Chapter 152
Calix’s tactics were working better than expected. The Leonis Empire’s camp was in trouble from the suddenly harsher, biting cold wind.
“No matter how much firewood you put in and try to keep the fire going, what’s the point? It just feels like I’ve got a lump of ice stuck to my back.”
“The wind’s so strong that if we put in any more firewood, the sparks could fly onto the tents. We can’t add any more.”
“It’s freezing to death out here, so what are we supposed to do?”
“Then, get inside the tents!”
“It’s just as cold inside the tent! I’d rather be outside by the fire. What does a young brat like you know about giving advice, anyway?!”
The regular soldiers, who were much more vulnerable to the cold than the Espers, were on edge and picked fights with each other over the smallest things. Naturally, the morale of the soldiers fell.
One of the officers watching the soldiers went into the command tent. Inside, they had built a large stove, so it was relatively warm, but not nearly enough to be called comfortable.
“How are the soldiers?”
“Their morale has dropped severely.”
“Hmm. How long did they say it would take for the supplies to arrive?”
“They said they left yesterday, so it’ll take at least two weeks.”
“I thought we’d be able to procure food in the north, but that was a huge mistake. I never imagined it would be this barren.”
“Still, there are quite a few large mines here. That’s why Cantabria’s Grayson Duchy is so wealthy, I heard. If we occupy them, they’ll surely be useful.”
“Hah, my father’s greedy for mines, too.”
Kyle, the Third Prince of Leonis, felt his frustration boiling over.
“Not a single one of the raiding party made it back?”
“…No, Your Highness.”
“Are you sure about the information on their Crown Prince? I heard he’s just all show and hasn’t accomplished anything.”
“That’s true, but… I’ll try to contact our informants again.”
“Never mind. With wind like this, even messenger birds would have trouble flying. We can’t afford to lose a well-trained bird for nothing.”
Thinking about how unexpectedly tough the Cantabrian forces were, he fell into thought.
“Last time, I thought everything would be over if I just killed that weak Crown Prince, but I let my guard down. This time, I’ll send an elite unit to raid their supplies.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And don’t forget to make it look like we’re targeting the Crown Prince again to keep them off guard.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
With dark eyes gleaming, Kyle stared toward the direction of the Cantabrian camp.
* * *
On Calix’s orders, Derek moved independently with only a small team. The order was to gather whatever information he could, no matter how trivial.
Derek felt frustrated, not knowing what Calix was thinking. All the information that came in was trivial stuff.
“Should I try getting a little closer?”
He didn’t want to get spotted by the enemy and cause trouble, so he weighed his options carefully.
Pushing through the snow that had started to fall since yesterday, Derek ran. The sun would be setting soon, so he planned to use his powers at the last checkpoint he’d marked.
But at that spot, someone was lying collapsed. White hair spilled from beneath a robe, and Derek immediately thought of the person Lea had asked him to find.
He approached cautiously, signaling his men to surround the area, in case she was an Esper.
As Derek drew near the motionless figure and removed the robe, a pair of rabbit ears popped out.
“…A werebeast?”
“Could she be a Leonis soldier?”
“Hm.”
But she had no weapons, and her clothes were a skirt. It was odd, but since he didn’t know whether she was an Esper, a Guide, or just a civilian, he couldn’t make a careless move.
Just then, her closed eyelids trembled and opened. Pink eyes darted around before fixing on Derek.
“P-Please, spare me…”
Her weak voice sounded like it might give out at any moment. Seeing her eye color, Derek felt even more certain this could be the person Lea was looking for.
He didn’t know why she was alone in a war zone, but even that made him suspicious. He couldn’t just leave her.
Derek took out the restraints he carried and fastened them around her wrists.
“We’re taking her back to camp.”
“Yes, Corps Commander!”
The light snowfall that had started yesterday was quickly turning into a blizzard. Derek hurried back to the base.
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