[Raul's POV]
A hum...
Whose voice is this?
Opening my eyes, I realized I was no longer in the forest but in a fairly nice room.
Glancing at the side of the bed, I saw a blonde woman sitting with her eyes closed, chanting a lullaby for me.
I suddenly remembered; I had met her just before losing consciousness.
She then opened her eyes and stopped humming, noticing that I had woken up.
"Ah, you're awake, I see," Elena said, smiling at me. "How are you feeling? I had a Priest heal your wounds yesterday."
"Overall, it's improved," I replied as I shifted into a sitting position. "However, it seems my left eye is still non-functional."
Ordinary Priests can only regenerate damaged limbs or organs; they cannot fix those that have completely ceased to function or have been severed from the original body.
Only a Priest with the status of Vicar is capable of healing or regenerating an organ that is entirely non-functional or restoring a missing limb.
Ariel could also do it easily, but I doubted the Temple would allow me to see her.
"That reminds me of something," Elena said. "How did you end up in the Tuscan Forest? I found you while escorting a reconnaissance unit to monitor the forest area."
"Well... it's a long story."
I then recounted the entire progression of the war on the Eastern Front. From the moment the Draconia Kingdom's forces entered the Margraviate of Cataluna, the battle at the Fortress City of Sarisa, and the operation to cut off their logistics supplies in the Republic's territory, until I was captured and eventually escaped from the Republic's custody.
"Is that so?" Elena murmured. "We just received news yesterday that the Draconia Kingdom's forces have left the Empire's eastern territory."
So they've all retreated...
That means our mission was a success. Everyone who fell while carrying out this mission did not die in vain...
Thank goodness.
I looked back at Elena, who was staring at me with a smile, looking pleased about something.
"What is it?" I asked her.
"It's nothing," she answered, shaking her head slightly while maintaining her smile. "It's just that when our eastern territory was attacked, many military officials were worried because our main force was far to the west. However, I wasn't too afraid about it."
"Hmm... why?" I asked.
"Because I knew that as long as you were there, everything would be fine," Elena replied, sounding incredibly certain. "You always have a plan to turn the tide, even with limited resources and unfavorable conditions."
For some reason, I felt relieved hearing Elena's words. Perhaps it was because what she just said wasn't merely an attempt to flatter me, but a sign of absolute trust.
However, where did such immense trust in me come from? Was it because of my vow back then?
"I'm not a protagonist who can miraculously solve every problem," I replied, half-joking and half-serious. "I only do what I can within the limits I have."
It was true; I wasn't a General capable of leading many soldiers to victory, nor was I a Hero capable of annihilating evil enemies with amazing power.
I was just a human trapped in the body of an antagonist who held no real influence in this world.
My daydreaming was interrupted when Elena touched the scar on my stomach caused by the stab wound from the Knight who had pursued me.
Her touch then moved up to my ribs, specifically touching the wound I received while fighting Siena a few days ago.
Her hand moved up again, touching my cheek just below my blind left eye.
"I know it wasn't easy for you to do all that, judging by the wounds you've sustained," Elena said, not breaking eye contact. "I know that you have always worked hard to achieve your goals. For that, as the Princess of this country, I am deeply grateful to you, Raul de Garcia."
I don't know why...
But all my hard work and all the life-and-death struggles I've experienced until now seemed to be repaid by this woman's smile. I felt that any man in this world would think the same as I did right now.
"What I did wasn't anything special," I said, turning away from her.
But Elena's hand prevented me, forcing me to look into her eyes again. This time, both of her hands cupped my cheeks.
Warm...
Her hands were very warm and soft, despite her frequent sword practice.
"You saved many people by forcing the enemy forces to retreat from our country's eastern territory," Elena said, finally releasing my cheeks. "Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"
I nodded reflexively, like a dog to its master. I felt I shouldn't let Elena pamper me too much if I didn't want my goals and motivation for living in this world to go astray.
Elena then stood up and said, "I have to attend a meeting now. I'll be back once it's finished."
"Elena."
She turned around to listen as I called her name.
"Thank you."
Hearing my words, Elena simply smiled and left the room.
***
[Siena's POV]
One day has passed since we left the City of Tusculum to mobilize our forces. Currently, 50,000 troops are camping right in front of the Eastern Tuscan Forest to rest before moving again.
I was inside my tent, reading a letter that had just arrived this morning.
'Prisoner Escaped'
That was what was written on the scrap of paper.
I didn't know how he managed to escape, but surely that man wouldn't allow himself to be captured without having an escape plan in mind.
"It seems I still underestimated him quite a bit..."
However, I felt the information I obtained from him was sufficient.
Therefore, if we meet again in battle, I will not hesitate to kill him. Although there are still several things I want to ask, I believe I can find the answers through further research.
"Captain Siena, are you inside?"
I heard a woman's voice calling from outside the tent.
"Come in," I ordered.
The tent entrance opened, revealing a woman with short black hair walking toward my desk.
"What is it, Marcela?"
"Captain, we've received news from the troops heading to Bitola Village," Marcela answered. "They say the 5,000 Imperial troops guarding the village have begun to leave."
Hearing the information from Marcela, I stood up and discarded the letter I had been reading earlier.
"Spread the order to all troops; we move out now."
This time, we will crush the Imperial forces until nothing remains. No matter how long this war lasts, I will ensure that victory is in our hands.
***
[Elena's POV]
After checking on Raul's condition, I hurried to the meeting room to discuss the Alliance troop movements we received this morning.
Upon arriving, all the military officials appeared to have gathered. I immediately sat in a vacant chair.
Marshal Salazar's aide spread a map of the region on a board. The Marshal then stood up, pointing to the symbol for Bitola Village with a wooden stick in his hand.
"Our reconnaissance unit spotted approximately 20,000 Alliance troops heading toward Bitola Village now," Marshal Salazar stated. "With the arrival of the Draconia Kingdom forces retreating from our country's eastern territory, the total Alliance forces on this front currently reach 100,000 troops."
"Marquis Fran is indeed impressive; with only a makeshift force, he was able to win the war on the Eastern Front."
"You're right, but this makes things difficult for us because their remaining troops are now being sent here."
"That's better than watching our country's territory be destroyed by enemy forces."
The glory of winning the war on the Eastern Front was attributed to Marquis Fran. Although I acknowledged him as a capable General, the retreat of the Draconia Kingdom's forces was actually caused by Raul and the unit he led, which cut off their logistics supplies.
Even though Marquis Fran mentioned Raul's name in his letter, the other nobles and military officials didn't seem to want to acknowledge that a young man—and an academy student at that—had achieved something far greater than they had in this war.
"I have ordered the troops there to retreat, but..." Marshal Salazar paused. "Their escape route was suddenly cut off by 15,000 Alliance troops coming from the direction of the Tuscan Forest."
The Tuscan Forest? The reconnaissance unit I escorted yesterday had scouted that area. However, we found no signs of Alliance troops there.
"We must help them! I will not stand by while our comrades are slaughtered for a second time!" one of the military officials exclaimed.
Previously, Marshal Salazar's decision to retreat and leave 20,000 of our troops behind had been heavily criticized by several officials. That decision had also caused troop morale to plummet at the time.
If Marshal Salazar chose to let our 5,000 troops be slaughtered as well, morale would certainly drop further, and divisions would arise within the main force.
"We must not be reckless in this matter," another noble said. "Before moving, we must locate the rest of the Alliance forces. According to reports, the number of detected troops is only 35,000."
There was some truth to that, I thought...
If we didn't know the location of the rest of the Alliance forces, we would risk falling into an ambush that would put our troops at a disadvantage.
"Regarding that, our reconnaissance unit has detected a large Alliance force currently located in Ebro Village," Marshal Salazar revealed. "The exact number is unknown, but they estimate it is no less than 30,000 men."
More than 30,000 troops in Ebro Village? What was the Alliance's objective? Did they want to attack us from two directions? Or were they afraid that while they attacked Bitola Village, we would attack Ebro Village instead?
"The journey from Ebro Village to here cannot be made in a single day," another military official noted. "Meanwhile, we can reach our 5,000 comrades by evening. I believe we must hurry to save them before the Alliance forces in Ebro Village arrive."
Hearing the suggestions from the others, the Marshal appeared deep in thought, tapping his fingers on the wooden table.
The 5,000 troops trying to escape from Bitola Village would be surrounded by 35,000 Alliance troops if we didn't do something this time. Although I also wanted to help them, I couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this.
We had previously been caught off guard by the tactics of the Venetian Republic. I was certain that this time, too, they were planning something to defeat us.
"We will deploy 50,000 troops to help our comrades there," Marshal Salazar said, having decided on the next step. "The remaining 15,000 troops will guard this position."
After deciding to mobilize the forces, Marshal Salazar informed the troop leaders of the formations their units would take.
The cavalry unit I led would be positioned on the right wing, tasked with charging the enemy musketeers who could cause us trouble in battle.
After finishing the discussion on war strategy, I returned to Raul's room to check on him again. However, the black-haired man was currently dressed in combat gear.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"Getting ready to fight, of course," he answered casually. "While I was their prisoner, I heard that the Alliance forces would be moving."
"Have you fully recovered?" I asked, concerned once more. "Besides, can you fight properly with only one eye?"
"Don't worry, I've started to get used to this limited field of vision." He smiled at me as he said that. "If you don't believe me, would you like to spar with me?"
Hearing his challenge, I responded with a confident smile. "Heee~ fine then. Don't make excuses when you lose to me later, okay?"
I figured sparring with him would be a good warm-up before the battle began.