Late in the morning, in Parnatau Kingdom's capital, in a grand meeting room…

Slam-clunk!

A large blubbery hand slams on the table, causing a gem-encrusted golden chalice and its contents to jump up, spilling the wine within as it topples to the side, rolling slightly.

「What do you mean, lost!? You said it yourself, that they were an inferior force!」

Shooting to his feet in indignant shock, the crowned, morbidly obese man screams at Namir, jiggling his three chins. He winces in his seat along with the two other diplomats, while a collection of generals quietly watches on from all around the ornately carved wooden table. The sheer effort of standing up straight makes the fat man breathe heavily after just a few seconds.

「…That is correct, your highness. They were numerically inferior, but they were well prepared.」

Namir meekly replies, avoiding the king's wide-eyed, piercing gaze just enough to not aggravate him further.

「…Haah… Haah… This failure will be a black stain on your family's name for generations!… What are you going to do to correct that!? What is the general's plan!?」

Taking a few seconds to catch his breath, the king sits back down, causing his metal-reinforced chair to creak under his weight. The three diplomats quickly exchange tight-lipped glances.

「Your highness…」

Namir reluctantly calls out as he tugs at his robes' collar with a greatly discomforted grimace.

「…General Khamus is dead, your highness. A few hours ago-」「What!?」

Slam-thunk!

Sa-id chimes in, taking over the explanation for Namir. Before he can finish, the king slams his fat fist down onto the table again, and despite the great effort, stands up once again.

「…Your highness, a few hours after we had retreated, a word reached us from the other retreating troops, that the field camp in Redwing Kingdom had been attacked at night…」

Sa-id continues, explaining the situation with a grim, tight-lipped grimace while the king pants heavily and slowly sits back down.

「How is that possible!? Did they not see the forces sneaking up on their camp!?」

The fat man throws his hand up, and his crowned head turns left and right to the troubled-looking officers sitting at the sides.

「…It was a small, highly-trained force, your majesty. It's precisely because this maneuver was so bold, that nobody expected it. They set the entire camp ablaze…」

Sa-id spreads his hands, cautiously and very obviously picking his words as he looks down at the table. The king scowls at the three diplomats while listening.

「…General Khamus is unaccounted for, and presumably dead. We warned the closest fortress on our way back… But more worryingly, your highness…」

The troubled diplomat adds, and looks at Namir. He nods back, and Sa-id continues.

「…While you were sleeping, it appears a trail of fortresses have been destroyed along a road leading to the capital by a siege engine from an unknown location.」

He adds, and shrugs his shoulders.

「What? You mean there is a road wide open for the enemy!?」

The fat king shouts, jiggling his chin as he scowls. Namir raises his hands in an attempt to pacify him a little.

「Your highness!… Even if the enemy managed to rout the defenders, the fortresses directly by the gap should hold until we can deliver a response!… Their main force must be resting!」

Namir says, spreading his hands with an expertly faked, confident smile. Only a slight hint of nervousness slips through.

「…The enemy is destroying my fortresses deep within the kingdom, but not the ones by the Gap!?」

The king shouts as he looks around the table with wary eyes. The generals and the officers exchange nervous glances.

「It's highly likely their advance forces are just skirmishers… Too low in numbers to cause real harm. It's true, we lost a battle and were heavily set back… But now it's our turn, your highness!」

Sa-id chimes in again, coming to Namir's rescue as the king's pressure piles on upon him. Though still scowling, the king nods lightly.

「…That's true, yes. But who's to say another incompetent won't lose another battle!?… Generals!」

The fat man replies, then lets out a loud shout as he turns his eyes to the military men around the table.

「Yes, your highness!」「Yes, my liege!」「Your majesty!」

Along with the junior officers, the generals perk up and straighten out in their seats.

「…What is your response to this? I want to hear ideas right now!」

Taptaptaptap.

Pointing down, the king expectantly taps his rotund finger onto the table.

「Your highness, I believe we should start by pulling most of our northern districts' forces to the capital.」

One of the men says, briefly glancing at other generals, before returning his eyes to the fat man at the end of the fancy table.

「I concur. There's no sense keeping our forces locked away up north. We should focus our troops in the capital, then bear down at them when ready, along with the western and eastern districts!」

Another general chimes in. The military men quickly nod along while looking at the king.

「…If I hear of another setback of this scale, heads will roll! Crush the enemy with sheer numbers if you have to, but teach them that they have made a mistake angering me!」

The man in a crown wags his fat finger at everyone around the table.

「Yes, your highness!」「At once, your majesty!」「Your highness!」

The military men stand up and bow towards the scowling king, then jog out of the room in a rushed step.

「…In that case, I believe we should return to our duties, your highness?」

Namir asks, slowly standing up. The two other diplomats join him, though they wait for the king's word.

「Tsk… Get out of my face… And do not disturb me at meal time, unless you bring good news…」

Through some effort, the fat man raises himself out of his reinforced chair, and waddles out of the room ahead of them, rumbling the ground with each step. The diplomats bow, waiting for him to leave. He turns sideways and squeezes out of the doorway, disappearing outside of the lavishly decorated room.

Exchanging knowing looks, the diplomats leave as well.

「…Was it really a good idea to omit mentioning the dragon, Namir?」

Absid asks while walking down the likewise marble and gold-lined palace hallway.

「If the dragon comes, the king being angry will be the last of our worries, Absid. We've done what we could, the rest is now in the generals' hands. We're out of our depth past this point.」

Namir replies, returning a single glance at Absid by his side with a grim expression on his face…

…

An hour later, on the road leading to the capital, past the trail of ruined fortresses…

The First Rat Hunters are on the march at the front of the column. Hugging onto her hammer, Nona is sleeping on one of the carts in the rear. Lily is also riding one, watching the surroundings with a disinterested gaze and crossed arms. Julius glances over his shoulder.

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「…William, did you see those prisoners the other day?」

「…Yeeah. I saw 'em.」

He asks, and William nods.

「When they got the stew, they were thanking the cooks and bawling their eyes out. I can't stand the damn stew anymore, but they were devouring it…」

Julius says with a nod directed in a vague direction towards the back.

「…I asked them why they like it so much, and they said that's the most food they ever ate in their life…」

He continues, turning his eyes forward through the narrow slit in his helmet.

「…I gave one of them some of mine. He dropped to my feet and started thanking me… I kind of feel bad for them, William. Should we really be killing these guys?」

Julius adds, shrugging his armored shoulders.

「Truth to be told, Julius… I kind of feel bad for them too, but we can't afford to be merciful. The faster we plow through them, the faster the war ends.」

William shrugs as well, adding a little tilt of his helmet as he admits.

「Yeah, but… We could at least let them flee the battle, or something.」

「We can't, Julius. We kill their men, they flee, and then what? They'll rally elsewhere, and then you'll have to cut through the survivors. That's how you slaughter, not win wars, Julius.」

Julius shrugs his hands, and William shakes his helmet as he explains. They glance at each other, both becoming silent for a brief moment.

「…Yeah, I know.」

「We're lucky those last guys surrendered, and all the other fortresses were in ruins. We might be able to win without unnecessary bloodshed.」

William remarks, quickly peeking over his shoulder towards the back.

「…Seeing for yourself how bad the other people have it, and nearly dying a few times really makes you appreciate what you have a lot more, doesn't it?…」

Julius says as his gaze pensively drifts down to the road.

「Yeah… We don't have shit, but at least we get two or three meals a day.」

After a brief sigh in his helmet, William shrugs and replies. They continue onward as the walls of a distant city become visible.

…

Around the same time, outside Parnatau Kingdom's capital, on a distant hill…

Straf is sitting in the kubelwagen with Stripe, while the vanguard of Redwing Kingdom's forces are positioning themselves for a siege.

「Well… Looks like everything is going to plan. We'll be back before the week is up at this rate.」

He says as he watches the panicked faces of the garrison troops up on the city walls with a smirk on his. Stripe lets out a large sigh.

「…Can I do something yet? I don't like sitting here, doing nothing when I could put my skills to use.」

She asks, throwing her hands up with a frustrated grimace on her face.

「Nope. I've got everything under control.」

Straf shakes his head while watching his forces slowly trickle in.

「…At least let me raise their gates, or something! Do you actually want to spend the time sieging this place!?」

Growing more frustrated by the minute, she points her clawed hand at the lowered gate.

「I said, I've got everything under control…」

「…Eh?」

Straf repeats himself with a grin, and turns the key as the gate begins to rise. Stripe looks back at the city, and notices the defenders chaotically scrambling in panic on the battlements.

Vrrrrrrrttrtrtrtrtvrrrrrrmmmm!…

The car shakes for just a brief moment as the engine starts up, causing Straf to raise his brow.

「Nice. I think the engine is getting broken in.」

With an approving grimace, he tilts his head, then shifts the gear and rolls off the hill towards his forces.

Vrrrroooooooommmmm!…

With the defenders confused and in disarray, they abandon the battlements, as well as the general area of the now-open gate. Somewhat confused as well, the soldiers of Redwing Kingdom glance at each other, before an officer starts waving his sword around and shouting commands, pointing it at the city. The column advances, marching in while the supply wagons and a portion of rear guard are left outside the city. Straf arrives at the forefront of the marching troops.

The kubelwagen rolls in past the gate, matching the pace of wary, cautious troops behind it. Heads swivel and eyes watch the empty battlements above with shields raised.

「Hm?…」

As Straf and his troops advance deeper into the city, he quickly realizes the capital is very much unlike Draconis. Most buildings are built out of adobe, and those that are not are in a terrible state worse than the worst examples of the slums there. The short, skeletal citizens are watching the invading forces with apathetic eyes, simply staring at them as they walk in.

A curled up child sitting by a building raises his sunken eyes and cheeks up to briefly glance at Straf, only to return his gaunt face back into his knees out of lack of interest. Straf raises his hand and rolls to a stop, halting the marching troops. They take defensive posture, cautiously watching the alleyways.

「Damn, what a shithole…」

Straf remarks, furrowing his brows at the child.

He then turns his gaze up and ahead, towards the marble palace up on a hill, walled off from the rest of the city, and stunning the visitors with its contrasting beauty as it towers over all.

「…Guess I know now where all the gold went.」

Straf adds with a shrug of his shoulders. He quickly looks around, and finds that the garrison troops either have fled to another part of the city, or deserted and are now posing as civilians.

「…Okay, new orders! Bring one o' the supply wagons in and some of the cooks! We're handing these sad starving fucks some food!」

With a circular wave of his hand above his head, Straf shouts back at the officers in the rear. One of the mustached men runs up to the kubelwagen's side.

「Minister, is that wise?… The enemy could capture-」

The man asks, warily looking around with his sword in hand.

「That's an order. We're feeding the enemy's people, 'cause the enemy can't fucking do it themselves. If they steal some soup, oh fucking well.」

Straf replies, throwing his hands up. The officer nods, then runs back.

「Bring a supply wagon in! Get the cooks!…」

The man shouts towards the officers in the back, and they relay the message towards the rear of the formation.

Straf glances at the starving child again, then at the adobe buildings, then the palace. Furrowing his brows, he counts something on his fingers.

「…Wait, did I accidentally recreate a war?… Am I going to get bogged down here for 20 years?」

「Huh?」

He thinks out loud as he stops counting, and intensely rubs his chin while staring at the steering wheel. Stripe tilts her head with her golden eyes narrowed.

「…I don't think our economy can take it. The uniform budget is already pretty high.」

Straf remarks, turning his gaze to her.

「Huh? What uniform budget?…」

With a perplexed look on her face, Stripe narrows her eyes further. The supply wagon rolls into the city, spreading the smell of the stew across its streets…