Act Twelve: Madara in 376

As early as the Harvest Moon, the villages and estates from north of Buchi to the Golan-Elson Pass had been notified that the Black Rose of Bromanto might be stirring. Stationed there was the White Wing Cavalry of the Vanmir Legion, which belonged to Brags. Its deputy commander, Walter, had already received word from the princess and warned the locals of the possible war and organized evacuation efforts. But the evacuation was carried out in name only. The residents—especially the farmers—found it difficult to abandon their most precious possessions, while the nobles were unwilling to drive their tenant farmers north and leave their lands desolate. Most importantly, this was the final stretch before the autumn harvest. Heavy ears of wheat still hung in the fields, and if they fled now, they would lose this year's harvest and perhaps suffer the consequences the following year as well. Almost everyone stayed behind, hoping they would be lucky, apart from a small number of craftsmen.

But north of Buchi, these orders were carried out properly. The residents still vividly remembered the war from the previous year, and deep fear remained rooted in their bones. Most of the refugees from that time had already gathered near Brags, and the panic brought about by the war had drawn even more refugees. They had nearly overwhelmed this border city in the southern reaches. To ensure the army's supplies, Baron Rockville had no choice but to reduce the rations of the refugees outside the city, and an atmosphere of resentment and unease had begun to spread among the people.

Early in September, a letter was delivered to Princess Griffine through Freya:

"Your Highness, Madara may have already achieved de facto unification. Its military composition has changed tremendously compared with the Black Rose War. To the west of