Ch.146War and the Vermilion Bird #2

“To unite our intentions means that we must eventually face each other.

Helen, the newly appointed village chief of Oberon, announced the start of the grand council with these words. Afterward, as if they had been waiting for this moment, various village chiefs raised their hands and expressed their thoughts.

“It’s natural to be reluctant to step into another country’s war.”

“While that is certainly true, the situation is too dire to navigate by conventional means alone. They speak of continental unification, don’t they? That means we elves cannot remain safe either.”

“Whether we wanted it or not, we owe a debt to the Duke. In such circumstances, wouldn’t it be difficult for us to turn away first?”

To be caught up in such a troublesome matter so soon after becoming village chief.

Helen surveyed the other new village chiefs in similar positions and sighed softly.

By elven standards with their long lives, even a few years was considered brief, so it felt as though a major incident had occurred immediately after becoming village chief.

“But you know…”

Helen, who had kept silent while the conversation progressed for quite some time, opened her mouth, drawing the attention of the village chiefs.

She had realized after quietly listening to their discussions that there was no need to get overly heated.

“Come to think of it… doesn’t the Duke’s side have that dark elf who received the inheritance?”

“…Ah.”

.

“…And so, the elves have decided to support the kingdom. More precisely, to aid the duchy, but anyway.”

Helen, who came as a special envoy representing the elves, said this while respectfully bowing her head before me.

Was it easier to bow her head because only the usual people were in the office, or had bowing become a habit?

I wasn’t sure, but I could clearly see that the conclusion reached at the grandly initiated council was rather anticlimactic.

“I see. Thank you for extending your hand from the elven side, especially without being asked for help.”

To this, Helena expressed her gratitude as the Duchess.

More troops were always welcome, and those with special abilities like the elves were particularly appreciated.

There was concern about whether they would follow orders on the battlefield, but since they had volunteered to help, they would probably comply to some extent.

Looking at it that way, it seemed beneficial in many respects.

“I believe it’s a natural conclusion since this isn’t simply about the kingdom’s survival. Personally, I think it’s the right choice.”

“The right choice, you say. Does that mean you find us that appealing?”

“That’s… difficult to express, so I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

Helen blushed as if embarrassed and avoided answering.

I had thought she would be as cunning as Eileen since she was appointed village chief after her, but she seemed quite awkward with people.

Almost to the point where one might think she would be easy to handle.

“Ahem. In any case, should war break out, we wish to work under the duchy’s command. While helping the duchy means helping the kingdom, we would appreciate it if you could make it clear to the King so he doesn’t misunderstand.”

“I understand your meaning perfectly.”

It meant that while they would help the duchy, they had no intention of following orders from the kingdom or its nobles.

Helena seemed to understand this point as she nodded without further comment.

If Helena had been someone overflowing with loyalty to the state, she would have shown discomfort or anger.

“Thank you. With that, my business is concluded… I’ll take my leave now.”

With those final words, Helen left the reception room, and we immediately began preparing for what was to come.

A bit later than the Empire, we started gathering war supplies including food and medicine, and intensified training.

“Normally in such cases, there would be a frontal battle… but could they divert troops to the rear for a surprise attack?”

“They would need to break through the border for that, which would expose their troop movements and fail. And if they move secretly, they’d have to reduce their numbers, making it meaningless.”

Amidst all this, we spread out maps and discussed strategies, and I dispelled my worries while listening to Helena’s explanations.

Though not so chaotic that I couldn’t focus on other tasks, my heart felt heavy.

“By the way, I’m wondering if I should take the magic battalion this time. Originally, Zion created this unit to defend our territory, but this war is, broadly speaking, a defense of our territory too.”

I watched Helena hesitantly speak, inwardly smiling.

She looked quite adorable, appearing intimidated as if she had done something wrong, despite making a perfectly reasonable point.

Perhaps it was because the unit was conceived and created with my approval, but still felt like my idea.

“You’re right. Broadly speaking, it is about protecting our territory, so using the magic battalion makes sense.”

“Right? Then I’ll let Ive know.”

Helena visibly exhaled and placed a hand on her chest in relief, then sent someone to summon Ive to the office.

Since we all stayed in the same mansion, it naturally didn’t take long for her to arrive.

Upon hearing the news from Helena, Ive’s eyes sparkled as if she had been waiting for this, and she expressed her willingness to help.

Though her eyes sparkled, it wasn’t with anticipation but rather with a sharp gaze that sought to remove obstacles.

—In the name of the great Emperor Helios, we demand the surrender of the Sothern Kingdom.

After spending several tense months with everyone doing what they could, the Empire finally declared war.

While a surprise attack without declaration would normally be more effective and shocking, it didn’t align with this continent’s customs.

Of course, the concept of surprise attacks existed, but the rule was that large-scale wars must be preceded by a declaration of war.

Though merely a custom, it was practically international law on this continent.

Surprise attacks came afterward.

If one broke this rule and prioritized efficiency with a surprise attack, they would be treated as bandits and face corresponding criticism.

This was essentially equivalent to losing legitimacy.

Even in the current situation, which was far from legitimate, one might think such formalities unnecessary, but ignoring them would mean facing endless flames of resistance.

That would be a very irritating situation for an emperor contemplating continental unification.

In other words, even in a one-sided war of aggression, maintaining the formality of a declaration of war would minimize resistance.

When news of the war spread, everyone murmured anxiously, but it wasn’t as severe as expected.

There was some disorder, but order was largely maintained.

Perhaps because rumors of potential war had been circulating for some time.

“The Empire’s ambition to conquer the continent cannot be stronger than our desire to protect our homeland! Therefore, we shall repel their invasion and preserve the peace of the kingdom!”

Helena stood at the head of tens of thousands of soldiers outside the outer walls, delivering a speech in a loud voice.

She used a different tone than usual, shouting before such a large army.

It seemed she deliberately adopted a stronger manner of speaking to boost morale.

Whether it was truly effective or not was hard to tell, but seeing the soldiers shouting with all their might was somewhat reassuring.

.

The attacking side had to push in from the border and couldn’t suddenly appear within the kingdom.

This was natural, given the absence of transport means like fighter aircraft.

Therefore, the Empire had to pass through Count Solont’s domain, which bordered their territory.

It was a domain established on a plain that cut through the middle of a long mountain range that naturally drew a line.

“Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”

As we entered Count Solont’s domain, the King, who had arrived at the Count’s mansion ahead of us, came out smiling to greet Helena and me.

It had taken time to gather the royalist nobles before coming to the Count’s domain, but it seemed we weren’t the last to arrive.

“Your Majesty? I didn’t expect you to be here so early…”

Helena, clad in black armor made from monster hide, muttered in surprise.

She probably hadn’t imagined that the King, who might have been expected to arrive last with pomp, would be the first to arrive.

However, this conclusion was based solely on her outward reaction. In truth, she already knew the King had arrived.

We had heard rumors of the King’s presence shortly after entering the Count’s domain.

Still, there seemed to be a reason why he hadn’t sent word of his early departure.

“With the survival of our kingdom at stake, how could I be lazy? It’s only natural that I, inadequate as I am, should hurry here.”

“Inadequate? Not at all. No wonder the people and soldiers’ morale was so high; this was the reason.”

“Haha! I’m at a loss for words when the Duchess holds me in such high regard.”

The two exchanged pleasantries before discussing opinions on the current situation.

From what we saw on our way, the Imperial army hadn’t arrived yet, but they would clearly reach visible range soon.

“By the way, what about your soldiers?”

“We’ve set up a military camp outside the castle. Considering that reinforcements will join us, I thought it best to secure positions in advance.

If we brought all the troops inside this Count’s domain, it would be too cramped.”

While Count Solont’s domain was built on a vast plain, its walls didn’t encompass the entire perimeter.

There was naturally a limit to how many people could be accommodated inside.

Moreover, the King’s direct knights and soldiers had already entered, and the remaining space was reserved for the nobles’ troops.

In effect, there was already no room to spare.

“Normally, someone in the position of Commander-in-Chief might act differently… but you are truly remarkable, Duchess.”

“You flatter me. I simply lack the skill to command many troops, and find it more suitable to be on the front lines.”

“Hmm… that’s true. Moreover, as a Master, you cannot help but take the lead in this situation.”

“Indeed. They also have a Master holding their line.”

Helena nodded, implicitly referring to the bearded man who symbolized the Empire, Count Helix.

He too was a Master, and with more life experience than Helena, so they couldn’t afford to be careless.

The King, also knowing him well, fell silent with a sigh before muttering with a shadowed face.

“By the way, have you heard? Their army numbers 500,000. In contrast, our kingdom’s forces are 200,000.”

“Yes, I’ve heard. They say that traditionally, besiegers should outnumber defenders three to one. From that perspective, we might have a slight advantage, but not all our forces are inside the castle.”

“Can we win?”

Can we win? I would naturally answer that I don’t know, and I expected Helena, given her character, to give a similarly modest response.

She typically lacked confidence and often gave humble answers.

However, her response and expression were unsettling.

Her face was cold, sharp, and dark, like when she looked at Agnes or Holly who had laid hands on me.

“I can’t guarantee victory. But… I will definitely kill them.”

Not win, but kill.

That single statement revealed the extent of anger Helena had accumulated.

The King, knowing this, broke into an awkward smile while sweating.

It was such a forced smile that it was pitiful.

“Haha…! ‘Kill them,’ you say. Your strong words reassure me, Duchess. I hope you can do just that.”

“Yes. I will ensure they pay the price for disrupting peace.”

Definitely.