Seeds Sprouting in Lands Unknown

The age of the great famine was a hellish time, when the conscience of man lay in rotting corpses, and trust in others was a fatal flaw. Cruelty and selfishness ruled the land.

This next story is a tragedy, but not a special one. It is simply one of the many that made up the Tearmoon Empire during that time.

“Damn it...”

Every ragged breath brought with it the taste of iron. What remained of the leather armor, now more crimson than brown, bore morbid witness to the speed with which the wearer’s life was draining away.

The young soldier Ernst stood his ground, shielding the horse-drawn cart behind him. Only privately did he lament his circumstances. How had it come to this, he wondered. Where had he gone wrong?

“You’re a stubborn one, I’ll give you that. Look, just let go of your blind loyalty to the empire. It ain’t even worth the dung on your boots.”

The comment came from a man who, until mere minutes ago, had been guarding the cart with him.

“Think about it,” continued the man. “That cart’s loaded with enough food to feed all of us, or we could sell it all for a fortune and live the rest of our lives like kings. Now, doesn’t that sound like a much better idea than guarding it like a damn dog?”

Ernst glared at the man, who scoffed.

“Some skulls are just too thick, I guess.”

“Shut up... You’re a dirty coward and you know it,” said Ernst.

He meant for his tone to be scathing, full of rage, but his heart wasn’t in it. Deep down, he agreed with the man. What was the point of devoting oneself to a sinking ship? There was little to gain from risking his life here. Even less from giving it.

But...

Ernst wiped his hands on his trousers, leaving streaks of blood. Then, he lifted his spear again and pointed it at the faces of the traitors before him. The meaning was clear: so long as his spear did not break, neither would his will. He was going to fight to the bitter end.

Inwardly, he sighed again. What was he to do? This was how he’d always been, loyal to a fault.

This cart had a destination. There were hungry people waiting for it. That knowledge alone was enough to dissuade him from any thoughts of banditry. Moreover, it was his job to guard this cart, and he just wouldn’t feel right not doing so.

He knew himself to be a boring man. He didn’t drink. He didn’t gamble. He’d never visited a brothel even once. Was it for fear of betraying his family? No, because he had no family. No wife, no children, no parents. One could hardly ask for a life more free of responsibility. There was almost no reason not to plunder this cart and sell the food to fund an ensuing life of decadence. Heck, it was probably the smart thing to do, given the circumstances.

Why, then, was he standing here like a blockhead, apparently determined to give his life in service to duty? He could give no answer except for this is who I am. He was a boring, serious person.

But what, he inwardly protested, was wrong with that? So what if there was a famine? So what if it was Hell on earth? Virtues were virtues, the times be damned! They could laugh all they wanted. They could call him brainless. But if he was given a mission, then by God, he was going to do it. Was it ego? Pride? Honor? He didn’t care. All he knew was that it mattered.

And with that knowledge held firmly in his heart, he brandished his spear.

“The food on this horse cart is meant for villages suffering from famine. There are starving children, for goodness sake. I’m not going to let it fall into the hands of bandi—”

Sadly, it was too cruel an age to afford his honest diligence the reward it deserved. All he received for his loyalty was the brutality of his ex-comrades. Searing pain accompanied each of their strikes, steadily sapping his arms of their strength. Finally, he fell. Amidst a throng of foes, he perished, the only blood spilt was his own.

However, the stubborn last stand he made was not entirely in vain. His steely resolve gave the merchants on the cart enough time to escape. Though he lost his life, he saved many others. Through the mouths of those merchants, word of his name and actions eventually reached the ears of the empire’s princess.

“The transport convoy was...wiped out?”

For a few seconds, Mia said nothing else, utterly dumbstruck by the news. Then she shambled unsteadily over to her bed and toppled onto it.

“Wh-What were the guards doing?”

“Most of them defected to the bandits. Which, while not exactly commendable, is not particularly surprising either. Our ability to pay their wages has been...diminished.”

Ludwig looked like he’d just swallowed a mouthful of bile. The grimness of his expression was understandable, considering the supply they’d sent with that convoy had been the precious fruit of a desperate series of negotiations with neighboring kingdoms. They’d just barely managed to scrape together enough food to keep a number of starving villages fed for the near future. Every grain had been worth its weight in gold.

“Gah! I can’t believe these people would so easily betray the empire... Unforgivable! Was there nobody who stayed true in their duties to Tearmoon? Not a single loyal soldier?”

“Reports say that there was a young soldier by the name of Ernst who took a stand and tried to carry out the mission alone...”

Mia brightened a little at the news.

“My! How admirable! He must be rewarded. Right away, in fact! Surely, he deserves a medal or two. A promotion as well...”

She trailed off, excitement fading as she realized that Ludwig’s dour look remained unchanged.

“Unfortunately,” he said, shaking his head, “he perished in battle.”

Mia wilted. A hint of sorrow could be seen in her downcast eyes.

“I see... His family then. At least give them something...”

“Unfortunately, he has none. No wife or children, no parents.”

“I...see...”

Mia bit her lip.

In an age when tragedy abounded, such a story was commonplace. Trite, even. The young soldier Ernst was simply another of the many whose loyalty Mia would never have the chance to repay.

Now, let us skip through the stream of time...

“My, it’s been a while since I’ve dreamt of back then...” murmured Mia as she slowly opened her eyes.

Through the blurry haze of lingering sleep, she looked around. On the desk beside her bed was a half-written letter. It was addressed to Vanos, who now oversaw the Princess Guard, notifying him of her intent to make Ruby their newest member.

“That letter must be why...”

During the age of the great famine, food transports were frequently raided. Sometimes, it was by bandits. Other times, by mobs of rioting villagers. Every so often, it was by the very guards they’d sent to protect the transport. After swallowing countless of these bitter pills, Mia became painfully aware of the need for a unit of troops she could absolutely trust.

“In terms of reliability, nothing beats the imperial guard, but at the time, they already had their hands full defending the capital.”

Now, circumstances were different. She had the Princess Guard, a reliable and mobile force at her beck and call. As for how trustworthy they were... That was probably also a nonissue. So long as Dion Alaia, the Empire’s Scariest, was on her side, his former squadmates would never turn against her.

“But the headcount still leaves something to be desired... I wonder if I can pull a couple soldiers over from the Redmoons...”

These thoughts had occupied her mind as she penned the letter, but halfway through, she began to feel drowsy and retired to bed for a nap. The unfinished letter was likely the root of her dream.

“To that end, I need to speak to Ruby and figure out this soldier-sharing thing. We’ll have to draw some detailed operation plans...and there’ll need to be plenty of training...” she mused before shaking her head. “Ah, but that dream... How uncharacteristic of me to have forgotten about the existence of that loyal soldier...”

Having never met him, she had no face to attribute to the name. That likely contributed to the lapse. Her memory of the man had, until this moment, been buried deep within the recesses of her mind.

“He didn’t betray me even at such times as those. I couldn’t ask for better proof of a man’s character. Whoever this fellow is, he’s definitely trustworthy. I need to track him down... Wait, what was his name again? Uh... Loyal soldier... Loyal soldier... Mmmm...”

A series of frustrated mumblings ensued.

“Uh... Hrm, that’s odd... Um... Did it start with an A? B? No... C? D? E? Wait, I’m feeling something with E. E... E... Augh, what was it? Ea? Eb? Ec?”

Down the alphabet she went, trying to fish the name out of her mind. The extensive brainwork this led to, along with the nap she’d just had, would doom her to a long, sleepless night plagued by an overactive mind stuck on the task of endlessly piecing letters together.

Moving now to the domain of the Redmoons...

Ruby stood opposite her father.

“You’re joining the Princess Guard?!”

“That’s right, father. I thought you’d be happy for me.”

She arched an eyebrow at her father’s grimace. The imperial guard were an elite force. The Princess Guard, even more so. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite as glorious as being one of the emperor’s personal guard, but this was certainly the next best thing. There was no shortage of prestige and status to be gained from being under the direct command of the princess.

“Well, I’m not not happy, but I mean... It’s the Princess Guard. According to my sources, they apparently just incorporated a hundred-man squad from the front lines. The front lines! These are fighting men we’re talking about. Vulgar and loud and prone to violence. It’s a den of brutes there.”

“That’s just about the last thing I expected to hear from you, father. To the untrained eye, dauntlessness can often be mistaken for crassness. Not to mention, this is the Princess Guard. They’re literally charged with ensuring Her Highness’s safety. Do you really think she’d surround herself with barbarians? Even if it turns out that she selected for competence instead of class, that’d just mean they’re a very capable bunch. I’d take that over the reverse any day.”

Duke Redmoon regarded the confident manner in which his daughter placed a hand on her hip. He conceded a wry smile.

“Fair points, fair points all. We Redmoons do pride ourselves on our headhunting of quality soldiers. Fussing over class and courtesy runs counter to our philosophy. Very well then. I shall send for an elite troop to be composed of our best soldiers. Take them with you. You may present them to Her Highness as a gift. They shall bear our banner and do us proud.”

Soon, at the behest of Duke Redmoon, a retinue of twenty female soldiers were selected to accompany Ruby. They were all the cream of the crop, each and every one sufficiently talented to shoulder the reputation of the Redmoons single-handedly.

Female soldiers were rare in Tearmoon. A small handful of specialists, like the Lulus, did exist, but most of the army consisted of brawny men. The fact that the Redmoons were able to swiftly assemble a crack troop of servicewomen was a testament to their military might.

The person put in charge of this retinue was an old acquaintance of Ruby’s—a knight by the name of Celes. Standing as tall as most of her male peers, her strong, lean frame exuded the fierce aura of a seasoned warrior. Having served as Ruby’s combat instructor, she was a force to be reckoned with, both in the ring and on the battlefield.

“I must admit, I never expected you to join the imperial guard, Lady Ruby.”

Ruby laughed.

“Neither did I, Celes. Life’s funny that way. Who would have thought the daughter of Duke Redmoon would subordinate herself to someone else?”

Ruby’s shrug prompted a frown from Celes.

“Are you not entirely inclined to proceed with this arrangement in joining the Guard? If so, I will speak to Her Highness personally and do everything in my power to persuade her—”

“No! You should definitely not do that. I swear, every joke just goes right over your head, Celes. You need to learn to ease up.”

Ruby shook her head admonishingly. Celes’s frown deepened as she groaned in displeasure.

“Your ‘jokes,’ Lady Ruby, are a mystery to me.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not my jokes that are the problem. I think it’s your sense of humor. Which is a problem. How are you going to romance any men like that? Are you seeing anyone right now?”

Celes gave her a flat look, then sighed.

“No. It appears that few men are interested in talking to an uptight woman such as myself. I’m sure my experience with romance pales in comparison to yours.”

In Celes’s mind, Ruby practically lived in a romance novel at Saint-Noel.

“...Well, I mean, maybe? But uh... More isn’t necessarily better when it comes to romance, you know?”

Ruby stammered a little, losing some of her initial verve. After all, “pales in comparison” was not entirely accurate. In fact, for Ruby, who was still carefully nurturing that first tiny flame of love that had flickered to life in her childhood, her romantic experience was, for all intents and purposes, non-existent!

“It’s all about going out and meeting people, I think,” Ruby continued. “There are plenty of fine fellows in the Princess Guard. I’m sure someone there will catch your eye. And when it’s time to strike up a conversation, you’ll have an easier time if you can crack a joke or two.”

Such was the nature of their conversation as they arrived at the headquarters of the Princess Guard in Lunatear. As the building came into view, Ruby suddenly stopped.

“Hm? That’s...”

Celes followed her gaze to find a mammoth of a man walking into the building. His clothes bulged the way they did when worn over armor, except in his case, it was sheer muscle. That alone was impressive, but what made Celes’s hair stand on end and her sword arm tense was the way he carried himself.

That man...is a fighter.

Even from this distance, she could tell. He radiated an aura unique to those who’d paid their dues on the battlefield and then some. He was strong. In every sense of the word. Celes caught herself growling.

I heard that a seasoned hundred-man squad had joined the Princess Guard. That soldier must be one of them. I doubt I’d last three seconds against him...

Surely, she figured, that was also why Ruby had stopped.

“Oh, Vanos...”

Which was why she almost did a double take when she heard Ruby’s whisper. Her voice was tense, but it wasn’t the kind of nervous tension that arose when daunted by an opponent’s strength. Ruby’s...was less focused, devoid of her usual boldness. It was clearly the voice of a girl who’d just caught a glance of her crush. Celes eyed the young Redmoon with mild astonishment.

Now that’s not a side of Ruby I see very often...

“All right then. I’ll wait out here,” Celes said with a sympathetic smile.

“Huh? But...”

“I doubt any danger will befall you in the Princess Guard headquarters. Go ahead. I’ll stay here and wait for the others to arrive.”

“R-Really? Okay then...”

Ruby frowned for a moment, but soon consented. She combed her fingers through her hair a few times.

“Uh, quick question. How do I look? Good?”

She was crushing on him hard!

“‘Good’? Well...”

Celes thought herself to be the least qualified person imaginable to answer such a question, but she looked her over anyway. Then she answered in an uncertain voice, “You look fine to me.”

“Do I? Hm... All right, thanks. I’ll see you later then.”

Ruby all but ran off, eager steps quickly taking her into the building the giant man had entered. Celes watched her disappear through the door, then shook her head.

“Who’d have thought... Ruby of all people... And apparently, that’s the kind of man she’s into? Then again...I guess she was always fond of large men.”

Her musing was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

“Uh, excuse me, but would you happen to be a member of the Princess Guard?”

The question came from behind her, but it didn’t catch her by surprise. She’d already heard the footsteps approaching.

“I will be soon. And yourself?”

She turned to find a man of average build. He looked to be about her age or maybe a few years younger. Unlike the object of Ruby’s affection, this man did not look like a seasoned veteran.

A new recruit, maybe? Doesn’t look very strong... she thought, sizing him up.

He, unaware of his rather unimpressive evaluation, spoke up.

“Ah, my apologies. I should introduce myself. My name is Ernst. I’ve been assigned to the Princess Guard starting today... I have no idea why, to be honest, but...”

The famed Princess Guard, whose exploits would be told and retold by many future generations, was a rarity in the imperial army. Under the direct command of the Great Sage of the Empire, it was a mixed gender unit. There was a longstanding rumor in the Guard which said that any love which bloomed between its members would go happily. The source of this rumor was unclear, but a number of theories have been posited. One of these claimed that it was based on the epic tale of romance involving the Guard’s mountainous captain. Another insisted that its origin lay in the story of a serious-minded soldier and his love.

This is a story unknown to Mia. She was neither protagonist nor narrator. But it was her story, because she was the one who’d scattered the seeds. Carried by the wind, it fell far from her view, where it would eventually grow into an endearing tale that bore the fruit of love.