────Arunoma. You'll come to see me again, right?
The young girl said, pulling on the young man's hand.
────Yes, I promise. I will definitely come to make you smile.
The young man replied, gently gripping the girl's hand in return.
────Okay, I believe you. I'll wait for you.
***
Arunoma Diskens, the star actor from Flamel, made a promise in a rural village in Austin.
He promised to once again perform a wonderful play in front of the young girl.
The girl had lost her parents, been taken in by a merchant, and lived like a slave.
Her eyes were devoid of light or hope, as if she were a living doll.
Such orphans were not uncommon in those times.
"I want you to see it from the best seat."
Arunoma convinced his companions to put on a performance just for the girl.
It was a story about a shabby slave who grows up, becomes successful, and turns into a wealthy man.
The invited girl was captivated and became enthusiastic about the play.
"You still have infinite possibilities."
"Yes…"
Theater has the power to move people's hearts.
Even if it's a fantastical dream, it can give hope to someone.
From the next day, the girl became visibly more energetic.
She started to tackle the tasks assigned by the merchant with renewed vigor.
For Arunoma, the performance in that small village was a "great success."
Because the girl began walking towards dreams and hope on her own.
After bidding farewell to the now vibrant girl, Arunoma continued traveling around Austin to perform.
To give hope to children in despair like the girl.
He believed that this was the mission of the stage actor Arunoma.
Arunoma had no doubt that he was the "protagonist" of the world.
He thought that as long as he acted in a way befitting a protagonist, everything would go well.
Arunoma energetically acted for the benefit of others.
This was his ideal image of a protagonist.
***
After performing in Austin for about a year, Arunoma and his troupe were set to return to Flamel.
True to his promise, Arunoma came back to the rural village where the girl lived.
"Hmm? It's dangerous to go further."
However…
"What do you mean dangerous?"
"The Sabbatian Army attacked. The village ahead was pillaged and there are no survivors."
The villagers had been brutally slaughtered by the Sabbatian Army during the Sylph Offensive.
…Arunoma was unable to fulfill his promise to the girl.
He couldn't even visit her grave or pay his respects.
At that time, Austin was plagued by the Sabbatian Army's rampages everywhere.
Arunoma and his troupe were forced to hurriedly flee back to their homeland, Flamel.
All the while, he continued to doubt if this was truly the behavior befitting a "protagonist."
***
────Why is a child like you a soldier?
After finishing his final performance in the capital, Winn,
Arunoma asked a young female soldier in the audience.
────If my presence can help someone, isn't that wonderful?
The expressionless young soldier replied to Arunoma.
────Aren't you afraid of participating in the war?
When Arunoma pressed further, the girl replied with a troubled look on her face.
────I am afraid, but if it can save lives…
The person Arunoma encountered was a young medic girl from the Austin Army.
Arunoma was deeply impressed by her fragile yet strong presence.
The medic said she suppressed her fear and headed to the battlefield in order to save others.
────Ah, this is what I need to do.
Feeling this way, Arunoma volunteered for Austin's military.
It was also an act of atonement for the girl from the destroyed village.
Arunoma served Austin's military with dedication as a subordinate to the young medic girl.
He faced the tyranny of superiors, lost comrades, and encountered danger multiple times.
Yet, each time, he overcame these challenges as if guided by fate.
He intended to bring victory to Austin alongside the young medic as a "protagonist."
***
"Second Class Medic Arunoma. You are suspected of being a spy."
"W-What? Why all of the sudden?"
But fate once again turned on Arunoma.
Following Flamel's declaration of war, he was detained on suspicion of being a spy.
"Tell me the truth. How do you send information to Flamel?!"
"I'm not a spy! I have no contact with my home country!"
"Don't lie!"
He was accused of crimes he didn't commit and subjected to severe torture.
Arunoma endured it, believing that as a "protagonist," he must suffer such trials.
Even when the young medic girl tried to help him escape, he refused.
He believed that the suspicion of being a spy would eventually clear up.
As a result…
────You want to meet your platoon leader?
The young medic girl who had been by his side…
────She's dead. I used her as a decoy to save the supplies.
Because of him, she was killed by Austin's army.
***
Arunoma was released with a small amount of travel money.
Crushed and despondent, Arunoma returned to his hometown.
The Austin Army he had served turned out to be the kind of army that used a young girl as a decoy.
Or perhaps the young medic girl had been made a decoy because her attempt to help Arunoma escape had been discovered.
If so, it was Arunoma who killed her.
Such speculation tore at Arunoma's heart.
***
After returning to Flamel, Arunoma retired to a rural village in his homeland.
He built a house using the wealth he had earned as an actor and regularly performed at a small theater to make a living.
Arunoma had grown weary of war.
Therefore, he had no intention of joining the Flamer Army.
────I am not the protagonist.
────I should stop being so arrogant.
Such resignation smoldered in his heart.
Having given up on being a protagonist, Arunoma began a recluse life in the countryside of Flamel.
However, the flames of war crept back toward him.
The invasion operation known as the Bern Offensive was carried out, and villages leading to the capital were burned and looted one after another.
The route of the Austin Army included the village Arunoma was staying in.
…He was once again forced to confront the war.
"I know their methods well!"
Most of the rural villagers were poor.
Those who could afford it evacuated to the capital, but for most villagers, their fields were their lifeline.
Thus, the villagers armed themselves and tried to resist the Austin Army.
"Rally under me, brave warriors of Flamel! Together, we will defeat the demons of Austin!"
However, even if small forces band together, they will simply be defeated one by one.
Thinking this, Arunoma gave the order to the villages around the capital and organized a large volunteer army.
He had the directing skills he'd acquired through theatre and knowledge of trench warfare he had learned about in the Austin Army.
To the people, Arunoma must have seemed like a savior.
As more and more volunteers gathered under him, the Arunoma Volunteer Army was formed.
He wanted to at least strike back at the horrible thing called war.
"Arunoma, the men from Wect Village have joined us. They want to fight together."
"Thank you, I will welcome them. We need to extend the trenches further."
But Arunoma had only worked as a medic in Austin.
He had only passed on what he had seen about trenches and had no knowledge of detailed strategic command.
"They're here! The Austin Army!"
"W-What a number."
Seeing the large Austin Army advancing, Arunoma was terrified.
The total number of volunteers Arunoma had gathered was only a few thousand.
The Austin Army in front of them seemed to have a strength that was more than ten times greater.
"Can we really win against such a large army?"
"…"
Unbeknownst to himself, Arunoma was once again acting as the "protagonist."
And he was about to drag many villagers into a reckless battle that had no chance of winning.
If Arunoma were a true "protagonist," he would have boasted confidently about driving back the Austin army.
However, he had already lost confidence and despaired, believing that he could never perform such a miracle.
────Arunoma, you are truly lucky. Be grateful for your good fortune that you are speaking to me on this day, at this very moment.
However, just before the Volunteer Army was crushed, a female officer appeared in Arunoma's tent.
With fairy-like white skin and eyes brimming with blazing confidence,
The hero met the "Genius Tactician" Sylph Nova, who would shake history.
"Will the enemy really move as you say?"
"Yes. If I'm wrong, you can chop off my head and display my body anywhere you like."
"Okay, I'll believe in you."
"A wise decision."
Arunoma considered his encounter with her to be fate.
He intuitively realized that he should trust Sylph.
"You have won, Arunoma Diskens."
Following that intuition, he entrusted the command of the militia to her.
As a result, the Austin Army laid many corpses before the trenches constructed by Arunoma and his men.
The Arunoma Volunteer Army achieved a great victory by single-handedly driving back Austin's main force.
***
"Ah! Seriously! This country is full of idiots too!!"
"Please calm down, Sylph."
Sylph, surprisingly, was a rather hysterical woman.
Even as Arunoma and the others celebrated their victory with drinks, she was yelling into the communication device.
"Why are you angry, Advisor? Isn't tonight the victory feast?"
"Yes, you all can make as much noise and rejoice as you like. From here on, it's the job of the regular Flamer Army."
"What do you mean?"
"We've only driven back the Austin army without inflicting any significant damage. That's why we need to pursue them and crush them completely, but… Why isn't the military of this country moving?"
"Gah!"
Sylph Nova exclaimed, her face bright red in anger.
When Arunoma first met her, he thought she had a mysterious air about her, but she turned out to be quite emotional.
"Please stay calm, Advisor. I hear that reinforcements for Aerys' will be arriving soon. We have the advantage in terms of military strength. It's enough that we were able to hold this place."
"What value is there in an Aerys Army that's merely made up of numbers like that… No, wait a minute…"
Arunoma, unable to bear the tense atmosphere, went to gently calm Sylph down.
Upon hearing his words, she widened her eyes and jumped up with excitement.
"Arunoma, you've said something very good!"
"R-Really?"
"That's right. There are 20,000 idle soldiers in Aerys' army. We should let them pursue the enemy. That's right, Elijah, give me the map. The map…"
"Here it is."
"Alright, wait a moment, mmm, mmm, mmm."
Watching Sylph's many expressions, Arunoma smiled wryly.
Sylph looked like an adult on the outside, but inside, she was just like a young girl.
"The current location of Aerys' forces is probably around here. If we change course and launch a surprise attack, we can defeat the Austin Army!"
"…Sylph-sama, given this terrain, if they take position at Argalia—"
"That's exactly right, Elijah! The surprise attack will be thwarted if they take position up in Argalia. That's why I wanted Flamer's main force to move."
"I-I see."
"As expected of my adjutant, you have an excellent strategic eye."
Sylph praised Elijah, the female soldier, with a bit of grumbling.
Elijah blushed in embarrassment.
"But rest assured. The Austin Army will most likely not take position at Argalia."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because they don't have enough troops. They can only defend either Engei or Argalia."
"Is there a chance they will choose to defend Argalia?"
"They only have 'old-fashioned' commanders. They're the ones who kept demoting Bern Valou for so long; they wouldn't choose to abandon Engei."
Sylph spoke with unwavering certainty as if she had witnessed the meetings in Austin.
"The only outstanding ones among them are Bern Valou and that detestable woman. The rest are just wooden puppets."
The genius tactician Sylph Nova.
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke with confidence.
"I'm almost certain that the surprise attack will succeed. If we're lucky, they might not even think of sending troops to Argalia."
"If Sylph-sama says so, it must be true."
"Truly, how pathetic they are. I curse the incompetence of my own country for being defeated by such people."
Sylph laughed heartily and opened a precious bottle of Vok.
The Sabbatian people are known to drink alcohol even during casual conversations.
"By the way, Advisor, who is this detestable woman you mentioned earlier?"
"…Don't ask about that, Arunoma. Just thinking about her face makes my skin crawl."
"S-Sorry."
When Arunoma casually asked about the "detestable woman," Sylph Nova glared at him with an expression that could only be described as monstrous.
It was a look that conveyed disgust beyond what one might feel upon seeing someone fall into a sewer.
"…I cannot and will not forgive her. She is my nemesis. An ace-level enemy, one to be feared most."
"Really?
"However, she is a frontline commander. She probably won't get involved with their General Staff."
Sylph spat out these words and received a paper from her adjutant, Elijah.
Then, while sipping Vok, she began to write an operation plan.
It seemed to be in the language of Aeris, not Flamer.
"Can you write in Aeris, Advisor?"
"You can't be a staff officer if you can't do that much. I'll take care of the rest, so you go and have fun with your comrades."
"A-Ah, yeah."
"We will put an end to Austin with this surprise attack by Aerys. There is no more need for your militia."
Sylph enthusiastically ran her pen over the documents with the thought of, "We can win with this."
Arunoma saw her actions as a "foreshadowing of failure" in theater terms.
"Advisor? I'm a bit curious…"
"What is it?"
"Can we just change the course of Aerys' army on our own accord?"
"Of course we can. This will decide the outcome of the war. No one will complain if the results are good."
Arunoma subtly raised this concern, but Sylph Nova did not listen.
She continued to write briskly while exhaling the smell of Vok wine.
"Besides, I'm not giving 'orders' to the commanders of Aerys' Army. I'm just providing information and a good plan."
"I see."
"Whether they choose to act on it is up to them. Well, no commander would miss such a chance for such a great victory!"
Sylph was in high spirits.
"If my plan fails, I'll dance naked or do whatever! Hahaha!"
"…"
She declared this and further reinforced the foreshadowing of failure.
***
"Report. It seems the Aerys Army that went for the surprise attack was repelled by the Austinites defending Argalia!"
"…"
A few days later, as expected…
The report of the Aerys Army's defeat arrived at the Arunoma Volunteer Army.
"…Advisor?"
"Wh-What are the results of the battle?"
It seems that Austin's forces had anticipated her surprise attack and had set up defensive positions at Argalia.
Sylph's face went pale as she listened to the messenger's report.
"The estimated defensive force of the Austin Army is 10,000 men. Although the Aerys Army suffered only minor casualties, the enemy has fortified their defenses, making a breakthrough difficult."
"Don't be ridiculous! They can't maintain Engei with that number mobilized, right!? Maybe a spy is leaking information!?"
After hearing the report, Sylph clutched her head in frustration.
Her adjutant Elijah could only watch anxiously.
"The Aerys Army has halted their advance for resupply. It seems they plan to resume their march towards Engei next month."
"They will have reorganized by next month… Ugh, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
This meant that Flamel had lost a great chance to strike a heavy blow against the Austin Army.
Arunoma didn't understand much about military affairs, but he realized that this had been a serious failure from Sylph's attitude.
"This is all the fault of the Flamel Army! To have commanders who can't seize the opportunity are defending the capital—how pathetic!"
"P-Please calm down, Sylph-sama. Arunoma is watching."
"But!!"
Afterward, as if taking out her anger, Sylph became angry at the Flamer Army who were only guarding the capital.
When Elijah managed to calm her down, Sylph took a deep breath to steady herself.
"…Yes, that's right. I misread the enemy's movements as well. I can't blame Flamel alone."
"Have you calmed down, Sylph-sama?"
"But I don't understand. It's just so baffling. Even so, would they really risk retaking Engei by sending 10,000 men to Argalia?"
Sylph fell silent for a while.
Then, with a deeply pained voice, she muttered:
"Ah, war really doesn't go as planned. The end of the war feels even further away now."
And with that, she fell silent.
***
"Arunoma, I need your strength."
Soon after, Sylph was summoned to the front line near the border.
She was to be interrogated about the request made for reinforcements from Aerys.
"I am an officer in the Sabbatian Army, and I have no ties to you."
"…"
"But I am the one who knows best how to defeat Austin."
However, Sylph Nova didn't go alone and bowed her head to Arunoma.
"I need results. Results to get Flamel to agree to our demands."
"What are these demands?"
"The establishment of a Sabbath Federation Provisional Government. This is surely something that would be beneficial for Flamel as well."
To be honest, Arunoma hated the Sabbatians.
He had heard that it was the Sabbatian Army that had killed the girl from that village in Austin.
"I'll declare it now. The 'Workers' Council' that governs my homeland will dissolve within a few years. When that happens, the Sabbath will perish without a proper governing body."
"…"
"I want to protect my homeland. …I want to save the Sabbatian people who are being deceived by a conman and are only living in a dream."
Sylph Nova, showing a side of desperation, bowed her head and pleaded with Arunoma.
Despite her immense pride, she earnestly begged him.
"Please form a joint army with the remnants of the Sabbatian Army. It's fine if your name remains as the banner."
"Are you saying I will be the leader?"
"Yes. As long as the name Sabbath is included in the army's name."
Arunoma was struck by Sylph's sincere attitude.
If the Austin Army is left alone, his homeland, Flamer, may be destroyed.
And Sylph Nova was undoubtedly a capable strategist.
"If I were to accept your request, what would I have to do?"
"Just continue to be yourself. As someone who gathers and commands the people, perform the 'act' of a hero."
"So you want me to 'act?'"
"Yeah. Play the hero of Flamel."
After a moment's hesitation, Arunoma took Sylph's hand.
This is because he felt that this was what Arunoma, the "protagonist," should do.
"I understand. I'll be counting on you, Advisor."
"Leave it to me."
After shaking hands, Sylph cheerfully said:
"I will make you a real 'hero.'"
And so, the Arunoma Volunteer Army joined forces with the remnants of the former Sabbatian army.
The volunteers who gathered were captivated by Arunoma's charisma, and more than 80% of them ended up following him to the front lines.
"You guys will no longer be a volunteer army, but will be treated as a formal Flamer-Sabbatian Allied Army."
They were able to receive assistance from the Alliance in terms of supplies along the way.
For Flamel, a useful unit suddenly emerged from within the country.
Thanks to Sylph's influence, the support was generous.
"We have already achieved significant results. We will likely receive substantial wages as well."
Thus, the Arunoma Volunteer Army, as a "heroic unit," marched towards the border in a semi-triumphant return.
Their arrival was greeted with cheers.
"Now, let's show Austin hell."
***
Around the same time…
"Huh?"
"What's this?"
A newspaper issued in Austin was delivered to the Allied forces.
"Why are they spreading such nonsense? What is Austin thinking?"
"Hahaha, it's ridiculous how bad they are at lying."
By the time Sylph arrived at the front line, the newspaper was being treated almost as a joke.
The Aerys soldiers were especially eager to laugh it off.
"…150 soldiers holed up in Argalia? What an absurd exaggeration."
"The people who published this newspaper probably don't understand military affairs. If they had any military experience, they would come up with a more realistic number."
But Sylph Nova…
She looked up to the sky and collapsed the moment she saw the Austin newspaper.
"S-Sylph-sama?"
"Ah, I see."
The genius girl emitted a voice that was a mix of crying and laughing.
She spread out the newspaper with a grim expression and muttered in a trembling voice filled with resentment.
"So you were there…"
It was featured prominently in the newspaper.
The name of Second Lieutenant Touri Lowe [Lucky Carry] was written.