Editing Rakuin no Monshou:Volume4 Chapter2 (section)

=== Part 1 ===

Winding back time a little to a few days before Esmena Bazgan left Taúlia.


The morning sun was glittering on the surface of the Yunos river.
Early that morning, a ship sailing down the river had moored at the pier, and half-naked men were carrying food and goods into Apta Fortress. The soldiers on guard were watching over them, yawning. As the war with Taúlia had just ended in peace, it was inevitable that they should be lacking any feeling of tension.

In the midst of that, Orba had raised himself up on his bed and the sun shone on his gloomy profile. Without moving in the slightest, he stayed rigid in that posture. Perhaps following somebody's good advice, Dinn, who would always come to wake him up early, was nowhere to be seen. ''Probably Shique'', Orba thought vaguely; in fact, he had knocked on his door about three hours after dawn.

"Orba, are you awake?"

"Yeah." 

The door opened as Orba answered. He stared blankly at Shique who was standing before him. Shique hadn't really thought anything of that rapid response, but unexpectedly, Orba was already getting dressed. He smiled to see that he appeared to have pulled himself together,

"What about breakfast? I can have it prepared at once, but..."

"No", Orba walked by Shique and went out. "Right now, I'm going to have you put together a military troop. Gather these people for me."

Shique was startled but, as he noticed that craftsman working on the fortress' repairs were coming from the opposite direction, he bowed with the attitude of an Imperial Guard before the prince.


Orba had selected various commanding officers for the reinforcements to be sent to Garbera. Said reinforcements were no more than a mere hundred. There were twenty mounted cavalry and dragoons respectively, as well as ten sky ship pilots doubling as regimental soldiers for the airship division, that were members of the Imperial Guard. Other than that, all the other infantry soldiers were battlefield slaves.

Such was the information that reached Gouwen's ears.

"Aren't there too few foot soldiers?"

"The rest will be set free," Orba answered in a terse mutter. 

After Apta's defensive battles, the troop of more than fifty former sword slaves turned infantry soldiers led by Pashir expected to be released from their status as slaves. His hand had been detaining them for a while now but, "A promise is a promise."

Gouwen merely said 'Right', and no longer argued about the organisation. Pashir was the commander of the infantry, while in addition, Gouwen himself was appointed as adjutant to this military troop and so would go to Garbera. However, this time the one whose eyes went roundest at his own situation was surely Kain.

"I'm going to lead the military troop? It, it's a joke, right?"

Their acquaintance from the days in the Tarkas gladiatorial group went pale with dismay. As he conveyed the message, Shique smiled wryly,
"Not you. The one who will be leading the troop to the bitter end will be ''Orba''. The masked former gladiator who won the position of Clovis. The prince says he has to stay here – you get it, right?"

"I-I've never taken command in warfare!"

"It's fine to leave that to your adjutant, Gouwen. It's fine if you just stand at the front shouting 'Go, Goo!'"

"That again?"

At the battle of Zaim Fortress, Kain had been made to do something very similar.

"That Orba, since rising to greatness, he's gotten into the habit of playing truant. Honestly, he'll come by his deserts."

"Worse than the gladiator contests, eh?"

The preparations for the Dragonstone cruisers departure also began before noon. Once supplies were loaded, the airships would be brought in.
Orba watched the air carriers' landing port without saying a word. His arms folded and his expression dark, he seemed even harder to approach than usual. He looked as though he would kill anyone who approached him, so no one spoke to him.

For a while now, Vileena Owell, who was watching that figure from behind, had wanted several times to call out to him but had given up each time. That Gil Mephius had chosen to send reinforcements to Garbera was a joyful thing, however this time, the prince would be staying at Apta.

As the Imperial Guards and the Independent Infantry unit made up most of the reinforcements, it meant that the military forces remaining in Apta were – starting with Shique – ten or so Imperial Guards as well as the main force from General Oubary's Black Armoured Division. Certainly, as lord of the castle, Gil should no doubt stay and exercise his authority over it, however she had a feeling that wasn't the reason why he wasn't moving.

That being said, Vileena naturally had no clear idea of what that reason actually was. Nor why he had pointed a sword at Oubary the previous evening, nor furthermore why he had been weeping, thus she felt that:

''It's frustrating''.

Just when she thought that the conflict with Taúlia had brought her a little closer to his heart, this happened and she found herself understanding Gil less and less. Unintentionally, she let slip those feelings to Theresia.

"Are men so hard to understand, I wonder."

Without thinking of it as the tedious complaints of a fourteen-year-old, or rather, while thinking that it was a problem appropriate for adolescence, Theresia nodded with a complicated expression.

"It is the same thing for gentlemen. Their whole life long, they never seem to be able to understand women."

"Is that so?"

Even while talking to the maid who had served her for many years, Vileena's heart was agitated for various reasons. It wasn't just because of Gil, it also seemed that Ende and her home country of Garbera would soon be at war. It was because of this that Gil was preparing to send reinforcements, however this wasn't a decision coming from his country. There were rumours that the emperor, Guhl Mephius, seemed to be in contact with Ende. It was unclear what kind of effect the prince's current actions would have on the relationship between Mephius and Garbera - and on Gil and Vileena's engagement.

Though the prince was wrapped in an unapproachable atmosphere, there was one person who rudely stepped up to him. Gouwen. Orba didn't spare him a single glance as he approached but,

"Do you think this will be as hard a battle as Zaim Fortress? Because Kain is already shaking in his boots," he asked in a whisper.

"No", Orba's response was immediate but his attitude remained grim even as he spoke. "Ende probably thinks that Mephius won't get involved. There should be ongoing talks about just that. So to start with, they won't be prepared for this. If we make a flashy appearance, Ende will realise that they are at a disadvantage and probably won't make a move."

"Which means that the timing is crucial, huh."

"Whenever possible, it's best to act before the hostilities start. When it comes to the point that you're already crossing swords, for the enemy too it's too late to withdraw."

However, to repeat once more, these reinforcements were few in number. If they joined the battle, Ende would surely also realise that they hadn't been sent by Mephius itself.

"Noue said so too. This time, the greatest victory would be to not fight at all. Ende has its own circumstances. There is a risk it will cause considerable damage, but I don't think it'll progress like Zaim."

Having said that much, Orba glared at Gouwen.

"What is it?"

"...... Nothing."

Orba kept his mouth shut and wouldn't say another word. Gouwen understood that much. Despite this, he deliberately questioned him. And had gotten little from this Orba whose real intentions were impossible to read. Gouwen stared at him for a while, then, when he was about to open his mouth,

"Your Highness."

A soldier galloped up with so much vigour he seemed about to land at Orba's feet. The watch tower to the east of the landing port was in something of an uproar.

"What is it?"

Gouwen asked in Orba's place. However, his eyes almost immediately caught sight of the cause. In the now sunny sky, he thought that he could make out the shape of an air carrier which, accompanied by an escort of several airships, was coming down in altitude as it approached the landing port. On its flank, it bore the Mephian coat of arms.

When he saw the figure of the girl who was the first to alight from the ship, Gouwen muttered,

"So it's the imperial princess. They've sent no messenger either by post-horse nor by airship."

Followed by a group of maids, Ineli Mephius walked towards them. Her beautifully fair complexion and pale red lips were so completely out of place in this border fortress that the surrounding soldiers instinctively seemed to want to flee.

When Ineli noticed Orba – no, to her he was her step-brother, Crown Prince Gil – she waved her hand, smiling. With evident satisfaction at the surprised gazes she was gathering, she walked up to Orba and curtsied.

"It's been a long time, Your Highness, Crown Prince Gil. I am glad to find you so healthy."

"Ah", said Orba, without adding anything else. Ineli puffed her cheeks in a pout.

"Even though your cute little sister has travelled a great distance to come and surprise you, you act so coldly."

"Really?"

As far as Orba was concerned, still having to play the crown prince was nothing but a troublesome pain. A strange sense of weariness had enveloped his body and mind. Because of this, his manner was more brusque than usual. Patiently waiting, Ineli observed him from the side.

"Well now, really. It appears that Ax going as far as to personally attack the fortress wasn't just a rumour. Brother, how wonderful it is that you are safe and without a single injury. But did you not think what you did was very scary?"

"Yeah, true", as Gouwen gave his back a small shove, Orba grudgingly threw in some appropriate words. "......And, what’s your business?"

"What’s my business?"

Ineli's arrogant smile slipped for a moment and, with a casual sidelong glance, she looked towards the airship that was being prepared to be sent as reinforcement. The dragons were currently being loaded into the warship. At the front of the ship, a scattering of armed soldiers could be seen for the first time. Ineli's lips once more curled into a smile.

"But I thought that my brother would be lonely in this border land, so I came to visit in order to console him. Would those be the reinforcements being prepared for Garbera, I wonder?"

"Yeah."

Gil nodded and for some reason, Ineli's eyes laughingly lit up like those of a small child who had just thought of a mischievous prank.
"I see. Surely, the people of Garbera will be delighted."

"We are deeply touched that you took the trouble of travelling all the way here." Gouwen bowed. "It was truly kind of you to come to this distant place. I'm afraid that I don't know of any place that would be pleasing to Your Highness, but perhaps you would like to visit the citadel. Some of the soldiers can..."

"No. I want to have a look around by myself. By no means should you go to any trouble for me."

Ineli refused with a slight lifting of the hem of her skirt, then she and her group of attendant maids went to inspect the departure preparations. She looked all around the landing port. And her eyes met Vileena’s, who was also there.

She gave an acknowledgment in the direction of Garbera's princess. Ineli didn't halt her steps, so it was no more than a single nod. Immediately after and as though she couldn’t control herself anymore, the edge of her lips twitched and she lifted her shoes more quickly.

As Ineli's back receded in the distance, Theresia said bitterly,

"Well, what kind of manners are those? Princess, please do not lose your temper over it."

"Theresia is certainly uncompromising."

Even as she spoke, Vileena had a bad premonition. Since being taken hostage by Zaat Quark, princess Ineli was supposed to have remained secluded in her own room. Although Vileena had been worried about her health, upon seeing the imperial princess who had now suddenly come to Apta, rather than feeling relieved, Vileena remembered her strange coldness.

At about that time, the various commanding officers that Orba had personally selected had gathered the soldiers that they themselves had then chosen and had brought them to the Air Carrier landing port where, following Gouwen's instructions, they stood in orderly rows.

Directly before them, Orba had called over Gouwen and the mask-wearing Kain and, under the pretence of giving them encouragements, he was speaking to them in a low voice.

"Kain, just do whatever Gouwen tells you to. If upon seeing this ship Ende doesn't retreat, join up with the garrison at Zaim. Do not use the ship to attack. There are a few escort ships, you can send those out."

"U-understood."

Noticing that the departure was imminent, Vileena ran towards them with quick, light steps. The one she approached wasn't Orba but 'Kain pretending to be Orba'.

"Orba, may the fortunes of war be with you. I earnestly entrust Garbera to you."

"Ha, ha haaa..."

Of course, since it was Kain, who had never met the princess, he was strangely over-formal. At his response, Vileena's eyebrows gathered in a slight frown.

"That reminds me, has the prince had the chance to return the medal to you?"

"D-do I have the medal? I-I wonder...."

Kain fumbled about in confusion. He had never heard about any of this and felt like cursing Orba. Since the person in question didn't appear to feel like sending out a life-boat for him, he could only stare fixedly at the real ship.

At this, Shique came to his rescue.

"But of course, princess. It is a treasured lucky charm that saved his life on the occasion of the gladiatorial games. Isn't that right, Orba?"

"Ah, aah, right. That's right."

"So I was able to meet ''him'' again."

A new calamity stepped up. As if to ignore Vileena, Mephius' Imperial Princess Ineli smiled at the swordsman in the iron mask. On the receiving end of a sweet smile that in no way befitted her age, Kain was at a loss what to do.

But it seemed that Ineli would not detain "Orba" for long.

"Mephius' new Clovis, I have great expectations for your military achievements." After giving a ladylike curtsy, she fleetingly raised her eyes towards the tiger mask in an imploring glance. "Someday, let us meet to talk in a more leisurely manner."

Having said that, and as though to indicate that she had nothing further to do there, she and her maids left the air carrier's landing port.
Vileena, Shique and the others left behind involuntarily exchanged glances.

Chills he couldn't understand shook Kain's shoulders and made him shiver.

"Right, time to go!" Gouwen shouted.

A few moments later, they had boarded the cruiser and soon after that, as the eight ether-filled engines solemnly hummed, it rose from the landing port.

Unlike yesterday, today there was not a single cloud in the sky.

It was so blue that it felt like looking up at it stung Orba's eyes a little.