Editing Rakuin no Monshou:Volume3 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 1===
During that time, there was a group proceeding south through the forest towards Apta. 

They were a band of men on horseback. They all leaned over their horses, riding at a tremendous speed that cut through the wind. 

Their numbers were probably over three hundred. Riding their horses at night, and what was more through the forest, it would be an impossible feat had they not been familiar with the terrain. ‘They’ had determined their route beforehand, even taking the time to chop down the obstructing trees in hopes that this moment would come. 

“Yah!”

“Se!”

They wordlessly sped forward, only raising their voices so as to urge their horses on. The horses’ muscles pulsated and each time their backs bobbed up and down, the long-swords and spears hanging from their waists and placed onthe horses’ saddles struck their own armours with a ringing clang.

“Mmh?”

The rider in front suddenly lifted his lantern.

“Stop.”

Raising his voice, he pulled on his reins.

They were in an opening of trees that spread to open a circular plain. There, likewise hoisting their lamps upwards and standing in wait were several men. They were covered in hoods, and  their real identities were insurmisable from their attire.

“Who are you?” the leading horseman asked.

The men behind him brought their spears and guns to their hands. For a while, the horses’ rough breaths jarred their ears. And then,

“You are all Garberans, are you not?”

“What?!”

The group of horsemen grew agitated at suddenly being recognised. The leading man—Noue Salzantes—waved his hand and restrained their outbursts.

“And you men would be?”

“Salzantes-dono, we have been awaiting you,” one of the waiting men said, ignoring the question. “We expect you to understand our business here.”

“—”

Noue did not speak. His face was far superior to the average beauty's, his lips slightly pursed, and his expression emotionless. Lit dimly under the cover of the night, his appearance emitted an uncanny eeriness.

“Our respective enemies are one and the same.” The hooded man said in an emotionless voice. “If you would, allow us to accompany you.”



Riding the tide of pursuit, soldiers rushed out of Apta Fortress in succession.

Gunfire rained down furiously from the airships and battlements.

“Retreat to the forest! Then they won’t be able use their airships!”

While having his gunners provide cover, Natokk gradually pulled his troops back. The enemy infantry seemed to have their share of impressive warriors, though sadly they didn’t seem too familiar with working together. Engaging them while retreating didn’t prove difficult.

''Mephius’ first prince, Gil Mephius—was it.''

Natokk conjured the name of the enemy commander. A man whose name had recently spread across the four directions. But in a free-for-all fight, this was all he lived up to be. In the end he was nothing more than a sheltered, spoiled child. Compared to that, Natokk had countlessly roamed the battlefield. The number of life-or-death battles they each experienced were different.

As swords mingled with spears, blood shed, and bullets bored holes into the ground, the enemy forces pushed forward. So far everything was perfectly according to plan.

And then,

''They’ve come.''

Natokk’s expression turned to delight. Cries resounded north of Apta. The secondary force that had detoured north of Apta had finally begun the pincer attack. Drunk in conviction of their victory, he began to signal for a counterattack with a large swing of his hand.

“What?!”

It was only a matter of seconds before his delight became a shade of unrest.

From the north along the castle walls, a group of cavalry came riding. They were no ally of Natokk. The hoisted flag they were waving was, to think of all things, the Garberan emblem. They passed the Mephius infantry, charging Natokk’s way. He went into a panic.

''Impossible! Weren’t they supposed to have evacuated the day before yesterday?!''

“Retreat!”

This was no time to get flustered. If they entered the forest, they could slow the airships and horses’ pursuit. Natokk’s main force, even under this situation, worked together and continued retreating to the forest. The Mephian infantry were hot on their heels.

“Commander, leave this to us.”

Several soldiers shouted determinedly and moved to block the enemy’s pursuit. A series of clashes rang immediately near Natokk. Biting his lips, he ordered the remaining soldiers to retreat.

''I would’ve never thought they were in league with Garbera to this extent.''

Mephius and Garbera had been warring for ten years. They may have been weary of war and thus formed an alliance, but their ties should have been anything but firm. To think that they would purposely make themselves seemingly withdraw and lay low. ''I was read,'' Natokk thought, grinding his teeth. That thought now materialised before his eyes.

“Halt!”

This time was an ambush in Natokk’s path of retreat. A party of gunners on high ground stood in a row, fixing their aim. The one who called them to halt was a man wearing an iron mask. 

“Your reinforcements won’t come. We’ve shot down your cruiser. It seems they ran for their dear lives back to Taúlia, but it’s clear they won’t afford any soldiers for you.”

Natokk began to open his mouth, as if about to scream something. His aide, Shadam, took out his gun and began to aim at the masked man, as if lured by his commander’s force. The one to lower that hand, however, was Natokk himself.

“Commander!”

“—Leave it. His words aren’t lies.”

By knowing about the cruiser and the secondary force, the enemy had completely grasped their movements. Despite Natokk being completely convinced of his victory only a few minutes ago, he now felt like a trapped rat. 

“We intended to snare the enemy into our trap—”

But instead, they were the ones snared before their very eyes. Natokk threw down his own weapons, and then spoke.

“I won’t ask anything for myself, who proclaimed war with you and advanced my troops against yours. I’m not asking much, but if you could, please be easy on my men.”

“Very well.”

The masked man nodded in assent.



Orba watched silently below him as the Zerdians who had surrendered their weapons were arrested. The one for whom everything had gone according to plan was not to them, but Orba. 

At that time, an airship carrying the Imperial Guard Gowen came. He was the one who handled the enemies approaching the east gate. Jumping down from the ship,

“It went as you predicted.”

“Yeah. A surprise attack immediately after Garbera had evacuated is the ideal timing. On the other hand, if they hadn’t come ''here'', it would make the rumour that Ax Bazgan was aiming for Apta groundless.”

“So you read beyond the enemy’s reinforcements and strategy, huh.”

After analysing the information he gained from Zaj Haman, Orba predicted that if the enemy were to come attacking, it would be by passing through the southern Tsaga Mines. They would undoubtedly load soldiers onto their cruiser and drop them by the forest to the south of Apta. 

Orba had Krau and Pashir, who were familiar with its geographical features, re-inspect the area and create a detailed map. He had originally planned to lay the majority of his forces there in wait, but on the off chance the enemy advanced through a different route, the fortress would be wide open, not to mention there were no suitable places to lay such a large army in wait to start with.

So instead, with Orba himself in command, he left only a few dozen skilled shooters there. Using an airship as messenger, Orba discovered the enemy was carrying soldiers with only a single cruiser; however, the enemy numbers were insufficient.

''They’re going to carry soldiers here a second time.''

Which in that case, naturally meant he could see through the enemy’s strategy. Orba gave them their instructions for the timing at which to shoot down the second transport. 	

Aiming for the the airship silently traveling through the deep gorge, they bathed it in a furious volley on Orba’s single command. There was only a single location they could set their cannons, but the ship's armour would suredly need to be thinned to fully accommodate a cruiser filled with soldiers that could maintain the ship's weight and ether propulsion balanced. While it was indeed a large ship, at point-blank even bullets were effective.

Taúlia’s air carrier descended into chaos, their enemy unseen before them. It took all they could to open the gunports on the ship’s hull and return fire haphazardly. Firing from its decks and lower compartments, the carrier turned heel running back on the path they’d just come up.

Orba didn’t risk pursuit, and leading his men, immediately rushed back to Apta. 

“...And expecting Noue’s reinforcements to come, you laid your forces in wait, huh.”

Gowen eyed him suspiciously in thought.

“It’s almost as if you two had arranged this. But it’s a fact you and Noue barely met in Apta.”

“If that could’ve happened, things would have gone more easily,” Orba said with a strangely boyish laugh. “But I knew he would likely be thinking of creating a debt of gratitude for me. A man of Noue’s calibre should be aware of Ax Bazgan’s movements targeting Apta, and also understand what timing they would launch an attack.”

The seemingly excessive provisions he left Apta with was proof of that. They were making it seem that they were returning to Garbera, while actually concealing themselves in the forest waiting for Ax to move. That was why Orba sent his imperial guards to the road the Garberans used, had them wait for the most effective timing for a pincer move, then led them in.

“Noue’s calibre as a man aside, there’s no way you two are even that close.”

“<!--I knew from -->Rumours, information, and lastly intuition.”

Gowen never stopped making his ‘I just don’t get it’ face.

Before long, the Garberan knights arrived. Leading them up front was, of course, Noue Salzantes. He swooped down from his horse and facing Orba, made a bow. Orba did the same, and then they descended off the high ground.

“Orba-dono is it. It has been since Solon—or so I would like to say, but you probably do not know me. I was cheering for you in the grand stadium, so I assumed us acquaintances against my better judgment.”

''Cheering? Aren’t you mistaking it for cursing?''

Prince Gil, and also the masked gladiator Orba. Both of whom were culprits that had torn his drawn-out plans asunder.

“However, this is...even I must take my hat off to you. I honestly wondered what you could do with your size of forces, but I would have never imagined you would make the enemy fall into your trap so magnificently.”

“It’s because we had the assistance of Lord Noue and the Garberan knights that we could make it happen.”

“As one whose movements were noticed, I can only see that as irony.”

“Wasn’t that because the prince’s belief in Sir Salzantes’ chivalrous spirit and faith in Garbera?” Orba added.

Ha! Gowen seemed to say silently on his face. After all, Orba was saying things he didn’t really mean.

“Mmnm,” Noue nodded. Whether it was because he was concealing his emotions, there was a trace of fatigue on his face. “Well, nevermind that. More importantly, I would like to request a meeting with the prince.”

“Acknowledged. Fellow knights as well, by all means head to Apta. Enjoy a night’s stay.”

“We shall take you up on that offer.”

Orba, saying he was ‘going to report to the prince’, hopped onto the airship prepared behind him. After ordering the pilot, the plane gently took off.

In the forest below him, how many were injured and crouching, or worse, how many lay scattered dead? The fortress front gates were the same. 

The number of Mephian casualties was greater than that of the defeated Zerdians.

“—”

Some sort of emotion bubbled out of him, and faster than it could form into words, Orba impassively swallowed it.

''I knew it already.''

The war slaves raising cries of victory—''they'' were the infantry who launched themselves from the gates—and as these cheers reached Orba’s ears, Orba only stared straight ahead.
 
''I knew it. That’s why I won’t say anything. I won’t make any excuses.''