The story so far—

The story so far—

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.

The year is 850 on the Belgarian imperial calendar—

Having been banished to Fort Sierck on the northern front, he was approached by the tenacious Fourth Princess Marie Quatre Argentina de Belgaria—“Altina” for short—a stunning young woman whose imperial lineage was denoted by her crimson hair and red eyes. The daughter of a commoner, she was shunned by the queen and other high nobles, eventually being 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 for something greater. She has seen the strife caused by self-seeking nobles—the ruthless taxation and pointless wars—and so resolves to change the country!

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

Altina soon proves her mettle as a commander, and while Regis feels no more confident in his own abilities, he swears to work as her tactician.

And so the year turns to 851 on the Belgarian imperial calendar—

Come February, Altina receives an unreasonable request from the commander of the Belgarian military—her brother, Second Prince Latrielle:

You are to capture Fort Volks in the Grand Duchy of Varden of the Germania Federation.

The fortress is notorious for being impregnable, so it would be simply absurd for a small force on the border to attempt an attack. However, Regis recalls an old military strategy he once read about in a book, and while not without casualties, the border regiment successfully captures Fort Volks under Altina’s command.

At the beginning of April, Altina makes her return to the imperial palace of La Branne. She is accompanied by Regis, who is nervous but also excited to witness the place where many a tale has been set.

But this was hardly the time to enjoy the sights and celebrations: both the first and second princes of the Empire are plotting to take the throne. Altina is fourth in line, meaning she cannot become empress without overcoming them both.

Regis is initially overwhelmed. That is, until he sees through both princes’ ploys and cleverly uses them to his advantage. He ultimately secures the cooperation of rising noble Elenore, while First Prince Auguste—or at least, who everyone believes to be Auguste—rescinds his right as next in line to the throne, expressing his desire for Altina to take his place. As a result, Altina is finally established as a prominent candidate to become empress.

On April 23rd, High Britannia, the nation that has exhibited the greatest advancements in industrial technology, issues a declaration of war. The death of their previous queen has allowed the war-supporting Margaret to take the throne, and thanks to High Britannia’s steam engine and the newly developed cannons in their arsenal, they are able to one-sidedly pulverize any ship Belgaria sends their way.

Appearing to have colluded with High Britannia, the Grand Duchy of Varden chooses this opportunity to launch an attack on Fort Volks. Regis’s scheme sends them running in a single night, but an archer in the famous mercenary brigade Renard Pendu manages to shoot down the young knight Eric, while Altina’s treasured blade—the Grand Tonnerre Quatre—is broken in combat.

Despite these developments, the border regiment is forced to march west to answer a call for reinforcements. Regis’s elder sister makes an appearance along the way, and they entrust the broken sword to her husband (and Regis’s brother-in-law) Enzo for repairs.

On May 19th, the Battle of La Frenge takes place. Led by Barguesonne, a lieutenant general valuing tradition above all else, the Empire’s Seventh Army forms a closely-knit formation and charges their foe. However, when pitted against High Britannia’s newest firearms, the Belgarian Army’s attack leads only to catastrophic losses. In the end, the lieutenant general dies in battle, along with half of his troops.

There is no possible way to defeat such weapons—that is what the remnants of the Seventh Army believe, having completely lost the will to go on. And it is to these disheartened men that Regis makes a proposition.

“We should just give up fighting them on land, and attack from the sea instead. High Britannia won’t be able to receive supplies if they don’t have any transport ships.”