episode_0025

The incident, misunderstood as espionage, was smoothly resolved with Claire’s intervention. Despite being identified as a mage unit under the Delphine Corps, Princess Rene’s expression remained dull, saying, “Yeah, I’ve heard plenty of excuses like that.” It wasn’t until Claire, who had a prior acquaintance with the princess, mediated that my identity was properly confirmed.

“Is it normal for the princess to be so suspicious?”

“She’s royalty. Suspicion is their fate for survival.”

“You mentioned smelling the scent of the homeland from me.”

When the mage unit first arrived at the palace, the place where food was served wasn’t a room they mistook for their assigned quarters; it was a makeshift dining area.

It was a form of consideration unique to the palace. They filled everyone’s stomachs first, then assigned individual rooms to the members of the unit. Given the considerable size of the palace, there were always plenty of spare rooms.

The rooms were equipped with sturdy mage infantry uniforms, and each had a private bathroom. Only after cleaning up and changing into new uniforms were we given the unspoken order that it was time to start moving around the palace.

There were incidents where Emma boldly questioned why we should listen to such orders, but Mia retorted, “Don’t forget, even the palace servants here are nobles,” which quieted things down, though it wasn’t crucial.

Now, I stood in front of the army headquarters’ conference room with Claire.

“Marianne, soon you’ll be presenting in front of the decision-makers of the Frankia Kingdom’s army. Aren’t you nervous at all? Finish telling Princess Rene’s story here.”

I brought it up awkwardly, as there was silence while we coughed once before entering the conference room and straightened our attire, but Claire took it in stride.

“Hmm. Let’s go in, Lieutenant Claire.”

As the door opened, the gazes of dozens of people poured onto us and Claire. A large rectangular table sat in the center of the conference room, flanked by several division-level commanders of the army, army staff officers, and a few naval officers dressed in naval uniforms. Those not seated at the table engaged in intense discussions around the room, resembling more of a debating chamber than a military staff organization.

“Ah, you’ve arrived. Montuahr Youngae.”

“I am Claire Montuahr, Major General of the Army, sir.”

The elderly man sitting at the head of the table acknowledged Claire first with a familiar nod. She seemed to be on good terms with the person referred to as the Army Staff, who was also known as such. On the battlefield, she was a soldier like me, but in the capital, many recognized her as the daughter of a prestigious family. From the Etu Palace to the Army Headquarters, there were more than a few people who tried to exchange greetings with her during that short moment.

“And next to her… the recently renowned maiden of Delfine, also known as Marianne.”

Another new nickname had emerged. Rumors tend to inflate when spread, but this one was overly grandiose. Furthermore, it was even more burdensome when the highest-ranking officer of the Army personally called out the nickname.

Even if I didn’t know much about the Montuahr family, I knew the name of the Army Staff. It was a name I heard every day at the Madobyeong Training Academy.

“Albert Jupé, Army Staff. It’s an honor to meet you.”

First impressions are important to those above. I may have ruined my first impression with Princess Renée, but I couldn’t afford to ruin it with the top officer of the organization I belonged to.

“Haha, it’s rather an honor for this old man to meet the maiden.”

The Army Staff chuckled like a kind old man and gestured for us to take our seats at the empty spaces at the central table. There were only two junior officers of the rank below in this conference room filled with high-ranking individuals. Yet, as I took the seat that drew the most attention, it felt like I was being bombarded with acid pouring out.

As we sat down, the “strategy meeting” began immediately. No, perhaps much of what we had been discussing before entering this conference room was already part of the strategy meeting, as many aspects seemed to have been sorted out.

[Concentrated defense on cities along the river, capital defense, repositioning of the Delphine Legion, mobilization of reserve forces, and the somewhat hasty naming of monsters. In the place where decisions regarding these strategic units were made, the commanding officers who only led companies and platoons had little to do. Yet the reason for their attendance here was that senior officers who rarely went to the front lines wanted to hear the voices from the field.]

[What we are facing now is not an ordinary human army. It’s a situation where we have to face monsters unlike anything we’ve encountered before. While the majority of the senior officers in this conference room have risen through the ranks from junior officers, they still couldn’t know how soldiers fare against these fiends on the battlefield.]

“Then, Marian, you’re up.”

Finally, my turn has come. I took a deep breath and rose from my seat. I wasn’t particularly tense outside the conference room door, but once I stood up, it was inevitable. Then I heard Clere whispering softly, telling me not to be nervous. The army staff threw out the topic.

“How is it on the front line? Can the infantry handle them well?”

“The small-sized spiders can be managed as long as a solid formation is maintained. However, when it comes to those of the same size attacking from the sky, it’s nearly impossible to deal with. Considering the rapid annihilation of the infantry division at Saint Marg, it’s… ”

“Even dealing with those spiders requires that their numbers be few.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

If it had been possible to confront them with sturdy defenses and formations, the Saint Marg defense force wouldn’t have been wiped out so quickly. Instead, due to their relatively small size, sabers and bayonets, favored by Clere, were far more useful than muskets.

“According to the Delphine River battle report, the frontline infantry did make some contributions against the medium-sized merfolk?”

“The enemy’s size being similar to humans resulted in many accurate shots, and since the common weakness of fiends, which is their head, was particularly large in the case of the merfolk, it was feasible.”

“In this case, muskets have many limitations… Marian, you may present your opinion.”

The memories of the Pike Battalion, which fought alongside the Mage Infantry in the Battle of Saint Marge, came to mind. Out of 400 soldiers, only a handful survived. There was a vivid recollection of their effectiveness against medium-sized creatures.

“The Pike Battalion, attached to the Reserve Infantry Division, unexpectedly proved to be helpful. Using pikes to pin down medium-sized creatures allowed the infantry or mages to take them out from a distance.”

“Pike Battalion, should we revive ancient tactics? We need to reassess our stock of cold weapons in the military. Proceed.”

“Furthermore, these creatures have an aversion to fire. It’s uncertain if they fear it, but that’s not confirmed yet. Also, we received information that the creatures, resembling the werewolves encountered in Grand Biere, can mimic human faces and voices. Additionally, we’ve been advised to incinerate areas where the creatures have been destroyed, as well as the unholy boxes in Saint Marge and the Black Forest. Our artillery can make a significant impact.”

“And finally,”

“The necessity of cavalry.”

“Aren’t we already using cavalry effectively?”

“Among the medium-sized creatures we’ve encountered, except for the merfolk, all others can penetrate the defensive spells of the mage infantry. Conversely, the creatures’ exoskeletons are tough, and only pikes are effective against them.”

Alternatively, risking the lives of Pike soldiers with their thrusts. While musket rounds may carry more kinetic energy, for some reason, pikes were more effective when thrust into heat. It was a viable method, except for the fact that the creatures didn’t die from such attacks. This led to the idea of utilizing cavalry.

Pike soldiers cannot retreat from the creatures. Succeeding with a single thrust meant survival; otherwise, it meant death. Success required coordinated efforts among the surrounding Pike soldiers, culminating in the need for a final shot from a musket or pike.

However, this leads to excessive consumption of pike infantry. Even if the magic infantry assists, their numbers are too few, and fundamentally, the enemy’s attack isn’t something that even the magic infantry can withstand.

Then why not just let it miss? That’s what I thought. What was needed was a cavalry using a cavalry spear much longer than the current one in use. A unit that plays a role similar to the pike infantry but with the opportunity for a retry if the attack fails.

Having heard my explanation, Albert, a staff officer in the army, nodded. Just because he nodded doesn’t mean I’ll be immediately placed on the front lines. I would have to go through another internal meeting of the staff officers. But for now, I’ve expressed all the opinions I want to raise.

“…That’s all.”

“Hmm. Well said, So-Wee. Next, Lieutenant Claire?”

“Yes. I want to discuss the operation of small-scale units…”

“Lieutenant Marianne was so passionate that she took up too much time. You’re aware there’s a banquet hosted by His Majesty the King tonight, aren’t you, Lieutenant Claire. Keep it brief.”

A palace banquet? Wearing fancy dresses and dancing refined dances? My image of banquets was a negative one, associated with luxury and indulgence, shaped by media from my previous life. It was natural since I hadn’t experienced it in this world.

But the fact that it was happening during a national emergency was not a pleasant picture. Unlike me, who couldn’t hide my surprise, Claire seemed calm, as if she already knew.

Wait, does that mean I have to wear a dress too? I’ve never worn a skirt before. Growing up in an orphanage, I never even tried on a skirt. Besides, skirts weren’t common attire in the orphanage. And then I enlisted, so naturally, I never had the chance to wear a skirt.

“Well then, I’ll keep it brief. It’s a banquet hosted by His Majesty, so we can’t skimp on the preparations.”

I met Claire’s eyes. It was a sinister smile. I swallowed hard. Yes, my profession is a soldier, so I just need to attend in this uniform I’m wearing, right? I absolutely have no intention of wearing a dress.