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37. Engagement – Lena’s Confession

Lena and Leo were assigned back to the battlefield.

Lena was a Hundred-man Commander and a Squire.

Squires typically had duties escorting Thousand-man Commanders or Generals, but Lena wanted to head into battle as a Hundred-man Commander.

“I need to go to the battlefield to accumulate achievements. Hanging around guarding someone isn’t really that helpful.”

“…Right. Good job.”

Leo felt frustrated in moments like this. There was no way to control Lena.

Determined to become a knight, she marched toward the battlefield, distancing herself from the prince.

Fortunately, Leo managed to request the General and was paired up with Lena.

[ Achievement: Met Anolf de Klaus – Gained a slight favor from all nobles serving the Klaus royal family. Gained a slight favor from Anolf de Klaus. ]

This achievement proved useful. Most generals were nobles, and they considered Leo’s requests at least once. If the request made sense, they would usually respond positively.

He was tasked with escorting Lena, the Hundred-man Commander, as a Squire.

It wasn’t common for a Squire to be down at the Hundred-man level, but pairing the two to create a squad that could handle knights on the front lines was a good idea.

“Lena, you received the signal flares, right?”

“Yeah. I already used one. But they gave me something extra now that I’m a Squire.”

Lena held a blue bead in her hand.

Signal flares were distributed to the Hundred-man Commander and knights.

The Hundred-man Commander received two green flares and one yellow flare. The green flares were used when enemy squads gathered in large numbers, while the yellow flare was used when a squad encountered knights.

They were used to request support when facing strong enemy forces.

“Huh? A blue one? I didn’t get that.”

“I guess they treat us both as one knight.”

The knights received an additional supply of blue flares.

Blue flares were used to signal when encountering sorcerers, so they weren’t originally distributed to the Hundred-man Commander.

Because sorcerers were the natural enemies of soldiers. It was easier to think that if soldiers encountered a sorcerer, they would just die, with no hope of escape.

Since they didn’t have the power to capture the enemy, requesting support with a sorcerer present was meaningless, hence flares were not provided.

It was up to the knights to find the sorcerers. A knight who discovered a sorcerer would stop what they were doing, call for support with a flare, and then try to thwart the sorcerer from escaping.

Leo fiddled with the signal flare awkwardly.

The flare was a glass bead the size of a walnut, shimmering with brilliant colors inside. It was an enchanted item. Shattering it would report the current location to the wizards at the headquarters.

It had to be handled carefully.

In dire situations, some might shatter a signal flare out of fear for their lives without a good reason, but doing so would get them executed under military law.

Leo, receiving his first flare, went through extensive training.

Do not use the flare recklessly.

Even if he died, dispose of the flare first.

These two rules were all he needed to hear, but they echoed in his ears continuously.

If a signal flare fell into enemy hands, it could easily be misused.

Requests could be made for support in deserted places or the enemy could set a trap, so even in urgent situations, disposing of the flare was essential.

Thus, if a signal flare fell to the ground, it would lose its function. Although he had yet to see it being disposed of, he was told that simply dropping it would suffice.

“When did you use yours?”

“I used a green flare when you weren’t around. You need to break it perfectly. I squeezed it to break it, and it hurt. From now on, I’ll use a sword to smash it.”

Lena spoke while stuffing the signal flare into a small satchel. It would be hard to avoid punishment even with an accidental breakage. Leo also packed the flare carefully.

If used incorrectly, he could be executed, and even if he died, he had to dispose of it first. He felt a heavy sense of responsibility once more.

*

The reinforcements led by the prince pushed the frontline significantly.

The enemy, maintaining the line with numbers, could not hold out and retreated, and now the Belita Kingdom was beginning to welcome the army into several villages, having their lands devoured.

The Thousand-man Commander widely surrounded the encountered village. After confirming there were no enemies around, he ordered Lena’s Hundred-man Commander to take over the village.

The ten squads led by Lena briefly halted at a distance from the village, waiting for a sorcerer. One curious lieutenant asked Lena.

“Commander, do we really need a sorcerer to take over such a small village?”

“I don’t know. Just wait, and we’ll get orders from the sorcerer.”

Lena had rapidly risen to the position of Hundred-man Commander through a series of promotions, but she knew little about tactics or war.

This was a common occurrence when a war broke out. Opportunities to achieve merits overflow, and due to a severe lack of manpower during wartime, it was common for someone who merely knew how to wield a sword to rise to high positions.

To Leo, who saw many oddities in Lena, she was far from being a general. Managing soldiers was the limit for a Hundred-man Commander, and it seemed more fitting for her to become the knight she wished to be.

Soon, a sorcerer arrived on horseback.

Two knights guarded him, and it wasn’t until he dismounted and removed his hood that they realized he was, in fact, a woman.

Almost all high-ranking positions in this world were held by men, but sorcerers were an exception.

Sorcerers were individuals with extremely high mana sensitivity, a trait that could not be inherited and was so rare they might only appear once in hundreds of thousands.

This ability manifested regardless of gender, so the gender ratio among sorcerers was balanced.

The female sorcerer nodded lightly at Lena and got to work. She drew something on the ground with her staff and began muttering whispers into the air.

Soldiers gazed at her in awe. Like most, Leo saw a sorcerer for the first time.

However, Leo felt slightly disappointed. He had expected some flashy magic, but there was none.

“…Hmm. This won’t do.”

The sorcerer said with a troubled expression as she thudded her staff, larger than her own height, onto the ground.

“Get ready to put out the fire.”

“Uh? The fire?”

“The village is going to catch fire. I tried to release the magic, but it seems complicated. It feels like it’s physically connected to something.”

“Y-yeah… Understood.”

“When you’re ready, let me know.”

It was an unexpected order.

Lena, who was in trouble because they weren’t fireman soldiers, called her lieutenants.

“How big will the fire be?”

“You didn’t say.”

“There’s a stream nearby. If we fetch water from there…”

“But we don’t have any buckets.”

“We can’t do it alone. Just in case…”

Eventually, they decided to fill body bags with dirt and move them, and Lena worried about the lack of manpower and reported to the Thousand-man Commander for backup from another Hundred-man squad.

“Sorcerer, we’re ready.”

Lena called the sorcerer, who had been leisurely reading a book. She picked up her staff from her seated position and pointed it towards the village.

“Alright. You just have to go put it out. I already dealt with all the other traps, and there are no people inside.”

“Understood.”

Two hundred soldiers charged into the village. The village, much larger than Demos, had flames rising in multiple places.

Though there were flames that wouldn’t be easily extinguished, they pressed on with sheer numbers.

Some houses that were hard to approach were left to burn. As long as they were careful not to let the fire spread, that was sufficient.

With soot all over her face, Lena said, “Looks like the villagers managed to evacuate.”

“The lord probably took them away long ago.”

“Thank goodness. At least we didn’t witness a horrific scene…”

She looked relieved at the fact that they didn’t have to touch any civilians, but there was no guarantee that would always be the case.

There were likely larger villages and cities in the direction their army was advancing, and they might have to loot according to orders at that time.

The empty village, marked with signs of burning here and there.

Leo shook his head to dispel the dreadful thoughts that arose from the desolate scenery.

Let’s think positively.

This village would serve as a supply base moving forward.

In just a few months, the fortress named ‘Toridom’ would be within range, and capturing that fortress would stabilize the front significantly, which was the target of the Austin Kingdom Army.

If they captured Toridom, it was possible the war might come to an end.

The impoverished Austin Kingdom would not want a prolonged war. Therefore, it was highly likely they would be satisfied with occupying just a few cities and the strategically significant Toridom.

With his mood much improved from hopeful speculation, Leo offered Lena his canteen to wipe her face.

For a while, they were busy organizing the captured village and sorting through incoming supplies.

Carts filled with weapons, food, hay, tents, and daily necessities continuously arrived at the village, which was to serve as a supply base, leaving no time for rest.

Additionally, the siege weapons for capturing cities and fortresses made their imposing appearance, transforming the previously empty village into a bustling marketplace in no time.

Lena and Leo lived in a small house. Although they shared it with other soldiers, they had a room of their own.

The ceilinged dwelling gave both of them a strange sense of security.

One day, as dusk fell, Lena called out to Leo as he returned from his duties.

“Leo, want to have a match?”

“No. I really don’t have the confidence to win these days.”

Leo waved his hand as he sat down on the bed.

In the meantime, Lena’s skills had improved. She must have grasped a thing or two from practicing Katrina’s swordsmanship in real combat.

“Why do you fight well during battles but not when sparring? Are you pretending to let me win to make me feel good?”

“Not at all.”

As Lena grew stronger, the effects of the {Success Technique} had simply increased, but unaware of this, she approached the bed and asked.

“At this level, don’t you think we could beat that female knight from before?”

“Just you alone?”

“No, together.”

“I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

Lena laughed cheerfully.

“Well~ I think we could do it.”

With a big smile, she continued to fumble her words.

She often seemed like she had something to say lately, but she’d fidget, dragging it out.

“Are you gonna say something again?”

“…You’re pretty perceptive.”

“What is it? Just say it already.”

As Lena paced the room, she finally gathered her resolve and suddenly confessed.

“Let’s get married when we go back.”

Leo was taken aback and stared at Lena.

“Hehe, why are you so surprised?”

She turned away, continuing her shocked confession.

Her back, with arms crossed, exuded shyness.

“My dream is to become a knight and marry you. That’s why I’ve been trying to delay this. I’m sorry.”

“Isn’t it gonna be hard to become a knight after becoming a mom? But we’re already…”

“Squire!” Lena interjected, turning around swiftly.

Caught in a swirl of embarrassment, pride, and happiness, she wore a dazed expression.

“I might become a knight once we return, and if not, I think I can still aim for knighthood even as a Squire after marriage! If I train hard, I think I can get my skills acknowledged by the lord and receive my knighthood without having to go all the way to the capital!”

Lena looked Leo dead in the eye and proclaimed firmly.

“So, let’s get married when we go back.”

“……”

“Why so silent?”

“…I was just so happy I got a bit tongue-tied.”

“So, what’s your answer?”

“I like it. Lena, please marry me.”

Lena, as if feeling shy, buried her face in her hands. Even so, it was clear she was smiling brightly behind her hands.

“Ugh… It’s hot. Even though we’re going to get married anyway, this feels nice.”

Cautiously, she moved closer and sat down next to Leo. Then she seemed to be waiting for something.

It felt like she was hoping for something.

Aside from swordsmanship, she was clumsy at everything else.

When Leo kissed her, she blushed but welcomed his lips.

*

On that silent night, with the sound of crickets filling the air, Leo couldn’t sleep.

He was backed into a corner.

It wasn’t that he disliked Lena’s confession.

He loved it. It made him maddeningly happy.

But it was entirely flawed. He realized that if he participated in the war, there would be no way to make Lena a princess.

If he came to the battlefield, he would surely encounter Katrina.

This was an unavoidable {event}, and to survive, he had to fight and win. That way, he would at least capture one knight.

If he gained merits by capturing a knight without serious injury, he would meet the prince during the victory parade, and the prince’s favor would work in reverse. He would then open the path for them to become knights.

And when the path to becoming a knight was opened… Lena had confessed.

At this rate, even if he survived the war, he wouldn’t be able to make Lena a princess. If the war ended and he returned, he would have to marry her.

An annulment?

Anyone who could bring that up in front of a beaming Lena would go down in history as trash.

Even if he intended to leave a mark on history, it seemed impossible.

Leo’s heart was racing furiously, and ‘I’ was engulfed in a wave of happiness, unable to sleep.

The ‘engagement’ relationship scenario was filled with contradictions. There seemed no way to make her a princess through normal means.

One thing had become clear: he had to absolutely avoid the {war} event.

“Well, I am getting older, and I shouldn’t waste time on the battlefield. The more time I spend in battle, the closer I get to her…”

He already knew how to avoid the war. The {hunting} event, he had to catch the Old Phantom Fox. That would give him a reason to refrain from participating in the war.

However, there was one significant problem.

The Old Phantom Fox was too strong.

Its massive frame moved as lightly as the wind, yet its weight was still daunting. Leo had seen how horrifically heavy it was when he moved a dead one. If it struck him with its foreleg, even an adult male would be sent flying.

Even Dehorman, the great warrior of the Ainar Tribe, who had caught many monsters, was praised for capturing it and achieving a great feat.

Leo groaned and rolled over.

“How am I supposed to catch that? Should I just run away instead?”

But he had no way to persuade Lena.

A love escape?

They were already engaged.

Using swordsmanship training as an excuse?

His father watched over him daily as he trained with the sword.

Shaking his head, he realized there was no justification for leaving with Lena like the childhood friend scenario.

As he rolled over, Lena came into view, soundly asleep, looking adorable. However, the frustrating situation made him reach out and pinch her nose.

‘How on earth am I supposed to turn her into a princess? Ugh!’

At that, she groaned and stirred, and Leo felt guilty. The guy who made this game must have been insane… Lena hadn’t done anything wrong.

He covered Lena with the blanket again.

That night, Leo tossed and turned unable to sleep while Lena kicked off the blanket he had covered her with in her sleep.

Slowly, summer was coming to an end.