38 Two Fronts

"How long does it need?"

"I've already had the craftsmen working on it. The day after tomorrow is the earliest they'll have something to show."

"Will something so makeshift really work?"

"We'll just have to test it. How much extra time did you say we've got, three days?"

"That's what Stella said, but it's hardly enough, is it?"

"No, it's not, and that's assuming everything goes well."

"At any rate, let's bring this plan of yours to the others. Let's see if they have some ideas of their own."

Walking side by side with Toto, the two of us returned to the garrison camp just as the sun completely disappeared beyond the horizon. Waiting for us at the entrance were Six and Cecilia eager to hear our answers.

"That's... rather insane."

"Really, Cecilia, you're the one saying this?"

At the moment, we are in the Champions' tent. Here, Toto and I disclosed what we have discussed out in the meadow.

"I'm saying this is insane even for me. Aurelius, aren't you getting desperate? You too Toto, are you sure you've thought this through?"

"We don't have the time, we either do it or we don't."

Usually, I wouldn't associate Toto with recklessness. However, with this plan of her and what she is saying right now, there's certainly a sense of danger about her. Even so, I'm betting on this plan. As Cecilia said, I'm getting desperate, but I'm not just going along with whatever sounds good either. I side with Toto not because I'm hoping that her plan might work out, but because I sincerely believe it has a chance to work.

"You could die you know, and not just you two, you might get everyone here killed."

Cecilia is scared. She's trying to not show it, but from her frantic tone, it comes through.

"The situation will only get worse from here. If we don't do something, we'll die all the same. It's just the matter of sooner or later."

She knows I'm right, she has to. Fighting a two-fronted war is never good. We'll eventually be worn down and one by one, we'll fall. If we don't do something about this now, what awaits us is a slow and painful death.

"It'll be all over if this doesn't work, you two realize that right?"

"It might be over if we don't do something either."

Cecilia sighs. This is the longest one I've ever heard from her.

"There's no point in me saying anymore is there? The two of you are smarter than me, and with both of you agreeing with each other, even if I try to argue, I probably can't convince either of you otherwise."

"Thank you, Cecilia."

"Make sure you come back, alright. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Cecilia pulls Toto into her embrace, holding her tightly.

"You too, Aurelius. Don't you go kicking the bucket either."

"Of course, I have no plans of dying as of yet."

Like always, I hand out a promise I have no guarantee of keeping like candy. It's basically second nature to me now. One could argue that it's a bad idea to give others false hope, but I think that it's important to have something to cling to, especially in times like these, when hope tend to be rather scarce.

***

At night, we sent Cecilia, Six, and Stella off to reinforce the northern frontlines. Six wanted to stay, but with Toto being needed here to supervise the construction and Michaela's [Holy Ward] being needed to enter the forest, it was for the best that Six went with Cecilia. Our farewells were filled with worry, thinking that this may be the last time we will ever see each other. We all wished that there were more time, to do this farewell more properly, to be able to say things that we had wanted to say just in case the next chance never comes. Sadly, it cannot be helped; time was the one thing we do not have.

At the break of dawn, the princess and I rode towards the dwelling of the Holy Beast yet again. It is necessary, as Toto's plan requires the cooperation of the Holy Beast. Without her help, nothing will be able to take off. For this reason, the princess stayed behind, hoping that things would come along smoother with her around. Though the Holy Beast had never turned away our call for aid, you never know if her whims were to change. To make sure we can even get this plan off the ground in the first place, everything that can be done, must be done, in order to better our chances even by the smallest fraction.

Now it is evening, we have returned to the garrison camp. I have the carriage drop me off near the testing grounds and immediately head over to find Toto. Balls of lights created from the spell [Fairy Light] floats above the field, lighting up the area. With their lights, I can see a pile of assorted parts assembled and are being load up into carriages. Looks like they were getting ready regardless of whether or not we'll get the Holy Beasts aid.

"Aurelius, how did it go?"

Spotting me before I did her, Toto comes up to me.

"She agreed to help. There's no problem at all."

"I heard from Cecilia, that she has been rather agreeable to each and every of our request to till now. We're lucky to have her on our side."

"Is that why you're already prepared?"

"There's that, but it's also because we don't have time to wait for permission before starting. Every moment counts."

I'm surprised. I've always thought she was more docile from how quiet she tends to be. Never have I thought that she'd be so proactive.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing much, I'm just thinking that maybe you're more like Cecilia than I thought."

Hearing that, Toto furrows her eyebrows.

"That's not true. I'm not crazy like that."

"No, I suppose not. Still, you both make me anxious when you're out of my sight."

"Is this about the chain [Meteor] casting I pulled last time? I though you forgave me for it already."

"I did, but it's not like I can just erase it from my mind. Did you have any idea how scared I was when I saw your body flopping onto the ground?"

"I said I'm sorry..."

She's starting to sulk, with puffed cheeks and all that. It's a cute look, kinda fits with the small frame of this avatar of hers. Still, I better put a lid on it before it gets worse. What we're trying to do here will probably be one of the most important operations in this war and possibly the last if we mess up. I need her focused and in a good mood.

"I know. I'm sorry I brought it up. At any rate, how do you plan to bring the construct over to the Holy Beast's place? It ended up being pretty big didn't it?"

"The craftsmen had the idea of making the individual parts first and assembling them after they're transported. Assuming nothing goes wrong, everything should be there by morning on the next day and completely assembled by the day after that."

As Toto explains, I watch the individual parts mentioned being load up into the many carriages waiting on the field for the loading to finish so that they may set off. I say, the Beastkins sure come up with some nifty ideas. I wonder if it's their intellect or if it's something in their instincts. After all, even back in our world, there are quite a few from the animal kingdom that are skilled builders. Could it be the combination of the two? In that case, with their beastly instincts and human-like intellect, might they possibly be able to outdo humans? That's quite a food for thought isn't it?

"Do you think it will work?"

"What are you saying? You're the one who came up with the idea, didn't you?"

"I know. But still..."

"Yeah, I get it. I think about it all the time, if a certain strategy or approach I come up with will work, or if the formation is going to hold against the enemies, or if there's something I'm not seeing or might have missed. But, you've done your best at this very moment. You've done all you can think of. We can only hope for the best now."

"You're sounding like Cecilia."

"That's because she said the same thing to me, paraphrased of course, I can't remember the exact words. At any rate, you think it would work, I think it would work, and the garrison commander doesn't deny that it might work. As for our friends, well, they don't disagree strongly enough to stop us. And so, now we're here. What else are we going to do but keep going?"

"Yeah... you're right. There's not much else we can do now. Thanks for the talk Aurelius. I should go do a final check before sending the parts off."

"I'll leave you too it then. I'll see you later."

"Yes, see you later, Aurelius."

***

After leaving Toto, I return to the camp. The atmosphere is tense here and so far I've only been greeted by the gloomy and anxious faces of the soldier passing me by. I don't blame them. This one attack is going to be all or nothing after all. We have placed all of our eggs in this one single basket, and should it fall, it will be all over for everyone, for the kingdom, for this world, and for us. Everything will be overrun by [Demons], everyone will become [Corrupted], and we will never see home again.

Even so, it's only a matter of time before the [Demons] overrun us. True, if we stay our hand and strengthen our defenses, we may find another chance in the near future, that we may be able to hold out on both fronts as we bide our time for another opening to strike. It's true that it's possible, but I feel that is it also very wishful thinking.

Defending against two fronts will be hard enough, and it is all too possible that while we're defending against the forest and the Dragonbroods, a third front may appear. Though I may have repelled them before in the mountains, there's no telling if the [Demons] may try to approach from the east yet again. And even if a third front does not appear, there is no telling that we would even have the strength left to counterattack when the opportunity reveals itself. That is why we must launch the attack now, while we're at our full strength.

"Aurelius, how are things on Lady Toto's end?"

Approaching me is Merida, who is oddly not with the princess at the moment.

"The individual components have already been crafted and ready for transport. There are no problems so far."

"Good to hear that everything is going smoothly, though it's nerve wrecking isn't it, when everything is going so well."

"Feels like something bad is bound to happen and you prefer it to happen sooner rather than later, right? I'm surprised that you feel this way too. You always seem more of the coolheaded type."

"The years of training and discipline kept me calm, but that doesn't mean I'm not scared, I simply learned to not show it."

"I guess that's not something you can ever really get rid of, huh? Anyways, where's the princess. It's rare to find you away from her. If I recall, the only time you're away from her is when she herself send you out, right?"

"That's quite right, but she's speaking with the garrison commander right now, and while she does so, I thought I'd speak with you."

Something that Merida needs to speak to me about, something important enough to leave the princess for. Can't it wait? I'm pretty certain that I'll have to report to the princess in regards to the progress of Toto and her team of artisans anyways. Unless of course, it's something she'd rather not have the princess hear. I say, I can only have bad feelings about this.

"Don't look so serious, Aurelius. What I am about to bring up isn't something so terrible."

"Is that so?"

"Hopefully, that is."

Oh boy, that does not inspire confidence.

"Shall we find somewhere more private then? My tent maybe?"

"Of course, I was about to suggest it myself."

With Merida, I walk back to my tent. Upon arrival, I pull open the drapes covering the opening and invite her in. There, standing before the entrance to my private space, Merida seems to be hesitating a little.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're getting shy after all this time, Merida?"

"Of course not. I am just wondering if you invite Lady Cecilia to share a bed with you often."

Oh, can she smell that? That was a day or two ago wasn't it? You'd think any scent of her would be gone by now, but what do I know? My senses are clearly not as good as Merida's.

"Our debates went on longer than we thought and both of us ended up falling asleep before we got anything out of it. Not much else really happened."

"I know, I could hear you two from my own tent. I was merely teasing, though you sure aren't easy to tease are you. It's as if you have the sensitivity of an elderly man."

"Who knows, perhaps I'm older than I look."

Well, I am, but more importantly, doesn't the princess share a tent with Merida? In that case, did she hear the conversation as well, about the [Demon] Champions possibly being our guildmates?

"Merida-"

"Yes, the princess has heard as well, and so do those near your tent that night. The princess had made sure they remain silent about this however, so rest assure."

"I see, that's considerate of her."

After all, if people start talking, eventually, the secret will reach Six and Toto's ears. Neither Cecilia nor I have decided to tell them yet, and if they do find out, I want them to find out from one of us. I wouldn't want them to think that we're hiding something from them out of some ill will. And also, though it may sound calculative of me, letting them hear it from us first would allow for some immediate damage control and keep their emotional state from getting out of hand.

"Indeed, she has done you some large favors..."

Suddenly, I feel am edge in Merida's voice. I see, so that's what this is about. For the longest time, I thought that due to my combat prowess, my position within this world is absolute, that whatever I desire will be provided, for I am the Champion, one of the very few that may bring salvation upon this world. However, with this secret in the princess' hand, she now has an axe above my head, to be dropped as she pleases.

"And I suppose that she wants me to return said favor? Would saving the world be enough?"

"You misunderstood, Aurelius, the princess has absolutely no intention of threatening you and neither do I. I am merely trying to say that the princess has your wellbeing in mind at all times. With that in mind, I ask you this, Aurelius: Have you considered... marriage?"

What was that? What did she just say to me with a straight face?

"Pardon?"

"I said, have you considered marriage?"

Ah, I see, so I did hear her right the first time.

"For this and everything you're about to say next, Merida, my answer is: No!"

***

End of Chapter 38