Shield of the Rose

Night drew to a close as dawn light brightened the sky.

Snow began falling once more, blanketing the net stretched over the tree canopy.

Completing final transmissions with both forces, Richie climbed the tree to retrieve the net alongside Randy’s hat-shaped bronze reflector disc, while the remaining four cleared lingering ground traces below.

Though un-fearing discovery by Alliance forces, maintaining clean tracks from Polmo had ingrained the habit into a natural instinct.

Finishing their tasks, the five consumed military rations—tasting like wax with soap-like texture—which Richie despised. Yet acknowledging its function, high caloric content warmed his body like enjoying a hotpot.

Taking a brief rest, Richie, Merlin, and Rosa equipped their gliders once more. At close range, Richie’s glider appeared much smaller—barely one-third the size of the other two.

Beyond the woods lay a gentle slope; Richie extended his roller blades, pushing off with his left foot to shoot forward like an arrow. Gliding two hundred meters, his feet cleared the ground, rising to a dozen meters altitude over the next two to three hundred meters.

Richie steered toward an ascending slope where swirling snow indicated rising air currents.

Richie possessed strength to fly to three or four thousand meters independently, yet doing so consumed excessive effort, opting to leverage natural updrafts instead.

Updrafts existed universally in nature, and refraining from leveraging them would prove foolish.

Watching Richie cross the mountain ridge to soar higher, Merlin and Rosa exchanged nods.

Merlin paired with Randy—Randy out front, Merlin equipping the giant glider behind, joined by a steel cable. Randy sprinted forward, pulling the cable tight as Merlin leaped, towing the glider into the air like a kite to reach a dozen meters altitude instantly.

Initially Randy towed from the ground, gradually aligning parallel with the glider as the connecting wire tightened and relaxed periodically. The glider gained altitude and stability, lifting Randy off the ground to fly head-first alongside Merlin.

Merlin’s capacity held limits; soaring five or six kilometers, the glider decelerated while dropping in altitude, supported by Randy below. Whenever altitude dropped too low, Randy stood upright to touch the ground gently, restoring speed to the glider.

Following several hundred meters behind, Rosa’s glider trailed the pair.

Both gliders skimmed close to the ground, soaring smoothly forward.

Soaring along cloud edges, today’s clouds suited Richie ideally: loose structure with thin edges allowed him to hide while inspecting ground movements below. The sole flaw lay in uneven cloud bases, occasionally forcing him through cloud gaps or thick vapor pockets.

Beneath Richie’s feet, Mosalai led his forces in a frantic sprint, discarding regular soldiers to advance with knights exclusively.

Trailing behind, a Varedin Empire large squad pursued relentlessly, while two blocking medium squads approached Mosalai’s path from a valley a dozen kilometers ahead.

That tactical maneuver had been executed repeatedly by Alliance forces since war erupted, boasting near-perfect success records.

Lacking aerial eyes, Mosalai faced certain demise, yet possessing full battlefield visibility reversed prospects completely.

“Halt! Stop the column!” the corps commander shouted.

Supply vehicles braked to a halt, followed by trailing vehicles stopping in sequence.

“Prepare for combat per original plans!” Mosalai issued orders, opening his vehicle door to step outside first.

Doors opened one after another as knights exited their vehicles in a grand display.

Ahead stood a mountain ridge flanked by gentle slopes spanning one to two kilometers.

While representing modest defensive terrain, it sufficed for their tactical plan.

Without direct orders from Mosalai, subordinate knights understood their roles: positioning supply vehicles sideways as makeshift barricades—some encircling the ridge for defense, others scattered across the slope as obstacles.

Completing setups, rolling snow dust appeared in the distance.

It was the Varedin pursuit force—led by fifteen or sixteen supply vehicles forming a medium squad, representing corps elites.

Spotting vehicles deployed ahead, the vanguard halted.

“What occurred? Why ceased fleeing? Do they know the forward route is blocked?” the vanguard commander questioned in doubt.

“Cornered prey might fight to the death; proceeding with caution is prudent,” his staff officer advised.

Unlike Monstoke where civilian officials managed military forces and regular officers commanded knights, Varedin relied primarily on knights, featuring staff officers assigned to squad commanders to offer tactical advice alongside routine duties.

“You suggest awaiting the main body?” the commander asked in an unfriendly tone, knowing it represented prudent tactics while surrendering primary merit to others.

“Cornered prey? Provided they possess the capability!” the commander scoffed, ordering: “Flank around to avoid front lines! Strike their flanks—I’ll inspect what cornered prey can accomplish!”

Executing orders, subordinate personnel moved into action.

The pursuit force exited vehicles, encircling empty supply vehicles into a camp with two entry points—demonstrating standard tactical procedures.

Yet right then, explosions echoed along the highway traversed moments earlier.

Rising snow dust appeared eight kilometers away along a slope section, where several hundred meters of road collapsed, triggering a minor avalanche that buried the ruined highway under fallen snow.

During the explosion, two knight small squads traversed the section: half of twenty-plus knights perished on the spot, while remaining members were buried or tumbled down slopes.

That explosion served as a signal.

Numerous hidden troops leaped from surrounding snowdrifts.

Mosalai’s ridge barricade served as a feint to draw pursuit focus into assuming a defensive stand.

In truth, forces were withheld from the ridge—a single small squad occupying the heights while main forces hid in surrounding snowdrifts.

Witnessing armors emerge from snowdrifts, accompanied by prior explosions, pursuit forces panicked upon realizing they had fallen into a trap.

Human instinct prompted seeking shelter during danger, and the temporary vehicle camp represented the safest retreat spot.

As the medium squad crowded into the camp, the commander realized the danger.

“Scatter! Disperse immediately!” he shouted.

Yet action came too late as melon-sized black objects rolled across the snow.

Vehicle encampment gaps between wheels provided unobstructed entry paths for rolling objects.

Black objects rolled inside in sequence, followed by continuous explosions.

Normally, explosive devices proved useless against equal-tier opponents unless seeking mutual destruction, for thrown explosives were deflected or evaded easily.

Yet pursuit forces lacked evasion options or deflection means, for explosives rolled beneath vehicles straight to their feet.

Deafening explosions accompanied blinding flashes; every explosion launched armors into the sky amidst flying metal fragments.

Inspecting explosions from distinct perspectives yielded contrasting perceptions.

Trapped Varedin pursuit forces witnessed flashes of death with horrified gazes, experiencing a hellish scene.

Conversely, to Mosalai’s subordinates, explosions represented celebratory fireworks, thrilling their hearts with excitement.

To Richie soaring in the sky, it resembled watching a theatrical performance.

Suddenly a thought struck Richie: when he fought fiercely on battlefields previously, did spectators view his struggles like a performance as well?

Reflecting so, excitement vanished completely.

No wonder top leadership viewed common soldiers with indifference, explaining tragedies like Morina, where front-line lives represented mere numerical statistics on paper.

Reflecting further, Richie recalled Lina’s father—formerly viewed as noble unlike corrupt leaders, yet fundamentally identical in treating the Republic as personal property while maintaining clean appearances.

Richie felt dejected over the realization.

Yet remembering duties remained, he turned toward another battlefield a dozen kilometers away.

Differing from Mosalai’s ambush, this sector featured direct combat between prepared forces and a surprised opponent.

The prepared side comprised Claude’s rescue column.

The original strategy entailed Mosalai fleeing ahead to draw enemy main forces into a stretched column, allowing rescue forces to slice the column in two to turn hunters into prey.

Claude attacked the enemy main body—matching his force in numbers at two large squads—yet possessing inferior combat quality. Alliance elites pursued Mosalai, leaving second-tier knights alongside two commander-guard squads. Conversely, Claude led battle-tested mainlines.

Charging at the front was Claude’s direct unit, demonstrating his un-adaptation to his “Acting Corps Commander” title—a title matching Haigert’s “Acting Army Group Commander” status, requiring solid victory to strip the “Acting” prefix.

As corps commander, leading charges personally was unnecessary.

Yet Claude’s approach offered benefits: his pieced-together corps comprised Polmo loyalists who obeyed his command alongside Haigert’s subordinates who harbored mild reservations. Charging at the front, despite criticisms over improper commander decorum, earned admiration for his bravery.

In an instant, two forces collided.

Suppressed long-term, Claude fought like a leaping tiger, wielding twin battle-axes for maximal combat enjoyment.

Swinging twin axes wrapped in Aura, blood-red light ribbons formed twin lion phantoms.

Lion phantom axe beams reached ten meters at most in single-target strikes—representing ideal battlefield techniques.

Twin axe beams shattered opponent attacks while advancing with reduced power, offering combined offense and defense that proved formidable against standard battlefield opponents.

With Claude charging at the front, escort knights deployed full effort, choosing to eliminate opponents rapidly to protect their commander.

Facing a fierce attack, Varedin forces endured massive pressure, their morale collapsing into retreat.

Prior smooth Alliance campaigns exposed flaws: units tasked with encirclement contained fresh recruits who panicked under setbacks.

Retreat turned into total collapse.

“Refrain from pursuing fleeing troops!” Claude shouted upon seeing his formation loosen during pursuit.

Normally, pursuing fleeing troops was mandatory to prevent regrouping, keeping defeated forces in continuous flight.

Yet with Richie monitoring from above, regrouped forces faced prepared counter-measures, while Claude welcomed opportunities to expand battle achievements.

Lacking detailed plans, the rescue operation prioritized flexibility and sequential destruction, fearing fleeing troops joining adjacent corps.

Ignoring fleeing troops, Claude gathered forces to charge forward.

Remaining enemies blocking the collapsed highway section had to be eliminated completely.

Another explosion echoed, triggering a minor avalanche.

Minor avalanches caused modest damage, easily cleared by armors despite minor delays.

Yet two-meter snow depths hindered armor movement, reducing speed to a crawl.

Trapped forces comprised the two medium squads intended to intercept Mosalai—turning into next targets.

Paro’s operational plan focused on “sequential destruction”, building combat achievements through repeated annihilations to strip “Acting” prefixes from leadership titles.

Republic merit calculations ignored opponent quality, counting destruction numbers exclusively, making full annihilation of supply units far more valuable than defeating elite corps.

Haigert’s mutual damage battle against Anderson was economically unwise, prompting Paro’s strategy to recover losses.

Elite Alliance forces executed surprise attacks, second-tier units handled frontlines, while lowest-tier units managed encirclement—drawing Paro’s focus onto encirclement units.

Triggering the minor avalanche was Merlin’s four-person team.

Their giant glider offered easy takeoffs and landings despite low speed, making them ideal for blocking retreat paths.

Thus Richie’s role remained aerial reconnaissance.

Merlin’s team timed the avalanche perfectly as Claude and Mosalai eliminated main encirclement forces, combining forces into a unit exceeding any single Alliance corps in the second war zone.

Targets abounded across map markers, for Alliance forces had spread units thin to establish encirclement rings.

Two or three medium squads blocking directions worked against weakened Mosalai, holding him for hours until main forces arrived, yet now served as easy battle achievements for combined rescue forces.

As explosions echoed and snow dust rose, combined forces charged into battle.

Throughout the morning, uncounted Alliance knights perished in pursuit battles, turning former hunters into prey. Armor logs proved destroyed enemy suits equaled a full corps.

That represented a second fully annihilated corps, where another victory sufficed to strip Haigert’s “Acting” prefix while securing a formal corps commander appointment for Claude.

Gathering spoils and replacing damaged supply vehicles, both corps vanished into the mountain ranges.

“Did Haigert specify the next move?” Mosalai sat beside Claude inside a crowded vehicle, a narrow table separating them covered in maps.

Beside their adjutants sat a communications Psion inside a metal cage.

“Advancing step by step, rescuing as many units as possible,” Claude sighed, for he couldn’t reveal the plan was drafted overnight within six hours, lacking detailed execution steps beside a general framework.

Such un-orthodox planning was unique to Haigert, and cautious Mosalai would explode in anger if informed.

“How can we proceed so casually?” Mosalai shook his head, disagreeing with their un-orthodox methods despite friendship: “I refrain from risking subordinate lives, requiring a detailed plan.”

“Plans fail to keep pace with shifting conditions,” Claude explained for Haigert.

Among the three, Haigert acted unconstrained, Mosalai acted cautious and rigid, while Claude acted pragmatic, aligning closer to Haigert’s mindset.

“That represents zero obstacle; anticipating contingencies during planning allows counter-measures regardless of shifts,” Mosalai maintained his view.

Claude looked at his senior, feeling helpless over his rigidity.

Haigert’s risky methods yielded continuous success, generating positive news amidst front-line setbacks.

Conversely, Mosalai avoided mistakes while preserving forces, yet lagged behind Haigert in strategic impact.

Yet Claude refrained from voicing criticisms, fearing Mosalai might part ways over ideological disputes.

“Draft a plan if you wish,” Claude stopped Mosalai as he summoned staff officers: “Stay calm; a key figure hasn’t arrived, and planning without him is impossible.”

“The senior staff officers recruited by Haigert?” Mosalai knew of Haigert recruiting staff officers from headquarters.

“Not those guys; meeting him will surprise you,” Claude rubbed his nose with a grin.

Recalling meeting Richie initially, Claude had suffered minor setbacks despite his Ace rank.

Yet Claude felt fortunate over capturing Richie then, for witnessing the boy’s growth and defeat of the Honor Knight, Claude held zero confidence in winning against him now—especially with Richie reaching Ace rank.

Recalling his own age and effort when achieving Ace rank inspired urges to hit a wall.

At dusk, the column halted.

Advancing six hours through mountain paths while cleaning tracks behind, Alliance forces could locate them only through sweep searches—a slow, conspicuous method allowing ample preparation time.

Claude and Mosalai led exclusive knight columns, easily evading encirclement traps.

Per Republic regulations, corps combined knights and regular soldiers to compensate for deficiencies, while military law punished abandoning regular soldiers severely.

Yet loopholes existed.

Mosalai’s regular soldiers advanced north secretly to join Haigert’s main body, while Mosalai led knights to draw enemy attention as rearguard.

Sacrificing local elements to preserve main bodies avoided legal violations, for military courts couldn’t punish such rationale.

Furthermore, northern column forces included wounded knights, preserving the combined unit structure.

Naturally high-level leaders disliked such tricks, yet remaining powerless to stop them, harbored private grudges—making such maneuvers unique to Junior Army members.

With Mosalai’s cautious nature, he would avoid pressuring leadership had dire conditions not forced his hand.

Discarding heavy burdens eased movement, using armors as cots and vehicles as barracks.

Halting at an open space, two hundred supply vehicles packed the location.

Outposts were deployed without radar networks, avoiding revealing their location to enemies.

Mosalai and Claude’s vehicle joined adjacent units, side doors raised to form a makeshift roof covered in snow camo netting.

The setup formed a temporary command post.

“When will the person you mentioned arrive?” Mosalai acted impatient, knowing his breakout would alert Alliance forces, risking reinforcement deployments that threatened his unit’s safety.

As corps commander, he understood speed’s value, willing to compromise by drafting a general plan with staff officers overnight.

Yet the key figure remained absent, driving him anxious.

“He hovers nearby, trailing our flank unnoticed,” Claude stated calmly, though wondering why Richie delayed joining them.

Claude knew not that Richie had arrived.

Richie refrained from aerial landings inside camps after enduring “Spiritual Piercing”, knowing skies held risks.

Desiring to keep flight capabilities secret, he, Rosa, and Merlin parked gliders in a hidden spot guarded by Nora, advancing on foot toward the camp.

Encountering reconnaissance outposts en route, Richie passed smoothly as Haigert’s scouts recognized their Yaksha armors.

Entering camp without trouble, trouble approached once he exited his suit.

“Hey! Which corps do you belong to? I’ve never seen your face!”

A group of young knights approached—older ones matching Richie at seventeen or eighteen, younger ones at fourteen or fifteen—encircling a short-haired girl who served as their leader. Having experienced similar scenes in Peines, Richie acted with composure.

Previously he might converse, yet lacked interest now, knowing he belonged to a different circle.

“Why ignore my question?” a senior apprentice knight around eighteen spoke up.

Lingering in such circles at his age proved his modest talent.

Scanning the group, Richie felt disappointed: compared to Gelode and Ruida’s circle, these youths possessed inferior capability—beside the lead girl, all were apprentice knights far from bottleneck phases.

“What badges are pinned to your chest?” a younger boy pointed at two silver badges on Richie’s chest.

“Boy, those badges aren’t worn casually!” the oldest apprentice knight warned with posture, reaching out to strip the badges.

With a soft swoosh, the oldest youth flew backward fifteen meters, crashing into a vehicle.

“I have zero interest in playing with you,” Richie spoke coldly.

“Impressive skill!” the lead girl acted un-bothered: “I lacked worthy opponents among these weaklings, yet you fit the role.”

Dropping into a stance, she motioned: “Come, test your skills against me.”

Richie felt exasperated, wondering if the girl failed to perceive their rank gap.

Looking at Merlin’s group, the three women watched with amused expressions.

“Another time; I have business now,” Richie declined duels, refraining from idle games.

“Scared? Rest assured, I’ll hold back,” the girl stated casually.

Richie felt dizzy, encountering such an extreme personality for the first time.

Inspecting the girl, she possessed beauty matching Margaret with distinct temperament—short hair, open uniform jacket missing a button, fair face bearing duel scratches that gave her a tomboy aura.

Another male-tempered female, differing from Robin’s deliberate style through genuine natural aura.

“If you refrain from striking, I’ll strike first!”

Stepping forward rapidly, her punch aimed straight at Richie’s nose.

Parrying instinctively, Richie’s block missed as her punch turned into a palm strike.

Reacting swiftly, Richie hooked his wrist to push the palm aside.

Though her palm was blocked, the girl advanced, launching a knee strike paired with a left palm push.

Richie realized she excelled at close-quarters combat like him.

Close-quarters experts held advantages in un-armed duels, explaining why Claude experienced awkwardness during their initial fight.

Yet raw strength remained decisive, leading to Richie’s defeat against Claude previously.

Dropping his elbow, Richie blocked her knee strike and palm push.

Richie refrained from deploying force against girls, while developing curiosity toward her close-quarters system.

He had encountered zero close-quarters experts, seeking to evaluate her techniques.

Thus he refrained from seeking quick victory.

Richie used a single hand while standing still, parrying her attacks calmly. Conversely, the girl leaped and struck with punches, kicks, and elbow strikes, realizing the boy far out-ranked her.

Applauding sounds reached her ears, and the girl discovered a crowd gathered, while her father stared at her from the side.

Applauding was Claude, who giggled: “Impressive skill for an Ace Knight to pick on a young girl!”

“You picked on me previously! Why omit your own actions?” Richie exposed Claude’s past without hesitation.

Claude cared little, possessing thick skin fitting his friendship with Haigert.

Yet explaining Richie’s status offered tactical value for upcoming operations.

“Comparing a monster like you to others depresses anyone! Everyone knowing you loses heart. Haigert vowed to achieve Celestial rank previously, yet after meeting you, abandoned the goal to focus on strategic command. I await inspecting whether Trisli suffers similar impact after Lina’s setback!”

Claude laughed aloud as he spoke.

Onlookers displayed two reactions: Haigert’s subordinates remained calm, while Mosalai’s group experienced shock and disbelief.

“We were awaiting your arrival!” Claude spoke to Richie, clapping Mosalai’s shoulder: “As I stated, you’d be astonished—the person I mentioned continuously is this boy.”

Mosalai acted rigid normally, yet lost composure now, staring at Richie with an open mouth.

Richie found it amusing, gaining an inspiration: the girl’s close-quarters system surpassed his library-sourced “Eight Phase Break”.

Her technique formed a complete system rather than hand-strikes alone.

Richie had seen zero complete close-quarters systems, suspecting it represented a family inheritance.

Intrigued by the prospect, he decided to test it.

“Hold on,” Richie gestured to Claude, smiling at Mosalai: “First time encountering a close-quarters expert, yet your daughter’s skills lack mastery to reveal its true essence—will you fulfill my wish?”

Before Mosalai answered, Richie stepped forward with fluid motion, reaching Mosalai’s front in an instant.

Richie delivered a “Collapsing Palm”—the shortest-range strike in “Eight Phase Break” fitting close combat.

Reacting rapidly, Mosalai stepped back half a pace, crossing arms to block.

With a sharp chime, both parted—Richie stepping back seven or eight paces under Mosalai’s superior Ace Aura, while Mosalai stepped back two paces.

Mosalai felt embarrassed, for his casual block aimed to de-escalate, yet stepping back prompted a desire to evaluate the boy.

Furthermore, Mosalai harbored curiosity toward rare un-armed close-quarters experts.

Parting briefly, both charged forward once more.

Engaging again, Mosalai deployed palm phantoms that enveloped Richie.

Mosalai’s palm technique derived from wind-blown leaves—each strike carrying multiple variations in rapid succession.

In un-armed skill, Richie lagged behind Mosalai, forced into evasion and parrying without counter-strike openings.

Yet evasion and parrying represented Richie’s greatest strengths: yellow Aura enveloped his hands with metallic luster, forming an iron wall that blocked Mosalai’s fierce palm attacks.

Beside defense, Richie’s fluid footwork amazed onlookers.

If Mosalai’s palms represented wind-blown leaves, Richie’s body represented wind-blown willows—former changing in the air, latter swaying anchored roots effortlessly.

Exchanging dozens of strikes in moments, combat escalated.

“Enough! Continue sparring later; business awaits!” Claude stepped in to halt the duel.

He recognized the duel would escalate into ultimate moves without intervention.

Claude knew both ultimate moves: Mosalai was an old friend, while Richie possessed “Mirror Reflection” and “Light Wheel Cut”—capable of inflicting severe injury. Claude wished for zero casualties while holding confidence in their deference to him.

He guessed Richie’s rationale for dueling: demonstrating capability to earn respect among senior officers—a necessary move given his young age.

Knowing Mosalai’s proud nature, Claude knew Mosalai might yield on minor points while resisting major decisions.

Haigert could restrain Mosalai, yet Haigert led Alliance forces north, leaving Claude requiring a formidable partner—a role only Richie could fulfill.

The temporary command post filled with personnel, table corners occupied by Claude, Mosalai, and Richie.

Witnessing the duel, none questioned Richie’s seat at the table.

“Before drafting plans, evaluating force conditions is essential,” Claude spoke to Mosalai: “Certain details were withheld previously out of fear that rescue failures would leak intelligence.”

The statement angered Mosalai, who pointed at Claude: “Knowing me for years, do you assume I’d turn traitor? I refrain from becoming a prisoner, ensuring zero corpse remains upon defeat!”

“Friend, I trust you alone, yet with your daughter in the corps, could we proceed without reservations?” Claude sighed frank words to prevent grudges.

Hearing his words, Mosalai silenced his anger.

As Claude stated, lacking a daughter in the unit allowed self-detonation during crises, whereas possessing family induced hesitation…

Mosalai sat silently in his seat.

Claude gestured to Richie with an eye signal.

Richie understood, leaning back to speak calmly.

“Our team comprises five members, led by Captain Merlin, while I handle communications with your group.”

“Captain Merlin out-ranks you in capability?” Mosalai felt surprised, having paid modest attention to the female knights earlier.

Before Richie answered, Claude sighed: “Refrain from asking; his squad comprises monsters where his strength ranks lowest! Juicer Lina—Boslova’s rival—belongs to his squad; Karon’s daughter is his master; Captain Merlin is nicknamed ‘Impregnable’, holding off Honor Knights alone; Rosa possesses ‘Thousand Threads’; while the silent woman is an Ace reconnaissance knight.”

Shaking his head, Claude added: “The squad includes foreign observer Trisli—the famous genius girl.”

The revelation drew gasps from Mosalai and his subordinates, for an Ace squad was rare, yet an Ace scout knight was unheard of.

“What about the fourth woman? One appeared ordinary,” Mosalai’s adjutant pressed.

“Ordinary? That Psion possesses knight strength—does that qualify as ordinary?” Claude laughed softly.

The adjutant silenced his words.

“In strength, we’re average,” Richie resumed the topic, using strength to establish authority while refraining from taking combat roles: “Haigert deployed us for flight capability. All intelligence you received derived from our aerial reconnaissance.”

Mosalai experienced continuous surprises, asking Claude: “Haigert’s flight experiment succeeded?”

“It’s his creation rather than Haigert’s capability,” Claude pointed at Richie: “I stated he’s a monster. New standard armor designs, flight armors, and flight manuals derived from his hand. Haigert possessed vision, yet lacked capability.”

Claude spoke casually, yet Mosalai listened with shock, inspecting Richie with un-concealed questions.

Note: Third Corps base Rodnerg fell, triggering conflicts among rescued corps commanders. Richie discovered Haigert’s deeper intentions, concluding the rescue operation. Yet Richie couldn’t focus on battlefield developments, prioritizing safe evacuation for Peines girls away from national conflicts.

Various factions extended covert hands toward Richie’s associates, and lacking background support, Richie made a crucial decision…

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