Church's year 800, the fourteenth day of the seventh month. There had yet to be any elaborations of this day in the "History of Titan's Defending War". Thus, we needed to add it on.
In the morning of the fourteenth day, the day had just brightened. Just like any other day of the summer, the forests, rivers, cities had roused along with the new day. Countless young lives stared at the dome above. They had once thought that …when they were still young, they could walk their journey slowly, as if it was a casual stroll. However, the war was something that was capable of shrinking lives. In the face of war, many things would be considered luxuries, many things could be given up, such as the God of Light, love, dreams and ambitions.
Looking at the silhouettes flying past under the sunlight, they had no regrets. As if nothing had happened, they woke up in the morning and proceeded to fold their lovers' bed sheets, dismantling the long-resided tents, and carried either aluminum trays of helmets, queueing up near the cookhouse to receive their breakfast.
During this moment, the military priests were the busiest bunch. The soldiers of the group had begun to confess one week earlier, as these souls, bound to be thrown onto the battlefield, were desperate for salvation. The priests listened to what every soldier had to say, but they had only spoken one sentence to the men, "the God of Light made it such that the leaves bloom with greenery before spring, and wilt after autumn. This is the essence of life, and if you're willing, such is the same with life as well."
The soldiers then stopped ranting. They gathered together to enjoy their breakfast, and then arranged their weaponry for the ballet again. Many could not take their eyes away from the sparkling armor, shields and weapons which had been polished numerous times. Donning them on their bodies, it was as if they had a caring lover.
"The History of Titan's Defending War" was a historical reading material which the imperial military had assigned the Historical Department of Dulin University to publish. Under normal circumstances, any historical publication would never acknowledge elements of coincidence. In the aspect of the defending war, the contents of the historical publication were largely focused on the impactful events and mighty figures who had been significant during those times. As for Titan, a true history was a combination of certainty and coincidence. If it was said that the major events and those famed individuals had been the factors of the certainties of history, the numerous young people and their respective stories would be the combination of the coincidences of history.
When a rhythm of three long and two short notes sounded from the bugle, the infantry troops fell back into their formation and walked out of the valley, where the cavalry troops lined up into a long queue and stepped out of the woods. The plains of the Shawob River fell silent all of a sudden, with no shouts of the officers, no disturbances of old soldiers, and no performances from the Relief Corps. There were only harmonized footsteps coming from the depths of the plains, all the way to the high-up clouds. Finally, the men were gathered into a compact mass of blackness. Looking from afar, the mass looked just like a forest floating on the horizon, albeit a black one.
What were history's coincidences? On this final battlefield, with more than five hundred thousand military personnel from each force, there were in fact five individuals named Karlchette. This was an example of history's coincidence! This might be a one-sided understanding, but we would only know the details after more thorough explanation. Not only was the opportunity to make history right in front of our eyes, it was also extremely easy to do so.
In the spring of Church's year 797, there was a skinny, timid, poor Second Lieutenant Karlchette Divoli, a pathetic royal who relied on his scholarship of two hundred Golden Ti to enroll into Dulin Imperial Military Academy. His major was the commanding of cavalries.
In the first year of his studies, Second Lieutenant Karlchette had gotten a job at the academy's stable which, paid sixty Ti per hour. Although he was the descendant of royalty, this had been a necessity. Otherwise, he could have never been able to bear the expenses of his studies. It was also because of this job of his that his nothing-for-good peers had called him "groom".
In the following year of his studies, to be honest, Second Lieutenant had gotten tired of it. He was still equally skinny, timid and poor, but life in Imperial Military Academy was even more depressing. There was the shaming from his peers, stress from homework, and troubles from his teachers. It had seemed that the entire world was against him alone. He had once thought of ending his life, but a silver lining had appeared soon enough. He had met a good girl, whose eyes looked like fire. Second Lieutenant Karlchette had fallen deeply in love with her, enchanted by her charms, and had been willing to sacrifice everything for her.
However, Karlchette had never brought up the matter to her. She was the daughter of a General, and had been surrounded by numerous handsome, wealthy and young students. What about Karlchette? He understood himself too well, he was weak, timid and poor. Other than the few excellent performances in his academics, he was useless.
The God of Light praised love. Just when the situations at the Riel territories had become grave, the military had relayed its orders! Every soldier of the Imperial Military Academy between the age of eighteen to forty-five had to be prepared to enter the war any moment. On the farewell party of a General, Karlchette had a dance with the girl who had occupied his mind. His dance steps had been extremely disorganized, and the girl frowned upon this. Nevertheless, he had finally spoken. He had not confessed his admiration and longing for the girl, but instead, the sensitive lad had recited a poem which he had written himself to the girl along the melodies of the dance song.
The girl may have already forgotten most of the contents of the poem, because she had been deeply touched by one of the many lines. Karlchette said, "Your eyes are like fire. Only you, when my days of passionate youth are no more, can light me up like charcoal!"
When the ball had ended, and the Guards' Second Lieutenant had begun a relationship. They had often strolled in the outskirts near the academy, and hugged in the lavender garden of the academy … in year 800, in the last few weeks before graduation, Karlchette, who had obtained excellent grades in nine subjects out of ten, had been promoted to a Major of the cavalries. He had strong desire to marry the girl, only to be rejected firmly by her. She said, "I want to finish my studies. You're not possibly having the same mindset as my father that women's academic qualifications are ridiculous, are you?"
Karlchette immediately shook his head, "No way! I respect your decision!"
The young Major of the Guards then hid the golden ring, of which he had spent his entire savings of four years on. Nevertheless, he still used one last trick of a soldier. He said to the girl, "You know that you might not be able to see me anymore, we must leave some memories in our hearts. This separation of ours can be several years, or even forever!"
Karlchette's words had been so touching that the girl had been moved. When night time had come, the girl opened the windows of the bedroom for her lover. Then, the inevitable had happened.
In the morning of the fourteenth day, the seventh month of Church's year 800, Major Karlchette Divoli had confirmed his battlefield code number and the coordinates, just like any other Battlefield Commander who was a part of the final battle. His code number was 61933, which meant the third regiment, third division, nineteenth cavalry corp of the sixth column: his coordinate was 49.7, which meant the 49-meter-tall hill at the left wing of the central battlefield. His mission was to conquer the 49.7 highland before his enemies could do so during the advancement of his column. This was to clear a path for the frontlines of the ninth and tenth column.
In the morning meeting, the Column Commander handed a piece of the Golden Lion Flag to Karlchette.
After that, the Commander said no more. However, Major Karlchette was well aware. He and his cavalry troops would be the first to enter the battlefield. Each and every one of his actions would contribute to the paths of the following attack groups.
When the meeting had ended, the Commander of the Sixth Column asked Karlchette alone to stay back. He patted the young man on his shoulder, and pointed at the national flag in the Major's hand, "Do you know? This flag is capable of strengthening your team's offensive prowess by three to four folds!"
Karlchette seemed to not have paid attention to the words of the Column Commander. He hesitated to speak, and was timid as usual.
"As the first person to strike, is it true that I can name the 49.7 highland?"
"That's right!" the Column Commander nodded in confirmation, this was an unwritten norm of the Titan armies, "What do you want to call it?"
Karlchette straightened his body and saluted at the Commander, "General, when we're going to commence our advancement tomorrow, I'll be awaiting your inspection at the Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl!"
Words of Karlchette's Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl had spread fast among the third column of the left-wing group of the Guards, as the location was the central spot of the left-wing battlefield. Nevertheless, those who had met Karlchette would never mind such a thing. They all asked the young Major, "How's the Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl?"
Major Karlchette smiled shyly, "She had come over from Dulin last week, and then the military priest had hosted our wedding ceremony. She … she's pregnant!"
The people said, "Wow! Congratulations! It looks like the Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl is fated to be yours!"
At the center-most position of the battlefield, Marshal Vann Hewitt Alan, the Commander of the Guards, had gathered the forces of five columns for the huge formation of ten infantry corps and five cavalry corps. There was a spearman named Karlchette Monroe among the ranks. As a top-ranking soldier who had served the military for seven years, spearman Karlchette had been wondering. If he happened to be able to survive this war, he could rise to the rank of Second Lieutenant, judging by his experiences. With that, he would have a stable income, and if he were to save up these incomes for three to five years, he would be able to donate a gate carved with religious decals to the small church in his hometown. Then … his father and mother would no longer feel ashamed in front of the priest.
The spearman Karlchette's thirtieth birthday had just passed. He had a pair of muscular hips, and there were either muscles or fats on his body. The menacing brute should have been assigned to the Commando Team of Ax Battalion as all his subordinates had been saying that he could knock the Western bastards to death with just his biceps.
However, Karlchette simply loved his gun. His gun had been by his side during the times he had killed the royal knights of Riel. It had also accompanied him in all his journeys, all the way to the huge group comprising of countless spearmen.
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Karlchette surveyed his surroundings, and had gotten close to his fellow soldiers within the short span. Although he looked menacing on the outside, those who had known him all knew that the spearman of a carpenter's origin was in fact soft-hearted, talkative and kind.
"Big brother!" the warriors in his team all called Karlchette like that. Sometimes, even the officers would even address him so. As Karlchette was an easy-going person and had forged great relationships with many, even a mere movement of his gun could entrance the people. The Column Commander called Karlchette to come to him after spectating the practices, "So you're big brother Karlchette? Now this is something!"
Karlchette was never the type to be self-conceited just because of his seniority. Whenever he was not practicing, he would hide himself in his little shelter and focus on his wooden carvings. He had a way with handicraft. After he had completed a masterpiece, he pulled his warriors inside, and said to them, "How's this? How's this? Won't it be amazing if it's embedded onto the church's lattice door?"
This was the only wish of spearman Karlchette. When he was confessing to the priest, he had brought along all the comrades he was familiar with, and ordered them to vow in front of the God. If he had died, his comrades must bring his wooden carvings back to his hometown, and the village's priest must select one of the carvings no matter what.
The great war was approaching. Since Karlchette was not a military officer, he was much more relaxed. However, his jokes were no longer able to satisfy the likes of his fellow warriors. Everyone had their heads lowered, and occasionally swept their gazes across the faraway battlefield. Big brother Karlchette was never fond of this type of atmosphere, and said to the warriors, "How about this! Everyone, write down your wishes, and store them with me. After the war has ended, you can take them back."
The bored soldiers did not want to disappoint their big brother who was so excited. They had all only written down simple words and brief sentences, and handed them over to Karlchette. Karlchette was naturally delighted by this as it meant that his warriors all trusted him. He said, "Since all of you know my wishes, let me see yours too!"
Karlchette came to a discovery that all his men's wishes were very simple. Some desired to continue their secondary studies, some wanted to confess to the girl next door, others dreamt of becoming wealthy after the war, and some … had more absurd wishes – not having to pay taxes to the empire anymore! Will this even be possible?
According to the unified arrangements of the battle, spearman Karchette was assigned to the team with the code alphabet B, which was also the Third Regiment, First Division, Eight Infantry Corp of the Fourth Column. His Regimental Commander had located him among the bunch of soldiers when the team had assembled. In front of all the warriors, Karlchette's Regimental Commander grabbed his shoulder, "Big brother, you're the best among the men here. If I fall, you'll continue to lead our fellow men forward!"
"To where?" Karlchette scratched his head.
His Regimental Commander stared at the faraway horizon, and opened up a scroll which had been sent by the Military Intelligence Bureau Control Center. A military flag-like image had been drawn on the paper.
"The Kingdom of Faran's Fifteenth Infantry Corp, if you happen to see anyone waving this piece of flag in front of your eyes, don't hesitate. Lead your brothers forward, and destroy it into pieces."
Karlchette nodded firmly. He was an excellent carpenter, and was most familiar with distinguishing patterns and lines.
Morod Karlchette retracted his stare and rubbed his palms. Soon enough, he felt some heat within them. Advance toward that military flag! Nothing could be easier!
It was already noon. Compared with the warriors who had been enduring the harsh sunlight on the faraway battlefield, Sergeant Morod Karlchette was much more comfortable. He guarded a small hut alone, silently and loyally. There was also a jug of old wine at the corner. Dust, spider webs and ashes, these were the things that Morod Karlchette had been facing every day. As a local, he had been specially transferred here by the Military Intelligence Bureau Control Center. It was not because of his handful of tricks up his sleeves, but his understanding of the weather around the areas of the Hetto Plains. Just like those second-rate articles on the newspapers and magazines, Morod Karlchette had to report the weather forecasts to the entire offensive army group. Even if it did not match his physique at all, he was willing to accept the fact that his superior was used to calling him "Robin".
On the plains which were connected to the downstream of Shawob River, the God of Light had granted the majestic mountains and rivers of Titan with many magical natural phenomena. However, Sergeant Morod Karlchette had his eyes on two kinds of mystical phenomena most of the time, namely the "tearing rain" and "vast rainbow"
The rainwaters at the areas of the streams were extremely peculiar. The rain clouds here did not cover up the entire sky and sun. Instead, it rained in chunks and clusters. Most of the time, rain would descend in the West, the sun would set in the South, the wind would howl in the North, and a rainbow would appear in the East. Standing on the old hut's rooftop where the Sergeant of the Guards was, the entire great plains would be within one's scope of vision. The group of warriors of the Guards had painted the sky with motley colors. Just like the exterior of a strange animal, the guns were the hairs while the armors were the blood and flesh.
Morod Karlchette retracted his gaze, and rubbed his palms against each other. Soon enough, his hands felt hot.
Looking at the sky again, oh God of Light, there was not a single cloud.
The Corporal guessed that he would not be seeing the "tearing rain" and "vast rainbow" today.
Just like the literal definition of its name, the "tearing rain" would tear the sky apart whenever it rained. Beneath the vast sky, there would be chunks of concentrated black rain clouds here. The blue sky would appear as if it were littered with dirt stains or it was an old shirt drenched in black ink. Either way, when the "tearing rain" showered the Hetto Plains, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. Only the constantly moving rainwater was unpredictable.
As for the "vast rainbow", Morod Karlchette brought his palms together, thank the God of Light! Although the "vast rainbow" was the by-product of "tearing rain", it was much more magnificent than the few swipes of ink on the sky. When the "tearing rain" had transformed into fine streams or when it had finally vanished, numerous rainbows appeared at the sky above the Hetto Plains which had been visited by the rain and clouds. This might be due to the sunlight, or even the air current. Karlchette had in fact calculated before and had come to a conclusion that the numbers of both the rainbow and rainclouds would never be equal. It was if the God of Light just drew on the sky casually with his painting brush.
Thus … the magnificent rainbows were arranged in rows, formed teams, effectively forming countless colorful bridges beneath the sky. Some of the rainbows stretched past the faraway streams while some ended in the nearby forests. During this moment, the hot and humid air above the ground of the fields would become alive, and the mountains and streams of this area would be enveloped in a faint layer of mist.
A group of knights in dazzling armor rushed upward from the woods to the highland where the hut was situated. Morod Karlchette immediately ran out from the hut. He only had a registrar and a correspondent with him, but these two were nowhere to be seen at this moment. Thus, he would have to welcome the big shot coming from the direction of Jebron.
Corporal Morod Karlchette pulled on the horse for the old man. He sized up the elderly man with white mustache and silver hair questioningly. He thought that he had met the person somewhere else.
"Corporal! I want a glass of water!" the Commander of the Guards smiled at the soldier who had appeared out of nowhere.
Morod was stunned momentarily. Eventually, he noticed the person's military name tag, "Silver-haired Marshal? Silver-haired Marshal?"
"Oh my God of Light!" the Corporal exclaimed in shock. His sudden salute had surprised even the Marshal's combat horse. Alan chuckled, got down from the horse and left the white, plump horse of pure Arabian breed at the grass.
"Alright Corporal, I'm only asking for a glass of water from you."
Morod Karlchette scurried into his old house like a porcupine, and rushed out like a bull. He scooped a big portion of cold water, but much had overflowed due to his haste.
"Reporting, Marshal! Oh no! Reporting Supreme Commander, the water is here!" Morod paused and straightened his body. Some of the well water in the scoop flowed out again, and had almost splashed onto the Marshal's body. The Corporal had really almost gotten himself into some trouble.
Alan took the scoop, and poured the water into his mouth. The old Marshal stretched his body, the long journey had almost broken his spine.
"What are you doing here?"
The Corporal immediately bowed, "Reporting, Marshal. This is my observatory posting!"
Alan surveyed the surroundings with skepticism, "This place still far from the battlefield, what exactly are you observing?"
The Corporal bowed again, "Reporting Marshal, I'm observing the weather! This was a direct order to me from the Scheduling Officer of the Military Intelligence Bureau Control Center.""Oh …" Alan moaned, "So you're that … that robin?"
Karlchette smiled shyly, he noticed that Marshal Alan was grinning too.
"I must thank you, Robin!" the Marshal of the Guards handed the water scoop back to the devoted warrior. "Your weather reports have been very accurate. It's all thanks to you that we've managed to prevent some of our valuable war resources from being drenched in the rain!" Alan pointed at the honorary medal on the Corporal's chest, "I still remember this award, I've issued myself!"
Morod Karlchette could only respond to the Marshal's words with his best military saluting posture, he had never imagined that he could meet the Supreme Commander of the Guards in the small abandoned corner which had been forgotten by most. This was somehow a great motivation for him.
"Robin! What do you think of the weather now?" Alan raised his head, his gaze as clear as the sky.
"Reporting, Marshal …" the Corporal contemplated his choice of words with utmost caution, "I've been born and raised here before I've joined the military, and the men in our family had never missed the farming seasons! According to my past experiences, this should be the time when the water flow in the Hetto Plains is the greatest, but …"
"It has only rained once since the middle of the sixth month!" Alan scrunched his brows. Although his tone sounded like he was ranting, he did not dare to ask for more from the God of Light. The faraway God had been treating him quite well; the enemies had stepped foot into the greatest military trap in the entire history of the Western armies, and the little friend of his had already confirmed the final strategies and targets of the Offensive Army Group Two. Everything had been slanting toward his side of victory, and he felt that he should no longer be complaining about anything.
"But … the Hoillander have cannons! Have you heard it? Cannon fires!" Alan retracted his gaze from the sky, and turned toward the "Robin" who stood in a daze.
"Yes Marshal, I've heard of it!" Morod Karlchette nodded his head repeatedly, "The bullets of the cannons are huge, and they are capable of blowing up the ground into a massive crater!" he spoke while he flailed his limbs happily at the Commander.
"That's right …" Alan turned his head away, and stared at the faraway battlefield, "If there's a rain, the artillery troops of the Hoillander won't be able to do much, which means that the casualties of our men will be much lower as well."
Morod Karlchette moved his lips, and said, "Marshal … tomorrow! We still have tomorrow, and I believe that it'll definitely rain the next day!"
Upon hearing this, Alan got excited, "Are you sure?"
The Corporal bit his lips in caution, and did not say anything else for half of the day.
Alan turned his head away in defeat, "You're not sure, are you?" However, Silver Fox immediately lifted his spirits again. If he were to surrender the entire fate of the battle to the God of Light, he would not be the Commander of the Guards, comprising approximately eight hundred thousand men.
The old Marshal poked hard at the soldier's chest, "Corporal! You must regain your spirits! We can still win even if there's no rainwater! It's not that the crops are your comrades, your fellow men can still emerge victorious even without water, let's pray for them!"
Right after he had finished saying what he had to say, Alan hopped onto the horse's back. Then, he saluted at the lonely soldier, "You shall continue to stay guard on your post! You're shouldering an honorable responsibility."
Morod Karlchette quickly responded with his salute, and had only put down his arm when the Marshal's silhouette had disappeared. After his, the Corporal of the Guards went back to his observatory station, and had even ignored the invitations to dinner by the registrar and correspondent.
Karlchette, son of a farmer, had gone to bed early right when the lights were being put off. However, he had gotten up after an hour's rolling in bed. He first ran outside, and dug a deep hole in the field with his sword. Once he felt that the time was right, he grabbed a handful of dirt. But … d*mn it! It did not feel damp at all. Next, Corporal Karlchette ran into the woods, cut a layer of the tree bark with his muddy sword, and threw it into his mouth and chewed hard!
D*mn it! There was not the slightest taste of liquid. Karlchette pondered and pondered, that's right! He snapped his fingers – to pray for rain from the faraway God of Light!
The night had deepened. On the grass fields near the Hetto Plains, flickers of light could be seen. Those were the illumination from the base camp of the Guards. The soldiers sat around the bonfire, their weapons placed nearby. The next day, they would be throwing themselves onto the battlefield, where lives would be slaughtered mercilessly for a fight to the death with the Western invaders. According to what had been written by their Marshal on the military document, the piece of land right before their eyes was the final territory of their country. Once they had stepped foot onto the land, even if they would be showered with blood, they must defend every single inch of it.
Looking at the base camp sparkling like the stars, Corporal Morod Karlchette arranged the tools he required to call upon the God for rain, and kowtowed three times in repetition like how his ancestors had done.
The main door to the restaurant immediately opened. The Special Combat correspondent was receiving a drumstick from the cooks, and then … the Corporal of the Guards took off his armor, leaving his upper body naked. He then cleared his throat, and sing and danced around the bonfire and offerings … he sang the ancient song which was meant for the worshipping of Gods, and danced a traditional dance to pray to the God for rain.
"In the middle of the night … has he lost his mind?" the old man stared at the door being knocked on, and started ranting.
"I'm coming!" the old man with a friendly demeanor responded by opening the door, but he was also taking every step with caution. The days recently were not peaceful at all, and it had been said that the battles of the Western peasants had already reached the cities outside the province.
Through the slight opening of the door, the old man sized up the man with utmost caution. To his surprise, he saw a knight who simply looked terrified.
Little Karlchette lowered its head, and its master had leapt down from his back, thank the heavens! It had been running and running for the whole day, and now it could finally have the chance to rest.
Light leaked from the gaps in the door. Little Karlchette did not know what its master and the old man were talking about, he had always been guessing. Right now, it was guessing that its master was saying, do you have any carrots and good-quality black beans? The old man replied, of course! I've long prepared them for your wonderful horse! Little Karlchette let out a breath with saliva dripping from its mouth, hehe! Green grass mixed with carrots and black beans! How great it'll be!
Its master returned from the door. He was an aged knight, the aging of his days apparent on his face, and only his eyes were shining with liveliness.
"Heh! Karlchette, my little buddy! Go to the side to drink some water, and don't you run off anywhere!"
"Don't run off … don't run off!" Karlchette analyzed its master's lips in detail. It seemed that its master only knew how to say the expression, as if it was a degenerate combat horse. Did its master not understand it? Even if there was no green grass, no black beans, no carrots, Karlchette, who had been born in Abedoly Military Stable, would never simply leave its master behind, except if its master could no longer lift the whip.
Karlchette puffed out a breath, and moved its body tiringly to rest under the two towering Banyan trees. Its line of thought wandered to many areas, including its mother's milk, the elation when it had ran for the first time, and the great Rayshure, it was a huge fellow! While Rayshure existed, Karlchette would never have imagined itself to be able to be favored by Daisy.
Daisy was the beauty recognized by the entire Special Combat Brigade, but it just loved to stay around the huge black fellow. The combat horses in the team called it "Little Cheapling" because the big black fellow simply did not pay any attention to Daisy. However, Karlchette did not hold the same opinions. When Rayshure had bid farewell to Daisy yesterday, Daisy had kissed it on its neck, which made him circle around in delight! Anyway, Daisy would always be the loveliest beauty, but … it would be better if Rayshure was not there!
After the battle at the Central Highlands of Boudesdorf, Massimi had been promoted to the Major's Liaison Officer by his Commander. He would be in-charge of the contact and communication between the Special Combat Brigade One and the Military Intelligence Bureau, and would also be responsible for all diplomatic affairs of the brigade. These job scopes resulted in Massimi leaving the battlefield completely, and most of his tasks were being carried out in his office. Although his injuries had been the factor to all of these, he was still harboring slight dissatisfaction.
Just like right now, Massimi had to stop while passing through Bomska Town. He still recalled what Staff Sergeant Luiqi had said to him on Boudesdorf Mountain, "My home is at Bomska, go and tell Barya when you're free. Don't wait anymore …" Massimi patted his combat horse. Little Karlchette lifted its head impatiently. "How I miss the older days of battle!" the Major's Liaison Officer let out a sigh. Next, he saw the gates to the residence being opened completely, and noticed an elegant lady standing at the gate shyly.
"Barya?"
"Yes!"
Massimi took off his helmet and held it in his hand, "I'm sorry, you were waiting for Staff Sergeant Luiqi's news the whole time …"
Little Karlchette tilted its head. Even though its "horse eyes", the lady standing beneath the sunlight was also very pretty. Now, this was its master's mistake, how could he make the beautiful lady cry in so much pain?
Little Karlchette still saw its master handing over a package to the lady's hands. The combat horse understood that it was a set of destroyed armor within. With the thing sitting on its butt, it had been tortured for the entire day.
Right then, the lady cried even harder. Little Karlchette turned its head away. It did not understand humans, and it only knew that humans were weak and vulnerable beings. Moreover … they were not as strong as it, and of course could not run as fast as it could.
Massimi left the crying girl behind. He had already completed what his comrade had asked him to do, and he did not wish to linger at the place any longer. Little Karlchette cursed lowly, and let out a puff after its master leapt onto its back. If it was capable of speaking, It would definitely lash out strings of complaints at Massimi, did he not see that its legs were about to go numb? Did he not know that it was about to pee?
Feeling the lashes of the whips, Little Karlchette raised its four hooves in defeat, and placed his hopes in the next destination. Green grass, carrots and black beans! If the great beauty Daisy was at its side, it would be perfect!
Little Karlchette continued running in the dark. While it had no idea of its exact destination, it could only do its best to continue forth. The moonlight showered its muscles, shimmering along his greenish grey body lines. It was panting, moaning, and was spitting saliva. Many a times he had thoughts of giving up like his other lazy comrades, lying on the ground, not moving an inch even if they were being pushed or whipped. However, Little Karlchette was a high-quality breed of the Abedoly Military Stable, it was an exclusive possession of the Imperial guards, and it would never do anything harmful to the soldiers.
Just like that, Little Karlchette kept on running, and running, even without its master's lashing and shouts! Finally, when the day had just risen, Little Karlchette had reached Saint Hailey!
Massimi slowed down his partner's speed on the roads of the small town. He caressed Little Karlchette's neck, coming into contact with a handful of chilly, cold sweat.
"Tailor Winehouse!" the Major of the Guards sized up the small restaurant which had just been established, he just knew that he and his partner would definitely make it on time.
Massimi hopped down from the horse, his Little Karlchette could no longer stand stable. He patted the little fellow who was stubborn but loyal, "Wait for a little longer! A little longer! I'll have the boss of the restaurant to treat you to good food later!"
"It's enough …" Little Karlchette moaned, "I'm bound to live the rest of my life in suffering if I follow you, I surrender! And I've gone numb!"
Massimi turned toward the wooden door of the restaurant. He first knocked thrice, and then in repetition.
The main entrance of the restaurant immediately opened, and what surprised the Special Combat Correspondent was that the one who had opened the door was a woman with heavy makeup. The woman looked at him impatiently, and said to him with a disdained voice, "The brothel is right in front of the street, the tailor? Closed for today."
Massimi quickly followed up, "I'm not looking for the taylor, I just want to have a drink!"
The lady's facial expressions instantly changed. She stepped past Massimi and surveyed the streets outside for a while. Then, she invited the Major of the Guards inside.
"You're finally here! How should I address you?"
"Major Massimi! What about you?"
"Jemica, Operations Branch One."
"Alright Jemica, thank you for everything you've done for the empire! But our time is up! Where's the map?" while speaking, Massimi wiped off the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves.
At this moment, Little Karlchette was a little displeased, "Damn it, what is this? I've been running around with my life just to carry you around for you to hang out with women? Why don't you just trap me in the stable with Daisy instead?"
Jemica lit the oil lamp, and started searching in the cupboards where the wine glasses were being placed. Then, she produced a sheet of cow-skin paper. Massimi immediately got near the oil lamp, while Jemica pointed at a specific location after opening the map.
"Right here! This is the only station the Red Tigers can pass through without any obstacles!"
Massimi shook his head, "No! It's impossible! If we are to use this route to head to the harbor … I'm afraid there'll be a delay of an hour to our pre-planned time of attack."
"It's forty-nine minutes. I've headed there myself by horse, and the latest I've arrived was only forty-nine minutes late!"
Massimi was still shaking his head, "Jemica, your bravery is indeed impressive, but we can't go through this route! Many things can happen within a few minutes, and the war can definitely not tolerate a delay of forty-nine minutes!
Jemica seemed troubled. Hints of concern was apparent on her heavily-made up facial features, "But … you should understand. Those bastards from the West have set up military forces of two corps in the compounds near the harbor, and there's an additional corp right at the harbor itself. If the Red Tigers are to go through that highway, it'll be impossible for them to make it on time to their assigned locations. They will be blocked by the fortress guards on the highway. His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil and his Offensive Army Group Two can make it on time, but I know that it'll be impossible."
Massimi clutched his messy hair, it seemed that there was really no good option! Would the Red Tigers accept the delay?
At this moment … movements of horses sounded from outside. Jemica quickly blew off the lamp, while Massimi had already unsheathed his dagger after keeping the map. Although his shoulders were still hurting, he did not have the luxury to be concerned of the pain.
Street lights illuminated in the town, the Western invaders set the restaurants on fire, the alcohol burning maniacally. Massimi starred at the corpses lying limply at the sid, he did not expect for the young Jemica to just cut down the people before confirming their identity.
The invaders outside the door were screaming in an insane manner. Massimi could not see clearly how many people they had. He had only thought of a plan.
Litle Karlchette was a smart fellow. It first alerted its master, and then proceeded to hide itself under a safe roof. All of a sudden, a stranger pulled on its whip. The sensitive Karlchette sensed that the person before it was not friendly at all. The swinging blade in his hand was circling under its neck, giving off a chilling atmosphere.
Is that my master's whistle blow? Karlchette only hesitated for half a second before it responded. It first stood up on its two hind legs, and pulled on the whip connected to the ill-intentioned human before it. Karlchette had been waiting for this opening, it thrashed its hoofs with great force onto the fool's chest, and then ran toward the direction of the whistle blow.
Massimi broke through the window. Noticing that Little Karlchette heading toward the crowded area, he thought that his little partner was intelligent. The Major of the Guards rolled on the ground, and came to the side of his partner with a leap. He successfully hid the map in Little Karlchette's saddle, "Hey! Little guy! Why are you still stunned? Go and find your partners!"
Little Karlchette stared at its master anxiously, why had he still not leapt onto him? Although they were surrounded by the glimmering reflections of the military weapons, Little Karlchette was perfectly confident that it would be able to make a breakthrough! It was a valuable asset of Titan's Imperial Guards. Other than its master, no one could move of take it away!
Massimi was gradually losing his patience. He knew that his partner was a genius and it could definitely find its way home. If both of them were to stick together, they would not have any hopes of getting out.
"Go!"
Is this my master's dagger? Little Karlchette let out a sorrowful moan, its master had never released his temper, but now, he was pointing a knife at its butt! Little Karlchette was very disappointed and angry! As a result, it lifted its hoofs and fled the scene!
"Hehe!" Massimi chuckled. He knew that these invaders would not mind the disappearance of a horse. Well then … the Major of the Guards who had brushed past death multiple times raised his dagger. Although he had been completely detached from the battle formation, a true warrior would always find his worth in the battlefield.
A bucket of cold water poured from above his head. The Major opened his eyes slowly.
"Nice to meet you!" a youngster donned in black and red military uniform of the Faran army walked toward Massimi.
"My fellow colleague! How are you? Allow me to introduce myself, I'm the warzone commissioner assigned by the Faran Kingdom's Investigative Committee, you can call me Colonel Karlchette."
"Karlchette?" Massimi doubted his hearing. Nevertheless, he just spit a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground, "Damned bastard, can't you see that I've fallen asleep?"
The Major of the Guards who was serving the Intelligence Unit of "Aragon" shook his head softly. He had experienced the brute forces of the Titans, but there had not been many who would just swear right off the bat! In his impressions … the Titan's royalties were very polite, while the civilians lived without complaints.
Colonel Karlchette gave the prisoner a mocking look. He was the star student who had graduated from the Kingdom of Faran's Eighth Military University, and the fact that the Titans were gathering information of the battlefield could never slip past his supervision undetected. After stationing for half a month, it was time to retreat, but the timing was slightly late! Wasn't the day about to brighten? The primary forces of the enemies on the Shawob river bank had most probably advanced toward the battlefield.
"I've only one question, answer me, what are the plans of His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette?"
Massimi spared a glance at the young Colonel, and spit saliva onto the ground one again, "I've only one answer! Massimi McLenny, Major of the Guards, Military Intelligence Bureau of Titan Empire."
The bastard Karlchette gave the Titan officer a taste of his fist. As a result, Massimi let out a heart-wrenching cry. Even though he had used all his might to endure the pain, he could do nothing to stop the eruption of moans.
Karlchette grabbed a fistful of Massimi's hair, and the gaze of the Colonel of the Guards met with that of the Karlchette. The Faran stared at him for a while, and knocked his forehead on the table corner.
In the face of the prisoner's screams, Kalchette seemed to be mumbling to himself, "I've investigated your Commander, Vann Hewitt Alan, right before the war. I've also studied extensively the formations made by Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette. I think … they won't invoke a huge war if they didn't have confidence of victory on their side, whereas the geography of Buzeberg Harbor was the deciding factor ... if the Guards close up the gates, the two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers of the allied army opposite the river will then be in great trouble! Thus, I strongly believe that since Marshal Alan is the one who is coordinating the battle, Marshal O'Neil will be acting soon as well. But … the Hoilland King and my colleagues at the Military Command Center did not think that my hypotheses are realistic, as I don't have any evidence."
"Massimi!" Karlchette grabbed the Titan officer's hair hard, and pulled him to face him, "I'm in a rush to gather evidence to persuade my superiors for them to end this war as early as possible! Look at the time, it's five o'clock in the morning right now, and there's still another four hours until the primary forces of both our armies will clash with each other. I've plenty of time to toy with you!"
Massimi looked at the clock. He grinned, red blood flowing from the corner of his mouth when his lips cracked. It was indeed five o'clock in the morning of Church's year 800, fifteenth day of the seventh month. In other words, there was another four hours until the war exploded.
"You imbecile! You're as smart as my little imbecile!" Massimi mocked Karlchette in delight, he could not help himself as he had the same name as his little partner!
"Go on and make your best guesses! Guess what my Marshal will do after these four hours? If you fail to guess, I can enlighten you! He'll cut open your abdomen with a …, and stuff your intestines into your butt …"
Karlchette retreated several steps back, disgusted by his opponent's choice of words. Nevertheless, this was not his first interrogation, the skinny imbecile with triangular eyes signaled for the underlings behind him to come forth.
"Torture him …"
While Massimi's body might have being hung on the torture rack, the warrior's soul was now in the battlefield. Right there, amidst the morning mist, stood hundreds of thousands of bloody bodies clad in iron and steel.
,
Church's year 800, the fourteenth day of the seventh month. There had yet to be any elaborations of this day in the "History of Titan's Defending War". Thus, we needed to add it on.
In the morning of the fourteenth day, the day had just brightened. Just like any other day of the summer, the forests, rivers, cities had roused along with the new day. Countless young lives stared at the dome above. They had once thought that …when they were still young, they could walk their journey slowly, as if it was a casual stroll. However, the war was something that was capable of shrinking lives. In the face of war, many things would be considered luxuries, many things could be given up, such as the God of Light, love, dreams and ambitions.
Looking at the silhouettes flying past under the sunlight, they had no regrets. As if nothing had happened, they woke up in the morning and proceeded to fold their lovers' bed sheets, dismantling the long-resided tents, and carried either aluminum trays of helmets, queueing up near the cookhouse to receive their breakfast.
During this moment, the military priests were the busiest bunch. The soldiers of the group had begun to confess one week earlier, as these souls, bound to be thrown onto the battlefield, were desperate for salvation. The priests listened to what every soldier had to say, but they had only spoken one sentence to the men, "the God of Light made it such that the leaves bloom with greenery before spring, and wilt after autumn. This is the essence of life, and if you're willing, such is the same with life as well."
The soldiers then stopped ranting. They gathered together to enjoy their breakfast, and then arranged their weaponry for the ballet again. Many could not take their eyes away from the sparkling armor, shields and weapons which had been polished numerous times. Donning them on their bodies, it was as if they had a caring lover.
"The History of Titan's Defending War" was a historical reading material which the imperial military had assigned the Historical Department of Dulin University to publish. Under normal circumstances, any historical publication would never acknowledge elements of coincidence. In the aspect of the defending war, the contents of the historical publication were largely focused on the impactful events and mighty figures who had been significant during those times. As for Titan, a true history was a combination of certainty and coincidence. If it was said that the major events and those famed individuals had been the factors of the certainties of history, the numerous young people and their respective stories would be the combination of the coincidences of history.
When a rhythm of three long and two short notes sounded from the bugle, the infantry troops fell back into their formation and walked out of the valley, where the cavalry troops lined up into a long queue and stepped out of the woods. The plains of the Shawob River fell silent all of a sudden, with no shouts of the officers, no disturbances of old soldiers, and no performances from the Relief Corps. There were only harmonized footsteps coming from the depths of the plains, all the way to the high-up clouds. Finally, the men were gathered into a compact mass of blackness. Looking from afar, the mass looked just like a forest floating on the horizon, albeit a black one.
What were history's coincidences? On this final battlefield, with more than five hundred thousand military personnel from each force, there were in fact five individuals named Karlchette. This was an example of history's coincidence! This might be a one-sided understanding, but we would only know the details after more thorough explanation. Not only was the opportunity to make history right in front of our eyes, it was also extremely easy to do so.
In the spring of Church's year 797, there was a skinny, timid, poor Second Lieutenant Karlchette Divoli, a pathetic royal who relied on his scholarship of two hundred Golden Ti to enroll into Dulin Imperial Military Academy. His major was the commanding of cavalries.
In the first year of his studies, Second Lieutenant Karlchette had gotten a job at the academy's stable which, paid sixty Ti per hour. Although he was the descendant of royalty, this had been a necessity. Otherwise, he could have never been able to bear the expenses of his studies. It was also because of this job of his that his nothing-for-good peers had called him "groom".
In the following year of his studies, to be honest, Second Lieutenant had gotten tired of it. He was still equally skinny, timid and poor, but life in Imperial Military Academy was even more depressing. There was the shaming from his peers, stress from homework, and troubles from his teachers. It had seemed that the entire world was against him alone. He had once thought of ending his life, but a silver lining had appeared soon enough. He had met a good girl, whose eyes looked like fire. Second Lieutenant Karlchette had fallen deeply in love with her, enchanted by her charms, and had been willing to sacrifice everything for her.
However, Karlchette had never brought up the matter to her. She was the daughter of a General, and had been surrounded by numerous handsome, wealthy and young students. What about Karlchette? He understood himself too well, he was weak, timid and poor. Other than the few excellent performances in his academics, he was useless.
The God of Light praised love. Just when the situations at the Riel territories had become grave, the military had relayed its orders! Every soldier of the Imperial Military Academy between the age of eighteen to forty-five had to be prepared to enter the war any moment. On the farewell party of a General, Karlchette had a dance with the girl who had occupied his mind. His dance steps had been extremely disorganized, and the girl frowned upon this. Nevertheless, he had finally spoken. He had not confessed his admiration and longing for the girl, but instead, the sensitive lad had recited a poem which he had written himself to the girl along the melodies of the dance song.
The girl may have already forgotten most of the contents of the poem, because she had been deeply touched by one of the many lines. Karlchette said, "Your eyes are like fire. Only you, when my days of passionate youth are no more, can light me up like charcoal!"
When the ball had ended, and the Guards' Second Lieutenant had begun a relationship. They had often strolled in the outskirts near the academy, and hugged in the lavender garden of the academy … in year 800, in the last few weeks before graduation, Karlchette, who had obtained excellent grades in nine subjects out of ten, had been promoted to a Major of the cavalries. He had strong desire to marry the girl, only to be rejected firmly by her. She said, "I want to finish my studies. You're not possibly having the same mindset as my father that women's academic qualifications are ridiculous, are you?"
Karlchette immediately shook his head, "No way! I respect your decision!"
The young Major of the Guards then hid the golden ring, of which he had spent his entire savings of four years on. Nevertheless, he still used one last trick of a soldier. He said to the girl, "You know that you might not be able to see me anymore, we must leave some memories in our hearts. This separation of ours can be several years, or even forever!"
Karlchette's words had been so touching that the girl had been moved. When night time had come, the girl opened the windows of the bedroom for her lover. Then, the inevitable had happened.
In the morning of the fourteenth day, the seventh month of Church's year 800, Major Karlchette Divoli had confirmed his battlefield code number and the coordinates, just like any other Battlefield Commander who was a part of the final battle. His code number was 61933, which meant the third regiment, third division, nineteenth cavalry corp of the sixth column: his coordinate was 49.7, which meant the 49-meter-tall hill at the left wing of the central battlefield. His mission was to conquer the 49.7 highland before his enemies could do so during the advancement of his column. This was to clear a path for the frontlines of the ninth and tenth column.
In the morning meeting, the Column Commander handed a piece of the Golden Lion Flag to Karlchette.
After that, the Commander said no more. However, Major Karlchette was well aware. He and his cavalry troops would be the first to enter the battlefield. Each and every one of his actions would contribute to the paths of the following attack groups.
When the meeting had ended, the Commander of the Sixth Column asked Karlchette alone to stay back. He patted the young man on his shoulder, and pointed at the national flag in the Major's hand, "Do you know? This flag is capable of strengthening your team's offensive prowess by three to four folds!"
Karlchette seemed to not have paid attention to the words of the Column Commander. He hesitated to speak, and was timid as usual.
"As the first person to strike, is it true that I can name the 49.7 highland?"
"That's right!" the Column Commander nodded in confirmation, this was an unwritten norm of the Titan armies, "What do you want to call it?"
Karlchette straightened his body and saluted at the Commander, "General, when we're going to commence our advancement tomorrow, I'll be awaiting your inspection at the Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl!"
Words of Karlchette's Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl had spread fast among the third column of the left-wing group of the Guards, as the location was the central spot of the left-wing battlefield. Nevertheless, those who had met Karlchette would never mind such a thing. They all asked the young Major, "How's the Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl?"
Major Karlchette smiled shyly, "She had come over from Dulin last week, and then the military priest had hosted our wedding ceremony. She … she's pregnant!"
The people said, "Wow! Congratulations! It looks like the Highland of the Fire-Eyed Girl is fated to be yours!"
At the center-most position of the battlefield, Marshal Vann Hewitt Alan, the Commander of the Guards, had gathered the forces of five columns for the huge formation of ten infantry corps and five cavalry corps. There was a spearman named Karlchette Monroe among the ranks. As a top-ranking soldier who had served the military for seven years, spearman Karlchette had been wondering. If he happened to be able to survive this war, he could rise to the rank of Second Lieutenant, judging by his experiences. With that, he would have a stable income, and if he were to save up these incomes for three to five years, he would be able to donate a gate carved with religious decals to the small church in his hometown. Then … his father and mother would no longer feel ashamed in front of the priest.
The spearman Karlchette's thirtieth birthday had just passed. He had a pair of muscular hips, and there were either muscles or fats on his body. The menacing brute should have been assigned to the Commando Team of Ax Battalion as all his subordinates had been saying that he could knock the Western bastards to death with just his biceps.
However, Karlchette simply loved his gun. His gun had been by his side during the times he had killed the royal knights of Riel. It had also accompanied him in all his journeys, all the way to the huge group comprising of countless spearmen.
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Karlchette surveyed his surroundings, and had gotten close to his fellow soldiers within the short span. Although he looked menacing on the outside, those who had known him all knew that the spearman of a carpenter's origin was in fact soft-hearted, talkative and kind.
"Big brother!" the warriors in his team all called Karlchette like that. Sometimes, even the officers would even address him so. As Karlchette was an easy-going person and had forged great relationships with many, even a mere movement of his gun could entrance the people. The Column Commander called Karlchette to come to him after spectating the practices, "So you're big brother Karlchette? Now this is something!"
Karlchette was never the type to be self-conceited just because of his seniority. Whenever he was not practicing, he would hide himself in his little shelter and focus on his wooden carvings. He had a way with handicraft. After he had completed a masterpiece, he pulled his warriors inside, and said to them, "How's this? How's this? Won't it be amazing if it's embedded onto the church's lattice door?"
This was the only wish of spearman Karlchette. When he was confessing to the priest, he had brought along all the comrades he was familiar with, and ordered them to vow in front of the God. If he had died, his comrades must bring his wooden carvings back to his hometown, and the village's priest must select one of the carvings no matter what.
The great war was approaching. Since Karlchette was not a military officer, he was much more relaxed. However, his jokes were no longer able to satisfy the likes of his fellow warriors. Everyone had their heads lowered, and occasionally swept their gazes across the faraway battlefield. Big brother Karlchette was never fond of this type of atmosphere, and said to the warriors, "How about this! Everyone, write down your wishes, and store them with me. After the war has ended, you can take them back."
The bored soldiers did not want to disappoint their big brother who was so excited. They had all only written down simple words and brief sentences, and handed them over to Karlchette. Karlchette was naturally delighted by this as it meant that his warriors all trusted him. He said, "Since all of you know my wishes, let me see yours too!"
Karlchette came to a discovery that all his men's wishes were very simple. Some desired to continue their secondary studies, some wanted to confess to the girl next door, others dreamt of becoming wealthy after the war, and some … had more absurd wishes – not having to pay taxes to the empire anymore! Will this even be possible?
According to the unified arrangements of the battle, spearman Karchette was assigned to the team with the code alphabet B, which was also the Third Regiment, First Division, Eight Infantry Corp of the Fourth Column. His Regimental Commander had located him among the bunch of soldiers when the team had assembled. In front of all the warriors, Karlchette's Regimental Commander grabbed his shoulder, "Big brother, you're the best among the men here. If I fall, you'll continue to lead our fellow men forward!"
"To where?" Karlchette scratched his head.
His Regimental Commander stared at the faraway horizon, and opened up a scroll which had been sent by the Military Intelligence Bureau Control Center. A military flag-like image had been drawn on the paper.
"The Kingdom of Faran's Fifteenth Infantry Corp, if you happen to see anyone waving this piece of flag in front of your eyes, don't hesitate. Lead your brothers forward, and destroy it into pieces."
Karlchette nodded firmly. He was an excellent carpenter, and was most familiar with distinguishing patterns and lines.
Morod Karlchette retracted his stare and rubbed his palms. Soon enough, he felt some heat within them. Advance toward that military flag! Nothing could be easier!
It was already noon. Compared with the warriors who had been enduring the harsh sunlight on the faraway battlefield, Sergeant Morod Karlchette was much more comfortable. He guarded a small hut alone, silently and loyally. There was also a jug of old wine at the corner. Dust, spider webs and ashes, these were the things that Morod Karlchette had been facing every day. As a local, he had been specially transferred here by the Military Intelligence Bureau Control Center. It was not because of his handful of tricks up his sleeves, but his understanding of the weather around the areas of the Hetto Plains. Just like those second-rate articles on the newspapers and magazines, Morod Karlchette had to report the weather forecasts to the entire offensive army group. Even if it did not match his physique at all, he was willing to accept the fact that his superior was used to calling him "Robin".
On the plains which were connected to the downstream of Shawob River, the God of Light had granted the majestic mountains and rivers of Titan with many magical natural phenomena. However, Sergeant Morod Karlchette had his eyes on two kinds of mystical phenomena most of the time, namely the "tearing rain" and "vast rainbow"
The rainwaters at the areas of the streams were extremely peculiar. The rain clouds here did not cover up the entire sky and sun. Instead, it rained in chunks and clusters. Most of the time, rain would descend in the West, the sun would set in the South, the wind would howl in the North, and a rainbow would appear in the East. Standing on the old hut's rooftop where the Sergeant of the Guards was, the entire great plains would be within one's scope of vision. The group of warriors of the Guards had painted the sky with motley colors. Just like the exterior of a strange animal, the guns were the hairs while the armors were the blood and flesh.
Morod Karlchette retracted his gaze, and rubbed his palms against each other. Soon enough, his hands felt hot.
Looking at the sky again, oh God of Light, there was not a single cloud.
The Corporal guessed that he would not be seeing the "tearing rain" and "vast rainbow" today.
Just like the literal definition of its name, the "tearing rain" would tear the sky apart whenever it rained. Beneath the vast sky, there would be chunks of concentrated black rain clouds here. The blue sky would appear as if it were littered with dirt stains or it was an old shirt drenched in black ink. Either way, when the "tearing rain" showered the Hetto Plains, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. Only the constantly moving rainwater was unpredictable.
As for the "vast rainbow", Morod Karlchette brought his palms together, thank the God of Light! Although the "vast rainbow" was the by-product of "tearing rain", it was much more magnificent than the few swipes of ink on the sky. When the "tearing rain" had transformed into fine streams or when it had finally vanished, numerous rainbows appeared at the sky above the Hetto Plains which had been visited by the rain and clouds. This might be due to the sunlight, or even the air current. Karlchette had in fact calculated before and had come to a conclusion that the numbers of both the rainbow and rainclouds would never be equal. It was if the God of Light just drew on the sky casually with his painting brush.
Thus … the magnificent rainbows were arranged in rows, formed teams, effectively forming countless colorful bridges beneath the sky. Some of the rainbows stretched past the faraway streams while some ended in the nearby forests. During this moment, the hot and humid air above the ground of the fields would become alive, and the mountains and streams of this area would be enveloped in a faint layer of mist.
A group of knights in dazzling armor rushed upward from the woods to the highland where the hut was situated. Morod Karlchette immediately ran out from the hut. He only had a registrar and a correspondent with him, but these two were nowhere to be seen at this moment. Thus, he would have to welcome the big shot coming from the direction of Jebron.
Corporal Morod Karlchette pulled on the horse for the old man. He sized up the elderly man with white mustache and silver hair questioningly. He thought that he had met the person somewhere else.
"Corporal! I want a glass of water!" the Commander of the Guards smiled at the soldier who had appeared out of nowhere.
Morod was stunned momentarily. Eventually, he noticed the person's military name tag, "Silver-haired Marshal? Silver-haired Marshal?"
"Oh my God of Light!" the Corporal exclaimed in shock. His sudden salute had surprised even the Marshal's combat horse. Alan chuckled, got down from the horse and left the white, plump horse of pure Arabian breed at the grass.
"Alright Corporal, I'm only asking for a glass of water from you."
Morod Karlchette scurried into his old house like a porcupine, and rushed out like a bull. He scooped a big portion of cold water, but much had overflowed due to his haste.
"Reporting, Marshal! Oh no! Reporting Supreme Commander, the water is here!" Morod paused and straightened his body. Some of the well water in the scoop flowed out again, and had almost splashed onto the Marshal's body. The Corporal had really almost gotten himself into some trouble.
Alan took the scoop, and poured the water into his mouth. The old Marshal stretched his body, the long journey had almost broken his spine.
"What are you doing here?"
The Corporal immediately bowed, "Reporting, Marshal. This is my observatory posting!"
Alan surveyed the surroundings with skepticism, "This place still far from the battlefield, what exactly are you observing?"
The Corporal bowed again, "Reporting Marshal, I'm observing the weather! This was a direct order to me from the Scheduling Officer of the Military Intelligence Bureau Control Center.""Oh …" Alan moaned, "So you're that … that robin?"
Karlchette smiled shyly, he noticed that Marshal Alan was grinning too.
"I must thank you, Robin!" the Marshal of the Guards handed the water scoop back to the devoted warrior. "Your weather reports have been very accurate. It's all thanks to you that we've managed to prevent some of our valuable war resources from being drenched in the rain!" Alan pointed at the honorary medal on the Corporal's chest, "I still remember this award, I've issued myself!"
Morod Karlchette could only respond to the Marshal's words with his best military saluting posture, he had never imagined that he could meet the Supreme Commander of the Guards in the small abandoned corner which had been forgotten by most. This was somehow a great motivation for him.
"Robin! What do you think of the weather now?" Alan raised his head, his gaze as clear as the sky.
"Reporting, Marshal …" the Corporal contemplated his choice of words with utmost caution, "I've been born and raised here before I've joined the military, and the men in our family had never missed the farming seasons! According to my past experiences, this should be the time when the water flow in the Hetto Plains is the greatest, but …"
"It has only rained once since the middle of the sixth month!" Alan scrunched his brows. Although his tone sounded like he was ranting, he did not dare to ask for more from the God of Light. The faraway God had been treating him quite well; the enemies had stepped foot into the greatest military trap in the entire history of the Western armies, and the little friend of his had already confirmed the final strategies and targets of the Offensive Army Group Two. Everything had been slanting toward his side of victory, and he felt that he should no longer be complaining about anything.
"But … the Hoillander have cannons! Have you heard it? Cannon fires!" Alan retracted his gaze from the sky, and turned toward the "Robin" who stood in a daze.
"Yes Marshal, I've heard of it!" Morod Karlchette nodded his head repeatedly, "The bullets of the cannons are huge, and they are capable of blowing up the ground into a massive crater!" he spoke while he flailed his limbs happily at the Commander.
"That's right …" Alan turned his head away, and stared at the faraway battlefield, "If there's a rain, the artillery troops of the Hoillander won't be able to do much, which means that the casualties of our men will be much lower as well."
Morod Karlchette moved his lips, and said, "Marshal … tomorrow! We still have tomorrow, and I believe that it'll definitely rain the next day!"
Upon hearing this, Alan got excited, "Are you sure?"
The Corporal bit his lips in caution, and did not say anything else for half of the day.
Alan turned his head away in defeat, "You're not sure, are you?" However, Silver Fox immediately lifted his spirits again. If he were to surrender the entire fate of the battle to the God of Light, he would not be the Commander of the Guards, comprising approximately eight hundred thousand men.
The old Marshal poked hard at the soldier's chest, "Corporal! You must regain your spirits! We can still win even if there's no rainwater! It's not that the crops are your comrades, your fellow men can still emerge victorious even without water, let's pray for them!"
Right after he had finished saying what he had to say, Alan hopped onto the horse's back. Then, he saluted at the lonely soldier, "You shall continue to stay guard on your post! You're shouldering an honorable responsibility."
Morod Karlchette quickly responded with his salute, and had only put down his arm when the Marshal's silhouette had disappeared. After his, the Corporal of the Guards went back to his observatory station, and had even ignored the invitations to dinner by the registrar and correspondent.
Karlchette, son of a farmer, had gone to bed early right when the lights were being put off. However, he had gotten up after an hour's rolling in bed. He first ran outside, and dug a deep hole in the field with his sword. Once he felt that the time was right, he grabbed a handful of dirt. But … d*mn it! It did not feel damp at all. Next, Corporal Karlchette ran into the woods, cut a layer of the tree bark with his muddy sword, and threw it into his mouth and chewed hard!
D*mn it! There was not the slightest taste of liquid. Karlchette pondered and pondered, that's right! He snapped his fingers – to pray for rain from the faraway God of Light!
The night had deepened. On the grass fields near the Hetto Plains, flickers of light could be seen. Those were the illumination from the base camp of the Guards. The soldiers sat around the bonfire, their weapons placed nearby. The next day, they would be throwing themselves onto the battlefield, where lives would be slaughtered mercilessly for a fight to the death with the Western invaders. According to what had been written by their Marshal on the military document, the piece of land right before their eyes was the final territory of their country. Once they had stepped foot onto the land, even if they would be showered with blood, they must defend every single inch of it.
Looking at the base camp sparkling like the stars, Corporal Morod Karlchette arranged the tools he required to call upon the God for rain, and kowtowed three times in repetition like how his ancestors had done.
The main door to the restaurant immediately opened. The Special Combat correspondent was receiving a drumstick from the cooks, and then … the Corporal of the Guards took off his armor, leaving his upper body naked. He then cleared his throat, and sing and danced around the bonfire and offerings … he sang the ancient song which was meant for the worshipping of Gods, and danced a traditional dance to pray to the God for rain.
"In the middle of the night … has he lost his mind?" the old man stared at the door being knocked on, and started ranting.
"I'm coming!" the old man with a friendly demeanor responded by opening the door, but he was also taking every step with caution. The days recently were not peaceful at all, and it had been said that the battles of the Western peasants had already reached the cities outside the province.
Through the slight opening of the door, the old man sized up the man with utmost caution. To his surprise, he saw a knight who simply looked terrified.
Little Karlchette lowered its head, and its master had leapt down from his back, thank the heavens! It had been running and running for the whole day, and now it could finally have the chance to rest.
Light leaked from the gaps in the door. Little Karlchette did not know what its master and the old man were talking about, he had always been guessing. Right now, it was guessing that its master was saying, do you have any carrots and good-quality black beans? The old man replied, of course! I've long prepared them for your wonderful horse! Little Karlchette let out a breath with saliva dripping from its mouth, hehe! Green grass mixed with carrots and black beans! How great it'll be!
Its master returned from the door. He was an aged knight, the aging of his days apparent on his face, and only his eyes were shining with liveliness.
"Heh! Karlchette, my little buddy! Go to the side to drink some water, and don't you run off anywhere!"
"Don't run off … don't run off!" Karlchette analyzed its master's lips in detail. It seemed that its master only knew how to say the expression, as if it was a degenerate combat horse. Did its master not understand it? Even if there was no green grass, no black beans, no carrots, Karlchette, who had been born in Abedoly Military Stable, would never simply leave its master behind, except if its master could no longer lift the whip.
Karlchette puffed out a breath, and moved its body tiringly to rest under the two towering Banyan trees. Its line of thought wandered to many areas, including its mother's milk, the elation when it had ran for the first time, and the great Rayshure, it was a huge fellow! While Rayshure existed, Karlchette would never have imagined itself to be able to be favored by Daisy.
Daisy was the beauty recognized by the entire Special Combat Brigade, but it just loved to stay around the huge black fellow. The combat horses in the team called it "Little Cheapling" because the big black fellow simply did not pay any attention to Daisy. However, Karlchette did not hold the same opinions. When Rayshure had bid farewell to Daisy yesterday, Daisy had kissed it on its neck, which made him circle around in delight! Anyway, Daisy would always be the loveliest beauty, but … it would be better if Rayshure was not there!
After the battle at the Central Highlands of Boudesdorf, Massimi had been promoted to the Major's Liaison Officer by his Commander. He would be in-charge of the contact and communication between the Special Combat Brigade One and the Military Intelligence Bureau, and would also be responsible for all diplomatic affairs of the brigade. These job scopes resulted in Massimi leaving the battlefield completely, and most of his tasks were being carried out in his office. Although his injuries had been the factor to all of these, he was still harboring slight dissatisfaction.
Just like right now, Massimi had to stop while passing through Bomska Town. He still recalled what Staff Sergeant Luiqi had said to him on Boudesdorf Mountain, "My home is at Bomska, go and tell Barya when you're free. Don't wait anymore …" Massimi patted his combat horse. Little Karlchette lifted its head impatiently. "How I miss the older days of battle!" the Major's Liaison Officer let out a sigh. Next, he saw the gates to the residence being opened completely, and noticed an elegant lady standing at the gate shyly.
"Barya?"
"Yes!"
Massimi took off his helmet and held it in his hand, "I'm sorry, you were waiting for Staff Sergeant Luiqi's news the whole time …"
Little Karlchette tilted its head. Even though its "horse eyes", the lady standing beneath the sunlight was also very pretty. Now, this was its master's mistake, how could he make the beautiful lady cry in so much pain?
Little Karlchette still saw its master handing over a package to the lady's hands. The combat horse understood that it was a set of destroyed armor within. With the thing sitting on its butt, it had been tortured for the entire day.
Right then, the lady cried even harder. Little Karlchette turned its head away. It did not understand humans, and it only knew that humans were weak and vulnerable beings. Moreover … they were not as strong as it, and of course could not run as fast as it could.
Massimi left the crying girl behind. He had already completed what his comrade had asked him to do, and he did not wish to linger at the place any longer. Little Karlchette cursed lowly, and let out a puff after its master leapt onto its back. If it was capable of speaking, It would definitely lash out strings of complaints at Massimi, did he not see that its legs were about to go numb? Did he not know that it was about to pee?
Feeling the lashes of the whips, Little Karlchette raised its four hooves in defeat, and placed his hopes in the next destination. Green grass, carrots and black beans! If the great beauty Daisy was at its side, it would be perfect!
Little Karlchette continued running in the dark. While it had no idea of its exact destination, it could only do its best to continue forth. The moonlight showered its muscles, shimmering along his greenish grey body lines. It was panting, moaning, and was spitting saliva. Many a times he had thoughts of giving up like his other lazy comrades, lying on the ground, not moving an inch even if they were being pushed or whipped. However, Little Karlchette was a high-quality breed of the Abedoly Military Stable, it was an exclusive possession of the Imperial guards, and it would never do anything harmful to the soldiers.
Just like that, Little Karlchette kept on running, and running, even without its master's lashing and shouts! Finally, when the day had just risen, Little Karlchette had reached Saint Hailey!
Massimi slowed down his partner's speed on the roads of the small town. He caressed Little Karlchette's neck, coming into contact with a handful of chilly, cold sweat.
"Tailor Winehouse!" the Major of the Guards sized up the small restaurant which had just been established, he just knew that he and his partner would definitely make it on time.
Massimi hopped down from the horse, his Little Karlchette could no longer stand stable. He patted the little fellow who was stubborn but loyal, "Wait for a little longer! A little longer! I'll have the boss of the restaurant to treat you to good food later!"
"It's enough …" Little Karlchette moaned, "I'm bound to live the rest of my life in suffering if I follow you, I surrender! And I've gone numb!"
Massimi turned toward the wooden door of the restaurant. He first knocked thrice, and then in repetition.
The main entrance of the restaurant immediately opened, and what surprised the Special Combat Correspondent was that the one who had opened the door was a woman with heavy makeup. The woman looked at him impatiently, and said to him with a disdained voice, "The brothel is right in front of the street, the tailor? Closed for today."
Massimi quickly followed up, "I'm not looking for the taylor, I just want to have a drink!"
The lady's facial expressions instantly changed. She stepped past Massimi and surveyed the streets outside for a while. Then, she invited the Major of the Guards inside.
"You're finally here! How should I address you?"
"Major Massimi! What about you?"
"Jemica, Operations Branch One."
"Alright Jemica, thank you for everything you've done for the empire! But our time is up! Where's the map?" while speaking, Massimi wiped off the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves.
At this moment, Little Karlchette was a little displeased, "Damn it, what is this? I've been running around with my life just to carry you around for you to hang out with women? Why don't you just trap me in the stable with Daisy instead?"
Jemica lit the oil lamp, and started searching in the cupboards where the wine glasses were being placed. Then, she produced a sheet of cow-skin paper. Massimi immediately got near the oil lamp, while Jemica pointed at a specific location after opening the map.
"Right here! This is the only station the Red Tigers can pass through without any obstacles!"
Massimi shook his head, "No! It's impossible! If we are to use this route to head to the harbor … I'm afraid there'll be a delay of an hour to our pre-planned time of attack."
"It's forty-nine minutes. I've headed there myself by horse, and the latest I've arrived was only forty-nine minutes late!"
Massimi was still shaking his head, "Jemica, your bravery is indeed impressive, but we can't go through this route! Many things can happen within a few minutes, and the war can definitely not tolerate a delay of forty-nine minutes!
Jemica seemed troubled. Hints of concern was apparent on her heavily-made up facial features, "But … you should understand. Those bastards from the West have set up military forces of two corps in the compounds near the harbor, and there's an additional corp right at the harbor itself. If the Red Tigers are to go through that highway, it'll be impossible for them to make it on time to their assigned locations. They will be blocked by the fortress guards on the highway. His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil and his Offensive Army Group Two can make it on time, but I know that it'll be impossible."
Massimi clutched his messy hair, it seemed that there was really no good option! Would the Red Tigers accept the delay?
At this moment … movements of horses sounded from outside. Jemica quickly blew off the lamp, while Massimi had already unsheathed his dagger after keeping the map. Although his shoulders were still hurting, he did not have the luxury to be concerned of the pain.
Street lights illuminated in the town, the Western invaders set the restaurants on fire, the alcohol burning maniacally. Massimi starred at the corpses lying limply at the sid, he did not expect for the young Jemica to just cut down the people before confirming their identity.
The invaders outside the door were screaming in an insane manner. Massimi could not see clearly how many people they had. He had only thought of a plan.
Litle Karlchette was a smart fellow. It first alerted its master, and then proceeded to hide itself under a safe roof. All of a sudden, a stranger pulled on its whip. The sensitive Karlchette sensed that the person before it was not friendly at all. The swinging blade in his hand was circling under its neck, giving off a chilling atmosphere.
Is that my master's whistle blow? Karlchette only hesitated for half a second before it responded. It first stood up on its two hind legs, and pulled on the whip connected to the ill-intentioned human before it. Karlchette had been waiting for this opening, it thrashed its hoofs with great force onto the fool's chest, and then ran toward the direction of the whistle blow.
Massimi broke through the window. Noticing that Little Karlchette heading toward the crowded area, he thought that his little partner was intelligent. The Major of the Guards rolled on the ground, and came to the side of his partner with a leap. He successfully hid the map in Little Karlchette's saddle, "Hey! Little guy! Why are you still stunned? Go and find your partners!"
Little Karlchette stared at its master anxiously, why had he still not leapt onto him? Although they were surrounded by the glimmering reflections of the military weapons, Little Karlchette was perfectly confident that it would be able to make a breakthrough! It was a valuable asset of Titan's Imperial Guards. Other than its master, no one could move of take it away!
Massimi was gradually losing his patience. He knew that his partner was a genius and it could definitely find its way home. If both of them were to stick together, they would not have any hopes of getting out.
"Go!"
Is this my master's dagger? Little Karlchette let out a sorrowful moan, its master had never released his temper, but now, he was pointing a knife at its butt! Little Karlchette was very disappointed and angry! As a result, it lifted its hoofs and fled the scene!
"Hehe!" Massimi chuckled. He knew that these invaders would not mind the disappearance of a horse. Well then … the Major of the Guards who had brushed past death multiple times raised his dagger. Although he had been completely detached from the battle formation, a true warrior would always find his worth in the battlefield.
A bucket of cold water poured from above his head. The Major opened his eyes slowly.
"Nice to meet you!" a youngster donned in black and red military uniform of the Faran army walked toward Massimi.
"My fellow colleague! How are you? Allow me to introduce myself, I'm the warzone commissioner assigned by the Faran Kingdom's Investigative Committee, you can call me Colonel Karlchette."
"Karlchette?" Massimi doubted his hearing. Nevertheless, he just spit a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground, "Damned bastard, can't you see that I've fallen asleep?"
The Major of the Guards who was serving the Intelligence Unit of "Aragon" shook his head softly. He had experienced the brute forces of the Titans, but there had not been many who would just swear right off the bat! In his impressions … the Titan's royalties were very polite, while the civilians lived without complaints.
Colonel Karlchette gave the prisoner a mocking look. He was the star student who had graduated from the Kingdom of Faran's Eighth Military University, and the fact that the Titans were gathering information of the battlefield could never slip past his supervision undetected. After stationing for half a month, it was time to retreat, but the timing was slightly late! Wasn't the day about to brighten? The primary forces of the enemies on the Shawob river bank had most probably advanced toward the battlefield.
"I've only one question, answer me, what are the plans of His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette?"
Massimi spared a glance at the young Colonel, and spit saliva onto the ground one again, "I've only one answer! Massimi McLenny, Major of the Guards, Military Intelligence Bureau of Titan Empire."
The bastard Karlchette gave the Titan officer a taste of his fist. As a result, Massimi let out a heart-wrenching cry. Even though he had used all his might to endure the pain, he could do nothing to stop the eruption of moans.
Karlchette grabbed a fistful of Massimi's hair, and the gaze of the Colonel of the Guards met with that of the Karlchette. The Faran stared at him for a while, and knocked his forehead on the table corner.
In the face of the prisoner's screams, Kalchette seemed to be mumbling to himself, "I've investigated your Commander, Vann Hewitt Alan, right before the war. I've also studied extensively the formations made by Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette. I think … they won't invoke a huge war if they didn't have confidence of victory on their side, whereas the geography of Buzeberg Harbor was the deciding factor ... if the Guards close up the gates, the two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers of the allied army opposite the river will then be in great trouble! Thus, I strongly believe that since Marshal Alan is the one who is coordinating the battle, Marshal O'Neil will be acting soon as well. But … the Hoilland King and my colleagues at the Military Command Center did not think that my hypotheses are realistic, as I don't have any evidence."
"Massimi!" Karlchette grabbed the Titan officer's hair hard, and pulled him to face him, "I'm in a rush to gather evidence to persuade my superiors for them to end this war as early as possible! Look at the time, it's five o'clock in the morning right now, and there's still another four hours until the primary forces of both our armies will clash with each other. I've plenty of time to toy with you!"
Massimi looked at the clock. He grinned, red blood flowing from the corner of his mouth when his lips cracked. It was indeed five o'clock in the morning of Church's year 800, fifteenth day of the seventh month. In other words, there was another four hours until the war exploded.
"You imbecile! You're as smart as my little imbecile!" Massimi mocked Karlchette in delight, he could not help himself as he had the same name as his little partner!
"Go on and make your best guesses! Guess what my Marshal will do after these four hours? If you fail to guess, I can enlighten you! He'll cut open your abdomen with a …, and stuff your intestines into your butt …"
Karlchette retreated several steps back, disgusted by his opponent's choice of words. Nevertheless, this was not his first interrogation, the skinny imbecile with triangular eyes signaled for the underlings behind him to come forth.
"Torture him …"
While Massimi's body might have being hung on the torture rack, the warrior's soul was now in the battlefield. Right there, amidst the morning mist, stood hundreds of thousands of bloody bodies clad in iron and steel.
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