V6C19 Behind the scenes of the big operation - Santairiku Eiyuuki

Under the blazing sun, there was a barren land where not a single blade of grass grew. Only a handful of plants and animals specialized to this harsh environment could be found scattered across the vast expanse. Amidst such a world, a group of over ten thousand people marched forward. Fluttering above them was a flag bearing a double-headed eagle. The elite standing army of the Lemurian Empire and the Bulgaron cavalry unit were on the move. Leading them were the Barbal tribespeople, residents of the Fezzan region. "Phew... it's so hot..." Alicia muttered involuntarily. Marching under the relentless sun was exhausting beyond measure. Although she wore a hooded cloak to shield herself from the direct sunlight, the sun's rays pierced through the fabric like arrows, continuously heating the skin hidden beneath. Sweat trickled under her cloak, trailing down her traditional clothes. "I'd almost rather... just take it all off." She felt an urge to remove her riding trousers. The traditional attire of Bulgaron women consisted of riding pants and a dress-like garment that covered all the way to the ankles, with deep slits. Thanks to Hercule's mischief, Alicia often found herself stripped of her riding trousers, forcing her to expose her healthy legs to the public. At times, she was made to wear impossibly short dresses, barely covering even her underwear, or ones with deeply open backs displaying her bare white skin, and even those with heart-shaped cutouts in the chest revealing her cleavage. There were moments she had to wear sleeveless dresses exposing her armpits or ones showcasing her finely shaped navel due to cutouts around the abdomen. In the worst cases, all these elements were combined into a single garment, forcing her to bear the humiliation of exposing her skin to the public and the indignity of seeing her traditional Bulgaron attire horrendously altered. …Recently, however, the fashion seen in Carolina and Scheherazade’s wedding dresses showed that a certain level of skin exposure was being accepted as trendy. In Lemuria, due to ignorance of Bulgaron’s culture, comments like, "Oh, so Bulgaron women wear these kinds of outfits? How interesting!" were made, while in Bulgaron, it was perceived as, "I see, Alicia's fashion is inspired by Lemurian Empire culture. Lemuria is the cultural hub... truly civilized fashion. Wonderful! Cool!" This misconception spread, and both sides began misunderstanding each other, which Alicia had no knowledge of. But we digress. Regardless of her previous experiences of being made to wear embarrassing attire, the discomfort of sweltering heat currently surpassed her embarrassment. All she wanted now was to dress comfortably and, ideally, enjoy a refreshing bath. Alicia fervently wished for relief. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of a large gong reverberated in the air—an indication to hydrate. Almost as if she had been waiting for this, Alicia grabbed the leather pouch hanging from her waist. She took a small sip, just enough to wet her mouth. For a fleeting moment, she felt rejuvenated. Though, inevitably, the sun’s rays would soon turn the liquid into sweat once more. "Hang in there, Alicia. Just a bit more, and we'll have a break." Hercule, walking beside her, offered words of encouragement, while effortlessly brushing his hand against her behind. "Yikes!" "Absolutely drenched... though this time, it truly seems like just sweat." "Your Majesty seem... perfectly fine." Alicia looked up at the half-elf man, smiling cheekily. His forehead was glistening with sweat, yet his expression exuded immense vitality. "I’ve been training." "Is... that so...? But, Your Majesty, isn't it alright if you ride a horse?" To conserve the horses' strength, even the cavalry was walking alongside everyone else. However, the horses bore the burden of carrying the baggage and armor. But surely, the emperor himself could make an exception. Alicia thought no one would object. "While nobody would openly complain, there might be those who silently disapprove. In these marches, morale and spirit are crucial. I can't simply take it easy alone." Such is the strange integrity of this man. Though bemused by the contrast with his typically overbearing demeanor, Alicia acknowledged his attention to morale... Having marched for ten days, she concluded it was due to Hercule’s sensibilities that no grievances had been raised among the soldiers thus far. "Your Majesty." "What is it, Scheherazade?" It was his new wife, Scheherazade, a former princess of the Kingdom of Fars and newly crowned empress of the Lemurian Empire, who also walked diligently beside Hercule. "Can you explain why this water tastes sweet? And there's a hint of sour and salty flavor too…" Alicia found this intriguing as well. The water distributed during their march always had an unusual taste. "That’s because it contains sugar, salt, and lemon." "Why such flavors?" Upon hearing the question, Hercule briskly pulled her closer and licked the sweat from her cheek. "Wha-what are you doing...?" "Sweat is salty, right?" Listening to Hercule’s explanation, both Scheherazade and Alicia realized something. Indeed, sweat was salty. Which naturally meant... as one sweats, salt leaves the body along with the water. "In addition to salt, various nutrients are lost through sweat. I’ll skip the detailed explanation... but replenishing them simultaneously is more efficient." "Is that also why we're given candies during breaks?" Alicia inquired. Hercule scheduled breaks every hour, during which candies were distributed to everyone. These breaks were amongst the few sources of entertainment for the soldiers marching under the scorching sun. Initially, Alicia perceived this as merely a provision of amusement for the troops and to use saliva to momentarily suppress thirst... "Exactly. Though part of it is indeed for their amusement." Hercule nodded. Alicia was impressed by his foresight. "...No wonder the Bulgaronia Kingdom was defeated." "You catch on quickly. And… soon enough, the Kingdom of Cherda will fall as well." Hercule grinned broadly. Hearing his words, Alicia was convinced. The Kingdom of Cherda was destined to fall. And more so, the Chromesian clan must never go against Hercule. "By the way, how much longer will we be walking today, Your Majesty?" "About twenty-five kilometers more? So, maybe another five or six hours." Hercule responded to Scheherazade's inquiry. When she and Alicia learned they would have to maintain this pace for another five hours, they couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Can't we slow down a bit, Your Majesty? We've already walked fifteen kilometers today," Alicia implored Hercule. Walking forty kilometers in such scorching heat seemed utterly insane. "If we slow down, it'll disrupt the plan. We must reach the next oasis by the day after tomorrow. Besides, it’s not the first time we’ve walked forty or fifty kilometers in a day." "Well, that's true..." On average, the Lemurian army covered a distance of about thirty kilometers a day. Sometimes, due to stretches between water sources, they had to trek forty or even forty-five kilometers. This marching speed in the vast desert was extraordinary. The reason they could maintain such speed while keeping deserters below a thousand lay in Hercule’s well-planned and steady marching pace. "Let me tell you, if we slow down, we'll have more deserters," Hercule nodded in response to Alicia's question. "In a land where the supply of water and food is uncertain, running hard and fast is safer. Troops get exhausted, but as long as they rest well, it's fine. Thankfully, we’re in allied territory, the Barbal lands, so combat is unlikely." With no fear of combat, pushing the march harder than usual posed no issue. In fact, it's better to press on quickly. "But, it’s true that morale is starting to dip. It might be time to give them a boost." Hercule gathered some cavalry messengers and instructed them. "Relay this to all units: By noon the day after tomorrow, we’ll reach an oasis city. It's a fairly sizable town of the Barbal tribe. Not only will there be water and food, but also women and brothels. Theft and assault are forbidden, but you’ll get some spending money. I’m allowing a day to enjoy freely, so hang in there." Hearing Hercule's words, the messengers' eyes lit up. With renewed vigor, they ran off, driven by a sense of duty to share this good news with their comrades. "This should boost morale." "How simple... Such are men," Alicia sighed, thinking of the men in her own tribe. The mere mention of women would have them charging with zeal. Even in the disciplined Lemurian army, men were still men. From the rear, they could hear enthusiastic cheers rising. "Oooh!!" "Alright, let's do this!!" "Get fired up!!" "Long live His Majesty the Emperor!!" "Long live Her Majesty the Empress!!" "Long live the Princess of Bulgaron!!" Hearing the fervent cheers, Scheherazade, Alicia, Nia, and even some of the long-eared female elf knights belonging to the medium cavalry Cataphract unit sighed in exasperation. "Morale is rising. How about we lift the mood with a song? Alicia, sing after me." "A-a song?" "Yes. Scheherazade, you join in too." "Y-yes." Alicia and Scheherazade nodded. After confirming their agreement, Hercule, in high spirits, began singing a hymn with a strangely beautiful voice. In the vast desert, the resounding hymn of the human group floated through the air. Even the vultures that had been circling overhead were so taken aback that they flew off to somewhere else.