Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
Some time before Matthew’s group struggles in the mountains.
「...Tch!」
He clicked his tongue── Even Greg was getting anxious.
Since their defeat on the seas near Port Nemong, most of the fleet were captured by the Empire, and they had been held prisoner for two years. He served his time while hoping to return home through diplomatic negotiations, but so much time had passed. The scent of the sea had long disappeared from his being, and his hand grew callus from his poor mimicking of a lumberjack, not the callus of a warrior.
He had an easier option. As a field-grade officer, he could request treatment that befitted a prisoner of his standings and stay away from manual labour just like his admiral, Elulufay. He would have an easier time if he chose that life.
Greg forsook that and sweated every day in order to keep up his troops’ morale and training level. The sailors free from the military hierarchy would turn dull, and two years was more than enough time for that to happen. Greg continued acting as their commander on foreign land so they wouldn’t lose the sense that they were a part of the Kioka fourth naval fleet.
「We might not be able to return if we just wait... Ugghh.」
After so much time has passed, even a dummy would realize that the prisoners' exchanges weren’t progressing. The Empire was reluctant to return the members of the fourth fleet ── especially the very high ranking Elulufay, they could tell she was an irreplaceable talent. If Kioka couldn’t offer agreeable terms, the Empire was ready to keep them in this place indefinitely.
「I won’t── let you!」
After considering all that, Greg made up his mind. He couldn’t stand his respected 「Great Mother of White Wings」 and the subordinates he nurtured staying imprisoned any longer. The risk was huge, but he had to attempt a prison break.
He shared his thoughts with Elulufay. She was still waiting for a message from Kioka, but wasn’t against Greg’s decision. If there was an opportunity with a plan that had a high probability of success, she wouldn’t hesitate to escape.
Indeed── A plan and an opportunity. The crucial parts that Greg had to figure out.
And of course, their imprisoned environment didn’t give them any chances. All the prisoners were disarmed, and they had to apply one by one to meet with their partner sprite to prevent riots. They wouldn’t even allow the prisoners to gather. A guard was always stationed inside the prison, and they were always exerting pressure to the prisoners serving manual labour, as if to imply ── there is always someone watching, don’t try anything stupid.
Planning in such an environment would require him to secure a way to communicate with his subordinates. He had some success in that regard. There were plenty of ways and Greg was good with such petty tricks. After confirming the plan, he could get the two thousand odd prisoners in the prison camp to riot at the same time.
「The problem is, we will be done for if we did that...」
Greg sighed as he muttered to himself. The first problem was the armed battalion keeping watch over them. His unarmed men would have a difficult time fighting those guards, and a bigger problem would be after that── when they break out of the prison camp. How could he feed his 2,000 men isolated in enemy territory? Greg and the others were not short on food because the Imperial Army sent provisions periodically.
If they head east in an attempt to cross the borders, they would starve midway. If they were lucky, they could rob a village along the way, but there was no guarantee that would happen. Greg didn’t know where they were in the first place. It was too risky to wander around the sparsely populated frontier in the hopes of finding a village.
「If we suppress the unit here, we should be able to find a map...」
But the map might not bring them hope. Without exception, for the past two years, visitors to the prison camp came from the west── the opposite direction of their beautiful home country. This was a hint that there weren’t any villages close to the east.
How about betting it all by heading to the west where the supply carriages came from? … It’s obvious there would be a military facility that way, and all would be lost if a patrol found them. They might get some food along the way, but it would be all over when their pursuers caught up. They didn’t have the strength to fight the pursuers and make a long distance escape.
No matter what move he made, he would be checkmated a few moves later. After confirming that again, Greg chopped a tree in frustration.
His mind was going around in circles── when a sharp caw of a bird interjected suddenly.
「──Caw.」
Birds cawing in the woods weren’t uncommon. But it was a different matter if it kept repeating in a fixed interval. Sensing it was a man made sound, Greg watched for anyone watching him as he walked towards the direction where the bird caw came from.
「...Oh.」
There wasn’t anyone around, and the cawing stopped. But a paper that had been folded twice was pasted prominently on a tree. Greg swiftly took down the note and checked its content.
「They kept me waiting, huh.」
He grinned from ear to ear as he squatted down and carefully dug the dirt by the tree. He touched something hard and grabbed it without any hesitation.
It was a small vial filled with a viscous liquid.
「──Heh! How heinous.」
After lying low for two years── a path to break out appeared before him.
A battalion of 600 was garrisoned in the prison camp to keep watch over the 2,000 prisoners. It was a relatively large number. For a prison camp of this scale, one half or a third of these personnel would be enough.
But this was only natural given the geographic conditions. The Empire historically set up such facilities in the northern region. One of the reasons is the abundant uncleared grounds, so there was no shortage of manual labour work. The barren terrain also stripped the prisoners’ will to flee.
There were no flaws in the prison camp’s structure itself, with 5 m tall stone walls surrounding the prisoner’s residential zone. The inside was divided into zones with stone walls and wooden fence, physically separating the prisoners to make any coordination between them difficult. In such an environment, Greg had to spend more than a year to set up a communication network with his subordinates.
The stone walls around the residential zone formed an equilateral triangle, each with its own surveillance post. There were Imperial guards posted there day and night, keeping watch at all times. It wouldn’t be easy for even a few people to escape. First of all, the prison camp was designed to suppress 2,000 prisoners rioting at the same time. Any pitiful escapees would be shot once they charged out of the residential zone. Even if they were lucky enough to make it pass the lines of fire, they would die in the barren lands a few days later.
Even if all those countermeasures failed── Imperial reinforcements would arrive from a base 40 km away in a few hours. It was impossible for 2,000 people to lose their pursuers in the open plains. No matter what happens, they had no future to speak of. This was the consensus of everyone with regards to breaking out of the prison camp.
「It’s time. Good work.」
「Hmm, changing shifts? I’m going to take a nap.」
The guard on watch changed shift with his colleague and walked to his room as he stifled a yawn. They knew how sturdy the prison camp was and was letting their guards down a little, but not to the extent of showing any openings. Central frequently sent inspectors to check on them, and the reports were given directly to the Empress, which kept the guards on their toes. They had learned how terrible the punishment awaits those who take their duties lightly. No one wanted to lose their head.
「Rejoice. We got our plan.」
Under conditions that were harsh for the prisoners, Greg finished the day’s manual labour and returned to their living quarters and announced boldly to his men. In the toilet that was in the blind spot of the guards, the eight soldiers with him held their breath.
「We got a way out? … So, what should we do?」
In response to that question, Greg slowly took out a vial and showed them. The liquid inside was very vicious, and didn’t move when the vial was shaken.
「By using this.」
「What’s that...?」
「Poison... No, a pathogen.」
The dangerous term their superior officer said made the soldiers tense. The scary looking Marine Commander continued.
「This is a special product from the 『Phantom Unit』. One small spoonful of this, and you will break out in rashes and a fever for at least three days. Don’t mistake this for wine and drink this.」
Greg said with a grin. He acted as if he was familiar with the effects of the pathogen, but he had never handled it before. From the confidence he displayed, it was clear this man possessed guts and carefulness.
「Make the Imperial guards drink this and create a chance to break out… Is that the plan?」
「If that is possible, we won’t be having such a hard time.」
Greg snorted. The prisoners couldn’t poison the guards, since they were living apart.
「Then, what should we do?」
With a more fearsome grin, Greg announced to his confused men.
「You will be drinking it.」
The air froze. A few seconds of silence later, a few quick-witted ones slowly grasped what he meant.
「... Serious rashes and a fever… I see...」
「With these symptoms, they will suspect an epidemic… To avoid the spread of the disease, they can’t keep the sick together with the other prisoners.」
Greg explained further to his excited men.
「There are places to quarantine the sick in this prison camp, so the sick bay will be used first. However, what happens if the sick bay can’t take them all in? If the number of patients increased, can they handle it just by quarantining inside the prison camp...?」
「... They will probably send the patients outside before they infect the entire prison camp.」
Greg nodded when his subordinate stated his conclusion.
「That’ one thing, another thing is... I can’t say it yet, but brace yourselves. This plan is more vicious than anything your dumb brains can come up with.」
He couldn’t conceal his fear and disgust. His subordinates had the same question at the sight of their superior’s rarely seen reaction. Who gave him the poison and the plan? But the Phantom unit was involved, so they were too afraid to ask...
「... This poison, no, pathogen, how many portions do we have? We can’t get all 2,000 of us to fall ill.」
「I have 5 vials. One vial is enough for 20 people, so that will be 100 portions if with the standard dosage, more than sufficient. We don’t need everyone to fall sick for real, as for the rest… You get it, right? Use your special skill.」
Sensing what their superior officer was implying, the soldiers smiled wryly at the same time.
「Malingering, huh… Calling it a special skill is regrettable.」
「That’s right. This skill won’t work on a certain commander, it’s too scary.」
The soldiers answered jokingly. Greg grunted.
「Anyway, if about 100 people pass out from a fever and the others say they aren’t feeling well, they will have to suspect an epidemic outbreak. The jailors will be forced to deal with work that is out of the ordinary… Basically, an opportunity will arise.」
The soldiers nodded. Their faces that had turned frail from the long prison life brightened up, like how they were during their times sailing with the 「Great Mother of White Wings」.
「The Phantom Unit didn’t just give us the plan and wash their hands clean, they also did several things to make things more convenient for us. This calls for a celebration ── we will start the operation tonight. Gather 100 volunteers who are willing to risk their lives for the Great Mother… You will recover in a month after drinking this thing, but you will be ingesting something of unknown origins.」
「We will need to draw lots. Can I get the prize?」
「You officers and noncom will obviously draw the short straws like me. You guys have no time to squirm in the sick bay, use your brains instead of your brawns, got it!?」
<TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-commissioned_officer>
「「「「「「「Yes Sir!」」」」」」」
They accepted the mission with perfect salutes, then started working on their prison break.
It was 7pm when the first patient was admitted into the sick bay as the Army Doctor was having a late dinner. Because they were clearing the forest by cutting down the trees, injuries were common, and the sick bay was usually busy.
「Huh! ──The symptoms this time? He collapsed with a fever?」
Shoving the remaining food into his mouth in a hurry, the doctor chewed as he walked to the person stretchered in. It was a male soldier in his early twenties. He was breaking out in rashes, was short on breath, and his chest rose intensely with every breath he took.
The army doctor placed a hand on his forehead ── the high temperature made him open his eyes wide.
「What’s with this high fever...?」
He had never seen such a high fever in all his years. His calm feeling was gone as he asked the patient with a serious face.
「Hey! Can you hear me! Can you answer my question?」
「... Ugh... Ahh...」
「You don’t need to speak! Nod for yes, shake for no! I’m going to ask you some questions!」
The army doctor did a medical examination forcefully. Any recent injuries? Ate any strange food? Any serious illness in the past or hidden ailments ── in response to these questions, the patient shook his head weakly. There were a few lies, but his pained expression wasn’t an act. His mind was hazy, ache all over and his throat had a burning pain ── the man desperately endured these symptoms he was experiencing for the first time in his life.
「... What’s going on...?」
After the examination, the army doctor couldn’t get a diagnosis from the information he obtained and stood stiffly in place. This was different from any illness he knew, and the symptoms were intense. Rashes all over, abnormally fast heart rate, even the vessels in his eyeballs were affected.
「Doctor! Another one collapsed!」
「──?」
Before he could understand the situation before him, the next patient was sent in. This was a prisoner living in a different zone from the first patient, but their symptoms were the same. The army doctor looked at the two very ill patients and clicked his tongue.
「What’s with tonight...! Anyway, get me some ice! They won’t make it if they keep burning up!」
The reason was unclear, so he had to deal with the symptoms for now. The army doctor locked eyes with his water sprite partner.
「Another five collapsed! We are bringing them in!」
He instinctively understood the moment he received this unnatural report ── that this was just the beginning.
Before dawn, more than 30 patients were sent into the sickbay, and several times that number claimed to be unwell but showed no symptoms. It was clear that this was an unusual situation, the Imperial soldiers wanted to resolve the problem, but they couldn’t even understand what was wrong.
「So── this is food poisoning, right? With that many people down with this symptoms, I can’t think of any other reason.」
「We have checked the prisoner’s meals for the past three days, and can’t find anything conclusive. We burned everything that looked suspicious, but the number of patients still keep increasing.」
「We didn’t cut off the source? Or maybe... the illness is transmitted from human to human.」
「You think this is an unknown infectious disease? Impossible, how can an epidemic break out here...!」
Inside a room within a guard post, the officers were perplexed by the reports. As they were discussing, another subordinate brought in new information.
「Report! We have relayed the situation to the allied base to the west, they responded that there are soldiers in that base showing the same symptoms! The citizens in the nearby settlements also collapsed from a fever!」
「... So it’s not just us.」
「Unfortunately… There’s a strong possibility that this is an epidemic.」
「...! Anyone died?」
「It’s unconfirmed, but some of the infected has died.」
「On the contrary, any patient recovered? Or reports of an effective medicine?」
「Unconfirmed sources state that there are a few. First, the most prominent symptoms are sudden rashes and fever for three to five days. After that, the patients would claim they are cold. If they aren’t given blankets and medicine spice soup to warm up, the symptoms will worsen.」
「Keep them warm, huh… It’s basic, but it’s also the only effective treatment. Since we can’t determine the truth behind the disease, we have to use this method. Give the prisoners blankets.」
「Well... we don’t have enough.」
「What?」
「We don’t have enough to give to all the patients. The climate here is warm, so they can sleep without blankets. The prison camp has limited blankets. We don’t have enough right now, and there is a possibility of more patients in the future...」
「So we need to replenish our supplies?」
「Yes, and we need to do it fast. Someone might die after failing to keep warm after their fever.」
「... Alright. I will approve the budget, procure all the blankets from the neighbouring villages!」
However, given the climate here, blankets weren’t used here. That wouldn’t change even if they travelled a little further. The procurement team quickly learned that reality.
「...Blankets? No, we don’t sell that.」
「We have thick clothes though… Cold weather clothing is seldom sold here. You should give up on that.」
「We have patients in the village, we want blankets too! If the army is in a terrible state, then what should we do!? Damn it!」
They visited the four most populated villages and received similar answers. The soldiers could only stand in place helplessly when someone seized the chance to approach the troubled troopers.
「Mr Soldier… You seemed troubled, what can I do for you?」
A traveling peddler walked over as he rubbed his palms, and the soldiers explained their plight to him without any expectations. He clapped with a smile at that, then quickly took out a merchandise from his wagon.
「In that case, do you think this will help? This is a groundsheet for outdoor use. The grounds are rocky here, so a cushion needs to be laid when camping outside. It is soft, and can be used to cover the body.」
「Really? Let me see... Oh, this will do. How much is it, shopkeeper?」
「Well... It’s rather expensive, but since this is a business with the Imperial Army, I will try to make it cheap… How about this much?」
「... Hmm, that’s not cheap, but it isn’t a blatant mark up either. Alright, we will take all the stocks you have.」
「Thank you for your patronage! We met here by chance today, but I hope to be in your care in the future.」
The traveling peddler curled the corners of his lips and thanked them with a bow. The Imperial soldiers didn’t realize the true intention behind his smile.
The procurement team brought the blankets back and immediately gave them out to the patients who made it through the fever stage and were feeling cold. Almost a hundred people had collapsed from a fever now, and more than 500 claimed to be unwell. The prison camp couldn’t keep up with their needs.
「Hey, the blanket is here! I will cover you guys up!」
「Ugh, ugghh...」
Inmates nursed the ill inmates. Due to a lack of manpower and the risk of the epidemic spreading, the prison camp had to permit this. The Imperial guards who feared the unknown disease were happy with the arrangement, so the prisoners were gradually given more freedom with time.
「... Hey... This is...」
The patients with blankets turned their body and said softly to his comrades tending to him. He quietly handed over the metal tools like small knives and hammer from the leather pockets in the blankets. These tools were hidden in the blankets by their accomplice outside.
His comrade took the tools with a nod and kept it on him, careful not to let the army doctor notice── with the increase in the number of patients, more resources were needed to tend for them. Essential Items that appeared harmless were sent to the prison camp under the laxed inspection standards. These were necessary for their prison break.
「Recover your strength in the time being… The preparations are in progress, it won’t be long before we take action.」
「... Yes...」
Despite the torment of abdomen ache and chills, the patient answered with a nod. The Imperial guards had not noticed the strong will in the eyes of the prisoners suffering from the unknown disease.
「Cutting off the supply line」 was a basic strategy in war, but when the fighting took place in the shadows, this strategy had to be adjusted. Instead of cutting off the supplies, they had to meddle with it instead. That was what the Kioka agents in the northern territories were doing.
And of course, laying their hands directly on the large unit garrisoned there was difficult. However, it was different once you changed your perspective. The Imperial guards were humans too, they needed food, clothing and other daily necessities. Tracing the supplier for these goods would lead one to the civilians. For a base situated near a main road, the production and consumption of goods was probably handled by the army in bulk, but that wasn’t true for the prison camp situated in the outskirts of the Northern territories.
Between the army support personnel and civilians, it was clear which one was easier to deal with. So the agents set up a network with the civilians doing business with the army so they could meddle with these goods through channels when the time comes. By doing so, it was possible to poison the Imperial guards’ supper.
However, that would deplete the trust of their clientele built up over time. One could only become a supplier for the army with this trust, so if you betray their trust just once, you wouldn’t be able to repair the relations ever again. Considering the time and effort to build up the channel with these suppliers, the Kioka agents couldn’t throw away this trust so easily. If these merchants lose their contact with the army, the agents would lose the means of meddling with the military.
This was an exception, since the target was the retrieval of a key personnel, Elulufay. For her sake, Kioka was ready to give up their precious channel to the military. That was why they achieved results beyond just sending blankets with hidden tools to their comrades.
Four days after the appearance of the mysterious disease, what the Imperial soldiers feared had happened. Instead of the other side of the wall, the first guard keeping watch over the prisoners had fallen ill.
「... It finally happened.」
The commander’s face turned bitter as he said that ── they already anticipated that when the possibility of this being an epidemic increased, but there wasn’t much they could do. He already told his men to avoid contact with the prisoners and took all possible precaution against an epidemic. However, one of their own still got infected.
「Have you checked their food?」
「... Yes. But we can’t find any definite reason.」
His subordinate added reluctantly. This overturned the sliver of hope that this was caused by food poisoning. Since there were patients from prisoners living in a different zone, the epidemic was no longer a suspicion, but the answer.
「... Empty a warehouse. Before the disease spread, we need to isolate the sick soldiers.」
「Yes, right away… But what should we tell the troops?」
「...... Don’t say anything for now. I don’t want them to get fazed.」
The commander answered after a brief thought. This was a reasonable decision from his perspective. Many of the soldiers probably couldn’t keep their cool if they heard a deadly infectious disease was spreading in the building they were in.
「But words of their colleague collapsing had already spread...」
The commander was troubled as he imagined the rumours spreading. He could only pray that nothing was added into the rumours ── in this situation, the soldiers would compare themselves to the prisoners. His hope was too faint.
A few days later, Greg and the others inside the prison camp could clearly feel the atmosphere changed. The guards kept an obvious distance from the prisoners and the frequency of patrols had dropped.
Sensing things were going as planned, the fearsome Marine Commander felt fear and awe.
「Hmmp... Those guards think this is a dangerous infectious disease.」
「Yes. I think one of them got infected too. It’s only natural to assume we spread the disease to them and for them to act that way.」
Between his subordinates lying with blankets on them, Greg chatted quietly with his comrades. With the official reason of tending to the ill, they slowly got away from the guards’ surveillance, since the guards didn’t want to come close either.
「The repellent effect is excellent. So a disease of unknown origins is that frightening?」
Greg knew that the disease tormenting his subordinates was not fatal. The note with the plan stated that the symptoms were prominent, but they would make a full recovery in half a month. So he would be fine even if he stayed in this room filled with patients.
In truth, this disease couldn’t be transmitted from person to person, only those who ingest the poison would show symptoms. It was accurate to diagnose it as food poisoning ── But the brilliance of this plan was misleading people into thinking it was a deadly epidemic.
Unlike the prisoners who took the poison willingly, it wasn’t easy to poison the Imperial guards on watch. The food they ate came from a completely separate supply line, it was all cooked or boiled before being served, which would make the poison less potent.
But the agents wouldn’t give up just from that. They poisoned the Imperial guards through a different means, by their utensils. The plates, bowls and spoons were dipped in the poison given to Greg’s men, with the visible marks wiped clean before sending them in as part of the supplies. Inspections of the utensils were more relaxed than the food, and since they were consumables that broke easily, it was easy to smuggle them into the prison camp. They just needed to wait for someone unlucky to fall ill from using them.
The success rate was lower than ingesting the poison directly, but they needed just one infected for the plan to work. Their goal wasn’t to render the Imperial guards powerless, but to trick them into thinking the disease tormenting the patients was infectious. Just this misunderstanding would drastically weaken the prison camp’s management. Since the ones managing the camp were also human, they wouldn’t want to be infected by this unknown disease. The guards would then keep their distance from the prisoners, relaxing their watch over them.
「And now── our chance is coming soon.」
Because of the Imperial soldiers’ fear, a dark shadow loomed over the prison camp. Under its cloak, the inmates sharpened their fangs and got ready to strike back.
「A brawl between the inmates」── the supervisor of the prison camp received this report during lunch, and the worried Imperial guards rushed in to put down the fighting. Lunch time, one of the few luxuries they had was interrupted, and the thought of stepping into an area contaminated with disease made them uneasy. There were few things more depressing than that.
「Damn it… It’s all because of those guys.」「Why can’t they just lie down quietly.」
Two platoons of 80 soldiers grumbled as they stepped into the prison camp with bayonets affixed to their Wind Guns. Squabbles between inmates were not rare, but this was a big brawl. A zone with around 200 inmates was rioting, and a large force was needed to stop them.
「Make way make way! Move! Move!」 「Damn it! What’s all this racket!?」
The soldiers went past the stone walls and chased the gawking prisoners away before the scene of an intense riot appeared before them. It happened during lunch, so food and utensils were sprawled everywhere.
Seeing this couldn’t be settled with words, the platoon leader swiftly ordered his men to fire warning shots into the sky. The gunshots members of the military were familiar with made the prisoners stop from fear.
「Stop this nonsense and form up before your lodgings! Do it now!」
「Quickly! Don’t blame me if you eat a bullet for dallying!」
The Imperial guards aimed their muzzles at the inmates, threatening them without advancing. No one tried to defy the guards, and the inmates suddenly turned docile. After watching them carefully, the guards sighed in relief, thinking the riot had ceased more easily than expected.
「Someone explain this! If you know the events that led to this, step forward!」
The inmates gave each other a look and one of the prisoners stepped forth before the Platoon leader shouted again. According to him, it was just a trivial matter during a meal. When soup was given out, one of the prisoners told off an inmate on lunch duty 「Don’t put your hands on my food」. As the person giving out soup was also tending to the sick, he grabbed the collar of the aggressor agitatedly. Their brawl dragged the others in, and things escalated quickly into a full out riot… There had been minor scuffles before this, and this incident served as the spark that unleashed all the pent-up frustration.
「... Ughh...」
After hearing the explanation, the guards couldn’t resolve the issue since the reason was the mysterious contagious diseases. They could beat up a few inmates, cut rations or confine them as a warning. He declared harsher punishment would be meted out if there was a repeat.
After settling the matter, the guards turned around as if they couldn’t stand this place any longer. The guards walked out the exit in two columns, towards a neighbouring zone covered by 3 m tall wooden fences. The prisoners who came to gawk lined the fences ──
「Do it.」
It happened right then. The wooden fence separating the soldiers and the prisoners fell at the same time, on top of the 80 soldiers. It happened too suddenly, and the Imperial guards squirmed like fish caught in a net ── and the inmates attacked them brutally.
「「「「「Warggghhh!」」」」」
Some whacked the soldiers attempting to crawl out with clubs, others jumped on the fence to crush them with their weight. The tactic was to stop the Imperial soldiers from using their Wind Guns. The close quarters attack took the guards by surprise and suppressed them one by one.
「W-What’s going on? ...Uwah!」
「We got played like a damn fiddle! The inmates did something to the fence!」
「How’s that possible! The fence is made from 20cm thick rubber tree poles! How can the unarmed inmates ── Guaahh!」
To stop the inmates from breaking out, the metal utensils and axes for manual labour were strictly accounted for. For the guards who were adamant on not letting the prisoners get their hands on weapons, this was a big surprise.
「「「「「Warrrgghhh!」」」」」
The surprise attack, advantage in numbers and the neutralization of Wind Guns made the battle one sided. In less than ten minutes, the 80 soldiers were subdued, their weapons and sprites in the hands of the prisoners.
「Not too shabby.」
Acknowledging the results of their first move, Greg stood before his men with a wide grin. After getting their groove back as soldiers after two years, they turned to their gruesome faced superior officer.
「Borrow the clothes from these guys. Oh, and don’t leave them naked, they are our important hostages.」
「「「「Yes Sir!」」」」
The Kioka sailors answered energetically. They were no longer inmates as they tossed the unarmed guards into the cells and gave the uniform to some of the inmates. The guards were given prisoner garbs in exchange.
「Alright── two more rounds to go.」
Greg muttered as he looked to the northeast and northwest.
There were watchtowers spread around the prison camp to monitor the prisoners, and the standard procedure was to inform any abnormal situation from the watchtowers directly to the control base. And this was the right time for that, but ──
「Tch... You guys...!」
At the same time, all the guards were being suppressed when the operation started. Because of the loopholes due to the epidemic, they used the smuggled tools to destroy the fence and sneak people into the watchtower in the night. The guards caught off guard couldn’t even send a light message and got disarmed.
The Kioka sailors then used the captured Luminous Sprite to send a fake message to their base. If you don’t do as we say, we will kill your master ── any sprite would give in under this threat.
The message they were forced to send was as follows:
「We have difficulty dealing with the situation with the forces on hand, please urgently send two platoons to the camp to reinforce.」
This message was sent to the northeast and northwest base. The officers in those two bases sent 80 soldiers each, a total of 160 soldiers and 4 platoons rushed to the camp ── and all of them were ambushed by the Kioka sailors. The guards were hit in a similar way as the initial 80 soldiers. This was the third round.
「What’s going on!? The hell!」
Seeing that the reinforcements hadn’t returned, the Imperial commander went on scene and finally realized the abnormal situation. Sensing that the message from the watchtowers had been falsified, he sent a messenger to the western base immediately since the prisoners had seized the camp. That was his priority given the dire situation.
On the other hand, the Kioka sailors were finally reunited with their partner sprite locked away somewhere in the camp. Visitations between prisoners and their sprites were guaranteed by war treaties, but they were not permitted to stay together to prevent the inmate from breaking out.
「Raku... sorry for the wait.」「Let’s go, Shim. To our homeland.」
The sailors received their partners happily. Some of them made a contract with the sprites at a tender age, so life without a sprite was like missing a sibling or an internal organ. They immerse themselves in the moment and forgot about their worries for a time.
「── Commander, a horse is sighted leaving the northwest base! A messenger to inform their allies!」
A sailor who was watching the situation outside from the watchtower reported with a sideway glance. 「I thought as much.」 Greg wasn’t fazed and acknowledged with a nod.
「Will that be fine? We will have a hard time if they get reinforcements.」
「We can’t capture the stables from our position. Don’t worry, the guys outside will cover for us.」
「Outside... the agents who infiltrated the Empire? How would they stop a galloping horse?」
Greg sighed at his subordinate’s question and poked his head with his fist.
「Use your head. The shortest route from here to the western base is fixed. They will probably set up an ambush along the way.」
That was what he said, but Greg could only imagine the details of what the agents would do. They said they would take care of that part, so he could only palm it off to them ── That was how their situation was.
「Forget about the messenger. Two platoons make 80, three times that would be 240. Adding the 40 guards in the camp, that would be 280 hostages. This is the crucial point.」
「Yes, we took all of their equipment. What’s next?」
「We can only move out directly. We got ourselves some meat shields against bullets after all.」
Greg showed his most ferocious smile to the guards, whose position had been reversed. The Imperial guards shivered, realizing how they would be used.
「Commandant, the prisoners are out of the camp! O-Our captured comrades are walking in front of them...!」
「Ughh...!」
As expected, the Kioka sailors made the Imperial guards stand in front as they walked out of the prison camp. Projectiles should be pouring in at the inmates, but they couldn’t do so because of their comrades being used as human shields. The Imperial guards grit their teeth and couldn’t pull the trigger as the Kioka sailors walked out into the plains with cheers.
「── Don’t run in front of the meat shields. Go pass the checkpoint and head west.」
Greg who was walking in the middle kept his head down as he directed his men. His assistant looked troubled about that order.
「... Head west? We have a better chance of finding villages with food in that direction, but we might get hit from both sides by the prison camp and the western base.」
「Why do you think I left our comrades behind in the camp? The prison camp guards can’t abandon their duty. It would be a different matter if everyone fled, but they are still defending the place with around 400 guards. They probably thought that sending out a messenger is their minimal obligation. Sigh, but they will still send a small scouting team after us.」
「I see, so that’s the plan…? What about the pursuers from the western base? I don’t think we can deal with that with just hostages alone.」
「Whatever. We will find a way.」
「By finding a way, you mean...」
「I mean who cares. This is a chance for the guy who drew this map to show his stuff── and you got one part wrong, it’s not pursuit, but engage.」
「Huh...?」
His assistant stared with his eyes wide. Greg said nonchalantly.
「Didn’t I tell you? We will be attacking the western base. Because we have to take back our beautiful Great Mother.」
At the same time, the soldiers in the twelfth base of the Northern territory had no idea about the abnormality tens of kilometres to their east, and carried on with their daily duties as usual. The place wasn’t as peaceful after experiencing the Northern unrest, and there were some with special duties assigned to this base.
「～～～～」
Sergeant Seriu Monn who was climbing a five storey tower near the centre of the base with a hum was one of them. It was clear that she enjoyed her job, and her reason was simple.
「Sorry for the intrusion. I’m Sergeant Monn. Rear Admiral Mdm, have you been well!?」
「Oh, it’s Seriu? Please come in. I’m happy to see you.」
The door opened with a voice ushering her in. A woman with an exotic atmosphere was sitting under a warm lantern light on a rattan chair── the admiral of the Kioka fourth naval fleet Elulufay Tenerexilla received her with a smile.
That smile put Sergeant Monn at ease── that was her reason behind her happiness.
「I bought you a gift!」
Sergeant Monn quickly unraveled the package she brought on the table. She deeply admired this unique officer from an enemy nation.
「It smells nice. Is this… baked confectionery?」
「Please have some.」
「Let me try… Oh, what a pure and nice taste. This gentle sweet taste… millet sugar? I’m glad you didn’t add too much spices.」
「I know, right? This taste of the food here is probably too strong for you, Mdm.」
「I’m not trying to be picky, but eating spicy food several days in a row is troubling. Thank you, Seriu, your snack put it at ease.」
Sergeant Monn blushed. Elulufay’s every word and action filled her with warmth and captivated her.
「Actually, I bought a gift for Misai too, it’s dried river fish.」
「Really? Thank you, it’s been a while since I fed it any fish.」
Closing the book on her lap, Elulufay stood up from her rattan chair.
「I wish to bring your gift to meet it… May I?」
There was no way Sergeant Monn would say no, and she nodded.
Elulufay resided── no, was imprisoned in a five storey tower, with her room in the fourth storey. That might be the case, but the space between the floor and the ceiling was vast, so the actual height was closer to a building with twice the number of storeys.
This was meant to accommodate field-grade officers and above, with furniture and decorations that could rival a high class hotel. For someone living alone, the space was far too big. But on closer look, it was clear the place was meant to keep her under house arrest. The five windows were barely big enough to fit an arm through, set in a place far higher than Elulufay’s head. She couldn’t see the surrounding areas, meant just to illuminate the place with light.
It was dim during the day, with the Luminous Sprite serving as the primary light source. She was treated better than the other inmates, but the situation of the 「Great Mother of White Wings」 still pained Sergeant Monn’s heart. Because Elulufay Tenerexilla was a naval officer. A person who yearned for the sky and the ocean, the wide and vast world. Compared to her past, being confined to a dim room must be very cramped.
Even if she felt that way, Sergeant Monn couldn’t do anything about it. She was a soldier of the Empire, while Elulufay was a Kioka officer. They were clearly on opposing sides.
「── Ugh, looks like it’s going to rain. I hope you don’t get wet.」
Elulufay said on their way to the roof. When Sergeant Monn first took on the job as the manager of this room, she didn’t understand, but she did now. There was no doubt in the weather forecast of the 「Great Mother of White Wings」, even if she couldn’t see the sky.
「Hi, everyone. Good work on your sentry duty. This might be the day when I escape, so keep your guards up.」
When they passed the corridor, Elulufay greeted the sentries warmly. The contents might be sarcastic, but there wasn’t any ill will with the way she said it. The sentries smiled awkwardly and watched her leave with respect in their hearts.
「Let me get the door.」
When the two of them reached a room at the top floor, Sergeant Monn took out a bunch of keys hanging on her waist. When she unlocked and opened the door, the breeze from inside caressed their faces.
「Misai!」
Before the doors were fully open, Elulufay ran to her bird. Caw～～ Misai responded with a sharp caw. The large falcon in the cage suffered a wing injury two years ago, which has now healed, and couldn’t wait to soar in the sky for its mistress again.
「Sorry I couldn’t visit yesterday, have Seriu’s gift. It’s been so long since you last had fish.」
Misai bit the fish she moved into the cage with gusto. The Imperial Army didn’t know what to do with this beast at first, but as per the privilege accorded to captured high ranking enemy officers, Misai was given special treatment. Which was why it was kept in the same building as Elulufay.
「May I let it fly outside for a while, Seriu?」
「Of course. I will open the cage.」
Sergeant Monn moved to the side of the cage and opened the padlock. She was cautious when she first tried this, but has gotten used to it now. Because she knew that Misai would never harm her.
After leaving the cage, Misai flapped its wings and flew out of the window near the ceiling. She couldn’t see it flying outside, but Elulufay still smiled happily as she imagined it in the air.
「As usual, it will be back in 30 minutes. Let’s chat in the meantime, Seriu.」
「Okay!」
They nodded at each other and sat opposite each other on two chairs by the cage. Sergeant Monn really likes the 30 minutes before Misai finished its stroll in the sky. Elulufay would tell her all sorts of things. For someone who grew up in the northern territory of the Empire, the seafaring tales of a Kioka resident was very exciting.
「Hmm, it’s going to rain.」
Elulufay said suddenly. A few seconds later, the sound of raindrops splattering on the roof reached them. Sergeant Monn looked at her in awe once again.
「You guessed right today too… You even know the conditions of the sky even though you are inside.」
「I’m only sensing the humidity in the air. It seldom rains here, so it’s easy to tell the signs of incoming rain. And this isn’t an enclosed room with the huge windows here.
Elulufay looked to the large window near the ceiling as she said that. She said it was big, but the largest window in the tower was only one metre long on all sides. However, it was 3 metre above the floor, and could only be used to let in light.
「Seriu, how is your mother’s illness?」
Sergeant Monn froze at the sudden question. After a few seconds of silence, she said with a vague smile.
「I received a letter yesterday… They couldn’t save her after all.」
This answer made Elulufay hang her head… When talking about a painful topic, she would look as sullen as the one speaking. That was one of the reasons why Sergeant Monn liked her.
「I see… You must be sad, Seriu.」
「... I’m not sure. She isn’t the kindest of mothers… Even though I don’t have any other kin now, I honestly don’t feel any different.」
Elulufay listened quietly to Sergeant Monn as she said slowly.
「After enlisting, I seldom went home, and wasn’t welcomed when I did. It’s embarrassing to say… My mother really didn’t like me. My father married her with me in tow, but after that, he divorced her.」
She had a self mocking smile. Before her mother even passed, she already lost the joy of familial kinship.
「Because of various reasons, my step father also left our home… Sigh, what will they do with the monetary compensation if I died in battle? I heard it won’t be paid out if the dead soldier has no kin, then I would have died for nothing.」
Sergeant Monn sighed heavily after that, and suddenly felt a gentle touch on her cheek.
「Ah, hey...」
「I was wrong… You have been sad all this time, Seriu.」
Elulufay stood up and embraced Sergeant Monn. She wrapped her feather shawl around Sergeant Monn’s body, like a mother bird tending to its chick.
Sergeant Monn couldn’t move in this unexpected warmth── shortly after, she heard the sound of strong flapping wings.
「── You are back, Misai. That was fast.」
Elulufay continued hugging her as the return of her beloved bird brought her joy. Sergeant Monn was starting to feel embarrassed when she turned to Misai── and tilted her head confusedly.
「... Hmm? There’s something in its beak… A bundle of ropes?」
「It’s fine, I asked Misai to bring this to me.」
Elulufay gently let go and walked to her bird to retrieve the ropes and walk around. Sergeant Monn could only stare dumbfoundedly.
「This place will do.. Just a simple knot… and done.」
She secured the ropes to the central column in the room tightly, nodding satisfactory at her work. Sergeant Monn couldn’t stay silent anymore and asked timidly.
「... Rear Admiral Mdm, may I ask what are you doing?」
「Oh, just some preparation for my escape.」
Elulufay replied indifferently. Her attitude was so bold it sounded like a joke. Sergeant Monn asked dumbfoundedly.
「Hmm, erm── y-you are escaping?」
「It will be great if I don’t have to escape, but seeing how they have a firm grasp on our weakpoint, I probably won’t get to return just from waiting. My long vacation will end today.」
She stretched her back widely as she explained. After realizing this wasn’t a joke, Sergeant Monn said with her face cramping.
「I-If you are serious… I have to stop you.」
「Then first, you need to point the gun on your back at me.」
Elulufay said to her frankly as she crossed her arms and looked up at the window 3 metres above. If she pushed Misai’s cage over and stood on top, she would barely reach it with her height. Sensing that she was going to put her words into action, Sergeant Monn cried.
「Please, say it isn’t so… tell me it’s not true. Tell me you are joking as usual. It’s not too late to pretend nothing happened. I don’t want to point my gun at you...!」
「I don’t want to force you to do that either. Because Seriu, you are a gentle child.」
Elulufay held the rope with her left hand, turned and reached out to her.
「So, come with me.」
「... Huh?」
「There’s nothing in the Empire to hold you back, right? Then come to Kioka. The country will welcome you, and I will take care of you over there.」
「T-That’s──」
「You think you can’t do it? Are you troubled by this sudden proposal? That is fine too. I’m not trying to force you to make a decision.」
Elulufay’s voice was filled with strength, unlike anything she heard before. The 「Great Mother of White Wings」 looked straight at the shocked Sergeant Monn, and continued steadfastly.
「I have decided to bring you back and escape from here, that’s the conclusion── isn’t it obvious? There’s a crying child before me. Since no one will hold her hand, then I will take her with me.」
Her eyes were filled with boundless love and kindness. Elulufay said the crucial phrase to her shivering beloved child.
「Come with me, Seriu. You have had enough sorrow. From today onwards, you won’t need to cry.」
Tears flowed out of her eyes── Sergeant Monn finally realized that she was already convinced a long time ago.
Twenty minutes later. A sentry detected the abnormality and rang the alarm.
「──Rear Admiral Tenerexilla has escaped! Sergeant Monn is missing too!」
「What? Search for them quickly! They couldn’t have gone far!」
Prisoners would escape if the conditions were right. That was obvious, but the situation made them panic. Because they weren’t mentally prepared for Elulufay Tenerexilla’s prison break, and let the danger of it happening slip from their minds. Her friendly actions and warm interactions slowly sapped away their wariness.
「Damn it! What’s going on...?」 「Ahh… Why are we panicking so much...!」
This was the charm of the 「Great Mother of White Wings」. They didn’t know how hard it was to keep their guard up while interacting with her for so long.
The soldier started their search without calming down, and faced another shocking situation. Alarm bells were ringing throughout the base.
「Alert, alert～! Unknown forces approaching from the east! They number over a thousand! All units to battle stations～!」
「── What!」
The soldiers turned pale and were dumbstruck. They were certain that a huge uproar was coming their way.
「──Okay. They shouldn’t find us here.」
Greg muttered as he looked to the base in the distance from the middle of the barren land. His 1,600 men around him looked in the same direction.
「Is the Great Mother safe…? I’m worried. What if the enemy use her as a hostage against our attack…?」
「That’s meaningless worries. The agents probably made the arrangements── most importantly, you still don’t understand Elulufay Tenerexilla.」
Greg shrugged with a fearless smile. His face was devoid of worries, just like what he said.
「She’s a born charmer, not someone who can be confined by a prison of that standard. From what I know, the Rear Admiral surrendered to enemy hands for our sakes. It’s difficult to act harshly towards our unit since the commander is nearby. For the past two years, she has been watching over us.」
Ignoring the men who were tearing up after hearing that, the fierce looking Marine Commander kept staring in the direction of the base.
「Since we broke out, the shackles on the Rear Admiral are gone too── see, as expected. She’s here.」
Greg put down his telescope. Someone was galloping his way within his field of vision. The soldiers cheered── there was no mistake, the admiral wearing her signature feather shawl was spurring the horse forth. For some reason, there was a female Imperial soldier riding tandem behind her, but no one cared about that trivial detail.
「Hi, my sweet children! Has everyone been well!?」
「Great Mother!」「Welcome back, our 『Great Mother of White Wings』!」「Sorry for the wait...!」
The sailors forgot about their hunger and fatigue for now as they welcomed the return of their beloved Great Mother. Elulufay embraced them one by one. After sharing the joy of reunion with about 20 people, she remembered the person behind who was hanging her head.
「Oh, I forgot about this important thing. Everyone, listen carefully── this is Seriu Monn, who took great care of me during my imprisonment. From this way forward, she will be one of us, please take good care of her.」
When they heard what Elulufay said, the sailors approached Sergeant Monn. She shirked away nervously, but sympathetic hands rested on her shoulders.
「So you got mesmerized by the Great Mother too.」「Girls are in her strike zone too.」「Sigh, relax. Since you were drawn here because of her, then you are pretty much a comrade of the Fourth Fleet.」
Most of the Kioka Fourth Naval Fleet lost their home in wars before enlisting. Their identities were the subordinates of the 「Great Mother of White Wings」, so the past of new recruits wasn’t a problem. The ex-Imperial Sergeant Monn was welcomed naturally in this environment.
Elulufay glanced sideways at this scene with a smile as she walked to her adjutant who didn’t ask for a hug.
「Alright, Greg. I know the gist of the plan, but what’s the specifics?」
「Flank around to the south of the base and capture part of the facilities there. The defences should be weakened right now. It will be great if you can confirm that, Mdm Rear Admiral.」
「Yes, I think the same. There seems to be a scuffle in the northern mountains, so a large number of personnel had been diverted from that base, leaving just a battalion of 600 men. With that number, they won’t be able to defend the entire base.」
She had been meticulous in her collation of intelligence, and Elulufay confirmed the reliability of this information. Greg’s mouth that was split right to his ear smirked.
「Their compromised defences include their provision warehouse… Just as planned, it’s terrifying how well the plan was going.」
Played like a damned fiddle. It was a scheme by an ally, but Greg couldn’t shake off the feelings of disgust. He was a soldier whose motto was to get things done himself, so he was reluctant to follow the plan of an unnamed individual whose face he didn’t even know.
Even so, the current situation was a godsend. Seeing the base before him as prey, the fearsome looking Marine Commander raised his right arm high.
「We finally got food and weapons. All of you, look sharp!」
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