Chapter 2: Sloth Versus Insomniac, Round Three
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
「— Hey, yesterday was sure filled with ups and downs.」
The next morning, in a corner of the base that survived the battle, a soldier spoke quietly. He was having a short break— Imperial soldiers were gathered around eating dry rations and chatting with his comrades.
「We don’t even have the time to catch a breather. When the cliffs collapsed, I thought we were done for… But an unexpected reinforcements came, and their commander is that famous Ikuta·Solork-san.」
His tone was very hyped up. For the soldiers who witnessed the stellar performance of the Knights Corp since the Northern Unrest, they would naturally get excited by Ikuta Solork’s arrival during their time of need.
「And the main event happened after nightfall. He handled the unpredictable Kioka attack as calmly as sorting out supplies in a warehouse. Can you believe it? The Regimental Commander knew from the start that they would use the Exploding ball thing!」
His excitement was contagious. At this moment, one of the soldiers saw the subject in question strolling alongside the Empress, and all of them looked that way.
「By the way, the two of them… aside from the battles, they are really joined at the hip...」
「Of course. Solork-san is the only person in Her Majesty’s harem.」
「He is her official lover? The Regimental Commander sure is smooth～!」
The soldiers looked at the two subjects from afar and discussed facts and speculations. At this moment— a pudgy youth suddenly appeared behind the group that was leaning forward and lost in gossip.
「... I won’t ask you to not talk during breaks, but at least pick your topic and watch your volume. I’m serious, you will lose your heads if they hear you.」
The soldiers’ shuddered at that, then turned to salute Matthew. Matthew gave them another advice with a sigh.
「Besides— Their relationship isn’t as simple as you imagine… Even I don’t really understand.」
With that, he left without admonishing the soldiers. Haro, more accurately speaking, the woman with Haro’s face, who was accompanying Matthew cast a sideway glance at the soldiers who were still saluting and muttered.
「It’s not good to gossip about others… But after Ikuta-san came, the atmosphere on base has improved.」
「That’s right… Last night’s successful defence played a big part, troop morale has improved drastically. It will be troubling if they got careless, but having high fighting spirit is a good thing.」
Matthew’s tone and face had obviously gotten back his old energy. There were also many visible changes. Patrenshina could see the positive influence Ikuta Solork had on the base, and decided to continue observing.
— That’s not the only changes, fattie.
She muttered in her heart and surveyed the area. As the morning sun lit up the base, she could see soldiers with crossbows mounted with bayonets standing sentry everywhere.
— There are sentries all over the place. The internal security is completely different from yesterday.
Officially, the sentries were meant to prevent the Kioka from infiltrating, but this was obviously to keep any espionage activities in check. As she expected Ikuta Solork had strong suspicion that there was a spy.
— I will draw suspicion if I leave any traces. It will be difficult to contact Kioka under such conditions.
The surveillance she could spot might not be everything. Their plan might be to distract the spy with the sentries, and use other personnels to find the spy. For example, the sniper unit commanded by Torway Remeon… The snipers hiding all over the base might be watching her through their reticule right now.
— Sigh, but I already established a communication channel.
Patrenshina thought as she focused on her backpack filled with medical supplies.It was a little heavier than usual.
— The timing and placement of the backpack is crucial, but the intel to be sent out is more important.
As they approached Ikuta and the Empress, Patrenshina thought to herself.
— Just like last night, in this situation, he won’t discuss the battle plan during the war conference.
When they were closer, she could see him waving her over gently. She waved and smiled in response, not showing the schemes in her mind at all.
— I have to reverse engineer his tactics from the instructions he gave his subordinates, then relay my deductions to the Insomniac.
「Our losses aren’t too serious.」
At the same time— In the Kioka basecamp below the cliffs, the commander-in-chief Jean was listening to the previous night’s battle reports from his subordinates.
「However… the soldiers are obviously shakened. Because the presence of the Igsem and our plans were seen through by the enemy...」
The officer seemed hesitant to speak, but he was actually relishing in the pointed report. This made Miara standing by at the side said with a frown.
「The ones wavering aren’t the men, but you guys. Are you saying Jean’s planning are inadequate?」
「No, I’m not saying that… But the results...」
「The enemy commander is unimaginably smart. But are you trying to push all the blame on Jean?」
Miara said impatiently with a firm tone. She had always been irritated by these people who couldn’t set an example, propose alternate plans, and were only good at finding faults with Jean and holding him back.
「Before complaining about your superiors, reflect on your inadequacies! Speaking of which, your deployment of the troops last night—」
「— Silence.」
A sentence cut her off, and silence loomed over the tent.
「I haven’t asked you all for your opinions yet. Can you keep quiet for now.」
Jean snapped out at 「them」. He lumped the officers trying to bring him down and his adjutant who wanted to protect him into the same group, shutting all their words out as just noises.
Miara looked at Jean with shocked eyes at Jean’s words that were so inconsiderate to his companions. However...
「...! ...Yes Sir. My deep apologies, Major General Sir.」
Miara quickly suppressed her feelings and stepped back. Because she could see that Jean was unbelievably focused… After confirming his nemesis was in the enemy camp, the Insomniac Brilliant General was concentrating on how to defeat him. Given how high the standard of his thought process was, it was only natural for him to shut out the noises outside— She was very aware of that.
「—Yah*. Ideation complete.」
The white-haired officer spoke again shortly later. No one said a word. Be they friendly or hostile towards Jean Arkinex, all the officers in attendance had no choice but to listen.
「I don’t think the enemy will attack in the day— munch!」
Ikuta bit into the jerky as he expressed his views. At the dining table where all Field-Grade officers were gathered, he held a war conference on a whim as they dined.
「Any attacks would come after the evening. Their attack methods are all within our expectations. If we can fend off the next wave of attack, then depending on how much casualty we inflict on the enemy, we will probably head into a negotiation with them.」
Ikuta chewed on a biscuit and washed it down with tea to hydrate himself. The relaxed mood here was in stark contrast with the Kioka camp. Spurred by his easygoing attitude, the officers also shared their thoughts as they dined.
「... Commander-in-Chief, I have a question.」
「Pray tell, Brigadier General Sazarf Sir.」
「Please don’t call me Sir!」
He retorted in reflex. Muffled laughter spread in the tent, and Sazarf cleared his throat.
「Cough… Kioka sent out a hot air balloon last night, correct? This mean they can fly over our base and land on the west.」
「Yes, that is possible.」
「In that case… Maybe Elulufay Tenerexilla has already left the west?」
Sazarf asked directly, but Ikuta shook his head immediately.
「Your worry is logical— But she is still there. One factor is the difficulty of the hot air balloon making this round trip, but leaving the feasibility aside, this is a question of her character. That 『Great Mother of White Wings』 sees her crew members as her children, and won’t leave them behind to escape by herself.」
「Even if it’s a military order from Kioka?」
「Yes, even if it is an order… For her, her children are more important than the military rules, it’s the foundation of her personality. There is nothing more certain than that.」
Ikuta concluded, as if he was analyzing the personality of a close friend. He had a deep understanding of the opponent he fought on the battlefield, and met after that.
「Sigh, but there are always exceptions. If she is injured, sick, or suffering from such medical emergencies, her subordinates will forcefully push her onto the hot air balloon. That might be possible, but there is no point in thinking about it. If she leaves the west, that will only lower the morale of the sailors remaining.」
「So the weak bunch will get even weaker… How will that affect the negotiations?」
「It will have some effect, but not serious enough to put them at a great disadvantage. The 『Great Mother of White Wings』 sent to the east will do everything she can to save her men. For the Kioka army, Elulufay Tenerexilla and the fourth fleet are one package, and they can’t just save her and abandon the sailors.」
Ikuta used a biscuit to sandwich a dried papaya strip and bite down on it. Sazarf nodded at him with an enlightened face.
「... I understand, that alleviates my worries. Another thing, although this isn’t really a pressing problem— is the enemy commander Jean Arkinex?」
The dark-haired youth who was reaching for a third piece of jerky stopped momentarily. He swallowed his food and said quietly:
「I can’t be certain since I didn’t see him, but… this style is very much like him.」
「... Is that so? That 『Insomniac Brilliant General』 really got us good.」
Sazarf sighed with his arms crossed. At this moment, Chamille who was listening beside Ikuta said:
「... Kioka has no intention of harming me, right? Solork, if you can use this to open a path, then— Hmm!」
She stopped mid sentence. Before she could finish, an index finger gently sealed her lips.
「...Chamille. I would rather surrender immediately then use you as a shield.」
Ikuta said firmly with a gentle smile. When she heard that, the girl fell silent with a blush— the youth ignored her reaction and tapped his left leg.
「And I can’t run anyway— Sigh, give me some time to think. Even though the white pretty boy is a tough foe, I’m not a stranger to him. Before the sun sets, we should be able to get some clues from the enemy’s movement. I will give the specific instructions after that.」
Ikuta adjourned the meeting here. On the other hand— Patrenshina who was seated diagonally away from him was analyzing everything he had said so far.
— As expected. To prevent any leaks, he will only make the plan public right before its execution.
She judged the youth’s avoidance of the specifics to be part of his anti-espionage efforts. She was certain that he definitely had some plan in mind.
—No, even if he did say it, he might change the plan later. Then it will be a battle of patience.
This was what the woman wanted. She specialized in long term infiltration that could take years, and was used to situations that needed patience.
—I have to wait until the final moment, when the intel to be relayed is fixed. When there is no time to amend their plans.
And of course, Patrenshina wasn’t naive enough to think just enduring quietly would be enough to secure victory. She made preparations to strike at the same time as she waited for the perfect opportunity to come.
— No, if it’s him, maybe the timing he chose to reveal the plan is also a ploy to find the spy?
Patrenshina thought with anticipation. This was the first time she reacted this way.
— I can’t tell what he is thinking at all. This is amazing, Haro. This is the first time I met an opponent that gives me such a great sense of achievement if I pulled a plan on him!
Two hours after the war conference cum breakfast ended, around 8 am, the first disturbance to their short peace happened.
「—Ik-kun, there are hot air balloons in the southern skies!」
Torway walked over briskly when he saw the situation. Ikuta who was standing in the center of the base with the Empress nodded gently.
「Yes, I saw them. 1, 2, 3… a total of 30.」
They were outside the range of the anti-material Air Rifles, so Torway could only watch. Ikuta shook his head to soothe the uneasy youth.
「Don’t worry, this is within my expectations. The white pretty boy realized the west had lost the will to attack, making the encirclement ineffective. So he is sending some soldiers over.」
「Do we need to increase the defences in the west...?」
Ikuta didn’t answer, and asked instead:
「How many people is each hot air balloon carrying? You should be able to see clearly.」
The youth looked over as prompted and used his outstanding sniper eyes to determine the answer.
「... The number varies, but there are five people on each balloon on average.」
「So thirty balloons mean 150 people, most of them are veteran Wind Gunners, and the hot air balloons are filled with new model weapons for the sailors. They are probably filled to their buoyancy limit, but their numbers aren’t enough to affect the big picture.」
「... That’s true...」
「He is probably planning to send more people over with multiple trips, but the hot air balloon isn’t that easy to use. Even if the wind is in their favour, they can only make one more trip before dusk. The west army will just be reinforced by 300 men. Even if we include other factors like the rise in morale from linking up with their allies, you can suppress them with just your unit alone.」
After correctly gauging the threat of the Air Troopers, Ikuta looked away and walked to the left.
「Sending troops to the west is just one move, the main action will still take place in the east.」
Torway and Chamille followed him to the eastern end of the base. The three of them looked down from the cliff side and soon noticed the abnormality in the enemy camp.
「— Speak of the devil.」
As Ikuta’s group was looking at the rocky area below, they could see Imperial soldiers tied up by ropes there.
「No stopping, keep moving!」
Kioka soldiers armed with crossbows stood guard around them, forcing them to advance. The Imperial soldiers confused by the situation could only follow their orders.
「Ughh...」 「What’s going on...」 「Damn it, where are they taking us?」
But they didn’t receive any explanation. After leading the captives to the spot determined by their officers, the Kioka soldiers took the next step of action.
「Good, stop here! Everyone sit down and don’t move! Resist and you’ll be shot!」
The Imperial soldiers sat down timidly on that order. The Kioka troops surrounded them with their guards up and continued speaking.
「That’s right, just sit tight. If nothing happens, you can return to your camp in the rear. If you need to use the toilet, raise your hand. A soldier of the similar sex will escort you.」
After finishing this one sided explanation, the Kioka soldiers didn’t say anything else. The Imperial soldiers seated in the center grew uneasy at the thought of possible mistreatment.
「Could it be— they are using captives as human shields?」
Torway’s face cramped at the idea of the worst possibility. Ikuta immediately shook his head.
「No, the white pretty boy shows no quarters to his enemies, but prisoners of war are different. Even without the looming negotiations, he won’t abuse them. That will violate Kioka’s diplomatic policies.」
After hearing that answer, Torway quietly analyzed the situation.
「Indeed… They provided the captives with food and water, and also hats to avoid heat strokes. That spot isn’t a spot our guns can attack easily, so they are treating the captives adequately.」
「That’s right, he won’t torture the prisoners, but he can make use of them. From the looks of things, those captives are being used as bait.」
Ikuta concluded with a deep voice. Realizing what he meant, Torway’s face turned stern.
「... They want to lure us in. Telling us that our comrades are there, and to come down if you want to save them...」
「That’s right. There are 15 groups of 40 people, so the prisoners numbered around 600— If we liberate that many people, it will lighten our losses significantly.」
The dark-haired youth said as he scratched the back of his head. In contrast with what he was saying, his tone was leaning more towards wariness than hope.
「Their plan has shifted from invading the tablelands and causing havoc, to drawing us out. Things are going to become problematic.」
The Empress who was watching the same scene beside him thought for a while and then asked:
「... And if we fail to rescue the captives?」
「Then they won’t act either, both sides will just stay put until morning— the question is, does our situation permit us to do so?
Our tactical goal is to prepare for the upcoming negotiations, and get as big an advantage over the enemy as possible. Considering this goal, it will be better for us if the enemy launches a direct assault. The defenders in a defensive base will suffer less losses than the attackers. The more we fight, the more advantage we will get. However— if the enemy does nothing, this situation won’t change either.」
Chamille’s face became more pained as she listened. She couldn’t help blaming herself for her army being pushed to the brink.
「Even if we include the results from last night’s battle, our losses are still greater. If we head into a negotiation like this, Kioka will have the initiative. As we are troubling over this, the prisoners are sitting right there before us, leading us to think— if we save these people, won’t that turn things around?」
Ikuta explained with exaggerated hand gestures, then suddenly reverted to his stern self and glared at the enemy.
「Baiting isn’t just playing on the commander and troops’ emotions, but also forcing them into action because of the cost and benefits at stake. This is an example of that.」
「... In a sense, this is more troubling than them using captives as human shields...」
「People who use such brutish methods will make a mistake sooner or later… However, the opponent this time is a well-measured individual with an eye on the big picture. He had braced himself mentally, and considered the entire war as a whole— and the post-war situation too as he searches for the best methods.」
Thinking back on his previous two meetings with the 「Insomniac Brilliant General」, Ikuta grunted.
「To be honest, I’m too lazy to compete with him on the big picture— sigh, let’s see how he can create trouble for me, we still have time.」
Having finished observing the enemy, Ikuta and the Empress returned to the command tent together.
「Phew… Haro, I won’t ask for luxuries like Cocoa leaves, but do you have something to perk me up?」
「Yes, I will prepare some for you… But are you fine, Ikuta-san? This must be harsh on your body.」
Not missing the fatigue in his voice, the woman with Haro’s face asked. The dark-haired youth smiled awkwardly.
「Sigh, I will be lying if I say I’m fine. Going up a mountain after two years in bed is tough. I already made preparations against altitude sickness, but I’m not at 100%.」
「Solork...」
「Don’t make that face, Chamille. I just feel a little light-headed.」
Ikuta consoled the blonde girl who was on the verge of tears. Patrenshina looked at them through the corner of her eye, and served tea with practiced movements.
「This is strong tea with herb, I’m not sure if it will suit your taste...」
「I will get used to it in no time— Hmm, how fragrant.」
Ikuta quickly sips the tea, enjoying the fragrance, then swallows. There was no hesitation in his actions at all, which made it hard for her to judge.
— He drank it without hesitation? I intentionally brew it to taste weird.
The woman served this tea to test his reaction, and the lack of reaction was the most troubling result. It was hard to gauge from this result how suspicious he was of her.
— It will be great if he trusts Haro unconditionally. But he isn’t that simple.
The paranoid Patrenshina had already excluded the best outcome from the start. This meant it was impossible for him to hold no suspicion. She had to deduce any hidden meaning behind his reaction.
— He is sure that he won’t get poisoned at a time like this. And he is right about that.
For the same reason she admonished her useless subordinate last time, she can’t use such a method in such a situation. Before the higher ups calculated the pros and cons of killing or sparing Ikuta Solork, her job was to maintain the status quo and provide intel.
Chamille, who was oblivious to the scheming, noticed noises from outside, and looked over.
「.. Solork, there seem to be a commotion there.」
「I think so too. But this doesn’t… feels like the enemy.」
The youth holding a cup of steaming tea tilted his head puzzledly. An officer then entered the tent.
「Your Majesty, Solork-san, pardon my intrusion, I have something to report...」
The officer kneeling before them asked. Chamille granted him permission to speak freely, and he reported hesitantly.
「Under such circumstances, I’m hesitant to say this but...」
The officer finally got on with his report. Patrenshina who was listening from the side sneered in her heart.
— What do you think about this move?
「— I’m not a spy!」
A few minutes later, inside a small tent. Ikuta and Chamille were in front of an officer tied securely with ropes and under guard.
「Major Yuguni, please keep it down. If you continue like this, then it will be meaningless to try send the others away.」
「Y-Yes, pardon me… But please let me explain! I have no idea about the charges of being a spy being laid against me! I will never betray Your Majesty! Please clear me of any suspicion...!」
Major Yuguni said agitatedly. Before ascertaining the truth behind his words, Ikuta looked elsewhere to grasp the situation.
「Torway, give me a briefing.」
The youth walked forth from behind Ikuta and explained fluently.
「After Ik-kun’s arrival, we have strengthened our internal surveillance. We increased the number of sentries as a show of force, and also deployed sharp eyed snipers at inconspicuous places to watch our base— a double surveillance system.」
Torway glanced at Ikuta, who nodded, then cast his gaze towards Major Yuguni.
「He was caught by the surveillance network. Specifically, a sniper saw a Fire Sprite climb out of the backpack he carried to the eastern cliffs, and tried to head for enemy territory. That soldier immediately apprehended the Fire Sprite, and after some investigation, the Sprite wasn’t the partner of an Imperial soldier. It was probably one of the Fire Sprites tossed into our base and evaded capture. Furthermore, a piece of paper twisted into a long strip was hanging from the Sprite’s neck. It was the map that details our base’s layout.」
「... Hmm.」
「One more thing, the backpack was placed in a spot that would be difficult for the normal sentries to spot. In summary, Major Yuguni might be a spy who is relaying military intel to the enemy… That concludes my report.」
「No! That’s not true!」
Right after Torway finished, the suspected spy denied strongly with spit flying from his mouth. Ikuta snorted, then scratched the back of his head.
「So you’re saying— Major Yuguni bringing a backpack with an enemy sprite hidden inside to the cliff. This action is the main reason you suspect him of being a spy.」
Torway nodded. Major Yuguni shook his head with tears in his eyes.
「I realized how careless I had been. But I didn’t notice a Sprite had sneaked into my backpack…! It was filled with dried fruits for my subordinates. There might be a weight difference, but I can’t tell by just carrying it...!」
When he arrived at his destination, he took off his backpack and distributed the dried fruits, and that was when the Sprite crawled out— Major Yuguni explained, emphasizing that he wasn’t doing this intentionally. No one replied to him, and the Empress said quietly to Ikuta with a calm attitude.
「.. Solork. We think the spy is a Field-Grade Officer too. Major Yuguni matched that condition.」
「... Indeed. His reaction is like an anxious spy who got caught trying to relay intel. However...」
Ikuta said vaguely. He stopped at the right moment and gestured to Sazarf by the wall who was raising his hand.
「... Allow me to speak for him. Major Yuguni served under me two years ago, and I can vouch for his performance and character. He had never took me lightly despite his longer tenure in the army.」
「B-Brigadier General Sir...!」
「I won’t demand him to be cleared of any suspicions… But can we avoid jumping to any conclusion? Since the suspicion stemmed from the Sprite hidden in his backpack, there are several other possibilities. Even if we want to interrogate him, we should do so carefully under a calm environment.」
Sazarf spoke up bravely on this sensitive topic. With Ikuta’s return, the pressure of expressing one’s view to the Empress had been lowered. This was ideal for Chamille, since that meant their monarch-vassal relationship was mended.
Ikuta accepted that proposal without a second thought. Since the Major had been apprehended, rushing his judgement wouldn’t do any good.
「... I order Major Yuguni to be confined under guard. The thorough investigation will probably have to wait after we return to Central. Brigadier General Sazarf, let’s leave things at that for now.」
「Yes, I understand… I can rest easy for now.」
Sazarf sighed in relief. He then led the guards to escort the Major to confine him in a tent.
Patrenshina watched Ikuta’s group exit the tent after settling the matter at hand.
— When things seem to be going according to plan, it is hard to doubt the results.
She didn’t show what she was thinking as she supervised the medics working under her. She played the role of a reliable superior officer as usual while she schemed in her mind.
— Is it the same for you? A spy who avoided the watchful eyes of the sentries gets ambushed by the hidden snipers… That’s exactly what you expected, right? It doesn’t matter whether that really is the spy.
Seeing through the mentality of one’s foe was the methods of a spy. This trap was laid with this logic in mind.
— Refuting this result means refuting yourself. The more highly one rates themselves, the harder it is for them to do so. And this is Ikuta Solork… You are supposed to be the most capable person here. With that in mind, it is easier for you to admit your error than doubting your success.
He was responsible for the group and stood at the top of the crowd. Both these roles came with unique pressure, and the mental weakness would tend to lean in a specific way. She had received valuable education from her seniors in the Phantom Unit, and could see through and make use of such weaknesses.
— Be as cocky as you want. Think arrogantly that everything is within your grasp. That arrogance will make your field of vision narrow, and twist your perception… And I will play in the shadows cast by the blindspot on your consciousness.
Her instructors were dumbstruck by how fast she mastered this method… But their surprise quickly turned into disgust and fear. Because they realized that her absurd pace compared to her peers stemmed from her mentality of deriving joy from tricking and setting others up.
— Fufufufufu!
「The captives are closer to us now.」
The slightly plump youth who asked Ikuta to visit the eastern edge of the base briefed him on the situation.
「And that unit there is shifting further away from the captives, it is obvious they are trying to lure us in… But, don’t you think they are overdoing it?」
「Hmm.」
「I thought about it too. Send two battalions to charge down the slope to the captives, suppressing the enemy with covering fire, cutting the ropes to free as many captives as possible, and retreat when we reach our limits… From the distance and the speed of both units, we might not be able to free all the captives, but we can rescue half of them with minimal losses.」
Matthew’s firm tone made it clear to Ikuta that he wasn’t just speaking offhand, and had put in a lot of thought— and Ikuta responded based on that assumption.
「Since our opponent is the white pretty boy, there must be more obstacles than meets the eyes. He must have set a trap— either on the way there or the return trip, maybe both.」
「Got it. But traps that can be used during day time are limited.」
「Kioka’s gunners can shoot in the day too. They can snipe you in the back during your retreat.」
「That’s true. So we have to do so when it’s about to get dark.」
Ikuta kept pointing out flaws in his plans, but Matthew could answer accordingly, showing how much he had grown. Matthew continued:
「In the evening, the sun shining from the west will cast a shadow at the slope to the east, so night will fall earlier there. We will use this chance to rescue the captives, minimizing our losses in the return trip— is that correct?」
Matthew looked at Ikuta to seek his comment. The youth spread his arms with a smile.
「Perfect. Excellent analysis, my dear Matthew.」
The unexpected compliment surprised Matthew. But he understood something a few seconds later and scrowled.
「... You are making me say everything you already know, right.」
「Instead of me saying it, I’m happier to hear it from you.」
Matthew snorted and averted his face. Ikuta shamelessly put his arm around Matthew’s shoulder and muttered with his eyes on the enemy base.
「— But it is time to make a decision.」
The sky was dyed orange after 5 pm in the afternoon, Patrenshina casually watched the soldiers gather in the east from a corner of the base.
— There’s finally movement.
She turned naturally and entered her personal tent, which was assigned to all Field-Grade officers, and started digging the ground by her bed. She dug up a Fire Sprite in a fetal position— this Sprite and the one she planted in Major Yuguni’s backpack were both taken during last night’s battle.
— They seem to be planning to save the captives. With Solvenares Igsem joining their ranks, it isn’t strange for them to be confident about fighting below the tablelands.
Patrenshina flattened the ground, removing all traces of digging, placed the Sprite on the table and took out pen and paper. She thought about the soldiers’ movement and what she eavesdropped from Matthew’s men, then noted down the gist of their upcoming plans.
— Given the relative position here and the captives, the slopes leading there are… The units should be heading down to here, and here.
She could ask the Sprite to memorize the message she wanted to relay, but it was safer to write down information like positions on paper. She folded the paper that had all the information, then tied it securely to the Sprite with rope.
— They will attack in the evening. The moment when the bottom of the cliff gets dark is the perfect answer. Assuming there are no intel leaks.
Patrenshina thought as she continued moving her hands, covering the Sprite with cloth to cushion its fall. After she was done, she took out her partner Mia, then stuffed the bundled up Fire Sprite into her pouch. Her pouch looked 20% larger, but she could get away with such a trivial matter easily.
— Good, let’s go.
Seeing that the preparations were done, Patrenshina left the tent and headed to the cliff on the east of the base.
— I have grasped the positions of the sentries and snipers. There’s no need for stealth.
From the intel she had gathered so far, she had mapped out the least risky route. She was confident of her analysis, so she didn’t try to avoid people and even pass by the sentries boldly.
— There are some blindspots by the cliffs, but I will draw suspicions if I stop there.
The snipers covered the areas the sentries didn’t cover, including the inside. But that meant they wouldn’t cover the obvious areas. She was counting on that.
「Good work.」
Patrenshina pretended to inspect the troops and greeted them. The presence of a high ranked officer made the soldiers tense, and they answered with a salute: 「Thank you for your concern, Mdm!」
She locked eyes with the soldiers, and as if she noticed something— she suddenly looked to the left. The soldiers were focusing on her, and followed her gaze on reflex— as a result, their attention fell in the opposite direction of the cliff overlooking the enemy.
— This is it.
Patrenshina seized this chance to open the pouch on the right of her waist and toss the bundled Sprite off the cliff in one motion. The soldiers before her were looking in a different direction, and her body created a blindspot to the other soldiers. The Sprite dropped at the perfect angle left the base without anyone noticing— It landed on a slope a few meters below with a thud.
「—?」
Not seeing anything abnormal in the direction they were led to look in, the soldiers stared at the woman before them confusedly. They didn’t seem to suspect anything or hear the noise. Patrenshina concluded that she finished her job splendidly and snickered in her heart.
— Yes, no one noticed.
She nodded at the soldier and left the scene— the Sprite below the cliff would soon break out of the cloth and walk to the Kioka base. The intel would then be delivered.
She immersed herself in the small sense of accomplishment, then glanced at the Imperial forces.
— I thought this would be harder, but with that, you guys are finished.
「—Jean, a message from 『her』 in the enemy base.」
As Patrenshina expected, about an hour later, the intel she sent out reached the Kioka army command tent.
「She dropped a Sprite bearing the intel off the cliff. The impact from the fall injured the Sprite a little, but didn’t damage the document.」
「The content?」
「Details of the enemy’s plans and their deployment in that plan. How many soldiers, from where and their means of attack— there are some speculations, but it’s very detailed.」
「Is it intel intentionally leaked by the enemy?」
「The paper has our unique code, please take a look.」
Miara passed the document to her superior. The white-haired officer perused the content and stroked his chin with a heavy expression.
「... Sending out two battalions to rescue their captives at dusk?」
「This is within our expectations. However— knowing the specifics will help us strengthen our defences.」
As a member of 「Shadow」, Miara vouched for her fellow member. But Jean still looked stoic after hearing that, and never relaxed later either.
「... It’s time.」
It was almost 6 pm, as the setting sun touched the horizon, night had already fallen below the eastern cliff where the sun couldn’t reach.
Matthew’s unit was ready and stood in formation at the east of the tablelands.
「Listen up, when you hear the signal, charge down the slope! Head straight for the objective, free the captives and brace for a defensive battle! The enemy will probably flood in quickly, but don’t worry! Our comrades on the tablelands have a good view of the situation, and will inform you when it’s time to retreat!」
The battle was going to begin, and the pudgy youth confirmed the plan for the final time. The soldiers all looked tense.
「The signal would be the gong from the rear, which means it is time to go! Turn around and sprint back! Don’t hesitate if we didn’t rescue all the captives— staying there means death. Not just that, the captives might die in the battle! If that happens, then we will even lose the chance to save them through prisoner exchange!」
Matthew cautioned his men. The mission to rescue fellow soldiers was great for morale, but it might cloud their judgement. All that effort might lead to unnecessary losses instead— and to avoid that, their commanders made all the preparations he could think of.
「Understand!? Good— Commence action!」
「「「「「「「Woooaaahhh!」」」」」」」
On that command, the soldiers charged down the slope. They didn’t know what obstacles awaited them, but they had to break through and rescue their comrades— the soldiers filled with fighting spirit suddenly heard a loud noise from behind, which made them doubt their ears.
「...?」 「T-The gong has been sounded?」
The soldiers stopped and turned rowdy. That was only natural, since the signal to retreat was given just one minute after the commencement of the mission. Matthew turned around angrily, just as surprised by this turn of event.
「What the hell— that’s too soon! We haven’t even made it down the slope!」
「... This is a good chance. Attack!」
While the Imperial soldiers were confused by the sudden retreat order, the Kioka unit on the western front saw their chance at victory and took it.
「Don’t be afraid of their shooting! Our back is to the sun, which will shine directly into their eyes, making it hard for them to aim! Use this chance to close in on them!」
The Kioka army made use of the natural lighting during sunset against their enemy. That attacked when the snipers’ abilities were handicapped by the sun. This wasn’t planned by Elulufay and her sailors. Their reinforcements that arrived via hot air balloon were given orders to spearhead the execution of this plan.
The soldiers charged up the slope on that order, and were immediately greeted by gun shots. However, they were expecting that, and only a small number of them were hit. They think this was thanks to the setting set, but—
「Good— The enemy’s shooting lacks impact even from this close! Continue the assault...!」
The commander stopped mid sentence and squatted down with his hands on his thigh. When the soldiers around him saw the blood flowing out from the gaps of his fingers, they opened their eyes wide.
「C-Commander?」「He got hit in the thigh! Medic!」
The troops wavered because of the sudden change in the situation. To spur his men on, the injured commander endured the pain and yell loudly:
「U-Ughh...! ...Don’t waver, it’s just a stray bullet! Adjutant, take command in my stead! Leave me and continue the charge!」
Since their commander gave his orders, his men had no choice but to advance. They caught up with the mostly unharmed vanguard, and moved towards the tablelands— And then fell one after another. Soldiers all over the place got hit in the thigh and rolled on the ground moaning.
「T-This is—」 「This is too much for stray bullets...!」
「— Three hits. Continue firing.」
The calm voice echoed on top of the mountain. They shot at the Kioka soldiers charging the tablelands from the side, and had not suffered any significant retaliatory fire.
「The enemy vanguard is reaching the top of the tablelands. They will arrive in about 20 seconds.」
「Leave them to our allies. We will grind them down bit by bit from behind, and lure them deep into the tablelands.」
The snipers continued firing according to their plan, aiming below the waist. This was the usual tactic for them now— mass producing hobbled casualty to slow the enemy down.
「They don’t seem to be aware of our deployment here. Use this chance to fire off more shots.」
「— The enemy is approaching from the west. Field Marshal Igsem, please engage them.」
「Understood.」
Upon the receipt of Ikuta’s instruction, the vermillion-haired general led his troops to the west. Chamille asked troublingly as she watch him go:
「Solork… What’s going on here...? You prematurely recalled Matthew’s group that was just starting their charge, and immediately sent them and the Field Marshal’s unit in the opposite direction to the west… Isn’t your objective this time rescuing the captives?」
「Yes, after considering all the factors, the rescue plan has been cancelled.」
The youth said unhesitatingly. He explained to the wide eyed girl.
「One reason is— we are not the only one with the advantage at dusk, the enemy to the west can also use the effect of the setting sun to attack. Our soldier’s vision would get obscured if they faced the sun, so there is a big possibility that both sides will act at this same timing.」
Ikuta said as he squinted at the setting sun. Even Matthew, who had grown a lot, couldn’t see all these things, but Ikuta didn’t miss a single detail.
「And I have a plan for that too. The Kioka army should realize by now that most of our snipers aren’t hitting them directly from the front. To avoid the sun affecting their eyes, I deployed Torway’s unit on the northern and southern high grounds. They even intentionally let the leading elements pass, then attack them from both sides to grind down their numbers. This is the only way to draw them in deeper.」
Chamille absorbed the contents with a serious expression. The dark-haired youth gently patted her head and continued:
「The second reason— the mission to rescue the captives in the east has a high risk of the enemy counterattack and inflicting serious casualties on us, and it’s the type that can’t be changed even if you know it is coming. There’s no way the white pretty boy will let this chance go.」
「That’s—」
The girl’s question was interrupted. Because Matthew, who was recalled with his unit, was running this way with a displeased face.
「Hah! Hah! ...Hey, Ikuta, what the hell was that!? The signal was given too early! We have to turn back and run upslopes like retards, a waste of our energy!」
「Sorry Matthew, but there’s meaning to this arrangement, I planned to do this all along. I will explain the reason for keeping you in the dark later— Putting it simply, I want you to assume the attitude of seriously charging in, since you might get seen through if you tried to put on an act.」
Matthew furrowed his brows at that answer. Ikuta kept his eyes on the enemy base and asked Chamille and the unhappy Matthew:
「Oh right, how many of those captives do you think are real?」
At the same time, the captives who saw the whole thing played out from below the tablelands were slack jawed from confusion.
「... What’s happening? I thought they are finally coming, but they turned back midway.」
A man sitting in the middle of the group muttered. He touched the short barrelled Wind Gun on his back, feeling the tough sensation with his fingers.
「Did they notice… our trap...?」
「... It’s not so easy to bait them, huh?」
Jean surveyed the battlefield from a position further to the rear. He conceded that his attempt had failed, and smirked his lips bitterly.
「That’s right. Of the 600 captives brought here— two hundred are my subordinates in disguise. And they’re armed, of course. The plan was for them to directly attack the enemy coming to rescue their comrades… But looks like it failed.」
The white-haired officer sighed. He finally noticed Miara’s worried gaze, and showed her his usual smile.
「I’m not disappointed at all. Including the battle in the jungle, this is the second time I planned to use this scheme, so there’s a good chance they might see through it. And more importantly, that guy is with them.」
Jean glared up the tablelands with hostile eyes. After a slight hesitation, Miara asked something that has been bothering her.
「So… that’s why you ignored 『her』 report?」
The white-haired officer’s shoulders shivered. It was rare seeing him take 5 seconds to answer.
「No— That’s how I want to answer, but I should stop the act. To be honest, I can’t imagine 『her』 outwitting that guy… and can only see the opposite happening.」
He knew how cruel it was to say that, but Jean didn’t mince his words at all. In fact, even an outstanding spy like Patrenshina would only be a hindrance to him on the battlefield. Since he wasn’t confident that her cunning could defeat Ikuta Solork's wisdom, he couldn’t formulate his battleplan around her intel.
「Compared to my trust towards a comrade like 『her』, I’m more wary of our enemy, Ikuta Solork. And the results proved me right—」
Jean said as he unconsciously clenched his fists— and couldn’t help but curse.
「—Hazgaze* 【Are you kidding me!?】」
— W-What’s going on?
Patrenshina stood stiffly at a corner of the base. Even if you include all the personnels in both camps, the one who was most shocked was definitely her.
— The fattie’s unit returned unscathed, and Field Marshal Igsem’s unit was diverted to the west?
She was still in shock, but her eyes still followed their movements. Patrenshina used the mental fortitude branded into her body to act normally, and racked her brains.
— Wait. This is definitely wrong. Up until just now, the fattie was serious about his preparations. He was all set to begin the operation to rescue the captives.
When she realized it, the situation was moving in a completely different direction. The battle in the east didn’t happen, and the troops were diverted to the west instead.
— I can understand if he changed the plan right before the battle commenced. But he delayed his decision, ordering a retreat after they had set off… There’s a limit to breaking with conventions! A Commander-in-Chief acting in such a way will definitely cause chaos amongst the ranks!
Ignoring war from a millenia ago, modern wars were not built on the simple order of 「defeating that enemy」. The minimum standard was to let the high ranking officer get a sense of how the battle will play out, or else the war would spin out of control. But Ikuta Solork omitted this relay of information this time. It was easy for her to imagine how confused Matthew Tetzirich’s group who had been diverted to another battle must have felt.
— But that man has a reason to go to such lengths… He also trusts his comrades to act adequately even if he goes wild.
The Knights Corp had deep bonds, which should be a shared knowledge between Haro and Patrenshina. However— she was a spy whose profession was betrayal. Her schemes didn’t include the firm relationships between people. She was certain that trust was meant to be trampled, but that worked against her this time.
— He invested so much effort and personnel in anti-espionage, and I even offered a scapegoat just to be safe… and yet, he still didn’t let his guard down?
Ikuta’s wariness towards traitors contrasted sharply in his trust towards his comrades, which surprised her. Everything he did was to prevent any intel from leaking before the battle started. Not just that, this meant all the intel Patrenshina sent out had been turned into fake news. Not only did he catch the Kioka army off guard, he also seriously damaged her reputation as a spy.
— The Insomniac reacted absurdly fast too. Why did he deploy a unit there? If he made preparations according to my report, he would be more frazzled now. Since that didn’t happen, it means...
He didn’t trust her report from the very start. That was her conclusion since the Kioka army didn’t suffer any major confusion.
— I had been excluded. Ikuta Solork and Jean Arkinex had both excluded me from this battle...
Unable to vent her emotions, she grit her teeth angrily. Ever since Patrenshina entered this line of work, this was the first time someone refuted her abilities as a spy.
— I see. Both of you are ignoring me.
Murderous intent mixed with jealousy and hatred welled up from deep inside her. Allowing the negative emotions to turn in her chest, Patrenshina raised the corners of her trembling lips in a smile.
— This is amazing, Haro. This is the biggest humiliation of my life...!
「... The air feels terrible. Looks like we fell into a trap.」
At the same time, to the west of the tablelands, Greg Ayuzadori was the first to sense something was amiss. He checked on the casualties of his men who had charged forth, then said to the officer who had been sent over as reinforcements.
「Hey, Captain, I won’t drag you down with us, so plan your retreat. We have fallen into the enemy’s trap, and things will end badly if we continue our advance.」
「W-What are you saying, the battle has just started! Our mission is to draw the enemy’s attention until the battle in the east ends—」
Before he could finish, Greg used his swole right arm to pull that Captain’s back collar.
「Stop panicking, landlubbers. This is your tuff, right?」
「W-What—」
He pulled him closer and persuaded the slow witted officer.
「You haven’t noticed, so let me tell you something. The shooting isn’t from the front, but from the north and south sides. The plan to blind them with the setting sun is ineffective from the start— those snipers are more agile than imagined.」
The officer opened his eyes wide in surprise. He clearly had not considered this problem, and that made Greg sigh— Jean Arkinex definitely would have reminded the reinforcements to watch out for snipers. Which meant this officer didn’t listen to his orders properly. He was probably the type who took the young Arkinex lightly, the fearsome looking Marine Commander thought.
Unaware of Greg’s thinking, that officer shook off his hand and refuted.
「E-Even so, the leading elements didn’t suffer serious losses during their advance! They will be infiltrating the enemy base soon, how can we stay back!?」
「The snipers let them through intentionally. Hey, don’t you think it’s weird? Why our follow up forces are being hit harder than the vanguard?」
Greg glared ahead suspiciously. Lowering the shooting frequency in the beginning to allow the vanguard to approach, then attack the unit behind hard— this doesn’t make sense. It’s only natural to suspect a trap.
「Prisoners of war are used to draw the enemy down the east side of the tablelands, where they would be hit hard. At the same time, we will attack from the west, forcing the enemy to divert forces this way… That’s the plan, correct?」
「Y-Yes, that’s right.」
「If things are proceeding as planned, the enemy’s movements are clearly wrong. Think about it, if their comrades in the east are in grave danger, are they able to fight in such a way? Conserving their firepower in the beginning, and playing a dangerous game of welcoming our vanguards in?」
Greg was sure that was impossible. Working backwards from this conclusion, things must be quiet on the other end of the tablelands.
「If things are proceeding as planned, then our leading elements will be engaged by their full might. That didn’t happen because the Imperial army can spare the effort, and isn’t being pushed to the brink. They have enough people to engage us even if we break into their base.」
Halfway through his persuasion, the unnaturally quiet front was suddenly filled with the sound of exploding compressed air and screams. Seeing things were happening just as he feared, Greg grit his teeth.
「See, it’s just as I said— the vanguard is in big trouble.」
「Kyaa—!」
The Kioka soldier who got shot in the thigh groaned in pain. With that as a start, the group that broke through into the tablelands with high spirit was hit hard by an Imperial ambush.
「Uwahh—!」 「Don’t charge in alone, stay in line with your comrades!」 「Aim for the legs!」
Solvenares Igsem’s melee unit took the enemy by surprise— They were surprised by the bold changes made by Ikuta, but it didn’t take them long to rush to the west and engage the enemy. Their only assigned tasks had simply been 「engage the invading enemy」. More importantly, the commander, Honorary Field Marshal Igsem, was outstanding as an officer, and could handle any sudden changes easily.
「Matthew battalion, engage the enemy! Fix bayonets! ...Charge!」
「「「「「「Wooaaahhh!」」」」」」
Matthew’s unit quickly joined the fray. He had gotten over his initial confusion, and accurately commanded his troops to carry out the dark-haired youth’s intent.
「Listen up, don’t finish them off! Capture as many of them alive as possible!」
Ikuta watched their fight and said:
「And now— the men we didn’t send to rescue the captives in the east have been diverted to reinforce the west that is being assaulted. The white pretty boy will notice soon and attack us, so we can’t send all our forces to the west.」
Chamille nodded. She understood the gist of the situation by just listening in.
「Getting attacked from both sides is similar to the situation right before I arrived. However, the enemy isn’t coordinated this time— while the west enemy is attacking us as a diversion, the east enemy is waiting for an attack that isn’t coming.」
Ikuta grunted boldly. The battle that was expected didn’t happen, so the soldiers there were just idling. On the other hand, the Imperial forces were diverted right into a different battleground.
「The battle will start from the west, with the east joining in shortly. And we can use this difference in timing to take out the enemy one at a time.」
「... Ughh...!」
「Torway has grasped my intentions accurately. His sniper unit could have kept the enemy away right from the start, but he chose not to do so, luring the enemy in instead.」
In response to the youth’s explanation, Chamille asked a question she had.
「That means… You only revealed this plan to Torway alone?」
「No, I only made some requests— 『Don’t just drive the enemy away, and to take as many prisoners as possible』. When he heard my request, Torway probably guessed my intent right then. Which is to give up on saving the captives in the east, and make up for it with the battle on the west.」
Ikuta believed that the jade-eyed youth would work seamlessly with him even though they parted ways for two years. Their teamwork wasn’t as perfect as he and the vermillion-haired girl, but his cooperation with Torway was still on a high level.
「If we don’t rescue some captives, we will be at a disadvantage during the negotiations. I didn’t forget this condition, I just changed my mindset. Rescuing captives and taking captives are both equally valuable.」
Chamille already sensed why he was so focused on taking the enemy prisoner and said:
「This is correct if we are going to negotiate a prisoner exchange… We can used these captives to extradite our allies...!」
This was a simple change of mindset. Ikuta patted her head as if he was praising a child.
「Leave the command over there to Torway and the others. And now, I need to work on the east again.」
The youth left the battle in the west to his comrade and looked to the bottom of the cliff to the east. To support their allies in the west, a large group of Kioka soldiers had rushed over there.
「Thanks to my reliable comrades, I’m very free now. So don’t worry, white pretty boy— I can take you on for the entire night.」
Three hours after the battle started, 9 pm. The Kioka forces on both the western and eastern front withdrew.
「...Jean. The hot air balloon had relayed the casualty numbers suffered by our allies in the west.」
Miara entered the tent and informed her superior officer. Seeing the white-haired officer staring silently at the table, she forced herself to report calmly.
「Six hundred and twenty two dead or missing. It is possible most of them had been taken captive, and not killed. In contrast, there are just 700 injured because the sailors at the rear of the formation decided to withdraw early...」
「Yah*.」
Jean said a little too strongly— he cut the report short, as if he had heard enough. With his back to Miara who was a little shaken, he continued with a low voice.
「... Raise the negotiation flag at dawn. Prepare the letters the messengers will need to send.」
「Jean...」
「Sorry Miara, can you leave? I want to think by myself for a while.」
He rejected her with a cold voice. Given Jean’s attitude, Miara couldn’t say anything more. She saluted and left with a depressed face. Silence then engulfed the tent.
「Hmm, the battle is intense, but you don’t seem to be winning.」
The silence only lasted 5 seconds. Anarai barged into the tent shamelessly and spoke to Jean with his usual tone.
「You don’t have to be so upset. Even if you account for the losses in the past few days, the Empire suffered more losses than you. This means your performance as an officer is adequate.」
「No. That might be true for mediocre officers, but not me.」
He refuted Anarai curtly with his back towards the old sage. The old sage stroked his chin at that.
「Hmm, let me ask you something, Jean. If you are unhappy about something, what do you think is the cause?」
The moment he asked that, Jean looked at the old man with puzzled eyes.
「...? What are you saying, Professor? It’s not like you to ask something so obvious. If the result of a battle I directed is not up to par— then the problem can only lie with my lack of ability.」
He said as if that was incredibly obvious. When Anarai heard that answer, he showed an enlightened face and crossed his arms with a sigh.
「... I see. No wonder your adjutant is having such a tough time.」
Jean didn’t understand why he felt that way. Recognizing once again how deep the gulf between Jean and the people around him was, the old sage said again:
「As a Scientist— or rather, as an older man, I know very well such lectures are useless against the young ones. So I should just leave quietly.」
After making up his mind, Anarai quickly left. When Anarai Khan wanted to convey some information to someone, he wouldn’t just use words. That was because he was a Scientist that focused on application Science.
「I should invite him to a party soon— That’s also the responsibility of a senior. Isn’t that right, Bada?」
The next morning. The two armies communicated with messengers through the night, and have completed 80% of the negotiations.
「— The Kioka army’s reply added a few demands in the details, but have largely agreed to our terms.」
Sazarf informed the officers gathered in the command tent. The tense Matthew felt a little irritated after hearing that.
「The negotiations are going smoothly… Even though I had made the resolve to raise hell.」
「Neither side wants to drag this on. If this is drawn out, they will run out of food first.」
Ikuta interjected. He chewed on his jerky sandwiched between biscuits and said.
「Wanting to keep the commanders on both sides from meeting is also part of the reason. At least that is what I think.」
Even with the Empress by his side, he didn’t hesitate saying his deductions from the negotiated terms.
「... We will exchange Elulufay Tenerexilla and her subordinates, as well as the Kioka soldiers we captured yesterday, to trade for 500 captured Imperials and the 10,000 devotees… right?」
「It’s not enough to make up for our losses, but this is far from the worst results. If the situation from a few days ago persisted, they would have squeezed us for far worst terms.」
Ikuta said after sipping his tea, then put down the cup and frowned.
「But— I feel pissed about returning her to Kioka.」
The youth commented about returning the 「Great Mother of White Wings」 back to her home country. She was Kioka’s top priority, and the situation couldn’t be resolved if they kept her. If they didn’t give her back, the battle would start again.
After considering all the factors, Ikuta got up from his seat.
「I will use this chance to meet with her… Even though this might be pointless.」
「— So it really is you, Ikuta Solork.」
The 「Great Mother of White Wings」 and her fearsome-looking vassal showed up under the negotiation flags with an enlightened face.
「I could subtly feel it. The tides changed partway through this battle because you joined the fray, correct?」
「It’s my comrades who did all the heavy lifting.」
「You are saying that again, how unbelievably humble. You said the same thing two years ago.」
Elulufay shrugged. She then looked at the clutch in her opponent’s right hand.
「That might be so, but you… didn’t seem to be as healthy as before. Did you hurt your leg?」
「Yes, I took an arrow to the knee in my last battle.」
「Are you sure about revealing your health condition here? Considering the war in the future, this will become your weakness.」
「You are probably right, but it’s fine.」
Ikuta really seemed unconcerned and changed the topic.
「When you return to Kioka, can you visit a man named Anarai Khan?」
「...? That sounds familiar. I remember an old sage who fled from the Empire that goes by that name...?」
「That’s him. His personality is a little weird— but I’m still imploring you to do so.」
The youth bowed. This puzzled Elulufay who still didn’t understand what he was trying to accomplish.
「... Am I mistaken about something? I can’t think of any reason to do that.」
「I can’t demand anything of you, this is just a request.」
This answer made the Great Mother sighed in resignation. Ikuta lifted his head, and turned to the fearsome looking Marine Commander.
「And… Mister fearsome-looking face.」
「It’s Marine Commander Greg Ayuzadori. You sure have guts to call me that!」
「Commander Ayuzadori. I want to ask, what is Rear Admiral Tenerexilla to you?」
He suddenly tossed out a very personal question. Despite the intense gaze he was getting, Greg answered without any problems.
「... A superior I respect. She doesn’t go by the book in many areas, which often troubles me.」
「Hmm.」
Elulufay nodded happily. On the other hand, Ikuta showed a face that was more serious than how he looked during battles, and stared right into Greg’s eyes.
「I see... so unlike the others, you are not ensnared by her motherly nature.」
「Huh～?」
「Then, I have a request for you too. When you two return to Kioka, please ask her out on a date immediately.」
The youth said casually, and Greg almost lost his balance when he heard that.
「— Wait. What are you talking about.」
「I mean literally. Ask. Her. Out. On a date.」
Ikuta repeated slowly. Greg’s confusion and Ikuta’s intensity kept rising by equal measures. Seeing that he wasn’t getting it, the youth stamped his feet like a kid throwing a tantrum.
「Damn it, really now— Don’t you understand my pain? I have to entrust the job that I should be doing to you!」
Ikuta pressed him as if he was suffering. He looked up at Greg’s face that was much taller and continued pushing.
「If you don’t agree… then this negotiation is over. I won’t return her to Kioka!」
「Huh?」
「Promise me, Greg Ayuzadori! That you swear on your honour to escort her out on a date! If you don’t swear on it, then don’t even think about taking another step forward!」
With no regard for Greg’s puzzlement, Ikuta spread his arms like a wall blocking his way. When the thought of 「What the heck, I should just clock him」 flashed across Greg’s mind, Elulufay interjected.
「... You can just agree, Greg.」
「Great Mother?」
「Once we return to Kioka, I will go on a date with you for a day. I don’t understand the goal of this request, but it’s just a trivial matter. No reason to start a fight over this.」
She decided that accepting this request was easier than continuing this bizarre conversation. Elulufay stepped forth and confirmed with Ikuta:
「After returning to Kioka, I should visit Anarai Khan and go on a date with my cute subordinate. Are these all your requests?」
「That’s right, this is the absolute minimum. And last of all. I would like a word with your men.」
Ikuta raised his voice and addressed the sailors behind them, worried about the Great Mother’s safety.
「Letting her spoil you must make you so happy. Fighting for her and dying for her— For people who have lost a place to return to, this must be the greatest salvation— I understand. If possible, I want to do that too.」
Overlapping the image of his dead mother with Elulufay, the youth continued passionately.
「However— try to remember. What kind of face did she show when you guys get injured or killed in this war? Did she send anyone off with a smile?」
His question made all the sailors look at each other. In Ikuta’s mind, the sailors overlapped with the soldiers who respected Ikuta as a superior. That’s right— this wasn’t a completely unrelated issue.
「Since you call her your mother, then you shouldn’t let her suffer the pain of losing her children… This war will continue. So will your fleet, and one day, the number of dead will surpass the number of survivors. This is the inevitable fate of all armies.
So— please, think about this. When this inevitable future comes— Can the 『Great Mother of White Wings』 still smile like this again?」
His words caused a stir that spread through the sailors like a ripple. Hoping that their reaction wouldn’t just last for a moment, Ikuta probed them to struggle internally.
「Think about it. What can you do to protect her smile?」
After the three hours negotiations on the terms of the prisoner exchange, they reached an agreement. The Imperial army, Kioka amy and Aldera Holy army started descending the mountains based on their non aggression pact— The battle that started with the Aldera devotees’ Grand Escape ended with the Empire suffering the greater loss.
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