Chapter 169
Chapter 169 – Each Role
The horde of monsters that occupied the ground approached the frontline base, but for some reason, they were stopping the march at a certain distance. No, it was only the leading monster that had stopped, and the monsters in the rear were confirmed to be moving around restlessly. It seemed that they were tidying up their disorder battle formation.
“It would be difficult to move while maintaining the information. Does that mean that there is a limitation to manipulate the monsters accurately?” (Sirius)
Nevertheless, there was no doubt that this was a threat since there were too many of them. To be exact, they were full of openings, but nothing could be done yet since they weren’t within the range of bows and magic. I thought that I could aim for it with my sniping magic, but since there were moving in large force, I shouldn’t do it recklessly unless instructed to do so. I was thinking whether I should just observe until the monster attacked us, but the base commander, Cayenne, who looked at the whole place from the highest position delivered the instructions.
[Change the strategy! Intercept unit, forward!] (Cayenne)
The elite unit selected by Julia and the Beast King, who were waiting on the wall, began to move by the order of Cayenne that reach the entire base through wind magic, [Echo]. The role of the elite unit that included Reus, Julia, Albert and Keith was to intercept monsters that had climbed the wall, and that came attacking from the sky. Cayenne might have judged that there were a larger number of monsters, so he had increased the number of large ballista but that couldn’t cope with it. So, just like yesterday, it seemed that he had changed the strategy to protect the main gate.
“Charge! Open the gate!” (Julia)
Hundreds of soldiers rushed out of the main gate opened by Julia’s order, and it was closed as soon as the carriage was loaded. If the gate was closed, they won’t be able to retreat, but it was more dangerous to open the gate during battle. Therefore, a rest area was built in front of the main gate with the luggage that was loaded. In addition to water and food, medical and other supplies were generously prepared.
There was also a simple wall with huge shields lined up, but this was still the most dangerous place on the battlefield. But they were chosen warriors. In addition, there were banners of Julia and Reus, so there didn’t seem to be the slightest dust of fear. The monsters raised their roar at the same time Julia had finished resting at the resting place. She looked at the scene with an astonished expression and started to move again.
“There is no signal for the start of the war. How boorish they are.” (Julia)
“No matter how much they try to imitate human, they are still monsters. They aren’t worth to be the enemies to us and Julia-sama.” (??)
“Hoo, aren’t you reliable? I’m counting on you, alright.” (Julia)
“““Yes! Everything is for Julia-sama!””” (??)
The most different thing compared to yesterday was that not only Reus and Julia were there from the beginning, Julia’s imperial guards, whom we had a talk just before our departure from the castle, had joined in. There were more than 200 hundred elite soldiers, who trained themselves so that they could fight together. They were strong and admired Julia. So, the frontline units were so reliable that they didn’t need our help.
“Who are these people? They are kind of strong, but weird.” (Keith)
“Is that so? I don’t think that you are that much different when you’re in front of Mary.” (Reus)
“Haa!? My sister is the best in the world, so it’s normal to adore her!” (Keith)
“Now, now, both of you. The enemies are coming soon, so let’s keep them away. Let’s move according to the plan.” (Albert)
“I know!” (Keith)
“Ouh! I leave the rear to you.” (Reus)
Yesterday, Reus and Julia jumped out to the front and killed ogres with a battering ram, but this time, they decided to focus only on the attack of demons approaching the front gate. The reason was that there was a high possibility of friendly fire if they moved around unnecessarily due to the increase of the long-range attack measures. Since they decided not to shoot arrows or magic beforehand, Reus and his unit were stationed in front of the main gate in a battle formation. In the meantime, the monsters were slowly approaching the frontline base, but just before entering the range, Cayenne used [Echo] and gave orders.
[Archers, Ballistas, ready!] (Cayenne)
“““All ready!””” (??)
When the command relayed from the guard unit to the head of each unit, the bows and the ballista were all set up in unison like they were machines. They waited until the monsters were sufficiently gathered, and then…
[Fire!] (Cayenne)
“““Fire!””” (??)
The rain of arrows poured down on the monsters. The arrows were fired one after another on the surface rather than the specific points. Furthermore, huge arrows of the ballistas that were released a bit later pierced huge monsters. From what I heard, on the day before, the former frontline base commander was so impatient that the command of the shooting were obviously too early. In addition, the monsters that were pierced by the arrows collapsed. Since the following monsters stumbled and its whole leg slowed slight, Cayenne continued to give new orders.
[Each unit, continue the shooting! Third, fourth and second ballista, shoot the sky! Magic unit, starts chanting! Fire!] (Cayenne)
“““Next, fire!””” (??)
“Change the aim! Left wing mid air monster… fire!” (??)
“We’ll hit the right with! Aim well, fire!” (??)
The monsters were killed one after another by the arrow which continuously fired, but since the monsters were attacking at the same rate, it went on endlessly. It was exactly a situation of a drop on a hot stone, but our biggest advantage was the wall, which could only be removed physically. The scale of the monsters remained unknown, and if the spirit was broken, we would definitely lose. One mistake could lead to the collapse of the whole situation. It was such a tightrope-walking situation. However, I couldn’t feel any hesitation in Cayenne’s commands. It seemed that his imposing command and Julia’s valiant battle were inspiring the entire unit. The Beast King, who saw the soldiers continuing the fight, roared as if he admired them.
“The resourceful general, Cayenne… even if he is old, he is still having excellent command. We can’t afford to lose, alright.” (Beast King)
“Yes, since it seems fine to leave the small ones, I’m going to target the big ones. Marina, please protect Emilia.” (Sirius)
“U-understood. I’ll do my best not to get in the way!” (Marina)
It would be dangerous for Marina to go to the front line, and Reus told her to join us. Then, she made way to Emilia, who was standing in a certain distance away. Even though they weren’t related by blood, I could see that the two of them were talking like sisters. Then, I took a position that would interfere with the line of fire. I aimed my [Snipe], a magic that specialized in sniping, at the countless monsters approaching from the sky.
There were obviously large flying dragon monsters with wings that couldn’t be dealt with shallow magic and arrows. Since the troops’ arrows and magic were unleashed in the foreground, I gave the priority to the flying monsters at the rear side. Some of them seemed to have scales that could repel the ballista’s arrows, but if it was magic that shoot this special bullet…
“No matter how sturdy the body is, if it is a living organism, there are weaknesses.” (Sirius)
The bullet that I shot sucked into the eyes of the dragon, and it exploded the body at the same time, creating a shock wave. The monster couldn’t bear the shock wave in the body which was close to its head. With blood coming out from its eyes and mouth, the target fell to the ground.
“Next bullet… loading.” (Sirius)
This bullet was much more powerful bullet than usual. Since the image had to be accurate and the amount of mana needed was huge, the rate of fire decreased a little. Nevertheless, it was a reasonable attack at the moment because I could shoot it faster than [Anti-Materiel] and the mana consumption was less.
I kept shooting bullets at the target one after another while imagining even the sound of a never-ending shell casing being emptied. Since it could crush the monsters on the ground with its huge body if I dropped them, I didn’t forget to do it with the right timing. While I smoothly shot down large monsters, Hokuto looked at the monsters in the vicinity…
“Woof!” (Hokuto)
“Oooh! Hokuto-sama is flying!” (??)
“Hokuto-sama!” (??)
“Listen! Don’t hit Hokuto-sama!” (??)
Hokuto was charging straight at the flying monsters in the sky with the movement that imitating my [Air Step]. It was a reckless way to charge, but I wasn’t worried. It wasn’t just a scaffold for magic, but it was a stepping stone while approaching the monsters. By the way, I didn’t remember giving him order, so he was doing it on his own.
“Hmm… he is so reliable. But, is it alright to leave him alone?” (Beast King)
“There’s no problem. Unlike yesterday, we have enough countermeasures now.” (Sirius)
Not only logs and rocks were dropped, oil was scattered as a countermeasure against the monsters that were trying to climb the walls. At least, Hokuto wouldn’t have to run around the wall to sweep them. For starters, there was no problem since he would come back immediately if I called him. Moreover, since he was fighting at the range where arrows and magic couldn’t reach, I wouldn’t worry about misfire except for my own attack.
Hokuto leaped as if he were flying in the air, hit the opponent’s neck with a blow of his tail. Even rocks could be crushed easily with the beating of his tail, so a flying dragon with a neck bent at an impossible angle died. Before it began to fall, he used that monster as a foothold and approached the next monster. He seemed to share similar thoughts with me. He was running around in the sky, aiming for the big enemies and left the small ones to the soldiers on the ground.
“Don’t attack with magic only, deter their movement with illusions!” (Emilia)
“Yes! I will let them taste my power to the fullest!” (Marina)
Marina didn’t only unleashed several [Flame Lance]s at the same time, but she did it with countless illusions while trying to keep the monsters under control. That was how they disturb the enemy progress. They were showing a splendid cooperation since Marina defeated the monsters that Emilia failed to kill.
“Spear unit, do not let the monsters close! Magic unit, prepare for advanced magic and wait for the signal!” (Cayenne)
Cayenne and the Beast King instructed the spear unit to intercept the attack on the ground. At the same time, the magic [Tempest] caused a huge tornado, hitting both on the ground and in the sky. Then, when I looked to the ground between shooting, I saw Reus was protecting the main gate by going all out. It seemed that he was showing the determination that could be called an iron wall.
So far so good… well, all units were working harder than expected, and some margin could be seen. While supporting each other’s mistakes, the situation remained the same. However, since there was no sign that the monsters coming to its end, there was no way we could relax.
Would the mastermind of this assault be frustrated by this situation? Or would he be laughing? Since I couldn’t see such an existence on the battlefield, it wasn’t the time to decide that yet. As I paid attention to the whole thing so I didn’t miss any, I kept on attacking the monsters.
—
— Reus —
“Haaa—!” (Julia)
“Oraa!” (Keith)
While raising warcry, Julia and Keith kicked the monsters that approached the main gate one after another. Now that those two were out in front, I pulled back a bit later and killed the monsters they both failed to defeat. But, since they didn’t miss out often, it felt quite boring.
“Although it is a strategy, it feels weird to feel bored.” (Reus)
“Since we are taking turn to rest, how about you preserve your energy some more? And… I think it will be fine since Julia-sama went out a bit earlier.” (Albert)
“You’re right. Julia, I’m going out, so you can retreat now.” (Reus)
“Hmm!? Understood.” (Julia)
It was probably because of the assault that Julia and Keith came forward more often, and it was great to have Albert to monitor our position. When Julia heard my voice, she retreated. While doing so, Albert called me out while cutting nearby monsters.
“Reus, have you noticed?” (Albert)
“…About Julia?” (Reus)
“Yes. Don’t you think that she is a bit too proactive? She has been fighting without rest since the beginning of the battle…” (Albert)
Our role was to defeat the monsters that approached the main gate. However, we would get tired if we kept on fighting. Although Julia, Keith and I would fight while taking turns to rest similar to the soldiers around us, Julia didn’t try to take turns at all. She listened to me just now, but since she refused earlier, Keith and I had been taking turns for a few times already.
“Perhaps, Julia-sama is desperate not only because she is a princess, but she tries to act as a brave and valiant hero to everyone. But, it’s not good to overdo it alone, and it is better to force her to take turn soon…” (Albert)
“…I think it will be fine, right? If she wants to keep fighting at the front line, I will let her do as she like.” (Reus)
Let alone struggling, she didn’t look tired at all. Since she wasn’t alone, she would be fine since Keith and I were there. Sometimes, she smiled when she swung her sword.
“But, you can’t let her forcing herself like this, you know.” (Albert)
“Well, she is a person with position, right? I don’t want to get in the way of a person who is trying hard. For me, it’s not stupid to wield a sword until you fall down.” (Reus)
“That is true, but…” (Albert)
“Besides, we are in the vicinity. If it comes down to it, I can take her place by force, and I’m also prepared to jump in if something happens.” (Reus)
I was trying to ensure that we obtained experience like how Aniki always kept watching us. Moreover, Julia was fighting to protect her homeland. If the Silver Wolf tribe’s… my hometown was still there and the monster came attacking, I also wanted to protect it with my hands. That was why I didn’t want to get in Julia’s way as much as possible. While thinking this, I cut monsters that evaded Julia into half. Then, I realized that Albert was smiling at me.
“…That’s wonderful. It’s just a moment, but I thought that you looked like Sensei.” (Albert)
“Is that so? If it’s Aniki, he would be able to read further ahead.” (Reus)
In fact, Aniki seemed to be aiming at the monsters flying in the sky, but he was aiming at the place where it could involve many other monsters. It was totally different from me who joined in when Julia was in danger. In other words, I wasn’t good enough to stand alongside Aniki, but I knew that there was no need to be impatient. So, I would just do what I could do.
“Don’t let them get too close! We’ll protect Julia-sama’s back!” (??)
“Oi, don’t miss out there! Don’t get in Keith-sama’s way!” (??)
“Third unit, withdraw and take some rest. First unit, go in!” (Albert)
Nonetheless, Julia and Keith’s soldiers moved in to protect them. Albert oversaw the situation and gave orders to take turns to rest, so there was almost no chance for me. Honestly, I would like to change place with Keith, and swung sword with Julia…
“It’s hard to stay waiting. But now, it’s time to be patient!” (Reus)
The time for me to use my full strength would arrive anyway. I preserved my strength as my as possible, but I kept fighting while watching Julia’s movements.
—
After that, I kept fighting to defeat countless monsters as the time to eat lunch passed, but… the monsters that coming to the frontline base didn’t run out. I took turns with Keith occasionally to kill the monsters, but Julia only took a rest once during lunch time. She had been fighting for a long time now. I became worried about her condition since she had been singing sword for nearly half a day.
“Hey, why don’t you take a turn with Keith? At least drink water as much as you can.” (Reus)
“I’m glad that you’re worried, but I’m fine. This is not difficult compared to when I was swinging sword all day!” (Julia)
Far from smiling even when her body was dirtied with the blood of the monsters, she was starting to say something like Lior-jiichan. I supposed she was fine. Some of the soldiers were injured and tired, but that was only a bit. Hence, there was no big impact. It was incredible since these people came back after a short rest. They were probably admired how Julia had been fighting.
Of course, Keith and I could still fight, so the defense of the main gate was perfect. It gave me a feeling that this would take two to three days. When I looked up at the sky and see how others defending, I could see Hokuto-san leaping around in the air and defeating large monsters. The monsters in the sky appeared one after another similar to the ground, but there was almost no damage because of Aniki, Hokuto-san and countless arrows and magic unleashed from the wall.
Some of the monsters tried to avoid the main gate and climbed the wall, but they were knocked down by logs and rocks dropped from on top of the wall. Some of them couldn’t do anything other than slipping down. Even if it was just oil, it was effective if it was used properly. However, as soon as they were knocked down, the monsters piled up underneath. They tried to climb it to the scaffold, but they were blown away by advanced wind magic, [Tempest], which cast occasionally.
“That [Tempest] is Emilia-san’s [Tempest]. Not only the prowess, the position to cast the magic is exquisite.” (Albert)
“Yeah, I’m not a fool to go against that.” (Reus)
There was no new contact from Aniki, and there was no order for us to pull back. When I was thinking that there would be no problem to continue fighting as it was, a strange monster appeared in front of us.
I thought that… it looked like a goblin. But, when I looked closely, there was a strange pattern on its body, and it gave a smell that I didn’t like. To make matters worse, the surrounding monsters were also avoiding it. Even if I could knock it down with my sword, my instinct told me that it was dangerous. So, I grabbed Julia’s shoulders to stop her because she was trying to cut it.
“Wait a sec! Don’t get close to it.” (Reus)
“It is certainly suspicious, but it’s too much of a hassle to be wary right now. There should be no problem if I cut it before it attacks, right?” (Julia)
I knew how it felt to cut it first, but I couldn’t help worrying about it. As I tried to calm down Julia, who was a little dissatisfied, I tried to shoot a magic before it could get close, but suddenly, one of its leg blew away.
“Hmm!? Whose magic is that!?” (Julia)
“Is that… Aniki’s?” (Reus)
It was too fast for wind magic, and it didn’t look like the soldiers did it. But, if it was Aniki, why would he aim on the leg instead of the head? I didn’t think that Aniki’s aim was off. He was aiming for the flying monsters, but since he purposely aiming for the goblin, that must mean something.
“What? Why is it still alive? You have to properly kill it.” (Keith)
“No, Sensei probably aimed at its leg to seal its movement. It’s better not to get too close.” (Albert)
Albert seemed to think something was wrong as well as he was stopping Keith from killing it. I killed the other monsters that were avoiding the fallen goblin, but the moment when the goblin’s head was blown off by Aniki’s magic… its body exploded while scattering the flame. It exploded by a shock wave, so did Aniki use magic to scatter the flame? Perhaps, it was a new magic… However, it seemed I had made a wrong assumption when I heard the [Call] from Aniki.
[I felt a strange magic reaction. Did it explode when it died?] (Sirius)
It sounded like a monologue, but I was sure that was the information relayed to me. I listened to Aniki’s voice while cutting the monsters, but then, the suspicious goblin appeared again. It was shot again by Aniki’s magic similar as before.
[Reus, I was able to confirm that there is something like manastone embedded in its body. It seems to be the reason why it exploded.] (Sirius)
The flames were scattered because the fire magic carved into the manastone was activated. When the monster died, the manastone was activated. To confirm that fact, Aniki shot the manastone after blowing its head. This time, the goblin was dead without exploding.
[Since you are nearby, what do you think of that? Tell me everything.] (Sirius)
Even if he could see in the distance, there would be something he could see unless he was near. When I informed that the choker magic tool I noticed from the goblin, Aniki told me what he had concluded.
“The smell is probably to keep monsters away from it, and the magic formation drawn on its body determines its life and death. In other words, they are discarded pieces that are remodeled to make it self-destruct. Kill them from a distance or aim for the manastones found in its body, so you don’t get caught.] (Sirius)
“Got it!” (Reus)
Since Aniki’s [Call] could only be heard by me, I told everyone what we were talking about. There were a lot of people who tilted their head when I suddenly began the explanation. Thanks to Julia and Albert, who immediately believed in me, everyone seemed to be convinced.
To put it simply, unlike defeating the approaching monsters at random, they had to fight while watching for the monsters that could blow themselves from now on. That explosion seemed to be an intermediate magic. So if we got hit unnecessarily, we wouldn’t be able to fight for a while.
“Julia-sama, there’s another one over there! We will kill it with magic…” (??)
“No need!” (Julia)
Normally, we should take it down from a long distance, but we had been fighting with weapons rather than magic. No matter how small the target was, it wasn’t difficult to kill the target. Julia seemed to have a similar thought with me. She stopped the soldiers and approached the monsters that could explode without worrying. She accurately sliced the manastone embedded in its body, cut its head on the second slash, and stabbed it to death.
“…I see, it certainly won’t explode. I don’t think that’s a problem with this kind of work.” (Julia)
“Ooh, there’s another one here! Oraa–!” (Keith)
“I’m a bit unwilling, but let’s use it other method.” (Albert)
Keith sliced the manastone into two with a tomahawk blow, and Albert didn’t stab it. He kicked the monster into the enemies just before it died, and they got caught in an explosion. They were different from us since we were killing it. Of course, I also destroyed the manastone without taking aim, but… I somehow felt there was something wrong.
I wasn’t sympathetic because the monsters that were attacking us were our enemies. But far from making them fight, I didn’t like the guy who made them throw away their life easily. Julia might also feel the same. She was slightly frustrated while swinging her sword.
“As a swordsman, it is the worst humiliation if you end up being unable to fight. It’s unpleasant to watch even if they are our enemies. I’ll never forgive those who impose such a fate to them!” (Julia)
“…Yeah!” (Reus)
Aniki suspected that Lambda was the most suspicious person in this matter, but I would think about this later. For the sake of killing those people who had done such a foolish mean, I… should give priority to survival to meet the three people who loved me.
—
— Sirius —
Then, the fierce battle continued, and when the sun began to set, the monsters stopped the assault and ran away all at once exactly at the same time as yesterday. The soldiers shouted the cry of victory as the monsters running away. A few were really happy, but many were starting to feel uneasy about tomorrow. The strategy meeting for tomorrow was held in the conference room just like the day before. After making dinner with the meat of the prey that Hokuto brought me, we were talking about today’s situation in the dining hall.
“There are some damages, but I think we will be able to get over it today.” (Sirius)
“Yes. That is… if there is no night raid.” (Emilia)
We were all without major injuries, but the soldiers’ casualties seemed to be out in their own way. However, when I compared to such a large-scale battle, the damage was overwhelmingly small. This might be thanks to the work of the entire units, the operation of Cayenne, and the healing magician who saved the wounded.
Reese was at the center of the treatment, but the burden was still huge. She was assaulted by the hunger and drowsiness the moment she joined us. Currently, she was eating with sleepy eyes.
“Nomnom… more…” (Reese)
“Oh… it was worth it to come here just for this!” (Lifell)
“There are very few opportunities like this. Let’s enjoy it to the fullest, Lifell-sama!” (Senia)
Even if it was a dinner, Princess Lifell and Senia were eating it. It should be alright to leave them since they were happy about it. I confirmed Reese’s physical condition with [Scan], and I noticed that the fatigue was simply building up. If she took some nutrition and a good rest, she should be recovering in the morning.
“Aniki, Reese-ane looks alright, but how about Julia?” (Reus)
“I’m also worried… She was fighting longer than Reus.” (Marina)
Marina, who was sitting with us as if it were the first thing she had to do, was watching me together with Reus. To be exact, she was with Julia a while ago, but as soon as she had finished her meal, she went back to her room. She didn’t look tired, but she kept fighting all day except for a meal break, so she probably was tired. She didn’t come all the way to the dining hall. She answered with a refreshing smile when Reus asked her whether he should have brought the meal to her room.
[I wanted to eat with you and Marina. No matter how tired I am, I don’t want to forget to talk to my loved ones.] (Julia)
Julia, who spoke so shyly, walked away without hearing his reply. As she declared the day before, the two of them weren’t used to it yet. They seemed to have no idea how to reach, but they weren’t the only ones who were doing their best, but Marina also was doing the same. Although the situation reached so far, the two seemed to be concerned about Julia’s health condition.
“Don’t worry, she’s not the kind of girl who’s going to carry over her fatigue tomorrow. That’s why she went back to her room earlier than usual.” (Sirius)
“But, it’s no good if Reese-ane is tired but at least, it would be good if she can go back to normal with Aniki’s help.” (Reus)
“She doesn’t need it, so don’t worry.” (Sirius)
As a result of the [Scan] that was done physically with her permission, she seemed to have more mental fatigue than physical. It was also a matter of course since she was fighting for a long time. She had been fighting so much and was tired even though she had no injuries physically. I could see that she trained her body well. I heard from Reus that she told her it was easier compared to the time when she had to swing sword all day, and… that seemed to be serious.
“So, she can continue to do what she wants. You were prepared for that, weren’t you?” (Sirius)
“…Ouh!” (Reus)
Reus didn’t stop Julia from being proactive during battle since he was preserving his strength so that he could jump in immediately if there was anything. It was nice to be concerned about Julia’s position and physical condition, but Marina, who sat next to him, seemed to be a bit dissatisfied. Even if she understood, that would be a jealousy as a woman.
“Aah, of course I pay attention to Marina as well. Please don’t leave Aniki and Nee-chan as much as possible, alright.” (Reus)
“You are facing risks worse than me, right? Please be careful not to increase Reese-san’s burden any further.” (Marina)
“I know. But I’m worried if you aren’t doing well. You won’t be able to grill meat, right? Your grilled meat is delicious, so can you make it for me tomorrow?” (Reus)
“I’m not your maid!” (Marina)
Contrary to her words, she seemed a bit happy. Anyhow, to have her grill meat every day… it should be fine, but wasn’t it too much to hope? Well, he was paying attention to properly, so it was all good. When I looked to the side, Emilia was nodding. For now, we decided that Reese and Julia had no problems, so we decided to discuss the future plan.
“Sirius-sama, how are you going to move tomorrow?” (Emilia)
“There is no change because we were somehow able to deal with the monsters. So, let’s adapt according to the situation.” (Sirius)
“I wonder if it’s alright to remain that way.” (Lifell)
Princess Lifell, who had been feeding Reese dinner, joined in the conversation. Well, the more we struggled, the more burdens landed on Reese’s shoulders. She was probably worried whether Reese would be alright. She said so probably because of what I had in mind in the future. Then, I nodded as I talked.
“There are several ways to do this. There are things that can be done quickly since it’s not good for us to deal with other country’s problems too much.” (Sirius)
“I understand what you’re trying to say, but I don’t think we should give up easily.” (Lifell)
“Yes. I’m not sure what Sirius-sama is thinking, but I’m sure he wants to reassure you a little more.” (Senia)
“Yes. That’s because Hime-sama and Reese are here.” (Melt)
Eventually, Senia and Melt narrowed their eyes. In order to reassure even a little, I told some measures that I had been thinking.
“…I see. It’s not that I don’t want to believe, but is it really fine? If you don’t make it in time, you won’t be able to do it.” (Lifell)
“If we can’t do anything about it, we will be pulling out of Sandor temporarily. Hokuto and I will be in charge for the rear guard, so I will entrust Reese to you in time of emergency.” (Sirius)
“I’ll take her with me even if you don’t say anything. Well, we can’t help you right now, but if you’re thinking about leaving, I won’t say anything more. I’m praying that you won’t use that measure or something similar.” (Lifell)
It was a trump card that I didn’t want to use too much personally. I had no choice but to endure for now even if it wasn’t my first choice. However, thanks to Julia’s success, the morale of the entire base was high enough, and the supplementary personnel and supplies had arrived many times from Sandor. Even if they were attacked more than today, it was unlikely that the frontline base would collapse. We concluded the meeting early, and we went to sleep earlier than usual.
—
But… there were many things that didn’t go as expected. There were sufficient manpower and resources, including careful preparation and planning, but on the third day, failures began to occur. The main cause was that the onslaught of the monster had become even more intense.
“Wha!? Pu-put the shields and spears to the front immediately!” (??)
“Hurry up! If you don’t have a shield, take it with you!” (??)
“Protect Julia-sama at any cost!” (??)
Julia, who had fought before everyone and inspired the soldiers, was retreating from the front line.