episode_0050

The interior of the second civil servants’ building was shrouded in heavy silence.

Even the ticking of the clock on the wall was irritating to the ears.

The officers looked at each other and squirmed in anxiety.

His face was pale, and his clenched hands were full of strength.

The tension seemed to be transmitted to my skin.

“Suddenly a war…”

Francia’s voice trembled. Her hands were cold, and the tips of her fingers that held Johan’s hand were trembling slightly. The anxiety in her heart grew and tightened her throat.

John took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

“…It seems like things have gone wrong with Sanburg.”

I hadn’t heard anything yet, but I was sure. The target of this war was Sanburg. No wonder, they were demanding territory in exchange for responsibility for the previous incident.

From Sanburg’s perspective, it was an unfair thing to happen. They didn’t know about it, and they didn’t think it would happen, but it happened so suddenly.

Of course, there was the point that they did not properly manage the route that the imperial messengers came through…

To be honest, this was also far-fetched. How could a country with such weak national power deal with such thieves hiding in foreign lands?

John gently stroked Francia’s clasped hand.

“I’ll have to hear the details to find out, but it won’t be that big of a deal. Even if it’s war, the difference in power is overwhelming.”

The difference in power between the Sanburg and the Empire was incomparable. Even if a war broke out, it would be over in less than a week.

And Francia is never assigned to the front lines. She is a non-combatant and one of the few healers in the civil service.

Even her healing magic power was so great that she was an irreplaceable resource. Francia, who was like that, was never at the forefront.

“…I hope nothing bad happens.”

Francia smiled awkwardly and accepted John’s hand. Feeling the familiar fingertips, she felt a sense of relief.

Suddenly.

As the door opened, Fedelian Rosino stepped in with heavy steps. His sharp gaze swept across the room, and the officers stood stiffer before him.

“The imperial edict has come down.”

His voice was low and firm.

“It’s war.”

It was just two words, but they were enough to freeze the air in the conference room.

The officers’ gazes were all focused on Pedelian. They waited for the next words to fall from his mouth, even holding their breath.

“As you expected, it was Sandburg who started the war this time. The hardliners who had been holding their breath until now have drawn their swords themselves.”

Sanburg had always heard of the Empire’s words, but this time it was different.

“But there is conflict within Sanburg. There is a faction that believes that the Empire’s demands must be met, and a faction that believes that there is no way to survive without war.”

The officers listened to Fedelian’s words in silence, holding their breath. The only sound coming from inside the conference room was his voice.

“But… under the king’s decision, the hardliners seem to be gaining more power. This is why the war broke out. Please keep in mind that the empire did not draw its sword first.”

The Empire of Rosino never initiates war, unless it is a distant past that can only be found in books.

Because the damage is much greater.

The territory is vast and made up of plains, the land is fertile and flows with milk and honey. It is a land that has already been completed.

When you have no time to worry about your own affairs, you start a war to expand your territory? That’s not just foolish, it’s stupid.

For that reason, the Rosino Empire does not start a war first.

However, that doesn’t mean that they won’t punish the country that strikes first. They will trample on Rosino mercilessly to show him his status.

“The first officer will be the one in the lead. Our second officer will be assigned to the rear. Even though it’s called war, it doesn’t seem like it will be a very difficult battle, so don’t worry.”

The faces of the officers relaxed at the mention of the last line. Furthermore, they also knew that the war with Sanburg would not be that difficult, so they could not help but relax.

“The report is abnormal.”

With those words, Fedelian left the conference room.

“…Isn’t the 2nd public servant not actively participating in the war? I think they just received a notice that it would happen.”

Francia tilted her head with a puzzled expression. It seemed strange that a war had broken out and only a brief report was given.

“Since it has just been announced, there probably isn’t a plan in place. And it’s also important to protect the rear. We need to prepare for when the supply line is cut off.”

John continued his explanation.

“This is it. The first officer, who was trained in wars with southern barbarians, takes the lead and wipes out the enemies, and the second officer, who is relatively inexperienced, takes charge of the rear. I think it’s reasonable.”

It’s not an emergency, so there’s no reason to concentrate all of the civil servants’ power in one place. Of course, if that were the case, the war would end more quickly… but we can’t ignore variables.

“Aha…? I see.”

Francia nodded and pursed her lips.

“Anyway… we won’t be in any danger. We’ll be stationed at the rear during the march.”

It was only a war in name, but it wasn’t something that grand. The power of the empire was so overwhelming that it was the greatest on the continent.

“That’s fortunate. I thought that Johan, who has a lot of achievements, would go to the front line…”

Francia put her hand on her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. The entire Second Civil Service was deployed to the rear, so he wouldn’t be the only one to go to the front.

“Aren’t you anxious?”

“It’s okay now.”

“Why?”

“Because I can be with Francia.”

With a calm yet gentle smile, Francia looked into Johan’s eyes with a blank expression.

“I was more anxious about being separated from Francia than the war.”

At that moment, Francia’s face turned red. Her embarrassment was evident, but she tried to glare at him and said.

“Ah, what is it…! I’m talking seriously…”

“I thought the atmosphere was getting too heavy, so I stopped.”

As John smiled slyly, Francia snickered and pushed his shoulder.

“Whew… Really.”

She sighed and shook her head as if she couldn’t stop herself, but there was a smile on her lips.

“Anyway. Let’s go out soon. It seems like there’s a lot to prepare.”

* * *

The declaration of war by Sandburg kept the civil service quite busy.

Because they had to write military-related documents and prepare strategies that would be difficult for ordinary soldiers to handle.

Most of these things would be handled by the First Officer, but… the Second Officer had to prepare as well. Even though the difference in power was extreme, variables could not be ignored.

“The departure time is two days later!”

Vice-Chief Richard’s voice rang out loudly.

“Everyone, prepare to be deployed to the battlefield immediately! In this war, speed is everything!”

As he said, this war was all about a quick victory. If we took our time preparing, we didn’t know what Sandburg would do.

The officers all stood up in unison. Their movements were hurried. Documents were piled up, commanders reviewed operations, and preparations for war were made breathlessly.

John’s job was to quickly exchange opinions with the special officers while reviewing the military documents that had already been prepared. Two days was a short time. Everything had to be perfectly prepared.

“In this war, we will strike first. We will march accordingly… In this case, the first officer at the front and the second officer at the rear are the key.”

It was also decided how the war would proceed: the highest forces would quickly infiltrate and occupy the key area of Sandburg.

With the factions of Sanburg split in half, there was no need to expand the battlefield. All that was needed was to capture key fortresses and key areas within the kingdom.

“Harsen Special Wizard is the one who escorts the medical team at the rear.”

The person in charge of escorting the medical team that Francia was a part of was John.

The reason was the magic John used.

While being able to instantly wipe out enemies with area-of-effect magic, it is also possible to take on multiple enemies on your own. Furthermore, you are skilled in close combat, so there is no need for a vanguard.

He was a suitable person to protect the medical team, who were in a position where defense was important and attention had to be drawn. Even if the opponent was aiming for the rear, he would be blocked.

“The rest…”

Other matters were also decided quickly. This was possible because there was a pre-planned scenario prepared in case a war with Sanburg broke out.

John came out in front of the government building. The air was cold. He was a little bewildered by the sudden turn of events, but… he didn’t feel anxious or nervous. He had expected this day to come someday.

‘…I was prepared from the moment I decided to be with Francia.’

The world that John was reincarnated into is a ruined place where the collapse of the setting is most common and can be said to be the worst.

A world where it’s not strange for something to suddenly happen anytime, anywhere.

From the moment he entered the scenario of that world, John had already made up his mind.

No matter what happens in the future, I will never give up on Francia.

“What are you thinking about?”

At that moment, Francia, who had come up next to John, tilted her head and looked up at him.

“Haha…”

John snickered. When he saw her blankly staring at him while he was still tense, he immediately melted.

“Huh…? Why are you laughing? Ah…! You laugh just by looking at me? I know. Hehe. Yohan really likes me.”

Francia smiled slyly and drew a line at the corner of her mouth.

“That’s right. I really like it.”

“Um…”

Francia puffed out her cheeks in annoyance at his bland response.

“That’s not the reaction I was expecting… I expected you to blush more or avoid eye contact… Doesn’t Yohan feel embarrassed or shy?”

John smiled lightly and stroked Francia’s neat bangs. The feel of her flowing black hair was soft.

“Well, I guess it’s a warning to be honest with the person you like.”

“Ugh… If this is the case, I won’t have a chance. I want to see the shy Yohan…”

It was a common desire, an emotion that everyone had. It felt good for anyone to feel excited when their lover saw them.

“Then, would you like me to change a little more in the direction that Francia wants?”

“Hmm. That’s not it. I like the person named Yohan himself.”

“Is that so? I also like the woman named Francia Perbace just as she is now.”

John, who was gently playing with her bangs, kissed her forehead.

“What the…!”

Francia looked around the building in a hurry at the sudden display of affection. Fortunately, there was no one there.

“Ah, what is it…! What if someone sees it…!”

“You already know this, so why did you hate it so much?”

“That’s not it…”

Francia, her face flushed red, covered her mouth with her hand. Her gaze turned to the side, making no eye contact at all.

“I like this kind of reaction from Francia.”

Johan smiled and hugged her. Francia, who was helplessly hugged against his chest, opened her eyes wide.

“No affection at work…!”

“There’s no one here, what.”

He stroked Francia’s head in his arms. Perhaps because he felt good about the gentle touch, she relaxed her resistance and wrapped her arms around Johan’s waist.

“…Is that okay?”

Only then did Francia speak her mind in a trembling voice. Even though it was a war that was certain to be won, she couldn’t help feeling anxious.

“Nothing will happen.”

John gently pulled Francia away from his arms and met her gaze.

“I’ll make it so.”