The Storm of the West
Haaah!
Tch, broke another one.
Captain! Next weapon!
Another one?!
Now!
I grabbed the last practice sword from the crate and tossed it over.
Ceres caught it mid-air with flair and brought it crashing down on the training dummy...
*Shatter*
The sword met its end shortly thereafter.
Tch... Captain! Another!
A single practice sword would supposedly last a whole year for other Saviors...
But Ceres was using them up like bullets...!
Stop! Just stop for a sec!
Why the sudden pause?
Didn't you ask me to show you how I usually train?
I didn't think you'd go through swords like candy!
Hmph, that's just because NOA's gear is flimsy.
Even for a training sword, this is way too fragile.
How am I supposed to train with blades that snap on every swing?
I glanced around the training grounds.
It looked like a bomber had flown through. Craters everywhere, and the remains of shattered dummies scattered across the field.
I don't think this is the sword's fault...
Soft! You think Voidborns will go easy on you for thinking like that?
How did we handle it in the West?
We didn't need to. Mine never broke, not even once.
It was forged from meteoric steel by the best blacksmith in the West.
A masterwork, reserved only for commanders of the Western Liberators.
But don't you dual-wield?
Ah, one of them was passed down to me by the former commander...
...
Passed down... meaning...
...Yeah. She fell in battle.
At the end of the first expedition, taken by Voidborns.
The surviving members only managed to recover her sword and make it back.
After that, leadership of the Liberators fell to me.
I see...
...We got off track for a moment.
Anyway, the Western Liberators are severely outmatched both in manpower and supplies. We have to take on fifty foes per soldier just to even the odds.
That's why we focus everything on overwhelming power and relentless destruction.
That makes sense.
But even so...
Is there a problem?
I'm not sure if it counts as a problem, but...
I thought about telling her all this tension wasn't good for her, but I knew it would fall on deaf ears.
You understand now, right, Captain?
Until we reclaim the land beyond Raven Wall...
Every Liberator must become a spear. One that pierces the enemy, even if it costs them everything!
Not a single moment of carelessness—
...And there she goes again, monologuing like it's a death march.
L-Lydia?
What are you doing here?
What do you mean? I was assigned as your adjutant to support you during the Journey.
Seriously, without me, you'd get lost, forget to eat, and completely botch even basic admin tasks—
N-no! That's not what I meant!
I gave you direct orders to scout NOA for anything that could aid the West while I trained...
So what are you doing here?!
Lunch delivery.
...Huh?
You forgot it, didn't you?
Here. You left it in your quarters this morning.
Kgh...
...
I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trouble you.
It's fine. I got to watch you train, so no harm done.
But do you really have to eat these awful rations all the time?
At least grab something from Candle Square—
What are you saying, Lydia?
Do you know how excessive and indulgent NOA's meals are?
There's an orchestra playing beside you while you eat, gold-dusted macarons for dessert—
Like I said, we don't have those here.
...Even if I'm stationed in NOA, I can't forget those still struggling back West.
Got it?!
And you too, Lydia. No funny ideas! Stick to the Western Liberators' ration plan!
Ughhh...
Since Lydia brought lunch, Ceres sat down in a corner of the training ground to eat.
Its contents, of course... were those wooden-looking rations I'd already grown to dread.
...Phew. Anyway, as I said earlier, I'm Lydia, Commander Ceres's adjutant.
Nice to meet you.
You've got it rough too, huh? Stuck with our commander for a whole year.
She's not a bad person. But she's, well, kind of a brick wall.
You'll probably have to jab her in the side every now and then just to let some air in.
Lydia! What are you whispering to the Captain?!
Say it louder, so I can hear it too!
*Sigh* I'm heading back. I'm exhausted.
I heard there's a bakery called Street Bakers that's pretty famous. I'm stopping by on the way.
Lydia! Didn't you hear what I just sa—
...Should I pick up something for you too, Commander?
...Kgh?!
...
I...
I don't need it!!
If I catch you indulging in some bakery nonsense, I won't forgive you, Lydia!
Yes, yes, understood.
Ceres stuffed the rest of the rations into her mouth, then dove straight back into training.