"Your Majesty, I request for you to station me in Ortensia immediately."
Kyrat requested this because he was supposed to be sent to the battlefield tomorrow at noon. But he had decided to hasten his departure, in hopes he can reach Feyt as soon as possible.
The King thought for a moment before responding,
"Very well, I shall prepare a carriage for you to travel with."
Kyrat was grateful and said,
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The people in the room didn't respond with shock as it was expected that Kyrat would take matters into his own hands. However, what shocked them was the next line.
"I'll come with,"
A feminine voice rang out in a gentle, serious manner. It was Munith's.
"M-Munith?"
Key was the first one to react, followed by a confused stare from both Kyrat and the King.
"But Your Majesty! There's no need to-"
Kyrat tried to protest but was cut off by Rene, who spoke in his usual serious tone.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but, as the First Princess of Ortensia, Munith holds greater authority than you do as a Setus noble, Lord Sareid. To be sent to the battlefield early, you'll need the approval of the King and Queen, which I assume is why Munith wanted to accompany you. I'll be joining her, of course."
Munith nodded,
"That's right. You might be able to convince them to give you permission, but I'll be there, just in case."
The King nodded his head in agreement,
"That's right Kyrat, Munith will certainly be of help for negotiating with the Ortensians. Bringing her along will increase your chance of reaching Feyt faster."
Kyrat contemplated the idea for a moment and then said,
"Very well, I appreciate your help, Princess Munith."
Munith clasped her hands together and projected a gentle smile.
"No need to thank me, I want to save Feyt as much as you do. Besides, I was starting to miss my hometown~"
Munith said so in a slightly joyful voice, easing the tension in the room, even just for a bit.
Key looked at the King with excitement in his eyes.
"If Munith is going, then I will-"
"No."
He was immediately shut down by the King.
"Sending the First Prince of Setus without warning straight to Ortensia will cause a lot of commotion in the long term, it would be better if you stay here."
Key was surprised and he retorts,
"But father!-"
"There is no need for you to be there. If you decide to go, you'll just increase the carriage's weight."
The King's tone was bold and unyielding, Key realized there will be no point in pushing the idea further. His head fell down in disappointment. The King was about to speak, but Munith quickly responded,
"It's alright Key! You can still help us, isn't that right, Your Majesty?"
Munith aimed her stare at the King with expectations in her eye.
The King was about to say it anyway, but Munith spoke up first.
"Munith's right, we still need your help."
Key's eyes went up and grew curious.
"Key, I order you to coordinate the knights to prepare the carriage as soon as possible."
Key raised his head quickly and straightened his posture, realizing this was an order.
"I expect it to be ready to set off in 10 minutes."
Key was surprised with the order and thought to himself,
In 10 minutes?! That's impossi- No, I have to!
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Key responded enthusiastically, he turned to Munith with a confident face.
"Don't worry Munith! I'll make sure the carriage is ready before you could even blink!"
"Oh~ That's wonderful, Key! Thank you!"
"Then I shall help you, Prince Key."
Rene walked to Key's side with his arms behind his back.
With everything settled, the preparations for their journey began, and they left the room in a haste. Kyrat went with Munith to the courtyard where the carriage will be prepared, while Rene and Key went the other way to gather knights and supplies.
The King was left alone in the meeting room, his mind wandered to Munith and Key.
Those two, they're so compatible with each other. I couldn't think up of a more harmonious couple. Why can't Julient see that? I wonder what made him so 'fearful' of Munith.
No, this isn't the time to dwell on that. I need to decide on a fitting punishment for that fool, Tinore. After that, I should get some rest and hope for the best for Munith and Kyrat.
The war between Ortensia and Denta, it is approacing.
It was merely days after Ortensia started preparing for the invasion, but the day of the war is already looming. It is speculated that Denta plans to rush with an all-out attack like they always do. Ortensia anticipated this and has prepared various strategies for the upcoming battle, courtesy of "The Arch Tactician".
On the night before the soldiers were to be sent to the field camps near the border of Ortensia and Denta, every infantry and archer knight in the barracks prepared to travel by carriage in the middle of the night. Worries and nervousness were evident on all of their faces. The cavalry knights would travel with their own horses, protecting the carriages carrying the infantry and archers along the way.
The leader of the knights took charge and organized the knights into groups, ordering them to enter their assigned carriages in an orderly fashion. This sped up the organization process, even in a tense and nerve-wracking situation like this one.
In a building far away from the knights, a group of knights with [Animal Tamer] Talents were also preparing to be sent to the field camps. They are responsible for preparing Ortensia's national beasts, which would be used for the first time in warfare. Due to their crucial role in the war effort, the [Animal Tamer] Talent Bearers grew nervous.
The Setus villagers that was drafted by Tinore are also being transferred to the camps through carriage in another building. But, they were dragged into the carriage with force instead. The villagers were organized into a single long line, and the knights dragged and pushed them one by one into the carriages. Once a carriage was full, it immediately set off and was replaced with an empty one.
Some villagers accepted their fate, while others tried to fight back. However, the knights were equipped to hold down anyone who resisted. One of the villagers who fought back was a middle-aged man with brown hair and a disgruntled beard. Despite having great offensive Talents, the knights managed to overpower him through sheer numbers. He was easily knocked out and dragged into one of the empty carriages.
Standing far behind the line, just behind the dark doorway, was Feyt. He's distressed and anxious. Why am I here? What's gonna happen to me?. These thoughts filled his mind. However, he held onto hope with a small spark of optimism.
They won't drag me into war if they saw me, right? I'm a kid! There's no way they would! He thought.
Surely, this is all a misunderstanding, right?
As the line moved forward, Feyt's face was illuminated by the candles and lanterns above the doorway.
One of the Ortensian knight assigned to keep watch of the line noticed him and asked his friend standing right next to him.
"Hey, that's... a kid, right?"
"Huh? Which one?"
"That one, over there."
The knight pointed at Feyt.
"Why would there be- wait, it is!!"
The knight recoiled in shock. This caught Feyt's attention in a good way.
Yes! They saw me!
"Why is there a kid here?!"
"Are we seriously sending a kid to war?!"
Feyt's eyes lit up.
This is it! I'm free!
The two knights stood there, talking to each other, wondering what they should do.
Another knight approached the two of them, noticing the commotion. She is a tall woman with long brown hair tied up into a ponytail. She wears a larger set of armor than the two knights she is approaching, indicating her higher rank.
Her heavy armored boots clanged against the floor with each step she took closer to the two knights.
"What's the matter, you two?"
The two knights turned their heads to her,
"Captain Lisenda!"
One of the knights saluted the captain. The other immediately addressed the problem.
"It's him Captain. There's a kid here for some reason."
The knight pointed at Feyt, Lisenda followed the knight's fingers and landed her eyes on him.
Feyt took a clear look at her face. Her sharp brown eyes match her hair, and her skin is rough and brown. Her iron armor reflects the lights from the candles and lanterns. Looking at her armor, Feyt noticed something. Other knights carry weapons with them, whether it be spears, swords, bows and arrows, etc. But she doesn't seem to carry anything else other than her full body armor. From the first glance, she looks like a righteous and dependable woman. Feyt screamed in joy internally, believing he might be saved.
But Lisenda's reaction right after that shattered his hopes.
"Leave him be."
Eh?-
Lisenda turns her back and is about to walk away. But the two knights raised their voice in confusion and concern.
"Leave him be?? He's a kid!"
"Captain! We can't send a kid to wa-"
Lisenda turned back slowly to face the two knights. Her face immediately freezes the two knights. Her eyes have turned cold and her brows are raised.
The line stopped as the knights and the villagers grew curious of the scene.
Lisenda lets out a cold monotone voice.
"Are you two disobeying orders?"
"N-No! Of course not!"
"W-We're just-"
The two knights shook their heads and hands to diffuse the situation, but,
"Very well."
Lisenda took a stance and in an instant, one of the knights was sent flying into a brick wall. He fell down onto the floor after leaving a large crack on the brick wall. Before the other knight could react, she swept his feet with her right leg, dropping him onto the floor. She then lifted her leg high and brought down her iron boots onto his chest armor, producing a loud clash of metal and causing the armor to dent inward.
"GUHAKH-"
The knight let out a painful groan before his body went limp.
[Martial Arts Master]. Speculated to be the higher version of [Fist Mastery] and [Foot Mastery] combined. It is a rare Talent, a rare Talent that Lisenda has and it was one of the main reasons of her high rank in the Ortensian army. It allows one to learn martial arts at an increased improvement rate. The strength and durability of the arms and legs are tremendously enhanced also to allow various moves a normal human wouldn't be able to do. She has no need for any weapons for this, so she prioritizes defense and agility in her equipment.
Lisenda, with her right iron boot still on the knight's chest armor, raised her voice and addressed everyone in the room, knights and villagers alike.
"Anyone disobeying orders shall be terminated!"
She pressed her heel down on the knight's chest harder, bending the armor even further inward.
"All you need to do is follow orders, do you understand?!"
"YES MA'AM!" The knights shouted in unison.
The line started moving again as the knights resumed their operations.
Lisenda locked eyes with Feyt, who found himself unable to look away. The intensity of her eyes made him feel exposed and vulnerable. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she broke eye contact and strode back to the front of the line, leaving the two unconscious knights behind. Their armor was visibly dented from the force of her blows, and no other knight dared to approach them to help.
After watching it all unfold, only one thought came across his mind.
Haha, I'm screwed, aren't I?
Lisenda continued her duties of watching over the line, making sure no one dared to fight back and try to escape. As she stood there, her mind wandered back to a few hours ago when she received a summon from a noble named Ulricar.
"Captain Lisenda, it's good to finally meet you, your reports have all been great, as expected of one of our captains."
"Today, I have called you here with a special assignment, please relay this to the others as well."
Lisenda snapped back to the present, refocusing on her current job. She couldn't afford to lose focus as any disturbance could potentially derail the entire operation. Although, she was confident she would be able to stop anyone trying to fight back. Nonetheless, she steeled herself to follow Ulricar's orders to its completion and making sure that the others follow it as well.
"Your Majesty, I request for you to station me in Ortensia immediately."
Kyrat requested this because he was supposed to be sent to the battlefield tomorrow at noon. But he had decided to hasten his departure, in hopes he can reach Feyt as soon as possible.
The King thought for a moment before responding,
"Very well, I shall prepare a carriage for you to travel with."
Kyrat was grateful and said,
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The people in the room didn't respond with shock as it was expected that Kyrat would take matters into his own hands. However, what shocked them was the next line.
"I'll come with,"
A feminine voice rang out in a gentle, serious manner. It was Munith's.
"M-Munith?"
Key was the first one to react, followed by a confused stare from both Kyrat and the King.
"But Your Majesty! There's no need to-"
Kyrat tried to protest but was cut off by Rene, who spoke in his usual serious tone.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but, as the First Princess of Ortensia, Munith holds greater authority than you do as a Setus noble, Lord Sareid. To be sent to the battlefield early, you'll need the approval of the King and Queen, which I assume is why Munith wanted to accompany you. I'll be joining her, of course."
Munith nodded,
"That's right. You might be able to convince them to give you permission, but I'll be there, just in case."
The King nodded his head in agreement,
"That's right Kyrat, Munith will certainly be of help for negotiating with the Ortensians. Bringing her along will increase your chance of reaching Feyt faster."
Kyrat contemplated the idea for a moment and then said,
"Very well, I appreciate your help, Princess Munith."
Munith clasped her hands together and projected a gentle smile.
"No need to thank me, I want to save Feyt as much as you do. Besides, I was starting to miss my hometown~"
Munith said so in a slightly joyful voice, easing the tension in the room, even just for a bit.
Key looked at the King with excitement in his eyes.
"If Munith is going, then I will-"
"No."
He was immediately shut down by the King.
"Sending the First Prince of Setus without warning straight to Ortensia will cause a lot of commotion in the long term, it would be better if you stay here."
Key was surprised and he retorts,
"But father!-"
"There is no need for you to be there. If you decide to go, you'll just increase the carriage's weight."
The King's tone was bold and unyielding, Key realized there will be no point in pushing the idea further. His head fell down in disappointment. The King was about to speak, but Munith quickly responded,
"It's alright Key! You can still help us, isn't that right, Your Majesty?"
Munith aimed her stare at the King with expectations in her eye.
The King was about to say it anyway, but Munith spoke up first.
"Munith's right, we still need your help."
Key's eyes went up and grew curious.
"Key, I order you to coordinate the knights to prepare the carriage as soon as possible."
Key raised his head quickly and straightened his posture, realizing this was an order.
"I expect it to be ready to set off in 10 minutes."
Key was surprised with the order and thought to himself,
In 10 minutes?! That's impossi- No, I have to!
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Key responded enthusiastically, he turned to Munith with a confident face.
"Don't worry Munith! I'll make sure the carriage is ready before you could even blink!"
"Oh~ That's wonderful, Key! Thank you!"
"Then I shall help you, Prince Key."
Rene walked to Key's side with his arms behind his back.
With everything settled, the preparations for their journey began, and they left the room in a haste. Kyrat went with Munith to the courtyard where the carriage will be prepared, while Rene and Key went the other way to gather knights and supplies.
The King was left alone in the meeting room, his mind wandered to Munith and Key.
Those two, they're so compatible with each other. I couldn't think up of a more harmonious couple. Why can't Julient see that? I wonder what made him so 'fearful' of Munith.
No, this isn't the time to dwell on that. I need to decide on a fitting punishment for that fool, Tinore. After that, I should get some rest and hope for the best for Munith and Kyrat.
The war between Ortensia and Denta, it is approacing.
It was merely days after Ortensia started preparing for the invasion, but the day of the war is already looming. It is speculated that Denta plans to rush with an all-out attack like they always do. Ortensia anticipated this and has prepared various strategies for the upcoming battle, courtesy of "The Arch Tactician".
On the night before the soldiers were to be sent to the field camps near the border of Ortensia and Denta, every infantry and archer knight in the barracks prepared to travel by carriage in the middle of the night. Worries and nervousness were evident on all of their faces. The cavalry knights would travel with their own horses, protecting the carriages carrying the infantry and archers along the way.
The leader of the knights took charge and organized the knights into groups, ordering them to enter their assigned carriages in an orderly fashion. This sped up the organization process, even in a tense and nerve-wracking situation like this one.
In a building far away from the knights, a group of knights with [Animal Tamer] Talents were also preparing to be sent to the field camps. They are responsible for preparing Ortensia's national beasts, which would be used for the first time in warfare. Due to their crucial role in the war effort, the [Animal Tamer] Talent Bearers grew nervous.
The Setus villagers that was drafted by Tinore are also being transferred to the camps through carriage in another building. But, they were dragged into the carriage with force instead. The villagers were organized into a single long line, and the knights dragged and pushed them one by one into the carriages. Once a carriage was full, it immediately set off and was replaced with an empty one.
Some villagers accepted their fate, while others tried to fight back. However, the knights were equipped to hold down anyone who resisted. One of the villagers who fought back was a middle-aged man with brown hair and a disgruntled beard. Despite having great offensive Talents, the knights managed to overpower him through sheer numbers. He was easily knocked out and dragged into one of the empty carriages.
Standing far behind the line, just behind the dark doorway, was Feyt. He's distressed and anxious. Why am I here? What's gonna happen to me?. These thoughts filled his mind. However, he held onto hope with a small spark of optimism.
They won't drag me into war if they saw me, right? I'm a kid! There's no way they would! He thought.
Surely, this is all a misunderstanding, right?
As the line moved forward, Feyt's face was illuminated by the candles and lanterns above the doorway.
One of the Ortensian knight assigned to keep watch of the line noticed him and asked his friend standing right next to him.
"Hey, that's... a kid, right?"
"Huh? Which one?"
"That one, over there."
The knight pointed at Feyt.
"Why would there be- wait, it is!!"
The knight recoiled in shock. This caught Feyt's attention in a good way.
Yes! They saw me!
"Why is there a kid here?!"
"Are we seriously sending a kid to war?!"
Feyt's eyes lit up.
This is it! I'm free!
The two knights stood there, talking to each other, wondering what they should do.
Another knight approached the two of them, noticing the commotion. She is a tall woman with long brown hair tied up into a ponytail. She wears a larger set of armor than the two knights she is approaching, indicating her higher rank.
Her heavy armored boots clanged against the floor with each step she took closer to the two knights.
"What's the matter, you two?"
The two knights turned their heads to her,
"Captain Lisenda!"
One of the knights saluted the captain. The other immediately addressed the problem.
"It's him Captain. There's a kid here for some reason."
The knight pointed at Feyt, Lisenda followed the knight's fingers and landed her eyes on him.
Feyt took a clear look at her face. Her sharp brown eyes match her hair, and her skin is rough and brown. Her iron armor reflects the lights from the candles and lanterns. Looking at her armor, Feyt noticed something. Other knights carry weapons with them, whether it be spears, swords, bows and arrows, etc. But she doesn't seem to carry anything else other than her full body armor. From the first glance, she looks like a righteous and dependable woman. Feyt screamed in joy internally, believing he might be saved.
But Lisenda's reaction right after that shattered his hopes.
"Leave him be."
Eh?-
Lisenda turns her back and is about to walk away. But the two knights raised their voice in confusion and concern.
"Leave him be?? He's a kid!"
"Captain! We can't send a kid to wa-"
Lisenda turned back slowly to face the two knights. Her face immediately freezes the two knights. Her eyes have turned cold and her brows are raised.
The line stopped as the knights and the villagers grew curious of the scene.
Lisenda lets out a cold monotone voice.
"Are you two disobeying orders?"
"N-No! Of course not!"
"W-We're just-"
The two knights shook their heads and hands to diffuse the situation, but,
"Very well."
Lisenda took a stance and in an instant, one of the knights was sent flying into a brick wall. He fell down onto the floor after leaving a large crack on the brick wall. Before the other knight could react, she swept his feet with her right leg, dropping him onto the floor. She then lifted her leg high and brought down her iron boots onto his chest armor, producing a loud clash of metal and causing the armor to dent inward.
"GUHAKH-"
The knight let out a painful groan before his body went limp.
[Martial Arts Master]. Speculated to be the higher version of [Fist Mastery] and [Foot Mastery] combined. It is a rare Talent, a rare Talent that Lisenda has and it was one of the main reasons of her high rank in the Ortensian army. It allows one to learn martial arts at an increased improvement rate. The strength and durability of the arms and legs are tremendously enhanced also to allow various moves a normal human wouldn't be able to do. She has no need for any weapons for this, so she prioritizes defense and agility in her equipment.
Lisenda, with her right iron boot still on the knight's chest armor, raised her voice and addressed everyone in the room, knights and villagers alike.
"Anyone disobeying orders shall be terminated!"
She pressed her heel down on the knight's chest harder, bending the armor even further inward.
"All you need to do is follow orders, do you understand?!"
"YES MA'AM!" The knights shouted in unison.
The line started moving again as the knights resumed their operations.
Lisenda locked eyes with Feyt, who found himself unable to look away. The intensity of her eyes made him feel exposed and vulnerable. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she broke eye contact and strode back to the front of the line, leaving the two unconscious knights behind. Their armor was visibly dented from the force of her blows, and no other knight dared to approach them to help.
After watching it all unfold, only one thought came across his mind.
Haha, I'm screwed, aren't I?
Lisenda continued her duties of watching over the line, making sure no one dared to fight back and try to escape. As she stood there, her mind wandered back to a few hours ago when she received a summon from a noble named Ulricar.
"Captain Lisenda, it's good to finally meet you, your reports have all been great, as expected of one of our captains."
"Today, I have called you here with a special assignment, please relay this to the others as well."
Lisenda snapped back to the present, refocusing on her current job. She couldn't afford to lose focus as any disturbance could potentially derail the entire operation. Although, she was confident she would be able to stop anyone trying to fight back. Nonetheless, she steeled herself to follow Ulricar's orders to its completion and making sure that the others follow it as well.
