Volume 7 Chapter 3 (1/2)

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Chapter Three: The Priest of Romalia

The Tristain and Germania united army landed in the port-town Rosais, which was located about 300 leagues south of Albion's capital Londonium

Upon landing, the allied forces expected an enemy counterattack First of all, land units formed a circle around Rosais

Yet… Albion made no counterattack

The Supreme Commander of the united ary assu The ”decisive battle” was to happen near Rosais, where it would let thee army in one blow and march to Londonium unopposed

They planned for the cain… essentially, before Founder Brimir's Advent Festival, or ”New Year's Day”

In other words, they had prepared for a quick, decisive battle

This strategic failure could not be helped now A large ae ar spells, specificar unpowder and cannons And it all had to be carried from their own country to the army in the front

Fighting a long war in the eneht war impossible

Albion's main army successfully retreated from Dartanes, and barricaded itself in the capital city of Londinium

The ene a decisive battle; after Albion's air force received daination, and lost control of the sky, the Albion army seemed to have abandoned counterattack tactics

The allied forces were prepared for Albion’s attack

But because expectations went down the drain and physical da for a decisive battle became pointless The allied forces wasted food for a week and a half

The allied forces could not plan anything but a quick decisive battle, so they only brought enough food supply for six weeks But now it becaunpowder from their own country by shi+p For the two countries that organized the expedition army with very limited finances, the situation orrisome

By the eighth day after the landing, a tense atmosphere surrounded the future invasion plans

The air base in Rosais began as the Royal Albion Air Headquarters before turning into the Sacred Albion Republic Air Force Headquarters, and had finally become the Tristain-Germania United Martial Ared reat hall on the second floor here history was made

The Supreme Commander of coalition forces, General de Poitiers, sat at the round table on the central seat He listened to two opposing opinions

The first one ca, who insisted, while shaking his fist and white mustache, upon a quick, decisive battle

“Let’s march! March! March! We have food only for four and a half weeks Make a detour at a fort on the way and ht to the castle! Anyway, let's aim for Londonium Fortunately, we control the sky We have to end the war before Founder Brimir's Advent Festival, for morale will drop after advent festival!

It see like a flame

“Ending before the Advent Festival is fine, but I wonder why there are no such short war stories in Halkeginia’s history?”

Wih the fralasses

“Then, we'll be the first,” Marquis Handenburg said and gave a piercing glare to Wimpffen

“By circling Londinium, ould expose our back to their castles… We can’t act without strategy Moreover, if we start , the supply lines would be left behind Without supplies ould end up in a deadlock Although it is troublesome, we should proceed carefully, step-by-step We should advance by capturing fortresses and castles along the way”

“Capturing fortresses and castles would inflict too e! Supplies? We only have to take over Londonium before Advent Festival!”

“As the Marquis said, we control the sky, right? So the da will be kept to minimum Londonium taken over by the Advent Festival? That’s nonsense!”

Marquis Handenburg exclaimed with a face full of contempt,

“…this is Wind-ele, wind that evades obstacles in its cowardice”

“As if Fire-ele, which hastily burns itself out, is any better”

The two lared at each other

“Courage is what cowardly Tristains need to be taught”

“There’s nothing to learn from barbarians”

They both pulled their wands out at the same time Supreme General de Poitiers stepped in between them

“We argue too e in the battlefield! Wi yourself!”

At last, they both calmed down

“For noe have to ad Albion'sCro in Whitehall, failed but co to plan is still possible”

After overthrowing the Albion's revolution government, they would rule in the name of Henrietta Of course, part of the territory would be ceded to Ger survivors of Albion's royal family would be searched for and placed on the throne of the territory under Tristain’s rule, thus reviving the monarchy To avoid possible revolutions they decided to look for Albion’s surviving royal family members, once a suitable noble with royal blood was found, the throne would be passed to him

De Poitiers shook his head, trying to brush off these thoughts

It was not the tiht now they needed to think about how to annihilate the enemy

De Poitiers bit his lip My promotion depends on this

If he could win this war, he would be promoted to Field Marshal

Everything could have been easily settled by one decisive battle… De Poitiers felt a grudge against the Albion army Why would Cromwell barricade himself in Londinium?

What about the ene the country?

What about facing ministers, nobles and the public's opinion?

What is he counting on?

Moht, he noticed the allied General and his Chief of Staff looking worriedly at hiy himself

“…there is no decisive battle anymore, but the plan must be executed anyway We have to take over Londinium and the E there Now, it would be too dangerous to attack Londiniu castle after castle could take decades”

The Marquis and Chief of Staff nodded and frowned De Poitiers showed the map that had been laid out on the table and pointed at the place between Rosais and Londonium

“The City of Saxe-Gotha It is an ancient town an favorite tourist spot We will take it over and turn it into the foothold for the capture of Londinium We will leave 5,000 soldiers here in Rosais to secure the supply lines and path for retreat The re troops will participate in the capture with the support from our air forces If the enemy's main army comes out, ill finish it with a decisive battle, of course”

The Marquis and Chief of Staff nodded The proposal was a coy, it wasn’t bad

Saxe-Gotha was a big town The crossing of all roads If it were taken, it would possibly be effective against other castles and towns Even if the as not settled before the Advent Festival, it would be easy to hold out longer as it was a big city

As they debated the strategy, someone knocked at the door

“Who?” asked a guard

“It is me It is Her Majesty's Court Lady, La Vallière”

De Poitiers signaled the guards to let her in, even though he wasn’t particularly eager to let the girl take part in arh he couldn’t treat her unkindly as she was Her Majesty’s Court Lady and the user of the legendary Void, she still ht be bothersome

De Poiters saw Louise as nothing more than a ”tool”

“Aah, Miss Void We have prepared a gorgeous tent for you Leave all the trouble to servicemen and take a rest I will call you if you are needed”

Louise was nervous about the great surroundings However, she couldn‘t do what she decided to if she acted cowardly So, she gathered her courage and spoke up,

“W-well…”

“What? Oh, you were not rewarded for your work at Dartanes As expected of Void You did well Gentlemen! Applause!”

Indifferent applause echoed in the conference room

“I will request the royal family for a reward”

“N-no that…”

“What? Are you still here?”

De Poiters tone became diluted with dour

Is a single reward not enough? What a greedy girl!

Hureedy, it is one of the basic habits of hu her, Louise wanted more

“It's not that Uon knights who returned alive…”

The generals for aabout… But then they reht unit that had returned alive and nodded

“Aah, what about it?”

“Well… it’s great, but don’t you think it’s strange? A whole week passes after the crash and they return safe and sound, and all the while they don't re in between?”

“Indeed”

The annoyed generals listened to her Hoas it effecting the army? They were about to say it

“It’s a place near Saxe-Gotha I think it should be investigated”

When Louise said that, the General waved his hand

“Oh, Okay Near the anized to investigate thesuch an expedition

“Did they hit their heads and see sohost?”

“…they reported it was a fairy”

“A kind fairy!”

Sohter It did not hts were just another war hts minds were clear

“No way! What if behind it lies an ie the course of the war!”

“Miss, though it certainly is a e such a grand situation We do not have time to care about such trivial matters”

“But…”

Then, as if just having an idea, De Poitiers added

“Right, I want you to go to investigate it Can you do that?“

Louise left the red-brick co driven out Saito and Rene, aiting at the entrance of the building, ran up to her

“Hoas it?”

Fuun, Louise looking the other alked directly past them

Saito snorted He had hardly talked to Louise since yesterday After leaving Louise in front of the tent of the dragon knight squadron, the couple had been in a very ugly mood

Saito walked behind Louise’s back

“Haah, princess and her servant” Rene said sarcastically

Then he lowered his voice and whispered into Saito's ear

“Just between us… Are you Academy researchers?”

“Acadeon knights gathered around the boy

“I guess the flight machine was made by the Academy”

“Are there any new ical weapons?”

“Like in the recent mission, where one was used in Dartanes to confuse enemies?”

The boy knights’ eyes were sparkling brilliantly while talking to Saito Apparently, they thought that Louise and Saito were researchers froic laboratory Indeed, the only ones that knew about Louise's Void were a few generals

Though it was easy to convince the masses outside the court that it all was a war miracle, the same excuse didn’t really ith nobles So the ical weapons”

Louise, listening to Saito’s conversation attentively, halted

Pon! Saito stopped as well Everyone stood upright A tense atmosphere that emanated from Louise sank into all of thehter?

Louise, without turning around, said in a clear voice

“Not exactly I am not an Academy researcher I am Her Majesty's Court Lady, under her direct control“

Saito panicked Hey! Louise you idiot! Void should be kept a secret! It ht cause trouble if the ruht in a feverish haste

“We are theneeapons, under the direct command of the royal family”

Huh? Saito was speechless What Zero Organization? Never heard of it

“I-is that so?! Great!”

“Though I do not really understand, it sounds like a really powerful organization!”

“Really? A secret organization? Then you can’t tell anyone? Then you research ical weapons, but how does it differ from the acade it”

“R-really?”

“Everyone, swear by the founder to not disclose it!”

All of the kind, swore sincerely

We could pretend to be ical weapons This way eneine the existence of Void

Saito thought

If so the rumors, it would cause even more rumors But one could make a plausible ”true” rumor, to avert curious eyes from the truth

It was the right thing to do in order to manipulate the information

He ran up to Louise and whispered

“…but what have you told me about such a plan Not much”

“…I only said following the order of the Princess Even allies should not know about the Void, thus I came up with an excuse”

“You! You are not paying attention toto what I say at all!”

“It would be useless, as you cannot act, idiot”

With a snort, Louise turned her face away and started walking

“What’s the matter with you and your mistress; you two are moody lately”

Rene muttered

Saito answered casually

“Fuh You are i his words, Louise turned around

“You were acting uneasy ever since we returned frory That’s unusual”

“I ary,” Saito repeated

Louise gave a cold stare to Saito

“Wha-what…”

With a snort, Louise turned around and walked away in silence Saito, renore her, turned his face away as well

However, Louise's destination was not Saito‘s tent

“Hey, where's she going?”

She passed the port where two iron toere lined up… past the arsenal blast-furnace… and the training grounds on the great plaza

“Not to our corps”

Rene said Indeed, there was the tent of the dragon knight battalion headquarters, which they had visited yesterday For some reason she passed all the other tents and walked alone, looking around as if searching for someone

Nearby there were 20 wind dragons tied to a stake, roaring and barking It was dangerous going there so far away from the other units

There was only one person taking care of them

It was the beautiful and tall priest of Romalia… Julio

As if spoiling a lover, Julio patted the scruff of the wind dragon's neck He was talking about soht towards Julio made Saito’s mood drop even more

He ran after Louise Rene followed Saito

“Mister Cesar”

When Louise called, a smile appeared on Julio's face He approached Louise in a hoity-toity manner, took her hand and kissed it

“Please inforeon next time I would have escorted you”

“No, I have a business concerning you and your wind dragon” Louise said

“Me and on?”

“If you are free noould like to fly with you”

Julio, without asking why, boith a smile plastered all over his face

“Not everyday one gets the chance to help such a beautiful lady! There cannot be any question about it! Really, this is an unexpected pleasure!”

“What are you doing?! Stop playing around!”

Saito muttered in an unpleasant tone

“That’s just how Romalians are” Rene frowned

“In any case, where should I fly you to?”

When Julio said that, Saito instantly forgot his oath to ignore and grabbed Louise’s shoulder

“Hey, Louise”

“What? You're in the way Move it”

Saito, after taking a few deep deep breaths, said,

“If you want to fly, why aren't you using hter? Why this foppish… No, why did you ask this priest of Romalia”

Snort “Because you are unpleasant,” Louise said clearly

“Huh?”