Chapter 217

“Quite the opposite. So long as you’re standing here, there’s no need for any sort of mobilization.”

“That can’t be… Hm?!”

Why did it sound like someone below was crying?

The scene—

It was, in fact, rather grand.

Centered around the temporary snow-covered wooden platform where the two princesses stood, the second legion stretched for several miles downhill, completely filled with soldiers.

Cold was a thing that bullied the weak and feared the strong. A solitary pine standing aloof in a mountain stream might appear lonely, but this massive army—armor clashing, drums thundering, weapons gleaming, torches raised high amidst a sea of black wings—rendered the snow and ice trivial and insignificant.

And yet, from this vast sea of troops came intermittent, “disgraceful” sobbing.

Sheffy’s hearing was still sharp.

With a tilt of her head, she could clearly make out what they were saying.

“Her Highness is really here… The Queen didn’t lie to us! Her Highness truly returned!”

“Dear heavens… Thank the gods! When Princess Sheffy told us to go catch fish for training, I didn’t understand why at first… But in the end, she actually took the vanguard herself to fight against Aurus! Even when surrounded on all sides, she didn’t want us to face danger directly… I understand her good intentions now, but Your Highness… do you know? We’re the army. We were born to die for you!”

“You bastard! Let me punch you! I won’t allow you to trample all over Her Highness’s intentions! To hell with the vanguard! If my squad had gone with Her Highness, there’s no way the Kingdom of Aurus’s hero would’ve taken her away! Damn it… who knows how much she suffered in that kingdom… If it weren’t for His Majesty the Demon King holding us back, we would’ve already razed Aurus to the ground!”

“Didn’t the surprise attack plan already get pushed forward?!

Even if His Majesty tries to stop us, we won’t listen anymore! It’s only because Her Highness has returned… sob… thank the gods! Thank the gods!”

…Huh?

Why did the soldiers I brought seem to care more about me than my actual father did?

Emotions were contagious.

That feeling of survival after disaster—it was as if Sheffy hadn’t been the one captured, but they themselves, finally making it back home after a harrowing journey.

Sheffy turned her head once more to look behind her.

Before she had even arrived, a throne had already been placed there—constructed from frozen snow and reinforced with magic.

It was the second legion’s heartfelt gesture, their way of welcoming back the sovereign they held dear.

But… wasn’t this chair maybe a bit too grand? It even looked more imposing than the Demon King’s throne… wasn’t that a bit inappropriate?

Sheffy didn’t sit—not because she felt unworthy, but because she had a nagging feeling that the chair might collapse.

“Do you see it… this is what sets Her Highness apart. When we stand, she stands. When we are here, she is too. She will always stand and fight shoulder to shoulder with us.”

“Ha… I knew it. Even if we built that chair, she wouldn’t sit in it. We really went through all that for nothing.”

Sheffy stood at the very front of the snow platform, blinking blankly.

Just as Belith had said, she hadn’t even said much yet at this army mobilization rally, and already the troops’ fighting spirit had been stirred to an absurd degree.

“Your Highness! Just give the order already! We heard about it too—it’s just some rebel scum, right?! Crush them!”

“Yeah, yeah! Crush them!”

—Thud, thud!

Hm?

Sheffy focused her gaze and was startled.

Good heavens… where had they pulled out those giant frozen fish? They were slamming them into the snow one by one to boost their morale.

Like a suicide squad giving their final rousing speeches before departure, they were filled with passionate fervor.

Throwing away their rations symbolized their readiness to lay down their lives at any moment, vowing never to tarnish the name of Her Highness Sheffy.

Sheffy clenched her fists tightly.

The six wings on her back trembled faintly.

Pointing at the scattered frozen fish on the ground, she suddenly raised her voice in a scolding shout!

“Pick up your fish!”

“But, Your Highness…!”

“You bastards! You might still live! I haven’t said anything yet! What do you think you’re doing, giving up without orders?! I don’t recall ever teaching you that kind of mindset! Now, pick up your fish!”

They might still live.

—She was referring to the big frozen fish.

“…Boys! You see that? That’s our merciful Princess! Who says going to the battlefield means certain death? If Her Highness tells you to pick them up, then pick them up! The battle hasn’t even begun—don’t go deciding you’re going to die already! Do as Her Highness says, all of you are going to survive! The ones who should die are those traitors!”

Some veterans who had followed Sheffy for over ten years quietly bent down and picked up the frozen fish, their eyes still turning within the ice blocks.

They held the fish close to their chests.

Their emotions at that moment—could melt even frost.

“Royal Sister.”

“Hm?”

“Your Second Legion… seems to have grown even stronger.”

“Has it?”

“Ahh… Your magical density is too high, so you can’t feel it. But from my perspective… this improvement is astonishing.”

It was only natural that the Royal Sister couldn’t perceive it.

Given the depth of her magical reserves, it would feel to her as if a few extra drops were added to an enormous lake—too insignificant to notice.

But from Belith’s perspective…

A glass of water increasing by a third was impossible not to notice.

If the Second Legion’s average strength had previously been between two and three wings…

Then now, their average strength had likely reached between three and four wings.

This average had already completely surpassed the First Legion’s average of three wings.

Years of fishing on the ice plains’ lakes—ten years of hardening—had begun to show remarkable results.

Within the Second Legion, there were actually many familiar faces to Sheffy.

For example, among the young soldiers who had squeezed to the front row—Sheffy immediately spotted a few of those lovable goofballs!

“Ah… you’re here too, huh? I’m just glad you’re alive, Big Guy! And… uh… Two-Wings!”

The sound of weapons falling to the ground rang out.

The young men looked at one another, their eyes brimming with unshed tears.

The warrior now bore a trace of maturity on his face, no longer the ignorant youth of years past.

He stared blankly at the three black wings he had painstakingly trained to grow.

“Her Highness remembers… that I used to be Two-Wings…? I always thought I wasn’t worth mentioning in her eyes… I didn’t want to be a burden to the Second Legion anymore… and yet Her Highness even remembered this?”

Like members of a death squad giving their final words before departure, they were impassioned and fervent.

They had tossed aside their rations, a gesture symbolizing they were ready at any time to sacrifice themselves with valor—determined never to bring shame to Her Highness Sheffy’s name.

Sheffy clenched her fists.

The six wings on her back trembled lightly.

Pointing at the frozen fish scattered across the ground, she suddenly lifted her head and barked out a scolding:

“Pick up your fish!”

“Your Highness… but—!”

“You scoundrels! You might still live! I haven’t said anything yet! What are you doing giving up on your own?! I don’t recall ever teaching you that kind of thinking! Now—pick up your fish!”

They might still live.

—Referring to the big frozen fish.

“…Boys! You saw that, didn’t you? That’s our merciful princess! Who says going to the battlefield means certain death? If Her Highness tells you to pick them up, then pick them up! The battle hasn’t even started yet—don’t go deciding to die just because! Listen to Her Highness—every one of you has to survive! The ones who deserve to die are those traitors!”

Some of the veterans who had followed Sheffy for ten years quietly picked up the frozen fish—still with eyes faintly rolling within their icy prison.

They held the fish tightly in their arms.

That feeling—was enough to melt frost.

“Royal Sister.”

“Hm?”

“Your Second Legion… seems to have grown even stronger.”

“Has it?”

“Yeah… It’s just, your magical density is so high you probably can’t feel it. But from my perspective… the growth is astonishing.”

That Royal Sister couldn’t detect it was only natural.

With her massive magic reserves, from her view, it would feel like a few extra drops added to a vast lake—barely worth noticing.

But for Belith…

A glass of water increasing by a third—was impossible to overlook.

If the Second Legion’s average strength used to range between two and three wings…

Then now, their average had likely reached between three and four wings.

This average had completely surpassed the First Legion’s average of three wings.

Years of fishing on the frozen plains’ lakes—ten years of training—had finally shown clear results.

Among the Second Legion, there were quite a few faces Sheffy recognized.

Like the few young soldiers squeezing into the front—Sheffy immediately spotted those familiar troublemakers!

“Ah… you guys came too, huh? I’m just glad you’re still alive, Big Guy! And… uh… Two Billion!”

All that could be heard was the sound of weapons dropping to the ground.

The young men exchanged looks, their eyes brimming with restrained tears.

The warrior now bore signs of maturity on his face—no longer the green, clueless youth he once was.

He stared blankly at the three black wings he had trained so hard to earn.

“Her Highness still remembers… that I used to be Two-Wings…? I always thought I didn’t matter in Her Highness’s eyes… I just didn’t want to drag the Second Legion down anymore… but Her Highness remembered even that?”

“That’s not surprising,” the big lug next to him crossed his arms and let out a smug snort, as if mocking the three-winged youth for still being too young. “Her Highness treats every soldier equally. You think the Second Legion follows her just because she’s a princess? Nah—it’s because she’s our king. Kid, you’ve still got a long road ahead of you—don’t let Her Highness’s expectations down.”

Hm? What are they even talking about?

Sheffy remembered that young man.

—It was because he had enlisted from Campeno’s richest family.

Word was, the family had a fortune of two billion copper coins of the Demon Domain.

Well then—there’s nothing else to say.

The army needed new fishing rods—if you’ve got the means, then contribute more! Two billion coins—you wouldn’t even be able to eat through it all by yourself!

The guy was pretty generous too. On behalf of his family, he’d donated to the army and solved a lot of its budget problems.

So Sheffy remembered him.

He was “Two Billion”, a philanthropist.

Judging by how moved he looked, maybe he was about to donate again? What a good man.

“Take a good look, Royal Sister—at these soldiers who are loyal to you.”

“I’m looking.”

“Mhm, look closely, and then… later, please show no mercy and give the order. That is your right—and your duty. Of course, if Royal Sister finds it too difficult, I will carry it out in your place. Many of them are going to die. War doesn’t come without casualties. Royal Sister… you understand this better than anyone.”

“I understand, but—about those casualties, well… that might not be the case.”

“Eh?”

Belith turned her head in surprise.

Her silver hair rose with the drifting snowflakes.

Sheffy’s violet eyes glowed like moons suspended in the sky.

As the silver strands fell upon her shoulders, the Second Legion’s Commander’s Medal shimmered.

That smile—carried the warmth and confident mischief that the cold moon lacked.

“As for the rest~ I won’t say for sure, but since I’m here… not a single one of them will die today, alright?”

—

47. Asking for It

A surprise attack.

Before the Demon King’s Third Legion could reach the border of the high-ranked races, they had to pass through a narrow gorge.

So, as long as they arrived at the end of that gorge before the Third Legion crossed it and reached the northern ice plains, they could force a head-on clash in that bottleneck—an unavoidable confrontation.

Originally, Belith thought this meant the entire army would have to flap their wings and fly at full speed through the blizzard—a long-distance forced march full of risks.

But…

The marching speed was just a liiiiittle faster than expected.

【Group Spatial Teleportation】【Coordinate Shift】

Heh.

One second they were still discussing the march…

The next second—they’d arrived!

Perched behind a stone cliff atop the mountain, commanders Belith and Sheffy looked down at the army below, who didn’t seem the least bit surprised. Instead, they were already banging drums and shouting, “All hail Princess Sheffy!”

Belith thought back to the absurd scale of that spatial teleportation…

Then looked again at her Royal Sister’s cheerful, goofy face, head swaying side to side.

Did Belith feel the pressure of being a younger sister? You bet she did.

“I’m just saying, Royal Sister… the more I think about it, the less I see why we even need to march. Why not just have you go assassinate the enemy commander yourself? Would save a ton of effort… geez…”

“Hm?”

Sheffy thought she heard the sound of something being chewed?

She tilted her head in confusion—and saw Belith frowning deeply, seemingly chewing on snow.

Wait—no…!

She was eating paper!

Because the color was white, she had mistaken it at first glance.

“What are you eating?!”

“Mm-hmph… gulp… it was the aerial march shortest-route trajectory map I drew for you, Royal Sister… and now… mm… it’s useless.”

“Ahh! That still doesn’t mean you should eat paper! You silly child. Wow, you ate it fast—it’s already gone. No but—wait, are you upset?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh please. You ate the paper. Sigh… eat some snow, calm down a bit.”

“I’m not eating any more! Mm…?”

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