༺ I Don’t Need a Guillotine for My Revolution ༻
Written by – 카르카손
Translated by – Mara Sov
༺ Revolutionary Period – Breakthrough (1) ༻
The next days were spent preparing for the assault.
At last, reports confirmed the enemy had begun their march towards Reims.
Tens of thousands were drafted to stand against this white tide.
We spent some time sorting out the letters received from Lumiere since we asked for the families of all soldiers to send their words of encouragement to boost the deceptive morale.
……Honestly, it was more of a desperate measure than an idea to help the soldiers resolve.
I watched those who received the letters weep or rejoice, as my aide, Louis Desaix approached me with a box.
The box contained the familiar crest of Aquitaine.
Heh-.
I thought only the soldiers would be receiving the letters, but it seems Christine sent me something too-
Desaix passed by me and handed the box to Eris, who was beside me.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Both Eris and I had the same reaction.
“The Countess of Aquitaine sent this gift for you, My Lady the Saint. And as for the Marquis, here……”
After he handed the box to Eris, Desaix pulled a letter from his vest and handed it to me.
“……”
What’s with this?
Not that I wasn’t grateful for the letter Christine sent, but why did I only get a letter while Eris got a box?
Those two…I didn’t know they were this close. They behaved almost indifferently to each other.
“Heh-“
That stupid smug smile of Eris, while her eyes darted from the box in her hands to my letter made me want to smother her.
“Eris? What’s that?”
“Hmmm~I don’t know? After all, you have to unwrap a gift in s.e.c.r.e.t~~~”
“No. Wait a minute, Eris. Eris! Come back here!”
“Hahahaha-. Big sis Christine sent a gift just for mwee~!”
That girl…She ran away with the box in her hands.
Stupid Princess.
She’s doing it on purpose, I’m sure of it!
……I’m definitely not jealous at all.
Yes, Christine must have a reason for sending her a gift while I, her beloved, only got a single piece of paper.
Wait, it can’t be that she’s mad that the moment we got engaged once more, I’m leading a suicide mission into the heart of the enemy……It can’t be because of that, right?
Somehow…I’m feeling a bit apprehensive about this letter now…After gathering some courage, I managed to open the letter, however, the contents weren’t written in her usual flowery words, but a direct and on-the-point message.
[ Pierre, I trust you’ve thought this through and have a plan.
Therefore, I’ll be brief.
There isn’t a need for you to feel sorry for me. After all, all you have done is choose a path that leads to death, even if you end up surviving.
However, because I believe in you, I expect you to honor my trust and not fail me.
Eternally yours, Christine.]
With great care, I folded the letter and tucked it in my coat pocket.
Ah, I must have worried her a lot if she’s this mad.
For her letter to be this straightforward, she must have known my fears, as well as the reasons behind my actions.
“Sigh-.”
There’s no going back now. And it’s my duty as a man to honor my lady’s trust, isn’t it?
It’s time for me to make the world forget the name of the Blue Knight.
–
After the messages had been delivered to all the soldiers and the preparations were completed, the faces of the soldiers were quite a sight to behold.
Some were resolved, while others were planning to uphold their duty with tears streaming from their eyes.
I looked at my aide, Louis Desaix, who stood by my side.
“Is this what you wanted?”
Desaix, the one who came up with this plan, avoided my gaze.
“It should be fine, sir. At least some of our boys aren’t looking like they will desert at the first opportunity……And from what I can see, It seems you’re quite motivated as well, Sir.”
……This man is too perceptive for his own good.
With a sigh, I stepped forward and grabbed the magic artifact capable of amplifying my voice.
This was meant for Valliant, who didn’t know how to use his mana, so now it ended up in my hands, the man who will lead a hopeless mission.
Looking below the stage I could see Valliant’s sly smile.
This man…he truly is shameless.
As I took a deep breath, my breathing echoed around the plains.
After a brief silence,
Some bastards had chuckled at my expense.
Ah, damn. This is so embarrassing.
“……Alright, I’ll be brief. Men, we have nowhere to retreat. We stand here in Reims, safekeeping the way to the Capital. If we fall here, the Capital will become a battlefield, and losing the Capital means that the Republic will follow.”
If there’s no way back. The only way is forward.
“Some may think we are mad to face this enemy. But I assure you! If we all stand together we will win.”
I looked towards the Knights watching me.
Sir Gaston, Damien, as well the other Knights were ready to charge into the enemy lines.
Once upon a time, the Knights of Francia were a symbol of the old regime. But now they stood as protectors of the people.
“I will lead the charge. And the proud Knights of Francia will follow me. We will be the spear that will pierce the enemy’s heart. So, follow us.”
No matter how much we charge, if these men don’t fight just as fiercely, we will be annihilated by the encircling enemy.
The old me would have never put my life in the hands of these commoners.
I turned my gaze towards Eris beside me, her hands joined as if praying for our victory and continued.
“The Saint stands with us, so may the grace of God guard you.”
As I finished speaking, Eris raised her hands to the sky.
Immediately, beams of golden light spread across the sky, cascading over the heads of the soldiers.
“Ohhhh….”
“Lord Almighty.”
“The Saint…..”
The soldiers looked awestruck as if they had witnessed a miracle, but Eris was simply scattering her divine power in a flashy way.
It was all a show, but this gave the soldiers some much-needed confidence.
Finally, seeing the confident looks of the troops, I reminded them of why they were fighting.
“You all know too well the atrocities committed by King Louis during the Civil War, so I won’t waste time explaining to you what hell he would unleash onto this land should this man – who is borrowing strength from the foreign predators – win.”
Among these soldiers, many have seen their family members being sold off to the demons.
“Each one of you has someone you wish to protect. I have one as well. That is why it doesn’t matter if you are a noble, a Knight, or a commoner. We fight for the same goal. We fight to defend our homeland! WE FIGHT FOR FRANCIA!”
“FOR FRANCIA!!!”
The voice of the soldiers echoed in the plains.
Looking at Eris, I could see her shoulders trembling, so as I drew my sword and pointed to the heavens, I issued my command.
“MEN! TO BATTLE!”
–
A few days later.
Summer has passed and autumn has encroached on the plains of Reims where the battle would take place.
Once more, tens of thousands of soldiers stood on both sides of the plains.
The Grand Duke clicked his tongue as he studied the Republican Army through his telescope.
“What kind of formation is that?”
The infantry was positioned in the middle, the cavalry on the wings, and the artillery at the rear.
That was the textbook formation.
However, the enemy army had placed the cavalry behind the infantry.
The absurdity didn’t end there.
Grand Duke Leopold narrowed his eyes in pure disbelief, incapable of comprehending the image before his eyes.
“Is that the artillery?”
Right in front of the cavalry, there was a horse-drawn light artillery unit.
“……It appears so, Your Grace.”
His aide, who was also observing the army through a telescope, seemed equally skeptical.
“Have you ever seen such an…unorthodox formation?”
Cavalry and some sort of horse-drawn artillery in the center, behind the infantry in the front line?
“Perhaps they have lost their minds after that magic and gave up?”
While the aide’s words were plausible, the Grand Duke furrowed his brow.
“No. Their generals, both that Valliant boy as well the Marquis of Lafayette aren’t men who would give up.”
The ‘Great King’ of Kraft had set a precedent of using horse-drawn cavalry before.
However, the goal of such a unit was to quickly maneuver to an appropriate firing position and begin the bombardment.
So what use would be of such a unit if they were placed directly behind the enemy lines?
The Grand Duke sighed as he issued an order to his aide.
“I don’t know what they are planning, but we won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I want all artillery units to focus fire on the enemy’s central formation. Hit their cavalry and that horse-drawn artillery.”
“By your command!”
After giving the order, the Grand Duke looked at the Witch leisuring puffing her pipe.
“Frau Wilhelmina Von Weinfeld.”
“Ah, I know already. Once the enemies are within range I’ll cast my masterpiece.”
“Make sure you do. The enemy is already aware of your magic, so they will try to bait us, and once the magic is cast they will flee. So wait until my signal, and we shall sweep them away in one go.”
The Witch smirked as she nodded.
“Ah, of course, none can escape my magic.”
–
Raphael Valliant clicked his tongue as he observed the enemy through his telescope.
“Tch-. Plan B is a bust.”
The armies had closed the distance, but there was no sign of the Witch of the Storm.
If she were to cast the spell, they would flee.
That was plan B, but it seems that the enemy wasn’t a complete fool.
At this range, a hasty retreat would incur severe losses to the army.
“Well, it can’t be helped. We’ll go with the original plan. I’ll leave the rest of my troops to you, Desaix.”
“You can trust me, Sir. I shall take command of the Southern Army.”
As Desaix went to organize the army, Valliant clenched his fists as he watched the Marquis prepare himself to lead the charge.
The unimaginable thrill of risking all he had in a gamble, was a major difference to what he was used to as a tactician.
Amidst all these sensations, Valiant looked ahead towards where Marquis Lafayette would be and smacked his lips.
Had he known it would come to this, he would have put his time into learning how to use his mana instead of focusing all his studies on military science. At least learning it to the point of being able to defend himself.
“Let’s see how you’ll handle this, Grand Duke Leopold. After all, I can’t always be the one getting screwed over, right?”
Valliant couldn’t help but flash a predatory smile at the enemy.
–
A nervous Saint stared at the white tide swarming the horizon from beyond her veil.
She struggled to calm her erratic breathing.
If the Witch cast her spell before the armies had entered the effective combat range, they would retreat.
That plan, as Pierre mentioned, was a failure.
Eris slowly raised her hand to the sky.
The golden barrier manifested, protecting the army from the artillery fire.
A sharp pair squeezed her heart.
The power she held,
It was certainly ‘Divine Power’ and not some ability she was born with.
This power was obtained after a young girl desperately prayed to every God in existence to show her mother’s smiling face to her just one more time, as the woman in question died, filled with sorrow after they had fled the Royal Palace.
Without even knowing what she was doing, Eris reached out her hands towards an incoming cannonball and clenched her fist, but she lowered her hand.
The cannonball fell into the front lines, causing wails and screams to erupt.
Eris closed her eyes tightly, but then, after a moment she turned her gaze towards the cavalry lined beside her, and the man leading them.
That was what Pierre had said to her.
Eris looked towards those behind her for a moment.
Countless men clad in blue uniforms were marching.
Despite witnessing what could only be called a Natural Disaster, the Knights were paving the way while countless soldiers believed in her and followed her light.
Once again, a cannonball flew.
But this time, Eris blocked it, enduring the familiar pain coming from her heart.
It was ironic. So much power was needed to save those who were hurt and dying from that cannonball, yet, it takes far less power to simply prevent an attack.
She knew why…
It was so, so very hard to save those who were already broken.
That was a lesson a young girl was forced to learn when she had created a miracle and resurrected her mother. Only for the woman to choose death once more.
Eris knew. She knew that she wasn’t worthy of being called a Saint for giving up on those who could be saved should she wish for it. A Saint wouldn’t distinguish between those who must be saved and those who would perish.
Even then, she persevered.
Because that was her oath, her pledge.
And now, the enemies were just a handful away.
As Eris took a deep breath, she felt a tingle, as if her power was being challenged.
Looking towards the horizon, she could see the Witch floating in the air.
Almost simultaneously, a horn was blown from within the cavalry.
The infantry in the front slipped to the sides, allowing the horses carrying the artillery to charge forward.
“Follow the Artillery! Keep the formation and prepare to charge! CHARGE!”
Following his command, Eris spurred her horse.
Unlike the probing shots being fired until now, a tyrannical amount of cannonballs flew at them.
She was the one who said it.
Eris clutched the crystal she had been holding inside her robes.
A magic amplification crystal, gifted to her by Christine, so she could protect Pierre.
Soon, a tremendous energy swirled through her body, giving her an unparalleled feeling of exhilaration.
Ah, so that’s how it feels like……
Raising her hand, a barrier of titanic proportions unfolded.
She could hardly feel the impact the cannonballs had. The pain in her heart was forgotten.
It was an omnipotent feeling.
Glaring at the Witch floating in the sky, her eyes became ablaze with fury.
That woman, responsible for such a calamity was looking down on them as if they were insects.
With the cavalry charge, the panic from the enemy’s army was visible as giant fireballs flew towards them.
“Eris!”
Hearing Pierre’s urgent shout, Eris raised her hands once more.
The golden barrier blocked the fireballs Eris almost fell off her horse from the sheer pain being transmitted to her heart.
But she gritted her teeth and endured.
The number of people who believed in her, a fake Saint, stood in the tens of thousands.
Eris knew that no matter what she had accomplished, she couldn’t offer something greater than their lives.
Just a little more….Just a bit more….
“The Saint is with us!”
“Chargeeeeee! For Victory-!”
The cavalry and Knights all charged fiercely, followed by the full might of the Francian Army.
The horse-drawn artillery rushed towards the enemy infantry and to their utter astonishment, they pointed their cannons at them.
A desperate volley of cannonballs and spells were released in an attempt to halt their charge.
Eris grabbed another crystal – her last one.
An item prepared by the woman who sent her a message, pleading for her to protect the man she loved.
To fulfill her pledge, Eris clenched the crystal and held it against her wildly beating heart, as she raised another hand to the sky.
Amid the sounds of the cannonballs striking the golden barrier, and the successful explosions of the spells, Eris felt her vision blacken as she fell off her horse.
When she regained consciousness, she was already secured in the arms of Sir Beaumont.
Turning her trembling gaze forward, she saw the cavalry she had protected firing in unison, shattering the enemy infantry with a barrage of destruction.
As she watched the destruction caused by those whom she protected, Eris’s eyes slowly closed.
“You’ve done well, Eris. Now, leave the rest to me.”
Just before she lost consciousness, a familiar voice tickled her ears.
TL:
HELLDIVERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
