After several days of marching, we arrived at Manzheim, where the main forces of the Fifth Legion were stationed.

“They seem to be fortifying the palisades and walls,” Alexandrov remarked.

True to his words, soldiers belonging to the Fifth Legion could be seen hammering away at their defenses. Ballistae and quivers were positioned on the walls, and the gates were firmly shut.

“...It doesn’t look like they’re planning to go on the offensive.”
“Perhaps they haven’t yet received Her Majesty’s orders,” Erika speculated with a hopeful tone.
“Unlikely...”

I shook my head at Erika’s optimistic guess. Based on what I’d heard about Volker Rommel from other officers, this situation was unlikely to be that simple. He was known to be sensitive about his achievements yet infamously stubborn.

“This might be their answer,” I said.
“Their answer?”
“Yes.”

To me, the Fifth Legion’s behavior seemed to be a deliberate display of their unwillingness to adjust their stance.

“For now, I’ll need to speak with General Volker Rommel.”
“...”

In a subdued atmosphere, we marched toward the gate. As we approached, the gates opened, revealing a group of officers in formal uniforms.

“Welcome, Commander Victor of the Crimson Dragon Legion. I am Baron Florian Pfalz, aide to Count Volker Rommel,” the man at the forefront greeted, raising his right arm in a gesture.

A smug smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, immediately putting me on edge.

“...”

I didn’t appreciate the way he emphasized his title, nor did I find his casual demeanor fitting for a meeting with another legion commander. I simply stared at him in response.

“...”

After holding his arm out for a moment, he finally lowered it and said, “So, you’re Victor, Commander of the Crimson Dragon Legion.”

Only then did I extend my hand. He bit his lip slightly as he shook it.

“...Count Rommel is currently attending to administrative matters in his office. I will escort you,” he said.
“Very well.”

Following Florian’s lead, we headed toward Volker’s office.

“...Did you hear what they just said?”
“What are they...”

The atmosphere inside the fort wasn’t welcoming, either. As we walked, the soldiers we passed whispered and glared at us. While most of their mutterings were unintelligible, one particularly loud officer’s grumble gave me a clue.

“They see us as nothing more than tools...”

“...Hah.”

Thanks to his candid remark, I could begin piecing things together.

“They should be—”
“No, leave it,” I interrupted. “First, I need to have a word with General Rommel.”
“...That officer will need to be disciplined later.”

The misconception likely arose from rumors that the Crimson Dragon Legion was entirely armed with firearms. Or perhaps they simply resented being ordered into an offensive against the Kingdoms of Paris and San Bastian.

“There’s no need for punishment. The Crimson Dragon Legion and the Fifth Legion need to unite to defeat the Kingdom of Esperia. Let’s not stir unnecessary trouble.”
“...Understood.”

I noticed the slight twitch of the officers’ eyes as I spoke of cooperation, but I said no more as we approached the office.

“Commander of the Crimson Dragon Legion has arrived,” announced Florian as we entered.

Sitting behind a desk, reviewing documents, was Volker Rommel. Though I could only see his expression, the tightly pursed lips and sharp eyes matched the descriptions I’d heard.

“I am Volker Rommel, Commander of the Fifth Legion, tasked with defending the border against the Kingdom of Esperia.”
“I am Victor, Commander of the Crimson Dragon Legion.”

I greeted him respectfully.

While it seemed likely that the Fifth Legion’s strange behavior stemmed from Volker, there was a slim chance it didn’t. If he proved to be cooperative, it would benefit us both.

He shook my hand with a detached expression.

After the greeting, he asked, “Did you bring sufficient supplies?”

Instead of discussing the enemy or our forces, his first concern was logistics.

“...There are no missing items. Lieutenant Anna,” I prompted.
“Yes, here it is.”
“Hmm, just a moment...”

Volker began meticulously reviewing the inventory list Anna handed him. Meanwhile, Florian’s mouth twitched as if he were stifling a laugh.

Though I was already forming an opinion of Volker, I held back judgment for now. I decided to wait until after the upcoming meeting to solidify my stance. For now, I quietly observed.

“Could you leave the supplies at this headquarters? I’ll review them and allocate them appropriately,” Volker said after some time.
“Understood.”

He picked up a pen, scribbling something on the documents. His movements suggested he might be writing important notes, but to me, it looked more like idle doodling.

“Shouldn’t we discuss our next steps?” I asked.
“You must be tired from your journey. Let’s hold the meeting tomorrow. I’ve prepared quarters for the Crimson Dragon Legion to rest in for the night,” he replied in a tone of polite indifference.

Despite likely having received instructions to act swiftly, he maintained a relaxed demeanor.

“When and where will the meeting be held?”
“Tomorrow at 10 a.m., in the conference room here at headquarters. If there’s any material you need, provide it to Aide Pfalz in advance.”

He absently fidgeted with the papers on his desk, as if he had already dismissed us from his mind.

“Understood.”
“Hmm.”

With that, he returned his focus to the documents. His silence was a clear dismissal.

As we left the office, shutting the door behind us, I couldn’t help but feel that our plans had already begun to unravel. Turning to Florian, I said, “Baron Florian, I’ll need reports on enemy troop deployments, surrounding terrain, and the Fifth Legion’s current readiness and positioning.”

Florian blinked and responded with an infuriating smirk, “I can provide that information right now.”

“Enemy forces are stationed at the fortresses of Serona, Adense, and La Leon, each housing 10,000 troops. The terrain is relatively flat. The Fifth Legion is currently fortifying Manzheim’s walls and preparing for defensive operations.”

“...”

His vague descriptions and noncommittal tone were more frustrating than no information at all. This was clearly intentional.

“Can you provide a detailed report?” I pressed.
“Of course. I’ll prepare it after I finish escorting you,” he replied smoothly.

“...Very well.”

Realizing further discussion with him would be fruitless, I decided to request the report later and followed him to our assigned quarters.

As soon as Florian left, covering his mouth as though suppressing laughter, my officers began voicing their frustrations.

“This is outrageous.”
“They have no intention of fighting. Florian, Volker—they’re both avoiding action!”
“Ten thousand troops in each fortress? If Esperia had those numbers, they’d have attacked us already!”

Listening to their complaints, I finally addressed them.

“You’re not wrong, but I can understand General Volker’s reasoning to some extent. Let’s reserve judgment until after tomorrow’s meeting.”
“...”
“If you say so, Commander...”

I managed to calm them somewhat, though I shared their concerns.

While the Crimson Dragon Legion could theoretically act independently, integrating the Fifth Legion’s 20,000 troops would maximize our effectiveness.

“If our legion alone is powerful, imagine the results with their cooperation. I’ll do my best to convince them.”
“...Understood.”
“Well, if it comes to it, we can handle this on our own!”
“Exactly! We have cannons and muskets. What can’t we do?”
“Haha... Yes, we’ll manage in our own way if we must.”

Still, if worse came to worst, Heinrich’s suggestion of acting independently might indeed be our best option.

***

I worked late into the night, waiting for Florian to deliver the requested documents. However, there was no sign of him.

By the next morning, the materials had still not arrived.

“Ah, Commander Victor! Here are the documents. There were some omissions that needed to be filled, so I was delayed,” Florian said as he handed them over—just moments before the meeting was set to begin.

The meeting itself didn’t proceed as I had hoped.

“The enemy fortresses have thick, sturdy walls,” one of the Fifth Legion officers began.
“With siege cannons from the Kingdom of Anchester, we can neutralize those fortresses swiftly,” replied one of my officers.
“We’ve tried using trebuchets and catapults on those fortresses before, but the enemy troops defending them are numerous.”
“Her Majesty has ordered us to attack, and we have the capability to execute it!”
“Even if the siege cannons are powerful, aren’t we facing an enemy force of similar or greater numbers? Basic military strategy dictates that an assault on a fortified position requires two or three times the defender’s strength. Isn’t attacking them directly a bit reckless?”

“...Hah.”

The Fifth Legion officers were quick to rebut my officers’ arguments.

“You mentioned that all 10,000 of your troops are equipped with firearms. What will you do if the enemy closes in on you?”
“Most of our soldiers are former heavy infantry. Some will carry shields or spears to keep the enemy at bay if they approach.”
“And what if the enemy, armed with shields and heavy armor, closes the gap? Or if their cavalry quickly advances under cover? Wouldn’t that be difficult for your troops to handle?”
“We have prepared tactics to address those scenarios. Additionally, the Fifth Legion’s spearmen are renowned throughout the Empire—”
“Oh, so what you’re saying is that we’ll die fighting on the front lines while the Crimson Dragon Legion kills the enemy from a distance, just wiggling their fingers?”
“...What are you talking about?”

Their criticisms of our combat effectiveness bordered on nitpicking, with some arguments being outright absurd. Volker, however, did nothing to rein them in.

In fact, he occasionally nodded in agreement with their points and seemed to watch my officers closely, gauging their reactions.

“Sure, if we defeat the Kingdom of Esperia, Her Majesty’s vision may come to fruition. But if we suffer a catastrophic defeat, the Empire will face an enormous crisis,” one officer argued.
“...”
“Firearms and cannons—they’re defensive weapons, are they not?”

In essence, their stance was clear: defense over offense.

The Fifth Legion officers seemed to have succumbed to fear, behaving as if the turmoil in the southeast or the growing instability in the region were irrelevant to them.

“If the Kingdoms of San Bastian and Paris were to act, Esperia would inevitably be forced to move. Crushing an attacking enemy and then counterattacking would yield better results than striking first, wouldn’t it?”

The possibility of thousands of elven guerrilla troops crossing the border or the orc army consolidating its forces into a greater threat didn’t seem to concern them. Convincing them that these were genuine risks would require more than my current arguments.

The delayed delivery of documents was likely an intentional tactic to weaken my position.

“...”

Volker himself hadn’t voiced a single opinion during the meeting. It was evident that these officers were merely echoing his thoughts.

If this was the game he wanted to play, then I couldn’t afford to remain passive any longer.

Using the hastily delivered documents and the maps provided, I calculated enemy strength, our chances of success, and the costs and benefits of proceeding without the Fifth Legion’s cooperation.

While most evaluations of Volker highlighted his stubbornness, greed, and obsession with prestige, none suggested that he was an incompetent fool. A man with no ability would never have held the position of legion commander for so long.

If I could demonstrate a decisive victory and expose the enemy’s vulnerabilities, Volker would likely be intelligent enough to seize the opportunity.

“Our Fifth Legion...” one officer began.

-Bang!

I stood abruptly, having finished my calculations and reached an overwhelming certainty of success.

“If this is how you intend to proceed!” I declared, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

“Then the Crimson Dragon Legion will bring down the Kingdom of Esperia on its own, without the Fifth Legion’s help.”

I met Volker’s gaze as I spoke in a calm, measured tone. His expression betrayed no emotion, but his silence was deafening.