Rakuin no Monshou

Vileena Owell had boarded Apta’s only cruiser and departed from the fortress city—.

That piece of news brought mixed feelings to Ax Bazgan. They were currently smack in the middle of preparations to deploy.

There were soldiers in armour everywhere as medium-sized and large-sized dragons sluggishly emerged one after the other from the dragon stables.

“Is he having the Garberan princess take shelter in a safe place? Which means he’s finally decided Apta as the place where we’ll hold the deciding battle.”

“No, it’s a clever move.”

Ravan Dol appeared. Walking around with his favourite potato stuffed in his cheeks might as well have reduced the famed strategist’s dignity to rubbish, but he had until recently been in command of moving the dragons out from their cages. No matter how ferocious the dragon, they were equivalent to a tamed dog once subjected to Ravan’s wiles, which he was well known for.

“What is?”

“Consequent to him suddenly sending their only carrier away from Apta, we will worry over where that carrier is headed. It might load itself full of soldiers and return, or maybe conceal itself in our advance route.”

“Let’s say he’s getting reinforcements. In that case, things will be fine as long as we swiftly attack and crush them before the ship returns. With a distance of a few hours at most, they don’t have enough soldiers to exceed ours, right? And if it’s to ambush our troops, that isn’t too much for us to concern ourselves with. Your strategy, in the first place, was to attack from multiple fronts. As long as one of the routes we use breaks through and captures the centre, it is our victory.”

“Mmhm.” With a most fitting nod, Ravan plopped a potato into his mouth. “Or perhaps, it might be to incite us quicken our pace in this way. That he’s done this to provoke us must mean he’s confident in Apta’s defense, and also in finishing up the battle shortly.”

“And we’re supposed to be intimidated by that? We set up a strategy knowing we allowed ourselves to be provoked. Don’t get cold feet now. Now, call together all the commanding officers. We’re going to review our strategy one last time!”

Prince Gil was most likely a.s.suming they were going to make a direct attack on Apta. Since Taulia held the upper hand in terms of might, it was only natural that they would employ blitzkrieg tactics. So as far as Gil was concerned, luring the enemy in deep was the premise on which he worked his plans.

Ravan Dol had therefore proposed attacking from multiple directions, in a way that facilitated a multi-faceted attack at different intervals. Even supposing the enemy had been running their mouth and now lay in wait, he did not believe Apta currently had the forces to hold off a second or third attack.

Of course, they would also suffer some damage, but it was still much better than concentrating their forces as their enemy hoped. Ravan certainly did not underestimate the Mephians, namely Gil Mephius.

“Oooh. Can we use those?”

Ax, discovering a new species amongst the dragons being carried out from the cages, revelled in delight. “Yes,” Ravan Dol responded in concert with a rare chuckle.

Three metres long with rust-coloured scales, the most notable aspect of this medium-sized dragon was the horn growing from the centre of its head. The one-horned dragon Yunion. A selectively bred variant of the Baians. Its four limbs had grown fat and short, but they were far more agile than their appearance suggested, and its scales repelled swords and spears even up close.

Ravan had, with the Baians as the basis, crossed many species of dragons, and by some miraculous probability, arrived at this usable breed after several generations of painstaking efforts raising them from hatchlings. He prided in their fierce capabilities, but more than that, they were intelligent and obedient to humans.

Mephius’ main force were in the Baians. They certainly grew quickly and there was also no problem with their battle prowess, but the number of eggs they laid in a single setting were few and they had tempers; they could only be handled by a select few. The Yunions could be said to account for this weakness.

“They will be a great addition. —All right! We move at sunset. Let that Mephian brat sit arrogantly in his chair believing he’s got us caught in his trap.”

He put on his helmet, a heedlessly large horn attached, and affixed his slightly curved long sword to his belt.

Straddled onto a Tengo, Ax Bazgan raised the six-metre dragon lance fixed on the saddle and spurred his men.

“It’s time to set off. Men, you are soldiers who have conquered demons. They may try to swing their dull blades and fire their pea-sized bullets, but remember! Those frail Mephian men can’t even lift so much as a finger against our cattle. We shall illuminate the magnificent glory of the Bazgan House greater than the sun, and show them the very meaning of blinding! Now, words won’t be needed from hereon. Push forward!”

On the other end, the Aptan inhabitants had fully taken shelter. There were those who relied on their relatives and moved to another town, and those who carried food to the cellars and readied to spend several days there, and then there were the remaining majority who followed the soldiers’ instructions.

All their faces showed unease. If Apta became a battleground, the houses and fields would get damaged, regardless of victory or defeat. To make matters worse, the Garberan army had left the fortress, and even Princess Vileena departed. Not so much as a single soldier had come in response to their request for reinforcements. In everyone’s eyes, the chances of victory were slim.

Orba, on that day, established the fortress hall as headquarters and sat at its heart.

Many of the men around were busily moving about, but Orba alone sat umoving. His arms were folded as he stared at the map opened before him, and he would occasionally look up and gaze into empty s.p.a.ce.

There, Pashir came along. He was sprucely dressed in the set of clothes...o...b.. had previously given him.

“Is everything in position?”

“Yes.”

He wore a grim face, but it was his usual one, devoid of tension and anxiety. Pashir’s independent infantry unit was a.s.signed to the southern gate.

“...”

“If there’s something you want to say, then say it. You have the status of a commander. If you, the commander, continue to carry unease, it will affect your troops’ morale.”

“What are you saying this point in time?” Pashir’s nose creased, “As if there’s even a single person who isn’t uneasy over this war. If there’s a far-sighted person amongst the enemy soldiers surely marching here now, and he could see over ‘here’, he would be up for a surprise. Because, there’s no one here at all!”

Orba’s lips swerved up, and with a small sn.i.g.g.e.r, offered no further reply. This time was different from his usual indulgences. Even he, if he had to admit it, was nervous. This was on a different scale from simply commanding his Imperial Guards and undergoing covert operations.

He was constantly shadowed by an unease that there was something he might have been mistaken about. Would it be better if he made a change to that plan? Would it be better to a.s.sign those men some other location? Did they have enough bullets? Were the guns and cannons in perfect condition? What about about the dragons?

If he had to speak his real mind, he would rather get off his seat and go around the fortress interior than play commander in a place like this. The things he wanted to confirm through his own eyes were innumerable. But he had already done this time and time again leading up to this day. So Orba was going to stay here, even if it meant suppressing his own emotions. Just as he had spoken of to Pashir, any negative emotions a general carried within him—worry, apprehension, fear, dismay—could not be allowed to show.

A leader’s strength soaks in steadily, like soil does from the ground. But it only takes an instant for his weakness to show. Like a fuse lit on fire.

That was something Orba was instinctively familiar with.

“More importantly, you really meant it, right?” Pashir brought a different topic to the conversation. “That if we reap merits in battle, you’ll free all of us from the status of slave.”

“Of course. It’s for that reason that they desperately fight. They’ve also seen how you became the infantry commander with their own eyes.”

“I see.” Swallowing his various emotions, Pashir suddenly a.s.sumed attention. “Then if you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to my station. I’ll also relay the words you said just now.”

“Ah, Pashir, except...”

“Hah?”

Pashir’s feet stopped right as he began to leave. And at Orba’s following words, he made an indescribably complex expression.

“Your life alone won’t be set free. You’ve already become the infantry’s commanding officer, and my subordinate. I don’t have any intention of letting you go.”

It was that time when the sun began to set.

They’ve come.

In the headquarters, Orba stood up from his seat.

On the Yunos River border, Ax’s army’s flag waved. The timing was as...o...b.. had predicted, but their positioning was strange.

The river’s chasm lay between them; they were on the other side. As the forest’s shade blended into the dark sky, they began to align two long-range cannons.

Naturally, Orba ordered the northern battery bordering the river to aim across the valley and fire. Twice, thrice the cannons roared. The enemy quickly pulled the cannons back and retreated towards the forest, but it was not a complete retreat. The tall pole bearing Taulia’s flag stayed up, firm and unmoving.

Are they aiming for a protracted battle?

He considered this, but what Ax Bazgan was afraid of most were Mephius’ reinforcements. He should have known full well that, due to the original difference in both countries’ strength, if he overlooked this chance the fortress would no longer be for the taking.

The sun soon set. Because the enemy had not lit a single fire, the cannons could not take aim. Nonetheless, Orba ordered them to repeat fire at fixed intervals to hold the enemy in place.

Each second pa.s.sed itched him in impatience. Orba’s plan was, as Ravan Dol had foreseen, to lure them in and then surround them. If the enemy would not move, then they also would not move. Orba took countless deep breaths. His body’s pains had considerably receded. Now, it was not beyond him to take a sword and plunge into the enemy ranks. However, this time he had no intention of shouldering such a role. Nay, he mustn’t.

“Prince.”

Gowen came running.

“They are also coming from the south. They seem to be advancing along the same route as last time and are making sure to scrupulously examine the path ahead this time, so it appears they will take some more time.”

“What are their numbers?”

“According to the scout’s report, roughly three hundred. Judging from their speed, they likely have no cannons.”

He split the army, huh.

The force across the river was likely meant to divert their cannon fire. There was no other reason why Ax would purposely expose his valuable long-range cannons.

“Harden the gates. Shoot them from the watchtowers and steeples. Have Pashir and the others remain on standby.”

The cannons stationed on the south-eastern tip fired at the area in front of the southern gates. The Taulian soldiers came running through the dirt exploding in the field. A skirmish line. The few-membered forces each displayed orderly movements.

Retreat followed advance. Advance followed retreat. Pashir leaned against the parapets, watching the battle taking place below him.

Oh!

He ducked. A cannon nearby the gate exploded. Stone and wooden debris rained down his back, accompanied by the smell of gunpowder. The Mephian a.s.sumption that they ‘had no cannons’ was wrong. It wasn’t a mistake to a.s.sume this from their rate of advance, but the Taulian army had two of their newly bred Yunions pulling each of the cannons.

Even as the Mephians tried to shoot it down, the Yunions would pull back to be replaced by gunners and archers pushing forward. Their apt.i.tude in freely commanding the dragons could possibly be said to be greater than Mephius’.

“Prince, shall I sortie the airships?”

Neil Thompson, the commander of the airship squadron, exerted his determination and as he did so his red face grew even redder. Even as the impatience inside him grew, Orba answered,

“All right, form two three-unit groups and head out! Your destination is across the chasm from Apta on the other side of the river. Your role is only to restrain them. Don’t go too deep! All you have to do is earn the northern battery time before it can be used.”

“Yes sir!”

With a vigorous kick off the hall flooring, Neil darted off.

That’s the spirit.

As the footsteps resounded in his ears, Orba retook his arms-folded posture.

They were already long aware the Mephian side had prepared a trap in wait. With that in mind, they utilised tactics to offset that aim. If they were to entrust themselves to numbers and storm in, things would have advanced as...o...b.. predicted, but they were slowly whittling away at his forces and were already prepared to sustain a certain degree of damage.

His body ached. The colour of his blood right now was most likely black. It seethed black, coursing through his body just under his skin. He felt it molding itself into another one of himself.

That other him was eagerly clamouring to take that sword from his waist and go running into the battlefield right this instant. ‘It doesn’t suit you to sit still in a place like this. Now, take that sword and gun and go towards the place of killing. Evade the enemy’s gunfire, climb over your men’s corpses, and soak your sword in the enemy’s blood. Isn’t that exactly your specialty?’—

Tch.

Orba grit his teeth painfully and ordered an imperial guard squad leader to call Shique.

Pointing to a spot on the map, he relayed his instructions

“Take command of the gunners and exit the side gate on the east. Use the shortcut through the ridge to flank their rear. Have one ship act as a decoy. Perform volley fire on them in that opening.”

And at the same time, he hurried a messenger to Pashir.

“Have the Black Armoured Division act as reinforcements. Once Shique and the rest succeed in their surprise attack, launch your attack.”

Shique left with twenty gunners. Just as they were about to leave the urban districts, the enemy cannon fired and broke the wall’s upper tip. They crouched and left running out from the fortress walls, all while the firing of each round sent chills throughout their entire bodies.

The urban areas held a number of secret exitways, and after going through one of these, they followed along the route Orba had given them. A single airship crossed up over the gate. Enemy fire shifted towards it.

“Fire!” Shique ordered.

A barrage of gunshots, loud enough to drown out all other sounds, rang out in succession. The enemy soldiers were caught defenceless, but owing to their spread out formation, it didn’t throw them much into confusion and caused little damage. Next, the gates opened and Pashir’s troops sprung out armed with their swords.

Pashir started with the nearby approaching soldiers, slicing through one of their torsos, then stopping a overhead axe swing with his sword, he ran it straight through the Zerdian’s head. And without a second’s delay, he turned his body and cut off the arm together with the spear of the soldier who launched at him behind.

The foot men following behind, starting with Miguel Tes, also let loose in a frenzy.

They were men who before were already prepared to face execution. Even with a gun pointed at the tips of their nose, even if the enemy’s sword they failed to parry struck a blow to their shoulders, even if an arrow pierced their toe, they drove forward unfaltering.

In the meanwhile, Shique provided cover fire for the infantry while trying to corner the enemy’s cannon. However, the scattered Taulian platoon laid their bodies low and bathed him in a shower of bullets. One soldier beside Shique about to load a bullet took one to the face.

The battle in front of the main south gate was, however, altogether moving in Mephius’ favour. The Black Armoured Division, seeing this as the proper timing to push out joined the melee fray and the Taulians were forced into a gradual retreat.

Thus, the Mephians began concentrating their forces to the front.

A soldier came rushing into headquarters carrying bad news for Orba.

“N-New enemy forces approaching from the west!!”

“West?” Orba sat up. “Their air carrier huh. So they still had reserves. Tch, turn the cannons—”

“It’s not only air carriers! There are also enemy dragoons. They’re attempting to ford the river on their dragons!”

Ax Bazgan was in this moment aboard Taulia’s only cruiser-cla.s.s ship taking command. The pair of sails released on the ship’s top and bottom to balance the ship in the air received the night winds and spread plenty. Armaments were equipped on the ship’s bow, port, and starboard one apiece.

Under the ship, Ravan Dol personally took the dragoon unit and advanced east against the Yunos River’s current. Nearby Ravan, a single airship messenger was seen tagging behind.

The enemy would never imagine that they would cross directly against the river. Yunos’ vehement current was nothing to fear for dragons. Only, they risked subjecting themselves to enemy fire because there were no spots to take cover, but it was for this purpose Ravan had split the forces.

“Apta has few soldiers to start with. There is no way they could account us crossing the river, so there is a good chance they haven’t stationed soldiers there. They won’t be able to immediately respond to our attack.”

Ax grinned from the sky. Even better, the cannons they lined across the chasm began full-blown firing. And with the cruiser’s appearance, preventing the dragoons’ advance would becoming more and more difficult.

“Begin cover fire! You don’t have to aim, but do it enough that they can’t ignore us!”

Get too close, and they risked entering enemy range. The air carrier acting as a mobile battery from the skies would serve more than enough.

The Apta fortress surroundings lit red and then smoked white as the cannon’s roars sounded. Both side’s bombardments were as Ax instructed, having little effect at all, but that opening allowed the dragoons straddled on their Sozos and Gorus to gradually cross the river.

They used the transport route for goods ferried through the river, climbing the gentled hill and approaching Apta. When just as they prepared to slash their claws and swing their tails to tear down the fortress walls,

“Enemy airships have started their attacks on the dragoons! ” A soldier confirming the battle’s progress with binoculars shouted. Ax curved his lips into a sardonic smile.

“Ha! Too slow, too slow, too slow! b.l.o.o.d.y Mephians, the trap you tried to set up for us has backfired now, hasn’t it? Everything’s been forestalled, forestalled, forestalled.”

Gil seemed to be confident in the trap he laid within the fortress, but in trying to draw him in he did absolutely nothing to halt his advance. Gil was too lax in allowing him to place his men however he wished.

“Send the second division to the south gates! Don’t forget to stay alert on the air. The enemy air carrier may show up.”

On Ax’s issued command, the infantry and dragoons riding their small-sized dragons that carefully hid themselves in the southern forest entered the battle. The Mephian soldiers who had begun shifting towards the tide of victory, turned to panic at the sight.

After putting up a pathetic attempt at resistance, they immediately shut themselves behind the closed gates.

All the cannons at Taulia’s disposal had been used up to distract the enemy so there were none remaining; but in its place slowly appeared an enormous shadow. Next to that shadow was Bouwen, entrusted over command of the second division. He raised his sword and shouted.

“All right men! The engineers will support the tanks while advancing forward. Gunners will stay in position and provide cover fire. Soldiers, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for! Draw your swords and wait for my signal!”

While the first division clashed swords with the enemy, the tank they had finished a.s.sembling beforehand was sent out. (Alt: they sent out the tank they had finished a.s.sembling beforehand) The appearance of the multi-wheeled tank advancing forward, grinding the dirt up as it did, was just like a mechanized dragon furnished with long arms and three heads. The arms were ballistas, and the heads were towers that carried several gunners, designed to be ladders to lean against the fortress walls. In its front was a pointed horn, designed to pierce the bulky gates and walls, it emitted an eerie shine.

Originally, it was supposed to be pulled by dragons, but because this time the majority had been focused onto the force attacking from the west, the engineers walked bent over laying out rails, pushing the tank through them.

Boom. The horn rammed into the gates the first time, sending ripples down Bouwen’s stomache. The defending enemy towers left and right of the gates rained down bullets, and likewise shots fired from above their own towers.

Roughly the same time the southern gates were being smashed to pieces, the dragons breached the western walls and flooded into Apta’s city districts. Those frightening roars and tremoring footsteps surely struck immense fear into the hearts of the townsmen hiding under their cellars.

“All right!”

Ax shouted joyously.

With this, our victory’s decided.

The enemy’s plan was probably to lure the enemy into their bosom, but now that they had allowed Ax and his men to break all the way into their belly, that trap was going to have little effect. Their line of vision had been reduced to only being able to confirm the enemy’s forces with their own eyes. Having broken into the urban districts, they could send detached dragoon units to subdue the batteries, meaning any firepower that threatened the air carrier was no more. This extensive starry sky existed only for Ax.

“Move the ship forward. I’m also going down. I’ll catch Gil Mephius by the neck with my bare hands.”

Ax ordered the ship’s advance as he lovingly caressed the fan on his waist.

And without experiencing any major obstacles, Ax drew closer to Aptan fortress walls, and the mult.i.tude of towers as well as the houses’ rooftops came under his view. As the plan was to lure the enemy into Apta alone, the figures of the populace fleeing was nowhere to be seen. They were most likely taking shelter.

“Mmh. This might end without bringing much resentment.”

Ax nodded, satisfied. Apta was practically already his territory. Ending this without having to set homes ablaze and involving the populace into the conflict; it was safe to say there were no results better than this.

For this reason, Ax never ordered his men to set fire.

The dragons heavily plunged forward the stone-paved streets. They closed in on the fortress walls from the other end of the city. Arrows and bullets were fired from the tower battlements, but the three soldiers each on the plain scaffolds tied onto the Sozos’ back also responded in suit. As a single Sozos was pierced in the eye and collapsed, the remaining dragons swarmed the watchtower, smashing it to pieces.

The air carrier came to a stop above a different tower connecting to the castle. A ladder unrolled down the ship with armed soldiers climbing off. Ax Bazgan was within one of the airships in the cruiser.

“Have the cruiser remain on alert in the sky. We still don’t know the whereabouts of the carrier that left Apta. Although I doubt it can do much even if it comes back.”

After giving this order to the ship’s captain, Ax personally descended down to the tower’s roof.

“My lord!” A soldier came running up the stairs and kneeled. “We have sightings of Prince Gil. He’s been reported fleeing the first floor with several men who appear to be his Imperial Guards.”

“Oh ho? That he didn’t run off away from the castle is praiseworthy. Ravan!”

Around one of the corridors overseeing the garden, he spotted the strategist perched on a dragon and called out to him. In high spirits he asked,

“What do you suppose I should do with the prince? Kill him, or maybe capture him alive?”

“If possible, capturing him alive would be ideal,” Ravan answered sternly. “Having an all-out resistance against Mephius would be bothersome. Taking him hostage and agreeing to a temporary ceasefire in exchange for him is best.”

“Hmph. Until then, I’ll shower him in plenty of affection as he serves under me ‘til he can’t go on anymore.”

Ax hummed, as he was led by his soldiers down the stairs.

Ravan Dol surveyed the dusty surroundings reeking on gunpowder with squinty eyes.

Now, what odds does that prince have to provoke us?

In the end, not a single one of Gil’s supposedly laid traps had set off. One of their advance routes had been thwarted, but making their way into the fortress so easily had been in a way, unexpected.

I highly doubt he actually plans to hole himself in the fortress and fight while being sieged.

And then, feeling the presence of an air carrier taking off above him, he looked up.

A shadow blocking the view of the starlight approached his way. Their Taulian air carrier began to intercept it. This was likely the cruiser that had left Apta in order to let the princess escape. No doubt it was their plan to land behind them while the Taulian soldiers were concentrated on attacking the fortress, and pincer them. However they had already missed their chance. At this stage where the castle had already fallen, there was little they could do, and in fact, it immediately turned tail from where it came. The Taulian carrier begain to pursue the cruiser—

No, wait.

His long years of experience and characteristic senses flashed at him jolting those nerves that grew lax with the foretelling of victory into waking.

“The enemy ship’s retreat happened too fast. It seems to be luring our cruiser. Messenger!”

“Yes, sir!”

The answer came by the dragon’s foot. The messenger airship, in order to conserve ether, stayed on the ground when the troops weren’t moving.

“Head for our ship. Tell them not to chase the enemy cruiser too far.”

“Understood!”

The messenger immediately started the engine and flew off to the sky together with his airship, disappearing into the black of the night.

“Sir Ravan. What about us?”

“Stay on the lookout. If that carrier was meant to lure us, another ship might be coming.”

“If more troops come, do you suppose they’ll charge us with dragons?”

“We need not be afraid of Mephian trained dragons. In fact, have you come across even a single dragon while here? They likely ran away in this confusion—“

The instant after he said this, Ravan’s body was rocked vehemently. It wasn’t only Ravan, but the soldiers, the towers, the Sozos—all of Apta was taken by a severe tremor.

“What in blazes?!” Ravan cried.

His sight was directed towards the sky once more. A huge shadow loomed over the night sky, as if engulfing the fortress. Ravan’s predictions were right on its mark. However, the envoy raining down destruction from that huge shadow did so only on a single point that, in a certain sense was the most crucial of all, and went against all his expectations.

The large tremor had, of course, also swept under Ax who had gone down to the first level.

“What on blazes?!”

As he cried the same words as the strategist, a second, then a third tremor came. The ceiling and walls creaked and dust fell on them. His men scattered left and right. In the confusion Ax often found himself nearly crashing shoulders with his men.

“A-An earthquake? At this timing...d.a.m.n it to h.e.l.l.“

At that point, a soldier went on his knees in front of the staggering Ax.

“We’re under enemy attack!”

“Enemy? Where is the enemy?”

“T-The sky—A large dragonstone ship’s appeared and is bombarding Apta!”

“Apta?”

In spite of their current dilemma, Ax struggled to grasp the meaning of those words for an instant.

“Apta, you say? Absurd! What kind of idiot would attack his own fort—”

A fourth tremor came. He came to a start at the creaking(jarring) sounds of the beams supporting the ceiling. The majority of the soldiers were already scrambling out of the fortress even without Ax having to give the order.

Don’t run! Ax had tried to shout, but along with the fourth tremor a portion of the ceiling behind them collapsed, swallowing several soldiers in it.

“All right—stay in the air until we get the signal. Spread the sails and continue the bombardment.”

Further up on the sky above Apta, 150 metres overhead, the large air carrier Dhum spread its sails. This ship, as per tradition crowned the name of Dragon G.o.d Mephius’ subordinate dragon, was Prince Gil’s flagship.

The commanding young captain was one of the men Gil had left in Birac. He was a winged dragon officer and also the youngest born of a n.o.ble family.

Inside the bridge, Garbera’s princess Vileena Owell was also present. Her head held high, she leaned proper against a chair prepared for her while surveying Apta’s ongoing bombardment.

The day before, Vileena had been commanded by Prince Gil to depart Apta, but it was not so that she could take shelter. While successfully making it seem that way to their enemies, she embarked for an intermediary airship base and boarded the Dhum which had been moved there.

The one transporting the Dhum all the way there was Birac’s merchant, Zaj Hamann. He camouflaged the ship so that it would not be recognised by the enemy and had it fly together with a group of other merchant ships he had prepared.

“Dhum is our last trump card,” Orba affirmed when explaining the strategy to Vileena. “An ace hidden for a time when the number of moves who can make are limited amongst those already limited moves. We’re talking about a ship this large. When the enemy sees it, they’ll go off thinking the rear guard has come all on their own. The enemy’s greatest strength is in their numbers. It comes to be that the thing they have to fear most will be reinforcements from Mephius.”

It was certainly a valid strategy, she believed. It also seemed capable of driving Ax Bazgan off. However, this would only work once. In the end they still had few soldiers. Knowing this, Taulia was more than likely to come here again with an even more overbearing force . Then again, to think...

Even as she kept her face expressionless, the surprise did not disappear from her eyes. She would have never imagined he would bomb Apta fortress itself. Of course, he would lead the townsmen into the forest in preparation for this.

The thunderous roars continued beneath in succession and smoke gushed upwards shrouding the flying pieces of stone like a monster made of clouds.

“Even I hadn’t considered destroying the fortress from the very beginning. It was just a card I kept in reserve. But to remove Taulia’s threat as soon as possible, there’s already nothing else but this,” Gil Mephius had frankly told her.

“I saw Ax Bazgan using my own eyes and heard him with my own ears. He will come out to the battlefield. Even if he doesn’t, he’s a man full of pride. He’ll come with a large army to attack my impudent self. That is our aim. We will be sacrificing the fortress. If the enemy doesn’t come with a large army, then there’s no meaning to it.”

Thinking about it now, that was just about the first time he met her face to face and spoke his real mind.

“Sending you to Birac is also a move to make them think I’m hoping for a decisive showdown. …...Saying it like this, you might get mad at me but even if you choose you stay in Birac...”

“If you already know that I will object, then do not mention it,” Vileena sweetly answered. “I am sure it will only turn out as you imagine it.”

“R-Right.”

Gil scratched the tip of his nose. That sight of the adolescent boy did not seem like it belonged to the same bold commander daring to bomb his own fortress.

Right now, holes were being torn into the upper walls of the fortress and its ruins collapsing into the lower balconies down to the garden. The ramparts blasted to rubble and several towers were hollowed and disfigured with fire spewing from their openings.

The enemy soldiers who infiltrated into the stronghold would unmistakably be thrown into confusion from this bombing. Under this complete reversal in position, it seemed only a matter of time until Ax was drawn outside.

Ravan Dol was taken aback by the unfolding scene and stared up at the sky eyes wide opened, not even noticing his mounted dragon acting out of control or how he was about to be thrown of his scaffolding.

However, that lasted only a moment. The veteran staff officer vanished the surprise from his eyes, replacing them with a composed glare, and he quickly began comprehending the situation.

So destroying their cannons has backfired on us.

They possessed no a.r.s.enal to fire down that ship. Even he had not supposed the enemy was brave enough to bomb their own fort. The ongoing explosions summoned unrest amongst the soldiers and the dragons. “There boy, there boy,” Ravan raised his voice as loud as he could pulling the reins connected to the scaffold.

It was for times like these that he made the dragoons carry around a powdered medicine he’d mixed. A sniff in the dragon’s nose and it would repress their excitement. However, it also induced a state of muscle paralysis, thus rendering the dragons unusable.

“Men! Don’t falter!”

The strategist Ravan Dol excellently calmed his mounted dragon. “Look!” he said pointing to the sky.

Just now, the carrier receiving Ravan’s direction was returning back. The enemy ship that first appeared was a decoy as he had expected. The returning Taulian cruiser immediately began fire and quickly approached Dhum. At the same time, the rain of bombardments came to a stop.

“Before the enemy cruiser returns, secure the medium and large dragons’ retreat! The quick-footed dragoons will group with our lord and bring him back even forcefully if you have to!”

“But Sir Ravan. We’ve come this far.”

“We were let to come this far, you imbecile! Now, do as I say!!”

The imbecile is me.

As he endured a disgrace enough to make him want to slit his own throat, he saw off the Tengos launching themselves into a dash.

But even then, his observant eye that had acc.u.mulated on years of experience grasped the situation cooly.

There was also the possibility they could be caught in a pincer attack from the returning cruiser, but...

No airships are coming out from the enemy carriers. They don’t have the forces to spare. On the other hand, our carrier does have airships. If we use those to chase away the enemy flagship, we should still afford plenty of room for retreat.

To add, the enemy had smashed their own castle. If in exchange they did not also suffer a heavy blow, then the scales would not even out. In other words, if they could keep their damage to a minimum, then it could be called their win.

We’ll return back to Taulia, immediately reorganize our forces and come back to attack this half-wrecked fortress.

Ravan Dol began preparing his next move as he looked up at the air battle between the carriers that began to ensue.

At this time, Orba lurked under the Lord’s Chamber.

In order to draw Ax out, he had momentary shown himself around an area of food cellars and jailhouses, and used a secret pa.s.sage together with his men to temporarily hide themselves underground.

The commencement of the bombing was arranged to be when the enemy chasing Prince Gil Mephius rushed the Lord’s Chamber.

The strategy splendidly struck home. The enemy’s stirred voices and fl.u.s.tered cries carried all the way to the cellar.

All right.

Signaling his men with his eyes, they made their way through the underground pa.s.sage.

It led beneath the dungeons opening to a hole drilled onto the cliffside. Below the cliff flowed the Yunos River across Apta’s western edge. This was originally the place transported goods were carried through but the first Aptan lord had concealed the entrance, claiming the spot convenient as a hiding spot or a place to escape to in an emergency. Having turned into a temporary place of refuge, the cave was reinforced with iron. The would withstand the bombing for the time being. Orba ordered Pashir and the infantry to lay low here while he, leading his personal imperial guards, boarded onto a small boat floating on the river’s surface.

It was night, and furthermore in the underground; the waters beneath the dock splashed up and down dark as darkness itself. Orba stood front and held his lantern up.

After continuing this path and exiting below the cliff, the plan was to strike at the enemies from the flank who climbed using the current transportation route . If the enemy were to happen to already be initiating their retreat, then Orba would just circle ahead of them and lie in ambush. As they rowed the oars against the waters however, the tremors from above stopped.

It’s too soon.

Orba, who had traveled down to the cliff’s western bank, observed a ship next to the Dhum. Cannonfire opened across the skies. Dhum’s bombardment had stopped, too preocuppied with returning fire. A look of impatience came across his face after realising the decoy strategy had been seen through.

“Hurry!”

He broke into a run on the path carved onto the cliff.

There was merit in making a sacrifice of the fortress precisely if it could deal a great damage to the enemy, but that the bombing stopped meant a chance Ax Bazgan could get away. And then with a half-destroyed fortress, they wouldn’t be able to defend a third attack from Taulia. Just as Ravan Dol depicted in his mind.

As he hurried his men, Orba looked up repeatedly at the sky. Vileena was most likely inside that flagship. He had told her it didn’t matter even if she decided to wait at Birac, but this was Vileena he was talking to. There was no way she would accept shutting herself in a safe location with the way things were.

He was unsettled.

But at the same time.

If Vileena’s there...

He somehow found his one ray of hope there.

The inside of Dhum’s bridge had also risen into a clamour on report of the enemy carrier’s approach.

It had only been a few minutes since they had begun their bombing. The enemy air carrier that should have been lured away by their cruiser frigate had quickly made a full turn and coming back.

“Have they seen through our trap?”

The young captain said with a pale face. While he had graduated from the Winged Dragon Officer School, this was his first time actually taking command in the skies. As for the cruiser frigate prepared as a decoy, it was tasked under the commandeer of Krau, a slave now serving Gil by recommendation of Zaj Haman.

Krau was a profusely experienced pilot, but flying a ship in the battlefield was likely also her first. It was unlikely she would be able to chase the enemy and immediately rally with them now right after the enemy had taken an action running against their expectations.

“T-The enemy has deployed airships!”

An officer viewing through binoculars cried loudly. The captain leaned forward.

“Their numbers?”

“A group of four, wait, five ships are flying our way.”

And at the same time, the enemy carrier opened fire. A second, then third sh.e.l.l came flying and grazing past the Dhum before their eyes.

They possessed no airship force. They had barely sc.r.a.ped a single unit for transmission with the ground, but the rest were turned to Apta’s defenses. As a result, the enemy airships were un.o.bstructed and easily took position above the Dhum. They began to be bombed.

“Uwahh.”

The sky turned red for an instant and then the bridge jerked like it had been grabbed at the neck by a giant hand.

Naturally Dhum’s turrets also returned fire, but the members on board including the captain all were lacking in experience. Each time the ship slanted, cries were raised and many tumbled onto the floor.

Vileena Owell also frantically clung to her chair. Again the sky dyed white. This time was from enemy carrier fire.

“Give that to me.”

Even as her body was being a.s.saulted by the violent tremors, Vileena reached out her hand and s.n.a.t.c.hed the pair of binoculars from the officer.

The enemy airships drew a curve over them dropping bombs and each time causing the Doom’s hull to break into a tremble. And this time, Vileena was thrown off her seat and flung hard onto her back.

“At this rate, we’ll be sunk!”

One soldier cried out, no longer able to stand it.

“C-Captain, let’s retreat. If even the Dhum gets done in, that means we’ll lose our means to bring the prince back to Solon.”

Said another, sensibly urging the captain to retreat. The captain was also about to call quits. Vileena bit into her lower lip. Stopping their bombardment here would obstruct the prince’s plan.

Raising her voice over the others, Vileena asked the captain,

“There should be a single airship within our ship, shouldn’t there?”

“T-There is, but...”

In the eyes of the hesitating captain frantically deciding if they should retreat or not, he had no time to deal with the princess. He did not send a gaze her way but still,

“Let me use that. I will head for the cruiser and lead it back here.”

Being told this, he finally stopped and turned to look Vileena’s way. The foreign princess strode determinedly out of the bridge not waiting for any answer. “It’s dangerous!” he shouted out, but Vileena ignored him and disappeared from sight.

The captain clicked his tongue and then turned back towards the front.

The armaments placed on Dhum’s upper deck roared in hopes that it might drive the airship fleet away, but it was producing no results. Even in the captain’s eyes it was a haphazard method of firing that was not likely to land on any of the enemy ships. And though he tried to inspire his men through the voice pipe countlessly, the airships swerved their bodies and disappeared into the sky.

A fourth tremor visited them. Their ship largely slanted to the left. The flagship seemed to be about flipped upright at this rate. However, though swept by many screams, the captain narrowly held his feet to the ground.

“N-No, this can’t go on.”

Coming to the conclusion that they were already driven this far, he screamed with a force that hurled spit from his mouth.

“Staying here will only get us shot down. Retreat! Retreat!!”

He ordered the helmsman. The entirely disordered men inside seeking direction jumped at the captain’s decision to flee without hesitation.

The hull began turning. Just as they were about to surrender the fortress sky to enemy hands, a clear voice called the evacuation to a stop.

“Please wait.”

“If we do not hold our ground here, we will not be able to smoke out Ax. The enemy is also restless. But if our crucial Dhum flees, it may let the enemy know our forces are inferior and allow them to occupy the fortress, leaving the prince trapped in the midst of the enemy.”

“Princess!” The captain opened his mouth widely. “Weren’t you heading for the airship?”

“I entrusted the task to a soldier on standby in the warship. I will remain here.”

As soon as she said this, Vileena rested her back against her seat once more.

The captain took the sudden change of heart and mistook it as the princess not having the courage to step out.

Vileena continued further,

“From the enemy airships’ size and shape, the number of bomb sh.e.l.ls they can carry are two. They will have no choice but to continually resupply after bombing. Hence, we will endure until our cruiser returns back.”

“Absurd!”

“It is no such thing as absurd,” Vileena defended, mimicking Theresia’s words.

What does a d.a.m.n princess know!?

His anger that should have been pointed towards the enemy had suddenly seemingly shifted towards the princess.

“Dhum is a large heavy cruiser. We are protected by the iron plating placed over the dragonstone. We are shaking like this because of, in all due respect, insufficient maneuvering ability that can keep us steady in the air. This should be the same as a strong wind brushing against the Dhum. That is why we will not be sunk from this degree of bombing. We need only focus on bombing the enemy cruiser. In a headlong confrontation with their ship, our firepower is superior. Look. As proof, the enemy cruiser is maintaining a fixed distance. They are doing nothing more than persistently threatening us through bombing. If we do not want to stay under any further bombardment...”

Vileena purposely cut her words short. Her gaze faced straight at the captain. The otherwise looked the same way.

“We should be shortening our distance and bombing them...”

As role of command, the captain succeeded those words mouthing them in amazement. It was not that the plan was absurd, but perhaps because he had spoken them personally, it now seemed to him the optimal approach.

He gulped down. He now clearly understood the reason Vileena presumably remained here. It wasn’t that she didn’t have to courage to fly out alone. She instead chose to sit firmly down to spur on the faint-hearted soldiers. Yes, that was the stance of a ‘leader’.

He started again at Vileena from the side. The fourteen year old princess sat straight up with her hands crossed above her skirt only looking forward, even as her face paled.

Tch.

After mumbling something sounding much like a swear,

“I’m withdrawing the order for retreat. Maintain bombing while firing from the ports. Messengers, relay to the stations!”

He sent the commands through the voice pipe. He had made up his mind.

At this time, by a stroke of fortune, a shot from their defending cannon shot down a ship. The soldiers seeing the enemy ship burst into a ball of flames and falling down burst into cheers. In an instant the atmosphere within the bridge changed.

Vileena nodded once and then kept her back straightened without a single tremor.

When she left the bridge, she had wanted to fly out into the skies as it were, but just as she was about to, the soldiers’ low morale weighed on her mind.

There was no meaning to calling the cruiser back if the Dhum did not hold its position in the air. She resolved herself and gave directions to the pilot on standby in the hangar to dispatch in place of her.

Grandfather said this once, ’Whether soldiers display unwavering loyalty before their death place or turn into cowards that flee only from the sight of the enemy all depends on their leader.’

Another tremor hit. Vileena entrenched herself.

Vileena did not fear being caught in the middle of a rain of bullets when she would be the one piloting the plane. But here where she entrusted herself to a pair of wings steered by another, she experienced a never before felt fear of the skies.

Her hands and legs seemed to want to break into trembles. An unease that the bridge might be enveloped in flames and engulf her plagued her. Or perhaps, they might lose control of their flight and be sent crashing into Apta fortress.

Her hands and feet seemed to break into trembles. Still, she tightly ground her teeth and roused herself.

A human revered with n.o.ble blood was expected a demeanor of fitting capacity. Vileena at this moment donned the mask of her pictured ‘commander’.

The enemy airship continued on with its fire—.

“Tch! What’s taking so long?!”

Ravan Dol smacked his tongue as his face pointed upwards. Mephius’ flagship did not move even as it being bombed from several directions as if saying it would not forfeit the skies no matter the cost. The report that the soldiers were inexperienced seemed to have been wrong.

Either way, he didn’t have much choice but to hurry the arrangements for retreat, but—

At that moment, a beast’s growl roared to the flank of the soldiers heading out to act as Ax’s cover.

“What?!”

Glistening scales scorched the colour of the flames spewing from Apta fortress flew into Ravan Dol’s view. At the same time, the dragon cavalry together with their Tengo began flopping over sideways. The dragons’ cries shook Ravan’s ears.

It was an ambush. Ravan could hardly believe the sight before him. Seven Baians were being excellently controlled through the reins of the soldiers riding them and overwhelming their dragons. That cleverness was something, but what alarmed Ravan most above all was how the dragons laid dormant in a part of the fortress until now.

Our dragons have charged their walls and we’ve also bombed them, but in spite of that their dragons did not go out of control and waited firmly for a person to give them directions?"

Even if a strong sedative was used to restrain a dragon’s instinct, that dragon could then hardly be considered usable. However, these Baians, like a well trained horse, rode together with the soldier as one and were cutting through his dragoon cavalry one by one.

Ravan Dol was surprised, but not all his attention was stolen away. By some near unconscious act, he raised his right hand and signaled to his men. The new breed of Yunions lowered their backs and charged with their horns. Yunions were fast. They were the ideal breed for disrupting the battlefield. In that opening, Ravan called back the large-framed Sozos and prepared to encircle the enemy.

Piiii

At that moment, a loud whistle pierced through the dragons’ rumbling tremors. Ravan turned with a start to look its direction and saw a figure on the fortress’ third level. She bore the appearance of a young girl. That girl lifted her arm up.

On doing so, the Baians that were beginning to lose their chain of command and being pushed back by the Yunion’s a.s.sault quickly spread out, some smashing into nearby storage houses to dodge the Yunions’ horns. They bore their fangs at the Yunions, but their scales were tough. The soldiers riding above swung their dragon spears thrusting the Baians’ soft necks.

During that time, several Baians and two-fold the number of Faes appeared dashing towards the Taulian Sozos.

Ravan put his brain to full speed and tried to give out commands, but with the dragoons in turmoil no matter the plan it would yield little effect. He found his eyes unconsciously drawn to the girl atop the balcony.

That girl—C-Could she be...

The dragons’ roars and the clash of ringing metals above the dragons’ backs filled the front of the fortress’ courtyard.

Ax ran as if being driven away by the flames and tremors. The number of soldiers following behind him had likely decreased to under half. Most had strayed off along the way. Right as he escaped the area surrounding the Lord’s Chambers, Ax violently spewed out.

D-d.a.m.n you!

His eyes and throat ached, having been smeared by smoke and dust. But he currently didn’t even have time to rest. A never before tasted anger fanned a greater flame in his chest than the one enveloping the castle.

Curse you, Mephius! Curse you, Gil!! Remember this. Now that it’s come to this, I couldn’t give a d.a.m.n about Garda or the other provinces in Tauran. I’ll dedicate my lifetime from now on all to shredding your limbs pieces to pieces.

Following one of his subordinates leading the way, he tried to get out the castle heading east. However, before he could even go ten metres, he stopped his feet in a garden at the castle keep’s edge. The corpses of his soldiers lay in a pool of blood.

“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d.” Ax grit his teeth.

Across on the opposite side was a group of airships and his sworn enemy, Mephius’ crown prince Gil Mephius. Mephian soldiers lined in a row to his sides with their guns pointed.

The wind carried the heat of the flames grazing Ax’s face.

“I commend you in staying alive, Lord Ax Bazgan.”

“What?”

“If you had died, things would have turned slightly bothersome. I give my grat.i.tude to your strong fortune.” Gil Mephius, or in other words...o...b.., said in a bone-chilling voice. Having climbed up the cliff’s path, they received report from the airship squadron’s messenger and after confirming Ax’s path of retreat, laid in ambush.

“Your trusty dragon cavalry are also being pinned by our forces. You won’t be getting any help. This is it.”

He had already given the signal and the Dhum’s bombardment came to a stop.

They did well to hold out.

The cruiser Krau drove had also came to Dhum’s rescue and catching the Taulian cruiser in a pincer, showered it in cannonfire from the side. The Taulian ship set on fire with a roar.

As for Ax, he struggled frantically to prevent the power from leaving his legs.

“Things will become troublesome if I die, you say? Weren’t you aiming for my head? What could you hope for that you would go as far as raze your own fortress?”

“Exchanging it for your life, Lord Bazgan, would be a bit too large a compensation,” Orba smiled and then continued.

“Even if you were to be gone, the prided Bazgan family would not surrender. In fact, there is a greater likelihood our blood family will fight it out until the last one left.”

“O-Of course we would.”

Even at this time he held his chest out without shedding the Bazgan family’s dignity.

“That is why what I desire is a friendly relation with Taulia.”

“...What did you say?”

At that moment, feeling another presence Ax quickly turned around to find enemy sokliers advancing on him from behind. Pashir and his infantry had made it seem they were being pushed back by the enemy when in fact they waited standby underground. A battle of swords took place, but the Taulian morale was low and in under several minute’s pa.s.sing Ax had entirely lost his path of escape. Moreover, just as Pashir seemed to move up forward, he grabbed Ax by the arms and shoulder, pinning him down. The overly smooth display of movements made even Ax forget to put up resistance for a moment.

“You! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Unhand me! Friendly relations?! What do you think you’re spouting...Ah!!!”

In this situation where Ax’s neck could be cut off any moment, the reason for Ax’s cry and his turning pale was because of the fan that had been taken from his waist. In the time he repeatedly screamed ‘Give it back!’ with neither shame nor repute, Pashir presented the fan to Gil Mephius.

“This will be the hostage, Lord Bazgan.”

“Wh-What!”

“You are not one to bend your knees down to Mephius even were you about to lose your life here. However, losing the very symbol of the Bazgan House would not only cease your prided bloodline but also its history. And it would be by none other than your incompetence.”

Ax tore his eyes open in a burst of anger but he eventually lost all protest and dropped his head. He certainly did not fear dying here. However that was because he could believe his bloodline could continue on together alongside the Bazgan House. Having lost the Sovereign’s Seal that was practically the very symbol of the Bazgan House, he would not be able to face neither his great ancestors nor his descendants.

What Gil said, that ‘If you had died things would turn slightly bothersome’ meant how either way even if Ax lost his life, Gil would have taken the Sovereign’s Seal and used it to threaten the leading men of Taulia. In other words even if Ax chose to bravely die here, it would merely affect the time spent threatening Taulia. A death gone wasted.

“It isn’t a bad deal for you either.”

The sounds of combat were already starting to settle. And yet, a great number of men ran about possibly more than did during wartime exchanging shouts working to extinguish the fortress fires. That had more than anything brought Ax the painful realisation that the battle was already over.

“A few days from now, I will be leaving Apta for a short time but I’ll keep this fan at hand. Don’t be getting any weird thoughts. After I return to Apta I don’t mind even considering giving a hand in helping you unify the West. The fan should also eventually return to the hands of its rightful owner.”

The wind blew. Sparks scattered fluttering between Gil and Ax.

Ax’s battered army were hunted through the fortress and captured. Amongst them were the young general Bouwen and also the strategist Ravan Dol.

Not too long after, Orba personally turned towards airship ports and received the gallant men. Coming down first from the cruiser was Krau. Orba’s lips grew slightly open at her unsteadily climbing down the rungs while soldiers on both her left and right supported her plump body.

“Good work,” Orba thanked Krau. “You did well to return and rescue the Dhum.”

“Well of course. I’ve braved danger countless times flying low alt.i.tude through the Tsaga Mines. I’ve something an apprenticeship, an apprenticeship.”

Flying a ship in a battlefield of flying bullets and sh.e.l.ls must have been very different. Tears were in the corners of her eyes and her blood completely gone from her face.

“Yeah right,” a soldier quietly grumbled beside her. “You clung to that rudder. As if you had any intention of going back. When you heard the order, you kept crying out ‘I’ve had enough!’ Wasn’t it when the messenger raised the reward that your eyes lit up and you quickly turned around?”

Pretending not to hear that, Orba patted the shoulders of each of the soldiers coming down from the ship and said,

“I’ve put casks of wine by the courtyard. Once the fires have been put out you can all eat and drink to your heart’s content.”

Soon enough, the Dhum also descended slowly onto the runway. Orba likewise patted the mens’ and officers’ shoulders and gave their words of encouragement. When he caught a glance of the captain’s face,

“Hou, your face has matured into a man’s,” Orba murmured. Although young, he was a man six years elder to Orba. However, the captain gave an embarra.s.sed smile at having been directly praised by the ‘Prince Gil’.

“I owe it to Her Royal Highness.”

“The princess?”

“Vileena-sama holds the spirit of a Mephian warrior. It may be presumptuous of me, but she is a person befitting the prince.”

“Keep talking.”

After lightly patting the captain and sending him off, Orba screwed up his eye to look at Vileena who was now climbing down the ladder.

Her firm strides were as always. Her straightened back as well. Orba revealed an expression of relief.

“As expected of the princess loved by Garbera’s skies. Tales of your feats this time will be spread widely through the world, possibly more than mine. The soldiers also seem to have been won over. Like this, won’t the princess have the Mephian soldiers leave me behind and go for Garbera at a single command even without going as far as to threaten me—”

Speaking in his usual frivolous tone, he stopped talking with with a ‘Whoa’. The princess had finished her final stepping and began to fall down. Orba hurried to support her and caught her arms in an embrace.

“Princess, are you injured? Princess—Princess?”

Orba gripped her shoulders when he noticed. The young girl’s frail shoulders were shaking.

“What are you saying?”

Orba was again surprised in a different meaning by the voice he heard coming from under his chest. It was like a cry.

“What are you sayi