Ch.153War and the Vermilion Bird #9

“Is that true?”

As the sun set and the bright yellow moon became distinct, I entered the castle’s meeting room alone to discuss the plan for tomorrow. Since it was just a report, there was no need for Helena to come along.

The king and two dukes, seated in the meeting room chairs, were surprised to hear the results achieved through the hard work of Eve and the elves.

“Yes. By tomorrow, we should be able to bring the Imperial Army to its knees. We won’t be able to completely eliminate them, but wouldn’t it be better if less blood is shed?”

“Of course. Not all of them would have wanted this war. Moreover, if we can end the war quickly, what more could we ask for?”

The king nodded readily and gave permission to proceed as planned.

I could have skipped the report entirely, citing the need for speed and secrecy, but this was done to save the king’s face.

Additionally, I thought it would be good to inform the two dukes and coordinate with them.

If allies became confused by the actions of their own side, things could get complicated in many ways.

“My, I’m almost jealous of the great achievements of the Grand Duke and Duchess.”

After the report ended.

Luke, walking alongside me on the castle wall, said with a slight smile.

Duke Caliwood had long since departed for his own barracks.

Because of this, an extremely awkward and uncomfortable feeling churned inside me.

I tried hard to hide it, putting on an outwardly troubled expression as I replied.

“Jealous? Not at all. It’s thanks to you defending so well against enemy attacks that we’ve been able to move freely.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. It’s because the castle stands firm that my attacks and Duke Caliwood’s are effective. If the castle had fallen like paper, we wouldn’t have lasted this long.”

Though there was a hint of flattery, every word I spoke was sincere.

Luke’s defense of the castle, while not particularly flashy, was extremely important.

Whatever we tried to do required a solid foundation; without it, things would certainly be chaotic.

Fortunately, Luke seemed to recognize my sincerity, as his smile softened.

“Hearing you say that makes me feel better, Grand Duke.”

“It’s simply the truth. Besides, neither Helena nor I seek praise for our accomplishments. We only wish for the war to end quickly. Though His Majesty might be upset to hear it…”

“You haven’t changed. Wishing only for days without war.”

Thanks to my successful flattery, I was able to finish our conversation in a fairly pleasant atmosphere and return safely to the barracks.

It was fortunate, as I didn’t want to leave any uncomfortable aftertaste.

As soon as I arrived at the barracks, Helena and I headed toward Eve’s quarters.

Since we planned to attack early in the morning, we needed to review the operation now.

“As you all know, we plan to engage in a full-scale battle tomorrow. Of course, it’s just for show, but I’m telling you again so you won’t be caught off guard.”

I began, scanning the faces of Ellen, several members of the magic battalion, and a few elven village chiefs who had been summoned in advance through messengers.

Normally Helena would have taken the lead, but since I was the one who devised the plan, this was the conclusion.

“According to the plan, the Crown Prince’s forces will pretend to face us, while we raid their main camp and kidnap the Emperor. Village chiefs, please each take one of the plates engraved with magic circles. Did you bring enough people?”

“Yes. As you instructed, we brought plenty, so don’t worry.”

A young male elf with light green hair nodded reassuringly.

Though he appeared to be a beautiful young man on the outside, he was actually old enough to be a village chief.

Even knowing that elves were like this, it was sometimes surprising.

“Good. The elven army should activate the magic circles engraved on the plates at the signal tomorrow, and also raise winds to spread them far. It will require a lot of power to maintain continuously on a large scale. Please distribute your breathing well so the flow doesn’t break.”

“Of course we will.”

“Thank you. After that, the magic battalion hidden in the mountains will move in to kidnap the Emperor. It would be much easier and more satisfying to behead him, but we’ve decided against killing him to avoid future friction, so please be careful about that.”

Everyone except Helena and me responded briefly and firmly, then quickly left the barracks following the dismissal order.

This made the previously bustling barracks feel completely empty.

“It’s frustrating that the one who started the war can’t even be angry after losing… how absurd.”

After a moment of awkward silence in the empty barracks, Helena, who remained with me, muttered with a sigh.

Clearly, she wasn’t pleased with the situation of having to accommodate the Empire when they were the ones who had provoked the conflict.

“I feel the same way… but I think it’s better for them to deal with their foolish Emperor on their own. If there’s going to be chaos, it should end within the Empire; I don’t want to see the sparks fly over here again.”

“I’m already unhappy with how long this empty time has been…”

Helena lamented while gently stroking her lower abdomen, protected by leather armor.

Understanding what she meant by “emptiness,” a bitter smile formed on my lips without me realizing it.

“Others would be surprised if they saw this. They wouldn’t have known Helena was such a passionate woman.”

“I’m not like this in front of others. It’s embarrassing. But… if this empty time continues much longer, I might really become like that.”

“…Then we should end this quickly. I want to be the only one to see that side of you.”

I revealed a subtle possessiveness as I wrapped my arm around Helena’s waist.

Even with armor on, her waist was still slender, fitting perfectly in my embrace.

Helena seemed pleased by this, smiling with narrowed eyes.

“Grand Duke. I’ve distributed all the purification magic circles to the battalion…”

Eve’s voice, entering with a report, changed the pleasant atmosphere.

Realizing what she had interrupted, she wore an extremely apologetic expression, not knowing what to do.

Normally in such situations, one might react with disbelief or slight irritation, but… Eve looked too pitiful for that.

Moreover, I hadn’t intended to do anything further, which made the situation even more sad.

“Thank you. You’ve really worked hard all this time.”

I carefully approached Eve, who stood at the entrance of the barracks, and gently embraced her, stroking her head.

Although the war wasn’t over yet and I couldn’t completely relax, it seemed alright to take a breather for now.

At least Eve deserved that much.

“Ah, um… thank… you.”

With the barracks entrance covered, ensuring no one could see, Eve boldly buried her face in my chest.

Though the armor between us might not have been entirely satisfactory, she seemed content for now.

Helena, knowing how hard Eve had worked, didn’t seem particularly upset that I was embracing Eve or that she had interrupted our moment.

“I don’t know if these words will comfort you… but let’s hang in there a little longer. Don’t let your guard down.”

“…Yes.”

While comforting Eve for her hard work, I firmly decided that I should give her a proper reward when we returned home.

It was only right, considering how hard she had worked and her agreement to participate in tomorrow’s battle.

.

“…Understood. I will convey both of your intentions to His Highness the Crown Prince without omission. Don’t worry.”

At a time when everyone except the sentries was asleep,

I sighed briefly as I sent off the contact from Baron Anderson whom I had met a few days ago.

It was only about two hours until dawn, an awkward time to try to sleep.

Moreover, I wasn’t skilled enough to fall asleep in the middle of the mountains, and it was too cold anyway.

I could only lean against a tree and wait for the time to come.

“Are you sure the battalion alone will be enough?”

As I was resting with my eyes closed to minimize fatigue, Orcus approached, speaking in a low voice.

It was to avoid being detected by any enemy soldiers who might be nearby.

For a moment, I wondered if we really needed to lower our voices, but then I opened my eyes, realizing I had been too complacent.

It was only natural to be cautious, being so close to the Imperial army.

“Yes. It will be fine.”

“I know the operation details and heard everything from the commander… but I’m still uneasy about whether this ‘siess’ thing will really work.”

“Ah. Were you elsewhere during the experiment, Orcus? Then it’s understandable that you’re worried.”

Since only a few members of the battalion had participated in the experiment to verify that the magic circles worked properly, it made sense.

I nodded in understanding and answered firmly to instill confidence.

“Don’t worry. We’ve already confirmed through experiments that the magic circles work properly and that their effects are as expected.”

“Hmm… I believe you when you say it like that, Grand Duke, but I still feel uneasy. Will people really not be able to see in front of them just because we spread smoke from this distance?”

“Well, if you’re really skeptical, would you like to try entering without the purification magic circle you’re carrying? Once you taste it, you’ll be greatly impressed by its spiciness that you’ll never forget…”

“A-ahem. There’s no need for that, is there?”

Orcus scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, then left after telling me to take care.

When it came to testing it on himself, he seemed anxious. Wise of him.

After he left, only quiet silence flowed around, making it seem like even shallow breathing could be heard.

If I could hear this much, Helena and the elves with their much sharper ears must hear even more.

Anyway, thanks to that, I was able to rest quite comfortably with my eyes closed.

Occasionally I heard small insects rustling, but not enough to be bothersome.

In the past, I would have been on edge due to my dislike of insects, but I realized how much tougher I had become.

“Grand Duke. The camps are moving. Both sides are preparing to deploy their forces.”

As sunlight began to penetrate between my heavy eyelids, Ellen’s deep voice reached me.

Despite being seasoned in warfare, she still seemed tense.

Mmm.

I slowly stretched my stiff body and carefully got up.

Even though I had leaned against a sturdy tree, we were on a sloped mountainside.

“Is that so? We should start preparing then. Where’s Helena?”

“She’s already given orders to the elven army and completed the deployment. They’re probably preparing on the opposite mountain range as well.”

“She’s so diligent.”

If Helena had given the orders and the situation was as described, it meant we needed to move soon.

Knowing this well, I checked if I had missed anything while sleeping.

Afterward, I circulated mana throughout my body to shake off stiffness and fatigue as much as possible.

As a result, my mind was very clear, and I could feel my nerves on edge, my eyes sparkling noticeably even to myself.

—Waaah!

As I was passing time like this, a roar loud enough to make the ground vibrate tickled my ears.

Even without Ellen’s report, it was clear that battle had broken out.

“Orange flag. Fortunately, it seems the army led by the Crown Prince has come out as planned.”

“That’s good news.”

Hearing Ellen’s relay, I fully rose and headed toward the front where Helena would be.

Actually, saying I “walked” was somewhat inaccurate since I was jumping between trees.

“Good timing. They’ll clash soon, so let’s start moving.”

As soon as I approached, Helena’s eyes sparkled as she raised her hand high.

It was a signal indicating that it was time to use Eve’s magic, which had turned my vague explanation into reality.

The elven soldiers, knowing this, silently took out wooden plates engraved with magic circles from their clothes and placed them on the ground.

Those who placed the magic circles infused them with mana to maintain the magic, while those behind them prepared to spread the spicy fog using wind magic.

Swish.

As the sound of weapons clashing began, Helena lowered her arm, and the elven army placed their hands on the magic circles as if they had been waiting for this moment.

As a result, a faint blue light emanated from the magic circles, and a whitish smoke rapidly grew and expanded.

“All battalion members, use the purification magic circles. Elven army, raise the winds.”

At Helena’s command, the entire magic battalion, including myself, used the purification magic circles we had been carrying.

Since we didn’t have the time or knowledge to make gas masks, this was the substitute.

However, it was more useful and comfortable than gas masks.

It wasn’t stuffy, didn’t make the head heavy, and didn’t narrow the field of vision.

The smoke, carried by the winds raised by the elves, flowed smoothly down the mountain range and began to engulf the Imperial army’s camp.

Moreover, the same thing was happening from the opposite mountain range, making the process very fast.

“We will charge. All forces, forward.”

By the time the fog had half-engulfed the Imperial camp,

Helena’s cold voice resonated heavily.