The Beginning of War

Partial squad leader Leonard Schuler shouted.

"What, did we win?"

First senior Lisa Fox gestured toward the infirmary with her chin and replied.

"Partial squad leader, can't you see all those 2nd Squad guys being carried over there? Looks like one of them is dead? Is that guy still breathing?"

Fortunately, there were no deaths.

"We... we really beat 2nd Squad."

"Actually, we should say it wasn't us, but him."

Where Lisa Fox was pointing—

The twelve-year-old kid, Evan Dagon, stood there.

Partial squad leader Leonard Schuler hurried over, grabbed Evan Dagon in a hug, and lifted him high.

"Evan! We won! Thanks to you, we beat the strongest 2nd Squad in an instant!"

"I told you, the goal was to win."

"Win? Ha ha. Win? Of course. We crushed the strongest 2nd Squad, so now winning's just a matter of course! So, who's next? Huh?"

"Put me down."

"Huh?"

"I said, put me down."

"Oh, right. Evan."

Evan Dagon spoke in a stiff voice.

"The next match is much more important."

"Why? We've already beaten the strongest 2nd Squad."

"We'll probably win, but there wasn't any promise that just because we win in the squad tournament, they'll assign us to different squads, right?"

"Oh."

Only then did the excited heart of partial squad leader Leonard Schuler cool down.

The squad tournament was just an opportunity to directly assess squad members' abilities for assignments.

Winning didn't grant any kind of special privilege.

Sure, a paid three-night, four-day leave was given, but in times when all leave was restricted, that didn't mean much either.

"This match just showed that we could play the role of a dark horse."

"Dark horse?"

"It's just a saying. Anyway, this time, it was basically all me, so in the next match, everyone should show their skills. To the company commander and platoon commander over there."

"You're right. We all have to show our individual skills."

"Listen carefully. The next competition will mainly be one-on-one duels. If we just do as we practiced..."

Just then.

Bee-beep, bee-beep.

A level-1 alarm blared throughout the unit.

Thud.

Second senior Bier Nolan collapsed to the ground.

"It's begun... We're all going to die now."

* * *

Three days prior.

The royal palace of Romina Kingdom, facing the southeastern border and the Kingdom of Sathus.

"Your Majesty!"

"Father!"

King Porutus Alimonis of Romina Kingdom ended his 67-year life and closed his eyes.

"Father!"

The youngest, the fourth prince, hugged the king's body and wept bitterly.

At the head of the bed, the eldest, the first prince, looked down at the dead king with a blank face and flicked his finger.

One of the first prince's most trusted knights rushed to open the massive door.

Step, step, step.

The first prince's personal royal guard filed into the king's chamber, boots striking the floor.

"Big Brother!"

The startled second prince stared at the first prince, Kaeman Alimonis.

The fourth prince, who had been howling over the father's body, also looked up in surprise.

"Big brother Kaeman...?"

"A serious threat to royal security has arisen, and by the authority of the first prince, I declare a state of emergency in Romina Kingdom."

"Big Brother! Father just passed away!"

"That's exactly why I'm declaring emergency martial law."

"Big Brother!"

The second prince glared at the first prince's royal guard,
the ones who had invaded the king's chamber with rattling boots.

"Outrageous! This is the king's chamber! Close the door and get out now! Royal Guard! What are you doing outside?!"

The second prince's booming voice filled the chamber.

But the pouring royal guards didn't allow even a toe to move.

They were the first prince's personal guard, who had undergone years of mental training for this day.

"The royal guard has already set out to capture the rebel nobles."

"Was that your order, big brother? With the king here, who has the authority to move the royal guard?"

"Where is his majesty, the king?"

The air in the chamber turned chilly.

"What do you mean, big brother?"

"If you're talking about this late sovereign's corpse..."

"Big Brother!"

The youngest, the fourth prince, looked at his eldest brother in confusion.

"Big brother Kaeman...?"

Kaeman paid not even a glance at his youngest brother as he ordered his guards,

"Until it's clear who's colluded with the rebel nobles, keep the princes and princesses in here. Nobody gets out, nobody gets in."

"Yes, sir!"

The third princess stared at Kaeman Alimonis in surprise.

"Big brother?"

She wasn't the only one.

The youngest fourth prince, and everyone present—none had ever seen such an expression on Kaeman Alimonis: the king's eldest son, their own older brother.

He might have been cold to outsiders,
but he was always gentle with his siblings.

Even when the late king, now lying with closed eyes, declared the youngest, the fourth prince, the crown prince,
Kaeman was the first to smile brightly and congratulate his little brother.

Of course,
Kaeman's reputation outside the palace was far from good.

Rumor said he once threw a noble who opposed his military policy into a wolf den.

He was also said to have cut off the arm of a marquis's eldest son in a tavern brawl.

Someone all the nobles in the capital feared and disliked.

Yet in the palace, at least, he was a respectful son to his father and a merciful brother to his siblings.

Royal insiders thought Kaeman Alimonis purposefully acted this way to strengthen the crown for Romina, standing in for a weak king.

Someone had to bear the burden in place of the king, and the first prince volunteered.

The second princess asked,

"Protect us? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Now that the king has passed, there's no telling what rebellious nobles might try. With signs of treason, everyone must be thoroughly investigated. Including you all."

"Are you saying we'd plot rebellion?"

Kaeman Alimonis put his arm around the shoulder of his youngest brother and new crown prince, Greon Alimonis.

"Who's going to protect this young crown prince? I have to do it."

With her arms folded, the second princess regarded the first prince.

"Are you sure there's no other scheme?"

"Laila, watch your mouth. Especially until the moon rises tomorrow."

* * *

Even with the strongest royal guard, Kaeman had also drawn the captain of the royal guard and several members of the knight order completely into his camp.
Rooting out traitors didn't even take a full day.

Of course,
the targets weren't really those who had betrayed the deceased king, but nobles who interfered with Kaeman's ambitions.

"Big brother. The nobles you're arresting now—all of them support crown prince Greon, right?"

"They're using our little brother, Greon."

"Do you really think that?"

"Laila. I told you to watch your tongue until the moon rises. Unless you want that pretty face separated from your body."

"... You're insane. Completely insane."

The execution block in the palace never stopped severing heads.

No matter how many times, the line never seemed to shrink.

It truly was
a festival of blood.

It felt as if even the full moon above was being stained red.

Stomp.

The next one about to lose their head on the blood-caked guillotine
was not just a noble.

"You'll regret this, Kaeman, you bastard. The bloody karma you sowed will haunt you forever."

The one cursing at Kaeman Alimonis, the master of the festival of blood, and calling him a bastard,
who didn't heed the warning to keep quiet,
was none other than the second princess, Laila Alimonis.

"Oh God, bestow an unforgivable punishment upon this devil—"

Slick—

Laila Alimonis's curse never reached its end.

* * *

Two days after the old king's death,
the coronation of Greon Alimonis, who had been the crown prince, was held.

"Thus, crown prince Greon Alimonis is hereby proclaimed the undying sun of Romina Kingdom."

The fourth prince, Greon Alimonis, became the king of Romina Kingdom.

The child king sat on the golden throne.

Beside the throne stood the first prince, Kaeman Alimonis, in shining golden armor.

He placed his right hand atop the head of his youngest brother—the new king, Greon Alimonis.

* * *

The royal office.

"Big Brother! War?"

"The kingdom is unstable. We need to turn attention to the border. There are still plenty of rebel nobles I couldn't deal with because the guillotine couldn't keep up."

"But you can't just drive innocent soldiers into war!"

"Greon."

The new king of Romina Kingdom swallowed hard.

Swish.

Kaeman Alimonis drew his sword in the office and ran his thumb along the blade.

Scarlet blood dripped down.

"Big Brother!"

"Never question me again, Greon. Unless you want to end up like that dearly followed father of yours, or your second sister."

He knew his second sister had been executed.

But—

"... Father?"

* * *

"It's all over... We're all going to die..."

At last, first senior Lisa Fox could no longer endure and drew her dagger.

"I told you to shut up, Bier. Don't tempt fate."

Lisa Fox often spoke harshly to Bier Nolan,
but this was the first time she'd threatened him with a drawn dagger.

Lisa Fox—she was scared.

And for good reason.

It was one thing to be assigned to a squad that would act as cannon fodder in a war,
but actually setting out as cannon fodder today was a completely different matter.

Indeed,
with the outbreak of war, a mobilization order also came for my 4th Legion, 3rd Battalion.

In the end, we couldn't escape from 4th company, 10th platoon, 1st squad.

Step, step.

Four thousand troops from the 4th Legion, 3rd Battalion crossed a broad field.

Their destination: the Chiron Gorge, where the main force of Romina Kingdom was advancing.

It's called a gorge because of the land's shape, but there is a flat area hundreds of meters wide between the cliff faces.

The north is wide; as you go south, it narrows.

Rather than a broad plain, the battalion commander judged this was a better place to block Romina's main force. That's why the whole battalion was moving.

Bastian asked,

"Evan, it's just like you said. But when will we meet the Romina Kingdom's army?"

"At this rate, probably by dawn tomorrow?"

"I trust you, Evan."

Yeah. I trust myself too.

"No matter what kind of squad we are, being with you, Evan, we'll all make it back alive, right?"

Ahead, I could see the short neck and thickly packed shoulders of squad leader Cliff Shannon.

Honestly, I'm not sure if everyone will make it back alive.

But I'll try my best.

Though I haven't found the reason yet.

I set my purpose and principle.

First purpose of this war:
To break through my own limits.

Second purpose:
If my own life is not in danger, to save my squad mates as well.

The principle linking both purposes:
I am a 'sword'.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Ooooh, he said the title....
(ㆆ.ㆆ )