A cold day during winter. Around us are all sorts of trees covered in snow. Not that the cold was ever dangerous to us, but it is getting somewhat boring to see.
"Hey, how much longer are we going to walk?"
"We're almost there. My guess is around... uh... 40 minutes, probably."
"What?? So much left~~~"
The girl walking next to me continues her whining. Stealth is our top priority, Nonaka...
"Why aren't we flying?"
"Everyone in this team, including you, knows that flying would ruin our stealth. What if the Valkyrian drones catch us?"
Akajira Nonaka is a girl with a small build, her tied up crimson hair hangs down from both sides of her head, like her long ears. Pity her, she must be hungry.
'C'mon~ I wanna eat so badly...', I bet that's what's inside her head at the moment. Focus on the mission, Nonaka! To explore the new Ecra mine only discovered recently, at the mountain ranges to the West of the Resistance active area.
"Commander, we've been walking like this since last evening. Are you sure that everything will be okay, when both the Vice Commander and I are...
"I'm sure..."
'...that the worst thing is that we all starve to death', that is what I thought I would say, however it would smash the team spirit to pieces. I can only sigh...
"Well, when we eventually finish the mission and come back to HQ, you can have my plate, yea-"
"COMMANDER, LOOK OUT!"
An arrow swiftly flew right next to Kai's face as he shouted to me, heading straight for my face. However...
"If I was so easy to kill, I wouldn't have been leading the Resistance for so long." - I said, as I looked at the arrow I had just caught.
"Who still uses bows and arrows anyway?"
"We're still using swords, Rico."
Nonaka grinned at me as I realized the hypocrisy in my words. This girl...
After another short period of walking through what seemed like endless snow (around 30 minutes but Nonaka's whining makes it seem like 300), our team finally reaches the mine.
"WHOA THAT MOUNTAIN IS SO BIG~"
Nonaka ran ahead in admiration of the sheer size of the mountain the mine is located on. I couldn't care less. Wait, I thought you were hungry? Such speed...
"Kai, you should rest as well. I take it you're pretty tired by now, aye?"
"Oh, no, I don't get tired..."
"...You sure?"
I stare at him, the man in full tech armor.
"...Well, in that case, please excuse me..."
He walks away. Kai Leviathan, you're a strange man.
Meanwhile, I come to Hiren (Captain of the expedition squad and recently promoted to mine manager) and ask him to lead me around the place.
"There's Ecra everywhere. This place must be secured, otherwise it'll be really bad news once the Empire knows about this place..."
[Ecra Titanion - A very rare ore, items forged from this are extremely durable. Is often found in Centrea.]
Being the Commander of the Resistance doesn't mean that my lifestyle has to be any different from my men. Scouting the area for Valkyrian activity and training by day, and by night, discussing battle plans and always staying prepared for the worst possibilities. Otherwise... eating pork, steak, sleeping on a mattress... On outdoor missions I would even sleep on the grass floor with my squad. No better than anyone else... Just thinking of it makes me sleepy.
[The next day]
"Commander, yesterday squads 5 and 7 who were tasked with scouting the Eastern forest has both vanished without a trace."
"Location of last signal transmitted?"
"Not available, Commander. It seems that their communicators were sabotaged."
"Shit... I want Squad 2 sent there- actually, let's not do that yet."
Squads 5 and 7 only contained the best of men. If it was someone, or even something from the Empire that managed to wipe out both teams, whatever it is, it must be terrifyingly strong. I shouldn't send even more men. It would only end badly if they were to be wiped out as well.
But something confuses me... The Eastern forest is near the border of the Principality. Are the Valkyrians willing to risk a war with them?
"Well, I guess... we'll leave that for later. Notify all teams to avoid the Eastern forest on their missions. I want squads 3 and 4 to scout the Southern and Northern areas.
"Of course, Commander."
I'm really tired... Endless fighting with the Empire and no result has been made. Our food has already slowly started to decrease. Even I can't tell for how much longer will we be able to hold on to it.
I sigh as my thoughts sway towards my first days in the Resistance and everything that happened before that.
[Character Profile - Rico Corin]
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 85 kg
Hair color: Blond
Eye color: Blue
Magic type: Fire
Fighting style: One-handed sword fighting
Preferred weapon of choice: [Dad's birthday present to me]
Affiliation: Centrean Resistance and Liberation Army
Position: General Commander (English) / Altagenrell (Centrean)