Nomura prays until this day for the three dukes to submit to Souma and end unnecessary bloodshed from both sides. These events happen because of Souma's progressive program that in some of the people's vision, especially Duke Carmine sees Souma disrespects retainer practice, an allegation that he usurped the throne, and punishes corrupt nobles that won't obey government policy over their wealth.
On one hand, Nomura wants to respect the tradition and customs in the country but on the other hand, he also thinks that the imminent external threat is far greater than everyone thought. So, the traditional way seems irrelevant for us to achieve a quick and decisive victory over the enemies.
When everyone nervously waits for Souma and Liscia outside the broadcasting room, except Juna that actually with Duke Wolter. Nomura excuse himself and headed toward his room for a private call with someone
"Hello Hello Nomura!" Fate seems to cheer up by Nomura's call "I'm not expecting a call from you"
Nomura just expects that reaction "(sigh) look Fate, does this conflict with Carmine and others can end peacefully?"
"Well...I can't tell you about that or God surely going to be mad at me. However..."
"However what?"
Fate smirk "However, my gut tells me that Carmine doing this for another reason y'know"
The words make Nomura curious "what do you mean by that?"
"Well...I told you I can't explain it. That's part of my secret y'know"
Nomura sighed for he can't shake Fate for an answer "Fine then. Thanks anyway"
"Your welcome. Oh yeah, I just want to warn you about something"
Nomura then again had been made curious by Fate
"Since I sent you as the medium, it means that everything has changed a bit. So, Good Luck. Teehee!" Then Fate just hang up
"OI! WAIT! (Growling) GOD DAMNIT! I really can't stand her attitude" Nomura then thinks about Fate's last warning "But what is she meant by 'everything has changed a bit?"
Then, Nomura startle by Alia who knocks on the door "Hey...what are you doing here?"
"Uh...I just remember some documents that I left behind. So what's up?"
"Souma and Liscia are already done with the three dukes"
"Ok, Let's go"
Nomura escorted by Alia headed toward the broadcasting room to talk with Souma. When they Nomura surprised by Liscia's short hair. Souma told me that she cuts her hair in front of Carmine to show him her determination to fight him. Souma also told Nomura that Juna actually is a spy or Kanaria sent by Duke Wolter to observe and evaluate Souma. In actuality, Nomura already knew that Juna is a spy since Tricky Vic has already identified her.
After the warning, Souma ordered 10.000 royal army soldiers to march towards Carmine territory and defend their fort outside Randel city. Nomura also promises to send support to the royal army to bolster its defense. The next day Hakuya, Souma, and Nomura gather at Souma's office to discuss their war plan against both Amidonia and the rebels.
"Amidonia surely will advance quietly by cutting through the Ursula mountain belt and trying to capture the fort city of Altomura. Their numbers are 45.000" As Hakuya reported, Souma and Nomura felt the pressure about the numbers.
"45.000 huh...That's quite a number" Souma feels anxiety but his mind is concerned about something else.
"So, they send a full army corps to come after us. Even for your plan, it will be too much for us" Nomura also thinks about something else as well.
"I believe that it's already the maximum number that they can muster. After all, they moved too carelessly and eventually would meet and fight Carmine as well" As Souma might sigh in relief at the news, it wasn't for Nomura. But he chose quiet for a reason.
"I'll order the retreat of the border guard after they bought us some time"
Souma then said "Maybe I should order an evacuation of civilians at the Amidonian army marching route"
But Hakuya seems to disagree "I advise you not to do that, if so they will realize that we are watching them"
"YOU WANT ME TO JUST ABANDON THEM?" Souma shouts at Hakuya for his tactics.
"Your highness, there are times a decision for you to sacrifice a few to save many" As ruthless as it sounds, Hakuya is right.
"I know that there isn't a war without victims. But we can't just stand idle either. Is there something we can do?"
Nomura ponders a while and found the eureka "Actually, I have a solution. But this one is pretty crude for the people"
Souma then "Ok, I'm listening"
-----Several times later-----
A group of civilians is being escorted by a team of adventurers in the woods near the border. These adventurers got a quest from their guild to escort the civilians out of their villages that headed toward the capital. This evacuation is going on because of a new type of monster that appears recently. To some of these adventurers, it felt weird.
"Dice, don't you think this quest is a little strange?" A mage name Febular feels something odd.
"Is that so?" Dice seems to feel strange about the quest as well "We, adventurer got this quest from the guild. Moreover, this quest is coming from the kingdom too"
"But still, for this easy quest, the rewards are enormous"
Dice then gives his opinion to reassure Febular "The king of the kingdom is fighting the general of the army that rebels right now, I'm sure that will also be the reason they giving this quest that is actually the royal army's job"
"But I still haven't seen the so-called flaming pierrot at all. It gives me chills"
"I think so too" Then a girl descend from a tree "Yuno, what's the situation?"
"The forest is clear. But Dice, I think it will be faster than we eliminate the flame pierrot, right?"
"I thought so too, but it means that this monster must be very dangerous"
"If that's so, we should be heard some victim news but the report only that the village already empty"
Dice gives thought a while "Yuno. Can you give one more thorough check on the surroundings? and care for the monster or anything else"
"On it"
Yuno scouts the surrounding areas of the group. But she found something that she wasn't supposed to see
"Looks clear...Wait...is that knights?" Yuno takes a closer look at a group of knights "Hold up. That emblem is Amidonia. Is that mean that we are being invaded?"
As much as she's an adventurer, she is still loyal to Elfriden and presumably watching Amidonia's movement from rumors that they want to invade the kingdom. Then, she picks up a rock and throws with at the knight's stallion to startle them. Unfortunately, this won't end well for her.
"(Horses startled) WOAH WOAH! CALM DOWN"
As other knights immediately saw bushes moving that revealed Yuno's position "Hey, that's the culprit! AFTER HER!"
That will be Yuno's cue to run away. However, she got grabbed by friendlies.
"Huh...You...You are the Kigurumi adventurer Musashi Boya-Kun. But why are you here?"
Then Musashi Boya-Kun gestured to Yuno to look ahead. She saw Amidonian knights encounter several flame pierrots. Since these monsters are unknown to Amidonian, they panicked at their approaching towards them and run hastily.
"The knights ran away. Wait, now is the perfect time to strike-" Musashi Boya tap her shoulder that he meant to move.
"Wait...Boss Musashi Boya. We can take them down now you know"
Then a man approached them from behind "The boss said that we should get out of here while we can"
Yuno just gasped at the person "wait...that mask...are you that legendary samurai?"
"Yes...but we should get moving before the monster sees us"
Musashi Boya took Yuno to his back with the samurai beside them. In reality, Musashi Boya and flame pierrot is controlled by Souma and the samurai famously known as Ghost of Setsuna was the servant of Nomura where the story of his life in the northeast village roamed by ruthless pirates. She got vilified by his clan because he broke the warrior code.
"Boss Musashi Boya, can we stop for a second? I want to repair my clothes after battling the monster"
Yuno seems curious about the samurai "Hey...uhh...samurai. Is your story true?" That you kill your uncle in a duel?"
The Samurai glanced at Yuno for her question "Yes...why do you ask?"
"Why did your uncle do that?"
The samurai was silent for while "Our code is that the warrior should fight fair and square. But since our defeat and my father's death. I took a road that makes sense by killing my enemy in silence"
The samurai holds tight to his katana "Because of that, I broke the samurai code. I tried to hide my identity but my uncle eventually found out. We had a disagreement and he challenge me in a duel that...kills him"
After that story, Yuno seems pretty uncomfortable for him forcefully remembering his past "I'm sorry to hear that...and sorry to make you remember that"
"It's ok... it's already in the past after all" The samurai has fixed his clothing and they resume their journey.
"Wait! can you tell me your name?"
The samurai glanced at Yuno "Ryu. Ryu Sakai"
On the way, Yuno saw Musashi Boya's sad expression and decides to cheer him up "I'm sure times when life don't go the way you want" Musashi looked at Yuno with her smiling expression "But even so, it's your win as long as you still alive"
From her remarks, Souma felt quite happy. Then, three of them joined up with the rest of the adventurers to continue their quest.
In the castle, Souma is busy controlling the dolls while Hakuya doing what he can do. Nomura in his room wore his black army officer uniform and prepare to depart. He then comes to Souma's office to say goodbye.
Souma saw Nomura entering his office in uniform "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes I am" Nomura has a strong conviction for his plan to work and just personally went to the battlefield.
"I already notify Excel about your arrival. Also, do you think you can win from this?"
Nomura firmly said "Yes I can win- I mean we will win!"
Souma smiles at Nomura and gives him a handshake for him. Souma has confidence in Nomura and is worried at the same time. But Nomura again reassured him that he will thin the herd for him. Nomura then left the office where he saw Liscia help Alia correct her uniform. He saw that Alia and Liscia are like sisters to each other.
Nomura approaches Alia and Liscia "you done?"
"Yes. I'm done. Liscia (holding hands) Thank you and pray for me. yeah?"
"I will...and good luck to both of you"
Alia and Nomura wave their hand to Liscia as they head toward the castle courtyard. A wyvern has to wait for them and will transport them to the woods near Altomura. His soldiers were already inside Altomura city. After flying across the land, Nomura and Alia dismount the wyvern in the woods near Altomura city outskirts. An armed escort is waiting for them.
A knight approaches Nomura "(Kneel) Welcome to Altomura, my lord"
"Thank you, knight. Shall we depart?"
"Of course my lord (giving horse reins to Nomura and Alia) Knights! Move out!"
The group rides the horse and approaches the city from the east. Nomura saw the people preparing for Amidonia's immediate attack on the city. He saw his new reformed soldiers and their artillery arrive before him. His 25.000 men will try to thin the enemies' number. Nomura and Alia were directed to the castle where Duke Wolter and the landlord Wyst Garotta reside.
"Duke Wolter. Finally, we meet face to face"
Duke Wolter and Wyst kneeling before Nomura "Welcome to the Altomura, your highness. Please call me Excel"
"Very well, Excel. Please stand up" Excel and Wyst stand up "I see you buying us a time until my arrival. What's the situation?"
"King Gaius finally has been convinced to break the siege and set up the camp for the night"
Nomura glass for the enemy to break off their siege and set up camp. In his mind, he already piles up plenty of supplies for his troops and ordered Alia with the rest of the general staff to plan their deployment and study the environment with other field officers.
"But my lord, is it true that you will engage them?"
"That's the plan, Excel" Nomura open up the map and battle plan to prepare himself "I will personally direct the movement and engage the enemy. I will make you my second"
Excel seems surprised and worried at the same time "Pardon my rudeness, your highness. The enemy numbered 45.000 men. There's no way you can defeat them all"
"The point is not to defeat them"
Nomura smirked in his devilish manner "But to thin the herd!"
Excel sense a fear that she never felt before. The preparation has been carried out quickly and precisely. The soldier marches in regimental formation numbering each regiment to 150 soldiers or 'regulars' with an addition of 2 battle mages for its defense. Artillery being rolled up to the field and some puts on top of the wall.
Divisional commander Cayde Waker enters the room to report "(Kneeling) Report, my lord"
"What is it, Waker?"
"Our preparation is almost complete. Waiting for your order, my lord"
Nomura glanced at Excel and Alia who nodded to Nomura for the green light to position their troops.
"Good. Start the deployment and do it quickly and quietly"
"As you wish, my lord" Waker then ran out and prepared his soldiers
After giving the order, Nomura heads outside the castle balcony and takes his periscope, and saw Amidonian camp.
While clenching his fist, Nomura said "Gaius...I will! Bring you a massacre!"
As of what he said, a massacre truly will begin