4

After I’d smashed the imperial machines to bits, I followed behind Belgio’s squad, heading straight for their base.

It was an open spot in the woods—smaller than the place we’d rested just a moment ago.

Tents lined up like pickled plums, soldiers patrolling all around.

The guards flinch at the sudden appearance of the Armunale—just for a moment—but calm right down once they realize their own unit is at their feet.

Sorry, but could you wait just a moment?

Understood. If we stay like this, the imperial side might spot our position any moment. But you’ll be alright crouching, right?

Yeah, sorry—got a favor to ask.

Got the okay, I crouched the machine down. Folded the wings, managed to stay lower than the treetops in the woods.

But still, a white machine in the woods stands out like a sore thumb. Maybe we should drape it in camouflage netting—no, wait, better not. We’ll need to move quick, so let’s skip that.

I cracked open the cockpit, letting the stale air out, when Geo came back.

“Talked it over with the overall commander. He wants to meet you in person. Think that’s doable?”

“Of course. I’d like to see your side of things too.”

I hopped down from the machine and landed right in front of Geo.

“Oh—right. Two more from my squad should be arriving soon. Could you look after them? Both women.”

“Ah. Then I’ll set up a tent. Near the machine okay?”

“Thanks.”

“Follow me.”

Guided by Geo, I walked between the row of tents, until we reached the one that stood out—bigger than the rest.

Geo pulled the tent flap just a crack and called inside.

“Lady Ruinel, the pilot of Armunale…”

Then he stopped mid-sentence and turned back to me.

“Sorry—forgot to ask your name.”

Ah, right. I hadn’t introduced myself yet.

“Eld.”

“Eld-sama has arrived.”

“Come in.”

A woman’s voice came from within.

I hesitated, then stepped through the gap Geo had made in the fabric.

Inside, a large table stood in the center, cluttered with weapons and papers piled in the corners.

And standing just past the entrance, facing the table—there was one woman.

First thing that hit me? Her skin.

She wore a tank top and shorts, bare-armed, bare-legged, her chest exposed—sun-kissed, golden, glowing with that healthy, lived-in sheen.

The twin peaks glowed with a pendant, impossible to ignore.

Her brown hair was cropped short, a bob, with just the fringe pinned sideways with a hairpin.

A woman like one from a summer city—there I was, frozen for a second.

“Kukku, surprised, are we?”

“Ah, uh, yes. Are you the commander-in-chief?”

“Yeah. I’m Luneir del Belgio, commander of the Second Defense Division.”

“Belgio…”

There was only one meaning to a name that bore a nation’s name.

“That’s right. Back home, they call me the First Princess of Belgio Kingdom.”

War with the Empire. The commander of a guerrilla unit operating on the front lines—normally, someone like her wouldn’t be getting her hands dirty like this. A princess from the Belgio Kingdom.

Deep in the woods of Belgio—Eld—met the Belgio princess—there.

I tried to play it cool, like some wandering traveler reminiscing—though honestly, this isn’t a joke. This is a real problem, isn’t it? Well, my princess does show up near the front lines all the time, and in this world, that’s not exactly… no, wait. It’s a huge problem.

"Uh, is this really okay?"

Hahahaha, no surprise there. I practically ran off like a runaway myself. But thanks to these folks welcoming me with open arms, I ended up here—somehow, without even noticing how it happened.

The orders from Lady Luneir are sharp as a blade. Thanks to her, we’re still able to keep fighting. If we’d stayed with the old squad, I reckon the town would’ve been a battlefield a lot sooner.

That was Geo, stepping in behind me.

"Did you know how to lead, Lady Ruinel?"

Just picked up a bit from the library, that’s all. But between the current squad leaders and me, I’m managing to keep this unit running.

Uh… this is awkward, but… what about before?

All this “now” and “current” stuff keeps ringing in my ears.

So the old unit was worse at command, huh?

Yeah. The higher-ups in this country—quietly, I’ll say—were rotten, if you’ll pardon the phrase. Not that they were outright corrupt, mind you. Just stuck to textbook battles, nothing more. Result? Couldn’t adapt to how the Empire fights now. When I first arrived, they kept charging head-on like fools. Had to seize control on the spot, shove aside their old ways, force a new plan. Barely holding on, really. Though… it’s getting harder now.

Ah, right—Belgio didn’t have any standout industries, nor was it rich in rare ores. And since trade with neighboring countries ran smooth, it’d never been attacked. Not even a single time.

So they probably picked up some war manual from somewhere, used it as a guide. But the land here’s so skewed, the rules don’t fit at all.

And yet, the ones who knew no better followed it rigidly—got us into this mess.

Still, neither Armunale nor Abnomule was around, so who knows how long even Lady Luneir’s command would’ve held. Maybe fewer would’ve died.

“Now, we’ve shared our side. How about yours? What’s really going on?”

“Mine, you say? Hmm… what do you mean?”

When I play dumb, Lady Ruinel lets out a quiet chuckle.

"I'm royalty too. I understand your position. If Fatal just arrived, it means he's come here as an envoy, seeking cooperation from our side, right? So this interference now... I just can't believe it's sane."

She seems to get the gist, at least. Judging from how she’s talking, that little charade we just pulled must’ve already been relayed by fast riders.

That’s probably why I can feel Geor stifling laughter behind me, trying hard not to crack.

"Well, you know... my boss is just like that. Before any negotiations, I just... want to protect what I can."

"Kukuku... so that's how it is. Seems like you're quite the kind soul."

"Maybe we'll get along, Lady Ruinel."

They're both princesses, after all—wildly active, always eager to charge the front lines... if the two of them ever meet, things might get downright messy.

"Yeah. I’d like to meet her someday."

"You could see her when we return to the capital, you know?"

"You went to the trouble of keeping me here. Wouldn’t it be better to put me to use?"

"You’re sure you’re okay with that? I mean, I’m staying here, sure, but I wasn’t planning on seeing much action."

I’d been planning to play dumb—just happen to be here, keep the base secure, and let Berjio’s troops handle the real fighting.

But if I don’t act like I’m involved, I might end up being pulled into some kind of cooperation. All that careful pretending would be wasted.

"Relax. No problem there. I’m royalty, aren’t I? I can request formal cooperation on the field. The only one who could object would be my father—and he’s never been much good at standing up to me."

Lunel’s expression was like that of a girl who’d just pulled off a prank.

“So, I’d like you to join my unit and fight on the front lines. It’s a request for cooperation—no force behind it. Decide as you see fit, according to your superior’s will.”

“In that case, it’s settled. I’ll lend my full support. That’s also my superior’s will.”

And just like that, my participation in the battle at Belgio was sealed by an unexpected authority.

We were about to go over our next moves when a voice called from outside the tent.

“Excuse me. Two people claiming to be allied support have arrived. What would you like us to do?”

Lunel turned toward me at the sound.

Two people—Ange and Catrea, no doubt. I gave a single nod.

“Bring them in. Be polite.”

“Understood.”

A moment later, the tent flap opened, and two women stepped inside.

One of them, the moment she laid eyes on Lord Luneir, slipped behind me and covered my eyes with both hands.

“Too much for Eld-kun! Poison to the eyes!”

“Too late for that, don’t you think? We’ve already been talking for over thirty minutes.”

“Still no! In your wife’s presence, you should at least—”

“Self-restraint’s fine. But remember, right there, Ange’s in front of the Second Defense Division’s commander, the First Princess of Belgio. Maybe Ange should practice a little restraint too?”

“Huh?”

“Exactly. Well then, look after her.”

“Ah! S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

Ange dropped to her knees in a flash. Next to her, Catrea bowed normally.

“Apologies for the delay. I am Catrea, scout of the Second Princess’s personal guard, First Guard Battalion of the Armunale.”

I’m Ange, second maid in support of the Second Princess’s personal guard unit, First Royal Guard Armunale Battalion.

"Second Princess!?"

Yes. Forgive the delay—my name is Eld, captain of the Second Princess’s personal guard, second company of the First Guard Armunale. Please do keep me in mind from now on.

"So, you're saying the envoy this time is the Second Princess herself!"

Yeah, just understand that I’m serious about this much.

So, then I’d best have a proper answer ready too! For that, I’ll count on you, then.

Yes, please take care of it.

Me and Lord Luiner shook hands hard—tight enough to make my knuckles ache—and agreed to gather the unit commanders tonight to hash out the next move.

We made our way back to the tent they’d given us, and I quickly filled the two of them in on what we’d talked about earlier—just the gist of it—before we started figuring out what to do next.

That said, I’ve decided to stay here on the front line—Ange’ll be supporting me, that’s settled.

The issue is Catreia.

We’ve decided she’ll run ahead to explain the situation to the princess, but what comes after that’s the real question.

This headquarters is, in a way, temporary. If the Empire finds out, we might have to move. Which means if she comes back here later, she might find the place already abandoned.

So we’re left wondering—should we keep her with us, or have her travel with the messenger from Belgio?—

“What do you want to do, Catreia?”

“As for me? I’ll follow orders, naturally.”

“I’m torn, though.”

“Torn about what?”

Ange took the tea from her canteen, the memory of the guerrillas’ stares just moments ago still warm in her chest.

The guerrillas here’ve been pushed back nonstop—got a real stew of frustration built up. They hid their looks, sure, but still felt… off. You two’d’ve noticed it more, right?

“Huh. Yeah, well…”

That look—wasn’t it different from a man’s? Lighter. Less… heavy than one from a woman.

“Something felt off about that. Anyway, I’m sure it was trouble. Ange could’ve handled it one-handed, but Catrea’s in a pinch if surrounded. Can’t believe they’d attack a foreign soldier outright, but with guerrillas? Who knows what’ll happen.”

If they ambush us deep in the woods and blame it on the Empire, we won’t have a thing to prove otherwise.

I know the dangers of war well enough—so do you, and I won’t hold back when giving orders. But is it really so strange that I’d want to keep us away from risks that aren’t about battle?

“True… if it’s just me they’re after, resistance wouldn’t be easy.”

Cathrea’s a scout—stronger than a mechanic, but nowhere near a support maid’s level.

Surrounded? She’d be hard-pressed.

If even Cathrea says it’s tough, then my order’s clear.

“Cathrea, head to the princess’s group. Stick with her and help with security. Since Lady Ruinel’s there, the messenger network’s probably solid. Just assign the comms to Belgio.”

At first, I’d worried a bit—whether the line of communication between the border forces and the guerrillas was even holding, but then I thought, not likely, not with the First Princess around.

Probably just delayed, since we’d moved the base.

If that’s the case, the line back home’s gotta be tighter than ever. No need to risk Catalea.

“Got it. Any message to send?”

“Just write a letter—should be fine. Make sure he gets it, though.”

“Understood.”

We settled on our plan. Just waiting for the meeting to start.

◇

After showing Eld and the others to their tent, Ruinel silently gave herself a thumbs-up inside her head.

“Geo, gather all the battalion commanders from the Second Division right away.”

“All of them?”

"Yeah. Bring back the captains of the patrols too. No need to drag the meeting out. The deputy captains can handle the rest, can’t they?"

Even among the Second Defense Division’s six units, calling in every captain was rare—almost unheard of.

The forest was always full of patrols, scattered for surveillance and gathering enemy intel. That’s how it had been since Geo took command of the Third Unit.

In fact, since Geo had joined, there had only been two times when all the captains had been gathered.

Once when Ruinel became commander-in-chief. And again when the base was pulled back.

So, getting Eld’s help now… meant this was just as serious.

"Understood. I’ll send a messenger right away."

The moment Geo left the tent, Luinel slammed the table like he’d been holding it in all along.

“Right! Now we can strike back! No more letting those imperial bastards stroll through our land like it’s theirs!”

Armunale and Abnomyle were both huge threats to Belgio.

Armunale couldn’t even produce concentrated magical fluid—Hyimagia Liquid—and had no way to build a unit at all. Abnomyle ran on magical fluid—Magia Liquid—but the empire had been scrupulous in recovering their units, so no intel came through, and development had stalled.

That’s why the imperial forces could cross our border so easily… and now they’re already nearing the first town.

Even the great forest, nature’s own fortress, was no more than a fence to Armunale and the others.

Even after I took command, I kept worrying about it.

Without a real solution, guerrilla tactics were just temporary delays—and even those were being pushed back, bit by bit, until they weren’t even that anymore.

At first, when Fatal asked for cooperation, I thought—maybe. But the plan was to jointly denounce the empire and try to stall their advance. Meaningless for Berjio, already under attack.

So the king said no. And René didn’t object either.

I sent Fatal a roundabout refusal, figured we couldn’t help, and that they’d no longer be able to ask for our aid.

But that Fatal would send a royal envoy to negotiate and personally place his Guard Knight on the front lines—well, that’s nothing short of a miracle.

And I’d figured there’d be some sort of price to pay for it—something to get back, you know—but from what I’ve heard, that doesn’t seem likely either. Probably depends on how Father and his envoy sort things out. But from what Guard Knight Eld said, it doesn’t look like things’ll get that bad.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Lunel wasn’t about to let go of this chance—this one, with no telling if there’d be another.

Think on it. How to use him effectively, how to knock the Empire out with just a few moves.

Looking down at the map of the great forest, Luneir was scrambling to think—hard—while waiting for the captains to gather.

Next Time

Meeting of the Minds