Episode 11: I Mistook the Genre and Ended up Becoming a War Hero

Episode 11: Northern Front (10)

Rie and the other task force members decided to stay on the northern front.

I delegated my authority to Rie, my de facto adjutant, and asked her to continue teaching Wave Techniques.

She cheerfully accepted, saying she had plenty of time. Before leaving for the capital, Rie grabbed my arm.

“You coming back? You’re not gonna ditch me and never return, are you?”

Two years traveling to the north, nine years on the front—eleven years total.

The north was practically a second home. The biting cold I once dreaded now felt familiar.

If the north’s frost felt warm, how hot would other places be? I smiled at Rie.

“No, I’ll be back.”

I didn’t know how long it would take—maybe longer than my time here. But I would return.

“Then… let’s all go on a trip together. Where do you think we should go?”

“If you’re coming back, we’ll figure it out together. Personally, I’d pick the western desert.”

I absentmindedly patted Rie’s blonde hair.

Realizing my mistake, I pulled back, but she grabbed my hand and placed it back on her head.

Our eyes met, her striking, foreign beauty catching the light.

“Someday, if you return—”

A cloud parted, and sunlight poured through, illuminating her red eyes with a radiant glow.

“I’d love to show you my hometown.”

“The desert, huh? Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it.”

“It might be too hot, so we’ll need to hear the others’ opinions too.”

“I’ll write you letters.”

“You better! You think you can ditch me and get away with it, captain?”

After parting with Rie, I said goodbye to the others on the northern front.

They sent me off warmly. What was meant to be a quick farewell stretched into four hours.

Only after finishing everything in the north did I board the carriage to the capital. But two voices stopped me.

“Ian.”

“Sir Ian.”

Irena and Freya.

Both were gesturing to me from different carriages.

“Ian, want to ride with me?”

“Sir Ian, would you like to join me?”

Their words—and timing—were identical. They turned to face each other, their gazes sparking with something unspoken. It wasn’t outright glaring but carried a subtle, intense edge.

“I didn’t know the Lady knew Ian.” Irena said.

“Haha, I’m no longer just a Lady—I’m the head of Nordelheim Household now. And I brought Ian to the front. Isn’t that my line?”

Freya countered.

“But I fought alongside him,”

Irena shot back.

“Thanks to my care, Ian could fight with peace of mind, no?”

Freya replied.

“That’s a funny joke, Lady. But I disagree. Ian could fight because I had his back.”

“Your jokes are something else, Commander. Support and healing are just as vital as fighting, you know? I didn’t realize you were this amusing.”

Why was this happening? I’d left to avoid farewells turning sour, but it seemed pointless.

“…”

Scratching my head, I climbed into a carriage the northerners had prepared for me.

They’d offered it to repay their gratitude, and though I’d declined then, it was proving useful now.

I poked my head out and called to the two still locked in their standoff.

“Not getting in? There’s plenty of room.”

The carriage, a gift from the northerners, rivaled even noble carriages—perhaps surpassing them.

Rumor had it, it was made using beast byproducts, boasting incredible size and durability. Irena and Freya hurriedly boarded.

Inside, an awkward atmosphere settled. Irena and Freya sat close on either side of me, sneaking glances at each other.

Was it lingering tension from their earlier clash, or something else?

Honestly, I couldn’t tell. Eleven years of my life had been spent far from such matters.

There’d been moments in the task force, but nothing like this.

“Uh, are you both… okay?”

“Thanks for worrying, but learning your Wave Techniques has me feeling great,” Irena said.

“I couldn’t master Aura, sadly, but thanks to your Wave Techniques, I feel lighter than ever!” Freya added.

As soon as they spoke, they exchanged sharp looks. A chill ran through the air.

“Hm?”

“Oh?”

Oh no.

“The Lady learned Wave Techniques too?” Irena asked.

“The commander also learned it as well?” Freya countered.

***

Eleven years ago, it took nearly two years to reach the north.

The roads were rough, carriages scarce—I thought that was normal back then.

This time was different. The road to the capital was fully paved. Whether the empire had developed or I’d simply missed a new route before, I couldn’t tell.

I hoped it was the latter; wasting two years on a wrong turn would be too foolish.

But a well-paved road didn’t ease my mind. Just before departing, I heard a strange rumor.

“All the demonic beast and monster corpses vanished. Even… the remains of the fallen soldiers’ bodies.”

On the northern front, where death was constant, hallucinations are common.

I myself saw the faces of the dead daily. But this came from the Northern front’s supply commander, not one for idle gossip.

“I went to the site, and there was nothing. Nothing at all. Like they were never there.”

Since then, rumors spread among the soldiers that the dead were being dragged beneath the earth.

Staring out the carriage window at the passing scenery, I took a short breath. Another reason to head to the capital.

***

It took five months to reach the imperial capital.

Upon arrival, I was met with fervent cheers from waiting citizens, chanting the names of the battlefield’s heroes.

“You’ve endured much to come from the north.”

The warm welcome felt awkward—the citizens’ cheers, the lavish accommodations.

The northerners had cheered too, but this was different. I knew them; but these people were strangers. It felt like wearing ill-fitting clothes.

“Ian, you look tired. You okay? Rest if you need to. This place must be new for you,” Irena said.

Freya nodded, placing a warm cup of tea before me.

“Take a quick nap. The banquet’s not until evening.”

Unable to resist their concern, I nodded.

The bed was soft, offering a rare moment of perfect calm.

As I closed my eyes, the north’s icy winds and Rie’s laughter echoed in my mind.

“Someday, I’d love to show you my hometown.”

Her words lingered.

At dusk, a carriage from the palace arrived.

The lined-up knights and courtiers signaled this was no ordinary banquet.

“Are you ready, sir?”

As I boarded, Irena and Freya followed.

I wore formal attire; they donned distinct dresses, each stunning in their own way.

That was the problem. The air in the carriage was even tenser than before. I swallowed a sigh.

At the palace, the banquet hall glowed with golden light.

Beneath grand chandeliers, nobles, generals, and high officials entered in splendor.

When my name was called, thunderous applause erupted, like battlefield roars.

“The Sword of the Empire, Ian, Defender of the North!”

I walked forward slowly, all eyes on me. Irena and Freya flanked me.

Beneath a translucent veil, a figure was clear, but their face remained hidden.

Motionless, their mere presence seemed to oppress the room.

This was the emperor. A clear, resolute voice—too high for a man, yet brimming with authority and a hint of femininity—rang out.

“Welcome, hero of the north.”

Was the current emperor a woman?

Amid my confusion, the crowd applauded again.

I hid my turmoil behind a stoic expression and bowed respectfully.

But then, I felt a blatant stare.

At the edge of the noble crowd stood a woman with gentle eyes, long aqua hair, and turquoise irises.

She gazed at me with suspicion, tinged with caution and astonishment.

I subtly shifted my eyes and scanned the hall. There was no doubt—her gaze was fixed on me.

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