Kingdoms are easy to defend, at least in war.
The Capital is in a basin. Surrounded by rugged mountains, the only way to get in and out of it was to follow the course of the rivers that cut through the continent. There were few ways to march over the mountains; even if they did, it would be no easy task to battle in the landscape.
“They’ll get over the mountain.”
“They will cross the mountains. They’ll cross the seas. We’ll fill rivers and lakes and flatten forests.”
But monsters were different. The mountains became trenches for the enemy to hide in. Georg stared at the map and pondered. The enemy would come from all directions as if it were the plains. Tens of thousands of creatures, each from a different part of the continent, would trample castles and towns along their path.
“It’s an army map.”
Before Georg had time to tie himself in knots, the adjutant held out a fresh sheet of paper. Georg looked at it and sighed. It had been hard enough defending a citadel in the north, but what would this be like?
“It’s going to be a tough fight. You’re probably more familiar with how they attack the walls – no ladders, no siege weights, just banging their heads against the walls. If the bodies start piling up, we can do nothing about it. And what will happen to the citizens if they get over the walls and into the Capital? I don’t want to think about what happens after that.”
It was hard to believe that the calmly spoken words and the desperate look on his face belonged to the same person. Georg listened to the adjutant’s explanation.
“With monsters coming from all directions, we can’t even evacuate the people anywhere; if we let them out, they’ll all be dead in less than a week.”
“The Magic Towers will help with the defense. In the worst case, we have Sixth Circle wizard Daphne. The Capital will be the safest place for the citizens.
The Queen’s decision was bold. She ordered all the small towns near the Capital to empty their cities, pack up, and travel to the Capital. Temporary camps were set up, and the small towns’ forces were naturally absorbed into the Capital’s army.
This would make them easier to defend. The buildings would crumble, and the land would be devastated, but the people would be protected.
“…But even so, if the walls were breached, it would be pointless. We’d all die, wouldn’t we, Captain?”
“If you put it that way, even if we stop all the monsters, we’ll still die if we fail to stop the Meteor. We only need to think about the task at hand. Don’t think about what we can’t do.”
It was meant to be a pep talk, but the adjutant’s expression grew somber. He had forgotten about the Disaster amid his thoughts of the oncoming monsters. Georg scratched his head, wondering if he should reprimand him.
“Fix your face. At least look like you want to live. If you go into battle like that now, you’ll be dead before you see the face of a monster.”
“…I don’t want to die.”
He didn’t say that condescendingly; he meant it. The adjutant was quite pale. Georg stared at him, then sighed. It was a good thing he was being so blunt.
“You don’t have to fight if you don’t want to.”
There was no room for the frightened. Georg frowned, wondering what Elroy would have done in a time like this. The adjutant stood frozen, unable to open his mouth. He was an intelligent man but lacked decisiveness in a critical situation.
“If you can’t make up your mind, then go out front and fight. It’s better to die fighting than to wait out your impending doom..”
“…Yes. At least if I die with dignity, I won’t have any regrets.”
The adjutant said bitterly and left the room. Georg cleared his throat and stared at the map. Letters and numbers tangled in his eyes, and he couldn’t make sense of it. Georg forced his eyes open and crammed the information into his head. It felt so different from the war in the North. The Disasters threat never left. It only brought a new sense of despair each time.
“I am weak.”
Georg muttered, looking down at his palms. He thought he was strong and could hold his ground against Elroy. But now that fewer people bear the weight, Georg realized how heavy the burden was.
“What is responsibility but responsibility, and what is chivalry but chivalry?”
Georg shook his head and looked out the window. It was a clear day again. He’d call it a blessing in disguise. The command center was bustling with activity. Today, the Queen would probably come and inspect the camp. And she’ll stay at the command center for the rest of the day, thinking about the coming battle.
The knights running around with their swords at their waists were pale. Their thoughts swirled into a din. Away from the deafening clamor, Georg stepped out of the command center. The wind blew in his face. It carried no smell.
Summer is coming. The corpses will rot faster, and the city’s sanitation will be harder to manage. Rotting bodies invite plague. It will do as much damage as a monster getting past the walls when it spreads. The dead will be thrown out the walls without burial. Georg tried to visualize his own body being thrown over the wall and burned to avoid contaminating the people.
“Georg!”
Georg jerked awake at a thin voice calling out to him. It didn’t belong here. The voice kept calling his name, getting closer. A short woman with blonde hair, a small face, and freckles. Georg’s eyes widened at the sight of his shabbily dressed fiancée.
“Camilla.”
Camilla ran to Georg and hugged him. She was practically clinging to him, but he could barely feel her weight. She blinked back tears as she felt Georg’s hand on her shoulder.
“I heard… the fight is about to start.”
A sob that sounded more like a whimper. Georg looked at Camilla with sympathy. He might be on the battlefield, and she might be in the safety of her house, but she didn’t care about that. She only thought of her fiancée.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve come back from battle many times before.”
The old saying that war doesn’t discriminate between the experienced and the inexperienced was true. There could be a battle tomorrow, and he could be one of many deaths.
“You’re the one who should return. I’m more worried about you than me.”
Private soldiers were called. Nobles were also subject to conscription. Only an old butler, a retired knight, stood by Camilla’s side.
“I’ll be back, and I’ll come back victorious and safe, I swear.”
He didn’t want to lie to assure her. If he returned safely, he would have fulfilled his vow; if he didn’t, he would have lied and broken it. Georg hugged his fiancée tighter, and he whispered.
“Can you trust me?”
But in the end, trust was all that mattered. He would be able to fight only if she said yes, and it wasn’t as if she didn’t know that. Camilla shuddered, unable to answer Georg’s question easily.
“I just don’t feel the same this time.”
It was a whine, but Georg couldn’t deny that it felt different. He felt their incoming defeat, the basin flowing with water and corpses. The Hero was missing and might never return. And even if he does, it might be too much for him.
Then, a hesitant voice broke the silence.
“Captain, the Commander wants to see you.”
Camilla slid away from Georg. She had come to Georg out of frustration, but it was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Georg stared at her, unable to shake his regret, but the answer he wanted to hear had not yet come.
“…I believe you.”
With difficulty, his fiancée spoke.
“So please come back safely.”
Georg nodded and turned away. The knight looked at him apologetically, then turned on his heel. With great difficulty, Georg pulled himself off the ground as if uprooting a giant tree.
***
“We cannot use up our wizards in this battle.”
Nella said firmly. Laura, Nella, and Daphne had been entrusted deploying and managing the wizards. The three of them. Laura was at the ramparts arguing with the other Tower Masters, leaving the other two to handle the rest.
“If we put as many wizards into this battle as the command center demands, the Meteor can’t be stopped. Magic will be restored, but the dead cannot be brought back.”
Wizards must not die. It was cold, but it was necessary. It wasn’t like she was being forced to choose; it was a foregone conclusion.
“We’ll have to send out enough of them that even if they get wiped out, we will be able to stop the Meteor.”
Daphne hated herself for saying that. She hated herself for not being unable to do more. The thought of hundreds of deaths gnawed at her mind.
“Any wise man would have made that decision.”
She heard a clumsy voice of consolation.
“No one deserves to die, and no one has the power to decide who should die.”
“But some people do deserve to live.”
Nella said grimly.
“Anyone can ask for a miracle, but assuming one is a privilege reserved for those who can perform it. I don’t have to tell you which one we are.”
“…Yes.”
It was a sad world. Daphne hung her head somberly.
“You’re the one who decided not to wake him, saying he’d be back.”
Nella looked at Daphne in silence for a moment, then said.
“If you believe that, then at least don’t be gloomy. The Hero…Elroy didn’t leave a note to tell you to despair.”
I felt my tongue twitch at the mention of Elroy. Nella frowned and plopped down next to Daphne.
“Did he seem uneasy when he talked to you? Was he unsure of what he was doing? Did he say he would leave you behind and slowly die hidden away?”
Daphne shook her head. The cloud over her face seemed to lift a little.
“Did it help you?”
“…Yes.”
While Daphne seemed a little better, Nella continued hiding her growing anxiety. The damned Hero was still sleeping somewhere.
‘Come back soon, please.’
***
“Your Majesty.”
Agnes felt the weight of the armor on her body. The armor was light, but it felt heavy. She clenched and unclenched her fists. It had been a long time since she wore it. Her movements were awkward, the sound of creaking joints filling her mind. Agnes barked an order to the maid, who called her anxiously without turning.
“Bring my sword.”
The sword Agnes wielded was not the greatsword passed down from generation to generation of the royal family. It was lighter and could be wielded with one hand. Agnes gripped the blade and closed her eyes tightly.
“Well done. Go back.”
It was impossible to disturb the Queen in her meditation. The maid bowed her head and turned away, not disobeying her command. Agnes breathed deeply in the sun.
“So this is how you felt.”
She recalled the time when the Hero left to face the Third Disaster. He was frozen in place, crushed by the added weight, immobilized, unable to move.
“I won’t say I understand you. I won’t pretend to understand you because you probably carry much more.”
Agnes stepped outside. One by one, the heads of the kingdom’s knights followed at her heels. The battlefield was everywhere. Agnes climbed the ramparts, feeling the air stir.
“They’re coming.”
“Are you ready for battle?”
“Yes. All troops are deployed.”
Good.
Agnes nodded, then turned her attention to the city walls.
“Is this a harbinger of the end?”
A monster tidal wave was rolling over the ridge.
