Our prayers reach God.
Through me, God responds to His people’s requests.
✦ ✦ ✦
The Frontier leaders fill the small office, making it uncomfortable even to breathe: Acting Frontier Commander Agias Willow, Frontier Priest Felipo, Frontier Sorcerer Odysson, Northern Commander... something-Pine, Cavalry Captains Origis and Marius Willow, and me, Frontier Master of Coin. With all these people gathered together, you know the topic of discussion is going to be anything but pleasant.
The chatty fatty’s face is completely solemn, while the chatty bandaged one is smiling. That just confirms it. They must be about to reveal something terrible. Whatever the bad news is, they are surely going to test our very limits.
“The time has come.” Acting Commander Willow’s voice rumbles heavily. It’s as if he’s telling us to prepare for the worst. “The vampires have declared war on both the elves and us. This will be the final battle. In the name of the Rorangia Holy Empire, they say they will ‘subjugate this land and drive out the infidels...’ no, perhaps they’ve already begun.”
A map of the continent is spread out before us. Each area of control is marked by a distinct color. The east and west are predominantly black and white, with a tiny speck of red to the south; as if trying to shove reality into our faces.
“Many of the outlying towns to the west have been attacked and taken over,” he continues. “Individually, they don’t seem like much, but taken all together, it is quite a large-scale assault. It’s quite likely they will proceed to attack the fort as well. We also have reports that they are simultaneously employing this large-scale tactic on the elves.” He places a small black pawn on the western corner of the red section. To the north, where the black and white sections intersect, he places a large black pawn and... a large white pawn. Of course. “According to their declaration of war, the invasion army headed toward the elves is led by Thunderstorm. In response, the elves will most likely send an Apostle of their own. We cannot say for sure whether it will be Absolute or Deep Sea, but Ten Thousand Bells seems out of the question.” As he speaks, he places a large white pawn on the north section of the red area. That’s the elven girl, isn’t it? “Ten Thousand Bells will not move from here, as she herself has declared. We believe the defeat of Golden on this land is part of the reason for her decision. That’s the end of my report.”
Did someone just swallow audibly? It can’t have been me, I was careful to keep it quiet. It doesn’t matter, really; it could have been all of us. War, huh? This battle will be on a scale unlike any before it; surely the whole continent will be dragged into it.
I knew this time would come. Killing monsters, refusing to bow to the elves, fighting back against the vampires, worshiping God, following an Apostle, killing the Golden, refusing to die... and instead attempting to live with glory. It was only natural that this would happen.
Even so, it doesn’t stop the shivering. It doesn’t change the fact that this is terrifying. Military tactics are like a foreign language to me, so I cannot tell who or what is winning, or even predict what might come next. Nevertheless, there is one thing I do know: humanity is backed into a corner. And there is no way for us to escape.
Within the red section on the map, there are some semblances of a frontline and a backline. The Frontier, which encompasses the fort on three sides, is considered a danger zone, while the capital to the south is a safe haven... or at least that’s the common conception. The nobility and the poor live together in this narrow land, clinging together for dear life.
However, this safety is only temporary. If the vampires wanted to, they could destroy the fort in an instant. No, they could obliterate it and leave not a single trace behind. That’s reality—the cold-hearted reality that surrounds us.
“Allow me to add one thing,” Father Felipo pipes up. I doubt it’s going to be anything positive. “Normally, the vampires would submit their announcement in the name of one of their three Apostles. They followed this convention when signing the Baltrial Treaty. While the elves invoked the Ewlogond Republic, the vampires entered into the treaty under the name of their lead Apostle, Golden.” Such extensive knowledge... that’s not something one would know without specifically digging for it. I doubt he learned it at seminary. How long has this man been planning for war? “But now they’ve invoked the name of the Rorangia Holy Empire. This is quite alarming. There is only one other instance where they did this, and that was when they founded their country. In other words, it’s the first time since the war that suddenly brought them to power as described in the holy book.”
Some history? No, more like a fairy tale. About three hundred years ago, on a full-moon night, the vampires suddenly appeared. Led by the Demon God, they wiped out the thunderous insectors, then proceeded to jump into the war between the elves and the dwarves. This is how they rose to power as the strongest tribe on the continent... or so the story goes. Heh heh. Whatever, that has nothing to do with us, who live in the present.
This great revolution that began in the Frontier is what legends are truly made of.
“We should take their statement of a ‘final battle’ quite literally,” continues the priest. “In other words, it will be a full-on offensive involving the entire nation. What I’m trying to say is...” Slowly, like watching a tiny crack become a gaping chasm, a smile forms on his face. “The perfect opportunity for our revolution has arrived.”