5. Omens of the Six Wings(1)
Nudd, the little girl’s watchman, was in the next watchtower. Unless they were deliberately eavesdropping, they shouldn’t be able to hear the conversation between the little girl and the man.
“That guy is also quite troublesome.”
“Do you know how to make up with him, Sergeant?”
“How would I know something like that?”
“That’s a straightforward answer.”
“Look, that guy is just being stubborn. There’s no point in you thinking about it, it’s his problem.”
Even after hearing those words, Sol pondered, “Hmm.” Leaving it entirely to the young man was negligence on the part of an elder. She searched for a solution, wondering if there was anything she could do.
But her long life didn’t offer any answers. Sol suddenly realized that she had never experienced making up with someone. It was always either never seeing the person again, encountering them on the battlefield, or carrying the grudge to the end. The villagers from her hometown had been burned to death, and the colleagues she had quarreled with during her mercenary days had died in battle within a few days.
Even setting that aside, would Nudd even respond?
—I didn’t think the age difference would hurt his pride so much.
This was a problem unique to being a little girl.
(Those who haven’t become children wouldn’t understand… Well, such an opportunity is rare.)
Baldo averted his gaze from the groaning little girl.
“Besides, there’s no need to force a reconciliation. We’ll be off duty soon. Once Lieutenant General Bern of the ‘Six Wings’ takes over, this fort will be safe. Once we’re settled here, we can finally go home… Oh, I’m sorry. That was a painful story for you, wasn’t it?”
“I don’t mind. More importantly, the ‘Six Wings’ are—”
“…Well, I’ll let it slide, but you… you know about the ‘Six Wings,’ right?”
“Of course. There’s probably no one on this continent who doesn’t know.”
Baldo nodded with a slight smile. His expression had a boyish enthusiasm.
Sol also knew about the Empire’s pride, the Six Wings.
“It’s like a medal of honor, but except for General Griesche, it’s practically the same rank as Lieutenant General. They’re often addressed as Lieutenant General. Like Lieutenant General Eileen, and Lieutenant General Bern, who will take over command here.”
The Six Wings was a medal of honor that had existed since the dawn of the Empire. As the name suggested, six great heroes were chosen.
The current generation was exceptionally “a group of eccentric individuals,” she had heard.
(I can even recite their names.)
First, the humanoid monster known as the strongest hero of all time.
—The Strongest of Mankind, Eileen Delfor.
The man who had reached the highest military rank of General in his forties.
—Griesche Delfor.
The fierce general who led his personally trained knights.
—Sigurd Nibris Iblazes.
The sincere general who was deeply trusted by his subordinates for his steady leadership and personality.
—Rosbern Rusty Mine.
The eccentric general, not a strategist, who excelled at exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses.
—Libareschero Envirore.
The silent, fighting general whispered to be the most handsome man in the country.
—Yustea Vol Zold.
(I agree, they’re very popular with the public.)
Because they were all handsome individuals with outstanding military prowess. The sight of them raising their country’s flag and achieving victory after victory must be exhilarating. After all, five of the Six Wings entrusted command to civilian officials midway and wreaked havoc on the front lines. It was no laughing matter for the enemy. It was especially no laughing matter for Solfort, who had been employed by the Allied Forces opposing the Empire.
No, actually, she had laughed in delight. Even so, it was a strange twist of fate.
From her current position, they were her allies.
(Well, being on the Empire’s side is more convenient. I can observe the best heroes on the continent up close. If things go well, they might even spar with me.)
The thought made her body tingle with anticipation.
“Hey Sol, what’s with that face? Don’t tell me you want to get close to the ‘Six Wings’?”
“That’s right. My dream is to become a hero.”
“That’s not ‘that’s right.’ You’re so full of yourself.”
Her head was lightly tapped. Sol protested silently.
But Baldo rested his chin on his hand and ignored her.
“I know enough. Even though I’m just a low-ranking Imperial soldier, I was in Eileen’s division. I know how strong those heroes are. They’re not human. You probably haven’t seen it, kid, but the fact that she looks like a young lady just makes me think it’s a disguise.”
“But… doesn’t it make you want to aim for it? Fighting alongside heroes close to the strongest, and eventually becoming the strongest. It’s a man’s romance.”
“That romance isn’t a man’s romance, it’s a child’s romance. Use words correctly. And you say ‘man’s romance,’ but you’re a girl, for now.”
“That’s right. Or is it? Can I call myself a girl…?”
Baldo looked at the genuinely confused Sol with a puzzled look. He sighed exaggeratedly and grumbled,
“Just like Nudd said, I see you have no talent for jokes. But I can understand wanting to aim for being a hero. When I was your age, I admired heroes a little… I gave up quickly, though.”
“That’s… such a waste.”
“You idiot. It’s like that. Rather, if there was someone who truly knew the heights of heroes and still bragged about wanting to become one, I would doubt their sanity.”
“…Is that so?”
The little girl was being doubted.
Those heroes who were so cool and so strong.
Sol was a dreamer who lived her life without her passion for her dream cooling down. Baldo’s words didn’t penetrate her core. But she could understand. It was true that she had struggled for several years after first setting foot on the battlefield. When faced with such a crossroads in life, Baldo must have chosen a different path than Sol.
—In another ten years, you’ll understand even if you don’t want to.
Saying so, he continued, “Well, anyway.”
“Once the ‘Six Wings’ arrive, we can finally leave this fort. We can’t forget to be vigilant, but it’s best to take it easy. Especially for people like Nudd and me… you have a future beyond this battlefield.”
※※※※※※※※※※
Things changed five days after the little girl entered the fort.
The arrival of Lieutenant General Rosbern of the Six Wings was delayed. According to the express messenger, “He’s been called away to suppress rebels who have risen up in a farming village in the central part of the Empire.” Compared to this relatively stable situation after the fort’s capture, the budding rebel army was a more pressing issue. It had to be nipped in the bud quickly.
Fort Balaboa was still not fully secure.
Therefore, maintaining the front lines was the safest course of action. They could just stay in the fort and wait for Lieutenant General Rosbern’s arrival.
But the acting commander, in his haste—or perhaps driven by greed—overruled the civilian officials’ objections and declared an assault on Dera Branch Castle.
“We will make a large detour around the Matterdali Mountain Range and capture Dera Branch Castle, where the defeated soldiers fled the other day! It’s a drastic measure, but we’re up against the Allied Forces who suffered heavy losses due to Lieutenant General Eileen’s assault. We’ll strike before they receive supplies and fortify the branch castle! If we can capture the branch castle, it will be a big step forward. We can extend the reach of our Imperial army to the area beyond the Matterdali Mountain Range, which has been a kind of barrier!”
His confident expression had a solid basis. It was the information about the internal situation of Dera Branch Castle brought by the scouts.
According to them, “They’re in a great commotion, trying to accommodate the large number of wounded who barely escaped with their lives.” The branch castle’s capacity was limited. With the current overflow of people, dozens were apparently setting up tents outside.
—They would launch a siege, taking advantage of this chaos.
The acting commander made the decision. He also boasted that leisurely waiting for the Six Wings was a bad move. He probably anticipated that while they were waiting, “the Allied Forces would grasp the situation and send in heroes from the Kingdom.” He wanted to settle the matter quickly with a short battle, rather than having the front lines stall again.
His desire to gain military merit was evident.
(It’s not something that can be simply dismissed as bad.)
By the way, the reason for making a detour instead of going through the Matterdali Mountain Range valley was simple. The valley path was too narrow for marching, and if they were ambushed with fire, they would suffer a fatal blow. The Allied Forces weren’t fools either. It was obvious that they would have set traps on the perfect shortcut.
In fact, there were troops lying in wait in that valley.
Solfort, the mercenary on the Allied Forces side, knew that.
(I couldn’t carelessly give advice because of my position, so I was quite relieved when they announced the detour around the mountains.)
Solfort’s squad, led by Baldo, was tasked with defending the fort. None of the squad members, who had intended to ride the winning horse from the start, objected. There was nothing better than getting promoted without effort. However, there was one suicidal volunteer who complained, “I want to go there.” Of course, it was Sol. And naturally, Baldo ignored her, and after receiving glares from Nudd and the others, she reluctantly backed down. Her pent-up frustration was vented through her daily training.
Thus, the number of soldiers remaining at the fort was two hundred.
(Well, my existence is a scapegoat for the Imperial army. A certificate of righteousness. I thought they wouldn’t send me to the battlefield, but it’s still frustrating.)
Things moved quickly after that. Weapons, food, and horses were gathered, and within two days, the army of one thousand, led by the acting commander, began its march. Sol watched them from the watchtower with envy.
Among the officers in the ranks, there were some familiar faces.
There was the lieutenant she had sparred with in her old age, and the hero she had been defeated by many times. Unfortunately, her time at the fort had been too short. She hadn’t been able to meet any skilled training partners like them.
It was all frustrating for her.
(Well, that just means the army is very powerful.)
Attacking the branch castle without the Six Wings.
Although it sounded unsettling, they had sufficient forces. Even the civilian officials who had looked grim at the acting commander’s declaration must have thought, “It’s just unnecessary worry.”
Surely, the only one who was certain that a crisis would occur—
(This is bad…)
—Besides her, there was no one else.
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