Published at 12th of January 2020 12:42 am

Volume 1, Chapter 5

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translator: Skythewood

Editor: Hiiro

— An hour after Olivia’s group infiltrated Kaspar castle.

“Commander, we have reached our goal.”

Gauss pointed his torch ahead, where a door was. The dim passageway ended here, which means the group had arrived at their destination.

“Gauss, you guys wait here for 30 minutes. Proceed with your mission after that.”

“Understood— Commander, please be careful.”

“Yes, thank you. I will head out for a while.”

Olivia waved and pushed the door open. With a gush of warm air, a small path appeared. It was narrow, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through. Casting her gaze ahead, she could see a faint light ahead. After going to the wall at the end, she pushed the stone wall hard, and it spun around, leading Olivia outside.

“This is just like a secret chamber mentioned in books, how interesting!”

Olivia looked around her, and could tell this was an abandoned storage room, which was covered in dust. She quickly left the room, and met an Imperial Soldier along the corridor.

“Hey, where is the commander-in-chief?”

Olivia asked calmly. The soldier looked confused:

“Hah? What are you talking about? Lord Osborne is at the Iris plains and battling the Royal Army. Are you right in the head?”

“You are the one who is confused. Mr Osborne is dead. I’m asking for the ranking commander in this castle right now.”

“Lord Osborne is dead? How dare you— wait, which unit are you from?”

Changing his tone, the soldier cast a sharp gaze towards Olivia.

“Well, I’m from the detachment unit.”

“Detachment… Wait!”

The soldier looked at Olivia’s epaulette. On it was the emblem of a grail and two lions.

“What!? You are from the Kingdom——”

“Ahaha, no, I can’t let you make a scene yet.”

Olivia crushed the jaw of that soldier, and stabbed him through the chest with her sword. After tossing the spasming soldier aside, he crashed into the wall with a thud.

“— Stop playing around here… W-What are you doing!?”

The soldiers who appeared from around the corner were shocked. Olivia sighed heavily at that.

“Sigh~ I wanted to start killing from the highest ranking officer, but that is not meant to be.”

With that, Olivia walked casually towards the enemy soldiers flooding her way, as a dark mist covered the black sword in her hand.

Half an hour after Olivia wrecked havoc in the castle by herself.

Gauss’ team left the storage room in order to unlock the gate. Hearing screams coming from afar, they advanced cautiously.

“T-This is…”

Before Gauss’ eyes were blood and gore splattered all over the wall, and heaps of corpses lining up the passageway. None of the corpses were in one piece, and all of them had at least one missing body parts. Some were even bisected vertically. Gauss’ group was elite veterans, but they still gasped at this gruesome scene.

Gauss felt relieved by this. He was really glad that Olivia was an ally.

“Vice-commander Gauss, the screams from the distance is…”

“The commander must be causing chaos over there. Let’s use this chance to head for the main gate!”

“““Yes Sir!!”””

The group nodded in agreement, and charged towards the main gate.

Bloom’s roar echoed through his office.

“It’s just one soldier, how long do you need!”

“That’s not a mere soldier! Colonel Bloom, you heard about her, right? About the monster wielding a dark sword!?”

Major Paduin argued with a pale face, and Bloom turned stiff when he heard that. Rumours of the monster girl did spread to Bloom, but he dismissed it with a laugh. If a girl could kill Samuel, then pigs could fly.

“How absurd. I don’t care if she is a monster, there are many ways to kill her. Just get the archers to shoot a volley from a distance.”

By drawing the battle from the open outdoors to a constrained space, seal off the retreat road, and mass fire arrows at her. When Bloom stated his idea, Paduin scoffed at it:

“You don’t have to tell me, I already tried that. But before we can even shoot, she closed right in and cut off the heads of three allies. That’s how horrifying a monster she is!”

Paduin slammed the desk angrily, and Bloom said with a sigh:

“You think I will believe that nonsense? Is that a character from a novel?”

“You are free to believe whatever you want, Colonel Bloom. I already gave you my report, and will wash my hands off this matter..”

After saying that, Paduin tried to leave the office quickly. And of course, Bloom wouldn’t tolerate such insolence from his subordinate.

“You fool, are you going to give up on your duties at this juncture? Major, you understand the consequences, right?”

“Haha, you want to execute me for defying orders? Whatever, I’m dead either way.”

The pale faced Paduin grumbled as he left the room.

“…Lanchester. We will deal with him later, but what do you think about what he said?”

Lanchester who had been listening quietly beside Bloom said slowly:

“It’s hard to believe, but in my humble opinion, we should take action on the assumption that his report is true.”

“You really think so?”

The unexpected answer made Bloom stare at Lanchester. Bloom thought Lanchester would scoff at that report, but he was treating it seriously instead.

“Yes, she is probably something like a walking catastrophe, impossible for mere mortals to handle. A good example would be Sorcerers.”

“What!? You are saying that lone soldier something akin with a Sorcerer…? How is that possible… If that is true, what should we do?”

“Well… Please wait a moment.”

Lanchester then walked to the room next door, and placed a bow like weapon on the desk.

“— What is this?”

“This is a prototype that the Imperial Army Research Department sent to us. Simply put, it’s a simplified version of a ballista. They say its speed and power is far better than the arrows of an archer.”

After hearing Lanchester’s introduction, Bloom picked up the weapon. It did have a similar shape with a ballista, but instead of pulling a bowstring, it uses a metallic mechanism instead. It didn’t look as heavy as it looked, and was easy to operate.

“You are saying I should kill that monster with this?”

“Exactly. The Royal Army are outside the castle, if this problem continues, our unit will break down from the inside.”

“It’s true that we are pressed for time— hmm?”

Bloom could hear frantic footsteps outside his office. The footsteps stopped right outside, and a panting soldier barged in through the door.

“Knock before you enter!”

Lanchester shouted.

“M-My apologies! But it’s an emergency!”

“Never mind, speak.”

“Yes Sir! The Royal Army forces broke through the main gate, and is flooding into the castle!”

“What did you say!?”

Bloom stood up from his chair, and cast his gaze at Lanchester, who has turned stiff from surprise.

“What happened!? Did the Royal Army used siege weapons!?”

This stronghold might be old, but it was still a castle. Unless the enemy had siege weapons, the main gate wouldn’t fall so easily. But what the soldier said was beyond Bloom’s expectations.

“They didn’t use siege weapons! A group of Royal soldiers appeared out of nowhere, and took off the latch before we even noticed!”

Bloom was shocked. He then realized that the monster girl was just a diversion, and the enemy’s real goal was to open the main gate amidst all that confusion. At the same time, a question occurred to him. Just how did that monster girl and the Royal soldiers infiltrated the castle?

Agents from the Heat Haze could slip past the sentries, but their numbers were limited. From what he had heard, quite a large number of Royal soldiers had infiltrated the castle. The security net in Kaspar castle wasn’t so relaxed that so many people could slip through.

With his troubles piling up, Bloom held his head.

“Colonel, we haven’t lost yet. We have an overwhelming advantage in numbers. I will command from the front too.”

“Lanchester……”

Lanchester who never showed his feelings on his face looked grim and resigned. This fact told Bloom how desperate the situation was.

A terrible monster running amok inside the castle, the main gate fell without a fight, and morale was nonexistent. Numbers was less of a deciding factor now.

Seeing the main gate was open, Claudia gave the order:

“First, Second and Third Company move in! Suppress the key facilities within the castle!”

“Alright! It’s time for the captain of Olivia’s personal guards, the great Guile to shine! You guys, don’t sully the name of our Valkyrie!”

“““Understood!!”””

The vanguard of the First Company was saying something outlandish.

“——Ashton, when did that man became the captain of Second Lieutenant Olivia’s personal guards?”

Claudia looked at Ashton with questioning eyes.

“W-Who knows? It’s probably self proclaimed… I’m not sure, but I'm sorry.”

Ashton apologized with a sheepish face. It was out of line for them to call themselves personal guards, but morale was high because of that, so Claudia pretends that she didn’t hear anything.

— An hour after that.

The detachment unit successfully suppressed the key installations within the Kaspar castle. When the unit charged in, the castle was already in chaos, and the Imperial Soldiers lay down their arms and surrender without putting up any resistance. The strange thing was, they seemed relieved after becoming prisoners. Second Lieutenant Shisiru was so moved that he even cried.

“Seems like Ashton’s plan worked.”

Claudia said with a light mood, since a heavy load has been taken off her shoulders. When Ashton heard that, he said with a wry smile:

“That’s not how I see it. From how the Imperial Soldiers are behaving, the credit belongs to whatever Olivia did.”

They broke through the main gate, but the Empire still had a big advantage in numbers, and normally, they wouldn’t surrender so easily. Things turned out this way because their morale had been completely crushed.

Ashton could guess what happened, but couldn’t bring himself to say it. Claudia didn’t ask either, and just took off her helmet and flicked her hair:

“Well, it’s almost over. This must be Second Lieutenant Olivia’s doing.”

With that, the two of them looked up at Kaspar castle.

“… So you are that rumoured monster?”

Bloom sat quietly in his chair and asked the girl who was holding Paduin’s head in her hand.

“I’m not a monster, I’m Olivia. You are Mr Bloom, the commander here, right? This human kindly told me your location.”

With that, Olivia tossed the head to the table, where it landed and spun. Just as Paduin said, he died at the hands of the monster.

“Hmmp. You wreck havoc in the entire castle by yourself, so what else can you be but a monster?”

Bloom immediately regretted saying that. He scoffed at Paduin who said these very words, and Bloom was now repeating them.

“Well, Mr Bloom is an enemy, so you can call me whatever you want. That aside, what do you plan to do? The castle had fallen to Claudia’s group, all your base are belong to us. You have no chance to survive, so make your time.”

“Indeed, it’s our complete loss. But—”

Bloom took out the crossbow under his desk in a flash, and pulled the trigger at Olivia.

“— Hahaha, you really are a monster.”

The next instant, Bloom saw Olivia grabbing a bolt in her left hand. Olivia snapped the projectile and tossed it aside, then looked at Bloom’s crossbow with curious eyes.

“Ehh~ this thing is much more powerful than a bow. That surprised me. Hey, can I have it?”

“It’s useless to me now. You can take it if you want.”

Bloom tossed the crossbow at Olivia, and at the same time, drew his sword and launched a jumping slash.

“… Ughh, I expected as much…”

“Thank you for giving this to me, I will cherish it.”

Olivia pulled out her sword from Bloom’s chest as she thanked him. However Bloom couldn’t hear the latter part of her words anymore.

“Ehehe~ After getting the Pocket Watch, I got something good again. I should hurry up and show this to Ashton and Claudia.”

Olivia held the crossbow in her arms preciously, and left the room with a skip.

Ⅲ

The battle on the Iris plains had drawn to a close. Major General Heit Bonner who commanded the left flank of the Empire forces put up a stubborn resistance after the death of the commander-in-chief Osborne, George, Minits and others. He organized the remnants of the Imperial forces to save as many soldiers as he could.

Paul left the clean up to Lambert, and led the main force to assault Kaspar castle. On his way there, a messenger from the detachment unit arrived with a shocking report.

“How is that possible!? You are saying that Kaspar castle had fallen!?”

“Yes Sir, our unit had seized control of Kaspar castle.”

Otto sound agitated, while the messenger looked proud. Paul asked for more details, and the messenger revealed even more stunning facts. During the battle to take Kaspar castle, they only had eight casualties. Most of the Imperial Soldiers surrendered without any resistance.

Attacking a castle and suffering only a single digit casualty was unheard of. Paul assigned Olivia to be the vanguard because he thought she could thin the enemy numbers despite having a smaller force. But he never imagined her seizing Kaspar castle in one day.

Even Paul who used to be called a demon god felt a chill when he heard this news.

“— I understand now. Inform Second Lieutenant Olivia to keep her guard up.”

“Yes Sir!”

The messenger got on his horse in high spirits, and rode for Kaspar castle. As he watched the messenger go, Paul said to Otto gleefully:

“Second Lieutenant Olivia’s performance is marvelous. What should we do, Otto? We can’t just dismiss her with just cake this time.”

“Surely you jest… instead of that...”

“Are you more interested in the recruit Ashton who formulated the plan as the temporary strategist? Otto, does that name ring any bells?”

“That’s the first time I… Please wait a moment.”

Otto stroked his chin as he looked up and said:

“— I remember now. I heard the Second Lieutenant mention that name in the interrogation room.”

It wasn’t a pleasant memory, so Otto’s face became stern. The term ‘interrogation room’ reminded Paul of that incident with the spy. He was there too, and after churning his degrading memory, Paul finally recalled what happened.

“— Oh, I remember now. Second Lieutenant Olivia mentioned that name when she said she wanted to eat the delicious bread from the capital.”

“That reminds me of Second Lieutenant’s unpleasant words. I really don’t want to remember them.”

Otto scrowled, and Paul laughed out loud.

When they reached Kaspar castle, Otto was overloaded with work. They captured Kaspar castle, but they couldn’t relax before figuring out what Fort Kiel would do. Soldiers were sent to guard the vital points, and a surveillance network was set up. They also need to regain control of the towns and villages around Kaspar castle, and deal with the 4,000 prisoners. There were a load of problems.

Especially the problem with the prisoners, which was a headache for Otto. They had never captured so many prisoners before. 4,000 of them would consume plenty of food every day. There were plenty of food stored in the castle’s warehouse, but those would be better served to feed their own soldiers.

But they couldn’t kill the prisoners, and even if Otto wanted to put them to penal work, there wasn’t any mines around Kaspar castle. Otto wanted to complain to Olivia who created this problem, but he knew that was just being unreasonable.

And so, two weeks passed without incident. Olivia, Claudia and Ashton arrived at the door before the commander’s office.

“Hey Olivia, why are you staring at your Pocket Watch all this while?”

“Don’t you know, Ashton? Adjutant Otto is really anal about punctuality. He will show a demon-like face even if you are a little late.”

“No, this is the first time I heard that. And isn’t being punctual to be expected in the army?”

“Second Lieutenant Olivia, and Ashton, keep it down. We are in front of the commander’s office.”

Claudia cautioned, and Ashton shut up. Olivia then knocked nonchalantly:

“Second Lieutenant Olivia, Warrant Officer Claudia, Ashton… Hey Ashton, what’s your rank?”

“Private, I’m a Private.”

Ashton answered softly, and Olivia answered: “Right, you’re a private.” She then knocked again:

“Second Lieutenant Olivia, Warrant Officer Claudia and Private Ashton, reporting on time—”

“Enough, I already heard you. Enter.”

Otto’s exasperated voice came from inside, and Olivia opened the door as instructed. Before them was the smiling Paul who was sitting comfortably in his chair, and Otto who was shaking his head. Olivia’s group saluted, and Paul return the salute with narrowed eyes. Ashton who was facing the commander from close up was tense.

“Very good. We called you here today for—”

“The cake you prepared for me as a reward?”

Otto who got cut off by Olivia stared daggers at her. He knew that glare wasn’t directed his way, but Ashton couldn’t help breaking out in cold sweat.

“Second Lieutenant, is cake the only thing on your mind?”

“That’s not true, I like books too.”

Olivia thought nothing of Otto’s glare, and replied in a carefree manner. Ashton thought: “Please read the mood.”

“Oh~ reading books and expanding your knowledge is a good thing, but I didn’t summon you to learn about your hobbies.”

Claudia kept her head low apologetically all this while, but Paul just laughed heartily:

“You are still the same as always, Second Lieutenant Olivia. Unfortunately, the cake will have to wait until we return to Fort Gallia. We called you here for a different matter.”

“… Yes Sir, understood…”

Olivia slouched her shoulders, showing her sadness clearly. Paul showed a troubled smile at that, and then cast his gaze towards Ashton.

“Private Ashton Senefelder.”

“Y-Yiss!”

Ashton was so nervous to be called so suddenly, that he couldn’t even speak properly. Paul relaxed his face at that, and then said:

“Relax, you don’t have to be so tense. I heard from Warrant Officer Claudia that you contributed greatly to the capture of Kaspar castle.”

“Y-Yes Sir! Thank you very much! But that was only possible because Second Lieutenant Olivia was there, so I didn’t really—”

Ashton started rambling on and on. The sight of his panicking face made Paul smile awkwardly. Paul then raised his hand to stop Ashton:

“It’s true that without Second Lieutenant Olivia, we couldn’t have taken Kaspar castle so easily. But I heard Private Ashton formulated the plan— Is that true, Second Lieutenant Olivia?”

“Yes. It’s thanks to Ashton that we seized Kaspar castle so easily.”

Olivia puffed out her chest and said proudly.

“H-Hey! Second Lieutenant Olivia!”

“Ehh? But that’s the truth. Oh right, you better use honorifics with me when Adjutant Otto is present. If not, he will scold you.”

“Wait, you are telling me that now?”

“Enough, both of you. Lord Paul isn’t finished yet!”

Otto’s admonishment made Ashton cough fearfully.

“My apologies, Lord Paul!”

“No, it’s fine. That aside, you were assigned by Second Lieutenant Olivia to be her strategist, how was it? Would you like to continue serving Second Lieutenant Olivia as her strategist?”

Ashton was dumbfounded by Paul’s unexpected proposal. He only took on the post of strategist because Olivia forced him into it. He never thought that he would be officially promoted to the position of strategist.

(A joke… Doesn’t seem like one.)

Paul looked serious, which made it even harder for Ashton to respond. He only gave the suggestion because he happened to read about the historical wars. Ashton wasn’t confident enough to formulate a suitable plan under any situation.

With that in mind, Ashton looked at Olivia beside him. She showed him a charming smile.

(Ahh, damn it! That smile is foul play.)

Ashton felt his cheeks burning up, and looked at Paul again.

“I don’t know if I can live up to your expectations, but I will give everything I have.”

“Well said— Alright then, without further ado, I want to borrow your wisdom on a certain matter.”

“Y-Yes Sir...! May I know what it is?”

Ashton shouted in his heart: “That’s too soon!” But he tried to not let it show, and asked with a calm attitude. However, he didn’t fool anyone. It was clear from Paul and Otto’s wryly smile that Ashton didn’t look calm at all.

“Now, don’t be so tense. I will let Lieutenant Colonel Otto explain the problem.”

Otto walked to the front of Olivia’s group, and explained the problem of housing the 4,000 prisoners and assigning them to labour work. Olivia yawned from boredom midway, which made Claudia bow and apologize profusely.

“— How about it, Private Ashton? If you have a good solution, I’m all ears. You don’t have to worry.”

Otto’s face seemed to suggest that Ashton couldn’t take it easy. Ashton racked his brains, and came up with an answer:

“How about proposing a prisoners exchange with the Imperial Army? We get two advantage out of that.”

“Oh… Tell me more.”

Otto looked at him with sharp eyes, which made Ashton back away. He wasn’t used to the intimidating aura of soldiers.

“Y-Yes Sir. If the negotiations goes through, we can solve the food problems we are facing, and the soldiers we get in return can bolster our forces.”

“… I get what you mean. I agree with you on the food supply, but the Empire will bolster their forces with this too, correct?”

Otto pressed him. He understood the issue about food, but couldn’t see how the getting their soldiers back gives them an advantage over the Empire. To Ashton, this would be a win for them.

“You are right, but if we consider the entire Royal Army as a whole, this exchange will benefit us more. After all, we have been forced to conscript someone like me who can’t even use weapons properly.”

Paul and Otto grimaced when Ashton pointed that out.

“Considering the humanitarian factors, The Imperial Army will have to accept our proposal. If they turn us down, they will lose support from their citizens.”

Ashton added that the fame of the Benevolent Emperor Ramza was renowned throughout the continent, so he wouldn’t do anything that would damage his reputation.

“I see… Private Ashton, you might not know, but prisoners exchange is usually limited to those of high standing, such as those related to the Royal family. There has been no precedents of prisoners exchange involving ordinary soldiers. But your opinion is worth considering.”

Otto stroked his chin and looked at Paul.

“Yes, we will need to hold an emergency meeting to discuss this plan. It is a valuable input. I will be expecting more from you in the future too, Private Ashton.”

“Y-Yes Sir!”

After the trio left, Paul took out a cigar from his chest pocket and started smoking.

“— Well? I think he will be of use.”

“I agree. It seems that his strategic acumen that captured the Kaspar castle isn’t a fluke. I would have never thought about a prisoners exchange with foot soldiers.”

“If such an incredible performance is just a coincidence, then our positions will be precarious. Furthermore, he is just a mere grunt.”

“Indeed— I will work on a draft then.”

“Yes, please.”

After seeing Otto out, Paul puffed out the cigar smoke in his mouth.

Ⅳ

Imperial Capital Orsted, Listerine Castle, Felixus’ Office

“Your Excellency, may I trouble you for a moment?”

Second Lieutenant Theresa placed a cup of tea on the desk, and sounded a little hesitant. Felixus put down his pen, and looked up:

“From your expression, this doesn’t seem like good news.”

“… Yes Sir.”

Theresa gave him a report. Felixus took it quietly and started reading it. It was about the fall of Kaspar castle, and the death of General Osborne and the commanders under him. On top of that, 45,000 men lost their lives.

This was the most devastating lost since the battle of Berkeley. The death of Osborne, a grand noble of the Empire, made this defeat even more bitter.

“——Second Lieutenant Theresa. I should have pushed harder for His Majesty to approve the attack on Fort Gallia. Even if he admonishes me.”

Theresa’s face turned bitter when she heard Felixus say that. Osborne lost a great opportunity to push his advantage, and lost to the Royal Army who was given time to recuperate. In a sense, the Empire helped the Kingdom win this battle.

It was pointless to cry over spilled milk, but if the Emperor gave his approval back then, they would have won easily. Osborne’s plans looked flawless to Felixus.

Felixus took a sip of tea, sighed, then stood up. He put on his blue cape that had the insignia of crossed swords on it, and said to Theresa:

“I will report this to the Lord Chancellor. We have to make plans for the future.”

“I’m sorry, but there will be a Tri-General meeting to address this issue soon.”

Theresa said quickly.

“Tri-General meeting?”

“Yes Sir. Lord Chancellor Dalmes asked you to gather at the Second Conference room in two hours.”

When he heard the term Tri-General meeting, Felixus furrowed his brows. There was no point in holding a Tri-General meeting if the other two Generals weren’t present. Theresa could guess what was troubling Felixus, and added:

“Lord Graden and Lady Rosenmarie returned to the capital yesterday to make their reports.”

“I see… Understood.”

Felixus returned to his seat and continued reading the reports.

— Two hours later.

The three generals summoned by Dalmes gathered in the Second Conference Room. They sat around an ebony table that could accommodate 30 people.

“Well, is it true that General Osborne died in battle?”

The moment the meeting started, General Rosenmarie pushed all the reports off the table. Field Marshal Graden glared at her and replied:

“Osborne is certainly dead. The soldiers who fled to Fort Kiel confirmed it.”

“I’m asking if they had made a mistake!”

Rosenmarie refused to accept that Osborne was dead. Unhappy about her tone, Graden scowled his brows:

“Watch your tongue. There are many soldiers who saw Osborne’s head stuck on top of a spear. This is an undeniable fact.”

After Graden cautioned her, Rosenmarie’s cheeks turned flush. She was so persistent because she was formerly Osborne’s subordinate.

The atmosphere in the Conference Room grew tense, and Rosenmarie muttered:

“… I want to go to the Southern War Front.”

“— hah? Sorry, but what did you just say?”

Felixus couldn’t help asking. Rosenmarie stood up angrily and shouted:

“I said I want to go to the Southern War Front! I don’t care whether it’s the seventh or whatever army, I will crush them with my Crimson Knights!”

“If you go to the frontline in the south, then what will happen to the Northern War Theatre? They will be lost without their leader.”

Felixus’ question was to be expected. After all, abandoning your war front and heading to another was unreasonable.

But what Rosenmarie said next was beyond everyone’s expectations.

“Felixus, you can just take over me. You are just idling in the capital anyway, right?”

Rosenmarie sound like she was stating an agreed arrangement. It was Felixus turn to be dumbfounded, and Graden shouted angrily in response:

“You imbecile! What is this drivel!? Felixus is tasked with the important duty of garrisoning the capital, how can he shift his base so easily!?”

After hearing that, Rosenmarie scoffed coldly:

“Hah! Garrison the capital? You think the Royal Army is capable of attacking the capital now? With us surrounding them on all fronts? If you really think that is possible, then you have grown senile, Field Marshal Graden.”

“Y-You wench! How impudent!”

Felixus tried his best to soothe the both of them and ease the mood, as he smiled awkwardly in his heart. Rosenmarie was right, the current Royal Army posed no threat to the Imperial capital. Even if the Azure Knights head to the Northern front, the capital would remain safe.

However, having the most elite Azure Knights garrisoned in the capital would put the citizens at ease, and also acted as a strong threat to the other nations. Without the Emperor’s edict, the Azure Knights would never be sent out.

“Leaving what Rosenmarie said aside for now, the fall of Kaspar castle means we have lost control of the south of the Kingdom. I think we need to come up with countermeasures quickly.”

“— Regarding that, can I interrupt for a moment?”

Dalmes who had been quiet all this while suddenly interjected, and the trio cast their eyes his way.

“Of course. Do you have a good plan in mind, Lord Chancellor?”

Graden spoke on behalf of the generals. Dalmes then proposed something unexpected:

“It’s not really a great plan though. I just think it will be fine to give the southern part of the Kingdom back to them.”

“… May I ask your reasons?”

Graden was clearly baffled. For better or for worse, Dalmes emotions had been unnaturally volatile, making it hard to understand what he was thinking. Felixus couldn’t fathom what his goal was.

“I mean what I said literally. The Southern War Theatre was already at an impasse. I don’t see any point in stubbornly holding on to it. As long as Fort Kiel remains in our hands, the Royal Army would think twice before they try to invade the Empire.”

“Well… That is true.”

Graden reluctantly concurred with him.

“Furthermore, around 45,000 Imperial Soldiers lost their lives in this battle. That is heartbreaking, we should mourn their sacrifices.”

Despite what Dalmes said, the corners of lips were raised. He looked really suspicious.

“Does His Majesty know that Kaspar castle had fallen?”

“Yes, I already reported that to His Majesty. By the way, the Emperor feels the same way as me, and think we should give up on the south of the Kingdom.”

When she heard that, Rosenmarie turned agitated:

“H-How can we do that! How can I avenge General Osborne like this!?”

“Rosenmarie! Now isn’t the time to worry about such a low level matter!”

“— What!? Say that again! You think avenging General Osborne is low level!?”

Rosenmarie was furious, and shouted at Graden, her flame red vermillion hair flailing about. Graden’s words might be cold, but Felixus agreed with him. The priority right now was their strategy for the future.

The air in the Conference Room turned treacherous again, and at this moment Dalmes said to Rosenmarie:

“Rosenmarie. Your chance to avenge Osborne will come soon..”

“W-What do you mean?”

Rosenmarie was a little rattled, while a faint smile appeared on Dalmes’ thin face:

“After taking Kaspar castle, the Royal Army won’t be tied down at Fort Gallia. They will build their new defensive lines centered around Kaspar castle.”

“What has that got to do with me avenging General Osborne?”

Dalmes’ roundabout words made Rosenmarie tilt her head bafflingly. Felixus sighed quietly in his heart as he listened in. It seems like Dalmes wanted to coerce Rosenmarie to do something.

“This is just my speculation, but after they shore up the defences in the southern part of the Kingdom, they will start to support the central and northern war theatres, correct? After all, the Royal Army couldn’t afford to let their forces standby and idle.”

Rosenmarie crossed her arms and fell into deep thought, trying to decipher Dalmes’ intent. A moment later, she said with a faint smile:

“Chancellor Dalmes, I understand what you mean. I just need to force them to come over and support the Northern War Theatre, correct?”

“As expected of Rosenmarie, that’s exactly it.”

Three days after the meeting ended.

On the orders of Emperor Ramza, the Imperial Army withdrew completely from the south of the Kingdom.

Ⅴ

A month after the detachment unit seized Kaspar castle.

The Royal Army solidify their defences with Kaspar castle as their stronghold, and negotiated secretly with the Empire for the prisoners exchange. As Ashton predicted, the Empire accepted the proposal for the prisoners exchange. However, when they learned that the signing ceremony would be held in Fort Kiel, some of the officers strongly opposes it, and even barged into the commander’s office to protest.

“Your Excellency, why should we go to the enemy camp? We won this time, and proposed the prisoners exchange. So it’s only logical for the ceremony to be held in Kaspar castle!”

Paul listened to the officers haplessly. Their reasoning might sound logical, but in the end, they just couldn’t get over their pride. Otto just happen to be out to inspect the recovered towns on Paul’s orders, so Paul couldn’t complain either.

“I’m not asking you to visit Fort Kiel though?”

Paul said with a sigh. The officers became more agitated.

“Please don’t divert the topic! They are only allowing one hundred soldiers as escorts, they have got to be kidding us!”

For the signing ceremony, the Empire imposed the terms that only one hundred escorts were permitted. That really upset them.

“Is that so? If I was in their shoes, I would ask for the same. Having too many escorts will just invite unnecessary suspicion.”

Considering the problem they might encounter on the way there, one hundred seemed like an adequate number. This was a large enough group to deter bandit attacks, but not enough to create a disturbance on enemy grounds. It made a compromise between the Kingdom’s safety and the security of the Empire. A brilliant arrangement.

After explaining the details, the officers started to waver, but still protest relentlessly.

“E-Even so, we can’t accept the signing ceremony to be held in Fort Kiel! Asking us to attend a signing in a fort that used to belong to the Kingdom is humiliating!”

“Then, let me hear your alternatives. Don’t tell me you came to me without a back up plan, and is just here to grumble like children?”

Paul looked at the crowd with a sharp gaze, silencing them. Paul intentionally asked that, knowing that they didn’t have an alternative plan. He just couldn’t be bothered to waste his breath on them.

“B-But… What if something happens to you, Your Excellency!?!”

“I can promise you that there won’t be no danger.”

Paul’s word made the officers furrow their brows.

“How can you be so sure? The fame of the Demon God is known throughout the entire Empire.”

“That’s right, they might think this is a great opportunity to assassinate you.”

Having found a chink in the armour, the officers started building their argument based on the possibility of an assassination. They were correct, this was a good chance to carry our an assassination. Paul was wary of assassinations too, but this worry was unfounded.

“The Empire still has an overwhelming advantage, so there is no need for them to resort to such tricks.”

“B-But...!”

“My escort for this expedition will be Second Lieutenant Olivia. Are there any more questions?”

Everyone turned pale when Olivia’s name was brought up. After the Iris plains battle, everyone in the Seventh Army revered Olivia.

“N-No Sir. Since Second Lieutenant Olivia will be accompanying, then we have no objections.”

“T-That’s true. There will be no problem with her around.”

“We are sorry to disturb your busy schedule!”

The Officers saluted as one, then fled the Commander’s office. Paul sighed, and reached for his chest pocket.

— One week after that.

Paul’s group set off from Kaspar castle, and headed north for Fort Kiel. To remain ready for any emergencies, Paul stayed in the center of the group. Olivia and Claudia stayed beside him as his escorts. Surrounding the three of them were the detachment team that infiltrated Kaspar castle together with Olivia. Olivia chatted with Paul along the way, and the contents always wreck Claudia’s nerves.

She felt the urge to rein Olivia back, but Claudia was hesitant when she saw Paul’s refreshing smile. In the end, she pretended that she didn’t see anything.

(This is such a torture. I would rather fight with the enemy.)

Claudia sighed in her heart as she watched the two of them chat. Finally, the group arrived safely at Fort Kiel without encountering any bandits. They had already left Kasper for four days.

Fort Kiel had three sets of heavy city walls, a stronghold that made full use of its complicated and treacherous terrain. The rows of crossed swords banners filled the hearts of the group with a sense of defeat. They looked at Fort Kiel that was famous for being impregnable with complicated feelings.

Only Olivia looked relaxed.

“Lieutenant General Paul. Fort Kiel looks more majestic than Fort Gallia!”

“S-Second Lieutenant Olivia!”

Claudia couldn’t watch idly by any longer.

“It’s fine— Second Lieutenant Olivia, you do know that this fort used to be part of the Royal Army, correct?”

“Yes, I know. The Imperial Army captured it, right?”

Olivia said without a second thought, and Paul smiled awkwardly/

“Indeed, our army didn’t perform up to expectations.”

“It’s fine, Lieutenant General Paul. We can just snatch it back. It’s the same for Kaspar castle, right?”

“Fufu. When Second Lieutenant Olivia says that, it sounds so easy. How strange.”

The two of them chatted as the arc shape city gate opened slowly. A gallant lady in a black military uniform appeared with some soldiers in azure colored full body armour. The soldiers stood beside the lady as her guards.

The fort sentries probably saw them way ahead of time, so the reception came just at the right time. Paul ordered the group to dismount, and stood before the lady.

“Lieutenant General Paul of the Royal Army, I presume?”

“You’re correct.”

“The name of the demon god has spread throughout the Imperial Army. It’s an honour to meet you. I’m Second Lieutenant Theresa, your guide for today. You must be tired after your long journey, allow me to show you to your rooms.”

“Thank you for your kind hospitality, we will be in your care then.”

After exchanging salutes, Theresa turned and started walking. Paul and the others followed behind silently. Theresa seemed to be curious about Olivia, and would glance her way from time to time.

After walking for about thirty minutes and passing through three city walls, they arrived before a familiar main gate. Theresa stopped there, then turned around and said with an apologetic tone:

“My apologies, due to security concerns, only two of your escorts may follow you inside. I have prepared rooms for the rest of your security detail, they may rest there.”

“Wait, that’s too sudden!”

Claudia couldn’t help protesting this forceful arrangement. Even for enemies, there was a limit to how imposterous they could act. But Paul just tapped Claudia’s shoulder to calm her down.

“Warrant Officer Claudia, it’s fine. Second Lieutenant Theresa, I understand what you are saying. Well then, Second Lieutenant Olivia and Warrant Officer Claudia will accompany me.”

When she heard what Paul said, Theresa looked at Olivia with surprise. On the other hand, Olivia didn’t mind and was looking around curiously.

“Second Lieutenant Theresa, is there a problem?”

“N-None Sir. Pardon me, this way please.”

Theresa quickly ordered the soldiers to open the gates. After the heavy gates opened slowly, the trio continued onwards.

—— The next day.

In the main hall filled with Imperial officers, the signing ceremony for the prisoners exchange was held.

After Felixus and Paul signed on the contract, they shook hands. As the officers whispered “So he is that demon god”, Felixus said:

“It’s an honour to meet you, Lord Paul. I’m sorry to say this, but being in the presence of the famed demon god send chills down my back.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Lord Felixus, the renowned commander of the Azure Knights. Frankly speaking, I never thought you would be so young.”

“People often tell me that.”

Paul and Felixus smiled at each other. The signing ceremony continued without a hitch, and on the surface, it ended peacefully.

“— Have they left?”

Felixus looked out the window and asked Theresa.

“Yes Sir, they just left moments ago. They sent you their regards— Your Excellency? Are you alright? You look ill.”

Theresa looked at him worriedly when she said that. Felixus felt guilty that he worried his subordinate, and shook his head.

“I’m fine. Instead of that, Second Lieutenant Theresa, have you spoken to Lord Paul’s two escorts?”

“Not really… But one of them is really young. I was surprised when I heard she was a Second Lieutenant like me.”

“I see…”

“Your Excellency?”

During the signing ceremony, he could see the silver haired girl behind Paul who was observing him. Her presence was even stronger than Paul who was known to others as the demon god. It was so strong that Felixus felt a chill run down his back.

(What an incredible aura of blood and death. She is the very personification of ‘death’. That girl is probably a great threat to the Imperial Army.)

Olivia and Felixus.

It would be a long time before the two of them meet again.

Side Story: Claudia’s secret

The rays from the morning sun was just shining through the mountains and onto the Kaspar castle.

Olivia and Claudia were facing each other with swords in their hands.

“Second Lieutenant Olivia, this might just be training, but allow me to go all out.”

“Yes, got it. Don’t worry, I won’t injure you.”

— She was being taken lightly.

And of course, Claudia didn’t feel that way. She had always devoted herself to the way of the sword, which was why she could understand the overwhelming difference in power between them. Even when she was facing her father, who was one of the 《Ten Swords of the Kingdom》, she had never felt such a big gulf in abilities. She already saw how terrifying Olivia’s swordsmanship was during the Battle of Iris. Despite that, Claudia felt Olivia had not shown all that she had got yet.

“Alright, here I go.”

Claudia made the first move.

Her right foot shot out like an arrow as she thrust her sword, but Olivia evaded it by tilting to the side. She used the momentum to slash horizontally, and was parried. She already knew it, but Claudia’s swordsmanship was just child’s play to Olivia. Olivia not moving her feet was proof of her strength.

Claudia continued her relentless assault, but all her attacks were fended off easily by Olivia. Claudia was exhausted, but Olivia didn’t even break a sweat.

(Hah, hah, calling her strong isn’t cutting it. Even my father couldn’t hold a candle to her. This is the first time we sparred, but our levels are completely different. She is comparable to the heroes from legends.)

Claudia steadied her ragged breathing, and put some distance between her and Olivia.

“Well then, it’s my turn.”

Olivia said with a smile, and suddenly appeared before Claudia. Claudia couldn’t react immediately, and barely manage to twist and dodge the thrust. Olivia’s smile turned into surprise, and Claudia used this chance to kick at her flank. They were too close for Olivia to evade.

But Olivia caught Claudia’s right leg, as if she knew the kick was coming. Her immense strength prevented Claudia from pulling her leg back. Instead, Claudia got kicked in the stomach instead, and she collapsed onto the ground. It was so strong that Claudia didn’t feel that Olivia was holding back at all.

“Hmm~ Claudia, you got good eyes. That’s so convenient.”

With that, Olivia looked at Claudia’s eyes intriguely. Claudia forgot about the pain in her abdomen, and looked right at Olivia. After a falling out with her close friend when she was young because of her eyes, she had never let anyone know her secret. She was shocked that Olivia saw through her.

However, Olivia didn’t ask further, and simply said: “You want to continue?”

“Yes, I will be in your care.”

Claudia stood back up. She pushed the pain out of her mind, and stood ready with her sword in a high guard stance.

“Understood. Here I come.”

Olivia suddenly disappeared, in a completely different way from before. Claudia quickly unleashed the power of her eyes to track Olivia. It was just an instant, but Claudia caught a glimpse of Olivia going around to the right, but Claudia pretended to not notice.

At the moment her opponent’s wooden sword swung towards her shoulder, Claudia launch a fierce vertical counter slash. She thought she evened up the score with this, however…

(She’s gone again!?)

Her sword slashed through empty space. Claudia scanned the area again, but couldn’t find Olivia. Her eyes were getting strained.

(Oh no! My eyes can’t keep up!)

As Claudia was feeling anxious, a shadow appeared overhead. She looked up, and saw Olivia swinging down with the sun behind her—

“I-It’s my lost.”

Olivia didn’t swing all the way through, and stopped with a paper thin margin. If this was a real fight, Claudia would be dead.

“Claudia has great moves, you must have trained relentlessly in the past. But you should avoid overusing your eyes. It’s tiring, right?”

Olivia was a little concerned. She seemed to understand this mysterious power that Claudia didn’t even understand.

“Y-Yes, you are right. It puts a big strain on me. Second Lieutenant Olivia, you know what this power is?”

“Well, I was taught a lot of things. My 《Fleet Footed Rush》 from earlier will tire me out if I overuse it too.”

Olivia smiled as she patted her legs. Claudia asked who Olivia’s teacher was, but Olivia only said she would tell when it was time. Olivia had no intention of saying it right now.

“Speaking of which, that vanishing movement is called Fleet Footed Rush?”

“That’s right. I think Claudia can master it too.”

Claudia felt agitated when she heard that. If she could master Fleet Footed Rush, her abilities as a knight would improve by another level. Her thinking was always revolving around her swordsmanship.

“R-Really? If it’s possible, please teach me next time!”

“Yes, got it. Let’s have breakfast, I’m famished.”

Olivia said with a smile as she rubbed her belly.

“I will treat you to the special breakfast set then, Second Lieutenant Olivia.”

“Ehh? Is that fine? Wouldn’t you need to pay for that, and quite a big sum of money too?”

“It’s fine, it’s my treat in return for you accompanying me for my training.”

“Aha! That’s great!”

Olivia started walking happily. Claudia stared at her back for a moment, and Olivia turned back to wave at Claudia:

“Claudia, what are you doing? Let’s go to the mess hall~”

“I will be right there, Second Lieutenant!”

With that, Claudia rushed over in high spirits.

Epilogue: After the Award Ceremony...

One month after the prisoners exchange.

After leaving the task of garrisoning Kaspar castle to Major General Elman and 8,000 men, the combined unit returned to Fort Gallia. Fort Kiel showed no signs of movements, so they formed a new defence line centered around Kaspar castle. At the same time, Lambert and Neinhart returned directly from Fort Gallia back to the capital.

They left Fort Gallia quite some time ago, so there were piles of work to be done, and Otto was so busy that his sense of time became a blur. Ashton who had officially started his career as a strategist assisted Otto. He would deal with military issues as Otto’s assistant.

On the other hand, Olivia and Claudia—

(Fufu. I wonder what kind of face the Second Lieutenant will make when she hears this news.)

Claudia tried to relax her face as much as possible, cleared her throat, and knocked on the door.

“Claudia, right? Come in.”

Claudia didn’t state her name, but Olivia could tell it was her. Claudia wondered if her knocking was unique in some way, and opened the door. Inside the room, Olivia laid prone on her bed and read books as usual. She glanced towards Claudia and made a mean observation:

“What’s the matter? Your face looks funny.”

She probably relaxed her face without realizing it, and Claudia quickly refuted:

“I-It’s not funny! Forget about that, there’s good news! Don’t be surprised when you hear it.”

“Well, it’s just a hunch, but I think I won’t be surprised at all.”

Olivia said seriously.

“Fufu, wait till you hear this. The higher ups have decided to award you with the ‘Medal of the Golden Lion’! Are you surprised!!”

“… Hmm~”

Olivia responded disinterestedly, and continued reading her book. The place was quiet, except for the sound of the pages of her book being flipped.

(Ehh!? That’s all!?)

Her unexpected reaction made Claudia stand stiffly in place. It was exactly as Olivia said. Something similar happened in the past too.

(Back then, I thought I was dumped with a troublesome package, however…)

Claudia smiled wryly, and approached Olivia who was lying prone in bed:

“Second Lieutenant! Do you really understand? This is the Medal of the Golden Lion. Medal of the Golden Lion! Only three people in history had received this award. This is a great honor!”

The first was Chief Minister Leonheart Várquez, who swept out the corruption in the Kingdom in the 7th century of the Lunar Calendar, and saved the flailing country with reforms.

The second was Major General Tristan Wrenchings. In the 8th century of the Lunar Calendar, Lord Dioter raised an army in an attempt to usurp the Kingdom, and the event was dubbed by historians as the 《Dioter Uprising》. Major General Tristan put down the rebellion with 2,000 men within two days, earning him this medal.

The third was Field Marshal Cornelius Wym Curling, who earned numerous war merits during the later half of the warring era in the 9th Century, the famous 《Ever Victorious General》.

Every one of them were great heroes. Furthermore, Olivia was the first woman to earn this honor, and with this, a new hero would rise in the Kingdom.

But Olivia’s reaction was—

“……Claudia, you really like honor, huh. Like I said, I prefer books and tasty food.”

Olivia tapped on her book as she said that. Claudia was dumbfounded by this, and glanced at the book’s cover. It was a book that she really liked when she was young, 《Comet, the fairy that loves to play pranks》.

“Second Lieutenant, do you like Comet, the prankster fairy.”

“Yes. Comet is afraid of humans, but still insist on pranking them, that’s so interesting. Claudia, have you read her stories too?”

In response to Olivia’s curious gaze, Claudia puffed out her chest proudly, and replied with a tone that suggest the answer was obvious:

“I don’t mean to boost, but I have the entire Comet book series… And this is a little embarrassing, but when I was young, I believe that Comet really existed, and even tried to catch her.”

Claudia thought back about her childhood, and scratched her face a little bashfully. Olivia jumped up from her bed, and grabbed Claudia’s shoulders. Her eyes were sparkling like a predator who had found her prey.

Claudia was taken aback by her aggressiveness and asked in surprise:

“W-What is it!?”

“Me too! I did the same thing! I tried to catch Comet too!”

Olivia said as she breathed heavily. Olivia was excited because she found a comrade, and Claudia was relieved after realizing that. She didn’t have any friends who shared this interest, so Claudia suggested:

“What a coincidence. If you like it so much, why don’t I give all of them to you? The entire series is still back in my house.”

“Ehh!? Really?”

Olivia was smiling like a flower in full bloom, and any man who saw this would probably fall for her right on the spot. The heir of a grand noble would probably gift her a couple hundred books without any hesitation.

Even though her shoulders were aching from Olivia’s grip, Claudia couldn’t help thinking about such meaningless things.

“Of course it’s fine. But there are twenty odd books in the series. Well… Can you manage them?”

Claudia asked as she looked at the mountain of books in the room. Olivia patted her chest confidently and said:

“I will be alright. I will let Ashton tidy things up for me.”

She had no intentions of tidying up herself. Claudia sympathized a little with Ashton who had been designated as the miscellaneous chore boy.

“I will send a letter back home and ask them to post the books over.”

“Yes, thank you very much! Claudia and Ashton are both good humans!”

“Hah. Thank you for your compliment.”

She was confused by Olivia’s odd choice of words as usual, but Claudia still thanked Olivia sincerely.

(I told her about the Golden Lion Medal. Next, I have to ask her if she needs this.)

Claudia glanced at the white crate under her armpit and asked Olivia:

“By the way, do you have a formal attire, Second Lieutenant?”

“Formal attire? No I don’t.”

Olivia asked in surprise. Claudia smiled, glad that she brought her attire with her.

“That would be a problem. You need to wear formal attire for the award ceremony.”

“Can’t I just wear my uniform?”

Olivia poked at the uniform she was wearing. Her uniform would be fine for most places, but an award ceremony was an exception.

“Regrettably, no.”

“Ehh~ Then can I not attend the award ceremony?”

Claudia grabbed Olivia’s hand as she was flipping the pages of her book. Olivia opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“C-Claudia!?”

“How can the star of the show not attend…!? Really now, I thought this will happen, so I brought my formal attire along. Fortunately, you are around my size, so you can probably wear mine.”

“Ehh~ That will be imposing on you too much, Claudia~ So don't mind me~.”

Olivia averted her eyes and said monotonously. Claudia tightened her grip on Olivia’s hand, before Olivia could slip away.

“If you really feel that way, then put more emotion into your tone. Okay, try it on. Don’t hesitate to tell me if anything doesn’t feel right. I will get it tailored for you.”

Claudia then handed a white formal wear to Olivia. On the shoulders were an embroidery of a grail and two lions, which represents the Kingdom. It was kept deep in storage inside a crate, so Claudia was glad that it still looked fine.

“Ehh~ Claudia seems really forceful recently.”

Olivia complained, but still took off her uniform reluctantly. The formal wear had the same designs as the military uniform, so it was easy to put on. A moment later, Olivia looked just like a female military officer from the story books.

“Just as I thought, it suits you really well.”

Claudia complimented her, but Olivia tilted her head and seemed a little dissatisfied.

“How is it?”

The size seemed alright, and Claudia felt there wasn’t any need to tailor the clothes.

“Hmm~ the chest is a bit tight and stuffling. And the waist is loose…”

“……”

“Claudia, are you listening?”

“That’s how it’s designed. So please bear with it.”

“Ehh? But you said you will tailor it if it doesn’t fit…”

“There is no need to tailor it.”

“But you just—”

“No.”

“… I-I see. I think you are right, Claudia.”

Olivia nodded, and took off the formal wear under Claudia’s icy glare.

Fort Gallia, Main Hall

The main hall that was normally not in use was crowded. Sparkling light shone from the extravagant chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and the Kingdom’s banners of a grail with two lions covered the walls.

In the middle of the main hall was Paul who was in formal attire and a purple cape. The military and civil officers stood in two neat columns. Otto who was also in formal attire stood beside Paul. On the pedestal was a shiny golden medal that had the emblems of a lion on it.

“Well then, let the award ceremony begin.”

With that signal, the trumpets blew and the guards opened the heavy doors. Olivia who was in a white formal attire appeared. With the officers watching her, Olivia walked down the hall graciously. Many of the civil officers who only heard about Olivia before looked surprised. Some even took off their glasses and started wiping them.

(They probably thought she was too swole to control.)

Otto deduced, and heard one of the civil officers whisper: “Who’s the one who said she must be really buffed?”

Olivia came before Paul, and knelt on one knee with her hand on her chest in one smooth motion. Otto was surprised by her galliant demeanour. There wasn’t time to teach her etiquette before this, so he thought she would act a little unglamourously.

Otto looked to Claudia standing on the right column, who shook her head.

(It wasn’t Warrant Officer Claudia who taught her—? The mystery around the girl deepens again.)

Otto felt confused, and Paul’s eyes were shining like a boy who found a gem.

“Second Lieutenant Olivia. In recognition of your outstanding performance, I hereby bestow you with the Medal of the Golden Lion.”

“Yes Sir, I’m deeply honored.”

Otto pinned the medal on Olivia’s breast as she knelt before him. Olivia got up, took one step back before bowing. She then turned with her red cape embedded with the emblem of the Kingdom twirling in the air, and walked off smartly. Many of the officers were in awe, and—

“P-Pardon my intrusion!”

The soldier barging in spoiled the mood. All the officers present furrowed their brows, and Otto admonished him harshly:

“The ceremony isn’t over yet! Can’t you wait!?”

“P-Pardon me, but—”

Paul said to the panicking soldier:

“It’s fine. What’s the matter?.”

“Yes, an urgent report came from the capital! The Third and Fourth Army defending the northern war theatre has been destroyed!”

Lunar Calendar Year 999.

The clouds over the Kingdom grew darker.

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