The story so far—

The story so far—

The year is 850 on the Belgarian imperial calendar.

Inept with a sword, unable to ride a horse, and apathetic toward the empire he serves, Regis Aurick is a hopeless soldier who spends his days buried in books.

Despite ranking as a mere fifth-grade administrative officer, Regis, as the lone surviving officer of his camp, is forced to take complete responsibility for a crushing defeat at the hands of a barbarian ambush and is subsequently banished to the northern front.

“Can’t complain, I guess... Life isn’t all about promotions. I’ll get more time to read out here.”

But this optimism is short lived. His destination, Fort Sierck, has its fair share of problems.

For one, its commander is Fourth Princess Marie Quatre Argentina de Belgaria—“Altina” for short—a stunning young woman whose imperial lineage is denoted by her crimson hair and red eyes. The daughter of a commoner, she was shunned by the queen and other high nobles, and she was eventually appointed commander of a faraway border regiment at the unprepared age of fourteen.

Under normal circumstances, her time would have been spent idly, the empty title making her little more than a decoration. But the impassioned princess, having spent her adolescence caught between internal struggles for power, aspires to something greater. She has seen the strife caused by self-seeking nobles—the ruthless taxation and pointless wars—and so resolved to change the country!

And so, Altina seeks out Regis, hoping he will agree to become her tactician.

“I’m going to become empress. I need your wisdom.”

She is driven by her cause, so much so that she would put her very life on the line. But Regis doesn’t share her confidence.

“Precisely because it’s a difficult dream to reach, I want to lend you my aid. The thing is... I can’t even imagine myself being of use to you.”

“Then how about we do this? I’ll put as much trust in you as you refuse to put in yourself. Then you should have enough trust for one person.”

A seemingly moot point, he thinks—but Regis is nonetheless moved by her heart.

Their first battle is staged within the fort itself.

In her pursuit of the throne, Altina must first prove her strength to the border regiment she strives to command in more than just name. However...

Its de facto commander, General Jerome, refuses to accept the princess as his superior. A revered hero driven to the border by those envious of his achievements, he is respected and obeyed by the soldiers of the border regiment.

And so, in a plan to gain the soldiers’ recognition and the trust of her strategist, Altina challenges Jerome to a duel.

Regis admonishes her recklessness, only for the princess to reply:

“If I ask for your life, then it’s only natural for me to wager my life as well. I don’t want to become an empress so foolish she thinks loyalty is earned simply by sitting on the throne.”

With Altina’s reputation—and her life—on the line, the duel commences in the midst of a blizzard. Despite the clear disparity in their abilities, Altina pushes through, and following several close encounters, just narrowly grasps victory.

Moved by her display of strength and resolve, Regis finally places his trust in the princess, swearing to work as her tactician. Cries of amazement and celebration spread through the plaza, the soldiers growing ever more rowdy over the dramatic curtain call.

But then, a bell rings out from the watchtower. The soldiers fall silent.

It’s a barbarian attack!