"Ah."
Two days after leaving Fort Muson, we finally completed our retreat.
"Finally, I'm back."
We, the remnants of Austin's Army, were finally able to return to the capital, Winn.
"Mother! Mother!"
"Oh, Yacht! You're safe!"
Dozens of citizens had gathered near Winn's main gate to welcome the soldiers.
They were probably the soldiers' families or acquaintances.
Among the comrades, there were some who were in tears and rejoicing to be reunited with their families, some who embraced each other in silence, and some who just sat down and cried.
"…So this is the capital. Quite a sight."
"It really is, Rodri."
For soldiers like Rodri and me, who weren't from the capital, it didn't feel quite the same.
Certainly, it was a more vibrant place than Marshdale, but… I could only think, "Yeah, it's definitely the capital," given my memories from my previous life.
***
Near the main gate of Winn was a large square.
Normally, it was a space for inspecting the wagons of traveling merchants, mercenaries, and others attempting to enter the capital.
We were ordered to wait here, waiting for Major Renvel, who had gone to report to the higher-ups, to return.
The Major had promised, "I'll wrestle us up some decent rewards," so if we waited, there'd likely be some sort of provisions.
"Rodri, what do you plan to do from now on?"
"I'll head south to my hometown… It should still be standing, I hope."
"I see?"
It seems Rodri will be returning to his hometown after the war.
He was originally born into a farming family in the South and had two siblings. He'd enlisted to help support his poor family.
"Do you have anywhere to go, Shorty?"
"…Yes. I'm thinking of using my connections and working in the medical field."
I was planning to follow Major Renvel's advice and talk with Mr. Kuma.
Mr. Kuma will surely be entrusted to a major hospital in the capital and might be able to get me a job. There, I could leverage my experience as a medic, working as a skilled doctor specializing in treating severe injuries.
Healers who could use healing magic were rare, so I wouldn't have trouble making a living even with my level of skill.
While making a living this way, I also planned to search for people separated from orphanages and field hospitals.
"Then, I guess this is goodbye."
"Yes."
Looking back, Rodri was the person I've grown closest to these past six months.
He's saved my life multiple times, and being close in age and easy to talk to, we've spent a lot of time together.
Having lost both my hometown and my family, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's the most important person to me now.
"…You've saved my life many times. If there's ever anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to call on me."
"If you're having trouble, come visit me in the village of Dokupori. As comrades-in-arms, I'll provide you with a place to stay and some rice porridge."
To be honest, parting ways with him felt a bit lonely.
But the war is over now.
Platoon Leader Garback is dead, and our platoon has disbanded.
There's nothing left tying Rodri and me together.
"…"
And thus, the East-West War, filled with bitter experiences and painful losses, ended with Austin's defeat.
Despite losing many things in the war, I also gained many precious things from Salsa, Senior Gray, and Platoon Leader Garback.
I will continue to live on keeping these experiences to heart.
"See you around."
I gripped Rodri's outstretched hand firmly, believing until this moment that such a future awaited us.
***
"───To my beloved citizens."
Even now, I sometimes dream about it.
If the war had truly ended here, how much better things might have been?
"Huh? What's that voice?"
"Maybe it's an audio broadcast?"
It happened about half a day after we arrived in Winn.
"───Our hopes have been trampled."
We, the defeated soldiers, were saying goodbye to our comrades near the main gate.
A public audio broadcast in an impersonal voice reached our ears as we waited.
"────The surrender document we submitted in deep shame the previous afternoon was rejected."
It took a moment to understand the meaning of the broadcast.
Being in the capital, I was only casually thinking about how they had a system in place for city broadcasts.
"───The enemy has resumed their advance. Citizens, take up arms and prepare to fight."
As the message sank in, I felt my face grow pale.
Simultaneously, from all over the capital of Winn, shouts and screams began to echo.
"────We are not even allowed to surrender."
Yes.
About two days after our surrender announcement, the Sabbath Federation rejected Austin's unconditional surrender.
"What do you mean, rejected our surrender?!"
"…"
This act was so atrocious that it was unthinkable even by the ethical standards of the time.
Indeed, the cruel act of attacking a country that had bowed its head and begged for forgiveness is said to have been condemned even by the Sabbath's own people at the time.
"They're coming to attack us again?! Are we really going to have to fight?!"
"A… ah."
I collapsed to the ground in shock, while Rodri's face flushed red in rage.
The war was not over.
The enemy will soon come to kill us.
Fear overwhelmed my mind. I collapsed to the ground in a daze.
"Then what did Platoon Leader Garback die for?!"
I thought the war was over.
I hadn't even considered the possibility that our surrender would be refused.
And so, the war continues.
I was so overwhelmed by this fact that I was left in a daze.
***
Why did the government of the Sabbath Federation take such an outrageous action as refusing an unconditional surrender?
After the war, high-ranking Sabbatian government officials from that time offered two possible explanations.
Their first defense was this: "We couldn't translate Austin's language and mistranslated it as a peace negotiation, not surrender. We rejected 'peace talks,' not the surrender."
But this was clearly denied by a frontline commander who claimed he'd received orders to "cease advancing, as Austin has issued an unconditional surrender."
Due to backlash, the explanation shifted to: "Since we were intercepted at Fort Muson, we thought the unconditional surrender was an enemy ruse."
This explanation was also criticized as being far-fetched given the battle situation in Austin at the time.
Nonetheless, this has been officially accepted as the government's stance at the time.
However, there is a certain rumor circulating among the citizens.
The government officials refused unconditional surrender due to receiving bribes from major corporations.
This rumor claims that: since the war ended abruptly, the companies would face countless canceled orders and be left with an enormous amount of unsold military supplies.
At the time, the people of the Sabbath Federation were heavily taxed and their wealth was allocated to weapons and arms.
Indeed, wartime was a lucrative period for companies dealing in military supplies. Despite heavy taxation on Sabbatian citizens, most of the funds flowed into the military-industrial complex.
This means the government was able to purchase all wartime products with public funds.
It was a favorable situation where companies continued to expand their production lines as the war dragged on for ten years.
However, the Sylph Offensive unexpectedly pushed the war toward an end.
For those companies, this was disastrous. They had invested massive amounts to scale up, only for demand to vanish overnight.
Facing impending losses, it's rumored these companies bribed the government, asking them to extend the war long enough to clear their stock.
What a nasty rumor.
Another theory claims Sylph Nova wanted to continue the war.
Sylph allegedly advised, "We've made too many enemies. To prevent Austin's citizens from rebelling, we should thin the population."
This absurd suggestion supposedly influenced the military.
However, Sylph herself has denied this claim.
At the time, she was merely an aide to General Brustav and likely held no such power. The theory probably arose from her later reputation.
In any case, the reasons why the Sabbatian government at the time made such a decision are unclear.
But if the rumor about bribery are true, it was a merciless and arrogant choice.
They allowed Austin's people to be massacred for their own gain. That's something that can never be forgiven.
***
"Ah, I can see them."
Winn had no significant forces left at this time.
Including us survivors, the regular troops numbered fewer than 500.
Although some weapons and ammunition had been brought from Marshdale, few people here had ever fired a gun.
"They're coming. An army of demons is coming to kill us─"
For the citizens of Winn, watching the Sabbath Federation's well-organized army approach must have been terrifying.
"There's no escape; it's the same no matter where we run."
"Anyone who wants to strike back at those demons, step forward!"
"Buy time to let the women and children escape!"
Some citizens were brave enough to stand up.
They took up the weapons and ammunition brought to the city and came to us survivors to learn how to use them.
"If we die, we die together."
"If the enemy comes, we'll set this house on fire…"
Consumed by despair, some planned to die with their families.
They decided to hold each other until the very end in the homes filled with cherished memories.
"We'll run to the ends of the earth if we have to."
"Take whatever you can and survive."
Others fled in droves without a clear destination.
With deep despair in their eyes, they ran like mad.
Amidst all that commotion, I couldn't move a single step.
I felt as if I were in a dream, detached from reality.
"Hey, Shorty, what are you spacing out for?!"
I remember Rodri persistently shaking my shoulders at that moment.
"This isn't the time to be zoning out!"
With wide-open eyes, unable to think of anything, all I could do was gaze at the approaching Sabbatian soldiers.
***
Sylph Nova was undoubtedly one of the key figures in the East-West War.
It is no exaggeration to say that this girl, who broke the long-standing stalemate on the Western Front and nearly brought complete victory to the Sabbath, was a genius who changed history.
Had the war ended at this point, she would have been celebrated as a hero who saved the nation.
However, Sylph's name is always mentioned in comparison alongside a certain man in the annals of history.
Her posthumous reputation is that of the "Most Foolish Commander in History".
Indeed, she made several catastrophic mistakes afterward.
But I can't help feeling that part of her tarnished reputation stems from being compared to this man.
In other words, it might be fair to say, "It was because of the opponent."
It's not rare for a single person to change the course of history.
Just as Sylph did, geniuses who propel the times forward sometimes emerge.
However, many of these geniuses are misunderstood by ordinary people and never leave their mark.
This is because their potential often goes unrecognized, leading them to live and die unremarkably.
Sylph Nova's rise was due to a string of coincidences. Her father, Brustav Nova, happened to be one of the most influential leaders in the Sabbatian military and was one of the few capable of recognizing his daughter's talent.
Without such favorable circumstances, a genius like her would hardly have stepped onto the stage of history.
Geniuses without luck simply end up buried in the mundane world, dismissed as mere eccentrics.
────Yet, as fate would have it, there was one such unfortunate genius in this era.
***
Going back one day before we retreated to Winn:
There was a time lag in transmitting information from the capital, and it was at this moment that the Sabbatian forces declared their refusal of unconditional surrender and resumed their invasion.
The Sabbath Federation, with a surplus of ammunition and weapons, poured them generously into all fronts and started their offensive.
"Requesting permission to enter."
"Ah, you're here."
About 10 days before their offensive began.
A certain male officer had been called to the command room on the Southern Front.
"It's nice to meet you, Lieutenant Colonel Henry."
"Thank you for your hard work, Lieutenant Bern."
His name was Lieutenant Bern Valou.
Lieutenant Bern had graduated from the military academy with decent grades and was allowed to work as a staff officer apprentice.
However, for a certain reason, he was branded as incompetent a year ago and was demoted to an administrative role.
The reason for this was…
────Only a year earlier, he had proposed the exact same "simultaneous multi-point breakthrough operation on all fronts", as Sylph Nova, and was seen as a staff officer incapable of realistic operational planning.
Bern was able to handle administrative tasks, so he spent the past year performing menial duties at the Southern Front instead of working as a staff officer.
But two weeks ago, when Lieutenant Colonel Henri heard of the complete annihilation of the Austin Army due to Sylph Nova's multi-point breakthrough strategy, he remembered Bern and hurriedly called him to the headquarters.
"Our judgment was clouded. Please allow me to apologize for the past oversight; the plan you proposed was never off the mark."
"Heh, thanks for that."
"…Now, I'd like to hear your opinion. What should we do from here?"
Lieutenant Colonel Henri apologized for demoting Bern and asked for his advice.
Meanwhile, Bern showed no concern about his demotion and laughed freely, saying, "I had a year of easy work."
"Well, I can't say we'll win for sure, but I do have a plan that would give us a good chance."
"Really?"
When asked about his strategy for overcoming the current situation, he replied:
"You know, Lieutenant Colonel Henri. When playing consecutive rounds of rock, paper, scissors, do you know the method to increase your chances of winning?"
"…No, I don't know."
He casually spoke to the commander as though having a casual conversation to explain his strategy.
"Apparently, people tend to want to choose the hand that beats the one they just played."
"…And?"
"If you remember what hand they used previously, doesn't that increase your chances of winning?"
"…I'm sorry, could you please be a bit more specific? What are you trying to say?"
"This is just normal for people, you see. But the people we're fighting against aren't normal."
With a carefree and relaxed tone, Bern Valou continued his monologue, seemingly oblivious to the growing impatience of the soldiers around him.
But no matter how long they waited, the core of the strategy still hadn't been revealed.
"We're playing rock, paper, scissors with the enemy's staff officers. Their thought process is completely different from ordinary people."
"…I'm sorry, are you still continuing with that analogy?"
"Yeah!"
But Bern didn't show any sign of noticing the frustration growing among the soldiers.
He continued his monologue with a relaxed smile, as if he were talking about plans for a picnic.
"Basically, you're saying to anticipate what the enemy staff officers will do. It should be obvious without saying—"
"Ahhahaha, you don't even need to think about that. After all, their thought process is simpler than that of commoners."
"…"
"'Since I won with this hand before, I'll win with it again.' That's the kind of stupid thing staff officers seriously believe, and they wear a smug face about it."
At this point, Lieutenant Bern grinned widely and said:
"With such a successful experience, the enemy will surely repeat the same hand."
"…"
"Well then, why don't we just wait for the other person to attack with the same tactic?"
The Sabbath Federation should have given this possibility a little more thought.
The possibility that, just as they had Sylph Nova, a hero who would lead the new era would appear in Austin.
Sylph was a genius who catapulted the East-West War towards its advanced stages and brought her country to the brink of victory.
In response, the young genius Bern, who was promoted as if he were an extension of her brilliance.
In the upcoming war, these two would engage in a battle of wits, constantly testing each other's strategies.
***
The day unconditional surrender was rejected.
The only part of the Western Front where no movement had taken place in a long time was the Southern sector, and the Sabbath Federation's offensive began first thing in the morning.
A new commander of the Southern Sabbath forces named Niwem had replaced the previous commander Avem, who had resigned for not carrying out the Southern assault during the Sylph Offensive.
Niwem was eager to launch an offensive in the South, saying that he "wanted to achieve military success of his own."
"We'll completely annihilate Austin. At the same time, we'll use up the surplus military supplies."
At this point, the Sabbath believed that Austin would no longer be able to maintain its fighting spirit, and victory would come as easily as twisting a baby's arm.
At the time, both Niwem and the Sabbaths' General Staff must have been optimistic.
The preliminary bombardment was over in just a few minutes. Then, without even a moment to catch their breath, the Sabbatian troops let out a battle cry and charged at the Austin soldiers holed up in the trenches.
As expected, the Austin side collapsed, abandoning their trenches and fleeing in panic.
The strategy adopted by the enemy commander, Niwem, was exactly the same as the Sylph Offensive, a rehash of the multiple-point breakthrough tactic designed to invade a large area in a short period of time.
As a result, the enemy abandoned their trenches and began a full retreat. This was once again a repeat of Sylph's strategy.
"See? They're coming at us with the same move."
The Sabbatian Army no longer considered the Austin forces to be a serious threat.
Believing this, they charged enthusiastically into Austin territory.
The Sabbatian soldiers charged forward, their hearts pounding with excitement at the prospect of the rewards of battle: plunder, destruction, and feasting in the Austin countryside.
As they had done in the Sylph Offensive, the Sabbatian forces broke through the rear trenches and were about to flood into surrounding villages when—
"Isn't it about time?"
"Yeah."
They suffered tremendous damage from concentrated artillery fire from the Austin forces, a southern force that had been patiently waiting for more than 10 days for the enemy to launch an offensive.
It was the perfect bait-and-switch.
By allowing the enemy to break through the trenches, exposing their position, the Sabbatian forces were hit with a concentrated barrage from infantry and mages.
This was the first success for the young genius Bern, who had accurately predicted that the enemy would again attempt a simultaneous multi-point breakthrough.
As Bern himself said, there is no single right answer in trench warfare. Like rock, paper, scissors, you need to read each other.
There are many strategies in both assault and defense, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
In other words, the multi-point breakthrough tactic is effective only against armies that have prepared a defensive doctrine based on single-point breakthroughs, and it is not an invincible or all-powerful strategy.
Its success relies on surprise and speed. If the enemy anticipates it and prepares a trap, the tactic loses much of its effectiveness.
"■■■■!?"
"■■!!"
Realizing that they had fallen into a trap, the Sabbatian forces began to retreat, but…
"The key to the multi-point breakthrough strategy is its speed and surprise."
This is where Bern truly excelled.
No one could surpass him in seizing such decisive opportunities.
"Now, this is the perfect chance for a surprise attack."
Bern launched a counterattack against the retreating Sabbatian forces using the same multi-point breakthrough strategy.
It was essentially a reenactment of the Sylph Offensive.
Despite their numerical advantage, the southern Sabbatian forces were completely decimated.
Caught in the open plains, unable to retreat into trenches, the Sabbatian forces were helpless against the Austin assault.
As a result, Austin broke through most of the Southern Front, completely switching the roles of attacker and defender.
The Sabbath suffered over 40,000 casualties. They were no longer able to maintain the Southern Front, forcing them to retreat.
The casualties were even higher than Austin's losses during the Sylph Offensive.
Though, due to the Sabbath's larger military force, and in terms of the proportion of casualties, Austin suffered a greater loss.
This victory, however, was enough to turn the tide of the war.
"Lieutenant Colonel Henri, you know what to do next, right?"
"Yes, of course."
This was a fatal and nightmarish outcome for the Sabbatian forces.
The war, which had seemed almost won, was now back to square one.
"We'll head north and strike their supply lines."
With the Southern Front in shambles, the Sabbath's supply lines were left vulnerable to Bern's forces.
The main Sabbatian Army had been steadily advancing toward Winn, but its supply line, stretched too thin, left them isolated deep in enemy territory.
If they lost their supply line now, they would be cut off in the heart of Austin.
If they did not immediately abandon the capital and retreat, the main force would have been annihilated.
This report of the battle plunged all of the Sabbath's front line commanders who resumed the advance into a state of panic.
Having relied heavily on their well-maintained supply lines, they had not been conserving food or ammunition.
Meanwhile, desperate citizens in the rear were taking up arms, and from behind, the untouched Southern Austin Army was closing in.
The Sabbath had gone from being the overwhelmingly superior invaders to being the ones trapped.
They had all but secured victory with our statement for unconditional surrender, yet they foolishly let it slip through their fingers.
This blunder caused so much resentment that after the war, many Sabbatian high-ranking officials were executed at the hands of their own citizens.
On the other hand, Austin's new hero was celebrated with great joy and acclaim.
The Southern Army had been biding its time, waiting for this one chance to turn the tide ever since the day their lines had been mostly broken during the Sylph Offensive.
This was without a doubt a miracle strategy that saved the nation of Austin that was on the brink of extermination.
He was truly Austin's savior.
…But as for myself, I still believe that it would have been much better if unconditional surrender had been accepted on that day.
Although the appearance of the genius Bern Valou revitalized Austin, it also meant that the end of the war was pushed further away by him.
If only the war had ended that day.
If only the Sabbath had accepted our surrender.
Sylph Nova would have been remembered as a prodigious genius, and while Austin might have become a vassal state, many lives would have been spared.
But reality did not play out that way.
The beast of war was still hungry for blood.
True hell awaited us, its mouth wide open, ready to swallow us as we continued to descend into a deeper quagmire.
***
"…What?"
But at that moment…
"Huh? What's going on?"
"Wait, aren't the Sabbatian forces thinning out?"
The capital city of Winn was under siege. I was in despair thinking there was no hope of victory and just waiting to die.
"Look, they're retreating! The Sabbatian soldiers are retreating!"
"Oh, ohhhh…"
Seeing the sight of the Sabbatian forces who had surrounded the plains in overwhelming numbers slowly withdrawing…
"They're running away!!"
"Yeeeaaaah!!"
It was nothing short of divine intervention.
End of Arc 2