Thorsdale began their advance with all their forces directed toward the Sevensworth border. Most likely, they were aware that our entire defensive force was collected here, and that if they broke through, there’d be nobody left to defend us and they’d be able to occupy our vast, bountiful territory. That was why they were focusing their full strength here.
We’d built a fort about ten kilrometres away from the border, behind a river, which would be our main point of defense. The river was deep and didn’t have many good crossing points, so we’d situated our base by one of the few places it was possible to cross on foot. Rivers were naturally difficult places to mount an attack from, and past the river was a flat plain, so it’d be hard for them to take us by surprise. It was the perfect place to meet our invaders.
I had no doubt that the enemy would attack here, since it was the only route by which they could transport their new, huge weapon. They already had to move slowly because of their massive forces, but with that on top of it, they were extremely slow to advance. I anticipated the fighting to begin in about ten days. Our house’s knights and soldiers were working hard, setting up abatis to stop mounted troops and bringing in provisions and munitions into the forts. I was in charge of directing them.
“Hey, Ginorious,” an energetic voice called out to me from afar.
“Anthony! You really came.”
“Of course! I’m a man of my word.”
Anthony had brought a collection of knights and soldiers with him, all with similarly tan skin. Today was the day that our allies were joining us at the fort, and it seemed that his forces from House Treves were the first to arrive.
“But are you sure it’s okay for you, the newly appointed heir to your house, to be here?”
Once the battle began, he’d definitely have to lead his men, since the idea that nobles protected their people was deeply ingrained in him. But even so, I felt like he himself didn’t have to be here. He had older and younger brothers who could’ve come in his stead. If something were to happen, then losing one of them would surely have less of a negative impact on their house.
“That might be the case for other families, but not for military families. Avoiding a battle is grounds to be thoroughly chastised.”
Oh, I see. Their values are different than our house’s. House Treves was known for its bravery, to the point where they were known as a clan for fighting. Their request was actually to be put on the front lines. They probably expected this level of bravery from the future head of their family.
“Oh, hey! You’re here too?” Justin called as he rushed over.
He’d only just arrived at the fort a little while ago. Unlike Anthony, who’d brought allied forces with him, Justin was here on his own.
I had no intention of making the people who volunteered to be here out of the goodness of their hearts serve as our shields, so I planned to station everyone like Justin not on the front lines but at a town a little bit farther back. Despite this, Justin had insisted on being at the front. Now that my former classmates were here, I enjoyed speaking to the both of them. Despite the bloody battle that was sure to ensue in the near future, being with them felt like we were back within the peaceful walls of school. I was reminded of how important their existences were to me.
“Sir Gino!”
“Ana?! Wh-Wh-Why are you here?!”
While we were conversing, Ana suddenly appeared. What’s going on?! Though there was a special kind of armor made for female knights, she was wearing an even more unique set that included a long skirt. Ana dismounted from the cute pony she’d rode in on and adorably trotted over.
“I will be participating as well.”
“No! Absolutely not! The battlefield is incredibly dangerous! If anything happened to you...”
“I’d like to assist you on the battlefield. This is how I will be of help to you.”
Ana’s eyes looked straight into my soul and shone with a pureness that reflected her strong conviction. Despite how she might have seemed, Ana had a very powerful will. Once she set her mind to something, she wouldn’t give up until she accomplished whatever it was. I couldn’t help but admire her for that; she was truly a wonderful woman. I couldn’t find any words to try and change her mind.