episode_0009

Escape attempt failed. To be precise, there was no attempt. Sasha, who had left, claiming boredom, returned late at night, and when I tried to deactivate the magic suppression device, our eyes met.

It was a futile attempt anyway. No matter what I did, I couldn’t release the magic suppression device. Sasha managed to release it easily yesterday. It seemed like there was a predetermined person who could release it.

Nothing happened until morning. We slept on the same bed, but really. Oh, I did feel a bit suffocated while sleeping, but it was probably nothing. It must have been because of the magic suppression device.

After daybreak, it was just tracking the 93rd Independent Alarm Troop all along. Apart from hoping that the 93rd Troop would flee in a different direction, there was nothing else I could do. Even when it was past noon and I was getting hungry, I still hadn’t found a trace of the 93rd Troop, and I was feeling a little relieved.

“How far?”

“15 minutes away.”

“Close. Have they noticed the pursuit?”

“No. Our army has entered the Kingdom of Francia without their knowledge.”

News came from the reconnaissance unit that had been scouting ahead. Intentionally speaking for my benefit, the scout and Sasha conversed in Francian. They have a unique sense of humor.

“How many of them?”

“It’s the size of two medium battalions without any magic infantry.”

The Independent Alarm Troop usually operates on the borders and within enemy territories during peacetime, prioritizing personnel and supplies. However, magic infantry is a precious presence. To maximize the efficiency of the scarce magic infantry, they were concentrated in the 1st Training Battalion. But now that the training battalion has been annihilated, the only remaining force in the troop is the alarm troops. They are truly tempting prey for the cavalry.

Sasha raised her hand holding the whip straight up. For about ten seconds. After enough time had passed for her to think that everyone’s attention had gathered at her fingertips, she flicked it forward.

The cavalry of a thousand galloped forward all at once, and it was the general who led the charge. The expression “shaking the ground” was fitting. The black-clad spear cavalry scattered dust as they shot forward like arrows, with a momentum that could pierce through anything in their path.

“The general, isn’t it?”

“…Seems so.”

Even Sasha, who had been solemn all along, seemed to want to boast about this scene as she asked subtly. The 93rd Battalion probably wouldn’t hold out for long, maybe just a few minutes. There was even a possibility of annihilation in the initial assault. They were allies who would die like that, yet there was also a strange sense of relief. It was the same feeling as the scout’s words, “There are no magic infantry.” At least it seemed that Claire wasn’t embedded within the 93rd Battalion formation. So, contrary to my expectations, she must have retreated in a different direction. That was necessary.

About 15 minutes later, as the scout had said, we began to see the bodies of the 93rd Battalion. They lay there just as they had formed their defensive square just before being wiped out. There seemed to be no one who had fled. In the center were the carriage and the commander, while the infantry formed a square on the outskirts, a formation that could confront the cavalry from any direction. However, there were few cavalrymen fallen in front of their efforts, as if mocking their formation.

“Damn Frankian pigs. Feels good to see them suffer.”

“…”

Sasha was diligently thrusting her long spear into the bodies. One by one, meticulously. The spear thrust from horseback certainly looked different, more forceful. It didn’t seem to be for the purpose of confirming kills. After she seemed satisfied with each thrust, she approached me and asked,

“Lieutenant Marianne, you seem quite calm.”

“…I’m just surprised by the barbaric actions of the enemy nation.”

Now I understood why Sasha was thrusting the dead soldiers with her spear. Perhaps she wanted me to feel anger or helplessness as I watched her mercilessly piercing our own comrades’ bodies.

However, due to retaining memories from my past life, it was still difficult for me to regard the Frankia Kingdom as my homeland after living there for 17 years. It felt more like a place I had been visiting for quite some time. Moreover, encountering soldiers of the 93rd Division was merely a brief encounter when I stopped by on my way to Saint Margro.

When my reaction seemed less enthusiastic than expected, Sasha’s expression slightly contorted. She forcefully planted her spear into the ground. I flinched, half-expecting a whip to come flying at me, but to my relief, there was no such thing. Then, one of the soldiers approached Sasha with a piece of paper. After muttering something in Moscovian, Sasha swiftly snatched the paper and began reading it. It seemed to be some sort of directive. Perhaps it contained confidential information about the Frankian military. Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked, “What does it say?”

“…It probably doesn’t matter if I tell you. It seems to be related to you, Marianne Madohasa.”

I was equally astonished as I received the directive from her, though perhaps slightly less so than Sasha.

[Frankia Kingdom Army Garrison Emergency Directive No. 31

All army units in the eastern direction are to immediately withdraw west of the Delfine River.

Exercise caution to avoid using the Saint Margro pass during the withdrawal.]

The army garrison’s swift action made it seem as though they were responding rapidly to the fall of Saint Margro. The fact that such a drastic order was decided upon in such a short time spoke volumes about the competence of the Frankia Kingdom’s army garrison. Considering that Colonel Auguste’s unit was annihilated last night near Saint Margro, it was clear that news had quickly spread to the army garrison.

Such a radical directive indicated, at the very least, that among the decision-makers, there was no indecisive or wishy-washy individual, and it provided decisive evidence that they did not dismiss the threat of the monsters as mere nonsense. Otherwise, they wouldn’t simply abandon the vast open plains between the border and Saint Margro, even as an act of reconnaissance by the military forces of the Moscovian Republic.

“I’ll ask. Marianne Madohasa, what’s the meaning of this?”

“Do the frontline Madobyo troops understand the meaning of the directive coming from the army garrison?”

She pretended not to know.

“No, it’s written all over your face. The expression that says you understand how things work.”

I tried to force a change in my expression, thinking, ‘Is that really the case?’ but it was already too late.

“Then listen, and don’t be surprised.”

“I’ve already been plenty surprised by this order alone.”

“No, not just surprised. You have to believe me.”

To be honest, for a moment, I considered just teaching her obediently. She was undeniably a commander of an enemy nation, and given her actions towards me, I had no grounds to argue even if I received such treatment.

“But there’s a condition.”

“A condition? Considering your current situation, you should know that it’s not really a position for you to set conditions.”

“This is not just a problem confined to the Kingdom of Francia. It’s already happening in the Muscovy Commonwealth as well.”

When the Muscovy Commonwealth was mentioned, Sasha’s expression changed slightly. In a normal situation, when I mentioned something happening in the Muscovy Commonwealth, she would have scoffed. She was already a capable officer herself, and leading the Imperial Guard indicated that she held considerable influence within the Commonwealth. She could assert with confidence that she knew the country’s affairs better than me. However, she still didn’t know about the forbidden box.

“Fine. What’s the condition?”

“Set me free.”

“And if I refuse?”

“If you refuse, there’s nothing I can do. But by the time you finish your futile reconnaissance and try to return to the Commonwealth, the western part of the country will already be in flames. It’ll be the same here, won’t it?”

“You’re talking nonsense. Even if such a thing were to happen, are you saying that the information you provide can prevent it?”

“I can’t prevent it, but… I can deal with it more effectively.”

I am the person who has encountered the most monsters coming out of the box at this point. And I survived. Just by providing simple response methods, the situation of being swept away helplessly like in St. Marge would decrease. Sasha hesitated for a moment. No matter how much she thought about it, gaining information and releasing a mere private first class soldier is overwhelmingly beneficial. Why is she hesitating?

“What if I only hear the answer and don’t release you?”

“I don’t think Captain Sasha Menizhechova is that barbaric. Will you keep your promise like a civilized person?”

Moskovi Kingdom seemed to be quite sensitive to the term “barbaric,” possibly due to its location on the outskirts of the continent.

“Fine, Marianne Madohasa. Accept it.”

#

The Black Forest.

Contrary to its name, the Black Forest was teeming with vitality. Even in the harsh northern climate, life thrived. If one closed their eyes quietly, they could hear numerous sounds. However, at this moment, not a single sound could be heard. It was as quiet as if there were no living beings in the entire expanse of the Black Forest, not just nearby. Considering that the Black Forest occupied 25% of the border between the Frankia Kingdom and the Moskovi Kingdom and held a significant portion of the kingdom’s territory, it was an impossible occurrence. Yet, this phenomenon was now a reality.

The monsters emerging from the cursed box gradually expanded their influence. As the monsters’ influence grew, the indigenous creatures’ influence rapidly diminished. When only the monsters remained active in the Black Forest, their gaze turned outward, towards the interior of the Moskovi Kingdom. The Black Forest, which had previously blocked the west of the Moskovi Kingdom, had now become a gaping maw targeting the kingdom.

#

San Marg.

The box that landed in front of San Marg suffered significant damage. Its exterior had been destroyed to the extent that the core was visible due to the skilled artillery fire of the 2nd Royal Artillery Battalion. Slowly but surely, the box was regaining its armor. Although it couldn’t expand its influence as much as the box that landed in the Black Forest, there was a vast amount of prey here. Citizens who failed to escape from San Marg and the Frankia army annihilated outside the city. Normally, this amount of prey would have been sufficient. Without expanding its influence, it could recover in San Marg and its surroundings for a while. However, the box needed more prey to recover. Fortunately for the box, San Marg was a trading city. It could seep through the city via the waters in front of San Marg to the rivers throughout the Frankia Kingdom, from the rivers to the cities, and from the cities to the alleys in the blink of an eye.