Regis became a strategist.
Although he wasn't confident, he had to make it work somehow.
He had quietly told Altina the best course of action. Having been acknowledged as the commander, she issued the orders to the troops.
"I order Sir Jerome to lead 100 cavalry to intercept the enemy. Find out the number of enemy forces and form a battle front if possible... If the enemy force is too large, you are to withdraw with the safety of our forces as the priority!"
"Orders received!!"
General Jerome who became her subordinate willingly because of the duel led the cavalry out of the fort.
The sound of hooves, clashes of iron and courageous roars came from beyond the stone walls.
Turning their back to the sound of battle, Regis and Altina headed for the central tower.
At the top of the central tower was an observation post overlooking the battlefield, and doubled as a conference room to simulate battle tactics.
First, he needed to treat the wounds Altina sustained during the duel. She had won because of the founding emperor’s sword and some luck, but she was heavily injured and it wouldn't be strange if she needed to be carried in a stretcher.
It must be hard on her, but she still wanted to walk on her own two feet.
The loser Jerome had headed out to battle, so if the winner Altina couldn’t even walk, her objective to display her strength would be in vain.
Blood dripped slowly on the snow by her feet. The young girl who looked like she was going to collapse dragged her feet and forged ahead.
"Hah... hah..."
"Come on, Altina."
Regis beside her couldn’t do anything other than encouraging her on softly.
The distance from the parade square to the central tower seemed so far away.
The tower in the middle of the fortress was a massive building made of stone, the main gate was made from steel.
After much effort, they finally made it past the door.
Regis used his body weight to close the door.
"Ugu~~~"
The steel door closed with a loud bang.
The passageway enclosed by the stone walls became dark, the sound of fighting seemed far away.
After she was out of sight from the soldiers, Altina collapsed.
She leaned on the wall and panted intensely.
"Al, Altina, are you okay?"
"Yeah... Hah... hah... Ugu... I'm fine... I can... still stand..."
The soldiers in the fortress had headed to their battle stations because of the savages' attack, or were preparing to head out in the parade square. They wouldn’t see the scene inside the central tower, so it was fine to rest here for a moment.
"Altina, all will be lost if you die. Don't push yourself, have a good rest."
"Ugu, yeah..."
And so she rested her back on the stone wall and caught her breath.
Regis sat beside her too.
And looked at her profile.
Her mother might be a peasant, but she was made a concubine because of her exceptional beauty. Altina was said to be even more beautiful than her mother.
Her shiny red hair seemed more glamorous after the dangerous battle, her slightly opened eyes and her ruby like pupils seemed more profound.
While she was exhausted, her skin was whiter than snow without a hint of darkness.
Even Regis who wasn't too concerned about a lady's beauty was captivated.
Her innocent profile reminded him that she was just a 14 year old girl. In the Belgarian empire, only those who were 15 would be treated as adults, so Altina was still a child.
But she was strong.
Be it her skills with a sword or her resolve.
She wouldn’t give up no matter how dire the situation.
Even though her hands were stained with dirt and blood, Regis thought that she looked beautiful just like this.
Her thin porcelain-like smooth fingers looked as though it might snap with a gentle touch. Those fingers wielded a heavy two-handed sword taller than she was, defeating the hero Jerome renowned for his combat prowess.
Her unfathomable arm strength was probably because of her lineage and training.
She was too amazing...
"What is it Regis?"
Altina looked at him.
"Ah, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling much better... rather than that, you are staring at me, what is it?"
"Eh? I, I, I'm staring at you?"
"Yes you are, I can feel my body being pierced by your gaze. Nah, do I look weird? Dirt on my face? Don't hold back and just tell me such matters."
"No, you are fine. Beautiful."
"Hah?"
Regis covered his own mouth.
--What did I say to a child five years my junior!?
I was captivated by you because you are too beautiful - A bard from the imperial capital would probably present this song at this moment. But regrettably, Regis didn’t have such artistic talent.
He could only keep quiet and blush.
Altina looked at him with a face of worry.
"Did you catch a cold because you watched the duel in the blizzard? Your face is all red. Take care and don't catch a cold alright?"
Her right hand reached for Regis.
He shuddered at this and backed away.
His reflex was because of embarrassment.
But she seemed mistaken.
"Ah... Sorry. My hands are dirty right?"
"No, it's not that."
"Ah, don't mind me, I don't like flattery or sympathy. My hands are totally different from the noble ladies right? It's full of sweat during training and the dirt and blood from the duel."
"...I mean it, it's not that."
Regis reached out his hand this time.
Even if his heart was beating wildly, he was still determined to resolve this misunderstanding.
He placed his hand on top of Altina's hand.
"Eh?"
"Your, your, your hands are really pretty, these are hands that carried out your own will... Erm, because I don't have experience with intimate contact with females, so... I'm not used to touching girls, so I was a bit startled."
"Ah... yeah..."
Although he succeeded in making her understand, he missed the chance to retract his hand.
Regis thought about it.
This scene was the same as one in a book he read not long ago. He remembered it was Cuiller Romeros' 'Rawl's love journey'.
- I took the young lady’s hand, letting it caress my face and kissed the sweet flower petals...
No way!
If the story progressed in that direction, he would be hung for disrespecting royalty, master Cuiller!
Regis was very troubled.
It's a pity, but the main character in any story wouldn’t be so useless and let go of a girl's hand without doing anything after praising her beauty. He didn’t have anything to refer to.
Just as he was wondering what to do and was petrified,
Cough cough, he heard a coughing sound made forcefully.
He turned back and saw a maid in blue uniform - Clarisse smiling at him.
"Do you want to accumulate experience in touching females with the princess? Who can't even walk as your partner in private? Mr. Regis."
"Eh eh!? I wasn't planning on doing that."
"You are unexpectedly devious."
"Am not!"
"What did you plan to do to the princess?"
"Not, not planning to do anything!"
"Is that so? I was wondering if the princess needs treatment."
"That's it! Of course. Eh... The troops will see her in the infirmary so we can't go there. Go back to her room with changing her clothes as an excuse, then summon the doctor over."
Altina nodded in agreement.
Clarisse expressed her understanding.
"I understand. And so, princess."
"Heave ho..."
Altina placed her hands on the wall and pushed herself up.
"Fuu... Finally, strength has returned to my legs."
Her face looked at ease.
Regis straightened his back too.
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"They are beginning the battle out there right? I am acknowledged as the commander after winning the duel, so no one will treat me as a bother."
"... There will be problems if you act too recklessly; Death will certainly come... my death from stomach ulcer."
"Ara, that will be troubling. I worked so hard for you to become my strategist."
"Altina, quickly return to your room and receive the treatment from the doctor properly."
"These words... is it the advice of a strategist? Or a fifth grade admin officer? Or as a friend?"
"It is of course as a strategist. We promised."
"Hmm… Well, I have to listen obediently."
Altina started to walk and Clarisse followed in silence quietly.
She didn't support her, just walking alongside her, but she was in position to help if Altina faltered.
"... Then again, why is Miss Clarisse here?"
The plan was for her to wait at the carriage.
"Because I believe the princess will win the duel and return to her room. But I didn't expect Mr. Regis to be holding her hands so tightly."
"There, there was a complicated reason behind that, just like in the stories... And that is, well..."
This time, Altina was blushing together with Regis too.
Although Clarisse's words were full of impact as usual, her expression was gentle.
"Mr. Regis, please leave the princess to me."
"No, I will accompany you for a while. I have delegated Sir Evrard to be the second wave."
Evrard was the knight commander of Beilschmidt border regiment, a fierce veteran and reliable warrior.
Clarisse seemed to understand and nodded.
"That means you want to watch the princess get undressed while being treated."
"I didn't say that!?"
"I know. You are worried about the princess."
"Of course."
"But I am worried about the princess' purity."
"You are making me out to be a beast no matter what... Hah, I never thought of such a thing before."
Regis shrugged.
Clarisse's gaze dropped downwards.
"Is that so? I was wondering if that is fine for a man."
"Huh!?"
Altina looked confused.
Clarisse patted the head of the staggering Altina.
"My princess is so cute~ my princess."
"Eh? What's going on?"
"... Miss Clarisse is the worrying one, she will probably teach Altina some weird things."
Regis mumbled to himself.
For the princess without a single friend in the palace, her common knowledge was shockingly lacking.
She would be an adult one year later and be of marriageable age. Regis was a bit worried, but everything he knew came from books anyway.
To be honest, it didn’t feel real for Regis to have this conversation. His status was too different from Altina, it was normally impossible for them to chat idly.
She was the princess as well as the commander. Her rank was major general... In comparison, Regis' family had been commoners for generations. He might be a strategist now, but his rank in the army was just a fifth grade admin officer.
Major general, brigadier general, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade, their ranks were six tiers apart.
Having permission to address her by her nickname was nothing short of a miracle...
Regis shook his head strongly to remove unnecessary thoughts.
The soldiers outside were engaging the barbarians. His job was to think of the battle plan, even if his confidence was lacking.
"Well, I will go to the observation deck at the highest floor and direct the battle from there."
"I'm leaving it in your hands, Regis."
"I believe in you, Mr. Regis."
Clarisse was smiling with ease.
After parting with them, Regis ran up the stairs.
He was exhausted when he reached the top floor.
He rested his hands on his knees, focusing on sending air into his lungs.
"Fu... fu... fu... fu..."
"Are you okay!?"
A young knight ran over.
About 16 of age, younger than Regis.
His blond hair was tied up at the back, he had blue eyes and a slim face, a handsome man with a refreshing expression.
He was wearing top grade metal armor with a golden longsword at his waist, a character right out of a novel. His voice was as clear as a girl.
"Are you hurt anywhere!?"
"Eh? Ah, no..."
Regis who was confident in his lack of confidence to the extreme, was hesitant in telling the youth younger than him that climbing the stairs were killing him. He still had that meager amount of pride in him.
He shifted his gaze and regulated his breathing.
"Fu... fu... hah.. not... it's nothing."
"I'm glad you are healthy, Sir Regis."
"Eh? Have we met before?"
"My name is Eric Michael de Blanchard."
Eric bowed before him politely.
When Regis heard the last name Blanchard, he recalled a familiar name.
"Could it be... You are Sir Evrard's grandson? I remember you were in Marquis Thénezay's army."
"Yes!"
Regis heard from Evrard that his grandson was in the same unit where Regis used to work as a staff officer.
The Barbarians they were battling attacked the gap in their formation, wiping out Marquis Thénezay’s headquarters. Eric was saved because of Regis' command, or at least Eric thought so.
For Regis, he thought the combat officer of the reserves unit deserved the credits.
He took another good look at him.
This must be what they mean by graceful appearance.
The knight commander Evrard was like a gorilla in armor wielding a halberd, a giant bald man with a short beard. Regis thought he was still in his prime, but was shocked by how old his grandson was.
But most surprising was the lack of any semblance between the two.
Eric's face was blushing from agitation.
"The steady figure, calm attitude and precise command of Sir Regis back then... I was convinced you are the man I should bet my life on and devote my service to."
His tone was strong, but not crude.
His refreshing smile was elegant like a shining fountain.
Holding Regis who almost died just climbing stairs with such high regards, Regis felt sorry about it.
"... I heard you volunteered to come here?"
“Yes! I just reached here last night. I wanted to greet you, but you seemed to be busy.”
“Not many people would want to come to the front lines here. This is a dangerous place."
"That's why I am here. I was saved by Sir Regis, this time I will become Sir Regis's shield."
"... I am very grateful... But I am not worthy."
"Didn't you assume the post of strategist? I saw the duel and your declaration just now."
"Ugh."
He had to say that in that situation. It wasn't a lie, but to Regis who wasn't used to being the center of attention, he wanted to curl up into a ball.
"... Would I be able to serve well in the role of a strategist...? And the commander of the border regiment is the fourth princess Marie Quatre. A knight should swear fealty towards a princess right?"
Although Regis was granted permission to address Altina by her nickname, he still avoided doing so in the presence of others to prevent bad rumors from arising.
"Of course, as a knight of the Bulgarian empire, my sword would be wielded in the service of the royalty and nobles. But the bonfire of hope you ignited in the despair of the dark would never be forgotten."
That's a line straight from the theatres. Regis read about operas so he didn’t dislike it, but the compliments from others made him uneasy.
"Bon, bonfire... If you mean a lamp, I was carrying one back then..."
He averted his eyes unconsciously.
Eric's excitement didn't cool down as he said with a smile.
"I had brought the princess' sword with me by my grandfather's orders."
Regis finally caught his breath and looked towards the conference room.
A piece of cloth was laid over the table and Altina's Grand Tonnerre Quatre was placed on it. She couldn't bring it along with her physical condition after the duel, so they had to send someone to deliver it here.
The mud and snow had been cleaned off, leaving it in its original glory. It did not even have a scratch after it went through such a fierce battle.
The window partitions leading to the observation deck were wide open, guarded by two knights. They saluted when their gaze met Regis'.
Regis went through the windows and reached a position where he could watch the battle. The snow was slowly piling up.
The wind blew towards his face.
This was the second time he came to the observation deck of this conference room. The previous time was the following morning after first arriving at Sierck fortress and Altina showed him around.
The scenery before him was spectacular then, but the view was obscured by snow this time and he can't see far into the distance. This wasn't the time to enjoy the sights anyway.
The battle was progressing before his eyes.
Sierck fort was constructed on the grounds slopping towards the north. A large group of soldiers were gathered in the parade square, waiting for the signal to deploy. Setting the forces on defense duties aside, the stand by units numbered 2000.
300 cavalries were sent out
They faced 600 savages.
The situation had evolved from the initial clash to glaring at each other from a distance.
If they engaged in melee combat, they will fight until one side retreats. But with proper command and control, it was possible to pull some distance away for a chance to rest before unnecessary casualty were caused by fatigue.
Jerome and Evrard's cavalries adopt a formation defending the fort. The barbarians set their eyes on their prey, waiting for a chance from afar like beasts.
On the snowy white plains ravaged by footsteps, several people laid down with no signs of movement. Although the savages had greater losses, the empire's cavalries also had casualties.
Eric came to Regis' side.
"What a great number for the barbarians to muster."
"Yes. The barbarians in this region seemed exceptionally strong... And there should probably be more."
"Why did you think so?"
"Look at how the savages were behaving, they are glancing to their back every now and then. If the rear guards were doing that, they might just be worried about their retreat route being cut off. But the ones in front are doing the same, so it should be right to say they are waiting for reinforcement."
"I get it now. But why attack in waves? Is it to buy time to transport artillery?"
"Barbarians don't have artillery. The plan was probably for the 600 vanguard to infiltrate the fortress under the cover of the blizzard and open the gates for reinforcement."
"The savages can use such tactics!?"
"Well, they can do at least this much to take a fort... But they should be retreating after that plan failed. Could they have some reason compelling them to seize the fort?"
The stalemate didn't last long.
The barbarians charged with a roar.
The battle started anew.
Bracing their lances, the cavalries prepared to engage. This should be their victory in normal cases. It was not surprising for 300 cavalries to rout 600 savages with ease.
But there were many strong warriors amongst the barbarians, making them a match for the cavalries.
Leading all the barbarians was a man in flamboyant attire wielding a giant war axe. Both his appearance and his power were prominent.
The cavalries facing him attack with their lances.
The lances were then broken by the war axe.
The man then leap deftly like a monkey, going higher than the horse's back and slashed his war axe with one hand.
The knight bled profusely from his head.
And fell limply from the horse.
There were few savages that can defeat knights one on one. Not the knights with empty titles living lavishly in the imperial capital, but the ones in the front lines. It was unusual for them to fall so easily.
Regis who was watching sighed.
"That is the... Barbarian King?"
"Who do you mean?"
Eric besides him asked.
"According to the scouting reports, there was a powerful figure that united at least 3 barbarian tribes."
"I see, so that's their king?"
"I don't know about their hierarchy make up, but calling the biggest fish in the pond as the king should be common."
"And thus, the Barbarian King."
Eric nodded in enlightenment.
His voice was calm with no hint of a smile. Now wasn't the time to chat happily.
They lost 2 more riders.
Jerome charged over on his jet black horse. He wasn't in armor as he was dueling in uniform and moved out in this attire.
He wasn't holding the thin spear used in the duel, but a silver lance.
Regis pointed at Jerome.
"That is Sir Jerome's lance 'Le Cheveu D'une Dame' (Dame’s hair). It is famous as the weapon of heroes. 4.2Pa (311cm) long, the tip is made from fairy silver."
"Fairy silver was said to be a gift from the fairies to the 'Flame Emperor'.
"There was a legend like that... The current theory says it is some form of natural alloy."
Smelting several types of metals and mixing them to form material better than iron, this was common knowledge in this era.
Jerome thrust with his lance. The attack was so sharp even the bystanders could tell from afar that it was better than the other knights. The lance shot forward in an instant.
The Barbarian King blocked it with his war axe and tried to close the gap in order to counter attack.
Seeing through his opponent's intention, Jerome thrust his lance at his enemy.
When the lance was about to hit, the barbarian king twisted his upper body to dodge.
Not giving the barbarian king time to recover, Jerome aimed for his heart and pressed the attack. It was parried by the war axe again.