07:20 HOURS.
THURSDAY, 15 AESTAS 1433.
VIRIDIS, YONDEL.
“EMMA” WAS HER NAME. The title of princess was long forgotten, instead of Leccamaradel Emma Araish, it was simply her middle name that she used in everyday life. It served as a shield protecting her identity, and with her limited appearances as a princess in public, not many knew that she was of royal blood. The only thing that made her stand out compared to her counterparts was her hair which was a mixture of a honey-brown and strands of pure silver hair.
The climb to her observation point was short, but it was draining. Emma hadn’t spent much time in the physical regiment of the military academy, and now it was coming to bite her in the ass. She laid against the still standing wall of the destroyed building she occupied. The combat uniform she wore with her leather armor made her sweat like a pig, but the colors were enough to help conceal her from any prying eyes. Grasping a small metallic pipe in her left hand, she steadily pressed it against the wall she was against and aimed it several hundred meters ahead towards the large town where the rest of her intelligence unit was operating in. Narrowing her eyes, a small glyph formed just in front of her eye, and she was able to see a crystal-clear, magnified view of the town.
She was alone on this reconnaissance and sabotage mission. Contrary to what military doctrine said, her commanding officer ordered her, a newly promoted Knight, to work alone to take advantage of the magic she alone possessed within the unit. Her mission was abnormal in the way it was to be conducted; ranged warfare was a new concept, and she was tasked with exploiting her magic to provide an opening to the soldiers on the ground that would storm insurgent positions. To do that, she needed to channel her magic into a single bolt to hit a central storage center where magical infused gems and stones were waiting to be used against the kingdom.
Above her the greying clouds were silhouetted against the burning blue sky. The shine of the sun forced her to narrow her eyes more as the blinding light nearly threw off her aim. She had to take her time before committing to firing the shot; projectiles were only meant to be fired at shorter range, but she had adopted the science behind firing trebuchets and other short-range magic-based artillery to complete her mission. There were limitations. Gravity, wind speed, and direction would determine if the men on the ground would die or survive and complete their mission.
She centered the square reticle on a large warehouse that was twice as large as the buildings surrounding it. The surrounding district was beautiful, it was a shame that her unit was going to turn it into a warzone.
“Emma, we have lost sight of the target. The local garrison will send out patrols soon. The time to assault is now!”
Dragging her left hand up her chest, her fingers caught a small pocket and withdrew a red gem. She looked at her reflection before rubbing her thumb over the surface causing it to faintly glow, “Activate the relic.” She said before returning the gem and letting her left-hand act as a stable platform once more.
“Yes, ma’am! Relic going hot!”
So far everything was moving according to Knight Chieftain Jensen Tellus operational planning. The commander oversaw regaining control over the territories on the eastern border of the kingdom, and he was given a blank cheque by the king himself. There wasn’t much known about the senior officer; anything the princess could have found was vague or listed very minor achievements during the Inter-Peace War. However, he had proven himself with the last operation as he was able to blitz through hostile forces with minimal casualties. Speed and efficiency. Jensen would use anything to gain the advantage on the battlefield, and from what the princess would understand, he was aiming to run for the Grand Harbinger billet. If he were to reach the top position in the military, a revolution in combat doctrine would happen and tear away the old world and culture. If Jensen could once more find success in this mission to take back Viridis from hostile forces, then his future was all but assured.
Readjusting her grip on the metal pipe, Emma noticed a faint purple glow on the inside of the warehouse. She almost missed the light, as the picture displayed through the magnified view wasn’t focused solely on the building. Over the next two minutes the light grew more-and-more visible. And once it was clear that the relic had been fully activated and ready to be disrupted, she exhaled slowly.
A bolt of blue escaped the end of her weapon. Not moving from her post, the princess watched as the blue light streaked across the sky and fell from above. It took seven seconds for the bolt she fired to breach one of the large windows of the warehouse, and it cut through the glass like paper as the round dispersed into a hail of blue sprinkles and mist. Five seconds after the bolt had reached its target, the harsh purple light from within vanished in the blink of an eye, and the surrounding lights within the city turned off. From the distance she was at, Emma could never hear the worried shouts of the civilians that exited their homes and the stomping boots of her fellow soldiers storming through the city. She could only watch as her men scattered like ants as they all moved to their assigned targets.
Her mission was complete unlike theirs. It was time for her to leave.
Stepping away from the destroyed wall, the princess disappeared from the hill. Three hours later a search party of battered revolutionaries emerged to find the one that had ruined their plans. Most of their men were either killed or taken into custody by the army. A scout that was off duty had provided a tip that someone wearing heavy gear was spotted in this area, but by the time they had arrived, nothing remained. There was no evidence that someone had been posted in this place. In a fit of rage, the leader of the search party burned down the gutted remains of the building.
Emma had long left the province. As the ashes fell upon the city of Viridis, her head bobbed up and down as she slept on a small fishing vessel heading towards the grand capital.
24:59 HOURS.
TUESDAY, 30 AUTUMNSUS 1441.
GLACIES, YONDEL.
LECCAMARADEL EMMA ARISH was shaken awake by a gust of wind. Beyond the horizon of Glacies, the sun had given way to the near pitch-black darkness that came with the moon. The princess way sitting on a small wooden bench on the side of the large interior courtyard; it was apparent that she had fallen asleep here in the late-afternoon, and no one had yet to wake her or search for her. He pressed her eyes closed and stretched her arms as the strength to move off the wooden beam came to her slowly. As she steadied herself on the wall next to her, the world around became more and more visible as her eyes adjusted to the low light environment. Those helmets the men had, they can see in the dark, can they not? She was momentarily envious of the night-vision capable helmets that the Holy Knights were in possession of.
Much earlier in the day, when she and her party had returned to the safety of the capital walls, her duties as an officer were carried out. Along with the reports she took from Mayor Quartz, Lecca had the opportunity to present the information of the attack to none other than Senator Orpheus. The man had his assignment changed to the war-committee, and he pressed his newfound authority of within the Royal Court to incriminate the princess in her failure to prevent an all-out assault on Bishmark. Naturally his actions were criticized by his fellow senators, but the damage to the princess’s reputation had been made, and it would take time for the princess to gain back the few supporters she had from Orpheus’s grasp.
For now, it didn’t matter. She had returned to her role as the First-Born Princess. All she had to do was look pretty and be diplomatic in the few conversations she would have to spare to the staff within the castle. That, and she much looked forward to speaking with Sergeant Mike once again. The Ranger had gotten tied up with weapon cleaning and maintenance, so he was locked away in the west wing toiling away at the complex parts of each weapon. She giggled to the though of the sergeant growing frustrated at being isolated. The idea to provide him company popped into her mind, and she stood tall, aiming to make her way to the room he was reassigned to.
Proceeding down the stone walkway, Lecca cut through the damp grounds around her and raced to escape the half-humid air around her. Perhaps I should get him some ale or mead. Her mind was occupied with the thought of seeing the sergeant, and those that noticed her entering the castle in the dead of night said nothing as she passed them walking in a steady, yet swift tempo. Her heartrate had increased, but soon enough it was cut down as she reached the hall where the Throne Room entrance was. At the center of the hallway, a single guard stood the watch. He remained silent in his observations, and eventually his gaze settled on the princess. Lecca did not want to venture down this hall, but it was the most direct route to the west wing of the castle.
She felt a pit in her gut. With a single step, she resigned herself to whatever fate would come with wandering down this hall.
In an ironic fashion, the guard on watch interpreting that she was to enter the occupied Throne Room. There was no escape as the large wooden doors groaned open, alerting those inside of a newcomer.
“We have several similar weapons on Earth. One of the more important ones that could recreate such destruction like what we saw at Bishmark was the XM317 Special Purpose Howitzer,” Captain Oliver stopped his explanation to King Aldrecht. He provided a crisp salute to the princess in which she returned providing her nation’s own salute. “I don’t have any specific reports, but the main weapon used is a Model 5 Special Purpose Gauss Cannon. It is the only weapon that would be able to cut through the fortifications and buildings in a single shot.”
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“And such a weapon was employed by our adversaries?”
“Not likely, sir.” Oliver turned around and spoke loudly, “Lieutenant! Get me the report from Knight Rippers!”
Looking left-to-right, the princess was amazed at the current state of the Throne Room. It had been completely turned into a command center, where the top officers walked from each side of the room trading documents and information while their subordinates worked in unison planning out strategies and applying new doctrines. At this moment she no longer felt like the princess, she felt like another soldier in the cog of war.
“Captain, what is happening here?”
The officer let out a cough as he picked up his near-empty coffee cup. He seemed annoyed by the question; rather, he was annoyed due to the princess not being present when this mess began.
“Well, I could use a beer right now.”
Lecca deadpanned at the comment.
“Alright! We’re just going over a new offensive that the Royal Court is authorizing. There is no designated target that the kingdom can declare war against, but the next best thing we can do is shore up defenses. And that includes damage assessment. If Aldrecht is wanting to use us behind enemy lines, we need to know what we’ll be up against.” He explained.
“Captain.”
Walking beside his superior, Lieutenant Andrew handed a stack of papers to Oliver. “Right, the Frontier? Is that what they call it?” The O-3 was busy confirming the contents of the report while the princess moved to the table and next to King Aldrecht. He grunted at her arrival. Being drawn into the map laid out on the table, the monarch oversaw the bigger picture. World politics was just and afterthought; he needed to secure the northern border. The specialized intelligence units that were formed under Harbinger Jensen Tellus had traced the force that attacked Bishmark and found their origins within the Frontier. Aldrecht intended to use the Holy Knights to investigate the matter further. After all, they were tactically sound, and had the highest chance of returning alive unlike the regular grunts of the army.
“Your majesty,” stepping around a group of scholars, Captain Orwell made his appearance as he escorted Navy Admiral James Hag. “Admiral Hag has a report of the sinking of the Firestorm. He needs to speak to you about deploying the 22nd Flotilla to investigate.”
“Admiral Hag, take your fleet and find out who did this. Have the army’s 5th Waterborne Regiment assist you,” he ordered in a firm voice. He had little time to deal with naval issues; lucky for him that the captain and admiral simply saluted before turning around. “Princess Arish, please follow me, we have much to discuss.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
Oliver and Andrew stood silent as the two royals stepped out of the throne room. Frustrated, the captain tossed the report he had on the table and let out a hollow breath, one that would never reach the ears of the princess or king.
Walking in step, the princess’s eyes passed by the occupied halls and balconies of the castle. Between the guards and servants keeping the world moving, her gaze passed over Private First Class Jacob Green; a single orange glow illuminated his face and each breath he took was followed by a cloud of smoke. His hidden eyes tracked her and the king as they disappeared around the corner.
“I heard that you slept in the garden for some time,” King Aldrecht suddenly stated.
“Yes—I did,” Lecca became embarrassed that the king had knowledge of her nap. “To what did you call me for? Does it involve the Holy Knights?”
“It seems that you have gained a reputation amongst the Holy Knights and my flag officers.” Reaching a small door at the north wing of the castle, Aldrecht pressed his hands against the handle and pushed it open allowing the princess to enter. Without another word he snapped his fingers shooting a small beam of red energy to a conduit at the center of the room: the candles and torches surrounding the perimeter flamed alight and painted the room in a gentle orange glow. Stumbling over to the table to the side of the room, his hands aged hands brushed over the surface of an unnamed book. “You are truly growing into your own person, Leccamaradel. To your men, you are a shining light. Remember that next time you speak with them. Though they may not say much, they appreciate everything you have done for them. Captain Thompson has assured me as much.”
Choosing to sit at the table, Lecca brushed aside her silver locks. She wasn’t sure why the king had called her here. She had gained the answer to her earlier question, yet was she being moved from her current post? It felt as if the king was addressing her as an officer, not the princess. He does that all the time… she thought as the older man walked to the opposite side to sit down. If he was indeed to switch the command of the Holy Knights, that only meant that he intended to use them in direct combat against the Demon Lord. That was the only way to kill them without incident.
I’ll kill him. She promised herself. Nothing would harm her Rangers, not if she could raise her blade and draw blood.
“I am no fool. The campaign that the flag officers want to wage against the Demon Lord will kill us all,” King Aldrecht said slowly. “The attack on Bishmark was a bastardly and cowardly move. Yet now it shows that the great threat has returned, and it is something we can no longer ignore with blissful ignorance.”
“Admiral Hag is bothered by the incident that happened in the Golden Sea. Perhaps the Demon Lord is staging a naval invasion rather than choosing brute force at the northern border.” Lecca observed.
“What Admiral Hag wants is not something for you to toil over,” the king barked. “The Demon Lord is vicious and will draw out our best. The deliberation held between my council will force your Holy Knights to initiate a retaliatory strike—”
“And what of the hero!? Is he not going to assist us?”
Aldrecht chose silence. The hero had departed from the kingdom well over twenty years ago. Killing the heir to the Demon Lord was his mission, and he had completed it within five years. There was nothing for him to accomplish by staying within the safety of Yondel, so he left. The king had never even had the opportunity of learning his name. “The hero has long resigned from his post. It is ultimately up to us to carry on the survival of our people. One nation cannot rely on a single person, less it be destroyed by pure ignorance.”
“And you expect Mike, Oliver, and the others to save us?” Lecca’s voice grew shallow.
“To place trust in those men is something that will determine if this kingdom lives to see another day,” Aldrecht explained. “They are not of royal blood. They are not of noble decent. The Holy Knights are nothing more than specialized soldiers that exceed my own in everything they do. We can only hope that the lessons they provide will develop military doctrines far enough to where we can withstand any threat be it traditional or abnormal. We have already seen results of their capabilities; it is only time before they realize that they have no place in this kingdom. And once that happens, they like the hero, will leave without a second thought. There is even a chance that they will defect to one of our allies, at least the few we still have.”
Laying back in his seat, the king stared at the princess. She was shocked by his suggestion that the men under her command had the possibility of defecting. Her silver eyes moved ever-so-slightly open; her lips pressed together trying to speak a single word. The only hope the men had been to return to their world, their homes. If someone offered the same possibility, or they discovered the expanded capabilities of magic, there was not a single reason to stay within the restraining custody of himself and the Royal Court.
For them to stay here was nothing but misery.
“They are warriors, like yourself,” he murmured garnering the princess’s attention. “They fight unlike anything I have seen before, and if they gain the slightest of ideas, these men will likely aim to change the kingdom by force if necessary. They know nothing of our culture, our ideals. We may have spelled the end of the kingdom by allowing them to be brought to such a distasteful world. It is insincere of me to say such rubbish, however if there is one thing I am to do, it is to ensure that the Demon Lord never returns. And so, I have a proposition for you…”
“A proposition?”
Aldrecht smiled, “Senator Orpheus has told me that a new threat has been found within the Frontier. I fear we are witnessing a buildup of monsters under the command of the Demon Lord. If we are to react accordingly, information will decide who and what is used to counter such a threat. He has specifically asked that your Holy Knights conduct a special reconnaissance mission deep into the heart of the Frontier. I know that this is a mission I cannot ask of the regular men-in-file, and Harbinger Tellus has been reluctant to send out his “Watchers”, so I have no other choice than to request that you accompany your men and undertake such a dangerous mission.”
Lecca understood what the king was asking. Even if she held the right to refuse, this would turn into nothing but an order from those that controlled the strings of the military. Aldrecht had placed his trust in her abilities, and more importantly the capability of her men. She had completely misinterpreted why he had called her here, and such ignorance displayed that perhaps that was the reason why he was asking her such a question. This could be viewed as a suicide mission. Everything she had learned of the old ages pointed the Demon Lord to being ruthless in his treatment of spies and soldiers.
But she was an assassin. She was the hidden blade of the kingdom. Her position as a diplomat was nothing but a cover for the hundreds of deaths she had orchestrated.
A small smile crept upon her lips, “You wish for us to eliminate the Demon Lord? To prevent an invasion, such a bold decision.”
“No,” She was taken aback by the blunt answer. “I am only fulfilling an old promise to keep you alive. Captain Thompson taught me an old saying from his world, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. There is no other option I have in this matter, and I will use everything I can to ensure that you are alive to keep the light of this nation alive.” He stood and wandered to the window where the gentle moonlight shined upon his greying hair. You are going to enter a place where no human has set foot in centuries. It will be my pride to send the most capable warriors alongside you, so that my people will find a haven where the terrors of this world do not exist.”
“You say that as if you will die.”
Looking over his shoulder, the older man let out a hearty chuckle, “If I do, reclaim the kingdom using the lessons the Rangers teach you.” Stepping away from the window, the king reached the only door present within the room. “Lecca, you are the rightful heir to the throne. Not even the crown prince can change such a fact.” He said opening the door and stepping out into the near-pitch black hallway.
The princess was left alone.
It was silent.
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Publicly Available Information: Mission Briefing 1 — Operation First Stand:
Under the command of King Aldrecht Spell Shaldrecht, over 25,000 soldiers from the army and 20 vessels from the navy are participating in a defensive maneuver to halt a possible invasion from the Demon Lord’s forces.
Along with traditional warfighting units, specialized infantry units have been deployed along with the famed and mystified Holy Knights. They act to augment the already capable knights and soldiers, and sailors on the front lines, and their primary mission is to act as deep-reconnaissance parties to alert forward operating bases set up across the norther border.
Knight Chieftain, and First Princess Leccamaradel Emma Arish has taken command of the Holy Knights which have been ordered to deploy to the largest settlement within the Frontier and perform a dual-purpose scouting mission.