Amir Castle.
Located on the outskirts of the eastern part of the northern continent, it’s not situated on any prominent crossroads, nor does it have any special resources. While it doesn’t boast any significant development, it has managed to maintain a certain peacefulness by staying somewhat removed from turmoil. Currently, it has a minimal defensive force of about 3,000 men, but otherwise, it hadn’t been preparing for any specific threats—until now, that is.
The new orders from the ruler, Serpina, were just issued.
"Are you saying we should use the conscripted troops to strengthen the defense and security of our castle?"
"Yes, that’s correct."
"Is this really your lord’s command?"
Pavl von Amir, the 13th head of the Amir family and one of the seven prominent noble families that had served the Aingart family since the old empire, stroked his chin, looking confused.
"Yes."
"Not requesting reinforcements for another castle, then?"
"Correct."
"...Huh."
To station troops in such a remote location—what could this mean?
It wasn’t that Pavl was questioning his lord’s decision. Serpina von Aingart was, in his opinion, far more capable than any emperor, and most of her decisions had always made sense. Even so, this was hard to accept.
‘Is something happening around here?’
There were no signs of unrest, and the surrounding villages were peaceful...
Pavl shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
‘Never mind. My lord must have her reasons.’
The order wasn’t unethical; it was just about reinforcing the defenses, so there was no need to overthink it.
"Understood. I will issue the conscription notice and make sure it’s delivered to the appropriate departments."
"Yes, sir!"
Thus, the conscription notice went out in Amir Castle. The long period of peace meant there were plenty of young men available, and with no particular resentment from the villagers, 18,000 soldiers were called up without issue.
Among these 18,000 soldiers was a young man named Louis, who had just turned twenty and was helping with his family’s farmwork.
At first, being conscripted wasn’t all that exciting, but the sentiment towards Serpina in Amir Castle was relatively positive. Because of this, the soldiers quickly developed a sense of pride in being part of her army. Even Louis, a regular farm boy, found himself enjoying his patrols for security purposes, especially now that he was wearing proper armor.
Most of the conscripted soldiers, including Louis, were trained as infantry with a focus on defense, preparing for a possible surprise invasion. They were constantly told to expect such an attack, but Louis, being uneducated and never having even stepped into an academy, didn’t think much of it.
‘The higher-ups must know what they’re doing.’
Still, he enjoyed his training with a spear. Being part of Serpina’s army made him feel alive, and the fact that no enemy forces had come through yet seemed like a small matter in comparison.
Several weeks later.
As his identity as a soldier began to take shape more clearly than his former life as a farmer, Louis was once again on patrol.
With the addition of 18,000 soldiers, security had improved dramatically, and the soldiers often received thanks from the villagers as they went about their patrols. Despite the slow pace of their shifts, Louis believed that the honor he felt from the villagers was the reason he was able to perform his duties with such enthusiasm.
On one such patrol, he lightly knocked on the door of an old house.
"Is anyone home?"
One of the patrol duties was to check on the people living in the area. It wasn’t just about a quick census—it was also a precaution against thieves, as some of these secluded places were often used as hideouts. While the security at Amir Castle wasn’t ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) terrible, the small number of stationed soldiers had meant that detailed checks hadn’t been carried out until now.
Not long after, a young boy appeared from behind the slightly open door.
"...What’s the matter?"
"I’m just patrolling the area."
"I see... Well, my parents aren’t home right now. They said they’d be back soon..."
The boy was still quite young. His clothes were dirty, and his skin looked dry, clearly showing signs of not having enough food. Feeling for the boy, Louis’ compassion kicked in, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
‘Right.’
He remembered that he had brought some food along for when he got hungry during his patrol. With it getting dark soon, he thought he might as well share a meal with the boy.
"Hey, can I come in for a bit?"
"Uh? Why...?"
"I’ll make something nice to eat."
"That... But..."
When the boy heard the mention of food, he quickly looked embarrassed and lowered his head. Louis smiled kindly and reassured him.
"It’s fine. Don’t refuse. I need to eat too, and it’ll be better if I use the cooking tools here."
After a moment of hesitation, the boy nodded cautiously.
"Can I come in?"
The inside of the house wasn’t as run-down as it seemed from the outside, but it was clear that it wasn’t a place of plenty. There were no visible food supplies, which only made it more obvious that things weren’t easy for the family.
"The kitchen?"
"Ah... That way."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Following the boy’s directions, Louis walked into the kitchen, where various miscellaneous items were piled up.
‘Should I clean up a bit?’
Louis quickly cleared some of the clutter and took out the ingredients he had brought. He decided to make a simple homemade vegetable stew. Though it had no meat, the butter gave it a surprisingly good flavor, and it was a dish he was proud of.
It wasn’t a difficult dish to make, so it didn’t take long before they had a warm meal ready to enjoy.
"Is it good?"
The boy nodded eagerly.
"Right. I’m no longer someone just taking from Serpina’s army."
Serpina, my lord, had gained the support of the people through her wiser rule, far surpassing the old empire's reign. In order to not become a burden to her, it was only right for me to take care of every single person in the territory as best as I could.
After the slightly special dinner, I parted ways with the boy, left the house, and continued my patrol for a few more hours before heading back to the barracks for my shift change.
"Good job, everyone. Even during your rest, remember that there’s always a chance the enemy may launch a surprise attack, so stay ready to mobilize at any moment."
"Understood!"
Despite the constant warnings of potential surprise attacks every day, I honestly didn’t feel much tension in the air... Just then, I heard my superior call me.
"Hey, you."
"Ah, yes!"
I answered sharply, standing at attention as my superior addressed me.
"What’s your name?"
"It’s Louis!"
"Alright, Louis. As a soldier of Serpina’s army, what do you think is the most important thing?"
"To act with honor and keep myself in proper form!"
"Then why the hell are you carrying junk in your pockets?"
"...?"
I looked down, and my pockets were bulging awkwardly.
Ah.
Right.
When I had been at the boy’s house earlier, I had cleaned up the clutter to get the ingredients for cooking. I must have ended up taking some of that junk with me.
"Sorry! I’ll clean it up right away!"
"Do it now."
I hurriedly pulled out the items from my pockets. It was dark in the kitchen earlier, so I hadn’t noticed what exactly I had grabbed, but now under the torchlight, I could see it clearly.
‘...Huh?’
This... it was a crest.
The emblem of the Aingart family.
Even though I wasn’t educated, I could recognize the emblem engraved on my own armor. So, this must be a brooch with the family crest on it.
But why was it here? That thought passed through my mind, but something even more fundamental struck me.
‘Wait, the design’s a bit different?’
There were three diagonal lines drawn over the eagle...
"Why aren’t you cleaning up quickly?"
"Ah, yes! I, um..."
"? "
My superior walked over and saw the brooch I was staring at. His face went serious.
"I don’t know what this is, but you better clean up quickly and get ready for your shift..."
He was about to finish his sentence when he suddenly froze, his eyes wide in shock.
He looked back at me, dumbfounded, and then pulled his sword from his waist.
"...B-Battle Sergeant?"
He pointed the blade toward me, his voice low and dangerous.
"You’d better answer me, rookie. Where did you get that?"
***
At Aingart Castle.
Seated on the throne, Serpina sat lost in thought, a bored expression on her face.
The conscription order for Amir Castle had been smoothly carried out, and about 18,000 soldiers had been added to the castle’s forces. These soldiers were trained within the castle and didn’t get dispatched anywhere else, patrolling within the castle and ensuring the security of the surrounding region.
The number of soldiers had grown from about 2,000 to over 20,000, which certainly helped secure the peace in the area. With only 2,000 before, it had been difficult to patrol every corner of the region properly.
But that was all.
Serpina was waiting for the ‘time’ that Swen had spoken of. According to his words, the flags of Aishus’ army should be visible soon, coming across the river. But—there was nothing unusual at the river’s edge. Even after sending scouts deep into the mountains, there was no sign of any enemy forces moving.
If Swen’s prediction was right, they should have been close by now—at least a few days’ worth of time would have passed, yet everything remained peaceful.
At this point, doubts started creeping into her mind.
Had she overestimated him? Just because he came from a dream, just because he seemed to wield some magic, just because of the intensity in his gaze... Was she putting too much faith in him?
Just then, the castle gates opened, and a man approached. It was Swen, the young man with white hair, wearing a cloak that hid his green rapier at his side.
"Swen, I see you’ve arrived."
He had come because Serpina herself had called for him. She felt that she had waited long enough.
"Lift your head, Swen."
Serpina fixed her gaze directly on him as he lifted his head. This was the moment to have a conversation with him, to understand what he was really thinking and what his true intentions were.
After a deep breath, she adjusted her posture, becoming more alert, as if she were meeting a messenger from another realm, even though he was one of her own soldiers. She slowly parted her lips, her pink-tinted smile gleaming.
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"Swen. Don’t you have something to say to me?"