Hyakuren no Haou to Seiyaku no Valkyria - Volume 23 - Chapter 1

ACT 1

“Wow, only half a year and it’s this developed?” The first surprise that greeted Yuuto upon disembarking the ship was the sheer number of brick houses lining the territory. Of course, without construction equipment, there were not nearly enough homes for everyone just yet, but even so, the settlement was looking more and more like a proper town in its own right.

“Well, you know. Our people can really buckle down and get things done when they absolutely have to.” The large man next to Yuuto—Jörgen—smirked, his face as intimidating as ever with the scars adorning his cheeks, eyebrows, and bald head. He had served as one of Yuuto’s closest confidants ever since Yuuto had risen to power as the patriarch of the Wolf Clan. Jörgen possessed a natural talent for politics and was able to easily empathize with the common folk. He was currently tasked with leading the development of the New World as Yuuto’s representative.

“True enough,” Yuuto agreed with a shrug. Indeed, humans were, for the most part, lazy creatures until necessity lit a fire under their rears and made them achieve more than they’d ever thought possible. In this case, the immigrants, probably sick of not having a place to live, had worked fervently to create housing.

“Unfortunately, this is but a mere fraction of the housing we’ll need to provide adequate shelter to all of the immigrants. As we initially expected, the majority will likely have to move to a different location. That might not be so simple though...” Jörgen’s voice trailed off as a crease formed between his brows.

Yuuto nodded. “Yeah, I heard. Trouble’s brewing between the New World’s residents and the immigrants we’ve brought here, right?”

“Exactly. I’ve been racking my brain over how to peacefully resolve the situation, and though it brings me great shame, it appears that I just don’t have the skills to do so.”

“Just by looking at the progress this town has made, it’s evident you’ve done plenty already. If this is a problem you can’t solve, then it may well just be impossible.” Yuuto let out a sigh. Since no writing system had existed back in the fifteenth century BCE, it was impossible to know the details, but humanity had flourished in southern Spain just like anywhere else. While the residents of the New World lived out their daily lives, they must’ve seen Yuuto and the others as outsiders encroaching upon their territory. The cultural and language differences between the two parties were vast—they were only barely able to communicate their intentions through body language. With that in mind, conflict was bound to arise sooner or later.

“If only we could somehow get the villages scattered here and there to accept and assimilate into our culture...” Yuuto mused.

“That’d be a tall ask when we’re the unwelcome guests,” Jörgen replied. “We could’ve resolved this peacefully if it’d just ended with a refusal, but a number of people have already been killed. We can’t just put this behind us anymore.”

At first, they had tried to build rapport and amicable relations through bartering and the like, but apparently, something had gone south among some hot-blooded youths, and a slugfest had ensued. Rather than trying to defuse the incident, both camps instigated it, eventually leading to a number of deaths. Jörgen, for his part, had tried to stay friendly by offering heartfelt apologies and sympathy goods, but in recent times, there had been a number of violent outbursts from the natives.

“I’ve managed to keep them at bay for now, but there is a faction within our military who have been rallying everyone around them to ‘eradicate the savages,’ so I believe it’s only a matter of time before that bomb goes off,” Jörgen explained.

“‘Savages,’ huh?” Yuuto responded with a bitter half-smile. According to the reports he’d read, the natives wore face paint drawn in strange patterns as some sort of good-luck charm, and their weapons and tools were almost entirely made of stone, meaning they were very far behind Yggdrasil technologically. It was commonplace during any era, and probably human nature, to deride cultures far behind one’s own as “savage,” but as someone who had learned from history, Yuuto knew that not only was that type of thinking the height of arrogance, it led to repulsive discriminatory outcomes like slavery, exploitation, and genocide. Those were the last things he wanted the country he ruled to be associated with.

At the same time, his subjects were already dealing with the stress of an unfamiliar land. If he wasn’t smart about quelling their dissatisfaction, it could easily blow up into something much worse.

“Now then, what to do...?” Just when all his major work had ended and he’d thought he could take a breather at last, one new problem came after another. Though he’d pretty much expected it, it didn’t make it any less annoying. And as if to drive the point home—

“Sir Jörgen! Sir Jörgen! We have an emergency!” A soldier that Yuuto assumed must’ve been a messenger came running toward them in a panic. Yuuto knew this could mean nothing good.

“W-Wait, huh?! Lord Reginarch?! M-My apologies!”

“Don’t worry about it. Now, what news do you bring?” The messenger appeared to be shocked by Yuuto’s presence, but Yuuto urged him on. He was so used to this treatment that he ignored it, but not concerning himself with formalities or appearances at times like these was in fact one of the chief reasons why Yuuto had attained his lofty position at such a young age. He knew from experience that such things were completely useless in an emergency.

“Yes, My Lord! A huge army is invading from the north! They appear to be fielding over twenty thousand soldiers!”

Both Yuuto and Jörgen froze, their expressions tense. Although Nobunaga’s gigantic army of a hundred thousand had desensitized them to large armies for the most part, provisions were still hard to come by in this era, so armies of over ten thousand were exceedingly rare. In fact, the Battle of Kadesh, said to be the largest battle recorded in ancient history, still only had less than twenty thousand participants altogether.

“That’s quite the showing of military might. I wasn’t aware a large enough nation existed nearby...” As far as Yuuto had researched, there was no nation with an army that large anywhere in Spain during this time period.

But at the same time, it was within his expectations. According to the reports he’d read, the natives had no writing system. They did not conform with the times. It wasn’t unheard of: nomadic tribes didn’t traditionally leave any written records behind, no matter how the times progressed, so much of their exploits were shrouded in mystery. Even in Japan, records of the Yamatai Kingdom were only found in Chinese historical accounts, and it remained unknown even in the present day where in Japan it had even been located. In other words, it was entirely possible for there to be some nation with a large military that Yuuto didn’t know about.

“Seriously? We’ve barely even touched down in the New World, and we’re already being invaded? I really must’ve been born under an unlucky star or something.” Yuuto scratched his head in frustration as he scowled. If things were going to be the same as they had in Yggdrasil, he would’ve at least liked to take it easy for a bit before the going got rough again.

“If you ask me, I think it shows just how much you’re favored by the gods. I couldn’t be more jealous,” Jörgen responded.

“I’d say the gods enjoy making my life miserable, to be honest.” Yuuto smiled bitterly and shrugged. “Though, perhaps this is actually a good opportunity. Now we can crush them and take their land without any reservations,” he said coldly, narrowing his eyes.

If he had still been the same Yuuto that had just come to Yggdrasil, he likely would’ve hesitated, wondering if it would be excessive self-defense, but after living through countless life-or-death situations, he was no longer that same naïve boy. Naturally, invading and usurping someone else’s territory for his own gain would’ve left a bad taste in his mouth, but he had no obligation to feel sorry for an army that had attacked his land of their own volition.

“Jörgen, how many soldiers can we mobilize right now?” Yuuto asked.

“Ten thousand... No, probably closer to eight thousand, I’d say,” Jörgen replied.

“I figured it’d be somewhere around there.” It wasn’t a lot to work with. Upon moving to the New World, they’d needed to prioritize agricultural productivity. A portion of their iron weapons had been melted down to make farm tools. Though around fifty thousand of the Steel Clan settlers had probably received military training, there simply weren’t nearly enough weapons and provisions to go around.

“So it would seem that they have around two and a half times the men we do. Normally, I’d be worried, but with you here, Father, I expect that won’t be much of an issue,” Jörgen stated confidently.

“Whoa, whoa, you overestimate me. Numbers win battles. That’s a fundamental rule of war.”

Defeating a large army with a small one might be good material for the legend of a hero, but strategically, it was a dangerous gamble.

“And yet you’ve overturned that fundamental rule many times over.” Jörgen chuckled, in seemingly high spirits from teasing Yuuto. He clearly understood what Yuuto was saying, but chose to make the comment anyway. Yuuto sighed.

“Well, true. I guess it doesn’t mean much coming from me.” He had no choice but to admit it. But he also knew that was precisely why he had to eliminate that line of thinking from his brain. He knew his knowledge of the modern world—his cheat code—wasn’t something that should be passed on, but rather should be buried within the annals of history.

“Your Majesty Labarna! We’ve spotted the enemy! They’ve made camp in the swamp up ahead and are planning to ambush us. There’s probably about ten thousand of them.”

“Oh? As I thought, they have quite the army at their disposal.” The savage king Tahurwaili chuckled to himself and grinned. He’d received reports of foreigners reaching the southern coast about half a year ago. At first, he’d ignored it because they were only several hundred men, but they started arriving one after another until that number became a hundred thousand in no time at all. At that point, the problem became something he could no longer ignore. The reports had said that the foreigners had no intention of invading and that they were an amicable sort, but Tahurwaili didn’t believe that for a second. They would need enough land to house that many people, so it was easy to imagine that one day they would bare their fangs toward the natives.

“We should eliminate them while they’re still getting settled!” he had urged, calling everyone under his jurisdiction to arms—and now he saw that it had been the right decision.

“That’s our king for you. Nothing gets by him.”

“If we leave them to settle completely unopposed, they’ll definitely become Tarshish’s biggest threat.”

“They seem to have a lot of large ships too. If we were to steal them, we’d be able to bolster our forces even more!”

“This is the perfect time to attack. They have no fortress walls to protect them. We should be able to wipe them out without any trouble.”

The Four Great Chieftains under Tahurwaili each gave their opinion. Each of them were seasoned warriors who had crossed many life-or-death tightropes and were trusted generals besides. They were also his close friends from back during the country’s foundation, and they would not hesitate to say what they thought. The fact that none of them disagreed made him certain he was making the right decision.

“Then it’s settled!” Tahurwaili slapped his knees and stood up. “All units, to your positions! Pulverize those foreigners until there’s nothing left! Be so thorough they’ll never even think about opposing us again!” he shouted. His words were filled with the authority of a king, and those who heard them were all in awe of his majesty.

In truth, the kingdom that Tahurwaili commanded, Tarshish, already had over a hundred tribes of varying sizes under its domain. Thanks to that massive influence, they were able to field an army of over twenty thousand—currently the largest in all of Europe.

Tahurwaili was the peerless champion that had built all of it from the ground up in a single generation. Known as the “Golden Spear-Bearer,” he had not been defeated in a single battle to date, and even his subordinates were all seasoned veterans incapable of losing. Meanwhile, his opponents were vagabonds who were likely on the run from an enemy. They had insufficient defenses and manpower. There were no absolutes in war, but Tahurwaili couldn’t see a single element that might cause them to lose.

And yet...

A noise none of the Tarshish generals would have expected to hear at that moment filled the air.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Along with the sound of air being sliced, a massive volley of arrows descended upon Tahurwaili’s camp.

“Huh?! A surprise attack?! From where?!” Tahurwaili shouted. It was a reasonable assumption. Though they’d discovered the enemy’s position ahead of their current location, they were still quite a distance away, so it would stand to reason to think an ambush had been staged nearby.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Down came another hail of arrows. This time he didn’t miss it.

“Huh...?!” Which was why his mouth dropped open in shock. The arrows were definitely being loosed from the camp ahead of them—there were no enemy soldiers nearby.

“B-But that’s impossible... There’s no way their arrows would be able to reach from that distance!” The distance between the two camps was far too great for an arrow to reach. In legends and fiction, battles were fought with swords and spears, but in reality, the weapon that claimed the most lives was the bow and arrow. In other words, the bow was the most prized weapon on the battlefield. For them to be able to fire from that distance meant...

“Fighting them head-on is going to be a problem.” Gritting his teeth, Tahurwaili acknowledged that he was at a disadvantage. Just thinking about how many he would have to sacrifice to even get within striking distance with their own bows made him shudder. Even if they did get within range, there was no question that the other side’s bows were overwhelmingly more powerful. It was clear as day that what awaited them then was a war of attrition.

“Advance! Show them that we’re not afraid!” Still, Tahurwaili did not falter in his commands. If they continued on like this, his vanguard would likely suffer major casualties. Perhaps they might even be wiped out entirely. But that was fine. As a matter of fact, that would work out in his favor.

“Give the other units the orders to retreat the moment I give the signal!”

“What?! No way!”

“A Lion Hunt?!” Tahurwaili’s next orders surprised his close associates, as they could no doubt guess what he was planning.

A Lion Hunt—when one side intentionally ran away in order to lure the enemy to a place where allies lay in ambush. As it was a foolproof way to surround and eliminate an enemy, it was a rather popular tactic with hunters. Though Tahurwaili had come from a family of hunters, he had not been taught this tactic by anyone; rather, he had learned it during his many hunts. Recently, his army had gotten so big that he’d been unable to use it, but back when Tahurwaili was the head of a smaller tribe, it had gotten him great results, and his success with the tactic was one of the main factors that had allowed him to get to the position he currently held.

“I honestly don’t think they’re worth using it on...” One of his generals voiced his dissatisfaction as he frowned. To relay Tahurwaili’s order was essentially the same as cruelly telling his allies that made up the vanguard to die a noble death. Of course, from an emotional perspective, it would stand to reason that the general would be opposed, but he was severely underestimating the situation they were in.

“If we simply rush forward and attack, there’ll be even more casualties. If we aren’t pragmatic in our approach, they may rout our entire army,” the king responded. He could say with conviction that this was the most correct course of action. A mere general would probably need some time to recognize that.

“What?! The great king of Tarshish’s army has never lost! There’s no way we’ll be defeated by a mere ten thousand men!”

“Yes, even weighing all the possible outcomes, I have to agree...”

Despite what was occurring right before their eyes, his generals couldn’t sense any danger, even going as far as to claim this to be an easy victory. They weren’t talentless by any means; as a matter of fact, each had received many accolades for their military prowess up until now.

The difference in the range of each side’s archers was too great. From just that information alone, Tahurwaili could see the outcome of this skirmish. That was how outstanding of a leader he was. However, the battle was still ongoing. There was no time to explain.

“My decision is final. Do as I say, and we shall emerge victorious!” He purposefully spoke in the noblest voice he could muster. What was necessary for a leader was not the ability to cooperate, but stubbornness. Instincts had taught him that. Humans had an innate desire to be subservient. He knew that humans felt safest and most prosperous when they were blindly following a great leader, rather than making decisions of their own. He would be the arrogant king they desired.

“Yes! We will do just as you say!”

“We will serve you with all our being!”

His generals bowed their heads and followed his orders, saying nothing further.

There was no doubt or hesitation in their eyes. That was because they all knew Tahurwaili was an unparalleled hero. If they just did as he said, they would surely win. After all, Tahurwaili had never once given them any reason to think otherwise.

Tahurwaili was born in a village of hunters and farmers in a region far to the east of Spain that we now know as Iran. The village was host to a small tribe of around one hundred people. From a young age, Tahurwaili was larger than all the other residents and boasted uncontested strength to match. He could even take down the adults in a fight. By the time he turned fifteen, he had grown sick of village life. The hunting provided a bit of sport, but deer, birds, and boars alike were no match for him in the end.

“It’s no use. I’ll rot if I stay here.” He had, after all, been born stronger than everyone else. Therefore, he wanted to test the limits of how far he could go. Three months later, Tahurwaili abandoned the village and became a mercenary for the kingdom of Hattusa, which had long been the strongest power in the Orient (which was what the people of the times called the Middle East). He’d heard that Egypt, Babylonia, and Mitanni were all embroiled in a war over the rights to that land, and he figured it’d be a perfect opportunity to test his might.

And so, five years on from the day he made the fateful decision to leave...

“Oh, my son, you’re back! I hear you’ve made quite the name for yourself on this battlefield as well!”

Tahurwaili’s peerless strength was acknowledged, and he was welcomed as the son-in-law of Zulu, perhaps the strongest guard in the kingdom. Tahurwaili had built his reputation by going from place to place, quashing rebellions before they escalated.

“Tahurwaili’s spear is worth its weight in gold.” Praised by even King Huzzjia I, there was not a single person in the kingdom of Hattusa that didn’t know his name.

“With you here, I can rest assured that our family is in good hands. Even after I die, I’m counting on you, my son,” Zulu stated proudly.

“Yes, I know.” He nodded at his father-in-law Zulu’s words, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He was grateful to Zulu, that much was true. Zulu had taught him how to fight, giving him the knowledge he needed to command a unit. If it hadn’t been for Zulu, there was a good chance Tahurwaili’s life would never have gone beyond that of a mere private soldier. But still...

“Is this really enough?” In order to take the throne or a position as an elite guard, one needed to have noble blood running through their veins. It was something Tahurwaili would never be able to achieve, no matter how much he yearned for it.

“But what if I take it by force? Hmm... No, I’d inevitably be branded as a traitor.” At present, he held great favor with Huzzjia I. The royal family had put an end to the territorial dispute and had even pacified the kingdom of Hattusa after a civil war, not to mention they’d reformed many of the kingdom’s less-than-savory qualities. His father-in-law Zulu, the elite guard, had also pledged allegiance to Huzzjia I, and he was well known as a master of combat. He didn’t have a good reason to go against them, and even if he was to somehow win, he felt that a throne where he was going to be looked upon unfavorably was not a proper one for him.

“I suppose it’s time, then.” Just like that, Tahurwaili made the decision to abandon his country. He had just turned twenty—still young, with his whole life ahead of him. He’d be damned if he was going to continue to be someone’s lapdog for the rest of his life. The prospect of fleeing the Orient and focusing on ascending to a throne somewhere else was much more enticing.

In most cases, the decision to abandon wealth, status, and honor unprompted and start from square one in an unknown land was not a sane one. He would probably be ridiculed. The nobility of his former country would probably use it as an excuse to look down on ordinary people as a whole, saying they all had a screw loose and the royals were the only ones that had any sense. But Tahurwaili had been born as a man, and as such, he had a duty to aim for greatness. A duty to make everyone else submit to him as king.

As it would turn out, after a mere ten years, he would succeed in that goal in the land of Europe. Having usurped over one hundred separate tribes, Tahurwaili became the continent’s ruler. It had not been an easy road by any means—in fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the moment he’d thrown his hat in the ring, it had been but one hardship after another. His life had been in danger more times than he could count on his fingers. Even so, Tahurwaili overcame all odds to stand at the top as a king.

“I knew the gods favored me!” Of the fact he’d just stated, he was certain. However, it had been a busy ten years—and now there would be threats like heavy bows and large ships in his way, but he’d be able to manage them without worry. After all, he was the man chosen by the gods to conquer this world. These challenges would only serve to decorate the legend of Tahurwaili further. He believed that from the bottom of his heart, without a shred of doubt or hesitation. He may have been a dreamer with lofty aspirations, but that was precisely the quality that made heroes. Tahurwaili believed without a doubt that he possessed the ability and charisma to bring his aspirations to fruition—and perhaps he would have, if he hadn’t had the misfortune to come across a man whose very existence was foul play.

“Report from the vanguard! The enemy is charging forward without any regard for our arrows!”

“They’re braver than I thought, then.” Yuuto’s eyes widened in surprise when he heard Kristina’s report. It was common in this era for the majority of soldiers to be plucked from farms and such, so he figured that by scaring them a little, he could get them to retreat. He hadn’t been able to use this tactic thus far as he was always facing off against ridiculously charismatic individuals like Nobunaga, Steinþórr, and Fagrahvél, but a volley of arrows fired from an overwhelming distance should’ve been plenty intimidating enough to make typical soldiers cower.

“Well, it certainly would’ve been easier for us if they’d lost their will to fight.” His voice was tinged with the reluctance he was feeling. He’d stained his hands with the blood of others countless times because he’d told himself there’d been no other option, but it wasn’t like he was a bloodthirsty tyrant. He didn’t want to take a life if he didn’t have to. However, if they continued to display fighting spirit, then Yuuto wasn’t going to let his guard down or hold back.

“Tell our archers not to let up their fire! Let the crossbow unit know that they are to open fire as soon as they see the enemy enter their range! Do not let the enemy get near!” Yuuto thrust his hand out in front of him as he gave his orders. A little while later—

“The enemy vanguard has been completely wiped out!” Kristina came back with another report, its contents just as Yuuto had expected. The Steel Clan boasted ranged weaponry several thousand years ahead of its time, so he’d been aware of the overwhelming gap between him and his enemy from the start, and he hadn’t hesitated to use it to his advantage. By spreading out in a W formation, the enemy could be fired upon from all directions (here, he took a cue from the star-shaped design of the Goryokaku Tower in Japan)—not to mention that while the arrows from the archers were coming from above, the crossbow unit’s arrows were flying in from the side, meaning that the enemy soldiers were surely having a hard time trying to determine how best to protect themselves from the onslaught of projectiles.

He also drew inspiration from the Battle of Crécy, which took place during the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. Though the French army had been nearly four times larger, England had clinched a one-sided victory by using longbows with superior range and digging pit traps. Of course, Yuuto hadn’t had any time to dig pit traps, but...

“By leading them toward the swamp, we were able to slow their advance, and by using our bows’ superior range, we made short work of the enemy. Your plan worked like a charm, I’d say.”

“Yeah, I’m honestly relieved it did. I wouldn’t want this to turn into a close-quarters fight this time.”

“Yes. Our vanguard unit, the Maidens of the Waves, is no more, after all, and both Aunt Felicia and Big Sis Sigrún are on maternity leave.”

“Yeah, and Linnea’s out of commission for the same reason.”

“Far be it from me to question the duties of the þjóðann, but don’t you think you overdid it? Your libido has cost us over half of our military strength. You don’t have to build a dynasty overnight, you know.”

“Oh, hush. I was giving them my blessing, so I had no choice.” His tone was casual when he replied, but inside he was a bit embarrassed, to tell the truth. Many of his most capable subordinates had been lost, and just as Kristina had said, their military strength had dwindled. Specifically, the military’s response to Yuuto’s commands was dull and unorganized, as though they had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. A nation’s lifeblood depended on its military wins and losses, so Yuuto swore to himself that in the future he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

“Besides, Father, you’re... Ah, excuse me.” Kristina was about to say more, but she suddenly held up a hand, holding the transceiver to her ear and nodding periodically before she spoke once more. “More news from the front lines. The enemy has begun to retreat.”

“Hm, seems like they’ve realized that continuing to fumble around in the dark is only going to result in more losses on their end.” The enemy vanguard had collapsed without even being able to deliver a single blow to the Steel Clan’s forces, so it was a sound decision.

“Should we pursue?”

“Hmm, maybe... Wait, don’t!” Yuuto was about to nod when a realization came to him. He quickly gave the order to stand by. He had a bad feeling about all of this.

“Father?”

“Right now, alarm bells are ringing in my head at max volume. My instincts are telling me that if we pursue them now, it’ll be bad news.” By all accounts, making such a decision based solely on his instinct was questionable, but something told Yuuto that this was nothing to sneeze at. According to a book he’d read long ago, instinct was the result of the brain subconsciously compiling in an instant all it had experienced and formulating a course of action based on that. It definitely wasn’t something he could ignore.

“Looks like now’s the time to use it.” After a small sigh, Yuuto shut his eyes and brought his consciousness inward. He delved deeper and deeper into his psyche until he came across a giant ball of light restrained in chains. After taking hold of it, he forcefully dragged it up to the surface. The human presence he’d felt around him expanded instantaneously. Each of the enemy’s presences were now so strong that he knew exactly where they were without even opening his eyes.

“Yep, I knew it. The enemy vanguard’s resolve hasn’t wavered one bit.” This was likely the source of Yuuto’s bad feeling. If they had just been frightened away by arrows, the soldiers would’ve had more fear or confusion in their body language. However, they were completely composed, which meant—

“It couldn’t be! The retreat was fake?!” Kristina yelled in shock.

“Yeah. They were likely trying to get us to follow them. They’ve got rearguard units lying in ambush on either side, it seems.” Yuuto spoke casually, but of course, a regular human being wouldn’t be able to figure out that much. He had used the power of Hervör, Guardian of the Host, one of the twin runes he’d inherited from the previous þjóðann Sigrdrífa. It allowed Yuuto to sense the presence and will of others, which at a glance might’ve seemed like a rather run-of-the-mill power. However...

“To be able to understand the battlefield in more detail than what my information network can provide... It’s like you’re not even human anymore, Father. Or rather, in your vernacular, you’re ‘overpowered,’ correct?” There was exasperation in Kristina’s voice even as she slathered on the sarcasm.

In war, it was vital to know the positions and movements of the enemy. Naturally, Kristina knew this well—it was exactly what she and her subordinates had been desperately scrambling to achieve all this time. In order to cope with the fact that someone in her own clan was able to merely sense all that information with pinpoint accuracy, she’d probably felt compelled to get in a jab or two about how all her efforts were for nothing.

“It’s nothing so powerful as that,” Yuuto replied with a half-smile. This ability had originally been sealed away by multiple Gleipnir spells—all he’d done was drag it to the surface. Every time he used it, it took a huge chunk out of him, both physically and mentally, so he couldn’t rely on it whenever he wanted. In that sense, Kristina had no need to worry—she was just as important to the clan as ever.

“Hm? Yuuto can also sense the enemy’s positions?” The petite black-haired girl standing next to him looked up at him with curious eyes. Her name was Oda Homura, and she was the daughter of Oda Nobunaga of the Flame Clan—a bearer of twin runes, and an entity who had given Yuuto and the rest of the Steel Clan quite a lot of grief previously.

“By ‘also,’ that must mean you can sense them too, Homura?” Yuuto replied, surprised. He’d heard the runes she possessed allowed her to invigorate and even manipulate the life force of others, but...

“Of course. Such is child’s play for the great Homura!” Pounding her nonexistent chest, Homura snorted with pride. This behavior only served to make her look even more childish, but Yuuto couldn’t afford to ignore the contents of her words. That would certainly explain why during their battles against the Flame Clan, the enemy always seemed to know where the Steel Clan Army was positioned.

“How about not keeping stuff like that to yourself?” Yuuto muttered in annoyance. If only he’d known she possessed that sort of power, he would’ve already proactively utilized it. Of course, he didn’t expect such forthrightness from a child like her anyway.

“Why? It’s not like you told me about your power either,” Homura replied, annoyed by his tone.

“Ugh... Guess I can’t argue with that,” Yuuto conceded.

“Never mind that! Does that mean there are others who can sense it?” she asked excitedly. She probably wanted to make friends who were like her.

“You’re the only one, of course. If there were others, we wouldn’t be able to function as a unit,” Kristina chimed in with a malicious smile.

“What are you talking about, Kristina? I can also sense when enemies are nearby. It’s like the wind tells me where they are, or something!” Albertina chimed in. The sibling who was supposed to be the family member Kristina was closest to had inadvertently betrayed her.

“Hmph.” Kristina curled her lips into a pout. It probably rankled her that her twin sister was able to do something she couldn’t.

“Don’t forget me! I may not be able to tell exactly where they are, but I can hear and smell them just fine!” As if providing the coup de grâce, a red-haired girl butted in with a smug grin.

It was Hildegard—the new commander of the Múspell Unit, which Hildegard had renamed the “Centauros Unit.” Never silver-tongued enough to win verbal disagreements against Kristina, she must’ve seen this as her opportunity to finally get revenge.

“The Steel Clan really is like a hive for freaks of nature, isn’t it?” Fagrahvél commented in exasperation.

“No kiiidding. With our roster, staging a surprise attack or ambush against us would be compleeetely impossible,” Bára added. The pair gave strained smiles, completely unaware that their abilities were just as freakish. Fagrahvél’s Gjallarhorn was powerful enough to be known as the Rune of Kings and could temporarily transform an entire unit into a throng of bloodthirsty warriors unafraid of death. Meanwhile, Bára was the Steel Clan’s tactician, and though her rune was nothing of note, her strategic wit was unparalleled. She often pinpointed and eliminated holes in Yuuto’s strategies and tactics to ensure they were successful.

“...Honestly, it’s enough to almost make you feel sorry for our enemies,” Kristina said with a sigh. She looked exasperated, but the look on her face showed a clear determination to not lose to either enemy or ally.

“I agree, honestly.” Though Yuuto didn’t want to come off as arrogant, he couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. The enemy this time was strong, without a doubt. They had managed to amass an army of over twenty thousand in this early of an era. They’d made the cruel yet logical decision to intentionally sacrifice their front lines to bait their opponent, a call Yuuto could never have made. They also had enough charisma and leadership to stage a false retreat, which was incredibly difficult to pull off in an orderly fashion. Both feats were something a typical commander wouldn’t ordinarily be able to accomplish. It probably wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that their leader was probably someone with the qualifications to shape history itself.

Yuuto had ceased production of their trump card, gunpowder, because he was afraid of the effect it might have on history. Even so, he was confident that he wouldn’t lose. In fact—

“Really, this is probably gonna be overkill.”

A messenger approached Tahurwaili with a report. “Your Majesty Labarna, I bring a report from General Lambda leading the rear guard. The enemy chose to pursue them, and they are now engaged in combat.”

“Heh... So they took the bait.” Once Tahurwaili heard the messenger’s report, he couldn’t help but smirk. Lambda was one of Tahurwaili’s Four Great Chieftains, and he was especially proficient in staging retreats—in other words, there was no better man suited for this strategy. He was confident Lambda would be able to lead the enemy to the specified point without raising suspicion.

Recomposing himself, Tahurwaili spoke once more. “And what about the unit in wing formation on either side?”

“They are all in position and ready to go, Your Majesty. They only await your orders now,” the messenger responded.

“I see, I see. Very good.” Tahurwaili gave a satisfied nod. Positioned on the left and right sides of the designated point were his tank units—the most elite and cutting-edge in his whole army. Comprising horse-drawn carriages each carrying a coachman, a warrior, and an archer, they were powerful enough to conquer any battlefield of this era. The sheer number they owned was said to be the country’s entire military might itself—over two thousand had been positioned on either side. It couldn’t be a more perfect formation.

“Heh, so this is what they mean by ‘moths to the flame.’ They’re so drunk on their victory that they’ll follow us right to the plains. But that’s when their luck will run out.”

The tanks couldn’t be used in the swamp, but once the enemy chased Tahurwaili’s army to the plains, his forces could mobilize as many of their tank units as they wished. The enemy may have had the advantage when it came to ranged weaponry, but the movement and destructive capabilities of the tank units that would be coming at them from both sides ensured that they were going to be wiped out.

“Do your worst, fools! Come to me!” Baring a carnivorous grin that might as well have been dripping saliva, Tahurwaili waited with bated breath for that moment. Never in his wildest dreams would he have suspected that the enemy had seen through his false retreat from the start and was merely pretending to be baited. His heart danced with the anticipation of victory.

After a short period of suspense...

“Y-Your Majesty Labarna, they’re here!”

“Finally! It is time!” Tahurwaili shouted out in excitement at the arrival of his prey. But the messenger’s next words sent him into a spiral of confusion.

“Y-You won’t believe this, but the enemy is charging toward us—on horseback! Th-There’s over a thousand of them!”

“...Huh?” For an instant, Tahurwaili couldn’t comprehend what his messenger had just told him. Of course, even Tahurwaili knew about mounted units—but that was exactly why he understood that horses like that couldn’t be trained to charge in a mere day, let alone trot in formation. It required a great deal of time and effort to get the horses to behave as desired. And the enemy had over one thousand of those horses?!

“I-It’s a bluff! They’re just trying to scare us! Those horses are mere decoration. There’s no way they can actually fi—” But that was as far as he got before he saw something truly unbelievable. Arrows were raining down from the sky toward their camp. Of course, they were coming from the horseback soldiers charging directly at them.

“I-Inconceivable! They’re firing while on horseback?!” Tahurwaili shouted out in disbelief, betraying his concern. Naturally, one needed both hands to fire an arrow, so that meant that they weren’t grabbing onto the horses’ manes. Yet they were charging at full speed! “How are they not falling from their horses?!”

If it were just one or two soldiers who were especially proficient at riding horses, he’d have been able to understand, but there were over a thousand here—that was a different story entirely. That wasn’t even the worst of it...

“Th-They’re firing from outside our range again!” the messenger yelled in a panic.

“I can see that without you having to tell me, fool!” he shouted back angrily, unable to maintain his composure. It seemed like the horseback unit before him was not only made up of master riders, but master archers as well. After all, arrows were being fired from an extraordinary range at frightening speeds without pause. There was no other conclusion he could draw.

“But how?!” Tahurwaili was stunned by one impossibility after another.

However, he was a peerless hero all the same. “Raise the smoke signals for the tank units waiting in the wings! Let the front lines know to hold out until the tank units arrive!” Immediately regaining his cool, he fired off order after order, and those orders were successfully carried out. To Tahurwaili’s troops, the tank unit was emblematic of their strength. They had seen it trample enemy after enemy. They had seen how pathetically their enemies all ran away afterward. It didn’t matter how incomprehensible an enemy’s fighting style was because they could never win against the invincible tank unit. All the tanks had to do was charge, and they’d win! It was that belief that kept the soldiers at ease so that they could hold out.

“Ugh, what a despicable bunch!” Tahurwaili muttered under his breath as he bit his lip hard enough to puncture it. The enemy had halted their advance, stopping right where his army’s arrows couldn’t reach, and switched to ranged combat. At this rate, Tahurwaili’s side would once again be subjected to a one-sided attack.

“Not again... Not again!” If he carelessly retreated here, it would be construed as weakness, and a negative mood would spread across the entire army. If that happened, even Tahurwaili wouldn’t be able to recover from it easily. However, it was too early to attack. They’d definitely suffer losses going up against such an elite unit. The best option was to time their attack with the tank units standing by in wing formation and surround the enemy. Therefore, all he could do now was wait.

Every moment that passed felt like an eternity, until cries of elation could be heard roaring from the front lines, along with the sound of heavy hooves and whinnies. Those sounds resounded in Tahurwaili’s core like music to his ears.

“Finally... Finally!” The time had finally come, and the long-awaited tank unit was finally here.

“The time has come! Everyone, you did well in holding the line, but now we stage our counterattack! All units, charge! Let them suffer ten times as much as we have!” Tahurwaili stood up and shouted regally. Watching their leader overflowing with confidence gave all who witnessed it courage, spreading across the army in no time.

Booming voices arose and the ground trembled as the Tarshish army encroached upon the enemy cavalry. All the anger they’d been holding in until now exploded at once. Giving off an almost demonic aura, the soldiers threatened to swallow up everything like a tumultuous, stormy sea.

“The enemy’s retreating!”

“Looks like our spirit scared them off!” Tahurwaili’s entourage also let out cries of jubilation. No matter how much the enemy’s cavalry unit defied description, there were only about a thousand of them. Faced with twenty thousand soldiers mad with fury, the enemy probably had no other option but to retreat with their tail between their legs.

“Look! The enemy’s running away! They’ve cowed to our overwhelming strength! Now to finish the job and... Huh?!” Riding the high of victory, Tahurwaili was about to invigorate the army further when a chill suddenly ran up his spine, giving him pause. Something was wrong. His chest stirred. Something within him was vehemently rejecting the notion to urge the troops any further. Perhaps this was the “sixth sense” that only fabled heroes possessed.

“No! It can’t be!”

“No way no way no way no way.”

“Impossible. Absolutely impossible.” 

And yet, it was the only possibility he could come up with.

“Stop them immediately! Send an emergency order to the vanguard telling them to halt! It’s a trap! The enemy is staging a Lion Hunt against us!”

All the information at his disposal indicated that it was so. Currently, there was only the enemy cavalry unit in front of them. There were no other foot soldiers to be seen. One might think that was because the cavalry unit had arrived much faster due to being on horseback, but that wasn’t the case. The cavalry unit was a decoy, designed to bait Tahurwaili’s army instead! Both the main unit and the wing units to the left and right had completely been ensnared in the trap.

“Stooop! Stop, dammit!” Tahurwaili screamed, but his words fell on deaf ears. There was an inevitable time lag between his orders and the messengers racing on horseback to deliver them. Furthermore, after finally having an opportunity to let out some of the frustration of relentlessly being on the receiving end of the enemy’s attacks, his troops were hungry for revenge. When the enemy retreated, it was a one-in-a-million chance for payback. That was how the enemy cavalry unit had managed to lure his forces to them, gathering them all in one place.

But they wouldn’t be able to catch up. It was impossible. It didn’t matter what type of mobility the tank unit possessed—if it was between a horse with only a rider on its back and a horse-drawn carriage pulling a carrier with three people, it was clear who was faster. Unfortunately, troops ensnared by the prospect of victory and their own bloodlust wouldn’t understand such things. As long as they were driven forward by their own zeal, the soldiers’ rampage couldn’t be stopped.

Almost as though it was a given at this point, the whooshing of arrows sailing past once again came from both sides of the camp, cascading upon them like rain. The Tarshish army, already charging forward at full throttle, had no way of avoiding it.

“Is the enemy commander some kind of demon?!” Tahurwaili’s voice shook as he trembled in fear. The enemy had seen through Tahurwaili’s ruse instantaneously and had even turned the tables on him, and they had done so more cleverly than he would ever have been able to manage. Their commander was likely on another level entirely.

“N...Ngghhh!” A pathetic groan escaped Tahurwaili’s mouth. He bit his lip and clenched his fists so hard that blood trickled from his hands and mouth. Not only was he unable to eliminate the enemy, but he had also ended up completely in the palm of their hands. In the thirty-four years he’d been on this earth, he had never felt such humiliation.

“Huff...huff...huff...” Tahurwaili was running through the dim forest as fast as his legs could carry him. His bronze armor, once shiny, was covered in mud. His face, too, no longer full of the confidence and vigor he was known for, was covered in sweat, and the signs of exhaustion and frustration were clear to see for anyone who gazed upon him. He looked like a different person altogether. Mere moments ago, he never would have imagined himself in this position. By all rights, he should’ve been admiring the enemy commander’s head on a pike and sipping his victory wine right about now, but instead it was the complete opposite. Even so, it wasn’t over just yet.

“Haa... Haa... You bastaaaard!” His eyes alone had not yet lost their light. Consumed by the flames of anger, he refused to give up. “I will never forget how you humiliated me! Huff...huff... Just you wait! I’ll pay you back for this in spades a few years from now!”

Running for so long was beginning to take its toll on his body, and he was reaching his limit, but he converted that humiliation, fury, and thirst for vengeance into energy and pressed onward. He’d lost many things during this battle, but he still had people and soldiers that loved and respected him if he returned to his country. He would gather power and influence for a few more years, then definitely have his revenge.

“Ah, demon spotted!” Suddenly, he heard a childish-sounding voice that seemed wholly unsuited for the battlefield coming from above him. When he looked up in surprise, he saw a black-haired girl of about ten or so years of age grinning proudly.

“This time, it’s the great Homura’s win! Take that, Hilda!” Nodding happily, she leaped down from the trees and landed in front of Tahurwaili.

“Is she a child from a nearby village? Wait, no...” He immediately discarded that initial thought. He was certain that there was no village near here. A child loitering around in the forest like this was unnatural, and the clothes she was wearing were unusual, the likes of which he’d never seen before. Above all—

“You’re pretty good yourself, though. You may have lost pitifully to Yuuto, but you’ve got presence. That’s why I was able to spot you from far away.”

Her words implied that she’d been looking for him. But what did she mean by “from far away?” If that was true, then he had nowhere to run. She may have looked like an innocent, petite ten-year-old girl, but he could tell she was dangerous.

“Who are you, little girl? You certainly don’t seem human,” Tahurwaili spoke in a tense voice as he unsheathed the sword at his hip. His senses were telling them that he was face-to-face with the type of terrible monster that only existed in myths and legends. He knew he wouldn’t be able to win. Tahurwaili had faced off against bears and even soldiers five times stronger than him, yet he’d never felt so powerless.

“Hm? Well, you’re right about that. The great Homura isn’t a normal girl. I’m a twin-runed Einherjar!”

“‘Twin’... ‘Ein’...?” He was confused by the unfamiliar words. Was it some kind of ancient, divine language?

“Oh, I guess people over here wouldn’t know about Einherjar. Oh well, doesn’t matter.” In the next instant, the girl disappeared from his vision, and almost simultaneously, he felt a sharp impact strike his solar plexus.

“Gaah!” With a cry of anguish, Tahurwaili crumpled to the ground. He felt more frustration than pain. That frustration permeated his entire body until it was all he could feel.

“Hm... The rules of our game were to capture you without killing you, so I’ll let you live! Good for you,” Homura said cheerfully.

Unable to breathe properly, Tahurwaili’s throat emitted only strange noises. The enemy was right in front of him—he had to stand up and fight, yet he was paralyzed with sheer pain. With one hit—yes, just a single hit—he’d been rendered unable to fight.

“Impossible...! True, I haven’t been participating in battles as much recently, so I may be a bit rusty, but I’m the Golden Spear-Bearer, dammit!” It was obvious that despite her appearance, the girl possessed unprecedented, unmatched strength, but Tahurwaili prided himself on his own strength. By his estimation, he was probably one of the three strongest fighters in the entire world. In fact, he could count on one hand the number of men he’d faced that were able to hold their own against him, and he’d claimed victory against them all. That was how he was able to ascend to his current status, so how was he defeated so easily?!

“It can’t... It can’t end like this!” He hadn’t held back even one iota. He’d approached her with the utmost caution, focusing on her every move, and yet...!

“Tee hee. I can already imagine the look on Hildegard’s sore loser face.”

And to top it all off, his opponent wasn’t even concerned with him. She was focused on a battle with someone else! How was just one group of invaders able to get under his skin this much?! There was nothing he could do. He could barely even move a finger. In no time at all, the little girl had him rolled up in a bamboo mat and hoisted away.

“Heave, ho...” Her speed was that of a horse running at full tilt, even while carrying him.

“I must be dreaming... This is all just a bad dream... Ha ha ha...” Faced with such a surreal turn of events, even Tahurwaili was compelled to detach from reality. Of course, unfortunate as it was for him, this was no dream.

Tahurwaili was taken to the enemy camp, where his expression stiffened with shock and fear. He was surrounded by drop-dead gorgeous women, the likes of which he’d have no qualms about spending a night with. At first, he had assumed these girls were the commander’s captives and that he must be quite the womanizer, and he felt shame at losing to such an indulgent man. But that thought lasted for only an instant, blasted away into the ether.

“Th-They’re all insanely strong!”

He had painstakingly climbed his way up to royal status on his own merits. One of the reasons he was able to do that was his keen eye for people. Just as he’d instantly discerned how powerful the girl named Homura had been, Tahurwaili’s eye was not easily deceived by appearances. He could tell—everyone here was freakishly powerful! Each and every one of them had the qualifications and presence to become king of their own nation if they so desired it.

“So, you were the one that got him first. Nice, Homura! Looks like you win the game.” But the most peculiar of them all was the black-haired boy mingling with them. He looked to be about twenty, or perhaps younger. There was nothing remarkable about him in the slightest, and he didn’t look particularly strong. Tahurwaili had no doubt he could take him in a one-on-one fight. But he immediately realized.

“This is the ringleader of this den of monsters!”

First, the way in which he carried himself was different from all the others—the generals that were a dime a dozen around these parts would likely look harmless compared to this man. Just how much experience did one have to have to give off such a monstrous aura at such a young age?!

“So this is the enemy commander, huh?” the black-haired boy remarked.

The moment the boy glared at him, he felt his heart leap up into his throat. His spine shivered and his body trembled as though he’d been thrown into a basin of ice. Having come this far, Tahurwaili was not afraid of death. Even during the encounter with Homura earlier, he’d only been frazzled with nervousness. He’d never been paralyzed with fear until now. Before he’d even realized it himself, he had averted his eyes from the boy. The great king Tahurwaili had been unable to withstand the pressure of a gaze from a boy of no more than twenty!

The boy snickered. “No need to be so afraid. We have no intention of taking your life.” When he saw the boy grin, Tahurwaili unconsciously relaxed. However, that was even more humiliating.

“My name is Suoh Yuuto. I would like to hear yours as well,” the boy said calmly.

“...Tahurwaili.” He felt that hiding it at this point would only serve to degrade him further, so he answered honestly.

The boy named Suoh Yuuto nodded. “Tahurwaili, is it? You may be my enemy, but I have to commend you for your outstanding skill.”

“Tch! Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?” He couldn’t stop himself from clicking his tongue at the remark. There was a limit to the amount of lip service you could give before it became an insult. After all, this boy had kicked Tahurwaili to the curb easier than taking candy from a baby. This was nothing like hunting rabbits or lions—this time, he’d been crushed by a presence far greater.

“Hmph. Well, I suppose it’d make sense if you took it that way, but I’m being serious, you know?” Suoh Yuuto gave a half-smile. It was as if he was pitying Tahurwaili from the bottom of his heart.

“That’s just how little of a threat he sees me as!” 

“You retreated the moment we started firing our arrows, you tried to lure us in with a false retreat, and you immediately noticed when we tried the same thing on you. Those things take real skill.” It seemed he was trying to laud Tahurwaili as an opponent, but his words only humiliated Tahurwaili practically to the point of tears. The boy had grasped his actions and thoughts back then as easily as grasping an apple. As he thought, he had merely been dancing on the palm of this boy’s hand the whole time.

Whether or not the boy could truly see through Tahurwaili’s heart was something he couldn’t tell even now, but Suoh Yuuto patted him on the shoulder and said, “In the end, you were just, y’know, unlucky.”