Last time, Haruki and his group had returned to the Imperial Capital on the Ice Phoenix in just over half a day. But this time was different. Although they were on horseback, it wasn't feasible to provide mounts for the 100,000 soldiers trailing behind them, so the rest of the army had to move forward on foot.
Even though these soldiers were elite troops handpicked by Esdeath and Najenda, and the situation was critical—leaving them pushing forward non-stop except during breaks—marching on foot was still slow. So by the time Haruki's group reached the southwestern border, an entire month had already passed.
Traveling under such conditions was dull, especially with the constant marching.
To make things more bearable, Haruki spent nearly every moment of that month joking around and playing with the women. It helped liven up the otherwise monotonous journey and also deepened his bonds with them.
But while Haruki and the others seemed to be enjoying themselves, Najenda—who had been riding alongside them the whole way—clearly wasn't. Every time Haruki talked with Esdeath or the others, Najenda would end up alone, keeping her distance.
As a result, she wore a frosty expression throughout the journey. It wasn't that she was jealous of the attention Esdeath and the others were getting from Haruki. To Najenda, matters of romance always took a back seat to more important issues—after all, she had once turned down a royal marriage proposal when she was a general.
What upset her now was, first, her belief that military campaigns should be treated with utmost seriousness. Haruki's lighthearted behavior came across as disrespectful to the troops and irresponsible toward the people. Second, Najenda had never had a good opinion of Haruki to begin with, and seeing him flirt with the women reminded her of the idle, good-for-nothing nobles of the Imperial Capital. Naturally, she assumed Haruki was just abusing his authority to fool around in the army.
All of this caused Najenda's impression of Haruki to plummet. But as the head of the Imperial Capital's security department, Haruki outranked her, so there was nothing she could do to rein him in.
...That was all during the march. Now, the army had finally reached its destination.
Their goal was a large city on the Empire's border. Beyond it lay territories occupied by a coalition of foreign tribes and the Revolutionary Army, as well as the lands of the southwestern tribes.
In fact, before Esdeath and Najenda were deployed, the Empire had already sent two generals to suppress the rebellion.
However, the Empire's southwestern frontier was harsh—full of swamps, poisonous insects, fierce beasts, and numerous Danger Beasts. The imperial troops were completely unaccustomed to such terrain, while the local tribes thrived in it. It was a natural disadvantage, unavoidable.
Still, the main cause of the previous defeat lay with the commanding officers. When news of the rebellion first reached the capital, the officials didn't prioritize suppressing it quickly. Instead, they scrambled to seize military merit.
In their minds, the Empire was invincible, and the southwestern tribes were just primitive savages from uncivilized lands. Plus, with Esdeath and Najenda having returned victorious from multiple previous campaigns, they saw this as a rare chance to gain fame and glory. So they eagerly pushed forward their so-called "pillars of the nation" to the Emperor.
In the end, those sent were nothing but bumbling fools who didn't even understand the basics of warfare. As soon as the army arrived—morale already low—they ordered a full assault, as if the enemy were just easy prey. This led to a disastrous defeat. Over half the army was wiped out, and the commanders, seeing the battle turning against them, abandoned their troops and fled.
That failure gave the foreign tribes and the Revolutionary Army precious time to launch further offensives, capturing strongholds before the Empire could respond and causing the loss of even more territory.
Haruki learned from the city lord where the army was now stationed that the Empire's Assassination Unit had already been overrun by the allied forces of the foreign tribes and the Revolutionary Army. There had been no word from the unit for days.
After hearing the details, Haruki frowned. Although he was familiar with the plot, he didn't know the exact situation of the Assassination Unit. Still, based on what he knew, Gozuki and his group should be fine.
But Kurome, Tsukushi, and Pony were clearly distressed. Unlike Haruki, they had no knowledge of how things would unfold. All they knew was that while Gozuki's group might be able to handle a small skirmish, facing a full army would be certain death.
"Brother, can we go save Sister? Please?"
Kurome looked up at Haruki and pleaded. Tsukushi and Pony stood silently beside her, but their eyes betrayed a clear sense of anxious hope.
"Don't worry. I was already planning to take you all to find them. They'll be okay."
Haruki reassured the three of them.
Then he turned to Esdeath, who was standing nearby.
"Esdeath, I'm taking them out of the city first. I can't just ignore Kurome's sister. Take care of yourself. I'll see you back in the capital!"
"Let's go!"
With a flick of his whip, Haruki's horse bolted through the city gates like an arrow. The women with him were quick to follow, urging their horses after him without hesitation.
"You're not worried about his safety? The enemy would love to get their hands on his head. Isn't he the last of your clan?"
Najenda, who had been silent beside Esdeath, finally spoke up.
Very few people in the Imperial Capital knew the details of Haruki and Esdeath's relationship. Most officials only guessed that they were both survivors of the Partas Clan, judging by their identical ice-blue hair.
"If the strong prey on the weak, then if he can't come back, it just means he was too weak. Besides, I believe in him."
Najenda didn't respond. Truthfully, she was hoping Haruki wouldn't return. But what really surprised her was that Esdeath would say something like "I believe in him."
Still, she quickly pushed that thought aside and focused on the battle ahead.
There was no denying it—Najenda was a capable commander, both sharp and fearless. Esdeath herself had once said she had "a passionate heart but the clarity to fight with cold precision."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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