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I ‘stood’ at the center of a meeting that I had convened at Alwain’s headquarters.
Owen’s court ladies raised me with a proper sense of decorum. I would never be so rude as to barge in and take over someone else’s space without permission. Before calling them here, I asked the Lady of the Red Tower to recommend a good place for me to meet with the Oto Expedition as a whole group, preferably where she would feel most comfortable with us being en masse. She offered this spot herself.
My [Fairy Sense] suggested why, almost immediately. She had wards and barriers arranged everywhere, a whole field of pre-made defensive magics interwoven with the stones of the circle and the stone box at the center. If we had anything nefarious up our sleeves, we would be unable to hide it here. What better spot for her to loan us?
I thought for a moment that she had built this place to recreate some ancient site, but I remembered that Alwain and such sites were of similar age, or if anything, Alwain was older. Recalling what I had learned from Kiki’s memory about the local region’s history, I guessed that she commissioned the local humans to build it as a place for her to hold court while governing her territory. She had been here that long, so this was the circle’s original, true purpose, a place of liaison for mortals to meet with the local ‘fairy queen’.
When our battle threatened to encroach upon this place, we spurred her to action in the first place. After all, we had come within a few miles of it by the time she showed up with her forces.
Alwain reclined on her side, watching us from her altar, or box, or forge, or whatever she considered the peculiar rectangular stone in the center, while I, in attendance courtesy my [Blood Presence] technique, faced the full company of the recovery mission. Or to be more accurate, Lady Serera, General Kosto and Mr. Kowa stood beside me, and the other thirty six surviving expedition members faced us.
That only adds up to thirty nine, and they were originally forty two. In the course of the most recent battle, we lost another mortal soldier. I can’t say for sure that this is what prompted Kosto’s decision, but losing nineteen percent of your soldiers is no joke.
Nobody was going to say it, and I wouldn’t either. The last thing you want to tell proud soldiers is that they are in over their head. They would complain behind your back in a heartbeat about you throwing them somewhere dangerous with insufficient support, but they never want to hear it to their face. I learned very well during my time on the battlefield how soldiers talk out of earshot of their officers, thanks to my unreasonable powers of hearing.
This acting duchess had no intention of throwing the lives of her soldiers away, but that didn’t mean I could say I didn’t trust them to stay alive here.
The general was willing to take the blame for me though, so I could agree to it with no qualms. We had discussed this already, during our meeting through Lady Ceria’s link with Mireia. Now, I was here to deliver the news, and plan out the details.
“General Kosto has recommended to me that we split the expedition,” I stated bluntly to start the meeting. “In broad strokes, the plan is for the SAS to head to the Fiorene border to support Lady Alwain’s troops while the remaining twenty four members continue on to our goal. I can have faith that my troops will do it, because those are the orders of their acting duchess, but the rest of you are non-military and not subject to my command. You have the option to remain with the SAS and eventually return to Pendorian territory rather than proceed, so I need to know if you harbor any objections to this plan.”
I could see the shadow in the eyes of my mortal soldiers, the conflicting emotions that I had just dug up from their hearts with a single paragraph speech. As expected, it was one of them who spoke first.
“My Lady, permission to speak anyhow?” Captain Macla hazarded.
I didn’t expect that. Kosto was ‘in command’ as the senior military officer, but Macla was the actual SAS officer commanding Mountain Troop, First SAS. True to their philosophy, he was as dangerous a warrior as the men he commanded. The SAS was no place for a parade ground officer, after all. But despite the fire in his belly that this implied, he was a commander who had already lost three of his soldiers in the course of a few days. I genuinely expected him to be the first to grab the chance to get his men out.
So I hid the fact that I was worried as I gave him a calm nod and stated, “You may.”
“I fully accept that the environment is getting too hazardous for mortals, but it’s hazardous for the mortals that will continue onward as well. Why are you sending back the SAS and not all the mortals?”
You weren’t supposed to say it out loud! I wanted to yell.
He had a really good point, though. As well as the three Reladorian mages, we had Matthias, Ryuu, Chiara, Melione, Arken, Brigitte and Pasrue. Not only that, but he likely thought Terese and Bruna were mortal, and possibly ‘Miss Hiléa’ as well. Although more than likely they should be beginning to suspect otherwise with her.
“If I may, My Lady?” Kosto asked me, when he noticed my hesitation.
“Go ahead,” I nodded.
“As My Lady stated, this is my recommendation, Captain,” he told Macla frankly. “And my reason is mana tolerance. The adventurers have acquired mana tolerance by virtue of their lifestyle, and those with the blood of long-lived races or fairies have it from birth. A few of your men also have higher mana tolerance for similar reasons, but I won’t have you split your unit. We have Lady Tiana’s guarantee, with Lady Serera’s concurrence, that Lady Alwain is an ally we can rely upon, and we can do more for our duchess by standing as her ally at Fiore’s border than by serving as a liability while the expedition heads deeper into the Highlands. Even if we had enough mana resistance tonic to last, we are not even able to consume enough to counteract the levels we are experiencing now.”
His words had not decreased the conflicted looks in their eyes, but I didn’t dare say anything. I had a feeling that nothing that came out of the mouth of their non-human liege lord would be of any help. The fact is that this unfair world includes places that simply aren’t fit for humans to tread. It was no more reasonable to have these men march further into these hills than to have them march into the sea.
As long as the mission is quick enough or magic can protect them, it’s fine, but past that point? It’s just not ethical to let a human who simply cannot thrive in such a place continue.
If I had known for myself just how horrendous the free mana levels were in this place, I might have been more vocal before they set out, but back then, I hadn’t learned yet how bad it was. After dinner, when we held our meeting, I heard for the first time that Serera and Matthias had both warned against sending the SAS unit in, and my husband had failed to appreciate how serious their concerns were. He received an earful from me after that meeting.
“General, you’re right, of course,” Miss Hiléa suddenly interjected. “I’m sure your soldiers understand, too. But the problem with their mana resistance isn’t your main reason, is it?”
Kosto pursed his lips, then raised his chin. “And what are you suggesting it is?”
After flashing her gentle smile, she answered. “They’ve fought well and served their duchy with honor, but now that we’ve made it this close to our destination, and the rest of our journey is better suited to a smaller force, their skills have less value to us than to Alwain. Your men would rather fight an effective guerrilla war on the border, against their duchy’s enemy, than struggle for no purpose in the middle of the wilderness. You’re putting them where they can do what they do best. Do I understand wrongly, General?”
The general’s expression slipped slightly, a grandfatherly smile threatening to peek through the gruff veneer. He worked his jaw for a bit to get his face back, then humphed. “You’re as sharp as I’ve been told, Miss Hiléa.”
I wasn’t sure if Hiléa had somehow concocted a more palatable excuse for him, or if she had hit upon his true motive. Could he not say that he wanted to send them on a mission they were better suited for, instead of the mission that their acting duchess had sent them on, when she was right here to hear it?
I decided to weigh in. “The failure to recognize that the mana levels would be too high for mortal forces is mine and the viceroy’s, General. As Miss Hiléa said, your men have served well and I am grateful to them. Because of their service, we know far more about this territory than we did before you set out. I can agree that the best role for them now is defending our ally’s land while a reduced force completes this mission.”
Looking toward the others, I continued, “Since you will lack their escort on the way back, Mr. Kowa and Lady Serera and company will head to the border and rejoin the SAS after you complete your task, rather than crossing through the wilderness directly to the Kasar Pass. By that time, General Provis may have extended the front line to you and you can travel in friendly territory. Otherwise, the reunited expedition can battle back along the border until you reach his lines.”
Addressing Captain Macla directly, I stated, “I trust your men to give the rebels hell until that time.”
Macla straightened slightly and barked, “Count on it, My Lady!”
I looked around the ring of expedition members, wondering if anyone else had concerns. Most looked thoughtful, but nobody looked particularly worried. I remembered what sort of people I was surveying and realized I shouldn’t find anything odd about that.
The Hero’s Party. Eight fairy knights and warriors. Lady Ceria and her amazon half-sister Bruna. Two sages. An ‘Elder’. The alien ghost Hiléa. The Reladorian mages…
And Mother’s lady’s maid, Terese. Okay, I had one concern.
I met her eyes, but didn’t get a chance to voice it. She understood without a word, gave me a bow and stated, “I am well, My Lady. You need not concern yourself. Thanks to my ancestry, I will be quite safe.”
That puzzled me, but I pretended to accept it, not wanting to admit that I did not, in fact, know who her parents were, or why it should matter.
A smirking Lady Serera used [Secret Voice] to ask me, <Has nobody told you that she’s the daughter of Carson and Benedetta, Your Highness?>
I kept my eyes from widening, then sighed. Probably yet another thing I learned during the time I have forgotten.
Since she was right next to me, I muttered back to her, “I don’t get it. Why are they so good at hiding it? My [Fairy Sight] should be able to recognize an elemental.”
<Darkness is especially adept at stealth,> Serera noted. <If a Shade doesn’t want you to know they’re a Shade, you will never know it.>
I guess that made sense.
Lady Serera returned to the meeting. “It looks to me as if there are no other concerns…”
She stopped as the oldest of the Reladorian mages held up his hand.
“Yes, Sir Mage?”
“I’m wondering if we are more needed here, or protecting your troops on the border? What are the odds of more fairies being up in those mountains?”
I, too, wanted to send them along with the SAS boys, frankly. Although he wasn’t admitting it and I wasn’t saying it, the mortal mages, although better acclimated to free mana than the troops, were also showing signs of difficulty.
Lady Alwain suddenly spoke up before I could even think of an answer. “Rather high, I’m afraid. A clan of sylphs claim the territory you intend to enter. I would feel much better if you could confirm that they aren’t infested with those wretched demonic things.”
I exchanged glances with Serera and Kosto. With our new ally expressing her opinion, we could hardly say no, right? But, this man looked just as fatigued as the soldiers.
But that’s when Mr. Kowa, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up.
“Melione, Arken, you two already have it sorted out, right?”
Uncle Arken nodded. “I can detect them. Melione can drive out the progenitors and I can deal with the Darkness spirits. Lady Ceria can do both, I suspect. She’s also been studying the process.”
The cat girl grinned and nodded. “I have. I think I can probably handle the whole process myself, actually.”
Mr. Kowa turned to Alwain and stated, “And that’s how it is, My Lady. You should let them return.”
Alwain suddenly unfolded, wafted like a feather across to him and landed, inspecting him closely. Her eyes narrowed as her eyes evaluated him like a scientific specimen.
He grinned and told her, “I’m late introducing myself, My Lady. I’m Ryuu Kowa, the Royal Champion of Orestania. My comrades and I are experienced adventurers. We can handle any of the problems that come along.”
Alwain looked a bit amused at his cocky claim, but she inclined her head in regal acknowledgement.
“Welcome to my land, Sir Ryuu. You do seem rather different than the usual mortal. You are actually a human of another world, are you not?”
I jolted, and many eyebrows rose around the circle. Ryuu just shrugged and nodded. The Lady of the Red Tower laughed and nodded as well.
“I see. Yes, I imagine you can handle them, after all.”
She looked at me and said, “Very well. I am happy for you to send your human mages to the border with the troops. Perhaps they will face more infected fairies there, and they are certainly able to defend my border. These others may proceed with my blessings.”
With that, the division of our expedition was complete.
