The arrival of a full-fledged winter stalls the steps of war.
No matter how much technology like Armunale has developed, only a very few technologies have protruded and developed, and not the civilians have benefited from them.
In rural areas, food and firewood reserves will be needed to cross the winter, and this year we were at war in the country all the way from spring to the end of summer. There's not enough food here and there, and the government is desperately working with food bought and collected from other countries.
That happens, and the face of the First Kingsguard Armunale Battalion, Second Princess SS, back from Belgio, is a little winter break!
"Huh, don't be so upset"
I fall asleep on the couch and yawn unexpectedly at the warmth of the fireplace.
"Hey, Mr. Eldo! Don't fall asleep. Help me! We don't have time for this anymore!
It's Angus who's panicking like that.
With his servants, he hastily sets the table.
Because I'm inviting guests to this house today.
"Dear Angus, you can't be in that cup. This way."
"Oh, well. It's okay to prepare sweets, isn't it? Do you know what I like or dislike about the other side?
"It's okay. Since you are famous, we were able to get information around it quickly."
"Ok, the tea is a Belgio souvenir, and the right treat is ready, and later...... Ah! What do you want me to do with the music or something!?
"It's a small tea party, so I was wondering if I needed it. We'll be ready later, so it's time for Angus to re-summon us."
"That's already the time!?
The clock is already pointing to 2: 30 p.m. Promise's three o'clock, and maybe it's time for the quick guy to come.
I'm getting up off the couch, and I'm pulling Angus out of the room.
"Angus, if you come, I'll take care of it, so you don't have to rush."
"Then help me from the start! Already!"
Angus returned to his room as he swelled his cheeks with puffiness.
Drop it off and I'll see the set table.
The white matted table is decorated with beautiful flowers and a teacup laying low.
That's two sets. Three chairs were available for each, with exquisite distances that were possible for everyone to speak and at each table.
"Sir, is this okay?
"Oh, I'm fine. I mean, you don't have to be so uptight. I'm just calling my friends."
"What are you talking about! The upper nobility of the kingdom of Faithal. In addition to the sons of the particularly prestigious Auban and Lazar families, you can even come to the feet of their fiancée and master of their husband's sword! You can't even be distracted for a moment!
It is Mr. Hawki, the head housekeeper of the servants we hired, who snorts like that.
Originally, she worked at the royal palace, and the princess introduced her to the house where her age was making her courtesy at the royal palace feel hard.
Thanks to her, our housekeepers can have a high level of housekeeping work. I should have applied in the general public at first. While I was vacating the house for about six months, they were working out at some point.
"You're an amazing member, indeed, the way you put it. But you're a teacher to your classmates and their fiancées from the Academy, aren't you? Besides, we're nobles, but we're quasi nobles at the end."
"What do you say? He is a husband who has been given a knight of honor and is now even said to be a hero of the Faithful. It can't be tolerated that a housekeeper's job serving such a husband is equivalent to that of a junior nobleman, quasi nobleman, etc!
You can't erase this enthusiasm.
Almost at the same time as I sighed, the front door chime rang.
"Looks like you're here"
"Oh. Do you want to go?"
Looks like Angus hasn't finished dressing yet. Like I said, let's say I pick you up.
Head to the front door early and open the door. There was a woman with a basket.
"Long time no see, Mr. Eldo"
"Long time no see, Mr. Rene"
It was Mr. Rene, who was also my master of swords, who stood there.
I've been alienated since I graduated from the academy, but when I asked her out for a tea party, she agreed with me comfortably.
This is a souvenir.
That said, some of the baskets handed to the housekeeper were packed with various fruits.
I glanced at the basket and was amazed at the amount.
Is it hard to just have it, the housekeeper's arm started to shake a pull.
"So many - thank you. Just take it to the kitchen."
"Okay."
I will show Mr. Rene to his room in the presence of a howdy head to the kitchen.
"Angus is getting dressed right now, so I think he'll be here soon."
"It's been a long time since you've seen Angus. I'm looking forward to it."
Entering the room, Mr. Rene sighs howlingly at the warmth of the fireplace.
"Coat, I'll keep it here."
"Thanks"
I look at Mr. Rene, who took off his coat, and when it comes to that, I realize that it's been since I first met him to see him in his personal clothes.
Because I was called to a tea party today, or rather more stylish than then.
"What's wrong?
"I thought it had been a long time since I saw my personal clothes"
"Speaking of which, you are. I've always been a maid of honor in the dorm. I still have most of my maid clothes, so today's clothes bothered me a lot"
I'll tell you what. I'll let you go around on the spot the whole time. Mr. Rene is so young that I don't think he's very close to thirty. Or even standing next to Angus is going to look the same age.
"You look great."
"Thanks"
I can give the coat I kept to one of the servants who was preparing the room and tell him to carefully store it with the other visitors' jackets.
Seeing how it went, Mr. Rene laughed at Couscous.
"What's wrong?
"No, Eldo, I thought you were a solid nobleman, too."
"Oh."
Sure, it may seem like he's a solid aristocrat from the standpoint of making the servants do all sorts of things. But you're actually a little different.
"When I came back, me and Angus were in terrible trouble. I've been doing everything myself for a long time, and I was accidentally pissed off trying to do it myself."
I'm somewhat used to giving instructions because of the captain's work, so I can give them now without discomfort, but Angus still doesn't seem used to telling the servants to leave everything to them. I often mix it with servants to make tea or clean it.
Well, personally, I like the tea Angus put in, so I don't mind at all.
If you're bickering like that, the door opens and Angus comes back wearing an evening dress.
"Mr. Rene is here. Long time no see."
"Angus, it's been a long time. You look beautiful again in a little while."
"Uh heh, thank you. Mr. Rene is no different."
"It's already a scary year to change. Good luck with that."
I'd love to hear more about what the hell Alasser (nearly thirty) looks like twenty years old if he tries, but when he does, he seems scared, so he gently locks him in the back of his chest.
And the intercom rang again.
If you look at the clock, you're already out fifteen minutes to the time you promised.
"You're Battis or Leon. Angus, talk to Mr. Rene. 'Cause I'm coming."
"Thanks."
It's a bad idea to interrupt the bickering, so I'm heading straight to the front door.
He took the hawk back from the cooking area along the way and opened the front door.
Hey, I'm here.
"You say a little more aristocratic greetings. Eldo, thank you for inviting me today."
"There you are."
The first person to open the door was still Leon and Battis, and the woman with thin peach hair behind them. She would be the fiancée of the rumored Leon. It's definitely a boob blow...
"Eldo was the first to see you. I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Seamel."
"Dear Eldo, thank you for inviting me today. My name is Seamel Lawrence and I'm Leon's fiancée. See you later."
Stepping out from behind Leon, Seamel bows small with the hem of the dress just slightly up.
That is exactly what the nobles do. Elegant for easy operation.
"This is polite. Nice to meet you, my name is Eldo. Looks like Angus took care of a lot of things and thank you for that verse"
It was Mr. Seamel who was teaching Angus how to stand as a nobleman. Thanks to this, Angus has the skill to just not be ashamed to go out to a castle party. Instead, I'm as embarrassed as I am being pulled by it.
"No rumors. We look forward to seeing you."
"I don't know what to talk about. Let's go inside."
"So you, be a little aristocratic."
Battis pushes me and Mr. Seamel over and into the house.
Battis is right, so I'll show the three of you to your room.
"That's a pretty good hobby. It's calm, but it's brilliant."
As we proceeded down the hallway, Battis groaned, looking around a lot.
And Leon nods too.
"Sure, it's not too much of an assertive conditioner, but it's all well shined. Is this Mr. Angus?
"No, I'm the lead housekeeper. Me and Angus weren't home in the first place. It was pretty much a killing landscape when I went out, but this was what happened when I got back."
"Wow."
He was trying to automatically put a portion of his salary into the account he was keeping at the head of the house as an administrative expense. I left the house using that and asking him to keep the conditioner in order to no embarrassment for now, but I didn't expect him to do it this far.
Even for me, I'm calm and I like it a lot, but is it an atmosphere that can be seen from a senior aristocrat?
I was a little relieved that my sensibilities were not wrong.
"Well, Mr. Rene's already here, and we're all here, so let's start."
Angus and Mr. Rene invited the three of us into the room where they collude, and our first tea party was started.
When I say tea party, I basically don't have a decision about having to do this, etc.
It is the Tea Party that speaks appropriately, plays appropriately and exchanges information appropriately.
The members here are all familiar with each other, except that Mr Seamel and Mr Rene meet for the first time.
As much as I introduced myself, at first I started to talk to him about the recent developments, inspired by the Belgio souvenirs that Angus and I had bought.
"This one's still going that way or this way about the princess. Speaking of which, Leon and I broke up as we were after we received the fuselage in the buffer zone, but it was really helpful then. Let me thank you again."
Leon bothered to deliver my new aircraft at Avila Booster. You won't forget to thank me then, even if I die.
But soon after that, I decided to go to Belgio, so I left without saying thank you.
"As for that, I'm just saying that my hand happened to be empty. Nothing to worry about."
"Hehe, that's what I'm saying, but Dear Leon, I was desperately training you to operate Master Eldo's fuselage. You said if I didn't deliver it, Master Eldo wouldn't be able to fight enough."
"Bullshit, do something extra!?
With Seamel's exposure, Leon panics with a bright red face.
Batis and Mr. Rene are smiling with Niyaniya when they see Leon like that.
"Leon's kind of bloody hot, too. You always look sober, but I'm trying desperately behind you."
"You can tell by looking at the palm of your hand. You still haven't stopped arching your sword, have you?
"Ugh, uhh. I don't care about that. What Eldo would like to hear is how we were."
"Well, yeah, but don't worry about this one either."
I'm desperately trying behind you. Isn't a calm man, Mr. Leon, a serious protagonist?
"Never mind! So, after Eldo and I broke up, I stayed in the fort and helped collect the wreckage. I originally planned to rendezvous with the captains there. The point is to clean up the war trail. He then returned to the squad as deputy captain and was on security duty."
Well, basically, did you normally move as an Armunale squad?
Battis looks up at the ceiling with both arms behind her head and back as she turns her gaze toward what was going on.
"This one has always been repaired. It was originally calculated to go north from the south and intercept troops of the Empire. One of the mercenaries showed it to me. The Abnomule unit itself was worn out, and the Armunale was rendered incapable of moving properly."
"Was there such a strong mercenary?
Leon doesn't realize who the mercenary is. But I understood from Battis' atmosphere who it was done by.
"That's Leila."
"Oh."
"He said it was Layla!?
"Mr. Leila?... I'm sure."
"Yeah, he's our classmate. Now he's a mercenary with two names: the princess of betrayal."
"Oh no... the executioner of the Wangdu raid..."
Mr. Rene, apparently, didn't hear any details. Well, can't it be easy to spread the scandal that the students who were teaching at the Academy raided the King's Capital and took the Almunale and fled?
"Did Eldo see you too?
"Yeah, maybe after the battle with Batis. I slashed my limbs and got in the way where I tried to surrender them and they got away."
"Well...... I guess I'll come back then"
"Yeah, I don't know what he wants to do, but I'm pretty sure he's trying to make Faetal and Obard go to war. If it were, it would also come out in the next battle"
I only had a little time to talk on that occasion, but I hardly get it. However, given their movements so far, they are definitely moving in the direction of provoking war.
"What's Eldo going to do? You're urging me to surrender again?
"No, I'll kill you. Now aim for the cockpit without question."
Battis and Leon look surprised, but immediately convinced, by my instant answer.
"Are you ready for this?"
"Well, that would be better than bothering you on the battlefield"
It was about Layla, and the place got dark.
I'm going back to Battis, trying to change the subject.
"So Batis has been fixing it? Were you back in King's Landing?
"No, I was repairing it at a nearby base with Captain Elexia's troops. Unlike your fuselage, there are a lot of compatible parts here."
"You had the worst maintenance and bad luck. I was fooled by the crew."
"Well, after the repairs, we did border guards at the same time as the commissioning, so you came back here at the end of the mission."
"Isn't it short for the duration of the mission? Not for a month, right?
"Oh, looks like we just hit the right time to take turns"
"No, you're not. This is what HQ is after."
Leon tells us it's a coincidence.
"Almost all of the troops that came to take turns were adding rookies this year. I guess leaving winter security there means we're going to let the Wang Du side retreat in the spring."
"Oh, you mean that. So now we're back."
Battis seemed to understand, but the women didn't seem to understand much, so I'll explain it in a supplement.
"When it's spring, it means there's a good chance of a frontal collision with Obard. So I guess we're going to put our war-accustomed troops in place during the winter and send them to the buffer zone all at once in the spring"
"Was that what you said? There's going to be another war."
"I'm still in the middle of doing it, to be exact. Neither is it, but we'll start fighting again when we can afford it."
"But the princess at Eldo's is moving to end it, isn't she?
"Oh, that's why I went to Belgio."
With the signing of the treaty with Belgio, I can say that the siege net against Overdo has been largely completed. By making a joint condemnation statement, these countries seal Obard's movement.
That should force Obard to come out to the negotiating table, too.
"As far as national traffic is concerned, we need to finish the fuselage perfectly so that whatever happens we can leave it to the royalty and the ministers."
"Right. It's just that during the winter, the princess doesn't plan to go anywhere. I'm worried I might lose my arm because of you."
"Then we'll deal with him. Captain Elexia will be here soon, and we'll all go to a mock fight."
Leon sighs at Battis for making such a suggestion.
"I would have just gone there to make sure the fuselage was fully maintained. If you're gonna do it, at least in Abnomulet."
"That makes no sense to me."
There is certainly something you can learn to fight in Abu Nomule, but the piloting system is too different from my current aircraft. In the end, it doesn't lead to maintaining the original fuselage arm.
"Come on, I'll think about it. Let me talk to Mr. Rene next time. Was there a freshman at the academy who seemed interesting?
"Right, Eldo, you influenced me, or I think you've got more kids going for knighthood from civilians. I'm still lagging behind the nobles in terms of studying, but I'm desperately eating them."
Until now, the majority of students from the civilian population had been eliminated in the first half of their first year of life, but more than half of them have been coming this year. Almost everyone admires me, so even though I didn't see it in person, I'm kind of embarrassed.
"Master Eldo's story is quite famous in town, too. I think a lot of kids admire that. My friend's brother says he's going to be a pilot like Eldo, and he's going to start studying now for his entrance exam."
"It's kind of itchy. But I'd be happy to have one of those kids who likes Armunale a little bit."
If you actually get on it, you'll understand the fun of steering an Armunale.
After that, you just have to strive for that fun on your side.
But...
"Well, combat training may not make much sense in the future."
Next time, the war will be over.
"Naturally."
"As long as you're reliable. I hope so, but don't do anything to throw your life away, okay?
"Naturally. Angus is waiting for you."
"I'm not leaving Seamel behind to die either."
"Me too, a bunch of girls are waiting for me back in town! I'm not going to die."
"I think you kind of ruined it with Battis..."
The tea party continues in a peaceful atmosphere.
◇
The sound of a dang tap on the table makes the shoulders of the sidekicks that were around me jump in a freak.
The source of that sound was trembling as he turned the fist that slapped the table bright red.
"I got hit. They forcibly built a way out."
What Ines is looking at are the two reports that have just arrived today.
One came from the country that was asking for a joint statement. And the other is a declaration from Obard that hit all the neighbouring countries.
"Were you licking Obard's local power? No, the overdos were definitely worn out. And yet I can't believe that Coke was dropped so easily... where did I miss it"
While reading through the report, Ines ponders where the cause was.
It was only through the adoption of the joint statement that it was still possible, but the will of the neighbouring countries was almost united. Therefore, even if Obard had moved the soldiers before the declaration, the neighbouring countries should have proceeded to prepare the soldiers according to the contents of the joint statement.
But Obard shook it off at speed.
Just one day. Besides, he dropped a country for assault by a handful. One of the few countries with an abnomule.
As a result, several of the countries scheduled for the joint statement entered.
It's mainly a country on the other side of the road that pinched an Obard from Faithal. They hesitated to make a joint statement.
"Declaration of priority elimination for countries with abnomules. After being served something like this, I also know that if they actually crush one country, they do hesitate. But..."
That is the content of another report. From one of the countries that planned to make a joint statement, I have said that I would like to put the statement back on the blank.
The country also has an abnomule. If you're serious about defending it, it's not the kind of country that gets dropped there all day. But because the Kingdom of Coke has been dropped in a real day, the leadership has been frightened.
"If you don't have to worry about the back, Obard will definitely come after Faithal. Spring war is inevitable..."
What is the joint statement for?
Ines couldn't help but be frustrated.
And the reason why...
"The Elshald Mercenaries. You torment the people of Faithal everywhere."
The actual task force that crushed the Kingdom of Coke, as described in the report. It was just a mercenary regiment, but it was Ines who conveyed this mercenary regiment, with three Armunales, to all Armunales as Feital's top elimination target.