The Zirconia Empire's First Military Camp. A third of all the troops in Zirconia's army were stationed in that military camp, located across a canal that served as a border replacement for the Kingdom of Laiseneier.

　The reason for the past tense is that the attack on the Isle Rose Fortress had failed, and the war against the sub-humans of the northern mountains and the peoples of the Forest of the Ends, who have long been a threat to Zirconia, had intensified, and it was necessary to divide the troops.

　Alejandro Flaesebel, one of the Three Winged Generals at the top of the Zirconian army, was forced to return 1,000 of his remaining 5,000 men to the center. That also meant that ten of his subordinate centurions would leave the command.

　The remaining troops are four thousand - from the information Alejandro has obtained, they still exceed the strength of the Isle Rose Fortress. However, if we were to attack and defeat the robust fortress, ideally we would have liked to have 10,000 troops.

　Nevertheless, Alejandro had been confident of victory in this situation just yesterday.

　The core of his tactics was a mage who was visiting as a secret messenger from the other Raeseneier - her magical surprise attack was successful, and even if it ended in defeat, Alejandro was able to make better use of his magical power to bring down the fortress I believed I could do it.


"General, ...... please calm your anger, for if you do not, Leda will die!

　Inside the largest tabernacle in the military camp, Alejandro hung his hands around the neck of his subordinate who had just finished his report. He gazed emotionlessly at his subordinate's footsteps and then struck down on the spot.

　The sound of the rumbling rain beating on the roof of the Tabernacle echoes. Amidst the sound of this rain, the other soldiers do not notice what is going on here.

''Gahaha, ghohoho ......''
'I told you to bring Noin back. It's impossible for that mage to stay away from me ...... and not be found. Why would you tell such a lie?
"Jeez, I'm, like, a lie ...... Lord Noyn is nowhere to be found in the fort, and one of the warships has disappeared ...... ahhh ......!

　The soldier called Leda is blown away by Alejandro's kick. The other man - an elderly second-in-command who assists Alejandro - stands in front of Leda, who lies on the ground and tries to protect him as he sputters to the ground.

'Please do not take this any further: ......!　If you are going to kill Leda, then cut me down!
...... Vice Admiral ...... which .......

　Leda's armor had a broken clasp, and the armor beneath it was ripped and torn, exposing her skin. Most of Zirconia's soldiers are men, but the communications soldiers and the Transportation Corps, which is responsible for transporting them from the rear, are sometimes served by women - Leda was one of them.

　Alejandro is not aware of gender differences if he is a soldier, whether male or female. But Rihiardo, the second-in-command, was someone who was not thoroughly divided.

''Lichardo. What do you think of the report you just received?
Lord Noyn: "Lord Noyn, ...... the loss of a combat mage means that we cannot use tactics that rely on magic. ......
'There is no mage in Zirconia who is as useful as that one. In a situation where no mages were sent to the Isle Rose Fortress and we had our own mages, we could have brought that fortress down without a hitch. ...... I wonder why that didn't happen.

　Even before Alejandro asked him about it, Reichardt had noticed it too. The archers' bows suddenly became unusable and impossible to eject - the reason for this was never the poor maintenance of the bows.

''It's thought that the mages have joined the Isle Rose Fortress. I wonder if they had already come out to intercept them at the stage of the last attack. ......

　Noin's whereabouts are unknown and the mages have joined the enemy army. If the soldiers learned of this, it would be extremely demoralizing.

　Alejandro is largely unemotional, even now that he has punished Leda and confirmed the disadvantage of his army. In his long career as a lieutenant, Rihjald had never seen a general of this young man's age even slightly agitated in battle.

　--that Alejandro unexpectedly twists the edges of his mouth. Rihiardo shuddered and broke out in a cold sweat as he confronted the young general with white hair and ashen eyes.

'There is a connection between Noin's disappearance and the mage who joined the Isle Rose ...... these two things. Do you see what I'm getting at, Rihiardo?
"Wha-...... is haha ...... I understand. If we can get rid of the enemy mages, we still have a chance to win. I wondered if the enemy mages knew where Noin was located, too, since it is the mages who know the threat of the ...... mages.
...... Vail has also disappeared from the fort that sent Noyn to us. We believe that the man had no intention of cooperating with us anyway. As the commander of the Raseneian invasion force, the charge of treason applies to Bale. Even if he is still alive, there is no need to think about rescuing him.

　Alejandro had planned to send Noin to cage Vale, who was in command at the western fort that doubled as a shipyard.

　Alejandro has no interest in women, but he understands how Noin is viewed by the men. The mature Rihiardo had only seen her as a daughter, but Bail had used the obvious coloration on Noin once they had met face to face.

　It was an easy way out, Alejandro thought. But he also thought that if it was taken from him, he could just take it back.

I'm sure that if Noon is lost to the enemy, no one will be able to save it. It is bound to a contract that allows it to take only my orders.

　Alejandro sees humans as nothing more than pawns - he doesn't always behave that way, but he sometimes shows his true feelings in front of Rihjald.

'It is possible that Neun has infiltrated the enemy forces himself. If Neun, a citizen of Rayseneier, offered to help, the enemy would not suspect it.
...... yes. But even if it's not, I'm not going to just end it.

　Even if he retires from the army, he leaves a claw mark. Alejandro was not undefeated until he rose to the rank of general - even in defeat, he still left scars on his opponents that would lead to his next victory.

　Hence 'The Raven'. Alejandro is called by that nickname because he has stood over the deaths of countless men and fed off of them to win in the end.

(...... When the general attacks the Isle Rose once more, he will eliminate the mages ...... and, if he can, he will even think about taking back Neun. Once that is done, I intend to leave the camp once. (The sacrifices made to get rid of the Mages should result in minimal pursuit from His Majesty and the other generals.

　Zirconia is not so much a threat as it is a threat to the mages of Rezeneire. Although there are mages in Zirconia, none of them are as powerful as combat mages, and since there are no training institutions like those in Raiseneire, they are only of some use in logistical support.

'The Mages of the Isle Rose will definitely appear once again. Don't overlook even the slightest anomaly.
'Ha. Soldiers like that ......

　--that was the moment when Rihiardo answered.

　The ground and the tabernacle shook with a sound that shook the eardrums. The military camp suddenly became noisy, and Alejandro stepped out of the tabernacle with his sword drawn.

　I'm not going to follow him immediately, but rather approach Leda, who is lying on the ground.

'...... Mr. Rihiardo, ...... I am ......'
Don't say anything. "Don't say a word. But that may not be the case if we get rid of the enemy mages.

　Rihiardo tries to pull Leda up, but Leda refuses to help and gets up on her own. She is exhausted, but the sparkle in her eyes has not disappeared.

If ...... you finish off the mage yourself, will your uncle be able to replace ...... that man?

　At Leda's words, Reichardt looks back. There is no sign of Alejandro's return outside the Tabernacle - only that he can hear voices from outside.

　It was not expected that this military camp would be attacked by the enemy. Alejandro was confident that Rezeneier would not give the order to attack, and he was planning his plans accordingly.

　Lichardo had also sensed that Alejandro had an insider in Raiseneier. That's why he was beginning to wonder about continuing to be in the position of a second-in-command - being through to the enemy is good if you're winning, but when you lose, it's so pressing that you're considered a war criminal.

'We need only look for an opportunity. If you can find a mage, then ...... don't kill Noin, we must capture him if possible.

　Leda nodded, and Alejandro called out. Rihiardo walked out of the Tabernacle. In the pouring rain, black smoke was rising from the bulwark on the east side of the military camp.

　The fire was already extinguished, but the damage was extensive - the wooden bulwark was extensively destroyed, and one of the turrets had been destroyed.

'This is ...... one body, what is ......'
A warship has appeared in the canal and is firing from the east!　We believe it was caused by a cannon!
"Don't be stupid. We can't use cannons.　In this rain. ......!

　Rihiardo is furious, but Alejandro is unfazed. He calls for the messenger and has them ring the bell to stop the confused soldiers.

He calls for the messengers to ring the bell and stop the confused soldiers from moving. Don't let them use any more of their cannon!
"Huh ...... Sir, if the soldiers land from the warship, they will be allowed to enter the military camp!
'That prediction is what the enemy is after. If that's a diversion, then that's where the enemy will come from: ...... the western plains.
'Then ...... tell the whole army!　As soon as you're ready to launch, leave the main gate and form up!　The Rayseneian Army is available from there: ......

　It was at the moment when Rihiardo was about to give an instruction - from the 'north side of the military camp', the screaming cries of the soldiers could be heard.

'Enemy attack, enemy attack!　Already, the enemy forces have already circled around to the north, and from the hills ......, guffawing ......!

　From the sky, arrows are falling - not the archers descending from the warships.

　In spite of the constant presence of guards against all directions, the enemy's troops were going around the back of the military camp. Such a march should have been absolutely impossible, even if it was lost in the rain.

''--General Alejandro!

　As if impelled, Alejandro straddles his beloved horse, which was nearby, and heads for the main gate of the military camp.

　The rain, which had been beating down, begins to rise. Alejandro finally realizes that this rain was caused by magic - Noyn, and that it is against him.

''--Whoa!
'Hey, when did it come out ......, oooh, oooh, oooh!

　The guards toward the main gate let out a wailing cry. Alejandro felt a curse as the black clouds cracked and the sunshine came through the intervals.

　--The main gate is pierced by a breaking hammer. Beyond the wreckage of the destroyed main gate, Alejandro and Zirconia's soldiers saw a nightmarish scene.

　What they could see was the camped Rayseneian soldiers and the flags fluttering in the sky.

'...... Astina...... Raiseneier......'

　Reichardt certainly heard the murmur as he caught up with Alejandro in the midst of the confused soldiers' rage.

　The Swordswoman General turned to the offensive. The Knights of the Isle Rose, who had suddenly emerged the moment the rains lifted, had already completely surrounded Zirconia's army camp.