Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

User:Royaloyalz

2014-04-08T03:36:38Z

Royaloyalz: /* Light Novels I intend to start reading: */

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us! A huge thanks to all you lovely people!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]] Next in line ^_^

[[HEAVY OBJECT]]

[[Tokyo Ravens]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Rakuin no Monshou]]

[[Log Horizon]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

[[Silver Cross and Draculea]]

[[Black Bullet]]

[[Absolute Duo]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing: ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Date A Live

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out or when I continue reading the series ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Chrome Shelled Regios

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

User talk:Larethian

2014-04-01T06:37:23Z

Royaloyalz: /* Who gave you the green light to change my synopsis? */

==Otaria==
Yes of course, please fix anything that you deem necessary. That way I can learn a bit from you as well. -[[User:Hazue|Hazue]] 00:42, 7th July 2012 (GMT+8)

==Horizon==

Hmm? You mean the recruitment section I added? Well, editing would work fine or perhaps better, but I was hoping to imply that we were looking for translators too. -[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] 00:50, 8 December 2011 (CST)

Nevermind, misunderstood. -[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] 00:54, 8 December 2011 (CST)

Thanks; I understand what 異空間 means, but I wanted to see his take on it. - [[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] 00:41, 26 December 2011 (CST)
----

Late happy new year to you!

== what happened to dai densetsu....page as of March 14,2011==

Database error
A database query syntax error has occurred. This may indicate a bug in the software. The last attempted database query was:
(SQL query hidden)
from within function "". Database returned error "1205: Lock wait timeout exceeded; try restarting transaction (199.187.126.198)".

did you want me to be the editor for Itsuka? - bzk3000

sure, why not, if you're confident about your English :) --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 20:46, 16 March 2011 (EDT)

I'll do my best to keep up with it

dude, only 1 error on Ch 2. At this rate you won't be needing me by the end

nah. there's no guarantee I won't make a mistake :p. thanks :D --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 22:39, 24 March 2011 (EDT)

== Itsuten ==

My pleasure to help with the editing, it is an interesting story so thanks for the translating.--[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 09:53, 28 March 2011 (EDT)

I love the formatting you have done. I don't know why, but it makes it feel more 'mysterious'.--[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 03:27, 7 April 2011 (EDT)

Thanks. This has always been the way with Kagami's work, where the kanji+okurigana provides interesting information. May have to do it for DYD as well next time. --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 21:02, 7 April 2011 (EDT)

Regarding the spell error/wicked blade in V1C3, i believe spell error works better. However, it is up to you as to how it is properly translated. - Bzk

Spell Error is the reading, you can in fact call it the actual name, Wicked Blade is the writing. One should always read it as Spell Error. I only include the writing if it provides interesting and somewhat vital information that would be lost if only the reading is included. This is a style used by Kagami. I just haven't added a translation note yet. Well I forgot and will do it later. Even for Epee Rapier, he used Thrusting Blade and Slender Blade as the writing, but I didn't include those, because they are not interesting information to the plot; he did that for Epee Rapier so that Japanese people reading it can have an idea how it looks like, since they might be foreign to fencing swords. In other cases otherwise, there's a reason behind the multiple meanings, just like Vampire (Most Ancient Sorcerer). Not extremely important, but nevertheless interesting. And that's where the manga translation failed; everyone who has read that including reviewers thought that this is just another vampire story. While in truth, there's more to that. Kagami is a very prolific fantasy writer (well, he writes fast) and he has a love for epic-ness, and I can see Itsuten going well over 10 volumes; I won't be surprised if it goes over 20. ^_^ --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 15:40, 10 April 2011 (UCT)

Well, i'm not translating, so it's fine however it goes. Spell error does seem to work better, but if it is translated differently, then keep it. - Bzk

I think you don't really get my point. I already translated it to Spell Error, just that I left the writing. Well nevermind ^_^" --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 01:36, 11 April 2011 (UCT)
Please go back to translating Daidensetsu!!!!! You were so good at it and I really love the series

i did some editing on the epilogue but got logged out, so it doesn't register as me. FYI the changes are in the discussion on it. - Bzk

Noted with thanks --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 01:18, 11 May 2011 (UCT)

not a problem. Keep up the good work please :) - Bzk

Regarding the matsuri sewing thing in chapter 1, it seems to be blind slip-stitch or something like that. --[[User:Tap|Tap]] 08:12, 17 May 2011 (UCT)

noted with thanks, I'll check it XD --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 14:16, 17 May 2011 (UCT)

== DDnYnD ==

Thank you, I've been hoping someone would continue translating this. --[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 22:02, 1 April 2011 (EDT)

yeah. but I can't clone myself haha. --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 22:38, 1 April 2011 (EDT)

Sorry, didn't know you were the original translator when I wrote that.--[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 23:26, 1 April 2011 (EDT)

== IS reply ==

Okay, sorry about that. I only intentionally split them up like that to make it easier for Kira0802 to undo any specific changes he doesn't like. But if that's going to cause more trouble, then I'll do it as your say. Makes it easier for me, anyway. [[User:Perfect Chaos|Perfect Chaos]] 23:02, 28 April 2011 (UCT)

== STATUS ==

I have a new BIG project (work-related) coming my way, which requires my complete attention (since it's too important and big to delegate too much responsibility to others), which means everything I'm working on baka-tsuki will be stalled for an indefinite amount of time (a few months at least, a few years at most... I think ). I'll still try to finish Itsuten V2 C1, since I'm about a third done. Anyone who wants to take over the chapters I registered for Baka Test and Daiden is welcome to do so, since I only did 2 pages for both >_<. I apologize for any inconvenience caused. My frequency in the forums will also dwindle, but I'll still hang around as often as TLG probably, which is of course not very often. I'm still contactable but give me a few days to reply. If it's something stupid, I won't reply obviously. Peace. --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 03:39, 26 May 2011 (UCT)

The problem now is that I haven't bought the book yet, and I'll have to

== Sylthfarn Reply ==

The problem now is that I haven't bought the book yet, and I'll have to go to Kinokuniya someday to buy it. Another problem is probably I'm not sure if I can read the Kanjis well enough yet. Any advice in further studying Kanji?

Well, for the first question, I have only read the translated Manga. For the second, I'm having trouble recognizing some of the Kanjis, basically my vocab can be considered weak. Lastly, I'll try my best finishing the translating of what you sent me ASAP. -- Sylthfarn

== ItsuTen Vietnamese version ==

Hi, Larethian.
I'm a light novel fan.
If you don't mind, i'm going to translate your ItsuTen English ver. into Vietnamese [[User:Nhinguyenminh|Nhinguyenminh]] 14:38, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

sure --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 15:36, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

Thank you very much :D. Do you know how to make the words look like this '''{{Itsuten:Majuu}}''' [[User:Nhinguyenminh|Nhinguyenminh]] 16:34, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

just create template pages similar to those:
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Special:UncategorizedTemplates
see 36 to 40. they use the base template 25 (Template:Furigana). --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 17:34, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

I see. Thank you.

Feel free to sound out if you have problems making them --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 07:07, 22 June 2011 (UCT)

== Nav Template ==

Of course. Please specify the name of the project. I will begin work shortly after. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 06:49, 20 July 2011 (UCT)

[[User:Zero2001/Sandbox#Itsuka_Tenma_no_Kuro_Usagi_Nav_Template|Please take a look.]] There are some small teaks to do. I would like feedback on the linked talk section there. And it will be ready to roll out. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 05:29, 24 July 2011 (UCT)

Done. Simply write <nowiki>{{Itsuka Tenma Nav}}</nowiki> to get your nav box. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:01, 24 July 2011 (UCT)

<strike>Help me out by starting from vol 2. I'm doing vol 1. Done rest. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:14, 24 July 2011 (UCT)</strike>

Scratch the last post. It's all done. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:34, 24 July 2011 (UCT)

It's not your fault. Just that I have years of experience under my belt. As time passes you also will become more experienced and may even surpass me. So cheer up and never forget to ask for help. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 08:43, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

I will start working on Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu but it might take time. Basically my plan is to make 3 templates one for each part and then compile them all into one template via calling. Think "boxes and subboxes" or "templates and subtemplates" and you'll get it. But it will be tough. I can't say how long but I know it will take a while so please be patient. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 13:00, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

But there is one problem. Due to the different types of chapter names spanning the different stories and I am confused as to how you will name the chapter pages. If you were to give me a list of the names (not the links or the aliases, leave that to me) you plan to give the '''''chapter pages'''''. It would make things somewhat easier for me. Unfortunately the current number of chapter pages that have been created are not enough for me to postulate the pattern that the names will take, that is why I ask you. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 13:08, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

In that case I'll put it on hold. Whenever you're ready just send me the list of chapter page names. I'll immediately begin work on the templates after that. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 14:31, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

I now have an example of how the Densetsu template will look like. [[Template:Regios Nav|Here]]. Unfortunately there is nothing that I can do about the spaces between the subtemplates. I tried a few things but they didn't work so... sorry. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 15:18, 8 August 2011 (UCT)

Nah. It looks good to me too. I'll begin work as soon as you send me the list I mentioned above. No rush though. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 23:28, 8 August 2011 (UCT)

I've got some good news. It seems Teh Ping plans to translate DenYuuDen. Soon I'll have the required data on the page names and will be able to make the template you wished for. Just please don't tell me you changed you're mind, I'd be very sad if you did that. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 22:38, 31 December 2011 (CST)

== Punctuation and doublespacing ==

I need your help and support [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4564 here] buddy. It's a problem that seems small but adds up to a big one. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 14:35, 13 September 2011 (CDT)

== Interesting ==

Wanted to say that I had a lot of fun reading the Q&A. [[User:Kira0802|Kira]] ([[User_talk:Kira0802|Talk]]) 12:14, 1 October 2011 (CDT)

== About status ==

Hello, Larethian!

Thank you very much for changing my status. Could you change also status for my collegue, Sharkrahs? He's translating TMnI into Russian. Thanks for attention.
[[User:Rock96|Rock96]] 05:11, 11 November 2011 (CST)

Have fun on your trip, Lare. XD [[User:Kira0802|Kira]] ([[User_talk:Kira0802|Talk]]) 12:17, 15 January 2012 (CST)

Thanks for the link.-[[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]] 19:56, 22 February 2012 (CST)

== Big Selfish Favour ==
I just tried reading the teaser project for Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei and I liked it. This is going to be a huge selfish favour but I'm going to ask it anyway. PLEASE DO NOT DROP THIS PROJECT. I want to know what happens.

Well, me too...--[[User:Lawrence Craft|Lawrence Craft]] 20:46, 15 February 2012 (CST)

== Taking a shot at Mahouka Rettousei ==

Hey Larethian,

I'm not sure if you're still around here, but just wondering, is it cool if I take a shot at the translations for Mahouka Rettousei? I'm starting to love this series and I want to try it out.

Thanks,

[[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 23:02, 13 March 2012 (CDT)

My bad, I didn't know there was a Registration section. Fixed. XD

[[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 21:33, 15 March 2012 (CDT)

== RE:Translation standards ==

Got it, I'll see what I can do. I probably need to recover my lost HP and MP first. XD
[[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 02:44, 19 March 2012 (CDT)

Oh, I didn't know there was a forum here. mk, made a account using the same username. [[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 21:56, 19 March 2012 (CDT)

== Monogatari Series ==

Oh your right, thanks for telling me. Okay I'll redo them all from scratch. I'll leave the redirected pages alone now. --[[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]] 21:12, 21 March 2012 (CDT)

== Ore No Imouto ==

Can you help me with beta-reading please? My beta is not used to light novel, especially Orenoimo

Would you mind translating Oreimo's Chapter 4 of Volume 4??

== Asking for changing Monogatari Vietnamese page ==

I apologize in advance if I ask the wrong person, but seriously, I see you as a supervisor of many project so you may be able do something about this. The name of Vietnamese page has been Bakemonogatari for a while, so can you change it into Monogatari series to match the original English page (since we're adding Kizu, Koi, Neko and Nisemonogatari translations as well). If you're not in charge of this, can you let me know who should I contact?

== Submitting Translations ==

Hi,
I've register to translate the 4 chapter Mahouka KouKou no Rettousei short story Presidential elections and the Queen and I've already finished the First Chapter and want to know who I need to send it to and how I'm supposed to do that.

Sashiko

== Registration for Mahouka Kouka no volume 8 ==

Could you set up a registration page for Volume 8. There are a lot of short chapters that I think I could finish and post after volume 7 is completed but if Seitsuki is already working on them, I'll go and work on one of the four untranslated short stories. I am reluctant to work on volume 7 since at my pace I would have to work on one of the later chapters to make certain that there wouldn't be a skipped chapter since Dreyakis works at a much faster pace, and I don't think I would do a good job on the battle sequences.[[User:Sashiko|Sashiko]] ([[User talk:Sashiko|talk]]) 22:53, 28 January 2013 (CST)

== Mahouka Kouka no volume 8 -Chapter 3 ==

I don't know who translated chapter 3 but, both pages of the two page chapter appear to be there. Why is it listed as incomplete? [[User:Sashiko|Sashiko]] ([[User talk:Sashiko|talk]]) 22:47, 23 February 2013 (CST)

== OreShura ==
Do you mind if I pick up OreShua Vol 1 Chapter 9 that you started? [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]] ([[User talk:Cloudii|talk]]) 00:12, 5 April 2013 (CDT)

== Cross x Regalia ==

What is [[Cross_x_Regalia:Volume_1_Prologue]]? Do we need to create a project page for this, or delete it, or what? You apparently made it. --[[User:Saganatsu|Saganatsu]] ([[User talk:Saganatsu|talk]]) 22:18, 19 May 2013 (CDT)

== Mahouka Afterwords ==

Hi, Larethian

Could you please translate the afterwords of v10, 11 and 12?

== Orejyou ==

Hello Larethian, I don't think you remember me but I'm a translator for DAL. I've started a new projcet (or should I say, took up one that has been lying around in the forums), ore ga ojousama gakkou ni shomin sample toshite rachirareta ken. So I sorta need a supervisor to see that post and approve it for me before I can start the page, I was just hoping that you could take a look, thanks! The link is here: http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6064 [[User:Rozenbach|Rozenbach]] ([[User talk:Rozenbach|talk]]) 06:39, 11 March 2014 (CDT)

==Who gave you the green light to change my synopsis?==

To answer your question, no one? Well, it was pretty long ago, so please excuse me if I can't recall my exact thought processes at the time. I don't believe I knew that I was supposed to ask for permission with regards to the story synopsis at that point in time because I was still pretty new to BT then, and by the time I became "in the know" about project supervisors as well as the rules and regulations regarding the issues, it had completely slipped my mind.
What I wanted to do at that point in time was to improve the synopsis to how I felt it would be better, but it did not occur to me to actually ask for permission to do so then, so my sincere apologies for that. In addition, I did not know that it was actually that important a synopsis, I thought it was something akin to an introduction, if you will, to the story, just like those you see on normal wiki pages or on manga reading websites for example, so my thoughts were to make the flow better.

I now understand that it was a wholly mistaken assumption of mine that changing it like that would be better, as you mentioned that it is best to keep it as close to source material as possible.

Once again, apologies for such a mistake and for any inconvenience caused. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 22:49, 31 March 2014 (CDT)

I think that would be a great idea haha. Creating a guideline would probably reduce the number of such occurances from happening.

In addition, no worries regarding other project pages :) Ever since editing the MKnR project page I don't think I touched any others because I knew better after that.

Once again, apologies for any troubles caused. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 01:37, 1 April 2014 (CDT)

User talk:Larethian

2014-04-01T03:49:52Z

Royaloyalz: /* Who gave you the green light to change my synopsis? */

User talk:Larethian

2014-04-01T03:49:24Z

Royaloyalz:

==Otaria==
Yes of course, please fix anything that you deem necessary. That way I can learn a bit from you as well. -[[User:Hazue|Hazue]] 00:42, 7th July 2012 (GMT+8)

==Horizon==

Hmm? You mean the recruitment section I added? Well, editing would work fine or perhaps better, but I was hoping to imply that we were looking for translators too. -[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] 00:50, 8 December 2011 (CST)

Nevermind, misunderstood. -[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] 00:54, 8 December 2011 (CST)

Thanks; I understand what 異空間 means, but I wanted to see his take on it. - [[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] 00:41, 26 December 2011 (CST)
----

Late happy new year to you!

== what happened to dai densetsu....page as of March 14,2011==

Database error
A database query syntax error has occurred. This may indicate a bug in the software. The last attempted database query was:
(SQL query hidden)
from within function "". Database returned error "1205: Lock wait timeout exceeded; try restarting transaction (199.187.126.198)".

did you want me to be the editor for Itsuka? - bzk3000

sure, why not, if you're confident about your English :) --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 20:46, 16 March 2011 (EDT)

I'll do my best to keep up with it

dude, only 1 error on Ch 2. At this rate you won't be needing me by the end

nah. there's no guarantee I won't make a mistake :p. thanks :D --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 22:39, 24 March 2011 (EDT)

== Itsuten ==

My pleasure to help with the editing, it is an interesting story so thanks for the translating.--[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 09:53, 28 March 2011 (EDT)

I love the formatting you have done. I don't know why, but it makes it feel more 'mysterious'.--[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 03:27, 7 April 2011 (EDT)

Thanks. This has always been the way with Kagami's work, where the kanji+okurigana provides interesting information. May have to do it for DYD as well next time. --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 21:02, 7 April 2011 (EDT)

Regarding the spell error/wicked blade in V1C3, i believe spell error works better. However, it is up to you as to how it is properly translated. - Bzk

Spell Error is the reading, you can in fact call it the actual name, Wicked Blade is the writing. One should always read it as Spell Error. I only include the writing if it provides interesting and somewhat vital information that would be lost if only the reading is included. This is a style used by Kagami. I just haven't added a translation note yet. Well I forgot and will do it later. Even for Epee Rapier, he used Thrusting Blade and Slender Blade as the writing, but I didn't include those, because they are not interesting information to the plot; he did that for Epee Rapier so that Japanese people reading it can have an idea how it looks like, since they might be foreign to fencing swords. In other cases otherwise, there's a reason behind the multiple meanings, just like Vampire (Most Ancient Sorcerer). Not extremely important, but nevertheless interesting. And that's where the manga translation failed; everyone who has read that including reviewers thought that this is just another vampire story. While in truth, there's more to that. Kagami is a very prolific fantasy writer (well, he writes fast) and he has a love for epic-ness, and I can see Itsuten going well over 10 volumes; I won't be surprised if it goes over 20. ^_^ --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 15:40, 10 April 2011 (UCT)

Well, i'm not translating, so it's fine however it goes. Spell error does seem to work better, but if it is translated differently, then keep it. - Bzk

I think you don't really get my point. I already translated it to Spell Error, just that I left the writing. Well nevermind ^_^" --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 01:36, 11 April 2011 (UCT)
Please go back to translating Daidensetsu!!!!! You were so good at it and I really love the series

i did some editing on the epilogue but got logged out, so it doesn't register as me. FYI the changes are in the discussion on it. - Bzk

Noted with thanks --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 01:18, 11 May 2011 (UCT)

not a problem. Keep up the good work please :) - Bzk

Regarding the matsuri sewing thing in chapter 1, it seems to be blind slip-stitch or something like that. --[[User:Tap|Tap]] 08:12, 17 May 2011 (UCT)

noted with thanks, I'll check it XD --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 14:16, 17 May 2011 (UCT)

== DDnYnD ==

Thank you, I've been hoping someone would continue translating this. --[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 22:02, 1 April 2011 (EDT)

yeah. but I can't clone myself haha. --[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] 22:38, 1 April 2011 (EDT)

Sorry, didn't know you were the original translator when I wrote that.--[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]] 23:26, 1 April 2011 (EDT)

== IS reply ==

Okay, sorry about that. I only intentionally split them up like that to make it easier for Kira0802 to undo any specific changes he doesn't like. But if that's going to cause more trouble, then I'll do it as your say. Makes it easier for me, anyway. [[User:Perfect Chaos|Perfect Chaos]] 23:02, 28 April 2011 (UCT)

== STATUS ==

I have a new BIG project (work-related) coming my way, which requires my complete attention (since it's too important and big to delegate too much responsibility to others), which means everything I'm working on baka-tsuki will be stalled for an indefinite amount of time (a few months at least, a few years at most... I think ). I'll still try to finish Itsuten V2 C1, since I'm about a third done. Anyone who wants to take over the chapters I registered for Baka Test and Daiden is welcome to do so, since I only did 2 pages for both >_<. I apologize for any inconvenience caused. My frequency in the forums will also dwindle, but I'll still hang around as often as TLG probably, which is of course not very often. I'm still contactable but give me a few days to reply. If it's something stupid, I won't reply obviously. Peace. --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 03:39, 26 May 2011 (UCT)

The problem now is that I haven't bought the book yet, and I'll have to

== Sylthfarn Reply ==

The problem now is that I haven't bought the book yet, and I'll have to go to Kinokuniya someday to buy it. Another problem is probably I'm not sure if I can read the Kanjis well enough yet. Any advice in further studying Kanji?

Well, for the first question, I have only read the translated Manga. For the second, I'm having trouble recognizing some of the Kanjis, basically my vocab can be considered weak. Lastly, I'll try my best finishing the translating of what you sent me ASAP. -- Sylthfarn

== ItsuTen Vietnamese version ==

Hi, Larethian.
I'm a light novel fan.
If you don't mind, i'm going to translate your ItsuTen English ver. into Vietnamese [[User:Nhinguyenminh|Nhinguyenminh]] 14:38, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

sure --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 15:36, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

Thank you very much :D. Do you know how to make the words look like this '''{{Itsuten:Majuu}}''' [[User:Nhinguyenminh|Nhinguyenminh]] 16:34, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

just create template pages similar to those:
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Special:UncategorizedTemplates
see 36 to 40. they use the base template 25 (Template:Furigana). --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 17:34, 21 June 2011 (UCT)

I see. Thank you.

Feel free to sound out if you have problems making them --[[User:Larethian|larethian]] 07:07, 22 June 2011 (UCT)

== Nav Template ==

Of course. Please specify the name of the project. I will begin work shortly after. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 06:49, 20 July 2011 (UCT)

[[User:Zero2001/Sandbox#Itsuka_Tenma_no_Kuro_Usagi_Nav_Template|Please take a look.]] There are some small teaks to do. I would like feedback on the linked talk section there. And it will be ready to roll out. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 05:29, 24 July 2011 (UCT)

Done. Simply write <nowiki>{{Itsuka Tenma Nav}}</nowiki> to get your nav box. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:01, 24 July 2011 (UCT)

<strike>Help me out by starting from vol 2. I'm doing vol 1. Done rest. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:14, 24 July 2011 (UCT)</strike>

Scratch the last post. It's all done. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:34, 24 July 2011 (UCT)

It's not your fault. Just that I have years of experience under my belt. As time passes you also will become more experienced and may even surpass me. So cheer up and never forget to ask for help. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 08:43, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

I will start working on Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu but it might take time. Basically my plan is to make 3 templates one for each part and then compile them all into one template via calling. Think "boxes and subboxes" or "templates and subtemplates" and you'll get it. But it will be tough. I can't say how long but I know it will take a while so please be patient. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 13:00, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

But there is one problem. Due to the different types of chapter names spanning the different stories and I am confused as to how you will name the chapter pages. If you were to give me a list of the names (not the links or the aliases, leave that to me) you plan to give the '''''chapter pages'''''. It would make things somewhat easier for me. Unfortunately the current number of chapter pages that have been created are not enough for me to postulate the pattern that the names will take, that is why I ask you. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 13:08, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

In that case I'll put it on hold. Whenever you're ready just send me the list of chapter page names. I'll immediately begin work on the templates after that. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 14:31, 25 July 2011 (UCT)

I now have an example of how the Densetsu template will look like. [[Template:Regios Nav|Here]]. Unfortunately there is nothing that I can do about the spaces between the subtemplates. I tried a few things but they didn't work so... sorry. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 15:18, 8 August 2011 (UCT)

Nah. It looks good to me too. I'll begin work as soon as you send me the list I mentioned above. No rush though. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 23:28, 8 August 2011 (UCT)

I've got some good news. It seems Teh Ping plans to translate DenYuuDen. Soon I'll have the required data on the page names and will be able to make the template you wished for. Just please don't tell me you changed you're mind, I'd be very sad if you did that. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 22:38, 31 December 2011 (CST)

== Punctuation and doublespacing ==

I need your help and support [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4564 here] buddy. It's a problem that seems small but adds up to a big one. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 14:35, 13 September 2011 (CDT)

== Interesting ==

Wanted to say that I had a lot of fun reading the Q&A. [[User:Kira0802|Kira]] ([[User_talk:Kira0802|Talk]]) 12:14, 1 October 2011 (CDT)

== About status ==

Hello, Larethian!

Thank you very much for changing my status. Could you change also status for my collegue, Sharkrahs? He's translating TMnI into Russian. Thanks for attention.
[[User:Rock96|Rock96]] 05:11, 11 November 2011 (CST)

Have fun on your trip, Lare. XD [[User:Kira0802|Kira]] ([[User_talk:Kira0802|Talk]]) 12:17, 15 January 2012 (CST)

Thanks for the link.-[[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]] 19:56, 22 February 2012 (CST)

== Big Selfish Favour ==
I just tried reading the teaser project for Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei and I liked it. This is going to be a huge selfish favour but I'm going to ask it anyway. PLEASE DO NOT DROP THIS PROJECT. I want to know what happens.

Well, me too...--[[User:Lawrence Craft|Lawrence Craft]] 20:46, 15 February 2012 (CST)

== Taking a shot at Mahouka Rettousei ==

Hey Larethian,

I'm not sure if you're still around here, but just wondering, is it cool if I take a shot at the translations for Mahouka Rettousei? I'm starting to love this series and I want to try it out.

Thanks,

[[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 23:02, 13 March 2012 (CDT)

My bad, I didn't know there was a Registration section. Fixed. XD

[[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 21:33, 15 March 2012 (CDT)

== RE:Translation standards ==

Got it, I'll see what I can do. I probably need to recover my lost HP and MP first. XD
[[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 02:44, 19 March 2012 (CDT)

Oh, I didn't know there was a forum here. mk, made a account using the same username. [[User:Kanannon|Kanannon]] 21:56, 19 March 2012 (CDT)

== Monogatari Series ==

Oh your right, thanks for telling me. Okay I'll redo them all from scratch. I'll leave the redirected pages alone now. --[[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]] 21:12, 21 March 2012 (CDT)

== Ore No Imouto ==

Can you help me with beta-reading please? My beta is not used to light novel, especially Orenoimo

Would you mind translating Oreimo's Chapter 4 of Volume 4??

== Asking for changing Monogatari Vietnamese page ==

I apologize in advance if I ask the wrong person, but seriously, I see you as a supervisor of many project so you may be able do something about this. The name of Vietnamese page has been Bakemonogatari for a while, so can you change it into Monogatari series to match the original English page (since we're adding Kizu, Koi, Neko and Nisemonogatari translations as well). If you're not in charge of this, can you let me know who should I contact?

== Submitting Translations ==

Hi,
I've register to translate the 4 chapter Mahouka KouKou no Rettousei short story Presidential elections and the Queen and I've already finished the First Chapter and want to know who I need to send it to and how I'm supposed to do that.

Sashiko

== Registration for Mahouka Kouka no volume 8 ==

Could you set up a registration page for Volume 8. There are a lot of short chapters that I think I could finish and post after volume 7 is completed but if Seitsuki is already working on them, I'll go and work on one of the four untranslated short stories. I am reluctant to work on volume 7 since at my pace I would have to work on one of the later chapters to make certain that there wouldn't be a skipped chapter since Dreyakis works at a much faster pace, and I don't think I would do a good job on the battle sequences.[[User:Sashiko|Sashiko]] ([[User talk:Sashiko|talk]]) 22:53, 28 January 2013 (CST)

== Mahouka Kouka no volume 8 -Chapter 3 ==

I don't know who translated chapter 3 but, both pages of the two page chapter appear to be there. Why is it listed as incomplete? [[User:Sashiko|Sashiko]] ([[User talk:Sashiko|talk]]) 22:47, 23 February 2013 (CST)

== OreShura ==
Do you mind if I pick up OreShua Vol 1 Chapter 9 that you started? [[User:Cloudii|Cloudii]] ([[User talk:Cloudii|talk]]) 00:12, 5 April 2013 (CDT)

== Cross x Regalia ==

What is [[Cross_x_Regalia:Volume_1_Prologue]]? Do we need to create a project page for this, or delete it, or what? You apparently made it. --[[User:Saganatsu|Saganatsu]] ([[User talk:Saganatsu|talk]]) 22:18, 19 May 2013 (CDT)

== Mahouka Afterwords ==

Hi, Larethian

Could you please translate the afterwords of v10, 11 and 12?

== Orejyou ==

Hello Larethian, I don't think you remember me but I'm a translator for DAL. I've started a new projcet (or should I say, took up one that has been lying around in the forums), ore ga ojousama gakkou ni shomin sample toshite rachirareta ken. So I sorta need a supervisor to see that post and approve it for me before I can start the page, I was just hoping that you could take a look, thanks! The link is here: http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6064 [[User:Rozenbach|Rozenbach]] ([[User talk:Rozenbach|talk]]) 06:39, 11 March 2014 (CDT)

===Who gave you the green light to change my synopsis?===

To answer your question, no one? Well, it was pretty long ago, so please excuse me if I can't recall my exact thought processes at the time. I don't believe I knew that I was supposed to ask for permission with regards to the story synopsis at that point in time because I was still pretty new to BT then, and by the time I became "in the know" about project supervisors as well as the rules and regulations regarding the issues, it had completely slipped my mind.
What I wanted to do at that point in time was to improve the synopsis to how I felt it would be better, but it did not occur to me to actually ask for permission to do so then, so my sincere apologies for that. In addition, I did not know that it was actually that important a synopsis, I thought it was something akin to an introduction, if you will, to the story, just like those you see on normal wiki pages or on manga reading websites for example, so my thoughts were to make the flow better.

I now understand that it was a wholly mistaken assumption of mine that changing it like that would be better, as you mentioned that it is best to keep it as close to source material as possible.

Once again, apologies for such a mistake and for any inconvenience caused.

User:Royaloyalz

2014-03-26T01:18:18Z

Royaloyalz: /* Light Novels I intend to start reading: */

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us! A huge thanks to all you lovely people!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]] Next in line ^_^

[[HEAVY OBJECT]]

[[Tokyo Ravens]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Rakuin no Monshou]]

[[Log Horizon]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

[[Silver Cross and Draculea]]

[[Black Bullet]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing: ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Date A Live

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out or when I continue reading the series ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Chrome Shelled Regios

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

User:Royaloyalz

2014-03-11T02:07:29Z

Royaloyalz:

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us! A huge thanks to all you lovely people!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]] Next in line ^_^

[[HEAVY OBJECT]]

[[Tokyo Ravens]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Rakuin no Monshou]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

[[Silver Cross and Draculea]]

[[Black Bullet]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing: ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Date A Live

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out or when I continue reading the series ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Chrome Shelled Regios

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

User:Royaloyalz

2014-03-10T14:05:13Z

Royaloyalz:

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[HEAVY OBJECT]] Next in line ^_^

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]

[[Tokyo Ravens]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

[[Silver Cross and Draculea]]

[[Black Bullet]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing (Either because I am a project editor or because I am currently reading the series): ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out or when I continue reading the series ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Date A Live

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Chrome Shelled Regios

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria: Vol 8 onwards, with some minor corrections like double words etc..

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

No Game No Life:Registration Page

2014-03-09T13:41:31Z

Royaloyalz: /* No Game No Life series */

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*You are required to register which chapters you wish to work on. One portion of text per translator, please.

*Registration is on a "First Come, First Served" basis. Please register your intended chapters on the project's registration page.

*Maximum number of translators per volume is two, unless the volume is a collection of smaller stories. Another way to interpret this is no more than two translators should be working on the same "story arc".

*Translators may only register for portions of one volume at a time within each project. This is to prevent "biting off more than you can chew".

*The Registration page is not a binding contract, and translators are encouraged to negotiate between themselves which portions to register for.

*Anonymous Translated Contributions are required to inform [[User:Thelastguardian|thelastguardian]] and the designated Project Supervisor of the intend Chapters as shown on the corresponding Registration page before any major contribution.

*Portions that are not updated for a significant time may be taken over by another translator after getting permission from the Project Supervisor. The new translator is encouraged to start over to maintain consistency, but the old translation will not be deleted at least until the new translation is finished (and probably not for some time after that). More information is available [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1433 here].

==''No Game No Life'' series ==

=== Volume 1 ===

::*Prologue - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Chapter 1 - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Chapter 2 - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Chapter 3 - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Chapter 4 - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Epilogue - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Afterwords - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''

=== Volume 2 ===

::*Opening - [[User:Seitsuki|Seitsuki]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 1 - [[User:Seitsuki|Seitsuki]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 2 - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Chapter 3 - [[User:Seitsuki|Seitsuki]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 4 - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Incomplete'''
::*Fake End -
::*Afterwords -

=== Volume 3 ===

::*Data Load - [[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] - '''Completed'''
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Chapter 4 -
::*True End -
::*Afterwords -

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Easy Start -
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Chapter 4 -
::*Interrupt End -
::*Afterwords -

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[No Game No Life|Main Page]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

[[Category:Registration Page]]

No Game No Life

2014-03-09T13:38:09Z

Royaloyalz: /* No Game No Life by Kamiya Yuu */

[[Image:NGNL Volume 1 cover page.jpg|thumb|300px|No Game No Life Volume 1 Cover]]
No Game No Life (ノーゲーム．ノーライフ) is a light novel series written and illustrated by Kamiya Yuu (榎宫祐) and published in MF Bunko J. The series currently has 5 volumes published.
An anime adaptation has been announced and it will begin starting on April 2014.

This series is also available in the following languages:

:*[[No_Game_No_Life~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Brazilian Portuguese (Português Brasileiro)]]

==Story Synopsis==

There was an urban legend that there was a legendary, undefeated gamer called [ ], but in reality he was just a NEET brother and sister called 空 (Sora) and 白 (Shiro). These hikikomori siblings who both refer to the real world as a worthless "Kuso Game" are one day summoned to a different world by a boy calling himself "God". In this world, war is prohibited by God and everything is instead decided by a game...that's right, even country borders. Can the two NEET brother and sister save the last of the human race <Imanity>, which only has one city left?

"Now...let the game begin!"

== Translation ==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[No_Game_No_Life:Names and Terminology Guideline|Project specific Guidelines: Names and Terminology]]

=== [[No Game No Life:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[No Game No Life:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the translation, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5520 Feedback thread] or discuss it in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5444&p forum] '''

==Updates==
*March 5, 2014
**Volume 2 chapter 4 completed
*January 5, 2014
**Volume 2 chapter 3 completed
*November 28, 2013
**Volume 2 chapter 2 completed
*September 13, 2013
**Volume 3 Prologue completed.

[[No Game No Life:Past Updates|Past Updates can be found here.]]

== No Game No Life by Kamiya Yuu ==

This series also being translated by Eternal Dreamer on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/ NanoDesu Translations.]

===Volume 1 - It Seems Gamer Siblings Will Conquer a Fantasy World ([[No Game No Life:Volume 1|Full Text]])===
[[File:NGNL Volume 1 cover page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/color-illustrations/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/prologue/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Beginner/Amateur]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/chapter-1/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Challenger/Challenger]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/chapter-2/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Expert/Expert]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Grandmaster/The King]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Afterwords|Afterwords]]
 

===Volume 2 - The Gamer Siblings Seem to Have Their Sights on the Land of Kemonomimi===
[[File:NGNL V2 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Prologue|Opening]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Weak Square/Setting the Board]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Unexpected Move/One Move]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Sacrifice/Sacrificial Move]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Checkmate/Checkmate]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Epilogue|Fake End]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Afterwords|Afterwords]]

 

===Volume 3 - A Half of the Gamer Siblings Seems to Have Disappeared...?===
[[File:NGNL V3 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Prologue|Data Load]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Sky Walk/Disassociation Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Blue Rose/Directional Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Killing Giant/Guiding Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Rule Number 10/Convergence Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Epilogue|True End]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Afterwords|Afterwords]]

 

===Volume 4 - The Gamer Siblings Have Run Away From a Realistic Romance Game===
[[File:NGNL V4 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Prologue|Easy Start]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Encounter/The Devil]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Strategist/The Sun]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Charmer/The Empress]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Wild Card/The Fool]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Epilogue|Interrupt End]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 5 Afterwords|Afterwords]]

 

===Volume 5 - It Appears the Gamer Siblings Hate New Game Plus===
[[File:NGNL V5 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

''Courtesy of [[User:jonathanasdf|jonathanasdf]] for the teaser of vol. 1 chapter 3''

''Courtesy of [[User:Teh Ping|Teh Ping]] for the teaser of vol. 1 chapter 1'' as part of the "a translation a day" initiative

==Project Staff==
* Project Administrator:
* Project Supervisor:

===Translators===
:*[http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/ NanoDesu Translations (external)]
:*[[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] (CL translator)
:*[[User:Seitsuki|Seitsuki]]

===Editors===

:*[[User:神|神]]

== Series Overview ==

*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ1 ゲーマー兄妹がファンタジー世界を征服するそうです (MF文庫J) (April 23, 2012) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-4546-6
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ2 ゲーマー兄妹が獣耳っ子の国に目をつけたようです (MF文庫J) (September 22, 2012) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-4819-1
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ3 ゲーマー兄妹の片割れが消えたようですが……？ (MF文庫J) (January 25, 2013) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-4958-7
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ4　ゲーマー兄妹はリアル恋愛ゲームから逃げ出しました (MF文庫J) (June 25, 2013) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-5185-6
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ5　ゲーマー兄妹は強くてニューゲームがお嫌いなようです (MF文庫J) (November 25, 2013) - ISBN: 978-4-04-066080-6

[[Category:MF_Bunko_J]]
[[Category:Hosted Projects]]
[[Category:NanoDesu Translations]]
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Yuu Kamiya]]

No Game No Life

2014-03-09T13:37:19Z

Royaloyalz: /* Volume 2 - The Gamer Siblings Seem to Have Their Sights on the Land of Kemonomimi */

[[Image:NGNL Volume 1 cover page.jpg|thumb|300px|No Game No Life Volume 1 Cover]]
No Game No Life (ノーゲーム．ノーライフ) is a light novel series written and illustrated by Kamiya Yuu (榎宫祐) and published in MF Bunko J. The series currently has 5 volumes published.
An anime adaptation has been announced and it will begin starting on April 2014.

This series is also available in the following languages:

:*[[No_Game_No_Life~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Brazilian Portuguese (Português Brasileiro)]]

==Story Synopsis==

There was an urban legend that there was a legendary, undefeated gamer called [ ], but in reality he was just a NEET brother and sister called 空 (Sora) and 白 (Shiro). These hikikomori siblings who both refer to the real world as a worthless "Kuso Game" are one day summoned to a different world by a boy calling himself "God". In this world, war is prohibited by God and everything is instead decided by a game...that's right, even country borders. Can the two NEET brother and sister save the last of the human race <Imanity>, which only has one city left?

"Now...let the game begin!"

== Translation ==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[No_Game_No_Life:Names and Terminology Guideline|Project specific Guidelines: Names and Terminology]]

=== [[No Game No Life:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[No Game No Life:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the translation, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5520 Feedback thread] or discuss it in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5444&p forum] '''

==Updates==
*March 5, 2014
**Volume 2 chapter 4 completed
*January 5, 2014
**Volume 2 chapter 3 completed
*November 28, 2013
**Volume 2 chapter 2 completed
*September 13, 2013
**Volume 3 Prologue completed.

[[No Game No Life:Past Updates|Past Updates can be found here.]]

== No Game No Life by Kamiya Yuu ==

This series also being translated by Eternal Dreamer on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/ NanoDesu Translations.]

===Volume 1 - It Seems Gamer Siblings Will Conquer a Fantasy World ([[No Game No Life:Volume 1|Full Text]])===
[[File:NGNL Volume 1 cover page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/color-illustrations/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/prologue/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Beginner/Amateur]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/chapter-1/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Challenger/Challenger]] ('''Also on [http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/volume-1/chapter-2/ NanoDesu]''')
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Expert/Expert]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Grandmaster/The King]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 1 Afterwords|Afterwords]]
 

===Volume 2 - The Gamer Siblings Seem to Have Their Sights on the Land of Kemonomimi===
[[File:NGNL V2 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Prologue|Opening]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Weak Square/Setting the Board]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Unexpected Move/One Move]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Sacrifice/Sacrificial Move]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Checkmate/Checkmate]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Epilogue|Fake End]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 2 Afterwords|Afterwords]]

 

===Volume 3 - A Half of the Gamer Siblings Seems to Have Disappeared...?===
[[File:NGNL V3 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Prologue|Data Load]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Sky Walk/Disassociation Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Blue Rose/Directional Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Killing Giant/Guiding Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Rule Number 10/Convergence Method]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 3 Epilogue|True End]]

 

===Volume 4 - The Gamer Siblings Have Run Away From a Realistic Romance Game===
[[File:NGNL V4 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Prologue|Easy Start]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Encounter/The Devil]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Strategist/The Sun]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Charmer/The Empress]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Wild Card/The Fool]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 4 Epilogue|Interrupt End]]

 

===Volume 5 - It Appears the Gamer Siblings Hate New Game Plus===
[[File:NGNL V5 Cover Page.jpg|thumb|x175px]]
::*[[No Game No Life:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

 

''Courtesy of [[User:jonathanasdf|jonathanasdf]] for the teaser of vol. 1 chapter 3''

''Courtesy of [[User:Teh Ping|Teh Ping]] for the teaser of vol. 1 chapter 1'' as part of the "a translation a day" initiative

==Project Staff==
* Project Administrator:
* Project Supervisor:

===Translators===
:*[http://ngnlthetranslation.wordpress.com/ NanoDesu Translations (external)]
:*[[User:Drinkingwater|Drinkingwater]] (CL translator)
:*[[User:Seitsuki|Seitsuki]]

===Editors===

:*[[User:神|神]]

== Series Overview ==

*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ1 ゲーマー兄妹がファンタジー世界を征服するそうです (MF文庫J) (April 23, 2012) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-4546-6
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ2 ゲーマー兄妹が獣耳っ子の国に目をつけたようです (MF文庫J) (September 22, 2012) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-4819-1
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ3 ゲーマー兄妹の片割れが消えたようですが……？ (MF文庫J) (January 25, 2013) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-4958-7
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ4　ゲーマー兄妹はリアル恋愛ゲームから逃げ出しました (MF文庫J) (June 25, 2013) - ISBN: 978-4-8401-5185-6
*ノーゲーム・ノーライフ5　ゲーマー兄妹は強くてニューゲームがお嫌いなようです (MF文庫J) (November 25, 2013) - ISBN: 978-4-04-066080-6

[[Category:MF_Bunko_J]]
[[Category:Hosted Projects]]
[[Category:NanoDesu Translations]]
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Yuu Kamiya]]

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju:Volume12 The Eleventh Question

2014-03-09T07:15:18Z

Royaloyalz:

'''Please list a proverb for the following:'''

“1. You may fail at things you’re good at.”
“2. One unlucky event after another.”

'''Himeji Mizuki’s answer:'''

“1. Even Kūkai<ref>Famous Japanese monk</ref> will make mistakes when writing.”
“2. When it rains, it pours.

'''Teacher’s Comment:'''

Correct. Also, for (1), there is also another proverb, ‘Kūkai can’t choose pens’. A similar expression for (1) would be ‘A kappa<ref>A mythical Japanese creature, literally means river child</ref> can get washed away’ or ‘a monkey may fall from a tree’.

Similarly, for (2), there is a proverb ‘a bee stinging on a crying face’ as well. It will be helpful to memorize these together.

'''Tsuchiya Kouta’s Answer:'''

“(1) A kappa can’t choose a pen.”

'''Teacher’s comment:'''

You mixed the proverbs up because you can’t differentiate between them?

'''Shimada Minami’s Answer:'''

“(2) A bee sting on the eye.”

'''Teacher’s comment:'''

It does seem to hurt.

“Now then, what instructions do you have for everyone, Yuuji?”

It’s now the second day of the summoning war.

Once the class representative meeting ended, Yuuji returns to our base, 3-D classroom and answers me.

“Nothing much, we have our F class members at the more intense battlefields, and then we sent D class’ guys and girls to the frontline separately. Finally, I requested for everyone to try and retreat as much as we can to lower the scale of battle.”

This strategic instruction doesn’t seem to be something too big.

Upon hearing this, Kinoshita-san beside me again asks Yuuji,

‘Is this really alright, Sakamoto-kun?”

“Ahh, it is for now.”

In this case, it seems Yuuji has prepared all these to execute the strategies later.

“…”

“What is it, Kinoshita sister? You look like you have a lot of ideas there.”

“I’m not unhappy about this…”

Kinoshita-san seems to be a little disappointed by this instruction. Maybe she’s hoping that he would come up with some great revival.

Yuuji then continues to explain to Kinoshita-san,

“The enemy’s forcing us to a point where we’ll fail if we do something. We need to bring the tide to our side if we want to reverse the situation.”

“Though you say that, aren’t the 3rd years stronger than us if we compare our situations?”

“This is fact, but right now, we’re inferior in ability, and also in a disadvantage right now. First, we have to think of a way in this situation.”

“If there’s a way, we would have—”

“And I gave this instruction so that everyone can fight at their actual ability.”

Yuuji’s instruction is simply just to create a good opportunity, and then we’ll wait for everyone to recover, I think.

“We’re not doing anything big even though it’s an instruction.”

“Anyway, just watch. You’ll know later.”

“…..If you say so. I guess I’ll just watch without saying anything…”

It seems Kinoshita-san seems to be unhappy about something, but she’s no longer asking Yuuji any more questions.

This time, Minami instead approaches Yuuji and asks him another question.

“Speaking of which, Sakamoto, didn’t Nemoto say anything to you during the strategic meeting?”

B class’ Nemoto-kun really humiliated Yuuji on the first day of the strategic meeting. It seems Minami’s worried that he might be coming up with something else this time.

“Ah, I don’t know why, but for some reason, he—”

“…Not around.”

Kirishima-san answers, following up on Yuuji’s words .

“Eh? Not around? That Nemoto?”

“(Nods)…Anyway, he did not attend the meeting.”

“Oh my? Is that really the case? It’s good for Prez and Sakamoto-kun, isn’t it?”

While Kinoshita-san nods,

“Hmm…not around, huh…?”

For some reason, Minami’s giving us a very suspicious look.

“What now, Minami? Why’re you staring at us like that.”

“We didn’t do anything, we don’t know anything.”

“…A blasphemy of the highest order.”

“I’d say I’m surprised to be so suspected.”

Minami however ignores our excuses as she looks around the classroom for a little while,

“It’s around here, right?”

She approaches the cabinet with the cleaning equipment inside.

And reaches her hand for that door.

*Creaks*…………*Thud*

Nemoto-kun, bound and gagged, rolls out from the opened cabinet.

“Then, let me hear your reason.”

“““Akihisa did it on his own!!!”””

“HOLD ON A MINUTE!”

Why’s it that those 3 would gang up and call my name at such moments?

“That’s not it. It’s just an unfortunate incident, you know. Nemoto-kun just so happened to trip over when I was walking, and I just so happened to hold him down, and by chance, Yuuji passed by and sent a punch into his chest, and it’s bad luck that Muttsurini and Hideyoshi just so happened to be nearby practicing their rope skills and—”

“Aki, don’t think of passing this off with excuses like just so happened and by chance or something like that.”

I still want to say the omnipotent line that anything can be rationalized no matter what. Looks like the effect will weaken if I say it too much.

“Speaking of which, I’m a little surprised that Kinoshita took part in this.”

“Hm? Is that so?”

It’s just like Minami has said; Hideyoshi rarely takes part in such unethical behavior.

“Yuuji’s an important friend of mine, a buddy. It’s a must to give an equal amount of payback after what Yuuji has suffered through.”

Even so, Hideyoshi’s not a saint himself; he’ll naturally be angry if his friend is hurt, and will use force according to the situation. It can’t be helped that Hideyoshi would gag Nemoto-kun and tie him up after he had already done such a thing.

“What? Don’t worry about such a small thing. There’s nothing in the summoning war rules that says that we can’t knock out our ally.”

“Yes yes. That’s right. That’s just an area between the grey and black.”

“At least say that it’s between black and white…”

I know I did something bad too, but even so, there’s still something I have to take a firm stance on.

As we’re talking about this, Minami looks around the classroom, and says,

“Speaking of which, I don’t see Mizuki.”

“Aiko’s not here either.”

“So is Kubo-kun.”

Yuuji however answers their doubts.

“Yeah, those 3 are waiting behind the F class guys.”

“…For what?”

“Must be to deal with any deserters.”

“What are you saying, Yoshii-kun…how can there be such a thing?”

“That’s one of the objectives.”

“Are you serious!?”

F class has been used to fighting in the war, but even so, they often have to fight battles where they’ll die if they don’t go all out, so it’s not a weird thing to see deserters.

“Your methods are really cruel. Even though you’re classmates…”

“Let me tell you something good, Kinoshita. If you want to make use of the F class guys, don’t hold back. If they know it’s going to be a battle with 100% chance, the situation’s going to be worse. It’s for the better that I don’t say anything.”

And then, we kill off the deserters. That’s really a terrifying rule.

“I say…if you’re going to do such cruel things, I don’t care if you get attacked by them during the replenishing tests, no?”

“Don’t worry too much. The replenishing tests are held in a different place from the remedial room.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

I guess Kinoshita-san has never been beaten in a test summoning war? She just accidentally mixed up the remedial room with the test replenishment room.

“On a side note, since we have a lot more people this time, there’s a chance they might be in the same place.”

But in that case, there’ll be tighter security; they won’t be able to even whisper to us, let alone take revenge.

As we’re explaining about this, the bell chimes, indicating the start of the lessons.

“Alright, the summoning war’s about to start again. Get ready so that you can fight back anytime.”

“““Roger that.”””

And so, the second day of our war against the 3rd years begins.

<center>☆</center>

“Th-Things are really going our way now…”

Kinoshita-san says with disbelief as she looks down from the top floor of the old school building.

“What’s so surprising about that? Though you say it’s going our way now, the thing is that they can’t push us back now.”

Yuuji says. It seems there’s no improvement in the situation however, and the difference in strengths still remains.

“But I’m already surprised by this already…Prez and I tried our best to allocate our fighting strength, but we couldn’t salvage the collapsing frontlines…”

Upon hearing Kinoshita-san mutter this, Yuuji answers as he stares at the strength report Kirishima-san’s writing on.

“Most of the winning results in war is caused by pursuit. Do you know why?”

“I never heard of it before…but I understand what you’re trying to get at.”

“Leaving aside modern times, it seems during the era of bayonet warfare, the worst losses always arise from the moments when the losing side is being pursued.”

I can understand what Yuuji mean. Through my own experience, if it’s a comparison of fighting the enemy head on or fighting while running away, the latter’s a lot tougher to do.

“You guys made the correct decision to fight head on at the beginning, but because of this, the even strength between both sides…no, the 2nd years were overwhelmed slightly..”

“…Then, what is the problem?”

“Isn’t it because of Nemoto-kun?”

“Yoshii-kun, I think you can leave that aside for now.”

It seems Kinoshita-san really wants to find out how to solve the issue of this collapsing frontline once Nemoto-kun retreated. I guess that’s to be expected of the studious A class.

“…We sent in our main forces, hoping to regain ground?”

“No, that’s the correct decision.”

It was the correct decision to send in all the fighting strength before the situation got out of hand.

“But that bastard Takashiro had the upper hand. When you attacked with the main force, he sent an equal number of forces.”

That upperclassman’s really devious, even though he’s basically an idiot.

“I want to know the conclusion now, Sakamoto.”

“Ahh, when you sent in forces and were unable to salvage the situation, didn’t you start retreating in an attempt to limit the frontlines?”

“…Yes.”

“That response back then was the wrong choice.”

“Why do you say so? Isn’t it reasonable for those with high scores to cover those with low scores in their retreat?”

Yuuji just said “the worst losses always arise from the moments when the losing side is being pursued.” In that case, it does seem that there’s no issues with letting the strong ones retreat last.

However…

“Those guys with high scores don’t know how to retreat, since they aren’t used to defeat.”

The most important thing when fighting and running away is to defend. It is not about beating the enemy in front of them, but to retreat while buying time for their comrades to retreat. Experience, rather than high scores, is the important thing here.

“And after everyone got pursued, our formation collapsed, and we got forced back by the 3rd years. That’s why the difference in strength between both sides just got bigger.”

Basically, the scores are still the weapons used in this summoning war. In an ordinary exam, one may feel that this is merely a battle against oneself, but this is different. There are enemies, wins and losses; of course, it’s disadvantageous to be overwhelmed by the enemy.

“Is that so? So you let the F class members stand at the front because they’re used to defeat?”

“That’s how it is.”

“Then why did you separate the D class boys and girls?”

“The girls in that class dominates the guys, they’re indomitable, and can’t read the mood to save their lives. This means that they’re not going to be suppressed by the 3rd years that easily. Besides, their experience in the summoning war is only less than that of F class.”

F class and D class, normally considered scrubs, are able to fight on the frontlines, and that’s because they rely on something other than points.

“I see…so once everyone sees the lower ranked classes fighting hard, they’ll be able to calm down.”

“…I didn’t think that much.”

Kinoshita-san and Kirishima-san are giving Yuuji impressed looks. This guy’s really reliable in such moments.

“I do think I haven’t done a lot yet.”

“I do feel that you did plentiful though.”

“Or rather, I might say that the real battle begins now.”

“? What do you mean?”

“Just sit back and enjoy the show.”

Yuuji got up from his seat as he said this, and observed the state of battle from the window in the front.

“Alright, perfect timing. Akihisa, are you done with those preparations?”

“Okay.”

I grab onto the curtain dangling from the window, and open the window frames.

“Ready, 3, 2, 1…go.”

“Hah!”

As according to Yuuji’s instructions, I push the curtains out of the window. The curtain hanging on the rail floated in the air outside the window, expanding outwards.

And so, a blazing trail crosses through the battlefield immediately afterwards.

“Eh!? What did you just do, Yoshii-kun!?”

“I just gave a signal. The one attacking—I think it’s Himeji-san’s side and not Kubo-kun’s.”

I remember Kubo-kun’s power is that of wind blades, right? I do have an impression of it, so the attack just now should be from Himeji-san’s summoned beast.

“…A lot of people were caught in it.”

Kirishima-san muttered.

It’s just as she said; the trail of fire Himeji-san’s summoned beast released caught a large number of enemies in it.

“Amazing…”

“Himeji’s true ability is ranked 2nd amongst us second years after all.”

“She’s amazing too, but I’m talking about how the formation was used in this situation.”

Kinoshita-san continues to stare at where the blaze attacked. There probably are a lot of enemies caught in the crossfire.

“…They were so wary of us back then.”

“How did you gather the enemies together, Sakamoto-kun?”

“Well, this is part of our F class’ characteristic—”

As Yuuji explains, voices can be heard from outside.

'''“SAKAMOTO YOU BASTARD! YOU INTENDED TO KILL US AS WELL, RIGHT!?”'''

'''“AND YOU EVEN SAID ‘I’ LL TRY NOT TO HIT YOU GUYS’!”'''

'''“YOU WERE FULLY AIMING TO HIT US, RIGHT!?”'''

““…””

“—In terms of fighting strength, the guys from F class aren’t worth weeping over, even if they’re used as baits or pawns.”

“……Sakamoto-kun, I really can’t tell the difference between your methods and Nemoto-kun’s…”

Kinoshita-san said with a shocked expression.

Yuuji however took such criticism without flinching, and honestly admits,

“This is a fact after all. Both Nemoto and I are no different in the sense that we act on the same basis.”

The similar thing here refers to ‘gaining victory no matter the means’. In this sense, there’s no real difference between Yuuji and Nemoto.

But there’s a decisive difference between them, and that’s their understanding of the meaning of the word ‘winning’. Nemoto-kun thinks of personal victory. Yuuji’s idea of a win however is that of a team win. It’s because of such a major difference that even though us F class continues to be fooled by him, we still continue to follow his instructions. This is the idea of team victory we believe in.

“For some reason, you guys really have a weird sense of unity.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. The proof is that none of the F class guys got hit by it, right?”

“…They really believed.”

If they truly believed that they were used as bait, doesn’t that mean that both sides never trusted each other at all?

“Anyway, this is how it is in the end…Akihisa.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Call Himeji back to replenish her scores. After that, stay at the frontlines to lure the enemy’s attention.”

“I got it. I’ll come back with Himeji-san once the order’s given, okay?”

“No, don’t come back. Stay there and fight.”

“No way.”

You still want to bluff me after all that explanation I just heard?

“What? Don’t be so stubborn, Akihisa. Himeji used up a lot of points just now. There’s no way the trail of fire will appear until she finishes her replenishment.

“I do see the second arrow in Kubo-kun being on standby, you know?”

In my situation, I’ll be sent on a direct course to the detention room if I get a graze in anything other than Japanese History.

“Don’t be stubborn, Akihisa. Shimada, Hideyoshi and Muttsurini are at their positions fighting hard. Is it fine for you to be here enjoying yourself here?”

“Though you say it like it’s the truth, Yuuji, I find that there’s a lot of wrong in that.”

He’s clearly demanding that I go over to sacrifice myself.

Since I’m unwilling to go, Kinoshita-san then advises me,

“Yoshii-kun, calm down a little. Your power is needed in the ‘strategy’ Sakamoto-kun talked about, you know? In that case, how can he possibly make you bait?”

“…Yuuji has always been dishonest.”

“You’re saying too much, Shouko.”

I guess Yuuji probably feels very disgusted for giving me such special privilege…well, it’s not like I don’t understand that feeling anyway.

“In that case, I’ll get myself fooled by you on Kirishima-san’s account.”

“Tch. Stop talking too much and hurry on.”

“Yes yes. Got it.”

I glance aside at Yuuji, who’s not being cute at all, and run off to the schoolyard, where everyone’s fighting.

<center>☆</center>

<noinclude>

==Notes==
<references/>

{{BakaTest Nav|prev=Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju:Volume12 The Tenth Question|next=Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju:Volume12 The Twelfth Question}}

</noinclude>

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju:Volume12 The Tenth Question

2014-03-09T06:57:59Z

Royaloyalz:

“…I’m sorry, Yuuji.”

“What’s the matter, Shouko? Why are you apologizing?”

“…Because I never trusted you, Yuuji.”

“Don’t worry too much over that small thing.”

“…Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, okay? I’m wrong for remaining silent up till now.”

“…Alright.”

“Right, then forget everything about it.”

“…Yes, I’ll forget everything, so—”

“Hm?”

“…So, how did you intend to confess your feelings to me in the first place, Yuuji? Tell me about it some day.”

“ACK!? WHO’LL SAY SUCH A THING TO YOU!!?”

“…It’s alright. I’ll always believe and wait for you.”

“No no no! Even if you wait—s"

“…Didn’t you say you’ll tell me after winning this summoning war?”

“…”

“So, since I love you most, Yuuji, you have to come back with a win, okay?”

“……Isn’t that line from you too despicable, Shouko?”

“…Un.”

“You want me to speak up with such little coercion?”

“…Un.”

“I’m really being looked down upon.”

“…Un.”

“………I’ll tell you again when I feel like it next time.”

“…I’ll always be waiting for you.”

==The Tenth Question==

'''Please answer the following question.'''

“Magnesium was used to create a cooking pot that is able to withstand heat and weighs lighter, but there is a problem when cooking. What is the problem here? Also, state an alloy that can replace magnesium.”

'''Kirishima Shouko’s Answer:'''

“Problem: Magnesium reacts violently with oxygen once it meets fire, and causes a hazard.

Alloy: Stainless Steel”

'''Teacher’s Comment:'''

Correct Answer. Stainless steel is an alloy that includes nickel and chromium.

'''Tsuchiya Kouta’s Answer:'''

“Problem: There is no stove burner available.”

'''Teacher’s Comment.'''

Can you not add a fire to it, even if it is a bonfire or something?

'''Yoshii Akihisa’s Answer: '''

“Alloy: Alloy in the near future(super resistant to heat)”

'''Teacher’s Comment:'''

You are sorely mistaken if you think adding the words near future can add some realism here.

[[File:BTS_vol_01_017.jpg|thumb]]

“DIE—!!”

“Woahh!? That’s dangerous!”

I use all my strength to execute a “Chopping Right”<ref>Hajime no Ippo. Mashiro Ryou's signature KO move. Typically used by taller fighters, but for some reason, Akihisa, who's shorter than Yuuji, is using this.</ref>, only to miss. Tch! That bastard’s instincts are as good as ever!

Once we safely meet up with Kirishima-san, we first return to the old school campus to ensure our safety, give up on some of the battlefield, and scale down on the battles. Soon after things have calmed down, the school bell chimes, and the first day of our summoning war against the 3rd year ends.

In other words, it’s after school now…there’s no problem if I get rid of Yuuji now!

“Let’s go, Muttsurini.”

“…No problems.”

Having said that, Yuuji only has two hands, and if Muttsurini and I attack, he can’t possibly hang on for long.

But right before when Muttsurini and I get ready to attack Yuuji, ''Goodness me,'' Hideyoshi mutters as he stands up and stops us.

“I’d can’t say that I don’t understand how you feel, but you two should stop.”

“Eh? Why’re you stopping us, Hideyoshi?”

“…??? (Blinks)”

“Why are you guys looking at me with such innocent looks and confused expressions…?”

Because it’s just that Yuuji chatting away with that Kirishima-san. There’s no way we can leave him alone without ○○ and ×× him, you know?

“You guys…you started the flames already, but aren’t you being too sincere there?”

Yuuji recovers his posture as he says blankly.

It’s true that we’re the ones who told Yuuji to express his feelings to Kirishima-san.

However,

“I never said that you’re allowed to have such happiness, Yuuji”

“What do you want me to say then?”

As for what to say, I can only answer this way.

“After you confess to Kirishima-san and calm her down, get rejected.”

“I’ll be really embarrassed if that really happens…”

I do think that is an appropriate situation for Yuuji.

“Seriously. I still have to plan the strategy for tomorrow, so don’t distract me now.”

Yuuji turned and summarizes the current fighting strength on the notebook. Well…since he says so, I shouldn’t get in his way.

As Yuuji and I trade jabs at each other, the girls are standing around without us knowing, looking embarrassed.

“Erm…Sakamoto, sorry about that. We just said what we wanted without knowing what you’re thinking.”

“We’re really sorry, Sakamoto-kun.”

Minami and Himeji-san lower their heads.

“Sorry about that, Sakamoto.”

“We’re sorry about that, Sakamoto. We were too harsh.”

Kudou-san put her hands together, looking really sorry, while Kinoshita-san looks away slightly as she apologizes.

“That sort of little thing doesn’t matter. I don’t mind at all.”

In response to this apology, Yuuji merely waves his hand with annoyance.

“Besides, forget everything that happened if you feel bad about this. I’ll be really grateful about that.”

“““That’s impossible (you know)!”””

“You guys…”

But of course. Nobody can forget about such a shocking incident even if they want to.

“Your relationship will improve further before we forget about it, no?”

“Of course~ Prez looks the same as she usually is, no?”

“Yeah. And we have no reason to stop you two anyway.”

“That’s right. After that…”

“Please don’t look at me with those eyes, alright?”

That’s true. It goes without saying for Kirishima-san, but once she understands that Yuuji doesn’t hate her, there’s only one outcome left for those two.

“Is that so…Yuuji, you’re going to get married after this (summoning) war…?”

“Oi, stop it. Isn’t that a death flag normally seen in movies or something?”

This is the kind of touching ending, to die after passing on his feelings to his lover.

Kirishima-san listens in on us, and doesn’t look very confident as she speaks to Yuuji hesitantly.

“…Erm, Yuuji, do you want to go out to the City Hall together after this…?”

“No way!”

It seems Kirishima-san wants to use the marriage request certificate she kept for a while.

“…So it’s no good, after all…?’

“Of course not. I still have things to do after this. I can’t possibly go with you.”

“…”

After hearing these words from Yuuji, Kirishima-san lowers her eyes, looking very gloomy.

And so,

“…That’s…right. I didn’t trust Yuuji, I did something so stubborn. I can’t go out with Yuuji…”

“I DON’T MEAN THAT GOING OUT!”

It seems Kirishima-san feels very guilty over doubting Yuuji just now as her voice sounds less lively than usual.

And Yuuji probably feels this way too, maybe? He scratches his head, and follows up,

“Goodness. I don’t mean that! I’m just saying that I’m not going to the City Hall with you, alright!?”

Kirishima-san hears this, lifts her head to glance at Yuuji, and asks,

“…That means ‘going out’ is okay?”

“…”

What a beautiful counter.

Yuuji’s unable to say anything for the time being, and grabs my shoulder while seemingly trying to escape from Kirishima-san’s stare.

“O-Oh, Akihisa! Now’s the time to go to your house to revise on Japanese history, right? We have to hurry back and revise!”

“I’m fine, Yuuji! I can work hard on my own, you know?”

“What? No need to be so thoughtful! Your points are indispensable for our turnaround from now on!”

It’s not too much to say that Yuuji’s being very deliberate with how fast he change the subject, but to be honest, it’s really cruel for Yuuji to confess in front of everyone at this point.

On a side note, while what Yuuji said to change the topic just now may seem to be for show, but it is the truth. He’s been helping me revise my Japanese history after our war against A class was interrupted.

“…I understand. In this case, I’ll endure.”

Kirishima-san readily answers, to my surpise, and I can’t help but ask,

“Eh? Kirishima-san? You sure?”

The one wish Kirishima-san has been hoping for finally happens after 10 years. It’s okay to enjoy a little bit at this moment, right?

“…It’s alright. I caused a lot of trouble during the summoning war. It’s to be expected for me to endure.”

“Hm…I guess it’s fine if Kirishima-san says so…”

It’s already after school. There’s no need to be so worried about it.

“…And I’ve decided not to be anxious.”

“? Not to be anxious?”

“…Yes.”

Kirishima-san nods her head slightly.

“…Because I believe in Yuuji.”

She smiles as she says that, looking a little shy.

“…(Kick)”

“It hurts! What are you doing, Akihisa!?”

“…(Kick)”

“Muttsurini too!?”

“That’s the happiness tax.”

This kick alone isn’t enough to pay for it, but I’ll leave it as it is for today based on Kirishima-san’s smile.

“Speaking of which, what ideas do you have for the most important summoning war, Sakamoto-kun?”

The serious Kinoshita-san changes the topic and asks Yuuji this.

Since Kirishima-san says that she’ll endure this for now, I better stop teasing Yuuji and focus on the summoning war.

“Of course.”

Yuuji immediately answers Kinoshita-san’s questions.

“It might be a little too much coming from me when I haven’t come up with any ideas…but is it really alright?”

“…We lost a lot of forces.”

Kudou-san and Kirishima-san look uneasy as they give bleak looks, but Yuuji answers them, seemingly wanting to put their anxieties to rest.

“No problems at all, right?”

“Well, if Yuuji says so, it means there’s no problem, right?”

“Think about our situation last time, the difference in battle strengths was a lot worse when we were fighting against you A class.”

“…Same as usual.”

“Yeah. I think the real battle starts here.”

“We won’t lose if it’s just like that.”

We’re F class, we’re already used to such overwhelming odds. I even think that we can’t fight at our true strength because we started at the same line as our enemy.

“That’s how it is. Are you a little more relieved now?”

Yuuji says as he gives a look.

“How do I put it? You guys are really amazing in some ways.”

“You’re more lively when you’re in a disadvantage~”

“…How reliable.”

A class starts laughing, seemingly amused by this.

“Then, we’ll follow Sakamoto-kun’s instructions.”

“Right. Just tell us what you need.”

[[File:BTS_vol_08_229.jpg|thumb]]

“…I’ll do my best.”

We wasted quite some time, but this is where Yuuji’s actual ability comes in. We won’t be toyed by the 3rd years, and it’s time to counter.

“Watch me now. I’ll rip those bastards good!”

And with this line from Yuuji, the first day of the summoning war against the 3rd year ends here.

<noinclude>

==Notes==
<references/>

{{BakaTest Nav|prev=Baka_to_Tesuto_to_Syokanju:Volume12_Novel_Illustrations|next=Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju:Volume12 The Eleventh Question}}

</noinclude>

User:Royaloyalz

2014-03-09T06:24:14Z

Royaloyalz:

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[HEAVY OBJECT]] Next in line ^_^

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

[[Silver Cross and Draculea]]

[[Black Bullet]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing (Either because I am a project editor or because I am currently reading the series): ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out or when I continue reading the series ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Date A Live

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Chrome Shelled Regios

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria: Vol 8 onwards, with some minor corrections like double words etc..

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

User:Royaloyalz

2014-02-20T03:33:20Z

Royaloyalz:

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[HEAVY OBJECT]] Next in line ^_^

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

[[Silver Cross and Draculea]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing (Either because I am a project editor or because I am currently reading the series): ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out or when I continue reading the series ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Date A Live

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Chrome Shelled Regios

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria: Vol 8 onwards, with some minor corrections like double words etc..

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

User talk:Lonelynightm

2014-02-19T08:01:32Z

Royaloyalz:

Hello, it appears that you do not understand what the author is trying to say in High School DxD Volume 9 Life.0

Because the trip is 4 days and 3 nights, the "two whole days" refer to the middle two days. The days of departure and return are only partial (because Akeno gets to see him for part of the day), hence there are only two whole days when she cannot see him at all. "Days", in this instance, are referring to calendar days rather than periods of 24 hours.

So no, "three" would be completely unacceptable and is not what the author wrote either.
--[[User:Zzhk|Zzhk]] ([[User talk:Zzhk|talk]]) 20:04, 1 July 2013 (CDT)

Thanks for your efforts in editing HSDXD. However, if I may make a suggestion, do compile all your edits into one instead of part by part as you have been doing. Thanks. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 02:01, 19 February 2014 (CST)

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 06 Chapter 3

2013-12-07T03:47:08Z

Royaloyalz: TLC from Chinese sources. Did my best to clear up some parts I felt were confusing. Have obtained permission from Setsuna86, god bless his soul.

== Chapter 3: A Foreign Land ==

When Gerard Augre visited LeitMeritz, Tigre was still at sea.

The young man, who was about 25 years old, had curled brown hair and bronze eyes, and was wearing an official uniform of red and black. That official uniform showed his status as registrar of the Kingdom of Brune, and the chest seam symbolized the Red Horse embroidery of Brune.

"Though as expected, I have certainly become used to seeing it since this is my third time coming here..."

Waiting at the main gate to meet with Ellen, Gerard sighed slightly while looking up at the towering Imperial Palace.

A year ago he did not even imagine that he would become the registrar of Brune and would visit Zchted on such a regular basis. He originally thought he would inherit from his father the vineyard around Territoire, and spend a nice and quiet life uneventfully, but unfortunately he didn't have such a fate.

All changed after he met Tigrevurmud Vorn.

In Brune’s civil war, Gerard, under Tigre’s command, was responsible for managing logistics and showed excellent ability to adjust the distribution of food, fuel, and weapons work. That ability was highly rated, and after the civil war ended, he began to work in the Imperial Court of the Kingdom of Brune.

Every two months, he would visit LeitMeritz. And he reporting to Ellen the progress of the work on the Vosyes Mountains was one of his duties. It was the third time now, and since the gatekeeper also remembered his name and face, he was able to enter the Imperial Palace without being kept waiting too much.

He was taken to the office after his luggage and clothes were inspected. His luggage was only a linen backpack filled with notes, tools for writing and a bundle of letters.

He was already checked at the main gate, but since he was with luggage this time, there was a need to check it again. After the inspection, Gerard knocked the door.

"Long time no see, Mr. Secretary."

Ellen, who wore a formal dress based on blue, was sitting by the office desk. Lim was standing beside her.

"It's good to see that both Vanadis-sama and also Limlisha-dono seem to be healthy above all."

Gerard put on a smile used for social etiquette and bowed in an exaggerated gesture. Ellen nodded generously, but Lim wordlessly returned the courtesy.

Though Gerard's smile was basically stemming from interpersonal politeness, it was also somewhat sincere. In front of Ellen, ones attitude need not be as rigid. However, if he were facing a big aristocrat or high-ranking official of the court of Brune, he must pay attention to his words and behavior.

"Without delay, let me first report on the Vosyes Mountains Road."

This was the agreement that was established in accordance with the mutual non-aggression pact between Brune and Zchted which was signed half a year ago. As long as the mountain path was upgraded, the shortest highway linking the King's Capital of both countries would be born. The merchants and travelers would surely take this new road, and LeitMeritz which was situated halfway along the way would therefore also profit.

The reason this matter had yet to be resolved was because this mountain range was on the border between Zchted and Brune. If large-scale construction was performed near the border, it would surely be admonished by the others, and the highway being made also meant that aggression actions will be more convenient.

Originally it was a matter that would be accepted no matter what, even if a non-aggression pact was concluded. But Brune was indebted to Zchted, and moreover the contract was exchanged partly because of various circumstances and speculations, therefore such a project could be made possible.

Gerard was already used to this. While he read aloud the report he had prepared in advance, he also fluently answered the questions raised by Ellen from time to time. Gerard was familiar with the status-quo of this road, and he has a clear understanding since he just passed there from Brune on the way here. He answered without hesitation.

After listening to Gerard's report, Ellen smiled contentedly.

"Yeah. It seems to be going smoothly. Good work, Mr. Secretary."

"To hear such words from Vanadis-sama makes me feel relieved. I would also convey as such to our lord."

Gerard bowed in an exaggerated gesture in the same way as the time when he entered the office. Afterward the topic then changed over to casual conversation.

Even if it is called small talk, the main topic was about the situations in their respective countries. Most of the content was for example like what a noble was saying in the country, where there have been disputes within the respective countries, the movements of Muozinel and Asvarre and so on.

"What position does Brune hold concerning the civil war in Asvarre?"

"For our part, as sparks of the war does not affect us, we intend to watch it calmly. Fortunately, Sachstein’s attention seems to be going towards Asvarre, so we are thankful for there not being a threat temporarily on the west side of Brune."

"Currently, there are three main forces in Asvarre. Prince Germaine, Prince Eliot and Princess Guinevere... If one among those sought assistance of Brune, what does Her Highness Princess Regin plan to do?"

"Obtaining desirable results by thrusting one's neck into the quarrel of others is probably something possible only in the world of heroic tales or dramas. Not to mention that our country has yet to recover from the turmoil of half a year ago."

Gerard lifted the corner of his mouth sardonically and shrugged his shoulders. Though Lim frowned at his behavior which lacked etiquette, she was soothed by Ellen's gaze and remained silent to some extent.

"That's right, isn’t it? Please tell Her Highness Regin to take care of herself."

"Thank you for your concern. I won’t fail to convey those words."

Then, just before finishing the chat and leaving, Gerard expressed one wish.

"After this, could I greet Lord Tigrevurmud?"

This was what he applied for whenever he visited LeitMeritz. Tigre was currently a guest here. Although it was only a small matter, it would less troublesome if he got Ellen’s permission.

Gerard thought that he would obtain Ellen’s agreement like before, but this time it was different. As Ellen's face looked glum, she shook her head with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry. Lord Tigrevurmud is not here now. He was summoned by His Majesty the King about ten days ago, and went to the King at the Capital Silesia."

"By King Viktor? For exactly what kind of business?"

Speaking with a very troubled voice, Gerard frowned plainly. However, Ellen shook her head again.

"I was not told either. However Lord Tigrevurmud is an important guest, even for His Majesty. So there is no need for Lord Gerard to worry."

"...Is that so. It's regrettable that I'm not able meet Lord Tigrevurmud."

Though Gerard made an expression of disappointment, he backed down quietly without further questioning. He felt that there was nothing more that he could gleam from Ellen.

"By the way, there is something I need to hand over to Lord Tigrevurmud when he returns, may I request Vanadis-sama to fulfilled it for me instead?"

"No problem. What is it?"

As Ellen asked, Gerard took out a bundle of letters from his backpack, which filled up both of his hands, and put them on the desk. Ellen and Lim could not help but stare in wonder. There were nearly twenty letters.

"...What...is this?"

"There are 17 letters. Three of them are applications for marriage meeting. The remaining 14 are applications from Feudal Lords hoping to leave their daughter or niece at his side as trainee maids."

"Marriage meeting? Maid applications?"

Making a face as if she swallowed a bitter medicine, Ellen stared at the pile of letters. Lim’s poker face collapsed instantly, and asked Gerard with a confused look.

"Excuse me, but... Are Her Highness Princess Regin and Lord Massas aware of this?"

Massas was Tigre's father Urz's best friend, and the man who took care of Tigre all the time even after Urz died. He helped Tigre in the civil war of Brune, and Lim who had acted as his assistant trusted his character.

After the end of the civil war he let his son inherit his title and his territory, and accepted the request of Regin and Prime Minister Bodwin to serve the royal court. Lim simply could not believe that he would overlook it.

"Of course. The only reason I brought them was simply because I have already gotten the approval from those two."

Gerard answered as if it were a matter of course. After hearing that Ellen and Lim looked at each other.

Ellen knew that Regin harbored feelings of love for Tigre beyond status or position. Even Lim was vaguely aware of that fact.

Despite that, she let the Feudal Lords send such letters. What was the meaning behind it? Didn't they notice Regin's feelings, or were they aware of that and deliberately ignoring it?

"...Mr. Secretary."

With a cough Ellen somehow regained her composure, and asked with a cautious tone while poking the letters with her fingertip.

"What do these people think of Princess Regin and Lord Tigrevurmud?"

"They naturally swear allegiance to Her Highness the Princess. The assessment of Lord Tigrevurmud should not be low, either. After all, he was the hero in the previous war, and Her Highness the Princess, Lord Massas, and even the knight squadron have deep trust in him. He also has a good relationship with Zchted, so they would naturally want to have good relations with him."

With a hypocritical smile, the secretary with brown hair gave a model answer as a bureaucrat of Brune. Ellen realized that there was something wrong with her method of questioning. It seems that she should say it more bluntly.

"Didn’t Princess Regin feel upset after seeing such a thing? Mr. Secretary, It seems the Feudal Lords' thoughts of your country is a little different."

"...Indeed, thanks to the efforts of Lord Tigrevurmud, the life of Her Highness the Princess was saved, and she became the leader of our country as the successor of the late King Faron. Suppose that kindness becomes love, and Her Highness becomes a maiden in love and continues to yearn earnestly for Lord Tigrevurmud."

At this point, Gerard's face became serious.

"...There cannot be such a thing. Those people think so. Lord Tigrevurmud is a person born from an Earl House in the frontier, and he doesn’t have anything to be proud of other than his archery. Such a figure is not suitable to become the King of the next generation. Her Highness should feel the same way."

Ellen did not answer back to that, and sullenly looked at the pile of letters.

It would not be a lie, that Tigre's assessment was not low. If it were only a good relationship they could still compromise, but putting him on the throne would be out of the question. And they believed that Regin also thought in the same way.

''---It can't be helped.''

Since Ellen, Lim, and also Gerard were in the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, they knew that Regin trusts Tigre completely and opens her heart to him. However, virtually none of the Feudal Lords knows about this. Even after listening to the rumors of the triumph in the King's Capital Nice, it would be extremely difficult to imagine that their relationship had gone so far.

Lim appeared to have thought of something, and asked Gerard.

"Has Princess Regin said anything about Lord Tigrevurmud?"

"Her Highness is very concerned about Lord Tigrevurmud's situation. In the presence of the minister, she once said that she cannot use wealth, territory, or position to express her gratitude, and that upon his return to Brune she will reward him accordingly."

"W-Well, it is natural. It is thanks to Tigre... Lord Tigrevurmud that she is currently there."

Ellen's face became stiff, though she was able to return to her usual tone. The Vanadis with silver white hair managed to correct herself and nodded. Not being able to express her gratitude with either wealth, position or territory.

Then how on earth was is she going to express her gratitude?

"Also, the fact that Lord Tigrevurmud was only bestowed the title of {{furigana|[Knight of the Moonlight]|Lumiere}} by His Highness King Faron, and the land of Alsace which he inherited from his father is requisitioned and in is currently in the co-management of Her Highness the Princess and Vanadis-sama. In addition, Lord Tigrevurmud himself was forced to leave his homeland, where he was born and raised, and had come to Zchted..."

After saying this, Gerard deliberately stopped his mouth. And then he bowed with an exaggerated gesture while apologising for complaining about it. Able to say such criticism to Ellen without any care, it seemed that his cynic daring had not change so far.

Gerard being able to say things like that, should probably be because he had heard about the story from Tigre. Ellen immediately understood that he deliberately intended to say such things. Most likely, what he just said were the reasons why the Feudal Lords firmly believe that there was no way Regin would love Tigre.

''---This is a decision that we have made, and Tigre has also consented...''

Ellen crossed her arms once again and looked to the pile of letters, then sighed.

Limited by her status, Ellen was also unable to reveal her true feelings, and even if she knew about the attempts of the Feudal Lords, she also had no reason to prevent it. She felt sympathy for Regin who could only confirm these letters with a depressed face. Lim also bore a bitter smile, imagining Massas ruefully sorting these letters.

"...I understand. When Lord Tigrevurmud returns, I will give these to him. I promise you, I will take good care of these letters until he comes back."

"Thank you very much."

Gerard's face seemed relieved, and he left the office this time for sure. After closing the door, in contrast to his relaxed mood, Ellen and Lim looked at the pile of letters with trouble faces.

Gerard, who left the work office, made a request to the soldier who was going to send him off to the main gate.

"Sorry to bother you, but can I stay for a while? There is someone that I want to greet. Of course I have gotten the approval of Vanadis-sama."

The latter half of the sentence was a lie. He knew that the soldier would be unable to judge the truth from the lie immediately. The soldier uneventfully complied. When he said the name of the person he wanted to greet, the soldier agreed to it with any suspicion.

''---Though I was not able to ask either Vanadis-sama nor Limlisha-dono...''

Gerard wanted to know by all means what kind of life Tigre was leading nowadays. Though it was not as if he were personally interested in it, there was a reason behind it.

Regin and Massas would be very glad if he talked to them about Tigre. Especially Regin who brightened her blue eyes until they were shining like a child's, and even the change of her expression was very interesting to see.

As Gerard had greed for success in life like everyone else, in order to please his boss, he had to bring some information about Tigre back.

Walking the corridor of the Imperial Palace led by the soldier, Gerard soon spotted the target. In the figure of a maid with white apron on top of the black long sleeves skirt, it was a girl who was in a twin tail chestnut hair. Gerard called out to her with a radiant smile.

"Long time no see, Teita-san."

The girl, Teita, also noticed Gerard and politely greeted him with a smile.

"Ah! Gerard-san, you came."

"Yeah. I was just talking with Vanadis-sama earlier on."

And then, Gerard and Teita chatted for a while. There were many topics that she was interested in, like Alsace's situation or matters about Massas who was fed up with the royal court duty. Teita then happily talked about the events of Tigre's life recently in the Imperial Palace.

"Massas-sama is doing well as usual, huh?"

"He is often bickering with his Excellency the Prime Minister Bodwin-sama."

"Like Gerard-san and Rurick-san?"

To the innocent words of Teita, the secretary of Brune was at loss for words. Though he would just think of it as sarcasm or provocation if it were another person who said it, because he knew that this girl did not have these intentions, he was troubled about how to respond.

Suddenly looking away, Gerard saw the soldier who were standing silently nearby. Because he bore the duty to guide Gerard to the main gate, he did his best to maintain his smile while faithfully waiting for them to finish talking.

"Excuse me, but we are probably going to take awhile. Since I will feel bad for making you wait any longer, I think that it should be alright to let her guide me to the main gate instead."

Though the soldier looked troubled, Teita was a guest and is also the maid of Tigre, in addition to being trusted by Ellen and Lim. Living here for half a year was also not short at all. The soldier briefly explained the situation to Teita, and asked if it was okay.

"I understand. If it is something like that, I will bear the task to see off Gerard-san properly to the main gate."

Just like that, Teita watched the soldier leave. Gerard secretly gloated at the moment. Up till now it all went as planned.

"By the way, Teita-san. About Lord Tigrevurmud."

With his radiant smile intact, Gerard changed the topic of discussion. Teita looked at Gerard with a surprised face.

"...Is there something wrong with Tigre-sama?"

"Vanadis-sama said that he went to the King's capital Silesia, but... Has Teita-san not heard anything from Lord Tigrevurmud?"

"... No, he didn't say anything special."

Teita denied while shaking her head, but her eyes swam for an instant, and her wavering voice lowered. Gerard did not overlook the subtle change on her face. Instinctively, he believed that something must have happened. He boldly stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and strongly stared at Teita’s face.

"...Really?"

Teita flinched from Gerard's abrupt action, and her shoulders shivered as she retreated a step. Gerard took another step forward promptly and shortened the distance to her again.

"Th-That..."

Teita had on a helpless expression, continuing to shake her head in denial, such that even Gerard could not bear it in his heart. However, this was unavoidable in order to find out what she was hiding.

"Stop that."

A voice suddenly came from behind. A shock and a pain ran to his head, and Gerard staggered. When he looked back while holding his head, a young man wearing armor was standing there.

With a well-featured face and a slippery head without a single hair, he had a sheathed sword in his hand. It seemed that he clubbed Gerard's head with it.

"Even if it was only for a short period of time, what intention do you have to threaten the maid of the person whom I used serve, you malicious person of Brune? Depending of your answer, I might club you again."

"When I wondered who it was, it was just you... "

Gerard groaned in annoyance. The man's name was Rurick. Despite his short fellowship with Gerard, they had (what we might call) a close bond relationship.

"It is bad for my reputation for you to say that I threatened her. I could not possibly do something like that to her."

"Even the eyes of five-year-old child would see that you are scaring her. You bastard, what are you trying to do?"

As if to protect Teita, Rurick was standing in between the two of them and stabbed Gerard with sharp eyes. The secretary of Brune sighed.

"You may not understand even if I explained it to you who has dull eyes and a cloudy brain, but I was only talking with Teita-san about Lord Tigrevurmud. Since there was a matter in which I was more interested in, I leaned forward carelessly."

"...This insidious damp man says so. Teita-dono?"

Looking back at Teita, Rurick asked with a very serious face and tone. Teita, with a troubled expression, looked back and forth between Rurick and Gerard's faces.

"E-Err... What Gerard-san says is true. While talking about Tigre-sama, we probably became a little too excited."

Tough Gerard was inwardly relieved to hear the resolute and decisive words of the maid with fox-tail millet colored hair, but her words did not seem to dispel Rurick’s suspicion.

"Teita-dono. You don't need to force yourself to cover up for this man. Even if you are afraid of a reprisal, in place of Lord Tigrevurmud, I won't let him lay a single finger on you."

"Are you trying to be a knight in shining armour?"

"I'm originally a knight. That's why."

Replying immediately to Gerard's misnomer, Rurick stared at Teita. As Teita unintentionally laughed, she slightly bowed to show her gratitude.

"Thank you Rurick-san. But he really did not threaten me."

"...... I understand, since Teita-dono says so."

Though he could not accept it, if she said it like that, even Rurick could not hold on any further. However, seeming to feel the need to give a warning to Gerard, the bald head knight turned towards the secretary with brown hair.

"I must report about what I saw just now to Limlisha-dono just in case."

"Wait a minute. Why do you have to do something like that?"

Anxiety was mixed in with Gerard's voice. As for what was bad for him, that was because Lim was friendly with Massas. In the worst case scenario, she might convey this matter to Massas in a letter or something.

"It will only be natural to report to the top if something unusual happened within the castle."

Folding his arms, Rurick proudly replied. Gerard was not able to retort to this sound argument. Though he requested for help from Teita with a gaze, but only an apologetic smile was returned.

''---It seems that I have no choice but to withdraw here...''

It was certain that Rurick would become a hindrance if he kept up any further with this conversation. Besides, he was able to obtain something out of that small talk about Tigre's current lifestyle. As tales of his travel to Regin and Massas, even if it was not complete, in terms of quality and quantity, it should certainly be satisfying enough.

''---And if I tried to find about the rest myself? First of all, I must dispatch someone to the King's Capital Silesia and then examine what kind of business Lord Tigrevurmud was called for by the King of Zchted.''

"Well then, I will leave first since I will apparently be haunted by an unpleasant gaze if I stay here."

"Ah, then let me see you off to the main gate."

As Teita remembered and said so, Gerard was accompanied to the main gate by both Rurick and her. Although Rurick was constantly speaking badly about him while they were walking down the corridor, since Teita was nearby, their squabbling did not reach to the extreme levels, and gradually it ended.

"May the blessing of the gods be with you, Gerard-san."

Teita waved. Gerard waved in return to say goodbye to her while deliberately ignoring Rurick's presence. Then he left the Palace.

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It was seven days later that Tigre reached Asvarre across the Breton Peninsula at the northwest edge of the kingdom of Brune since he got on the '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]'.

When looking at the port town of his destination from afar, Matvey relaxed, and an expression of relief spread through the passengers' faces. Two days later, the tense atmosphere that covered the ship finally defused.

"It seems like we have finally reached our destination safely."

On the deck, Matvey looked back at Tigre and Olga and smiled brightly. Although it was just a smile on the face of this man, it looked as though he was up to no good, and it's a little scary. However Tigre, who had become accustomed to that in this sea trip, nodded with a smile.

After passing the peninsula two days ago, the sailors became laconic, and there was always a dangerous air among them, as though they were in a battlefield. Even the passengers also took in such a mood, and kept their weapons beside them at all times.

Tigre, Olga and Matvey were the only people who remained calm.

"It’s because the pirates may appear."

To Tigre who asked about the strange mood, Matvey replied unhappily.

"Though I think Lord Tigrevurmud is aware of that matter, among the two princes who are currently fighting in Asvarre, Prince Eliot employs pirates as subordinates. Prince Eliot's base is in Asvarre island, and the surrounding area is just like their backyard for those guys."

Matvei frowned and explained while drawing a map in the air with his fingertip.

"Aren't they prohibited from targeting a merchant ship of Zchted?"

It was Olga who asked so. She wrapped herself in a mantle whenever she comes out on the deck, and she covered her eyes with a hood.

"Sadly, in this world there are words that are very convenient to use such as ‘made a mistake’."

As Matvey shrugged, he said that he would look at the state of the surroundings and left from there. Tigre was looking at the scenery of the small port town that gradually approached when Olga tugged at his sleeve.

"Tigre. Can you shoot that down?"

Extending her arm straight, what Olga pointed to were seabirds flying gracefully under the cloudy sky. After observing the seabirds for a moment, Tigre shook his head.

"It is meaningless even if I shoot it down."

Seeming not to understand Tigre's answer, Olga tilted her head.

"It will only fall into the sea even if I shoot it down. Though this ship is loaded with a shallop, I cannot possibly trouble so many people just to collect a seabird."

He explained so while looking at the seabirds, but Olga seemed to interpret it as making excuses. She narrowed her eyes that were visible through her hood and said with a bored voice.

"You travel only with a bow and handled it with great care, that's why I thought that you would be very confident... or do you think I am deliberately making things difficult for you?"

"I do not think you are deliberately making things difficult for me, but there is definitely a little difficulty in hitting this target."

Tigre, with an indifferent look, replied softly to Olga. This was because he knew that she didn't say it just on a whim.

While on board, other than sleeping, they didn't have much else to do, and therefore Tigre talked to her a lot. She was heartily surprised that Tigre only had a dagger in addition to his bow.

"Is it really so rare?"

In turn, this even made Tigre feel that it was unbelievable. Olga was surprised, or stunned.

"Most people have a sword and a hatchet as weapons. And after that many have spear and ax. Even if there are people who use the bow in addition to such weapons, I have never seen people using only a bow."

"A hatchet is good. I will prepare that from the next time onwards."

Tigre also carried a hatchet when hunting. It was because it was convenient to cut away tall weeds, obstructive branches and leaves. However, he never thought of carrying it while on a trip. To Tigre who was impressed, Olga asked.

"Are you that confident with the bow?"

"More than with a sword or a spear."

Though every word that he said was the truth, but Olga's gaze at Tigre showed that she was at a lost for words.

While recalling such a conversation several days ago, Tigre observed the seabirds again.

Though they were not that fast, they were flying pretty high. The wind was blowing, and since they were on a ship, the footing was also unstable. It would probably be extremely difficult for someone with ordinary skills to make an arrow hit the seabirds.

''---To begin with, Can that stuff be eaten? This is my first time seeing such a bird...''

Tigre returned his eyes to the port town while intending to ask Matvey later. There was a small hill in the vicinity of the shore, and the gently undulating terrain filled with broad streets made up the cityscape. He saw a building that seemed like a palace on the hill. One might overlook the sea from there.

The captain roared out a command loudly, 'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' folded its white sails and began slowing down little by little. The ship’s power was converted to wood-pulp, and it went forward to the port town under the leadership of the pilot vessel.

Maria was one of the very common port cities in the kingdom of Asvarre.

The harbor was crowded with people handling the cargo. Roadside stalls were located on both sides of the street, the merchants, the travelers and the housewives who came out for shopping, all sorts of people were coming and going, and the atmosphere was wrapped in a chaotic buzz.

A huge fish that was a long as a man is tall was chopped into chunks on the spot for sale. The basket was filled with small fish that were just caught, and were still alive and kicking. The sea water dripped from the shellfish piled in heaps in the barrels. Moreover, mushrooms, cabbage and wild grass were also placed on the mat for sale.

"It is lively, but not as much as in Lippner. I wonder if it is because of the civil war."

As Tigre gave his honest impression, Olga beside him also nodded.

"The number of ships is different, though the port size is about the same."

At those words, Tigre looked at her with a surprised face. Even when talking about the bow, this girl’s calm was completely at odds with her age, as if she was accustomed to traveling in general. Tigre was constantly surprised after leaving Lippner, and thus he did not manage to observe both the port and the ship well.

'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' anchored on the wharf, disembarking passengers in succession.

Tigre and Olga were waiting for Matvey and thus got down last.

Though Tigre finally set his foot on the hard ground after a long time, he felt a sense of incongruity to his body and stamped several times on the spot. Olga asked him with a wondering face.

"What are you doing?"

"I may only be tired, but I feel like my body is still shaking."

"...I also feel that, too. What is it?"

The two looked at each other tilting their head. It was Matvey that gave them a clear answer.

"We are calling it wave motion sickness (drunkenness), since the body got used to the state of vibration. It will be mostly wear off if you leave it for awhile."

"How long will take if we leave it be?"

Olga asked with an uncomfortable voice. Matvey frowned and answered.

"If you walk around for awhile, your body should get used to the hard ground again. Although there are rare cases where the illness becomes worst for the person, but you will probably be alright since you did not get seasick. Shall we go eat for the time being?"

Matvey led the way out of the port, walking down the street.

''---As expected, it is different from Brune or Zchted after all.''

The fence surrounding houses, wood materials and assembly methods, the pattern of the walls, as well as the structure of the roof. The differences of these details, as well as the conversations of people that leaked to the ear strengthened the feeling of having come to a foreign land. Tigre did not understand nor recognise the words that they occasionally saw as well.

Before long, Matvey chose one shop and entered. Tigre and Olga also followed. A fragrant smell assailed their nose the moment they passed through the door, and the noise inside struck their earlobes.

In this snug store, more than half the seats were already filled. The guests were not just the residents of the town, there were also passengers and sailors. Deep in the store, the three people sat around a round-topped table, and a young waitress squeezed through the crowd to pass to Matvey a menu.

Tigre was looking around the store. Such places did not change wherever he went.

"After this we are going to meet with someone."

Tigre looked at Olga who was covered with the turban over her eyes even when in the store. Although this caused her to seem very suspicious, other guests were also far from being decent. Thus he decided not to mention it.

"We plan to leave this town today at the earliest. What do you intend to do?"

After being asked this question, Olga cast down her eyes, seeming to think about something. She paused and opened her mouth after about a count of three.

"May I accompany you until midway? Concerning meals and lodging, I will pay my share myself. I won't do something like causing you trouble."

"If you tell us the purpose of your trip."

As Tigre replied so, Olga remained silent once again. Perhaps wanting to ease the atmosphere, Matvey was about to say something. Tigre held him back and continued.

"I won't ask you to explain in detail. Like how I said it just now, I am going to meet a certain person, it is enough if the extent of what you tell me is something like that. I won't even ask your identity. However, it would be good if you can describe at least that much to us."

During the sea trip, when he was free, Tigre would think about Olga's situation, but he could not reach a conclusion.

No matter how you look at it, she just did not fit with her age. She also seemed to be accustomed to traveling, and she also had a splendid axe hung to her waist. Even when she was in front of him or Matvey, she was neither perturbed nor scared, and she had a calm and brave attitude.

If she was an itinerant entertainer or a bard, then it was strange that she did not have her tools for work. If she was a fugitive guilty of some crime, her behavior was rather sloppy (her words and deeds were rather ostentatious). Even though he did not ask her much, but she also did not talked too much about herself. It was like saying that she was suspicious of him.

An extreme thought would be the possibility of her being spy, but as expected, she was too young and it would be rather conspicuous.

This silence lasted a long time. As the waiter carried the beer which that was filled to the brim in big glasses made of ceramic and put them on the table, Olga finally spoke.

"...Is it no good if I say that there is something that I want to see?"

She looked at Matvey and Tigre. They showed neither approval nor disapproval.

"Does that mean there is a place where you want to go?"

To Tigre's question, Olga shook her head.

"I just want to walk around this country properly, and hear various stories in the towns and villages that we will drop by in. I only want to go to those towns and villages, meaning there isn't particularly any place where I want to go."

It became more and more incomprehensible. Leaving aside Brune and Zchted which currently have no signs of war, here was Asvarre.

Tigre violently rummaged his darkish red hair and sighed. As he looked towards Matvey.

"My orders were to assist you."

It seemed that he entrusted him with the decision. Thus as Tigre asked him whether it was fine with his gaze, the scary-looking sailor said with a happy smile.

"Sailors always encounter various mishap situations on the sea. If I leave a young girl all alone just to loaf around, the beluga on my back will look down on me."

Tigre thanked him again and said sorry. Rather than being Tigre's subordinate, he was only cooperating because it was Sasha's request. But he was willing to respect the will of a youngster who probably did not have even half of his age.

"I would like to hear from the man who looks good with the white dolphin, what are our future plans?"

"We will leave the town as soon as we can acquire horses. We will arrive at our destination city after two or three days. Though it is a camping-out for tonight, we will stay at a small village along the highway tomorrow."

Matvey who was probably expecting such a question answered it smoothly without any pause. Tigre purposely made a severe expression and looked at Olga again.

"We don't mean to stay long in Asvarre. We will return to Zchted quickly after we finish our business. So if you do not mind, our trip together will be until that town."

Having Olga accompanying the both of them was not without its benefits. Since it would be very difficult for others to imagine them to be secret agents if they took a child along.

"...I understand. Then, until that town."

Olga moved her small body and bowed to Tigre and Matvey respectively.

"Well, I wish us a happy journey in this country, cheers!"

The trio each picked up a cup, and bumped them together lightly. Tigre gulped down the beer vigorously. After drinking about half of the cup, he frowned.

"It is very bitter, this beer."

Though he also drank beer in both Brune and Zchted, he had not drank any kind of beer that had left such a bitter taste on the tongue thus far. Distorting her facial expression underneath her turban, Olga seemed to think so too. Only Matvey’s smile remained.

"There is also a way of drinking it while diluting it with water, wine or herb. Or, would you like to drink another liquor?"

While still at a lost as to what to do, the dishes were served. There was oatmeal and beef stewed with liquor which was Asvarre's peculiar dishes. And moreover, since it was situated at the seashore, there was also salmon and cabbage soup, grilled cod fish with its stomach stuffed with herbs and mushrooms, and many other kinds of fish and shellfish as well.

Also on the table, bread coated with crushed peanuts and mutton fried soybean was lined up. All these had fragrant smells drifting out from the dishes, and just by looking at it, saliva accumulated in the mouth. They were at loss as to where to start.

The oatmeal had a unique smell and texture, and since the beef that was stewed with liquor had a strong flavor, it was just right eating it with bread. The salmon that was used as the base of the soup used salt marination ahead of time, and thus the salt taste that entered in the soup was just right.

As Tigre and the others smacked their lips over the many dishes, while they were talking about their cruise until today and their impression of this town, they were also listening to the conversations from other tables.

"...It seems that before we left Zchted the situation here had not changed."

It was about the fight between Prince Germaine and Prince Eliot. Although small-scale battles occurred frequently, it seemed that both sides failed to gain any advantage against the other.

"There may be a change happening soon. Because it seems that Prince Eliot left the Asvarre island that is his base, and came to the continent."

Similarly overhearing the nearby conversation, Matvey said.

"It is probably to encourage the soldiers of his army."

"There is also the possibility that he may personally lead them himself. As for the number of soldiers, the fact that Prince Eliot's side is superior didn't change."

After answering so, Matvey picked up a tender piece of fish to his mouth. Olga put her glass down and asked.

"I heard that among Prince Eliot's troops, the pirates account for a great number of them, but are they really that many in numbers?"

"You know that half a year ago, a civil war occurred in Brune. I heard that thousands of the pirates were once remnants of the defeated army who fled to the North at that time."

After listening to Matvey say these words, Tigre almost choked with his food stuck in his throat.

"Others are Sachstein’s mercenaries, as well as a group of people known as sea people, it's quite a mixed bag of people. And if this messed up situation drags on for much longer, many more will lose their jobs and livelihoods, and Zchted will also definitely be affected. For example..."

Stopping his hand that was eating, Matvey suddenly put on a serious expression.

"As there are those who are making a living by trading with Asvarre merchants, what will happen when they are no longer able to trade because those merchants were killed due to the civil war? You may say that they should look for new trading partners, but if such a thing was so easily found, they would not be having such a hard time."

Listening to the conversation of the two people, Tigre tore the bread roughly and threw it into his mouth.

Even if it was to escape from starvation, becoming a pirate was not something allowed. Misfortune will never become a reason to dispossess (to deprive) an innocent person. So, instead of becoming a pirate, was it better to starve and die? No, that's not right as well. What should be done is…

"Lord Tigrevurmud."

Unwittingly, Tigre fell into silence with a serious face. Matvey said with a soothing tone and a fearful expression.

"Are you tired from the sea trip? The food is becoming cold you know?"

"Ah, no, I was just thinking about the upcoming trip."

"For us, here is a foreign land. Although there may be some things that will make us unhappy, but I hope you will not be so depressed."

"...That's right. Thank you."

It was for Matvey's consideration towards him that Tigre expressed his gratitude. Matvey understood what the young man was getting worried and angry about, so he persuaded him gently.

Tigre fiercely stretched out his hand to the remaining food on the table. To face Germaine in an adequate condition with both stamina and energy, he convinced himself that he must properly eat from now.

<center><big><big>◎</big></big></center>

Along the road flanked by a small hill, a small village came into view when they exited the forest. Since they left the port town of Maria, two days had already passed.

The three people were on horseback and had tied their luggage to the saddle. Matvey led the way, followed by Tigre and lastly Olga.

Though Tigre thought that Olga was used to traveling, she was also proving it by her actions. When they camped out yesterday, she managed to hunt two wild hares in only a half koku.

In addition, Tigre also shot down two wild birds, and thus the supper of that day became very luxurious. Olga also did really well when handling the birds and hares. She continued the work with much finesse, drawing out blood, skinning and plucking the feathers of the birds easily, and Tigre was impressed.

"Though it is still daylight, we will rest in this village for today."

While looking up at the bright sunshine in the cloudless sky, Matvey that was at the vanguard said those words.

"If we leave on the early morning of tomorrow, we may arrive at Valverde, which is our destination, at the afternoon."

After finishing the harvest, there were withered grass stalks scattered everywhere in the field, and the farmers were resting by either sitting or lying down. Opposite the field, there were simple houses lined up row by row, with roofs made from black asphalt with small slabs of stone interspersed here and there. Remembering the villages of his hometown, nostalgia crossed Tigre’s eyes.

Suddenly one farmer turned around and faced their way, noticing Tigre and the others. His calm face changed radically into one that was mixed with fear and suspicion, and he called out to other farmers and ran away hurriedly.

"...What's going on?"

For villagers to be wary of strangers was not a rare sight. However, Tigre sensed a different atmosphere from them.

"Isn’t it because Matvey-san’s face scared them?"

Olga muttered so, and Matvey showed an exaggeratedly sorrowful face. Even Tiger could not refrain from laughing. It was unusual and rare for this girl to say a joke, and thanks to that the strained mood softened.

"In any case, I do not want to scare them too much. Let's get down from the horses."

Since talking on horseback would probably intimidate the other party. Getting off the horse, the three people went to the village by pulling the reins of the horses. At this moment, one man walked their way. His linen clothes were stained with soil, and his face had a trace of wiped sweat. One look was enough to tell that he was working on the farms until just a while ago.

"Dear travelers, what kind of business do you have with this village?"

"We would like to ask for food and overnight accommodation. And we would like to acquire new horses as well."

It was Matvey who could speak the Asvarre’s language fluently that answered, and he took out several pieces of silver coins from his breast pocket and handed them to the man. After looking at the silver coins, the man glanced at Tigre and Olga. Tigre said with a smile to reassure him.

"There are also such villages in my homeland. We are only passing by and we don't have any intentions to interfere with your work."

Matvey conveyed it again in Asvarre’s language. The man let out a breath of relief, and seemed to lose some of his initial wariness.

Tigre and the other two were guided to the man's house. The man seemed to be the village mayor and he was living in the only 2-story building in this village. There was a barn and a stable near the house too, and he had his family help move the horses there. Tigre and the others were provided with a spare room on the second floor of the house.

Though there was nothing in the room, if there was something they desired, the man said that they would try to prepare it as long it was possible. Tigre left negotiations to Matvey and walked to the window.

He could overlook the entirety of the village from the window, and he even saw the entrance of the village where they came from. There were children who were looking up at Tigre who was standing by the window with great interest, but when he waved his hand, some would hide quickly or flee in every direction. There were also several who waved their hand back awkwardly.

"Lord Tigrevurmud. The talk has been settled."

At Matvey’s voice, Tigre turned towards him.

"It is impossible to sleep on a bed, but it seems that they have prepared three thick blankets, so there is one per person. The meal will be a moment later. He said that we will have one chicken with soup and bread. We also have three buckets of hot water prepared for us."

After saying till there, Matvey suddenly lowered his voice and asked whether or not he should negotiate for one more chicken happily. Tigre shook his head with a bitter smile.

Rather than say he was trying to be polite, it should be said that because the villagers were already a little wary of them, he wanted to avoid doing things that would agitate them. This is a more accurate statement.

Laying the blanket which had just been brought over on the floor, Tigre lied down on it. As he stretched his limbs to the fullest, he felt extremely relaxed and comfortable. Olga displayed an astonished expression. When the person of the village left the room, she removed the turban that she was wearing.

"How indolent..."

"Because there hasn't been much chance to relax like this during the past few days, that's why."

"Indeed. I wonder if I can also enjoy the feeling of comfort of lazing my whole body for a while as well."

Matvey agreed, as he also laid on the blanket in the same way. As the dimly expressionless Olga looked down at the two men, she laid her body on the blanket.

Over a period of time, the trio did not do anything, lying down in silence.

Then, the time that passed was only about a half koku. Tigre frowned suddenly. He had a feeling that he heard something like a scream in the distance.

Tigre and Olga woke up almost simultaneously. One moment later, Matvey also got up. Tigre grabbed his black bow, grabbing his quiver with arrows and move towards the window. He examined the situation outside carefully.

''--- What happened? Those guys are...''

There were thirty, no around forty men in the village. They had a discernibly rough atmosphere about them, and despite being armed there was no uniformity in their equipment. If there were some people who were wearing riveted leather armor, there were also those wearing chain mail. The weapons were a huge mix, with there being swords or spears, axes, pikes and even mallets.

And every house of the village have shut their doors firmly, as if waiting for the storm to pass while holding their breath. Only several people were in the fields, standing together with their horses or cows, looking blankly at this scene.

The men set their eyes on one house, then started beating their spears, pike and mallets against the door while shouting loudly. Stepping over the wrecked door, several people went into the house, which were then followed by screams.

"Are they... Brigands?"

"It is possible that those bandits have their stronghold in the neighborhood."

Matvey who was looking at the situation across the window from the side opposite of Tigre, replied in a calm tone.

''---That's not right, it would be strange if they were truly bandits.''

Tigre frowned. If this were truly an attack, then the attitude of those men was too laid-back. The villagers too, rather than running away, were only shutting their doors firmly.

Even as he was thinking, there were those who attacked the houses of other villagers, or those who went towards the field who surrounded and beat the farmers. There were even those who bludgeon livestock to death while laughing happily.

It was certain that one would be trembling violently in fear if they were to be timid in nature. It was a terrible spectacle that made Tigre sick just by looking at it. An extremely furious Tigre stretched his right hand to his quiver, but at this moment the door of the room was knocked on. Matvey moved quickly and went to open the door.

A woman of about 45 years old was there. She was from the village chief's family. Though her face was paled, she insisted that we would be safe as long as we were here, and that we should close the sliding shutter and remain still.

"What are these guys? Brigands?"

To Tigre's question, the woman shook her head wearily.

"Those people are the soldiers of His Highness Germaine."

Not only Tigre, but even Matvey and Olga opened their eyes wide at that answer.

" Prince Germaine’s soldiers...? Those guys?"

It was an unbelievable story, but there was no reason for this woman to tell them such a lie. Above all, with this explanation, their behavior as well as the reactions of villagers finally made sense.

At that time, the woman's look turned to Tigre's hand. To the left hand which grasped the black bow tightly, and the right hand which was extracting an arrow.

"W-What do you plan to do?"

The woman's voice was shaking in fear. Tigre did not answer. She trotted over and clung onto the hands of the youngster. She pleaded with a face and voice that seemed about to burst into tears at any moment.

"Please. Don't do anything strange. Please..."

"But... But, how could you let those people do as they please!"

When Tigre painfully spit out those words, tears started to flow from the edges of her eyes and she twisted her expression.

"You will leave here tomorrow, right? We will live in this village not only tomorrow, but also the next day and the day after that."

Feeling bitterness spreading within his mouth, Tigre was not able to answer to her mournful voice.

Even if Tigre sent away these soldiers here, the situation would not improve. They will take revenge for themselves on this village soon after. In the worst case, they might burn the village saying the villagers defied Prince Germaine.

They must endure it until the soldier's tyranny had passed. Even if they had to make sacrifices, they must endure it.

It was the way that this village chose.

Although the woman tried to continue her words further, a scream that came from outside cut off her words.

While only moving his head Tigre looked outside from the window, and saw that several girls were pressed down by many soldiers as they were dragged to the center of the village. Villagers who apparently tried to stop it were beaten and were crouching down before the statue.

"Matvey."

Tigre suddenly called the name of the sailor of white beluga. To the dreadfulness with which the voice was tinged with, Matvey's shoulders shook with a startle.

"Tie up this person. No, tie up all those present in this house and bring them to the first floor. And then, block up the first floor with whatever you can use. The doors and windows, everything."

The woman and Olga both made an expression of astonishment. Matvey immediately moved to obey Tigre's instructions, and he bound the woman's arms from behind.

"What are you trying to achieve?"

Tigre did not answer back to Matvey's question. Moving his quiver of arrows to his waist, he placed his foot on the window frame. In the next moment, he clung to the wall on the outside with a light motion and quickly climbed up on the roof. No one among the soldiers on the ground noticed.

Tigre set up the bow when settling down on the roof and nocked an arrow. He aimed at the soldier who was going to pounce on a girl. The distance was approximately 100 alsins. A piece of cake.

The shot arrow cut through the wind, flew and went through the head of the man as though it was sucked towards it. The body of the man who ceased to breathe inclined and fell down beside the girl. Several people doubtfully turned their eyes to their friend, and as they saw the arrow in his head, the second arrow from Tigre was already released.

The arrow went through his throat, and the arrowhead piercing through his throat was stained with blood. The man fell down on the spot and writhed about painfully without being able to utter a single sound.

The men finally noticed the existence of an enemy. On the other hand, Tigre, without changing his cold expression even one bit, shot the third arrow and killed the third person. Flashing in his mind was the memory of one year ago.

It was in Alsace, the central city Celesta that is his hometown. Zaien, the son of Duke Thenardier, invaded with his soldiers, causing many private houses to be destroyed and burned, and many people lost their lives.

The state of the girls being held down by the soldiers awakened the young man's memory of the time when Teita was being attacked by Zaian.

When he thought of the scene that he saw then, it was not within Tigre to be able to overlook what was happening now in silence.

As Tigre shot and killed the third person, Matvey was tying up the woman skillfully on the second floor under the roof. He also carefully gagged her, and then pushed a dagger against her neck. Although he would not do something like hurting her, his scary face was sufficient to make quite an impact.

"Even Lord Tigrevurmud can give such a cruel order. It might be a little painful, but please forgive me."

"...Please, explain."

It was Olga, who watched the course of things in silence until then, that asked Matvey. Doubt and suspicion were swirling in her black pupils.

"Don't you understand? No, excuse me. Let me explain it later since my hands are full now. I will be able to explain it to you earlier if you help me."

To the answer of the Matvey who seemed happy, the virtually always dimly expressionless Olga showed a slight change in her expression. She frowned, and while lost in her thoughts, her eyes went around the inside of the room and then were directed to the outside of the window.

"Will it also be counted as helping if I cut down those guys outside?"

Matvey, who was going to leave the room with the woman whom he had restricted, suddenly stopped.

Although he was also surprised that Olga's tone lost the usual politeness, what was more important was that her voice had become even more colder, the scary-looking sailor couldn't help turning around. He tried to open his mouth to ask what she meant, but was forestalled.

"Yes or no? Answer only that. Your hands are full, right?"

"...It would be convenient if you could leave one person alive, but otherwise do as you like."

Only by using his utmost was Matvey able to answer like so. After he finished speaking, Olga started moving. She kicked the floor, slipped through the side of Matvey and ran down the hallway.

Matvey continued standing stunned after watching her leave, and he finally came to his senses upon feeling the gaze of the woman.

At this time outside the house, Tigre just shot and killed the sixth man.

''---That was a terrible miscalculation...''

As for the soldiers, though half was running about in confusion and were still reeling from the surprise attack, the remaining half were trying to counter attack following the directives of a man who seemed to be the adjutant.

Tigre had already shot and killed the commander who led them.

At first he took down the commander to confuse them, and then he would reduced their number and force them to retreat.

Though Tigre had planned so and it went smoothly until the first half, the adjutant who fled quickly into the cover of a building scolded the soldiers harshly and gradually restored their morale.

When the commander fell down, it was natural for the adjutant to act as his substitute, but the fact that this adjutant managed to splendidly take over the reins of the troops could be seen as miraculous. Even a decent army rarely bounced back this early.

''---Well, how do I defeat them then?''

While nocking an arrow to the black bow, Tigre thought calmly about his next move. Although it looked as if he had an overwhelming advantage, Tigre knew very clearly that it was not the case.

Tigre could not help but surrender if the soldiers of Germaine held a villager hostage while hiding themselves in the cover of the buildings. Even if Tigre forsook the hostage, they would use the villagers as a shield to his arrows. If they protected themselves that way, then surrounded the house he was on, the fight would become extremely difficult.

"The enemy is only one person, you know? You bunch of useless fools, What are you afraid of?"

"Do you think I could do something like this alone? How about you stop acting like a rat and step forward instead of only letting your underlings come out."

In order to cover up the scoldings of the adjutant, Tigre also issued a roar that spread throughout the village. He had already shot down 8 people. Since they were being sniped from a highly advantageous position, Germaine's soldiers can't help but act cowardly. Tigre originally wanted to use this method to keep them suppressed.

However, at this point in time, one of soldiers suddenly threw an adze (hand ax) over at him. Although Tigre avoided it at once by twisting his body, he destroyed his posture and slipped. He narrowly avoided falling down from the roof, and the adjutant cried out without overlooking the chance he gained.

"RUSH!"

After receiving his instruction, four soldiers ran towards the house on which Tigre was standing.

"Oh no-!"

Though Tigre shot an arrow quickly and took down one soldier, the three remaining soldiers did not slow down, and rushed to the door.

It was at that time. The door was suddenly opened from the inside, and a girl with a petite body who wrapped herself in a mantle ran out. It was Olga.

When the soldiers of Germaine first saw someone running out of the house, they immediately took up wary postures. However, after they understood that their opponent was just a child, they mercilessly swung down their weapons which they had in their hands.

Consecutive dull sounds were heard and blood splattered about suddenly. Shocked, Tigre shouted out her name. However, in the next moment, the ones who screamed out and fell down were Germaine's soldiers.

Olga, as always with the turban covering her eyes, was silently standing inside the puddle of blood which was slowly spreading. In her hand, there was now a dark red axe stained with blood.

''---In one blow? No two blows...''

It was not only Tigre, even the village girls who were late to run away and failed to get out in time as well as the soldiers of Germaine who had hidden themselves in cover stared at the girl with a stunned face.

It was a frightening ability. Among the three soldiers that attacked her, two wore chain mail and one was in leather armor reinforced with metal. However, the young girl's axe cut and tore through both their armour and their abdomen. Wielding this axe was a girl who was only 13, 14 years old.

Olga, as if unmindful of the surrounding people who were currently in consternation, was still observing the state of the men. The soldiers of Germaine shuddered as the enemy who just appeared and was definitely not an ordinary one. Some turned their eyes to the adjutant for further instructions.

Olga was waiting for their reaction. Although it seemed as though she just wanted to step over the bodies, she suddenly rushed fiercely towards the adjutant. The adjutant got anxious and shouted.

"B-Bring her down."

Receiving that order, two men attacked Olga. However, one of them was pierced through the neck with an arrow that Tigre shot and fell to the ground. Even the remaining one had his arm cut off from below his elbow with a flourish of Olga's axe, and fell down on the spot while shrieking.

Realizing that he could not escape, the adjutant lowered his posture, intending to fight. Maybe it is because the weapon which he had in his hand is a spear. In terms of reach, it held an absolute advantage over the axe.

The adjutant thrust out his spear. With only one slash, Olga blew away the dark gray tip of the spear that was approaching her.

The actions of the girl with pinked colored hair hadn't ended yet. She ran beside the edge of the spear which was nothing more than just a stick in a single breath, and shortened the distance. The adjutant's head flew in the sky, leaving a trail of blood.

Olga, without taking notice of the body, thrust her axe at the man who ran over in order to support the adjutant.

"Throw away your weapon."

The man realized instantly that he would lose his life if he didn't listen to her instructions. Fearing the girl who was only about half his age from the bottom of his heart, he discarded his weapon, crossed his hands behind his head and surrendered.

The other soldiers discarded their weapons, suddenly cried out in fear, then turned their backs and escaped. As the adjutant had died, there was no one left who was able to command them now.

<center><big><big>◎</big></big></center>

Tigre immediately released the soldiers that Olga caught, and then he gave them a short order.

"Go back and help me relay this information, that people of a foreign land wants to see Prince Germaine."

Afterwards, Tigre sat down at the doorway of the village facing the highway. It was towards that direction that the soldiers of Germaine escaped. If they waited here, their comrades will show up sooner or later.

Soon after, Olga and Matvey, who was holding on to the horses, walked over to him.

As Tigre turned to look at the two, though somewhat tinged with gloom, he asked with a mild expression.

"How is the state of the village?"

"Since one of the village headmen came over to that house, we explained the circumstances while having a look at the inside."

Though the village was poor, in order to prevent foxes or wild boars from entering, it was surrounded by a tall wooden fence. While tying the horses there, Matvey explained in a hearty voice.

"Were you able to tie up all the people of that house?"

"Yes. In a few moments the village headman will be coming here, and they would appreciate an explanation from Lord Tigrevurmud once again. Also, it seems like they will help out with the burial of the hooligans."

"You have really saved us, thank you very much."

When Tigre bowed, Matvey smiled bitterly and waved his hand.

"Don't mind it. If I were to still be able to heartlessly ignore what was happening even after seeing that scene then, I won't have the face to see my lord anymore. One more thing, Lord Tigrevurmud. I would like you to quit using the polite way of talking. It will also be easier for you, won't it?"

"...Alright, since you have said as much."

When he seemed to be at loss and scratched his head, Tigre changed his expression and turned towards Olga.

"I must also give you my gratitude. Thank you. Honestly, you really saved me there."

Without this girl's involvement, though it could not be said that he would be defeated, there was no doubt that he would be force to put on a tough fight. However, Olga shook her head to say that such a thing was just a trifle matter.

"Leaving that aside, I want you to explain. Why did you tie up the people of that house?"

Tigre stared steadily at her involuntarily. Though she was still expressionless, he felt an intense will within her quiet voice. This might be Olga's true nature.

After thinking a little, Tigre used an attitude which considered the other party as equal instead of talking as though he were talking to a child, and said.

"While receiving such treatment, the people of this village didn't resist. From what I have seen of the soldiers' attitude and the village's reaction, I concluded that such a thing hasn't happened only once or twice. Perhaps, they may have also destroyed another village as a warning to the others."

The expressionless Olga had a shadow cross over her face. Tigre continued in a serious tone.

"It is the policy of the village not to defy the soldiers. If they dare to oppose them, it will rouse the anger of those guys and they will retaliate. Not only that, it will implicate the other villagers. Much more so if it were to be caused by the people in position like the village mayor and the village headmen, which will undoubtedly cause even bigger problems to occur. However... if I tied them up so that we weren't be disturbed, it would become a possible excuse to the village."

Tigre remembered the words of the woman who clung to him. They must live tomorrow and also the day after tomorrow in this village.

Olga looked down and muttered, as if very dissatisfied.

"Isn't there the option of escaping and abandoning this village? To a place without bandits and tyranny..."

"Have you ever plowed a field?"

Giving a soft smile, Tigre kindly asked her. After blinking several times, Olga shook her head. Looking away, Tigre gazed at the distant field.

"It's very hard, you know. Although I've grasped a hoe only once. At first, you need remove pebbles, weeds and chips of wood from the land as much as possible. It's seriously tough manual labour. Next, you need to dig up the soil, and you need to deep it really deeply, therefore it is also very hard work."

The fields of his hometown came into Tigre's mind. That time, he was enjoying the scenery which he just saw along with his late father.

"While using the hoe, if it hits the stones mixed among the soil, if the edge either bends or breaks, then you must repair it. In case there isn't a blacksmith and only wooden hoes can be used, it will take a great amount of both time and effort."

"... Isn't there a way of making a cow or a horse pull a plow?"

"Not every house can afford to keep cattle and horses. They are very expensive."

To Tigre's answer, Olga fell into silence without a word. Matvey opened his mouth to brighten up the atmosphere that had sunk heavily.

"Well then, Lord Tigrevurmud, what do we do from now on?"

"I will wait for the subordinates of Prince Germaine here. If they are fast, they will even reach here by tomorrow. Though it was somewhat off track, it can still considered to be going according as planned."

"Did you come to this country to meet with Prince Germaine?"

Olga black eyes were tinged with the touch of an unexpected look.

"Yeah, and so our travel together will end here."

He did not think they would part in this manner. But Tigre believed that this child would certainly have no problems by herself. Whether it was her equestrian skills, or her aptitude at hunting, as well as her excellent combat skills, Olga's capability should not be underestimated.

However, the girl with light pink hair spoke some unexpected words that Tigre never anticipated.

"Tigre. If it's alright with you, would you let me accompany you as your attendant?"

"...... The reason?"

In order to ask this, Tigre had to use the time taken for a few breaths.

"I want to personally meet the man called Germaine. - Can't I?"

He just thought that she would finally give a clear-cut answer, but he did not expect her expression to change into one that had a child-like weak expression. Tigre folded his arms and muttered. He did not think that Olga was unaware of how dangerous it was to see Germaine now. He really could not understand her thoughts.

"Who are you exactly?"

After some wavering, Tigre asked bluntly.

"Until now, we have not asked each other's identity. As we planned to say goodbye with you here, we decided not to ask about it any more. However, since you are coming with us, it is another matter entirely. Please just tell me who you are."

Olga momentarily turned her gaze, and shook her head, seemingly having an internal struggle within her mind. Subsequently, she looked straight into Tigre's eyes.

"You may not believe me..."

Of her dignified expression, and in a calm tone filled with strong will and conviction, the young girl that was traveling with them that the two were familiar with seemed to have become a completely different person.

"I am one of the seven Vanadis of Zchted. Holding on to the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} named Muma, and also bestowed with the land of Brest and the {{furigana|Curse of Reversal|Houju no Genbu}}--- That is me, the {{furigana|Moon Princess of the Roaring Demon|Bardiche}}, Olga Tamm."

Tigre and Matvey stared wide-eyed and were at a loss for words.

Standing before the two people now was not the girl without sociability who was also absentminded in some ways. She was a one-man army who had been accepted by a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}. She was a Vanadis whom one couldn't help but have his hairs stand on end if they looked closely at her.

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| Back to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_06_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_06_Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Talk:Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 06 Chapter 2

2013-12-02T11:35:24Z

Royaloyalz:

I cant read the raws, so this is merely conjencture

''"You bastard, we asked you to show us the way around, what are you thinking when you are running away?"
........

"Because those people asked me to guide them to the ship, and I tried to take them out of the port." ''

This makes no sense in my head for the story, why would Olga show 3 adult man around?

But what if we swap the subject and object?

''You bastard, you asked us to show us the way around, what are you thinking when you are running away?"
...................................

''You bastard, you asked us to show us the way around '''port''', what are you thinking when you are running away?"

It's important part of the orginal sentence. - [[User:Tasear|Tasear]] ([[User talk:Tasear|talk]])

.......

"Because I asked those people to guide me to the ship, and they tried to take me out of the port.''

This would make more sense to me. Can the translator check again? [[User:Xenocross|Xenocross]] ([[User talk:Xenocross|talk]]) 14:35, 7 May 2013 (CDT)

I think it implies that that the girl was going to be robbed. I am lead to believe so because of the following sentences. The sentence is correct based on this assumption.

........

No offense, but this needs a TLC badly along with an editor proficient in English. Its quality is understandable though, considering Setsuna isn't a native English speaker.

........

Need a retranslation for this sentence: "Still, appointing you a foreigner, it is risky and is over with boldness for careful His Majesty to appoint you who are a foreigner." Doesn't make a bunch of sense atm. Then again, a lot of this still doesn't make sense. [[User:Rizo536|Rizo536 - Possibly Editing]] ([[User talk:Rizo536|talk]]) 18:20, 8 May 2013 (CDT)

"His careful majesty" [[User:Tasear|Tasear]] The adjective should be second.

Did some pretty heavy TLC, please go through what I have done as I may have missed out something while doing TLC since this is the first time I am doing it. Thanks. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 05:35, 2 December 2013 (CST)

User talk:Royaloyalz

2013-12-02T11:26:25Z

Royaloyalz: /* =Madan no Ou to Vanadis */

Anything I did wrongly please inform me here.

=== Regarding Minor Edits ===
Hey there. Could you tag your minor/small edits as "Minor" (via the checkbox) instead of labeling them as such? It would make tracking changes much easier. Just a suggestion. :) [[User:Seyrine|sey]] ([[User talk:Seyrine|talk]]) 05:46, 28 February 2013 (CST)

How should I say this... Well I just named them minor edits for the sake of it, however they are usually in no way minor in any sense of the word, as I usually go through the whole chapter and make quite a few changes. Still, thanks for pointing that out, I guess I will use other words to substitute it hahaha. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 05:54, 28 February 2013 (CST)

Just removing the "minor" or "small" should help with the misunderstanding. :) [[User:Seyrine|sey]] ([[User talk:Seyrine|talk]]) 05:58, 28 February 2013 (CST)
== High School DxD ==

== Hidan no Aria ==
I don't think I'm allowed to give you the Chinese RAWs here, let me know your name in BT forums so I can PM you the link. [[User:NiMx1233|NiMx1233]] ([[User talk:NiMx1233|talk]]) 08:44, 8 January 2013 (CST)

Hey there thanks again for translating for us. Found you in the forums and have posted in the HnA thread. My name there is royaloyalz as well. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 18:47, 8 January 2013 (CST)

I've sent the link to you, and I don't think you can reply to me at the forums since you're still a pink user. [[User:NiMx1233|NiMx1233]] ([[User talk:NiMx1233|talk]]) 05:47, 9 January 2013 (CST)

Hahaha thanks unfortunately I am not that active in the forums since I was really busy irl till only recently, like just 2 months back than I had more time for myself again. Anyways thanks will check it out and if I am able to help, I will. If you ever need someone to proof read your translations, do not hesitate to send them to me first. I will definitely get it done asap haha, even better since I can look at the Chinese translations and compare them to yours for reference since although my Chinese is not that awesome I am still able to understand it mostly. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 05:43, 8 January 2013 (CST)

When I'm done with a chapter, I'll straight put it onto the wiki. I'll contact you via forum when I do so. Thanks. [[User:NiMx1233|NiMx1233]] ([[User talk:NiMx1233|talk]]) 02:33, 10 January 2013 (CST)

== Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju ==

== Sword Art Online ==

==Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei==

While I intend to finish what I registered, I do realize my lack of speed due to other things like RL stuff and my newfound hobby.

So, feel free to translate the afterword of volume 2 and 3 (I'm almost done with the volume 1's, just can not find the mood to actually finish and polish it).

Good luck!

[[User:Arczyx|Arczyx]] ([[User talk:Arczyx|talk]]) 03:04, 8 February 2013 (CST)

Hi Royaloyalz. I noticed that the afterword you translated is using a new row for each sentence and a white space to separate paragraph, which is different from the original text. Would you mind if I revert it to the style of the original text for consistency? (it does easier to read though...)

[[User:Arczyx|Arczyx]] ([[User talk:Arczyx|talk]]) 00:23, 9 February 2013 (CST)

I did wonder about how I should do it as well, but since for the main volume I noticed that Dreyakis does it that way as well I decided to follow his style of translating to let it remain consistent throughout the translation, unless I am mistaken here? I do think it is easier to read this way though, so I guess it should be fine to leave it as it is? -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 03:33, 9 February 2013 (CST)

Eh? I thought Drey is using the original text's style. But well, I won't insist if you don't want to. It's just I think it's a pity the readers won't experience the 'wall of text' feeling that the author worked hard to create...

[[User:Arczyx|Arczyx]] ([[User talk:Arczyx|talk]]) 19:18, 9 February 2013 (CST)

Well I am not too sure about that, I will go check it out again. If you do think that its better to change it, I guess I will try to make it as close to that wall of text feeling that you are talking about, because I do get what you are trying to say as well. Meh when I have more time I will do it. Kinda busy now with Chinese New Year right now haha. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 03:54, 11 February 2013 (CST)

The author's name is written at the bottom of the page, which is at the right of the page (it is top-down to left-right after all). An example of other series that using the same pattern is Kokoro Connect. It may look kinda odd if you read it in B-T, but in format like PDF or EPUB it is perfectly fine I think.

[[User:Arczyx|Arczyx]] ([[User talk:Arczyx|talk]]) 05:22, 13 February 2013 (CST)

Ah, well, just change it if you want to I guess. Not really a problem after all.

[[User:Arczyx|Arczyx]] ([[User talk:Arczyx|talk]]) 06:32, 13 February 2013 (CST)

Just do it. It seems I will be too busy with RL and other stuff for the next few months... [[User:Arczyx|Arczyx]] ([[User talk:Arczyx|talk]]) 18:55, 13 February 2013 (CST)

Ah sorry, I just missed it. Really sorry. Well, it seems that you've fix it. Thank you. I hope my edits didn't undo your edits.--[[User:Mada|Mada]] ([[User talk:Mada|talk]]) 01:30, 3 March 2013 (CST)

Your latest edit to chapter 12 undid several changes I did previously. Is this intentional (it's not all the changes, so it doesn't look like something that would easily happen by accident)? For most of them, your changes seem wrong. First ones: "an->the autocannon" (no earlier mention justifying "the"). "Didn't->don't have an actual body" (Everything else is in past tense; "don't have a body and were illusions" doesn't make much sense. Missing 'n' in the original "didn't" though) [[Special:Contributions/80.223.220.209|80.223.220.209]] 09:20, 3 March 2013 (CST)

Hmmm, now that you mentioned it, for don't, it would kinda make sense for it to be in past tense, since the whole line is in past tense. What made me change it was because it was describing something that was happening in real time, which made me think that it should be in present perfect tense. Does that make sense? And also, the use of "the" does not necessarily needs to be only for the second mention, it can also be when the speakers know what is being talked about (specific), in this case I felt that it was more significant, so the sounds more right to me. If you disagree, well than maybe we can continue this discussion then? Hahahaha. For the rest of the changes, it was mainly because I felt it was unnecessary and changing it will only take away from what the translator/author is trying to imply. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 15:47, 3 March 2013 (CST)

It could be technically correct to write explanations of words in present tense (implying the definition is also valid at the current time). However, the original text did not consistently do that. I made it a valid past-tense one. Your undo just broke it; you would have needed to make more changes in the other direction to get a valid present-tense form. As for "the autocannon turret", according to the following text it was from a ''new'' vehicle. "The" might be appropriate if talking about a turret on the previously mentioned vehicle, but I don't see how you could defend it when used with a new vehicle. About the other changes I didn't list one by one, Rava already redid the "to->and bypass" one, with an explanation why "and" is better. [[Special:Contributions/80.223.220.209|80.223.220.209]] 16:10, 3 March 2013 (CST)

Regardless, I am not someone who lives by studying just English purely, so if I have made mistakes, it is not something that is surprising. When I change something, it is generally because I felt that it feels awkward, however if that means I am wrong, than by all means change it back. However, I still stand by "the". It just looks right to me. If you have a major in English literature, than good for you. Continue to keep up the good work. If you guys with the deeper understanding of the finer points of the English language says so, than it probably is correct I guess? Still, if I feel that something is off, I will change it back, no two ways about it. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 18:37, 3 March 2013 (CST)

Which do you think is correct? "He was killed by the grenade in World War II" or "He was killed by a grenade in World War II"? If you claim the former is correct, I think your understanding of English is bad enough that you should not be editing. If the latter, how would the "autocannon turret" here differ from "grenade" above? I'm not a major in English literature (English is not even my first language), and you don't need to be one to edit. But you should be able to justify your views by something more than "I feel". After the things discussed above, you've just made at least two clearly wrong changes: "a es" and "him must have been the butler". If such a high portion of your edits is wrong - and unquestionably so, not in any way a matter of opinion - you really should try to be more careful with your changes. [[Special:Contributions/80.223.220.209|80.223.220.209]] 03:14, 4 March 2013 (CST)

Reading through the text again, I must concede that "an" is correct. Somehow, I linked the auto cannon straight to the APC's, but since they never mentioned the autocannons or even fired from it before, "an" was the correct choice. In addition, the 2 mistakes that you so conveniently pointed out are also mistakes that I concede, because I admit that I am also unfamiliar with them, which is why I placed a question mark at the end of my edits, in case you didn't noticed. Hmm, well it seems like you got me. Out of all the edits that I have made, probably 80% of them are wrong, since as you have mentioned, "If such a high portion of your edits is wrong - and unquestionably so, not in any way a matter of opinion". Why don't you go through '''''all''''' my edits and help the public out? I am sure everyone would be happier when you go through '''''all''''' my edits. Now I must say I feel quite insulted by you undoing my "bad" edits, sure some of them were changed correctly, as I have mentioned before about the present perfect tenses. However, others are just a matter of opinion, and I feel that you are acting as if you are superior when you think that your opinion supersedes mine.

Advent: a coming into place, view, or being; arrival. How in the world is that wrong? The translator used it in the first place, and I feel that it's right. '''Who''' are you to say it's wrong?

"After boarding the helicopter, everyone else save for Miyuki finally became aware of what Honoka was actually doing." as compared to "After boarding the helicopter, everyone else in addition to Miyuki were also aware of what Honoka was doing." I can tell you now right in your face that the translation is closer to the first line. Does it sound awkward to you? I don't think so. Even though it was through a Chinese translation, I still think it is better to keep it as close to the original as possible don't you think? So if you can't actually read the source material, '''don't''' think that you are always right.

When to use will or would? Will is a definite statement, which means that you use it when you are certain that the future action is going to take place. In that statement, I think it's obvious that he truly believes that it will happen if Tatsuya starts to heal people that way.

Line 1,714: Wasn't even edited by me and you just lumped it together with the rest? If you want to name your edits "Undo more bad changes by Royaloyalz", at least make sure that the edits are mine......yea?

When to use is and was? Are you saying that Ghostwalker is no longer a specialized branch of mental interference magic? I think not. That is my argument for why I think is should be used instead, because it still is a specialized branch of mental interference magic. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 05:59, 4 March 2013 (CST)

Yes, some of the edits could be a matter of opinion. But I think it's hypocritical of you to complain about being "insulted" by the changes, when you've reverted several changes by others and even blatantly ''incorrectly'' - things that were ''not'' matters of opinion. I did revert some of your edits more liberally than I would have done to edits from people who are usually consistently correct.

Merriam-Webster for example does not list a plain "arrival as in coming to a certain place" meaning for "advent", only "coming into being or use" as in "the advent of personal computers". The way I've seen it used, "advent" could be used of a person in the sense "appearance on the international stage" or "coming into power". Just arriving to take part in a particular battle doesn't fit that.

As for the "boarding the helicopter" line, some parts of that could be translation differences, but others are English editing issues. "finally became aware" vs "were also aware" depends on the original. So does the presence of "actually" in "what Honoka was actually doing", though it does sound somewhat weird there. Did they have some mistaken guess about what she did, then found out what it ''actually'' was? The English editing issue is that "save for Miyuki" suggests "Miyuki did not become aware". Obviously the intended meaning is to clarify the "everyone else" (else, as in other than Miyuki who already understood before), but it is awkward for that purpose. You also removed the word "also"; I think it should be there if the intended meaning is that they reached the same understanding as Miyuki already had.

"obvious that he truly believes that it will happen if Tatsuya starts" - yes, "if". He does ''not'' consider it definite that Tatsuya will. If he did, the adjacent sentences would not use "could" either.

My above comments about consistency in past or present tense descriptions also apply to the Ghostwalker case. If you want to say "Ghostwalker is a specialized branch", then you'd also need to change the "It was a magic that" and so on. I think past tense descriptions are generally "safer" - they don't imply the definition will stay valid forever (which you may not know for sure about a fictional universe) and do not imply a "now" when a narrator is writing the definition. [[Special:Contributions/80.223.220.209|80.223.220.209]] 08:06, 4 March 2013 (CST)

As I have probably mentioned, I am not too bothered about the is vs was and the would vs will issue. I will freely admit that it was purely because I wasn't happy with the way you approached things and therefore I was being picky over it for nothing. Certainly, I may have changed some edits wrongly, but then again they could always change it back with an explanation, which is what people usually do. And I feel insulted because you worded it '''negatively''', not '''politely'''. Bad? Come on. It all boils down to what our understanding of it is. For example, for advent I see it used that way, and so do the translator. So if you see it in another way, than so be it. If you want to change it, at least open a discussion before changing it. Anyway, I can safely say that since I have access to the Chinese translation, I have more leeway in terms of changing such matters. For the helicopter part, no, they were not mistaken, but were unaware. In that case, perhaps it would be better to use "After boarding the helicopter, everyone else save for Miyuki, who already knew from the onset, finally became aware of what Honoka was actually doing." Will that make it clearer? Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to ask you to agree to disagree with me. I don't want to waste our time here needlessly nitpicking on the finer points of English while I could be reading other LN or doing something else with my time. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 08:41, 4 March 2013 (CST)

== Date A Live ==

== Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance ==

..................................................................................

Thanks for your translations also as I'm studying Spanish and I am native Spanish speaker I will tell you that you are right on your usage on "the".

Thanks, however, I am not a translator, I am merely an editor haha :D - [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 10:27, 7 June 2013 (CDT)

== Campione! ==

Dear Royaloyalz,

Small incremental edits are fine and as many as you like, but with a valid reason.
However large edits of entire paragraph size, is highly unusual unless you are the registered translator for that chapter or have consulted with current project translator(s) beforehand.

Regards,

Onizuka-GTO 10:32, 17 June 2013 (CDT)

I checked what he did and what happened was that he copied the text, fixed it, then pasted it back, but instead of replacing it, added it to the end (or maybe he pasted it twice bur the character count of the fixed text and the old text was the same, idk). Afterwards, he deleted what he had pasted (or the second text)..

Exactly as mentioned, I have no idea how I either double pasted, or didn't overwrite the old copy. This is because, I usually edit the whole chapter while I am reading through it, and as it takes quite some time, I usually have to refresh the page again whenever I want to save the edits I made. Therefore, I will have to copy and paste. I usually check what I edited to make sure it was correct, and therefore that happened. I actually clicked undo for the mistake I made, and than pasted again, but the undo didn't happen.

My apologies for the confusion caused. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 19:54, 17 June 2013 (CDT)

If I might make a suggestion... regarding some of the edits you've made to improve the flow of the sentences... you might want to read them aloud before committing the changes. Adding extra articles or prepositions when they can be understood from the context doesn't necessarily improve the flow. It's a 'style' thing. Sometimes it's easier to hear it when you read it aloud. ~~

You are probably right. However, I am just editing as I am reading, so if you do not agree or if you think the edits are unnecessary, by all means please change them back. To me, I think making things as clear cut as possible is best, therefore, if there is something that I feel lacks a context, I will always do my best to make it more clear to people. -- [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz#top|talk]]) 03:09, 18 June 2013 (CDT)

== Oda Nobuna no Yabou ==

==No Game No Life==

Royal, it looks like you're editing No Game No Life now, so I'd like to thank you. I started as the main editor of this, but since I haven't had much time on my hands recently, I've only been able to edit the small passages from PapaKiki that Obsidian puts up regularly. That aside, thank you for catching the small mistakes I've made (we're all human). I haven't gotten to some later parts of the novel, so...eh...prepare yourself for some major carnage.

Other than that, please continue helping out with NGNL. Thank you.

-- [[User:神|神]] ([[User talk:神|talk]]) 19:17, 3 November 2013 (CST)

We have more than one translator, so there may be British-English and American English mix-ups. However, for NGNL, I prefer American English, as this was how it started out being translated as and also how I primarily edit. A good question, though.

-- [[User:神|神]] ([[User talk:神|talk]]) 23:53, 3 November 2013 (CST)

== Madan no Ou to Vanadis ==

Phew. Thankfully "Silber" was a typo in your edit comment. If the author seriously used the engrish "silber" and we were going to stick to that spelling, a part of me would have died inside.--[[User:Drowzycow|Drowzycow]] ([[User talk:Drowzycow|talk]]) 11:44, 28 November 2013 (CST)

User:Royaloyalz

2013-12-02T11:25:37Z

Royaloyalz: /* Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out */

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[HEAVY OBJECT]] Next in line ^_^

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing (Either because I am a project editor or because I am currently reading the series): ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out or when I continue reading the series ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Date A Live

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Chrome Shelled Regios

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria: Vol 8 onwards, with some minor corrections like double words etc..

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

User:Royaloyalz

2013-12-02T11:24:56Z

Royaloyalz: /* Currently Editing: */

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[HEAVY OBJECT]] Next in line ^_^

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing (Either because I am a project editor or because I am currently reading the series): ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Madan no Ou to Vanadis

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Date A Live

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria: Vol 8 onwards, with some minor corrections like double words etc..

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 06 Chapter 2

2013-12-02T11:08:17Z

Royaloyalz: Following the instruction on the main page, I am "British-ing" the chapter.

== Chapter 2: The Blue World and the Travelling Girl ==

The autumn in Zchted was short, though one might also say that winter simply came early.

The deep green of vegetation as they had bathed in the midsummer sun had since faded with the autumn wind.

It wasn't all bleak, however; autumn was also the season of harvest.

Under the blue sky, golden wheat fields stretched far along the highway. As the wind blew, plump ears of wheat rustled softly in the wind. It seemed that with the abundant harvest around here, the faces of the farmers who were cropping were also smiling broadly.

Also standing out were green apple trees, whose branches hung down, heavy with plump green apples.

Looking at such peaceful scenery, Tigre felt at ease. The wind was cool to a comfortable extent, filling him with the desire to chat with the farmers in their fields. Suppressing this desire, however, he urged his horse onward.

In places with many people, he avoided riding at any great speed. Such an action was far too ostentatious. If he was seen simply riding, however, the presumption would likely be that he was just some young noble, off on a hunt. His neat clothing and bow, hung on his saddle, served to further reinforce this image.

At sunset, he'd find his way to a hamlet or small village, looking for accommodations for the night, as well as food.

Having thus traveled for a few days, Tigre exited LeitMeritz, and, passing through the King's territory, entered Legnica.

Three days after that, he arrived at the Imperial Palace where the Vanadis Sasha lived. Though an appointment was made upon handing over Ellen's letter; in truth, it was another two days before he was able to meet her.

''---Two days, huh. That doesn't leave much time.''

He'd heard from Ellen that Sasha was suffering from a debilitating illness. As the silver-haired Vanadis handed her letter to Tigre, she'd warned him.

"If Sasha's condition isn't too bad, you will also be able to meet on the day you hand over the letter. However, after handing over the letter, if you cannot meet her even after waiting for three days, please continue to Asvarre."

The Imperial Palace was composed of sand-coloured stones laid upon one another, with scatterings of white marble to be found all over. Though its appearance was surprisingly peculiar, there was no doubting the solidity of its construction.

Leaving his black bow, Tigre walked down the hallway of the Imperial Palace, led by an aged servitor.

''---Truly a palace that gives off quite a calming presence.''

Looking at the ceiling and the walls, Tigre couldn't help but be moved.

LeitMeritz aside, this was his first time setting foot in an Imperial Palace, and thus everything intrigued him. Far from a single monotone gray, the walls were inlaid with white marble. The design masterfully built upon the labors of previous architects, and one did not tire of simply gazing upon their splendor.

''---And here I'd thought carved murals were the only way to decorate a wall. To think that you could do things like this......''

Still awed, Tigre reached the front of Sasha's room.

The servitor made Tigre's presence known, before Tigre proceeded to open the door.

''---This is somewhat of a lonely room.''

The room was bright, lit both by the sunlight which shone through the window, flung wide open, as well as the candle holder near the bed. However, with regards to furniture, the furnishings were the barest of the bare, and plainly coloured at that. Aster flowers by the bedside provided the room's only color.

"Nice to meet you."

An unclouded voice struck Tigre's ears.

The woman on the bed sat up as she greeted him. Her dull black hair was trimmed to shoulder length, and she wore a loose white gown. She had a thin face and skin that was shockingly white. She was abnormally slender, and the loose fit of her clothes was evidence of her wasting away.

Above her knees, wrapped in a thick blanket, were two swords. Above their white hilts and finely decorated black crossguards, the blades shone with a brilliant gold and red. The blades were rather short, and their sole distinguishing factor was their gold and vermilion colors.

From their design, Tigre realized the two swords were paired.

''---So this is her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, huh.''

Apparently belying her welcome, her swords rested near at hand.

Notwithstanding, Tigre found such an action neither rude nor unnatural. Ellen placed her Silverflash Arifal within reach even while working in the office, and assuming this girl to be no different, he instinctively comprehended the reasoning behind her actions.

Tigre bowed and stepped into the room. As he walked up beside the bed, he bowed again.

"I am Tigrevurmud Vorn. Nice to meet you."

"I am Alexandra Alshavin. I would have liked to have met with you much sooner than this, but because of my illness, I've made you wait. My humblest apologies."

Responding to the black-haired beauty who apologized politely, Tigre shook his head to indicate he did not mind.

"More than me, please take good care of your body, Alexandra-dono."

When he said so, Sasha sweetly smiled, and invited Tigre to sit.

"You can call me Sasha, Lord Tigrevurmud."

"Thank you. Please call me Tigre, then."

Sitting down, Tigre returned her smile. Looking up close, he thought she was a beautiful person.

That said, her beauty was quite unlike that of the energetic and lively Ellen. Like the aster flowers that swayed in the gentle breeze by the window, hers was an ethereal beauty; tranquil, like water.

''---If you're not feeling well......''

About to speak out, Tigre changed his mind.

Sasha's illness was nothing recent. She alone was the best judge of whether or not she was fit enough to converse. Moreover, the servitor who'd guided him until then was also checking Sasha's condition. Though it was only natural to be worried, doing too much wasn't for the best either.

"Then, Tigre. May I ask you something?"

Smiling from ear to ear, Sasha tilted her head quizzically. The adorable charm of her action made his heart skip a beat, and, hiding the disturbance in his heart, he smiled and nodded.

"Please, speak."

"If possible...... I wish to speak with you candidly, as if with a close friend. I know the importance of courtesy, but I worry the tenseness of such a thing will serve me poorly."

She was already speaking more casually. Tigre, with a wry smile, answered that he understood.

''---If I'm not mistaken, this person is 22 this year.''

He heard so from Ellen. In other words, Sasha should be five years older than Tigre, but it did not seem that way from her earlier behavior. Though she did not seem to be the same age, it was as if she was only one or two years older.

Sasha extended her right hand. Being careful not to use excessive force, Tigre gripped her hand in turn. Her soft hand carried a faint warmth.

"So it really is true that you don't use a sword."

Staring at Tigre's hand, Sasha spoke in surprise. At those words, Tigre suddenly clenched his hand and stared widely.

''---She must have determined this from the condition of my palms, by tracking calluses and blisters, even though she didn't grip my hand all that tightly.''

"If possible, can you tell me about your encounter with Ellen?" Sasha asked.

At her eyes, filled with curiosity, Tigre tilted his head.

"Didn't you already hear it from Ellen?"

"I did. But that was from Ellen's perspective. I would like to hear your side of the story."

Tigre pondered inwardly. Though there was no reason to refuse, he wondered if he had time for such things. He was, after all, in a hurry to reach Asvarre.

Nonetheless, his hesitation lasted but a brief moment. Having already read Ellen's letter, she was undoubtedly aware he was pressed for time. Accordingly, there must be some deeper meaning behind her request.

"I understand. I'm not the greatest orator, so this might take some time."

"That's fine."

He did his utmost to clearly and concisely convey the events of the past year, from his captivity after the battle at Dinant to the battles in Brune following.

He tried to avoid diving into unnecessary details. Though the haste he felt within his heart was certainly a factor, the primary reason was due to the strong emotions that would arise as he recalled each event. It had been, after all, but a short half-year since these things had transpired.

Sasha nodded from time to time, following Tigre's story with great exuberance and interest.

When Tigre rested, Sasha rang the bell by her bedside and called the servitor, ordering him to prepare wine. Tigre, who'd been talking for half the day, was quite thirsty, and gratefully accepted her goodwill. The servitor placed two goblets on the table, and quietly filled them with wine.

"Thank you. It was very interesting, and I learned a lot."

"I'm happy to hear that."

"By the way, what kind of relationship do you have with Ellen?"

At this sudden question, Tigre almost dropped the silver cup which he'd just received from the attendant.

Sasha continued happily, "From what you've said, it doesn't look like you're anything more than allies, but......what you've told me is a little different from what I'd heard from Ellen."

A chill ran down Tigre's spine. What on Earth had Ellen said?

''---Even if you ask me what kind of relationship we have, I'm not entirely sure myself......''

It would be a lie to say that it was not a special relationship.

For example, the other day the two of them had gone to the city to play, and had danced together. When he'd placed his hands on her slender waist, Tigre had suddenly blushed. As if his blushing was contagious, Ellen had blushed as well, leading their fellow dancers to tease them mercilessly.

However, those kinds of thoughts were not to be made public. Tigre and Ellen both had their respective positions to consider, and neither could place priority on their personal feelings. Even though there were times he couldn't restrain his feelings, he would not allow them to be more than an impulse.

Buying time, he brought the silver cup to his mouth while stealthily evaluating the look on Sasha's face. Though the smiling face of the Vanadis with black hair did not change, Tigre perceived the sincerity in her eyes.

Then I'll answer honestly. Lowering the goblet from his lips, he spoke.

"Ellen is...... She is an important comrade-in-arms. She has saved me many times. Should anything to happen to her, I would do my utmost to help. That's what I think."

"......Is that so."

Though Sasha's reaction was decidedly brief, her face revealed a satisfied smile. The strained atmosphere passed, and after a short pause, Tigre carefully asked, "By the way, when you say it's a little different what you'd heard, which parts were you referring to?"

"Oh! The part where you peeked at Ellen in the bath, or when you sucked Lim's breasts......"

Sasha replied without a hint of shyness. Caught off guard by her words, Tigre was struck speechless, his face fast reddening up to the ears.

"It definitely seems like Ellen and Lim like you, but I don't think that's all there is to it. I've put some thought into it. Are you the type that's so adorable you're immediately forgiven or are you ridiculous to the point that others feel like their anger is wasted on you?"

"......Well, what kind of person would you say I am?"

Finally pulling himself together, Tigre straightened his posture and questioned Sasha in turn. Rather than answering immediately, Sasha let her eyes wander to the sky before turning to smile at him, her expression filled with mischief.

"Isn't it fine to leave that to your imagination? That said, it would be pointless to not tell you at all, so when you return from Asvarre, I'll tell you then."

Tigre's only response was to blink, unmoving, unable to mask his surprise in the least. So she can make that kind of expression too......

''---It seems my first impression of the sickly Sasha was stronger than warranted.''

Having spoken to Sasha now for the last four hours, Tigre felt that as compared to her gentle smiles earlier, that smile just now suited her far more. The similarity to Ellen was undeniable, although it was hard to say if that was merely the effects of the former's influence on the latter.

"I understand. I'll look forward to it then."

Tigre responded with a smile. He realized that they had digressed from their original topic of conversation, but the thought of something to look forward to upon his return wasn't bad.

"Now then, let's return to the matter at hand."

Though her smile never left her face, Sasha’s black pupils was filled with a stern light. She handed the silver cup in her hand to the attendant and sent him off with words of gratitude. Understanding her intent, he left quietly. As the door closed, the black-haired Vanadis opened her mouth.

"According to Ellen's letter, it is her desire that I assist you. I've heard you need to visit Asvarre; would you allow me to hear the full story?"

Tigre settled himself, and began to recount the details of King Victor's request and Ellen and Lim's views on the matter; in short, the circumstances behind his appointment as envoy from beginning to end.

This time Sasha, far from interrupting as she had done before, simply sat in silence like a statue, never moving a muscle. That notwithstanding, her eyes radiated her fierce will.

As she finished hearing the story she relaxed her whole body and gave a small sigh.

"I don't envy you."

"Yeah......I don't think it's all that simple a thing to sneak across the sea and deliver a letter to a blood-soaked battlefield either."

Deliberately speaking in a joking tone, Tigre shrugged. His comments were half his real feelings, and half a follow-up to Sasha's joking words. Though the Vanadis with twin swords laughed delightedly, her serious aura returned immediately.

"Do you understand just what position you hold in Zhcted at this point in time?"

"It would be a guest, I think. And likely also a hostage from Brune."

Though Tigre's answer did not seem wrong, Sasha did not appear satisfied by his response. She shook her head.

"Of course, there are those who harbor goodwill toward you, like Ellen or Mira. And from what I've heard, that might also include Sophie? However, those who begrudge your existence or would otherwise seek to exploit you are not the minority."

"It's not as if I haven't realized that there are people who are trying to use me......"

Tigre frowned. He was pretty sure this referred to those who had made an effort to visit him in his half-year in LeitMeritz. Nonetheless, he had no memory of anyone who had borne outright ill will toward him. Watching Tigre tilt his head in puzzlement, Sasha continued on in a grave tone.

"You've greatly altered the power structure of the Brune Kingdom. The Zhcted nobles who suffered losses both large and small as a result are not few in number. Such can only be expected given the two great nobles said to represent Brune have since been deposed."

A groan escaped Tigre's mouth. He was dumbfounded.

Were the ones the subordinates of Duke Thenardier who harbored a grudge against Tigre, that would have been understandable. He had, after all, personally confronted Thenardier on the battlefield and slain him with the bow.
However, after Duke Ganelon had lost to Thenardier, he'd set fire to the city and died. Tigre had not been involved at all. It was absurd to resent him for such a thing.

Perhaps guessing the thoughts that ran through the young man's mind, Sasha flashed him a look of sympathy.

"Allow me to repeat that what's most important here is the way in which the power structure has been altered. Losing influence over Brune can be seen as another kind of loss. Furthermore, since you have strong ties to both Ellen and Mira, eliminating you would be no easy task."

"But the one who made this request was King Victor, right?"

There was no way the lord of a small country could ignore such happenings, but King Victor ruled over a great nation, and should thus have been well accustomed to losses here and there.

"Suggestions like these are proposed to the king by court officials as a matter of course regardless of the country in question."

A shout nearly escaped Tigre's mouth. Though he hadn't considered such an eventuality personally, he was persuaded immediately upon hearing it. Tigre too had often heeded the advice of local leaders and his subordinates when governing Alsace or commanding the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

"I'm sure the question of this appointment has caused His Majesty no small amount of grief. Nonetheless, to choose you, a foreigner, is simply too risky a choice for such a cautious person as His Majesty to make."

"Is King Victor a cautious person then?"

Tigre was struck by this fresh comment. This was because both Ellen and Mira had assessed King Victor quite severely. Sasha gave a wry smile.

"Speaking more frankly, he has something of a passive personality, though he can be somewhat cunning. He doesn't intervene in the battles between Vanadis at all, prioritising his personal safety first and foremost. With that said, in the decades he has sat on the throne, there have not been any major wars. This one thing I grant him."

Tigre didn't immediately respond. Wasn't it precisely because King Victor failed to intervene in conflicts between the Vanadis that in the winter of last year, the Vanadis Elizavetta Fomina had advanced her troops to Legnica? As for Ellen having fought against Mira, wasn't that also his fault?

However, Tigre didn't express his thoughts, swallowing them instead.

He was, after all, a man of another country. He wasn't King Victor's vassal either. Furthermore, three years hence, he would return to Brune. In such circumstances, it was not his place to criticize the King of another country.

"Returning to our discussion earlier, what has been said is correct. Choosing you as the emissary is killing two birds with one stone. As His Majesty has said, your appointment represents the support of both Zhcted and Brune. In other words, rather than sacrificing a pawn, sending a beloved hero such as yourself to a land embroiled in civil war implies-"

"So that's how it is. It will give Prince Germaine the appearance that Zhcted values him greatly."

At Tigre's words, the Vanadis with black hair nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes. As such, our country can seize the initiative in negotiations with Asvarre, as long as the emissary neither errs greatly nor oversteps his bounds. Such is the advantage of sending you."

"And the disadvantage?"

"If anything happens to you, the consequences will be unimaginable," Sasha replied coldly.

"First of all, there will be a crack in the relationship between Zhcted and Brune. In the worst case, Asvarre will become an enemy. Furthermore, even within the bounds of our own country, it's unlikely that either Ellen or Mira will ever forgive His Majesty. Though they would never dare openly rebel, it would nonetheless be the ruin of this nation."

Turning her gaze to the aster flowers by the window, she continued.

"I won't refute Ellen's conjecture. There is no doubt that His Majesty wants to test your mettle. I believe this was the point of the letter - to prevent you from realising his motives during a face-to-face meeting. Nevertheless, it is my feeling that there are other schemes at play here."

A thorny problem indeed. After ruffling his red hair vigorously, his face taut, he exhaled deeply and smiled to change the mood.

"Thank you. I'll take care."

His attitude surprised Sasha. Though the country clearly hid individuals who sought to ensnare him, she caught no hint of fear in Tigre.

"Don't tell me you have some countermeasure in mind?"

"No."

Wearing an expression that feared neither heaven nor hell, Tigre answered firmly.

"I'm not about to shirk my responsibility from just this much. Though I know neither the identity of this individual nor his or her true intent, being afraid is pointless. Besides, I'm already resolved."

This was not, of course, a resignation of inevitable death, but rather the resolution to survive no matter what. The resolve to see this task to completion. After being given this task in LeitMeritz, when parting with Ellen and the others, he'd determined to fulfill his duty and return safely.

If that someone was trying to take his life, he would crush him.

Though he did not express it with words, Sasha seemed to have understood Tigre's intentions through his expression. She gave a sigh of relief.

"No wonder Ellen trusts you so much."

Saying that, she turned to look once more at the aster flowers. However, rather than taking in the sight, she seemed to be considering something.

At just about ten o'clock, she returned her gaze to Tigre.

"According to Ellen's letter, after this you are supposed to go to the port city of Prepus...... Could you change your destination to the port city of Lippner?"

Though Tigre frowned to this sudden request, his doubts were soon dispelled.

"Do you plan to hook that someone?"

It was King Victor's plan he go to Prepus. If Sasha's thoughts were correct, the person trying to entrap Tigre would certainly know. Therefore, she proposed to deceive that person.

She wanted him to meet with a man called Matvey who was at the beach.

"Go to the port and ask Matvey of the Goldy Belluga. Well, you will understand."

"Thanks for your help, but will that be alright?"

The follower who was scheduled to meet him afterwards might have information that would be useful in negotiations with Germaine. When Tigre asked about it, Sasha shook her head to say not to worry.

"His Majesty would not do such a thing. The negotiations would get confused, and your value would decrease. He should tell you all you need to know about the negotiations before they take place. Even that man would understand that he may die by unnecessarily disrupting negotiations."

"That is also true. Thank you."

After bowing with a smile, Tigre made a face that seemed to hesitate before saying something.

"By the way, what is that proud beluga you talked about?"

The Vanadis with black hair could not immediately understand the meaning of his question. Gazing at the expression of the youth full of perplexion, after saying "Eh!", Sasha with an unexpected expression asked:

"You, don't you know what a beluga is?"

Tigre nodded.

"......Have you already seen the sea?"

This time he shook his head.

Sasha wide opened her eyes; she stared at Tigre's face with a face that said she couldn't believe it. She smiled and murmured that she wonder if everything will be alright. Still she didn't certainly consider that a person who had never seen the sea had been entrusted with a secret envoy to a country on the other side of the sea.

At that time, the door was knocked on from outside. After a hoarse voice "Excuse me" was uttered, the aged servitor came in. Looking at him, disappointment appeared in Sasha's black eyes.

"It's already time, Vanadis-sama."

"......Can you give us a little more time? I feel better today."

Sasha's expression was like that of a child who wanted something even though she understood that it would be impossible. The servitor answered promptly without moving an eyebrow.

"It is exactly because you feel better that you must not push yourself."

From the conservation of those two people, Tigre realized that the time of parting came. He stood up quietly and bowed to Sasha.

"I will leave for today. Thank you very much."

"......No, I also thank you. It was fun."

Sasha extended her hand, and the two people shook hands quietly.

When Tigre was about to leave the room, the Vanadis with dark hair suddenly stopped him. Sasha, whose face was turned around, didn't know that the sunlight from the window made a backlight.

"Tigre. I leave Ellen to you. Become that child's strength."

"I will do what I can."

When he gave her a reassuring reply while smiling, Sasha seemed to smile too.

It was early in the morning of the next day that Tigre left the Imperial Palace in Legnica. Straddling the horse, he went in dash straight about the highway which led to the town of Lippner.

''---In the end, I was not able to meet with Sasha after that.''

He wanted to at least say good bye, but he could do nothing but leave a message to the aged servitor since it was impossible to meet her because of her disease. The servitor had also handed him a letter which contained a map describing the way to Lippner and Matvey's features.

''---Will we meet again?''

She was a Vanadis. There should be no such thing as a disease that could not be cured.

Though he thought so, he remembered the feeling when they shook hands. Thin flesh, skinny fingers, that was indeed the hand of a sick person.

When leaving the Imperial Palace, Tigre offered a prayer to the gods. Even if it would be no problem to pay his respects to the gods because Brune and Zchted believed in the same gods, Tigre was not so religious as to pray every time like Teita.

Tigre often invoked the name of Elis, the goddess of the wind and the storm while hunting, he sometimes went to the shrine to pray when an arrow flew well. But Elis was not a Goddess that healed disease. This sort of thing would be the jurisdiction of Moshia, the mother Earth Goddess or Vors, the God of livestock.

''---No, I must concentrate on the things that I should do right now.''

Shaking his head, Tigre dispelled his unease. Failing in this duty would be to trample upon Sasha’s kindness, but if he succeeded and returned safely he would have a good tale to tell of his travels. Holding the reins, Tigre went over the highway.

By the time Sasha woke up, it was well into the day.

Her body felt heavy, feverish. The court physician examined her condition, telling her to rest after drinking medicine and taking a light meal.

She did as she was told, and had begun to stare blankly at the ceiling by the time her servitor came in.

"How is your physical condition?"

"I am a bit tired...... I didn’t intend to, but I might have overdone it yesterday - it’s been a long time since I’ve had visitors."

While lying on the bed, Sasha gave a wry smile and answered the servitor. She hadn’t even managed to say half the things she’d initially intended to.

"I have been entrusted with a message from that Earl Vorn. It says: 'I wish to express my gratitude for your kindness. Let's meet again after I return from Asvarre. I pray to the Gods for your early recovery'."

As the aged servitor reported with a solemn look, Sasha chuckled and then laughed.

"What did you think of him?"

"To me, he looked like a boy of his age. However, Vanadis-sama seems to have a different impression."

Though likely not to mean any harm, Sasha found it amusing when he used the word "boy." She, even at 22, was probably still a young girl in this old gentleman’s eyes.

"I wouldn’t say that you’d understand just by speaking to him......but well, I understand very well that he is a sincere person, and that he possesses a strong will."

How Tigre met with Ellen, how he went through the civil war of Brune. She asked to hear the entire story that she had already heard in part beforehand from Ellen intending to better understand Tigre’s personality.

Whether the person himself would show off talking about his own distinguished military service, or he understated it and emphasized his good luck, it was likely to she would know the way he behaved when he talked to Ellen and the others.

Supposing that he had spoken frankly without dramatization after noticing her intentions, she would be inclined to think him a thoughtful person.

''---Well, but I think he did not seem to think too deeply there.''

So indeed, he probably had a straight personality after all.

"Though I understood that when I met him, he is very interesting...... No wonder Ellen lent him a hand."

"Does the Vanadis of LeitMeritz like such kinds of people?"

"I don't dislike him, either. If that child stays by Ellen's side in LeitMeritz, I wonder if this Legnica will therefore also be safe."

The two Vanadis whose territories bordered Legnica were Ellen and Elizavetta Fomina. There had been a conflict with Elizavetta last winter, and though Ellen had helped to repulse her somehow, their relationship had yet to be normalized. As such, the conflict could yet continue in the future.

If Leitmeritz were to stabilize, Elizavetta would likelier than not cease to interfere with Legnica.

Though Ellen could not be on support whenever something happened, it would be nice if she could be a deterrent.

"Then, please rest soon."

The servitor said with a kind voice.

"You will meet Earl Vorn again. It will probably be around the winter when he comes back from Asvarre. At that moment, you will be able to finish your conversation with him."

"......Yes. Thank you."

With a smile, Sasha calmly closed her eyes.

Though they had not spoken for long, it was still dangerous to upset her health in autumn when the cold was not yet severe. Preparing from now to spend the winter of this year was necessary.

The servitor bowed and left.

Soon, the quiet breathing of a sleeper began to leak from her thin lips.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

As the sun grew high overhead and the heat grew oppressive, the port town of Lippner came into Tigre’s view. Under a pure blue sky, low walls stretched from North to South and the extension beyond the shadow of a building was visible. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Tigre loosened the horse reins and went to the castle gate.

Two days had passed since he left Sasha’s Imperial Office; so far the journey had been smooth and without incident.

As soon as he entered and passed through the gates in the city, Tigre opened his eyes wide in surprise. Men and women with different skin colors and facial features traversed the road, and the languages of many countries flitted about.

''---There are many people here, and not just people from Brune or Zchted. There are some Muozinel people with brown skin, some people of Asvarre and also some people of Sachstein.''

Foreigners exchanged words to each other as a matter of course; if languages with words did not work, they would draw and show pictures. They also communicated in gestures.

Even after recovering from his surprise, Tigre walked for a while looking around restlessly in admiration. Signboards, such as those for bars and inns, which were expressed with pictures that stood out immediately.

''---Pictures certainly seem better than characters in such a town.''

After that, he was concerned about the smell, too. From the Muozinel people who were in the traffic crowd, there was the smell of perfumed oil and spices, the cheese from Brune's and Sachstein's people, and a smell similar to the smell of smoked meat from Asvarre.

''---Anyway, this is a lively town.''

Similar to the castle town of LeitMeritz, but more vibrant. A merchant of Muozinel had spread a shabby carpet on the side of the street, selling jewelry on it side by side.

Next to that was a bard of Brune singing deed-of-arms poetry, furthermore next to that, Sachstein's people were selling a number of small and large mirrors. Tigre, who was walking while enjoying this rare blending of cultures, had his shoulder suddenly struck from behind.

When he looked back, a beautiful woman who grew bright red hair to her waist was standing there. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and she wore a rather provocative ensemble that emphasized her ample bosom even as she suddenly drew closer.

"Is it your first time in this town? I can be your guide if you want, what do you say?"

She had the accent of Sachstein's people. Though Tigre was surprised for a moment, he regained his composure at once.

"Thank you. But I have already decided where to go."

"Ara, is that so? That's a shame."

"......By the way, do you know a store that serves a good meal? Though I hope it is close to the port."

The woman looked puzzled and smiled happily when he asked her so.

"Are you inviting me to dinner?"

"I wouldn’t mind having someone to talk to while eating. If it tastes good, it doesn't matter if it is expensive."

To Tigre's answer, the woman shrugged with a smile.

"Well, thank you, but I finished cooking dinner a little while ago, so I'll just tell you about some good shops I know of."

In exchange for being told of three shops near the port, Tigre gave her one big copper piece as a reward. Receiving it with a smile, she disappeared into the crowd with a light wave. Seeing her off thusly, Tigre resumed walking while carrying his luggage on his shoulder.

''---Was it out of goodwill?''

Those who suddenly offer guidance were not necessarily people like her. Among them, there were fellows who lured travelers with honeyed words to the back alleys before stealing their wallet or baggage.

Tigre had also seen such persons whether in Alsace or LeitMeritz. Again, this time, he thought that he was slightly aggressive and must have appeared as if he was harassing her.

''---However...... Though it was unusual, maybe I am too restless.''

He inwardly persuaded himself to be careful. On the way, he dropped by one of the stalls to buy some fruit, picking them from a big barrel of water used to cool the mix of apples, pomegranates and figs - as well as a few ceramic bottles which most likely contained alcohol.

Though the summer was already over, it was fairly hot today. Tigre bought an apple, wiped it with his sleeve and bit it as he walked.

Seeing all this, he once again felt that there were many different kinds of people in this town.

Not only race, but there was also various occupations in the town. There were some mercenaries who wore dirty leather armor, there were swords hanging at their waist, and some travelers dressed in similar fashion as himself. Sometimes, he heard the language of an unknown country, or even noticed some characters in languages he had never seen before.

''---So, this is a port city, huh.''

Tigre stopped suddenly, causing the man who was walking immediately behind him to pass by the side with a bemused face. Twitching his nose doubtfully, he stopped. There was a strange smell. No, it was not just the smell. The blowing wind had also taken on some moisture.

''---Is the wind coming from this direction? ......And this strange smell too?''

He wondered if an accident had occurred, but this smell didn't seem to concern the people of the town as far as he could observe from the circumstances.

''---I wonder if I should have asked for some more information from that woman a while ago.''

While thinking about such things, Tigre passed through the crowd and arrived at the port.

Tigre stopped again. But this time with surprise.

The first thing he noticed were several huge ships, each so large that one might mistake it for a shrine or a mansion. Each were either connected to a wharf, or they were about to set sail.

There were a fleet of a dozen galleys that were arranged in wedge formation<ref>V-shaped formation</ref>, and there was also a sailing boat with a white sail emblazoned with the motif of some small dogs.

He had never seen a ship until now. Tigre knew that a ship was something made to go across big rivers and lakes. Still, this was his first time seeing anything as huge as this.

Around the moored ships, sailors with robust sunburnt bodies were moving around busily.

There were people who had to clean the ship, those who were carrying cargo, and those who had to inspect the cargo. There was a person who had made a temporary grill, and grilled shellfish and fish when taking a break.

Tigre was looking up at the ship stunned, and began to walk at a brisk pace to recover from his surprise. He stood from the wharf at some distance.

"......This is the sea, huh."

After saying those words, he fell silent. Tigre was gazing at the dark blue ocean which spread throughout his field of view, fascinated. The sea surface which waved gently reflected sunlight and was dazzling, the roars of the sea were echoed continuously and sea birds were dancing in the sky. The ships which left the port gradually became smaller.

Tigre noticed that the smell he was worried about a while ago, was the smell of the sea. The Wind that came blowing across the sea was cold . The meaning of "an end of the land" became clear.

He had been told that he would encounter "an end of the land" roughly when he found the sea. Asvarre was across the sea, beyond the horizon.

Then, what was beyond Asvarre?

How many countries lay in lands yet unseen by him? Were there dragons dwelling in uninhabited lands at the end of this sea? How far did the sea spread, or was it boundless and without end?

It was the sound of the bell which made Tigre, who kept standing on that occasion and was gazing at the sea for about 1/4 koku, come to himself. Thinking about it, he had only eaten an apple since he entered this town. He spoke to the sailors, who were cooking and eating fish and shellfish nearby, and he tossed them a copper coin and got a portion of their food.

The grilled fish, skewered through from mouth to tail, was as big as a two large buns. When he dug in, the skin had a plump and crispy texture.

The shellfish soup was also delicious. Though the soup was too hot and he nearly burnt his tongue, it was seasoned with ash salt, a seasoning made from burnt seaweed, which created a saltiness which gradually permeated throughout his mouth. While enjoying the fresh taste, Tigre asked a seaman about Matvey. But he shook his head in a way to show he didn't know Matvey, then he exclaimed as he remembered.

"The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]'s Matvey? If it's that guy, he is usually on the wharf on the north side. You should go and look over there."

The port in Lippner drew a gradual curve near the oval, and five wharves of various sizes had been installed from the north to the south. According to the sailors' talk, it seemed that ships which entered the port anchored in the same place as long as there were no special circumstances.

Telling them thank you and farewell, Tigre headed to the wharf in the north. Having relieved his hunger, he now worried about the sea breeze that blew from the ocean. He turned his gaze to the black bow in his hand.

''---I don't think that this bow will be affected by the salty air, but......''

It was not just a simple bow. It was the heirloom of the Vorn House, and though he did not know much more than that, it was an item related to the gods. It had not occurred to him before that this may be a problem as he begins to journey onto the unsteady domains of the seas.

''---Let's take care more than usual while riding on the ship.''

Tigre had made that decision after some thought, though the deciding factor had not come from any respect or fear he might have had for the bow. Rather, it had been the fact that it was the heirloom of his house and his instincts as a hunter that caused him to decide thus.

Afterwards, Tigre caught some sailors and asked if he was able to meet Matvey.

"Do you have business with me?"

He was a man in his mid-thirties or such. Though the sailors who he had seen on his way here had all been stout and well-built, Matvey stood head and shoulders above them, giving him a far more intimidating presence.

His hair was short, his skin was a burnt bronze, and his beady small eyes had a sharp glint to them. His black silk hat and gold-trimmed crimson jacket gave him a brutish air; and with his build he gave off a dominating presence just by standing still. As such, his polite way of speaking came out rather grim instead.

"Nice to meet you. I am Tigrevurmud Vorn."

Visibly unintimidated by the man, Tigre put his bags on the ground and retrieved Sasha’s letter. Upon receiving it, Matvey broke its seal and quickly read its contents.

"Oh! Do you know the content of this letter, Lord Tigrevurmud?"

Matvey smiled as Tigre shook his head, though his frightful countenance twisted the expression to resemble that of a shark that had discovered its prey.

"It says to accompany you and help out as much as possible. I cannot refuse a favor from Alexandra-sama. Please step on my ship "The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]"."

Bowing his head as thanks to his words, Tigre was impressed by his attitude. Despite knowing the current state of Asvarre, Matvey showed no fear. A most reliable man - as expected of someone Sasha had trust in.

"I hope to get along with you. By the way, when does this ship depart?"

When the answer “after a half koku” came back, Tigre’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"The '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' was originally scheduled to head to Asvarre. You are lucky. If you had come here a little later, we would not have even been able to meet."

Matvey laughed as one revealing a trick as he continued to explain.

"Though the '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' is a merchant vessel, we often let other various customers aboard, so I don't think you will particularly stand out."

"I’m sorry, but I’ve yet to see that beluga thing......"

When Tigre answered so apologetically, Matvey turned around quickly. On the back of his crimson coat, there was a pretty design of a beluga<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beluga_whale Beluga] AKA White Whale.</ref> jumping. Though Tigre thought that it didn't look good at all<ref>I think Tigre means that Matvey’s appearance doesn’t match that of the beluga</ref>, he wisely avoided putting those thoughts into words.

"With this picture as basis, I have put on a white mantle for the title '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]'."

"......I understand."

"Though I should be here at about a quarter koku, what would you do? Will you come to my ship with me?" <ref> I think he means that he needs to stick around for the next half koku, and if Tigre wants to stick with him, hence why Tigre replies that he wouldn’t want to be a nuisance for that amount of time.</ref>

"Thank you for your kindness. If it's alright with you, I would like to go on ahead to the ship. I don't want to interfere with your work."

Bowing, Tigre answered so. As Matvey nodded with a smile, he took something out of his jacket pocket and presented it to Tigre.

At first glance it looked like a silver coin, but its design differed from those of Brune or Zchted: a beluga, like the one on display on Matvey’s back, was engraved upon it.

"Please take that. This is like a boarding permit, if you show that to the people in the ship, they will let you through with a smile."

Accepting the token with a word of thanks, Tigre left the place. As he walked while looking at an average ship on the wharf, he was wrapped with tension and excitement at the same time. He would be finally riding on a ship for the first time.

"Can I have a few moments of your time?"

He was suddenly called to from behind. As he looked at that place while thinking that he had been called out pretty often today, he saw a boy-like traveler with a small bag in his hand standing.

His body, short in stature, was wrapped in a slightly soiled mantle, and only a small part of his face was visible as he raised his face to look at Tigre, since it was being covered with a hood cast over his eyes.

"...I'm looking for a ship called The, Proud, Beluga, Do you know where it is?"

His voice had an accent that Tigre didn't know. There was a little interval between the words as he uttered the ship's name.

Since he seemed to have difficulty remembering the name.

Tigre looked down at the boy with a mystified look. The boy's height was only around his chest level.

Supposing he was a traveler, it seemed to be the age where one was still likely to be accompanied by parents.

"Since I am also boarding the same ship, would you like to go together? And, are you alone or are there still other-"

-companions? Those words were dispelled by a sudden snarl. When he looked there with a frown, three men who probably had not yet reached 20 years old walked forward with squared shoulders.

"You bastard, we said that we will show you the way around, what are you thinking by running away from us?"

One of the three stared angrily at the boy, and he shouted while pointing his finger at the boy. Whether it was his expression or his attitude, these were young people who seemed suited for the word hooligan.

The boy didn't show any signs of fear even though he was yelled at and calmly responded.

"Please don't continue to chase me. It's troublesome."

"D-Damn kid!"

The man became extremely enraged, and with a red face, he struck out with his fist. Tigre, with the bow still in his left hand, after placing his bag in his right onto the ground, came in between the boy and the man and caught the man's fist.

"He is my companion. Could you tell me what exactly is going on here?"

"These people agreed to guide me to the ship originally, but they then tried to take me out of the port."

Although Tigre tried to calm the mood for the time being, the boy was the one that answered back immediately. The man did not deny it, and moreover the two men who were watching the situation from behind held their tongues, then began to move. One of them went straight towards Tigre aggressively, and the other headed toward the boy.

However, Tigre's action was quicker. Others would have thought that he would first release the fist of the man who had struck out initially, however he promptly twisted it while gripping the arm without mercy and raised it. The man screamed in pain.

Then while using the man as a shield and checking the whereabouts of the second person, he pushed him away vigorously. The two thugs who collided collapsed together onto the ground.

''---I need to hurry up and help that child...''

When he looked back while thinking so, the battle was also already finished there. The hooligan only managed to pull off the boy's hood, while on the other hand the boy had jumped right in front of the thug's body, and he shot one sharp blow to his belly.

The man collapsed without a sound. Tigre, with a look of surprise and admiration, turned to the boy.

"Well then... What do you guys intend to do now?"

Looking back to the thugs that had fallen on their feet, Tigre used a cold voice to address them.

"We are not that free either. If you would just obediently allow us to leave, we will not pursue this matter any further."

Though the man growled in vexation and scowled at Tigre, he had to admit that he was no match for Tigre at all. Being challenged two against one, and despite Tigre only using one hand, they were still defeated.

As the men stood up unsteadily, they lent their shoulder to their friend who was holding his belly and then turned their backs on Tigre.

They disappeared into the crowd while cursing the onlookers. Thinking the uproar to be settled, the people who were looking at this situation from afar walked away.

The clamor of the port returned. As Tigre turned back to look at the boy, almost at the same time, the boy also looked at him.

''---A girl...?''

Tigre opened his eyes wide. He had thought all along that the traveler was a boy, but it turned out to be a girl.

Perhaps thirteen, or around fourteen years old, with disheveled light pink-coloured short hair and large eyes reminiscent of dull black pearls.

Her face was stained with dust, though the outline was slightly roundish, suitable to her age. Upon closer look, she was beautiful enough to arouse admiration. Although she gave an impression as though she were slightly absentminded with an expressionless face, she brought about an indescribable feeling and was extremely lovable.

"Thank you very much for helping me."

With a very monotonous voice, the girl quickly bowed her head.

"It was not a big deal. Though I think you are alright, did you get injured?"

When Tigre asked that while picking up his luggage, the girl looked up and issued a question while tilting her head in wonder.

"I'm not hurt. ---Why did you help me, a total stranger? Those people may have been in the right."

"More or less, because there are such people in every town, you will know who is right and wrong after you see such things happening several times. Even if it were not because of this, after seeing three large adults chasing after a child, if they were to strike you without even saying anything, it wouldn't be considered proper conduct now would it? In addition, you did not run away when I went in between you and those people."

At this answer, the girl narrowed her eyes while seeming to think about something. Her black eyes were, this time, directed to Tigre's black bow.

"What didn't you let go of your bow? Without even hesitating, you used one hand to-"

"Even if it looks like this, this thing is my family heirloom. Though it also depends on the situation, I don't want to treat it roughly if I can help it."

As he answered, Tigre thought that he couldn't understand this child very well. Although he didn't know about what she was always thinking about while being absent-minded, she was calm unlike a child. Her questions was clear too. After she seemed to have been convinced by this answer, she nodded and gave her name.

"Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Olga. So, Proud... U-Uh, Proud... Beluga..."

She stammered over her words. Opening her eyes, which were nearer to being half-opened, wider, Olga repeated the words desperately. Her blushing and flustered look made her seem a girl suitable of her age, and Tigre unknowingly gave a smile. He bent his knees, crouched and adjusted the height of his gaze to be level with hers.

"'[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]', right? Let's go together. I'm Tigrevurmud."

It was half for a precaution not to have given his family name, and the other half was for consideration to her. Giving only her name must mean that Olga was very likely to be a commoner and not a noble. He took care not to frighten her. Of course, he also considered the fact that Olga didn't give her family name for precaution.

"Tig, revurvur... Tig, vurm..."

"If it's hard for you, just call me Tigre."

Looking at Olga repeating painfully while mumbling, Tigre gave a wry smile this time.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

When standing on the deck, he felt like the sea breeze became stronger.

"It shakes more than I thought."

In accordance with the waves of the sea surface, the ship had been repeating its up and down motions gradually. That feeling was fresh to Tigre and it was a strange thing. He thought it will take some time until he got used to it. The 'Proud Beluga', a ship that belonged to a big class of the ships which was at anchor in the port.

There were two big masts, upon which folded sails soared, and the deck under was a three-layer barrel structure including the bottom of the ship. While the deck was narrower than he thought, sailors were moving about busily between the barrels that were present everywhere and the rope that was spread all around.

Everyone there had very stout bodies, and there were many instances where they almost knocked into Tigre.

"Let's quickly go to the cabin."

As Tigre said this profusely, Olga, who was walking beside him, nodded slightly. She put back her hood again as she got on the ship, therefore Tigre found it hard to see the expression that she had .

She had not spoken much since then. Although Tigre thought that it was because she was ashamed of being unable to neatly speak Tigre's name or that it was because of her accent, it did not seem to be the case judging from her words or her attitude.

She did not try to engage in polite banter. Regarding herself, the only thing that she told Tigre was that she was traveling alone.

As he got off the ladder in the stern and entered under the deck, he walked down the aisle which was filled with the sea breeze's smell mixed with that of the wood. Tigre ducked into the room where he was told to stay for the time being while on the ship.

When he opened the door, there was a really small room. In addition to the bed fixed to the wall and the floor, there was only about three or four steps of walking space in the room. There was nothing to do other than to put his luggage on the floor and then go to sleep. By the way, the lock for the door was a rough lock handed over to him at the time of his boarding.

To Tigre who was stunned by this sight, Olga said with a monotonous voice.

"Well then, see you."

To her words, Tigre rethought that, unlike himself, who was assisted by Sasha and Matvey, Olga paid the fare as a simple guest to board the ship. At the time of boarding, the boarding permit she had passed to the sailors, though it was similar to his, it was in a copper colour instead.

"If it's okay with you, may I see your room?"

As he asked out of curiosity, Olga approved it while nodding her head as if looking down.

While walking across a narrow passage, Tigre was observing while running his eyes to the left and to the right. This layer was for the guests' and sailors' rooms, and it seemed as though there was also an Armory and some other rooms as well.

When they arrived at the vicinity of the prow and got off the ladder to the lower layer, it gradually became dimmer and a peculiar stench became increasing stronger. The narrowness of the passages did not change. Olga stopped after walking about ten steps and stood in front of one door.

After she opened the door, inside there was nothing special apart from the fact that it was pretty large. Compared to Tigre's room that could be called a private room of an inn, this place would be the equivalent of a large room used by many people. Inside the room were 12 to 13 men.

Half of them were armed with swords and armor, and they were leaning on the wall or sitting on the floor. Though the others were not armed, that didn't change the fact that a dangerous atmosphere was released from their whole body. They had distanced themselves moderately and everyone was watching each other closely.

Those eyes mixed with hostility were of course turned to Tigre and Olga that opened the door.

''---Well that is to be expected...''

Though Tigre did not show that on his face and his voice, he was aware of that. The destination of this ship was Asvarre that was in the maelstrom of a civil war. Naturally, there were only certain types of people who would go to such a place. If not a mercenary, than it would be a merchant, or else it would be people with special circumstances such as Tigre.

"Would you like to come to my room instead?"

To Olga who were standing nearby, he asked quietly. On her face looking up at Tigre, there was faint surprise in her expressionless absent-minded face.

"Is it okay?"

"As you saw a while ago, it is a small room. But it'll guarantee your security. And there is also a lock."

Tigre didn't know why she was heading to Asvarre. It was not like he didn't care about that, but he had no intention to ask since he was in a position in which it would be troublesome if he himself were to be inquired.

Therefore, though he didn't know anything about her, as expected he was reluctant to let a girl who was younger than him stay there.

Soon after that, 'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' departed from Lippner town.

A white sail gathered the winds and 'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' leisurely progressed along the azure blue sea. Tigre and Olga were standing on the deck, looking at the boundless sea and the far away silhouette of an island.

"How do you feel riding on my boat?"

With his crimson coat flapping in the sea breeze, Matvey came walking toward them. Turning his gaze to Olga, he made his small eyes shine keenly.

"Oh! An acquaintance of yours?"

Tigre replied "Yes" with a smile and Olga nodded silently. Tigre was impressed (without saying anything) since the fact that she was not perturbed even before Matvey's evil look was admirable.

"In about how many days will we arrive in Asvarre?"

"If the wind continues to be good like now, in seven or eight days I guess. Since this is not a windless season, we can think that at the very least it won't take more than ten days."

Tigre was relieved to hear that. He had no other choice but to let Olga lay down on the only bed there was, and he himself intended to sleep on the floor. It seems he would only have to endure it somehow for eight days.

"Matvey-san, about how old were you when you first became a sailor?"

"I was younger than you are now. Those who were born and raised in Lippner that decide to live with the sea think that they must have their own ship first. Therefore, to work towards this goal, while working and earning money in the ship of an acquaintance, I also learned how to trade various things for business and how to handle a ship."

"Were you not scared to go out to the sea?"

To tell the truth, Tigre was a little scared. Puffing out his chest with pride, Matvey replied while laughing.

"It's something familiar around here. As for me, though I did not mind since I saw shipwrecks drifting to the outskirts of the town where I was playing in my childhood, there are, as expected, many people who still get nervous when they get into a boat for the first time. Nonetheless, I overcome the fear with various experiences."

"Various experiences?"

Olga tilted her head.

"Storms, shipwrecks, pirates... In addition, with narrow ships, close combat which involves killing may occur, causing a situation where it becomes impossible to continue sailing. There are also things such as sharks and the sea dragon."

"Sea dragon?"

Though the last words were a little theatrical, the word "Dragon" attracted Tigre's interest. Hearing his parrot-like repeat of the word, Matvey gave a wry smile and answered.

"A long time ago, I saw it only once from afar. Like this, his body was like a long rope, looking like that of snakes, and that body was much bigger than this ship's mast. I wondered if it was capricious or was not hungry, since it did not come to attack us, and ran away with all its might."

"Such a thing is...in the sea."

"It is nothing to be concerned about. Even among the sailors who kept going to the sea for 40 or 50 years, those who happened to see it is low in number, making it a very rare sight. Unless you are extremely unlucky, or else there is usually no chance to see it within a single voyage.

To Matvey's words that reassured him, Tigre sighed.

From then on Tigre who asked a lot of things about the ship and the sea, suddenly asked about what was on his mind.

"Matvey-san, do you know the details about Asvarre?"

"Yes, since it's an important customer. Is there something that worries you?"

"I'm sorry if my question is not clear, but... What kind of country is Asvarre? For example, I don't know what kinds of Gods are worshipped in Asvarre."

He had intended to ask Sasha but unfortunately he missed the chance to. He knows the current situation in the Kingdom of Asvarre and also the fight between the princes. But, regarding anything else, it might be more accurate to say that Tigre doesn't have the slightest idea of it at all.

"Alright. Since there is no problems now with the ship, then I will have the privilege to have a nice long chat with you."

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Asvarre is called the country of the fog and the forest.

It was once a territory that was limited to only a small floating island in the North Sea - the island country of Asvarre, and there were five tribes competing for supremacy over the island. The origin of the country's name came from the island. There were few mountains but many hills, rivers and forests.

The wind-tinged heat which blew constantly from the west sea, was cooled by the time it reached the middle of the island, and hence most of the year the island was covered with fog.

"...So it is said, but as expected, to say that most of the year it is covered with fog would be an exaggeration. There are also regional variations, like between cities for example. In additon, it would not be strange for the fog to just appear at any place regardless of the time."

The island was under the constant threat of war. While it was a given for conflict to exist between the five tribes, the continental nations tried to invade the island aboard their ships, and pirates roaming around the coast was also a daily occurrence.

"Though these words may be a little too pessimistic, it can be said that where people exist, there will always be conflict, this is the reality. There is a saying, there is never a day where Asvarre goes by without having blood spilled. However, that situation changed completely due to one hero alone. His name was Artorias. He was the king founder of Asvarre."

One day, Artorias said that he dreamed that he transformed into a red dragon.

The red dragon is a symbol of the king who bundles the five tribes' leaders. Artorias, who was until then a very ordinary warrior, believed in the oracle, and decided he will become King. Though most people laughed at Artorias, 12 companions decided to follow him.

Afterwards, Artorias would always fight at the front lines while wielding his sword, fighting in countless battlefields and obtaining victory. Various tribes began to pledge allegiance to him, the pirates were cleared up, and repelled the nations that had invaded them. The 12 people following Artorias were then given the title the Knights of the Round Table.

"...It looked somewhat like the myths in Brune and Zchted, right?"

Tigre harbored such an impression. Regarding the myth of Brune, Charles, who became the successor of the king founder, started his battles after receiving a revelation from a highly virtuous monk living in a holy cave shrine. And according to the myth of Zchted, a man claiming to be the incarnation of the Black Dragon appeared before the many feuding tribes, then led his followers and started his conquest.

Seemingly not taking any offense to Tigre's sudden interuption, Matvey responded with a smile.

"Though I am not well informed about the myths of other countries, I think there are points that are in some way common."

Tigre showed his consent as well obediently and Matvey resumed the talk.

"Though Artorias and the 12 Knights of the Round Table are not gods in Asvarre, they have become objects of worship. Because it is thought that all the victories of Artorias were assumed to be due to the blessing of God. It is also assumed that each knight of the round table had the divine protection of angels - seemingly beings like spirits that obey God."

After Artorias' death, as the kingdom of Asvarre was spending a peaceful time without conflict. However, one day the peace was suddenly broken. There was the Cadiz kingdom of the continent, which possessed a large fleet, that crossed the sea and invaded Asvarre.

"Asvarre desperately resisted, but succumbed before the pressure of an overwhelmingly large army. It is said that it was deprived of half of the island in a short time. After the king ended up sick in bed, the people who recommended surrender and those who attempted to escape came out one after another, and the fate of the kingdom was without doubt in a precarious state."

However, among these people, someone appeared. Scolding the frightened retainers and soldiers, there was a person who showed a firm attitude. That person was Princess Zephyria.

"While it was said that Princess Zephyria was the owner of an incomparable beauty, she also possessed a heroine's mantle. She personally took up the sword and jumped into the battlefields, showing bravery to the extent that it was difficult to think she's a woman, . And thus, she obtained victory that was comparable to the founder, Artorias. It seems her mantra is: 'The armor is my husband and the battlefield is my palace'."

Afterwards, the king died without recovering from his illness, and after a year of conference within the court, Zephyria became the first queen of the kingdom of Asvarre. The impact that this gave to the continental nations was not small. It was because the idea of a queen in either Brune or Zchted was something absurd.

"Queen Zephyria was also excellent as a ruler. The country that was shaken by the death of the king was firmly brought together by the birth of the queen,then she subjugated the pirates in the coast, stabilized both internal and external matters of the country, and later launched an invasion of the kingdom of Cadiz."

The Cadiz kingdom was ultimately defeated by her in the end.

"Asvarre then took possession of a territory of the continent. That was something the king founder Artorias had strongly desired for, but was not able to accomplish. Queen Zephyria, who accomplished it, received the prestigious title of 'Supreme King', continuing to rule without even marrying, and finally proposed a person who had the closest blood relationship with her Father the king to be the successor, then died."

"The queen huh..."

Tigre gave a breath of admiration. Olga, who was still wearing her hood, raised a question from the back.

"I have heard stories that Queen Zephyria actually had a lover."

"Of course, many such similar gossips exists as well. I know some, too. For example, someone like the vassal who secretly supported her, the wandering knight, the traveling bard cum hunter... It is precisely because this portion of her life was non-existent when she was a ruler that is why the people had such fanciful imaginations."

Though Tigre showed honest agreement to the words of Matvey, Olga was thoughtfully silent.

"After that, up to current times, there hasn't been anything major to talk about. I think that even now Artorias and Zephyria are still heroes representing Asvarre, and even local farmers are proud of them."

"Thank you. Well then... Now, how about the current situation of civil war?"

Tigre asked it with a careful tone.

"What I know is only the information I heard from about 10 days ago - That there are skirmishes that happen frequently, but no major fights, and that the situation has fallen into a stalemate."

''---It meant that the ones suffering the most from the quarrel between the two Princes were the people in Asvarre.''

Unbearable anger blotted Tigre's expression. A stalemate meant that the hope for the end of the conflict was no where in sight. Anyhow, it would be fine if the soldiers of each side did not move too much and from the beginning to the end and just glared at each other, but it was a different matter if there were many conflict-ridden areas.

Not knowing when they will get dragged into the war, without even knowing when the war would end. Even though it was not even a battle they wished for.

Seeing through Tigre's feelings of turmoil, Matvey deliberately continue to speak with a businesslike tone.

"Concerning the number of soldiers, Prince Elliot seems to be superior, but on Prince Germaine’s side, there is a very remarkable general that is able to often overturn the numerical inferiority and obtain victory. Therefore, this war isn't likely to be able to be settled easily."

"Is there such a person? What is his name?"

"If I'm not mistaken, his name is Tallard Graham. There is rumor saying that if that man was not there, Prince Germaine might have already been defeated."

Though Tigre was interested in the man named Tallard, for the time being he pushed aside that matter in the corner of his brain and proceeded with his thoughts. Compared to what he heard from Ellen, it seemed that there wasn't much change in the situation.

Would his would meeting with Prince Germane be able to change this situation?

Tigre stood there with a disappointed face, while Olga, whom he had not the slightest idea of what she was thinking about, absent-mindedly and expressionlessly gazed at him.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

As the sun sank, the ship moored at a small island.

Tigre was in his room. Sitting on the bed, he was taking care of his bow. There was only a lamp with light that dangled down from the ceiling, swaying from side to side to match the floating of the ship.

The door was knocked on from the outside. He put his bow on the bed, stood up and opened the door. He stood up before Olga who wore an absent-minded face and was holding a deep pot. White steam was rising from the deep pot. Before returning to the room, she had bought hot water from the kitchen.

"How much was it?"

"It was two copper coins."

Only about half the deep pot was filled with hot water. Though it seemed that it would not spill even if the ship more or less shook, Tigre thought that this amount of water for two copper coins was expensive.

As Olga put the deep pot on the floor, she removed her mantle. As for the clothes that she was wearing, a cuff was loose, and there was delicate embroidery decorating the neckline and sleeves. Her waist was wrapped around with a belt, and it was something not seen much in Brune and Zchted.

However, what further attracted Tigre's attention was the axe which she hung on her waist. It had a grey edge with a small ax head and a short hand grip, so that even Olga with her small stature can easily handle it.

What looked out of place, was it's elaborate handle.

A topaz, which was also about fist sized, was embedded at the junction of the handle and the blade, and a fine pattern was engraved on the blade as well. It seems, I guess, that most people would consent even if it was said to have been built for affluent nobles to decorate their residence.

However, Tigre held a different impression. Certain weapons flashed through his mind after he saw that axe.

There was the long sword that Ellen carried, Mira's spear, the bishop's staff of Sophie and Sasha's twin blades. These weapons flashed like a bolt of lightning through the darkness inside his mind.

''---It can't be... A {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}?''

Weapons that had paranormal power and were only allowed to be owned by the seven Vanadis.

"Are you interested in this?"

Hearing the voice, Tigre was startled and pulled himself together. He was very likely staring too much, and although Olga still had her dimly expressionless face, some caution had crept into her black eyes.

"Oh! That axe has a splendid structure."

Tigre answered so while rummaging his dull red hair. He banished the question he wanted to ask in his innermost thoughts. Certainly it was an axe with a very remarkable structure, but there was no way that a Vanadis would be in such a place.

"Because it is a heirloom."

Olga leaned the axe against the wall while answering in a monotonous voice. She untied her obi and took off her clothes. Her upper body that became bare was slim, and the flesh was thin, and the swelling of her chest was over modest. She had a very soft, healthy body, which was also exceedingly beautiful, though it was still far from maturity.

In the presence of a dumbfounded Tigre, Olga sat down on the floor, took her hemp cloth from the cargo bag, soaked in the hot water and squeezed it. She wiped herself her body gently.

"...As expected, I don't think it's a good idea to expose your body in front of a man."

Tigre gently reproved the girl with pink turtle's hair with an embarrassed face. Olga stopped her hand that was wiping the dirt off her body, gave a glanced to Tigre, then answered while returning the hemp cloth to the hot water once again.

"It can't be helped. There is no other place."

"Even so, this is definitely not very appropriate. You should have let me turn around..."

"This is a room that you borrowed, and I am here because you have let me use it."

''What a sincere child.''

Tigre let out a sigh and turned his back to Olga.

He thought that it was good that she was young. He would have been more frantic if she were about the age of Ellen and Mira.

Tigre waited for a little while more even after finishing the maintenance of his bow.

Before long, the sound in which the hot water was squeezed was no longer heard, and the rustling of clothes reached his ears.

"It is alright now."

Looking back to the voice, Olga, who was already dressed up wearing a cloak, was currently sitting on the floor. Pointing at the deep pot, she continues speaking.

"Though it is now lukewarm, if it is alright with you, use it."

"It that so. Then, please allow me to gratefully accept it."

Since he had stood for a long time on the deck, even Tigre's body had become sticky because of the sea breeze. It was a troublesome thing to go to the kitchen now to buy hot water.

Swapping places with her, Tigre wiped his body quickly. After putting on a mantle similar to Olga's, Tigre pushed aside the deep pot to the corner of the room.

"Well then, let's go to sleep? I will sleep on the floor, so you can use the bed."

"It's impossible for me to accept your kindness to that extent."

Tigre who was going to plop himself down on the floor looked troubled at the refusal of Olga and raised his body. Though the girl with pink color hair was still expressionless, there was slight anger in her voice.

"I understand that you are behaving as an elder, since I'm younger. However, I... I want to be independent and be responsible for myself."

Although she hesitated to say it at first and turned down her eyes, Olga raised her face and asserted flatly. Guessing that he may have hurt her self-esteem, Tigre scratched his head and apologised.

"I'm sorry but I did not have the intention to hurt you. This room is considerably cold, and though you seem to be accustomed to traveling, but..."

It is probably because they were on top of the sea, therefore the ship's air becomes fairly cold at night. It was becuase ot that that both Tigre and Olga put on a mantle.

"Let's sleep on the bed together then."

Olga said without even showing a hint of shyness.

"There is only one blanket. As for sleeping on the floor, the shaking of the ship, in addition to the cold, goes directly into your body. Then, even though it will be slightly cramped on the bed, it is still better to do so. ---You look unexpectedly stubborn."

Though Tigre thought the two of them were on equal levels regarding their stubbornness, he felt that talking about that would be going off topic and thus decided to keep that for himself. He still had something he wanted to say.

"I understand what you are saying. I understand that but... Should I say that you should be a little bit more ashamed or that you should pay more attention to your surroundings?"

"If it seems as though I am trying to seduce you, then let me clarify things. If you do ever something with ill-intent, I will kick you down."

"...Understood. Then let's sleep together."

The reason Tigre compromised was because she was stubborn, and he thought that if that situation continued, she would not use the bed and would instead just lie down on the floor. When he saw her nude not long ago, though he thought that she had a healthy body, he did not hold have any other thoughts about it. The reason why he had such a thought was because Olga was still young.

They lined up and lay down on the bed. Turning the light off, Tigre slowly turned his back toward her.

Riding on a ship for the first time, he began to progressively become sleepier since he was so filled with excitement and the tension in the morning.

It was not long before the breathing of sleep could be heard from the both of them.

There was a Vanadis in the port of Prepus where Tigre was scheduled to go originally.

She had been staying in that town for a few days already, disguised as a noble woman who was on a trip, and had spent those days staying inside a room of a certain hotel. It was far more expensive than other hotels, had thick stone walls with complimentary horse carriages for people who want to travel out of the hotel, and had a reticent owner who was also good at preparing delectable meals.

Many wealthy aristocrats and affluent merchants and ambassadors from various foreign countries commonly visit this place, mostly because of the continuous arrivals of merchant ships from Brune and Asvarre to Prepus, thus allowing this particular hotel to be as successful as it is.

The Vanadis, Valentina Glinka Estes, was now receiving a disappointing report from her subordinate.

"...Is that so. Tigrevurmud Vorn did not head to this Prepus port but to Lippner port instead."

In a room that existed in the deepest part of the hotel. Only the lamplight that hung from the ceiling shone in the room. With a light source that weak, the light did not reach the corners of the room, and darkness hovered in the background. In the darkness, there was a huge sickle.

Valentina sank her body into a soft chair that used cotton and feathers in abundance while listening to the words of her subordinate. Her long black hair that seemed to melt into the darkness. She revealed a beautiful smile, making people feel that it was impossible to not be enchanted by her breathtaking beauty. She wore a pure-white dress decorated with roses and had an open book on her knees.

The subordinate was kneeling on one knee in front of the faraway doorway and continued reporting plainly.

"Although I, your humble servant, thought that it may be because Earl Vorn, being someone who is from Brune, may have taken the wrong way, but it seems like he who had entered Lippner without any change in direction had changed his plans by himself."

"Thank you very much for your efforts. I originally wanted to meet up with Earl Vorn to give him my greetings, but there's no helping it."

"Should I continue the pursuit?"

"That is not necessary. He must have already gotten into a boat heading for Asvarre at this time. I guess the greeting can only wait till after Earl Vorn comes back."

After her subordinate left, Valentina stared at the dark and sighed softly.

''---He ran away, huh.''

It was Valentina that had made the proposal to King Victor to choose Tigre as a secret messenger to Asvarre, but not directly. Another two elder statesmen had slipped in the word, and she made sure that others would not know that the idea was originally hers.

Though there were a few reasons, the most important one was because she wanted to meet him once at a place where there were no other Vanadis.

According to the agreement, Tigre could not move out from LeitMeritz unless there was some kind of special situation happening.

Having said that, she had to go through an official procedure if she wanted to meet with him in LeitMeritz and Ellen will definitely become suspicious of her actions. This is something she wanted to avoid happening.

''---I wanted to speak with him about various things, and to know his personality in detail.''

If their interests matched and there exist possible benefits for each other, there would be a possibility for them to join hands, but in the case where he would be an obstacle for her ambitions, she would find a way to eliminate him. If it was the former, she intended to support him so that he could achieve his duty as a secret messenger safely, but things did not go her way.

''---Was it Eleonora...? No that is not possible. It did not seem as though she had good knowledge of the geography of Legnica. In that case, it is likely to be Alexandra.''

She heard that he had stopped by her Imperial Palace.

What to do now? Thought Valentina.

Even if Tigre were to die because he got involved in the civil war of Asvarre, it did not matter. At the present time, after Ellen and Mira, he had also built a close relationship with Sasha. His death would be a shock to them, and it will lead to the deterioration of relationship between Zchted and Brune.

Even King Victor would be held responsible if such a thing came to pass. Nevertheless, if he came back safely, he would come to the Royal Palace. It would be necessary to report the results. King Victor will also have to thank Tigre for his services, and would give a reward depending on those results.

''---At that time, if I visited the Royal Palace, I am likely to be able to meet him.''

Depending on his attitude and his personality, she would then reveal that it was she who made the proposal to send him as an emissary, in order to receive his favour, and might conversely criticize King Victor to make him believe that she is a friend.

She examined Tigre's schedule to know when he might come back and must think about a reason to visit the Royal Palace on that day. Since she was supposed to be sick and lacked physical strength.

''---For example, I cannot frequently go to the royal palace like Sophia Obertas.''

Though it was troublesome, Valentina did not hate to think about such things. Instead she was more of a character that seemed to enjoy that. Besides, it was convenient for her to pretend that she had a weak body.

''---For example, even if I am ordered to dispatch my troops, I would delay it by the reason of my sickness to the very limit and retreat as soon as I fought a little, and I can thoroughly control the damage to my soldiers. Also, I can report that I am sick when I am summoned to the Royal Palace, collecting as much information as possible before facing whatever crisis may be happening that required my intervention. From the past till now, that is what she has been doing.''

The reason she did so is to cause everyone around her to underestimate her, to let all of them become more relaxed and unaware around her.

After organising the thoughts forming in her head, Valentina turned her gaze to inspect the book that was expanded across her knees. On the front of the book was the title that was carved in gold, "Records of the war of Zephyria".

Queen Zephyria who expanded the territory of Asvarre greatly. In the record that details her history of battles, and her popularity was shown to be able to rival with the founder King, Arturius, in the kingdom of Asvarre. After discovering it by chance in her residence and reading it when she was young, that became Valentina's favorite book.

However, she did not limit herself to only enjoying it, as the book also encompasses her notions of dreams or ambitions.

''---Someday I will become a queen, too.''

Then she would show that she would become an existence that reigned in Zchted kingdom. After some investigation, she found out that the blood that flows through her seems to be connected to royalty.

However, it was so thin that it would hard for her to insist on the succession of the throne as her ancestors are but minor relatives of the previous Kings. Therefore, she did not intend to rely on such a thing.

With her own wits, in addition to being born and raised in the Estes House, and by using the good luck that allowed her to be chosen as a Vanadis, she intended to reign on the throne. Though she did not know when that will be, but she was convinced that that day will come.

As she had already read the book many times before, she already knew the contents of the book like the back of her hand. However, she could not stop once she opened the book.

The light of the room did not disappear until it was very late into the night.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Tigre was exposed to a severe sight.

Five girls were standing before his eyes. There was Teita with Ellen, Lim, and Princess Regin of Brune with Mira. Ellen and Lim, together with Mira were familiar with combat uniforms, and Teita had her usual maid figure. Regin's formal dress as a princess was based on white and decorated with gold and silver everywhere.

Somehow they were uniformly angry.

Ellen sharply glared at him with her arms folded. Lim looked amazed and seemed to be heaving a deep sigh even now. Teita withheld her anger and frowned. Mira seemed to be measuring the timing to put her hands on her waist, and looked ready to pour out an angry tirade.

Regin did not hide her dissatisfaction, but she was at loss as to whether she should be angry or not.

"What's wrong?" Being driven by impatience and anxiety, Tigre asked so, and Ellen then angrily answered.

"Why don't you touch your chest and ask yourself that question."

Tigre, in a panic, hurriedly looked at his chest after taking her words literally. Olga was there. She stuck her body to Tigre, naked from the waist up. In a voice without the intonation, she said.

"Please take responsibility..."

Thereupon, he woke up. There was a slightly stained wall spreading through his view.

His body felt a slight shake.

''---A dream, huh...''

With a small breath, he soliloquize "That's right, isn't it?" in his innermost thoughts. It was only once that those 5 girls gathered in one place. It was only that day when Tigre defeated Duke Thenardier and returned in triumph to the Royal Palace of Brune. However, even during that time, there was never an occasion when those five were lined up all together.

''---Fatigue must be accumulating. It was a trip where I was in a hurry all the time until I got on the ship.''

"If you have already woken up, I hope you can release me."

He heard a monotonous voice from the side right away. At that time he noticed that his right hand was touching something soft and that there was also a feeling like hair in his left hand. Above all, he felt a small amount of heat on his body.

When he moved his gaze, there were Olga's eyes. Tigre's left hand held her head, and his right hand gripped her butt. Before he was aware of it, he started embracing her while sleeping.

"And... It is hitting me."

Tigre took his hands away from her in a hurry, and jumped up vigorously. Seems like not everything was a dream. However, Olga was wearing clothes though, unlike in his dream.

"No, what should I say, that's... I'm sorry."

While taking a rough breath, Tigre covered his face with his hand and bowed his head in shame. Speaking of Olga, she woke up quietly with her usual expressionless face, not seeming in the least flustered by the situation. Lowering her gaze from Tigre's face, she looked down to his waist.

"I was told by my mother and my older sister that it can't be helped that a man is like this in the morning as it is out of their control."

Although it was good that she understood, it was still extremely shameful. All Tigre had the strength to do was to nod without speaking. Olga continued indifferently.

"Also, I understand that you did not hug me intentionally, since I confirmed that you were still sleeping. Your body instinctively search for heat because it was getting cold at night, right?"

There was a reason why Olga did not blame the young man at all. The girl with pink coloured hair was also clinging to him as she woke up.

The surprised Olga originally wanted to push Tigre away, but her feet which protruded out from under the blanket allowed her to feel exactly how cold the room was. At the same time, she felt the physical warmth of Tigre. The blanket which they covered themselves with simply could not provide such a warm feeling of comfort.

It was because of that that Olga readily compromised. Of course, she did not intend to say that to Tigre.

"I'm very thankful that you can say that, I... I will take more notice of this."

Tigre bowed once more with an apologetic face. Nonetheless, there were some things that cannot be solved with only sincerity.

In the end, until he arrived at Asvarre, there was not a morning where Tigre was able to wake up without finding himself hugging her.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
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| Back to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_06_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_06_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 06 Chapter 2

2013-12-02T10:29:17Z

Royaloyalz:

== Chapter 2: The Blue World and the Travelling Girl ==

The autumn in Zchted was short, though one might also say that winter simply came early.

The deep green of vegetation as they had bathed in the midsummer sun had since faded with the autumn wind.

It wasn't all bleak, however; autumn was also the season of harvest.

Under the blue sky, golden wheat fields stretched far along the highway. As the wind blew, plump ears of wheat rustled softly in the wind. It seemed that with the abundant harvest around here, the faces of the farmers who were cropping were also smiling broadly.

Also standing out were green apple trees, whose branches hung down, heavy with plump green apples.

Looking at such peaceful scenery, Tigre felt at ease. The wind was cool to a comfortable extent, filling him with the desire to chat with the farmers in their fields. Suppressing this desire, however, he urged his horse onward.

In places with many people, he avoided riding at any great speed. Such an action was far too ostentatious. If he was seen simply riding, however, the presumption would likely be that he was just some young noble, off on a hunt. His neat clothing and bow, hung on his saddle, served to further reinforce this image.

At sunset, he'd find his way to a hamlet or small village, looking for accommodations for the night, as well as food.

Having thus traveled for a few days, Tigre exited LeitMeritz, and, passing through the King's territory, entered Legnica.

Three days after that, he arrived at the Imperial Palace where the Vanadis Sasha lived. Though an appointment was made upon handing over Ellen's letter; in truth, it was another two days before he was able to meet her.

''---Two days, huh. That doesn't leave much time.''

He'd heard from Ellen that Sasha was suffering from a debilitating illness. As the silver-haired Vanadis handed her letter to Tigre, she'd warned him.

"If Sasha's condition isn't too bad, you will also be able to meet on the day you hand over the letter. However, after handing over the letter, if you cannot meet her even after waiting for three days, please continue to Asvarre."

The Imperial Palace was composed of sand-colored stones laid upon one another, with scatterings of white marble to be found all over. Though its appearance was surprisingly peculiar, there was no doubting the solidity of its construction.

Leaving his black bow, Tigre walked down the hallway of the Imperial Palace, led by an aged servitor.

''---Truly a palace that gives off quite a calming presence.''

Looking at the ceiling and the walls, Tigre couldn't help but be moved.

LeitMeritz aside, this was his first time setting foot in an Imperial Palace, and thus everything intrigued him. Far from a single monotone gray, the walls were inlaid with white marble. The design masterfully built upon the labors of previous architects, and one did not tire of simply gazing upon their splendor.

''---And here I'd thought carved murals were the only way to decorate a wall. To think that you could do things like this......''

Still awed, Tigre reached the front of Sasha's room.

The servitor made Tigre's presence known, before Tigre proceeded to open the door.

''---This is somewhat of a lonely room.''

The room was bright, lit both by the sunlight which shone through the window, flung wide open, as well as the candle holder near the bed. However, with regards to furniture, the furnishings were the barest of the bare, and plainly colored at that. Aster flowers by the bedside provided the room's only color.

"Nice to meet you."

An unclouded voice struck Tigre's ears.

The woman on the bed sat up as she greeted him. Her dull black hair was trimmed to shoulder length, and she wore a loose white gown. She had a thin face and skin that was shockingly white. She was abnormally slender, and the loose fit of her clothes was evidence of her wasting away.

Above her knees, wrapped in a thick blanket, were two swords. Above their white hilts and finely decorated black crossguards, the blades shone with a brilliant gold and red. The blades were rather short, and their sole distinguishing factor was their gold and vermilion colors.

From their design, Tigre realized the two swords were paired.

''---So this is her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, huh.''

Apparently belying her welcome, her swords rested near at hand.

Notwithstanding, Tigre found such an action neither rude nor unnatural. Ellen placed her Silverflash Arifal within reach even while working in the office, and assuming this girl to be no different, he instinctively comprehended the reasoning behind her actions.

Tigre bowed and stepped into the room. As he walked up beside the bed, he bowed again.

"I am Tigrevurmud Vorn. Nice to meet you."

"I am Alexandra Alshavin. I would have liked to have met with you much sooner than this, but because of my illness, I've made you wait. My humblest apologies."

Responding to the black-haired beauty who apologized politely, Tigre shook his head to indicate he did not mind.

"More than me, please take good care of your body, Alexandra-dono."

When he said so, Sasha sweetly smiled, and invited Tigre to sit.

"You can call me Sasha, Lord Tigrevurmud."

"Thank you. Please call me Tigre, then."

Sitting down, Tigre returned her smile. Looking up close, he thought she was a beautiful person.

That said, her beauty was quite unlike that of the energetic and lively Ellen. Like the aster flowers that swayed in the gentle breeze by the window, hers was an ethereal beauty; tranquil, like water.

''---If you're not feeling well......''

About to speak out, Tigre changed his mind.

Sasha's illness was nothing recent. She alone was the best judge of whether or not she was fit enough to converse. Moreover, the servitor who'd guided him until then was also checking Sasha's condition. Though it was only natural to be worried, doing too much wasn't for the best either.

"Then, Tigre. May I ask you something?"

Smiling from ear to ear, Sasha tilted her head quizzically. The adorable charm of her action made his heart skip a beat, and, hiding the disturbance in his heart, he smiled and nodded.

"Please, speak."

"If possible...... I wish to speak with you candidly, as if with a close friend. I know the importance of courtesy, but I worry the tenseness of such a thing will serve me poorly."

She was already speaking more casually. Tigre, with a wry smile, answered that he understood.

''---If I'm not mistaken, this person is 22 this year.''

He heard so from Ellen. In other words, Sasha should be five years older than Tigre, but it did not seem that way from her earlier behavior. Though she did not seem to be the same age, it was as if she was only one or two years older.

Sasha extended her right hand. Being careful not to use excessive force, Tigre gripped her hand in turn. Her soft hand carried a faint warmth.

"So it really is true that you don't use a sword."

Staring at Tigre's hand, Sasha spoke in surprise. At those words, Tigre suddenly clenched his hand and stared widely.

''---She must have determined this from the condition of my palms, by tracking calluses and blisters, even though she didn't grip my hand all that tightly.''

"If possible, can you tell me about your encounter with Ellen?" Sasha asked.

At her eyes, filled with curiosity, Tigre tilted his head.

"Didn't you already hear it from Ellen?"

"I did. But that was from Ellen's perspective. I would like to hear your side of the story."

Tigre pondered inwardly. Though there was no reason to refuse, he wondered if he had time for such things. He was, after all, in a hurry to reach Asvarre.

Nonetheless, his hesitation lasted but a brief moment. Having already read Ellen's letter, she was undoubtedly aware he was pressed for time. Accordingly, there must be some deeper meaning behind her request.

"I understand. I'm not the greatest orator, so this might take some time."

"That's fine."

He did his utmost to clearly and concisely convey the events of the past year, from his captivity after the battle at Dinant to the battles in Brune following.

He tried to avoid diving into unnecessary details. Though the haste he felt within his heart was certainly a factor, the primary reason was due to the strong emotions that would arise as he recalled each event. It had been, after all, but a short half-year since these things had transpired.

Sasha nodded from time to time, following Tigre's story with great exuberance and interest.

When Tigre rested, Sasha rang the bell by her bedside and called the servitor, ordering him to prepare wine. Tigre, who'd been talking for half the day, was quite thirsty, and gratefully accepted her goodwill. The servitor placed two goblets on the table, and quietly filled them with wine.

"Thank you. It was very interesting, and I learned a lot."

"I'm happy to hear that."

"By the way, what kind of relationship do you have with Ellen?"

At this sudden question, Tigre almost dropped the silver cup which he'd just received from the attendant.

Sasha continued happily, "From what you've said, it doesn't look like you're anything more than allies, but......what you've told me is a little different from what I'd heard from Ellen."

A chill ran down Tigre's spine. What on Earth had Ellen said?

''---Even if you ask me what kind of relationship we have, I'm not entirely sure myself......''

It would be a lie to say that it was not a special relationship.

For example, the other day the two of them had gone to the city to play, and had danced together. When he'd placed his hands on her slender waist, Tigre had suddenly blushed. As if his blushing was contagious, Ellen had blushed as well, leading their fellow dancers to tease them mercilessly.

However, those kinds of thoughts were not to be made public. Tigre and Ellen both had their respective positions to consider, and neither could place priority on their personal feelings. Even though there were times he couldn't restrain his feelings, he would not allow them to be more than an impulse.

Buying time, he brought the silver cup to his mouth while stealthily evaluating the look on Sasha's face. Though the smiling face of the Vanadis with black hair did not change, Tigre perceived the sincerity in her eyes.

Then I'll answer honestly. Lowering the goblet from his lips, he spoke.

"Ellen is...... She is an important comrade-in-arms. She has saved me many times. Should anything to happen to her, I would do my utmost to help. That's what I think."

"......Is that so."

Though Sasha's reaction was decidedly brief, her face revealed a satisfied smile. The strained atmosphere passed, and after a short pause, Tigre carefully asked, "By the way, when you say it's a little different what you'd heard, which parts were you referring to?"

"Oh! The part where you peeked at Ellen in the bath, or when you sucked Lim's breasts......"

Sasha replied without a hint of shyness. Caught off guard by her words, Tigre was struck speechless, his face fast reddening up to the ears.

"It definitely seems like Ellen and Lim like you, but I don't think that's all there is to it. I've put some thought into it. Are you the type that's so adorable you're immediately forgiven or are you ridiculous to the point that others feel like their anger is wasted on you?"

"......Well, what kind of person would you say I am?"

Finally pulling himself together, Tigre straightened his posture and questioned Sasha in turn. Rather than answering immediately, Sasha let her eyes wander to the sky before turning to smile at him, her expression filled with mischief.

"Isn't it fine to leave that to your imagination? That said, it would be pointless to not tell you at all, so when you return from Asvarre, I'll tell you then."

Tigre's only response was to blink, unmoving, unable to mask his surprise in the least. So she can make that kind of expression too......

''---It seems my first impression of the sickly Sasha was stronger than warranted.''

Having spoken to Sasha now for the last four hours, Tigre felt that as compared to her gentle smiles earlier, that smile just now suited her far more. The similarity to Ellen was undeniable, although it was hard to say if that was merely the effects of the former's influence on the latter.

"I understand. I'll look forward to it then."

Tigre responded with a smile. He realized that they had digressed from their original topic of conversation, but the thought of something to look forward to upon his return wasn't bad.

"Now then, let's return to the matter at hand."

Though her smile never left her face, Sasha’s black pupils was filled with a stern light. She handed the silver cup in her hand to the attendant and sent him off with words of gratitude. Understanding her intent, he left quietly. As the door closed, the black-haired Vanadis opened her mouth.

"According to Ellen's letter, it is her desire that I assist you. I've heard you need to visit Asvarre; would you allow me to hear the full story?"

Tigre settled himself, and began to recount the details of King Victor's request and Ellen and Lim's views on the matter; in short, the circumstances behind his appointment as envoy from beginning to end.

This time Sasha, far from interrupting as she had done before, simply sat in silence like a statue, never moving a muscle. That notwithstanding, her eyes radiated her fierce will.

As she finished hearing the story she relaxed her whole body and gave a small sigh.

"I don't envy you."

"Yeah......I don't think it's all that simple a thing to sneak across the sea and deliver a letter to a blood-soaked battlefield either."

Deliberately speaking in a joking tone, Tigre shrugged. His comments were half his real feelings, and half a follow-up to Sasha's joking words. Though the Vanadis with twin swords laughed delightedly, her serious aura returned immediately.

"Do you understand just what position you hold in Zhcted at this point in time?"

"It would be a guest, I think. And likely also a hostage from Brune."

Though Tigre's answer did not seem wrong, Sasha did not appear satisfied by his response. She shook her head.

"Of course, there are those who harbor goodwill toward you, like Ellen or Mira. And from what I've heard, that might also include Sophie? However, those who begrudge your existence or would otherwise seek to exploit you are not the minority."

"It's not as if I haven't realized that there are people who are trying to use me......"

Tigre frowned. He was pretty sure this referred to those who had made an effort to visit him in his half-year in LeitMeritz. Nonetheless, he had no memory of anyone who had borne outright ill will toward him. Watching Tigre tilt his head in puzzlement, Sasha continued on in a grave tone.

"You've greatly altered the power structure of the Brune Kingdom. The Zhcted nobles who suffered losses both large and small as a result are not few in number. Such can only be expected given the two great nobles said to represent Brune have since been deposed."

A groan escaped Tigre's mouth. He was dumbfounded.

Were the ones the subordinates of Duke Thenardier who harbored a grudge against Tigre, that would have been understandable. He had, after all, personally confronted Thenardier on the battlefield and slain him with the bow.
However, after Duke Ganelon had lost to Thenardier, he'd set fire to the city and died. Tigre had not been involved at all. It was absurd to resent him for such a thing.

Perhaps guessing the thoughts that ran through the young man's mind, Sasha flashed him a look of sympathy.

"Allow me to repeat that what's most important here is the way in which the power structure has been altered. Losing influence over Brune can be seen as another kind of loss. Furthermore, since you have strong ties to both Ellen and Mira, eliminating you would be no easy task."

"But the one who made this request was King Victor, right?"

There was no way the lord of a small country could ignore such happenings, but King Victor ruled over a great nation, and should thus have been well accustomed to losses here and there.

"Suggestions like these are proposed to the king by court officials as a matter of course regardless of the country in question."

A shout nearly escaped Tigre's mouth. Though he hadn't considered such an eventuality personally, he was persuaded immediately upon hearing it. Tigre too had often heeded the advice of local leaders and his subordinates when governing Alsace or commanding the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

"I'm sure the question of this appointment has caused His Majesty no small amount of grief. Nonetheless, to choose you, a foreigner, is simply too risky a choice for such a cautious person as His Majesty to make."

"Is King Victor a cautious person then?"

Tigre was struck by this fresh comment. This was because both Ellen and Mira had assessed King Victor quite severely. Sasha gave a wry smile.

"Speaking more frankly, he has something of a passive personality, though he can be somewhat cunning. He doesn't intervene in the battles between Vanadis at all, prioritizing his personal safety first and foremost. With that said, in the decades he has sat on the throne, there have not been any major wars. This one thing I grant him."

Tigre didn't immediately respond. Wasn't it precisely because King Victor failed to intervene in conflicts between the Vanadis that in the winter of last year, the Vanadis Elizavetta Fomina had advanced her troops to Legnica? As for Ellen having fought against Mira, wasn't that also his fault?

However, Tigre didn't express his thoughts, swallowing them instead.

He was, after all, a man of another country. He wasn't King Victor's vassal either. Furthermore, three years hence, he would return to Brune. In such circumstances, it was not his place to criticize the King of another country.

"Returning to our discussion earlier, what has been said is correct. Choosing you as the emissary is killing two birds with one stone. As His Majesty has said, your appointment represents the support of both Zhcted and Brune. In other words, rather than sacrificing a pawn, sending a beloved hero such as yourself to a land embroiled in civil war implies-"

"So that's how it is. It will give Prince Germaine the appearance that Zhcted values him greatly."

At Tigre's words, the Vanadis with black hair nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes. As such, our country can seize the initiative in negotiations with Asvarre, as long as the emissary neither errs greatly nor oversteps his bounds. Such is the advantage of sending you."

"And the disadvantage?"

"If anything happens to you, the consequences will be unimaginable," Sasha replied coldly.

"First of all, there will be a crack in the relationship between Zhcted and Brune. In the worst case, Asvarre will become an enemy. Furthermore, even within the bounds of our own country, it's unlikely that either Ellen or Mira will ever forgive His Majesty. Though they would never dare openly rebel, it would nonetheless be the ruin of this nation."

Turning her gaze to the aster flowers by the window, she continued.

"I won't refute Ellen's conjecture. There is no doubt that His Majesty wants to test your mettle. I believe this was the point of the letter - to prevent you from realizing his motives during a face-to-face meeting. Nevertheless, it is my feeling that there are other schemes at play here."

A thorny problem indeed. After ruffling his red hair vigorously, his face taut, he exhaled deeply and smiled to change the mood.

"Thank you. I'll take care."

His attitude surprised Sasha. Though the country clearly hid individuals who sought to ensnare him, she caught no hint of fear in Tigre.

"Don't tell me you have some countermeasure in mind?"

"No."

Wearing an expression that feared neither heaven nor hell, Tigre answered firmly.

"I'm not about to shirk my responsibility from just this much. Though I know neither the identity of this individual nor his or her true intent, being afraid is pointless. Besides, I'm already resolved."

This was not, of course, a resignation of inevitable death, but rather the resolution to survive no matter what. The resolve to see this task to completion. After being given this task in LeitMeritz, when parting with Ellen and the others, he'd determined to fulfill his duty and return safely.

If that someone was trying to take his life, he would crush him.

Though he did not express it with words, Sasha seemed to have understood Tigre's intentions through his expression. She gave a sigh of relief.

"No wonder Ellen trusts you so much."

Saying that, she turned to look once more at the aster flowers. However, rather than taking in the sight, she seemed to be considering something.

At just about ten o'clock, she returned her gaze to Tigre.

"According to Ellen's letter, after this you are supposed to go to the port city of Prepus...... Could you change your destination to the port city of Lippner?"

Though Tigre frowned to this sudden request, his doubts were soon dispelled.

"Do you plan to hook that someone?"

It was King Victor's plan he go to Prepus. If Sasha's thoughts were correct, the person trying to entrap Tigre would certainly know. Therefore, she proposed to deceive that person.

She wanted him to meet with a man called Matvey who was at the beach.

"Go to the port and ask Matvey of the Goldy Belluga. Well, you will understand."

"Thanks for your help, but will that be alright?"

The follower who was scheduled to meet him afterwards might have information that would be useful in negotiations with Germaine. When Tigre asked about it, Sasha shook her head to say not to worry.

"His Majesty would not do such a thing. The negotiations would get confused, and your value would decrease. He should tell you all you need to know about the negotiations before they take place. Even that man would understand that he may die by unnecessarily disrupting negotiations."

"That is also true. Thank you."

After bowing with a smile, Tigre made a face that seemed to hesitate before saying something.

"By the way, what is that proud beluga you talked about?"

The Vanadis with black hair could not immediately understand the meaning of his question. Gazing at the expression of the youth full of perplexion, after saying "Eh!", Sasha with an unexpected expression asked:

"You, don't you know what a beluga is?"

Tigre nodded.

"......Have you already seen the sea?"

This time he shook his head.

Sasha wide opened her eyes; she stared at Tigre's face with a face that said she couldn't believe it. She smiled and murmured that she wonder if everything will be alright. Still she didn't certainly consider that a person who had never seen the sea had been entrusted with a secret envoy to a country on the other side of the sea.

At that time, the door was knocked on from outside. After a hoarse voice "Excuse me" was uttered, the aged servitor came in. Looking at him, disappointment appeared in Sasha's black eyes.

"It's already time, Vanadis-sama."

"......Can you give us a little more time? I feel better today."

Sasha's expression was like that of a child who wanted something even though she understood that it would be impossible. The servitor answered promptly without moving an eyebrow.

"It is exactly because you feel better that you must not push yourself."

From the conservation of those two people, Tigre realized that the time of parting came. He stood up quietly and bowed to Sasha.

"I will leave for today. Thank you very much."

"......No, I also thank you. It was fun."

Sasha extended her hand, and the two people shook hands quietly.

When Tigre was about to leave the room, the Vanadis with dark hair suddenly stopped him. Sasha, whose face was turned around, didn't know that the sunlight from the window made a backlight.

"Tigre. I leave Ellen to you. Become that child's strength."

"I will do what I can."

When he gave her a reassuring reply while smiling, Sasha seemed to smile too.

It was early in the morning of the next day that Tigre left the Imperial Palace in Legnica. Straddling the horse, he went in dash straight about the highway which led to the town of Lippner.

''---In the end, I was not able to meet with Sasha after that.''

He wanted to at least say good bye, but he could do nothing but leave a message to the aged servitor since it was impossible to meet her because of her disease. The servitor had also handed him a letter which contained a map describing the way to Lippner and Matvey's features.

''---Will we meet again?''

She was a Vanadis. There should be no such thing as a disease that could not be cured.

Though he thought so, he remembered the feeling when they shook hands. Thin flesh, skinny fingers, that was indeed the hand of a sick person.

When leaving the Imperial Palace, Tigre offered a prayer to the gods. Even if it would be no problem to pay his respects to the gods because Brune and Zchted believed in the same gods, Tigre was not so religious as to pray every time like Teita.

Tigre often invoked the name of Elis, the goddess of the wind and the storm while hunting, he sometimes went to the shrine to pray when an arrow flew well. But Elis was not a Goddess that healed disease. This sort of thing would be the jurisdiction of Moshia, the mother Earth Goddess or Vors, the God of livestock.

''---No, I must concentrate on the things that I should do right now.''

Shaking his head, Tigre dispelled his unease. Failing in this duty would be to trample upon Sasha’s kindness, but if he succeeded and returned safely he would have a good tale to tell of his travels. Holding the reins, Tigre went over the highway.

By the time Sasha woke up, it was well into the day.

Her body felt heavy, feverish. The court physician examined her condition, telling her to rest after drinking medicine and taking a light meal.

She did as she was told, and had begun to stare blankly at the ceiling by the time her servitor came in.

"How is your physical condition?"

"I am a bit tired...... I didn’t intend to, but I might have overdone it yesterday - it’s been a long time since I’ve had visitors."

While lying on the bed, Sasha gave a wry smile and answered the servitor. She hadn’t even managed to say half the things she’d initially intended to.

"I have been entrusted with a message from that Earl Vorn. It says: 'I wish to express my gratitude for your kindness. Let's meet again after I return from Asvarre. I pray to the Gods for your early recovery'."

As the aged servitor reported with a solemn look, Sasha chuckled and then laughed.

"What did you think of him?"

"To me, he looked like a boy of his age. However, Vanadis-sama seems to have a different impression."

Though likely not to mean any harm, Sasha found it amusing when he used the word "boy." She, even at 22, was probably still a young girl in this old gentleman’s eyes.

"I wouldn’t say that you’d understand just by speaking to him......but well, I understand very well that he is a sincere person, and that he possesses a strong will."

How Tigre met with Ellen, how he went through the civil war of Brune. She asked to hear the entire story that she had already heard in part beforehand from Ellen intending to better understand Tigre’s personality.

Whether the person himself would show off talking about his own distinguished military service, or he understated it and emphasized his good luck, it was likely to she would know the way he behaved when he talked to Ellen and the others.

Supposing that he had spoken frankly without dramatization after noticing her intentions, she would be inclined to think him a thoughtful person.

''---Well, but I think he did not seem to think too deeply there.''

So indeed, he probably had a straight personality after all.

"Though I understood that when I met him, he is very interesting...... No wonder Ellen lent him a hand."

"Does the Vanadis of LeitMeritz like such kinds of people?"

"I don't dislike him, either. If that child stays by Ellen's side in LeitMeritz, I wonder if this Legnica will therefore also be safe."

The two Vanadis whose territories bordered Legnica were Ellen and Elizavetta Fomina. There had been a conflict with Elizavetta last winter, and though Ellen had helped to repulse her somehow, their relationship had yet to be normalized. As such, the conflict could yet continue in the future.

If Leitmeritz were to stabilize, Elizavetta would likelier than not cease to interfere with Legnica.

Though Ellen could not be on support whenever something happened, it would be nice if she could be a deterrent.

"Then, please rest soon."

The servitor said with a kind voice.

"You will meet Earl Vorn again. It will probably be around the winter when he comes back from Asvarre. At that moment, you will be able to finish your conversation with him."

"......Yes. Thank you."

With a smile, Sasha calmly closed her eyes.

Though they had not spoken for long, it was still dangerous to upset her health in autumn when the cold was not yet severe. Preparing from now to spend the winter of this year was necessary.

The servitor bowed and left.

Soon, the quiet breathing of a sleeper began to leak from her thin lips.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

As the sun grew high overhead and the heat grew oppressive, the port town of Lippner came into Tigre’s view. Under a pure blue sky, low walls stretched from North to South and the extension beyond the shadow of a building was visible. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Tigre loosened the horse reins and went to the castle gate.

Two days had passed since he left Sasha’s Imperial Office; so far the journey had been smooth and without incident.

As soon as he entered and passed through the gates in the city, Tigre opened his eyes wide in surprise. Men and women with different skin colors and facial features traversed the road, and the languages of many countries flitted about.

''---There are many people here, and not just people from Brune or Zchted. There are some Muozinel people with brown skin, some people of Asvarre and also some people of Sachstein.''

Foreigners exchanged words to each other as a matter of course; if languages with words did not work, they would draw and show pictures. They also communicated in gestures.

Even after recovering from his surprise, Tigre walked for a while looking around restlessly in admiration. Signboards, such as those for bars and inns, which were expressed with pictures that stood out immediately.

''---Pictures certainly seem better than characters in such a town.''

After that, he was concerned about the smell, too. From the Muozinel people who were in the traffic crowd, there was the smell of perfumed oil and spices, the cheese from Brune's and Sachstein's people, and a smell similar to the smell of smoked meat from Asvarre.

''---Anyway, this is a lively town.''

Similar to the castle town of LeitMeritz, but more vibrant. A merchant of Muozinel had spread a shabby carpet on the side of the street, selling jewelry on it side by side.

Next to that was a bard of Brune singing deed-of-arms poetry, furthermore next to that, Sachstein's people were selling a number of small and large mirrors. Tigre, who was walking while enjoying this rare blending of cultures, had his shoulder suddenly struck from behind.

When he looked back, a beautiful woman who grew bright red hair to her waist was standing there. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and she wore a rather provocative ensemble that emphasized her ample bosom even as she suddenly drew closer.

"Is it your first time in this town? I can be your guide if you want, what do you say?"

She had the accent of Sachstein's people. Though Tigre was surprised for a moment, he regained his composure at once.

"Thank you. But I have already decided where to go."

"Ara, is that so? That's a shame."

"......By the way, do you know a store that serves a good meal? Though I hope it is close to the port."

The woman looked puzzled and smiled happily when he asked her so.

"Are you inviting me to dinner?"

"I wouldn’t mind having someone to talk to while eating. If it tastes good, it doesn't matter if it is expensive."

To Tigre's answer, the woman shrugged with a smile.

"Well, thank you, but I finished cooking dinner a little while ago, so I'll just tell you about some good shops I know of."

In exchange for being told of three shops near the port, Tigre gave her one big copper piece as a reward. Receiving it with a smile, she disappeared into the crowd with a light wave. Seeing her off thusly, Tigre resumed walking while carrying his luggage on his shoulder.

''---Was it out of goodwill?''

Those who suddenly offer guidance were not necessarily people like her. Among them, there were fellows who lured travelers with honeyed words to the back alleys before stealing their wallet or baggage.

Tigre had also seen such persons whether in Alsace or LeitMeritz. Again, this time, he thought that he was slightly aggressive and must have appeared as if he was harassing her.

''---However...... Though it was unusual, maybe I am too restless.''

He inwardly persuaded himself to be careful. On the way, he dropped by one of the stalls to buy some fruit, picking them from a big barrel of water used to cool the mix of apples, pomegranates and figs - as well as a few ceramic bottles which most likely contained alcohol.

Though the summer was already over, it was fairly hot today. Tigre bought an apple, wiped it with his sleeve and bit it as he walked.

Seeing all this, he once again felt that there were many different kinds of people in this town.

Not only race, but there was also various occupations in the town. There were some mercenaries who wore dirty leather armor, there were swords hanging at their waist, and some travelers dressed in similar fashion as himself. Sometimes, he heard the language of an unknown country, or even noticed some characters in languages he had never seen before.

''---So, this is a port city, huh.''

Tigre stopped suddenly, causing the man who was walking immediately behind him to pass by the side with a bemused face. Twitching his nose doubtfully, he stopped. There was a strange smell. No, it was not just the smell. The blowing wind had also taken on some moisture.

''---Is the wind coming from this direction? ......And this strange smell too?''

He wondered if an accident had occurred, but this smell didn't seem to concern the people of the town as far as he could observe from the circumstances.

''---I wonder if I should have asked for some more information from that woman a while ago.''

While thinking about such things, Tigre passed through the crowd and arrived at the port.

Tigre stopped again. But this time with surprise.

The first thing he noticed were several huge ships, each so large that one might mistake it for a shrine or a mansion. Each were either connected to a wharf, or they were about to set sail.

There were a fleet of a dozen galleys that were arranged in wedge formation<ref>V-shaped formation</ref>, and there was also a sailing boat with a white sail emblazoned with the motif of some small dogs.

He had never seen a ship until now. Tigre knew that a ship was something made to go across big rivers and lakes. Still, this was his first time seeing anything as huge as this.

Around the moored ships, sailors with robust sunburnt bodies were moving around busily.

There were people who had to clean the ship, those who were carrying cargo, and those who had to inspect the cargo. There was a person who had made a temporary grill, and grilled shellfish and fish when taking a break.

Tigre was looking up at the ship stunned, and began to walk at a brisk pace to recover from his surprise. He stood from the wharf at some distance.

"......This is the sea, huh."

After saying those words, he fell silent. Tigre was gazing at the dark blue ocean which spread throughout his field of view, fascinated. The sea surface which waved gently reflected sunlight and was dazzling, the roars of the sea were echoed continuously and sea birds were dancing in the sky. The ships which left the port gradually became smaller.

Tigre noticed that the smell he was worried about a while ago, was the smell of the sea. The Wind that came blowing across the sea was cold . The meaning of "an end of the land" became clear.

He had been told that he would encounter "an end of the land" roughly when he found the sea. Asvarre was across the sea, beyond the horizon.

Then, what was beyond Asvarre?

How many countries lay in lands yet unseen by him? Were there dragons dwelling in uninhabited lands at the end of this sea? How far did the sea spread, or was it boundless and without end?

It was the sound of the bell which made Tigre, who kept standing on that occasion and was gazing at the sea for about 1/4 koku, come to himself. Thinking about it, he had only eaten an apple since he entered this town. He spoke to the sailors, who were cooking and eating fish and shellfish nearby, and he tossed them a copper coin and got a portion of their food.

The grilled fish, skewered through from mouth to tail, was as big as a two large buns. When he dug in, the skin had a plump and crispy texture.

The shellfish soup was also delicious. Though the soup was too hot and he nearly burnt his tongue, it was seasoned with ash salt, a seasoning made from burnt seaweed, which created a saltiness which gradually permeated throughout his mouth. While enjoying the fresh taste, Tigre asked a seaman about Matvey. But he shook his head in a way to show he didn't know Matvey, then he exclaimed as he remembered.

"The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]'s Matvey? If it's that guy, he is usually on the wharf on the north side. You should go and look over there."

The port in Lippner drew a gradual curve near the oval, and five wharves of various sizes had been installed from the north to the south. According to the sailors' talk, it seemed that ships which entered the port anchored in the same place as long as there were no special circumstances.

Telling them thank you and farewell, Tigre headed to the wharf in the north. Having relieved his hunger, he now worried about the sea breeze that blew from the ocean. He turned his gaze to the black bow in his hand.

''---I don't think that this bow will be affected by the salty air, but......''

It was not just a simple bow. It was the heirloom of the Vorn House, and though he did not know much more than that, it was an item related to the gods. It had not occurred to him before that this may be a problem as he begins to journey onto the unsteady domains of the seas.

''---Let's take care more than usual while riding on the ship.''

Tigre had made that decision after some thought, though the deciding factor had not come from any respect or fear he might have had for the bow. Rather, it had been the fact that it was the heirloom of his house and his instincts as a hunter that caused him to decide thus.

Afterwards, Tigre caught some sailors and asked if he was able to meet Matvey.

"Do you have business with me?"

He was a man in his mid-thirties or such. Though the sailors who he had seen on his way here had all been stout and well-built, Matvey stood head and shoulders above them, giving him a far more intimidating presence.

His hair was short, his skin was a burnt bronze, and his beady small eyes had a sharp glint to them. His black silk hat and gold-trimmed crimson jacket gave him a brutish air; and with his build he gave off a dominating presence just by standing still. As such, his polite way of speaking came out rather grim instead.

"Nice to meet you. I am Tigrevurmud Vorn."

Visibly unintimidated by the man, Tigre put his bags on the ground and retrieved Sasha’s letter. Upon receiving it, Matvey broke its seal and quickly read its contents.

"Oh! Do you know the content of this letter, Lord Tigrevurmud?"

Matvey smiled as Tigre shook his head, though his frightful countenance twisted the expression to resemble that of a shark that had discovered its prey.

"It says to accompany you and help out as much as possible. I cannot refuse a favor from Alexandra-sama. Please step on my ship "The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]"."

Bowing his head as thanks to his words, Tigre was impressed by his attitude. Despite knowing the current state of Asvarre, Matvey showed no fear. A most reliable man - as expected of someone Sasha had trust in.

"I hope to get along with you. By the way, when does this ship depart?"

When the answer “after a half koku” came back, Tigre’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"The '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' was originally scheduled to head to Asvarre. You are lucky. If you had come here a little later, we would not have even been able to meet."

Matvey laughed as one revealing a trick as he continued to explain.

"Though the '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' is a merchant vessel, we often let other various customers aboard, so I don't think you will particularly stand out."

"I’m sorry, but I’ve yet to see that beluga thing......"

When Tigre answered so apologetically, Matvey turned around quickly. On the back of his crimson coat, there was a pretty design of a beluga<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beluga_whale Beluga] AKA White Whale.</ref> jumping. Though Tigre thought that it didn't look good at all<ref>I think Tigre means that Matvey’s appearance doesn’t match that of the beluga</ref>, he wisely avoided putting those thoughts into words.

"With this picture as basis, I have put on a white mantle for the title '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]'."

"......I understand."

"Though I should be here at about a quarter koku, what would you do? Will you come to my ship with me?" <ref> I think he means that he needs to stick around for the next half koku, and if Tigre wants to stick with him, hence why Tigre replies that he wouldn’t want to be a nuisance for that amount of time.</ref>

"Thank you for your kindness. If it's alright with you, I would like to go on ahead to the ship. I don't want to interfere with your work."

Bowing, Tigre answered so. As Matvey nodded with a smile, he took something out of his jacket pocket and presented it to Tigre.

At first glance it looked like a silver coin, but its design differed from those of Brune or Zchted: a beluga, like the one on display on Matvey’s back, was engraved upon it.

"Please take that. This is like a boarding permit, if you show that to the people in the ship, they will let you through with a smile."

Accepting the token with a word of thanks, Tigre left the place. As he walked while looking at an average ship on the wharf, he was wrapped with tension and excitement at the same time. He would be finally riding on a ship for the first time.

"Can I have a few moments of your time?"

He was suddenly called to from behind. As he looked at that place while thinking that he had been called out pretty often today, he saw a boy-like traveler with a small bag in his hand standing.

His body, short in stature, was wrapped in a slightly soiled mantle, and only a small part of his face was visible as he raised his face to look at Tigre, since it was being covered with a hood cast over his eyes.

"...I'm looking for a ship called The, Proud, Beluga, Do you know where it is?"

His voice had an accent that Tigre didn't know. There was a little interval between the words as he uttered the ship's name.

Since he seemed to have difficulty remembering the name.

Tigre looked down at the boy with a mystified look. The boy's height was only around his chest level.

Supposing he was a traveler, it seemed to be the age where one was still likely to be accompanied by parents.

"Since I am also boarding the same ship, would you like to go together? And, are you alone or are there still other-"

-companions? Those words were dispelled by a sudden snarl. When he looked there with a frown, three men who probably had not yet reached 20 years old walked forward with squared shoulders.

"You bastard, we said that we will show you the way around, what are you thinking by running away from us?"

One of the three stared angrily at the boy, and he shouted while pointing his finger at the boy. Whether it was his expression or his attitude, these were young people who seemed suited for the word hooligan.

The boy didn't show any signs of fear even though he was yelled at and calmly responded.

"Please don't continue to chase me. It's troublesome."

"D-Damn kid!"

The man became extremely enraged, and with a red face, he struck out with his fist. Tigre, with the bow still in his left hand, after placing his bag in his right onto the ground, came in between the boy and the man and caught the man's fist.

"He is my companion. Could you tell me what exactly is going on here?"

"These people agreed to guide me to the ship originally, but they then tried to take me out of the port."

Although Tigre tried to calm the mood for the time being, the boy was the one that answered back immediately. The man did not deny it, and moreover the two men who were watching the situation from behind held their tongues, then began to move. One of them went straight towards Tigre aggressively, and the other headed toward the boy.

However, Tigre's action was quicker. Others would have thought that he would first release the fist of the man who had struck out initially, however he promptly twisted it while gripping the arm without mercy and raised it. The man screamed in pain.

Then while using the man as a shield and checking the whereabouts of the second person, he pushed him away vigorously. The two thugs who collided collapsed together onto the ground.

''---I need to hurry up and help that child...''

When he looked back while thinking so, the battle was also already finished there. The hooligan only managed to pull off the boy's hood, while on the other hand the boy had jumped right in front of the thug's body, and he shot one sharp blow to his belly.

The man collapsed without a sound. Tigre, with a look of surprise and admiration, turned to the boy.

"Well then... What do you guys intend to do now?"

Looking back to the thugs that had fallen on their feet, Tigre used a cold voice to address them.

"We are not that free either. If you would just obediently allow us to leave, we will not pursue this matter as well."

Though the man growled in vexation and scowled at Tigre, he had to admit that he was no match for Tigre at all. Being challenged two against one, and despite Tigre only using one hand, they were still defeated.

As the men stood up unsteadily, they lent their shoulder to their friend who was holding his belly and then turned their backs on Tigre.

They disappeared into the crowd while cursing the onlookers. Thinking the uproar to be settled, the people who were looking at this situation from afar walked away.

The clamor of the port returned. As Tigre turned back to look at the boy, almost at the same time, the boy also looked at him.

''---A girl...?''

Tigre opened his eyes wide. He had thought all along that the traveler was a boy, but it turned out to be a girl.

Perhaps thirteen, or around fourteen years old, with disheveled light pink-colored short hair and large eyes reminiscent of dull black pearls.

Her face was stained with dust, though the outline was slightly roundish, suitable to her age. Upon closer look, she was beautiful enough to arouse admiration. Although she gave an impression as though she were slightly absentminded with an expressionless face, she brought about an indescribable feeling and was extremely lovable.

"Thank you very much for helping me."

With a very monotonous voice, the girl quickly bowed her head.

"It was not a big deal. Though I think you are alright, did you get injured?"

When Tigre asked that while picking up his luggage, the girl looked up and issued a question while tilting her head in wonder.

"I'm not hurt. ---Why did you help me, a total stranger? Those people may have been in the right."

"More or less, because there are such people in every town, you will know who is right and wrong after you see such things happening several times. Even if it were not because of this, after seeing three large adults chasing after a child, if they were to strike you without even saying anything, it wouldn't be considered proper conduct now would it? In addition, you did not run away when I went in between you and those people."

At this answer, the girl narrowed her eyes while seeming to think about something. Her black eyes were, this time, directed to Tigre's black bow.

"What didn't you let go of your bow? Without even hesitating, you used one hand to-"

"Even if it looks like this, this thing is my family heirloom. Though it also depends on the situation, I don't want to treat it roughly if I can help it."

As he answered, Tigre thought that he couldn't understand this child very well. Although he didn't know about what she was always thinking about while being absent-minded, she was calm unlike a child. Her questions was clear too. After she seemed to have been convinced by this answer, she nodded and gave her name.

"Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Olga. So, Proud... U-Uh, Proud... Beluga..."

She stammered over her words. Opening her eyes, which were nearer to being half-opened, wider, Olga repeated the words desperately. Her blushing and flustered look made her seem a girl suitable of her age, and Tigre unknowingly gave a smile. He bent his knees, crouched and adjusted the height of his gaze to be level with hers.

"'[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]', right? Let's go together. I'm Tigrevurmud."

It was half for a precaution not to have given his family name, and the other half was for consideration to her. Giving only her name must mean that Olga was very likely to be a commoner and not a noble. He took care not to frighten her. Of course, he also considered the fact that Olga didn't give her family name for precaution.

"Tig, revurvur... Tig, vurm..."

"If it's hard for you, just call me Tigre."

Looking at Olga repeating painfully while mumbling, Tigre gave a wry smile this time.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

When standing on the deck, he felt like the sea breeze became stronger.

"It shakes more than I thought."

In accordance with the waves of the sea surface, the ship had been repeating its up and down motions gradually. That feeling was fresh to Tigre and it was a strange thing. He thought it will take some time until he got used to it. The 'Proud Beluga', a ship that belonged to a big class of the ships which was at anchor in the port.

There were two big masts, upon which folded sails soared, and the deck under was a three-layer barrel structure including the bottom of the ship. While the deck was narrower than he thought, sailors were moving about busily between the barrels that were present everywhere and the rope that was spread all around.

Everyone there had very stout bodies, and there were many instances where they almost knocked into Tigre.

"Let's quickly go to the cabin."

As Tigre said this profusely, Olga, who was walking beside him, nodded slightly. She put back her hood again as she got on the ship, therefore Tigre found it hard to see the expression that she had .

She had not spoken much since then. Although Tigre thought that it was because she was ashamed of being unable to neatly speak Tigre's name or that it was because of her accent, it did not seem to be the case judging from her words or her attitude.

She did not try to engage in polite banter. Regarding herself, the only thing that she told Tigre was that she was traveling alone.

As he got off the ladder in the stern and entered under the deck, he walked down the aisle which was filled with the sea breeze's smell mixed with that of the wood. Tigre ducked into the room where he was told to stay for the time being while on the ship.

When he opened the door, there was a really small room. In addition to the bed fixed to the wall and the floor, there was only about three or four steps of walking space in the room. There was nothing to do other than to put his luggage on the floor and then go to sleep. By the way, the lock for the door was a rough lock handed over to him at the time of his boarding.

To Tigre who was stunned by this sight, Olga said with a monotonous voice.

"Well then, see you."

To her words, Tigre rethought that, unlike himself, who was assisted by Sasha and Matvey, Olga paid the fare as a simple guest to board the ship. At the time of boarding, the boarding permit she had passed to the sailors, though it was similar to his, it was in a copper colour instead.

"If it's okay with you, may I see your room?"

As he asked out of curiosity, Olga approved it while nodding her head as if looking down.

While walking across a narrow passage, Tigre was observing while running his eyes to the left and to the right. This layer was for the guests' and sailors' rooms, and it seemed as though there was also an Armory and some other rooms as well.

When they arrived at the vicinity of the prow and got off the ladder to the lower layer, it gradually became dimmer and a peculiar stench became increasing stronger. The narrowness of the passages did not change. Olga stopped after walking about ten steps and stood in front of one door.

After she opened the door, inside there was nothing special apart from the fact that it was pretty large. Compared to Tigre's room that could be called a private room of an inn, this place would be the equivalent of a large room used by many people. Inside the room were 12 to 13 men.

Half of them were armed with swords and armor, and they were leaning on the wall or sitting on the floor. Though the others were not armed, that didn't change the fact that a dangerous atmosphere was released from their whole body. They had distanced themselves moderately and everyone was watching each other closely.

Those eyes mixed with hostility were of course turned to Tigre and Olga that opened the door.

''---Well that is to be expected...''

Though Tigre did not show that on his face and his voice, he was aware of that. The destination of this ship was Asvarre that was in the maelstrom of a civil war. Naturally, there were only certain types of people who would go to such a place. If not a mercenary, than it would be a merchant, or else it would be people with special circumstances such as Tigre.

"Would you like to come to my room instead?"

To Olga who were standing nearby, he asked quietly. On her face looking up at Tigre, there was faint surprise in her expressionless absent-minded face.

"Is it okay?"

"As you saw a while ago, it is a small room. But it'll guarantee your security. And there is also a lock."

Tigre didn't know why she was heading to Asvarre. It was not like he didn't care about that, but he had no intention to ask since he was in a position in which it would be troublesome if he himself were to be inquired.

Therefore, though he didn't know anything about her, as expected he was reluctant to let a girl who was younger than him stay there.

Soon after that, 'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' departed from Lippner town.

A white sail gathered the winds and 'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' leisurely progressed along the azure blue sea. Tigre and Olga were standing on the deck, looking at the boundless sea and the far away silhouette of an island.

"How do you feel riding on my boat?"

With his crimson coat flapping in the sea breeze, Matvey came walking toward them. Turning his gaze to Olga, he made his small eyes shine keenly.

"Oh! An acquaintance of yours?"

Tigre replied "Yes" with a smile and Olga nodded silently. Tigre was impressed (without saying anything) since the fact that she was not perturbed even before Matvey's evil look was admirable.

"In about how many days will we arrive in Asvarre?"

"If the wind continues to be good like now, in seven or eight days I guess. Since this is not a windless season, we can think that at the very least it won't take more than ten days."

Tigre was relieved to hear that. He had no other choice but to let Olga lay down on the only bed there was, and he himself intended to sleep on the floor. It seems he would only have to endure it somehow for eight days.

"Matvey-san, about how old were you when you first became a sailor?"

"I was younger than you are now. Those who were born and raised in Lippner that decide to live with the sea think that they must have their own ship first. Therefore, to work towards this goal, while working and earning money in the ship of an acquaintance, I also learned how to trade various things for business and how to handle a ship."

"Were you not scared to go out to the sea?"

To tell the truth, Tigre was a little scared. Puffing out his chest with pride, Matvey replied while laughing.

"It's something familiar around here. As for me, though I did not mind since I saw shipwrecks drifting to the outskirts of the town where I was playing in my childhood, there are, as expected, many people who still get nervous when they get into a boat for the first time. Nonetheless, I overcome the fear with various experiences."

"Various experiences?"

Olga tilted her head.

"Storms, shipwrecks, pirates... In addition, with narrow ships, close combat which involves killing may occur, causing a situation where it becomes impossible to continue sailing. There are also things such as sharks and the sea dragon."

"Sea dragon?"

Though the last words were a little theatrical, the word "Dragon" attracted Tigre's interest. Hearing his parrot-like repeat of the word, Matvey gave a wry smile and answered.

"A long time ago, I saw it only once from afar. Like this, his body was like a long rope, looking like that of snakes, and that body was much bigger than this ship's mast. I wondered if it was capricious or was not hungry, since it did not come to attack us, and ran away with all its might."

"Such a thing is...in the sea."

"It is nothing to be concerned about. Even among the sailors who kept going to the sea for 40 or 50 years, those who happened to see it is low in number, making it a very rare sight. Unless you are extremely unlucky, or else there is usually no chance to see it within a single voyage.

To Matvey's words that reassured him, Tigre sighed.

From then on Tigre who asked a lot of things about the ship and the sea, suddenly asked about what was on his mind.

"Matvey-san, do you know the details about Asvarre?"

"Yes, since it's an important customer. Is there something that worries you?"

"I'm sorry if my question is not clear, but... What kind of country is Asvarre? For example, I don't know what kinds of Gods are worshipped in Asvarre."

He had intended to ask Sasha but unfortunately he missed the chance to. He knows the current situation in the Kingdom of Asvarre and also the fight between the princes. But, regarding anything else, it might be more accurate to say that Tigre doesn't have the slightest idea of it at all.

"Alright. Since there is no problems now with the ship, then I will have the privilege to have a nice long chat with you."

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Asvarre is called the country of the fog and the forest.

It was once a territory that was limited to only a small floating island in the North Sea - the island country of Asvarre, and there were five tribes competing for supremacy over the island. The origin of the country's name came from the island. There were few mountains but many hills, rivers and forests.

The wind-tinged heat which blew constantly from the west sea, was cooled by the time it reached the middle of the island, and hence most of the year the island was covered with fog.

"...So it is said, but as expected, to say that most of the year it is covered with fog would be an exaggeration. There are also regional variations, like between cities for example. In additon, it would not be strange for the fog to just appear at any place regardless of the time."

The island was under the constant threat of war. While it was a given for conflict to exist between the five tribes, the continental nations tried to invade the island aboard their ships, and pirates roaming around the coast was also a daily occurrence.

"Though these words may be a little too pessimistic, it can be said that where people exist, there will always be conflict, this is the reality. There is a saying, there is never a day where Asvarre goes by without having blood spilled. However, that situation changed completely due to one hero alone. His name was Artorias. He was the king founder of Asvarre."

One day, Artorias said that he dreamed that he transformed into a red dragon.

The red dragon is a symbol of the king who bundles the five tribes' leaders. Artorias, who was until then a very ordinary warrior, believed in the oracle, and decided he will become King. Though most people laughed at Artorias, 12 companions decided to follow him.

Afterwards, Artorias would always fight at the front lines while wielding his sword, fighting in countless battlefields and obtaining victory. Various tribes began to pledge allegiance to him, the pirates were cleared up, and repelled the nations that had invaded them. The 12 people following Artorias were then given the title the Knights of the Round Table.

"...It looked somewhat like the myths in Brune and Zchted, right?"

Tigre harbored such an impression. Regarding the myth of Brune, Charles, who became the successor of the king founder, started his battles after receiving a revelation from a highly virtuous monk living in a holy cave shrine. And according to the myth of Zchted, a man claiming to be the incarnation of the Black Dragon appeared before the many feuding tribes, then led his followers and started his conquest.

Seemingly not taking any offense to Tigre's sudden interuption, Matvey responded with a smile.

"Though I am not well informed about the myths of other countries, I think there are points that are in some way common."

Tigre showed his consent as well obediently and Matvey resumed the talk.

"Though Artorias and the 12 Knights of the Round Table are not gods in Asvarre, they have become objects of worship. Because it is thought that all the victories of Artorias were assumed to be due to the blessing of God. It is also assumed that each knight of the round table had the divine protection of angels - seemingly beings like spirits that obey God."

After Artorias' death, as the kingdom of Asvarre was spending a peaceful time without conflict. However, one day the peace was suddenly broken. There was the Cadiz kingdom of the continent, which possessed a large fleet, that crossed the sea and invaded Asvarre.

"Asvarre desperately resisted, but succumbed before the pressure of an overwhelmingly large army. It is said that it was deprived of half of the island in a short time. After the king ended up sick in bed, the people who recommended surrender and those who attempted to escape came out one after another, and the fate of the kingdom was without doubt in a precarious state."

However, among these people, someone appeared. Scolding the frightened retainers and soldiers, there was a person who showed a firm attitude. That person was Princess Zephyria.

"While it was said that Princess Zephyria was the owner of an incomparable beauty, she also possessed a heroine's mantle. She personally took up the sword and jumped into the battlefields, showing bravery to the extent that it was difficult to think she's a woman, . And thus, she obtained victory that was comparable to the founder, Artorias. It seems her mantra is: 'The armor is my husband and the battlefield is my palace'."

Afterwards, the king died without recovering from his illness, and after a year of conference within the court, Zephyria became the first queen of the kingdom of Asvarre. The impact that this gave to the continental nations was not small. It was because the idea of a queen in either Brune or Zchted was something absurd.

"Queen Zephyria was also excellent as a ruler. The country that was shaken by the death of the king was firmly brought together by the birth of the queen,then she subjugated the pirates in the coast, stabilized both internal and external matters of the country, and later launched an invasion of the kingdom of Cadiz."

The Cadiz kingdom was ultimately defeated by her in the end.

"Asvarre then took possession of a territory of the continent. That was something the king founder Artorias had strongly desired for, but was not able to accomplish. Queen Zephyria, who accomplished it, received the prestigious title of 'Supreme King', continuing to rule without even marrying, and finally proposed a person who had the closest blood relationship with her Father the king to be the successor, then died."

"The queen huh..."

Tigre gave a breath of admiration. Olga, who was still wearing her hood, raised a question from the back.

"I have heard stories that Queen Zephyria actually had a lover."

"Of course, many such similar gossips exists as well. I know some, too. For example, someone like the vassal who secretly supported her, the wandering knight, the traveling bard cum hunter... It is precisely because this portion of her life was non-existent when she was a ruler that is why the people had such fanciful imaginations."

Though Tigre showed honest agreement to the words of Matvey, Olga was thoughtfully silent.

"After that, up to current times, there hasn't been anything major to talk about. I think that even now Artorias and Zephyria are still heroes representing Asvarre, and even local farmers are proud of them."

"Thank you. Well then... Now, how about the current situation of civil war?"

Tigre asked it with a careful tone.

"What I know is only the information I heard from about 10 days ago - That there are skirmishes that happen frequently, but no major fights, and that the situation has fallen into a stalemate."

''---It meant that the ones suffering the most from the quarrel between the two Princes were the people in Asvarre.''

Unbearable anger blotted Tigre's expression. A stalemate meant that the hope for the end of the conflict was no where in sight. Anyhow, it would be fine if the soldiers of each side did not move too much and from the beginning to the end and just glared at each other, but it was a different matter if there were many conflict-ridden areas.

Not knowing when they will get dragged into the war, without even knowing when the war would end. Even though it was not even a battle they wished for.

Seeing through Tigre's feelings of turmoil, Matvey deliberately continue to speak with a businesslike tone.

"Concerning the number of soldiers, Prince Elliot seems to be superior, but on Prince Germaine’s side, there is a very remarkable general that is able to often overturn the numerical inferiority and obtain victory. Therefore, this war isn't likely to be able to be settled easily."

"Is there such a person? What is his name?"

"If I'm not mistaken, his name is Tallard Graham. There is rumor saying that if that man was not there, Prince Germaine might have already been defeated."

Though Tigre was interested in the man named Tallard, for the time being he pushed aside that matter in the corner of his brain and proceeded with his thoughts. Compared to what he heard from Ellen, it seemed that there wasn't much change in the situation.

Would his would meeting with Prince Germane be able to change this situation?

Tigre stood there with a disappointed face, while Olga, whom he had not the slightest idea of what she was thinking about, absent-mindedly and expressionlessly gazed at him.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

As the sun sank, the ship moored at a small island.

Tigre was in his room. Sitting on the bed, he was taking care of his bow. There was only a lamp with light that dangled down from the ceiling, swaying from side to side to match the floating of the ship.

The door was knocked on from the outside. He put his bow on the bed, stood up and opened the door. He stood up before Olga who wore an absent-minded face and was holding a deep pot. White steam was rising from the deep pot. Before returning to the room, she had bought hot water from the kitchen.

"How much was it?"

"It was two copper coins."

Only about half the deep pot was filled with hot water. Though it seemed that it would not spill even if the ship more or less shook, Tigre thought that this amount of water for two copper coins was expensive.

As Olga put the deep pot on the floor, she removed her mantle. As for the clothes that she was wearing, a cuff was loose, and there was delicate embroidery decorating the neckline and sleeves. Her waist was wrapped around with a belt, and it was something not seen much in Brune and Zchted.

However, what further attracted Tigre's attention was the axe which she hung on her waist. It has a gray edge with a small ax head and a short hand grip, so that even Olga with her small stature can easily handle it.

What looked out of place, was it's elaborate handle.

A topaz, which was also about fist sized, was embedded at the junction of the handle and the blade, and a fine pattern was engraved on the blade as well. It seems, I guess, that most people would consent even if it was said to have been built for affluent nobles to decorate their residence.

However, Tigre held a different impression. Certain weapons flashed through his mind after he saw that axe.

There was the long sword that Ellen carried, Mira's spear, the bishop's staff of Sophie and Sasha's twin blades. These weapons flashed like a bolt of lightning through the darkness inside his mind.

''---It can't be... A {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}?''

Weapons that had paranormal power and were only allowed to be owned by the seven Vanadis.

"Are you interested in this?"

Hearing the voice, Tigre was startled and pulled himself together. He was very likely staring too much, and although Olga still had her dimly expressionless face, some caution had crept into her black eyes.

"Oh! That axe has a splendid structure."

Tigre answered so while rummaging his dull red hair. He banished the question he wanted to ask in his innermost thoughts. Certainly it was an axe with a very remarkable structure, but there was no way that a Vanadis would be in such a place.

"Because it is a heirloom."

Olga leaned the axe against the wall while answering in a monotonous voice. She untied her obi and took off her clothes. Her upper body that became bare was slim, and the flesh was thin, and the swelling of her chest was over modest. She had a very soft, healthy body, which was also exceedingly beautiful, though it was still far from maturity.

In the presence of a dumbfounded Tigre, Olga sat down on the floor, took her hemp cloth from the cargo bag, soaked in the hot water and squeezed it. She wiped herself her body gently.

"...As expected, I don't think it's a good idea to expose your body in front of a man."

Tigre gently reproved the girl with pink turtle's hair with an embarrassed face. Olga stopped her hand that was wiping the dirt off her body, gave a glanced to Tigre, then answered while returning the hemp cloth to the hot water once again.

"It can't be helped. There is no other place."

"Even so, this is definitely not very appropriate. You should have let me turn around..."

"This is a room that you borrowed, and I am here because you have let me use it."

''What a sincere child.''

Tigre let out a sigh and turned his back to Olga.

He thought that it was good that she was young. He would have been more frantic if she were about the age of Ellen and Mira.

Tigre waited for a little while more even after finishing the maintenance of his bow.

Before long, the sound in which the hot water was squeezed was no longer heard, and the rustling of clothes reached his ears.

"It is alright now."

Looking back to the voice, Olga, who was already dressed up wearing a cloak, was currently sitting on the floor. Pointing at the deep pot, she continues speaking.

"Though it is now lukewarm, if it is alright with you, use it."

"It that so. Then, please allow me to gratefully accept it."

Since he had stood for a long time on the deck, even Tigre's body had become sticky because of the sea breeze. It was a troublesome thing to go to the kitchen now to buy hot water.

Swapping places with her, Tigre wiped his body quickly. After putting on a mantle similar to Olga's, Tigre pushed aside the deep pot to the corner of the room.

"Well then, let's go to sleep? I will sleep on the floor, so you can use the bed."

"It's impossible for me to accept your kindness to that extent."

Tigre who was going to plop himself down on the floor looked troubled at the refusal of Olga and raised his body. Though the girl with pink color hair was still expressionless, there was slight anger in her voice.

"I understand that you are behaving as an elder, since I'm younger. However, I... I want to be independent and be responsible for myself."

Although she hesitated to say it at first and turned down her eyes, Olga raised her face and asserted flatly. Guessing that he may have hurt her self-esteem, Tigre scratched his head and apologised.

"I'm sorry but I did not have the intention to hurt you. This room is considerably cold, and though you seem to be accustomed to traveling, but..."

It is probably because they were on top of the sea, therefore the ship's air becomes fairly cold at night. It was becuase ot that that both Tigre and Olga put on a mantle.

"Let's sleep on the bed together then."

Olga said without even showing a hint of shyness.

"There is only one blanket. As for sleeping on the floor, the shaking of the ship, in addition to the cold, goes directly into your body. Then, even though it will be slightly cramped on the bed, it is still better to do so. ---You look unexpectedly stubborn."

Though Tigre thought the two of them were on equal levels regarding their stubbornness, he felt that talking about that would be going off topic and thus decided to keep that for himself. He still had something he wanted to say.

"I understand what you are saying. I understand that but... Should I say that you should be a little bit more ashamed or that you should pay more attention to your surroundings?"

"If it seems as though I am trying to seduce you, then let me clarify things. If you do ever something with ill-intent, I will kick you down."

"...Understood. Then let's sleep together."

The reason Tigre compromised was because she was stubborn, and he thought that if that situation continued, she would not use the bed and would instead just lie down on the floor. When he saw her nude not long ago, though he thought that she had a healthy body, he did not hold have any other thoughts about it. The reason why he had such a thought was because Olga was still young.

They lined up and lay down on the bed. Turning the light off, Tigre slowly turned his back toward her.

Riding on a ship for the first time, he began to progressively become sleepier since he was so filled with excitement and the tension in the morning.

It was not long before the breathing of sleep could be heard from the both of them.

There was a Vanadis in the port of Prepus where Tigre was scheduled to go originally.

She had been staying in that town for a few days already, disguised as a noble woman who was on a trip, and had spent those days staying inside a room of a certain hotel. It was far more expensive than other hotels, had thick stone walls with complimentary horse carriages for people who want to travel out of the hotel, and had a reticent owner who was also good at preparing delectable meals.

Many wealthy aristocrats and affluent merchants and ambassadors from various foreign countries commonly visits this place, mostly because of the continuous arrivals of merchant ships from Brune and Asvarre to Prepus, thus allowing this particular hotel to be as successful as it is.

The Vanadis, Valentina Glinka Estes, was now receiving a disappointing report from her subordinate.

"...Is that so. Tigrevurmud Vorn did not head to this Prepus port but to Lippner port instead."

In a room that existed in the deepest part of the hotel. Only the lamplight that hung from the ceiling shone in the room. With a light source that weak, the light did not reach the corners of the room, and darkness hovered in the background. In the darkness, there was a huge sickle.

Valentina sank her body into a soft chair that used cotton and feathers in abundance while listening to the words of her subordinate. Her long black hair that seemed to melt into the darkness. She revealed a beautiful smile, making people feel that it was impossible to not be enchanted by her breathtaking beauty. She wore a pure-white dress decorated with roses and had an open book on her knees.

The subordinate was kneeling on one knee in front of the faraway doorway and continued reporting plainly.

"Although I, your humble servant, thought that it may be because Earl Vorn, being someone who is from Brune, may have taken the wrong way, but it seems like he who had entered Lippner without any change in direction had changed his plans by himself."

"Thank you very much for your efforts. I originally wanted to meet up with Earl Vorn to give him my greetings, but there's no helping it."

"Should I continue the pursuit?"

"That is not necessary. He must have already gotten into a boat heading for Asvarre at this time. I guess the greeting can only wait till after Earl Vorn comes back."

After her subordinate left, Valentina stared at the dark and sighed softly.

''---He ran away, huh.''

It was Valentina that had made the proposal to King Victor to choose Tigre as a secret messenger to Asvarre, but not directly. Another two elder statesmen had slipped in the word, and she made sure that others would not know that the idea is originally hers.

Though there were a few reasons, the most important one was because she wanted to meet him once at a place where there were no other Vanadis.

According to the agreement, Tigre could not move out from LeitMeritz unless there was some special situation.

Having said that, she must go through an official procedure if she wanted to meet with him in LeitMeritz and Ellen will definitely become suspicious of her actions. This is something she wanted to avoid happening.

''---I wanted to speak with him about various things, and to know his personality in detail.''

If their interests matched and there exist possible benefits for each other, there would be a possibility for them to join hands, but in the case where he would be an obstacle for her ambitions, she would find a way to eliminate him. If it was the former, she intended to support him so that he could achieve his duty as a secret messenger safely, but things did not go her way.

''---Was it Eleonora...? No that is not possible. It did not seem as though she had good knowledge of the geography of Legnica. In that case, it is likely to be Alexandra.''

She heard that he had stopped by her Imperial Palace.

What to do now? Thought Valentina.

Even if Tigre were to die because he got involved in the civil war of Asvarre, it did not matter. At the present time, after Ellen and Mira, he had also built a close relationship with Sasha. His death would be a shock to them, and it will lead to the deterioration of relationship between Zchted and Brune.

Even King Victor would be held responsible if such a thing came to pass. Nevertheless, if he came back safely, he would come to the Royal Palace. It would be necessary to report the results. King Victor will also have to thank Tigre for his services, and would give a reward depending on those results.

''---At that time, if I visited the Royal Palace, I am likely to be able to meet him.''

Depending on his attitude and his personality, she would then reveal that it was she who made the proposal to send him as an emissary, in order to receive his favour, and might conversely criticize King Victor to make him believe that she is a friend.

She examined Tigre's schedule to know when he might come back and must think about a reason to visit the Royal Palace on that day. Since she was supposed to be sick and lacked physical strength.

''---For example, I cannot frequently go to the royal palace like Sophia Obertas.''

Though it was troublesome, Valentina did not hate to think about such things. Instead she was more of a character that seemed to enjoy that. Besides, it was convenient for her to pretend that she had a weak body.

''---for example, even if I am ordered to dispatch my troops, I would delay it by the reason of my sickness to the very limit and retreat as soon as I fought a little, and I can thoroughly control the damage to my soldiers. Also, I can report that I am sick when I am summoned to the Royal Palace, collecting as much information as possible before facing whatever crisis may be happening that required her. From the past till now, that is what she has been doing.''

The reason she did so is to cause everyone around her to underestimate her, to let all of them become more relaxed and unaware around her.

After organising the thoughts forming in her head, Valentina turned her gaze to inspect the book that was expanded across her knees. On the front of the book was the title that was carved in gold, "Records of the war of Zephyria".

Queen Zephyria who expanded the territory of Asvarre greatly. In the record that details her history of battles, and her popularity was shown to be able to rival with the founder King, Arturius, in the kingdom of Asvarre. After discovering it by chance in her residence and reading it when she was young, that became Valentina's favorite book.

However, she did not limit herself to only enjoying it, as the book also encompasses her notions of dreams or ambitions.

''---Someday I will become a queen, too.''

Then she would show that she would become an existence that reigned in Zchted kingdom. After some investigation, She found out that the blood that flows through her seems to be connected to royalty.

However, it was so thin that it would hard for her to insist on the succession of the throne as her ancestors are but minor relatives of the previous Kings. Therefore, she did not intend to rely on such a thing.

With her own wits, in addition to being born and raised in the Estes House, and by using the good luck that allowed her to be chosen as a Vanadis, she intended to reign on the throne. Though she did not know when that will be, but she was convinced that that day will come.

As she had already read the book many times before, she already knew the contents of the book like the back of her hand. However, she could not stop once she opened the book.

The light of the room did not disappear until it was very late into the night.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Tigre was exposed to a severe sight.

Five girls were standing before his eyes. There was Teita with Ellen, Lim, and Princess Regin of Brune with Mira. Ellen and Lim, together with Mira were familiar with combat uniforms, and Teita had her usual maid figure. Regin's formal dress as a princess was based on white and decorated with gold and silver everywhere.

Somehow they were uniformly angry.

Ellen sharply glared at him with her arms folded. Lim looked amazed and seemed to be heaving a deep sigh even now. Teita withheld her anger and frowned. Mira seemed to be measuring the timing to put her hands on her waist, and looked ready to pour out an angry tirade.

Regin did not hide her dissatisfaction, but she was at loss as to whether she should be angry or not.

"What's wrong?" Being driven by impatience and anxiety, Tigre asked so, and Ellen then angrily answered.

"Why don't you touch your chest and ask yourself that question."

Tigre, in a panic, hurriedly looked at his chest after taking her words literally. Olga was there. She stuck her body to Tigre, naked from the waist up. In a voice without the intonation, she said.

"Please take responsibility..."

Thereupon, he woke up. There was a slightly stained wall spreading through his view.

His body felt a slight shake.

''---A dream, huh...''

With a small breath, he soliloquize "That's right, isn't it?" in his innermost thoughts. It was only once that those 5 girls gathered in one place. It was only that day when Tigre defeated Duke Thenardier and returned in triumph to the Royal Palace of Brune. However, even during that time, there was never an occasion when those five were lined up all together.

''---Fatigue must be accumulating. It was a trip where I was in a hurry all the time until I got on the ship.''

"If you have already woken up, I hope you can release me."

He heard a monotonous voice from the side right away. At that time he noticed that his right hand was touching something soft and that there was also a feeling like hair in his left hand. Above all, he felt a small amount of heat on his body.

When he moved his gaze, there were Olga's eyes. Tigre's left hand held her head, and his right hand gripped her butt. Before he was aware of it, he started embracing her while sleeping.

"And... It is hitting me."

Tigre took his hands away from her in a hurry, and jumped up vigorously. Seems like not everything was a dream. However, Olga was wearing clothes though, unlike in his dream.

"No, what should I say, that's... I'm sorry."

While taking a rough breath, Tigre covered his face with his hand and bowed his head in shame. Speaking of Olga, she woke up quietly with her usual expressionless face, not seeming in the least flustered by the situation. Lowering her gaze from Tigre's face, she looked down to his waist.

"I was told by my mother and my older sister that it can't be helped that a man is like this in the morning as it is out of their control."

Although it was good that she understood, it was still extremely shameful. All Tigre had the strength to do was to nod without speaking. Olga continued indifferently.

"Also, I understand that you did not hug me intentionally, since I confirmed that you were still sleeping. Your body instinctively search for heat because it was getting cold at night, right?"

There was a reason why Olga did not blame the young man at all. The girl with pink coloured hair was also clinging to him as she woke up.

The surprised Olga originally wanted to push Tigre away, but her feet which protruded out from under the blanket allowed her to feel exactly how cold the room was. At the same time, she felt the physical warmth of Tigre. The blanket which they covered themselves with simply could not provide such a warm feeling of comfort.

It was because of that that Olga readily compromised. Of course, she did not intend to say that to Tigre.

"I'm very thankful that you can say that, I... I will take more notice of this."

Tigre bowed once more with an apologetic face. Nonetheless, there were some things that cannot be solved with only sincerity.

In the end, until he arrived at Asvarre, there was not a morning where Tigre was able to wake up without finding himself hugging her.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 06 Chapter 2

2013-12-02T10:26:46Z

Royaloyalz: TLC from Chinese sources. Did my best to clear up some parts I felt were confusing. Have obtained permission from Setsuna86, god bless his soul.

== Chapter 2: The Blue World and the Travelling Girl ==

The autumn in Zchted was short, though one might also say that winter simply came early.

The deep green of vegetation as they had bathed in the midsummer sun had since faded with the autumn wind.

It wasn't all bleak, however; autumn was also the season of harvest.

Under the blue sky, golden wheat fields stretched far along the highway. As the wind blew, plump ears of wheat rustled softly in the wind. It seemed that with the abundant harvest around here, the faces of the farmers who were cropping were also smiling broadly.

Also standing out were green apple trees, whose branches hung down, heavy with plump green apples.

Looking at such peaceful scenery, Tigre felt at ease. The wind was cool to a comfortable extent, filling him with the desire to chat with the farmers in their fields. Suppressing this desire, however, he urged his horse onward.

In places with many people, he avoided riding at any great speed. Such an action was far too ostentatious. If he was seen simply riding, however, the presumption would likely be that he was just some young noble, off on a hunt. His neat clothing and bow, hung on his saddle, served to further reinforce this image.

At sunset, he'd find his way to a hamlet or small village, looking for accommodations for the night, as well as food.

Having thus traveled for a few days, Tigre exited LeitMeritz, and, passing through the King's territory, entered Legnica.

Three days after that, he arrived at the Imperial Palace where the Vanadis Sasha lived. Though an appointment was made upon handing over Ellen's letter; in truth, it was another two days before he was able to meet her.

''---Two days, huh. That doesn't leave much time.''

He'd heard from Ellen that Sasha was suffering from a debilitating illness. As the silver-haired Vanadis handed her letter to Tigre, she'd warned him.

"If Sasha's condition isn't too bad, you will also be able to meet on the day you hand over the letter. However, after handing over the letter, if you cannot meet her even after waiting for three days, please continue to Asvarre."

The Imperial Palace was composed of sand-colored stones laid upon one another, with scatterings of white marble to be found all over. Though its appearance was surprisingly peculiar, there was no doubting the solidity of its construction.

Leaving his black bow, Tigre walked down the hallway of the Imperial Palace, led by an aged servitor.

''---Truly a palace that gives off quite a calming presence.''

Looking at the ceiling and the walls, Tigre couldn't help but be moved.

LeitMeritz aside, this was his first time setting foot in an Imperial Palace, and thus everything intrigued him. Far from a single monotone gray, the walls were inlaid with white marble. The design masterfully built upon the labors of previous architects, and one did not tire of simply gazing upon their splendor.

''---And here I'd thought carved murals were the only way to decorate a wall. To think that you could do things like this......''

Still awed, Tigre reached the front of Sasha's room.

The servitor made Tigre's presence known, before Tigre proceeded to open the door.

''---This is somewhat of a lonely room.''

The room was bright, lit both by the sunlight which shone through the window, flung wide open, as well as the candle holder near the bed. However, with regards to furniture, the furnishings were the barest of the bare, and plainly colored at that. Aster flowers by the bedside provided the room's only color.

"Nice to meet you."

An unclouded voice struck Tigre's ears.

The woman on the bed sat up as she greeted him. Her dull black hair was trimmed to shoulder length, and she wore a loose white gown. She had a thin face and skin that was shockingly white. She was abnormally slender, and the loose fit of her clothes was evidence of her wasting away.

Above her knees, wrapped in a thick blanket, were two swords. Above their white hilts and finely decorated black crossguards, the blades shone with a brilliant gold and red. The blades were rather short, and their sole distinguishing factor was their gold and vermilion colors.

From their design, Tigre realized the two swords were paired.

''---So this is her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, huh.''

Apparently belying her welcome, her swords rested near at hand.

Notwithstanding, Tigre found such an action neither rude nor unnatural. Ellen placed her Silverflash Arifal within reach even while working in the office, and assuming this girl to be no different, he instinctively comprehended the reasoning behind her actions.

Tigre bowed and stepped into the room. As he walked up beside the bed, he bowed again.

"I am Tigrevurmud Vorn. Nice to meet you."

"I am Alexandra Alshavin. I would have liked to have met with you much sooner than this, but because of my illness, I've made you wait. My humblest apologies."

Responding to the black-haired beauty who apologized politely, Tigre shook his head to indicate he did not mind.

"More than me, please take good care of your body, Alexandra-dono."

When he said so, Sasha sweetly smiled, and invited Tigre to sit.

"You can call me Sasha, Lord Tigrevurmud."

"Thank you. Please call me Tigre, then."

Sitting down, Tigre returned her smile. Looking up close, he thought she was a beautiful person.

That said, her beauty was quite unlike that of the energetic and lively Ellen. Like the aster flowers that swayed in the gentle breeze by the window, hers was an ethereal beauty; tranquil, like water.

''---If you're not feeling well......''

About to speak out, Tigre changed his mind.

Sasha's illness was nothing recent. She alone was the best judge of whether or not she was fit enough to converse. Moreover, the servitor who'd guided him until then was also checking Sasha's condition. Though it was only natural to be worried, doing too much wasn't for the best either.

"Then, Tigre. May I ask you something?"

Smiling from ear to ear, Sasha tilted her head quizzically. The adorable charm of her action made his heart skip a beat, and, hiding the disturbance in his heart, he smiled and nodded.

"Please, speak."

"If possible...... I wish to speak with you candidly, as if with a close friend. I know the importance of courtesy, but I worry the tenseness of such a thing will serve me poorly."

She was already speaking more casually. Tigre, with a wry smile, answered that he understood.

''---If I'm not mistaken, this person is 22 this year.''

He heard so from Ellen. In other words, Sasha should be five years older than Tigre, but it did not seem that way from her earlier behavior. Though she did not seem to be the same age, it was as if she was only one or two years older.

Sasha extended her right hand. Being careful not to use excessive force, Tigre gripped her hand in turn. Her soft hand carried a faint warmth.

"So it really is true that you don't use a sword."

Staring at Tigre's hand, Sasha spoke in surprise. At those words, Tigre suddenly clenched his hand and stared widely.

''---She must have determined this from the condition of my palms, by tracking calluses and blisters, even though she didn't grip my hand all that tightly.''

"If possible, can you tell me about your encounter with Ellen?" Sasha asked.

At her eyes, filled with curiosity, Tigre tilted his head.

"Didn't you already hear it from Ellen?"

"I did. But that was from Ellen's perspective. I would like to hear your side of the story."

Tigre pondered inwardly. Though there was no reason to refuse, he wondered if he had time for such things. He was, after all, in a hurry to reach Asvarre.

Nonetheless, his hesitation lasted but a brief moment. Having already read Ellen's letter, she was undoubtedly aware he was pressed for time. Accordingly, there must be some deeper meaning behind her request.

"I understand. I'm not the greatest orator, so this might take some time."

"That's fine."

He did his utmost to clearly and concisely convey the events of the past year, from his captivity after the battle at Dinant to the battles in Brune following.

He tried to avoid diving into unnecessary details. Though the haste he felt within his heart was certainly a factor, the primary reason was due to the strong emotions that would arise as he recalled each event. It had been, after all, but a short half-year since these things had transpired.

Sasha nodded from time to time, following Tigre's story with great exuberance and interest.

When Tigre rested, Sasha rang the bell by her bedside and called the servitor, ordering him to prepare wine. Tigre, who'd been talking for half the day, was quite thirsty, and gratefully accepted her goodwill. The servitor placed two goblets on the table, and quietly filled them with wine.

"Thank you. It was very interesting, and I learned a lot."

"I'm happy to hear that."

"By the way, what kind of relationship do you have with Ellen?"

At this sudden question, Tigre almost dropped the silver cup which he'd just received from the attendant.

Sasha continued happily, "From what you've said, it doesn't look like you're anything more than allies, but......what you've told me is a little different from what I'd heard from Ellen."

A chill ran down Tigre's spine. What on Earth had Ellen said?

''---Even if you ask me what kind of relationship we have, I'm not entirely sure myself......''

It would be a lie to say that it was not a special relationship.

For example, the other day the two of them had gone to the city to play, and had danced together. When he'd placed his hands on her slender waist, Tigre had suddenly blushed. As if his blushing was contagious, Ellen had blushed as well, leading their fellow dancers to tease them mercilessly.

However, those kinds of thoughts were not to be made public. Tigre and Ellen both had their respective positions to consider, and neither could place priority on their personal feelings. Even though there were times he couldn't restrain his feelings, he would not allow them to be more than an impulse.

Buying time, he brought the silver cup to his mouth while stealthily evaluating the look on Sasha's face. Though the smiling face of the Vanadis with black hair did not change, Tigre perceived the sincerity in her eyes.

Then I'll answer honestly. Lowering the goblet from his lips, he spoke.

"Ellen is...... She is an important comrade-in-arms. She has saved me many times. Should anything to happen to her, I would do my utmost to help. That's what I think."

"......Is that so."

Though Sasha's reaction was decidedly brief, her face revealed a satisfied smile. The strained atmosphere passed, and after a short pause, Tigre carefully asked, "By the way, when you say it's a little different what you'd heard, which parts were you referring to?"

"Oh! The part where you peeked at Ellen in the bath, or when you sucked Lim's breasts......"

Sasha replied without a hint of shyness. Caught off guard by her words, Tigre was struck speechless, his face fast reddening up to the ears.

"It definitely seems like Ellen and Lim like you, but I don't think that's all there is to it. I've put some thought into it. Are you the type that's so adorable you're immediately forgiven or are you ridiculous to the point that others feel like their anger is wasted on you?"

"......Well, what kind of person would you say I am?"

Finally pulling himself together, Tigre straightened his posture and questioned Sasha in turn. Rather than answering immediately, Sasha let her eyes wander to the sky before turning to smile at him, her expression filled with mischief.

"Isn't it fine to leave that to your imagination? That said, it would be pointless to not tell you at all, so when you return from Asvarre, I'll tell you then."

Tigre's only response was to blink, unmoving, unable to mask his surprise in the least. So she can make that kind of expression too......

''---It seems my first impression of the sickly Sasha was stronger than warranted.''

Having spoken to Sasha now for the last four hours, Tigre felt that as compared to her gentle smiles earlier, that smile just now suited her far more. The similarity to Ellen was undeniable, although it was hard to say if that was merely the effects of the former's influence on the latter.

"I understand. I'll look forward to it then."

Tigre responded with a smile. He realized that they had digressed from their original topic of conversation, but the thought of something to look forward to upon his return wasn't bad.

"Now then, let's return to the matter at hand."

Though her smile never left her face, Sasha’s black pupils was filled with a stern light. She handed the silver cup in her hand to the attendant and sent him off with words of gratitude. Understanding her intent, he left quietly. As the door closed, the black-haired Vanadis opened her mouth.

"According to Ellen's letter, it is her desire that I assist you. I've heard you need to visit Asvarre; would you allow me to hear the full story?"

Tigre settled himself, and began to recount the details of King Victor's request and Ellen and Lim's views on the matter; in short, the circumstances behind his appointment as envoy from beginning to end.

This time Sasha, far from interrupting as she had done before, simply sat in silence like a statue, never moving a muscle. That notwithstanding, her eyes radiated her fierce will.

As she finished hearing the story she relaxed her whole body and gave a small sigh.

"I don't envy you."

"Yeah......I don't think it's all that simple a thing to sneak across the sea and deliver a letter to a blood-soaked battlefield either."

Deliberately speaking in a joking tone, Tigre shrugged. His comments were half his real feelings, and half a follow-up to Sasha's joking words. Though the Vanadis with twin swords laughed delightedly, her serious aura returned immediately.

"Do you understand just what position you hold in Zhcted at this point in time?"

"It would be a guest, I think. And likely also a hostage from Brune."

Though Tigre's answer did not seem wrong, Sasha did not appear satisfied by his response. She shook her head.

"Of course, there are those who harbor goodwill toward you, like Ellen or Mira. And from what I've heard, that might also include Sophie? However, those who begrudge your existence or would otherwise seek to exploit you are not the minority."

"It's not as if I haven't realized that there are people who are trying to use me......"

Tigre frowned. He was pretty sure this referred to those who had made an effort to visit him in his half-year in LeitMeritz. Nonetheless, he had no memory of anyone who had borne outright ill will toward him. Watching Tigre tilt his head in puzzlement, Sasha continued on in a grave tone.

"You've greatly altered the power structure of the Brune Kingdom. The Zhcted nobles who suffered losses both large and small as a result are not few in number. Such can only be expected given the two great nobles said to represent Brune have since been deposed."

A groan escaped Tigre's mouth. He was dumbfounded.

Were the ones the subordinates of Duke Thenardier who harbored a grudge against Tigre, that would have been understandable. He had, after all, personally confronted Thenardier on the battlefield and slain him with the bow.
However, after Duke Ganelon had lost to Thenardier, he'd set fire to the city and died. Tigre had not been involved at all. It was absurd to resent him for such a thing.

Perhaps guessing the thoughts that ran through the young man's mind, Sasha flashed him a look of sympathy.

"Allow me to repeat that what's most important here is the way in which the power structure has been altered. Losing influence over Brune can be seen as another kind of loss. Furthermore, since you have strong ties to both Ellen and Mira, eliminating you would be no easy task."

"But the one who made this request was King Victor, right?"

There was no way the lord of a small country could ignore such happenings, but King Victor ruled over a great nation, and should thus have been well accustomed to losses here and there.

"Suggestions like these are proposed to the king by court officials as a matter of course regardless of the country in question."

A shout nearly escaped Tigre's mouth. Though he hadn't considered such an eventuality personally, he was persuaded immediately upon hearing it. Tigre too had often heeded the advice of local leaders and his subordinates when governing Alsace or commanding the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

"I'm sure the question of this appointment has caused His Majesty no small amount of grief. Nonetheless, to choose you, a foreigner, is simply too risky a choice for such a cautious person as His Majesty to make."

"Is King Victor a cautious person then?"

Tigre was struck by this fresh comment. This was because both Ellen and Mira had assessed King Victor quite severely. Sasha gave a wry smile.

"Speaking more frankly, he has something of a passive personality, though he can be somewhat cunning. He doesn't intervene in the battles between Vanadis at all, prioritizing his personal safety first and foremost. With that said, in the decades he has sat on the throne, there have not been any major wars. This one thing I grant him."

Tigre didn't immediately respond. Wasn't it precisely because King Victor failed to intervene in conflicts between the Vanadis that in the winter of last year, the Vanadis Elizavetta Fomina had advanced her troops to Legnica? As for Ellen having fought against Mira, wasn't that also his fault?

However, Tigre didn't express his thoughts, swallowing them instead.

He was, after all, a man of another country. He wasn't King Victor's vassal either. Furthermore, three years hence, he would return to Brune. In such circumstances, it was not his place to criticize the King of another country.

"Returning to our discussion earlier, what has been said is correct. Choosing you as the emissary is killing two birds with one stone. As His Majesty has said, your appointment represents the support of both Zhcted and Brune. In other words, rather than sacrificing a pawn, sending a beloved hero such as yourself to a land embroiled in civil war implies-"

"So that's how it is. It will give Prince Germaine the appearance that Zhcted values him greatly."

At Tigre's words, the Vanadis with black hair nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes. As such, our country can seize the initiative in negotiations with Asvarre, as long as the emissary neither errs greatly nor oversteps his bounds. Such is the advantage of sending you."

"And the disadvantage?"

"If anything happens to you, the consequences will be unimaginable," Sasha replied coldly.

"First of all, there will be a crack in the relationship between Zhcted and Brune. In the worst case, Asvarre will become an enemy. Furthermore, even within the bounds of our own country, it's unlikely that either Ellen or Mira will ever forgive His Majesty. Though they would never dare openly rebel, it would nonetheless be the ruin of this nation."

Turning her gaze to the aster flowers by the window, she continued.

"I won't refute Ellen's conjecture. There is no doubt that His Majesty wants to test your mettle. I believe this was the point of the letter - to prevent you from realizing his motives during a face-to-face meeting. Nevertheless, it is my feeling that there are other schemes at play here."

A thorny problem indeed. After ruffling his red hair vigorously, his face taut, he exhaled deeply and smiled to change the mood.

"Thank you. I'll take care."

His attitude surprised Sasha. Though the country clearly hid individuals who sought to ensnare him, she caught no hint of fear in Tigre.

"Don't tell me you have some countermeasure in mind?"

"No."

Wearing an expression that feared neither heaven nor hell, Tigre answered firmly.

"I'm not about to shirk my responsibility from just this much. Though I know neither the identity of this individual nor his or her true intent, being afraid is pointless. Besides, I'm already resolved."

This was not, of course, a resignation of inevitable death, but rather the resolution to survive no matter what. The resolve to see this task to completion. After being given this task in LeitMeritz, when parting with Ellen and the others, he'd determined to fulfill his duty and return safely.

If that someone was trying to take his life, he would crush him.

Though he did not express it with words, Sasha seemed to have understood Tigre's intentions through his expression. She gave a sigh of relief.

"No wonder Ellen trusts you so much."

Saying that, she turned to look once more at the aster flowers. However, rather than taking in the sight, she seemed to be considering something.

At just about ten o'clock, she returned her gaze to Tigre.

"According to Ellen's letter, after this you are supposed to go to the port city of Prepus...... Could you change your destination to the port city of Lippner?"

Though Tigre frowned to this sudden request, his doubts were soon dispelled.

"Do you plan to hook that someone?"

It was King Victor's plan he go to Prepus. If Sasha's thoughts were correct, the person trying to entrap Tigre would certainly know. Therefore, she proposed to deceive that person.

She wanted him to meet with a man called Matvey who was at the beach.

"Go to the port and ask Matvey of the Goldy Belluga. Well, you will understand."

"Thanks for your help, but will that be alright?"

The follower who was scheduled to meet him afterwards might have information that would be useful in negotiations with Germaine. When Tigre asked about it, Sasha shook her head to say not to worry.

"His Majesty would not do such a thing. The negotiations would get confused, and your value would decrease. He should tell you all you need to know about the negotiations before they take place. Even that man would understand that he may die by unnecessarily disrupting negotiations."

"That is also true. Thank you."

After bowing with a smile, Tigre made a face that seemed to hesitate before saying something.

"By the way, what is that proud beluga you talked about?"

The Vanadis with black hair could not immediately understand the meaning of his question. Gazing at the expression of the youth full of perplexion, after saying "Eh!", Sasha with an unexpected expression asked:

"You, don't you know what a beluga is?"

Tigre nodded.

"......Have you already seen the sea?"

This time he shook his head.

Sasha wide opened her eyes; she stared at Tigre's face with a face that said she couldn't believe it. She smiled and murmured that she wonder if everything will be alright. Still she didn't certainly consider that a person who had never seen the sea had been entrusted with a secret envoy to a country on the other side of the sea.

At that time, the door was knocked on from outside. After a hoarse voice "Excuse me" was uttered, the aged servitor came in. Looking at him, disappointment appeared in Sasha's black eyes.

"It's already time, Vanadis-sama."

"......Can you give us a little more time? I feel better today."

Sasha's expression was like that of a child who wanted something even though she understood that it would be impossible. The servitor answered promptly without moving an eyebrow.

"It is exactly because you feel better that you must not push yourself."

From the conservation of those two people, Tigre realized that the time of parting came. He stood up quietly and bowed to Sasha.

"I will leave for today. Thank you very much."

"......No, I also thank you. It was fun."

Sasha extended her hand, and the two people shook hands quietly.

When Tigre was about to leave the room, the Vanadis with dark hair suddenly stopped him. Sasha, whose face was turned around, didn't know that the sunlight from the window made a backlight.

"Tigre. I leave Ellen to you. Become that child's strength."

"I will do what I can."

When he gave her a reassuring reply while smiling, Sasha seemed to smile too.

It was early in the morning of the next day that Tigre left the Imperial Palace in Legnica. Straddling the horse, he went in dash straight about the highway which led to the town of Lippner.

''---In the end, I was not able to meet with Sasha after that.''

He wanted to at least say good bye, but he could do nothing but leave a message to the aged servitor since it was impossible to meet her because of her disease. The servitor had also handed him a letter which contained a map describing the way to Lippner and Matvey's features.

''---Will we meet again?''

She was a Vanadis. There should be no such thing as a disease that could not be cured.

Though he thought so, he remembered the feeling when they shook hands. Thin flesh, skinny fingers, that was indeed the hand of a sick person.

When leaving the Imperial Palace, Tigre offered a prayer to the gods. Even if it would be no problem to pay his respects to the gods because Brune and Zchted believed in the same gods, Tigre was not so religious as to pray every time like Teita.

Tigre often invoked the name of Elis, the goddess of the wind and the storm while hunting, he sometimes went to the shrine to pray when an arrow flew well. But Elis was not a Goddess that healed disease. This sort of thing would be the jurisdiction of Moshia, the mother Earth Goddess or Vors, the God of livestock.

''---No, I must concentrate on the things that I should do right now.''

Shaking his head, Tigre dispelled his unease. Failing in this duty would be to trample upon Sasha’s kindness, but if he succeeded and returned safely he would have a good tale to tell of his travels. Holding the reins, Tigre went over the highway.

By the time Sasha woke up, it was well into the day.

Her body felt heavy, feverish. The court physician examined her condition, telling her to rest after drinking medicine and taking a light meal.

She did as she was told, and had begun to stare blankly at the ceiling by the time her servitor came in.

"How is your physical condition?"

"I am a bit tired...... I didn’t intend to, but I might have overdone it yesterday - it’s been a long time since I’ve had visitors."

While lying on the bed, Sasha gave a wry smile and answered the servitor. She hadn’t even managed to say half the things she’d initially intended to.

"I have been entrusted with a message from that Earl Vorn. It says: 'I wish to express my gratitude for your kindness. Let's meet again after I return from Asvarre. I pray to the Gods for your early recovery'."

As the aged servitor reported with a solemn look, Sasha chuckled and then laughed.

"What did you think of him?"

"To me, he looked like a boy of his age. However, Vanadis-sama seems to have a different impression."

Though likely not to mean any harm, Sasha found it amusing when he used the word "boy." She, even at 22, was probably still a young girl in this old gentleman’s eyes.

"I wouldn’t say that you’d understand just by speaking to him......but well, I understand very well that he is a sincere person, and that he possesses a strong will."

How Tigre met with Ellen, how he went through the civil war of Brune. She asked to hear the entire story that she had already heard in part beforehand from Ellen intending to better understand Tigre’s personality.

Whether the person himself would show off talking about his own distinguished military service, or he understated it and emphasized his good luck, it was likely to she would know the way he behaved when he talked to Ellen and the others.

Supposing that he had spoken frankly without dramatization after noticing her intentions, she would be inclined to think him a thoughtful person.

''---Well, but I think he did not seem to think too deeply there.''

So indeed, he probably had a straight personality after all.

"Though I understood that when I met him, he is very interesting...... No wonder Ellen lent him a hand."

"Does the Vanadis of LeitMeritz like such kinds of people?"

"I don't dislike him, either. If that child stays by Ellen's side in LeitMeritz, I wonder if this Legnica will therefore also be safe."

The two Vanadis whose territories bordered Legnica were Ellen and Elizavetta Fomina. There had been a conflict with Elizavetta last winter, and though Ellen had helped to repulse her somehow, their relationship had yet to be normalized. As such, the conflict could yet continue in the future.

If Leitmeritz were to stabilize, Elizavetta would likelier than not cease to interfere with Legnica.

Though Ellen could not be on support whenever something happened, it would be nice if she could be a deterrent.

"Then, please rest soon."

The servitor said with a kind voice.

"You will meet Earl Vorn again. It will probably be around the winter when he comes back from Asvarre. At that moment, you will be able to finish your conversation with him."

"......Yes. Thank you."

With a smile, Sasha calmly closed her eyes.

Though they had not spoken for long, it was still dangerous to upset her health in autumn when the cold was not yet severe. Preparing from now to spend the winter of this year was necessary.

The servitor bowed and left.

Soon, the quiet breathing of a sleeper began to leak from her thin lips.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

As the sun grew high overhead and the heat grew oppressive, the port town of Lippner came into Tigre’s view. Under a pure blue sky, low walls stretched from North to South and the extension beyond the shadow of a building was visible. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Tigre loosened the horse reins and went to the castle gate.

Two days had passed since he left Sasha’s Imperial Office; so far the journey had been smooth and without incident.

As soon as he entered and passed through the gates in the city, Tigre opened his eyes wide in surprise. Men and women with different skin colors and facial features traversed the road, and the languages of many countries flitted about.

''---There are many people here, and not just people from Brune or Zchted. There are some Muozinel people with brown skin, some people of Asvarre and also some people of Sachstein.''

Foreigners exchanged words to each other as a matter of course; if languages with words did not work, they would draw and show pictures. They also communicated in gestures.

Even after recovering from his surprise, Tigre walked for a while looking around restlessly in admiration. Signboards, such as those for bars and inns, which were expressed with pictures that stood out immediately.

''---Pictures certainly seem better than characters in such a town.''

After that, he was concerned about the smell, too. From the Muozinel people who were in the traffic crowd, there was the smell of perfumed oil and spices, the cheese from Brune's and Sachstein's people, and a smell similar to the smell of smoked meat from Asvarre.

''---Anyway, this is a lively town.''

Similar to the castle town of LeitMeritz, but more vibrant. A merchant of Muozinel had spread a shabby carpet on the side of the street, selling jewelry on it side by side.

Next to that was a bard of Brune singing deed-of-arms poetry, furthermore next to that, Sachstein's people were selling a number of small and large mirrors. Tigre, who was walking while enjoying this rare blending of cultures, had his shoulder suddenly struck from behind.

When he looked back, a beautiful woman who grew bright red hair to her waist was standing there. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and she wore a rather provocative ensemble that emphasized her ample bosom even as she suddenly drew closer.

"Is it your first time in this town? I can be your guide if you want, what do you say?"

She had the accent of Sachstein's people. Though Tigre was surprised for a moment, he regained his composure at once.

"Thank you. But I have already decided where to go."

"Ara, is that so? That's a shame."

"......By the way, do you know a store that serves a good meal? Though I hope it is close to the port."

The woman looked puzzled and smiled happily when he asked her so.

"Are you inviting me to dinner?"

"I wouldn’t mind having someone to talk to while eating. If it tastes good, it doesn't matter if it is expensive."

To Tigre's answer, the woman shrugged with a smile.

"Well, thank you, but I finished cooking dinner a little while ago, so I'll just tell you about some good shops I know of."

In exchange for being told of three shops near the port, Tigre gave her one big copper piece as a reward. Receiving it with a smile, she disappeared into the crowd with a light wave. Seeing her off thusly, Tigre resumed walking while carrying his luggage on his shoulder.

''---Was it out of goodwill?''

Those who suddenly offer guidance were not necessarily people like her. Among them, there were fellows who lured travelers with honeyed words to the back alleys before stealing their wallet or baggage.

Tigre had also seen such persons whether in Alsace or LeitMeritz. Again, this time, he thought that he was slightly aggressive and must have appeared as if he was harassing her.

''---However...... Though it was unusual, maybe I am too restless.''

He inwardly persuaded himself to be careful. On the way, he dropped by one of the stalls to buy some fruit, picking them from a big barrel of water used to cool the mix of apples, pomegranates and figs - as well as a few ceramic bottles which most likely contained alcohol.

Though the summer was already over, it was fairly hot today. Tigre bought an apple, wiped it with his sleeve and bit it as he walked.

Seeing all this, he once again felt that there were many different kinds of people in this town.

Not only race, but there was also various occupations in the town. There were some mercenaries who wore dirty leather armor, there were swords hanging at their waist, and some travelers dressed in similar fashion as himself. Sometimes, he heard the language of an unknown country, or even noticed some characters in languages he had never seen before.

''---So, this is a port city, huh.''

Tigre stopped suddenly, causing the man who was walking immediately behind him to pass by the side with a bemused face. Twitching his nose doubtfully, he stopped. There was a strange smell. No, it was not just the smell. The blowing wind had also taken on some moisture.

''---Is the wind coming from this direction? ......And this strange smell too?''

He wondered if an accident had occurred, but this smell didn't seem to concern the people of the town as far as he could observe from the circumstances.

''---I wonder if I should have asked for some more information from that woman a while ago.''

While thinking about such things, Tigre passed through the crowd and arrived at the port.

Tigre stopped again. But this time with surprise.

The first thing he noticed were several huge ships, each so large that one might mistake it for a shrine or a mansion. Each were either connected to a wharf, or they were about to set sail.

There were a fleet of a dozen galleys that were arranged in wedge formation<ref>V-shaped formation</ref>, and there was also a sailing boat with a white sail emblazoned with the motif of some small dogs.

He had never seen a ship until now. Tigre knew that a ship was something made to go across big rivers and lakes. Still, this was his first time seeing anything as huge as this.

Around the moored ships, sailors with robust sunburnt bodies were moving around busily.

There were people who had to clean the ship, those who were carrying cargo, and those who had to inspect the cargo. There was a person who had made a temporary grill, and grilled shellfish and fish when taking a break.

Tigre was looking up at the ship stunned, and began to walk at a brisk pace to recover from his surprise. He stood from the wharf at some distance.

"......This is the sea, huh."

After saying those words, he fell silent. Tigre was gazing at the dark blue ocean which spread throughout his field of view, fascinated. The sea surface which waved gently reflected sunlight and was dazzling, the roars of the sea were echoed continuously and sea birds were dancing in the sky. The ships which left the port gradually became smaller.

Tigre noticed that the smell he was worried about a while ago, was the smell of the sea. The Wind that came blowing across the sea was cold . The meaning of "an end of the land" became clear.

He had been told that he would encounter "an end of the land" roughly when he found the sea. Asvarre was across the sea, beyond the horizon.

Then, what was beyond Asvarre?

How many countries lay in lands yet unseen by him? Were there dragons dwelling in uninhabited lands at the end of this sea? How far did the sea spread, or was it boundless and without end?

It was the sound of the bell which made Tigre, who kept standing on that occasion and was gazing at the sea for about 1/4 koku, come to himself. Thinking about it, he had only eaten an apple since he entered this town. He spoke to the sailors, who were cooking and eating fish and shellfish nearby, and he tossed them a copper coin and got a portion of their food.

The grilled fish, skewered through from mouth to tail, was as big as a two large buns. When he dug in, the skin had a plump and crispy texture.

The shellfish soup was also delicious. Though the soup was too hot and he nearly burnt his tongue, it was seasoned with ash salt, a seasoning made from burnt seaweed, which created a saltiness which gradually permeated throughout his mouth. While enjoying the fresh taste, Tigre asked a seaman about Matvey. But he shook his head in a way to show he didn't know Matvey, then he exclaimed as he remembered.

"The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]'s Matvey? If it's that guy, he is usually on the wharf on the north side. You should go and look over there."

The port in Lippner drew a gradual curve near the oval, and five wharves of various sizes had been installed from the north to the south. According to the sailors' talk, it seemed that ships which entered the port anchored in the same place as long as there were no special circumstances.

Telling them thank you and farewell, Tigre headed to the wharf in the north. Having relieved his hunger, he now worried about the sea breeze that blew from the ocean. He turned his gaze to the black bow in his hand.

''---I don't think that this bow will be affected by the salty air, but......''

It was not just a simple bow. It was the heirloom of the Vorn House, and though he did not know much more than that, it was an item related to the gods. It had not occurred to him before that this may be a problem as he begins to journey onto the unsteady domains of the seas.

''---Let's take care more than usual while riding on the ship.''

Tigre had made that decision after some thought, though the deciding factor had not come from any respect or fear he might have had for the bow. Rather, it had been the fact that it was the heirloom of his house and his instincts as a hunter that caused him to decide thus.

Afterwards, Tigre caught some sailors and asked if he was able to meet Matvey.

"Do you have business with me?"

He was a man in his mid-thirties or such. Though the sailors who he had seen on his way here had all been stout and well-built, Matvey stood head and shoulders above them, giving him a far more intimidating presence.

His hair was short, his skin was a burnt bronze, and his beady small eyes had a sharp glint to them. His black silk hat and gold-trimmed crimson jacket gave him a brutish air; and with his build he gave off a dominating presence just by standing still. As such, his polite way of speaking came out rather grim instead.

"Nice to meet you. I am Tigrevurmud Vorn."

Visibly unintimidated by the man, Tigre put his bags on the ground and retrieved Sasha’s letter. Upon receiving it, Matvey broke its seal and quickly read its contents.

"Oh! Do you know the content of this letter, Lord Tigrevurmud?"

Matvey smiled as Tigre shook his head, though his frightful countenance twisted the expression to resemble that of a shark that had discovered its prey.

"It says to accompany you and help out as much as possible. I cannot refuse a favor from Alexandra-sama. Please step on my ship "The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]"."

Bowing his head as thanks to his words, Tigre was impressed by his attitude. Despite knowing the current state of Asvarre, Matvey showed no fear. A most reliable man - as expected of someone Sasha had trust in.

"I hope to get along with you. By the way, when does this ship depart?"

When the answer “after a half koku” came back, Tigre’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"The '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' was originally scheduled to head to Asvarre. You are lucky. If you had come here a little later, we would not have even been able to meet."

Matvey laughed as one revealing a trick as he continued to explain.

"Though the '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' is a merchant vessel, we often let other various customers aboard, so I don't think you will particularly stand out."

"I’m sorry, but I’ve yet to see that beluga thing......"

When Tigre answered so apologetically, Matvey turned around quickly. On the back of his crimson coat, there was a pretty design of a beluga<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beluga_whale Beluga] AKA White Whale.</ref> jumping. Though Tigre thought that it didn't look good at all<ref>I think Tigre means that Matvey’s appearance doesn’t match that of the beluga</ref>, he wisely avoided putting those thoughts into words.

"With this picture as basis, I have put on a white mantle for the title '[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]'."

"......I understand."

"Though I should be here at about a quarter koku, what would you do? Will you come to my ship with me?" <ref> I think he means that he needs to stick around for the next half koku, and if Tigre wants to stick with him, hence why Tigre replies that he wouldn’t want to be a nuisance for that amount of time.</ref>

"Thank you for your kindness. If it's alright with you, I would like to go on ahead to the ship. I don't want to interfere with your work."

Bowing, Tigre answered so. As Matvey nodded with a smile, he took something out of his jacket pocket and presented it to Tigre.

At first glance it looked like a silver coin, but its design differed from those of Brune or Zchted: a beluga, like the one on display on Matvey’s back, was engraved upon it.

"Please take that. This is like a boarding permit, if you show that to the people in the ship, they will let you through with a smile."

Accepting the token with a word of thanks, Tigre left the place. As he walked while looking at an average ship on the wharf, he was wrapped with tension and excitement at the same time. He would be finally riding on a ship for the first time.

"Can I have a few moments of your time?"

He was suddenly called to from behind. As he looked at that place while thinking that he had been called out pretty often today, he saw a boy-like traveler with a small bag in his hand standing.

His body, short in stature, was wrapped in a slightly soiled mantle, and only a small part of his face was visible as he raised his face to look at Tigre, since it was being covered with a hood cast over his eyes.

"...I'm looking for a ship called The, Proud, Beluga, Do you know where it is?"

His voice had an accent that Tigre didn't know. There was a little interval between the words as he uttered the ship's name.

Since he seemed to have difficulty remembering the name.

Tigre looked down at the boy with a mystified look. The boy's height was only around his chest level.

Supposing he was a traveler, it seemed to be the age where one was still likely to be accompanied by parents.

"Since I am also boarding the same ship, would you like to go together? And, are you alone or are there still other-"

-companions? Those words were dispelled by a sudden snarl. When he looked there with a frown, three men who probably had not yet reached 20 years old walked forward with squared shoulders.

"You bastard, we said that we will show you the way around, what are you thinking by running away from us?"

One of the three stared angrily at the boy, and he shouted while pointing his finger at the boy. Whether it was his expression or his attitude, these were young people who seemed suited for the word hooligan.

The boy didn't show any signs of fear even though he was yelled at and calmly responded.

"Please don't continue to chase me. It's troublesome."

"D-Damn kid!"

The man became extremely enraged, and with a red face, he struck out with his fist. Tigre, with the bow still in his left hand, after placing his bag in his right onto the ground, came in between the boy and the man and caught the man's fist.

"He is my companion. Could you tell me what exactly is going on here?"

"These people agreed to guide me to the ship originally, but they then tried to take me out of the port."

Although Tigre tried to calm the mood for the time being, the boy was the one that answered back immediately. The man did not deny it, and moreover the two men who were watching the situation from behind held their tongues, then began to move. One of them went straight towards Tigre aggressively, and the other headed toward the boy.

However, Tigre's action was quicker. Others would have thought that he would first release the fist of the man who had struck out initially, however he promptly twisted it while gripping the arm without mercy and raised it. The man screamed in pain.

Then while using the man as a shield and checking the whereabouts of the second person, he pushed him away vigorously. The two thugs who collided collapsed together onto the ground.

''---I need to hurry up and help that child...''

When he looked back while thinking so, the battle was also already finished there. The hooligan only managed to pull off the boy's hood, while on the other hand the boy had jumped right in front of the thug's body, and he shot one sharp blow to his belly.

The man collapsed without a sound. Tigre, with a look of surprise and admiration, turned to the boy.

"Well then... What do you guys intend to do now?"

Looking back to the thugs that had fallen on their feet, Tigre used a cold voice to address them.

"We are not that free either. If you would just obediently allow us to leave, we will not pursue this matter as well."

Though the man growled in vexation and scowled at Tigre, he had to admit that he was no match for Tigre at all. Being challenged two against one, and despite Tigre only using one hand, they were still defeated.

As the men stood up unsteadily, they lent their shoulder to their friend who was holding his belly and then turned their backs on Tigre.

They disappeared into the crowd while cursing the onlookers. Thinking the uproar to be settled, the people who were looking at this situation from afar walked away.

The clamor of the port returned. As Tigre turned back to look at the boy, almost at the same time, the boy also looked at him.

''---A girl...?''

Tigre opened his eyes wide. He had thought all along that the traveler was a boy, but it turned out to be a girl.

Perhaps thirteen, or around fourteen years old, with disheveled light pink-colored short hair and large eyes reminiscent of dull black pearls.

Her face was stained with dust, though the outline was slightly roundish, suitable to her age. Upon closer look, she was beautiful enough to arouse admiration. Although she gave an impression as though she were slightly absentminded with an expressionless face, she brought about an indescribable feeling and was extremely lovable.

"Thank you very much for helping me."

With a very monotonous voice, the girl quickly bowed her head.

"It was not a big deal. Though I think you are alright, did you get injured?"

When Tigre asked that while picking up his luggage, the girl looked up and issued a question while tilting her head in wonder.

"I'm not hurt. ---Why did you help me, a total stranger? Those people may have been in the right."

"More or less, because there are such people in every town, you will know who is right and wrong after you see such things happening several times. Even if it were not because of this, after seeing three large adults chasing after a child, if they were to strike you without even saying anything, it wouldn't be considered proper conduct now would it? In addition, you did not run away when I went in between you and those people."

At this answer, the girl narrowed her eyes while seeming to think about something. Her black eyes were, this time, directed to Tigre's black bow.

"What didn't you let go of your bow? Without even hesitating, you used one hand to-"

"Even if it looks like this, this thing is my family heirloom. Though it also depends on the situation, I don't want to treat it roughly if I can help it."

As he answered, Tigre thought that he couldn't understand this child very well. Although he didn't know about what she was always thinking about while being absent-minded, she was calm unlike a child. Her questions was clear too. After she seemed to have been convinced by this answer, she nodded and gave her name.

"Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Olga. So, Proud... U-Uh, Proud... Beluga..."

She stammered over her words. Opening her eyes, which were nearer to being half-opened, wider, Olga repeated the words desperately. Her blushing and flustered look made her seem a girl suitable of her age, and Tigre unknowingly gave a smile. He bent his knees, crouched and adjusted the height of his gaze to be level with hers.

"'[{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]', right? Let's go together. I'm Tigrevurmud."

It was half for a precaution not to have given his family name, and the other half was for consideration to her. Giving only her name must mean that Olga was very likely to be a commoner and not a noble. He took care not to frighten her. Of course, he also considered the fact that Olga didn't give her family name for precaution.

"Tig, revurvur... Tig, vurm..."

"If it's hard for you, just call me Tigre."

Looking at Olga repeating painfully while mumbling, Tigre gave a wry smile this time.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

When standing on the deck, he felt like the sea breeze became stronger.

"It shakes more than I thought."

In accordance with the waves of the sea surface, the ship had been repeating its up and down motions gradually. That feeling was fresh to Tigre and it was a strange thing. He thought it will take some time until he got used to it. The 'Proud Beluga', a ship that belonged to a big class of the ships which was at anchor in the port.

There were two big masts, upon which folded sails soared, and the deck under was a three-layer barrel structure including the bottom of the ship. While the deck was narrower than he thought, sailors were moving about busily between the barrels that were present everywhere and the rope that was spread all around.

Everyone there had very stout bodies, and there were many instances where they almost knocked into Tigre.

"Let's quickly go to the cabin."

As Tigre said this profusely, Olga, who was walking beside him, nodded slightly. She put back her hood again as she got on the ship, therefore Tigre found it hard to see the expression that she had .

She had not spoken much since then. Although Tigre thought that it was because she was ashamed of being unable to neatly speak Tigre's name or that it was because of her accent, it did not seem to be the case judging from her words or her attitude.

She did not try to engage in polite banter. Regarding herself, the only thing that she told Tigre was that she was traveling alone.

As he got off the ladder in the stern and entered under the deck, he walked down the aisle which was filled with the sea breeze's smell mixed with that of the wood. Tigre ducked into the room where he was told to stay for the time being while on the ship.

When he opened the door, there was a really small room. In addition to the bed fixed to the wall and the floor, there was only about three or four steps of walking space in the room. There was nothing to do other than to put his luggage on the floor and then go to sleep. By the way, the lock for the door was a rough lock handed over to him at the time of his boarding.

To Tigre who was stunned by this sight, Olga said with a monotonous voice.

"Well then, see you."

To her words, Tigre rethought that, unlike himself, who was assisted by Sasha and Matvey, Olga paid the fare as a simple guest to board the ship. At the time of boarding, the boarding permit she had passed to the sailors, though it was similar to his, it was in a copper colour instead.

"If it's okay with you, may I see your room?"

As he asked out of curiosity, Olga approved it while nodding her head as if looking down.

While walking across a narrow passage, Tigre was observing while running his eyes to the left and to the right. This layer was for the guests' and sailors' rooms, and it seemed as though there was also an Armory and some other rooms as well.

When they arrived at the vicinity of the prow and got off the ladder to the lower layer, it gradually became dimmer and a peculiar stench became increasing stronger. The narrowness of the passages did not change. Olga stopped after walking about ten steps and stood in front of one door.

After she opened the door, inside there was nothing special apart from the fact that it was pretty large. Compared to Tigre's room that could be called a private room of an inn, this place would be the equivalent of a large room used by many people. Inside the room were 12 to 13 men.

Half of them were armed with swords and armor, and they were leaning on the wall or sitting on the floor. Though the others were not armed, that didn't change the fact that a dangerous atmosphere was released from their whole body. They had distanced themselves moderately and everyone was watching each other closely.

Those eyes mixed with hostility were of course turned to Tigre and Olga that opened the door.

''---Well that is to be expected...''

Though Tigre did not show that on his face and his voice, he was aware of that. The destination of this ship was Asvarre that was in the maelstrom of a civil war. Naturally, there were only certain types of people who would go to such a place. If not a mercenary, than it would be a merchant, or else it would be people with special circumstances such as Tigre.

"Would you like to come to my room instead?"

To Olga who were standing nearby, he asked quietly. On her face looking up at Tigre, there was faint surprise in her expressionless absent-minded face.

"Is it okay?"

"As you saw a while ago, it is a small room. But it'll guarantee your security. And there is also a lock."

Tigre didn't know why she was heading to Asvarre. It was not like he didn't care about that, but he had no intention to ask since he was in a position in which it would be troublesome if he himself were to be inquired.

Therefore, though he didn't know anything about her, as expected he was reluctant to let a girl who was younger than him stay there.

Soon after that, 'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' departed from Lippner town.

A white sail gathered the winds and 'The [{{Furigana|Proud Beluga|Górdyj Beluga}}]' leisurely progressed along the azure blue sea. Tigre and Olga were standing on the deck, looking at the boundless sea and the far away silhouette of an island.

"How do you feel riding on my boat?"

With his crimson coat flapping in the sea breeze, Matvey came walking toward them. Turning his gaze to Olga, he made his small eyes shine keenly.

"Oh! An acquaintance of yours?"

Tigre replied "Yes" with a smile and Olga nodded silently. Tigre was impressed (without saying anything) since the fact that she was not perturbed even before Matvey's evil look was admirable.

"In about how many days will we arrive in Asvarre?"

"If the wind continues to be good like now, in seven or eight days I guess. Since this is not a windless season, we can think that at the very least it won't take more than ten days."

Tigre was relieved to hear that. He had no other choice but to let Olga lay down on the only bed there was, and he himself intended to sleep on the floor. It seems he would only have to endure it somehow for eight days.

"Matvey-san, about how old were you when you first became a sailor?"

"I was younger than you are now. Those who were born and raised in Lippner that decide to live with the sea think that they must have their own ship first. Therefore, to work towards this goal, while working and earning money in the ship of an acquaintance, I also learned how to trade various things for business and how to handle a ship."

"Were you not scared to go out to the sea?"

To tell the truth, Tigre was a little scared. Puffing out his chest with pride, Matvey replied while laughing.

"It's something familiar around here. As for me, though I did not mind since I saw shipwrecks drifting to the outskirts of the town where I was playing in my childhood, there are, as expected, many people who still get nervous when they get into a boat for the first time. Nonetheless, I overcome the fear with various experiences."

"Various experiences?"

Olga tilted her head.

"Storms, shipwrecks, pirates... In addition, with narrow ships, close combat which involves killing may occur, causing a situation where it becomes impossible to continue sailing. There are also things such as sharks and the sea dragon."

"Sea dragon?"

Though the last words were a little theatrical, the word "Dragon" attracted Tigre's interest. Hearing his parrot-like repeat of the word, Matvey gave a wry smile and answered.

"A long time ago, I saw it only once from afar. Like this, his body was like a long rope, looking like that of snakes, and that body was much bigger than this ship's mast. I wondered if it was capricious or was not hungry, since it did not come to attack us, and ran away with all its might."

"Such a thing is...in the sea."

"It is nothing to be concerned about. Even among the sailors who kept going to the sea for 40 or 50 years, those who happened to see it is low in number, making it a very rare sight. Unless you are extremely unlucky, or else there is usually no chance to see it within a single voyage.

To Matvey's words that reassured him, Tigre sighed.

From then on Tigre who asked a lot of things about the ship and the sea, suddenly asked about what was on his mind.

"Matvey-san, do you know the details about Asvarre?"

"Yes, since it's an important customer. Is there something that worries you?"

"I'm sorry if my question is not clear, but... What kind of country is Asvarre? For example, I don't know what kinds of Gods are worshipped in Asvarre."

He had intended to ask Sasha but unfortunately he missed the chance to. He knows the current situation in the Kingdom of Asvarre and also the fight between the princes. But, regarding anything else, it might be more accurate to say that Tigre doesn't have the slightest idea of it at all.

"Alright. Since there is no problems now with the ship, then I will have the privilege to have a nice long chat with you."

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Asvarre is called the country of the fog and the forest.

It was once a territory that was limited to only a small floating island in the North Sea - the island country of Asvarre, and there were five tribes competing for supremacy over the island. The origin of the country's name came from the island. There were few mountains but many hills, rivers and forests.

The wind-tinged heat which blew constantly from the west sea, was cooled by the time it reached the middle of the island, and hence most of the year the island was covered with fog.

"...So it is said, but as expected, to say that most of the year it is covered with fog would be an exaggeration. There are also regional variations, like between cities for example. In additon, it would not be strange for the fog to just appear at any place regardless of the time."

The island was under the constant threat of war. While it was a given for conflict to exist between the five tribes, the continental nations tried to invade the island aboard their ships, and pirates roaming around the coast was also a daily occurrence.

"Though these words may be a little too pessimistic, it can be said that where people exist, there will always be conflict, this is the reality. There is a saying, there is never a day where Asvarre goes by without having blood spilled. However, that situation changed completely due to one hero alone. His name was Artorias. He was the king founder of Asvarre."

One day, Artorias said that he dreamed that he transformed into a red dragon.

The red dragon is a symbol of the king who bundles the five tribes' leaders. Artorias, who was until then a very ordinary warrior, believed in the oracle, and decided he will become King. Though most people laughed at Artorias, 12 companions decided to follow him.

Afterwards, Artorias would always fight at the front lines while wielding his sword, fighting in countless battlefields and obtaining victory. Various tribes began to pledge allegiance to him, the pirates were cleared up, and repelled the nations that had invaded them. The 12 people following Artorias were then given the title the Knights of the Round Table.

"...It looked somewhat like the myths in Brune and Zchted, right?"

Tigre harbored such an impression. Regarding the myth of Brune, Charles, who became the successor of the king founder, started his battles after receiving a revelation from a highly virtuous monk living in a holy cave shrine. And according to the myth of Zchted, a man claiming to be the incarnation of the Black Dragon appeared before the many feuding tribes, then led his followers and started his conquest.

Seemingly not taking any offense to Tigre's sudden interuption, Matvey responded with a smile.

"Though I am not well informed about the myths of other countries, I think there are points that are in some way common."

Tigre showed his consent as well obediently and Matvey resumed the talk.

"Though Artorias and the 12 Knights of the Round Table are not gods in Asvarre, they have become objects of worship. Because it is thought that all the victories of Artorias were assumed to be due to the blessing of God. It is also assumed that each knight of the round table had the divine protection of angels - seemingly beings like spirits that obey God."

After Artorias' death, as the kingdom of Asvarre was spending a peaceful time without conflict. However, one day the peace was suddenly broken. There was the Cadiz kingdom of the continent, which possessed a large fleet, that crossed the sea and invaded Asvarre.

"Asvarre desperately resisted, but succumbed before the pressure of an overwhelmingly large army. It is said that it was deprived of half of the island in a short time. After the king ended up sick in bed, the people who recommended surrender and those who attempted to escape came out one after another, and the fate of the kingdom was without doubt in a precarious state."

However, among these people, someone appeared. Scolding the frightened retainers and soldiers, there was a person who showed a firm attitude. That person was Princess Zephyria.

"While it was said that Princess Zephyria was the owner of an incomparable beauty, she also possessed a heroine's mantle. She personally took up the sword and jumped into the battlefields, showing bravery to the extent that it was difficult to think she's a woman, . And thus, she obtained victory that was comparable to the founder, Artorias. It seems her mantra is: 'The armor is my husband and the battlefield is my palace'."

Afterwards, the king died without recovering from his illness, and after a year of conference within the court, Zephyria became the first queen of the kingdom of Asvarre. The impact that this gave to the continental nations was not small. It was because the idea of a queen in either Brune or Zchted was something absurd.

"Queen Zephyria was also excellent as a ruler. The country that was shaken by the death of the king was firmly brought together by the birth of the queen,then she subjugated the pirates in the coast, stabilized both internal and external matters of the country, and later launched an invasion of the kingdom of Cadiz."

The Cadiz kingdom was ultimately defeated by her in the end.

"Asvarre then took possession of a territory of the continent. That was something the king founder Artorias had strongly desired for, but was not able to accomplish. Queen Zephyria, who accomplished it, received the prestigious title of 'Supreme King', continuing to rule without even marrying, and finally proposed a person who had the closest blood relationship with her Father the king to be the successor, then died."

"The queen huh..."

Tigre gave a breath of admiration. Olga, who was still wearing her hood, raised a question from the back.

"I have heard stories that Queen Zephyria actually had a lover."

"Of course, many such similar gossips exists as well. I know some, too. For example, someone like the vassal who secretly supported her, the wandering knight, the traveling bard cum hunter... It is precisely because this portion of her life was non-existent when she was a ruler that is why the people had such fanciful imaginations."

Though Tigre showed honest agreement to the words of Matvey, Olga was thoughtfully silent.

"After that, up to current times, there hasn't been anything major to talk about. I think that even now Artorias and Zephyria are still heroes representing Asvarre, and even local farmers are proud of them."

"Thank you. Well then... Now, how about the current situation of civil war?"

Tigre asked it with a careful tone.

"What I know is only the information I heard from about 10 days ago - That there are skirmishes that happen frequently, but no major fights, and that the situation has fallen into a stalemate."

''---It meant that the ones suffering the most from the quarrel between the two Princes were the people in Asvarre.''

Unbearable anger blotted Tigre's expression. A stalemate meant that the hope for the end of the conflict was no where in sight. Anyhow, it would be fine if the soldiers of each side did not move too much and from the beginning to the end and just glared at each other, but it was a different matter if there were many conflict-ridden areas.

Not knowing when they will get dragged into the war, without even knowing when the war would end. Even though it was not even a battle they wished for.

Seeing through Tigre's feelings of turmoil, Matvey deliberately continue to speak with a businesslike tone.

"Concerning the number of soldiers, Prince Elliot seems to be superior, but on Prince Germaine’s side, there is a very remarkable general that is able to often overturn the numerical inferiority and obtain victory. Therefore, this war isn't likely to be able to be settled easily."

"Is there such a person? What is his name?"

"If I'm not mistaken, his name is Tallard Graham. There is rumor saying that if that man was not there, Prince Germaine might have already been defeated."

Though Tigre was interested in the man named Tallard, for the time being he pushed aside that matter in the corner of his brain and proceeded with his thoughts. Compared to what he heard from Ellen, it seemed that there wasn't much change in the situation.

Would his would meeting with Prince Germane be able to change this situation?

Tigre stood there with a disappointed face, while Olga, whom he had not the slightest idea of what she was thinking about, absent-mindedly and expressionlessly gazed at him.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

As the sun sank, the ship moored at a small island.

Tigre was in his room. Sitting on the bed, he was taking care of his bow. There was only a lamp with light that dangled down from the ceiling, swaying from side to side to match the floating of the ship.

The door was knocked on from the outside. He put his bow on the bed, stood up and opened the door. He stood up before Olga who wore an absent-minded face and was holding a deep pot. White steam was rising from the deep pot. Before returning to the room, she had bought hot water from the kitchen.

"How much was it?"

"It was two copper coins."

Only about half the deep pot was filled with hot water. Though it seemed that it would not spill even if the ship more or less shook, Tigre thought that this amount of water for two copper coins was expensive.

As Olga put the deep pot on the floor, she removed her mantle. As for the clothes that she was wearing, a cuff was loose, and there was delicate embroidery decorating the neckline and sleeves. Her waist was wrapped around with a belt, and it was something not seen much in Brune and Zchted.

However, what further attracted Tigre's attention was the axe which she hung on her waist. It has a gray edge with a small ax head and a short hand grip, so that even Olga with her small stature can easily handle it.

What looked out of place, was it's elaborate handle.

A topaz, which was also about fist sized, was embedded at the junction of the handle and the blade, and a fine pattern was engraved on the blade as well. It seems, I guess, that most people would consent even if it was said to have been built for affluent nobles to decorate their residence.

However, Tigre held a different impression. Certain weapons flashed through his mind after he saw that axe.

There was the long sword that Ellen carried, Mira's spear, the bishop's staff of Sophie and Sasha's twin blades. These weapons flashed like a bolt of lightning through the darkness inside his mind.

''---It can't be... A {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}?''

Weapons that had paranormal power and were only allowed to be owned by the seven Vanadis.

"Are you interested in this?"

Hearing the voice, Tigre was startled and pulled himself together. He was very likely staring too much, and although Olga still had her dimly expressionless face, some caution had crept into her black eyes.

"Oh! That axe has a splendid structure."

Tigre answered so while rummaging his dull red hair. He banished the question he wanted to ask in his innermost thoughts. Certainly it was an axe with a very remarkable structure, but there was no way that a Vanadis would be in such a place.

"Because it is a heirloom."

Olga leaned the axe against the wall while answering in a monotonous voice. She untied her obi and took off her clothes. Her upper body that became bare was slim, and the flesh was thin, and the swelling of her chest was over modest. She had a very soft, healthy body, which was also exceedingly beautiful, though it was still far from maturity.

In the presence of a dumbfounded Tigre, Olga sat down on the floor, took her hemp cloth from the cargo bag, soaked in the hot water and squeezed it. She wiped herself her body gently.

"...As expected, I don't think it's a good idea to expose your body in front of a man."

Tigre gently reproved the girl with pink turtle's hair with an embarrassed face. Olga stopped her hand that was wiping the dirt off her body, gave a glanced to Tigre, then answered while returning the hemp cloth to the hot water once again.

"It can't be helped. There is no other place."

"Even so, this is definitely not very appropriate. You should have let me turn around..."

"This is a room that you borrowed, and I am here because you have let me use it."

''What a very sincere child.''

Tigre let out a sigh and turned his back to Olga.

He thought that it was good that she was young. He would have been more frantic if she were about the age of Ellen and Mira.

Tigre waited for a little while more even after finishing the maintenance of his bow.

Before long, the sound in which the hot water was squeezed was no longer heard, and the rustling of clothes reached his ears.

"It is alright now."

Looking back to the voice, Olga, who was already dressed up wearing a cloak, was currently sitting on the floor. Pointing at the deep pot, she continues speaking.

"Though it is now lukewarm, if it is alright with you, use it."

"It that so. Then, please allow me to gratefully accept it."

Since he had stood for a long time on the deck, even Tigre's body had become sticky because of the sea breeze. It was a troublesome thing to go to the kitchen now to buy hot water.

Swapping places with her, Tigre wiped his body quickly. After putting on a mantle similar to Olga's, Tigre pushed aside the deep pot to the corner of the room.

"Well then, let's go to sleep? I will sleep on the floor, so you can use the bed."

"It's impossible for me to accept your kindness to that extent."

Tigre who was going to plop himself down on the floor looked troubled at the refusal of Olga and raised his body. Though the girl with pink color hair was still expressionless, there was slight anger in her voice.

"I understand that you are behaving as an elder, since I'm younger. However, I... I want to be independent and be responsible for myself."

Although she hesitated to say it at first and turned down her eyes, Olga raised her face and asserted flatly. Guessing that he may have hurt her self-esteem, Tigre scratched his head and apologised.

"I'm sorry but I did not have the intention to hurt you. This room is considerably cold, and though you seem to be accustomed to traveling, but..."

It is probably because they were on top of the sea, therefore the ship's air becomes fairly cold at night. It was becuase ot that that both Tigre and Olga put on a mantle.

"Let's sleep on the bed together then."

Olga said without even showing a hint of shyness.

"There is only one blanket. As for sleeping on the floor, the shaking of the ship, in addition to the cold, goes directly into your body. Then, even though it will be slightly cramped on the bed, it is still better to do so. ---You look unexpectedly stubborn."

Though Tigre thought the two of them were on equal levels regarding their stubbornness, he felt that talking about that would be going off topic and thus decided to keep that for himself. He still had something he wanted to say.

"I understand what you are saying. I understand that but... Should I say that you should be a little bit more ashamed or that you should pay more attention to your surroundings?"

"If it seems as though I am trying to seduce you, then let me clarify things. If you do ever something with ill-intent, I will kick you down."

"...Understood. Then let's sleep together."

The reason Tigre compromised was because she was stubborn, and he thought that if that situation continued, she would not use the bed and would instead just lie down on the floor. When he saw her nude not long ago, though he thought that she had a healthy body, he did not hold have any other thoughts about it. The reason why he had such a thought was because Olga was still young.

They lined up and lay down on the bed. Turning the light off, Tigre slowly turned his back toward her.

Riding on a ship for the first time, he began to progressively become sleepier since he was so filled with excitement and the tension in the morning.

It was not long before the breathing of sleep could be heard from the both of them.

There was a Vanadis in the port of Prepus where Tigre was scheduled to go originally.

She had been staying in that town for a few days already, disguised as a noble woman who was on a trip, and had spent those days staying inside a room of a certain hotel. It was far more expensive than other hotels, had thick stone walls with complimentary horse carriages for people who want to travel out of the hotel, and had a reticent owner who was also good at preparing delectable meals.

Many wealthy aristocrats and affluent merchants and ambassadors from various foreign countries commonly visits this place, mostly because of the continuous arrivals of merchant ships from Brune and Asvarre to Prepus, thus allowing this particular hotel to be as successful as it is.

The Vanadis, Valentina Glinka Estes, was now receiving a disappointing report from her subordinate.

"...Is that so. Tigrevurmud Vorn did not head to this Prepus port but to Lippner port instead."

In a room that existed in the deepest part of the hotel. Only the lamplight that hung from the ceiling shone in the room. With a light source that weak, the light did not reach the corners of the room, and darkness hovered in the background. In the darkness, there was a huge sickle.

Valentina sank her body into a soft chair that used cotton and feathers in abundance while listening to the words of her subordinate. Her long black hair that seemed to melt into the darkness. She revealed a beautiful smile, making people feel that it was impossible to not be enchanted by her breathtaking beauty. She wore a pure-white dress decorated with roses and had an open book on her knees.

The subordinate was kneeling on one knee in front of the faraway doorway and continued reporting plainly.

"Although I, your humble servant, thought that it may be because Earl Vorn, being someone who is from Brune, may have taken the wrong way, but it seems like he who had entered Lippner without any change in direction had changed his plans by himself."

"Thank you very much for your efforts. I originally wanted to meet up with Earl Vorn to give him my greetings, but there's no helping it."

"Should I continue the pursuit?"

"That is not necessary. He must have already gotten into a boat heading for Asvarre at this time. I guess the greeting can only wait till after Earl Vorn comes back."

After her subordinate left, Valentina stared at the dark and sighed softly.

''---He ran away, huh.''

It was Valentina that had made the proposal to King Victor to choose Tigre as a secret messenger to Asvarre, but not directly. Another two elder statesmen had slipped in the word, and she made sure that others would not know that the idea is originally hers.

Though there were a few reasons, the most important one was because she wanted to meet him once at a place where there were no other Vanadis.

According to the agreement, Tigre could not move out from LeitMeritz unless there was some special situation.

Having said that, she must go through an official procedure if she wanted to meet with him in LeitMeritz and Ellen will definitely become suspicious of her actions. This is something she wanted to avoid happening.

''---I wanted to speak with him about various things, and to know his personality in detail.''

If their interests matched and there exist possible benefits for each other, there would be a possibility for them to join hands, but in the case where he would be an obstacle for her ambitions, she would find a way to eliminate him. If it was the former, she intended to support him so that he could achieve his duty as a secret messenger safely, but things did not go her way.

''---Was it Eleonora...? No that is not possible. It did not seem as though she had good knowledge of the geography of Legnica. In that case, it is likely to be Alexandra.''

She heard that he had stopped by her Imperial Palace.

What to do now? Thought Valentina.

Even if Tigre were to die because he got involved in the civil war of Asvarre, it did not matter. At the present time, after Ellen and Mira, he had also built a close relationship with Sasha. His death would be a shock to them, and it will lead to the deterioration of relationship between Zchted and Brune.

Even King Victor would be held responsible if such a thing came to pass. Nevertheless, if he came back safely, he would come to the Royal Palace. It would be necessary to report the results. King Victor will also have to thank Tigre for his services, and would give a reward depending on those results.

''---At that time, if I visited the Royal Palace, I am likely to be able to meet him.''

Depending on his attitude and his personality, she would then reveal that it was she who made the proposal to send him as an emissary, in order to receive his favour, and might conversely criticize King Victor to make him believe that she is a friend.

She examined Tigre's schedule to know when he might come back and must think about a reason to visit the Royal Palace on that day. Since she was supposed to be sick and lacked physical strength.

''---For example, I cannot frequently go to the royal palace like Sophia Obertas.''

Though it was troublesome, Valentina did not hate to think about such things. Instead she was more of a character that seemed to enjoy that. Besides, it was convenient for her to pretend that she had a weak body.

''---for example, even if I am ordered to dispatch my troops, I would delay it by the reason of my sickness to the very limit and retreat as soon as I fought a little, and I can thoroughly control the damage to my soldiers. Also, I can report that I am sick when I am summoned to the Royal Palace, collecting as much information as possible before facing whatever crisis may be happening that required her. From the past till now, that is what she has been doing.''

The reason she did so is to cause everyone around her to underestimate her, to let all of them become more relaxed and unaware around her.

After organising the thoughts forming in her head, Valentina turned her gaze to inspect the book that was expanded across her knees. On the front of the book was the title that was carved in gold, "Records of the war of Zephyria".

Queen Zephyria who expanded the territory of Asvarre greatly. In the record that details her history of battles, and her popularity was shown to be able to rival with the founder King, Arturius, in the kingdom of Asvarre. After discovering it by chance in her residence and reading it when she was young, that became Valentina's favorite book.

However, she did not limit herself to only enjoying it, as the book also encompasses her notions of dreams or ambitions.

''---Someday I will become a queen, too.''

Then she would show that she would become an existence that reigned in Zchted kingdom. After some investigation, She found out that the blood that flows through her seems to be connected to royalty.

However, it was so thin that it would hard for her to insist on the succession of the throne as her ancestors are but minor relatives of the previous Kings. Therefore, she did not intend to rely on such a thing.

With her own wits, in addition to being born and raised in the Estes House, and by using the good luck that allowed her to be chosen as a Vanadis, she intended to reign on the throne. Though she did not know when that will be, but she was convinced that that day will come.

As she had already read the book many times before, she already knew the contents of the book like the back of her hand. However, she could not stop once she opened the book.

The light of the room did not disappear until it was very late into the night.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Tigre was exposed to a severe sight.

Five girls were standing before his eyes. There was Teita with Ellen, Lim, and Princess Regin of Brune with Mira. Ellen and Lim, together with Mira were familiar with combat uniforms, and Teita had her usual maid figure. Regin's formal dress as a princess was based on white and decorated with gold and silver everywhere.

Somehow they were uniformly angry.

Ellen sharply glared at him with her arms folded. Lim looked amazed and seemed to be heaving a deep sigh even now. Teita withheld her anger and frowned. Mira seemed to be measuring the timing to put her hands on her waist, and looked ready to pour out an angry tirade.

Regin did not hide her dissatisfaction, but she was at loss as to whether she should be angry or not.

"What's wrong?" Being driven by impatience and anxiety, Tigre asked so, and Ellen then angrily answered.

"Why don't you touch your chest and ask yourself that question."

Tigre, in a panic, hurriedly looked at his chest after taking her words literally. Olga was there. She stuck her body to Tigre, naked from the waist up. In a voice without the intonation, she said.

"Please take responsibility..."

Thereupon, he woke up. There was a slightly stained wall spreading through his view.

His body felt a slight shake.

''---A dream, huh...''

With a small breath, he soliloquize "That's right, isn't it?" in his innermost thoughts. It was only once that those 5 girls gathered in one place. It was only that day when Tigre defeated Duke Thenardier and returned in triumph to the Royal Palace of Brune. However, even during that time, there was never an occasion when those five were lined up all together.

''---Fatigue must be accumulating. It was a trip where I was in a hurry all the time until I got on the ship.''

"If you have already woken up, I hope you can release me."

He heard a monotonous voice from the side right away. At that time he noticed that his right hand was touching something soft and that there was also a feeling like hair in his left hand. Above all, he felt a small amount of heat on his body.

When he moved his gaze, there were Olga's eyes. Tigre's left hand held her head, and his right hand gripped her butt. Before he was aware of it, he started embracing her while sleeping.

"And... It is hitting me."

Tigre took his hands away from her in a hurry, and jumped up vigorously. Seems like not everything was a dream. However, Olga was wearing clothes though, unlike in his dream.

"No, what should I say, that's... I'm sorry."

While taking a rough breath, Tigre covered his face with his hand and bowed his head in shame. Speaking of Olga, she woke up quietly with her usual expressionless face, not seeming in the least flustered by the situation. Lowering her gaze from Tigre's face, she looked down to his waist.

"I was told by my mother and my older sister that it can't be helped that a man is like this in the morning as it is out of their control."

Although it was good that she understood, it was still extremely shameful. All Tigre had the strength to do was to nod without speaking. Olga continued indifferently.

"Also, I understand that you did not hug me intentionally, since I confirmed that you were still sleeping. Your body instinctively search for heat because it was getting cold at night, right?"

There was a reason why Olga did not blame the young man at all. The girl with pink coloured hair was also clinging to him as she woke up.

The surprised Olga originally wanted to push Tigre away, but her feet which protruded out from under the blanket allowed her to feel exactly how cold the room was. At the same time, she felt the physical warmth of Tigre. The blanket which they covered themselves with simply could not provide such a warm feeling of comfort.

It was because of that that Olga readily compromised. Of course, she did not intend to say that to Tigre.

"I'm very thankful that you can say that, I... I will take more notice of this."

Tigre bowed once more with an apologetic face. Nonetheless, there were some things that cannot be solved with only sincerity.

In the end, until he arrived at Asvarre, there was not a morning where Tigre was able to wake up without finding himself hugging her.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>
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|-
| Back to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_06_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_06_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

User talk:Setsuna86

2013-11-30T16:49:04Z

Royaloyalz: /* Madan no Ou to Vanadis */

==Madan no Ou to Vanadis==

awesome stuff dude,btw..par told me that u had ch3 done/on the way too,keep up the good work lolz XD -- [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 12:40, 6 May 2013 (CST)

My apologies if this isn't the case, but is the new chapter of Vanadis that was just posted an edited machine translation? It seems a bit...off. --[[User:Hiyono|Hiyono]] ([[User talk:Hiyono|talk]]) 12:14, 6 May 2013 (CDT)

Setsuna's profile says he's French. No matter how good he is at Japanese or English, neither is his first language, more likely than not, so it's not surprising. Either way, he's doing a great job, I think :D --[[User:EnigmaticAxiom|EnigmaticAxiom]] ([[User talk:EnigmaticAxiom|talk]]) 18:26, 6 May 2013 (CST)

I think setsuna picked it up after Xena went MIA and Par stepped down to doing Shikkin and Chaika.(In that Animesuki thread..i think its not machine) [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 20:14, 6 May 2013 (CST)

No, it's not a machine translation. I know they are some errors. If you can correct it, please do so. That will help.

Thank you for translating this:)

Hey, setsuna I am dropping by to give you a greeting. BTW, if you want me to help with anything just drop it in my talk page here. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 17:03, 8 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Setsuna, Olga's dragonic tool is Muma. BTW, how about u guys hang out in #campione lol, easier to talk and discuss. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 20:47, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

I would like to finish with this volume first. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:31, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

I've only started re-reading ch. 3 just now because I played LoL for a bit(:P) and PAR, I wanna hang out too T_T Where is that? can you give me a link?
B.T.W.setsuna, did you get you username from Houki's I.S.? Setsura?

irc.rizon.net, #campione channel --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 22:52, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Thank You for your hard work!

Thanks a lot for doing Volume 6 of vanadis. Do you have plans to do Volume 7? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 19:32, 27 June 2013 (CDT)

I will also do Volume 7. I wait that it is out. For the moment, I do Rakuin no Monsho, to help Dogma a bit. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:32, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

Hey, thanks for picking up Gakusen Toshi Asterisk. [[Special:Contributions/124.43.120.174|124.43.120.174]] 09:18, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

will you translating gakusen first before madan??? it looks like there's new update at gakusen chapter 1

I have already done it before vol 7 of Madan was released. So for the time being, I will do Madan vol 7 before continuing with gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 04:25, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Shouldn't Chapter 3 Volume 7 Title be Inhumane Statesman rather than Villainy of the Statesman? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:32, 1 August 2013 (CDT)

It could be that. Even I'm not sure of the title yet. I only place that temporarily, but Í think the two has the same sense, right? [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 08:49, 3 August 2013 (CDT)

At best how long does it take you to translate 1 chapter? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:50, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

I want you to understand that I also work, so I don't have much time to translate; but I do 3 to 4 pages per day, and I have already translate half of the ch1. So if I have to estimate, I will finish the ch 1 in one week. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 18:41, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Sorry if I offended you in any way possible,what I simply wanted to know is how long it takes you on average basis to translate a chapter.Again I'm truly sorry for offending you if I did. --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 19:42, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Ah, it's not like I'm angry or something, I only honestly answer your question. But if you ask the average basis to translate a chapter, it depends on each translator. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 19:40, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

are you planning to complete the translation of full novel before uploading it ?

No, I will certainly post the first chapter on Tuesday. I have already finished translated it, but I did not post it because I wanted first some edit; but well, I will do as usual, that is post it with the link of google drive, before on BT [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:50, 8 September 2013 (CDT)

Ohh,ok.thanks for the translations btw

Thank you for your hard work!
-happily waits for Tuesday-

Thank you for the release !! (je ne sais pas où d'autre dire ça)
Khern {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (CDT)

Hey Satsuna,can I get your permission to translate this Novel in my native language?
--[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 12:38, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

Okay, you can. I have no problem with that. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 14:39, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

When will you post chapter 2? --[[User:Black Ice Prince|Black Ice Prince]] ([[User talk:Black Ice Prince|talk]]) 03:30, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

I will do as usual, that's, post first on google drive, and then on BT. I think I will post on google drive the next week, tuesday or wednesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 07:15, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

Is the link to your google drive public? O:

Yeah, I always make it public. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 13:58, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Umm, this may sound like a stupid question, but where could I find the link?

Your question isn't stupid, since I didn't make the link public yet. I will do it either today (Monday) or tuesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 21:24, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Oh okay, thank you very much! When you make it public, where will you be posting the link, may I ask?

Well, I just make the link public. Here it is: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R3sJYDPmLB3xG2QnPqDN9ZNl8fMYvsUyCKimDZS0kBM/edit?pli=1 [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 06:22, 7 October 2013 (CDT)

Thank you! Sorry if I came off as pushy. For chapter 1 you also mentioned a google drive link, but I never saw any before you posted to Baka-Tsuki, so I was wondering if you were doing it on some other website.

Hi Setsu! thx for all your work translating many chapter of this great LN, i just wondering, u haven't put any progress update on the register page, have u got any work done? I have no mean to rush your great job, just a bit curious.

I will firsta say this, just in case, but the volume 7 of Madan has only 4 chapters, so I translate them all; I'm waiting for the volume 8 which will be released in December, to continue translating. So to answer your question, I can't put any update, when there is not. Meanwhile, I'm translating Gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:30, 7 November 2013 (CST)

Ah thanks for clearing that for me, i thought there was an epilogue or some other chapter. Well, keep up the good work!

Hej, could you please change the adress for Madan no Ou to Vanadis Vol.7 from http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_Vanadis:Volume_07 to http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_07 because you forgot the TO .

And thanks for the translations, though I change all Jermaine to Germaine, which you first used :) [[User:Hannryou|Hannryou]] ([[User talk:Hannryou#top|talk]]) 22:51, 19 November 2013 (MET)

Hi, thanks for your translations of Madan no Ou to Vanadis. I would like to ask, for Volume 06 Chapter 2, why did you use "ViraltDragonic Tool" instead of the furigana format? Also, would you mind if I changed certain parts of your translations after comparing them to the Chinese translations? Some parts are a little confusing, and I was wondering if I could receive your permission to change it a little. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 14:37, 29 November 2013 (CST)

First about ViraltDragonic Tool, it's a probably a typo; and yes, you can change certain parts. Actually, it would help a lot, since it was the first complete chapter I began to translate, and there are probably many mistaken. So feel free to change what does not make sense. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 14:58, 29 November 2013 (CST)

Alright, I will make those little changes :D Anyways, thanks a lot for translating this awesome LN. From the moment I started reading it till now, I have been totally hooked. The only reason why it doesn't have more attention is probably because many are unwilling to give it a try even though there is an awesome preview done by EnigmaticAxiom. Hopefully, more will become willing to give this a chance. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 20:22, 29 November 2013 (CST)

Hey Setsuna86, I am about 3/4 ways through with volume 6 chapter 2, and I must say I am intending to put in quite a few changes. Just wanted to give you a heads up before I proceeded with it, since I think there were quite a few parts where I changed the entire text to something else. I think the Chinese source that I am looking at is pretty reliable, but I still want to ask for your permission once again before carrying on with the TLC. Thanks! [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 08:12, 30 November 2013 (CST)

Like I said, the chapter 2 volume 6 was the first thing I ever translate, so it does not surprise me when you say that you have to change even complete sentences. Besides, in the next chapters of vol6, you may encounter the same problems (but not to the extent of ch2 since the more I was translating, the better I was). So you can change complete sentences if needed I don't mind, rather I think it would be better to do so. But I think for the volume 7, you will only need to edit, since I'm pretty sure that there are no errors in the meaning of the sentences. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 08:46, 30 November 2013 (CST)

Okay! I will do so once I am done with the chapters. I will also help out to TLC the rest of volume 6 as well if you don't mind. Please do not take it in a negative way. I really appreciate what you have done for us! Once again, thank you so much for taking up the translation of Madan no Ou to Vanadis. You have already improved a lot from what I can see, so please keep up the insanely awesome work! We all know that translating is an extremely taxing and time consuming process, not to mention that both English and Japanese isn't your main language used. Therefore, you are awesome! Hahaha! :D [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 10:49, 30 November 2013 (CST)

==Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei==

Thanks for volume 9 ch4, when I find my copy of the book I will try to TLC the bold areas. Do you plan on continuing with translating volume 9? I (and I am sure many of the other eager followers) would be happy to edit/TLC your translations. Thanks again!

Thanks for mahouka ;)

Thanks for mahouka - I hope you continue to TL it :) --[[User:Kai Ran|Kai Ran]] ([[User talk:Kai Ran|talk]]) 16:23, 23 July 2013 (CDT)

Happy to see someone new working on Mahouka! Thanks for the translation! [[User:D4mi3n|d4mi3n]] ([[User talk:D4mi3n|talk]])

== Gakusen Toshi Asterisk ==

Give your impressions of this novel here. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:38, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

From what i've read regarding Gakusen Toshi Asterisk it seems to be quite interesting and i'm looking forward to seeing you translate more of it. This is just a trival wish but instead of putting "incomplete" next to the chapter name would it be possible for you to put a rough % of how far through the chapter you've translated instead? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 05:07, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Seems interesting, but still too early to be sure. Mahouka is the best for me, do you think to continue or will you concentrate on this one[[User:Ulrick|Ulrick]] 03 August 2013

Its not that important but Gakusen Toshi Asterisk page doesnt show up at main page i found it when looking at mahouka updates to see if new chapter was up and it was at light novels section u cant see it on normal light novels section on main page just a reminder to fix i am a reader dont have an account
also thank you for translating.

For the person above you should collapse the light novels then open it up again. Gakusen isn't on there because that section doesn't update when you open it and maintain that state. I hope what i said makes sense since I don't have great english.

The reason it did not show up on the normal light novels is because until a little while ago it was still considered a teaser project so it was listed under teaser projects, if it still does not show up then just try refreshing the page. Hope that helps.

Thanks Setsuna for picking up this project again. :) --[[User:Chancs|Chancs]] ([[User talk:Chancs|talk]]) 01:06, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

You don't thank me. It's something I have planned to do after finishing translating Madan. I have already finished with the of vol03 ch01, but some errors corrections are needed, so I can't post it now. When finished Madan, I will correct those errors and then post. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 01:33, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

== Questions ==

Firstly, thanks for you translations, and a question, do you have blog?

Which do you talk about? If it's about the translation of ch 4 of gakusen, it was done by hiyono (Nandesuto in animesuki). [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 15:02, 12 August 2013 (CDT)

No man, I read in mandan no ou Topic from animesuki that you have blog XD.

Salut, je me posais juste une question : Si tu es français, pourquoi traduis-tu en anglais ? XD
Parce que Baka-Tsuki est majoritairement une communauté anglaise ? 'Fin bref, j'étais juste curieux, personnellement je trouve la lecture anglaise plus fluide, donc ça ne me dérange pas. Bon courage pour la suite. ;) [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]])

Bien, beaucoup de personnes m'ont posé cette question. Comme tu l'as dit, le lecture anglaise est plus fluide. Et je le fais aussi, car c'est un moyen pour moi d'étudier la langue anglaise.
Au fait, je ne sais pas s'il y a beaucoup de lecteurs français des 2 séries sur lesquelles je travaille; mais s'il y en a, je peux traduire ma version anglaise en langue française pour eux s'ils veulent bien. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 09:23, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

Je vois. Je pense que tu peux continuer en anglais, et lorsque tu auras fini tes projets, et si un assez grand nombre de français le demandent, faire une version française. La communauté française n'étant pas encore assez développée, je pense que ça peu attendre. Sinon, perso, pour l'instant j'aime bien Gakusen Toshi Asterisk, mais j'hésite à lire Madan no Ou to Vanadis comme les chapitres sont des previews. Mais si c'est bon, je l'ajouterais à ma liste. [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]]) 10:37, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

User talk:Setsuna86

2013-11-30T14:12:04Z

Royaloyalz: /* Madan no Ou to Vanadis */

==Madan no Ou to Vanadis==

awesome stuff dude,btw..par told me that u had ch3 done/on the way too,keep up the good work lolz XD -- [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 12:40, 6 May 2013 (CST)

My apologies if this isn't the case, but is the new chapter of Vanadis that was just posted an edited machine translation? It seems a bit...off. --[[User:Hiyono|Hiyono]] ([[User talk:Hiyono|talk]]) 12:14, 6 May 2013 (CDT)

Setsuna's profile says he's French. No matter how good he is at Japanese or English, neither is his first language, more likely than not, so it's not surprising. Either way, he's doing a great job, I think :D --[[User:EnigmaticAxiom|EnigmaticAxiom]] ([[User talk:EnigmaticAxiom|talk]]) 18:26, 6 May 2013 (CST)

I think setsuna picked it up after Xena went MIA and Par stepped down to doing Shikkin and Chaika.(In that Animesuki thread..i think its not machine) [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 20:14, 6 May 2013 (CST)

No, it's not a machine translation. I know they are some errors. If you can correct it, please do so. That will help.

Thank you for translating this:)

Hey, setsuna I am dropping by to give you a greeting. BTW, if you want me to help with anything just drop it in my talk page here. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 17:03, 8 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Setsuna, Olga's dragonic tool is Muma. BTW, how about u guys hang out in #campione lol, easier to talk and discuss. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 20:47, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

I would like to finish with this volume first. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:31, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

I've only started re-reading ch. 3 just now because I played LoL for a bit(:P) and PAR, I wanna hang out too T_T Where is that? can you give me a link?
B.T.W.setsuna, did you get you username from Houki's I.S.? Setsura?

irc.rizon.net, #campione channel --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 22:52, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Thank You for your hard work!

Thanks a lot for doing Volume 6 of vanadis. Do you have plans to do Volume 7? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 19:32, 27 June 2013 (CDT)

I will also do Volume 7. I wait that it is out. For the moment, I do Rakuin no Monsho, to help Dogma a bit. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:32, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

Hey, thanks for picking up Gakusen Toshi Asterisk. [[Special:Contributions/124.43.120.174|124.43.120.174]] 09:18, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

will you translating gakusen first before madan??? it looks like there's new update at gakusen chapter 1

I have already done it before vol 7 of Madan was released. So for the time being, I will do Madan vol 7 before continuing with gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 04:25, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Shouldn't Chapter 3 Volume 7 Title be Inhumane Statesman rather than Villainy of the Statesman? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:32, 1 August 2013 (CDT)

It could be that. Even I'm not sure of the title yet. I only place that temporarily, but Í think the two has the same sense, right? [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 08:49, 3 August 2013 (CDT)

At best how long does it take you to translate 1 chapter? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:50, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

I want you to understand that I also work, so I don't have much time to translate; but I do 3 to 4 pages per day, and I have already translate half of the ch1. So if I have to estimate, I will finish the ch 1 in one week. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 18:41, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Sorry if I offended you in any way possible,what I simply wanted to know is how long it takes you on average basis to translate a chapter.Again I'm truly sorry for offending you if I did. --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 19:42, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Ah, it's not like I'm angry or something, I only honestly answer your question. But if you ask the average basis to translate a chapter, it depends on each translator. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 19:40, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

are you planning to complete the translation of full novel before uploading it ?

No, I will certainly post the first chapter on Tuesday. I have already finished translated it, but I did not post it because I wanted first some edit; but well, I will do as usual, that is post it with the link of google drive, before on BT [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:50, 8 September 2013 (CDT)

Ohh,ok.thanks for the translations btw

Thank you for your hard work!
-happily waits for Tuesday-

Thank you for the release !! (je ne sais pas où d'autre dire ça)
Khern {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (CDT)

Hey Satsuna,can I get your permission to translate this Novel in my native language?
--[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 12:38, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

Okay, you can. I have no problem with that. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 14:39, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

When will you post chapter 2? --[[User:Black Ice Prince|Black Ice Prince]] ([[User talk:Black Ice Prince|talk]]) 03:30, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

I will do as usual, that's, post first on google drive, and then on BT. I think I will post on google drive the next week, tuesday or wednesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 07:15, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

Is the link to your google drive public? O:

Yeah, I always make it public. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 13:58, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Umm, this may sound like a stupid question, but where could I find the link?

Your question isn't stupid, since I didn't make the link public yet. I will do it either today (Monday) or tuesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 21:24, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Oh okay, thank you very much! When you make it public, where will you be posting the link, may I ask?

Well, I just make the link public. Here it is: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R3sJYDPmLB3xG2QnPqDN9ZNl8fMYvsUyCKimDZS0kBM/edit?pli=1 [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 06:22, 7 October 2013 (CDT)

Thank you! Sorry if I came off as pushy. For chapter 1 you also mentioned a google drive link, but I never saw any before you posted to Baka-Tsuki, so I was wondering if you were doing it on some other website.

Hi Setsu! thx for all your work translating many chapter of this great LN, i just wondering, u haven't put any progress update on the register page, have u got any work done? I have no mean to rush your great job, just a bit curious.

I will firsta say this, just in case, but the volume 7 of Madan has only 4 chapters, so I translate them all; I'm waiting for the volume 8 which will be released in December, to continue translating. So to answer your question, I can't put any update, when there is not. Meanwhile, I'm translating Gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:30, 7 November 2013 (CST)

Ah thanks for clearing that for me, i thought there was an epilogue or some other chapter. Well, keep up the good work!

Hej, could you please change the adress for Madan no Ou to Vanadis Vol.7 from http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_Vanadis:Volume_07 to http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_07 because you forgot the TO .

And thanks for the translations, though I change all Jermaine to Germaine, which you first used :) [[User:Hannryou|Hannryou]] ([[User talk:Hannryou#top|talk]]) 22:51, 19 November 2013 (MET)

Hi, thanks for your translations of Madan no Ou to Vanadis. I would like to ask, for Volume 06 Chapter 2, why did you use "ViraltDragonic Tool" instead of the furigana format? Also, would you mind if I changed certain parts of your translations after comparing them to the Chinese translations? Some parts are a little confusing, and I was wondering if I could receive your permission to change it a little. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 14:37, 29 November 2013 (CST)

First about ViraltDragonic Tool, it's a probably a typo; and yes, you can change certain parts. Actually, it would help a lot, since it was the first complete chapter I began to translate, and there are probably many mistaken. So feel free to change what does not make sense. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 14:58, 29 November 2013 (CST)

Alright, I will make those little changes :D Anyways, thanks a lot for translating this awesome LN. From the moment I started reading it till now, I have been totally hooked. The only reason why it doesn't have more attention is probably because many are unwilling to give it a try even though there is an awesome preview done by EnigmaticAxiom. Hopefully, more will become willing to give this a chance. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 20:22, 29 November 2013 (CST)

Hey Setsuna86, I am about 3/4 ways through with volume 6 chapter 2, and I must say I am intending to put in quite a few changes. Just wanted to give you a heads up before I proceeded with it, since I think there were quite a few parts where I changed the entire text to something else. I think the Chinese source that I am looking at is pretty reliable, but I still want to ask for your permission once again before carrying on with the TLC. Thanks! [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 08:12, 30 November 2013 (CST)

==Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei==

Thanks for volume 9 ch4, when I find my copy of the book I will try to TLC the bold areas. Do you plan on continuing with translating volume 9? I (and I am sure many of the other eager followers) would be happy to edit/TLC your translations. Thanks again!

Thanks for mahouka ;)

Thanks for mahouka - I hope you continue to TL it :) --[[User:Kai Ran|Kai Ran]] ([[User talk:Kai Ran|talk]]) 16:23, 23 July 2013 (CDT)

Happy to see someone new working on Mahouka! Thanks for the translation! [[User:D4mi3n|d4mi3n]] ([[User talk:D4mi3n|talk]])

== Gakusen Toshi Asterisk ==

Give your impressions of this novel here. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:38, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

From what i've read regarding Gakusen Toshi Asterisk it seems to be quite interesting and i'm looking forward to seeing you translate more of it. This is just a trival wish but instead of putting "incomplete" next to the chapter name would it be possible for you to put a rough % of how far through the chapter you've translated instead? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 05:07, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Seems interesting, but still too early to be sure. Mahouka is the best for me, do you think to continue or will you concentrate on this one[[User:Ulrick|Ulrick]] 03 August 2013

Its not that important but Gakusen Toshi Asterisk page doesnt show up at main page i found it when looking at mahouka updates to see if new chapter was up and it was at light novels section u cant see it on normal light novels section on main page just a reminder to fix i am a reader dont have an account
also thank you for translating.

For the person above you should collapse the light novels then open it up again. Gakusen isn't on there because that section doesn't update when you open it and maintain that state. I hope what i said makes sense since I don't have great english.

The reason it did not show up on the normal light novels is because until a little while ago it was still considered a teaser project so it was listed under teaser projects, if it still does not show up then just try refreshing the page. Hope that helps.

Thanks Setsuna for picking up this project again. :) --[[User:Chancs|Chancs]] ([[User talk:Chancs|talk]]) 01:06, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

You don't thank me. It's something I have planned to do after finishing translating Madan. I have already finished with the of vol03 ch01, but some errors corrections are needed, so I can't post it now. When finished Madan, I will correct those errors and then post. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 01:33, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

== Questions ==

Firstly, thanks for you translations, and a question, do you have blog?

Which do you talk about? If it's about the translation of ch 4 of gakusen, it was done by hiyono (Nandesuto in animesuki). [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 15:02, 12 August 2013 (CDT)

No man, I read in mandan no ou Topic from animesuki that you have blog XD.

Salut, je me posais juste une question : Si tu es français, pourquoi traduis-tu en anglais ? XD
Parce que Baka-Tsuki est majoritairement une communauté anglaise ? 'Fin bref, j'étais juste curieux, personnellement je trouve la lecture anglaise plus fluide, donc ça ne me dérange pas. Bon courage pour la suite. ;) [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]])

Bien, beaucoup de personnes m'ont posé cette question. Comme tu l'as dit, le lecture anglaise est plus fluide. Et je le fais aussi, car c'est un moyen pour moi d'étudier la langue anglaise.
Au fait, je ne sais pas s'il y a beaucoup de lecteurs français des 2 séries sur lesquelles je travaille; mais s'il y en a, je peux traduire ma version anglaise en langue française pour eux s'ils veulent bien. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 09:23, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

Je vois. Je pense que tu peux continuer en anglais, et lorsque tu auras fini tes projets, et si un assez grand nombre de français le demandent, faire une version française. La communauté française n'étant pas encore assez développée, je pense que ça peu attendre. Sinon, perso, pour l'instant j'aime bien Gakusen Toshi Asterisk, mais j'hésite à lire Madan no Ou to Vanadis comme les chapitres sont des previews. Mais si c'est bon, je l'ajouterais à ma liste. [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]]) 10:37, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

User talk:Setsuna86

2013-11-30T02:22:13Z

Royaloyalz: /* Madan no Ou to Vanadis */

==Madan no Ou to Vanadis==

awesome stuff dude,btw..par told me that u had ch3 done/on the way too,keep up the good work lolz XD -- [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 12:40, 6 May 2013 (CST)

My apologies if this isn't the case, but is the new chapter of Vanadis that was just posted an edited machine translation? It seems a bit...off. --[[User:Hiyono|Hiyono]] ([[User talk:Hiyono|talk]]) 12:14, 6 May 2013 (CDT)

Setsuna's profile says he's French. No matter how good he is at Japanese or English, neither is his first language, more likely than not, so it's not surprising. Either way, he's doing a great job, I think :D --[[User:EnigmaticAxiom|EnigmaticAxiom]] ([[User talk:EnigmaticAxiom|talk]]) 18:26, 6 May 2013 (CST)

I think setsuna picked it up after Xena went MIA and Par stepped down to doing Shikkin and Chaika.(In that Animesuki thread..i think its not machine) [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 20:14, 6 May 2013 (CST)

No, it's not a machine translation. I know they are some errors. If you can correct it, please do so. That will help.

Thank you for translating this:)

Hey, setsuna I am dropping by to give you a greeting. BTW, if you want me to help with anything just drop it in my talk page here. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 17:03, 8 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Setsuna, Olga's dragonic tool is Muma. BTW, how about u guys hang out in #campione lol, easier to talk and discuss. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 20:47, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

I would like to finish with this volume first. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:31, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

I've only started re-reading ch. 3 just now because I played LoL for a bit(:P) and PAR, I wanna hang out too T_T Where is that? can you give me a link?
B.T.W.setsuna, did you get you username from Houki's I.S.? Setsura?

irc.rizon.net, #campione channel --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 22:52, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Thank You for your hard work!

Thanks a lot for doing Volume 6 of vanadis. Do you have plans to do Volume 7? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 19:32, 27 June 2013 (CDT)

I will also do Volume 7. I wait that it is out. For the moment, I do Rakuin no Monsho, to help Dogma a bit. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:32, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

Hey, thanks for picking up Gakusen Toshi Asterisk. [[Special:Contributions/124.43.120.174|124.43.120.174]] 09:18, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

will you translating gakusen first before madan??? it looks like there's new update at gakusen chapter 1

I have already done it before vol 7 of Madan was released. So for the time being, I will do Madan vol 7 before continuing with gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 04:25, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Shouldn't Chapter 3 Volume 7 Title be Inhumane Statesman rather than Villainy of the Statesman? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:32, 1 August 2013 (CDT)

It could be that. Even I'm not sure of the title yet. I only place that temporarily, but Í think the two has the same sense, right? [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 08:49, 3 August 2013 (CDT)

At best how long does it take you to translate 1 chapter? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:50, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

I want you to understand that I also work, so I don't have much time to translate; but I do 3 to 4 pages per day, and I have already translate half of the ch1. So if I have to estimate, I will finish the ch 1 in one week. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 18:41, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Sorry if I offended you in any way possible,what I simply wanted to know is how long it takes you on average basis to translate a chapter.Again I'm truly sorry for offending you if I did. --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 19:42, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Ah, it's not like I'm angry or something, I only honestly answer your question. But if you ask the average basis to translate a chapter, it depends on each translator. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 19:40, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

are you planning to complete the translation of full novel before uploading it ?

No, I will certainly post the first chapter on Tuesday. I have already finished translated it, but I did not post it because I wanted first some edit; but well, I will do as usual, that is post it with the link of google drive, before on BT [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:50, 8 September 2013 (CDT)

Ohh,ok.thanks for the translations btw

Thank you for your hard work!
-happily waits for Tuesday-

Thank you for the release !! (je ne sais pas où d'autre dire ça)
Khern {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (CDT)

Hey Satsuna,can I get your permission to translate this Novel in my native language?
--[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 12:38, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

Okay, you can. I have no problem with that. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 14:39, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

When will you post chapter 2? --[[User:Black Ice Prince|Black Ice Prince]] ([[User talk:Black Ice Prince|talk]]) 03:30, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

I will do as usual, that's, post first on google drive, and then on BT. I think I will post on google drive the next week, tuesday or wednesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 07:15, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

Is the link to your google drive public? O:

Yeah, I always make it public. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 13:58, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Umm, this may sound like a stupid question, but where could I find the link?

Your question isn't stupid, since I didn't make the link public yet. I will do it either today (Monday) or tuesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 21:24, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Oh okay, thank you very much! When you make it public, where will you be posting the link, may I ask?

Well, I just make the link public. Here it is: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R3sJYDPmLB3xG2QnPqDN9ZNl8fMYvsUyCKimDZS0kBM/edit?pli=1 [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 06:22, 7 October 2013 (CDT)

Thank you! Sorry if I came off as pushy. For chapter 1 you also mentioned a google drive link, but I never saw any before you posted to Baka-Tsuki, so I was wondering if you were doing it on some other website.

Hi Setsu! thx for all your work translating many chapter of this great LN, i just wondering, u haven't put any progress update on the register page, have u got any work done? I have no mean to rush your great job, just a bit curious.

I will firsta say this, just in case, but the volume 7 of Madan has only 4 chapters, so I translate them all; I'm waiting for the volume 8 which will be released in December, to continue translating. So to answer your question, I can't put any update, when there is not. Meanwhile, I'm translating Gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:30, 7 November 2013 (CST)

Ah thanks for clearing that for me, i thought there was an epilogue or some other chapter. Well, keep up the good work!

Hej, could you please change the adress for Madan no Ou to Vanadis Vol.7 from http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_Vanadis:Volume_07 to http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_07 because you forgot the TO .

And thanks for the translations, though I change all Jermaine to Germaine, which you first used :) [[User:Hannryou|Hannryou]] ([[User talk:Hannryou#top|talk]]) 22:51, 19 November 2013 (MET)

Hi, thanks for your translations of Madan no Ou to Vanadis. I would like to ask, for Volume 06 Chapter 2, why did you use "ViraltDragonic Tool" instead of the furigana format? Also, would you mind if I changed certain parts of your translations after comparing them to the Chinese translations? Some parts are a little confusing, and I was wondering if I could receive your permission to change it a little. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 14:37, 29 November 2013 (CST)

First about ViraltDragonic Tool, it's a probably a typo; and yes, you can change certain parts. Actually, it would help a lot, since it was the first complete chapter I began to translate, and there are probably many mistaken. So feel free to change what does not make sense. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 14:58, 29 November 2013 (CST)

Alright, I will make those little changes :D Anyways, thanks a lot for translating this awesome LN. From the moment I started reading it till now, I have been totally hooked. The only reason why it doesn't have more attention is probably because many are unwilling to give it a try even though there is a an awesome preview done by EnigmaticAxiom. Hopefully, more will become willing to give this a chance. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 20:22, 29 November 2013 (CST)

==Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei==

Thanks for volume 9 ch4, when I find my copy of the book I will try to TLC the bold areas. Do you plan on continuing with translating volume 9? I (and I am sure many of the other eager followers) would be happy to edit/TLC your translations. Thanks again!

Thanks for mahouka ;)

Thanks for mahouka - I hope you continue to TL it :) --[[User:Kai Ran|Kai Ran]] ([[User talk:Kai Ran|talk]]) 16:23, 23 July 2013 (CDT)

Happy to see someone new working on Mahouka! Thanks for the translation! [[User:D4mi3n|d4mi3n]] ([[User talk:D4mi3n|talk]])

== Gakusen Toshi Asterisk ==

Give your impressions of this novel here. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:38, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

From what i've read regarding Gakusen Toshi Asterisk it seems to be quite interesting and i'm looking forward to seeing you translate more of it. This is just a trival wish but instead of putting "incomplete" next to the chapter name would it be possible for you to put a rough % of how far through the chapter you've translated instead? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 05:07, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Seems interesting, but still too early to be sure. Mahouka is the best for me, do you think to continue or will you concentrate on this one[[User:Ulrick|Ulrick]] 03 August 2013

Its not that important but Gakusen Toshi Asterisk page doesnt show up at main page i found it when looking at mahouka updates to see if new chapter was up and it was at light novels section u cant see it on normal light novels section on main page just a reminder to fix i am a reader dont have an account
also thank you for translating.

For the person above you should collapse the light novels then open it up again. Gakusen isn't on there because that section doesn't update when you open it and maintain that state. I hope what i said makes sense since I don't have great english.

The reason it did not show up on the normal light novels is because until a little while ago it was still considered a teaser project so it was listed under teaser projects, if it still does not show up then just try refreshing the page. Hope that helps.

Thanks Setsuna for picking up this project again. :) --[[User:Chancs|Chancs]] ([[User talk:Chancs|talk]]) 01:06, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

You don't thank me. It's something I have planned to do after finishing translating Madan. I have already finished with the of vol03 ch01, but some errors corrections are needed, so I can't post it now. When finished Madan, I will correct those errors and then post. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 01:33, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

== Questions ==

Firstly, thanks for you translations, and a question, do you have blog?

Which do you talk about? If it's about the translation of ch 4 of gakusen, it was done by hiyono (Nandesuto in animesuki). [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 15:02, 12 August 2013 (CDT)

No man, I read in mandan no ou Topic from animesuki that you have blog XD.

Salut, je me posais juste une question : Si tu es français, pourquoi traduis-tu en anglais ? XD
Parce que Baka-Tsuki est majoritairement une communauté anglaise ? 'Fin bref, j'étais juste curieux, personnellement je trouve la lecture anglaise plus fluide, donc ça ne me dérange pas. Bon courage pour la suite. ;) [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]])

Bien, beaucoup de personnes m'ont posé cette question. Comme tu l'as dit, le lecture anglaise est plus fluide. Et je le fais aussi, car c'est un moyen pour moi d'étudier la langue anglaise.
Au fait, je ne sais pas s'il y a beaucoup de lecteurs français des 2 séries sur lesquelles je travaille; mais s'il y en a, je peux traduire ma version anglaise en langue française pour eux s'ils veulent bien. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 09:23, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

Je vois. Je pense que tu peux continuer en anglais, et lorsque tu auras fini tes projets, et si un assez grand nombre de français le demandent, faire une version française. La communauté française n'étant pas encore assez développée, je pense que ça peu attendre. Sinon, perso, pour l'instant j'aime bien Gakusen Toshi Asterisk, mais j'hésite à lire Madan no Ou to Vanadis comme les chapitres sont des previews. Mais si c'est bon, je l'ajouterais à ma liste. [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]]) 10:37, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

User talk:Setsuna86

2013-11-29T20:37:38Z

Royaloyalz:

==Madan no Ou to Vanadis==

awesome stuff dude,btw..par told me that u had ch3 done/on the way too,keep up the good work lolz XD -- [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 12:40, 6 May 2013 (CST)

My apologies if this isn't the case, but is the new chapter of Vanadis that was just posted an edited machine translation? It seems a bit...off. --[[User:Hiyono|Hiyono]] ([[User talk:Hiyono|talk]]) 12:14, 6 May 2013 (CDT)

Setsuna's profile says he's French. No matter how good he is at Japanese or English, neither is his first language, more likely than not, so it's not surprising. Either way, he's doing a great job, I think :D --[[User:EnigmaticAxiom|EnigmaticAxiom]] ([[User talk:EnigmaticAxiom|talk]]) 18:26, 6 May 2013 (CST)

I think setsuna picked it up after Xena went MIA and Par stepped down to doing Shikkin and Chaika.(In that Animesuki thread..i think its not machine) [[User:Ways|Ways]]([[User talk:Ways|talk]]) 20:14, 6 May 2013 (CST)

No, it's not a machine translation. I know they are some errors. If you can correct it, please do so. That will help.

Thank you for translating this:)

Hey, setsuna I am dropping by to give you a greeting. BTW, if you want me to help with anything just drop it in my talk page here. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 17:03, 8 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Setsuna, Olga's dragonic tool is Muma. BTW, how about u guys hang out in #campione lol, easier to talk and discuss. --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 20:47, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

I would like to finish with this volume first. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:31, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

I've only started re-reading ch. 3 just now because I played LoL for a bit(:P) and PAR, I wanna hang out too T_T Where is that? can you give me a link?
B.T.W.setsuna, did you get you username from Houki's I.S.? Setsura?

irc.rizon.net, #campione channel --[[User:Par74583|Par74583]] ([[User talk:Par74583|talk]]) 22:52, 10 May 2013 (GMT+7)

Thank You for your hard work!

Thanks a lot for doing Volume 6 of vanadis. Do you have plans to do Volume 7? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 19:32, 27 June 2013 (CDT)

I will also do Volume 7. I wait that it is out. For the moment, I do Rakuin no Monsho, to help Dogma a bit. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:32, 29 July 2013 (CDT)

Hey, thanks for picking up Gakusen Toshi Asterisk. [[Special:Contributions/124.43.120.174|124.43.120.174]] 09:18, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

will you translating gakusen first before madan??? it looks like there's new update at gakusen chapter 1

I have already done it before vol 7 of Madan was released. So for the time being, I will do Madan vol 7 before continuing with gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 04:25, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Shouldn't Chapter 3 Volume 7 Title be Inhumane Statesman rather than Villainy of the Statesman? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:32, 1 August 2013 (CDT)

It could be that. Even I'm not sure of the title yet. I only place that temporarily, but Í think the two has the same sense, right? [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 08:49, 3 August 2013 (CDT)

At best how long does it take you to translate 1 chapter? --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 17:50, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

I want you to understand that I also work, so I don't have much time to translate; but I do 3 to 4 pages per day, and I have already translate half of the ch1. So if I have to estimate, I will finish the ch 1 in one week. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 18:41, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Sorry if I offended you in any way possible,what I simply wanted to know is how long it takes you on average basis to translate a chapter.Again I'm truly sorry for offending you if I did. --[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 19:42, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

Ah, it's not like I'm angry or something, I only honestly answer your question. But if you ask the average basis to translate a chapter, it depends on each translator. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 19:40, 10 August 2013 (CDT)

are you planning to complete the translation of full novel before uploading it ?

No, I will certainly post the first chapter on Tuesday. I have already finished translated it, but I did not post it because I wanted first some edit; but well, I will do as usual, that is post it with the link of google drive, before on BT [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:50, 8 September 2013 (CDT)

Ohh,ok.thanks for the translations btw

Thank you for your hard work!
-happily waits for Tuesday-

Thank you for the release !! (je ne sais pas où d'autre dire ça)
Khern {{CURRENTTIME}}, {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} (CDT)

Hey Satsuna,can I get your permission to translate this Novel in my native language?
--[[User:Mytsy|Mytsy]] ([[User talk:Mytsy|talk]]) 12:38, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

Okay, you can. I have no problem with that. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 14:39, 23 September 2013 (CDT)

When will you post chapter 2? --[[User:Black Ice Prince|Black Ice Prince]] ([[User talk:Black Ice Prince|talk]]) 03:30, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

I will do as usual, that's, post first on google drive, and then on BT. I think I will post on google drive the next week, tuesday or wednesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 07:15, 5 October 2013 (CDT)

Is the link to your google drive public? O:

Yeah, I always make it public. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 13:58, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Umm, this may sound like a stupid question, but where could I find the link?

Your question isn't stupid, since I didn't make the link public yet. I will do it either today (Monday) or tuesday. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 21:24, 6 October 2013 (CDT)

Oh okay, thank you very much! When you make it public, where will you be posting the link, may I ask?

Well, I just make the link public. Here it is: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R3sJYDPmLB3xG2QnPqDN9ZNl8fMYvsUyCKimDZS0kBM/edit?pli=1 [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 06:22, 7 October 2013 (CDT)

Thank you! Sorry if I came off as pushy. For chapter 1 you also mentioned a google drive link, but I never saw any before you posted to Baka-Tsuki, so I was wondering if you were doing it on some other website.

Hi Setsu! thx for all your work translating many chapter of this great LN, i just wondering, u haven't put any progress update on the register page, have u got any work done? I have no mean to rush your great job, just a bit curious.

I will firsta say this, just in case, but the volume 7 of Madan has only 4 chapters, so I translate them all; I'm waiting for the volume 8 which will be released in December, to continue translating. So to answer your question, I can't put any update, when there is not. Meanwhile, I'm translating Gakusen. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 02:30, 7 November 2013 (CST)

Ah thanks for clearing that for me, i thought there was an epilogue or some other chapter. Well, keep up the good work!

Hej, could you please change the adress for Madan no Ou to Vanadis Vol.7 from http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_Vanadis:Volume_07 to http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_07 because you forgot the TO .

And thanks for the translations, though I change all Jermaine to Germaine, which you first used :) [[User:Hannryou|Hannryou]] ([[User talk:Hannryou#top|talk]]) 22:51, 19 November 2013 (MET)

Hi, thanks for your translations of Madan no Ou to Vanadis. I would like to ask, for Volume 06 Chapter 2, why did you use "ViraltDragonic Tool" instead of the furigana format? Also, would you mind if I changed certain parts of your translations after comparing them to the Chinese translations? Some parts are a little confusing, and I was wondering if I could receive your permission to change it a little. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 14:37, 29 November 2013 (CST)

==Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei==

Thanks for volume 9 ch4, when I find my copy of the book I will try to TLC the bold areas. Do you plan on continuing with translating volume 9? I (and I am sure many of the other eager followers) would be happy to edit/TLC your translations. Thanks again!

Thanks for mahouka ;)

Thanks for mahouka - I hope you continue to TL it :) --[[User:Kai Ran|Kai Ran]] ([[User talk:Kai Ran|talk]]) 16:23, 23 July 2013 (CDT)

Happy to see someone new working on Mahouka! Thanks for the translation! [[User:D4mi3n|d4mi3n]] ([[User talk:D4mi3n|talk]])

== Gakusen Toshi Asterisk ==

Give your impressions of this novel here. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 10:38, 30 July 2013 (CDT)

From what i've read regarding Gakusen Toshi Asterisk it seems to be quite interesting and i'm looking forward to seeing you translate more of it. This is just a trival wish but instead of putting "incomplete" next to the chapter name would it be possible for you to put a rough % of how far through the chapter you've translated instead? [[User:Zeikuu|Zeikuu]] ([[User talk:Zeikuu|talk]]) 05:07, 31 July 2013 (CDT)

Seems interesting, but still too early to be sure. Mahouka is the best for me, do you think to continue or will you concentrate on this one[[User:Ulrick|Ulrick]] 03 August 2013

Its not that important but Gakusen Toshi Asterisk page doesnt show up at main page i found it when looking at mahouka updates to see if new chapter was up and it was at light novels section u cant see it on normal light novels section on main page just a reminder to fix i am a reader dont have an account
also thank you for translating.

For the person above you should collapse the light novels then open it up again. Gakusen isn't on there because that section doesn't update when you open it and maintain that state. I hope what i said makes sense since I don't have great english.

The reason it did not show up on the normal light novels is because until a little while ago it was still considered a teaser project so it was listed under teaser projects, if it still does not show up then just try refreshing the page. Hope that helps.

Thanks Setsuna for picking up this project again. :) --[[User:Chancs|Chancs]] ([[User talk:Chancs|talk]]) 01:06, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

You don't thank me. It's something I have planned to do after finishing translating Madan. I have already finished with the of vol03 ch01, but some errors corrections are needed, so I can't post it now. When finished Madan, I will correct those errors and then post. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 01:33, 31 October 2013 (CDT)

== Questions ==

Firstly, thanks for you translations, and a question, do you have blog?

Which do you talk about? If it's about the translation of ch 4 of gakusen, it was done by hiyono (Nandesuto in animesuki). [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 15:02, 12 August 2013 (CDT)

No man, I read in mandan no ou Topic from animesuki that you have blog XD.

Salut, je me posais juste une question : Si tu es français, pourquoi traduis-tu en anglais ? XD
Parce que Baka-Tsuki est majoritairement une communauté anglaise ? 'Fin bref, j'étais juste curieux, personnellement je trouve la lecture anglaise plus fluide, donc ça ne me dérange pas. Bon courage pour la suite. ;) [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]])

Bien, beaucoup de personnes m'ont posé cette question. Comme tu l'as dit, le lecture anglaise est plus fluide. Et je le fais aussi, car c'est un moyen pour moi d'étudier la langue anglaise.
Au fait, je ne sais pas s'il y a beaucoup de lecteurs français des 2 séries sur lesquelles je travaille; mais s'il y en a, je peux traduire ma version anglaise en langue française pour eux s'ils veulent bien. [[User:Setsuna86|Setsuna86]] ([[User talk:Setsuna86#top|talk]]) 09:23, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

Je vois. Je pense que tu peux continuer en anglais, et lorsque tu auras fini tes projets, et si un assez grand nombre de français le demandent, faire une version française. La communauté française n'étant pas encore assez développée, je pense que ça peu attendre. Sinon, perso, pour l'instant j'aime bien Gakusen Toshi Asterisk, mais j'hésite à lire Madan no Ou to Vanadis comme les chapitres sont des previews. Mais si c'est bon, je l'ajouterais à ma liste. [[User:Kazugaya|Kazugaya]] ([[User talk:Kazugaya|talk]]) 10:37, 15 September 2013 (CDT)

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 06 Chapter 1

2013-11-29T19:12:05Z

Royaloyalz:

== Chapter 1: Emissary ==

A buck casually walked atop a mountain ridge with an arid wind whistling around it.

The creature stood head and shoulders above its brethren and its right horn grew in a bizarre shape. The beast looked repulsive and monstrous.

To the villagers living at the foothills, it was a monster to be feared. In broad daylight, the creature trampled their fields as it pleased, eating its fill of the crops before disappearing into the mountains.

They could not stop it. Those who dared to give chase, hoes at the ready, were gored by its horns, suffering grievous wounds. Teams of seasoned hunters were sent to hunt it down. But this buck had a prodigious sense of smell and leg strength beyond the norm. It saw through every trap and when the hunters drew close, it would leap across cliffs, jump atop the rocky crags, or simply slide down steep slopes to elude them. As a result, even after three days and nights they had not been able to take it down.

And yet one young man was now bringing his bow to bear on this creature.

He could not have seen more than twenty winters and was of average build. But if one espied the arm which peeked out from his sleeves one could see that he was not lacking in training. There was vigor under his dark red locks and his gaze was keen as it focused on the buck.

From his hiding place in the crags below the stag’s ridge, there was a distance of about 300 alsin. No distance for a mere bow. If asked, any seasoned hunter would shake his head and advise to close in sixty, even seventy paces. What's more, this boy was also aiming against the grain of gravity, shooting from a low position to a higher one. A light breeze blew downhill from the ridge to the crag. With this, his approach and attack would be masked against his prey. Yet if he missed, this good fortune would have been in vain.

All this, the young man knew well. But he did not waver. He kept calm, notching a single arrow with an ease born of unceasing practice, following through until he had drawn the bow taut.

The wind ceased for but an instant. The young man, as though foreseeing this, let loose that arrow. It traced an arc through the sky and struck the stag in the neck.

It was an unerring blow almost as if it was sucked in by some unknown force. And yet the beast did not cry out. Rather it turned and fled in the direction opposite to the young man.

At this, he at last showed consternation. “Looks like that huge frame wasn’t just for show...”

Leaving his hiding spot he nocked another arrow as he made his way up the slope. It was not meant for the buck - in his mind, the hunt had been all but ended by his first strike. This arrow was meant for any surprises that might crop up along the way.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Patata* The sound of flapping wings entered his ears as a creature the size of a large cat passed by his side.

But it was no cat. It was a dragon - its reptilian form scaled bronze with a greenish hue from head to tail, with horns, coarse sharp teeth, and wings that reminded one of a bat. Flitting about freely, as though disregarding the young man that was its companion.

If they were on level ground, he might have traveled on equal pace with it. But as it was, he stood in the rough of the rocks, only able to smile bitterly at the departing form of the dragon.

Regulating his breathing carefully, he scaled the ridge-

-and was dumbfounded by what he saw.

Where he had hidden there was naught but a barren rocky wasteland, and yet beyond the ridge there sprawled a large forest, filled with trees, bark, and dense greenery.

“Well. It’s not that I can’t find it...but this is going to be a chore.”

He was hesitant to go down. But he could not simply leave the mountain. The villagers would remain uneasy if he merely told them ‘the beast has been taken care of’. He needed proof of his hunt.

“And I still need to find Lunie...”

Lunie, of course, was the dragon who had just left him behind. Thankfully, he knew that he needn’t worry. It was small, but it was a dragon nonetheless. No creature in the woods would dare attack it. And though it was now nowhere to be seen, it was likely that it had gone after the wounded buck.

Making his way down the slope, the young man took great care as he stepped into the thicket. There could be snakes about, and he didn’t want to risk snagging his clothes on the branches. Once past the thicket, the cold air wrapped around him as he stepped into the verdant woods. The sunlight was greatly dimmed by the undergrowth and some trees even snaked along the slope’s surface.

Indeed, there were few things worse than traversing a forest infested by overgrown weeds and roots.

As he approached cautiously, another *patata* of flapping wings could be heard. He stopped, and sure enough, out from deep within the forest’s gloom came Lunie. Recognizing him, the dragon whelp did an artful about-turn in mid-air and went back the way it came.

The young man gave chase and in not even ten paces, he found himself standing before the fallen buck. It had long breathed its last, having bled enough from the wound on its neck staining its fur-coat a deep crimson. Even so he did not relax - there were many tales of seemingly dead beasts using their last ounce of strength to rise up and bring their killers down with them in a rage. And judging from the distance between the ridge and the forest there was still a possibility that more wild beasts would come, having caught the scent of blood.

But Lunie seemed unwilling to humor his cautiousness, plonking itself unceremoniously onto the carcass and spitting him with a look of impatience. ‘Hurry up’, it seemed to say.

The young man grimaced, but made no hurried move nonetheless. Slowly he crept up to the buck, making sure that there were no other creatures about. Only when he had been absolutely certain did he return the arrow to its quiver, before taking a knee in front of the creature.

“Well done, Lunie,” he said, and at last flashed a genuine smile.

The young man’s name was Tigrevurmund Vorn.

Those close to him called him Tigre.

This year, he would be 17. Half a year had gone by since the day he left the land of his birth in Alsace to live in LeitMeritz, in the neighbouring country of Zhcted.

Tigre had initially thought to bring the buck down the mountain with him, but he’d happily given up on that thought upon realizing that the creature was heavy. Extraordinarily so at that.

So he hung the creature by its legs to a tree using a rope he’d prepared beforehand and prepared to dissect it.

Uncharacteristically, Lunie was curled up at his feet, but Tigre was not fooled. It was there only so it could get at the entrails that fell from the carcass at its convenience. It seemed rather eager to do so too, at that.

“Well, I guess I can only take the pelt back with me.” He definitely needed to bring the oddly-shaped horn back as proof of his success and that was no small amount of baggage to carry by itself. So, unfortunate though it was, he knew apart from what he would eat, he had to leave the rest of it behind. "Bones—those would work for proof too, but no, too heavy. Meat, it seems like I have to discard them all..."

Suddenly, he became aware of something rubbing against his trousers. As he looked down, he was chagrined to see Lunie stuffing a face full of blood and entrails into the bottom of his pants—its unique way of saying ‘More, please’. Well, nothing to be done about that. With a sigh, Tigre hefted his dagger, slicing off a few more pieces of meat for the hungry whelp.

By the time he actually finished the whole process, the sun had already reached its zenith. The removal of the horns had taken a large amount of time due to their size. He tied the pelt, still ringed with residual flesh and fats, with a rope of hemp, and put it into a backpack. Afterward, he washed his hands using the water in his canteen and got to starting a campfire. That done, he dug a trench, into which he dumped and buried the arbitrarily sized remains of the carcass.

While he was doing all this, Lunie, having eaten its fill, was lying asleep beside the campfire.

Half a year ago, when the breath of spring had only just begun its reign, Tigre had come to LeitMeritz. There, a chill wind still blew upon the plains, as a sign of Zhcted’s late-come springtime when compared to his homeland Brune.

He had waited for the mountains of LeitMeritz to thaw before trekking across them, hoping to see with his own eyes the land he now lived in, to feel with his hands and feet its depths and heights—or so he claimed; in actuality all he simply wanted was to experience to the fullest the thrills of hunting in unknown terrain.

Interestingly, for all they had interacted during his time as a captive in the court, or even later as a guest commander, he had never once enjoyed Lunie’s favor. Rather, that honor was given by the dragon to his servant-girl, Teita. Yet it insisted on being by his side when he went hunting. It would even sit on the horse that Tigre rode on when he went hunting, insisting that it be brought along regardless.

And how did the silver-haired Vanadis who was the whelp’s master reply when asked for her opinion on this strange turn of affairs?

“This fellow is probably bored to tears from being cooped up in a world of stone walls, so if you would be willing to bring him along...”

She even tacked a joke onto the request. “Don’t go returning to the wild now...”

Though he was unwilling, it was impossible to refuse her. Not when she looked upon the dragon she petted with an expression of both affection and regret at her inability to satisfy its desire to fly freely in the skies. She wasn’t all that different from the dragon, Tigre realized. She too was a person who could not live and do as she pleased.

In any case, he had the excuse of studying the geography of LeitMeritz. Of course, he wasn’t just there to hunt. So he had ended up bringing Lunie along anyway. And it had exceeded all his expectations—well, at least his expectations for a companion in battle anyway, like during this buck hunt. The rest of the time, it did not display any such attitude. In fact, Tigre fully expected that it would start treating him akin to a roadside pebble once they got off this mountain.

A regrettable situation. But despite his disappointment, Tigre made no move to improve their working relationship. After all, this wasn’t a human he was dealing with. Lunie may still be but a stripling, but it was still a dragon.

---''I can’t understand for the life of me why it follows me at all. Maybe for now I should keep my distance.''

Tigre thought as he watched the dragon snoozing by the fireside.

And as he continued to keep watch, well fed on a meal of venison, his thoughts turned to the events that led up to the present day.

He was born as the heir to Earl Vorn of Alsace in the northwest of Brune. He had inherited the title at the tender age of 14 when his father succumbed to illness and with it, the stigma of being of the lowest rank of nobles in the land.

But his life would change on a battlefield at summer’s end.

At Dinant, the nations of Zhcted and Brune had clashed over the right to control the stream along the borders, and Brune had been defeated. Tigre had led a hundred men in that battle, and there he had encountered the commander-in-chief of Zhcted’s forces—silver haired Eleanora Viltaria, whom they called [{{furigana|Danseuse of the Sword|Meltis}}] and [{{furigana|Wind Princess of the Silverflash|Silvfrahl}}], one of the Seven Vanadis.

His attempt to assassinate her had failed, but Ellen was taken by his skill with the bow and took him as a captive.

In the aftermath of the battle, the rivalry between Dukes Ganelon and Thenardier—the two foremost nobles of Brune—came to a head, and Alsace was swept up by the wave of turmoil into the fires of war. Upon hearing this news from his father’s loyal servant Batran, Tigre borrowed soldiers from Ellen to save the place of his birth, eventually avenging himself upon Thenardier after a great many battles to the death.

And yet even after all this, there was no happy conclusion. He had only achieved a brief time of peace, and he would have remained Ellen’s captive if not for the new ruler of Brune, the king’s daughter Regin, having helped to intercede on his behalf. Under the terms negotiated, he was to be returned to his homeland after spending three years as a guest commandant in Zhcted. That was the best that could be done for now. And so with the promise that he would return to them in three year’s time, Tigre bid farewell to the people of Brune and crossed the border into Zhcted, with his only companion being his maid Teita.

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Half a year had passed since that day. The tardy spring had gone swiftly by, and now even the summer would soon pass. Indeed, the brief nature of Zhcted’s summer compared to Brune’s was enough to leave an impression in and of itself.

His life in LeitMeritz so far had not been easy. One half of that he’d expected and the other of it he’d experienced. He had to learn how to speak, write, and to immerse himself in the local culture.

There was also no shortage of important personages from Zhcted who wished to meet with him. And though most of these chose to send emissaries rather than come in person, Tigre knew that establishing good relations with them was a necessity. In any case, failure was not an option; any failing on his part would smear the name of Ellen, who had given him a place to stay, and he couldn’t rightly allow that to happen.

Adding to his litany of woes were the almost daily assignments left to him by Ellen’s second-in-command Limlisha. The topics were of a grand scale, ranging from governance to military affairs—under governance, the subject could be anything between internal governance and multilateral relations.

She would also enlist his aid in her work often. This was cause for some complaint on his part. But he went along with it anyway. For one thing, the knowledge he gained while accompanying her would be useful in developing Alsace upon his return.

And for another, she wasn’t all work and no play. Under the guise of ‘inspections’ or ‘reviews’, she would sometimes allow him some free time to roam.

At last, dawn broke.

Smothering the fire with mud, Tigre shouldered his backpack and set out. Antlers in his right hand, bow in his left, and Lunie tagging alongside him, trademark *Patata* resounding as it flew. They reached the village in the foothills by the afternoon. There they presented the antler and pelt to much rejoicing and many eased minds among the villagers. However, among those who had been counted with the hunters there were many wide eyes.

“So he really managed to bring it down, eh...” The village chief, who had been responsible for leading the hunters, had only this to say.

He had gone into the mountains three mornings ago, alone. Having turned down the offer that the villagers made to have their hunters serve as his guides.

“For a hunt like this, I alone will be enough.” He’d said that even as he gazed up at the foothills from the village. “And with more people we run a greater risk of the buck getting wind of us, whether it be by sight or sound.”

It wasn’t arrogance, of course. And besides, he had subsequently grilled both the chief and the hunters for detailed information concerning the mountain.

Seeing this, the village chief had mixed feelings. On one hand he thought it was to be expected of a knight of the court. And yet on the other, he felt that the boy was only 17. Could he really be relied upon?

But Tigre had surpassed all their expectations, setting out alone and returning triumphant, having shot the beast down brilliantly.

He had succeeded where a group of six—including the chief himself—had failed throughout their five day long hunt. And he did not waste his breath on swaggering or on boasts of his ability.

Rather, Tigre just asked for a bed he could borrow for the night, which the chief obliged. He turned in rather early too.

When Tigre rose the next morning, the sky was still dark. It was a tad early for ‘morning’—even those whose farms were their livelihood had barely gotten out their beds.

“I’m sorry to wake you at this hour,” he said as he called the village chief forth from dreamland before informing him of his decision to leave.

The chief seemed shocked, and even a little disappointed. “If it is convenient for you, sir knight, please do tarry another day in our good village. We will prepare a feast for you as much as we may with our meager means.”

He asked once again. However, soon after expressing both gratitude and pushing a gentle refusal, Tigre quietly left the village and went on his way. The horse galloped along the path under a brightening sky, though it wasn’t very fast with both Tigre and Lunie sitting on it.

“What a waste...” Tigre mumbled to himself as he gazed heavenward. “...It’s not like I had anything urgent to do anyway.”

He was, of course, bemoaning the missed opportunity in the village chief’s offer. If this was Alsace, he might just have taken the proffered boon, but here he had Ellen to consider. She might have been alright with it, but she did not speak for all her subordinates. Particularly for those who already held a certain dislike for Tigre himself.

He couldn’t care less if they criticized him, but he would not allow them to do the same to Ellen.

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The sun was already falling into the west when they arrived at the capitol. They rode in via a side road constructed for the exclusive use of those in official service—with Lunie around the two of them would have made a sight for sore eyes in the crowded main streets of the city.

“Tigre-sama!” Just as they passed the gates, a familiar voice reached their ears, calling the youth’s name. It was Teita, chestnut hair tied behind her head, running towards them. She dressed after her usual fashion, long-sleeved one-piece dress falling into black folds below her legs and a clean white apron over it. Notably, she had discarded her old twin-tailed hairstyle for a single ponytail, which Tigre believed looked well on her too.

Of their immediate reactions, Lunie’s was the greater. It took to the air with a *Patata* and flew into her arms. Tigre merely exchanged smiles with her.

“I’m home, Teita.”

Upon catching Lunie, she held it close and it snuggled in her embrace. While doing so, she walked over to the youth.

“Welcome home, Tigre-sama.”

“Are you alright? You don’t have to carry it like that if it’s too heavy, you know?”

“Thank you. But Lunie’s not as heavy as it appears. I might get my clothes dirty though.” So she said, but if she was distressed, it did not show. Instead, like a mother beguiling a child, she petted the little dragon whelp.

This sixteen-year old girl, who like him was born in Alsace, had served him in the capacity of a maidservant since she was 11 till today, and even when he was set to live in LeitMeritz, she had insisted on following him.

This had been his wish as well, and Ellen had acquiesced. Nonetheless, he had worried at first that she, whom he treated like a sister, might not be able to adapt to the new environment. She had rendered his concerns moot, however, breaking the ice easily with the ladies of the court and their maids. Indeed, naught but a few days had passed before they all loved her.

Upon hearing this, Ellen had grimaced before saying thus.

“You’re quite something yourself, but it seems Teita hasn’t fallen behind. Quite the unexpected catch, isn’t she?” These words relieved Tigre greatly.

“Oh, yes. Tigre-sama, the Lady Eleanora and Miss Limlisha have important matters to discuss with you.”

“Important matters? With me?”

“Indeed. Lady Ellen instructed me to inform you of this upon your return.”

Upon hearing Teita recall her previous conversation with the Vanadis and her second, Tigre set his head askew in thought as he dismounted. It was all very odd. He had just returned, and had yet to greet anyone yet. Moreover, he was required to report to Ellen anyway.

Therefore, it must have been something of extraordinary importance, for her to have left him such specific instructions.

“Are they going to remind you not to take so many detours?” Teita asked.

Naturally, she did not say this in earnest. Those mischievous words were only meant to lighten his mood, Tigre guessed as he patted the younger girl on the head.

“Hmmm. That’s possible...” He did after all have a history of chatting Rurick up in the halls for too long while en route to the administration office. This habit which had earned him many a stern earful from Lim, and at times some nattering from the officials who disliked him whenever they could catch him. “In any case, I’ll head up there. Thank you, Teita.”

After handing both horse and dragon over to her, he headed up to the administration office. In the dying light of day, the corridors were dim, lit only by the flames of pinewood torches. But Ellen would be in there at this hour, he knew. He walked up to the door and knocked lightly, calling out as he did so. Sure enough, a moment later a ‘come in’ could be heard.

Opening the door, Tigre’s eyes were met by a familiar scenery. A modestly-sized room, a table of black sandalwood piled high with a veritable mountain of books, and two ladies attending to the paperwork.

The first of them sported waist-length silver hair and a blue-based silk dress. Her crimson eyes burned with vigor, and against a wall close within reach, she laid a longsword by. She was so fair of face, it was hard to imagine her as a skilled sword maiden capable of holding any man at bay. Yet she was and more. She was the administrator of this capitol, ruler of LeitMeritz and one of the seven Vanadis of Zhcted, seventeen year-old Eleanora Viltaria.

The other was golden-haired Limlisha—Lim, as both he and Ellen would normally address her—, Ellen’s second-in-command and confidante. Tall, twenty and well-endowed, her look of detached stoicism as she silently perused the documents before her was quite the opposite of Ellen’s.

“Looks like you made it back safely.”

After looking him up and down for a moment, Ellen’s expression relaxed visibly, and Lim greeted him with an upward quirk of her lips.

“I’m back indeed,” Tigre noted, before closing the door and pulling a chair over to sit on.

Ellen’s eyes glittered. “And how did the deal with the buck go?”

He gave a simple explanation of what had transpired in the village and on the mountain while Lim prepared wine for three. Naturally, the whole request had been their doing; Ellen had dispatched him to deal with the problem after the village had informed them of its plight.

Stopping the work in their hands, the three offered up a small toast in celebration of this success, and after having finished his explanation, Tigre switched topics.

“So I hear from Teita that you have important affairs to discuss with me.” At this, the two ladies exchanged glances, and Ellen dipped her gaze to the cup in her hands, as though considering her reply. A moment later, she lifted her eyes once again.

“Tigre. Have you heard of Asvarre?”

The sudden question came as a surprise, but Tigre recovered quickly. “It’s situated northwest of Brune, across the western sea of Zhcted, I think. It’s best known for its agriculture-based economy, but a few generations ago, they had a queen who led many campaigns of expansion into the continent.”

In actuality, the number of things he knew for sure about Asvarre could be counted off on one hand, and all that, he had learnt from Massas. But being in the northeast, Alsace had no stake in that country. So for all he knew of Asvarre, it could be a fairy tale land—only the story of the conquering queen had made any lasting impression on him.

Once again, the two women exchanged looks. But these were looks of unease.

Draining her cup, Ellen spoke. “A certain someone has requested your presence in Asvarre.”

At this Tigre furrowed his brow. He did so not so much in surprise as he had in consternation. Judging from her tone, this request must be awfully hard to refuse. And there were only so many people in this world who could cause a Vanadis apprehension of this level. “And who might that be?”

“His majesty, the King,” Lim replied coolly.

Tigre’s eyes widened.

Victor, King of Zhcted. He had met the man once, when he was living in Zhcted following the conclusion of Brune’s civil strife. It was a formality that no official guest could avoid, especially not one staying for 3 years in the country, and in any case, he had heard from Ellen that the king desired to see him.

But for all that was worth the audience itself was frightfully short. The king had merely saw fit to praise his talents, and assure him that he would be given full freedom in Zhcted—with that, their meeting had come to an abrupt end.

Within that brief time, he had indeed felt the oppressive stateliness and authority emanating from the man on the throne. But what had struck him most profoundly had been the man’s eyes. Victor’s eyes were tranquil, yet cold and subdued. It made one think of the inmost depths of a dark forest, bereft of sunlight for a hundred years; like a deep bog without breath or sound of life.

But such thoughts about the monarch of a nation could not be shared with anyone, and so Tigre hid them, buried them deep in his heart.

Honestly, he didn’t make a good impression, Tigre thought. ‘An enigmatic old man’ was the most honest summary he could give on his thoughts concerning that man.

And now this person was ordering him to go to Asvarre.

“So what does he want me to do there?”

“Essentially, he wants you to serve as a secret envoy.”

At this point, Ellen put her cup down and folded her arms, a distressed look on her face.

“Tigre. What do you know about Asvarre’s situation, really?”

“Well, that there’s people in it, and they sing, dance and hunt all day long?”

“Indeed, and they slaughter their own people with axe and sword while they’re at it too.” He’d actually expected this, but still it seemed there was no chance that this would be a comfortable topic.

Lim put her still unfinished cup on the table, and then proceeded to retrieve a piece of parchment from a drawer beneath the table.

“...I suppose I’ve never really told you about Asvarre either, Tigre. I’ll try to make this brief.”

“Please do, sensei.” Tigre said mischievously.

Ellen laughed. “Yes, please do, sensei.”

With a sigh, Lim turned to the parchment and began to draw a simple map. “Now, until half a year ago, King Zechariah was still on the throne of Asvarre. At that time, there was intelligence to suggest that he planned to invade Brune, but due to his own poor health, he ultimately decided to sit back for a while and observe the situation.”

Tigre’s breath caught in his throat. He had underestimated till now just how much Brune had been like a sheep thrown among wolves during those times of turmoil half a year ago. True, Sachstein was repulsed by Roland, and he himself had driven Muozinel back. But if Asvarre had invaded from the west at that time...heaven only knew what would have happened then.

“A short time after the civil war in Brune ended,” Lim continued, “King Zechariah breathed his last. I can’t really say how exactly he died. Some say he died in an accident, others say he died of food poisoning.”

Now, the King of Asvarre had six children. His eldest, Germaine, was to ascend the throne.
And that was where the madness began.

“A few days before the coronation ceremony, Germaine called his siblings together and had them executed on counts of treason.”

“Heh, or so we heard afterward,” Ellen added drily, supplementing Lim’s lecture with her own comments. “It seems Germaine is quite the arrogant character, and paranoid as well. I guess he hid his true colors while his father still lived, but with the throne in sight he must have decided to take action.”

This subject was repugnant to Tigre, but he nodded for Lim to continue anyway.

“However, two of the king’s children escaped Germaine’s grasp—the second prince, Elliot, and the first princess, Guinevere.”

The larger part of the details that Lim mentioned afterward could be summarized as such: After making his way to safety, Elliot had begun a revolt against his brother. Despite the succession having been the king’s will, there were many among the nobility who had opposed Germaine’s kin-slaying, and the revolt had been a success. Germaine was forced to abandon the palace and flee.

“So now Asvarre is split into two—” Lim broke off as she concluded, “no, perhaps you could say three parts. Germaine has hired mercenaries from Sachstein to bolster his own forces, while Elliot has done much the same by bringing the pirates of the coast into his ranks. Asvarre is in a state of chaos.”

“What about the princess Guinevere?” It was strange that she was not mentioned, so he asked.

“Rumors say that she is indifferent to either side, and has retired to a more quiet life. Most likely, she will not make any moves until the conflict between her brothers has been settled,” Lim said.

“And till now Zhcted has been supporting Elliot,” Ellen added.

“Oh yes. There’s that,” Lim said. “Okay, let’s stop talking about Asvarre for now.” With that, she produced another parchment, and began drawing up a map of the continent. Zhcted in the center, Asvarre west of the sea, Muozinel to the south on land and Brune to the southwest.

“Tigrevurmund.” Lim’s voice was scholarly and stern, like a teacher asking a question of her pupil. That meant that if he answered wrong, he was sure to be reprimanded. “Who, in your opinion, is the greatest threat to Zhcted at this time?”

“Muozinel, I suppose.”

“Correct.” Lim confirmed, unsmiling, as though this answer was a given.

“So you see, the situation in Asvarre is as we stated before. And in Brune, the scars left by the civil war have yet to heal. At best, it would take two or three years for it to make a full comeback.”

Needless to say, the next major factor was Muozinel. Even though they had been beaten back during their assault on Brune six months ago, in reality, only their navy had been dealt any significant casualties. Their land army—footsoldiers and cavalry both—had withdrawn before a decisive battle could be fought, as such minimizing their losses.

Muozinel now had an axe to grind against Zhcted as well—Tigre had the help of Zhcted troops in his rout of their advance army. Moreover, currently, Zhcted held Agnes, originally part of Brune, as their own territory, thus forming a strip of land belonging to Zhcted that Muozinel had to pass through first before it could attack. As such, Muozinel could only attack via sea, and that was impossible with their damaged navy: it could hardly even defend against an enemy attack as it was, let alone launch an invasion. So they could only sit on their hands and watch Brune recover.

“Sooner or later, we and Muozinel will surely clash. But when that will happen, no one knows. It could be three, even ten years from now.”

So saying, Ellen gazed at the wall behind her and the two flags that adorned it.

A silver sword upon black, for LeitMeritz, and for Zhcted the black dragon.

“The balance of power hangs on Asvarre’s decision—whether to join hands with Muozinel, or with us.”

Upon hearing Ellen’s words, Tigre at last understood. If Asvarre were to align itself with Zhcted, then the latter could concentrate all its energy on Muozinel. But if Asvarre were to make Muozinel its ally instead, then Zhcted would be beleaguered from both the south and the west, and it would have to divide its forces to tackle such a dire situation.

“As we were saying before, we would have preferred Elliot, but it seems he personally leans towards Muozinel. As such we shall have to support Germaine instead.”

“So, this secret envoy you speak of...” Tigre trailed off.

Ellen looked distinctly apologetic. Seeing her struggle to reply, Lim stood in for the silver-haired Vanadis. “Tigrevurmund. I believe we had said before that this is the King’s request, not that of Lady Eleanora.”

“I know. There is no way Ellen would ask something like this of me.” He answered decisively to reassure them. It worked. Almost immediately the tension in the room decreased several fold. Both women loosed smiles, and Ellen heaved a sigh of relief while still hanging her head in apology.

“I’m sorry, Tigre.”

“You needn’t be, Ellen,” Tigre said. “More importantly, what does King Victor hope to achieve by sending me?” He didn’t have the foggiest idea about how Asvarre was. He hadn’t even been there. Ever. The king’s intentions were unfathomable in this regard.

“From a certain point of view you could say he wants to recruit you,” Ellen noted while passing her now empty cup back to Lim. “It’s basically selling favors, giving you honor and glory in exchange for your services. Isn’t that practice quite common in Brune as well?”

Tigre set his head askew—he still could not accept this. “But I am not King Victor’s subject, I am a citizen of Brune, a guest who will return to Brune in 3 years time, no?”

“And that’s precisely why he wants you. Think about it—do you really expect to live off the fat of the land once you get back after 3 years? If it were up to me, I’d make you a military advisor. That way you wouldn’t ever leave the palace even after a few years.”

Upon hearing Ellen speak so solemnly, Tigre could only contemplate in silence. It was true, for he was undeniably a person of meritorious deeds.

“Having received the title of [{{furigana|Star Shooter|Silvrash|}}] and [{{furigana|Knight of the Moonlight|Lumiere}}] from an enemy general and your own king respectively, you are someone who will definitely be in an important position once you get home. So as far as the King of Zhcted is concerned, selling you favors is the right thing to do.” Lim added coolly after pouring Ellen some more wine.

For her part, the Vanadis pulled open a drawer on her own desk, and from there retrieved a letter, two rings and a sleek tube.

The tube was half an arm long, and covered by a dark black cloth. On its cap, the seal of the King of Zhcted was engraved and inlaid in gold.

“This contains a secret message to Prince Germaine, and the rings will be proof of your identity as the King’s envoy. But what I really want to show you is this—the king’s letter.” Taking the letter, Tigre read it carefully. The words of a king could not be ignored, not a single one.

It started with the normal salutations, with the King giving some praise for his gallantry in Brune and celebrating the newly forged peace between Brune and Zhcted before diving straight into the main topic.

—You are proof of the strong ties between Zhcted and Brune, and thus able to represent both nations before the Prince Germaine. No one is more suited than you are to accomplish this task.

Written below are instructions as to how far we are willing support the prince in terms of finances and in the sending of troops, as well as the duration for which we shall do so. There are contingencies should extenuating circumstances force you to deviate from the initial plan, but you should return immediately should the situation go too far out of hand.—

So, Tigre mused. He wants to use me as a bargaining chip then.

At the end of the letter, there were instructions as to how he should enter Asvarre. He would travel from LeitMeritz to Regnis, and then from there he would rendezvous with some men the King sent before setting out together for Asvarre. He was flabbergasted at the sheer amount of detail the letter went into. It even mentioned what street he should be travelling by.

Suggesting that both Zhcted and Brune were in support of Prince Germaine—quite clever of the King, really, Tigre thought.

Still. He glanced up from the letter and gave Ellen a look of unease. “Was Brune told of this?”

Ellen shook her head. “I doubt it.”

Lim nodded in agreement. “If it were so, Queen Regin would have passed the orders down to you herself, Tigrevurmund.”

She was right. In the end he was still a guest commandant, and not under any obligation to obey King Victor. Even the letter itself closed with these words—

“I, the King of Zhcted, earnestly ask of you—”

—meaning that this was no order, but a request.

And yet he could not so flippantly refuse. It was a request from a king, after all.

“...Aside from me, is there no one else who can take on this task?”

“Zhcted doesn’t lack for such people. But to the king, he couldn’t claim to be doing you a favor without at least asking you to do this much.”

Tigre tried to contemplate this for a few seconds, and then gave up, shrugging. Immediately, Lim scolded him in a low voice, and then proceeded to explain.

“You see, something like rooting out mountain bandits wouldn’t be adding any additional feathers to your cap. Your role in the Brune civil war has already demonstrated your bravery, and therefore your worth, enough.”

“There are other ways of winning honor, yes, but these would mostly involve you becoming a counsellor to the king. And that would put you in a precarious position—most of our nobles would oppose the idea of Brune interfering in affairs of governance, and it would undermine the king’s authority. So a diplomatic assignment would be the best option.” Ellen sighed.

It was true, Tigre knew. The advantages of sending him were exactly as King Victor had stated—and in those regards no one in Zhcted could compete with him.

“...And that’s how it is. Assuming that the King bears you no ill-will in the first place.” Ellen griped, leaning back in her chair.

Her casual posture relieved the young archer greatly, and he smiled. “I don’t remember ever doing anything to incur his ill-will.”

“If a country has a skilled general, do you not think that his very presence will cause the surrounding nations to be on their guard?” Lim noted coolly, remaining upright and altogether serious despite them. “In our country, there are many people who are displeased by your presence, Tigrevurmund...although I am not saying the king is one of these.”

“But the negotiations are important to Zhcted. Failure would be disastrous—so why would he give the task to me if he has enmity towards me?”

Ellen furrowed her brows as she spoke, her displeasure plain to see.“Well, since there is a contingency in place you will most likely be held responsible for any failure.”

“Of course, success would be still be best, but if you were to fail, getting rid of you would eliminate some future concerns. Depending on the situation, the blame could also be shifted onto Brune.” At this, Ellen swung back upright with a *BANG*, ignoring Lim, who cocked an eyebrow at her. “Actually, don’t you find it all very strange? If I were in the king’s place, I would throw you a banquet with someone else as the host, and make my request while the host distracts the rest of the guests.”

That was true. Tigre thought. He and the King had only met once—they weren’t friends by any means. There should have at least been some sort of party thrown to improve their relationship.

“It would only take a simple check to know that you’ve never been to Asvarre. Sending you there is like asking a child who doesn’t know left from right to go to a neighbouring village to buy something. And then there’s the men the king sent. We have no details on them. The whole thing practically screams ‘this is suspicious’!”

Indeed, it was getting quite hard to think that the king had given him this job for his ability.

“But King Victor has yet to reveal what he thinks of me, correct?” Tigre asked cautiously.

Both Lim and Ellen nodded.

“I can only think of 3 reasons why this was assigned to you. One would be to do you a favor by letting you take the honor of being a diplomat. The other might be to destroy you by putting you in a situation where you would be helpless. And the last would be to gauge your abilities.”

“Gauging my abilities?”

Ellen held up a hand. “In short, he wants to know if you are merely a person who is skilled in warfare, or if you have other skills besides. I still can’t tell if he wants you on his side, or if he wants to destroy you. But whatever it is, he definitely wants to use you.”

The silver-haired young woman chuckled a little, causing Tigre to grouse silently. None of the three options was anything to be glad about.

“And if he has any other design,” Ellen noted in a low, more serious tone, “it’s most likely to use your actions to see how the Vanadis—myself included—and the Queen of Brune will act.”

“Ellen, what should I—”

“Tigrevurmund,” Lim said in a stern voice, cutting him off. “Do not ask that of us.”

Ellen shook her head bitterly. “No matter what your decision is, I will respect it and do my utmost to help you. But it is you who must make the decision, Tigre.”

“I’m sorry.”

He could refuse. But that would lower the king’s opinion of him, and it would also affect Ellen and Brune. Turning to the map, Tigre thought about what was just said. He did not like Prince Germaine, whom Zhcted was planning to support. And yet if his rival Elliot were to ascend to the throne, his alliance with Muozinel would threaten both Zhcted and Brune, for Brune and Asvarre shared a border.

And then there was the alliance with Zhcted to think about.

For the sake of our countries, must I support a foreign tyrant?

By virtue of lending support to Germaine, it might be possible to request that he mend his ways. But he was not the King of Zhcted, Tigre knew. His words would most likely have no significant impact.

But he had to move past that. Sighing, he asked another question. “What sort of person is Prince Elliot, then?”

“Rumor has it that he’s not all that different from his brother. But at least he didn’t kill his whole family.”

“But previously you said that he roped pirates into his army to make up for his lack of numbers. Doesn’t that mean the army is no more than a band of thieves?”

King Victor must really want me to disappear, asking me to go into such a place alone.

“Will you refuse, then?”

“Might as well go. It might be a good opportunity to visit Asvarre anyway.” He meant this in earnest, but more because he did not wish to further burden the similarly-aged Vanadis. “But isn’t this a rather roundabout method? Asking me to be a secret envoy, and yet openly supporting Prince Elliot at the same time?”

“Playing both sides isn’t an uncommon tactic. Ludmira was like that during the last war.” Ellen said.

“What?” Tigre asked, not comprehending her intent. “I thought Mira was a more straightforward person than that.”

Mira of course referred to Ludmira Lurie, [{{furigana|Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave|Michelia}}] of the seven Vanadis and the governor of Olmutz, a province to the south of LeitMeritz.

“You forget that she was Duke Thenardier’s ally at first, which was why she led troops to constrain us. In addition, she continued her pursuit even when we offered to retreat. In order to fulfill her obligations to the duke, she even fought a duel with me.” Ellen’s eyebrows arched in annoyance as she said this, but Tigre could not tell if it was his casual mention of Ludmira’s nickname, or general displeasure at his reply that caused her to act this way.

“But she protected Eleanora-sama from the assassin’s blade that time, even going so far as to risk her own life.” Lim pointed out stoically.

“W-Well, that was just her trying to make me owe her a favor!” Ellen blustered, her expression that of one caught off-guard. “Even if she didn’t think about it that way at the time, when the need arises, she will definitely find an excuse to bring it up!”

“It’s only natural to do that in negotiations,” Lim reminded.

Ellen ignored her, instead turning to Tigre. “And there was that battle against Muozinel. She didn’t come to help you right away, did she? She held off to observe, right? That’s not helping you, that was just her waiting for the moment where she could make you most indebted to her. And she only severed ties with Thenardier after that incident, don’t you forget!”

With that, she downed her cup of wine with much gusto.

Tigre, for his part, understood. This Machiavellian aspect to Ludmira’s character was probably so deeply ingrained that she did not think any worse of herself despite it. Still, given that she had been forced into a conflict due to her rival’s character, it was not surprising that Ellen would be so angry.

If it was Mira, how would she respond to this request?

During his time at LeitMeritz, Ludmira Lurie had paid three visits to the capitol, and she came for three reasons. Firstly, to inquire about the state of the mountain road in Vosyes and Brune in general; secondly, to make a show of being on excellent terms with Ellen. Lastly, she came to prevail upon Tigre to join her.

Every time Ellen received a report of her arrival, she would say ‘tell her not to come again’. But who would dare say that to a Vanadis? And in any case she was half joking. They needed the information that Ludmira regularly brought them concerning Muozinel, and a petty rivalry was no reason to hinder important exchanges of intelligence.

Following her meetings with Ellen she would go looking for Tigre. The first time, she attempted to use the promise of money to win him over, and failed. From then on, she would simply come to make small talk. She did try to invite him on a hunt, but Ellen had turned her down.

If it were her, she would hint at agreeing while avoiding giving a direct answer, all the while gathering intelligence as best she could in the background. And when the critical moment came she would refuse decisively.

Perhaps this is only the first of more difficult requests to come.

He still didn’t like the given task, but he could see it for its uses. And in any case, his complaints were best kept to himself.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

After staring at the door Tigre had closed after his exit for a while, Ellen let out a sigh.

“Is this really alright?” Lim asked.

“We don’t have a choice, do we?” Ellen replied brusquely.

She’d agreed to let him go to Asvarre after their meeting. It was an odd thing—actually, she had been prepared to give way should he refuse adamantly, but as it turned out, he gave an unexpectedly decisive answer. She should have been glad about that, but her heart still felt heavy. Unwilling.

“I’m sorry about just now, Lim,” Ellen said with an apologetic smile. ‘Just now’ naturally referred to the point when Lim had butted in to stop Tigre from asking for her help in deciding. “I...probably wouldn’t have been able to answer him.”

In her heart of hearts, she wanted to say ‘don’t go’. But to deny the king’s request, they needed a viable alternative. Another way to foster closer ties between Zhcted and Asvarre. Or even someone to replace Tigre. But there was no such option. With regards to the king’s requirements there was none better than him, and she would be hard pressed to find such a substitute.

During Brune’s civil war, she was able to mollify the king by claiming that she had no choice but to do battle. And it had been a sweet deal overall. Brune footed much of the war bill, Zhcted had gained Agnes in the south, and Ellen had gained Tigre’s services through her co-ruling of Alsace.

This time, she had no such cards to play—without such, even a Vanadis must obey her king.

So despite herself, she could not tell him to stay. Supporting him was the only thing she could do now.

Turning her face to the window, Ellen gazed out at the scenery. The slow breeze of late summer blew across a land where the descent of darkness was nigh complete, with only a little sun peeked out from beyond the western horizon. The stars too, though she could not see them, must have already come out.

“When he came, the snowdrops were still in bloom...”

Snowdrops grew everywhere in Zhcted, and they were the herald of springtime. But spring had passed them by in a hurry. She spent hers governing, and he spent his getting accustomed to the land. And now, even summer was drawing to a close.

With a sigh, Ellen shook her head vigorously. Clearing her mind, she turned back to Lim once more, with a smile on her face. “Well, since he has decided to go, we should pave the way for him. I’ll be counting on you, Lim. This is the king’s request, so people can’t speak ill of it anyway.”

“Yes.” Lim flashed a rare smile, her voice ringing clearer than usual. But it seemed some anxiety came upon her, and cast a shadow over her turquoise eyes. “Yet there is still much to worry about. Becoming a secret envoy to an unknown country, with only one other person following...”

“Let us trust him,” Ellen said brightly, her words and eyes brimming with confidence. “He has shown us many miracles during this year we spent together. Yes, you could call it luck, but without the skill to use such good-fortune there would have been no miracles, and he has that sort of ability.”

That was exaggerating somewhat, but that was because she too felt uneasy. She could not help but worry. Indeed, perhaps she had even wished for him to refuse back then.

“He will return successful. We will send him off smiling, and we will receive him with that same smile. We can do that much, even if we can neither officially celebrate his designation as envoy due to its secret nature, nor reward him easily due to his status as a citizen of Brune.”

“Indeed.” Lim said, glad that her master had erased her worries.

With that they returned to their duties. But as Ellen sorted through the papers, a sudden thought came to her.

I wonder, has the distance between him and I lessened any?

Though she was busy most of the day, and Tigre was under constant scrutiny by the court officials, they still spent their free time together often. When the weather was good they would take afternoon naps on the roof, sometimes even sneaking out the palace under the noses of Lim and the other officials to roam the city streets. During official breaks, they would have tea and refreshments with Lim and Teita. These were all small, but important memories.

We even danced together in the city once.

In the tradition of Zhcted, such festivals always began with everyone singing and dancing together, and only later would couples form and dance alone. Apparently, this had originally been a way for men to choose their brides, but that custom had long been phased out, leaving behind only that fragment of knowledge and the form of the dance itself.

When they had found out about the origins of the practice, they had both gone red in the face, but did not stop holding hands as they departed. (Of course, no one else knew, for both of them were too embarrassed to speak of it.)

They never crossed the line, each having understood the other’s position. But the silver-haired Vanadis recalled those memories of their daily lives together, and she felt her heart grow warmer.

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Tigre’s room was somewhere in the bowels of the palace. Here, unlike outside where the employees of the palace still milled about even after sunset, there was relative peace. This had been one of Ellen’s considerations, for as a guest, he drew significantly more attention than when he had been a captive.

It was not a particularly luxurious place, but the deep green carpet, brick fireplace and an oak table-and-chair set gave it a relaxing atmosphere. There was no lack of necessities either; in the corner there was a cabinet draped with grapevine as well as a long table.

Upon entry, Tigre lit the lamp by the doorway, and hit the bell on the table.

Before long, footsteps approached the door. Teita’s footsteps.

“Tigre-sama, may I enter?”

“You needn’t be so uptight, I’m the only one here,” Tigre replied in a gentle tone.

The door opened, the chestnut-haired maid entering with a curtsy before lifting her head and sticking her tongue out at him. “I’m used to it already. And besides, I’m away from home.”

Back in Alsace, they had been even less formal with one another. Tigre favored shouting across the hallway to ringing a bell anytime, and Teita, for her part, would inquire clearly as to his requirements before entering, sparing them a lot of hassle. But this was not Alsace, and there were many officials here who disliked him for being so close to the likes of Ellen, Lim and Rurick. In front of such people, they had to pay more attention to such formalities.

“So,” Teita asked after receiving Tigre’s outer coat, “have you finished speaking to Lady Eleanora on the matter?”

A dark look crept over his face. “Do you have some time, Teita? I have some things I need to tell you concerning that.”

She nodded, perplexed.

Seeing that, Tigre walked over to the cabinet and took out a bottle of wine and a pair of wine glasses. This would be worrying to her, he knew, but nonetheless, he wanted her to know the truth.

After having her take a seat, he poured the wine. First for her, then for himself.

He downed a mouthful.

And then made his announcement.

“I need to go out for a time. I’ll be counting on you to take care of this place.”

Her eyes shot open, staring into the depths of the glass before her, the crimson fluids reflected her depression.

“This isn’t a hunt, is it?”

She was right. If this was a hunt or just some inspection in a nearby city, he would have spoken differently. He had done his best to sound calm, but there was no way he could completely hide the anxiety of stepping into unknown territory. Not from Teita, who had been serving him for so long.

So he didn’t bother playing dumb, merely lowering his gaze to meet hers.

“I know you won’t say unnecessary things to others. So I need you to keep a secret for me.”

After confirming her assent, he told her of the trip to Asvarre.

“I can’t tell you the details, but this is a very troublesome matter. While I’m gone, you will tell anyone who asks that I have gone to Silesia,” Tigre said. “And...oh yes. Take care of Lunie while I’m out.”

“I understand the part about Lunie. But ‘to the capitol’?” Teita shook her head, uncomprehending.

“Don’t worry, Lim and Ellen are the ones cooking up the cover story. You just need to tally your account to theirs,” he assured her. “I did think of claiming illness to avoid meeting people, though.”

“That wouldn’t have been like you at all, Tigre-sama. I mean, those aren’t the sort of words a person who would go out during deep winter in furs to hunt would say. And I don’t think I could fool everyone like that,” she said, displaying her resolve in an ironic sort of way, to which he could only scratch his head, at a loss.

Seeing this, she smiled. “Tigre-sama. How far away is this Asvarre?”

“I don’t know. It’s my first time going there too. All I know is that I need to go northwest from here, and then head there by ship.”

“Ship. Sea,” Teita muttered, her eyes wide. Neither of them had ever even seen anything like those. The closest they had come was in images stirred up by the songs of a wandering troubadour, or from the stories of travelling artists who had been as far as Celeste, a town in Asvarre.

She bit her lip, her fists tightening about her apron as she tried to restrain the unease welling up inside her. Reaching for her cup, she downed it all in one go—

—and with a sigh she stood, placing the cup back on table, hazel eyes locking on his.

“I don’t really understand how important this task is. But you must come back safely, Tigre-sama.”

Tigre placed his own cup aside, and held her lightly, the fragrance of her hair wafting into his nose as he did so.

You’ve grown taller...

“I will come back,” he repeated over again. “I’ll definitely return safely.”

<center><big>◎</big></center>

Tigre left the palace before the dawn of the next day. He would travel not as Tigrevurmund Vorn, but as a common soldier of LeitMeritz. He had said his farewells to Lim and Teita, but not to Ellen.

I wish I could have said goodbye to Rurick and the others as well.

These things left him quite a few regrets, but as a secret envoy, his departure needed to be made known to as few people as was possible. Perhaps Rurick might figure it out on his own, though.

He also had to leave by the back gate, instead of from the front. At the side of the gate, a saddled horse was already awaiting him—Lim’s handiwork, most likely.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Tigre placed his black bow on the saddle and secured a quiver full of arrows to his luggage—if one could call a small pack with a bear doll tied to it ‘luggage’—behind.

The bear had been obtained from Lim the night before, when she had come to check on his luggage to confirm that he had brought everything.

“Well then, take everything out.” She had said this rather strictly, and he had complied, laying out each item on the table. Food and water for several days, a stone flint, a dagger with a bottle of oil, and a purse full of silver and copper coins.

There was also a letter Ellen had written to her friend Alexandra Arshven, the Vanadis Sasha. She had done this in a hurry, and had given instructions for him to see her friend when he passed through Legnica.

“Sasha will give you additional guidance on my behalf, so it doesn’t matter if you are late by one or even two days—You must go to see her. Understood?” And with that, she had given the letter to him.

Lastly, there were the two rings as well as the silk-covered tube that contained a secret message in the king’s own hand. The surface of the tube had been rolled over with a tanned hide painted black, rendering it completely waterproof.

After inspecting everything item by item, Lim had told him to wait, and left the room for a while.

Before long, she returned, carrying between her arms quite a few new items: a bag of herbs, a bottle of ointment, ropes of hemp and straw, needle, thread and even a hand mirror.

“Bring these along too.”

She said this matter of factly even as she let him help her to arrange these additional things, much to Tigre’s shock.

“Isn’t this a little overdone?” Actually, all of these should have been necessities for travel as well, but he hadn’t thought to bring them with him initially. When he got to the port town at Legnica, he could just purchase all of those trifling things there.

“And what will you do if something happens before you get to Legnica?”

His suggestion had been coldly rejected. He knew she meant well though, and didn’t argue.

But his thoughts inadvertently spilled out into words. “It feels like you’re my mother or something.”

“M-Mother?!” Lim’s stoic mask shattered outright, her eyes going wide as she stared at Tigre, dismayed. In the face of this unexpectedly strong response, Tigre quickly backed down.

“I’m really sorry if that made you unhappy. Teita’s mother was like this too—she would inspect my luggage very scrupulously every time I headed out of town.” Here, he paused for a moment, barely stopping short of calling her naggy. “You reminded me of her.”

“I understand. Still, you should watch how you say things,” Lim said. She seemed to have regained her composure after a few moments, but Tigre still felt terrible about calling a twenty-year old woman ‘mother’.

“In that case, take this with you.”

At this moment, Lim put something into Tigre’s hand. Into his hand, not onto the table—it was a small bear doll.

“It’s a charm. Mothers always give them to their children when they go off travelling, so take it. —I don’t remember having a child this old, though,” she said roughly as his shocked gaze alternated between her and the doll. Perhaps if the room had been brighter lit he might have seen her blushing right up to her hair.

Honestly speaking, it was embarrassing to have to hang a bear doll onto his luggage. But when he thought of Lim’s feelings, he could not bear to take it off.

Leaping into the saddle, Tigre trotted the horse forward a few steps. Then suddenly he turned, gazing atop the city walls. It was still dark, and the contours of the palace walls were silhouetted against the darkness. But he could feel someone watching him.

Straining his vision, he caught a small movement.

Who’s there?

It wasn’t a soldier—a soldier would be carrying a torch at this hour. But it was not an intruder either. He could not feel the person trying to conceal his or her breathing.

A gust of wind blew in.

It did not come from the left or the right. It came rushing down from above, blowing his hair every which way and forcing him to squint.

In the midst of the gale, he caught sight of an object hurtling towards him, glittering faintly as it caught the light. About the size of an insect, but not as fast. He reached out and caught it.

It was a silver coin, and on closer inspection there were words written in ink on it.

‘Good luck’

His eyes scanned across the walls again, but that person was gone.

Glancing at the coin once more, he put it into his waist-pocket with great care. That done, he grabbed the reins and rode out into the streets, his form enveloped by the darkness.

He knew who the one standing on the walls was. The Vanadis who commanded the winds.

She could not send him off openly, and so she had chosen this method instead.

His drowsiness was far behind him now, gone with the wind. He felt warm, and full of vigor.

I will definitely return safely.

He would give her a pleasing result with his own hands.

So decided, he spurred his horse forward, through the streets at the crack of dawn.

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| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_06_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 05 Epilogue - MTL

2013-11-29T18:00:13Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Epilogue ===
At the northern end of Brune Kingdom, in a port city not yet touched by spring, there were two men.

They were wrapped in slightly soiled travel wear. One man was short in stature like a child and wore a hat on his head which grew no hair. The other was tall and was naturally clothed in a noble atmosphere.

They were Ganelon and Greast. After setting fire to Artishem, the two had hidden in a nameless port town. After receiving certain information, they decided to leave Brune.

As they stared idly at ships in the distance moving toward Zhcted Kingdom, they were called to from behind. It was a woman.

When they looked back, they saw a woman in a dress who was clearly out of place for the small port town. She was around 20 years old and had blue-black hair down to her waist. Her snow-white dress was decorated with roses.

Though her skin was a pale white, giving her a sickly impression, the large scythe in her hand strongly countered it.

“I apologize for having kept you waiting, Duke Ganelon, Marquis Greast.”

“It has been a long time, Lord Glinka Estes.”

The beautiful woman bowed. Ganelon returned her greeting with a smile. The woman standing before them was the {{furigana|[Illusionary Princess of the Hollow Shadow]|Shervid}}, the Vanadis Valentina Glinka Estes.

“Let us go. Though winter still lingers in Zhcted, you will be safe.”

Valentina spoke as she smiled radiantly at the two.

Tigrevurmud Vorn passed beneath the gates of the King's Capital of Nice as a hero and savior of the country. It was nearly ten days since the end of the Battle of Mereville.

His garb, of course, were not his normal leather armor and hempen clothes. He wore a jet-black silk coat with silver cuffs and a white mantle. It was prepared quickly by the Royal Palace.

Teita and Regin both said “It suits you” the evening before.

Ellen, Mira, and Massas smiled bitterly. Lim looked at him as if troubled. Rurick said “It was quickly constructed, after all,” and Gerard commented that they gave off the impression of being “a waste of money.”

They continued down the road from the southern gate to the Royal Palace, following after a marching band. Carriages laden with various flags and armor collected from the battle with the Muozinel Army followed behind.

The trumpet was a performance reserved for victory against a foreign enemy. It was formally an honor praising his service of defeating the Muozinel Army.

Finally, Tigre rode in on a carriage slowly pulled by four horses.

Along both sides of the street, residents of the Royal Capital surged to see the hero who had saved the country. They threw flowers and enthusiastic shouts of joy. It was a celebration of Tigre's victory as well as a celebration for the return of peace to the country.

Next to Tigre was Regin in formal attire. She wore a white dress decorated with pearls along her neckline and cuffs. Beside her, Teita sat as the lady-in-waiting.

“Lord Tigrevurmud.”

As Regin whispered to Tigre, his entire body went stiff with tension. She was a beautiful woman wrapped in a dazzling dress. It was impossible for Tigre to look directly at her.

“Really, thank you so much. I owe you for all you have done.”

''No.'' Tigre could not think of words to respond with. Teita pouted further down.

Following behind the three were Ellen and Mira. The two wore a mantle over their battle uniform out of courtesy which highlighted their normal dignity. They were bathed in applause, regardless of gender.

Though the two advanced on horseback with resolute attitudes, they were secretly smoldering in discontent. They had wanted to sit next to Tigre, and, if possible, not in their battle uniforms.

Regarding their dissatisfaction, Tigre persuaded Ellen to endure, since they would return to LeitMeritz afterward. He said the same to Mira, though replacing LeitMeritz with Zhcted.

Behind the Vanadis were Lim and Massas.

Reading their minds from behind, Lim let out a small sigh. Massas noticed her and smiled sympathetically.

Finally, the Knights and well known aristocrats with distinguished military services and the brave men that served them appeared. Those who cooperated with Tigre, such as Rurick, Gerard, and Augre, were amongst them.

Pierre Bodwin returned to the King's Capital of Nice the day after Tigre had killed Duke Thenardier on the battlefield. The next day, he cleaned off his uniform and reported the issues regarding Tigre and Regin to King Faron.

The following day, King Faron officially recognized Regin as Princess. He also ordered for a celebration recognizing Tigre's actions be held. The cat-faced Prime Minister quickly sent a message to the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

Upon hearing this, Tigre and the others were stunned. As for Massas, he looked petrified with terror.

However, they could not simply remain in stunned silence. While the King and Bodwin were preparing the King's Capital to accept the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, Tigre and the others were busy giving rewards to the subordinates. Those who surrendered completed the cleaning of the battlefield and burial of the dead.

Finally, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} rushed to the Royal Capital and were greeted with a triumphant celebration.

Since the King was still ill, Bodwin took care of the celebration.

In the temple on Ruberon Mountain, Tigre reported his victory to the Pantheon of Gods and the founder of the nation, King Charles. He expressed his gratitude for their divine protection. Afterward, Bodwin praised Tigre and the others for their distinguished services in the banquet hall of the Royal Palace, where every person was promised a reward. Once the ceremony ended, the venue had turned into a party.

However, some people, including Tigre, did not participate in the feast. They were invited to a certain room by Bodwin.

After a half koku, Tigre stood before the King's ward. Regin, Ellen, Mira, Lim, and Massas stood alongside Tigre. Bodwin stood before the door and reported in a solemn voice.

“His Majesty's condition is still poor. Also, a messenger from another country has already arrived. Please do not place too much stress on him.”

Bodwin reverently opened the door. Tigre set foot inside the ward.

One man was in the center of the large room. He rose from his bed when he saw Tigre and the others. Standing near him was a woman with wavy golden hair.

“... Sophie?”

Ellen looked at her in surprise. Lim, Mira, and Tigre also looked at her in amazement. Though Massas was surprised, the old Earl's body first paid homage to the King as his vassal. Tigre quickly followed shortly after.

Sophie's expression, her smile which seemed eternal, betrayed a moment of sadness. The reason was immediately apparent.

The King nodded slowly toward the cat-faced Prime Minister. Bodwin guided Tigre and the others to the foot of the bed.

''--- Your Majesty...?''

Though he was unable to say a word, Tigre could not hide his shock and dismay as he walked along the foot of the bed.

King Faron was 41 years old. He was one year younger than Duke Thenardier whom Tigre had seen on the battlefield.

However, the man before them had little meat on his body. His skin sagged all over, and his hair was dyed gray. It was not just an illness.

It was as if his body was boiled and he was on the brink of death. It was a mystery as to how he remained conscious.

“Father...”

The voice full of grief came from Regin. Though they had finally reunited after half a year, her father had completely changed.

“Father... Why, why are you like this?”

She could not believe her eyes. Regin's voice trembled and her eyes were wide open.

The King's condition was poor. Massas had heard this from Bodwin.

However, the King before their eyes was beyond their imagination. Though Tigre and Ellen were clearly shocked, the impact was even greater for Regin, his biological daughter.

“... Let Bodwin tell you of the circumstances.”

A withered voice leaked from the King. His delicate neck turned. Faron looked at Regin first.

“I am sorry, Regin. I did not know whether I should act as a father or a King.”

Regin could barely suppress her turbulent emotions. She gently grasped her father's hand and was horrified by how cold and thin it had become. Her father, Faron, was nothing but skin and bones. With only a little pressure, it felt as if his hands would break.

Faron spoke haltingly, explaining why he had raised Regin as a prince.

The King loved Regin's mother, the former Queen. She died soon after giving birth to Regin. Faron had hoped to do something for her.

“I was young at the time. I thought I could defend your honor as well as Nina's...”

Nina was the name of Regin's mother. At the age of 25, Faron strongly believed in his own potential

Nina gave birth only to Regin before she died. If he had left things as they were, she would receive humiliating treatment, since the Queen was only able to give birth to a Princess. The young Faron could not endure.

“And to deal with Thenardier and Ganelon... a Prince was necessary.”

The King wished to bestow an honor on Regin for her first campaign, and, one day, he would bring her to a monastery. Though unknown to everyone here, it was almost the exact thing Ganelon had told to Greast in Artishem before.

Faron's eyes moved from his daughter to Tigre.

“So you are Vorn...”

Tigre bent to his knees as the King spoke with a trembling voice.

“You have taken upon yourself the duties that were originally mine to do, and I have imposed upon all of you... You have even brought it to an end. How may I reward you? Whether it is a title or territory, say what you wish for.”

Tigre did not answer at once. He did not fight to obtain such things. There was only one thing he wished to say when he met the King.

''Why did you leave Duke Ganelon and Duke Thenardier to do as they please?''

If they had been subjugated early on, many people would still remain alive. He wanted to shout; Batran may have lived his life peacefully in Alsace.

However, he could not give voice to his emotions after seeing the dying King.

“Thank you for your generous words. I do not desire a title, territory, or an official rank. However, if you will excuse me... I wish to ask you something, Your Majesty.”

Tigre, little by little, explained the events which had occurred from the Battle of Dinant to the present day. He spoke briefly due to the King's condition.

The King listened in silence. He waved away Bodwin, who tried to tell him to rest, and continued listening to the story.

When Tigre finished speaking, Tigre straightened his breathing and stood at the ready.

“I wish for---”

Brune Kingdom will show its appreciation to the Kingdom of Zhcted for its cooperation, paying fifty thousand gold pieces as a reward for their aid.

Furthermore, Brune Kingdom shall pay all expenses incurred by Zhcted Kingdom in the war.

Brune Kingdom will relinquish the lands of Agnes to Zhcted Kingdom.

Finally, Brune Kingdom is to propose a mutual non-aggression pact for three years.

These four provisions were exchanged between Brune Kingdom and Zhcted Kingdom.

Though he did not immediately sign the mutual non-aggression pact, since it required the approval of the King of Zhcted, the other three were promptly settled between Sophie and Faron. If it were done by Ellen and Mira, it would not have resolved as quickly due to a problem of authority.

“Lord Sophia. I hope you can give the King of Zhcted my greetings as well.”

Faron spoke to Sophie in a feeble voice. After releasing the territory, he added the message, [Faron has approved of Regin as heir to the throne].

That is, so long as Regin was not recognized as the next ruler of Brune, the cessation of territory to Zhcted would be invalidated during the intermittent period. Faron would use the country known as Zhcted to support Regin's ascension to the throne. Naturally, he would not last for much longer.

“Regin, Your Highness, I shall deliver his words to our King.”

Sophie answered in this manner, formally accepting Regin as a representative of Zhcted Kingdom.

Though the cessation of Agnes was a severe blow, it was not simply a loss for Brune. With this, Muozinel Kingdom could not attack Brune; on the other hand, it was now possible to reach Zhcted through the southern seas.

Regin was officially recognized as Princess and was determined as the King's next of kin.

The reason Faron celebrated Tigre's victory was, of course, to repay Tigre and the others. With the disappearance of the most powerful aristocrats, the majority of nobles were thrown into confusion over the succession. To say it poorly, he wanted to take advantage of the confusion to divert their attention.

He would say Regin was raised as Prince due to an [Oracle's Divination].

When all was said and done, Faron called to Tigre.

“Earl Vorn. There is one thing I wish to present to you...”

Though curious, Tigre gave his gratitude.

“I wish to grant you the title, {{furigana|[Knight of the Moonlight]|Lumiere}}.”

In this case, Knight referred to a brave hero. Hearing the title {{furigana|[Knight of the Moonlight]|Lumiere}}, Bodwin shook slightly, though none noticed.

“You have saved my daughter and repelled a foreign enemy. With a single bow, you returned peace to these lands. Please accept it.”

Tigre accepted it gratefully. Ellen and the others tapped his shoulder and gave their blessings. After a formal congratulatory address, Bodwin thought of the King's intent.

He knew {{furigana|[Knight of the Moonlight]|Lumiere}} was a title which existed since ancient times. He also knew it was once a far more distinguished title than any other.

However, Bodwin knew. There was only one person in the past who was granted the title. He later married the daughter of the King who bestowed the title upon him and became the next King.

Bodwin did not say this, however. He judged the King did not wish for him to say it.

Regarding Alsace, it settled down after the decision was made that it would be jointly controlled by Princess Regin and Eleanora of LeitMeritz. It was not a contract between nations, but between a single noblewoman and the Princess. Since it was not relinquished in the provisions, it acted as an emphasis on Regin's good will.

“As for the development of the path through Vosyes, I will ask you to take care of it.”

Ellen confirmed the contract and smiled happily; her wish was granted. On the other hand, Regin had a sullen expression.

“This contract, this non-aggression pact between Brune and Zhcted, it will be held until the end.”

“I will not forget. Also... In three years, you will return Lord Tigrevurmud.”

“Don't use such poor language when you're negotiating a peace treaty aimed toward friendship. Let me keep Tigre as part of our friendship.”

Tigre's custody was moving between the two without the consent of the person in question.

Tigre's contract as a prisoner of war was still valid, but Brune could not allow its hero and savior who received a title to be unreleased.

And so, Ellen made a proposal in a deliberately gentle manner.

I will keep him in LeitMeritz for three years.

Once three years pass, I will annul his contract as a prisoner of war.

She had her own expectations, of course. Ellen had not decided how to use Tigre in the future. The Vanadis with silver-white hair decided to use this contract to keep him nearby.

Also, she had confidence she could lure him to her side in the next three years.

''--- In three years, if Tigre wishes to remain by my side, whatever Regin says will be useless.''

Regin, though dissatisfied, accepted the conditions.

One reason was because there were probably many people in Brune who held grudges and hostility toward Tigre. Those who worked beneath Duke Thenardier, and others who had disliked him before, they would try to eliminate Tigre no matter the means.

At present, Regin lacked the ability to protect Tigre from those people.

Moreover, with Tigre in Zhcted, she could show her ties with Zhcted to other nations. Regin herself had many enemies, and, though she could not necessarily count on Zhcted, it was still a precious ally.

The hustle and bustle of a feast was present both inside and outside the Royal Palace. Tigre borrowed a room and gathered his luggage.

He had bitter memories of the past and was not fond of the Royal Palace, and, since he was going to Zhcted, he did not want to deal with the trouble of explaining his situation.

''--- Ah, I wish I could eat the dishes in the Royal Palace...''

When he thought such things, a knock sounded from the door. Thinking it was Teita, Tigre opened the door.

It was not Teita, but the three Vanadis.

“Lord Tigrevurmud, thank you for your hard work.”

Sophie gave words of appreciation and smiled at him. As if it were natural, she gently but closely embraced Tigre. He could not speak as she had buried his face into her rich, soft chest. While standing in place, his face dyed crimson.

“H, hey, Sophie?”

“So, so suddenly...”

Ellen and Mira stared wide eyed with cramped faces as they watched the abrupt behavior of their friend. Sophie released Tigre and stuck out her tongue before bowing. Her wavy, golden hair shook.

“I apologize. It has been such a long time.”

Of course, that was not the only reason. She wanted to know how Tigre's relationship with her friend with silver-white hair had developed. However, the results were unexpected.

''--- Oh my, Ellen, it seems you are more devoted to this boy than before. And surely Mira showed a reaction as well... It seems the future will be quite interesting.''

Sophie's interest in Tigre increased even more at this moment.

Ellen had a disappointed expression but quickly pulled herself back together and smiled. The boy with dull red hair shook his head to clear his mind.

“... We're going back, Tigre.”

Tigre turned to Ellen with a smile and nodded.

--- Several days after the celebration, King Faron quietly took his final breath.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

A girl with silver-white hair stared at a document in interest.

“--- So Tigre hasn't come back yet.”

Lim, who was beside her helping with political affairs, answered with her head slightly cocked.

“He went to the mountains four days ago. He should return today or tomorrow.”

''Did you need him?'' The expressionless girl asked with her gaze. Ellen nodded and glanced out the window as she took the papers Lim had passed her.

In the brilliant sunlight of summer above Zhcted, a shadow was drawn across the floor.

“That guy – I'm having him go to Asvarre.”

It had been half a year since Tigre began living in LeitMeritz.

In these foreign lands, a new battle was about to begin.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 05 Chapter 5 - MTL

2013-11-29T17:38:04Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Decisive Battle ===
Four of those who had entered the temple of the Goddess Mosha remained. They were Ellen, Regin, Rurick, and a soldier from Zhcted.

Though Ellen had the impulse to destroy the upper part of the passage with her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} on multiple occasions, she persuaded herself to endure. Burying it even further was not going to help Tigre in any way.

There were two reasons that helped Ellen remain somewhat calm.

One was Regin's existence. She was far more troubled than Ellen.

She had not stopped crying as she ran, and she could not speak words to blame herself. She had fallen hard once, and, after that, the Princess of Brune was carried on the back of one of the soldiers. Seeing her in that way beside her, Ellen regained her composure, little by little.

The other reason was Rurick. While she ran through the passage, the bald Knight shouted at Ellen.

“Vanadis-sama. Lord Tigrevurmud will be safe! He is skilled with the bow, his skill is superior to death, and that is why he will survive! He won't die in a place like this!”

Rather than encouraging Ellen, he was persuading himself. Still, Rurick's words had saved Ellen. Rurick was a good archer, but not as excellent as Tigre. What he said held weight, or so she thought.

“We'll go to Artishem.”

After they returned to the temple, Ellen looked back at Regin whose breath was still not regulated, and she reported in a dignified voice.

“That cave-in was very localized. It did not seem to go any further than the passage we returned from. Though I don't know how, it only affected the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}.”

“You mean to dig up the area around the cave-in... how will we do that?”

Rurick had an uneasy expression. Even the Zhcted soldiers were weakly objecting.

“However, Lord Tigrevurmud...”

Ellen glared at the two intensely, however, she shook her head immediately.

“... Though I don't think this is the case, it is still an emergency. We need to collect the corpse. There is the possibility they are also searching.”

These words startled Regin, finally stopping her tears. Tigre's death would lead to the collapse of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. Even if the possibilities were slim, Thenardier might return with dozens of soldiers.

“--- Yes. If there are corpses, we cannot let them have it. No matter what.”

''This is no time to cry. I am sorry. I cannot do this now. I must move my feet, move my hands.''

Regin found courage at last and nodded to Ellen with her blue eyes. Her eyes showed her belief in Tigre's safety, but she could not hide her anxiety.

“I understand. Then let's move.”

Rurick pulled himself together and responded to Ellen with a clear tone. The Vanadis with silver-white hair gave a command to Rurick and the Zhcted soldiers in a loud voice.

“Return to the main unit immediately and explain the details only to Earl Rodant and Limlisha. Have them dispatch two thousand men to Artishem.”

After that, she turned to the soldiers of Brune.

“All of you, we will head to Artishem immediately. We will explain the details as we ride.”

Her voice was strong and demanded presence, even to soldiers of another country. Without worrying about the dirt covering her, Ellen took actions. They had originally come riding two people per horse. They had been reduced to six people now; it was an ironic form of luck.

After leaving the temple, they divided into two groups. Ellen and the others ran to Artishem across the meadow.

The sky was blue and the sun had risen high. It was already well into the day. Though Ellen and Regin were exhausted, neither desired a break.

It did not take even a quarter koku to reach Artishem from the temple of Mosha. The ramparts surrounding the city had become visible immediately.

“What will you do when you go into Artishem?”

Regin pulled her horse next to Ellen's.

“We'll head to the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}. I'll think of something when I get there.”

It was a violent answer, but Regin understood. The two gazed ahead as the walls of Artishem gradually approached.

--- The two opened their mouths wide at the same time.

A black light streaked perpendicular to the ramparts on the other side of the wall from the center of the city. A Black Dragon crossed the thoughts of the two girls the moment they saw the light.

The black light blew through the clouds, like a pillar connecting Heaven and Earth. The clouds above vanished. It was as if the Black Dragon had flown to the heavens.

A moment later, the air shook, reminiscent of a distant thunderstorm.

The black light grew thin and disappeared soundlessly.

“What was that...?”

They were far too surprised and could only think of those words. In contrast to Regin who could not hide her unease and tension, Ellen's mouth smiled hopefully. The image of the black bow the boy with red hair held floated to her mind.

“I don't know! But we're going!”

Kicking the horse's belly, Ellen quickly ran to the eastern gate.

Looking up at the rampart, a part of the walls surrounding Artishem had burned and collapsed.

Despite the tragic sight spreading before their eyes as they passed through the gate, Ellen and the others did not stop moving.

Soot and debris clung to the sides of the streets and the buildings. Everything was buried in rubble. Columns that still remained were colored black. Whoever saw it would only feel their heart go cold.

There were people who walked up and down the streets who looked terribly dirty, but compared to those sitting or lying down in the rubble, they looked much better. There were those searching for something to get them through the day, and there were those who walked unintentionally down the road with blank faces.

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 212.jpg|175px|thumb]]
The entire city was shrouded in pain and despair.

Regin could think of nothing to say as she looked at the roads covered in rubble. The two soldiers of Brune who followed afterward trembled.

The Vanadis lightly tapped the frozen Princess.

“There is nothing we can do today. Let's go.”

Regin nodded helplessly. She had said it to herself before. She had no room to worry about others. There were few travelers in the city. The four stood out, but Ellen did not bother to stop.

“... The heart of the city is ahead of us.”

Regin spoke as she turned the corner. Before them was where the light had expanded.

The ground just a few steps before them was lost.

To be precise, there was a giant bowl-shaped crater.

The hole was the size of a small house, and it was focused at the point where the main streets intersected. All the pavement slabs had been destroyed; all that remained was soil and stone.

Many curious onlookers looked. They stared down at the hole, unable to hide their emotions.

Someone lay in the center of the crater.

“... Tigre!”

Seeing the boy with red hair and a black bow in his left hand lying in the crater, Ellen, without hesitation, rushed to the center.

Both his clothes and leather armor were in tatters, and his red hair was completely disordered. At first, she was confused seeing the black bow in his left hand, but she saw Tigre had carried someone on his back. Seeing this, Ellen understood.

“You're safe, Tigre!”

She ran up and held him in her arms. The face full of soot moved faintly and a voice called out.

“... Ellen?”

Though he looked weak, Ellen smiled in relief. However, Tigre's body suddenly lost strength at that moment. Ellen reached out to support him, her face full of anxiety until she saw that Tigre had fainted.

“Honestly... Making me worry like that.”

Tears blotted the edge of Ellen's eyes, blurring her vision. However, having confirmed his safety, the Vanadis with silver-white hair forced them back.

After that, Ellen saw the elderly man's corpse on Tigre's shoulders. His clothes were stained with blood, and his face and body was more battered than Tigre's. He was dead. There was a large wound across his body which had taken his life away.

''--- So it's Batran.''

He was the elderly man who had served by Tigre's side. Ever since they entered the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}, he had remained by Tigre's side.

''--- Even in that violent tremor, you sacrificed yourself to save Tigre.''

Ellen closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she prayed to the Pantheon of the Gods for the peace and safety of his soul. He had far surpassed the border of life. It all began when he visited Tigre when he was still a prisoner of war.

Batran had done what she herself could not.

Suddenly, a rope was thrown to her feet. She looked up and saw Regin and the Brune soldiers grasping it tightly. They had secured it as she ran down the crater.

Ellen lay Tigre on the ground and took over the task of carrying Batran. She stood up after supporting Tigre once again and grabbed the rope. Regin and the others slowly pulled them up.

Looking at the surroundings, the people were gradually beginning to gather. Many had run away after seeing the light of the Black Dragon as it flew up to the sky. Because nothing else happened afterward, they came to see what had occurred.

Those who had been at the crater at the beginning and saw Ellen and the others arrive looked at the Vanadis and the Princess suspiciously.

However, no one called out to them. Perhaps they judged it would be bad to interfere, or perhaps they lacked the energy to act due to the fire.

In fact, the people remaining in the capital were simply too tired. They had lost their livelihoods to the fire, and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and Thenardier Army were approaching the city. They had no means of escape.
At any rate, Ellen and the others could only appreciate the lack of interference.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The sun fell to the west, causing a subtle change to the blue sky.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was camped in a field thirty belsta away from Artishem.

In the General's tent, Ellen, Regin, Lim, Mira, Massas, Rurick, and Gerard sat in a circle.

After Ellen and Regin explained what happened in the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}, there were a variety of reactions from those present.

“First of all... You are safe, Lord Eleanora. Your safety is a blessing.”

Said Massas as he bowed deeply, nearly to the ground.

Rurick and the others who left the passage headed to the base of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and immediately explained the circumstances to Massas. Massas quickly ordered the troops to prepare to withdraw and gathered one thousand men to head to Artishem at once.

“However, that was not our fate. The army would have collapsed immediately.”

Ellen sighed knowing his life was not in danger.

“Fate, is it...?”

Regin placed her hand to her mouth and was lost in thought after hearing Ellen's casual language.

“The moment we entered the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}, the area above us began to collapse... I wonder how likely that is.”

“Even if you ask, it just happened. Even if Thenardier was there, it was not something he did. To begin with, that is something impossible to do artificially.”

Ellen said those words with some darkness in her voice. At that moment, Teita entered with a number of cups on a tray.

Her face was dark and she had lost her voice. Massas knew the energy that was once in her smile and wanted to turn away in apology. She had endured her sorrows well.

The maid with chestnut-colored hair politely, but somewhat mechanically, placed porcelain cups before them one by one. Steam rose from the hot tea within.

“... Teita.”

After some slight hesitation, Ellen called out to her as a representative for everyone.

“Tigre... Um, how is he?”

“He is currently resting in another tent. He has a few bruises, and he seems weak, but he has no large injuries that could become a problem.”

Teita responded in a detached voice that was more indifferent than even Lim's usual tone.

“I understand. I know it is unnecessary to say this, but please stay with Tigre.”

''Thank you very much.'' Teita bowed and left the tent after giving her gratitude in a small voice. They all looked down at the tea cups before turning to one another.

“Earl Rodant. You know Lord Tigrevurmud best, so I will ask you frankly. Will he recover by tonight?”

Gerard asked a question without any hint of reserve. Lim and Mira held their breath, and Rurick openly frowned, but none criticized him. It was an important question.

“--- I honestly don't know.”

Massas responded with a pensive expression, making the atmosphere even heavier.

“Tigre is the kind of person to bounce back quickly, but...”

In the battles until today, many soldiers from Alsace had been lost; however no one had a relation with Tigre as long or as deeply as Batran had. The small, brave man had served Tigre's father, Urz.

The sense of sorrow and loss was also clear in Teita's attitude.

“Tigre... only spoke about Batran?”

Regin nodded to Massas' question.

Tigre woke up just before they left Artishem. Even when Ellen asked about his injuries, he had remained silent. He only spoke when they mentioned burying Batran.

“Encase him in wax and place him in a coffin. In this season, he will last a month. Have Batran buried in Alsace.”

Immediately after saying those words in a strong tone, Tigre lost consciousness and remained asleep ever since.

“However, Lord Tigrevurmud clearly stated his intentions regarding Batran.”

“It may have come out of his desire to properly take care of Bartran. Since then, he has become like this.”

Regin's words were simply her clinging to hope. The Princess with hair of gold glanced at Ellen in hope, who simply clenched her fist atop her knee, enduring her helplessness.

“More than anything, all of you have returned safely. Regarding Duke Thenardier... have you seen any signs of him?”

To restore the atmosphere, Mira brought up the problem at hand. Massas responded quickly.

“At present, there are no noticeable movements. From what I heard from Her Highness and Lord Eleanora, the Duke himself was in the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}. He will have returned to his army by now and is likely taking measures.”

“... Do you mean to say he will accuse Lord Tigrevurmud of acting toward his own goals, and he is ordering an attack?”

Hearing those words, Lim had a tense expression. Her thoughts were quickly stopped.

It was not strange to think he would turn his anger toward Thenardier who interfered and caused Batran's death. The problem was that he would fight recklessly. If they were defeated here, there was a risk that the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} would collapse.

“Don't worry, Lim.”

Ellen answered her adjutant with gold hair tied to the left side of her head.

“If that happens, I'll stop him, even if I have to knock him out.”

“--- At any rate.”

Massas looked about to conclude the meeting.

“No matter the reason, Thenardier's Army has begun to move, and we cannot neglect our own preparations. For now, we should leave Tigre – Lord Vorn alone for the night.”

The conference ended with that. Ellen, Lim, Mira and Gerard left the tent. Only Rurick and Massas remained.

“... Is something wrong?”

Massas spoke with a questioning gaze. Even though the sun had fallen, the bald Knight did not have much of a chance to speak until now. Massas knew he looked up to Tigre and nothing more. Rurick finished the tea in his cup and stood up before speaking.

“Earl Rodant, will you not rest for a while?”

“Though I am grateful for your consideration...”

To Massas, he was only a member of a foreign army. The old Earl looked at Rurick curiously. Rurick simply responded with a shrug.

“I have been fighting for Lord Tigrevurmud, and I have spoken many times to Batran. We have played chess and various card games with one another.”

Batran, though Teita was also one reason, had become estranged from Ellen. However, Rurick, though a simple soldier, seemed to get along well with him. Massas continued evaluating the man before him.

“I have heard that you are also quite intimate with Batran, a friendship which surpasses rank. Even if it is only for a koku, you should also rest.”

Massas would be unable to bear it for more than one koku due to his sense of responsibility. Massas stroked his gray beard in silence while thinking about Rurick's proposal. Rather than asking a question, he simply gave his gratitude.

Rurick bowed to Massas as he stepped out of the tent. He stopped his legs immediately.

“Eavesdropping is a poor hobby.”

“No, no, I simply did not think you were so considerate.”

Gerard walked out from the shade of the tent with an unusual sign of admiration. Rurick did not show any signs of anger, though.

“Well, whatever. Help me. It's only one koku, so let's try and avoid having the Brune soldiers see anything.”

“Why should I help?”

“It would create problems if I ordered those from Brune directly.”

Rurick responded in a tone as if it were natural. Gerard looked at the bald Knight before letting out a large sigh.

“And here I thought you would beg me for help. I've been had... As expected from a man of Zhcted. You're neither easy nor naïve.”

“I will give orders and you can relay them. I will say this now, but I am only cooperating with you to help Lord Massas.”

“I suppose it can't be helped. It will only be more troublesome if I have to clean up your mess later... We'll need a barrel of Zhcted alcohol for this.”

Gerard consented easily. He had planned to do nothing for Massas. It is only because his father, Augre, and Massas were close friends that he accepted.

While hurling insults at one another, the man from Zhcted and the man from Brune walked between the tents housing the soldiers.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

In the center of his own tent, Tigre sat silently. He had been treated and was wearing fresh clothing.

He grasped his black bow tightly in his left hand and remained as still as a stone statue.

Teita quietly sat beside him. The tent was completely dark with not even a single candle lit. It was silent and the air was heavily stagnant.

It was a sight which directly represented Tigre's mindset.

[--- You did it.]

Unexpectedly, a voice shook the air. Though it was a voice, it did not emit through the ears; it was a voice which only Tigre could hear.

[You finally used the power of the bow without using my help or the help of others.]

He shot through the rocks in an instant.

Though the voice reached Tigre, he did not show a single reaction. Tigre simply stared into the nothingness before him. After a half koku, the [Voice] gave up and left.

[It must be serious if you aren't talking to me. I'll return when your mood is better.]

Tigre still did not show any particular change, as if he had never heard the voice at all. Rage, regret, helplessness, loss, swirling emotions rampaged about his mind. It was as if his heart itself was dyed jet black.

Batran was killed by Steid, and Steid was Thenardier's subordinate.

However, he was already dead.

Revenge and remorse, two fierce animals struggled like violent dogs in his mind.

It had repeated constantly in his mind.

''If Thenardier wasn't there. No, if I didn't take Batran to the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}. No, if I had managed to get rid of Steid. No, if that tremor had not happened. No, no, no...''

''This is all meaningless, Batran is dead and he will not return, Whether I am angry or whether I have and regrets, I can't change that any longer.''

Tigre knew.

He knew it was not the time to stop, that he must move forward.

Though he understood, his mind ran idle. Except for his hand which grasped the bow, he had no energy. His lower body was heavy, as if it were trying bind him to the ground, keeping them from moving.

Batran could no longer feel happiness, anger, or sadness.

The sky was bathed in the ultramarine of twilight. Soldiers could be heard outside cooking, and smoke could be seen rising. Even so, Tigre showed no reaction.

As if mimicking him, Teita remained silent. She drew close to Tigre, thankful he was still there.

The soldiers finished their meals. Even when the stars and moon shined high in the sky, they did not move.

There was a change, and occasional questions were heard outside.

“I'll be bothering you.”

With a natural tone and gait, one girl with a lit candle in her hand entered the tent. She was dressed in blue and had silver-white hair and bright red pupils. A longsword was at her waist – it was Ellen.

Though Tigre looked up at her, he did not speak. Ellen placed the candlestick near the entrance and sat down.

“I will not hear anything vague. What do you want to do?”

“... Leave it for tomorrow.”

Tigre's response was tired. Teita glared at Ellen with a tearful face; she would cry soon. She grasped Tigre tightly and appealed strongly with her hazelnut eyes.

However, the Vanadis with silver-white hair did not flinch and continued quietly.

“You will decide now. If we wait until tomorrow, we will be pressed for time. That is why I will ask you now. What do you want to do?”

When Tigre remained silent, Ellen continued.

“You can't abandon the war now. Duke Thenardier has suffered a significant setback from the fight today, and he may negotiate depending on the conditions. You can defend Alsace.”

“... But what of your purpose, then?”

“I will manage it on my own. That's natural.”

He answered in a husky voice, and Ellen responded quickly. She was bluntly telling him she would take care of her own business; Tigre had no words to respond.

In the dead silence, Ellen looked at Tigre seriously and continued speaking.

“I have absolute pride that I can fight, that is what I have long since decided.”

“Pride...?”

It was a normal word, but it had surprisingly latched onto Tigre's mind. Tigre muttered the word again. Ellen simply nodded.

“That's right. Before I became a Vanadis... I was a mercenary, I had pride as a soldier.”

Ellen reached toward the longsword at her waist without separating her gaze from Tigre.

“To a mercenary, we have nothing to depend on, nothing to stand for. We only fight for money. We have no home to return to, only the battlefields we roam. Honor is an empty dream if you want to make a fortune in one go. Those who didn't understand would die. There was nothing – that is why I learned to have pride. Pride in myself, pride as a soldier.”

She spoke again with pride. Tigre muttered to himself again. He had heard it recently somewhere, and not from Ellen.

''--- That's right.''

It was when he was with Mira during his battle with Muozinel. At that time, she spoke of her pride that she had inherited from the generations before her, she had pride in her inheritance of the Frozen Wave that made her a Vanadis.

How did he respond?

“Stubbornness...”

He found the feelings he had lost sight of.

It was an important emotion. Without thought, he was dead.

Whatever he looked like, he would have been dead at heart.

“--- Teita.”

Hearing her name called unexpectedly, the maid with chestnut-brown hair that had remained still as a statue until then looked up to see Tigre's apologetic eyes.

He did not notice she had drawn close to him; he was pitying only himself, trapped in his sorrow. He could not possibly let Batran see him like that.

“Thank you... and sorry for worrying you.”

It was the calm voice of the Tigre she was familiar with. When she heard his voice and saw Tigre's gentle smile, she had lost all tension.

“Tigre-sama!”

Tears poured down Teita's eyes as she clung to Tigre. She buried her face in his chest and continued to cry.

Tigre quietly embraced Teita and stroked her head and pat her back.

“We will return to Alsace once this war ends... When we finish the burial, tell me more about Batran. Tell me about the Batran you knew.”

While crying, Teita nodded many times.

Later in the night, when the moon, which lacked a clear shape, was high in the sky, Teita finally became exhausted from crying and fell asleep. After placing the woman who was deep in sleep on the carpet, he quietly placed a blanket over her and turned to Ellen.

“Thank you.”

He bowed deeply with those short words.

“What's that for?”

“For helping me. I haven't thanked you yet.”

Ellen looked at him curiously as Tigre gave his answer.

“If that's the case, then I should apologize for being too naïve. And it was not just me, Regin and Rurick were also there.

“Of course, I wish to express my gratitude to Her Highness and Rurick as well, and I will say so later. But... when I was unable to move, you were the one to give me support. I'm happy about that... and there's something else.”

Tigre turned back to the sleeping Teita and spun his words like a soliloquy while stroking her soft hair.

“Father... My father and Batran were worried for me, that I did not turn my eyes away from Alsace.

Tigre recalled Batran's words as he was approaching death. He had not noticed at all. More than anything, he was satisfied with Alsace.

“In his last moments, Batran was at ease. He no longer had to worry, since I can now see more than just Alsace”

“Doing so is your own accomplishment. I did nothing.”

Though forcible, she had given him a chance. She had taken him to LeitMeritz as a captive and let him roam about; she had given him freedom.

“... Well, since you went to the trouble of saying it, I'll accept your gratitude.”

Ellen smiled shyly as she continued.

“Now then, we should go meet with everyone. It's a bit troublesome now.”

Tigre quietly stood up so as not to awake Teita. Ellen also returned her sword back to her waist and lined up next to the young man.

“I'll go with you. It's better than being scolded alone, right?”

There would be no difference, either way. After exchanging a bitter smile, the two left the tent.

The two looked on with wide eyes at the same time. Lim and Mira stood there. Regin, Rurick, and Gerard, further into the tent, did as well.

“... How long have you been there?”

Ellen asked with an amazed face. Tigre had the same feeling, though he did not voice it.

“This man from Brune couldn't concentrate on his work.”

“This guy from Zhcted was so nervous, it was bothersome.”

Rurick and Gerard pointed to each other with sulky faces.

“There were matters which required your confirmation, Eleanora-sama; however, you were busy, so I waited for you to finish.”

Lim answered indifferently. Regin shrunk down with an apologetic face.

“Ah, um, it was an important talk, so I thought I should wait..”

“I wished to hear Tigre's opinion, so I thought it best to come here.”

Mira stood with her Frozen Wave and laughed mischievously. Tigre looked at everyone and played with his dull red hair before thanking every one of them.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The next day, Tigre and the others had gathered in the General's tent.

“There are two important reports.”

The meeting began with the old Earl's words. Massas was unable to see what happened the night before, but he was relieved to see Tigre's face at the meeting and let out a sigh of relief.

Tigre, in the meanwhile, was worried about Regin's poor complexion.

“Though several people here know, a messenger from the Zhcted Kingdom came. To be more accurate, it came from Lebus Territory.”

Hearing the name, Ellen frowned. It was the land governed by the Vanadis Elizavetta Fomina she had recently fought.

“We assume she wishes to make a connection of friendship with Tigre. She has sent five hundred barrels of pickled fish oil and three hundred barrels of alcohol. They are currently in the northern port of Crotoy. If you wish to receive it, we can have it brought here immediately.”

Tigre cocked his head in bewilderment.

“Friendship...? I'm not particularly famous.”

Tigre looked to Ellen, Mira, and Lim for help. Ellen frowned and looked resentful, while Mira simply shrugged at him.

“Indeed. Your activities should not have yet reached Lebas. She may have interest in you since Eleanora is cooperating with you. She is trying to have a connection with you in case you should win the battle.”

After saying that, an ill-natured smile floated to Mira's mouth.

“However, her relationship with Eleanora is very bad.”

Tigre looked at Ellen after hearing the Snow Princess' words. Ellen looked away from Tigre and responded with a snappy tone.

“I returned from Zhcted just the other day. She was the reason I had to leave. Also, she has connections to both Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon.”

“Then it would be better to refuse.”

“If it was sent to me, I would naturally turn it down, but---”

Ellen shook away her enmity before continuing to speak.

“But this is addressed to you. Well, she sent it over for free. I doubt it's poisoned.”

Ellen smiled dangerously as she spoke her dangerous assumption. Lim, perhaps out of her loyalty to Ellen, remained in silence without a change in her complexion.

Tigre reluctantly turned to Massas.

“What do you think, Lord Massas?”

“It would be a problem if we create bitter feelings by rejecting this. Given the amount they sent, it's well preserved. If they make some demand should we accept this, we may not be able to handle it. To be on the safe side, you may wish to send a reply.”

Tigre nodded and ordered Gerard to inspect the goods and ensure the proper quantity was received. He also told him to carry a generous amount to Artishem.

He was a man better with such things than the battlefield, so he would do his best.

“Now for the next report.”

Massas paused there and took a deep breath. Tigre was lightly surprised. From the attitude of the old Earl, the following conversation would be troublesome.

“A message from the Royal Palace, from Bodwin.”

Massas spoke with a serious expression. Tigre had heard the name somewhere. While exploring his memory, Massas smiled bitterly.

“He is the Prime Minister of our country. Pierre Bodwin.”

Tigre let out a sound involuntarily.

“Prime Minister, why...?”

“He said His Majesty has awoken.”

The Prime Minister of Brune Kingdom walked into the tent after Gerard. He was an elderly man with normal height and build, and he wore a gray uniform. His face was round and his eyes were small, and a gray beard and mustache extended from his face, making his overall appearance look like a cat.

Since it was their first meeting, Tigre bowed his head, but Bodwin softly shook his own.

“Long ago, I met you when you came with your father to the palace in the summer. It has indeed been a long time, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

He had the sense that he had just been smacked in the head. Tigre ruffled his dull red hair in confusion.

“... I heard His Majesty awoke from Earl Rodant. Please tell us, is there a specific reason you came here in person?”

Tigre thought there must be something other than business if this old man came out himself. Bodwin continued on.

“I wished to meet you. I wish to know your intent.”

Bodwin watched Tigre and spoke sonorously.

“You became a prisoner of Zhcted Kingdom in the battle at Dinant. Afterward, when Duke Thenardier's men invaded Alsace, you pushed them back with the soldiers of Zhcted Kingdom.”

Tigre nodded.

“Territoire led by Viscount Augre and Aude governed by Earl Rodant became your companions. Even with your title revoked and your territory taken away, your army did not dissolve; rather, you were able to repel the private army of Duke Ganelon and the Navarre Knights. Shall I continue?”

“He seems like a great criminal when you put it like that.”

Lim quietly rebuked Ellen as she made a joke from the side.

“Concerning my actions, that is correct.”

Tigre confirmed it with a serious expression. Bodwin shook his head and narrowed his eyes quickly in a manner reminiscent of a cat.

“After this, what do you plan to do?”

“At present, I will fight Duke Thenardier. I will defeat him.”

Tigre spoke in a natural tone. The Prime Minister's cat-like face became increasingly grim.

“Then will you attack Duke Ganelon's territory as well?”

“No. Once I have secured Alsace's safety, I will return to Zhcted as a prisoner of war.”

Hearing Tigre's response, Bodwin half-opened his mouth and looked with round eyes.

“Of course. I'll make sure to treat you well.”

“I will welcome you as a guest if you wish to come with me.”

Ellen and Mira began quarreling behind Bodwin.

“... You will leave Brune?”

The old Prime Minister looked at him with a troubled face and voice. Tigre nodded quickly to wipe away his suspicions.

“Regarding my future, there are many things I must still discuss. However, for the time being, that is what I will do.”

“... What will you do with Durandal which Lord Roland entrusted you with?”

“I will return it.”

Hearing such a prompt answer, Bodwin's expression and profuse sweating showed he could not possibly understand. After that, he looked back at Massas. Massas had an unusually nasty smile.

“It is as you have heard, Bodwin. Tigre has no ambition. He is not the type to take advantage of this war.”

Tigre was satisfied as things were. Bodwin was afraid Tigre would use this war to become a major force.

The cat-faced Prime Minister turned to Tigre with a perplexed face.

“Then, you really are only defending Alsace...?”

“Correct, however, I wish to remind you, that to defend the peace of Alsace... I will have to relinquish my rights to Zhcted.”

Massas looked away. Ellen smiled as she always did, Mira smiled at him with both amazement and admiration, Regin looked at him popeyed, and Lim grimaced as if wavering between whether she should scold him or praise him.

Bodwin played with his mustache with his fingers. Though his mind was wavering between his emotions and his duties, the cat-faced Prime Minister showed no signs of it. Since there was no reaction, Tigre changed the subject.

“Regin, Your Highness.”

Tigre saw a shadow somewhere in Regin's expression, perhaps because she was unsure whether it was the time to talk. Bodwin glanced at Regin then returned his gaze to Tigre. He spoke in a prudent tone.

“Do you believe she is Her Highness, Regin?”

“I have no choice but to believe. She has spoken of something known only to His Highness and me. I have never once spoken of it, and I cannot think her appearance a coincidence.”

Tigre looked him in the eyes as he spoke the last part. According to Regin, King Faron, her mother, Thenardier, and Ganelon knew of her true gender. Bodwin spoke with an indifferent reaction.

“I cannot think of anyone else who might know. It is unlikely anyone else found out, however---”

Bodwin frowned like a cat that had just smelled something disagreeable.

“Even if I let it be known that she was the Prince, it would be useless. Who would possibly be convinced she was a member of the Royal Family? Only we would know, and we would have nothing to prove her identity, either.”

“Would it be pointless to return to the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}} again?”

Ellen quickly gave an answer.

“About that, only the upper parts collapsed. We would need to remove all the rubble away.”

“If possible... you could come to Nice. I would like you to meet His Majesty.”

Bodwin gave his proposal as he looked at Regin.

“His Majesty... How is Father's condition?”

“It is not good.”

Bodwin continued with an earnest expression.

“Though it was well hidden from you... His Highness suffered from an illness even before the battle of Dinant. Since then, his health has progressively deteriorated.”

Regin's voice was lost. The King she knew was such an exuberant and healthy man overflowing with vitality compared to a normal 41 year old. Massas recalled what he heard across the door and scowled.

“His weakening body has reached even his mind... The doctors of the court have prescribed a variety of medicines, and the priests and shrine maidens have prayed for his health every day, but his condition has simply become terrible.”

“I understand. Let's go to the Royal Capital.”

Tigre was the one to answer. Everyone inside the tent glanced at him. Tigre continued with a sincere expression.

“If Her Highness can meet His Majesty, his condition may improve. I have no reason to refuse. However – we cannot avoid a battle with Duke Thenardier before that.”

If King Faron regained his sanity and formally accepted Regin as a princess, Duke Thenardier would be accused of being a traitor for attempting to kill the King's child. No matter what he must do, he would act to prevent Regin and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} from reaching the Royal Capital.

Everyone present had no doubt the decisive battle would occur here.

Bodwin left the camp of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} before the day ended. The cat-faced man quickly cut the distance and returned to the King's Capital one koku early.

“I am a civil servant. I would be of no help in the realm of battle. Even if it is only one koku early, I wish to report of Her Highness Regin's presence to His Majesty.”

Tigre accepted his wishes and separated with the Prime Minister, allowing him fifty cavalrymen to defend him.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Felix Aaron Thenardier was nearly killed three times before the age of 10. By the time he turned 20, his attacks had increase four or five-fold. Since he inherited his title and territory at the age of 26, he was attacked even more frequently.

“Those who inherit the Thenardier name must be strong. They must be stronger than all others.”

They were the words of his father which the Duke had heard every day from an early age. Contrary to his words, he was a sickly and clumsy man. Though his ability as a ruler was superior, he could not perfectly execute it.

“The weak are eaten by the strong. They will take your place; that is the way of the world. You must also not be content with weak blood. They, too, can be eaten.”

Thenardier had three brothers born from the same mother. Including the children from different mothers, he had five more. He had no sisters by blood.

His father not only spoke his words but acted on them. The terror of Thenardier's father was that he allowed the children of his concubines to try and kill the children of his lawful wife.

Before he knew it, it had become similar to a story he had once heard from a traveling minstrel. Ten snakes were put in a jar, and they killed each other, one by one within the container. Thenardier could not help but remember the story.

Thenardier trained himself. He studied the sword, the speed, horse riding skills, and politics from a young age. Against his half-brothers, born of his father's mistresses, Thenardier mercilessly beheaded those who lost and pleaded for their life.

When Thenardier turned 20, only his younger brother remained. The number of children had decreased to five or less.

At that time, Thenardier had one idea in his head.

“The weak are taken over by the strong. A strong man trains himself to remain strong, and a strong person will eat the weak.”

He was cruel to the weak and incompetent, he was cruel to those who had no value to him. The only exception was his son Zaien. Perhaps it was his last bit of humanity, for better or for worse.

He promoted many people who showed a high capability, including his aide, Steid, who was of a superior standard. Save for him, the world was filled with the weak.

He was tyrannical in Nemetacum, the territory he governed.

This tyranny was the basis of his own existence. He examined the records over the previous fifty years and noticed how the land changed from ruler to ruler. For areas without especially talented individuals, he imposed a heavy tax.

“The weak are not useful and can do nothing but die. If they are gone, if someone capable survives, then the city will change quickly.”

His words were not a lie. There were regions with very low taxes as well. Even so, it was not simply luck or fortune that followed them. The majority of people were treated violently.

He continued to rule with fear.

There were several reasons.

First, no one stopped Thenardier.

Though only King Faron had the ability to stop him, the Duke did not listen to the King's words at all with the excuse of self-autonomy.

Thenardier could boast of the strength of Nemetacum that he governed, but more than that, he was on good terms with many powerful aristocrats.

Should these individuals all revolt when Thenardier ordered them to, All of Brune would be wrapped in the horrors of war. Because of this, though Faron was above Thenardier in rank, Thenardier spoke arrogantly before him.

Moreover, Thenardier showed no mercy to those who bore their fangs toward him.

For instance, three hundred bandits appeared in his territory, and he thoroughly crushed them with three thousand soldiers. Those who were caught stealing from the fields were crucified and left alongside the road. Thenardier himself would wield a spear and lead the troops on occasion. Because of his brutality, the security in his territory was the best in the country.

He also excelled in business and diplomacy. He had exchanges with some of the Vanadis of Zhcted, and the cities facing the sea to the south were well protected and had low taxes, bringing prosperity to his land.

There were also those weaker than Thenardier who rebelled against his tyranny, but they were quickly oppressed within a single night. Due to the examples set, very few happened in the future.

Nemetacum prospered due to fear.

Ten years passed, then fifteen. Thenardier had yet another thought.

There is nothing above the throne.

Just below the throne was the position of Prime Minister, but Thenardier looked further up.

The Duke despised the King. He was not a strong man. Though he may not have been weak, the King was at least below himself.

The weak exist to be eaten by the strong. He would take his position.

At that time, Duke Thenardier had two people he considered rivals. They were Duke Ganelon and Prime Minister Bodwin. He would accept the valor of the Black Knight Roland, but only several years later.

While studying Bodwin and Ganelon, he learned that the Prince was actually a Princess. To deal with this, he joined forces with Duke Ganelon; this happened one year before the battle of Dinant.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was camped in a field sixty belsta (about sixty kilometers) away from where Thenardier's Army had established its base.

Within the luxurious tent made of a double-weaved silk, Thenardier sat alone. He sat on a chair decorated with many jewels, lost in thought in the silence and darkness. Only his eyes shined white like a starved beast.

''--- There are a few reasons this will become a battle.''

Earlier, he received a message from Bodwin that the King had awoken and he was to head to the Royal Palace and disband his army.

Thenardier killed the messenger and buried him in secrecy. He decided the messenger never arrived.

''--- Regin is probably alive.''

If that was so, Thenardier's fate would be no different from his siblings. He would only meet ruin if he headed to the King's Palace. To overcome the situation, he needed to have either King Faron or Regin die before they met.

''--- Faron is weak, but he will not die today or tomorrow. I can be more certain if I slaughter Regin and Tigrevurmud Vorn.''

It was not without its uncertainties. Even though he still outnumbered the enemy, he did not have his Dragons anymore. Even his right arm, Steid, was gone.

If he returned to Nemetacum, he would be able to recruit more men and bring double what his enemy had.

However, he did not have that room now. He needed to stop Regin before she reached the capital.

There was a plan in which Thenardier could almost absolutely win against Tigre.

He could rush to the Royal City and cause a revolt to kill Tigre and the one who was imitating a member of the Royal Family. He could simply hold the castle gates and bring it to a siege.

He could use that to buy time while a messenger went to Nemetacum to build a new army. He could employ mercenaries from Sachstein to assassinate Tigre for extra measures.

However, while Thenardier was barricading himself in the King's Capital, Tigre and Regin could dig up the ruins of the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Royal Palace]|Sangroel}} and find proof that she was royalty.

However, even if she could prove her royalty, Regin's influence was still below Thenardier's. Those who doubt the authenticity of her words would hardly be uncommon.

Meanwhile, everyone knew Thenardier's wife was the King's niece. Thenardier himself could continue the bloodline of the royal family.

Ganelon had already left the stage. If Thenardier won this war, all rights would go to him.

If Steid were alive to advise him, Thenardier may have accepted the plan.

However, after thinking that far, Thenardier abandoned the plan. Thenardier recognized there was only one person who could execute his plan perfectly.

In addition, his heart burned intensely to recover from the humiliation of his defeat in the previous battle. Someone strong without ambition would become weak, and, above all, he had lost both his son and his aide to this man. He was determined to kill Tigrevurmud Vorn with his own hands.

The next morning, the Thenardier Army and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} took action at the same time. They headed to the south of the King's Capital.

When the day passed, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} prepared for rest. Massas presented the state of affairs while studying a map.

“We can't rush, but we need to close the distance, so we should not take too much time.”

The distance between the Thenardier Army and the Silver Meteor Army was fifty to sixty belsta. It was a difficult distance to plan an attack.

There was nothing but plains in their surroundings. Since the enemy was sending out their scouts, they could not carelessly approach. If they rushed their soldiers, the enemy could calmly intercept them.

“Aren't our distances to the capital about the same?”

Ellen asked as she looked at the map. Changing the viewpoint, the distance to either the Thenardier Army or the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was not so different. Before they arrived at the capital, they would certainly come into contact somewhere.

“That's right. Duke Thenardier will likely meet us here.”

Massas pointed to the map with his finger to Mereville Fields near the King's Capital of Nice approximately forty belsta of their current location.

The grounds were smooth, and there were neither hills nor forests. The rivers were distant, and the terrain was difficult to use. The battle would be in favor of those with superior numbers. Furthermore, the woods and hills to the south were conspicuous.

Three days later, the Thenardier Army arrived at Mereville Fields. One step later, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} set foot there.

Both armies set their camps up within a day and rested in preparation for the decisive battle to come.

Dawn arrived. A cold, fine rain poured down over the Mereville Fields under the cover of thick gray clouds. Though it was not enough to block visibility, the water only served to increase the anxiety of both armies.

However, the General and the Princess could not show such emotions. Both sides promptly completed their formations and faced each other at several hundred alsin apart. The Thenardier Army of sixteen thousand confronted the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} which had fewer than fifteen thousand.

Both armies had a main force and two wings. The Thenardier Army was strongest in the central unit like a spear, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was spread out and stronger in the flank, giving it a concave shape.

“So they really are coming in with the Four Spears Formation.”

Beside the General, Massas stroked his gray beard.

It was a formation built by the Thenardier House. The soldiers were arranged in long, perpendicular lines and mounted an intense rush, attacking in waves.

In the first place, the attack would come from an unknown direction. When the unit was enclosed, it would quickly retreat and others would move in to crush their opponent.

“--- It is fine, Earl Rodant.”

The General turned around with a quiet smile. It was not Tigre, but Regin who led the Silver Meteor Army.

“I am sure Lord Tigrevurmud will be successful.”

Though her voice was in no way forcible, she still quietly dispelled Massas' anxiety. Though she did not find what she wanted in the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}, she had managed to quietly mature. Massas smiled as he realized this.

“I suppose so. I should move these old bones as best I can, then.”

Tigre was now in the rear reserve forces. Mira was there as well.

“To the very end, I apologize for putting you in such danger.”

After confirming the condition of his black bow, Tigre looked back at Mira. Mira laughed as she held the Frozen Wave over her shoulder.

“There is no need to worry, since this is just a loan. I will make sure you return it slowly in the future.”

“... And what will the payment be?”

“I will leave that to you. If I like it, then I will accept it. The easiest method would simply be to serve me.”

“That's impossible, since Ellen will be angry.”

If she was truly angry, he would not live for that long. Mira simply shrugged her shoulders and responded with a smile.

“You just need to disguise yourself. You can wear a bearskin and call yourself Urz when you're in front of Eleanora.”

She hit a nerve. Tigre stirred his dull red hair to hide his feelings.

The horn marking the start of battle sounded. It blew across the earth wet with rain.

The {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}} flew on both sides, and the banner of numerous aristocrats colored the hill. The most conspicuous amongst these colors was the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} which did not belong to the country.

The Zhcted Army continued to serve as the right wing of the Silver Meteor Army. The left wing from the Thenardier Army which would confront them already seemed intimidated.

Because it was a battle between two armies of Brune, there was no prelude of arrows. Both armies quickly approached each other on horseback with spear and shield in hand.

The intense sound of their own armor increased their excitement and fear. Though they were driven by the impulse to run away, the existence of their companions surrounding them gave them the courage to endure.

The Thenardier Army raised their voices and spears. The atmosphere expanded quickly. Kicking off the damp grass, the infantry rushed forward, and the moist earth began to tremor.

Some from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} established a defense with shields while others threw their spears. A shower of spears poured over the Thenardier soldiers, killing many. Many of those who managed to defend with their shields lost balance and fell off their horses, only to be crushed by their companions.

Though the assault from the Thenardier Army weakened, the spears did not stop their advance.

The Thenardier soldiers pierced through the enemy not bearing a shield, while others thrust through the gap between shields to crush the skulls of their opponent. Broken spears, cracked shields, and blood fell to the ground, and many screams rang through the air.

The rain was not enough to wash the blood away.

As blood spread in the battle between the main forces, the right wing of the Thenardier Army and the left wing of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} clashed.

The force composed primarily of Knights steadily closed in with sword and spear while the enemy devoted themselves to defense. They raised their shields, resisting spears and stones thrown from the rear.

On the other side, the Zhcted Army which made the right wing had not advanced too far against Thenardier's left wing, since they had made contact with the enemy later.

Ellen spearheaded the attack as usual, cleaving her way through the enemy with Arifal, her silver-white hair fluttering through the air. The enemy shivered seeing the Vanadis as she advanced in a wake of bloodshed followed by her subordinates brimming with morale.

“Our Lord, our Vanadis is the {{furigana|[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash]|Silvfrau}}, the {{furigana|[Danseuse of the Sword]|Meltis}}! You will never win!”

Even so, the Thenardier soldiers resisted their fears in desperation. From two sides, from three, with swords, shields, and spears, they tried to stop Ellen's advancement as she rushed through on her horse. Even then, Ellen cut through them.

''--- What is it with these guys?''

While her Silver Flash flew to the right and the left, Ellen gave thought. If they were buying time, there were two purposes. Either they were waiting for reinforcements, or they were waiting for the other troops to complete their maneuver.

''--- Are they waiting for the center to win? If it will take too long, I may want to retreat.''

If they retreated here, the main unit's flank would be open, which could easily be attacked, causing their collapse. While pondering on whether or not she should pull back, a soldier came with a report.

“Vanadis-sama, a new enemy has appeared!”

To the right of the Zhcted Army, a new group of infantry suddenly appeared. They charged intensely toward their flank. Though surprised, Ellen collected herself instantly.

''--- Damn Thenardier. He must have planned this beforehand.''

He had likely pulled them away from his main forces the previous night and had them leave the battlefield. He had his main force launch a focused attack against the enemy while a small unit split away to draw her attention and launched a counterattack with his detached unit while his left wing protected the flank.

Even the Zhcted Army could not withstand a violent attack from three directions. Ellen fought bravely as her troops slowly retreated. Even so, more and more troops from Zhcted began to fall.

The Thenardier soldiers, who had built momentum, flocked to Ellen and attacked her. She was a girl who stood out on the battlefield, and she was an enemy Commander. Whether she was captured or her head was taken, there was sure to be a large reward.

Of course, Ellen had no reason to fulfill their desires. She brandished her longsword in all directions, cleaving the enemy's head in two, helmet and all. She cut through spears and sword alike. For every flash of silver, a gust of wind which carried death followed, depriving her enemy of life without mercy.

However, even with their allies' corpses piling up, the Thenardier soldiers showed no fear and continued to charge.

Duke Thenardier promised an enormous reward to whoever took Tigre or Ellen's head. They would be given a title and territory, whether they were a noble or a commoner, and they would have enough money to live their life without working. They would be lavishly entertained and have all the women they could hope for if they managed to capture her alive.

Ellen and Tigre were the core of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. Though the reward was a major reason for their morale, they had revenge in mind more than anything. They would have revenge on these two for the deaths of Thenardier's son and aide.

''--- This is bad...''

Ellen's breathing was disrupted, and the rain had become stronger. Her argent hair had absorbed the water, causing it to stick to her face. The dust and sweat on her body was washed away, mixing with the river of blood on the ground.

However, what appeared in her head was the progress of the battle.

''--- If the enemy breaks through here, they will hit our main force with their momentum. Our center will collapse.''

She stared at the large flag of the Thenardier Army in the distance.

Suddenly, the flag fell over. It was done by a single arrow.

The man with the flag was killed; the Thenardier Army was wrapped in surprise and agitation. It was the banner held in the center of the Thenardier Army. On the battlefield, in the midst of the whirlpool of chaos, it was virtually an impossible task for a single arrow. It was not a simple skill to do something of that nature.

While the Thenardier Army had stopped its movements, a group of cavalrymen appeared from behind and charged forward fiercely. It was the detached unit of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} led by Tigrevurmud Vorn and Ludmira Lurie.

Mira wielded the Frozen Wave at the forefront and brought one enemy after another to the ground. Behind her, Tigre nocked an arrow to his black bow as she protected him. The wind screamed and Thenardier soldiers cried out as they died, one after another.

One corner of the siege the Thenardier Army built up was destroyed, allowing the Zhcted Army to retreat in a single moment.

“Ellen, Are you safe?”

Tigre rode to her on his horse. Though Mira was pouting in dissatisfaction next to him, she said nothing.

Though Ellen smiled, she was too fatigued to reply immediately. She raised the tip of her sword slightly, and the longsword blew a gentle wind in Tigre's face.

“... Well, that's how it is.”

After recovering her breath, Ellen finally spoke. It was a difficult answer, so Tigre nodded with a smile.

Because they were convinced of their superiority, the Thenardier soldiers were surprised with the appearance of a new enemy. They were clearly confused as they were pushed back.

Tigre's smile soon became serious as he gazed at Ellen.

“Though it might be a bit harsh to ask you to handle this... Can you still do it?”

“Naturally.”

The Vanadis with silver-white hair smiled fearlessly.

At that time, a change occurred in the center of the battlefield.

Massas and Lim, who were entrusted with command of the left wing, were unable to push back the Four Spears Formation and barely managed not to collapse. In actuality, the enemy's movements were clever; they had invited the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} by retreating many times when their formation was broken, only to attack with fresh troops. This had been repeated numerous times.

Massas and Lim dealt with the new forces every time the Thenardier Army retreated by quickly replacing soldiers with those from the rear, but it was simply a temporary measure.

While it was effective for an enemy against whom they could not deal a fatal blow, the main unit gradually weakened, as if it had a small injury in which the blood would not stop flowing. Because of this unpredictable attack, Tigre's reserve forces needed to intervene, which resulted in him giving aid to Ellen earlier than expected.

The rain had grown stronger in this battle which had lasted two koku.

Lim pushed her wet hair away from her face and spoke to Massas, her face as nondescript as usual.

“... It is difficult to read their movements. This is taking too long.”

“As expected... We still haven't understood it fully.”

Massas stroked his wet beard as he sighed. Fatigue was heavy in their voices.

“His command from the center... It's difficult to tell, but it seems like it is breaking apart... even the formation on the battlefield is.”

Massas laughed as he gave his opinion of Marquis Sonier's command.

The Four Spears Formation was actually a simple plan, if only looking at its structure. Once one of the four spears assaulting the enemy was broken, they would retreat. The enemy would be dragged away to crush them as they retreated, only to be assaulted by another spear. This pattern would repeat itself.

Another variation was to use an injured spear to prevent reinforcements by drawing the enemy away.

Though a plan devoted to defense, each spear would attack as well. They could also throw stones to provoke the enemy, provoking their attack, which would result in spreading the enemy even further.

Lim, naturally, was not acquainted with Marquis Sonier. Despite the report, she had already formed a plan to deal with the Four Spears Formation.

“What would you do?”

“Of course. We will use the bow to crack the spear.”

Lim spoke as she saw the next spear formation heading towards them. Massas issued instructions accordingly. The main unit of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} gradually changed their formation.

Even if the Thenardier soldiers saw the change, they did not stray from the Four Spears Formation. Marquis Sonier ordered an attack with the second spear.

A cry was raised and the muddy water splashed about as the Thenardier soldiers charged forward. The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} retreated in an orderly fashion, like a tide pulling away from the coast.

However, the Thenardier soldiers did not notice this immediately. Due to Lim and Massas' clever commands, it took the enemy time to notice, and by the time they did, it was already too late.

A battle cry arose from the left and right sides as the Brune soldiers sunk their fangs into the enemy. Their spears gouged flesh between gaps in armor, shields were dropped to the ground, and many fell before they could even take action.

Having lost the momentum of their assault, the Thenardier soldiers were relentlessly bombarded with sword and spear from the left and right.

Marquis Sonier viewed the scene from a distance and ordered a new assault with another spear. With the enemy throwing his men into confusion, he would use his allies to come to their aid.

However, that movement was also read by Lim.

“When the second spear is attacked, the first or third spear will take action, and the fourth will not.”

Being told that much, Massas was also able to respond.

“Moving spear four in front of spear two will create a single spear. This makes charging and retreat more difficult.”

The soldiers' movements became dull with the muddy earth.

However, Sonier could not handle the Four Spear Formation as well as Steid or Thenardier. The way he used the spears, even as far as the timing of their rushes and retreats, had been read.

Of course, the movements would likely not have been caught by the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} if not for Lim and Massas, and it would have been impossible to finish off the enemy before support arrived.

In accordance to Lim's expectations, Thenardier Army's first spear rushed forward. Massas took a small unit with him and completely isolated the Thenardier soldiers which had separated from their allies. He encircled them in order to annihilate the unit.

Though Marquis Sonier requested reserve forces from Duke Thenardier, he was refused. Thenardier did not dislike him, but he had already used the reserve forces to attack the Zhcted Army.

However, while he had done this, the Zhcted Army had not fallen. Rather, the enemy reserves came to their aid and turned the scuffle around.

“But... this is a risky fight.”

Massas muttered to himself as he continued to fight the first and second spear. There were no reserve soldiers, since they were left in the command of Tigre and Mira.

If Massas was slow in grasping the enemy's movements, the Thenardier Army could break through and attack the main unit of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, causing it to collapse.

The central force of the Thenardier Army had been partially destroyed, and the left wing was weakened. Only the right wing continued to fight bravely. The battle against the Knights of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} developed into a constant shift between offense and defense.

Though the Knights never charged dramatically, they rarely retreated in the face of an enemy attack. Furthermore, they would occasionally strike a strong counteroffensive.

Due to the brave battle of the Calvados Knights, led by Auguste, and the Perucche Knights, led by Emir, the Thenardier Army were slowly pushed back.

The rain had become more intense; the banners fluttered in the strong winds.

“--- Your Excellency, please run away!”

In the base of the Thenardier Army, one of his aides finally spoke up with a pensive expression.

There were fewer than ten aides and approximately one hundred soldiers around the Duke.

The Thenardier Army was on the verge of collapse due to the Zhcted Army's actions. Though they could hold out, it would only be a matter of time.

He was deep in thought as he looked at his main force. Half his men were surrounded and would soon be crushed, and any soldiers that came to their aid were skillfully pushed back.

Though the right wing had little movement, it was clear they were not in a superior position. If he pulled even five hundred men from there to guard his base, they would immediately be suppressed.

He could not possibly recover from defeat.

“We can retreat to Nemetacum and gather more than ten thousand men---!”

The man gave his advice, prepared to be cut down. Though such words were for Steid to speak, he was no longer there. Duke Thenardier looked down at his aide who hung his head then looked at the black sky.

''--- If Steid were here...''

If he was alive, victory may have been within his grasp. He held that conviction; however, there was no sense to think such things anymore.

Thenardier already knew it was pointless to escape to Nemetacum at this point in time.

“There is no need to curry my favor. If you wish to surrender, then leave. If you wish to fight, then do so.”

Thenardier spoke with a solemn expression more stern than usual. Both the soldiers and his aides, even those not present, he determined their actions came from their desperation and not their loyalty.

The left wing of the Thenardier Army was finally broken. The soldiers had little energy to move or even lift a sword. The Zhcted Army chased after them; there was not a single soldier who did not bleed.

Even so, they continued to throw their weapons aside and summoned all their energy to run away. Zhcted soldiers broke away from the chase and rushed forward. Duke Thenardier saw many horses heading toward his base.

Wet with rain, the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} waved in the turbulent wind. Beneath it rode the Vanadis with silver-white hair and the Vanadis with blue hair. Leading the charge was a young man with red hair and a black bow in hand.

He had returned from the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}. Tigrevurmud Vorn and Felix Aaron Thenardier took their stance, facing each other with bow and sword.

Tigre's face and arms were covered in small wounds, and he was even shedding blood. Thenardier, naturally, was unscathed.

Though Thenardier did not know, it bore a strong resemblance to the spectacle which occurred at the Molsheim Fields where Tigre and Zaien fought one another. Even if he knew, and even if it were not raining, it would be unclear if Duke Thenardier would feel any deep emotions.

For a while, the two men glared at each other in silence. Lim and Ellen, as well as his aides, kept their silence. However, everyone felt it as the tense atmosphere was torn away.

The sound of the rain drowned out the sound of the distant battle. Every person present was wet from head to toe. The soil and grass screamed, as if unable to stand up to the wind and the rain.

“... For what reason did you attack Alsace?”

Tigre quietly asked. Thenardier stared at the young man in surprise. He wondered why he bothered to ask at this point in time.

“If it did not happen, this situation would not be what it is now.”

Most likely, Tigre would have been sold to Muozinel as a prisoner of LeitMeritz, and the Vanadis would not have intervened in the fight between Thenardier and Ganelon.

“Removing Alsace would have prevented Zhcted from invading. Burning the ground and taking the people was the most certain method.”

Thenardier gave thought to the scorched-earth tactic.

By creating a desolate wilderness before Zhcted invaded, he would reduce their morale. Thenardier held no mercy for those who were weak; rather, he was ruthless in his judgment.

“For such a reason...!”

“It was not an incorrect decision.”

Thenardier calmly answered Tigre, who could not suppress his anger. His gaze moved toward Ellen.

“Across Alsace, on the opposite side of the Vosyes Mountains, there is an opponent with the name of Eleanora Viltaria. Though it was due to the carelessness of the soldiers of Brune, she led five thousand troops and forced twenty-five thousand to retreat in a single night. I was wary that she might invade Brune as she saw the fight between Ganelon and I escalate. If she did that, I would be the first to suffer.”

In fact, the Kingdom of Muozinel had waited for that opportune moment. They waited for Thenardier and Ganelon to move their troops before invading.

Thenardier's Army would not last if it had to deal with the Muozinel Army. Kreshu, the General of the enemy, had skillfully camouflaged his men and waited for an appropriate time to invade. He intended to use Roland as his trump card in the case of an emergency, but he was lost immediately prior to their invasion.

Thenardier continued after returning his eyes to Tigre.

“If I let things go, it was possible Ganelon would have attacked Alsace. Like me, that man has ties to Zhcted. Like you have done, he may have brought the Zhcted Army into the country.”

Ellen and Mira were surprised, though they did not utter a single word.

Though they had asked, they were surprised he had answered in such detail, and they could not suppress a shiver upon hearing of his cruelty. His entire body was filled with power befitting the dignity of a man who had lived twice as long as they had.

Though Tigre was also silent, he was not surprised or frightened.

Thenardier closed his mouth, telling them he had said everything he needed to. Tigre stared at Thenardier and let out a deep, clouded sigh.

“I have heard your story, and I understand your reasons. Like I thought, I cannot forgive you.”

The thing which floated to Tigre's mind was the old man painted in the red of his own blood as it leaked out of his ghastly wound.

The sky had darkened, and the rain and wind became more intense. Tigre's eyes held a desire for revenge. In contrast to his cold body, his heart was hot and his mind was black.

--- The black bow pulsed in anticipation.

“For the death of my son, I, too, cannot permit your existence.”

Tigre nocked his arrow as his horse took one step forward. Thenardier drew his sword and rode his horse out of the base.

At that time, Ellen advanced next to Tigre. Expecting a man-to-man fight, everyone started calling out when they witnessed something unexpected.

Ellen, with a sullen face, struck Tigre's back. Tigre's body tilted forward from the unexpected blow.

Everyone gasped. Even Thenardier could not find the meaning of her action. Perhaps only Ellen understood.

“--- You've got terrible eyes.”

Tigre was surprised and looked at Ellen's face, not understanding her words.

“Don't get drunk, Tigre.”

Her bright red eyes and sincere voice penetrated deep into Tigre.

“Go get your revenge, but don't revel in it. That is not your only weapon.”

Though Tigre did not respond, Ellen's words reached him. The darkness in his eyes began to recede, and the light slowly returned. Though the darkness had not fully faded, it was no longer enough to envelop his heart.

The black light spreading throughout the bow in Tigre's hands disappeared without anyone noticing. In this rain, there was not a single person who saw the light.

Tigre removed his gaze from Ellen and looked at Thenardier.

“Thank you.”

''I am grateful to have met you.''

After muttering those words to himself, his will to fight returned to his dark eyes.

“--- I'm off.”

He spoke quickly. This time, Ellen did not stop him; however, she strongly gripped the hilt of her sword, praying for Tigre's victory.

''--- I will defeat Duke Thenardier.''

This man was a menace to the peace of Alsace, and he was the cause of this war. Right here, right now, he would fall.

Tigre removed the quiver hung on his saddle and dropped it, and all the arrows within, to the ground. Thenardier looked at him with a sharp expression.

“You will fight me with a single arrow?”

“I can see with my own eyes that there would not be enough time to nock a second arrow. Besides, it would only weaken my resolve.”

“In this rain and wind? Are you crazy...?”

“It is not my only disadvantage.”

The rain lowered his body temperature, and his clothes were stuck to his skin. His hair was heavy and uncomfortable and impaired his vision. Not only could the bow easily slip from his grasp, the arrow would not fly straight if it flew into the wind.

“--- Very well.”

The two naturally made their horses advance, separated by a distance of thirty alsin.

Bow and sword – it was a strange duel. Ellen stared with bated breath. Mira, the soldiers of Zhcted, and the Thenardier Army all watched the scene before them.

It was a strife born of personal hatred, a battle separate from war.

Thenardier readied his sword and grasped the damp reins. Tigre gazed at his enemy with his bow bent and at the ready as he waited for his opponent.

There would be no second chance; there was only one shot. Tigre was at a heavy disadvantage. Even with a distance of thirty alsin, Thenardier was on horseback. Even if he could attack first, Thenardier's blade only needed to reach Tigre's neck.

Still, the speed of an arrow at short distances was a frightening thing.

Unlike the sword whose orbit formed a line, the arrow was a single point. Even with Tigre's archery skill, one mistake in his fingers' movements would result in his death.

The two stood tense; more than a count of ten had passed without either moving. The rain showed no signs of becoming weak, and the wind continued to blow harshly.

The wind changed to Thenardier's advantage. It was a headwind for Tigre. The moment he felt this change, Thenardier kicked his horse's belly and let out a roar. The four hooves kicked up the mud as he quickly reduced the distance of thirty alsin.

He aimed in a single moment and began to release his arrow. Thenardier judged in an instant that it would not hit.

''--- Goddess of Storms...''

He chanted the name of the Goddess in his mind. The face of the girl with silver-white hair floated to his mind.

He had cut the distance to twenty alsin. At that time, the arrow separated from Tigre's hand.

The bowstring moved forward, propelling the arrow. The arrow moved neither early nor late. The speed and aim was perfect.

It hit him right between the eyes. Thenardier's large frame separated from the horse, flying through the air.

--- Everything happened in a moment.

The moment Tigre shot his arrow, Thenardier brandished his sword. It was a frightening reaction, as if he had caught the very sound of the trembling bowstring.

The arc of the sword was not simple. He had clenched his dark gray blade and accurately caught the movements of the arrow. Thenardier was sure of his victory.

However, at the moment before he smashed the arrow to pieces, the wind blew. It differed from the raging gale a moment before; it was a breeze he would not notice, even if it touched his skin.

The arrow's trajectory changed, passing right beside the blade.

The arrow pierced the Duke's head and buried itself halfway through. The Duke was thrown off his horse; his eyes were opened wide as he toppled to the ground on his back.

Tigre's fingers had not moved from the moment he released the arrow. He was still in shooting position. He could feel the vibration of the bowstring and the cold sweat dripping down his face.

After a long, long silence, Tigre dismounted his horse and walked to Thenardier. The Duke was still breathing. The rain immediately washed away the tide of blood from the fresh arrow wound. Thenardier's eyes gazed at Tigre, and his lips moved.

“Brune... is...”

His words ended there. His eyes were hollow and he never uttered another word again.

Felix Aaron Thenardier gasped his last breath in Mereville Fields.

“... That wind just now, was it you?”

After confirming the duel had finished, Ellen whispered at the longsword at her waist.

Tigre's arrow moved just before it hit Thenardier's sword. Ellen had not overlooked this.

Though it may have been a coincidence, she instinctively suspected her important partner. Arifal let out a light wind denying her words.

“... I see.”

The {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} does not lie to its master.

Tigre won by his own strength. The wind was simply his ally.

Tigre returned slowly and was greeted by Ellen with a brilliant smile. No words could be said to describe her excitement.

With the death of Duke Thenardier, the morale of the soldiers serving him shattered. Regin called for their surrender and had her soldiers move back. The soldiers of the Thenardier Army threw their arms away, one after another.

The fight at Mereville had finally ended.

Tigre's battle which began in LeitMeritz had finally come to a conclusion.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 05 Chapter 4 - MTL

2013-11-29T15:55:26Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== {{furigana|Sacred Caverns of the Palace|Sangroel}} ===
When Tigre and the rest visited the Temple of Mosha, the sky was still the blue of early morning. Tigre, Ellen, Regin, Rurick, Batran, and five soldiers from Brune whom Massas chose were present. In addition, there were two soldiers from Zhcted Lim chose; twelve people were present in total.

The vineyards spread as far as the eye could see. At the end of winter, it was a lonely scene. It would take several months before the land was covered in greenery.

“It certainly is a small shrine.”

Ellen muttered as she looked at the temple from her horse.

The temple was made of gray stones with Mosha's name carved above the door.

The building was small, and Tigre felt it appropriate that Regin had called it a hut. The walls were decorated with ornaments and pillars that were several hundred years old, and fine cracks could be seen here and there.

The horses were tethered at the entrance and the twelve people passed into the temple. It was not very wide, but it was still surprising how clean it was.

There was an altar in the back. On top of a plinth was the image of a beautiful woman; it was a statue of the Goddess Mosha. A crown of mistletoe was planted on its head as a decoration – a dedication from the people from the nearby towns and villages who visited the shrine.

“We should pray as we move on. Let's have a good harvest this spring.”

Ellen laughed lightly as she looked at the crown of mistletoe. The Gods worshiped by Brune and Zhcted were mostly the same.

“You should pray to the {{furigana|God of War|Triglav}} that we don't lose.”

“Right. Let's not have any trouble, then.”

Ellen and Tigre bantered with each other while Regin stood behind the statue of the Goddess.

“I need two or three people. Can you help support this statue of the Goddess Mosha?”

Hearing her words, Tigre, Ellen, and Batran walked over to Regin, followed by the Brune soldiers. They grasped the waist of the statue while Rurick and the Zhcted soldiers warned the people of the temple. Regin walked as they worked.

Regin pulled a dagger from her waist and stabbed it into a slot just beneath the plinth and twisted it. A part of the floor moved away, revealing a small cavity. She placed her hand into the cavity without hesitation. A moment later, a hard sound was heard.

Regin stood up and let out a small breath of relief. She placed her hand on the statue of the Goddess.

“Next we need to push this statue over.”

The soldiers supporting it carefully tilted it. Tigre and Batran helped so as not to destroy the statue. Soon enough, the statue was removed with the pedestal.

“... Stairs?”

There was a large hole beneath the base of the statue. A stone stairwell extended deep beneath the ground. Everyone stood tense as they let out a deep breath.

Hearing Regin's calm voice, the soldiers managed to calm themselves. With a torch, three Brune soldiers descended first. After a short time, they reported that there were no dangers for the time being.

“We'll go as well. Regin should remain between Tigre and me.”

Without waiting for an answer, Ellen jumped into the stairwell. The stairs were tight, and Regin's body was tense with anxiety. Tigre patted her shoulder to ease her mind.

“Your Highness. It is as Ellen said. She and I are here.”

When he said this, Regin's tight expression relaxed. They walked down the stairs with torch in hand.

Tigre looked back at the two Brune soldiers following him and checked the condition of his bow.

“You should remain as a lookout. Use the horses and turn away anyone who comes by. If the enemy comes, run away.”

Tigre placed his foot into the darkness. Batran, Rurick, and the soldiers from Zhcted followed shortly afterward.

At the base of the stairs was a straight passageway.

“It's cold.”

Rurick frowned and placed his hand to his bald head. The air was cold and dry, as if it had dozens of years to precipitate. Regin faintly trembled.

“... It's firmly built.”

Ellen looked at the surroundings in admiration. The earth was firm and flat, and the walls were lined with gray stones without a single space. The ceiling was not high, but they were supported solidly with thick wooden beams at regular intervals to prevent it from collapsing.

The passage was wide enough to allow two adults to stand side by side. Regin walked beside Ellen, and Batran walked beside Tigre. The Zhcted soldiers were in the back, and the three Brune soldiers led the way with torches in hand.

For a while, only the sound of the burning torches and echoing footsteps could be heard.

“I wonder why this passage was built. With its support and size, it feels like a passage for escape.”

“Perhaps it was a road. A powerful clan governing the region lived in Artishem before the Brune Kingdom was established.”

Regin responded with a wry smile. Ellen remained confused.

“You understand? I suppose knowing the use of the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}} really does prove you're royalty.”

“Until Charles founded our country, the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}} were simply underground passageways. It seems Charles made use of them.”

Regin did not feign ignorance. This passage might have been built with the purpose of escape, but, as Ellen had said, it could be used to invade the city.

“I doubt the passage will collapse with just a little noise.”

She spoke brightly to reassure everyone. Ellen began to tease her.

“But there might be traps to stop any pursuers.”

“It should be fine. It required routine maintenance, so those things would just get in the way. Of course, we should still remain cautious.”

Regin responded decisively. Ellen looked at her with admiration. She was a girl brought up with the dignity of royalty, but it seemed she had some strength independent of that.

Though it was not possible to judge from her reaction alone, they were working to obtain proof of her royalty now, so it was an attitude she welcomed.

The passage was not a straight road, as it split off to the right and left. There were also stairways which led deeper underground. The road tapered off so that it was difficult to walk side by side, and eventually it became difficult to walk through without supporting one another.

Furthermore, there were holes in the ceiling in which arrows, spears, or stones could come flying from.

However, like Regin had said, nothing triggered them. They continued down the passage until, eventually, they found a place to rest.

Ellen was the first to notice.

“There's something carved on the wall.”

Hearing those words, all members came to a halt. The Brune soldiers who were ahead did not notice because they were focused on scouting ahead in the darkness.

“... An ancient mural.”

Regin looked at the wall next to Ellen. Tigre turned his gaze there as well.

Though he could not easily understand it from a glance, he used his imagination. There was a monster with three heads standing opposite a human.

“If you don't mind... please tell us about this painting.”

Ellen asked as she glanced at Regin from the side. Certainly, Tigre was interested in the mural as well. In all actuality, Rurick, Batran, and all the soldiers were also interested.

“... This depicts the battle between the Gods and the Dragon.”

After some hesitation, Regin spoke carefully.

“It is an ancient story about the confrontation between the Gods and the Dragon. Though I do not understand the reason, the Dragons attacked the Pantheon of Gods. The earth, the heavens, the netherworld... In all the worlds, only the Dragon existed. It was an existence which could harm the Gods, so they were feared.”

“It's a story which brings up complicated feelings as someone from Zhcted.”

Ellen looked at the mural with a bewildered face. It was not just her but Rurick and the Zhcted soldiers who wore complex expressions. Tigre simply looked at the mural in admiration.

''--- So this monster is a three headed Dragon.''

“The Dragon's strength was frightening. Rather than continuing to fight, which might have led to the Gods being overthrown, three Goddesses decided to try and control the Dragon.”

Regin advanced a few steps as she continued to explain. On the wall was a picture of three goddesses with their hands on the scruff of each neck of the Dragon. Tigre visualized the Gods worshiped in Brune within his mind.

''--- Amongst the Pantheon of Gods, there are four Goddesses. Elis, the Goddess of Storms, Mosha, the Goddess of Mother Earth, and Iarilo, the Goddess of harvest, and then... The Goddess of Night, Darkness, and Death, Tir na Fa.''

The Goddesses were likely Elis, Mosha, and perhaps Iarilo. Tir na Fa was often depicted as something dangerous or dirty amongst the Pantheon of Gods.

With that in mind, he noticed one of the three Goddesses which calmed the Dragon down had a bow on her back and a quiver at her waist.

''--- Elis has a horn, Mosha is decorated with flowers, and Iarilo is wearing thin fabric.''

He could roughly determine the deities based on their garb.

Tigre did not know of any Goddesses with a bow.

''--- I wonder if anyone knows.''

Perhaps, in Brune Kingdom, where the bow is not recognized, all statues with bows that existed until now might have been destroyed. Tigre had no way of knowing.

“It is said the Founder, Charles, had his revelation to become King here in Artishem. It is said he received Durandal and the blessings of Bayard from the Pantheon of Gods in the Ruberon Mountains.”

“Yes. If it's that sword, he could definitely fight against a Dragon.”

While Regin's voice was tense, Ellen commented as if it was not her concern. Though surprised Regin had explained this far, the Vanadis with silver-white hair simply expressed her gratitude.

Of course, those from Zhcted would also run away if they were attacked by a wild Dragon; however, they have an affinity with them. It was not pleasant for them to hear stories of fighting Dragons. Many of them may have even felt angry.

That is why Ellen spoke with an attitude telling Regin to not worry. It was to clear away the awkward atmosphere.

“This mural...”

Regin gazed into the heart of darkness, deeper into the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}.

They walked into an open area which was dimly lit.

High above was a dim light shining upon the room.

The area could have contained the entirety of the shrine worshiping the Goddess Mosha. On one side was a large door, as if it were created for a giant to walk through. It was made of metal and had a height and width of about five alsin (about five meters). There were also two cavities opposite the passage they had just walked through.

However, Tigre became tense by something more astonishing.

“... So you came.”

Close to twenty men stood before the door, all armed with swords and clad in armor. At the center was a man in his 40s. He had a dignified and intimidating presence.

“Duke Thenardier...”

Regin let out a shocked voice. Ellen frowned upon seeing Thenardier. It was her first time meeting him.

“The real thing? He seems fairly lightly guarded for the General.”

Ellen placed her hand on the sword at her waist as she cracked a joke. Those with torches moved to protect Regin and Tigre. Batran readied his spear next to Tigre, and Rurick moved toward Ellen.

“You will understand if I am the genuine article simply by killing me.”

Thenardier spoke arrogantly in response to Ellen's words. Afterward, the black-haired Duke faced Regin.

“I see. So you really were alive.”

“... How were you able to come here?”

Violent emotions rampaged within Regin. She clenched her teeth in anger, seeing the man who tried to kill her. It was difficult for her to remain calm, yet the Duke simply responded curtly.

“It would be meaningless to tell someone who will die.”

Thenardier pulled out the sword at his waist. As if it were a signal, the soldiers, excluding one man, began to move. The man had short golden hair and blue eyes. His sword was in his hand as he stood guarding Thenardier.

There were several reasons Duke Thenardier appeared here.

To begin with, he had been Duke Ganelon's enemy for several years. He had considered how to attack Artishem, and he had scouts enter it repeatedly so he could form a plan. He did not know of the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}} beforehand.

However, Thenardier thought of it as a means of escape in an emergency. For a man who was not a member of the Royal Family, this place had no other value.

When he heard rumors of Regin being alive, Thenardier recalled the existence of this passageway. He thought Tigre would place priority to visiting this location over fighting him.

Thenardier made this judgment when he received a report that the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} began moving toward Artishem. He himself came personally after having been disgraced with the failure of killing Regin once already.

Though he wanted to leave Steid, his aid, to manage the army, the faithful man requested he accompany Thenardier with an unusually stubborn attitude.

''I cannot afford to let Your Excellency go alone. If you still insist, then cut me down right here.'' His aide with fair hair went so far as to say that.

Due to Steid's expression, Thenardier was accompanied by Steid and twenty soldiers from his army.

Rather than saying he had predicted this, he was simply lucky.

--- The distance is short...!

Tigre quickly stepped back to create a space and pulled out his bow. He nocked an arrow, pulled his bowstring, and quickly fired toward Thenardier.

The next moment, the sound of an arrow being broken was heard. Steid had protected Thenardier.

“Tigre, Regin, Fall back!”

Ellen shouted. Tigre pulled back while guarding Regin. They were outnumbered by Thenardier's subordinates two to one. After regaining his balance, they retreated through the passage. Even if slight, it would reduce the advantage held by the enemies.

A dull sound echoed as the passage was bathed in blood. A Thenardier soldier who had charged straight forward was quickly cut away by Ellen's sword. When the soldier fell to the floor, the remaining soldiers of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and the soldiers of the Thenardier Army clashed intensely.

Though they were skilled soldiers chosen by Massas and Lim, the Thenardier soldiers were similar. Blood was scattered about the floor.

Ellen's longsword gave off a sound as two more enemies were felled. Three soldiers closed in on her. She parried and dodged their incoming attacks as she and the other men pulled back. She wiped her sweat away and regulated her breathing.

''--- There may be more enemies, but they aren't as good as us. We should be able to escape.''

Even for Ellen, if she showed a chance, she would not be able to escape unscathed. Even with fewer enemies, the three were focused on running down the passage to escape.

“--- Steid. Go.”

After looking at Thenardier and hesitating for a moment, Steid followed after them.

“... Rurick, can I leave this to you?”

“If it is your command, Vanadis-sama.”

She smiled fearlessly as she asked the bald headed Knight, her eyes still on the enemy.

Gradually, the Thenardier soldiers closed the distance while being careful not to fall into disarray. If they came rushing in, they would lose, even if the enemy was inferior in number.

Rurick answered as a Knight of Zhcted.

“I leave it to you.”

Ellen's response was short. Having said that, she kicked off the floor and flew into the air to the ceiling beyond the reach of the enemy, quickly passing them by.

The Thenardier soldiers were stunned having seen something they had never seen before.

Rurick and the Zhcted soldiers let out a cry and jumped forward. Their swords shined brilliantly in the darkness and cut through the enemy's throats. The smell of blood mixed with the air.

Rurick quickly stepped back as the Thenardier soldiers began fighting back. Tigre shot an arrow as cover, the arrowhead burrowing itself in the head of a soldier.

A faint noise was born amongst the Thenardier soldiers. The arrow seemed to have flown out of nowhere from the darkness.

Because of the bulk of the soldiers from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, Tigre and Regin, who were behind them, were completely hidden.

Taking advantage of the enemy's anxiety, Rurick quickly moved in and attacked.

At that time, Steid jumped out before the soldiers and blocked the Knight's attack. A sharp metallic sound rang through the corridor. Due to Steid's strength, Rurick was forced to step back.

Steid did not stop and moved forward to finish Rurick off, only to be stopped as Tigre shot another arrow.

Though surprised, the swordsman did not show a change in his expression. He casually placed his left hand before his face. The arrow moved away, as if attracted to the dark gray gauntlet.

Though Steid was distracted for only a moment, Rurick was able to recover his posture. He knew he had no room to relax with the enemy before him.

“... A wonderful skill.”

Steid muttered those words as he cut the distance once again.

“With large allies blocking your path in a dark and narrow passageway at such a short distance from your enemy, you can shoot both quickly and accurately. It seems your {{furigana|[Star Shooter]|Silvrash}} name is not for show.”

Tigre was shocked that his arrow which was shot at such a close proximity was caught. He had grabbed an arrow an enemy shot himself in Alsace, but the speed of his own arrow was far different, and the enemy was not directly before him.

Even if Steid praised Tigre, he spoke indifferently to Rurick.

“Leave, soldier. Earl Vorn and Princess Regin. Only two lives are necessary here.”

Toward the demand from someone clearly superior in strength, Rurick snorted.

“What kind of Knight would I be if I stood back just because I was told to.”

Ellen, who had landed behind the Thenardier soldiers, ran straight toward Duke Thenardier. Though she thought there would be a number of soldiers on the way, there were not.

''--- Like I thought, he's a fake. If not...''

Even when Ellen ran straight for him, Duke Thenardier did not flinch at all, nor did his arrogance falter. He did not even bother to unsheathe the sword at his waist.

A flash of white light, different from that on the battlefield, lit the room, and the sound of metal followed afterward. Arifal's sharp blade was swung intensely, but it was blocked.

Ellen looked wide-eyed in amazement and increased her will to fight. She attacked with her longsword in all directions, but, though he showed no signs of blocking the attacks, the Silver Flash never once touched Thenardier's body.

Ellen retreated a half step and prepared her breathing. Thenardier went on the offensive, as if waiting for that moment. He drew his sword in a forcible, yet well trained manner. Though his speed was inferior, it was supplemented by his peerless sword technique.

Thenardier's sword technique had a completely different quality compared to Ellen's. He had gripped the sword since he was seven and had clear motions, down to his fingertips, due to his constant effort. It was a skill Ellen could not possibly have obtained at this point in her life.

''--- If he's no fake, then he must have been absolutely confident in his skill.''

Sparks flew as they exchanged blows, the atmosphere bent with every impact. A whirlwind the color of iron assaulted Ellen. She switched to defense to receive every one of Thenardier's attacks. He was a formidable opponent who far exceeded her expectations.

''--- I wouldn't say I can't beat him... but he's a difficult one.''

She would be injured if she relaxed for even a moment.

“Even though you have yet to reach 20... you are a prime example of what a woman should be.”

With sweat on his brow, Thenardier gave words of admiration. Ellen responded with a short grunt and sarcasm.

“I should say the same to you. To think you'd come down to this dark cavern yourself at your age.”

“I missed a kill once before. Naturally, I should confirm it with my eyes this time.”

He was clearly referring to Regin.

Again, their swords clashed, followed by a strange sound in the distance. Though the two battle-tested warriors would be unfazed by this, Thenardier and Ellen separated and saw something different from an enemy.

Tigre and the others, in a different place from the two, were in a similar situation. Two soldiers of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} were cut down by Steid, and Rurick had numerous wounds. Sensitive to the signs of something approaching, Steid began to retreat with the surviving subordinates.

Rurick did not chase after Steid, since the expressionless opponent did not provide an opportunity. The bald headed Knight of Zhcted and Tigre both felt something unpleasant with their skin, and neither felt it was a good premonition.

Small clumps of earth and sand fell from the ceiling, breaking apart on the ground and hitting everyone present.

''--- An earthquake? No...''

A thunderous sound echoed, and a large crack ran through the ceiling. It was not earth and sand but many small stones which fell from the ceiling. Ellen left Thenardier and quickly ran to Tigre and the others.

Thenardier did not chase after her. The ground had shaken terribly, and the cracks extended from the walls to the ceilings. He prioritized his safety before the enemy and made to escape as quickly as possible.

“Retreat!”

Thenardier shouted to his subordinates and ran down the passage he had come from.

“All of you, run away with His Excellency.”

As the tremor increased in intensity, Steid quietly ordered his subordinates in their confusion. Other than Thenardier, he was the only one to maintain his calm.

The Thenardier soldiers managed to run along as the ground bounced about intensely. Ellen ran by them, with no room to worry about them.

Tigre and the soldiers had placed their hands on the wall and were desperately trying to escape. Being underground and with stones the size of their head falling, they were becoming increasingly anxious.

“Rurick! Take care of Her Highness!”

Tigre sent Rurick ahead and remained at the tail end. Though it was dangerous, he did not wish to leave Ellen behind. Batran also lowered his waist and refused to abandon Tigre.

Ellen returned. They exchanged glances and continued to run. Tigre let the two lead the way and followed after them.

Feeling danger behind him, Tigre jumped sideways immediately. A argent arc passed by him immediately afterward. Steid had approached him before he was aware, and attacked. If it were not for the intense shaking and falling rocks, Tigre might have been cut.

“Earl Vorn. I will have you die here.”

He spoke with a cold tone that sent chills up his spine. The expressionless man wanted his life from the bottom of his heart. He had no attachment to his own.

Steid's second attack came at once. Because of the falling rocks and the intense tremors, Tigre had no choice but to throw himself on the floor, but that was all he could do. While Tigre began to rise, Steid, Thenardier's most trusted aide, raised his right hand, and swung downward.

The dazzling sword dropped overhead, but before it hit Tigre, a small shadow appeared between them.

''Batran,'' Tigre's shout was swallowed by his sudden collapse.

Though Ellen was aware of Steid's attack, she could not run immediately due to the intense shaking.

While grasping Arifal, she rushed to his aide, only to be stopped by a large rock falling before her.

If she had not jumped away, Ellen would have been crushed in an instant. It would have required several adult males to pull it out of the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}.

“This...!”

Ellen brandished Arifal, but someone grabbed her from behind. It was a Zhcted soldier.

“What are you doing!”

“Vanadis-sama! Please, stop here!”

The soldier perceived Ellen trying to use her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}. Though the passage was collapsing, he returned to desperately beg her. Though Tigre's existence was important, it was the silver-white haired Vanadis that mattered most to the soldiers of Zhcted.

Her subordinate's shout was like cold water showering over Ellen's burning emotions. She stopped and looked back at the wall behind her as stones fell from the ceiling.

“Tigre!”

Ellen shouted desperately, but hr voice was crushed by the sound of earth and sand pouring down.

When Tigre regained consciousness, the earthquake had already subsided. His vision was hazy, even ignoring the lack of light. His eyes needed more time to adjust.

The pain in his body was dull. Tigre tried to recall what happened before he lost consciousness.

''--- That's right, Steid...''

“... Batran?”

Steid's sword swung downward, and Batran flew between them to save him from the killer's blade.

''--- No, It can't be...''

Perhaps it was a dream or a hallucination he had as he fainted. Though Tigre desperately tried to convince himself, his heart pulsed violently to deny them. His body erupted in a sweat.

''--- Please. Be safe, Batran...!''

He was impatient and could only pray.

''--- How is my body?''

He had lost his consciousness during the cave-in. He focused on putting strength into his limbs. First he moved his fingers, then worked his way up. Fortunately, he felt his bow in his left hand.

His eyes were acclimating to the light, little by little. Tigre slowly crawled along the ground, feeling his way with his right hand. He could feel a cold, rugged surface of stones above his head.

''--- The ceiling is too low... But it might be big enough to get my body through here.''

Apparently the bedrock had fallen and formed a small cavern. His eyes were finally able to see before him.

It was not as though he was in complete darkness. There was a dim light along the ceiling. He ran his finger along the ceiling to touch the luminescent powder. He was thankful for the light, even if it was very minimal.

Tigre was plotting his future course of actions when he quickly moved back in surprise. Tigre saw the face of a man turned upside down.

It was Steid. He remained silent for a moment while he recovered from his surprise. Tigre looked at Thenardier's aide, the Knight with a pale face. Even in death, he remained expressionless. His torso had been crushed by the rocks.

The man who had cornered himself died an unsatisfying death.

After thinking a while, Tigre gently closed Steid's open eyes. Though he understood he was being sentimental, he felt he should still do it out of courtesy.

''--- What's become of everyone? It seems like the ceiling collapsed in this area.''

Though he was not in a situation to worry about others, he was still uneasy. Still, he thought he would be safe for the time being, since there were no signs of the ceiling collapsing further.

''--- Anyway, I need to find some way to escape.''

He carefully moved his body about. He would likely die if he moved about unskillfully, since the passage could collapse. He could not stay here forever, so the first step to take was to check the size of the passageway.

However, an anxiety stronger than before attacked Tigre. Even his breathing had stopped.

“... Batran?”

His voice trembled. His eyes caught something beneath the dim light. It was the shadow of the small old man who had served by his side.

“Batran!”

He forgot the situation and shouted, crawling on his hands and knees as he climbed along the wall. He did not notice as rocks fell and hit the back of his head. Perhaps hearing his voice, the old man's body moved.

“... Young Lord.”

It was hoarse. Batran's voice, which was more like a groan, spilled from his mouth. Though Tigre was happy to hear an answer, that feeling disappeared in a moment.

Batran was cut deeply, from his shoulder to his waist. What Tigre saw was not a dream, it was reality. What he thought was a shadow was a pool of the old man's blood, spilling out from beneath him.

“So you're safe... Young Lord.”

“Yeah, I'm safe. You saved me, so I'm not injured at all.”

He grabbed the hand Batran struggled to lift. Tigre replied while frantically nodding. He had hoped to reassure him, but the old man's hand had already become cold.

“... Your hand, it's warm. You're safe... It seems this old body still... had its worth.”

Batran's voice was weak, and his speech was choppy. His life was at an end, yet he was relieved to know Tigre was safe.

Tigre grasped his hand and urged him as strongly as he could, as if to call out to the soul anchoring the old man's life to his body.

“No more, Batran! You can't die here. Didn't you want to return to Alsace? Don't worry about me!”

“I... do.”

Batran looked up at Tigre's face. His eyes were hollow; it was unclear whether or not he could see Tigre at all.

“That's right... Spring is... just around the corner. I'm sure... it will be so green.”

“That's right. Spring is coming soon. That's why—-”

“... Urz-sama.”

Startled by Batran's words, Tigre could no longer speak.

His left hand shook. Tigre strongly grasped his hand. Batran smiled and spoke painfully.

“My son... My son is splendidly doing his best to protect it. In order to protect the Alsace Urz-sama left behind, for the sake of peace... even Zhcted has become your ally. I'm sure they're planning something, or they wouldn't cooperate, but still, my son, I'm happy... I'm proud.”

Tigre remained silent and stared at Batran's face. When Urz was still alive, Batran had called Tigre in that manner.

Perhaps he was delirious in the last moments of his life. The old man was not by Tigre's side. His eyes were hollow, seeing Tigre's father in his place. He spoke, though he was no longer in this world.

“When Urz-sama died, I was unable to do anything... I was anxious, uneasy. Our son was only 14, and he would govern Alsace. Massas-sama had a duty to his territory. I could not let him take care of everything... But my worries were unfounded.”

Tigre remained silent and listened to Batran's words.

He could not possibly tell him not to speak. The old man had served by his father's side long before Tigre was born, but he would live no longer. Even if he did not want it, the thick odor of blood and the cold from the hand he grasped forced reality upon him.

Batran had little life remaining, and Tigre did not want to interrupt him. He could not possibly do it.

“My son... No, Young Lord. I felt wonderful when you relied on me. I was happy to play the role of a parent in place of Urz-sama, if even a little... I was so eager, but... It was embarrassing.”

Batran tried to laugh, but he began choking as blood spilled from the sides of his mouth. Tigre placed his bow on the ground and gently wiped it off Batran with his sleeves.

“Urz-sama's worries and my own... were unnecessary. The Young Lord turned his eyes only to Alsace. But, though you love Alsace, you must look outside...”

He had a fit of coughing once again. Blood spilled out of his mouth as he continued to speak. However, his voice was weaker and more rapid than before.

“That's why... Don't worry...”

His voice had become quieter, and the space between words had increased. Tigre desperately endured his desire to shout out as he clenched his teeth. He drew his ear to Batran's mouth.

“I'm happy. Urz-sama, Young Lord. I have been blessed with good Lords...”

“--- Batran.”

His words broke away. He could not suppress his feelings of rage. Tigre called the man's name. Batran breathed in pain again. A light returned to his vacant eyes as he stared at Tigre. He smiled with joy.

Though the old man tried to utter something, no sound came out. Tigre thought he had called for Teita.

Finally, he quietly closed his eyes.

Clasping the faithful old man's hand, the youth cried without uttering a word.

--- As if reacting to the emotions of its Lord, the black bow trembled.

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| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_05_Chapter_5_Preview|Chapter 5 Preview]]
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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 05 Chapter 3 - MTL

2013-11-29T09:43:17Z

Royaloyalz:

<noinclude>{{Template:PREVIEW}}</noinclude>
=== Interlude ===
The sound of water boiling and the crackling of fire mixed in the air.

Under the moonlight which shined beyond the thin clouds, the figure of many girls could be seen near the river.

There were four lights burning brightly by the riverside, heating pots filled with hot water. The girls used the cloths to wipe their bodies before bathing in the cold water of the river. There were five people: Ellen, Mira, Lim, Regin, and Teita.

Though the night air was still cold at the end of winter, it was blocked by Ellen's Arifal and Mira's Lavias.

Though in order for them to sustain the power for a long time, the five girls had to squeeze together. Ellen and Mira sat on a carpet of sheep skin by the riverside. Lim was right behind them, wiping her body with a wet cloth.

Regin sat with her hand to the fire closest to her. Teita was politely wiping her back. Since their conversation about Tigre in Perucche Castle, the Princess openly trusted and relied on Teita.

They were wrapped in darkness, the distant lights did not reach them. Though only one hundred alsin away, they could still hear the noise from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} encampment.

The battle with Duke Thenardier had finished, and the day had come to an end.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} completed burying their dead and moved along the river to watch the enemy's movements. They decided their camp based on that.

Ellen had gathered only the women to have a bath. Though it was a luxury to have four fires, Tigre persuaded Gerard that it was worthwhile given their current state and the army's victory.

Though Ellen and Mira thought it wasteful to cleanse themselves with hot water today, they obediently accepted Tigre's good will.

The river water was cold at night, so it was impossible to dive in. Ellen buried her face and her argent hair into the water before standing up. Her wet hair clung to her shoulders and her chest, and the water dripped down her skin.

Ellen let out a small breath. It was only at a time like this that she could feel comfortable.

“Eleanora-sama, are you fine?”

Lim was clearly worried about the burn from her shoulder down her back. Ellen laughed as she splashed about vigorously in the river.

“It'd be a lie if I said it didn't hurt, but it will recover after a few days if I put some medicine on it.”

Mira glanced at Ellen from the side with a poor expression. It was because Ellen protected Mira that she was burned.

“Anyway – Lim. Have your breasts gotten bigger again?”

“What are you saying that for, so suddenly!”

Lim was clearly frowning as she hid her chest with her arms. She noticed gazes pouring over her. When she turned around, Regin and Teita looked at her body curiously.

“Certainly... They are quite amazing.”

“She's tall and slender, so she's well balanced, too.”

They looked down at their own bodies. Regin had recently been a traveler, and Teita's body was forged from her usual work to not have any useless flesh. Still, their bodies clearly had effeminate curves.

However, the two still had a delicate appearance. Their bodies paled in comparison to Lim's.

Ellen twisted her waist and looked back, touching Lim's breast in the process. Lim pulled back on reflex. At the same time, Ellen let out a groan of pain and crouched down.

“E, Eleanora-sama?”

Perhaps she had taken a posture which irritated her burn. Lim looked at Ellen with a face full of worry. Suddenly, the Vanadis with silver-white hair thrust her right hand out quickly and grasped the breast of her trusted, golden-haired aide.

“I can tell by touching it directly. I wonder if Tigre likes a bigger chest.”

“H, How would I know!”

The one to respond with a bullish tone and her tongue tied was Mira. Teita also agreed. Though silent, Ellen could clearly see that Regin was disappointed.

Lim was at a loss for words from Ellen's behavior. She recovered at once, though, and drove her fist quickly into Ellen's head.

“That is enough playing around.”

“Sorry, sorry. Well, I'm fine like this. You were worrying too much. Are you feeling better?”

Ellen waved gently with an unapologetic smile after seeing Lim sulk. Those words were directed toward both her subordinate and the blue-haired Vanadis. Mira turned away and let out a small noise.

When the women finished bathing, they returned to the camp. They headed to the Commander's tent. The smell of alcohol and milk coming from the camp grounds stimulated their appetite.

“Is this the smell of cheese? It seems a little different from the one we have in Zhcted.”

“In Brune, every village makes its own cheese, so there are many different varieties. That is what Massas-sama told me.”

Hearing Ellen murmur to herself, Teita responded. Regin also nodded in confirmation.

“Every village, is it? It might be an exaggeration, but there must be hundreds of different cheeses. They all have their own smell and taste... I've also eaten many kinds.”

They could not carry all their food. They bought meat, fish, cheese, and a variety of produce locally. Of course, they purchased it.

Fish, meat, potatoes, and cabbage were cooked in a pot. Some soldiers were beginning to eat, while others entertained themselves with gambling. Many had noticed Ellen and the others and were admiring their beauty.

They approached the General's tent with four flags, fluttering in the wind. After asking the guard, they learned Tigre was resting inside.

“If it is you, you may enter.”

Though he said so, Ellen had already put one foot inside the tent before hearing the soldier's words. Under the light of the candles, the Vanadis with silver-white hair went wide-eyed.

Tigre was lying down on a blanket covering the ground, snoring.

“Eleanora-sama. How is Lord Tigrevurmud?”

Lim lifted the curtain and entered, followed by Mira, Teita, then Regin. Tigre showed no signs of knowing they were present.

“Um... We could let him sleep for a little.”

“I'd like to, but it seems impossible right now.”

Ellen shook her head toward Teita's conservative remark.

“I don't mean to be blunt, but we have only pushed the enemy back in this battle, we have not crushed them. We can't hold this off.”

Ellen placed her hand on Teita's head as she gave an explanation. Lim and Mira looked as if they had seen something unusual. The Vanadis of the Silver Flash was not one to show such gentleness.

''I understand.'' Teita looked downward, finally convinced.

“Now then, how should we wake this guy up. It can't be a normal method.”

Hearing Ellen's words, Mira, Lim, and Teita understood immediately. Only Regin looked on vacantly.

“We can't shout too loudly because of the soldiers outside. Any ideas?”

Ellen looked back at the four for an idea. Regin asked Teita from the side.

“Teita, what are they planning to do to wake him up?”

“There are a few ways... Like spinning him on the blanket.”

Teita answered in embarrassment. Mira asked a question from the other side.

“Can we block his nose and mouth? He should wake up at once.”

“That... Please do not be so violent.”

“You, didn't you put your sword in his mouth before?”

Ellen teased Lim. Her adjutant's face turned away quickly. Even with all the noise, Tigre's snoring did not stop.

“--- I have an idea. I'll give this a try.”

Having thought of something, Ellen sheathed her sword and entrusted it to Lim. She walked over to Tigre who was sprawled out. She placed her knees and hands on both sides of Tigre and hunched over, covering him.

She looked down at Tigre who was breathing deeply with an innocent face. Her face became fierce, and an abnormal thirst for blood could be seen in her eyes.

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 168.jpg|175px|thumb]]
In that moment, Tigre's body vigorously jumped up. Though she was watching him, Ellen could not react to his strength and speed.

Tigre had pinned her down in a single moment. His right hand was on her breast and his left hand had reached for the dagger at his waist. It was not just Ellen but the other girls who watched the scene with wide eyes.

Tigre became aware of his surroundings when the blood lust disappeared. With an opponent who was not resisting, he noticed the strange atmosphere in the tent.

Beneath him, Ellen gazed at him with surprise and amusement. There was a soft feeling permeating his right hand. It had a splendid elasticity, and his fingers could move comfortably.

“Come to think of it, you pushed me down and massaged my breast long ago as well, didn't you?”

Hearing her voice which sounded both amused and happy, Tigre quickly retreated from Ellen. He fell over in a panic and finally noticed Lim and the others.

Mira looked down at him with shock, Lim covered her face with her hand as if she regretted some disgrace, and Teita and Regin blinked repeatedly, unable to understand the situation.

“... Copping a feel is a pretty bad way to start.”

As soon as he heard an explanation, Tigre lifted his arm and brought his hand to his head. While playing with his hair, Ellen laughed.

“Well, I'll admit that was pretty bad. You managed to push me down and touch me.”

“You are only suffering the consequences of your actions, Eleanora-sama.”

Lim spoke harshly as she folded the blanket and put it away in the corner of the tent. Teita was preparing a meal for everyone while Regin was helping her.

“What's this, Lim. You're not siding with me?”

“I wonder if you did that on purpose. If it were me, he would have been skewered by Lavias. What would you do if he injured you?”

Mira responded with a cold tone. She frowned while thinking of Ellen's dangerous situation. Being pressed by the two, Ellen looked about awkwardly.

In fact, there were signs of jealousy in both Lim and Mira, though Regin was the only one to notice.

“... Sorry. It won't happen again.”

“I'll remember that. Really, you woke up in a single shot. It was too intense.”

Ellen hung her head with drooped shoulders. Tigre patted her on the shoulder to comfort her. In the meantime, the meals were prepared.

The fragrance of cooked cheese and wine emitted a particularly strong scent, stimulating the appetite. There was also a stew with meat and salted turnips.

There was also deer meat and rye bred wrapped and steamed in grape leaves. Grape leaf-wrapped venison is a time consuming dish usually prepared only for those with distinguished military services. There was also an apple pie with molasses for desert.

“This is quite grand.”

Ellen mildly showed her surprise while Tigre remained calm.

“The nearby villages and towns sent them. They're trying to win our favor, I'm sure.”

Artishem was a large city, and there were hundreds of people who fled to the neighboring towns and villages. Artishem would no longer function as a city after Ganelon set fire to it, so, naturally, they made efforts to save themselves.

“You received this as it is?”

“Though we paid them, it is true we drove the price down.”

Tigre smiled bitterly as he recalled Gerard's negotiations. Along with Rurick, they managed to buy food, fuel, leather, and other supplies such as wood and straw.

Ellen changed the topic and began gnawing on the bread with a serious face.

“So, what will we do next? Will we take this opportunity to completely crush Thenardier?”

Lim, Mira, and Regin looked at Tigre. They had woken him forcibly to learn this.

“No---”

Tigre shook his head and placed his plate of soup down.

“When dawn comes, we will march to Artishem.”

“To help the residents? Do you think we have the necessary supplies?”

“Though I say we will advance, we will only be closing the distance. Artishem is... right, it should be about two days away.”

Tigre explained to Mira who looked at him in confusion.

“We will go to Artishem to find evidence that Regin is of the Royal Family.”

Tigre looked at the girls sincerely.

“My goal is the safety of Alsace and to find proof of Her Higness being a member of the Royal Family. It is not a necessity to fight Duke Thenardier.”

“True. His Dragons, his last resort, are gone. Duke Thenardier cannot move immediately, and if you can prove Regin is royalty, she can charge him with attempting to kill Her Highness.”

Lim quickly analyzed the situation.

“Your Highness, can you tell us once again about the area beneath Artishem?”

Regin nodded to Tigre's question.

“I was only taught the knowledge. I have not yet visited it myself. It was called [Charles' {{furigana|Sacred Grounds of the Palace|Sangroel}}], and it was created before the Brune Kingdom was established. It is said King Charles had a revelation there; that is where he decided to become King.”

“Sacred Grounds of the Palace? Seems a fairly exaggerated name for a cave.”

“Charles left word that it was an old temple or palace. It was not just a cave, since there was some level of development.”

Ellen asked with folded arms, and Regin responded while thoroughly searching her memory.

“There are three passages that enter the Sacred Grounds of the Palace. One is in the center of Artishem. Another is in the small temple of Mosha, the Goddess of Mother Earth to the southeast of Artishem. The third is at a cemetery in the east end of the city.”

“The temple of Mosha would be closest to our position.”

Mira spoke as she studied the map. Regin confirmed her answer.

“I have been to the city before. We can walk to the southeast from the eastern gate where a small shrine should be. The townspeople visit it once a month to pray, but other than that, it should be empty.”

Tigre looked at everyone once Regin finished her explanation.

“In addition to the people here, we should bring about ten.”

“You've decided on who to bring?”

“Her Highness and I will go. I would like to bring Batran and Rurick as well and two people they trust. I will let Lord Massas decide the rest.”

As a mediator to the soldiers, he would leave Lim, Massas, and Augre. Gerard was included as well, since he seemed unsuitable to the task. He decided not to take Mira due to her position.

Regarding Rurick, he was worried the old man who had long served him would complain. He was worried about this, but Batran simply laughed as usual.

“Young Lord. When this war ends, you will be going to Zhcted.”

To this old man who had been with him since he was a child, he could not lie. Batran simply smiled after giving Tigre his confirmation.

“Until this war ends, I will follow you, wherever you might go.”

There was a shadow in his smile. It was a melancholy held only by those who had lived a long time.

“I am already this old. I will not make it out of Brune. Even if I wanted to follow you... my body would not last.”

It was a lonely smile. Batran was 50 this year. He had served as a companion to his father, Urz. He was at an age where he could retire and live a normal life. Already he could not follow the actions of those from Zhcted.

''--- Until the war ends, is it?''

That is why he chose Batran.

However, he had not made this choice purely with his emotions. For his age, Batran had excellent strength and skill with the spear. Though self-taught, he was good enough to teach Urz, as well. It was not for show that he was a servant for such a long time.

Besides, Tigre felt reassured with Batran by his side. He had looked after Tigre as a child, after all.

As he recalled his conversation with Batran, Ellen suddenly spoke up.

“Then I will go as well.”

It was not only Tigre that was surprised, but Lim and Mira as well. While the two looked at her strangely, Ellen smiled.

“This discovery is also related to my future. Isn't it fine for me to accompany you?”

“Please think of your position, Eleanora-sama. You are a Vanadis. There may be heinous traps or fierce beasts lurking within.”

“That's right. If I can't handle that much, I wouldn't be suitable as a Vanadis.”

The two people let out a violent aura which affected Regin more than Ellen. It was undeniable that traps would be set in the {{furigana|[Sacred Caverns of the Palace]|Sangroel}}. Her words were painful for someone of Mira's standing to hear.

Ellen simply caught their gaze with her bright red eyes.

“Lim. Can you prepare five people in our army who could overpower me? If you can, then I will leave it as it is. Ludmira, this will be decisive. Am I suitable to being a Vanadis? Let this give you an answer.”

Lim and Mira could not object for a moment. She was a 16 year old and the strongest fighter in LeitMeritz. She had the Silver Flash, Arifal, above all else. The only one who could possibly fight evenly with Ellen in the army would be Mira.

After silencing the two, Ellen turned to Tigre.

“With that said, you are the General of the army. I leave the decision to you.”

Tigre was at a loss for words being suddenly pressed for a decision. It was true the final decision was Tigre's, but it was still a problem.

All the girls except Ellen watched with bated breath. She was the {{furigana|[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash]|Silvfrau}}. They quietly waited for Tigre's answer.

It was reassuring to have Ellen with him, but, as Lim had said, she was someone from LeitMeritz. He should not expose her to needless danger.

“... Should something happen.”

Tigre put his thoughts together and forced himself to speak.

“You prioritize yourself and Her Highness, Regin, no matter what danger befalls us. If you do so, I will take you.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Ellen answered promptly.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 05 Chapter 2 - MTL

2013-11-29T09:21:16Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} ===
“... A special envoy?”

Sophia Obertas tilted her head as she sat with a vacant expression. She let out a small noise.

Sophie was a close friend of Ellen and Mira. She was a tall beauty with beryl eyes and golden hair which gently shook. She was wrapped in a light green dress and exuded a mysterious charm, even to those of the same gender.

In her hand was a bishop staff which shined a brilliant gold, giving way to her alias of {{furigana|[Brilliant Princess of the Light Flower]|Presuvet}}. Though a young girl of 20 years, she was still the eldest of the Vanadis.

She was currently in Silesia, the Royal Capital of Zhcted Kingdom. She kneeled in a room deep inside the Royal Palace before an elderly man sitting atop a throne. Currently, only Sophie and this old man were present.

“That is correct. I wish for you to go once more, though I just sent you to Brune at the end of autumn.”

The old man was the King of Zhcted, Victor. Though his beard and hair were graying, he had a dignified atmosphere. He had dark skin, and, despite his weakness, his eyes showed an impressive vitality. Extending from his luxurious, purple, silk clothes were hands of skin and bone.

“The Muozinel Army has invaded, and the situation in Brune has changed drastically. Eleanora Viltaria has also been gone for half a year. Though it is good that her duties are still being done, but any longer and I will be forced to pull her back.”

''--- I wonder if that really is the reason. There must be something more.''

While muttering those words in her mind, Sophie accepted the King's words.

Though he left the territories in the care of the Vanadis, it was still not good to leave the country for half a year.

Though the King had a solid opportunity to reduce the power of the Vanadis, he wanted to avoid a situation which would badly influence the entirety of Zhcted.

“I shall give words of thanks to His Majesty for his consideration on behalf of the Vanadis not present. However, I must tell you that Ludmira Lurie is currently acting as an investigator to watch over Eleanora's actions. When considering the relationship the two have, I believe Eleanora would not do anything foolish.”

The discord between Ellen and Mira was well known in the Royal Palace. When Sophie brought this to the King's attention, she wondered why he had not thought of it.

“As you say, their relationship is not good.”

The voice of the old man withered like a dead tree; there was a sense of admiration.

“This is information I have not heard before. Sophia, I believe you are quite close with Eleanora, and you returned from Brune just the other day. I wish for you to go back.”

“... I respectfully accept your orders.”

Hearing her orders, Sophie turned about without saying any more. With her head hung, she thought about what the King was planning.

''--- He is trying to make use of Ellen and Mira's bad relationship...''

As the King said, Sophie had been ordered to act as a special envoy though she had just recently visited Brune.

Though there were diplomats who specialized in dealing with Brune Kingdom, the opponent could not act poorly toward the Vanadis, who were second only to the King. She was obviously effective as a messenger.

After leaving the meeting, as she walked down the corridor at a lax pace, Sophie continued to think.

''--- His Majesty is using my good relation with Ellen to get rid of me until after the war is over.''

Sophie realized King Victor's aim.

It was not unusual. It was not limited to King Victor and was done by various rulers of the past.

There were many Kings who thought to reduce the power of the Vanadis, and there were others that thought to exploit it but could not.

''--- King Victor is, without a doubt, the former.''

However, Sophie did not know how far he intended to hinder her friend. She only prayed that nothing worse would come of it.

“--- If it isn't Sophia Obertas.”

A calm voice interrupted Sophie's thoughts. When she looked up, she saw a young woman walking toward her.

A white rose shined in her blue-black hair, giving her a distinct impression. Bright red and purple roses adorned her snow-white dress, and as if to destroy any sense of harmony, she wielded a mysterious scythe.

Surprise leaked from Sophie's voice and beryl eyes.

“Valentina...”

“It has been quite some time, Sophia.”

The beautiful woman was called Valentina. She gave a delicate smile that made her seem fragile, as if she would shatter with a single touch. Sophie, one step behind, returned a smile of her own.

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 086.jpg|175px|thumb]]
“Yes. It has been quite a while. Why are you in the palace?”

“I wish only to remain in my country, but there is information I must find by all means; however, there are more than one thousand men in the Palace. It is far too lively for me, and I have become exhausted.”

While pressing her hand to her mouth, she let out a yawn.

Valentina Glinka Estes was a Vanadis like Sophia and was known as the {{furigana|[Illusionary Princess of the Hollow Shadow]|Shervid}}. The reason she had two names was because she was an aristocrat since birth.

Valentina governed the territory of Osterode in north Zhcted. Though Valentina rarely left, she was not in poor health.

Though she appeared occasionally, she would return at once, using her physical condition as an excuse.

“You do look tired. You should be healthy enough to use your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, right?”

Her beryl eyes looked toward the scythe in Valentina's hand.

Her Dragonic Tool, Hollow Shadow Ezendeis, had the second name of {{furigana|[Rending Void of the Supernatural Seal]|Fuyou no Rekku}}. From what Sophie knew, it gave her the ability to travel anywhere, ignoring distance and the thickness and heights of boundaries.

“I cannot.”

Valentina slowly shook her head with a smile.

“The further the distance, the more stamina I use. It is far too much for me... The other day, I traveled between rooms and was tired for the next three days.”

Valentina stroked the large scythe lovingly as if it were a child as she complained. Sophie decided to change the subject.

“However, it is quite unusual for you to come to the Royal Palace. We should have some tea.”

“Well...”

Valentina looked down in thought then looked up immediately with a smile.

“If you wish to, then please.”

''--- Now then, I wonder if I can learn anything from her...''

While walking alongside Valentina, Sophie thought such things without breaking her smile. She invited someone she was not particularly intimate with for a few reasons.

Sophie did not believe her to be sickly. Though she had no evidence, she could not help but think so. Also, she wanted to learn more of Valentina's purpose. Valentina rarely appeared before others, so there was little opportunity to learn about her.

Sophie could not help but think she was hiding some unknown ambition.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

As the day broke, tension filled the conference room in Perucche Fortress. Tigre, Ellen, Lim, Massas, Mira, and Regin surrounded a table.

“Why did he burn it down?”

Ellen started the meeting, frowning with her arms crossed, swaying in frustration. Massas was the one to answer.

“According to the message, Duke Ganelon set fire to his city himself...”

“Is there a mistake? Perhaps it was a small fire somewhere in the city and it was exaggerated.”

Mira tilted her neck. Massas responded with a deep face as he stroked his beard.

“It is not uncommon for fires to start in this season. Lutetia is in the north and is colder than the rest of Brune, but it is difficult to imagine something like that could happen so close to Duke Ganelon's home.”

“If such a large city burns, it is natural to think the enemy started it... But Thenardier's Army, they're still south of Nice, right?”

Lim nodded. According to the scout's report, Duke Thenardier's Army was slowly pushing Duke Ganelon's Army while heading north.

''--- If not Duke Thenardier, then who...?''

While Tigre was brooding with a serious expression, he noticed Regin appeared pale. More so than his own, the shock must have been larger for her.

“Your Highness. Our schedule will not change. We will move to Artishem as planned.”

He smiled to reassure her, though he could not help but feel the irony in his mind. Because Regin was a Princess, she did not think she had anyone she could rely on, yet the damage was unexpectedly mitigated by the people with her now.

“Thank you, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Regin smiled bravely and slightly nodded her head.

Though Thenardier's Army had accepted the twenty thousand soldiers from Ganelon's Army who surrendered, creating a force exceeding forty thousand, he cast them aside far from Nemetacum when in view of the Royal Capital.

“Weak soldiers are unnecessary. It takes time to kill them all, so don't bother with those that run away.”

He beheaded an aristocrat with more than one thousand troops inside his territory. The remaining twenty thousand threw aside their arms and were tossed away without provisions.

Thenardier never had the intention to accept them.

He had twenty-five thousand troops and five Dragons. If his army doubled, of course the required food and fuel consumption would double as well. Though Thenardier might have been able to prepare that, he was not in the mind to do so.

Nevertheless, he had a reason to allow them to march with him until then.

One reason is because the battlefield they surrendered at was close to Nemetacum. Even if he had taken their arms and food, they might have devastated his territory, so it was necessary to pull them away.

Also, there would be too many allies. He would need to divide the territory he gained from battle amongst them all.

He was further worried that they might run to Tigrevurmud Vorn. Though his army might have been large, they held little loyalty to him. By doing this, he planted a fear inside their minds.

Regardless, if the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} accepted them, it would only increase their food and fuel consumption.

However, the biggest reason was what Thenardier had told them.

Thenardier hated weak and incompetent people.

The only exception was his son.

The next day, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} left Perucche Fortress. They had left three days ahead of schedule.

Alongside the troops led by Tigre, Massas, and Augre, at the core were the LeitMeritz troops led by Ellen and the Olmutz Army led by Mira. Though there was dissatisfaction that a foreign army was part of the main force, Massas managed to persuade them.

Other than that, there were soldiers from the aristocrats that joined during the battle against the Muozinel Army.

As they advanced down the road leading to Lutetia, Tigre had many scouts move in various directions. Some looked for excellent hiding places in the surroundings, others went to explore the movements of Thenardier's Army, and some investigated the situation in Lutetia.

A sharp wind came from the sky and pink flowers bloomed along the road, making the transition from winter to spring.

As they advanced, they received more information which would likely be increasingly accurate. Occasionally, they encountered merchants and travelers. Tigre would invite them to his tent and talk to them over a meal and alcohol.

Incidentally, Ellen, Mira, and Batran also attended these talks.

As for Massas, his hands were tied up commanding the entire army. Lim and Rurick took charge of the LeitMeritz Army while Gerard took care of the supply line behind the scenes.

Regin did not make an appearance because her presence made Tigre anxious. Though she was the one who most wanted to hear about the state of Lutetia, Tigre did not know what kind of answer they would hear and what reaction she would have.

“Where did all of you come from?”

“From Lutetia.”

A middle aged man who seemed to command the caravan responded with the utmost bravado. His attitude was natural, since many caravans which encountered an army were stripped of all they had.

Even if they were an army, it was possible they were enemy spies. There were many reasons to remain suspicious of possible mercenary armies. What was important was to make sure his cargo was not stolen.

Though Tigre examined their property, he did not deprive them of a single copper coin. Although it took time, it did not present a problem, since he had made the majority of his army move ahead.

“I heard Artishem of Lutetia was burned. Have you heard the circumstances?”

“All the rumors are true.”

The man spoke falteringly.

“Our Lord lost the battle and went mad. Ignoring the residents, he set fire to the city... Though Artishem is enclosed by walls, there are fight gates. However, they were all shut.”

Hearing this story, Tigre and the others had difficult complexions. It was a difficult story.

Still, Tigre collected his thoughts at once and continued listening to the story while asking questions. Once the conversation was over, Tigre let out a small breath.

“If this story is true, then this is no simple matter...”

Ellen snorted provokingly. Mira knit her brows.

“We will reach Lutetia in two days. Duke Thenardier's Army will pass Nice and continue north.”

It was a difficult situation. Batran, who had been standing silent with a difficult expression until now, stood before Tigre having made up his mind.

“Young Lord. I do not believe this situation to be difficult. If he has abandoned his land, then we can simply take control of the castle.”

“Turn it into a defensive battle?”

Tigre wanted to protest against his old servant's words, but gave it thought seeing his earnest expression.

''--- Is it really a bad idea to take control of the castle?''

Artishem, though burned and collapsed, was the center of Lutetia and Duke Ganelon's city of residence. It would be effective politically if the flag of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was placed there.

Drawing a map of Brune in his head, Artishem was in the middle of north Brune. If he suppressed the area, he would grasp the majority of the northern supply lines.

''--- More than anything, if their city has been burnt down, I would like to help them.''

Tigre looked back at Ellen and Mira while giving it thought.

However, their reaction was not pleasant at all. Ellen's brow was wrinkled and Mira stared sternly into Tigre's eyes.

“It is a risky gamble with a high probability of defeat.”

“I agree with her for once. Abandon this plan.”

“... Is it really that difficult?”

Tigre flinched seeing the two veteran Vanadis oppose the idea.

“It is the largest city in the north of Brune where the residents number double our own. We will not be able to take control.”

“There is also the possibility that half the city has been burned down. With corpses in such high quantities, there will be disease throughout. Also, it would be a problem if Duke Thenardier appeared while we give aid to the citizens.”

What the two said was justifiable. The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} did not have the food or fuel to support them above all else.

“It is possible we could appeal to the Royal Capital to help supply food and water through Lord Massas or Her Highness.”

Ellen shrugged her shoulders to Tigre's desperate proposal.

“Well, it's better than doing nothing. It's a good idea to ask the Royal Capital for help. After that, we can ask all the surrounding nobles and the Knights to help defend the castle.”

“That is not a bad idea from you. Depending on their reaction, we could even incorporate them into our troops.”

“Ho ho, to think you would give a compliment. Is this a harbinger of heavenly blessings or a natural calamity?”

“Naturally it would be a natural calamity if we follow whatever is going on in your head. It seems you have been spoiling him too much.”

The beautiful expression on the face of the two girls was lost in an instant as they glared and elbowed each other. A wind and cold air began to envelop the tent, causing everyone inside to shudder.

“Please stop fighting. I'm depending on both of you.”

Though Tigre tried to calm down them down, his words were counterproductive.

“Aren't I obviously more reliable than her? You won't get anywhere if you indulge this spoiled girl.”

“There is nothing to be gained from this veteran who can only boast of her size, Tigre.”

Tigre knew this would take time and turned away from the two to signal to Batran to stand outside. Enduring the cold, he returned to the two once again.

The quarrel lasted for a quarter koku.

The next day, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} stopped their march about a half day's walk from Artishem. They knew Thenardier's scouts would be approaching Artishem as well.

“Duke Thenardier's Army is approximately fifty to sixty belsta (about fifty or sixty kilometers) away. If both armies continue at their current pace, we will meet by the end of the day.”

Tigre decided to stop. He did not want his soldiers to be attacked when they were tired from a long day's march.

There was also a need to reorganize the troops. A group of soldiers from Duke Ganelon's Army appeared three days ago. With an extra seven thousand troops, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} numbered twenty thousand.

“We can handle no more than this, whether it be a dog or a cat, let alone a soldier. Please set a condition that they must bring one hundred spears, fifty horses, or food for fifty if they wish to join.”

Gerard Augre was in charge of the distribution of food, fuel, and arms, and reported with a spiteful attitude. Tigre flinched before the threatening atmosphere emanating from the youth with brown hair.

“It's that bad?”

“I will say this bluntly. Our soldiers are strangely sensitive to the decrease in their food. For instance, the vegetable soup---”

Gerard's eyes and tone became sharper.

“Assume the normal soup has carrots, beans, potatoes, and salt. We have gotten rid of the beans and have thinned out the salt. Though we can deceive them for a time, it will be discovered within four or five days.”

Gerard leaned over with a pile of papers in his hand and continued.

“There is some speculation amongst the soldiers that the food is being taken from them by the enemy, and that their allies are being incompetent. It was expected to some extent, but with a powerful opponent looming ahead, there are more who are thinking of fleeing.”

He continued to speak rapidly. Needless to say, Tigre understood his point. Since they were so close to Thenardier's Army, they stopped accepting soldiers because there was the possibility of Thenardier's men disguising themselves.

In a tent with the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}} of Brune, {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} of Zhcted, and the flags of house Vorn and LeitMeritz above it, Tigre held a war council.

“Duke Thenardier was thought to lead an army of forty thousand, but that is an exaggeration.”

Claiming to control more troops was not unusual.

It would be profitable if the enemy troops believed it, It would foster suspicion between new soldiers, and simply by increasing the number of flags, they could easily deceive scouts.

“Though it is an exaggeration... when you gather all the reports, they certainly have more than twenty thousand.”

Massas stroked his beard and made a bitter face. He had enough power in his hands to pull the hair off his face.

Tigre had a cold sweat mentally. The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver FLow}} had a mixture of twenty thousand men.

Also, while he could not, Duke Thenardier could return to Nemetacum to replenish his supplies and reorganize his troops.

“We can't wish for any more, rather, we should be grateful we have closed the gap this far.”

“Still, Duke Thenardier's Army barely reduced in his last battle with Duke Ganelon.”

Lim tilted her head expressionlessly. Massas responded to her doubt.

“There are five Dragons in Duke Thenardier's Army. The battle ended quickly because they took the lead.”

Dragons. Tigre and Massas trembled after hearing the world. Only Ellen and Mira remained calm. Lim as well showed no sign of tension in her face.

“Well, we'll take care of them. We can't let the soldiers do everything.”

Ellen spoke nonchalantly. Tigre bowed while bitterly gripping his knee.

“I apologize that I must leave it to you.”

“No need to worry. The right man at the right place. Though you are the General, it would be useless for you to make a move.”

Tigre nodded wryly after hearing Mira's words of comfort.

“Duke Ganelon is out of the picture. This fight against Duke Thenardier will likely become our final battle.”

Regin gazed at the map tensely. She looked toward Artishem. Those present knew the tragedy which took place in the city.

It was a hideous thing which simply made them nauseous.

There were two signs that something would happen. One was a carriage traveling back and forth numerous times between the northern gate and Duke Ganelon's mansion. The other happened to be soldiers working beneath Ganelon creating many fuel depositories across Artishem.

Those with sharp intuition saw these two events happening, and, after four or five days, left the city with their family; however, they were a very small minority in a large urban environment. Most residents remained.

Of course, they were all uneasy. To begin with, Duke Ganelon was known for his outrageous brutality, and for carrying out cruel acts on a whim. Furthermore, news of Ganelon's defeat by the Thenardier Army reached their ears, though it was still a rumor.

Still, it was difficult for anyone to leave the city where they lived for many years simply out of anxiety.

Anyone who could think their Lord would burn down the city and its residents of his own volition would not be a normal human.

The fire began at midnight, and it was started in Ganelon's residence. The luxurious, three story mansion which towered high above in a place where he could overlook most of the city was wrapped in flames, flickering before a backdrop of darkness.

The fire reached the fuel depositories throughout the city. In each depository, barrels were filled with oil, lined with fat, and had piles of firewood surrounding them, which caused them to quickly erupt into flames. The sparks were fanned by the wind from the north, spreading the fire in an instant.

Artishem was a city with history. It existed before Brune Kingdom came to power.

Though it was developed, and there were more shops and residential areas in the city, the central landscape was still the same as it once was.

There were stone buildings with beam ceilings and wooden doors and floors. The fire eventually spread there.

The greatest reason the people could not run away was because it began at midnight. Some jumped out of the houses, and a few managed to reach the castle gates.

A river flowed through the center of Artishem from the northeast, so many jumped into it to escape from the flames; however, few survived.

Though signs of winter's end approached, the river water was cold in the dead of night. With the flames fueled by the wind, there was a long wall of fire lining the river. Many were forced with the choice of death by drowning or inhaling the smoke and suffocating.

With the cold wind blowing from the north, the fire ran rampant and quickly reached the southeastern part of Artishem.

Security guards desperately fought the fire throughout the city with the cooperation of the citizens; but the fire burned much of the city. By the time it disappeared, dawn had arrived. The sun began to rise, and the moon could be seen sinking in the western sky.

There were numerous corpses accompanying the city burning to ruins.

At the same time, news of Ganelon's death circulated about northern Brune. To say nothing of the various cities throughout Lutetia, the aristocrats who did not fight in the war alongside Ganelon's troops were deeply impacted in the midst of the public turmoil.

On the other hand, the soldiers of the Ganelon Army which was defeated by the Thenardier Army simply scattered in all directions.

Those who were not accepted in either the Thenardier Army or the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} were left to wander the lands of Brune.

“... Before we defeat Duke Thenardier, let's apply for a truce.”

Tigre looked around as he proposed that to his friends. Ellen reacted quickly, her red eyes shining keenly.

“To save Artishem?”

Tigre nodded. He thought of words to say before he spoke again.

“When the Muozinel Army attacked from the sea, it was Duke Thenardier who defended the cities near the water.”

If Thenardier was aiming for supremacy in Brune, he would eventually aim to make Artishem his own. If possible, rebuilding it quickly would be advantageous.

Though Tigre gave that explanation, he did not receive a good reaction.

“Your idea is good, but Thenardier will not likely accept it.”

Ellen said this, and Mira shook her head.

“Tigre. Even if you offer this now, they would only suspect you of buying time. You could be gathering more troops using your reputation from your battle with the Muozinel Army.”

The two Vanadis opposed him. Tigre stared at Massas and Lim, but, as expected, no response returned.

“If I were in Duke Thenardier's position, I would give priority to destroying Lord Tigrevurmud's Army. Given your situation now, you should not give aid immediately. If you win, you can place responsibility on his shoulders.”

“Tigre. Your heart is in the right place, but you cannot do everything. It is only after you defeat Duke Thenardier that you will be able to bring about change.”

“... I understand.”

It was a reasonable argument. Tigre was saying unreasonable things, after all. If he took this action, he may jeopardize the twenty thousand soldiers following him. It was a mistake to confuse the means and the end.

“Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Regin, who had remained mute until then, spoke to Tigre in a steady voice.

“I must take responsibility for myself. Please do not suffer any more than necessary.”

“But, Your Highness...”

What she said was not wrong, and it was the right time for her to say so. From outside, a soldier requested a meeting. Massas stood up and received the report. When the old Earl returned, he reported with a difficult face.

“A message from Duke Thenardier came.”

Duke Thenardier's messenger reported his demands for the war. They were for Tigrevurmud Vorn's neck to be presented to him and for all aristocrats who supported him to be relieved of their territory and titles.

[Furthermore, Eleanora Viltaria and Ludmira Lurie are not to interfere and are to return to the Kingdom of Zhcted.]

''--- There is nothing about Regin...''

“What will you do, Tigre?”

The messenger was made to wait for a response, so Ellen asked Tigre.

“Will you offer the truce you presented a while ago?”

Massas said that, though it was clear he was suppressing his anger.

It was difficult to place any trust in the enemy. Thenardier would not possibly allow Massas and Augre, who supported Tigre from an early stage, to get away with just their territories and titles revoked. Even if he did not do anything now, he might make a move in one or two years.

Furthermore, he would secretly bury Regin. Thenardier's wife was King Faron's niece. As someone who has a connection to the blood of the Royal Family, all obstacles would be gone if Tigre were dead.

He would not permit Regin's existence.

“I feel like I should make a demand rather than ask for a truce...”

“You could recommend they surrender and give them an equally coercive demand.”

Hearing Ellen's words, Tigre made the messenger return with his response.

[Don't you still owe me reparations for your son's solleret on Alsace?]

The solleret refers to one's iron greaves. In this case, it signified his command over an army.

With this, negotiations broke down.

To the southeast of Artishem were the Villecresnes Plains. There were narrow forests to the north and south and a river connecting them, as well as small hills to the east.

There, the twenty thousand strong {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} faced off against the twenty-four thousand strong Thenardier Army.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} divided its encampment between the central force, the right and left flanks, and the reserves to the rear.

The central unit consisted mostly of soldiers from Ganelon's Army with Tigre commanding them. Massas and Lim were by his side. The right wing was controlled by Mira and Ellen, and held the Zhcted Army. To the left were the soldiers and Knights that joined him after the war with Muozinel.

Though Tigre wanted to fight the Dragons alongside Ellen and Mira, he did not due to the overall situation.

“Certainly, we can get rid of the Dragons quickly with the power of your bow, but we will have a disadvantage without you taking charge at the front.”

Commanding the Zhcted Army in the right flank, Ellen laughed and comforted Tigre. Mira also smiled fearlessly after giving him a parting remark.

“There is no need to look like that. There is no one either here or in Zhcted that could defeat an army with two Vanadis.”

“Got it. Though it goes without saying, take care, you two.”

Though Tigre saw the two with a smile and words of encouragement, he could not relieve his anxiety.

He had learned the fear of a Dragon firsthand.

His first encounter with a Dragon was when he was hunting in the mountains. His second time was in the fight against Zaien.

“... Lord Tigrevurmud.”

His face looked difficult as he recalled the past. Lim called to him from the side.

“Please rest assured. Neither Eleanora-sama nor Ludmira-sama will be defeated.”

“That's right...”

Tigre nodded as he grasped the black bow in his saddle.

“Lord Massas. What do you think of the enemy's appearance?”

“They are calm. They will fall back, though... in the way they did against the fight with Duke Ganelon's army. We have no room to relax.”

They would lure the enemy back and bring the Dragons forward. That was the plan Thenardier had used before.

Thenardier's soldiers, like the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, had a textbook formation.

Ten thousand infantry were in the center. Both wings had five thousand troops. Behind the main unit, the five Dragons were waiting, and four thousand enemies stood even further behind with Duke Thenardier. There were three thousand even further back as a reserve force.

This eccentric formation only displayed Duke Thenardier's arrogance and confidence. Rather than overwhelm the enemy with numbers, he would simply crush them from the front.

In the middle of the morning, while the sun continued climbing, a cold wind blew across the land. The two armies marched.

The moment the Zhcted Army fired a rain of arrows, Thenardier's men stopped and blocked the attack with their shields.

Screams tore through the air as countless men who could not block the arrows fell. Still, there were no openings in the troops.

After exhausting their arrows, the Zhcted Army retreated and sounded a horn. Both armies raised a cry and clashed. At first glance, they looked even.

Soldiers held up their shields to block spears, not allowing them to pass further, swords cut men down, axes crushed through helmets, and others followed after from all directions to carve the enemy apart.

Killing and being killed. As if it were a chain reaction, the earth was littered in corpses and screams, the grass was dyed dark red with blood.

Soldiers slumped over, their eyes hollow, trying to push their entrails back into the corpses of their comrades.

Because I am right, because the enemy is alive, because the enemy is cruel, because the enemy is fighting, in order to survive, everyone had their own reason to wield a sword or spear, a reason to brandish a hammer or an axe.

Of course, they believed the Commander they fought under was correct; however, the enemy before them had blades smeared with blood. The reality of attack ahead was trivial. Only the desperation remained in their mind.

While the central forces were in an intense exchange of offense and defense, the Zhcted Army in the right wing gradually pulled back. Thenardier's left army began advancing, carrying on this momentum. This was a trap set by the Zhcted Army.

Taking notice, Mira gathered five hundred men and attacked Thenardier's left wing from the side.

At that time, the Zhcted Army began a quick counter-offensive as planned. The left wing of the Thenardier Army was almost crushed in an instant. The men retreated to rebuild their formation.

''--- Good.''

Ellen smiled happily while commanding the Zhcted Army. At this time, under Tigre's command, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, began moving forward slowly. The Zhcted Army would soon approach the river and forest. It looked difficult to attack at a glance.

However, that was the goal. Ellen made a large detour and ran around the forest, joining with Mira to attack the Thenardier Army from the side. Although it was a rash action which left the right side open, there was a high chance of victory.

The left wing of the Thenardier Army, while recovering their formation near the forest and river, was assaulted. Furthermore, under Tigre's orders, Lim led the reserve troops to replace the right wing of his army. If the enemy attacked aggressively, there would have been a severe loss in her soldiers.

Lim had received another instruction from Tigre, so she separated from Tigre and took command of the reserves.

“Lord Massas. How is the left wing?”

The old man shook his stocky body and looked sternly at Tigre.

“You are the General. You should not use honorifics here.”

“Though I understand...”

He was about to speak formally again, but Tigre looked at Massas awkwardly as he began. Massas shook his head bitterly.

“The Knights of Perucche, Lutece, and Calvados are here. They won't lose to such an absurd opponent.”

“... It's odd hearing you speak so formally.”

“Please get used to it. It will be an interesting experience.”

Batran looked upon their conversation happily.

A half koku had passed and the sun approached its nidus. Suddenly, a change occurred on the battlefield. The Zhcted Army commanded by Ellen and Mira heard a cry from Thenardier's left wing.

“Don't be left behind.”

“I should return those words to you.”

Though they were the Commander and inspector, they stood at the head of the troops. Command was left to Rurick who remained behind.

The bald Knight had separated from Tigre long ago to carry out this important task. He was clearly bathed in a tense atmosphere.

Holding up the longsword which manipulates wind, brandishing the short spear covered in ice, the two Vanadis rushed into the enemy without hesitation. The Thenardier Army, surprised at the surprise attack, held up their shields and thrust their spears forward between the gap.

However, the spearheads did not touch Ellen or Mira. In a moment, their shields were crushed and their horses danced atop the enemy. Every time the wind flew from Ellen's sword, blood and brains painted the ground, only to be frozen shortly after as Mira thrust her spear into the earth.

Although three or four Thenardier soldiers challenged them with spears and swords, they were eliminated immediately by a counterattack. They saw the beautiful Goddess of death right before their eyes.

As if tearing through ragged clothes, the Zhcted Army divided the Thenardier Army in two equal portions. Those who fought back bravely could not last, as the cavalry ran by them with spear in hand.

“... Reinforcements.”

After breaking through the enemy, Ellen frowned. There was a change in the enemy; a fresh unit was likely moved in.

They wore sturdy armor with thick shields. Between the gaps, they used a weapon which combined an axe with a polearm, a halberd.

The halberd was used to handle enemies on horseback. Though it was like a small axe, there was a projected tip which acted as a spearhead. The weapon could pierce, cut, and act as a hook to drag the enemy off his steed.

The disadvantage was how difficult it was to handle as well as its length and weight.

Though three kinds of attacks were possible, for those who could not properly use them, it still acted as a spear. Thenardier arranged it so the unit could use the weapon in that manner.

“But don't think this is enough against us.”

“--- Yes. I must say the same.”

Next to Ellen, who had just used a plural form of language, Mira added her words with a sarcastic tone. The bright red pupils and brilliant blue pupils crossed for a moment, letting off a spark of hostility.

In fact, the soldiers with the halberds could not stop Ellen or Mira. If they used the weapon as an axe, the handle was quickly severed. If they used the weapon as a spear, the cold air stopped their movements.

“Once we break through here, we'll see the Dragons.”

“What are the colors of the Dragon's scales?”

“Nothing black.”

Ellen returned a short reply to Mira's question. In Zhcted, young Dragons and Dragons with black scales were not to be killed due to their importance in the mythology of the founding of Zhcted. It was common sense to the two.

Soon, the five behemoths came into view.

Three had scales the color of yellow ochre, and another had red-brown scales reminiscent of brick.

The last, and most conspicuous, was the color of iron. Though it had shades of black along it, they were simply large chains fitted to the Dragon.

“This is my first time seeing a {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}...”

Mira muttered in disgust. Though Ellen did not say it, she agreed.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} was a malformation and was an ill omen in Zhcted. Though they did not know what might happen, it was not simply an issue of nerves.

Ellen had one thing to be nervous about.

''--- The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} aren't being sealed with those chains. In the first place, there is no chain which can restrain a Dragon, so what is that...?''

“How did they get them? Even in our country there are no examples... What kind of hand did they play?”

“I can't say I'm not interested, but it certainly won't be anything decent.”

At that moment, the two Vanadis heard an odd sound which resembled tinnitus. The two frowned and exchanged glances, but they had no room to speak.

After they broke through the wall of enemy soldiers, dozens of alsin away, the Dragons let out a roar. All six cries drowned out the sound of battle. Man and horse, enemy and ally alike simply stood still in terror.

Ellen and Mira lightly bent backwards. Their horses did not run forward; their bodies were trembling as they snorted in fear.

A wind blew, originating from the Dragons' breath, and blew a foul odor across the field. At that moment, the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} with ochre scales began to move.

The Dragons ignored enemy and ally alike as they advanced. Their thick, tough forelimbs struck the ground like pillars. A Thenardier soldier was unable to escape and was crushed underfoot, leaving only a lump of dark, red flesh.

The Thenardier soldiers escaped to the side to avoid being killed by its rampage. They pushed one another as the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} rushed straight ahead. The ground shook with every step, clouds of dust and blood swelled.

“--- To save time, we'll finish them off together.”

“True. There are five. It would not do to fight them individually.”

Even with the huge beasts approaching them, Ellen and Mira remained calm. A swirl of wind gathered at the tip of the longsword held by the Vanadis of silver-white hair. A cold air formed along the short spear held by Mira.

It was no lie that they lacked the time. If they took too much time against the Dragons here, Duke Thenardier would have time to escape; however, Ellen had a separate aim.

So long as the Thenardier and Ganelon Armies fought, these Dragons would be a war potential difficult to surpass. The soldiers of Thenardier knew this.

She wanted to crush their morale by dealing with the Dragons in a single blow.

The wind formed an invisible blade, and crystals emerged in the air.

The Dragons approached the Vanadis.

“{{furigana|Cleave the Air|Ley Admos}}!”

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

Ellen swing Arifal down, while Mira thrust Lavias forward. The two {{furigana|Dragonic Tools|Viralt}} crossed. A whirlwind of ice shot forward as the cold stuck to the blade of wind.

It was as strong as a winter storm which occasionally blew violently in the northernmost lands of Zhcted. The torrent gouged the ground and altered the atmosphere. The Dragons bathed in the shining blade were bound in ice, unable to escape.

The Dragon scales were covered in countless cuts which were immediately frozen as they burst. The ocher scales crumbled like withered petals, dark red blood seeped from the Dragons before freezing.

Their claws and fangs were carved away by the wind and frozen; they shattered with a single strike.

The soldiers of the Thenardier Army who had escaped from the Dragon were hit by the shock wave. They were unable to escape the aftereffects and were frozen to the spot, unable to move their bodies.

The three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}, without letting out a cry, fell to the earth frozen. The Thenardier soldiers could not let out a single sound, some were unable to stand.

Ellen and Mira did not bother to claim victory. They pulled on their horses' reins and rushed past the Dragons' corpses.

“... Can you do it again?”

“Surely you are not asking me that?”

While retorting with a rare smile, the two Vanadis continued forward, followed by the Zhcted Army who raised a battle cry. On the other hand, the Thenardier soldiers were unable to move, barely able to hold a weapon in their trembling hands.

In the main force, the dark-haired Duke watched the battle with a grim expression.

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 120.jpg|175px|thumb]]
''--- So that's the power of the Vanadis''

Though he was astonished, his face showed no sign of it. He and his aide, Steid, maintained their complexion, allowing the remaining staff officers to recover.

“Like I thought, our central unit should use a Four Spears Formation.”

Steid muttered as usual, despite his slightly pale face. The Four Spears Formation was something Duke Thenardier devised for the infantry. Its results were unsurpassed in battles thus far.

He did not use it because the Dragons were used to lure the Vanadis in. If the Vanadis were superior to the Dragons, they would take care of the Dragons first.

Strictly speaking, a thin layer of troops was placed behind the Dragons, and once the Vanadis passed the five Dragons, they would be engulfed in soldiers. So long as the Vanadis could be crushed, he was willing to lose all five Dragons.

However, because the Dragons were between his base and the central unit, the instructions could not easily be given, so the Four Spears Formation could not be readily used due to a necessity for quick command.

If the Vanadis were lost, the Zhcted Army was sure to collapse, and a remarkable change in morale would happen in both friend and foe. With numbers on his side, his chance of victory would skyrocket.

However, Thenardier and Steid had to quickly modify the plan. They were not sure what the two Vanadis had done, but they had quickly dispatched all three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}.

“Quickly reorganize the troops. Enclose the Vanadis that defeated the Dragon and crush them.”

His words were filled with fatigue.

“I don't care if it takes six thousand soldiers to attack two people. Kill them.”

Thenardier gave out cold instructions without mercy.

Mira and Ellen approached the remaining two Dragons. They had quickly passed the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} they defeated and divided to the left and right to fight the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} respectively.

Because of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}'s bulk and the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}'s ability to spit fire, they separated the two so they could fight in a large space.

“I'll leave the left to you.”

Both Ellen and Mira advanced after that short phrase. Ellen ran to the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} while Mira moved to the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}.

“We took out those {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} before, so I would rather not play with you, but we need you to leave the war right now.”

As she said that, a sound rung in the depths of her ear yet again. It was a sharp noise which drowned out the clamor of the battlefield.

However, there was no room to think about it.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} raised its head and glared at Ellen with its four eyes. Its eyes showed it had energy to spare.

The atmosphere let out a hum as a tornado surrounded Arifal, forming a blade of wind.

“{{furigana|Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}!”

With a shout, Ellen struck the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}. Though it was tough, its bones would break and not even a fragment would remain if it took a direct blow.

However, while the earth was gouged out as the wind tore through the air, it stopped shortly before the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}, as if it were protected by an invisible wall. After the two struggled, the wind disappeared.

“... What?”

It was something Ellen had not expected at all. She looked on in blank surprise, though only for a single breath.

After a time which was not even a moment, the Vanadis wielded Arifal once again.

“--- {{furigana|Shadow Wind|Verni}}.”

Removing her feet from the stirrups, she jumped up as soon as the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} attacked. It bit through the horse's neck and backside. A deep, slow sound rumbled from its maw as blood sprinkled to the ground.

Both the Zhcted soldiers and the Thenardier soldiers turned pale, their bodies quaking in fear. Though Thenardier's central force was still clashing with the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}'s main force, those in the surroundings had forgotten the battle.

Ellen escaped from the Dragon's jaws and landed on the ground. The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} closely observed her. After she had used [Shadow Wind] to escape, she attacked the Dragon's head, but there was no sign of any wound.

''--- Even if it was a shallow blow, it was not damaged by Arifal's blade.''

The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} turned its gaze to Mira who had run to challenge it.

At that moment, Mira attacked the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} with her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

A huge amount of cold air was emitted from Mira's Frozen Wave. In a single moment, innumerable pillars of ice formed about the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, stabbing it.

However, like Ellen, the Dragonic Skill was stopped by something, as if hampered. The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} opened its mouth, a bud of flame shining from the back of its black throat.

Ellen and Mira ran quickly and rolled on the ground, colliding into one another.

Immediately afterward, an inferno was expelled from the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}'s mouth, melting the ice created by Mira. The heat burned Ellen's back and shoulders. If she had been exposed to the flame directly, her body would have been carbonized immediately.

''--- Somehow, it missed for now...''

Because the two were fighting Dragons separately, they had created a considerable distance between them. Even with the speed of Shadow Wind, however, she was barely able to avoid the flame.

“Eleanora! Why are you...”

Mira glared in fright at Ellen who protected her from the fire. Ellen raised her face and smiled, enduring her pain.

“You... weren't acting like a Vanadis. Your movements were thrown out of order for a moment.”

“Silence.”

Using her spear, Mira emitted a thin film of ice to cover Ellen's wound. The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} continued to vomit flames toward the two.

The bright red flame wrapped about the two Vanadis and spread radially like a lotus, engulfing many Zhcted soldiers. Those touched by the flame died instantly, their bodies carbonizing and collapsing to the grass as ashes.

The Zhcted soldiers not harmed by the flames looked toward their Lords engulfed in fire with bitter expressions. Even the Thenardier soldiers were not in a state of mind to cry for joy as they stared at the fire breathing Dragon.

“--- I see.”

A dignified, stony voice was heard from beneath the flames. A cold wind brewed from within the fires, dispersing the heat. The people looked on in disbelief, as if they had seen a dream or illusion. It was a miraculous scene beyond the reality they knew.

Mira held her spear of ice with a firm expression as Ellen protected her. A huge amount of cold emitted from Lavias, and Arifal had formed many films of air about them. They were protected from smoke, heat, and flames.

“Our {{furigana|Dragonic Skills|Veda}} do not work on you.”

The Vanadis were safe. When faced with the flames of a {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, all turned to ash without exception; however, these two people remained uninjured. It was a mystery to the beast.

On the other hand, Mira had formed large lumps of ice as she looked up at the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}. She was calmly constructing a method to kill it in her head. Still, nothing appeared in her mind.

The earth shook; the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} looked elsewhere. Even Mira found it difficult to keep focus on the Dragon with twin heads upon which her Dragonic Skill would not work.

The stampede of thousands of horses approached with a tremendous force, corpses were trampled upon, soldiers were separated, and screams mixed in the air. It was the sound of war.

The Thenardier soldiers were split apart as cavalrymen, led by Lim, cut through them.

“Eleanora-sama, Ludmira-sama. Are you safe?”

Lavias was pointed to the ground, as Mira was about to thrust her spear into the earth. She stopped her movements in reaction to the shout and turned back to see Lim.

“You... Why are you here? What of Tigre?”

“I have come at Lord Tigrevurmud's instructions. He said to assist with your withdrawal---”

While Lim was answering, Mira noticed Ellen begin to fall before her.

“Help Eleanora. She is injured.”

Before Mira's words were finished, Ellen's body moved. Supporting herself with her sword, the Vanadis with silver-white hair struggled to stand.

“My body hurts... but I can manage myself.”

“Please get behind me.”

Ellen rode the horse behind Lim. After making sure Ellen was on, Mira deprived an enemy of his horse as she watched the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} approach.

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

Mira used her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} for a third time. The earth was torn away, and a large pillar of ice spread, forming a wall of ice to prevent the Dragon's flames.

The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} fiercely hurled fire at the wall of ice, two, three times. The earth shook with every blow. Soon, the barrier of ice shattered, scattering fragments of ice across the battlefield.

However, by that time, every soldier from Zhcted had withdrawn.

Duke Thenardier and his adjutant, Steid, calmly looked at the soldiers of their army. There was a succession of surprises but their complexion remained unchanged.

“... They got us.”

Duke Thenardier vomited words in annoyance. Though the surrounding attendants trembled, Steid responded indifferently.

“It was a severe loss with the three Dragons.”

“Certainly that is true, but I did not grasp their movements.”

Without hiding anything, Thenardier strongly grasped his fist. He had pulled the soldiers back to lure Ellen and the others in so he could show his superiority.

“Have the Dragons attack the enemy. We will throw our men at the Vanadis.”

It was the second time Thenardier had to change the actions of his soldiers and the Dragons in this battle because he had too little information on the Vanadis. Furthermore, because of the Dragons, his soldiers had not moved as instructed. It was unpleasant for Thenardier.

His left wing was partially destroyed, and the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} had been destroyed, yet the Vanadis were not killed.

“What of the center and the right wing?”

“The right wing is holding its ground, and the center is pushing forward.”

Steid answered promptly. The situation was as expected. With the Knights in the enemy's left wing, it was unlikely they would destroy it, and their central force of ten thousand faced off against the enemy's seven thousand troops.

“However... That has ended as well.”

When Tigre sent Lim away, he awaited a report as he was tormented with anxiety and impatience.

''--- There's nothing to worry about. Ellen easily killed the Dragon when we fought against Zaien. She has Mira with her this time.''

Even if he said that to himself, he could not dispel the worries in his mind. He recalled the fear he had when he confronted a Dragon before.

However, he could do nothing more than send Lim out. He could not just focus on them as the General of the army.

For the time being, it was necessary to overcome the situation of the central forces, since they were outnumbered.

“Lord Massas, do you have any ideas?”

“It's difficult... We are short three thousand troops. We have done well considering that deficit. All we can do now is to believe in the Zhcted Army.”

The old Earl's response was gloomy. Ellen and the others would break through the enemy's left wing and head toward the central unit, attacking them from behind.

If they succeeded, the enemy would lose its momentum. That would be a good chance for the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. Thinking of the abilities of Ellen, Mira, and the Zhcted Army, it was a feasible plan.

''--- Change... Change.''

He grasped his black bow and clenched his teeth. As the General, he was forced to watch from behind. It was painful.

Something changed at that time.

Hearing the cry of [Betrayal], Tigre and Massas understood. A traitor had appeared at the front of the central unit.

“--- Lord Massas. I leave it to you.”

Tigre gripped his black bow. He had confirmed the condition of his bow and the number of arrows many times already.

“... What do you intend to do?”

Massas asked with his usual tone, though his face was pale.

“I won't do anything unreasonable. I will meet them, that is all. I leave command and Her Highness to you.”

In his voice was a powerful presence. Though words rose to stop him, Massas said something different. He called his subordinate and ordered him to follow Tigre.

“Don't die. Got it? You must not die.”

Tigre responded by holding his bow up and jumping on a horse. The situation was urgent. The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} could collapse in an instant. Agitation was already running through his soldiers.

''--- Can I get through?''

The central unit was a mixture of the former Ganelon Army. When they surrendered to them, there was already a high possibility that this would happen. Though Tigre and Massas investigated them as much as possible, there was a limit given the short time.

Tigre waded through the waves of soldiers as he nocked an arrow. A man of approximately 30 years moved toward Tigre after locating him. He was an impressive man with a thin mustache beneath his nose, and he held a shield and mace in his hands.

''--- I think he's Baron Digne.''

In the Brune Kingdom, barons were not given territory or titles. They received a yearly salary from the Kingdom and had to make the rest of their livelihoods on their own. Because they usually had aristocratic relatives, they were often entrusted with governing towns and villages.

However, Simon Digne was only interested in traveling and training himself. Since he had a presence of mind in the face of adversity, and his talent was a certainty, Tigre entrusted him with five hundred soldiers at Massas' recommendation.

“Why are you here, General?”

“Who called out traitor?”

He did not answer Digne's question and simply asked his question. Digne's eyes probed Tigre with an indistinct light before he responded.

“It was Viscounts Chateauroux and Batan. They suddenly shouted [We support Duke Thenardier]...”

“Thank you for meeting me and answering my question.”

After expressing his gratitude, Tigre moved ahead to look for Chateauroux and Batan. Tigre remembered their faces from the interview when they offered their troops. Though it was tedious, Massas and Lim made absolutely sure he memorized their appearance.

''--- I didn't want to use it for this.''

As he looked for them, he pulled his bow back strongly and shot an arrow. The arrow flew overhead at great speeds and pierced through Viscount Chateauroux who stood up with a sword a moment before.

He did not watch Chateauroux topple to the ground. He turned around as he pulled out another arrow. As expected, the old man who had served by his side for many years was present. After a nod, Batran clutched his spear, and turned to the soldiers.

“Louder! Drown everything else out!”

Batran shouted loudly beyond what one would expect of his small body. The soldiers, with Tigre's consent, raised their swords and spears and let out a battle cry. Against this backdrop, Tigre searched for Batan with his bowstring drawn to its limit.

He found Batan immediately, but he was running away with those from the Thenardier Army who were fleeing from battle. He was barely within visible range, but Tigre would not let him go.

In this case, Tigre's concentration was heightened by anger, excitement, and tension. He had nocked three arrows and drew his bowstring back, then fired and killed three Thenardier soldiers standing in a line. While the bowstring was still trembling, Tigre had nocked his bow and fired yet again.

When Batan's body fell to the ground, a strange silence fell on the battlefield. Batan and Chateauroux's soldiers who had just betrayed them stood rooted to the spot. Both the soldiers of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and the Thenardier Army stared wide eyed at Tigre's feat of skill.

Tigre rode forward proudly and shouted to his soldiers.

“Stand your ground! If we retreat here, we will gain nothing! Show me what you men are here for!”

He nocked another arrow and targeted the nearest Commander. Though two hundred alsin away he understood it was a Thenardier Commander based on his uniform.

Following the sound of the wind being cut was a dry sound of flesh being gouged away. The man was one who commanded hundreds of soldiers, although he was not necessarily occupying an important location.

However, it changed the atmosphere of the battlefield. Batran's men gave a battle cry once again, encouraging themselves and recovering their energy.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} which was on the verge of collapse held their ground, took one step forward, and clutched their swords and spears soaked in blood. They charged toward Thenardier's soldiers on the hill, swallowing Chateauroux and Batan's men in an instant.

With the General in the center of the battlefield, morale would surely increase. Their blistering counter-offensive overturned their preceding inferiority; however, the Thenardier soldiers resisted stubbornly, blocking with their shields, thrusting their spears forward, and some even threw stones.

Though Tigre did not move from the midst of the battlefield, he was unable to show his normal skills with the bow.

There were no soldiers as capable as Ellen and Mira who had once defended him. His escorts fell, one after another. With swords and spears coming at him, Tigre had no choice but to concentrate on evasion.

Lacerations marked Tigre's arms and legs, his clothes were dyed red. Many soldiers fell defending Tigre.

When the sun reached its zenith, the Thenardier Army slowly began to retreat. They were not being pushed back by the strength of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. It was an order to retreat.

''--- This is a temporary retreat. I should also quickly reorganize...''

Tigre looked up at the winter sun and ruffled his dull red hair with a sigh.

They took short shifts to rest. Wounds were treated and soldiers with severe injuries were pulled away from the battlefield. Food and arms were replenished, and water was distributed. No alcohol was passed around, because their bleeding would worsen, and there was still an intense battle coming afterward.

They ate thin, hard bread and some roasted vegetables. There was neither meat nor fish. Rather than recovering the soldiers' physical condition, it instigated their desire to win and survive.

While maintaining the tension of the battlefield, the soldiers devoured their food and drank their water.

Though Tigre went to meet Ellen and the others who had returned, he could not be happy upon seeing their injuries and rough breathing. Mira's fatigue could not be hidden, and Lim was supporting Ellen who had a burn down her back.

“I'm sorry. We only managed to kill the {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}.”

While the Vanadis with silver-white hair did not meet him with a smile, she spoke with a bright voice

Tigre entrusted the reorganization to Massas and asked for the details from Ellen. There was no time to set up a tent, so the soldiers surrounded them as they held their meeting.

Though they had killed three Dragons, the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} had unexpectedly remained. On the other hand, the Vanadis' faces clouded over after hearing the situation with the central troops.

“You were the one who told us not to overdo it.”

Ellen gazed painfully at the injuries on Tigre's arms and legs. Tigre had taken his clothes off and was being treated by Teita.

“That's true, but given the situation, it was the only hand I could play...”

Mira also looked at Tigre with both blame and concern in her eyes. Lim also showed her concern.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. I must ask that you do not concern yourself with this battle.”

Hearing her calm voice, Ellen and Mira collected themselves at once. Tigre was thankful for Lim's words in his mind. She looked down at him less coldly than usual.

“I will tell you this now. This conversation is only postponed for now.”

It meant she would scold him whenever she had time. Though he repented, he regretted leaving reorganization of the troops to Massas. Tigre meekly surrendered with a shrug.

“By the way, why didn't your {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} work on them?”

Mira held her hand to her hip and tilted her head. Ellen was the one to answer.

“Perhaps the chains anchoring those Dragons are blocking them.”

“It was negated?”

Mira looked at Ellen with eyes of suspicion and anger.

“I'll say this beforehand. It is possible to cancel a Dragonic Skill.”

“Unfortunately, I did not know this.”

Ellen's eyes turned to Tigre.

“The holy sword Durandal belonging to Brune Kingdom exerted a mysterious force which counteracted my Dragonic Skill. Sophie's as well.”

In the fight against the Black Knight Rolland who led the Navarre Knights, it had happened. Even if he received an attack from a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, or even an attack from Tigre's bow, Durandal remained unscathed.

“There's no telling what it was made of, but the sword was made from some metal which was unearthed. It wouldn't be surprising if they could forge chains as well.”

Ellen could calmly think and speak this far because it was her second experience with it; however, Mira's reaction could not be helped.

“If what you say is true, it will be a nuisance...”

Mira let out a groan from the bottom of her heart.

Though they were called Vanadis, their bodies were flesh and blood. Their bodies would not hold their original form and would be corpses if they took an attack from a Dragon's claw.

“We have two options.”

Ellen spoke with a confident smile.

“Say it quickly. Time is more precious than gold right now.”

“What Ludmira-sama says is reasonable, Eleanora-sama.”

As Ellen was reproached from two directions, she looked for help. Tigre simply shook his head, and Teita tilted hers in doubt as she continued rolling bandages. Ellen sighed.

“No matter. We can try and cut the chain directly. Though I don't know what it's made of, our Dragonic Skill will work without it there. If that's impossible, then we'll aim directly for the Dragon. Though they're unexpectedly tough, they'll likely take some damage if they're hit with my Silver Flash or your Frozen Wave.”

“And the second method?”

“We kill the guy controlling the Dragons.”

Ellen smiled fearlessly.

“When I approached the Dragon, I heard a strange sound many times. It's probably someone giving a command to the Dragon. I could see no other signs of commands being issued.”

Lim agreed as well. She did not recall seeing anyone nearby or riding the Dragon to issue commands.

Nevertheless, the Dragons did not move until the Zhcted Army reached them. Furthermore, they attacked the Thenardier soldiers as well.

“While the Dragon is fighting others, I'll use Arifal to search for the sound and take care of the one making it. When it becomes impossible to control the Dragons, they won't use them. Like this, we---”

Ellen suddenly glared at Tigre as if she remembered something.

“If you have the time to think about that, then think of a way to fight the enemy forces.”

She preemptively stopped Tigre from speaking.

“Right. Leave the Dragons to us. You should concentrate on Duke Thenardier.”

Mira also teased him. Ellen further raised the bar.

“Tigre. You are the General. It isn't a role Lim or I can take. I doubt Massas or Regin could do it, either.”

If Ellen and Mira, who were from a foreign nation, became the General, the soldiers of Brune would not follow them. Though Massas had dignity, he had no authority, and Regin's position was too unstable.

“--- I understand.”

Tigre nodded. He would do it for Ellen and Mira, Lim, Massas, Batran, Teita, Rurick, and Gerard. He would accomplish his task.

''--- It's still a difficult problem.''

Based on the previous battle, Thenardier would adopt a new strategy. It was necessary for him to outsmart Thenardier, who had lived twice as long as Tigre had.

“Then...I will start preparations.”

Lim took out a map with a somewhat theatrical tone and gesture. Realizing she was trying to relax in her own way, Tigre simply nodded with a smile.

“I'm counting on you.”

After two koku, the armies confronted each other once again. The sun had fallen far to the west, and the clouds would soon dye vermillion.

Duke Thenardier's army was down to twenty thousand. The dead and severely injured numbered two thousand in total, but those with slight injuries were moved to the back as well. Though the right and left wings had not changed significantly, the center was thin.

The all important Dragons were behind the central force, and Duke Thenardier was further behind.

On the other hand, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had at most sixteen thousand men; however, those with slight injuries were made to remain on the battlefield. Their morale was high. Tigre had punished the traitors on the battlefield, and every time his bowstring sounded, another enemy was felled.

It was not only the numbers that differed.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had retreated significantly. The left wing remained on the hill, and the central force had a column formation at the base of the hill.

The central unit was not well equipped.

Those with leather armor were more prominent, those with spears did not have swords at their waist, and those with swords lacked a shield. They were terribly unbalanced, and every weapon was damaged in some way.

“... What do you think the enemy intends to do?”

Thenardier received the scout's report and asked his adjutant, Steid. Though the same question was thrown to the remaining staff officers, but they were satisfied with thinking the enemy did not have a sufficient amount of equipment because an Earl from the country could not supply them. He did not receive a satisfactory answer.

“The Knights will descend from the left.”

The Knights had mobility and a strong rushing power. They could apply an intense charge to come to the aid of their allies as they watched the battlefield from the top of the hill.

“If that is the case, why not place the Zhcted Army on the hill?”

“The Zhcted Army is strong as it is. They will fight either the right or left wing early on and retreat before we can use the Dragons.”

“What of the equipment of their main unit?”

Steid did not immediately answer, trying to draw a conclusion he could be convinced of.

“I doubt they were unable to procure enough arms. It's possible...”

The fair-haired, blue-eyed adjutant continued to speak.

“To avoid a fight with the Dragon, it is best to create a situation where friend and foe is confused. Their will to fight has been stimulated, so it will likely become a melee.”

Thenardier folded his thick arms and gave thought to what Steid said. He considered it likely, since the enemy was clearly preparing to attack aggressively. It was simply a show, since they would quickly retreat to avoid the Dragons. He had also thought that far.

Once again, he looked at the enemy camp in the distance.

''--- He's buying time by creating a dogfight in the center while the left and right wings are attacked. He'll have his men retreat to escape from the Dragon. Is he going to approach me?''

He did not believe Tigre would retreat because he was a coward, and he did not accept that Tigre was unable to procure weaponry. He was an enemy and the fastest growing power. Half a year ago, he had led only one hundred soldiers. He would have a plan to win.

“I got it. We'll move according to this plan.”

The wind had grown cold and the clouds became thicker.

It was the second battle of the day. Rather than a battle cry, it was a trumpet which sounded from the central unit of the Thenardier Army that marked the start of the conflict.

The Thenardier Army showed strange movements. Some moved to the right or the left quickly, while others slipped behind their allies.

A wide road was open between the two wings of the Thenardier Army. It was wide enough for the Dragons to easily pass through.

A strange sound, like that of a flute, echoed through the battlefield. Though it did not reach the ears of half the people, those who did hear it frowned in pain.

However, thoughts of the sound was blown away from the soldiers who had heard it with the appearance of the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}, as the two rushed quickly through the path made by the Thenardier Army.

''--- So this is how they're playing it...!''

Behind their central force, a loud cry was heard. Tigre stared at the two mountainous behemoths as they approached.

''How is it possible to use a Dragon?'' Though Tigre desperately thought about it, he could only think of two methods.

One was to bring them at the beginning of battle and force it into the enemy camp. The other was to use it as a reserve power for the end of the battle.

There was actually a third method. In the first battle, the Dragons were placed behind the main unit to act as a decoy since the Vanadis were an existence which could fight a Dragon. They would be lured in and surrounded. It was a cunning plan, because, even if there were no means to defeat the Dragons, the Vanadis would still be forced to jump into the trap.

''--- However, the plan Ellen and Mira are carrying out is dangerous.''

Ellen and Mira certainly defeated the {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}, but they could not handle the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} or {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}.

He did miss this. Thenardier had seen what happened in the first battle and thought of a different plan.

''--- He'll have thought of another plan, since he knows Ellen and Mira's attacks won't work against the Dragon.''

Because he knew that, he would choose one of the other two options.

Massas believed he would not act conservatively.

“It is true he still has the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} and {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, but he lost the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}. To ease the fears of the soldiers, he will bring the Dragons out early in battle. He will likely attack the troops from the Ganelon Army.”

“I agree with Lord Massas. From the previous battle, it is clear it is difficult to use the Dragons when ally and enemy are mixed.”

Lim spoke up as well. Based on the two opinions, Tigre conceived counter-measures. It was a dangerous gamble, but to trick a powerful man like Duke Thenardier, it was unavoidable.

“Retreat!”

The moment he saw the Dragons, Tigre shouted. Massas and Lim, rather than giving orders, remained indifferent and calm.

The central unit of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} began to retreat at a pace which surprised the enemy. It was disorderly. They ignored formation and rank in all forms, threw their weapons aside, discarded their helmets, and ran away desperately from the Dragon.

It was disgraceful conduct they did not expect from the enemy they had fought just a short time ago. The soldiers from the Thenardier Army could do nothing but stare in blank surprise. The Dragon chased after the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} as ordered. Dozens who could not run away were bathed in flames or devoured by the two heads.

Some soldiers fell, their every bone shattering as the Dragon walked over them. Some had their torsos blown away with a graze of the claws.

If their breathing was off a little or if they stumbled slightly, a horrific death awaited them.

Hundreds of alsin away, a group, lead by a fierce shadow, galloped fiercely toward the center. The wind roared with the sword, and cold air drifted from the spear.

Having knowledge of the enemy's existence, the Dragons stopped their advance for the first time.

“All right, they stopped. Now to discipline it properly.”

The girl with silver-white hair calmly got off her horse and held her blade to her shoulder. She was smiling.

“The sound reaches even out there. I suppose it does not matter. We will drag him out eventually.”

On the side opposite the Dragons was a girl with a spear. She dismounted her horse and looked up.

Ellen and Mira; the two Vanadis.

Further away, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had retreated. The two now stood in a field littered with innumerable arms. They silently waited for signs that their troops had completely retreated.

The two ranks, a distance away, gathered together. They recovered their breathing, took up new arms, and reorganized their formation. One group was led by Tigre while the other was led by Massas.

“Lord Massas. May the fortunes of war be with you.”

Tigre and Massas shook hands.

“You as well. Limlisha, please do not let him act recklessly.”

“I understand.”

Lim nodded indifferently as she stood beside Tigre. The young man ran his hand through his dull red hair awkwardly to disguise his embarrassment. In place of the Vanadis, Tigre would help cover the right wing with the Zhcted Army, while Massas would help the troops on the hill to cover the left wing.

Suddenly, Tigre turned around and thought about what happened in the distance. He thought of the unreasonable battle being held by Ellen and Mira.

His face was tense, and he gripped his bow strongly. At that time, his back was struck lightly.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. It is time we leave.”

It was Lim. Tigre returned from his thoughts and turned back. Though her facial expression and indifferent voice were as normal, it was rare for her to hit him on the back.

“If Eleanora-sama and Ludmira-sama cannot concentrate on their battles, they will scold you later.”

“That's a bit rough... But you won't be scolding me?”

“Since my leadership would be insufficient, I would be scolded as well.”

Her earnest words wiped all his hesitation and tension away.

Tigre braced himself and grasped the reins as he smiled at Lim.

“Thank you.”

“I did what was natural as your adjutant.”

“Is that so. Let's go, Limlisha-sensei.”

Hearing his last word, which was spoken as a joke, Lim's face dyed red. Even without looking, it was easy for Tigre to tell what her reaction was. The young General raised a shout to his soldiers.

“We fight back!”

The fight between the Vanadis and the Dragons approached the end.

The Vanadis did not take the battle into a one-on-one fight. They fought the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, using it to shield them from the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} as it charged. It was a fight they were dominating.

“The Black Knight Roland was a much more frightening opponent---”

Ellen spoke to herself as she thrust her longsword into the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}'s forelimbs. The sound of rocks being crushed sounded as her sword clad in wind smashed through its scales. Dark red blood immediately erupted and coagulated from its body heat, flowing like lava. It was a strange pattern.

The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} gave a roar of anguish. It swiped outward with its foreleg and cleaved the ground with its tail; it sprayed its flames across the skies and the ground. It was a rampage forceful enough to make the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} retreat a few steps.

However, its thick, sharp claws and tail as large as a tree trunk could easily mow down all in their path. The flames were dissipated by a wall of cold air.

“It was not Roland's capability as a soldier but his abnormal willpower that made him a difficult opponent. He would not be so strong if he only had the ability to block my {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.”

The Dragons were not a powerful enemy. Though the flames which could burn everything were terrible, it was blocked with the wind and the cold. Though her body ached from the burns, she did not lag behind at all.

However, the two were still at a stand still. Though they had found many opportunities to attack the chains, not a single scratch was left behind.

“It might be easier just to cut through the scales to kill it...”

Mira spoke up.

They had focused their attacks to the chain wrapping about the Dragon. After Ellen had used her wind to cut the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} with a series of quick attacks before taking distance, then Mira would move forward, gouging the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} deeply in its chest before it could use its flames.

Mira called out. At that moment, a wind was sent forth.

The small body of the blue-haired Vanadis danced in the air, her short spear in hand, as she jumped away from the danger of the flames.

It was a disappointing death; it was quiet. The flames did not come from the fang-lined furnace, nor did it leak out any death throes.

Its eyes were wide open, and the place it fell to was scorched as its body generated an intense heat. A small fire flickered from its mouth.

The two did not have room to relax with the death of the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}. The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} rushed toward them as its two heads let out an intense roar.

Its two jaws lined with fangs that could tear through iron and rock approached Ellen from either side. The pain from the burns in her back delayed Ellen's movements for a moment.

Though she barely dodged its fangs, they grazed Ellen's clothes. A laceration was carved into her fair skin. Her entire body was clad in a storm with frightening vigor as Ellen was thrown to the ground.

“Eleanora...!”

Mira ran up in a hurry and attacked the left neck of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}. The right head attacked Ellen who was still on the ground.

“Get away!”

A lance of ice shot from Mira as she screamed in anger, forcing the Dragon to bend its neck backward. While Ellen rolled along the ground to avoid it, Ellen thrust her sword forward. The Dragon's right head thrust into the ground, bringing up earth and sand in copious quantities.

Its left head moved violently as it groaned. Mira looked on in frustration, as the wound was smaller than she had anticipated.

“This is far harder than any {{furigana|Earth Dragon|Suro}} or {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}...”

Mira cursed at the chain hanging from the neck of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}.

“It will be a bit hard to get through that...”

Ellen skillfully took distance from the Dragon as she pulled some dirt from her silver-white hair. She called out for Mira.

“Ludmira. Help me.”

“Explain.”

Mira responded with a sharp tone. Ellen's smile reached her bright red eyes in surprise.

“You're quite honest.”

It was normal for her to not even bother listening to a request. The blue-haired Vanadis responded with a sarcastic smile.

“I expect a wonderful proposal. I will mock you for it later if it is terrible.”

Ellen moved close and whispered into Mira's ear. Though the Dragon likely could not understand human tongue, it was a battlefield and there was a need for caution. Sure enough, Mira's face distorted as she frowned reluctantly.

“You want to drop it into a pit you make in the ground, and you want me to close it off with ice.” 

“There's no proof it will die. My idea certainly is weak, but I will kill it with this hand, with this sword. Do you have a better plan?”

Mira shook her head without responding, a sign of her agreement. Looking at the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}, Ellen shouted.

“Arifal!”

Responding to its master's will, a pale blue light tinged its blade. Ellen's body was wrapped in a fierce wind, throwing sand up in the air. Ellen and Mira ran forward.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} let out a roar and attacked, but Ellen was much faster. The sound of the wind and air bursting could be heard throughout the forest. The two jumped high into the air as its claws pierced the ground.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} was surprised by the pain in its forelimb. It pulled its arm out of the ground and recovered its posture while Ellen and Mira looked down on it from the sky.

“Let's not argue at this height.”

Supported by the wind Ellen created, Mira brandished the Frozen Wave.

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

The spear of ice produced numerous crystals from the atmosphere which rained down on the Dragon.

The blocks of ice would blow a human body to pieces. Even so, the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} received only a few scratches on its scales. Though it staggered, the Dragon held its ground and looked up at Mira, seeing a threat before it.

At that time, the Dragon noticed the other person was no longer in the sky.

Immediately afterward, the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} felt something small pierce it from behind.

“I only needed a little momentum to get this into you.”

Ellen was on her knee on the back of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}. Her hair was dirty with mud, and her body was covered in wounds, but she still laughed fearlessly. The longsword clasped in both her hands had pierced deep inside its body through its thick scales, almost to the base.

With its strength exhausted, they could inflict damage to its scales.

Because it was tired today, they had been able to inflict damage to the Dragon's scale. If Ellen fired her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}, it would simply be negated by the black chains.

Therefore, using the momentum from her fall, increased with Arifal's wind, Ellen moved toward the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} at a terrifying speed. The Dragon could not react because of the rain of ice Mira had created.

Though Ellen had pierced through the Dragon's scales, she was also injured due to its movements to the extent that she had momentarily lost consciousness. Still, the Vanadis of silver-white hair endured it all.

She took a deep breath and put power in her hands.

''--- If it's useless from the outside, then I'll attack from the inside.''

“{{furigana|--- Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}!”

A storm was born from Arifal's blade within the Dragon's body. Its meat was scooped out, its bones were crushed. Everything within the Dragon turned to powder.

A thick black liquid spilled from the mouths of the two heads. The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} fell down, its body convulsing on the ground.

Ellen was thrown aside with Arifal from the momentum. The sword bathed its Lord in wind and gently brought her body to the earth. When the aid from her sword ended, Ellen, with her purpose of killing the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} gone, fell to the ground.

“... Finally, it has ended.”

Mira walked to her with the Frozen Wave over her shoulder. Still, she was not the type to boast of her victory.

Before the corpses of the Dragons, fatigue wrapped about the two. They had the strength to cut through one thousand soldiers, but never had they felt so tired, both physically and mentally.

“Are you going to help Tigre and the others?”

“I'm in no state to help in this condition.”

Ellen responded curtly.

The horses they rode had run away.

“We did what we needed to do. All we can do is leave it to Tigre to finish his task. Well, I suppose I could fight another one hundred cavalry if I need to.”

“How weak. I can handle another one-hundred-fifty.”

“... My mistake. Two hundred.”

“Is that so. Then go. Walk.”

In the end, the two could not stop moving until the battle had come to an end.

While Mira and Ellen waged battle against the Dragons, Tigre led the fierce attack on the outskirts of the battlefield. He had to get his men to rest and reorganize twice before they reached the Zhcted Army.

The Zhcted Army had been attacked from the front and the left by the enemy. In addition, half the troops from the enemy's central unit had begun to attack from the other side.

Though Rurick commanded them to remain on the defensive, they were nearing their limit. It was only a matter of time.

Tigre charged straight before stopping. The reason he took two stops was for this reason.

“Stones!”

When Tigre shouted, the infantry placed their weapons on the ground and threw the stones in their hands at the Thenardier Military. They had expected a charge, and so were unprepared for this incoming assault.

“He really is a country aristocrat. He's willing to use stones, he must have no sense of shame.”

Even so, the enemy's offense was stopped with this. Their pace was thrown into disorder.

“So you came. I was waiting for you.”

Rurick smiled joyfully. He would not miss this opportunity to counterattack.

Tigre saw his movements, and, with Lim's assistance, charged fiercely behind the enemy.

The Thenardier Army which attacked the Zhcted Army from two directions was now being attacked from two directions themselves.

Furthermore, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was strong. Tigre's participation in battle increased their courage. In response, they fought boldly. As for Tigre, he shot down the enemy Commanders in one hit.

Even without a Commander, it would make no significant difference. Still, the appearance of the General with a black bow was enough to make the enemy falter, and the Zhcted soldiers let out a shout of victory with every arrow that pierced the enemy.

“{{furigana|Star Shooter|Silvrash}}! {{furigana|Star Shooter|Silvrash}}!”

The Zhcted soldiers used Muozinel's words of praise. Though it was strange to those from Brune, the Thenardier Army could only think of it as a curse of some kind. The soldiers quickly collapsed, turned about, and retreated.

On the other side, Massas rode to the rescue of the aristocrats and Knights of the left wing based on a plan formed by Auguste of the Calvados Knights. Auguste was a Knight born in Alsace, and he was an old friend of Massas, not to mention Tigre.

“I see... Something does seem strange.”

Massas accepted Auguste's proposal and sent orders to the top of the hill at once.

Soon after, the soldiers from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} who had remained on the defense at the top of the hill descended at the same time and joined Massas' force.

“It's impossible to defend it any longer. Are you abandoning it?”

Thenardier Army had judged, based on Auguste's actions, that they would not leave the hill. They had sent two units to storm the hill, competing with each other to see who would raise their banner at the top of the hill first.

The Thenardier Army restructured their formation at the top of the hill to attack the enemy below. Being above the enemy, their will to fight had been amplified.

As the Thenardier Army ran down the hill in a fierce charge, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} at the base ordered a retreat. Their shields were held forward, not leaving a single gap. Massas ordered the soldiers to retreat while his men held them off with stones. The Thenardier Army thought the enemy had lost their nerve and were running in desperation.

Immediately afterward, a new change occurred. A battle cry was called from atop the hill.

The eyes of the Thenardier Army looked back and saw their allies, which had remained at the top, were being driven away by the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} which suddenly appeared.

“First abandon the hill, then attract their attention after they have taken it. Lord Auguste will go around the hill and occupy it once again when the enemy is thin.”

Massas muttered to himself as he watched the panic-stricken enemy. It was a plan Auguste proposed when he noticed the enemy disliked his advantage of elevation when defending the hill.

“We are Knights. It won't take us long to wrap around the hill, and the run will give us some energy.”

His insight was certain. Auguste made a detour and had gotten behind the enemy without them noticing. Their line had been unnecessarily thinned out from their attack against Massas, and now they had lost their ally at the top of the hill. Their movements were now limited.

After a half koku, the Thenardier Army was attacked from the front and the back and was dispersed. Some retreated immediately, while those who resisted eventually gave up. Their formation collapsed rapidly.

Massas did not give chase. The western sky was crimson, and, above all, his men were at the height of fatigue.

In this battle, Duke Thenardier lost 20% of his entire army as well as all his Dragons.

10% were killed in battle while 10% retreated and did not return. They either died or escaped.

The casualties of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had not even reached one thousand.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 05 Chapter 2 - MTL

2013-11-29T09:17:55Z

Royaloyalz: Some standardizing and grammar corrects.

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=== {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} ===
“... A special envoy?”

Sophia Obertas tilted her head as she sat with a vacant expression. She let out a small noise.

Sophie was a close friend of Ellen and Mira. She was a tall beauty with beryl eyes and golden hair which gently shook. She was wrapped in a light green dress and exuded a mysterious charm, even to those of the same gender.

In her hand was a bishop staff which shined a brilliant gold, giving way to her alias of {{furigana|[Brilliant Princess of the Light Flower]|Presuvet}}. Though a young girl of 20 years, she was still the eldest of the Vanadis.

She was currently in Silesia, the Royal Capital of Zhcted Kingdom. She kneeled in a room deep inside the Royal Palace before an elderly man sitting atop a throne. Currently, only Sophie and this old man were present.

“That is correct. I wish for you to go once more, though I just sent you to Brune at the end of autumn.”

The old man was the King of Zhcted, Victor. Though his beard and hair were graying, he had a dignified atmosphere. He had dark skin, and, despite his weakness, his eyes showed an impressive vitality. Extending from his luxurious, purple, silk clothes were hands of skin and bone.

“The Muozinel Army has invaded, and the situation in Brune has changed drastically. Eleanora Viltaria has also been gone for half a year. Though it is good that her duties are still being done, but any longer and I will be forced to pull her back.”

''--- I wonder if that really is the reason. There must be something more.''

While muttering those words in her mind, Sophie accepted the King's words.

Though he left the territories in the care of the Vanadis, it was still not good to leave the country for half a year.

Though the King had a solid opportunity to reduce the power of the Vanadis, he wanted to avoid a situation which would badly influence the entirety of Zhcted.

“I shall give words of thanks to His Majesty for his consideration on behalf of the Vanadis not present. However, I must tell you that Ludmira Lurie is currently acting as an investigator to watch over Eleanora's actions. When considering the relationship the two have, I believe Eleanora would not do anything foolish.”

The discord between Ellen and Mira was well known in the Royal Palace. When Sophie brought this to the King's attention, she wondered why he had not thought of it.

“As you say, their relationship is not good.”

The voice of the old man withered like a dead tree; there was a sense of admiration.

“This is information I have not heard before. Sophia, I believe you are quite close with Eleanora, and you returned from Brune just the other day. I wish for you to go back.”

“... I respectfully accept your orders.”

Hearing her orders, Sophie turned about without saying any more. With her head hung, she thought about what the King was planning.

''--- He is trying to make use of Ellen and Mira's bad relationship...''

As the King said, Sophie had been ordered to act as a special envoy though she had just recently visited Brune.

Though there were diplomats who specialized in dealing with Brune Kingdom, the opponent could not act poorly toward the Vanadis, who were second only to the King. She was obviously effective as a messenger.

After leaving the meeting, as she walked down the corridor at a lax pace, Sophie continued to think.

''--- His Majesty is using my good relation with Ellen to get rid of me until after the war is over.''

Sophie realized King Victor's aim.

It was not unusual. It was not limited to King Victor and was done by various rulers of the past.

There were many Kings who thought to reduce the power of the Vanadis, and there were others that thought to exploit it but could not.

''--- King Victor is, without a doubt, the former.''

However, Sophie did not know how far he intended to hinder her friend. She only prayed that nothing worse would come of it.

“--- If it isn't Sophia Obertas.”

A calm voice interrupted Sophie's thoughts. When she looked up, she saw a young woman walking toward her.

A white rose shined in her blue-black hair, giving her a distinct impression. Bright red and purple roses adorned her snow-white dress, and as if to destroy any sense of harmony, she wielded a mysterious scythe.

Surprise leaked from Sophie's voice and beryl eyes.

“Valentina...”

“It has been quite some time, Sophia.”

The beautiful woman was called Valentina. She gave a delicate smile that made her seem fragile, as if she would shatter with a single touch. Sophie, one step behind, returned a smile of her own.

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 086.jpg|175px|thumb]]
“Yes. It has been quite a while. Why are you in the palace?”

“I wish only to remain in my country, but there is information I must find by all means; however, there are more than one thousand men in the Palace. It is far too lively for me, and I have become exhausted.”

While pressing her hand to her mouth, she let out a yawn.

Valentina Glinka Estes was a Vanadis like Sophia and was known as the {{furigana|[Illusionary Princess of the Hollow Shadow]|Shervid}}. The reason she had two names was because she was an aristocrat since birth.

Valentina governed the territory of Osterode in north Zhcted. Though Valentina rarely left, she was not in poor health.

Though she appeared occasionally, she would return at once, using her physical condition as an excuse.

“You do look tired. You should be healthy enough to use your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, right?”

Her beryl eyes looked toward the scythe in Valentina's hand.

Her Dragonic Tool, Hollow Shadow Ezendeis, had the second name of {{furigana|[Rending Void of the Supernatural Seal]|Fuyou no Rekku}}. From what Sophie knew, it gave her the ability to travel anywhere, ignoring distance and the thickness and heights of boundaries.

“I cannot.”

Valentina slowly shook her head with a smile.

“The further the distance, the more stamina I use. It is far too much for me... The other day, I traveled between rooms and was tired for the next three days.”

Valentina stroked the large scythe lovingly as if it were a child as she complained. Sophie decided to change the subject.

“However, it is quite unusual for you to come to the Royal Palace. We should have some tea.”

“Well...”

Valentina looked down in thought then looked up immediately with a smile.

“If you wish to, then please.”

''--- Now then, I wonder if I can learn anything from her...''

While walking alongside Valentina, Sophie thought such things without breaking her smile. She invited someone she was not particularly intimate with for a few reasons.

Sophie did not believe her to be sickly. Though she had no evidence, she could not help but think so. Also, she wanted to learn more of Valentina's purpose. Valentina rarely appeared before others, so there was little opportunity to learn about her.

Sophie could not help but think she was hiding some unknown ambition.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

As the day broke, tension filled the conference room in Perucche Fortress. Tigre, Ellen, Lim, Massas, Mira, and Regin surrounded a table.

“Why did he burn it down?”

Ellen started the meeting, frowning with her arms crossed, swaying in frustration. Massas was the one to answer.

“According to the message, Duke Ganelon set fire to his city himself...”

“Is there a mistake? Perhaps it was a small fire somewhere in the city and it was exaggerated.”

Mira tilted her neck. Massas responded with a deep face as he stroked his beard.

“It is not uncommon for fires to start in this season. Lutetia is in the north and is colder than the rest of Brune, but it is difficult to imagine something like that could happen so close to Duke Ganelon's home.”

“If such a large city burns, it is natural to think the enemy started it... But Thenardier's Army, they're still south of Nice, right?”

Lim nodded. According to the scout's report, Duke Thenardier's Army was slowly pushing Duke Ganelon's Army while heading north.

''--- If not Duke Thenardier, then who...?''

While Tigre was brooding with a serious expression, he noticed Regin appeared pale. More so than his own, the shock must have been larger for her.

“Your Highness. Our schedule will not change. We will move to Artishem as planned.”

He smiled to reassure her, though he could not help but feel the irony in his mind. Because Regin was a Princess, she did not think she had anyone she could rely on, yet the damage was unexpectedly mitigated by the people with her now.

“Thank you, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Regin smiled bravely and slightly nodded her head.

Though Thenardier's Army had accepted the twenty thousand soldiers from Ganelon's Army who surrendered, creating a force exceeding forty thousand, he cast them aside far from Nemetacum when in view of the Royal Capital.

“Weak soldiers are unnecessary. It takes time to kill them all, so don't bother with those that run away.”

He beheaded an aristocrat with more than one thousand troops inside his territory. The remaining twenty thousand threw aside their arms and were tossed away without provisions.

Thenardier never had the intention to accept them.

He had twenty-five thousand troops and five Dragons. If his army doubled, of course the required food and fuel consumption would double as well. Though Thenardier might have been able to prepare that, he was not in the mind to do so.

Nevertheless, he had a reason to allow them to march with him until then.

One reason is because the battlefield they surrendered at was close to Nemetacum. Even if he had taken their arms and food, they might have devastated his territory, so it was necessary to pull them away.

Also, there would be too many allies. He would need to divide the territory he gained from battle amongst them all.

He was further worried that they might run to Tigrevurmud Vorn. Though his army might have been large, they held little loyalty to him. By doing this, he planted a fear inside their minds.

Regardless, if the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} accepted them, it would only increase their food and fuel consumption.

However, the biggest reason was what Thenardier had told them.

Thenardier hated weak and incompetent people.

The only exception was his son.

The next day, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} left Perucche Fortress. They had left three days ahead of schedule.

Alongside the troops led by Tigre, Massas, and Augre, at the core were the LeitMeritz troops led by Ellen and the Olmutz Army led by Mira. Though there was dissatisfaction that a foreign army was part of the main force, Massas managed to persuade them.

Other than that, there were soldiers from the aristocrats that joined during the battle against the Muozinel Army.

As they advanced down the road leading to Lutetia, Tigre had many scouts move in various directions. Some looked for excellent hiding places in the surroundings, others went to explore the movements of Thenardier's Army, and some investigated the situation in Lutetia.

A sharp wind came from the sky and pink flowers bloomed along the road, making the transition from winter to spring.

As they advanced, they received more information which would likely be increasingly accurate. Occasionally, they encountered merchants and travelers. Tigre would invite them to his tent and talk to them over a meal and alcohol.

Incidentally, Ellen, Mira, and Batran also attended these talks.

As for Massas, his hands were tied up commanding the entire army. Lim and Rurick took charge of the LeitMeritz Army while Gerard took care of the supply line behind the scenes.

Regin did not make an appearance because her presence made Tigre anxious. Though she was the one who most wanted to hear about the state of Lutetia, Tigre did not know what kind of answer they would hear and what reaction she would have.

“Where did all of you come from?”

“From Lutetia.”

A middle aged man who seemed to command the caravan responded with the utmost bravado. His attitude was natural, since many caravans which encountered an army were stripped of all they had.

Even if they were an army, it was possible they were enemy spies. There were many reasons to remain suspicious of possible mercenary armies. What was important was to make sure his cargo was not stolen.

Though Tigre examined their property, he did not deprive them of a single copper coin. Although it took time, it did not present a problem, since he had made the majority of his army move ahead.

“I heard Artishem of Lutetia was burned. Have you heard the circumstances?”

“All the rumors are true.”

The man spoke falteringly.

“Our Lord lost the battle and went mad. Ignoring the residents, he set fire to the city... Though Artishem is enclosed by walls, there are fight gates. However, they were all shut.”

Hearing this story, Tigre and the others had difficult complexions. It was a difficult story.

Still, Tigre collected his thoughts at once and continued listening to the story while asking questions. Once the conversation was over, Tigre let out a small breath.

“If this story is true, then this is no simple matter...”

Ellen snorted provokingly. Mira knit her brows.

“We will reach Lutetia in two days. Duke Thenardier's Army will pass Nice and continue north.”

It was a difficult situation. Batran, who had been standing silent with a difficult expression until now, stood before Tigre having made up his mind.

“Young Lord. I do not believe this situation to be difficult. If he has abandoned his land, then we can simply take control of the castle.”

“Turn it into a defensive battle?”

Tigre wanted to protest against his old servant's words, but gave it thought seeing his earnest expression.

''--- Is it really a bad idea to take control of the castle?''

Artishem, though burned and collapsed, was the center of Lutetia and Duke Ganelon's city of residence. It would be effective politically if the flag of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was placed there.

Drawing a map of Brune in his head, Artishem was in the middle of north Brune. If he suppressed the area, he would grasp the majority of the northern supply lines.

''--- More than anything, if their city has been burnt down, I would like to help them.''

Tigre looked back at Ellen and Mira while giving it thought.

However, their reaction was not pleasant at all. Ellen's brow was wrinkled and Mira stared sternly into Tigre's eyes.

“It is a risky gamble with a high probability of defeat.”

“I agree with her for once. Abandon this plan.”

“... Is it really that difficult?”

Tigre flinched seeing the two veteran Vanadis oppose the idea.

“It is the largest city in the north of Brune where the residents number double our own. We will not be able to take control.”

“There is also the possibility that half the city has been burned down. With corpses in such high quantities, there will be disease throughout. Also, it would be a problem if Duke Thenardier appeared while we give aid to the citizens.”

What the two said was justifiable. The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} did not have the food or fuel to support them above all else.

“It is possible we could appeal to the Royal Capital to help supply food and water through Lord Massas or Her Highness.”

Ellen shrugged her shoulders to Tigre's desperate proposal.

“Well, it's better than doing nothing. It's a good idea to ask the Royal Capital for help. After that, we can ask all the surrounding nobles and the Knights to help defend the castle.”

“That is not a bad idea from you. Depending on their reaction, we could even incorporate them into our troops.”

“Ho ho, to think you would give a compliment. Is this a harbinger of heavenly blessings or a natural calamity?”

“Naturally it would be a natural calamity if we follow whatever is going on in your head. It seems you have been spoiling him too much.”

The beautiful expression on the face of the two girls was lost in an instant as they glared and elbowed each other. A wind and cold air began to envelop the tent, causing everyone inside to shudder.

“Please stop fighting. I'm depending on both of you.”

Though Tigre tried to calm down them down, his words were counterproductive.

“Aren't I obviously more reliable than her? You won't get anywhere if you indulge this spoiled girl.”

“There is nothing to be gained from this veteran who can only boast of her size, Tigre.”

Tigre knew this would take time and turned away from the two to signal to Batran to stand outside. Enduring the cold, he returned to the two once again.

The quarrel lasted for a quarter koku.

The next day, the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} stopped their march about a half day's walk from Artishem. They knew Thenardier's scouts would be approaching Artishem as well.

“Duke Thenardier's Army is approximately fifty to sixty belsta (about fifty or sixty kilometers) away. If both armies continue at their current pace, we will meet by the end of the day.”

Tigre decided to stop. He did not want his soldiers to be attacked when they were tired from a long day's march.

There was also a need to reorganize the troops. A group of soldiers from Duke Ganelon's Army appeared three days ago. With an extra seven thousand troops, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} numbered twenty thousand.

“We can handle no more than this, whether it be a dog or a cat, let alone a soldier. Please set a condition that they must bring one hundred spears, fifty horses, or food for fifty if they wish to join.”

Gerard Augre was in charge of the distribution of food, fuel, and arms, and reported with a spiteful attitude. Tigre flinched before the threatening atmosphere emanating from the youth with brown hair.

“It's that bad?”

“I will say this bluntly. Our soldiers are strangely sensitive to the decrease in their food. For instance, the vegetable soup---”

Gerard's eyes and tone became sharper.

“Assume the normal soup has carrots, beans, potatoes, and salt. We have gotten rid of the beans and have thinned out the salt. Though we can deceive them for a time, it will be discovered within four or five days.”

Gerard leaned over with a pile of papers in his hand and continued.

“There is some speculation amongst the soldiers that the food is being taken from them by the enemy, and that their allies are being incompetent. It was expected to some extent, but with a powerful opponent looming ahead, there are more who are thinking of fleeing.”

He continued to speak rapidly. Needless to say, Tigre understood his point. Since they were so close to Thenardier's Army, they stopped accepting soldiers because there was the possibility of Thenardier's men disguising themselves.

In a tent with the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}} of Brune, {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} of Zhcted, and the flags of house Vorn and LeitMeritz above it, Tigre held a war council.

“Duke Thenardier was thought to lead an army of forty thousand, but that is an exaggeration.”

Claiming to control more troops was not unusual.

It would be profitable if the enemy troops believed it, It would foster suspicion between new soldiers, and simply by increasing the number of flags, they could easily deceive scouts.

“Though it is an exaggeration... when you gather all the reports, they certainly have more than twenty thousand.”

Massas stroked his beard and made a bitter face. He had enough power in his hands to pull the hair off his face.

Tigre had a cold sweat mentally. The {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver FLow}} had a mixture of twenty thousand men.

Also, while he could not, Duke Thenardier could return to Nemetacum to replenish his supplies and reorganize his troops.

“We can't wish for any more, rather, we should be grateful we have closed the gap this far.”

“Still, Duke Thenardier's Army barely reduced in his last battle with Duke Ganelon.”

Lim tilted her head expressionlessly. Massas responded to her doubt.

“There are five Dragons in Duke Thenardier's Army. The battle ended quickly because they took the lead.”

Dragons. Tigre and Massas trembled after hearing the world. Only Ellen and Mira remained calm. Lim as well showed no sign of tension in her face.

“Well, we'll take care of them. We can't let the soldiers do everything.”

Ellen spoke nonchalantly. Tigre bowed while bitterly gripping his knee.

“I apologize that I must leave it to you.”

“No need to worry. The right man at the right place. Though you are the General, it would be useless for you to make a move.”

Tigre nodded wryly after hearing Mira's words of comfort.

“Duke Ganelon is out of the picture. This fight against Duke Thenardier will likely become our final battle.”

Regin gazed at the map tensely. She looked toward Artishem. Those present knew the tragedy which took place in the city.

It was a hideous thing which simply made them nauseous.

There were two signs that something would happen. One was a carriage traveling back and forth numerous times between the northern gate and Duke Ganelon's mansion. The other happened to be soldiers working beneath Ganelon creating many fuel depositories across Artishem.

Those with sharp intuition saw these two events happening, and, after four or five days, left the city with their family; however, they were a very small minority in a large urban environment. Most residents remained.

Of course, they were all uneasy. To begin with, Duke Ganelon was known for his outrageous brutality, and for carrying out cruel acts on a whim. Furthermore, news of Ganelon's defeat by the Thenardier Army reached their ears, though it was still a rumor.

Still, it was difficult for anyone to leave the city where they lived for many years simply out of anxiety.

Anyone who could think their Lord would burn down the city and its residents of his own volition would not be a normal human.

The fire began at midnight, and it was started in Ganelon's residence. The luxurious, three story mansion which towered high above in a place where he could overlook most of the city was wrapped in flames, flickering before a backdrop of darkness.

The fire reached the fuel depositories throughout the city. In each depository, barrels were filled with oil, lined with fat, and had piles of firewood surrounding them, which caused them to quickly erupt into flames. The sparks were fanned by the wind from the north, spreading the fire in an instant.

Artishem was a city with history. It existed before Brune Kingdom came to power.

Though it was developed, and there were more shops and residential areas in the city, the central landscape was still the same as it once was.

There were stone buildings with beam ceilings and wooden doors and floors. The fire eventually spread there.

The greatest reason the people could not run away was because it began at midnight. Some jumped out of the houses, and a few managed to reach the castle gates.

A river flowed through the center of Artishem from the northeast, so many jumped into it to escape from the flames; however, few survived.

Though signs of winter's end approached, the river water was cold in the dead of night. With the flames fueled by the wind, there was a long wall of fire lining the river. Many were forced with the choice of death by drowning or inhaling the smoke and suffocating.

With the cold wind blowing from the north, the fire ran rampant and quickly reached the southeastern part of Artishem.

Security guards desperately fought the fire throughout the city with the cooperation of the citizens; but the fire burned much of the city. By the time it disappeared, dawn had arrived. The sun began to rise, and the moon could be seen sinking in the western sky.

There were numerous corpses accompanying the city burning to ruins.

At the same time, news of Ganelon's death circulated about northern Brune. To say nothing of the various cities throughout Lutetia, the aristocrats who did not fight in the war alongside Ganelon's troops were deeply impacted in the midst of the public turmoil.

On the other hand, the soldiers of the Ganelon Army which was defeated by the Thenardier Army simply scattered in all directions.

Those who were not accepted in either the Thenardier Army or the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} were left to wander the lands of Brune.

“... Before we defeat Duke Thenardier, let's apply for a truce.”

Tigre looked around as he proposed that to his friends. Ellen reacted quickly, her red eyes shining keenly.

“To save Artishem?”

Tigre nodded. He thought of words to say before he spoke again.

“When the Muozinel Army attacked from the sea, it was Duke Thenardier who defended the cities near the water.”

If Thenardier was aiming for supremacy in Brune, he would eventually aim to make Artishem his own. If possible, rebuilding it quickly would be advantageous.

Though Tigre gave that explanation, he did not receive a good reaction.

“Your idea is good, but Thenardier will not likely accept it.”

Ellen said this, and Mira shook her head.

“Tigre. Even if you offer this now, they would only suspect you of buying time. You could be gathering more troops using your reputation from your battle with the Muozinel Army.”

The two Vanadis opposed him. Tigre stared at Massas and Lim, but, as expected, no response returned.

“If I were in Duke Thenardier's position, I would give priority to destroying Lord Tigrevurmud's Army. Given your situation now, you should not give aid immediately. If you win, you can place responsibility on his shoulders.”

“Tigre. Your heart is in the right place, but you cannot do everything. It is only after you defeat Duke Thenardier that you will be able to bring about change.”

“... I understand.”

It was a reasonable argument. Tigre was saying unreasonable things, after all. If he took this action, he may jeopardize the twenty thousand soldiers following him. It was a mistake to confuse the means and the end.

“Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Regin, who had remained mute until then, spoke to Tigre in a steady voice.

“I must take responsibility for myself. Please do not suffer any more than necessary.”

“But, Your Highness...”

What she said was not wrong, and it was the right time for her to say so. From outside, a soldier requested a meeting. Massas stood up and received the report. When the old Earl returned, he reported with a difficult face.

“A message from Duke Thenardier came.”

Duke Thenardier's messenger reported his demands for the war. They were for Tigrevurmud Vorn's neck to be presented to him and for all aristocrats who supported him to be relieved of their territory and titles.

[Furthermore, Eleanora Viltaria and Ludmira Lurie are not to interfere and are to return to the Kingdom of Zhcted.]

''--- There is nothing about Regin...''

“What will you do, Tigre?”

The messenger was made to wait for a response, so Ellen asked Tigre.

“Will you offer the truce you presented a while ago?”

Massas said that, though it was clear he was suppressing his anger.

It was difficult to place any trust in the enemy. Thenardier would not possibly allow Massas and Augre, who supported Tigre from an early stage, to get away with just their territories and titles revoked. Even if he did not do anything now, he might make a move in one or two years.

Furthermore, he would secretly bury Regin. Thenardier's wife was King Faron's niece. As someone who has a connection to the blood of the Royal Family, all obstacles would be gone if Tigre were dead.

He would not permit Regin's existence.

“I feel like I should make a demand rather than ask for a truce...”

“You could recommend they surrender and give them an equally coercive demand.”

Hearing Ellen's words, Tigre made the messenger return with his response.

[Don't you still owe me reparations for your son's solleret on Alsace?]

The solleret refers to one's iron greaves. In this case, it signified his command over an army.

With this, negotiations broke down.

To the southeast of Artishem were the Villecresnes Plains. There were narrow forests to the north and south and a river connecting them, as well as small hills to the east.

There, the twenty thousand strong {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} faced off against the twenty-four thousand strong Thenardier Army.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} divided its encampment between the central force, the right and left flanks, and the reserves to the rear.

The central unit consisted mostly of soldiers from Ganelon's Army with Tigre commanding them. Massas and Lim were by his side. The right wing was controlled by Mira and Ellen, and held the Zhcted Army. To the left were the soldiers and Knights that joined him after the war with Muozinel.

Though Tigre wanted to fight the Dragons alongside Ellen and Mira, he did not due to the overall situation.

“Certainly, we can get rid of the Dragons quickly with the power of your bow, but we will have a disadvantage without you taking charge at the front.”

Commanding the Zhcted Army in the right flank, Ellen laughed and comforted Tigre. Mira also smiled fearlessly after giving him a parting remark.

“There is no need to look like that. There is no one either here or in Zhcted that could defeat an army with two Vanadis.”

“Got it. Though it goes without saying, take care, you two.”

Though Tigre saw the two with a smile and words of encouragement, he could not relieve his anxiety.

He had learned the fear of a Dragon firsthand.

His first encounter with a Dragon was when he was hunting in the mountains. His second time was in the fight against Zaien.

“... Lord Tigrevurmud.”

His face looked difficult as he recalled the past. Lim called to him from the side.

“Please rest assured. Neither Eleanora-sama nor Ludmira-sama will be defeated.”

“That's right...”

Tigre nodded as he grasped the black bow in his saddle.

“Lord Massas. What do you think of the enemy's appearance?”

“They are calm. They will fall back, though... in the way they did against the fight with Duke Ganelon's army. We have no room to relax.”

They would lure the enemy back and bring the Dragons forward. That was the plan Thenardier had used before.

Thenardier's soldiers, like the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, had a textbook formation.

Ten thousand infantry were in the center. Both wings had five thousand troops. Behind the main unit, the five Dragons were waiting, and four thousand enemies stood even further behind with Duke Thenardier. There were three thousand even further back as a reserve force.

This eccentric formation only displayed Duke Thenardier's arrogance and confidence. Rather than overwhelm the enemy with numbers, he would simply crush them from the front.

In the middle of the morning, while the sun continued climbing, a cold wind blew across the land. The two armies marched.

The moment the Zhcted Army fired a rain of arrows, Thenardier's men stopped and blocked the attack with their shields.

Screams tore through the air as countless men who could not block the arrows fell. Still, there were no openings in the troops.

After exhausting their arrows, the Zhcted Army retreated and sounded a horn. Both armies raised a cry and clashed. At first glance, they looked even.

Soldiers held up their shields to block spears, not allowing them to pass further, swords cut men down, axes crushed through helmets, and others followed after from all directions to carve the enemy apart.

Killing and being killed. As if it were a chain reaction, the earth was littered in corpses and screams, the grass was dyed dark red with blood.

Soldiers slumped over, their eyes hollow, trying to push their entrails back into the corpses of their comrades.

Because I am right, because the enemy is alive, because the enemy is cruel, because the enemy is fighting, in order to survive, everyone had their own reason to wield a sword or spear, a reason to brandish a hammer or an axe.

Of course, they believed the Commander they fought under was correct; however, the enemy before them had blades smeared with blood. The reality of attack ahead was trivial. Only the desperation remained in their mind.

While the central forces were in an intense exchange of offense and defense, the Zhcted Army in the right wing gradually pulled back. Thenardier's left army began advancing, carrying on this momentum. This was a trap set by the Zhcted Army.

Taking notice, Mira gathered five hundred men and attacked Thenardier's left wing from the side.

At that time, the Zhcted Army began a quick counter-offensive as planned. The left wing of the Thenardier Army was almost crushed in an instant. The men retreated to rebuild their formation.

''--- Good.''

Ellen smiled happily while commanding the Zhcted Army. At this time, under Tigre's command, the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, began moving forward slowly. The Zhcted Army would soon approach the river and forest. It looked difficult to attack at a glance.

However, that was the goal. Ellen made a large detour and ran around the forest, joining with Mira to attack the Thenardier Army from the side. Although it was a rash action which left the right side open, there was a high chance of victory.

The left wing of the Thenardier Army, while recovering their formation near the forest and river, was assaulted. Furthermore, under Tigre's orders, Lim led the reserve troops to replace the right wing of his army. If the enemy attacked aggressively, there would have been a severe loss in her soldiers.

Lim had received another instruction from Tigre, so she separated from Tigre and took command of the reserves.

“Lord Massas. How is the left wing?”

The old man shook his stocky body and looked sternly at Tigre.

“You are the General. You should not use honorifics here.”

“Though I understand...”

He was about to speak formally again, but Tigre looked at Massas awkwardly as he began. Massas shook his head bitterly.

“The Knights of Perucche, Lutece, and Calvados are here. They won't lose to such an absurd opponent.”

“... It's odd hearing you speak so formally.”

“Please get used to it. It will be an interesting experience.”

Batran looked upon their conversation happily.

A half koku had passed and the sun approached its nidus. Suddenly, a change occurred on the battlefield. The Zhcted Army commanded by Ellen and Mira heard a cry from Thenardier's left wing.

“Don't be left behind.”

“I should return those words to you.”

Though they were the Commander and inspector, they stood at the head of the troops. Command was left to Rurick who remained behind.

The bald Knight had separated from Tigre long ago to carry out this important task. He was clearly bathed in a tense atmosphere.

Holding up the longsword which manipulates wind, brandishing the short spear covered in ice, the two Vanadis rushed into the enemy without hesitation. The Thenardier Army, surprised at the surprise attack, held up their shields and thrust their spears forward between the gap.

However, the spearheads did not touch Ellen or Mira. In a moment, their shields were crushed and their horses danced atop the enemy. Every time the wind flew from Ellen's sword, blood and brains painted the ground, only to be frozen shortly after as Mira thrust her spear into the earth.

Although three or four Thenardier soldiers challenged them with spears and swords, they were eliminated immediately by a counterattack. They saw the beautiful Goddess of death right before their eyes.

As if tearing through ragged clothes, the Zhcted Army divided the Thenardier Army in two equal portions. Those who fought back bravely could not last, as the cavalry ran by them with spear in hand.

“... Reinforcements.”

After breaking through the enemy, Ellen frowned. There was a change in the enemy; a fresh unit was likely moved in.

They wore sturdy armor with thick shields. Between the gaps, they used a weapon which combined an axe with a polearm, a halberd.

The halberd was used to handle enemies on horseback. Though it was like a small axe, there was a projected tip which acted as a spearhead. The weapon could pierce, cut, and act as a hook to drag the enemy off his steed.

The disadvantage was how difficult it was to handle as well as its length and weight.

Though three kinds of attacks were possible, for those who could not properly use them, it still acted as a spear. Thenardier arranged it so the unit could use the weapon in that manner.

“But don't think this is enough against us.”

“--- Yes. I must say the same.”

Next to Ellen, who had just used a plural form of language, Mira added her words with a sarcastic tone. The bright red pupils and brilliant blue pupils crossed for a moment, letting off a spark of hostility.

In fact, the soldiers with the halberds could not stop Ellen or Mira. If they used the weapon as an axe, the handle was quickly severed. If they used the weapon as a spear, the cold air stopped their movements.

“Once we break through here, we'll see the Dragons.”

“What are the colors of the Dragon's scales?”

“Nothing black.”

Ellen returned a short reply to Mira's question. In Zhcted, young Dragons and Dragons with black scales were not to be killed due to their importance in the mythology of the founding of Zhcted. It was common sense to the two.

Soon, the five behemoths came into view.

Three had scales the color of yellow ochre, and another had red-brown scales reminiscent of brick.

The last, and most conspicuous, was the color of iron. Though it had shades of black along it, they were simply large chains fitted to the Dragon.

“This is my first time seeing a {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}...”

Mira muttered in disgust. Though Ellen did not say it, she agreed.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} was a malformation and was an ill omen in Zhcted. Though they did not know what might happen, it was not simply an issue of nerves.

Ellen had one thing to be nervous about.

''--- The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} aren't being sealed with those chains. In the first place, there is no chain which can restrain a Dragon, so what is that...?''

“How did they get them? Even in our country there are no examples... What kind of hand did they play?”

“I can't say I'm not interested, but it certainly won't be anything decent.”

At that moment, the two Vanadis heard an odd sound which resembled tinnitus. The two frowned and exchanged glances, but they had no room to speak.

After they broke through the wall of enemy soldiers, dozens of alsin away, the Dragons let out a roar. All six cries drowned out the sound of battle. Man and horse, enemy and ally alike simply stood still in terror.

Ellen and Mira lightly bent backwards. Their horses did not run forward; their bodies were trembling as they snorted in fear.

A wind blew, originating from the Dragons' breath, and blew a foul odor across the field. At that moment, the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} with ochre scales began to move.

The Dragons ignored enemy and ally alike as they advanced. Their thick, tough forelimbs struck the ground like pillars. A Thenardier soldier was unable to escape and was crushed underfoot, leaving only a lump of dark, red flesh.

The Thenardier soldiers escaped to the side to avoid being killed by its rampage. They pushed one another as the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} rushed straight ahead. The ground shook with every step, clouds of dust and blood swelled.

“--- To save time, we'll finish them off together.”

“True. There are five. It would not do to fight them individually.”

Even with the huge beasts approaching them, Ellen and Mira remained calm. A swirl of wind gathered at the tip of the longsword held by the Vanadis of silver-white hair. A cold air formed along the short spear held by Mira.

It was no lie that they lacked the time. If they took too much time against the Dragons here, Duke Thenardier would have time to escape; however, Ellen had a separate aim.

So long as the Thenardier and Ganelon Armies fought, these Dragons would be a war potential difficult to surpass. The soldiers of Thenardier knew this.

She wanted to crush their morale by dealing with the Dragons in a single blow.

The wind formed an invisible blade, and crystals emerged in the air.

The Dragons approached the Vanadis.

“{{furigana|Cleave the Air|Ley Admos}}!”

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

Ellen swing Arifal down, while Mira thrust Lavias forward. The two {{furigana|Dragonic Tools|Viralt}} crossed. A whirlwind of ice shot forward as the cold stuck to the blade of wind.

It was as strong as a winter storm which occasionally blew violently in the northernmost lands of Zhcted. The torrent gouged the ground and altered the atmosphere. The Dragons bathed in the shining blade were bound in ice, unable to escape.

The Dragon scales were covered in countless cuts which were immediately frozen as they burst. The ocher scales crumbled like withered petals, dark red blood seeped from the Dragons before freezing.

Their claws and fangs were carved away by the wind and frozen; they shattered with a single strike.

The soldiers of the Thenardier Army who had escaped from the Dragon were hit by the shock wave. They were unable to escape the aftereffects and were frozen to the spot, unable to move their bodies.

The three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}, without letting out a cry, fell to the earth frozen. The Thenardier soldiers could not let out a single sound, some were unable to stand.

Ellen and Mira did not bother to claim victory. They pulled on their horses' reins and rushed past the Dragons' corpses.

“... Can you do it again?”

“Surely you are not asking me that?”

While retorting with a rare smile, the two Vanadis continued forward, followed by the Zhcted Army who raised a battle cry. On the other hand, the Thenardier soldiers were unable to move, barely able to hold a weapon in their trembling hands.

In the main force, the dark-haired Duke watched the battle with a grim expression.

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 120.jpg|175px|thumb]]
''--- So that's the power of the Vanadis''

Though he was astonished, his face showed no sign of it. He and his aide, Steid, maintained their complexion, allowing the remaining staff officers to recover.

“Like I thought, our central unit should use a Four Spears Formation.”

Steid muttered as usual, despite his slightly pale face. The Four Spears Formation was something Duke Thenardier devised for the infantry. Its results were unsurpassed in battles thus far.

He did not use it because the Dragons were used to lure the Vanadis in. If the Vanadis were superior to the Dragons, they would take care of the Dragons first.

Strictly speaking, a thin layer of troops was placed behind the Dragons, and once the Vanadis passed the five Dragons, they would be engulfed in soldiers. So long as the Vanadis could be crushed, he was willing to lose all five Dragons.

However, because the Dragons were between his base and the central unit, the instructions could not easily be given, so the Four Spears Formation could not be readily used due to a necessity for quick command.

If the Vanadis were lost, the Zhcted Army was sure to collapse, and a remarkable change in morale would happen in both friend and foe. With numbers on his side, his chance of victory would skyrocket.

However, Thenardier and Steid had to quickly modify the plan. They were not sure what the two Vanadis had done, but they had quickly dispatched all three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}.

“Quickly reorganize the troops. Enclose the Vanadis that defeated the Dragon and crush them.”

His words were filled with fatigue.

“I don't care if it takes six thousand soldiers to attack two people. Kill them.”

Thenardier gave out cold instructions without mercy.

Mira and Ellen approached the remaining two Dragons. They had quickly passed the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} they defeated and divided to the left and right to fight the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} respectively.

Because of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}'s bulk and the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}'s ability to spit fire, they separated the two so they could fight in a large space.

“I'll leave the left to you.”

Both Ellen and Mira advanced after that short phrase. Ellen ran to the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} while Mira moved to the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}.

“We took out those {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} before, so I would rather not play with you, but we need you to leave the war right now.”

As she said that, a sound rung in the depths of her ear yet again. It was a sharp noise which drowned out the clamor of the battlefield.

However, there was no room to think about it.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} raised its head and glared at Ellen with its four eyes. Its eyes showed it had energy to spare.

The atmosphere let out a hum as a tornado surrounded Arifal, forming a blade of wind.

“{{furigana|Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}!”

With a shout, Ellen struck the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}. Though it was tough, its bones would break and not even a fragment would remain if it took a direct blow.

However, while the earth was gouged out as the wind tore through the air, it stopped shortly before the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}, as if it were protected by an invisible wall. After the two struggled, the wind disappeared.

“... What?”

It was something Ellen had not expected at all. She looked on in blank surprise, though only for a single breath.

After a time which was not even a moment, the Vanadis wielded Arifal once again.

“--- {{furigana|Shadow Wind|Verni}}.”

Removing her feet from the stirrups, she jumped up as soon as the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} attacked. It bit through the horse's neck and backside. A deep, slow sound rumbled from its maw as blood sprinkled to the ground.

Both the Zhcted soldiers and the Thenardier soldiers turned pale, their bodies quaking in fear. Though Thenardier's central force was still clashing with the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}'s main force, those in the surroundings had forgotten the battle.

Ellen escaped from the Dragon's jaws and landed on the ground. The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} closely observed her. After she had used [Shadow Wind] to escape, she attacked the Dragon's head, but there was no sign of any wound.

''--- Even if it was a shallow blow, it was not damaged by Arifal's blade.''

The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} turned its gaze to Mira who had run to challenge it.

At that moment, Mira attacked the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} with her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

A huge amount of cold air was emitted from Mira's Frozen Wave. In a single moment, innumerable pillars of ice formed about the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, stabbing it.

However, like Ellen, the Dragonic Skill was stopped by something, as if hampered. The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} opened its mouth, a bud of flame shining from the back of its black throat.

Ellen and Mira ran quickly and rolled on the ground, colliding into one another.

Immediately afterward, an inferno was expelled from the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}'s mouth, melting the ice created by Mira. The heat burned Ellen's back and shoulders. If she had been exposed to the flame directly, her body would have been carbonized immediately.

''--- Somehow, it missed for now...''

Because the two were fighting Dragons separately, they had created a considerable distance between them. Even with the speed of Shadow Wind, however, she was barely able to avoid the flame.

“Eleanora! Why are you...”

Mira glared in fright at Ellen who protected her from the fire. Ellen raised her face and smiled, enduring her pain.

“You... weren't acting like a Vanadis. Your movements were thrown out of order for a moment.”

“Silence.”

Using her spear, Mira emitted a thin film of ice to cover Ellen's wound. The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} continued to vomit flames toward the two.

The bright red flame wrapped about the two Vanadis and spread radially like a lotus, engulfing many Zhcted soldiers. Those touched by the flame died instantly, their bodies carbonizing and collapsing to the grass as ashes.

The Zhcted soldiers not harmed by the flames looked toward their Lords engulfed in fire with bitter expressions. Even the Thenardier soldiers were not in a state of mind to cry for joy as they stared at the fire breathing Dragon.

“--- I see.”

A dignified, stony voice was heard from beneath the flames. A cold wind brewed from within the fires, dispersing the heat. The people looked on in disbelief, as if they had seen a dream or illusion. It was a miraculous scene beyond the reality they knew.

Mira held her spear of ice with a firm expression as Ellen protected her. A huge amount of cold emitted from Lavias, and Arifal had formed many films of air about them. They were protected from smoke, heat, and flames.

“Our {{furigana|Dragonic Skills|Veda}} do not work on you.”

The Vanadis were safe. When faced with the flames of a {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, all turned to ash without exception; however, these two people remained uninjured. It was a mystery to the beast.

On the other hand, Mira had formed large lumps of ice as she looked up at the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}. She was calmly constructing a method to kill it in her head. Still, nothing appeared in her mind.

The earth shook; the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} looked elsewhere. Even Mira found it difficult to keep focus on the Dragon with twin heads upon which her Dragonic Skill would not work.

The stampede of thousands of horses approached with a tremendous force, corpses were trampled upon, soldiers were separated, and screams mixed in the air. It was the sound of war.

The Thenardier soldiers were split apart as cavalrymen, led by Lim, cut through them.

“Eleanora-sama, Ludmira-sama. Are you safe?”

Lavias was pointed to the ground, as Mira was about to thrust her spear into the earth. She stopped her movements in reaction to the shout and turned back to see Lim.

“You... Why are you here? What of Tigre?”

“I have come at Lord Tigrevurmud's instructions. He said to assist with your withdrawal---”

While Lim was answering, Mira noticed Ellen begin to fall before her.

“Help Eleanora. She is injured.”

Before Mira's words were finished, Ellen's body moved. Supporting herself with her sword, the Vanadis with silver-white hair struggled to stand.

“My body hurts... but I can manage myself.”

“Please get behind me.”

Ellen rode the horse behind Lim. After making sure Ellen was on, Mira deprived an enemy of his horse as she watched the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} approach.

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

Mira used her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} for a third time. The earth was torn away, and a large pillar of ice spread, forming a wall of ice to prevent the Dragon's flames.

The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} fiercely hurled fire at the wall of ice, two, three times. The earth shook with every blow. Soon, the barrier of ice shattered, scattering fragments of ice across the battlefield.

However, by that time, every soldier from Zhcted had withdrawn.

Duke Thenardier and his adjutant, Steid, calmly looked at the soldiers of their army. There was a succession of surprises but their complexion remained unchanged.

“... They got us.”

Duke Thenardier vomited words in annoyance. Though the surrounding attendants trembled, Steid responded indifferently.

“It was a severe loss with the three Dragons.”

“Certainly that is true, but I did not grasp their movements.”

Without hiding anything, Thenardier strongly grasped his fist. He had pulled the soldiers back to lure Ellen and the others in so he could show his superiority.

“Have the Dragons attack the enemy. We will throw our men at the Vanadis.”

It was the second time Thenardier had to change the actions of his soldiers and the Dragons in this battle because he had too little information on the Vanadis. Furthermore, because of the Dragons, his soldiers had not moved as instructed. It was unpleasant for Thenardier.

His left wing was partially destroyed, and the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} had been destroyed, yet the Vanadis were not killed.

“What of the center and the right wing?”

“The right wing is holding its ground, and the center is pushing forward.”

Steid answered promptly. The situation was as expected. With the Knights in the enemy's left wing, it was unlikely they would destroy it, and their central force of ten thousand faced off against the enemy's seven thousand troops.

“However... That has ended as well.”

When Tigre sent Lim away, he awaited a report as he was tormented with anxiety and impatience.

''--- There's nothing to worry about. Ellen easily killed the Dragon when we fought against Zaien. She has Mira with her this time.''

Even if he said that to himself, he could not dispel the worries in his mind. He recalled the fear he had when he confronted a Dragon before.

However, he could do nothing more than send Lim out. He could not just focus on them as the General of the army.

For the time being, it was necessary to overcome the situation of the central forces, since they were outnumbered.

“Lord Massas, do you have any ideas?”

“It's difficult... We are short three thousand troops. We have done well considering that deficit. All we can do now is to believe in the Zhcted Army.”

The old Earl's response was gloomy. Ellen and the others would break through the enemy's left wing and head toward the central unit, attacking them from behind.

If they succeeded, the enemy would lose its momentum. That would be a good chance for the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. Thinking of the abilities of Ellen, Mira, and the Zhcted Army, it was a feasible plan.

''--- Change... Change.''

He grasped his black bow and clenched his teeth. As the General, he was forced to watch from behind. It was painful.

Something changed at that time.

Hearing the cry of [Betrayal], Tigre and Massas understood. A traitor had appeared at the front of the central unit.

“--- Lord Massas. I leave it to you.”

Tigre gripped his black bow. He had confirmed the condition of his bow and the number of arrows many times already.

“... What do you intend to do?”

Massas asked with his usual tone, though his face was pale.

“I won't do anything unreasonable. I will meet them, that is all. I leave command and Her Highness to you.”

In his voice was a powerful presence. Though words rose to stop him, Massas said something different. He called his subordinate and ordered him to follow Tigre.

“Don't die. Got it? You must not die.”

Tigre responded by holding his bow up and jumping on a horse. The situation was urgent. The {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} could collapse in an instant. Agitation was already running through his soldiers.

''--- Can I get through?''

The central unit was a mixture of the former Ganelon Army. When they surrendered to them, there was already a high possibility that this would happen. Though Tigre and Massas investigated them as much as possible, there was a limit given the short time.

Tigre waded through the waves of soldiers as he nocked an arrow. A man of approximately 30 years moved toward Tigre after locating him. He was an impressive man with a thin mustache beneath his nose, and he held a shield and mace in his hands.

''--- I think he's Baron Digne.''

In the Brune Kingdom, barons were not given territory or titles. They received a yearly salary from the Kingdom and had to make the rest of their livelihoods on their own. Because they usually had aristocratic relatives, they were often entrusted with governing towns and villages.

However, Simon Digne was only interested in traveling and training himself. Since he had a presence of mind in the face of adversity, and his talent was a certainty, Tigre entrusted him with five hundred soldiers at Massas' recommendation.

“Why are you here, General?”

“Who called out traitor?”

He did not answer Digne's question and simply asked his question. Digne's eyes probed Tigre with an indistinct light before he responded.

“It was Viscounts Chateauroux and Batan. They suddenly shouted [We support Duke Thenardier]...”

“Thank you for meeting me and answering my question.”

After expressing his gratitude, Tigre moved ahead to look for Chateauroux and Batan. Tigre remembered their faces from the interview when they offered their troops. Though it was tedious, Massas and Lim made absolutely sure he memorized their appearance.

''--- I didn't want to use it for this.''

As he looked for them, he pulled his bow back strongly and shot an arrow. The arrow flew overhead at great speeds and pierced through Viscount Chateauroux who stood up with a sword a moment before.

He did not watch Chateauroux topple to the ground. He turned around as he pulled out another arrow. As expected, the old man who had served by his side for many years was present. After a nod, Batran clutched his spear, and turned to the soldiers.

“Louder! Drown everything else out!”

Batran shouted loudly beyond what one would expect of his small body. The soldiers, with Tigre's consent, raised their swords and spears and let out a battle cry. Against this backdrop, Tigre searched for Batan with his bowstring drawn to its limit.

He found Batan immediately, but he was running away with those from the Thenardier Army who were fleeing from battle. He was barely within visible range, but Tigre would not let him go.

In this case, Tigre's concentration was heightened by anger, excitement, and tension. He had nocked three arrows and drew his bowstring back, then fired and killed three Thenardier soldiers standing in a line. While the bowstring was still trembling, Tigre had nocked his bow and fired yet again.

When Batan's body fell to the ground, a strange silence fell on the battlefield. Batan and Chateauroux's soldiers who had just betrayed them stood rooted to the spot. Both the soldiers of the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and the Thenardier Army stared wide eyed at Tigre's feat of skill.

Tigre rode forward proudly and shouted to his soldiers.

“Stand your ground! If we retreat here, we will gain nothing! Show me what you men are here for!”

He nocked another arrow and targeted the nearest Commander. Though two hundred alsin away he understood it was a Thenardier Commander based on his uniform.

Following the sound of the wind being cut was a dry sound of flesh being gouged away. The man was one who commanded hundreds of soldiers, although he was not necessarily occupying an important location.

However, it changed the atmosphere of the battlefield. Batran's men gave a battle cry once again, encouraging themselves and recovering their energy.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} which was on the verge of collapse held their ground, took one step forward, and clutched their swords and spears soaked in blood. They charged toward Thenardier's soldiers on the hill, swallowing Chateauroux and Batan's men in an instant.

With the General in the center of the battlefield, morale would surely increase. Their blistering counter-offensive overturned their preceding inferiority; however, the Thenardier soldiers resisted stubbornly, blocking with their shields, thrusting their spears forward, and some even threw stones.

Though Tigre did not move from the midst of the battlefield, he was unable to show his normal skills with the bow.

There were no soldiers as capable as Ellen and Mira who had once defended him. His escorts fell, one after another. With swords and spears coming at him, Tigre had no choice but to concentrate on evasion.

Lacerations marked Tigre's arms and legs, his clothes were dyed red. Many soldiers fell defending Tigre.

When the sun reached its zenith, the Thenardier Army slowly began to retreat. They were not being pushed back by the strength of the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. It was an order to retreat.

''--- This is a temporary retreat. I should also quickly reorganize...''

Tigre looked up at the winter sun and ruffled his dull red hair with a sigh.

They took short shifts to rest. Wounds were treated and soldiers with severe injuries were pulled away from the battlefield. Food and arms were replenished, and water was distributed. No alcohol was passed around, because their bleeding would worsen, and there was still an intense battle coming afterward.

They ate thin, hard bread and some roasted vegetables. There was neither meat nor fish. Rather than recovering the soldiers' physical condition, it instigated their desire to win and survive.

While maintaining the tension of the battlefield, the soldiers devoured their food and drank their water.

Though Tigre went to meet Ellen and the others who had returned, he could not be happy upon seeing their injuries and rough breathing. Mira's fatigue could not be hidden, and Lim was supporting Ellen who had a burn down her back.

“I'm sorry. We only managed to kill the {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}.”

While the Vanadis with silver-white hair did not meet him with a smile, she spoke with a bright voice

Tigre entrusted the reorganization to Massas and asked for the details from Ellen. There was no time to set up a tent, so the soldiers surrounded them as they held their meeting.

Though they had killed three Dragons, the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} had unexpectedly remained. On the other hand, the Vanadis' faces clouded over after hearing the situation with the central troops.

“You were the one who told us not to overdo it.”

Ellen gazed painfully at the injuries on Tigre's arms and legs. Tigre had taken his clothes off and was being treated by Teita.

“That's true, but given the situation, it was the only hand I could play...”

Mira also looked at Tigre with both blame and concern in her eyes. Lim also showed her concern.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. I must ask that you do not concern yourself with this battle.”

Hearing her calm voice, Ellen and Mira collected themselves at once. Tigre was thankful for Lim's words in his mind. She looked down at him less coldly than usual.

“I will tell you this now. This conversation is only postponed for now.”

It meant she would scold him whenever she had time. Though he repented, he regretted leaving reorganization of the troops to Massas. Tigre meekly surrendered with a shrug.

“By the way, why didn't your {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} work on them?”

Mira held her hand to her hip and tilted her head. Ellen was the one to answer.

“Perhaps the chains anchoring those Dragons are blocking them.”

“It was negated?”

Mira looked at Ellen with eyes of suspicion and anger.

“I'll say this beforehand. It is possible to cancel a Dragonic Skill.”

“Unfortunately, I did not know this.”

Ellen's eyes turned to Tigre.

“The holy sword Durandal belonging to Brune Kingdom exerted a mysterious force which counteracted my Dragonic Skill. Sophie's as well.”

In the fight against the Black Knight Rolland who led the Navarre Knights, it had happened. Even if he received an attack from a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, or even an attack from Tigre's bow, Durandal remained unscathed.

“There's no telling what it was made of, but the sword was made from some metal which was unearthed. It wouldn't be surprising if they could forge chains as well.”

Ellen could calmly think and speak this far because it was her second experience with it; however, Mira's reaction could not be helped.

“If what you say is true, it will be a nuisance...”

Mira let out a groan from the bottom of her heart.

Though they were called Vanadis, their bodies were flesh and blood. Their bodies would not hold their original form and would be corpses if they took an attack from a Dragon's claw.

“We have two options.”

Ellen spoke with a confident smile.

“Say it quickly. Time is more precious than gold right now.”

“What Ludmira-sama says is reasonable, Eleanora-sama.”

As Ellen was reproached from two directions, she looked for help. Tigre simply shook his head, and Teita tilted hers in doubt as she continued rolling bandages. Ellen sighed.

“No matter. We can try and cut the chain directly. Though I don't know what it's made of, our Dragonic Skill will work without it there. If that's impossible, then we'll aim directly for the Dragon. Though they're unexpectedly tough, they'll likely take some damage if they're hit with my Silver Flash or your Frozen Wave.”

“And the second method?”

“We kill the guy controlling the Dragons.”

Ellen smiled fearlessly.

“When I approached the Dragon, I heard a strange sound many times. It's probably someone giving a command to the Dragon. I could see no other signs of commands being issued.”

Lim agreed as well. She did not recall seeing anyone nearby or riding the Dragon to issue commands.

Nevertheless, the Dragons did not move until the Zhcted Army reached them. Furthermore, they attacked the Thenardier soldiers as well.

“While the Dragon is fighting others, I'll use Arifal to search for the sound and take care of the one making it. When it becomes impossible to control the Dragons, they won't use them. Like this, we---”

Ellen suddenly glared at Tigre as if she remembered something.

“If you have the time to think about that, then think of a way to fight the enemy forces.”

She preemptively stopped Tigre from speaking.

“Right. Leave the Dragons to us. You should concentrate on Duke Thenardier.”

Mira also teased him. Ellen further raised the bar.

“Tigre. You are the General. It isn't a role Lim or I can take. I doubt Massas or Regin could do it, either.”

If Ellen and Mira, who were from a foreign nation, became the General, the soldiers of Brune would not follow them. Though Massas had dignity, he had no authority, and Regin's position was too unstable.

“--- I understand.”

Tigre nodded. He would do it for Ellen and Mira, Lim, Massas, Batran, Teita, Rurick, and Gerard. He would accomplish his task.

''--- It's still a difficult problem.''

Based on the previous battle, Thenardier would adopt a new strategy. It was necessary for him to outsmart Thenardier, who had lived twice as long as Tigre had.

“Then...I will start preparations.”

Lim took out a map with a somewhat theatrical tone and gesture. Realizing she was trying to relax in her own way, Tigre simply nodded with a smile.

“I'm counting on you.”

After two koku, the armies confronted each other once again. The sun had fallen far to the west, and the clouds would soon dye vermillion.

Duke Thenardier's army was down to twenty thousand. The dead and severely injured numbered two thousand in total, but those with slight injuries were moved to the back as well. Though the right and left wings had not changed significantly, the center was thin.

The all important Dragons were behind the central force, and Duke Thenardier was further behind.

On the other hand, the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had at most sixteen thousand men; however, those with slight injuries were made to remain on the battlefield. Their morale was high. Tigre had punished the traitors on the battlefield, and every time his bowstring sounded, another enemy was felled.

It was not only the numbers that differed.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had retreated significantly. The left wing remained on the hill, and the central force had a column formation at the base of the hill.

The central unit was not well equipped.

Those with leather armor were more prominent, those with spears did not have swords at their waist, and those with swords lacked a shield. They were terribly unbalanced, and every weapon was damaged in some way.

“... What do you think the enemy intends to do?”

Thenardier received the scout's report and asked his adjutant, Steid. Though the same question was thrown to the remaining staff officers, but they were satisfied with thinking the enemy did not have a sufficient amount of equipment because an Earl from the country could not supply them. He did not receive a satisfactory answer.

“The Knights will descend from the left.”

The Knights had mobility and a strong rushing power. They could apply an intense charge to come to the aid of their allies as they watched the battlefield from the top of the hill.

“If that is the case, why not place the Zhcted Army on the hill?”

“The Zhcted Army is strong as it is. They will fight either the right or left wing early on and retreat before we can use the Dragons.”

“What of the equipment of their main unit?”

Steid did not immediately answer, trying to draw a conclusion he could be convinced of.

“I doubt they were unable to procure enough arms. It's possible...”

The fair-haired, blue-eyed adjutant continued to speak.

“To avoid a fight with the Dragon, it is best to create a situation where friend and foe is confused. Their will to fight has been stimulated, so it will likely become a melee.”

Thenardier folded his thick arms and gave thought to what Steid said. He considered it likely, since the enemy was clearly preparing to attack aggressively. It was simply a show, since they would quickly retreat to avoid the Dragons. He had also thought that far.

Once again, he looked at the enemy camp in the distance.

''--- He's buying time by creating a dogfight in the center while the left and right wings are attacked. He'll have his men retreat to escape from the Dragon. Is he going to approach me?''

He did not believe Tigre would retreat because he was a coward, and he did not accept that Tigre was unable to procure weaponry. He was an enemy and the fastest growing power. Half a year ago, he had led only one hundred soldiers. He would have a plan to win.

“I got it. We'll move according to this plan.”

The wind had grown cold and the clouds became thicker.

It was the second battle of the day. Rather than a battle cry, it was a trumpet which sounded from the central unit of the Thenardier Army that marked the start of the conflict.

The Thenardier Army showed strange movements. Some moved to the right or the left quickly, while others slipped behind their allies.

A wide road was open between the two wings of the Thenardier Army. It was wide enough for the Dragons to easily pass through.

A strange sound, like that of a flute, echoed through the battlefield. Though it did not reach the ears of half the people, those who did hear it frowned in pain.

However, thoughts of the sound was blown away from the soldiers who had heard it with the appearance of the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} and {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}, as the two rushed quickly through the path made by the Thenardier Army.

''--- So this is how they're playing it...!''

Behind their central force, a loud cry was heard. Tigre stared at the two mountainous behemoths as they approached.

''How is it possible to use a Dragon?'' Though Tigre desperately thought about it, he could only think of two methods.

One was to bring them at the beginning of battle and force it into the enemy camp. The other was to use it as a reserve power for the end of the battle.

There was actually a third method. In the first battle, the Dragons were placed behind the main unit to act as a decoy since the Vanadis were an existence which could fight a Dragon. They would be lured in and surrounded. It was a cunning plan, because, even if there were no means to defeat the Dragons, the Vanadis would still be forced to jump into the trap.

''--- However, the plan Ellen and Mira are carrying out is dangerous.''

Ellen and Mira certainly defeated the {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}, but they could not handle the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} or {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}.

He did miss this. Thenardier had seen what happened in the first battle and thought of a different plan.

''--- He'll have thought of another plan, since he knows Ellen and Mira's attacks won't work against the Dragon.''

Because he knew that, he would choose one of the other two options.

Massas believed he would not act conservatively.

“It is true he still has the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} and {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, but he lost the three {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}}. To ease the fears of the soldiers, he will bring the Dragons out early in battle. He will likely attack the troops from the Ganelon Army.”

“I agree with Lord Massas. From the previous battle, it is clear it is difficult to use the Dragons when ally and enemy are mixed.”

Lim spoke up as well. Based on the two opinions, Tigre conceived counter-measures. It was a dangerous gamble, but to trick a powerful man like Duke Thenardier, it was unavoidable.

“Retreat!”

The moment he saw the Dragons, Tigre shouted. Massas and Lim, rather than giving orders, remained indifferent and calm.

The central unit of the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} began to retreat at a pace which surprised the enemy. It was disorderly. They ignored formation and rank in all forms, threw their weapons aside, discarded their helmets, and ran away desperately from the Dragon.

It was disgraceful conduct they did not expect from the enemy they had fought just a short time ago. The soldiers from the Thenardier Army could do nothing but stare in blank surprise. The Dragon chased after the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} as ordered. Dozens who could not run away were bathed in flames or devoured by the two heads.

Some soldiers fell, their every bone shattering as the Dragon walked over them. Some had their torsos blown away with a graze of the claws.

If their breathing was off a little or if they stumbled slightly, a horrific death awaited them.

Hundreds of alsin away, a group, lead by a fierce shadow, galloped fiercely toward the center. The wind roared with the sword, and cold air drifted from the spear.

Having knowledge of the enemy's existence, the Dragons stopped their advance for the first time.

“All right, they stopped. Now to discipline it properly.”

The girl with silver-white hair calmly got off her horse and held her blade to her shoulder. She was smiling.

“The sound reaches even out there. I suppose it does not matter. We will drag him out eventually.”

On the side opposite the Dragons was a girl with a spear. She dismounted her horse and looked up.

Ellen and Mira; the two Vanadis.

Further away, the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had retreated. The two now stood in a field littered with innumerable arms. They silently waited for signs that their troops had completely retreated.

The two ranks, a distance away, gathered together. They recovered their breathing, took up new arms, and reorganized their formation. One group was led by Tigre while the other was led by Massas.

“Lord Massas. May the fortunes of war be with you.”

Tigre and Massas shook hands.

“You as well. Limlisha, please do not let him act recklessly.”

“I understand.”

Lim nodded indifferently as she stood beside Tigre. The young man ran his hand through his dull red hair awkwardly to disguise his embarrassment. In place of the Vanadis, Tigre would help cover the right wing with the Zhcted Army, while Massas would help the troops on the hill to cover the left wing.

Suddenly, Tigre turned around and thought about what happened in the distance. He thought of the unreasonable battle being held by Ellen and Mira.

His face was tense, and he gripped his bow strongly. At that time, his back was struck lightly.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. It is time we leave.”

It was Lim. Tigre returned from his thoughts and turned back. Though her facial expression and indifferent voice were as normal, it was rare for her to hit him on the back.

“If Eleanora-sama and Ludmira-sama cannot concentrate on their battles, they will scold you later.”

“That's a bit rough... But you won't be scolding me?”

“Since my leadership would be insufficient, I would be scolded as well.”

Her earnest words wiped all his hesitation and tension away.

Tigre braced himself and grasped the reins as he smiled at Lim.

“Thank you.”

“I did what was natural as your adjutant.”

“Is that so. Let's go, Limlisha-sensei.”

Hearing his last word, which was spoken as a joke, Lim's face dyed red. Even without looking, it was easy for Tigre to tell what her reaction was. The young General raised a shout to his soldiers.

“We fight back!”

The fight between the Vanadis and the Dragons approached the end.

The Vanadis did not take the battle into a one-on-one fight. They fought the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}, using it to shield them from the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} as it charged. It was a fight they were dominating.

“The Black Knight Roland was a much more frightening opponent---”

Ellen spoke to herself as she thrust her longsword into the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}'s forelimbs. The sound of rocks being crushed sounded as her sword clad in wind smashed through its scales. Dark red blood immediately erupted and coagulated from its body heat, flowing like lava. It was a strange pattern.

The {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} gave a roar of anguish. It swiped outward with its foreleg and cleaved the ground with its tail; it sprayed its flames across the skies and the ground. It was a rampage forceful enough to make the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} retreat a few steps.

However, its thick, sharp claws and tail as large as a tree trunk could easily mow down all in their path. The flames were dissipated by a wall of cold air.

“It was not Roland's capability as a soldier but his abnormal willpower that made him a difficult opponent. He would not be so strong if he only had the ability to block my {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.”

The Dragons were not a powerful enemy. Though the flames which could burn everything were terrible, it was blocked with the wind and the cold. Though her body ached from the burns, she did not lag behind at all.

However, the two were still at a stand still. Though they had found many opportunities to attack the chains, not a single scratch was left behind.

“It might be easier just to cut through the scales to kill it...”

Mira spoke up.

They had focused their attacks to the chain wrapping about the Dragon. After Ellen had used her wind to cut the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} with a series of quick attacks before taking distance, then Mira would move forward, gouging the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}} deeply in its chest before it could use its flames.

Mira called out. At that moment, a wind was sent forth.

The small body of the blue-haired Vanadis danced in the air, her short spear in hand, as she jumped away from the danger of the flames.

It was a disappointing death; it was quiet. The flames did not come from the fang-lined furnace, nor did it leak out any death throes.

Its eyes were wide open, and the place it fell to was scorched as its body generated an intense heat. A small fire flickered from its mouth.

The two did not have room to relax with the death of the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}. The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} rushed toward them as its two heads let out an intense roar.

Its two jaws lined with fangs that could tear through iron and rock approached Ellen from either side. The pain from the burns in her back delayed Ellen's movements for a moment.

Though she barely dodged its fangs, they grazed Ellen's clothes. A laceration was carved into her fair skin. Her entire body was clad in a storm with frightening vigor as Ellen was thrown to the ground.

“Eleanora...!”

Mira ran up in a hurry and attacked the left neck of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}. The right head attacked Ellen who was still on the ground.

“Get away!”

A lance of ice shot from Mira as she screamed in anger, forcing the Dragon to bend its neck backward. While Ellen rolled along the ground to avoid it, Ellen thrust her sword forward. The Dragon's right head thrust into the ground, bringing up earth and sand in copious quantities.

Its left head moved violently as it groaned. Mira looked on in frustration, as the wound was smaller than she had anticipated.

“This is far harder than any {{furigana|Earth Dragon|Suro}} or {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}...”

Mira cursed at the chain hanging from the neck of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}.

“It will be a bit hard to get through that...”

Ellen skillfully took distance from the Dragon as she pulled some dirt from her silver-white hair. She called out for Mira.

“Ludmira. Help me.”

“Explain.”

Mira responded with a sharp tone. Ellen's smile reached her bright red eyes in surprise.

“You're quite honest.”

It was normal for her to not even bother listening to a request. The blue-haired Vanadis responded with a sarcastic smile.

“I expect a wonderful proposal. I will mock you for it later if it is terrible.”

Ellen moved close and whispered into Mira's ear. Though the Dragon likely could not understand human tongue, it was a battlefield and there was a need for caution. Sure enough, Mira's face distorted as she frowned reluctantly.

“You want to drop it into a pit you make in the ground, and you want me to close it off with ice.” 

“There's no proof it will die. My idea certainly is weak, but I will kill it with this hand, with this sword. Do you have a better plan?”

Mira shook her head without responding, a sign of her agreement. Looking at the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}, Ellen shouted.

“Arifal!”

Responding to its master's will, a pale blue light tinged its blade. Ellen's body was wrapped in a fierce wind, throwing sand up in the air. Ellen and Mira ran forward.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} let out a roar and attacked, but Ellen was much faster. The sound of the wind and air bursting could be heard throughout the forest. The two jumped high into the air as its claws pierced the ground.

The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} was surprised by the pain in its forelimb. It pulled its arm out of the ground and recovered its posture while Ellen and Mira looked down on it from the sky.

“Let's not argue at this height.”

Supported by the wind Ellen created, Mira brandished the Frozen Wave.

“{{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}!”

The spear of ice produced numerous crystals from the atmosphere which rained down on the Dragon.

The blocks of ice would blow a human body to pieces. Even so, the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} received only a few scratches on its scales. Though it staggered, the Dragon held its ground and looked up at Mira, seeing a threat before it.

At that time, the Dragon noticed the other person was no longer in the sky.

Immediately afterward, the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} felt something small pierce it from behind.

“I only needed a little momentum to get this into you.”

Ellen was on her knee on the back of the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}. Her hair was dirty with mud, and her body was covered in wounds, but she still laughed fearlessly. The longsword clasped in both her hands had pierced deep inside its body through its thick scales, almost to the base.

With its strength exhausted, they could inflict damage to its scales.

Because it was tired today, they had been able to inflict damage to the Dragon's scale. If Ellen fired her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}, it would simply be negated by the black chains.

Therefore, using the momentum from her fall, increased with Arifal's wind, Ellen moved toward the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} at a terrifying speed. The Dragon could not react because of the rain of ice Mira had created.

Though Ellen had pierced through the Dragon's scales, she was also injured due to its movements to the extent that she had momentarily lost consciousness. Still, the Vanadis of silver-white hair endured it all.

She took a deep breath and put power in her hands.

''--- If it's useless from the outside, then I'll attack from the inside.''

“{{furigana|--- Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}!”

A storm was born from Arifal's blade within the Dragon's body. Its meat was scooped out, its bones were crushed. Everything within the Dragon turned to powder.

A thick black liquid spilled from the mouths of the two heads. The {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} fell down, its body convulsing on the ground.

Ellen was thrown aside with Arifal from the momentum. The sword bathed its Lord in wind and gently brought her body to the earth. When the aid from her sword ended, Ellen, with her purpose of killing the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} gone, fell to the ground.

“... Finally, it has ended.”

Mira walked to her with the Frozen Wave over her shoulder. Still, she was not the type to boast of her victory.

Before the corpses of the Dragons, fatigue wrapped about the two. They had the strength to cut through one thousand soldiers, but never had they felt so tired, both physically and mentally.

“Are you going to help Tigre and the others?”

“I'm in no state to help in this condition.”

Ellen responded curtly.

The horses they rode had run away.

“We did what we needed to do. All we can do is leave it to Tigre to finish his task. Well, I suppose I could fight another one hundred cavalry if I need to.”

“How weak. I can handle another one-hundred-fifty.”

“... My mistake. Two hundred.”

“Is that so. Then go. Walk.”

In the end, the two could not stop moving until the battle had come to an end.

While Mira and Ellen waged battle against the Dragons, Tigre led the fierce attack on the outskirts of the battlefield. He had to get his men to rest and reorganize twice before they reached the Zhcted Army.

The Zhcted Army had been attacked from the front and the left by the enemy. In addition, half the troops from the enemy's central unit had begun to attack from the other side.

Though Rurick commanded them to remain on the defensive, they were nearing their limit. It was only a matter of time.

Tigre charged straight before stopping. The reason he took two stops was for this reason.

“Stones!”

When Tigre shouted, the infantry placed their weapons on the ground and threw the stones in their hands at the Thenardier Military. They had expected a charge, and so were unprepared for this incoming assault.

“He really is a country aristocrat. He's willing to use stones, he must have no sense of shame.”

Even so, the enemy's offense was stopped with this. Their pace was thrown into disorder.

“So you came. I was waiting for you.”

Rurick smiled joyfully. He would not miss this opportunity to counterattack.

Tigre saw his movements, and, with Lim's assistance, charged fiercely behind the enemy.

The Thenardier Army which attacked the Zhcted Army from two directions was now being attacked from two directions themselves.

Furthermore, the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was strong. Tigre's participation in battle increased their courage. In response, they fought boldly. As for Tigre, he shot down the enemy Commanders in one hit.

Even without a Commander, it would make no significant difference. Still, the appearance of the General with a black bow was enough to make the enemy falter, and the Zhcted soldiers let out a shout of victory with every arrow that pierced the enemy.

“{{furigana|Star Shooter|Silvrash}}! {{furigana|Star Shooter|Silvrash}}!”

The Zhcted soldiers used Muozinel's words of praise. Though it was strange to those from Brune, the Thenardier Army could only think of it as a curse of some kind. The soldiers quickly collapsed, turned about, and retreated.

On the other side, Massas rode to the rescue of the aristocrats and Knights of the left wing based on a plan formed by Auguste of the Calvados Knights. Auguste was a Knight born in Alsace, and he was an old friend of Massas, not to mention Tigre.

“I see... Something does seem strange.”

Massas accepted Auguste's proposal and sent orders to the top of the hill at once.

Soon after, the soldiers from the {{furigana|Silver Meteor Army|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} who had remained on the defense at the top of the hill descended at the same time and joined Massas' force.

“It's impossible to defend it any longer. Are you abandoning it?”

Thenardier Army had judged, based on Auguste's actions, that they would not leave the hill. They had sent two units to storm the hill, competing with each other to see who would raise their banner at the top of the hill first.

The Thenardier Army restructured their formation at the top of the hill to attack the enemy below. Being above the enemy, their will to fight had been amplified.

As the Thenardier Army ran down the hill in a fierce charge, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} at the base ordered a retreat. Their shields were held forward, not leaving a single gap. Massas ordered the soldiers to retreat while his men held them off with stones. The Thenardier Army thought the enemy had lost their nerve and were running in desperation.

Immediately afterward, a new change occurred. A battle cry was called from atop the hill.

The eyes of the Thenardier Army looked back and saw their allies, which had remained at the top, were being driven away by the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} which suddenly appeared.

“First abandon the hill, then attract their attention after they have taken it. Lord Auguste will go around the hill and occupy it once again when the enemy is thin.”

Massas muttered to himself as he watched the panic-stricken enemy. It was a plan Auguste proposed when he noticed the enemy disliked his advantage of elevation when defending the hill.

“We are Knights. It won't take us long to wrap around the hill, and the run will give us some energy.”

His insight was certain. Auguste made a detour and had gotten behind the enemy without them noticing. Their line had been unnecessarily thinned out from their attack against Massas, and now they had lost their ally at the top of the hill. Their movements were now limited.

After a half koku, the Thenardier Army was attacked from the front and the back and was dispersed. Some retreated immediately, while those who resisted eventually gave up. Their formation collapsed rapidly.

Massas did not give chase. The western sky was crimson, and, above all, his men were at the height of fatigue.

In this battle, Duke Thenardier lost 20% of his entire army as well as all his Dragons.

10% were killed in battle while 10% retreated and did not return. They either died or escaped.

The casualties of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had not even reached one thousand.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_05_Chapter_1_Preview|Chapter 1 Preview]]
| Return to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_05_Chapter_3_Preview|Chapter 3 Preview]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

User:Royaloyalz

2013-11-28T17:57:32Z

Royaloyalz:

Just a passerby who enjoys the translations of others and hopes to help out by correcting grammatical errors :D Basically I am calling myself an editor heh.

Recently started to dirty (heh) my hands with translating as well, from Chinese to English, though I must apologize for my crappy translations since my Chinese is pretty rusty. However, I still want to try to contribute so if you do notice anything that I may have gotten wrong in my translations please do tell me at my discussion page, [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]. Thanks!

Looking at my "to read list"... I feel that I am currently being extremely greedy. However, how can I help it when there are so many awesome series getting translated in Baka Tsuki right now? It is simply just too wonderful for words, this great influx of translators that are translating all these Light Novels for us!

== Light Novels I am currently reading: ==

[[High School DxD]]

[[Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju]]

[[Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei]]

[[Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai]]

[[Date A Live]]

[[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance]]

[[Campione!]]

[[Oda Nobuna no Yabou]]

[[Chrome Shelled Regios]]

[[Moonlight Sculptor]]

[[No Game No Life]]

[[Madan no Ou to Vanadis]]

== Light Novels I intend to start reading: ==

[[HEAVY OBJECT]] Next in line ^_^

[[Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou]]

[[Infinite Stratos]]

[[Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria]]

[[CubexCursedxCurious]]

[[Kaze no Stigma]]

[[Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo]]

[[Accel World]]

[[Shakugan no Shana]]

[[Fate/Zero]]

[[Toaru Majutsu no Index]]

[[Zero no Tsukaima]]

[[Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon]]

[[Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai]]

[[Mondaiji-tachi ga isekai kara kuru soudesu yo]]

[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi]]

[[Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi]]

[[Kore wa Zombie desu ka?]]

== Light Novels I read and have stopped due to some reason or the other ==

[[Hidan no Aria]] - Licensed

[[Sword Art Online]] - Licensed

== Currently Editing: ==

High School DxD

Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Campione!

Chrome Shelled Regios

If my edits are wrong or just doesn't sit right with you, you could always post something in my discussion: [[User Talk:royaloyalz|Talk]]

== Light Novels that I edited and will probably only be editing when the latest volumes comes out ==

Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Date A Live

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

== Light Novels that I edited and have stopped because of some reason or another ==

Hidan no Aria: Vol 8 onwards, with some minor corrections like double words etc..

Sword Art Online

== What I have translated thus far (Chinese - English) ==

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 4 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 6 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 3 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 2 Afterword

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei Volume 7 Afterword

== Links I want to have easy access to ==

[[Special:PopularPages|Popularity Toplist]]

User talk:Drowzycow

2013-11-28T17:54:20Z

Royaloyalz:

===Campione===
Hi, thank you for editing Campione. Just a minor suggestion: could you try to consolidate your edits (at least by "part" if not by chapter) instead of doing 20 or so small edits consecutively? Thanks and keep up the good work! --[[User:Zzhk|Zzhk]] ([[User talk:Zzhk|talk]]) 04:30, 10 September 2012 (CDT)

===SAO===
In response to your edit note: it's 'senpai'　先輩 in kanji, believe. [[User:Grimjakk|Grimjakk]] ([[User talk:Grimjakk|talk]]) 13:57, 13 September 2012 (CDT)

Somewhere along the long the line I thought sempai might be associated with females and senpai for males. Definitely seen the use of sempai elsewhere before so wouldn't necessarily dismiss it as a typo--[[User:Drowzycow|Drowzycow]] ([[User talk:Drowzycow#top|talk]]) 11:19, 13 September 2012 (CDT)

Actually, there is really no "m" in Japanese. There's 'ma', 'mi', 'mu', 'me', 'mo'... but the closest Japanese phoneme to the English 'm' is 'n'. The word 'senpai' is spelled in hiragana as せんぱい(se/n/pa/i). That's why some loan words like 'computer' are pronounced strangely コンピュータ (ko/n/pyu/ta). [[User:Grimjakk|Grimjakk]] ([[User talk:Grimjakk|talk]]) 13:57, 13 September 2012 (CDT)

Drowzy, you're not supposed to replace the curly double-quotation marks only for SAO project. Vaelis forbade it. What have you '''''done?''''' [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 09:16, 1 October 2012 (CDT)

I fixed your mistake. Leave it to me next time, okay? [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 09:20, 1 October 2012 (CDT)

Ah. Actually, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Replacing the curly double quotes(“”) with typewriter double quotes("") drastically reduces the page size. And best of all there is no change in the look in view mode unless you do an 8x Zoom in or have really big monitor. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:34, 2 October 2012 (CDT)

But the thing is... Vaelis believes that typewriter double quotes are wrong and curly double quotes should be used because that is how he's been writing on paper his whole life. And despite my explaining to him that electronic presentation allows it, he doesn't like replacing curly double quotes with typewriter double quotes. So only on projects that have Vaelis as administrator/supervisor we don't replace the curly double quotes. At least until he retires. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:34, 2 October 2012 (CDT)

I'm really sorry, I really do agree with you though. But that's just how he feels and we can't go against him. '''However''', you '''can''' replace the curly double quotes with typewriter double quotes on projects that are ''not under his administration or supervision''. So replacing them on Campione should be okay. [[User:Zero2001|Zero2001]] - [[User_talk:Zero2001|Talk]] - 12:34, 2 October 2012 (CDT)

===Rinkan no Madoushi===
Thanks for editing! :D I never realised I made so many mistakes.[[User:Stellarroze|Stellarroze]] 09:03, 30 October 2012 (CDT)

===Misc===

Thanks for the support--[[User:Hayashi s|Hayashi s]] ([[User talk:Hayashi s|talk]]) 22:57, 31 October 2012 (CDT)

Thanks for the help on MKnR (español) page. --[[User:Popocatepetl|popocatepetl]] ([[User talk:Popocatepetl|talk]]) 23:58, 24 March 2013 (CDT)

I noticed that the Log Horizon v03_284+285.png and v03_260.png files that you uploaded yesterday weren't included in the v3 illustrations page. I don't know for sure, but I would guess they should be included, so I'm just bringing it to your attention. --[[User:Cthaeh|Cthaeh]] ([[User talk:Cthaeh|talk]]) 20:28, 13 November 2013 (CST)

===DAL===

Sorry for removing your punctuation changes in a part of DAL. I pasted my editing, didn't think that someone would touch that part during that time. I'll turn it as soon as possible back into what it was at the beginning. [[User:Kira0802|Kira]] ([[User_talk:Kira0802|Talk]]) 20:57, 3 November 2012 (CDT)

I have only one thing to say about the edits. You are really hard working. Almost nobody else wanted to do the edits (well because this isn´t exactly the easiest thing to edit) but you bravely and relentlessly edit. --[[User:KaprJarda|KaprJarda]] ([[User talk:KaprJarda|talk]]) 13:53, 5 November 2012 (CST)

===Log Horizon===

Yeah, can you upload those images as well? -- [[User:LiTTleDRAgo|LiTTleDRAgo]] ([[User_talk:LiTTleDRAgo|Talk]]) 18:02, 24 November 2013 (CST)

===Madan no Ou to Vanadis===

Err.... This is seriously embarrassing hahahaha! Well, please forgive me because it's about 2am where I am now and I have been reading continuously for the past couple of hours, so I made a mistake there with the comment. Incidentally, I don't think I caught all those little standardizing issues, since I only noticed it recently when it became glaringly obvious that some had the furigana template attached to them while others did nothing. Still, if you do see anything more, please do go ahead and edit it. Thanks. [[User:Royaloyalz|Royaloyalz]] ([[User talk:Royaloyalz|talk]]) 11:54, 28 November 2013 (CST)

Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Chapter 4 - MTL

2013-11-28T17:24:05Z

Royaloyalz: Standardizing Silber Meteor Army

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=== Gathering ===
“--- One battle.”

Ludmira pointed with her finger and spoke sternly.

“We will fight once and destroy the Muozinel Army.”

In the tent for the General in the camp of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, several maps surrounded Tigre, Ludmira, and Rurick.

Ludmira specifically visited to give the men a sense of relief. The soldiers of LeitMeritz did not particularly feel good while the soldiers of Brune were simply confused about seeing an ally suddenly appear.

“Can you do it?”

“It is not about whether we can do it or not. We must do it.”

Glancing at the bald Knight, the Vanadis with blue hair responded arrogantly.

''--- She's similar to Ellen.''

Ludmira's attitude and expressions gave Tigre that impression. Though Ludmira and Rurick would be angry to hear it, her unshakable will and ability to make decisions reminded Tigre of Ellen and Lim.

''--- I hope those two are safe. I wonder if Ellen was able to help her friend.''

One after another, Tigre remembered Teita and Batran, then Augre and Massas. He did not expect help from them; rather, he hoped they managed to evacuate safely.

Again, Ellen's smile crossed his mind. He felt secure when she was nearby. Of course, she was a powerful military force, but it was more than that---

“Minus one.”

Cold air sprayed at his face along with her words. Tigre brought his mind back to the surroundings and noticed Ludmira looking at him in disappointment.

“I understand you are tired, but why are you so absent-minded in the middle of an important war council? What were you thinking about?”

It was clear Ludmira would leave immediately if he honestly answered that he was thinking about Ellen. Tigre would earnestly beg for forgiveness and Rurick would look at him bitterly. It was fortunate, perhaps, that Ludmira simply sighed.

“Let us return to the conversation. At most, your men will last for one battle.”

Tigre scowled hearing that fact. Ludmira continued with a grim expression.

“I am not blaming you, but to fight an army of twenty thousand with a little less than two thousand is reckless. Your men need days of rest... This is especially important since they are on the battlefield.”

“But... You said we will last for a single battle. Did you have a plan in mind with that?”

Tigre asked with an expression that did not hide his confusion. Unfortunately for Tigre, he could only think of the increasing necessity to rely on the power of his bow the more and more he became cornered.

It was evident that Tigre was mentally and physically fatigued.

“Fundamentally, you do the same thing as when you fought twenty thousand.”

A bright light, as if appraising him, shined in Ludmira's blue eyes as she looked at Tigre.

“You will ignore the enemy and aim at the enemy General. Against a large force, you can only aim at the food supply and the General.”

“Why not aim for the food?”

“In that case, you need to be thorough.”

Rurick looked at Ludmira, showing he did not understand what she meant.

“First, you would need to move deeper into the enemy's troops. Next, the towns and villages along their path have been emptied and burned down. On a clear night with good conditions, even an idiot would not put them out in the open, and the enemy is no idiot.

“Do you know anything about the enemy?”

Ludmira's expression became strained when she heard Tigre's frank question. She frowned in annoyance as she answered.

“Kreshu Shaheen Baramir. He is the brother of the King of Muozinel with the nickname of {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}}.”

Tigre and Rurick looked at each other dubiously.

“... Is he famous?”

“Judging from her expression, I would say so.”

“You do not know because you are ignorant.”

She stared at them coldly in anger. Tigre scratched his head in response.

“This kind of conversation wasn't really relevant in Alsace. Sorry, but do you mind teaching us?”

“Honestly... What is Eleanora teaching you?”

Though Ludmira showed dissatisfaction, she provided an explanation.

“About ten years ago, the Sachstein Army took their fleet of one thousand ships and invaded Muozinel. At that time, Kreshu had two hundred small vessels.”

“Judging from the flow of the conversation, Kreshu won.”

“He was victorious. The Sachstein Army became so afraid of his strength, they gave him the nickname [Red Beard]. In a Muozinel dialect, he is called Barbaros.”

Tigre and Rurick looked at each other. Neither had knowledge of naval warfare, but they realized the man had an overwhelming victory against an enemy five times his strength. He was a powerful enemy who was far from normal.

However, he could not run away. The people and the soldiers would not be able to make it.

“First, it is impossible to fight within Agnes. We must retreat.”

Picking up one map, the blue-haired Vanadis showed Rurick and Tigre a place beyond Agnes within Brune, the Ormea Plains.

It was full of rolling hills with a single highway curving through the center of it. There were two hills nearby surrounded by smooth ground.

“Agnes is covered in cliffs; it will be advantageous for a large army.”

Rurick spoke with a thorny tone. After tapping his shoulder to calm him down, Tigre asked Ludmira a question in as gentle a tone as possible.

“I suppose you have a reason for choosing this location.”

Ludmira nodded as if it were natural.

“I will explain... but before that, please explain the difference between the army of twenty thousand you fought and this enemy of forty thousand.”

Ludmira glared at the two. Despite her petite body, a shiver of intimidation ran down their spines. Tigre obediently admired her as even Rurick made a wry face from her pressure.

“First, the number is obviously different, so the actual depth of the army will change.”

Responding to her request, Tigre tried to give a point by point explanation while counting them on his fingers. Probably because it was Tigre rather than Rurick that Ludmira gave it thought.

“There is also the difference between an advanced force and the main force. They most likely have the information on the battles already held.”

They likely swept through Agnes to learn its geographical features. In other words, Tigre could not replay his hands.

“Those two points are enough.”

Ludmira's blue pupils pierced the two men.

“They know the topology and have a rough estimate of our numbers, so they will not get caught with petty tricks. Even if we use a surprise attack, we will not reach their General.”

“So you believe we can manage somehow in Ormea Plains?”

“That's one reason, but we still lack in numbers. We will likely need the two thousand refugees to help.”

Tigre inhaled deeply after hearing those words. After staring at Ludmira's emotionless face, he spoke with a bitter face.

“... What will we have them do?”

“They will be a decoy.”

Ludmira showed them the location on the map, surprising Tigre and Rurick.

''--- Certainly, we have a good chance of winning if we do this, but...''

After examining the blue-haired Vanadis' plan on his own, Tigre looked at Ludmira with a stone-like expression. Gratitude and tension, perplexity and doubt. There were a variety of emotions piling up within him, but his face betrayed none of them.

“... It's a dangerous plan.”

“Are you afraid?”

Tigre quietly refused the Snow Princess' provocation. It was too late for fear, but he was anxious.

“Why are you leaving this to me?”

Ludmira's response was clear cut.

“If you want, you can borrow some more.”

He was satisfied with that. It seems he was borrowing quite a bit. Tigre looked away from her and glanced at his black bow leaning in the corner of the tent. He thought about the bow.

''--- No, I should do this with my own power.''

“You have offered conditions, and I am quite satisfied. I have expectations of you.”

The moment he had this thought, Ludmira smiled mischievously. Tigre looked at her intently and smiled with renewed vitality.

“Got it. Thank you.”

After the meeting finished, Tigre saw Ludmira off as she returned to the Olmutz Army and headed to the people, since he needed to ask for their cooperation.

“Shall we go together? I am uneasy to say this, Lord Tigrevurmud, but I would not be surprised if things got out of hand on accident.”

“No. I am enough on my own.”

He declined Rurick's invitation and walked along with his black bow. Though it was reassuring to him, Tigre was afraid the people would consider it a threat.

Furthermore, he wanted to place as little responsibility on the people.

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Kreshu Shaheen Baramir, the General of the Muozinel Army received a reply from the messenger he sent to the Zhcted Army. He did not wait silently. Even if he did not move his military force early, the supply of food, water, and fuel would only decrease by a day.

He moved without hesitation and moved his army along the Agnes path, sandwiched between the sandstone cliffs.

Of the forty thousand soldiers, fifty-five hundred had organized as a single force. Three thousand were placed in the center, one thousand on each flank, and five hundred were in the rear as a reserve force.

With this number, their movements would not be hindered by the narrow path. Kreshu designed the formation of these troops based on the map Kashim had made.

He had made seven separate armies with the brother of the King, Red Beard, proceeding a certain distance from the road. The remaining soldiers remained at the rear as reserve power.

Kreshu, in the beginning, tried to give a name to these seven units.

“For a temporary name, let's go with Red Cattle Army, Blue Cattle Army, Green Cattle Army... That should do, I suppose.”

“If it is temporary, it may be best to call them by number.”

His subordinate responded to his names. Kreshu accepted the advice, since he had only thought of the names off the top of his head.

Amongst the seven armies, Kreshu made the seventh army the main unit.

''--- Now, these should be acceptable against Zhcted and Brune if they come out.''

However, nothing obstructed their advance by the time they left the narrow path.

When they finally escaped from the narrow pass, they were confronted with a prairie of rolling ups and downs. Since it was winter, it was dark. However, once spring arrived, the greenery would spread about, blanketed by a carpet of grass. In the distance was a small hill.

While he caught the snow drifting down from the gray sky in his palm, Kreshu's subordinate quickly gave a report, saying the messenger sent to the Zhcted Army had returned.

“I have received word from the Vanadis Ludmira Lurie, the Commander of the Zhcted Army. I will repeat what she said.”

Seeing the messenger wipe his sweat away, Kreshu urged him to continue with a nod.

“... We have left our land and entered this country to help an important member of Brune Kingdom who asked for our aid. We differ from your Army which lawlessly violates the land of other countries. If you should doubt my word, you have only to hear of it from Tigrevurmud Vorn. Though I do not have any desire to actively fight your Army, it cannot be helped should you obstruct our duties. I pray you safely return through the path you have come by.”

After saying everything, the messenger let out a small breath and bowed.

“So she's saying to turn back if we don't wish to be hurt.”

Kreshu roughly summarized Ludmira's words before opening his large, hollowed out eyes.

''--- If I doubt her words, I should ask the small noble of Brune...''

Ludmira's response was advantageous for Tigre. There was no righteousness on his side. Although Ludmira responded herself, she left no room for an explanation on their end.

''--- Whether it is someone from Brune or someone from Zhcted, there is no need to get heated up.''

“We have forty thousand men. We have no reason to flee simply because they have a Vanadis on their side. I know of Ludmira Lurie. Very well. Let us see who will feel the pain.”

Kreshu laughed and told the messenger to take a rest.

After a while, a report came from the reconnaissance unit.

“Should we proceed to the west along the highway, we will eventually reach the hills where the Brune and Zhcted Army are setting formation. We have confirmed both flags.”

“There is a group of approximately two thousand to the northwest. Considering their clothing, they are the people that were once caught.”

Kreshu walked with his seven aids as he listened to the report. The highway they were on extended straight and curved slightly to the northwest near the hills.

In that area, there were no geographical changes other than the two hills. There were no forests or marshes, and the river was thin.

After confirming the information, Kreshu asked for the opinion of his aids.

“They are probably just staying on the hill to keep us in check while allowing the slaves to escape.”

“If we chase the slaves, they will have no means of retreat down the hill.”

“According to the scout's report, they have about five thousand troops remaining. They do not seem to be able to prepare provisions within a day.”

Kreshu also had the same general idea as they did.

“Very well. We will surround the hill with the first four armies and chase after the slaves with the remaining three.”

There was a reason to capture the slaves. The first reason was because it would be an effective tactic against the Brune soldiers on the hill. Also, the fact that a slave managed to escape from the Muozinel Army was harmful to them.

Above all, it was natural for them to take slaves on the battlefield.

In fact, Kreshu had another purpose, but he held that from the others.

“Ludmira Lurie is known for her excellent defense. We do not need to actively attack the hill, we simply need to confine them there.”

It began to snow. Though late in the morning, it was still not past midday.

The confrontation later known as the [Battle of Ormea] began.

The Muozinel Army moved quickly with splendid cooperation. Four armies of fifty-five hundred troops, numbering more than twenty thousand in total, advanced toward the hill without taking much distance from one another. The other three armies moved away toward the highway.

“How is the situation on the hill?”

At the center of the three armies advancing along the road, Kreshu asked his aide. He had prepared twice the normal amount of reconnaissance as usual and was receiving information from all directions. He accurately gripped any changes.

“We have confirmed four flags, currently. There is currently the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}}, the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}, then...”

“It seems they have made barricades of spears throughout the hill. Horses can be heard in a small fort. When we approached too closely, we were attacked with stones and arrows.”

“Any injuries?”

“No. Fortunately, we were not hit.”

Kreshu gave his words of appreciation.

“One more thing. What about the small hill further back?”

“It is covered in a blanket of snow. We have seen no signs of the enemy's appearance.”

“I see. In that case, tell the men to surround the hill. Do not approach, simply surround them.”

Though obstructed by the thick gray clouds, the sun slowly approached the peak of the heavens. When midday approached, the Muozinel Army caught the two thousand refugees in their sights.

“Any movements on the hill?”

Kreshu confirmed that there were no movements and ordered his soldiers to increase their pace.

“That renowned Vanadis, she must have known it would be hopeless to attack such large numbers. No, perhaps her only obligation to Brune was to remain on the hill? Perhaps it has to do with the politics of war...”

However, Kreshu's reading was off. One soldier appeared and quickly gave a report.

“Your excellency. The enemy has appeared. They number approximately three thousand.

“They must be attacking the nearest army... But where did they come from?”

Kreshu showed no signs of being upset. When an enemy suddenly sprung out of nowhere, they must have hidden themselves somewhere.

Hearing that there were three thousand soldiers, he considered them to be in the shadow of the uninhabited hill.

''--- I see. Our soldiers must have been too focused on the troops barricading themselves on the hill.''

Of course, they did not neglect the uninhabited hill, but their focus was on the enemy on the hill. Knowing this would happen, the enemy must have hidden itself not on the hill but in the shadow cast by it.

''--- Excellent, Ludmira Lurie. It seems the fame of your skill in defensive battles is not unfounded.''

Though Kreshu considered many kinds of possibilities, he thought Ludmira would devote herself to a defensive battle on the hill given the rumors to her name.

''--- No matter. We also have countermeasures for when we are attacked. Above all, we still have sixteen thousand troops remaining and you have three thousand at most.''

At that time, another report was brought forth.

“The slaves which ran away have returned and are attacking here!”

Kreshu's close aids had tense faces and were speaking noisily while the brother of the King of Muozinel simply stroked his red beard. He looked at the flag above, flapping in the wind. On it was a golden helmet and sword, the symbol of Vahram, the God of War.

“Well then, will the God of War hunt the wicked Dragon and horse, or will it be overrun?”

The Muozinel Army had the first through fourth armies encircle the hill while the fifth, sixth, and seventh armies chased after the slaves down the road. The fifth army acted as vanguard, followed by the sixth army, then the seventh army, which served as the main force.

The fifth army was attacked by the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and the Olmutz Army hidden beneath the hill.

They ambushed the Muozinel Army which rode horses and held spears, with a rain of arrows. Thousands of arrows mixed in with the snow and showered on them from the skies.

Though they returned fire, not a single arrow hit Ludmira. The arrows froze in mid air and shattered to pieces, melting away as the fragments fell to the ground. Seeing a phenomenon beyond common sense, the Muozinel soldiers let out a scream.

“That's... the power of your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}?”

Tigre saw the arrows crumble like paper from the side and asked her.

“Do not say it so loudly.”

Ludmira smiled lightly and confirmed his question. Tigre nodded and nocked a few arrows in his black bow. This time, Ludmira looked into his eyes.

He pulled back the bowstring with great strength. The arrows turned to black shadows and flew, sticking into the heads or arms of the brown skinned soldiers. The men injured were neatly lined up.

“Not bad.”

Leaving short words of praise, Ludmira bravely rushed forward into the crowd with her horse, brandishing the Frozen Wave in both hands as lumps of ice formed. She mowed down Muozinel soldiers one after another, extending the path Tigre had created as she pressed forward.

The blood which flowed was frozen in an instant, melted, then disappeared in the snow as the corpses fell to the ground. Swords were cut, spears were smashed, and bows crumbled as they were pressed between corpses, their bodies pierced and stuck to the ground.

Though the Muozinel soldiers were lightly dressed, they would not be able to stop her fierce charge even if they were in iron armor.

Spear bearers charged at Ludmira from multiple angles simultaneously. Half she drove away while the remainder she dodged by skillfully manipulating her horse and posture. The next moment, the Frozen Wave drew out from her hand and cut through the Muozinel soldiers in a flash.

A stir wrapped around the Muozinel Army. They were being pushed back in an instant by a small girl in her mid-teens.

Next to her was a boy, not so different in age from the girl, wielding a black bow, firing with an unnatural strength and accuracy.

“Are you not afraid?”

Without stopping the hand wielding her spear, Ludmira asked him in amazement.

“If you think so, then please defend me.”

Tigre responded in a somewhat rough manner. While regretting that he could only speak so simply, he pulled out another arrow from the quiver at his waist. He was already running low. As if he knew in advance, Gerard wore leather armor and approached Tigre quietly from behind with a new quiver. Tigre tapped the new quiver lightly instead of giving a greeting.

“In a situation like this, you can even aim at the enemy's unit Commander.”

Ludmira looked at Tigre with admiration. The battlefield was wrapped in a frenzy and one's field of view shook wildly. Furthermore, it was snowing, and the enemy's unit Commander was wearing a steel helmet, making him difficult to recognize. Even so, he aimed and shot his arrow. It was no easy feat.

However, Tigre gave a casual response.

“He's the only one without a black cloth on his head. If you think about it, it's pretty straightforward.”

If other people heard his reasoning, they would think him mad. In fact, Rurick had heard this theory and tilted his head, asking for an explanation again.

In the battle following Agnes, Tigre knew how the Muozinel soldiers dressed. With the breadth of vision and skill required, only Tigre could accurately attack.

Due to the unexpected surprise attack, the counter-offense of the refugees they were preying upon, Ludmira's bravery, and Tigre's accurate sniping, the fifth army fell in a very short time.

While routing the fifth army, Tigre and Ludmira joined the refugees.

“Lord Tigrevurmud, are you safe?”

Rurick yelled out from his horse. Tigre returned a smile.

“I should ask you that. Well, I'm fine.”

The Muozinel Army had retreated down the highway without any of the people they were pursuing.

The refugees were actually camouflaged soldiers from the Olmutz Army and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. They hid themselves as they retreated and matched their movements to when Tigre and Ludmira attacked the fifth force.

The refugees were actually on the hill surrounded by twenty thousand troops from the Muozinel Army.

Two nights ago, after the war council with Ludmira, Tigre was having difficulty in finding words to persuade the refugees.

They would remain on the hill, and should the enemy approach, they would attack with stones and arrows.

Ludmira's strategy was formed on the basis that the enemy would not try to suppress the hill.

“Even if Muozinel attacks, they can capture the refugees and use them as hostages. Thinking about it, they would want to avoid a fight, even more so against people not of Brune.”

With their fatigue, it was questionable whether or not they would understand the explanation. Even if they did understand, there was no guarantee they would cooperate.

Tigre visited the refugee camp, still lacking confidence. Their situation was different from the soldiers'. They had tents established and bonfires burning here and there; however, they lacked physical strength, nor did they have fences or a moat.

“--- Earl.”

A young refugee girl noticed Tigre and trotted up to him. Since they learned of Tigre's title, they called Tigre by it. Tigre nodded to her while ruffling his red hair and asked her to call the representative for the refugees.

Even if they were refugees, they still numbered around two thousand. Ten representatives were elected, and Tigre was able to bring about some semblance of organization. Though it was small, it was no different than his job as a feudal lord.

Tigre borrowed a tent and assembled the representatives without giving them any details. He gave an outline of the situation. He told them the enemy was approaching, and, though they would fight, they were lacking in numbers. He asked them to cooperate. In a more concrete manner, they were to remain on the hill.

As expected, the Refugees showed their disapproval.

“We were thrown into this war. Normally you should be protecting us. It's a bit troublesome if you suddenly ask us to fight.”

“To begin with, can we believe you? How do we know we won't just be left on the hill while you run away?”

“We have no buildings here, either. We have no property, we barely have food, and we shiver in the cold every night, yet you still wish for us to do something?”

''--- If they're caught, they will be made into slaves.''

Though the words were in his throat, Tigre forced them down. He came to persuade them, not threaten them.

They continued to speak of their unease and anxieties. Tigre waited for them to calm down before speaking.

“I understand your worries, however, will you still accept this plan? If I am to help you, this is a necessity... I hope you can do this.”

“Then you should come to the hill as well. That's right. Why should we believe your acting?”

He had guessed what the refugees were thinking. Bitter feelings were shown in Tigre's expression.

“That cannot be done. We are challenging tens of thousands of enemies. Regrettably, I am one that can fight.”

“Then think of another plan. Why don't you talk to the enemy? Rather than making us do the impossible, if you're a powerful noble, then they should listen to you.”

''--- I would have done that if I could.''

Though he only knew so through Ludmira, the enemy's basic policy was to plunder.

Even if Ludmira sent a message to the General of the Muozinel Army, he would not necessarily respond for such a pointless thing. In the worst case, he would say he wanted to negotiate while having his men advance.

“To begin with, what about His Majesty, the King, the Knights, and the other aristocrats? Why don't you ask for their help with your power as an Earl?”

When Tigre heard this answer, he was truly disgusted.

“--- I will follow the Earl.”

A deep voice with a quiet, overwhelming strength sounded.

It came from a lone representative, a young man. Tigre knew his face by sight.

When he had freed them from Kashim, he was the man who intensely blamed Tigre. Many people remembered it and were clearly surprised. Tigre also could not conceal his surprise.

“The Earl traveled far to come here.”

“However, he may not have necessarily come to help us.”

Another person spoke up and became quiet after seeing the man glare at him. The man then continued to speak.

“He has helped us and brought us this far. That is a fact. I wouldn't mind having a bit of revenge, either. They killed our families and destroyed our homes.”

The man cut his words there and looked at the other representatives.

“We can fight. If we argue with them face to face, they will just take our necks. But if we follow the Earl, we may survive. Don't you want to stop them?”

Anger and tension was mixed with fear. The man's voice trembled. In response to his words, Tigre nodded strongly.

“To the best of my ability, I will defend you.”

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The reason the Muozinel Army scouts mistook the refugees on the hill as soldiers was because Ludmira had them in camouflage for approximately half a day.

“It is difficult to carefully examine a castle. A scout is required to be able to grasp the capabilities of a fortress quickly... conversely, since they showed us their strength there in the first place, they tricked us with minimal time and effort.”

Ludmira had wonderfully used her fame for defense to trick the Muozinel Army.

Even when he received a report that the fifth army was destroyed, {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}} showed no signs of confusion. Even if he lost five thousand men, he could send the next unit of five thousand soon afterward.

Although his aides were dismayed by an approaching enemy, Kreshu retained his presence of mind.

“Send a messenger to our fourth army. Surround the hill with the first three groups and have the fourth unit move quickly to provide reinforcement.”

Kreshu thought of several situations before he gave orders. He told anything with a high probability of occurring to each unit Commander.

With the speed the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and Olmutz Army were moving at, they would eventually clash with the seventh army. The Black Dragon and Red Horse would devour the God of War armed with weapons of gold.

Kreshu ordered the seventh army to retreat.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and the Olmutz Army did not miss the retreat of the seventh unit, and followed closely afterward. At that time, the sixth unit quickly changed direction and moved forward rapidly.

“So it really has come to that..!”

Tigre let out a deep breath as he glared at the sixth army moving in a distance. He did not have the spare time to wipe his sweat or clear away the blood of the defeated. His dull red hair had solidified in a strange shape.

Tigre ordered the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, consisting of only one thousand Brune soldiers, to watch for the movements of the sixth army. It was within expectations.

Instead of attacking from the front with the seventh unit, Kreshu ordered the sixth unit to take a small detour from the side. Their aim was to kill the leaders, Ludmira and Tigre.

However, they could not.

The one thousand Brune soldiers collapsed just before attacking the sixth army.

“... What's going on?”

Ludmira and Tigre looked on in blank surprise. In an instant, they were sure of it.

''--- They've reached their limit...''

The Brune soldiers had followed him from Territoire. This is why Ludmira called their [One Battle Limit].

Tigre had judged they would barely have enough physical strength to fight, but there was not a single drop of stamina remaining. The cold of the snow and the continuous battle since the morning had taken its toll.

Only a few hundred Brune soldiers continued to attack, but they were sporadic. In the end, they could not meet expectations.

The sixth army from Muozinel was attacking the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and Olmutz Army from the flank, as well. The violent force stopped Ludmira and Tigre's movements.

“Just one more step...!”

A spear of ice pierced through the leather armor of Muozinel soldiers as Ludmira was forced off her horse. Streaks of blood blotted her blue hair, blue clothes, and skin. Her breathing was rough; it was uncertain how many enemies she had already killed. Tigre, standing next to her, killing the enemy with his arrows, was no different.

Both his left arm gripping the bow and the right arm drawing the bowstring were numb, and he could no longer remember how many quivers he had used.

On the other hand, Kreshu was smiling brightly as his hollow eyes looked at his enemy on its last leg.

“Ha ha ha. Though short, it was a brilliant move, Ludmira Lurie. A Vanadis famous for defense boldly attacked with the aim of taking my neck, but it seems you won't be taking it any time soon.”

Just to be sure, he had moved to the back of the seventh army.

“That's right, my enemy is not just the Vanadis. It was that dreadful archer who took Kashim's head from three hundred alsin.”

The seventh and sixth armies had spread left and right to surround their enemy.

“I will drag this famous Vanadis of a neighboring nation before the King. I will not shame you as a prisoner of war but will treat you warmly as a guest.”

It could not be helped that Kreshu felt he had won. There was no means for the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} or Olmutz Army to attack – they were in such a desperate situation.

The bulk of his army surpassed ten thousand, and they were attacking an enemy with less than six thousand from two directions, and he had half encircled the enemy. Anyone could see it was the Muozinel Army's victory.

One after another, Ludmira had skewered the Muozinel soldiers who raised their sword to her. She thrust through their torso and cut through their necks. Dead bodies piled up in the snow, distorting the ground as they froze.

Tigre also emptied many quivers. He looked back to Gerard.

Viscount Augre's son had little room as well and was hard pressed against Tigre's back with two quivers of arrows, his hair a complete mess. With a look of distress, the man with brown hair spoke.

“This is all we have remaining...”

Only the two quivers remained in his hand, and the situation had become dire.

Tigre looked back at Ludmira while holding his arrows.

“Ludmira, I will hold them with my bow, you---”

“Silence.”

As she wielded her spear and forever silenced the enemy before her, the blue-haired Vanadis silenced Tigre. Fatigue was clear in her face, but her high morale shined in her eyes.

“We have plenty of enemies before us. Is this the time to complain?”

Before Tigre answered, he quickly shot an arrow through the neck of a soldier attacking Ludmira.

“It's natural to tell a tired girl to rest.”

Tigre tried to laugh but failed. His breath had fallen into disorder, and it was difficult for him to speak. He did not have much strength and his face had become stiffed.

“... Your face looks terrible.”

Tigre was amazed Ludmira still had room to say such things as a wry smile floated to his face. However, she continued her words with a serious expression.

“I am a Vanadis. My mother and my grandmother... I have pride that I have succeeded their position as a Vanadis who manipulates ice.”

A Muozinel soldier with a particularly large physique brandished a large hatchet and approached Ludmira. Ludmira buried the soldier with a single flash. Her spear released ice in response to its owner's will to fight.

“You are the one who should rest, Tigrevurmud Vorn. I will protect your back.”

Neither Ludmira's expression nor voice were intense. It was quiet like the ice she manipulated. The Muozinel soldiers were overwhelmed.

Tigre looked at her in blank surprise for a moment. The young man with red hair brought his horse next to the Vanadis with blue hair and gripped his black bow.

“You have your pride. I have my stubbornness.”

“Stubbornness?”

“From my father... and from many people, little by little. It is my stubborn nature as a man.”

His father, Urz, Massas, Batran, the people of his territory, Augre, Black Knight Roland. Other than the people he had met until this day, there were the refugees who cooperated with him, the girl who thanked him, Teita and Lim who were not here.

And Ellen.

“If I can't be proud of myself, then I couldn't possibly show my face to Teita...”

“... Idiot.”

Ludmira's voice was so small and her smile dazzling. Though her voice could not be heard, it brought with it a mysterious feeling with it deep from within her chest. A new-found energy filled the fatigued body of the blue-haired Vanadis.

“Very well. You may fight. Fight by my side. Fight together with me.”

The Vanadis brandished the Frozen Wave while the young man nocked another arrow into his black bow.

At that time, the battle changed substantially yet again. A battle cry was heard from a distance. From the size, it seemed to be a force of several thousand.

“... Reinforcements?”

Tigre's face became tense, since he was barely able to believe his eyes.

Certainly, they were reinforcements, however, they flew under the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}} of Brune Kingdom.

“Fight! Don't let the Muozinel Army further into our country!”

Thousands of men wielding long spears and shields in the hands suddenly appeared on horseback after giving out a battle cry.

They had appeared from the north of Ormea Plains. Having judged there was no possibility of reinforcements, Kreshu's reconnaissance had neglected it.

The net Kreshu's troops had carefully built up was dispersed, as if kicking away soft snow. They were quickly crushed.

“... What is going on?”

Tigre could not respond to Ludmira's voice in blank surprise. The men approached with spear in hand and bows to the air.

“Earl Vorn, Earl Vorn! Where are you?”

A youthful cry sounded out from the corner of the battlefield. Before Tigre and Ludmira could react, the area shined with ice.

The Muozinel soldiers rushed them but were immediately felled by spear and arrow. Knights charged forward, clearing away the troops from Muozinel. Three men appeared on horseback from the group and stood before Tigre.

The brightness of their armor was lost from the cold, blood, and dirt, testament to their desperate fight. A Knight who was Tigre's senior by about ten years bowed to Tigre.

“My name is Emir. I have heard of your name from Earl Massas Rodant and ran here with fifteen-hundred Perucche Knights. I pray you will permit me to fight under your name.”

Next to the Knight known as Emir was a man holding not a spear but a sword. His face was wide and his body was large.

“Forgive me for appearing on horseback, as this is a battlefield. I am Shaie of the Lutece Knights. I have brought fifteen hundred followers with me. I have come at the request of Viscount Augre. We will follow under your command.”

Finally, a middle-aged Knight with a beard gave off a good-natured smile which did not suit the battlefield. Tigre recognized his face immediately.

“I am Auguste of the Knights Calvados along with two thousand men. Allow me to help, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Tigre did not know what to say due to the series of surprises.

“You... came...”

They understood from his voice and expression. Emir and Shaie turned away, while Auguste approached to defend Tigre.

“Now then, let's get rid of these guys immediately.”

“May the fortunes of war be upon us.”

Emir and Shaie kicked the belly of their horses and ran to the battlefield. After seeing them off, Tigre regained his thoughts. He looked at Auguste as he sighed.

“... Auguste?”

“Do you remember me, Tigre-sama?”

He verified with a trembling voice. Auguste smiled; he was originally someone from Alsace when Urz, Tigre's father, ruled before becoming a Knight. He was well acquainted with Tigre.

“So you didn't forget me. It looks like you're healthy; that is most important.”

“Until now, it was impossible to come to your aid as a Knight. I am sorry. I was feeling impatient when I heard about you from Lord Roland and Olivier from the Navarre Knights through a letter.”

“... Roland?”

Tigre stared in blank surprise, hearing an unexpected name.

“You went to war for the people of Brune – At that time, I was making preparations to fight. I heard of your story from them and rushed to Lords Massas and Augre. Both the Knights of Perucche and Lutece are the same.”

Words of their lives and words of their death, they had pierced through the Knights, bringing them to action.

“Thank you... Thank you, Auguste.”

He had become so emotional that he was brought to tears, but this was a battlefield. Auguste shook his head, and Tigre blotted out the tears at the edge of his vision.

“Tigre-sama. You have become splendid. You are very much like Urz-sama.”

He could not respond. Tigre rubbed his eyes while pretending to mess with his bangs. With the Knights participating in battle, he had room to do so.

“--- Is your talk over?”

Ludmira walked to a horse, as if waiting for their conversation to end. Tigre returned a strong nod. Ludmira, also, responded with a bright smile.

“I was able to rest. You? Will you stay behind?”

“No. My bow is still not spent.”

Strength given to him by the people supporting him breathed new life into his tired body, allowing him to move forward.

“Leave your back to me. I can hold out a little more.”

“I see. Try not to be too enthusiastic, it is unseemly.”

As if it were natural, the two brought their horses side by side. The young man nocked an arrow and the girl drew back her spear. Their clothes were smeared with sweat, blood, dirt, and snow, but their eyes shined strongly.

Straightening their breathing, Ludmira and Tigre jumped back into the fray.

“Knights? Knights is, hmm...”

Kreshu realized the victory he had grasped was disappearing and let out a sound in anger. However, in an instant, he regained his composure.

“However, it is only five thousand men.”

Kreshu was not necessarily defeated. He called for the fourth army to be sure.

While reorganizing the seventh army, Kreshu ordered them to retreat and ordered a messenger to have the sixth army focus on fighting the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and Olmutz Army.

“They will lose their mobility if they rush an overwhelming force from the front.”

Kreshu's ability as a General was surprising. He skillfully avoided the Knight's charge and had the fourth unit attack them from the side.

“Our first enemy is exhausted. They have more energy with the Knights coming in as allies. Crush them all.”

Kreshu attacked Tigre from the side with the sixth army and the Knights with the fourth and seventh armies.

Even if they could crush the enemy before them by charging, they could not immediately react to an attack from the side and the rear. Countless arrows and spearheads rained over the Knights.

The horses were killed, forcing the men off their steeds. They were overwhelmed by the surrounding people as they tried to stand up against the weight of their armor.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and the Olmutz Army were being blocked by the sixth unit and could not rush to cover the Knights.

How many times had they been cornered? They may not have survived the first wave if not for their surprise attack. It took a good General to bring the Knights to defeat.

However, {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}} had even more outstanding judgment. His ability to command the troops despite the addition of the Knights was frightening.

However, new reports had been brought since they joined.

“... A new enemy from the northwest?”

It was not only the Knights, but the armies of Lords Massas and Augre.

They consisted of three thousand cavalry and infantry. Though their strength was not as much as the Knights, they were able to charge at the sixth army pressuring Tigre.

Their existence was decisive in the war.

Kreshu had a serious look of concern when considering his future plans for the battlefield in his mind.

''--- What to do, what to do.''

Fighting off Tigre and Ludmira and repelling the Knights and a new force of three thousand men. Even if it was impossible for others, it was possible for him.

''--- The problem is... whether or not that is the last of them.''

Initially, Kreshu assumed the enemy numbered fewer than six thousand. It was almost an exact number, displaying the height of skill of the younger brother of the King, Red Beard.

However, five thousand Knights appeared when he was on the verge of victory. While he was thinking of how to deal with that, an additional three thousand troops joined the battle. The enemy had more than doubled in size since the battle began.

''--- Why didn't the scouts see this? Did they miss it?''

Kreshu had absolute confidence in the reconnaissance unit he organized and created a plan based on the information they provided. He would lead his soldiers to victory.

''--- No, there were no problems this time... If anything, it was bad luck which plagued Kreshu this time.''

The enemies before him were neither Dukes Thenardier or Ganelon.

''--- Was it Tigrevurmud Vorn? Brune names are too long. I'll shorten it to Tigre.''

While insulting his name, Kreshu continued thinking of plans. Even if he defeated Tigre here, that would not be the end of things.

His purpose was to advance his troops through southern Brune to obtain the slaves of a busy port town surrounded by fertile lands. He also wanted to capture Nemetacum, if possible.

He would obtain great wealth by taking the ports to the south, and it would allow him to contact his country via the sea. He could also send the slaves he obtained in Brune to his homeland via ships.

''--- Even if I defeat him here, I will not have enough men to fight Duke Thenardier.''

Kreshu held grave doubts when reinforcements appeared twice.

Even at an age above 30, {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}} had been troubled only a handful of times. He reluctantly ordered his army to retreat. Though he prepared various tricks to give his troops additional time, not a single enemy chased after them.

“How boring. Bravery and recklessness has not fallen to even one or two people, so they're not making any mistakes.”

Kreshu spoke like a child who did not get the toy he wanted. He ordered the three armies encircling the hill to retreat and listened to the damage report.

Six thousand were killed in action; Kreshu grimaced. The number was large. The advanced force of twenty thousand and the main force of thirty thousand... they were fifty thousand strong in total, yet more than 30% had been lost.

“Well, we still have thirty-four thousand remaining. We have nearly three times the number of the enemy before us.”

However, Kreshu did not take further action. He had a camp built with a moat and a fence and instructed his soldiers to get treated and rest.

He had not yet lost the will to fight; the report which would determine his future plans would soon arrive.

The next morning, a messenger from Kreshu's homeland arrived.

“Our fleet attacking from the sea was defeated by Duke Thenardier.”

“I see. In other words, even if I use these thirty-four thousand troops to break through this enemy and defeat Duke Thenardier, I would have to secure the port and endure until reinforcements arrived.”

After Kreshu laughed, the messenger withdrew from the tent.

''--- So long as I am not the only one to fail, I don't mind.''

“Ah, that's right. I should investigate Tigrevurmud Vorn and praise him.”

Kreshu instructed his soldiers to withdraw and thought of such a thing. There were two reasons for this.

The first reason was to bring forth jealousy of Tigre's influence. Kreshu wanted it to reach the level of Thenardier and Ganelon.

The other reason was for his honor.

“Even if you have lost the Black Knight Roland, there is a young hero who is in no way inferior. The dignity of Brune is still alive, is what we should say. Yes. If it's this, the blow to my honor will decrease.”

The Muozinel Army retreated in an orderly manner through the roads of Agnes.

That was the conclusion of the [Battle at Ormea].

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Chapter 2 - MTL

2013-11-28T17:23:26Z

Royaloyalz: Standardizing Silber Meteor Army

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=== Two Thousand and Twenty Thousand ===
More than half the province of Agnes was a barren wasteland lacking water. Most plants could not grow there, and the sand only made the atmosphere arid.

There were many cliffs and hills of sandstone which were reminiscent of collapsed towers. A desolate wind blew through the valleys between cliffs.

Despite that, a fortress was erected in the area since it was bordered by Zhcted and Muozinel. Small villages and towns, though few, were scattered in the vicinity of the castle out of fear of attack.

The Muozinel Army appeared in the area approximately ten days ago.

They rushed the border fortress and took it by storm. Though the three thousand Knights in the fortress offered some resistance, it was all in vain. Almost all were cut down and abandoned. Those able to escape the battle and leave the fortress numbered fewer than one hundred.

Afterward, the Muozinel Army attacked the villages around the castle, one after another.

The Muozinel Army's calm, systematic attack was frightening.

For example, they did not simply set a fire and leave it be.

They used their numbers to attack in waves. They demolished any fences or walls, forced their way inside, and captured the residents one after another. They plundered all money and goods.

Unless a person they had captured was an aristocrat or someone with political power, they took their belongings and kept them as slaves. All the elderly and children, who had no utility as a slave, were killed without mercy.

Finally, they deprived the villages of all food and destroyed the houses. The slaves were made to carry items out of the wreckage to be used as firewood before leaving the villages behind.

Any stone houses were used to store the corpses of the elderly, children, and any who resisted.

The number of villages they attacked numbered more than twenty. They were attacked, destroyed, and deprived of all things.

The flag of Muozinel is the color of the earth. On it is a sword and a golden helmet which draws a sharp angle. It is said the helmet and sword are symbols of Vahram, their God of War.

The flag was larger than those of the neighboring countries, and it was supported by a thick iron pole painted with gold leaf. Enemies could see it from afar, and when they were standing near to it, it meant they were being forced back.

Against the gray of winter, the Muozinel Army covered their flag with gravel to keep it from standing out.

The soldiers with brown skin wore leather armor on top of their thick clothes. Their curved swords were held at their waist, and they carried a shield and a spear more than twice their height in their hands.

The soldiers had black cloth wrapped around their head, and the majority had iron helmets on top of that. The force was primarily composed of infantry. The cavalry did not make even 20% of the entire army.

Behind the twenty thousand soldiers, more than one thousand people followed with their hands bound with rope.

They were only young men and women covered in scars and bruises, their clothes in tatters. Despite an improper appearance, it was not uncommon for the women's clothes to have been torn away.

They were seized by the Muozinel Army and forced into slavery. They shouldered small bundles. Despair was found in their faces, and their gait was weak.

“So that's the Muozinel Army...”

Tigre and a few soldiers from Zhcted had hidden themselves amongst the sandstone cliffs and were observing from a distance.

Though Tigre was the General and was in no position to move about thoughtlessly, he pressed Rurick and Gerard and joined the reconnaissance unit. He wore leather armor over hempen clothes. In his hand was the usual black bow, and his quiver was at his waist.

“Their skin color really is different.”

“A simple comment. That really is like you, Tigre-san.”

Teasing him while wearing similar garb was Aram. His round face and body and brown, bristly hair were reminiscent of a beaver. When Tigre was a prisoner of war, he had shared a friendly relation with this military scout from Zhcted.

“Can't be helped. It's my first time seeing anyone from Muozinel.”

“You didn't see any in Alsace? I've heard there are many Muozinel merchants.”

“... Even if they came, it would not be for trade.”

While he feigned ignorance, Tigre had not lost his seriousness. His dark eyes were turned behind the Muozinel Army – toward the slaves.

''--- It would be pointless to push them back. If I can, I want to free those people.''

“Will you aim from here? With your skill, would you be able to hit them?”

Though Aram encouraged him with a joke, Tigre shook his head.

“It's impossible. The wind is too strong here.”

The wind blowing down from the cliffs was far too strong and erratic. Even for Tigre, it was difficult to read the flow of wind of a land he had just stepped on to.

''--- Should I use that power...?''

He looked down to the black bow in his hand. It was a bow with a mysterious power which had allowed him to shoot high in the air, pierce through a thick castle gate, and push back Roland.

If he attacked directly, the soldiers around him would be wounded, and he would only harm a few dozen from the Muozinel Army at the most.

Tigre shook his head. There were too many unknowns with the bow. He also did not like the fact that it may have a relation with Tir na Fa, the Goddess who reigned over death, darkness, and the night. He could hardly find her favorable, since she had once taken Teita hostage.

Above all, he had always used the power of the bow when he was near Ellen. In his battle with Roland, he was also alongside the Vanadis Sophia Obertas. There was only one time where he used the power of the bow on its own, and that was in the shrine of the Goddess. He had no confidence he could handle it alone.

''--- I almost went unconscious when I used it against Roland.''

If the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was thrown into confusion, it was unlikely they could rout the enemy.

''--- If I shoot their Commander here, it would only cause a temporary confusion at the most.''

There was also the possibility they would turn their anger on the slaves. He wanted to avoid that.

“Let's turn back. Rurick should have begun preparations. Even if we can't do anything today, I'd like to begin attacking tomorrow.”

In accordance with Tigre's words, the Zhcted soldiers carefully walked away from the cliff so as not to make a sound. The last to reach the ground was Tigre. Since he had done so in a quick manner with his delicate frame, Aram smiled in admiration.

“Really, were your parents wild animals or something?”

“If that's the case, yours must have been beavers.”

Tigre returned a joke immediately. A small laugh was heard from the soldiers.

“You should see his parents at least once, Tigre-san. They've definitely transformed into beavers.”

“I didn't think anyone could take after their parents so much.”

Tigre and the others returned to their horses, having checked the Muozinel Army was not in the area, and chatted pleasantly while whispering.

Gripping the horse's bridle, Tigre motioned for them to not raise a sound.

''--- I heard something... Footsteps?''

They were currently on an animal trail in the mountains. There were many rocks strewn about, so the ground was not even, and with the pillars of stone and crevices formed between rocks, visibility was poor.

Tigre stroked the back of his horse's neck to calm it down and focused on his ears.

''--- I'm not wrong, those are footsteps.''

Scouts from the Muozinel Army may have been searching the surroundings. Tigre motioned to Aram and the others; the two walked around on foot, leaving the others behind.

Nocking an arrow to his bow, Tigre approached a cliff-side near the sound and hid himself quietly.

The person appeared to be a traveler who was being chased. Four people from the Muozinel Army were chasing after the traveler with their curved swords held high. They called out something in the language of Muozinel. Though Tigre did not understand the meaning, it was clear what they were talking about based on their facial expression.

The traveler tripped and was quickly surrounded by the soldiers.

Immediately afterward, one of the Muozinel troops was pierced through the head.

The arrow, was of course fired by Tigre.

The Muozinel soldiers were at a loss for words. Tigre had shot an arrow to stop them without giving any thought. They were sure to slaughter the person if he had left them alone. Still, he was anxious that the traveler may be injured by his arrows, so he took precaution of the surroundings as he shot.

The Muozinel soldiers fell to the ground and stopped moving. After checking the surroundings to ensure no other soldiers were present, the two descended from the cliff and walked to the traveler on the ground.

“Are you okay?”

[[Image:Vanadis V04 - 054.jpg|175px|thumb]]

Upon approach, Tigre noticed the traveler was a girl. She wore a thick mantle which stuck tightly to her breasts, but from the clifftop, he could not tell.

Though the girl stared at the corpses in a daze, her azure eyes were dyed with vigilance and her body went rigid when she noticed Tigre walking toward her. Tigre showed his hands to her and smiled to help her relax.

“I am not your enemy. I am Tigrevurmud Vorn from Brune.”

Hearing Tigre's words, the girl blinked several times. The wind blew and shifted her hood slightly. Her face seemed gaunt, and her golden hair was covered with dust, but she still remained beautiful. From what Tigre could see, she was his age, or perhaps a year younger.

However, Tigre tilted his neck, as he felt he had seen her beauty before.

''--- I've seen her somewhere... Where was it? It feels pretty recent.''

“Are you alone? Or is there someone else...”

The girl shook her head feebly.

“Can you stand?”

Tigre offered his hand. The girl tried to grab it, but staggered forward. Tigre quickly kneeled and supported her body.

The girl seemed to have fainted. Tigre brought his ear to her mouth to confirm she was breathing, then he touched her neck to monitor her pulse. She seemed to be feverish.

''--- Her life doesn't seem to be in danger. Fatigue, maybe...''

Tigre looked at the girl with a troubled face. Though he did not want to abandon her, he was worried about extra personnel before his battle with Muozinel.

“She's such a lovely girl. I'm sure she'd be even cuter if all that dust was removed.”

The men came down the cliff and spoke candidly having seen the girl's face. The others nodded in agreement.

“It seems she ran away. What will you do?”

“We don't have much choice but to take her back.”

Tigre lifted her in his arms as he gave an answer. She was lighter than he expected, even with her delicate body. With the help of the soldiers, she was tied to his back. When it was done, he looked at the four corpses lying on the ground.

“Check to see if they have anything important on them. Take their armor.”

Though he was reluctant to do so, he had no room to make any errors. Though Tigre also searched the soldiers' belongings, nothing was found.

The corpses were hidden amongst the rocks so they would not be easy to find; then Tigre and the others returned to the main unit.

“Looks like you found something pretty big.”

Those shocked words were the first thing Rurick said to Tigre.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Two thousand slaves followed the twenty thousand Muozinel troops as they passed through the wilderness of Agnes.

Their marching speed was slow. They were composed primarily of infantry, and since they were in enemy territory, they advanced while deliberately scouting the surroundings for small villages.

Still, they were not encountering any obstacles, so the march was extremely favorable.

“Really... There's nothing around here.”

Kashim, leader of the Muozinel troops, looked about on horseback while basking in the dry wind mixed with sand.

“Though our task is to move forward and thoroughly crush any town and village we find... At this rate, we may have nothing by the time we reach our destination.”

Their purpose was to take territory from Brune. Though Muozinel had aimed at the port towns which were rich and had vast lands with numerous crops from the southern seas, a golden opportunity had finally come to them.

Their underlying motive was to plunder the lands while Brune was struggling with their own confusion.

Kashim turned 30 this year. His skin was the same brown color peculiar to those of Muozinel. At a glance, he was sharp as a blade and was an impressive man. It was shown by not a helmet but a white cloth wrapped about his head, which was decorated with silver and jewels.

He was once a slave. Because his talent was recognized, he was freed. He achieved the position of General after many feats of valor on the battlefield.

''--- I was once a slave, but now I am a General. I will continue to bring success to this expedition, but if I lose...''

Kashim shook the dark thoughts away in a hurry. While he ambitiously aimed at a higher position, he was fearful of returning to slavery. It was a common occurrence.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw a group of Brune citizens tethered together with ropes, freezing in the winter wind. There were some who resisted, but they were captured, and now, most were obedient.

''--- I do not wish to be like that again.''

With those thoughts in his head, he looked up to the sky. Though there was time until sunset, it would become increasingly difficult to hide in the reddish-brown of the cliff-side as they approached the ultramarine of the wilderness ahead. The wind blew coldly against them.

''--- It's about time to settle for the night.''

While lost in thought, a report arrived from a unit which had advanced further ahead.

“General, the enemy has appeared. I believe it is the Brune Army.”

Kashim frowned after hearing the word enemy. While he was backed by an army of twenty thousand, he was not entirely sure of the situation before him.

“Their number?”

“About one to two hundred. They are almost all cavalry. We can attack with catapults and archers, but they can defend with their shields. Still, they will have injuries...”

The soldier's report showed no signs of concern. It seems he was appealing, as if they were just troublesome flies moving about.

“With that number, we can shoot some arrows to drive them away and have them scatter.”

“That may be so... but they will return shortly after. We'll only be in the same situation.”

Kashim understood. Though he thought it would be easy to get rid of them, he was annoyed by the promptness of the report. He continued to dwell on it.

''--- They don't seem like the remnants from the castle. Also, against our numbers, they would not have prepared only one or two hundred men. They're probably drawing us in.''

Should they go chase, only more enemies awaited them.

“Take three thousand infantry and find every last one of them.”

“Isn't three thousand a bit exaggerated? We should be fine with five hundred.”

“Our role is to thoroughly crush all who get in our way. Go quickly, I will not say it twice.”

Kashim clicked his tongue toward the subordinate who looked at him curiously.

''--- If there is a large force close by, our reconnaissance should have found some traces. Since they didn't, with a decoy of one or two hundred, they should number two thousand at most.''

One thousand archers and two thousand spear bearers, three thousand troops in all, began to move.

Soon after, they entered a bottleneck surrounded by cliffs. The Brune soldiers hid amongst the crevasses in the cliff-side to keep from view of the three thousand Muozinel troops.

Once the Muozinel troops exited the valley, they entered an open area with sand surrounding them. Though enclosed in a blind alley, they had no time to spread out.

It was an amazing sight. They were surrounded by a black shadow with many flags waving above them.

“Five thousand... No, Six thousand.”

A soldier forced his voice down. No matter how he looked, they were outnumbered.

The Muozinel Army knew they had fallen into a trap. Though they understood, they had no time to react.

Against the western sky dyed vermillion, a battle cry was raised from all three sides. The roar of hooves and the tremors followed the large black shadow as it descended upon them. The two hundred troops the Muozinel Army had chased after had also turned around.

The Commander of the Muozinel Army loudly ordered a retreat, but it was not smoothly transmitted. The majority of his troops were caught in the valley and could not see what the soldiers at the vanguard witnessed.

The soldiers advancing and the soldiers retreating collided with one another. In the darkness of the surrounding valley, they only grew more confused. The Muozinel troops had stopped moving and were shot at with stones and arrows without mercy.

The stones thrown were about the size of a fist which broke many bones and caused an intense pain when hitting the face or hand. In addition, the unit Commanders who desperately ordered commands with hoarse voices were shot down one after another.

The Muozinel Army had lost the will to fight and sunk further into anarchy. They abandoned each other and trampled over others in order to escape.

Very little time had passed since the start of the advance to the retreat through the bottleneck.

In less than a half koku, more than one thousand soldiers were lost.

“Our first battle went well, somehow...”

While looking at the fallen Muozinel soldiers piled up in the bottleneck, Tigre muttered words full of fatigue.

As he turned around, he looked at the black shadow cast by the flags waving in the wind.

It was camouflage. He had used the same trick against Zaien back in Alsace. Many carts loaded with materials and tents were used to cast a large black shadow. They had been deliberately adjusted so the shadow could be seen from the Muozinel Army based on the time.

“They may come back. Finish the work quickly and pull out.”

Rurick gave orders to the soldiers as he continued removing the armor from the dead Muozinel troops. The stones and arrows were also collected.

After they finished cleaning up, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} disappeared on the other side of the hill under the cover of darkness.

Though he had told Massas he wanted to fight, Tigre was mindful enough not to fight an enemy numbering twenty thousand from the front.

The plan he devised this time was to reduce their power and dull their movements.

When he returned to the base away from the path where the Muozinel troops were, Tigre ordered the soldiers to erect their tents and rest. By the time they finished, the sun had completely sunk.

Rurick and Tigre entered the General's tent where Gerard was. The three sat at a table surrounded by many maps.

“For the time being, congratulations on your victory.”

“Though it really is only for now.”

Gerard immediately interrupted Rurick's words. Though Rurick clearly had a sullen expression, he maintained his prudence in deference to Tigre. After a quick nod, Tigre asked Gerard a question.

“How many were killed, and how many are injured?”

“We have no casualties this time, but we have twenty seven injured. Amongst them, there are three that cannot fight. The rest have mild injuries.”

Hearing Gerard's report, Rurick and Tigre heaved a sigh of relief.

“What of the arrows and stones?”

“We have retrieved approximately fifty-six arrows in total and eleven stones per cavalryman. We have distributed five to each of our infantrymen.”

Without looking at anything, Gerard answered without pause. He also described the distribution of food and fuel, as well as armor.

“Approximately 10% can be reused. Assuming our consumption remains as it is, we will last for another two campaigns. I doubt we will last in a large scale battle. Also, though Zhcted troops are experienced with the bow, there are few archers amongst those from Brune.”

With the young, brown-haired man's speed and accuracy in calculation, both Tigre and Rurick let out a moan.

Though Tigre and Rurick also had such an ability, Gerard was faster. Either way, he had taken charge of logistics, which was a welcome surprise to Tigre, since he could now focus on thinking of plans and commanding the soldiers.

''--- We need to find a way to replenish our supplies.''

Tigre was keenly aware of his situation. Back when he was in Territoire, Ellen was with him, so he did not have to worry much about funds, and it was easy to buy food and fuel from the towns and villages in the vicinity. He was also able to arrange for materials to repair armor and horseshoes.

It was different now, though. Even a single arrow could not be wasted. He had also given the soldiers stones to supplement their lack of arrows.

''--- First, we'll need to find more stones. There will likely be some on the side of the road...''

“What will we do next?”

Rurick asked as he folded his arms, but the answer was not returned immediately. Tigre stared hard at the map. As they traveled through Agnes, they had negotiated with every town and village for information which was further supplemented by reconnaissance.

He would not have been able to set a trap or would have been drawn into a larger battle if he did not have this information.

“Have they slowed down their advance?”

Gerard carefully shook his head in response to Tigre's question.

“Considering what we have heard from the scouts' reports, their speed has not fallen.”

He became anxious. Though they had a little damage, two hundred troops were able to hold off a large army. Next, Tigre asked Rurick what he thought of the enemy General.

“He is excellent.”

After giving a succinct answer, Rurick supplemented him with an explanation.

“He sent three thousand troops to deal with two hundred, so he has a rough idea of how many troops we really have. He came with the intent to crush us. Their marching speed not dropping is proof of their recovery, but---”

Rurick's words stopped as he tilted his head.

“He seems a bit too serious, or perhaps he is nervous. According to our scouts, he crushed small villages without overlooking a single one. His reaction was unusually prompt today as well.”

“That's right. I also felt that way.”

Tigre felt he may be able to exploit that trait.

If he could not stop their movements, it was necessary to change his goal. He would have to think about how to break the large force with his small army.

“If possible... I wish to perform two more campaigns before we leave Agnes.”

Today's battle only had the purpose of dulling their opponent's movements. They also applied mental pressure. Even at the risk of life, he wanted to launch another attack.

“Earl Vorn, what do you think is the largest difference between us and our enemies?”

Hearing Tigre mutter seriously, Gerard turned with a bitter expression of doubt toward Tigre. Though curious about his attitude, Tigre responded frankly.

“Though there are many differences... I believe you refer to the difference in our military power?”

“That is correct... What I wish to say is, while the enemy can lose many battles, we cannot. We cannot lose even a few dozen troops.”

Gerard's cold words made the atmosphere tense.

“It is said that all defeats are significant if it results in victory, but that is an expression for those who have the means. If we increase the number of battles, our [Possibility of Defeat] will increase.”

“All we need for victory is to win.”

Rurick spoke with a tone that clearly showed disappointment. Tigre wished to soften the tense atmosphere and spoke.

“Gerard. Do you know the fairytale of the rabbit and the bear? It is a story in which a small rabbit defeats a powerful bear using wisdom and agility.”

It was a story he had not yet told to Lim. Tigre continued talking, thinking that in the corner of his mind.

“I'll simplify the story. The rabbit fended off the Bear's attacks blow for blow, eventually tiring it out. Eventually, it could not move and was forced to give up.”

“I also know of the story.”

Gerard smiled at him as if he were an idiot and continued to speak.

“There are two endings to that. It is said the bear teased the rabbit repeatedly. The rabbit got carried away and was finally caught by a blow which took its life immediately – in other words, it only needed to be stopped once.”

Gerard spread his arms and made a sour face before continuing his words.

“Even if you bet on this plan to achieve victory, if you are unlucky, you lose. The moment you choose to fight, you open the possibility of defeat. In the first place, and I believe I said this a moment ago, we do not have the strength to fight. Even if we leave Agnes, we will only find uninhibited towns and villages. After all, we made them leave their homes.”

Rurick reacted more sensitively than Tigre to Gerard's words. After hitting his head a few times with the palm of his hand, he frowned at Gerard.

“You're quite glib. How about offering an opinion rather than a complaint?”

“Given our current state, that is my opinion, bald man of Zhcted.”

“... Refrain from excessive language, Gerard, otherwise you will become the bald man of Brune.”

Tigre scolded Gerard's manner of speaking as he vomited abusive language. Though he had ranted many times since they left Territoire, Tigre found it difficult to believe he was the son of the gentle Augre.

Though Gerard bowed and apologized, his attitude hardly matched his action.

''--- I hope we don't have another problem appearing...''

Gerard brought the soldiers of Brune together, but there were many troops from Alsace and Aude that Massas had brought. The troops under Augre's control was actually a mixture of people. Their equipment was also scattered.

Gerard had done a good job keeping them from colliding.

It seems he kept his sarcasm for Tigre and Rurick.

When Gerard looked up, they continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.

“The problem is not just our ability to fight. If they use the slaves as a shield, our army will fall apart immediately.”

The Brune soldiers would not be able to desert their people, and if the Zhcted soldiers attacked without hesitation, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} would fall apart.

“... I got it.”

While staring intensely at the map, Tigre returned his answer with a heavy tone.

Though he wanted to help them as quickly as he could, if the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} fought head on, they would be swallowed in an instant. Even if it was a heroic action, they would not be able to take any further action.

“By the way.”

Probably as a change of pace, Rurick changed the topic as if he had just recalled something.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. How is that child?”

Thinking of the girl he had saved from the Muozinel soldiers, Tigre shook his head.

“She's quite weak. Though there's nothing wrong with her life, she is currently sleeping. She wakes up, eats some soup, and then returns to sleep. It's happened a few times.”

Tigre entrusted her to others since he was busy and had no time to spare a thought.

Though he had seen her a few times when he was free, she was asleep and in no state to talk. He did not have the mindset to force her to talk, either.

“We've been thinking too much about the Muozinel Army. For now, let's take a rest.”

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Amongst the Muozinel Army.

Kashim was furious seeing soldiers, covered in blood and dust, with their shoulders drooped. No matter how firmly he clenched his fists, however, he did not release his anger on others. He was barely able to restrain himself.

The number of enemies was five to six thousand. Though he doubted the report when he heard it, he could say nothing upon learning of the details. Though he did not know of the name of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, he almost precisely understood the camouflage they had used.

“They did it, the Brune Army...”

The weather and geographical features were skillfully used. Though more than one thousand troops had died, it did not account for even 10% of his men. There was still room to relax.

Soon after, Kashim received a report from a scouting unit that there were new traces of a camp being made the night before.

“The enemy should number a little less than two thousand. They seem to be changing base every day or two.”

“Well done.”

Kashim showed his appreciation for the reconnaissance and handed a bag of gold coins as a reward.

At times like these, he was not stingy. This was one of the reasons he made it to his position as General from a slave.

While waiting for dawn, Kashim reorganized his army. Until then, the cavalry from the three thousand troops had been distributed to the right and left and advanced ahead of the main force. In the surroundings, there were irregular outcrops of stones, which would make it difficult to take advantage of a cavalryman's mobility.

He changed the distribution of troops so the infantry were placed to the right and left, telling them to be particularly wary of their flank.

The enemy's power did not even amount to two thousand troops. He told his troops not to be misled, since they would disguise themselves to appear to have a superiority in numbers.

''--- We have an army ten times larger than they have. Even without tricks, we will win.''

At that time, Kashim had not noticed he had already mostly fallen into the enemy's trap.

It was during the evening of the day when the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} made their surprise attack.

As the cliffs towering to the left and right of the pass disappeared, the road broadened. Behind the rocks, a group of cavalrymen approached under cover of darkness and hid diagonally behind the Muozinel Army. They numbered approximately five hundred.

“An ambush.”

Kashim calmly handed out orders. The Muozinel infantry lined themselves up along the side without showing a gap and shot their arrows toward the mountains behind them.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} blocked the arrows with shields and threw stones at the Muozinel troops in return. The horses ran about in place, causing their troops to collapse.

However, the fierce offensive did not continue for long. The group of cavalry which had advanced beforehand turned back. Rather than rushing the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, they were aiming to cut off their retreat.

“They're probably trying to invite us into a narrow path like yesterday, but I won't fall for the same trick.”

Kashim would triumph over the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} by encircling them and crushing them. As he handed down that order, a new change occurred in the battlefield.

Close to one thousand shadows appeared from behind the rocks and attacked them. Seeing this, Kashim could not utter a single sound due to his astonishment.

The enemy's new troops were clad in the armor of the Muozinel Army. They wore thick leather armor, and their heads were wrapped with a black cloth. Since the sun was sinking, it was difficult to distinguish the color of their skin, and the decreasing visibility of the battlefield was only making it difficult to react quickly to this attack. The battlefield changed quickly.

In yesterday's fight, Tigre had his men strip the armor from the corpses. This time, he had them wear it to confuse the enemy.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} impersonated the Muozinel cavalry and stabbed the enemy relentlessly. So as not to attack their own side, they had decided on a keyword beforehand.

If one said bear, they would respond with rabbit.

“To use a child's fairy tale in this situation...”

“Clarity is important. It's easy to understand if it's easy to say.”

Rurick and Tigre exchanged such a conversation.

Using the childish keyword, the many people from the Muozinel Army fell off their steeds in the confusion. It was difficult for them to stand back up.

In addition, the cavalry were attacked first during their charge. After being encircled, the Muozinel Army nearly collapsed, being forced into a situation where they could not break through. The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} then quickly ran from the battlefield.

Kashim wanted to order his men to pursue the enemy, but he did not.

His infantry could not catch up, and sending the cavalry could lead to his troops attacking themselves. Also, at this time of year, it was nearly impossible to see the enemy as they retreated.

Kashim clenched his fists strong enough to start bleeding, and his eyes were bloodshot. An aide hesitantly called out to him in a low voice to give him a report.

“--- The slaves.”

The aide had not understood what he said. Kashim took a deep breath and expelled all his hatred.

“Tell the soldiers. Bring ten of the male and female slaves to me on their knees. I will buy them for gold. First come, first served.”

On this day, the Muozinel Army had lost nearly one thousand troops. With their second loss, nearly ten percent of their forces had been lost and they had gained nothing in battle.

Kashim had no other choice. Rather, it was something he could not help but choose.

The next morning, Kashim brought the slaves before the soldiers and had his soldiers that could speak the language of Brune repeat his words.

“To the honorless soldiers of Brune who sneak around beneath the rocks like worms! Show yourself. If you bastards have courage, then challenge us from the front in a dignified manner befitting a soldier! If you wish to continue your petty tricks and attack us from your hiding, this is how we will respond!”

As Kashim shouted, he beheaded the ten men, one after another. The women screamed, seeing the heads roll around and the bodies spouting blood.

“You have one koku to show yourself. The women will be next. We are prepared to do even more unless you cowards show yourselves!”

He was provoking the enemy with a threat against the slaves' lives.

Having experienced severe losses on two consecutive days, it was necessary to make use of the slaves. They were not to harbor hope. By executing them, he would be able to force them to remain obedient. Leaving the corpses of the slaves behind, the Muozinel Army began their march.

This day, the Muozinel advanced its main unit. Though three thousand strong, it was not that large if one looked at the force in its entirety.

Because the enemy was extremely small in number, they would likely not attack from the front. Yesterday they had attacked from the side, and today they had attacked from behind. Even if they attacked from the front, they would be met by three thousand soldiers.

Furthermore, they needed to protect the unit which carried food and fuel.

Depriving the enemy of food is normal in the course of war. Though they had not aimed for that today, it was possible they might soon in the future.

A group of cavalry advanced before them. When the sun reached its peak, Kashim received a report he could hardly believe.

“Five or six hundred...?”

Even if the Muozinel Army had lost 10% of its troops, they still had an overwhelming eighteen thousand troops. The number of enemies which stood against them was no more than six hundred.

“They should have at least one thousand, probably they're lurking somewhere...”

However, against so many troops, what could six hundred or one thousand troops do?

''--- Maybe they don't have the power to escape.''

Kashim persuaded himself in that way. There were signs of a camp having been set up, and, above all, in the past two days, the enemy would have been able to attack more intensely if they had more manpower.

“The General?”

“Probably the red haired man at the front.”

At the front of the cavalry which numbered close to six hundred, a young man with dull red hair rode a horse. He could not think a man who wore leather armor and carried a bow could be the General who led the army.

''--- In the first place, no one in Brune would fight like this.''

Brune Kingdom despised the bow. Even those of Muozinel knew this. Naturally, so did Kashim.

''--- No doubt about it. There must be an ambush nearby.''

The enemy before him, or the ambush, which would be the main force? Kashim gave this more thought.

''--- Seeing how that red haired man looks, the ambush is likely the main force, but they might be thinking that. While my attention is on the hidden enemy, the ones before me will act.''

He had seen through the enemy's plan, or so he thought. He was determined not to let this continue. He would advance his army toward the men before him. He was positive they were the main force.

“Cease these barbarous actions, brutes of Muozinel!”

The young, red haired man raised his voice. Although Kashim understood the Brune language, he would not stop his march.

“You have deprived the innocent of their lives. For that, you deserve ten thousand deaths. However, before I take your head, why is it you lawlessly set your dirty feet across our borders?”

“I'll answer you if you take the proper action.”

Kashim ridiculed him.

“Throw your arms away. Crawl on the ground and become slaves. I will be a generous master and tell you. I will even sell you to kind masters.”

Jeers were thrown from the soldiers of Muozinel hearing their Commander's words. They prepared arrows and nocked their bows. They would soon reach a distance where arrows would reach.

At that time, a battle cry was heard. Just as Kashim predicted, there was an ambush. He looked up with a smile but could not believe his eyes.

It was not the Red Horse of Brune but the Black Dragon of the Zhcted Kingdom which jumped into his view.

Kashim had heard that a small group had invited the Zhcted Army into their country.

However, he believed he would not encounter them. They had no reason to come. He did not believe they would shed their blood to protect Brune.

That was Kashim's conclusion.

Kashim was not the only one who could not move from surprise. All the soldiers of Muozinel stood speechless.

Zhcted lay to the north of Muozinel, so small skirmishes were not unusual. He was used to seeing the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zitnirtra}}, and, of course, he had no good memories relating to it.

“Charge!”

With a cry, Rurick led the Zhcted soldiers while Tigre issued commands to the soldiers of Brune.

With that cry, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} attacked the Muozinel Army from two directions. With the troops in a daze, they allowed their enemy to approach them.

Their dazzling swords reflected the sunshine, but they were immediately stained in mud and blood. Rather than carrying a spear, they held swords and attacked either the head or the abdomen.

A rain of arrows pierced the troops' eyes. Those who fell to the ground were mercilessly crushed beneath the horses. The wilderness full of dirt was quickly covered in blood and corpses.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} cut deeply into the Muozinel troops, but with their small numbers, they could not break through the three thousand strong unit.

Kashim looked up and glanced at the bloodshed throughout the battlefield. Though it was regrettable that he was caught by surprise, he was finally able to think. If his troops endured here, the soldiers to the rear would catch up.

If they could surround the enemy, the Muozinel Army would be victorious.

A chill ran down Kashim's spine as he almost smiled in satisfaction. This feeling had saved him many times. It was his intuition, so to speak.

Kashim thought the enemy had closed in, but he denied it immediately.

Even if the enemy had closed the distance on him, they were still three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters) away.

Furthermore, that three hundred alsin was filled with Muozinel soldiers. No one boasted for the strength to pass that distance easily, nor would arrows reach that distance.

''--- It will reach.''

Kashim heard a voice in his ear. It was as if an evil spirit spoke to him.

At the same time, an arrow flew straight toward Kashim.

Usually, the death of the General is concealed as much as possible because it would mean defeat. A similar person would be immediately chosen as a substitute to deceive ally and enemy alike. This would buy time to allow for a withdrawal from battle.

However, that did not happen this time.

The sky was clear, the sun was overhead, and there were many nearby on the battlefield.

Furthermore, Kashim's head, which was wrapped in cloth, was hit. There was no possibility he survived.

Like a wave rippling across the surface of the water, a fear spread across the Muozinel soldiers.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, as if waiting for that reaction, let out a war cry.

The twenty thousand Muozinel troops, before their two thousand strong enemy, lost the will to fight.

They promptly recovered from their stupor. While the Commanders were scolding their men, they were killed by arrows, further lowering their morale.

The first to collapse were those in the rear who had not participated in battle but heard of the death of their General. One person, then two retreated, then others turned their backs away. Their arms were tossed aside and they ran down the highway.

The Muozinel Army collapsed like broken dolls.

Those fighting the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} began pulling back following the movements of those behind them. Those who continued to fight were cut down, those who turned away were pursued.

Tigre led the soldiers of Alsace toward the front and showed no mercy. He displayed his rage for the death of the ten men earlier that morning.

“Chase after them! Leave none alive!”

While shooting arrows, Tigre called out instructions, but he did not let emotion sway him.

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_080.png|175px|thumb]]
Though the Muozinel Army had fallen, they were still made of eighteen thousand men. Once they regained their calm and obtained a new leader, Tigre and his men would be defeated in an instant.

While they were still lost, he had to teach them fear.

“... Your plan was beyond their expectations.”

While Tigre continued to shoot, Rurick drew near on his horse, bringing fresh arrows with him. Tigre nodded silently without breaking his severe countenance.

Kashim was not foolish at all, but he relaxed his guard. More accurately, he had not realized to the very end that he had let his guard down.

Over two battles, Tigre had impressed his inferiority of numbers to Kashim and threw them into confusion with disguises.

In response to that, Kashim took a formation good against a small amount of troops and weakened his flank and rear guards. That was Tigre's aim.

Still, had Tigre fought only with the sword, Kashim would have been able to defend himself with his wall of soldiers and would have remained alive. The same would apply if Tigre's arrows could not go beyond three hundred alsin.

For the people of Brune who were poor at archery, it was impossible to think someone could shoot accurately at three hundred alsin. Not even Kashim could predict that.

Seeing Tigre standing at the forefront of his troops brought pity rather than anger to Kashim's mind, and he had made a decision he might normally not have because of that. He had killed innocent people, and Tigre would not remain silent.

Tigre had used all of this to grip victory from a very dangerous situation. He had cut his distance from Kashim to approximately three hundred alsin and defeated him as quickly as possible. It was possible Tigre might have lost this battle if even a single breeze picked up.

“Rurick, may I leave the pursuit to you?

Tigre asked for confirmation once the battlefield gradually began moving south toward Muozinel. From his expression and voice, Rurick understood Tigre's feelings.

“Leave it to me.”

Tigre thanked the bald Zhcted Knight and sped away with Gerard and a few Alsace soldiers to where the slaves had been cut down.

To protect themselves from the Muozinel soldiers that ran away with a momentum comparable to an avalanche and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} who chased after them, they balled up on the ground. The blood poured down on them, corpses were strewn on top, and their screams could be heard across the battlefield. They were frightened by the sound of horses.

Tigre dismounted and walked to them in compromise.

“It's fine now.”

With a subdued voice, a woman nearby called out for help. Tigre nodded and smiled gently.

Their suspicion turned to joy. Many other survivors called out as well, and there were others who shook their heads in disbelief. There were many who were unable to understand the situation and simply sat in blank surprise.

“... Why didn't you come earlier!?”

Suddenly, one of the men shouted in accusation.

Although the man was bound by rope and could not move, he glared at Tigre with intense feelings as he shed tears.

“If you had shown yourself this morning! If you had shown up at that time, he wouldn't have died...”

Tigre stood rooted to the spot.

The ones who moved were Gerard and the soldiers of Alsace.

“That is...”

The words Gerard wanted to say to the people they had helped could not be said.

Tigre reached out to restrain him. To protect them, soldiers from Alsace had fallen. Tigre looked at the man with a sad expression.

“I'm sorry.”

Hearing Tigre's words and seeing his attitude, the man inhaled deeply with surprise. Though many words were rampaging within him, they would not come out. He sat down with his head hung.

Tigre ordered for them to be untied and for clothes to be prepared for the women. Tigre also helped sever the ropes with his dagger.

“Um...”

As he unbound the people, a small girl spoke to Tigre fearfully. She gave the impression that she was a naïve girl about the same age as Tigre. While she hid her body with her hands and what remained of the torn clothing, she bowed deeply to Tigre.

“Thank you for your help... And for completing my father's revenge.”

Tigre dimly understood. One of the men who died earlier this morning was likely this girl's father.

“I'm sorry. That man just now, I don't think he was wrong. I understand his feelings, but... I wished to thank you.”

Tigre gave off a complex expression showing his mixed feelings upon hearing the girl's sincere words.

She had hid nothing. Her frank words expressed how she felt for being rescued, but it was clear she had swallowed words of criticism.

Though he did not know how to process his emotions, Tigre thanked her without showing any tears.

“You have my thanks as well.”

Those from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} who participated in battle were well over one thousand. It was almost the entire army.

They were unable to endure their fatigue, and their bodies were covered in injuries. As soon as they returned from the place with several thousands of corpses and unimaginable amounts of blood, many collapsed and fell asleep. Without looking carefully, it was impossible to tell whether they were living or dead.

Since they had run to Agnes from Territoire, they did not have time to rest and were further troubled by the sandy hills and cliffs. They had fought the Muozinel Army for three consecutive days.

Though Tigre had allowed the soldiers to rest, it was as little as he could possibly allow them to.

They had gone through many battles and given chase. They brandished their arms and ran from one end of the battlefield to another. It was unavoidable that his men would drop their arms and collapse in this situation.

The Muozinel Army lost more than three thousand in this fight, bringing their death toll to above five thousand when including the battles from the previous two days. It was a quarter of their entire army that fell in the lands of Agnes.

On the other hand, about two hundred soldiers from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} had lost their lives.

There were fifteen hundred still living. Amongst those, four-hundred sixty-two were injured, both serious and minor. It was a narrow victory, a miraculous result, given their current state.

Gerard was unable to cope with an unusual feeling; he was not sure how to report the results to Tigre. He decided to say the sacrifice was small since they stopped twenty thousand troops.

However, when hearing the report, Tigre's expression sunk, and he did not look like the victor. It was not simply out of fatigue.

There was no time for Tigre, Rurick, or Gerard to rest. What they needed to do was to gather the soldiers who could move and collect their spoils.

The Muozinel Army that retreated left their food and fuel. Because the money and goods they plundered remained as well, they were divided amongst the soldiers and the people.

Gerard had not played an active part on the battlefield, but he fully demonstrated his talents. While the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} secured the supplies, he was able to efficiently distribute the food and fuel so it would last until they arrived in Territoire.

“So we have no choice but to send them to Territoire?”

Hearing the report from the young man with brown hair, Tigre asked to which Gerard nodded.

“I believe you have heard from them as well, Earl Vorn. When their towns and villages were raided, their livelihoods were destroyed. Telling them to return in the coldness of winter is no different from telling them to build a house on their own.”

“Though I understand... Will Territoire be fine?”

There were many towns and villages who went to Territoire to escape from the fires of war. Though Tigre's worries were natural, the son of the Lord of Territoire simply shrugged his shoulders.

“For two thousand people, we have no other choice.”

Tigre was unable to object. If he accepted them into Alsace, it was easy to see his land collapsing immediately, and Aude, governed by Massas, was too far away.

“I understand. Please arrange that.”

As he said that, Rurick walked into his tent.

“... Lord Tigrevurmud, I would like to speak to you.”

Though he smiled brightly as usual, there was an awkwardness to it. Though tired, Tigre saw through it. After issuing instructions, he left the place with Rurick and Gerard.

“What's wrong?”

“In our pursuit, we have taken some of the soldiers captive.”

This is what Tigre had ordered. He needed to know their purpose and the state of the Muozinel Kingdom. After getting rid of his false smile, Rurick's gloomy expression surprised Tigre and Gerard.

“They all said [We are the Advance Force who were to sweep through the land].”

Tigre's feet stopped. He was unable to move and the shadow in Rurick's face spread to Tigre and Gerard's in an instant.

They had racked their brain without sleep to fight against an army this size. They had sacrificed much, yet this was only their vanguard?

“To think that's all they were...”

Though his body began to stagger, Tigre managed to hold his ground. His heart beat violently from the unprecedented tension.

“Their main force?”

“According to them, thirty thousand. I will send the reconnaissance unit for confirmation.”

''--- Thirty thousand...''

He could not voice it. The number echoed within Tigre's body.

“... No, I doubt it would end with thirty thousand.”

Gerard shook his head and took a deep breath. Tigre nodded with a difficult expression. Though they had broken the enemy of twenty thousand, they did not exterminate them all.

“The soldiers who have retreated will likely add another ten thousand to the main unit.”

“... After twenty thousand, we have forty thousand? If they add the last ten thousand, it will take them some time to reorganize. They may not start today, but they might start tomorrow.”

Within several days, the Muozinel Army, a large force of forty thousand, would appear in Agnes.

Furthermore, his troops were exhausted. They would need complete rest today; it would be impossible for them to move at all. In addition, there were two thousand extra people. Even if they were to flee, their marching speed would decrease significantly. It was possible they would be caught before they left Agnes.

A heavy silence wrapped about the three. Gerard was the one to break it.

“What will you do, Earl Vorn?”

Tigre stared blankly at the young man with brown hair.

“What of the future? Will you flee, or will you ask for assistance?”

Tigre realized the meaning of Gerard's words. He was speaking frankly without hiding any anger.

“... Are you saying that seriously?”

“... No, it was a slip of the tongue. I apologize.”

Gerard bowed deeply. On the other hand, the one to move was not Tigre but Rurick. He hit the young man as he stood upright, forcing Gerard to stagger back a step or two.

Though Tigre looked at Rurick in surprise, he did not immediately criticize him and waited for his excuse. He was tired and it was clear he had held back. If Rurick were serious, Gerard would have done more than just stagger.

“... You, how much further do you intend to press Lord Tigrevurmud?”

With his fist clenched, Rurick glared at Gerard. Gerard's smile distorted as he was held up.

“I cannot say. For now, that will be all.”

Tigre was not particularly happy, knowing Gerard clearly admitted he was testing Tigre.

“Is that bad mouth of yours also purposeful?”

“No, that is who I am.”

Rurick looked as if he would fly into a rage but controlled himself. Tigre gave a deep sigh. In a situation with no room for error, he had to know what Gerard's intentions were.

“I believe your father placed your trust in me.”

“Father is father. I am me.”

Gerard responded impudently while rubbing his face.

“I was afraid that, in your desire to defend Alsace, you would abandon Territoire. If you think of Alsace first, it is not an impossible thought for you to think of. That is why I wish to know what kind of man you are.”

“In that case, shouldn't you be trying to gain our trust instead?”

Gerard shrugged after seeing Rurick's severe expression.

“You have already obtained father's trust. Even if I earn Earl Vorn's hatred with this, it will end should father cut ties with me later. Father would cut me away without hesitation. You will not abandon me.”

A troublesome man appeared once again. Tigre felt this way from the bottom of his heart.

“Earl Vorn. Though this is not the time to say this, you are what is reflected in the eyes of others.”

“Eyes of others?”

“Though a citizen of Brune, you insist on using the bow, and after becoming a prisoner of war to Zhcted, you sold your position as an aristocrat of a small province in the frontier to fight against the large political power, Duke Thenardier... For those unfamiliar with your personality, what would people think upon hearing this?”

“They would see me as the one who provoked a fight.”

Though he answered emotionally, Gerard laughed it away. Though Tigre was particularly interested in it, he could only nod. This sort of thing was likely unavoidable.

“Well, I understand what you are trying to say. I will take care.”

“Thank you for listening. If I were to add one more thing, the man of Zhcted with a barren wilderness on his head admires you too much. You should not use him as a reference.”

“... Lord Tigrevurmud. What will you do from now on?”

With his self control maximized, Rurick returned their conversation to its original topic. Tigre also pulled himself together and bowed in assent. Gerard as well.

“Apart from the soldiers, can the people move? I would like to make some distance.”

“They have been bound with rope and are too tired. For now, that is impossible.”

“... Then please examine the number of men and women. It may be cold, but we may have to make the men defend the women. Until we reach Territoire, have them take a weapon from one of the Muozinel corpses.”

Though a regrettable situation, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was in a position where he was forced to make such a cruel decision.

Furthermore, a force of two thousand was a powerful weapon. If the men were given spears and marched alongside, any enemy would be more hesitant to approach them.

After planning their actions, the three began working immediately.

That evening, the two thousand people and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} began marching. They trudged along with heavy steps, cliffs to their right and left. Though everyone understood the Muozinel Army was following after them, their bodies did not move properly. Their fatigue which had accumulated would not recover with just a little rest.

''--- This is bad...''

Tigre and Rurick looked at each other. Though slow, their marching speed was better than expected. They could not be forced to rush, though.

It happened around mid day; a report came from reconnaissance in regards to the position and movements of the Muozinel Army.

“Approximately three to four thousand Muozinel Cavalry are approaching.”

Tigre made a quick decision.

“Rurick, take command of the soldiers and gather all the remaining arrows.”

“Are you doing something crazy again?”

The Zhcted Knight looked at him with amazement and anxiety mixed in his face. Tigre shrugged his shoulders.

“We need to slow their movements somehow. We also have a headwind right now.”

Though he might slow the enemy's movements down, return fire would be sure to come.

“Please take people skilled in archery.”

It was a condition he conceded for Rurick's sake. Tigre thanked him. After gathering ten cavalry, he left, kicking up dust as he ran down the highway.

After a quarter koku, a Vahram – the God of War worshiped by Muozinel – flag came into view. Tigre stopped his horse, nocked an arrow, and quickly shot it.

The arrow drew a large arc in the sky and cut through the wind. It hit its mark, causing the soldier at the front to fall off his horse. The Zhcted soldiers followed Tigre's lead and shot arrows, felling some of the enemies.

Though the Muozinel Army stopped moving due to the sudden attack, they quickly regained calm and charged forward, the sound of hooves rumbling across the earth. Though they also shot arrows, due to the distance and the wind conditions not being in their favor, they fell short of Tigre.

Tigre and the others ran with their horses, maintaining a set distance. No matter how many they shot down, the enemy continued to charge forward. A cold sweat spread across Tigre's temple.

''--- If this keeps up, we'll meet Rurick and the main force...''

It was at that time when the sound of horses running increased. Though Tigre thought it could have been reinforcements, there was no dust cloud coming from behind the Muozinel soldiers.

The Muozinel Army also noticed it and stopped their horses. Tigre noticed the sound had come from above them. Tigre looked up for the first time.

''--- {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}...?''

Waving in the wind was the unmistakable color of the Zhcted Kingdom. Below it was a blue spear drawn diagonally on a white background. Tigre recognized it immediately.

A group of cavalry ran down the steep slope skillfully and entered the space between Tigre and Muozinel.

At the lead was a spear wielding girl of 15 or 16 years. She brought her horse before the stunned Tigre.

She was small in stature and had blue hair to her shoulders. She seemed flushed since she was running on horseback. She had adorable features and pupils like ice from which the cold shined through. Her clothes made of blue silk matched the color of her hair. In her hand was a spear with a short handle.

Seeing Tigre's face, she smiled in a somewhat ill-natured manner.

“It has been a while, Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

It was the Vanadis who governed Olmutz.

She was the {{furigana|[Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave]|Michelia}}, Ludmira Lurie.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 05 Chapter 1 - MTL

2013-11-28T17:01:52Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== March of the Dragons ===
In Ormea Plains, in the lands where the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and Muozinel Army clashed, four days travel to the north was Perucche Fortress. It was built in a place where a highway leading north to south intersected with the highway moving east to west- a strategic location.

The number of soldiers defending the castle there numbered four thousand.

Many soldiers and horses bearing arms surrounded the castle, staying within countless tents.

Under the gray winter sky nearing dawn, many soldiers could be seen walking about. They were being neither bold nor flashy. Some were wearing iron armor that left no gaps in their defenses. Others wore fur, and yet others wore heavy clothes to withstand the winter cold.

Some tents were worn out, frayed in a variety of places, while other tents looked regal, as if fit for royalty. They were all mixed together.

They all belonged to the Silver Meteor Army. With that said, its configuration was quite chaotic. There were various Knighthoods, whose duties was to protect the nobles and people of Brune from armies of the other nations.

Commanding this rag-tag group was a 16 year old man.

His name was Tigrevurmud Vorn. Those close to him called him Tigre.

In a room in the inner areas of the fortress, Tigre was working hard, surrounded by an array of documents. Beside him was the close friend of his late father, Massas Rodant, who had just turned 55 this year. He was an old Earl who had taken care of Tigre in a number of ways.

“Is it morning already...?”

The warble of a crow could be heard from beyond the open window. Tigre spoke to himself with an exhausted voice. Having worked for two days straight, he was approaching his limit. His dull red hair was disordered from his habit of running his hand through it. Dark circles were faintly visible under his eyes.

“Tigre. You should sleep until the war council later today.”

Massas, who had been helping him, could no longer endure and spoke up. Tigre, without pretense, stood up sleepily and rubbed his eyelids.

“I'll accept your kind offer. Will you be fine, Lord Massas?”

“I took a nap last night. I'll rest after I put this in order a little more.”

After the invading Muozinel Army retreated, many aristocrats offered to cooperate with their private armies, and many merchants proposed a variety of transactions. Along with the interviews, negotiations, and reorganization of the soldiers, there was a fair amount of paperwork required for him to go through.

Besides the aid of Massas, who was present now, Tigre would have broken down from overwork long ago if Limlisha and Gerard were not there to help.

Tigre began to stagger out of the office when Massas called him back.

“Sorry, Tigre. When you head to your room, can you wake up Miss Lurie?”

Miss Lurie referred to Ludmira Lurie from the Kingdom of Zhcted. Her nickname was Mira.

When fighting against the Muozinel Army, she had helped lead the soldiers following Tigre. Mira, who had accompanied the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, was given a guest room in the fortress.

Tigre looked back at the old Earl with a dubious face.

“What do you need her for?”

“I wanted to talk to her about the arrangement of the tents. I almost forgot.”

Many tents and horses surrounded the fortress of Perucche, but they were not allowed entry into the castle. Amongst them were aristocrats at odds with each other. Furthermore, there were soldiers of Zhcted as well.

Having so many people with poor relations with one another in close proximity would inevitably lead to trouble. Thus far, Tigre and the others did their best to arrange them to avoid such an outcome.

''--- I guess there's no other way...''

Pushing aside the sleepiness attacking him, Tigre left the office understanding what Massas wanted. Tigre wanted to find someone else to take his place, but Mira was a guest, and furthermore, a girl. Unless he had pressing business, he did not wish to leave this duty to others.

''--- I've left Teita to take care of all matters dealing with Regin.''

He did not want to give even more duties to the chestnut brown-haired maid.

''--- It's out of the question to ask Ellen, and if I ask Lim, I'd be afraid of what Ellen might do later...''

Mira's room was on the way to his own, which is why Massas asked him.

He waved at the soldiers standing guard in response to their salutes. In this castle fort, Leonard, the leader of the Perucche Knights, increased the number of guards on patrol due to the increase in people roaming about.

When he arrived at Mira's room, he saw a Zhcted soldier standing guard before her door.

“I shall tell her you have arrived.”

The soldier spoke, as if waiting for him. He called out from the door, reporting Tigre's arrival. A blunt voice told him to enter. While confused, Tigre stepped through the open doorway.

It was still night, just before dawn, and the room was still dark. He could vaguely see a bed toward the back. There appeared to be someone moving around it.

“I apologize for coming so early in the morning, but may I enter?”

“Naturally. Even for trivial matters, you would not simply speak to them from the hallway. You are not the type to have others deliver your messages, either.”

It was as she said. Tigre approached the bed. After his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, he began to recognize the appearance of the blue-haired Vanadis.

Tigre opened his eyes wide in surprise, standing rooted to the spot. His drowsiness was blown away.

Mira sat up on the bed wearing her thin nightclothes. Her slim neck, gently sloping shoulders, even her bosom were lightly exposed.

Mira's body was small compared to Ellen, her breasts shook slightly with her breathing. The blankets covering her below the waist strangely made her figure visible.

“What is it?”

Mira asked curiously as she looked up at Tigre. After calming down a little, Tigre noticed she spoke in a slightly teasing nature. Tigre could not help but look away unnaturally.

“Are, aren't you cold?”

“No need to worry. I have Lavias here.”

Picking up the short spear leaning against her bed, Mira stroked the tip lovingly. The spear let out small crystals of ice, giving the room a mystical atmosphere.

The Frozen Wave was a weapon whose possession was permitted only to the Vanadis. It was a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} with the power to manipulate the cold.

“But if I do indeed look so cold, would you care to warm me up?”

Tigre understood she was bantering with him, so he retorted while looking away.

“If I said yes, would you let me sleep here?”

It was half his real intention. He was in a mental state where he simply wanted to sleep soundly in bed until midday.

“I do not mind. Just the other day we slept together.”

She responded immediately with a smile. Tigre gave in and rapidly apologized before stating his business. She listened to him seriously and said she would meet with Massas later to deal with the problem.

“Thank you for the hard work. Well, sweet dreams, Tigre.”

After saying good night in return, Tigre turned his back to Mira. Perhaps because she had just awoken, her face was innocent. The image of her smile, bosom, and thighs were imprinted in his eyes.

“By the way, Tigre.”

Tigre was surprised from being called to a stop. Though inevitable, he had seen her in her nightgown. He turned around while waiting for her to say something about it, but she spoke words beyond his expectations.

“I have heard from the soldiers that a ghost has recently come to the fortress these days.”

Tigre frowned after hearing such unexpected words. He had seen many things when hunting in the mountains and forests, but he had not once found something without a reasonable explanation.

However, it was unexpected such a rumor would come about in a fortress full of people.

“It seems to be a ghost of a woman wearing a white dress, though I have seen nothing.”

Tigre tilted his head curiously.

There were five women in the castle: Ellen, Lim, Teita, Mira, and Regin. Of course, none wore a white dress.

''--- Did they employ a woman from a nearby village or town and make a mistake? These stories do exist, and there are more workers taking care of chores with the arrival of more people. Even the people from Alsace alone is a lot.''

“Thank you. I will investigate this matter.”

After thanking Mira, Tigre left her room.

After he quietly closed the door, Mira calmly looked away.

''--- He really is a dull man. Still, I wonder if I was a bit too bold...''

The Vanadis of blue hair tried to test Tigre's reaction with her appearance. She had confirmed her distance from him as well as the distance between him and Ellen.

Though she was dissatisfied, she did not have anything to complain about. She was fine with how things were at the moment.

While thinking about what to do in the future, Mira began changing her clothes to clear up the matter Tigre asked her to.

By the time he returned to his room, Mira's image disappeared from Tigre's head. His drowsiness drove the cold of dawn and the thoughts running through his head away.

After changing his clothes and removing his shoes, he got into bed and covered himself in a blanket. He fell asleep immediately.

In just a half koku, smoke began rising from the fort as cooks began making meals and the noise increased as soldiers ran about their business.

Tigre continued to sleep soundly.

Suddenly, something appeared next to Tigre. Ripples appeared, as if space was distorted.

Tigre did not wake up, and the soldiers keeping watch outside the room did not notice it at all.

From the distorted space, a white figure emerged without warning. Its contours and colors gradually took form from the shadow until a person could be seen.

It was a woman of about 20 years. She had a vivid white rose in her long, black hair with a shade of blue. A dress delicately wrapped about her body, her bosom covered in a crimson fabric, and a purple rose hung from her waist. Her face had a kind smile, exuding a lovely, delicate impression.

However, the item grasped in her hand gave off a completely different image.

It was a large scythe. Its long, curved blade was jet black and crimson. It gave off a mysterious and dreadful atmosphere and was as large as a Dragon's claw.

Such a large weapon was disproportionate to the delicate girl, but when grasped in her hand, she gave off an appearance as if she had come out of a fantasy.

Her dress fluttered softly, and, like a fairy dancing in the wind, she landed gently. Even when her shoes adorned with red roses contacted with the floor, there was no sound elicited.

She took one step, two steps, her pure smile still on her face. Even when standing before Tigre's bed, he did not wake up.

No matter how tired he was, he would wake up immediately with any signs of excitement or hostility, and he would react to any sense of insecurity. His longtime hunting instincts forged through the battlefield would immediately rouse him from his rest.

The dark-haired beauty had so perfectly erased her presence that, even with her large scythe, she did not wake Tigre up. She looked at Tigre's sleeping face.

While looking down at him, she had the urge to poke his cheek and talk to him, but if she did that, it would cause problems.

She decided to run away quietly. This fort had two Vanadis, and it would be troublesome if they found out about her.

Also, she had played around too much.

Because she had spent a number of days trying to grasp Tigre's actions, schedule, and the structure of the fortress, a rumor of the ghost of a woman in a white dress was circulating. She had achieved her goal of seeing the face of Tigrevurmud Vorn up close.

"Just why are those two so interested in this man..."

Tigre struck her in return. He had reached out, grasping her ample bosom wrapped in a dress, with his hand.

She began to laugh involuntarily. Though she had left him alone and was certain he was asleep, he had still touched her chest.

“--- If you were awake, this crime of lese majeste would be punishable by death.”

While brandishing the large scythe in her left hand, she poked Tigre with her finger. The space between them began to distort, and, in the same manner as she had appeared, her figure faded and her colors became pale.

After a moment, her figure disappeared without leaving a single trace of her presence.

Tigre had not noticed at all and remained asleep until midday.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The clouds gradually scattered as the sun was rising, weakly illuminating the winter earth.

It was still a little too early to call it daytime. Two young girls, both about 16 or 17 years old. They both wore a military uniform. One had a sword at her waist while the other had a spear in her arms.

The spear was held by Mira, and she was a Vanadis of Zhcted Kingdom like the girl holding the sword.

With silver-white hair down to her waist and bright red eyes full of energy, the woman left a strong impression on all who saw her. She was Eleanora Viltaria, and she was called Ellen by people close to her, like Tigre.

The two looked at the countless soldiers and horses outside the castle moving about the tents.

“When I see this, it feels like I've returned to Zhcted. Hopefully it will let my men relax.”

“That may be the case for you, but it has been several months since we returned to LeitMeritz. Do you think this long duration away will cause a problem soon?”

Ellen sighed in frustration while Mira smiled provocatively and spoke sarcastically.

Originally, the Vanadis knelt before and gave fealty only to the King of Zhcted. Of course, there was moderate speculation and reasons present.

However, if one were to think of a single reason for their presence, it would be that Ellen and Mira were lending strength to a single young man.

Anyway, Ellen took Mira's provocation and looked down at her men sharply.

“... I'm grateful for your worries, but my subordinates are quite talented. They're not the type to be anxious about returning to LeitMeritz. What about you? Are your men crying to return to their home town?”

“... Oh my. I am quite worried about this, Eleanora. It is an essential thing in war.”

Mira, who was shorter than Ellen, looked up and tilted her neck slightly. As if provoking the {{furigana|[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash]|Silvfrau}}, the {{furigana|[Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave]|Michelia}} spoke with a thorny voice. The two had a dangerous relationship, like a wolf and a fox, ever since they met.

By the way, their voices were small enough such that only they themselves could hear each other, and their expressions were full of dignity, so those looking at them simply thought they were discussing future strategies.

That was not particularly a mistake, however. Ellen and Mira set side their emotions and avoided a large fight. The two understood the impact it would have on morale if they openly fought one another.

“Essential to war... That's right. Certainly, you're right.”

Ellen's voice suddenly lost its strength and came out weakly. Mira, who was waiting for a counterattack, was surprised. She turned around involuntarily to the Vanadis with silver-white hair.

“From what I heard, Tigre may not have survived long enough for the Knights of Brune to help him if it were not for you. Thank you, Ludmira.”

Mira showed signs of panic after hearing Ellen's words of gratitude, full of sincerity. While thinking about what kind of words to respond with, Ellen opened her mouth yet again.

“That's why, your work is done here. You can go home back to Olmutz and spend the rest of your life recalling these good memories while drinking your favorite tea. Get going, get going.”

Ellen waved her hand, as if shooing her away, while speaking in a stony voice. She did not forget to conceal her hand gesture from the soldiers' gaze.

Mira's face went from one of blank surprise to one of anger.

“Y, you should know some shame! Here, I finally believed you finally had the heart of a Vanadis, and you simply trample over it with your infantile behavior!”

Mira shouted at Ellen with her voice as subdued as possible. Ellen also quietly spoke indignantly.

“I should say those words to you! You should reflect on those words, though I suppose they match those childish breasts of yours! Ah~ I'm sorry you have such a small chest.”

Ellen, with a calm voice and a gentle look in her red eyes, looked down at Mira's chest. Obviously, they were not as large as Ellen's.

“Are, are you sure your breasts are not larger than necessary?”

“Are you thinking clearly? This is quite different from your usual thoughts of loss and gain.”

Ellen laughed while shrugging. Mira turned red, the Vanadis with blue hair embarrassed that she was seen through. She quickly thought of twenty, thirty words of abuse, but she quickly forced them down. She could not carelessly speak them aloud.

Ellen and Mira were both close with the Vanadis Sophia Obertas. She was the owner of more ample bosoms than Ellen, and if she carelessly spoke, it was possible something unnecessary might be said to her.

“By the way... Tigre hasn't made a move yet.”

As she looked at the smoke of food being cooked rise from around the tents of the countless soldiers and horses, Mira awkwardly changed the subject. Ellen, also collecting herself, responded seriously.

“It's about time. Lim just went to check on him a bit ago... If possible, I'd like to let that guy laze about as he wants every once in a while.”

Mira's blue pupils showed signs of her surprise. She moved her head slightly and looked up at Ellen. The Vanadis with silver-white hair looked apologetic and unusually gentle.

Though Ellen was sincerely worried about the young man with dull red hair, she was irritated that she was hardly able to alleviate his heavy burdens.

Mira began to comfort her but swallowed her words.

A man and woman approached them. Ellen looked over and smiled as she lightly waved at Tigre.

The man with dull red hair showed no signs of fatigue. He was wearing leather armor and hempen clothes which gave him a simple appearance. In his left hand was his jet-black bow, and a quiver was at his waist.

The girl accompanying him was Limlisha, Ellen's adjutant. Her nickname was Lim, and she was 19 years old, three years Tigre's senior. She had her hair tied up on the left side of her head, but because she was tall, she still retained her sense of balance. Her eyes and face were unfriendly, and she was quiet, though in a manner different from Mira.

Lim saw the face of her Lord and bowed without changing her expression. She then bowed politely to Mira who was standing next to her.

“You've worked hard, Lim.”

After giving her stiff adjutant words of appreciation, Ellen looked at Tigre with a smile.

“How are you? Did you get some sleep?”

“Yeah. Lim also made some soup, so I'm wide awake.”

Ellen looked at her adjutant in curiosity. Lim looked toward the floor and responded quickly.

“Because the war council would begin soon, I thought he should wake up as quickly as possible... It would not look good if he were yawning like he did yesterday.”

Both the first half and the latter half of her dialogue were spoken somewhat unnaturally. In the middle of their meeting yesterday, it was true Tigre had done this, but the way she spoke seemed odd.

“Soup, is it? How nice. I'll have to prepare some for Tigre next time.”

Ellen smiled and spoke jokingly as she cut Lim's words short. Lim looked back up, expressionless as usual.

“Eleanora-sama, rumors would appear if you were to do such a thing. Please leave such tasks to me.”

“I see, how regrettable. But Lim, even if you want him to eat your soup that much, remember your main duties are to deal with our subordinates.”

“Th, that...”

Lim's expression broke slightly when she noticed she was being teased. Her cheeks were slightly tinged red.

“You can cook soup, Ellen?”

Tigre asked this of the silver-white haired Vanadis both in curiosity and to help Lim. Ellen puffed out her chest and responded with pride.

“I used to do it all the time in the old days. Though it's a bit flat, I can guarantee its flavor.”

“Tigre. Soup is not bad, but what of tea? It has such an elegant taste and smell...”

“You don't understand Tigre at all. It's best to give Tigre something simple and familiar first thing in the morning.”

Ellen brushed off Mira's words with a laugh. Mira, rather than backing down, retorted with an aggressive appearance.

“If you wish to say that much, then we should have Tigre compare your crude soup with my tea. He can just have whichever he finds most delicious from now on.”

“Fine. Tigre and I have made meals plenty of times. Against someone who has no experience in the kitchen, I won't lose.”

Unable to respond to Ellen's words, Mira frowned and sunk into silence. It was true she was not used to working in the kitchen. Tigre and Lim simply looked at each other.

“... What should we do about this?”

Lim was Tigre's reliable teacher and knew many things he did not. His teacher, three years his senior, had a face full of distress, her voice clearly strained.

“Please endure for now. Put this aside for as long as you can. Lord Tigrevurmud, you are busy, so make do with what you have, and if these two make you drink whatever it is they may make... Please withhold your answer to avoid harming their feelings.”

“So avoid giving them victory or defeat, is it?”

“Though I would like Eleanora-sama to win, this is not the time for such a trivial game of skill. Ideally, this can be done after everything has been settled.”

Though she had no way of telling how serious Mira was, she clearly knew Ellen was, and if she were being serious, victory or defeat would have a major impact on any and all future battles. Though Lim did not dare to put this into words, Tigre understood.

“--- I understand. Though I think it unfair not to give them an answer, I'll let it be for now.”

Lim sighed as she looked to her side at the Vanadis with silver-white hair. Though Ellen was confident, she had no basis for her confidence.

''--- Like I thought, it must be something about Lord Tigrevurmud...''

Lim shook her head as she began thinking. Her thoughts would stray elsewhere if she started.

Compared to winning the war, deciding between their soup and tea was an impossible task.

Tigre was a small aristocrat in the Kingdom of Brune.

To be accurate, he used to be. He was accused of leading the troops from Zhcted, the neighboring country, into his lands. Tigre was deprived of his title and his lands.

However, Tigre did not waver. He had a reason for doing this.

It started in Dinant at the beginning of autumn. The Brune Army was at war with the Zhcted Army. Tigre fought Ellen and was defeated, becoming her captive.

In order to get him back, it was necessary to pay a ransom; however, there were no signs of one being prepared. If nothing happened, Tigre would have been sold away.

In his absence, Duke Thenardier sent his troops to Alsace. Tigre learned of this.

Tigre borrowed the strength of Ellen and her soldiers to defend Alsace, the lands he governed, from Duke Thenardier's troops. During that conflict, Tigre killed Zaien, the eldest child of the Duke, who was the Commander. It was a necessary fight.

''--- That's right. Not even half a year has passed...''

While walking along the ramparts of Perucche Castle, Tigre thought of everything that happened until then. While he had been fighting for less than six months, it was a time full of blood, far more dense than any of the other sixteen years of his life.

The territory he ruled was full of mountains and forests and had a few hundred soldiers at most.

On the other hand, Duke Thenardier was a large aristocrat who represented Brune. He could easily gather ten thousand soldiers beneath him.

Speaking normally, one would not think they would fight each other, but Duke Thenardier would not permit the man who killed his son to live. Tigre would only have the choice to flee or fall to ruin.

If he chose either, the land of Alsace where he was born and raised would be overrun.

However, Tigre had gathered the power necessary to face the Duke.

When winter began, Muozinel, with a large army, invaded from the southeast. The nearby aristocrats and Knighthoods did not move immediately. Tigre held off the Muozinel Army of twenty thousand with little more than two thousand.

Through a number of twists and turns, Tigre borrowed the strength of the Vanadis Ludmira, and, due to Massas and Augre's efforts, many allies were made from the nobles and Knights in the vicinity. They succeeded in pushing the Muozinel Army back once again. This happened just a few days ago.

“This fortress guarded by the Knighthood of Perucche is a few days north from where our battle took place. Though I can't say it is uncomfortable, I would rather spend my time in the grasslands.”

Emir, who commanded the Perucche Knights, ran to his aid; Tigre accepted it gratefully.

Tigre led the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, the Zhcted Army, and the various aristocrats cooperated with him to visit Perucche fortress.

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In a room deep inside the castle, six people sat around a table.

They were Tigre, Ellen, Lim, Mira, and Massas.

The sixth person had golden hair cut to an even length to her shoulders and clear azure eyes. She had neat features and appeared slightly tense. She felt a little unreliable compared to the other women.

Her name was Regin. She was raised as a Prince named Regnas; she was the Princess of Brune.

However, the people who knew she was a Princess was few in number. It would be a source of trouble for the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

“--- The troops have prepared for departure. We can leave tomorrow if you are so inclined.”

Massas, with his stout body wrapped in cloth, solemnly reported as he looked at everyone. This old Knight acted as a mediator to the aristocrats and Knights who recently offered their cooperation to Tigre.

To be accurate, there was no other option. The army was made in haste. There were Knights and aristocrats who stood up in this chaotic state, calling for movement against Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon due to their displeasure with the current situation.

Those against Thenardier and Ganelon were cooperating with Tigre because they could not support the large aristocrats. Though they had offered their services, they followed Tigre because of their mistreatment.

Furthermore, there were not only Brune citizens but members from Zhcted in the encampment, divided into the LeitMeritz Army led by Ellen and the Olmutz Army led by Ludmira.

Standing above them all was a young 16 year old man. Until as recent as six months ago, he was an Earl of a distant territory who led one hundred men at the most.

There were people beside Massas who praised Tigre's individual ability and courage and followed after him. Viscount Augre and Auguste of the Calvados Knights, as well as Shaie of the Lutece Knights, Emir and the leader of the Perucche Knights, Leonard did as well.

However, there were still too few people.

It was because of Massas' dignity and insight that the Silver Meteor Army had yet to collapse.

“How many soldiers?”

“We have four thousand Knights from Brune. With the Zhcted Army, we have an additional six thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry.”

Massas responded to Regin's question politely, unable to remove his attitude as a retainer.

Hearing the numbers from the old Earl, Ellen threw a questioning look to Mira. The three thousand cavalry came from the LeitMeritz Army alone.

“Three hundred of my men have returned to Olmutz. We were not originally prepared for a long-term expedition.”

Mira answered as if it were natural. Ellen frowned; the three hundred that returned were acting more as Mira's bodyguards, originally.

“It would be nice if you went home as well.”

Ellen laughed bitterly, her mouth smiling sarcastically.

“That would be impossible. I am here as an inspector, after all.”

“I don't recall asking for one.”

Though Ellen retorted in disappointment, she continued to frown and fold her arms. Unable to comprehend the two, Tigre looked to Lim for help. She quietly looked back at him.

“Eleanora-sama, when you report to His Majesty on the progress of this war, any lies or misconduct will be pointed out by an inspector. Because it is well known you are on poor terms with Ludmira-sama, she is the perfect person for this position.”

“Is it really that big a problem?”

“There have been examples in the past where inspectors who were intimate with the person in question were accused of lying.”

To be more concrete, there was an example of embezzling war funds. Should the Commander win the inspector over, he could split the profits in return for a favorable evaluation. It was not unusual to think such things might happen, so an individual typically not on good relations with the person in question was chosen.

Tigre seemed convinced. Regin, to his right, looked doubtful.

“So in total, we have thirteen thousand... There seem to be more soldiers in this castle, though.”

Massas nodded to the Princess in light surprise.

“It is as Her Highness says. If we include the soldiers in this fortress and exclude Lord Ludmira's men, there is a total of seventeen thousand; however, considering those required to defend the castle and accounting for food, fuel, armor, and a variety of supplies, we cannot take them all.”

“Indeed... I understand. Please continue.”

Massas unrolled a map of Brune on the table.

“Even if we give the word to leave, it will take at least seven days before we can actually depart from this fortress.”

“There are two reasons.”

Lim opened her mouth in response to Massas' words.

“The first reason is due to the battle between Duke Thenardier and Duke Ganelon. According to our information, they began fighting near the capital, but Duke Thenardier was forced to retreat many times. At present, they are near Nemetacum.”

“Who is leading their armies? Who are acting as their eyes?”

Ellen asked from the side as Lim was pointing to the map. Massas stroked his beard and shook his head.

“A man called Steid is commanding Duke Thenardier's Army, and he is a close aide. Marquis Greast is commanding Duke Ganelon's Army. He is also very close to Lord Ganelon.”

“Greast... That man.”

Tigre and Ellen recalled the man from memory. Before their battles with the Black Knight Roland, he appeared on behalf of Ganelon.

Ellen in particular had a sharp expression.

“He seems quite carefree with Muozinel Army attacking, or did Duke Ganelon know this and move his soldiers then?”

A cold emotion was visible in Mira's blue eyes. Massas nodded in assent.

“That is most likely. The Muozinel Army moved its troops by land and by sea. Tigre... Earl Vorn repulsed their ground troops while Duke Thenardier fought off their navy.”

“Duke Thenardier's influence is spread throughout the southern part of Brune, centered around Nemetacum. Duke Ganelon decided to make a large move, attacking what remained from Muozinel's invasion. He was exploiting that.”

Tigre had mixed feelings hearing Lim and Massas' explanation.

''--- I unwittingly helped Duke Thenardier...''

He had fought, and Muozinel's ground troops had retreated, but it was in no way irrelevant compared to the battle at sea. Since it was still a part of Duke Thenardier's lands, he would have fought both the forces on land and at sea.

“With the Muozinel Army gone, Thenardier will focus on Duke Ganelon's attack. There is no reason we need to appear there.”

Massas pointed to the map as he spoke. It was a basic strategy to wait for the enemy to fall or to finish him off when weakened.

“The second reason?”

Lim responded to Tigre's question.

“When the Muozinel Army withdrew, they praised you, Lord Tigrevurmud. Afterward, they made your activities known to the public of Brune Kingdom.”

“So the fight between Thenardier and Ganelon will prolong in the confusion with the appearance of Tigre as a third force.”

Massas looked bitter. The current situation was a provocation to the old Knight.

Though Tigre had rapidly been established as a third force, it would only add to the unfavorable criticism of being a weak family of nobles who brought in the Zhcted Army for aid.

On the other hand, both Thenardier and Ganelon governed the rich lands of Nemetacum and Lutetia and had the power to mobilize many people.

Tigre could barely manage to gather ten thousand soldiers while they could find double that without much trouble.

“Could my name play a role?”

Regin asked with a slightly regretful expression. Though alive, everyone thought she had died in the battle at Dinant, and outside the people present, only a few knew she was actually a woman. Though she lived as the Prince, she was a woman.

“Though we have a plan for that, we decided not to use it.”

Ellen spoke as if it were a trivial issue. Regin asked her more out of curiosity.

“I thought you wished to let others know a member of the Royal Family was with you.”

When it was revealed that the method to prove Regin was a Princess was in Artishem, it was Ellen who brought up the idea of spreading the knowledge.

“It's too naïve a plan.”

She responded curtly with disappointment. Regin frowned in embarrassment and turned to Tigre for help. Seeing that, Massas cleared his throat.

“If I may be so presumptuous as to explain---”

“Lord Massas, allow me to explain.”

Interrupting the old Earl's words, Tigre turned to Regin with a bright expression. Though it was unpleasant, he felt it necessary to explain with his own logic.

“Since the Muozinel Army retreated, ever since we came to this fortress from Ormea Plains... I have spoken to many of the aristocrats, Knights, and merchants.”

Being careful to not demean himself, Tigre continued his words.

“Many have their reasons for coming to this fortress. Some recognized my fight against the Muozinel Army, and others came to fight for my cause. Even so, I understand... I have yet to earn their trust.”

“Trust...?”

Regin looked at him with her blue eyes.

“I brought the Zhcted Army within the country and have been stripped of my title. There are many who wish to see what kind of person I am.”

At first, Tigre did not realize this, but after speaking to Lim and Massas, he began to choose his words carefully.

“If I announced to them in this situation that I would like to go to Artishem, they would be suspicious. They would not follow my lead.”

As Ellen had said, it was a naïve plan.

The strategy they had considered was as follows.

First, they would publicly announce Regin's presence and move toward Artishem. Naturally, Ganelon and Thenardier would temporarily ally themselves and move their soldiers forward in order to silence Regin.

Though the two would ally, they were initially at odds with one another. They would have problems and, even if their combined army was two, or three times the strength, they could take advantage of the disorganization.

However, the strategy had the major premise that they allied with one another.

It also depended on the aristocrats and Knighthoods not having ulterior motives and trusting Tigre, even with any potential speculation.

However, the current situation was not like that.

If the one who betrayed his country and brought in the Zhcted Army into his country were to claim the deceased Prince was with him, it would only look like he brought in a girl with a similar appearance...

This gossip would run rampant in the military and would only drive their will to fight away.

“Given our situation, it is best we save your name for a later time.”

“... Later time?”

Though Regin looked downcast in sorrow, she looked up upon hearing Tigre's words.

“When we emerge victorious. To make it a more positive thing, we will use Your Highness' name.”

Regin looked at the face of the young man for a while and sat down like a child.

“I understand. I was relying on you in the first place, so I will leave the decision to you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. However – though it may be contradictory for me to say this now – It could be possible... we may need to claim that that we are [Protecting a Woman from the Royal Family] sooner...”

Should Thenardier and Ganelon learn of Regin, they may claim [Tigrevurmud Vorn has given shelter to a certain member of the Royal Family and has concealed it for his own self-interests]. If that is exposed, no matter what excuse he might give, it would not be accepted.

“We cannot just hide it, but it is dangerous to conceal it as well. It is a difficult situation...”

“I will do my best so harm does not befall you.”

Massas looked at Tigre with concern as he smiled toward the Princess so she would not worry. It was clear he would not expose the Princess, but there was another reason Tigre did not tell her.

Regin was a powerful weapon.

''--- She is actually a Princess, yet she has lived as the Prince until now. That alone is enough to shake the people...''

Her name would have the powerful ability to gain political or military powers, and they could use it to show Thenardier and Ganelon's lack of loyalty.

For example, if Roland's assassination by Ganelon was known to Regin, Massas may have strongly recommended revealing her identity because it would be needed to maintain the calmness of the people afterward.

Of course, he would have done this for sure if he and Augre had been unable to successfully repel the Muozinel Army with Tigre.

So long as the allies did not fall into confusion, it would be a large advantage for them.

However, they had to use all their pieces effectively. Even the present condition was a blessing compared to what they had a few months ago.

Soon afterward, the war council ended.

To conceal Regin's position, it was necessary to limit her contact with others as much as possible.

In Perucche Castle, there were many Knights and aristocrats. Naturally, there would be people who recognized Regnas' face. If they followed their intuition, they might have discovered something upon seeing Regin.

Because of this, she stayed deep within the castle and rarely left the room provided for her, and Regin did not seem to have positive interactions with others.

With that said, she could not be left alone as the Princess of a nation. The duty to take care of her personal effects was left to Teita.

When Regin's identity was revealed to her, Teita was greatly surprised and clung to Tigre out of anxiety and tension.

“Tigre-sama... I can't handle such an important task.”

“I thought you might say that. It would be difficult on you, after all. Certainly, you have had little opportunity to meet other aristocrats, let alone someone of the Royal Family.”

Tigre smiled bitterly and pat the head of Teita who had stood completely stiff. The maid with chestnut hair gently watched him as he continued to speak.

“But if it's you, I don't think I need to worry much. Even if she is the Princess, in this situation, you do not need to treat her as such. Please take care of her as you have taken care of me. If there are any problems, I'll find some way to deal with it.”

He hugged Teita and lightly tapped her back to ease her mind. Teita made her decision then.

In fact, there had not been any problems since they began living in the fortress. Regin was quiet and doll-like. Though she quietly asked Teita to do a few small things for her, Teita carried them out sincerely but in a way that would not bother her.

At this time, Teita was wiping Regin's body. The Princess was currently sitting naked on the carpeted floor with her back to the maid who was squeezing hot water out of the cloth in her hand.

In the room was a simple bed and a desk and chair. A candlestick was burning to provide light. With the simplicity of the accommodations, one would not think her to be the Princess of this very country.

''--- She looks used to this...''

Teita thought a variety of things after seeing the Princess acting so calmly.

To the man on the street, a bath was a costly recreation. Usually they would squeeze hot water out of cloth and wipe their body. Teita, as a maid, took efforts to keep her body clean, but she had rarely entered a bath.

Having enough firewood to heat up enough water to fill a tub was a luxury offered at festivals which came one, two times a year.

However, there were facilities in large cities where hot water was collected and people could soak their bodies, the so called public bath house. Rich merchants and aristocrats would head there on a daily basis to cleanse themselves. Of course, such a facility would be present in the Royal Palace.

“--- Teita... was it?”

With her name suddenly called, Teita's shoulders shook in surprise. She tried to answer, but only a small sound left her. She made a mistake without realizing it.

While Teita was crimson and panicking, the white back of the Princess gradually began to shake. It seems she was laughing quite a lot.

“You do not need to be so surprised. I simply wished to express my gratitude to you. I apologize that I have so little to offer you for helping me today.”

“There, there is no need for such a thing...”

Teita shook her head vigorously, having heard such unthinkable words. It was not simply because of what she said, but because it was the Princess who said them; she realized it may have been impolite to refuse. While Teita was conflicted over this, Regin spoke in a quiet voice.

“I have heard you served Earl Vorn for many years.”

“Ah, yes. Um, I have served Tigre-sama since I was 11, so it has been four years now.”

“Tigre...? Come to think of it, others refer to him in such a way...”

Regin looked baffled. Teita briefly described the origin of his name. Regin listened happily as she learned Tigre shortened his name because it was troublesome otherwise.

“Do you mind telling me more about him? It does not matter if it is something trivial. I wish to know more about the person who is lending his power to me.”

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 046.jpg|175px|thumb]]
Though the latter half of her words were spoken as though she was giving an excuse, Teita did not mind. She was simply happy that the Princess liked him.

“I see, that's right. Well then, three years ago...”

While Teita told the Princess stories, the two became friends.

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Lutetia, which Duke Ganelon governed, was located in the northern part of Brune.

It was known for its cool climate, and apples were grown instead of grapes.

Though the wine produced in Brune was widely considered to be delicious, even in neighboring countries, cider was brewed so as not to be outdone. Its slight acidity and exquisite sweetness left a cooling sensation in the throat. Some said it was better than the wine.

Charon Anquetil Greast let out a small breath while drinking apple cider in Lutetia.

He was a man in his early twenties. The color of fatigue blurred the young noble's face, and his normally straight hair had fallen into disorder. Mud was blotted about his luxurious silk clothing.

“Though I just returned from ten days of backbreaking work on the battlefield, this feels rather rewarding on its own.”

Across the walnut table, sitting opposite to Greast was a man the size of a 14 or 15 year old child. He wore a silk hat over his bald head and fine, ornate clothing. Though his eyes were large, his eyelids were small.

The man's name was Maximilian Bennusa Ganelon. He was one of the great powers of Brune alongside Duke Thenardier.

Ganelon's residence was located in Artishem, the capital of Lutetia. It was decorated by fine furniture handcrafted by famous artisans. Even Greast could not help but let out a breath of admiration, even when he was uninterested in such things.

Greast and Ganelon held crystal cups with jewels embedded within.

“Though I am certain it was hard, was it difficult to sleep in the carriage for so long?”

While drinking the apple cider, Ganelon smiled thinly. Greast responded with his own wry smile as he placed his cup on the table. At that moment, the smile disappeared from his face.

“So what did you want? You ordered me to return at once.”

Several days ago, Greast had reached Nemetacum in southern Brune.

Ganelon entrusted command of the troops to him. He had aggressively confronted Thenardier's troops from the vicinity of the King's Capital until he drove them back to Nemetacum.

He roughly understood Steid's, the Commander of Thenardier's Army, personality and how he would move his soldiers. He would have buried him in the next battle.

However, a messenger from Ganelon came to him while he was ordering his troops to march. He was told to [Wait for the Occasion. Have the soldiers remain on standby and return to Artishem at once, even if a single koku early].

Though Greast was given permission to lead the soldiers, and he was about to begin a pleasant campaign, in the end, he only commanded them under Ganelon's permission. Above all, it was not his place to act against orders against the Duke.

“There have been a few interesting things happening recently.”

Ganelon took a sip of the apple cider in the crystal cup before speaking once again.

“First of all, the [Bow] has been used. It seems it is currently in Tigrevurmud Vorn's possession.”

Even Greast let out a small sound of admiration.

''--- How unusual for this country. To think he would be a user of that bow...''

Greast had not seen Tigre's bow. When he was at the meeting representing Ganelon, Tigre naturally did not have his weapon. In the battle afterward, Greast had quickly left the battlefield.

''--- I had heard he repulsed the Muozinel Army to the southeast... Could that have been because of the power of the [Bow]?''

As soon as he began thinking that, Greast quickly shook the thought away.

''--- If that were so, Kreshu would not have spread word of his success. If he becomes stronger by relying on the power of his bow, he would be easy to get rid of. For now, I will withhold my judgment.''

The gray-haired Marquis knew of the [Bow] because Ganelon had taught him. Even so, he still did not have a clear picture of it.

“The second issue is... The girl has fallen into Earl Vorn's hands.”

He referred to Regin. Greast tilted his neck.

“Like I thought, we should have killed her ourselves.”

“If we made a move, Thenardier would have seen through it long ago. That man has a keen sense of smell. It is precisely because we have kept our distance that this ended without him realizing the lass is alive. Still, I must admit I played around too much.”

Ganelon brought his hand to the scruff of his neck. His attitude and voice sounded as if he had committed a trivial blunder.

The means to prove she was a Princess lay in Artishem. Regin was the daughter of King Faron. Ganelon had not killed her thinking he would have the opportunity to use her some day.

Also, Regin was an opponent Ganelon thought little of. She had little credibility, and her origins acted as a large shackle to restrict her movements. That is why he underestimated her.

The timing for Muozinel's invasion was also bad. During that time, Ganelon's subordinates lost sight of Regin.

“Really, Faron did a troublesome thing.”

Ganelon smiled bitterly as he called the King without any honorary titles. It was an unusual thing.

“Most likely, he was not going to make her succeed the throne. He was probably building her reputation up and concocted some plan to have her appear ill so she could live in the monastery. He would be able to defend the honor of his daughter and her mother.”

“So what is Earl Vorn planning to do with her?”

“He is most likely looking for an opportunity. Also, I thought you heard this on your way back, but Drekavac has sent the Dragon to Thenardier.”

He spoke, once again, without any sign of tension. Greast misinterpreted this and made a mild complaint.

“Regrettably, I was unable to see it. I have only heard rumors that it is a {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}.”

“I apologize about that. Do you have any method of killing the Dragon?”

“I'll borrow your head. Do you have an idea, Your Excellency?”

Greast did not respond eagerly as he spoke to Ganelon. The bald Duke with a small body placed his crystal cup on the table and opened his right hand. A miniature sculpture of a Dragon's head was in his palm.

“I have only heard of five – no, six Double Headed Dragons. To think one would appear here.”

A chill went down Greast's backbone as Ganelon responded with a smile. The marquis with gray hair understood the meaning of Ganelon's gesture.

He crushed the Dragon's head in his hand. Ganelon had done so in all seriousness. Greast knew well enough that Ganelon could do this easily if he had the urge to. At the same moment, Greast guessed what Ganelon had in mind for the future.

“What will you do in the future, Your Excellency?”

“I wonder what I should do. Although the situation seems like a deadlock, Thenardier has a Dragon, and Vorn has the [Bow] and the Vanadis, while I have nothing.”

“It will be your victory if you can bring the two together to fight.”

It was not flattery; Greast seriously believed so. He had no confidence of winning against Thenardier and Tigre, even with more soldiers.

“Aside from Thenardier, Vorn...”

Drinking up the apple cider in his crystal cup, Ganelon shook his head.
“There is a chance here. Unlike that frog who eats gold, if the [Bow] or the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} is destroyed, they can't be recovered, and I do not know what Vorn plans to do right now. I would like to get the bow in my grasp---”

While pouring new cider into his crystal goblet, Ganelon continued regretfully.

“I've roughly accomplished my goals here. There is no specific reason for me to remain.”

Greast finally understood. Ganelon had no interest in the throne. Though he may have had some interest in the person in question, he was simply competing with Thenardier to kill time.

“I now understand who has the [Bow]. I would like to see him, so it would be a waste if Drekavac killed him. Then again, he took care of Durandal's user. If he comes here, it would only become troublesome.”

“Is there a possibility of finding a new user for Durandal?”

“As it is, it is only a large sword. I do not think anyone will come for at least another one or two years. I do not believe people from other countries can use it.”

Greast understood what Ganelon was thinking.

“Burn him. I leave the command to you.”

“This is like Roland. It was flashy, but had a hidden purpose.”

The marquis with gray hair spoke his thoughts. Ganelon's cruel method of killing Roland using the bee prison was truly done to kill the user of Durandal.

If Roland had not been able to manipulate Durandal, Ganelon may not have killed him. Since no one realized Ganelon had killed him, it was publicized to be a murder performed in madness.

Ganelon smiled hearing Greast's words.

“Please carry my entire fortune out of Artishem. Bring the soldiers to the south and fight Thenardier's soldiers. We will make it seem like I set fire to Artishem in my madness.”

“... Do you think they will believe this?”

Greast looked doubtful. Ganelon's abnormality was known amongst the aristocrats.

“It is fine if it is only a rumor. The truth will be difficult to find if there is any reason to doubt it. Even if this city burns, Regin will come. Thenardier will learn of her existence, but he will not be able to act.”

''--- Tens of thousands will face each other in the ruined city, is it?''

Greast imagined a gruesome, ugly spectacle and smiled in excitement.

“So you will hide and wait for it to end. What will happen afterward?”

“As soon as Thenardier has declared victory, we will collect the [Bow] and Durandal. If Vorn wins, then I will move to another country. Right now, perhaps Asvarre or Zhcted would be best... Well, I will think of it when the time comes.”

Ganelon's attitude was akin to a child who happily looked forward to a trip.

“That's right. Let's assume there are many traps underground. I would like to see if Regin has exhausted all her luck simply by finding Vorn.”

Ganelon hit his hands as if he had come up with something. Greast looked doubtful.

“Do you plan to appear then?”

“This won't take much effort. I'll do it. I wonder what will happen...”

Hearing Ganelon's thoughts, Greast looked on in dissatisfaction.

''--- It's a bad habit of his. In order to enjoy himself, he does things that lack certainty... ''

However, that was very much like Ganelon. Greast planned the next steps, one after another, after coming up with an idea.

“Incidentally---”

Greast suddenly recalled, while forming his plans, something he had forgotten.

“What will you do with King Faron?”

Greast did not call the King without his title, like Ganelon, but his tone held no respect.

“After Your Excellency leaves the King's Capital, after a number of days pass, that should take effect...”

“--- Leave it.”

Ganelon spoke as if he was talking about a broken toy.

“I have left instructions in the palace to have him drink everything, but it will be done in small amounts. As you said, it will take some time, probably around ten days... However, it is already too late. His flesh and blood aside, it has already seeped into his bones.”

A violent smile appeared on Ganelon's face.

“He will realize it when he wakes up after many days. He may think that man's motive is to crush a troublesome aristocrat. How sweet it will be.”

After emptying the crystal cup he played with, Ganelon laughed, looking at his reflection in the chalice.

“I will not allow any blade that may turn against me to remain.”

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

It was at the same time as when Ganelon and Greast were speaking cheerfully to each other.

In Montauban, a few days south of Artishem, Thenardier had caused a one-sided slaughter.

Montauban was a grassland which spread north of Nemetacum. Though it was very flat, there was a river and a few hills. It was a suitable place for large armies to confront one another.

Since the Thenardier Army, led by Steid, clashed with Ganelon's Army back near the King's Capital, they had continued to lose. They finally began to fight back. In these vast plains, Thenardier's twenty-five thousand strong army fought against Ganelon's army of thirty thousand people.

The Ganelon Army dispersed, having just encountered an overwhelming defeat.

The plains burst into flames in various places due to the fires vomited by the {{furigana|Fire Drake|Prani}}. The grass, which was sparse in the dead of winter, was now completely burnt away. If it were spring or summer, it is possible all of Montauban would have been wrapped in flames.

Amongst the men, five small mountains moved about the land.

They were covered with scales, sharp fangs, and claws. They were large Dragons which towered over all else. Five Dragons fiercely attacked the Ganelon Army. Despite their swords and spears, the enemy was crushed.

The soldiers were turned to lumps of flesh, the ground was red and black, covered in blood and brains. The Ganelon Army had already collapsed. The tough scales of the Dragons were impervious to any blade, and a simple movement could cause a human to be crushed underfoot, bone, flesh, and all.

The horses cried in fear, and every time they were approached by a beast, they were broken and thrown about. Corpses littered the meadow.

Even the officers and men of the Thenardier Army who fought on the victorious side had chills down their spine seeing the tragic spectacle. The only ones not to move a single eyebrow were Duke Thenardier and his aide, Steid.

Felix Aaron Thenardier looked at the battle from his horse. He was tall and had broad shoulders and a thick chest. His rugged face held sharp eyes. He was a man of 42 years.

He had fought off the Muozinel Army in the sea to the south. After driving them back, he went north, stopping only to receive the Dragons from Drekavac, and to meet up with Steid in Montauban to fight the Ganelon Army.

The war began in the winter morning and ended before day's end.

The sun had not even approached its peak. The meadow was bathed in sunlight. Innumerable corpses and massive amounts of blood littered the ground, while small flames and black smoke colored the sky.

Thenardier silently looked over the field.

In his head, the next fight had already begun.

Three thousand from Ganelon's Army were killed in battle.

One thousand were eaten by the Dragons, and one thousand more died. The final one thousand were trampled to death as their allies ran away.

Though it may seem ridiculous, it was quite close at the time. While the Dragons would eat men whole, there were already a considerable amount dead before they arrived.

When the men of the Ganelon Army saw the Dragons, they turned to retreat.

The soldiers who ran away numbered six thousand. The number who surrendered to Thenardier's Army numbered more than twenty thousand.

In comparison, the damage to the Thenardier Army was negligible. The number dead was fewer than five hundred, while the number injured was three thousand at the most.

There was a feast held on a hill to the north of Montauban to celebrate their victory. The aristocrats following Thenardier visited his tent one after another. Thenardier nodded in appreciation and then asked a question.

“--- What do you think is the cause of this upcoming war?”

There were roughly two answers.

“It is probably a result of your brilliant command.”

“Really, to think you have Dragons. I cannot believe you have such uncontrollable monsters fighting for you.”

Their praise for Thenardier was mixed with fear of the Dragons. They would not make any unnecessary remarks before Thenardier after the five Dragons planted such a strong impression in them.

As the night grew old, the feast drew to a close. Thenardier left his tent and looked at the silver crescent moon floating in the sky, illuminating the darkness with its brilliance. He felt the lukewarm wind.

“Where are you going, Your Excellency?”

When the lookout looked at him curiously, the baffled soldier continued to speak curtly.

“I am prepared to receive punishment, your Excellency, but please refrain from careless actions.”

“Please return to your tent.”

Ignoring the soldiers looking at him, Thenardier walked away. Though many guards saw Thenardier, they could only watch him with impatience and confusion as he moved away.

After he passed through countless gazes in the encampment, after walking a short distance away, he was in an area full of soil.

It was a moat used to buy time for if a Dragon broke free. Inside were rare Dragons surrounded by double fences and many layers of earth. Rather than protecting them, they were built to protect the humans outside.

From a floating bridge crossing the moat, Steid appeared with torch in hand from the darkness. He remained expressionless as usual and carried a sword at his waist.

“What is it, Your Excellency?”

“I wish to see the Dragons.”

He answered naturally. Steid followed quickly behind Thenardier.

They passed a second moat and the fences. Thenardier and Steid advanced quickly under the light of the moon and the stars as well as the torch held in Steid's hand.

Soon after they passed the second moat, they came into view of a large tent which housed the Dragons.

Beyond the moats, only two humans, Thenardier and Steid, existed.

Chains were wrapped around the {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}} which was held down by stakes driven deep into the earth. Most Dragons would not be stopped by something like this, but it relieved some of the soldiers' anxieties.

Under the large tent, which was the size of twenty tents used by the soldiers, within a fence, all the Dragons woke up and gazed at Thenardier and Steid as they approached.

“Steid. They really are like cats.”

Thenardier suddenly said those words. His right hand man with fair hair, who had been expressionless until then, showed surprise on his face. The Duke continued to speak without turning around.

“No need to be afraid. They will not just eat you in a moment.”

“... Thank you for the consideration.”

Thenardier looked at the Double Headed Dragon in the back of the tent. Its overwhelming form clearly showed it was not an existence that could be stood up to by trivial creatures like man. Its four eyes shined brightly in the darkness as it looked down at Thenardier in apathy.

It turned its heads to a bloody mound of meat on the floor. Steid divided it and set it before the two heads.

Thenardier stood at the foot of the Double Headed Dragon, his hand placed on its thick scales. Though the Double Headed Dragon remained motionless, the sound of black chains rang throughout.

“Steid. What do you think is the reason for our victory today?”

Thenardier asked Steid a question while confirming the feeling beneath his palm.

“It was the Dragon's strength and the enemy's poor movements.”

Thenardier's loyal subject answered in that manner.

“Though I don't understand the reason, Marquis Greast was suddenly ordered to return to Lutetia. The enemy's movements were dull because of that.”

He explained the reasons to Steid as he recalled the battle.

Ganelon's army was deployed in the fields of Montauban in a faithful manner. Thirteen thousand were in the center, seven thousand on each flank, and two thousand in the rear.

It was not necessarily wrong. When fighting in a plain without many troughs and crests, they would fight them head on with their superior numbers.

Thenardier, on the other hand, had a similar setup; however, he had five thousand in the center, six thousand in reserve, and seven thousand on each wing. Furthermore, the reserve troops was far behind the main force.

The five Dragons were located between the central unit and the reserve forces.

When the fight began, the Ganelon Army fiercely broke through the center, since it was five thousand against thirteen thousand. The troops to the left and right were naturally holding the rest of Thenardier's Army off as they broke through.

The five thousand troops that made the core of the troops could not stand against Ganelon's numbers and threw their arms aside. They ran away and scattered. The Ganelon Army turned to aid its other units, most likely trying to end the battle early.

After their first victory near the King's Capital, the Ganelon Army remained on the offensive. Thenardier's Army continued to retreat ungracefully and were accustomed to moving back.

The moment they had pushed through the center, the Dragons were simultaneously released and they attacked the Ganelon soldiers. Six roars were sounded through the air, drowning out the screams of humans.

The thirteen thousand Ganelon soldiers fell into a state of panic and retreated. Both the flanks also began to surrender.

In addition, there was a group blocking the path of retreat of the Ganelon Army. It was the six thousand strong reserve force. As soon as the fight began, Steid commanded them to move around the outskirts of the battlefield.

This was the bet Thenardier made when using the Dragons.

“If Marquis Greast commanded the men today, we may very well have been defeated.”

Steid said those words. If the Ganelon Army was under Greast's command, they would have moved and acted more carefully. It was also because they moved poorly during their retreat that Thenardier was able to take advantage of them.

“Greast would have cut off our path of retreat earlier on if he were in charge.”

Steid became silent, supporting Thenardier's words. His humility was somewhat unsatisfactory for Thenardier. Though he was an excellent man who stood out above other aristocrats, he was unable to think of a plan or two when using Dragons.

“Steid. I have told you many times that it is natural for the excellent and powerful to stand above others. We need to clearly show our strength every once in a while to show the world our superiority.”

“I agree.”

Steid answered indifferently. It was a conversation frequently exchanged between the two. Thenardier sighed in his mind, hearing Steid's usual response, and continued to speak.

“If you were leading, how would you deal with the Dragons?”

“Melee combat.”

Steid quickly responded. By melee, he meant he would bring friend and foe together, preventing the enemy from using the Dragons.

“And what if they retreat?”

“I will not allow them to retreat. If they try, I would use that opportunity to pierce through their defenses and aim at the General.”

“Assume you are the General of my army and the enemy does this. What would you do in return?”

This time, Steid could not respond promptly. While he thought of a reply, Thenardier stood quietly, calmly touching the Dragon's scales.

His figure showed no signs of fear. There were many who disliked Thenardier, but even they would have to say he was bold.

“My son went to Alsace with two Dragons and died.”

He spoke of Zaien. Thenardier's voice was full of strong emotions. The Dragon moved its neck in response to it, while Steid found himself unconsciously stiffening up from the tension.

“Do not worry, Steid. I am calm.”

Steid was not a man who would be relieved simply with those words. He remained Thenardier's trusted confidante because he could keep his fear and doubt in check.

That is why he asked once again.

“Really, you still wish to do that? Tigrevurmud Vorn seems such an insignificant existence before Your Excellency.”

He avoided bringing up revenge.

“I do.”

Thenardier accepted Steid's words frankly. How unusual, he thought as he looked upon his superior's pale face. Thenardier continued to speak.

“I will not accept it unless I see it with my eyes. I don't know anything about that brat, but if he had no strength, he would have run out of luck long ago and died.”

Thenardier had gathered information on Tigre and Ganelon. He analyzed it and kept thinking on it. Of course, he knew of Tigre's activities.

“He lived through the Battle of Dinant. What's more, he came back to Brune with Zhcted's cooperation.”

He had been in one desperate fight after another since then. He swept away the bases in the Vosyes Mountains, defeated the assassins Thenardier hired, Repelled the Black Knight Roland and the Navarre Knighthood, and even pushed back the Muozinel Army.

After thinking that far, Thenardier remembered one more thing.

''--- Rumor has it he's giving shelter to Regin...''

He was not sure of the facts, but when he heard word that Tigre was protecting the daughter of the Royal Family, Thenardier felt an impact throughout his body, as if he were struck by lightning.

If he had been told Tigre was protecting the prince, he would have laughed it off.

However, Prince Regnas was, so to speak, a virtual image. Thenardier knew he was truly the Princess, Regin.

This small Earl from a frontier territory could not be made light of. Felix Aaron Thenardier knew he must bury the man. If he was left alone any longer, he would become a formidable enemy.

“The soldiers of Zhcted are strong, so it would be best to avoid having them fight against the Dragons. The soldiers of Alsace are out of the question. I wonder where we should attack.”

Though it was an abrupt change in topic, Steid understood immediately that he was talking about how to fight against Tigre.

On their side, the key to victory were their Dragons. For the enemy, it was the Vanadis.

“I heard from those that took part in battle that the Vanadis with a sword blew the Dragon away.”

''--- I thought it was nonsense when I saw the report.''

However, he could do nothing but consent, seeing the strength of a Dragon before him. Only a supernatural power would be able to destroy such a creature. It was not something Thenardier, Steid, or even those with superior military skills could handle.

Thenardier's hand stopped moving and he looked back at Steid. A cruel, cold passion dyed Thenardier's eyes, his violent face projecting through the darkness.

“Steid, Our next battle will be against Vorn. Prepare to take measures.”

A horse, one koku away, ran toward Perucche Castle. He saw the highway, his back to the forests and mountains. There were many small lakes and hunting villages in the region.

Tigre had heard of the area from the soldiers in the fortress, but only showed a tepid reaction when they spoke of it.

Before long, the day grew dark. Late at night, everyone would be asleep.

In a room deep in the castle, Tigre quickly changed his clothes and prepared his bow and arrows. He wrapped a cloth about his head so only his eyes were visible.

Batran, who had served him, would remain here and take care of Tigre's duties, saying Tigre was in poor condition and was resting.

''--- If I leave the castle now, I'll get to the forest before dawn. I can walk around for a koku and come back before mid day.''

Because they had been at Perucche Castle for ten days, he roughly knew its structure, and he had made preparations for it. Using a rope, he climbed out the window and landed on the ground. Carefully erasing his presence, Tigre made his way through the fortress. He had headed toward the back gate to the north and already had an excuse prepared. In his bosom was a letter signed by the General, Tigrevurmud Vorn; it had a seal, so it was the real thing. After all, he, the person in question, prepared it.

He entered a room with a chair and desk that had a window open to the back gate. However, as soon as he opened the window, Tigre heard a voice behind him.

“Where are you going so late at night?”

Hearing a cold voice cross examine him, Tigre cringed on reflex. The next voice he heard, however, had a mixture of laughter and amazement.

When he turned around, he saw Ellen and Lim standing before him. Ellen smiled cheerfully, and Lim appeared antisocial as usual.

“... How did you know?”

Ellen began explaining boastfully with her arms crossed.

“Lim noticed it. If you were going to slip out, you would use the back gate, and you would need to pass through this room. She's been pretty worried about you for the last few days. Honestly, she's ready to become a bride.”

“Wha... What are you saying, so suddenly!”

Hearing her Lord's thoughts, Lim's flat expression broke away immediately and became red. Tigre looked at Ellen and Lim, also embarrassed.

“Is it bad? Tigre may be a Brune person, but when he comes to live in Zhcted, it wouldn't be bad for him to find someone. Isn't it fine, it's not like you two are unfamiliar with each other's body, right?”

She spoke bluntly. Both Tigre and Lim were at a loss for words.

Lim had seen Tigre when he was bathing once before, and Lim's clothes were removed when Tigre sucked out the poison from her body.

Tigre gazed at Lim. Because she was typically stone faced, her panic seemed refreshing.

Perhaps misunderstanding Tigre's gaze, Lim looked at him angrily and covered her chest as she remembered what had happened before.

Tigre opened his mouth to clear up the misunderstanding, but he could not think of anything appropriate to say. This, of course, had the opposite effect.

[[Image:Vanadis V05 - 072.jpg|175px|thumb]]
After watching the two for a while, Ellen turned to Tigre and smiled gently.

“Don't let it trouble you too much.”

“... Sorry.”

Tigre bowed obediently. It would not do for the General to lose himself to his desires and go hunting late at night.

“All right. Let's go, then.”

Ellen cheerfully said goodbye as she waved to him. Tigre turned around vacantly.

“I can't say hunting is useful right now, but I'm sure you need a good walk to clear your mind. Also, I'll go with you... and sorry for what I said.”

Ellen walked away with a gentle smile as she left. Lim walked quietly after her, and, Tigre, after panicking, followed the two.

The three walked to the back gate. The night wind blew, making Tigre duck his head on reflex.

Countless stars and the moon could be seen in the sky. Due to the dark clouds in the sky, there were more along the horizon.

Tigre walked down the road using the moonlight and the stars to light his way. The air was still cold, even as the end of winter approached.

''--- It's been a long time since I felt like this.''

Tigre realized how at ease he felt simply walking through the darkness. With the Muozinel Army's invasion, the situation had not settled down until today. He had had no spare time since then.

What Tigre would do could very well influence the entire country, and the future battle could also influence Zhcted. Without him realizing, many emotions had accumulated.

“To think I would ally with a Vanadis.”

Tigre spoke in a tone akin to a monologue, but he spoke to Ellen rather than himself. She kneeled only before her King and had the power to slaughter a Dragon. How much pressure was placed upon a Vanadis?

“The only one you could sincerely trust was Lim. The vassals led by your predecessor were all excellent, and though I supported you, it was selfish of me to not notice your burden immediately. Really, you've worked so hard.”

Ellen looked at Tigre with gentle eyes.

“The burden you bear is not something I can take, but I can give you support. Lim and I, and Teita as well, so just hold on a little longer.”

“--- That's right. I'll hold off on the fun a little longer.”

After that, Tigre gave his thanks. He felt he must become stronger for the people supporting him.

Suddenly, the longsword at Ellen's waist blew a wind through her hair. The Vanadis with ruby eyes smiled bitterly. After combing her silver-white hair with her hand, she calmed the longsword by tapping its sheathe.

“Of course, this guy trusts you as well. Still, our first meeting was rather sudden.”

Her sword manipulated the wind, as if complaining about Ellen's words, complaining that it was not included.

Seeing Ellen and Arifal communicate with each other, Tigre turned his gaze to the black bow in his saddle. Knowing it was a family heirloom given to him at birth, he felt it eerie and avoided it as much as possible.

''--- Ellen trusts Arifal. I wonder if I can trust this guy.''

Complex emotions ran through his chest. He had relied on the bow's power many times, but Tigre did not trust it completely. Somewhere in his heart, he felt it was dangerous and feared it.

Although he did not feel the odd sensation he once had, he was unable to release his anger that the Goddess of Darkness, Tir na Fa, which had some relation to the bow, had possessed Teita.

''--- Will I understand this bow before I head to LeitMeritz?''

He tried to think about it again. Both Brune and Zhcted had a common religion. There may be a clue on Tir na Fa in Zhcted.

“---Tigre.”

Unexpectedly, Ellen called his name out. The Vanadis looked back at Tigre with an earnest expression.

“Do you remember the words you told me the evening you decided to fight?”

It was the middle of autumn, and it was a night that changed Tigre's fate. He would change from prisoner to something else in a few days. Tigre wiped all idle thoughts from his head and nodded.

“In return for borrowing your soldiers, Alsace would become yours.”

“That's right. Just for the record, you're mine. Given your recent attitude toward Ludmira, it seems you've forgotten your position.”

After blatantly reminding him, Ellen stopped walking and looked at the night sky.

“If I obtain your territory, I will present it to the King. I was able to move my army on the premise that he would have any land I might receive. Alsace's grounds will be under direct control of the King's troops.”

“Though I have heard this before... Is the King of Zhcted good in governing his territories?”

In response to Tigre's question, Ellen smiled ironically.

“Basically, you will govern the territory yourself; however, that doesn't mean there won't be any restrictions. He may grant the Alsace to someone with distinguished services, depending on negotiations with Brune.”

Hearing an answer far from optimal, Tigre made a difficult face and looked at the ground. The light did not reach his feet, as if that very shadow was wrapping about Tigre's future.

He suddenly wondered why she began talking about this.

Suddenly, Ellen gazed straight at Tigre.

“It's a good opportunity, so I'll keep talking.”

Tigre had been wondering since that day. Ellen had loaned her soldiers to him, but he did not know in what way she benefited from it.

With war came consumption of food and fuel. Armor, horses, men, all were lost. If she did not have something to gain, she would not have done all this.

Even looking back at all these past battles, even if Ellen gained control of Alsace, she would still be left with a large deficit.

“My aim was control over Vosyes. That was the only reason, at least at first.”

She spoke with a bitter smile. Tigre tilted his neck. Vosyes referred to the sequence of steep mountains which ran between Brune and Zhcted. There were a few trails and some places where bandits lived, but there was nothing particularly valuable.

“Let me change the topic for a bit. You know that tea Ludmira is always drinking? It comes from Muozinel. The merchants from Muozinel must first head through those mountains to enter Olmutz. The path is well maintained and the security is good.”

Ellen's smile disappeared. She continued without any sign of interest in her appearance.

“Draw a map in your head. When they leave Olmutz, where do they go?”

“... Silesia?”

It was the Royal Capital of Zhcted Kingdom and the most prosperous city in the country, so merchants travel there.

“That's right. They don't go to LeitMeritz where I govern. Naturally, they would go to Silesia because the flow of money is good there. The market is crowded and there are products from many countries there, including Brune. I also direct merchants toward Silesia.”

When Ellen looked away from the sky, she folded her arms and looked at Tigre. Her red eyes looked at him in interest. Tigre, not knowing her intention, looked away in embarrassment. Lim, who had remained silent, came to his rescue.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. The other time, when Eleanora-sama rushed to Legnica, there were merchants from Brune and Asvarre who were visiting from across the sea.”

Hearing her words without explanation, Tigre ran through the map in his head once again. Merchants from Muozinel, Olmutz, Legnica...

He was startled. Tigre clapped his hands without thought. Ellen smiled upon seeing his reaction. The young Lord of Alsace turned to the Vanadis with silver-white hair to confirm his answer.

“Your purpose is to make Brune pay for a mountain path between Alsace and LeitMeritz through the Vosyes Mountains?”

Ellen smiled brightly. Apparently it was the correct answer.

“Not quite perfect, but you pass. My LeitMeritz is not poor, but the inflow of goods from other countries is inferior to the other territories.”

“Though merchants from the King's Capital visit LeitMeritz, the price is still higher compared to other lands, and we do not get much, either. Though, because of this, LeitMeritz has retained all its local cultures.”

Lim added with a gentle voice.

“This is a problem that has existed since the previous Vanadis. We've been keeping an eye on the mountain paths of Vosyes. If it's further maintained and security is improved, it will become the shortest path connecting Nice and Silesia.”

There must have been a reason it had remained untouched until then.

It takes money, time, and people for maintenance. Furthermore, the Vosyes Mountains were on the western edge of LeitMeritz, so the burden would be massive.

Since it was near the border, any attempts to maintain the highway would stimulate Brune. Since it was along the border, they would undoubtedly have doubts about being invaded.

“It won't go just because we think about it. Though I had thought about working on it for some time, well, it turned out the way it is.”

Ellen smiled bitterly.

“It isn't a war to obtain territory but a war to gain new ties.”

If Thenardier is defeated, his money would be used to maintain the paths across Vosyes. Of course, it would receive the official recognition of Brune Kingdom. This would be the cheapest way to have this done in comparison, though she would have to keep an eye out for obstructions and delays.

The King of Zhcted would also allow it. To keep an eye out on Brune, he would protect Alsace, which was under his direct control.

“Why did you wait until now to tell me?”

“Even if I told you before, I'm not sure if you would understand.”

Ellen responded as if unconcerned. Tigre shrugged his shoulders bitterly. Though she said it bluntly, he did not mind at all. He was sure he would not understand in those days where his eyes were only on Alsace.

“And more than anything – I just wanted you to know.”

Ellen said those words with her back turned to Tigre.

After that, they walked for a quarter koku and returned to the castle.

However, he had no chance to rest. Surprising information appeared unexpectedly.

“The scout who returned from Lutetia a short time ago reported that Artishem has been burnt... It has burned to the ground.”

Tigre was unable to understand his words for a moment. After taking three breaths, he finally understood and stood in stunned surprise.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Epilogue - MTL

2013-11-28T14:37:27Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Epilogue ===
That night, several thousand people traveled across Ormea Plains to reach a local castle.

They consisted of members of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, the Olmutz Army, three different Knighthoods, men serving under various nobles, and refugees from Agnes.

The moon was high in the sky, and the residents were wrapped in blankets and off to the world of dreams, but the people on duty were still awake.

“I'll leave the distribution of food to you. Do this quickly, citizens of Brune.”

“Those of you from Zhcted, if you have time to talk, why not go on patrol? Those of you who can't move, use your head. Use it twice as much to make up for what your body can't do.”

Rurick and Gerard sarcastically assigned miscellaneous duties, staying up throughout the night. They seemed to be working unwillingly.

However, their leaders were even more busy. Even though they had not yet recovered from the fatigue of battle, Tigre went to visit all the nobles and Knights. Unable to refuse their requests, he ended up offering his help.

Massas, Augre, and Auguste managed the place to prevent overcrowding. Eventually, he was able to meet Teita and Batran. He had finally returned safely and gave brief words to greet them.

After all the meetings at the end of the day, Tigre sat down and sighed strongly. Two beautiful women looked down at the young man with red hair who was exhausted. They were Mira and Ellen.

“Tigre. Come to my place. I will make you some tea to help you get rid of your fatigue.”

While teasing him and speaking to him with care, Mira stretched out her hand with an expression that was more cute than beautiful. On the other side, Ellen was being more direct and simply pulled Tigre to a stand.

“Unfortunately, Tigre and I need to chat for a bit... Let's go.”

However, Mira did not stand there silently. She stood before Ellen, preventing her from leaving. The two Vanadis glared at each other dangerously.

“You were a woman who was not there when it was most important. What could you possibly say to him now?”

“I should say the same to you. You managed to use his kindness to sell your help at a high price.”

“Even you are not helping him for free.”

“I've never jacked up the price just by how the person talks, unlike a certain someone.”

Every time they spoke, their eyes became sharper and their mouths distorted more. Tigre did not feel the need to arbitrate. He was mentally tired, and it was simply too bothersome.

Mira began to speak to object to Ellen's provocative attitude.

Suddenly, a soldier of Olmutz stopped by with a report saying it was necessary for Mira to be present to manage the troops and the supplies.

“I understand. Once I finish my business, I will return.”

There was no hesitation in Mira's response. She was not one to give priority to her own conveniences over public matters. Though her expression did not change, Tigre and Ellen could not miss the disappointment coloring her eyes.

“... Um, thank you for inviting me, Mira. If you are fine with it, perhaps another time.”

Tigre spoke with the intent to comfort her, telling her she did not have to worry about it. Mira smiled in return and nodded.

It was an unexpected windfall for Ellen. Once she saw Mira walk away with a slightly complex expression, she pulled herself together and pulled Tigre out by the arm.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere where we won't be interrupted.”

The two left the camp and walked to a prairie where the wind blew. They walked a long distance at a leisurely pace until Ellen stopped.

“... Yeah, this should be good enough.”

Ellen quietly let go of Tigre's arm. The two sat on the ground with a wind dancing vibrantly about the surroundings. Perhaps Arifal had created it.

“Half a koku. You've been busy, so at least a quarter koku. It should be nice to spend your time in a place like this without doing anything.”

Tigre understood at last. She wanted to take him away from the camp so he could rest.

Ellen smiled gently and held out her right hand. Within her grasp was a liquor bottle.

“I picked it up in your tent and hid it for our walk.”

“... I didn't notice at all.”

Tigre was not particularly slow. He was simply tired, and he always relaxed his mind when he was near Ellen.

“I wonder if anyone will notice you're gone? Well, I suppose those that look for you will just think you're loitering about.”

Ellen took a quick drink from the bottle in her hand and let out a deep breath. Her eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction as she glared at Tigre, and she spoke with a gruff voice.

“Really, I wish you'd be a bit more aware. The moment I leave, some girl acts a little kindly to you, and you start drooling... You know, she's shorter than me and her breasts are smaller, too.”

Tigre was at a loss for words. Ellen pushed the alcohol to him.

Tigre gazed at the bottle, both tension and confusion in his face. He was embarrassed that he was finding it difficult to put anything into words.

However, Ellen gazed at him happily.

After a bit of hesitation, Tigre took the container and gulped it down. It was sweet and had a crisp acidity which pierced his nose and throat.

“... It's good.”

“Isn't it?”

Ellen smiled proudly as Tigre returned the bottle. Ellen brought it to her mouth then suddenly looked at the bottle intently. Her face was serious and dyed red.

Tigre noticed her in the periphery of his view, but he could not turn to look at her in the dark. From her movements, he could tell she drank more.

She passed the bottle to Tigre again. He took it and drank more. His body was heating up from the inside. It was probably because of the alcohol.

The bottle eventually became empty as they drank in turns.

“It was good. Thanks.”

After that, Tigre turned to Ellen with his entire body, sat upright, and called her name.

“--- I'm sorry.”

He bowed deeply, his head to the ground.

“Many died.”

He was speaking of the soldiers from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

It was composed of a mixture of Brune and Zhcted soldiers. The Zhcted soldiers were Ellen's subordinates, and, depending on Tigre's decisions, many might have survived.

For the people who live in Brune, including Tigre, the invasion by the Muozinel Army was not a problem for others, but that was different for the soldiers from Zhcted.

The Olmutz Army followed Ludmira and fought for her, but the soldiers of LeitMeritz, including Rurick, fought for Tigre. What were their feelings, even if they were chosen by Ellen to stay behind?

“... Look up, Tigre.”

Tigre sat up after hearing Ellen's voice. The girl with silver-white hair smiled gently at him.

“Lie down.”

Ellen lay on the ground as she said that. Though a bit embarrassed, Tigre lay next to her. Though he could feel the cold ground against his back, he could feel a heat in his body and head.

However, Tigre ignored that heat and looked about.

The sky was full of stars. Perhaps there were an innumerable amount of stars in his vision that would take a lifetime just to count. Though it was something he was used to seeing, it was curiously fresh.

He felt something soft touch his hand; it was Ellen's hand. Her slender, delicate hands did not seem like hands that brandished a sword about. Tigre softly grasped her hand.

“There is no need to regret the fights you have been in until today.”

Ellen muttered quietly, as if her voice was swallowed by the darkness.

“Yeah. I won't then.”

“That's good. For those who have fought bravely for you, please pray to whatever God you may believe in.”

After repeating Ellen's words in his mind several times, Tigre understood.

“Thank you.”

Inadvertently, he had put strength in the hand holding hers, grasping her fingers strongly.

When he turned toward Ellen, she tilted her head. There was valiance as a warrior, a brightness, and some expectation in her red eyes.

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_288.png|175px|thumb]]
“... To tell you the truth.”

Quietly, Ellen spoke in a tone as if she were telling a secret story.

“I thought of you many times on the way to Legnica.”

Her words broke off, but Tigre understood.

''How about you?'' Ellen was silently asking him.

He did not recall thinking about her, but he always had a yearning to see her again.

“... I kept thinking about how reliable you would be by my side.”

She twisted his fingers, but because he expected it, he did not feel pain.

“Why were you thinking about that during your fight? Well, I do understand, but... Couldn't you have chosen some better words? Weren't you worried about me?”

The silence from before had vanished. Ellen narrowed her eyes in dissatisfaction. Her tone was sulky rather than angry. Tigre apologized obediently, but he did not think “worry” was an appropriate term.

“I probably thought it would be fine if it were you. After taking care of your enemy, you would return.”

“What if I was captured or in trouble?”

Tigre could not immediately think of a response to answer the pouting girl next to him. Rather than thinking about it, there was probably only one answer he could give to her question.

“If I knew it, I would go to help you at once.”

It was not a false show of strength or honor, but purely sincere words. The person in question blinked involuntarily.

“... Yeah, that's right.”

After staring intently at Tigre, Ellen returned her gaze to the skies. She finally said she would do the same for Tigre.

The wind blew lightly between the two. It was not natural; her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} was being mischievous.

“That's right... You could push back an enemy numbering fifty thousand. I'm sure you could do that.”

Ellen muttered quietly, her face and tone were happy, but her voice did not reach Tigre through the wind. For a while, the two looked up at the night sky with their hands joined.

The girl with silver-white hair had a red face full of satisfaction.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Chapter 5 - MTL

2013-11-28T14:25:00Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== The Revelation ===
Tigre was glad to see Massas and Augre, especially since they had just pulled him out of a dire situation. Kreshu must have realized, though, that he still had three times the troops as Tigre.

He pulled back the injured to protect the refugees while he reorganized the line. He continued to watch the Muozinel Army retreat until they disappeared from sight.

While Tigre was still watching, a messenger from the Muozinel Army appeared. After giving some thought, Tigre, Ludmira, and Massas decided to have a meeting..

He wanted to impress the cooperation with the Zhcted Army by having Ludmira present, and Massas would act as an adviser to prevent the negotiations from being troublesome.

Rurick and Gerard were tired, and there were circumstances that required Augre to speak to the other aristocrats.

At any rate, they brought the messenger into the tent to speak.

“I came by the orders of the younger brother of Muozinel's King, Kreshu Shaheen Baramir. Earl Vorn. You have put up a good fight and appear to be popular with a variety of aristocrats and Knighthoods. We sincerely salute you. It is Brune's mistake to show such contempt for archery. You have the capability to hit your target while firing far above the battlefield buried in soldiers. Your skill is reminiscent of a legend in our country about a man who was called {{furigana|[Star Shooter]|Silvrash}}...”

They were words of praise given to excellent archers in Muozinel. Even so, a complicated feeling welled up within Tigre.

"--- Is that supposed to be a nickname for the Commander of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}..."

The messenger continued speaking, giving words of flattery to the extent that it was disgusting.

While polite on the outside, Ludmira was abusing him with frosty words. They could not afford to fight the Muozinel Army any longer. Careless words could not be afforded.

“--- Tigre.”

After the messenger left, Massas tapped on Tigre's shoulder.

“You have won. You have defended your people.”

“... Did I, really?”

“I believe so. They are too far away to worry about a trap.”

The old earl laughed. Finally, Tigre could feel relief.

“Lord Massas. I am sorry, but may I rest for a while? I would like you to do something in the meantime.”

“Yes. You fought hard... You can leave this to me and get some rest.”

Massas nodded and stroked his gray beard, leaving the tent in good spirits.

Ludmira who stood next to Tigre was also preparing to tell the soldiers from Olmutz to return.

Suddenly, her eyes opened wide.

Tigre's body had leaned over and fallen onto Ludmira.

“Wai... What?”

Ludmira's could not possibly support Tigre's full weight with her small frame when she was caught off guard. Ludmira let out a small cry as she fell in place. Fortunately, it was covered in carpet, so she felt no pain.

“What are you doing?”

Ludmira gripped Tigre's shoulder and started to push him away when she noticed Tigre was breathing deeply in sleep.

Tigre had completely entered the world of dreams.

''--- Should I freeze him to wake him up?''

Ludmira thought such a thing when she looked at Tigre's sleeping face. The anger in her face disappeared as she looked at him seriously. His hair was a mess, there were scratches and signs of frostbite all across his face, and exhaustion was clearly present around his eyes.

“... You have fought for such a long time.”

He had led his army from Territoire to Agnes, traveling for many days and entered battle in the land of Agnes full of sandstone. Even when the battlefield moved to Ormea, he had fought against an opponent tens of thousands in size. The pressure was unusual.

“Did something happen?”

From outside the tent, a soldier asked a question after hearing the sound of Tigre collapsing. Ludmira said nothing happened, convincing the soldier.

Even with such loud sounds near his ear, Tigre showed no sign of awakening. Ludmira smiled, corrected her posture, and embraced Tigre closely.

“That stubbornness you have pride in, you certainly did show it to me.”

From the bottom of her heart, Ludmira felt it was the correct decision to cooperate with Tigre.

Since he had taken action to contact those in the surroundings, his story would certainly spread quickly. Tigre would become a powerful force in the future. Appealing to his sincerity would guarantee he would repay his debt immediately.

However, Ludmira had found a desirable partner in Tigre. She was honestly happy about that.

“--- You worked very hard. You really are great... Tigre.”

She had called him Tigre, the name she remembered Ellen used. Though she said it quietly, she was strangely embarrassed as her face flushed red and her chest burned hot.

When she thought about it, she only called Sophie and Sasha, both Vanadis, by their nicknames. Never once in her 16 years of life had she spoken in such an intimate manner with a member of the opposite gender.

When she was young, men would speak to her with reverence as a daughter of the Vanadis. This did not change when she succeeded the position. Ludmira accepted it as a matter of course.

''--- But... This is not too bad.''

As for Tigre, even with his mysterious black bow with the power of a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}, you could say he did not look to be an equal to the Vanadis.

Ludmira quietly smiled and gently patted Tigre's hair.

“Sweet dreams, Tigre.”

Soon, power leaved from Ludmira's body and she fell on top of Tigre, breathing deeply as she fell asleep.

After more than a quarter koku had passed, Gerard visited the tent to speak to Tigre, but when he saw the two sleeping while embracing each other, he left the tent, deciding he had not seen anything.

Gerard also told the guard that Tigre was asleep and gave strict orders not to disturb Tigre until morning. Gerard was to be contacted for anything necessary. He then happily walked away.

[[Image:Vanadis V04 - 005.jpg|thumb]]

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Due to Gerard's favor, Tigre did not awaken until night fell. Though he vaguely understood something warm was touching him, it was dark and his mind was dim.

For the moment, he touched whatever the soft sensation was that was embracing him. Since he was half asleep, he did not think much. A question suddenly appeared in his mind when a sweet scent tickled his nose and a faint sigh touched his ears.

He opened his eyes. Though it took some time to get accustomed to the darkness, Tigre was becoming increasingly aware.

''--- Why is it so warm...?''

Once his eyes had become accustomed to the dark, he recognized that Ludmira had nestled up to him and his right hand was currently massaging her right breast. Tigre realized that was the source of the soft feeling.

“... How long do you intend to continue touching me?”

An unexpected voice was heard. A scream was half-way swallowed by Tigre and only leaked out slightly. The hand touching her breast was gripped.

Slowly, Ludmira opened her eyes.

“It is unavoidable since you were half asleep... But why did you touch me?”

“Be, because it was soft...?”

Because his head was not yet fully active, his voice was hollow and his response came out as a question.

Even so, he could not think of any other reason. He thought it was like the body of a dog with long hair in which he might want to bury his face in, but he remained silent because he did not think he could easily say that this instance.

“In that case – what is with your body's reaction?”

Ludmira glanced coldly at Tigre's waist. Even if he explained the truth, she would not understand, and even if she did, she would not be convinced.

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_240.png|175px|thumb]]
“... Wa, wait, wait a minute. It will settle down in the cold.”

“Shall I help? If you want, I can cool it in an instant, though it may freeze off and rot.”

Tigre did not answer but sat up and gave a humble apology.

“--- Very well. I am also in the wrong for sleeping next to you.”

Ludmira finally spoke after Tigre apologized for what seemed to have been one thousand times. After all that, he spoke quietly.

“Will you forgive me?”

When Tigre looked up in surprise, Ludmira nodded with a sigh.

“As I said just now, it was partly my fault. I will forgive you.”

Tigre thanked her once more. Ludmira stood up midway, paying no mind to his words, and walked toward the exit. As she was about to exit, she turned back and looked at Tigre.

Though her face was dyed red, he could not tell for certain. It may have been an illusion in the dark tent.

“Let us have some tea. Follow me.”

Tigre stood up and followed after her with black bow in hand.

Leaving the tent, they walked beneath the cloud-covered sky. Hundreds of tents and fires could be seen past Tigre's white breath.

Tigre called a nearby lookout and asked for the situation.

“Are you well rested, Earl Vorn? Since you were last seen, there have been no particular movements amongst the soldiers. Most have been setting up tents and reorganizing.”

Tigre was reminded once again that it was a fierce battle. After asking for the location of the Olmutz soldiers, Ludmira took off. Naturally, Tigre followed her quietly.

“What will you do from now on?”

While walking through the frigid darkness, Tigre asked Ludmira.

“First, I will confirm the situation of my army. Eleanora has not yet returned, so I suppose I should ask if you still wish to cooperate more?”

Ludmira stopped her words and gazed sharply in a specific direction. Tigre followed her gaze.

''--- What is that...?''

It was a large shadow appearing before them. The moment he set eyes on it, an intense chill ran down Tigre's spine. His voice would not come out.

It was clearly darker against the light of the bonfires.

“... They say the hour before dawn is the darkest.”

Even against such a strange sight, Ludmira seemed calm, but there was no room in her expression. Looking closely, she was blotted with sweat.

The shadow looked as if it were laughing, grinning. It turned around and walked without a sound. Ludmira followed it with a grim look. Tigre was unable to keep up with the situation and followed after her.

“What... was that?”

“I heard about it from my mother. It is a ghost, a monster, or some kind of demon... It is my first time seeing it.”

A cold wind from the {{furigana|Frozen Wave|Lavias}} in Ludmira's hand wrapped about her body, as if protecting its master.

“We cannot afford to leave it be... Follow me.”

She did not allow Tigre to put a word in otherwise, but she was worried in her own way. Tigre nodded at last.

''--- Monster, demon... I thought of these things as fairy tales.''

He strongly grasped the black bow in his hand. Tigre had something in his hand which belonged to the realm of fairy tales. He could not bring himself to deny Ludmira's words, especially as she was a Vanadis.

The shadow, not recognized by the soldiers, walked quickly ahead with light steps.

''--- Is it just Ludmira and I that are aware of this...?''

Thinking of Ludmira's words, it was likely it was after the Vanadis, but he needed to think of the possibility it was after him.

When the time came, Tigre was determined to help her, even if he needed to use the power of his bow.

Not defend, but fight together.

The two tirelessly chased after the shadow into a meadow some distance from the camp.

Suddenly, the shadow stopped and turned around. As it faded away, a young man emerged with a thick green cloth wrapped loosely about his short, black hair. His body was of average height and weight, and he wore a coat with fur lining the collar and sleeves.

“--- So both Lords came. No matter.”

The young man smiled brightly and spoke to himself while in a strange stance. His legs were spread and his body was leaned forward severely.

“I will have you come with me, Boy.”

The youth smiled at Tigre and kicked off the ground in his unusual posture. A moment later, his body was in the air at a height impossible for a normal human.

“Get away, Tigre!”

Ludmira shouted at him and held her spear of ice to meet the man.

“You are in the way, Master of the Frozen Wave.”

The man smiled thinly. Ludmira thrust her spear out as the man fell in accordance to gravity; however, the man stopped the blow which could easily pierce through iron with his bare hands. He used the recoil to change his trajectory and moved toward Ludmira's head.

The blue-haired Vanadis rotated her spear to block the man's kick. At the same time, Tigre shot an arrow he had nocked. The two fought as if their very breaths were united.

A surprising spectacle occurred yet again. The man caught the tip of the Frozen Wave with his bare hand and caught the arrow coming toward him with his tongue, which was longer than Tigre's arm.

“What's this. This seems pretty normal.”

The man muttered in regret as he lightly kicked Ludmira's spear and spun in the air. He landed some distance away. Tigre and Ludmira could not move for an instant. They had seen the man's tongue which was far beyond human.

“You... What are you?”

The man laughed after hearing Tigre's hoarsely spoken question.

“My friends call me Vodyanoy. You may as well.”

It was a name Tigre had heard. It was the name of a monster from fairy tales.

“It is an old story, but Vodyanoy was the name of a frog demon...”

Ludmira spoke while carefully measuring the interval between them and Vodyanoy.

“An abnormal jumping ability and a long tongue. You really are like a frog.”

The young person with the name of a demon simply shrugged his shoulder.

“Master of the Frozen Wave. I am not here for you.”

“Is that so. Unfortunately, I will still need to fight.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

Vodyanoy returned light words to Ludmira's joke. Ludmira responded with a fearless smile.

“My predecessor once said that Lavias is called the {{furigana|[Spear of Evil Death]|Hajya no Senkaku}}. It is a weapon to kill [Demons], and one stands before me now.”

“Is that so. Give it a try.”

A smile of ridicule floated to Vodyanoy's face, as if to provoke Ludmira. Tigre nocked an arrow in his bow and decided to silently watch how events would play out.

''--- He said he came for me.''

His head was a mess. What exactly was the aim of this monster clad in human skin? It was likely the bow.

From the moment this black bow fell into Tigre's hands, during his encounters with Ellen, it had brought him into a tremendous world. Did the bow bring him to this world, or was it something decided at birth?

''--- I need to calm down.''

He scolded himself. He chose to use the bow; it was not because it was a family heirloom, nor did his father force him to use it. Though he was surprised by the power in the bow, he had not thrown it aside. It was because of this bow that he had gotten as far as he had.

While Tigre was thinking, the battle between Ludmira and Vodyanoy continued.

Vodyanoy parried every blow Ludmira dealt with his bare hands. Even with the cold released at the tip, his attitude showed signs of relaxation, and his hand was unmarred.

On the other hand, Ludmira was breathing heavily.

Though the fatigue from the previous day had not yet disappeared, the mental fatigue from facing an unknown individual whose true character was yet to be revealed was even larger.

Vodyanoy collided and retreated at the same time. In that moment, Tigre pulled three arrows from his quiver and nocked his bow, pulling back forcefully. The three arrows flew at Vodyanoy. It was quick to the eyes for both Ludmira and the monster.

For a moment, Vodyanoy inhaled slightly, showing his admiration. The monster spit out a small amount of a purple, poisonous liquid. It hit the arrows before they met Vodyanoy.

It let out an eerie sound, like water evaporating, as the arrows melted and fell to the ground. Tigre and Ludmira understood it had spit out some kind of acid.

While Tigre prepared another arrow, he ran up to Ludmira who had still not regulated her breathing.

“Are you okay?”

“You have no time to worry about me. It is after you.”

“There should be no problems if you can speak that much.”

He forced himself to smile.

The Muozinel Army had finally retreated. They had no time to be fighting some unknown creature. Neither he nor Ludmira wanted to even see such a grotesque creature.

While he had his hand on his bow, the blue-haired Vanadis whispered to Tigre.

“Can you stop his movements? A single moment is fine.”

“... I will somehow manage with this bow.”

Tigre realized Ludmira's goal at once. It was a power that originally lent its strength to Tigre's bow. She would use the power of her weapon as the Master of the Frozen Wave.

“Very well. I will leave it to you.”

After hearing her thanks, Tigre nocked an arrow to shoot Vodyanoy; however, Vodyanoy simply looked at them as if bored.

“... Is it possible you can't use your bow?”

Seeing its disbelieving look, Tigre began sweating.

“But you have used it at least once... Perhaps it is unstable? Or perhaps you can't use it unless you're on the verge of death.”

“What is your purpose?”

He carefully selected his words so as not to say anything unnecessary. It would be more advantageous if he thought Tigre could not use his bow.

“I want you and the bow.”

Vodyanoy concisely responded with a smile.

“If you come with me, I will overlook the Master of the Frozen Wave.”

“... I refuse.”

It was not Tigre who answered but Ludmira. She kicked off the ground with her spear as a mass of crystals formed. She cut the distance to Vodyanoy at a furious speed. The ground was frozen by the power of the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} and she slid on top of it.

Ludmira closed in on Vodyanoy and thrust the Frozen Wave forward while lowering her waist. She channeled power through her entire body and jumped high, but she did not intend to release the monster with a human's appearance.

“---- {{furigana|Freeze the Sky|Shero Zam Kafa}}.”

A huge gust of cold thrust into the ground. Large hexagonal crystals surrounded Ludmira. With her spear pointed to the ground, a large pillar of ice thrust up through the air.

Vodyanoy's expression showed surprise for the first time. He destroyed the pillars of ice with his fist and moved his body, trying to escape.

At that time, Tigre shot an arrow. It was a normal arrow, without using the power of his bow, so Vodyanoy ignored it and casually knocked it away with his hand.

Immediately after, a sound was heard as Vodyanoy's movements stiffened for an instant. One arrow had torn through the monster's clothes, pinning them to the pillar of ice.

Tigre knew his first shot would be knocked away, so he shot two arrows in rapid succession.

Ludmira closed in on Vodyanoy again, running along the ice. Vodyanoy spit out his purple acid, but it was frozen and shattered before reaching Ludmira.

The Frozen Wave collided with the monster's fist, causing a small explosion of light. Ludmira was pushed back with a small scream.

“Master of the Frozen Wave! Right here, you will---!”

Vodyanoy could not speak another word. He swallowed his words upon sensing a force with his entire body. He stared at Tigre with wide eyes.

Tigre grasped his black bow and aimed an arrow toward Vodyanoy.

A black light gathered around the arrowhead.

While Vodyanoy was impatient, Tigre was unnaturally calm. Perhaps it was because of the trust the Vanadis placed in him or the strength of the bow, either way, Tigre had a clear mind.

For the first time, Tigre utilized the power of his bow without hesitation. He was able to endure the pressure attacking his body.

As Ludmira landed on the ground, she heard a cold wind blow past her ears as large hexagonal crystals were sucked away. The arrowhead was covered in a black light and clumps of ice, surrounded by an unnatural silence.

At last, Vodyanoy noticed. Even Ludmira's {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} was absorbed.

''--- Blow him away...!''

Tigre shot the arrow with an adamant will. A jet of frozen air followed behind the arrow as it flew toward Vodyanoy at a speed beyond a normal arrow.

The monster's eyes followed the incoming arrow accurately; his fist was before him as it caught the projectile.

At that moment, Vodyanoy's right arm froze and shattered in fragments. Before he realized it, the arrow of ice was thrust right before his chest.

Unable to change his posture in the air, Vodyanoy's body was frozen by the tremendous force. There was no sound as he was blown away.

The fog melted in the morning sun. The body of the demon turned to grains of ice and disappeared in the air.

''--- Did we get it...!?''

All at once, a large sense of exhaustion hit Tigre's body. It was impossible for him to stand up. Ludmira ran up to him, looking down with eyes full of amazement.

“... Just now, was that the power of your bow?”

Though his expression was languid, he nodded. Ludmira reached out to Tigre, her face full of concern.

“Can you stand?”

“... The other day, I nearly fainted. Compared to that...”

It was better since he was still conscious. Even so, his body was heavy enough that he just wanted to lie in place, though it would be troublesome to do so.

“I suppose it cannot be helped.”

Ludmira supported Tigre, but since she was short in stature, Tigre ended up dragging his foot. Tigre thanked her with a bitter smile.

“This is no big deal. Even so, it is difficult to believe that just happened...”

“I doubt we will ever understand what that thing was... no matter who we ask.”

“I could not do it... Without your power, we would not have won.”

As she looked to the side, she noticed Tigre's face before looking away with a faint blush. The two caught the sound of horses running through the forests at the same time. It was not one or two, either. It was an army of several hundred.

“... An enemy?”

“No, it is different.”

Tigre quietly dispelled Ludmira's unease. The camp should have noticed this many approaching sooner, yet they remained quiet.

Tigre's anticipation came true soon enough. A ray of light illuminated the figures to the east. They rode beneath the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}.

Amongst the large group of cavalry, two shadows approached.

“Tigre!”

It was the nostalgic sight of silver-white hair and crimson eyes. It was Ellen followed by an expressionless girl with golden hair tied in a tail from the left side of her head. Tigre summoned all his strength to wave to Ellen and Lim.

“I just got back---”

After confirming Tigre's appearance, Ellen ran toward him on her horse with a smile. Her bright smile disappeared abruptly. She approached with a clearly displeased look.

After she approached a few steps closer, she looked down with a sharp glance. Tigre was puzzled by her attitude.

“... What is the meaning of this, you?”

Tigre was confused for a moment, then he noticed the words were not directed at him.

“... What might you mean?”

The right arm supporting Tigre seemed to freeze in an instant. Ludmira spoke with a tone so cold, even the breath before her seemed to be tinged with ice.

“I will ask carefully so you won't misunderstand. Why did you help Tigre? Perhaps you wish to take his bow?”

For every word she spoke, Tigre felt as though the air had gotten colder. Ludmira answered with a refreshed smile.

“Is it so unnatural to lend my shoulder to Tigre, who is so very important to me?”

“--- When did you start calling Tigre so intimately? What do you mean by an important person? Did your head stop working from the cold?”

Incidentally, Tigre felt the tension increase with every word. If he spoke a single word, he would attract the attention of the two Vanadis. It was frightening.

“Many things have happened since you were last here. Many things---”

Ludmira emphasized her last words more than necessary to provoke Ellen. After that, she whispered in Tigre's ears.

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_256.png|175px|thumb]]
“Tigre, please allow me to call you that from now on. You may call me Mira.”

“Mi, Mira?...”

Inadvertently, Tigre raised his voice more than usual. Ellen did not miss it. She got off her horse violently and approached Tigre with an expression full of murderous intent.

“Tigre. Although I hoped to meet you again with a smile... It seems we have a problem.”

“Relax, Tigre. I will protect you.”

After quietly setting Tigre on the ground, Ludmira – Mira – stood before Ellen.

The two Vanadis exchanged intense glares. While Tigre looked at the two, someone lightly tapped his shoulder. When he turned around, Lim was kneeling on the ground, her index finger right before her mouth.

Tigre swallowed his words and nodded. Lim quietly carried the man with dull red hair on her back and stood up as if Tigre were simply a backpack. She lightly ran from the spot without emitting any unnecessary sounds. With their gazes unwavering, neither Ellen nor Mira noticed.

After they had separated enough from the Vanadis, Lim opened her mouth.

“I hope you can explain the situation, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

She spoke with a strong tone with a faint glimpse of anger inside. Tigre, accustomed to her typical scolding, flinched slightly, though it was true he needed to give an explanation.

Tigre explain the entire situation, from when the Muozinel Army invaded until it withdrew. Tigre took a few breaks due to his fatigue, but Lim patiently waited for him to finish.

“So that is what happened...”

After hearing the entire story, Lim nodded in consent. As the camp came into sight, Tigre managed to stand on his feet. It would be bad if his soldiers saw him being carried by piggyback.

“There are many things I want to tell you...”

Lim turned to Tigre with those words and smiled warmly.

“But first things first. Thank you for the hard work, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Massas greeted Tigre when he entered the General's tent with Lim.

“You went on a walk early in the morning.”

“... I'm sorry. I was too tired and fell asleep early.”

Despite scolding Tigre, Massas was worried about him. After that, the old earl exchanged greetings with Lim.

“Has the Vanadis returned? It's a good thing we could all meet again safely.”

“We will not die so easily, no matter how many people are after us.”

Massas laughed after hearing Lim's response.

“By the way, Lord Massas. What are you doing so early in the morning?”

“Yes, well...”

Massas hesitated for a moment but spoke when he felt their gazes on him.

“I received a report that someone strongly resembling His Highness the Prince is here, so I wished to speak to you first.”

“The Prince?”

Tigre frowned. He was not sure if there was a person like that, though there was a chance someone like that existed amongst the two thousand refugees.

“That's right. Blue pupils and short, golden hair.”

Hearing Massas' words, Tigre looked at Lim who stood next to him. She had blue eyes and golden hair, but they were not short., and the eye and hair color was not uncommon amongst the people of Brune or Zhcted.

“Other than that... Do you happen to have the person's name?”

“Yes. I heard it from other soldiers and was surprised.”

Massas let out a sigh. Lim then spoke from the side.

“But didn't His Highness die?”

Massas nodded without room for confusion. Tigre tilted his neck while thinking.

At that time, one soldier entered.

“Excuse me, but the girl named Regin would like to speak to the Earl.”

''--- Regin...?''

Unexpectedly, he recalled her white back. Tigre shook the memory out of his head in a panic as Lim and Massas glanced at him curiously. Tigre informed the soldier to allow her to pass.

''--- But what would she be doing so early in the morning? It can't just be small talk.''

Regin entered the tent and exchanged places with the soldier. Massas looked wide eyed and could find nothing to say. He stroked his gray beard hard enough to pull his jaw away.

Lim looked expressionlessly and stood perplexed. Regin asked for help with a glance. Tigre also wanted to hear Massas' story, but that was a matter to worry about at another time, so he smiled at her for the time being.

“You seem to be healthy now. Did you need something?”

Regin pulled herself together and bowed with a serious look on her face.

“Though I apologize for taking your time... I wish to speak with you alone.”

“Alone...”

Hearing the sudden request, Tigre could not conceal his confusion as he looked at Regin. Her face showed determination, but she was trembling.

“I understand. You must have circumstances as well; however, if it is important, I will consult with these two people whom I trust.”

Hearing Tigre's words, Regin's gaze moved uneasily to his left and right, looking at Lim and Massas. Lim began to stand up, but Regin spoke, her face showing she had made her mind up.

“... I understand. However, Lord Tigrevurmud. What I will say in the future, can I believe that you will not say to others?”

Regin's blue pupils shined strongly. Tigre thought about her attitude and accepted. Massas and Lim looked at him.

“If possible, could we speak of this to one more person---”

“I understand.”

Lim nodded before Tigre could say any more. Massas also agreed. At last, Regin looked at Tigre after their reassurance.

“I... I have been living under the name of Regnas until a short time ago.”

''To be exact – Regnas Estel Loire Bastien do Charles.'' When she finished saying that, an eerie silence ruled the tent.

It was obvious for Tigre and Massas, but even Lim, from a different country, knew the name.

Regnas was her name, Estel was an honorary title which means “Star,” Loire was her surname, and Bastein was a name received from her ancestors. Do Charles meant she had a relation to King Charles, the founder of the Brune Kingdom. Even as a joke, should the name come to light, it would be considered a felony punishable by death.

''--- But, now that you mention it...''

When he helped her from the Muozinel soldiers, he felt as though he had known her by sight. Since he recognized her as a woman from the start, he did not connect her to Regnas.

“... For the time being, please allow us to call you Regin.”

The first to speak was Lim. Perhaps Massas was too overwhelmed to speak, as he stood there, mouthing her name. It was best to leave things be until he settled down. Right now, Regin was the primary concern.

“Do you perhaps have any proof to associate you with that name?”

Regin shook her head. Lim tilted her head in confusion.

“I apologize, but we cannot speak, then. To begin with, you are a woman...”

“Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Removing her eyes from Lim, Regin looked at Tigre.

“Six years ago, do you remember what took place in Vincennes?”

“Vincennes...”

Tigre reacted to the word immediately. Vincennes was a hunting ground in the region to the east of the King's Capital, Nice. There were meadows, rivers, and forests. All the past Kings held a festival there and invited the domestic aristocrats and nobles of foreign countries in order to promote friendship.

Six years ago, King Faron invited the domestic aristocrats to a hunting festival. Tigre was taken along with his father, Urz, to participate.

“At that time, I was treated to a freshly cooked bird you had felled. It was the first time I had eaten anything freshly cooked.”

Regin smiled as she spoke those words. Tigre's breath stopped for a moment because that moment was known only to Tigre and Regnas.

Spears were used to hunt birds of prey in the hunting festival held by the Brune Kingdom. Bows were used by the servants only to drive the beasts toward their masters.

At that time, Tigre acted alone after greeting the King and the Prince. His father, Urz, did not particularly want to show off his son's skill with a bow. The Royal Family simply served to greet the nobles at the festival.

Tigre walked alone in the forest and met with Regnas, who had slipped away from his supervisor.

Since they had finished their greetings just a moment ago, Regnas remembered Tigre. Seeing a red-haired boy with a bow seemed to have attracted the interest of the 10 year old Prince. Regardless, the only son of a noble with a bow was Tigre.

''Can you use it?'' Regnas asked Tigre. He shot a bird effortlessly to show him.

The Prince looked at him with wide eyes. The boy with a bow used his hands to build a fire as if he were familiar with it and handled the bird. Regnas watched the series of motions through his fingers as he covered his eyes.

The Prince hesitated to ask, but, seeing Tigre bite into the browned meat which seemed well salted, his appetite won.

While biting into the bird, the Prince spoke with excitement. It was his first time eating such a freshly cooked meal...

“... You.”

Tigre's voice trembled. His mind recalled the memory from six years ago as he looked intently at Regin standing before him. He had not even told his father. Since Regnas had told him to keep it a secret, he was afraid after the festival had ended.

As the son of an aristocrat from the frontier, he could never come near the Prince of his country. Even so, the Prince had asked a stranger to shoot a bird, watched him carve it up on the spot, and ate it without knowing whether or not the meat was safe.

If the Prince mentioned this to someone, there was a very high chance the house of Vorn would have perished from the world if he had suffered from a stomachache.

“The next time I ate a warm meal was when you brought me soup the other day. I apologize, though, for the trouble I have caused others...”

Hearing those words, Tigre was convinced of Regin's behavior at the time. She was wary of the presence of poison. It was only when Tigre put the soup in his mouth that she had confirmed it was safe.

“Do you trust me?”

Tigre could do nothing but nod to Regin's words. Massas roughly guessed the circumstances from her words. His face was pale and he pressed strongly against his stomach. If he pressed any more, he might very well have fainted.

Tigre also wanted to collapse, but he did not. As she gazed at him, he regained his presence of mind.

“Why me?”

Should he think of her as a man or a woman? Should he contact the Royal Family? Even with those thoughts in his head, Tigre spoke in his usual tone. Regin did not particularly blame him; rather, she accepted it.

“Because I wish to borrow your strength.”

She answered clearly, her expression showing her strong will.

''--- Actually, I'm in a situation where I would like more help.''

At that time, Ellen and Mira entered the tent. The Vanadis frowned in doubt, feeling the atmosphere of disbelief floating through the tent.

Ellen looked rudely at Regin.

“Who is this woman?”

Massas finally fainted. Tigre and Lim looked at each other, unable to say anything.

While Lim looked after Massas, Tigre and Regin explained the circumstances to Ellen and Mira. The reaction the two Vanadis had were very similar. They turned to Regin in suspicion.

“Didn't you die in Dinant?”

“If I had died, surely there would have been a commotion... If you had taken my subordinates and me as prisoners, it would have been more well known. My neck was not taken, and I was not found, so my death was reported to His Majesty, the King.”

“Certainly... It was unnatural when you say it like that. Even if you really were killed in the war, they would want to hide it as much as possible.”

Lim agreed while looking doubtful. The three looked at Regin for an answer. As soon as she understood that Ellen was the Vanadis that fought at Dinant, she gripped Tigre's sleeve and shook like a small, frightened animal.

“It's fine. If you can trust me, then please trust her as well. I believe in Ellen.”

While Tigre spoke to appease Regin, Ellen looked silently at Mira in triumph. Lim simply watched her Lord silently as if she were deplorable.

Though Regin was worried, she decided to believe Tigre. She straightened her posture and turned back to Ellen, meeting her gaze.

“... This is a conspiracy between Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon. If it is in the battlefield, it would not be unnatural for me to die as a casualty of war.”

“To begin with, you were a woman? It would be more believable if you said were a half-sister or something.”

Ellen asked like a bratty child, sitting cross legged and speaking with poor manners. Massas and Tigre also wanted to know, though. Regin looked down as she hesitantly answered.

“This is due to my mother and me. In Brune, a Queen who can only give birth to daughters would be despised. Furthermore, the rights of succession are limited for a Princess... That is, it is impossible to rise to the throne.”

“So you pretended to be a Prince? Isn't that reckless?”

“Honestly. It's fine when you're flat as a brick, but if your chest grows up to be like Lim's or Sophie's, what would you have done? I hope you weren't thinking of cutting them off.”

“Please do not derail the conversation, Eleanora-sama.”

Lim blushed and reproached Ellen for her comment. Mira looked disappointed, and Tigre pretended he had not listened.

“However, Thenardier and Ganelon did not kill you; rather, you went missing. You unexpectedly managed to escape...”

Ellen hit her hand as she said those words.

“Isn't it fine remaining dead for the time being? Isn't it fine being Regin? How many people in Brune really know that the Prince is actually a woman?”

“Although it is supposed to just be His Majesty, mother, and me, it is likely Duke Thenardier and Duke Ganelon also know.”

Though Tigre was baffled while listening to the conversation between the silver-white haired Vanadis and the Princess, he finally understood.

''--- I see. Even if she has died already, once the Prince's name comes out, she would be killed again.''

She would be considered a girl trying to swindle others and would be punished. Even if she had some item as proof, they could simply say she picked it up from the battlefield in Dinant.

With Thenardier and Ganelon's power, that much was possible.

“At Dinant, when the Zhcted Army made its surprise attack, more than ten assassins came after me. My guards defended me, and my servant, Jeanne, barely managed to escape Dinant with me.”

Regin's shoulders trembled in anger and sorrow.

“Afterward, though I thought to return to the Royal Palace, Duke Ganelon took action in the King's Capital and Jeanne was lost. Even if I could rely on someone, it would be impossible to earn trust with this body.”

“It would be even worse. Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon would turn you into a public enemy. You would either be caught or sold as a slave if you went to anyone.”

Massas, who had finally recovered, and Tigre frowned after hearing Ellen's candid words, though they could not deny them.

“Regarding this talk, does Duke Ganelon know you are alive?”

Tigre was suddenly anxious. It was not Regin but Massas who answered.

“Incidentally, His Highness, the Prince's funeral was held in the King's Capital... Excuse my impoliteness. Duke Ganelon held a fake funeral. If that is the case...”

“Yes. He knows I am alive; however, he has not put any particular barriers in place. I have seen nothing near the capital.”

“But why did you come to such a place from Dinant?”

Tigre could not help but ask in surprise. Traveling through the eastern part of Brune would not have been easy for a traveler, let alone a Princess.

“Jeanne's hometown was in Agnes. I would not have been safe in the Royal Capital. Duke Ganelon and Thenardier's eyes were aimed to the north, west, and south of Brune. I did not think I would be safe anywhere.”

“If you knew Tigre, what about Alsace---”

“At that time, he was a prisoner of war.”

The Princess with golden hair interrupted Ellen's words as she glared accusingly at the Vanadis of silver-white; however, Tigre was thankful for these words.

“Um... I'm sorry.”

“Ah, no.... It is not your fault, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Seeing Tigre bow deeply, Regin looked up and spoke in a panic. Unable to interrupt the atmosphere which had formed, Ellen and Lim looked at each other sullenly while Mira concentrated on the Princess.

“Your Highness, please continue the conversation---”

Speaking with a subdued, dignified tone, Massas seemed to have accepted the situation at last. Tigre tapped her shoulder to help the stiffened Princess to relax. She had a dignity that was like Ellen's, something that other teenagers could not hope to mimic.

Regin pulled herself together and spoke once again.

“I had learned many things from Jeanne. Somehow, I was able to continue my journey without her. Although I settled in the village in Agnes where she was born and raised, the Muozinel Army attacked.”

The villagers took action then and threw their village away, scattering in every direction. Though Regin wanted to do so as well, she hesitated because she did not have a sense for the land. She was found by Muozinel scouts.

“And then... the rest is as Lord Tigrevurmud knows.”

Regin closed her mouth. Tigre looked at the Princess whose expression was difficult to read.

On the other hand, Ellen and Mira had troubled faces.

“... So, what will you do, Tigre?”

“What will I do?”

Tigre asked in return, not understanding the meaning of her question.

“Lending her your power. Frankly speaking, this person is a hindrance.”

Ellen expressed agreement with Mira's brutally honest words.

“If you claim the Prince is alive, Duke Thenardier and Ganelon would simply try to kill her, since she is a woman, and there will be many who would put her at fault.”

Tigre tilted his head after hearing their opinions.

“I understand what you mean, Ellen, Mira... But if word reached His Majesty, wouldn't it work out? Though I hear he is currently ill.”

Massas began to choke after hearing Tigre's words. Looking at the unexpected noise from the old Earl, it was clear he was sweating.

“Lord Massas?”

Tigre called out to Massas in worry. While holding his gray beard, Massas managed to squeeze out his voice, explaining the King had become extremely mentally unstable upon hearing of the Prince's death.

“That... Is it true?”

Regin turned pale and staggered from the impact. Tigre ran to support her and she managed to not fall by clinging to his arm.

“Unfortunately...”

Massas looked down and refused to say any more.

The girls from Zhcted were naturally calm. Ellen silently shook her head, Mira remained as aloof as possible, and Lim remained painfully silent.

It was a painful situation, even for Tigre.

Tigre knew she was the Prince, but it was something proven only through a memory shared by the two. It was not something they could tell to others.

Regin remained mute, as if trying to accept whatever may happen.

After worrying for some time, Tigre spoke.

“... Regin, why did you tell me? Why do you trust me?”

Her response would decide what he did.

Regin quietly looked up and looked at Tigre.

“Because you have no ulterior motives.”

“Really?”

Tigre looked doubtful. Incidentally, the three girls sitting opposite Regin nodded in satisfaction. The princess also nodded once before speaking again.

“Today, before I came to you, I asked the soldiers and the people of Brune here. Though there were not only friendly opinions... I could tell you had something you wished to defend, and you were struggling for that purpose.”

While recalling that time, Regin placed her hand on her chest and continued speaking.

“Even if you help the people of Agnes and Ormea, you have nothing to gain in return, even more so with an opponent against whom you have no possibility of determining the outcome. Still, you came here, you fought. You helped me, and... when you consented to my favor, you were not rough.”

Regin faintly blushed as she said that. Tigre understood the reason and also blushed.

“... What did you ask?”

Two people's expression changed sharply. Ellen began to frown.

Though Regin stammered, she honestly answered that she asked him to wipe her body. Tigre took a defensive stance expecting Ellen to be angry, but she showed an unexpected reaction.

“You did something pretty dangerous, you know.”

She looked at Regin with admiration.

“If Tigre attacked you, did you intend not to say anything?”

Regin nodded sharply.

“--- Though it was a cowardly thing to ask of him... At that time, I had no other means I could think of.”

''--- Is that why she apologized to me at the time?''

At last, Tigre was convinced. Regin, in her own way, was desperate. Though Lim and Mira were still unhappy, they did not blame him.

Tigre looked up at the dirty lamp and let out a sigh in his mind.

He could not possibly abandon her.

“Regin. Anything is good, even if it's trivial... Do you have any clues that proves you are His Majesty's, the King's child?”

If she did, Regin would be able to return to the King's Capital openly.

He returned to Alsace thanks to Ellen. Tigre hoped he could help her return to the palace.

Regin desperately searched her memory and raised a small voice when she remembered something.

“Lutetia...”

“Duke Ganelon's territory. Is there a clue there?”

Massas asked politely. Regin nodded in response.

“In Lutetia, in the center of the capital, Artishem... Beneath the soil, there is a passage where important records are stored which can only be opened by a means passed down through the Royal Family. They should be known to Prime Minister Bodwin as well. He should be able to examine them. “

“Our talk changes quite a bit if that's the case.”

Ellen leaned forward, full of interest.

“If it is true, then we can move toward Artishem while we claim that. Even if people try to fight back, they can't do anything since the girl is trying to prove she is a member of royal lineage.”

“Certainly. If someone associated with the royal family supports this, it only lends credence to the claim.”

Lim also agreed.

“Tigre, what will you do?”

Ellen's ruby pupils shined happily.

“Either we move west and kill Duke Thenardier in Nemetacum, or we move north toward Lutetia and fight Ganelon.”

Tigre did not answer at once. He looked at everyone's faces in succession.

Ellen, Lim, Mira, Massas, Regin.

The situation had become strange. He had been helped and supported by Teita, Rurick, Augre, and Gerard.

What could he do in return? Could he return what it was they had given to him?

He understood he must end the situation as quickly as possible.

“... Let's go. To Lutetia.”

After thinking through it, Tigre gave a clear response.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Duke Thenardier's camp was in the wilderness where the trees were sparse.

After repulsing the Muozinel fleet attacking the ports to the south of Brune, he did not immediately move to rescue his allies at once; rather, he moved his army to a nameless forest.

After he had settled down, five days had passed. Though he had purchased information on the kingdom in detail, he learned of information which was not pleasant to his ears.

He had trusted Steid with the army moving against Duke Ganelon. Though they had endured well, they were in the vicinity of Nemetacum after being forced to retreat numerous times.

''--- I will have to wait another day. That guy still hasn't returned.''

A soldier appeared with a report. Thenardier gleefully stood up and rushed to his destination on horseback.

Though he had not heard of the location details, he understood with a glance. Five Dragons could be easily seen from a distance.

Thenardier rushed his horse forward until he reached the Dragons.

“... I apologize for having kept you waiting, your Excellency.”

Five Dragons. The old man, Drekavac, bowed his head reverently.

“Honestly. Still---”

Thenardier moved his glance to the Dragons behind the old man.

“You brought me more than I anticipated.”

Of the five, three were {{furigana|Earth Dragons|Suro}} he had seen before. One was a Fire Drake with long hairs growing between its scales, covering its body. It ate ash and charcoal. It was a Dragon which could release flames to burn everything.

The last was two times larger than the other Dragons and had an overwhelming power, as if it were a small mountain that could run. It had two heads and thick scales.

“This is a {{furigana|Double Headed Dragon|Gara Dova}}...”

Though a dauntless man, Thenardier could not help but be overwhelmed with delight. The Double Headed Dragon was a species considered a malformation amongst Dragons. It was large, atrocious, and strong, and would attack and kill its brethren.

The sound of chains sounded in Thenardier's ears. The Double Headed Dragon was bound with a shackle of thick, black iron which wrapped about its body.

“... Was this chain made specifically for this?”

He could think of no other reason. Though Thenardier had once seen an elephant in a foreign land, the chain was far too thick and large.

“It is as you say. In the case of this Dragon, it can kill the Vanadis...”

Though his voice was hoarse, Drekavac spoke indifferently. Thenardier, contrary to the norm, trusted him.

“You have worked hard.”

Convinced of his victory, Thenardier smiled violently.

Thenardier had postponed his movements to the north in order to add the five Dragons to his military strength. Drekavac simply had an expression like a scholar observing a laboratory animal.

“It must have been difficult to procure this Double Headed Dragon.”

A young man's voice sounded from a shadow which appeared behind the elderly man.

“How was it?”

Without looking back, Drekavac asked a short question. The shadow gradually swelled and took the shape of a person. After enough time passed, Vodyanoy, who should have been defeated by Tigre and Mira, stood there.

“You may not like to hear this, but I was had. He was with the Master of the Frozen Wave.”

He spoke in a carefree tone, as if he were playing. The old man smiled and took a gold coin from his sleeve.

“I know you were defeated. Tell me what you think of the caster for the [Bow].”

“He's weak; however, after another fight or two, he may come to master the bow. If that is the case, he will be troublesome. What should I do for now?”

While gnawing on the gold coin, Vodyanoy asked without any sign of tension.

“Remain on standby for now. Ganelon doesn't seem to be up to any good right now.”

While watching the wilderness, Drekavac began to slowly walk away.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Chapter 4 - MTL

2013-11-28T13:10:40Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Gathering ===
“--- One battle.”

Ludmira pointed with her finger and spoke sternly.

“We will fight once and destroy the Muozinel Army.”

In the tent for the General in the camp of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, several maps surrounded Tigre, Ludmira, and Rurick.

Ludmira specifically visited to give the men a sense of relief. The soldiers of LeitMeritz did not particularly feel good while the soldiers of Brune were simply confused about seeing an ally suddenly appear.

“Can you do it?”

“It is not about whether we can do it or not. We must do it.”

Glancing at the bald Knight, the Vanadis with blue hair responded arrogantly.

''--- She's similar to Ellen.''

Ludmira's attitude and expressions gave Tigre that impression. Though Ludmira and Rurick would be angry to hear it, her unshakable will and ability to make decisions reminded Tigre of Ellen and Lim.

''--- I hope those two are safe. I wonder if Ellen was able to help her friend.''

One after another, Tigre remembered Teita and Batran, then Augre and Massas. He did not expect help from them; rather, he hoped they managed to evacuate safely.

Again, Ellen's smile crossed his mind. He felt secure when she was nearby. Of course, she was a powerful military force, but it was more than that---

“Minus one.”

Cold air sprayed at his face along with her words. Tigre brought his mind back to the surroundings and noticed Ludmira looking at him in disappointment.

“I understand you are tired, but why are you so absent-minded in the middle of an important war council? What were you thinking about?”

It was clear Ludmira would leave immediately if he honestly answered that he was thinking about Ellen. Tigre would earnestly beg for forgiveness and Rurick would look at him bitterly. It was fortunate, perhaps, that Ludmira simply sighed.

“Let us return to the conversation. At most, your men will last for one battle.”

Tigre scowled hearing that fact. Ludmira continued with a grim expression.

“I am not blaming you, but to fight an army of twenty thousand with a little less than two thousand is reckless. Your men need days of rest... This is especially important since they are on the battlefield.”

“But... You said we will last for a single battle. Did you have a plan in mind with that?”

Tigre asked with an expression that did not hide his confusion. Unfortunately for Tigre, he could only think of the increasing necessity to rely on the power of his bow the more and more he became cornered.

It was evident that Tigre was mentally and physically fatigued.

“Fundamentally, you do the same thing as when you fought twenty thousand.”

A bright light, as if appraising him, shined in Ludmira's blue eyes as she looked at Tigre.

“You will ignore the enemy and aim at the enemy General. Against a large force, you can only aim at the food supply and the General.”

“Why not aim for the food?”

“In that case, you need to be thorough.”

Rurick looked at Ludmira, showing he did not understand what she meant.

“First, you would need to move deeper into the enemy's troops. Next, the towns and villages along their path have been emptied and burned down. On a clear night with good conditions, even an idiot would not put them out in the open, and the enemy is no idiot.

“Do you know anything about the enemy?”

Ludmira's expression became strained when she heard Tigre's frank question. She frowned in annoyance as she answered.

“Kreshu Shaheen Baramir. He is the brother of the King of Muozinel with the nickname of {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}}.”

Tigre and Rurick looked at each other dubiously.

“... Is he famous?”

“Judging from her expression, I would say so.”

“You do not know because you are ignorant.”

She stared at them coldly in anger. Tigre scratched his head in response.

“This kind of conversation wasn't really relevant in Alsace. Sorry, but do you mind teaching us?”

“Honestly... What is Eleanora teaching you?”

Though Ludmira showed dissatisfaction, she provided an explanation.

“About ten years ago, the Sachstein Army took their fleet of one thousand ships and invaded Muozinel. At that time, Kreshu had two hundred small vessels.”

“Judging from the flow of the conversation, Kreshu won.”

“He was victorious. The Sachstein Army became so afraid of his strength, they gave him the nickname [Red Beard]. In a Muozinel dialect, he is called Barbaros.”

Tigre and Rurick looked at each other. Neither had knowledge of naval warfare, but they realized the man had an overwhelming victory against an enemy five times his strength. He was a powerful enemy who was far from normal.

However, he could not run away. The people and the soldiers would not be able to make it.

“First, it is impossible to fight within Agnes. We must retreat.”

Picking up one map, the blue-haired Vanadis showed Rurick and Tigre a place beyond Agnes within Brune, the Ormea Plains.

It was full of rolling hills with a single highway curving through the center of it. There were two hills nearby surrounded by smooth ground.

“Agnes is covered in cliffs; it will be advantageous for a large army.”

Rurick spoke with a thorny tone. After tapping his shoulder to calm him down, Tigre asked Ludmira a question in as gentle a tone as possible.

“I suppose you have a reason for choosing this location.”

Ludmira nodded as if it were natural.

“I will explain... but before that, please explain the difference between the army of twenty thousand you fought and this enemy of forty thousand.”

Ludmira glared at the two. Despite her petite body, a shiver of intimidation ran down their spines. Tigre obediently admired her as even Rurick made a wry face from her pressure.

“First, the number is obviously different, so the actual depth of the army will change.”

Responding to her request, Tigre tried to give a point by point explanation while counting them on his fingers. Probably because it was Tigre rather than Rurick that Ludmira gave it thought.

“There is also the difference between an advanced force and the main force. They most likely have the information on the battles already held.”

They likely swept through Agnes to learn its geographical features. In other words, Tigre could not replay his hands.

“Those two points are enough.”

Ludmira's blue pupils pierced the two men.

“They know the topology and have a rough estimate of our numbers, so they will not get caught with petty tricks. Even if we use a surprise attack, we will not reach their General.”

“So you believe we can manage somehow in Ormea Plains?”

“That's one reason, but we still lack in numbers. We will likely need the two thousand refugees to help.”

Tigre inhaled deeply after hearing those words. After staring at Ludmira's emotionless face, he spoke with a bitter face.

“... What will we have them do?”

“They will be a decoy.”

Ludmira showed them the location on the map, surprising Tigre and Rurick.

''--- Certainly, we have a good chance of winning if we do this, but...''

After examining the blue-haired Vanadis' plan on his own, Tigre looked at Ludmira with a stone-like expression. Gratitude and tension, perplexity and doubt. There were a variety of emotions piling up within him, but his face betrayed none of them.

“... It's a dangerous plan.”

“Are you afraid?”

Tigre quietly refused the Snow Princess' provocation. It was too late for fear, but he was anxious.

“Why are you leaving this to me?”

Ludmira's response was clear cut.

“If you want, you can borrow some more.”

He was satisfied with that. It seems he was borrowing quite a bit. Tigre looked away from her and glanced at his black bow leaning in the corner of the tent. He thought about the bow.

''--- No, I should do this with my own power.''

“You have offered conditions, and I am quite satisfied. I have expectations of you.”

The moment he had this thought, Ludmira smiled mischievously. Tigre looked at her intently and smiled with renewed vitality.

“Got it. Thank you.”

After the meeting finished, Tigre saw Ludmira off as she returned to the Olmutz Army and headed to the people, since he needed to ask for their cooperation.

“Shall we go together? I am uneasy to say this, Lord Tigrevurmud, but I would not be surprised if things got out of hand on accident.”

“No. I am enough on my own.”

He declined Rurick's invitation and walked along with his black bow. Though it was reassuring to him, Tigre was afraid the people would consider it a threat.

Furthermore, he wanted to place as little responsibility on the people.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Kreshu Shaheen Baramir, the General of the Muozinel Army received a reply from the messenger he sent to the Zhcted Army. He did not wait silently. Even if he did not move his military force early, the supply of food, water, and fuel would only decrease by a day.

He moved without hesitation and moved his army along the Agnes path, sandwiched between the sandstone cliffs.

Of the forty thousand soldiers, fifty-five hundred had organized as a single force. Three thousand were placed in the center, one thousand on each flank, and five hundred were in the rear as a reserve force.

With this number, their movements would not be hindered by the narrow path. Kreshu designed the formation of these troops based on the map Kashim had made.

He had made seven separate armies with the brother of the King, Red Beard, proceeding a certain distance from the road. The remaining soldiers remained at the rear as reserve power.

Kreshu, in the beginning, tried to give a name to these seven units.

“For a temporary name, let's go with Red Cattle Army, Blue Cattle Army, Green Cattle Army... That should do, I suppose.”

“If it is temporary, it may be best to call them by number.”

His subordinate responded to his names. Kreshu accepted the advice, since he had only thought of the names off the top of his head.

Amongst the seven armies, Kreshu made the seventh army the main unit.

''--- Now, these should be acceptable against Zhcted and Brune if they come out.''

However, nothing obstructed their advance by the time they left the narrow path.

When they finally escaped from the narrow pass, they were confronted with a prairie of rolling ups and downs. Since it was winter, it was dark. However, once spring arrived, the greenery would spread about, blanketed by a carpet of grass. In the distance was a small hill.

While he caught the snow drifting down from the gray sky in his palm, Kreshu's subordinate quickly gave a report, saying the messenger sent to the Zhcted Army had returned.

“I have received word from the Vanadis Ludmira Lurie, the Commander of the Zhcted Army. I will repeat what she said.”

Seeing the messenger wipe his sweat away, Kreshu urged him to continue with a nod.

“... We have left our land and entered this country to help an important member of Brune Kingdom who asked for our aid. We differ from your Army which lawlessly violates the land of other countries. If you should doubt my word, you have only to hear of it from Tigrevurmud Vorn. Though I do not have any desire to actively fight your Army, it cannot be helped should you obstruct our duties. I pray you safely return through the path you have come by.”

After saying everything, the messenger let out a small breath and bowed.

“So she's saying to turn back if we don't wish to be hurt.”

Kreshu roughly summarized Ludmira's words before opening his large, hollowed out eyes.

''--- If I doubt her words, I should ask the small noble of Brune...''

Ludmira's response was advantageous for Tigre. There was no righteousness on his side. Although Ludmira responded herself, she left no room for an explanation on their end.

''--- Whether it is someone from Brune or someone from Zhcted, there is no need to get heated up.''

“We have forty thousand men. We have no reason to flee simply because they have a Vanadis on their side. I know of Ludmira Lurie. Very well. Let us see who will feel the pain.”

Kreshu laughed and told the messenger to take a rest.

After a while, a report came from the reconnaissance unit.

“Should we proceed to the west along the highway, we will eventually reach the hills where the Brune and Zhcted Army are setting formation. We have confirmed both flags.”

“There is a group of approximately two thousand to the northwest. Considering their clothing, they are the people that were once caught.”

Kreshu walked with his seven aids as he listened to the report. The highway they were on extended straight and curved slightly to the northwest near the hills.

In that area, there were no geographical changes other than the two hills. There were no forests or marshes, and the river was thin.

After confirming the information, Kreshu asked for the opinion of his aids.

“They are probably just staying on the hill to keep us in check while allowing the slaves to escape.”

“If we chase the slaves, they will have no means of retreat down the hill.”

“According to the scout's report, they have about five thousand troops remaining. They do not seem to be able to prepare provisions within a day.”

Kreshu also had the same general idea as they did.

“Very well. We will surround the hill with the first four armies and chase after the slaves with the remaining three.”

There was a reason to capture the slaves. The first reason was because it would be an effective tactic against the Brune soldiers on the hill. Also, the fact that a slave managed to escape from the Muozinel Army was harmful to them.

Above all, it was natural for them to take slaves on the battlefield.

In fact, Kreshu had another purpose, but he held that from the others.

“Ludmira Lurie is known for her excellent defense. We do not need to actively attack the hill, we simply need to confine them there.”

It began to snow. Though late in the morning, it was still not past midday.

The confrontation later known as the [Battle of Ormea] began.

The Muozinel Army moved quickly with splendid cooperation. Four armies of fifty-five hundred troops, numbering more than twenty thousand in total, advanced toward the hill without taking much distance from one another. The other three armies moved away toward the highway.

“How is the situation on the hill?”

At the center of the three armies advancing along the road, Kreshu asked his aide. He had prepared twice the normal amount of reconnaissance as usual and was receiving information from all directions. He accurately gripped any changes.

“We have confirmed four flags, currently. There is currently the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}}, the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}, then...”

“It seems they have made barricades of spears throughout the hill. Horses can be heard in a small fort. When we approached too closely, we were attacked with stones and arrows.”

“Any injuries?”

“No. Fortunately, we were not hit.”

Kreshu gave his words of appreciation.

“One more thing. What about the small hill further back?”

“It is covered in a blanket of snow. We have seen no signs of the enemy's appearance.”

“I see. In that case, tell the men to surround the hill. Do not approach, simply surround them.”

Though obstructed by the thick gray clouds, the sun slowly approached the peak of the heavens. When midday approached, the Muozinel Army caught the two thousand refugees in their sights.

“Any movements on the hill?”

Kreshu confirmed that there were no movements and ordered his soldiers to increase their pace.

“That renowned Vanadis, she must have known it would be hopeless to attack such large numbers. No, perhaps her only obligation to Brune was to remain on the hill? Perhaps it has to do with the politics of war...”

However, Kreshu's reading was off. One soldier appeared and quickly gave a report.

“Your excellency. The enemy has appeared. They number approximately three thousand.

“They must be attacking the nearest army... But where did they come from?”

Kreshu showed no signs of being upset. When an enemy suddenly sprung out of nowhere, they must have hidden themselves somewhere.

Hearing that there were three thousand soldiers, he considered them to be in the shadow of the uninhabited hill.

''--- I see. Our soldiers must have been too focused on the troops barricading themselves on the hill.''

Of course, they did not neglect the uninhabited hill, but their focus was on the enemy on the hill. Knowing this would happen, the enemy must have hidden itself not on the hill but in the shadow cast by it.

''--- Excellent, Ludmira Lurie. It seems the fame of your skill in defensive battles is not unfounded.''

Though Kreshu considered many kinds of possibilities, he thought Ludmira would devote herself to a defensive battle on the hill given the rumors to her name.

''--- No matter. We also have countermeasures for when we are attacked. Above all, we still have sixteen thousand troops remaining and you have three thousand at most.''

At that time, another report was brought forth.

“The slaves which ran away have returned and are attacking here!”

Kreshu's close aids had tense faces and were speaking noisily while the brother of the King of Muozinel simply stroked his red beard. He looked at the flag above, flapping in the wind. On it was a golden helmet and sword, the symbol of Vahram, the God of War.

“Well then, will the God of War hunt the wicked Dragon and horse, or will it be overrun?”

The Muozinel Army had the first through fourth armies encircle the hill while the fifth, sixth, and seventh armies chased after the slaves down the road. The fifth army acted as vanguard, followed by the sixth army, then the seventh army, which served as the main force.

The fifth army was attacked by the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and the Olmutz Army hidden beneath the hill.

They ambushed the Muozinel Army which rode horses and held spears, with a rain of arrows. Thousands of arrows mixed in with the snow and showered on them from the skies.

Though they returned fire, not a single arrow hit Ludmira. The arrows froze in mid air and shattered to pieces, melting away as the fragments fell to the ground. Seeing a phenomenon beyond common sense, the Muozinel soldiers let out a scream.

“That's... the power of your {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}?”

Tigre saw the arrows crumble like paper from the side and asked her.

“Do not say it so loudly.”

Ludmira smiled lightly and confirmed his question. Tigre nodded and nocked a few arrows in his black bow. This time, Ludmira looked into his eyes.

He pulled back the bowstring with great strength. The arrows turned to black shadows and flew, sticking into the heads or arms of the brown skinned soldiers. The men injured were neatly lined up.

“Not bad.”

Leaving short words of praise, Ludmira bravely rushed forward into the crowd with her horse, brandishing the Frozen Wave in both hands as lumps of ice formed. She mowed down Muozinel soldiers one after another, extending the path Tigre had created as she pressed forward.

The blood which flowed was frozen in an instant, melted, then disappeared in the snow as the corpses fell to the ground. Swords were cut, spears were smashed, and bows crumbled as they were pressed between corpses, their bodies pierced and stuck to the ground.

Though the Muozinel soldiers were lightly dressed, they would not be able to stop her fierce charge even if they were in iron armor.

Spear bearers charged at Ludmira from multiple angles simultaneously. Half she drove away while the remainder she dodged by skillfully manipulating her horse and posture. The next moment, the Frozen Wave drew out from her hand and cut through the Muozinel soldiers in a flash.

A stir wrapped around the Muozinel Army. They were being pushed back in an instant by a small girl in her mid-teens.

Next to her was a boy, not so different in age from the girl, wielding a black bow, firing with an unnatural strength and accuracy.

“Are you not afraid?”

Without stopping the hand wielding her spear, Ludmira asked him in amazement.

“If you think so, then please defend me.”

Tigre responded in a somewhat rough manner. While regretting that he could only speak so simply, he pulled out another arrow from the quiver at his waist. He was already running low. As if he knew in advance, Gerard wore leather armor and approached Tigre quietly from behind with a new quiver. Tigre tapped the new quiver lightly instead of giving a greeting.

“In a situation like this, you can even aim at the enemy's unit Commander.”

Ludmira looked at Tigre with admiration. The battlefield was wrapped in a frenzy and one's field of view shook wildly. Furthermore, it was snowing, and the enemy's unit Commander was wearing a steel helmet, making him difficult to recognize. Even so, he aimed and shot his arrow. It was no easy feat.

However, Tigre gave a casual response.

“He's the only one without a black cloth on his head. If you think about it, it's pretty straightforward.”

If other people heard his reasoning, they would think him mad. In fact, Rurick had heard this theory and tilted his head, asking for an explanation again.

In the battle following Agnes, Tigre knew how the Muozinel soldiers dressed. With the breadth of vision and skill required, only Tigre could accurately attack.

Due to the unexpected surprise attack, the counter-offense of the refugees they were preying upon, Ludmira's bravery, and Tigre's accurate sniping, the fifth army fell in a very short time.

While routing the fifth army, Tigre and Ludmira joined the refugees.

“Lord Tigrevurmud, are you safe?”

Rurick yelled out from his horse. Tigre returned a smile.

“I should ask you that. Well, I'm fine.”

The Muozinel Army had retreated down the highway without any of the people they were pursuing.

The refugees were actually camouflaged soldiers from the Olmutz Army and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}. They hid themselves as they retreated and matched their movements to when Tigre and Ludmira attacked the fifth force.

The refugees were actually on the hill surrounded by twenty thousand troops from the Muozinel Army.

Two nights ago, after the war council with Ludmira, Tigre was having difficulty in finding words to persuade the refugees.

They would remain on the hill, and should the enemy approach, they would attack with stones and arrows.

Ludmira's strategy was formed on the basis that the enemy would not try to suppress the hill.

“Even if Muozinel attacks, they can capture the refugees and use them as hostages. Thinking about it, they would want to avoid a fight, even more so against people not of Brune.”

With their fatigue, it was questionable whether or not they would understand the explanation. Even if they did understand, there was no guarantee they would cooperate.

Tigre visited the refugee camp, still lacking confidence. Their situation was different from the soldiers'. They had tents established and bonfires burning here and there; however, they lacked physical strength, nor did they have fences or a moat.

“--- Earl.”

A young refugee girl noticed Tigre and trotted up to him. Since they learned of Tigre's title, they called Tigre by it. Tigre nodded to her while ruffling his red hair and asked her to call the representative for the refugees.

Even if they were refugees, they still numbered around two thousand. Ten representatives were elected, and Tigre was able to bring about some semblance of organization. Though it was small, it was no different than his job as a feudal lord.

Tigre borrowed a tent and assembled the representatives without giving them any details. He gave an outline of the situation. He told them the enemy was approaching, and, though they would fight, they were lacking in numbers. He asked them to cooperate. In a more concrete manner, they were to remain on the hill.

As expected, the Refugees showed their disapproval.

“We were thrown into this war. Normally you should be protecting us. It's a bit troublesome if you suddenly ask us to fight.”

“To begin with, can we believe you? How do we know we won't just be left on the hill while you run away?”

“We have no buildings here, either. We have no property, we barely have food, and we shiver in the cold every night, yet you still wish for us to do something?”

''--- If they're caught, they will be made into slaves.''

Though the words were in his throat, Tigre forced them down. He came to persuade them, not threaten them.

They continued to speak of their unease and anxieties. Tigre waited for them to calm down before speaking.

“I understand your worries, however, will you still accept this plan? If I am to help you, this is a necessity... I hope you can do this.”

“Then you should come to the hill as well. That's right. Why should we believe your acting?”

He had guessed what the refugees were thinking. Bitter feelings were shown in Tigre's expression.

“That cannot be done. We are challenging tens of thousands of enemies. Regrettably, I am one that can fight.”

“Then think of another plan. Why don't you talk to the enemy? Rather than making us do the impossible, if you're a powerful noble, then they should listen to you.”

''--- I would have done that if I could.''

Though he only knew so through Ludmira, the enemy's basic policy was to plunder.

Even if Ludmira sent a message to the General of the Muozinel Army, he would not necessarily respond for such a pointless thing. In the worst case, he would say he wanted to negotiate while having his men advance.

“To begin with, what about His Majesty, the King, the Knights, and the other aristocrats? Why don't you ask for their help with your power as an Earl?”

When Tigre heard this answer, he was truly disgusted.

“--- I will follow the Earl.”

A deep voice with a quiet, overwhelming strength sounded.

It came from a lone representative, a young man. Tigre knew his face by sight.

When he had freed them from Kashim, he was the man who intensely blamed Tigre. Many people remembered it and were clearly surprised. Tigre also could not conceal his surprise.

“The Earl traveled far to come here.”

“However, he may not have necessarily come to help us.”

Another person spoke up and became quiet after seeing the man glare at him. The man then continued to speak.

“He has helped us and brought us this far. That is a fact. I wouldn't mind having a bit of revenge, either. They killed our families and destroyed our homes.”

The man cut his words there and looked at the other representatives.

“We can fight. If we argue with them face to face, they will just take our necks. But if we follow the Earl, we may survive. Don't you want to stop them?”

Anger and tension was mixed with fear. The man's voice trembled. In response to his words, Tigre nodded strongly.

“To the best of my ability, I will defend you.”

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The reason the Muozinel Army scouts mistook the refugees on the hill as soldiers was because Ludmira had them in camouflage for approximately half a day.

“It is difficult to carefully examine a castle. A scout is required to be able to grasp the capabilities of a fortress quickly... conversely, since they showed us their strength there in the first place, they tricked us with minimal time and effort.”

Ludmira had wonderfully used her fame for defense to trick the Muozinel Army.

Even when he received a report that the fifth army was destroyed, {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}} showed no signs of confusion. Even if he lost five thousand men, he could send the next unit of five thousand soon afterward.

Although his aides were dismayed by an approaching enemy, Kreshu retained his presence of mind.

“Send a messenger to our fourth army. Surround the hill with the first three groups and have the fourth unit move quickly to provide reinforcement.”

Kreshu thought of several situations before he gave orders. He told anything with a high probability of occurring to each unit Commander.

With the speed the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and Olmutz Army were moving at, they would eventually clash with the seventh army. The Black Dragon and Red Horse would devour the God of War armed with weapons of gold.

Kreshu ordered the seventh army to retreat.

The [Silver Meteor Army] and the Olmutz Army did not miss the retreat of the seventh unit, and followed closely afterward. At that time, the sixth unit quickly changed direction and moved forward rapidly.

“So it really has come to that..!”

Tigre let out a deep breath as he glared at the sixth army moving in a distance. He did not have the spare time to wipe his sweat or clear away the blood of the defeated. His dull red hair had solidified in a strange shape.

Tigre ordered the [Silver Meteor Army], consisting of only one thousand Brune soldiers, to watch for the movements of the sixth army. It was within expectations.

Instead of attacking from the front with the seventh unit, Kreshu ordered the sixth unit to take a small detour from the side. Their aim was to kill the leaders, Ludmira and Tigre.

However, they could not.

The one thousand Brune soldiers collapsed just before attacking the sixth army.

“... What's going on?”

Ludmira and Tigre looked on in blank surprise. In an instant, they were sure of it.

''--- They've reached their limit...''

The Brune soldiers had followed him from Territoire. This is why Ludmira called their [One Battle Limit].

Tigre had judged they would barely have enough physical strength to fight, but there was not a single drop of stamina remaining. The cold of the snow and the continuous battle since the morning had taken its toll.

Only a few hundred Brune soldiers continued to attack, but they were sporadic. In the end, they could not meet expectations.

The sixth army from Muozinel was attacking the [Silver Meteor Army] and Olmutz Army from the flank, as well. The violent force stopped Ludmira and Tigre's movements.

“Just one more step...!”

A spear of ice pierced through the leather armor of Muozinel soldiers as Ludmira was forced off her horse. Streaks of blood blotted her blue hair, blue clothes, and skin. Her breathing was rough; it was uncertain how many enemies she had already killed. Tigre, standing next to her, killing the enemy with his arrows, was no different.

Both his left arm gripping the bow and the right arm drawing the bowstring were numb, and he could no longer remember how many quivers he had used.

On the other hand, Kreshu was smiling brightly as his hollow eyes looked at his enemy on its last leg.

“Ha ha ha. Though short, it was a brilliant move, Ludmira Lurie. A Vanadis famous for defense boldly attacked with the aim of taking my neck, but it seems you won't be taking it any time soon.”

Just to be sure, he had moved to the back of the seventh army.

“That's right, my enemy is not just the Vanadis. It was that dreadful archer who took Kashim's head from three hundred alsin.”

The seventh and sixth armies had spread left and right to surround their enemy.

“I will drag this famous Vanadis of a neighboring nation before the King. I will not shame you as a prisoner of war but will treat you warmly as a guest.”

It could not be helped that Kreshu felt he had won. There was no means for the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} or Olmutz Army to attack – they were in such a desperate situation.

The bulk of his army surpassed ten thousand, and they were attacking an enemy with less than six thousand from two directions, and he had half encircled the enemy. Anyone could see it was the Muozinel Army's victory.

One after another, Ludmira had skewered the Muozinel soldiers who raised their sword to her. She thrust through their torso and cut through their necks. Dead bodies piled up in the snow, distorting the ground as they froze.

Tigre also emptied many quivers. He looked back to Gerard.

Viscount Augre's son had little room as well and was hard pressed against Tigre's back with two quivers of arrows, his hair a complete mess. With a look of distress, the man with brown hair spoke.

“This is all we have remaining...”

Only the two quivers remained in his hand, and the situation had become dire.

Tigre looked back at Ludmira while holding his arrows.

“Ludmira, I will hold them with my bow, you---”

“Silence.”

As she wielded her spear and forever silenced the enemy before her, the blue-haired Vanadis silenced Tigre. Fatigue was clear in her face, but her high morale shined in her eyes.

“We have plenty of enemies before us. Is this the time to complain?”

Before Tigre answered, he quickly shot an arrow through the neck of a soldier attacking Ludmira.

“It's natural to tell a tired girl to rest.”

Tigre tried to laugh but failed. His breath had fallen into disorder, and it was difficult for him to speak. He did not have much strength and his face had become stiffed.

“... Your face looks terrible.”

Tigre was amazed Ludmira still had room to say such things as a wry smile floated to his face. However, she continued her words with a serious expression.

“I am a Vanadis. My mother and my grandmother... I have pride that I have succeeded their position as a Vanadis who manipulates ice.”

A Muozinel soldier with a particularly large physique brandished a large hatchet and approached Ludmira. Ludmira buried the soldier with a single flash. Her spear released ice in response to its owner's will to fight.

“You are the one who should rest, Tigrevurmud Vorn. I will protect your back.”

Neither Ludmira's expression nor voice were intense. It was quiet like the ice she manipulated. The Muozinel soldiers were overwhelmed.

Tigre looked at her in blank surprise for a moment. The young man with red hair brought his horse next to the Vanadis with blue hair and gripped his black bow.

“You have your pride. I have my stubbornness.”

“Stubbornness?”

“From my father... and from many people, little by little. It is my stubborn nature as a man.”

His father, Urz, Massas, Batran, the people of his territory, Augre, Black Knight Roland. Other than the people he had met until this day, there were the refugees who cooperated with him, the girl who thanked him, Teita and Lim who were not here.

And Ellen.

“If I can't be proud of myself, then I couldn't possibly show my face to Teita...”

“... Idiot.”

Ludmira's voice was so small and her smile dazzling. Though her voice could not be heard, it brought with it a mysterious feeling with it deep from within her chest. A new-found energy filled the fatigued body of the blue-haired Vanadis.

“Very well. You may fight. Fight by my side. Fight together with me.”

The Vanadis brandished the Frozen Wave while the young man nocked another arrow into his black bow.

At that time, the battle changed substantially yet again. A battle cry was heard from a distance. From the size, it seemed to be a force of several thousand.

“... Reinforcements?”

Tigre's face became tense, since he was barely able to believe his eyes.

Certainly, they were reinforcements, however, they flew under the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}} of Brune Kingdom.

“Fight! Don't let the Muozinel Army further into our country!”

Thousands of men wielding long spears and shields in the hands suddenly appeared on horseback after giving out a battle cry.

They had appeared from the north of Ormea Plains. Having judged there was no possibility of reinforcements, Kreshu's reconnaissance had neglected it.

The net Kreshu's troops had carefully built up was dispersed, as if kicking away soft snow. They were quickly crushed.

“... What is going on?”

Tigre could not respond to Ludmira's voice in blank surprise. The men approached with spear in hand and bows to the air.

“Earl Vorn, Earl Vorn! Where are you?”

A youthful cry sounded out from the corner of the battlefield. Before Tigre and Ludmira could react, the area shined with ice.

The Muozinel soldiers rushed them but were immediately felled by spear and arrow. Knights charged forward, clearing away the troops from Muozinel. Three men appeared on horseback from the group and stood before Tigre.

The brightness of their armor was lost from the cold, blood, and dirt, testament to their desperate fight. A Knight who was Tigre's senior by about ten years bowed to Tigre.

“My name is Emir. I have heard of your name from Earl Massas Rodant and ran here with fifteen-hundred Perucche Knights. I pray you will permit me to fight under your name.”

Next to the Knight known as Emir was a man holding not a spear but a sword. His face was wide and his body was large.

“Forgive me for appearing on horseback, as this is a battlefield. I am Shaie of the Lutece Knights. I have brought fifteen hundred followers with me. I have come at the request of Viscount Augre. We will follow under your command.”

Finally, a middle-aged Knight with a beard gave off a good-natured smile which did not suit the battlefield. Tigre recognized his face immediately.

“I am Auguste of the Knights Calvados along with two thousand men. Allow me to help, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Tigre did not know what to say due to the series of surprises.

“You... came...”

They understood from his voice and expression. Emir and Shaie turned away, while Auguste approached to defend Tigre.

“Now then, let's get rid of these guys immediately.”

“May the fortunes of war be upon us.”

Emir and Shaie kicked the belly of their horses and ran to the battlefield. After seeing them off, Tigre regained his thoughts. He looked at Auguste as he sighed.

“... Auguste?”

“Do you remember me, Tigre-sama?”

He verified with a trembling voice. Auguste smiled; he was originally someone from Alsace when Urz, Tigre's father, ruled before becoming a Knight. He was well acquainted with Tigre.

“So you didn't forget me. It looks like you're healthy; that is most important.”

“Until now, it was impossible to come to your aid as a Knight. I am sorry. I was feeling impatient when I heard about you from Lord Roland and Olivier from the Navarre Knights through a letter.”

“... Roland?”

Tigre stared in blank surprise, hearing an unexpected name.

“You went to war for the people of Brune – At that time, I was making preparations to fight. I heard of your story from them and rushed to Lords Massas and Augre. Both the Knights of Perucche and Lutece are the same.”

Words of their lives and words of their death, they had pierced through the Knights, bringing them to action.

“Thank you... Thank you, Auguste.”

He had become so emotional that he was brought to tears, but this was a battlefield. Auguste shook his head, and Tigre blotted out the tears at the edge of his vision.

“Tigre-sama. You have become splendid. You are very much like Urz-sama.”

He could not respond. Tigre rubbed his eyes while pretending to mess with his bangs. With the Knights participating in battle, he had room to do so.

“--- Is your talk over?”

Ludmira walked to a horse, as if waiting for their conversation to end. Tigre returned a strong nod. Ludmira, also, responded with a bright smile.

“I was able to rest. You? Will you stay behind?”

“No. My bow is still not spent.”

Strength given to him by the people supporting him breathed new life into his tired body, allowing him to move forward.

“Leave your back to me. I can hold out a little more.”

“I see. Try not to be too enthusiastic, it is unseemly.”

As if it were natural, the two brought their horses side by side. The young man nocked an arrow and the girl drew back her spear. Their clothes were smeared with sweat, blood, dirt, and snow, but their eyes shined strongly.

Straightening their breathing, Ludmira and Tigre jumped back into the fray.

“Knights? Knights is, hmm...”

Kreshu realized the victory he had grasped was disappearing and let out a sound in anger. However, in an instant, he regained his composure.

“However, it is only five thousand men.”

Kreshu was not necessarily defeated. He called for the fourth army to be sure.

While reorganizing the seventh army, Kreshu ordered them to retreat and ordered a messenger to have the sixth army focus on fighting the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} and Olmutz Army.

“They will lose their mobility if they rush an overwhelming force from the front.”

Kreshu's ability as a General was surprising. He skillfully avoided the Knight's charge and had the fourth unit attack them from the side.

“Our first enemy is exhausted. They have more energy with the Knights coming in as allies. Crush them all.”

Kreshu attacked Tigre from the side with the sixth army and the Knights with the fourth and seventh armies.

Even if they could crush the enemy before them by charging, they could not immediately react to an attack from the side and the rear. Countless arrows and spearheads rained over the Knights.

The horses were killed, forcing the men off their steeds. They were overwhelmed by the surrounding people as they tried to stand up against the weight of their armor.

The [Silver Meteor Army] and the Olmutz Army were being blocked by the sixth unit and could not rush to cover the Knights.

How many times had they been cornered? They may not have survived the first wave if not for their surprise attack. It took a good General to bring the Knights to defeat.

However, {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}} had even more outstanding judgment. His ability to command the troops despite the addition of the Knights was frightening.

However, new reports had been brought since they joined.

“... A new enemy from the northwest?”

It was not only the Knights, but the armies of Lords Massas and Augre.

They consisted of three thousand cavalry and infantry. Though their strength was not as much as the Knights, they were able to charge at the sixth army pressuring Tigre.

Their existence was decisive in the war.

Kreshu had a serious look of concern when considering his future plans for the battlefield in his mind.

''--- What to do, what to do.''

Fighting off Tigre and Ludmira and repelling the Knights and a new force of three thousand men. Even if it was impossible for others, it was possible for him.

''--- The problem is... whether or not that is the last of them.''

Initially, Kreshu assumed the enemy numbered fewer than six thousand. It was almost an exact number, displaying the height of skill of the younger brother of the King, Red Beard.

However, five thousand Knights appeared when he was on the verge of victory. While he was thinking of how to deal with that, an additional three thousand troops joined the battle. The enemy had more than doubled in size since the battle began.

''--- Why didn't the scouts see this? Did they miss it?''

Kreshu had absolute confidence in the reconnaissance unit he organized and created a plan based on the information they provided. He would lead his soldiers to victory.

''--- No, there were no problems this time... If anything, it was bad luck which plagued Kreshu this time.''

The enemies before him were neither Dukes Thenardier or Ganelon.

''--- Was it Tigrevurmud Vorn? Brune names are too long. I'll shorten it to Tigre.''

While insulting his name, Kreshu continued thinking of plans. Even if he defeated Tigre here, that would not be the end of things.

His purpose was to advance his troops through southern Brune to obtain the slaves of a busy port town surrounded by fertile lands. He also wanted to capture Nemetacum, if possible.

He would obtain great wealth by taking the ports to the south, and it would allow him to contact his country via the sea. He could also send the slaves he obtained in Brune to his homeland via ships.

''--- Even if I defeat him here, I will not have enough men to fight Duke Thenardier.''

Kreshu held grave doubts when reinforcements appeared twice.

Even at an age above 30, {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}} had been troubled only a handful of times. He reluctantly ordered his army to retreat. Though he prepared various tricks to give his troops additional time, not a single enemy chased after them.

“How boring. Bravery and recklessness has not fallen to even one or two people, so they're not making any mistakes.”

Kreshu spoke like a child who did not get the toy he wanted. He ordered the three armies encircling the hill to retreat and listened to the damage report.

Six thousand were killed in action; Kreshu grimaced. The number was large. The advanced force of twenty thousand and the main force of thirty thousand... they were fifty thousand strong in total, yet more than 30% had been lost.

“Well, we still have thirty-four thousand remaining. We have nearly three times the number of the enemy before us.”

However, Kreshu did not take further action. He had a camp built with a moat and a fence and instructed his soldiers to get treated and rest.

He had not yet lost the will to fight; the report which would determine his future plans would soon arrive.

The next morning, a messenger from Kreshu's homeland arrived.

“Our fleet attacking from the sea was defeated by Duke Thenardier.”

“I see. In other words, even if I use these thirty-four thousand troops to break through this enemy and defeat Duke Thenardier, I would have to secure the port and endure until reinforcements arrived.”

After Kreshu laughed, the messenger withdrew from the tent.

''--- So long as I am not the only one to fail, I don't mind.''

“Ah, that's right. I should investigate Tigrevurmud Vorn and praise him.”

Kreshu instructed his soldiers to withdraw and thought of such a thing. There were two reasons for this.

The first reason was to bring forth jealousy of Tigre's influence. Kreshu wanted it to reach the level of Thenardier and Ganelon.

The other reason was for his honor.

“Even if you have lost the Black Knight Roland, there is a young hero who is in no way inferior. The dignity of Brune is still alive, is what we should say. Yes. If it's this, the blow to my honor will decrease.”

The Muozinel Army retreated in an orderly manner through the roads of Agnes.

That was the conclusion of the [Battle at Ormea].

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| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_04_Chapter_5_Preview|Chapter 5 Preview]]
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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Chapter 3 - MTL

2013-11-28T12:19:51Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== {{furigana|[Rainbow Eyes]|Laziris}} ===
A light snow began falling, and the cold was made worse due to the dry wind, further numbing the people walking in the midst of winter. The gray sky mirrored the chilled earth.

Ellen and her troops had finally left the Vosyes Mountains and were crossing LeitMeritz toward Legnica.

“Eleanora-sama. Snow...”

Lim's hand extended along with her voice to brush snow out of Ellen's hair, her eyes clearly showing concern. Ellen smiled in reassurance. After letting out a deep breath, she looked to the cloudy sky.

“Thank you, Lim. I'm fine.”

The Vanadis with silver-white hair changed her expression to a serious one immediately.

“--- There are some missing.”

“Not a small number either, since they're going on a forced march through LeitMeritz.”

“I don't care if we lose another one thousand, we're maintaining speed.”

Crossing the Vosyes mountains was a difficult task. Since they had entered her territory of LeitMeritz, she could ask some of the nearby towns and villages for housing for her troops that left as a Vanadis.

What Ellen required now was speed.

Ellen suddenly glanced back at the gray scenery, as if searching for something. A wry smile floated to her face as she shook her head.

“... Were you thinking of Lord Tigrevurmud?”

Lim's question seemed to be her guess based on Ellen's gesture. Ellen, unable to deny it, flushed red for a moment. Lim sighed in amazement.

“We have parted from him long ago. How many days do you think have passed? We are already in Zhcted.”

Candid advice came from her long-time adjutant. Far from reflecting on it, an ill-natured smile flashed on Ellen's face.

“You as well, Lim. Do you care to explain your shameful behavior in the war council last night? Despite it being only a quarter koku, twice you almost said [Lord Tigrevurmud]. You're lucky it was just the two of us.”

Lim's blue eyes opened widely, having been hit in a sore point. She began to fluster, trying to find an excuse, but eventually she looked down while blushing.

Ellen, now satisfied, stopped her teasing and smiled sentimentally.

“Honestly... We met him in the autumn. Not even half a year has passed.”

In the first place, their meeting on the battlefield was not exactly friendly.

Even so, Tigre's presence had become a big thing within Ellen and Lim.

“Lim, I think that's another one of his faults.”

“His faults...?”

Lim looked curiously toward Ellen while she nodded, her ruby pupils shining brightly.

“It's always like that. He doesn't get up in the morning, when we try to teach him how to use a sword or spear, he finds reasons to run away, and when he is being lectured on strategy, his concentration breaks after a quarter koku.”

Ellen stopped speaking here. Lim was counting on her fingers as Ellen gave reasons before and was continuing on in her head. Ellen stopped as she smiled at Lim, who seemed happy.

“... Is there something on my face?”

“No, but you seem a bit happy when I mentioned his faults.”

Lim's face look dissatisfied upon hearing Ellen's evaluation. Her golden hair tied on the left of her hood shook.

“It is hardly a good thing. I wish he could become more solid like you. If he put the effort into the other military arts, he could do them properly. If I am not firm with him here, he'll simply sit on his backside all day...”

“Speaking of backside, he still hasn't seen your chest, has he?”

“... What are you talking about?”

“Yeah, should I say he's unlucky, or should I say his fate is good? You could say he's absent-minded, or maybe he's unexpectedly shrewd. I think you're the only one he hasn't seen bathing. Even Sophie and Ludmira were seen.”

Although Ellen said she did not particularly care, when Lim heard this, her face was flush with embarrassment, then went red with rage before finally settling on a pale complexion.

“... I see. When I return, it seems I must have a chat with Lord Tigrevurmud. Depending on the situation, he will require education rather than a lecture – No, it will be necessary to teach him properly...”

Lim assembled a schedule in her head for the future.

“Eleanora-sama, though you have seen all his faults, what do you think of him?”

“I wonder...”

Ellen put her thoughts together, her eyes gazing on the gray sky above.

“I think he's pretty good. Though he has plenty of faults, depending on how you look at him, you can think of them as his virtues.”

Though Lim had misgivings as to whether or not this would become a conversation on love affairs, it did not. The talk ended there.

The amount of snow falling into their view had increased significantly.

“... Lim, should we speed up a little more?”

Immediately changing her train of thought, Ellen asked Lim with an earnest expression. Lim quickly thought about it in her mind. Until now, Ellen had restrained herself and settled on the pace they traveled at currently.

If they increased their speed and distance today, they would require rest and may not be able to travel the next day. They feared the horses would collapse in the worst case.

However, they were quite near Legnica, and they were afraid they may be buried beneath the snow, so doing something slightly irrational may be called for.

“From here, we will reach Legnica within a half koku, but the men and the horses have accumulated a lot of fatigue, and we have more leaving...”

“I don't care. It won't be possible to stop by any towns or villages once we enter Legnica.”

Ellen made a prompt decision. She pulled her horse to a stop and sternly instructed her men.

“Since it's snowing heavily now, we're aiming to hit Legnica a koku early. Those who don't want to follow can stay here, got it?”

Though the soldiers responded with a cry loud enough not to be drowned out by the wind, the fatigue ran deep in their faces.

Brushing away the snow, the LeitMeritz Army led by Ellen ran quickly through the wilderness.

''--- Sasha is sick, I can't let her down...''

Amongst the seven Vanadis, Sasha always won against Ellen when the two competed. She was so much more powerful – simply put, she was strong.

If Sasha were healthy, even if the other Vanadis attacked Legnica, Ellen would worry about her body and would come running to help.

However, Sasha was currently inflicted with a terrible illness. She spends nearly half the day in bed, so it was unreasonable to think she could stand on the battlefield as the General.

''---It doesn't matter how many enemies there are... I will help her!''

Her fury was visible in her ruby eyes. Ellen rushed ahead on her horse.

By the time they reached Legnica, her troops had fallen to little more than one thousand. Ellen took a break with her troops, but after a quarter koku, they took to horse once again.

By the time they reached Sasha's official residence, the sun had already fallen. The number of soldiers following Ellen was only five hundred.

It was Sophie's role to arbitrate whenever Ellen and Ludmira had an argument; however, two years before, it was Sasha's job. Since her health deteriorated, it became impossible for her to leave Legnica.

The way Sasha ended their quarrels was to pull the two apart and listen to their complaints separately. The next day, the three would gather and the two would reconcile.

She had used force only once.

In an empty square just outside of the Royal Palace in the King's Capital Silesia, Ludmira and Ellen had taken out their {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} and were fighting for some reason neither could remember.

Ellen's Arifal had controlled the wind while Ludmira's Lavias froze the atmosphere. The two exchanged a violent glance. At that time, a harsh voice interrupted their duel.

“... What are you two doing?”

At that time, Ellen and Ludmira were 14 while Sasha was 19, and the two had not yet been Vanadis for more than a year. Sasha had been chosen by her Dragonic Tool when she was 15.

The two could not resist against her dignity and strength.

“This girl...”

Ellen and Ludmira both pointed at one another. Sasha simply sighed in amazement.

“I got it. I will be your opponent, then.”

Sasha's Dragonic Tool was a pair of swords sheathed on either side of her waist. They shined gold and vermillion respectively, making no sound as they were unsheathed.

Sasha was known as the {{furigana|[Hidden Princess of the Luminous Flame]|Falpram}} and the {{furigana|[Princess of the Dancing Blades]|Cortisa}}. The first impression one would have of her is calm and gentle.

Her short cut black hair which rested on her shoulders and her narrow face gave her a neutral presence. Her skin was pale and she was more on the lean side.

Her tone was also mild, but not the sort that would coerce others.

Nevertheless, both Ludmira and Ellen flinched when she took up her Twin Swords.

“What's wrong? If you've gone so far as to pull out your sword and spear, surely you want a fight, right?”

“It, it is unrelated to you.”

Ludmira sharply pointed that out. Ellen vigorously nodded in agreement.

“This is between me and her. You can act as judge.”

However, Sasha showed no signs of backing down.

“If children do not wish to listen, then I will not remain quiet. Since you two don't seem to want to talk to each other, I will make you understand with force.”

Her golden blade was turned to Ellen while the vermillion blade was turned to Ludmira. Sasha continued speaking quietly.

“Since it's troublesome, you two can come at me together. If either of you injures me, I will acknowledge my defeat. I will never stick my nose in your business again, and I will listen to anything you two have to say today.”

She was being generous.

A fire burned violently within Ellen and Ludmira's eyes.

The two had obtained their {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} when they were 14 and were confident in their skill. Sasha's words strongly stimulated their pride. In short, she provoked them.

The two who were involved in a cat fight just a moment ago exchanged a quick look and kicked off the ground. They pounced simultaneously from the left and right, yet Sasha remained stationary.

In a single moment, two sounds, without a single gap between them, rang out in succession.

Sasha coldly looked down at Ellen and Ludmira who were lying on the ground. She had struck them a powerful blow and broken their posture, forcing them to fall to their knees.

Her Dragonic Tool remained in both hands. Even at their best, they could not force her to drop either of them.

“... Are you done?”

Ellen and Ludmira feebly nodded. They were given an attack which knocked the energy out of their bodies. They could not see it but the wall was too high since the difference in their skill was overwhelming.

Sasha quietly sheathed her Twin Swords and turned to Ellen and Ludmira after wiping the dust off her body.

“Since you two are young, it can't be helped that you will fight, but it is unforgivable to turn your weapons to one another. This is even more true of Dragonic Tools...”

The two did not consider the words of the 19 year old who looked down at them prudently. She had fought two of them and moved in an instant as if she were a phantom. Furthermore, the numbness in their right hands had still not disappeared.

When Ellen described this story to Sophie later, she narrowed her eyes and smiled as if she were suppressing her laughter.

“Incidentally, I never told you or Mira. One year ago, Sasha had a practice against three Vanadis at once. It was a complete victory for her.”

''One was me.'' Sophie's golden hair waved as she pointed to herself.

“Considering your age, you were strong enough, but Sasha has been on top for a long time. It would definitely be difficult to win against that Vanadis one on one.”

Sasha's imperial palace was lined with white marble and sandstone. It gave off a strange sense of taste and yet was still strange. Though no one had changed its design, no one bothered to worry, since it was a design meant to calm people down.

Ellen passed through immediately.

Because of the heavy snows, she borrowed a building just outside the public courtyard for her soldiers to rest in while the horses remained in the courtyard. Lim and Ellen followed the servant down a corridor where fires were lit at intervals and stood before Sasha's door.

“Sasha, how is her condition?”

“I can't say it is very good.”

The aged servant who worked in the palace longer than Sasha had a hoarse voice, but his words were clear.

“I believe Alexandra-sama would be delighted to speak to you, but please stop after a half koku. Allow her to rest and you may speak to her again after dinner.”

Ellen nodded. The servant entered Sasha's room first and bowed before confirming the two could enter.

“Should I leave my sword with you?”

Though Ellen called it to attention, the servant refused.

“We recognize that a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} is with a Vanadis at all time. Above all, you are Alexandra-sama's precious friend, and you have a strong faith in Limlisha.”

His words held weight. The old man was three, four times older than Ellen. He had also served the previous Vanadis whom Sasha succeeded. After bowing, Ellen pushed open the door.

It was a simple room with the minimal amount of furniture and a simple decorated window showing the winter. There was also a brick fireplace with a flame burning brightly within.

“--- It's been a while.”

Sasha, the {{furigana|[Hidden Princess of the Luminous Flame]|Falpram}}, sat up in bed and received Ellen with a smile. Her Twin Swords lay atop her knee, glittering gold and vermillion.

The Bright Flame Bargren. The name of her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} was the {{furigana|[Twin Blades of Demonic Force]|Toki no Sojin}}.

“Sorry. You had to come all this way.”

Ellen did not respond at once. She walked to the bed and stood before Sasha.

“It's natural that I come help you.”

Her desires and nostalgia as she reminisced changed to joy and relief. Ellen obediently smiled.

''--- She's gotten worse.''

When they met last summer, her black hair was cut to an even length down to her shoulders. It was a little disordered, now, and her skin seemed more pale.

The flesh on her hand which extended from her white clothes were thinner. After hesitating for a moment, Ellen grasped it with both hands as if it were precious.

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_108.png|175px|thumb]]
“So you still dress like that.”

Sasha's favorite clothes were either black or white. She would wear solid black on her upper or lower body which let out a glimpse of white clothing beneath it. Ellen had seen it a few times. Though it depended on the mood of the person in question, Ellen had only seen her wear black on the battlefield, and she typically wore white outside.

“When I go to sleep, my subordinates prepare white. I make sure to wear my clothing thankfully.”

Sasha recommended a chair for Lim to sit at. So as not to obstruct the two Vanadis, Lim bowed down before taking a seat.

“Though there are a lot of things to talk about, let's start with the important ones. It might be a bit rude, but please tell me about your land...”

Ellen's eyes exuded a powerful fearlessness and the will to fight. She would not forgive those who would harm her best friend. It was necessary she hear the circumstances in detail from Sasha.

Sasha did not answer immediately. Rather, she waited until Ellen settled down, even if just a little.

“It's Elizavetta.”

The moment she heard the name, Ellen's calm expression became angry. Lim pressed down on her hand quietly from the side to keep her from standing up abruptly.

“Eleanora-sama. Your conversation with Alexandra-sama has not yet ended.”

A detached voice sounded to appease her Lord who was on the verge of exploding. Ellen sat in the chair, her silver-white hair swaying about.

“So it really is her.”

“Did you know?”

Sasha looked lightly at Ellen, who let out a deep breath full of heavy emotions.

“The territory held by a Vanadis nearest Legnica would be my LeitMeritz and Lebus that she governs. The rest is simply a process of elimination. Sophie returned to Zhcted with me, and Ludmira would have to pass through my territory to get here.”

Ellen counted the Vanadis on her fingers as she named them.

“I heard Olga left her territory and has not contacted anyone. Valentina's territory is far away, so I thought it may have been Elizavetta.”

Ellen smiled proudly.

Though she did not say it, there was another reason Ellen thought it was her.

''--- It seems Elizavetta is on good terms with Thenardier and Ganelon...''

For instance, Elizavetta may have acted to force Ellen to return to Zhcted.

If she made her move, it would be Ellen's obligation as a Vanadis to move in turn.

''--- However, Elizavetta... That {{furigana|[Rainbow Eyes]|Laziris}}, she wouldn't do this just to attack me. What kind of reasons could she have.''

What she thought did not appear on her face at all. Rather, Ellen asked about Sasha.

“What's with her. What reason is she giving for moving her soldiers?”

Sasha smiled wryly and turned her gaze to Lim. Lim nodded apologetically in return; though there may have been no other possibility, Sasha had guessed what Ellen was thinking. She had already labeled Elizavetta as evil.

“Ellen. I want you to listen calmly.”

After her introductory remark, Sasha began explaining while looking at the fireplace.

“--- In the middle of summer, Elizavetta and I cooperated to subdue some pirates off the coast.”

Sasha, who governed Legnica, and Elizavetta, who governed Lebus, were both in charge of territories in northwest Zhcted.

The two cooperated in important situations. Any pirates that escaped their attacks would run away and hide and then return when they had the chance, so it was natural the two cooperated for the clean up.

“The extermination was done quite easily. She and I were considerably superior, though I was unable to go personally with my body...”

The problems happened after the event.

“She complained that my army directed the pirates toward her own, and she was forced with the majority of the burden.”

“Is that true?”

“My subordinates naturally said they did not, however, I could not tell what happened with just the report.”

Sasha moved her fingers though the air as she drew a rough map of the terrain and troop movements. Lim and Ellen looked on with difficult expressions. They had no experience with subjugating pirates, but they understood the flow of battle and the soldier's movements well.

That is why they could understand Sasha's claims and felt Elizavetta was intent on accusing her.

“Regarding the pirate subjugation, I got her to come here in advance so we could discuss the plan and draw up a contract, but neither of us assumed this would happen.”

“But there is no clear proof of malicious intent here. Such flows on the battlefield are not unusual.”

“Yes. I said it was unintentional, but she was not convinced.”

“Were there any other problems? Such as distribution of the spoils...”

Lim asked since one army may have taken a significant amount more, but Sasha shook her head.

“Although I re-investigated things, I could find nothing. She did not point it out, either. We were communicating via letters, but that broke off in mid-autumn.”

It was then Elizavetta commanded her troops.

“She's an impatient one.”

Ellen's arms were folded as she scowled, implying she did not like her.

“Under these circumstances, I can't say I don't understand what she is saying, but I wanted to clear this up peaceably.”

Ellen looked pensive when Sasha responded. She placed her hands on the Twin Swords over her knees.

“If only I could move---”

A shadow of a smile appeared as she stroked the handle of her weapons.

“These children have judged that no one else is qualified to be Vanadis and have not separated. If they did, I would not need to rely on you, but they won't leave...”

She spoke as if she were talking to children who required a lot of care. Though their appearance did not change, they generated heat in response to their master's words. Ellen understood that much.

“They like you. Isn't that a good thing?”

As she gave those words of encouragement, the Silver Flash at her waist ran a light breeze through Ellen's silver-white hair, as if telling her it would not lose to those feelings. Ellen thanked her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} by tapping its sheathe lightly.

“Where is Elizavetta right now?”

“The latest report said she was in Vasaro. After capturing one of the fortresses near the northeastern border, she retreated without barricading herself inside. So far, there have been no reports of villages or towns being attacked.”

Ellen and Lim exchanged a suspicious glance hearing Sasha's explanation.

“... What is she thinking?”

The soldiers of Legnica couldn't push Elizavetta back. There was no force which could push back a Vanadis without overwhelming strength.

“Normally speaking, she would take the fortress and use it as a bargaining chip.”

“However, from Sasha's story, she did nothing after the fortress fell. It's like a child who started acting out in revenge.”

Ellen crossed her arms in doubt hearing Lim's opinion. Sasha smiled bitterly and spoke gently, admonishing her best friend with silver-white hair.

“I understand why you may think that, Ellen, but Elizavetta is still 17. The two of you are still children, so your evaluation is a little weak.”

“In other words, you think she has other aims?”

“Though I don't know, it is possible.”

Seeing her anxiety, Ellen began to laugh, full of ambition and the desire to fight.

“Relax, Sasha. It'll be fine since I came here. I'll beat that idiot a bit and then we can have a nice chat.”

When one investigated thoroughly, there were many possible causes for war. It could be because someone stepped beyond their borders or because a landslide in the mountain caused problems, or even because a river froze over.

Though scholars were amazed and lamented these reasons, for the people who lived in those regions, it was a matter of life and death. Ellen knew from personal experience that fights could erupt over a single grain of wheat or a drop of water.

Whatever the reasons Elizavetta may have had, she led her soldiers on an attack against others.

“Sorry. I'll leave it to you.”

Sasha said that likely to ease Ellen's anxieties. After nodding, the two talked about a separate issue.

“By the way, I heard you were with some interesting guy these days. Sophie sent me a letter. You were in Brune, right?”

“Yeah. I'm lending a bit of my soldiers to an unreliable man. I'm sure he'd cry if I abandoned him.”

“Though it feels like he's helped us from time to time.”

Lim promptly interrupted. Ellen pouted like a sulky child.

“Even though you say that like it's not your business, he helped you as well – like sucking on your chest.”

Hearing those words, Lim pressed on her chest on reflex and blushed as she looked at her silver-white haired Lord.

“Wha... What are you saying so suddenly!”

She used all of her self control so she would not shout before an ill person.

“Isn't it true? Your attitude toward Tigre softened quite a bit after that.”

“That... I have only been evaluating his effort.”

“It's quite an odd amount of affection, then. Whenever you have free time, you're quite enthusiastic to teach him.”

“...Eleanora-sama, I could only wish you had the same enthusiasm to listen to my lectures. The moment I take my eyes off you, you leave the castle incognito.”

A relentless counterattack left Ellen speechless for a moment. Sasha smiled wryly.

“I see Ellen's habit of cutting classes has not changed.”

“It is important to inspect the affairs of my country.”

Ellen answered promptly in a dignified manner, though her face was clearly bashful.

“Is the meat you can buy from the stands delicious? How about the strawberry and grape jams on the honeyed bread? Isn't it important to investigate these things?”

“Grape, huh?”

“I like honey. Tigre – Ah, the person I'm helping said the strawberry was good. We covered the bread with honey when we entered the mountains as well. It helps mellow the acidity...”

“You two seem to have gone off track.”

Sasha looked at Ellen who spoke with interest and Lim who looked amazed. Though Ellen seemed dissatisfied, they did not have much time to speak, so the silver-white haired girl spoke of things from when she met Tigre.

However, she refrained from speaking of the black bow. She did not want to worry her friend who was in ill health.

“... Ellen, I didn't think you'd lend him your soldiers for so long.”

Sasha looked at her in amazement at first.

“I had intended to drive away Duke Thenardier's Army and learn of the situation in Brune, but things have become like this for a number of reasons.”

“Learning the status of Brune aside... Do you really like the boy that much?”

“He's an interesting guy. You'll understand if you meet him. I'm sure if you two talked, you'd like him too.”

Ellen spoke happily and proudly. Lim also nodded, despite her indifferent expression.

“He has quite a number of faults, rather, I am amazed there are so many. However, we have still lent him our aid. Rather, it seems somewhat unavoidable.”

“Is that so. He seems interesting. I would like to meet him.”

Sasha grew an interest in Tigre, hearing Ellen and Lim's evaluation.

“The fight in Brune should also end by spring. If so, I'll be happy to lend him to you.”

Ellen stretched her chest forward as if boasting about a toy she owned. Her words were wishing for her best friend's complete recovery as well as offered encouragement.

“That's right... I'll do my best to hold out a little longer.”

A knock was heard on the door; their time limit had ended. The next time Ellen would meet the black haired Vanadis would likely be before she left the imperial palace to fight Elizavetta.

“... It's already that time. It was far too short.”

Ellen gently squeezed Sasha's hand. Due to them being on her blades, there was a faint heat emitted. Despite the thinness of her fingers, Ellen's anxieties were relieved after feeling some sign of life from them.

“It was good to spend time with you again. Thank you Ellen, Lim.”

“It's good if you say that. Now get a good rest.”

Ellen slowly separated her hands. Lim also bowed politely.

The two left Sasha's room.

After Ellen and Lim left the room, Sasha gave thanks to her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} which heated in response.

“... You really don't like giving up.”

A bitter smile with many emotions floated to her face. Sasha gripped the hilts of her Twin Swords and held them out. Her muscle strength had declined and they had become heavy.

She had once wielded the {{furigana|[Twin Blades of Demonic Force]|Toki no Sojin}} freely. Even now, when she could no longer use them, it still seemed energetic.

However, she could not even last for a quarter koku.

“If you abandon me now...”

She complained silently. Ellen did not come to help because Legnica was attacked but because she was unable to move.

The Dragonic Tool had not taken notice of her words and transmitted heat to Sasha's hands. She would not be burned, the Dragonic Tool would not heat her hands up to that level, it was simply giving Sasha encouragement.

“I know. I won't die so young. I'll rest so I can move about a bit more.”

She placed her swords on top of her left and right knees again. As if to cheer on its black haired Lord, it emitted a faint heat once again.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

In the southeast of Brune in Agnes, the situation with the Muozinel Army had become strange for the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

Four thousand cavalry from Zhcted had joined the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, forcing the Muozinel Army to temporarily retreat.

The thirty thousand strong Muozinel Army had added in the remaining ten thousand stragglers, resulting in a total of forty thousand troops. The General of all the troops, Kreshu Shaheen Baramir, was the younger brother of the King of Muozinel and was known as {{furigana|[Red Beard]|Barbaros}}.

“... The Zhcted Army?”

In a luxurious tent decorated in gold and silver, the 37 year old brother of the king received a report.

His medium build and toned physique was wrapped in silk clothing with flashy colors. A silk cloth wrapped around his head was decorated with iridescent feathers. His eyes were sunken and his nose and ears were long. His face was covered in a beard which extended down to his chest.

Though he did not look bad, given the clothes he wore, he looked more like a clown than a member of the royal family.

Still, he was not simply a [Figurehead] of the royal family. From the soldiers, he commanded respect, awe, and fear.

“I had heard a small noble from Brune had allied with the Zhcted Army... This is unexpected.”

Kreshu considered this new force. He thought they would claim to be allies and then turn around and loot the villages and towns. Kreshu wanted to avoid a troublesome battle, since it meant he would not earn as much from the spoils of war.

When the Muozinel Army attacks, they plunder the region as a matter of course. They had intended to run through Brune Kingdom so they could build funds as they made their way to Zhcted.

''--- Kashim was defeated by an army with Brune and Zhcted soldiers, and now they have an additional four thousand cavalry from Zhcted. I don't know whether they are reinforcements or not, they look like they're trying to block our invasion into Agnes.''

“There are several thousand soldiers. What could be their reason? Maybe they want to monopolize the wealth they get from Brune.”

Even if he thought about it some more, a clear answer would not appear. Kreshu stopped marching for the time being and sent a messenger to the Zhcted Army.

“Our target is south Brune, and we will attack until we reach Nemetacum. If you are aiming for other regions, we should refrain from interfering with one another. If we wish for the same game, let us talk over some alcohol.”

Kreshu patted his red beard as he gave the messenger his letter.

“If the Vanadis proposes cooperation, should her beauty match the rumors, I may come back empty handed. Ha ha ha.”

He laughed happily and seriously near his close attendants. It would be no joke if a member of the royal family died from a direct meeting. Kreshu was known for his generous character, but he was not careless.

At any rate, the messenger headed to the Zhcted Army.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} escaped a desperate situation thanks to the Zhcted Army. Everyone understood it was temporary.

Currently, in a tent installed between the two camps, Tigre and Ludmira sat opposite one another across a table.

The tent was prepared by Ludmira and was made of two thick layers of fleece. The atmosphere of winter filling Agnes did not enter it at all. The carpet, too, was of fine quality, and did not allow the cold of the earth to pass through.

Tigre, more than warmth, felt itchy.

In the tent, only the sound of tea being brewed by Ludmira echoed.

“... Please.”

She handed him a cup made of white porcelain, wisps of steam rising from it. Before touching it, Tigre bowed deeply to Ludmira.

“First of all, thank you for your help.”

“--- Minus one.”

Ludmira's aloof voice poured over Tigre's head. Tigre looked curiously at the blue haired Vanadis with blue eyes who threw cold words at him with a disappointed face.

“We are not so intimate that I would simply come to help you... Since I have not given you a reason, your words of thanks are simply jumping to conclusions. There are times when the person will require collateral immediately.”

“We might not be that close... But you did brew this tea.”

“In the face of negotiation, I may brew this tea, even before parties I do not like. Should the negotiations fail, I may throw the contents on their face. I wonder what I shall do with you, Lord Tigrevurmud. Ah, your title was taken, so I suppose you are Tigrevurmud Vorn?”

While speaking, Ludmira continued pouring tea into the cup placed before him. She let off an inhuman smile as she tilted her cup. Though Tigre returned a smile of his own, it was stiff due to his misunderstanding.

“... Thank you for the lesson.”

“I did not prepare this place simply to lecture you.”

Even his words of thanks were rejected. Tigre ruffled his dull red hair, unable to hide his embarrassment.

“Then... May I ask why you appeared here? Furthermore, with four thousand cavalry.”

“Why do you think?”

She evaded the question. Ludmira was clearly enjoying the situation. Tigre folded his arms and tilted his head, desperately in thought.

''--- Agnes lies on the border between Brune, Muozinel, and Zhcted.''

Because a large Muozinel force appeared, it would be appropriate to think she came to keep an eye on the situation.

However, Ludmira appeared with such a small number. She should have continued monitoring the Brune and Muozinel Armies from a distance.

On the contrary, by showing up with four thousand troops and coming in to contact with Tigre in such an obvious manner would make the Muozinel Army suspect her of hostility.

In the end, no answer other than coming to help him appeared in his mind.

''--- But this is too convenient...''

Ludmira cast an upward glance at Tigre while sipping her tea, watching as he still had not answered.

“--- Do you want me?”

Hearing such an abrupt and confusing question, Tigre's body became hot and his face dyed red. After wickedly enjoying his reaction, Ludmira slowly added more.

“Do you want me and the four thousand troops I have brought? Please, tell me.”

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_126.png|175px|thumb]]
“I do.”

“Minus two.”

Seeing him answer promptly without caring about his appearance, she immediately pointed out his fault.

“I understand your situation, but you should not bow so easily. You will easily be taken advantage of. By the way, I do not wish to partner up with such a foolish person.”

Tigre was sweating, and it was not just from the hot tea or warm air.

He had two demerits. In other words, if Tigre made another mistake, Ludmira would leave in disgust and move her troops to the other side of the cliffs.

The Muozinel Army would resume its march toward the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} which also had two thousand people and carts along with it.

They would be crushed.

Tigre is a man who has lived his life in the frontiers. He was not skillful with language.

In the end, he could think of no other action than lowering his head. He bowed once more then sat upright.

“Please help me.”

After that, he told her the Muozinel Army was attacking, and that Ellen was currently not present. He explained his situation at present.

“Though I have no means of compensating you today, I will be able to reward you after my fight with Duke Thenardier has ended.”

“You?”

“... My properties and my possessions belong to Ellen.”

Though he hesitated, Tigre lowered his head once again, his sweat falling to the table. He could find no words that might satisfy her. A bitter taste ran down his tongue and he could feel a headache. His entire body was filled with remorse.

“--- Look up.”

The voice from above was slightly flat. At first, Tigre did not think the words were directed at him, but since he was the only one present, he slowly looked up to see Ludmira smiling down at him bitterly as if she could not help it.

“You are honest and foolish to a fault. I wonder which way is better to say? Though I cannot say you have grown up much, you have not grown in a bad direction. Your sincerity has always been a strong point, so I'll give you a passing mark.”

“... So you will lend me a hand?”

Tigre had yet to swallow the situation and asked; Ludmira smiled and nodded in affirmation.

“Actually, I did not need to hear anything. I already had a rough understanding of your situation. Still, seeing your poor negotiation skills, I considered leaving.”

Again, sweat ran down Tigre's back. Though the woman who said such words had a happy and attractive smile, he could not possibly look straight at her.

“Do not relax so easily. The negotiations have not yet finished. I have only said I will consider what you say.”

While pouring tea into her now empty cup, Ludmira quietly spoke. Tigre wiped his sweat away with his arm and waited for her next words.

“Do you remember the Tatra Mountains?”

Tigre nodded. To deal with Ludmira, who was limiting Ellen's movements, he and Ellen fought her in those lands. At the top of the mountain was the fortress where Ludmira resided. It was a difficult fight for Tigre and Ellen.

“Back at the fort, do you remember when you destroyed the castle gate?”

He was startled. Tigre felt he had understood what Ludmira was demanding of him. He could only nod.

Ludmira smiled after seeing Tigre's gaze. Her mysterious smile suited her childish face; it did not give off her typical tension.

“Although the gate was made of hollowed out wood with three iron plates, and separated by oak boards inside, you easily made a hole large enough to allow people to pass through.”

He was surely a rat cornered by the cat. He was unable to escape from the cat called Ludmira.

“At that time, I was in a rush. It was only after you left that I noticed it. After the gate was restored, I returned to my castle and examined it. It was something that could not be done simply by a Vanadis. The previous Vanadis, my mother, also fought with Eleanora's predecessor many times. There was more than enough material there. There were also the stories I heard from the soldiers.”

Tigre was not aware his knees were trembling.

Every word Ludmira spoke had a strong impact. Tigre could not help but feel an invisible rope tying around him.

In his mind, Ellen's angry face floated. She would hate it if she knew he had spoken about his bow to another person, much more so if that person was Ludmira.

“You wish to remain quiet? Did Eleanora forbid you from speaking about it?”

“Certainly, you did see the hole we made in your castle gate...”

Though he did not think it an excuse, Tigre desperately continued his resistance.

“That is about half the reason. I believe I have told you I am an aristocrat on the fringe of Brune, and I am somewhat proud of my archery skills.”

After drinking the remaining tea in his cup, Tigre responded in a poised demeanor and tone. He shrugged his shoulder as if it were a joke.

“Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Ludmira poured more tea into his cup as she smiled. Cold air was released from Lavias – the spear made of ice – beside her. It drifted past Tigre's ear.

It was different from the wind Ellen made with Arifal. It was of a threatening nature. If Tigre were a bit more sensitive, he may have noticed there was jealousy in the air since its master had become interested in a man.

Ludmira tilted her head cutely and continued smiling.

“I have believed in your sincerity before. I hope to believe your sincerity this time as well... Do you understand?”

It was clearly Tigre's defeat.

He called Rurick and had him bring his black bow.

“I am warning you, Lord Tigrevurmud. If you wish to borrow the strength of Olmutz, there is no point in lowering your head. If you wish to cooperate with them, you must throw your head back proudly.”

“If I ever do so, you're welcome to throw tea in my face.”

Rurick was baffled, not understanding the meaning of Tigre's words. Tigre received his black bow without saying another word.

He could understand Rurick's feelings. The confrontation between LeitMeritz and Olmutz was not one just between Ellen and Ludmira. It had existed with their predecessors as well.

Being in a situation where they needed to borrow power to break the status quo must have been irritating to a Knight of LeitMeritz like Rurick.

After thanking him for the bow, Tigre returned to the tent and showed his bow to Ludmira.

“A completely unrefined bow.”

That was the first opinion of the Vanadis with blue eyes and hair.

“This is a heirloom of my household. Please refrain from saying such things for my sake.”

Having said those words, thoughts of Tir na Fa crossed his mind. He wondered why his ancestors made this a heirloom.

Ignoring Tigre's words, Ludmira observed the black bow. She brought her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} close to it.

“Although it feels a little eerie... It seems to be a featureless bow.”

“I also thought that.”

That is, until fall, when he shot down the flying Dragon with the power of Ellen's Silver Flash.

Tigre carefully explained, one at a time, what happened when he used his bow. Ludmira listened with an eager expression, though at times she seemed anxious.

His guilt only grew heavier as he thought of Ellen, but it was too late now. He could do nothing but prepare himself.

Ludmira laughed, having guessed what Tigre was thinking from his expression.

“If Eleanora deserts you, I'll let you stay with me for a bit, though I doubt that will happen.”

“... Is that so?”

Tigre looked curiously at Ludmira. Certainly, Ellen would likely forgive him, but he did not think this Vanadis would say that.

“If I assume what you say to be true, then it is as if one more Vanadis exists. It would be possible to overwhelmingly dominate over the other six. I would make sure to secure such a person before the other Vanadis. At least, if it were me.”

She spoke with frightening nonchalance. Tigre stared bitterly at his black bow.

However, he also had a sense of resignation, having seen the spectacle at the temple of Tir na Fa. He could not help but feel that way.

After clearing the mood, Tigre and Ludmira returned to the topic on hand.

“That is all I can offer. Will you help?”

“It is not enough. Leave Eleanora and come to me. If you do so, I will cooperate.”

“--- Do you intend to shoulder the debt I owe to Ellen as well?”

He tried to speak in a provocative manner, but Ludmira simply laughed in amusement.

“If that is all it would take, then certainly. I would have you pledge your loyalty to me.”

She calmly returned a response without hearing the amount he owed. Tigre's mouth remained slightly opened. Ludmira looked at him with amusement like a sister would look at her clumsy little brother.

“Whether you command one hundred soldiers or ten thousand, when you take command of a large army, you require a corresponding sense of sensibility. The same thing goes for power. If you wish to continue using your precious heirloom, make sure you think of its value at the time.”

''--- The value of this bow...''

Tigre understood immediately as he stared as his black bow. Ludmira taught him as if he were another Vanadis. It seems he had not yet understood it himself.

“I apologize. Please allow me to retract my previous statement.”

“Very well.”

Ludmira nodded and calmly rose from her chair.

“Regarding this matter, both wages and expenditures will be carried by you. Should you die, it will be considered a breach of contract. Do your best to live.”

''--- That's a pretty unreasonable demand given this battle.''

That thought floated through his head, though he agreed it would be best not to die. Though it would be difficult, he deemed it better compared to the other challenges he was facing.

“Let me say this again... thank you for your help.”

Tigre stood up and stretched his hand to Ludmira. Having shared a firm handshake, the two began speaking of battle immediately.

After the war council between the two had finished, Tigre left the tent.

Though he had not noticed it, they had spoken for a considerable amount of time. The sun had sunk beneath the cliff, and night was drifting heavily in the sky. Bonfires had been lit in both camps.

He felt excessively cold since he had just been in the warmth of the tent. He looked up at the white moon as it gradually shined argent.

Tigre walked from the tent and eventually released the tension in his shoulders. He sighed and felt pain in his stomach as he thought about what would happen when he next met Ellen.

However, he had completed the contract when he shook Ludmira's hand. There was nothing for him to do but to comfort himself.

When he reached the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} camp, Gerard ran up to him.

“How did it go?”

He did not bother with greetings. His expression showed he was very anxious.

“For now, we have their cooperation.”

Gerard let out a sigh of release after hearing that. Afterward, he looked at Tigre as though he were a queer animal.

“Really, who on earth are you?”

“What do you mean... who am I?”

Gerard sighed in amazement seeing as Tigre did not understand his words.

“Even I know the Vanadis are an existence within Zhcted second only to the King. First Eleanora Viltaria, now the Vanadis with blue hair. What kind of power do you have to be able to obtain their cooperation?”

“It's a natural virtue.”

Tigre shrugged his shoulders impudently. Gerard looked at him as if it were simply a boring joke, but he knew it would be useless to pursue the matter any further. Instead, his face returned to its normal sarcastic expression.

“By the way, did anything happen while I was away?”

“Yes, that's right.”

Gerard nodded, as if waiting for Tigre to ask that question.

“It's about that girl you found before we fought with the Muozinel Army.”

“Ah, that girl. How is she? Did she look better?”

She was attacked by Muozinel and was dressed as a traveler. She had been resting for a few days due to severe fatigue.

However, because they had constantly moved camps as well as the fear that Muozinel would defeat the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} being constantly present, she could not rest well.

Though he was busy, Tigre had gone to see her once a day, but she was always asleep. Even now, her name was not known.

“Yes. It happened a while ago, but I would like to ask. What kind of situation was it when you helped the girl? She is quite wary of us and seems unusually afraid...”

“Afraid?”

“Currently one soup bowl is damaged and my finger and index finger are burnt.”

Tigre tilted his head in thought.

“I'd rather hope not, but the soldiers may have done something. Did that have anything to do with it?”

He did not want to think of it, but the army is a group of men, and they had strained themselves constantly over the past few days. If even a single person causes a problem, it would not be amusing.

Thankfully, Gerard shook his head.

“The person nursing her is trustworthy. Furthermore, the soldiers are kind and occasionally approach to see how she is doing, but she does nothing then. There is no possibility of that.”

If he saw her, Tigre may come to understand something. Tigre began to walk with Gerard one step behind.

First, Tigre visited the supply line to gather some wine, cheese, bread, and fruit into a small basket.

“Do we have any soup?”

“There is some that has cooled down. We can warm it at the bonfire.”

“I'm sorry for asking so much of you in a situation like this.”

“Well, it's fine. We can be a bit generous since we gathered some food from the Muozinel Army.”

Tigre thanked the soldier in charge of cooking and requested Gerard bring soup for two later on.

“For the time being, allow me to meet the girl alone.”

“Thank you for your consideration. In all aspects, she looks like a traveler. Though she does not speak, it is always good to be able to have a bowl of soup. Still, even if we obtained supplies from the Muozinel Army, every grain is important on the battlefield.”

After Gerard spoke those words with a straight face and shrugged his shoulders, Tigre entered the tent with his basket full of food alone.

One soldier standing in front of the tent in the cold allowed Tigre entry after seeing his face. He seemed impatient, so he was likely the soldier who nursed her.

“How does the girl look? Can she get up?”

“Yes. She seems quite cautious of us, so I am standing outside so as to not agitate her.”

The man was in his mid 40s. His belly shook as he laughed.

“Don't worry about it. Since I will be with her, take a short rest.”

After telling him the supply line had warmed a bowl of soup for him, the soldier walked away happily. Tigre passed through the entrance after seeing him off.

The girl with golden hair sat upright. Although her face stiffened for a moment and she glared at Tigre, her expression loosened upon seeing him.

''--- I wonder if she remembers when we helped her.''

Under the bright lamp, only he and the girl sat. There were bags packed with medical herbs and tubs with water and towels in them.

The girl slept on straw covered with fur under a thick blanket. Though it was not particularly good, it was better than to be expected on the battlefield.

“I've brought some food. Do you want to eat?”

The girl nodded deeply after seeing him ask with a smile.

Tigre walked near her while watching and sat down. He took out a pomegranate, divided it in two, and handed it to the girl. She received it and looked at it curiously.

''--- Is she not going to bite into it?''

“You can bite into it. The red things inside are seeds, and its juices will fly out, so be careful.”

After receiving an explanation, she bit into it, carrying it to her mouth timidly. She frowned from the acidity but continued nibbling it like a small animal.

Though there was still fatigue on her face, she seemed to have recovered considerably compared to when they first met. Even though dim, there was a fire of life in her azure eyes.

“There's bread and cheese, too. I also have some wine, but don't work too hard. Eat it little by little."

After pushing the basket before the girl, she nodded quietly and continued gnawing at the pomegranate. Tigre tilted his head while comparing this straightforward reaction to Gerard's story.

''--- I thought so before as well, but where have I seen this girl?''

No matter how desperately he searched his memory, no clear image appeared.

“May I have your name?”

Although it was an innocent question, the girl stopped eating the pomegranate and stared at Tigre with her blue eyes. After a while, she responded in a dazzlingly small voice.

“Re... Regin.”

“Regin, is it? It's surprisingly suitable. Nice to meet you.”

“--- Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

Regin said it before he spoke his name. Having heard it, Tigre nodded with admiration.

“That's right. It's a bit long, so Tigre is fine.”

“... Tigre.”

Her reactions still seemed slow. After moving her mouth a few times, Regin finally spoke Tigre's name. Tigre felt her physical condition must not have been back to normal.

“Thank you, Tigre.”

Regin lowered her head, her disordered hair shaking in the process. Tigre was relieved he could have a proper conversation and smiled at her.

“At the very least, while I am here, I will try and defend you, so please try and relax.”

After nodding again, Regin began nibbling the pomegranate again. She did not ask questions or let Tigre out of sight. While her facial expressions were not particularly vast, her eyes looked innocently at him like a child relying on her mother, which confused Tigre.

''--- Certainly, I did help this girl...''

But is that enough to become so emotionally attached? There were small scratches and cuts on Tigre's face and arms, and he was covered in grime and dirt. Blood was stuck to his clothes; he seemed no different from the other soldiers. He decided to ask other questions instead of worrying about it, though.

“Regin. Where did you come from? Are you from this area?”

“... I came from far away.”

Though she did not lie, it was clear she had carefully chosen her words given her facial expression.

“So why did you come here from such a long distance?”

Regin fell silent. Tigre waited calmly; eventually, he shook his head apologetically.

“No. If you do not wish to speak about it, then it is not necessary. You have your circumstances.”

When he spoke words of comfort, Regin looked upward at Tigre.

“You. Why are you here?”

Tigre understood she was wondering why his military forces were in Agnes. He spoke as if to explain it to a small child.

“Muozinel – the country to the southeast, has led its army here. We have come to drive them back.”

“Are you not the lord of Alsace?”

A moment of silence ran between the two. Regin's slip of the tongue surprised Tigre for a moment.

Though he considered cross examining her regarding how she knew this, he did not think she would obediently respond. She seemed like the type to be unnecessarily stubborn.

“.... Have we met before? Perhaps you traveled to Alsace before.”

With some effort, Tigre smiled and spoke to Regin. Regin looked at him with wide eyes before smiling.

“We met elsewhere. Even then, you were gentle.”

It seems they had met, but Tigre could not recall.

“Earl Vorn. I have brought the soup.”

Gerard's voice was heard from outside. Tigre stood up as he tried to smile at Regin.

“Is there anything else you want? I can't say we have much, though.”

When asked, Regin hesitated for a time before shyly speaking.

“Then... Some a pail with hot water, and a towel, please.”

Thinking she wanted to wipe her body, Tigre consented. Though calm, she was a girl, so he could understand her feelings. When he put his face and hands outside the tent to grab the two bowls of soup from Gerard, who spoke with a straight face.

“How is it? Did she bite or scratch you?”

“I was worried when I went in, but she's as calm as a dog one's kept for years. Were you suddenly asking her personal questions?”

Tigre showed a nasty smile. Gerard simply tilted his neck curiously.

“Though I can't really say for sure, perhaps it really is your talent.”

“Talent?”

“A talent of debauchery in which beautiful women flock to you. Though it is a valuable natural virtue, please avoid causing trouble. It is not unusual for a hero to fall to ruins because of a woman.”

“... Our visitor wants a pail, a towel, and some hot water. Please get it.”

Tigre countered the man with brown hair who had turned away. Gerard shook his right hand with his back turned, showing his understanding. Tigre returned to Regin and placed the bowl of soup before her.

“Careful, it's hot.”

As he said so, he sipped his soup. Thankfully, though there were few ingredients, it was made better in this cold weather. The vegetables and meat melted into the soup, and the flavor was enhanced by the fat. The salty taste spread a moderate heat throughout the body.

As he was about to take his second spoon, Tigre noticed Regin was gazing at his soup.

“What's wrong?”

“May I have that soup?”

She asked in a small but clear voice, completely confusing Tigre.

He thought there may have been some problems with her soup, but Regin had not even picked it up in the first place.

“Even though I've already had some to drink?”

Regin nodded without a care. Though reluctant, Tigre exchanged bowls with her. Regin drank her soup without hesitation.

“Warm...”

As if condensing her loveliness, Regin smiled shyly and let out a satisfied sigh. She quickly worked her spoon, finishing her soup before Tigre.

“I wonder how many years its been since I had anything this warm.”

''--- Years!?''

Tigre almost dropped his spoon. He thought through this girl's strange speech and behavior.

The soup was not special. It was simply pork, potato, onions, and salt thrown into a pan of boiling water. It was an ordinary ration for the army and a popular meal for the common people.

''--- Was she that poor? No, it's something different...''

Even if her voice was small, she was very polite. Oblivious to Tigre's astonishment, Regin continued smiling at him.

“Thank you. I remembered the old times.”

Tigre was forced to respond with a smile. The two ate bread and cheese without talking, then they drunk some wine.

Tigre did not know what to ask her, though he had looked at Regin's azure eyes several times. The two finished eating their meal with satisfied expressions.

“I have brought the hot water.”

A blunt voice was heard from outside. It was Gerard.

Tigre showed his hands and face outside the tent and took the towel and pail. Having been forced to carry the items twice, he seemed dissatisfied.

“Any progress?”

Tigre shook his head. Shocked by her words and attitude, he had not made any progress.

“Please tell her to remain obedient, at least.”

After expressing his understanding to Gerard, Tigre placed the wooden tub and towel before Regin. When he was about to leave, she called out to Tigre.

“Um...”

Though hesitant, after taking a deep breath, Regin looked up at Tigre as if she had made a decision.

“Thank you for everything you've done, but could you help wipe my body?”

“... What?”

Tigre thought he misheard for a moment, but Regin's face was colored with shame. She repeated her words in a voice smaller than before.

“Um... I am not asking you to wipe my entire body. Just the places I cannot reach. For example... My back.”

“Surely there is someone else...”

He had started to say that, but Tigre realized the current {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was a large group of men with the current purpose of fighting the Muozinel Army.

It would take them several days of marching to reach Territoire from Agnes, and he had made Teita stay behind. With the cliffs and stones, she would easily be injured. Tigre wanted to avoid that as much as possible.

It is possible he could take her to Ludmira's Army, but to have to go there for such a trivial thing was frightening.

''--- That's right, there are two thousand men and women who lived in Agnes...''

When that idea finally arrived in his head, Regin spoke with a surprisingly strong tone.

“If, if it is not you... I cannot do it.”

She blushed further, but her eyes were filled with a strong emotion as she looked up at Tigre.

“Why me?”

Regin would not answer, even if he asked. Tigre had another thought in the corner of his mind.

''--- This girl does not seem that shy at all...''

She knew Tigre, which is why she asked, despite her embarrassment. Perhaps she did not trust the soup until she saw Tigre drink it.

Before long, Tigre sighed and turned his back on her.

“Take your clothes off. When your back is turned, call me.”

''I'm sorry,'' a small voice was heard from behind Tigre.

He could hear the sounds of her clothes rustling. Tigre could not contain the stress of being in a situation where a beautiful girl near his age was taking off her clothes behind his back. The surroundings were very quiet, making all other sounds seem louder.

“Please...”

Her trembling voice full of shyness called out to him. Tigre turned about.

Illuminated by the light of the lamp, her white back which lacked flesh was present. He had the same impression when he lifted her in his arms; she had a delicate physique. Both her shoulders and hips were small.

He involuntarily let out a breath upon seeing her beauty. Regin, hearing the sound, turned red and tensed her muscles. She cowered slightly. Tigre carefully walked up to her and sat down.

Lately, he had seen nude females up close several times. No matter how many times he looked, he still could not remain calm. Ellen's nude body crossed his mind; Tigre shook it off in a panic.

''--- No strange thoughts. Concentrate on Regin for now.''

[[Image:Vanadis V04 - 003.jpg|thumb]]

Even so, he wanted her to cover below her waist at least, but it would be embarrassing for both of them if he pointed that out, so he took care not to see as much as possible.

Wringing the hot water out of the towel, he brought the towel to her shoulder. Regin's body trembled strongly, but she weakly told him to continue.

Without using excessive force, Tigre carefully rubbed Regin's back so as to remove all the dirt.

Though Tigre had a strange face, he considered it to be trivial. His face was hot, and a strange amount of tension was present in his muscles near his nose. It was a face he did not want to see at all.

His heart raged, feeling the softness of her skin through the towel. He struggled hard with his reason to force his excitement down. Though Tigre grasped his left hand and endured the impulse desperately, he made a mistake and a painful sigh leaked from Regin's mouth.

Tigre stopped what he was doing and turned his face away for a count of five. He needed to build up the energy to force down his desire. He had already given up and let his lower body have an excessive reaction, but it would go down to normal once he went out in the cold.

At the end of all his suffering, Tigre had managed to finish wiping Regin's back.

“... Something like this.”

It was a man's honor to say something like this.

“Um... Just a little lower, please.”

It really was only a moment of vanity. Regin's words showed that Tigre had been trying not to look at her waist as much as possible.

While his self control still remained, Tigre moved his left hand. Despite Regin letting out two soft moans, he had managed to complete his work.

Though her back was thin, it still had a female-specific elasticity, and her waist only felt softer to Tigre's left hand.

“... Can you do the rest yourself?”

Tigre hung the towel on a wooden hook as he turned his back to her. Fatigue weighed his entire body; he wanted to escape to cool his body as soon as possible

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

Hearing her words of gratitude, Tigre was wrapped in a sense of relief. He was finally done.

As he was trying to exit the tent, Regin's voice called out to him once again.

“I'm sorry.”

Though Tigre was about to look back on reflex, he panicked after seeing her look over her shoulder and quickly left. He realized he had left the basket behind, but decided to leave it.

''--- What does she mean...?''

He thought about the words Regin had said as he left. It was not an apology for having him wipe her body, but he was not sure of the reason why.

''--- Well, it's fine. She'll tell me eventually.''

Tigre concluded quickly. There were too many things to think about. His contract with Ludmira, the forty thousand strong Muozinel Army, he did not have the time.

Before he searches for a new problem, it's necessary to solve the ones before him.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Ellen and Lim were given a room in the Legnica imperial palace. After speaking with Sasha and finishing their meal, they went to sleep early.

The two woke before dawn and went to the building at the edge of the palace, telling their men to wake up. They also checked the numbers present.

Lim received the report.

“The people who have reached the temple by last night is approximately thirteen hundred.”

“So we still don't have everyone...”

While preparing their armor, Ellen wore a difficult face. According to Sasha's story, Elizavetta commanded an army of about four thousand.

“Sasha said she would lend us three thousand soldiers...”

Ellen had hoped for more soldiers so she could settle the matter quickly.

“If you include the people who arrived at midnight, it comes to approximately seventeen hundred.”

“They need rest or they will simply die on the battlefield. If we need them, they can be used as scouts.”

“Certainly. We will do that.”

As Lim responded with a smile, a knock came from the door. Opening the door, the old servant and three senior aids stood before them.

“Is something wrong?”

When Lim asked with her expressionless face, the servants, without destroying the solemn atmosphere, bowed.

“We apologize, but there are many who work here who wish to see Limlisha-sama by all means. I understand you are busy, but could you spare us some time?”

Lim was baffled by the servant's words. It was not the first time she had visited the palace. She had visited numerous times before alongside Ellen.

In any case, as she had come with Ellen to help numerous times, the unit Commander and grand chamberlain had begged her to teach them affairs pertaining to the military and the state. As such, Lim had many acquaintances.

''--- But why would they contact me in such a situation?''

Surely they understood she was busy helping with the situation in Legnica in place of Sasha who was ill of health.

“Lim. Go.”

Ellen pushed Lim's back with a dubious face and a bright voice.

“This is Sasha's imperial palace. I don't know what kind of business they have, but it shouldn't be a problem for us to deal with. Still, we're busy, so keep it brief.”

There was no shadow on Ellen's face at all; her bright eyes were shining. She had faith in Lim. Understanding that, Lim turned back to the servants.

“Then please guide me.”

Lim was guided away from the guest room by the servants and walked down the corridor lined with torches. She noticed she had turned a corner several times.

''--- This is the place we were at yesterday.''

Her expectations soon became reality. Lim was guided before Sasha's room.

“... Isn't this Alexandra-sama's room?”

“Correct.”

The servant confirmed Lim's words with a brief response. He opened the door and urged her in.

“I apologize for having you come all this way.”

It was definitely the room she had visited yesterday. Like before, Sasha sat up as soon as she saw her guest. Lim stepped inside, bowed, and stood before her.

“Alexandra-sama. What business might you have with me?”

Since she was called alone, she must not have wanted Ellen to hear her words.

''--- Though Eleanora-sama may have guessed this would happen.''

Sasha nodded and looked up at Lim with a serious expression.

“Please, protect Ellen for me.”

Lim looked at the black haired Vanadis in surprise. Such a thing was unnecessary to say. Before Ellen had become a Vanadis, Lim had stood beside her and defended her. Sasha knew that as well.

Though Lim did not show her feelings, Sasha seemed to have read them and quietly continued.

“I know there is no need to tell you, but even so, I wished to say it. Her opponent is Elizavetta.”

Ellen and Elizavetta had a connection.

Autumn one year ago, in a certain village in Zhcted Kingdom, an epidemic broke out. Although the village was under the direct control of the royal family, it was adjacent to Lebus which Elizavetta governed.

To prevent the epidemic from expanding, she burned the village and every person who likely had the illness. She took a stance of isolation while Ellen offered to look after those quarantined.

“Before I became a Vanadis, I lived in that village for a period of time. I also wished to help them, but I could not. I ended up causing you trouble.”

However, Elizavetta ignored Ellen's request.

“I understand that this village is under control of the royal family. However, there is no need for two Vanadis to intervene; there is still an epidemic here. It would not concern me if not for the possibility that the damage would reach Lebus. Even if this does not involve me, as a Vanadis, that matter has nothing to do with you.”

There was no mistake in Elizavetta's words which lacked any flexibility. Still, Ellen could do nothing but withdraw.

However, the majority of the isolated people were unable to last through the winter.

Many families and acquaintances were lost, and the village where she was born and grew up in was tossed aside. Though it was possible to escape from the epidemic, they had been dealt a severe mental and physical blow from the outside world. There were many disputes over what should be done amongst the villagers.

When spring arrived, the number of people had decreased by more than half. They gave up on rejuvenating the village and scattered. Though there were some who were able to accept living in other villages, many turned to thievery. They would have been unable to live otherwise.

Ellen blamed Elizavetta for this. Her proposal was refused, resulting in this unavoidable occurrence. Ellen's thoughts ended at that resentment, and she could not consider Elizavetta's feelings. Though she was hurt as a result of this, so was Elizavetta.

Elizavetta was not necessarily crossing her arms and letting things be. Despite not being her territory, she brought food and materials to them throughout the winter, arranged for more doctors, and offered to help with reconstructing the village.

An invisible crack which ran deep formed between Ellen and Elizavetta because of this affair.

At that time, an aristocrat named Rojion near the LeitMeritz began to cause problems.

He pocketed a certain amount of the taxes he collected and falsified his reports to the Kingdom. Furthermore, when his territory had become penniless, he attacked the neighboring territories.

The aristocrats who suffered appealed to the King. He ordered a Vanadis, Sophie, to investigate the matter regarding Rojion, who found proof after several days.

Though the King ordered Ellen to subjugate his territory, the one who appeared was Elizavetta.

“Rojion is my father. I will persuade him. He will receive an appropriate punishment to atone for his crimes.”

“--- Now that you have become a Vanadis, whether he is your father or not has no relation.”

Though Ellen spoke sarcastically, Elizavetta pulled back.

However, instead of responding to the negotiations with Zhcted, Rojion escaped. Ellen led her army to chase after him, which led to his death.

Rojion had caused a problem though; Ellen was given orders by the King, and she had done what was needed to be done. Though Elizavetta understood that, she could not suppress the intense emotions within her.

At that point, Elizavetta challenged Ellen and was defeated.

“Regarding those two events, you cannot say either was right or wrong. They simply did what needed to be done.”

“Alexandra-sama, I thought you would side with Eleanora-sama.”

Needless to say, Lim herself was Ellen's ally, and she had also stayed in that village. Like the silver-white haired girl, she also blamed Elizavetta.

“Even if I believed Ellen wasn't correct, I would remain her ally. Unfortunately, as I am now, that is difficult.”

Sasha placed her hand on her chest with a sad smile. She then looked up at Lim with a serious expression.

“Only a Vanadis can stop a Vanadis. However, I believe Ellen will head straight for Elizavetta. Though her intense feelings can be good, they may dull her movements.”

Lim nodded. Though there was deep discord running between Ellen and Elizavetta, she had two reasons for her to be angry.

The first would be the attack on Sasha's territory, the land of her best friend.

The other reason was because she had left Brune to help Sasha – she had been forced to part from Tigre.

It was while Lim was deciding whether to mention this.

“There is also the issue with Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

Sasha continued quietly after seeing Lim's suspicious face.

“From your stories, I can understand Ellen cherishes him. Whether it is friendship or love, I cannot tell... Even so, he is a man from another country whom she had met on the battlefield just a few months ago.”

“I can understand your thoughts, Alexandra-sama. When he was a captive in LeitMeritz, I too felt he should not have been left alive.”

It was different now. She had served as his assistant and exchanged words. She had continued watching his actions. Those who met the man named Tigre were charmed.

However, Lim continued speaking with conviction.

“However, Lord Tigrevurmud has shown to be of a suitable caliber to earn Eleanora-sama's trust. He has continued to show it, even within such a short span of time.”

When Lim closed her mouth, silence filled the room. But Sasha's expression of regret from not being able to do anything did not disappear.

“Is Ellen okay? Is there a need for her to rush herself?”

“That...”

Lim could not answer Sasha's question in an instant. Even if they had retreated from Nemetacum which Thenardier governed, they had traveled several days after repulsing both Marquis Greast and the Knights of Navarre in succession. Anything could happen.

At this time, neither Lim nor Ellen knew of the invasion by the Muozinel Army; however, they had considered the possibility of an invasion from another country. Thinking of that, they wished to return as quickly as possible.

“One year ago, Ellen defeated her. However, if she has both anger and impatience, I cannot say what the result will be. That is why I wished to speak to you who has remained by her side since she was a mercenary.”

''Please protect Ellen.''

Sasha said it once again as she bowed before Lim.

“I will protect her to the best of my ability, even if it means using my body.”

Though she said that, she would do her best to prevent it. She recalled the time when she was poisoned by an assassin. Ellen would grieve if she died, so she wanted to avoid it at all possible costs.

“This is farewell for now.”

As if she were waiting for Lim to return, Ellen went to visit Sasha.

“Though I told you before, I have a guy I need to help. Once I knock Elizavetta to the ground, I'll be heading there.”

Behind Ellen, Lim remained expressionless, acting as if the two had not met a moment ago. Sasha grasped the hand Ellen presented to her.

“Ellen, I have a request.”

When Ellen looked curious with her friend's hand between hers, Sasha spoke quietly.

“If you are hesitating, do not stick around for Legnica or me. I want you to give priority to what you must. I am glad that you even took the time to come here.”

Ellen thought of Tigre and laughed energetically.

“You just rest and wait for the good news. I'll definitely beat Elizavetta.”

Almost exactly at dawn, against the white sunlight illuminating the eastern sky, Ellen and Lim led four thousand troops and left the imperial palace. The sky was dark, their breath was white, and the air was still cold.

Thankfully, as it was not snowing, they could easily advance without removing the snow, except near the grounds of Vasaro.

“Lim, our fight will be at Vasaro.”

Ellen spoke sternly to the adjutant next to her.

“I'll take two thousand of the troops Sasha lent and those from LeitMeritz to attack from the front. You hit Elizavetta from the side or the rear.”

“Eleanora-sama...”

Lim shook her head and raised her voice. She had just promised to defend Ellen, yet it would be impossible if she were not nearby.

Ellen looked curiously, seeing Lim show signs of anger.

“Is it strange? The river flowing near Vasaro is frozen, and there are hills and plains in the vicinity. Sasha's soldiers have high morale as well.”

Looking over their shoulder, the soldiers of Legnica had a will to fight as they advanced which could not be hidden. It was not unusual.

Their land was attacked, and their Lord was sickly. It was clear they intended to entirely crush Lebus. The power of their silent cry was clear to hear.

“They're looking for a fight, so leave Elizavetta to me. You take charge of the flying column. It's a reasonable plan.”

Lim could not find any words to say. Attacking from the flank while the enemy was preoccupied with a fight at the front was the correct plan.

Lim wavered yet again, but her Lord's gaze would not permit anymore time. She spoke hesitantly.

”Eleanora-sama... you are both angry and impatient.”

Sasha spoke of her worries while looking down, though Lim was reluctant to say that out of consideration of the woman who asked her this favor. Despite her surprise, Ellen smiled gently at once.

“Certainly I am angry, as are the soldiers behind us, and I am worried about Tigre. But my mind is not clouded, nor are my movements dull.”

Lim still did not think it permissible to leave Ellen out of her sights. Ellen reluctantly asked her a question.

“Then what should I do?”

“Devote your troops to defense until I make the surprise attack. Though I cannot say this too loudly... there is meaning in remaining in position; it is so that Alexandra-sama's forces do not act recklessly.

Soldiers with a high morale disregard their Commander's instructions and go mad with rage. There are numerous examples of a calm enemy striking such forces down.”

“You're being paranoid, Lim.”

Ellen laughed with her ruby pupils glittering, seeing Lim worry so much.

“However, you have a point. We'll do it this way so you don't have to worry so much. However---”

Her joking smile became serious.

“Can you hurry up? It would be troublesome if they noticed our detached forces.”

Originally, Ellen would take the offensive so Elizavetta would not realize it, which is why Ellen took lead of both troops from LeitMeritz and Legnica.

“I shall do my best. You must take care as well, Eleanora-sama.”

Lim spoke these words as best she could.

The snow gradually became deep, and the sky looked suspicious as powdery snow danced to the ground.

They arrived at Vasaro before midday the following day.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

A girl was lying down, entrusting her back to the mane of her horse.

In one hand was a black short whip used for horses. While holding it in the air, she watched as the snow melted and disappeared. Though the horse was well accustomed to the rider, she had an excellent sense of balance.

The sun approached its peak; the sky was covered in a veil of snow clouds.

Suddenly, she shut her left eye and looked at the sky with her golden right eye. Then she closed her other eye and looked up with her azure left eye.

It was something of a habit to look at things with a single eye.

''--- Even if the color of my pupils are different, the scenery doesn't change.''

She had been doing this since a young age, yet she still held an expectation in the back of her mind that something would change.

{{furigana|[Rainbow Eyes]|Laziris}}. This girl – Elizavetta Fomina – had eyes of different colors.

That is what she was called in Zhcted, but the interpretation of her alias was different from region to region. In the land she was born in, she was considered evil, but those of Lebus, the people of the land she governed, considered it to be a good omen.

Elizavetta was 17 years old. She had vivid red hair down to her waist and wore purple clothing; her dress was full of lace and ruffles. Her well-developed bosom and thin waist were emphasized, making her appear flashy but never vulgar.

However, her peculiar eyes were always looked at first. Even her bright red hair and gorgeous dress paled in comparison to her pupils.

The sound of horseshoes approached, calling for Elizavetta to return. She sat up and saw a Knight, her aid, approach.

He was in his mid-thirties and had served as a Knight in Lebus before Elizavetta became a Vanadis. His face looked young without a beard, but fatigue was clearly carved into it.

“Vanadis-sama. Our scouts say a force three thousand strong is approaching from the south.”

“Their colors?”

Elizavetta played with her bright red hair. As if expecting the question, the Knight responded promptly.

“There are two. One with blades of vermillion and gold crossing diagonally on a yellow background, and one with a sword of silver on a black background.”

The moment she heard the report, both ends of Elizavetta's charming lips raised in a violent smile. The first was Sasha's, but that did not matter. Only the second flag was important.

''--- You came, Ellen...!''

“You've worked hard. Tell the troops to retreat when they see the Vanadis. I will fight her on my own.”

“But... there are two armies, and there is the possibility Alexandra-sama will appear, despite her poor health.”

“A pointless worry. Even if Alexandra wished to join, Eleanora would not allow it.”

The Vanadis with bright red hair made that declaration. After dismounting her horse, she picked up the saddle at her feet and brushed the snow off it.

Vasaro was surrounded by endless plains with gently rolling hills and valleys. It was covered in snow. Though not deep, the ground was only exposed when walking through it. There was no wind, but that was a welcome for her four thousand troops.

“You've worked hard from the pirate subjugation until now.”

As she put the saddle on her horse, Elizavetta gave words of appreciation to her soldiers. The men present simply shook their head.

“We know, that in the three years since you have become a Vanadis, you have devoted your strength to the people of Lebus.”

There was no need to thank them. Elizavetta mounted her horse. Due to a variety of modifications in her dress, she could ride her horse with a skirt on without riding side-saddle.

With two horses at the front, the troops proceeded toward their stronghold.

The afternoon when Ellen lead the Legnica and LeitMeritz allied forces to confront Elizavetta and the Lebus Army she commanded.

Both armies totaled seven thousand in number. The men behind each Vanadis looked at each other with intense gazes.

“You're quite well prepared...”

Ellen said that before the battle.

“You knew we were coming? Looks like you didn't use the chance to escape, Liza.”

“That is a matter of course, since I wished to meet you, Ellen.”

Elizavetta parried Ellen's words with a gentle smile and a sharp voice fraught with animosity. Though she spoke with a foolish tone, the words themselves were not a lie. If not, she would have simply stood up and left.

“... I have no memory of allowing you to call me in such a manner.”

Ellen's cold voice which could freeze even the snow lowered even more.

“Nor do I recall allowing you to call me Liza.”

Elizavetta responded happily while flourishing the short whip in her hand.

''--- Forgive me, Lim.''

Ellen decided to ride the red haired Vanadis' provocations. After apologizing to Lim in her mind, she decided to further hide the presence of the detached forces. The Legnica soldiers would soon be unable to hold back any longer.

Arifal let off a light wind as Ellen placed a hand on the longsword at her waist, as if to encourage her.

“I will give you one chance. Get off your horse, crawl on the ground, and apologize. Not to me, but to the people of Legnica.”

“I refuse.”

“Then you will die.”

Pulling out the longsword at her waist, she swung it downward and pointed its tip to the red haired Vanadis.

“Charge!”

A battle cry was let loose from seven thousand soldiers, extending across the gray sky. The land shook, and the snow was kicked about and melted from the heat of the men.

In this frontal clash, Elizavetta had the advantage of numbers.

However, the fighting spirit of the soldiers of Legnica was overwhelming. They put their grudge of having their lands attacked into their weapons and threw it at the enemy before them.

The soldiers of Lebus huddled together and brought their shields forward. They fought back desperately, piercing through the spaces between their shields with spears. Immediately after, they were bathed in heat and blood, which shined brightly in the snow.

Arrows flew by, letting out an ominous sound of piercing the flesh. They wielded their battle axes, using their anger to cleave through the enemy's helmets. They thrust their swords forward, scooping out the entrails.

It was a scene from hell, wrapped in the agonized cries of pandemonium. It was impossible to think this was once a fantastic landscape covered in snow and silence.

Leading the attack, Ellen and Elizavetta met.

“{{furigana|Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}!”

While her horse cut the distance, Ellen released her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} without hesitation. A large wind was released from the longsword, blowing all snow aside as it cut across the frozen earth toward Elizavetta.

Elizavetta sacrificed her horse without hesitation and kicked off the saddle as her horse moved toward the invisible wave. The wind was suddenly filled with blood. The horse's bones shattered, its flesh torn to shreds.

Casually spreading the hem of her dress while in the sky, Elizavetta pulled out a short whip.

In that moment, her black whip tinged with a golden light and wriggled about like a snake playing in the air. When Elizavetta swung it downward toward Ellen, it had become a forty chet (approximately four meters) whip covered in lightning.

Ellen knew it had an abnormal destructive power. It was a spectacle worthy of the {{furigana|[Rainbow Eyes]|Laziris}} Elizavetta, the {{furigana|[Flash Princess of the Thunder Swirl]|Isgrifa}}.

It was impossible to deflect it with the wind. Ellen threw her horse aside and jumped to the ground, rolling away as a whip tore through the atmosphere, nearly at the speed of sound.

When she stood up, what came into view was her horse's corpse with its head missing.

“It will hurt if you resist too much, right, Ellen?”

Elizavetta lightly landed on the snow and hit the ground with her whip. As if answering her, the whip discharged innumerable blue sparks into the atmosphere.

“I also won't hold back, Thunder Swirl.”

That was yet another name held by Elizavetta.

Thunder Swirl Valitsaif, the whip of lightning known as the {{furigana|[Lightning Flash of Broken Calamity]|Saika no Sentei}}.

“I will return those words right back at you.”

While Ellen retorted boldly, a Legnica soldier let out a shout and attacked Elizavetta from behind. She was the enemy's General and her focus was on Ellen, so her back was defenseless.

However, the spear did not reach Elizavetta. {{furigana|[Rainbow Eyes]|Laziris}} simply rolled her wrists lightly.

The whip of lightning bounced across the ground. Its tip destroyed the spear handle and wrapped around the soldier's wrist, throwing him into the air.

It was a ghastly sight in the snowy field smeared with blood and dirt. Lightning was emitted from the whip and shot toward the soldier. A thin film of atmosphere was split by many layers of heat and light far surpassing human tolerance, burning the soldier without mercy.

His pain was instantaneous, because his death occurred in a single moment.

Without looking at the soldier who fell behind her, Elizavetta carefully measured the distance between her and Ellen. On the other hand, Ellen kicked off the ground, casually shortening the distance.

“--- {{furigana|Shadow Wind|Verni}}, is it?”

The wind clung to Ellen's body, her silver-white hair fluttering as she moved. Ellen ran at a furious speed despite the snow. Elizavetta's smile disappeared as her eyes of different colors moved quickly about the battlefield. She moved her whip, but it did not hit Ellen.

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_174.png|175px|thumb]]
It was difficult to say she read the orbit of the whip. Ellen's movements were rough and quite obvious, but she evaded the lightning with her overwhelming speed.

“Using such sloppy movements... {{furigana|Iron Whip|Kusutari}}!”

Clenching her teeth, Elizavetta's lightning quickly changed. The mass of snake-like lightning decreased by half its length and transformed into a straight rod.

There was a violent clash immediately afterward. A storm of silver-white and gold raged. Particles of ice were whipped about by the wind, evaporated by the heat of thunder in an instant. The snow vanished from their surroundings, the earth was torn away as an aftereffect.

She did not try to fight Ellen through power, but attacked furiously like a storm from various angles. She cut upward, downward, swiped from the side, continuing to attack without blinking an eye.

If she showed any opening, the thunder at Elizavetta's fingertips would turn to fangs. Ellen had been forced to drive her into a state where it was difficult to release her thunder.

At a moment of impact, Ellen's body was blown away by a terrific attack of lightning.

She straightened her posture in the air in an instant and safely landed, grasping her sword with both hands.

''--- What was that just now?''

She needed more time to understand the attack from the whip of steel. After they clashed, she was bathed in lightning. A red scar ran up Ellen's arm as she was burned by the attack.

Her frilly skirt changed. The thunder once again took the form of a whip as Elizavetta kicked off the ground. Ellen tried to approach the woman, but changed her mind immediately.

Elizavetta's whip moved in an eccentric trajectory which split the earth and divided the wind. Ellen gave up reading its orbit at once.

With just a flick of her wrist, the Vanadis with bright red hair could greatly change the motions of her whip. With attacks coming from every blind spot, Ellen could not read it at all.

She quickly parried Elizavetta's heavy and vigorous attacks.

She could not even approach. The sound of the whip splitting the air pressured Ellen's eyes and ears.

Catching a blow with her sword, Ellen's body softly drifted back through the air, her posture maintained. She landed several steps back. Having been blown back by Elizavetta's whip, the wind put the appropriate distance between them.

Ellen and Elizavetta were sweating and breathless, but while Elizavetta had room to relax, Ellen's face showed a sense of crisis.

If she received a single hit directly, the onslaught would not end. Even if she could endure it, Ellen's attack would only be hit with a barrage of more blows.

''--- Arifal's wind can't perfectly defend against her lightning strikes.''

The shock would make her body numb; she would be unable to move and would inevitably be defeated.

“Where was that strength you had a moment ago? Your counteroffensive is rather boring.”

“I was simply amazed since your attacks are so coarse.”

The {{furigana|[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash]|Silvfrau}} sarcastically retorted to the {{furigana|[Flash Princess of the Thunder Swirl]|Isgrifa}}. The numbness in Ellen's hand was getting worse as time passed. She jumped back despite the risks because of that.

“Incidentally, I have not asked you yet.”

Hearing Ellen's words, Elizavetta stopped walking. At this time, the two were a considerable distance away from the battlefield.

“Who asked you to play this hand? Thenardier? Ganelon?”

“... What do you mean?”

Elizavetta's attempt to deceive her failed. Her voice was distracted and delayed.

“Legnica was probably attacked to force me to return to Zhcted.”

“I do not understand your words... I follow His Majesty the King. I move only for the national interests of Zhcted.”

Smiling bitterly, Elizavetta shrugged her shoulder, seemingly continuing to feign ignorance. While doing so, she did not loosen her vigilance toward Ellen. If she relaxed for even a moment, the wind from the Vanadis with silver-white hair would cut her immediately.

“Moving at the beck and call of a villain from a foreign country is in the best interests for Zhcted? Don't make me laugh.”

“I do not wish to hear that from you. Rumors say you have put quite a bit of effort into helping your prisoner. I should say those very words to you.”

Elizavetta spoke sarcastically, her hand held up to her mouth. Ellen simply laughed it off.

“Though it's hardly an excuse... Hearing those words from a person who knows nothing is rather pitiable.”

Before Elizavetta could respond, Ellen changed the subject once again.

“There's one more thing I would like to ask.”

Ellen pointed her blade toward Elizavetta once again.

“... What did you do to obtain that strength you have now?”

She had dealt Ellen an intense blow. In their duel the year before, she did not have such a herculean strength.

“Nowhere in particular... It is a result of desperate training.”

Ellen smiled with derision towards Elizavetta's natural smile.

“I've been swinging my sword since the age of 6. Do you really think you can fool me with that nonsense?”

“... I know.”

She spoke in a quiet tone, different from her usual manner. Her eyes of different colors looked nostalgic for a moment, but it was only just. Not noticing, Ellen continued.

“I am well aware of your strength from one year ago. No matter the methods, that is not a strength you can achieve within a year. Training aside, other than the strength of your attacks, nothing has changed, it is not so easy to approach me.”

Elizavetta's hands grasped the lightning whip and trembled. Intense emotion swirled in her gold and azure eyes.

“Still... Even then, you have the strength to overpower me.”

“So what?”

In contrast to Elizavetta, Ellen remained calm. Using the opportunity, she took a half step forward, clad in Arifal's wind, as she looked carefully for an opportunity.

The long whip of thunder wrapped about Elizavetta's wrist. The whip coiled about her in many bright layers, as if to protect her. It was a snake which would attack all that approached with thunder.

“If you wish to triumph – then show it to me.”

Ellen brought up her Silver Flash once again, pulling in the cold snow with her wind. Her body shined brilliantly, reflecting the light from the ice particles. A storm raged at the tip of her blade, much larger than the one emitted before.

The whip about Elizavetta also emitted a dazzling light in response to its master's will. The pulsating thunder screamed throughout the atmosphere as countless electric sparks were discharged.

The moment Ellen raised her blade, nine whips of lightning hit the ground, so bright it would blind the eyes of ordinary people.

“{{furigana|Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}!”

“--- {{furigana|Burn and Split Heaven and Earth|Gron Lazriga}}!”

The storm and nine blades of lightning collided with a fierce roar. The bright blades born from the {{furigana|[Lightning Flash of Broken Calamity]|Saika no Sentei}} ate into the vortex of wind created by the {{furigana|[Brilliant Beheader of the Fallen Spirit]|Koma no Zanki}} which moved about like a large hatchet of wind.

A trail of embers followed the two as they clashed with their {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}.

Ellen ignored the red burns across her body while Elizavetta ignored the cuts which tore her skin and dress to tatters.

The earth shook, the wind and thunder carved the ground as they ate into one another, dying out at the same time. What was left was a hollow mortar with small whirls of wind and sparks of electricity rolling about the center, like embers of thunder bursting in the air.

Snow and mud soared in the sky, falling soundlessly by the two. Ellen showed a fearless smile as she held up her sword. Though her body was full of welts and burns, she did not let out a single sound of pain.

Elizavetta, too, gripped her whip, ignoring the lacerations on her body.

“It...”

Elizavetta was about to say they were even, but she swallowed her words. While Ellen had not moved a single step from the clash of their {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}, she had been forced back.

''--- My...''

At this time, the battlefield changed. Lim's force appeared to the Lebus soldier's left flank. It was a strong, violent attack. Cries were called as the colors of both friend and foe mingled.

“... This is my defeat.”

Seeing the sight from a distance, Elizavetta had a distorted smile. It was a false sense of strength. While she did not know she had revealed her emotions to Ellen, she knew she did not wish to reveal her weakness to herself.

“I have not taken your neck yet.”

Ellen stepped forward, her Silver Flash in hand. Elizavetta smiled brightly without preparing her whip. She spoke words which seemed as if they were prepared beforehand.

“Don't you have more pressing business, Ellen?”

Ellen's feet stopped there, her eyes opened wide as the face of a young man crossed her mind. With her longsword held at the ready, conflict and aggression were visible in her ruby eyes as she glared at Elizavetta. Seeing this reaction, the Vanadis of {{furigana|[Rainbow Eyes]|Laziris}} smiled gloatingly.

“Both Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon have prepared their soldiers long ago. Until now, they have been restraining each other, but, at the very least, Duke Ganelon has decided to make a move, though I do not who he might be making it against.”

Ellen stood silent, unable to move. She could understand Duke Ganelon moving against Tigre, and Thenardier's son has been killed by Tigre. They may very well have formed a temporary truce, forming a force strong enough to suppress Tigre.

“One more thing. It seems Muozinel has invaded Brune.”

Ellen stopped breathing for a moment.

''--- Muozinel did?''

Her heart beat intensely. She did not understand how Tigre would move, but she was sure he would be involved. Thinking of his position, it was far beyond the worst case of fighting both Thenardier and Ganelon with Muozinel coming into play.

“We have been fighting for over one koku. If you want my neck, we can continue by all means, but... my soldiers will last at least another one or two koku if I do not stop them.

''--- Such nonsense...!''

Ellen clenched her teeth. Though she tried to conjure the will to fight, it did not go so well. Her will that was as strong as steel was torn between her distant allies and the enemies before her.

If the difference between the two remained from a year ago, Ellen would have chosen to kill her without hesitation, but now the red haired Vanadis had skill on par with Ellen. Seeing Elizavetta smile, she shook her head and cleared her idle thoughts.

“I will end it here. However, I have no way of knowing you won't attack again.”

“Will you accept a written oath?”

“... Oath?”

“The restoration of Alexandra's fortress... though that will not be free. I require that we restart negotiations regarding the matter of the pirate subjugation, and a non-aggression pact for a year – something like that?”

Elizavetta smiled cheerfully and transformed her lightning into a short whip, showing no intention to fight. She swung it around a few times.

Ellen stared at the Vanadis, the {{furigana|[Rainbow Eyes]|Laziris}} in confusion.

“You... What is your purpose?”

“Though I cannot tell you, I have achieved it.”

For a while, the two remained motionless. Elizavetta stood there calmly with her arms lowered. She had no will to fight. If she continued, she knew she would eventually lose.

On the other hand, Ellen clearly was conflicted.

If she killed Elizavetta here, the situation would only become more cumbersome. She would need to go to the capital to explain her reasons to the King, and the new wielder of the whip of lightning would need to be found. A civil war may break out, involving Legnica and LeitMeritz. There were many such examples in the history of Zhcted.

“... I wish to add one more condition.”

Before long, Ellen lowered her sword and stared at Elizavetta with her red eyes.

“What could it be?”

“An apology.”

It was a concise, frank demand which held enormous emotions. Elizavetta understood things perfectly given the sharp sound she let out.

“I am not saying you need to crawl on the ground. I just want a sincere, earnest apology.”

“... I agree.”

“If you ever do this again... I will crush you.”

Upon hearing Elizavetta's proposal, Ellen recalled Sasha's words. She did not want Ellen to remain behind for her and Legnica. It was not as if she had anticipated what would happen, but if she continued further, both Ellen and Sasha would feel heartache.

“Then I will go.”

Ellen sheathed her longsword and turned her back away. She proceeded to the battlefield, unaware that Elizavetta stared at her back in silence.

The allied forces of Legnica and LeitMeritz had fought a battle swinging between offense and defense, advance, and retreat. When the two Vanadis returned to command, the distance gradually spread.

While the army under Ellen's command came to a halt in accordance to her demands, the Lebus Army led by Elizavetta reorganized their lines to accommodate for the scattered soldiers who had fled.

Vasaro was about ten belsta (approximately ten kilometers) away. Once they reached it, the Lebus Army finally stopped retreating.

Elizavetta ordered her soldiers to take a rest and made allowances for the injured. She also sent scouts to recover the corpses of her army and bury them after collecting relics to send to the bereaved families of the departed.

Every unit Commander reported their situation. The number who died was over six hundred. A shadow fell over her different colored eyes as she heard the number.

“You have worked hard. Thank you. I was able to achieve my purpose.”

Elizavetta had two purposes. One reason was to lure Ellen there to test out her ability. The other was as Ellen pointed out earlier. She had received a reward from Ganelon and Thenardier for moving her troops.

If it was not Ellen, she may not have moved her army.

Furthermore, she was grateful she could take advantage of Sasha.

During the pirate subjugation, some of Sasha's subordinates committed some failures. Though Elizavetta was generous enough to forgive them, she realized it was a golden opportunity. She was also able to earn something for the small villages in her territory.

She also wanted to know if she could fight Ellen as she was.

''--- Considering I could not touch her a year ago, it was worth the effort.''

An existence whose name she could not even begin to fathom had contacted Elizavetta and given her a power which transcended humanity. Though she could not yet utilize even 10% of its power, she was able to overwhelm Ellen.

''--- As expected of you, Eleanora...''

Though Elizavetta was moving her body in a careless manner, she had been accurately seen through. Though it was mortifying, she was forced to recognize she had not yet reached Ellen's level. If she did not become stronger, she would not be able to master her power.

''--- I will need to cut down on my useless movements from now on.''

After giving instructions to her unit Commanders, Elizavetta looked up at the white sky. The snow which stopped earlier began to fall once again.

''--- It was also snowing the first time I met Eleanora.''

White petals scattered and danced in the sky as nostalgic memories floated through her mind.

Seven years ago, Elizavetta did not know she was the illegitimate child of an aristocrat. She spent every day in a poor village. Ellen was a mercenary who stayed in the village at the time.

As usual, the children in the village bullied Elizavetta for her heterochromia. It was Ellen who helped her.

It seems Ellen did not realize it. She did not notice the girl at the time was Elizavetta. When they met two years ago as Vanadis, Ellen spoke as if they had met for the first time.

It could not be helped. The time they had spoken was short, and Elizavetta had hidden her right eye at the time.

As the governor of Lebus and a Vanadis, she no longer needed to keep it hidden. However – Elizavetta had never forgotten the brightness of Ellen's ruby eyes when she reached her hand out seven years before.

“I will not lose...”

Elizavetta, entrenched in her memories of distant times, returned to reality hearing people call her name.

“Vanadis-sama. We can delay our movements by a quarter koku if you are tired...”

“No. I am fine.”

Elizavetta shook her bright red hair in refusal. She received the report and issued more instructions. Before the sun fell, she was able to bury all those killed in battle.

“... Right.”

Suddenly, Elizavetta thought of something.

“If I remember, his name is Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

From her fight with Ellen, she did not think the two were cooperating for convenience and strategy alone.

“For the time being, I will watch how they move.”

Though Lebus, the territory Elizavetta governed, was on friendly terms with Duke Thenardier and Ganelon, it was due to the policies of the former Vanadis. Elizavetta, because it was not disadvantageous, succeeded it for that reason.

''--- Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon might not necessarily win...''

Considering Tigre may win, it was not a bad idea to establish a connection now.

“That is right. I will not lose.”

Elizavetta spoke with a strong tone as she stared at the sky with her eyes of different hue. For her sake, and for the sake of the people of Lebus who support her, Elizavetta began thinking of a new plan.

Amongst the allied forces of LeitMeritz and Legnica.

Elizavetta's opponent, Ellen , required many things to be done.

Though she wished to hurry to Brune even one koku earlier, the duties of a Vanadis would not permit her to, nor did Ellen intend to throw them aside. She had earned the soldier's loyalty and popularity with the people due to her actions in battle.

Thankfully, the Legnica Army undertook the majority of the procedures.

“Eleanora-sama, we cannot apologize enough. We have received a scolding from Vanadis-sama. Please, feel at ease and return to Brune in safety.”

The General of the Legnica Army also knew of the circumstances and bowed to Ellen.

“I will gratefully receive your aid. Please tell Sasha that for me.”

Those killed in action were buried, and those with large injuries were ordered to return to LeitMeritz. The next morning, Ellen and Lim left Vasaro with one thousand troops.

The snow had continued since then; the plains were covered in white. The frozen river had become a new, makeshift road. The conifer forest seemed distant, and the distant mountains were dyed with snow.

“What will you do now, Eleanora-sama?”

Lim protected herself against the cold in two layers of fur and rode the horse next to Ellen. As she gazed forward, Ellen replied with a stern look.

“We need to take a rest. Also, I want information. Let's hurry to LeitMeritz and try and grasp the movements of Muozinel.”

Though Elizavetta had not lied, she was doubtful it was the complete truth.

“If Muozinel really attacked, Tigre wouldn't stay quiet. Honestly, he can be so unreasonable...”

Lim nodded in assent.

“That man really should learn to cherish himself a little more...”

“But isn't that what you like about him?”

Ellen's ruby eyes turned to the side as she laughed and teased Lim. Lim's face was dyed red, and, despite the cold, her skin was hot.

She refused to admit it and turned away.

“That is something different... No, right, if I were to evaluate it, I would say it is more of a merit of his, though it's also a fault...”

“I get it, I get it. I'll use today to think of what to say to Tigre.”

She laughed after seeing Lim pouting as she spoke once again.

“Surely Eleanora-sama has given thought about what to say already.”

“I haven't given it any thought at all.”

Lim looked coldly at Ellen who thrust her chest forward in a boastful manner.

“... I have enough to talk about for one hundred days, but I should think about something that would sound good.”

Ellen responded with an awkward face; she had not yet been able to get rid of her mischievous expression.

''--- But I wonder what I should say, what feels right?''

She looked up at the snowy sky. The first words that came to her mind were [We're back], but she quickly denied it.

''--- Yeah, that's strange.''

She was going to greet Tigre, not waiting for him to come back.

''--- I've returned? I'm back? No, that's not that different. I wonder what Tigre's reaction would be...''

“I'm back” would be too casual. It is something she would say with a smile toward the people who work in her palace.

She understood her words and her attitude must maintain her dignity as a Vanadis. Even within the palace, she maintained this for the public order of LeitMeritz.

However, it is for this reason that Ellen considered the words she would speak to Tigre to be precious.

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| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_04_Chapter_4_Preview|Chapter 4 Preview]]
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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Chapter 2 - MTL

2013-11-28T10:10:22Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Two Thousand and Twenty Thousand ===
More than half the province of Agnes was a barren wasteland lacking water. Most plants could not grow there, and the sand only made the atmosphere arid.

There were many cliffs and hills of sandstone which were reminiscent of collapsed towers. A desolate wind blew through the valleys between cliffs.

Despite that, a fortress was erected in the area since it was bordered by Zhcted and Muozinel. Small villages and towns, though few, were scattered in the vicinity of the castle out of fear of attack.

The Muozinel Army appeared in the area approximately ten days ago.

They rushed the border fortress and took it by storm. Though the three thousand Knights in the fortress offered some resistance, it was all in vain. Almost all were cut down and abandoned. Those able to escape the battle and leave the fortress numbered fewer than one hundred.

Afterward, the Muozinel Army attacked the villages around the castle, one after another.

The Muozinel Army's calm, systematic attack was frightening.

For example, they did not simply set a fire and leave it be.

They used their numbers to attack in waves. They demolished any fences or walls, forced their way inside, and captured the residents one after another. They plundered all money and goods.

Unless a person they had captured was an aristocrat or someone with political power, they took their belongings and kept them as slaves. All the elderly and children, who had no utility as a slave, were killed without mercy.

Finally, they deprived the villages of all food and destroyed the houses. The slaves were made to carry items out of the wreckage to be used as firewood before leaving the villages behind.

Any stone houses were used to store the corpses of the elderly, children, and any who resisted.

The number of villages they attacked numbered more than twenty. They were attacked, destroyed, and deprived of all things.

The flag of Muozinel is the color of the earth. On it is a sword and a golden helmet which draws a sharp angle. It is said the helmet and sword are symbols of Vahram, their God of War.

The flag was larger than those of the neighboring countries, and it was supported by a thick iron pole painted with gold leaf. Enemies could see it from afar, and when they were standing near to it, it meant they were being forced back.

Against the gray of winter, the Muozinel Army covered their flag with gravel to keep it from standing out.

The soldiers with brown skin wore leather armor on top of their thick clothes. Their curved swords were held at their waist, and they carried a shield and a spear more than twice their height in their hands.

The soldiers had black cloth wrapped around their head, and the majority had iron helmets on top of that. The force was primarily composed of infantry. The cavalry did not make even 20% of the entire army.

Behind the twenty thousand soldiers, more than one thousand people followed with their hands bound with rope.

They were only young men and women covered in scars and bruises, their clothes in tatters. Despite an improper appearance, it was not uncommon for the women's clothes to have been torn away.

They were seized by the Muozinel Army and forced into slavery. They shouldered small bundles. Despair was found in their faces, and their gait was weak.

“So that's the Muozinel Army...”

Tigre and a few soldiers from Zhcted had hidden themselves amongst the sandstone cliffs and were observing from a distance.

Though Tigre was the General and was in no position to move about thoughtlessly, he pressed Rurick and Gerard and joined the reconnaissance unit. He wore leather armor over hempen clothes. In his hand was the usual black bow, and his quiver was at his waist.

“Their skin color really is different.”

“A simple comment. That really is like you, Tigre-san.”

Teasing him while wearing similar garb was Aram. His round face and body and brown, bristly hair were reminiscent of a beaver. When Tigre was a prisoner of war, he had shared a friendly relation with this military scout from Zhcted.

“Can't be helped. It's my first time seeing anyone from Muozinel.”

“You didn't see any in Alsace? I've heard there are many Muozinel merchants.”

“... Even if they came, it would not be for trade.”

While he feigned ignorance, Tigre had not lost his seriousness. His dark eyes were turned behind the Muozinel Army – toward the slaves.

''--- It would be pointless to push them back. If I can, I want to free those people.''

“Will you aim from here? With your skill, would you be able to hit them?”

Though Aram encouraged him with a joke, Tigre shook his head.

“It's impossible. The wind is too strong here.”

The wind blowing down from the cliffs was far too strong and erratic. Even for Tigre, it was difficult to read the flow of wind of a land he had just stepped on to.

''--- Should I use that power...?''

He looked down to the black bow in his hand. It was a bow with a mysterious power which had allowed him to shoot high in the air, pierce through a thick castle gate, and push back Roland.

If he attacked directly, the soldiers around him would be wounded, and he would only harm a few dozen from the Muozinel Army at the most.

Tigre shook his head. There were too many unknowns with the bow. He also did not like the fact that it may have a relation with Tir na Fa, the Goddess who reigned over death, darkness, and the night. He could hardly find her favorable, since she had once taken Teita hostage.

Above all, he had always used the power of the bow when he was near Ellen. In his battle with Roland, he was also alongside the Vanadis Sophia Obertas. There was only one time where he used the power of the bow on its own, and that was in the shrine of the Goddess. He had no confidence he could handle it alone.

''--- I almost went unconscious when I used it against Roland.''

If the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was thrown into confusion, it was unlikely they could rout the enemy.

''--- If I shoot their Commander here, it would only cause a temporary confusion at the most.''

There was also the possibility they would turn their anger on the slaves. He wanted to avoid that.

“Let's turn back. Rurick should have begun preparations. Even if we can't do anything today, I'd like to begin attacking tomorrow.”

In accordance with Tigre's words, the Zhcted soldiers carefully walked away from the cliff so as not to make a sound. The last to reach the ground was Tigre. Since he had done so in a quick manner with his delicate frame, Aram smiled in admiration.

“Really, were your parents wild animals or something?”

“If that's the case, yours must have been beavers.”

Tigre returned a joke immediately. A small laugh was heard from the soldiers.

“You should see his parents at least once, Tigre-san. They've definitely transformed into beavers.”

“I didn't think anyone could take after their parents so much.”

Tigre and the others returned to their horses, having checked the Muozinel Army was not in the area, and chatted pleasantly while whispering.

Gripping the horse's bridle, Tigre motioned for them to not raise a sound.

''--- I heard something... Footsteps?''

They were currently on an animal trail in the mountains. There were many rocks strewn about, so the ground was not even, and with the pillars of stone and crevices formed between rocks, visibility was poor.

Tigre stroked the back of his horse's neck to calm it down and focused on his ears.

''--- I'm not wrong, those are footsteps.''

Scouts from the Muozinel Army may have been searching the surroundings. Tigre motioned to Aram and the others; the two walked around on foot, leaving the others behind.

Nocking an arrow to his bow, Tigre approached a cliff-side near the sound and hid himself quietly.

The person appeared to be a traveler who was being chased. Four people from the Muozinel Army were chasing after the traveler with their curved swords held high. They called out something in the language of Muozinel. Though Tigre did not understand the meaning, it was clear what they were talking about based on their facial expression.

The traveler tripped and was quickly surrounded by the soldiers.

Immediately afterward, one of the Muozinel troops was pierced through the head.

The arrow, was of course fired by Tigre.

The Muozinel soldiers were at a loss for words. Tigre had shot an arrow to stop them without giving any thought. They were sure to slaughter the person if he had left them alone. Still, he was anxious that the traveler may be injured by his arrows, so he took precaution of the surroundings as he shot.

The Muozinel soldiers fell to the ground and stopped moving. After checking the surroundings to ensure no other soldiers were present, the two descended from the cliff and walked to the traveler on the ground.

“Are you okay?”

[[Image:Vanadis V04 - 054.jpg|175px|thumb]]

Upon approach, Tigre noticed the traveler was a girl. She wore a thick mantle which stuck tightly to her breasts, but from the clifftop, he could not tell.

Though the girl stared at the corpses in a daze, her azure eyes were dyed with vigilance and her body went rigid when she noticed Tigre walking toward her. Tigre showed his hands to her and smiled to help her relax.

“I am not your enemy. I am Tigrevurmud Vorn from Brune.”

Hearing Tigre's words, the girl blinked several times. The wind blew and shifted her hood slightly. Her face seemed gaunt, and her golden hair was covered with dust, but she still remained beautiful. From what Tigre could see, she was his age, or perhaps a year younger.

However, Tigre tilted his neck, as he felt he had seen her beauty before.

''--- I've seen her somewhere... Where was it? It feels pretty recent.''

“Are you alone? Or is there someone else...”

The girl shook her head feebly.

“Can you stand?”

Tigre offered his hand. The girl tried to grab it, but staggered forward. Tigre quickly kneeled and supported her body.

The girl seemed to have fainted. Tigre brought his ear to her mouth to confirm she was breathing, then he touched her neck to monitor her pulse. She seemed to be feverish.

''--- Her life doesn't seem to be in danger. Fatigue, maybe...''

Tigre looked at the girl with a troubled face. Though he did not want to abandon her, he was worried about extra personnel before his battle with Muozinel.

“She's such a lovely girl. I'm sure she'd be even cuter if all that dust was removed.”

The men came down the cliff and spoke candidly having seen the girl's face. The others nodded in agreement.

“It seems she ran away. What will you do?”

“We don't have much choice but to take her back.”

Tigre lifted her in his arms as he gave an answer. She was lighter than he expected, even with her delicate body. With the help of the soldiers, she was tied to his back. When it was done, he looked at the four corpses lying on the ground.

“Check to see if they have anything important on them. Take their armor.”

Though he was reluctant to do so, he had no room to make any errors. Though Tigre also searched the soldiers' belongings, nothing was found.

The corpses were hidden amongst the rocks so they would not be easy to find; then Tigre and the others returned to the main unit.

“Looks like you found something pretty big.”

Those shocked words were the first thing Rurick said to Tigre.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Two thousand slaves followed the twenty thousand Muozinel troops as they passed through the wilderness of Agnes.

Their marching speed was slow. They were composed primarily of infantry, and since they were in enemy territory, they advanced while deliberately scouting the surroundings for small villages.

Still, they were not encountering any obstacles, so the march was extremely favorable.

“Really... There's nothing around here.”

Kashim, leader of the Muozinel troops, looked about on horseback while basking in the dry wind mixed with sand.

“Though our task is to move forward and thoroughly crush any town and village we find... At this rate, we may have nothing by the time we reach our destination.”

Their purpose was to take territory from Brune. Though Muozinel had aimed at the port towns which were rich and had vast lands with numerous crops from the southern seas, a golden opportunity had finally come to them.

Their underlying motive was to plunder the lands while Brune was struggling with their own confusion.

Kashim turned 30 this year. His skin was the same brown color peculiar to those of Muozinel. At a glance, he was sharp as a blade and was an impressive man. It was shown by not a helmet but a white cloth wrapped about his head, which was decorated with silver and jewels.

He was once a slave. Because his talent was recognized, he was freed. He achieved the position of General after many feats of valor on the battlefield.

''--- I was once a slave, but now I am a General. I will continue to bring success to this expedition, but if I lose...''

Kashim shook the dark thoughts away in a hurry. While he ambitiously aimed at a higher position, he was fearful of returning to slavery. It was a common occurrence.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw a group of Brune citizens tethered together with ropes, freezing in the winter wind. There were some who resisted, but they were captured, and now, most were obedient.

''--- I do not wish to be like that again.''

With those thoughts in his head, he looked up to the sky. Though there was time until sunset, it would become increasingly difficult to hide in the reddish-brown of the cliff-side as they approached the ultramarine of the wilderness ahead. The wind blew coldly against them.

''--- It's about time to settle for the night.''

While lost in thought, a report arrived from a unit which had advanced further ahead.

“General, the enemy has appeared. I believe it is the Brune Army.”

Kashim frowned after hearing the word enemy. While he was backed by an army of twenty thousand, he was not entirely sure of the situation before him.

“Their number?”

“About one to two hundred. They are almost all cavalry. We can attack with catapults and archers, but they can defend with their shields. Still, they will have injuries...”

The soldier's report showed no signs of concern. It seems he was appealing, as if they were just troublesome flies moving about.

“With that number, we can shoot some arrows to drive them away and have them scatter.”

“That may be so... but they will return shortly after. We'll only be in the same situation.”

Kashim understood. Though he thought it would be easy to get rid of them, he was annoyed by the promptness of the report. He continued to dwell on it.

''--- They don't seem like the remnants from the castle. Also, against our numbers, they would not have prepared only one or two hundred men. They're probably drawing us in.''

Should they go chase, only more enemies awaited them.

“Take three thousand infantry and find every last one of them.”

“Isn't three thousand a bit exaggerated? We should be fine with five hundred.”

“Our role is to thoroughly crush all who get in our way. Go quickly, I will not say it twice.”

Kashim clicked his tongue toward the subordinate who looked at him curiously.

''--- If there is a large force close by, our reconnaissance should have found some traces. Since they didn't, with a decoy of one or two hundred, they should number two thousand at most.''

One thousand archers and two thousand spear bearers, three thousand troops in all, began to move.

Soon after, they entered a bottleneck surrounded by cliffs. The Brune soldiers hid amongst the crevasses in the cliff-side to keep from view of the three thousand Muozinel troops.

Once the Muozinel troops exited the valley, they entered an open area with sand surrounding them. Though enclosed in a blind alley, they had no time to spread out.

It was an amazing sight. They were surrounded by a black shadow with many flags waving above them.

“Five thousand... No, Six thousand.”

A soldier forced his voice down. No matter how he looked, they were outnumbered.

The Muozinel Army knew they had fallen into a trap. Though they understood, they had no time to react.

Against the western sky dyed vermillion, a battle cry was raised from all three sides. The roar of hooves and the tremors followed the large black shadow as it descended upon them. The two hundred troops the Muozinel Army had chased after had also turned around.

The Commander of the Muozinel Army loudly ordered a retreat, but it was not smoothly transmitted. The majority of his troops were caught in the valley and could not see what the soldiers at the vanguard witnessed.

The soldiers advancing and the soldiers retreating collided with one another. In the darkness of the surrounding valley, they only grew more confused. The Muozinel troops had stopped moving and were shot at with stones and arrows without mercy.

The stones thrown were about the size of a fist which broke many bones and caused an intense pain when hitting the face or hand. In addition, the unit Commanders who desperately ordered commands with hoarse voices were shot down one after another.

The Muozinel Army had lost the will to fight and sunk further into anarchy. They abandoned each other and trampled over others in order to escape.

Very little time had passed since the start of the advance to the retreat through the bottleneck.

In less than a half koku, more than one thousand soldiers were lost.

“Our first battle went well, somehow...”

While looking at the fallen Muozinel soldiers piled up in the bottleneck, Tigre muttered words full of fatigue.

As he turned around, he looked at the black shadow cast by the flags waving in the wind.

It was camouflage. He had used the same trick against Zaien back in Alsace. Many carts loaded with materials and tents were used to cast a large black shadow. They had been deliberately adjusted so the shadow could be seen from the Muozinel Army based on the time.

“They may come back. Finish the work quickly and pull out.”

Rurick gave orders to the soldiers as he continued removing the armor from the dead Muozinel troops. The stones and arrows were also collected.

After they finished cleaning up, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} disappeared on the other side of the hill under the cover of darkness.

Though he had told Massas he wanted to fight, Tigre was mindful enough not to fight an enemy numbering twenty thousand from the front.

The plan he devised this time was to reduce their power and dull their movements.

When he returned to the base away from the path where the Muozinel troops were, Tigre ordered the soldiers to erect their tents and rest. By the time they finished, the sun had completely sunk.

Rurick and Tigre entered the General's tent where Gerard was. The three sat at a table surrounded by many maps.

“For the time being, congratulations on your victory.”

“Though it really is only for now.”

Gerard immediately interrupted Rurick's words. Though Rurick clearly had a sullen expression, he maintained his prudence in deference to Tigre. After a quick nod, Tigre asked Gerard a question.

“How many were killed, and how many are injured?”

“We have no casualties this time, but we have twenty seven injured. Amongst them, there are three that cannot fight. The rest have mild injuries.”

Hearing Gerard's report, Rurick and Tigre heaved a sigh of relief.

“What of the arrows and stones?”

“We have retrieved approximately fifty-six arrows in total and eleven stones per cavalryman. We have distributed five to each of our infantrymen.”

Without looking at anything, Gerard answered without pause. He also described the distribution of food and fuel, as well as armor.

“Approximately 10% can be reused. Assuming our consumption remains as it is, we will last for another two campaigns. I doubt we will last in a large scale battle. Also, though Zhcted troops are experienced with the bow, there are few archers amongst those from Brune.”

With the young, brown-haired man's speed and accuracy in calculation, both Tigre and Rurick let out a moan.

Though Tigre and Rurick also had such an ability, Gerard was faster. Either way, he had taken charge of logistics, which was a welcome surprise to Tigre, since he could now focus on thinking of plans and commanding the soldiers.

''--- We need to find a way to replenish our supplies.''

Tigre was keenly aware of his situation. Back when he was in Territoire, Ellen was with him, so he did not have to worry much about funds, and it was easy to buy food and fuel from the towns and villages in the vicinity. He was also able to arrange for materials to repair armor and horseshoes.

It was different now, though. Even a single arrow could not be wasted. He had also given the soldiers stones to supplement their lack of arrows.

''--- First, we'll need to find more stones. There will likely be some on the side of the road...''

“What will we do next?”

Rurick asked as he folded his arms, but the answer was not returned immediately. Tigre stared hard at the map. As they traveled through Agnes, they had negotiated with every town and village for information which was further supplemented by reconnaissance.

He would not have been able to set a trap or would have been drawn into a larger battle if he did not have this information.

“Have they slowed down their advance?”

Gerard carefully shook his head in response to Tigre's question.

“Considering what we have heard from the scouts' reports, their speed has not fallen.”

He became anxious. Though they had a little damage, two hundred troops were able to hold off a large army. Next, Tigre asked Rurick what he thought of the enemy General.

“He is excellent.”

After giving a succinct answer, Rurick supplemented him with an explanation.

“He sent three thousand troops to deal with two hundred, so he has a rough idea of how many troops we really have. He came with the intent to crush us. Their marching speed not dropping is proof of their recovery, but---”

Rurick's words stopped as he tilted his head.

“He seems a bit too serious, or perhaps he is nervous. According to our scouts, he crushed small villages without overlooking a single one. His reaction was unusually prompt today as well.”

“That's right. I also felt that way.”

Tigre felt he may be able to exploit that trait.

If he could not stop their movements, it was necessary to change his goal. He would have to think about how to break the large force with his small army.

“If possible... I wish to perform two more campaigns before we leave Agnes.”

Today's battle only had the purpose of dulling their opponent's movements. They also applied mental pressure. Even at the risk of life, he wanted to launch another attack.

“Earl Vorn, what do you think is the largest difference between us and our enemies?”

Hearing Tigre mutter seriously, Gerard turned with a bitter expression of doubt toward Tigre. Though curious about his attitude, Tigre responded frankly.

“Though there are many differences... I believe you refer to the difference in our military power?”

“That is correct... What I wish to say is, while the enemy can lose many battles, we cannot. We cannot lose even a few dozen troops.”

Gerard's cold words made the atmosphere tense.

“It is said that all defeats are significant if it results in victory, but that is an expression for those who have the means. If we increase the number of battles, our [Possibility of Defeat] will increase.”

“All we need for victory is to win.”

Rurick spoke with a tone that clearly showed disappointment. Tigre wished to soften the tense atmosphere and spoke.

“Gerard. Do you know the fairytale of the rabbit and the bear? It is a story in which a small rabbit defeats a powerful bear using wisdom and agility.”

It was a story he had not yet told to Lim. Tigre continued talking, thinking that in the corner of his mind.

“I'll simplify the story. The rabbit fended off the Bear's attacks blow for blow, eventually tiring it out. Eventually, it could not move and was forced to give up.”

“I also know of the story.”

Gerard smiled at him as if he were an idiot and continued to speak.

“There are two endings to that. It is said the bear teased the rabbit repeatedly. The rabbit got carried away and was finally caught by a blow which took its life immediately – in other words, it only needed to be stopped once.”

Gerard spread his arms and made a sour face before continuing his words.

“Even if you bet on this plan to achieve victory, if you are unlucky, you lose. The moment you choose to fight, you open the possibility of defeat. In the first place, and I believe I said this a moment ago, we do not have the strength to fight. Even if we leave Agnes, we will only find uninhibited towns and villages. After all, we made them leave their homes.”

Rurick reacted more sensitively than Tigre to Gerard's words. After hitting his head a few times with the palm of his hand, he frowned at Gerard.

“You're quite glib. How about offering an opinion rather than a complaint?”

“Given our current state, that is my opinion, bald man of Zhcted.”

“... Refrain from excessive language, Gerard, otherwise you will become the bald man of Brune.”

Tigre scolded Gerard's manner of speaking as he vomited abusive language. Though he had ranted many times since they left Territoire, Tigre found it difficult to believe he was the son of the gentle Augre.

Though Gerard bowed and apologized, his attitude hardly matched his action.

''--- I hope we don't have another problem appearing...''

Gerard brought the soldiers of Brune together, but there were many troops from Alsace and Aude that Massas had brought. The troops under Augre's control was actually a mixture of people. Their equipment was also scattered.

Gerard had done a good job keeping them from colliding.

It seems he kept his sarcasm for Tigre and Rurick.

When Gerard looked up, they continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.

“The problem is not just our ability to fight. If they use the slaves as a shield, our army will fall apart immediately.”

The Brune soldiers would not be able to desert their people, and if the Zhcted soldiers attacked without hesitation, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} would fall apart.

“... I got it.”

While staring intensely at the map, Tigre returned his answer with a heavy tone.

Though he wanted to help them as quickly as he could, if the [Silver Meteor Army] fought head on, they would be swallowed in an instant. Even if it was a heroic action, they would not be able to take any further action.

“By the way.”

Probably as a change of pace, Rurick changed the topic as if he had just recalled something.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. How is that child?”

Thinking of the girl he had saved from the Muozinel soldiers, Tigre shook his head.

“She's quite weak. Though there's nothing wrong with her life, she is currently sleeping. She wakes up, eats some soup, and then returns to sleep. It's happened a few times.”

Tigre entrusted her to others since he was busy and had no time to spare a thought.

Though he had seen her a few times when he was free, she was asleep and in no state to talk. He did not have the mindset to force her to talk, either.

“We've been thinking too much about the Muozinel Army. For now, let's take a rest.”

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Amongst the Muozinel Army.

Kashim was furious seeing soldiers, covered in blood and dust, with their shoulders drooped. No matter how firmly he clenched his fists, however, he did not release his anger on others. He was barely able to restrain himself.

The number of enemies was five to six thousand. Though he doubted the report when he heard it, he could say nothing upon learning of the details. Though he did not know of the name of the [Silver Meteor Army], he almost precisely understood the camouflage they had used.

“They did it, the Brune Army...”

The weather and geographical features were skillfully used. Though more than one thousand troops had died, it did not account for even 10% of his men. There was still room to relax.

Soon after, Kashim received a report from a scouting unit that there were new traces of a camp being made the night before.

“The enemy should number a little less than two thousand. They seem to be changing base every day or two.”

“Well done.”

Kashim showed his appreciation for the reconnaissance and handed a bag of gold coins as a reward.

At times like these, he was not stingy. This was one of the reasons he made it to his position as General from a slave.

While waiting for dawn, Kashim reorganized his army. Until then, the cavalry from the three thousand troops had been distributed to the right and left and advanced ahead of the main force. In the surroundings, there were irregular outcrops of stones, which would make it difficult to take advantage of a cavalryman's mobility.

He changed the distribution of troops so the infantry were placed to the right and left, telling them to be particularly wary of their flank.

The enemy's power did not even amount to two thousand troops. He told his troops not to be misled, since they would disguise themselves to appear to have a superiority in numbers.

''--- We have an army ten times larger than they have. Even without tricks, we will win.''

At that time, Kashim had not noticed he had already mostly fallen into the enemy's trap.

It was during the evening of the day when the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} made their surprise attack.

As the cliffs towering to the left and right of the pass disappeared, the road broadened. Behind the rocks, a group of cavalrymen approached under cover of darkness and hid diagonally behind the Muozinel Army. They numbered approximately five hundred.

“An ambush.”

Kashim calmly handed out orders. The Muozinel infantry lined themselves up along the side without showing a gap and shot their arrows toward the mountains behind them.

The [Silver Meteor Army] blocked the arrows with shields and threw stones at the Muozinel troops in return. The horses ran about in place, causing their troops to collapse.

However, the fierce offensive did not continue for long. The group of cavalry which had advanced beforehand turned back. Rather than rushing the [Silver Meteor Army], they were aiming to cut off their retreat.

“They're probably trying to invite us into a narrow path like yesterday, but I won't fall for the same trick.”

Kashim would triumph over the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} by encircling them and crushing them. As he handed down that order, a new change occurred in the battlefield.

Close to one thousand shadows appeared from behind the rocks and attacked them. Seeing this, Kashim could not utter a single sound due to his astonishment.

The enemy's new troops were clad in the armor of the Muozinel Army. They wore thick leather armor, and their heads were wrapped with a black cloth. Since the sun was sinking, it was difficult to distinguish the color of their skin, and the decreasing visibility of the battlefield was only making it difficult to react quickly to this attack. The battlefield changed quickly.

In yesterday's fight, Tigre had his men strip the armor from the corpses. This time, he had them wear it to confuse the enemy.

The [Silver Meteor Army] impersonated the Muozinel cavalry and stabbed the enemy relentlessly. So as not to attack their own side, they had decided on a keyword beforehand.

If one said bear, they would respond with rabbit.

“To use a child's fairy tale in this situation...”

“Clarity is important. It's easy to understand if it's easy to say.”

Rurick and Tigre exchanged such a conversation.

Using the childish keyword, the many people from the Muozinel Army fell off their steeds in the confusion. It was difficult for them to stand back up.

In addition, the cavalry were attacked first during their charge. After being encircled, the Muozinel Army nearly collapsed, being forced into a situation where they could not break through. The [Silver Meteor Army] then quickly ran from the battlefield.

Kashim wanted to order his men to pursue the enemy, but he did not.

His infantry could not catch up, and sending the cavalry could lead to his troops attacking themselves. Also, at this time of year, it was nearly impossible to see the enemy as they retreated.

Kashim clenched his fists strong enough to start bleeding, and his eyes were bloodshot. An aide hesitantly called out to him in a low voice to give him a report.

“--- The slaves.”

The aide had not understood what he said. Kashim took a deep breath and expelled all his hatred.

“Tell the soldiers. Bring ten of the male and female slaves to me on their knees. I will buy them for gold. First come, first served.”

On this day, the Muozinel Army had lost nearly one thousand troops. With their second loss, nearly ten percent of their forces had been lost and they had gained nothing in battle.

Kashim had no other choice. Rather, it was something he could not help but choose.

The next morning, Kashim brought the slaves before the soldiers and had his soldiers that could speak the language of Brune repeat his words.

“To the honorless soldiers of Brune who sneak around beneath the rocks like worms! Show yourself. If you bastards have courage, then challenge us from the front in a dignified manner befitting a soldier! If you wish to continue your petty tricks and attack us from your hiding, this is how we will respond!”

As Kashim shouted, he beheaded the ten men, one after another. The women screamed, seeing the heads roll around and the bodies spouting blood.

“You have one koku to show yourself. The women will be next. We are prepared to do even more unless you cowards show yourselves!”

He was provoking the enemy with a threat against the slaves' lives.

Having experienced severe losses on two consecutive days, it was necessary to make use of the slaves. They were not to harbor hope. By executing them, he would be able to force them to remain obedient. Leaving the corpses of the slaves behind, the Muozinel Army began their march.

This day, the Muozinel advanced its main unit. Though three thousand strong, it was not that large if one looked at the force in its entirety.

Because the enemy was extremely small in number, they would likely not attack from the front. Yesterday they had attacked from the side, and today they had attacked from behind. Even if they attacked from the front, they would be met by three thousand soldiers.

Furthermore, they needed to protect the unit which carried food and fuel.

Depriving the enemy of food is normal in the course of war. Though they had not aimed for that today, it was possible they might soon in the future.

A group of cavalry advanced before them. When the sun reached its peak, Kashim received a report he could hardly believe.

“Five or six hundred...?”

Even if the Muozinel Army had lost 10% of its troops, they still had an overwhelming eighteen thousand troops. The number of enemies which stood against them was no more than six hundred.

“They should have at least one thousand, probably they're lurking somewhere...”

However, against so many troops, what could six hundred or one thousand troops do?

''--- Maybe they don't have the power to escape.''

Kashim persuaded himself in that way. There were signs of a camp having been set up, and, above all, in the past two days, the enemy would have been able to attack more intensely if they had more manpower.

“The General?”

“Probably the red haired man at the front.”

At the front of the cavalry which numbered close to six hundred, a young man with dull red hair rode a horse. He could not think a man who wore leather armor and carried a bow could be the General who led the army.

''--- In the first place, no one in Brune would fight like this.''

Brune Kingdom despised the bow. Even those of Muozinel knew this. Naturally, so did Kashim.

''--- No doubt about it. There must be an ambush nearby.''

The enemy before him, or the ambush, which would be the main force? Kashim gave this more thought.

''--- Seeing how that red haired man looks, the ambush is likely the main force, but they might be thinking that. While my attention is on the hidden enemy, the ones before me will act.''

He had seen through the enemy's plan, or so he thought. He was determined not to let this continue. He would advance his army toward the men before him. He was positive they were the main force.

“Cease these barbarous actions, brutes of Muozinel!”

The young, red haired man raised his voice. Although Kashim understood the Brune language, he would not stop his march.

“You have deprived the innocent of their lives. For that, you deserve ten thousand deaths. However, before I take your head, why is it you lawlessly set your dirty feet across our borders?”

“I'll answer you if you take the proper action.”

Kashim ridiculed him.

“Throw your arms away. Crawl on the ground and become slaves. I will be a generous master and tell you. I will even sell you to kind masters.”

Jeers were thrown from the soldiers of Muozinel hearing their Commander's words. They prepared arrows and nocked their bows. They would soon reach a distance where arrows would reach.

At that time, a battle cry was heard. Just as Kashim predicted, there was an ambush. He looked up with a smile but could not believe his eyes.

It was not the Red Horse of Brune but the Black Dragon of the Zhcted Kingdom which jumped into his view.

Kashim had heard that a small group had invited the Zhcted Army into their country.

However, he believed he would not encounter them. They had no reason to come. He did not believe they would shed their blood to protect Brune.

That was Kashim's conclusion.

Kashim was not the only one who could not move from surprise. All the soldiers of Muozinel stood speechless.

Zhcted lay to the north of Muozinel, so small skirmishes were not unusual. He was used to seeing the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zitnirtra}}, and, of course, he had no good memories relating to it.

“Charge!”

With a cry, Rurick led the Zhcted soldiers while Tigre issued commands to the soldiers of Brune.

With that cry, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} attacked the Muozinel Army from two directions. With the troops in a daze, they allowed their enemy to approach them.

Their dazzling swords reflected the sunshine, but they were immediately stained in mud and blood. Rather than carrying a spear, they held swords and attacked either the head or the abdomen.

A rain of arrows pierced the troops' eyes. Those who fell to the ground were mercilessly crushed beneath the horses. The wilderness full of dirt was quickly covered in blood and corpses.

The [Silver Meteor Army] cut deeply into the Muozinel troops, but with their small numbers, they could not break through the three thousand strong unit.

Kashim looked up and glanced at the bloodshed throughout the battlefield. Though it was regrettable that he was caught by surprise, he was finally able to think. If his troops endured here, the soldiers to the rear would catch up.

If they could surround the enemy, the Muozinel Army would be victorious.

A chill ran down Kashim's spine as he almost smiled in satisfaction. This feeling had saved him many times. It was his intuition, so to speak.

Kashim thought the enemy had closed in, but he denied it immediately.

Even if the enemy had closed the distance on him, they were still three hundred alsin (approximately three hundred meters) away.

Furthermore, that three hundred alsin was filled with Muozinel soldiers. No one boasted for the strength to pass that distance easily, nor would arrows reach that distance.

''--- It will reach.''

Kashim heard a voice in his ear. It was as if an evil spirit spoke to him.

At the same time, an arrow flew straight toward Kashim.

Usually, the death of the General is concealed as much as possible because it would mean defeat. A similar person would be immediately chosen as a substitute to deceive ally and enemy alike. This would buy time to allow for a withdrawal from battle.

However, that did not happen this time.

The sky was clear, the sun was overhead, and there were many nearby on the battlefield.

Furthermore, Kashim's head, which was wrapped in cloth, was hit. There was no possibility he survived.

Like a wave rippling across the surface of the water, a fear spread across the Muozinel soldiers.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, as if waiting for that reaction, let out a war cry.

The twenty thousand Muozinel troops, before their two thousand strong enemy, lost the will to fight.

They promptly recovered from their stupor. While the Commanders were scolding their men, they were killed by arrows, further lowering their morale.

The first to collapse were those in the rear who had not participated in battle but heard of the death of their General. One person, then two retreated, then others turned their backs away. Their arms were tossed aside and they ran down the highway.

The Muozinel Army collapsed like broken dolls.

Those fighting the [Silver Meteor Army] began pulling back following the movements of those behind them. Those who continued to fight were cut down, those who turned away were pursued.

Tigre led the soldiers of Alsace toward the front and showed no mercy. He displayed his rage for the death of the ten men earlier that morning.

“Chase after them! Leave none alive!”

While shooting arrows, Tigre called out instructions, but he did not let emotion sway him.

[[Image:Vanadis_V04_-_080.png|175px|thumb]]
Though the Muozinel Army had fallen, they were still made of eighteen thousand men. Once they regained their calm and obtained a new leader, Tigre and his men would be defeated in an instant.

While they were still lost, he had to teach them fear.

“... Your plan was beyond their expectations.”

While Tigre continued to shoot, Rurick drew near on his horse, bringing fresh arrows with him. Tigre nodded silently without breaking his severe countenance.

Kashim was not foolish at all, but he relaxed his guard. More accurately, he had not realized to the very end that he had let his guard down.

Over two battles, Tigre had impressed his inferiority of numbers to Kashim and threw them into confusion with disguises.

In response to that, Kashim took a formation good against a small amount of troops and weakened his flank and rear guards. That was Tigre's aim.

Still, had Tigre fought only with the sword, Kashim would have been able to defend himself with his wall of soldiers and would have remained alive. The same would apply if Tigre's arrows could not go beyond three hundred alsin.

For the people of Brune who were poor at archery, it was impossible to think someone could shoot accurately at three hundred alsin. Not even Kashim could predict that.

Seeing Tigre standing at the forefront of his troops brought pity rather than anger to Kashim's mind, and he had made a decision he might normally not have because of that. He had killed innocent people, and Tigre would not remain silent.

Tigre had used all of this to grip victory from a very dangerous situation. He had cut his distance from Kashim to approximately three hundred alsin and defeated him as quickly as possible. It was possible Tigre might have lost this battle if even a single breeze picked up.

“Rurick, may I leave the pursuit to you?

Tigre asked for confirmation once the battlefield gradually began moving south toward Muozinel. From his expression and voice, Rurick understood Tigre's feelings.

“Leave it to me.”

Tigre thanked the bald Zhcted Knight and sped away with Gerard and a few Alsace soldiers to where the slaves had been cut down.

To protect themselves from the Muozinel soldiers that ran away with a momentum comparable to an avalanche and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} who chased after them, they balled up on the ground. The blood poured down on them, corpses were strewn on top, and their screams could be heard across the battlefield. They were frightened by the sound of horses.

Tigre dismounted and walked to them in compromise.

“It's fine now.”

With a subdued voice, a woman nearby called out for help. Tigre nodded and smiled gently.

Their suspicion turned to joy. Many other survivors called out as well, and there were others who shook their heads in disbelief. There were many who were unable to understand the situation and simply sat in blank surprise.

“... Why didn't you come earlier!?”

Suddenly, one of the men shouted in accusation.

Although the man was bound by rope and could not move, he glared at Tigre with intense feelings as he shed tears.

“If you had shown yourself this morning! If you had shown up at that time, he wouldn't have died...”

Tigre stood rooted to the spot.

The ones who moved were Gerard and the soldiers of Alsace.

“That is...”

The words Gerard wanted to say to the people they had helped could not be said.

Tigre reached out to restrain him. To protect them, soldiers from Alsace had fallen. Tigre looked at the man with a sad expression.

“I'm sorry.”

Hearing Tigre's words and seeing his attitude, the man inhaled deeply with surprise. Though many words were rampaging within him, they would not come out. He sat down with his head hung.

Tigre ordered for them to be untied and for clothes to be prepared for the women. Tigre also helped sever the ropes with his dagger.

“Um...”

As he unbound the people, a small girl spoke to Tigre fearfully. She gave the impression that she was a naïve girl about the same age as Tigre. While she hid her body with her hands and what remained of the torn clothing, she bowed deeply to Tigre.

“Thank you for your help... And for completing my father's revenge.”

Tigre dimly understood. One of the men who died earlier this morning was likely this girl's father.

“I'm sorry. That man just now, I don't think he was wrong. I understand his feelings, but... I wished to thank you.”

Tigre gave off a complex expression showing his mixed feelings upon hearing the girl's sincere words.

She had hid nothing. Her frank words expressed how she felt for being rescued, but it was clear she had swallowed words of criticism.

Though he did not know how to process his emotions, Tigre thanked her without showing any tears.

“You have my thanks as well.”

Those from the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} who participated in battle were well over one thousand. It was almost the entire army.

They were unable to endure their fatigue, and their bodies were covered in injuries. As soon as they returned from the place with several thousands of corpses and unimaginable amounts of blood, many collapsed and fell asleep. Without looking carefully, it was impossible to tell whether they were living or dead.

Since they had run to Agnes from Territoire, they did not have time to rest and were further troubled by the sandy hills and cliffs. They had fought the Muozinel Army for three consecutive days.

Though Tigre had allowed the soldiers to rest, it was as little as he could possibly allow them to.

They had gone through many battles and given chase. They brandished their arms and ran from one end of the battlefield to another. It was unavoidable that his men would drop their arms and collapse in this situation.

The Muozinel Army lost more than three thousand in this fight, bringing their death toll to above five thousand when including the battles from the previous two days. It was a quarter of their entire army that fell in the lands of Agnes.

On the other hand, about two hundred soldiers from the [Silver Meteor Army] had lost their lives.

There were fifteen hundred still living. Amongst those, four-hundred sixty-two were injured, both serious and minor. It was a narrow victory, a miraculous result, given their current state.

Gerard was unable to cope with an unusual feeling; he was not sure how to report the results to Tigre. He decided to say the sacrifice was small since they stopped twenty thousand troops.

However, when hearing the report, Tigre's expression sunk, and he did not look like the victor. It was not simply out of fatigue.

There was no time for Tigre, Rurick, or Gerard to rest. What they needed to do was to gather the soldiers who could move and collect their spoils.

The Muozinel Army that retreated left their food and fuel. Because the money and goods they plundered remained as well, they were divided amongst the soldiers and the people.

Gerard had not played an active part on the battlefield, but he fully demonstrated his talents. While the [Silver Meteor Army] secured the supplies, he was able to efficiently distribute the food and fuel so it would last until they arrived in Territoire.

“So we have no choice but to send them to Territoire?”

Hearing the report from the young man with brown hair, Tigre asked to which Gerard nodded.

“I believe you have heard from them as well, Earl Vorn. When their towns and villages were raided, their livelihoods were destroyed. Telling them to return in the coldness of winter is no different from telling them to build a house on their own.”

“Though I understand... Will Territoire be fine?”

There were many towns and villages who went to Territoire to escape from the fires of war. Though Tigre's worries were natural, the son of the Lord of Territoire simply shrugged his shoulders.

“For two thousand people, we have no other choice.”

Tigre was unable to object. If he accepted them into Alsace, it was easy to see his land collapsing immediately, and Aude, governed by Massas, was too far away.

“I understand. Please arrange that.”

As he said that, Rurick walked into his tent.

“... Lord Tigrevurmud, I would like to speak to you.”

Though he smiled brightly as usual, there was an awkwardness to it. Though tired, Tigre saw through it. After issuing instructions, he left the place with Rurick and Gerard.

“What's wrong?”

“In our pursuit, we have taken some of the soldiers captive.”

This is what Tigre had ordered. He needed to know their purpose and the state of the Muozinel Kingdom. After getting rid of his false smile, Rurick's gloomy expression surprised Tigre and Gerard.

“They all said [We are the Advance Force who were to sweep through the land].”

Tigre's feet stopped. He was unable to move and the shadow in Rurick's face spread to Tigre and Gerard's in an instant.

They had racked their brain without sleep to fight against an army this size. They had sacrificed much, yet this was only their vanguard?

“To think that's all they were...”

Though his body began to stagger, Tigre managed to hold his ground. His heart beat violently from the unprecedented tension.

“Their main force?”

“According to them, thirty thousand. I will send the reconnaissance unit for confirmation.”

''--- Thirty thousand...''

He could not voice it. The number echoed within Tigre's body.

“... No, I doubt it would end with thirty thousand.”

Gerard shook his head and took a deep breath. Tigre nodded with a difficult expression. Though they had broken the enemy of twenty thousand, they did not exterminate them all.

“The soldiers who have retreated will likely add another ten thousand to the main unit.”

“... After twenty thousand, we have forty thousand? If they add the last ten thousand, it will take them some time to reorganize. They may not start today, but they might start tomorrow.”

Within several days, the Muozinel Army, a large force of forty thousand, would appear in Agnes.

Furthermore, his troops were exhausted. They would need complete rest today; it would be impossible for them to move at all. In addition, there were two thousand extra people. Even if they were to flee, their marching speed would decrease significantly. It was possible they would be caught before they left Agnes.

A heavy silence wrapped about the three. Gerard was the one to break it.

“What will you do, Earl Vorn?”

Tigre stared blankly at the young man with brown hair.

“What of the future? Will you flee, or will you ask for assistance?”

Tigre realized the meaning of Gerard's words. He was speaking frankly without hiding any anger.

“... Are you saying that seriously?”

“... No, it was a slip of the tongue. I apologize.”

Gerard bowed deeply. On the other hand, the one to move was not Tigre but Rurick. He hit the young man as he stood upright, forcing Gerard to stagger back a step or two.

Though Tigre looked at Rurick in surprise, he did not immediately criticize him and waited for his excuse. He was tired and it was clear he had held back. If Rurick were serious, Gerard would have done more than just stagger.

“... You, how much further do you intend to press Lord Tigrevurmud?”

With his fist clenched, Rurick glared at Gerard. Gerard's smile distorted as he was held up.

“I cannot say. For now, that will be all.”

Tigre was not particularly happy, knowing Gerard clearly admitted he was testing Tigre.

“Is that bad mouth of yours also purposeful?”

“No, that is who I am.”

Rurick looked as if he would fly into a rage but controlled himself. Tigre gave a deep sigh. In a situation with no room for error, he had to know what Gerard's intentions were.

“I believe your father placed your trust in me.”

“Father is father. I am me.”

Gerard responded impudently while rubbing his face.

“I was afraid that, in your desire to defend Alsace, you would abandon Territoire. If you think of Alsace first, it is not an impossible thought for you to think of. That is why I wish to know what kind of man you are.”

“In that case, shouldn't you be trying to gain our trust instead?”

Gerard shrugged after seeing Rurick's severe expression.

“You have already obtained father's trust. Even if I earn Earl Vorn's hatred with this, it will end should father cut ties with me later. Father would cut me away without hesitation. You will not abandon me.”

A troublesome man appeared once again. Tigre felt this way from the bottom of his heart.

“Earl Vorn. Though this is not the time to say this, you are what is reflected in the eyes of others.”

“Eyes of others?”

“Though a citizen of Brune, you insist on using the bow, and after becoming a prisoner of war to Zhcted, you sold your position as an aristocrat of a small province in the frontier to fight against the large political power, Duke Thenardier... For those unfamiliar with your personality, what would people think upon hearing this?”

“They would see me as the one who provoked a fight.”

Though he answered emotionally, Gerard laughed it away. Though Tigre was particularly interested in it, he could only nod. This sort of thing was likely unavoidable.

“Well, I understand what you are trying to say. I will take care.”

“Thank you for listening. If I were to add one more thing, the man of Zhcted with a barren wilderness on his head admires you too much. You should not use him as a reference.”

“... Lord Tigrevurmud. What will you do from now on?”

With his self control maximized, Rurick returned their conversation to its original topic. Tigre also pulled himself together and bowed in assent. Gerard as well.

“Apart from the soldiers, can the people move? I would like to make some distance.”

“They have been bound with rope and are too tired. For now, that is impossible.”

“... Then please examine the number of men and women. It may be cold, but we may have to make the men defend the women. Until we reach Territoire, have them take a weapon from one of the Muozinel corpses.”

Though a regrettable situation, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was in a position where he was forced to make such a cruel decision.

Furthermore, a force of two thousand was a powerful weapon. If the men were given spears and marched alongside, any enemy would be more hesitant to approach them.

After planning their actions, the three began working immediately.

That evening, the two thousand people and the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} began marching. They trudged along with heavy steps, cliffs to their right and left. Though everyone understood the Muozinel Army was following after them, their bodies did not move properly. Their fatigue which had accumulated would not recover with just a little rest.

''--- This is bad...''

Tigre and Rurick looked at each other. Though slow, their marching speed was better than expected. They could not be forced to rush, though.

It happened around mid day; a report came from reconnaissance in regards to the position and movements of the Muozinel Army.

“Approximately three to four thousand Muozinel Cavalry are approaching.”

Tigre made a quick decision.

“Rurick, take command of the soldiers and gather all the remaining arrows.”

“Are you doing something crazy again?”

The Zhcted Knight looked at him with amazement and anxiety mixed in his face. Tigre shrugged his shoulders.

“We need to slow their movements somehow. We also have a headwind right now.”

Though he might slow the enemy's movements down, return fire would be sure to come.

“Please take people skilled in archery.”

It was a condition he conceded for Rurick's sake. Tigre thanked him. After gathering ten cavalry, he left, kicking up dust as he ran down the highway.

After a quarter koku, a Vahram – the God of War worshiped by Muozinel – flag came into view. Tigre stopped his horse, nocked an arrow, and quickly shot it.

The arrow drew a large arc in the sky and cut through the wind. It hit its mark, causing the soldier at the front to fall off his horse. The Zhcted soldiers followed Tigre's lead and shot arrows, felling some of the enemies.

Though the Muozinel Army stopped moving due to the sudden attack, they quickly regained calm and charged forward, the sound of hooves rumbling across the earth. Though they also shot arrows, due to the distance and the wind conditions not being in their favor, they fell short of Tigre.

Tigre and the others ran with their horses, maintaining a set distance. No matter how many they shot down, the enemy continued to charge forward. A cold sweat spread across Tigre's temple.

''--- If this keeps up, we'll meet Rurick and the main force...''

It was at that time when the sound of horses running increased. Though Tigre thought it could have been reinforcements, there was no dust cloud coming from behind the Muozinel soldiers.

The Muozinel Army also noticed it and stopped their horses. Tigre noticed the sound had come from above them. Tigre looked up for the first time.

''--- {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}...?''

Waving in the wind was the unmistakable color of the Zhcted Kingdom. Below it was a blue spear drawn diagonally on a white background. Tigre recognized it immediately.

A group of cavalry ran down the steep slope skillfully and entered the space between Tigre and Muozinel.

At the lead was a spear wielding girl of 15 or 16 years. She brought her horse before the stunned Tigre.

She was small in stature and had blue hair to her shoulders. She seemed flushed since she was running on horseback. She had adorable features and pupils like ice from which the cold shined through. Her clothes made of blue silk matched the color of her hair. In her hand was a spear with a short handle.

Seeing Tigre's face, she smiled in a somewhat ill-natured manner.

“It has been a while, Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

It was the Vanadis who governed Olmutz.

She was the {{furigana|[Snow Princess of the Frozen Wave]|Michelia}}, Ludmira Lurie.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 04 Chapter 1 - MTL

2013-11-28T08:17:31Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Temporary Farewell ===
A group of people intentionally traversed the Vosyes Mountains which ran along the border between Brune and Zhcted. Those who cross these mountains are few since there are few paths, all of which are poorly maintained.

However, the group rode on horseback, advancing silently along the narrow road.

They numbered approximately two thousand, marching beneath the cold winter weather which blew the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} about – the flag belonging to the King of Zhcted. At the forefront of the group was a young girl.

She was 16 or 17 years old, a beautiful girl with silver-white hair down to her waist. Her eyes were reminiscent of a ruby. She was both lovely and valiant.

Her name was Eleanora Viltaria. She was one of only seven Vanadis which exist in the Zhcted Kingdom. Though those intimate with her called her by her nickname, Ellen, there were none amongst the troops she led who would.

A tense atmosphere drifted in the air. The silver-white haired Vanadis grasped the rein in her hands.

“--- Eleanora-sama.”

One Knight advanced from the soldiers following her, riding next to Ellen. She was Ellen's elder by two or three years. Her golden hair flowed from a tail on the left side of her head; her pupils were blue. Though she was a beauty, her expression showed no sign of affability.

Her name was Limlisha, and she was the second in command; she was Ellen's right arm.

“What is it, Lim?”

Seeing her trusted adjutant look at her from the side with a stern gaze, Ellen called out to her by her nickname. Lim nodded, her face still expressionless.

“Because of the wind, we should rest soon. The soldiers and the horses are quite tired.”

The wind strongly blew through the mountain path. It was cold and made travelers numb. The soldiers were wrapped in blankets and wore fur beneath their armor to keep out the cold weather, but even then, the people who were sniffling and had red ears were not few in number.

Only Ellen wore clothing that did not protect against the cold weather. She wore her military outfit made of silk. Her stomach was bare and a longsword was held at her waist – it was a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} granted to only the Vanadis, which helped protect her from the cold.

“We will take a rest in a half koku. We can get out of this pass before sunset, right?”

“It is possible.”

Without any time to think, Lim responded immediately with a short answer. Ellen smiled wryly and softened her expression. She had come to talk, despite having calculated that far.

“I understand. Dig a hole and start a fire. I'll allow some alcohol as well.”

If they did not do so quickly, any fire they attempted to start would disappear from the currently strengthening winds.

Lim returned to the soldiers. Ellen looked up at the sky with a dull expression. Rather than looking at the sun, she was looking at the gray clouds with a vague sense of anxiety.

''--- Once we pass these mountains, we will be in Zhcted Kingdom... In my LeitMeritz.''

However, that was not Ellen's destination. She was heading to the north of LeitMeritz to Legnica where her best friend, Alexandra – Sasha – governed.

Just a few days ago, Ellen was in the land of Territoire in Brune Kingdom. She was cooperating with Tigrevurmud Vorn – Tigre.

She separated from him and crossed the Vosyes Mountains because she was told Sasha was in a critical situation. When crisis fell before one of them, Ellen and Sasha always ran to each other. That was the pledge they had exchanged.

Until now, Ellen had only been thinking about Sasha; she had no room to think of anything else, but now that they were taking a break, she suddenly remembered Tigre. She turned her gaze to the west – toward Brune.

“... Tigre.”

She murmured his name unconsciously. Ellen shook her head when she realized what it was she said.

She reminded herself that he was fine.

One thousand men had been left with Tigre, and the famous Black Knight, Roland, announced his cooperation. Tigre's enemy, Duke Thenardier, could not immediately plan something. For now, she should help her best friend and return quickly.

--- Ellen did not know Roland was killed, nor did she know that the Muozinel Army had attacked Brune from their borders to the southeast.

It was impossible for her to know, especially since she was no longer in Brune. Ellen was an excellent governor, Commander, and warrior, but she was hardly omnipotent.

Ellen gradually looked down and prayed to Triglav, the God of War, for Tigre's safety. The faith in Brune and Zhcted were mostly the same.

Though it may have been more appropriate to pray to a more suitable God when asking for his safety, Ellen was most familiar with Triglav.

Her bright red pupils continued to look at the cloud covered sky, not a single ray of light reaching the earth.

That described the current situation of the country of Brune quite well.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The day Duke Felix Aaron Thenardier received a report regarding the Muozinel invasion was the same day he arrived home from the Royal Capital.

“... Something troublesome appeared.”

In his room surrounded by luxurious furniture, he clicked his tongue. The servant who brought the report reacted to it and went down on his knees at once. The best way not to invite anger when the Lord's mood was poor was to remain out of sight and take a posture of obedience.

“Prepare a map.”

Thenardier gave an order, his face swelling with rage. At present, he was 42 years old. Despite that, he did not neglect his body and had a sturdy frame beneath his silk raiment. The anger emanating from his body would make a timid person weep.

After the servant left in a panic, Thenardier looked downward at the finely embroidered carpet covering the floor. He was quietly lost in thought; he had already regained his composure.

“Before it was Sachstein, now it's Muozinel...”

However, the scale was completely different.

While Sachstein dispatched three thousand troops and had them on standby, Muozinel had gathered troops in excess of twenty thousand.

It was an absurd miscalculation.

Thenardier had not originally intended to prolong the domestic dispute.

He wanted to quickly eliminate Duke Ganelon, his political rival. He wanted to receive an important position via his connection with the King's wife.

Afterward, he would have placed his son, Zaien, on the throne through an engagement with a woman of royal blood. The child between the two would have eventually become King.

''--- That brat Tigrevurmud Vorn has ruined my plans.''

Tigrevurmud Vorn had invited the Zhcted Army into the country and fought Zaien, killing him in battle. Both the assassins and the Vanadis Ludmira Thenardier sent were stopped by the Vanadis Eleanora.

In addition, the cornerstone of the defense along the western borders, Black Knight Roland, was gone. Though Roland disliked him, Thenardier knew his character well enough. So long as the King was present, the Strongest Knight would not be able to touch him.

For Thenardier, Roland was once a pawn which could not be replaced, since he had managed to maintain the stability of the western borders.

Thenardier stood with a lump in his throat. He did not notice how severe his countenance had become. The servant who returned with a map noticed his gaze and stood petrified.

“... What's the matter? Why are you just standing there?”

After Thenardier spoke in a low tone, the servant quickly ran to the ebony table in a panic and spread the map out. Thenardier paid him no concern and looked at the map with a cold gaze.

''--- What could their aim be?''

Muozinel Kingdom. It was a country difficult to maintain ties with.

There was no reason for them to send soldiers to other countries. Though five thousand troops crossed the southeast border from Muozinel years ago, it had long since passed.

“They must be in need of more slaves and came to get them.”

Naturally, Brune would prepare soldiers to intercept them. Though they had sent an emissary to protest, they received an arrogant response.

“We will enter your woods and get some fire wood. We're lacking materials to build a fire.”

Muozinel and Brune bordered one another. It was a natural course for them to have some association.

In the past, they had invaded both Zhcted and Brune, kidnapping people and looting their villages. They also had a fleet tailored to cross the sea so they could attack Sachstein and Asvarre.

Incidentally, none of the countries criticized their system of government. Every country, to some degree, had incorporated it into their policy. One example is selling off prisoners of war whose ransom was not paid in time as slaves.

Furthermore, they were a country that provided fine quality paper and goods like tea that many could not go without. Even if it was an inconvenience, there was nothing to do but to associate with them.

If their aim was to obtain more slaves, they would ruin the region near the border.

But with a count of twenty thousand, their purpose could not simply be to obtain more slaves. It was likely they were aiming for territory or a fortress. They must have been preparing to march toward the King's Capital.

“Though it's annoying... maybe I should work with Duke Ganelon.”

As he muttered to himself, Thenardier began forming a strategy.

First, through Prime Minster Bodwin, he would have all Knights from the Royal Capital head to the southeast. He would then split up his own troops. One group would remain on standby in the capital while the other would head south.

“Muozinel has ships. They will likely attack from the sea to the south. It will be a one-sided battle if I don't make preparations.”

Most of the aristocrats ruling the lands to the south were allied with Thenardier. It was necessary he defend them as their leader.

The Muozinel Army was to the southeast. Thenardier was the kind of man who could make calm headed judgments in a moment.

“While protecting the Royal Capital, I will explore the enemy's movements. If they head to the south or east, I will attack them from behind or from their flank. If they head straight for the capital, I will wait it out. If they spread thin, I'll attack their supply line.”

What concerned him was the third force in the country.

Tigrevurmud Vorn, his son's enemy, led an army made of Brune and Zhcted soldiers. Though the army was called the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}, Thenardier did not know that.

''--- I have heard he has fewer than five thousand troops and his men are exhausted from their fight against Roland's Knights of Navarre. I wonder if he'll be forced to fight the twenty thousand strong Muozinel Army if they head along Zhcted's border to the east.''

“Given their position as a known traitor, they will not ask for help...”

If they did, they would be the vanguard of the attack against Muozinel. They could then be restrained and beheaded by Thenardier's hand. Thenardier had judged this to be the most prudent course of action.

“Fortunately, our soldiers can move immediately.”

Before leaving the King's Capital, Thenardier gathered his soldiers from the neighboring territories. Though he originally planned to fight against Ganelon, contact was unavoidable.

Afterward, Thenardier sent a letter to Ganelon calling for military cooperation until the situation with Muozinel was taken care of.

“Now then... What will Ganelon do?”

A few days later, a force of nearly twenty thousand had gathered in Thenardier's territory.

The sky was blue and overcast; feeble rays of sunlight hit the ground. In the midst of winter, the men wore heavy fur coats. Their breaths fogged up as they exhaled. Thenardier divided his twenty thousand soldiers into two groups of ten thousand and headed south, leading seven thousand troops himself.

The remaining thirteen thousand troops were left in command of a man named Steid whom Thenardier trusted. He was a veteran with few losses who was well skilled in the military arts. His loyalty to Thenardier was high as well.

“Very well. Avoid unnecessary fights until we rejoin. It does not matter, even if Ganelon attacks. Retreat. Reduce damage as much as possible.”

“As you order, Lord Duke.”

Steid was a 33 year old man. He had short, fair hair and a downy beard covering his pale face. His height and build were average. His lack of expression hid any sign that he was leading a large army.

“It would be most ideal if we could take out Ganelon when his troops are tired from the battle with Muozinel, but I doubt things will be so convenient. Still, keep that in the corner of your mind.”

Thenardier did not believe the future would be so simple.

Making an appropriate decision according to the situation. He would only entrust Steid with more than ten thousand troops, so Thenardier entrusted command to him.

“Lord Duke. It is possible Ganelon has invited the Muozinel Army to invade the country. If that is the case, they will also know of what happened to Roland.”

Steid's doubt was denied with a shake of Thenardier's head. Showing a calm attitude here would help the soldiers settle down.

“That is not the case. If it were, the Muozinel Army would call out and join Duke Ganelon as quickly as possible. They would be obvious about it.”

If a noble as powerful as Ganelon joined with troops from another nation, the shock would be beyond just Tigrevurmud Vorn and the Zhcted Army.

It would paralyze the functions of the Royal Capital; all the aristocrats would become panic-stricken, and many would defect from Ganelon's lands and support Thenardier. There was no reason for Ganelon to ally with the Muozinel Army.

“Do not worry too much about any issues with Ganelon for now, but always take precautions.”

“Certainly. I will meet your expectations.”

Thenardier nodded to Steid who had kneeled on the spot.

Several days after he had left, Thenardier received a notice.

“... so Ganelon moved his troops.”

There was no response to the letter Thenardier had sent days before, but based on their movements, it seems Ganelon was unwilling to cooperate.

“Damned Ganelon. I've been looking for a chance to kill you since Roland died...”

An image of a map of Brune and the surrounding areas floated to Thenardier's mind.

''---Was he waiting for either Sachstein or Muozinel to attack before he made his move?''

Because Asvarre and Ganelon's territory to the northwest bordered one another, it was difficult, if not impossible, to establish a cease-fire.

If Sachstein or Muozinel dispatched their troops, it would be Thenardier who would move first to meet them, rather than Ganelon, simply based on the territories they governed.

“No matter. Our concern is Muozinel for now.”

Thenardier muttered to himself as a smile reminiscent of a ferocious carnivore floated to his mouth.

In Duke Thenardier's mansion, deep inside was an elderly man. His small body was wrapped in a black robe. He gazed at something without the need for light.

Meat from large beasts were torn off, the bones crushed. The area was covered in mud, the stench of decay was present.

However, the old man did not care about the smell permeating the room. Rather, he was looking at the small mountain inside the room.

It was the corpse of a {{furigana|Wyvern|Vyfal}}, and it was known only to the old man. His name was Drekavac, and he had long served as Duke Thenardier's seer.

“Like I thought... It's different.”

Drekavac glared for a short time. He casually placed his hand on the lump of flesh and blood and gripped it.

“There is the power of the wind, but that's not all.”

An eerie smile covered his face, as his prediction had come true. Drekavac turned his gaze to the corner of the room where small golden eyes were.

“I need you to do some work, Vodyanoy.”

“--- Again?”

In the place the old man looked at, a question was uttered, the voice flickering in the darkness.

A young man with a bright smile sat on the floor with his back to the wall. He was of medium build and wore thick clothes with a fur collar and sleeves. His short black hair was loosely covered in a green cloth. He bit into a gold coin in his hand as if it were candy.

“It's not good for an old man to live in ease. You should run about on your own sometimes.”

“I must take care of the Dragons. Would you like to take my place?”

“Can't be helped. What do you need?”

The young man named Vodyanoy stood up as a gold coin was thrown in the air. It drew a beautiful arc and was calmly caught with the tip of his fingers.

“--- The user of the [Bow] has appeared.”

Drekavac's voice froze the air. Vodyanoy's smile disappeared and his eyes opened wide in surprise as he stared at the old man.

After a while, Vodyanoy's squint returned and his earlier smile was recovered.

“What do you want? Kill him?”

“He is not like the Vanadis who appear all the time. He is too precious to kill. Although I would like to capture him... Well, for the time being, you should know who I'm talking about.”

When the elderly man stopped speaking, Vodyanoy's body had already melted away. Soon, his entire body disappeared. Drekavac nodded in satisfaction.

“Now then, let's just watch. I wonder who will be the last to stand...”

As he muttered with a slightly happy tone, the old man turned his back to the Dragon's corpse and walked to the door.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The cold of winter deprived heat from the earth. A soldier woke up to the frigid weather and rubbed his hands together, moved his legs, wrapped his body in blankets, and shook as he watched his breath fog over.

If possible, he wanted to remain under the blanket, but that was unreasonable. After washing his face with cold water to wake up, he walked out of his tent to the fire.

Two people gathered and greeted each other as they warmed their hands over the fire. With the heat of a group, their bodies could finally move as usual at last.

“Please take my place a bit early.”

The soldier standing on guard spoke with a sleepy voice. This time, it would be his turn to take a rest. The man who held his hand up to the bonfire was reluctant to part, but he returned to his tent, donned his weapon and armor, and finally took the guard's place.

Territoire was in eastern Brune. Two thousand soldiers had built their camp at the westernmost end. Surrounded by a double fence, in the middle of the many tents, the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}}, the flag of Brune, and the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}, the flag of Zhcted, waved in the wind.

The {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} was made of both Brune and Zhcted soldiers.

It was led by a youth of 16 years, Tigrevurmud Vorn. Those close to him called him Tigre.

Though he was an earl who governed Alsace, one of the provinces in Brune Kingdom, his meeting with Ellen, a Vanadis of Zhcted Kingdom, greatly changed his life.

In order to defend Alsace where he was born and raised, and in order to defeat Duke Thenardier, who threatened the peace of his lands, Tigre began cooperating with Ellen. They had already experienced many battles together.

Zaien from Duke Thenardier's house, the man who attacked Alsace, was killed. To acquire Ellen's freedom of movement, they fought against the Vanadis Ludmira. Tigre also managed to repel the Black Knight Roland, leader of the Navarre Knights, who had appeared to punish Tigre for his rebellion.

He had received cooperation from Roland and was within a few days distance from Nemetacum, the lands governed by Duke Thenardier.

However, news of Roland's death and the approach of a twenty thousand strong army from Muozinel was a great shock.

Tigre sat alone in the tent for the General, dozens of maps scattered about his surroundings.

His dull red hair was a mess in various places. Tigre groaned as he stared at the maps. He had not slept at all, so his complexion was poor and he was completely exhausted.

He continued to think. He thought about how he should move from then on, with the invasion of the Muozinel Army.

''--- We have two thousand here. They have twenty thousand. We can't just fight them. At least if Ellen or Lim were here...''

He sighed, having considered a pointless thing. Ellen and Lim were excellent Generals. Whether he fought or avoided fighting, they would have appropriate advice that Tigre had not thought of.

Still, he had reliable people he could count on.

His father's best friend, Massas Rodant, and Viscount Augre, who was currently cooperating with Tigre. Both were veterans rich with experience.

Still, Tigre did not dare to consult with them regarding this matter.

''--- We could strengthen our defenses in Territoire and have the people take shelter to the north in Alsace and Aude. The question is whether or not to wait for help from the Knights or local aristocrats.''

Above all, thinking of peace within his territories was his duty as their leader. Tigre needed to protect Alsace, Massas had to protect Aude to the north, and Augre must, first and foremost, protect Territoire.

''--- That's why I can't ask them.''

If he asked, Massas and the others would say to abandon the deserts to the southeast.

There was likely no one living in that region, and, in the first place, Tigre had no duty toward that land. So long as there were no instructions from the King, there was no reason for him to defend the mountains outside his territory.

However, Tigre knew the King would not issue a command, and it would leave a bitter taste in his mouth if he ignored a crisis before him.

Tigre turned his head to look at the sword laid on the ground. It was a large sword decorated brilliantly with gold along its guard.

Durandal. It was called the [Sword of Invincibility] in Brune, but it moved hands from Roland to Tigre. He received it from the Black Knight as proof that he recognized Tigre, but he did not imagine it would never return to its rightful owner.

Tigre recalled his conversation with Roland.

Roland asked what Tigre would do should Ellen's troops begin an invasion. Tigre replied he would fight to defend the people of Brune.

''--- Am I being conceited?''

Tigre was neither a hero nor a brave man. He was simply a noble governing a small territory in the frontier.

Although he was here to fight Duke Thenardier, such actions were once unthinkable.

“Is it a good time, Tigre-sama?”

The voice of a young girl he was accustomed to hearing called to him from outside the tent. Tigre looked curiously toward Teita, the maid who served him.

“Teita? At a time like this...”

He started saying that, but Tigre noticed morning had already dawned. He could hear noises outside his tent.

The lamp near his bedside was still lit, most of its oil used up. It seems he had been worried too much and was lost in thought.

“You may enter. What's wrong?”

As he called out gently, the winter sunlight shined through the curtain as a girl with twin tails in her chestnut hair quietly walked inside. She was dressed in black with long sleeves and a long skirt down to her feet. A white apron covered it. She carefully held an earthen pot.

“Good morning, Tigre-sama.”

Teita's chestnut hair shook as she bowed. Her bright smile clouded over the moment she saw Tigre's face.

“... Did you not rest last night?”

Though Tigre thought to make an excuse, it would only end badly. Teita, who he had grown up with, would see through him in an instant and he would lose.

“I was busy with a number of things. Well, that's just how it is.”

Teita glanced up at him reproachfully as she slowly approached Tigre with a container held with both hands.

Inside was a soup from which steam was rising. There were thin slices of meat, carrots, and cabbage floating about. The moment the fragrant aroma hit Tigre's nose, his belly rang out as if in waiting. He and Teita laughed.

“First, please warm your body. I will prepare other things immediately.”

“Thank you.”

Even if he was covered in blankets, he was still cold. Tigre received the bowl with a smile and brought it to his mouth to have a taste. He brought his spoon down to eat the vegetables. His empty stomach was now active and raised a cry of joy.

“Such poor manners, Tigre-sama.”

Though Teita's face was stern, she spoke with a kind tone like a mother dotingly scolding her child. Tigre, on the other hand, satisfied his body with the heat and saltiness of the soup as he finished it off with a sipping noise.

Seeing Tigre happily satisfy his appetite, Teita smiled and left the tent with peace of mind. She soon came back with a basket and sat down next to Tigre, placing the basket gently on the ground.

There was bread and cheese in the basket and slices of smoked meat and potatoes. Teita poured wine into a bronze cup. By this time, Tigre had already emptied his bowl of soup.

He bit into the bread and cheese, ate the potato, and drank the wine in turns. Since it was still warm from the fire, both the taste and texture of the potato were pleasing.

When he finished at last, Tigre let out a satisfied breath.

“Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.”

“Before that, please wipe your mouth.”

While her words were once again only words of blame, she smiled bitterly as she gently stretched her fingers forward, wiping the potato still around Tigre's mouth.

Teita stared at her finger for a troubled moment, thinking about whether or not she should lick it, but her face turned crimson and she hung her head down immediately.

“You also have some bad manners... No, never mind. Thanks for getting it for me.”

Though he had an idea as to why the chestnut-haired maid was embarrassed, Tigre thanked her like normal. Being near her gave him a sense of security he could only find in Alsace.

Teita nodded and quickly put everything into the basket.

“--- Teita.”

Tigre called to the girl who had her back turned to him. Teita had both a curious and awkward face as she looked back at Tigre. Her mind immediately became more serious and she sat upright as she noticed the intense atmosphere behind his words.

Tigre hesitated on how to begin the conversation. The two remained as they were for a short time.

“Teita, take separate action for the time being. Stay with Lord Massas.”

“... What do you mean?”

Though the words were within her expectations, Teita's voice still trembled.

“I, I came to take care of Tigre-sama, and yet...”

“It's dangerous. I can't afford it.”

“Still...”

Though she started to argue, when she saw Tigre's gaze, she shut her mouth. She looked down in silence. Tigre remained quiet, waiting for the maid's reaction.

Before long, Teita looked up.

“Will you return safely?”

“I promise.”

Tigre answered with a strong yet quiet voice. Teita looked up with a distorted smile as she was in tears. Tigre stood up and hugged Teita softly before speaking once again.

“I promise. I'll come back safely – at the latest, by spring.”

Teita let out a tearful sound. In response, Tigre lightly pat her back and answered her question once again.

When Teita left the tent, Tigre grabbed his bow.

When their breakfast meals had been finished, there were soldiers maintaining the fire, others servicing their armor, and some amusing themselves with gambling. Lightly saluting the men, Tigre headed toward Massas and Augre.

“You're awake, Lord Tigrevurmud.”

A young Knight ran up to him. Though he had valiant features, there was no hair on his head. Rather than being ashamed, he boasted of it.

“Good morning, Rurick. I am heading to see Lord Massas. Are you coming?”

The Knight – Rurick – nodded immediately.

“I will follow you. By the way, I just saw Teita crying a moment ago...”

Tigre had a bitter expression as he ruffled his hair violently. His heart was heavy.

“By the way, as a soldier of Zhcted... How would you fight against twenty thousand enemies?”

Rurick understood immediately hearing this question. His eyes shined, and a fearless smile floated to his face.

“You think there's a chance?”

“I don't know.”

“I can't possibly convince the soldiers if you don't even know that. At least start from there.”

Rurick shrugged his shoulder with a tepid face. Tigre's mouth also distorted as he responded.

“We have two thousand. They have twenty thousand. If I say there is a chance of victory, who would possibly believe me?”

“Though people believe things because they are believable, they also believe because they wish to believe in you.”

As they exchanged this conversation, they reached their destination. After checking with the guards, Tigre and Rurick entered.

The two people were immediately at a loss for words.

The two old men were sitting down with maps and papers scattered about. A bucket of water they used to keep themselves awake had been placed to the side.

“... Oh, Tigre.”

The old man, Massas, with his impressive gray hair and beard and stocky body, called out to them. His hair and beard were disheveled and deep, dark circles loomed beneath his eyes.

Behind him, a lanky old man – Augre – sat without showing any signs of concern with his loosely worn clothes.

The two were also racking their brains, and, like Tigre, had not gotten any rest upon hearing of the incoming crisis.

“I came here to talk... but will you two be fine?”

Tigre asked hesitantly. The two simply smiled in response.

They both thrust their head into the pale of water and let out a groan. The water was scattered as they shook their heads dry. They then wiped their faces with thick cloth before looking back at Tigre.

“Yes. Go on.”

Both Rurick and Tigre stepped back after seeing this, but they could not possibly leave without saying anything. Tigre sat before Massas, his stomach full of butterflies.

“I will take command – I will lead the soldiers southeast.”

Cutting to the core of the matter immediately, Tigre stared at Massas and Augre. The two aristocrats looked at each other; Massas clearly looked sullen.

“... I thought you would say that.”

Though his face and voice expressed amazement, he could not hide his affection.

“First, tell us your reasons.”

“To survive. I will defend what I must protect.”

“Then shouldn't we strengthen the defenses within Territoire?”

Augre looked at him with a grave expression. The smile of the good natured old man was in no way present.

Tigre had thought it would turn out this way. He had also given this much thought. Even if he wanted to defend people he had no relation to, though it may pass as a beautiful thing, it was simply something beyond nonsense.

“If we are to strengthen our defenses... When twenty thousand troops approach, will we be able to hold out?”

“We can buy time. Knights and soldiers led by other nobles will appear. If we stop the Muozinel Army here, we will not have the strength to face Nemetacum.”

“There is a high possibility we will be defeated before reinforcements arrive.”

Tigre had thought of the most frightening situation because there was no way to eliminate its probability of occurring.

“There is also the possibility we will not receive reinforcements.”

Tigre turned to Massas with a look of surprise. This is exactly what Tigre feared. Augre, as well, laughed sarcastically as he played with something in his hand.

“Thanks to Thenardier, we are considered rebels. If we ask for help, he could easily criticize us. If we fight alone, we would help him exhaust the Muozinel Army.”

“So you thought that far.”

He could only be grateful that the two had already thought that far.

“It's important to think, but what matters most are the judgment and actions you take afterward.”

Massas put his hand on Tigre's shoulder.

“You've thought a lot about this, and you clearly wish to defend the people, but...”

''Can you do it?'' Before he said those words, Tigre smiled and nodded powerfully.

“There is something I need to ask of you two.”

Tigre had the soldiers of Brune gather that afternoon.

Beneath the overcast sky, the sun shined with feeble rays of light. Tigre, with Massas and Augre to his right and left, told the soldiers that the Muozinel Army had broken through the southeastern border.

While a wave of shock and agitation spread amongst them, Tigre continued to speak calmly, hiding the tension in his mind.

“The enemy numbers twenty thousand while we have two thousand. Although they are within Brune, they are still a long distance away. You may think this unrelated to you, however... If we leave things as they are, the enemy will come soon; they will attack the villages and towns where you live.”

The atmosphere had become serious. Small noises could be heard here and there. Many feelings, including fear, danced about the grounds.

“I have a plan for victory. However, it will not work if you are frightened. If you do not fight with your full might, I can't utilize your strength.”

There was no plan; however, Tigre, despite the guilt he felt in his stomach, lied to give the soldiers hope. If they sunk into despair before the battle, they would lose before they could even fight.

Finally, Tigre threw unexpected words in order to reassure them.

“The Zhcted Army has said they will fight to the last man – So what will you do?”

The question brought about an instantaneous change. The smoldering will in the Brune soldiers was light anew, their fear blown away by their sense of rivalry.

If it is to protect his home, a soldier would show a will to fight like a wild animal. One raised a cry, spreading the feeling to the other troops. Tigre, Massas, and Augre, all clenched their fists unconsciously.

''--- This response is better than I expected...''

Tigre watched the soldiers of Brune in admiration.

Though the soldiers of Brune and Zhcted which composed the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} were on friendly terms, the conflict between them was deeply rooted. Though it had been a problem for Tigre, this rivalry burned brightly and wiped away their fear.

Incidentally, Rurick had confirmed with the Zhcted soldiers before the speech was made. The bald headed Knight sent a response while patting his round head.

“Though I can't guarantee you an answer ahead of time, it should be fine.”

The one who carefully chose one thousand troops from the Zhcted Army to follow Tigre was Ellen.

They possessed a good will toward Tigre in their own way, and they were willing to remain when Ellen departed. He would not likely have much trouble convincing them.

When the charged noise settled down, Tigre declared with a loud voice.

“Everyone, please act immediately as you are ordered!”

After that, every soldier was busy making preparations to move. The soldiers received food and fuel for several days, and a cart was procured to carry provisions for many people. Every person brought their provisions to a large tent.

By the time the soldiers of the [Silver Meteor Army] finished preparations, the sky was dyed vermillion as the sun set in the western sky.

Tigre, Massas, and Augre united on their horses.

Massas and Augre wore thick winter coats on top of their armor. Tigre wore a leather vest and carried a quiver at his waist, and his family heirloom, the black bow, was attached to the saddle.

Though fatigue dyed their faces, their desire to fight surpassed it.

Approximately seventeen hundred troops were lined up behind Tigre. The ratio of cavalry to infantry in the [Silver Meteor Army] was about eight to two.

Though Tigre did not want to bring so many cavalry, if he had not hardened his defenses, he would only lose more troops. It was impossible for him to make this group consist only of soldiers from Alsace. In the end, Tigre avoided bringing soldiers from another territory.

Also, Tigre wanted to keep people he could absolutely trust beside him.

Massas and Augre followed closely behind with a few dozen and one hundred troops respectively. The remaining were injured and remained behind under the care of Batran and Teita.

Batran wanted to follow as well, but Tigre felt uneasy, feeling his physical strength might abandon him during battle due to his age.

“Lord, I am sorry. If only I had the stamina from when I was young...”

Tigre smiled and shook his head seeing the old man and maid who served him droop their heads.

“Look after Teita for me, Batran. I can relax if I know you're defending her.”

The old man regained his enthusiasm and said to leave things to him.

“You, too, Teita. I know you'll be busy, but don't overwork yourself.”

“I should say the same to you, Tigre-sama. Please... Return in safety.”

Though Teita retorted strongly, tears immediately appeared in her eyes.

“Now then, you two should get some rest.”

Massas spoke while stroking his gray beard, seeing Tigre's bow.

“Leave it to us. Stay firm, Tigre.”

“I'll say the same to you. Don't overexert yourself.”

While Augre encouraged him, Tigre bowed in gratitude once again.

While Tigre headed to the southeast to face the Muozinel Army, Massas and Augre would gather the Knights in the surroundings.

“Though it's unlikely we can stand up to an army of twenty thousand with only two thousand, I should be able to hold them up for a short amount of time. Sir Massas, Viscount Augre. Please, do what you can to make the Knights and aristocrats move.”

Tigre, as a 16 year old, would not be able to move others. This was especially true as someone who was thought to lead an insurrection. However, Massas and Augre who had vast amounts of experience might be able to persuade them.

There were many reasons to face the Muozinel Army.

Though the largest reason to move was to protect the citizens, the Knights and aristocrats would not be persuaded to move so easily unless someone took the lead. Also, the Muozinel Army was currently on the border and had not yet chosen a direction to attack in.

''--- I learned this from Lim before.''

“Lord Tigrevurmud, do you understand? To eliminate your opponent's options, you must dull their judgment. If you can successfully do this, you will carry an advantage into battle.”

He recalled Lim's antisocial face and voice during their conversation in autumn.

“But if you eliminate their options, doesn't that make it easy for them to take action?”

“Assume you force your opponent into a situation where they can take only three actions. It makes countermeasures simple. Furthermore, the enemy will be confused. In this state, he will most likely act in a way he should not. Your chances of success will only improve there.”

“I see.”

Tigre obediently expressed his admiration of Lim, who momentarily was drawn out of her expressionless appearance. Though her speech continued on in a severe manner, a gentle smile appeared momentarily.

“Though what I have told you is basic, don't forget it.”

Tigre did not remember learning much regarding strategy from his father, Urz.

There was still much for Tigre to learn that his father likely wanted to teach him; however, when Tigre was 14, he took over as head of the Vorn family when his father fell ill.

''--- I'll hold the Muozinel Army off near the border.''

After seeing Massas and Augre off, Tigre was followed by two people on horseback with looks of determination in their eyes.

One person was the bald Knight, Rurick, who took lead of the one thousand Zhcted soldiers.

The other person was in his mid-twenties. He was a young man with brown hair and bronze pupils. He was Viscount Augre's son, Gerard. He commanded the seven hundred Brune soldiers.

“I entrust my son in your hands. Use him as you see fit.”

Augre said those words as he introduced Gerard as he spoke to Tigre with a smile. Rurick, on the other hand, was not happy about it. After the parent and child separated, there was a clear sign of dissatisfaction in his face.

“If I recall, he was the impolite person who ignored Lord Tigrevurmud and simply praised our Vanadis-sama after the battle with Marquis Greast.”

“... Who did you hear that story from?”

Though Tigre asked that with a troubled face, there were only two possible candidates. When Gerard praised Ellen, only Lim and Tigre were present.

“Limlisha. Upon her departure, she said to take care about this man.”

“Well, he's the type Lim would hate... but Viscount Augre would not simply leave his soldiers in the hands of his son without reason. Though I can't say our relationship is great, I doubt it will be a problem.”

Tigre did not want to speak poorly of Augre's son, so he purposely said vague words.

Remembering the conversation at the time, Tigre looked over Rurick's shoulder. Sure enough, Gerard glared at him with dangerous eyes.

Though Tigre was also anxious, it was too late to say anything now, and he was lacking in time and people as it was.

Though their aim was to move quickly, the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}} dispatched troops to the surrounding villages and towns and reported to them that Muozinel would soon attack and to take shelter in Territoire.

In doing so, they would be able to gather maps of the area, purchase food and supplies they had not brought, and gain places to rest.

After several days, Tigre was in south Brune gazing over the Agnes province.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 03 Chapter 5 - MTL

2013-11-28T07:38:25Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Tir na Fa ===

The rain ended at dawn. Though it was a refreshing winter day with a cloudless sky, the ground was muddy enough to get even the knees messy.

Against the river, the Silver Meteor Army looked to the south. They had sent out many scouts to monitor the movements of Navarre, but otherwise, they were resting. Forty-three hundred troops remained; the injured had already been moved away.

After ending her break, Ellen took command and started acting.

On the other side were the Knights of Navarre numbering nearly five thousand. Due to their victory in battle the day before, their morale was much higher.

However, their actions would be slow due to the mud on the ground.

Not to mention, they were moving on horses.

However, Roland did not panic nor rush. From his experience, the ground would be more stable during the day.

“Earl Vorn's army seems to have fewer than five thousand.”

Olivier reported the information he received from a scout to Roland.


“More fell than expected.”

It was Roland's impression. The fact they were still fighting meant they had a plan.

“Though they have their back to the river, they moved away and headed south.”

Olivier continued in a prudent tone.

“Also... It seems they left their wounded on the other side of the river. It seems Tigrevurmud Vorn is also there.”

Roland's eyebrow moved slightly. He was certain there was a faint response when they crossed paths; however, since it involved the morale of the army, they should have desperately hidden the injury of their General. It was doubtful they would let everyone know the next day.

“... Is it a trap?”

Since the enemy was injured, furthermore, if it was the General, it would be foolish not to aim for him.

However, if he advanced that way, Roland would expose his back to the enemy to the south. Much like the battle yesterday, it had shaken his troops. Though the Knights of Navarre were powerful, he wanted to avoid a repeat situation.

“The chance exists; we can't say it is an impossibility. The Knights here also caught sight of Earl Vorn's injury. It seems they're thinking along the same lines as us and wish to challenge us before mid day... In other words, while the ground is still soft.”


They would not run away from the challenge. Furthermore, the enemy had decreased significantly due to their injuries. After thinking for a short moment, Roland made his decision.

“Leave the injured. We will fight the main force.”

''--- Earl Vorn is a noble of a small region with few soldiers. If we annihilate the Zhcted Army, he will surrender.''

“I understand. By the way, Roland. In today's battle... Shall we use [Crescent Moon]?”

[Crescent Moon], like [Spear], was a formation. Roland quickly realized why Olivier proposed it; it was because the earth was softened by the rain.

While [Spear] had a great destructive force, it had a weakness since it was primarily a rush. Massas exploited them from behind because of this.

That risk would disappear with [Crescent Moon].

Olivier had sent out many scouts to check the geographical features of the surroundings. He confirmed there was no large lake of mud; even so, he was still acting cautiously.

“Very well. I leave the formation to you.”

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>


When Tigre awoke, the sun had risen considerably. Though it was late in the morning, it was too early to call afternoon.

He tried to sit up and groaned due to the pain running down his chest and flank.

''--- Ah, I see. I was cut...''

Though he had tilted his body as much as possible to avoid being injured, the sharpness and speed of Roland's blade surpassed his expectations. However, because his body was still in one piece, it seems he made the correct decision. His fate was also good.

''--- I wonder what the situation is...''

He had not fully woken up and stared in a daze at the ceiling. He noticed someone sitting nearby.

''--- Batran?''

The old man and the maid of petite stature and chestnut-brown hair were sleeping where they sat. Teita was covered in a blanket and was looking at him, the noise of her breathing quietly sounded.

Though he attempted to speak, his throat was parched.

He sat up so as to not awake the two. Tigre quietly slipped out of the tent.

Outside his tent, there were few soldiers present. The only ones present were the injured.


The sky was clear, as if the violence of the past few days had not happened.

Still, it was an empty winter sky. The air was cold and the sun was bright. It helped comfort the pain in his body.

They were in a meadow near the wilderness. If he strained his ears, he could hear the sound of water; there was a river close by.

“Tigre-sama...?”

A hoarse voice with a faint surprise was heard behind him.

He turned around and saw Teita standing there. She stood stunned before running up to Tigre with a tearful face. Though she clung to him, she avoided his wounds.

“Tigre-sama...”

Tigre gently stroked the head of the maid who looked up at him with large tears in her eyes. Tigre tapped the shoulders of his old friend, Batran, who had followed after Teita and was choking back tears. He thanked them for their care.

After drinking water and eating the porridge Teita heated, Tigre asked for a briefing of what had happened while he was out.

“... So we lost. The main unit is in Orange Plains while the injured are on this side of the river.”


“Yes. It would be terrible for the injured if the battle is lost.”

“Honestly. Still, it's a good thing Lord Massas arrived.”

Teita nodded cheerfully hearing Tigre's words. She seemed happy to report this, and Tigre let out an involuntary smile when thinking about it. They were safe, giving him a sense of relief.

Tigre tilted his head when he heard Sophie remained behind, however.

''--- True, Sophie would not likely abandon Ellen...''

However, he was unsure whether Ellen would accept her help. Sophie had come as a messenger, and Ellen would likely keep her from the battlefield.

“Ah, that's right. I have a letter addressed to Tigre-sama from Sophia-sama.”

Teita stood up as soon as she remembered and ran away at a brisk pace.

Batran watched her move away happily. He stood up and bowed to Tigre before leaving to check on the other soldiers.

Having heard the general situation, Tigre felt impatient.

''Ellen, Lim, Massas, and Augre, and now Sophie as well.''

''Certainly, I was seriously injured, but should I remain here?''


Teita returned with letter in hand. Tigre opened the seal with a knife.

The contents of the letter was spelled out in flowing brush strokes. The contents recorded astonished him.

''--- Her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} was negated...?''

It was written in her letter. When she faced the enemy Commander, Roland, the Black Sword, Durandal, had destroyed her barriers. The letter finished with saying she and Ellen would challenge him together.

Tigre was filled with horror. He was a natural enemy for the Vanadis.

His impatience grew. As he put power into his body, his mouth let out a sound as his wound sharply pained him. Teita looked at him with concern and supported Tigre as he endured.

“Tigre-sama...?”

“No... I'm fine.”

After answering her, he put the letter in his clothes. Supporting him, Teita took Tigre to have his bandages changed.

“Does your wound still hurt?”

“No. I've had plenty of rest; there is almost no pain.”

Actually, it still hurt quite a bit, but he did not want to scare his maid who was like a younger sister.


Teita began to remove the bandages from Tigre's body and carefully brought her hand to his body.

“I'll start now.”

With those words, he clenched his teeth and held his breath. The cloth was pulled aside; the scabs were peeled. Tigre bore with the pain as Teita gazed at the deep red fluid coming from his wound.

“... It does not look infected.”

After taking a breath in relief, the two looked at each other and smiled.

She wiped the blood away from the wound, and bandaged it with clean cloth soaked in medicine. She began re-rolling the cloth over his body.

“That is all.”

Teita spoke with a smile. Tigre gave his thanks.

“It's your turn now.”

After saying that, Tigre pulled the medicine case from her.

The maid with chestnut-brown hair looked at him doubtfully as she brought her hands forward.

Teita's fingers were swollen and red; the back of her hand was rough. It looked as if she had blood all over her fingers.

Teita looked down in embarrassment, her face dyed red.

“To think your fingers would become like this. You must have been caring for me for so long. I don't wish for you to be hurt.”


“That's... It is natural.”

Her voice seemed to disappear, though she managed to respond. Tigre pulled out an ointment from the case and rubbed it over the wounds on Teita's fingers.

“I was able to recover early because of you. Thanks, Teita.”

Tigre gave his thanks again and bowed his head. In this winter season, she had squeezed the water from the cloth and wiped his body. It was not even in the comfort of their house in Alsace but on the field after losing a battle.

When he finished with her right hand, he continued to apply ointment to her left. Once the medicine dried on her right hand, he rolled the bandages over it.

“Tigre-sama, though this house is small, it is still good.”

Teita smiled to resolve the tension; Tigre returned her smile as he finished applying the ointment and rolling the bandages. He was able to do this efficiently since his body remembered in his times of hunting.

Before long, the treatment had finished.

“It should be fine like this. You need to get some rest, now.”

“Thank you, Tigre-sama.”

Having endured as he rolled the bandages about her hand, she uttered her thanks in a small voice. Tigre stroked her head gently and quietly said good night.


“Tigre-sama, are you not going to rest?”

“I wish to maintain my bow.”

Tigre looked at the black bow to the side. He could see dry blood blotting it.

After he was cut by Roland, he had continued to shoot at the Knights following after them. His wounds had opened, and his blood had scattered. His blood had run down his arm and reached the bow.

''--- I managed to survive this time.''

He recalled the battle. A cold shiver ran down his backbone when he thought of Roland's blade pointing down at Ellen.

An ominous thought floated to his head. Tigre denied it in a panic. It could not be possible. Ellen was a Vanadis. Her dazzling smile would not be lost.

''--- However, to think Durandal has the power to deny her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}...''

Tigre stared at his jet black bow, deep in thought.

''--- If I could use this bow's power, could I fight Roland?''

If he could draw out the power of his bow, would he be able to help Ellen?

It happened before.


Tigre's hand gripped the bow. A strange feeling ran through his body.

''--- This again? No, it's different. That time, it was not trembling. Perhaps... is this a pulse?''

He felt a pulse in the bow. It was as if it had transmitted its pulse to his hand, as if their thoughts were in harmony. His body was cold; rather, it was like a rod of ice was pushed down his spine.

The bow told him with its pulse. Tigre looked at the black bow grasped in his hand with a serious expression.

''--- That's right. There is a will in this bow. It can also speak.''

It was not just a beat. It was difficult to understand; as if its intent had flowed into Tigre's consciousness in accordance to that pulse.

In Dinant, he could shoot the {{furigana|Wyvern|Vyfal}} as the bow had advised. In the Tatra Mountains, it lent him his strength to destroy the castle gate.

It was probably no accident this time as well.

''--- It's like it's trying to lead me somewhere.''

He did not know if the bow understood his thoughts, but he could feel it tremble in his hands. He felt he must go.

“... Tigre-sama?”

Teita spoke quietly, wondering why he was gripping his bow in excitement. Tigre did not respond. He stood up and put on a thick mantle.


“I'll be stepping out for a moment.”

“W, what are you saying!? You need to rest!”

Teita was confused. Tigre was wounded and was asleep until just a moment ago. In order to stabilize his body, he needed to rest more. He could find no reason to give her.

Even so, Tigre was serious and shook his head stubbornly.

“Sorry, Teita. But I need to go.”

He understood Teita's thoughts, and he did not wish to throw aside her good will, but he felt the need to follow the will of his weapon.

“I don't know when I'll be back. Make sure you warm your body and get some good rest.”

Teita heard Tigre speak unexpected words.

“I will come with you as well---”

“What are you saying now?”

“That is what I should say. Where are you going, Tigre-sama?”

Tigre did not answer. The bow had only given him a vague direction; it had not specified a location or a concrete distance.


He could not think of any words to persuade Teita, but he could not yield, either. Tigre simply shrugged his shoulders and surrendered.

“I got it. You can follow after me, but you will follow my instructions. If it's dangerous, you will run away. Understand?”

Tigre and Teita left the tent after greeting the guard, saying they would walk a little because he could not fall asleep.

''--- In a certain sense, I can avoid others with Teita here.''

After leaving the area, Tigre looked at Teita who walked next to him. She looked back at him in bewilderment.

“Ah, never mind. Let's go.”

Under the clear skies, Tigre gripped the bow in his left hand and walked with arrows in his right. Though they were still in a safe area, they may be attacked by wild animals.

In contrast to Tigre, who remained silent to feel the intent of the bow, Teita began to speak about what had been happening. He was surprised to hear she was on good terms with Ellen.


“Really, she does not hold back at all. It is useless telling her to do anything.”

“Well, that's just how Ellen is toward others.”

Her lack of reserve, her broad mindedness, and her generosity were her strong points. It was bad that she had trouble being business -like, but Tigre felt that part of her was lovable.

Furthermore, he heard Ellen came to visit him while he was resting. Tigre smiled, which made Teita look on in disappointment, but he persuaded her that he was simply glad to have visitors.

Teita also spoke of the Brune soldiers and Zhcted soldiers visiting him. This was unexpected and made Tigre glad.

''--- How far should I walk...?''

A half koku had already passed and they were on a vast stretch of grass. Tigre had continued on with a sense of unease, but he would worry Teita if he began to complain.

The wind blew, and the surroundings darkened suddenly.

''--- Clouds...?''

Tigre looked to the sky, then looked behind him.


“... Tigre-sama?”

Teita looked at him dubiously. Surprise then floated to her hazelnut eyes.

A deep, black, stone building rose up before the two. It was an old shrine, ruins from centuries past. It had blocked the sunlight.

Tigre and Teita stared at it blankly.

They had walked here in a prairie during the daytime. They should not have missed it, yet it appeared suddenly.

Teita firmly gripped Tigre's sleeves, her small hands trembling in fear. Tigre took her hand gently in his to ease her tension.

''--- The bow is showing me the way.''

The temple wall was dirty with soot, long cracks ran here and there. It had long since been abandoned.

“Wha, what kind of deity is worshiped in this shrine...”

Though Teita's voice trembled, Tigre noticed some interest in it. Since she trained as a shrine maiden, she knew it was a temple at a glance; she was looking about in curiosity.


Tigre also looked at the temple. The two found an entrance at the same time.

''--- Could there be people here?''

“... Do you intend to enter, Tigre-sama?”

Teita's voice was clearly trembling. It was such a mysterious temple after all. Tigre hesitated before turning around.

“I will go, Teita.”

Though there might be danger, it was best to leave her here for the moment, yet she was worried for Tigre. She drew close to Tigre, as if saying she could protect herself.

They entered the building into a dark passage which stretched onward. They moved step by step along the dimly illuminated hall. Various murals were reflected on the walls.

While encouraged by the light, the two walked down the passage in silence. There was only a single path.

When she looked up at the wall, Teita took a deep breath, having understood something from the paintings.

On the wall were carvings of a Goddess. Tigre was only familiar with the Goddess of Storms, Eris. That was the limit of his knowledge.


“This is...”

Teita spoke with a trembling voice.

“Tir na Fa.”

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

In both Brune and Zhcted, including Perkunas, the King of Gods, there was a Pantheon of ten Gods worshiped. If one went to the frontier, it would be possible to find natives who worshiped more deities.

For those who took an active role in religion, it was clear the altar that lay deeper inside was used to worship these ten Gods.

Amongst them was the Goddess Tir na Fa. As King Perkunas was the God of the sun and light, Tir na Fa was the Goddess of the night, darkness, and death.

She was the wife of Perkunas, his older sister, his younger sister, and his arch-nemesis in the cycle of life.

As the only deity hostile toward Perkunas, why was she included amongst the pantheon of Ten Gods? This discussion had been exchanged between shamans and priests hundreds, thousands of times.


However, by their very natures, she was one of the few Goddesses.

''--- So this is a temple for Tir na Fa...''

He could not hide his surprise as he looked at the black bow in his left hand.

He had heard a voice during that battle; perhaps it was the Goddess' voice which gave him power rivaling Ellen's {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.

The black bow, a symbol of the night and darkness.

''--- But I've never heard a story of Tir na Fa from Father.''

When he succeeded his father's position, he looked through the records of his grandfather and great grandfather, yet he had not heard anything about the Goddess.

Tigre looked up at the Goddess carved into the wall. There were many designs, such as wings.

He touched Teita's shoulder to settle her fright. Tigre put his arrow away and held his bow in both hands, as if dedicating it to the Goddess.

In that moment, the area became dim. Tigre looked back toward Teita and took a deep breath.

Teita, who walked gingerly and had timid expressions looked at Tigre with an ecstatic smile; her eyes were unfocused.


“Teita...?”

[--- It is useless, even if you call out to her.]

While Teita's mouth was moving, the voice did not come from her. The voice was heard directly in Tigre's mind.

Tigre shook his head and looked intently at Teita. There was no one else around.

''--- I remember this feeling. It's the same as when I shot down the {{furigana|Wyvern|Vyfal}}...''

It was different from the noise of the battlefield at the time; the words sounded directly in his head, but there was something much more important than that at the moment.

“... I do not know who you are, but leave Teita's body.”

[It is difficult to speak otherwise. I shall... remain here.]

Though he could not read it entirely, he felt a somewhat friendly tone in the [Voice]. After glaring at Teita, Tigre released the tension in his body and sighed deeply. He did not know what to do.

“Teita... is safe?”

[Yes. I am using her to speak now, but she will not remember.]


There was neither hostility nor malice from her voice. He would believe her for the time being.

“Are you Tir na Fa?”

He glanced at the Goddess carved in the wall. Tigre asked carefully thinking it could be otherwise. He did not feel a majestic dignity that he would expect from a God.

The [Voice] seemed to have laughed, like she was having fun. It was a kind voice.

[I wonder. I did lead you here, after all.]

Tigre frowned. He was led by his bow because it desired something... But there was much he did not know.

If he assumed this voice was Tir na Fa, then why did it lend its power to him? Why did this bow resonate with the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Vifalt}}? Who amongst his ancestors wielded this weapon?

Many doubts floated to his head. Tigre was almost confused, but he knew his thoughts were straying. The voice laughed, as if amused.

[You're interesting, just like that child.]

“That child?”

[The child to whom I gave this bow.]

Though a hunter, Tigre's ancestor had distinguished military services and received the title of Earl. She said he was similar to that person; it gave Tigre a strange feeling.


[Do you desire power?]

It was asked abruptly. It was a voice unlike any other. A sweet sound crowded Tigre's ear, giving him a stimulation as if his clothes were melting.

[You wanted power, so you came here. Am I right?]

His heart jumped. He grasped his chest with his fingers, his breathing was painful, his articulation poor.

''--- That's right... I wanted it and the bow reacted.''

To fight Roland. To help Ellen.

“... If I asked for power, would you grant me that knowledge?”

Tigre asked carefully, but the response exceeded his expectations.

[You want it.]

She spoke both into his mind and with Teita's voice whose body was now wrapped in a blue light.

[Shoot this child.]

“... What was that?”

[Do not move away. Draw your bow and shoot this child.]

It was not a question.


[Show it to me. Your desire, your resolution, your capability. Master the bow, accept it. Once you have done that, I will grant you the power you desire.]

It spoke lightly, as if singing. If he began shouting, his wound would hurt. Tigre spoke other words first.

“... If I were to shoot, what of Teita? Can you return her to me?”

[I wonder.]

The voice was clearly enjoying the situation. He clenched his teeth. Sweat ran down his face. His eyes hurt. If it would come to this, he should have left.

She was telling him to move the hands he would use to protect.

Teita stood unchanged, her expression remained vacant.

''--- … Calm down. Think. What can I do?''

[What will you do? You wanted power, correct? So you could protect what was important to you.]

His mind was read. After he entered the temple, he had not spoken his reason for desiring power.

Tigre suppressed his irritation as he thought. Teita had been taken hostage; he could not run away.

''--- A while ago, she said to master the bow, to show my desire, resolution, and capability.''


Could he sacrifice something important to him for power? Tigre questioned himself.

Suddenly, Tigre remembered his conversation with the voice a while ago.

“... For a while now, you've been pretty talkative.”

[Is there something wrong with that?]

“That time before, why did you not say anything?”

In his fight with Ludmira, he had destroyed the castle gate.

The [Voice] had not answered him. Tigre found some confidence with this knowledge.

The [Voice] was not from his bow.

''--- Very well. I will show you.''

Tigre nocked his bow.

[Will you do it?]

He drew his bowstring to its limit in response. The wounds of his body screamed in pain, but he endured and ignored it. He prayed to the bow like he did in the snow covered mountain.

In that moment, a cold sensation ran through his hand gripping the bow; his body was attacked by a languid feeling, as if his life, his arms, his legs, as if all were withering.

Tigre firmly stepped on the floor; he did not relax his grip on the bowstring. He continued to send his will to his black bow.


The arrow in his right hand was tinged with a black light.

''--- More. I want more.''

His body was coated in sweat, his eyesight was blurry, and his aim was shaky. Still, Tigre continued to call to his bow, ''Give me more power.''

In accordance to his wish, the jet black light engulfed his arrow, pressing upon him to shoot. His arm trembled, ''Not yet. It's still not enough.''

[Hmm.]

The [Voice] was apparently aware of Tigre's intent.

[Can you do this? If your adjustment is even a little off, this girl will be blown to pieces. Not even a fragment of her bones will remain.]

''You're noisy. Stay quiet.''

[And what of your body?]

''I know. My injury hurts. I know my body is covered in both sweat and blood now.''

''--- Teita. I will shoot you.''

''But I will not let you die. I won't let something this strange take you away.''

To defend, to save. While aware of the contradiction, he shot.


Letting out a yell, he released his right hand.

A torrent of power was released toward the girl. Tigre opened his eyes widely to look at the arrow he himself had shot.

It was a force equivalent to the life he poured into it. It was an arrow clad in it.

The arrow entered Teita's chest. It stuck there. The sound of air exploded as a gale raged through the narrow hall. The black light, the [Power] blew Teita's clothes to pieces.

Tigre's heart stopped after seeing this.

However, the black light did not injure her and disappeared. Tigre was completely worn out and sat down, his physical strength now drained. Even in battle, he had never felt this tired. He wanted to fall to the floor and sleep.

[You're immature – but your desire for everything, your feelings, barely pass.]

Tigre put enough energy into his shot but was unable to bear it. He had used his life as compensation. However, the shot did not reach Teita.

Until the moment it reached her, he maintained its shape.

''--- I don't think I could do that again...''

He had managed to measure the flow of [Power] going from his body to the bow and arrow. He could think of no other way. It was a reckless bet for Teita's life.


Teita had not changed. She was clad in a blue light. As if she had lost all strength, her body fell like a puppet with its strings cut. Though Tigre could not stand up, his body moved automatically.

Immediately before Teita hit the floor, he caught her in his arms. The pale light engulfing her disappeared.

Tigre was finally conscious that Teita was now topless. Though he intended to place his mantle on her, he was at the limit of his strength.

''--- Thank goodness, really...''

Teita's weight and warmth were normal. When he let his tension go, he heard the voice again.

[Now, about this power---]

Compared to before, the voice had a cold tranquility.

[Take care. If you make a mistake, things worse than this may happen.]

The moment the voice finished speaking, an image floated in Tigre's mind.

It was scenery he had never seen before, in a large city that even the King's Capital Nice could not approach. One man shot an arrow from far away. He used a black bow.


The next moment, it was wrapped in a white light, blown away without a trace.

''--- What...?''

For a while, he did not understand what had happened because the scene unfolded too quickly. The face of the man, his clothes, he did not catch anything.

[It happened long ago. You, too, may be able to do something, should you be so inclined. The archer lost his life the moment he shot the arrow.]

“... What the hell is this bow?”

No answer was returned, only a joyful laughter.

[Investigate it if you wish to know. Though many things were lost to time, there are still many clues left in this world.]

It seems it was not willing to tell him. Though Tigre started voicing his questions, before he could speak, the surroundings collapsed. No, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say it disappeared. The walls of stone turned to sand and dust and disappeared in the air.

[You should choose a more appropriate time and place. Yes, for example, deep in the darkness of night atop a mountain of corpses. I look forward to the day you make this bow yours.]

Tigre held Teita tightly to defend her. He understood the voice had disappeared.


Suddenly, a feeble ray of sunlight poured down on them.

Tigre held his bow in one hand and tightly embraced Teita in the other. He sat down in the center of the desolate prairie.

He looked around at his surroundings. The temple was nowhere to be found. The temple of darkness, its shadow and shape, disappeared before he could even count to ten.

“... What was that?”

It was a situation far beyond his imagination. Tigre collapsed, feeling as though he had seen a dream.

''--- Was that really the Goddess?''

He had imagined a God would have a solemn atmosphere, and he had not felt what he perceived as divinity. A God's voice is gracious; would he not be forced to prostrate in that occasion?

It was like a ghost or a fairy, just out of a childrens story.

“But...”

Tigre looked to the sky while thinking. His attention was focused nowhere.

It said to [Make the bow his].

If he took those words at face value, he had yet to master his weapon.


Nothing ran to him from his black bow. Speaking frankly, it had become silent.

“Looking forward to it, is it...”

He paraphrased the Goddess' words. He could look at it objectively, but he could not understand it with his emotions.

“I guess I just need to do it.”

He was confident he would find more about his bow. Though it was strange, he had grasped an important clue.

''--- Really... Who was the ancestor that used this?''

He wondered what kind of blood flowed through him. He was told he was similar to his ancestor. He was anxious.

Suddenly, Teita stirred. She woke up and had a panicked expression. Tigre gently called her name.

“Tigre-sama? Um... Eh?”

She had a sense of incompatibility above her waist. Although Tigre had placed his mantle on her, he decided to apologize and explain what had happened. He bowed with his head to the ground.


[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 265.jpg|175px|thumb]]

“I'm sorry.”

“... Tigre-sama?”

“Though it's difficult to explain... I shot an arrow at you.”

Teita looked down and noticed her chest was covered by Tigre's mantle. The skin below her chest was exposed.

“You can hit me if you're angry. Though I did my best, it still came to that.”

“Please look up.”

She spoke calmly. Tigre sat up. Teita was not angry; she somehow understood the situation and faced him with a smile with her eyes shut.

“I am remembering it, little by little... We saw the Goddess Tir na Fa carved into the walls of the temple. When I looked at it, something strange ran through my body... My memories stop here, but---”

She opened her eyes and smiled brightly.

“Tigre-sama, do not apologize. You did your best, so you do not need to apologize. No, please, allow me to thank you.”

''Thank you.''


Rather than speaking those words, she conveyed her thoughts by hugging Tigre and stroking his head gently.

She eventually released her grip and the two naturally separated.

Tigre grasped his black bow and stood up.

“I have a place I need to go to. Please help me, Teita.”

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

While there was still distance from the Silver Meteor Army, the Navarre Knights divided into three. The first group consisted of two thousand troops. The remaining had approximately fifteen hundred each.

The first force marched toward the Silver Meteor Army to the south. The second and third made a large detour.

Olivier stood at the head of the first force with a long spear held high. Even against the presence of Roland, he was a distinct person who could lead several thousand Knights with style and dignity.

“Crescent Moon!”

He raised a battle cry. The Knights raised their weapons aloft and ran forward in a horseshoe formation, the earth trembled from their charge.


The Knights of Brune developed [Crescent Moon] several decades ago.

First, the force would divide into three. The first unit would face the enemy while the remaining two would move about the battlefield.

The first force charged forward without arcing to the left or right.

The second force would charge in from the side without pause to prevent any enemies from escaping; however, the enemy still had one side exposed.

Being attacked from two fronts, the enemy would show its back. They would begin their final attack there.

The third force had made a large detour and met them from behind.

The bewildered enemy would change tactics being attacked from behind.

Sandwiched from both sides, the first unit would apply more pressure to the enemy. Being attacked from three fronts, they would collapse. This was [Crescent Moon].

When their cooperation was successful, each unit supported the other and acted as a diversion. Its destructive force was surprising.


Every Knight of Brune had won many battles using this formation.

In the case of the Navarre Knights, the strong presence known as Roland merely added to their victories.

On the other side, the Silver Meteor Army had forty-three hundred troops. Three thousand were in the center with five hundred on each side. Three hundred remained in the rear as reserve. It was a typical lineup. The Brune soldiers were placed in center, encased by soldiers of Zhcted.

Ellen and Sophie stood in preparation for their clash with Roland.

Lim held the command of the troops, with Massas as her Vice-Commander. Viscount Augre remained off the battlefield, tending to the injured and non-combatants.

Lim led all the troops. Everyone thought it was out of consideration of Brune that she had Massas as her adjutant. That is, save for the people concerned.

“Lord Massas. The enemy is advancing.”

Massas nodded and stroked his beard, despite his frown.

“So they're not going after Tigre and the others.”


Ellen had released information that Tigre was injured to direct Roland's attention to herself.

“Their weapons, their lineup. As expected, it's [Crescent Moon]...”

A horn sounded, a bell was struck.

The Navarre Knights ran forward with their spears at the ready toward the Silver Meteor Army; however, the Knights were fewer than expected.

The vanguard of the Silver Meteor Army held large shields and spear in hand in preparation for the powerful offense. They were made of thick wood strengthened by an iron plate. Though heavy, it was sturdy and would endure the Knights' charge.

However, the clash did not occur. The Navarre Knights approached Tigre's army without changing direction. The units to the flank held their spears out horizontally.

They were not heavy javelins like those held by the Navarre Knights. Rather than throwing them, the soldiers held them straight out, forming a fence of spears. Still, the Navarre Knights did not halt and charged straight.

''Do not let the enemy take your sides or your back, and do not pursue those that run to the side.'' Lim had given them strict orders.

Her instructions were proven useful very quickly. If they had chased after the enemy, the main force would easily have their defenses pierced, and they would be crushed as they fell to disorder.


The main enemy unit took its stance. They threw their javelins toward Tigre's army while turning to the right.

“--- Retreat.”

Looking at the enemy from behind, Lim gave the order to the entire army.

The enemy had shown its back and would take time to change directions. Though it was a golden opportunity, they chose to retreat.

Though there was dissatisfaction and doubt, their trust was superior. The Zhcted soldiers simply observed orders and retreated in an orderly manner. Lim and Massas had gone over many previous battles which utilized [Crescent Moon].

“Next is the second force...”

They changed how they would attack seeing their enemy retreat following the [Crescent Moon] formation.

The third force would attack from the right, and the first unit would charge in from the front according to the formation. The second group would crowd in around the left; all three units would surround them.

The Silver Meteor Army backed away, as if it did not have the will to fight until, finally, they had their back to the river.


Olivier, who commanded the Navarre Knights, noticed the unnatural movements of his enemy.

“They can no longer move backward. Could they have a counter-measure against [Crescent Moon]...?”

However, after a quick thought, Olivier decided to continue the formation.

''--- Earl Vorn is injured, that must be a fact. The enemy couldn't have recovered from yesterday's defeat, and their will to fight is still low.''

Furthermore, the ground was stable from the movements of the first two forces. Even if they had some plan, he could simply overturn it by having the Knights charge.

Above all, [Crescent Moon] had never been broken.

Olivier ordered an attack.

Massas and Lim received a report regarding the Navarre Knights in a calm manner.

“About fifteen hundred... The river is to our back, and the Black Knight is their leader.”

The tension and fear strongly showed in the messenger's face and the face of all who heard the report. Everyone was imprinted with a fear of Roland from yesterday's battle.


“--- He came.”

However, the person who blew their fears away with a single phrase, the silver-white haired Vanadis with a longsword, appeared calm. The surrounding soldiers regained their normal tension.

“Lord Eleanora. Lord Sophia.”

Massas saluted Ellen and Sophie as dictated by propriety.

“Though I feel terrible for doing this, I will entrust that task to you.”

“Leave it to us.”

The difficult task of defeating Roland – Ellen took it with a light tone in her voice. Sophie also nodded and smiled gently in a manner unbecoming of war.

Soon, another report of the enemy was delivered.

“... So it's time. They're provoking us by keeping with [Crescent Moon].”

Massas muttered to himself bitterly.

The surface of the river reflected the winter sun. The Navarre Knights approached the Silver Meteor Army. The sky was covered in a rain of arrows and javelins from the Zhcted Army. The atmosphere was torn, soldiers and Knights fell to arrow and spear. Despite the damage, neither side crumbled.

Then, from the right, the Knights of Navarre attacked the Silver Meteor Army.


The third force attacked from the right. Roland wielding Durandal took the lead and tore through the Zhcted soldiers, mowing them down as he rushed forward. The Zhcted soldiers could offer no resistance and were knocked down like dolls into the mud.

The Navarre Knights broke through the right wing of the Silver Meteor Army.

However, their movements dulled as they approached the central force. The same happened to the troops at the front.

The horses neighed, and their movements stopped.

The Knights finally noticed. The mud beneath their feet was substantial.

Hundreds of arrows from the right and left headed toward the Knights. Humans and horses collapsed, one after another, thrown to the mud. Though they blocked with their shields, they could not advance or retreat unless they dismounted.

“What is the meaning of this? I heard nothing of this from the scouts.”

Olivier bit his lip. It was not that his scouts brought back insufficient information. They had confirmed the ground's stability with their prior movements.

So why was it muddy only in this area?

“... It's going to plan so far.”

Within the Silver Meteor Army, Ellen muttered to herself.


What they did was not too difficult. Viscount Augre had dammed up the river with sandbags during their fight with Marquis Greast. With the sand bags in hand, it was easy enough to think of the plan.

The water would not overflow in winter under normal circumstances.

But with the rain from yesterday, the water levels were higher, changing the surrounding earth to mud in a very short time. It was unreasonable for the Navarre Knights to discover this information since the land was flooded just prior to battle.

In contrast to yesterday, the Zhcted soldiers attacked the Navarre Knights in a one-sided manner. The blood mixed with the muddy water. Human and horse corpses sunk to the ground and piled up.

The Knights desperately defended or took measures to escape from the mud as the Zhcted Army charged with their spears forward. The soldiers took revenge for their defeat and attacked to their heart's content.

The Knights of Navarre were pushed back, cut down, and seemed to fall in defeat, but there was one corner of the Zhcted Army which was being pressured.

Roland had thrown his horse aside and ran through the mud, cutting through soldiers along the way.

That space was a reproduction of yesterday's atrocity.

Whenever the Black Knight swung his sword, screams and blood flew, and the lives of one or two soldiers were lost. For every step they took forward, they were forced to take two back. He crushed their armor and reaped their lives mercilessly.


On a path made of blood and dirt, Roland rushed forward with an unexpected speed as he wielded his sword. He reaped the lives of horse and human, as if he were brandishing a large scythe.

Countless corpses littered the grass, blood and mud mixed and flowed like sewage. The one to stop Roland's rush was the same as yesterday.

With sword in hand and her silver-white hair fluttering in the wind, she struck out at the sacred blade in Roland's hand.

“We meet again.”

A fearless smile was on Ellen's mouth as she stood before him. Sophie soon appeared behind her.

“So it's you... Where is Earl Vorn?”

“He's a bit busy. The {{furigana|[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash]|Silvfrau}} will be your opponent.”

With a movement of Sophie's hand, Ellen rushed forward. The sunlight reflected her sword as she collided with the sacred blade. Roland let out a strong desire to kill, but Ellen simply returned it without showing any signs of pressure.

Blue sparks were thrown about, the wind swirled, and mud splashed about.

Roland took a deep breath from her combination attack, a light appearing in his two eyes.

''--- She's stronger than yesterday...!''


Her determination and resolution was transmitted through their swords, and her ability had clearly increased along with her spirit. Roland could not foresee an easy fight.

Just from the wind stroking his skin, he knew he would meet his death if he let up even slightly.

They collided as they fought. Even in the confusion of the battle, a small circle surrounded them.

The subordinates separated from the mortal battle in fear.

There were some brave Knights from Navarre who entered the space, but they were immediately knocked away by Sophie. The Zhcted soldiers who approached were also repelled.

While Ellen and Roland clashed, the vortex of battle grew, little by little.

Roland separated himself from the battlefield, knowing full well he should not turn his back to the Vanadis, so he entrusted the war front to Olivier.

Leaving the world where iron, blood, and dirt reigned, the Black Knight and the Vanadis sped along a prairie to an area two belsta (approximately two kilometers) from the battlefield. Sophie followed shortly after Ellen on horseback.


“Black Knight. I would be pleased if you would allow me to be your opponent as well.”

Ellen quickly glanced at her to ask if it was fine. The Vanadis of the Light Flower softly returned a nod.

Ellen chose to fight in this location alone for two reasons.

The first was to show her determination to Roland.

The second was out of consideration for Sophie's physical strength. Though Sophie had strength, her endurance lacked in comparison to Ellen or Ludmira. It was clear since she was not fighting Roland from the start.

“--- Come.”

Roland's answer was short. The three shadows shortened their distance.

The longsword and bishop staff drew a large arc. Even with the two of them, even when Ellen and Sophie fought together, they were only evenly matched against Roland. They received attacks, dodged them, and attacked in return.

Ellen and the others could not possibly imitate Roland's actions. If she took the attacks head on, her arms would be broken.

However, Roland did not have luxury when fighting the two warriors at the same time. He could not blink in the slightest, nor could he allow disturbances in his breathing.


In a frightful exchange, Roland's large sword caught Ellen's horse. She lost her horse once again.

However, the following action was different from yesterday.

''--- Black Knight. I will show you why I am a Vanadis.''

“--- {{furigana|Shadow Wind|Verni}}.”

As she moved her legs from the horse, Ellen kicked off the saddle as if dancing in the air. Her silver-white hair fluttered in the wind as she cut down at Roland from above. Roland turned his entire body to meet her blade.

However, Ellen was not thrown to the ground. Her posture straightened in the air. At the speed of a bird gliding in to attack its prey, she cut down at Roland with motions impossible for a human.

“Yet another petty trick!”

The atmosphere visibly swirled. The sound of steel, tones of high and low, mixed into the air. Ellen used the wind to jump about and attacked Roland from his blind spot.

Gusts of wind stirred the ground with every blow. While Ellen attacked as she danced about in the air, Roland was forced into a defensive battle. Though Ellen cut Roland's horse down, the Black Knight landed without a single opening.

Ellen's vigorous attack continued. Her speed was good, and it was impossible to read her movements which were like the wind. If he were a normal man, he would have died long ago.


However, Roland had caught sight of Ellen's movements. He followed her in the air with his eyes by reading the flow of air against his skin. He used his reflexes to wield his blade.

He let loose a roar. As if cutting through a storm, his blade met Arifal. Ellen was blown away.

Though Ellen took her stance to meet Roland's attack, Sophie made her move there, the sound of her bishop staff echoing through the air.

Ellen had used {{furigana|[Shadow Wind]|Verni}} in battle. Sophie watched the two fight as she quietly waited for a chance.

“{{furigana|Lustrous Flow, Rush Before Me|Muteirasv}}.”

Particles of light were emitted toward Roland from her bishop staff. It did not emit heat, nor did it cause pain, but it was enough to create an opening.

Ellen brandished her sword high in the air. Arifal responded to her call. It tinged with a pale blue light; a blood-colored wind wrapped about the blade, shaking the very air.

''--- This man is a human, but he has a power and technique beyond human. Even so, he is not a Vanadis.''

He was not a normal human; his strength and skill were abnormal. Roland's weapon had the ability to negate her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}, so it was fine.


She was still conflicted, but seeing Tigre's face as he slept, and with Sophie supporting her, Ellen's resolution was hardened.

''--- Sasha, you might be angry. Even before such an enemy who could overwhelm you like this man could, you would fight and die bravely.''

However, Ellen was determined. She would use this power for her desire. Her feelings were not lacking in this attack at all.

''--- I will destroy that sword!''

“{{furigana|Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}!”

She swung her longsword downward. A condensed storm raged from the tip of her blade, unleashing a roar similar to a beast's. The invisible fangs of wind pierced the ground, scattering earth and sand. She used her Dragonic Skill against Roland – to be precise, she was forced to. She had no room for error.

Roland raised his eyebrow slightly, though no sign of agitation was present. He attacked the wind with Durandal, staring at it with the eyes of a beast.

Letting loose a cry, he cut it down.

The atmosphere shook with the sound of an explosion. The wind mercilessly blew the earth away as Durandal pushed the supernatural wind away. Roland was forced to retreat, his jet-black armor rattling as it took the force of the violent shock wave.


Once the wind calmed down, Roland stood proudly. His black hair was disordered, and his hands and feet were numb. Even so, he stood gazing at Ellen who had finally landed.

“What a frightening power. No... more than that, it was stunning.”

He gripped the sacred sword in hand once again and took his stance.

“But – you cannot defeat me.”

Though the two Vanadis glared at Roland, they could no longer hide their {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}.

The three suddenly heard the sound of the wind being torn as something flew to them.

It was an arrow. Roland casually hit it down and looked in admiration toward the one who fired it.

“--- To think he could fire from that distance.”

One shadow approached them.

He had dull red hair and wore hempen clothes, a black bow and quiver lay at his waist.

It was Tigrevurmud Vorn.

“... Tigre.”

Ellen stared in blank surprise as the young man approached. She was happy because he was alive rather than because he had come to help. He had woken up and somehow made it to their side; however, words of abuse came gushing forth.


“Why did you come here, idiot!”

“I'm not an idiot, Ellen.”

Though Sophie also scolded him, she looked at Tigre with a sense of relief drifting through the anger.

“--- Vanadis.”

Roland spoke with a heavy voice.

“Allow us some time. I have business with the Earl.”

After they had returned, Teita brought a horse for Tigre and made preparations for him to go to battle.

Of course, she begged Tigre desperately, but she knew it was useless.

In the end, Teita gave way.

His wound had little time to heal, and it would barely stay clothed, even if he wore heavier clothes, more bandages, and his leather armor.


“Tigre-sama. Please return safely.”

“Yeah. I'm off.”

After reading the letter from Sophie, he learned how she and Ellen would fight against Roland. After that, Tigre single-mindedly aimed for the battlefield.

Though both enemy and ally were surprised to see a lone horseman with a bow, Lim understood immediately that it was Tigre that approached.

While apologizing to Lim and Massas, Tigre heard where Ellen and Sophie had run off to and rushed there on horseback.

If this were not a battlefield, the two would likely scold him for a long time. Massas had thought to tie up Tigre until the battle ended, but with the appeal of the young, red-haired man who was his close friend's son and words from Lim, he reluctantly let him go.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

When he attacked the Black Knight with his bow, the battle between the Navarre Knights and the Silver Meteor Army approached its conclusion.


Both the first and third units from the Knights were almost driven to annihilation. The second unit rushed to their rescue, but, due to the mud, their mobility could not be utilized.

Their Commander, Olivier, had ordered them to fall back, but he could not move. The corpses of horses lay on the ground. His men protected themselves from the rain of arrows with shields. They slowly struggled as they crawled through the mud. Somehow, they managed to break away.

However, even if they escaped from the enemy, the five thousand Knights had been reduced to three thousand. It was a crushing defeat.

In the headquarters of the Silver Meteor Army, Lim gave a short compliment to Massas.

“Well done. By the way... How did you learn of their formation?”

“I am 55 this year.”

Massas answered Lim's question in that manner.

“If you have lived for that long, many things that you see and hear stay in your head. That is all it was. If anything, you are far more amazing, Limlisha.”

Lim tilted her head slightly within her helmet after hearing the sudden praise.

“You made a plan for victory. You arranged a large army and have a sense of how to move them properly. At the young age of 19, you were able to use them effectively. When I was 19, I was still a boy absorbed in thinking of the future with his father.”


“Divination, was it?”

“So you heard from Tigre. That boy...”

“Though unexpected, you do not seem ashamed of your hobby.”

Massas made a grumpy face and violently pulled on his beard. Lim nodded. The conversation in the room was afforded to the Silver Meteor Army.

“... That Tigre. He better return safely. I have a thing or two to say about his selfishness. I won't stop until he swears not to do it again.”

“Very well. Please allow me to help by all means. He has been unreasonable every day since I have met him.”

The two had only a single wish, that Tigre would return safely.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Tigre got off his horse and stood in the grass distant from the battlefield and faced Roland. Though Ellen, alongside Sophie, stood behind Tigre, she was quietly abusing him in her mind.

“Honestly, what a foolish man... The General is supposed to stay in the back.”


“My, my. Ellen, you seem quite happy.”

She read Ellen's thoughts and spoke in her gentle voice as usual.

“After all, what could you say before his dignified back? I am quite curious as to what Lim would say at this moment.”

Ellen averted her eyes from Sophie and looked at Tigre from behind. From what she saw before, Tigre's complexion was poor, and sweat blotted his face. He should not have been wearing leather, either. It was easy to tell the condition of his body.

Even so, Tigre resolutely confronted the Black Knight.

“Earl Vorn!”

Roland shouted.

“You brought the Zhcted Army into our country to defend your territory. Is this true?”

“That's right.”

Tigre answered and continued looking at Roland.

“No matter what information you find, you will see no signs that the Zhcted Army has pillaged or looted the land of others. I hired them purely to defend the peace of Alsace.”


“I know, but one day, they will become an invader! They will one day bring war. They will attack the towns and villages. What will you do then?”

Tigre again responded without hesitation.

“To defend the citizens of Brune, I would fight any and all invaders.”

Roland looked at his eyes. Even if he was lying, he had done so before two Vanadis of Zhcted. His words came from neither his desire to protect his people nor his faith in his comrades from Zhcted. The source behind his conviction was unknown.

“If you doubt Tigre's words, why not come with us?”

Ellen smiled and laughed with a haughty attitude.

“Our purpose is Duke Thenardier. We will punish him for his sins. In return, you can have his lands to the northeast. How about it?”

Roland did not show it on his face, but he was smiling. If he could, he would laugh.

“I cannot accept your invitation. Such things will not move us; that is common knowledge to a Knight. We wield our sword for the peace of our country's people. Duke Thenardier does not have the authority to move the Knights of Navarre for his petty revenge. However... we cannot overlook a traitor, either.”


As he said that, he quietly grasped Durandal.

“Before we fight, there is one thing I wish to show you.”

Tigre grasped his black bow and nocked an arrow. An intense pressure attacked his body. His muscles screamed, his wound pained him intensely, his blood seeped through his clothing. At the same time, a black light was emitted from the arrow. It was an unnatural power which disturbed even the atmosphere.

Sophie opened her eyes wide in surprise. Though Ellen was surprised as well, it was different from Sophie's.

He shot his arrow at the ground a few steps to the right of Roland. The earth was tremulous, a cloud of dust was blown away by the wind, an irregular distortion tore through the ground.

Without a doubt, the arrow displayed the same destructive atmosphere as when she had previously called out {{furigana|[Cleave the Wind]|Ley Admos}}.

“Even you can use such magic.”

Roland expressed his thoughts. While enduring his pain, Tigre stared at the Black Knight.

“Will you not retreat?”

“Is that a threat?”


“Yes.”

“... I understand.”

Roland affixed his left hand to the blade held in his right. He held Durandal high above. At that time, Ellen noticed, whether it was yesterday or today, Roland had never held it with both hands. Even when he blocked her {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}, he had used one hand alone.

“I will also respond in full force.”

Tigre took a deep breath. When he saw Ellen and Sophie's face, he could see their fatigue. Even the two Vanadis were not a match for Brune's strongest Knight.

If they could not defeat him here, both Tigre and the two Vanadis would die.

Tigre nocked yet another arrow, but he bent over from the pain in his body. A lukewarm mass flowed through his throat. A red liquid leaked from his clenched teeth before he fell to the ground kneeling.

His vision shook, his consciousness wavered. His whole body appealed for rest to avoid the crisis of it failing.

He was wounded and tired. It was unreasonable for him to fight.

''--- Even so.''

He could not afford to retire here. Roland did not relax his stance. He had to defeat him to move forward and protect his people.


Tigre nocked his arrow again. Suddenly, he felt something against his neck. He turned back to see Ellen and Sophie standing there.

Ellen looked at Tigre angrily. Though her expression was more complex than that, there was clearly anger. Sophie as well looked at him sternly with reproach.

“I've told you many times already. You're mine. Don't go dying without my permission.”

Ellen and Sophie supported Tigre, their hands against his back.

“Please. I feel bad for Ellen. Won't you listen to her?”

In such a state, the two Vanadis readied their weapons, showing their will to fight, as if to show their desire to defend Tigre.

Tigre hesitated for a moment before looking at Roland.

The Black Knight nodded slightly. Still, it was powerful.

Tigre readied his heart and aimed his arrow toward Roland, drawing the bowstring to its limit.

Ellen's Silver Flash and Sophie's Light Flower tinged with a pale light.

Innumerable particles of light spilled from Light Flower, an eddy of wind flowed and gathered at Tigre's arrowhead which shined gold.

[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 003.jpg|thumb]]


The atmosphere raged in response to the massive power; a storm blew the area surrounding the four.

Tigre planted his feet firmly. A light blue wind and particles of light spiraled about his arrow; the ripples quietly expanded.

The shock wave of the power flowing from the bow and arrow shook the ground. The atmosphere distorted around them, forcing Ellen and Sophie to bend backward.

“... I can think of nothing to say.”

Amazement dyed Sophie's beryl eyes as she spoke. Ellen smiled proudly as she pressed her silver-white hair down with her hand.

“He's good, right? But I won't give him to you.”

Roland, at the other end of the arrow, felt an extraordinary force. Compared to the {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} Ellen and Sophie used – Roland recognized it as some form of witchcraft – the arrow before him was far more powerful; he let out an involuntary groan.

''--- No. In the first place, this is fundamentally different from the attack made by the Vanadis.''

Roland's intuition felt there was a difference between this attack and the Dragonic Skill, but he knew nothing more than that. He was a Knight, he did not understand such things.

Roland stopped thinking. The bowstring was already bent, and his sword was at the ready. He ground his foot into the ground and took a deep breath.


“--- Come!”

The arrow was ready; a storm blew against his body. Roland heard a loud voice through the roars of the wind.

“I will defeat you! I will defend my people!”

The arrow was shot and met. The shock caused a numbness in Tigre's right hand, the fierce winds thrashed his entire body, yet he did not break his stance for a moment.

A trail of dazzling blue and gold light followed the arrow as it traveled forward. Even with the violent movement of the sand and the earth beneath it, Roland did not remove his eyes from the arrow.

He accurately captured its path and moved his blade.

They clashed.

There was a sound, as if a mountain was blown away; the earth intensely shook. He had impressively met the arrowhead with Durandal; however, the arrow was not cut, rather, it remained in the air, as if trying to pierce through his sword.

It was a strange spectacle. One arrow rivaled Brune's strongest Knight, even when he grasped his blade with two hands. Eventually, the light of the arrow began to fade.

Roland clenched his teeth and devoted the remaining muscles in his body to the task of destroying the arrow. Although his eyes and ears were entirely fixed on the clash, he had felt it with his entire body through the sacred sword. There was no disorder in either the arrow or blade.


''--- I... I am the Knight named Roland, I will complete my task as sworn by the blade bestowed upon me by His Majesty!''

While those thoughts ran through his mind, Roland recalled the words Tigre shouted a moment ago.

''I will defend my people.''

Who else would run through the battlefield, shedding his blood and risking his life, to defend his people?

Tigrevurmud Vorn was a traitor. But who made him rebel?

''--- This blade... I received this sword from His Majesty to defend our people...!''

“Ooh!”

Roland let out a roar, letting out all that had accumulated within him.

He crushed the arrow and pierced the ground with the sacred sword.

There was a flash of light. The ground shook. Roland's sword stood erect. Cracks appeared, gouging through the earth at a tremendous speed, reaching Tigre's feet. The shock shook Tigre's hair.

The reverberations beneath the two and the Vanadis gradually diminished. The Vanadis gazed at the two.

The arrow was shattered; Roland was still alive.


“... This is my defeat.”

Roland spoke those words before Tigre. As for Tigre, he could not understand.

During the clash, numerous cracks appeared in Roland's black armor. His gauntlet and leg guards shattered and his hair was in disorder. Roland's entire body was covered in sweat. He tightly grasped the sacred sword in both hands as it stood planted in the ground.

When his eyes met Tigre's, Roland spoke hoarsely.

“I can't move my arms. Though, it does not seem as if they are broken.”

It was a first for him. Roland looked puzzled.

It was not a lie that his arms were unable to move. His fingers were stiff and would not separate from the sword. If Roland still had the will to fight, he would have dragged his sword and cut Tigre down.

“Above all, I cannot defeat you at the moment.”

It was Roland himself who felt he had lost the most.

Roland's body had met the demand of its owner. It had summoned a force far beyond its limit, and was exhausted. However, the spirit supporting his body was not something he could let go so easily.

“--- I surrender.”


The moment the Black Knight spoke those words, Tigre staggered and fell.

The cold winter air stroked Tigre's face as he opened his eyes.

“You're awake?”

Along with a gentle voice, Ellen's face came into view against the backdrop of the blue sky. Tigre noticed his head was on something warm and soft.

While he was out of it, Ellen had let him use her legs as a pillow to sleep. Tigre tried to get up on reflex, but Ellen placed her hands on his chest.

“Rest. Your battle has ended.”

Though he could not tell how the battle was going, Ellen did not believe her army would be defeated. Roland had also acknowledged his defeat.

He was heading to the Knights to end the battle.

Looking to the left and right, he saw Sophie's figure standing with her normal smile as she looked at him. Noticing Tigre's gaze, she spoke joyfully.

“You do not need to think too hard, Lord Tigrevurmud. If you wish for me to take her place, I will do so immediately.”


[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 296.jpg|175px|thumb]]

“Stop saying nonsense, Sophie.”

She threatened her with a menacing expression. Ellen looked at Tigre's face while exuding her crabby mood.

“Really. What should I do with you? I have never met such an idiotic person. If you want, I could take your neck right now. Do you really want to die that much?”

“No words of praise, huh?”

“Fool.”

Ellen's hand made to hit Tigre, but she stopped early and pressed it against him.

He could feel her warmth through the palm of her hand and her words. Tigre stopped moving, a mix of the fragrance of grass, his sweat, and another sweet scent tickled his nose.

“... Such a nice scent.”

Though he did not point out what he was talking about, it seems Ellen understood what he meant. Her face was dyed red and she muttered to herself. Tigre as well, though he had not particularly given thought to his comment, became flushed after seeing Ellen's reaction.

As his gaze wandered restlessly, Tigre thought frantically about what happened before he fell into unconsciousness.

“Um, since when...?”


“This? A minute ago.”

Ellen lightly hit her thigh as she looked away. She must have done so right as Tigre woke up.

Her thighs and palms were comfortable, but, above all, Tigre was glad to accept her good will. He stopped trying to sit up and looked to the sky.

“Thank you.”

“What, don't worry about it. Sophie and I have already forgiven you. As for Lim and Massas, I'm sure we can clear that up.”

Finally regaining her composure, she lightly played with Tigre's hair with her finger as she smiled. Imagining what the two would say and thinking of Tigre bowing his head to the ground, they began to laugh. Sophie, too, laughed as she thought about the scene.

Gently, a quiet breeze blew by the three people.

When Roland reported that he was surrendering, the Knights had trouble believing it.

However, the Silver Meteor Army stopped attacking. When they saw the Knights retreat, they did not pursue. Of course, many were relieved it was finally the end.


“We came with five thousand... Nearly half have been lost.”

With a worn out expression, Olivier muttered so no one could hear him. What surprised him the most, though, was Roland's appearance when he returned.

His black hair was a mess, his face clearly showed his fatigue, and his jet black armor, his very symbol, was in tatters.

“Sorry.”

Roland said just that. Olivier staggered in shock and was quickly supported by the surrounding Knights. He needed their help to remain upright.

“.... What happened?”

Though it was unbelievable that Roland would be defeated, he could see signs of damage from the staff and sword, but none from the arrow. Strangely, his gauntlets and leg guards were almost on the verge of collapse.

“I fought. I was defeated. That is all.”

Those words alone were not enough. Olivier could not possibly consent.

“What is to happen to us?”


“That has yet to be decided.”

The Knights' reactions were divided cleanly into two. Some had not yet accepted their defeat or Roland's declaration of surrender, and there were those who wished for a continuation of battle.

“We have lost two thousand men, and both our Commander and Vice-Commander are still alive! If we ask for reinforcements from the Knights in the area, we can annihilate those rebels!”

Though a young Knight spoke breathlessly, Roland, their leader, simply told them to accept their defeat and apologized.

On the other hand, it did not necessarily mean the Silver Meteor Army was victorious. Their battle had yet to end.

Lim and Ellen, after thinking hard, placed soldiers who were slightly injured or fatigued to the front while the rest were moved to the back due to their worry of a possible deployment during their rest. They had started with forty-three hundred soldiers, but many were lost in the maelstrom of war.

In a situation like this, after their victory was reported, it was impossible for them to move. They could only sit on the spot and rest, even if they were next to corpses or pools of blood. It was difficult to distinguish who was dead and who was alive.

Tigre and Massas finally settled down once they reunited.


Though Massas wanted to complain for more than one koku, when seeing the three exhausted people, he swallowed his words.

Tigre was supported by Ellen and Sophie, but the two Vanadis were also lacking in energy.

With a sense of relief from their victory in battle and, more than anything else, his joy from their safety, he met them and lightly pat them on the back.

Though his wounds hurt, Tigre was also very happy.

Lim also looked to feel the same way. After closely supporting Ellen, she looked down at Tigre coldly.

“... I have quite a bit to say to you. Do you understand?”

If Tigre were as usual, he would notice joy and shyness in her voice, but he could not hear them at the moment, so he obediently nodded.

“You have only brought this upon yourself. Until this is completely finished, you are forbidden from touching the bow.”

It was punishment. Though he was saddened from the bottom of his heart, he had no intention of opposing her decision.


When day broke, both armies held a meal and began burying the dead. They chose a small hill near the river in Territoire, Augre's territory, to bury both the dead of the Navarre Knights and the Zhcted Army.

Tigre bought large amounts of food from the towns and villages in the vicinity and gave five gold and silver coins to all the soldiers as a reward. Of course, it was ultimately going to be a debt on his part.

“It's quite frightening to think an individual has this much debt.”

Lim approved of Tigre's request, but she did not forget to add it on to what he owed.

She fully understood the necessity. Though they had won, they had sacrificed a lot. To quell the soldier's discontent, such treatment was necessary.

However, they could not procure food as they desired. The villages and towns gave priority to saving food more than money since it was winter.

Still, the soldiers were happy with just some honey added to their fish soup and some wine during their meal.

Finally, both armies prepared for discussion.

Tigre, Ellen, and Massas represented the Silver Meteor Army. Roland and Olivier represented the Navarre Knights.

“What will you do from now on?”


Roland asked that at the start.

“We head for Nemetacum.”

Tigre answered bluntly, though with a rueful expression. Nemetacum was Duke Thenardier's territory, and it was several days distance away.

However, the Silver Meteor Army was considerably damaged in their battle with Navarre. If they were to fight Duke Thenardier further in the future, there was no guarantee they would have enough forces. Tigre and Ellen truly were considering hiring mercenaries.

Regardless, there were no other aristocrats who could reliably become their ally, and if news of the Navarre Knights' defeat was spread, other Knights may appear to subjugate them.

As usual, Tigre had no time.

“I see, Perhaps I can buy you some time.”

Both Tigre and Massas frowned upon hearing Roland's words, while Ellen's red pupils showed interest. Olivier, in the back of his mind, still could not consent.

“I will return to the Royal Capital and get an audience with His Majesty for you.”

“That is unreasonable.”

Massas was the first to react.


“His Majesty... has become weak and cannot do such things.”

He could not possibly say he was playing with blocks.

“Above all, you have lost the battle. Do you think Thenardier and Ganelon will remain silent? They will simply place the blame on you.”

“Besides, how much time would that get us? It is unlikely to happen, and there is no knowing when other Knighthoods and aristocrats will make a move against us.”

Ellen folded her arms and asked Roland. Tigre also showed he disagreed.

“You also went to the Royal Palace for me, Lord Massas, and you were almost killed just for trying to arrange a meeting with His Majesty. The capital is far more dangerous than you think.”

“I already knew it would be dangerous.”

Tigre's words of persuasion seemed to make Roland stiffen.

“As a Knight of Brune, I must correct mistakes.”

Roland pulled Durandal out of its sheath and presented it to Tigre.

Tigre did not understand the meaning and simply looked at Roland.

“I entrust this to you. It is proof that Roland has acknowledged your justice. If you show this to a Knight or a noble, so long as they are not a great fool, they will not fight you.”


Though Roland did not speak of it, the thought of the legendary Knight was ablaze in his mind. He thought of him as a person who fought for the people, so it was no mystery he would present this sword. Those were the feelings in his actions.

“Just to make sure, will the Knights of Navarre not fight with us?”

Though Ellen asked, Olivier refused. He was not as open minded as Roland and spoke in a business-like tone.

“We must return to our fortress. We cannot leave the border unguarded indefinitely.”

Tigre received the sacred sword and felt a strange feeling in the heavy blade. It was something special like his bow or a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}.

Tigre gave it some thought and raised his head and responded to Roland.

“I understand. Until you return, I will remain here.”

Tigre did not decide this only out of sentiment. He also wanted time to increase the number under his command.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>


Roland took a horse and rode day and night until he reached the King's Capital of Nice. It was possible because of Roland's uncommon physical strength; others would become exhausted on the way.

He took a quick rest and straightened his personal appearance. The next day, Roland visited the palace.

Though Massas was influential for a minor aristocrat, Roland was a separate matter entirely. He had been popular since the day he became a Knight and was assigned to lead the Navarre Knights. Since then, he had been called by the King to visit him at the Royal Palace at least once a year. The guards let him pass through immediately.

Roland walked straight through the Palace.

“Oh? Isn't that Lord Roland? What might you be here for?”

Deep in the palace, Roland was called out to by Duke Ganelon.

Ganelon's back was stooped low. His height was close to that of a boy of ten years, his limbs were like a child's, his small body was wrapped in ornate clothes, and, in place of hair, he wore a silk hat.

His eyelids were large, but his eyes were strangely thin. It was difficult to tell if they were empty or not. It was rumored they were seen fully open only once or twice.

Before Roland's tall stature, he was a dwarf of a man. He was like an eerie, ugly child without any semblance of beauty.


“Due to circumstance, I must meet the King by all means.”

Roland spoke in a blunt tone. He disliked this man.

“I see. It must be important, coming from a great Knight like you.”

Ganelon showed exaggerated surprise. He then spoke with a laugh.

“However, His Majesty is resting in his room right now. I will have someone check how he is right now. You should take a rest in this room until then.”

“Very well. I will do that.”

Roland obediently left. Because of his purpose in coming, he did not wish to alert others. He had no intention of obtaining permission from Ganelon from the start.

Roland called one of the chamberlains to a stop and asked to rest in a guestroom. Hearing his name, the chamberlain prepared an available room immediately.

He was guided to a small room deep in the palace with a bed, desk, and chair. There was little furniture inside. Though he was anxious that it was windowless, Roland decided to accept the room, since he would leave shortly afterward.

''--- Though it is disrespectful, I will look for a chance to sneak out.''

He entered the room and sat on the chair, vaguely thinking about the future.

''--- There are signs of life.''


There were about ten people beside the door. When Roland stood up, the chair fell over. He rushed to the door and found Ganelon with many soldiers.

He kicked the small door. Despite this, the door remained firm and did not break. It was braced from the outside, likely with an iron plate. At this time, Roland realized he had fallen into a trap.

“How are you feeling, Roland?”

A voice came from above. Roland looked at the ceiling and saw a small hole in the corner.

“What are you doing, Ganelon?”

Roland asked without fear in a dignified manner. He understood his fate.

“You failed to defeat the rebels and shamelessly came to the King's Capital. It is my duty to punish such a small individual.”

As he said that, a jar of yellow, buzzing insects appeared through the small hole, their wings flapping wildly. One after another, they flew into the room. Though they were no larger than an adult thumb, there were dozens, hundreds of them, flying from the ceiling. They covered the wall, filling the room with a humming noise.

“... Bees.”

“The Bee Prison. It is Marquis Greast's idea.”


Ganelon's voice seemed joyful from beneath the hole.

“Goodbye, Strongest Knight.”

His voice stopped there.

Roland, standing in the center of the room, was crowded by bees from all directions.

The next day, Ganelon poured poisonous smoke into the rooms at daybreak. The bees were wiped out.

Upon his orders, a man opened the door. The man screamed involuntarily, petrified with terror, and fell over. He gazed into the room, tears in his eyes.

Roland stood upright in the center of the room with his eye on the door. His whole body had been stung by bees all over and was red and swollen, giving him a strangely distorted figure.

The man thought it impossible. He had seen many men sentenced to the prison of bees. They all lay crouched on the floor without exception. They died while protecting their face. That action was natural. When attacked by bees, their bodies would bend over as they were stabbed by several hundred needles.

After a time surpassing a count of fifty, the man regained his composure. Though he was still frightened, he stood up and set foot through the door. He crushed many bees as he walked closer to confirm Roland's death.


Roland died standing.

When news of Roland's death reached him, Duke Thenardier became enraged at first. It was the same as when he had lost his son. He quickly walked through the corridor to visit Duke Ganelon.

“What are you thinking?”

Without bothering with a greeting, in the first place, any greeting between the two would only be filled with sarcasm, Thenardier glared at Ganelon.

Though not as much as Roland, Thenardier also had a muscular body. The two staring at each other looked like an adult and child glaring at one another.

“What are you talking about?”

Ganelon fixed his hat and spoke as if he knew nothing.

“Roland is dead. Why did you kill him?”

For Thenardier, it was a gross miscalculation. He had sent Roland and the Navarre Knights out. Once they defeated the Zhcted Army, he intended to have them guard the western border.


There were no signs of truce, and negotiations still had a long way to go. Many of the nobles supporting Thenardier had territories in the west.

“Sachstein and Asvarre will become more bold now.”

In the worst case, Sachstein and Asvarre would cooperate after confirming Roland's death and would send troops.

However, Ganelon's reaction was not what he expected.

“It was unavoidable. Roland did not fulfill his duties.”

“So why did you kill him!”

Thenardier shouted indignantly. He could not understand Ganelon's behavior.

Thenardier also threatened and killed many, but he did so with judgment. At least, he would not give such a severe punishment to people with value.

If it were him, he would still have use for Roland. Even if he had not defeated Tigre, his value had not decreased significantly.

However, Ganelon laughed as if parrying Thenardier's anger.

“Did you want to kill him some other way?”

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 03 Chapter 4 - MTL

2013-11-28T06:21:56Z

Royaloyalz:

<noinclude>{{Template:PREVIEW}}</noinclude>
=== Sword of Invincibility ===

That afternoon, the Silver Meteor Army and the Knights of Navarre confronted each other at five hundred alsin (approximately five hundred meters).

As if following the gray clouds from the day before, an unspeakable sensation of anxiety ran through the soldiers. Between the armies, slight rays of sunlight passed through small gaps in the cloud cover.

“It looks like they wish to fight.”

While watching the enemy line up in waves, Roland muttered to himself. Though there were different colors amongst the army due to the two nobles involved, the predominant color followed the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}.

“So they're lining up there.”

Vice-Commander Olivier received a report. The Knights from Brune Kingdom fought using more than one formation. The one they took up now was called the [Spear] and it was one shaped in a triangle, much like a spear's tip.

“Think yourself a spear, you and your steed are creatures of iron. Run quickly, pierce deeply, and crush the enemy.”


Roland would take the lead. Normally the leader took the rear, but the man took the role himself so he could penetrate the enemy camp first. He had always done so.

“I wonder if we should fight now. Perhaps we should wait until the information gathering is complete?”

Before coming here, Roland sent a messenger to the surroundings. His goal was to receive information on the geography and the number of troops available. Based on the circumstances, he would request reinforcements.

He had sent Tigre's messenger away because he did not want to be misled by extraneous information. His sin was more than obvious, since he was with soldiers of Zhcted.

“The sun will work against us. We have one koku at most; we can't waste any time.”

Olivier shrugged his shoulders as he heard the Black Knight. Roland's decision was correct. It was the job of the Knights to follow his directions.

He pulled out the sacred sword Durandal from his waist and held it to the sky.

“Gods of the land, watch us from the skies of Brune. Perkunas, King of all Gods, Trigraf, God of War, Radegast, God of Honor, all Gods, bear witness to our righteous battle!”

Hearing his shout, the Knights began chanting. Roland lowered the tip of his sword toward the enemy and inhaled deeply.

“Follow my blade!”

Five thousand horse-bound Knights kicked off the ground in unison. The earth felt as though it would collapse from the thunderous roar.


The members of the Silver Meteor Army consisted of one thousand Brune soldiers following Tigre and Augre with the Zhcted Army numbering four thousand directly behind them. The remaining forces were positioned behind them.

The Brune soldiers, though few in number, stood at the front, both here and with their battle of Greast. Though few in number, the Zhcted Army were their allies in the end.

However, seeing the Knights rush toward them, shouting for battle, caused them visible unrest.

The Brune soldiers clashed with the Navarre cavalry.

The Navarre Knights' destructive power exceeded the wall of Brune soldiers. The sight which developed surprised Ellen, Tigre, and Lim.

The man who led the spearhead, Roland with his sword in hand, was not stopped by anyone.

He killed all who abandoned sword and spear to run away, he cut through shields, and he crushed all who stood in his way using overwhelming force.

The horse Roland rode let out a violent neigh, as if reflecting its rider's mind. Its mane was disheveled as it crushed the ground and stepped upon corpses. It simply charged forward.


As if they had heard their leader's thoughts, the Knights fought off the Brune soldiers and thrust through them, following Roland's power in waves of rage.

''--- He's strong. He's too fast, too.''

Ellen and Lim did not have a lack in plans; they had thought of a number of countermeasures, but they had no room to fully develop them all. Though, despite their young age, they had large amounts of experience in war, but it was their first time seeing such power and speed.

“--- Lim. I leave command to you.”

Without waiting for her unsociable aide to speak, Ellen kicked the stomach of her horse and jumped out, making her way through the soldiers as she pulled out the longsword at her waist. She ran to Roland nonstop like a savage beast.

Seeing him close at hand, Ellen instinctively took a deep breath. Roland stood there, large enough to be a giant. He was the only one in black armor which doubled, tripled the size of his frame. His very presence overwhelmed all else.

An unprecedented chill ran down the back of the Vanadis of the Silver Flash.

They were within attacking distance.

It was as if a light exploded between them. Their clash made those in the surroundings flinch. Ellen's beautiful face was dyed in astonishment.


''--- My Veda...''

They had struck each other once, yet Ellen's right arm had become numb. She could only pray her arm would not be blown away.

Ellen's horse staggered; it was exhausted, falling back step by step, regardless of the instructions of its rider.

''--- Arifal did no damage...''

Their swords could easily cleave a soldier; this was unusual

“--- It's been a long time since someone has received my sword.”

The Black Knight finally stopped moving as he looked at Ellen without hiding his surprise.

“Neither in Sachstein nor in Asvarre. You are no hero or Knight of this country. How could a delicate girl like you...”

Roland brandished his sword before her. Ellen released her hands from the reins and clutched her longsword with both hands. Again, an intense clash occurred, but it was not just once. Many attacks in quick succession occurred, tearing through the air. Sparks scattered with every meeting of their weapons, the soldiers held their breath.

Ellen clenched her teeth. The man of black had both power and technique. Furthermore, he wielded his large sword as if he were sweeping a spear, despite its massive weight.


Though he could cut through the earth, Ellen managed to somehow hold her ground. With every blow Roland gave, she struck a blow in turn.

One slice flew through the neck of Ellen's horse. Without slowing down, it approached her. Ellen immediately removed her feet and jumped away to the ground to ward off his attack. The headless horse fell to the earth.

Unexpectedly, the Silver Flash in her hand let off a dull blue light for a moment, and a faint wind blew over its owner.

“Arifal...?”

Arifal's intent was transmitted with the wind. It was telling her to [Be Wary of that Sword]. Though Ellen was confused, she recovered immediately.

Her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} never lied to her.

Ellen looked up at the Black Knight and carefully took her distance.

“That blade... What is it made of?”

“That's a strange thing to worry about in the middle of a fight... isn't it?”

Roland gazed sharply at Arifal.

“That is the first sword which has not broken with a succession of attacks from Durandal. What exactly is your blade made of?”


“I don't know. I inherited it from someone whose face I don't know.”

Ellen answered honestly. Though Roland's face was incredulous, he did not pursue any further.

“I also do not know what this blade is made of. I received this blade from His Majesty to defend the land of Brune. That is enough for me.”

''--- Not good, that blade is the same.''

Ellen spoke bitterly in her mind. Roland's Herculean strength which could cleave through the enemy's armor was demonstrated in full with his sword. An ordinary weapon would simply shatter.

“Vanadis-sama!”

To protect Ellen, ten of Zhcted's cavalry rushed Roland, with their spears.

“Idiots, Stop!”

Along with Ellen's shout, Roland's sword cleaved through them all at once. The soldiers of Zhcted were torn like blades of grass, their flesh, blood, and bones scattered about the ground. Not a single spear reached Roland.

''Is this man human?''

His overwhelming strength brought this doubt to her mind. It was like watching a nightmare.


[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 169.jpg|175px|thumb]]

''--- {{furigana|My Dragonic Skill|Veda}}...''

It was the last resort and the strongest attack of the Vanadis. The thought grazed the corner of her mind.

However, the other person was human, even if his weapon was abnormal.

“So you're the noble Vanadis, the Commander of Zhcted?”

When he asked those words, Ellen noticed he had not declared his name. Her red eyes looked strongly at Roland.

“Eleanora Viltaria. I am one of the seven Vanadis.”

“I am Roland, Knight of Navarre. Vanadis---”

Roland looked down with a will to fight in his black pupils.

“Though I do not know your reasons, I cannot allow you to set a single foot in His Majesty's land of Brune.”

Ellen looked in his eyes. Roland ignored her gaze and lifted his sword... But his movements stopped.

The soldiers of Zhcted had divided, a man with dull red hair and black bow in hand rode in on a horse as he nocked his arrow.

“Tigre...!”

Ellen involuntarily called out his name. Tigre stared harshly at Roland, completely unaffected by the raging battle beside him. He remained still like a statue.


“Bow...?”

Roland frowned as he stared at Tigre. He aimed his sword toward Tigre's neck as he ran by on his horse.

Tigre drew his bowstring to its limit, though he did not release it. The two men's distance narrowed. Immediately before entering the sword's range, Tigre bent his body, almost horizontally, as he hung off the horse.

Roland's swing shook the wind; the response was shallow.

At that time, Tigre shot his arrow, but with his unreasonable posture, it flew toward the sky, directly above Roland.

The two ran about on horseback. As Tigre approached Ellen, he reached his arm out. Ellen jumped lightly on the horse after grabbing his hand.

On the other hand, Roland, who had kept a fixed distance from Tigre, began to follow him more closely.

''--- I won't let you escape.''

If it was a horse with two people on it, he would easily catch up.

At that time, the sound of the wind being cut ran by the Black Knight's ears. Before he was aware of it, an arrow was driven deep into the head of Roland's horse.


“... What?”

The arrow drove through the horse's jaw. The horse's legs folded as it collapsed. Roland's face was dyed in astonishment.

The arrow Tigre shot was aimed toward the sky. It drew an arc and fell, depriving Roland of his mobility.

With him standing on the ground, the cavalry of Zhcted rushed Roland thinking he was vulnerable, their spears coming from many directions. The dark haired Knight should have been skewered, but he jumped up and, like an argent whirlwind, cleaved both men and horse together.

Roland stood like a large tree, taking root in his place as he twirled his sword. The surroundings were filled with blood and screams. His black armor was dyed red.

Many Knights of Navarre followed Tigre and Ellen on horseback, but they could not catch up.

Tigre had turned around and fired arrows in quick succession. With the sound of the arrows and the bowstring being pulled back, he had shot multiple arrows at a time, all of them successfully hitting their target.

He had pierced their face and belly. Knights, one after another, fell down as their horses collapsed. Some of them were directly hit by arrows, flipping about as they fell off their steed.


“You saved me, Tigre. You're amazing as usual.”

Ellen tried to smile at Tigre but stopped speaking as her eyes were dyed in red.

From his left shoulder to his right flank, Tigre had a large, straight wound. His black leather armor and clothes were dyed red, his skin wet with sweat, his face pallid, his breathing rough.

Although it seemed like Tigre had dodged Durandal when he and Roland crossed paths, he had not been able to avoid it completely. Firing his bow toward the Knights only served to open it further.

“Tigre!”

Tigre's body began to fall. Ellen stretched her hands out and gripped the reins from behind him as she supported him with her right hand which held her Silver Flash. Her arm was dyed red immediately.

The soldiers of Zhcted were pushed aside. The Knights of Navarre held up heavy shields to block the rain of arrows, accepted the challenge of all who took sword or spear to them, or rushed forward and pushed them aside.

They followed closely after Ellen and Tigre. Realizing they had pulled out javelins, Tigre nocked another arrow, yet he did not have the strength to draw his bowstring.

Ellen clenched her teeth. If she took her blade, Tigre would lose his support and would surely fall from the horse.


To make matters worse, the horse's legs broke and it fell forward. The two were thrown to the ground. Though Ellen endured the pain and pulled her body up immediately, Tigre, who had not released his bow, could not stand.

“Tigre...!”

Ellen ran to Tigre and lifted him in her arms. A dozen javelins were thrown at them all at once.

“--- {{furigana|Brilliant Waves, Gather Before Me|Falvarna}}.”

A voice called out between Ellen and the javelins.

Her golden hair symbolized her gentle nature; her beryl eyes expressed her dignity. She stood before them in a pale green dress, unsuitable to the battlefield. Not a fragment of her smile existed on her face.

Sophia Obertas stood there, as if to protect Ellen and the others.

A golden light fell from the tip of her Light Flower and turned lightly in her hand. Without melting into the air, it flowed through the space before Sophie, drawing a perfect circle.

The circle of light glittered, releasing a silver-white spiral. The spiral formed a broad barrier, surrounding a golden ring inside. The wall of transparent light completely encompassed Sophie.


The spears thrown by the Knights of Navarre hit the wall of light and fell to the ground. The Knights opened their eyes widely and let out a sound of astonishment.

A curtain of mysterious light appeared when the woman in a dress showed up. The event was beyond their understanding.

“Ellen. Hurry.”

She looked back at the silver-white haired Vanadis. Her beryl eyes prompted her to move to a horse standing nearby. Ellen managed to stand up while supporting Tigre, placing the bloody man on the horse before mounting it herself.

“Say your thanks later.”

“Yes. We'll meet again.”

After they exchanged a quick word, the Knights of Navarre promptly recovered and took up their swords. They charged; however, their horses stopped as if they had run into an invisible wall.

The Knights flinched. Though they may have been able to chase after Ellen if they avoided Sophie's wall of light, no one could make such a calm judgment.

A large number of Knights were held back by a single woman.

“... Oh?”


From behind, a low voice called out. It was a voice of salvation for the Knights.

Roland lowered his large sword and had finally caught up on a new horse.

“Woman, dressed like that, your clothes are hardly suitable for a place of war, isn't it? What's more... What is this wall of light?”

“I wonder. What will you do?”

A shiver ran through Sophie's body. In her hands, the Light Flower warned her with a small glow of golden light from the tip of her bishop staff. It warned her of danger, just like Ellen's Silver Flash.

The jet black Knight did not flinch even after seeing the wall of light.

“... It would take only a single swipe to sever this enchantment.”

With his sacred sword in hand, Roland continued tensing all the muscles in his body, its sound clearly audible.

“Though I don't know what manner of witchcraft or magic this is, it is nothing before Durandal.”

It was not a false show of power. The Black Knight spoke seriously. Sophie said “Oh my” out of habit, but there was no strength in her voice.

“Very well. I welcome you.”

The bishop staff glowed as Sophie smiled brilliantly.

Roland's horse kicked off the ground as he thrust straight toward the wall of light.

The moment Durandal hit the wall, the light became iridescent, the sound of shattering glass hit her eardrums. The circle of glittering gold stopped shining immediately. It was cut in two, and the particles of light dispersed through the air.


[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 177.jpg|175px|thumb]]

Though Sophie's eyes showed her surprise, her hands continued to manipulate her bishop staff.

Roland's swing tore through the domain of light Sophie had built. Sophie's bishop staff caught the heavy blow; she was forced to retreat by the frightening blade.

“--- {{furigana|Particles of Light, Come to My Side|Mirashem}}.”

Roland rode forward to cut her down, but he pulled his hand aside as he saw countless grains of light engulf Sophie's body.

The lights were the size of a nail and began blinking before Sophie's body. Without a sound, both Sophie and the light disappeared.

“This is...?”

The Knights were astonished once again. They turned to their leader.

''--- I can't see her, but... little by little, she's escaping.''

Roland did not understand what Sophie had done, but he noticed she had run away.

''--- It's troublesome, but it looks like she's another one of them.''


After making that judgment, Roland looked at the soldiers surrounding him.

“Don't worry. It's just another enemy.”

Hearing his words with no sign of a lack of will to fight, the Knights regained their energy. No matter what, they believed they would find no greater Knight on the continent, let alone in Brune.

When word of Tigre, the General, being injured spread, the Silver Meteor Army collapsed and was routed. They threw aside their arms and turned away. The Knights of Navarre swung their swords and thrust their spears without mercy.

The confusion only accelerated with the passage of time. It took all Ellen and Lim could to to prevent the army from collapsing. Though they had managed to pull the soldiers away, the soldiers of Brune led by Viscount Augre were small in number.

Though Roland took lead in the battle and chased after the enemy with his sacred sword, he stopped when he heard a sudden noise.

A Knight appeared without breath to give him a report.

“A cavalry of three hundred has appeared behind our troops...”

The cavalry behind the Navarre Knights wielded sword and spear, catching the Knights, who felt they had won the battle, completely off guard.


''--- Was this their plan? No, it feels too late.''

Regardless, Roland was forced to end the chase and took measures to reorganize his troops. He looked up to the sky.

The gray clouds had broken, the darkness before the battle now gone. Roland felt like the darkness had followed the Silver Meteor Army, given the timing.

“We'll end here.”

''--- Summer... No, Autumn.''

Against the early sunset of an approaching winter, chasing the enemy any further would only serve to scatter his troops.

“No, this is unrelated to the season.”

Shaking his thick neck to the right and left, Roland reconsidered. If he were in a position where he did not need to worry about the King's Capital or the western borders, he may have continued pursuit.

Roland decided to place his trust in Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon who ordered him to battle.

The Knights of Navarre took orders only from the capital. They had received a royal command from the King's Capital. However, King Faron was ill and was unable to grant an audience to Roland.


The command was to kill Earl Vorn and the Zhcted Army. It was received from Dukes Ganelon and Thenardier. The written instructions were, without a doubt, written by the King, as it was marked with the royal seal. Roland had to simply follow his duties as a Knight.

“Lord Roland. His Majesty is pained by the Zhcted Army trampling about in the lands of Brune. Earl Vorn has invited them into our country.”

“We will send negotiators to Sachstein and Asvarre. We wish for you to wipe away Earl Vorn and the Zhcted Army as quickly as possible. We will buy you as much time as we can.”

''--- I have heard their orders directly, and His Majesty is ill in bed. Though I do not wish to suspect them...''

Still, soldiers can never move on their own. If he asked any more of Thenardier who had summoned him from the west, Roland would only feel he was being nosy.

''--- Earl Vorn gave priority to rescuing the Vanadis of the Zhcted Army. It is doubtless now, they have a close relationship. Still---''

Rather than the battle before him, Roland watched the movements of the allies who appeared to his rear from the King's Capital.


''--- His Majesty's enemies are my enemy. Even if one person remains, I will cut them down with my blade.''

Roland was an orphan. He was abandoned at the foot of the Ruberon Mountains near the royal capital Nice.

A shrine maiden working in the temple at the summit of the mountains found the pitiful baby as she made her way from the market at the foot of the castle walls.

She had lost her parents; her birthplace had collapsed. Rather than leaving the child, she decided to convince those of the temple to raise it.

Though he was raised surrounded by God, the boy grew up with an interest in the founder, King Charles, who revived Brune Kingdom.

The temple contained his coffin as well as many other relics.

Furthermore, Roland's body had a higher aptitude as a fighter than a priest. Though there was nothing noteworthy about his reading and writing, his body, compared to children of the same age, was strong, and he was good with anything that involved movement.

Though he was determined to become a Knight, there was one encounter he remembered.

On a certain day at a certain time, Faron, who was still Prince at the time, visited the temple for business. Roland did not know what the business was, he just remembered that Faron called out to the large boy.


The prince asked the boy his name. The boy said “Roland.” Faron smiled from ear to ear.

“Beside King Charles, there was a man named Roland. Though his origin as a warrior is unknown, he held the honor and supremacy to wield his sword in the defense of the King. He was a Knight amongst Knights.”

“A Knight amongst Knights...”

“Correct. Among the Knights today, there are many who believe in Roland. Many believe he came from this very temple.”

Roland was deeply moved. He had thought he was better suited to wielding a sword than praying to God. Furthermore, these were words from the Prince of a country. He felt so much joy that he wished to run about.

“I, I will become a Knight!”

In fact, Roland's name was not so rare in Brune, and Faron, who was learning to be King, could recite the name of all soldiers serving under King Charles from memory.


Though no one could call it a particularly miraculous coincidence, Roland did not know that. Even if he did, he was unlikely to worry.

The next day, Roland dedicated his life to becoming a Knight. He begged a Knight to teach him the sword, spear, and the art of horse riding.

It did not take him much time to surpass the other Knights.

He took the trial at the age of 13. He remembered the pleasure when he became a Knight. Though he was glad to become a Knight, Roland would hear Faron, who had just become King, speak at his conferment ceremony.

“To think that boy would grow up this much.”

Even if he had himself forgotten much of the meeting the next day, the King remembered him.

At this time, Roland had almost complete loyalty to Faron. Eight years later, he received the sacred sword of the Kingdom, Durandal. All Knights likened him to the warrior of legend, the [Knight of Knights].

That is why Roland fought. He fought for the King, fought for the Kingdom. He would not listen to the words of the enemy. It was not a problem until now. He was not supposed to have reached such an obstacle.

So long as he lived his life as a Knight, he would continue down this path.


Olivier appeared, having reorganized the ranks. Roland asked him a question.

“The one who shot my horse, the archer. His name was Tigre, was it?”

Olivier, who was in the immediate vicinity when Roland suppressed Ellen, had prepared a horse for Roland immediately. Sure enough, he had caught sight of Tigre.

“That man is Tigrevurmud Vorn. I saw him once long ago. He said he was good with a bow and was ridiculed as a person with no merit.”

Roland groaned. Olivier looked curiously at him from the side.

“Why do you worry? Though he shot at you, his arrow hit your horse by chance. It was simply bad luck for you...”

“Bad luck?”

Finally, Roland looked back at Olivier, the smile on his face exuding a strong will to fight.

“That's not right. It's different, Olivier. He did that on purpose.”

Olivier's face showed he did not understand. Roland explained while laughing merrily.


“If he shot me from the front, I would strike it down. That man made an accurate judgment.”

“If that is the case, then he was aiming at the horse rather than you.”

“I knew it as soon as he was coming at me. He was aiming at my horse. What's more, he had the confidence to kill it with a single arrow.”

If he killed the horse, it was possible to deprive Roland of his mobility. Above all, Tigre had aimed at him simply to help the silver-white haired Vanadis.

“It was a brilliant skill. It is the first time I have felt admiration for the bow.”

“... If what you say is true, then Earl Vorn is a monster.”

“I have also been called a monster by those of Sachstein and Asvarre.”
He cut down the enemy and their horses casually, as if it was nothing. He showed no sign of fatigue. He took command and simply moved on.

Towards his enemies, he was nothing but a monster.

“When I talk about you, I can only think I'm a mediocre Knight...”

Olivier sighed while the Black Knight laughed and told him not to worry.


About seven belsta from the battlefield (approximately seven kilometers), the Silver Meteor Army had barely reorganized their formation.

The soldiers lost numbered eight hundred, the number injured nearly double that. For an army six thousand strong, it was a crushing defeat.

Hearing the damage report, neither Ellen, Lim, nor Augre could speak.

The situation itself was distressing, but Tigre's injury only made it more serious. The young General was carried in on a stretcher and was tended to by Teita. He had yet to awaken.

The only good news was the appearance of reinforcements.

The three hundred cavalry had disrupted the Knights of Navarre who chased after them. They passed through the battlefield and joined the Silver Meteor Army.

A request for an audience came from the person leading them. Though Ellen was exhausted, she approved of the meeting at once.

Before long, an old Knight with a gray beard, his stocky body wrapped in armor, visited Ellen's tent and courteously bowed.

“I am Massas Rodant.”

“It has been a while, Lord Massas.”


Before Ellen could speak, Lim returned his bow and greeted him.

“You are Lord Massas? I have heard of you from Lim and Tigre.”

Ellen took the old Knight's hand with a smile and sincerely thanked him for his help. Massas began to frown.

“With all due respect, Lord Vanadis. Tigre... Earl Vorn, where might he be?”

Though he did not intend to look down on Ellen, Massas had come here for Tigre's sake. After a moment of hesitation, she reported that Tigre was injured.

“--- His condition?”

His short beard trembled as he spoke those words, an intense shock and sense of regret was clearly visible on his face. Incidentally, Massas had lived for more than five decades and had seen the death of many close acquaintances.

“It is a serious injury. He is still feverish, but it is not to the extent that he will die.”

Ellen's response did not conceal her overflowing sense of shame. Beside her, Lim's azure eyes were pensive as she maintained her silence like a statue.

Augre and Sophie appeared, blowing away the heavy atmosphere. Massas mood changed upon seeing their faces, glad by their reunion. Though fatigue was clearly in his face, his sense of defeat was considerably eased.


Though Augre and Sophie were worried about Tigre, they acted as calmly as usual, bringing a sense of calm to the surroundings.

“Massas. Though it may be abrupt, may we speak? How is it that you met the Vanadis of Zhcted in the King's Capital?”

“That's right. I would also like to hear this.”

Ellen agreed with Augre's words. Lim also nodded.

“What, I thought Miss Sophie would have told you.”

“I was unsure how to explain it, nor was I sure if I should say so.”

Sophie bowed gratefully to the old Knight.

“No, you were acting as a messenger. I don't mind.”

After the comment from Sophie, the three looked at Massas who stroked his beard, lost in thought.

“That's right... Where should I begin.”

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>


It happened approximately twenty days before the defeat of the Silver Meteor Army.

It is said that, in the Kingdom of Brune, King Charles received the sacred blade Durandal at Ruberon.

King Charles traveled about many battlefields, wielding Durandal all the meanwhile. His victories revived many towns about Brune Kingdom.

Charles dedicated his gratitude to the Gods and established a shrine in the mountains of Ruberon, and he built his Royal Palace halfway up so he could meet with the spirits. The town at the foot of the mountain prospered; before long, the castle was moved down to the city.

And so, the Royal Capital of Nice was established. It acted as an important way point in Brune which connected the east and west sides of the continent.

All people passing from Zhcted or Muozinel to Sachstein or Asvarre, save for those with extenuating circumstances, would pass through the city.

With a river flowing from the top of the mountain through the city and the highway in the vicinity, many goods from various countries flooded through the city, bringing a heat and energy to the capital.


In the luxurious Royal Palace at the foot of the mountain, there was a garden where many flowers bloomed in the small hills, decorated by cleverly carved fountains.

It was a piece of artwork with a crystalline beauty, a garden nonexistent in either Zhcted or Muozinel. It was a symbol of Brune's prosperity.

Massas Rodant passed through the garden quickly.

There was a rampart surrounding the area, so ordinary citizens could not make it so far into the Royal Palace.

“Please inform His Majesty the King. Massas Rodant, in charge of the territory to the north, requests an audience.”

With a sonorous voice, he presented a medal indicating his title to the soldiers who defended the castle gate. After confirming his identity, the soldiers opened the castle gate.

His stocky body shook as he headed up the flight of steps. The second rampart entered his view. He showed his medal once again and entrusted his weapons to the guard as the gate was opened.

Having been exposed to the cold air of winter in the mountains, Massas was soaked in sweat. It was not from the fatigue of running up the stairs at a brisk pace but his tension.

The Palace was filled with white marble and decorated with gold. Many of the imperial guards wore a white mantle and walked about to defend the area.

Unlike an average soldier, they did not even flinch seeing an aristocrat; rather, they looked at Massas with a severe glance and spoke sternly.



''--- It's no different here.''

“My name is Massas Rodant; I am in charge of the lands of Aude granted to me by His Majesty. I have come to see Prime Minister Bodwin.”

He waited for some time. Though he remained quiet, he felt a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach.

Though he was an acquaintance of the Prime Minister, he had not scheduled a meeting. He was somewhat intimate with him since childhood, and it could serve as a way to have his audience more easily, but, should any sign of deception be found, he would be captured immediately and sent to prison without being given an opportunity to explain.

After the confirmation was complete, the Imperial Guard bowed to Massas.

“--- I apologize for having kept you waiting, Earl Rodant. Please pass.”

Massas stroked his gray beard as he passed through the doors to the royal palace.

After the aristocrat and Imperial Guards walked along the polished marble floor, the King's chambers finally came into view.

''--- I doubt I will have an audience, nor did I receive a response. I will simply have to speak directly and have him listen to my words.''


Massas had arrived at the Royal Capital more than ten days prior. Rather than recovering from the fatigue of travel, Massas moved aggressively and requested a meeting with the King the day he arrived.

However, Massas was forced to give up immediately. The Royal Palace affairs had been made private by Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon. He would not be able to meet the King any time soon.

“How is His Majesty?”

“After the battle in Dinant, he has been struck with sadness over Prince Regnas' death. It seems he has yet to recover.”

He walked about and visited his friends. Every person answered his question in that manner, though a few spoke even further.

“If you wish for a petition, it must be brought before Dukes Ganelon and Thenardier.”

He could not possibly do that. Both were enemies.

Massas was outraged. After thinking about it anxiously, he decided he would try to directly meet and speak to the King.

Before the King's private chambers, the Imperial Guards naturally stood. The room next to it was a private room where the Imperial Guards relaxed. Should anyone call, they could respond immediately.

While stroking his gray beard, Massas looked around at the guards and the passage.

''--- It is impossible to go any further than this unless I am a powerful noble. No, his maid can also enter his chambers.''


It was impossible to meet the King. Massas gently touched something enshrouded in his clothes. It was a letter to the King with information regarding the conduct of Duke Thenardier toward Tigre's lands written, including why he invited the Zhcted Army into his lands.

''--- Like I thought, I can do nothing but ask his maid or attendant.''

The maid and attendant worked in the vicinity. Since they received a large salary, they could not be bribed with money, nor could Massas lie about his status to get in contact with their relatives.

However, Massas had information.

Though light, there was gossip about a scandal.

Those who wish to know of such talks could be found anywhere, including the deepest part of the Palace.

''--- He was once absorbed in divination... Though there is no concrete evidence, it is something held in derision.''

Massas was immersed in a bittersweet emotion when a voice called to him from the side.

“What business do you have with me, Earl Rodant?”

Turning around in surprise, he saw a man standing before him, wrapped in a gray uniform. He had a round outline, but if one were to describe his features, they would say they were most akin to a cat. He also had a long gray beard and mustache.


“Bodwin...”

Massas groaned. He was the Prime Minister of Brune who assisted in the King's affairs. The cat-faced man was the pinnacle of all officials.

''--- Did he find out already? It's too early...''

Seeing the Imperial Guards glare at Massas who remained silent on the spot, Bodwin spoke with a quiet tone, though his eyes were sharp.

“Since there are others here, let us speak elsewhere.”

If he complained, the Imperial Guards might make a move. Letting out a sigh, Massas simply followed after Bodwin.

Massas and Bodwin had known each other before Bodwin became Prime Minister, and they remained on good terms, even with their change in position; however, he could not depend too strongly on that friendship given his rank.

Massas was led to one of the rooms used for official conferences. It was a small room without a window in which a large desk and chair were placed.

“Shall I serve you some wine?”

“So long as it is not grape vinegar.”

Massas had a bitter face as he responded to Bodwin. Grape wine which had fermented for too long became grape vinegar.


“Earl Rodant, you would not come to the Royal Palace to speak of past matters... For what reason did you come?”

“Alsace. Tigrevurmud Vorn.”

Massas responded promptly to Bodwin's straight forward question. Though it should have been clear with those two phrases, Bodwin looked at him calmly. He waited for more.

“Why did you ignore formal procedure? You did not even bother with a petition, nor did you apply for a meeting.”

“I arrived at the King's Capital more than ten days ago, and I have applied for an audience many times.”

Massas sat up straight and glared at Bodwin across the desk.

“How exactly it did not reach you, I do not know; however, this is likely an inconvenience for Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon. Should I still act in accordance to ceremony?”

“Given my position, I can only say you have no choice but to follow protocol.”

Bodwin was the Prime Minister. He assisted the King and aided with affairs of the state. Though he could understand Massas' position, he could not help but argue.

“How long will Alsace have to wait? It is winter now. When will the petition reach you? Spring? Alsace may very well fall before the snow melts. Even then, should I wait?”


Bodwin closed his eyes and withstood the words. He sat in his chair and waited for Massas to take a breath before opening his eyes.

“--- Massas. You must not speak of what you will hear needlessly.”

Bodwin called him Massas, rather than Earl Rodant.

''--- He is not answering as Prime Minister.''

After Massas consented with a nod, Bodwin stood up. The two left the room and walked down a corridor. They passed the King's private chambers and returned to the place where Massas met Bodwin. Massas could not help but be wary of what was happening.

“What is your intention?”

Bodwin did not answer, he simply continued to walk down the corridor in silence. Massas reluctantly followed after. The Imperial Guards allowed the two to pass in silence.

Before a set of double doors, Bodwin stopped walking. On the surface of the door, a magnificent carving of the founder, King Charles, was engraved. It was the King's private room.

After confirming it with the Imperial Guards who stood at the door side, Bodwin turned around and faced Massas.

“You are not to speak a single word. You will only listen.”


He was saying Massas could listen into the King's room. Though he hesitated, the man's complexion did not change. He faced the cat-eyed man as if possessed.

Ignoring his worries, Massas brought his face close to the door.

''--- I can hear something. A faint noise. It's hard to hear, but it sounds like stone or wood hitting against one another.''

After about ten seconds, Massas separated from the doorway. He spoke to Bodwin.

“What is His Majesty doing...?”

“He is playing with blocks.”

Massas face tightened. He nearly shouted.

Bodwin bowed to the Imperial Guards and moved down the corridor. Massas followed after him; the two returned to their previous room.

Massas sat in the chair in disbelief having heard the true nature of those sounds. Sweat floated to his face and hands; his heart throbbed violently enough that he could feel pain.

King Faron of Brune was a 41 year old man. He was excellent in both domestic affairs and diplomacy before he took to the throne. He had not changed at all once he became King, which led to an increase in the prosperity of the people. He brought peace to the nation.


Massas had seen King Faron's reign as a local aristocrat. The shock was great.

“Who knows about this...?”

“Including me, not many. There are few people who have been reported to regarding the King's illness. Dukes Thenardier, Ganelon, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs understand his condition.”

Massas looked at Bodwin suspiciously. He would not show him this much or explain this far just because they were acquaintances.

The cat-faced Prime Minister read Massas' questioning gaze and continued to feign ignorance.

“The affairs of the state have stagnated in the Royal Palace. There have been many debates as to how we should deal with this.”

''--- So that's why my petition was ignored.''

Massas considered it, but the words Bodwin spoke next were beyond his expectation.

“Political affairs were divided in two. The issues regarding the aristocracy was left to Dukes Ganelon and Thenardier while we handle the rest. Even if we had not, we did not have the power to intervene with their matters purely out of suspicion.”

A voice leaked from Massas mouth, his face now strong with anger. The old Earl spoke in a gentle tone, despite his rage.


“Then... We must wait until either Thenardier or Ganelon fall? No matter what, we must simply watch from the side?”

It had to do with the alignment of the aristocracy's interests. It may be necessary to have nobles with wide connections take action. Normally, the King would take care of this matter, but powerful nobles who were loyal to the King could cope with such tasks fairly well.

“We do not have a way to fight Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon.”

“You cannot move the Knights?”

“If we civil servants join a third force, domestic turmoil would only grow. This would increase the number of attacks coming from the neighboring countries.”

Should the defenders of the country be moved for domestic affairs, the borders would be undermanned, so it was rare that they were moved for such reasons.

“What happens to those families associated with Thenardier and Ganelon? They can easily arbitrate things in their own interests. Will such high-handed actions be overlooked?”

Bodwin clearly understood.

Though Massas was frustrated already, he threw out another question in a quiet voice.


“Tigre... Tigrevurmud Vorn, in order to defend his lands, he employed the Zhcted Army. Even so, will the judgment be any different?”

“You believe he will not rebel against the Kingdom of Brune?”

Bodwin responded clearly as Massas let out a heavy breath.

“--- He asked for help from the very people who assaulted Dinant.”

“Even when Alsace was under attack by Duke Thenardier, the Kingdom did not send a single Knight; He judged his family, his land, and his people to be abandoned by His Majesty! How can the Kingdom claim treason when it feigns such ignorance!”

Massas stood with passion and struck his palm against the desk. Bodwin also stood up, knocking his chair over in the process, and tightly grasped the table.

“Do you truly believe the Zhcted Army is doing this out of a sense of judgment and benevolence?”

“You were told before hand! They were employed! They are acting as mercenaries!”

“Sophistry! Even if they do not act in the name of their country, even if he employed them as mercenaries, when they bare fangs of aggression, can Earl Vorn truly stop their violence!?”

“What is done is done! You are simply ignoring his tragic plight! Are you so afraid of what may happen that you are not reflecting on what has come to pass!?”


An intense atmosphere ran inside the room. The elderly man and the Prime Minister faced each other in anger.

Both Massas and Bodwin took deep breaths to expel their anger.

“--- Massas.”

In a quiet voice, Bodwin called to Massas who had turned away.

“I cannot change what I say. No matter how you petition, no matter what arguments you may have, no matter the reason, he drew the army from a foreign nation into our lands. He must be judged a rebel.”

Massas gave thought to raise his voice, but he chose to wait. The cat-faced Prime Minister continued.

“From this point forward, I will be speaking to myself... In this country, there is only one person who cannot be charged with the sin of rebellion when bringing the army of another country into our lands.”

Massas looked doubtful. Was there such a person? It would be impossible to avoid being disgraced as a rebel should one do that, even for Dukes Ganelon and Thenardier.

“The only way this is possible is to obtain permission from His Majesty. For example, if you were to convince the wife of Duke Thenardier who is His Majesty's niece, or perhaps Duke Ganelon's brother; either way, you need to convince someone with a place near the throne. Given their position, something large must happen for this to occur.”


“... In other words, for Tigre to assert his own justification, he must further accelerate the confusion.”

Massas frowned as he stroked his gray beard wildly.

“You may interpret it as you wish. I wish to support Brune. My only wish is for its survival. Now then, I must be off, Earl.”

Once he finished speaking, Bodwin left the room. Massas turned around and let out a deep breath as he stared at the door.

“... How troublesome.”

It was clear. He would obtain no help, but it was good that he had received an answer.

''--- Anyway, we need to get rid of Duke Thenardier.''

At a brisk pace, slow enough not to disregard manners, Massas left the palace. The sun had gone down, and the white marble was dyed vermillion.

The sword he entrusted to the guards at the second rampart was returned. Massas passed through the popular garden and stopped his feet.


He perceived a glance with murderous intent.

''--- An assassin?''

He did not think it strange. Both Thenardier and Ganelon would feel Massas a hindrance. They would find it necessary to punish him for his meeting in the Royal Palace.

''--- It's good I won't involve others.''

Placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, Massas looked at the surroundings.

In this vast garden, many skillfully made sculptures dotted the land. The thick foliage and flower beds were elaborate, and gave a vivid color to the surroundings. There was no shortage of places to hide, so it was simple for an assassin to move about.

While searching for the position of the blood thirst, Massas walked forward and stopped before a certain sculpture.

''--- Not good. He's behind me.''

He was covered in a cold sweat. It was dangerous to move any further. Against the backdrop of sculptures, Massas pulled out his sword. A shadow appeared, a bright light reflecting off a drawn blade.

Massas countered with a side blow while escaping from the enemy's attack by rolling on the ground.

''--- There are too many...!''

His movements stopped when Massas looked up. There, he saw a woman jump into his field of view.


She wore a pale green dress, and her golden hair was tinged red by the evening sun. In her delicate hands was a bishop staff which surpassed the sculptures about the flower bed.

The assassins also noticed the woman. One began to run toward her.

“Not good, Run!”

While avoiding a sword approaching him, Massas shouted out. Though the assassins continued to attack him, he was able to keep an eye on her.

The assassin raised his sword to the woman.

A clear metallic sound was heard as a glittering gold light blew him away. Both Massas and the assassins looked on in surprise.

The woman with gold hair pushed the sword aside with her bishop staff and knocked the assassin down simultaneously. Massas could barely follow her movements.

“... Oh my.”

A light voice, unsuitable to the intense atmosphere, came from her mouth. However, it was not because she did not understand the situation.


Both Massas and the assassins understood based on her nonchalant behavior.

The assassins separated. Three attacked Massas while the remaining attacked the woman.

''--- There are so many!''

Massas mowed the sword approaching him away. Blood flew through the air, dying the grass and flowers red.

Though inferior in terms of number, the assassins did not expect the emergence of such a formidable enemy. Their fright and impatience dulled their movements, which was not missed by Massas. Quickly moving through the flower bed, he cut the second person down.

By the time Massas had finished the three off, the woman brandishing the bishop staff struck the flower bed.

A smile floated to the golden haired woman's face as the assassins fell behind her.

“... Splendid.”

Though Massas uttered those words, he was looking at her ample bosoms spilling out from her pale green dress. Whether it was tribute to that is unknown.


“Thank you for helping me. I am Massas Rodant, the one in charge of Aude to the north of His Majesty's capital. May I have your name?”

“My, so you are Earl Rodant.”

She laughed as though she had good luck. The golden haired woman returned her gaze and gave her name.

“I am Sophia Obertas, a Vanadis of the Kingdom of Zhcted.”

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“... So that's how it is. Sophia is my benefactor.”

Massas finished with that. Of course, he did not speak of his exchange with Bodwin or mention that the King had reverted to a childhood state.

Augre turned to Sophie and bowed deeply.

“I wish to thank you for aiding Lord Massas, truly.”

“There is no need to worry about it.”

Sophie returned a nod and a smile.

“Afterward, I investigated Tigre's location and sent a messenger to Aude to gather soldiers. Sophie headed here ahead of time while I met up with my army.”


“Thank you for telling us everything. You really came at a critical moment.”

With a pure, straightforward gaze, Ellen thanked Massas.

“Will you tell me what is happening on your end now? Judging from the colors, it seems the Navarre Knights are your enemy...”

“Allow me to explain.”

Lim continued the story while answering Massas' questions along the way since she was the last to meet the old Knight from those present. Ellen and Augre supplemented explanations as needed. When she finished, Massas had a difficult face.

“By the way, about Bodwin. Do you know what measures he is taking against Lord Tigrevurmud?”

Lim asked because she was worried Alsace would eventually be controlled by the government.

“He intends to place all responsibility for this war on Tigre. Alsace will be made into government-controlled area. For the time being, Thenardier and Ganelon will not be able to interfere with his lands.”

“In that case, we are not allowed to enter as well.”

As if in response to Lim's doubts, Augre spoke while rubbing his chin with the palm of his hand.

“For now, they have self autonomy. Earl Vorn... No, I suppose he should be called Lord Tigrevurmud at this time. In short, the Prime Minister is trying to avoid having him enter those lands.”


“It would be a problem if an area under control of the government joins a rebel's cause.”

Massas frowned and let out a deep breath.

“That Bodwin. He was looking pretty smug, so this is what he did. Right now, it's aristocrat against aristocrat... A private battle between Tigre and Thenardier.”

“Since Tigre is a rebel, wouldn't it be more appropriate to say it's Tigre against Brune?”

Ellen asked. Massas nodded regretfully.

“If that were not the case, they could not have made their move. They had their troops from the west cross the country. There must be a large number of Knights from Navarre, though they may call for more if they feel they cannot win against the Zhcted Army.”

Ellen and Sophie looked at each other. It was not possible for them to win. In today's battle, they were severely damaged.

“Though I do not like to say it, this truly is the strength of Duke Thenardier. From what Limlisha was saying, we know he has the strength to move the Knights of Navarre, and he also has ties to Ludmira. He would not be able to do these things if he did not have such power.”


Augre began to complain. Having a large number of connections was not enough. Thenardier had the ability to take proper advantage of them.

“We can't stop here. I'm a bit hesitant to use my trump card... This really is annoying.”

They could not just sit there in admiration. They needed to move with the Navarre Knights present.

“Eleanora-sama, will it be impossible without using that power against Roland?”

“Impossible. He's that strong.”

Ellen shook her head briefly.

“His power and technique are completely abnormal, and he has that sword. Durandal, was it? What on earth is that?”

While patting the sheath of the longsword on her knees, Ellen told the story of how he had broken through Sophie's {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}}. Though it was difficult to believe so suddenly, Sophie confirmed what happened.

Massas and Augre looked at one another. The two only knew the sacred sword Durandal had been passed down the generations amongst the Royal Family of Brune.


“I'm sorry I cannot be of help.”

Massas bowed his head. Ellen waved her hands hastily.

“No, don't worry about it.”

She could not properly explain the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} and Dragonic Skill to them, even if many soldiers had already witnessed it.

“Right now, I'm the only one that can be his opponent. Tigre is injured, as well. Lim, sorry to say this, but I can't let you do this.”

Lim was about to say she would lead the attack against Roland, but she was cut off preemptively. No words of rebuttal came to her mind.

Of the people other than Ellen, even Rurick could not hold Roland off. She had learned that in the disaster of today's battle.

Though it was difficult to imagine, Roland could easily defeat one hundred, or even two hundred, troops, if they had surrounded him. The speed, strength, and sharpness of Durandal was beyond common sense.

“We could set pitfalls beforehand. He will likely take the lead next time as well.”

“I doubt it will work. I have heard Roland has a powerful intuition and can find traps in an instant. Sachstein prepared many of them, but Roland managed to avoid them all.”


Massas words reminded Ellen of a beast.

“He may be delayed by a fence or a moat, but I doubt that... It is not like he is a private soldier from some aristocrat's army.”

Fighting with the Knights was no different from fighting against the Kingdom.

Even in today's battle, before the fight began, morale was low. It had only fallen further after their defeat. If they lost again, the Brune soldiers would collapse.

“Viscount Augre. What of the other nobles?”

“It seems they are weak willed now.”

When the old Viscount replied, Lim nodded lightly.

“Please, try to maintain the situation. Even if they are few in number, they will fight, so long as their leader remains steady.”

Ellen thought about the battle which would continue tomorrow.

Though she wanted to give the soldiers a day or two to rest, the Knights of Navarre would not allow it.

Ellen suddenly stood and placed her longsword at her waist.

“Let's go see how Tigre is doing.”


They entered his tent and saw Tigre, Teita, and Batran.

Tigre was sleeping, breathing deeply. Teita was working hard to nurse him. Batran had come to visit and was helping her work.

“... He's finally asleep.”

While rolling bandages about Tigre's body, Teita let loose a sigh of relief. Her clothes were dirty with sweat and blood, stained clothes were scattered about the vicinity.

When she had seen Tigre being carried on a stretcher, she nearly fainted. There was a large wound across his body, and his clothes were stained even through the leather armor.

His wound was hot, and, even with a cloth applied to his body, it would not close up. She had used alcohol to disinfect his wound and wiped an ointment on the injury before wrapping him in bandages soaked in a medicine prescribed by the doctor.

“Tigre-sama...”

Teita dried off the sweat on his body with a cloth. Her fingers were wrinkled from the liquid, and were swollen and red.

''--- Gods of Brune, King of the Gods, Perkunas, Mother Goddess Mosha...''


While reciting the names of nine of the ten Gods Brune believed in, Teita joined her hands in prayer in desparation. Only to the Goddess of Death, Tir na Fa, did she not call out to.

''--- Please, Please save Tigre-sama.''

At that time, a voice was heard from outside the curtain. Teita stood up alongside Batran.

“Teita. Keep an eye on him.”

Batran left the tent where several men stood. Their ages varied, and not all wore leather armor.

''--- I've seen his face somewhere.''

Thinking of that, Batran remembered immediately. They were men who disputed with both those from Alsace and Zhcted. They were soldiers and the aristocrat of Territoire whom Augre had brought.

“Hey... Um... Is the General all right?”

Hesitantly, one man asked.

Batran nodded solemnly.

“Though it is a serious injury, his life should be safe.”


When he answered them, an expression of relief floated to their faces. After a quick bow, they left. Having thought the tent would be invaded, Batran looked at them dubiously.

''--- How wonderful.''

It was not just them. While Teita was caring for Tigre, many other soldiers had appeared.

From another tent, many groans and screams of injured soldiers could be heard. There were some voices of encouragement and shouts as well. In a situation like this, any timid person would wish to run away in the night.

''--- Young Lord...''

Batran seemed as if he could weep at any moment, further distorting his wrinkled face. The little old man had been with the Vorn family since Tigre's father, Urz, was alive. He had known Tigre from the moment of his birth and loved him like a son.

''--- Urz-sama. The Young Lord is still necessary for Alsace. Please, keep him healthy.''

“Hey.”

A sudden voice called out to Batran. He looked up in surprise to see Ellen standing before him.


“What were you talking about with the people who just left?”

Batran did not like Ellen. Though he felt an obligation to remain kind to her for helping Tigre defend Alsace, he still wanted to keep his distance.

''--- I wish the Young Lord and Teita could be happy...''

However, because Batran had served by his side for many years, he was knowledgeable of the hierarchical relationship within an army. In terms of position, Ellen was equal or above Tigre, and Tigre would not want him to oppose her.

“The soldiers were anxious about the Young Lord's health.”

He replied obediently. Ellen wore a mysterious expression.

“Are they soldiers from Alsace?”

Batran shook his head.

“They are soldiers brought by Viscount Augre. I have heard many have come to visit him.

Ellen looked wide eyed at Batran in surprise.

“How is Tigre?”


“He is asleep.”

“I wish to see him. May I enter?”

“... If Teita is fine with it.”

Given his position, Batran could not say what he wished to.

Ellen smiled and nodded and entered through the curtain next to the elder man.

Teita looked back when Batran called her name and was surprised to see Ellen. Her face showed her exhaustion, and she looked troubled.

“What business do you have?”

“Just for a while, would you mind letting me see Tigre alone? It's nothing important, just... I have something I wanted to say.”

Teita hesitated for a moment. Tigre had finally fallen asleep, so she did not want others to see him if possible. Besides, she could not think of what she might want to say to someone who was sleeping.

However, seeing her sad expression, she hesitated to refuse. It was her first time seeing Ellen like that.

“... I understand, but please be careful. He has just fallen asleep. If something happens, please call me immediately. I will wait outside.”


Ellen nodded strongly and smiled at Teita.

When she saw the girl with the chestnut-brown hair leave, Ellen removed all sound with the Silver Flash at her waist and kneeled down. She looked at Tigre's body under the light. His upper body was bare, wrapped in layers of bandages.

“--- You really did save me today.”

Having been knocked off her horse, Ellen very well could have been struck down by the Black Knight.

Ellen quietly took Tigre's hand and placed it to her left breast.

“Tigre. My voice may not reach you in your sleep, so please, listen to my heart through your palm. Feel my life. Hear my feelings.”

Tigre did not react. Ellen continued as she was.

“I witnessed your bravery before Roland with my very eyes. With only your bow in hand, you rushed forward. I was amazed. But... more than that, I was happy.”

Ellen's smile turned bitter, and her voice became angry.

“But you were injured this much. You are the General of the army. Who will defend Alsace if you are gone? Who will lead the soldiers?”


[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 219.jpg|175px|thumb]]

Power entered her hands as she pressed Tigre's hand strongly against her chest.

“... I heard the soldiers of Brune have come to look at you. They look terrible, they're relying on you. They're trying to find some pillar of support.”

Roland was a powerful existence.

That man, like a storm, destroyed all things before him, allowing his men to advance. His very existence was the reason the soldiers could not remain brave. As the one who took down his horse, Tigre had become something of an object of reverence amongst them.

“No... Maybe it is not the soldiers who want to rely on you but me.”

Those words inadvertently spilled from Ellen's lips.

He had gone forward with courage. When the soldiers saw him carried off the battlefield in a stretcher, a strong remorse ran through them.

He could not afford to remove his mask of courage until the war ended.

At that time, Tigre's hands moved. Ellen's hands clasped his tightly.

Ellen was surprised, and she smiled. Even if he was unconscious, Tigre was encouraging her in his own way. She thought so.

“... Tigre. I will protect your soldiers. I will protect those you wish to defend. Because you are mine.”


''So hurry and wake up.''

Ellen muttered those final words and squeezed Tigre's hand strongly once more before standing up and leaving the tent. She stood before Teita and Batran.

“I'm sorry.”

“... Are you finished with your business?”

“Yeah. I told him everything I wanted to.”

Ellen responded with an out-of-place smile. Strangely enough, she was feeling refreshed. Suddenly, a strong wind blew; the bonfire near the curtain flickered violently. The guards looked about in a panic as a small wind blew in Ellen's hair from the sword at her waist.

“What's wrong, Arifal?”

Ellen stroked the pommel of her longsword and looked at the sky. The moon and stars were spread throughout the sky; a cold wind blew from above.

''--- Incidentally, Tigre said it would rain.''

“How is Lord Tigrevurmud?”

A familiar voice. Sophie approached with her bishop staff in hand. Ellen explained with a fearless smile as she saw her fellow Vanadis approach.


“He won't die. Not in a place like this.”

Ellen had seen his hand move. The hand she had grasped was warm. He had a will to live, a clear vitality.

“That's why I'll be fighting Roland until he wakes up.”

“I see. I thought that might be---”

Sophie's bishop staff made a sound as she smiled radiantly.

“Allow me to help, Ellen.”

Ellen looked as if she could not agree.

“You have come as a messenger. It would become a problem if they found out you helped in battle.”

“Then we simply need to keep it a secret.”

Sophie responded with a slightly mischievous voice.

“Rather than fighting the Black Knight alone, would it not be better to face him with two?”

Ellen's mouth distorted as she played with her silver-white hair. Arifal let loose a wind as if in agreement with Sophie. Ellen's hesitation was cut short.

“I suppose that's for the best. I'll gladly borrow your strength.”


“I will do my best – Will I be using my {{furigana|Dragonic Skill|Veda}} as well?”

Though her tone and expression were of a joking nature, Ellen responded seriously and bluntly.

“We'll use it.”

Contrary to what one might believe, Sophie simply nodded in confirmation as she brought her finger to her face.

“Ellen, I will give you some advice... though I suppose it will not really matter for you. We are Vanadis. We are not to be human.”

She spoke as if she had read Ellen's mind completely. Sophie smiled and walked away.

After seeing her off, Ellen returned to the others. Lim, Massas, and Augre surrounded a map and were discussing strategy beneath a lamp.

“How is Lord Tigrevurmud?”

Lim asked with her typical unfriendly expression, but Ellen saw the emotion deep in her blue eyes.

“You saw him as well? Since he was asleep, I did not think you would be able to.”

Lim shook her head while Augre looked at Ellen in curiosity.

“In his current state, Earl Vorn should be fine, right?”


“I don't know.”

All they could do was to allow Teita to take care of him. Until his wound was fully healed, he would remain haunted by the shadow of death.

Even so, Ellen spoke with an attitude as if she did not have to worry about him.

One person continued to look at her inquisitively.

“By the way, have you decided what to do in the future?”

Ellen loudly declared her answer to Lim.

“Tonight, we're going to the river up north.”

After Ellen left the tent, Teita continued to nurse him.

“... Teita. You need to rest as well. I will look after the Young Lord.”

Batran spoke to Teita. Though tired, she was still hesitant.

“May I sleep near Tigre-sama?”

“Yes. I'm sure he'll be happy to hold your hand in his rest.”

Teita bowed to Batran and lay next to Tigre, quietly grasping his left hand. Because it was the hand with which he grasped his bow, it was rough.


''--- He was bleeding so badly, his hand was covered in blood...''

Teita remembered when she saw Tigre.

“I will rest for just a moment. Tigre-sama, please open your eyes.”

Closing her eyes, Teita fell deep into slumber.

Batran looked at Teita. After checking that she had gone to sleep, he quietly cleaned up the bloody bandages around them.

In the General's tent, the three people looked at Ellen in confusion.

“... If possible, please explain this in detail.”

Massas offered a feather cushion for Ellen to sit down on.

“I remembered Tigre said it would rain tonight.”

“It will rain...?”


Lim dropped her eyesight to the map and looked at the river to the north.

“If it rains, the Navarre Knights will have dull movements.”

Augre nodded in consent.

They were covered in heavy armor and helmet and held a heavy shield with a spear or longsword. Though they boasted a formidable power when rushing, their movements would slow down if they were covered in mud.

The Zhcted cavalry had the advantage of mobility.

“Though I feel bad about it, I'll be counting on your hard work again, Viscount Augre.”

When Ellen asked him to work hard, the old Viscount began laughing, little by little.

“I see. Your army does not wear a full set of armor. Once soaked, you will encircle them.”

“But I wonder if we can win tomorrow's battle like this.”

Without moving her eyes from the map, Lim threw out a question.

“We can probably do it.”

Massas muttered as he looked at the map.

“The Navarre Knights are strong, but none are as strong as Roland. They will also collapse if they are attacked from behind.”


“That's right. We'll separate Roland from his Knights somehow and take them on separately.”

Her hair of silver-white drifted as the Vanadis laughed.

“Thanks to Lord Massas, we roughly understand the situation in the Royal Capital. For now, we will send two messengers to establish contact with Roland. Even if he does not see them, we will be able to buy a little more time, and we will get a better idea of the situation.”

“What do you mean?”

Massas inclined his head and stroked his beard since he could not understand what she meant. Ellen crossed her arms across her chest and answered in a serious tone.

“To see if he knows or is interested in why the Zhcted Army is stationed here. We do not know if he is acting as a leader or a soldier.”

“... True, we do not know much about the situation.”

Lim placed her hand to her mouth and began to think.

The reasons soldiers fight could be for food, a salary, or for exploits. In general, soldiers fight for realistic things. It was rare they would trust their Commander for his popularity and bravery. Still, while that was true, there were exceptions.

However, a leader was different. In the first place, they were the type to gather soldiers to fight their battle.


If he had a firm reason to fight, they could think about it and increase their potential options.

“Lim. Tell me why Tigre fights.”

“He is prioritizing the safety of his people. Also, he wishes to punish Duke Thenardier for his cruel actions. He wishes to have him pay reparations, and he also wishes to remain neutral in the future civil war. Those are his four goals.”

Lim answered smoothly without hesitation. Ellen smiled satisfactorily.

“That's right. Although his strength is much weaker than Thenardier's, he has a reason to fight. Even then, I believe the Knight's leader, even when commanding so many Knights, does not know of it.”

“... Speaking frankly, I do not believe he would believe the words of his enemy.”

Lim's blue eyes narrowed in thought. Ellen continued to nod.

“It is possible Roland's reason to fight is only because the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}} is flying within Brune.”

“If your thoughts are correct, then he is likely sending Earl Vorn's messengers away so as not to confuse his Knights with excess information.”


Augre's wrinkled face distorted even further.

“Roland is fighting us. He is likely looking for detailed information on us that he can trust. If he understands that Tigre's actions were unavoidable, we may be able to open negotiations.”

As Ellen had said, it soon began to rain.

The Silver Meteor Army began their march. The cold drained their physical strength, and the rain dampened their spirits. Their clothes grew heavier with the rain while their shoes only became more mud-covered as they walked.

“You can use double the wood to keep warm. You're also allowed to drink a little alcohol.”

It would be necessary to fight the Navarre Knights in the morning. There was a need to cheer up the troops.

There were some who felt the desperation in their situation. There were those who knew it would be hopeless to run away in the dark of night. There were others who feared Roland's bravery and thought of the doom of defeat.

There were many who were deeply impressed by Tigre's bravery when he fought, but there were also those whose will to fight decreased due to his injury. No, if anything, that was most predominant.

When the night grew old, they arrived at their destination. Viscount Augre visited Ellen's tent.


“I am off to make preparations, Lord Vanadis.”

After a short rest, Augre and his soldiers were to move out. Accompanied by Tigre and the injured and non-combatants, they numbered approximately one thousand.

Whether they would be fine or not, Ellen did not know. She understood it was a difficult situation; still, it was best for those who could not fight to be away from the battlefield. Knowing this, she sent them with Augre on his task.

“Is everything necessary prepared? It's best to be more ready.”

“It's fine.”

The old Viscount struck his chest.

“This is Territoire. It is my land. There is no need to worry.”

Ellen stood up and shook Augre's hand, promising to reunite tomorrow.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The Navarre Knights were located twenty belsta (approximately twenty kilometers) southwest of the Silver Meteor Army.


Though most were resting in preparation for the fight the next day, Roland was not yet tired. Roland was drinking a glass of wine as he sat with his Vice-Commander, Olivier.

“Did you find anything out about Earl Vorn?”

Hearing Olivier's report, a strong light shined in Roland's eyes. More information had arrived.

“Yes. Do you know of Dinant? Where Prince Regnas was killed?”

Hearing Olivier's words, Roland closed his eyes and nodded. He offered a silent prayer on the day he heard the story. He had not forgotten.

“In the battle, Earl Vorn became a prisoner of war. Until then, Zhcted had not known he was in charge of the lands bordering their country.”

“He did not seem like a person with ambition. Was it Zhcted?”

“About that... It seems there were many movements amongst Duke Thenardier and Duke Ganelon's armies during his absence from Alsace.”

“--- For what reason?”


Roland frowned. He was thinking Alsace must have been a good land for both to take action. Olivier simply laughed sarcastically.

“If I must speak honestly, that territory is insufficient, no matter how you look at it. Perhaps they had some use for it, but I don't understand for what reason they might have. All I know is, based on the testimonies, their armies took action.”

Roland made a bitter face as he looked at the sword learning against the table by his side. He felt it unpleasant that they would move their armies for their personal greed.

“... And His Majesty?”

It was the King's duty to place pressure on nobles who act recklessly. If Thenardier and Ganelon moved their soldiers indiscriminately, that was the first thing he should do.

“You refer to any movements in the vicinity? Wasn't His Majesty in no condition to give orders at the time?”

“His command... That's right, he was in his sickbed, so he would not have been able to issue them.”

Olivier's response which was speculative in nature worried Roland.

Basically, the Knights could not move without the orders of the King. Arbitrary actions necessitated punishment.

That much was natural. They were stationed near the mountains for a reason. Any unnecessary movement may invite trouble.


Olivier continued to speak with a look of sympathy having seen Roland tightly grasp his fist.

“Alsace was attacked by Thenardier's soldiers, but the Zhcted Army crossed the border and defeated them. Ganelon's troops turned back on the way to Alsace.”

“Then Earl Vorn invited the Zhcted Army into the country to defend his lands?”

Olivier shrugged his shoulders.

“If you're worried, why not ask Vorn? However, the Zhcted Army seems to be moving a bit suspiciously.”

“What of Earl Vorn's reputation?”

“I have received some information regarding that. If you ignore his skill in the military arts, his reputation is not particularly poor. I found a long letter from Auguste of the Calvados cavalry. Much of his achievements were dismissed because he was a man of Alsace.”

“Please show me the letter.”

Three pieces of paper from a larger bundle were pulled out and given to Roland. Roland took it in hand and looked over it silently.

Roland knew Auguste was a direct and trustworthy man. They had worked together many times before he was assigned to the Navarre Knights, so he was interested in his opinion.


His letter spoke indifferently of Tigre and his father, Urz.

''--- Though his bow technique is superior, his skill otherwise is ordinary. If there is fault in him, it is that he thinks of his people just as much as his father. For that, he does not fear the stigma of disgrace and will borrow the power of others.''

Those were his exact feelings toward Tigrevurmud Vorn.

''--- If His Majesty ordered it...''

The Knight is the sword and the shield of the Kingdom. Roland had a sworn duty to protect the people and subjugate the enemy.

Standing on the border, he had warded off many enemies. It was a worthwhile task.

Suddenly, Roland recalled the legend of his name.

It was the story Prince Faron had spoken of. Roland, the [Knight of Knights], was the greatest defense.

“--- Olivier.”

Roland took his eyes off the letter and looked up to his trusted aide.

“What do you think of this battle?”

Roland asked him as a Knight of Navarre.

This fight was not for King Faron. It was an order passed down from Duke Thenardier and Ganelon.


His loyalty as a Knight was to the King. It was only this loyalty he felt pride in. For this reason alone, he fought to protect his land, but he could not remove the sense that he was simply being used by powerful aristocrats.

Olivier's response was roundabout.

“We are proud of being Knights. We place our faith in you.”

They had a mission to protect Brune, and they believed Roland's command would help them accomplish it. That was what he meant.

Roland looked at Olivier who shook his hand, showing his understanding.

“We will move according to schedule. I will handle the Vanadis. I will leave command to you to do as you see fit.”

They had experience fighting off the Sachstein army along the western border. Olivier nodded without any sign of nervousness because he was accustomed to it.

“But what of the issue with Earl Vorn?”

“It is certain he has brought the Zhcted Army into our lands. That is enough.”

It was dangerous for the Navarre Knights if their Commander faltered here. Roland was fully aware of it.

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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 03 Chapter 3 - MTL

2013-11-28T05:07:43Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== {{furigana|Brilliant Princess of the Light Flower|Presuvet}} ===

North of the Orange Plains, beyond the river, several villages dotted the surroundings amidst a sea of vast vineyards. The time of the harvest had passed; the earth had a dreary color and was filled with branches barren of all leaves.

Perhaps it was also due to the weather; the mid-afternoon sky was covered in gray clouds.

''--- It's not raining. Even if it doesn't today, it will tomorrow. How troublesome.''

While riding on horseback along a path through the vineyards, Tigre looked up at the dim sky.

Tigre was visiting the largest village in the area, Saunier. He was amongst ten people without armor; at most, they were dressed lightly wearing only swords at their waist. Since they were all battle hardened, they were a strong fighting force.

“Rather than a village, it feels like a small town.”

Rurick advanced to ride next to Tigre and spoke his thoughts as he looked at the landscape of Saunier. Tigre also returned words of consent.

From above, the village was shaped like a circle. It was surrounded by a stone wall to an adult's height, and the gates were made of three pieces of thick, laminated oak planks, each door at one of four corners of the town. They were painted with plaster to protect against fire.


“Saunier is the center of all the local villages.”

Augre looked on while continuing the explanation. Given how relaxed he looked, it must have been a peaceful village.

“Most village meetings are done here. There is also an open market here, though there are villages closer to the highways than Saunier.”

There were many purposes for Tigre's visit to Saunier. One was to grant some sense of relief to the people by having Augre, their Feudal Lord, appear. Another was to confirm the situation amongst the villages, and the final reason was to determine their future actions.

“Oh, you seem to be in a good mood. Tigre-san, are we staying here longer?”

While looking at the stalls which sold fish-kebabs, a man standing next to Rurick heard them speak. He brushed his disheveled brown hair aside in a clumsy manner, showing his profile. He had a somewhat mischievous expression.

The man's name was Aram, and he was a member of the Zhcted Army. When Tigre was a captive, they had played a variety of games, such as chess, cards, and ninepin, together..

“We will be here for a while. Viscount Augre and I will be heading to the meeting place first.”

He responded to Aram's question made in slight jest; some laughter sounded from the surrounding men.


If he had come only to confirm the safety of the village, even with attendants, Tigre would only require five people.

The reason he came with ten people was due to the existence of Aram's scouting unit.

Although Ellen had ten people scouting the Orange Plains, it was Aram's group of five which discovered the Ganelon Army.

This morning, Tigre called for them and praised them for their distinguished services.

“Although you helped immensely, there is little I can do. Still, I would like to do what I can for you, so long as it is within my abilities.”

Aram responded by saying, “There is a village one koku away. We would like to rest there if possible.”

In a situation in which he had little maneuverability about the Orange Plains and no knowledge as to whether Massas would appear, it was a considerably unreasonable demand. While Aram spoke in a light hearted manner, Tigre took him seriously.

However, Tigre knew Viscount Augre would attend a meeting at Saunier in the morning before he called for them.

“Though it is necessary to receive Viscount Augre's approval, I believe we can go there without armor.”

When he told them Augre had consented, they acted happily like children, despite nearing the age of 30. They had now advanced ahead of Tigre and were looking about in interest.


The streets were flat and average in size. There were fences and pillars found at crossroads, and the streets were lined with rows of stone, brick, and slate houses with circular chimneys.

Children were scribbling on the ground or running about gardens.

Everywhere they looked, the village gave off a rustic impression, but with how well built the gate, tavern, and general store were, it was clear this village had many travelers.

“Although it was true of Tigre-san's land of Alsace, this place also makes me feel that Brune life is not so different from ours.”

“I know what you're talking about. I thought it would be more like Muozinel.”

“Let's eat for the time being. Then we can look for women. I haven't seen a beautiful woman in a long time.”

“That's a good idea. I'd like a good bed, too.”

While listening to the soldiers happily conversing, Tigre arrived at the meeting point.

It was a private house approximately three times the size of the average household in the area, built with stone and bricks; its roof was made of clay.


While helping Viscount Augre dismount his horse, Tigre spoke to Aram and the others.

“You have one and a half koku to do as you wish. Make sure to avoid trouble.”

Hearing they would have time to themselves, their faces changed. They turned and ran without looking back.

Rurick watched in amazement as he watched them leave his sight before shrugging his shoulders.

“Rurick, you can go as well. We will be fine, so why not go join Aram?”

“Thank you for your kind words, but Vanadis-sama and Lord Limlisha would surely kill me if I do.”

Though Rurick spoke jokingly, his eyes were serious.

“Then Batran, you may go relax.”

Even if three people decreased to two, it was not particularly significant, and he would not have much to do if he remained.

Viscount Augre's subordinates accompanied him. Tigre and Rurick passed through the entrance to the meeting place inside the large stone building.

A wool carpet lay at the center of the room with a long table and chairs placed on top. Enshrined in the back wall were statues of the ten Gods.


After greeting all the gathered village leaders, Tigre sat in his seat. Augre was the primary speaker, so Tigre simply remained silent and listened.

Though there were no special conversations in particular, he was able to confirm the good news that there was no damage. The story ended in a half koku and the meeting was disbanded.

''--- No information on the King's Capital...''

Though it did not show on Tigre's face, he was slightly disappointed.

For those who do not leave their village,travelers and merchants were precious sources of information and entertainment from the outside world. Hotel rooms and meals were offered to them, and the number of villagers requesting to speak to them was hardly a few.

Though Tigre expected to receive some form of information on the King's Capital, nothing was spoken. It ended in a miss.

“It ended early.”

After leaving the meeting place, Rurick scratched his bald head while watching the surroundings. It has only been a half koku since Aram and his men left. They would not return for a while.

“I wonder if I should have arranged for a room to rest in or not.”

Augre smiled wryly as he stroked his chin. Though the village chiefs offered a feast and bedding arrangements, they were planning to return quickly. Though he could call them back and have it arranged, Augre was not a domineering Lord.


“I will find a place to rest. Viscount Augre, you should return to camp early and take a break.”

“If you say so. Earl Vorn, you should also take a break. Even if it is only one koku, it will help you relax.”

“No, I...”

Tigre spoke hesitantly and shook his head softly to the old Viscount. Augre nodded with a smile. It was a modest attitude characteristic of a person with much modesty; still, it helped Tigre relax.

“I suppose so. Thank you.”

Thanking him, Tigre and Rurick left the old Viscount.

“What do you want to do, Rurick?”

“If I might have permission, I would first like some alcohol. Either wine or a honey sake would be nice to have.”

“I suppose so. Let's go look for a bar.”

“The inn, general store, and tavern are near the gate. I saw many people entering, and the signboard had a wine bottle. I believe there were many cheerful voices there as well.”


The inside was not particularly wide, and the fire was not lit since there were lamps and the windows were all widely open. Along the shelves were bottles of various shape and size.

Half the seats were filled. Tigre and Rurick went deeper into the shop and sat at a table near the window. A fat, middle aged woman came to take their order.

“Did you want some beer? If you want, we can make you something light to eat as well.”

They ordered some bread and cheese and pickled cabbage to eat.

Soon afterward, pitchers filled to the brim with alcohol and plates with food were placed before them.

After a toast, Rurick drank quickly.

“A good alcohol. Do you like it?”

“It's not bad. It's light and has a good flavor.”

While cheerfully ordering another beer, Rurick reached for the pickled cabbage. After taking a bite, he let out a sound showing his interest. Though Tigre also tried the pickles, he did not find them as interesting.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing. Though it looks the same, the taste is different from the one of my lands.”


“Same here. It tasted different from when I ate them in LeitMeritz.”

It was not limited to these dishes. Whether it be the bread or soup, though they looked the same, they had a different flavor. Tigre thought it somewhat refreshing; apparently Rurick did as well.

“Still, it is quite good on its own.”

Rurick spoke in a somewhat exaggerated manner upon seeing Tigre suddenly frown.

“You're looking quite glum.”

“Oh? I didn't think it was that easy to see.”

Tigre gave a noncommittal answer as he gazed at the scenery outside the window, though the bald man did not pay any heed.

“Don't make that face and just have a drink... is what I'd like to say, but given your worries, I suppose you can't think about drinking. Well, if you can talk about your worries, then feel free to speak.”

Tigre looked steadily at Rurick after hearing his unexpected words and smiled.

“I thought about this before, but why did you decide to follow me in there earlier?”

Rurick smiled in a pretentious manner.


“Are you anxious?”

Tigre nodded, seemingly with his entire body. Rurick answered after taking a large drink.

“It's an embarrassing story, so I may need to drink a bit more. Simply put, I need to relax some.”

Rurick continued happily as he nibbled on some cheese.

“Before I met you, I was the number one archer of LeitMeritz with a record of two-hundred-seventy alsin. I had never met anyone within Zhcted who could shoot any further than that. Even in the King's Capital of Silesia, the limit anyone could supposedly reach was two-hundred-fifty alsin.”

Rurick continued speaking conceited words.

On the continent, it was said the maximum range of a bow is approximately two-hundred-fifty alsin (approximately two-hundred-fifty meters). The average archer could not even reach one-hundred-fifty.

“But you... in that kind of situation, well, normally you could not even pull out half your abilities. Still, you used such a terrible bow and aimed accurately at the leg of a human running along the ramparts, and you're five years younger than me... There were many things that were destroyed in that moment. In the end, you spared my life.”


It was a story of when Tigre had just become Ellen's captive. One might think it was an old story given how Tigre and Rurick were recalling that time while drinking beer.

“I found you interesting when I talked to you.”

“Thanks for that.”

Hearing a somewhat crooked compliment, Tigre obediently gave his words of thanks. Though both had been drinking, it was still a bit embarrassing.

“By the way, what's worrying you?”

Rurick returned to topic after ordering his third drink. Though his breath was tinged with the smell of alcohol, he looked earnestly at Tigre.

“I suppose I'll ask you seriously – The Zhcted soldiers are following me, but is that really okay?”

“Frankly speaking, that's a difficult question.”

Though his tone was serious, Tigre was at a loss for words. He was ruffling his red hair to reflect that.

“--- Every night, I look at the sky. The empty sky here is different from the empty sky of Alsace. When I remember the night sky I saw in LeitMeritz, it feels so distant.”


He was far from his hometown, continuing a battle in a cold plain during the winter.

They must have been tired both physically and mentally. Although Ellen was commanding them, should it not be for battle, they may have thrown all aside and gone home. Tigre asked himself these questions once again when Aram pointed out his desire to rest in the village.

These doubts could not be cleared by Ellen or Lim, which is why he spoke to Rurick.

It was because he was a soldier. Though he acted as Tigre's escort at times like today, he was still one amongst thousands of soldiers he would command in battle. Basically, Rurick worked hard on a daily basis and was fundamentally no different from the others.

Tigre wanted to have a look at the soldiers that day. He wanted to hear their views and welcomed them to speak without reserve.

“You're thinking too much.”

Rurick dismissed Tigre's worries.

“Vanadis-sama's predecessor lasted for a short two years. Anyone who lasts more than five years is considered to have lasted a long time. In LeitMeritz, we always follow whatever expedition they may undertake. So long as the soldiers have food and a salary, their morale will not fall.”

“And what of an enemy attack?”


“We only need to follow Vanadis-sama. Batran-san said the people of Alsace have a fear of fighting; they lack the courage and will to fight. However, they fought because of their leader. In other words, they fought because they believed in you.”

“I see... So that's how it is.”

Tigre finished his drink in a single gulp and let out a deep breath.

“Are you feeling better after hearing what I said?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

If the number of soldiers had been switched, that is, if soldiers of Brune outnumbered those of Zhcted, their battle in Alsace may have been different.

Naturally, Ellen and Lim commanded Zhcted's soldiers while Augre commanded Brune's soldiers.

Many people had gathered together.

Even then, Tigre was the General. There were many things he needed to know, needed to learn. It was necessary for him to learn the ways of countries other than Brune and Alsace in order to gain trust.

“You don't need to worry. We're fine as we are. By the way---”

Rurick lowered in tone unexpectedly.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. There is one more thing I would like to ask you.”


“What?”

Tigre had released his attention in his moment of relief. He began to drink his beer as he prompted Rurick to continue speaking.

“Between Lord Limlisha and Miss Teita, who would you choose?”

Tigre spat his beer out slightly.

“Wha, where is this coming from?”

“It's a bit of a hot topic. It seems spring has come for that frigid woman... Excuse me, that was rude. It must be the alcohol.”

“... We are seen in that way?”

Though he did not realize, he was looking down and was slightly agitated, Tigre carefully asked.

“I honestly don't know. However, Limlisha, as Vanadis-sama's adjutant, has never been close to another man. That's why there's a rumor that she speaks easily with Lord Tigrevurmud. Teita goes without saying.”

Though Rurick responded as if it was someone else's concern, his eyes clearly showed his interest.

“It seems people are making bets as well. Will you choose Limlisha? Or will you choose Teita? Incidentally, since you are an aristocrat, there has been a suggestion of you choosing both.”

Tigre felt a headache and began scratching his head. He could not afford to think about such things when dealing with Thenardier and Ganelon.


Besides, following his contract, both he and Alsace belonged to Ellen, even if it was a verbal promise.

At the moment, Ellen had not made a declaration. Though ambiguous, their relationship could not remain as is indefinitely. Still, it was a relationship far from love when he thought about it.

“By the way, if we bring peace to Alsace, what will you do?”

While Tigre was trying to think of a response to his blunt opponent's question, which had sealed all means of escape. He decided to go with that.

“Me? I will return to LeitMeritz, though there is no telling what will happen after that.”

He responded without hesitation. Though Tigre knew he was popular with women, he was impressed that he spoke without hesitation.

“Oh, like I thought, Tigre-san, Rurick.”

A voice was abruptly heard from outside the window. Aram and the others walked toward him with a smile on their face and either a honeyed kabob or bread and jam in their hands.

“It looks like you're having fun.”

Tigre nodded and laughed. Aram thrust his face toward the window.

“Oh, cabbage. Mind if I try one?”


“How about some of the meat from your skewer then?”

“It's pigeon. It's pretty tough.”

Aram passed Tigre a kabob and pulled out a cabbage. Rurick looked bitterly at him.

“You shouldn't take advantage of Lord Tigrevurmud so much... He's not a prisoner anymore.”

It was true he was not a prisoner of war anymore, but since he had received the pigeon meat, Tigre remained quiet. It certainly was tough, but it had a deep flavor.

“This is delicious. Where do they sell it?”

“I'll show you. By the way, are you going to the Mansion after this, Tigre-san?”

“Man... Mansion...?”

Tension quickly appeared on Tigre's face. On the other hand, Rurick seemed interested.

“They have one in this village?”

“There's a sign showing worship of Iarilo here. There aren't many people, and the girls don't look all that great, but it's cheap.”

Iarilo was one of the divine Goddesses of both Brune and Zhcted who represented a good harvest and lust. Having her on a sign in the village showed there was a facility present.


“... Will you be able to leave the village in a half koku?”

Tigre said that for the time being.

“If it's a half koku, we probably can.”

Rurick gave his response. It seems he completely felt like going.

''--- Well, what should I do...''

Tigre understood the purpose of Mansions. They were located even in the town of Celesta where his residence was. He also saw them in the camps at Dinant, soliciting the soldiers.

However, Tigre and Ellen had given strict orders that prostitutes were never to be seen amongst the soldiers of the Silver Meteor Army. Rather than calling them fastidious, they were fearful the prostitutes may spread sickness, deteriorate morale, or act as foreign spies.

“So, what will you do, Tigre-san?”

Aram asked, pushing Tigre into a panic.

“No, I'm fine.”

The soldiers behind Aram began to whisper.

“Look, I told you. Tigre-san can already see his family.”

“That's right. He can always see Teita.”


“Also, our second in command never gets angry. The day before yesterday, no, maybe it was before that, she was tugging on Tigre-san's hair when he overslept.”

Certainly, his hair was pulled on, but Teita and Lim's angry faces appeared in his head. Ellen's face appeared as well.

He could not imagine it well. Rather than imagining Ellen scold him, he imagined her staring at him with an ill-humored expression. Her bright, red eyes surpassed rubies of the highest class.

He imagined Teita blotting out the tears in her hazel eyes while complaining to him. As for Lim, though she kept her mind and expression calm, her eyes would show her amazement, contempt, frustration, and dissatisfaction.

“... All of you want to spend the rest or your time like this?”

Ruffling his red hair, Tigre let out a deep sigh as he looked at the Zhcted soldiers.

“While I won't say as much as Lim, I will admit this could lead to a disturbance in military discipline.”

Aram and the others looked at each other. Ignoring their reactions, Tigre continued to speak.

“Now, I feel like being alone, so I'll return to our meeting point. Rurick, I leave them in your care. I will say this once again. Do not cause trouble. Also, don't regret how you spend the money you worked hard to earn. Finally, you will remain on schedule and will not speak of this once we return – got it?”


Aram and the others saluted Tigre in a relaxed manner.

Tigre's words were an implicit sign of his permission. When he told them to not regret how they spent their money, he was telling them to choose a healthy person.

Since Tigre did not feel like joining them, he left Rurick to take charge of them; however, it was true he wanted to be alone so he could think about what Rurick said when he spoke of his troubles.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Tigre rode his horse alone along the prairie at the end of the day. The sky was covered with gray clouds dying the land in shadows.

He suddenly recalled his conversation with Rurick and the others; he let out a deep sigh.

Tigre was a 16 year old man. It was not as if he lacked an interest in women.

However, as the Lord of Alsace, his desire to hunt with his bow was greater, and, now, he did not have the time to think about such things.


''--- That's right. I don't have the luxury.''

From the time he had met Marquis Greast, Tigre had thought about many things. He had not yet told them to anyone. It was closer to a desire than something he thought feasible.

''--- Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon, what can I do about their tyranny?''

It was not something for a small aristocrat like Tigre to be concerned with, but he could not help but think it was impossible to avoid battle with them. Such thoughts had lurked in his heart ever since he heard the rumors in the camps at Dinant.

''--- If the King recovers from his illness, it might be resolved for the time being.''

Still, Duke Thenardier retained his grudge. Though it was an issue which should have been directed only at himself, it was a problem since it was aimed at all people in Alsace.

However, Tigre's thoughts ended here.

After he met with Ellen, Tigre's view of the world extended far beyond Alsace. Though his knowledge was something acquired from Lim's education, he could not take it all in stride. Even if he had a vague idea of what was in store for him in the future, that was his current limit.

The cold wind blew by Tigre, returning him from his thoughts.

''--- I'll reach the river soon.''


Though he was riding through the thicket on his horse, he could still see ahead of him properly. However, since the sky had become dark, he should have been more careful.

With a few dozen strides to the river remaining, he stopped moving and took precaution.

''--- The sound of water...''

Though he could not see well from the bushes, he knew someone or something was there.

''--- It would be good if it was just a small animal coming for some water.''

When he thought that, he heard the sound of the water mix with the sound of the wind. The noise of something flapping tickled his ear; something was flying.

As he reached for the bow in his saddle, a black object came flying before his eyes. It was about the size of a puppy. Tigre caught it with both his hands as it stared at him intently.

Though it seemed to be jet black in the darkness, it had rusty green scales, a color he was familiar with. It had horns on the back of its head and wings similar to a bat on its back.

It was a Dragon; a small, infant Dragon, and it was the source of the strange sound he heard a moment ago – the sound of the Dragon flying.

“You... Why am I seeing you here?”

To calm his surprised horse, Tigre covered the young Dragon. It looked like Ellen's pet Dragon, but it should not have been in a place like this.


“You're definitely a distinct Dragon... You're really meek, aren't you. I wonder if all baby Dragons are like this.”

Tigre held the creature in his hand. Though it had sharp eyes and looked as if it were appraising Tigre, it showed no signs of aggression.

“--- Lunie-chan?”

A woman's voice called out from somewhere. At that moment, the young Dragon flapped its wings vigorously; its eyes were wide open in fright. When he released his grip momentarily, the young Dragon jumped on Tigre's back and placed its feet on his head, as if hiding its body.

Hearing that, a shadow appeared, shaking the nearby bushes.

“Lunie-cha---”

It was a woman. She was taller than Tigre and had eyes the color of a beryl and golden hair.

When her eyes met Tigre's, they opened widely. She gasped and was at a loss for words. Tigre stared at her in surprise, unable to move.

She was not wearing a single piece of cloth and stood completely exposed, her body wet with water, to Tigre.

She had delicate shoulders, ample bosom, narrow hips, and long, slender legs.

After a silence reaching a count of ten, Tigre's brain managed to squeeze out some words.


“Cl, clothes...?”

However, his thought process was not normal.

As if reacting to Tigre's voice, the infant Dragon's body began to shake. The woman, also reacting to his words, began moving.

“Lunie-chan!”

The woman kicked off the ground, chasing after it so it would not escape. She moved as if she had not noticed Tigre's presence and stumbled after her fourth step. With her posture broken, Tigre moved his arms out to catch her on reflex and fell embracing her.

[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 005.jpg|175px|thumb]]

Perhaps due to the chill of the river water, her cold body made him feel warm. He could clearly feel her soft skin and two voluptuous bulges.

Though his back was to the ground, he barely felt it. With the majority of his consciousness taken away, he could not even think of anything else.

Though the two were mutually frozen, Tigre tried to move his hand somehow. His fingers brushed the glossy skin along her hips; a bewitching sound tickled Tigre's ear.

However, it had removed the tension. She finally sat up, drops of water spilling from her golden hair down her collarbone, collecting in the valley between her breasts.


Against the background of the night sky, her beautiful, naked body stole his eyes once again. Though he wanted to offer his clothes so she could conceal herself, it was clearly impossible in this posture. Unable to do anything, he shut his eyes strongly and covered his face with his hand.

“Oh my, I apologize.”

Her gentle voice fell from above; it was impossible for him not to hear it. When he thought he wanted to retreat, he heard a voice from a distance.

“Sophie? Since it's this dark, it will be hard to find Lunie...”

The voice broke off as footsteps approached. Tigre's instincts perceived an unprecedented danger. While Tigre wanted to escape immediately, the woman was still on top of him.

Though he may have been able to escape if he pushed her away, he could not muster any strength.

“--- Oh?”

Hearing a voice tinged with anger, Tigre felt a sense of hopelessness.

He was not scolded or hit.

Even so, contempt was clearly in her voice and gaze. Tigre felt it may have been better if he was beaten, since things had never been this painful.


In the General's tent were five men and women: Tigre, Ellen, Lim, Teita, and Sophie. Tigre sat in a chair, half encircled by the others. He felt he should have gotten Augre to join as well.

Still, the modest old Viscount was tired and was resting early. Though Tigre did not want him to overwork himself, he sincerely felt it was a failure on his part to allow him to leave early.

“Your training is not enough.”

Lim looked down at him with eyes clearly expressing contempt. Ellen, though not as much as Lim, also looked at him in anger and shock.

“You'll fall on the battlefield if you can't react quickly to a surprise. What would you do if a beautiful assassin came? Wouldn't you die?”

“Tigre-sama...”

Teita had brought snacks for everyone. While pouring wine, Teita looked at Tigre in pity. She called out his name, clearly showing her mental state. It was harsh.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Tigrevurmud. I am one of the Vanadis, Sophia Obertas, and wielder of the {{furigana|[Barrier of Evil Retreat]|Taima no Fukkou}}. You may call me Sophie.”


Ignoring the atmosphere, Sophie introduced herself with a kind smile, as if she were a Goddess of ancient myth.

Her body was wrapped in a light green dress, her golden hair, now dry, waved gently. The various jewels decorating her body only added to her flower-like beauty.

Of the four women present, only she, the victim in a sense, spoke to him with kind words and gentle expressions. It was quite odd.

Lunie was held in her thin arms. The infant Dragon with rusty green scales had lowered its limbs and no longer flapped its wings. It remained obedient like a doll; it had given up on running away.

''--- This person is definitely a Vanadis.''

Though different from Ellen and Ludmira, she was also a beautiful woman. She had an intimidating demeanor and remained calm before Tigre, despite having been seen naked. Tigre bowed his head and smiled in a carefree manner to calm his nerves.

“I am Tigrevurmud Vorn. I apologize for my rudeness before.”

“Oh my, I should be the one to thank you. You tried to catch me when I fell over.”

“It's a load off my mind if you say that.”

“It was my first time being held so closely by a gentleman, I was surprised. You made quite an impressive first impression.”


The Vanadis giggled, her golden hair shaking. Seeing her gaze directed toward his waist rather than his body, he felt he was unjustly suspected.

“So, why did you show up in a place like this?”

While fiddling with her silver-white hair, Ellen asked in a blunt voice.

“You don't know?”

Tigre asked Ellen in surprise. She was taking a bath in the river. Though he thought their conversation had concluded, it seems he was wrong.

“It seems he returned a half koku early.”

Though Ellen was curious about Sophie's sudden appearance, she was pleased to meet her again.

“I was surprised you took Lunie. Honestly, I didn't think Tigre would be back this early, so I gave you time to take a bath to wash off your sweat while we were waiting for him to return. I didn't expect this to happen.”

Ellen's words permitted no chance for him to speak, though the thorns in her words had receded.

“My, I do so love Lunie-chan.”

Noticing her soften, Sophie tilted her head and looked at Ellen.

The last time the two had met was in the King's Capital of Zhcted, Silesia. Ellen asked her a favor and promised she would let Sophie play with Lunie in return. Sophie loved Dragons, especially this baby with a terrible face.


“I got it. You can play with Lunie.”

Though he did not know what happened, Tigre felt a deep sympathy for the young Dragon which was being held. It stared at Teita with an unusual interest.

“I came here with official duties from our country. His Majesty has become impatient with your absence, and he has heard an interesting story from Brune. He ordered I go as a messenger.”

“Messenger?”

“It happened a few days after we met, probably about ten days.”

Ellen sighed upon hearing Sophie's words.

“Impatient, is he... But is this really the sort of duty he should be giving to you?”

“Well, it was unavoidable.”

Sophie's gaze moved to her bishop staff. The mysterious wand had many circular rings protruding which combined to form an elaborate golden pillar.

“My {{furigana|Light Flower|Zaht}} should work better than yours, right?”

Tigre recognized the word referred to her bishop staff, her {{furigana|[Dragonic Tool]|Viralt}}.


''--- Certainly, it would be different if Ellen's sword or Ludmira's spear were sent as messengers.''

Sophie's bishop staff appeared to have a lower war potential than any other {{furigana|[Dragonic Tool]|Viralt}}. It looked more like a sacred treasure than a weapon.

“Tigre. I'll tell you this now, but if you do anything to Sophie, she may very well hurt you badly. Though it will hurt being cut with a sword, it can be more painful if she crushes your bones.”

Tigre returned to his normal thoughts after hearing Ellen's grumpy voice. Due to her gaze toward him, it was difficult for him to object.

“Oh my, Ellen is quite jealous. This is the first time I have seen this side of you.”

Ellen made a completely sulky face upon hearing Sophie's words as she teased her.

“Jealous? Of course not. He was looking at you in a rude manner. Even you can't feel good about that.”

Placing an index finger to her mouth, Sophie continued to speak gently.

“True, he did see everything.”

Lim, who had remained silent until then, drank some wine. Teita wiped some she spilled in a panic. Ellen's face was hard to comment on at all. Tigre simply bowed his head deeply.


“There is no need to worry so much. I was the one to stumble, after all. It was simply my first time sticking to a man---”

“... Sophia-sama. If possible, let us continue with the more serious business at hand.”

Interrupting Sophie's words, Lim clearly had an expression showing she was enduring a headache. Finally, Tigre and Ellen managed to pull their act together.

“Sophie. It seems you received word from the Royal Palace. I'm a bit anxious, since I assume you came to tell her she is not to interfere with Brune.”

When Tigre spoke, Sophie lowered her eyes and looked at him.

“... That is correct. Though it will hurt to say, the talks did not conclude well.”

“What do you mean?”

“The King of Brune, his majesty is currently ill, and he could not attend. Though we spoke to Prime Minister Bodwin, it seems the largest issue is your position.”

“Position?”

Tigre tilted his head. Ellen was the one to react.

“I was employed by Tigre. This matter should be irrelevant to Zhcted Kingdom.”


“Officially that is true, but they said [The Vanadis is after our territory].”

Sophie laughed and Ellen shrugged with a bitter smile. They heard she had requested his territory for his ransom.

“After that, there was a message they wished to convey to Lord Tigrevurmud.”

Without missing a beat, Sophie spoke her words accurately.

[In face of the sin of rebellion, Vorn has been deprived of all rights as a citizen of Brune, his title, and his family name. Alsace will be run directly by the King. Once the turmoil has settled, a magistrate will be sent from the King's Capital.]

“... Rebellion.”

Bringing his hand to his forehead, Tigre spoke that word deeply.

Though he imagined it to be so, his heart felt heavy knowing it was true; still, he was relieved the people under his charge had not been accused.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. A messenger from the Royal Palace will come one day. Other than myself, have you not heard from Lord Massas?”

“Huh?”

Tigre involuntarily uttered a sound. Lim and Teita looked to Sophie in wonder.


“You know Lord Massas name. No, may I ask how you know of him?”

“Oh my, he did not tell you.”

Sophie looked on with a smile.

“I became acquainted with him in the King's Capital of Nice. He told me he would take his troops to Lord Tigrevurmud once he returned to his lands. Though I was thinking of coming to meet Ellen with him, I decided to come early since we were close. He should arrive tomorrow afternoon.”

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

After dinner and the conference was finished, Tigre sat while maintaining his bow.

Sophie had left after telling Batran, who was now sitting at Tigre's side, that Massas was safe.

Ignoring the difference of status between nobleman and villager, both Batran and Massas had known each other from before Tigre was even born. Hearing of Massas' safety, the little old man was more happy than Tigre.


Once he finished his maintenance, Tigre noticed a gaze as he stood up.

“Did you need something, Young Lord?”

“No, there is nothing. I wish to get a bit of fresh air. You won't be going since it's this cold, will you?”

Tigre stopped the elderly man from standing with a joke.

“You should return at once. It won't do to have the General catching a cold.”

“... I'll keep that in mind.”

Tigre left the tent after waving his hand to Batran. Similarly, he waved to the soldiers on watch and began walking without any particular purpose.

His feet took him to a secluded area. The cold winter air and the light of the stars bathed down on Tigre. Massas was safe.

It was good news, but after walking this far, Tigre still could not feel truly happy.

“A traitor, am I...”

He murmured the words. When it came out in his voice, he felt his body tremble from the very core.

It was deemed he had taken arms against the Kingdom of Brune. No, it was not just himself but all the people who followed him.


''--- I can't lose now...!''

He clenched his teeth and grasped his fist tightly. The Thenardier Army had burned and devastated the town of his birth and attacked the people he cherished. Though he had forced this unreasonable task upon them as their charge, they had followed him and supported each other.

He was doing this to protect them. He could not be negative.

He stared into the darkness, confirming his own determination.

“--- Who is it~?”

Suddenly, something covered his eyes as soon as the warm and calm voice hit his ears. Something soft hit Tigre's back, upon which he pulled away on reflex.

A sweet smell peculiar to a woman's skin stimulated his nose, and her light voice touched his ear.

“So, Sophie...?”

Though they had only met today and had barely spoken to one another, her pleasant and relaxed voice sounding in his ear was immediately identifiable.

After she removed her hands from Tigre's face and separated from him, he turned around to see her smile gently. Sophia Obertas stood before him with golden bishop staff in hand.


“Was it really that easy?”

“You may say that, but there are only four women here, and ignoring all else, your voice is quite beautiful...”

While he answered, Tigre could not help but be wary of the Vanadis in the back of his mind.

He felt no signs. She wore a dress, but there were no sounds of it rustling.

Regardless of battle, she, too, was a Vanadis.

“Oh my, such flattery.”

Sophie gently pat Tigre's head with a smile. Though he often did it to Teita, Tigre felt embarrassed to have it done to himself.

Still, the feeling of her palm and the kindness and warmth in it felt good. Sophie did not stop with just one or two strokes, though. She continued even beyond thirty. As expected of her.

“Why are you here?”

“I wished to talk with you for a bit.”

Sophie obediently answered his question. She had seen Tigre leave his tent and secretly followed after him.

“It will not do if the General goes out alone.”


Rather than scolding him, she spoke with a tone as if she were admonishing a child. Tigre thought to pull away, but Sophie did not notice. She continued to pat Tigre's hair as he looked at her in awkward embarrassment.

“So... What did you wish to speak with me about?”

The sound of her bishop staff rang through the air as she looked up at the starry sky.

“... What is Ellen to you?”

''What are you saying so suddenly?'' Tigre wanted to say that, but he swallowed his words. Sophie looked away from the sky and gazed straight at Tigre in earnest; her smile had disappeared. Her beryl eyes displayed a strong will; she exuded an atmosphere that would allow no deception.

''No,'' Tigre released his tension immediately. ''There's no need to think about it. I only need to answer frankly.''

“For me, Ellen is my benefactor... and if I may be so impudent as to say it, my comrade-in-arms.”

“A comrade-in-arms?”

Sophie's bright eyes stared at him. Her bishop staff shook and glittered gold, as if scattering the darkness. Tigre nodded thinking it a natural reaction.

If he had asked a person of Zhcted, they would consider Tigre as Ellen's prisoner of war. To call the Vanadis a comrade would be nothing more than insolence.


However, he fought alongside Ellen.

He also used an abnormal power.

“Do you dislike Ellen?”

“Dislike?”

Tigre was bewildered hearing a question he had not expected. Sophie continued to speak.

“You are Ellen's prisoner.”

“Ellen lent me her soldiers.”

After giving a prompt answer, Tigre shrugged his shoulders, mischief bleeding from his eyes.

“Ellen calls me Tigre. I call her Ellen. I'm not particularly in the habit of calling people I dislike by their nicknames.”

When Sophie heard Tigre's words, she smiled brightly. It was a smile lit by the light from her bishop staff – a smile attractive enough to fall in love with.

“It seems you really feel that way. I am relieved.”

“How do you know?”

“I cannot say I know. I simply believe. I saw your face; I heard your words. “

Tigre thought she said it like a prayer a Shinto priest or shrine maiden might say. She had clearly seen through him and began to laugh.


“I have seen how Ellen and Lim view you. I have heard how your maid and the soldiers speak of you. Lord Massas Rodant has also told me of you... There was much for me to go on, but, in the end, your facial expressions, your voice, your behavior, those are what allow me to place my faith in you. You truly cherish Ellen.”

Without a sound, her golden hair and green dress fluttered as she walked before Tigre.

“You have become the center of attention even in Zhcted. Why has Ellen associated so much with you, who on earth is this Tigrevurmud Vorn, and so on.”

Her smile disappeared. At a distance of fewer than three steps from Tigre, Sophie stopped walking. It was a suitable distance for her bishop staff.

“The most common rumor is that Ellen fell in love with you at a glance. That, too, is not impossible. The soldiers have never moved for an Earl of a neighboring country and thrust their neck into a civil war. You also fought Mira. How could it not be a large thing? That would normally be impossible.”

Tigre involuntarily turned his gaze to the black bow in his hands. Tigre did not understand the amazing power held in this bow. Still, there was something else that came from Tigre's mouth.

“Your actions when you were bathing, were you testing me?”


“I only tripped then.”

Tigre sincerely thought the woman who smiled with her head inclined was testing him, but it seems he was wrong.

“Still, that is not quite right. You said earlier Ellen was a comrade-in-arms, but those near to you do not necessarily see that. Half see you two as comrades, half see you as more of a pet.”

''Is it better to be a prisoner of war or a pet?'' At the moment, Tigre was more anxious about another issue.

“If we had fallen in love... Would you have stopped Ellen?”

Sophie nodded slowly.

“That is correct. Whether it be as Vanadis or not, I think of Ellen as an important friend. Still, it is a big issue. As an aristocrat, even amongst your friends, do you not separate personal and private affairs?”

The Vanadis Ludmira appeared in Tigre's mind upon hearing her explanation. Their territories bordered one another and she was on bad relations with Ellen.

Even Tigre did not have the greatest of relations with some of the aristocracy in territories neighboring Alsace, but there was no conflict out of mutual interest.

“Ellen must not do anything rash based on her emotions. If necessary, I would have brought her back by force. I would have done the same should I have deemed you to have bound your fate too strongly to Ellen, since that could also be a problem.”


The rings of the bishop staff made a cold sound as it was thrust before Tigre, but it was pulled back immediately. Sophie bowed before Tigre, her hands behind her back.

“But for now, I will place my faith in you. I leave Ellen in your care.”

“I understand.”

Tigre nodded strongly in reassurance.

“Though I said it a while ago, Ellen is my benefactor, my comrade-in-arms. I will absolutely defend her.”

Ellen was far more skillful in horsemanship and swordsmanship, and she had the Silver Flash Arifal. It may have been presumptuous to say he would protect her.

Even so, they were Tigre's true thoughts. He was saved by the kindness of her and the people of her territory. Even if they fought each other as enemies, his days spent with her since they met in Dinant only solidified his determination.

“Thank you.”

Though simple, Sophie's words held much emotion.

After the two returned to the tent, Tigre immediately went to sleep having dispelled his hesitation. Sophie, however, did not.

She covered her body in a blanket and calmly sat outside, waiting for time to pass.


<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The night grew cold, and many of the soldiers were asleep. Sophie and Ellen slipped out of the women's tent. Away from the soldiers' eyes, the two walked quickly, considering the risk should they be heard.

“I did not think I would meet you in a place like this.”

Though there was neither moon nor stars in the sky, Sophie's Light Flower radiated a golden light. The cold night air was inhibited by the Silver Flash at Ellen's waist.

“Same here. If it were not for my meeting with Lord Massas, I would have returned to Zhcted this evening.”

“Why did you come? Though you came to see me, it doesn't exactly mean you're not under suspicion.”

Ellen looked doubtful. If she thought of Sophie's position as a messenger of Zhcted, it was far too dangerous to meet Ellen today.

“There are a few reasons. I wished to speak to Lord Tigrevurmud whom you so fondly speak of having love affairs with. I was also worried about you and wondered if you had prepared a means of escape.”


“I don't remember talking about love affairs with Tigre.”

Ellen replied with a sharp answer. Sophie smiled in amusement and giggled. She held Ellen closely and stroked her silver-white hair.

“He really is cute. He resembles Lunie-chan a little.”

“... You never praise people.”

Ellen shook off Sophie's arms and looked at her. Her shoulders were shaking in laughter.

When Sophie looked up, she held a serious expression. The future conversation was the specific reason she left the camp.

“Elizavetta seems to have deep ties to both Dukes Ganelon and Thenardier.”

Ellen's bright red eyes shined strongly. Elizavetta was yet another Vanadis. Ellen strongly disliked her and evaluated her poorly.

“I cannot tell you much about Valentina, but her territory is the furthest from Brune, so I do not believe she has an intimate association with them. Olga is missing.”

“Missing?”


“She left on a journey with her {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} and left only a letter behind.”

Ellen stood with her mouth half open, unable to say anything for a while.

Valentina and Olga were both Vanadis; however, Ellen had only met them once or twice and was not familiar with their personalities.

“... Has the Dragonic Tool abandoned Olga?”

Sophie simply shrugged her shoulders, as it seemed like it was possible to have happened.

“There is no telling what a Dragonic Tool thinks. There is that issue with Sasha as well...”

Sophie shook her head, her golden hair waving, as Ellen frowned.

“Any news on Sasha?”

“There have been no changes... though that is only from when I last left Zhcted.”

Ellen's eyes sank. Sasha – Alexandra – was also a Vanadis, and she was someone who could be called Ellen's partner and best friend. She had an illness that affected her body, even before the two met. Even with that, Ellen had not yet defeated Sasha with the sword.

“Sasha would not wish for you to worry about her. It is true she cannot be cured, but I doubt she would want you to stop for that.”

Sophie spoke to Ellen with care. Realizing this, Ellen bowed her head in assent.


“For the time being, you need to keep your thoughts on Elizavetta.”

Elizavetta's territory was far from LeitMeritz which Ellen governed. Though it was unlikely problems would occur like they had with Ludmira, it was best to take precaution.

“Also, I apologize. Regarding the Dragons used by Duke Thenardier, I have not yet found anything.”

“There's no need to find out immediately. Do as you see fit.”

“Thank you. I am glad I came here nonetheless. I was able to see that man you have such interest in.”

Sophie slouched a little as she laughed. Her bishop staff swayed as its golden light spilled from the tip.

“Like I told you, with his upbringing, it would be disgraceful---”

“Yet you still spend so much time together?”

Rather than it being a slip of the tongue, it felt like she was stopped while she had taken a deep breath. Ellen began to speak to deny her accusations as she turned her head away, but she could find no words to say; she was hesitant to deny it. So she changed the topic.

“... So what did you think of Tigre when you met him?”


“He is such a lovely child. Though serious, he is honest.”

''I already knew that,'' Ellen muttered in her mind.

''--- It can't be helped. They met only half a day ago... No, perhaps she heard stories of him before she came here.''

Incidentally, it had been about a half koku since Sophie and Tigre spoke.

“Ah, but...”

Sophie began to speak more.

“Though he has a solid appearance, I cannot find anything particularly noteworthy in him. I do not understand why you choose to help him, so I am a bit curious.”

“I haven't heard those words in a while.”

Though the golden haired Vanadis expressed interest in everything out of curiosity, she rarely spoke of it. When she purposely said it, it meant she had a considerably strong degree of interest. The last time Ellen heard those words was when she spoke about Lunie.

“I'll tell you now, though. That guy is mine.”

“It really is love, after all.”

“... We have a contract.”

“If it is simply a contract, then you should not mind lending him to me for a bit. I will make sure to return him; of course, he will be washed properly if I get him a little dirty.”


Thinking about her nature, Ellen looked at Sophie in amazement.

“Don't approach Tigre while you're here. It's too dangerous.”

She spoke those joking words seriously while the two spoke of him as if he were an object to be used.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Tigre was able to invite the next morning in a calm manner, the first time in a long while.

Based on their victory over Marquis Greast and Sophie's words, Massas would appear today.

''--- I'm worried about leading the soldiers. The audience did not go well. If that's the case, what will I do next...''

The King knew of the situation, and, currently, all roads other than war had disappeared. Still, it was good that Massas was safe.

He was a close friend to his late father and a reliable adviser who took care of him in a variety of ways. His role could not be replaced by Teita, Batran, Ellen, or Lim.

He changed his clothes and left the tent to wash his face.


“... What?”

Though the early morning air of the camp was filled with silence, the atmosphere still felt noisy. As he approached Ellen's tent, he saw Batran run from a distance. Having found Tigre, Batran relaxed his tense, wrinkle-filled face. He ran to Tigre, out of breath, then inhaled deeply before speaking.

“Young Lord, the enemy is stationed to the west, approximately fifteen or sixteen belsta away.”

“The enemy?”

His peaceful morning had been disturbed early.

The soldiers, after having a quick breakfast, hastily vacated the camp. Inside Tigre's tent were four people – Tigre, Ellen, Lim, and Augre. Ellen thought to call Sophie but hesitated. After all, she was still an outsider.

“They're different. They're the Navarre Army...”

Viscount Augre confirmed the scout's report and had a grim expression.

“I wish to confirm this. How are the Knighthoods of Brune different from the soldiers?”

Seeing Augre's tense countenance, Ellen tilted her head in doubt.


“The Knights of Brune have undergone a trial.”

After wetting his throat with wine, Augre continued his explanation.

“The Knights are well versed in the military arts and culture. Their military arts are focused on the art of the sword, spear, and equestrian skills; their culture is based on the spirit of Knighthood, reading and writing, strategy, and heraldry. Once a year, they undergo a trial to measure these abilities in the King's Capital, and those who pass this trial may become a Knight.”

After taking a deep breath, Augre's expression became even more deep.

“The Navarre Knights that approach us now are lead by Roland, the [Black Knight] said to be the strongest in Brune.”

Tigre reacted for the first time. He understood Augre's attitude.

“I have heard of Roland as well.”

A sound of admiration leaked from Ellen's mouth. Her bright red eyes shined with interest.

“Even Tigre has heard of him in his rural town. His strength sounds interesting.”

“Roland took the trial and became a Knight at the age of 13. Though his skill in culture was appropriate for his age, his military skills far surpassed expectations. Though there were many others who aspired to Knighthood, all of whom had considerable influence, Roland confronted them all and took victory.”


A 13 year old boy who defeated many experienced Knights. This elicited a bitter reaction from both Ellen and Lim.

“That seems a bit too much to believe...”

“It is a fact.”

Augre's tone made it impossible not to believe.

“After reaching the peak, Roland had yet to lose. He emerged victorious from the Kingdom sponsored games for three consecutive years, and he always defeated the enemy when he came out on the battlefield. His Majesty was quite pleased with him and appointed him leader of the Navarre Knights. The same year, he gave him the Kingdom's sacred blade, Durandal.”

At this point, Augre frowned, his body was visibly shaking.

“The Knights of Navarre have their fortress established along the most important place on the Western Border where Brune meets Sachstein and Asvarre.”

“The border disputes have never ended there?”

Augre nodded gravely to Lim's doubtfully asked question.

“He is no stranger to skirmishes with forces exceeding ten thousand in number, so all his soldiers are accustomed to war. Roland has led the Knights of Navarre through these battles for many years.”


“... I see.”

At last, Ellen looked serious. In a place where one devotes his time to fight every day, the leader could not be a halfway capable individual.

“But why are they here?”

Tigre raised a question.

“The Knights of the Kingdom swear allegiance to His Majesty. They swear upon their honor before the Gods and fundamentally accept commands only from the King...”

“It is difficult to believe His Majesty gave this order. Most likely either Dukes Thenardier or Ganelon managed to mobilize him in some way.”

“It does not matter. Make preparations to fight against those that come to us. We cannot solve this only with vigilance.”

Ellen spoke. Augre bowed deeply in gratitude.

A messenger was sent out for negotiation but came back dejected after only a half koku.

“Their answer was [We will not exchange words with the enemy. We will only accept surrender], and [If you wish to surrender, throw away all your arms].”


“So we must surrender if we wish to talk.”

“That's a new one.”

Ellen was impressed with the enemy General's blunt attitude. Her bright red pupils were filled with the urge to fight. A smile floated to her mouth, and the air in the surroundings stirred, as if the longsword Arifal was reacting to her will.

On the other side, Tigre, Augre, and Lim wore expressions as if they had headaches. They looked at each other; it was not the time for this kind of talk.

“Send a messenger from me.”

Tigre chose two people from Alsace from amongst his soldiers and had them go to the Knights. If they could not enter a negotiation still, they would at least be able to form a consensus. To this end, they were buying time for Massas to arrive.

However, the results did not change. They were pushed away without receiving a single word.

“They didn't even listen to us.”

They solemnly reported to Tigre. The four briefly conferred and finished their meeting.

Ellen and Lim left the tent to gather the Zhcted Army. At that point, Augre's son, Gerard, entered.


“Are you well, Earl Vorn, Father?”

After the Viscount nodded, several men appeared with Gerard; they were Brune aristocrats who were cooperating with Viscount Augre.

“Earl Vorn, will you please explain the situation.”

What seemed the most senior of the men advanced. He appeared to be in his mid forties, his large body was wrapped in hempen clothes and a fur mantle. He, too, was a Viscount, just like Augre.

“Our enemies were Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon. Why is it that the Knights of the Sword has come to us?”

Tigre was hesitant to say he was branded a rebel; however, before Tigre opened his mouth, Viscount Augre laughed and answered.

“It seems they saw the Zhcted Army and believe we are leading a rebellion. It appears they will not listen to us lest we surrender.”

The men were shaken.

“Then it is necessary that we throw aside our arms to speak. The Knights of Navarre are led by Roland. We have no chance of victory.”

“They are Knights. They are different from Duke Thenardier; surely they would understand should you say you are protecting yourself. If we surrender our weapons, they will listen to us. Surely they will understand our position should we explain Sir Thenardier's cruelty.”


One person spoke, probably following the momentum of the conversation.

“How do you propose we do this? Do you believe the Zhcted Army will throw aside their weapons?”

Tigre asked them with an indifferent voice as he spoke.

“No matter who we may cooperate with, it will be the blood of Brune that flows.”

Tigre read their minds.

''--- First the Zhcted Army... Now they wish to rely on the Knights of Navarre.''

He did not know what they thought. Though the Zhcted Army was helping Tigre and Augre to defend their territories, it was not so for them. They were defending themselves from Duke Thenardier and were looking for people they could trust to defend them.

“If you wish, please leave the battlefield. You may cross the river to the north or through the forest to the south. I do not care. You may discard your weapons there and speak to the Navarre Knights. However...”

Tigre continued with a stronger tone.

“I do not believe the Navarre Knights will protect you from Duke Thenardier. If I were to surrender, then the Zhcted Army would simply return to their lands and the Navarre Knighthood would return to the west to defend the borders of Brune.”


“No, to say that...”

Tigre took a step toward the man who wished to say something.

“The cruelty of Dukes Thenardier and Ganelon did not start yesterday. The Knights appeared today. Has anyone in Brune denounced them?”

“That's... But the Knights only move by His Majesty's command...”

“Honestly, this is exactly why we are placing our faith in the Zhcted Army.”

Hearing the man speak, Augre stepped in to calm the situation down. Tigre was aware he was losing his patience and stepped back to allow Augre to take his place.

“Your fear of fighting the Navarre Knighthood is justified; however, I can only think this is a result of Duke Thenardier's plans. By using them, he can manipulate how the Zhcted Army moves. Really, Thenardier is a troublesome opponent.”

Tigre and Augre were not speaking in a particularly nasty manner, they were simply stating facts. The men turned pale, unable to counter them.

In a half koku, the Silver Meteor Army finished lining up in the center of the Orange Plains.

For the time being, there were no signs of backing down.

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| Forward to [[Madan_no_Ou_to_Vanadis:Volume_03_Chapter_4_Preview|Chapter 4 Preview]]
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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 03 Chapter 2 - MTL

2013-11-28T04:07:55Z

Royaloyalz:

<noinclude>{{Template:PREVIEW}}</noinclude>
=== Ganelon's Plan ===

Tigre left the camp with Ellen and Viscount Augre.

Though he hesitated to bring Ellen along with him, Tigre knew it was necessary to demonstrate his military ties with the Zhcted Army to remove any doubt that he may be militarily inferior.

“Relax. Remain silent and say only what is necessary.”

Just in case, Lim ordered the soldiers to remain on standby. With Marquis Greast's purposes unknown, no preparation was excessive.

A young man with a horse greeted them at the meeting place. He removed its saddle and bridle, giving it a chance to rest.

“No doubt about it. That's Marquis Greast.”

Augre whispered those words to Tigre. There were no signs of people lurking in the surrounding meadows or the shadows.

Tigre advanced and greeted the man courteously.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Marquis Greast. I am the current head of House Vorn, Tigrevurmud.”


“It is nice to meet you, Earl. I am Charon Anquetil Greast.”

Marquis Greast was a man in his late twenties. Though he had a childish face, his hair was carefully trimmed and had a hint of gray. He wore complex gold embroidered silk clothing which suited his body.

A kind smile floated to his mouth, letting off an atmosphere as if he truly did bear the desire of friendship.

Greast glanced at the two people to the left and right of Tigre. Toward Augre, he flashed an ill-natured smile.

“Is that not Viscount Augre? I thought you retired; it seems you are still well.”

“Unfortunately. The world is not so peaceful that I can relax in hiding.”

“It must be troublesome to be so healthy at such an old age. Perhaps it would be clever not to have that happen.”

Greast laughed at Augre with sarcasm before facing Ellen.

“Vanadis of Zhcted, Eleanora Viltaria.”

Ellen bowed after concisely stating her name. Greast raised a voice of admiration.

“The Vanadis said to be a match for a thousand who made the troops flee from Dinant. To think a warrior of that caliber would be such a lovely woman. Both your blue dress and your sword suit you.”

As though the Vanadis was his opponent, Greast stepped forward toward Ellen instead of receiving Tigre.


However, Ellen felt something unpleasant from the Marquis' gaze. His eyes were feverishly crawling all across her body.

Greast presented his right hand. As a matter of courtesy, Ellen took the hand of the gray haired Marquis.

“No, I was quite surprised. The rumors truly are unreliable.”

“Rumors?”

“In the King's Capital, Nice, stories of your deeds are floating about. The Vanadis of legend who wields a blade which can slay even a dragon. Certainly such rumors would be overwhelmed by your beauty.”

That certainly would be true; however, Ellen simply returned an ambiguous smile and silence. She wished only to remove her hands from his, but Greast showed no pretense in letting go.

On the contrary, while they were shaking hands, his left hand had wrapped about hers, rubbing her fingers as if to enjoy the smoothness of her skin.

It was a subtle gesture, rather than a candid one, and would likely fall within the bounds of courtesy. Ellen strongly suppressed the feeling of goosebumps welling throughout her body.

“By the way, how did such a situation come to be... How is it you are cooperating with Earl Vorn?”


“I was employed. In order to realize his justice, I moved across the border with my troops.”

Using money to buy justice was simply an excuse. Ellen had no desire to reveal her intentions to this man.

“So Lord Eleanora finds justice in Earl Vorn's convictions.”

“Of course. After all, he is a far more honest man than Duke Thenardier.”

Hearing Ellen's response, Greast looked at Tigre who stood next to her and nodded his head in assent.

“Certainly. Your relationship hardly seems like that of a man and woman. Certainly, you would need a man of rank such as myself, at the very least.”

“... Such kind words, Marquis Greast.”

While holding down the temptation to crush Greast's hand, Ellen smiled violently.

“It is true Earl Vorn and I are not in such a relationship, but I have yet to find anything worth scrutiny. Still, I shall keep your words in mind.”

“... If you two would kindly continue on to business.”

Augre spoke in a calm voice to interrupt the intense atmosphere. Tigre thanked the old Viscount in his mind.


[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 065.jpg|175px|thumb]]

If he were not in such a situation, Tigre, too, would have shouted at the man. This man, after all, had grasped Ellen's hand and had not let go.

Greast ignored Augre and Tigre and apologized only to Ellen.

“I apologize, Lord Eleanora. There are such rumors in the capital as well, a story of a man and woman of pubescent age from warring countries. Isn't it just like a story out of imagination?”

“... Marquis Greast, you took a horse all this way. Let us end this small talk and get down to business.”

Ellen forcibly ended the conversation and pulled her hand away in such a way that it would not be viewed as violent.

''--- What's with this guy's eyes? He's not just another pervert...''

It was difficult to express. Greast gave off a strange feeling, as if he were still hiding his true character. Tigre offered Greast a seat, demonstrating the utmost limits of human prudence and self control.

“Please, have a seat, Marquis.”

Tigre waited for Greast to take a seat before he and his companions took theirs. Tigre took a few minutes to prepare wine, pouring it into a silver chalice. He drank a small amount first to prove there were no signs of poison. After confirming this, Greast also took up the silver cup.

“Now then, the main subject... I will get straight to the point. Earl Vorn, Duke Ganelon has expressed his support.”


''--- So it really is like that...''

Tigre felt as if his heart had been squeezed.

“I have heard it was you who slayed Lord Zaien, son of Duke Thenardier. You should use every possible option you can to restore your public relation with Duke Thenardier; if that is so, our interests correspond. Duke Ganelon will welcome you with pleasure.”

Greast's voice was like cold water which entered through small gaps. His words, though very typical, were filled with an eeriness which chilled the hearts of those who heard them.

“Assuming I associate with Duke Ganelon...”

Tigre's throat was parched. Though he wished to drink, he could not possibly remove his eyes from Greast as he continued his words.

“In return, what will I receive? It is necessary for me to repay the Zhcted Army which has cooperated with my will.”

“You can relax.”

Greast showed neither surprise nor hesitation. He smiled even more radiantly before giving a prompt response.

“Duke Ganelon will more than sufficiently reward you, Earl Vorn. He is generous to his followers. “


“A reward, is it.”

He had completely miscalculated Greast's intentions. Tigre had thought he would act crudely and act unsparingly.

“Do you know of the city of Rance?”

“It is the capital.”

It was the capital city of the territory ruled by Duke Thenardier. Greast simply nodded to his response.

“We will fight with Duke Thenardier sooner or later. Once we capture Rance, we will allow you, and the Zhcted Army who fight with you, one day to plunder the city. That is what Ganelon has said.”

“Plunder... is it?”

Tigre's voice was hoarse, and sweat ran down his back in surprise and shock. It was not just Tigre, Ellen and Augre watched Greast in blank surprise. He calmly smiled as he received the gaze from the three.

“There is no need to be surprised. From ages past, the fall of a city has always been accompanied by destruction and pillaging. The people are played with and sold off as slaves. All who resist are cut down, those who took shelter in the temple are surrounded and threatened. All is deprived, all is destroyed, all is violated. Houses are demolished, and you return triumphant with money in hand.”


“... I see, then we must appear odd.”

“Are you any different? I see, you must be wary of arson. Don't worry, you may leave your soldiers to take whatever they please. Rance is a large city after all. Even if you should lead ten thousand troops, you would not be able to go through even half the city.”

Tigre was at a loss for words. He could not speak immediately.

Of course, he knew such things happened when a city fell in battle, nor were Greast's words a lie or an exaggeration.

However, the image which floated to Tigre's mind after hearing the story was the spectacle of Alsace under attack by Zaien.

Innocent people were brutally killed, and houses were lit on fire. The temple which housed people was surrounded by soldiers, and Teita nearly lost her life.

If he had reached the city any later, Tigre would have lost many more things.

“What will you do, Earl Vorn?”

“--- I wish to hear something.”

Ellen, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. Though her tone was normal, no emotion appeared in her bright red eyes.


“What if Rance decides to surrender? It will be possible to take the city without bloodshed.”

“No, let us not bother of speaking of such a thing.”

Greast turned a friendly gaze to Ellen as he answered.

“Duke Thenardier would never think of relinquishing Rance, no matter how many people or soldiers he might lose. Furthermore, we will never allow him to.”

Tigre thought that would be the case. He had heard Duke Thenardier was not a man who would hesitate to hurt the people. His son, Zaien was no different.

“Furthermore, it is not just Rance, there are other cities Lord Ganelon has decided to raze. There would be no way to maintain troop morale otherwise.”

An unpleasant story.

Greast returned his gaze to Tigre and continued to speak even more harshly.

“As for your obligations, your army will serve under Duke Ganelon. Should he wish it, you are to deliver food and fuel from the towns and villages in your domain. If you resist him, he will eliminate you by force.”


Tigre desperately suppressed his urge to shout that they were no different from thieves. He strongly clenched his fist beneath the table.

“There is one more thing I must say regarding the attack on Rance I spoke of a moment ago. You will fight at the vanguard. Furthermore, you will be obligated to fight following the honor of warfare. Do you understand your duties?”

This was no joke by any stretch of the imagination.

Tigre wished to refuse at once. It was clear he was Duke Ganelon's enemy.

“... I understand. I will speak to my subordinates and respond tomorrow.”

“No. I wish for an answer immediately.”

Greast shook his head and looked seriously after hearing Tigre's words.

“Earl Vorn, you must not misunderstand. This is not a request for your cooperation but your submission. Will you follow Lord Ganelon? Or will you not... I want your answer. His Excellency will not permit neutrality.”


Tigre felt Augre and Ellen gaze at him from the left and right. Alsace, the soldiers, and their answer would be the same.

“I will not submit.”

As they watched Greast gradually disappear in the distance, Ellen spoke to Tigre.

“Is it fine leaving it like that?”

“Did you think it necessary to kill him?”

Ellen agreed to Tigre's words, more in confirmation than as a question. Ellen nodded and looked at her hand with eyes full of disgust.

“That man likely would have tried to invite me as well.”

He truly was likely to have asked to employ the Zhcted Army.

Greast had ignored Tigre's presence and spoke in a dignified manner, even before the three people. Whether he was foolish or sturdy, his nerves were hardly normal.

“I should have just killed him. It would have been perfect to simply bury his head. Then we would crush his men. He did not come here alone.”


Tigre smiled wryly as he shook his head.

“I heard from Lord Massas that Marquis Greast is a careful person. He came with his guards with some plan in mind.”

“That might be so.”

Augre agreed with Tigre's words.

“If I may speak, Lord Vanadis. With his insistence in coming this far, it is possible he came to discern the movement of the army on Ganelon's behalf.”

Though Ellen seemed dissatisfied, she did not object.

When Tigre returned to camp, it was wrapped in a strange atmosphere. Dishes were cleaned in a hurry and many soldiers were inspecting their armor.

It was likely there were circumstances, but before Tigre could grasp any information, Lim came running to him. She held a small helmet in her arm and showed a clear readiness to fight at once. Teita stood behind her.

“Eleanora-sama. We have received report from a scout a short time ago. To the north, approximately one day's march, there are six thousand troops stationed.”


“The flag?”

Augre asked in a sharp voice.

“Green with a Golden Unicorn.”

Hearing Lim's answer, he knit his eyebrows, hearing unwelcome words.

“We must make haste if it is the Golden Unicorn.”

Lim followed up immediately. The Unicorn was not from Zhcted but from Brune. Augre, who understood, turned pale.

“I see, so it is Duke Ganelon's banner. So that's how it is...”

Tigre also understood the situation. Greast would command his troops shortly after.

“And yet he came to talk alone. He's far more bold than his appearance suggests.”

Ellen muttered in admiration.

“Sorry. If I had known it would come down to this, I would have killed him...”

Though Tigre obediently apologized, Ellen simply shook her head.

“There has not been much time since our talks have ended. Someone must have been watching from a long distance, though it's not impossible they were waiting for this regardless.”

“The soldiers have been ordered to vacate the camp for the time being. What will you do?”


Lim directed her blue eyes to Tigre.

“First, let's return to the tent.”

Tigre showed no sign of haste, even in the intense atmosphere. He responded in a completely composed manner. Teita looked over Lim's shoulders in anxiety.

“Batran and anyone else you might need, take them and stay in back.”

Teita looked up again, her hazel eyes bright and determined once again.

“Tigre-sama. I will be fine. Please return home safe---”

Her face was red and her voice was strained. She was straining herself too much and was caught on her words.

Tigre smiled bitterly and touched her head to comfort her.

“You're a brave girl.”

Ellen had a face as though she was hiding her laughter. She also placed her hand on Teita's head and began stroking it roughly.

“Don't worry. I'll be with Tigre. At most, we have to worry about six thousand troops.”

For anyone else, it would seem a boast, but the Vanadis' words had a persuasive power, even her atmosphere did as well.


Teita looked up at Ellen, like a lost child, before speaking.

“I, I pray... the fortunes of war be with you.”

Ellen showed a moment of surprise before returning a gentle smile. She pat Teita's head again, though gently this time.

Teita left with Batran. Four people now remained.

“To the north of the river are the Orange Plains while a small forest is to the south. There are few hills or mountains in the surroundings.”

While pointing toward a map with her finger, Lim continued her explanation.

The river flowed almost straight from east to west. Given what the scout had reported, it would take approximately one day to cross the river.

“The scout reported six thousand troops. There are approximately five thousand infantry and one thousand cavalry.”

“Discovering this was a good thing; it would be terrible if the scout found it any later.”

Ellen nodded to Tigre's words. They had earned a significant amount of time for preparation; furthermore, they could expect to have time to receive more information.

“We are in the center of these plains. To be more accurate, we have a slight advantage in elevation, and we number six thousand. We need approximately four hundred men to handle food and six hundred to deal with equipment, so we will fight with five thousand. They do not have a significant numerical advantage.”


Ellen seemed happy as she looked at the land.

“If we head north, it's likely we will meet their companions across the river. Since Greast came alone, he may have wanted to scout out our number. Tigre, it was good that you didn't invite him inside the camp.”

“Viscount Augre, are there any towns or villages in the area?”

Tigre was worried. Greast would not hesitate to attack the towns or villages.

“There are no towns, but there are a few villages in the area.”

Augre borrowed a brush from Lim and placed dots where the villages were located on the map.

“You don't need to be so anxious. We don't need to go to them immediately. Set up camp. Those from Territoire that see our flag will eventually take shelter here.”

Tigre was relieved upon hearing those words. It was enough to conduct himself.

''--- Still, we need to go north across the river.''


It was necessary to keep the enemy's eyes on them instead of the villages.

When Tigre said that, Lim nodded expressionlessly. Augre continued to look at the map.

“Viscount Augre. How wide is this river?”

“The river is approximately thirty alsin. The water recedes in winter. Water will be at waist level for a normal adult.”

“Even if the river is shallow, it is not so simple to cross it.”

Ellen spoke up after Augre gave an answer. The water would dull movements and place them at a lower elevation, and the cold would gradually lower their temperature.

“Lord Tigrevurmud. How do you expect the enemy to move?”

Lim looked up from the map and asked Tigre.

''--- This could be a good opportunity.''

Tigre tried not to show his thoughts on his face. However, recently, she seemed to understand any slight changes in Tigre's attitude. A faint complimentary tone could be heard in her voice.

“We will have our cavalry cross to the opposite bank to secure the land and have our infantry follow afterward.”


“While the infantry cross the river, our cavalry will remain on defense. With their mobility, it should be possible, though the story is different if they have more troops.”

Lim spoke with a calm tone as if teaching a pupil. Ellen, with her arms folded before her, looked at Lim in dissatisfaction.

“You, your attitude is different from when you spoke to me.”

“Eleanora-sama, it is simply because you said you would take care of one thousand cavalry by yourself.”

“I don't remember saying anything I couldn't do.”

Ellen pushed her chest out proudly. Tigre and Lim exchanged a bitter smile.

“The enemy will think we have divided our troops. We will post our infantry here and have our cavalry head upstream and downstream at a distance they will not notice... Then we can force them into a pincer attack while we begin moving our infantry.”

“If we go by this plan... We could divide them here.”

Augre shook his head with a frown while Ellen nodded.

“Our entire army is here. I would rather not have any extra sacrifices.”


For Greast – that is, Duke Ganelon – annihilation here would not remove his ability to fight.

“In that case...”

Tigre pointed to the map and proposed an idea to hear Ellen, Lim, and Augre's respective views before making any corrections to it.

“Let's go with this.”

“Let's try it.”

The four confirmed the plan and nodded strongly.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

Marquis Greast who led Duke Ganelon's army finally crossed the river the next day. He had proceeded much more slowly than expected.

He had taken one thousand cavalry and five thousand infantry, both with brilliant armor which reflected the fighting spirit in their faces.

Above all, Greast was motivated.


He rode in a carriage at the rear of a caravan. Of course, it did not mean he could not ride on horseback.

A soldier came to report to Greast, who lay buried in the cushions next to his elaborately decorated sword, that they had taken their side of the river.

“... And the water?”

Moving a cushion aside and straightening his body, Greast looked at the soldier like a hawk as he heard there were only a few puddles of water at the bottom of the riverbed.

''--- They'll cross a bit upstream, then.''

“They have been by the river for a while now. Check five belsta (approximately five kilometers) upstream and see if there are any signs of crossing.”

Greast ordered for the [General], who had an appearance like an older brother, to be present.

Soon, one man with a defeated face entered the wagon.

The General commanded five thousand troops. Though a distant relative of Duke Ganelon, it was incorrect to call him an Earl.

“You called, your Excellency?”


Though he spoke arrogantly, he was still lower in rank than Greast and Ganelon in public. Still, he firmly believed in his superiority as a distant relative of Ganelon.

Greast ignored the man's attitude and explained the soldier's report with a calm tone.

“What do you think of the enemy movements?”

He omitted the man's name because he was not called by name.

“I personally believe it is an invitation. While we cross the river, they will un-dam the river and divide us into two.”

Using an arrogant tone which ignored their rank, a smile floated to Greast's face while he awaited a response.

“So what would you do?”

“I would divide our troops in three and attack here. They will think they have crushed us when they emerge victorious.”

“Then you wish to make sure of the forests to the south.”

The General responded in a somewhat tepid manner. He was uninterested in forming a precise plan, it was a matter of his mood.

“I will leave this all to you.”

“... Excuse me, Your Excellency.”


The General ignored Greast's advice and began laying out his plans to the troops.

“We will fell the forest so none may approach, we will remove any chance of ambush or escape.”

Greast remained silent as he smiled wryly.

“We will take advantage of them and capture their Commander, the Vanadis of Zhcted.”

He ordered Ganelon's troops to be divided in three and had them begin their advance.

“We will crush the enemy, we will plunder their villages! Every person, every house, we shall search them all and take all they have!”

The General shouted to his soldiers.

Seeing their movements, Tigre showed no reaction; rather, he retreated even further.

Eventually, all five thousand infantry made their way across the river.

The sun had moved considerably, though the blue sky was scattered by white clouds. This much would change in only one koku.

“It is dangerous to stop here.”

When they reached the river, Ganelon's troops would have limited maneuverability. The plan could not be done halfway.


''--- We came here to fight.''

While he had selfishly ordered the army to advance against Tigre, a soldier approached the General.

“I have a message for you from Marquis Greast. [I leave command to you. I shall head down to the riverside. All victory and glory are yours].”

''--- Getting scared right before the battle?''

The General interpreted the message in that manner. Still, it could not be helped. He could not allow the enemy to retreat; they would fall here.

Marquis Greast had one hundred troops as a guard and left the General to attack Tigre's army. It seemed no one in the Ganelon Army knew the strength of the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.

He had thrown away the General and his troops, using them as pawns to escape and prevent anyone from following after him.

The intense glow of the setting sun made the General act in haste. He wanted victory before the sun set, no matter what.

Greast was aware the man's temper had stolen the idea of retreat from his head.


The Ganelon Army had moved south across the Orange Plains a considerable distance. They had finally reached the forest and were preparing to attack Tigre.

Immediately afterward, dozens of arrows cut the wind and hit the Ganelon Army.

The rain of arrows was small and lacked intensity, but it surprised the Ganelon Army, causing them to mildly collapse.

The infantry of Brune traditionally wielded sword or spear with their right hand and shield in their left, so they were more open on that side.

“In the forest!? A foolish ambush...”

The General was shocked. In the winter, the forests had no leaves, it was completely open.

Although the sun had descended in the west, the sun was still out. He did not believe an ambush could take place here.

However, the arrows still rained on the army.

Inside the forest, approximately one-hundred-fifty archers from Zhcted and Brune stood in the shadows. Tigre had chosen excellent archers from amongst the soldiers, particularly Rurick. The men of the highest skill could, with certain accuracy, hit their target at a distance of one hundred alsin (about one hundred meters).

With bark, leaves, and soil on their clothes, hiding behind the trees in the deep shadows of the setting sun, they were completely hidden.


The troops in the Ganelon Army had become wary of an incoming attack and ignored the possibility of ambush from the forest in their impatience.

“I want five hundred men to go around to the other end of the forest! We won't retreat from something like this!”

Instead of retreating, he gave out an order; however, as he spoke, an arrow came flying from the forest and hit his helmet.

The arrow pierced the helmet and deeply injured his head, but it was not enough to take his life, but still, he shivered. The pit of his stomach was tight, and he could only think of the danger in staying in the area.

“... Take them from the rear.”

As the troops began to retreat, a rush of silver led an attack, even though Tigre's army had shown no signs of movement beforehand.

With a battle cry, the two armies clashed. The Silver Meteor Army rushed forward, leading the soldiers of Brune against their countrymen.

The cold air was blown away by heat, the clashing of swords was drowned out by screams. Blood splattered across the earth and was trampled underfoot.

No matter how thick the shield or how long the sword or spear, it was pointless once a person's stance was broken. Regardless of friend or foe, soldiers fell. Some were kicked over, many did not bother standing again, and others prayed to God that they might survive.


The battle for dominance was immediately stolen by the Silver Meteor Army. The Zhcted cavalry attacked the space to the right of the Ganelon Army.

The cavalry demonstrated their ability to rush forward. Their troops were divided in two, attacking Ganelon's army from the front and right flank. Standing no chance of resisting an attack from two fronts, the core of the Ganelon Army quickly collapsed.

Though the General issued commands one after another, he could not keep up with the sudden turn of events. The bulk of his army collapsed in the confusion, which spread rapidly to the right and left wing. Finally, the Ganelon Army began to retreat.

“Impossible. How could it turn out this way...”

With a cramp in his face, the General abandoned the fight; he had no other choice. With the incoming blade of the Silver Meteor Army, he pulled out while scolding his troops.

The blue and white of the winter sky rapidly disappeared, falling to the darkness of nightfall.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>


Five hundred of Ganelon's troops entered the forest to take revenge on the archers, but they were struck down, one after another, without being able to close in on the enemy.

With a sword in their right hand and a shield in their left, just by stooping down a little bit, the Ganelon soldiers could protect themselves from any number of arrows.

However, the enemy had devised a number of tactics.

First, Brune soldiers in leather armor threw stones.

Stones the size of a fist were frightening weapons. If they hit the face or the hand, it would cause a severe injury, and, though it was possible to block them with a shield, they could not give chase.

They had also strung rope between the trees and dug pitfalls at the roots. Though the pits were only as deep as the shin, it still disrupted their balance.

Arrows were fired from high in the trees at long distances. While the troops were stuck, unable to move, the enemy changed positions and began attacking with stones and arrows from the side.

After one hundred men had been killed, the remainder discarded their weapons and ran from the forest.

“Well done.”

While watching the enemies flee, an archer spoke to Tigre.


“No. Everyone did amazingly well in such a dangerous situation.”

Tigre gently shook his head and showed his appreciation for the soldiers' work. Tigre was the one who took command in the forest.

Realizing the battle had ended, the soldiers lurking in the trees gradually gathered around Tigre.

“We managed to fend off the enemy by deceiving them. They'll be more wary of traps now, since they were completely cornered by our arrows.”

He spoke with sympathy at the end of his words in consideration for the Brune soldiers. Tigre silently shrugged his shoulders and pulled out an arrow from his quiver after having his soldiers prepare oil and a light.

He wrapped it in an oil soaked cloth and lit it on fire.

He aimed it toward the sky with his bow and drew the bowstring to its limit before firing it.

The flaming arrow burned brightly as it flew to the sky and scattered sparks. Tigre lit and fired another one. The soldiers applauded the spectacle, some even clapped.

“As expected of you. No one can fire to that height.”

One of the soldiers spoke up. All others present nodded in agreement.

“It's faster than sending a messenger by horse.”


The flaming arrows were a message to Viscount Augre, who was accompanied by two hundred soldiers at the riverside a long distance away. Two flaming arrows were shot from the forest, signaling for the destruction of the sandbags at the river upstream.

To be on the safe side, Viscount Augre waited for a group of ten cavalry messengers who were halfway between Augre and Tigre. They would certainly tell him directly.

When Tigre left the forest, he was greeted by Lim riding on horseback.

“Good work.”

Getting down from the horse, she tapped Tigre on the shoulder.

“Where is Ellen?”

“Eleanora-sama will return shortly. We have just received a message.”

Ellen separated from the main force with one thousand men to match the enemy. In a battle of even numbers, the silver-white haired Vanadis would win. As expected, she returned victorious.

“Still, that was surprising. I thought something else might happen.”

Lim muttered to herself as she looked to the north, shrouded in darkness. Tigre felt it as well. They had prepared a plan to win here assuming they would fight with the same number of troops.


It was a plan Tigre, Ellen, and the others devised. First, they would dam the flow of the river. Once the river was dry, they would withdraw to the forest.

“We should not have been able to finish the battle without fighting the troops across the river. We can't relax just because we managed to push them back with this. Since our numbers were the same, it should not have been so easy to divide their forces.”

If they had fought in a wide meadow, the first to fall back would lose. Tigre's shot at the General's head from the depths of the forest ended the battle; it was a shot that decided victory or defeat.

“Though it is a bit late, should we give chase?”

Tigre shook his head to Lim's question.

“I wish to reduce our sacrifices, even if it is only a little.”

His fight with Ganelon was not something necessary. In preparation for his war with Duke Thenardier, Tigre did not wish to lose any soldiers if he could help it, since there was no way for him to replenish his forces.

Ellen returned after leading her troops for over a quarter koku.

“We won.”

With her chest held forward in a dignified manner suiting a warrior on horseback, Ellen spoke her short words. Lim looked at her expressionlessly.


“No one died?”

“Thirty were wounded, no one died.”

Leading one thousand cavalry and having that few wounded made it a complete victory on her part.

“How many of the enemies were taken out?”

“From our attack, we managed maybe three hundred.”

Ellen spoke while looking to the air, thinking of her experience.

“The enemy ran to the north. Judging by your face, it went well.”

Tigre nodded as Ellen asked about the results of battle.

“Yes. We could send a few people across the river and chase after them as well. Whether they decide to cross the water or not, we can spend the night near the river.”

Crossing the water depended on the soldiers' resolution. Without proper management, their path of retreat would be cut off. It was a suicidal action.

Having the resolution to cross immediately after losing the battle was not easy.

“I hope it ends with this.”

Handling Thenardier alone was a difficult task. Tigre did not think he would be able to fend off others as well.


“For the time being, let us prepare camp. It is fine to use the one from yesterday.”

Tigre and Ellen nodded to Lim's proposal. Though it was an unexpected fight, the morale from victory was an appreciated bonus.

At that time, Tigre noticed a young man walking toward them.

''--- If I recall, he's Gerard.''

He was the son of Viscount Augre, a man in his mid twenties with brown hair and the same bronze pupils as his father. He was lean, but, due to his clothing, he appeared heavy.

“So you were here.”

Flush with excitement, Gerard spoke up with a heated voice.

“Really, I had heard of the strength and bravery of the Zhcted Army, but I'm impressed the rumors were true. Even in a foreign land, you have such good morale, stunning tactics that do not miss even the slightest chance, and the prowess to strike the enemy. Earl Vorn, you have such a reliable ally. I am envious of your luck.”

Gerard spoke words of praise. Tigre nodded while Lim knit her eyebrows.

However, before they could make words of rebuttal, Ellen settled the two down.


After confirming Lim had settled down, Ellen called out to Gerard who had turned bright red.

“Lord Gerard. I thank you for your kind praise, but such words can be harmful. You should make sure to watch what you say in the future.”

Although her tone was gentle, the atmosphere released by Ellen, despite her kind appearance, pressed down heavily.

“I suppose so. It must have been difficult to create such an opportunity for us to take advantage of.”

Gerard, at a loss for words, returned a flat response.

“Lord Gerard, it is as you say.”

During a pause in their conversation, Tigre spoke some words of appreciation to Gerard before ordering the troops to make preparations for the night. He looked up at Ellen on her horse and sighed.

“Please don't speak or behave in a way that will anger others. The troops have finally settled down.”

“Given his words, didn't it seem like he thought nothing of you?”

Ellen returned a dissatisfied expression. Lim also agreed.

“Isn't it frustrating to claim all your decisions and actions were simply due to fortune?”

“Well, that's just how things are.”

Tigre's face resembled someone who had simply given up caring.


“I am troubled by your attitude.”

This army, after all, had gathered to oppose the threat of Thenardier and Ganelon. The largest problem as of now was the oddity of the General, Tigre.

Even though he was their leader, he was not particularly famous, and his skill with the bow, while acknowledged by those of the Zhcted Army, was still despised by many of the soldiers of Brune.

The people of Brune did not know what Tigre could do.

That was why Lim wanted to build the foundation of the army upon Tigre's ability to bring the troops victory. So long as Tigre did not do anything drastic, his standing would not improve.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

“It seems you met with severe casualties”

Marquis Greast spoke indifferently to the man who returned in defeat. The General simply bowed his head without responding.

When they reached the riverside, the Ganelon Army had been reduced to four thousand, having lost nearly 30% of their troops. It was his luck to leave only with defeat.


The troops remaining, either scattered about after having run away or reorganizing in the ranks, numbered forty-five hundred at most.

“... Fifteen hundred have died.”

Because Greast muttered in a small voice, the General did not hear. He simply looked at Greast who smiled sarcastically.

“There must be some punishment for this failure. For example, the [Dancing Mask].”

All color drained from the General's face in an instant.

The [Dancing Mask] was a cruel method of execution Greast designed several years before.

An iron collar was affixed to the neck of the man to be executed. After that, they wore a mask which covered the entire head. The only opening was a single hole above the ear.

Water was poured in through the hole and it was plugged. The punished individual could not breathe and struggled about, looking as if he were dancing on the ground.

Duke Ganelon had used this method of execution numerous times as a warning to those who might act against him.

Seeing the General's expression, ready to weep at any moment, Greast laughed as if it were a joke. His gaze wandered through the air.

“General. Wait until morning and cross the river. Withdraw after that.”


“The enemy... You want us to launch a night time attack, then.”

“If you go that far, you will not be able to return before the flow of water has been restored. It's enough to simply show yourself for the time being.”

Greast realized the enemy's intent was to drive them away.

They did not have the energy to fight the Ganelon Army. Greast was not the kind of person to miss this.

It would take a lot of energy to cross the river in their situation, but should they spend the night there, the enemy would become fatigued out of fear of a night time attack.

''--- I wonder how this will affect Duke Ganelon's image.''

The reason Greast forcibly attacked Tigre was because he was asked to by Duke Ganelon when they shared a meal two moons ago.

“This is an embarrassment. There are many aristocrats watching both Thenardier and me to decide who they will side with.”

“... Rather than having him join, would it not be more convenient to simply crush him?”

“Whether it be territory, money, or goods, it is always best to have more, and the fewer people we need to distribute them to, the better... Still, a few more [Companions] would be good, Marquis.”

At that time, Greast saw Ganelon's expression. There was both fear and pressure, as if he were listening to the voice of an evil spirit. His entire body was assaulted.


“And what if Vorn decides to submit?”

“We need only deprive all villages and towns under his charge of their goods and capital. Should he become our [Friend], he will lead the attack on Rance.”

''--- This man is terrible. I never wish to antagonize him.''

Though Greast was a man with nerves who would not bother batting an eyebrow from severe torture or cruel execution, he was no match for Ganelon.

And so, Greast borrowed soldiers from Ganelon, who had fought and lost in battle.

If his victory against Ganelon's army was spread, support for Tigre's cause may increase. There was the possibility that those who joined Ganelon may betray him and rush into action using this as an opportunity.

“First of all, I must settle this matter with the Vanadis Eleanora. I wonder what wonderful things I can do.”

A thin smile appeared on Greast's face as he continued plotting.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The Silver Meteor Army drank a toast once the Ganelon Army withdrew. They had bought the liquor from a nearby town, and the soldiers were dancing about. The villagers who fled from the Ganelon Army also joined in the celebration.


Tigre allowed this for the purpose of maintaining morale as well as to allow the people of Zhcted and Brune to communicate with each other openly.

Though the meals were no different from usual, several bonfires were lit to brush off the cold, giving the entire area a bright and warm atmosphere.

As expected, feelings of victory and large amounts of alcohol blew their anger away. The fights between citizens of Brune and of Zhcted had changed to peaceful songs and contests of strength.

When the party was peaking, Tigre quietly left.

He walked to a distance where the clamor was faint and lay on the ground to look at the stars. Because he had been given drink repeatedly, he was considerably intoxicated.

The night sky was cloudy; the stars were not visible.

Letting out a deep breath, he was surprised to smell the alcohol in his body.

''--- I can't simply celebrate with this victory.''

Duke Thenardier was not the only one. Duke Ganelon was an enemy as well, and his allies were few in number.


''--- I rarely leave Alsace, and yet the two greatest aristocrats are after my life.''

Many thoughts emerged and disappeared in his head. His mind would not settle at all. As he thought to leave so he could go to sleep, someone sat next to him.

“Were you waiting for someone to wake you up?”

It was Ellen wearing her normal clothes; Arifal was in her right hand rather than her waist. It seems she also had much to drink, since her face was considerably flushed.

“No, I didn't fall asleep.”

Tigre sat up as he answered. The thoughts that danced in his mind a moment before suddenly disappeared.

“Thank you, Ellen.”

“What, that's rather abrupt.”

Not caring that Ellen was looking at him curiously, Tigre continued to look at the sky and spoke.

“It feels like my mind has never once left Alsace, at least until a while ago. Whether it was for war or visiting the King's Capital, it was simply my duty as an aristocrat of Brune. Though Alsace is such a small land when looking at a map of Brune Kingdom... it was too large for me. It was more than enough.”


Tigre wondered why he felt like talking about such things with her in the corner of his mind, but that thought disappeared at once.

He was grateful to Ellen who listened in silence. Tigre continued speaking.

“However, the world is not just Alsace. It isn't just Brune, either. Zhcted as well.”

It would be impossible to fight otherwise.

To defend his people, he needed more allies. However, if he wished for more allies, he must be able to defend them. He must secure food, clothing, housing, and security.

“I knew nothing of this until now. Even though I still don't understand it... I wish to express my gratitude to you, Ellen, for giving me this opportunity.”

They had met on the battlefield. There was no chance they would meet otherwise.

Tigre, who had never looked at Brune as a whole, found interest in Zhcted.

The little arguments between the Zhcted and Brune soldiers which happened every day also forced him to think.

An aristocrat's private army was, in effect, the people within his domain. His people had houses and families, they lived their every day lives. Though each had his own sense of justice, there was no need for them to fight for it.

Because they were commanded, because they received pay, because they could eat, because they could become distinguished.


That is why they fought. Those who fought through their loyalty and trust in their Commander were very few.

He wished to know more about his people in Alsace. He desired to confirm it once again.

“... To think you would say this so suddenly.”

Ellen smiled bitterly and reached out to Tigre, entwining her finger in his dull red hair as she pat and stroked his head.

“There's no need to thank me. Even in these circumstances, I doubt there's been anyone else to have thought this way. You're fine the way you are.”

A wind from the Silver Flash in Ellen's right hand blew, showing its consent. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but the wind carried the sweet fragrance of the Vanadis, surprising Tigre.

He became anxious, finally realizing her fingers were running through his hair. Ellen continued patting his head as she smiled. Tigre could not easily tell her to stop, but if he remained as he is, he was certain she would hear his heart beating violently.

“What's wrong? You suddenly went silent.”

“N, no... Should we return soon? I think we've talked the alcohol off.”

Ellen's face seemed to inflate in an ill-humored manner upon hearing his moderate proposal.


“Let's stay a bit longer. Lim will be annoying if we go back now.”

“Annoying?”

“She won't leave me alone, she'll force me to drink my alcohol in moderation since I'm the leader, and if she drinks any, she'll spit it out all over someone's face.”

Tigre desperately held back a laugh when he imagined Lim spewing alcohol.

“But if you stay any longer, won't Lim just be more angry?”

Before he finished speaking, Ellen's finger stopped moving.

“... You really need to understand where you stand.”

While thinking about her words, his reaction was too slow. Ellen quickly moved behind Tigre and held his red head in a tight embrace.

Ellen was neither angry nor sad; however, Tigre was confused by the soft twin bulges pushing strongly against the back of his head. Though he tried to escape in his panic, Ellen simply pressed against him with her entire body.

The two mounds with rich curves were deformed every time Ellen moved due to their mysterious elasticity. The faint smell of sweat and the feeling transmitted through the back of his head strongly stimulated Tigre's imagination, making the blood rush to his face.


“I got it. I give, I give.”

Tigre acknowledged his defeat quickly. ''Really, to think this person who can defeat one thousand cavalry on her own and can boast of many military exploits can be so possessive.'' Still, she was never this way before her soldiers.

Even after hearing his words of surrender, Ellen did not part from Tigre. Her thin arms wrapped around his neck as she entrusted her body to him.

“Your back, it's surprisingly large...”

[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 107.jpg|175px|thumb]]

Ellen gently grasped Tigre's hand.

“Ellen?”

“You don't like this?”

He shook his head. Ellen did not bother to say what she was thinking as she poked, stroked, and played with Tigre's hand.

“That's right. Your face looked miserable when that bastard was holding my hand.”

Suddenly, Marquis Greast popped into his head.

“I thought I was pretty calm then.”

Tigre tilted his head. He was certain he had suppressed his anxiety during the negotiations.

“No, it felt like you would strangle him at any moment. Were you jealous?”


A sweet sound tickled his ear as she teased him.

Rather than envy, it was more akin to pure anger. Since he could not precisely distinguish his emotions at the time, Tigre spoke frankly.

“If it were not such a situation, I would have given him a sound beating.”

A faint laughter rode the wind.

“You really are cute.”

Ellen's face expressed her happiness; however, it was out of Tigre's view.

“... Can I stay like this for a while?”

''Is she still drunk?'' Having been teased with a gentle voice, Tigre could say nothing. Though she pleaded with him like a child, her body was hardly suitable to match her tone – specifically, her large breasts.

The two fell silent, though for how long is uncertain. Suddenly, Ellen placed her head on Tigre's shoulder. Tigre's ears could hear her gentle breathing.

''--- That's right, her face was completely red when she came here.''

Just by turning his head a little, he could see Ellen's beautiful face. Her face showed no sign of unease or fear. The shape of her face, her fair skin, her silver-white hair was visible; though it was regrettable, her long eyelashes covered her lovely eyes.


If he moved even more, he could softly place his lips on her. Not on her lips, perhaps, but possibly over her eyes. Ellen would hardly notice.

“... Let's head back.”

Approaching his limit, Tigre managed to force down his desires. It would be unfair to do such a thing to someone who was asleep.

Slowly inhaling the cold night air, he exhaled deeply, removing the heat circulating throughout his body.

Even when sleeping, Ellen did not release Arifal. Using his remaining hand, he supported her body and stood up, carrying her on his back.

The bonfires still burned brightly, and the soldiers voices had become more faint. He did not wish to be seen by the men, and it was important that he get rid of the excess energy in his body.

“... I'll take a detour.”

Even so, he wanted to stay with her a bit longer. While thinking about the comfortable warmth against his back, Tigre started walking slowly so as to not wake Ellen.



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Madan no Ou to Vanadis:Volume 03 Chapter 1 - MTL

2013-11-27T19:13:09Z

Royaloyalz:

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=== Black Knight ===

To the west of Brune Kingdom lay the Kingdoms of Sachstein and Asvarre.

The primary relation between the neighboring countries was one of discord. There were frequent skirmishes, especially with Sachstein.

Though the lands to the west held barren wilderness and steep mountains, there was no King who resisted the thought of expanding his lands. While using childish reasons to fight, the results would be obvious with victory.

And so, the fighting along the western border did not end. Five, six years ago, Sachstein was defeated.

The one to lead the defense of the western border was Roland, the [Black Knight].

Three thousand soldiers roamed the barren wilderness which was devoid even of weeds. Present on a flag hoisted above was the symbol of Furesburg. It was said the souls of the dead would be sent to heaven in peace by this entity, and it was the symbol of the Kingdom of Sachstein.


They were the Sachstein Army. They had passed the border and were currently invading Brune.

One thousand cavalry stood at the front followed by two thousand infantry.

Behind them rang the shrill sound of oxen and horse-driven caravans and catapults. Many towers and boulders were visible.

As they left the wilderness, the Sachstein Army entered a mountain path surrounded by cliffs.

A single horseman appeared before them.

His helmet, boots, and waving mantle were solid black. In his hand was a large, deep black sword. A dignity exuded from his very presence.

“Sachstein, it seems you have not learned the strength of this country or land from your prior experiences. I will do nothing should you choose to flee!”

The sonorous voice of the Black Knight echoed through the desolate mountain path. Rather than anger, soldiers from the Sachstein Army held fear.

“That's Roland.”

With a force of three thousand, it was foolish to stand before them as a lone soldier.

However, the Sachstein Army knew. This knight easily had the power to match one thousand.


Many Knights and Generals fighting beneath the Sachstein banner had lost their lives in the past five years. The common soldiers did not understand that.

The Sachstein Army did not respond to Roland. A single horseman, covered in heavy armor, advanced carrying a spear with both hands.

The man brandished the spear and made his horse run forward silently. Roland unsheathed his sword as he kicked the belly of his horse. Roland held the sword aloft, a large blade which would be difficult to wield with both hands by a common man, with his right hand alone.

The distance between the two shrunk quickly, a sound similar to thunder shook the atmosphere.

The Sachstein cavalryman in blue armor facing Roland slumped over.

His red corpse fell to the ground, his blood soaking the dry earth. A groan sounded from the Sachstein Army.

Roland did not stop his horse. He charged at the enemy brandishing his large sword, wet with blood. Crushed by fear, a cry was heard from the troops of Sachstein. The man nicknamed after the God of War pounced on the enemy as a single horseman.

“May the God of War, Tyulare, grant us protection!”


Two amongst the Sachstein cavalry rapidly approached Roland, thrusting toward him from the left and right. The next moment, their spears passed through empty space; their necks hovered in midair above a trail of fresh blood.

Every time Roland swung his sword, the blood and a scream of a Sachstein soldier appeared. Countless corpses fell to the earth, releasing unknown amounts of blood.

Though infantrymen rained arrows upon him, Roland used his large sword to cut two arrows, while three bounced off his jet-black armor.

Roland showed no fatigue, no matter how often he cut, nor did his sword become dull. Even when surrounded by four or five people, not a single scratch marred his armor; rather, only the dead bodies of Sachstein soldiers littered the field.

Suddenly, a battle cry was heard atop the cliff. A Knight dressed in armor carried a flag depicting a horse head; it was the symbol of Brune fluttering in the wind. They were the Navarre Knights who defended the western border.

The Sachstein Army, having focused on Roland, failed to notice the soldiers surrounding them. Even if they killed Roland, they would be overrun.

The Knights of Navarre ran down the steep slope together. With Roland at the lead, the Sachstein Army collapsed. The cavalry turned their horses around, and the infantrymen began to flee.


Roland joined the Knights of Navarre.

“Did we come too early?”

Leading the Knights, speaking to Roland with a smile, was a slim man. He was the Roland's right hand man, Olivier, who served as Vice-Commander. As Roland tried to respond, the Sachstein forces began to flee.

The air swelled. Boulders, likely pulled along by five or six men, flew near Roland, destroying the earth beside him.

“--- A catapult."

He was surprised. Roland soothed his horse as he muttered fearlessly. His face betrayed no sign of amazement or impatience.

“What's with that. That thing is for a castle siege.”

Another boulder was launched. It hit the wall and landed with a heavy noise. The Knights avoided the rock in a panic.

Roland held his large sword high and ran forward on his horse.


“Follow my sword!”

The wind sung, and the stones came flying. Roland did not try to avoid them as he moved straight forward with his horse. The boulders could not keep up with the Black Knight's terrific speed.

--- One cut.

Roland's large sword cut a boulder in two. As it landed, it shattered into countless fragments. Cries of astonishment could be heard from the Sachstein soldiers while cries of joy were heard from the Navarre cavalry.

With their spirit gone, the Sachstein Army turned and ran. Roland chased after them, tearing any enemy he caught with his sword.

The soldiers who escaped from Roland could not fend off the blades of the Knights of Navarre who followed close behind him. Struggling amongst a sea of corpses, the Sachstein soldiers discarded their weaponry and tried to run away.

Roland stopped his chase when the enemy stepped outside the borders.

He ordered a withdrawal and held his sword to the sky. It was a blade the color of steel, decorated with a golden pattern. It boasted a sharpness and strength impossible for normal alloys.

Durandal was its name.


It was called the [Sword of Invincibility] in Brune. Roland was granted the sword from the King when entrusted with the defense of the borders.

He was not born of a noble family, and there were objections when he was given the blade at the age of 20. The King merely spoke calmly to any who showed sign of unrest.

“Bring forth a Knight greater than Roland.”

No one could return a word. They remained silent and withdrew.

In fact, Roland had never been defeated once he became a Knight at the age of 13 due to his ability with the sword and spear and his skillful manipulation of a horse. He had spearheaded all his battles.

He wiped the blood off Durandal and leaned it against his shoulder. Roland quietly clicked his tongue.

Why had Sachstein moved at this time?

''--- They must have heard our army has fallen into disorder. They definitely sent soldiers to explore.''

He became angry upon remembering. It was not Sachstein's attack, but the attack against his land.

''--- What are those idiots back in the Royal Palace doing while I protect the borders from the predators outside Brune...!''


While Roland waited to lead his Knights, excited over their victory, to their castle, a messenger from the capital, Nice, arrived.

He received the letter presented to him. Roland opened it and read it with a grim countenance.

“--- I understand the situation.”

He folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Roland spoke to the messenger quietly.

“I will head to the capital immediately. Please report to Duke Thenardier.”

The messenger left in a hurry. Roland hid his expression from Olivier, who stood to the side.

“It was a notification to subjugate some thieves.”

“Thieves?”

“Earl Vorn, have you heard of him? He is a man who led a revolt and brought the Army of Zhcted into our country.”

Though Olivier's expression showed his astonishment, he recovered quickly and spoke calmly.

“If we're taking care of this, what about the West?”

Without Roland and Navarre present, Sachstein's suspicion would become certainty. They would quickly attack. That much was easily understandable.


“Duke Thenardier will negotiate for a temporary armistice.”

“Indeed, if it's that man, he could...”

Olivier sounded dissatisfied.

“So, all we need to do is kill Earl Vorn.”

Roland spoke harshly.

Duke Thenardier was preparing to fight against Duke Ganelon. They could not move their soldiers without causing a problem.

“So how many are we bringing?”

Olivier asked his true intent, having heard his response to the messenger. Olivier could not immediately judge the severity.

“The entire army.”

Roland responded curtly. Olivier gasped.

“All of Navarre?”

Olivier repeated his question.

“We will empty our fort?”

“Vorn seems to lead a five thousand strong army composed of Zhcted troops. It is said the undefeated Vanadis is a match for one thousand men.”


The names of the seven Vanadis were known even to Olivier and Roland. They were touted as bearing an uncommon bravery and were famed for not knowing defeat on the battlefield.

“It seems we are settling this rumor straight away... We should get within a one koku march and secure victory as quickly as possible. Duke Thenardier will be negotiating desperately, after all.”

Though the Knights of Navarre totaled five thousand, they were by no means average. They were considered amongst the strongest Knights in Brune.

Every day, they were trained in skirmishes at the western border.

Roland, bestowed with the holy sword Durandal by the kingdom, commanded those Knights at the young age of 27.

The next day, Roland drew the Knights to the courtyard.

Tigrevurmud Vorn had invited the Zhcted Army within the country, and there were several nobles aligning themselves with his cause.

“We shall first set off for the Royal Capital; however, our final destination is Territoire.”

Roland returned the [Sword of Invincibility] to its sheath and spoke with a deep voice.

“--- We will quickly attack the enemy and fall back.”


<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

It happened in a dream.

In the dream, Eleanora stood near a river.

Before her eyes stood a beautiful girl; she placed her hand in the river and spoke with a smile.“Nice to meet you, Vanadis of the Silver Flash. I am Alexandra Alshavin. It is a pleasure.”

When Ellen was chosen as a Vanadis, her predecessor had already departed from the world.

They met for the first time, perhaps so she could teach what was necessary. Sasha – Alexandra, had deep black hair hanging to her shoulders. She spoke with a masculine tone and gave a strong impression.

Though the two had different personalities, they hit it off immediately, strangely enough. They started referring to each other as Sasha and Ellen on the same day.

“When crisis approaches, when the King commands, you will be bound. You will run to his aid. It is not a promise, it is an oath.”

In the dream, the two now sat in a small room.

Sasha, sitting before her, said to be cautious and not to abuse the Dragonic Skill.
“It is a force beyond human intellect. If you rely too much on it, you will become mentally weak. Your mind and skill will dull.”


''Ah, I vaguely remember this memory. It happened two years ago, when I became a Vanadis. This dream is no different from what happened.''

“But... Can I really do this with just a strong will?”

“So long as you are confident; however, Ellen, it is not that simple. Remember, you control your will. The blade will not respond to a weak fool.”

Ellen tried to object from a different angle, since she did not simply wish to accept what was told to her.

“But if that's the case, I think it would be better to live alone so the soldiers don't die.”

Ellen's eyes gazed directly into Sasha's.

“The soldiers will not follow just you, but the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}.”

''--- Jeez, I can't win against Sasha.''

Though I understood later, it was not a thought belonging to Sasha alone. Both Sophia and Ludmira had a similar feeling.

“Naturally, when a crisis approaches, I will use my body. There will be times when I can't help but use it to confront an enemy, but there are also times when the simple strength is needed.”


Ludmira spoke as usual. Sophia naturally spoke quietly.

“This is the skill of a dragon. The Vanadis can only exercise such techniques after obtaining a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}}; it is not my own. I will only use it when I have the proper opportunity. When thinking of it that way, it is natural for me.”

Based on what she was told, the Dragonic Tool was used in a manner opposite what she thought. Ellen continued to ask herself and finally came to a conclusion.

Arifal was not a simple sword; it has a will. If it deemed Ellen unworthy, it would immediately part from her hand, though she did not understand how it judged who was and was not qualified.

Currently, Ellen found her own answer.

“I should fight those who challenge me on the battlefield with ingenuity and skill.”

[{{furigana|Cleave the Wind|Ley Admos}}] was a highly destructive power. It could cleave through the scales of a dragon, protect the Vanadis like iron, and deflect assassin attacks from the shadows. She had experience with it.

Still, it was not necessarily the right answer. Only two years have passed since she became a Vanadis. She worried about failing Arifal's expectations and continued to ask herself such questions.


<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The early morning sky extended slightly above the clouds, and a cold wind blew the dry grass.

Six thousand soldiers gathered on the west side of Territoire. It consisted of one thousand men from Brune and five thousand from Zhcted. A base was established, and in the center waved the {{furigana|Red Horse Flag|Bayard}} and the {{furigana|Black Dragon Flag|Zirnitra}}.

A large force consisting of troops from two countries was particularly conspicuous

It was divided into a place for the Commanders and another for the Vice-Commanders.

One barrack was set up for men and one for women.

Three girls were in the midst of waking in the women's barracks.

Brune had a relatively mild climate, but it was still quite chilly in the winter morning. Cold air and moisture was evident on the ground. The men wrapped themselves in cloaks of thick fur and blankets. Straw was dried out during the day for use and then burnt as fuel at night.

Amongst the three girls, one was a maid who served Tigrevurmud Vorn, the General leading the troops. Beneath her chestnut-brown, twin-tail hair was a childish face.


As noiselessly as possible, Teita passed her arms through the sleeves of her black and white maid outfit and left the tent quietly. In the silence, she could occasionally hear the soldiers stifling a yawn.

Wearing a dress and walking in the cold, her breathe was white. She moved about, loosening her body.

''--- Tigre-sama must still be asleep.''

He was the Lord whom Teita served and whom she intimately thought of. While imagining his sleeping face, she heard a voice from behind her.

“What's this, you're up already.”

After almost jumping up, Teita looked back.

Behind her was a girl with argent hair extending to her waist. At her waist was a sheathed longsword. She had some slightly disordered bed hair.

“Good... morning.”

She bowed and spoke carefully; Teita's expression clearly showed her disappointment.


Her name was Eleanora Viltaria, known as the {{furigana|[Wind Princess of the Silver Flash]|Silvfrau}}. She was one of the seven Vanadis of Zhcted Kingdom, and she and her soldiers were present in the encampment.

As a maid, she was not someone Teita could simply converse with, but she was candidly called out to. Tigre called her by her nickname, Ellen. As Ellen nodded in understanding, she noticed the pail Teita's held.

“Are you going to draw water now?”

Teita felt she was seen through, so she could not help but answer reluctantly.

“I'll go with you.”

“... Thank you.”

Amongst the six thousand strong army, there were only three women: Ellen, Teita, and Ellen's adjutant, Limlisha, who was currently still asleep.

Apart from Ellen and Lim, who held rank, Teita was not called for often. She tried not to act alone as much as possible.

Batran usually accompanied Tigre, but he was likely still asleep this early in the morning.

''--- Though if asked, Batran-san will get up immediately.''

However, he had taken care of Teita since she was small, She did not want to overdo things.


Thinking about it, she appreciated Ellen's company. Even in an army of six thousand, it was still dangerous to walk alone.

Teita and Ellen walked away from the soldiers on lookout and left the formation toward a narrow river to the north. They passed soldiers who were returning from drawing water. Teita walked silently, so there was no conversation.

''--- If this were Tigre-sama.''

Teita thought it easy to walk along with Tigre and imagined it.

Tigre's face, still showing signs of not sleeping enough, would walk next to Teita with a yawn. As she washed her smiling face, careful not to fall into the river, Tigre would turn and lightly pat Teita's chestnut-brown hair.

Just remembering the many exchanges they had in the past made Teita happy.

Suddenly, the wind blew. The beginning of winter coldly tickled Teita's neck. She sneezed involuntarily.

“Are you cold?”


Ellen voiced her question. Teita then felt a soft feeling wrap around her shoulders as Ellen took off her mantle and placed it on her.

“Th, thank you.”

Slow in expressing her thanks, Teita looked at Ellen curiously.

“What?”

“You too, aren't you cold?”

She was wearing a long sleeved-shirt that covered her up to her shoulders and her legs. In comparison, Ellen wore a short skirt and had bare legs and shoulders. Still, though not thick, her clothes were made of several fine-quality fabrics.

“I'm fine. The winters in Zhcted are much colder than this.”

Teita did not know the weather in the neighboring country, so she could only nod absent-mindedly.

“By the way, Teita, I had a question I wanted to ask you.”

“... What could it be?”

Teita's voice was stiff. She prepared herself to respond, no matter what question might come.

“Do you like Tigre?”

The question was far too frank, so it easily pushed past the guard erected in Teita's heart. Teita's now crimson face looked back at Ellen as she shook her hands.

“Wha, what are you suddenly saying...!”


“There's no need to panic. It's not unusual for the maid to have feelings for her Master.

With her hands at her waist, Ellen looked at Teita happily. Teita, in a fluster, tried to protest.

“I am Tigre-sama's maid. Certainly, I have yearned for him for many years, but I do not find our relationship lacking...”

“Is that so. So is there someone he likes?”

Ellen moved on to the next question without hesitation. Without going further into Teita's thoughts, she shook her another way.

“I do not believe so. I have never seen nor heard of a woman frequently meeting with Tigre-sama.”

“He may be a 16 year old like me, but he's a noble with a territory, right? There haven't been any stories?”

Ellen showed some doubt in her face. Even if they were only 16, it was not abnormal to think of marriage. Furthermore, Tigre was not some youth on the streets. He had an obligation to continue his blood to prevent the eradication of the Vorn family line.

“Tigre-sama is a serious person.”

Teita spoke proudly, as if speaking for herself, though it did not last long.


“Though you say he's serious, he could still be interested in women. He seemed interested when he saw me naked.”

“... Naked?”

“I was bathing at a well.”

Ellen responded casually. Teita could not articulate naturally for a while. When she was young, she did not mind being seen naked, but, of course, that changed when she became aware of her femininity.

“Don't put on a face like that. He didn't come to see me, it was more of an accident.”

Was Teita's reaction really that odd? Ellen looked at her, nearly laughing. The chestnut-brown haired maid looked into the eyes of the Vanadis with reproach. Though mortifying, she did not have the reckless courage to show her bare skin to Tigre.

… Besides...

Looking at Ellen's body, she sighed inwardly. Though Teita's body was not unattractive, she could not match Ellen's bust size or thin hips.

They continued walking when a question suddenly appeared in Teita's head.


“--- Why are you worried about this?”

Ellen walked next to her, looking at her curiously. Teita made her question more direct.

“You as well, do you like Tigre-sama?”

Ellen's straight face turned rigid. Her wide eyes gazed at Teita. The wind fluttered through her argent hair, bringing her back to her senses.

“That's right. Well, I don't hate him, I guess...”

Ellen's fingers fiddled with her hair. Teita gently pushed forward.

“... So you like him?”

Ellen frowned slightly and crossed her arms.

“Liking him and not disliking him, it's not really that simple.”

“Certainly, but I believe I can apply that to you.”

Teita's words would not permit running away, forcing a small moan to leak from Ellen. Withdrawing her gaze and placing her hand on her longsword, she gently patted it as if touching the head of a small animal. As if in response, the wind of the Silver Flash lightly blew.

“Assuming I like Tigre as you say, what will you do?”

“That... I do not know, but---”


While overlooking the meadows, which were mostly a dull yellow, Teita continued to speak. It was not something she had thought much about.

“I am happy enough, so long as I can see Tigre-sama smiling happily, and, right now, you are necessary for that.”

She hardened her determination and stopped walking. Teita looked back at Ellen. With her face flushed, she looked strongly with her hazel eyes.

“That is why, I will remain by Tigre-sama from now on, and I will watch you. I will not forgive you should you do anything terrible to him!”

Teita understood. All Tigre needed were peaceful days.

He needed the soldiers to fight Duke Thenardier, an excellent leader, and food and water to maintain them.

Ellen could prepare them all, it was something Teita could not do.

Ellen was more necessary for Tigre in private as well.

It was precisely because she understood that she said nothing more.

Though Ellen looked at Teita in surprise, she burst out in laughter hearing the desires of the maid, one year her junior.

“Wha, what is so funny?”

Teita drew closer, strongly clutching the pail. Ellen smiled bitterly and shook her hands.


“No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of your determination.”

Though she was envious of Teita's single-minded and brave nature, she could not say it aloud.

“I'm one of the seven Vanadis. Even if he liked me, we would just be too unbalanced.”

“Unbalanced...”

Though relieved, Teita had an expression showing her mixed feelings. Though it was her selfish desire, there was also an imbalance between them.

Though she was not necessarily seen through, Ellen looked at Teita with happy, bright red eyes.

“I wouldn't mind, but would you try to become his mistress? He's mine. There won't be anything interfering with us getting together.”

“No thank you!”

While Teita had spoken with a large voice and a crimson face before, she now turned her back to Ellen indignantly. She was being teased, but was surprised to hear of herself as a mistress.
''--- Tigre-sama, what should I do?''


She had just told Ellen she would remain by Tigre's side.

However, seeing her and Lim, she was acutely aware of how little she could help.

Of course, it was a misunderstanding. Teita's role was not in the realm of warfare. She took care of personal needs, prepared delicious meals, and readied the warm beds for the tired individuals in the evening.

She was modest, to say the least. She did not understand the result of her actions. She never thought to ask Tigre.

“May I ask you one more question?”

“Ah, yes?”

With a question suddenly thrown at her, Teita panicked.

She felt a force weigh down on her.

Her heart beat rapidly, and even her breathing stopped as Ellen watched her. Because she was told to give up so suddenly, this silver-white princess was not being careless. Ellen, her red eyes shining curiously, asked Teita happily.

“What part of Tigre do you like?”

“Ah, Everything!”

“Even his habit of oversleeping?”


Teita found herself at a loss for words. To disentangle the heart of the maid, younger by one year, Ellen spoke with a smile.

“I don't doubt your feelings, but as someone who has been by his side for years, I'm curious. What are his virtues, and what are his faults?”

Was it different from what Ellen found in Tigre?

“His gentle nature...”

“What else?”

When asked, Teita stopped her feet and looked up at the clouds in the sky.

“... I will tell you what Batran-san once said.”

Little by little, Teita formed her words.

“Tigre-sama has ruled the widely spread land of Alsace alone.”

Ellen wore a dubious face when she heard it called wide, but was immediately convinced.

Celesta, the city in the center of Alsace, was a place the maid rarely stepped foot out of. To her, Alsace must have been extraordinarily wide.

“When he became Lord, Tigre was a simple child, no different from any other. There were many who looked poorly upon him, though they were never angry. Still, I think it amazing.”


After a single breath, Ellen nodded silently, encouraging her to continue.

“He lost his father, attended the funeral, and, with no time to rest, became Lord. He had many people to help and worked many days without rest... However, Tigre-sama himself never changed. Thanks to that, I could continue to feel at ease with him.”

Tigre became Earl and succeeded his territory at the age of 14. He did not take time to mourn for his father and immediately took up his duties. Even so, there was pain, suffering, and conflict.

Still, Tigre's attitude did not change, touching the lives of Teita, Batran, and many others.

“When I saw that, I wanted to help Tigre-sama, even just a little.”

“... I see.”

Ellen nodded in satisfaction hearing Teita's words. Her silver-white hair fluttered in the wind.

''… Certainly, he's a very flexible person.''

''He doesn't let a situation pass, but he's not too self-assertive.''

''--- It's hard, as a woman, to tell if he's suitable or unsuitable.''


She could only smile bitterly as she reflected upon Teita's story as well as her and Lim's reaction.

“Ah, um...”

Teita called out in a rather conservative voice, restoring Ellen's presence of mind. She gazed at the maid's hazel eyes. There was a wariness within them. Thinking about it, she had given an expression that was not quite expected. Cheerfully, Ellen tapped Teita's shoulder.

“I'll have to give you my thanks. I'm liking the boy more and more.”

Teita's face was shocked. Ellen laughed once again.

“I'm feeling good. When I return to Zhcted, I can leave him in your care.”

When Limlisha awoke, Ellen was heading out. Though she tried to accompany her, naturally, she was refused.

Reluctantly, she wrapped herself in a blanket and waited until the scheduled wake-up call.

“What if an assassin aimed for your life?”

Though she wanted to say that so that she could accompany her, Lim had fallen when a group of assassins attacked her the other day.


Despite the chill of the early morning, she quickly washed her face with water and cleaned her golden hair as she passed her left hand through it. She changed clothes and wore a thick, blue, overcoat as a measure against the cold.

She told herself it would be fine. Ellen was not guarded by only herself. There were many soldiers watching over the area, and she had the {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} granted to the Vanadis. Even if a poisoned arrow flew from great distances, Ellen could defend against it.

She clutched her favorite stuffed bear, which could fit in her hands, to calm her mind. Lim left the barracks with her sword at her waist. When she asked for Ellen's whereabouts from the soldiers beside the tent, she was told they still had not returned.

''--- What should I do?''

She asked herself. She seldom hesitated.

At present, there were others who could assist Ellen. It was not like everyone was asleep at this time, except for perhaps a young man who slept until noon. He had still not gotten rid of that habit, so Lim had to scold him on more than one occasion.

''--- I suppose Eleanora-sama will be fine.''

Beneath the wind were two banners fluttering. She called for the soldiers on guard.


“Is Lord Tigrevurmud awake yet?”

As expected, the answer was negative. She was told someone was sent.

In the large tent, the young, red-haired man was wrapped in a blanket, breathing deeply and quietly. His black bow was propped beside it. Though there should have been an elder man serving beside him and a young maid, neither could be seen. Perhaps they already left.

“He really is a deep sleeper...”

Her voice was positive as she spoke in amazement. Lim compromised and got to her knees before Tigre, lightly shaking his shoulder.

“Lord Tigrevurmud, it is already morning. Please wake up.”

There was no reaction. Either he was deep asleep or he was catching up on lost rest.

“The soldiers have already begun preparations for breakfast. As the General of an army, how can you oversleep?”

She scolded Tigre with cliched words. She shook him more strongly, but received no reaction.

''--- The last time, I thrust a sword into his mouth.''

Tigre, at the time, was a captive, and Lim was strongly hostile. She could not do it now.


For the two... Their relationship changed a great deal in a short amount of time.

Comparing the past and present, she indulged in a strange, deep emotion.

Tigre, General of the forces, was taught by her. Lim noticed her position and was slightly surprised.

“Really, you are a mystery.”

[[Image:Vanadis V03 - 039.jpg|175px|thumb]]

With a smile, she brought her hand from Tigre's shoulder to his red hair and gently stroked it. Tigre did not wake up, but distorted his face as if he had an itch. He brought his hand to his head.

Or so it should have gone.

Their hands overlapped.

Lim deeply and involuntarily inhaled and gazed at their hands. Warmth came through her hand; her face dyed red. Many seconds passed like that.

“Wake up, Tigre. I came to get you personally.”

At the entrance, Teita and Ellen rudely walked in. Lim shrank out of surprise and looked back at her Lord with argent hair.

“If it isn't Lim. Why are you here?”


Though it would end if she said she came to wake Tigre, she was shy from what had just happened and could not speak. Lim looked up in confusion as Ellen walked toward her with narrowed eyes.

“You, even if he's difficult to wake up, to try and pull his hair...”

“I was not---”

She tried to suppress her intense emotions and spoke with a large voice, pulling a few hairs out of his head as she shook her hands.

“Tigre-sama, are you okay?”

Confused by the situation, Teita ran up to Tigre in a hurry. After confirming his well being, Teita looked at Lim accusingly.

Unable to remain still, Lim bowed deeply and apologized for her impoliteness.

“It's fine, though try to limit it so I don't go bald.”

Tigre's response was mixed with a yawn; Lim was saved at last.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>




In the tent, there sat one young man and three girls surrounding a map.

Ellen, Lim, Teita and Tigre, making four people. After Tigre had breakfast, they held a meeting, though Teita was only present to remove the meals.

“Four days have passed since we reached these plains, have we found anything?”

The meeting began as usual. First, they would hear Lim's opinion, whose turmoil from the morning disturbance was now gone. She looked at Tigre and spoke in a straight expression and voice which did not display her emotions. She was young, only 19 years old, yet she was well versed in political affairs and the military arts.

“There were many troublesome issues, but nothing serious.”

Tigre responded in a calm manner. He was 16 years old and had rather short, dull hair and dark eyes. His features were sober, and his mild smile suited him well. He wore ordinary hempen clothes with leather shoes and looked no different from any villager in the area.

This was how he always dressed, though he was a General commanding six thousand troops.

“The number of fights has increased and our food and fuel are getting tight. That is the current situation.”

“Don't forget, your debt is increasing.”

Ellen added those words with a straight face while sipping some soup.

“What we eat isn't free, after all.”


The stewed soup was made with two kinds of salted fish and mussels and three herbs. Though the salted fish was strong enough to make it difficult to eat, the taste became moderate once boiled.

The breakfast also included a hard bread and cheese as well as a bit of wine. The soup was the only thing different from the soldiers' rations.

The food was bought from the towns and cities in the vicinity. Also, not a single person from the Zhcted Army showed his face. The Brune soldiers were the ones in charge and took control of the Zhcted gold.

“We have entered Territoire which is under Viscount Augre's command. If we asked, we could requisition food and fuel, but I would rather not cause any trouble for the locals if possible.”

That was the general consensus.

Very few Brune nobles were willing to aid Tigre. Tigre's soldiers, the soldiers of those intimate with him, and the soldiers Viscount Augre was able to procure numbered one thousand.

They were now all gathered together.

“By the way, Lim.”

After finishing her soup, Ellen looked to her expressionless subordinate.

“Do we have a formal name for the army?”

Lim frowned lightly. Though it was difficult to see such a minor change, Ellen and Tigre noticed.


“I don't think that is a particularly important issue, but...”

“No, I just thought they could be called the {{furigana|[Silver Meteor Army]|Unstoppable Silver Flow}}.”

Ellen smiled happily as she continued egging the two on. Lim and Tigre noticed her intent to tease them.

''--- The Silver Meteor Army, is it...''

It seemed to be a fairly exaggerated name for the army Tigre led. Lim was reluctant to agree.

Before the soldiers under Augre's care joined, she was questioned on what to call the army.

“The core of the army are Lord Tigrevurmud and Eleanora-sama. I think it fine to call it [The Alsace LeitMeritz Allied Forces].”

Lim proposed that. Tigre also considered it in his own way.

“We can't forget the aristocrats who helped us, so it might be best to call it [The LeitMeritz and Feudal Lords of Brune United Army].”

“With that kind of name, there won't be any morale. What do you think the soldiers would say to these names?”

Ellen rejected the idea while sighing deeply with an exhausted expression.


“Then, do you have any ideas, Ellen?”

And so, Tigre asked Ellen. Ellen nodded with a confident smile and spoke her thoughts.

Although there was a dissenting opinion, since there were no alternative names, it was decided the name of the army would be the [Silver Meteor Army]. Tigre aside, Lim did not seem satisfied to the very end.

“Si, Silver, Meteor...”

Though Lim's expression did not change, her voice was small as she squeezed those words out. Tigre decided it was a bit pitiful and offered his help.

“Regarding our conversation of food and fuel a moment ago, how much do we have left?”

Lim showed relief on her face and nodded to Tigre. Though Ellen noticed what Tigre was doing and sharpened her eyes, she listened without saying anything more.

“As we are equipped now, we will last for twenty days, though we have a little leeway on our money. Because of that, we should be able to manage through the winter, so long as the neighboring towns continue selling goods. However, we will have problems should anything unexpected happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“For example, if some aristocrat commanding two or three thousand men allied with us, we would not have the food ready.”


Imagining what might happen, Tigre's expression darkened. Though he welcomed more allies, the consumption of food would also increase.

“Also, we will be in even more trouble if Duke Thenardier interferes with the distribution of food and fuel.”

“Though it is possible Duke Thenardier could do so, it is unlikely.”

“While the townspeople are generous, we should still consider measures.”

When Lim finished, a young Knight entered.

The man was tall and had a well appearing face, but there was no hair atop it. He seemed proud, looked on with a fearless attitude, and spoke with an imposing tone.

“Lord Tigrevurmud, it looks like we've got a bit more trouble.”

He spoke to Tigre in a somewhat happy tone.

“Really, Rurick, what is it this time?”

In contrast to this Knight – Rurick – Tigre stood up with a wearied look. Hanging the quiver to his waist, he grabbed his black bow.

“I will return and finish my meal. Please leave things as they are for me.”

“But your soup will get cold.”


“It's good even when cool, since you made it.”

He responded with a smile. Teita looked up with an embarrassed face. Tigre glanced at Ellen and Lim.

“I'll be back in a moment.”

“Got it. Hurry up and take care of this.”

Ellen waved her hand comfortably. Lim, next to her, silently rose.

“Lim.”

Just by calling to her, Lim was held back.

When Tigre and Rurick left, Ellen watched as Lim set the soup aside.

“These days, aren't you hanging around Tigre a bit much?”

“I suppose that is the case.”

“Before, you would have said he failed in dealing with trouble and would withdraw his meal.”

“We are on a battlefield. With battle possible at any moment, I cannot afford to say such things.”

Lim responded curtly before sipping her wine.

“... Like I thought. Did something happen? Well, he is the first person to have felt your chest, and he even sucked out poison from them.”

Lim choked. Though she did not spit out her wine, she coughed several times as Ellen glared at her lightly.


“I could say the very same of you. You were quite defenseless, Eleanora-sama, when Lord Tigrevurmud saw you bathing, as well as when he pushed you down---”

Lim suddenly stopped speaking, having felt the weight of someone's eyes on her. Teita held the tableware, her face pale, as she looked at Lim, urging her to continue.

Lim looked back shyly before gazing at the floor. She stood up, finished her wine in a single gulp, and placed it on the table.

“... I will have a look at the troubles here.”

“Shouldn't you say you'll be helping Tigre?”

While sipping her soup, Ellen responded in a clear, unyielding tone.

“This will be a good experience for him. With his experience, six thousand troops is just about right. If he fails, you and I can manage it somehow.”

“You are willing to let him fail?”

Hearing Lim's question, Ellen looked up with a dangerous smile on her face.

“Everyone will face the frustration of failure at some point. Even you and I have, I believe.”


A faint, bitter smile floated to her unsociable face as Lim bowed.

Ellen finished her soup and gave the bowl to Teita. After that, she noticed the woman with chestnut-brown hair hesitating.

“I will say this for him, but I told you it was a bit different while we were drawing water this morning... I think.”

“I, I see. I suppose you're right.”

Though she nodded, she was still dubious.

“If you have difficulty ignoring these things, it's fine to ask Tigre.”

''--- I will leave this to Tigre. It should be just the right amount of experience.''

Having him away nonchalantly, Ellen sipped her wine calmly.

“This is the cause of the fight?”

Clutching his black bow, Tigre left the tent with Rurick. He carefully asked so as to hide the bitterness in his expression.

A line of soldiers lined up outside the tent. As the General of the army, even if he was in a bad mood, he could not express his emotions so openly.


The smoke of cooked foods silently rose and disappeared in the morning sky.

“That cloud.”

While walking next to Tigre, Rurick pointed to the sky. Tigre looked up at the cloud.

“This is a first for me... One of the Brune soldiers noticed the cloud. You can see it resembles a horse.”

“I see. So what about it?”

He spoke as if it were obvious. After all, Tigre was born in Brune as well.

“It is like Bayard, the horse found on the battle flag of Brune Kingdom.”

The founder of Brune Kingdom, Founder Charles, rode Bayard, a magic horse with a red body and black mane. It is thought he mounted his steed and rode about the domestic grounds, anywhere in an instant. It was said at his postmortem that his soul had run to heaven.

“In our country, it is a sign that Zirnitra has passed by.”

Tigre looked satisfied.

Zirnitra was the Black Dragon of Zhcted Kingdom. The King who founded the country was an incarnation of Zirnitra according to his proclamations.


“So, for some reason, this little argument erupted, and now people are fighting?”

“Right now, nothing has happened, but the atmosphere is tense.”

Tigre listened to Rurick's words, who was clearly amused. The bald Knight seemed interested in how Tigre would handle the situation.

Though, normally, the General should not deal with such issues, the reason Tigre came to personally address the situation was to acclimate himself to his position in the army. He would rather not leave everything to Rurick.

This was especially true if it dealt with a quarrel between soldiers.

He arrived at the scene and saw the trouble. The Zhcted soldiers outnumbered those of Brune by nearly ten to one. They were glaring at each other with their teeth bared. As Rurick said, though they were not fighting, the atmosphere was volatile.

Tigre stopped his feet, took an arrow from his quiver, and nocked his bow.

“Are you aiming at their feet?”

Rurick asked a dangerous question. Actually, if he shot an arrow at their feet, it would hardly be a threat. It would be more intimidating to shoot it at the level of their line of sight. Regardless, the legends of each country were inconsequential.


“A wounded person can't fight. I have no reason to injure anyone.”

“Certainly that is true...”

After speaking, Rurick looked at the arrow in Tigre's hand, showing interest.

“What is that?”

“It's an arrow I received from Viscount Augre. Apparently it whistles.”

The arrow had a slightly different shape from usual. Below the arrowhead was an oval nut with small holes cut into it.

Tigre casually drew his bow string to its limits and shot the arrow to the sky. The mysterious sound blared in the wind, similar to the song of a bird.

The arrow flew in a small arc and stopped right before the soldiers, who were stunned by the strange sound.

“--- What is this commotion?”

After confirming they were no longer heated up, Tigre called out in an overbearing tone. To suppress their hot-blooded nature, it was necessary to act a little aggressively. He was well accustomed to such things as ruler of Alsace.

Though the soldiers wore awkward faces, they appealed to him and expressed their opinions. It was as he heard from Rurick.


“In other words, the disagreement comes from whether that cloud is an omen of Bayard or Zirnitra? Is that really the source of your dispute?”

The soldiers nodded seriously. They all looked for Tigre's reaction. All the young soldiers were curious how their General would act.

“It's both.”

“Ha.”

Hearing Tigre's words, the soldiers responded with vacant faces. They twisted their heads, since his answer did not follow Brune Scripture.

“... Is that fine?”

“Whether it's Bayard or Zirnitra, not everyone here has heard both stories. It's appropriate enough that you think it can be both.”

His words cut through their momentum. Tigre was fairly well versed with the mythology of Brune, but he was not particularly knowledgeable of the myth of Zirnitra. Lim, his teacher, postponed the details of the old stories.

“Whether it is Bayard or Zirnitra, you can think of it in your own way, but if you wish to disagree, I will be more than happy to be your opponent.”

The soldiers glanced at the ground where the arrow was thrust.


“No, we have no objection.”

The Zhcted soldiers withdrew first. They knew of Tigre's skill with the bow, and they noticed Rurick's presence.

“I hope none of you have anything more to say.”

Beneath Tigre's gaze, the soldiers of Brune withdrew. Though they despised the arrow, they could do nothing before Tigre's attitude.

“Very well. As punishment for this commotion, today and tomorrow, all of you will have a reduced supply of fuel.”

It was a light punishment. Neither opposition nor complaints were raised.

The soldiers scattered. As Tigre retrieved the arrow, calm returned to the surroundings. Rurick walked next to him and whispered praise.

“That was well done.”

Tigre responded with a sigh and bitter smile.

“It was likely due to the gaze coming from behind me, right? Thank you.”

“I was simply offering words of gratitude. There was no need to say anything for that level of action.”

“Even if it is trivial, it is proper to acknowledge your action.”

“Even if it is justifiable, its importance will decrease. It is no different from saying you love a woman. There are times when you should and should not use it.”


Tigre smiled sarcastically after hearing Rurick's words.

“That's an easy to understand comparison.”

The army within Brune, the [Silver Meteor Army], had an odd configuration of forces. A foreign army composed more than 80% of the troops, and the General was an obscure 16 year old.

Though it was obvious quarrels would happen, Tigre's opinion was naive.

While building their camp, more than two dozen commotions had occurred that Tigre was not aware of, probably even more.

Neither Brune nor Zhcted had large differences in language, and most of the Gods they worshiped were the same. Though there was hope the two would be able to work together, minor differences sparked larger conflicts.

There was not too much a problem between Alsace and Territoire, but the remaining soldiers were from the Zhcted Army.


However, no one was interested in causing a fight, since they were the core of the army.

Though Viscount Augre could mediate between the two forces, there were places his eyes never reached.

“It is a bit poor to say, but it might be best if the battle arrived earlier.”

Rurick spoke with a wry smile. Tigre seemed to ignore his words as he shrugged.

He wished to move to Nemetacum, three days west, but Tigre did not move. To be more accurate, he could not move.

There were several reasons. Massas had traveled to the Royal Capital, Nice, and there was no contact. That was the largest concern.

If he were to fight against Duke Thenardier, it would be necessary to sever any connection with the King. Ideally, he should get permission, but it was unlikely to happen, especially since he invited the Zhcted Army into the country. He still needed to make his justification clear.

Tigre could assert his justice by speaking up, but, unfortunately, he had no influence.

As an aristocrat of Brune, it was necessary for him to obtain approval from the King.

When the tent came into sight, Tigre was stopped by a voice from behind.


''--- What trouble is there now?''

Ruffling his red hair somewhat aggressively, Tigre turned back to see a young soldier with a tense face.

“I come here under the name of Marquis Greast. His excellency wishes to speak with you, Earl.”

“Greast...?”

Tigre inclined his head. He had never heard the name, but it was necessary to correspond courteously if he were a Marquis.

“Did you come alone, today? Or did you come as Marquis Greast's attendant?”

Tigre thought he would have come alone, though it was arbitrary.

“... For the time being, he wishes to meet with you immediately. A table and chair has been prepared two hundred alsin away.”

Not knowing whether he was an ally or not, it was obvious why he was being cautious.

After listening to instructions from the soldier, he walked at a brisk pace. Tigre entered a tent accompanied by Rurick, the soldier allowing entry at once.

A bright light shined inside the tent. An elder gentleman wearing loose-fitting clothes quietly sipped porridge. He looked at Tigre and smiled like a good-natured grandfather.

“I apologize for my poor manners, but it cools quickly. I hope you can pardon my actions.”


“No, I apologize for interrupting your meal.”

Tigre responded with a smile. Rurick stood a half step behind and nodded silently while kneeling before Augre. Tigre immediately explained the situation with Marquis Greast. The smile disappeared from his face.

“That old bastard, Greast?”

“Do you know of him?”

“I have met him a few times before. I would have to say he is Duke Ganelon's right-hand man...”

The wrinkles on his face increased as he explored his memory. He then remembered he had a dish of porridge and a spoon in his hand.

“Right, we received a letter from Massas. Ganelon's army has advanced toward Alsace. He wrote of Marquis Greast as well.”

Tigre's complexion changed. If Massas had not stopped their movements, Ganelon's army would have reached Alsace before Thenardier's. The news would not be good.

“What will you do?”

“For now, I will listen to his story. It would be bothersome to let things be.”


“In that case, allow me to accompany you. I will see if this Marquis Greast is the real thing.”

He wore his wooden geta and followed after Tigre.

<center><big><big><big><big>◎</big></big></big></big></center>

The air was unnaturally dry and the room was dimly lit.

In the dark, a small elderly person wrapped in a black robe flipped through a book. A normal person would be absorbed in deciphering the characters which were difficult to read.

He was in a room in Duke Thenardier's mansion.

The elder's name was Drekavac. He served as a soothsayer for the Duke for the past few years. Many considered him an odd doctor. Only Duke Thenardier, who employed him, knew of his true ability.

Drekavac silently flipped through the pages. Suddenly, his slender fingers stopped, pinching a wrinkled page. He noticed someone approaching the room.

The door opened without any greeting. Before it stood a young man.

“Hey, it's been a while.”


He raised his hand and spoke with a jovial voice. Even in the dark room, it was easy to tell he was a man of medium build. He wore thick clothes, decorated with fur along the collar and sleeves, and a green turban wrapped about his head and his short, black hair which hung to his shoulders.

He took steps in a calm manner. He gave the impression of being an elusive individual.

“So you came, Vodyanoy.”

With his back turned, Drekavac stated his business promptly.

“Do you know of Molsheim Plains in Alsace? It is to the northeast.”

“Ah, that's where the boy lost miserably.”

Vodyanoy responded, his smile not receding even a little.

“I want you to go there.”

While Drekavac continued to flip through his book, he continued speaking.

“I want you to retrieve the {{furigana|Wyvern|Vyfal}} corpse that dropped in the marshes there.”

“The Dragon's corpse? What of the boy's corpse which fell alongside it?”

“It does not matter.”

The old man in a black robe spoke as if he were talking about a roadside pebble.


“You only need to bring me the Wyvern remains.”

“Oh? Why are you suddenly interested in this?”

While playing with his green turban, Vodyanoy voiced his question.

“I am bothered about something.”

Drekavac, continuing his thoughts, spoke in a gloomy tone.

“There were two bright light there. I understand one came from the Vanadis, but I have not heard of the source of the other.”

Vodyanoy waited for the rest of the story, but Drekavac spoke no more. Understanding he should not pursue any further, the youth shrugged his shoulders.

“The Vanadis... It seems the Silver Flash is in the country. What will you do?”

A dangerous light shined in the boy's eyes. Drekavac perceived the change in the man standing behind him.

“I will let others take care of that. Regrettably, we cannot win that battle.”

“Oh? Who in this country could oppose the Vanadis?”

“The Black Knight Roland, the man who possesses the {{furigana|[Sword of Invincibility]|Durandal}}.”

Hearing Drekavac's answer, Vodyanoy had an unexpected reaction.


“I wonder if that burden will be too heavy.”

“It cannot be helped. There are no weapons to oppose a {{furigana|Dragonic Tool|Viralt}} other than the [Sword of Invincibility]. The legend of our country states it was a weapon created by God, bestowed to the founder, who remained ignorant of its utility.”

Looking back at the old man laughing with a muffled voice, Vodyanoy, shrugged his shoulders in his mind.

“So... You want me to dive into that swamp? It's not exactly a pleasant job.”

The answer was as anticipated. Drekavac removed his hand from the book and pointed to the corner of the room. There, bags of gold received from Duke Thenardier lay on the ground, as if casually thrown aside.

“Take it.”

Vodyanoy smiled from ear to ear. Walking to the corner nimbly, he used both hands to take gold coins out of the bags.

He held them as if in love and dropped them into his mouth. The sound of coins rustling could be heard as they traveled down his throat.

When all coins were swallowed, Vodyanoy bowed to Drekavac in an exaggerated manner.

“Thanks for the business.”

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