I woke up the next morning to the hurried sound of footsteps in the hallway.
— "What's going on?" I murmured, still groggy.
I got up, opened the door, and saw a maid running past. I called out:
— "Why all the noise?"
— "Enemy soldiers are approaching the palace—"
She didn't have time to finish. She had already vanished down the corridor, running toward Lizbeth's office.
Without hesitation, I flung open the door to the room.
— "Lizbeth! Enemies are approaching the palace!"
She raised her eyes with a disconcerting calm.
— "I'm here with the general commander and a first lieutenant. They'll help me deal with it."
Only then did I notice the two men beside her. One was tall, with stern features and a row of gleaming medals on his chest. The other looked younger, perhaps in his early thirties, with just three decorations on his uniform. I stepped back, quickly assessing who was who.
The older man approached and extended his hand.
— "Lionel Redgrave. General Commander of the army."
— "Yuto Nakagawa," I replied, shaking his hand firmly. "Advisor to the Queen."
The younger man introduced himself next, with a slight smile.
— "Eryk Halvorn, First Lieutenant. It's an honor to meet you, sir. Your name is already well known throughout the army."
— "My name?"
— "The summoned hero. The savior."
— "Bit exaggerated, don't you think?"
— "Ahem!" Lizbeth cleared her throat, cutting in. "Gentlemen, please. Let's return to the urgent matter: the invasion."
We gathered around the table where a large map of the city was laid out. After minutes of tense discussion, I presented a proposal. Silence fell, and finally, everyone nodded in agreement.
— "Let's go over the plan once more," I said.
— "Which direction are they coming from?"
— "From the north," Lizbeth answered.
— "They're aiming for the main entrance… That's either brave or naive."
— "We sent disguised scouts for reconnaissance. Also a small combat team."
— "And the result?"
— "All taken out by snipers on the rooftops. Didn't even make it to the ground."
— "Snipers… That changes everything," I murmured, thinking. "We need to trick them. Divert their attention. Confuse the eyes on the rooftops… I've got it."
The door suddenly burst open.
— "Sir! The enemies are thirty minutes away!"
— "They're coming… and we still don't have a solid plan!" Lionel said, visibly tense.
— "Yes, we do. I just came up with one," I replied.
— "Tell us, sir!" Eryk urged.
— "We'll split into two units: Alpha and Bravo. Alpha Unit will be our main force, disguised as civilians in the streets near the palace. Bravo Unit will silently infiltrate the buildings controlled by the snipers. Also disguised, they'll wait for the right moment to strike."
— "And how will we lure the enemies in?"
— "With bait. The palace's main gate will be left ajar. A few soldiers will pretend to be unprepared, disorganized. Others, dressed as civilians, will leave carrying large leather bags—supposedly their belongings, but actually filled with weapons. One of our snipers will be on watch in the gate's blind spot, covering the right flank. The left, naturally unfavorable for them, will be deliberately left unguarded."
— "And when they approach?"
— "We spring the trap. But first, Bravo Unit takes out the rooftop snipers. With the roofs cleared, the rest will be handled on the ground."
— "And if they get suspicious?"
— "We shoot first. Any questions?"
Lionel raised his hand, thoughtful.
— "What will be the signal?"
— "A whistle. Quick, sharp, and clear."
— "Understood. But how do we bring in soldiers and weapons without arousing suspicion? The bags and disguises might draw attention…"
— "We'll use two military carts and a munitions truck. They'll enter through the back gate."
— "Now we need to decide how to get the clothes and leather bags," said the commander.
— "Leave that to me," Lizbeth said. "My hundred maids will take care of everything. We just need the soldiers and the weapons."
— "How many?" the commander asked.
— "Thirty-four soldiers should be enough."
— "All that for a small squad?"
— "Exactly. To discourage any thoughts of resistance. We'll also block advances through the left flank."
— "I'll requisition elite soldiers and high-grade weaponry," Lionel confirmed.
— "Excellent. Begin preparations."
But before Lionel could leave, I made a request.
— "Lionel, could you ask the head of the guards to reinforce the Queen's security?"
— "No problem."
— "Thank you," I said as he left the room.
And so, with an efficiency that would surprise any regular army, the plan was set into motion. Within twenty minutes, the throne room had become a true command center.
All thirty-four elite soldiers were in front of me, already in disguise, split into two groups of seventeen each. The group to my left was Alpha Unit, and to the right, Bravo Unit. But when I looked more closely, I noticed a little girl in the front row of Alpha Unit and approached her.
— "Hello, little one. What's your name?" I asked gently, softly running a hand through her hair. "My name is Yuto Nakagawa."
— "Hello, Hero Yuto. I'm Sena Caldea. Could you please not treat me like a child?"
— "How cute, trying to act like an adult… But how did you get here? Playing soldier in such a dangerous place?"
— "I told you, I'm not a child! I'm a soldier of the Kingdom of Lusandria," the girl protested.
— "Better you—"
— "She's right, Yuto. She's a soldier of the kingdom," Lizbeth interrupted.
— "What? But she's just a child!"
— "Impossible. Only those of legal age can join the army."
— "Look at her… Wouldn't they have denied her entry?"
— "Normally, yes. But we're at war. Anyone who can—and wants to—fight is accepted," Lizbeth explained.
— "I'm the fastest in my entire squad!" Sena said proudly.
— "My apologies for the mistake," I said, bowing in respect.
— "It's alright," she replied with a small smile.
Looking at her, an idea crossed my mind.
— "Are you good at long-range shooting?"
— "Not really… I only trained a few times."
— "Wait here a second," I said, turning away.
I went to a box filled with weapons and picked the only one with a scope. Lucky I included a sniper in the plan...
But then I noticed something odd— Wait… these are all old weapons?
They were all firearms from World War I and II. The one I grabbed was an M1903 Springfield. How do they have these weapons?
I need to ask Lizbeth about this later… I thought, pushing the unsettling thought aside for the moment.
With the rifle in hand, I returned and handed it to Sena.
— "Here. You'll be our sniper. The commander will explain the plan shortly."
— "Leave it to me," Sena replied confidently.
— "Everyone, grab your weapons and ammo!" one of the guards shouted, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. The soldiers moved immediately, precise and urgent.
When everyone was ready, the commander stepped forward and explained the plan in detail. The instructions were clear, and everyone understood the risks.
— "Understood?" he concluded.
— "Yes, sir!" they answered in unison, eyes burning with the tension of what lay ahead.
— "You may go—"
— "Wait a moment." I interrupted, stepping forward. All attention turned to me. I took a deep breath and spoke with resolve:
— "There's one more thing… I'll be participating in the operation."
A tense silence followed. Lizbeth stepped toward me, her face full of disbelief. She grabbed my arm and took me to her office.
After closing the door, she turned to me with a sorrowful expression I had never seen before.
— "Why? It's dangerous! You said you'd help me without getting directly involved!" she protested, her voice trembling.
— "I did say that… but thinking it over, I also want to see with my own eyes what war is. I want to feel what my people feel."
She hesitated. Her brown eyes, now misty, glimmered in the morning light as if they carried the weight of a storm.
— "But… what if you die?" Lizbeth whispered, her voice cracking, and her eyes, full of fear, begged for a promise to ease the pain she already felt.
My chest tightened, but I couldn't back down.
"I have to be firm. I can't make her more worried."
— "Liz…" I said, gently holding her shoulders. "I promise I'll come back. Besides, as the future king, I must share in my people's burden. Feel the same pain, the same fear… Only then will I know how to lead this kingdom to true peace."
I hesitated a moment, then added with a faint smile:
— "And don't worry, I won't be reckless. I won't expose myself more than necessary."
She bit her lips, fighting back tears, but finally nodded silently.
—..."Then you'd better come back alive. I don't want to lose anyone else…" she said, before hugging me tightly.
I was surprised to hear those words. But without thinking too much, I reinforced my promise that I would return.
"Don't worry, you won't lose me," I replied, gently stroking her hair.
Once she calmed down, I suggested we head back.
"We should return before they leave without me."
"You're right."
When we arrived, I approached the commander.
"Commander, before we depart, I have a few words for the soldiers."
"Soldiers of the Kingdom of Lusandria!
Today, we march not only to capture the invaders who dared set foot on our land — we march to write a new page in history.
Let this day be remembered as the fastest and most relentless counterattack ever witnessed.
We will show the world that the soldiers of Lusandria do not retreat.
We advance.
We endure.
We prevail.
Let the enemy tremble, for the roar of Lusandria begins now!"