Daybreak:Alpha Chapter

Chapter 14 - Outbreak of War

The next week went by in a blur as the Königsfeld Academy of Magic prepared for war.

King Leopold von Drachenlanzen of Weichsel had evoked the Writ of Universal Conscription, calling for 'General Mobilization' in the name of the Holy Father. Using this first stage of Weichsel's Fourfold Mobilization system, the standing army would quadruple in size as Landsknecht professional soldiers were augmented by reserves and young militia. But senior militia and garrison troops were conserved to act as both a home guard and as seed units for a second stage 'Full Mobilization' should the crown require. Furthermore, Noble Reiter units, formed by drafting the magic-blessed nobility, would supplement the professional Weichsel Cavalry that consisted of noble spellsword knights and their retainer troops.

Last but not least, 'General Mobiliziation' reduced the cycle of officer training from four years to three. As the end of the year already drew near, High Command declared that not only fourth year student cadets will be required to join the campaign, but the third years as well.

It was the worst present as the holidays approached.

The Empire of Rhin-Lotharingie had responded to the military buildup in the south by beginning a partial mobilization five days ago. But their spies grossly underestimated both the readiness and the sheer scale of the Caliphate's invasion. News from the borders claimed that Cataliyan soldiers marched across in the hundreds of thousands, pouring over the southern mountain passes in three separate army groups. Hopeless to stop the approaching juggernaut, Lotharin border forces fell back across the front, seeking to regroup with reinforcements at second line fortifications.

They left four undefended Duchies in their wake.

Three, technically. Duke Guy of Avro-Calent refused the general retreat order. His proud three-layer concentric castle, which boasted the strongest fortification in Southern Rhin-Lotharingie, was simply bypassed by the Cataliyan vanguard forces. Rear army units then surrounded the castle and bombarded it nonstop for three days, followed by a nine-hour relentless assault which seized the citadel from its exhausted defenders. In the end, the Duke's bravado and 'glorious death' not only failed to halt or even slow down the invasion, but cost the Lotharin defenses three thousand precious seasoned troops.

The entire war could not have come at a worse time, just as winter was beginning to seal the Northern Lotharingie Mountains under ice and snow. Even Weichsel's coastal Margraviates found it hard to mobilize as yet another cold front swept in from the North Sea.

But the King and his Marshal had no choice. This was the first war against the Empire of Rhin-Lotharingie since signing the defensive military alliance treaty. Failing to uphold the agreement would not only invalidate their coalition in the eyes of the world, but also risk condemnation from Weichsel's only ally within the Holy Imperium of the Inner Sea.

Ever since Ferdinand I, the founding King of Weichsel, allowed himself to be crowned by the Pope, the small nation in the north has maintained the confidence of the Holy See, serving as a bastion of Trinitian might against the barbaric pagans of the north.

Papal appeasement was Weichsel's foremost deterrence against Imperial aggression, especially after hostilities during the War of Imperial Succession. Tripling Weichsel's landmass had been worth the papal condemnation it earned them that time, but King Leopold could ill afford another.

So the army gathered outside the academy's stone fortifications.

The Königsfeld Academy of Magic was one of fourteen rallying points within Weichsel. Every day, more forces arrived outside the curtain walls, setting up camps as they awaited fresh orders from above.

Companies of swordstaff infantry marched in from nearby villages. Battalions of arbalest troops gathered from neighboring towns. Even several hundred cavalry rode in from the nearby counties and baronies who paid direct fealty to the king.

By Saturday morning, the entire area surrounding the academy had grown into a new settlement of tents, palisades, Instant Cabins, and simple watchtowers. Inside this makeshift town lived more than three thousand troops, awaiting orders to march west.

Without enacting 'Full Mobilization' and stripping Weichsel's defenses bare, Pascal estimated that his nation should be able to muster a total force of fifty thousand -- a mere fragment of the Caliph's might.

----- * * * -----

"I have never seen someone so bad on a horse."

Kaede lay flat on the ground as she ignored Pascal's scathing remark. This was her third practice session with a mount, and she still almost fell off twice during only a prolonged canter. Then the white war steed went into a full gallop, and only Pascal's Air Cushion spell kept her from injuring her back.

Among his kendo friends back on Earth, Kaede's coordination and reflexes had been mediocre at best. It was yet another reason he preferred the meditative and gradual forms in archery over the rapid assaults and reactionary parries of swordplay. Coming to Hyperion and adapting to a new, smaller body hadn't helped her any in attaining better control over her muscles... or lack thereof.

"She's not that bad. You should have seen Gerd when he first learned how to ride. That guy was a true sack of potatoes -- makes one appreciate how far he's come."

Parzifal had tried to encourage her every time he came by to see Ariadne, who offered Kaede what pointers she could. Unsurprisingly, the pegasus knight was not only the best rider in not only her year, but the entire academy as well. The Manteuffels weren't literally raised in the saddle like their nomadic ancestors; but having rode a pony since she was five, it wasn't far from the truth either.

"Excuse me for not being born noble," Kaede retorted as she stood back up, rubbing her painful behind.

The Air Cushion softened the landing enough to prevent injuries, but there was still an impact. Combined with all the ups and downs in the saddle, it made Kaede's butt hurt -- not quite a place used to it.

The horsemanship problem was hardly a new one. Even during the pre-industrial eras of Earth, cavalry was predominantly a noble occupation, for only the wealthy could afford to grow up accustomed to any proper steed. Many farmers had horses and mules as well, but a docile, plow-towing mount was far different from one bred for the military.

As for Kaede, she had never even petted a pony before, let alone ride a galloping stallion.

"Again?" she asked, watching Pascal whistle the horse back around.

"No. Dinner is almost upon us, and that was already your fourth try this session. Give your backside a rest already."

Kaede quickly put her hands away. She wasn't aware it had been that obvious.

"Nobody is going to become good in just a few days. Only a prodigy would be foolish enough to expect that, and your horsemanship is hardly good enough to brag about..."

Ariadne added her cutting words with a serene smile as she walked over from the wall Parzifal and her had been leaning against. Her delicate fingers extended back to cup her waist-length hair, a pink waterfall swaying between two sides in the castle courtyard's strong crosswinds.

"--Besides, isn't hanging onto a canter enough? Not like she's going to join a thundering charge, even in the very unlikely scenario that you did."

With the reins back in his hands, Pascal's turquoise gaze was still examining Kaede as he began his reply:

"I was hoping she could act as my courier should the opportunity arise. The telepathic link grounded in our familiar bond would allow me to communicate with command directly through her -- exceedingly useful given how normal Telepathy spells cannot function in a battlefield full of clashing ether. It would be a good reason for her to come with me."

"I thought mages often brought their familiars along?" Kaede puzzled.

Thankfully, her own hair was long enough that she stuffed its end into her belt pouch. With most of her time spent reading, Kaede didn't usually mind the sheer length of her canary-white hair, which reached all the way down to her thighs. In fact, she rather enjoyed how soft and comfortable it was. But it was also rather annoying on windy days when she came outside.

"Yes; and in most other cases, I would not worry about it," Pascal answered. "But bringing a girl from my household does raise questions -- and not the kind of rumor good for unit morale."

Grinning as he watched Ariadne from behind, Parzifal strode up to his beloved and put his arm around her shoulders. As though treating a precious jewel, his hands carefully brushed her hair back into place. After receiving an appreciate smile from her, he turned his gaze towards Pascal:

"Oh right, congratulations are in order, although it was quite expected after your promotion to Captain: now you're also the youngest person to command a Noble Reiter company."

'Reiter' was one of the few military terms Kaede knew from German history -- one of the first cavalry in Europe who raised firearms to the status of primary weapons. The fact her familiar bond's 'translation' feature picked this word in specific meant that the magic actually tried to match Weichsel's language to her specific knowledge.

Unlike the professional 'Weichsel Cavalry' which used a combination of polearms, ranged weapons, and spells, the entirely aristocratic Noble Reiters were cavalrymen who served only as artillery-mages. Their lack of proper combat training reflected in their poor ability to hold out in a close encounter.

Therefore, 'Reiter' was rather appropriate, not to mention far less confusing, than its literal meaning: horse-rider.

"Thanks," Pascal answered a bit awkwardly, clearly still not used to this new relationship. "Do you know which unit you are being assigned to yet?"

"No. They offered me to pick any company from your battalion, since they're short on healers for the medic squads again. What do you think, Captain Sir von Moltewitz? Am I good enough, or do you still think I'm too boring?"

Parzifal glanced away at the last second, and Kaede wondered if he regretted impulsively poking that old wound the moment his words left his mouth.

But if anything, it was Pascal who looked more uncomfortable, his prideful mask leaking just enough humility to barely identify as 'apologetic':

"I would be honored if you joined me. But... how come you are not going with Ariadne?"

"There's not enough new Knights Phantom to form another company," Ariadne explained as she leaned into Parzifal's shoulder. "Our modus operandi is too different from any other unit to work together, so we're being added to bolster the Black Lancers company once we link up with the King's forces coming from Königsfeld."

"Well, I'll inform the good Major this afternoon then. Not to mention, this also solves our other problem with bringing Kaede."

Both Pascal and Kaede stared at Parzifal for several moments. Neither could figure out the meaning behind his words before the two of them spoke at once:

"How?"

"Easy," the healer's aquamarine eyes almost sparkled under his brown bangs. "Medical supplies."

Oh right, walking Blood Bank of Samara, Kaede remembered.

Facing the grinning Parzifal and the giggling Ariadne, her wispy response came out completely flat:

"Oh ha ha, very funny."

Meanwhile, Pascal looked even less amused than his familiar:

"Fair warning: if she faints, I am holding you accountable."

...