I originally intended to stop Kaya as soon as I saw her.
After all, if rumors spread that our sweet little sister has bad manners, it would be troublesome.
However, the next thing I knew, I was frozen in place without realizing it.
“St..op…being…an…idiot.”
The broken, cold voice of Kaya sent shivers down my spine.
It wasn’t just her voice that was eerily different; the entire atmosphere around her had changed.
Was this really my sister? It was hard to reconcile this person with the cute little girl I knew.
I wasn’t alone in this feeling. Everyone around was equally frozen in place.
Most of these people were high-ranking military veterans. They were battle-hardened types who had faced the heat of the frontlines. Yet, even they reacted similarly, showing how truly intense Kaya was acting.
‘This isn’t good. This really isn’t good.’
Before my sister could cause even bigger trouble, I decided to step in.
“KAYA!”
I worried she might be too focused on the current situation to hear me.
But no need to fret. As expected from Kaya, my sister promptly looked around.
“Huh?! Brother Kael?!”
“Stop. Please stop, alright?”
“Got it! I’ll stop!”
Before I knew it, she was grinning ear to ear, cheerfully bounding toward me.
She leaped into my arms like she was five again, giggling and laughing.
“…”
“…”
Everyone stared at us, but their eyes were more focused on Kaya.
Given how formidable her aura was mere moments ago, it’s understandable they were in awe.
“Kael Klauwitz.”
I turned around to see a distinguished-looking middle-aged man calling me. Someone clearly of high rank. Without a word, I followed him into the office.
Once inside, he extended his hand and introduced himself.
“I am Eugene, Division Chief of the War Planning Department.”
“Chief Eugene, sir. I remember the name. You and my father were quite close.”
“Heh, close? Back in the day, he kept me so busy working that I had no time for anything else.”
The man’s glasses gleamed as he pushed them up—more of a bureaucrat than a warrior.
Given he is in charge of the War Planning Department, it makes sense, I guess.
“You must be Kaya Klauwitz, correct?”
-nods slightly-
Oh Kaya. Respect your father’s old friend and stop with the head-nodding nonsense.
Even in a fantasy world, maintaining etiquette is universal, isn’t it?
Alright, stop this disrespectful behavior and reply properly!
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“She listens to you well, doesn’t she? I also have a younger sister. She’s been trying to devour me ever since we were kids. She’ll be turning 50-something soon, but hasn’t changed a bit.”
Our Chief seemed unfamiliar with the kind of sibling dynamic Kael and I have. He went on lamenting for about 4 minutes before wrapping up.
“Hemhem. Without knowing it, I’ve said some strange things. Anyway, the Duke of Bertier has been asking us repeatedly to stop Kaya Klauwitz from joining the war.”
“Father promised me!”
“Yes, yes. Which means your father as a parent has agreed. However, from the perspective of the Duke, the state’s balance of interests must be considered.”
At this, Eugene suddenly turned to me.
Why are you looking at me? What do you mean? Give me some context, please.
“Prince Kael, please explain it to her on my behalf. She seems to listen to you better.”
“…Me?”
Suddenly being asked to explain? Could this be due to that ridiculous ‘genius strategist’ title again?
At the very least, I need to know what direction and how to handle this!
“Don’t let sentimentality get in the way. Sometimes, you need to be harsh.”
“….”
So I just stared blankly at the Chief, complying with his request without any understanding.
It wasn’t rebellion. I was genuinely baffled and was silently asking for more clarification.
But the Chief seemed to interpret this reaction differently.
“Come on, this isn’t right, no matter how you slice it.”
“…”
“How can you even send a 15-year-old girl to the front lines!?”
“…”
“Someone might think the Empire is so stretched thin that even young girls are being sent to battle.”
Ah! That’s the problem! I finally get it!
As usual, silence is golden when you’re unsure how to respond. The old saying about staying quiet and gaining half the advantage holds true.
“But, Chief, Kaya has already proven herself. If we suppress her now, any future achievements might backfire positively later.”
“…What? Weren’t you supposed to stop her? That’s what the Duke asked for, right?”
Certainly, Father requested that Kaya be sent home.
Yet, would she peacefully comply with that? Does that even match Kaya’s personality?
Let me tell you, Kaya is close to me, and I know her well: once she sets her mind on something, nothing can deter her.
Though she does soften her stance when it involves family issues, that’s about as far as it goes.
“So basically, the issue is that it’s not ideal for Kaya to be in such a public position?”
“That’s correct.”
“For all we know, even if we send her back, Kaya might secretly follow us. Hence, I humbly propose this: allow me to take Kaya under the pretense of providing her as my escort.”
“…You?”
“Yes. If I assign her as my protector in name, it might work without issue, don’t you think?”
Kaya is anxious because she keeps seeing me heading off to battle; she’s worried I might get harmed. Father, meanwhile, is similarly concerned about Kaya’s safety. And from the Empire’s perspective, they fear rumors and the erosion of authority if this situation continues.
Thus, the best option is keeping Kaya as my personal escort.
This way, Kaya can feel assured being close to me.
And since I’m not directly engaging in frontline combat, there’s no need for Kaya to join in either.
This setup would neatly address both Father’s and the Empire’s concerns.
“Even so, having a 15-year-old girl as an escort still feels…”
“At that time, we’ll just show everyone that this 15-year-old has already defeated seasoned knights, no problem.”
Instead of joining the main Imperial Army, she’ll be part of my personal protection detail.
This indicates the family will fully take responsibility for any consequences arising from Kaya’s presence.
I thought it would help the War Department mitigate some of the burden this way.
And, just as I expected:
“Hmm…”
The Chief quietly said, “That makes the story a little different, doesn’t it?” He briefly discussed it with someone, then muttered alone, “Roselion approved of her.”
“Great. If you’re taking her under the guise of being your escort, the War Department won’t object. As a bonus, we’ll also help with convincing the Duke…er…Arthur.”
“That’s good news. Kaya, you can go with your brother.”
“Really? No kidding!?”
Kaya, bouncing around happily, looked like she’d won the world.
“In exchange, you need to behave and not complain about any inconveniences compared to home life. Fail to do so, and you’ll be sent straight back.”
“I promise! I’ll be good!”
“That’s the spirit. Chief.”
At this, the Chief nodded and muttered something.
I strained to hear him. Apparently, he thinks Arthur will protest this decision fiercely and lecture me, accusing me of being manipulated by my siblings. It’s kind of true, Chief. Sorry about the trouble, but please bear with it.
“Then we’ll include this plan in the upcoming movement of the second wave of forces to the Eastern Front…”
-KA-BANG!
Suddenly, a man burst into the room.
Caught off guard, both me and the Chief were startled, but Kaya seemed unfazed.
“What is it? Why didn’t you knock?”
“Sorry, Chief, but we have extremely urgent news!”
“What? Did the Minister reject another proposal?”
Instead of responding, the man handed something to the Chief.
It appeared to be a report. What was it? What has him so agitated?
“…Excuse me…”
The Chief called to the man, while holding the paperwork.
His voice trembled slightly. Was I imagining things?
“Am I reading this wrong? Is it true? Why does it say the Eastern Front’s 7th Legion has retreated after failing?”
“What? Wait. The 7th Legion?”
“Earlier reports suggested our 7th Legion successfully reached the vicinity as planned.”
Recalling a past battle around Pavilion. That campaign was entrusted to the 12th Legion.
Their commander had said letting the 7th Legion advance was fortunate.
Had everything gone well, the three allied kingdoms would have been immediately pressured.
The elite-acknowledged 12th Legion highly regarded the 7th Legion.
And yet, the 7th Legion failed? What the heck happened?
My head was spinning with confusion and dismay, but there was work to be done.
As the Chief’s face darkened, I quickly covered Kaya’s ears, knowing what might come next.
“d*mn it! What the actual hell?! Is this true?! Are you sure?! This isn’t some erroneous report, is it?”
“There’s no way it could be false.”
“Then this is even more serious! We succeeded at Pavilion, so what the hell happened? Why did a supposed surefire strategy end up not only failing but necessitated retreat? This is insane!!”
In response to the Chief’s outrage, the man quickly explained the situation.
While the 12th Legion had successfully secured Pavilion, the 7th Legion advanced rapidly to the edge of Burkhai’s territory.
Since the enemy was off-balance, now was the time to strike, they reasoned.
However, the splits in the Three Kingdoms’ Alliance were only noticeable at Pavilion.
In this part of the battlefield, the enemy was mainly composed of Burkhai forces, with few reinforcements from Porland.
Facing an imminent threat, the alliance was united in its response.
In some situations, the threat of dissolution causes further splitting.
In this case, the alliance held together tightly.
They fiercely counterattacked, forcing the retreat of the Empire’s 7th Legion.
“This isn’t just a series of small losses…”
The Chief clutched his head in despair, sighing repeatedly.
As part of the War Planning Division, he certainly had a lot to process.
“Prince Kael. You have work to do immediately after your return.”
“Excuse me?”
“The 12th Legion Commander recommended you. To assist in sorting out the current mess in the 7th Legion. Once you return to the Eastern Front, you’ll be helping the 7th.”
Uh, no, wait! Hold on!
“Chief, why suddenly me? I’m no commander. If the Legion is defeated, shouldn’t the commanding officers handle the cleanup? Why involve me…?”
“Perhaps they are looking for more than that. There’s that story about the meteor falling and you turning the tide of morale. I’ve heard it and found it rather impressive.”
“…”
God d*mn it. This is real, isn’t it? So, it came to this.
A tactical genius who can reverse even the most dire situations!
Right now, you guys genuinely believe I’m THAT person?!
No! I’m not! I’m a regular guy! Don’t saddle me with this insane job!!
