THERE ARE FOUR MILITARY HEADQUARTERS IN PHARNAS.
THE CENTRAL COMMAND, LOCATED BESIDE THE CAPITAL, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
Pharnas
THE OTHERS ARE IN THE EAST, WEST, AND SOUTH.
TO THE NORTH LIE THE TWIN PEAKS OF MOUNT NORMAN, MAKING IT UNNECESSARY TO MAINTAIN A WATCH IN THAT DIRECTION.
NATURALLY, NO HEADQUARTERS WAS ESTABLISHED THERE.
HOWEVER, BENEATH THAT MOUNTAIN,
THERE EXISTS A SQUADRON SO SMALL IT'S ALMOST EMBARRASSING TO EVEN REFER TO IT AS SUCH.
IT'S THE CAPTAIN!
THAT MOUNTAIN SERVES AS THE HOME...
...FOR THE 12 SOLDIERS OF THE 8TH LAPI SQUADRON.
Episode 24
YOU'RE BACK, CAPTAIN.
NAPARI
WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE SQUADRON?
ALL PERSONNEL ACCOUNTED FOR, EXCEPT FOR THE TWO OUT ON ASSIGNMENT.
GOOD. EVERYONE'S BEEN WORKING HARD ON RECON LATELY.
ARE YOU STAYING HERE TONIGHT?
NO, I JUST STOPPED BY BRIEFLY. HER MAJESTY IS ALONE, SO I SHOULD RETURN TO CENTRAL COMMAND.
WHEN WILL YOU RETURN TO RECON DUTY?
EVER SINCE YOU WERE ASSIGNED TO GUARD HER MAJESTY, YOU HARDLY COME HERE ANYMORE.
YOUR FEATHERS ARE A MESS, TOO.
YOU'D BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IF YOU SLEPT AWAY FROM THE COOLING STONES FOR ONCE.
CAPTAIN! YOU'RE BACK!
THAT WON'T BE POSSIBLE FOR THE TIME BEING. YOU HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH DUKE WHEATON, RIGHT?
HE CAN'T POSSIBLY HARBOR ANY GOODWILL TOWARD HER MAJESTY.
SEND OUR SHARPEST SCOUTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON HIM.
YES, CAPTAIN.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?
IT'S JUST THAT YOU SEEM QUITE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
TO BE HONEST, THE ONLY TIME YOU AREN'T HALF-HEARTED ABOUT THINGS IS WHEN IT HAS TO DO WITH THE COMMANDER.
NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK
HER MAJESTY JUST HAPPENED TO LIVE IN PHOMNOS FOR A WHILE, SO I'M JUST A LITTLE MORE ATTENTIVE, THAT'S ALL.
WHAT? PHOMNOS?!
AND IT WASN'T FOR A TRIP OR FOR WORK?
SHE LIVED THERE FOR OVER TWO YEARS, AND SHE WAS EVEN WELL ACQUAINTED WITH MY MOTHER.
WOW... IT'S ALREADY UNCOMMON FOR A HUMAN TO LIVE IN THE NORTH,
AND FOR HER TO HAVE BEEN IN YOUR OWN HOMETOWN, OF ALL PLACES...
COULD THIS BE...
...FATE?
WHAT? WHY ARE YOU BRINGING THAT UP WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A HUMAN?
WHY NOT? YOU SAID BEFORE THAT YOUR DESTINY WOULD LIE SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE NORTH.
FINDING SOMEONE WITH THIS MUCH IN COMMON SEEMS PRETTY RARE.
WORRY ABOUT YOUR OWN DESTINY RATHER THAN SOMEONE ELSE'S.
WAIT UP, CAPTAIN!
CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN!!!
WAR WAS BROKEN OUT!
THE MAIN FORCES OF DAUPHINE AND ANTEVASILLA HAVE ENGAGED IN BATTLE ON THE FEL PLAINS!
AH... SO IT'S BEGUN.
I HAD A FEELING THINGS WOULD SLOWLY BE SET INTO MOTION.
RUSHED TO REPORT NEWS OF THE WAR
YOU'RE ALWAYS SO CALM, YOUR MAJESTY.
I'LL STRIVE EVEN HARDER TO LEARN THAT KIND OF COMPOSURE.
HEY, WHY ARE YOU MOCKING ME AGAIN?
THEY GATHERED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TROOPS, AND SINCE THEY CAN'T JUST KEEP WASTING RESOURCES FOREVER, I FIGURED IT WAS ABOUT TIME.
BUT... HMM...
YOU SAID DAUPHINE LAUNCHED THE FIRST ATTACK, RIGHT?
YES.
THEN THEY'LL WIN.
WHILE THEY'RE BUSY AT BATTLE, PERHAPS WE SHOULD START PREPARING OUR DEFENSES AS WELL...
IS THERE A REASON YOU'RE SO SURE THEY'LL WIN?
WELL, YES.
IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE.
...? WHY DID SHE STOP MID-EXPLANATION?
DAUPHINE HAS FEWER TROOPS, THEIR WEAPONS AREN'T SUPERIOR, AND THEY LACK ANY GEOGRAPHICAL ADVANTAGE.
WHY ARE YOU CERTAIN THEY'LL WIN?
LYCANS ARE FAST AND CAN SEE WELL IN THE DARK.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE OFTEN USED IN SURPRISE ATTACKS.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE LYCAN SLAVES THAT WERE SENT TO DAUPHINE BY THE EMPIRE?
DON'T TELL ME THEY USED THEM TO CUT OFF ANTEVASILLA'S SUPPLY LINES.
WELL...
THAT'S...
ATTACKING SUPPLY LINES IS A BASIC PRINCIPLE OF WARFARE.
STILL, THE FEL PLAINS ARE WIDE OPEN WITH NOWHERE TO HIDE.
IF THEY TRIED TO BLOCK THE CANYON USED FOR SUPPLIES...
ANTEVASILLA HAD ALREADY SECURED THE HIGH GROUND, SO ANY ATTACKERS WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TARGETS FOR ARROWS.
BUT WHAT IF THEIR ENEMIES WERE LYCANS?
IN WAR,
THE SIDE THAT ENDURES THE LONGEST USUALLY WINS.
IT ALL MAKES SENSE...
THE EMPIRE SECRETLY SUPPORTING DAUPHINE,
SENDING LYCANS INSTEAD OF HUMAN SOLDIERS TO WAR,
AND EVEN THE TIMING OF STARTING THE STANDOFF AFTER THE HARVEST, THEN LAUNCHING THE OFFENSIVE BEFORE SPRING...
SEE? IT'S SIMPLE.
I THOUGHT I WAS A PRETTY GOOD STRATEGIST AND TACTICIAN, BUT...
WHAT GOES ON IN HER HEAD?
HOW LONG...
...HAVE YOU KNOWN THIS?
IT'S JUST A HUNCH I CAME TO AFTER THINKING THINGS OVER.
YOU'RE BORING HOLES INTO ME WITH THAT STARE... SWEAT
THE REAL GENIUS WOULD BE THE ONE WHO DEVISED THE STRATEGY.
THE ONE BEHIND IT ALL...
...IS DEFINITELY...
...PRINCE ALEC.
ANYWAY, WE SHOULD PROBABLY PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE BORDER FOR A WHILE,
THOUGH IT'D BE NICE IF THOSE TWO COUNTRIES JUST KEPT FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
BY THE WAY...
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS WHOLE TIME?
OH, THIS?
SEE, IF YOU FOLD THE BOTTOM LIKE THIS...
THEN GLUE THE PIECES TO THIS PART HERE...
IT BECOMES A POP-UP PICTURE!
HERE, THIS IS FOR YOU.
IT'S A GIFT.
This chapter introduces the military structure of Pharnas and welcomes the Captain returning to the 8th Lapi Squadron, a 12-man unit at the foot of Mount Norman. Tasked with protecting His Majesty, the Captain orders Duke Wheaton to be watched and jokes with his soldiers about their Phomnos past. Then news arrives that Dauphine and Antevavilla have clashed in battle on the Fel Plain. With a calm analysis, His Majesty says Dauphine will win thanks to the Lycans and that Prince Alec is behind it.
