episode_0041

As Gilbert expected, Seraphina made a widely publicized statement saying that she would crush the Resistance as soon as the Academy was stabilized. This is because what the Resistance did this time was not limited to the Academy, but was regarded as an act of direct rebellion against the Empire.

It was no other place but Demeia Academy, where children from influential families of the empire and exceptionally gifted students who would brighten the future of the empire were enrolled. The Academy’s attack on one of the Empire’s central facilities was not an issue that could be easily overlooked, and more than anything, it did not suit Seraphina’s personality to cover up the incident as it was.

A punitive force was quickly formed under the command of the influential heir to the throne.

Due to the nature of the punitive force, it was organized at the level of one company. Seraphina, who was appointed captain under the imperial order to assume full authority, became the company commander, appointed Professor Brianna as lieutenant, and placed her in the position of deputy company commander. Gilbert, a level 6 knight who had been suggested by Serafina to join the punitive force, was appointed to the position of second lieutenant.

The remaining enlisted soldiers received support from academy students. At first, they planned to use the Imperial Knights to subdue the Resistance, but Seraphina changed her mind midway. It was true that the Resistance rebelled against the Empire, but in the end, they couldn’t shake the feeling that they had acted boldly because they looked down on Deemia Academy.

As a member of the noble blood who carries out the proof of the blue blood, that was something that could not be overlooked. Fortunately, the academy cadets also agreed with her opinion, and selected academy students to participate in the punitive force.

Meanwhile, full support continued from the empire. More than half of the Imperial Intelligence Department’s personnel were deployed to hunt down the Resistance, and the 3rd Knights, the only Imperial Knights allowed to engage in outside activities, stepped forward to assist Serafina. People who could go to war with a weak country based on its size have come together for the sole purpose of suppressing the Resistance.

“Seraphina. Everything is ready.”

Serafina, who was meditating before the departure ceremony, opened her eyes at Yannick’s call. The spirit that had sunk deep inside slowly emerged.

“I understand.”

As she climbed onto the platform prepared for the departure ceremony, the eyes of the punitive force waiting for her gathered in one place. The gaze of dozens or even hundreds of people. A normal person would be overwhelmed by the force they gave off, but Seraphina was different.

She was born as an emperor from the beginning. Even before anyone told her, she learned how to stand on top of others like breathing. From the time my ego was formed, I naturally stood above others. It was like an innate instinct.

Serafina’s eyes scanned the crowd as she looked at the magic tool with the amplification spell in front of her. Everyone seemed to be possessed by some strange desire.

“This is Captain Serafina Rector Infractus, who will be the company commander of this Resistance punitive force.”

It started with a clean and concise tone. The accurate pronunciation and easy-to-listen voice had a magical charm that attracted the audience’s eyes and ears at once.

“We will move today to eliminate the resistance that is eating away at the empire. According to the information obtained, the size of the group is significant, so there is a high possibility that it will be an all-out war. However, I believe that you, the proud cadets of Demeia, will follow suit.”

It was a speech that contained only necessary words without any rhetoric. Since Tactical Combat was set in the Middle Ages, it was common for speeches to last for an hour or two, adding all kinds of rhetoric. It was common to use a general style that repeated formulas and elaborated explanations, but Seraphina did not do that.

I chose to organize only the necessary words and convey them clearly. It was a speech that clearly showed her nature of placing importance on practical things.

“I won’t talk at length. As a proud cadet of Demeia Academy, I do what I have to do. That’s what you need to keep in mind. Do you understand?”

“Okay!”

“Lastly, I will give you one command. You must make sure to carry out this command.”

“I will follow your orders!”

“Even if I die, I will not die. Make sure that you can fully enjoy the honor you deserve. This is an order given as your company commander and in the name of Princess Serafina Rector Infractus.”

Seraphina’s eyes captured all of the punitive forces starting to burn with fighting spirit. There was certainly a possibility that people would die or be injured, but it was not something that could be postponed. It was clear that the Resistance would threaten Demeia Academy again, and that they would approach it with a more elaborate plan than this time.

Luckily there were no casualties this time, but there was no telling what would happen next. So even if it meant making sacrifices this time, we had to root them out. Seraphina steeled herself and her eyes shone sharply.

“That’s it. Whole army. Go to war.”

At Serafina’s command, the punitive force began to move in perfect order.

***

According to the Imperial Intelligence Department, the place where the resistance was located was in an area called Banneret, about a week away from Obitus. It was a mountain village in a remote area with rugged terrain and not often visited by adventurers.

It was a place completely concealed through magic or engineering, to the extent that the intelligence agents also came to this place by coincidence. The words seemed a bit weak for someone who was an agent of the Empire’s intelligence agency, but there was a reason for that.

Banneret, the headquarters of the Resistance, is a place where there are ancient ruins. Van Dyke, the leader of the Resistance, discovered it by chance and used it as his headquarters.

It was the place where the Resistance’s Giant God Soldiers were currently hidden, and the reason they were able to operate while avoiding the eyes of the Empire until now was because they used this historic site. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that Van Dyke formed the Resistance because he visited this place.

However, while holding a memorial service to honor the seven compatriots who failed in the revolution, they were unfortunately caught by the Imperial Intelligence Service. Although it was a place that had been carefully hidden in the mountains until now, it was impossible to deceive the eyes and ears of the empire everywhere.

This was what Gilbert had heard, and the story of the game he was familiar with.

Of course, that wasn’t everything. It was strange for the Resistance’s stronghold, which had been well hidden until now, to suddenly pop out. However, the priority was to handle the task at hand.

Gilbert currently had the position of second lieutenant in the Resistance subjugation force, and it was time for him to do something appropriate for that position.

“Sergeant Angelina.”

“Please tell me. Ensign Gilbert.”

Angelina, who came through Gilbert’s recommendation, received the rank of sergeant from Seraphina, and Hans received the rank of sergeant. In some ways, it could be seen as a parachute appointment, but Seraphina, who noticed the two who performed well during the comprehensive evaluation, appointed them as non-commissioned officers among the numerous academy students who joined the punitive force.

“I think I need to take charge of the Resistance’s escape route.”

“Are you talking with Sergeant Hans?”

“Yes, this is the order given by Company Commander Serafina. He told me to send troops to this area going down the valley.”

“… . That’s good insight. From my perspective, this appears to be a place that must be blocked. Although the mountains around here are rugged, this place is especially lush with forests.”

Currently, they have distributed their troops around the small Banneret, forming a siege network as wide as possible. It would have been best to keep it tight and attack everything, but it was already too late.

The punitive force, which had no choice but to set the attack date for the next morning, had to spread out and camp while maintaining a siege.

“Then I will forward it to Sergeant Hans. But will it be okay with just us?”

“I have already told my boss Ian to take charge of this point. Please pass it on to Sergeant Belponer instead.”

This punitive force also included Ian, who showed great performance although he showed a disappointing appearance during the comprehensive evaluation incident. Gilbert didn’t know how many times he sighed in relief at the enthusiastic appearance.

Since I was carefully watching to see if the main character Ian’s personality was strange, I couldn’t help but be relieved to see him step forward so bravely. At least I was glad that I wasn’t a coward who ran away when something happened.

“Okay. Is it okay to move when the subjugation war starts?”

“That’s right.”

“I will deliver it.”

Angelina left to deliver the instructions. After completing all the work that Seraphina had instructed, he headed to the tent where Seraphina was staying to report on the work.

The 3rd Imperial Knights, who had come from the imperial palace, were seen guarding the entrance to Serafina’s tent.

“I came here because I have a report to give to the company commander.”

“Wait. I will add a message.”

” was done. Tell them to come in.”

Serafina’s voice was heard from inside the tent. The knights who were standing expressionless immediately stepped aside to allow Gilbert to pass by at her command. Gilbert was slightly impressed by the machine-like movements. At first glance, I thought they looked like British guards that I had seen on Earth some time ago.

As I opened the tent’s entrance and entered, I saw Serafina fixing her hair before going to bed.

Seraphina was sitting on a fairly large bed covered with a red blanket, wearing a slip-like dress. The slip-type dress was an exquisite combination of black and red, and the patterns around the chest and hips looked luxurious. The lower part of the body was clearly exposed, so the toned thighs were clearly visible.

She appeared to be sweeping up her long, golden hair, as if she had been untangling her hair.

Gilbert was a little agitated because he was wearing more comfortable clothes than expected, but he tried not to show it.

“Is the priest here?”

“It looks like I interrupted you in the middle of your break.”

“It’s okay. If he was a priest, he must have come for a reason.”

Although he had a bright smile, it felt depressing, perhaps because of the clothes he was wearing. Come to think of it, Seraphina was always at the top of Tactical Combat’s popularity polls even though she was an unattackable character. There were a lot of so-called bad guys, but seeing them like this made me think it was natural.

“It looks like you have carried out all the orders you gave, right?”

“That’s right. I’m here to report that three of my superiors, including Sergeant Ian, have been ordered to seize the escape routes the Resistance will choose.”

“I understand. Occupying Doju Road will be the cornerstone of eradicating the Resistance, so no mistakes can be made. Before the operation begins, make sure the priest is aware of its importance once more.”

“Okay. Is there anything else you would like to do?”

“I have one more command to give to the priest.”

“Please order.”

Serafina looked at her priest who slightly lowered his head and blinked his eyes shining like jewels.

“If you can capture the leader of the Resistance, Van Dyke, do so.”

“Captured alive… . What do you mean?”

“Yes.”

Gilbert quickly analyzed why Seraphina gave this order. Why do they want to capture the chairman of the Resistance, who can also be called a rebel? After thinking about it for a moment, the answer came out easily.

“Is this a political example?”

“The priest is quite capable in this regard as well. right. You could say it’s a political show. However, accumulating and using such trivial things is politics. The accumulation of things you think are insignificant can destroy even a strong castle. Keep in mind that nothing is taken for granted in politics.”

It was a statement that made me nod my head. Seraphina planned to show that those who dream of a republic do not end well. This is exactly the kind of thing that should be used in situations like this.

We need to set a firm example this time so that a second or third resistance does not emerge for no reason.

“I will keep this in mind. If so… .”

“Large”

“Sister’s residence. I have one request.”

He changed his title countless times, as he cleared his throat and coughed at the title of company commander. As Gilbert, he wanted to refrain as much as possible from using the title “sister,” which was burdensome for anyone to hear, but the princess in front of him didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

“You can listen to the words of the one and only priest. Please tell me.”

“Capturing the leader of the Resistance seems a bit difficult with a general-purpose giant weapon.”

“Don’t worry. Aren’t priests currently ordinary cadets? Appropriate giant soldiers will be supplied.”

“Then I have one more request.”

“I understand without you having to say it. This means that the priest wants to use the artificial spirit he obtained this time, right?”

Seraphina thought of Gilbert, who had received an artificial spirit in Professor Brianna’s lab not long ago.

“I understand. Let it be so.”

“Thank you. company… .”

“Large”

“Sister’s residence… .”

“Really. I can’t find the one and only priest to be cute.”

It was a bit difficult for Gilbert to understand Seraphina, who kept insisting on calling him “sister.” Although the title “sajeo” was emphasized in the game, I don’t think it was to the point where it was so strenuous… . Perhaps the difference from reality seemed to come from this place.

“Then can I just leave? I think you need to get some rest too.”

“That would be the same for priests as well. You can leave now.”

After saying hello to Seraphina, who waved his hand, Gilbert returned to his barracks and went straight to bed.

And just like that, the day dawned.