[Raul PoV]
"You did it, Evans..."
I did it...? Who is saying that?
"You won..."
Ah... I'm inside one of the faculty buildings at Campus A—the place where I and Liana... Liana is the woman I met just a week ago during the entrance exams for this university.
If I recall correctly, this is the faculty lobby where the announcement for the new students who passed the selection is posted. There are crowds of people all around, checking their respective test results.
"Evans... Are you okay?"
Hearing my name called, I turned to my left. A woman with hair as black as a dark night was staring at me, looking worried.
This was Liana. We both took the entrance exams for this prestigious university for the same faculty. After the exams, we promised to meet at Campus A to see the results together.
Looking at the announcement, it turned out we both passed and officially became new students of this campus.
"I'm fine, Liana," I replied, trying to ease her worry. "I was just dazed because I couldn't believe I actually got into this famous university."
Hearing my answer, Liana smiled. She then invited me somewhere to celebrate our success. However, when we arrived at the place she mentioned, I was stunned—she had brought me to a luxury restaurant!
The money I earned from working as an electronics repairman for an entire month wouldn't even be enough to pay for a single meal here!
"What's wrong, Evans?" Liana asked curiously.
"N-nothing, Liana," I answered.
What should I do? Do I have a good excuse to get out of this? Honestly, I felt bad for Liana because she was so eager to celebrate passing the exam that had been haunting my mind all week.
However, as I was thinking this over, Liana suddenly turned her face away, turning her back to the restaurant we were about to enter.
"Hey Kevan, do you think our major will have many girls who work as models?"
"Hahaha! Robert, forget your dream of dating a model! All the girls in your major will only have eyes for Kevan! He's not just rich, he's handsome and a national basketball athlete!"
Suddenly, from the left, I saw three young men my age talking loudly enough that I could hear them from twenty meters away.
The one who caught my eye most was a handsome blond man in the center of the group. He looked like a model appearing in high-end fashion brand commercials on TV.
"Liana... Is that you?"
Suddenly, the handsome man's cold and relaxed expression shifted when he saw the black-haired woman beside me. He rushed over, ignoring me as if I were nothing more than an unreal NPC.
"Ughhh... Kevan, what do you want?"
Liana was forced to turn around and face the man. It seemed they knew each other.
"Liana! Why didn't you reply to my message when I asked you to check the results together!?" the handsome man said. "Don't we always do this together when entering a new school?"
"Sorry Kevan, I guess I didn't see your message at the time," Liana replied, looking away.
"What a coincidence we're both here! Let's celebrate our results inside the restaurant!" the man invited.
Liana remained silent, not responding. Her expression made it clear she was uncomfortable around him. I didn't know their history, but I felt a surge of irritation seeing the person who had helped me being bothered like this.
"Come on, we've rarely met since high school graduation, right? I think this is the perfect moment to spend time together."
When the man reached out to grab Liana's arm, I reflexively stopped him, gripping his wrist. He looked shocked, then turned to me with a gaze full of hatred. It seemed he had only just noticed my presence beside Liana.
"Get your hands off me, you hobo," the man said with a tone of pure disgust. "Low-lives like you shouldn't interfere in our business. Crawl back to that rotten shack you call a home."
Hobo? Is he calling me that just because my clothes look cheap? I lived in an apartment; even if the rent was dirt cheap and the room cramped, it was better than a shack.
"She doesn't want to be with you. You should have some self-awareness and get out of her personal space right now," I said firmly.
"I warned you!"
He forced my hand off his wrist and swiftly tried to punch me in the face. I tilted my head to the side to dodge, preparing to counter-punch his handsome face. But suddenly, my body was shoved by one of the friends who had come with him.
"Robert, Russel, beat him up and make him realize his place in the hierarchy."
His two friends began hitting me simultaneously. Liana screamed, trying to stop them, but the handsome man held her back so she couldn't interfere while his friends worked me over. I fell to the pavement, but they didn't stop, repeatedly kicking my body.
I could only shield my head to avoid serious injury.
"Kevan! Please stop! I'll do whatever you want, just please stop this madness!"
No, Liana... Don't beg him... Don't degrade yourself just to save me like that...
"Tch! Robert, Russel, leave the hobo be," the man named Kevan ordered. "Alright Liana, let's find another place far away from this loser."
My entire body was screaming in pain... I could only hear their footsteps gradually fading into the distance, leaving me alone. My consciousness slowly began to slip away...
Closing my eyes, for some reason, I heard screams and explosions not far from where I lay. When I opened my eyes again, I suddenly saw the face of a red-haired woman screaming something at me.
"Captain! Captain!"
Ughhh... what happened? My body felt utterly broken, and I couldn't move my right arm at all.
"Captain! How are you?" the red-haired woman asked.
"Scarlett, is that you? What happened?" I asked back.
"After you defeated the enemy commander, their main force pushed back our troops with their superior numbers. They are currently heading this way," Scarlett answered.
Ahhh... right. I'm in the middle of a battle. Did I lose consciousness after defeating Adrien?
"Captain Raul, we must move if we don't want to be surrounded by the Draconia Kingdom's main army," Scarlett said.
"What about the food storage?" I asked.
"The other units burned it so it wouldn't fall into enemy hands," Scarlett replied. "Stand up, I'll help you out of this area."
I nodded. Scarlett then supported me as we made our way out of the city. After this battle, we would execute the next phase: an operation in the territory of the Venetian Republic to cut off the logistics supplies they were sending to the forces in this region.
***
[Alesio PoV]
The battle has ended. The remnants of the Imperial forces defending the city have been pushed back by the Draconia Kingdom's main army. However, we failed to secure one of our primary targets: the city's food storage, which was burned by the retreating Imperial troops.
Walking through the city, the corpses of soldiers from both sides are scattered across the streets. Reaching the storage area, I saw the body of someone I had recently come to know.
Even though I had already heard reports of his death from the troops fighting in this area, I still couldn't believe that Master Adrien had also fallen victim to the "ghost" I encountered in the cornfield last night.
In this battle, our side suffered nearly 3,000 casualties, while we estimate the enemy lost around 1,000 to 1,500. These numbers are still considered acceptable given that we were the ones launching the assault on the city.
Next, our target is the Cataluna Fortress City, the heart of the Cataluna Margraviate. If we can conquer that city, then it is certain the Draconia Kingdom's main army will successfully seize this entire territory in the near future and continue the invasion deeper into the Aragon Empire.
***
[Tyra PoV]
The war between the Empire and the Three Nations of the Cosentia Gulf has been raging for nearly two months. This conflict arose due to a struggle for influence between the Venetian Republic and the Aragon Empire on the western mainland of this continent.
Those great nations never change. All they care about is glory and power, never considering the sacrifices of their citizens to achieve their greedy ambitions. Why can't we live in peace? Why can't we help each other and solve problems without bloodshed?
After all members of the Tyal Tribe were arrested by the Empire on charges of defecting from the government, they were all placed in concentration camps as punishment. Innocent children, women, and the elderly died during the Imperial assault on our tribe.
Now, my homeland—the place where I was born and raised—is gone, destroyed by the government and turned into mining and agricultural zones to boost their economy. After that incident, I swore revenge against the greedy people in the Empire... the people behind the attack on the Tyal Tribe. I will never forget.
"Hey Judas, what do you think my father wants to say in the emergency meeting tonight?"
Currently, I am guarding Prince Felix—the man behind the attack on the Tyal Tribe. Honestly, I want to kill this despicable man as quickly as possible, but I was instructed to restrain myself by him. He said our group still needs my role as the Prince's guard to monitor the Empire's movements.
"Perhaps something has happened in the war, Your Highness," I answered.
"This war is our chance to silence those lowly Non-Sorcerers!" the Prince said, his tone full of hatred. "I will make them all realize their place in this world and make the Venetian people our slaves— the Aragon people, the strongest nation on this continent."
His mindset hasn't changed at all in six years. He still belittles other nations and views his own as superior. I am utterly disgusted by his attitude.
We reached the Imperial Palace meeting room. Two other princes and Princess Annabella were already present. All candidates for the new Emperor were there, except for Princess Elena, who was at the front lines. Several military officials were also in attendance, indicating that Emperor Philip would discuss the ongoing war.
Emperor Philip entered the room. Everyone moved to stand, but the Emperor stopped them, telling them not to bother with formalities.
"I will get straight to the point. I have received bad news from the Cataluna Margraviate," the Emperor stated, looking at everyone present. "The Draconia Kingdom is currently attacking the Cataluna Margraviate with a total of 40,000 troops."
Everyone was shocked.
"Your Majesty, how could they cross the Montana Mountains without massive casualties? Wasn't 40,000 their total troop count just days before the war?" Prince Terantio asked, confused.
"They found a secret path," the Emperor replied. "We will discuss the details after the war. What we need to discuss now is our next move, with 40,000 troops currently devastating our eastern territory."
So what that spy said was true, I thought. They found a way to backstab the Empire.
The representative of the Ministry of Defense spoke up. "Your Majesty, we can currently only mobilize around 20,000 troops to reinforce the defense in the Cataluna Margraviate. It is estimated these reinforcements will reach the region in one month."
This had also been predicted by the spy I met. They had already read the moves the Aragon Empire would take.
"One month? By the time they arrive, the Cataluna Margraviate will have surely fallen," Prince Felix remarked. "Can only 20,000 troops defeat their 40,000?"
"But Your Highness, it will take about two months to conduct a conscription to increase our current numbers," the Defense representative said. "Honestly, those 20,000 were planned as reinforcements for our main army in the Venetian Republic should something happen."
Conscription was the government's way of drafting citizens during wartime. Unlike regular troops, the quality of conscripts is poor due to minimal training.
"The condition in the Cataluna Margraviate is dire. Immediately send 20,000 reinforcements to handle the eastern threat," the Emperor commanded. "Furthermore, carry out the conscription immediately, offering one Gulden per month for those willing to join our forces."
"We will carry out your orders, Your Majesty."
They then chose who would lead the 20,000 reinforcements and discussed strategies to defeat the Draconian army. The meeting concluded at midnight.
After escorting Prince Felix to his residence, I didn't go straight to my own home in the Capital. After ensuring I wasn't being followed, I went to an old shack on the outskirts of the Capital. This was the place where I frequently met that spy to prepare for a grand rebellion against the Empire.
— Knock! Knock! Knock!
I knocked on the shack door.
"What is your business here?" a man's voice asked from behind the door.
"I wish to sell Mackerel. Are you interested in buying?" I asked.
This was the secret code we agreed upon months ago.
"How many are you selling?" the man asked back.
"Seven."
The door opened, revealing a man in his 40s dressed in all white.
"Come in. We'll talk inside."
I entered, and the man closed the door, looking at me seriously.
"So, what do you have to report this time?"
"What you predicted was true," I said. "The Empire will mobilize 20,000 reinforcements to the Cataluna Margraviate."
The man smiled, stroking his strange mustache. "In that case, can we begin providing your group with weapons as agreed?"
"Of course. Those 20,000 reinforcements won't be going anywhere," I told him. "Because my group will start a rebellion that will terrorize the citizens around the Capital."
Exactly. For months, the Venetian Republic's Intelligence Unit had been gathering people who hated the Empire to start a rebellion—including several from the Minority Nations who had faced discrimination their entire lives.
We will pay them back for the injustice they inflicted upon us.