Prologue: Hero of the South
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
The location was south of the Dubedirica continent, the Confederation of Sutherland made up of 13 cities. On one hand, each city governed itself independently; on the other hand, the policy of the Confederation of Sutherland was decided by the 「13 Stars Council」 made up by the governors of the 13 cities. If viewed as one nation, its population of 100 million made it on par with the Farnesse Kingdom, Arsbelt Empire, and the three were known as the three great nations.
The 13 cities also had their own armies. In accordance to the 「Sutherland 13 Charters」, they were obligated to form a united army to fight an external army.
(Things are getting problematic……)
This was a city with a vast territory in the confederation—— Third City Bey Grand. A youth from the city’s army headed for the Mayor’s office with a report in hand.
This youth with gentle light in his eyes was Julius Lira Fifus. A general at just age twenty two, he didn’t rise to his status with just the famous Fifus family name alone. A display of extraordinary acumen for strategy, tactics, and a little luck made him the man he was. His gentle demeanour made him a hot topic with the ladies.
After saluting the officers who passed him by, Julius stopped before a set of finely decorated doors at the end of the passageway.
This door was made by the artisan Trois Schiele in the Lunar Calendar year 600, covered in intrinsic flowing designs.
「Is the Mayor in?」
「Sir! The Mayor is in!」
The guard answered with a salute. Julius nodded and steadied his breathing before knocking on the door.
「Pardon my intrusion.」
Lizun Castle was built on top of a conical shaped hill—— this gave the illusion that the beautiful city was floating in midair, and the masses called it 「Sky Castle」. In a glass room on the top floor which had a clear view of the entire city, Bey Grand’s commander-in-chief Rion von Elfried seated behind his large office table stared right at Julius.
「Whenever you show that face, that usually means ill tidings.」
Rion’s first words were beyond Julius’ expectations. He wasn’t planning to show any emotions, but Rion saw right through him, rendering him speechless.
With a wry smile in his heart, Julius stepped forth.
「It seems Lord Rion knows me better than myself.」
Rion sneered.
「What are you saying all of a sudden? The two of us go way back since we were kids, so this much is only natural. Enough, show me the thing in your right hand. That’s the reason for your sour face?」
Rion casually reached out with his left hand as he said that. After Julius handed the report over, he started browsing through it quickly.
His dark green uniform couldn’t hide his well toned body. His shiny blonde hair, pleasant features and unique iridescent eyes were like a work of art. Like a fine sword crafted by a famous artisan, he was emitting a sharp light.
But at this moment, only Julius noticed the seriousness deep within him. No one knew about the grand ambitions hidden inside Rion yet.
「—— There are signs that the Twelfth City is planning to invade Farnesse Kingdom… That’s unexpected, but also none of your concern, just leave them be.」
He thought Rion would be worried, but he was surprisingly unfazed—— Julius looked at him as if he was looking at a rare animal.
「——What, is my face weird? Haven’t you gotten tired of looking at it after so many years?」
Rion said as he stretched his face exaggeratedly.
「No, well… Is this really fine?」
Julius’s question made Rion lean back on his chair with furrowed brows. This wasn’t an approach towards a roundabout attitude.
「No matter what, the 13 cities have equal standings. It will be a different matter if the Twelfth City violated the secret agreement with the Empire, but just invading Farnesse Kingdom won’t be a problem. The Empire didn’t forbid us from getting involved with the war—— In the end, this sort of internal affairs wasn’t something that I should comment on.」
Indeed, the 13 cities formed a relationship of peers with equal standings. However, complete equality was impossible. The difference in scale of the cities would naturally lead to a comparison of their powers.
Julius was a soldier, and wasn’t against wars. However, he didn’t understand the reason behind the Twelfth City’s invasion of the Kingdom. If war broke out, it would have a big effect on the citizens. If Rion advised the Twelfth City against it, they wouldn’t be able to ignore that.
(He refused to speak up despite that, so he really isn’t interested?)
Julius knew it was futile, but he tried persuading Rion from a different angle.
「But if the Confederation of Sutherland has an oath of neutrality against wars, won’t the Twelfth City’s action violate that oath?」
「A violation, huh… Julius, you seriously don’t get it?」
In response to Rion who had a faint smile on his face, Julius shook his head slightly.
—— The end of the warring era.
At its peak, there were sixty odd nations, and when the strife was over in the Lunar Calendar Year 950, that number had dropped by half. The small nations facing extinction enacted non-aggression treaties to survive. In the Lunar Calendar Year 952, they formed the Confederation of Sutherland.
At almost the same time, they declared an oath of non-interference in wars. Half a century had passed since the declaration of absolute neutrality. When the unrest started again, Sutherland had always watched from the sidelines. The non-interference and absolute neutrality declaration didn’t mean they gave up on the idea of wars.
If another nation invaded, Sutherland would naturally strike back. However, that hadn’t happened yet.
Aside from the great nations of Farnesse Kingdom and Arsbelt Empire, the rest were small countries. For example, the Adorina Kingdom and Rure Magic Kingdom which shared a border with Bey Grand were always feuding over their tiny territory.
For the great nation of Sutherland that had a solid foundation in the south, it was impossible for any minor nations to show hostility against it. In the end, there weren't any expectations for the Mayor of each city to keep that oath. The declaration half a century ago was just an empty promise now.
He didn’t say it out loud, but Rion was no exception. So it was expected that this question made him laugh.
「The other countries won’t believe this old declaration either. No country would protest if the Twelfth City attacked the Farnesse Kingdom, since it’s just a declaration.」
「That’s true……」
「If there is a country who believes that declaration, it just means that nation is careless. Right now, Sutherland just need to maintain the secret agreement with the Empire.」
Rion concluded and tossed the documents on the table disinterestedly.
In the Lunar Calendar Year 997, one month after the famed impregnable Fort Kiel fell, the Confederation of Sutherland and Arsbelt Empire conducted multiple secret talks. The agenda was to stop the export of food to the Farnesse Kingdom until its demise. In return, the Empire would never start a war against Sutherland.
Back then, Sutherland was quite eager to not make enemies with the up and rising Empire. And the 13 Stars Council passed that proposal unanimously.
(But that would just last until Farnesse Kingdom falls. What will happen next is still up in the air.)
Emperor Ramza declared his intentions to unite the entire continent. That obviously meant he wanted to bring the continent under his rule, and agreements were easily broken.
The man known as the Benevolent Emperor would not go back on his word easily— but there might be a way for him to get the support of his citizens in an unimaginable way. Their time as observers was numbered.
「Let me guess what you are thinking, Julius.」
Rion rested his chin on his arm, with his elbow on the armrest, showing a devious smile. Julius frowned and advised the young ruler.
「Lord Rion, please stop mimicking a Satori.」
<Satori (覚): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satori_(folklore) >
「That mind reading monster, huh… There’s nothing more whimsical than the human mind. If I can mimic a Satori——」
「If you can do that…?」
「Then not just this City, Sutherland and the whole Dubedirica continent would already be in my hands. And of course, Julius would be right there by my side.」
Rion’s innocent laugh was similar to the one he had as a child. Julius’ expression softened at that sight.
(He never changed……)
After laughing for a while, Rion switched to serious mode.
「I understand your worries, Julius, but relax. I’m not an incompetent Mayor. Since this war won’t last much longer, then we should consider the future too. Aside from the Twelfth City, the other Mayors must be keeping a close watch on future development too.」
「I understand that very well. I, Julius Lira Fifus, have complete trust in Lord Rion.」
Julius bowed respectfully and Rion laughed.
「Enough with that act. Speaking of which, the Twelfth City isn’t conducting espionage properly. In this new age, the ones with more information will have the initiative.」
「It is as you say, Lord Rion, the situation has changed drastically. Attacking the Farnesse Kingdom now would be unwise, and would scald the hands of the attacker instead.」
「Hmmp, it will be great if they can get off with just a scalding.」
「It will be worse than that?」
「That’s right, one wrong move and the scythe of the Death God will come for them.」
Rion tapped his neck with two fingers, and Julius nodded silently.
The scale was far smaller than the Empire’s 『Heat Haze』, but Bey Grand also had its own intel unit known as 『Wolf Pack』, which reported directly to Rion. By the way, they were called 『Wolf Pack』 because of the wolf tattoo on their shoulder.
According to the intel from the 『Wolf Pack』, starting with the defeat of the south army, the Crimson Knights and Sun Knights, both renowned elites of the Empire, had been defeated. Interestingly, the girl known as Death God fought in all these battles.
The girl known as the 「Dark Reaper」 had taken the lives of famous Imperial Generals like a God of Death, there were even rumours that an army retreated in fear when she attacked them alone. Stories of valor were often exaggerated, but this girl appeared to be an exception—— that was the conclusion made by the 『Wolf Pack』.
「Why don’t we give this information to the Twelfth City?」
Rion scoffed at Julius’ suggestion.
「How will we do that? “The Kingdom has a Death God so stop because it’s dangerous?” They will never believe us, and on top of that, we are talking about that woman.」
「… That person won’t believe that.」
Julius thought about that seductive face that had a hint of madness.
The ruler of the Twelfth City Nozan Persilla, Mayor Cassandra Zum Sherry, was an arrogant person who would execute a chef just because she didn’t like the taste of her meals. Julius deduced that the invasion of the Farnesse Kingdom was probably forced through by Cassandra.
Both of them agreed that Cassandra would ignore their warning.
「We might be the same country in name, but we are still independent nations in practice. Giving them the hard-earned intel from the 『Wolf Pack』—— I’m not that charitable of a person, and will expect some returns for our troubles. Besides, isn’t this a good chance?」
「… You want to get a good grasp of Farnesse Kingdom’s prowess?」
Rion nodded happily.
「This isn’t poker, I don’t think the Crimson Knights or the Sun knights are opponents they could defeat with luck alone. With that in mind, the battle between the Twelfth City and the Farnesse Kingdom will be a good test.」
With that, Rion tapped the golden scale on his table.
「Depending on the results, our plans will need to be amended, correct?」
「Indeed.」
「What do you plan to do if the Farnesse Kingdom showed signs of turning the tables?」
「If they showed such signs……」
Rion shifted his gaze to the ceiling.
「That’s right. We can abandon the Empire and side with the Farnesse Kingdom then. If Sutherland stands to gain, the other Mayors will support that decision. Calculating our gains and losses are our specialty after all.」
Rion said as he swivelled his chair, then looked out the window with condescending eyes.
Sutherland’s economical blockade achieved dramatic results, accelerating the deterioration of the Farnesse Kingdom. Even if they lift the blockade and offer them a hand of friendship, King Alphonse wouldn’t trust them—— Julius explained.
「He is an outstanding King that made the great Farnesse Kingdom brand worthless. But in the end, he still had to take our hand of friendship.」
Rion flicked his hair back as he mocked King Farnesse and slowly rose from his chair. His slender legs stopped before the big map hanging on the wall.
「……」
Just what was he scheming as he stared at the map with his shining iridescent eyes? Julius who was beside him studied the map too.
The Arsbelt Empire to the north.
The Farnesse Kingdom to the east.
The Confederation of Sutherland to the south.
The balance between the great nations had long been toppled, there was no telling when the fire of war would cease. Meaningless battles that were just a reenactment of the warring era were leading many nations to their demise.
For Julius, war was like stacking blocks. One wrong move and the entire tower of blocks would fall over.
(In this war, will the Arsbelt Empire stack the blocks until the end, or will it be the Farnesse Kingdom. Or maybe——)
In the Lizun Castle shrouded in the clouds, Julius looked at the handsome profile of the city’s ruler.
Lunar Calendar Year 1000.
In this new era where chaos spread rampantly, the curtain was drawn with fresh blood being spilled——
Chapter 1: Under the Banner of the Lion
Ⅰ
Royal Capital Fizz, Letizia Castle
The birds that landed on the balcony pecked at each other’s beaks as if to confirm each other’s presence. In the lively woods, squirrels hung from their tails with their cheeks stuffed with the seeds of fairy peach.
It was noon, and the fragrance of tender leaves spread into the conference room with a gentle breeze.
Inside the room, the Generals commanding the various armies sat around the long table in the center of the room.
「Thank you everyone for taking the time to attend.」
With the host Cornelius Wym Curling chairing the meeting, gathered here were Deputy Commander of the First Army, General Lambert von Garcia, Commander of the Second Army, Lieutenant General Brad Enfield, Commander of the Sixth Army Lieutenant General Sara San Sivier, Commander of the Seventh Army General Paul von Balza, and Brigadier General Neinhart Blanche who would just be listening in, a total of six people.
After the greetings and salutations, everyone got into their seats.
Brad looked around the table and threw out a topic.
「Compared to the start of the war, this place is now less crowded…」
General Ladz Smythe of the Third Army.
General Linz Barth of the Fourth Army.
General Belmar Wim Heightnez of the Fifth Army.
The three generals who were present in this room before the war started had passed on. From what Neinhart heard, General Ladz and Linz were old friends of Brad since their Military Academy days. Neinhart also lost his best friend General Florentz during the battle of Arschmitz too.
That was why Brad’s tone sounded heavy.
「That’s true. Old men like me are still here, while the young ones passed on first… That’s war, an unreasonable thing.」
Paul sighed deeply and the air in the room turned heavy.
The one who broke the silence was Brad again.
「Lord Paul, you are still young and don’t look a day over 60.」
「Hah… Your flattery has not improved at all since your Military Academy days.」
Paul glanced at him coldly and Brad shriveled like a child who got scolded.
They might be a Generals leading an army now, but they were instructor and cadet during their time at the Academy. Their many exploits were still being passed down in the school, and Neinhart heard about them when he was a cadet.
「Hahah! Even Lightning Brad can’t lift his head before Paul.」
Lambert laughed heartily, and Brad’s embarrassment over that queer nickname made Lambert even happier.
「Speaking of which, Field Marshal Cornelius Sir, what’s the agenda for today’s meeting? You are not thinking about catching up on old times while the war is still ongoing, right?」
Sara forcefully changed the topic, and Cornelius nodded with an awkward face.
「Let’s start with the conclusion of this urgent summons— I’m thinking about setting up an Eighth Army, and just want to give you a heads up.」
— A new Eighth Army.
Not just Neinhart, everyone showed a troubled face. With the Third, Fourth and Fifth Army decimated, setting up a new army is to be expected. What they didn’t understand was his reason for gathering everyone during such trying times.
Cornelius was the Field Marshal in charge of the entire Royal Military, and Alphonse had officially granted him complete authority over military affairs. That meant Cornelius could mobilize the military at will. There was no need for him to notify the generals of his orders in advance.
「Did you need to run that by us in the first place?」
Paul asked Cornelius on behalf of the group.
「You can say that. Especially you, Paul, this involves you directly.」
Everyone’s eyes were on Paul now. Paul who was named wavered his eyes a little, then thought with his hand on his chin.
He thought of something and opened his eyes wide.
「Could it be, you want Major Olivia to command the Eighth Army?!」
「Your observation is as keen as always.」
When he locked eyes with the smiling Cornelius, Lambert spit out the tea in his mouth.
「Cough cough! — No, hold up, you want Major Olivia to command the Eighth Army? Isn’t that inadequate?」
Paying no mind to his uniform stained by the tea, Lambert shouted with his eyes wide open. He was already loud when he spoke, so it was only natural for Sara beside him to frown when he shouted.
「What’s so inconvenient with Major Olivia commanding the Eighth Army?」
Cornelius added some sugar into his tea cup and stirred it with a spoon. Movement and stillness— Brad watched the clear contrast between the two with interest.
「It’s not a matter of convenience. I admit that she is exceptionally strong in a fight, but leading a small unit is different from commanding an army, you understand that right, Field Marshal Sir? And she is just… teen...…」
「Sixteen.」
Paul said without any inflection in his voice.
「Right, like Paul said, she is just sixteen. In the entire history of the Kingdom, there had never been a sixteen year old army general. I strongly object.」
With that, Lambert lowered his gaze. He finally noticed his uniform was drenched, and started wiping himself down with a handkerchief from his pocket.
「— Yes, I understand Lambert’s opinion now, what about the rest? Don’t hold back, let me know how you really feel.」
Cornelius looked around the table.
The first to speak was Sara.
「I concur with Field Marshal Cornelius’s proposal. She might just be 16, which might seem too young— but compared to an empty figurehead like me, I believe she can utilize her army better. The best proof is her excellent strategy to rescue the Sixth Army.」
She ironically referred to herself as just a flower vase, and everyone smiled awkwardly. Her abilities might not be up to par, but no one present had any intention to criticize the Fourth Princess who stood in the frontlines as a representative of the Royal family.
On the other hand, Neinhart heard about the entire battle of Fort Peshita. Infiltrating the enemy base alone and capturing the enemy commander to lead her in— This was a tactic that only Olivia could pull off. The latter half of Sara’s words weren’t sarcastic at all, and she was serious about that.
「Yes, Lieutenant General Sara concurs… What about you, Lieutenant General Brad?」
「I’m of the same mind as the Princess. Her individual prowess is already confirmed, and as a strategist, that little girl— Major Olivia, is outstanding. If not for her timely aid, I won’t be sitting here today.」
Brad smiled with self mockery.
「Oh, it’s an honour for Lightning Brad to share the same opinion as me.」
「Your Highness…」
Sara smiled at Brad who was scratching his head. Lambert watched them quietly and let out a long sigh.
「I understand that Your Highness owes Major Olivia a favour during the battle of Fort Peshita, but this is a different matter. The same goes for you, Brad.」
「It’s true that I owe her a favour, but I’m speaking about the two matters separately. This is my judgement based on her incredible exploits thus far.」
「Maybe you are getting senile.」
Sara smiled at Brad again, who showed an awkward face in return. After that Brad and Lambert kept arguing about 「A severe lack of experience」 「Experience can be supplemented by talent」.
In the end, Brad concluded as he scratched his head.
「I’m still the commander of the Second Army. I only saw that girl’s action in the Central War Theatre, but I can see she is capable of taking up this post. We won a few battles recently, but we barely pulled through by the skin of our teeth, we can’t spare the effort to complain about age or precedence. That’s my humble opinion.」
「Ughh…」
Lambert crossed his arms with a bitter expression.
(By the skin of our teeth… It is as Lieutenant General Brad says. One false move and we would have sunk under the ice with no chance of floating up.)
They won in the end, but the Second and Seventh Army suffered heavy casualties. The First Army also exposed it’s low combat readiness during the battle with the Sun Knights, which wasn’t something to be taken lightly. In a word, the Royal Army was in tatters. Considering the intense battles that lie ahead of them, Lambert fell silent.
Which meant he understood Brad’s opinion to some extent.
Neinhart held the same opinions as Sara and Brad, and doesn't see age and precedent as the reason to reject this proposal. The girl’s accomplishment as a mere commander of a sub unit was too great. If this went unaddressed, it would upset the balance within the military.
「Well then, what do you intend to do about her rank, Field Marshal Sir? No one would accept a mere Major commanding an Army, right? That’s not a problem of precedence anymore.」
The lowest rank needed to command an Army was Brigadier General, so it’s only natural for Lambert to raise this point. They would become laughingstocks if others learned that a Major was commanding an Army.
Everyone waited intently for Cornelius’ response. The subject in question took a sip of tea and said slowly.
「Of course I know that. As for the issue of her rank, we will be promoting her for her accomplishments in a few days. Based on her achievement, I intend to promote Olivia Valedstorm to the rank of Major General.」
Brad gasped in awe and Sara showed a face of approval.
Lambert who was staring at the ceiling gave a long sigh.
「She’s fast tracked to a Major General, huh… it will be fine if she’s a Major General. Field Marshal Sir, as you already know, Neinhart here is just a Brigadier General?」
He said with a glance at Neinhart. Sensing that Lambert was urging him to speak, Neinhart smiled wryly in his heart.
(It’s troubling for me to speak up here…)
An Army was a world of meritocracy, except for some exceptions. If you earn war merits, you will get promoted. A subordinate suddenly becoming a superior was not uncommon in this world.
Neinhart admitted there had never been a five grade skip promotion before, but when Olivia was involved, anything was possible.
「Sir Lambert, I heard the founding King Julius Zu Farnesse prioritized martial prowess above all else. If King Julius was here, he would agree without any hesitation. And of course, I have no objections either.」
Neinhart used the Founding King as his example, clearly expressing his unwillingness to comment further.
「— That might be so, but Major Olivia has enlisted less than two years, correct? If it’s Neinhart who has outstanding accomplishments and connections, then I will agree readily.」
However, the discussion didn’t develop in the direction Neinhart hoped for. Lambert even bluntly recommended Neinhart. I wish he will stop— Neinhart thought in his heart.
「Sir Lambert, it’s fine if the subject himself agrees, correct? And talking about accomplishments, I don’t know any other person who can achieve so much in so short a time.」
Neinhart nodded to thank Sara for her support, and Sara blinked in reply. Her actions were not very Royal-like, but that was what made her popular with the soldiers.
「Pardon me, but Your Highness might not understand the pride of a man. Furthermore, we are talking about Neinhart here.」
「The pride of a man, huh…?」
It was just as Lambert says, Sara tilted her head puzzlingly.
「That’s right, a man’s pride.」
Lambert raised his chest proudly. And the subject in question, Neinhart, thought to himself 『So I had that sort of pride, huh.』
Lambert seemed to have noticed that Neinhart wasn’t aware of a man’s pride. Neinhart was grateful that he had a kind superior, but he had to stop Lambert before he said any more strange things.
Neinhart coughed and sat up straight.
「I’m honored that the revered Sir Lambert regards me highly. But if we think about who the Empire considers to be a bigger threat, Major Olivia or me, then we will reach an answer— I’m still not capable enough.」
There was no question that Death God Olivia struck fear into the Imperial Army. Right now, the Royal Army didn’t need a mere mortal like him, but an up and coming hero with overwhelming martial prowess like Olivia.
「… Well, if Neinhart has no objections, then it’s fine…」
Lambert reluctantly averted his face. He seemed unhappy with the conversation and his eyes were filled with disappointment.
Cornelius who was listening quietly turned to Paul who held his hands together before him in silence.
「You haven’t said anything so far. What’s your take on this, Paul?」
Everyone looked at Paul again.
「… To be honest, I’m against this.」
Paul’s reaction was within expectations to Neinhart. Unlike Lambert who nodded with a 「Paul knows his stuff」, Neinhart knew Paul wasn’t willing to let Olivia go because of his attitude towards her.
Cornelius stroked his beard and said.
「Hmm, so you are against this, Paul…」
「To avoid any misunderstandings, let me say this first. I’m not objecting for the reasons Lambert stated.」
Lambert shot Paul with a sharp gaze. A normal person would shut up just from that gaze, but Paul wasn’t fazed.
「I’m just worried about the Seventh Army weakening. Major Olivia and her autonomous cavalry is indispensable to the Seventh Army now.」
「That can’t be helped.」
Cornelius nodded.
「If I can be wilful, I want to keep her by my side. She’s as cute as my own granddaughter after all.」
After saying that, Paul lowered his gaze a little sullenly. Brad stared with his eyes wide open at Paul. The better someone knew Paul, the greater the impact would be. After all, Paul was the furthest thing from his internationally renowned nickname of 『Demon God』.
「Lieutenant General Brad, what’s the matter…?」
As a Royal, Sara was unaware of the relationship between Paul and Brad, so she was surprised. But Lambert's reaction was also unexpected as he sighed with a shake of his head.
On the other hand, Cornelius stared right at Paul. It was clear that he was shocked too, but it wasn’t as obvious as Brad.
Neinhart thought that Paul and Brad had a better relationship than it seems.
「That Instructor Paul actually showed such a face, am I in a nightmare? Ladz and Linz in the underworld might get scared into the world of the living from this…」
Paul stared coldly at Brad.
「… I see, I know how you think of me now. Looks like I have to take some time out to have a word with you.」
「P-Please spare me from that.」
Brad shrinked his neck back like a turtle, and Paul snorted coldly.
After that, Lambert’s face remained sour, but by the time the room was dyed red by the setting sun, it was officially decided that Olivia would be appointed as the founding commander of the Eighth Army.
They also decided on their next plan.
「—— Well then, let’s sound the horn for the Kingdom Army’s counterattack with this.」
With Cornelius’s declaration, everyone stood and saluted.
The plan was named—— Dawn of the Lion Pride.
The first mission of the Eighth Army—— Invading the Imperial capital Orsted.
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