Volume 6 Chapter 1 (2/2)

This was the place at which, until roughly two years ago, thein order to control the country But the ruler had since changed

The people that participated in the revolution and took the country froave themselves top posts in the country as was to be expected

As for the person that, until two years ago, was a simple local bishop…

The one that used to have a lower social status than everyone that had gathered here… even than the protection squadon the sides of the door…

The two protection squad members opened the hall’s door

“The Holy Albion Republic’s noble governasp, Oliver…”

Cro his hand, interrupted the voice…

“G-Gasp?”

“Shouldn’t we rest the people that have gathered here, none stands above another!”

As always, Cro behind hiures of the healed up Viscount Wardes and Fouquet the Cru Dirt could be seen

As Cromwell headed towards the chief’s seat, Sheffield followed him like a shadow Wardes and Fouquet sat down in two free seats

After the chairan One rey hair, white eneral stared with intense eyes at the emperor that used to be a bishop

After Croed him, he stood up

“Your Excellency, I would like to ask you so”

“Ask whatever you want”

“After losing the battle at Tarbes and our ar our naval fleet has become essential That’s because if we don’t have an armada, we can neither transport our armies nor defend our own territory”

Croreement

“The secret operation to abduct the Queen in order to earn some time failed as well”

“That’s right”

“Have those results reached His Excellency’s ears?”

“Of course After all, it’s necessary to know everything about the incidents”

“The enemy army is ah Tristain and Ger their fleets as quickly as possible The two countries have a total of sixty battle-ready shi+ps that can set out into the sky Even if we begin the reorganization of our army now, after the maintenance our warshi+p battle-line will not be able to rival theirs Moreover, their side’s warshi+ps are all brand new”

One of the generals muttered with a voice full of disdain,

“It’s a papier mache fleet They are inferior to us”

“That’s a story of the past, Your Excellency There is no reason to praise our own army now At the time of the revolution we executed the th of our side eakened The re veterans were lost because of the defeat at Tarbes”

Cro silent

“At the present, they still haven’t finished rallying their shi+ps Furtherether the lords’ armies”

“They’re like a hedgehog If it’s like that it will be difficult to attack us”

A fat general blurted that out with a cheerful voice Hawkins glared at him

“Difficult to attack? Isn’t it obvious that the eneathered so few forces?”

Hawkins hit the table strongly

“They’re planning to attack this continent, Albion, you know And, a question I’d like to be informed of His Excellency’s defense plan If it comes to a decisive battle with fleets, ill be defenseless If the enees to land… it’s over Our arive me an answer…”

“Those are the thoughts of a defeatist!”

A young general with bloodshot eyes criticized Hawkins Cronal to stop

“In order for them to attack Albion, it will be necessary for them to mobilize their entire military force”

“However, they have no reason to leave soldiers in the country”

“Why is that?”

“Because to them, with the exception of our country, there is no other enemy”

“Do they intend to leave their back unprotected?”

“Gallia declared neutrality That’s so that was foreseen and is necessary in order for the invasion to take place”

Crolances with Sheffield She gave a small nod

”That neutrality, what if it were a ruse?”

Hawkins coed

”It's not real?” ”Gallia is really on our side?”

”I wouldn't say that yet But there are advanced diplos with them”

Thebecame an uproar

”Gallia is going to participate in the war?” ”What are there conditions of agree” and so on They began to all shout si face, Hawkins stared at Cromwell However, Cromwell just fiddled with his mustache

”Yes, a diploed”

Hawkins was filled with thoughts With Gallia's army, they would be able to attack allied Tristain and Germania If Albion's fleet was about to be defeated, Gallia's forces could surprise the two countries from behind They would be forced to withdraw their troops

”If this is true, then it is great news”

”It would stimulate our military Our offense, our defense, our triumph would be certain”

The generals stood up and all saluted at the same time Then, they left and returned to their troops

Cromith Sheffield, Wardes, and Fouquet to his office and after he sat down in the ruler’s seat, he looked at his subordinates

“Your wounds have healed up, right? Viscount”

Wardes bowed Crohtly and questioned Wardes

“Now then, say what you have to say”

“As that general pointed out, Tristain and Gerht?”

“Yeah So, what are the odds?”

“Evenly reater The nue considering position”

“Also, we have Your Excellency’s Void”

Fouquet said in a thoughtful hed unpleasantly

“Is there so?”

“No, it’s nothing All of you should understand, after I’ve told you so many tiiving life to those that have already died, that is If you keep saying that, I’ll be troubled”

As Cromwell said, he couldn’t use any useful incantations at all

“I didn’t intend to trouble you Only that, if we don’t show that we have a trump card, the army’s morale will be lowered”

As Wardes said that, Cromwell nodded

“Indeed, there is no greater trump card than the Void”

“Well then, as I thought, is Gallia going to join the war?”

At the beginning, the plan was for Gallia to aid Albion’s invasion of Tristain by attacking Germania at the same time, but… because Albion’s arinal plan The proposition that came from Gallia’s side was to deflect the enemy’s army into the Albion continent, while Gallia took that opportunity to attack Tristain and Germania

After Wardes heard that plan he said to Cromwell,

“You Excellency, I have only oneI’d like to know”

“What is it?”

“Gallia’s iinia’sto do if they’re doing it with an ill intent?”

Cromwell looked at Wardes with cold eyes

“Viscount, that isn’t so about Leave politics to h to work hard on the duty that has been assigned to you”

Wardes closed his eyes and lowered his head

“As you wish”

“The duty that has been given to you You’re doing it, right?”

“With everything I have”

“Menvil”

As soon as Crole ray hair and a wrinkled face, but because of his disciplined body, one couldn’t notice his age At first glance he appeared to be a swords a cane, so he was a e

There was a characteristic of his face that really stood out Starting fro at his cheek, there was a big burn

Cromwell introduced Wardes to him

“This is Viscount Wardes”

With an iron expression Menvil suddenly stared at Wardes

“Wardes you should have at least heard his naht? He is White Menvil”

Wardes’ eyes glittered He had a e mercenary The White Fla a duel and as a result got his noble title confiscated and beca them to death, and abandoned his house It was said that the nureater than the nurilled in order to eat There were alsoabout

There was one certain thing in those rumors

That on the battlefield he used his flah cruelty That flae and gender of the ones he burned didn’t matter He was a man that deprived humans of their warmth with his fire freely… that’s who this White Menvil was

“What’s wrong, Viscount? There’s a legend right before your eyes”

“I was just thinking, that I’lad this place isn’t a battlefield”

Wardes expressed his honest thoughts

“Now then, Wardes With you in the lead, I want you to transport a small squad”

A faint dissatisfaction could be noticed on Wardes’ face “He wants me to be a carrier?” is what his eyes said

“I’d rather you don’t rim face Moreover, I’d like you to serve with perfection Rather than a s to need a Wind specialist in order to use a boat as transport In short, you”

“… As you wish”

“Gallia’s ar, so I expect you to at least push 'there' After you have completed your work report to me immediately”

Cromwell muttered with an impatient voice

“Where is 'there' supposed to be?”

“Firstly, it has to be a place where the defense is weak and the room’s price is low In other words, it mustn’t be too close to the capital of Tristain Next, it has to be an important place that has a role in politics Therefore, it mustn’t be too far neither”

“Role in politics?”

“For exaes would definitely have its effects on the country’s politics, right?”

Wardes’ lips curled up a bit

With an exaggerated motion, Cromwell informed them of the destination

“It’s the Acade officer, you will take advantage of the night and head there with Menvil and a small squad”

At the saic--

Kirche and Tabitha were taking a walk in Austri Plaza Right noas break ti with students, however…

All of theures of thenoise, were nowhere to be seen

“Well, well, it really feels like war, doesn’t it?”

Kirche spread her hands and shook her head Most of the male students volunteered to join the Queen’s army, because they were troubled by the lack of officers She was surprised, because even that coward Guiche volunteered

All of therounds, to become substitute officers It was natural that the academy had quieted down

Of course, Tabitha was also one of the people that stayed behind There was no point for Tabitha, who had sworn to take revenge on Gallia’s king, for some unknown reason, to thrust her head into a war at a different place

Kirche volunteered to join her fatherland’s army as well, but she wasn’t allowed, because she was a woretful, because she really wanted to act violently

Well, because the male teachers departed as well, the lessons were cut in half

The female students that now had a lot of free ti for rumors in order to find out whether their lovers or friends were safe Having noticed Mont on a bench with her elbows on her knees, Kirche approached her

“My one, you’re bored, huh?”

Montht at her, and muttered with an annoyed tone

“It’s norone I don’t feel so bad about it”

“But, aren’t you lonely?”

“That guy, you know, he’s overdoing it even though he’s a coward Si~gh, but when he’s gone it really is a bit lonely, isn’t it?”

Kirche patted Montmorency’s shoulder

“Well, they’ll come back before the festival of Founder Brimir’s Descent After all it’s said that it will be an easy victory if it’s your country’s dear Queen’s and our country’s great Emperor’s armies combined”

Kirche reat” with sarcas, Germanian nobles didn’t have much of a loyal heart After all, it was a country that was created by lords who gathered together because they had similar interests

“That would be nice”

Monthed

While looking at such a Mont “I don’t like it… I really don’t like war,” ht

Kirche and Tabitha alking lazily when they arrived at Colbert’s laboratory, which was located next to the Tower of Fla very hard in order to finish the final war adjusthter

Even though most of the male teachers had departed… Colbert was in his usual “, he immersed himself in his studies

“It’s pretty busy, isn’t it?”

Kirche asked that Colbert with an unsure voice

“Hm?” Colbert raised his head a bit and smiled

“Oh, Miss Miss Zerbst You should take my lectures on Fire Manipulation from time to time”

Colbert said as if he were still in class

“Yes”

Kirche answered with an uncomfortable and a bit sad face and nodded

“What’s wrong? Miss…”

“Sir, You didn’t volunteer to join the Queen’s army, did you?”

Even though most of the academy’s men joined the war, is what she meant by that

“Hm? Yeah… Because I hate war”

Colbert turned his face away from Kirche Kirche snorted with a face full of disdain “So un but a person that had run away froh he was one of the proud “Flame Users,” calmly declared that he hated war

“As a person that also uses Fire, I’m embarrassed”

Colbert was facing down for a while, but then he looked up again

“Miss… you know? The Fire’s purpose…”

“Isn’t only fighting, is what you want to say, right? I’ that”

“That’s right That’s si except for destruction…”

“I don’t want to listen to a coward’s blabbering”

Kirche turned away her face and, urging Tabitha to , walked away As he watched that scene, Colbert let out a lonely sigh

Returning to the laboratory, he sat down in a chair

Colbert went into deep thought for a while… he unlocked the drawer of the desk that was covered by a lot of things, using the key that was hanging by a string from his neck

In that drawer there was a small box He took it out and opened the lid

There was a s like a fire inside of it

If one concentrated, he would be able to see a flickering flame inside the precious stone

As he looked at that flao were resurrected The memories of that scene were imprinted into his littering fla hiotten…

After that, Colbert looked around the inside of the laboratory It was a small house with a shabby exterior, but he liked it much more than the mansion and property he had inherited from his ancestors and of which he himself had disposed of The walls were covered by various tools and flasks he had obtained over time

As he gazed at them, Colbert suddenly crumbled as if in pain

“The Fire’s purpose… isn’t only destruction…”