Side: Yuki
"Impressive... As expected of Mist-sama. Your deployment of troops is superb. I have much to learn from it."
"Not at all. The fact that you can comprehend this so readily, Miffy-sama, is proof that you studied diligently at the knight academy."
In front of me, Princess Miffy and Mist were happily discussing military tactics and troop deployment.
...Yeah. If your strategy boils down to form ranks and charge, then that's about as far as you'll get.
Strictly speaking, modern troop deployment isn't actually any different from the ancient ways. You catch the enemy off guard, shatter their lines, and achieve your objective. That is the fundamental premise.
The only real difference lies in whether you slam two massive mobs against each other to achieve it, or divide your forces into small squads to strike the enemy's vital points. Before you can even pull that off, you need to properly assess the situation, gather intelligence, and ensure you don't let a single window of opportunity slip through your fingers.
...Though, of course, the weapons involved change everything. One side fights with swords and bows. The other fights with rifles and missiles.
Man, back when I first started out, even I used to equip the goblins with swords and the like as their primary weapons. But nowadays, with Steve leading the charge, the monsters absolutely despise swords and bows. They complain that firearms are way more convenient.
I can totally understand where they're coming from, but I really don't think that's the kind of line a bunch of fantasy residents are supposed to be dropping.
Come on, dream a little!
Wouldn't it be cool to become some legendary swordsman cutting down enemies with incredible techniques?
Well, if a guy like that actually showed up, I'd just pop him from afar with a sniper rifle anyway.
"Yuki-dono, what are your thoughts on Mist-sama's strategy?"
As I was lost in these thoughts, Princess Miffy suddenly tossed the conversation over to me. And here I thought I was successfully enjoying a peaceful gaze out the carriage window.
To be honest, hearing them talk about troop deployment just made me think about how brutally merciless technological disparity really is.
Ah, wait, this won't do.
I need to give the Princess some kind of response...
"Mist-dono's deployment strategy is perfectly logical. However, I believe the most critical point is to never lose sight of achieving your objective, rather than focusing solely on the combat itself."
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Let's see. Defeating the enemy is merely one of many tools used to achieve an objective."
"Defeating the enemy is... just one of the tools?"
The Princess tilted her head in confusion.
Hmm, I guess that was a bit too abstract. How exactly should I phrase this...?
As I was trying to come up with an explanation, Jessica, who was sitting right next to me, spoke up in my stead. Ah, just for context—Seraria and the others were riding in a different carriage, but Ria and Jessica were riding with the Princess as my personal guards.
"Miffy-sama, since you studied at the knight academy, Yuki's words might be a bit difficult to grasp at first. The curriculum at the academy heavily emphasizes the movement of units and armies, alongside polishing individual combat prowess, correct?"
"Yes, it is exactly as Jessica says. I was taught that a knight's true purpose is to strike down enemies and protect the citizenry."
I see. In that context, defeating the enemy is viewed as the ultimate good. That kind of black-and-white simplicity is nice, honestly.
Back in Japan, you couldn't even arm yourself properly. The police had to deal with ridiculous, idiotic constraints where they weren't allowed to shoot even if they were being shot at, meaning the exercise of force was always kept to an absolute bare minimum.
"Indeed. That is certainly the ideal way for a knight to carry themselves. However, it does not mean one should aimlessly throw away their life on the battlefield."
"Aimlessly? Is falling on the battlefield not the ultimate honor for a knight? To remain the nation's sword and shield until the very end..."
"Certainly, once you stand upon the battlefield, wielding your sword and shield to execute your orders until your final breath is honorable. However, if a method exists to win that battle with minimal casualties—or even completely bloodlessly—and you choose to simply slaughter the enemy anyway, then you are merely intoxicated by the romance of being a knight."
"That is..."
"We knights and nobles frequently engage in a sport called hunting. We aim at our prey with a bow and bring it down. However, a hunter only relies on a bow when they happen to stumble across the beast by chance. Normally, a hunter sets a trap where the prey is likely to wander, and simply goes to check on it later. Do you understand the distinction, Miffy-sama?"
"...Both actions constitute hunting, and neither is incorrect. The difference lies entirely within the... objective? Is that it?"
"Precisely. War operates on the exact same logic. Yet, for some reason, an immense number of knights place an exaggerated value on pride. They believe combat is strictly about striking down the foe. However, it is not about merely ending lives. Wholesale slaughter of an enemy that has already surrendered yields no honor."
"Yes."
"Therefore, using a small, elite squad to take out the enemy's supreme commander and forcing the remaining forces to surrender is by no means an incorrect path."
"That is... true. ...I see. The strategies Mist-sama spoke of are certainly not incorrect, but the crucial point is that while utilizing them, one must never forget the ultimate objective: minimizing damage and securing a swift victory. Is that correct?"
"Exactly. However, that is not the only thing Yuki wants to say."
"?"
Hmm? What do you mean, Jessica?
Everything you've said up until now aligns perfectly with my thoughts, though?
"Miffy-sama, you are traveling to Enaria to be wed, but that marriage is not the end of your story. Even in the land you marry into, there will be citizens residing there, and you will become the wife of the lord who rules over them. You can support your husband, further develop the territory, or even leverage your Zilva royal bloodline to establish highly lucrative trade routes... Do you understand?"
"...Even if I am no longer a knight, the things I wish to protect—my core objective—remains entirely unchanged... The reason I became a knight in the first place was to protect the people and maintain peace."
"Yes. As long as you never lose sight of that sentiment and that ambition, you will never lose your way. Furthermore, we are acquaintances of yours now, Princess Miffy. If anything should ever happen, we will come running at a moment's notice. Conveniently enough, my husband happens to be a mercenary, so our movements are remarkably unburdened."
"...Jessica, thank you."
Ah, I get it now. By setting up the dynamic like this ahead of time, it'll make doing whatever we want with Princess Miffy's future husband's territory incredibly smooth down the line. Well, I'm sure Jessica was speaking from the heart to some extent, too.
"...Oh, is that the Enaria capital up ahead?"
When I casually cast my gaze out the carriage window, I spotted a castle looming in the distance.
"It appears so. It looks like an escort unit is waiting for us."
Following Mist's comment, I looked along the road and confirmed a contingent of armored soldiers heading our way.
Their weapons weren't drawn, so it was definitely the welcoming party. On our side, we only had enough guards to accompany the carriages.
Well, I do wonder about the optics of having mercenaries act as the official escort, but officially speaking, she's royalty. Being able to just pull the "I'm royalty" card sure is convenient. Maybe I should have a chat with Roshure's old man about that?
As these thoughts drifted through my mind, the Enarian welcoming party formed up around our carriages. The representatives of the escort, General Prism and General Aegil, stepped up to the front of our carriage.
"We have come to receive Miffy-ojousama and her esteemed entourage!"
It wasn't too loud or too soft — her voice carried perfectly into the carriage.
Impressive. I had only seen her through the monitoring screen before, but she really has the presence of a general.
Since I was the one in charge, I had to get out first.
If we were traveling within our own borders, an attendant like Sebas or one of the super maids would have stepped out from the adjacent carriage, but unfortunately, we didn't bring any maids along.
As the head of the security detail, the task naturally fell to me.
Left with no choice, I stepped down from the carriage first. Ria and Jessica followed closely behind me. Jessica quickly scanned the surroundings to confirm there were no anomalies, then reopened the carriage door, allowing Mist and Princess Miffy to step outside.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am Prism, a general of the Enarian military."
"Likewise, I am Aegil, also a general of the Enarian military."
The two of them simultaneously placed their hands over their chests and bowed in a deep, formal salute.
I'm not sure what Enaria's formal salute looks like, but since it's for royalty, it's probably something like that.
"I am humbled that the renowned Prism General has come to greet us personally. The distance to the capital is short, but we look forward to your guidance."
"Understood, leave it to us! All units, assume your positions! See to it that you cause absolutely no inconvenience to our guests from Zilva!!"
"""Yes, ma'am!!""
The moment Prism gave the order, the soldiers moved out in perfect unison. Man, they really are well-trained. They're a far cry from my goblins, who spend most of their time slacking off.
As I watched the soldiers executing their duties with crisp efficiency, Aegil walked over to my side.
"Yo. Looks like you managed to get released without any issues too."
"Yeah, but they immediately put me right back to work. They really know how to exploit people."
"Can't be helped. You're a general, after all."
"Speaking of which, you're supposed to be a mere mercenary, yet you've ended up guarding the Princess. Sounds like a rough time."
"Want to trade places?"
"I'll pass."
We shared a casual laugh.
"Yuki-dono, are you acquainted with General Aegil over there?"
"Ah, forgive my lack of manners, Miffy-ojousama. When I was present during the negotiations with the monster army, General Aegil happened to be there as well, which is how we became acquainted."
I had already reported the details to Marley, Mist, and Olive, but since the information hadn't filtered down to the Princess, they probably figured it wasn't something worth bringing up to her directly.
"My, in that case, the fact that the monster army refrained from attacking us was entirely thanks to General Aegil's efforts, then?"
"Eh?"
"Wasn't it?"
Aegil froze completely at the Princess's question.
Well, yeah, having to admit that you got your food stolen and were held as a hostage to guarantee supplies is pretty embarrassing. I suppose the pride of a nation is on the line here, so maybe I should throw her a bone and put her in my debt.
"Strictly speaking, it's a bit different. General Aegil and General Hein were the ones handling the situation. By the time I arrived, the discussions had already wrapped up. Going by General Aegil's reaction just now, I imagine General Hein was the one who ultimately finalized the terms."
"I see. Even so, there is no doubt that General Aegil undertook a highly dangerous mission to ensure the safety of our journey. You have my gratitude."
"No... as a general, and as a citizen of this land, I merely performed my duty. Once this ceasefire is formally established, we will finally halt the bloodshed between our nation and Jilva. Though we have suffered an unfortunate clash, I truly hope this serves as an opportunity for us to walk the path of peace together."
"Yes. To build that very peace, we must ensure these ceasefire negotiations succeed."
"Though my contribution may be modest, I offer my full cooperation. For starters, I swear upon this blade to protect you throughout our journey."
With those words, Aegil drew her magic sword and held it horizontally before her face with both hands. I wasn't entirely sure if it was a knight's oath or a magic sword wielder's tradition, but it seemed to be a unique declaration method.
Man, to think Aegil could turn on the charm like this. I guess she didn't attain the rank of general purely on fluke.
Before long, the soldiers had completed their formations, and we climbed back into the carriage to resume our trek.
"Well, we're finally entering the Enaria capital. Let's just hope nothing goes wrong..."
Seriously, what is it about wishing for peace that makes it feel like an absolute flag? I never used to have the kind of miraculous flag-triggering constitution that my best friends possessed, though.
* * *
Side: ???
Finally, the day has arrived.
For the sake of this single day, I have spent every moment since that fateful afternoon vomiting blood and enduring the unendurable. The moment my comrades receive word of my success or failure, they will begin moving out one after another.
Whether I fail or succeed, there is no stopping it now.
It is exactly the same as back then.
No, the truth is, things have never stopped moving since that day. After all, we have been marching toward this exact moment ever since.
"May this event mark the very last sorrow to plague this continent..."
As if offering a prayer, I gripped the sword tightly and channeled my magical energy directly into it.
"Ah... gh... ugh..."
An intense agony rippled violently through my entire body. My vision repeatedly flashed bright and dark. The pain was far more severe than I had anticipated.
And yet, I knew it was only natural. After all, this magical energy was the concentrated mass of everyone's desperate wishes.
"Haa... haa..."
After being tormented by the excruciating pain for a short while, my condition finally began to stabilize. It seemed the treatment had been executed correctly.
Now, all that remained was to begin.
"The very moment they reach out to grasp the ceasefire they so desperately desire, they shall plummet into ruin... Rejoice, for this is no tragedy. It is merely a well-deserved retribution."
I began walking down the pitch-black corridor.
The moment I see the light... Everything... will begin.
"Today... the nation known as Enaria shall disappear."
