The next day. As with all legions, the 7th Legion’s day begins early in the morning.
Which, in simpler terms, means the meal rotation crew has to wake up before dawn to prepare breakfast.
It’s one of those essential tasks that everyone needs to do, but no one really wants to volunteer for.
Rubbing their sleepy eyes and loosening their stiff bodies, the legion soldiers shuffled forward for their morning meal.
“Good morning, everyone. Greetings, 7th Legion!”
“H-H-His, Your Highness?! The Princess?!”
The news had spread—a visit from the second princess herself, coming to console the troops.
Everyone had stayed up late chatting, buzzing with excitement about her arrival.
Most had assumed it was just for a quick visit; everyone figured she’d be gone by the next day.
This princess—her regal presence so breathtaking, people often compared her to an angel.
How could someone like her possibly remain long in such a grueling environment?
And yet, here she was, standing right before them.
“Oh, you’re still here today?”
“Yes, and I see you folks were the ones who missed the meal service yesterday, right?”
“Ah… yeah, our shift came after that.”
“I see. Well, go ahead and take it. And by the way, I made sure to instruct them to add a little extra meat today. The second wave of reinforcements is almost here, and supplies will be arriving soon, so let’s make sure to eat well while we can.”
It was early morning, and just the previous day, the princess had juggled one event after another.
She’d even single-handedly overseen the entire meal distribution without changing shifts.
Had the exhaustion finally caught up with her? Her face looked a bit more tired than yesterday’s radiant glow.
But it was precisely that tired expression that shook the soldiers even more.
They were worn out too, exhausted and aching—but she, the angelic figure, stood tall despite it all.
Today, once more, she extended her hand to them, even as they struggled to rise from the shock of their recent defeat.
Incredible. Heartwarming. It almost felt like a dream.
And then, a pang of guilt washed over them all for burdening her in such a way.
“Your Highness…”
After breakfast and before the units settled into their maintenance routines, a soldier hesitantly approached the princess, who had been mingling among the ranks.
“I apologize. It’s embarrassing. Here you are, Your Highness, visiting all the way here despite your noble stature, and yet we greet you as a defeated army…”
“There’s a saying. In war, victory and defeat are matters of course. It’s an unavoidable part of the battlefield, something that just happens.”
“But still…”
“Both victors and losers fought bravely. Our empire doesn’t cast away its soldiers simply because they tasted defeat. We honor all who stood and fought.”
As she spoke, she handed him the coffee she’d been carrying for herself.
“Th-thank you, Your Highness.”
“Weakness isn’t an option. You’re still here, aren’t you? There’s no talk of retreating to the rear lines. Do you understand what that means? Isn’t it clear to all of you?”
Of course, it was. They were the backbone of the legion—there was no way they wouldn’t know.
With the arrival of the second wave of reinforcements, with the lost supplies and manpower soon to be replenished, they’d once again become the empire’s spear against those who had brought them shame.
This time, there would be no retreat. There would be no defeat. That, they swore.
“And let me tell you something…”
The princess’s face broke into a mischievous smile, a smile that hinted at something big to come.
“Anyone know who’s with me today?”
“Not quite sure, Your Highness…”
“Kael Klauwitz. Kael Klauwitz of the Bertier Empire—a man who masterminded the plan that utterly seized control of the Pavilion Campaign. The strategic genius recognized personally by Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess.”
At the mention of the Pavilion Campaign, all the soldiers’ eyes widened.
Its fame had reached even here, its magnitude immense. In a situation where simply holding ground would have been considered a triumph, Kael had turned the tide and instead put pressure on the enemy.
It was news the soldiers had never expected.
“He’s here with me today. Isn’t the meaning of this clear to you? Can’t you already imagine what it means?”
The soldiers slowly nodded, their understanding dawning.
The empire wasn’t abandoning the 7th Legion. Instead, it was urging them to rise again, giving them a brilliant strategist by the side of the princess to inject fresh confidence into their ranks.
And with this, victory wasn’t a far-off dream but an inevitable reality.
I was outplayed. Completely outplayed. I tried staying back and quietly working on the event, but now the word’s already spread far and wide.
Just as I finished putting the finishing touches on the plan, the entire camp was buzzing with the news.
“The imperial army command has sent us their famed strategist from the Pavilion Campaign!”
“We’re not retreating. We can fight the alliance again!”
“This time, no retreat, no defeat. We’ll give them back everything they’ve given us—and more!”
Suddenly, I’d become the much-heralded relief pitcher for the 7th Legion.
Caught off guard, I had to turn to the princess immediately.
“Your Highness, I wasn’t consulted about this.”
“Well, this is just part of our joint venture. Isn’t this the least we can do?”
“But…”
“Besides, you were the one who planned this entire operation. If I get all the credit, won’t that make me look bad?”
Completely not true. If anything, I chose you precisely because I calculated the impact it would have.
I let out a sigh but decided not to argue further. The word would’ve gotten out eventually anyway.
“What’s next on the schedule?”
“A formal reading of the letter of encouragement addressed to the 7th Legion by His Majesty and Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess.”
“They really wrote this themselves?”
“When I requested Her Highness accompany me, I was given the letter along with her blessing.”
She must’ve caught on to my intentions to use her strategically from the start.
Seems like she’s decided to further motivate the soldiers of the 7th Legion.
“But seriously, isn’t this usually done by the riverbank? Why can’t we just do it inside the camp?”
“Not possible. We absolutely must be by the river.”
I spoke with a serious tone, causing the princess to jump slightly and stare at me, wide-eyed.
She seemed to be scrutinizing me, searching for any sign that things were off.
“I can’t explain it fully right now, but this is all for the good of the empire. Your Highness, I humbly request your understanding, even if it feels a little odd or uncomfortable.”
“Alright, I get it. Just don’t look at me so seriously, will you?”
“Apologies.”
Seems like I let my intensity slip in there. Probably because I’ve been so impressed by the princess’s cooperation. This was my oversight. I need to be more mindful. After all, she’s the princess!
“Let’s go then. It’s almost time, Your Highness.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
I was surprised. Shocked, even.
Isabel clutched her beating heart with effort.
The always gentle, always easygoing Kael had suddenly switched to a dead serious tone and expression. It caught her off-guard.
And what struck her even more than the change wasn’t just her own reaction but realizing something crucial:
“People can change their demeanor so dramatically, huh?”
And it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it was an overwhelmingly positive surprise.
This Kael was completely new, a side of him she hadn’t seen before—and it was strikingly impressive, almost… cool.
“Your Highness. We’re ready.”
“Ahh, understood.”
At the guard’s word, Isabel adjusted her breathing and stepped onto the improvised platform.
For a moment, Kael seemed absent. She noted to herself to ask him later where he’d gone.
Now was the time for her to deliver the words of the emperor and crown princess to these men.
“Brave soldiers of the empire. You have fought valiantly against the empire’s foes. And you shall continue to do so. This empire knows you. Have no doubts. Lose not yourselves.”
The emperor’s words, though concise, were impactful. A direct command telling the 7th Legion not to let self-pity overtake them.
“Rise up. Heroes of the empire, channel despair into righteous fury. And when the time comes to face the foul enemies who’ve dared tarnish your names, unleash that fury. Let them feel it—to its full extent.”
And on the side, the crown princess offered a continuation. Not just a message of comfort but a clear plan: fight back and this time, make the enemy run!
The soldiers responded with silent but electrifying fervor, their morale blazing.
“Thus concludes the message from His Majesty the Emperor and Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess. Brave soldiers of the 7th Legion… defeat is a fact. But don’t run from it. Stand tall, reclaim it, and turn it into a victory so grand, so resounding, that it shall honor this empire forever.”
This should do it. With this, the 7th Legion would rise, thought Isabel as Kael reappeared.
Where had he been, she wondered, making a mental note to ask later.
“Wha—what?!”
Suddenly, Kael let out a bizarre, almost frantic exclamation.
“Your Highness! The Princess! Look at that!”
“Kael?”
“The river! Something’s strange with the river!”
Confused, Isabel turned her head. And so did the soldiers, murmuring to each other as they stared.
“Wh-what…?”
What they saw was astonishing: the river, so ordinary just yesterday, was now shimmering gloriously in a spectrum of colors. The sun struck it, causing radiant waves to ripple outward.
“This… this must be a sign! Our gods are cheering us on! The emperor, the crown princess, and the princess herself have touched the hearts of the divine with their sincere compassion for the 7th Legion!”
“???”
Isabel looked at Kael, unsure of what was happening, but she couldn’t help but close her mouth when the next wave of reactions hit.
“THE GODS ARE WITH US! THE GODS SUPPORT OUR EMPIRE!”
“UUUGHAAAAA!!”
“7th Legion, arise! The emperor is with you! The empire is behind you! The gods assure us of victory!”
“7th Legion! 7th Legion!!”
A tidal wave of energy engulfed the place. Isabel found herself, without even meaning to, joining the chorus of the 7th Legion’s cries for strength.
*
“Phew. That was exhausting.”
Throwing greasy rocks turned out to be harder than I thought.
Apparently, throwing greased rice cakes is a thing where I’m from but there are no rice cakes here, alas.
Still, everything went better than expected.
The stars aligned once more. The emperor and crown princess’s letter of encouragement came at the perfect time.
The princess’s work to soften the soldiers’ hearts over the past few days couldn’t have been better timed.
Otherwise, some oil splashes on the river wouldn’t have done much.
“Let’s show those Burkhai bastards what we’re made of!”
“WHOOOOA!! 7th LEGION! 7th LEGION!!!”
Yell louder. Yell more. That’s what I deserve after all the behind-the-scenes effort I put in.
A little fanfare, a quick bow out, and I grinned.
“Ha. Genius strategist, huh? Please.”
For a moment, I almost bought into the whole genius strategist narrative, all the hype around me.
It was tempting, what with everyone puffing me up that way.
But the truth is… I’m no genius. I’m no strategist.
I’m just… a wind-up man, someone who likes to pull small tricks here and there. That’s all.
Not a genius, no way.
