Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
「Insignificant.」
The deep voice echoed through the entire tent. Major General Saba reacted in his usual way towards the idea Sazarf raised on behalf of Ikuta.
「You really think this is an adequate plan? One wrong move─ No, even without making any mistakes, this will still benefit the enemy. Assuming that it somehow succeeds, we will still be questioned after the fact. If it fails, even I will be branded as a traitor.」
Major General Saba said solemnly to the three subordinates standing before him. The dark haired youth listened alongside Yatori and Sazarf, but his face was strangely calm.
「Erm… I see, but since we will be depleting a part of the enemy’s resources, so in that sense, this is a good plan…」
「Shallow. Anyone can propose impractical empty talk.」
Sazarf was dumbstruck after getting shot down so firmly. It seems that the proposal would be rejected─ Sazarf looked helplessly to either side of him to express that view, but Ikuta shook his head.
「You are mistaken, Major─ Everything Major General Saba has said so far is just his opening remarks!」
The youth declared loudly, as if this was an indisputable truth. Sazarf opened his eyes wide, while Major General Saba frowned with a face of doubt. Only Yatori was smiling wryly.
「It is only natural for there to be an opposing opinion towards any proposals. After all, a perfect plan isn’t something that can be thought up so easily. Major General Saba is testing how strongly we felt about our idea. How far have we thought about it? How well can we handle any opposition? After evaluating us, he will then demand us to submit a higher quality proposal. Please understand the General’s intention.」
Ikuta said with a glib tongue as he took a step towards the commander-in-chief. No matter how many times he saw it, Sazarf couldn’t help being impressed by Ikuta’s audacity.
「Since we have gotten a stern rebuttal, going by the rules, we have to retract our proposal and polish it further. However, I would like to seek permission to skip this step. After all, a troublesome guy had butted in to act as the enemy commander, so I want to save as much time as possible.」
「… I already heard about you, but you are really a cunning linguist. Are you trying to convince me with your glib tongue?」
「Convince… That’s not really it. If I have to categorize this, what I’m doing is conning you.」
The youth said with a cheerful smile. Even though the youth was acting overly familiar, the Major General Saba still stubbornly refuse:
「Insignificant, that isn’t possible.」
「That’s not true. In the past, there is at least one person who managed to do that, right?」
Ikuta shook his head and corrected the Major General’s words. The Major General stiffened his lips.
「… What are you trying to say?」
「Like I said, I’m just trying to do something interesting in this meaningless war. And isn’t our proposal really amusing? Not only will we get to see the stupefied face of our enemies, we can also work towards a victory with minimal bloodshed if it works… Yes, we might get questioned after the fact, but if we think about it from a different perspective, isn’t this a wondrous thing?」
「What do you mean?」
「Because 『achieving results even if you have to resort to unorthodox means』 is the style that suits you the most, Major General Kubalha Saba of the 『Twin Jewels of the Sun』.」
The youth made it clear that he meant well when he said that. The Major General was completely caught off guard. His nostalgic nickname that came suddenly broke through his statue like poker face.
「… You are bringing up an ancient tag.」
「That’s right, why don’t you use this chance to clear away the dust, and wear it on your chest? You can add this behind the name tag─ 『self preservation isn’t your style at all』.」
The moment Ikuta said that─ a 「Ha」 escaped from Major General Saba, even though he had never shown any goodwill to anyone so far. It wasn’t loud, but it sounded sincerely cheerful.
「I see, so this is the con you are referring to─」
Major General Saba who finally understood the meaning behind these words look at his opponent with a smile, and Ikuta smiled back. The two soldiers with a large gulf in both rank and age had grown unexpectedly close after their short exchange.
「……Ikuta Solork, huh?」
Major General Saba repeated this name. His gaze seemed to be resting on a figure standing behind that youth─ a short moment later, the commander-in-chief returned his eyes to the trio before him and said:
「Polish your proposal into an executable plan and submit it again─ I will decide whether I want to be tricked after hearing it.」
In the afternoon three days later, the trouble Jean was expecting was finally here.
「C-Colonel, a report!」
When the messenger barged into the headquarters, the white haired officer had braced himself for bad news. However, the report he heard was the opposite.
「A platoon of allied soldiers has reached our base, and is requesting to link up with us! They seemed to be the unit to our west that engaged the imperial army earlier!」
「─ What did you say?」
Jean got up from his chair with a stiff face. His comrade that was defeated had managed to escape from the enemy─ on the surface, this was definitely good news. However, it was too good to be true.
「Our base camp is completely surrounded, there is no gaps for our allies to sneak through. Is that unit the enemy disguised as friendly forces?」
「No, they are definitely our allies. There are many soldiers in this base that had retreated here from the west, and they recognize their former comrades there. We have verified the identity of their platoon leader, so it is unlikely that the enemy infiltrated in…」
As this involved their comrades well being, the messenger was flustered when he made his report. Seeing that Jean was unable to decide and fell into deep thought, his female adjutant raised her hand:
「Jean, I will go take a look. We might be able to sort out the details if we interview their platoon leader.」
「… *Syah. Please check for any traps or foul play, Miara. We can let their platoon leader enter the base, and interview him first.」
They couldn’t be sure if an assassin had infiltrated that group, so it would be dangerous for Jean to go. Miara who took on this task on his behalf saluted and rushed out of the headquarters. The white haired officer watched his adjutant go, and felt a strange sense of unease growing in his heart.
After a short jog up the the bowl shaped camp towards the west, Miara noticed a large group of soldiers gathered near the top of the slope, with a huge familiar figure amongst them. When he noticed her, that figure spoke to her.
「Oh, you are here? A messenger should have gone over, so what are Jean’s thoughts about this?」
Captain Harrah was covered in dirt, probably from patrolling the ditch. Miara shook her head:
「He is very suspicious of this whole situation, but has reserved judgement until I took a look at the situation.」
Miara answered as she climbed out the defensive wall made from dirt, and watched the situation on the other side while staying on guard of gunfire. She saw more than 40 Kioka soldiers laying prone with faces filled with worry. Miara asked Harrah who came to her a moment later.
「… I heard the identity of the platoon leader has been verified. Please tell me his name.」
「Second Lieutenant Calone Munjiha. That short round faced man who is holding our nation’s flag in front of them.」
After hearing that reply, Miara immediately found the subject in question and shouted:
「Second Lieutenant Calone Munjiha! I wish to ask you the specific details, come to us alone!」
The platoon leader quickly climbed up the dirt wall as instructed. The short middle aged soldier stumbled into the camp with the help of a rope Harrah dropped to him. Miara jumped off the dirt wall and spoke to him:
「Welcome to the Hioredo ore mines. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to let you rest, so please brief us quickly. We want to let the soldiers in as soon as possible too.」
「Ah… Yes…! But… Erm… Where should I start…」
「You can start in chronological order, after the battle with the Imperial army. What happened, and how did you get here?」
Harrah pressed for details. Second Lieutenant Munjiha sort out his thoughts, and started answering:
「… After receiving reports of the imperial invasion, my unit set off from the base to the defensive fortification in the west to intercept the enemy. However, we were outnumbered, and surrendered without achieving anything of note. My subordinates and I were taken prisoner by the Empire.」
「You were taken prisoner…? Then how did you escape them?」
「This is the part that I don’t understand, we didn’t make any attempts to escape. The imperials took us from the prison camp and left us at the foot of the mountain.」
「And you fled here after there?」
「No… Like I said, we didn’t escape. The imperial army released us at the foot of the mountain, and we were abandoned in the wild without any explanation. We can’t go back to our base in the west, so we set course for the closest allied base, which is here.」
Second Lieutenant Munjiha explained as he took out an official letter from a leather folder, and showed it to the two of them:
「We hereby release the Kioka Army Second Lieutenant Calone Munjiha and the 37 soldiers under his charge from the obligation of prison labour」─ this content, along with the date, time and stamp were all written on this official letter. A dark gloom hung over Miara and Harrah’s faces.
「It’s a simplified version, but it’s still an official document… There is nothing suspicious about the content. It looks like a legit document that adheres to the laws of war.」
「… In other words, the enemy released the prisoners one sidedly? They didn’t ask for anything in return and just hand them over to us?」
「That’s how it is. I am baffled by this too, and can’t offer any explanation either…」
Second Lieutenant Munjiha lowered his head haplessly. With their allies who returned in such a ridiculous manner in front of them, Miara and Harrah could only stare at each other.
「… I understand the enemy’s goal.」
After hearing the report from his two subordinate, the 「General of Insomniatic Brilliance」 showed a bitter expression:
「It is as you presumed, it’s impossible for the enemy to release the prisoners of war without asking for anything in return. This is clearly an offensive act.」
「It’s treason, then? Second Lieutenant Munjiha and the others…?」
「*Nyatt… They are innocent. What Second Lieutenant Munjiha said was probably true, but the situation is more simple and devious. Listen up, Miara─ This is just the first batch of many, we will be taking in more released prisoners in the future. The intention of the Imperial army is to increase the load on our food supply and drain our resources.」
When they heard that, Miara eyes opened wide and Harrah slapped his forehead in enlightenment:
「… So that’s what they are after! Damn it, now that you mentioned it, this is a blind spot…!」
「This is a rather classic idea, no, it can even be thought of as being outdated. In order to stress out the enemy holing up in a fortification, an army would round up citizens from the nearby towns and villages, and herd them into the enemy base─ such unethical methods were only natural in the wars of the past… However, with the progress of civilization, a set of laws dictating 『the basic rules that both sides have to adhere to』 for nations at war was drafted. This treaty drawn up by various nations is the 『law of war』. According to the treaty, exploiting normal citizens for war is prohibited, and the same applies for prisoners of war. However─」
「─The treaty prohibits the maltreatment of prisoners, but not the release of prisoners… No, strictly speaking 『abandoning prisoners without ensuring they have the means to survive』 will be classified as maltreatment, but if I remember correctly, that only violates the treaty if the 『place of their release is hostile territory to the prisoners』.」
「That’s right, this place is Kioka territory, and Second Lieutenant Munjiha’s platoon did escape into an allied base─ damn it! What a clever and infuriating trick. The nature of this scheme is comparable to the inhumane methods of ancient times, but if we check this against the treaty, we can’t fault them for anything at all.」
Captain Harrah clicked his tongue with a mix of awe and hatred, while Miara shook her head hard:
「No! Since Jean had seen through the enemy, then we can stop them! If accepting the release prisoners will deplete our food faster, then we just have to reject them!」
In response to the simple solution raised up by his deputy, the white haired officer answered curtly with a 「Nay.」
「… We can’t do that, Miara. We have to accept the released prisoners.」
「I understand how you feel, but Jean…! There are times when we have to make the harsh decision!」
「*Syah, I don’t intend to shriek from my duties as the commander. Saving the many by sacrificing the few─ that’s what war is about. If I can save a hundred by sacrificing ten people, I won’t hesitate in doing so. Even if the numbers are 49 against 51, I will still choose the same─ However, the issue here is different.」
Jean continued explaining to Miara who furrowed her brows puzzledly:
「Think about it, why did the soldiers here submit themselves to us, who aren’t their original commanders? That’s because we didn’t abandon them. Because we came to help them when they are surrounded by the enemy, with no regards for our own safety─ This first impression is the foundation of their trust in us.」
「Ahh…」
「Conversely, when this foundation wavers, our authority to command will crumble. Unlike you two, they don’t have complete faith in me. This is only natural since we met most of the soldiers for the first time a few days ago. Things might be different if they are subordinates that I trained up.」
「…B-But! The enemy didn’t violate the war treaty, right? In that case, if we refuse to accept the prisoners, they won’t suffer any harsh treatment! If they surrender to the enemy again, they won’t be attacked…!」
「Yes, you might be right. Hoping the enemy will act in the way we wish is foolish, but it’s true that our opponent this time won’t kill the prisoners after all that… However, even if they won’t do that, they can create such an illusion. For example─ when the prisoners are out of our sight, they can use that chance to make the sound of gunshots and screams. Aside from the few of us, the others will think that the prisoners had been massacred.」
「What…!」
「Our opponent this time is someone who will do something like that… and if that happens, how will the troops feel as they imagine the scene of their comrades being slaughtered? Unease, sadness, rage and hatred… Will all their negative emotions be directed to the imperial army alone? No, it’s not that simple. We will become the subject of hatred and suspicion because we abandoned their comrades that could have been saved.」
After making such a conclusion, Jean sighed heavily. Miara couldn’t find a response, and kept quiet.
「That guy… Ikuta Solork executed this plan after making that many moves ahead. He had already seen through that we have no choice but to take in our allies. It’s not a surprise to me anymore, meeting with him at that conference a few days ago was a mistake. I was the one who gave him this opening.」
The white haired officer clenched his right fist and smacked it into his left palm with gritted teeth. He restrained himself with this action as he searched tirelessly for a way to counter this situation.
「… Since they are prisoners, they will be stripped of their weapons. The base don’t have excess stock of weapons, and unlike arrows, we don’t have the specialized craftsman to make air rifle bullets. Despite the strain on our food supply increasing, our combat potential aren’t increasing.」
「I can’t find anyway we can benefit… I’m breaking out in cold sweat.」
「No, there is only one advantage. That guy might think he had seen through our situation─ but things aren’t that simple. As you all know, we have concealed our trump card.」
Jean said quietly as he looked out the window. Inside the pits exposed to the sky were numerous tunnels dug into the walls. Many soldiers could be seen entering and exiting these tunnels.
「Our fighting strength will remain the same, but the manpower we can tap on has increased. We might not have spare weapons, but there are plenty of shovels left behind by the mine workers─ There’s no benefit for us at all? *Mum, Harrah, please don’t jest. This situation is a boon for us.」
「… That’s right!」
「Have you stopped breaking out in cold sweat? Then the issue is settled─ Alright, Harrah, go back to your post and continue supervising the digging works. Miara officially take in Second Lieutenant Munjiha’s platoon, remember to treat them kindly.」
「Yes Sir!」
「*Yah. I will be counting on you two. Whether we can let Ikuta Solork taste bitter defeat will be dependent on your success.」
When they heard the order given to them with a determined tone, Miara and Harrah nodded firmly. They exit through the main door, and the 「General of Insomniatic Brilliance」 watch them go with eyes filled with trust.
「Ara～ I wonder how long can they last?」
At the same time, the opponent Jean and the others were busy preparing against─ was chewing on grilled chicken claw in a sloppy manner as he observed the enemy with his telescope.
「That’s the fourth platoon we sent over… So their food will be depleted by 160 people more people～」
Haro said in awe. Beside Ikuta who was seated on a round stool were the members of the knight order, the Princess, and Sazarf. They were all eating like he was. There was a wide gulf in tension between on the two sides, even though they share the same battlefield.
「To come up with such a scummy method… just imagining the situation for our enemy gives me goosebumps.」
「Hmm hmmp, you can imagine the disgust felt back by the enemy, right? That’s the beauty of this, Matthew. That white pretty boy was prepared for an intense trench warfare, but I had enough of that during our naval battle. So this time, I won’t let them fight a normal battle!」
「I-It has been a while since I last saw Ik-kun being so energetic…」
「Using such despicable methods suits his personality just fine. His face looks exactly the same as that time when he set that conman up.」
Yatori said offhandedly. Sazarf laughed in response, and tore a toast bread apart:
「Well, I don’t hate this method. In any case, ending things without a fight is the best results. Neither me nor my men will get hurt, and we can use our free time to enjoy a casual meal. Sigh~ I have no complaints.」
「……Major Sazarf, you are becoming more and more like Solork.」
Princess Chamille commented suddenly, and Sazarf froze for a few seconds before coughing intentionally:
「T-That’s not important! I was surprised by this plan, but what surprised me more was that you managed to convince Major General Saba. As a bystander, it was really shocking. How did things go so smoothly given how bad his temper is?」
「No, I didn’t use any special tactic. More accurately speaking, I believe in Major General Saba right from the start. Since I know he is someone who will react when I knock, I just need to make sure I knock on the right spot.」
「That’s what I don’t understand. No matter how I look at it, you have obviously gotten a good hold on Major General Saba’s character. I tried for a month and failed, so what’s going on here?」
Sazarf pressed for an answer. At this moment, Yatori interjectted nonchalantly:
「Major, despite how withdrawn Major General Saba may seem, in the past, he was famous and had the nickname 『Twin Jewels of the Sun』. The late Lieutenant General Hazaaf Rikan and him shared this nickname while they were serving together under a certain general in the past. Given his reputation, this is more than enough reason to place our trust in him.」
「I think I have heard of that before… But even then, all that happened before you were born, correct?」
Sazarf replied with an akward smile, and decided to stop pursuing the matter.
「Really now… I thought we had gotten close after going through the war and so many incidents. Seems like there are still many things I don’t really know.」
Ikuta and Yatori didn’t respond, and they chewed on their dried papaya to end their meal. Everyone finished their food soon after, and returned to their stations.
「We are done with our meal, so let’s go back to our subordinates… To be honest, this is really boring. On top of that, we are part of the reserves, and won’t have much change in engaging the enemy.」
「Isn’t that just fine, my dear Matthew? You are overworked for the naval battle earlier, so you can take a well deserved break. If you push yourself after coming here, then you will be overworking.」
「It’s normal for soldiers to strive for achievements, right? I don’t plan to be stingy with my efforts.」
「No, you are wrong. For the operations of an organization, the adequate allocation of work and risk is very important. In order for an organization to run smoothly, overworking only a few select staff shouldn’t be viewed as the norm. This applies outside the military too, and is very important. Please keep that in mind, Matthew.」
Ikuta emphasized again. His tone was normal, but there was a serious light in his dark eyes. The slightly pudgey youth noticed that, and repeated what he just heard in his head. He couldn’t digest everything just yet, but still nodded for now, deciding to think about it thoroughly later.
After Matthew left, Torway, Haro and Sazarf all returned to their post. The rowdy meal ended, leaving only Ikuta, Yatori and Princess Chamille behind.
「……」
At this moment, the Princess fidgeted flusteredly. She remembered that scene which happened on the 「Yellow Dragon」 before the battle, so the three of them being together made her feel uneasy. She got up from her seat, and tried to leave nonchalantly─ but coincidentally, a voice came from behind her.
「Your Highness, please wait. There’s some dirt on your hair. Pardon my insolence, but please allow me to clean it for you. Let’s head to the tent over there.」
「Hmm…? N-No need. I can clean my hair by myself.」
「But it’s a hassle to clean the part behind your head, right? If your beautiful hair is damaged, then not just me, all the soldiers will be pained by this. This is bad for the wellbeing of your hair, so I hope you─」
The vermillion haired girl said in a logical manner that clearly showed her sincere concern in an effort to convince Princess Chamille… Yatori or Haro taking the initiative to request to take care of the Princess was very common. And to the Princess, this was definitely not something that would irked her.
「… Ugh!」
Before getting to know the members of the knight order, there wasn’t anyone who would comb her hair with such love and tenderness. Most of the people around either feared her, or was curious. In rare cases, they were filled with hatred or pity─ so for the Princess, Yatori and Haro whom she met by chance were the only two person of the same gender that she could open her heart to.
─ That should be so, but why…
The heart of the girl fell into conflicted emotions of admiration and jealousy… Why was this display of kindness so painful for her? Why was the dark emotions in her heart tumbling and overwhelming her gratitude and joy─!
「…? What’s the matter, Your Highness─」
Smack! A crisp sound echoed out─ when the Princess realized it, she had slapped away Yatori’s hand with all her might:
「I-I don’t wanna!」
The girl yelled angrily, her voice turned shrilled from anger. The rejected Yatori froze on the spot.
「Know your place, Yatori Shino Igsem! You are not my kin or servant! There’s no reason for you to tend to me at all! B-But you ignore my wishes and speak to me over familiarly…! Do you think of yourself as my mother or older sister!」
When the damn broke, even the Princess couldn’t stop it. The emotion that had built up in her heart gushed out violently into sharp words that stabbed at Yatori mercilessly.
For the next few minutes, even the Princess herself wasn’t sure what she was raving about. When she came to, she found the red haired knight kneeling on one knee with her head bowed, as she was standing stiffly with ragged breath. She wasn’t fazed by the muddy ground beneath her.
「─ My apologies, Princess Chamille. I have been acting arrogantly and spoken out of line. I will reflect on your words and not fail in my chivalry as a knight again.」
Yatori didn’t give any reason or explanation, and gave a perfect apology as a knight. After seeing this splendid response, the Princess realized in horror what a foolish thing she had done.
「… Ahh… Ahh…」
You are not my kin or servant! There’s no reason for you to tend to me at all!─ It was correct for a royal to admonish her vassals with this rationale. However, this wasn’t something Chamille should say to Yatori.
The Princess used the absolute authority of her position to stample over the relationship she had nurtured with the vermillion haired girl. Because of her careless words, their hearts that had grown closer over all this time was reverted to that of a Lord and her knight.
「Ahh… Ughh!」
And the result was Yatori’s figure kneeling in the mud. The one who forced her to do so was none other then the Princess herself. Realizing the despair and the wrong she had wrought, Princess Chamille’s reason shattered. She ran off at full speed and fled the scene.
「Your Highness……!」
Yatori stood up and wanted to give chase, but someone grabbed her shoulder from behind. She looked back and found the dark haired youth shaking his head.
「… We should give her some time. If you chase right after her, you will just force her to a corner.」
The vermillion haired girl couldn’t refute this opinion, and stopped her feet with feelings of resigned anxiety. Ikuta squat down before her and brushed off the mud staining her knee. Yatori accepted his help as she closed her eyes to reflect on her own incompetence.
「She asked if I thought of myself as her mother or older sister… That really shook me.」
「……」
「Right now, I’m serving Her Highness as a knight. But when I think of her as a normal girl, I understood that compared to the loyalty as a vassal, what she needed more as a young girl is familial kindness… That was probably why I did those things unconsciously.」
「You aren’t wrong. To the Princess, everyone in the knight order is like an older sibling to her. I think that is the responsibility of someone older accompanying their young charges.」
「That’s true… But I couldn’t push myself to do so. I will always think of my position as a knight and Her Highness’ status as a royal, and how she is my mistress. So even though I had an inkling of what might happen, I could only apologize in my position as a knight.」
Yatori hung her head with a self mocking face that was rarely seen on her:
「… If we are true sisters… No, even if we are just friends, we should have fought just now. We will slowly adjust the sense of distance between us through a series of small squabbles… I think that is more healthy for humans.」
「You don’t need to be bound by the standards of what is 『normal』, after all, you just have to face the Princess within your own limits. Not as a nameless knight, but as an older sister.」
「Can I really do it… I am protecting the Third Princess of the Empire as a knight, but not the girl named Chamille… Recently, I have been thinking about that a lot.」
After dusting off most of the mud, the dark haired youth stood up without saying anything. Yatori who was looking in the direction the Princess ran off in finally turned her gaze onto Ikuta.
「─Ikuta, from the very start, you are the closest to Princess Chamille… She had told you many things that she couldn’t tell me, correct?」
「……」
「I don’t have any basis for this, but I sense that Her Highness is hiding a grave secret. I can’t even imagine what its content might be, but I know it isn’t a peaceful matter. It seems that you are undecided about it too.」
「… Ah～ forget it, I never thought I can hide it from you in the first place.」
Ikuta said with a wry smile, and continued with a serious face:
「To be blunt, the Princess was raised in a twisted way. So up until now, she still wants to move towards a fruitless goal… As for me, I just can’t leave her alone.」
「It’s the responsibility of being the older one… So, how’s the situation? Have you figured a way out?」
When he heard this question, Ikuta’s face turned even more serious:
「To be honest, it’s very difficult. The Princess’ heart has been twisted in a place deeper than I expected. She is surprisingly fixated on her goal towards a destructive end, so much that I suspect that she was nurtured this way with malicious intent… On top of that, I’m not qualified at all to guide the younger ones, so I concluded that I can’t do this on my own.」
「You seem to be stuck in a deeper rut than I imagined─ in that case, what are your plans?」
Under Yatori’s watchful eyes, Ikuta hesitated for a moment before showing a bashful smile.
「Hmm, about that… You told me something on the 『Yellow Dragon』, correct? I think I can use your words to form the basis of my answer.」
The youth scratched his head with a hand as he replied. His unexpected response made the girl open her eyes wide in surprise.
「I can’t save the Princess alone, and you can’t protect the girl named Chamille by yourself. So in conclusion─ there’s two of us here.」
Ikuta added. A few seconds later, the vermillion haired girl smiled gently:
「… Maybe Her Highness will yell at us to know our place, and we will get scolded together.」
「Yes, if she ask if you think you are her mother or older sister, I will say I’m like her father or elder brother.」
「That will make her more mad, and might blow up the matter.」
「Isn’t that what we want? It will be great if we are close enough to fight like that.」
The youth said after turning around, then turned back to face Yatori again:
「… It’s the same for that 『grave secret』. In the near future, I will tell you all about it, I promise. So can you wait a while longer?」
Ikuta looked at her eyes and said clearly. Yatori gave a slight nod. That topic was concluded with that gesture─ since Ikuta promised to tell her one day, the girl will believe him and wait.
「… Oh, on another note, I have something to discuss with you.」
The silence didn’t last long. Ikuta switched topics nonchalantly:
「This is a copy I made of the ore mines map I borrowed from headquarters. When I compared it to another map, there is some parts that that bothered me. There’s a tunnel that leads to the north─」
「Sorry to interrupt!」
While the two of them were studying the map Ikuta took out, three imperial soldiers suddenly interrupted them. They were Company grade officers, but their faces didn’t look familiar. After a sloppy salute, they went straight to the point.
「We have an urgent message for First Lieutenant Yatori Shino Igsem. As per our orders, the contents are for your eyes only. Could you follow us for a moment?」
「Only for me…? I have no idea what this is about, but very well, let’s go under the shade of that tree.」
Yatori stopped the conversation and followed the officers to a spot some distance away. The youth who was left alone was weirded out by this development when he heard Suya shouting: 「OC!」 Ikuta didn’t linger over this matter and left the place too.
The five members of the knight order only reconvened at night.
In the base to the south of the ore mines, a tent had been set up for them to use as a gathering place. In the space lit up by Kusu’s lantern light, Ikuta, Matthew, Torway and Haro were waiting for Yatori and the Princess to come back.
「After seven batches, that’s about 300 men? The Kioka army in the mountain took in all the prisoners we released. They must have figured out our goal by now…」
「That white pretty boy must have known since the first batch. However, they don’t have any choice but to take in the released prisoners. If they lose the trust and morale of their men, no one will cooperate with him to fight this hopeless battle.」
Ikuta answered Torway with his eyes on the map detailing the inside of the ore mines. Opposite him, Haro was working hard at cleaning the mud stain on her shirt and said:
「Even the 『General of Insomniatic Brilliance』 will get troubled if their food runs out… What will they do then?」
「That’s the issue here. If they won’t surrender, they will have to set up a new supply line before their rations run out, which will be a difficult problem. Even if their reinforcement really comes, they will still need to break through our encirclement to deliver the supply into the mountain. The soldiers will definitely starve before they can accomplish that.」
「I have been thinking about that too. Will the enemy deliver the supplies with balloons? If they just need to air drop the supplies in, it can be done by flying at an altitude higher than the range of the Anti Material Air Rifle, correct?」
「Considering the capacity of one balloon, that’s not practical at all. Even if they send out one company of air force troopers, we can also despatch our cavalry and chase them to their landing zone. This is different from the situation with Lieutenant General Rikan, who can’t attack the enemy’s territory.」
「So you aren’t that worried about their air force, Ik-kun. From the looks of it, your concern is in the opposite direction… which is underground?」
The jade eyed youth shift his gaze onto the table as he speaks. Ikuta nodded:
「That’s right. Tunnels and ore mines comes as a package, and in case of emergencies and their basecamp being surrounded, digging an escape tunnel had been used since ancient times. Assuming that thing exist, it can be used as a supply line too.」
「What I want to ask is, is that assumption practical? A really long tunnel will be needed to pass under our encirclement, and can’t be done in a matter of days.」
「It’s not a matter of days, Matthew. This map is from the times when the Empire controlled the ore mines. Back then, the escape tunnel was already half completed. After all, the Empire was also worried about being surrounded by the enemy. There’s no telling whether the Kioka had continued with the excavation works, correct?」
Matthew took the map and groaned as he stared at it. Ikuta shifted his gaze onto another map─ the terrain around the Hioredo ore mines.
「About 700m to the north of the ore mines is a vast jungle… If their tunnel reaches there, they can avoid being detected by the enemy encircling the ore mines, and establish contact with the outside. That’s the possibility I’m wary of. In any case, I want to confirm if this tunnel exist.」
「How do you plan to find out? You can’t do a comb of the entire jungle, or are you thinking of listening with your ears to the ground at suspicious spots?」
「When digging such a long tunnel, the suitability of the ground is very important. The earth around this place is not firm by any standards, so if─」
Footsteps from outside the tent stopped the discussion that was heating up. After pulling the tent’s entrance open, a vermillion haired girl entered. The four of them greeted their comrade with their gaze.
「Welcome back, Yatori-san. You are late tonight, did something happened?」
Haro stopped scrubbing at the stains and asked Yatori gently. However, in contrast to her, Yatori’s face was very stiff. Torway noticed that:
「What happened, Yatori-san?」
「… Yes. My company have received orders to return to the Empire.」
Yatori said monotonously, and her answered made the four of them opened their eyes wide:
「Return to the Empire… Huh? So you are the only one who has to return? We have not finished our objectives of taking the ore mines, so… what’s going on here?」
Matthew raised an obvious question. The other three were wondering the same thing, but the vermillion haired girl didn’t answer. Seeing her abnormal reaction, Ikuta thought briefly for a moment, then tapped on the table rhythmically with his fingers.
─ What’s going on?
By converting the Kioka light signal code into sound, Ikuta tried to ask her in secret. Yatori realized what he was doing, pondered for a moment, then approached the table and tapped a reply with her fingers.
─ I can’t say anything.
The youth felt his body temperature drop at this curt reply─ she can’t say anything. Being pulled out of the frontlines was obviously an abnormal situation, but Yatori Shino Igsem still insist that she couldn’t explain the situation to Ikuta Solork.
「… Okay, I understand.」
Only in such a situation would silence be a fearsome means of debating. Since he couldn’t get an answer, Ikuta could only work backwards to solve the question. In other words─ Something more terrible than what she could express in words had happened.
「When will you leave?」
Ikuta asked as he stood up. Yatori answered simply:
「I have to leave by tonight, about two hours later.」
Being told that they didn’t have much buffer time turned Matthew and the others speechless. But Ikuta just nod and walked outside.
「… I will be out for a while. Drop by here again in an hour.」
The dark haired youth said as he walk pass Yatori, and left the tent with brisk steps… After he left, the other companions who didn’t grasp the situation looked at Yatori who was standing there in silence. Her fists were clenched tightly.
After leaving his comrades, Ikuta headed straight for the headquarters main tent. It was impossible that the commander-in-chief didn’t know that Yatori would be leaving the frontlines with the company under her command.
「Pardon my intrusion.」
He had already passed through the entrance when he said that, acting before he could get a response. More than ten high ranking officers and Major General Saba was in the large tent, and they cast gazes of bafflement and admonishment at the young First Lieutenant who had barged in. Major Sazarf and Major Melza were also present, but the ones who caught Ikuta’s attention weren’t them. His dark eyes immediately found the three Company grade officers he saw in the afternoon.
「W-What─ Uwah!」
Ikuta approached the trio who were speaking with Major General Saba, grabbed one of them by the shoulder and pulled them over:
「What happened?」
This was different from the youth’s usual style of doing things as he demanded for an answer in a forward manner. The officer averted his gaze because of his intimidating demeanour, refusing to answer. Ikuta continue holding onto him as he turned his eyes to the side:
「Major General Saba, regarding the matter of First Lieutenant Yatori Shino withdrawing from the frontlines, what have they told you?」
The youth disregarded any protocol and asked the commander-in-chief who was much older than him. The high ranking officers all stared with their eyes wide open from outrage, but Major General Saba didn’t seem to mind and answered plainly:
「I have only learned that it is a 『strategic redeployment of grave importance』.」
「There’s no further explanation? Then, who signed the orders?」
「Field Marshal Igsem.」
「M-Major General! He’s a mere Lieutenant, how can you…」
One of the officers who brought this problem here protested, but the Major General glared at him.
「…Insignificant. I’m very concerned by the abnormality of this situation too. We will be getting ready to attack the enemy’s base soon, and this order to withdraw 2,000 troops came out of the blue; and the explanation is as good as nothing. Even if a mere Lieutenant acted slightly out of line from the corner of my eyes, it is trivial compared to the seriousness of this matter.」
Major General answered in a cold and condescending tone. It seems that the commander-in-chief had given his consent to Ikuta’s brusque actions─ I will ignore it even if you act a little out of line, interrogate those guys as much as you want. The youth understood what the general was implying, and nodded slightly:
「You mentioned 2,000 troops? In that case, Yatori’s unit isn’t the only one that had been pulled out… Aside from Yatori, can you list the full name of all the recalled officers with the rank of First Lieutenant and above?」
「Very well. Major Nudakka Megu, Captain Abunriku Yodoriko, Captain Maruji Niruhisuna, Captain Poren Suhiku, First Lieutenant Jigu Daisosu─」
Major General Saba read out the names listed on the written orders fluently. After listening to the full list, Ikuta matched these names with the information in his memory─ it didn’t take long for him to find what they have in common:
「─ They are all officers from the Igsem faction? And the ones who are more active too.」
When he heard that, the officer Ikuta was grabbing twitched the corner of his lips. Having confirmed that he was on the mark, Ikuta pressed on:
「Yatori didn’t tell me anything about why she had been recalled. It’s rare for us to hide anything from each other. Private matters aside, since we are assigned to the same mission and working under the same officer, it is only natural for us to share our intel─ since this is obviously a military matter, why did she say she can’t share it with me?」
「… Ughh…」
「The thing that can seal her lips─ is usually her position as a member of the Igsem house. And that matches the situation where only the officers from the Igsem faction had been recalled… Hence, I can deduce with almost perfect confidence at this point in time that something serious had happened in the Empire, and it involved the Igsem faction.」
Enough! Don’t say anymore! That officer pleaded desperately with his eyes, but Ikuta ignored him. He said the decisive phrase aloud:
「Let’s start by checking the worst scenario─ a coup?」
In that instant, the color drained from that officer’s face. The youth saw from close range that the first shot fired had regrettably hit the mark. The chill he felt spread to everyone in the tent.
「… And the coup is serious enough to force Field Marshal Igsem to recall the forces that are 『definitely on his side』 back to the empire. There are very few who can pull this off… Using the simple process of elimination, the mastermind is General Remeon.」
「N-No!」
Only now did that officer refuted him for the first time. However, his lips were trembling too much for anyone to believe him. Ikuta leaned in closer, and glared at him with their noses almost touching:
「Hey, if you want to deny it, at least give us a reason. Do you have any other excuses that make sense? I can’t think of any. This army is on a campaign by imperial edict, but 2,000 officers and men from the Igsem faction had been suddenly recalled without any reason─ aside from a coup, is there any other reason?」
「Ugh… Ugh…!」
「You don’t have one? That’s because Field Marshal Igsem understood that any reason he fabricates will draw suspicion, that’s why he is forcing it through with the excuse of 『strategic redeployment of grave importance』, correct?」
After staring at each other for a while, the officer’s lips remained tightly sealed. He was like a turtle hiding in his shell, using his silence as the best means of defence. Ikuta treated this silence to confirm his deduction, and turned to Major General Saba:
「This is the truth, Major General. Officers from the Igsem faction had been recalled suddenly to deal with the coup in the empire, so we can conclude that the Imperial army is going to split into two factions.」
「……」
「I don’t think anyone here meets this condition, but please be wary of high ranking officers from the Remeon faction, they might attempt to seize command authority from you… but that’s unlikely. During the planning phase of the Hioredo ore mines campaign, General Remeon had already included soldiers who might get in the way of his coup. The proof is that including you, all the officers present are more passive about factions.」
Ikuta surveyed the room where the soldiers were standing in a daze, decided that his job was done, and ran out of the tent.
「Hey! First Lieutenant Ikuta! Where are you going…!」
Ikuta didn’t respond to Sazarf’s panicking voice, and disappeared into the night.
Inside the tent that blocked out everything in the world except for the dim light of the setting sun shining through the translucent curtains. The Princess was writhing in her bed from guilt and self loathing, curled up into a ball with a blanket around her.
After saying those awful things to Yatori and running away, she had no choice other then hiding in this personal space of hers. The Princess was too afraid to visit the water supply station a few metres outside, much less meet the members of the Knight Order.
She felt as if every tree, grain of sand, and all other things in the world were reproaching her. These voices of admonishment kept bombarding her mind, wearing away her mental fortitude from the inside. If she was subjected to external attack, she would crumble away without any resistance─ She was convinced of that, so her only option was to lock herself away.
「Pardon my intrusion, is Princess Chamille in?」
Her heart jolted when the Princess heard the voice she feared the most coming from outside. The aura of the vermillion haired girl standing proudly with her chest held high could even be felt inside the tent.
「My apologies, First Lieutenant Yatori Shino. Her Highness doesn’t wish to meet anyone at the moment.」
The guard answered as instructed by the Princess. The girl listened carefully, and could feel someone nodding slightly. Yatori’s voice then rang out again:
「I see, this might be rude, but allow me to report directly here─ I have received orders from the Empire to withdraw, and will return with my unit back to the Empire. It is almost time for me to go, so I came to report to you urgently.」
The Princess held her breath─ return to the Empire? In this situation, and only Yatori? But why?
「The other members of the Knight Order will stay behind, so please take care of your safety and stick together with them as much as possible.」
At this point, Yatori stopped and fell silent. It felt like she was waiting for a reply, and searching for more heartfelt words… However, the Princess held onto to her peace stubbornly, and Yatori seemed to noticed that from outside the tent. So Yatori didn’t try to continue the conversation, and said her farewell:
「Well then, I will take my leave─ Princess Chamille, please take care.」
After saying what sounded like a prayer, the movement of her turning could be felt inside the tent. Realizing that her footsteps were getting further, the Princess started shivering. Spurred by her strong sense of anxiety, she felt the urge to charge out of the tent and chase her─ but in the end, the girl couldn’t move.
「─Ah─」
She waited until the sense of movement was completely gone. In the dim tent without any sense of salvation, the girl was left alone once more.
After bidding the Princess goodbye, Yatori headed to the Knight Order’s tent. She didn’t even need to go in as her four comrades were standing at the entrance with serious faces. Their expression were no longer baffled, so Yatori knew that they already learned the truth.
「Y-Yatori-san…」「What are you going to do?」
Haro and Matthew asked stiffly. Yatori stopped at a distance further than usual from her friends, and the reason to keep her lips tightly sealed was gone.
「I can’t tell since I haven’t grasp the whole situation yet… But since something that upset the order of the military had happened, I have to deal with it seriously as a member of house Igsem. No matter who my opponent might be.」
After hearing her words that had a hint of harshness, Torway’s face contorted in pain:
「My father… had he really done such a thing…?」
「I know you had not been told anything. After all, with your personality, you won’t be able to hide it if you knew about it ahead of time… General Remeon probably excluded his youngest son from the plan intentionally.」
Yatori answered with confidence… This youth was too gentle, and would definitely be hesitant to fire upon his old comrades because of the coup. His father must know that very well.
「To be frank, that’s a boon for me. After all, your sniping unit will be my biggest threat as an enemy.」
「What─」
The jade eyed youth was dumbstruck. Yatori’s words had already regarded Torway as one of the enemy forces, and even simulated a battle between them.
「No, not just Torway… It’s fine for you to stay here obediently, but if you don’t plan to do so, then Matthew and Haro has to make their position clear too. Because taking action in this situation means you have to choose to either join the Igsem or Remeon faction. You have to stand with me and become Torway’s enemy, or join Torway and make a foe out of me.」
Matthew and Haro’s faces twisted from shock too. The vermillion haired girl chose to say it in a harsh manner even though it would upset them. She wanted to make sure they understood the situation, and not deprive them the right to choose.
「I do not wish to be enemies with anyone either… However, I won’t expect that to happen. Because it would be troubling if I hesitate in making a move after getting betrayed.」
Yatori said clamly. Yatori Shino Igsem steeled herself before anyone else, all ready to head to a new battlefield. Even though their relationship was going to change drastically, Matthew, Torway and Haro couldn’t give any response─ As the three of them had not come to any conclusion, they couldn’t find the words to say to her:
「It’s not expectations, Yatori. During times like this, we just need to hope.」
The only exception was the dark haired youth who said what he already had in mind. Just like the vermillion haired girl, he came here with determination, without any wavering in his heart. Ikuta Solork accepted this heavy truth that he knew would come, and didn’t falter.
Only now did Yatori turn her gaze to the dark haired youth… She was planning bid farewell without saying anything directly to him. Because there was no need to explain the situation to him, or urge him to steel himself. They knew everything about each other.
「… What a troubling request. For our 『knight order』 to remain the same in the future isn’t something that I can pull off. What do we need to do to realize this hope? Pray to god?」
「There is no god, and even if He exist, he won’t do anything… Hence, there is only one answer— 『put your hopes in me』.」
Ikuta declared as he looked straight into Yatori’s eyes. He took a deep breath, pointed to the sun that was dropping beyond the horizon to the west─ and said loudly:
「… Hold on that hope, Yatori! If you really hope for it, I will even pull that sun back up into the sky for you! If that is the future you yearn for, I will reach for it, even if it is at the end of the earth!」
「─」
Yatori opened her eyes wide as the youth continued to speak in an unscientific way.
「Even if that is not your wishes, I will hope for that on my own volition! No, from a long time ago, I have hoped for this! I have told you this before! My only wishes, is for you to live freely in a way you want!」
The vermillion haired girl understood what Ikuta wanted to say. He wasn’t telling her that he understood the resolved both of them had to make, but that they should work harder towards their common goal─ and not to give up hope, just because she had to steel herself. The last message that the youth conveyed to her made Yatori’s completely controlled emotions waver intensely.
「C-Can I really hold on to this hope?」
The vermillion haired girl muttered and turned her back to the dark haired youth… Since she didn’t have the confidence of staying calm, then she had to use this chance to bid them a final farewell. She walked towards the sun that was on the verge of setting, and increased her pace as if she was trying to shake off any hesitation.
The girl with dual blades never turned back as her figure disappeared as day turn into night.
「… What should we do, Ikuta? … What do we do now…?」
Matthew’s helpless words broke the silence… He had always cautioned himself from over relying on his outstanding comrades, but at this moment, his mind was blank as he seek blindly for help. Torway and Haro felt the same as Matthew too.
Yatori left and the knight order had broken up. Depending on the situation, they might split even more. When they thought about that, even the ground below their feet felt like it was crumbling away─
「The three of you, listen to me─ I had already finished going through the process of thinking, worrying and anxiety.」
In this chaotic bog, Ikuta’s voice sounded firm and confident as usual. They rest their eyes on him, clinging on to any bit of hope.
「I don’t have any options left. Aside from hoping, I have already braced myself. And now─ I’m going to drag the sun that had set back into the sky once more.」
「Huh…?」
「First, we have to gather all the high ranking officers. I will get Her Highness, please use Princess Chamille’s name to set things up with Major General Saba. If it is just once, he will probably accept the forceful use of royal authority. We might be doing this before getting permission, but that will be fine for now.」
Ikuta said as he tapped of their shoulder one at a time. His tone was the same as always, but the aura around him seemed a little different. Haro was the first to realize that Ikuta was actually extremely tense.
「Ikuta-san, just what…?」
She felt a strange chill as she asked. The dark haired youth shook his head with a gentle smile:
「You will find out soon… Remember to prepare yourselves mentally. You will need to make a choice on what you want to protect, and what you want to be an enemy with─」
About an hour after Yatori parted ways with her comrades, officers with the rank of First Lieutenant and above all gathered at the large tent set up to the south of the Hioredo ore mines.
「What’s going on…?」「Why have all of us been summoned?」「We will be attacking the ore mines soon, is it really fine for us to relax the encirclement?」「Is this meeting related to the units being recalled back to the Empire─?」
The sound of the soldier’s discussion filled the venue. The tent itself could hold up to a hundred people, and since it was at full capacity, it felt really crowded. The long benches that were set up for this meeting were mostly filled.
「I-I think everyone’s here, when is that guy going to show up…!」
On the third row from the front, Matthew, Torway and Haro sat together. As they were the ones who approached Major General Saba and requested to gather all the officers, they were sitting on pins and needles. They hope whatever tricks Ikuta wanted to play would start as soon as possible.
The three of them returned their gazes to the front, and could see the figure of Major General Saba sitting two rows in front of them. He had a stiff expression as usual, and didn’t seem to have any opinion about the situation yet. Sitting in his row were Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels, and behind them were Major Sazarf and Major Melza who looked on uneasily. Especially, Sazarf who was worried about what his subordinates were trying to pull off.
「…! He’s here!」
As the crowd waited anxiously, the person who requested for this meeting appeared. Unlike the other soldiers, Ikuta came in from the back door. He looked at the group that made this large tent look cramped and nodded, then stood at the podium in front of the first row bench. The Princess was right behind him, and hugging Ikuta’s partner Kusu for some reason.
「Is that guy from the 『Knight Order』…?」「Her Highness has graced us with her presence…」「Why is a mere First Lieutenant ignoring his superiors and standing on the podium?」「Is this meeting his idea?」「What is that brat thinking?」
The content of the rowdy discussion changed, and voices admonishing Ikuta were growing louder. This was expected for calling a sudden meeting, but the subject himself wasn’t fazed by the prickly gazes on him. Instead, it was Kusu who was in Princess Chamille’s arms that felt this awkwardness on his behalf.
The dark haired youth stood beside the Princess, swept her gaze across the crowd, then said slowly:
「From the very start, we have been fighting a meaningless war.」
The moment he said that, most of the hundred soldiers gathered turned paled. If he was trying to seek instructions with his speech, then his opening line was a failure… However, the youth didn’t falter, and was even gleeful about getting the attention of his audience.
「The eastern territories was abandoned to concealed the fact that the administration failed to develop this area. Lieutenant General Rikan who was originally tasked with the defence of this place was offered as a sacrifice to appease the citizens, so they can accept this outcome. He fell in the battle against the Kioka army as if it was predestined. The land they failed to developed were discarded as if it was never part of the Empire, and the Empire lost an exemplary general, many competent staff and countless brave soldiers.」
Ikuta said in a tone that didn’t seek resonance with the audience, and appeared calm instead. How to draw the attention from a hostile crowd─ the youth did that with his instinct.
「And now, we have once again come to the eastern territories we had sacrificed so much to abandon. Because of the imperial edict to take back the Hioredo ore mines. 『We threw it away because it’s a pain, but on second thought, we still need it, so go and take it back』─ that’s the main gist of the edict. It might sound cute for a kid’s opinion of a toy, but the one who said that is actually some old aristocrat; and the thing discarded like a toy and asked to be retrieved, is the territory of a nation with ten million citizens. Is this not a laughing matter? But other than laugh, there’s no other way to react─」
「Watch your tongue! Criticizing the edict is Lèse-majesté!」
One of the field officer sitting in front roared, and Ikuta looked at his face from the podium:
「… That’s right, I know. Using 『Lèse-majesté』 as an excuse to suppress your unhappiness and stop thinking about it─ that’s part of everyone’s job here. No matter how unscientific this action might seem, it’s hard to criticize it. Because everyone here acts correctly as soldiers, even if doing so doesn’t have any future.」
「How dare you…!」
「Lieutenant General Hazaaf Rikan lost his life because of this 『correctness』. He is too noble as a soldier, and even accepted the edict that ordered him to die… He can actually be a little more selfish. Even if he ignored that order, and get branded a coward─ I still hope that he can continue to live on, just like everyone present.」
The rowdy tent suddenly turned silent. Ikuta hung his head low and clench his fists tight:
「… Just how long are you all planning to keep this act up?」
He cast away his prepared speech, and said through his trembling lips─ this was the end of his carefully crafted monologue, as strong and intense emotions spilled out from the youth’s mouth:
「Obeying those splurging and toying with our nation’s resources unconditionally; but ignore the people who put their lives on the line to fight for our nation…! This type of respect is only as good as dog food! Heck, even the dogs will hurl it out and bury it with sand! Because unlike you, dogs are sensitive to the smell of rot!」
「T-That is sophistry…!」
「Sophistry? Which part of my words is sophistry!? The raison d'etre of soldiers is to protect the lives and property of the citizen, and maintain peace, correct? Even if we spend all this effort in taking down one ore mine, what can we protect? Nothing! The things we risk our lives to achieve will just be tossed aside nonchalantly by the aristocrats again! Everyone knows about this foolish cycle! So think this through, right here, right now!」
「That’s going too far, First Lieutenant!」「This is treason! Arrest and court martial him!」
The youth’s speech was too extreme, inciting strong protest and rebuttal from the soldiers. The members of the Knight Order and Sazarf couldn’t mediate for him either, and could only look on with green faces. But just before his voice got drowned out by this oppressive tide, Ikuta unveiled the brutal truth:
「It’s too late now! While we are messing around here, the coup is already happening─ a coup by General Remeon!」
The moment they heard these words, half of the sound of the angry voices turned into shouts of panic. As the anxiety spread, their eyes fell on the commander-in-chief seated at the front row:
「Major General, what the First Lieutenant just said─」「T-That’s nonsense, right? How can this be…!」
Major General Saba didn’t answer the questions that was asked by the men clinging on to this last bit of hope… His staff officers were the only ones who knew about the coup, and he could still insist that this was just a rash and baseless conclusion by Ikuta. This was just delaying the inevitable release of this news, but sometimes, this was necessary in order to maintain order within the group. For the Major General, this was the most realistic option─ but before he choose this option, there was something that bothered him:
「…First Lieutenant Ikuta Solork, I just want to confirm one thing. What’s your goal in gathering all of us here?」
Major General asked the youth on the podium with a deep voice, and also contained an implied message─ are you inciting the soldiers here to support General Remeon’s coup?
If that was so, then to Major General Saba, this was a foolish and reckless act. Ikuta Solork lacks too many qualities to convince the high ranking officers to join in with his revolt. Even with the backing of the Third Princess, his exemplary performance in the northern territories, and the fame of the Knight Order, it was still nowhere enough.
At this point in time, an option available to Major General Saba was to neither join the Igsem nor Remeon faction. He could hold onto his command of this army, and watch from the sidelines until the conclusion of the coup. General Telshinha Remeon chose to start his coup right now, because he was certain that Saba will choose this path. Staying neutral─ that was the conclusion of the man who expected nothing from either factions.
「My goal is to let everyone know the choices available to them.」
The Major General felt disappointed as the answer was within his expectations. However, Ikuta wasn’t finished:
「I don’t want to join the pro establishment Igsem faction unconditionally, or the revolutionary Remeon faction─ but to present a third choice to everyone here.」
「… What did you say…?」
Major General Saba felt a tremor in his heart as he silenced the protest of the other soldiers, and waited for Ikuta to continue. The youth before him closed his eyes in deep thought, and took several deep breaths:
「… Phew…」
After a long period of time, Ikuta opened his eyes─ and started to speak:
「─ In the past, there was a general in the Empire.」
The youth’s voice rang out solemnly in the silent hall. Matthew, Torway, Haro and Sazarf all listened tensely.
「In the beginning, that man was treated like garbage. His physical abilities wasn’t up to par, he lacked the drive and would trouble his lecturers during tactics class with weird opinions. His appearance was mediocre too, and was far from being dignified or intimidating. Because of that, he was given the nickname of 『Day Lantern』, mocking him for being useless. That was to be expected.」
Ikuta said slowly. The image of that mind slowly took shape in the soldiers’ mind.
「If this was a peaceful era, that man will probably remain as a useless day lantern. But he wasn’t that lucky, and was cast into the chaos of war to serve his obligation as a soldier. That man was assigned to the reserve force and wasn’t despatched in the beginning. But when the situation deteriorate one-sidedly, they lost many capable superiors and colleagues. Of those that remained, two of them were exemplary soldiers, Solvenares Igsem and Telshinha Remeon who were both still Second Lieutenants back then. They didn’t give in to the trying circumstances and fought bravely, but they were Company grade officers who couldn’t give their opinion on the strategic level. No matter how many local victories they secured, they couldn’t turn the tide on the grand scheme on things. The two talented men were slowly forced to the brink, and moments before a major enemy offensive, they resolved themselves to go down fighting to their last─ at this moment, on the dark battlefield filled with despair, a light that everyone had forgotten about shone brilliantly.」
The situation changed abruptly. Everyone knew who Ikuta was referring to. They looked at the people besides them anxiously as they thought back hesitantly─ after that person passed away, it was taboo to even mention his name by accident. The memories of that hero, and his very existence had been sealed away and branded as a 「war criminal」.
「That man suggested a plan that anyone with common sense wouldn’t even consider. Most of the soldiers either laugh it off or objected vehemently, but the two soldiers I mentioned earlier saw the potential in this plan. They executed this plan despite the protest of the others, and the few thousand men who were seemingly doomed withdrew back safely to their allies. The man then said unhappily to the soldiers who looked as if they just saw a ghost─『Didn’t I tell you that this will work』?」
Ikuta suppressed a wry smile and continued:
「With this incident as the turning point, that man became the allies of Solvenares Igsem and Telshinha Remeon. The two of them belonged to different factions, which prevented them from becoming too close, but they slowly deepened their friendship through that man. Seeing the two men destined to lead the two biggest factions in the military chatting and playing chess idly in the break room was an incredible sight. And that man was always together with them. He insisted on addressing them as 『Sol』 and 『Tel』, even though neither of them like that nickname. As he refused to stop, in the end, the two subjects themselves started addressing each other with these nicknames too.」
As the youth droned on, he felt the corners of his lips relaxing. A vivid scene appeared before him, as if he was seeing the interaction between the three of them that happened so long ago.
「The friendship between the three deepened, and that man had more chance to perform. After gaining the position to present his views on the strategic level, he displayed his deep intellect. From operation planning, manpower deployment and setting up supply lines─ that man’s proposals had an revolutionary charm to them.
By that time, no one referred to him sarcastically as a Day Lantern anymore. Those who were rescued by him from dire straits even compared him to the brilliant rising sun that chased away the despair of the long night. He was respected by his colleagues, viewed highly by his superiors, and had two outstanding subordinates serving under him. The two subordinates, Hazaaf Rikan and Kubalha Saba, were young soldiers and filled with drive. They followed that man closely and in the future, they were called the 『Twin Jewels of the Sun』.」
Ikuta said as he looked at the commander-in-chief before him. His face was no longer tense from unhappiness and resignation. Major General opened his eyes wide and waited with bated breath for Ikuta to continue, and what was to follow.
「That man climbed the ranks at amazing speed and was soon given command of a regiment. His unit built a base camp at the border of the nation, and was asked to contribute greatly for defence and offence, and he was able to perform as requested. When the troops got caught in a dire situation in the front lines, they were confident that man would send reinforcement, and was resolute in their resistance─『Don’t give up! No matter how dark the night might be, the dawn will always come. We have the sun on our side』─ They would spur each other on with these words.」
At this moment, the youth reached into his chest pocket, and signalled with his dark eyes to his partner in the Princess’ arms. The girl took a sharp breath when she saw his gaze, then moved to the front most edge of the podium. From this carefully selected angle, she aimed the 「Light Cavity」 of the luminous sprite Kusu towards a spot slightly in front of the youth.
「The dawn will always come. I like this phrase as it is based on the scientific fact of astrology.」
He slowly pulled out the hand from his uniform, holding the evidence in his right hand firmly before him─ at the exact same time, Kusu shone onto the object in Ikuta’s hand.
What the soldiers saw was a silver artifact that could be held just barely with one hand. It was octagonal, with arrowheads decorating its edges. It was obviously related to the military, but when it was illuminated by the light, it had a completely different appearance.
「─ Ahh─ Ahh…」
Major General Saba’s body started quivering uncontrollably as he witnessed the miracle happening before him. The silver artifact and the arrowheads pointing outwards basked in the light of the Sprite─ and shone brilliantly like the sun at daybreak.
「Ikuta Sankrei, son of General Bada Sankrei, hereby declare...」
The youth announced this fact. He had discarded his past and many things, and was now steering the rudder guiding the course of his life at this very moment─ Ikuta knew there was no turning back, but he didn’t hesitate. He will cast aside anything that might bind him, and chase after that vermillion haired girl.
「The sun that had set after my father’s death shall rise again─ the dawn has come. Come, this is the chance for us to shine! Warriors who roamed the battlefield under the peerless imperial general in the past. The strongest military force in the world─ the Independent Imperial All Territories Stronghold, the 『Rising Sun Regiment』!」
With the light shining from the sun in his right hand, Ikuta gave this order to the veteran soldiers in front of him. Everyone who used to know Bada Sankrei could see the shadow of the late general from the youth standing before them─
Princess Chamille witnessed the youth revealing his trump card from up close.
「─ Ah─ Solork…」
The Princess could only watch with bated breath at this scene… She already learned that Yatori had been recalled because of a coup in the Empire; and that Ikuta needed to seize command of this army to breakthrough this situation. The Princess knew that this would be considered a revolt, but she didn’t have any grounds to reject him. This wasn’t just a problem with Yatori, the Empire was heading towards destruction in the worst way possible.
She had been tasked to lit up Ikuta’s hand with Kusu, but the Princess didn’t even know that such an emblem existed. And even if she knew ahead of time, she would have never expected this to happen─ that Ikuta would try to recruit the soldiers left behind after his father’s death in such a bold manner.
The tent fell into confusion. In the nearly hundred officers present, almost a quarter served under Bada Sankrei in the past. Those who didn’t had all worked under Hazaaf Rikan or Kubalha Saba in the past. This was only natural since the legacy of Bada Sankrei and his subordinates lived on, even if he himself had passed on.
「Ikuta, s-so you are…」「Ik-kun, you─」
The three members of the Knight Order were also caught up in the confusion. They didn’t know the relationship between General Bada and Ikuta, so they were more surprised than the Princess.
「…Ikuta Sankrei… You are… That boy from that time…」
Major General Saba got up from his seat and took unsteady steps towards the dark haired youth, and the gazes of the soldiers all fell on them─ that’s right, their commander-in-chief would be the one to decide how they would handle this situation.
「Yes, sorry for greeting you so late, Uncle Saba. We have met a few times in my old house, right? I remember playing with you before.」
「Yes, I remember… But I never thought we will meet again like this… No, we have already met…」
「To be frank, if not for this coup, I have no intention of admitting my lineage… But never mind, there’s no turning back now. I have to give up on all those things, and shamelessly use the fame of my father to recruit everyone here to my cause.」
When he heard how Ikuta was going for broke, Major General Saba pressed his hand onto his forehead with an expression that was somewhat like a smile. His stiff face was on the verge of collapsing as he tried his best to maintain his dignity and asked his opponent with a quaking voice:
「… That third choice you mention? Not joining the Igsem or the Remeon factions, then what do you have in mind…?」
「To be the mediator that arbitrate between them, of course. Isn’t that obvious? If this goes on, no matter which side wins, the Empire will be done for. The direct confrontation between these two factions would cause incalculable damage to the Empire. We must stop them before it comes to that.」
「That is as good as performing magic… You think you can pull it off?」
「Magic? Don’t be ridiculous, I will do things in a scientific way─ Oh, please remember this conversation we had. Because after everything is over, I want to say─『Didn’t I tell you that this will work』?」
Mimicking his father’s words dealt the final blow, breaking through the impregnable 「Insignificant」 defence. Pfft… Air escaped from the corner of Major General Saba’s lips. As if all the melancholic feelings he was holding back over the years was spewing out in one go, he started to laugh maniacally:
「Fuahahahahaha! I see, that’s right! This is interesting! Interesting! Fuhaha! Hahahaha!」
His laughter echoed in the tent. The man called the 「Twin Jewels of the Sun」 in the past had always eased the worries of his comrade with his hearty laughter. Kubalha Saba has returned for real.
「─Hey, are you seeing this, Haz!? You are missing out on this because you are too eager to die! The dawn is breaking over the seemingly unending night! How delightful! Looks like it’s too early to dismiss the world for being too boring!」
The Major General looked up into the sky through the tent, and reported the good news to his friend in the heavens─ Before this, he was ready to just sit by and wait for the meaningless fighting to end. But now, he had no reason to hesitate anymore.
「I have acknowledged your order to muster the regiment, Ikuta Sankrei-san. Can you give me around ten minutes to ready the men?」
「You can take one hour, but the condition is, you have to convince all of them. Take note of the officers who are leaning towards the Remeon faction, and separate them from the regiment if necessary. I don’t want to get stabbed in the back.」
「Fuhahaha! You don’t hold back at all! I understand, and will carry out your orders!」
Major General Saba answered cheerfully, then returned to his unit. The three members of the Knight Order and Sazarf rushed to Ikuta’s side, as if they were trading places with Saba.
「D-Did we succeed…?」「How should I put this? Erm… well…」
They went to him, but the four of them weren’t sure what to say. The dark haired youth showed a steady smile as he lowered his head in apology:
「─ Sorry for hiding this from everyone. Like I said earlier, Bada Sankrei is my father. This emblem is keepsake from my father. I only kept this with me before this war broke out in case of a situation like this arises.」
「You are hiding such an amazing trump card… Speaking of which, you have really done it now, this is not too different from starting a second coup, right? If you are court martialed, you will definitely be executed. You understand that, correct?」
He was surprised by the situation, but Sazarf still cautioned Ikuta as an elder. Ikuta was sincerely thankful of that, and nodded:
「I have already resolved myself, so did the Princess─ but I would like the four of you to make your own choices. So, will you follow me? Or not?」
Ikuta offered them the choices as he looked at them in the eye one by one. He started off with Torway:
「Torway, I think you understand that your position is the most complicated out of all of us. Since General Remeon sent you out of the way before starting the coup, he probably won’t tell you anything before this entire mess is over.」
「…… Yes…」
「You can choose to stay neutral, or join General Remeon’s faction to fight. The latter means you will be enemies with Yatori, so I will definitely advise you against that─ however, it will be somewhat deceptive to persuade you to join me. My goal is to intervene with the coup and arbitrate the matter, and a real battle will be the last resort. However, there is still a high chance that a battle will break out, and we will definitely face off against General Remeon in some manner. Can you accept it if such a situation happen?」
Ikuta shifted his gaze away from the silent youth who couldn’t give an immediate answer, and looked at Matthew.
「Matthew, your position isn’t easy either. If you join the revolt, you will definitely drag the entire Tetzirich house with you. No matter what my actual actions might be, we will still be rebels in name. You won’t have any excuses if you are tried for this. Please remember that carefully.」
「… Ughh!」
The slightly pudgy youth bit on his thumb as he fell into deep thought. Ikuta left him alone for now, and looked towards Haro.
「Haro, your situation is similar to Matthew. You have five younger brothers back home, correct? If what worries you the most is your crime dragging down your family, then you should not follow me. In any case, joining either the Igsem or Remeon faction will be risky too, so please think about this carefully.」
After hearing that, Haro hugged her own shoulders. Ikuta finally turned to Major Sazarf, crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side:
「Major Sazarf… Erm… Can you act as the mastermind like the last time?」
「What the hell are you saying, asshole! I feel like an idiot for waiting so seriously for my turn!」
「Sorry, I was just joking. Because it feels weird to ask someone who cautioned me out of good will to consider his options carefully… Never mind, don’t overthink it, just make your decision normally. No matter what choice you make, you will always be the best superior I ever had.」
Ikuta said with a wide grin, and Sazarf averted his face bashfully. After speaking with the four of them individually, Ikuta said to the entire group:
「Okay… Up until now, I have given you advise for your best interest, so anyone who wish to join me will not regret it─ and now, I will move on to the main topic, which is what I really feel.」
Ikuta started with that opening speech, took a deep breath, then bowed with his palms together in a pleading posture.
He raised his head slightly and said with an awkward smile:
「─Sorry, please help me, everyone. I was too cocky and escalated the whole thing too much. I can’t do this properly on my own.」
The dark haired youth didn’t care about his pride as he bowed and pleaded desperately to his comrades. After a long silence, while Ikuta refused to move before getting a reaction, the four of them couldn’t hold back their laughter:
「Ha… Haha…! A-After all that big talk… You are now telling us this…!」
「Hmm… That’s right… Haha, that’s just like Ik-kun…」
「You can still make us laugh at a time like this… As expected of our Ikuta-san!」
Matthew, Torway and Haro all forgot about their troubles and had a good laugh. Even after the dark haired youth made his real identity public, he was still the Ikuta Solork they knew.
「What a troublesome fellow. At the very least, tell your elders what you really think! I don’t understand the full picture yet, but you are short on manpower right now, correct?」
Sazarf sighed as he said that, and the four of them exchanged glances. It was clear from their interaction that they had all reached the same conclusion.
「─ I have decided. It can’t be helped since you are asking so nicely. We will help you, so be grateful!」
Matthew declared on behalf of everyone. The moment he said that, Ikuta charged forth and hugged him by the neck.
「Ohhh, my dear friend～!」
「Uwahhh! Don’t hug me, that’s disgusting! Torway, take over for me!」
「Ohhh, my Haro～!」
「Hyaa! Why are you coming this way! P-Please save me, Major～!」
Ikuta only give his passionate hugs to specific targets. The Princess couldn’t stand his frivolous behaviour anymore, and walked into the group to kick Ikuta’s butt, sending him flailing. She didn’t hold back as this was done on reflex, which made the youth jump in pain. Matthew whistled impressedly:
「Uwah, that’s a fantastic kick, Your Highness. Oh, since Yatori will be away for a while, can you take over the role of punishing him when he gets too cocky?」
「… Huh? Ah… Well, I…」
「I agree. As his senior, I can take care of that too, but for some reason, I tend to be too heavy handed. However, I will teach him a lesson if he lays a hand on Major Melza.」
Princess Chamille stood stiffly as they included her in the conversation so nonchalantly. A while later, she realized that she had become a part of the warm group again.
「That hurts… I stand by my protest against the violent treatment of my butt and other body parts. From the looks of things, your mood has improved a little, Princess?」
「… S-Solork……」
「It’s better to change your habit of closing your heart to the world whenever you face any adversary. Humans will tend to get worked up over nothing when they are left alone… But that’s fine, I’m not planning to leave you by yourself either. From now on, no matter where you might hide, I will charge in to get you.」
Ikuta nursed his butt with both hands as he whispered to the girl. His warm words filled the Princess with glee. Before she could wipe it away, her tears started rolling down her cheeks.
「Yes, I know, I already expected you to cry at this juncture. After all, I’m a man who will learn from his mistakes.」
Ikuta knelt down beside the girl, took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped away her tears. But her tears didn’t stop and gradually drenched the handkerchief. The youth accompanied the girl patiently, and whispered to her again:
「… Everyone will make the mistake of saying something we don’t mean to someone we hold dear. Just apologize properly to Yatori when you see her again. I will go together with you, you can definitely make up with her.」
「… Yes…」
The Princess felt the gentle movement of his fingers through the handkerchief as she kept nodding… At this moment, a different kind of guilt was squirming in the girl’s heart.
She wanted to meet Yatori around and apologize to her. She wants to make amends with Yatori and let Yatori comb her hair. Even though she sincerely hoped for this, another side of her thought─ if possible, I want to stay this way. In the world without the vermillion haired girl, she hopes Ikuta Solork would always keep his eyes on her.
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