Princess Sylvia's point of view...


What are you thinking about, Sister Renesmee?

　Sylvia Kittle jumped into the carriage and shouted at her sister.
　In the narrow four-seater carriage.
　When Sylvia saw her sister taking off her maid's clothes and changing into her armor, she questioned her further.

What are you doing, Sister ......?
You can tell from my appearance, can't you?　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
What for?
Sylvia. Have you forgotten that you are the daughter of the great patriarch Kittle?

　Rather curiously, Llanes-Kittle looked back at her sister's face.

"Since we came to the frontier, we've only been frightened by the King of the Frontier. We haven't even been able to show our authority as members of the Kittle family. Before we go back, we must show him our strength as well.
We've come to apologize. If you're proud of your father's name, shouldn't you do it some other time?
We can win now.

　Renesmee Kittle, wearing her leather armor, looked out the window.

"Don't you see, Sylvia?　Don't you notice their weaknesses?
"...... weaknesses?
"Look carefully around the village. Only the King of the Frontier is showing any strength. The rest of the villagers are unarmed. We've brought our troops here, and they don't even have soldiers to defend themselves.

　As she was told, Sylvia looked at the area around the village gate.
　My sister is right. The king and his wives were all around her. Men, women, and children were working in the fields. Not even a sword or club in sight.

"That means only the king of the frontier has the power to fight. With his power alone, this frontier has risen to a position of equality with us. Then I will not fight the king. If I say, "Mock battle with your men," only weak soldiers will appear. We can easily win and show our strength.
"Isn't the lack of troops a sign that we are welcome?

　Sylvia replied.

And the Dims who tried to invade the village in the middle of the night were defeated by the frontier soldiers. I told your sister about it.
"I just heard. I just heard Dimus and his men muttering to themselves.

　Renesmee Kittle put her face close to her sister's ear, as if she was afraid someone would hear.

"This is what they said.

"They said this: 'The soldiers of this village will fall if you attack them under their feet.

　And... I've heard that demons are powerful but rough. It's no wonder they don't look after their feet. How can I not use this information?
Maybe we should just teach the King of the Frontier how to fight us.
"You're very much in favor of the King of the Frontier, Sylvia.
"...... That's...

　I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　And then there was the ingenuity of leaving the demons that appeared in that place and using them to suppress our troops.
　He didn't even blame Sylvia for sending spies to the village. They just wanted to hand him over and bring him back.
　And the supernatural powers he uses, the way the demons fear and follow him, and the way his wives dote on him are beyond Sylvia's ...... understanding.
　He may still have something important that we have lost in the turbulent times.

I just want to look at ...... the King of the Frontier.

　Sylvia mumbled, choosing her words carefully.

I just want to watch The King of the Frontier," Sylvia murmured, choosing her words carefully. My sister!

　Lanes-Kittle's lips quirked up in a smile.

It's all right. If the mock battle is to teach the King of the Frontier how to fight, it will be to his benefit. If that's the case, Sylvia has no objection?　I'll take command of the army. Me... yes. Let's introduce me as your second-in-command, Renesmee ...... or Rain.
"My sister.
Don't worry. I will not fight in my father's name.

　"Don't worry, I won't fight in honor of my father.

And fighting the subhumans on the frontier will help my father to achieve his goal, right?　There are all kinds of monsters on the continent. Hey, Sylvia.




　From Shoma's point of view...



　After Princess Sylvia jumped into the carriage, I heard the rules of the "mock battle" from the captain of the soldiers (whose name was Dorus).

A group battle with ten players per team.
The weapon was a soft wooden sword.


Each team's captain puts a flag on his head. If it is taken, the game is over.
One hour time limit.
Play hard to get.

　I see. It's like the original stick-fighting and cavalry games.
　In the territory of the Kitoru Patriarch, this is a red and white war between soldiers, and the main purpose of the war is to test each team's tactics and group fighting skills.

"Brother Shoma. Please let Lisette take that role!

　Lysette knelt down in front of me.

"This is a valuable opportunity for you to learn how to fight in the human world. Please!
"Can't I answer?
If you do, it'll only take five minutes.

　Maybe.
Maybe. He'll just wake up, take the flag off the leader's head and be done with it.

And Lysette has been working on various formations for her subordinates lately.
Is that so?
Yes. So please give me a chance to try it out.

　Lisette was very serious.
　Dorus of the Kittle Guard looks satisfied with her enthusiasm.
　As for me, I'd like to know the tactics of the humans of this world and how they fight in groups. It would be helpful if I could experience it in a safe 'mock battle'.

　And Lysette is the one for this.
　Haruka gets hot easily, and Yukino, a wizard, is not the best choice for a hand-to-hand combat.
　The demon tribe is not suitable for mock battles because they are too enthusiastic when it comes to fighting.
　So, it would be better to have Lisette lead the hei.

...... But the hei of my territory is a bit special.
I'm sure you're right.　The King of the Frontier.

　I don't know if he heard me, but the captain, Drusus, asked me.

I guess being under the direct command of the King of the Frontier is different from being an ordinary soldier.
Yeah. My cavalry usually surrounds my home.
I think it's normal for soldiers to guard the king's residence.
No, it's a 'he' with a 'he' in his hand.
"I see. A soldier with a will to protect the king.
"Or rather, a soldier made of stone.
His body is made up of the will to protect the king. That's wonderful!

　...... I don't know how to explain it.
　I don't have a choice. I'm not comfortable revealing my hand, but I don't want it to become an issue of what I said or didn't say later. Princess Sylvia is a valued ally. I'll tell you a secret about my hei.

"In fact, I am a 'magician'.
"What!　You say he uses some kind of moving armor?
That's enough.

　They'll be here later, anyway.
　I'll explain the details later.

Anyway, my haystack is usually around my house to keep out the wind and dust. Without it, children would come in through the windows without permission. No, even if we had a guard, the children would still climb over it and come to play.
............ The children of the frontier are very strong.
Yeah, I've always had a hard time with them.

　I'm glad you adore me, but...

I'm glad you adore him, but he's a special kind of guy. That's all we can do for you right now. I'm sorry if we hurt Princess Sylvia's soldiers by fighting with such people. It is better to wait until we have regular soldiers before we start the mock battle. ......
Thank you for your kindness, King of the Frontier.

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that.

"But we are the proud soldiers of House Kittle. But we are the proud soldiers of the House of Kittle. If you avoid our offer of a mock battle for fear of being injured, you will ruin our name!　Please, "King of the Frontier". Please, King of the Frontier, grant us the opportunity to engage in a mock battle!
King! Please! Give us a chance to fight!

　The captain shouts and the soldiers chant.
　The captain shouted, and the soldiers chanted. ...... This can't be settled without a fight.
　If you avoid fighting, you've played the role of a tyrant for nothing. A tyrant who makes the demon tribe fear him will not avoid the challenge of other lords. I don't want to waste such an embarrassing performance.

All right. My men, then. Come here!
"Will you accept my challenge, King of the Frontier?

　"Will you accept my challenge, 'King of the Frontier'?" shouted a woman jumping out of a carriage.
　She had golden hair tied back, a wooden sword in her hand, and leather armor on her body.



I'm Princess Sylvia's second-in-command, and my name is Rene. It's not often that I get the chance to join hands with a barbarian from the frontier, so I'd love to participate.
"......, please. The King of the Frontier.

　Princess Sylvia is behind the blonde woman, Rain, looking tired.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I'm sure you're aware of it. Are you okay with that?
"No, sir. There are men in the Corps who have fought demons, golems. The names of the soldiers of the Kittle Guard are not to be trifled with.
"I see. Then come to ...... 'My Fence'!


"Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey!

　Zzzzz.

　The "soldiers of will" who were leaning against the walls began to move.

What about 「「「「?　I'm not sure what to make of this. 」」」」

　The princess, Rain, and the soldiers make strange noises.
　Yeah. Well, I suppose so.
　You wouldn't normally think that they'd be laying down a fence here.
　I'm not stupid. There's no way I could be unguarded in the presence of a group of armed soldiers.
　I have placed soldiers of will in place to protect the villagers.

　If they leaned their fences against the city wall, they would become one and indistinguishable. The number of Soldiers of Will was 20... or should I say 20. They were ready to move whenever Princess Sylvia's soldiers took hostile action.
Even if you put 9 into the mock battle, you still have 11 left.
　That's enough to protect the village.

"That's my army. What do we do now?
"....... Oh, yeah.
I've got nine of these Soldiers of Will and Lysette to deal with. I think this one will be more defensive than offensive.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it. They don't move very fast.
　So we won't be attacking the enemy's territory. It's a defensive battle only.
　In that light, this "mock battle" with the soldiers of the "Kittle Guard" is just the right training.
　How can we protect Lysette, the general? How to deploy a wall of defense - literally.... Learn from this and apply it next time.

We know the weaknesses of the enemy's soldiers. The enemy's weakness is .......
Rain?
You can't run away from this!

　The enemy's second-in-command, Rain, raised his wooden sword and shouted.

You can't escape from here!" The enemy's second-in-command, Rain, raised his wooden sword and shouted, "I request a mock battle with the soldiers of the King of the Frontier, or rather, the walls!　Let's go home and show our abilities for the honor of the Kittle family!

　And so, we and the soldiers of the Kitoru Tamori decided to have a mock battle of ten against ten.





　Around Hazama Village. The newly cleared plains...



"Yeah. From the top of this tree, you can see the mock battle clearly.

　Princess Sylvia and I were atop a tree we had left in a corner of the plain.
　Of course, it was to watch the mock battle.
We could have awakened and watched from the sky, but that would have put the Kittle Guard on alert. I can always get to them. So I decided to watch from the tree tops.
　Princess Sylvia is here because she wants to be.
　Haruka and Yukino are on the ground to prove that I won't take the princess hostage. They're supposed to be my wives now. Well, I don't think there's anyone in the army who can stop them.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, ......, 'King of the Frontier'.

　Princess Sylvia said.
　She had changed out of her dress and into normal clothes and was sitting on a thick branch.

I'm sure you've noticed.　You are aware that Rain is my sister.
"...... I sort of do.

　A soldier hears the words of the blonde girl and calls for a mock battle.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not.
　After that, Rain came down from the carriage before the princess. She was standing in front of Princess Sylvia.

The only thing I could think of was the possibility that Rain was equal or superior to the Princess.
My sister and I have been vying for the position of ...... father's heir.

　Princess Sylvia sighed.

I was changed when I met the King of the Frontier. But my sister, ......, has made a name for herself as my father's heir. I'm sure she's trapped by the fact that she's the daughter of the Kittle Lord Keeper.


Let's talk later.

　I held up my hand, stopping Princess Sylvia's words.

"It seems to be starting. Let's see how this battle plays out.

　The soldier acting as judge blew his whistle.
　As if on cue, the soldiers of House Kittle and the Fence led by Lisette began to move.
　The mock battle is about to begin.




────────────


The King of the Frontier's direct troops versus the Kittle Guard.

Mock Battle
　Victory condition: Capture or destroy the "general flag" on the head of the opponent's leader. Or destroy it.

Frontier Group
　Leader: Lysette-Luge
　Below: 9 "Soldiers of Will (Stone Fence)

The Kittle Guard
　Leader: Second-in-command Rain (Lanes-Kittle)
　Below: 9 soldiers (all armed with leather armor and wooden swords)





"Form up for an assault!

　Princess Lanes shouted.
　At the sound of her voice, the soldiers begin to move.

"Don't be afraid. The enemy moves slowly. If we flank them, we can easily defeat them!　Divide the soldiers into two groups and attack the enemy from both sides!

　The well-trained soldiers quickly formed up.









　Two squads, one with four men and one with six.
　Princess Renesmee is placed at the rear of the side with the most men.

"Charge!

　And the soldiers start running.
　And Lisette...



"Form a line!

　Lysette shouted to her subordinates at the fence.

This is the formation I discussed with my brother. You are strongest in this formation!　Now, please!
"Hey! "Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey!

　And so, the soldiers of will (stone fence) took a formation...








「「「「 box! 」」」」

　A shout went up from Princess Llanes' camp.

What's that?　That's crazy. It's a perfect square!
"It's a square!
「「「「 Yes, but!　It's definitely a square, but! 」」」」

　You can't see Lysette shouting back from Princess Renesmee's camp.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

"Hi, Princess!
Call me Lieutenant Raine!
"Master Rain!　Which side are you on?
...... Which is it?

　As he runs, Raynes looks for a gap in the wall with his eyes.
　No.
　No, ...... the enemy is probably looking at us. There may be a peephole or two, but you can't tell where they are from here. The nine "stone walls" are tightly packed together, overlapping each other, forming a solid box. It's no longer a camp, it's a wall.

But ...... that would leave them with no way to attack. Are they trying to run out the clock ......?

　I believe they called it a 'defensive battle'.
　If that's the case, then the other side will win if it can defend itself.

"No, ......, don't underestimate them. There's got to be a plan.
That wall may be mobile, but it seems to be slow.

　Captain Dolus answered the princess.

Then the only one who can go out and get the general's flag is the girl. I'm sure she'll be the one to go after Master Rain.
"I see, ......, I've read their plan.

　Lanes-Kittle clapped her hands involuntarily.
　She is also a princess of the turbulent times, she has at least read the history books.
　She knows about the battles of the past. I've read records of tactics similar to this.
　I believe the strategy was to draw the enemy to one side of the gate and attack from the other side. Or, the strategy was to flee. It is a very common and natural method.

Rather than a 'mock battle' between infantrymen, this should be considered as an exercise in siege warfare.



　Lanes-Kittle laughed.
　Funny. The King of the Frontier's men indeed. I didn't know this was a tactic.
　But I know the other side's strategy.

"Divide the troops into two groups and move them to the north and south. Then have the northern group climb over the wall, or rather the 'fence'. The other group will go behind, hold the girl as she jumps out, and take the flag. It's a dead end.
"Yes, sir!
"Yes, sir! That's about the extent of subhuman tactics.

　And so, Princess Renesmee's plan was executed.









　"Ten minutes later...

"Hey! "Hey! "Hey, hey, hey!









Hey, guys. They're leaning on each other like a door.
That's fast!　They're heavy!　They're so much smarter than I thought they'd be!
Princess!　I'm going through the open door!
Wait!　This could be the same operation as ours. We have to wait and see!　It's possible they're waiting for us in the open.
There's no time for that. ...... The fence!　The fence!



　Fifteen minutes later...













How did this happen?

　Llanes shouted .
　Not a single one of the soldiers had fallen. But they were crammed together in a tight formation.
　They were all squeezed into a small space by the walls coming at them from both sides.

"I'm sorry ......, but that wall moves and swings down on soldiers .......

　The soldiers shouted in trembling voices.

　Trained soldiers can easily climb over such a wall.
　But that's only if the opponent stays still.

　This wall moves. And it's screaming. It's coming at you.
　If you try to climb it by grabbing the edge, it will avoid you, and if you try to use the soldier in front of you as a stepping stone, it will keep its distance.

"Hey ──────?　Hey hey hey?

　And the soldiers were scared. Are you scared, soldiers?　Hey, hey! That's what he's shouting.
　They surrounded us on all sides while shouting, slowly closing in on us.
　The soldiers are doing their best to push it back. There's no room to climb over the walls. There is not even room for that. The gaps in the wall are getting narrower and narrower, and neither Renesmee nor the soldiers can even lift a limb anymore.

"...... Sylvia was ...... right.

　I had underestimated the King of the Frontier. I knew that he had supernatural powers, but I looked down on him.
　How dare he think that he had no soldiers under his command?

　We have nine soldiers. All of them are skilled and have even killed demons. And yet they can't even get over the wall. Surrounded and squeezed, it's hard to even move their bodies. The princess and the soldiers are all in one place. It's like being trapped in a small box.

　The defense of this "soldier of the wall" is unbreakable.
　Besides, the enemy has not done much to attack.

But we can take them out if we aim for their feet!　That's the weak point Dimus taught me!　Aim for the feet!
No!　They're coming down on us!

　The fence shook.
　The walls shook, and Renesmee realized what Dimus and the others had meant.


"The fences in this village will physically fall over if you attack their feet.
(And I didn't say they wouldn't get up.)


　That's why you can't attack his feet... that's what he meant.


"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
Oh, my God! No, don't come. Don't come here!



　It was as if the wall in front of me saw Princess Llanes.

　The wall in front of me seemed to have seen Princess Llanes.
　Then, as if aiming for her, she slowly fell down.

You can find a lot more information on the web at .............

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
　This was also the case in her father's territory. There have been a few deaths in heated 'mock battles'. But this was different. I'm not supposed to be crushed against a fence in the middle of nowhere. And yet...


"Hey.


　I heard a voice.
　It was a girl's voice, light and gentle.

　She was standing on top of a slanted wall. She kicked the wall with a thump, as if taking a step, and jumped. She passed over Lanes. He lands on the other side of the wall.
　When she looked back, she saw in her hand the general's flag attached to Renesmee's helmet. The girl flips her silver hair, smiles gently, and says.

"A servant of the Deformed High King. "Lysette-Luge, the Dragon General. I've received the general's flag!
"Hey! "Hey, hey, hey! "Hey! Hey!

　The fencemen were shouting in triumph as they unraveled the enclosure.
　When Renesmee looked up, she saw the same troops trapped behind the walls as her. It seems that while she was surrounded by six walls, the other side was surrounded by a triangular wall. They were all pale and trembling. I can't blame them. I know how you feel.

We've been ...... completely defeated. ...... We shouldn't have messed with the frontier.

　Lanes-Kittle slumped his shoulders and muttered.

I'll never touch the frontier again. I'll tell them everything I've done and apologize. I'm willing to give you everything I have ...... so please ...... don't antagonize me ...... please don't antagonize me ...... please don't... .... frontier scary scary scary scary ......

　She and the soldiers were on their knees, shaking.