by Dojyomaru
Komain deliberately put on a charming smile. “I see you and my brother are close. Are you two in love, maybe?”
“I-In love?! No, we’re not, um...” Lauren was clearly unsettled and started fidgeting. She may have looked like the dashing warrior type, but the way her actions were oddly maidenly was cute.
However, as for Mr. Clueless...
“What’s this, out of nowhere?” Jirukoma exclaimed. “Isn’t that rude to Madam Lauren? We have no such relationship.”
He didn’t get it at all. Komain could see why Lauren was a little depressed.
“You’re the rude one here, Brother,” she informed him.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Komain wanted to explain it until he got a clue, but she just barely managed to bite her tongue and hold back. If she pointed it out herself, she would be causing trouble for Lauren.
Serina whispered in Komain’s ear, “I see the situation is quite inte... No, I mean troubling.”
“Did you just start to say interesting?!”
“With these sorts of gentlemen, you must be direct, or it will never get through to them. So why don’t we have Madam Lauren come right out and say it?”
“You might be right, but...do you think she’ll plainly reveal her feelings?”
“Oh, that’s simple.” The corners of Serina’s lips turned up. It was only a slight smile, but it was like a glimpse of her inner sadist.
While Lauren was still looking happy about being asked if she and Jirukoma were in love, Serina said casually, “Madam Lauren, how many children are you hoping to have with Sir Jirukoma?”
“Three!”
It was an instant response. She must have thought about their future together in great detail.
The area instantly went quiet, and Jirukoma’s eyes were wide with surprise.
“M-Madam Lauren...”
“...Ah!”
Brought her back to her senses, Lauren instantly turned a bright shade of red as she realized she’d slipped up.
“Uwah...ah...”
With her face red all the way down to her neck, Lauren’s eyes filled with tears as she uttered ill-formed words. Then, in the next moment, she bolted like a startled hare and ran away.
As Jirukoma stared dazedly at her back, Komain asked him, “Brother, do you understand which of us was the rude one now?”
“Ahh... Ah! No, but...”
Now it was Jirukoma’s turn to panic. No matter how clueless he might be, he had surely realized how she felt now. Well, not so much realized as had been told the answer.
In exasperation, Komain asked, “So, how do you feel, Brother? How likely is it that I am going to have to call that person Sister?”
“I find Madam Lauren...desirable,” he admitted slowly. “However, I remain in this land for the dream of retaking our homeland. I couldn’t form a family...”
“I see... So that’s the reason...”
It seemed Jirukoma’s unawareness of her feelings had been not simply because he was clueless about such things, but also because in his role commanding the refugee volunteer soldiers who dreamed of returning home, he had put his own needs second, or even third. Then...
“Hmph. What’s the harm?” Julius slapped Jirukoma on the back. “There are other refugee volunteers who’ve made families in this country. If you have a fondness for Captain Lauren, why not respond to her feelings?”
Then Julius smirked.
Jirukoma was shocked. “I can’t believe this, Julius. Do you have a grudge against me for teasing you about Princess Tia?!”
“Oh, no, I’m simply returning the words you gave to me. ‘It seems it’s time to pay the piper, Jirukoma. Congratulations. Well, it was simply a matter of time, anyway.’”
“Grrr...”
Jirukoma could say nothing in response. At last, after everyone urged him to give up on ignoring her, he did so, and chased after Captain Lauren.
I watched the whole exchange in silence, thinking, Talking about settling down with a family when you’re on the battlefield is a death flag, so stop!
I seriously started wondering if I should have Jirukoma keep a pocket watch over her chest, but in this world, it was mostly sword wounds and the like, so maybe chain mail was better.
Well, leaving Jirukoma and Lauren to sort themselves out, what I had to deal with right now was the lizardmen across the river.
“Ludwin, do we know what the situation across the river is?” I asked.
“Yes. According to reports from our wyvern cavalry scouts, there are about 50,000 lizardmen amassed across the river. We’ve also confirmed various other species of monster. It seems many of the monsters can fly,” Ludwin reported.
50,000 lizardmen and countless other monsters... That was a lot. We had 60,000 regulars, and the wyvern cavalry was with us for air power. If we threw the whole army at them, they would never lose to the lizardmen, who had no concept of strategy or formation. However, there was the issue of geography.
“Them being a large force across a river is a problem,” I said. “Just like how they can only cross the shallows in small numbers, we can’t have our whole army cross at once either, right?”
“You’re right... If we send small groups one after another to establish a beachhead, the vanguard will be surrounded. That would increase casualties on our side. We could have the wyvern cavalry provide bombing support, but...”
“No, we shouldn’t do that,” Julius interjected. He must have been listening to us. “If we attack from just one direction, the enemies that have gathered here for us will scatter. If they are divided, the area damaged will expand that much more, and the time to put them down will be extended. Can we find some way to exterminate that pack in one stroke?”
“You say that, but...” I scratched my head.
I understood what Julius was saying, but to wipe them out quickly, we would need to get a large number of soldiers across the river fast. Inside our own country, there were many transportations on the table like the Rhinosaurus Train or the Roroa Maru, but this was a foreign land. We had limited options.
“The Dabicon is a major river, right? If we scrape some boats together, can’t we get them across at once?”
“No, we can’t use large ships in a shallow river like this,” Julius said. “It’s not realistic to have 60,000 men cross in smaller ships, either.”
“In that case, how about tying together small boats to create a bridge...” I began. “Wait, we’d need to get a rope to the other side of the river first.”
Julius and I both wracked our brains, but nothing good came out of it.
It seemed there was only one man we could count on. I turned to Ludwin, who had returned.
“Did Hakuya have any directions for you?” I asked.
Our last resort was the country’s bag of wisdom, Hakuya Kwonmin the Black-robed Prime Minister. I had been giving detailed reports on our situation here to the main body of reinforcements and Parnam Castle via messenger kui. That was because I figured that if he was aware of our situation, clever Hakuya would come up with some countermeasure.
Ludwin nodded. “Yes. The prime minister came up with an effective plan based on the information you sent him, sire. The people we will need for this plan have already been sent too.”
That was Hakuya for you, always quick. But what was this about people we’d need?
“Who are we talking about here?”
Ludwin began, “That would be...”
“Hehe! It’s me, sire.”
I turned toward the seductive voice that had suddenly addressed me, and there was a blue-haired beauty.
For a moment, I thought it might be Juna, but unlike Juna, this woman had antlers sprouting from her temples, she wore a kimono-like outfit which was open to reveal her ample cleavage, and a reptilian tail that was similar to Naden’s slithered out from her rear end.
“Excel?!” I exclaimed, letting out a cry of surprise at her unexpected arrival.
It was Excel Walt
er, Juna’s grandmother and the Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Force.
She giggled happily covering her mouth with a fan. “Oh, my, sire. You’ll be marrying Juna soon, won’t you? You can call me Mother instead of Excel, you know?”
“No, but wouldn’t I be calling you grandmother...?”
“Did you say something, Your Ma-je-sty?”
“Nope, not a word, Mom.”
I immediately raised the white flag at her intimidating smile. Nothing good would come from pissing this lady off after all. It could get pretty nasty.
I cleared my throat, then started afresh. “So, why are you here, Excel? I ordered you to defend the kingdom while I was away, didn’t I?
“The Prime Minister asked me to. My powers are needed, so he asked me to join up with you. Don’t you worry, once the battle here is over and done with, I’ll nip right on back to the kingdom.”
Saying that, Excel wearily turned her shoulders in circles. “Honestly now, both you and the Prime Minister are so rough on your elders.”
“I’m sure you’d get mad if I treated you like an elder...”
“Well, I don’t mind poking fun at myself, but I won’t let anyone else say it.”
“Oh, I see...”
Well, the fact that a wise and experienced general like Excel had come bearing a plan from Hakuya was something to be happy about in this situation. I’d just been drawing a blank myself after all.
Excel put her arms around me from the front, pressing her body up against mine. “Hehe! Now that I’m here, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Too close too close too close!”
This was way closer than family were allowed to get, you know?!
While everyone was watching, it was super awkward to have the young-looking and buxom Excel making a move on me like this. Ludwin and Julius’s stares hurt.
While I was thinking that, Excel suddenly moved away. Just as I was feeling relieved...
The next instant, bzzap, a blue flash shot past my head.
When I turned back, Naden had an angry face and all her hairs were standing on end. There were so many sparks flying around her, it was clear at a glance that she was pretty mad.
Then the next thing I knew, someone grabbed me by both hands, and I was pulled back.
I stumbled back two, three steps, and there were Aisha and Roroa, each holding one of my arms.
“Duchess Walter! That’s enough fooling around!” Aisha shouted.
“Darn straight it is. Just ’cause Big Sis Cia and Big Sis Juna aren’t around doesn’t mean you can go makin’ eyes at Darlin’.”
“The next one will hit,” Naden snarled as she hugged me over the shoulder from behind. Maybe because of the electricity, my hairs were all standing on end. It was pretty scary to hear it crackle next to my ears.
Seeing my fiancées’ reactions, Excel laughed even more happily. “Hehe! Your desperation is so cute.”
“Please, don’t mess with my fiancées,” I begged.
“Oh, my, isn’t it nice I stir things up and help you reconfirm your love for each other on such a regular basis?”
“We haven’t gotten tired of each other, so all you’re doing is making me uneasy.”
“I see you have troublesome relatives too,” Julius said.
Even Julius was looking at me with sympathy... Now I was just getting sad.
Maybe she was satisfied with the response we’d given her, because Excel opened her fan and cheerily said, “Now, sire, I’m the best help you could ask for. How about we start the meeting on how we’ll eliminate those lizards across the river right away?”
...Honestly, this lady sure was having a riot in life.
Chapter 10: Everyone’s Night Before the Final Battle
It was a night in autumn when the moon was bright.
By the time Souma and his companions finished with their meeting to discuss the plan Excel had brought from Hakuya, it was already late at night.
There were soldiers from both the Kingdom of Lastania and Kingdom of Friedonia resting in the fortress courtyard.
That said, it was a tiny fortress. There was no way for it to hold the entire 50,000-strong army that the Kingdom of Friedonia had sent. Most of the soldiers and officers were camped outside the fortress.
With the strategy meeting finished, Julius went to look around the camp. At which point...
“You! You’re Lord Julius?!” a soldier cried.
“Ohh, there’s no doubt about it, it’s Lord Julius!”
He was surrounded by several men wearing Friedonian army uniforms. There were many in the Friedonian forces who had fought against him in the past, so Julius tensed, but the men put their hands together in front of them and bowed to him.
“We belonged to the forces of the principality.”
“We fought under you at Van.”
“We’re so, so glad to see you’re all right.”
As the two began to shed manly tears of joy at their reunion, Julius relaxed.
“I see... You’re Amidonian then.”
“Yes,” one of the soldiers said tearfully. “We weren’t strong enough to protect you then, Lord Julius...”
These were likely men who had sworn loyalty to Gaius and Julius. Even in the homeland he thought he had cast away, there were people who thought about him. That alone gave Julius some solace.
Because of that, he put an arm around the shoulder of the man crying manly tears and said, “You’ve saved me by coming here. I thank you.”
“Lord Julius...”
“How are things? Are Souma and Roroa ruling Amidonia well?”
The men nodded.
“Y-Yes. I think they’ve brought stability.”
“They’ve unified and reorganized the forces of the principality and kingdom, and we’re making progress with reconciliation.”
“He held a festival in memory of Lord Gaius the other day too.”
“A festival to mourn my father... I see. That does sound like something he’d do.”
Julius properly understood Souma’s intent. It was likely a mixture of emotion and practicality.
The common people had feared Gaius, but he had been an object of love and respect for the soldiers. In holding a memorial festival, Souma would be able to reduce resistance from those people. That would be of practical benefit to Souma, who wanted to advance reconciliation between the kingdom and principality.
The emotional part was his feelings for Roroa. Even though Roroa’s relationship with her father had been frosty, Souma perhaps felt a sense of guilt over being the one to kill him.
It’s naive of him, but...I can’t see any reason to reject it.
Julius now had a person he would give his own life to protect: Princess Tia, who had remained in Lasta. If it would keep her from crying, and it would make her smile, he would do anything, no matter how inefficient. Even as he complained about doing it.
The image of Tia’s perfect smile flashing through his mind made Julius’s face soften a little.
“Lord Julius?” one of the soldiers asked.
“...No, it’s nothing.” Julius put a serious look back on and said, “Though my father, Gaius, was defeated, I am told he was able to display the pride of Amidonia in his final moments. If I, as his son, were to complain about that result, it would be a stain on my father’s legacy. Therefore, I have no intention of holding a grudge against Souma or Roroa. I’d like all of you to keep supporting them.”
“Ohh, what resolve!”
“Lord Julius! We swear to support Lady Roroa!”
Seeing the crying soldiers act so moved, Julius could only smile wryly.
There was no lie in what he had said, but Julius didn’t want to hear, “Please, come back to the principality” at this point, so he had meant to convey, “I’m getting along just fine here, so you people take care of yourselves there.” He had no lingering attachment to the House of Amidonia.
I couldn’t leave Tia to return home, and I’ve no de
sire to bring her back with me, he reflected. I wouldn’t want to pull her away from this country where the people love her, and where all the people she loves are.
Julius forced a smile as he put a hand on the soldiers’ shoulders. “I know I was unable to rule my own country, but I want to do what I can to protect this country which took me in. Please, if only for now, lend me your strength.”
“That’s always been our intent!”
“We are proud to be able to fight alongside you again!”
The soldiers wiped the tears from their eyes.
Julius gave them a firm nod. “Then rest now. I’ll need you to work your hardest tomorrow.”
“““Y-Yes, sir! Excuse us!”””
The soldiers saluted and then returned to their posts.
Once he had seen those soldiers go, Julius let out a sigh in the sudden silence that had fallen around him.
“Maybe I should rest too...”
Julius went inside the building and stood in front of the room he was now using as his own. He was kind of exhausted today. He opened the door, thinking it was about time he rested in preparation for tomorrow.
“Welcome back, Lord Julius!” a voice said.
“Yeah... Huh?!” He gave a natural response, but then realizing there should be no one there to say that to him, Julius’s head snapped up.
There stood Tia, who was supposed to have been left behind in Lasta.
“Princess Tia?! Why are you here?!” he exclaimed.
“Eheheh. I came.”
“But how...?”
“Lady Roroa and some others were heading to the fortress in a gondola, so I stowed away with their luggage.”
“A stowaway?! How could you...? There must be an uproar in Lasta by now.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem. I left a note saying I’d be coming here.”
“That’s not the problem!”
Julius grasped the temples of his now-throbbing head. This was a level of decisiveness comparable to Roroa’s.
Seeing the troubled look on his face, Tia hesitantly spoke up. “Um, I’m sorry. But I just couldn’t help but worry...”
Julius let out a sigh of resignation. “...Did anyone see you on your way to this room?”