Interlude

It was August 6th, eleven days since Latrielle’s report announcing Regis’s death had been sent to Fort Volks. Eddie was sitting on the grassy plains that crowned the fortress.

“Haah...” Altina stuck her sword in the ground such that it stood upright. “Mm-hmm... When he moves like that, I just need to go and... Heh. Looks like I know what to try next.”

“It sure is getting tough...” Eddie sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know... How should I put this? You’re growing into an adult, I guess.”

“H-Huh?!”

“You used to be like a bean sprout but look at those bulges!”

“Wh-What?!” Altina inadvertently stepped back, guarding her chest. Eddie didn’t back down though; he clenched his fists, looking more determined than ever.

“Now you’ve got some real muscle on you!”

“Huh...? Oh, right.”

“Must be around fifteen when girls start changing. I’m feeling more weight in your blows than before.”

“I-I know, right? I’m not sure why that came as such a shock. It was coming from you, after all.”

This man was, to be blunt, an idiot. He was also entirely devoted to Fifth Princess Felicia. The two got along so well that, even with Felicia currently masquerading as First Prince Auguste, strange rumors had started to spread.

“I won’t be able to hold back much longer,” Eddie went on, completely oblivious to Altina’s fluster. “Letting my guard down during our training sessions is gonna cost me an arm one of these days.”

“It’s rare to hear a compliment from you.”

“It ain’t a compliment; it’s an appropriate estimation. They call me the Empire’s Sword, and I recognize that you’ve grown strong.”

“Hm? Well, I do think I’m doing quite well for myself.”

“I guess it’s only natural you’re improving, considering that you’re also sparring with the guy who used to be the Empire’s Sword. And the Mercenary King too.”

“Gilbert still only uses a wooden sword, though. Everard wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I mean, you can’t give a prisoner a real weapon.”

“Why not? It wouldn’t matter so long as I win.”

“No, well... Maybe you could, as you are now. Looks like you’re not worrying anymore, at least.”

“I was worrying?”

“Quite a bit.”

“Yeah, I guess...” Altina brushed aside her hair. “During the war, I was pretty much leaving everything to Regis, right? I could only cry when I heard Latrielle was going to become emperor.”

“I can’t blame you. Latrielle’s older, plus he’s got more achievements, backers, and a greater right to the throne. He’s a man, to boot. To be blunt here, you weren’t born the same.”

“Yeah. But Regis said he wouldn’t give up, so I’m not going to either.”

“And so?”

“And so, I got in a tizzy thinking, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’”

“You really are an idiot.”

“Hmph.” Altina puffed out her cheeks in response.

“Matter of fact, Latrielle’s smarter than you too, isn’t he?” Eddie said with a straight face.

“No, he just learned how to sound smarter! When you really listen, he’s always just saying to defeat some enemy or another.”

“Oh, c’mon... I hear he’s put some serious thought into reforming the military. He even summoned politics, finance, and religion specialists to discuss the future.”

“Right, right. So he’s relying on people who are more knowledgeable than he is. The thing is, I can study as hard as I want, but I’m not going to surpass people who are that smart. I’d need another year or two before I reach that point.”

“Hey now, that’s not true. I reckon you could take three years and you still wouldn’t manage it.”

“Y-You might be right, but...I’m studying properly! Anyway, my point is, I think it’s okay to borrow some knowledge for the time being.”

“So you’re going to leave everything to Regis?”

“Hm... I can’t leave everything to him, otherwise he’s going to collapse again. I’ll need to hire more people. I’ve already assembled some, for what it’s worth. Whether they’re actually useful, I can’t say; we’ll need to determine that when Regis gets back.”

“Best to leave admin issues to our only admin officer, I guess.”

“Yep. So I’ve decided to focus on doing what only I can do!” Altina declared, proudly sticking out her chest.

“You mean swordplay?”

“I’m fighting for the sake of peace! If something can be resolved through conversation, I think Regis can handle it. He’ll need me when battle is the only option!”

“Oh, you have a point! Guess you really have put some thought into this, Argentina.”

Altina chuckled to herself, pleased with her decision. “That’s why I’m going to hone my fighting skills—I need to be strong enough when the time comes. And also because, as strange as it might sound coming from me, I want to protect Regis.”

The two shared a wry smile. “Well now,” Eddie said, “I suppose it is strange for a lord to put so much work into protecting their vassal.”

“Regis can’t even swing a sword; there’s no way he could protect me.”

“Guess so... Him getting stronger is even less likely than you getting smarter.”

“Which means there’s no need to worry about who’s higher or lower. I’m stronger, so I’ll protect Regis. He’s smarter, so he’ll offer me his wisdom. That should work out for now.”

“I see. And that’s why your hesitation went away.”

“Yep!” Altina nodded.

Eddie gazed up at the sky, a piercing blue with thin strands of white flowing through it. “That Regis guy... I don’t really get him. Does reading a few more books than the average person really make someone that impressive? I don’t know all that much about tactics, but I can tell he’s a genius.”

“I’ve asked him before—how he knows so much, that is.”

“And?”

“He normally dismisses it as nothing special, or says that he just happened to know something... But one time, his answer was a little more interesting.”

“What’s that?” Eddie drew closer, intrigued.

“Mm... What was it...? Right. You know how you gain knowledge by reading a book? If you read other books with that knowledge, you’ll make more discoveries.”

“And? And?”

“There’s more than one way to read something. Say you come across a book that covers information you already know, right? You might assume it has nothing to offer you and completely disregard it. But you could also use the fact you already understand the content to read the book from a completely new angle.”

“I see,” Eddie nodded, clearly not understanding.

“To put it simply, people who read a ton can glean more from a book than those who don’t read as much.”

“Is that how it works?”

“It’s the same with swordplay! There’s no point in practicing a triple thrust if you haven’t even learned how to swing properly.”

“Oh, I see. Like how learning to parry increases your potential to counterattack.”

“Right, right. Knowing how to follow up a leg sweep is pointless if your sweep is too short or slow.”

“I think I’m starting to get it. So he’s not just considering the books individually; he’s reaching a higher level by stacking them on top of one another.”

“Regis said that reading seems deeper and deeper the more you dive into it.”

“Now that you mention it...I get the feeling I understand Gramps’s strength more the stronger I get. Is it something like that?”

“Probably.”

Altina had just recently started to read, though she needed Clarisse to teach her in some regards. To equate her studies to swordplay, it was still too early for her to think about techniques or even practice swings; she first needed to build up basic endurance. Regis had granted them permission to borrow from his personal collection, so Clarisse had advised her to read through a book and then put down her general thoughts on it. That was all there was to it. Those with proper schooling would not have even called it studying.

Even so, Altina moved forward, step by step.

Eddie stood, gripping in his hand the seventh sword of the Empire, the Défendre Sept. “Now, how about another match?” he asked.

“You’re on!”

“I won’t lose this time.”

“Keep dreaming! I’m not tired yet!” Altina readied the massive Grand Tonnerre Quatre just as a soldier raced up the stairs.

“Your Highness!”

“Yes?”

“There’s an express messenger headed for the fortress! From the capital, I presume!”

“What could it be...?” Altina wondered. “I’ll be right with you.” She was wearing her training armor, but it didn’t seem she had time to change. She leaned her sword against her shoulder while Eddie tucked away his own.

“I’ll come with you.”

✧ ✧ ✧

Altina sat on a raised platform in the fortress audience chamber. Everard had fashioned the room himself, and it was quite crudely put together as a result, but this was well hidden by the ornamented ceiling and the red cloth hanging from the walls. It was just about wide enough to house thirty men.

A strip of red carpet stretched along the floor, on either side of which stood the officers of the Fourth Army. There was Eric, the escort officer; Everard, the captain of the garrison; Abidal-Evra, the leader of the newly formed Flying Swallow Knights; and Eddie, the battalion commander. Balthazar was also present, despite being something of a freeloader, as were eight others who each led over a thousand men. The black knight Jerome had gone off with Benjamin and Justin, former commanders of the Second Army, to support the eastern front.

The express messenger rushed in and kneeled. “I bear a message from the marshal general,” he said, presenting a letter. Eric walked over, took it from his hand, and then delivered it to Altina. There was no mistaking it was Latrielle’s seal pressed into the wax, and it had been neither torn nor resealed.

Altina broke the wax and spread open the parchment.

Despite our army’s triumph over the enemy forces and our successful recapture of Grebeauvoir, Third-Grade Administrative Officer Regis d’Aurick fell on the battlefield. I am bereft with sorrow.

His remains and belongings were to be delivered to his sister in Rouenne.

Altina’s eyes slipped over the letters once again, unable to fully comprehend their meaning. She was frozen in place like a statue, the paper still in her hands.

Everard approached, noticing that something was awry. “What happened, Princess?”

There came no response.

“Princess?!”

“Huh...?”

“What does the message say?”

“R-Read...”

Everard took the letter she held out to him, and soon enough, he, too, was at a loss for words. “My apologies. I will read it aloud,” he eventually said. As a veteran soldier, he had prepared for the day this news might come. He conveyed the message with a completely sober expression, and soon the entire room was stirred.

“That can’t...! That can’t be!” Eric exclaimed, dropping to his knees. “I don’t believe it!”

“You sure it wasn’t murder?!” cried Abidal-Evra, speaking in a much more condemning tone.

The First Army had laid siege to Grebeauvoir and came out victorious; it was near impossible to believe a tactician would meet his demise under such circumstances. A number of the staff officers were already closing in on the messenger.

“How am I supposed to accept this?!” one man yelled. “Pray tell, what led to the death of our tactician?!”

“I-I don’t quite know either...” the messenger stammered.

Abidal-Evra drew his sword. “Sir Aurick was our nation’s hero! Do you think you’ll depart from here in one piece after telling us he died like a dog?!”

“H-Huh?!”

“Cease this nonsense!” Everard roared, grabbing Abidal-Evra by the shoulder. “All this man has done is drive his horse!”

“We—no, this entire nation survives only because of Sir Aurick! This treatment is unacceptable!”

“I understand how you feel, but shedding the blood of an innocent man will change nothing.”

“Princess!” came a shout from among the officers. “What are your thoughts on the matter, Princess?!” All eyes immediately turned to Altina, who was no longer seated in a daze. She had risen from her seat.

“I’m going to go speak to Latrielle.”

“Wha—?!”

All those gathered were in a panicked frenzy—except Everard, who shouted “Wait!” above the commotion.

“Are you going to stop me?” Altina asked.

“Excuse my insolence, but our situation has changed. Regis may have been deliberately murdered. To meet with the man responsible is suicide!” Everard exclaimed. Back during the festivities, Altina’s reputation hadn’t been too great, and Latrielle had been concerned about saving face. Now, however, there was a high chance the prince would cast aside his honor and shame to eliminate her.

“Yes, I’m aware. I’m not that stupid. But this scrap of paper isn’t enough for me. And more importantly, there’s no way I can believe this. I do not believe that Regis is dead.”

“I share the sentiment.”

“Everard, Eddie, this fortress is yours. Abidal-Evra, how many troops can you move this very instant?”

“Three...no, four thousand.”

“Then we’ll go with that.”

“Yes, ma’am! I shall have them ready to leave tomorrow at dawn—”

“I said ‘this very instant.’ The foot soldiers and supply units can follow behind. The horsemen are taking the lead.”

“R-Right now...?!”

“Our intentions are best displayed through our quickness!” Altina declared, raising her voice. “We need to show them that half-baked excuses mean nothing! I’m sure Latrielle acted for the sake of the nation or whatnot, but that doesn’t mean he can do as he pleases! I need to teach that stupid brother of mine a lesson!”

“U-Understood! At once, then!”

The officers around the poor knight exchanged looks. Departing to the capital without even half a day’s preparation... It would certainly be a strenuous march. To make matters worse, there was a very real chance it might culminate in a battle against the First Army.

The men were choked for words, yet they stepped forward nonetheless. “We have sworn loyalty to Her Highness and are greatly indebted to the tactician! We are prepared, even without preparations!”

“All right!”

Abidal-Evra began giving out detailed instructions. Eric, meanwhile, kneeled before Altina. “I don’t yet know how much use I can be, but please, Princess...take me with you!” he pleaded.

“You might die...” Altina cautioned.

“I don’t care!”

“...Can you promise not to?”

“Eh? Y-Yes. I swear it.”

“Very well, then. You can come.”

“Thank you!”

The Fourth Army moved swiftly. Five hundred horsemen departed from the gate less than an hour after the messenger’s arrival, and before nightfall, four thousand foot soldiers and supply carriers followed. Every soldier taking part had their misgivings over this haphazard campaign.