III
It was four days since their arrival in the capital. With Ashton helping, their research had indeed progressed at an impressive pace, yet they still hadn’t found the answers they sought.
Ashton and Claryss stood in front of a bookshelf, discussing some difficult topic. Claudia, meanwhile, sat in front of them with a stack of books beside her, staring up at the ceiling with such rapt intensity it wasn’t hard to imagine some uncanny substance oozing out from her mouth. Olivia sat with a book open in front of her so thick it looked like it would make a decent weapon. She shut it with a bang, sighing heavily.
“Fernest really let its military expansion run out of control toward the end of the warlord period, huh,” she said. “It ended up severely undermining the kingdom’s national power. I guess you could say they’re paying the price for that now.”
During the period Olivia spoke of, Fernest had launched a series of reckless military campaigns on the orders of King Raphael, buoyed by its enormous military and economic might. Though at first its armies advanced unopposed, as the front line expanded, the supply lines naturally followed suit. Despite this, supplies were neglected, and the logistics officers—the military’s lifeline—were not afforded adequate protection. As a result, one after another, the supply lines were cut off—and no army can go on winning when its soldiers are starving, no matter how mighty.
Olivia, remembering the lessons on military strategy Z had drilled into her, thought that arrogance didn’t even begin to describe such a blunder—it was more akin to suicide.
“My grandfather used to go on about that. How the king and the army fell in love with the idea of dominating the continent and got carried away by it. It’s awfully ironic now, with Fernest barely holding on against the empire and its talk of unification...” Claudia paused, then said, “How is that related to our current research, though?”
“Well...” Olivia began slowly. “It might not be, but I thought knowing the history of the kingdom would probably come in handy. You never know what might turn into a lead.”
“I see...” Claudia said, nodding in apparent admiration. “I think you’re absolutely right, Major.” Olivia cleared her throat and puffed her chest out proudly, trying to look as pompous as she could. Just then, she heard something fall on the floor nearby. She looked and saw Ashton staring at her, his mouth hanging open in shock.
“Are you gaping like that because you want me to put something in there?” she asked. “I’m afraid I don’t have any biscuits—they said I wasn’t allowed to bring food into the library.” She pulled out her pockets, sending a shower of biscuit crumbs onto the floor and earning herself a truly ferocious glare from a nearby librarian.
“Of course not!” Ashton retorted. “I was just taken aback to hear you saying things that make so much sense.”
“Huh? Now you’re just confusing me.”
“How am I confusing you?”
“Because everything I say always makes sense.”
“Are you... You’re not serious, are you?” Ashton said, staring at her in wonder as Olivia looked back at him with an identical expression.
“You always have such killer jokes, Ashton,” Olivia said. “I think you could probably place in a joke contest, with talent like that. Honestly, you could probably win outright!” She turned to Claudia. “Don’t you think so?”
Claudia, intensely focused on turning the pages of the book in front of her, was seized by a violent coughing fit and didn’t reply. Olivia wondered if she’d come down with a cold. She then looked at Claryss, who gave her a brilliant smile and salute. “Comrade Olivia,” she said as she pushed her glasses up again. Olivia had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
After that, they continued diligently with their research. Ashton and Claryss dug up books that looked as though they might concern the Valedstorms, handing them off to Olivia and Claudia to read through them. Midday passed and evening approached, and eventually they realized the light coming into the library had become a deep red. Their fourth day was drawing to a close and they still had no significant progress to show for it.
Claudia sighed. “That’s it, it’s too dark to make out these letters anymore. It’s time to call it a day.” She carefully shut the book, heaving a great yawn.
“What? Not yet! I can still read fine,” Olivia protested. On the table before them, still unread, sat a pile of books, including titles like A Study of Heraldry, The Kingdom of Fernest: Its Glory and Its Shame, and The Clan of Darkness. Olivia, who had been raised in the depths of the forest where the sun scarcely reached, hardly noticed the gloom.
“I’m afraid the library will be closing soon,” Claudia said. As though echoing her, Olivia heard the chime of the bell tower. All the librarians began hurrying around to get ready to close the library for the day.
“Just one more day...” Claryss mused as she put away the books. “Thanks to Comrade Olivia’s extraordinary reading speed, we’re actually making better progress than I expected. Even so...” she trailed off. “Getting there in five days was always a tall order.” She seemed to have taken a liking to the nickname “Comrade Olivia.” Olivia wanted to ask why, but something about Claryss reminded her uncomfortably of Gile, so she decided it was better to leave sleeping dogs alone, or however that saying went.
“Until tomorrow then,” Claryss said, seeing them off. Olivia and the others left the library once again without anything to show for their time. They passed along a street packed with shops, then continued on toward the southern district where the city’s inns were clustered. Along the way, Olivia noticed a woman in military uniform coming toward them, the fading light of the sunset behind her. The woman stopped in front of Olivia then gave her a graceful salute.
“Aren’t you Mr. Fish...um, Brigadier General Neinhardt’s aide?”
“Yes, ser! Second Lieutenant Katerina Reinas, at your service!”
“Did you need something? If it’s more presents, I gave you all the fish I caught last time. I’m out of biscuits right now too,” Olivia said, turning out her pockets to show Katerina, but the woman shook her head.
“We are not in need of fish or biscuits, ser. Forgive me, but I must ask you to come to Leticia Castle with me at once.”
“Leticia Castle?”
“Yes, ser. Brigadier General Neinhardt is expecting you in his workroom.”
For a moment, Olivia wondered if Neinhardt had got a stomachache after eating the fish she gave him and was now angry at her about it. But that couldn’t be right, she reassured herself. The fish she gave him were all freshly caught, after all. She glanced at Claudia, but she looked as lost as Olivia felt. Ashton only muttered, “As if I’d know anything,” when she turned to him.
“Why’s he expecting us?” Olivia asked.
“I’m sorry ser, but I can’t speak about confidential military matters in a place like this,” Katerina replied. “I must request that you ask Brigadier General Neinhardt directly.” Before anyone could protest, she turned on her heels and marched off toward the castle. Olivia, Claudia, and Ashton followed her, all three of them still mystified.
Neinhardt’s Workroom
Katerina showed them into the workroom, where Neinhardt sat scribbling away. As they entered, he put his pen down and looked up.
“I’m sorry to summon you without warning like this,” he said. His face was horribly pale and lifeless.
“What’s happened, ser?” Claudia asked.
“I’ll get straight to the point. The Helios Knights have mobilized. Unless we do something, this will mean the collapse of the central front,” Neinhardt said grimly. Claudia felt a moan of despair welling up deep in her chest. The Helios Knights—the army that had conquered Kier Fortress. They all wore silver plate mail and were renowned not just for the skill of individual soldiers, but for how they excelled in large-scale battle tactics. She also knew their commander was the most powerful man in the imperial army.
“Shouldn’t the First Legion march at once, then? Right now, the Seventh Legion has the south and the north under control, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“I know all that, obviously. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.” Neinhardt didn’t say it directly, but Claudia had a pretty good idea of what he meant.
One name in mind, she asked, “Do you mean to tell us that His Majesty—”
“Whatever you were going to say next, don’t,” Neinhardt cut her off. “I really don’t want to have to arrest you for treason, Second Lieutenant.”
I knew it, Claudia thought to herself. There was a grim intensity on Neinhardt’s face that brooked no argument.
A brief silence followed this exchange, though to Ashton it felt like an eternity. Katerina, who stood beside Neinhardt, was watching him anxiously.
“I beg your pardon, ser,” Claudia said at last. “Now, why did you summon us here? You can’t possibly be thinking of sending out the Seventh Legion?”
Although the battle against the Crimson Knights had ended in victory, the Seventh Legion had taken its own heavy losses. With provisioning the northern lands currently taking highest priority, they certainly didn’t have the resources to move on the central front as well. Claudia didn’t believe that Neinhardt could have failed to grasp something so basic.
“I’m well aware that that isn’t possible,” he replied.
“Then what do you want?”
“A guard militia is currently being mobilized in the central lands. We expect to assemble around six thousand soldiers.”
“You don’t mean...?!” Claudia gasped. Neinhardt gave a significant nod, then turned to look at Olivia.
“Just so, Lieutenant Claudia. Major Olivia, we want you to lead that guard militia to go to the aid of the Second Legion,” Neinhardt announced.
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, however, than Olivia gave her answer. “Absolutely no way,” she replied. “We still haven’t finished our research. Plus Ashton hasn’t taken me to the best cake shop in town known only to locals in the capital yet.”
“H-Hey!” Ashton hissed. “This is way more serious than any of that.”
But Olivia puffed out her cheeks with a huff and refused to look at him. Claudia knew from experience that it was all but impossible to talk any sense into her when she got like this. Ashton went on trying, just in case something got through to her, but to no avail. Olivia’s cheeks refused to deflate, making her look like a puffed-up spotted frog.
“I really am sorry to keep putting everything on you, Major,” Neinhardt said. He didn’t rise from his chair, but he lowered his head to her. Neinhardt—her superior officer and a general—bowed to her. Katerina looked like she might say something, but Olivia didn’t give her time.
“Then send someone else, ser, if that’s really how you feel. Like I said, I’m not done with my research at the library,” Olivia insisted, refusing to back down an inch. An order from a superior officer was supposed to be followed without question. In Olivia’s case in particular, however, such arguments carried little weight. Right now, she seemed like she might walk away from the army altogether if Neinhardt tried to force her to obey. Clearly that was how much learning what had happened to the Valedstorms meant to her, though the question of why she was so fixated—one might even say obsessed—with how the line had died out remained unanswered.
The atmosphere of the workroom grew steadily more awkward. Ashton’s eyes kept flicking about the room as though he wished he were somewhere else. Neinhardt, whose fault it was, placed his elbows on the desk then slowly laced his fingers together. It was a gesture of his that Claudia knew well.
“Very well,” he said at last. “Then let’s make a deal that will benefit you as well.”
“A deal?” Olivia said. She leaned toward him ever so slightly. It looked like the sudden proposal had caught her attention.
“Yes, a deal. If you agree to go to the central front, I will ensure you get permission to enter the library for as long as you need to finish your research. I will also inform Lord Paul myself, of course. Weren’t you due to return to the Seventh Legion the day after tomorrow anyway?”
Well played, Claudia thought. Just as Neinhardt said, they had to leave Fis the day after tomorrow, whether they found what they were looking for or not. Not to mention that as far as she could tell, there was little hope that they’d find anything conclusive with just one day to go. It looked like Olivia had an inkling of this as well, because at this attractive proposal her cheeks rapidly deflated. In the short time Neinhardt had known her, he already had her in the palm of his hand.
Well, what did you expect from Neinhardt, master of intrigue and aide to the First Legion? Claudia thought to herself.
“Really?” Olivia said at last.
“I, Neinhardt Blanche, swear it upon my honor,” he replied.
“Awesome!” Olivia cried, then added, “Sorry, I mean, understood, ser! I accept the mission to lead your guard militia to aid the Second Legion!” She gave him the biggest smile she’d worn all day and saluted.
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