III
Fort Temes, located in the southernmost reaches of the Kingdom of Fernest, had been built by Raphael sem Galmond as a foothold in the course of his subjugation of the south of the continent. The soldiers stationed at Fort Temes alerted Cornelius to the Northern Perscillan Army’s invasion, and thus he gave the order for the Eighth Legion to engage them.
“My lady, the Eighth Legion is ready to move out.”
“Okay, shall we head off then?”
“Before that, ser, a rousing speech would be appreciated.”
Two days after Cornelius’s orders arrived, Olivia mounted the platform at Claudia’s suggestion. She cleared her throat.
“In war, humans die easily. Dying means no more tasty—”
“All salute General Olivia!” Claudia bellowed.
“Huh?!”
At Claudia’s command, the thirty-five thousand soldiers standing in formation saluted as one. Olivia cocked her head, puzzled, and stayed that way as the Eighth Legion marched out of the royal capital accompanied by the passionate cheers of the populace. Two days later, she, along with ten thousand soldiers, were making their way along the Tal Road in the south of Fernest.
It’s the Eighth Legion’s first action, and yet the general isn’t stressed at all, as usual, Claudia thought. While Olivia whispered something to her beloved horse, Comet, Claudia approached her new white steed. It was a purebred of the once famous Adalucillan breed, with a magnificent mane and strong but supple legs. Mentally, they were indefatigable and obedient, which meant they performed brilliantly for a skilled rider. The horse was a gift her grandfather on her mother’s side, Ciel Fendarth, had sent her immediately upon her promotion to lieutenant colonel.
Comet and Kagura, as Olivia had named the white horse, whinnied at one another by way of introduction, swishing their tails. According to Olivia, Kagura was the name of the princess in a book called The Afternoon Snake Queen. The princess was usually sweet, but absolutely terrifying when angered. When Claudia asked why she’d chosen the princess’s name for the horse, Olivia only smiled and dodged the question. To her, therefore, it remained a mystery.
Five days after they left Fis, the scouts they’d sent out over the region returned to Claudia and the others. They had just left the Tal Road and were approaching the Galloch Canyon.
“These are our findings, ser. The Northern Perscillan Army is advancing north northwest. At their current pace, they will reach the Galloch Canyon in two days’ time.”
“General.”
“Cool. Sounds like Luke’s done a good job,” Olivia said cheerfully, stroking Comet’s neck.
“So the plan is working?”
“Sounds like it. Only, the enemy commander didn’t try to hold onto the forts they took, so maybe they guessed we’d be in the Galloch Canyon even without Luke feeding them the information. They seem clever. Should we bring them on board?”
“You want to win over the enemy commander?”
“I mean, that’s the easiest way to win,” Olivia joked. Claudia shook her head. In what world would a commander turn traitor in response to an enemy invitation?
“General, I’d appreciate it if you kept away from jokes at a time like this.” With one eye on the new recruits who were looking highly dubious, Claudia went on in a hiss. “If you go any further, it’s going to impact the soldiers’ morale, so please, be discreet.”
Olivia laughed. “Right, sorry.”
“You really are something, Captain Olivia. Even with a full legion assigned to you, it doesn’t weigh on you at all.”
“The general not feeling the weight of things is hardly a new phenomenon,” Claudia pointed out. “And what are you even doing here, Gile?”
Gile was supposed to be in the vanguard, and yet for some reason here he was, nodding beside Claudia as he looked at Olivia with something like divine awe.
“I came to look upon Captain Olivia’s blessed visage, of course. To raise my spirits before the battle, you know. It makes an enormous difference in my morale.”
Claudia sighed while, in the corner of her eye, Olivia pulled a face. “Wow, um. That’s great,” the commander said.
Nothing but oddballs, Claudia thought, following after their commander’s example. To Gile, she turned and said, “To raise your spirits? That’s not a reason to break formation without leave, soldier. Is this what you think of military discipline?”
“I don’t believe any reason could be more sufficient, ser,” Gile replied.
“What did you say?! And while we’re here, it’s not ‘captain,’ it’s ‘general.’ How long is it going to take for you to correct yourself?”
Gile and Gauss still called Olivia “captain” and, in the direst case of impropriety, Ellis called her “big sister.” By all rights, she should have corrected them, but Olivia didn’t seem bothered at all. Not only that, no sooner had the Eighth Legion set out than Olivia had come up with a “no military formality” order. Discipline had to be considered, so Claudia had dedicated all her powers into convincing Olivia to change her mind, and so here they were.
The new recruits, who didn’t know Olivia, had taken it as a joke to diffuse the tension, but even so Claudia was anxious about what was still to come.
“Oh, yeah. How’s Ashton’s preparation going?”
“We just had an update. Preparations are proceeding smoothly.”
“Doesn’t sound like there are any problems then. Who’s the guard again?”
“You forgot already, ser? The lord marshal lent us Lady Riful.”
“Riful was around, now you mention it. Guess it’s fine then.”
Ashton’s importance was fully appreciated not only by Paul, but by Cornelius as well, and the marshal had sent Riful Athene, the First Sword of the Kingdom’s Ten Swords.
Fernest’s Ten Swords weren’t soldiers or knights, but sword fighters—an order of those who had truly mastered the blade. There were exceptions, such as Claudia’s father, Solid Jung, but as a general rule the Swords were not connected to the military. As such, their role was not to use their swords in battle, but only in defense of King Alfonse. They were the king’s absolute final shield. Cornelius was marshal of the army, so guarding him was one thing. Sending one of the Ten Swords to guard a single major was quite out of the ordinary. As it happened, Riful’s sword technique was supposed to be unique amongst the Ten Swords. According to Olivia, who had gotten a real-life look at her bladework, it bore similarities to Rosenmarie’s, the commander of the Crimson Knights. She had vouched for Riful, saying her skills were wasted as a guard.
Claudia had no doubt in Olivia’s words nor in the ability of Riful the First Sword, but Ashton’s life was deeply tied up in this. Before the Eighth Legion’s departure, Claudia had asked Riful for a mock duel knowing full well how rude it was, only to be flatly rejected. One could learn a lot from the technique of a highly trained fighter, and many therefore were hostile to their skills being stolen. At first, Claudia thought that this was why Riful had rejected her. Then, she heard that Riful had asked Olivia for a mock duel of her own volition. Why’d she only reject me? she’d wondered, a little ruffled, but in the end she hadn’t gone so far as to ask why, interpreting it as some sort of line Riful had drawn for herself.
The plan this time means that I can’t be with Ashton, she thought, imagining Ashton’s nervous smile. Just stay alive, all right?
Claudia turned her eyes up to the sky where the clouds raced along just like the era they were living through. Then, she turned to gaze at Olivia, who was stretched out on Comet’s back and humming, trust in her eyes.
The Detached Corps, the Vilan Plateau
The Detached Corps was made up of twenty-five thousand soldiers secretly deployed to the Vilan Plateau. Having more or less finished up issuing all his orders, Ashton took a break in the shadow of a tree.
“Ashton...”
“Wh-What is it?” He saw tied-back black hair and vacant, pale violet eyes. Riful was pretty, it was safe to say, and she wore a brightly colored tunic over her armor.
I’m pretty sure the Tohka she’s wearing was the battle garb of the Ullu Tribe, who died out ages back. I wonder if that means Riful is descended from the Ullu? Ashton thought, looking at Riful with a healthy dose of unease in his expression. But despite suddenly calling out to him from behind him, Riful only stood there absently. Ashton’s wariness was only natural when this kept happening.
The silence stretched out.
“U-Um. Did you need something?” Ashton asked again, thinking, Still not talking, huh? Riful slowly blinked heavily a few times, then in a flash, she drew her sword. The action was so dissonant with her depression that Ashton was totally taken aback.
“Wanna...see my sword fighting?”
“Huh?”
“Wanna see?” Riful repeated. Then, she set off towards a mighty tree that looked well over a hundred years old. After the first surprise that they’d exchanged proper words, Ashton’s eyes went even wider at her proposal to show him her bladework.
“You’ll show me?” he asked.
“Yeah...” Riful replied with a nod. She looked up at the dense green canopy. Lately, Ashton had been entirely neglecting his sword practice for the simple reason that absolutely everyone insisted to him that it was a waste of his time. As it would have been catastrophically dangerous to leave him to protect himself, it was reassuring having a strong guard by his side at all times. Having said that, the fact was that although Ashton knew of the Ten Swords, he had no idea of what that meant for Riful’s actual ability. It was his life at stake here, so he was only too happy for her to show him, for future reference. Ashton did have one question, however.
“Only, I heard you didn’t agree to a mock duel with Lieutenant Colonel Claudia.”
“Claudia’s sword...still below mine. But there’s still room...to grow. So no showing. No way.” She finished by holding her arms up in a big X and made a strange buzzing noise.
In other words, she won’t show her hand to anyone who might become a rival in the future? I do understand Special Officer Riful’s thinking, but still... The face of a girl with a carefree smile ran through Ashton’s mind.
“Hold on. You showed Olivia, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. I...did. Great Master Olivia—”
“Wait, wait a second.”
“Wh...What?”
“Did you just say, ‘Great Master Olivia’?” Ashton cut in without thinking, wondering how Olivia had picked up the title of “Great Master” all of a sudden.
Riful answered robotically. “I did. Great Master Olivia. She...Ultra Master Olivia’s sword fighting is on a whole different level. She and I are...different. Fundamentally. So...I showed her. Or more like...she let me. She really is worthy of the name...Death God.”
“Er, is there a reason you just changed from Great Master to Ultra Master Olivia?”
“I don’t know...what you mean,” Riful said, cocking her head. If this were Claryss, Ashton’s senior from the Royal Lion Academy, he would’ve known she was teasing him, but it wasn’t.
“I don’t think I said anything that complicated...” Ashton replied. “But, okay. I understand why you showed your bladework to Olivia.”
“I’m...glad,” Riful said, with a small smile like a budding flower.
Ashton, who had seen Olivia’s strength up close, had no objections to what she said. Having said that, if he were honest, something about “a whole different level” didn’t sit right with him. This was surely another sign of his lack of talent as a warrior. He realized he was wearing an ironic smile.
“Then let me ask again. Are you sure you don’t mind showing me?”
“Yeah...” Riful said. “Ashton is...OK!” She looked quickly away and then, with a shimmy, made an “o” shape with her hand. Ashton was seized by the strong yet poorly defined sense that he was being made fun of.
“Right... I’ll show you. Watch out for...falling leaves!” She slid her right foot forwards, dropping into her stance; then, before Ashton knew what was happening, she threw a kick off her left. She was supple and struck with force incongruous with her slight frame. There was a resonant thud that Ashton felt in his stomach as the tree shook and a cloud of leaves came flurrying down. Ashton looked at the leaves, just as Riful had told him.
“The butterfly’s...dance.” Riful faced the leaves and made a few intermittent strikes with her blade. “That’s...all,” she said. Then, she slowly returned her sword to its scabbard. Ashton looked down at the ground and saw that every leaf without exception had been cut perfectly in half. Even Ashton could tell this was a display that necessitated an outstanding level of skill. That was when he knew that the Ten Swords were more than just a title.
“We...ell? Do you...feel better?” Riful said, coming up behind Ashton who was transfixed by the leaves. He turned and saw she was making an odd gesture.
“I mean, I wasn’t worried from the start,” Ashton replied. “By the way, what’s that?”
“Was I...cool?”
“Um?” Ashton gaped for a moment, then, averting his eyes slightly, said, “U-Um, yes. I think you were cool.”
“The other swords say I’m...weird. You have...good taste. I...like you. And you’re...actually kind of...cute.” As Riful spoke, she came up beside Ashton and rubbed his arm like an old lady would.
Carefully extricating himself from her, he said, “W-Well, thank you.”
“You’re...welcome.” Riful nodded, looking pleased. Then, in the blink of an eye, she’d vanished into the trees. Right after, Gauss appeared as if to replace her.
“Was that the girl from the Ten Swords?” he asked, looking over at the trees.
“Yeah.”
“Hmm. She doesn’t look it at all...” Gauss rubbed his chin then, suddenly, he grinned.
“What’s the smile about?” Ashton asked.
“Ah, well. It just set me thinking, you know, what Lieutenant Colonel Claudia would think if she saw what happened just now.”
“Lieutenant Colonel Claudia?” Ashton repeated. “Oh, that she’s a bad match for me? You don’t have to worry about that.” He scratched his nose, embarrassed.
He’d been getting a lot of invitations from female soldiers lately. As a man, Ashton obviously wasn’t displeased by these expressions of interest, but he still turned them all down, citing the war as a reason. It was also a great help having Claudia there to beat them back at the threshold, insisting that nothing could get in the way of his duties.
“Yeah, I didn’t mean it quite like that...”
“Then what did you mean by it?” Ashton asked again, unable to fathom what Gauss was getting at. Seeing the state of his superior officer, a pitying look came into Gauss’s eyes.
“You’ll excuse me saying it to you as my superior officer, but you are still so young,” Gauss said. “It’s all very well being single-minded, but you ought to give some attention to flowers that bloom quietly off to one side, not just the big, bright ones.”
“Flowers...?” Ashton repeated. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Gauss scratched his head hopelessly. “Oh, well...” he said, then his demeanor changed, and he saluted. “Anyway, I have a report. The units are all in position.”
“R-Right. Thank you.” Though still completely lost at sea, Ashton returned the salute, and without another word, the two of them turned to observe the soldiers.
Abruptly, Gauss said soberly, “It’s strange though. This is our first battle with the United City-States of Sutherland, and yet I’m not nervous at all...”
“That doesn’t sound like you, Second Lieutenant.”
Gauss repeated the same words to his troops every day: “Great warriors are always vigilant, even when their opponent is down. When you’re not vigilant, you open yourself up to attack, and that’s how you get yourself killed.”
As Ashton stared at him, he said unabashedly, “It’s because I trust you, Major Ashton.”
Ashton was confident in their current plan too, but that always came with unease. While Ashton floundered to come up with a reply to that, Gauss patted him on the back with his large, heavy palm. The impact came with force fitting Gauss’s size, and Ashton was sent toppling forwards.
“What the—!” he exclaimed between coughs. Gauss chuckled.
“You don’t have to eat as much as Captain Olivia, but you should put a little more meat on your bones, Major Ashton,” he said. “Anyway, my troops are waiting for me. I’d better leave you here.” He made another salute, which Ashton hastily returned. Now there was no telling which of them was the superior officer. To an outsider, Gauss probably looked like the superior.
Well, it’s hardly news that I don’t have any authority.
“Oh, about that strange stuff you said before—” Ashton called out, but Gauss walked away without looking back. What was he trying to tell me? Ashton wondered. But he wasn’t given time to mull over Gauss’s words. Not long afterwards, scouts arrived to announce that the battle had begun.
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