“...Or so I would like to say, but our time is up.”
Valzak made his Crest Sword vanish and summoned a Crest Horse. He mounted the steed and turned his back on them.
“Congratulations. You’ve won this battlefield. Consider your lives extended.”
“What? That’s a loaded way of putting it,” Flare retorted. “If you’re frustrated, why don't you try looking the part?”
At that moment, flames erupted from Emerald Castle in the distance. The flag of Dragonia was torn down, replaced by the colors of Arcadia.
“The castle you went through all that trouble to take has fallen, too,” Flare added.
“Gaia... I see. He was slower than I anticipated.”
“You sound like a sore loser to me.”
“You certainly have a sharp tongue, woman,” Valzak said with a faint smile. He glanced back at Leo one last time before fully turning away. “However, tactics alone cannot change the world. Unless one looks at the big picture, the world remains stagnant.”
With that, the Dragonia forces led by Valzak began a disciplined retreat. They abandoned Emerald Castle entirely, withdrawing their army toward the mainland. It was a complete reversal—Arcadia had reclaimed everything they had lost.
Flare couldn't help but feel suspicious of how readily they had yielded, but for now, she had other priorities.
“Leo!”
She ran toward him, focusing on the wounded. Tearing a strip of fabric from her own clothes, she tightly bound the gash on Leo’s thigh.
“Are you okay? Ugh... that looks like it hurts.”
“...I’m fine... but...”
Leo bit his lip, watching Valzak’s retreat with a flicker of regret. He felt a stinging sense of inadequacy. If he had been stronger, he might have been able to end this right here and now.
Flare noticed his expression and let out an exasperated little chuckle.
“That isn’t the face of a winner. I think you did an amazing job, Leo.”
“No, it was because I was weak. I could have done more.”
“I see... You really do push yourself, don't you?”
“...More importantly! Iricobert-san!”
When Leo looked over, a group of Arcadia Knights had already begun treating the man. Perhaps sensing Leo’s concern, Iricobert gave a silent thumbs-up from where he lay on the ground.
“...Thank goodness.”
Since they possessed Emblems, they would likely recover as long as the wounds weren't immediately fatal. Relief finally washed over Leo, and he collapsed onto the grass.
Thus, the Battle of Emerald Plains drew to a tentative close.
— Sometime later.
◇ Leo
We returned to the Arcadia Main Camp to regroup. My wound was relatively shallow, so the treatment was quick. Soon after, Flare and I were summoned to the command center.
We headed toward the largest military tent in the camp. Inside, a familiar face awaited us.
“Long time no see, Gaia-san.”
“I’ve wanted to see you, Leo. You’ve grown quite a bit.”
It was the Commander-in-Chief himself, Gaia, fresh from his victory at Emerald Castle. Beside me, Flare was acting uncharacteristically timid. Now that I thought about it, her name was Flare Featherfield—was she actually Gaia’s daughter?
“I’ll bring you both up to speed,” Gaia said. “Thanks to the efforts of the Third Army, we have officially reclaimed the Emerald Plains and Emerald Castle.”
“I see... But Gaia-san, it felt like Valzak gave up the castle far too easily.”
“Your intuition is correct. I moved in with a detached force to retake the fortress while you fought on the plains. Thanks to your victory there, we took the castle, but it was a hollow shell. Nearly their entire military strength had been committed to the field.”
I frowned, thinking it over. Concentrating force on the plains made sense for a decisive battle, but leaving the castle completely undefended seemed reckless. Unless...
“...Was he buying time? Or was it a diversion?”
“Exactly. He wasn't fixated on holding the castle at all,” Gaia explained. “The reason we rushed the assault was because of a report we received. Canaan Castle was hit by a pincer attack and has fallen.”
“What?”
“I forced the issue at Emerald Castle because I feared the worst, and my suspicions were confirmed. After capturing Emerald Castle originally, King Valzak left only a skeleton crew behind and marched the bulk of his forces north to Canaan Castle. If this entire maneuver was the Dragon King’s design... what a terrifying man. To capture a castle just to use it as a decoy.”
Gaia spread a map across the table to illustrate. Canaan Castle was one of the key fortifications guarding the border. Because a massive mountain range split the border down the middle, the frontier was effectively divided into two sectors: Canaan Castle in the north, and Emerald Castle in the south.
Dragonia had seized Emerald Castle, left a small portion of their forces to stall us on the plains, and sent the majority of their strength north to catch Canaan Castle off-guard. Arcadia had committed its main strength to the Emerald Plains, believing it to be the primary offensive. Consequently, Canaan was undermanned—and it fell.
“The Arcadia Knight Order has already established a defensive line behind Canaan, but we’ve lost a significant amount of territory.”
“So Emerald Castle really was just a distraction.”
“Let me clarify one thing,” Gaia said. “Valzak likely intended to take both—using less than half the forces we committed. In truth, if not for the desperate struggle of Iricobert, Leo, and the Third Army, we probably would have been crushed. The Second Army on our left wing was nearly annihilated by Dragonia’s tactics. If the right wing had collapsed and the central hill had been taken, they would have just reclaimed the castle from us even if we’d managed to move in.”
Listening to Gaia, I realized just how close to disaster we had come. Gaia himself had been forced into a series of high-stakes gambles, relying on Iricobert’s raw strength and personally leading the castle assault.
But why were we always reacting? Four years ago, it was the same story—Dragonia dictated the pace, and we just tried to keep up. I didn't think it was Gaia’s fault. It felt like the problem lay with the decision-making of Arcadia itself.
“Leo, I can see what you’re thinking, and you aren't wrong,” Gaia said. “There is a reason we are always a step behind.”
“A reason?”
“The country is currently split in two. That division is paralyzing our leadership. A Commander-in-Chief for this campaign was never officially appointed; I had to force my way here without approval from the higher-ups because I knew the situation was critical. It sounds like an excuse, but that delay is why we were late to the move.”
Flare spoke up then. “It’s the succession struggle between First Prince Haurezel and First Princess Scarlett. They're fighting over who gets to inherit the King Emblem. The Sword King is bedridden, so nobody's steering the ship.”
“A succession struggle? Why can’t they just decide?” I asked.
“Right? They still haven't decided who to grant the Emblem to,” Flare sighed. “I wish the Sword King would just put his foot down! Maybe he’s just indecisive?”
Gaia turned a sharp glare on her, and Flare immediately shrank back, looking small. Gaia was definitely an intimidating father.
“It is not that simple. However... no, that is enough of that for now.”
“Oh, come on! If you know something, tell me, Papa!”
“You get your flippancy from your mother. Besides, I never gave you permission to step onto a battlefield. You haven't even graduated from the Academy yet! In the first place—”
“You’re being overprotective! If I hadn't been there, Leo might have died, and the Third Army might have lost!”
“Do not judge a situation solely by its results.”
Flare stood up, looking genuinely annoyed. “I know you're worried, Papa, but I’m Mama’s daughter. I’m going to be on the battlefield. Stop treating me like a child!”
She stormed out of the tent without another word. Gaia let out a long, weary sigh and looked back at me.
“I apologize you had to see that.”
“No, it’s fine. Flare really did save me. Actually, I haven't even thanked her properly yet.”
Gaia’s expression softened into a gentle smile. “I’ve heard the reports from the Third Army’s commanders. You were a tremendous help to us. No... it was the same four years ago, wasn't it? I am truly glad you joined the Arcadia Knight Order, Leo.”
“I’m still just a regular soldier, though. I’m not a Knight yet.”
“After your performance in this battle, your promotion is a certainty. I look forward to the Meritorious Star Decoration Ceremony.”
“The Meritorious Star Decoration Ceremony?”
“Indeed. It is a formal ceremony to reward those who risked their lives for the kingdom. You will likely receive your honors from Princess Scarlett herself; she expressed an interest in meeting you, and I intend to provide a personal recommendation.”
“I... I’m not really sure what to say. What's going to happen to me?”
Gaia gave a small, knowing smirk.
“It is time for your ascent, Leo. This country needs every hero it can get right now.”