TL: Hello everyone! If you’re interested in my rant about picking up this novel, then read it from here. Otherwise, have a good read! ^_^

---

When she woke up, the first thing that returned was her sense of smell. It was a stench that smelled like rusted iron.

The next thing to revive was her sense of taste. The thick fluid that filled her mouth brought a taste that was as unpleasant as it smelled.

[Gu!… Gaaah!!]

She vomited the fluid out and then, her tactile senses returned. She felt the rough, gritty ground that came in contact with her face and body. The wet sensation running from her mouth to the back of her neck must have been whatever she vomited out just a moment ago.

Without even the leisure of being able to feel disgusted by that sensation, she felt her nerves being torn up as her sense of pain came in a sudden assault.

[Ugh! Aaah!!] she screamed as she opened her eyes. An indistinct world took form as she acquired her sense of sight. Reflected on her eyes was the red and brown that made up the ground’s surface.

As she lifts up her eyes, she could see the feet of a fairly large beast and a dense cloud of dust whirling up. At the edge of her vision was her own hand, thickly plastered with bright red blood.

[Your Majesty! Your Majesty!]

When an earnest yell struck her ears, she knew her sense of hearing had returned.

(….. Your Majesty……? Who are they talking about?)

While enduring the pain, she looked towards the direction of the voice. As she did so, a multitude of pale faces jumped into view.

[Her Majesty has been shot by a spy!]

[A healer, hurry!]

[What’s the battle situation? What’s happening?]

With voices flying past each other above her head, she vaguely comprehended the situation.

(……….battle situation? Is this a battlefield?)

She forced her sluggish head to work.

As far as she knows, Japan, where she was born and raised, is currently not supposed to be in a situation where war would occur.

Suddenly, the most valid answer under these circumstances came to mind.

(A dream?)

She has repeatedly seen the same dream since a long time ago. She couldn’t remember the dream’s details whenever she woke up, so she’s not sure it’s the same one. But in the recesses of her mind, there remain the fragments of battle and a Medieval-style world.

(Is this my usual dream? Even so, what a terrible dream. Can’t anything be done about this pain?)

[Guu!! Aaah….]

With pain running throughout her body, she once again gave out a beast-like yell.

She……. Toujou Mari was a very ordinary university student living in Japan. She often went out with a five-person group made up of boys and girls she got along with, and spent a university student life that was enjoyable in it’s own way. Having no boyfriend, for a woman of marriageable age is a bit sad. But the existence of friends, whose nature she understood, compensates for the sadness. She may have been raised in a slightly peculiar environment due to some circumstances but it could still be called passably normal. A female university student you could find anywhere, who does not particularly stand out… that was Mari.

The last thing she could remember was being in her own apartment room. She was supposed to be looking through some documents since the summer of her second year in university was ending and it was about time to choose a seminar to be affiliated in. It seems that she had fallen asleep. And now, she’s dreaming.

Most probably, this is a battlefield and Mari collapsed due to an injury. As the burning pain tortured her, she desperately looked around to get a grasp of the situation.

(Ah!…..that is?)

Amidst the crowd of people moving around in confusion, she suddenly sensed the uncomfortable feeling of being mocked. When she brought her gaze to where she felt it from, there stood the only man who was calmly observing his surroundings. He had black hair and tanned skin; with a well-featured appearance and eyes the same color as his hair. His age should be around the late twenties. She couldn’t accurately tell because he’s riding a horse-like beast, but he looked considerably tall, with a toned body build.

The man looked at the turmoil surrounding him with mocking eyes, as if cut off from that scene. And those eyes of his turned towards Mari. Those eyes widened and sparkled as if they discovered something interesting.

(—- Wha-!?)

Seeing the man’s conduct, blood rushed to Mari’s head. For some reason, she had the feeling that he was terribly looking down on her. It was only for a moment, but because of her anger, she forgot the pain.

And she suddenly thought, (I must stand up….)

Bearing with the pain that felt like her body was being torn up, she forced her limbs to move.

(I have to stand up…. I can’t afford to continue exposing myself in such an unsightly shape as this!)

She somehow managed to put both hands to the ground as she attempted to lift her body up.

[Gu!!]

Mari stifled the scream that was about to escape from her mouth. With both hands unable to bear with the pain, her slightly raised body fell to the ground once again.

[Your Majesty! Your hand…!]

She roughly shook off several hands that were stretched out in an attempt to support her body.

(Stand up!)

Mari scolded herself. Once again, she applied force on her body and, finally, her body arose. From head to toe, her entire body screamed in protest. Even so, the thought that she must stand up drove her to movement like an obsession. While literally vomiting blood, Mari stood up.

[Gaaah!]

Her body shivered and dizziness assaulted her.

(I want to lie down…. or at least, I want to kneel.)

Cutting off such frail desires, she proudly lifted her face.

[Your Majesty!]

Her vicinity boiled in excitement with voices of delight and surprise.

(So noisy!)

To Mari, they were nothing but noise. She ignored the people who kept crowding over and imploring her. While enduring the pain, she looked around her surroundings—in a daze. Just as she thought, this was a battlefield.

Mari stood halfway up a gentle slope of a hill, with a good view of the far distance. As far as the eye can see, a bare wilderness stretched throughout the land. In there, men who looked like knights from Medieval Europe, wearing beautiful armor adorned with elaborate design and deep crimson cloaks, were jostling around.

There were a lot of footmen. But what stood out were the knights who rode on horse-like beasts. They wore military uniforms with golden braided loops and with the hem of their sleeves and their collars gaudily decorated with dazzling embroidery. There, was a magnificently large army troop. When Mari raised her eyes, several flags of the same pattern, fluttering in the wind, were being carried.

The howls of a number of cavalry beasts* reached the ears of Mari, who was seized by dumbfoundedness. Upon closer look, those beasts looked much bigger than horses. Their body figure looked closely similar to horses but they were creatures of a much more magnificent appearance. Beside Mari, laid a beast that was remarkably bigger than those around it. It was probably the one she was riding, and was slashed down together with her. Blood flowed down its thick leg.

Mari was captivated by this sight that would never have been possible in modern-day Japan. It was like a scene from a movie. And it looked like a climax scene from a fantasy movie, at that.

(This isn’t reality….. without a doubt, this is a dream!)

With a pounding headache, Mari concluded.

[Your Majesty! You’re safe!]

(That’s why! Who’re you calling “Your Highness”?)

Without showing the slightest bit of interest in the knights who were closing in on her, Mari gazed even further off. Beyond the endlessly stretched out army clad in crimson cloaks, she found a small-scale group carrying a blue flag.

(….. that’s the enemy.)

For some reason, she knew this.

Amidst the angry roars and screams that flew around, a war cry that seemed to belong to the enemy army was heard.

[The queen has fallen!]

[Victory is ours!]

(Eh?… who did you say has fallen?)

Mari pondered as she tried to sort out the situation one way or another. Her own fallen self. The surrounding men addressing her as [Your Highness]. And the enemy crying out [The queen has fallen!]

(My head hurts!)

With pain that was not caused by external factors but by this situation itself, Mari literally held her head.

(By any chance, when they say “Her Highness, the Queen” do they mean me? And what’s more, struck down by the enemy!?)

Even if it’s sudden, it’s an unbelievable situation.

(…….That can’t be good, right?)

She dropped her shoulders as she scolded herself. In the first place, it’s inconceivable for the queen to be right at the middle of the battlefield. The commander of the battlefield is not the king, but the general. After the king decides on the army’s objective, he shouldn’t have a say in anything else. If the king joins in, he’ll be inviting chaos into the battlefield. The chain of command has to be clear, and at the top of it should be the general, who knows the battlefield well.

(What are you doing?…… Or is it that the general is extremely unreliable?)

When Mari looked at the men with pathetic faces who did nothing but cling to her, she thought it possible. But the moment she once again exchanged looks with the black-haired man who was gazing her way in interest, for some reason, she was certain that this was not the case.

A sigh escaped Mari’s mouth.

(Moreover, to be hit by the enemy. For the ruler to be hit by the enemy, that’s just impossible!)

This, she clearly understood: This was a losing battle.

(Oh well, looks like I didn’t die though.)

Most likely, Mari, who is “Her Majesty,” was slashed by the enemy and was thought to have fallen from her beast. In that instance, the inside of her mouth got cut and she spat out blood. She must have been injured around the neck or shoulder area. She’s in pain all over, particularly in her left shoulder where there’s a stabbing pain. However, Mari didn’t feel any threat to her life. Albeit gradual, even that pain seems to be fading.

(…….. Even so, this situation is bad.)

Her own army is shaken just because she collapsed, and the enemy’s motivation is going up from the confidence that they’ve already won. At this rate, that will soon be the case.

With a cursory glance, her allies’ side has a higher number of soldiers and yet, they were pushed down by the enemy’s momentum.

(But if we can escape from this predicament of being faced with certain defeat, our side will have a chance of winning.)

Even though it’s a dream, if they lost the battle because of her, it will leave a bad aftertaste. Most of all, she doesn’t want to lose.

(I’ll just try to do what I can do….)

Fortunately, Mari was confident when it came to simulation games.

(In any case, I have to do something about my own army’s mood. For that…..)

She lowered her gaze and saw her own struggling cavalry beast.

[Stand up!]

To an injured, suffering animal, even if it’s heartless, she will give this order. It felt cruel to do so, but it’s not the time to feel any sympathy. If they lose, it will be killed anyway.

[Stand up, Alware!]

Once she called out to it, she realized that it was this cavalry beast’s name.

(As expected of a dream. It’s conveniently made.)

In her head, “Alware’s” information gushed in and she smiled a little. Normal cavalry beasts have physiques that are a size bigger than horses. Even among them, Alware is remarkably bigger and holds more power. It’s the leader of the army’s cavalry beasts. It’s body, packed with developed muscles, is supported by its solidly thick, long legs. With a long neck and a face too small to be called a horse, it gave an impression of being like a creature from fantasies like a griffon or a dragon.

In its blazing bright and highly sharp gaze, a high level of intelligence can be seen. Most of the cavalry beasts have either pale white or light brown fur colors, but Alware has pitch black fur all over its body, boasting a majestic appearance. A beast that should not have fallen to the ground in this storm.

[Stand up!]

At Mari’s third command, Alware’s body quivered and with its four sturdy legs, it stood up. Its length easily over 3 meters.

[Good boy!]

Knowing no fear of the beast’s legs that looked like they could easily trample on her, Mari patted it unreservedly. Nevertheless, Alware was bigger than she thought it would be, and she was both surprised and anxious.

(With this wounded body, will I be able to ride this monster?)

Be that as it may, she can’t be so cowardly in this situation. Mari looked up at the stirrup that was positioned high up, and thought of how she could climb up to it. Just when she concluded that it would be impossible for her to do so alone, the black-haired knight riding a cavalry beast, brushed aside the clamouring men and approached her. At her blatantly scowling face, the knight with a highly amused look stretched out his hand from on top of his cavalry beast.

[What are you doing to Her Majesty? How rude!]

The ones who cried out were the men who were brushed off. With the knight’s hand right in front of her, Mari felt a raging hatred boiling up from within her. Somehow, she understood that her “Queen” self seems to hate this guy. Even though she glared at him, clearly showing those feelings, he did not withdraw his outstretched hand. Out of all these men, he is the only one who realized what Mari was thinking. Even so, she did not want to accept help from a guy she hated; but it was not the right time to be stubborn either. Reluctantly—– very reluctantly, Mari took his hand. When she did so, he told her to place her foot on her own cavalry beast’s stirrup. Mari, who followed his instruction, was easily pulled up. And with that momentum, she was somewhat roughly placed on top of Alware.

Feeling like she might scream from the pain, Mari clenched her teeth. Somehow, she clung to Alware’s saddle. The guy chuckled and sneered. Seeing that appearance, Mari swallowed down the words of gratitude that she was about to say.

(No wonder he’s hated by the Queen.)

Thinking that she cannot afford to care about this guy, Mari straightened herself and corrected her seating on the cavalry beast. From on top of Alware, she saw a mirage-like townscape far beyond the rear of the endlessly spread out troops. Further beyond that was a precipitous mountain range covered in mist. The sky was clear and the sun’s rays were hot. She clutched on the hand that she wanted to hold up to cover her face, bracing herself as she thought that victory or defeat starts from here on out.

[Bellow!!** Alware!]

A simple command.

In the next moment, a cavalry beast’s roar reverberated as it overwhelmed the surroundings with pressure.

At the voice of the leader, Alware, the other beasts fell silent in an instant. Then, as if in submission to Alware, they raised their voices in unison and lowered their heads. The tumult of battle subsided and silence spread throughout both her own army and the enemy’s. Everyone was astonished and looked at Mari.

[Who did you say has fallen!?]

A cold voice resounded throughout the battlefield. She was internally relieved that her voice came out louder than she thought it would be.

[Don’t get carried away with your nonsense!! The ones who will fall, are my enemies!!]

Mari’s voice, her image was just too striking, that everyone in that place caught their breath.

She was beautiful.

Mud and blood stuck to her pallid but well-featured face. Her large, black eyes that carried a strong will, shone forth as if to dominate others. Her long, black, waist-length hair that she initially wore up fell undone, dancing in the cloud of dust. She wore a luxurious, deep crimson dress, unsuitable for the battlefield, but it was torn around the collar and the cloth had slipped down, and her bloodstained left chest became half-exposed.

The black-haired knight who sent his gaze onto that chest, blew out a whistle. Mari glanced at him and scowled.

(Oh well, it can’t be helped. It’s just a dream anyway…)

Mari raised her arm overhead and cried out, [Crush them!!]

With that sublime figure filled with dignity, the surrounding people were enchanted and burst forth.

[Waaa!!] they raised a loud shout.

All of a sudden, her army that was in a state of depression came back to life, and with a raging momentum, they began to face the enemies.

Mari released a breath. It seems like she was somehow able to rally up their position.

At that moment——

(Ehh??)

When she felt a strong gaze, she moved her eyes towards it—– facing the enemy army. There, something glittered as it reflected the sunlight. From a distance that was barely enough to distinguish anything with the naked eye, a piercing glare was sent towards her. In Mari’s mind, shiny, golden hair rose to the surface.

(……. What was that? Just now…)

Just as she thought of that question, for some reason, she immediately knew the answer. That is the enemy commander. With a feeling she cannot quite describe crawling up along her spine, she remembered a pair of blue eyes glaring at her. A well-featured face, with a pained expression floated up; an image of him desperately imploring Mari with something. She understood that this exchange was the cause of this war, but she cannot recall the all-important details at all. It was pathetic of her but, as if to shake off her bewilderment, Mari shook her head from left to right.

(Now is our chance. Let’s worry about things later.)

---

*the raws use kijuu (騎獣). The first character means equestrian so I just sort of used a related military term for horsemen which is how I ended up using “cavalry” and the second character can simply mean beast or animal so I just combined the two. If anyone has a more fitting translation of the word, please let me know so I can adjust it if it sounds more appropriate.

**She literally said “Neigh!!” which I thought didn’t sound very battle-ish so I stuck with “roar” which was the word used to describe what Alware did in response to the command. I hope you all don’t mind this tiny deviation. >_< Update: shout out to Toast for suggesting that I change it to “bellow.” MUCH LOVE!

Another TL note: I didn’t realize I forgot to put in the Chapter title! I’m so sorry.. I already changed it up so I hope no one minds >_<

---

Next