V
The Stonian Army began its retreat under relentless pursuit by the Winged Crusaders. Somehow, August and Cecilia managed to maintain order through their leadership...
“I think it’s about time we went in for the kill,” Amelia said. She’d gone so far as to place a spell of insanity on the Stonian soldiers before releasing them. No sooner had they returned to their comrades than they underwent a rapid change and, roaring like beasts, they threw themselves upon everyone around them.
And that wasn’t all.
“It appears Blessed Wing Lara is joining the fray. Well, the course of the battle is already decided, but let’s not get careless.”
Angelica swung her bloodied sword with joyful exhilaration at the head of Johann’s guardians as they cut through rows of Stonian soldiers. Occasionally, Johann’s magecraft flashed out and produced another pile of blackened corpses.
“—Major General Cecilia! We can’t shake off the pursuers any longer!” screamed a Stonian officer from amidst the blood and chaos of the battlefield.
“Before you come wailing, concentrate on letting more soldiers escape!” Cecilia castigated them, but internally, she was absolutely frantic.
If this goes on... she thought. Someone...someone has to slow them down.
For a moment, the faces of her family flashed across her mind. To shake this image off, she went to August to strongly recommend that she herself lead the rear guard to delay their pursuers.
“How old are you?” he asked.
“What?” Cecilia replied, thrown by the sudden question.
“I’m asking you how old you are.”
“I’m twenty-four...” she muttered.
August ran a bloodstained hand along the edge of his helmet. “Twenty-four...” he murmured. “Too young to die yet.”
It only took Cecilia a moment to comprehend the meaning of his words. “Ser, the marshal has never led the rear guard, not in any age or nation!” she cried. “I am the natural choice to undertake it!”
“I won’t allow it. I don’t know what value to put on yourself, Major General, but your life is worth more than throwing it away in this pointless battle, at least. For the future of the Principality of Stonia.”
“The same goes for you, my lord!”
They couldn’t lose Field Marshal August here. Even if they pulled off the retreat, she could well imagine the chaos that would follow. With the followers of the Goddess Strecia to consider on top of this, there could be no doubt that the Principality of Stonia would face an even harder road than before.
August’s face was troubled. Cecilia glared at him.
“There’s no need to look so grim,” he said. “It’s a waste of a pretty face.”
“Don’t think you can get out of this with that rubbish!” she retorted fiercely. The corners of August’s eyes crinkled, then his face quickly grew hard.
“Listen to me,” he said. “I am the marshal in command of the Stonian Army. No matter what happens, I will have to take responsibility for our defeat. I cannot allow Prince Sylvester to bear the blame.”
“Y-Yes, that’s true, but...”
“Besides, Felix was right. In the end, it was Stonia that decided to fight this battle. Yes, there were mages among our enemies, but the imperial army isn’t going to let that fly as an excuse. You know that very well, Cecilia. And in that case, it’s on the battlefield, like a warrior to the end that...” August broke off before he reached the final, decisive word, letting out a hearty laugh. Cecilia was struck dumb. She had never seen the man so full of fighting spirit until this battle.
“Certainly, Major General Cecilia is far too young,” came a voice from behind her. “You dying before the rest of us would be a giant nuisance. As such, those of us aged and not long for this world shall accompany the lord marshal.”
She turned and saw a group of elderly officers and soldiers standing proudly in a line. It was strangely beautiful.
August stared at the old soldiers, then sighed deeply. “Don’t get any funny ideas,” he said sharply. “You hurry home and dandle your grandchildren on your knees, you old codgers.”
But the soldiers, without a word, only stepped forwards. Their faces, etched deep with the lines of long years, wore fearless smiles.
“What a bunch of absolute lunatics! You don’t need me to tell you that only hell awaits us on this road. You’ll never step on Stonian soil again in life.”
“Miserable bastard! Never thought I’d hear anything so gutless from the marshal’s mouth! Have you forgotten all the battlefields we’ve come through together? The outcome of this battle isn’t decided yet!” Lieutenant Colonel Bacchus was an old veteran officer. He held a glaive that looked about three times as long as he was tall, and now he beat it hard on the ground. As if this was their cue, other courageous voices rose up to join Bacchus’s.
“Lieutenant Colonel Bacchus is right. Who’re the Winged Crusaders?! We’ll show this Mekian riffraff what the Stonian Army is made of!”
“Zorbeth, the God of War, is with us always!”
“My friends...” August looked from face to face of these soldiers all long past their prime, his gaze unrelenting. Then, his fierce smile from before spread once more across his face.
“All right then. I see you’ve made up your minds. It’s no use arguing. You’d better not get in my way, at least.”
The soldiers raised their weapons high and let out a battle cry. August watched them, deeply moved. Then, at last, he turned back to Cecilia.
“That is where we stand,” he told her. “I will lead these brave, battle-hardened warriors against the Winged Crusaders. I leave everything else to you, Major General Cecilia.” He paused for a moment, then said, “I’m counting on you.”
“Understood, ser,” Cecilia replied at length. “I wish you all triumph.” With that, she saluted. To say anything further would only cheapen the moment. She was a woman as much as a soldier. She knew how to send off a resolute man with good grace.
August nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Felix, who stood beside him.
“Well, you heard me. You just told us it was our decision to make, Felix. No complaints from you, eh?” His tone was plenty harsh, but Felix expressed neither support nor opposition. Without a word, he held out his right hand. August’s eyes widened a fraction, but then he slowly reached out, and the two men shook hands.
“I know I’m in no position to ask this of you at this hour, but please, help as many soldiers to withdraw as you can.” August bowed his head low. There was a ripple of astonishment from the officers.
Teresa, who stood behind Felix, muttered, “At this hour indeed,” shaking her head.
Felix lay a soft hand on August’s shoulder. “Look at me, August. I do not know how much help I may be, but I will do everything in my power.”
“My lord! You are far too good!” Teresa exclaimed, unable to restrain herself any further as she forcibly inserted herself between the two men. Felix looked at her gravely.
“Field Marshal August has gone so far as to bow his head to me to beg my help. It is not in me to turn aside the request of such a man.”
“But ser!”
“Lieutenant Teresa, this matter is decided.”
Teresa’s mouth twisted, but finally, she let out a heavy sigh of resignation.
August had just stated his gratitude when one of the female officers cried in a voice close to a scream.
“Lord August! Another group is approaching!”
Cecilia immediately pointed her spyglass towards the oncoming enemy and saw a unit flying resplendent banners. Her eyes were drawn above all to a vehicle that raced along at the head of their ranks. At first glance, it looked something like a large carriage with the roof removed, but it was plated with layers of heavy shielding, and installed on each side was a large-scale mechanism like a bow mounted on a platform. It was drawn by four black horses clad in magnificent armor. All this made it very clear that this was no ordinary vehicle.
It’s strange, to be sure, but it’s beautifully made. I bet it’s the enemy commander sitting up there. Which means they’re bringing out their real force at last... Cecilia bit her lip.
“My lord, in all likelihood, this is the enemy’s main force. They mean to bring this to an end in one blow.”
August grinned indomitably. “Outstanding,” he said. “Saves us the time of hunting them down. This is just the chance I wanted to kill their commander.” August issued swift orders, assembling a new unit with the old soldiers at its core. Then, shouting bravely, the five thousand soldiers charged out towards the enemy force with the force of an oncoming storm.
Cecilia watched them go, a multitude of emotions clamoring within her.
Then, Felix said, “I’m going to take my soldiers and attack the mage using fire. While I draw their attention, please, Cecilia, retreat with all haste.”
“Are...” Cecilia said haltingly, “Are you sure about this?” Felix had made a promise to August, but he had no real obligation or responsibility here. She wouldn’t have wondered if he’d only said it as a means to placate August. Teresa had said he was too good, and if Cecilia were in her position, she probably would have thought the same. But Felix only nodded resolutely to show it was fine.
“I suspected it’d come to this, knowing Lord Felix,” said a large man cheerfully. He stood next to Teresa, who still looked mutinous, and was presumably the captain of Felix’s personal guard. Behind him waited his soldiers, every one of them in gorgeous azure armor. Their fighting spirit poured off them and their eyes burned with unyielding confidence.
“Felix, and all of you Azure Knights,” Cecilia said, “I, Cecilia palla Cadio, thank you. I have no words to express my gratitude.”
There was only one thing Cecilia could do now. She bowed—simply bowed her head low.
“Lord Johann! Lord Johann! A unit of knights in blue armor is charging our left flank!” called Angelica. Her greatsword was stained bright red and her teeth flashed white.
“Did you say blue armor?” Johann looked left. There, sure enough, his eyes found a unit of soldiers in uniform blue armor hewing their way through his guardians. He had no recollection of being coddled in his training as a guardian in the glorious Winged Crusaders, yet they were being dominated by barely five hundred of the soldiers in blue.
“I suppose they must be the Azure Knights,” he said at length.
“The Azure Knights? Like from the empire?”
“That’s the one. But I have to say, I’m surprised to see them here. This could get a tad messy.”
Among them, one soldier on the front line stood out head and shoulders above the rest in his finesse with his blade. He appeared to be their captain. Angelica must have felt it too, because she whirled her greatsword in a few wide circles above her head, making it whistle like a chill winter wind. She was eager to enter the fray.
“That man with the black hair at the front, the one who stands out from the others. He looks really strong. It’s all right with you if I go fight him, right?” Angelica said, baring her teeth in a savage smile. It was rare to see her wear such a smile on the battlefield, the fact of which alone was enough to show that this was an opponent of consequence.
Reining in Angelica, who was chomping at the bit, Johann observed the man with a careful eye. Then, he cast Adamantine Wind on himself. This was magecraft that would enhance his strength. Pale scarlet light softly enveloped his body, and Angelica’s eyes went wide.
“Lord Johann?”
“He’s for me to handle. Angelica, you fall back so I don’t bring you down with me.”
“Come on, don’t worry about me. Let me at him, ser, please!” Angelica turned as if to go straight to the man, so Johann took her firmly by the shoulder. She turned, and he could see the disappointment clear in her eyes.
“Can you not hear me?” he asked.
“Ser, I just told you I’ll be fine. My sword’s going to rust away.”
“I can’t lose you here,” Johann replied. “Now stop arguing and leave this to me.”
Angelica huffed and puffed up her cheeks like a frog, but finally, she said, “Yes, ser.”
As he mollified her, Johann returned to following the man’s movements. He seemed to flow like water, graceful as a dancer. Johann had encountered someone who fought like that before.
Oh yes, I recognize that, he thought.
The man seemed to sense Johann’s gaze. He flicked the gore from his blade to the ground, then started walking serenely towards Johann.
It wasn’t long before the two of them stood facing one another, keeping their distance.
The man—who even Johann noted was very good-looking—spoke first. “Are you the mage in command of this unit?”
“Dear me, now that I see you up close, you are dashingly handsome. I suppose you break all the ladies’ hearts?”
The man’s brow creased. “I would like you to answer my question.”
Johann gave an exaggerated shrug. The man clearly wasn’t inclined to chat. In that case, he thought, frowning himself. “I believe it’s considered good manners to give your own name when you ask a question,” he pointed out. “I wouldn’t have believed that, just because we were born into different lands, our standards of courtesy should be so at odds. Is this common practice in the Asvelt Empire?”
The man’s deep azure eyes widened a fraction. “How very perceptive of you to recognize me as being from the empire,” he said. Johann smirked.
“I’d be more shocked if I hadn’t worked it out when I saw that armor,” he said, pointing at the blue plate.
The man grimaced, then quickly straightened and said, “You will excuse me. I am Imperial General Felix von Sieger.”
Johann felt a growl brewing in his throat. Felix von Sieger was the commander of the Azure Knights and the strongest man in the imperial army. It was he who had so easily gotten the better of Amelia, a mage, in the battle at Fort Astora. He was probably here to keep an eye on the Stonian Army. Johann had to admit he hadn’t expected to find such a prominent figure joining the battle.
“I am Senior Thousand-Wing Johann Strider of the Winged Crusaders,” Johann replied, “and as you guessed, I am a mage.” He held out his left hand and, in lieu of further salutations, loosed a fireball at Felix. It roared across the distance between them, but Felix didn’t try to get out of the way. Instead, he swung his sword that he had held raised above his head straight down. There was a blast of wind and the fireball dissipated before it reached its target.
“No...!” Johann heard Angelica gasp behind him.
“You deflected a fireball with just the wind off your blade...” Johann said. “My instincts were correct, it seems. Are you another monster of the same breed as that girl, then?”
“As that girl...?” Felix echoed, staring at Johann in surprise. “Do you know Olivia Valedstorm, by any chance?”
“Oh, well enough to break bread together, shall we say,” Johann replied with a suggestive smile. He raised his rapier with the divine words of Strecia engraved along the blade. It was a peerless weapon, bestowed upon him by Sofitia for this battle.
“I see,” Felix said at length. “It appears there is much more I must ask you about.” And with that, he thrust his sword out once more.
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