“Nate, look!”

  I handed my spyglass to Nate. My lover took it and looked at what I was seeing.

  “It looks like our infantry is winning the battle down there,” Nate said happily.

  I ran down to join them in the fight. Nate followed closely behind me, guarding me.

  “Keep it up, everyone!” I shouted to my soldiers.

  Even though I might look weak and rarely came out like this, I never skipped my martial training. Don’t underestimate my swordsmanship or my ability to wield other weapons. Magic is the exception—because I’m human, magic simply doesn’t exist for humans.

  An enemy soldier broke through the line and rushed toward me, attacking. Before I could react, Nate stepped in front of me. With her greatsword, she protected me and cleanly severed the neck of the enemy soldier who had charged at me.

  My lover swung her sword beautifully. I had no idea just how strong she truly was—for her strike to be able to decapitate an enemy so easily.

  “Want to push forward for a bit, Ezia?” Nate asked, flicking her sword to shake the blood off the blade.

  An arrow suddenly flew toward me while I was absentmindedly picking my nose. Before the stray arrow could hit me, Nate swiftly split it cleanly in two.

  “Thanks,” I replied, letting out a relieved breath.

  “It’s time, Nate. Let’s fight for a bit, then we’ll pull back,” I said as we charged forward together.

  The situation was absolute chaos. For some reason, seeing me there alongside them ignited my soldiers’ spirits even more. They fought fiercely, turning brutal. I got swept up in the atmosphere and found myself enjoying it as well.

  Three enemy soldiers appeared and tried to surround me.

  SLASH!

  The enemy to my left was split in two—Nate had killed him. I began clashing swords with the enemy in front of me, while Nate repositioned herself and fought the enemy on my right.

  That was when I realized why our soldiers were winning. The enemy soldiers weren’t wearing any armor at all. They seemed to be nothing more than ordinary civilians conscripted hastily to meet troop quotas.

  Apparently, today was my lucky day.

  I swung my sword toward the enemy’s shoulder. Only then did I notice that the enemy facing me carried nothing but an axe and tried to block my strike. My sword sliced through the axe, snapping it in two, and I thrust the blade into his chest. I pulled it out and saw that Nate had already finished her opponent as well.

  “Watch out!” Nate shouted.

  A rain of enemy arrows began to fall. Damn it—I hadn’t brought a shield. I grabbed a shield that had fallen to the ground and used it to protect both Nate and myself. Thankfully, the wooden shield was tall enough to cover us both.

  I stepped backward, retreating to a safer position. One hit to the head would kill me instantly—or leave a wound that could lead to infection and death. Medical care here was far from advanced, and as humans, our access to healing was limited to herbalists, unlike other races who could use magic.

  “Are you okay, Nate?” I asked, dropping the wooden shield because it was too heavy.

  “I’m fine,” Nate replied with a bright smile.

  “Ouch!”

  Only then did the pain finally register. I looked at my shoulder and saw an arrow lodged deep inside. I took it as a sign that I should stop fighting and just observe instead. Nate and I withdrew to the artillery position where Valde was stationed.

  The wind was still on our side, carrying thick black clouds. I guessed rain would fall soon. I took my spyglass from Nate’s small bag and checked on our cavalry. I saw Lord Bari and our mounted troops engaging in a chaotic chase with the enemy cavalry.

  Eventually, they pulled back and retreated into the forest. Seeing that the situation had turned unfavorable, the Rajian Empire’s forces began to withdraw slowly and fled.

  “Don’t pursue them! Let them retreat!” I ordered loudly.

  Our infantry, who had been about to give chase, obeyed my command and restrained themselves. Sir Jasper, the infantry officer, was also seen organizing the troops to hold their position.

  It wasn’t without reason—I was afraid that if we chased them, their cavalry, despite being exhausted from the chase, might recklessly counterattack. A charge from heavy cavalry could result in massive casualties.

  “Did we seriously win?” I asked Valde, who was standing nearby.

  The artillery officer was also observing the battlefield through his spyglass.

  “It seems so. The downside is that this rain will extinguish the fires in their camp,” Valde replied.

  Exhausted, I lay down on the ground, letting the rain pound against me. Nate knelt beside me and placed my head on her thighs.

  “After this, we’ll go to the herbalist and have him remove the arrow from your shoulder.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, closing my eyes.

  Gradually, cheers of joy echoed from all around as my soldiers celebrated. Thank you, Father—for reforming our army and creating such a disciplined force. Now all that remains is figuring out how to fix this country’s economy.

  The military industry does thrive during times of war like this. But what about when peace comes? What should I do then, Father, to improve it?

  “Th-The prince didn’t die, right?” came the voice of Yadzi, the infantry officer.

  “No,” I replied, opening my eyes and standing up. “It’s time to count the casualties and report them to me.”

  “And thank you—good work today. I’ll be at the herbalist’s tent,” I added as I walked away. “If you want to loot, go ahead. Just make sure someone stays alert in case they return.”

  Hearing that I allowed them to take spoils of war, my soldiers erupted in cheers and began descending the hill in search of enemy valuables. I returned to the camp.

  One of the herbalist’s assistants spotted me immediately and told me to wait inside my tent until the herbalist arrived. I waited inside as Nate began drying my body with a towel.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  Not long after, the herbalist arrived carrying a bag filled with tools for extracting the arrow embedded in my shoulder. Here it comes—this was going to hurt terribly, since anesthesia hadn’t been invented yet. Nate had already removed all of my armor.

  “Excuse me, Your Highness,” the herbalist said as he sat cross-legged beside me. “Nate, please increase the lighting as much as possible.”

  “Understood,” Nate replied, adding more oil to the lamp and bringing it closer to my bed. She adjusted the flame until it burned brightly.

  “Cover my mouth,” I asked Nate.

  I knew for certain that I would scream once the arrow was pulled out. I lay down on the bed, and Nate wrapped the towel around my mouth. I bit down hard.

  As soon as the herbalist’s hand touched my arm, my breathing became erratic. I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt a foreign object enter the wound.

  “ARGHHH!”

  I roared in agony as the herbalist pulled the arrow out of my shoulder. I bit down on the towel covering my mouth. Damn it—why hasn’t modern medicine been invented yet? From now on, I’ll seriously reconsider jumping into the battlefield.

  Bruises are one thing, but an arrow wound like this? Hard pass!

  Then came a burning sensation at the wound site. I didn’t know what was happening—I didn’t want to look. All I knew was that this herbalist was the most professional in my entire kingdom. I entrusted my life to him.

  I had no idea how many hours I endured the pain, screaming in agony.

  “It’s done,” the herbalist finally said with relief.

  I opened my eyes to see my shoulder wrapped in bandages. I also found Nate beside me, half in tears.

  “In that case, I’ll take my leave, Your Highness,” the herbalist said, withdrawing after leaving a medicinal concoction with Nate.

  “Eat dinner first, then drink this,” Nate whispered to me.

  Weakly, I nodded as she left the tent, then returned carrying two plates of food. Once again, she fed me until I finished, then handed me a glass bottle containing the potion the herbalist had prepared.

  To be honest, drinking medicine from a herbalist in this world was basically gacha. A 50–50 chance of being cured—the rest could either give you stomach cramps for two weeks or outright poison you. I downed it in one gulp and prayed it would heal me.

  It felt slightly intoxicating. Slowly, Nate helped me lie back down on the bed. After that, I heard her eating and then leaving the tent. I couldn’t sleep on my side because of the wound.

  Not long after, Nate returned with a bucket of warm water and began washing herself. I watched her quietly.

  “You haven’t blinked once,” Nate teased, pinching my nose.

  “How could I?” I replied with a lewd grin.

  Slowly, my hand reached out to grasp her arm.

  “Do you want to do it tonight? But what about your wound?” my lover asked, her eyes drifting toward the bandage on my shoulder.

  “No—later, once we’re back home,” I replied, trying to move my arm. “Just moving like this already hurts a lot.”

  Nate put her clothes back on and tightly locked the tent door. Then she dimmed the oil lamp until the tent was barely lit.

  “My prince, I’m the one asking,” Nate said as she approached, beginning to undress. Her lips closed over mine. “Your lover is the one asking, you know.”

  “All right—but be careful with my shoulder,” I replied, accepting her invitation.

  It was truly a beautiful night to savor today’s victory. After cleaning ourselves again following our intimacy, I tried to sleep—but for some reason, once I drifted off, the screams of enemy soldiers echoed in my mind, along with images of corpses scattered across the battlefield.

  My hands trembled, and anger welled up inside me. Seeing my strange behavior, Nate embraced me tightly.

  “I’m here. The battle is over. We’re not fighting anymore, my love.”

  She held me firmly so my hands wouldn’t move and hurt me, because I had been subconsciously scratching at my wound.

  “Sleep,” Nate whispered as she gently laid me down.

  “Nate… I keep seeing twisted corpses and hearing cries for help,” I whispered to her.

  My lover lay beside me, facing me. She stroked my cheek gently.

  “It’s your first experience in battle. You’ll get used to it eventually—just like I did when my biological father trained me to fight.”

  “That makes me want to thank your biological father,” I whispered, smiling with relief. She was right—this was my first real battle. Maybe my adrenaline was still running high.

  “Unfortunately, you can’t,” Nate replied. “Now sleep.”

  In the end, I fell asleep after Nate repeatedly stroked my back to comfort me.

  The next morning, I woke up before Nate. Today, I planned to spend my time reading reports, analyzing, and documenting the details of the war.

  “Where’s my good morning kiss?” Nate asked in a spoiled tone. Her hand rested on my chest as she half-awoke and leaned her head against me.

  I kissed her lips gently.

  “I’ll head to the command tent first,” I said as I got up from our straw bed.

  “Okay,” Nate yawned widely. “Fix my blanket for me.”

  I adjusted her blanket and put my trousers back on. As soon as I stepped out of the tent, the air felt refreshingly crisp. At the hilltop, I saw Valde and Bari talking while observing the enemy’s direction. I walked over to them.

  “What are my two favorite officers doing here so early in the morning?” I asked.

  “Good morning, my lord,” Valde greeted me with his usual smile.

  “Is your wound all right?” Bari asked with concern.

  “Good morning to you too. My wound is fine. Have the enemy withdrawn?” I asked both of them.

  “I believe so. Some of their troops pulled back yesterday,” Bari replied, handing me his spyglass. “The ones that retreated seem to be the 5th Regiment of Marrat. More importantly—we captured their regimental banner!”

  Bari pointed to the ground where their banner lay.

  “At last, I’ve avenged my ancestors and defeated them!”

  Bari performed a victory dance, then calmed himself down after Valde and I stared at him in confusion.

  “Ahem.”

  “Your Highness, we also captured Prince Sileas,” Bari continued seriously. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s the third son of Emperor Taijian.”

  “Furthermore, I ask that you do not release him or exchange him for rations. Please allow my people to punish him. My people hold a deep grudge against that prince,” Bari pleaded.

  “Fine, go ahead—as long as you don’t kill him. I want to interrogate him later,” I replied, returning the spyglass. “Judging from your request, you really do hate him.”

  Bari looked delighted. I turned my attention back to the battlefield.

  Their camp was half-burned and partially empty. I couldn’t understand why they stayed there instead of fleeing completely. The banner of the 3rd Regiment of Ustita was still flying in their charred camp.

  Even if they surrendered, I would likely only confiscate their armor, weapons, and horses. Maintaining prisoners of war consumed too many resources, and ransoming common soldiers wasn’t worth the cost. It was better to use that food to feed my own people.

  Noble prisoners or enemy officers were the exception—they could still be exchanged for a high price due to their wealth and experience.

  Upon arriving at the command tent, I read the remaining troop report.

  1st Army of Skradings

  Infantry (Melee): 1053

  Archer (Ranged): 1306

  Cavalry (Light Cav): 524

  Artillery Crew: 30

  Cannon: 15

  Ouch.

  The list of wounded soldiers was also quite long.

  We lost many infantry and archers. However, judging by total enemy losses, it didn’t seem like a Pyrrhic victory. Did we win because of my own abilities? Or because of the military reforms Father started?

  At the very least, this victory proved that my kingdom could defeat a giant and humiliate them. At the very least, we would no longer be seen as weak.

  “I did it!” I said excitedly. “Even if it’s just the tutorial stage.”

  “But still—it feels good.”

  As I stepped outside, Nate was already waiting for me and invited me to breakfast. This time, our breakfast spot was at the top of the hill, enjoying the view of enemy corpses rotting below. Breakfast while gazing upon the aftermath of yesterday’s battle.

  I could also see idle soldiers tending to the bodies of our fallen. Those with intact families would have their bodies returned home; those without would be buried in mass graves. Every soldier carried civil records showing their family and home address.

  Father once said that even if a soldier wasn’t an officer, their family still deserved to know what happened to them.

  While I was being affectionate with Nate, who would have thought all my officers would join us, and the six of us ended up having breakfast together atop the hill.

  “Are they surrendering?” Nate pointed toward four mounted figures carrying a white flag and the banner of the 3rd Regiment of Ustita.

  “It seems so,” I replied. “I guess I should finish breakfast quickly and think about what we’ll take from them.”

  “My lord, please ask them to return our homeland,” Bari requested seriously.

  “That can be arranged, don’t worry,” I replied. “But I’m not sure this battle alone will force them to the negotiating table. I think we still need to advance and show them our strength.”

  “Are you sure you can decide this without Lord Verzhina’s approval?” Bari asked worriedly. “Forgive me if I doubt you.”

  “It’s fine,” I replied. “After all, I’ll be your leader—and I’ll decide what’s best for all of you.”

  After finishing breakfast, Nate and I returned to our tent to prepare to meet the surrendering delegation.

  This was it—my first appearance as the one who would accept an enemy’s surrender.