1

Winter’s real grip slows the war down.

No matter how advanced Armunale-like technology gets, it’s still just a tiny bit of progress here and there—common folk don’t get to enjoy the benefits.

In the countryside, they’ve gotta stock up on food and firewood just to get through winter. And this year, we’ve been at war all across the land—from spring clear through to late summer. Nowhere’s got enough to eat. The government’s scrambling, buying up grain from foreign lands like it’s gold.

What with all that, the First Guard Armunale Battalion and the Second Princess’s personal guard are getting a little winter break after returning from Belgio!

Faaah… feels kinda relief, y’know.

Lying sprawled on the sofa, the warmth from the hearth makes me yawn without meaning to.

"Hey, Eld! Don’t just lie there—help me already! We don’t have time!"

That frantic fussing? That’s Ange.

She’s rushing around with the servants, setting the table in a hurry.

We’re having guests today, after all.

“Miss Ange, that cup won’t do. Try this one here.”

“Oh—right. The snacks? They’re all set, right? You’ve got the guest’s tastes figured out, haven’t you?”

“All set. She’s a well-known figure—details like that were easy to gather.”

“Good. The tea’s from Belgio, and I’ve got matching treats ready. Now—oh! What about music?!”

“Not needed for such a small tea gathering. I’ve already arranged it. Miss Ange, you should start getting changed soon.”

“Already?!”

The clock already reads half past two. The guest’s due at three—someone eager might be here any moment now.

I reach out from the sofa, catching Ange as she darts for the door.

“Ange, if someone comes, I’ll handle it—no need to rush.”

“Then why didn’t you help from the start?! Ugh!”

She puffs her cheeks, stomping back to her room.

I watch her go, then glance at the table set out.

White mat on the table, a bouquet of flowers placed just so, two teacups laid flat.

Two sets. Three chairs each. Just the right distance—close enough for all to talk together, yet room enough for each to speak alone if they want.

“Sir, is this acceptable?”

“Yeah, fine. Honestly, no need to stress over it. It’s just friends we’re inviting, after all.”

“What are you talking about! The upper nobility of Fatal Kingdom—especially the prestigious House of Ovan and the House of Lazar, their heirs, and even their fiancée and the swordmaster of their husband! We can’t afford to slack for a single moment!”

That’s how Head Housekeeper Hauki, the one we hired, huffs and puffs.

She used to work in the palace, back in the day—though now, with age, the court manners are too much for her. The princess herself introduced her to us.

Thanks to her, our household staff are all top-notch. They were just regular applicants at first, I’m sure. But somehow, while we were away for half a year, they got trained—no one noticed when, exactly.

"True, that way of putting it makes them sound like quite the crew. But you’re telling me we’ve got a classmate from academy days and their fiancé as teachers? And even though we’re nobles, we’re just low-ranking minor nobles at best."

"What on earth are you saying? The master of the house has been granted noble knighthood and is now hailed as a hero of Fatal. How could serving such a master be on par with the duties of some low-ranking noble or minor noble? It simply wouldn’t be allowed!"

No way I’m going to talk her down.

I let out a sigh, and almost at once, the front door chime rang.

"Looks like they’ve arrived."

"Yeah. Then let’s go."

As expected, Ange hasn’t finished changing yet. Just like I said—better go meet them myself.

I hurry toward the front door and open it. There she stands, a woman holding a basket.

"Long time no see, Eld-kun."

"Rene-san, it's been ages."

There she stood—Rene, my sword instructor.

We'd grown distant since I graduated from the Academy, but when I invited her to a little tea gathering, she agreed without a hitch.

"Here's a little something."

She handed the basket to the housekeeper. Inside were all sorts of fruits, piled high.

I peered in—my breath caught at the sheer amount.

Just holding it was a chore. The housekeeper’s arm started trembling.

"So much… thank you. Just take it to the kitchen for now."

"Understood."

I watched her scuttle off, relief in her step, and turned to guide Rene into the sitting room.

"Ange’s changing right now—she’ll be out soon."

"Seeing Ange again after so long… I’m really looking forward to it."

Stepping into the room, Rene lets out a soft sigh, warm air puffing from her lips.

"Coat, I'll hold onto it for you here."

Thank you

Looking at Rene taking off her coat, I suddenly realize—this is the first time I’ve seen her in casual clothes since our very first meeting.

She’s dressed up a lot more today, like she was invited to a tea gathering or something.

Something wrong?

It’s been ages since I’ve seen you in regular clothes.

Now that you mention it, I’ve been in a maid’s uniform all this time, even now—most days I’m still in one. So today’s outfit? Took me ages to decide.

Rene spins around with a, “How’s this?” and somehow looks barely past thirty—no, she could pass for the same age as Ange, standing right beside her.

Looks just right on you.

Thank you

I handed the coat I’d been holding to one of the servants who was getting the room ready, and told them to keep it neatly with the other guests’ coats.

Rene chuckled, watching the scene.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I just thought Eld-kun really is proper noble material, isn’t he?”

“Hmph.”

Yeah, from the outside it probably looks like he’s doing a proper noble’s job—making servants run around and all that. But really, it’s a bit different.

“When we first got back, both me and Ange were completely flustered. I mean, we’re used to doing everything ourselves, so I once nearly got yelled at for trying to do something myself.”

I’ve gotten used to giving orders—thanks to being captain, I suppose—but Ange still hasn’t gotten used to just leaving everything to the servants. She’s always right there with them, pouring tea, sweeping floors.

Honestly, though, I like the tea she makes. So it’s no bother to me at all.

We’re laughing like that when the door opens and Ange returns, dressed in her evening gown.

“Rene, you’re back. It’s been ages.”

“Ange, it’s been ages. You’ve gotten even prettier, haven’t you?”

“Ehehe, thank you. You haven’t changed at all.”

“Can’t change anymore, now. Too old for that. Still trying, though.”

I’d love to know exactly what kind of effort makes a woman in her late twenties look like she’s twenty, but it’s too scary to ask—so I tuck it away deep in my chest.

Then the intercom buzzes again.

I glance at the clock. Only fifteen minutes left till our appointment.

“Batis or Leon. Ange, stay and talk with Rene. I’ll get it.”

“Thanks.”

It’s awkward to cut the chat short, but I don’t waste time—just head straight for the front door.

On the way, I grab Hauki, who’s just come back from the kitchen, and open the door.

"Hey, you made it."

"Try a bit more noble, would you? Eld, thank you for having us today."

"Welcome."

There they were, right at the door—Leon and Batis, and behind them, a woman with pale pink hair. That must be Leon’s fiancée. Definitely got the kind of rack that’d make a man stumble...

"First time meeting you, Eld. Let me introduce her—my fiancée, Cimel."

"Lord Eld, thank you for having us today. I am Cimel Lorentz, Leon’s fiancée. Please do keep me in mind."

Cimel stepped forward from behind Leon, lifting the hem of her dress just slightly and giving a small bow.

That movement—perfectly aristocratic. Simple, yet graceful.

"Such a polite gesture. Nice to meet you, I’m Eld. Ange mentioned you’ve been kind enough to look after her—so thank you, for that."

It was Madame Cimel who taught Ange how to carry herself like a noble. Thanks to her, Ange can attend court parties without feeling flustered—though honestly, I’m the one who feels embarrassed, dragged along by her grace like this.

“Word of you has been heard. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

“Standing out here’s silly—let’s get inside.”

“And you, try acting a little more like a noble, would you?”

Batis pushes past me and Madame Cimel, stepping into the house.

He’s right, of course, so I lead the three of them into the room.

“Not bad taste. Calm, but with a spark.”

As we walk down the hall, Batis murmurs, eyeing everything.

Leon nods in agreement.

“True. The furnishings don’t shout, but each one glows with quiet presence. Did Ange pick these?”

“No, the head housekeeper. Honestly, neither Ange nor I were even at home. When we left, it was pretty bare, but when we came back—look at this.”

“Wow.”

I’d set up an account where part of my salary automatically went to the head housekeeper for upkeep. I’d just asked her to, well, put in enough furniture to keep things from looking too embarrassing, and then I’d left. Never thought she’d go this far.

I’m pretty relaxed about it—actually kind of like it—but I wonder if it looks decent enough to an upper noble’s eye.

A little relieved that my own taste hasn’t gone completely off the rails.

“Alright, then. Rene’s here now, everyone’s gathered—let’s get started.”

I led the three of us into the room where Ange and Rene were chatting, and our first little tea gathering officially began.

Call it a tea party, but really—there’s no rule saying we *have* to do this.

A proper tea party’s just about chattering, fooling around, and swapping bits of news—no rules, really.

Everyone here’s known each other, except for Seimel and Rene, who’re meeting for the first time.

We kept introductions light. Started off with me and Ange showing off the souvenirs we picked up from Belgium, and slowly drifted into catching up.

“Still running around after Her Highness, huh? Oh, right—Leon and I parted ways after picking up the unit in that buffer zone. Back then, I really couldn’t have managed without you. Gotta say thanks properly.”

Leon had gone to the trouble of delivering my new model all the way from Avila Booster. I’ll never forget that favor—not even in death.

But then, just after, I had to rush off to Belgium. Didn’t even get to say proper thanks before I left.

“It’s just that my hands happened to be free. No need to worry about it.”

“Hmph. You say that, but you were practically burning the midnight oil training to pilot Leon-sama and Eld-sama’s machines. Said you wouldn’t be able to fight properly if I hadn’t delivered the message.”

“B-But that’s—too much!?”

Leon flustered, face crimson from Seimel’s blurt.

Batis and Rene just smirked, watching him squirm.

“Leon’s got a real hot-blooded streak, you know. Always so cool and collected, but behind the scenes, sweating it out.”

“You can tell from the calluses. Still training with the sword, aren’t you? Even now.”

“Ugh… that’s not the point. Eld’s not interested in that. He wants to know how we did.”

“Yeah, but I’m curious about your side too.”

That calm guy putting in all the hard work behind the scenes—Leon, you’re basically the main character, no joke.

“Don’t sweat it! Anyway, after splitting from Eld, I stayed behind at the fortress, helping with cleanup and salvaging wreckage. I was supposed to meet up with the squad leaders there anyway. Just cleaning up after the war, really. Later, I rejoined the unit as deputy commander and took on guard duty.”

Ah, so basically just doing standard Armunale unit stuff, huh.

I glance over at Batis, and there he is, propping his head up with both arms, leaning back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.

"Been stuck on repairs this whole time. Originally planned to push north from the south and hit the imperial forces from the flank. But got played by a mercenary. The Abnomyle unit's been torn to shreds, and the Armunale’s down to two that can barely move."

"Such a strong mercenary?"

Leon doesn’t recognize who it is. But I know, from the way Batis’s shoulders tense, who did this.

"Reira, I’d guess."

"Yeah."

"Reira?!"

"Reira-san?...Wait, right, she’s—"

"Yeah. Our classmate. Now a mercenary with a nickname—‘the traitor princess.’"

"Such... the one who carried out the attack on the capital?"

Rene doesn’t seem to know much about it. Well, a scandal like a student who taught at the academy attacking the capital and stealing the Armunale? That kind of thing doesn’t spread easy.

“Did Eld meet her?”

“Yeah. Probably after fighting Batis. Cut her limbs off, tried to force a surrender—then someone interrupted and she got away.”

“Huh… so she’ll come back, then.”

“Yeah. I don’t get what she’s after, but she’s definitely trying to stir up war between Fatal and Overd. If that’s true, she’ll show up again in the next fight.”

We only had a moment to talk back there. Learned almost nothing. But looking at how they’ve moved so far—no doubt they’re pushing toward war.

“What’s Eld planning to do? Try to get her to surrender again?”

“No, kill her. This time, no questions—aim straight for the cockpit.”

I answered right away, and Batis and Leon blinked, then nodded as if they’d expected nothing less.

“Ready to die, are you?”

“Better than wasting time on the battlefield, I reckon.”

The mood darkened when we got to Rayla.

I tried to change the subject, drifting back to Batis.

“So, you’ve been fixing things the whole time? You came back to the capital?”

“No, been repairing with Captain Elexia’s squad at a nearby base. Unlike your ride, mine’s got plenty of interchangeable parts.”

“Damn shame about the maintenance. Got nothing but complaints from the crew.”

“Anyway, after the repairs, did a test run patrolling the border, then came back here during a lull in the mission.”

“Didn’t that stretch a bit short? Less than a month, wasn’t it?”

"Yeah, just happened to hit the switch-over timing, huh."

"No, not really. This was probably what headquarters had in mind."

Leon shook his head at us, who’d thought it was just luck.

"The units that came to relieve us? Almost all of them were brand-new this year. Sending them to guard through winter... means they’re planning to pull them back from the capital when spring hits."

"Yeah, that makes sense. So that’s why we got to come back now."

Batis seemed to get it, but the women weren’t quite following, so I filled in the gaps.

"Spring’s when we’ll probably face Overd head-on. So they’re training up battle-hardened squads during winter, then rushing them into the buffer zone the moment spring comes."

"So that’s what it means. Another war’s starting, huh."

"Technically, it's still going on right now. Neither side's got the luxury to stop, but once they've got a moment to breathe, they'll be back at it."

"But that's exactly why the princess from Eld's side is moving, isn't it?"

"Right. That's why she went all the way to Berjio."

The treaty with Berjio had pretty much completed the blockade against Overd. With these nations united in issuing a joint condemnation, Overd’s hands would be tied.

That should force Overd to come to the negotiating table.

"Leave the diplomacy to the royal family and the ministers. All we need to do is make sure our machines are flawless, no matter what happens."

"Yeah. Still, the princess isn't planning to go anywhere this winter. Makes me worry her hands’ll go stiff from inactivity."

"Then we’ll be the ones to spar with. Captain Excilia’ll be here in person soon enough—let’s do a full drill together."

Leon let out a single sigh at Batis’s suggestion.

"Didn’t I just tell you to get the machines fully prepped? If you’re gonna do it, at least wait till Abnomyle."

"Then I’d just be useless."

Sure, fighting at Abnomyle teaches something—but my current machine’s control system’s too different. In the end, it won’t help me keep my real machine’s reflexes sharp.

"Ah, well, we’ll figure that out later. Now, how about you, Rene? Got any interesting new recruits from the academy? Something juicy?"

"Indeed. I’ve noticed more commoners aiming to become knights lately—probably inspired by Eld, I’d say. They’re still behind the nobles in studies, of course, but they’re clinging on with both hands."

Before, most common-born students got weeded out by the first half of their first year. But this year, more than half are still hanging on. And nearly all of them—apparently—look up to me. I’ve never even met them face-to-face, yet somehow I feel a bit embarrassed about it.

“Eld-sama’s stories are pretty famous around town, you know. Plenty of kids look up to him. My friend’s younger brother’s even started studying for the entrance exam just so he can become a pilot like Eld.”

“Feels kind of… ticklish, honestly. But still—just one of them getting fond of Armunale? That’d make me happy.”

Once they’ve actually ridden it, they’ll understand the fun of piloting Armunale, no doubt.

Then all we need to do is turn that joy into motivation.

But—

“…Still, combat training might not matter much in the future, you know.”

“Next time, we’re ending this war for good.”

“Of course.”

“Just wonderful. I’m counting on you—but don’t go throwing your life away, now, okay?”

“Of course not. Ange’s waiting.”

“I’m not leaving behind Sheimer, either.”

“Me neither. There are plenty of girls back in town who’re waiting for me to come home! Not planning to kick the bucket, no way.”

“Feels like Batis just ruined the mood, somehow…”

The tea gathering continued, calm and unhurried.

◇

A loud *thud* made the attendants flinch, shoulders jerking.

The source of the sound was the fist still trembling, red as blood, pounding the table.

“Got caught. Forced an escape route, they did.”

Ines was staring at two reports, just delivered today.

One from the nation that’d asked for a joint statement. The other, a declaration from Overd, aimed at every neighboring country.

“Thinking we’d underestimated Overd’s strength? No—Overd was definitely spent. And yet… they just fell so easily? Where’d we miss the mark?”

Ines muttered as she read through the reports, turning the puzzle over in her mind.

The joint statement hadn’t been finalized yet, but the neighboring nations were nearly in agreement. So if Overd had moved troops before their declaration, the surrounding countries should’ve been preparing to act in concert—exactly as the statement called for.

But Overd had outpaced them.

Just one day. And a small raid, too—one country taken down with barely a whisper. One of the rare nations blessed with Abnomyle.

That’s what cracked the unity. A few nations—mostly those on the far side of Fatal, opposite Overd—started hesitating.

They were the ones who’d paused on issuing the joint statement.

A declaration to prioritize the elimination of nations possessing Abnomyle. After seeing something like that issued—and then actually watching a single country get crushed—it’s no wonder they hesitated. But—

That was the contents of the second report. One of the nations scheduled to issue the joint statement had come back asking to withdraw it entirely.

That nation also possessed Abnomyle. If they’d really put their minds to it, they wouldn’t have fallen in a day. But the fact that the Cora Kingdom had been wiped out in just one day had shaken their leadership to the core.

“If we don’t have to worry about what’s behind us anymore, Overd will definitely target Fatal. The spring war is unavoidable…”

What was the point of the joint statement, then?

Ines couldn’t help but growl in frustration.

And the one who’d caused it all—

“Elishard Mercenaries. You’ll never stop tormenting Fatal’s people, will you?”

The mercenary unit that actually crushed the Kingdom of Cora, as written in the report. Though just a band of mercenaries, this group possessed three Armunales—Ines marked them as Fatal’s top priority target, and sent word to every Armunale unit.

Next time…

The end of winter draws near. Full-scale war preparations are beginning.

In the midst of it all, Eld and the others are shoved into a military parade—forced to boost the soldiers’ spirits.