“Hey! Is your commander not hot? Tell him to take off that helmet!”
*Thud thud!*
Knights lined up in a battle formation.
A Holy Knight Commander in iron armor with a helmet endured the taunts from Pelaine.
“Commander. You don’t have to worry…”
“I know. Just check on the kids’ status again.”
“Yes.”
But Pelaine shrugged it off without a care.
There was a reason he couldn’t take off the helmet, and he’d expected this mockery.
Maybe it had to do with what would happen if they saw inside the helmet…
‘No way. That won’t happen.’
Pelaine quickly shook his head to dismiss the possibility.
He was ready for the ridicule, but that didn’t mean he’d show the inside.
That kind of thing wasn’t going to happen.
No, it *had* to be avoided.
“Everyone! Prepare to charge!”
“Prepare to charge!”
The command from the Commander in Chief echoed.
Then, like thunder, the response rolled over the plains.
That voice surely reached the enemy camp in the distance.
“We are outnumbered! But in terms of quality, we are overwhelming the enemy! The inexperienced ones can just focus on the back of the guy in front! That should be enough!”
The Commander in Chief, the Imperial Knight Commander, encouraged the cavalry as he crossed in front of the lines.
Clearly, the suppression army was vastly outnumbered compared to the rebel army.
However, most of the suppression army were knights or former knights.
On the other hand, most of the rebels were subhuman slaves.
Unless there were special variables, there was no reason to lose in a rotation.
“Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! The Imperial Knights are with us!”
Soon, ten knights from the Holy Knights donned their helmets.
Their position was at the very rear.
They were placed there due to their utter lack of real battle experience.
“Charge!”
*Thud thud thud!*
With the sound of hooves, dirt was kicked up in all directions.
The cavalry, three rows deep, accelerated in unison, sprinting towards the enemy camp.
The wide formation seemed to completely cover the horizon.
“D-Damn…!”
In the Southern Republic troops’ camp.
Sweat streamed down the necks of subhuman soldiers standing with spears.
The sound of hooves grew closer, vibrating as if the ground itself turned upside down.
Complete face concealment with iron helmets made it impossible to read any emotions.
They were engulfed by the overwhelming sense that war machines were charging at them.
Meanwhile, in the suppression army’s charging formation—
“Enemy cavalry appearing on the right!”
“They’ve appeared on the left as well!”
The Commander in Chief, leading from the front, quickly turned his head.
On both sides, a charge of enemy cavalry numbering over a thousand rushed in.
A trap, perhaps?
But that didn’t matter at all.
They were merely hunters with thin leather armor.
“Ignore it! Keep charging!”
“Woahhhh!!!”
There was no way they would be a match.
With the order to ignore, hesitation was gone.
The knights roared with a booming shout that filled the plains.
The ridiculous volume made even the Commander in Chief feel like his ears might burst as he sighed.
“I can’t do this! Damn, I can’t do it!”
“Hey! Come back, you idiot!”
At the moment the cavalry reached them.
A subhuman soldier couldn’t bear the pressure, threw his spear, and fled.
After that, there was no one left.
“Damn! This won’t do!”
“Ahhh! Damn! Help me!”
Soldiers began to throw down their spears and flee in droves.
Even before the cavalry had arrived, the formation was already collapsing.
By the time the cavalry jumped over the low wooden barricade, not a single soldier stood there.
Only those turning their backs and running remained.
“Enemy cavalry. Retreating!”
The enemy cavalry that had charged in to surround them began to fall back.
Then there was nothing left to stop.
It was just about completely crushing this formation.
However, the battle was practically over.
There was no way to stop the knights who had surged into the formation.
It was easier to face a rampaging herd of elephants at this point.
In less than thirty minutes, the rebel camp was entirely subdued.
“How many prisoners do we have? Ugh.”
The Commander in Chief sighed deeply as he passed by the bound prisoners on their knees.
The number was around three thousand.
No more than thirty enemy soldiers had been killed.
In contrast, only about ten of their own were wounded.
And most of those injuries were from falls.
It was a *decisive victory*.
The soldiers erupted with cheers, soaking in the aftermath of their triumph.
“Why do you look so serious, Commander?”
At that moment, Pelaine was staring beyond the barricade at the distant 3rd Castle.
In the far distance, enemy cavalry units could be seen faintly retreating toward the castle.
“Something feels off. This is too easy.”
“They’re just a bunch of snotty rebels who’ve recently become free and are grabbing spears. It makes sense that it’s easy.”
“No…”
But the movements of those cavalry were strange.
The way they went through the narrow castle gates was anything but chaotic, almost as if they were one organism, moving like sand being sucked into a hole, without a hint of disorder.
Their training level was absolutely not that low.
Why was such an elite group using themselves as mere cavalry…?
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to talk to the Commander in Chief.”
Those guys had something up their sleeves.
That was the only explanation.
Pelaine turned sharply—
“……”
After glancing at the prisoners’ gazes, he turned to the Commander in Chief.
*
– Report on battle situation. The enemy movements seem suspicious. I hesitate to judge, but if I may share my thoughts…
As usual, a regular report arrived from the Holy Knights.
It appeared the rebels were deliberately losing.
The cavalry numbers remained intact, while the undisciplined infantry continued to surrender.
Thanks to this, managing prisoners had become a serious issue at the 4th Castle, among other things…
Unlike the always festive atmosphere in the media, Pelaine voiced his worries.
His insight was hard to ignore.
In fact, Duke Lorraine was indeed letting them win intentionally.
The rebels were in a position where they could lose as many times as necessary.
But the suppression army could not afford a single loss.
If they continued to lose without a decent commander, they would be lulled into complacency, ultimately leading to their destruction in one single battle by the rebels.
“I have to go.”
Usually concise in his writing, Pelaine was speaking a lot this time.
He seemed genuinely worried.
Something made him uneasy.
It seemed like the suppression army was about to take a big hit, and he decided he needed to act.
Even just running rampant during the week of cancellation could tip the scales.
“Go? Where to?”
“Oh. I meant the Imperial Palace.”
“……”
But he still couldn’t go right away.
Today, he had to meet with Aria.
When he turned around, he saw Emilia fixing my clothing, and then she started tying my tie around my neck.
“Check the letters after I get back. Aren’t you nervous? You’re going to meet the Crown Prince.”
“You’ve met him too. He’s a pretty incompetent guy.”
“That person you think is incompetent has a single word that can create or destroy a nation…”
Emilia still seemed wary of Aria.
After meeting a few times, she should’ve realized how easy to handle she was.
Though of course, that only applied when Aria had something she wanted.
“What’s this? Why aren’t you in your maid uniform?”
Speaking of which, Emilia was in the casual clothes I bought her yesterday.
She had said she’d wear appropriate outfits during duty, yet here she was, wearing casual clothes while going out.
While it was nice that I seemed less embarrassing, it felt somewhat strange.
In fact, it felt like I was living with a younger girl rather than an attendant.
“Hehe. I’m tired of it.”
“Tired…?”
“Shall we go out then, Hainkel?”
Emilia suddenly swung the door open and changed her tone.
She was back to her usual dry demeanor.
It was easier for me this way but…
“When there’s no one around, you can relax with me.”
“Got it. Hehe.”
Indeed, I preferred the carefree Emilia.
“Hey, Schlus!”
“Aintz.”
As I walked through the grounds, I came across Aintz, who was carrying a pile of books.
It hadn’t been long since midterms finished, and he was as dedicated as always.
Thinking about how I’d managed to keep him pinned down with tricks and luck left me feeling guilty.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Imperial Palace. I have an appointment with the Crown Prince.”
“Oh! Are you about to settle that matter?”
“What? What matter?”
“Aren’t you setting a date for the wedding soon?”
“Absolutely not!”
The moment I opened my mouth, Emilia chimed in loudly from behind.
Aintz looked surprised, alternating his gaze between me and Emilia, with his eyes wide.
“Oh. Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout…”
“I see now. Haha. Sorry for misunderstanding.”
“Glad you realized.”
Aintz scratched his head but didn’t show any signs of regret for the misunderstanding.
He looked far more like he was saying, “Oh, so that’s it.”
I was a bit irritated, but there was nothing I could do.
For now, I just had to ask Aria to help clear up the rumors.
“You’re wearing a sword now, huh? Does that mean you’re a knight now?”
“I’m far from it. It’s just a precautionary measure.”
“But why on your right side? Aren’t you right-handed?”
“The right hand is reserved for that.”
“Oh…”
When he showed his open palm, Aintz nodded as if he understood.
When it came to Aintz, I thought he’d pry into what that sword of light was, but he surprisingly let it pass.
I thought he’d show some interest since it was something he’d never seen before.
“Well then, may good fortune be with you! I wish you the best!”
“Fortune? What are you talking about…?”
Aintz kept teasing until he went on his way.
Damn. From now on, I better not mention I’m heading to the Imperial Palace, regardless of whom I meet along the way.
*
*Thud! Thud!*
A steady, heavy sound resonated.
Soldiers in uniform saluted, all tensed towards one direction.
That was where the legend of the Imperial Army resided.
“Hey. You salute? Don’t I get screen checked?”
“You can just go ahead.”
“Oh really? Is that what your superior said?”
“Uh…! Turn around and put your hands on your head!”
*Sigh.* These guys…
Segei clicked his tongue, turned around, and soon the screening was complete as he could step into the military camp.
No one stopped him as he went straight to the commander’s office.
“It’s noisy outside, so you Proist, huh?”
“Damn! Roman! How long has it been? Let’s hug!”
“……”
Roman answered with a disdainful look.
Feeling awkward, Segei closed his outstretched arms and found a chair to sit down.
“Next time, at least drop me a message. The kids are going to be surprised.”
“Eh, what’s there to be surprised about?”
“Can’t you see? For them, this is like a bolt from the blue.”
Roman pulled back the curtain forcefully.
The previously rigid soldiers were already busy scrubbing the clean floor over and over again.
“*Sigh.* So, what business brings you here? You’ve avoided military issues for years, yet here you show up. Why, especially after skipping the Day of Magic event?”
“……”
At that question, Segei’s expression turned serious.
It was widely known that Segei had severed ties with the Imperial Army since his discharge.
His firm resolve was to maintain complete neutrality and not exert any indirect influence over the army.
Yet here he was, visiting the 3rd Division out of the blue.
There had to be some political motive behind it.
“Schlus Hainkel. You know him?”
“I do. He’s the one who saved me on the Day of Magic.”
“That guy is something else.”
“Something else, you say? Remarkable, you mean?”
“Not just remarkable. Something alien.”
“Haha. Like me?”
“……”
Segei didn’t even fake a smile at Roman’s joke.
“He pulled out a sword of light.”
“……?”
“It wasn’t magic. It wasn’t just a mass of mana. It was something I’ve never seen before.”
“Isn’t that… a magic sword?”
“A magic sword? No way.”
A magic sword, they say.
A legendary sword that awakens and devours mana, appearing only in children’s stories, its existence still not properly ascertained.
“That’s not it. Anyway, if it were like before, he’d keep such a mysterious weapon well hidden. But recently he’s been showing off his skills far too often.”
“What are you implying?”
“That he’ll soon be on the chopping block. By the Emperor or the Majin. That’s certain. And at that time, he’ll surely come looking for your help. You’ll use your debt to him.”
“Are you suggesting I shouldn’t lend him a hand?”
“On the contrary. If that time comes, don’t hesitate to help him.”
Segei’s words were confusing.
Didn’t he just say the Emperor or Majin would eliminate him?
Then wouldn’t that mean he was likely to die, yet I should help him?
“Are you telling me to leap into the fire myself?”
“Yes. Sometimes, what you can only see by jumping into the fire is worth it.”
“Proist…!”
“Now I’m just a professor.”
“Professor, you know something, don’t you?”
“……”
That crafty bastard.
Segei sealed his mouth tight.
He wouldn’t say anymore than that.
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