I look up at the slowly darkening sky from my saddle, as my horse trots quickly along. Will the fort still be recognizable when I get there? Will their army still be fighting? I bet General Bandkan will be leading them, and he’s not the type to go down without a fight.
Did Lady Kuroi make it in time? Where is she now? Is she fighting? Five thousand of our Bomber Knights are riding hard to catch up, drawing a straight line to the battlefield; no scouts of any kind. None of our men have had any rest. Our horses drain dry every watering hole that we come across as we rush on. Even so, we haven’t been able to catch up.
“What’s the matter, Origis? Why the sigh?” Marius wants to know.
“Hm? Oh, I was just thinking that I couldn’t be an outrider.”
“That’s... Hm... You have a point.”
Marius’s face is uncharacteristically gloomy. He’s used to hard rides, so I doubt he’s tired. The battle at the Hell Expanse must still be weighing on his mind, which is odd. To the outsider, he’d appear to have done very well, having captured the enemy general in an easy battle. However, humanity’s current predicament stems from the fact that we weren’t able to see the bigger picture. This isn’t Marius’s fault, and I’m sure he understands that, but the fact that the battle itself was a trap must be what hurts most.
“It’s funny that we’re actually taking an army from the Frontier to the fort. It’s almost like the rumors were true,” I chuckle.
“Oh, that stuff about the House Willow revolt? I suppose I heard something about that.”
“According to son Peine, the folks at the fort have been preparing for it.”
“Talk about overreacting. Then again, maybe not; Agias is popular.”
“Besides, General Bandkan is one of us.”
The rumor goes that Agias, driven to the Frontier after a dispute over succession, is planning a revolt with me and Marius in tow. It’s not completely unreasonable, I suppose. My father’s only concerns are of loyalty to the throne, and my brother Nazarus is completely covered in the rot that is noble society. Thus, it was always Agias who took charge of the Willow forces. Eventually, he was punished for hunting down monsters, which was seen as “misappropriating war funds.” Then, without resisting or talking to anyone, he left.
Some time later, out of the blue, he sent us a letter—the bastard was doing just fine. Honestly, I felt compelled to action at the time, that’s why I brought Marius along with me.
“In retrospect, a revolt seems so carefree,” I remark.
“Heh heh. Those are the words of a big man. I remember when you called Agias a freak during our reunion.”
“What else could I have said? There was no way I could have known that that thing he was doing was training... It’s amazing I didn’t draw my sword right there. Besides, you fought alongside me.”
“I wanted to train with the both of you; the reason didn’t matter.”
“No wonder you didn’t stop me. Remind me to keep a closer eye on you.”
We both chuckle as our eyes wander ahead. Agias’ gaze is locked on the south. He doesn’t seem panicked in the least. We left the foot soldiers behind with Father Felipo, while the cavalry raced on ahead.
“You think there’s enough time?” Whether Marius’s question refers to us or Lady Kuroi, I cannot say.
What can we save if we get there in time, anyway? What will be lost if we don’t make it? There’s no room for error in this war. Agias’s resoluteness is reassuring, at least.
“I’m sure Lady Kuroi will make it in time,” I assure, half praying. The situation seems too forlorn to do anything else. “Besides, she won’t be outnumbered even if she’s alone. She’s a one-girl army, after all. If the fort still stands, she should be able to figure something out.”
“The times are in such chaos... but yeah, you might be right.”
“See?”
“But it’s not like Lady Kuroi doesn’t get tired, right?”
“Of course not, she just has more stamina than me or even Agias.”
“Right. She’s got all that training on top of God’s blessing.”
“Yeah, we’ve even been doing it at night around the fire lately...”
Good, Marius is back to normal. Some color’s even returned to his cheeks.
I gaze at the horizon far ahead. I have the feeling that death and farewell await us—a military man’s constant companions. No matter what I do, I just can’t shake off this premonition.
Agias barks some orders. We’re heading to the next watering hole. Nice, let’s ride so I can stop thinking. Let’s ride as far as we can, towards the horizon.