The words were a mess, and there were dried patches of blood here and there. “Hakugin Castle has been surrounded by a horde of cavalrymen in red armor. Considering that their flag is red as well, we suspect that their commander is the Crimson Wolf Nguyen, one of the Four Wolves of Gen. Hurry and increase the defenses around Keiyou. We require no reinforcements.”
I could hear the breath hitch in Hakurei’s throat as she covered her mouth with a hand. Teiha was such an idiot!
Hakurei’s grip on my left arm tightened until it started to hurt and she exclaimed in a tight voice, “A large-scale enemy invasion has breached our walls?! There were only two hundred men in Hakugin. If they’re going to try and put up a fight against Nguyen’s army... We must hurry!”
“Yeah, I agree. Tsk.”
Teiha had made the right call; it would be ridiculous to send out reinforcements to protect a small number of defensive troops, only for all of them to be defeated by the sheer might of the enemy forces. Father and the most elite members of the Keiyou army were still in Rinkei and the majority of our soldiers were at the river with Raigen. Keiyou was located near the center of the river bisecting the continent—the city was key to protecting the Ei Empire, but because Keiyou itself was defended by a line of fortresses, there weren’t a lot of soldiers stationed here.
Like the other cities in the empire, we were surrounded by walls and ramparts. However, at most, only three thousand soldiers were capable of jumping into action. We couldn’t waste a single fighter. If we lost Keiyou, then it would become possible for Nguyen and his men to launch a direct attack on Rinkei.
One had to lose a leg to save one’s life. That was what Ou Eifuu would have done. Shoving my umbrella into Hakurei’s hands, I returned to my room. I could hear both Hakurei and Asaka following me, saying my name, but I grabbed the sword that Meirin had sent—along with a bow—from Rinkei. Only then did I turn around to look at them.
“I’m going to go rescue them,” I said. I sounded casual. “I’ll take five hundred cavalrymen with me. Hakurei, prepare for a sie—”
“I’m going with you,” Hakurei cut in. To her lady-in-waiting she added, “Get me my bow.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
At her mistress’s orders, Asaka raced out of the room. I watched her disappear into the corridor before I looked down at Hakurei and glared at her with as much irritation as I could muster.
“Hey.”
“I will go with you. I’m the only person who can protect you, considering you aspire to become a civil official.” Her tone was firm. It’s no use. I could debate her for a hundred years and Hakurei would never back down.
I closed my eyes and said, “We need to send a letter to Gramps on the front lines. The sooner the better. Tell him to stay put for now.” Hakurei nodded in agreement. Unlike with the previous invasion, this time a huge number of enemy forces had appeared from out of nowhere—and I doubted that this would be the only wave we would have to deal with. “After we figure out the situation, send the fastest horse to Rinkei. We also have to tell the civil officials to organize the evacuation of children, the elderly, women who aren’t soldiers, and those who can’t fight.”
“You think we shouldn’t pull the soldiers back from the front lines? If Raigen were here, then—”
“We can’t do that,” I said in a sharp voice, putting an end to the discussion.
With Hakurei by my side, we started to make our way to the stables. Pulling Raigen back from the front lines was exactly what the enemy wanted. Father and Raigen told me about who Emperor Adai was as a person, and I’d done as much research as I could into his past battles. Emperor Adai was cruel, but the most frightening thing about him was his intelligence. That was the enemy we were up against.
“This is the second time that they’ve managed to get through our defenses,” I reminded Hakurei. “Do you really think that they would try again without a plan of action?”
Hakurei didn’t reply. Instead, she looked down in thought. She was only sixteen years old and yet I knew she had the potential to eventually surpass our father. I couldn’t let her die. It was with that resolve in mind that I continued to explain the situation to her.
“The first time they came, they were sounding out our defenses. This second attack is the real deal. In fact, we should approach this as if the opposing army is the entirety of the rumored Crimson Knights.”
Hakurei’s face tensed and she sucked in a sharp breath. Currently, thirty thousand of the Chou family’s soldiers were stationed at Hakuhou Castle, right along the river. If we can’t move those men, then... The attendants in the hall called out to us, waiting to hand us our bows and armor. We didn’t stop walking, preparing for war as we continued down the hall.
“Their goal is to take Keiyou for Gen, as well as to surround the main forces holed up on the front lines and then take them out. If we remove soldiers from Hakuhou Castle, then the Gen army will immediately cross the river and begin a full-scale invasion. This is exactly what father was worried about, and why he was so desperate for reinforcements.”
“Then what should we do?”
As soon as we arrived at the stables, we saddled up our horses. Some of the veteran soldiers told us to hurry with the worry in their gazes as they took their own horses outside. Even during times of emergency we were able to communicate details of the situation to each other. The people working for the Chou family were all well trained.
I turned back to Hakurei and raised my hand. “What we should do—isn’t it obvious? We fight. If we hold out for long enough, then the invincible Chou Tairan will return from Rinkei with his army of elites. As soon as he arrives, it’ll be our victory!”
Hakurei tied her quiver to her belt and tightened her grip on her bow. “Understood. In that case, I must insist that I go with you to help our soldiers.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared straight into mine. “Even if you’re stronger than father.”
I froze, caught off guard. “Hakurei...”
We were about to head to a battle that could cost us our lives. Despite that, Hakurei was looking at me with the same expression she always wore. She held up her hand and said, “You’re thickheaded, mean, and slow at your job even though you want to be a local official.” With every insult, she put down a finger. “You’re a horrible man who made me drink alcohol so that I would embarrass myself to the point that I’m not fit to be a bride. Not only that, but despite your terrible personality, you’re a pervert who led on a little city girl with breasts even bigger than mine.”
“Hey, every single one of those is a false charge,” I argued, scrunching my face up. She was being totally unfair with her accusations.
In response, Hakurei smiled, the expression so pretty it was akin to the blooming of a flower. “However, we’ve spent these past ten years together. It’s only natural that I would want to protect you despite all that, don’t you agree?”
She got me good. How could I possibly leave her behind after hearing that? I was suddenly reminded of Eifuu. It was strange that I would find someone in this day and age trustworthy and capable enough to watch my back. Granted—Eifuu had never set foot on the battlefield. With that thought in mind, I gave Hakurei a small shrug. Once we finished our preparations, we went outside. The soldiers were already lined up in the rain.
Hakurei and I got onto our horses and I shot her a grimace. “You stubborn little princess!”
“Yes, I am. And I’m sure you’re aware of that fact, more than anyone else in Ei.”
Getsuei, Hakurei’s beloved horse, nickered as if in agreement with its master.
“Jeez.” I turned then to address the soldiers. “We’re moving out to save those suicidal idiots in Hakugin Castle! Follow Hakurei and I! Don’t let us out of your sight!”
“Yessir!!!” Five hundred cavalrymen raised their weapons as one and let out a fearsome battle cry.
I met Hakurei’s eyes and we nodded. For the moment, our first goal was to prevent Nguyen from scoring an easy victory against us. The worst was yet to come.