Hmm....

　What was supposed to be a small murmur resounded loudly in the room.
　The central tower that rises in the center of Fort Notis.
　A man was lying on a bed in a bedroom on the top floor of the tower, staring into the air.
　How many times had he let out this sigh-like murmur?

''Ummm....''

　Moore rolls over again.
　He closes his eyes and buries his face in the feather pillows, but quickly turns over again.
　How long have we been doing this for........
　The darkness outside the window is slowly diminishing in intensity. In less than thirty minutes, the morning sun will be appearing on the horizon.
(I can't sleep...)
　The time he lay in bed would not have been much different than usual.
　That means Moore had been lying in bed for hours without being able to sleep.
　Something is stirring inside your body.
　It's a frustrating and indescribable feeling, and it's one that's stirring in Moore's mind.
　In the battlefield, it is important to sleep when you can and to switch from sleep to wakefulness. These two are the two most important things to know in order to save one's life.
　One must sleep.
　On the other hand, it was impossible to get enough sleep on the battlefield, where the enemy could attack at any moment.
　It's a good idea to sleep when you can, and to wake up quickly when the enemy attacks.
　But now Moore couldn't help but sleep.
(Shall I give up and get up...)
　He got up in bed and rang the doorbell on his pillow.

'Excuse me can I help you with something?'

　I order the guard and peasant who was waiting in the next room to bring me some water.
(Hmm ... delicious)
　As he carried the water from the jug to the bottom of his mouth where it was poured into a cup, the moderately cold water slid down his throat and quenched Moore's body's thirst.
　Apparently the thought of agony was eating away at his body more than he thought it would.
Then he took a breath and Moore lay down on the bed again.
　This time it wasn't to sleep.
(I don't know ... what in the world is going on?)　
　Moore's instincts as a warrior make him sound the alarm bell constantly.
　If I had to choose, it would be similar to the feeling you get when you are attacked by night on the battlefield.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about this.
　However, this is the country of the Oltmere Empire where Moore is located. Moreover, it is inside an iron-walled fortress protected by strong stone walls and thousands of soldiers, not a frontline encampment.
　If this fort built on the western edge of the Notis Plains was to be attacked by the enemy, it would most likely come from the eastern direction, that is to say, from the side of the Kingdom of Zaruda, but that is to say, it would only be when the expeditionary force led by Shardina during the Zaruda expedition was defeated.
　However, the news of the defeat has not yet reached Moore.
　If the expeditionary force was defeated, it would be a matter of life and death for the Oltmere Empire.
　It's a good idea to make sure that no matter what the cost, there's no reason why the report can't be delivered to Moore's side.

''I still have my... no...''

　With that said, Moore gave a small shake of his head and got off the bed. Then he grabbed his beloved greatsword, which was propped up against the wall.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what's going on.
　But intuition is an answer that comes from the accumulation of facts and your own experience.
　In the end, it comes down to whether or not you can trust yourself.
(I've survived because I've trusted my instincts.
　A steel sword with a unique and complex pattern carved into the blade.
　The best blacksmiths have forged the product, and the best sorcerers have engraved the seals of the granting techniques.
　It is the very alter ego of the person who went through many battles with Moore.
　The steep glow illuminated his face, and the feel of the cold hilt in his hand calmed Moore's heart.
　And the warrior's instincts had never been wrong.
　Right now, a pack of hungry wolves was about to attack him from behind with their fangs bared....


　Countless figures were stirring in the courtyard of the fort.
　In front of them, there is a long line of carts parked in the courtyard of the fort.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you're going to be able to find it.
　Of course, that was the result of Ryoma's coordination to arrive at Notis Fort in the middle of the night.
(Idiot....)
　It's certainly an efficient choice.
　No one would want to unload and unload a load in the middle of the night knowing that they would be carried out of the fort immediately.
　But that one hassle has cost Fort Notis dearly.
　If they had checked the wagon load properly, they would have noticed a big difference between the paperwork they submitted and the actual load.
　Ryoma's lips and a suspended laugh at the sight before him.

'Begin.'

　Ryoma waves his hand forward.
　Following his signal, the knights of Ernest Gura, who are dressed in the armor of the Oltmere Empire, are scattered all at once to the interior of the fort.
　What they have in their hands is a large amount of oil.
　No matter how solid the stone fort is, once the fire breaks out from inside, the fire cannot escape spreading.
　It's impossible to make everything out of stone alone.

''Now, let's dance as we intend........''

　A small murmur of prayerfulness escapes from Ryoma's lips.
　Early morning, along with late night, is a convenient time for people to be less vigilant and take you by surprise.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of it.
　No matter how strong Fort Notis' defenses are, they are useless if they are devoured from the inside.
　Soon, Fort Notis, which had been quietly waiting for the dawn to break, was plunged into a maelstrom of confusion.

'Fire!　There's a fire!

Turn it off!　Water, go get some water!

　What started out as a small buzz at first grew louder and louder.

'Enemy attack!　It's an enemy attack on the side of Zaruda!

No, it's not. No! Relax! Gather your troops and wait for your lives!

'Nonsense!　You're gonna die in a fire!　Quickly get me some water.

　Burning fires make people fearful, and black smoke obstructs their vision.
　The horror of the fire. The essence of the fire, even if we are in another world, is no different.
　Gushing out from here and there.
　The information is all over the place, and no one is able to grasp the truth.
　Everyone is saying what they want to say.
　And, moreover, the knights of Ernest Gura, dressed as Oltmere soldiers, are spewing out horseshit one after another, adding to the confusion in the chain of command.

''It's about time........Saara, Laura. Take five hundred each and focus on setting fire to the stores of supplies. The guards should be loosening up by now.

Yes, sir.

　The barracks and watchtowers built inside the fort would be burned first, and when the Oltmere side was confused, they would set fire to the stores of supplies.
　This was the plan from the beginning.　

Look, we have oil and fodder for the fires. Do it with gusto!　Burn this fort to the ground.　

　When I gave a small nod to Ryoma's words, Saara and Laura led their own troops and started running.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

It's time for me to move on, too...

　Gazing at the back of the Malfist sisters as they ran away, Ryoma drew the sword hanging from his waist from its sheath.

''Let's go. Cut them down from one side!　We don't need prisoners. Kill them all!

"'Oooooohhhhhh!'

　A yell went up from the knights of Ernesgula who followed behind the shout.


'Fire?'

　A low voice that seemed to resonate from the depths of the earth hit the face of the entourage that had jumped into the room.
　The entourage continued to speak while being surprised to see Moore, who had changed from his nightgown into armor and was already ready for battle.

''Ha!　Fires are coming out of the west tower, east tower and every building in the fort at once.

What the...?

　Moore frowns at the report of his aide, who shouts out in time to catch his ragged breath.

'What do you mean? What were the guards doing?'

I don't know, sir.

　Moore is silent at the words of his aides. His brain piles on the facts, eventually leading to a single assumption.
　And the sense of discomfort he had felt since last night became a clear conviction in Moore's mind.　
　There were plenty of things that were unnatural if he calmed down and thought about it.
(Oops....they're still Zaruda's...then are they after my head?　No, it's not good. If that's what they're after, the Zaruda expedition will be thwarted. (Or worse, His Highness Prince Shardina...)
　Certainly, firefighting is a top priority.
　But it's clear that this fire was set up by someone else.
　It's not a commonplace mismanagement of fire.
　And the real goal is........

Fool!　Who would leave their post?

　A sharp tongue. Moore rushed out of the room without falling into a rash.
(We can still manage ... now ...)
　If the chaos in the chain of command can be calmed down and Moore can give the orders efficiently, it should still be possible to reverse the trend.
　But in order to do so, Moore would have to take command of the battlefield himself.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you are.　

But.... how is this possible?

　The entourage desperately followed Moore's back as he hurriedly ran out of the bedroom.
　Followed by the dozens or so of soldiers who had packed the central tower as guards.　
　Moore ran down the stairs in a desperate fashion.
　The high-pitched metallic sound of armor wood spirits inside the fort.
　But as Moore ran down to the first floor of the central tower and was about to exit through the door into the courtyard, countless figures stood in front of him.

'What are you people!　What the hell do you think you're doing blocking Captain Moore's front door!

　No wonder his entourage raised their voices.
　It's a matter of the earth world where there is a strong division of status.
　There is no one here who would stand in front of Moore, who is a senior knight and is entrusted with the captain of the Notis fort's guard, and block his way.
　I'm not going to seriously blame them, but it's just a good sacrifice to show everyone that order has been restored.

You are from what unit? Identify yourself!

　The human wall that had been blocking his path split off to the left and right, and a man stepped forward.
　While feeling faintly uncomfortable with his imposing gait, his entourage raised their voices.

''Take off your helmet!　Show me your face!

　An aide hurriedly approaches toward the man without warning.

'Wait!　Get away from it!

What?

　Moore's screams wooded the fort inside.
　Then something cold stabbed into the belly of his entourage as he involuntarily turned back.
　It stirs the contents of his belly scatteredly and heads outward.

''Ugh................................gebos.

　Something slippery and iron-tasting surged up from the back of my throat.
　It's a nostalgic taste I've tasted many times on the battlefield.

''What...........''

　An aide stares at the bloody dagger in the hand of the man in front of him.
　The light gradually fades from his eyes. He did not understand until the end why he was killed.

You are Zaruda's handmaiden, aren't you?

　At these words, the soldiers who were standing behind Moore drew their swords at once.
　They were stunned, unable to follow the developments unfolding before their eyes, but Moore's words brought them back to reality.

''Shall I ask your name...?''

　A chilling voice.
　A killing intent, honed to the limit, is released from Moore's body.

Yeah, that's fine.

　As he says this, the man takes off the helmet he was wearing to reveal his face.
　It's a good-looking, masculine face.
　It's not unattractive, but it's a matter of taste.

''It's a pleasure to meet you. It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends. Please, good evening.

　A cheerful, carefree smile, like the sun.
　And then he bowed his head politely, even though he had his enemy in front of him.　
　But that soft, human-like smile was terrifying to Moore now.　
　It was as if he had seen something unearthly in the form of a person, but not a person...