Chapter 1, Episode 22: Dark Clouds

 

 

It was difficult to peel Liz away from Aura, but now, everyone was calmly seated in the chairs lined along the long table.

 

「So why is 「Mars」 of the Third Imperial Army here?」

 

Liz asks with her head tilted to the side, to which Alfred responds by stiffening up, and his eyes darting, making him seem nervous.

Hiro narrows his eyes at Alfred, who had become suspicious, and watches his every move carefully.

He bit his lips as if he were troubled, and fear and anxiety began to show on his slender face.

However, in an instant, you could tell from Alfred’s expression that he had come to some sort of decision.

 

「I-I will explain that—」

 

He stood up quickly, but a long sleeve smacked him on his face.

It was Aura with her drooping sleeves.

 

「I don’t mind. You stay seated.」

「Y-Yes…」

 

Alfred’s knees gave out and he fell to his seat after getting hit by the daunting presence.

Aura, who was next to him, stands up, takes a few short breaths, and looks at Liz.

 

「I came here to capture your Highness.」

 

At least one person had to have heard the snapping sound in the room.

It was an off sound in a room filled with silence.

It was sure to have rung out intensely, but maybe was pa.s.sed off as just some random noise.

But, there is just one person who did notice.

It was the young boy who carried an abyss with him.

 

A crack opens in the s.p.a.ce before his hand, and a pommel flies out giving off a small light.

Depending on how the other side acts, he is ready to draw 「Excalibur」.

Which is what was expressed on Hiro’s face, but the chance didn’t come.

 

「I fought against a unit led by 「Ogre」, and killed many of your soldiers during that battle, your Highness.」

 

The sounds that were expelled from the small mouth stopped the flow of time for everyone in the room except for Aura.

 

「No matter what I say at this point, it will be nothing more than an excuse.」

 

Liz’s sharp glint pierced through Aura, but without running from it, she meets her gaze and continues her piece.

 

「Having said that, I also don’t want to give you a superficial apology. If I did, that battle would lose all meaning, and I wouldn’t be able to face my scattered subordinates.」

 

Rage, sorrow, resentment, she accepts everything with sincerity.

 

「So— I will not apologize.」

 

After finis.h.i.+ng her monologue, Aura let’s out a small exhale, touches her hand to her chest, and closes her eyes like a priestess with an oracle.

 

「… If you had apologized, I would have cut you down with 「Laevateinn」.」

 

Hiro felt like he could hear the screaming in her heart. Not able to bear it, he lifts his face toward the ceiling and closes his eyes.

Unable to just stand there and watch, Tris exhales.

 

「… They had their resolve. A resolve to face death which you do not find in conscripted soldiers. Having said that, I doubt that they were wis.h.i.+ng for death, either. But even if we cut you down, that’s not what the dead want. The only thing to remain would be the emptiness of having carried out our own desire. All that would be, is the living desecrating the dead.」

 

What were they embracing? What did they wish for? What were they thinking? The living cannot presume what is in the hearts of those who die.

What must they have felt, with
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the Imperial Princess, the one who they looked up to as their master, not present.

This is why she wants to knows.

No— As the Imperial Princess, she must know.

 

「Hey, Aura… tell me, were they brave?」

 

Like a cloud that was ready to cry at any moment, a dark shadow was cast upon Liz’s face.

Aura nods expressionlessly, and begins to speak in all honesty.

 

「They were fine, brave warriors. No less so than the 「Black Heaven’s Five Generals」.」

「I see… That’s—」

 

Liz held her lips back in an effort to resist her tears.

That is the greatest praise to a soldier of the empire. You could say there is no greater honor.

As a militaristic Empire, there are many who admire the Second Emperor, regardless of social status. This was even more so for soldiers.

And the 「Black Heaven’s Five Generals」 who supported 「Mars」 were popular to no end.

Liz wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and smiled.

 

「… Then I’m sure they were guided to the Twelve Great G.o.ds of Grantz.」

 

In the Empire, it is believed that those who fight bravely and die are guided to the Twelve Great G.o.ds of Grantz.

They who become warrior spirits run about the battlefields once more with the G.o.ds.

 

For a while, it was as if everyone were offering a silent prayer. Not a single person uttered a word, and only the sound of breathing echoed throughout the room.

 

The one who broke that silence was Liz’s uncle.

 

「… That’s when the battle between Count Bunadara and myself began. But that promptly turned into a truce. The reason being, as you know, was that the dukedom of Lichtein had attacked… It’s shameful, but the reason we came to know that was thanks to Count Bunadara reporting it to

us.」

 

After he takes a pause, Kiolk continues.

 

「I was surprised. She flew a white flag to stop the fighting. As I was thinking it to be dubious, a messenger came almost immediately. He told me that the dukedom of Lichtein had crossed the border.」

「There was a foreign invader. It was not the time to be fighting between fellow countrymen.」

 

Aura interjected.

 

「Of course… Even if there is discord between us, when the Grantz Grand Empire has a foreign invader, we must stand together as one strong unit. Though there are those who are unsettled within these boundaries.」

 

「Also, I won one over on 「Mars」」, Kiolk added proudly.

Aura spoke with her brows furrowed, looking displeased.

 

「There was no other choice this time around.」

 

Liz put a finger to her jaw and tilted her head, as if something were bothering her.

 

「Wait. Uncle, what happened to the Fourth Imperial Army?」

「… I’ve sent letters many times over, but I’ve yet to receive a response. It doesn’t seem like we can expect any reinforcements.」

 

After responding to Liz’s words, Kiolk looks around the room and mutters.

 

「By the way, I don’t see Sir Dios…」

 

Despite sensing a change in the air after saying that, he still continues.

 

「He should’ve have gone to Fort Alt to meet with you, Liz… Did you perhaps not meet with him?」

 

After seeing Liz’s grave expression, Kiolk realized that he had made a gaffe.

But you cannot take back that which has been said.

Tris raised his brows and jumped in in an attempt to break the awkward atmosphere.

 

「Lichtein’s army was lying in wait near Baum. That’s when…」

「… I see.」

 

Kiolk, who was leaning on his chair, dropped his shoulders.

Although Kiolk should have been aware that a detached force of 3,000 Lichtein troops had headed for Fort Alt, because he saw that Liz was safe, it may have been that he a.s.sumed Dios was safe as well.

 

「And we vowed to meet again, too.」

 

When Hiro looked at Aura’s face, her eyes were wide open as if she were surprised, too.

 

「That 「Ogre」 was…」 Hiro heard Aura mutter.

 

In the corner of his eyes, Kiolk was seeping with remorse.

 

「If only we hadn’t ignored the detached force…」

 

Aura’s aide, Alfred, responded to Kiolk’s words.

 

「This isn’t the time to be talking about “what ifs”. It’s true that we let the detached force slip by, but turning our backs to 12,000 men to chase after them would have been nothing but suicide.」

 

Not a single person could disagree with him.

Had they abandoned the fort and chased after them, they would have either been taken from the rear, or perhaps received a pincer attack.

They would have had to defeat the 12,000 first, but they were not ready to take on those numbers.

 

「Also, I’m sure they saw your Highness enter the fort, so we may not have any time left. If your Highness is their objective, the enemy will most likely come in for an attack.」

 

Hiro thought of a number of ideas… but he was lost as to how to go about conveying them.

But his hesitation disappeared immediately.

The reason being that Aura spoke up full of fighting spirit.

 

「… It is our turn now.」

 

There were small flames lit in her lead colored eyes.

Kiolk straightens his posture and questions the young girl.

 

「Do you have some sort of plan?」

「Yes, we will launch an attack from Fort Belk.」

「I think that’s reckless… we only have 3,000 on our side. We probably won’t be able to win fighting them head on.」

「Which is why, just in case, I’d like her Highness and Margrave Grinda to remain in Fort Belk with 1,000 men under you command.」

 

Her aide Alfred nodded with pride in response to her words, but the others had their eyes wide open in surprise.

 

「Starting now, please bear witness to a strategy that will not bring shame to the name of

「Mars」.」

 

 

At the very top of the tower in the center of Fort Belk, one can get a view of the entire battlefield.

Everyone is sweating profusely from the sun’s hot rays, and humid winds weave in and out between Hiro and the others.

In the fort’s plaza, are 300 cavalrymen and 700 infantrymen on standby.

They are ready to rush out as reinforcement should something happen.

 

On the other side of the iron gate, was a force of 2,000 led by Aura set in a strange formation.

Looking down on them worried, Liz puts a hand to the wall, lifts her body, and voices her concern.

 

「Hey, do you think they’ll be okay…? Wouldn’t it be best to hold down the fort?」

「No, that would be a poor move. Looking at the fort from the outside, it’s hard to say that it’s solid. If it comes under enemy attack for a long period of time, it’ll easily fall.」

「Then, shouldn’t we fight with them after all?」

「Maybe. But the skill level between Margrave Grinda’s soldiers and Aura’s soldiers are different. If they fought together, there’s a chance Aura’s soldiers will be dragged down. But having said that, if they fought separately, that would only lead to each of them getting crushed separately.」

「This is so hard.」

「It would be a different story if we had the same numbers as them, but that’s not the case this time.」

 

But to defeat 12,000 men with only 2,000 is impossibly difficult.

Should the commander be unskilled, it would be an instant annihilation.

But looking down on Aura’s strange formation, the corners of Hiro’s mouth lift up to form a smile.

 

All 2,000 troops were heavy cavalrymen.

There were 5 rows of 100 men, and behind them, where three 3 groups of 500, one of which was the main unit.

 

One would think charging in like this would be the epitome of stupidity, but…

 

(I see… She’s going to make a 「trident」.)

 

Seeing the nostalgic formation, Hiro realized that he was truly back in Aletia.

With the vanguard commencing their operation, the battlefield begins to come alive.

 

The western sky is dyed in black, swelling with dark clouds.

That scene, which would instill anxiety in any who saw, was steadily approaching the battlefield.

No one had yet to realize what was to occur or what would come about from it.