There's no reason why Instructor Cattleya and Saffron would be okay, but not Shion. Ideally, we shouldn't rely on anyone's power. The Divine Swords, be it the Holy Light Sword or the Twin Swords, should only be used to battle the Demon King. Using a power meant to protect the world and humanity to kill large numbers of people is a wrongful act. My powerless pleas mean nothing. That's why we need to gather the Twin Sword wielders and restrict their actions to prevent misuse. Right now, if I ask for Shion's help, things would be easy. She could easily wipe out the rebel army. Maybe Iris could even be effortlessly rescued. But it's not that simple. It's not about logic or reasoning, but rather a gut feeling telling me that I shouldn't use Shion's power in conflicts between humans. Therefore, I absolutely cannot take Shion with me this time.
"Shion, you have to stay here."
"No! Whenever you're out of my sight, you end up in danger!"
Saying that, Shion hopped up, wrapping her arms around my neck and tightly constraining my torso with her legs. She hugged me intensely. At that moment, I somewhat understood the true nature of the feelings Shion had for me. It wasn't romantic love or affection. It's a sentiment any child might have: a desire not to be neglected by their parents. Even though I didn't have parents, children with parents tend to cling to them for no apparent reason. For Shion, who was abandoned by both her parents and relatives and had no friends, I was the first trustworthy person she met. It seems she harbors feelings towards me that one would typically reserve for their parents.
"Hey, Shion, do you know why I'm going and for what purpose?"
"I don't know and I don't care. Wherever it is, I'm going with you."
"Do you know why I want you to stay here?"
"No."
"Then let me tell you."
I said, gently patting the back of Shion's head who clung to me. Instructor Cattleya and Saffron, both intimidated by Shion, watched in tense silence. Holly remained silent from a distance.
"Both reasons are for my sake. I have a place I want to go to, but I don't want to take you with me."
"...Why?"
"It's just what I feel is right. It's not that I'm thinking of what's best for you. If you want to come, come. But I don't want you to."
"Don't follow me, Shion. Please don't come."
"...Is it because I'm a nuisance to you?"
"I've never thought that. To me, you're like a goddess of fortune. Without you, I'd die instantly."
And that's honestly the truth.
However, when I muttered such words to a ten-year-old, the female group in the carriage all looked at me with wide eyes.
"Will you definitely come back?"
"Do you want me to?"
"I do."
"Then, I'll definitely come back."
"Really?"
"Yes. If you want me to return, I'll definitely come back."
Because, you see, if Shion became indifferent to me, I'd probably lose Holly's support, making me vulnerable to those out to get me.
Really, my life or death hinges on this girl.
"So, promise me you'll definitely come back?"
"Yes. I'll be back soon."
"If you die, I'll kill every other human being."
Is she serious? Is the fate of all humanity really hanging on my life and death? Well, I guess what happens after I die doesn't really matter to me, but it would be quite a rude awakening if Shion were to become a mass murderer because of my death. Not that I'd be waking up since I'd be dead.
"I get it. It'd be problematic if you did that, so I promise I'll return."
"Okay. I'll be waiting."
Saying that, Shion quickly let go of me. I then took up Ramlei's reins, leaving Shion behind, and with my command, Ramlei took to the skies with the carriage. Shion, who remained on the ground, waved at me until I was out of sight. I continued to wave back. Meanwhile, from the carriage, I heard the female voices saying,
"He's a lolicon..."
"Definitely a lolicon..."
"I knew it..." Using the Pegasus Sword, Ramlei, I arrived at the fortress where the troops stationed to suppress the rebellion were located, traveling from the royal capital at a speed beyond common understanding. If I had been on foot or on a regular horse, it would have taken between ten days to a month. An aspect of warfare that is as crucial as actual combat, yet fraught with challenges, is the act of moving troops, or marching. Sending a hundred thousand soldiers to a battlefield a thousand miles away sounds straightforward in stories. But these hundred thousand soldiers are all humans. They get tired when they walk, they get hungry, and they get thirsty. An army on the move needs to be provided meals equivalent to its size. If you have a hundred thousand soldiers, you need to provide meals for a hundred thousand people every day without fail. That's one of the responsibilities of those in command. If that's neglected, the soldiers turn into mere starving beasts.
Ill-planned marches can result in large numbers of looters among the local population. More so, every time there's a war, looting is bound to happen. That's why I don't want to get involved in such matters and don't want to involve Shion either. To those of us who understand these complexities, like me and Instructor Cattleya, the abilities of the Pegasus Sword, Ramlei, are truly groundbreaking.
I reached the fortress and showed the troops the appointment letter I received from the king as the supreme commander. Along with Instructor Cattleya and Saffron, I was immediately led to the commander's conference room. The moment Saffron entered the conference room, she said, "Sorry, but I can't be at ease in a new building without checking its structure. I'll take a quick look around," and left the room.
Holly, while making an ominous statement, said, "Well, I'll go look for Iris. I did promise. If she's not already dead, I'll find her," and she phased through the wall and left.
For the time being, in Iris's absence, I called in the person who had been leading the troops to report on the recent war situation. While waiting for that person, Instructor Cattleya started a conversation out of boredom.
"Hey, Crow, what did you think of that flying Pegasus?"
"It has no combat capability, but its usability is outstanding. I could only imagine it carrying a hero flying around, but the ability to levitate anything it touches is amazing."
"Right? If I had such a Pegasus, it would have been much easier when I went to suppress the rebel army."
"Being able to transport soldiers is great, but the most significant part is being able to transport any amount of provisions. It would be revolutionary if used in war."
As Instructor Cattleya and I were deep in conversation, there was a knock on the conference room door. It seemed the commander I had called for the report had arrived. The commander who entered the conference room glanced at me and Instructor Cattleya and said, "I served as the deputy to Commander Iris. Instructor Cattleya, it's been a while." After that, one after the other, those who had been commanding the suppression forces entered the conference room. They all greeted Instructor Cattleya and introduced themselves but completely ignored me. Technically, I am now the supreme commander, but the commanders who were leading the troops started reporting the war situation to Instructor Cattleya, leaving me out. I sat in a chair in the conference room, a slight frown on my face, and listened to the commanders reporting to Instructor Cattleya.
"Soldiers who don't seem human..."
Wearing armor, attacking relentlessly, and fighting fearlessly in the face of death. That's the characteristic of the rebel army. Initially, it seemed that the suppression army was attacking the rebel army's simple fortress. However, they were counterattacked with a strange intensity and kept suffering consecutive losses. As a result, all the positions that the suppression army had set up were taken over, and it appears that even the small surrounding castles were captured. At this point, their only option was to barricade themselves in a robust fortress and hope for reinforcements from the royal capital. That's when Iris was appointed as the supreme commander.