At The Border

[StaolDerg]

“I’m telling you, they’ve left. It’s a bunch of conscripts manning the post now.”

“You can’t be serious. Let me have a look.”

The scout passed the bulky octoculars to the sergeant as they squinted through the foggy lens at the trench line just below the crest they were sat on. Though the age of the foggy spotting glasses had done few favors for how stubborn the focusing knobs had become, the sergeant nevertheless spotted the telltale wisps of smoke from camp cooking stoves lazily drifting into the spring air.

But the Franerran trench lines normally were manned by large numbers of machine gun posts mounted along at various intervals along the line. The NCO couldn’t help but gawk as she scanned through the lines, seeing the posts where the automatic guns normally nested completely empty, or replaced by the occasional glimpse of a rifle. The more she looked, the more off it all seemed: the uniforms of the new troops indeed different to that of the former occupants, and the strange forms of what she at first had presumed to be latrines, only to count their extensive numbers to realize the holes were more likely mortar pits.

She put the octoculars down. Why were all these mortars being moved up? Was there an attack being planned somewhere else?

What was going on?

---

“General, urgent dispatch from the Franerran border.”

“What is it this time?”

General Api took the report into her hand, setting aside the half-written letter she’d been working on, unfolding the light paper seal.

“Troop movements… rotation of mortars and fresh infantry into the ‘Elenerre’ defensive work line? Apparent removal of heavy equipment from the front, requesting advice?”

She frowned, thinking of what her colleagues in the High-Crested would say if they got wind. There were a hundred different ways they could spin a war, but war was the last thing she wanted: supply lines in the country were unreliable in the face of a war, not to mention the military's own lacking as an institution with its infighting and rampant corruption. And she still had no word from Sekra on the Queen’s status politically, meaning the nation’s policy remained in the monopoly of her rivals in government. No, no, she couldn’t just donate the country into the hands of warmongers.

“Should we inform the rest of the High Command, ma’am?”

“…No. Not yet.”

A war now would be disastrous, she thought to herself. Takpoe is on the brink of political crisis, and a war now would be suicide, economically, militarily, and politically: We don’t have the money to pay our soldiers in a big campaign, we don’t even have enough modern equipment to go around, and the idea of going to war against a foreign power would tear our leadership to shreds. If this report is genuine, then I need to buy time.

“Listen carefully,” the General began slowly, tapping her desk in thought. “Inform Kumo High Command of the situation instead.”

The officer looked confused. “What do you mean, General?”

“The Kumo Army has a substantial number of troops stationed near the relevant area- maybe fifty thousand soldiers in the nearby region to our own troops. Do not pass information of the Franneran matter to the armies of the Feina or Yasuhiro- this is our business and ours alone. The Ministry of War will be more than willing, and odds are, is better equipped to deal with the border matter than us.”

The officer shifted uncomfortably. “But our duty as the Army of the Bromsoll is the security of the border. Isn’t this exclusively our business?”

“It would be so if not for the… political climate in the capital. We already compete with the other two armies for military and financial resources. If we cannot consolidate control over the rest of the military, Takpoe as an administration will continue to be paralyzed militarily from a lack of internal stability and coordination. Let foreign policy be dealt with by the Webdancers- we’ve got our own problems to tend to.”

“Then… what should we tell Kumo High Command, in that case?”

The inselni general put her fingers together in consideration for a moment, before reaching for the desk’s drawers.

“We will do our due diligence as officers of Takpoe and inform them fully of the situation. If they wish to form a foraying scout party into the foreign area to conduct surveillance of these movements, we will encourage them- however, if they request any of our assets, do not give up any troops if you can help it- guides, maps, information, advice: that’s all fine. But if it can be helped, do not give up a single person.”

The officer saluted. “Understood, General.”

Api nodded, and rose to her feet, returning the salute. “Go now, and make the report. Leave no room for error: heaven knows we can’t afford any.”

---

Ministry of War

TAKPOE TERRITORIAL ARMY

ARMY OF THE BROMSOLL

URGENT REPORT ON FRANERRAN BORDER TROOP MOVEMENTS

To General Kanai-kama For Immediate Purview

======

MAJOR FRANERRAN TROOP MOVEMENT IN THE ‘ELENERRE’ REGION HAS BEEN SPOTTED: SCOUTS SPOTTED LARGE-SCALE ROTATION OF COMBAT ASSETS FROM THE BORDER DEFENSIVE WORKS. FOLLOWING ESTIMATES FROM COMPILED REPORTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

AROUND ~4,000 TO ~11,000 TROOPS ARE MOVING IN AND OUT PER WEEK. HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND MORE EXPERIENCED UNITS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN EITHER REDUCED IN NUMBERS OR WITHDRAWN ENTIRELY, PRESUMABLY FOR THE WAR EFFORT IN THE SOUTH TOULI UNION. STANDARD UNITS HAVE BEEN APPARENTLY GRADUALLY ROTATED IN TO REPLACE THEM, IN ADDITION TO THE INSTALLATION OF WHAT ARE SUSPECTED TO BE INFANTRY MORTARS WITHIN THE DEFENSIVE WORKS.

ARMY OF THE BROMSOLL IS MAINTAINING POSITIONS. PLEASE ADVISE.

SINCERELY, GENERAL VAISELN API

ARMY OF THE BROMSOLL

[Sophie]

To GENERAL VAISELN API

======

EXCELLENT WORK. GENERAL MAKOTO SUZUKI'S 1ST ELENRIAN PREFECTURIAL ARMY IS ENROUTE FOR THE SOUTHEAST SPECIAL BORDER ZONE. WILL ARRIVE BY FESSERA FIRST.

KEEP CLOSE EYE ON BORDER. DO NOT YET CROSS THE BORDER UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN OF YOUR ABILITY TO REMAIN UNDETECTED. USE BEST JUDGMENT AND ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY.

SINCERELY, GENERAL AKIRA KANAI

[StaolDerg]

"Fuck."

Api's staff shifted confusedly around her, look between each other as she set the letter from General Kanai down, staring at the model map of the Elenerre region in front of her.

"With all due respect, General, was catching the attention of the Kumo not the desired course of-"

"They mean to conduct a military expedition into Franerre. We're not prepared. Only the Sixth Corps are even ready to do anything within the realms of offensive capacity, and they're tied up as it is, what with that whore- ah, Minister having soaked up all of our resources like a damn sponge made of arrogance and spite."

She balled her hand into a fist, glaring at the small numbered figurines that dotted the model. "If we're lucky, they will just march in without us, without any involvement from the rest of TAKPOE. But the more likely thing to happen is the other High-Crested will hear and order their own troops to join the Kumo advance. Anyone who participates will undoubtedly have the chance to earn favor with the Kumo military in battle; they need prestige to get guns and support, and what we absolutely must prevent them from getting it."

A thin wisp of dark smoke was curling from her nostrils. She noticed and blew it away.

Massaging the sides of her head, she turned to her staff. "Alright," she sighed. "I hate to do this, but we need to be prepared for this little adventure. That means we're taking battalions from other units, equipment from the reserves, ramping up production in the arsenals that we have the support of."

One of her subordinates piped up. "With respect, Captain General, who will we pull, and who will we replace them with? We don't have any troops we could move from the border- the lines are thin as it is, and the ones available- why, they're all training units!"

"Then they will have to learn to drill on the border." Api shook her head. At least until Sekra can free the Queen and put our military back on the right track, the General reminded herself.

[Sophie]

A single Army of Kumo soldiers was no small thing. On top of that, the First Elenrian Prefecturial Army was the cream of Kumosenkan's crop. Any experimental or new technologies were sent to them first for testing out. That included the new armored divisions. Fifty tankettes and landships both drove alongside marching columns of soldiers. Hordes of massive taratects pulled carriages of supplies alongside motorized supply trucks. The taratects, too, pulled massive howitzers, field guns, and mortars.

To march from their usual base to the border would take months, but thankfully the railroad could be commissioned to bring the near hundred thousand Kumo to the border zone. It only took a week to arrive. Immediately upon arriving, the construction battalions immediately began building a forward operating base. The rest of the army began drills.

General Makoto Suzuki immediately made way to General Valsen Api's office in the territorial army base. Without care for whether or not she was busy, Suzuki barged in. "General Api. Good evening."

[StaolDerg]

In stark comparison to the brilliant innovations and new equipment of the 1st Elenrian Prefecture Army, the comparatively shabby Twelfth Corps were equipped with infantry, and infantry alone, save a small cadre of cavarly scouts who could not help themselves but gawk at the sight of the Kumo armored cars and hulks of steel that were the landships and tankettes. Their own guns were lucky enough to have bullets to begin with, and though under normal circumstances they would've worn newer winter-pattern uniforms, they were left shivering in their thin summer combat dress, envying the Kumo camps construction of shower and storage facilities that seemed bottomless.

Vaiseln was haggard. She hadn't slept in three days, and it showed- her uniform was rumpled, and the ceremonial armor plates had been shifted aside or taken off entirely to give her more room to move. The office was hardly in better shape- a sprawling map of the border was littered with pins and annotations, and were it not practically nailed down by the sheer number of pins and figurines it surely would've been swept off the table by now. But the work was there to prove that she had not been idle: Without looking through any of the piles of reports stacked on the table, several figurines representing Elenrian forces had been shifted to the border area. A whole supply chain was being developed with state corporations to upkeep this sudden concentration of troops. Food, train lines, factories- all of them meticulously written down on dozens of logbooks that sat on Vaiseln's desk as she squinted at the map.

The arrival of General Suzuki drove her to stand at attention, saluting her Kumo counterpart.

"Good evening, General Suzuki," she acknowledged with a polite, albeit tired nod. "What may I do for you?"

[Sophie]

"Do you think this an appropriate way to greet me, Api-kas?" The venom from Suzuki's sacs seemed to have infested her vocal cords as she spoke with pure disdain. "Your entire base is a festering shit hole. You didn't bother to clean it up for my arrival?! And your office. This is not the office befitting of a general. You had well over a week's warning of my arrival, and your entire base is in shambles. What in the name of the living stars are we sending you so much money for?! You've left me no choice but to launch a full-scale investigation into your spending. If I find so much as a yairen out of place, you will be demoted faster than you can say 'justifiable expense.'"

---

Outside, the armored divisions were reveling in the gawking Elenrians and were happy to show off their fancy new equipment. Kumo showed off their armored cars to a group of inselni who showed interest, and one even let them drive it for a bit. The non-armor Kumo showed off their new guns, happily bragging about Kumosenkan technology to the Elenrians. Very few of the Kumo were doing so in bad faith and were actually having fun meeting the new Elenrians.

[StaolDerg]

Vaiseln stiffened at the accusations. "You accuse me of mismanagement? When I have served loyally for eighty- no, eighty-one years in the service of Takpoe, you come to me first to accuse me of how my units appear?"

She blew the small simmering white smoke that drifted from her nose to the side. "With due respect, General Suzuki, you are welcome to investigate. I have done the very best with the resources made available to my department: the soldiers are drilled, the facilities are sanitized and fully functional, and the organizational structure remains fully cohesive and intact. I ordered, for the record, almost twice the required amount of winter uniforms for my troops. I have yet to see the brass button of a single new uniform from the quartermaster-general. I requested over seven million rounds of ammunition for my soldiers, and so far, I have a grand total of two point three million, about half of which are the wrong calibers despite the rainbow array of guns that we use."

Vaiseln glared furiously back at the Kumo, indignant. "If you are throwing so much money at the Territorial Army, my Army of the Bromsoll has yet to see its share, and the office of financial resources, the Department of the State Office, has refused me any more then two million Yairen a month for additional resources. You want to investigate? Please. Be my guest."

---

Incredulous would be too much of an understatement for how the Elenrians admired the modern Kumo hardware. Many of the older inselni had difficulty containing their delight as one of their number quite happily drove the armored car about for a short distance with the assistance of its driver, excitedly describing the experience even before they had fully stepped off the vehicle. Sharing in the welcoming mood ignited by the Kumo, the Elenrians impressed themselves with the sophistication of their design. Some would show off their own woefully inadequate firearms, sharing a laugh about how different the weapons were, and how far technology had come.

When questioned about the lack of bullets and the simple sheer diversity of old guns the soldiers were armed with, most simply shrugged, and said, "That's just how it is." Their uniforms, their food, all of their kit was simple, if not simply repurposed appliances or equipment from home.

Some bold Territorials showed the Kumo a small forge and foundry they had built to recycle scrap in the base towards their side of the barracks, complete with a surprisingly complete set of home-forged tools and even quite proudly demonstrated their ability to knock out simple replacement parts- not just screws and butt plates, but new barrels, springs, and the like, even if the quality had something to be desired from what the Territorials called "the worst grade of metal this side of Ouhiri."

[Sophie]

Makoto Suzuki had never, in her entire life, been spoken to like that by an Elenrian. It genuinely gave her pause. For an Elenrian to talk back to her like that, something must be seriously out of order. Her frown deepened, but not from being disrespected. She was told that the Army of the Bromsoll was one of the best equipped in the Elenrian Army. If this was the state of affairs for the best... "I see. In that case, I will still run a full-scale investigation, just with the intent of uncovering why you are so underequipped. Get me a detailed list of what supplies you are lacking. I'm sure as a temporary fix I could order them for my army, and they will show up on time." Suzuki stepped in front of Api's desk and folded her eight legs beneath her. She motioned for Api to sit with her.

---

Seeing the Elenrians embrace them so readily seriously boosted morale amongst the Kumo. Elenrians were typically subservient at best and flippantly hostile at worst. So having a massive group of Elenrians act like comrades in arms was a truly good feeling. They were on orders to treat the Elenrian army with kinship and, as such, were only doing so to follow orders, but upon being received so readily, the stiff offer of friendship turned into a genuine one.

While most Kumo felt good about showing off their superior gear. A lot felt guilty that their comrades' gear was so lackluster. In multiple cases, Elenrians were using older Kumo bolt action rifles, and some of the Kumo squads offered to share their ammo so they could be properly supplied. Since the Kumo field kitchen hadn't been set up yet, the soldiers were to eat combat rations. The rations were far from tasty, but some dried meat with bread and canned beans weren't too bad. Many of the Kumo were offering to share their rations with the Elenrians; some even offered up their berry preserves and stowed away chocolates.

Taking a note from the armored cars, as soon as the landships were unloaded from trains, the operators began showing them off. They spun the massive turret around, boasting the seventy-six-millimeter gun. They even invited the Elenrians to jump on the hull and ride them as the Kumo did. They all shared a good laugh when the Kumo explained that they called them "Wolf Spiders."

[StaolDerg]

Vaiseln blinked in surprise. She had been expecting to be chewed out further, even demoted on the spot- but the surprisingly reasonable response by the Kumo general prompted her to bow with respect, and joined her at her desk. She reached into her desk's drawers and retrieved a worn ledger for Suzuki to see, opening it to display a dense sheet of reports consolidated into total numbers of equipment.

"I need ammunition. The Army of the Bromsoll does not have many artillery pieces, and the guns we have are the old, outdated Type 38 75mm field guns, but we only have maybe a hundred and fifty rounds for each of the fifty guns my department is allocated. My infantry are even worse off- they're equipped with everything from the standard Dokueki rifles to locally designed and contract-made rolling block rifle ammunition chambered in completely different bullets. Normally we receive all the munitions we need from the Pa Tong Munitions Plant in Pelven, but my requests have not been replied to since... I want to say, three months ago?. There's also the matter of heavy equipment- we ordered large quantities of standard infantry kit -seven thousand sets,- but so far only three thousand eight hundred have been delivered. The rest of my troops remain using salvaged or homemade equipment to supplement their lack of proper kit."

She scratched absently at one of her lower horns, frowning in thought. "And there's the matter of feeding the troops. We aren't getting everything we need- in fact this autumn we had to trade for food from local villagers by helping them with the harvest. The supply trains that were supposed to bring our supplies never showed up, but the Quartermaster-General insists that they always arrived, ahead of schedule."

Vaiseln pushed over the ledger to Suzuki. "Here. This has all the rest of the information on our supply deficits."

---

The Territorials gratefully accepted the offers by the Kumo troops, packing the ammunition into their empty bandoliers, joking and lauching with their new compatriots. It was quite clear that any food was welcome to them, and in turn several Territorials even offered small tokens of thanks: they slipped off small rings and offered them, others offering to make replacement parts for their weapons and kit. Some soldiers made a quick stop at their own kitchens to deliver canteens of hot tea and brought teapots to be cooked over campfires, sharing them with the Kumo.

A small crowd of spectating troops admired the landships, old inselni veterans gushing about the incredible technology within the tanks. They didn't have any new hardware- but they did have stories. Pointing and gesticulating with their body, they told the Kumo about their experiences over a cup of tea or a bite of dried meat, drawing with sticks or their tail in the snow of places they'd been and things they'd seen.

[Sophie]

Makoto Suzuki looked over the documents before her in vehement disgust. "How have you been this undersupplied this long?" She pulled through lists of reports Api had sent to high command about the persistent lack of supply. "This is absurd. How can the TAKPOE high command be this incompetent?! I'm going to draft a report for the Ministry of War. I can't imagine yours is the only army struggling with these issues. I'll need your help to get an accurate report back."

"However," Suzuki cut herself off. "I'm afraid, despite the severity of your situation, it isn't the most pressing issue we have to discuss. The border."

[StaolDerg]

Vaiseln nodded with a solemn kind of acceptance, pursing her lips. "Of course."

She rearranged her desk to present the large map upon it to Suzuki, pointing out the various annotations. "We're here- Field Base Seventeen. Less than forty kilometers to our west is the Franneri border region, part of their Bromsole province, or what we call Gongmenao. In addition to your eighty thousand, I have twenty thousand six hundred Territorials surrounding the border area. However, if we are to conduct an expedition past the border, our reserves of equipment are shallow- Advancing from the northern area where are now may be less advisable than routing around and severing the entire region off at the river. Failing that, I would ask that we requisition private property- carts and wagons, for example- to form supply chains that can sustain the advance."

She sat back, letting Suzuki examine in full detail. "Of course, I am only suggesting. Operational command defers to you, and I will respect the chain of command. if there is any information is require further, I'll see what I know and what can be done."

[Sophie]

Suzuki's face contorted as she reeled back in her chair. "We're not going to ransack civilians to muster your supply. If the orders are coming from me, I can get your army properly equipped in less than a month. Though there is no need to overstress yourself or your troops. Right now, standing orders are to gather more concrete intelligence on the forces beyond the border. You've been here for years. Using my forces and yours, I need you to come up with a perfect recon team for me."

[StaolDerg]

There was visible relief in Vaiseln's body language as Suzuki informed her of the operation's plans, having expected a direct, immediate expedition.

"Of course, General. What do you need in particular?"

A recon team? This was new. Her mind operated off of the old Elenrian War College system, and as she understood it, there were two forms to the stages of fighting: Active war and peace. One reconnaissance team didn't seem like a proper screening force, and the way General Suzuki phrased it made it sound like this was a single-unit operation. But why? The opposing forces' composition was best examined at the outset of hostilities- that way one knew of the full forces they were opposing, not to mention they would not violate the opposing nation's sovereignty. In fact, now that she thought about it, this didn't seem very honorable. No warning, underhanded- this felt like skulking about unscrupulously in another nation's territory without due reason.

The heavens must be conspiring against her, for at that same moment her frowning face landed upon that conclusion, there was a commotion outside her office's door. She got up, looking in the direction of the noise.

Angry voices she recognized as her soldiers were bickering with someone, and though muffled, she could hear demands from the opposing party to stand down. The door suddenly burst open with the irate looks of her guards trailing behind a pair of government officers that stepped in, one crown human and the other a dark-grey and pale white scaled inselni.

Her eyes narrowed. They wore the emblem of the Office of State.

They only bothered to salute to Suzuki. "Forgive our intrusion, General Suzuki," the inselni said as they shut the door behind them. "The State Office only received word of the border issue a day ago, due to... internal issues."

Vaiseln's snout was rising in temperature very quickly.

"I am General Pai Meyika Fos of the Army of the Feina." The inselni introduced. "On orders from Minister Vakeri, General Api has been reassigned, and I am to take her place in regards to this operation."

"The hell is this nonsense." Vaiseln hissed. "Since when?!"

General Fos turned to Vaiseln and presented her with a sealed envelope, which she opened -or more accurate, nearly shredded with in two with her claws- and read.

General Api of the Army of the Bromsoll, the Takpoe State Office is taking command of this operation. Decree by a special session vote of the High-Crested Regency Council have found it necessary to delegate operations and interaction with the 1st Elenrian Prefecture Army to General Fos of the 17th Internal Order Corps. You are hereby reassigned to Region 17, Mogahol Special Anti-Bandit Containment Region.

Hereby authorized,

Minister Vakeri, Ministry of the State Office
Minister Kerapa, Ministry of the Economy
Minister Melfani, Ministry of Development

Minister Avrin, Ministry of Justice
Minister Peis Vo, Ministry of Work

---

"...It's really quite something," the Territorial Sergeant chuckled as their Kumo counterpart showed off her rifle. "I wish we had a better rifle sight like that. The rolling-blocks the 447th have this obnoxious, strange sight that's a ring that sits on a ladder. You couldn't see the target unless you aim perfectly on the target, and if you were too close, you couldn't use your sight to see the target. You had to look away from your gun to first see the target, and then aim."

"Sergeant!"

The Territorial looked up to see one of her soldiers pelting towards her at full speed. "A cavalry regiment's pulled up-"

"Regiment? We barely have a company. Who the hell is here?"

"They're Feina, Sergeant."

"Feina?" The sergeant's face was a mix of confusion and disgust. "What are those bunch of spineless cowards doing here? Don't they have protesters to beat up?"

"I was hoping you'd know."

A pair of Territorials mounted on horseback pulled up to the Sergeant less than a moment later. Their uniforms were different- discernibly newer and more modern snow clothing, and the carbines slung over their backs didn't look like they'd been thrown off a building or even twenty years out of date. Their ranks were neat and marked on their shoulders with actual metal pieces in contrast to the sergeant's woven ranks- one a third-class master sergeant, and the other a corporal. Most strikingly though were their visor caps, emblazoned with the Takpoe government seal on a pin, scored by a unit number and more importantly, accompanied by a grey white band around the cap.

They barely looked at the sergeant, but as they passed, the sergeant spit on the floor.

The horses whinnied as their drivers whirled them about, the master sergeant dismounting and marching up to the Sergeant's face. "What's your problem?"

"Just clearing my throat." The sergeant replied innocently.

"You disrespect me and my station, sergeant. What's your name and rank?"

The Bromsoll Army sergeant looked at him with disinterest. "No."

"Excuse me?" The master sergeant's face was flush with anger.

[Sophie]

"Forgive your intrusion?!" General Makoto Suzuki nearly screamed. "This meeting is under clearance. Who do you think you are?! You cannot just barge in here; it is highly irregular." She snatched the envelope from Api and gave it a once over. "This is absurd. General Api isn't going anywhere." Watching General Fos prepare to protest, she put her hand up. "I am under extremely strict orders from the Kumosenkan Ministry of War to work directly with General Api on my project. No other General or Army is cleared to work with me." To fully cut the General off at the heel, she continued. "Even if I could accept this situation, I wouldn't. Under no circumstance would I work with someone who has no care for operational security. In what world is it acceptable to force yourself into a General's office when a meeting is taking place?"

---

"Hey, Sergeant!" One of the Kumo soldiers, a Second Lieutenant, called after the Elenrian as she walked away to 'greet' the Feina calvary. Though the Second Lieutenant hung wack to watch the interaction. As the Master Sergeant dismounted their horse, Second Lieutenant Ayumi Otosaka whistled towards the squad she commanded and waived them over to her. "Some shit's going down. Back me up."

Otosaka stepped out from behind a tent with her full ten-woman squad backing her up. "Hey, Sergeant. Who's your friend?"

[StaolDerg]

Api could scarcely suppress a smile. It was rare than she got her way against her colleagues among the High-Crested, and though this wasn't exactly hamstringing them in any more meaningful way than a delay, she was so very satisfied to see their lackeys humiliated.

She cleared her throat, and made a light gesture towards the entrance. "Well, General Fos. You heard General Suzuki."

Fos' expression was unreadable. It looked neutral enough, but Vaiseln full well knew how irate, if not downright livid, the officer must be. She left in a hurry, and Vaiseln's guards were rather satisfied to shut the door behind her as a gust of cold wind drifted inside.

"My apologies, General." Vaiseln bowed politely. "Where were we?"

---

The Feina master sergeant opened his mouth to speak, but held their tongue as they caught sight of the Kumo soldiers marching towards him. The Territorial sergeant made a respectful salute, replying simply. "Just a colleague from the Feina Army, ma'am."

The master sergeant looked from their counterpart to the Kumo, and back again, narrowing their eyes. Without another word, they turned and stormed off to their mount, making a brisk pace away from the Territorial and the Kumo. The Territorial could not help herself and called after the master sergeant with an innocent tone.

"Don't fall off your horse, Sergeant."

She turned to Otosaka and gave her a small bow. "Thank you, ma'am."