Jumping up in surprise, the dry leaves caught on the stick scattered messily.

“W-what is that sound?”

“An invasion… has begun.”

“Are you saying the Mrangel attacked first?”

“Yes.”

Ension pushed back his short hair as if scratching his scalp, then gripped his sword handle tightly.

Though he couldn’t join the expedition because he was guarding Lucilia, his youthful vigor and killing intent were truly threatening.

Lucilia’s mind was filled with thoughts of Aaron.

He had left with the reconnaissance team not long ago.

Could they have used that as a pretext to attack?

No, that couldn’t be.

Aaron clearly understood that they shouldn’t give Mrangel any excuse for war. He wouldn’t have rashly crossed the border.

Lucilia nervously bit her fingernails.

“Could they have attacked knowing the Baron was away from camp?”

“Even if that’s the case, General Neil is here, so the front line won’t break immediately. And the enemy is unlikely to notice the Commander’s absence.”

“But what if spies have infiltrated this place?”

“From common soldiers to knights, Caldman’s military investigates family backgrounds. This means only those with verified identities can fight for Caldman.”

“So you mean we can trust them as long as they’re not outsiders. That’s a relief.”

The darkly looming war clouds contrasted with the clear sky.

The world below, viewed from the peaceful heavens, would soon vibrate with the smell of blood.

This couldn’t be the world God wanted.

The corruption of the Pope and his following clergy spread a stench everywhere.

Did those who stained the world with sin truly believe in God’s existence?

Ordinary people would refrain from evil deeds out of fear, at least.

However, greed was more influential than the existence of God.

Wealth and power, l*st and indulgence.

Once tasted, they were hard to escape from, becoming their honor.

The consecutive trumpet signals made all the hair on her body stand on end.

Lucilia closed her eyes, praying that the inevitable taking of lives would not incur God’s wrath.

Prayer was all she could do.

* * *

Aaron did not return for three days.

The first and last news she heard was that he had safely joined the ranks and was commanding from the front.

Waiting aimlessly, she was anxious to know which way the tide of battle was turning.

Hearing that wounded soldiers were endlessly pouring in, she couldn’t stay still with worry.

She wanted to go to the infirmary to help, but Aaron’s instructions prevented her from doing so.
The time spent inside the tent felt utterly powerless.

Would Ension, who stood guard day and night outside, be any different?

He would endure this powerless reality, holding onto Aaron’s single order.

Lucilia lifted the tent entrance and spoke to Ension.

“How many wounded are there today?”

“About forty have been brought to the Fourth Infirmary.”

That number excluded the dead and was just those who had arrived during a brief period in the morning.

The First Infirmary set up in the royal army camp, the Second Infirmary of the Allied Forces’ 1st Army led by Gorenzo, the Third Infirmary of the Allied Forces’ 2nd Army, and the Fourth
Infirmary of the 3rd Army led by Aaron. There were several more besides these.

It was impossible to know how many more would arrive throughout the day.

As the scale of battle grew, the desolate scene would spread like wildfire.

What if the Mrangel gained the upper hand?

As her thoughts raced toward pessimistic prospects, the terrible image of Aaron dying in battle overwhelmed her.

Even when she should be overlaying hope, ominous feelings kept arising, causing cracks in her heart.

Lucilia desperately thought of Aaron’s imposing figure. The fighting power of the Tudra Knights, led by Aaron Artnal, was renowned not only in the kingdom but in neighboring countries as well.

He boasted such excellent skills that the title “War Hero” would not be wasted on him.

‘As long as the Baron is there, we won’t be defeated.’

Just as she had managed to cover the terrible images…

Pwoo—

A trumpet signal sharply cut through the air.

After it rang loudly and stopped, the same signal sounded from a more distant place.

Lucilia asked in a trembling voice.

“What’s the situation?”

“…”

Ension remained silent.

His eyes, looking up at the sky, twitched slightly.

Following him, Lucilia also looked at the sky.

Despite the successive trumpet sounds, the sky was deeply blue. Geese flying across the firmament were utterly peaceful.

For a moment, it felt as if the world had stopped.

The coexistence of peace and conflict, freedom and oppression maximized the sense of dissonance.

Lucilia’s legs, straddling two disconnected worlds, trembled.

She hoped the ominous feeling was just a groundless fear.

Ension murmured as if reciting.

“Establish defensive positions. Procure weapons.”

Lucilia stared at Ension’s lips, trying to understand the exact meaning.

Honestly, she had heard everything clearly but was slow to respond because she didn’t want to acknowledge it.

Ension added quietly with a dark expression.

“It seems the Mrangel are pushing in.”

Her ears sank into deafness as the words she didn’t want to hear clawed at her eardrums.

Her own voice buzzed in her ears, making her head dull.

“W-we’re not at a disadvantage, are we?”

The tension that had been building up inside her expanded in her chest as if about to explode.

Ension, unable to join the battle, also seemed frustrated and let out a deep sigh.

Finally, at his next words, all of Lucilia’s movements stopped.

“You need to prepare to evacuate.”

Her mind went blank, and she couldn’t think of what to say in response.

The red flush drained from her cheeks, and her muscles stiffened so much that she couldn’t even move her fingers.

All five senses lost their function.

Ension said something more, but it lingered at her ears before scattering.

As she stood dazed, a louder voice was heard.

“There was an order that when the retreat signal sounds, I am to immediately go to Tudra with you. We don’t know when the signal will come.”

“Wait. What do you mean… evacuate? The battle hasn’t been decided yet.”

“I just explained it to you. The signal was to establish defensive positions and procure weapons. If the defense line breaks, we won’t escape a dog’s death, victory or defeat aside. The Commander ordered us to seek a way to survive first!”

Ension’s voice, which had been calm all along, became agitated.

She understood what he was saying.

For Aaron’s sake too, fleeing was the right thing to do.

‘It all made sense!’

But wasn’t it too cowardly to run away to save just herself?

It was an unavoidable guilt that comes with being human.

She felt like crying.

Because it was more frightening than she had imagined.

Because running away was actually the way to help Aaron.

It was truly painful how her thoughts and feelings were at odds.

Ension urged again to Lucilia, who had her head bowed deeply.

“The Commander told you to follow my instructions, didn’t he?”

“…”

“We’ll leave as soon as the retreat signal sounds, so pack only what you need. Please think of the Commander first.”

At his softened tone, tears finally burst forth.

Lucilia turned her body before the teardrops could fall.

It was time to adapt to reality, regardless of her feelings for Aaron.

Suppressing her emotions as she spoke made her throat sting.

“I’ll follow the Baron’s orders, so Sir Willar should also go prepare.”

“Thank you.”

Lucilia absently wiped her wet cheeks and stepped forward.

There wasn’t much to pack.

If the moment to retreat came, she wouldn’t be able to ride a carriage anyway. At most, she needed clothes to change into and emergency rations.

After packing lightly and setting her belongings aside, Lucilia sat on Aaron’s bed.

As she stroked the empty place with her palm, affection and emptiness surged simultaneously.

The longing she had forcibly endured over the past few days burst forth like a flood, destroying her composure.

She couldn’t stop the tears that poured out, but she tried desperately not to make a sound.

It felt as if crying aloud would inform evil spirits of this wretched reality.

The evil spirits might drool and devour everything.

Innocent lives, beautiful nature, peaceful existence.

And the one she loved.

“I didn’t know I would miss you this much.”

Lucilia sat at the makeshift table and picked up a quill.

Since they might truly part, she wanted to convey her feelings, even like this.

* * *

The battle continued for a day and a half.

She waited silently, receiving regular updates from Ension about the fluctuating situation.

It was truly a blood-curdling time.

Her throat burned even when she drank water, and her heart pounded so much that she couldn’t calm down even when sleeping.

The precarious tension that surrounded the camp finally broke around late morning.

Bang! Boom!