Chapter 108 - 9-9
Midheim is located in the central part of Siddim. It is the granary of the capital, Malfa City, where the vast, cultivated wheat fields seem to stretch without end. With the Kosa army's invasion of Malfa, the rich lands of Midheim were violated by enemy cavalry.
The ruling house of McGillis immediately entered a state of war, barricading themselves in castles and forts. Unlike Aver City, which fell early on, Midheim was still holding out. During the invasion, three forts were quickly captured by the southerners. However, one fort resisted stubbornly. It was Bowen Castle, commanded by Tonis Curier, the eldest son of Siddim's master swordsman, Godry Curier.
The central city of Midheim is called Kaine City. Bowen Castle is a combat castle located a short distance from the intersection where the two roads leading to Kaine City merge into one. It is a large-scale fort with a high capacity for troops. Until this is crushed, the enemy cannot approach Kaine City.
Tonis had experienced two enemy attacks. He had been able to repel both because Bowen Castle was sturdy. For the third, he took the offensive and temporarily drove away the enemy soldiers occupying the area near the three-way junction. Eventually, scouts brought word that Malfa City was negotiating with the enemy. Even while preparations for negotiations were underway, Tonis's unit engaged the enemy. Surprisingly, the enemy suddenly retreated.
Riding the momentum, he reclaimed two of the forts taken by the enemy. The enemy was fleeing. They fled sensitively, never overextending themselves.
Tonis Curier was studying a booklet titled "About Kosa," a research guide on the Kosa army distributed by the Royal Army. The basic principle—"When the enemy retreats, beware of traps"—was etched into his mind. The booklet stated that Kosa cavalry were adept at schemes to lure the opponent in while retreating.
—But.
Tonis thought. The opponents he had fought were primarily southern infantry. Not Kosa cavalry. There was no hint of acting in the way they fled. It was a kind of terror, like chickens that would jump if touched.
Tonis Curier agonized over whether he should go to reclaim the third fort.
The scouts he had sent out returned one after another, and Tonis understood why the enemy had been terrified.
"It is the Western Army," the scout reported. "The banner is 'The Daughter of Siddim,' and the sashimono (T/N: small banners attached to armor) bear the Curier family crest."
Sashimono are flags smaller than military banners.
It seemed that knights bearing the Curier family sashimono were attacking the final fort.
"It may be the Great Lord."
His father, Godry Curier.
"So he has returned to Midheim."
However, the fact that the Western Army had moved meant...
—Has it begun?
It likely meant that negotiations with the enemy had failed. Thinking of it that way, another possibility arose regarding the enemy's easy retreat. In other words, was the enemy general, Geraha Wolf, calling his dispersed allies to assemble?
Normally, assembling one's own soldiers is for a decisive battle.
If so, it was too fast. The Western Army had only just begun combat, yet the enemy was already trying to enter a decisive battle. They had moved on the premise that negotiations would break down.
—I shall merge with Father.
There was no point in overthinking it.
"We go as heavy cavalry," he declared on the spot.
Heavy cavalry become heavy infantry once they dismount. In narrow places like roads, they can respond flexibly to both attack and defense.
Shatona, who had been an apprentice at a shoemaker's in Bolsa City, did not participate in the battle of Midheim. He failed the selection for rear support and became part of the main body of the Western Laicanel Army. The day before the operation began, the platoon Shatona belonged to gathered in a tent for dinner. The conversation was damp and lacked spark; it seemed it would be a gloomy dinner.
"Today's my birthday."
The one who spoke softly was Aubrey, the second son of a farming family, who was usually quiet.
Everyone laughed, pinched large pieces of meat from their own soup with their fingers, and placed them one after another into Aubrey's plate. Aubrey's soup was soon nearly overflowing.
"I didn't say it with that intention... but, thanks."
"How old are you now?"
Basil, the platoon leader and the oldest, asked Aubrey.
"Yes, sixteen, sir."
"Heh, I didn't know we were the same age," said Rolan, a dandy from Karnain. "My birthday is in early spring, though."
"I think I'm probably the same age too," said Jado, a rugged miner from Ulham. "Only, I don't know my birthday."
"What about your mother? Didn't she say anything?" Rolan asked in a suspicious voice.
"I don't even know what my mother's face looked like. She died early."
At Jado's confession, Aubrey offered advice. "In times like that, it's good to just make your favorite day your birthday. Like All Souls' Day."
"You say that, but. Work in the mines is the same every day, so you forget. But I'm probably sixteen."
"Shatona, what about you?" Platoon leader Basil looked at Shatona.
"I'm seventeen. My birthday is in winter, around the Month of Exorcism. What about you, Platoon Leader?"
"I'm around the Month of Slaughter. I'm nineteen now."
"Platoon Leader, if I can live until the Month of Slaughter, shall we have a drink?"
Jado the miner said. He loved alcohol.
Platoon leader Basil smiled gently. "Very well. Let us celebrate your birthday as well. Since we're at it, Shatona, yours too—no, let's celebrate for everyone."
"That sounds great," Shatona smiled. "I'll arrange the alcohol. I'm in a different unit, but I have friends in rear support."
"I'll help too," Rolan said. "I want something we can roast and eat, and also something sweet."
"Yeah," Aubrey let out a voice,
"I want to eat that too," Jado agreed.
"If only there were sugar," Rolan said. "I want to let everyone eat my fried bread."
"What's fried bread?" Shatona was intrigued. "Are there really idiots in the world who fry bread?"
"There's one right here," Rolan was laughing. "It's delicious. North of Karnain, I trained at undoubtedly the best shop. Dusted with plenty of sugar. Do you know that sugar has a scent? When you bite into it, the fats ooze out, and that savoriness again—"
"Hey now, that's poison," Aubrey had a look of genuine disgust. "My stomach's gonna start growling during the meal."
"I find it a bit hard to believe. Isn't frying bread a bit blasphemous?"
Jado interrupted Shatona. "No, my imagination has been stimulated. It's a possibility. Frying bread is a possibility."
"What do you think, Platoon Leader?"
When the unimaginative Shatona asked, Basil nodded solemnly. "We can just try it. Rolan, what do you need?"
"Eggs, milk... the delicacy will be lost, but I'll make some barley for porridge. But the one thing that's absolutely indispensable is sugar."
"See if you can obtain it somewhere; everyone, check any leads you might have."
Basil gave the order, and the platoon was imbued with a mission.
Early the next morning.
The Laicanel Army slipped into the forest on the south side of Malfa City. For the time being, they aimed east and began moving through the forest. On the first day, they crossed the Shaal River flowing through the forest and became soaking wet.
While moving, whenever Shatona found a familiar face, he asked.
"Sugar?"
Everyone looked puzzled.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't been let to taste sugar lately."
Shatona didn't have many acquaintances. Having no choice, he spoke to faces he didn't know, introduced himself, and forced them to become acquaintances.
"Sugar, huh. If I get my hands on some, what will you do? Will you suck it for me?"
"I'll fix your shoes. I'm a shoemaker."
"They aren't broken."
"I'm talking about if they break. I'll make them like new."
It was movement through a forest; the footing was bad. If the shoes were flimsy, they were bound to break.
For the first two days, they camped without lighting fires or pitching tents. There was no one who did not fear the darkness of the forest. It was a pitch-blackness where one could not even see the tip of their own nose. Everyone felt the presence of enemy soldiers right beside them. Hearing the sound of rustling leaves alone made their hearts race, and it wouldn't easily subside. If a beast's roar echoed through the forest, they would tremble and cling to the comrade nearest to them.
Platoon leader Basil and Jado were snoring and sleeping through all that. Shatona was sleep-deprived. Aubrey and Rolan were the same.
"They must have big balls."
Looking at Jado, who stretched his back and yawned, Rolan shook his head.
During the day, they marched through pathless ways. It was tiring, certainly. Yet, their bodies moved. Perhaps tension and excitement prevented them from feeling the fatigue. However, the biggest reason was undoubtedly that there were many breaks. The marching speed was fast, but in contrast, they were let to rest quickly. They were let to rest three times in the morning and four times in the afternoon.
During breaks, if there was an opportunity, Shatona searched for sugar.
"Do you know anyone in rear support? I have business with whoever manages the sugar."
Everyone shook their heads. Shatona began to seriously believe that perhaps the location of the sugar was a military secret.
Just as Basil's platoon sought sugar, all the other soldiers were seeking something as well.
—I need scissors, do you have any?
—I want trousers. Introduce me to a tailor.
—If you have spare paper, I'll buy it.
Shatona readily agreed. "I can procure it. But it's in exchange for sugar."
On the third day, the Laicanel Army reached the depths of the forest. Permission was given to light small fires, and at night, they were able to pitch tents to shelter from the wind and rain.
As Shatona's profession became known, requests for shoe repairs began to come in. In an environment with only poor materials, Shatona exerted his skills to the maximum.
"You understand, right? Once sugar is obtained?"
"Yeah, I'll bring it."
Shatona always made the customers promise. This was because...
—Raft's platoon is also searching for sugar.
Rolan had heard this. As Basil's platoon, they couldn't afford to fall behind.
Platoon leader Basil had devised a job that could be called a quarrel mediator. When a fight broke out, he would listen to both parties' claims and propose a compromise from a third-party position. Naturally, he would demand sugar as a reward from the platoon leader of the involved soldiers.
Jado was the platoon leader's attendant. He would step between soldiers in the middle of a fight and mediate through physical force.
Aubrey became, so to speak, a jack-of-all-trades. He was particularly well-regarded for his skill as a sharpener. However, he couldn't handle a large volume. Aubrey was a meticulous type, and his work was simply thorough.
Amidst this, Rolan had no trade. Nevertheless, the one who first heard of the sugar's location was the sociable and personable Rolan.
When they returned to the tent after finishing watch and lay down, Rolan spoke.
"Soon, sugar might start circulating within the army."
"Why?" Jado asked.
"Apparently, they've captured the enemy."
Everyone propped themselves up on their elbows.
—They were approaching the enemy.
That was the surprise.
Five days had already passed since they began moving. Unsettling rumors had been spreading within the Laicanel Army.
—Are we lost?
Everyone had begun to suspect. The army seemed to be heading purely in a northeasterly direction. It felt as though they were moving away from Malfa City.
If the information Rolan heard was true, they weren't lost. They were approaching the enemy.
Captain Basil said, "Is that a reliable story?"
"No, now that you put it that way... But Perno from Stree's platoon says so. His big brother is Lucas of the reconnaissance squad, so perhaps. Perno says the General might attack the enemy's supply units. If, hypothetically, that happens, the southerners supposedly love eating sugar, so maybe—"
"We might be able to seize the sugar from the enemy's provisions," the platoon leader followed. "That's it, right?"
"If we volunteer for the assault unit," Shatona blurted out what he had thought, "we might get a little bit of sugar."
"That might be possible," Aubrey also said. "I'm down to do it."
"No, let's do it," Jado agreed. "Platoon Leader, I agree as well."
"Rolan, what do you think?"
"I'm not very keen, but I want to make something so delicious that these guys shit themselves. I gladly agree," Rolan answered the platoon leader.
Everyone was starving for sweets.
But was it something to risk their lives for? They wouldn't die without sugar, but if they joined the assault unit, they would end up charging into the enemy as targets. Sugar versus life; in peacetime, there would be no such foolish trade.
However, in this forest, it strangely worked. If they were to fight the enemy anyway, they wanted to participate in a battle that had a reward like sugar. No one thought they would die. The boys in the tent thought only of obtaining that gold called sugar, which no one in this forest possessed.
"Very well. If that's your spirit," Captain Basil said. "We will volunteer for the assault unit."
The captain spoke and then fell silent.
Just as Shatona was about to fall asleep, Rolan spoke in a hushed voice.
"Shatona, the way to make fried bread is written in detail and tucked in my pocket."
"...Meaning?"
"If something happens to me, I'm entrusting it to you. Don't make me lose face. Make the best version."
"I'm a shoemaker, you know?"
"That's why. My work and your work are a bit similar, aren't they?"
"I wonder. Is that so?"
"Better than Jado. I'm counting on you."
While Shatona was thinking, he heard Rolan's breathing as he slept.
If Rolan died, and then he died too, that thing called fried bread might become a phantom, Shatona thought in a half-dreaming state, and then fell asleep. His nerves had already reached a point where he wouldn't wake up from something like the screams of forest beasts.
The details of the siege of Malfa City by the Kosa army were carried out through the suppression of twenty-five villages around the royal capital and the blockade of the highways. In particular, both banks of the Shaal River connecting Aver City and Malfa City were completely held at the crossing points, and by this, the east and west of Siddim were as good as severed in the middle—only, they could not touch the coming and going of ships navigating the northern inland sea. The east and west of Siddim maintained a thin thread of information, supplies, and personnel flowing through the sea.
Geraha thought that this thread must be severed. However, it was not the highest priority.
The Kosa army's lines of communication were far thicker. In the southeastern part of the land of Siddim, a bold passage connecting the north and the center of the continent was open.
If he heard Yugis Necrat boast,
"I have established a system to mobilize the youth of Siddim as military strength,"
Geraha would have laughed.
Because if Geraha wanted to, he could mobilize highly trained soldiers from all over the world.
The terrain between the west of Malfa City, where the Western Army was deployed, and the deployment of the Kosa army consisted of grasslands, fields, and highways. The undulations were shallow and waving. It could be called a hilly region. However, the area near the Shaal River basin was flat. Although cultivated in squares, the roads were well-maintained, and there was no hindrance to the mobility of cavalry. Trees were sparse, with at most some groves. There was nothing that could be called a forest region.
On the other hand, a vast forest lay on the south side of Malfa City.
It was possible for the enemy to move through that forest. However, because it was such a deep forest, Geraha thought that a long-distance march would be impossible. After all, there were no roads. At worst, a large army would get lost in the forest. Even if they moved through the forest, crossed the Shaal River south of Malfa City, and emerged on the east side of the Kosa army's deployment without losing their way, they would immediately be prey.
Geraha had divided his numbers and placed cavalry at the predicted positions of enemy appearance. He had also infiltrated infantry to the edge of the forest. In other words, measures had been taken. If they intended a dividing encirclement, it would end in futility. Rather,
—The enemy will cross the Shaal River.
This was not Geraha's prediction, but an absolute truth, almost like a law of physics.
Geraha had most of the bridges over the river destroyed. The bridges left were in two locations close to Malfa City; the enemy would think of reclaiming those two locations. There was only one means to make that possible.
A request for relief to the royal capital. The extension of the river was long. They could not suppress the Kosa army deployed at the crossing points. The enemy would concentrate their strength on reclaiming the bridges. To reclaim the bridges, a decisive blow would be needed somewhere.
The enemy would likely rely on the Malfa City garrison for that blow. There was no reason not to.
In other words, the gates of the royal capital would open. They would have to open.
Because war is a karma performed by humans.
A general sometimes explains his own war to his staff or soldiers. At such times, they tend to use, for example, numbers. That we are superior to the enemy in the number of forces, and so on.
—Our morale is higher.
Even in such cases, the basis is often the loudness of the soldiers' voices. Volume cannot be turned into a numerical value, but still, they use something that looks objective as a basis. Based on logic, bound by logic. While not wrong, Geraha thought it was not that simple.
Setting victory or defeat aside, he couldn't help but feel that the strength or weakness of a war was related to the degree of civilization. If the word civilization was too exaggerated, he could call it the maturity of society. That degree. The amount of things that citizens understand without using words, the level of consciousness, the depth of understanding.
Siddim is mature. He had to admit that.
The people inside the walls of Malfa City, if the outside of the walls were in dire straits, would open the gates. That is what civilization is. To win, to avoid losing, the inside and outside of the walls communicate their intentions without using words. The people inside and outside are connected, sharing a purpose. Like a giant beast governed by a single consciousness.
—The gates will open.
Because Geraha would make it so.
As long as the situation is created, war moves in a fixed way, like mechanics. It cannot be stopped, like the flow of water.
That was Geraha's prediction. It might have been a bit rigid.
When he received the report that the enemy Siddim Western Army was heading toward Aver City with almost their entire force, Geraha was caught off guard. If they aimed for the bridges, they could expect the help of the capital's soldiers. However, if they expected help, there was no need to limit it to the capital's soldiers. If they attacked Aver City, they could expect reinforcements from the sea.
—Not bad.
Geraha was impressed.
For only a moment. Immediately, he felt a fierce anger.
This meant, without a doubt, that the enemy had seen through Geraha's intentions. It meant the city gates of Malfa City would not open. He had been seen through.
"Surround them."
Looking into the eyes of the Great King who commanded, Mozu Wolf was surprised.
The uneven area around the eyes was red.
—Is he crying?
Mozu's suspicion made him say something that happened to be correct.
"I will not let them have aid from the sea! We can completely encircle the enemy!"
Mozu Wolf sent messengers in all directions.
He had confidence that he could deal with it sufficiently.
The enemy Siddim Western Army moved all at once. It was an immature opening move.
The first attempt, the first ingenuity of war, comes down to how to move the enemy. Most wars, even if it's a bit forced, lure the enemy. Lure the enemy and lead them toward one's own advantage. Because that maneuvering reaches a stalemate, a battlefield where both sides watch each other and cannot move can appear. In war, the first deception is important. Deceive the enemy to take the initiative. For that reason, the beginning of combat tends to be dispersed among friend and foe on the battlefield. By spreading out, one disperses the opponent, strips away the enemy's cover, and exposes their weaknesses. As soon as the enemy shows a weakness, one switches from dispersion to assembly and strikes that weakness in one breath. This speed of dispersion and assembly is the strength of Great King Geraha's Kosa army.
Of course, in war, the first move wins. It is always desirable to take the lead. Wars that can be won after falling behind are few. That said, throwing the entire army into a spot that merely looks like an enemy weakness is insane.
That is not taking the initiative; it is the result of acting rashly after being shown a weakness. They have fallen into a trap. Aver City is not a weakness of ours. The enemy did not play a game of deception. The enemy must have determined Aver City to be a gap in our defenses.
It could be called a pitfall.
Once inside Aver City, the bridges are plentiful. The Shaal River splits into two or three branches outside the city, and the river width is narrow and easy to cross. Moreover, we have destroyed the city walls of Aver City and stripped away its defensive power. If one considers crossing the river, the point of focus is not bad.
However, from our perspective, it is grateful that the enemy gathers in one place.
If the enemy army assembles inside the city, the number of people needed for the encirclement will be much fewer than expected. The enemy should be building a defensive line in the west, and we can deal with that with plenty of leeway.
The only concern would be reinforcements from the sea.
We cannot touch the sea. If so, we have no choice but to resolve to welcome the guests from the sea. There's no need to think about it uselessly; it's a matter of courage.
At this time, Mozu did not yet understand the unsettling presence that the Great King seemed to feel.
Mozu Wolf hurried to Aver City, leading the units in the vanguard.
Information arrived in succession. The Siddim Western Army had reclaimed the nine villages we held and was attempting to reclaim three more. They were in a momentum to take back the northernmost region of Malfa City. This was likely for the construction of supply lines.
In particular, the Kosa forces in the land of Midheim seemed to have been wiped out. It was predicted that they would advance the defensive line to Midheim and place a command post there.
Since the enemy's supply lines would stretch long, it would be possible to strike and sever them. However, the enemy likely predicted that. If so, the reclamation of Aver City takes on a meaning beyond just crossing the river. Namely, a plan to make Aver City a supply base. Transporting fodder, personnel, and bows and arrows by sea.
Since we lack the ability to go to sea, there is no more certain supply route than this.
The enemy might intend to hole up in Aver City and wait for the snowfall. Seeing an advantage for themselves in winter warfare.
Mozu pushed his horse forward until he could see the advancing Western Army.
—A sea of people.
He understood the reason for the enemy's foolish boldness.
It was a massive army of enemy soldiers that seemed to fill the fields. Except for the golden-ripened wheat fields, everything in sight seemed to be filled with humans. They looked like youths with poor equipment.
Unable to suppress his smirk, Mozu turned his horse.
The enemy's formation was as if they were saying, "Please eat us." No matter how many numbers a rabble gathers, it is useless. Like tearing through cheese, Kosa would cook the enemy.
The information Rolan had heard was quite accurate.
Basil's platoon, along with the company they belonged to, was assigned the mission of striking the enemy's supply units.
Everyone thought simply that they would just attack the enemy's baggage train. In reality, a unit of some size was organized. Thinking about it, it couldn't be just a simple raid. It was bound to be moving as an operation.
On the first day, Basil's platoon moved west.
On the second day, they slowly changed direction to the north and moved through the forest.
On the third day, the company Basil's platoon belonged to acted in the middle of the night.
They had reached the highway. A forest road opened by Siddim. Now, it was a road held by the enemy across the entire area.
They were able to stay on the highway for only a moment. Everyone rushed into the forest on the opposite side of the road without making a sound, holding their breath. The supply assault unit lurked on both sides of the road, waiting for the enemy to appear.
Two more days passed like that. Of course, they couldn't light fires, and they continued to wait without having anything that resembled a real meal. Basil's platoon was ordered to dig holes in the forest. Since the order was "a size that can let a person sleep," they knew what the holes were for without being told.
It was high noon on the sixth day. A finger-whistle rang out loudly.
As soon as Basil's platoon and their company emerged onto the highway, they blocked the road and leveled their spears. Then, they advanced cautiously in an easterly direction. Beyond the gentle curve of the road, they felt many breaths. Perhaps it was their own breathing. While their legs did not freeze, there was a floating sense of reality, as if they were stepping on clouds. As they progressed, combat occurred.
Ah.
Ugh.
Hah.
The breaths of filthy men were exhaled along with voices, with a density so thick it seemed visible. It was a group of men fighting with weapons. There was a wagon in the center of the road, stuck with arrows like a porcupine. Even after bathing in this rain of archery, the enemy had survived and were fighting.
—The arrows don't hit.
Everyone in Basil's platoon thought that this seemed to be true.
One horse went wild, its muscles moving vigorously under its brown hide as it charged toward them. The platoon pointed the tips of their spears at it. The horse recoiled and returned to the combat. In its place, a black-haired man who had drawn a barbarian blade ran forward. Saying something in a surprisingly calm foreign language, the black-haired warrior first hacked through the tip of Aubrey's spear with his barbarian blade.
Simultaneously, the spears of Jado, Rolan, and Shatona pierced the black-haired man's body. He didn't look like a southerner; he looked like a Kosa person. Even after being hit by three spears, the Kosa person raised his barbarian blade.
When Shatona and the other two pulled their spears out at once, the Kosa man collapsed without ever bringing the barbarian blade down. Blood, coloring so brightly it looked obscene, flowed toward the platoon.
This was the first battle for Basil's platoon.
The company commander of the company Basil's platoon belonged to was called Stoke.
That Company Commander Stoke and Platoon Leader Basil were on friendly terms. It seemed they shared a bond as fellow hunters. Company Commander Stoke had petitioned General Laicanel regarding the sugar matter.
The traces of combat on the highway were cleaned up neatly using manpower.
The bloodshed was hidden with soil. The wagons were dismantled and captured by the Laicanel Army. Several horses were also brought back. And the fodder for six enemy wagons.
Basil's platoon buried the dead. There were not many corpses of allies. For the burial of Siddim people, they offered prayers without hesitation. They hesitated a bit regarding the burial of the enemy. Only the requiem prayer, marked by the sign of the holy seal, was performed with respect.
There was no recklessness in celebrating victory. The tension of still being in enemy territory had not broken.
However, it could be said that the will to fight had risen greatly with the success of the raid.
The assault unit, leaving behind scouts, slipped back into the depths of the forest from the vicinity of the highway.
It was during that time.
Company Commander Stoke came to Basil's platoon while scratching his head.
"I've gone and done it."
"What did you do?" Platoon Leader Basil asked.
"That sugar matter. I've made the General angry."
—Bring that ridiculous platoon here.
Apparently, this had been ordered by the extremely displeased Western Army Commander, Laicanel Thora.
The members of the platoon looked at each other with anxious faces.
Laicanel Thora was sitting on a fallen tree, in a slightly elevated position. Staff officers stood behind him.
Company Commander Stoke and Platoon Leader Basil stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
Shatona and the other members of the unit, not knowing what to do, stood stiffly.
"You want sugar?" General Laicanel was a handsome man who suited his stubble. "If you think you should be given special treatment, give me a reason."
It was a good voice, with a bit of rust.
Responding with a "Yes, sir," Platoon Leader Basil began to speak candidly.
—We simply seek sugar for the sake of birthday celebration fried bread.
"Fried bread?" The young general became agitated. "Can you make it? Who makes it?"
"I can!" Rolan raised a high-pitched voice, stepped forward, and knelt on one knee.
"Where did you train?" The Western Army Commander was irritably tapping his knee with his finger.
"At Heckel's confectionery shop on Incense Burner Street in Kaine City!"
"Heckel? Don't be ridiculous. The master there must have been elderly. The Thora house has received confectionery offerings. If I recall, it was Henrik Heckel. Is he well?"
"No, the previous master has passed away. The shop is inherited by his son, Rico Heckel. I am his apprentice."
"I'll admit it's a famous shop. The powdered ones were delicious," General Laicanel crossed his long legs. "Were you lot planning to secretly make sweets and eat them only among yourselves? Is this not everyone's victory?"
Basil's platoon looked down, ashamed of themselves.
"Did you intend to enjoy the cream of that famous shop only among yourselves?"
"We are deeply sorry."
Both the platoon leader and Company Commander Stoke took a posture as if they were about to prostrate themselves.
"It's fried bread from Heckel's shop, you know? I will not permit you to monopolize it among yourselves."
Everyone looked down and heard the General's judgment.
"I will provide the materials. Give one piece of fried bread to everyone who participated in this raid, and to those who showed merit. Can you do it?"
Basil's platoon and Company Commander Stoke looked up.
The General's stern face suddenly changed into a wide smile. When he smiled, he had a brilliance far beyond others.
Shatona and the others followed suit, their cheeks loosening. The surrounding air also loosened. There was a bottomless cheerfulness in Laicanel-sama's smile.
"Of course—"
"With pleasure—"
Everyone spoke at once in their happiness.
The platoon became sudden cooks the next day and fried the sweets.
Naturally, it was a huge success. To the Western Army Commander and the General's staff, they offered not just one piece, but several twisted pieces of fried bread.
"They say your cheeks fall off, right?" Aubrey said aptly. "That was true. I almost dropped my cheeks."
"The moment I tasted it, I thought time had stopped," Jado said.
"It's more delicious than I imagined," Shatona also remarked with admiration.
While they were taking a break after finishing the cooking, Company Commander Stoke came over cheerfully. "Everyone, you did well. It's become a great reputation."
"Company Commander, there's one thing I want to ask."
Sensing that Company Commander Stoke was in a good mood, Platoon Leader Basil asked.
"Where are we heading? Whereabouts in Siddim is that highway?"
"I don't know much," the company commander shook his head. "But, there is one thing I overheard."
Since Stoke, the former hunter, lowered his voice, the members of Basil's platoon huddled their heads together.
"It seems the former Royal Army Commander, Sedias Thora-sama, passed away on that highway."
"Meaning?" Platoon Leader Basil's eyes widened.
"We might be heading toward the Fields of Brazm."
No one could even make a sound.
Such a massive army was in the middle of a pathless forest. Brazm was in the east. Without realizing it, they had been made to go on a great expedition to the east. It was absurd.
No wonder sugar couldn't be found. There was no rear support. Probably, soldiers carrying food were just following along so as not to lose sight of the main body, and there were undoubtedly no regular supplies.
The reason the column stopped frequently also became clear. They were likely moving the main body while confirming the positions of spring water that could be used as drinking water. The interior of the forest was like a green sea. The soldiers were drifters. Moreover, it was a drift without any tide, and they had come to a place like the end of the world.
—We are isolated.
That was the realization of everyone present. Wasn't the southern side of eastern Siddim enemy territory? This might be intended as a surprise attack. However, marching to the Fields of Brazm through a pathless forest with little fodder, becoming like ghosts so as not to be found by the enemy, seemed insane.
Was this the time to be making sugar sweets?
The boys of Basil's platoon looked at each other's faces. However, the one who had given permission was Laicanel-sama. The General had shown a smile that completely changed the surrounding air. That was not the smile of a person in peril.
—He must have a plan for victory.
That was the conclusion reached on the spot. Rather, they had no choice but to believe so, and they felt that Laicanel Thora was a person who had a brightness that made it okay to believe so.