
Behind Matthew’s group, Sazarf’s unit also ran into unexpected troubles.
「This is troubling, the bridge has collapsed...」
The centre of the bridge had collapsed and got washed away by the river by the rising water level. A group of locals were gathered there performing repairs. Sazarf was hobbled right after setting off as he looked at the map in his hands.
「It will be a bother to go around. What should we do?」
If their numbers were few, they could cross with boats, but that would take too long with such a large group. When they saw Sazarf who was troubled by this problem, one of the locals approached him to chat.
「Mr soldier, do you want to cross the bridge? Then can you help us repair it? As you can see, we are short handed here.」
「Hmm... How long will the repairs take? If we help, can it be done by tomorrow or the day after?」
「That will depend on you. The bridge structure is simple, so the repairs will be faster with more people. If things goes smoothly, it might be passable tomorrow or the day after.」
The vague answer meant Sazarf had to make an awkward decision. Do they take the long way around, or help with the bridge repairs ── he couldn’t decide which was the right call.
「Speaking of which... the repairs seems to be half done.」
Only a small portion in the centre had been completely washed away, the foundation at both sides of the river bank were already done. With some repairs and laying down some planks, it should be passable ── Sazarf used his past work experience to decide on a course of action and turned to his men.
「It can’t be helped… Alright, we will help with the repairs. Bring out the tools!」
While the soldiers were delayed by unexpected events, in the eastern part of the northern territories, the priests who accepted Ra Saia Alderamin’s requests were trying to convince their flock.
「... That’s all I want to say. If you are willing… please entrust your fate to me.」
Inside a building with tightly shut windows. The influential people in various impoverished villages were gathered under one roof. After the priest explained the situation, he urged them to choose. The group hung their heads with bitter faces.
「There is no future if we stay in the Empire… Even the Bishop is saying that?」
「I’m not saying that the country will fall soon… However, after losing your farms in your escape from the Kioka invasion, it will be hard for you to raise your status from being tenant farmers.」
The priest carefully chose his words to point out the cruel reality. With the fall of the old eastern territories, many of the residents who were living there had to abandon their lands and flee. In order to continue farming in a foreign place, they had to do so by being tenant farmers. However, most of their profits would be taken away as rent. The priest picked out people in such difficult situations and proposed escaping out of the country.
「You can own land in Kioka, and in the eastern side of the continent away from the Empire too. Staying far away from the warfront and focusing on tiling the land will be better for you. This might sound rude… but for everyone here who had been through much trials and tribulations, your situation can’t get any worse.」
The Church of Aldera emphasized the spirit of charity, and the members of the church had always provided support for the impoverished people. Many of them only survived because of their aid, so the impoverished citizens were very supportive of them. In the villages where they kept visiting and provided support for their lives and preached their religion, the influence of the priests could no longer be ignored.
「That is assuming we escape successfully out of the nation ── right?」
Even so, convincing the civilians was no easy task. They were trying to instigate the people who escaped here after abandoning their homes to flee from their country this time. In the tense air where it wouldn’t be a surprise if the citizens roar with anger, the priest could feel sweat roll down his back as he pushed to persuade them.
「I will help you leave. I swear by God’s name that I will not go back on my word. If this plan fails, my fate will be sealed too. Once we start, my fate will be tied to yours until the end.」
It wasn’t enough to explain it with cons and benefits. In order to get a group to uproot their lives, he needed to appeal to their sense of duty. If he wanted the impoverished devotees before him to buy into the Grand Escape, the priest had to show that they could entrust their lives to him.
「Didn’t you consider the possibility that someone here might snitch to the army?」
「I will deal with it when the time comes. That just means I’m still lacking as a priest.」
He had already braced himself for that possibility before coming here. The group was silent and still couldn’t dive completely into it, so the priest concluded his proposal.
「You may choose. But from the moment I proposed this, I’m already a traitor to the Empire. I hope everyone understands that I’m standing here with the determination to see this through.」
「......」
「Will you follow me into the future? Or stay here? If you have made your choice, tell me what you have decided ──」
The priest urged them to answer. Before him, the devotees who had made their resolutions stared right back.
With no way of knowing that the situation was deteriorating with each passing moment, the progress of Matthew and the others were delayed out of control.
「Hey, this is different from what you said…! Isn’t it over after we help ferry the injured?」
The youth digging with a shovel yelled. A middle-aged man who was doing the same work beside him lowered his head in apology for the umpteenth time.
「Sorry sorry! As you can see, the landslide buried the entrance of the clinic, so it can’t be used! If we don’t clear the earth quickly...!」
Matthew couldn’t help clicking his tongue. After sending the injured to their destination, another accident happened. Lives were at stakes here so they couldn’t ignore it and got to work.
「...! We can’t ignore this, but it’s slowing us down, damn it!」
「── What, the bridge collapsed again?」
Sazarf was facing a series of problems too. They wanted to quickly repair the bridge and cross the river, but the construction would always stall before the final steps. The assembled parts of the bridge would collapse, and he was losing his patience.
「What’s going on, this is the fourth time in two days! We are rushing to cross, don’t waste time dragging out the construction time...!」
「I’m sorry～ there seems to be a mistake in the design plans～ we are amending it right now, it won’t happen again, can you help us with the repairs for just a while longer?」
That local resident tried to keep the soldiers here with a wishy-washy attitude. Realizing that he couldn’t be trusted, Sazarf declared in a stern voice.
「This is the last time! If it collapse again, we will be taking a detour!」
＊
And of course, Matthew and Sazarf didn’t just happen to be unlucky. It was a tightly knitted plan to obstruct them, and in a sense, it was an 「attack」. They didn’t even realize that they had fallen into someone’s trap and were being toyed.
「Can we use more direct means?」
But contrary to the intentions of the mastermind, there were some amongst the trap setters who were eager to get results. When everyone was gathered in the abandoned building to report, one of the male agents proposed a more drastic report.
「...Hmm? That guy over there, what did you say?」
「Yes. Right now, the units are obstructing the progress of the army with indirect means as per your instructions, Patrenshina-san. Such as destroying bridges or arranging for the locals to delay them. We obtained results, but it feels like a roundabout way of doing things.」
Using such slow means doesn’t suit my character. Knowing what that man was implying, the woman with Haro’s face asked lazily.
「...Oh, is that so. I will humour you then, what do you want to do?」
「How about poisoning Major Matthew and Brigadier General Sazarf?」
The man didn’t hesitate and stated the quickest method he could think of.
「This is a secret reconnaissance ordered under peace time, and their wariness is low on the way to the site. By adjusting the dosage, we can kill them or immobilize them. If you give the word, I will pretend to have food poisoning and get results by the end of the day ──」
Before he could finish, the man’s field of vision turned upside down.
「Are you an ──────────────────────────────idiot?」
It took several seconds for the man to understand that he was held down onto the ground by his arm ── excruciating pain shot up his shoulder with the realization of that.
「──Hyaa?」
「Poison the fatty and beard stubble? When they are in the midst of a secret mission under the Empress direct orders? Isn’t that telling them 『you have a mole』? You don’t understand one bit the reason I’m directing your activities.」
His joints were creaking. The part she was tormenting wasn’t the bones or the muscles, but the pain receptacle nerves itself. This technique was different from martial arts meant to defeat the enemy, but a skill to mindbreak the target and bend them to your will.
「Haro and me are different from the worthless spies that can be found anywhere. Our mission is to infiltrate into the target area and continuously relay intel from the enemies core back until the strategic objective is achieved. So exposing my identity is out of the question, we can’t let the enemy notice our presence. Do I really have to spell all this out～?」
The man was frothing at the mouth. He didn’t scream out of his duty as an agent, but he couldn’t do anything but grit his teeth. Excruciating pain that went beyond the limits tolerable by humans was assaulting him relentlessly.
「Also～ I almost fainted at the reckless thought of you killing an important figure of the enemy country based on your own judgement. If I want to kill them, I have all the chances in the world to do so── poison or assassination, it’s that easy. Since there are no orders from the top, you should know that I’m intentionally letting them live.」
The woman skilfully adjusted the administration of pain as she kindly educated her immature subordinate. She literally made him painstakingly learn his mistake ── outstanding lessons were always accompanied with pain, like tattooing on tender skin. That was the only method of teaching that she knew.
「In the first place, assassination is the worst method for an agent. Similar to the military, espionage missions are political in nature. People considered crucial for future diplomatic dealings should be protected adequately instead. Fatty and beard stubble belonged to that category, and they have a great relationship with Haro too. It’s obvious that we have to be really careful in obstructing them.」
Patrenshina’s white fingertips brushed a part of his wrist. Just that action made the man spasm uncontrollably. His eyes darted around, losing focus, and a wet patch spread in his groin.
「You get it? Etch that into your mind and never forget it? ── This is the last time. You understand, right, if you speak nonsense again...」
The woman relaxed her grip on his wrist, then leaned to the man’s ear and whispered.
「You will become an unwanted toy… I will break you apart and keep you tidily into a black box now.」
She explained in detail with a chilling voice and twisted his wrist slightly to the side. At that instant, the man felt intense pain one last time ── before he was liberated by passing out.
「Sorry, I got caught up with something along the way…! The investigations are ongoing, right?」
When Matthew arrived after running into all sorts of trouble, he was behind schedule. Haro who reached earlier didn’t blame him and smiled with a nod.
「──Yes! I already sent people to check out the local 『Cathedral』 and surrounding villages. We found a few priests on the list and have put them under surveillance.」
「Instead of an interrogation, you elect to let the targets move freely for now? You are better suited for such a method… Alright, I will join the search too. Which zones haven’t been searched yet?」
「Can you take care of the south as planned? I started my work from the north.」
「Understood! I will make up for the lost time!」
Matthew hit his fist onto his palm to perk himself up and charge out of the tent. Sending him off with her usual smile, she said to herself with satisfaction.
「Yes, that’s good… Run around energetically and waste your time!」
Sazarf’s group arrived three days behind schedule. He entered the headquarter’s tent sheepishly, it was embarrassing, but the first thing out of his mouth was an apology.
「Sorry, my misjudgement caused the unit to arrive late… how’s the progress?」
When they heard the question, Matthew and Haro looked at each other with awkward faces.
「Other than the delay at the start of the operation, the investigation is going smoothly… But we haven’t found anything suspicious yet.」
「Same thing on my end. Aside from the priests under my surveillance, we also checked the movements of normal people, but we didn’t find unusual.」
In short, they had not gotten any concrete results yet. After confirming that, their superior officer scratched the back of his head.
「Is that so, guess it isn’t that simple… It would be for the best if it ends up being nothing, but...」
They could detect abnormalities, but not if everything was normal── that was the contradiction of an investigation mission. They were seeking clear results, but on the other hand, they were hoping that they wouldn’t uncover anything.
「In any case, I will be starting my investigations openly today. I will apply pressure to the entire territory, so the people who didn’t show any openings before might start acting differently. This is the main event now, so keep up your focus.」
「Yes!」「Yes～!」
His two subordinates answered, and Sazarf renewed his feelings towards the mission. However── their investigations would never yield any results. The important places and people that needed to be guarded had all been 「settled」 by her when she arrived ahead of time.
Matthew’s group who headed to the northeast would send periodical reports every two days to Chamille who was busy with her governing duties. However── after repeatedly receiving reports of 「no abnormality found」, the Empress started to worry if she was worried over nothing.
「... Am I worrying over nothing this time?」
「That would be great if true.」
Inside the Jade Green Hall Courtyard, Lucanti who was standing beside the throne said with a smile. Chamille nodded quietly.
「Yes, there’s nothing more pleasing that outsmarting that fox──」
She had a moment of peace. The next instant── as if to mock this thought, a martial officer charged into the office.
「Your Majesty! Emergency report!」
「What is it!」
The Empress tensed up her relaxed expression and answered. The martial officer immediately said.
「Emergency message from Brigadier General Sazarf who left to keep watch over the Northern Territories came in just now! A large group of Church followers have gathered and are moving in the northeast direction!」
The report that deviated awkwardly from the worst scenario made Chamille frown.
「Migration… mass escape? How many of them are there?」
「A conservative estimate put them at over 15,000, maybe 20,000!」
This number robbed the last bit of optimism from the Empress’ heart. The countermeasure she put in place had an effect── on the other hand, she couldn’t wave away the doubt in her mind.
「... We sent inspectors over, but fail to uncover a scheme of this scale...?」
She couldn’t understand that. She sent Matthew’s group to the north to prevent this situation from developing. It was possible that their unfamiliarity with such missions prevented them performing. But… Even with that in mind, Chamille still couldn’t accept that her forces allowed things to deteriorate this much without picking up any signs. Be it Matthew or Sazarf, she entrusted this mission to them because she had faith in their abilities.
「... How’s the situation on scene, have we send out soldiers to pursue?」
「The unit noticed the movement and gave chase, but most of the church followers had fled into the Grand Arfatra Mountains… They plan to stop more followers from going, and sent units to lay ambush in the mountain paths.」
The stage had shifted from the barren lands of the Northern Territories and into the mountain range. Realizing that, Chamille made up her mind and stood up from her throne.
「── Emergency mobilize the First Brigade and Torway’s unit from the Central Military Stronghold. I will be going on a campaign.」
In the face of their decisive monarch, the troubled martial officers raised their opinions timidly.
「Your Majesty... B-But this isn’t a civil unrest. It’s a serious issue, but it should be fine to leave this to the local Military Stronghold.」
Their lingering naïve thinking made Chamille shook her head.
「After inciting such a serious problem, there is no way Kioka will remain idle. Their goal is to use the Church followers as lure and draw Matthew’s group into the mountains. There are definitely traps there.」
She had to judge that to be so. Thinking back on the past war ── how the war in the Northern territories developed, she couldn’t take this lightly.
「War is looming. No── it has probably broken out locally.」
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