Chapter 39

The soldiers descended the winding and twisted path, which resembled the scribbles of a child. The gently sloping, mortar-shaped terrain was evidence of long years of traffic. Such a mountain path was being traversed by a sparse column of troops.

"Quite a mess, isn't it? It's not just the uneven physical strength; they haven't even completed basic training."

Deborah scratched her head as if trying to cover her embarrassment, like a woman whose untidy room had been seen by a man. Worm defended the poor instructor.

"Having training at all is more civilized than in Haiselk."

"What, are you trying to comfort me?"

"I wish I could, but it's the truth."

OJT sounds good, but it means training inexperienced farmers in combat by having them experience it firsthand. The brutal guidance from veterans transforms the untrained into soldiers in a short time. Moreover, the recruitment requirements of the broad-minded Haiselk Imperial Army don't require a resume or an interview. All that's needed is a healthy body and a willingness to risk one's life. What a wonderful organization and workplace.

"The reinforcement of the imperial knights is reassuring."

"I'm glad it's you, someone I know well. Otherwise, I might have been wandering the streets."

Worm had seen Ayane off as she headed to the field hospital set up at the front line, but he was faced with the problem of his assigned unit. A versatile cannon is desired by everyone, but Worm was, after all, a member of the Haiselk Imperial Army. Moreover, integrating him into the Myard Principality's forces, who feared friendly fire due to his skill, was difficult. The Justus Brigade, which had many former Haiselk Imperial soldiers, was in the midst of a delaying tactic on the front line.

With no clear assignment, the idea of being kept on standby as a fire brigade was seriously considered. The one who raised his hand was Deborah's training company. They were in a gray area between regular soldiers and mobilized militiamen. If the rulers' true intentions were revealed, it was clear that they were expected to have a certain level of training and were expendable. Such thoughts were likely behind the decision.

"Wow, if a knight is wandering the streets, the world must be in a sorry state."

Amidst the banter, Worm was called out from behind in a friendly manner.

"Worm, you and your wife seem to be quite close."

He turned awkwardly, like a rusty doll. There stood Yorgim, Deborah's husband. Despite his usual gentle expression, his eyes showed no trace of a smile.

"You're being silly, male jealousy is unbecoming."

"Haha, what are you talking about?"

"Don't try to hide it."

The sturdy instructor's forearm wrapped around Yorgim. What were the commander and assistant of the training company doing during the march? Worm felt a terrible heartburn as he was being shown this. At the same time, he realized that this was a kind of mental switch for soldiers. The better ones were skilled at it. They could be gentle with horses and livestock, and a moment later, they would be gently stirring the entrails of enemy soldiers with their spears. When he asked for help from his son, Moys did not even look back, perhaps responding to his parents' affectionate body language. Worm quickened his pace to keep up.

"Is it good to have a family reunion?"

"Ah, yes, for now... I'll hold off."

It was a roundabout complaint. It was understandable that he felt awkward. However, Worm couldn't shake off a sense of unease at his hesitant response. Moys had shown a resilience that rivaled his parents in Dandueg. He shouldn't be as tense as a new recruit. Moreover, Deborah had told him that Moys had participated in the battle of Eidenberg.

At that time, the defeat in the decisive battle had turned the area around the fallen capital into a slaughterhouse for the Myard soldiers. Moys had survived that hellish battlefield, returned home without being captured, and even compared to that, the current situation was better. There were a few options available, though not many.

"It's great that you have such independence."

Worm playfully tapped Moys on the shoulder with the handle of his halberd. Idleness erodes the mind, and the gesture of an imperial knight was essentially no different from a boy waving a stick.

"That's quite impressive... I see."

"Is that the Orzlica Pass?"

At the end of the curve that followed the mountains, the training company's post was located.

"One of the six passes of the Zerebes Mountains. On the way back from Reven, we passed through the Kagatsu Pass, which also used the ridge."

"This is a fortified pass created by cutting through multiple ridges."

The road cut through the ridge served as a kind of earthwork, and if one tried to force their way through, they would be shot down from the high ground on both sides. It was a simple but strong defensive structure.

"So this is the forward base. If combined with the rear fort, it could even hold back a large army."

The preparations made by the ancestors who opened the six passes of Zerebes for land routes were incredibly persistent and obsessive. With such strong defensive positions, more resources could be devoted to naval ports and fleets. There was also a sense of pride in not losing on the water. From a purely military perspective, it was far more solid than Eidenberg, and it was understandable why the military god Gerald Berger had left it behind.

"During the great rampage, the forward base was breached, but the rear fort held the line."

"I like deep defenses. However, having a fallback can lead to a gradual retreat, which is a problem."

The end-stage war, with repeated orders to hold the line, was something he never wanted to experience again. Still, once a habit of retreating is formed, it's hard to break. To prevent the unit from retreating again, the commander's mind and the officer's nerves needed to be switched.

"By the way—"

Talking about battles before even seeing the enemy. He was quite poisoned by the battlefield. Worm decided to learn from the couple behind him. Of course, he had no interest in hugging shoulders with their son for no reason.

"The six passes of Zerebes are the Orzlica Pass, Kagatsu Pass, Kokuro Pass, Garah Cape—what were the others?"

Seeking help, Worm turned to Moys. Moys happily provided the answer to the troubled imperial knight.

"Tarumakane and Asarina Pass."

"You remember well, Tarumakane and Asarina. You should memorize the key points of your allies."

"I'll be staying in Selta for a while. And Mother... I mean, the instructor, made us run all six passes during the training march."

A march in preparation for emergencies was essential for quickly deploying a unit to its destination. The Myard army seemed to have repeated practical drills. Worm was impressed, but his interest was drawn to Moys' slip of the tongue. With a wicked smile, Worm pursued the mistake in silence, and Moys surrendered completely.

"Guardian, please, keep it a secret from the instructor and the assistant..."

"What, exactly?"

A touch that was almost a rejection. Moys distorted his face as if he had lost all hope in the world. Too much teasing could drive him to madness. Even an imperial knight would fear the retribution of the couple behind him.

"Just a joke, I'll keep it in mind."

"I'm relieved. Being chased all night, or having my face and buttocks swell from sparring... I'd rather not."

To an outsider, it might sound like a funny story, but it was that couple. Especially Deborah's strikes could literally blow a person away. An ordinary soldier would beg for mercy with tears. Worm's recent memory of being beaten up in a mock battle and being sent to the field hospital by Ayane was still fresh.

"Indeed, those punches are no joke."

"Heh, can even a guardian take it?"

The unexpected empathy sparked a lively conversation. Thinking about it, Worm had never had a one-on-one conversation with Moys during their long association. They had no shortage of topics. The casual conversation continued uninterrupted until they reached the forward base.