*

　In mid-January of the year 434 in the Imperial Calendar, Count Burgmeier.
　Anca Basserman, Acting Commander of the Eleventh Order of the Kingsguard, was awakened by the noise.
　It was noisy outside the tent.
　Have the rebels on the southern frontier begun to move?
　She tried to listen carefully, but she couldn't pick up any meaningful information.
　Tsk, I clicked my tongue and got off the bed.
　I shouldn't have used a common soldier as a watchdog.
　The soldiers sent from the imperial capital were ten thousand.
　Their numbers are respectable, but their quality is not good.
　It's not surprising. The empire is in this situation.
　Everyone wants to keep competent soldiers on hand and cut down the incompetent.
　That's why the ordinary soldiers thought and acted as incompetent--''

''I didn't expect you to divulge the information before you reported it to me.

　Anka spits and throws his uniform through his sleeve.
　She buttons it up in frustration and lets out a small sigh.
　This isn't the first time she's been irritated.
　It's been that way since the time of the Commander, Eryl Sardomelik.
　She became the Commander and Anka became the Deputy Commander.
　Back then, she had always been irritated that she would be beholden to a little girl who hadn't even graduated from military school.
　If only she had excelled at one thing as a Knight Commander, I thought.
　But it would have been irritating even if she had the abilities that Anka wanted.
　I feel like that.
　Perhaps I'm a small degree.
　Not only that, but I'm not very capable.
　He was an older man and knew the work of the Kingsguard Order well.
　That alone made me the deputy commander, and since I was short of personnel, I became the acting commander.
　I am such an insignificant person.
　In hindsight, I guess I was jealous of Eryl Sardomelik.
　She was young and had a talent for developing magic and magic items.
　He didn't want to admit it.
　He hated to admit how petty he was.
　I'm sick of myself still being frustrated with myself after a bad experience.
　But that's who I am - Anka Basserman.
　I've always been and will always have to deal with myself like that.

'It's Commander Basserman ... Lord Commander of the Legion!
Get in!

　As Anka raised her voice, a man in a white uniform walked in.
　His name is called Alba.
　He is relatively senior in the 11th Konoe Order and serves as the second in command.
　Since Anka is the acting head of the group, Alba is more like an acting deputy.

''What's going on?''
Ha, the rebels are on the move.

　Anka asked, and Alba straightened up and replied.

'It won't be enough to cause this mess.
Ha. The fire tower has been destroyed.
So.....

　Anka let out a deep sigh.
　It must have been the rebels who destroyed the wolfsbane stand.
　The rebels moved in and the ordinary soldiers tried to light the wolfsbane stand.
　However, the Wolfsbane stand was destroyed and panicked, sending a message to the base.
　They managed to get to the base, but they couldn't make an accurate report, and that's what happened.
　Here's what the commotion would be about.

What do we do now?
Stay on schedule and protect the streets.
Well, then, you might want to--
No, wait.

　He stops Alba as she is about to leave the tent.

'I'll go,'
Okay.

　He must have sensed our intentions. Alba nodded widely.
　I don't know how far this will go, but the time is right.
　Anka breathed heavily and walked out of the tent.
　He walked slowly through the field camp.
　A general soldier passes in front of him.
　He hoped that they would regain their composure when they saw him, but it didn't seem so sweet.

''The rebels!　The rebels are attacking us!
'd*mn it!　What was the surveillance doing?
They've destroyed the fire tower!
How close are the rebels?
They're coming in one fell swoop!

　There was a beehive of commotion inside the field camp.
　As far as I could tell from a quick glance, my own men - no knights of the Kingsguard - were gone.
　Anka smiled bitterly and stopped.
　And--.

''Quiet!

　I raised my voice.
　It was so big that even a lightning strike could not be stopped.
　Then the soldiers stopped moving.

"What's the hurry!

　Anka shouted and looked around.
　The soldiers looked at us in silence.

'We knew the rebels were going to move!　So, on the road that connects the southern frontier with Count Burkmeier's estate!　We have established a field position on the territory!

　Really?　The soldiers looked at each other as if to say, "I don't know what to do.
　But no one objected.
　Anka patted his chest inwardly.
　The latter part - so the rest was a lie.
　In truth, I wanted to build a field position far from the territorial boundary.
　If the city was close enough, it would be easier to resupply, and we could set up a rotation and let the soldiers rest.
　The soldiers would probably go out to the tavern, but it was important to relieve stress.
　Soldiers are motivated by drinking and being encouraged by their female wives.
　But the director of military affairs - Ralph Libra - did not think so.
　He sent a written order to establish a field position here.
　Perhaps he was complaining to the Director General of the Burkmeier Shogunate.
　'Give me a break,' he said, 'but I have to obey orders.

'I can read what they're doing!　Stay calm and get ready to intercept!

　Ha, the soldiers responded unevenly and began to move with regularity.
　Anka exhaled through her mouth, her expression tightening.
　Alba walked over to us and opened her mouth.

''Well thank you for your help.''
Not something to get used to, is it?

　He stared at his sweaty palms and chuckled.

'It was stunning. He looked like a brave man of the past.''
'That's good to hear. I'm confident in my voice and my face.

　Anka stroked his chin.
　Everyone had a coveted cue or two.
　He wanted more useful cues, not just a loud voice or a look of dependability.

'Well, let's get ready to intercept them.
'Praying that the rebels are slowing down?'
You know what I'm talking about.
The messenger!　The rebel envoys are here!
W--!

　I was about to grin when a loud voice rang out.
　What?　I was about to say and hold my mouth down.
　When I look at the direction of the voice, I see that a man is about to walk up to me.
　The ordinary soldiers buzz.
　I think it's understandable.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's not.
　And that's not all.
　It's not only that, but it's also that he has golden eyes, a thick bridge of nose, and thick lips.
　The arms are particularly impressive.
　They were as thick and long as a giant snake.
　He shuddered as he imagined the arm wrapped around his own neck and crushed his bones.
　Furthermore, the man was not holding a sword.
　It is a fearsome rigidity to come without a weapon.
　It is not intended to harm you from the start, but if you do, you'll lose face in the face of Anka.
　I don't think it's possible that he didn't calculate that.
　He's bold and calculating.
　He's a tricky man.
　The man looked at me and grinned.
　His impudent smile irritates me.
　I don't know why the rebels chose this man to be their emissary.
　Before that, why is the war envoy already here?
　Not much time has passed since we received reports that the rebels have moved.
　It is possible that the military envoy could have moved ahead, but what was the surveillance doing?
　If they were dodging the surveillance, how did they do it?
　Is there an enemy spy?
　Come to think of it, the mainstay of the Legion were those who had been cut off as unnecessary by battalions all over.
　It's hard to say that there aren't people from the southern frontier among them.
　I don't want to think that the War Department is that incompetent, but--.
　One question after another arises.
　Calm down, Anka told herself.
　Then she realized that there was another person behind the man.
　Her impression was that he was, well, a normal man.
　The big man stopped about five meters away and saluted us.
　Anka's eyes widened.
　It was such a brilliant salute.

''...........................Lord Legion Commander.
"-Oh!

　Alba blurted out and Anka hurriedly returned the salute.
　The big man stopped saluting, so she followed suit.

''My name is Dragon, and I am the Deputy Commander of the Southern Frontier Army.
Dragons?　Is that a fake name?
Haha, that's my real name.

　The big man - the dragon laughed with amusement.
　Nine times out of ten, it would be a false name.
　Maybe they were mercenaries.
　The lords of the southern frontier are former mercenaries.
　With their connections, it shouldn't be difficult to hire mercenaries.
　However, could they salute a mercenary with such a splendid salute?
　Before that, how could a mercenary be entrusted with an executive such as a sub-commander?

''That's Assistant Sub-Commander Apollo behind me.
This is Apollo.

　The man - Apollo bowed his head in a bow, and Anka came to himself.

'This is Anka, the corps commander. Next to me is my second in command, Alba. So, what can I do for you?
I'm here to negotiate.
Negotiate?

　I ask back.
　But if you think about it, that's what a military envoy is.
　Maybe it was because of the dragon's appearance, but the natural idea didn't come up.

''Yes, we--we--would like to ask the Southern Frontier Army to allow passage through the Earl of Bowties' territory.
'Nah!　What are you talking about!

　Anka's voice is hoarse and she realizes her mistake.
　The civilian soldiers are looking at us.
　A blunder. I should have moved to my tent.
　If we move now, it will only make the ordinary soldiers suspicious.
　Then we're better off staying where we are.

''We don't want to lose soldiers for nothing, sir.
'We are the proud Imperial Guard!　I will not betray the Emperor!
That's why I'm here to negotiate.

　The dragon said simply.

'Go home and tell your superiors that we won't betray you. Tell your superiors we won't betray you.
Are you sure you don't want to hear the terms?
f*ck you!

　The dragon didn't even pretend to be frightened when Anka shouted.

''Princess Tilia--''
The general manager said he had a lot of...
Wait!

　Alba tried to interrupt the dragon's words and Anka stopped her.
　Alba is looking at me with eyes that say why.
　I don't mean to betray you, but when you say that you are the Princess of Tilia, I can't not listen.
　There is a possibility that I can draw useful information from it.

''Princess Tilia said that upon victory, she will purge the nobles who gave to the false emperor Alfort and confiscate their property, and we can carve up the territory.
...when did it happen?
'It's a secret, but I had an audience with Princess Tyria and we made a pact.

　How long have we been in touch with each other?
　And we are discussing post-war governance.

'If you become a landed aristocrat, you will be treated with honor after the war.
What's that like?
'I'm sorry, sir, but...'

　The dragon chuckled.
　I guess you can't say any more about this until you're one of us.

What are you going to do?
"We have no intention of betraying the Emperor.
'I see. I'm sorry.

　The dragon cowered lightly and turned on his heel.
　Apollo lowered his head and followed.

'Get out of the way!　Don't you dare mess with the Warlord!

　Anka shouted, and the soldiers cleared a path.
　I let out a sigh when they are out of sight.
　My head wobbles.
　It's because they've been bombarded with several pieces of information in a short amount of time.

'I'm relieved,'
Did you think I would betray you?
....

　Alba is silent.
　It's not unreasonable.
　I don't know what Princess Tilia thinks, but the position of a landed nobleman is appealing.
　If you betray it, you'll get it.

''If I'm honest--''
Say no more.

　Anka interrupted Alba's words.

'I'm not going to make a bet.'
....
"Order your men to sternly refrain from attacking us.
I understand.

　Alba gave him a wry look.
　I'm not going to gamble, and I'm not going to be a traitor.
　A traitor's end is certain to be death.



　Apollo and the dragon ride their horses and continue south along the city road.
　When the imperial army's field position was out of sight--.

''Buhaaaaah!

　Apollo let out a grand exhale.

'Is something wrong?'
There was a break in the tension.

　The dragon asked the question in the same tone as usual, and I couldn't help but get miffed and return it.
　He rode into enemy territory unarmed.
　It's at least exhausting.

''What do you think the imperial army will do?
I'm sure they'll be vetting the information for a while.

　The dragon laughed.
　He would have thought he was couscous and laughing, but he seemed to be cooing and throttling.

'Will it work so well?'
Lady Anka seems to be a very serious person, so I'm sure she'll be fine.
'It certainly looked that way, Commander but where does Lord Claude think you are going with this?
Now, where do you think you're going with this?

　The dragon looked troubled by Apollo's question.
　It was Claude who had thought of this plan - Dragon would go to the negotiations unarmed, give him a lot of information and walk away - this time.

'Will it work?'
You'll be fine.

　When I asked the same question again, the dragon responded with a wry smile on his face.
　That being said, it seemed to work.
　Claude looked confident and Anka looked confused.
　He thought about what he would have done if he were in his position.
　Immediately after receiving a report that the enemy had moved, the enemy's military envoy would come and bombard him with information.
　This alone would be quite confusing.

''Will we have to fight the Imperial Army?''
It's hard to say,
I'm sure you do.

　Apollo grunted.

'I don't want to fight because I know someone in the Imperial Army.
I know how you feel.

　The dragon gave a small nod.
　It wouldn't be a lie.
　I would have told him not to lie if we hadn't known each other for so long.

'What about you, Lord Dragon?'
It's a soldier's duty to fight when ordered.
That's true, though.
Were you expecting a more humanistic statement?
Yes, to be honest.

　I'm in the mood to do it thanks to Princess Tyria, but I'm not sure if I'm in the mood to fight or not.

I'm sure they are too.
I hope so.

　Apollo and the dragon continue down the street in silence for a while.

'....Speaking of which...
What is it?
Are you sure you want me to tell them you don't want to wear out your soldiers?
Yeah, it's not a problem.
If they know we're afraid of wear and tear, they'll attack us.
It won't matter if we don't take action.
Why?
'Lord Anka seemed to be interested in our proposal.
Is that so?

　I only thought he wasn't interested because he said he couldn't betray His Majesty the Emperor, but apparently the dragon has a different view.

''What do you think Lord Anka has in mind?''
You're just trying to protect yourself.

　The dragon answered Apollo's question without pause.

'If you betray me, you will lose your credibility.'
'Isn't it worth it if a single betrayal can make you a nobleman with a realm?
'It's not advisable to go along with the story when there's a chance we'll break our word. And there's no guarantee that our mish-mash of soldiers will comply. Under the circumstances, it's best to wait and see.
'I see, you want to protect your position and leave the possibility open.
That's right.

　Dragon said in a tone of voice that said well done.
　I feel like I'm a student.
　No, I am in fact a student.
　The dragon is trying to nurture me.
　When I think back to my time in the imperial army, it's been that way since I was in the imperial army.
　He would say that he deserves it as a boss, but he doesn't usually go this far.
　Why is he doing this much for me?
　I'll ask him after the battle is over.
　It's up to the detachment, though, Apollo said, looking up at the sky.
　Where are the Tilia princesses now?



　Tilia chewed on her dried fruit and looked out the window.
　There was a dense forest outside, and it was flowing slowly.
　Naturally, it wasn't the forest that was moving, but Tilia - the box carriage that carried Tilia and the others, to be precise.

''What can I say--''
Peace, sir?

　Tilia looked at Myra, who was sitting in the seat facing her.

''Well I knew it was going to be a harder journey.

　Tilia chooses her thoughts as she chooses her words.
　I don't want to use the word calm when the Imperial Army and the Southern Frontier Army are facing the Imperial Army.
　Someone could be dead at this moment as well.

''Rest assured that it's only me and Princess Tyria who are here.
No, you can't accidentally eat it.
Okay.

　Myra nodded quietly.
　Silence descended.
　A little awkward.
　I don't want to spread the conversation if I'm convinced.

'I thought the interstices were more dangerous.

　I had no choice but to start the conversation myself.
　The boxcarriage is going on the interstices - the back roads that are not controlled by the lord.
　I've heard it's dangerous to use the intervening roads, but I haven't been in any danger since I left the southern frontier.

''You are being escorted by Master Robert, with five cavalrymen, including Master Gaul, as escort, and the advance party has finished paying off the dew.
It's something to think about.

　The number of separate teams working with Tilia is one thousand.
　They are divided into teams of ten men.
　It takes a lot of work, but since the number is small, it's hard to find them, and even if they are found, the other teams are saved.
　It's a method that I don't think was thought up overnight.

'We're mercenaries, sir.
Okay.

　It sounds like the way of a peddler - and not a mercenary - of lesser quality, but I guess I should keep it quiet.

'And I was cleaning it regularly.
Cleaning?

　Myra said quietly, and Tilia asked back.

'Yes, two birds with one stone.'
What's two birds with one stone?
'It will do the world good and make them give up their virginity.'
You've made your point.

　In short, he was probably gaining real battle experience by defeating bandits.
　But still--.

They used to be all over the place, but perhaps the peaceful times that followed have reduced their numbers. They may become extinct sooner or later.
That's not what I'm trying to say.
Yes, sir.
Are you sure?
Yes, that's what Princess Tyria is trying to say, isn't it? That our resources should be put to good use.
No!

　Tilia exclaimed involuntarily.

'Isn't it?'
Of course. What do you usually think of people as resources?
With all due respect, sir,

　Myra interrupts Tilia's words.

'Good.'
'Thieves are a valuable resource. I remind myself to kill them with gratitude.
That's enough.

　Tilia broke off the conversation.
　We have different values.
　It's no use continuing to talk like this.
　I'm afraid that if the conversation is still on a parallel track, I'll be persuaded.

''.........You said it used to be....
I told you. What is it?
'Have you always had a route to attack the Imperial City?

　Myra tilted her head cutely and gave a small smile.

'Johnny didn't like it at first, but after two or three times--'
Wait. Answer the question.

　As Tilia tried to stand up, she was lightly pushed on the shoulder.
　Of course, it was Myra who pushed her shoulder.

'Keep your wife where she is,'

　With that, Myra leaned forward.

'Then let's continue.'
How long have you been planning to invade the Imperial City?
....

　When Tyria asked again, Myra turned her head away.
　Apparently, she wasn't going to answer.

''Enough.''
That's good to know, sir.

　Myra sat back in her chair.
　That's when the speed of the boxcarriage slowed down.
　The boxcarriage must be close to its destination.
　After a few moments, the boxcarriage came to a stop.

'What are we going to do with this boxcarriage?
''I plan to use it to attack the Imperial City, but I'll keep it under wraps until then.
How?
"Lord Robert is the divine warrior of the Mother Goddess of Ochre and Fertility.
Okay, that's easy.

　You can bury it in the ground, or you can let the plants grow and hide it.
　Myra dismounts from the boxcarriage and reaches out to her.
　Tilia takes her hand and descends to the ground.
　She looks around.
　It was in the woods.

'Master Robert, please.'
Sure. Have a good day.

　I hear such a voice, and the boxcarriage begins to move.
　A cavalryman salutes as they cross paths.

'Let us come. Follow me.
Yeah, okay.

　Myra started to walk away and Tilia followed her.
　Even though it was winter, there was still quite a bit of undergrowth.

'Try to stay as far away from me as possible.
You're setting a trap, after all.
Yes, although there's no life-threatening traps.
Are you okay with that?
If you kill them, that's the end of it, but if you wound them, you can put the burden on the enemy.
I get the feeling you're related to the Chronosphere.

　Tyria let out a small sigh.
　Further into the forest, and when she was getting fed up, her vision opened up.
　It was cleverly camouflaged with grass and trees, but it was about the size of a small settlement.

''........When did you guys plan to attack the Imperial City?''
What are you talking about?

　Myra said quickly.
　How long have they been preparing for this?
　I'm afraid they will take over the country.
　As I was thinking about this, I heard a rustling sound from behind me.
　I reflexively turned around, but there was no one there.
　When I looked forward again, I saw a man - Johnny - standing in front of Myra.

''Long time no see!''
Hmm, long time no see. You're....

　Tilia tilted her head.
　They should have met in the Marquess of Erakis, but strangely enough, it didn't leave a lasting impression.

''If it didn't leave an impression, it's fine if it didn't.

　Johnny muttered drearily.