By Zephyria 
These memories flowed exactly as the inscriptions on the monuments erected on the peninsula described. It was only after about half a day of traveling with Theodore that I realized this fact.
Upon arriving at the place once called Old Perman, where no one lived anymore, I found the conscripts and Laina’s soldiers who had been scattered by the attack, as well as the defense force of the vanguard, who were thought to have been annihilated. I later learned that they had used the abandoned village as an outpost, barely surviving by building high walls to block the attacks of the demon beasts.
Their food supplies had run out long ago, and they often fell ill from boiling grass roots or the carcasses of demon beasts to eat. Every night, they fought a fierce battle against the fear of isolation and death while listening to the cries of those creatures. Thus, it was easy to imagine how overjoyed they must have been when they encountered Laina’s soldiers, who had carved a path through.
Leonardo joined the base near the end, riding the King’s horse. And there, he was able to reunite with a comrade he had been secretly worried might have died.
“Brother!”
I don’t know why he called him ‘brother’ after seeing him for so short a time, but the man, who had been mixed among the wounded, rushed forward as soon as he saw this body. Contrary to my concerns, he looked fine, save for a few scratches. Just as he was about to greet him warmly, Laina’s soldiers moved first.
They instantly blocked the unwelcome guest attempting to approach the King. Srrrung, clang—. Sharp blades crossed in an X.
Startled by the keen edges pointed directly at his head, the man looked left and right before throwing his hands up in the air.
Then, looking up at this body, he mouthed something.
“Who is he?”
Theodore, who was behind me, asked as he first dismounted from his saddle. This body answered hurriedly.
“He is my comrade. He will not harm Your Excellency.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
For some reason, this body was quite proficient in the ancient language of Laina. Not being lacking in tact, he quickly adopted the proper titles and honorifics. Perhaps finding this commendable, Theodore personally helped this body down from the horse. Though he still handled me as if I were a piece of luggage, his actions were not rough.
Soon, he gave a light gesture to his knights to stand down.
“We shouldn’t interfere with a reunion.”
“At once.”
At the Monarch’s single word, the knights who had blocked the way quickly retracted their stance. Even seeing the blades withdraw to the sides, my comrade did not dare approach hastily. Eventually, Leonardo approached him first and asked after his well-being with a friendly face.
“I am glad you are safe. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“W-what is the meaning of this?”
The man asked back in a hushed voice. Indeed, since a fellow who had vanished as bait for monsters had suddenly appeared alongside the soldiers of a foreign land, it was only natural for his eyes to widen.
“Well…”
While both this body and Leonardo were pondering where to start the explanation, Theodore, with his red cloak trailing behind, strode past us and entered the base. Following him, knights numbering at least a hundred entered in step, forming two wings.
The soldiers gathered along the path they passed gradually stepped backward.
Stopping in the center, Theodore looked around at the crowd and commanded in a solemn voice.
“The commander of this place, step forward.”
The leader of the vanguard introduced themselves as the 3rd Defense Force. The members consisted mainly of the peninsula’s natives, and among them were soldiers from Parenium (the fortress city that would later become the predecessor of Paren). As expected, the majority of the soldiers, including this body, were conscripts who had lived lives far removed from combat, dressed in crude leather clothes.
While expressing gratitude for Laina’s support arriving in such dire circumstances, the leader warned that the creatures would soon swarm. He stated that they would not simply stand by and watch the humans’ strength increase.
“I suspected as much on the way here, but can those things actually think?”
“Think? Indeed they do. Their intelligence is terrifying. They will be extremely wary of us uniting.”
Around a makeshift strategy table stood a total of nine people: four from Laina’s army including Theodore, the leader of the 3rd Defense Force, the leader of the conscripts Leonardo had first encountered, two elites, and this body.
As for how this body ended up at a table with key personnel… it was because very few people on the defense force’s side could speak ancient Laina fluently, so I took on the role of assisting to ensure there were no communication errors. Of course, thanks to that, Leonardo had a not-so-bad opportunity to glimpse the strategic planning process of the past.
“Wary, you say… According to the scout’s report, the path ahead is a narrow canyon. If we blindly pursue them, we’ll lose the advantage of the terrain and likely fall into an ambush. However, if we cannot handle them here, the tide of war will turn unfavorable. We must settle this by tonight. Only then can we secure the supply route for the following forces to enter.”
“We think so as well. But, are there following forces?”
“Our army’s logistics unit is moving with a one-day interval. Their speed is slow due to the transport of supplies, but they will arrive before dawn tomorrow.”
“Your Excellency, I will lead the soldiers and return before the sun sets. Please trust me with this.”
One of Theodore’s confidants was of a considerably bold style. He gave the impression of a soul that didn’t know where it might spring to next, merely trapped inside armor.
“Thirty cavalrymen will be enough. I shall slaughter those things miserably.”
This was a fact I learned later, but he was the scout captain named Borgen, who had previously suggested burning down the forest. Since Theodore and the others were still wearing helmets, it was impossible to tell exactly what expressions the Laina side was making.
However, the atmosphere quickly grew quiet, as Theodore’s gaze toward his confidant seemed to tell him to exercise restraint.
Sure enough, while this body was hesitantly conveying the translation, a fierce rebuttal came back instantly.
“What, thirty? Do you even know how many heads we dragged along when we started? Are you all just itching to die in a heap?”
The leader of the conscripts snapped in his characteristic coarse voice.
“And fuck, why are these foreign bastards, who we don’t even know where they rolled in from, acting like masters in someone else’s front yard? This is our turf. Even if we die fighting, it’s our land. You don’t know a goddamn thing about the habits of those ground-worm bastards, so where does an outsider get off giving orders—”
Krrrk, ptoo. He spat yellow phlegm right next to the table again. Along with his savage tone, his insulting behavior was enough to make even the knights of Laina, who couldn’t understand the meaning, look menacing. Their shoulders shifted as if they were about to draw their swords at any moment.
“How dare he—”
“I’ve had enough of this…”
“Stop.”
“No matter how great a King you are, if you’ve crawled into someone else’s land, isn’t it basic courtesy to take off that piece of iron on your head and show your face? Why, are you afraid someone will slice your throat if you open the lid?”
The man sneered with a chuckle. The knights, believing the King had been insulted, simultaneously pointed their blades at the man. Then, the two elites of the conscripts, refusing to be outdone, raised the axe blades tucked in their waists high.
As the tension between the two sides instantly reached a breaking point, only the leader of the defense force stepped in to stop the man with a bewildered face.
“Why are you doing this? These people came to help us…”
“Stop—”
At that moment, a low command, like a growl, spread far and wide. At the voice that thundered through the dense forest and cliffs, everyone gathered at the base grew tense and fell silent. This time, even the sneering man seemed quite surprised.
Theodore spoke again.
“I gave no order; who dares draw a sword?”
It was a calm and cold sentence, but sufficient to convey a warning. Not only the confidants standing around the King, but all of Laina’s soldiers put their swords back. Then, they knelt on one knee toward the Monarch, bowing their heads as if offering their necks.
“We beg your forgiveness, Your Excellency.”
“Do not act rashly. Have you forgotten why we came here?”
“No. We have not forgotten.”
The sight of the men in chainmail swarming the base showing loyalty toward only one man was truly a spectacle. Even though their unified voice was not directed at him, Leonardo felt a strange sense of exhilaration. However, this body could not even utter a word in the midst of it. Rather, it seemed to be thoroughly terrified.
As only the clenched fists were twitching, Theodore, glancing at this body, flicked his wrist to tell them to rise. Then, staring intently at the leader of the conscripts, he spoke.
“As you said, if the leaders discuss strategy without facing each other, trust cannot be proven.”
He gripped the right side of the helmet’s jaw with his left hand and removed it without a moment’s hesitation. Lustrous blonde hair fluttered freely upon its liberation.
Through that, two vivid gold eyes burned fiercely.
“Do you feel like talking now?”
Seeing him, Leonardo could not bring himself to breathe.
‘He looks exactly like me.’