The Story of a Modest Young Lady Who Formed a New Engagement the Day After Her Engagement Was Annulled - Chapter 11

—When had I first learned of her presence on the battlefield?

I first saw her shortly before we secured the area known as the most fiercely contested region in the Twenty-Year War. It was only sometime after that initial sighting that I learned she was the daughter of the Eleanora Narcissus earldom.

I had never seen her in high society, and even if I had, she wouldn’t have stood out. She seemed like just another face in the crowd, and with her black hair and dark eyes, her appearance was rather plain for a noblewoman. Having spent nearly a decade fighting on the front lines, I was far removed from the social scene, but even so, her reserved looks would have been considered subdued among noblewomen, who generally favored standing out and flamboyance.

Night. A ceasefire agreement was in effect after dark, and inside the command tent at the heart of the encampment, the grim-faced unified commander and I quietly sipped our coffee.

“A woman on the front lines, huh… It seems our nation is truly being pushed to the brink, Fels.”

The unified commander muttered these heavy words to me. The prolonged war had taken its toll on our men. Every territory was suffering from a shortage of male labor, struggling to make ends meet. I wished the war would end soon, but if it were something I could accomplish alone, I wouldn’t have struggled so much.

Women were still few in number at the front, but if the war dragged on, their proportion would surely grow. I wished our neighboring country would just give up already, but neither side had managed to deliver a decisive blow. Starting a war was easy; ending one was far more difficult. With the opposing nation’s schemes and our own country’s intentions all tangled together, the conflict had dragged on for nearly twenty years.

“But there’s still hope. If we can secure this area, our nation will gain the upper hand.”

If we could push the front-line forward, there was still a chance. Both sides were equally exhausted from the long war. There was no doubt that the battle for this land would be a major turning point.

“You have a way with words. If we win and gain the upper hand, that means if they win, we’ll be plunged into dire straits.”

I grinned as I watched the unified commander take a sip of his coffee.

“I understand. I won’t let them take it from us.”

“That’s reassuring. But don’t push yourself too hard. We’re an army. If we lose you, morale will plummet. Don’t you dare die on us, Fels.”

As he said, we were an army. I was praised by those around me as the “God of War,” but I was nothing so grand.

There were those who shielded me, telling me, “You are our hope, so don’t die,” before departing for the heavens. There was the boy who admired me, who lost his leg and returned to his hometown from the battlefield. There were those who, laughing, offered me their own food, saying, “You’re strong, so eat well.” Some entrusted their families back home to me before being captured by the enemy. It was the devotion of my fallen comrades and colleagues that made me the God of War.

“I won’t die.”

I exhaled with a laugh, raised my coffee toward the unified commander, and declared, “Victory for our nation.” He looked at me and gave a single nod. There was no way I could die. I had things I needed to do.

If I didn’t fulfill my duty of leading our country to victory, I wouldn’t be able to face those who had died. After hearing the plans for the next day, I left the tent and headed for the one assigned to me. The stars floating in the sky were beautiful no matter how many times I looked up at them.

“The stars are lovely.”

Muttering to myself, a smile naturally escaped as I enjoyed the quiet moment until someone shattered it.

“To think my fiancée Eleanora is on the same battlefield! I heard she took over training in place of her younger brother after the head of the house died young, but the battlefield is a man’s place. What can a woman like her do?!”

“Hahaha, you’re right! What can a woman do except get pinned down by us or serve as a meat shield?”

Two men holding canteens passed by me. The contents were probably alcohol. Whether drunk or unsteady on their feet, their steps were uncertain.

It was common to see pitiful scenes or those drowning their sorrows over fallen comrades in drink… but the men who had just passed me were of the noble class. Those who should be setting an example for others shouldn’t be speaking so loudly about such matters.

Moreover, from what I overheard, the woman named Eleanora was a noblewoman. I didn’t know the details, but if she had taken to the battlefield in place of her late father and younger brother, that was a commendable resolve. If she were unfit as a soldier, she wouldn’t have been conscripted or trained. Therefore, the woman called Eleanora must possess magical ability, capable of using magic and holding her own on the battlefield.

Even if she couldn’t hear them, it wasn’t pleasant to listen to. I stopped, intending to reprimand them for their intolerable words, but they didn’t notice me.

“I don’t know what my old man is thinking, saddling me with a plain, unremarkable woman who’s nothing but a nag. He should find someone more suited to me!!”

“Well, Caius, at least you have your looks.”

“Hey, don’t make it sound like that’s all I have! I’ll earn military honors in this war and make a name for myself. I’ll even surpass that so-called God of War of his!”

The name Caius sounded familiar. If I recalled correctly, he was the heir of the Hydrangia marquis house. It was too dark to make out his face clearly, but now that I knew his identity, it would be better to report this to his superior rather than confront him here. Relieved that the tents for women were separated from the men’s, I started walking again.

I hope it’s clear right away that this is from Fels’s perspective.