Epilogue 
 
 
 
It took around a week to walk from the foothills of the mountain ranges to reach the kingdom.  
 
It took us a little less than three months from the time of our departure to the time of our return to the kingdom. 
 
Whether one views that as long or surprisingly brief is a matter of perspective.  
 
Incidentally, Todd himself felt it took a bit too much time. 
 
Stopping by the kingdom’s city on the mountain range side first nearly caused major trouble.  
 
For some reason a suspicious looking group wearing odd clothing and barbarian cavalry clearly made themselves visible … Read the rest

“The men serving me seem to intend to bring mountain people with them to the kingdom. When they have children, while those children will be kingdom citizens they’ll have mountain folk blood flowing through them right? So the mountain people won’t disappear. Even if the names of tribes vanish from history, they’ll undoubtedly continue living on within the kingdom citizens.”
 
The words flowing from Todd were notions Totila had never once considered in his life before.
 
He had thought of the mountain people themselves as embodying the way of life.
 
If one considered what the mountain people … Read the rest

Todd couldn’t get that hypothesis out of his head.
 
While most things progressed as he knew them to, completely unanticipated developments also frequently occurred.
 
How Edward was raised. People like Renge and Gaaru who didn’t exist in the game. And the sense of discomfort from Totila.
 
There were several irregularities that seemed to defy explanation from Todd maneuvering things and changing everyone’s actions alone.
 
While he could theorize things to a degree with some guesswork, that would still end up being speculation based on what was depicted in the game.
 
Of course Todd hadn’t met with any god or anything … Read the rest

Caught up in the adrenaline and battle high fighting a prominent combatant now, Todd finally noticed amidst their serious duel that his condition was far from perfect.
 
Totila switched over to the offence once more.
 
Taking advantage of the suppleness belying his burly frame, he reaped a slicing attack caressing Todd as if swinging a pendulum.
 
Looking at each strike individually, their might was not necessarily that high originally.
 
However, outfitted with the fortified armor their potency increased.
 
Blows that should have been light pounded against Todd’s chest.
 
Occasionally a strike even knocked the breath right out of him.
 
Despite … Read the rest

“Strange…Did they change their way of fighting?”
 
The first thing Todd felt was a sense of discomfort.
 
The number of mountain warriors charging towards him had clearly decreased.
 
In itself that was no problem at all.
 
But he was gradually getting the feeling that something had started changing somehow.
 
“Rein, what do you think?”
 
“They have shifted to more orderly defense. It would be appropriate to assume Totila has implemented some strategy.”
 
“Yeah…so that’s it, huh.”
 
Because the assaults had become more sporadic, Raienbach was now close enough for Todd to casually … Read the rest

The mountain people did not fear dying in battle.
 
And yet they were clearly retreating.
 
Perhaps the impact of Shiranui’s presence had been that great.
 
(Well, it’s great that the enemy soldiers are losing their will to fight!)
 
Galloping loudly with dull thuds trying to stir up fear in the opponent, the mountain people fell back even further.
 
Meanwhile the troops behind Todd were loudly shouting as they vigorously pushed forward.
 
“Your Highness, please don’t overexert yourself!”
 
It felt to Todd like barely a minute had passed, but when he realized it Raienbach … Read the rest

 
(It should be okay… I think. But yeah, if Totila turns out to be a really nice guy, I might reconsider a bit.)
 
Perhaps because Todd was Japanese in his past life, he has a bad habit of wanting to support the losing side, like a fan of the underdog.
 
The fact that Ho is still alive is precisely the reason for that.
 
For the sake of uniting Ho’s clan, it would have been more convenient if he had died.
 
But thanks to keeping him alive, Todd has been able to select spies and messengers, … Read the rest

The first was that he had been acting together with Todd and the others since close to the beginning, and was used to handling fortified armor.
 
The second was that he wielded the magical bow Sagittarius granted to him by Todd.
 
Somehow they had found out later, but bestowing something to a warrior from the chief was a point of pride and honor for the warrior, something irreplaceable.
 
Because of that, the other mountain people also came to acknowledge Garu as the rightful person for the position, it seemed.
 
That bow held by Garu, Sagittarius, was, strictly speaking, not a … Read the rest

As expected, there were still those among the plains folk who didn’t think siding with Todd was good.
 
Todd’s methods were too conciliatory, so some must have seen it as spineless.
 
Totila was keeping his clan together through coercion and intimidation.
 
Considering the disposition of the mountain folk, it could be said his clan looked more favorable.
 
“Also…”
 
“There’s more?”
 
“Yes sir! – Oi, bring that over!”
 
Following his order, a warrior hurried into the tent, and brought something out.
 
At first I thought it might be a black cloth symbolizing mourning, … Read the rest

Our goal is to defeat Totila!
 

 
The third peak from the east of the Erneshia Range, Narup, the fifth mountain consisting of the seven-mountain range, is like a single rock.
 
The terrain is rugged everywhere, with slopes ranging from steep to flat, and its shape is quite distorted compared to the surrounding mountains.
 
The mountain, so desolate that not even grass grows, is a natural fortress created by the earth.
 
The poorly drained terrain serves as a natural moat, the sheer cliffs provide a perfect vantage point for shooting arrows, and the narrow, horse-inaccessible passages confuse people like a … Read the rest