Evade The Hero and Flee!

Chapter 292

Side Story – Memories of a Princess (43)

#57. Their Circumstances: Circumstances of a Certain Soldier

Falling bombs. It was like a daily routine.

Magic, which they couldn’t even watch in ordinary times, was common here. Magic didn’t cost money. 

There’s a saying that war takes money to wage, and it requires a lot of funds. 

Especially expensive were arrows. 

Arrows were what left the bow and never returned, and that meant money went out every time an arrow was shot.

Thinking about the price of a single arrow, it’s not a huge expenditure, but when hundreds or thousands of soldiers use them, the story changes.

On the other hand, the magic of magicians and sorcerers doesn’t cost money. As long as the king provides magicians, they can keep using magic the moment their magic recovers.

In peacetime they wouldn’t work magicians hard because of their expensive price tag, but in wartime, since they can inflict mass casualties if luck is on their side with a single blow, bombs are dropped everyday.

Thanks to that,

“Damn! Another bombing?”

“It’s noisy while I’m trying to eat…”

Even ordinary soldiers who used to think of magic as an object of fear had gotten used to it.

“At first I pissed my pants.”  

“Who’s pretending they didn’t?”

“If you worry about it, you’ll lose. Anyway the magicians are blocking them all.”

Only when the bombardments first started dropping, the soldiers were paralyzed by fear and couldn’t do anything.

Some soldiers who tried to flee were summarily executed.

Well, all that was old news now. 

It was certainly frightening that the enemy had fearsome magicians, but the soldiers realized that friendly forces also had magicians on par with them.

The enemy’s magic is scary, but the magic of our allies protects us!

Once accustomed to that, magic cannot be an object of fear.

“Hey, did you hear that?”

One colleague who was eating makes an expression and sets the mood.

“What is it?”  

“The Empire is secretly developing a magic that can’t be defended against with magic defenses.”

“What?”

“Where’d you hear that nonsense?” 

“There’s no way that exists.”

It was nonsensical.

Magic that can’t be defended against with magic?

“If something like that existed, there’s no way they wouldn’t use it, right?”

In war, the means and methods are not distinguished, you just kill the enemy. Because only the victor can take everything in this world. 

Unethical? Illegal?

The loser cannot argue about such things. They can only accept the conditions held out by the winner.

Even I, a common soldier, know this, so there’s no way nobles who have received all kinds of education since childhood don’t know about it.

Magic that can’t be blocked by magic. If something like that existed, those who desire victory would not hesitate to use it.

“Maybe the Empire is hiding it?”

“Why would they hide something so great?”

“Maybe there’s still a reason they can’t use it yet, or something…”

“Then it’s useless. Who couldn’t make one in name only?”

The colleague who had a serious expression loosens his face.

“You’re probably right.”

“Of course. No matter how powerful the Karan Empire is said to be, there’s no way they can create such nonsensical magic, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Right. If something like that existed, even if relations between our kingdom and the Karan Empire are bad, there’s no way we would have joined forces with the Pernes Empire!”  

“That’s true.”

Looking at the now reassured colleague, I take out a small pendant from my pocket.

“Don’t worry. Our kingdom’s military might is strong enough not to be inferior even to the Empire, you know? We just have to think about surviving. If we win this war, we can earn a lot of money.”

Clack!

I open the pendant and look at my lover’s portrait inside.

“Ohh…”

“It suits your face, but isn’t she pretty?”

“Of course. Veli is the greatest beauty in our village!”  

She’s even prettier than this picture. Because the skills of the small town painter couldn’t fully capture all her beauty.

“Really… we need to show her true appearance using a magic tool to be able to comprehend Veli’s beauty.”

“Woohoohoo!”  

“Showing off your girlfriend while in the military!”

“I’m so jealous I don’t have a lover!”

Colleagues around me look at me with envious and admiring eyes.

These pathetic guys.  

“Have you heard this?”

“Heard what?”

“Whisper whisper.”

“Huh? Why’s that?” 

“My Veli’s friends are pretty too.”

“Sir, actually I had always respected you.”

“Oh my, why say that? I thought from the moment I first saw this guy that he had the aura of a general?”

“You’re shining today, little brother.”

Looking at colleagues massaging my shoulders, arms and legs, I laugh heartily.  

“Hahaha! Yes, you must have thought that. Alright, once this war ends, come visit my village! I’ll build you a bridge!”

“Whooooaaaa!”

As I heard the cheers of my colleagues, I clutched the pendant in my hand.  

“When this war ends… I will marry her with the money I earned from it.”

It was the moment I spat out these words with a very serious expression and tone.

Crash!

“Huh?”

I heard the sound of something breaking.

And soon, I saw a shimmering silver object.  

“What is that…?”

Crack!

Huh?

#58 Their Circumstances: Circumstances of a Villain

“What? You will not use the magic bombardment?”

“Yes.”

I sighed at Officer Renia’s words.

“You don’t know that?”

“I might not!”  

I was momentarily at a loss for words at the sight of Officer Renia shouting so confidently.

“You’ve grown.”

“Anyway, it’s better to honestly say I don’t know rather than pretend to know something just to be made fun of.”

There wasn’t a shred of embarrassment, just full confidence.  

She was so confident that I wondered if I was the one in the wrong.

Compared to the past, this was truly remarkable progress.

“Then I should tell you.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

There was no point in mocking someone who wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassed.

“The reason why I don’t use the magic bombardment that I developed last time is to increase its’ efficiency.”

“Increase efficiency?”

“Yes. Because they don’t know about our magic bombardment.”

Officer Renia furrowed her brows in confusion.

She seemed to be thinking about something.

Good heavens, Officer Renia is thinking!  

Even a fool can be cured if enough time passes!

“I feel like some ill intent just passed by me?”

“It’s just your imagination.”

As expected of a knight. Good instincts.   

“Anyway, this is more pressing right now, so I’ll move on, Sir Ast.”

“Yes, Officer Renia.”

“Sir Ast, you just said the enemy doesn’t know about our magic bombardment, but that doesn’t make sense, does it?”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“Their advance troops were annihilated by the mages Sir Ast commanded, weren’t they?”

“That’s right.”  

“And the thing used then was that magic bombardment.”

“Yes.”

“So why wouldn’t they know?”

It was a naive question, just as expected from Officer Renia.

“Officer Renia, let’s say… One of your troops was annihilated.”  

“Huh? Why suddenly….”

“I’m speaking hypothetically. Don’t think too deeply about it, just listen.”

“Okay….”

Seeing Officer Renia nod, I continued speaking.

“That troop was ambushed and defeated by the enemy. But, the surviving commander comes before you, Officer Renia, and says this – Officer Renia! The enemy has tamed dragons and are using them to attack! We tried very hard and did everything we could, but we were reduced to ashes by one breath from the dragon!”  

“Huh?”

“If a subordinate told you that, what would you think, Officer Renia? Would you believe what he said, or think that he was deceiving you?”

“That’s….”

“Generally, you’d think he was deceiving you. It would seem like he’s justifying his defeat with some ridiculous lie and trying not to get punished. In your case, other generals would say your subordinate is making fun of you, Officer Renia.”

“Why do you have to add what would happen in my case? Even if it’s me, I still wouldn’t believe a story about a dragon suddenly appearing and attacking!”

Would she really not believe it? I feel like it would be easy to deceive Officer Renia.   

I’ll have to plot with Her Highness sometime and trick her.

“It’s a similar principle. Of course we know the truth, but try thinking from another person’s perspective. If defeated subordinates came and said, ‘The enemy is using some mysterious magic that our magic can’t block!’, would you want to believe it?”

“That’s….”

“Of course you’d think it’s a lie. Naturally you’d still be cautious. It might be true after all. But if the enemy has never used such magic before, would you really believe it?”

“I wouldn’t.”  

“Yes, that’s the goal. We can use the magic bombardment at critical moments. Right now we don’t need it, so we need to breed a false sense of security.”

“False sense of security? What’s that?”

“Hmm… For example, say there’s a really old carriage. One that’s been used for over 10 years. When you ride it, it creaks and rattles. But it hasn’t broken down. Officer Renia, would you ride it?”

“Do you really need to ride something so unsafe? Shouldn’t you just get a new one?”

It was a fair point. Rather than riding around in something so unsafe, it would be better to buy something new.

“But what about an ordinary farmer? Would they really buy an expensive carriage?”

“That’s….”  

“No, they wouldn’t. Using it for 10 years with no issues means it served them well for those 10 years. To an outsider it may seem old since it’s been used for 10 years, but to the owner, it’s an item that’s been working with no problems at all for 10 years.”

“What’s the difference?”

“It’s simple. Since it’s worked fine for 10 years, they feel it can keep working fine today and tomorrow as well. Logically it seems unsafe, but since there have been no issues so far, they believe there won’t be any issues today either.”  

“The belief that there is no threat…That is the false sense of security?”

“Yes! You understood that uncharacteristically quickly, Officer Renia!”  

“Do you have to add that kind of remark?”

I couldn’t help it even though Officer Renia was clearly annoyed. After all, just a year ago, Officer Renia was a fool.  

Well, that’s not the case now, but still.

“It’s enough to just keep using the magic’ bombardment against the enemies. If we maintain this for about a month, the Empire will not imagine there is some special magical bombardment.”  

“I see, that makes sense. The remnants would see it as an excuse to justify their defeat. Or they’d think the magician failed to prepare properly and couldn’t block the magic.”

“And when they’re thinking that, we can drop a bombardment on their heads for maximum efficiency.”  

“As expected, Sir Ast is….”  

Officer Renia looked at me with trembling eyes.

Was she moved by the perfection of this strategy utilizing the aesthetics of anticipation?  

She shouldn’t think so highly of me.

Officer Renia isn’t my type, but since her family is influential I’d rather not get tangled up.

I went through so much trouble last time because of a similar situation!  

My type is just an ordinary girl from the countryside, living a laid-back life, with absolutely no hidden past or birth secrets, and who won’t give birth to any abnormal children like heroes or demon lords!  

But all those thoughts,

“You are an evil”

Were just kimchi soup.   

Wow, I downed some refreshing kimchi soup in a place with no kimchi!

“Huh?”

“I couldn’t even think of doing something like that.”

This is a little, no very unjust.  

“Calling me evil just because Officer Renia is a fool, isn’t that going too far?”

“…Doesn’t Sir Ast’s remark seem about 10 times more egregious?”

“I’m making an effort to secure an even more certain victory for our army, yet you say that after hearing such words, this level of criticism should be expected.”  

“Weren’t you treating me similarly even before saying that?”

“Uh….”

Now that I think about it, that does seem to be the case.  

I didn’t expect such a sharp counterattack.

And from Officer Renia of all people!  

“Ugh… That got too big.”

“Anyone watching would think Sir Ast raised me.”

“I cultivated her character.”

Letting out a small sigh, the Princess said to Officer Renia who had appeared at some point.

“Your Highness, what do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”  

Ignoring Officer Renia with leisurely footsteps, the Princess  handed me a piece of paper folded in half.  

“It’s the paperwork approving the plan. Take a look.”

“Yes, I understand–are you insane?”  

As soon as I unfolded the paper, the profanity came out automatically.  

I glared at the Princess looking amused.

“Is it okay to fold an imperial edict with the emperor’s orders in half?”  

What I had thought was just a regular document from military command had the emperor’s seal stamped on it – An imperial edict representing the words of the emperor!  

In other words, this letter represents the emperor’s words! Just failing to properly handle this paper could get me accused of treason – it was very dangerous.

“It’s not like you can’t do it.” said the princess

“And if I did it?”

“You’d get this, right?”

Swish–  

With her thumb, the Princess gestured slicing her own throat, indicating that a lowly noble like myself should not do such a thing.  

Ah, how very much obliged I am. So very thankful I could give you a good smack!  

“I see.”

But doing so would mean instant death.  

Recognizing that, I swallow down my anger again and again with great patience.  

Well, while it was a terribly dangerous paper, I liked the contents.  

“It’s well done.”

It was a strategy no ordinary king would ever approve, but as expected of the Princess’s father, a slightly crazy emperor.   

“Since His Majesty also had some curiosity about the contents, make sure it goes well.” 

“Yes, Your Highness.”  

With the emperor’s permission as well, it’s about time to start.   

“I will make our army a symbol of terror.”  

And so, the Imperial Army diligently began working to create the great General Religius Ruh Laiasha.