It took a couple of weeks to reach the edge of the Plymfell swamplands, and to be honest I was beginning to second guess my decisions. Not the part where we travel through the swamplands, but the part where I placed myself in the most troublesome group of young men.

Usually for these kind of guys the standard approach taken is 'The nail that sticks out gets hammered down'. We do get troublemakers and unsociable people, however we do not have room for those kind of selfish things. We socialize them one way or another, and until they fit in life is exhausting.

I'm not going to go rough on them yet, but I couldn't leave them be either.

First of all Darius is currently the worst. That he knows and is used to sneak around people is one thing, but that he sneaks around among the people he should trust is unacceptable. You don't sneak around your allies unless you dislike or distrust them. I can't have someone like that around me. I cannot trust someone that doesn't trust his friends.

The second one is Peony. Perfect as a scout, useless on the battlefield. While Asher was gone Peony even declared that he didn't need Vitis there. That he was fine on his own. I, of course took a calm breath. Vitis had reacted immediately and said that Peony had always practiced to do everything himself...

I DO NOT CARE if he can beat a magic beast on his own! Right now he is not a hunter! Furthermore, it appeared that the two had been having classes together for three years. For Peony to still act like he did with the charades game got on my nerves in an instant. This is the behavior of someone that ends up charging in away from their pride.

The last one is a different sort of trouble. He's practically a former criminal. A tracker from the black market that gained his title from displaying a good code of honor. He's still one of those that do not communicate as much as he should. Other than his previous occupation he doesn't stick out too much.

Either way. I placed these nails next to the ones that usually cover for them. Vitis, Arven and Spence have been... quite kind to these guys, but even they need time to relax. Being ignored, refused or told off gets exhausting. Either the two worst nails get their game together and finally realize they need to calm down when their friends start getting enough, or there will be sparks flying.

As for me, I intend to take care of Darius' little sneaking habit whenever the opportunity reveals itself.

The mess of a squad aside, the swamplands are horrible. There's too much mushy ground and the roots of the trees down the hill are actually submerged in water! This. Is. Wrong. On so many levels. The smell isn't like your post-rainstorm kind of smell, but like rot and dull water forcing its way into your nose. It's nauseating.

—-*—-

Sleep that night was... already difficult because of the smell coming from the swamp nearby, so when the night guards woke me up nervously it didn't take much for me.

The southern sky glowed bright gold and orange like a sunrise. It was off... but what had truly alarmed the guards wasn't just that. Judging by the position of the moon in the sky it was still in the middle of the night. It was around two in the morning. It wasn't time for morning.

The rest of the camp began to wake... this direction was from our southern border. Judging by the distance, and from the approximate location indicated by the maps... this was probably the largest harbor in this area... and it was ablaze enough to show this far away...

Helena ran up to me with wild eyes.

"What is happening?"

I simply stared at her quietly and then looked back south.

"House Salender. Gilbert is blessed by a greater fire fairy, so the early 'sunrise' is probably his fault."

Merely a few moments later a swirl of flames reaches towards the sky, forming a thin tornado of flames...

Helena falls back to the ground as she watches in terror.

Still, why the harbor? Headal would have had to cross the swamplands either way. Using the harbor would not be beneficial... in that case... Crinia?

"Helena. Was their something with Gilbert and the royal family of Crinia in the game?" I wanted to confirm whether or not her extended knowledge would give any hints.

She shakes her head and looks around for anyone who could hear the conversation.

"There was nothing like that in the game... the Crinia tyrant king was defeated in the after-script," she explains nervously. She realizes the problem with Crinia attacking us.

"The tyrant king is already dead. He died after visiting house Salender. His family might be trying to take revenge."

It made sense this far. For now the young and still immature daughter had taken over. Still... the after-script. I honestly didn't read further in the epilogue than the little declaration of her harem. Since she didn't end up with any of them I felt like it had been a waste of time to read about all pointlessly sweet romances.

"...the daughter was known to hate her father enough to attempt to kill him repeatedly... she was as much of tyrant as her father. She was a side villain for Alstair's route where she tired to drug him..."

I pause a moment at that.

"She was supposed to be at the academy?"

There had been no sign of the Crinian princess at all, and yet Helena nodded. So we were back to just resources and taking advantage of Headal's attack... and the north's alliance...

...we were going to be attacked on all sides... but was it really just because of the resources? No, Crinia likely has a specific grudge against house Salender. They've probably been poisoned by house Salender a lot.

There was just one little thing bothering me.

"You said their king was defeated? So they did attack?"

Helena shook her head.

"No, uhm, after Claire gets the Alstair or harem ending the surrounding countries are punished for their deeds. The tyrant king of Crinia, the aggressive Headal, the sneaky Zocrians that took Celeste castle and Semor that caused the internal fights between the three northern marquesses." She spent a few moments summarizing the struggles... but still, something felt wrong.

Ristaze was not an aggressive kingdom. There was no aggressive moves for centuries, not even after our four neighbors gave up on their attack and retreated. Aggressive warfare like what would be needed for a conquest like that was... unlike our politics.

"How did we win? One against four are bad odds."

Helena looked hesitant, but spoke out words that sent me further into the depths of confusion.

"Claire learned mass healing spells from Soleil."

The Listere family's secret spells... spells that they themselves could not use because all their children blessed by light faeries died shortly after awakening. Spells that none outside their family should learn... why would Claire have learned that if she didn't marry into the Listere family?

A chill ran down my spine.

It was probably Gilbert.

Still, to think the epilogue of that sickingly sweet romance book was conquest... what kind of idiot ends- no... defeating the last boss and living happily ever after is indeed a 'happy ending'.

—-*—-

Gilbert Salender's Point Of View

I gaze up at the night sky glowing with flames. The smell of burning flesh permeates the air, and the screams have died down.

The foolish Crinians apparently forgot why they always took the heaviest losses in the Great War.

I gaze back down at the beach below us and shield my eyes from the glow of the liquified sand. The sand here is kept quite pure so that it melts when we use explosive fire, or large area fire magic like the fire tornado I used just now.

Did you ever wonder why the house with fire magic happens to guard the ocean side? I've but one answer.

Water on an oil fire.

We do keep other mages around. Earth mages for maintaining the cliffs, and the 'safe-line'. A blessed underground wall that reaches from one end of the coast to the other. Everything beyond the safe-line is left to be used as melted glass, falling rocks or insecure platforms for the enemy to fall from.

We do keep a few water blessed mages around as well to pull off the oil explosion before the fires get extinguished.

"Salender-sama. Another one bit off their tongue."

I hum slowly.

"That leaves us with no prisoners, does it not?"

The knight looks uncomfortable for a little while.

"...all the prisoners have indeed committed suicide."

This is a problem. Helena knowing about our job is a problem, but it appears that the high ranking people in Crinia know too much for their own good... and they aren't hiding it from the soldiers or the knights. This could end up being quite a problem.

As if I didn't have enough problems in diverting Alstair's attention from 'Augustus'.

I grab lift the pendant from under my shirt and open it, looking solemnly at Ellie's portrait. This is information Crinia shouldn't have access to.

I look back to the knight, who stands ready for my orders.

"Check the border to Headal. It looks like their cooperation is rather close."