Chapter 10

[“They devoted themselves to the Empire’s prosperity and glory.”]

[“Here they shall rest alongside our great ancestors.”]

[“Only God shall know their names.”]

The woman standing before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers quietly brushed her fingers across the stone monument.

The noble souls who had perished defending the nation without even leaving behind their names.

From the Empire’s founding until its final days, they would shine forever.

“Your Highness, it is time to depart.”

The First Princess, Michaela, gave a small nod before stepping into her carriage.

Today was the Order of Honor Investiture Ceremony—the day when the entire Empire paid tribute to a single individual.

Ordinarily she would have headed toward the Ministry of War.

Today, however, her destination was different.

The Academy.

The Empire’s greatest institution of learning.

That was where today’s ceremony would be held.

Flip.

As the carriage rolled onward, Michaela reviewed the recipient’s file.

“Karl Adelheit. Eldest son of Count Friedrich.”

He truly was an unusual man.

The eldest son of a count volunteering to enlist as an ordinary soldier?

Cases like that could be counted on one hand throughout Imperial history.

Such things had happened only during the Empire’s earliest years.

After that…

Never again.

If the direct heir of an influential noble family were captured by the enemy, the political consequences would be disastrous.

Yet this young man named Karl had concealed his identity and enlisted anyway.

His true background was eventually discovered, but both the Ministry of War and House Adelheit chose to overlook it.

“If our son truly acted out of devotion to the Empire, then it is only right that we respect his wishes.”

That was what they had publicly declared.

Though they certainly worried enough.

Especially Rica.

Ricata Adelheit.

The eldest daughter of House Adelheit.

The future Countess Friedrich.

Although she was only three years older than her younger brother, she had never managed to hide her anxiety whenever she stood before Michaela.

Yet whenever news of Karl arrived, she would stubbornly insist,

“Hmph! I don’t want to hear anything about that idiot!”

Regardless…

Karl had fulfilled his duty as a soldier of the Empire.

He trained alongside his comrades.

He marched onto the battlefield when war erupted.

And during that war…

He accomplished an impossible miracle.

He rescued hundreds of allied soldiers.

It was a feat worthy of being celebrated as a hero immediately.

The only reason his accomplishments surfaced so late was because he himself had hidden his identity.

The moment the rescue ended, he disappeared before anyone even learned who he was.

“The war was still raging then, making a full investigation impossible. But once the war ended and the official inquiry into military achievements began… witness after witness came forward to testify about what had happened that day.”

Michaela herself had served as a captain in the Imperial Army during the war.

Which meant she understood better than anyone just how incredible it was to save hundreds of soldiers…

Alone.

He had not merely saved a few hundred lives.

He had spared thousands of parents, wives, and children from despair.

He had rescued countless soldiers from carrying the guilt of losing their comrades for the rest of their lives.

The Empire owed Karl a tremendous debt.

Receiving the Order of Honor was only natural.

“Your Highness.”

As they arrived at the Academy plaza where the ceremony would take place, several Imperial Army officers approached.

Seeing them, Michaela instinctively started to salute—

Then stopped herself.

During the war she had been merely Captain Michaela, serving under their chain of command.

But outside the battlefield…

She was the Empire’s First Princess.

The one receiving their respect.

She still wore a captain’s insignia, but this distinction was only natural.

The officers bowed respectfully before speaking.

“The preparations are complete, Your Highness. However… are you truly going to present the medal personally…?”

“Didn’t I already tell you? A young man who saved hundreds with his own hands, and in doing so ultimately saved thousands—perhaps tens of thousands. What possible reason could there be for me not to personally honor someone who willingly sacrificed himself for the Empire?”

Her resolve left no room for argument.

The officers wisely said nothing more.

In truth…

That alone was enough.

The Order of Honor was a distinction so prestigious that even if the Emperor himself personally paid tribute to its recipient, none of his ministers would dare object.

“Where is today’s recipient?”

“Waiting in the preparation room.”

“How much time remains?”

“About ten minutes.”

Ten minutes.

That would be enough.

“Then I’ll go have a brief conversation with our hero.”

She was curious.

What kind of person was he?

What sort of man would willingly throw himself into certain death…

For comrades already surrounded by the elves—the masters of encirclement and annihilation.

Even Michaela, whose sense of duty toward the Empire bordered on obsession, could not confidently say she would have made the same choice.

“Sergeant Karl Adelheit?”

The recipient of the Empire’s highest military honor…

Turned out to be—

“Sergeant Karl Adelheit reporting! It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness!”

“Ah… yes. Good. No need to shout quite so loudly.”

He was simply…

A completely ordinary young man one could find anywhere.

*** * ***

Back in my previous life, I once had the unbelievably rotten luck of shaking hands with a corps commander.

Yeah.

A corps commander.

Three stars.

Lieutenant General.

Lucky, you say?

The hell are you talking about?

That wasn’t luck.

That was almost getting myself killed.

My hands still tremble whenever I remember it.

It only lasted a moment, but I swear dozens of eyes were staring at me.

And every single one of them carried exactly the same message.

“Screw this up and you’re dead. If the General says anything because of you, we’re all dead.”

And today…

Something even scarier than a three-star general had arrived.

“Pull yourself together. Her Highness the First Princess will be here shortly.”

The Princess.

The Princess!

The Emperor’s own daughter.

An existence that made three-star generals look insignificant.

Not only was she personally presenting my medal…

She also wanted to meet me beforehand.

Please don’t come.

Seriously.

Please don’t.

For God’s sake, why do important people keep doing this to former enlisted soldiers?

People like us consider having VIPs pat us on the shoulder to be a form of torture!

“Sergeant Karl Adelheit?”

“Sergeant Karl Adelheit reporting! It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness!”

Still…

I wasn’t some fresh recruit.

I’d started as a private and served all the way until my discharge as a sergeant.

I’ve earned enough experience to survive something like this.

I didn’t spend all those years in uniform for nothing.

“Ah… yes. Good. No need to shout quite so loudly.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

The First Princess.

Michaela.

I’d never actually met her before, but I’d certainly heard about her.

During the Lugens War, she’d also served in the Imperial Army.

Of course…

I had been an enlisted soldier.

She had been an officer.

“You’re slimmer than I expected.”

“I’m sorry!”

“There’s no need to apologize. It was merely an observation. Though… you really do resemble Rica.”

Rica?

Wait.

Does she mean my sister, Ricata?

“If I may ask, Your Highness… what is your relationship with my sister?”

“Friends.”

She smiled faintly.

“Let’s leave it at that.”

That’s strange.

My sister had never once mentioned being friends with a princess.

Was she embarrassed?

Or was it one of those friendships where they constantly gave each other trouble?

“I’ll say the same thing again during the ceremony…”

Michaela looked directly into my eyes.

“But I wanted to tell you personally.”

“Thank you.”

“I merely fulfilled my duty.”

“Indeed. You simply fulfilled your duty.”

She nodded.

“But those who fulfill their duty deserve respect.”

“If they do not receive it…”

“What soldier would willingly defend this nation?”

“Who would aspire to become a hero?”

…

For a moment…

I nearly choked up.

Not because someone had acknowledged my efforts.

But because it felt as though my comrades were finally receiving the recognition they deserved.

As though everything we’d endured…

Had meant something.

“So you should take pride in yourself.”

“No…”

“You must.”

“For someone who remembers those who fell before him…”

She smiled gently.

“That is the greatest act of mourning any of us can offer.”

“…”

“Come.”

“It’s time.”

“The ceremony is about to begin, Sergeant.”

Take pride in yourself.

Because that is the greatest tribute we can give to those who never returned.

I had a feeling…

Those words would stay with me for a very long time.

*** * ***

“Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests. First, let us offer our prayers to God, our protector and guide.”

“O Light, bless today’s ceremony with Your radiance.”

“Sergeant Karl Adelheit was a brave soldier and a compassionate man.”

“As a member of the Imperial Army—”

After the opening prayer and the bishop’s blessing from the Church of Light…

Karl stood stiffly through the ceremony.

“I imagined someone who rescued hundreds of soldiers would be huge and intimidating…”

But he isn’t.

A faint smile crossed Michaela’s lips.

Now she understood why Rica had worried about her younger brother so much.

For someone called a war hero…

For someone who had accomplished such an incredible feat alone…

He looked almost too thin.

Though judging people by appearance was, of course, foolish.

“…Next, Her Highness the First Princess will present the Order of Honor.”

My turn.

The most important part.

On behalf of the Empire and the Imperial Family…

I would express our gratitude to this hero.

After straightening her uniform and stepping forward, Michaela cleared her throat.

“Thank you all sincerely for attending today.”

She offered a brief greeting before speaking about the Empire’s current strength.

And reminded everyone…

That every citizen gathered here had contributed to it.

“Sergeant Karl Adelheit is no exception.”

“I am truly honored that today we are able to commemorate his courageous actions with this glorious decoration.”

“And I offer him my deepest respect for his noble sacrifice.”

She wasn’t merely reading prepared remarks.

At least…

Not to her.

Those who willingly gave themselves for the Empire and the Imperial Family deserved respect regardless of rank or birth.

Their sacrifices demanded nothing less.

“Sergeant Karl Adelheit.”

“Once again…”

“Thank you for your service to the Empire.”

She then recounted, one by one, his heroic achievements.

Honestly…

Memorizing the speech had been exhausting.

But she had done it.

She refused to stand before the recipient of the Empire’s highest honor while reading from a sheet of paper.

“…Thus, through his actions, he rescued a total of 267 soldiers.”

“And through them, thousands more lives were ultimately saved.”

“A true hero of the Empire.”

“It is therefore my honor to bestow upon him the Order of Honor.”

A major standing beside her presented the gleaming medal.

The symbol of sacrifice.

Michaela accepted it before placing it around Karl’s neck.

“By the authority of His Imperial Majesty, the one true and lawful Emperor of the Empire, and with the approval of the Imperial Senate and the Ministry of War…”

“This Order of Honor is hereby bestowed in recognition of your unwavering courage and selfless sacrifice in saving countless lives under impossible circumstances.”

She fastened the medal around his neck.

He had never fought for something like this.

Even so…

The Empire had to do this.

Because otherwise…

No one would remember.

“If you have anything you’d like to say,” she asked gently, “the floor is yours.”

As was customary, the recipient was invited to give a few words.

Karl hesitated.

Clearly uncomfortable.

Then, after glancing around at the audience, he finally spoke.

“I was simply…”