2. “Assess the situation swiftly,” they say.
On the post-war land, devoid of people and strewn with corpses, Solfort Enuma closed her eyes tightly. She shook her head, her long white hair swaying dramatically. A change of mindset was important. In this abnormal situation of becoming a little girl, it was an essential skill.
While grappling with the incomprehensible reality, she sighed.
“…Indeed, it doesn’t seem to be a dream.”
Her confusion gradually subsided. Though transformed into an unexpected form, she was undoubtedly alive. Solfort wasn’t good at thinking things through in the first place. She could accept the current situation as “better than being dead.” Even this tiny body—which lacked any semblance of a hero and even seemed likely to invite ridicule—was tolerable.
The same applied to her change in sex. She wasn’t going to question anything beyond her physical abilities. After all, her last interaction with a woman had been decades ago.
Now, his, no, her only concern was, “How capable is this body?” The direction of her aspirations hadn’t changed. Therefore, she wanted to know the extent of her strength to find the way to become closer to a hero.
The thought process of a mediocre person remained as single-mindedly reckless as ever.
(How are my physical capabilities?)
If they matched her appearance, she wanted to start training again immediately. She wondered how much training was possible with a child’s body, but she couldn’t waste a single second. This was a second chance that had miraculously appeared. She would make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and finally reach for the status of a hero. For that, she had to push herself even harder than before.
She opened and closed her small hands and gradually started moving her body. As part of getting used to her body, she tried running.
“…Whoa!”
She plunged face-first into the uneven ground. Her senses were off, and she tumbled down miserably. A stinging pain shot through her face, but she got up, thinking, “This is nothing.” This pain was something she could feel because she was alive. If she thought that way, she could accept it with a laugh.
(It hurts, though…)
After that, she lightly moved her body, jumping in place and swinging her sword to check her condition. Her overall impression was, “Surprisingly, there’s no discomfort.”
Naturally, the height, arm length, and leg length of the original Solfort were completely different from her current body. Because of this, it was hard to grasp her senses, but her physical abilities and skill seemed to be about the same as before she became a little girl. Rather, her senses, which had been declining with age, and her physical abilities, which had begun to rust, seemed to have even improved because her body itself had become younger.
She was intensely moved. It was beyond her imagination. It was like a dream that she could continue her efforts while carrying over her past training. However, despite being able to exert the same strength as before, her body had no muscles.
She wasn’t surprised by this.
(Surely, they transferred the Od from my original body to this one. That alone is absurd, but it doesn’t stop there. Could it be… that the muscles in my original body were converted into magic power and transferred to this body as Od?)
“Magic power” greatly influenced physical abilities. Basically, the more magic power one possessed, the higher their physical abilities. For example, if one trained their body by running or swinging a sword, the magic power generated within the body—commonly called Od—would activate, increasing muscle mass and magic power reserves.
Simply put, physical abilities were determined by the amount of Od, muscles, and the effects of drugs and magic. This was why a small girl with no muscles could possess the physical strength to overwhelm a warrior. However, since training the body increased both Od and muscle mass, it was rare for a small girl to overwhelm a trained warrior.
So, what about his case? Solfort Enuma, who had devoted his life to hard work. If Od increased without limit, and since he had trained relentlessly, he should have possessed a large amount of both Od and muscle mass.
However, in reality, his internal magic power was negligible. Most of his previous physical abilities came from his muscles.
(The reason is that my Od limit was low.)
Although there were individual differences, bodies had a kind of ceiling. It was the upper limit of Od that could be stored within the body. This was called the Od limit. Simply put, the lower the Od limit, the lower the Od reserves.
In other words, even if one generated a large amount of Od through training, it was meaningless if it exceeded the limit of the container. Od exceeding the limit would be dissipated outside the body. It was the same as pouring a large amount of water into a cup; it couldn’t hold more water than its capacity.
Whether one was a genius who improved with effort, or a mediocre person who didn’t improve even with effort, the dividing line was the Od limit.
Needless to say, Solfort belonged to the latter.
(However, this young body has no muscles. I don’t know what the Od limit is, but if I train and build muscle, I’ll definitely surpass the physical abilities I had as an old man. The amount of the limit is a concern, but I’ll have to test that later.)
Just as she reached this conclusion—
Growl… A strangely cute sound echoed. She had been so engrossed in checking her physical condition. Solfort rubbed her stomach and thought,
(I’m hungry.)
She looked around, trying to find something to eat. But this was a battlefield where night had already fallen. The only things illuminating the dark plain were the stars, the moon, and the dying flames. Because the little girl’s senses were sharp, the buzzing of flies was annoying, and the stench of blood and guts made her nose wrinkle.
She didn’t want to stay here long. However—.
The battlefield under the starry sky looked beautiful, contrary to its reality. Perhaps it was because the corpses of the defeated were hidden by the dark curtain of night, and only the brilliant stars were visible. In any case, with his old body, even his boasted eyesight was nearsighted, and this was the first time he had felt such a strange sensation.
Of course, sentiment wouldn’t fill her stomach. She needed to come up with a way to get food quickly.
(The food stores at the rear of the formation would have been withdrawn… or looted and burned… but the possibility of them being left behind can’t be ruled out. I’ll check them out first, scavenge the preserved food of the dead soldiers, and then head for a village where there are people.)
Time was precious, so hunting wasn’t an option. The surroundings were a burnt field.
First, go to the habitat, search, cook—it was too much trouble.
(I can hardly identify any edible plants. I shouldn’t have neglected my studies when I was young… No, I couldn’t afford to reduce the time I spent swinging my sword.)
—Then, there’s no point in regretting it.
Solfort reconsidered and began to prepare to leave. She went around the nearby piles of corpses and searched the bodies. She snatched the leggings and shoes of a small man and put them on her own legs. She couldn’t wander the battlefield barefoot. It was to avoid getting wounds on her feet. But even if he was small, an adult man’s size wouldn’t fit a little girl.
Naturally, they were too big. But they were much better than bare feet.
Next, she wrapped a belt around her slender waist. Her waist was so short that she wrapped it around twice. For now, it wouldn’t fall off. She hung the portable food and dagger she had stripped from the corpses on the tightly fastened belt.
She gave up on the armor. She had no problem with her strength, but the difference in physique between her and the original owner was so great that there were too many gaps between her body and the armor. It restricted her movement and there was no point in wearing it.
Finally, the little girl grasped her old, beloved sword.
She must have looked quite comical from the side.
But her golden eyes, filled with strong will—,
Revealed a mature, warrior-like quality.
※※※※※※※※※※
—Imperial Year 220.
The Matterdali region, located slightly west of the center of the continent. It was a fierce battleground where three powerful nations clashed.
One of the powerful nations was the Ganor Empire. Occupying most of the eastern part of the continent, it was the continent’s largest nation, to which the “Strongest of Mankind” whom Solfort last faced belonged. Currently, it was a superpower at odds with all the nations on the continent.
Because of its vast territory, it bordered many countries.
And its battle lines were equally long. This was evident from the fact that the Imperial front split the continent vertically. This front, which seemed impossible to defend by common sense, was not only being maintained but was still expanding.
This was a testament to the fact that all the heroes and soldiers of the Empire were monsters.
(It’s a nation with many problems, though.)
There were two powerful nations directly confronting the Empire.
The Viennese Kingdom, which had a harsh class society.
And the Laptenon Kingdom, which ruled the west.
The two countries had formed an alliance and established an anti-Imperial front. Therefore, the battles in this region were mainly conflicts between the Viennese-Laptenon Allied Forces and the Ganor Empire.
Although they received support from other countries, the overall structure remained unchanged.
(Our mercenary units were hired and organized by the Laptenon Kingdom, one of these two countries.)
In other words, the conflict where the mediocre man faced the “Strongest of Mankind” was, as usual, a scene from a field battle between the Viennese-Laptenon Allied Forces and the Imperial Army. The result was a complete victory for the Empire.
After the surviving mediocre man fell, the Allied Forces and mercenaries seemed to have been devastated. It was a simple defeat, but the death of their oldest member seemed to have dealt a blow to the mercenaries’ morale. He hadn’t realized it himself, but perhaps Solfort had some popularity after all.
The rout was such that it made one think so.
However, the mediocre man himself thought, “They probably ran off in joy.”
(By now, the guys who bet on my death in gambling are probably toasting with their drinks. I’ve caused them a lot of trouble. This is the only parting gift I can leave them. I hope this will give them some satisfaction.)
The Matterdali region, the stage for the mercenaries’ rout.
Its characteristic feature was its mountains, difficult to traverse. The so-called Matterdali Mountain Range had steep slopes where ferocious wild animals made their dens. Now that Fort Balaboa, located in its basin, had fallen into the hands of the Empire, only the mountain peaks could stop the Imperial army’s advance.
The Viennese-Laptenon Allied Forces had retreated to Dera Branch Castle, located beyond a long, winding valley. There seemed to be one reason why they weren’t completely annihilated by the Imperial army’s pursuit during this retreat.
Apparently, the cave that served as the entrance to the valley was cleverly hidden by the angle of the rock face and the overgrown branches and leaves. Although the Imperial army learned of this escape route through an informant who had infiltrated the Allied Forces during their retreat, they hadn’t initially been aware of it and were now pressed for time to devise countermeasures. They seemed to be holding a meeting in a room in Fort Balaboa to decide on their strategy.
—The reason for the hearsay tone from earlier was simple and clear.
(I’ve been here all night.)
The little girl hid herself while suppressing her stomach growls. She was in the grass near Fort Balaboa.
(I’ve been estimating the war situation from the words of the passing soldiers, but my hunger is almost at its limit… This body is quite inflexible. In my previous body, I could train even if I forgot a meal or two, but when I got old, the dizziness got worse.)
Looking up at the sky, the dazzling sun peeked over the mountains. The clear air drifting around her seeped into her body through her nostrils. While Solfort had been biding her time, a new morning had arrived.
Since last night, she had been concealing her presence and quietly gathering information in front of the enemy fort. Until then, she had been searching for food. She wandered around the area based on her hunches, but the food stores were empty. She couldn’t find any nearby villages.
Dada Village, the closest small farming village, had also been ruthlessly burned down. Was it the mercenaries who had lost control, the Imperial army celebrating their victory, or the Allied forces disguised as the Imperial army? It was uncertain, but the important thing for her was that the food had been burned.
—Where else could there be food nearby?
The place that came to mind was the fort built nearby.
It was Fort Balaboa, which had fallen to the Imperial army.
Therefore, the little girl was hiding in the bushes, waiting for a chance to get a meal.
“…Somehow, wouldn’t it all be solved if Her Highness Eileen just blew up the whole mountain…?”
“Don’t be stupid. If she destroys the mountain recklessly, we’ll be buried alive by the aftershock of the flying debris. Besides, there are troublesome fellows. They say gods or something reside on the top of that mountain.”
“I know, I know. I’m just complaining. It’s not a serious matter… Corporal, you’re being mean by pointedly responding to a monologue.”
“Assistant Corporal Nudd, maintain your vigilance. You can’t get by with a student mindset anymore.”
“Hey, Corporal. Assistant Corporal Nudd seems quite tense, even if he doesn’t say it. Can’t you forgive him for a little banter?”
—Fort Balaboa, which had fallen to the Imperial army.
On the path leading to the mountain forest near the thicket where the little girl was hiding.
Five men in military attire were on patrol duty, basking in the early morning sunlight.
(Those are… well, Imperial soldiers.)
There was no doubt that they were Imperial soldiers. It was more than obvious from their conversation and the armor they wore.
Among them, the brown-haired man called Assistant Corporal Nudd was clad in the newest equipment. He was probably fresh out of the officer’s academy. He must be a new recruit who had just been assigned, Solfort analyzed. He looked to be in his early twenties.
(He’s quite tense for someone making small talk.)
His wandering gaze was restless. It went back and forth. His body movements were stiff. His gait was unsteady. If Solfort were a soldier of the Viennese-Laptenon Allied Forces, she would have targeted him first.
She felt a sense of nostalgia for his unrefined demeanor.
(Forty years ago, I was also bound by such tension. I became able to relax when I thought of it as training.)
Her obsession with heroes hadn’t changed since long ago.
They chatted idly as they passed in front of the little girl.
“So, is the ‘Strongest of Mankind’… no, Lieutenant General Eileen still at Fort Balaboa?”
“No, I heard she returned to the northern battlefield in a hurry after yesterday’s clash. Lieutenant General Bern of the ‘Six Wings’ is supposedly being dispatched in her place. It’s a hot rumor among the non-commissioned officers.”
“I don’t want to get my hopes up, but if it’s true, it’s more than reassuring. Lieutenant General Rusty Mine is, well, more reliable than Her Highness Eileen.”
The four men other than the new recruit, while exchanging banter, were vigilantly scanning their surroundings. They were probably veterans. If the corporal was the leader of the squad, it wouldn’t include any strong individuals, so to speak, heroic figures. Indeed, the muscle mass she could imagine from their behavior and physique didn’t exceed her expectations.
But Solfort wasn’t optimistic.
(The amount of Od doesn’t show on the outside. And in addition to that,)
Even if they weren’t heroes, it wasn’t certain that she could handle them.
Her philosophy was that arrogance was deadly, especially for a mediocre person. Unlike the monsters called heroes who overwhelmed others, a mediocre person could lose their life through a little optimism. Caution was a virtue for ordinary people.
Her colleagues and juniors who were driven by greed had all died without exception.
She couldn’t follow in their footsteps.
(Hmm, so that ‘Strongest of Mankind’ has already left this place. Should I say it’s unfortunate, or fortunate?)
The golden woman who called her half-baked—
She thought of the great hero, Eileen Delfor.
It wasn’t wise to meet her so soon after yesterday.
She hadn’t reached her level yet.
(Meeting her will be a story for much later.)
She flicked her forehead and regained her composure. A feeling like a mixture of frustration and envy swirled around the imaginary great hero, but—now wasn’t the time to be preoccupied with anything other than her appetite.
(I need to make up my mind. I have feelings for the acquaintances who died in battle, but it would be foolish to attack them for revenge. Even though we were originally from opposing nations.)
The little girl clenched her fists and made up her mind. There was a priority to things. In her case, the most important thing was “to become a hero, to gain ‘strength’ comparable to the heroes of fairy tales.” The second was “to continue living for that purpose,” and everything else was secondary or tertiary.
She had no attachment to the Laptenon army she had been assigned to.
She wouldn’t nobly seek revenge and miss out on the important matter of food.
She had to fill her stomach first.
So, should she put on a little act?— Solfort deliberately made a noise in the thicket.
“…! Who’s there?!”
The one who reacted swiftly was a large man.
The man called Corporal, while holding his straight sword, directed his killing intent towards the bushes where the little girl was hiding. The other squad members, like the Corporal, took up combat stances, and the new recruit grasped his sword slightly later. He drew the sword from his waist and lowered his stance. She was slightly impressed by his basic posture.
The little girl removed her equipment and hid it in the shadows of the grass.
With this, all the items that might arouse suspicion were removed.
After a pause of about a second, she slowly revealed herself. Outwardly, she was just a little village girl.
“…A… little girl?”
They must have thought she was a remnant of the Allied Forces.
But what emerged from the grass was far below their expectations.
Just a little girl. They must have been taken aback.
Moreover, she must have looked different from anyone they had seen in the enemy army.
By this point, the five men seemed to have relaxed considerably.
At the Corporal’s sigh, their killing intent dissipated.
And he spoke to her gruffly.
“Are you a refugee? … Which village are you from?”
“…I’m a little girl from Dada Village.”
“That’s quite a punchy self-introduction.”
“That village was burned down. I lost my home and my parents. Would you please give me work and food?”
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