Declaration

The second day’s night arrived. Unlike the tense first night, a somewhat relaxed atmosphere permeated the encampment.

The central campfire emitted a gentle warmth, and the guards heading out for their shift moved towards the outskirts, lightly armed.

Some of the soldiers who had been playing cards rubbed their sleepy eyes and headed to bed.

Yohan’s plan to pay off his debts with the money he won from the card game ended with his debt doubling.

As a result, Yohan’s creditors became everyone in the Cavalry except for the Cavalry Commander and the deputy commander.

As the goddess of sleep sprinkled her breath upon the world, only the sounds of rustling bodies and chirping insects could be heard in the encampment.

A star in the night sky trailed its tail as it slowly rotated, and the next guard woke up with sleepy eyes to relieve the previous one.

“Anything to report?”

The guard asked sleepily.

“The patrol area is smaller than yesterday. You don’t have to go outside the first perimeter.”

The first watch showed a map of the encampment, explaining.

“It’s good that the patrol area is smaller, but is there a special reason?”

“Well, the deputy commander said something about it being an unnecessary deployment of personnel. Here, take this.”

“Anna? That’s unexpected. Anyway, got it. Good work.”

The next guard received the map and moved to his position.

A small slip of paper could be felt beneath the map.

-Chirp chirp

The sound of crickets and the rustling of wind through the leaves could be heard.

The drowsy sentry recalled the card game from earlier.

“That Yohan, he’s already ten silver coins in debt.”

The creditor’s worries deepened as the night deepened, wondering if the debtor would be able to repay the debt diligently.

The thoughts that began with the money Yohan borrowed soon led to thoughts of his own house in the capital.

A small house he barely managed to buy with the money he saved by tightening his belt. It wasn’t big, but it was a precious space he had obtained with his own hands.

“I should change the furniture when I get back. The bed is too uncomfortable.”

Thinking about the new things he would buy, he yawned again.

Just then, he heard the sound of leaves being stepped on behind him.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

The guard asked, surprised by the sudden appearance of someone.

“My stomach hurts… I’m going to go a little further away.”

The comrade said with a pale face, and the guard chuckled.

“Ah, well, there’s nothing you can do about that. Don’t go too far, just far enough that I can hear you if you shout.”

“Okay.”

The comrade clutched his stomach and passed by.

The sentry chuckled at the comrade’s back as he walked away.

“……”

The smiling face of the sentry, who was looking in the direction where the comrade disappeared, suddenly hardened.

He took out the slip of paper he had received under the map again. After rechecking the contents, the sentry looked somewhere and grabbed his earlobe.

Rustle, rustle, someone headed in the direction where the comrade had disappeared, pushing through the grass.

“Be careful, Anna.”

The sentry muttered.

The third day. The last day the Emperor promised was approaching.

“Does my hair look alright?”

The Emperor asked like a young lady attending a social gathering for the first time.

“What could possibly obscure His Majesty’s beauty?”

The knight commander nodded.

The Emperor, who woke up early in the morning, invested a lot of time in primping.

Many people had to suffer to prepare the bathtub and the hot water.

Combing the hair and finding clothes that pleased the Emperor was also a chore.

After a full two hours of primping, the Emperor barely gave a passing grade and set out to meet the Cavalry Commander.

“The Cavalry Commander is approaching!”

An officer at the head of the procession announced.

“Inform the Cavalry Commander of my arrival.”

Boo-ooo- The low sound of the trumpet echoed across the plains.

The footsteps of the retainers shook the earth.

“……..”

At the end of the sound. A man watches the arrival of the ruler of the empire.

The commander leading the Cavalry. Once, the leader of an invincible mercenary group.

As if welcoming a great army, he slowly stepped forward.

He welcomed the shaking of the earth with his whole body.

The Emperor trembled involuntarily at the sight of his steadfast figure.

I want to have that man. I want to keep him under me, crush him.

The Emperor licked his lips without realizing it.

“Stop.”

The knight commander said as the Emperor raised his hand.

The massive human tide stopped instantly.

The Emperor rose with a face like a spring flower.

The retainers carrying the palanquin bent their knees.

The wall created by the soldiers parted. The Emperor walked along the path they had created.

The knight commander followed behind the Emperor.

“……”

The Cavalry Commander’s indifferent gaze turned to the knight commander.

“Pay your respects, Cavalry Commander.”

It was only natural to pay respects to the Emperor of the Empire, the ruler of the continent.

But the Cavalry Commander’s legs did not move.

“It’s alright. Such trivial things are not important between the Cavalry Commander and me.”

Despite such rudeness, the Emperor smiled brightly and approached the Cavalry Commander.

“Cavalry Commander. Did you want to see my face?”

“That is not the case.”

The Cavalry Commander said, meeting the Emperor’s eyes.

“Then what is it?”

The Emperor still wore a smiling face.

But that face did not last long.

“I requested this meeting to tell you one thing.”

“What is it?”

Cracks began to appear on the Emperor’s face.

“Tomorrow. The Cavalry will break through the Empire’s encirclement.”

It was truly an arrogant declaration.

“Dare you defy the Empire? Why?”

The Cavalry Commander nodded as the Emperor asked with a hardened face.

“The Cavalry Commander will do so.”

“I am well aware of your prowess. But you cannot stop the great tide. Do you want to become a foolish bird that crashes into a thick wall?”

“It cannot be helped. Because I am the Cavalry Commander.”

The tone was strangely shortened.

“If I want to have you, I must break that will. Resist with all your might. I will crush it.”

The Emperor showed a twisted smile.

“You must prepare well.”

“Do you really think you can win?”

The Emperor asked, seemingly dumbfounded, and the commander replied as if it were obvious.

“I will win.”