Side: Marley Heat (Jilva Empire Official: Wind Knight Princess)

"Princess, we will arrive at the demi-human village by tomorrow morning."

Inside the tent, Jessica delivered her report.

As diligent as ever.

In truth, this upcoming battle shouldn't even deserve to be called a battle. While our side was originally in the wrong for instigating this, taking our soldiers hostage was a fatal blunder on the demi-humans' part.

They should have just slaughtered them immediately to seal their lips. Instead, they effectively tied their own nooses—simply because the unit deployed to subjugate them happens to be led by me.

"What is the status of the villagers?"

"Yes, it appears they have not fled. They seem to have grown overconfident after winning the previous engagement and are currently preparing to intercept us."

"Sigh... If they had used their heads a bit more, they could have survived in their own way. Though, as a human who pushed them into this corner, perhaps I have no right to speak."

"It is not something for you to trouble yourself over, Princess. If we leave them to their own devices while they are riding high on a single victory, they might eventually raid the villages and towns of the Jilva Empire. This mission is also for the protection of our citizens."

"I know. However, we will not completely exterminate them. We only strike down those who raise weapons against us; the rest we shall let flee."

"That would be for the best. Though they are inferior in numbers, they did manage to capture most of that foolish noble's soldiers. Forcing them into a desperate, life-or-death resistance would only increase our own casualties. The higher-ups will be satisfied enough as long as we deliver the heads of the hostile combatants."

"You are far too earnest, Jessica. I simply have no desire to cut down women and children."

"And I am merely providing a proper military justification to accommodate your wishes, Princess. Normally, total annihilation is the standard practice to ensure no lingering grudges remain."

For all her complaints, Jessica always worked to make my wishes a reality.

She really was a good subordinate.

"Hmm. We will commence our march early tomorrow morning as scheduled. We shall wrap this up by evening. I must rejoin the main invasion army pushing into the Sacred Kingdom of Enaria as quickly as possible."

"Understood. However, there is one more detail I should bring to your attention."

"What is it?"

"Our scouts report sighting human figures among the enemy ranks."

"Oh? The soldiers who managed to flee back to town mentioned the same thing."

"Yes. We initially dismissed it as the frantic delusions of defeated men, but it appears to be factual."

"A mercenary group, then? What are their numbers? If they intend to clash with my personal unit of the Jilva Empire, they must possess a decent force."

"Yes, their numbers hover around one hundred and fifty."

"Hoh. Amassing that many troops under private ownership is rather impressive."

"However... the vast majority of them appear to be goblins."

"What did you say? Surely it isn't the Blood-Bath Mercenaries?"

The 'Blood-Bath Mercenaries'.

True to their name, they are a mercenary band that leaves literal rivers of blood in their wake.

They employ massive hordes of goblins to completely pin down enemy movements, ruthlessly hacking through the foes along with their own goblin units to achieve victory. If one considers pure military efficiency, utilizing highly disposable goblins makes perfect sense.

However, maintaining such a strategy requires a constant breeding stock. The Blood-Bath Mercenaries routinely capture women as spoils of war from enemy armies, towns, and villages, forcing them to bear goblins to be thrown straight into the meat grinder.

Because they deliver undeniable results, they are still heavily sought after by various factions, but I personally find that entire mercenary band utterly repulsive.

"No, the Blood-Bath Mercenaries are currently raging far beyond the borders of the Sacred Kingdom of Enaria, so it is impossible for them to be here."

"Hmm. A different mercenary group, then?"

"Most likely. Though it remains entirely unclear why they have sided with the demi-humans."

"If the reports of the surviving soldiers hold true, they seem to be a small but exceptionally powerful group."

"Yes. However, our side boasts a force of two thousand five hundred, and we have you, Princess. There is no possibility of defeat."

"...Hmm. True, logically speaking, there are very few factors that could lead to our loss. Even so, keep your guard up. A small force always has its own unique way of fighting."

"I understand completely. I shall increase the night guard rotation."

"I leave it in your hands."

Watching Jessica step out of the tent, I pour myself some of the wine we brought along for the march.

"Phew. Honestly, when life is nothing but constant warfare, a good drink is the only pleasure left to enjoy."

My own reflection stares back at me from the wooden cup filled with deep crimson liquid.

"Perhaps I should have asked for a few more bottles of this wine."

In truth, this wine was a gift from Yuki and Ria, whom I met back in the city of Feil; they had casually shared a stock they acquired during their travels. Or rather, it would be more accurate to call it a token of appreciation for the information I provided them.

Though we only knew each other for a mere three days, we had a wonderful time together every single day. We even held a brief sparring session, and Yuki was able to fight completely on par with Jessica. He could easily rank among the top elites of my own unit.

It was a massive shame that they were a married couple searching for a peaceful place to settle down, which prevented me from recruiting them as my subordinates. Had they been by my side, this endless boredom might have been mitigated a little.

* * *

That night passed peacefully.

No raids.

No disturbances.

"What do you think?"

"I am uncertain, Princess... Do they honestly intend to clash with us with only that many numbers?"

* * *

The next morning, we commenced our march early as planned.

To our absolute astonishment, the enemy came out to meet us.

We are currently facing them on a wide-open plain, roughly ten kilometers away from our destination where the ruins and the village are located.

But the sheer numbers were baffling. Looking across the field, there were only about one hundred and fifty of them.

"And is their vanguard composed entirely of goblins?"

"No, according to the scouts, a handful of humans and demi-humans are mixed within their ranks."

"Hmm. Then those individuals must be the commanders."

"That is the most logical assumption."

"In that case, what do you think is their reason for deploying out here in the open?"

"Could it be a diversion to allow the villagers to escape? Realizing that an army far larger than anticipated was marching upon them, they may have committed entirely to a retreat."

"If that is the case, it explains why such a small force came out to meet us. They are a delaying action."

"Indeed. However, this works strictly to our advantage."

"Agreed. If we crush them right here, the demi-humans will abandon their village and scatter. We will have our victory heads, leaving us with no practical reason to waste resources hunting down the fleers."

"We are spared the trouble of executing a siege on the village."

"Yes. If they had fortified themselves within the village structures, we would have inevitably taken some casualties. But in a flat plain battle like this, our victory will be absolute and overwhelming."

"My only concern is the possibility that the force before us is mere bait, and they intend to strike our rear."

"True. However, attempting a flanking maneuver on these wide plains would be spotted instantly. Still, deploy a defensive unit to secure our rear just to be safe."

"Understood!"

"If any side attacks occur, let the individual units handle them. I have not trained my men so poorly that they cannot adapt to a sudden skirmish. We shall crush the enemy directly before us! If we break them swiftly, any tactical meaning behind a rear ambush will completely evaporate!"

With those words, I dig my spurs into my horse, sending it charging toward the enemy lines.

"All units, follow the Princess—!"

Jessica's voice roars across the plains, and my entire army surges forward in unison. I apologize, whoever you mercenaries are, but since you have chosen to stand as our enemy, I will eliminate you.

"The enemy is finally moving. But they are far too slow!"

"The enemy has reacted! However, their movements are sluggish! Follow directly behind the Princess and split their lines clean in two!"

Seeing our sudden charge, the enemy forces finally began to scatter outwards.

It was far too late.

Furthermore, to choose a scattered formation to stop a five-hundred-strong cavalry charge led by me... what on earth are they thinking? It is an absolute blunder of a tactic. At this rate, they won't even be able to form a proper defensive wall, and they will be utterly steamrolled by our sheer mass.

"Very well. First up is you, goblin—you shall be my opening strike!"

I am the very first to clash with the enemy line, swinging my blade down with full intent to cleave the goblin cleanly in two. I fully intended to ride straight through, cutting down the next foe in a single fluid motion.

"—Too slow-ssu."

I could have sworn that casual voice drifted directly from the goblin before me.

"Huh—? Gh-!?"

In the next instant, I was violently thrown clean off my horse.

What just happened?!

Instantly channeling the power of my magic sword, I use a gale of wind to stabilize my posture in mid-air, landing safely on my feet.

"There. Out of the way-ssu."

"Gah!?"

The exact millisecond my feet touched the dirt, the goblin's blade slammed into me, sending me flying backward with shocking ease. Though I reflexively brought my magic sword up as a shield, the raw impact forced me into a heavy skid.

What on earth is wrong with that goblin!?

"Hoh. To think you could actually react to that. Just like the Boss said, you really are some kind of battle-loving warrior race-ssu."

The goblin mutters, looking at me with a nod of genuine praise.

Wait... a goblin that speaks fluent human tongue!?

Monsters capable of understanding our language exist only within the realm of ancient legends. And every single one of those myths speaks of absolute cataclysms like Dragons or Minotaurs.

Yet, the creature standing right before my eyes is an ordinary goblin...

"Now then, you look pretty shocked and all-ssu. But I've got a job to do. If you aren't gonna crawl over and attack me, I'll just leave you be-ssu."

With that casual remark, the goblin dashes away, completely ignoring me.

"Princess!! Are you unharmed!?"

Jessica finally catches up to me.

"...! Wait, don't come here! Pull back!"

Yes, the heavy cavalry charge led by Jessica was pouring directly into this zone.

The situation was so thoroughly detached from reality that my mind simply couldn't process it fast enough. That specific goblin, leading a small squad of others, was sprinting straight toward Jessica's unit.

Which meant—

"""Gyaaaaaahhhhh—!"""

Geysers of crimson blood spray violently into the air.

"What's this? Aside from that one onee-san, the rest of these guys are total small fries-ssu."

The goblin's only directive was to eliminate the enemy.

"Alright, let's just clean this up as planned-ssu!"

"""Roger that!"""

With completely unmotivated responses, the scattered goblins began casually cutting down my surrounding subordinates, weaving through them like a knife through butter.

"You are the commander, aren't you? Prepare yourself!"

Before I could sprint over to intervene, Jessica, deducing that the goblin who threw me from my horse was the enemy leader, leveled her blade and lunged directly at him.

This is bad. That creature is in an entirely different league!! Jessica is no match for him!!

"HAAAAAAAA—!!"

I pour a massive surge of mana into my weapon, unleashing the full might of my magic sword.

The very origin of my title as the Wind Knight Princess—a long-range vacuum wave that manifests wind itself into an absolute blade. It was a flawless strike aimed directly at the goblin's blind spot, yet...

"Oioi. You gotta come up with some better tricks than that-ssu. Also, this onee-san smells like the same kind of person as me-ssu."

The goblin casually sliced my wind blade apart with a dagger.

Then he defeated Jessica in a single exchange.

"Guh..."

"The fact that you're still conscious is impressive-ssu. Here's a reward for that: I'm technically a commander, but I'm not the Boss-ssu. I'd absolutely hate having a stressful job like that-ssu."

Nothing he said made any sense.

...There is an even higher chain of command above a goblin of this caliber?

No, more importantly, my vanguard cavalry unit is on the absolute brink of total annihilation. I have to order a retreat...

My own body is practically uninjured. If I simply avoid that commander goblin and lead a breakthrough through a different section of the line, we can escape. Our total numbers are still overwhelmingly superior. While this is far from a proper battle, fleeing is still entirely possible.

Steeling my resolve, I pull away from the commander goblin, rushing to aid the soldiers currently being slaughtered by the other goblins.

"Forgive me, Jessica!"

Right now, locked in a duel with that commander goblin just to save Jessica would be the pinnacle of strategic foolishness. First, I must scatter the weaker goblins, rally my men, surround him, and crush him with numbers.

"Ah—yeah. The world really isn't that soft-ssu."

The commander goblin doesn't even bother to pursue me as I disengage, merely tossing those parting words over his shoulder.

"Get out of my way—!"

I had absolutely no time to ponder the meaning behind his words. I had to save as many of my men as humanly possible, as fast as possible!

CLANG—!

A high-pitched, metallic screech echoes across the plains.

My magic sword was stopped dead in its tracks by a completely ordinary goblin. Not the commander from before. Just a regular line soldier.

"Oh-ssu? This is Delta-04. Currently engaged with a somewhat onee-san. Secure my perimeter, over."

I froze in absolute horror.

To a regular goblin, I am merely... "somewhat strong"?

This is... disastrous.

The words of that commander goblin finally clicked within my mind.

'The world wasn't soft.'

The absolute strongest combatant in this entire army—myself—was currently locked in a desperate stalemate against a common enemy grunt.

The weight of what this implied was undeniable...

"RETREAT!! ALL UNITS, RETREAT IMMEDIATELY! SURVIVE IF YOU CAN!!"

There wasn't a single shred of a chance for victory.

The entire reason the enemy had scattered their formation from the start was to draw our forces deep into their web. After all, a single individual goblin possessed power entirely equal to, if not greater than, my own.

"Ah—sorry about that-ssu. It's already completely over-ssu."

"What...?"

As I desperately trade blows with the grunt before me, the voice of the commander goblin cuts through the air.

Over? What could that possibly mean?

Sensing that the tension had completely left my posture, the goblin I was clashing with casually lowers his weapon and steps back into formation. My hand hangs limp, the magic sword dangling loosely from my fingers as I slowly turn my gaze to survey the battlefield.

It was a sea of blood.

The only bodies littering the dirt belonged to humans wearing the familiar armor of my own unit. Not a single corpse of a goblin could be seen anywhere on the field.

Then, a faint rustle caught my attention—a blood-soaked suit of armor twitching slightly.

"You're alive! Hang on, stay with me! I'll carry you back to the main camp and get you medical treatment right away!"

Desperately hoisting my subordinate onto my shoulders, I finally turn my eyes toward our main encampment, only for my breath to completely seize in my throat.

"Ah... A-Ah..."

The grand banner of our main camp was snapped completely in two.

And from the center of our headquarters, thick plumes of black smoke were already billowing into the sky.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

I had been utterly defeated.