Chapter 48: The Underground Passage
The damage inflicted upon the Rosha Empire was nothing short of catastrophic.
In the mere span of a single month since the war began, the empire had lost half of its entire standing army—obliterated. It was the kind of devastating loss that would be etched into history, a calamity rarely seen even in the bloodiest of wars.
And yet—
Despite the glaring vulnerability now exposed in the Rosha Empire, the Kingdom of Lunoa had no strength left to exploit it.
None at all.
Their forces were stretched to the absolute limit—beyond it, even. After all, this was a nation already burdened with a two-front war. There had never been any room for surplus to begin with.
From the annihilation of enemy forces within the former Poln Kingdom’s territory… to securing and occupying those lands—there was simply too much that needed to be done.
Truly…
They were hanging on by a thread.
Even their supposed ally, the Austin Empire, had suffered severe losses and was desperately struggling just to regain its footing.
They had even failed to completely suppress the internal rebel factions that had sparked the war in the first place. That nation was in shambles—torn apart from within. On the eastern front, the three nations locked in opposition could do little more than glare at one another, each too wounded to make any decisive move.
“Alright… here we go…!”
Amidst all of that, I pressed forward—digging straight through the earth using magic as I advanced.
The soil parted before me like water, tunneling silently through the darkness as I carved a path forward.
“A-Are you in your right mind!?”
“This is far too dangerous!”
Behind me, several soldiers followed, rifles clutched tightly in their hands. Their voices trembled, a mixture of disbelief and fear as they questioned my sanity.
“Haaah? You’ve already started walking behind me, haven’t you? It’s a bit late to start complaining now.”
I didn’t even bother looking back.
They had already chosen to follow me this far.
So what was the point of hesitation now?
“We’re going to take down the capital of the former Poln Kingdom—Warmir—together, remember!?”
“That’s exactly what’s impossible!?”
The tunnel I was digging stretched from our encampment—positioned some distance away from Warmir—directly toward the underground beneath the city itself.
What I was attempting was simple in concept.
Infiltrate Warmir through this tunnel.
Seize control of the city gates from within.
And then—
Open them, allowing our forces to flood in and capture the city in one decisive stroke.
“Whether it’s impossible or not, we won’t know until we try. Besides, didn’t we agree this plan actually has a decent chance of working?”
“Well… yes, it’s not a bad plan in itself, but… we never expected Brigadier General Willard himself to come all the way to the front lines! And more importantly—this wasn’t even approved by Her Highness, the Second Princess Emma, was it!?”
“Well, yeah. If we told that worrywart, she’d absolutely shut it down.”
“That’s exactly why it’s a problem! And more than that—you’re pushing yourself too hard, aren’t you!? You don’t need to come all the way to the front lines like this!”
“…No. The real strain is in everyday life.”
My voice softened slightly.
“I’m the one forcing myself to act cheerful… so I don’t drag the mood on the front lines down with me.”
“…I… I’m sorry.”
Yeah.
It’s not easy.
Back in my previous life, I had lived peacefully in Japan. And now… here I was, standing on a battlefield, risking my life at the very front.
Of course I knew I was pushing myself too far.
But if I didn’t—
I wouldn’t survive in this world.
If I didn’t—
I wouldn’t be able to protect Shia-neesama.
So there was only one option.
To go all in.
To risk everything.
“Mm—nope! I’ve decided I only fall into dark thoughts at night before bed. Let’s keep things light, okay?”
“If you’re really pushing yourself, you need to tell us…”
“While we’ve been chatting, we’ve already reached near Warmir’s gate. You all ready?”
“…Huh?”
“No, actually, I’ve been wondering this whole time… how are you even keeping track of our position underground?”
“Hm? Isn’t it obvious? You just look.”
“…Huh?”
“What are you even—”
“There are three guards on night duty at the gate. Fifteen more inside, all asleep, I think. Taking out the three quietly is our best bet. Honestly, if we can’t do that, we’ll have no choice but to run.”
“H-How can you possibly know all of that in such detail!?”
“Fuuu…”
Ignoring their confusion, I let out a slow breath, steadying myself.
The first step is everything.
If you don’t take that first bold step forward, you’ll never be able to do something reckless—something daring—like this.
“Alright, let’s go. Don’t leave your brigadier general behind, okay?”
“W-Wait—!?”
Using magic, I tore open an exit at the end of the tunnel—one that led directly into the interior of Warmir’s gate.
And without hesitation—
I leapt through.