In the novel, Orwe served as a wellspring of resources for the protagonist’s campaigns, though he never actually governed it. Instead, he continued to lead armies and win battles, amassing victories while embarking on various adventures with a small group of companions.
Among fans, Orwe was jokingly dubbed “the magical land of endless resources” for its implausible contributions.
As the wife of the absent governor, I made my way to Orwe, only to find a land ravaged by war—a wasteland of ruins, starving refugees, bandits, and defiant remnants of the defeated forces.
Ah yes, I remembered. The novel glorified flashy battles, paying little attention to the grim aftermath of war.
“The ‘Pearl of the Western Seas,’ the ‘Prosperous Orway,’ described so gloriously, is in this state? Unforgivable.”
This place, in its current condition, was not only unfit to serve as the protagonist’s convenient treasury but could even hinder his future successes.
“Madam, what will you do?”
I could ask my father to send a deputy and return to the capital myself. However, doing so would leave the fate of this land uncertain.
“I suppose I’ll take matters into my own hands this time.”
And so, I resolved to use the influence and resources of my husband—whom I had never met—without reservation.
§§§
“Hey, hero. Care for a drink?”
The voice of his comrade, Lucas, interrupted Helios as he entered the military tent, carrying a jug of wine. Helios looked up from the documents he had been reading.
“Still working this late?”
“It’s a report from Orway.”
“Leave it be. It’s a battlefield long won. You should tell those cowardly, incompetent fools back in the capital to deal with the aftermath themselves. You’ve done your part, defeating a powerful enemy for them.”
Lucas, who often complained about the weak reinforcements supplied by the central government, was unreserved in his disdain for the senators and politicians back home.
Helios set the report aside and poured himself a drink. Lucas teased him about how often he used the wine cups he’d received as part of his wartime rewards, prompting a shrug from Helios.
“In name, I’m still the governor of Orway. It’s my duty to do what I can.”
“You keep taking on everything like that, and it won’t be the battlefield that kills you but overwork.”
Lucas poured the cloudy wine into his cup without ceremony.
“So, what’s the latest request?”
“They’re asking us to send soldiers unsuited for the battlefield—those too weak or injured to march on distant campaigns—to Orway.”
“There are indeed some soldiers who’d be better off gone, but they’re still technically part of our forces. We can’t send them away without replacements.”
Helios downed his wine, noting that even weak soldiers could be trained into something useful.
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