Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure - Chapter 4: In the Midst of War (Part 1)

The Filborg Succession Imperial Southern Expedition Mixed Army’s attack on the Royal Capital Seyrord was proceeding largely according to plan. The expression of the fourth-ranked General, the Supreme Commander in command, was relaxed.

The current encampment was located near the road leading to the Seyrord Royal Castle. The reason for this was to block the enemy’s escape routes and to ensure that none of the Marysean Nobles, including the Queen, escaped.

Marysea probably did not expect to be invaded the day after the declaration of war. Nor would they have expected to find their Royal Castle under siege. If the troops attacking other strongholds joined them, they would be able to capture the Royal Castle by sunset with minimal damage.

Fourth-ranked General Richarda von Adler was optimistic as she gazed at the Royal Castle of Seyrord, which was on fire as she heard the reports of minor enemy resistance.

She was a Princess General from a noble family in the western part of the Empire. She was only 25 years old which was young, even for a meritocratic frontline unit.

With her translucent white skin and shoulder-length silver hair shining in the sun, if she were not wearing jet-black armor, she would have been mistaken for a saintly woman.

“Report!”

A shadow appeared as a huge dragon landed in front of her. It was probably an Ice Dragon, as its body surface had a coloring that seemed to blend in with the snow, which is unique to northern Dragons.

The reason why she was able to launch a surprise attack on the Royal Castle on the first day of the war was because she was authorized by the Empire to mobilize the Dragon Knights. The morale of soldiers had also been boosted by fighting alongside them.

Two groups of Dragon Knights were participating in the battle: the Ice and Snow Dragon Knights, whose main force were the Ice Dragons, and the Black Dragon Knights, whose main force was the flaming Black Dragon. This was an excessive force for a weak nation like Marysea.

“What is going on?” Richarda’s sharp voice was directed at the Dragon Knights, who were probably as old as her own father. 

She had ordered all the Dragon Knights to destroy the enemy positions in the Royal Castle and the city. The question was also a reprimand for leaving their post.

“I have an urgent matter to inform you about.”

The Dragon Knight, who was known for having fought a hundred battles, was upset.

“What is it?”

“At the Royal Castle of Seyrord, one of the Black Dragon Knights’ Black Dragons have been killed!”

“Wha…!?” Richarda had an unusual witty look on her face. The same was true for the attendants who were listening along with her. 

“Even though it was the enemy’s main camp, I didn’t know that there were enough Knights in Marysea to defeat a Black Dragon…” Her expression turned grim.

But this was a battlefield. Unforeseen circumstances might as well occur. They could not be dismayed.

“No, that’s not the thing…”

“What is it? Complete the report…”

“…The Black Dragon was vanquished by a single man.”

“One man?” Richarda and the others were astonished. 

The Dragon was slain by a single man. The Dragon’s scales, which did not accept any sword blow and repelled any magic, were not easy to pierce. In a past battle, the same Black Dragon was once defeated by a single rider, but that was because of a meticulous ambush by three enemy Knights and two Magic Corps.

A Dragon that could only be defeated to that extent was slain by a single person…

The Nation of Marysea, confused by the surprise attack, should not have the strength to do so.

“Are you sure?”

That was all she could think. Uncertain information and rumors would fly around on the battlefield.

“There is no doubt about it. I would give my life for it. The man was dressed in a strange mixture of green and brown, carried a log-like cylinder on his shoulder, and as if he were chanting some kind of incantation, the black dragon exploded and shattered into pieces.”

“Nonsense!”

The story was so ridiculous that Richarda almost laughed at it. However, the face of the Dragon Knight who reported it was serious.

She was not so foolish as to trample it down. This Dragon Knight was a veteran who was trusted by those around him. He was honest and would not have bent her orders to tell a lie. Although she was skeptical in her heart, she decided to trust her subordinate.

“How’s the war proceeding since we lost the Dragon?”

“We have conquered half of the Royal Castle, but due to the effect of the Dragon being defeated earlier, we are at a stalemate. Currently, we are rallying the 500 soldiers we have sent  inside to capture the Royal Castle.”

The damage to the Dragon was painful, but there was no damage to the main force. The army was strong enough.

“I see. Thank you for your report. You may go. Have your men prepare for the offensive.”

“Ha!”

The Dragon flapped its wings again and flew away, leaving behind a cold wind as only an Ice Dragon would.  

Richarda had an ominous feeling about the small change that had occurred in the middle of a smooth war. However, as an Imperial General, he could not allow herself to show this uneasiness. She reminded herself that even if the current situation was going well, she could think about it after the war.

“Are you having trouble…?” A husky voice rang in her ears.

She turned around, disgusted, and saw a Mage dispatched from her home country standing there with an eerie smile on his face.

‘…… I believe he said his name was Genfur.’

In return for reinforcements from the Dragon Knights, this man was ordered to oversee the battle. Regardless of what a high-ranking person would do, it was usually the act of an outsider overseeing the battlefield and reporting the problems of the allies to the top, which was the most disliked by the soldiers on the ground.

This man, whose age, origin, and rank were unknown, and who only had a title, stood out from the rest of the military. In the first place, there was no reason to have a Mage do the Commander-in-Chief’s job. He must have come here on some other mission.

“No, it’s not something that the Commander-in-Chief should be bothered by,” she said. “The information is still unconfirmed, and the operation is proceeding smoothly as originally planned.”

“But it is kind of you to care about it, sir.” Richarda let out a small chuckle as she returned back to her tent. At her disgust, the faint uneasiness she felt in her earlier report disappeared. 

She turned her glaring eyes to the battlefield again.