One month had passed since the Imperial's second attempt to seize control of the Northern Line had failed.

  Much had changed in the past month. The Imperials appeared to have abandoned their efforts to conquer the Northern Line, with no signs of them sending reinforcements.

  The force once led by Major General Remnell was now under the command of Major General Aylsia, holed up at Fort Estonal, the last fort the Imperials held in the Northern Line.

  Yet despite our victory, the 9th Corps was in no condition to march forward recklessly. We had to be cautious. Our forces were still recovering from the last battle, and while the Imperials were on the defensive, one misstep could lead to disaster.

  Today was a special day, however. Rewards were being handed out to the officers and soldiers who played significant roles in the last battle. Naturally, I was among them as I would be promoted to Major for slaying not one, but two generals. Hurray!

  The only problem was that I had no clue what to wear. Back in my previous life, I never cared much about fashion, and now, being both a girl and in the military, I was even more clueless.

  According to the rulebook(which was handed by Colonel Devon), it was technically acceptable to wear my regular uniform, but it also mentioned that it would be seen as rude. Instead, there were special ceremonial uniforms, specifically designed for occasions like this.

  I decided to check them out, but the prices left me speechless. Even the cheapest one cost 100 gold coins, roughly $10,000. The most expensive were A staggering 1,000 gold coins. On top of that, custom made was 500 gold coins. Outrageous. Especially considering my current salary as a Major was only 50 gold coins a month.

  I still had the 20 gold coins I earned as a Warrant Officer, giving me a total of just 70 gold coins. However, that was nowhere near enough for one of those uniforms. And I didn’t exactly have any friends I could ask to borrow money from either.

  So, naturally, I decided to wear my regular uniform. I figured with over a hundred people attending the ceremony, not all of them officers, there had to be others in the same situation. Not everyone could afford a custom ceremonial uniform, right?

  After waiting a bit in my room, I finally headed to the ceremony hall with Deryk, who had also been promoted to Major. From what I heard, he was one of the mages who had managed to snipe 16 mages and most damage to the Imperials soldiers. He was decked out in his ceremonial uniform. A crisp white outfit with red lines and gold embellishments.

  “You’re not wearing a ceremonial uniform?” Deryk asked as we walked.

  “I couldn’t afford to have one custom-made,” I replied with a sigh. “I’ve only got 70 coins, and a custom uniform costs 500. It’d take me ten months just to save up for it.”

  “Yeah, I get it,” Deryk nodded. “Trade’s been rough lately, and everything’s gone up in price. Except for metal.”

  We reached the place where the ceremony would take place. Two soldiers saluted at us as we passed by, and we saluted back.

  The ceremony hall was grand, with banners from every regiment hanging from the high ceiling and polished floors reflecting the sunlight streaming through massive windows. Officers and soldiers alike filled the rows of seats, their ceremonial uniforms gleaming beneath the light.

  It didn't take long for me to realize something was wrong. No one was wearing their standard uniform. Everyone had come dressed in formal ceremonial attire.

  Everyone except me.

  Heat crept up my neck as I quickly searched for my seat, clearly aware of how much I stood out among them. As Deryk and I settled into our places, the ceremony began.

  The commander of the 9th Corps, General Cedric, stood tall at the podium, his presence alone enough to quiet the hall. One by one, he called soldiers and officers forward to receive their honors.

  Each name was met with applause as medals were pinned proudly to chests. The atmosphere was thick with respect and pride, the weight of sacrifice and bravery hanging in the air.

  Time passed steadily, and then,

  “First Lieutenant Aria.”

  My name was called.

  When I stepped up to the podium, Cedric greeted me with a faint smile. I moved before him, knelt, and bowed my head.

  "For outstanding bravery and extraordinary power on the battlefield," Cedric announced, his voice echoing clearly through the hall, "First Lieutenant Aria, you are hereby promoted to Major. Your actions in slaying two enemy generals and defeating a Wild Magic user have brought great honor to the Shiena Kingdom."

  Applause erupted, noticeably louder than before. I felt my face grow warm as I offered a sheepish smile, preparing to step down, but Devon blocked my path with a sidestep, his sharp glare making it clear I was not finished.

  "Furthermore," Cedric continued with a grin, and a ripple of laughter moved through the hall as my face turned red, bowing again to hide my embarrassed face. "your actions have saved countless lives and turned the tide of battle in our favor. The Council of the Nine Generals has agreed that such a feat has not been witnessed in many years."

  Murmurs spread throughout the audience, anticipation building.

  Cedric's expression softened slightly as Devon stepped forward, carrying a small red case. He opened it carefully, revealing a medal set against deep velvet, an emerald disc adorned with a brilliant golden crown at its center, flanked by twin silver wings.

  "I hereby award you the Crown of Emerald," Cedric declared. "A medal bestowed only upon those who have served the kingdom greatly and recognized as true heroes of the Shiena Kingdom."

  The words seemed unreal. According to a book I read, the Crown of Emerald was legendary, awarded only four times in recorded history. And now, I was to become the fifth.

  The hall fell completely silent as Cedric lifted the medal. I could feel the weight of every gaze fixed upon me as I bowed my head once more, ready to receive the honor.

  Then, the massive doors to the hall burst open with a thunderous crash.

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  A disheveled officer staggered inside, his uniform stained with dirt, his face pale. His breathing was ragged, each gasp echoing in the stunned silence.

  The ceremony froze, naturally.

  "What is the meaning of this?!" Devon demanded, angry. "We are in the middle of a ceremony!"

  "Enough, Devon," Cedric said calmly, though the edge in his eyes betrayed his displeasure. He turned his gaze toward the trembling officer. "Speak."

  "General Cedric," the officer gasped, struggling to steady himself, "I bring urgent news. The 5th Corps has been annihilated."

  A collective gasp swept through the hall.

  My hand, still raised to receive the Crown of Emerald, froze midair. The 5th Corps, one of the kingdom's main forces, annihilated? Not defeated. Not forced to retreat. Annihilated.

  "Furthermore," the officer continued, his voice shaking, "reports confirm that the 5th Knight Brigade, the Storm Crusaders, has entered the battlefield. The 6th and 7th Corps are on the verge of collapse, and the 4th Corps is dangerously close to annihilation!"

  Whispers erupted like wildfire as everybody began to talk at once. I glanced at General Cedric. His face had darkened, the warmth from moments ago completely gone.

  A cold weight settled in my chest. Whatever hope we had of stabilizing the frontlines was crumbling.

  It felt like the beginning of something far worse.

  [(0)]

  The ceremony had ended in a rush. General Cedric was summoned to the Eastern Line for an urgent meeting, leaving the freshly promoted Brigadier General Devon in command of the 9th Corps.

  The situation had to be dire if the generals were staying that close to the battlefield. The capital was simply too far away.

  For the 9th Corps, not much changed immediately. Officers intensified their training regimens, driving the troops harder than before.

  As a Major, I had the authority to excuse myself from training, but I couldn't bring myself to sit and watch. Something deep inside warned me that things were changing for the worse. If I wasn't ready when the time came, I wouldn't survive.

  So I trained. I pushed my newfound mana control further, testing its limits, knowing full well that the Northern Line's relative safety was temporary.

  The 9th Corps would be repositioned soon, most likely to the Eastern Line, especially after the annihilation of the 5th Corps. The Empire was crushing through our defenses, and no matter how strong we appeared, we were losing ground faster than we could recover.

  Part of me wondered if they would send the 8th Corps instead. But the rumors about their incompetence made me doubt that decision.

  They were notoriously green, filled with soldiers who had never seen real combat and officers more concerned with appearances than strategy. Sending them would be like sending lambs to slaughter.

  I sighed, staring out at the horizon. What could I do?

  The future looked grim, darker than I had imagined. The Empire held the upper hand now, and if this pattern continued, the Shiena Kingdom wouldn't last much longer. It was only a matter of time before everything collapsed.

  I wanted to escape. To leave all of this behind. But I doubted the kingdom hadn't taken precautions. In fact, I was certain they had planted something in my body to prevent exactly that. Not that it changed the problem: I might die anyway.

  But even as I considered my options, none seemed favorable. Fleeing to another country would only offer temporary safety. The Empire's reach was vast, and I had made too many enemies.

  "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

  I jumped slightly. Deryk, now a Major himself, stood behind me, grinning with a staff in hand.

  "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to play dumb.

  "Your face tells me everything." His grin widened as he leaned against the railing overlooking Fort Kespare. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange that slowly disappeared behind the horizon.

  "You know," Deryk said after a moment, pulling out a pocket watch. He opened it to reveal a picture, himself and a beautiful girl with dark hair, both looking about the same age. "The reason I joined the military was to win her heart."

  "What?" I blinked at him, genuinely shocked. Who would risk their life just to impress a girl?

  "Yeah, you can call me stupid," Deryk laughed. "She said she wanted to date someone brave, someone who could protect her. So I joined up to become exactly that."

  "She sounds... na?ve?" I offered carefully. It seemed like a strange criteria for choosing a partner.

  "Hmm..." Deryk didn't answer right away, his gaze fixed on the setting sun. "Turns out, she was just lying to get rid of all the boys fawning over her. She couldn't believe it when I told her I'd actually joined the military for her. You should've seen the look on her face!"

  I stayed silent, not quite sure what to say. I had expected some epic tale, some heart-wrenching story of loss or duty. Instead, I had gotten what sounded like a romantic comedy.

  "Anyway," Deryk said, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to me, a drawing of what looked like his family. His parents, his four sisters, and what I guess was his dead brother. "She agreed to date me. And now that I'm actually in the military, I think about the people I want to protect. Her, my family, my homeland."

  I stayed quiet. After all, I had nothing from this nation worth protecting. I was made, not born. An artificial human. A homunculus. And on top of that, I wasn’t even from this world, and Nine didn’t seem to care about the Shiena Kingdom either. But I didn't say that aloud. Instead, I just nodded.

  "You might not know your reason for fighting right now," Deryk continued, pointing his staff toward the sky. "But you will someday. Because if you didn't have something driving you forward, you wouldn't have made it this far."

  I didn't know. I didn't know why I was fighting, or if I even wanted to keep going. I had seen my fair share of war's horrors, and part of me wanted to walk away from all of it.

  But I knew one thing: the story wasn't over yet. This was just the end of one chapter. The next part would be far more dangerous, with higher stakes than ever before. Whether I liked it or not, I was part of something larger now. And if I wanted to survive, I had to choose my path carefully.

  The war was far from over. And I had a feeling the next battle would test me in ways I couldn't even imagine.

  “Thanks, Deryk." I smiled. I still didn't know my reason, but I knew one thing. I didn't want Deryk to die. Not yet. "Do you know what's for dinner today?"

  "No idea," Deryk laughed as we turned toward the mess hall together, leaving the uncertain future to unfold as it would.

  The sun settled as the Fort Kespare turned to darkness

  [(0)]

  The Crown of Emerald is a medal bestowed upon heroes who have served the Kingdom of Shiena with great deeds. In the entire 500-year history of the kingdom, only four individuals have received this honor.

  The First Hero was King Alexander, founder of the Kingdom of Shiena itself. Through sheer force of will and unmatched prowess in battle, he defeated an army of 100,000 single-handedly, claiming the land from a rival nation and establishing the kingdom from nothing.

  The Second Hero was Marshal Alianor, who commanded a force of 10,000 soldiers and successfully repelled 56 separate attacks against overwhelming odds. Remarkably, her tactical brilliance resulted in only 29 casualties among her troops throughout the entire campaign.

  The Third Hero is perhaps our most infamous: the Wild Hound Kellar, who earned his title by hunting down Wild Magic wielders with relentless power. He is credited with slaying 592 Wild Magic users and wounding countless others. His reputation for defeating mages in combat earned him a second nickname, the Mage Slayer.

  The Fourth Hero was Felix, born a commoner who rose through the ranks to become a Duke. He exposed and captured numerous corrupt nobles and government officials, even leading a rebellion to save the Shiena Kingdom from internal collapse. He remains the most beloved hero among common folk, who saw him as one of their own.

  Of course, there have been other individuals who performed great feats in service to the kingdom. Mars slew the Black Dragon that once terrorized the Forest of Jade. Christopher sailed across uncharted seas and forged diplomatic relations with the dwarves, ushering in an era of prosperity through artifact trade.

  Yet these accomplished individuals were never awarded the Crown of Emerald. The difference, it seems, lies in a simple truth:

  Heroes are those who never ask for rewards. Only for what is right.

  - From the Book, “Heroes of Shiena Kingdom” By Henry Sworson -