Volume 3 Chapter 13 Strategy Meeting
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The conference room directly beneath the courthouse held five people who had, at one point or another, faced the death penalty.
There was the former commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Onhart von Lothringen; the cavalry commander, Major Thomas Gotch; the intelligence officer, Captain Robert von Sigmund; the magical unit commander, Second Lieutenant Sarah Mueller; and finally me, Larry Fee Getys, a military-attached associate professor at the Royal Magic Academy.
Two of us were still technically under suspended death sentences.
”We will now begin the strategy meeting for the kidnapping operation against the Empire of Rus,” Lieutenant Colonel Helbert stated, his usual jovial air replaced by a mask of cold professionalism.
”Hey, kid, you all right?”
Despite the official start of the meeting, Lieutenant Colonel Onhart, the former commanding officer, turned his gaze toward me.
I knew what was happening.
Hyperventilation.
I had been breathing too fast, pushing too much carbon dioxide out of my body until my blood chemistry slipped out of balance. My head felt light, my fingers were cold, and if I could just cup my hands over my nose and mouth for a while, my breathing should settle.
The cause, though?
The death penalty.
Once the crushing fear of execution receded, relief flooded in, and with it came the realization of just how close I had come to dragging everyone around me down with me.
If the sentence had gone through, my own death would have been only the beginning. What would happen to my family? To my village? Would Strock Village be punished because I had been branded a criminal? Would my family be ostracized? Back in my militia days, we had been told that desertion in the face of the enemy meant heavier taxes for the deserter’s home village.
During the Haritz Rebellion, the defeated noble faction had not merely been executed. The men were killed, and the women were sold into slavery. Would my sister-in-law, Monica, and Alisa be enslaved? Would my eldest son, a child I had not even met yet, be killed? What about Marie? What about our daughter, Ange? What about Nico and her child?
The thoughts spiraled faster than I could stop them.
My family had been pushed to the edge of disaster because of my sentence, and the realization struck so hard it felt physical.
Cold sweat prickled along my back. Nausea rose in my throat, and I forced myself to hold my breath for a moment, trying to steady my racing heart.
The others, unaware of the mess inside my head, promptly sent the room into chaos.
”I have something to say before we begin,” Sarah said, raising a hand. “I want one thing made perfectly clear. We are the ones cleaning up after you brain-dead meatheads.”
The hulking cavalry commander, Major Thomas, snapped at once.
”Watch your mouth, Second Lieutenant, you jewelry-covered brat.”
”Huh? You’re a field-grade officer, and yet you’re such a brainless idiot that even I have to point it out, you moron.”
Was she serious?
This was an army with strict chains of command. Calling a superior officer a moron seemed like the sort of thing that could earn a person yet another court-martial.
Lieutenant Colonel Helbert, serving as moderator, simply looked away.
Apparently he intended to let this play out.
”Who are you calling a moron? I’m a major!”
”I don’t care if you’re a major or a king. If you’re an idiot, I’ll call you one. Besides, the Magic Armored Division is not the same as you Army lot. If you want to talk rank, why don’t you compare your achievements to our Major Sonya’s? Think you can win, you incompetent major?”
Major Thomas, built like a professional wrestler, shot to his feet with his face beet red.
”You want to go, girl?”
”You think you can beat a mage with raw muscle? You really are a moron, Major. I’ll teach you such a painful lesson that you’ll never even think something that stupid again.”
”Now, now, both of you, stop it,” Lieutenant Colonel Helbert finally intervened. “Second Lieutenant, did you not just say you were happy to accept His Majesty’s proposal?”
”Of course I accepted it. But if we have to follow their orders, we won’t accomplish anything.”
”What is that supposed to mean?” Thomas demanded.
”Exactly what I said, meathead. You fell for a feigned retreat so easily that, if not for him, the Royal Capital might be a sea of flames right now.”
”What are you talking about?”
”Hmph. You could not even gather intelligence while your subordinates were busy raping women? Pathetic.”
That hit landed.
Thomas fell silent.
”You do not even know that his subordinate took down the enemy general, Geklan, then teamed up with our reservists to fend off the Amazoness attack and keep the main force from collapsing? How embarrassing.”
”This… this kid?”
”That’s right. The arrows fired at the start were shot down using his invention—the1 artificial deer scare. That is why Geklan was forced into a feigned retreat. But feigned retreats are difficult to control. This boy found Geklan while he was personally directing the maneuver, then eliminated him with a fixed-wing drone. His improved artificial deer scare held off the Amazoness as well. And that is not all. Because of his inventions, our Golems’ operating time doubled, our range expanded, and we won the naval battle. Without him, twenty-odd people would never have defeated four thousand.”
Major Thomas, who had been red-faced a moment earlier, now went pale.
He stared at me as if I were some kind of monster.
”Then why,” Thomas asked, genuinely baffled, “is he under a death sentence?”
Sarah cut down the reason with a single stroke.
”Because the commanding officer is an idiot.”
Onhart flinched.
”He failed to keep the boy close and use him properly. If he had kept Larry nearby and received constant intelligence from the fixed-wing drone, even a meathead like you could have prepared for the Amazoness attack. And the boy would not have had to exceed his authority by returning the prisoners. Am I wrong?”
Thomas clicked his tongue, but he did not answer.
”So, Lieutenant Colonel Helbert,” he said after a moment, “are we seriously taking this boy on the kidnapping operation? Is he not a national treasure?”
”I submitted the same recommendation,” Helbert said, though he sounded reluctant.
”If you want, I can have our Major appeal directly to His Majesty right now,” Sarah offered.
”No. Major Sonya has already done so.”
”Then what is the problem? Give me a reason, old man.”
”Well… Larry’s weapons are highly classified, and one reason they have not been made public is…”
”You can bluff your way through that easily enough, especially when you are from Intelligence, Lieutenant Colonel.”
”Are you not allowed to talk about it?” I asked.
”It is not exactly that,” Helbert replied, looking apologetically at me.
”Then tell us,” Sarah pressed.
”Well, the Fourth Sage insisted that Larry be brought along. He said that if Larry cannot complete a mission of this magnitude, he will never make it back from the New Continent.”
Helbert sighed.
”He also gave a long speech about how the things Larry brings back from the New Continent will change the future of the world.”
”I see. Then it cannot be helped.”
Sarah dropped the matter instantly.
”Then, for this mission, I want to carry it out with just myself and the boy.”
”Except in emergency situations, strategy meetings are decided by majority vote,” Helbert declared.
With that compromise placed on the table, Sarah finally stood down.
Once she backed off, Helbert spread the preliminary plan across the table.
The outline was simple enough: disguise ourselves as salt merchants, travel down the Danube River from the Royal Capital, pass through Pannonia, and enter Rus.
Lieutenant Colonel Onhart, the former commanding officer, would play the master of the merchant caravan. Major Thomas and Second Lieutenant Sarah would serve as guards. Captain Robert, the intelligence officer, would act as the merchant’s clerk because he knew the languages of Pannonia and Rus. I would be cast as Onhart’s son, while the commander of the platoon that maintained Sarah’s Golems would play the master’s wife. Everyone else would be maids or shop assistants.
Fortunately, Kenze and Pamela were able to join us as a guard and interpreter, respectively.
The two of them had apparently been held in the communal cell while I was restrained elsewhere, so they had been brought to the conference room almost immediately. At last, we were able to speak to each other again.
”The Elf Mage’s roots are in the Great Forest northwest of Rus,” Kenze explained in her neutral, steady cadence, “so they can speak most of the languages in that region, including Rus.”
Since relying on Helbert as our only interpreter would be risky, and since Pamela could cast basic Heal spells, permission to bring her along was granted immediately.
Kenze, a former intelligence operative, spoke Pannonian, Turku, and Rus. She was about as deadly as her mentor, too, and had taken down several of her own kin during this war. The problem was that she had “Children” kept in urns2. I worried whether it was safe for the “middle-aged man” to bring them along, but Kenze assured me there was no need for concern, as they would soon emerge from their urns.
”Once they emerge, they’ll be just like human infants, right? Will they be okay inside a carriage?” I asked.
”It is fine,” she replied, her voice as stoic as ever. “The children did not die inside the urns. They are hardy.”
Was that really how it worked?
Either way, having her on our side was a relief.
”To ensure the infants are fine even in the cold, we should prepare warm, padded clothing,” Helbert said. “Besides, if we have newborns with us, we are less likely to be suspected.”
Helbert really did have a knack for noticing details like that. On top of it, he had prepared a composite short bow for Kenze, which she said was her weapon of choice.
”Will I be able to go home for a bit?” I asked him.
”That would be difficult,” Helbert replied, his tone clipped and procedural.
Today was November eleventh. Winter would soon come to Rus, and once it did, the region would be battered by rain and snow. Any road outside the main thoroughfares would turn to mud, making escape extremely difficult.
The orders were clear. If we reached the Imperial Capital after winter had arrived early, we were to head north and return by merchant ship from the port of Bryachislavichi, capital of the Polotsk Principality, where the Intelligence Department had prepared a vessel. If winter was late, we would return by the same route we used to enter.
”Ideally, we would take the same route back,” Helbert explained, “but once the rainy season turns the roads to mud, even maintained highways will take too long. We are in a race against the seasons. We must depart as soon as possible. Do you understand?”
Time was tight.
Which meant I probably would not be able to see Marie.
The schedule was brutal. At dawn tomorrow, we would leave the Royal Capital by boat, carrying the supplies and carriage with us. Riding the seasonal winds, we would travel through the night and arrive in Obernbach by the following morning.
From there, we would use the military facility where I had stayed during the Vod Fortress battle as a staging ground, disguise ourselves as rock salt merchants, and board a ship bound for Buda, capital of the Pannonia Kingdom. Then we would race east across the plains, cross the Al-Pacino mountain range into Rus, and continue along the highways until we reached the Imperial Capital.
After kidnapping the target, we would return the way we came unless winter had fully set in. Depending on the situation, we could head farther south across the plains and enter the Pannonia Kingdom through the Dacia Kingdom, but Dacia was not an ally, and that route would mean moving north through the border mountains in the middle of winter.
If snow had already fallen at the Imperial Capital, we would head north for about a week, then turn west for five days and enter the Polotsk Principality. From there, we would depart by ship from Bryachislavichi, where the Intelligence Department maintained an outpost.
If the roads were frozen under ice and snow, we could actually move faster than through mud. More importantly, many of the military forces gathered north of the Imperial Capital would be disbanded until spring, which would greatly reduce the chance of pursuit. The problem was horse feed. Securing enough would become extremely difficult, and we would have to be prepared to abandon assets like the Golems to travel light. Since the Golems were our trump cards in combat, I wanted to avoid disposing of them if at all possible.
”The current plan estimates ten to fourteen days one way along our original route,” Helbert said. “We should be back by mid-December at the latest. If we go through the Polotsk Principality, the journey will take longer, but we should still return to our country by the end of December.”
Early December at the soonest.
By then, the laboratory graduation and the selection of new students would already be over. I wondered what Assistant Professor Eida would say when I finally returned.
”If we enter the thirteenth month, ice floes will begin drifting, making it impossible for ships to sail. If we take the northern route, we will be stuck overwintering at the port. Well, it is unlikely to come to that.”
I had the distinct feeling Helbert had just raised a massive flag.
On the other hand, a dark thought crossed my mind. Would overwintering there really be so bad if it meant I could avoid every duty except Academy research?
After that, we huddled over maps, confirming planned lodgings, checkpoints, and places where we could replenish fodder. We even discussed where to dump the salt we were carrying to make room for grain feed if we were forced through the Polotsk Principality.
During a break, while I was stretching, Lieutenant Colonel Helbert approached me.
”Once this is finished, His Majesty has ordered you to take a long vacation. You may return to your village or spend time at Adolf’s shop. I will arrange protection, of course.”
If I spent that long hanging around Adolf’s place, I would go broke.
”Do not worry about anything except gambling. We will cover the rest as an expense,” he said, offering a rare bit of casual encouragement.
Seriously?
Was there actually such a sweet deal?
”However, make sure you are in the Royal Capital by New Year’s Eve.”
On New Year’s Eve, the Royal Palace hosted an awards ceremony for those who had contributed to the country over the past year. According to Helbert, I was required to attend.
”You are likely to be ennobled,” he noted. “Robe nobility, mind you.”
”Are you serious?”
”I do not lie. Viscount, perhaps even Count. Either way, you will be returning to the Fee name.”
He explained that this was because my rank would be higher than that of the family I had married into. In other words, I would become Larry von Fee. The family I had married into would also shift from the Getys line to the Fee count line.
Since it was robe nobility, I would not receive a territorial domain. Even so, I would be given a considerable pension without having to lift a finger.
”Though if you become a Count or higher, you might even receive a fief of your own, robe nobility or not.”
Did that mean Strock Village could become Fee County?
Hans-niisan would probably be furious, but still.
That was incredible.
I wanted to dress Sister-in-law in a beautiful gown and have people call her the Countess. Monica’s skin was dark, so the color might be tricky to choose, but at the very least I could make her a set of dentures.
”Well, you will have to head to the New Continent in another year or two.”
That single remark dragged me straight back down from my delusions of grandeur.
Right.
The whole reason I had been brought into this operation was that possibility.
”By the way, is the cargo we are taking the same as what we brought to the battle the other day?”
I remembered the fixed-wing drone, the spare Amber, and all the tools and parts needed for repairs. Helbert confirmed that those would be enough. Come to think of it, we also had the pump circuitry. It would not get in the way, and the capacitors might prove useful.
He said the Intelligence Department would prepare clothing and undergarments to match our disguises. I made one specific request: a carriage with a comfortable ride.
The break ended, and the meeting resumed.
Now came the real question: how to kidnap the VIP.
Looking at the map of the Imperial Capital, there was only one viable approach. We would have to enter the Viscount’s Palace from the Dnieper River, which flowed beside the capital.
Like the King of Schweilitz’s city, the Imperial Capital was surrounded by three layers of walls. Unlike that city, however, it was vast beyond comparison. Once inside, trying to break out through the city would almost certainly result in heavy casualties. The Viscount’s Palace, however, faced the Dnieper, and it seemed possible for the Golems to scale the seawall, seize the target, and escape the same way.
”The problem is that, despite the distance, there are naval ports both upstream and downstream,” Major Thomas said, arms crossed. “The land is flat, the Dnieper’s current is slow, and the opposite bank from the Viscount’s Palace is wide, uninhabited wetland cut through with countless meandering tributaries. We need to decide how far to bring the carriage and where it should wait for the Golems.”
He was actually reading the terrain from the map rather well.
Maybe he was not just a musclehead after all.
Lieutenant Sarah did not object either.
The map, of course, was not an aerial photograph but a hand-drawn rendering. Even so, from the winding rivers alone, it was clear that the land was as flat as the Major said.
”It seems we will not know for certain until we arrive and launch a fixed-wing drone for a better look.”
Everyone nodded, resigned.
”Lieutenant Sarah, I will remind you now. The target is a VIP. Do not kidnap the Emperor by mistake.”
That was Helbert’s final warning.
”Why? Wouldn’t the Emperor fetch a higher ransom?”
”Do not be ridiculous. If you kidnap the Emperor and accidentally trigger a succession war, you will not even receive the reward you are owed.”
Wait.
Was a succession war possible?
I asked his son about it.
”Are you talking about the Emperor’s younger brother?”
”Hmph. Well, I suppose I can tell you.”
Lieutenant Colonel Helbert explained that the Empire of Rus had a northern city called Moscow, which could almost be considered a second Imperial Capital. The Emperor’s half brother lived there. He was capable and personally supported the Emperor, but his vassals were another matter. Apparently, there had already been several attempts to place him on the throne.
There was one other key person.
On the eastern edge of the empire lay a great lake so vast that the far shore could not be seen, making it easy to call it a sea. Along the middle reaches of the Volga River, which flowed into that lake, stood the seat of Frontier Count Pugachev, who guarded the empire against eastern nomadic tribes. Since his primary mission was defense against foreign enemies, he commanded the greatest military power in the Empire of Rus. The Frontier Count’s older sister was the mother of the Imperial brother in Moscow.
”In other words, if the Emperor’s brother and the Frontier Count join forces, usurping the Empire becomes possible?”
”It is possible. There is the blood connection, after all. Well, it is not that simple, but if you are going to Rus, you should know at least this much. Even if it is just for business.”
Helbert wore a lecherous grin and swayed his stout body slightly.
Kenze, by contrast, remained perfectly still, her expression unchanged.
I realized it was already past midnight.
Lieutenant Sarah left the room to arrange the Golems and combat engineers, while the rest of us continued examining other routes—or rather, confirming why every other route would fail.
Heading west without going north to the Polotsk Principality would mean entering the former Kingdom of Larland, now part of the Empire of Rus, and then Kiridal before trying to return to the mainland. That option was dismissed because security in former Larland was poor, and no one could say whether a merchant group would be able to pass safely. Entering Kiridal from there was rejected as well, since passing through a quasi-belligerent country was far too dangerous.
To the south, entering the Dacia Kingdom by the plains route and returning by sailing up the Danube River to the city of Nire sounded clever at first. Unfortunately, the Danube passed through the Harmonia states, which were currently dominated by the Turkic Empire. Since only Kenze could speak Turku, and no one else spoke both Harmonian and Dacian, that route was rejected too.
Finally, we discussed food, fodder, and the details of our disguises.
Kenze had taken to wearing a niqab3, a face-concealing veil rather than a simple hijab, in regions where the Scripture Church’s fundamentalism ran deepest. It was necessary to hide the Slave Crest branded on her forehead. The loose folds had another use, too: she could hide a small jar or two inside them until the right moment.
It was common enough clothing in the Kingdom of Pannonia and the Empire of Rus, and since she was fluent in the tongue of the Turkic Empire, where the Church’s strictest sects held sway, she could blend in without drawing attention. Under the veil, however, Kenze still offered her prayers to the Dragon God.
Pamela, meanwhile, tucked her Elf Mage ears and her own Slave Crest beneath her usual Gothic Lolita outfit and assumed the role of my wife.
”Take care of me, my husband,” Pamela murmured with refined, aristocratic elegance.
”Try to act a bit more demure, wife,” I teased.
As we traded barbs, word came that the carriage was ready. It was still long before dawn, but we were to depart from the harbor near Sister Ariane’s estate and meet the ship carrying Second Lieutenant Sarah and the others farther along the route.
”I can grant you a brief stop at your home, if you wish,” our benefactor offered, a surprisingly stylish gesture for a middle-aged man.
We rolled out of the courthouse, passed through the inner wall’s gates, and veered left, leaving the main procession behind.
When we arrived at the house, the carriage gate was bolted tight, so I stepped down and rapped against the pedestrian door. No one answered. I kept pounding until, at last, a dim, flickering light bled through the cracks in the wood.
”Who is it?”
”It’s me. Larry,” I called back, recognizing Ardia, our head maid.
Chains rattled, and the door swung open.
”Master? You’re safe!”
”I’m sorry, Ardia, but we’re short on time. Is Marie inside? Please get her.”
I wanted to say more, but the urgency clawed at my throat. Ardia nodded and scrambled up the stairs, and a few moments later, hurried footsteps came thudding back down.
Marie appeared in the foyer wearing only her nightclothes, our infant cradled in her arms. Behind her stood Darina from our village, and trailing after them came a towering figure: Isabella, former leader of the Weasels of Bohemia mercenary band and Marie’s aunt.
Marie did not even pause.
She shoved the baby into Darina’s arms and sprinted toward me. I opened my arms, bracing for an embrace—and her palm cracked across my cheek instead.
My ears rang. Sharp heat bloomed across the left side of my face.
”What in the hell were you thinking?!” Marie spat, her voice thick with the unmistakable lilt of home4.
”Ah… sorry,” I muttered, which was about the stupidest thing I could have said.
”Larry,” Isabella said, her voice cutting through the ringing in my ears. “I thought you were sentenced to death.”
”I was. But the execution was commuted… with conditions.”
Only then did Marie pull me into a desperate, crushing hug.
”I was so worried… I was so worried about you…”
”Yeah… yeah, I know.”
I held her as she began to sob, and the same empty, foolish inadequacy settled in my chest.
”Conditional immunity,” Isabella mused, arms crossed. “Does that mean they’re shipping you somewhere else?”
”Yeah. Something like that. They let me make one quick stop.”
I kept Marie close as I answered her aunt and tried to soothe the woman trembling in my arms. I told Marie I was all right and asked her to pass word to Nico and everyone back in Strock Village. Before leaving, I stole one last moment to scoop up my eldest, Ange, as she whimpered in the corner, then forced myself to turn back toward the carriage.
”Finished?” Helbert asked from the coachman’s seat.
I looked back once before answering.
”Yeah.”
The carriage pulled away from the house, leaving it behind beneath a sky that had only just begun to pale.
—
Trivia:
Larry was suffering from respiratory alkalosis during the meeting.
Major Thomas compares the intellect of others to Larry’s brother, Hans.
Sarah believes Larry’s “overreach” incident was a failure of the commanding officer’s supervision.
The Fourth Sage is framing the upcoming mission as a prerequisite for surviving the New Continent.
The operation disguise involves the entire group posing as a merchant caravan under the guise of salt traders.
Kenze’s children are held in storage urns rather than being born naturally.
The protagonist’s marriage into the Getys family currently suppresses his own family lineage, which will be corrected upon ennoblement.
The Dnieper River’s geography is the critical path for the kidnapping attempt.
Kenze carries jars within her niqab folds.
Marie speaks with a distinct regional accent (Nagoya-ben in the original, localized to rustic/regional lilt).
The group must meet Second Lieutenant Sarah at sea.
Isabella is the leader of a former mercenary group called the Weasels of Bohemia.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Larry Fee Getys – Larry Fee Getys is a Strock Village youth and military researcher dealing with mobilization and personal dilemmas. Born to a Bizan noble family of rugged warriors—including Hardy, Denis, and Teressa—he was raised by aunts Alisa and Monica. Court officials used his academy-recognized lineage to clear him of guilt. He inherits a rugged warrior appearance, holds forest lands, and leads his village.
• Sigmund – A Major in the Royal Army General Staff with full authority over Vod Fortress. He is short, plump, balding, and has a baby face.
• Onhart – A tall, stern Lieutenant Colonel and Duke’s heir who commands units, oversees tactical operations, and coordinates with Schuberitz. To protect his identity, he acts as Roberto de Calimen, a caravan leader, carriage manager, and acting father figure to the protagonist. He serves as a formal, authoritative judge and primary interrogator, though under extreme stress he becomes visibly rattled and twitchy.
• Robert – An intelligence officer fluent in Pannonian and Rus, son of Helbert Ougen-Sigmund. He serves as an amiable intermediary and valet for the caravan leader, though tasked with briefing His Majesty at the Royal Capital. Clad in a short winter dress and wool tights, the captain faces heavy scrutiny over his department’s failures while managing relationships with locals and superiors alike.
• Thomas – Thomas Bauer is a hulking, middle-aged Bizan Major and cavalry commander with a muscle-bound wrestler build, red face, and scalp burns. Carrying a suspended death sentence, this blunt, mocking, and passionate scout favors violent solutions over diplomatic ones. Clad in thick winter gear with a bow and longsword, he guards the caravan rearguard, managing reconnaissance despite his poor discipline.
• Getys – Larry Fee Getys is a Strock Village youth and military researcher dealing with mobilization and personal dilemmas. Born to the Bizan noble family Getys of rugged warriors—including father Hardy, brother Denis, and sister Teressa—he was raised by aunts Alisa and Monica. Court officials used his academy-recognized lineage to clear him of guilt. He inherits a rugged warrior appearance, holds forest lands, and leads his village.
• Larry – A 14-year-old Japanese reincarnated soldier and cynical, abrasive academy professor from Strock Village who resembles infant Griselda. This genius dueling champion designs drones, coilguns, and Golems. Married to Marie (Getys family) and expecting ennoblement, he manages mechanical captivity aspects and follows prisoner sedation orders to complete missions, clear debts, and avoid a death penalty.
• Major – A commanding military officer with a sadistic inclination toward interrogation. She orchestrates the sessions and utilizes Telepathy to coordinate with her subordinates.
• Sarah – A heavily pierced Elf Mage and Second Lieutenant who commands the Magic Corps and former Golem Battalion. Identifiable by her facial piercings, pointed ears, and long dark hair, she is a skilled boulderer, pilot, and tactical coordinator of Golems and engineers. Cold, pragmatic, and manipulative, she holds deep contempt for army leadership following disciplinary action under Major Sonya.
• Sara – A woman with numerous gold piercings in her ears, eyebrows, and nose, often wearing thick, aggressive makeup. She serves as the Second Lieutenant and Commander of the First Company.
• Fee – Larry Fee Getys, of the court-recognized Fee lineage, heads the Getys household governing Strock Village alongside Hans and Iffens. Embodying traditional authority, his family—including Teressa, served by the maid Nico—manages regional finances. Connected to Adolf and local underworld power structures, the Getys family name, indicating Larry’s lineage, is also part of the protagonist’s full name.
• Sig – A student and friend of Marie characterized by a casual and uninhibited personality, often seen yawning during academic discussions. Has short brown hair from the Holstein territory. She is blunt, realistic about the nature of war, and failed the entrance exam at the Sabaski Magic School.
• von – The noble particle ‘von’ indicates high social standing and ancestral roots connected to territorial estates within the Sabaski lineage. It marks the noble bloodline and full names of Annerose von Bülow, Walter von Riedel, and Marc von Harritz, establishing their shared aristocratic identity and familial relationship within the Kingdom.
• Helbert – Lieutenant Colonel Helbert Ougen-Sigmund is a short, older Royal Army intelligence officer with a stout, imposing build. Serving as a supervisor, coachman, and logistics coordinator for the protagonist, this jovial yet manipulative strategist acts as a primary information node and tribunal moderator. Well-loved by subordinates, the former laboratory head is also Robert’s stern, procedural father.
• Monica – Sun-tanned and slender with a missing front tooth, this dark-skinned, tomboyish 15-year-old is a free-born acquaintance of the protagonist’s sister-in-law. She lives in Larry’s Strock Village as his strong-willed wife, mother of twins (including Alisa), and wet-nurse to her niece Maria. Haunted by losing her first husband at Vod Fortress, she rules her house with direct, bitter authority.
• Alisa – The primary wife of Larry (the protagonist), currently a shy three-year-old girl chosen to continue the Getys House lineage. The daughter of the previous family head and niece of a rock salt merchant, she is deeply fearful of strangers and habitually hides behind her mother’s legs when greeted.
• Marie – Larry’s blunt, sharp-tongued partner from Strock Village is a Magic Academy student, lab employee, and postpartum facility manager currently on maternity leave. A hometown peer of the protagonist and Darina, she is Ange’s mother and keeps hair in her pocket as a talisman. Despite being Larry’s partner, she is also the protagonist’s wife, sharing a close, affectionate bond with him from a past love.
• Ange – Angelica Novakova is the three-month-old eldest daughter of Marie and the protagonist, Larry. Formally an infant showing signs of early development, she is also described as a toddler.
• Nico – Met during the journey to the Imperial Capital, Teressa (she/her) is a petite, silver-haired, mana-less Strock Village resident, Harritz’s granddaughter, and cousin to the Marquis’s captive. A practical yet anxious former Bizan worker, she was rescued from the Marquis by Larry, now her romantic partner, sole trauma anchor, and father of her expected child. She relies closely on her confidante, Marie.
• Mar – A battle‑hardened veteran, clad in worn armor, uses door panels as shields and captures enemy crossbows; Larry’s comrade who teases him about his sister‑in‑law’s pampering, known as Martin to his companion Edmond.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Sonya – Major Sonya is a petite, muscular, sharp-eared elven Major in the Magic Armored Division, celebrated for her martial accomplishments and past command of the 101st Golem Battalion against the Amazoness. While she formally and cheerfully scouts talented students, she hides a cruel, sadistic “gal” personality, using mind-reading and painful mana injections to toy with and stunt the protagonist.
• His Majesty – The King of the realm possesses an expressionless, Noh mask-like face, rarely showing emotion except for brief amusement during trials. He holds absolute authority over the kingdom, presiding over high-level deliberations, giving the final word on legal transitions like duels, and maintaining supreme command over all military missions and strategic troop deployments.
• Geklan – A defeated enemy general who relied on feigned retreats. A renowned enemy general and mercenary commander who was defeated early in the battle.
• Ho – Ho, a comrade of the protagonist. A member of the military unit that defended Garao Village and was slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Fourth Sage – An enigmatic and cunning figure also known as the Fourth Sage. This mysterious entity actively seeks advice from Larry while simultaneously insisting on Larry’s crucial participation in the upcoming New Continent mission.
• Fourth – An enigmatic and cunning figure also known as the Fourth Sage. This mysterious entity actively seeks advice from Larry while simultaneously insisting on Larry’s crucial participation in the upcoming New Continent mission.
• Sage – An elderly instructor and mentor who acts as a schemer behind the scenes. He is responsible for recommending Larry for various academic and safety-related positions.
• Pamela – An arrogant, petite Elven Mage and academy student who hides her ears and slave crest under white Gothic Lolita fashion. Formerly Henrietta’s slave, she is now the protagonist’s primary wife, intimate partner, and loyal companion alongside Kenze, Larry, and Robert. Serving as a calm Arsenal Bureau resident, caravan interpreter, and negotiator, she handles Rus language interactions, gate guards, logistics, basic healing, and strategic prisoner management.
• Kenze – A muscular, short-haired Tashkurgan Amazoness in a niqab and forehead Slave Crest, Denis is a cold, blunt former Turku intelligence operative. Armed with a bow and dagger, she handles security and horse procurement. Unstable from her homeland’s ruin and events in Uju, she is deeply attached to the protagonist and Larry, nurses her infant Zaboo, and sleeps with Pamela, while despising Southern Amazons.
• Principal – The mother of Line and the administrative head of the institution. She exercises authoritative control over research assignments and seeks to trade Larry for Ilse Klein due to interpersonal conflicts in her laboratories. The mother of Sabrina and Rhein who intervenes during Rhein’s violent corridor assault to break up the confrontation.
• Tim – Jarek Dvorak, 14, the village’s eldest son and recent graduate, has short dark hair, a lean build and thoughtful eyes. He arrived in Obernbach with his father, watches the Golem’s arrival with trepidation, and, as a sugar‑beet cultivator from a family that refines sugar, boasts of pleasures in the district. A carefree, slightly reckless friend of Larry’s.
• Eida – A 28-year-old Assistant Professor from Ulm Village with short dark brown hair and a mother of two, she wears civilian clothes off-duty. At the Academy, she manages lab finances, supports Larry, handles academic scheduling, and oversees research. Serving under the Associate Professor, she uses a tough-love approach, frequently scolding the protagonist while managing administrative duties.
• Adolf – The polite yet dangerous behind-the-scenes boss of the Viscounty of Bizan runs a central shop the protagonist and Lieutenant Colonel frequent. Dressed in high-quality luxury clothing, this proprietor operates an intelligence hub and maintains crucial connections with powerful mercenaries, positioning themselves at the heart of regional events and ensuring the protagonist’s desired return.
• Hans – Hans-niisan (17), the rugged, 2m-tall, 100kg heir to the Kessler estate and reckless Village Head of Strock Village, is the protagonist and Larry’s charismatic older brother. A ruffian across Obernbach, he manages local stability, protects the narrator’s family, and shared a disagreement with Niko. Pragmatic, harsh, and struggling with emotional control, he deeply cares for his subordinates.
• Sister-in-law – A woman who embraces the protagonist from behind, exuding a sweet scent. She has been struggling with the emotional shock of leaving Lyrica and Maria behind in Besanburg, leading to a temporary period of intimacy avoidance and separate rooms before reconciling in a mixed bath.
• Pugachev – A Frontier Count and father to Igor, described as a man who lies as easily as he breathes and insists on the protection of the Emperor at all costs.
• Harmonia – A sixteen-year-old girl working at a fabric shop. She has tan skin and a foreign facial structure.
• Ariane – The protagonist’s sharp-tongued yet protective elder sister figure. Living near the Royal Capital’s harbor of departure, she holds strong opinions on moral conduct and frequently scolds her brother Larry for his perceived lack of discretion.
• Ardia – An older, voluptuous head maid with a fox-like face who strictly follows traditional protocols. Having previously served the former master, she now manages the protagonist’s household, recognizes them, and delivers urgent messages from the academy.
• Isabella – Towering and muscular in a jet-black and gold Royal Army uniform, Marie’s scarred aunt is a masterful spear-fighting Second Lieutenant. As the former leader of the region-annexing Weasels of Bohemia mercenary band, this noble VIP uses her status to personally escort her niece to the Magic Academy, while warmly treating Marie’s companion, Ange, like her own granddaughter.
• Darina – A city-polished 13-year-old Barsheni native and Academy Medical Magic student, this woman shares a home village with Marie and the protagonist, a childhood acquaintance. She is Marie’s devoted maid and housemate, helping care for her and the infant. She has strong Complex-type mana, is in a relationship with Professor Karl, and coordinates with faculty while gathering spider silk for the Capital.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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