Chapter 123 - 10-10
In the southeastern part of Siddim, around the Twin Forts, the Kosa army is running rampant. Kosa has stationed troops across nearly all of Villen. Furthermore, they are at the southern tip of Ganlord. The highway to the Dwarf Mountains is blocked, and several roads leading west are also closed.
To the south of Famana City lies a wetland with the cursed name of Caterpillar Marsh. If they are to intercept the enemy's northward advance, it will likely be somewhere in the space spreading south of Caterpillar Marsh.
It is a space surrounded by wetlands to the north, the Twin Forts to the south, forests to the west, and mountains to the east. There are fields, pastures, and intricate paths. There are two villages, but the residents have already evacuated. The hills and rivers are complex, making it unsuitable for a decisive battle.
The enemy will likely come to this space, which served as a buffer zone.
With that intention, the Siddim army is moving and deploying its troops.
In contrast, the Kosa army is sluggish. They hardly move.
Zeal Andros is repeatedly conducting sporadic reconnaissance. He feels as though he is starting to make acquaintances within the enemy army. The faces of the enemy do not change. He feels no change in the atmosphere either.
He cannot sense any motivation from the enemy.
Zeal hails from Rhythmdale, which developed through the highway economy. He can judge the state of business from the sound of people's footsteps. The silence of the enemy soldiers feels like a bad omen. It closely resembles the silence when people tighten their purse strings and refrain from activity.
—Might the enemy just shut themselves in?
It is the space toward the forest, on the south side of the Twin Forts, partitioned by towering hills. If they hole up there, the situation will surely reach a deadlock. The war will freeze along with winter, and they will have to start the fighting again once the snow melts.
There is a speculation that the road the enemy army carved through the "Dark Forest" will be cut off once the snow piles up, and the enemy's supplies will stop. The enemy will likely seize Ganlord, accumulate troops and food, and survive the winter. In other words, the enemy army will surely come out.
—Is that so?
Not through logic, but he feels it through his skin. If anything, it is an atmosphere of taking a break.
—We've reached a good stopping point, let's just do this next year.
It is a relaxed air, as if saying exactly that.
Zeal headed toward a tent set up within the forest. He planned to examine the reconnaissance routes. It was a tent hidden by covering it with tree branches. Feeling melancholy as he pushed aside the curtain, the person inside the tent looked back.
"Yo, you look well."
It was Yugis Necrat.
"You idiot, you!"
Zeal approached Yugis. He looked at Yugis intently. It should have been a nostalgic face. And yet, it felt as if he were someone he hadn't met for two days at most. Zeal lightly poked Yugis's chin with his fist. Then he embraced him. Yugis laughed out loud.
—Let's go see the enemy's situation.
Yugis said this, timing it for when Zeal had finished his break.
Zeal's light cavalry unit set out for reconnaissance, taking Yugis with them.
Yugis's attendant, Dash, was also with them. Zeal was surprised that Yugis could handle a horse with one hand, but he was also surprised by how well Dash rode.
"It seems you've been worked quite hard," Zeal spoke to him.
Dash replied while glancing at Yugis, who was riding ahead.
"I was made to run all over Siddim."
"So you're the unsung hero."
"No, someone like me..." Dash looked perplexed.
This one, in his own way, must have seen many people die.
"Yugis is doing alright?"
"Of course. Though he's been brooding lately. It's the usual, though."
The light cavalry climbed and descended the undulating grasslands, eventually stopping at the peak of the highlands.
They could look down upon a portion of the enemy. Zeal explained.
"As you can see, the Kosa people have left their horses and sheep and are gathering and pitching tents to take care of them. They're using Siddim as nomadic grazing land. Those guys need space to let their livestock roam; without it, they can't continue the war."
"I understand well," Yugis answered.
"But on the other hand, I see that they have no attachment to the land. As long as there are pastures, it's fine. They don't care where. They leave the land easily. I think there's a chance the enemy army will hole up beyond the Twin Forts."
"They won't come out?"
"The atmosphere just isn't there. Even if the Great King returns to the Twin Forts, the troops around here won't change. I think if we attack, they'll just quickly withdraw and block the Twin Forts."
"I thought if it were Geraha, he would come out," Yugis said. "But looking at it like this, there's no sign of it. To launch an offensive in this situation, a considerably strong power of command would be necessary."
"Well, the Great King is popular. There's no problem with his command. Though the only person in the world who could strike out from here is Geraha."
"Our army's commander-in-chief could do it too."
"True. Yugis, the Princess's popularity in the east is unbelievable. It's almost worrying."
Yugis nodded. "Zeal, I want to see Haider. Where is he?"
"I don't know, probably Famana City. Haven't you met?"
"I searched but couldn't find him. I want to eat a meal together."
"Ah, sounds good. Then let's head back. —Yugis, Haider's doing great, you know?"
"You're an idiot," Yugis smiled. "I know very well."
Haider Skyner was at the command post of Famana Castle in Famana City.
Famana Castle is a small castle. It was not designed with the evacuation of residents in mind. It is a castle that is starkly like a military facility. This may have been the foresight of the Anavis family who designed it. While Famana is a city with walls, it is a base for attack rather than an inner ward for defense.
It is at the center of a spacious land where highways intersect,
—Where is the battlefield?
A place where one can gaze and ask that. The watchtowers are also higher than in other cities.
He was told Haider was in a meeting. Zeal and Yugis decided to wait in the next room. Haider interrupted the meeting and came.
He was speechless upon seeing Yugis.
"Yo. Sorry to keep you waiting," Yugis said.
Zeal wanted to laugh, thinking what a pretentious bastard he is. It seemed Haider felt the same.
Haider pointed his index finger at Yugis's face. "I've waited, quite a lot."
Just as Zeal had done, Haider embraced Yugis. Yugis laughed again. Perhaps it tickled.
Yugis Necrat was happy with the air of the east. Why is his hometown different from other lands? Yugis thinks that the breath of the people exhaled into the chilly temperature is different. The language is understood. The breath he exhales reaches the other person. The other person's breathing soaks into his ears.
That familiarity felt strange to Yugis, almost unnerving. On the contrary, he became calm and analyzed it with a gaze that looked down upon his hometown. When he was young, he thought the east was the best. Expanding his perspective, it wasn't that great. It is a land stained with the unrefined scent of the fields.
However, that scent is undoubtedly the same as his own body odor.
That scent lingered by the roads and at crossroads, surprising Yugis everywhere he went.
Thinking of it as a matter of smell, Siddim likely has a smell too. Koroi must have had one as well. Did the Kosa people try to bring their own smell there? No. In their way, there is a violence that wipes away the scent, steals the warmth, and refreshes everything. Like a gale blowing in from the grasslands.
A violence that uproots the investments and activities Siddim has carried out, giving no way to recover. Here lies Siddim's reason for fighting. This is one logic.
On the other hand, in the end, people love the source of this scent that has integrated with themselves. Because it is life itself.
Haider and Zeal ended up having a slightly early dinner.
It was the lord's private room that Haider was using.
—That rainy day.
Yugis began his story from there. The rainy day when his father, Urgil Necrat, had his head cut off.
"That day, I—. Before that, listen. I have by no means forgiven my father. That man did something unforgivable to Siddim. I must acknowledge that."
This was something he had told Kashu Coil and Raslaf Dravar. He absolutely wanted to tell his comrades in the east.
He cannot tell others. In Yugis's official position, he should claim that neither the Necrat family nor Carossa are evil.
"But in truth, it's different. I understand my father's logic. But despite that—"
"Don't say it."
"I know."
Both Zeal and Haider said the same thing as Kashu and the others.
"Originally, I wanted to be the one to settle the responsibility for what my father did. But you all did it for me. I feel I have been blessed with friends. Thank you."
"Stop it, stop it, you're being too modest, Yugis."
Zeal waved a hand, brushing away Yugis's words, which had been spoken with almost a suicidal resolve. "Your father's conspiracy was grand in scale, wasn't it? I actually like it. More importantly, about that rainy day."
The day the Eastern Fourth Army fell apart.
Yugis spoke of the path he had followed.
"Thanks to that mage named Alf, I survived. The doctor who treated me was a powerhouse who was too good to be left in a cold mountain village. While saving my life, he cut off my arm. Want to see?"
"No," Haider shook his head.
"You've probably seen it."
"I'm fine," Zeal also said.
"I'll show you."
Yugis stripped one shoulder and exposed the severed surface of his left arm.
"Ugh," the two made faces as if seeing something disgusting.
Yugis was satisfied and finished the rest of the story simply.
Next was the turn of the two.
Hearing interesting facts from the two, Yugis was surprised many times. What surprised him most was how much the east was being troubled by the Twin Forts. In response, the east had drafted an operation to recapture the Twin Forts. It seems Udoh was the one who created the rough draft. Carossa is involved in this operation.
Yugis struck the table with his fist about three times.
"I wanted to be the one to think of it!" Yugis spat his regret onto the table. "Now this is truly grand in scale!"
Even so, it was Udoh Renne. Yugis was moved.
That man had not forgotten Carossa. Udoh had saved Carossa.
How should he put it; words like "I am indebted" could not keep up.
—Damn, that bastard.
Within the joy, frustration rolled like a bead. However, this was a bead he wanted to make a lifelong treasure. At this time, Yugis did not even imagine that Udoh was in the enemy camp and suffering terribly.
"But," Zeal said while pouring wine for himself. "I told Yugis, but those guys might hole up beyond the Twin Forts."
Haider nodded. "The reports are arriving properly. They aren't moving."
"They aren't. I wonder how it would be if we pushed a bit closer from here."
"What do you think?" Haider, of course, was not drinking. He was in the middle of an operation.
"Can I say my thoughts?" Yugis's excitement had not yet cooled. "We should move Udoh. He'll do it."
"But Udoh's thinking is that unless there is pressure from the front, causing turmoil in the rear is meaningless."
"That's certainly true. But unless we lure the enemy toward us, the flank attack from Dint Carossa won't make sense."
The reason Kosa cavalry developed to be god-speed and daring was to seize the enemy's rear, and to prevent the enemy from taking theirs. They know well the terror of having the enemy get behind them. Soldiers whose blind spot—the back—is threatened are no longer useful. They become unable to face forward and cannot move a single step.
"Once the rear becomes noisy, Geraha will move forward."
"No, isn't it the opposite? The enemy might block the front and organize the rear."
"If that happens, this time they'll fear being caught in a pincer between the Siddim army coming from the front and a mysterious unit coming from the rear. Geraha is a refreshing man; he'll march toward Tosha."
"Yugis, why don't you take command?" Haider said.
"Don't say such things, Haider," Yugis shook his head. "You are the ones who have protected the east. It's not my turn to step in."
"Besides, Yugis is a staff officer of the Siddim army. In the military, he's our superior," Zeal said.
"Ah, true. In that case, let's have guidance from above," Haider laughed. "Speaking of which, did you meet the commander-in-chief?"
"Not yet."
Yugis looked away.
There was one spot of cloudiness in Yugis's joy at returning to the east. It was the post-war settlement mentioned by Chancellor Gilma. Everything is centralized to His Majesty. Princess Lucy is treated as if she were not there at all.
Regarding this, Yugis had not yet found a way. Yugis heard the fact that his homeland Carossa was lost while in the south. The one who cast a sliver of hope into despair was Princess Lucy. As the Princess's knight, Yugis was given a place to belong. He believes he was able to live thanks to the Princess.
Yugis must repay the Princess no matter what. That is the duty of a knight.
Geraha Wolf is observing the opponent.
It is clearly apparent. The enemy is trying to lure him out.
Geraha also intends to come out.
If so, the problem is the timing of the sortie. It's better to tease them. If he teases them, the initiative Geraha holds becomes greater. While observing the enemy's deployment, Geraha received a communication from Nahal Bas of Kandasyata.
Nahal Bas is Geraha's right hand. A clever man.
It seems Molchi Rajif, the young chief of the Rajif clan who was the first to help Geraha become the Great King, is preparing an attack on Tosha, the easternmost point of Siddim.
—Whose order is it?
Someone must have ordered Molchi to prepare. He thought it might be the dying wish of Brother Mozu.
However, according to Hazab's investigation, Molchi apparently moved spontaneously. Geraha slapped his knee. There are many chiefs who sell out their own clan. However, Molchi was the only one who set his sights on Tosha and even prepared troops.
Geraha held a council in the tent with Hazab, Huchi Bas, and Kirikiri.
"I'll give him the Great King's seal of approval," Geraha said. He was happy and felt the youth of his homeland was reliable. The north wind of Kandasyata felt nostalgic.
"If Tosha falls, the east falls," Kirikiri laughed with a wheeze.
If Tosha falls, another route connecting the Plain Nations and Siddim will be secured. They can stab the back of the entire east.
Hazab stroked his chin. "If we take Tosha, it will be mountain warfare. Infantry are needed."
Hazab spoke of the time he entered Siddim from Tosha with Brother Mozu. Tosha is apparently a city on a relatively low ridge.
"Can't we use the Tawaru people?" Huchi crossed his arms.
Some of the Tawaru graze cattle in the high mountains. Could they be employed as mountain troops?
"Mercenaries from the Plain Nations would suffice," Hazab said. "There are those among the southerners waiting for their turn."
"Mercenaries, huh. Is it possible?" Geraha also didn't want to rely on the Tawaru too much. The Tawaru are necessary to hold the south.
Hazab seemed to have a grudge against Tosha. He spoke enthusiastically.
"Tosha is a small town. If we push with a large army, they will likely surrender."
"Very well," after a long discussion, Geraha said. "I'll give instructions to Nahal."
Kijimute set out as a messenger.
However, the departed Kijimute returned at the extraordinary speed of seven days.
He returned in the early morning. Geraha met Kijimute in the tent he used as his bedroom. Hazab was also with them.
"Lord Molchi was attacked by troops that seemed to be the enemy," Kijimute said, without lifting his lowered face. "It appears they have scattered."
For a moment, Geraha was speechless. "Scattered" likely meant retreat. It meant they fled.
"What do you mean, 'seemed to be the enemy'?"
"The attackers stopped their horses and then fired fire arrows, burning Lord Molchi's residence. Stopping the horses before firing arrows is a characteristic of the northerners."
"The scale?"
"Unknown."
It seemed the details were mostly unknown.
"Hmm."
Rather than blaming Molchi, Geraha was impressed by the enemy. Udoh Renne is likely involved in this. He should see it as not being on a large scale.
Molchi's plan to conquer Tosha. Geraha had not known of its existence until recently.
The enemy side already knew it. They even struck at the perfect opportunity. There is a spy. If things are bad, the enemy might want to say this:
—Don't stay holed up forever. Come out already.
He was angry, but he also found it interesting.
"Hazab, did Udoh Renne say anything about this?"
"No, not at all."
"I thought so."
He will cut off Udoh's head.
And send it to the enemy.
But there is no need to rush. He will use him as much as he can.
"You must not kill him. Put him in a cage and hang him at the gates of the city-states of the Plain Nations. Make him suffer as much as possible, and make people look away. Do not give Udoh hope and let him commit suicide. The enemy-like unit might think about recovering Udoh Renne."
"Understood," Hazab said.
"Kijimute," Geraha gave a new order. "You rest. Appoint another messenger and order Nahal to take Tosha. Tell him that the failure of Molchi will be pardoned. However, I will send a letter later. Let him hear plenty of complaints."
"Yes!"
"We will go to the enemy's front and seize Ganlord. Notify the entire army that this battle will be one of simply pushing the enemy. We can certainly reach Maslow City. The problem is Tosha. Tell them that whether we can seize this depends on the struggle of Molchi and Nahal."
"Yes, sir. ...Is that all?"
"Go. Kijimute! We can win!"
"Yes!" Kijimute lifted his face. "I will also convey that the Great King said we would win."
Kijimute's smile seemed to shine in the dim tent.
Yugis returned to the fields of Brazm once and gave orders regarding the deployment of the Western Army decided at Famana. He wanted to use the successful crossbowmen in the next battle. He racked his brain over the redeployment of the crossbowmen. After finishing that, he headed for Maslow City. The Princess is in Maslow.
He met Princess Lucy in the office of the keep of Ganlord Castle.
When they exchanged glances and he saw her smile, something moist flowed suddenly into Yugis's chest. Yugis lowered his reddened face, kneeling. First, he had to convey the imperial decree.
"Full power of negotiation?" It felt like it had been a long time since he heard the Princess's voice. "You say that such a thing can be entrusted to me? It may be necessary to have the Chancellor come."
"It is as you say."
Regarding the post-war vision of that Chancellor, Gilma Rigardie, Yugis simply could not speak. The Princess would likely return to the convent. She probably would not cling to her own achievements. Since the Princess does not cling to them, what can he say?
Yugis feared facing that fact.
—I simply cannot accept it.
The youths of the west responded to the Princess. And now, the youths of the east are also gathering. The Princess's achievements are their achievements. If the Princess's achievements are erased, their courage will have been for nothing. It is only right that the Princess be honored. Only then will the struggle of the soldiers be commemorated.
In a word, Yugis was dissatisfied with the leaders of Malfa.
Among the leaders, though it is presumptuous, he might even include His Majesty.
He wanted His Majesty to highly evaluate the militia and the Princess. This war should be positioned in history based on that.
"Yugis."
Hearing the gentle voice, Yugis lifted his face.
Their gazes intertwined again, and this time Princess Lucy looked away.
—This is for you.
What he received from the Princess was a single sword.
When he asked the maid Nona later, it seemed she had gone to the trouble of having it made by a weapon smith in Maslow. Yugis was deeply moved. The Princess, for her part, had been concerned that Yugis might not be honored.
"Princess."
Yugis looked toward the maids waiting in the corner of the room.
The two, whose eyes held a spark of curiosity, turned their faces toward Princess Lucy with the same motion.
The Princess nodded. The maids bowed and left the office.
"Princess—"
"You must not," the Princess said in a moist tone. "I have told you before. 'I cannot become yours.' I was the fiancé of Laika. After that, I became a nun and became the property of the Tenshu. You followed me. But I—"
Yugis ran his fingers over the sword he had laid on the floor.
He felt courage welling up.
Shall I go?
He was just about to stand up with that thought.
"You must not come," the Princess said. "Yugis, be happy with another woman. We have already let many young people die. We conspired to do that. Was that not our path?"
"That is..."
He started to say it was different, but the Princess cut him off.
"No. I cannot be intimate with you. While we may move forward together, it is not permitted for us to seek each other and be happy."
"Oh, how cool."
Immediately wearing the gifted sword on his belt, Yugis went to meet Hume Razor.
"I received it from the Princess."
"You lucky bastard. Setting the Princess aside, if you get such a nice thing from a woman, you'll be tied hand and foot."
"You're as vulgar as ever."
Hume had entrusted the task of searching for Marvel Boony to Lucifont Nela and came to the east with the Princess. He is the person responsible for the security of Commander Lucy and also conducts training for new recruits. There is a training ground in Ganlord Castle, and even now, recruits were swinging imitation spears.
"Seriously, what do you intend to do about the Princess?"
"What do you mean 'what'? What do you mean..."
"Embrace her. The Princess doesn't dislike you."
Yugis looked aside. "The Princess could not respond to my request. Besides, she is a nun."
"That's a matter of position; I'm talking about feelings. You act like a powerhouse, but you're a coward. Once the war is over, just kidnap her."
Yugis laughed, as expected. "Take her back to Carossa and live happily ever after?"
"You might think it's a joke," Hume wore a rare, gentle smile. "Anyone who doesn't act for their own happiness, even if it makes someone else unhappy, is a fool. Believe me, Yugis. Becoming an old man while remaining reserved for the sake of society is a miserable thing."
There was a shadow in Hume's eyes that seemed to tell a story.
"No, no, you're the type who has always done as you pleased, regardless of others, right?"
"Idiot, even I have a romance I've given up on."
Saying so, Hume took off his glove and held out a thick hand. Yugis shook that hand.
"Well, try everything you can. In the war too."
"I understand. I'm counting on you for the Princess."
In Maslow, he also met Laicanel Thora.
A part of the Western Army, led by Laicanel and having marched through the forest, is in reserve for this battle. Perhaps because of the forced traversal of the surprise attack route and the experience of actual combat, their expressions looked spirited. Laicanel was drilling such Western Army troops in the open.
"For now, shall I say congratulations?" Laicanel said.
"Victory is a matter of luck."
"I'll tear your consolation to pieces and throw it as bird feed."
"Laika, can I rely on you for the Western Army?"
The Western Army, under the command of Kashu and Raslaf, has completely blocked the main roads. This was based on the experience of having the homeland ravaged and the rear struck by enemy cavalry who infiltrated from Tosha.
"I can gather the remaining troops here, right? Then I'll take it. I'll oversee them, but I won't leave the commander-in-chief's side."
"I beg of you. Also, have you met Ness?"
Laicanel nodded. "I met him, but there's nothing that can be done."
Yugis had brought Ness along. He didn't want to force him, but he thought that meeting Laicanel might improve Ness's mental depression.
"Yugis, don't think you can win against Kosa with cavalry. It's better to return Ness to the Syllabus family."
He tried to argue, but looked at Laicanel. The overbearing and arrogant Laicanel was not looking at Yugis, but had his profile turned and his gaze lowered.
Yugis's heart ached. "I understand. I'll do that."
That was all he could say.
In the early hours of the next day, Yugis departed for Famana.
As the edge of the Dwarf Mountains whitened, he encountered a group of messenger riders.
"Staff Officer!"
One rider skillfully brought his horse close. The other messengers leaped up in their saddles and galloped toward Maslow.
—There are signs of the enemy sorting out for a sortie.
The messenger said.
"Good work. How did you recognize me so well?"
"The Staff Officer is famous."
The messenger's gaze ran over Yugis's empty left sleeve.
That tactless gaze was funny, and Yugis laughed. Encountering the messenger was lucky.
"A good start! You've helped me! Dash!"
"Yes!"
Glancing at the hilt of the sword received from the Princess, Yugis spurred his horse.
—You must not be happy.
The Princess says. How could such a foolish thing be? Yugis thinks. First, he must win. If he wins, everything changes. Foolish thoughts will be blown away.
The sky is beginning to brighten. The wind is strong, but it looks like it will be a clear autumn day.
—They've come, they've come, they've come.
Zeal Andros was excited.
The Kosa people who are always in the same place are folding their tents and loading them onto wagons. He noticed that around noon yesterday. He immediately sent a messenger report to Haider, headed to the next reconnaissance point, and was surprised. There too were Kosa people packing up.
They intend to withdraw.
That's what he thought then. Zeal decided to venture deeper as he was.
Disguised as a traveler and leading his horse, he approached the enemy camp under the cover of night. Since the enemy patrols came frequently, he hid in the grass each time.
Eventually, he saw a point where the line of bonfires was blindingly bright.
Shadows were stirring. People were gathering.
—Troop deployment.
The enemy is deploying troops.
That bastard Udoh stirred up the enemy's supply lines. A few days ago, Haider had issued the sortie order to Udoh's unit. Just as that bastard Yugis said, Geraha must have been terrified and raised his big rear.
Zeal's unit had already entered deep into enemy territory. He needed to take time to retrace his path.
It was past midnight when he returned to a point where it was safe. Zeal immediately sent a messenger. On the way back to his own camp, surprisingly, he passed a group of the enemy. It seemed to be an enemy reconnaissance. Zeal found it funny that they were both smiling.
"Yo, good work," Zeal called out. "It's finally time!"
The enemy scout also said something cheerfully in a foreign language. They passed each other just like that.
There was no thought of engaging in a skirmish. There would be plenty of opportunities after this.
—Here they come!
For now, Zeal aimed for the Marsh Fort in Caterpillar Marsh.
It is the command post during wartime.
Haider Skyner also entered the Marsh Fort.
Not only from Zeal, but reports of the enemy's movements were arriving frequently from reconnaissance sent everywhere. Haider ordered the entire army into combat readiness. He also sent messengers to the rear.
Haider was a serious man, and he had by no means fought with Laicanel for command for the sake of his own advancement. He believed that the eastern troops could not be left to the Thora family. He believed that would be a betrayal of the east.
This does not mean he has confidence in his own command ability.
Frankly speaking, he is likely lacking in ability.
Haider's determination does not waver even at this stage. He has done what he could. Now it is up to the east.
That said, he was relieved when Yugis showed his face sooner than expected.
"Haider, could I borrow one unit of light cavalry from the reserves?" Yugis said. "I intend to be the General's eyes and ears. Let me go see the front line."
"Understood. Please take Gallan's unit."
It is the light cavalry unit Haider organized in Belgau.
They have enough training to perform firing while marching.
"Is it alright? You'd want to deploy them."
"I leave it to you."
Yugis nodded happily.
Zeal arrived just as they were parting.
"Haider, let's move the command post up a bit."
After finishing the report briefly, Zeal made the proposal.
Haider nodded. The commander should be in a place where communication is easy.
A small hill on the south side seemed appropriate. He would be able to overlook the combat situation to some extent. To make it clear it was the command post, flags would be erected in a forest.
When the flags went up, voices rose. There are soldiers in the landscape spreading below. On the hill, in the small valley eroded by the stream, there are soldiers everywhere. They were raising their fists toward the fluttering "Daughter of Siddim" facing them.
Absurdly, Bishop Kabel Kofie arrived in Maslow City on the day this battle began.
The voyage by ship, with its various events, felt like it was over in a flash in the end. He had safely entered the port of Saranti. In Rodevisk Bay, the masts of warships stood in line and swayed, and a suspicious atmosphere filled the air.
Bishop Kofie wrote a note to the Countess of Saranti, Helderica Dravar, apologizing for the rudeness of passing through without showing his face. From here, he would be incognito. Just as troops were moving from Saranti to Ganlord, he asked to accompany them.
The movement was in a carriage with a hired driver. He had the nun Marvel inside the box.
Marvel wore the hood attached to her nun's cloak loosely and covered the area from her nose down with a piece of cloth. She seemed not to want her face seen.
"You, what is it that you like in this world?"
The nun's piece of cloth fluttered. She probably laughed through her nose. She did not answer the question.
He didn't think she had hostility toward the Bishop. Occasionally, she cast a terrifyingly sharp gaze out the window. She was on guard. It seemed she intended to fulfill her duty of protection.
Since Marvel would not be a conversation partner, Bishop Kofie was about to sink into thought.
"The world, Your Eminence," Marvel suddenly said. "I like this fleeting world."
"You, you have something you wish to confess."
The Bishop knows that those who have a habit of remaining silent all harbor anguish they cannot tell others. This time, Marvel answered immediately. She shook her head slightly.
"What do you like about this fleeting world?"
"Because there are many people."
"A good answer. I too like people," the Bishop gazed at the scenery outside. "Because they are full of foolishness and deception. I think you have lived too cleanly. Women from the Valley of Cats have that tendency. They seem to mistakenly think it's filthy because it's full of intrigue, underhanded work, and assassinations, but if you ask me, it's truly beautiful. Those who make it happen, like me, are the evil ones."
The girl showed no reaction.
And so the conversation ended.
—What is this girl's objective?
Bishop Kofie is convinced that Marvel Boony is an operative dispatched by the "Valley of Cats," the secret convent of the Valley of Siddim. However, he does not know the objective. If he thinks it's the hand of Archbishop Kyle VIII, it makes sense, but this girl had managed to bury the assassin sent by the Archbishop.
He never imagined she was a woman acting according to the will of Geraha Wolf.
Much less did he imagine she was a woman aiming for the life of the Princess or Yugis.
Probably the Valley of Cats is weighing Bishop Kofie and the Archbishop against each other. They are likely deciding their stance by doing favors for each. The Valley of Cats is an organization operated with the church's secret funds.
Regardless of the Bishop's questions, the carriage proceeded.
Upon entering Maslow, the air was strange. The soldiers were almost in a panic. The guard Kaitas went to ask about the situation and found out that combat with Kosa was about to begin.
To thoroughly ensure the concealment of his incognito status, Bishop Kofie, finding it amusing, had his attendants use aliases. Bishop Kofie was Bishop Lotti of a certain city in the country of Skesia. Marvel was the nun Milka, devoted to the path of silence. Arsius was Nestri. And so on, he enjoyed having them name themselves and act.
"Petri," the Bishop called the guard Kaitas by his alias.
"For now, we'll go to the church. Through the Bishop of Maslow, I'll arrange a meeting with the Princess."
Being the central city of the east, Maslow is large. The Maslow Church was in a quiet district to the northeast.
"Bi, Bishop!"
Bishop Kofie, of course, is acquainted with the Bishop of Maslow. He is a man with a poor face and thin hair remaining on his head. Since he climbed to the position of Bishop with that face, his ability is certain.
According to the Bishop of Maslow, Princess Lucy had apparently just left Maslow City.
"A short while ago, before departing, she came to offer a prayer."
"Departing? To where?"
"To where? Probably Famana City. The Princess is the commander-in-chief of the Siddim army."
I see. So that's how it is.
Bishop Kofie thought.
"Then, let us also head to Famana City."
The Bishop spoke, looking back at his attendants.
"Bishop! You must not!" The Bishop of Maslow leaped at Kofie's waist. "It is dangerous! It is a battlefield!"
"Wha, what are you doing?"
"I will not let you go, Bishop! I will not let you go. Close the doors!"
At the Bishop's order, the church priests moved to the church doors all at once.
A genuine resolve can be seen in the eyes of the Bishop of Maslow.
—This guy!
The Bishop flinched. The Bishop of Maslow likely intended to serve as the mediator for negotiations with the enemy army. He must not have imagined that the Siddim Bishop himself would come to steal the credit. The strength to prevent the Bishop from leaving no matter what was concentrated in his arms.
Suddenly, the Bishop noticed Marvel's gaze.
Bishop Kofie shook his head slightly. He might be placed under house arrest rudely, but he can just sneak out. No rough measures are necessary. Rather, this can be called an interesting situation.
Yugis Necrat utilized Gallan's unit.
He sent light cavalry here and there to bring back reports.
By synthesizing the reports, the full picture of the enemy becomes visible. Something surprising became clear.
Yugis wanted to diagnose the situation with his own eyes. Approaching a point where he could look down upon the enemy's left wing, he couldn't help but groan. Dismounting, he entrusted the reins to Dash and sat down on the spot, lost in thought.
There are no light cavalry in the enemy's formation.
The enemy's cavalry are all heavily armed.
The Kosa army intends to charge in with heavy cavalry.