episode_0001

It’s often the case that the origins of all major incidents begin with surprisingly trivial matters.

Though this is a story from a past world, didn’t even a figure like Julius Caesar say something like this?

“On the battlefield, trivial incidents become major events.”

The incident that led to Her Imperial Highness suddenly appearing before me to issue a threat also began with an absurdly insignificant matter.

It happened around the time when the Frontier Count and I had just completed our third-year studies in the Liberal Arts Department and were preparing to advance into the upper years by selecting our major departments.

Given my background as a history student in my past life, I naturally immersed myself in this world’s unique history and chose the History Department. Meanwhile, our Frontier Count enrolled in the Military Studies Department, a place akin to a military academy.

While preparing for his studies there, however, I discovered a serious problem with His Excellency the Frontier Count.

“May I speak honestly, with the most objective perspective possible, Your Excellency the Frontier Count?”

“…Please do, Werner.”

“Since you permit it, I shall offer a restrained yet detailed and candid opinion. Your Excellency, your performance in mock battles is truly abysmal.”

“Ugh… I thought as much…”

Our Frontier Count, unable to face the reality before him, swallowed a groan as he stared at the crystal screen displaying the shattered remnants of his army.

“I’m not the one entering the Military Studies Department, but if the person who is going there is worse than me, wouldn’t that be a problem?”

“Who doesn’t know that’s the issue? That’s precisely why I came to practice with you before the new academic year even started.”

“But no matter how many rounds we play, you show no improvement whatsoever…”

Suppressing a sigh, I glanced at my own crystal screen, which displayed the word “Victory.” My troops were celebrating triumphantly, performing a mock ceremony.

This was none other than the famed Schponheim Academy Simulated Battle Command Training Exercise—or simply, the “mock battle.”

Ever since the Emperor himself ordered its creation, countless former and current generals, professors, mages, and engineers had poured their efforts into developing this simulator. It allowed commanders to lead battles in hyper-realistic terrain, selecting from a vast array of races and nations that had existed throughout history.

At the academy, the Military Studies Department—the cream of the crop—used this system for practical command training. Due to its nature, most of its detailed data was classified as military secrets, making it inaccessible to non-military students. However, limited versions were available for general students like me to enjoy as a game.

Occasionally, some lower-year liberal arts students would try it out and later decide to join the Military Studies Department in their upper years.

From my perspective, having enjoyed the dazzling modern civilization and all sorts of games developed there in my past life, this simulator felt like a mix of Total War and Mount & Blade in virtual reality.

But the real issue was this: Our Frontier Count, who was about to enter the Military Studies Department after completing his foundational studies, had asked me to help him practice—only for me to realize he was unbelievably bad at it.

He would charge cavalry into well-prepared infantry formations, have infantry flounder without coordinating with cavalry, panic and issue nonsensical orders, and get wiped out without even putting up a proper fight.

He repeated these textbook beginner mistakes over and over, showing no signs of improvement despite my advice.

“How many times did you say you’ve tried this before last year?”

“Hmm… I think over ten times?”

“Have you ever won?”

“Not even once!”

“…That doesn’t seem like something to say proudly.”

I clicked my tongue as I looked at the golden-haired, green-eyed young nobleman, who didn’t seem the least bit discouraged.

One of the Empire’s top ten great nobles, ruling over vast territories.

The Frontier Count of Ruticia, Albert von Beletia.

But his temperament—evident from how he treated me, a mere baron under his direct jurisdiction, with such familiarity and even supported my tuition—was… far too bright and soft.

If I had been reborn into a romance novel, he could’ve easily been the male lead of the sunshine archetype. Unfortunately, this world was not a romance novel, and this man aspired to be a military expert.

“So, why aren’t you following what I told you? Heavily armored knights aren’t invincible—I told you charging unprepared infantry would result in heavy losses.”

“I did hear that…”

“And I also told you infantry must coordinate with cavalry to fight efficiently.”

“I do remember that…”

“Yes.”

“…I do remember, but when I try to actually command, my mind goes completely blank. I get overwhelmed by all sorts of worries, and before I know it, I’ve already ordered a charge.”

I barely resisted the urge to clutch my head in frustration. Good grief. This wasn’t just a personality issue—he was so nervous he couldn’t function.

There’s a saying about virtuous generals, but a virtuous general without fundamentals isn’t virtuous—just stubborn.

And my patience was crumbling under that stubbornness.

“But this is just a kind of game, isn’t it? It’s not like you’re actually dying or getting hurt. If your mind goes blank over this, wouldn’t it be better to switch departments now?”

No matter how realistic the simulation was, it was still just a game.

To put it in terms of my past life, it was no different from commanding with voice and gestures instead of a mouse and keyboard.

And the Military Studies Department was where the Empire’s future commanders were trained.

If he couldn’t handle even this, he’d wash out midway.

And if his graduation got delayed, it’d cause a hiccup in my life plans too.

Half out of concern for him, half for myself, I spoke up—but the Frontier Count shook his head firmly.

“That’s not an option.”

“Why not?”

“You know what the title of Frontier Count of Ruticia means to my family, don’t you?”

Frontier Count—a margrave tasked with defending the Empire’s borders.

Given that their lands faced the Empire’s enemies, they were granted greater privileges and allowed larger forces than ordinary nobles.

But conversely, his position as one of the Empire’s greatest nobles also meant he had the duty to fight those enemies.

Among them, the Frontier Count of Ruticia was nicknamed “The Shield of the East.”

Though things were peaceful now, not long before we were born, the Rutician frontier had been the center of a major war.

Given that, it wasn’t strange for the lord of such a territory to want military expertise.

Even if it didn’t suit him.

“It’s not like I want to join the Military Studies Department… But duty is duty. Not everyone gets to do only what suits their personality.”

“Right…”

“And!”

“And?”

Just as I sighed, the Frontier Count raised his voice as if he had another grand reason, making me tilt my head in confusion. His emerald eyes sparkled as he declared:

“My fiancée will be watching!”

“Ah… That princess?”

“Yes. She’s also enrolling in the Military Studies Department this year.”

“That sounds like her.”

“I can’t look pathetic in front of her!”

Ah, I see now.

In short, our Frontier Count wants to impress his fiancée.

Even if noble marriages in this medieval world were loveless political arrangements, no one wants to bumble around and get humiliatingly crushed in front of their betrothed.

Few things are as miserable as a household where one side is utterly disregarded.

Other reasons were his own problem, but that much was unavoidable.

Guess I had to help.

“Then you’ll have to work hard. Right?”

“Of course…!”

“But if we keep going like this, you’ll be the same even a week later. May I make a suggestion?”

“Hmm. Your suggestions have never steered me wrong! Very well, what is it?”

I looked back at the crystal screen and spoke.

“First, let’s focus on giving proper commands, no matter how small. If you can’t even issue basic orders, you can’t practice—let alone study.”

“…Y-Yes.”

“I’ll focus on defense until you get that down. Once you do… I’ll teach you a method to guarantee one win. If you’ve never won before, you’ll at least need to save face.”

At that, the Frontier Count’s green eyes glittered like gemstones.

“Oho? There’s such a method?!”

“Well… there are conditions. But I think you can meet them. However, it’ll only work once. After that, it’ll be figured out and won’t be a surefire strategy anymore.”

“Even that’s something! Then I’ll do my best!”

And so, my plan to prevent our Frontier Count from humiliating himself in front of his fiancée was set in motion…

But—

“I’m in trouble, Werner!”

A week after the semester began, the Frontier Count—armed with the one-time winning strategy I’d taught him—rushed to me after class in a panic.

He seemed to have forgotten all dignity as a great noble. Though usually unpretentious, he wasn’t the type to disregard decorum entirely.

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

“You know… that method you taught me?”

“Yes… Did you use it?”

“Well… I did, and just as you said, I won spectacularly. But…”

“Was there a problem?”

“Not with the method itself—though some people were baffled. But that’s not the issue! Ever since then, Her Imperial Highness has been hounding me!”

“Excuse me?”

The sudden declaration made me tilt my head in confusion.

The explanation that followed went like this:

After a week of hellish training with me, the Frontier Count had finally grasped the basics.

Coincidentally, the first class after the semester began involved a mock battle for basic training—and his opponent turned out to be the Imperial Princess.

Princess Charlotte Laura von Ahenmetis.

Around our age and year, I’d occasionally caught glimpses of her in lectures. Apparently, she’d also enrolled in the Military Studies Department.

Of course, no one in the department would go easy on others due to status, and the Frontier Count of Ruticia wasn’t so far beneath a princess in rank anyway.

Moreover, the princess was renowned for her exceptional mock battle skills.

Fearing her full strength, the Frontier Count used the surefire strategy I’d given him—and by sheer luck, he won.

“But after winning… she demanded to know where I learned such an unusual method and kept challenging me to rematches!”

“And then?”

“And then… as you predicted, I lost miserably this time.”

Well, of course.

Unless the Frontier Count was secretly a genius, that strategy was nothing more than a shocking cheese tactic.

It wasn’t invincible—anyone who knew how to counter it would crush him instantly.

“Then it’s over, isn’t it?”

“That’s… not all. This time, she accused me of holding back! She said someone who could devise such tactics couldn’t possibly be this incompetent!”

“So… she’s chasing you?”

“She’s been shouting for proper rematches nonstop—I barely managed to escape…”

The Frontier Count nodded with a haggard expression. It was the first time in the fifteen years I’d known this handsome noble that I’d seen him like this.

Just how much had she tormented him to reduce him to this state in mere days…?

I nearly blurted out, “Well, that’s your problem now,” but held back out of pity.

Then—

“So that’s what happened. Frontier Count of Ruticia.”

“…!”

A clear, resonant voice rang out, and the Frontier Count gasped sharply. Drawn by the sound, I turned—and there she was.

Elegantly braided side locks and a meticulously tied-up cascade of platinum-blonde hair—undoubtedly tended to by attendants.

Piercing blue eyes that matched her sharp features, and a dignified outfit exuding solemn authority.

Charlotte Laura von Ahenmetis. The Imperial Princess.

Unfazed by the stunned expressions around her, she looked straight at us and spoke.

“My apologies for eavesdropping—I didn’t intend to overhear. That was rude of me.”

“N-No, not at all…”

Though her words were polite, her gaze was unnervingly intense. Like a predator locking onto prey—a blazing, overwhelming stare filled with unshakable determination.

“But from what I heard, you were the one who taught him that method?”

And that gaze was now fixed on me—Werner von Hebel.

Unable to contain her fervor, she declared:

“Then this simplifies things. You—won’t you face me in battle?”

A golden inferno I couldn’t hope to withstand. A storm of momentum crashing down like a tidal wave.

In that brief moment, I realized I was prey staring down its natural predator. And so, the prey responded thus:

“No, I’m afraid I must decline, Your Imperial Highness.”

“…??”

Because facing a sudden predator head-on is nothing short of foolish.