“Congratulations, Young Lady. You’re now a fully-fledged knight.”
“Thank you, Commander… no! I mean, thank you very much, Commander.”
“Hahaha! Your formality is adorable, but I worry Duke of the Empire might feel a little jealous!!”
—
A mere sixteen years old. In half a year, she’ll be seventeen, but she’s still young!
—
And she’s a woman, to boot! There’s definitely a physical difference between men and women.
—
And yet, her ladyship—Kaya Klauwitz—has become a full-fledged knight.
—
She now has the standing of a true warrior, worthy to step onto the battlefield.
—
‘Not to mention, the process and the training she went through wasn’t easy at all.’
—
The Commander couldn’t help but sigh as he recalled her recent achievements.
He himself had completed the same training at nineteen, and that was pushing it.
Yet this sixteen-year-old girl did it without much apparent struggle.
—
She had already shown incredible prowess in the Eastern campaigns. She was now part of the official military record.
When other knights spoke of her, their praise bordered on outright adoration.
And seeing her in the flesh, standing before him as he stared in disbelief, words failed him.
—
One day, the Commander had asked her why she worked so hard. What drove her?
Kaya replied matter-of-factly:
”I’m going to fight on Brother Kael’s battlefield. And I’ll do exactly what he asks me to do.”
—
Not for the Empire’s loyalty. Not to become the Emperor’s sword.
Not for the honor of the Klauwitz family, or to make their name shine.
None of those classic answers seemed to matter to her.
—
Only Kael. Only her brother. That was all that mattered—being on the battlefield with him.
Not just guarding him, but following his every command faithfully, like an extension of his will.
If war lasted a year, she’d work tirelessly to make it end sooner.
—
As the Commander chuckled at her response, another thought crossed his mind: Kael was the future head of the Klauwitz family. The next Duke of the Bertier Empire.
Serving him loyally was serving the family.
Thus, from the Commander’s perspective, Kaya’s reasoning posed no problem.
—
“So, what’s next? Are you planning to file for the frontlines immediately?”
“Of course. I need to be by Brother Kael’s side. Just guarding him isn’t enough. Protecting him from afar is fine, but making sure no enemy ever gets close to him is better.”
—
Kaya recalled the Eastern campaigns, her heart still pounding at the memory.
How could arrows have reached him? It was sheer luck they hadn’t caused disaster. If she hadn’t spotted and deflected that last shot…
—
“That’s when I realized it. I’m not great at guarding. But swinging a sword? I can definitely handle that. So I’ll fight Kael’s way—because he needs someone who can follow his instructions exactly.”
“I see. Understood.”
—
What a loyal knight! Kaya had matured, shifting from a somewhat scatterbrained girl to someone who clearly understood her strengths and weaknesses—and how to use them effectively.
—
When Kaya and the Commander returned to report to the Duke, they were greeted by some news.
“Where has Brother Kael been assigned?”
“To the General Staff, Young Lady! At least, that’s what I heard!”
“What?”
“It’s a newly formed position, ma’am! The 1st Army in the West is expanding, and as part of the restructuring, this position was created!”
—
Kaya fell silent, lost in thought. She wasn’t one to overthink things; usually, her actions were driven by impulse rather than reflection.
Without hesitation, she made her way to her father, the Duke of Bertier, who was busy in his office.
“Father?”
No preliminaries. Kaya dove straight into the subject.
“A war is coming, isn’t it?”
Though still years away from adulthood, Kaya was of the Klauwitz bloodline. She had inherited sharp instincts and a keen understanding of warfare, honed by her experience on the battlefield.
Her father, the Duke, didn’t deny her words.
“I held back during the southern incident because I needed more preparation. But things are different now. I’m an official knight now, Father. I can fight. Age doesn’t matter—you were out here fighting around my age too!”
—
The Duke refrained from correcting her, knowing there was no point. Some things could not be argued with forever.
“Have you heard that the Western Army will expand from five divisions to eleven?”
“Yes.”
“Along with reinforcements, magic units, cavalry, and knights, the Empire plans to grow its armed forces to unprecedented levels.”
“I see.”
“The Empire will need even more capable warriors and faithful servants in the coming days.”
—
The Duke’s tone implied he wouldn’t block her ambitions this time. But as a father, he still worried.
In the past, Kaya would have disregarded everything and chased after Kael, but now—just slightly—she had grown more considerate.
“Father?”
Kaya tapped her chest, a confident smile on her face.
“Nothing can stop me. No one except Brother Kael, you, Mother, or the rest of our family. Nobody else could ever hold me back.”
—
If anyone else had said it, it would have sounded arrogant or overly confident. But since it was Kaya, the Duke could only smile.
“Very well. As the Duke, I grant Kaya Klauwitz permission to proceed to the frontlines. I’ll inform the War Ministry, and you can handle the rest.”
—
The looming war would see the unveiling of the Empire’s brightest new sword.
—
With the Emperor’s command, the two border divisions began their mobilizations almost instantly.
The Eastern Army was already stationed in the South, so it joined the Western forces alongside the others.
Meanwhile, the North unleashed its two most battle-hardened divisions, marching proudly into the West.
“Division 1, 5, 9, 14 of the existing Western Front. Reserve Division 20. The Northern Divisions 2 and 8. Eastern Divisions 7 and 12. Finally, Southern Divisions 6 and 13.”
Eleven divisions gathered in the West, totaling over 200,000 troops—the largest military movement in Imperial history, one that could be counted on one hand.
To clarify, the Empire had not formally declared war on Dedoland. Yet, their actions were clear enough—a deep anger and seriousness radiated from their formations.
Even the choice of divisions spoke volumes. Division 12, renowned for their feats in Pavilion. Division 7, which turned an early loss into a decisive victory. Division 6, annihilating Benito’s main force. Division 13, serving as bait and hammer. Division 2 and 8, veterans of skirmishes with demons up North.
Interestingly, all these divisions somehow intersected with someone—perhaps subtly encouraging them to achieve greatness.
—
“Besides, this General Staff thing…”
A position that allowed one to interject into any division, wielding partial authority granted by the Emperor.
Once temporary, this position was now formalized within the newly established General Staff Department.
It meant having to answer to a superior officer. Rank mattered in these departments.
Though the Emperor was no fool, who knew who might be placed above?
—
“Let’s see… where am I assigned?”
The new General Staff Office awaited his arrival. What position would he take?
As he reviewed his transfer orders, coffee spurting out of his mouth was an unavoidable reaction.
[Chief of the Imperial Staff – Kael Klauwitz]
—
Chief of the Imperial Staff? What’s this? There’s a position like this in the General Staff?
A quick check revealed it to be an unusual role.
Though part of the General Staff Office, its activities were tied to the Palace.
In essence, his direct boss wasn’t the Chief of Staff—it was the Emperor HimSelf.
This position allowed him to offer advice directly to the palace when necessary.
And with imperial decree, he could act autonomously whenever needed.
—
‘They turned the temporary Advisor role into a formal one.’
—
Ring! Congratulations! Level-up from Genius Strategist to Supreme Royal Strategist!
If there was some kind of notification sound effect playing in the air, it was probably just his imagination.
—
