The Crimson Flare That Devours the North

Giselle stood atop the ramparts of the Northern 3rd Defense Fortress, facing the biting winter wind. Her gaze remained fixed on the military camp below the walls.

"Alright, everyone line up! One generous bowl each! I'll pile on plenty of meat!"

"Waaaah! Thank you!"

The soldiers gathered around the bonfires wore faces blooming with smiles. In the North of old, at this time when the first snow fell, those men would have been clutching starving bellies like beasts, unable to find even a scrap of rock-hard bread, shivering in the cold. But now their hands held steaming bowls of thick wheat porridge and large, savory chunks of well-seasoned smoked meat.

With full stomachs, even the shouts during training rang with new vigor.

"Your Highness! The merchant group called the Breath of the North Wind left a mountain of military rations on the outskirts of the fortress a few days ago! This winter will be no problem at all!"

The fortress commander's cheerful report still echoed in her ears. Giselle looked down at the scene and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank you. Whoever you are, for not abandoning the North.

In this hopeless situation where even the imperial family sought to starve the North to death, the miracle bestowed by an unknown benefactor was a single ray of light for Giselle and her soldiers.

But that moment of peace was short-lived.

"Y-Your Highness!! Grand Duchess!!"

The reconnaissance captain climbed the ramparts at a frantic pace. He knelt before her, gasping for breath. Giselle turned, instinctively sensing the ill omen.

"What is it."

"The scouting party monitoring movements beyond the Snowy Sea Valley has just returned. The situation... is very bad."

The captain's voice trembled violently.

"The beasts' movements are unnatural. Starving, frenzied creatures are migrating south in far greater numbers and at a much earlier time than in previous years. The scale is..."

"Report."

"Estimated at twice... no, more than twice the usual size!"

"...!"

More than double. It was a scale of disaster that even committing every elite knight in the North might not be able to stop. The food crisis had been solved as if by miracle, yet against such overwhelming numbers they would still be forced into a war of attrition that ground away blood and flesh. It was impossible to guess how many would die on that snowy field.

"Your Highness, what should we..."

Even the fortress commander stared at her with a deathly pale face. But Giselle steadied her heart and gripped her sword hilt tightly. If she faltered, the people behind her would be devoured.

"Issue a level-one alert to the entire army."

Giselle's voice rang across the ramparts.

"Before they cross our walls, we will strike first. Do not let a single beast enter the territory alive."

"Yes, ma'am!!"

The darkness before the storm was swallowing the North whole.

- A shadowy back alley on the outskirts of the territory. Inside a secret room of a tavern that didn't even have a proper signboard. Around a table lit by flickering, dim mana-stone lamps, the North's most notorious corrupt nobles sat with tense faces.

At the center, legs crossed arrogantly, sat none other than the Empire's 8th Prince, Kael.

"So."

Kael spun the crude wooden mug of cheap beer in slow circles as he spoke.

"Why the hell did you drag this prince all the way to this stinking rat hole?"

"Your Highness, I beg your pardon for bringing you to such a humble place."

Baron bowed low.

"There are simply too many eyes and ears inside the Grand Duchess Castle, so we had no choice. But what we wish to tell you today will most certainly bring Your Highness great pleasure."

"Pleasure, huh?"

"Yes. It is the tale of the first great step toward Your Highness becoming the true master of the North."

Ever since Kael's rampage in the conference room, Baron had been convinced that this madman, if properly manipulated, could be controlled completely.

"If we combine the troops and funds we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can mobilize, we can tighten the noose around the Grand Duchess this very moment. All we need is for Your Highness to provide the imperial justification...!"

"Ha."

Kael snorted and slammed the wooden mug down on the table with a loud bang! The nobles flinched.

"Anyone can sit on the emperor's throne if it's all talk, can't they?"

Kael rested his chin on his hand, scanning them with a mocking gaze.

"Loyalty, loyalty—nothing but cheap words. How am I supposed to trust those light little tongues of yours? To overthrow the Grand Duchess we'll need real military force. So I need to see with my own eyes exactly how many private soldiers you can gather and how much war money you've scraped together, don't I?"

"Ah! We thought as much, so we have prepared solid proof."

Baron, as if waiting for the cue, drew a carefully sealed parchment scroll from his robe and spread it across the table.

"This is our proof, Your Highness."

"...Hoo."

The corner of Kael's mouth slowly rose as he read down the Pledge of Alliance.

"This is actually pretty convincing. With this much force we could easily handle a third of the northern regular knight order and still have strength to spare."

"Exactly, Your Highness! If you simply give the word, when the beasts swarm in and the Grand Duchess's forces are split, we will open the gates in one swift strike and...!"

"Kuhahaha! Good. Very good!"

Kael threw his head back in loud laughter, then rolled the parchment up and tucked it into his robe.

"With sincerity like this, I'll gladly become your backer. This North is already as good as mine!"

"Hahaha! We offer our lives for Your Highness's glory!"

Baron and the nobles raised their cups in wild cheers. Drunk on the vain fantasy that their ambitions were about to be realized, the secret room boiled with a festive mood.

Stupid bastards.

When the atmosphere had ripened enough, I spoke.

"Right, then all of you go home for today. I'll decide on the date for the operation soon and call you back."

"Yes, Your Highness! May you have a peaceful night!"

- Back at the annex.

"Whew."

Only after locking the bedroom door did I finally release the breath I'd been holding. I spread the parchment I'd brought on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠desk. The densely written names of the traitors and the forces they could mobilize.

"Man, seriously."

There were far more participating nobles than I'd expected. Of course there were no major players; that was only natural with Baron as the ringleader. But even small fry become troublesome when they gather.

If these bastards, just like in the original story, had started a riot inside the Grand Duchess Castle during the height of the winter beast wave and thrown the gates wide open?

The result was obvious. No matter how strong Giselle's martial prowess was, she couldn't possibly defend against thousands of beasts from outside while simultaneously suppressing rebels pouring in from within.

"Hmm. I'll cut the heads off Baron and the main instigators who actually draw their swords... As for the rest who only wrote their names and watched from the sidelines, I'll hold their weaknesses for the rest of their lives and wring them dry to the bone."

The real problem was how to handle them all quietly and at once. If I moved carelessly now and they noticed, raising their private armies would become a massive headache.

First I had to completely cut off their money through Viola, then bribe ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mercenaries to sever their limbs. All of it had to be done before the beast wave arrived...

Bwooooooo!

At that moment, the sound of a war horn rang out from beyond the Grand Duchess Castle.

Bwooooooo!! Bwooooooo!!

Three blasts. I shot up from my chair. My heart plummeted.

"No way."

I rushed to the window and flung it open. The blizzard slapped my face.

BOOM!

A red magic signal flare exploded across the dark night sky. Crimson light dyed the world where pure white snow was falling. Having read the original story, I knew exactly what that flare meant: an overwhelming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beast wave had appeared at the front lines.

"This is way too early compared to the original."

As far as I remembered, the alarm had sounded a full month and a half after the first snow. Yet it was already ringing? An unexpected variable.

What now? Should I postpone the purge? Deal with the beast wave first? But those bastards might run wild in the meantime. My head was a mess.

I clutched my throbbing temples and looked out the window. Below, the courtyard of the Grand Duchess Castle had already become pure chaos.

"Arm the entire army! Open the gates!"

Knights ran in every direction with torches. The clash of armor and the cries of horses wove together into a terrifying atmosphere.

And in the middle of that pandemonium, as the massive gates slowly opened, a single silhouette appeared at the head of the column. Silver hair whipping in the wind, mounted on a horse clad in silver armor.

It was Giselle. She had clearly already assessed the situation and come running.

Damn it.

I gripped the windowsill so hard my knuckles turned white.

"Of all times..."

I glanced back and forth between the parchment in my robe and Giselle's retreating figure. There was no time.

Think.

The beast wave beginning meant the castle's forces would be emptied out. It was also the most perfect timing for Baron and the rebels to open the gates and launch their uprising.

Then there was only one thing I had to do.

"Hey!!!"

I shouted toward Giselle.