The war began largely as expected.
Before the Rosha Empire or the Kingdom of Friez could issue any declaration, the Kingdom of Lunoa declared war on both of them, citing their interference in the Austin Empire.
As planned, Lunoa left only a minimal border guard on the frontier with the Austin Empire and committed the rest of its forces to an offensive against the Kingdom of Friez.
“…Still no word from the front?”
The grand offensive had begun.
Two weeks had passed since the royal palace announced it to the nation, yet no information from the front lines had reached the Willard Marquisate where I lived.
“We should be hearing something by now.”
Just a month and a half.
That was all the time the Kingdom of Lunoa had been allotted in this war.
The Rosha Empire lagged behind in modernization, so its army was expected to take about a month longer than Lunoa’s to assemble at the border and begin its advance. On that assumption, Lunoa’s basic strategy was to conduct a lightning campaign, force the Kingdom of Friez to surrender within a month and a half, and thereby avoid a two-front war.
Two weeks had already passed.
The first offensive should have ended by now, and there should have been some indication of whether that strategy would succeed.
And yet no information had emerged. I had even tried gathering news through the trading company I had expanded over the years into a major enterprise, but those efforts had produced little.
“…Noah.”
I was pacing anxiously around my room, unable to settle down, when someone called my name.
“…! F-Father.”
I turned toward Father, who stood beyond the door that had somehow opened without my noticing.
He had returned to our territory around the third day of the war, just as planned.
“There’s information about the war that you need to hear. News from the front.”
“…!”
His tone was grave and heavy.
Sensing something ominous in it, I stiffened.
“I’ll tell you this first: we held the advantage in the opening battle.”
“Then—!”
Contrary to my fears, his first words were good news.
“But it was only an advantage. The plan is far from succeeding. More importantly, it appears that every one of our assumptions was already out of date.”
“…Out of date?”
The good news was immediately cast into shadow.
“…The nobles—and magic—are finished. That’s what they say at the front.”
“What? Magic is finished?”
Unable to understand what he meant, I repeated his words.
“…No. Is it the anti-magic barrier?”
But I soon realized why magic would be described that way.
“…Yes. It seems to be having an overwhelming effect on the battlefield. There’s no magic at the front now—only rifles and artillery shells flying back and forth.”
“What…!? Then Sister Shia—!?”
If magic had failed, then—
The consequence struck me, and alarm burst from my voice.
“She’s alive. Ryuk, however, is dead.”
My breath caught.
“Eisen is hovering between life and death. All three returned to our territory this morning.”
“What…?”
I couldn’t speak.
“…Where are they?”
At last, I managed to force out the question.
“In the infirmary.”
“…!”
The moment I heard him, I rushed past Father and ran for the infirmary.
“Sister Shia!”
When I reached the door to the room where she had been placed, I knew I shouldn’t barge in, but I opened it almost on impulse.
“…!”
Sister Shia, lying on the bed, reacted to my voice. She looked toward me, and our eyes met.
“…Sister Shia.”
“…!”
She had raised her upper body.
The shape beneath the blanket showed that both her legs were there. Her face bore no large wound, and there seemed to be no injury to her abdomen either.
But her arms were gone from just above the elbows. Thick bandages had been wrapped around what remained.
“…N-Noah.”
Sister Shia had always been strong. She was dependable and always stood in front of me.
Now, however, she trembled before me and called my name in a faint voice.
“…Welcome home.”
I quietly spoke as I looked at her.
“…!”
“I’m truly glad you’re alive.”
There were so many things I wanted to say—questions, thoughts, and words of comfort. But more than anything else, I first gave voice to my relief that Sister Shia had survived.
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