episode_0039

“Ugh….”

Struggling to lift my eyelids, I couldn’t see anything in the darkness. Has my vision not recovered yet? And my body keeps shaking.

“Oh, it’s night.”

It was late afternoon when we fought the monster, but it wasn’t so dark. The time it takes to recover varies. It might depend on the severity of the injuries.

“Captain, are you awake? Oh, you slept at Valtigrask and now again. Have you been possessed by a sleep demon?”

I rolled my eyes for a moment to assess the situation as Kilian spoke. I was tied up like a pack animal. Horses were running hard in the darkness, which my eyes had somewhat adjusted to. Looks like we escaped from Sangmarg safely.

“A sudden golden beam fell in the alley, and I thought you were fighting the monster again. When I went ahead, the commander stopped me. He’s undergoing treatment. By the way, what’s that golden magic? His arm seemed to be on the verge of amputation, but now it’s fine. We’ve never heard of such a thing in the Guards. Captain, don’t you want to inform the Magic Corps for full reinforcement?”

Kilian’s waterfall of words made me want to block my ears like a machine gun, but I couldn’t because I was tied up. However, after hearing his chatter, I had enough to understand how the situation had unfolded. Cler had somehow managed to stop it. Ah, and I also found out that when resurrecting, it’s not a quiet revival, but rather a noisy one.

“Where are we now?”

“You’ve been hanging off the horse’s rear for hours. Are you okay inside? Oh, you’re definitely not ordinary. We’re almost at Delphine River. We’ve been riding for over four hours since leaving Sangmarg.”

If we’re near the Delphine River, the Delphine Legion will be there too. Even if it’s not the Legion headquarters, there will be infantry units deployed throughout the western part of the Delphine River. I couldn’t afford to show such a sorry sight.

“Kilian! Let me down. My horse?”

“Ah, that’s not possible. The Supreme Commander has given strict orders for us to maintain absolute stability until we reach the Delpine River.”

“What kind of stability can there be on this swaying horse?”

He hadn’t noticed it when he was sleeping like the dead, but now that he was awake, the continuous swaying of his body in the wind was making him feel queasy. Memories of seasickness on the deck of La Francia came flooding back.

“Well, we can’t stop now, Lieutenant. We’ve come all the way to the Delpine River, so please endure a little longer.”

He felt like he might be able to wriggle out of this humiliating position somehow, but the probability of falling off and dying again was high. There was no other choice. Pretending to sleep might make it a little less embarrassing.

Was there talk about the reorganization of the Delpine Legion at the strategic meeting he attended at the Army Headquarters in Paris? There seemed to be a similar story. If so, then the combat strength of the legion might not be as high as he had thought. They didn’t know if the enemy would launch a surprise attack from behind like collapsing a sandcastle. It must not be faster than the Royal Messenger conveying the news.

The Delpine Legion did not represent all the military might of the Kingdom of Francia, but it did hold a considerable portion. Excluding the Mado Infantry, they still relied on conscription, so even though they had maintained the era of line infantry for 300 years, their total forces were not that great. If the legion were to collapse in the upcoming enemy assault, a significant military vacuum would be inevitable for the future recapture of Saint Marg. Then the recapture of Saint Marg might be delayed by several months or even years.

“Raise the Lily Banner high!”

Claire’s voice came from the front. He pretended to open his eyes slightly. Seeing the moonlight and the scent of water reflecting on the river, he realized they had indeed reached the river. He had given the order to raise the unit flag high to signal the Francian army stationed across the river. It might not be very visible at night, but it was better than nothing. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be hit by friendly fire.

“Whoa, whoa. Lieutenant. We’ve arrived.”

Kilian quickly untied me as soon as the horse stopped and let me get off. “Child, you’re still quick-witted.” As soon as I was untied from the rope, he loosened my stiffened body. It had felt strange ever since I had been resurrected, not quite like my own body. Clenching and unclenching my fist, I looked towards the Delphine River. On the other side of the river, where the Royal Guard and the Intelligence Corps had stopped, there was a large stone bridge, much like the Delphine River with its many legs.

Major Max, the B Company commander, B Company soldiers, and Claire were slowly crossing the bridge with their baggage. It was certainly a much safer method than the cavalry crossing the bridge suddenly. At least it would be clear to the infantry division on the opposite side that they were not the enemy.

As I gazed at the gently flowing river, news came that we could cross from the other side. I mounted the horse brought by Wigo and took the lead of our group. Since Claire and Max had already crossed to the other side, I was the best candidate among those remaining.

Fortunately, without showing my pitiful appearance to the unsuspecting infantrymen, I crossed the bridge while still on horseback.

Before we had fully crossed the river, the campsite of the unit became visible. It seemed no larger than a single infantry division. Had I only experienced one battle at the Delphine River? It seemed natural to think that there would be steady small-scale skirmishes.

After crossing the bridge, Claire, who had arrived first, spotted me and smiled brightly. She was the only person who knew my secret. It was a relief to share at least some of my secrets with her.

“Marianne, really, truly.”

It wouldn’t have been easy for her to believe that I had come back to life. She must have been anxious until she saw me moving around normally, despite following the instructions I had left behind.

“What did I say? I told you a good night’s sleep makes everything better, didn’t I?”

There were ears listening nearby, so I answered vaguely. She leaned on my arm, precisely where the chestnut’s claw had pierced. As if there had never been such a wound, she admired my unblemished skin.

“Stop leaning on it. It hurts.”

“Oh, sorry. Well then, Lieutenant Marianne. While I’m away, you’ll have to lead the Royal Guard.”

“What? Where are you going?”

“The division headquarters aren’t far from here. With B Company, I need to report the scouting information to General Wig and send a rear deployment.”

“We’re going the same way anyway. During the Saint Margot recapture operation, the Royal Guard will be the main force. Why split up?”

Clare interrupted me with a nod.

“You see, the number of units guarding this area is too small. I spoke with the unit commander here, and they said the scale has decreased significantly since the army was redeployed from the fortress a few days ago.”

“It’s true that the scale is smaller, but…”

“If you wait a little longer, a large-scale offensive will begin from the rear with significant forces. Then we regroup at the division headquarters. Understand?”

Having already made her decision, Clare entered the infantry division command tent. It felt uneasy being separated from Clare, perhaps due to memories of being captured by Sasha last time. As I absentmindedly gazed at the command tent, Max, who was holding the unit flag, handed it to me.

“Take it.”

“Am I becoming the standard-bearer?”

“It means handle it as you did with the new members in C Company. Don’t lose it.”

Why state the obvious now? I planted the sturdy flag into the ground. The newly bestowed Lily Banner from His Majesty looked splendid. It might have slightly changed color in some spots while stored in a corner of La Franquia, but overall, it was in good condition.

“Well then, Lieutenant Max, please take good care of Captain Clare.”

“I’m not capable of protecting a battalion commander.”

“…That’s also true.”

The remaining Royal Mado Unit here had already unpacked, and the non-commissioned officers and junior officers of the infantry division guided them to the empty tents. In contrast, the soldiers of B Company were getting off their horses and stretching to relieve their fatigue.

“Like the company commander said, the skills of the Royal Mado Unit Commander are remarkable. He faced three villains alone.”

Jeremy said with a grin. I don’t know why this guy, who didn’t even talk to me properly, suddenly showed such kindness. Is it because we can return to the intelligence agency soon?

“Will the intelligence agency be returning together?”

“Oh, yes. We are going too. We will go to the intelligence agency after going to the headquarters. There is a place for the intelligence agency to go after that. There is a lot of harvest in this mission.”

He tapped the glass bottle in his pouch. The ointments inside were clearly visible from the outside. If it were a cliché, those ointments would cause chaos when leaked in a big city, but that’s not likely. They are just unpleasant ointments wriggling around. There was nothing unusual about touching them.

Shortly after, Claire, who came out of the command tent, nodded at me and the Lily spear stuck in the ground. It seemed closer to meaning… trust.

“Move to the headquarters! Jeremy, please follow along!”

I sighed deeply as I watched Claire and her group leave. I pulled out the Lily spear stuck in the ground and neatly rolled up the flag on the flagpole. C Company, excluding me, had four members; D Company had three members; E Company had four members; F Company had five members. Sixteen in total. It was practically the size of a Mado Infantry Company. I barely managed to lead the company, but I quickly brushed away any doubts. I would manage somehow when the situation arose.

I held the Lily spear and followed the guidance of the junior officer into my personal tent.

“The military uniforms for Mado Infantry are provided inside.”

Ah, I was still wearing a torn and tattered military uniform covered in blood. Fortunately, there were no embarrassing parts showing, but it was an embarrassing sight. It seemed almost the same as being tied to a saddle.

“Of course, you should change into your uniform right away, right?”

Wearing a clean military uniform without washing it is as good as committing a crime. It was late at night, but since the Royal Mado Unit had just arrived, there probably wouldn’t be anyone sleeping yet. It should be fine to go to the corner of the Delphine River and wash up for a moment. If something happens, the Mado Unit might be able to respond immediately. I packed a clean military uniform and soft underwear and headed straight to my personal tent.