“Deskis-senpai!”
The way he winked with that exquisitely repulsive flair—it was, without a doubt, Deskis-senpai.
“Ugh… Is that really you, Deskis-senpai?” Flare groaned.
“Flare. I realize this encounter between your current boyfriend and your ex-boyfriend must bring up many conflicting emotions. But do not let it trouble you. I have moved on. You, too, should step toward your next love.”
“W-Who’s an ex-boyfriend?! Wait—c-current boyfriend?!”
Flare shot several quick, panicked glances at me.
Current boyfriend? Was that some kind of curry?
“Today, Leo, you are the Unit Commander, and I am the Vice Unit Commander,” Deskis-senpai declared.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you were the commander, Deskis-senpai?” I asked.
“There are sights that can only be seen by standing at the peak. You should gaze out at the world from there. I shall be your stepping stone. However…”
Deskis-senpai turned toward the crowd. He projected his voice with dramatic force before the thousand gathered knights.
“It has been a long time!! I am Deskis Chocolate!!!”
The reaction was instantaneous.
““Ohhhhhhh!! Deskis!! Deskis!!””
The energy in the camp spiked violently. The knights grew visibly stirred, their eyes beginning to sparkle with a strange fervor.
Flare leaned in and whispered into my ear. “Deskis-senpai fought on Valhalla Island for a long time. He rose from Corporal to Two-Star over the course of five years. Apparently, he was quite popular there. Well… he is strong, after all.”
“No wonder. That popularity borders on fanatical. He’s got some serious charisma.”
“Well, some people like that sort of thing. There are fans of weirdos everywhere.”
“Haha, you really do dislike him, Flare.”
“I respect him in some ways,” she admitted. “About two millimeters’ worth.”
Suddenly, Deskis-senpai reached out and grabbed me by both armpits. He hoisted me high into the air. What was this, the Lion King?
“Behold your Unit Commander! Some of you may feel uneasy because he is still a child! But I give you my word! His martial prowess already rivals my own, and his talent will likely surpass even the Five Star Sword!!!”
“Um… put me down. This is doing nothing for my dignity.”
“Now, please say a few words, Unit Commander.”
“Oh, so I’m doing this while being held up?”
I managed to get him to put me down, then summoned my Emblem Horse. I mounted the beast to look down at the crowd. At times like this, being small was a real disadvantage.
“Is it really going to be okay?”
“Claiming he rivals Lord Deskis has to be an exaggeration.”
“I heard he’s only twelve.”
“He achieved First Class Merit, and they say he took a castle by himself yesterday.”
“That has to be a joke, right? No way.”
The air was thick with skeptical murmurs. I wondered how to handle this. For now…
—Shudder.
I decided to try mimicking Osiris-san.
“I’m impressed,” Deskis-senpai muttered. “Even I mistook you for him for a moment. This isn’t an imitation; it’s more like a possession.”
“Hiee… my trauma is acting up…” Flare whimpered.
I simply stood there in silence. I projected my Sword Aura, making it sharp and needle-like, just as Osiris-san always wore his.
The effect was immediate; everyone fell into a deathly silence. They were clearly terrified. But… as I thought, this didn't feel like me.
“Wait, what is this…?”
“It’s soft… like it’s wrapping around us.”
“I don’t quite understand it, but… is it comforting?”
I let my aura flow naturally, though I donned more of it than usual.
“This, too, is a talent,” Deskis-senpai remarked. “This part of him is innate. It isn't something that can be mimicked.”
“Yeah,” Flare agreed. “I like this Leo. A Leo who is kind and grand—one who feels like he’s enveloping you.”
I raised my voice, projecting it so they could all hear. Right now, they were listening to me with total focus.
“I am Leo. Osiris-san has entrusted me with the role of Unit Commander. You don’t need to worry about my strength. I am stronger than anyone here.”
In moments like this, strong words were necessary. They provided a sense of security. Every soldier wanted to fight under a powerful Knight Commander. Even if it was just a bluff, I had to project an image of greatness.
“What the… somehow…”
“He looks huge.”
“Was he always that big?”
“The position we have been entrusted with today is so vital that it will decide the outcome of this entire battle,” I continued. “Two thousand against one thousand. We are outnumbered two to one.”
The knights’ expressions tightened. This was the first time they were hearing the full scope of the mission. A two-to-one disadvantage meant they were embarking on a reckless, near-impossible fight. They understood that as knights, there were some battlefields where they were expected to die.
But they were wrong. I didn't have the slightest intention of losing.
“But it’s okay. We will definitely win. And tonight, we’ll all drink the night away together. Though I’ll be sticking to juice.”
““Hahaha!””
Laughter rippled through the ranks. The crushing tension eased slightly. It was a good atmosphere. We had a strategy. I had devised a way to win. Furthermore, with Deskis-senpai and Flare joining the fray, I didn't feel like we could possibly lose.
Now, for the closing words. After this, we would march. Just for today, I would borrow this phrase.
“—We will win!”
““OHHHHHHH!!!””
The knights mounted their Emblem Horses. The infantry began to run. We headed toward the battlefield—toward a clash that was supposed to be two thousand against one thousand.
A short while earlier, on a nameless island located between Dragonia and Arcadia.
There, Hermes, the Odixia Federation Council Chairman, was holding a meeting. He was nervous and sweating, but he hid it behind a mask of professional composure.
Odixia was a union of multiple countries that had banded together to oppose the other Four Great Nations. While they had kings who possessed Crests, it was a democratic state where a decision-making body called the Federation Government held power. An absolute King reigned at the peak, but below them, politicians chosen by national elections managed the state. Because of this, the Odixia Federation was a patchwork of different regional cultures and interests.
As the Council Chairman, Hermes was the top official of that government. And his conversation partner was…
“Dragon King, let me ask you one thing,” Hermes said. “How far do you intend to take this operation?”
“To the end, of course,” replied the Dragon King, one of the monarchs chosen by the world. “Until the country known as Arcadia is no more.”