Altina the Sword Princess - Book 12: Chapter 0 Prologue

The War Conference that was late

The Fourth Army formed up on the eastern hill. They had 500 cavalry and 4,000 infantry.

To intercept them, the First Army set up formation at the foot of the hill. 1,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry.

Be it numbers, training or equipment, the First Army had the upper hand.

However, the gallant victories the Fourth Army won in the High Britannian War had already spread across the entire Empire.

Although Latreille would be coronated as the new emperor tomorrow, the imperial capital Versailles was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.

The Fourth Army Headquarters——

Eric, the escort rifleman asked:

“Your Highness, what should we do?
Altina stood on the hill and stared down the First Army.

“Charge them!”

“Ehhh!?”

“—— If I said that, I can imagine Regis’ face as he tries his very best to stop me. If he was here, he would definitely object to this.”

“That might be so… After all, battling the First Army is too rash. And we don’t have the proper rationale to support our campaign too right?”

“If they didn’t have a guilty conscience, why did they make such a big fuss and mobilize their troops?”

“No no, we are the ones who brought an army here in the first place.”

“Then I will question Latreille by myself!”

“Please don’t do that!”

Eric pleaded with a screech, then spoke bluntly.

“Erm… Princess, that would be reckless. If Field Marshall Latreille was unscrupulous, this will be akin to putting one’s head in the lion’s mouth.”

“I know.”

While Altina was talking to Eric, two men walked towards the headquarters.

There was Eddie who had the title of Emperor Sword, and Abidal Evra, the leader of the Flying Sparrow Knights.

Although Eddie was assigned to stay at the fort, he had his own ideas about it and led the infantry that set off later and caught up with Altina.

“Yo!” He raised a hand in greeting.

“Argentina, how long do you plan to face off against them?”

“That’s what we are discussing. Eric said I can’t go question Latreille alone.”

“Isn’t that obvious? How can we send out the top commander out of the blue. At times like this, a messenger would normally be despatched.”

Altina opened her eyes wide.

“That surprised me… Eddie, you actually gave a proper opinion!?”

“I had some experience on the battlefield after all… Sigh, your words seem to imply you are looking down at me?”

Abidal Evra lowered his head.

“My terrible apologies. It is an 8 days journey from Fort Volks to the capital… I should have expected such a situation and proposed a way forward.”

We had 8 days of time, so why couldn’t we decide on a plan? —— Altina reproached herself too.

“Hmmm… If Latreille mobilize his army, we will retaliate, how about that?”

Eric sighed.

“How can we attack them all of a sudden?”

“During civil war, it is common for both sides to remain at an impasse.”

Eddie nodded in agreement.

Altina pouted:

“T-Then there is nothing we can do!? I never fought a civil war before.”

“I don’t have experience either…”

In the eyes of the cautious Eric, Altina’s action lacked careful thought and was full of risk.

That might be so, as an escort, he should avoid raising opinions that run contrary to the commander. And he couldn’t think of any good ideas like Regis…

Eric shut his mouth.

Normally, Regis would control the flow of conversation at such a moment… But their discussion right now was running amok like an unreined wild horse.

At this moment, Eddie caught the tail of that horse.

“Anyway, I think we should send a messenger first?”

“Is that enough? Then we will send one… who should we send?”

Altina asked for the other’s opinion.

Eddie took a step backwards.

“Not me. It will be a different story if this is a part of Regis’ plan, but Latreille seem to have a personal vendetta against me.”

“That’s true. You are the one who escaped hand in hand from the palace with Auguste.”

“Ehh… That’s true.”

Why are two grown men acting like this? —— Eric thought in his heart.

Although the First Prince Auguste was actually the Fifth Princess Felicia in disguise, so this wasn’t an act between two men.

Not even the staff officers knew about the disguise. Eric only knew because he had seen through Felicia’s crossdressing disguise.

Leaving that aside, Eric pointed out other issues.

“If we send Duke Eddie Fabio de Balzac who is famed as the best swordsman in the Empire, the other party might not be able to know if he is a messenger or to seek a one on one duel…”

“No no, I don’t kill people.”

Eddie hated blood flowing.

He didn’t want to kill.

Even so, he didn’t want to be killed either.

Hence, he trained and obtained powerful skills to suppressed others without dying or killing the other party. This was also thanks to his talent and the prowess of ‘Defendre Sept’.

Altina crossed her arms.

“I won’t let Eddie challenge them to duels!”

“No, I mean Field Marshall Latreille’s side might misunderstand…”

“If it’s a duel, then I should go!”

“I already said you can’t!”

Telling a commander ‘no’ was overstepping his boundaries, an action taboo for escorts—— Despite that, Eric had to say it.
Altina waved her hand.

“I-I get it. I have grown a lot too, and know that I can’t start a civil war without a proper rationale to support it.”

“Please consider it seriously. The sun is going to set.”

“Who do think should go, Eric?”

“… If you give the word, I will be happy to oblige.”

That won’t do, Eddie shook his head.

“Eric is the escort officer, how can you leave the commander’s side.”

“That’s…”

“And Argentina likes you a lot. If you are despatched as a messenger and get killed by the other side, the commander will lose her cool. We can’t allow that.”

“L-Like!?”

“Don’t you spend a lot of time with her and Clarisse, and even act just like a maid?”

“I-I’m a man!?”

“Hahaha… That’s true, but I can’t help feeling this way.”

“P-Please don’t say that, Lord Eddie.”

He wished that Eddie wouldn’t touch the core question so nonchalantly.

Eric wiped away his cold sweat.

Altina tilted her head.

“Hmm—…… If we are sending a messenger, what should we tell Latreille? Question him ‘Did you kill Regis?’… What do we do if he says ‘I didn’t’?”

Eddie shrugged.

“If he said he didn’t, doesn’t mean he didn’t?”

“That won’t do at all!”

“Then what will you do, Argentina? Are you are certain he is lying?”

“Well…”

Altina fell into deep thought.

She led her army here on the spur of the moment, but didn’t even think about how she would question Latreille.

Eric held his head.

“Ahh, if only Sir Regis is here…”

“That’s right, if only Regis is here! But, he claims Regis is dead with just a lousy piece of paper… That’s unbelievable right!?”

“That’s… true…”

“He is a one of a kind strategist. The hero that saved the Empire… How did it turn out this way, Prince Latreille?”

Eddie sighed.

The battle of Grebauvar fortress city was a siege which they won. Even though their headquarters wasn’t assaulted, Regis who was a strategist died in battle—— It was natural to feel this was an assassination.

Suddenly, Abidal Evra pointed to the north

“Hmm? An infantry unit is approaching our flank…? Could it be a sneak attack!?”

“What!?”

Altina looked over hurriedly.

A unit was indeed heading towards them while kicking up a dust storm. They numbered about 700.

It wasn’t too numerous, but they couldn’t be ignored either.

If their flank was attacked and the soldiers fell into confusion, they would be routed if the First Army used this chance to charge them.

However, their frontlines would be thinned if they send too many troops to the wings.

Altina’s mind was a mess.

“Ugh~ Send 700 infantry to intercept!”

“We are matching their numbers!? Your Highness, our formation will crumble if they break through our flanks!”

When she heard Abidal Evra’s advice, she reconsidered.

“Twice the number then.”

“1,400 it is, understood. We will draw 400 men from the unit at the front!”

“Yes!”

“Wait!” Eddie shouted.

“It doesn’t look like a surprise attack.”

“Eh?”

On second glance, that unit was hoisting a white flag.

Surrender. Or maybe, a messenger.

Eric felt troubled and said:

“What is going on? It is hard to imagine sending 700 men to be messengers.”

“And they seem to be mercenaries?”

Eddie muttered. He had great eyesight.

After they came closer, Altina could tell from their equipment too. Their weapons and armour were a chaotic mixture, not like an imperial unit.

“They do… look like mercenaries?”

“In that case, we can’t let our guard down even if they have a white flag.”

Abidal Evra remarked.

There were many mercenaries that acted just like bandits.

On the battlefield, it was prohibited to launch a surprise attack after raising a white flag or pretending to be casualties.

However, bandits wouldn’t care about such rules. They didn’t belong to the military, and was a criminal organization.

“… No.”

Altina said softly.

Though she didn’t understand why, her mind was filled with a strange sense of nostalgia.

“… Could it be, Regis?”

Ehh!? The people around her yelped in surprise.
Shortly after, they realized that Altina’s instinct proved to be correct.