YEAR: 1724. AUGUST 16TH. LOCATION: MAIN CAMP OF THIRD DIVISION SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTHEAST OF PLAIN OF JADE.

“You should at least try to relax, you know?” Brigadier General Varian remarked, setting a cup of red wine down on Aylsia’s desk. His voice carried a gentle concern, softened by the flickering candlelight that illuminated the command tent. “Resting is just as important as fighting, especially for a soldier.”

It was in the late afternoon as both Varian and Aylsia was on the command tent, Varian resting while Aylsia was working.

Aylsia, newly promoted to Major General of the Third Division, didn’t even glance at the wine. Her eyes stayed glued to the mountain of paperwork before her, each document meticulously reviewed and signed. The furrow in her brow deepened as she flipped another page, adding mana to her pen before continuing to write.

“I’ll rest when this is done,” She replied firmly. “We need to cover every angle, consider every possibility. We’ve already taken significant losses. I can’t rest until I’m certain we’re prepared for any attack—no matter how unlikely.”

Though Aylsia technically outranked him, Varian spoke to her as if she were an equal, maybe even a friend. It was because she was temporarily holding the rank of Major General on paper. In truth, she was still only a Colonel. Varian found the usual strict military manner too stressful, and besides, Aylsia didn’t seem to mind.

Varian sighed, leaning back in his chair, his hand absentmindedly resting on the hilt of the sword gifted to him by Major General Remnell—a habit born from years of service.

Their recent victories against the 9th Corp had raised the soldiers’ morale. For the first time in weeks, they allowed themselves to breathe a little easier, sharing quiet jokes around the campfires. They’d earned their victories, and some even whispered about celebrating.

But Aylsia had banned any talk of alcohol. She deemed it too risky, especially while they were still in pursuit of a small faction of the 9th Corp. She knew all too well how dangerous a cornered enemy could be—just like a mouse when it’s trapped by a larger predator.

“Isn’t that a bit much?” Varian asked, watching her with a mix of admiration and concern. “We’ve already got scouts watching their movements. They’re not going to catch us off guard with a night raid, and we’ve got spies sending us updates every hour with those wind birds. Our supply lines are secure, our perimeter is fortified. We’ve got archers stationed all around the camp, ready to sound the alarm at the first sign of trouble. You’ve thought of everything.”

Aylsia finally looked up, her green eyes sharp and determined. “And yet, it’s never enough. One mistake, one oversight, and everything we’ve worked for could come crashing down. I won’t let that happen—not on my watch.”

Varian shivered slightly, feeling the weight of her aura. When he’d first forced her to take over after Major General Caelen fell in battle, he’d had his doubts. Sure, she was Caelen’s aide, but being an aide and a general were two very different things—especially since Caelen hadn’t relied heavily on her for tactical decisions.

But his worries had proven unfounded. Aylsia had shown remarkable brilliance on the battlefield. It took her some time to adjust, but their recent victories had silenced any remaining doubts.

Varian couldn’t help but think, against his better judgment, that he wished Caelen had died sooner. Aylsia was a much better commander, and it would have been nice to see her in command earlier.

Realizing that arguing further was pointless, Varian stood up and headed for the exit. “Well, I’ll be going now. Just… don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

Aylsia only nodded, her eyes never leaving the paperwork on her desk.

As Varian stepped outside, he barely had time to react before a soldier, covered head-to-toe in mud, burst into the camp and slammed right into him, sending him tumbling to the ground.

“Varian, are you okay?!” Aylsia shouted, finally looking up from her documents. She shot a glare at the muddy soldier, who was scrambling to his feet, trying his best to bow in apology. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I’m sorry, Lord Varian! Lady Aylsia!” the soldier blurted out, his voice trembling with fear. “But this is an emergency! The enemy—they’ve sneaked into the camp and are approaching fast!”

Varian and Aylsia’s eyes widened in shock. How did they manage to sneak in?

They had both been absolutely sure that no enemies could infiltrate the camp. There had been no reports of a breach, and even if they somehow slipped past the outer defenses, it should’ve been impossible to make it this far into the camp, where thousands of soldiers were stationed. The only explanations were that the enemy had either stolen their uniforms or found some other way to sneak in.

Before they could piece it all together, the soldier who had brought the news suddenly screamed in pain. Varian and Aylsia both turned to see a sword thrust through the soldier’s armor. Before they could react, the sword was pulled out, leaving the soldier to crumple lifelessly to the ground, his eyes wide in shock, blood pooling around him.

Standing over the fallen soldier was a girl who looked no older than ten. She had short silver hair and bright orange eyes, a twisted smile on her face. Blood spattered her 9th Corp uniform, marking her clearly as the enemy.

“Well,” The girl chirped like a normal child, her voice disturbingly cheerful as she wiped the blood off her sword. She stared at the two stunned officers with a look of delight. “Looks like the plan was successful! A commander and their aide, I guess? Doesn’t matter. I just have to kill you both!”

With that, the girl charged at them. Behind her, more soldiers in 9th Corp armor poured into the tent like a flood, all of them charging at Varian and Aylsia. Snapping back to their senses, both drew their swords, ready for battle.

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Outside the tent, the sounds of clashing steel, shouts, and screams filled the night as the camp descended into chaos.

[(0)]

YEAR: 1724. AUGUST 15TH. LOCATION: SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PLAIN OF JADE.

After a heated argument about the so-called “elite” 6th Company, it was finally decided that we’d go along with First Lieutenant Mira’s proposal. The 6th Company, a mishmash of what was left of the 1st through 5th Companies, numbered just over 300 soldiers. Despite being called “elites”, none of them had undergone any special training that warranted such a title.

“They’re smart enough to set up that fire trap, and with Captain Aria leading them—who, by the way, claims to have killed Major General Caelen—I see no problem calling you elites, right?”

That was Mira’s parting shot as the meeting wrapped up. It was clear that she meant for me to prove myself—if I failed, my claim about killing Caelen would be dismissed as nothing more than a lie.

I couldn’t say a word throughout the rest of the meeting. When it finally ended, I quietly made my way to the outskirts of the camp and punched a tree to vent my frustration.

“That stupid Lieutenant! She just wants me dead!” I screamed, clutching my hair in anger as I kept punching the tree, again and again.

I didn’t stop until my hands hurt too much to continue. The tree now had a small dent where my fists had repeatedly struck, showing that my punches weren’t exactly weak. But that was the least of my worries.

Now I had to figure out how to sneak into an enemy camp, packed to the brim with soldiers, and take out their commander—whoever that was. Brigadier General Lily had given me a list of potential targets, but I doubted my “elite” troops would have the time or skill to kill them all before we were wiped out.

To make things worse, there was no clear way into the camp. The documents I received detailed the tight security of the Imperial outer defenses, making it practically impossible to sneak in without someone sounding the alarm.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, there were no clear maps or reports of the enemy camp’s layout. Our scouts had either failed to gather the information or had been killed before they could report back.

I slumped down onto a patch of grass, feeling utterly hopeless. No matter how I looked at it, this mission was a death sentence. It was too difficult, and I almost felt like crying.

Just then, I heard voices nearby. Curious as to why anyone would be talking in the outskirts of the camp, I quietly crept closer. The voices belonged to three injured soldiers, who, judging by their armor, were from the former 1st Company. They were acting suspiciously, constantly checking their surroundings as if making sure no one was listening.

I moved closer, trying to stay as silent as possible, and watched as one of them sent a wind bird flying in the direction of the enemy camp. That raised my suspicions. Were they spies?

I decided to confront them. Stepping out from my hiding spot, I made my presence known with an air of cold authority.

“What are you doing here?” I asked icily. “I don’t recall anyone being authorized to send messages, much less in the direction of the enemy.”

The three soldiers jumped at the sound of my voice but quickly calmed down when they realized who I was. One of them sneered, speaking in a tone that sent a chill down my spine.

“You’ve got no business knowing what we’re doing. Now, if you’ll exec—”

“I am Captain Aria, and I have every right to know what’s going on,” I interrupted, cutting him off mid-sentence. “You’ll tell me what you’re up to, or I’ll consider this an act of disobedience against an officer.”

It was a risky move. While the three soldiers didn’t seem heavily armed, they could have hidden weapons. I only had my sword and a uniform that offered little protection. If they really were spies, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill me to keep their secret. I was the one in real danger here, not them—they could easily kill me and flee back to the Imperials.

The soldiers’ expressions darkened as they glared at me, their mood shifting from sneaky to outright menacing. Then, each one drew a dagger from within their clothes. Just my luck—I was right!

“You might’ve lived if you’d just stayed ignorant,” one of them sneered, licking the blade of his dagger. “But since you decided to poke your nose where it doesn’t belong, we’ve got no choice but to kill you.”

I drew my sword, returning their glares with one of my own. It was clear this was going to end in a fight. Thankfully, they seemed injured, but I couldn’t be sure—it could be an act.

Then, the three of them charged at me. I quickly stepped back at the first attack and slashed at the first soldier. However, the second soldier blocked me while the third slashed at me, forcing me into a defensive stance.

It was clear: with three of them working in perfect teamwork, they completely outmatched me. It was also clear that their injury was fake as they didn’t seem to have any restrictions in their movements.

Soon, I became tired, light wounds covering my body. I breathed heavily, struggling to keep my hand from shaking. The three soldiers, in contrast, looked confident as they began to mock me.

“So this is the power that killed Caelen?”

“I’m surprised he even lost to this girl.”

“Yeah, let’s just kill her.”

As the soldier raised his sword to strike, something inside me snapped. The next thing I knew, I was holding my sword steady, channeling some kind of energy into the blade. I instinctively knew what it was—I was enchanting my sword with mana, just like the knights do.

Without wasting a second, I slashed at the soldier. Our swords met, but instead of clashing, my blade cleaved through his, cutting it clean in half before continuing on.

Surprised by the sudden change, the soldier tried to dodge, but it was too late. My sword sliced through his neck, decapitating him before he could even scream. His head hit the ground with a sickening thud, blood spurting from his body as he crumpled.

But I didn’t stop there. I quickly dashed to the second soldier, who was frozen in shock at his comrade’s death. He instinctively raised his sword to block, but my blade sliced through it with ease, cutting across his chest.

He screamed in pain as his body split in half, but I still didn’t stop. I moved on to the third soldier, who, learning from his friends’ mistakes, didn’t try to block. Instead, he tried to dodge, but I was faster. I swiftly cut through his legs, severing them cleanly before he could react.

He screamed in agony as he fell to the ground. Unlike the first two, I had no intention of killing this one—I needed information. My instincts had driven me to kill the first two, but I knew I had to keep this one alive.

He must have seen the resolve in my eyes because his eyes widened in fear. He tried to bite his tongue to end his life, but I was faster. I slammed my iron boot into his mouth, shattering several teeth as he let out a muffled scream.

“I’m going to ask you some questions,” I said, my voice dripping with menace. “And if you don’t answer, a very unpleasant interrogation awaits you.”

But before I could get any answers, I heard a shout next to me.

“Aria!”

The voice belonged to Deryk, who came running toward me with a group of soldiers in tow. Before I could respond, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit me. I coughed, and instead of spit, blood came out. I stared at it in shock, the metallic taste filling my mouth.

“He’s a spy…” I managed to say before collapsing into Deryk’s arms.

The last thing I remember was Deryk shouting my name, his voice filled with worry, as the soldiers apprehended the spy. Then, everything went dark.