Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
「—See, it’s just as I said.」
Elulufay shrugged as this was only natural as the enemy fell into disarray because of what happened behind them.
「Keep firing. There’s no need to consider further attacks. We just need to give them the sensation of being attacked from both sides, and the pincer attack will be a success. Just keep the sound of gunshots going continuously.」
Her instructions pulled back the sailors who were stunned by the change in events to reality. She grunted.
「It will only be a matter of time now. We need to be wary of the enemy breaking through forcefully if they get desperate. If that happens, just stall them for a while then let them pass. Leave the pursuit to Jean and the others.」
「They might detach a unit to escort the Empress and escape. Shall we use this chance to set up an encirclement net?」
「No need, Ario has instructed us to let the Empress go. She is on our side— whether she is aware of it or not.」
Elulufay said without any warmth in her voice. Greg showed a flash of unhappiness on his face.
「How disgusting. Even the Empress of a hostile nation is being played like a damn fiddle by the Prime Minister.」
「I don’t plan to be manipulated by him… That being said, I’m not confident of escaping from him either, that’s what makes him scary.」
The Great Mother of White Wings sighed, and caressed the feathers of Misai beside her.
「Your Majesty, the situation will only get worse! Please break through the enemy forces while our losses are still light!」
With the enemy closing on both sides, Sazarf’s voice turned shrill from anxiety. Chamille recognized that she was caught between two hard choices, and asked his subordinate:
「If we descend the hill while taking fire from behind… How many will die when we reached the foot of the hill?」
「... I can’t gauge. However… If we don’t, our forces will be wiped out here.」
Sazarf was at his wit’s end, and could only answer with that. The Empress’ expression was bitter. Should she forcibly break through and suffer terrible losses? Or choose a retreat that risked wiping out her army? With no time to consider these choices in depth, she looked to the distance in hope of finding an answer to her predicament.
「——?」
At this moment, the Empress noticed an abnormality. Behind the sailors who had erected a makeshift blockade, in the corner where the devotees were hiding away from the battle.
「— Wait. That’s—」
「The battle has started...」「... How dangerous...」 「W-We can hide, right? It’s fine to leave it to the Kiokians, right...?」
The devotees held token weapons and hid in the shades of the boulders as they watched the battle timidly. They were near a valuable water source on the mountains, which is upstream of a river that flows into the plains.
「Camping outside long term is tiring… I wish there is a place with a roof and bed for me to sleep properly.」
The water flowing slowly through the gaps in the rocks was closer to being a stream than a bog. This didn’t mean the water source was drying up, this was natural at the start of the stream. But things were different downstream. After several streams converge, the amount of water would gradually increase. During rainy seasons, the river would get wider and increase its permeation of the ground. Conversely, when the water level sinks and the riverbed was exposed, it would form a natural path.
There wasn’t much water here, but they were glad that they were near a water source. A devotee filled up a canteen his friend passed to him, then looked downstream on a whim.
「...? I think that’s… Footsteps...?」
The men didn’t think there were more people in his group in that direction and furrowed his brows. It was just after daybreak, and a light fog was hanging in the air. He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to see through the white fog— his vision was then suddenly filled with shadowy figures in military garb.
「... Huh?」
That group ignored the man and advanced through the rocky roads easily as if they were traveling on flat grounds. When he realized those people weren’t phantoms, but mortal Imperial soldiers, his companions behind started shrieking.
「What! Eee! Ahh—」
「I-Imperial soldiers...? Where did they come from!?」
Elulufay quickly realized something was amiss behind the devotees.
「— Something is up behind us! Greg!」
「I’m on my way!」
The fearsome-looking Marine Commander immediately took action. He and his men went to the rear, and the devotees who were there moved towards them instead. Greg pushed aside the flood of people and observed the situation.
「The devotees are scrambling here with ghastly faces. It’s probably a sneak attack by a detachment unit— but since we didn’t detect them up til now, they must be small in numbers. Boys, engage the enemy!」
The sailors fixed bayonets onto their Wind Guns and crossbows as ordered. Greg and his men hyped up their fighting spirit to engage the enemy that wasn’t in sight yet, then noticed the abnormality in their bodies.
「... What, is this? Why...」
His hand holding his spear was quivering a little, and goosebumps spread from his hands to his entire body. His mind felt icy, completely different from his usual hyped attitude at the prospect of a coming battle. And what irked him was that he remembered this sensation. He experienced this once in the past.
The scene he saw next proved mercilessly that his instinct was spot on.
「— What—」
The enemy swarmed in. A sword flashed across the men in front. Severed limbs flew into the air. Ahead of him his men died before they could put up any resistance.
「—Seh!」
Seeing the dual wielding warrior— Greg understood everything and froze on the spot.
「— The strongest sword, 【Igsem】—!」
Engaging him was impossible. 「Igsem of the Sword」 led his unit and decimated the sailors at the blockade in an instant and left. A sense of impending death brushed by him, and Greg shivered from the bottom of his heart. He only survived because he wasn’t on the path the Dual blades were taking.
「Fall back! Fall back fall back fall back～!」
Witnessing despair for the second time in his life, his thoughts turned straight to fleeing. Greg gathered the men around him and immediately rushed back to his commander. Without a word, he grabbed the shocked Great Mother of White Wings.
「Uwah! —W-What’s wrong, Greg? What’s happening!」
「A monster is charging here! We are using borrowed outdated weapons, and this isn’t the sea, engaging him will be suicide! We have to run!」
「Monster...? But the enemy numbers are limited, right? I don’t know where they came from, but the main mountain paths are under our control! We won’t lose that easily—」
「The problem isn’t their numbers! We can’t fight a melee battle against him!」
The fear of the vermillion-haired girl had been branded onto his mind, which led to his decision on the mountain. With the Great Mother of White Wings in his arms, Greg started running immediately without any hesitation.
「—Seh～～—!」
The vermillion haired sword demon leading the way cut open a bloody path. The way he fought valiantly was the personification of the Igsem. On a closer look, there was something mixed in too. More accurately speaking, a person was clinging onto his back.
「......!」
That man hung on desperately to the sword demon with his hand that was missing a finger. As he clinged on the back of the sword demon, he observed the battle, then gave his orders for the next course of action.
「—The enemy is in disarray! Go straight for the high grounds!」
「Yes Sir—!」
The man immediately started running on that instruction. His men also sprinted after him to not fall behind.
When Chamille saw the sailors trying to stop the assailants, and got cut down for their efforts, she was certain that this was to her advantage.
「— Allies, they are allies! We have to reinforce them! Torway!」
「Yes Mdm!」
The snipers set off to reinforce on the Empress’ orders. The mysterious allies were passing through the enemy formation and heading to the tableland, and the enemy’s shots were approaching from behind them. But the pursuers were stopped by the precise shooting of Torway and his men. Since the threat behind them had been suppressed, the allies made a beeline for the tableland.
「Yes, this way! Go straight up!」
After going up the long slope, the soldiers finally reached the tableland. Sazarf pushed his subordinates aside and walked to the front, searching for the commander of the new force.
「You guys came at just the right time…! But where did you hail from? The name and unit of the commander—」
Sazarf stopped his questions. Because a vermillion haired man a head taller than him was standing staunchly before him.
「... F-Field Marshal...?」
「Incorrect.」
In contrast with Sazarf’s surprise, Solvenares Igsem refuted that curtly. This confused him further, and a person got down from the sword demon’s back.
「Honorary Field Marshal Igsem is my deputy, I’m the commander. Because of the terrain, we can’t bring our horses over— Long time no see, Major Sazarf. No, I heard you got promoted to Brigadier General.」
The youth took a clutch from a subordinate nearby and stood up straight, then saluted with his left hand and said 「Pardon me.」 As he needed to hold the clutch with the hand opposite from his injured left leg, he had to salute with his left hand. Sazarf opened his eyes wide and started to quiver.
「My unit is from the Imperial autonomous all region Stronghold, the『Rising Sun Regiment』. The name’s Ikuta Solork, I bought a battalion of infantry here to support on a whim, please allow me to link up with your main unit.」
When struck by joy and surprise, people tend to blank out and become speechless. As Sazarf stood there and spaced out, a jade-eyed youth behind him rushed over. Just like Sazarf, he could only say the name of his friend he hadn’t seen for two years.
「Ik-kun...!」
「It’s been a while, Torway. Sorry— can you let me pass for now?」
After the dark-haired youth apologized, he walked past the soldiers with his clutch. He was dragging his left leg a little, but he still quickened his pace— and found his target in no time.
「... S-Solork...?」
Facing the youth who shouldn’t be here, time completely stopped for the Empress. The scene before seemed so surreal that she suspected her own sanity and blinked a few times.
As if to brush away her unnecessary doubt, the youth reached out gently.
「— You are safe.」
His left hand that was missing a finger brushed gently across her cheek. Chamille couldn’t move. She was afraid that this dream would end if she did, and could do nothing other than accepting his finger tips.
「Sorry for being late. Sorry for letting you take on all this alone. It will be fine now. I won’t let anyone harm you again.」
Ikuta Solork said to her, then opened his arms and held her tightly. That warmth and heartbeat gently envelope her solitude… She used her entire body to feel his endless care and love. The girl Chamille who was living in this moment accepted him from the bottom of her heart.
「Along with her will that still lives on, I swear to protect you from the evils of this world.」
「—Enemy reinforcements? From the west?」
Jean thought for a few seconds after receiving this report, then opened the map as if he thought of something. Miara opened her eyes wide in surprise, as if she was reacting on his behalf.
「That’s impossible— where did their reinforcements come from? The mountain paths around this area are all under the surveillance of our hot air balloon, they couldn’t have escaped detection.」
She frankly expressed how absurd this situation was. However, the white-haired officer who was staring at the map soon found the answer.
「... Marsh...」
「Huh?」
「... Why didn’t I notice? There’s a marsh, which means there is a route through there.」
There was a marsh to the west of the enemy’s base, and even he didn’t know where the water there would flow too. Kioka had not seized the Grand Arfatra Mountains long enough to grasp its entire terrain. However— in hindsight, Jean realized a group that might know.
「... The Shinnack Tribe...」
The tribe that lived in the Grand Arfatra mountains for ages. If he knew that following the marsh was a way to scale the mountains, he would have asked them for details. Jean was certain that the enemy reinforcements from the west did just that. After the Shinnack Tribe moved down the mountains after the Northern Territories unrest, someone asked them for details about the terrain.
Someone in the enemy base discovered a shortcut that was only feasible in this unique situation. Jean Arkinex realized this was a critical matter for him.
「— Inform the frontline commander that I will be taking direct command of the army.」
「Huh— Jean, that’s...」
「Do it now, Miara.」
The white-haired officer said firmly, his eyes still on the map. Seeing his tense profile, Miara saluted and rushed out of the tent.
Matthew who was charged with the defence of the eastern side received news of his arrival... correction, his return, later than the others.
「...Ikuta...?」
The pudgy youth turned around on the urging of his subordinate, and rubbed his eyes when he saw the figure before him. He was worried he was seeing things because of the desperate situation he was in. But that figure remained there no matter how many times he rubbed his eyes, and that figure even had a nostalgic smile.
「Sorry for being late, Matthew my friend. I overslept.」
Matthew walked over in a daze, and put his trembling hands on the figure’s shoulders. He wasn’t convinced with just his eyes and ears, and only believed that Ikuta Solork was really there when his palms touched that figure.
He grabbed the shoulders tight and Matthew lowered his head right then.
「... You sure took your time… Two years… Just how long do you want to sleep...」
「Yes...」
「... I was worried that you won’t ever come back… that you won’t ever wake up… I… I really...!」
Droplets fell onto the ground beneath his face. Matthew finally realized how far into a corner he had been driven, and how tough the past two years had been. Ikuta also realized how cornered his friend had been because of his absence.
「Even a guy like me will reflect on this… I plan to skip naps for the next month to make up for this.」
「That’s too insincere of a compensation! Just one month!?」
Matthew yelled amidst his sobs and shook his shoulders wildly. Ikuta accepted all that with a smile and said quietly.
「It’s been so long since you last retorted me like that—」
After he stopped shaking Ikuta’s shoulders violently, Matthew continued hanging his head and sobbing for a long while. Ikuta waited for him to compose himself and started talking about the battle.
「— We don’t have to worry too much about the attack from the west. My unit wreck havoc on our way here, so their forces will be kept in check for now. If I have to guess, they are the Kioka sailors who broke out of our prison camps, right? Exhausted from their journey, they were pushed into the unfamiliar mountains and ravaged by Field Marshal Igsem. With the heavy losses they incurred, they can’t spare the effort to launch an attack.」
Ikuta started off with good news, using the defeat of the enemy to encourage him. He then looked to the east.
「The problem is the east— the Kioka soldiers trying to reach the tablelands. They are well equipped, have high morale, and… from the way the cliff collapsed, they must have prepared a large devices to achieve that.」
When he heard that, Matthew lifted his head. His eyes were swollen, but he was recovering to his usual self. The return of Ikuta Solork healed his soul better than any elixir.
「... I heard a deep buzzing sound by my feet, and the ground suddenly gave way. I don’t understand what happened. Is this even possible without Blast Cannons?」
「Yes～ it’s possible. The enemy probably dug a deep hole, and braced the tunnel with wooden beams. They then fill the hole with Dynamic Air, light it on fire, and boom! The wooden beams collapse and the ground above will give way… That’s probably how the trap is set up.」
「... This means that the enemy already predicted that we will set up base here before the battle started… Damn it!」
Realizing he had fallen for the enemy’s trick, Matthew grit his teeth. Ikuta showed a strong smile when he saw Matthew’s strong point, his refusal to give up, was the same as always.
「We lost this round, but we can just get it back in the next turn. We are capable of doing so— First, fend off the enemy. The tableland has crumbled, but we still have the advantage of high ground. We can secure our base if we are not attacked from both sides.」
He stopped at that, then suddenly turned to the jade-eyed youth watching from behind:
「And Torway, come closer.」
「Huh? Hmm— that hurts!」
When Torway approached him, Ikuta flicked his forehead with a middle finger. The tense youth suddenly turned teary eyed, and Ikuta leaned closer to grab his cheeks with both hands.
「Your face looks like a hero, and I really hate that. I can tell in one look. You think you have to solve the problem, and shouldering everything by yourself, right?」
「...Ah...」
The youth opened his eyes wide when Ikuta pointed that out… With the burden of his generation on his shoulders, Torway Remeon forgot to seek help from his comrades, and lost himself in his lonely war. Ikuta’s words loosened the knots in his heart, allowing Torway to find his old self. Not the leader of gunners, but a kind and gentle youth.
「Since you realized it, then share your responsibilities. Hurry up and remember— that you’ll never walk alone.」
These words reminded Torway— when the Knights Corp members first met, he got depressed for not hitting a Kioka soldier with his first shot, and that was how the vermillion-haired girl encouraged him.
Considering things by categorizing those he could and couldn’t do, doing his best to complete his assigned task, and approaching his comrades if he needed help. After losing their two pillars, the youth forgot about the principles the members of the old Knights Corp followed unquestionably. But it was all coming back to him now.
「That’s right, that’s the way— and now, this will be our Knights Corp’s war.」
Ikuta declared with a fearless smile. Torway suddenly felt as if the vermillion-haired girl was still standing by his side.
The woman with Haro’s face watched the Knights Corp’s revival with the return of Ikuta from her tent.
— It seems that the winds are changing.
The unexpected reinforcements brought great hope to the Imperial forces on the verge of defeat. The infamous Ikuta Solork and Honorary Field Marshal Solvenares Igsem. These two extraordinary officers joining the fray was enough to give the troops hope of turning the tide.
— I can’t be reckless before the two of them.
And now, Patrenshina had to exercise more caution before taking action. When she saw the root of her problems approaching her, the woman took a deep breath and showed herself before him.
「...Ikuta-san...?」
She faithfully replicated Haro’s surprise. From the way she widened her eyes to the trembling in her limbs, she perfectly copied how Haro would react in such a situation. Ikuta smiled at the mimicked action, not seeming to suspect anything.
「Hi, Haro. I’m back. Sorry for being away for so long.」
The moment the youth answered, the woman rushed forth to hold his hands. She kept gripping his left hand missing a finger and his right hand that had all its digits, as if to ascertain if he was really here.
「... That’s right...! Two years, it has been two years...!」
The instant she mentioned the time that had passed— tears flowed from the corner of her eyes.
— Huh?
Patrenshina felt a little puzzled— If she wanted to, she could fake tears whenever she wanted. Faking emotions was as easy as breathing to her. However, her tears just now were sincere. It flowed out before she acted out her elation from this reunion.
—… Oh～ Haro is sincerely happy to see this guy come back.
When she realized that, Patrenshina felt great interest in the man before her. But she didn’t show it on her face, acting adequately as Haro and observing this person she just met as this persona.
「... This is tough. Since just now, I make people cry whenever I speak.」
「I don’t mind shedding a barrel of tears! B-Because, you are back, Ikuta-san...!」
The lines blurred between speaking sincerely and putting on an act, the woman felt distraught by this development. This was the first time Patrenshina felt this way. Ikuta asked her about the bandages he could see beneath her uniform.
「— Did you hurt your shoulder?」
「Oh… Tis but a scratch. I’m still healthy. More importantly, I’m glad that Her Majesty is safe.」
「I believe your bandaging will be fine, it will be bad if your wounds get infected. Don’t push yourself and have a good rest. Leave things here to me.」
「I’m glad to hear that, but I can’t rest. There are many casualties from the battle just now, now is the time for the medics to support! More importantly— after such a long time, I can finally fight alongside Ikuta-san again!」
She put on a perfect Haro smile, and Ikuta nodded with a wry smile.
「At least leave the direct job to your subordinates. Your shoulder is injured, so you should not exert your arm. Sorry, but this is an order.」
「Since it’s an order, I will obey… Understood, I will do just that. But I won’t hold back if Ikuta-san gets injured. Receive your treatment obediently if it comes to that.」
This normal idle chat to celebrate their reunion was not sus from beginning to the end.
「Alright, let’s head to the main tent.」
With all the members of the Knights Corp gathered, Ikuta and company headed to the war conference venue where Field Marshal Igsem and Sazarf were waiting. Chamille saw he was walking unsteadily, and asked out of concern:
「Solork. Your leg...」
「As you can see, I’m a little lame, but I can walk with a clutch. I can’t bounce around like I used to though—」
Ikuta explained as he walked alongside the girl, then grabbed her hand tightly.
「— Chamille, from now on, try to stay near me, alright?」
「—— Erm, yes.」
Chamille was wavering inside when she heard the youth saying that in a firm tone he had never used before… His attitude towards her had changed drastically. She could feel that clearly since he embraced her right after their reunion.
With no regards for the girl’s thumping heart, all the officers had gathered in the tent. Ikuta stood before them and said boldly.
「Sorry for the wait, we will now convene the war conference. I plan to assume command of all the forces here— if you don’t mind, Brigadier General Sazarf.」
When Sazarf heard that, he raised both arms as if someone was pointing a gun at him, and said with a barely concealable smile.
「... I’m all for it. Anyone who wants me to continue command at this juncture are either fools or the devil.」
「You are the same as always, Brigadier General, I’m glad.」
The youth mirrored his mischievous smile and nodded, then turned his gaze forward.
「With the change in command complete, let’s cut to the chase. We will first confirm the situation.
Our 4,000 soldiers are deployed on the wide tablelands. There are enemies on the east and west side, with the west being the 2,000 escaped Kioka sailors, and 10,000 Aldera devotees, some of them armed. To the east are the combined forces of Kioka and the Aldera Holy Army, numbering 3,000. Frankly speaking, we are surrounded, however—」
The officers standing in formation listened seriously to not miss any of Ikuta Solork’s brilliant speech after two years.
「— I can say for certain that the escaped prisoners of war and devotees won’t launch any serious attacks. The old Air Rifle has limited range, and their fighting spirit isn’t strong enough to sustain a melee battle. Our side attacking them preemptively will be a different matter, but we can assume for now that they will be passive and stay on the defensive.」
「Is that true? The enemy is desperate too. There might be the off chance that they will charge us because they have no other choice.」
Matthew unreservedly questioned Ikuta's assumption. Ikuta took it in good stride and added.
「You are right, Matthew, if they have no other choice. However, they do have some hope. They know their allies have surrounded us from the other side, and are adopting the attitude of waiting for help. They know we have the ‘Igsem’ joker card with us, which will make them even more hesitant to attack.」
「I think your analysis of their psychology is spot on, but what if the Kioka army on the other side gave them instructions to act? From what we know about the Kioka army’s modus operandi, the two sides must have some means of communication.」
Torway opined too. Seeing that they nurtured an independent nature over the past two years made the dark-haired youth continue gleefully.
「I’m of the same mind. But even if we assume that to be true, I’m still certain that the enemy to the west won’t charge us recklessly. Because I saw the Kioka Naval Rear Admiral Elulufay Tenerexilla amongst them.」
「The opponent that forced us into a tough naval battle at Port Nemong. She’s a strong foe in my eyes, but you seem to think differently?」
「She’s no easy foe, of course. But that is exactly why Kioka wants to retrieve her safely. Rescuing Elulufay Tenerexilla should be one of Kioka’s strategic objectives.」
Ikuta boldly analyzed the enemy. Sazarf crossed his arms with a grunt.
「From Kioka’s prisoner exchange strategy so far, it is clear they are adamant with getting her back. Personally, I don’t want to return her to Kioka— Half the reason is her threat as an admiral, the other half is my personal grudge. In any case, her presence is a big factor in Kioka’s plans this time.」
「I see. Since Kioka wishes to rescue Rear Admiral Elulufay, they can’t have her taking risks in this situation. That’s how it is.」
「She can still act indirectly, so we still need to be wary of them. More importantly, we can lesson our troops facing the west base on this assumption.」
「Wait, have you forgotten an important factor? The Empress is here.」
Sazarf said. His position had changed from the one being questioned to the person finding any errors, and that made him more energetic.
「Not just the battle here, Her Majesty is a major factor in deciding the war between the three nations. No matter how excellent she might be, you can’t compare rescuing a high ranking officer with Her Majesty. Considering that, it wouldn’t be strange if Kioka ordered those guys in the west to launch an attack...」
To answer his query, Ikuta spent a few seconds minced his words.
「Hmm… Brigadier General, what kind of victory do you think Kioka is after?」
「Huh? Do you even need to ask… To crush our forces and conquer the Empire or something?」
「That’s right. It doesn’t matter how they do it, Kioka’s goal is to seize the Empire. With that in mind, is laying their hands on Chamille the best option?」
This counter point never occurred to Sazarf, and he looked puzzled. All the officers looked at the girl.
「Kioka also understands that she is ruling the nation through the charm of her personality and leadership. This includes barely maintaining law and order… This is different from the times with the Igsem serving as a sturdy foundation. If we lose Chamille, the Empire will fall into irreversible chaos.」
The Empress nodded quietly. As the monarch, she understood this fact better than anyone else.
「Kioka doesn't want that to happen too. If the Empire splits up, the territories will fail due to mismanagement, diminishing the gains from conquering it. Kioka’s foreign policy will need to be reworked, and they will be stuck in a long war against numerous separate states. We often forget when we are engaged in the battle before us… For all nations, there is more to things than winning a war.
I’m very certain that Kioka has no intentions of harming Chamille here. Not just that, they don’t even want to capture her. Because if she gets captured, her mandate over the Empire will plummet.」
「Then… What will happen now? Will the enemy give up on attacking?」
Matthew asked with a hint of hope. Ikuta closed his eyes and shook his head.
「It’s not that simple. To surmise all that had been said, there is only one possible way this will develop—」
「— We will be fighting continuously for the next few days, and propose a negotiation when the enemy’s frustration and fatigue are at their peak.」
In the Kioka eastern basecamp, the officers were holding a war conference too. The staff officers listened to Jean’s plan.
「Our demands will be the safe extradition of Rear Admiral Tenerexilla, all members of the Fourth Fleet, and the devotees. In exchange, we will promise not to pursue them. The Imperial forces will be forced to concede— even if we make further demands.」
The white-haired officer stopped here and pondered with his hand on his chin.
「Mum*, as for the specifics of that demand… the elite sniper unit that stopped our pursuit is about one battalion in size. Why don’t we ‘invite’ all of them to Kioka? If those invisible gunners join us, the Kioka Army will be even stronger. They might not be cooperative in the beginning, but their attitude will improve once they understand the good points about about nation.」
Jean casually raised an arrogant and bold demand. If the enemy has outstanding talents, they should be recruited— he was flexible and firm in this regard, something he learned from the Prime Minister who adopted him.
「Enough talk about the best possible outcome— the problem now is how much damage we can deal to the enemy in the next few days. That will directly affect the terms of our negotiation. The more desperate the enemy is, the more forceful we can be.」
The officers gasped as they realized the white-haired officer would be demanding an Empress’ ransom from the enemy a few days later.
「That is why I will be commanding the battle directly. Another reason is the unknown unit joining the fray, so the enemy will be pulling out all the stops for their counterattack. We have to shut down any resistance—」
「— In order to have the advantage at the negotiation table, the enemy will be attacking aggressively and push us to the brink. Do not let your guard down for the next few days. That’s why we won’t be able to defend well if we divert too many troops to suppress the western front.」
Ikuta concluded. Minimizing the waste in manpower was like balancing the troops on a knife’s edge— one misstep and the defensive battle would be a wash.
「Let me add that we will lose if we maintain the status quo. If we want to turn the tide, we need to deal a heavy blow to the enemy when they attack.」
「... Can it be done?」
「That’s why I’m here, my dear Matthew 」
The youth answered fearlessly with a smile. His confidence was contagious, and the eyes of the other officers were full of life too. Patrenshina watched them from a distance and felt a threat.
— This guy is dangerous.
She had to admit that the arrival of Ikuta Solork raised their morale more than expected. Furthermore, he raised the tactical standard of the Imperial camp greatly, making this Imperial force completely different from yesterday.
— I have to inform the Insomniac about the battle plans on this end. I want to secure a means of communication, however—
Her activities grew more important with the change in situation. In a battle between two sides that were equally matched, the intel from spies could be the key to victory. Patrenshina had always sent out intel accurately, however...
— I’m sure he is suspecting a spy in their midst. I will be found out if I act recklessly.
She has to avoid any rash actions. Haro’s memories made her realize how unpredictable the dark-haired youth could be, so just one mistake and she would be exposed.
— I don’t want to lose my head to those dual blades. I have to be extra cautious, even if I have to make detours.
Ikuta wasn’t the only one she was wary of. She could hope for the youths to let their guard down, but that wasn’t possible with Solvenares Igsem. It would be over if she raised his suspicion.
— We are finally starting an orthodox espionage battle. Fufufufu!
After the war conference ended, Ikuta told his comrades 「I need some time」, then went with the Empress to her personal tent. She was panicking inside, but the girl still pretended to be calm as she brought him back to her quarters. As for Ikuta, he paid no mind to her nervousness and moved inside her tent.
「Phew… let me sit down for a while. Even with my clutch, it’s a pain to stand for so long.」
After saying that, the youth sat down on the edge of the Empress’ bed. For Chamille, even his arrogant attitude was nostalgic enough to bring her to tears.
「I want to tell you something serious quietly, can you scoot over?」
Ikuta waved the girl over while remaining seated. Chamille thought for a while, then tried to sit down beside him. But the youth shook his head and reached out to her.
「That’s too far. Here, come over here.」
「—?」
Ikuta gently shifted the girl’s slender body, sitting her between his lap.
「Yes, this is fine.」
「Ughh—!」
Realizing that she was being embraced from behind, the girl’s heart thumped. She could feel the youth’s warmth through her clothes, and a sweet numbness spread across her body, making it hard for her to think. All her self restraint was wiped away, and her thirst for his touch kept rising—
「S-Solork—」
「— Listen to me, Chamille. We have a spy among us.」
His words were like a bucket of cold water dumping on the girl’s dizzy head. All her urges were dramatically extinguished, but it’s hard for humans to suddenly change tune. Chamille couldn’t shake off her emotions, and her vision turned hazy.
「The spy is a Field Rank Officer at the very least. You have probably sensed this too. If not, we wouldn’t be forced into such a predicament.」
「... I-I-I considered that possibility. B-B-But—」
「I understand, searching for the culprit under such circumstances will make everyone doubtful and the whole group might fall apart. So I only plan to tell people we don’t need to suspect. Don’t tell anyone.」
「I-I-I, I-I get it. B-But, people we don’t need to suspect… For example, everyone in the Knights Corp...?」
The girl asked back with a stutter. She expressed her wish in the form of a question, hoping that the members of the Knights Corp would be free from suspicion.
Ikuta turned stiff for a moment, then smiled awkwardly.
「— Of course. Do you think Matthew, Torway or Haro will leak information to the enemy? Chamille, you are really paranoid...」
「I-I’m not! I’m just confirming to be safe!」
「Is that so, good.」
Their conversation ended, and Ikuta tightened his embrace on the girl. Their body clinging close together made Chamille yelped with a 「Kyaa!」
「A-Are there other things we need to discuss in secret...?」
「No, nothing else.」
「T-Then! What’s the point in staying like this...!」
「There’s no deeper meaning… I just want to hold you tight, that’s all.」
「～～～～!」
Chamille struggled silently against the youth’s follow up attack. She was defenceless against the blatant show of goodwill towards her.
Watching her every reaction lovingly, the dark-haired youth gently pressed his cheeks against the girl in his arms and thought.
— This must be it, Yatori. The love you want to shower on this child.
He couldn’t do this two years ago. Back then, he couldn’t care for the girl without mixing any sarcasm or contradiction… He finally did after accepting her heart.
— So this is paternal love?
That was how Ikuta felt, and decided very naturally— no matter what happens in the future, he will accept this girl. This was the common wish Ikuta and Yatori both had at the final moments, and had merged into his very being. And so, there wasn’t anything that would get in the way of his goal. His sarcastic formal tone and calling her Princess to keep his distance— all these lost their meaning when he decided to love Chamille unconditionally, and disappeared from his demeanour.
「... Hmm. Let’s stay like this for a while.」
Ikuta whispered, brushing the girl’s hair gently, his fingers touching her red ears and teasing her hot earlobes. His sweet stimulus that had no deeper meaning behind it made Chamille’s mind that was at her limit go blank.
— She couldn’t bear it anymore.
Her yearning that she had been suppressing all this while overflowed, and the girl fell into madness. The things she wanted to do to him and the things she wanted him to do flashed across her mind, and a heat surge through her body with each flash.
— Two years. For the past two years, she had been talking to Ikuta who had been silent, seeking a response from the unreactive man. Chamille’s wilted heart craved to get something in return. So, it didn’t matter what form it took— She wanted him to touch her heart and body. She was willing to give up everything for that, even if she has to die on the spot.
「— So-lork—」
She couldn’t believe that lusty voice was hers. A dark, murky and passionate emotion stirred deep within her breasts, and she was too afraid to even name it. Did he know how twisted and terrifying it was when the feelings of admiration, adoration and obsession were boiled and stew continuously? No, he wouldn’t— if he knew, there was no way he would hold her so gently.
Calling it a crush would be blasphemy.
Saying that was love would be a crime that deserved being drawn and quartered.
「——Ugh—」
The moment she thought of that, the girl’s wild restrain started working like cogs in a gear. She gripped the hilt of her sabre until her bones creak, using the coldness of the hard steel to suppress the urges stirring in her abdomen— she then thought about her sins. The sins of causing that woman’s death, the sin of taking him away from her, and the sin of taking her away from him.
It wasn’t clear how aware he was of her feelings— Ikuta ended his embrace gently a short while later.
「... unfortunately, we don’t have the time to rest for long, just short breaks in between like this.」
「...... Huff～! Huff～! Huff～!......」
Chamille still needed some time to compose her mind that was on the verge of shattering… But she would reach out for him if she stayed silent. She would wilfully hope for him to accept such actions. At the same time, Chamille couldn’t push herself to leave his embrace either— not knowing what to do, the girl chose to converse as a means of escaping.
「... The tone you used with me is different now...」
「Is that so? I don’t really remember.」
「It’s different. In the past… You are always making things difficult for me.」
「Maybe. Speaking of change, didn’t you change too? I took my eyes off you for a while, and you are putting on a tyrant act so thoroughly. It’s hard to clean that kind of image once you build it up.」
Once they start talking, she could focus on their conversation, making it easier to restrain herself. Working hard to ignore the warmth on her back, the girl continued:
「... It’s not an act, I’m a real tyrant. What I have done since taking the throne… You already know.」
「You have worked harder than anyone else. That’s all I know.」
Ikuta said without hesitation. Because the youth on her mind treated her so gently, Chamille could feel her body leaning on him naturally. It would be bad if they were alone any longer— when she was aware of that and her breathing became ragged, Ikuta looked towards the tent entrance.
「Alright, let’s go. Matthew will get mad if we take too long.」
「—— Mmm, yes.」
「Raising the troops’ morale is an urgent task. Can you walk with me, Chamille? If we show up together, it will have a better effect in encouraging them.」
Chamille carefully placed her right hand on the left hand Ikuta offered. She almost lost her senses when their hands touched, but she managed to calm her urges somehow.
「...... Ugh...」
Chamille bore with it til the end, and tears welled up in her eyes. She was glad that she restrained herself.
How could she ask for anything more? He could stand, walk, recognize her, and was willing to speak with her— just that was an absolute miracle to her.
「Why don’t we go all out and capture Elulufay Tenerexilla?」
They met up with Matthew outside, and headed to the west side of the base as they discussed future plans. The slightly plump youth had recovered his usual competitive edge.
「Since Kioka values that officer so highly, then we will have the initiative if we capture her first. The enemy to the west are just amateurs and sailors not proficient with land battles, a much easier opponent than the guys to the east.」
「What an aggressive idea. Assuming we do try to catch her, what will you do if you are Rear Admiral Tenerexilla?」
Ikuta asked. Matthew crossed his arms and thought for a while.
「... Run. With no regards for my reputation. I’m already on the run anyway, and my allies will attack the enemy’s back too.」
「That’s how it is. The group to the west isn’t a threat in a fight, but it will be troublesome if they start scrambling around. Including that point, the situation is in a very delicate balance.」
The youth patted the head of Kusu who had poked out of his pouch, then turned to the east.
「And the enemy commander got the better of you and Torway, so our opponent is tough… In fact, I’m expecting him to be a familiar face. I don’t want to assume prematurely.」
「I’m curious about the face of our foe too… If your prediction is correct, our meeting with him will be inevitable in a few days.」
「Let’s make him show a sour face then. No matter how detestable a person looks, I can accept it if their faces are scowling enough.」
Ikuta joked with a fearless smile. His demeanour that was the same as two years ago put Matthew at ease. He then replied:
「You want our entire force to stay on the defensive… And punish the enemy dearly with a counterattack when their offensive fail.」
「That’s the gist of it. However, our opponent’s attack won’t just be a brute force assault. We can’t make any mistakes in our defences.」
Ikuta narrowed his eyes, starting a tactical battle against the enemy commander he had not met yet.
「With that in mind— What we need to watch out for now is the period between dusk today and dawn tomorrow.」
His prediction was right on point. When the sunset and darkness engulfed the world, the Kioka launched their night attack.
「— It’s a night raid! All units on full alert!」
The Imperial soldiers keeping watch on the eastern cliff reported the situation at the same time. Numerous red lights appeared in the darkness, different from a Luminous Sprite’s Searchlight— Right after that, a large number of arrows rained from above.
「Uwah! Fire...!」「Fire arrows! Stamp them out!」
The soldiers started putting out the fires as arranged ahead of time by their superiors. Torway watched them from a cabin with a wooden roof and said quietly:
「A night raid with fire arrows… Just as you said, Ik-kun.」
「This base is suitable for a defensive battle, but one of its weak points is the lack of a water source, so we can’t put out a raging fire. So the enemy won’t hesitate to attack with fire. They can easily shoot up with fire arrows from down the slope.」
Ikuta stood beside him with his clutch, then turned his gaze to several spots within the base.
「I have prepared countermeasures too. Most of the supplies have been shifted to the west and separated into small stockpiles. So if one of them is put on fire, it won’t spread too much.」
After confirming that his preparation was working as expected, the dark-haired youth suddenly looked up into the night sky.
「And of course, the enemy won’t be attacking only from below— but also above.」
Right after saying that, several objects that weren’t fire arrows dropped from above— Clang! With the sound of shattering porcelain, the place where the object fell started burning. Torway’s face stiffened as he watched the fire a short distance away.
「... It’s a 『Flame ball』...!」
「Air troopers are above us. Firefighters, don’t miss out on any fire in your watch area! —Torway!」
「Yes! Anti-material Wind Gunners, engage the airborne enemy!」
The Anti-material Air riflemen deployed at various locations raised their barrels on that command. Compressed air was quickly loaded, but there was no sound of explosions after some time. The jade-eyed youth quickly realized the reason.
「... Tch! We can’t see the hot air balloon. They might have painted the air sack and basket with dark colours to blend into the night sky.」
「That’s within expectations— Luminous battalion, cast Searchlight into the sky!」
The Luminous soldiers aimed their Luminous Sprite’s Searchlight into the sky at the same time. Most of the light was engulfed by the darkness, but a few beams briefly illuminated a corner of the hot air balloon floating in the sky.
「Saw it...! It’s over there, focus fire!」
The soldiers aimed at the target marked out by the light beams and squeezed their triggers. Sounds that were closer to Wind Cannons than Wind Guns echoed out repeatedly— But there still wasn’t any sound of a hot air balloon exploding.
「... The hot air balloon is flying rather high to prevent any counterattacks. Even with your skills, shooting that Shadow high up in the air with glimpses from the Searchlight will be a matter of luck.」
「Tch...!」
The anxious Torway wanted to join in the sniping attack, but Ikuta grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.
「Don’t be hasty, it’s fine… If they stay up high out of fear, the accuracy of their 『Flame ball』 will plummet. Without even scoring a hit, the Anti-material Wind Gunners’ existence alone can keep them in check.」
He assured Torway that his snipers accomplished their mission even though the target wasn’t downed. After soothing Torway’s mentality of shouldering the agony alone, Ikuta looked down into the darkness downslope again.
「More importantly, these two waves of attack are just diversions— the main show is about to start. All units, man your stations.」
The trap triggered by the Dynamic Air in the day destroyed a part of the tableland, but there were still many steep cliffs around the east. Soldiers were deployed to these difficult to infiltrate places, but some soldiers were doubtful about their assignment there.
「... Hey, there’s lots of fire in our base. Shouldn’t we help?」
A soldier couldn’t keep up his guard against the enemy, and kept glancing behind. A female soldier assigned to the same mission shouted loudly at him.
「Idiot, don’t lose focus! The Regiment Commander warned us repeatedly to keep watch over our front!」
「That’s true, but nothing is happening. The cliff here is intact, there’s no point in keeping watch...」
That soldier didn’t see any meaning in standing sentry here, and looked down the cliff with a questioning gaze. Nothing abnormal there— the next moment, a large dark lump suddenly appeared before his nose.
「— Uwah—?」
「—? Don’t just stand there, get back～!」
The female soldier noticed the abnormality and grabbed her companion’s collar and ran away from the cliff’s edge. A few seconds after she made this decision— Multiple mysterious objects exploded near the intact cliffs on the eastern tablelands.
「...? That explosion, could it be...!」
The skin numbing sound of the explosion stirred Torway’s memory of a naval battle, and his hair stood on ends. Ikuta could feel the power of the explosions, but he was unfazed and shook his head.
「No, that’s not Blast Cannons— it’s something else.」
The explosion wave kicked up dust and the shrapnels injured the soldiers with cuts. The dark-haired youth ascertained the true identity behind this power after witnessing this scene.
「A weapon specialized in attacking the high ground, known as 『Exploding balls』— He took out another dangerous thing from the 『box』.」
「Syool— this is a great chance.」
With the explosion above him as the signal, the Kioka soldiers mustered at the bottom of the slope started climbing. The white-haired officer who was observing the attack together with Anarai raised the corners of his lips boldly.
「How decisive. This is a great timing to use Exploding balls, but I didn’t expect you to use all the devices you have on hand.」
「No, this is the first time the enemy is seeing this new weapon, using it sporadically would be foolish. Be it now or in the future, this is the moment where Exploding balls will have the greatest impact on the enemy— that’s why I chose to go all in.」
The new weapon had an unknown value, which would swiftly diminish after being used in live combat. Jean understood this better than anyone else, and formulated this plan to maximize the effect of this new weapon.
「There are basically three basic tactics when attacking the enemy on high ground. How to send our troops in, how to draw the enemy out, and how to exhaust the enemy’s supplies. I’m using the first tactic this time. That attack should have wiped out their troops along the cliff’s edge. Which means the enemy has lost the soldiers to stop our climb up the slope.」
Jean declared as he stared at the enemy on the high ground— The 「Exploding balls」 he used this time was basically an unmanned mini hot air balloon. The point was to detonate it near the enemy, so the air sacs were filled with shrapnels to make it more lethal. The Exploding ball detonated very close to the enemy, and should have inflicted a lot of casualties on the enemy.
「I’m not expecting to capture the enemy base with this attack. After causing chaos in the enemy camp, we will look for a good chance to retreat down the slope. For the current Imperial forces, this will be a heavy blow. Heavy enough to crush their morale.」
Jean explained as he imagined the scene of his men rampaging through the tablelands. However— he saw a few Kioka soldiers roll down the slope, which made him open his silver eyes wide.
「—?」
「Hmm— from the looks of things, your plan isn’t proceeding smoothly.」
「— Ahh...」
In the enemy base that Jean couldn’t see directly. The Kioka troops invaded the tablelands according to his plan, and found the silent corpse of their vanguard before them. They saw the silver flash of blades and severed limbs flying through the air.
「What...!」「Hiee—」「U-Uwaahhhh!」
Some of them stood stiffly in place from fear, others lost control of their bladder, and a few charge forth recklessly in reaction to the fear they felt. All of them were cut down by the vermillion haired sword demon who stood in their way.
「Seh!」
Solvenares Igsem was without question the strongest man in melee combat. His rank of Field Marshal pulled him away from the frontlines, but the prowess of his blade had not dulled one bit.
His dual sword techniques were the same as the vermillion-haired girl, but his style gave a very different impression. Yatorishino Igsem’s swords were mesmerizing, while Solvenares’ sword struck despair in his foes, convincing them that they would die helplessly.
「Ugh, guh—」「Hieee...!」
Death throes echoed in the dark mountains. As people kept entering the territory guarded by the dual swords, the death throes continued—
「— In a defensive battle of a base on high ground, the commander would naturally stop the enemy from breaking in.」
Ikuta watched his comrades engage the invading soldiers and said to the Empress beside him, although half of it was him talking to himself.
「Because our defences deployed large number of troops to guard the slope, the goal of their Exploding balls is to wipe away these defences. They used this weapon perfectly, and their attack would have succeeded— if I didn’t know the details of this weapon.」
Chamille gasped. The last time she witnessed the youth’s battle was in the civil war two years ago.
「 Unlike the infantry, it is hard to use the Exploding balls on a terrain without cliffs, since the soldiers above can see the hot air balloon rising from the ground. And now, the collapse of most of the cliffs had severely limited the places where the Exploding balls could be used, so we just need to deploy troops nearby to engage them. And of course, it would be troops specialized in melee combat.」
Aside from Honorary Field Marshal Igsem, Matthew and his Hunter troops were assigned to engage the enemy. With Ikuta Solork prediction as their backing, they could fight to their full potential, substantially increasing the difficulty of taking this base.
「I invited you here to watch the battle, but I don’t recommend you to stay long. You should have felt it too— that is a death zone.」
「Hah! Hah! Hah...!」
「Bad news, Brilliance General! There’s an Igsem up there—」
「When we infiltrate in, those dual blades blocked our path...!」
The sensation of that terrible battle still simmering, the Kioka who survived by sheer luck quickly reported what he witnessed. Jean listened with a serious face, and his adjutant who had the bloodline from the far east Yaponiku reacted intensely.
「That’s impossible— Yatorishino Igsem died in the civil war two years ago.」
Miara muttered with trembling lips. The news of the vermillion-hair girl’s demise, the one who killed her brother Nirva Gin, affected her the most. Even now, Miara had still not put her emotions in order, and held complicated feelings towards the name Igsem.
「... They just experience the shock from the Exploding balls, and they engaged our attack without any delay?」
Jean, who would normally pay attention to her feelings, had his attention on something else this time. He furrowed his brow and shook his head.
「Igsem of the blade— is a threat. But that’s not the point. There’s more to it, Miara. This is the debut of the weapon Exploding balls, and I have used it in the best way possible. The plan failed despite these two factors— from my experience, there is only one opponent that can create such an illogical situation.」
Jean·Arkinex turned and declared loudly, his eyes dripping with hostility as he glared into the darkness.
「... I can’t see you, but I can sense you. You are there, Ikuta Solork!」
「Here, thanks for your hard work.」
A Fire Sprite walked wobbly on the ground, heading to the corner in the base where the stockpile was. Ikuta held it up from behind. The Sprite immediately spew out flames from its 「Fire Hole」, but before its resistance had any effect, the youth swiftly tossed it into a stone fence.
「Using fire arrows as a diversion, then sending in troops after covering their assault with Exploding balls— while this is going on, toss in Fire Sprites with catapults… Not bad, following one tactic with another.」
Ikuta said in a mixture of being impressed and stupefied. Chamille beside him couldn’t get tired of staring at his profile.
「Unlike the Imperial forces where the influence of the Church of Aldera is deeply rooted, Kioka could use their Sprites tactically in such a way. In fact, letting such a small enemy that could spew fire wander about is a big threat… However, the Sprites has to make it to the stockpile to light it on fire, so we can just grab them before they make it there.」
To prevent this problem, Ikuta strictly ordered the troops to 「pay attention to Sprites walking by themselves, check which unit they’re from if you see any, and capture it if they’re enemy Sprites」. Unlike humans, Sprite prisoners didn’t need food, but could be used as bargaining chips.
「Speaking of which… this is annoying. Such a childish, impeccable, immoral and detestable guy. I can only think of one person who matches these descriptions.」
The youth said with a sigh and scratched his head— He had a hunch before reaching here. Even though he didn’t believe in destiny, he had to admit that the enemy commander and him were fated to be rivals.
「That’s the last of your tricks for tonight, white pretty boy… This is just a taste, don’t think it’s over yet— There’s hell to pay for bullying my comrades.」
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