They ended the long-standing war.
Surviving in a barren land was a grueling and difficult task. And even more challenging than that was eliminating those who had ‘survived.’ Those who survived in such a land were tough and tenacious. Even if killed, they survived and reproduced like insects. If you took your eyes off them for a moment, they multiplied again.
They exterminated such creatures. They pursued them to the very end, cutting off their remaining breaths and eradicating their seeds.
Having ended the tiresome war with victory, they naturally thought they would return home in glory. They sent the good news to the capital and waited for a response. How long had it been since they last tasted victory? They heard it was a war that had lasted 37 years. They had accomplished what no one else had since the Emperor ascended the throne.
However, there was no news from the capital. At first, they thought it was just a delay, but soon half a year had passed. They sent several more letters, thinking the message might have been lost, but no reply came.
Some initially claimed that the delay was due to the consideration of rewards, but it wasn’t. They had simply been forgotten. The joke they had made in anxiety, “Who would care about a war beyond the northern border, not even part of the empire’s territory?” turned out to be true.
As always, rations and support were being provided, but the prevailing theory was that even that was because it had been completely forgotten. It was more of a fact than a theory.
In any case, everyone was losing spirit day by day and contemplating how to survive. Some of the more proactive ones had already left the unit. While they thought it wise to leave the land of snow and settle down as soon as possible, it was hard to accept the fact that there would be no reward for the results they had achieved by risking their lives for years.
The one who couldn’t accept it the most was Sahara, the commander of the 128th Knights. She firmly believed that the Emperor would not have abandoned them.
Theo frowned at the snowflakes touching his cheeks. In the short time he had entered the commander’s office, the snow had thickened.
As expected, a woman was sitting atop a high stone tower. Her long black hair, like a snake, fluttered in the wind. Her hair was long enough to cover her hips. It seemed cumbersome and unwieldy for someone who had to fight battles almost daily. Theo had once asked the commander why she grew her hair.
‘―? Because I’m a woman.’
She answered as if it were obvious. It seemed wrong, given that she roamed the battlefield barefoot and stained her long hair with blood, but she was undoubtedly a conservative person. She was wearing the simple training clothes she had worn during morning training, leaving her white wrists and bare legs below the knees exposed.
“Commander! Commander!”
When Theo called, her pale face turned to him. Her black eyes beneath long eyelashes met his.
“Commander! It’s cold! The snow is getting heavier!”
“? I know.”
Knowing didn’t help. Theo sighed deeply and said.
“Please come inside now. If you catch a cold waiting for a messenger who won’t come, it will be a big problem.”
“It’s okay. And the message will definitely come.”
Sahara turned her gaze back to the distant void. She was looking towards the capital.
She was waiting every day for a messenger or a letter from the capital. It had been six months already. Even though she returned to her quarters sullen every day, she was the first to rise at dawn and head to the watchtower. It was the highest point around, where the strongest winds blew.
“Theo means you should at least wear a coat while waiting. Normal people feel cold when they expose their bare skin in the snow.”
Buzz, who had approached leisurely, added. Sahara said “Mm-hmm” and jumped down from the watchtower. It was a height of at least 4-5 meters, yet she landed lightly like a cat. Hardly any dust rose from her gentle landing. Her physical abilities were always astonishing.
“Thank you.”
She accepted the robe from Theo. She had thought it might snow, but she had gone out without it because it was cumbersome during morning training. It was still cool during the day, so she pretended not to notice that she hadn’t brought a coat, but as the thick robe covered her cold skin, she realized it was indeed chilly. Theo’s stern face relaxed slightly. He was rigid and worried too much. Like a child, he was meticulous. As Sahara, who was just as rigid as anyone else, tried to climb the watchtower again,
“Commander, a snowstorm is coming. Let’s call it a day and go inside.”
Buzz gently intervened.
“But… a messenger might come in the evening.”
“If they come, they’ll naturally come to the commander’s office.”
That was true. Sahara glanced at the darkening sky.
“What if the hawk is too stupid to find us and just passes by?”
“If the hawk doesn’t return with an empty message box, they’ll send it again.”
“…What if someone secretly took it and read it?”
“That’s not impossible, but even if you’re waiting here, there’s no way to know.”
“……”
There were no gaps in the logic.
“It would be nice if the message came quickly. The hawks will freeze to death when winter comes.”
At her gloomy mutter, Buzz shrugged and said, “It’s already cold enough for them to freeze,” while Theo furrowed his brow.
“Surely you don’t intend to stay here until winter?”
“If there’s no word from the capital, we have to.”
Unless they were specifically reassigned elsewhere or ordered to return to the capital, they couldn’t leave this land.
“You’re going to endure that harsh winter again? Why stay when there’s no enemy to fight?”
“―? You can leave if you want.”
No, I shouldn’t say it like that. Recalling Penelope’s daily nagging, ‘Your way of speaking is easily misunderstood!’, Sahara spoke again.
“Go with Penelope to a warmer place together. Somewhere not too far, like the Sorda region. ―I’ll let you know right away if we hear from the capital.”
While the commander couldn’t leave the land without the Emperor’s orders, everyone under Sahara could be allowed to leave. With the deputy commander Penelope at the lead, they could stay in a nearby Northern city two days away, where they could be called back anytime and would be comfortable. However, Theo drew in a sharp breath at her words.
“Do you really believe the emperor will look for us again? It’s been half a year already?”
“I believe.”
It hadn’t come as quickly as she thought, but that didn’t mean it would never come. There must be some circumstances she couldn’t fathom.
“And you should say ‘His Majesty the Emperor.’ Don’t be rude.”
Sahara raised her hand and flicked Theo’s forehead. It was hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. Theo bit his lip, holding back tears, and said,
“…I will absolutely not follow the deputy commander. I’ll stay where you are, Commander.”
“…? Alright.”
Sahara nodded indifferently. If he wanted to stay, he could stay. It was cold, but not uninhabitable. Sahara had endured twelve winters in the land of snow.
“I won’t be staying. I was raised delicately and can’t handle the cold well.”
“That’s right. You don’t look it, but you were raised delicately.”
“? What do you mean I don’t look it?”
“Hmm.”
As Sahara struggled to find the right words, Buzz waved his hand, saying, “Never mind. Don’t say it. Don’t even think about saying it out loud.” Sahara chuckled and looked back at the sky.
“Theo will be my adjutant instead. He’s more perceptive than me and takes good care of you, Commander. You can do it, right, Theo?”
“Yes, I can.”
“No. Leave the position vacant. Theo, you’re the scribe. You must be busy writing the logs.”
Theo’s expression slightly crumpled as Sahara easily refused. Theo always thought he was more suited to be an adjutant. He believed that since Sahara was careless about herself and would likely starve to death if not taken care of, someone as attentive as him would be more suitable. Buzz partly agreed, but Theo seemed disqualified in that he didn’t realize Sahara found such attention bothersome.
“Still, use me if you need anything.”
Sahara glanced at Theo with just her eyes, then looked back at the sky.
“I will.”
Theo’s expression brightened a bit, but Buzz swallowed a click of his tongue. That look meant ‘It would be more troublesome to give orders.’ Sahara generally had an expressionless face, but if you looked closely, her thoughts were often apparent. Buzz, who had observed her as a pastime, could see it quite well. If Theo had this kind of perceptiveness, he could have served Sahara properly long ago.
It was a beautiful face. Not just because it was on a battlefield, but a look that could enchant people anywhere. A round forehead with deep-set eyes. Under long eyelashes, pitch-black eyes seemed to absorb light, and full lips looked temptingly ripe. A toned body and features that could be beautiful even without a smile. Along with her incredible swordsmanship, her captivating beauty ― it wasn’t hard to understand why some revered her as a goddess of war.
At first, he had wondered and worried about why such a woman was on the battlefield. Of course, he had erased all such thoughts before a month had passed.
Suddenly, Sahara’s eyes widened. Her black eyes sparkled, and her lips parted slightly.
“―A messenger hawk is coming.”
Buzz and Theo, who had been watching her face, looked up at the sky in surprise. No matter how much they blinked, they could see nothing but the raging snowstorm. The sky, already gray, was dark with heavy clouds.
“…I don’t see anything.”
What could be flying in this? The snowfall was getting so heavy that their eyes stung. In such a blizzard, even a hawk would rest before flying, so nothing should be approaching. As they were beginning to wonder if she was seeing things, Sahara stretched her arm towards the sky.
And at that moment.
Whoosh! Something large and white shot like an arrow, flying towards her arm. It brought a wind as fierce as the snowstorm.
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