Altina the Sword Princess

Translators: Skythewood

Regis was deep in slumber.

A voice reached him from a very close distance.

He couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality, but it was the voice of a girl.

"He is totally not getting up! Is he dead?"

"Fufufu... He’s probably exhausted. Princess, since there are no urgent tasks, let him rest."

"... Mu, can't be helped."

There was still some time before he awakened.

Regis was woken up by a chorus of angry yells.

"Hah!"

"...ugh?"

Regis opened his eyes.

Before him was an unfamiliar ceiling.

It was built with stones in the shape of an arch, a grey ceiling without any decorations.

A curved line could be drawn from the ceiling to the wall.

This looks like a dungeon, Regis thought in a daze.

Regis was lying on the innermost bed in the room.

He could touch the uneven walls if he stretched his left hand. A window was carved out of the cold wall, and it was open.

Sunlight was shining in from it.

A loud, spirited, manly yell could be heard from somewhere.

"Hya!"

That was probably the soldiers training; the sound of the wind from the slashing weapon and the stomping of the feet could also be heard.

"... Ah... So that's it."

I was banished to Sierck Fortress — Regis recalled as his mind started churning.

The soft bed was heavenly compared to the carriage of the caravan. He was glad to be alive after recalling yesterday's event.

"... Is it morning?"

"Hoh!"

The weird noise started again.

Regis cupped his ears.

"Is it... Always like this here? What a terrible alarm clock..."

He pushed himself up.

He was frozen stiff by the time he had reached Sierck Fortress last night. After getting some warm water, he was told to use this room— he couldn't remember anything after that.

He surveyed the room again; it was spacious enough for four beds and desks. A pillar was placed right in the middle. Ten soldiers bunk in one room. A non-commissioned officer (NCO) like Regis was assigned to a four-men room.

But there was only one bed beside the wall in this room.

Next to the bed was a desk so grand Regis thought someone had mistaken his rank and grade. And it came with a shelf!

It was spacious enough from the bed to the door to accommodate six more big shelves.

Instead of happy, Regis felt uneasy.

"Is it because there are excess rooms in the countryside? But this fortress is small and cramped... Did they really mix up my rank and grade?"

A fifth grade admin officer was ten ranks down from the very top.

— Field marshal, general, lieutenant general, major general, brigadier general. These were the general ranks.

Officers were divided into admin and combat officers, first grade, second grade grade and third grade admin officers were commissioned officers.

This was followed by the NCOs, from grade four to six.

This meant the fifth grade admin officer was just two ranks from the bottom.

The rank and file has the rank of lance corporal, trooper first class and light trooper. Even a light trooper in the empire's regular army would enjoy good welfare and wages. Conscripted farmers forming militias and underaged apprentice soldiers were considered voluntary soldiers and were not paid.

And so— for an admin officer two ranks from the bottom to be assigned to such spacious quarters, this must be a mistake, Regis concluded.

"If I don't find someone to lead me to my actual room... Ah, who is my commanding officer?"

The commanding officer of an admin officer would guide Regis in various things as his supervisor.

Regis hadn’t met him yet.

Regis took his clothes off in the room.

It was cold even though it was indoors during daytime. He realised again this really was the north.

He put on the brand new uniform laid out on the desk.

The Belgarian military uniform was elegant with the color palette of green, red and white. But the border regiment's uniform was dull in design with a dark green color that was almost black as its base color. However the material was thick and the pockets were plentiful, a practical design.

"Hmm, the uniform is well thought out, as expected of the regiment at the most forward position."

After dressing up, he heard the shouts of a horde of men.

"... Doesn't seem like anyone is coming. Guess I have to find him myself."

He left the room.

When he opened the door, the stone corridor extended to his left and right.

It could barely fit two people walking side by side. The path meandered slightly, with a few wooden doors adorning the wall.

He headed to the very end of the left corridor and entered the courtyard.

"Hei!"

A chorus of shouts rose again.

The courtyard that was surrounded by stone buildings was a training field where the ground had been compacted by the soldiers’ stomps. 30-odd soldiers were practicing their sword swings here.

In front of the orderly ranks was a huge and bulky man.

This man who was made up of muscles and swinging his fauchard with sweat all over his body was about 40 years old.

He had a thick black beard and bald head.

Regis was so cold that he wanted to wear a scarf, but this man was showing off his body full of battle scars, and also dissipating heat.

He smiled after looking at his way.

"Ugu, you are awake, young man!"

What a loud voice.

The muscular youths training in front of him were also shouting "hei!" and "hah!".

They were also topless, hot and sweaty.

The bald man offered his halberd to Regis.

"Good! Come and swing this too! Your fighting spirit will rise with a bang! Swing it swing it, make the wind howl! Wahaha!"

Regis backed away and said:

"No, no... I am an admin officer so using swords and spears is a bit... By the way, you are the knight that aided us yesterday right?"

The man nodded after Regis asked.

"Yes. I am Evrard de Blanchard, First Grade Combat Officer. I am the Knight Commander of the Beilschmidt Regiment!"

"I am Regis Auric, Fifth Grade Admin Officer. I am grateful for your aid... You really saved us."

"Wahaha! I was wondering why I couldn't find the princess. So she disguised herself as a wagon driver and snuck into town. And the bandits are rampant lately. That gave me a scare."

"Hahaha, me too."

To think the wagon driver was the royal princess.

"But if it is the princess, she might wipe the bandits out instead!"

"Ah... She is really strong."

"Because she is a goddess!"

After Evrard finished, his subordinate knights nodded and agreed. "Yes! A goddess!"

Regis didn’t understand what they meant.

"I think the princess is a princess...?"

"She is a goddess!"

"... Ah, I remember there is a religion of La Victoire in the north."

"Yes! A goddess!"

"I see..."

The worshiping of idols was banned by the church, but things were less stringent here in the border regions. The restrictive doctrine of the church was less influential 100 Li (444 km) away.

With the way she wielded her giant sword with her thin arms, it was not a stretch for the soldiers to think of it as a holy miracle.

"She scattered the grey wolves with a single strike yesterday! Marvelous! Wahaha... Cough hack hack!"

When Evrard laughed so hard that he choked, these young charges were smiling happily.

"Wahaha!"

Manly voices.

Regis was grateful for their assistance, but he was not comfortable with the manly atmosphere.

"Haha... I will take my leave then..."

Evrard stopped him with a "wait!" just as Regis was going off. He shouldered his heavy halberd and approached with heavy footsteps.

He breathed slowly as he leaned closer.

"I want to ask just in case."

"Wha, what is it?"

"Did you do anything weird to the princess?"

The gaze of the subordinates sharpened suddenly.

Blood vessels appeared on Evrard’s bald head.

Regis took a couple of steps back.

"Anything weird?"

"The princess looked different yesterday. What, did you do?"

"I didn't do anything... Just chatted with her."

"What did you talk about!?"

"Erm, rumors from the capital and stuff..."

The youths muttered among themselves. "He said rumors from the capital." "It must be about the social world." "For farmers, it will be about the yam harvest of some family or which family's cow has given birth." "That's not rumors." "Damn, guys from the cities piss me off." "The capital sucks!"

Regis felt that he was in danger.

Evrard leaned further in, their lips almost touching.

"Ugh~! The princess was acting just like my daughter after her first date! What did you do, brat!"

"Wait, wait! I told her how the capital thinks about the fourth princess and stuff about politics. How can I say those things to a child... And I am not boasting, but I have never held hands with a girl ever!?"

Silence.

The noise was gone.

Evrard smiled gently like a saint depicted in paintings.

His knights showed angelic expressions.

"Be strong, young man."

"Good things will happen one day."

"Fighto."

I don't need such sympathy — Regis thought.

Regis shouldered the useless and gentle encouragement and carried his heart heavy with defeat, leaving the sad courtyard behind.

He went to the corridor before his room and headed down the path to the right instead.

He heard humming.

"Hmm♪ hmm, hmm~♪"

"Huh?"

He peeked in from the open door and saw a big room.

There were eight long tables and fifty chairs arranged in rows.

"Is this the officers’ dining hall?"

The stony walls gave off a rugged impression, but the vase with flowers decorating the place made it feel elegant.

A maid was cleaning the table with a rag.

She was the one humming.

Wearing a maid uniform with a red base, with her brown hair tied behind her. She was swaying to the rhythm of her humming.

She was about Regis' age.

The lady's hazel eyes and lovely smile left a deep impression. Her beautiful hair and light skin was really charming when she worked.

"Mmm mmm, hmm hmm~♪ la, lalala~ the lady maid just like Cinderella told the mouse~♪ there will be a party in the castle tonight~♪"

She was singing now.

Her tone was a bit off though.

She twirled around and the food scraps fell to the ground. Was she cleaning or dancing?

Their eyes met.

She noticed Regis standing at the door.

The maid became stiff.

Her singing stopped.

Regis felt the atmosphere becoming tense.

"Oh... what a nice song."

"Eh, really?! You were moved by my song?"

"I didn't say I was moved..."

"This is a popular song that is trending lately~"

"I see, but this is the first time I’ve heard it... Is it popular in this fortress? Or is it famous in the streets of Tuonvell?"

"Wrong, it’s trending in my heart!"

"So it's just you!"

"I came up with it just now."

"Didn't you say it's trending lately?"

Ignoring Regis' retort, the maid explained the song with a smile.