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However, I was human, and as such, a participant in this struggle for survival. Even within the scenery abundant with nature, if you paid attention, you could see traces of war. What floated here and there on the sea were precisely that. Off a certain coastline, several ships with furled sails were anchored. On the coastline was a small fishing village named Gjallarhorn. As expected, the Crusaders were using it.

It was a truly small fishing village, with only a few piers jutting slightly into the sandy beach. Even so, it was better than having nothing, as there was a road, and the houses could be used as temporary storage. The piers in the village were apparently too short, so the Crusaders seemed to have extended several floating piers. A floating pier was made by floating empty barrels on the sea and placing planks over them to extend the pier. This allowed small and medium-sized ships to dock directly.

Large ships couldn’t dock directly and seemed to be using boats to transport goods from offshore. Naturally, unloading directly onto the pier without using boats was more efficient. All these ships were moving supplies for the Crusaders. From what I could see, there were about 30 ships. Approaching today’s target while keeping the position of the sun in mind, I noted that the sky was clear. It was a perfect day for bombing.

I lowered the altitude to around 400 meters and positioned myself for the attack. I took a long pole tied to my saddle and untied the string at the end. The long, thin red flag wrapped around it unfurled. I twirled it above my head and pointed it towards the fleet. With the signal given, the first wave descended all at once. There were 40 squads, each consisting of four riders. The descent involved twenty squads.

One after another, they dive-bombed and dropped firebombs onto the ships. Three pre-assigned squads headed towards the fishing village, hurling firebombs at the docked ships and the houses storing supplies. Flames erupted on the decks of several ships and spread through the village. From my position atop the Eagle, I rolled up the red flag and untied the string of the blue flag on the opposite side. Pointing towards the fleet again, I signaled the second wave to descend.

The ships in the fleet were scattered, making communication in the air impossible. Thus, I had instructed the first wave, squads one through seventeen, to target the ships positioned more to the north in sequence. The second wave would similarly target any ships that weren’t yet burning.

Unlike fixed buildings, it was difficult to pre-assign targets for moving ships. To avoid overlapping dive-bomb targets, the second wave was to mop up any ships missed by the first wave. It appeared to have worked almost perfectly, as most of the fleet was ablaze. A few medium-sized ships remained, but that couldn’t be helped. I signaled the returning eagles to head towards Kotlaha.

—

I landed White Sunset in the courtyard of the Boff Household’s main residence in Kotlaha. The other squad members had landed outside Kotlaha. There was no space within Kotlaha to tether 160 eagles, so a temporary camp had been set up outside.

While feeding fish to White Sunset and carefully checking his feathers, I noticed another eagle landing. As soon as it touched the ground, its rider removed the harness and led the eagle towards me.

“Your Excellency Yuri! I have a report–…” (Effie)

This was Effie Ruty, an Eagle rider from the Hou Household.

Among the Kilghina observation team, he was the best Eagle rider next to me. He was three years my senior, with decent grades, but he had extended his graduation to enjoy a bit more moratorium. Unfortunately, war broke out in Kilghina, and he applied to join the observation team, which was unexpectedly accepted.

The observation team’s mission extended longer than anticipated, cutting short his moratorium, so he extended it another year and graduated last year. Being the youngest of three sons, with no prospects of inheriting the family estate, he had joined the Royal Eagle squad for bombing missions.

“The bombardment mission on the enemy positions, well, it failed.” (Effie)

From the way his shoulders were hunched and he looked dejected as he dismounted from his eagle, I had braced myself for bad news.

‘So, it failed, did it?’

Today’s assault was divided in half. One part attacked the fleet, while the other aimed to burn the supply depots on land. It was a large-scale operation involving 320 eagles. Effie wasn’t in charge of the entire operation, but he led an assault squad assigned to the land targets. Most likely, he was tasked with delivering the bad news because of our acquaintance.

“Why? Did you encounter anti-aircraft fire?” (Yuri)

“No, there were no casualties…” (Effie)

‘No casualties?’

“What happened? Tell me.” (Yuri)

‘Did they really bring another dragon?’

“There were nets. Over the supplies.” (Effie)

I was dumbfounded.

‘Nets? I see… that makes sense.’

“Ha, nets…”  (Yuri)

Such a simple tactic, it was almost laughable. Covering the supplies with nets. I hadn’t even considered it.

“At the corners of the supply piles, they erected poles… and from there, nets like those used to catch small fish were draped over them like a roof.” (Effie)

“And the bottles didn’t break at all, is that it?” (Yuri)

‘If the bottles didn’t break, no damage would occur. They would just burn on top of the net, like slightly larger candles knocked over, easily extinguished with water.’

“No, about thirty percent did break. But with so little damage, the second wave was called off, and we returned.” (Effie)

‘Probably, the bottles broke upon hitting each other on the net.’

“I see. Thank you for the report. You may go.” (Yuri)

‘Still, the commander on their side, the one who thought up this tactic, is quite resourceful. Communication while riding Eagles is severely limited. Even if the nets were spotted, there was no way to reorganize the squads mid-air for a more complex maneuver.

This meant that the leader had only two practical choices upon spotting the nets. They are either proceed with the first wave or call it off and return. Deciding to proceed with the first wave was understandable at the time, as the defensive capability of the nets was unknown. It was an achievement to discover their effectiveness. However, the leader should have come to report this personally. They should take responsibility for their decisions and explain to me why they made them.

Even if the mission ended in failure, if they believed in the rationale behind their decision, they should report it confidently. Instead, they chose someone who is on good terms with me to deliver the bad news, trying to avoid displeasure. I don’t appreciate this approach.’

“Thank you, my lord. I will take my leave.” (Effie)

Effie stepped back, mounted his eagle again, and flew off.

—

By the time I returned to Shibyaku, it was almost dusk.

I landed the eagle not at the annex but at the munitions depot on the royal castle island. This depot housed ammunition and firebombs to be used in case of a final stand on the island if the capital fell. It was a sturdy fireproof warehouse, and the entrance gate, large enough for a wagon, was marked with red letters warning against open flames.

As I dismounted, a figure emerged from a small shed-like guard post.

“Welcome, Your Excellency Yuri.” (??)

Once, this place had been managed by an elderly former officer of the First Army, but now it was guarded by a retired veteran from the Hou Household. His advanced age seemed to give him a steady demeanor, and he stood confidently before me.

“I need your help with a small issue. I want to conduct a simple experiment and need a firebomb, some fuse, and a bit of gunpowder.” (Yuri)

“An experiment? Very well, please wait a moment.” (??)

The old soldier, apparently uninterested in prying further, headed towards the fireproof storehouse. It was helpful that he was so straightforward.

I tied White Sunset’s reins to the hitching post and sat on a simple log-cut chair. Shortly, the old soldier returned, carrying the requested items.

“Will this suffice?” (??)

He held a bottle in one hand, with a bundle and a thick cord-like item in the other.

“Thank you.” (Yuri)

I took the items, placed the bottle on the ground, and checked the contents of the bundle. Upon opening the fist-sized package, I found a blackish-gray powder. It was definitely gunpowder. The fuse was about two meters long.

“Sorry, but could I get a piece of scrap paper?” (Yuri)

“Of course, right this way.” (??)

He led me to the guard post.

“If you don’t mind, could you sign in the receipt column there?” (??)

He pointed to a list written on Hou Paper. At the bottom, it mentioned a small amount of gunpowder and some fuse in small letters. It seemed they kept such lists to prevent any illicit transactions. I signed my name in the receipt column on the right.

“Is this alright?” (Yuri)

The old soldier handed me a piece of Hou Paper that looked like a discarded invoice. Numbers and item names were crossed out with a large X.

“Thank you.” (??)

I took the paper and the items, tore the paper into an appropriate size on the desk, placed a finger’s width of gunpowder on it, and rolled it up with the fuse inside. I lightly tapped the gunpowder down, and finally pressed it firmly with my finger to form a slim, cylindrical shape.

Then I realized I was missing a necessary tool.

“Sorry, do you have a corkscrew?” (Yuri)

“Of course.” (??)

The old soldier fetched a corkscrew from a drawer. Firebombs are sealed with corks during storage, so I needed to remove the cork first.

“Thank you.” (Yuri)

I took the corkscrew, twisted it into the cork, and pulled it out.

I inserted the cylindrical gunpowder package, now about the thickness of a ring finger, into the neck of the bottle, submerging it in the liquid inside. I then stuffed the remaining paper around the fuse at the bottle’s neck. With this setup, igniting the fuse would cause the gunpowder inside to explode, and the resulting gas would rupture the bottle. Even if the bottle landed intact on the net, it would actively explode.

‘I had originally thought of creating such a weapon but hesitated to implement it due to the risk of premature explosion. Given the process of igniting, diving, and then releasing the bomb, there would be a brief period during which the explosive would be held. If it detonated while still being held, the Heavenly Knights would be engulfed in flames. However, since we cannot make a device that will explode as soon as it lands on the ground without activating the fuse, we have no choice but to rely on such primitive time-delay devices.

Given that the enemy has devised such countermeasures, there’s nothing we can do about it. Fortunately, since the drop altitude is almost uniform, we should be able to adjust the time until detonation with the fuse.’

“If you’re going to ignite it, I’ll close up the storehouse…”  (??)

“Yeah, that’s right. We won’t do it here, but please close it up just in case.” (Yuri)

The ammunition depot was located near the barracks of the First Army of the Royal Guard. It was a relatively new facility, built under the direction of the late Queen Simonei.

A little further on was the training ground of the Royal Guards. It was one of the few open spaces on Queen Castle’s Island, so it would be a good place for experiments.

“Well then, I’ll head over to the Royal Guards’ training ground for a bit. How are you with taking care of the Eagle?” (Yuri)

“I served in encampment for about three years. I’m familiar with it.” (??)

“Then you’ll be fine. It’s okay to leave it alone but keep an eye on it.” (Yuri)

“Understood.” (??)

He bowed his head deeply. It was a very natural bow, perhaps due to his age and experience.

—

At the training ground, it seemed they were training cavalry to fight infantry. The soldiers playing the role of infantry were entangled by three Galloping Birds while fending off attacks from mounted soldiers. They wielded halberds, weapons with hooks on the side, likely emulating the equipment of the Crusaders.

‘It’s not a bad training exercise.’

As I approached on foot, I watched as they skillfully avoided attacks from above while hooking onto the armor with the side hooks, causing the mounted soldiers to fall to the ground. The dismounted soldier, having lost their mount, rolled onto the ground, using the same defensive maneuvers taught at the School of Knights.

The dismounted Galloping Bird now approached me.

‘Having worked on a ranch before, I’m quite familiar with this situation. Galloping Birds are intelligent creatures and can somehow sense the aura emitted by humans. Just like when catching a passing girl’s attention, it’s easier to stop them if you approach with a natural, relaxed demeanor rather than with a high-strung “Hey! Wait!” type of energy, as that only makes them wary and flee. It’s just as Father used to say.’

Without breaking my stride, I lightly impeded the Galloping Bird with my free hand, not holding the bottle, and it slightly eased its pace.

‘This could work.’

As we passed each other, I quickly took the reins, encountering some resistance at first, but it soon settled down.

“All right, good bird.” (Yuri)

With the reins in hand, I headed towards where they were training. The knight who had fallen dismounted and began walking towards me. Upon recognizing me along the way, he broke into a run.

“Your Excellency Yuri! I-I apologize for my rudeness…” (??)

“No need. But running immediately after dismounting is not advisable.” (Yuri)

I said as I handed him the reins.

“Thank you.” (??)

As he said that, another person rushed over.

“Your Excellency Yuri… How have you been?” (Guillaume)

Using formal language in front of the soldiers, it was Guillaume Zuzu.

“You—” (Yuri)

‘Which means this must be the training of the Dawn Cavalry, huh? Thinking about it, that makes sense. When it comes to the First Army’s cavalry, there’s no unit other than the Dawn Cavalry.’

“What about the School of Knights? You didn’t skip it, did you?” (Yuri)

“I just finished and came back… my lord.” (Guillaume)

‘Man, this guy.’

“Well, never mind. Can you lend me the courtyard for a little experiment with the Molotov cocktail?” (Yuri)

“Ah, I understand. I mean, I understand. I don’t mind.” (Guillaume)

‘Man, oh man. Well, it’s not so much that he can’t use polite language but rather that he struggles to use it appropriately depending on the situation. Being socially awkward is one thing, but this is another level.’

“Then, is it okay to do it here?” (Yuri)

“I think it’ll be fine.” (??)

The dismounted knight said.

After glancing around, I saw there was nothing flammable except for the short, cropped blue grass. There was plenty of space around.

“All right, stay back. At least about 30 paces.” (Yuri)

“Yes.” (Guillaume)

“Understood.” (??)

As the two began to move away, I planted the fire bottle in the ground. Extending the fuse, I lit the bottle while ensuring it wouldn’t tip over. The fuse, now thinner and evolved, emitted white smoke as it burned with a swoosh, igniting the surrounding area. I ran away.

Once I reached what seemed like a safe distance, I glanced back and heard a bang! The bottle shattered, its contents igniting and scattering, creating a widespread sea of fire. However, the fire seemed weaker than expected, probably because the range was too broad. With the fuel capacity remaining the same but the range expanding about fivefold, it was only natural. As expected, it quickly burned out and died.

‘Hmm… there’s room for improvement here. Reducing the amount of gunpowder might intentionally narrow the range, but in this case, it wouldn’t make much sense.’

“Hmm…” (Yuri)

‘Come to think of it, if it’s not an external impact but an active explosion, there’s no need for the container to be glass. Glass bottles are chosen because their property of shattering entirely upon impact is convenient. For instance, with metal, even if it contacts the ground, it might just develop a hole and leak the liquid. In contrast, a glass bottle shatters entirely, and the liquid is scattered all at once. However, there is significance in this experiment. It is confirmed that oil soaked with gunpowder would indeed explode, as expected from its properties, but that is necessary to be verified. Moreover, with an outlet the size of the bottle’s mouth, even if the explosion is weakened, it’s unlikely that all the gas would escape through it, preventing the bottle from breaking.’

“Hey! What happened?!” (Dolla)

The voice of a man, who came running with a frantic look on his face, sounded familiar.

“Is that Dolla?” (Yuri)

The man who had been playing the role of infantry earlier seemed to be Dolla. He was wearing the same armor.

‘No wonder he moved well.’

“Yuri—what’s going on? What were you doing?” (Dolla)

“Hey, it was just an experiment.” (Yuri)

The flames from the exploded Molotov cocktail had completely extinguished by now.

“I detonated a Molotov cocktail. There should be glass shards scattered around. Sorry, but could you clean it up?” (Yuri)

“Dang, that’s dangerous. Don’t do this kind of thing here.” (Dolla)

For Dolla, it was surprisingly sound advice.

‘In truth, if we were in the outskirts where no one frequented… or better yet, if we were by the riverbank, we wouldn’t have to bother with cleaning up the glass shards. They’d wear down in about a year with the abrasion of sand and gravel. But right now, time is of the essence.’

“I was in a hurry. It was an emergency within an emergency.” (Yuri)

“I see… So you’re leaving right away?” (Dolla)

“Yeah. Anyway, keep up the good training. It looked pretty good.” (Yuri)

With those words, I turned my back to Dolla and walked towards White Sunset. Hitting the supply line sooner rather than later was crucial.