Leaving Vestria
The entourage departed before dawn.
So early that the stars still shone faintly in the sky, reluctant to yield to the sun.
There was no farewell ceremony. No final pleasantries with other kingdoms.
Only pure urgency.
Kaito had given the order the night before: "We leave at dawn. Forced march. We return ho as fast as possible."
Now he rode at the front with an expression he hadn’t shown during the entire Council—naked concern, without any diplomatic mask.
Adelheid’s ssage had been clear in its brevity: Spy crisis. Resolved. Neudämrung safe.
But sothing about the words troubled him.
"Resolved" implied there had been a serious problem. "Safe" implied it had been in danger.
And he hadn’t been there.
Naporia rode beside him, watching him with growing concern.
"Kaito."
"Hmm?"
"You need to eat sothing."
Kaito looked at the ration she offered him—hard bread, cheese, jerky.
"I’m not hungry."
"It doesn’t matter. Eat anyway."
Her tone allowed no argunt.
Kaito took the food chanically, chewing without really tasting it.
Naporia frowned but didn’t press further.
For now.
Drake rode up from behind the formation, approaching Kaito.
"Commander. The horses can’t maintain this pace indefinitely. We’ll need regular breaks or they’ll collapse."
Kaito tightened his grip on the reins.
"How much ti do we lose if we rest?"
"An hour every six hours of marching. Minimum."
"That adds four hours daily."
"But if the horses collapse, we lose days. Or weeks if we have to continue on foot."
Kaito knew Drake was right.
But every hour felt like an eternity.
"Fine. Regular breaks. But short ones."
Drake nodded and rode off to organize.
Aria approached from the other side.
"Kaito. Drake is right about the horses. But he’s also right about you."
"What do you an?"
"That you can’t maintain this pace either. You’ve slept what... three hours in the last two days?"
"Enough."
"It’s not."
Aria looked at him with an expression that was half concern, half exasperation.
"You’ll arrive ho exhausted, unable to lead effectively. Does that help anyone?"
Kaito didn’t respond.
He knew she was right too.
But he couldn’t turn off the anxiety eating at him.
---
First Camp — Sixth Night
They had traveled for six days.
Normally they would have covered perhaps half that distance. But forced marches—sixteen hours daily instead of eight—had brought them much farther.
They were halfway ho.
The camp was set up with military efficiency. Tents raised. Fire lit. Guards rotating.
Kaito sat by the fire, staring at the flas without really seeing them.
His mind was in Aschenfall.
At Adelheid leading alone. At Lilith investigating conspiracies. At Valeria guarding the gates.
At everything that could be going wrong while he wasn’t there.
Naporia sat beside him without saying anything at first.
She simply... existed in the sa space.
Finally, she spoke in a voice softer than usual.
"You’re not helping anyone if you collapse."
Kaito looked at her.
"I’m not going to collapse."
"No? Because from here, you look close."
Naporia pointed at the dark circles under his eyes.
"When was the last ti you slept more than two consecutive hours?"
Kaito didn’t respond.
"Exactly."
Naporia touched his hand.
"Kaito. You have to trust the ones you left behind."
"I trust them."
"Then why do you act like everything collapses without you?"
The question stopped him.
Kaito looked at the fire again.
"Because... they’re my responsibility. The kingdom. The girls. The people. Everything."
He paused.
"If sothing goes wrong, it’s my fault. If soone dies because I wasn’t there..."
"Then it’s the fault of whoever killed them, not yours."
Naporia squeezed his hand.
"Kaito. Adelheid is a brilliant commander. Lilith is the most cunning woman I know. Valeria is... well, Valeria. They’re capable."
"I know."
"Then?"
Kaito finally looked directly at her.
"I trust them. That’s why I worry. Because I know they’ll give everything to protect Neudämrung. Even their lives."
His voice cracked slightly.
"And the thought of losing any of you..."
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t need to.
Naporia understood.
She moved closer, her shoulder touching his.
"Then we return fast. But alive and able to help. Not exhausted and useless."
Kaito almost smiled.
"When did you beco so wise?"
"Since I t a certain idiot king who worries too much."
That actually drew a genuine laugh from Kaito.
"Thank you, Naporia."
"You’re welco."
They stayed like that for a mont, watching the fire together, shoulder to shoulder.
The tension in Kaito’s shoulders slowly loosening.
Naporia noticed and felt sothing warm in her chest. They both looked at each other.
I can do this. I can help him even without a sword.
Both their faces slowly drew closer, about to kiss.
The mont of peace lasted exactly ten minutes.
Then, shouts from the camp periter.
Kaito and Naporia stood instantly.
Naporia had her sword drawn in a second.
"Stay here!" she shouted to the guards near the fire.
She ran toward the source of the shout.
Kaito followed her, ignoring his own implicit instruction to stay back.
What they found at the edge of camp was...
Pathetic, honestly.
Five bandits—poorly equipped, poorly coordinated, clearly desperate—trying to steal horses.
One of the guards had already taken down two.
The other three saw Naporia approaching and their expressions changed from desperate determination to pure terror.
"Oh shit, it’s the Empress—"
The bandit didn’t even finish the sentence before Naporia was upon him.
Her sword moved in an arc that was more warning than attack.
She cut the straps of the bandit’s weapon, leaving him disard.
Another bandit tried to flee.
Naporia caught him in three steps, striking the back of his knees.
He fell.
The third tried to surrender.
"Wait wait wait! We surrender!"
Naporia stopped, her sword pointing at his throat.
"Too late for that."
But she didn’t strike.
Instead, she looked at the five bandits now disard or downed.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
The one who had tried to surrender—a thin man in his twenties—spoke tremblingly.
"Just... just wanted horses. To sell. We have families to feed..."
"Stealing from a marching army is a stupid way to feed a family."
"I know! I know! But we have nothing else. The crops failed. The nobles raised taxes. We’re... we’re desperate."
Naporia studied them.
Tattered clothes. Rusty weapons. Faces gaunt with hunger.
They weren’t a real threat.
Just... desperate people making desperate choices.
She lowered her sword.
"Bram. Tie them up. Don’t hurt them, just secure them."
Bram nodded, organizing the guards.
Kaito approached, having observed everything.
"What will we do with them?"
Naporia considered.
The Naporia of months ago would have killed them without thinking.
But now...
"Give them food. Enough for three days. Then release them with a warning: if they try to steal again, I won’t be so rciful."
Kaito blinked, surprised.
"rcy? From you?"
Naporia looked at him.
"I learned from a certain king that sotis bad people are in bad situations. Not always the other way around."
She smiled slightly.
"Besides, killing them would be more effort than feeding them."
Kaito smiled too.
"Practical rationalization. I like it."
The bandits were tied, fed, and then released with appropriate warnings.
They left quickly, muttering confused thanks.
As they returned to the fire, Kaito spoke.
"Remind never to make you angry."
Naporia laughed.
"Too late for that. You’ve made angry dozens of tis."
"Really? When?"
"When you thought about summoning a fifth queen without consulting us. When you almost killed yourself working. When you eat so little you look like a ghost."
She paused.
"When you worry so much about everyone else that you forget to take care of yourself."
Kaito processed that.
"I didn’t know you got angry so easily."
"I don’t get angry easily. I get angry when people I care about do stupid things."
She looked directly at him.
"And you, Kaito Yukimura, do a lot of stupid things."
Kaito didn’t know whether to feel insulted or flattered.
He decided on the latter.
"Thanks. I think."
Naporia smiled—her genuine smile, not her battle one.
"You’re welco."
---
Eighth Day
Two days later, while they were riding, Drake received a visitor.
A contact—a man in civilian clothes who appeared as if from nowhere at a crossroads.
Drake separated from the entourage to speak briefly.
When he returned, his expression was somber.
"Commander. We have a problem."
Kaito slowed his horse.
"What kind?"
"Avernor is mobilizing troops near our southern border."
Silence.
"How many?"
"My contact says at least a thousand. Possibly more."
"That violates the Council’s verdict."
Drake shook his head.
"Technically, no. They’re not invading. Just... positioning themselves on their own territory that just happens to be near our border."
"But the intention is clear."
"Yes."
Kaito cursed under his breath.
Aria approached.
"What else did your contact say?"
"There’s more. Settlents on our southern border are being attacked. ’Bandits’ according to official reports. But unusually well-equipped bandits."
"rcenaries," said Naporia. "Paid by Avernor."
"Probably."
Drake unfolded a small map.
"Three attacks in the last week. The pattern is consistent: they strike fast, steal supplies, retreat before our forces can respond."
Aria studied the map with a thoughtful expression.
"This is deliberate. They’re provoking."
Kaito looked at her.
"Provoking what?"
"A military response. If Neudämrung attacks Avernor territory to stop the ’bandits,’ Avernor can claim we violated the Council’s verdict."
She unfolded her own notebook with notes.
"Look at the timing pattern. First attack two days after we left Vestria. Second attack four days later. Third attack yesterday."
"They’re escalating."
"Exactly. And I bet that by the ti we get ho, there will be enormous pressure from the people and the military to respond with force."
Kaito felt the trap closing.
"If we attack, we violate the verdict. If we don’t attack, we look weak and our people suffer."
Drake nodded.
"Lose-lose. Avernor is cunning."
Naporia struck her sword poml.
"Then we go faster. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can plan an appropriate response."
Kaito considered the options.
None were good.
But she was right—they needed to be ho to coordinate an effective response.
"Agreed. Increase the pace. Sixteen hours becos eighteen."
He looked at Drake.
"Can the horses handle it?"
"Barely. But yes."
"Then we do it."
The entourage accelerated again.
Pushing beyond reasonable limits.
Because ti was as much an enemy as Avernor.
---
Tenth Day — Night, Last Camp Before Ho
They would be in Aschenfall tomorrow at noon.
Ten days instead of fourteen.
But they had paid the price—exhausted horses, guards at their limit, everyone with deep dark circles.
Kaito sat alone, looking toward where he knew Neudämrung was even though he couldn’t see it yet.
Naporia approached with two cups of hot tea.
"Thought you might need this."
"Thanks."
They drank in silence for a mont.
Finally, Naporia spoke.
"Tomorrow we’ll be ho."
"Yes."
"And we’ll face whatever awaits us."
"Yes."
"Scared?"
Kaito considered lying.
He decided on honesty.
"Terrified."
Naporia nodded.
" too."
She looked at him.
"But also... excited. Because it’ll an we’re together again. All of us. With you."
"That’s the only thing keeping sane in this."
Kaito touched her hand.
"Thank you. For everything. For keeping grounded. For being exactly who you are."
Naporia felt warmth in her cheeks.
"Soone has to keep you alive. And apparently they chose ."
"They didn’t choose you. You chose."
"True."
They stayed like that, hands intertwined, looking toward their invisible ho.
Both knowing that what was coming would be difficult.
But also knowing they wouldn’t face it alone.
---
Morning — Sighting of Aschenfall
At noon on the tenth day, the towers of Aschenfall appeared on the horizon.
A cry of relief ran through the entourage.
But Kaito noticed sothing imdiately.
Smoke.
Not from normal chimneys.
From larger fires.
"Drake. Do you see that?"
"Yes. Sothing is burning."
"Accelerate. Full gallop. Now."
The entourage launched forward.
The exhausted horses finding one last reserve of energy.
As they approached, details beca clear.
It wasn’t Aschenfall itself burning.
It was a village to the south. Visible from the fortress.
And when they reached the gates, they found Adelheid waiting with a somber expression.
"Welco ho, Commander."
Her voice was controlled but Kaito could see tension in every line of her body.
"What happened?"
"Fourth attack. This morning. The village of Steinbach."
She pointed toward the smoke.
"Twenty dead. Fifty wounded. Warehouses completely destroyed."
She paused.
"And they left a ssage. Nailed to the church door."
She handed him a scroll burned at the edges.
Kaito read it.
Simple words. Terrifying in their clarity.
"This will continue until the false king kneels. Or until there is nothing left to rule. — Avernor"
Kaito crushed the scroll, crumpling it.
"Gather everyone. War council. Now."
Adelheid nodded.
"They’re already waiting."
As they entered the fortress, Kaito felt weight settling on his shoulders.
They had won at the Council.
But Avernor had found a new way to attack.
And now, he had to decide how to respond.
Without violating the verdict.
Without sacrificing his people.
Without losing everything they had built.
The war wasn’t over.
It had only changed form.
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