The day after the Rebel Army and the Frizion Army joined forces.
As work continued on the post-battle cleanup the following day, a soldier on lookout duty at the camp's edge suddenly spotted a group approaching along the highway.
For a heartbeat, he feared the Subjugation Army had returned, and he moved to alert his comrades—only to realize a moment later that he had been mistaken.
He looked at the figure leading the approaching force.
The individual was dressed in cloth so thin as to be translucent, the kind favored by dancers or prostitutes, while simultaneously wearing gauntlets and greaves.
In the entire length and breadth of the Bestia Empire, there was only one person who dressed in such a manner.
Or rather, while there might have been others, the soldier only knew of one person who would be seen in such attire.
"Lady Vihera! Lady Vihera has returned!"
At the soldier's cry, the others snapped out of their stupor and shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Lady Vihera is back!"
"Thank goodness. Now we can manage somehow, even if the Subjugation Army attacks again."
"No matter how strong Crimson is, he's only one man. I was worried because our numbers were so low, but with this..."
Such whispers broke out here and there, spreading quickly throughout the camp.
Rei and his partner performed with the strength of an entire army on their own, and the Frizion Army had joined them under the agreement to serve under Mercurio’s command.
While these two forces were certainly encouraging to the soldiers, the true core of the Rebel Army remained the force led by Vihera.
They were the ones who had fought alongside the soldiers since this civil war began. Consequently, the sense of relief felt by the Rebel Army soldiers was profound.
However... conversely, the army led by Vihera stared in wide-eyed shock at the scene before them.
The palisades surrounding the camp were in shambles, with many sections missing entirely.
Outside the camp, broken arrows, longswords with chipped blades, and spears snapped in half lay scattered everywhere alongside dark bloodstains.
It was easy to imagine that the absence of bodies was due to concerns about disease or the undead—and above all, because no one wanted to remain in a camp surrounded by the dead.
"H-Hey. This is just like..."
"Yeah. It looks like Viscount Boogle’s prediction was spot on."
"I can't believe it... Anastasia, please be safe."
The soldiers muttered prayers under their breath, some specifically for the safety of prostitutes they were close to.
"Surely the non-combatants like the prostitutes and merchants were spared? I don't think even the enemy would go out of their way to target them."
"You don't know that! There are always bastards who resort to looting and assault!"
In his mounting agitation, one soldier barked at his comrade.
Many others shared this anxiety, worrying for the prostitutes they favored, their regular taverns, or the blacksmiths they were acquainted with.
Seeing the growing unrest, Tilleul spoke to Vihera.
"Lady Vihera, the soldiers might lose control at this rate. It would be best if you addressed them."
"...You're right. It would be a problem if they acted recklessly and got into fights with the soldiers who stayed behind. I suppose I should."
Having said that, she turned around on her horse and was about to speak when she noticed a commotion coming from within the camp.
Thinking Mercurio had come to greet them, Vihera looked back, only to see a group of female knights clad in white armor.
Naturally, Vihera knew exactly what kind of group those knights were and who commanded them.
Then, pushing through the ranks of the Knights of the White Rose Knight Order, her half-sister appeared, just as expected.
"Big Sister!"
Vihera's voice was tinged with a slight hint of tension alongside her joy.
Though she doted on her younger brother, Mercurio, Vihera was still a woman.
Seeing her sister, who shared half her blood, must have brought a wave of genuine relief.
After all, Frizion had escaped the Imperial Capital, the very heart of the enemy, while leading her own unit.
"Vihera, I am glad you returned safely. ...Honestly, you do nothing but cause me worry, child."
Frizion spoke with a smile, though her eyes held a hint of a chiding look as she watched Vihera.
Her comment about returning safely referred to the mission to eliminate the unit blocking the highway, but more than anything, it carried the weight of her having returned to the Bestia Empire.
From Vihera's perspective, her arrival in the Bestia Empire was driven by a desire to rescue Mercurio and assist in the civil war; as someone who considered herself to have already left home, "returning" wasn't entirely accurate.
Still, deciding there was no need to dampen her sister's joy, she hopped down from her horse and headed toward Frizion.
"Big Sister, you haven't changed. ...I am glad you are safe."
"Yes. I was saved by your knight. To be honest, it would have been difficult to reach this place without him."
At the word "knight," Vihera naturally pictured Rei.
Quickly scanning her surroundings, she spotted her beloved in the distance.
As usual, he was with Seto, stroking the creature's back.
When he made eye contact with Vihera, he gave a small wave with his left hand—the one not petting Seto—in greeting.
(Honestly, he has no sense of romance.)
To be truthful, Vihera had hoped he would come running over and pull her into a hug.
Of course, she didn't actually say that out loud.
Shaking her head slightly, she spoke while looking over the state of the camp once more.
"So, Big Sister. I can tell there was a battle from looking at this, but..."
"Yes. It seems the highway blockade itself was a decoy. They tried to make this main camp fall in the meantime, but a messenger soldier informed us, and Rei went ahead and managed to hold them off. ...That is the gist of what has happened so far."
"...And the casualties?"
"I certainly couldn't call them light. From what I've heard, the enemy force exceeded twenty thousand men. Considering that, I suppose we should say they held out well."
When the number "twenty thousand" left Frizion's lips, those listening to the sisters' conversation gasped.
It was a much larger force than they had anticipated, making the wreckage of the camp far more understandable.
"I want to hear the details, but first, I must see to my subordinates... Is that alright, Big Sister?"
"Yes. I'm sure there are people here who are important to your men. Besides, the cleanup isn't entirely finished yet, so it would be a help if they could assist with that. ...Isn't that right?"
Frizion's gaze shifted to Mercurio.
He wore an expression of profound relief upon seeing Vihera.
While it was clear from the enemy's strength that the target was this main camp, he had harbored fears that it might have been a decoy to annihilate the main force of the Rebel Army led by Vihera.
While they generally moved as a group, Vihera had frequently sent out small groups to attack the units blocking the highway.
Given that, the possibility that they had been ambushed and picked off one by one was a real concern, so Mercurio's worry was by no means excessive.
"Hehe, did you think I'd be defeated by opponents like that? But thank you for worrying. You did well too, Mercurio."
"It's only because Theoreme and Rei were here. This time, even while thinking it might be a trap, we moved according to their actions, and this was the result. I almost wish I had gone with you, Big Sister."
As Mercurio muttered this with a sigh, Vihera shook her head as if to say it couldn't be helped.
"If you had abandoned the people in this camp, it would undoubtedly have left a grudge for the future. As such, you could not have moved from this encampment, Mercurio. Considering that, this choice was by no means wrong. More importantly, let's begin the cleanup. I'm sure there are many other things we need to discuss."
With Vihera's words as the catalyst, everyone began to enter the camp.
The unit led by Vihera was ordered to disperse and began to act.
Some began cleaning up, some went to confirm the safety of acquaintances, and some went to check on their own tents.
In the process, a few men had minor altercations with members of the Frizion Army, but they didn't escalate beyond light brawling, likely because both sides understood they didn't have the luxury for such things right now.
"Now, Rei. You're coming too, right?"
"...Eh?"
Amidst all this, for some reason, Rei was being dragged toward the Magic Tent by Vihera.
Since she was forcibly interlocking her arm with his, his elbow ended up buried in her ample twin peaks, and he caught his breath at their softness.
...Vihera herself wore a happy expression at being able to touch Rei after so long, but Mercurio and Tilleul, watching this, looked displeased. Conversely, Frizion wore an amused smile.
Angela also looked somewhat ill-humored, but fortunately, the more obvious displeasure of Mercurio and Tilleul stood out, so Angela's reaction went mostly unnoticed.
"Lady Vihera, I am glad you are safe..."
"Oh, now the Rebel Army is in perfect condition. Her Highness Frizion, His Highness Mercurio, and..."
One of the nobles present glanced toward Rei, whose arm was being hugged by Vihera—more accurately, his arm was buried in Vihera's chest.
There was no longer anyone in this place who would treat Rei poorly.
That applied not only to the Rebel Army led by Mercurio but to the Frizion Army as well.
It was only natural after witnessing someone perform with the strength of an entire army on their own.
And since it hadn't been just once or twice, Rei's power was deeply etched into their memories.
Even those who were usually strict about etiquette had no choice but to show a certain level of respect toward Rei.
"Now then, I would like to discuss our future plans. I, Theoreme, shall act as the moderator for this meeting."
Everyone present nodded in agreement as Theoreme gave a bow.
In fact, among those here, Theoreme was Mercurio's retainer and the one who practically managed the operations of the Rebel Army.
No one could complain about Theoreme leading the discussion.
Even if they had their own thoughts on the matter internally.
"First, regarding our current situation, Her Highness Frizion has joined us. On this occasion, Her Highness Frizion has proposed that we change the name 'Rebel Army.' What do you think?"
At those words, everyone showed their respective reactions.
Originally, the name "Rebel Army" was one they had given themselves, carrying the meaning of Mercurio's defiance against Cabajid and Schuls, who were determined to kill him.
Despite that, some wondered if they should change the name so easily just because Frizion had joined.
Others wanted to change it if possible, as the name "Rebel Army" gave a bad impression.
And some didn't particularly care what they were called and thought either was fine.
While there were slight variations, these three viewpoints were the main ones held by those present.
Among them, those who had participated since the formation of the Rebel Army—the ones who could be called the Third Prince Faction—were naturally the most numerous.
However, from the perspective of the Frizion Army, while they didn't mind joining the Rebel Army, it was a fact that they didn't find the name "Rebel Army" desirable since they had no attachment to it.
Considering that, even Mercurio had to admit that the name needed to be changed.
If they continued to use that name by force, it might not go as far as splitting the army, but it risked creating a bad atmosphere and generating discord within the ranks.
Rei watched Mercurio agonize over the decision without saying anything in particular.
As far as Rei was concerned, he saw himself strictly as a hired mercenary, so he didn't really care if the name of this army was the Rebel Army or something else entirely.
He felt they should just call themselves whatever they liked.
"Hmm, I see. Big Sister Frizion, do you have a good name in mind?"
Mercurio turned his gaze to Frizion, who had brought up the name change, but she simply shook her head slightly.
"I have a few ideas, but Mercurio, you are the one leading this army, aren't you? ...To be honest, I still can't agree with siblings fighting one another, but the fact remains that we cannot say such things now. If possible, I would like a name that suggests this war will end quickly and that no more useless fighting will occur."
"...Again, you ask for the impossible."
Though he wore a wry smile, Mercurio thought... but no good ideas came to him. In the end, they decided to refer to themselves as the Mercurio Army, a name that felt as though it were adapted directly from the Frizion Army.