by Funa
Roland gave a forced smile. “This here is Kaoru...but maybe it’d be easier for you to recognize her if I called her ‘a friend of the Goddess.’”
“Oh... Oh my...” The general’s eyes went wide.
“So, about my question...” Kaoru sulkily replied.
Seeing how Kaoru wasn’t in the best of moods, the general hurried to answer her.
“If they were to find out, then there’d be no need for them to try and stall for time any longer. Their only choices would be to pull back or break through our ranks by force. There’s almost no chance they’d retreat, though...”
“Why’s that?”
“Even if they retreated, there’s nothing left for the empire. The only way for Aligot to continue growing is to invade other countries. If they were to lose this many soldiers from their invasion and retreat, then it would take decades for them to make another attempt. The other countries around them would be on much higher alert, building up their own militaries to reduce Aligot’s power. The fact we know about their backroom deal with Rueda and their ambush through the mountains means they won’t be as effective if they try to use the same methods again. If they managed to wipe out our forces here, they’d probably imagine that taking down the troops stationed at the capital shouldn’t be that difficult as well. It seems they aren’t aware of the infusion of soldiers from the east that came as reinforcements to protect Grua. That’s why they seem to be underestimating the amount of soldiers we have protecting the royal capital”
Assuming the instigators needed three times as many soldiers, if the defending side had 10,000 troops, the attackers would need 30,000 to take them on. If Aligot thought there was less than that guarding the capital, then 30,000 would be plenty. If that were the case, then they’d just have to keep their own casualties to 10,000 or less. Losing roughly a third of your troops in battle was devastating, but losing half of them meant your side had been annihilated.
Most of the time, a battle would be decided right then and there. If Aligot had 30,000 soldiers to spare after beating the enemy here, then the empire should have a good chance of winning this war. Once Aligot laid siege to the capital, it was merely a matter of time for the capital to surrender after running out of food and water. They’d take what they needed from the town near themselves and request supplies from Rueda if they needed it.
It wouldn’t be strange for them to think their victory was assured if they could just surround the capital, especially for soldiers of a country who took pride in their own military strength.
“It’s still going to take some time for the troops here to realize their comrades to the west were defeated. Who knows how many days it will take for a messenger to travel back through Rueda to deliver the news to Aligot, then go through the mountain path to inform the troops here...”
“Then how about we just tell them ourselves?” Kaoru asked back.
“I doubt they’d believe something the enemy told them so easily...” the general said with a bitter smile.
After thinking it over, a sinister smile crossed Kaoru’s face.
“Then let’s give them some bait they won’t be able to ignore!”
Oh boy, here we go again... Roland thought to himself as he caught a glimpse of Kaoru’s face.
The next morning, a message rang through the air to the Balmore soldiers fighting on the front line.
“Listen up, and listen good! His Highness, Sir Roland has arrived from the royal capital, bringing news that the enemy forces entering through Rueda have been crushed, as well as plenty of healing potions for everyone! None shall worry about your injuries! For those already injured or sick, be sure you get yours as soon as you can!”
The words rang out far and wide in all directions, reaching not only the enemy soldiers, but their superior officers as well.
Chapter 13: A Divine Blade
That same day, the Aligot forces suddenly went on an all-out offensive.
“Seems like your name had quite the impact, Sir Roland. Who knows if they want to take you down for glory, or just take you hostage, but having you say we defeated the army that came through Rueda made it sound all the more credible.”
There was a mix of emotions on Roland’s face when he heard Kaoru’s words.
Kaoru, Roland, and the others were on a raised hill near the front lines, standing out plain as day while on horseback—all on purpose, of course.
The front lines were already embroiled in mortal combat as both armies clashed against each other. If Kaoru were to use all the powers she had at her disposal, she may have been able to reduce the amount of soldiers who died in the war...but what would have happened if she did?
It would have been an overwhelming victory for them with the power of the Goddess on their side. There was no honor in winning like that, and neither the winners nor losers would be satisfied with that sort of outcome. There’d be no solace for the families of the soldiers who’d died in battle.
Kaoru had come here fully intending to wield her powers as much as she could, but it wasn’t to help one army completely destroy the other in a one-sided battle. It was to keep casualties to a minimum for each side and bring this whole war to an end. She was merely waiting for her most opportune chance to intervene.
“Hey, Sir Roland. Start going around and acting like a complete weirdo, if you please,” said Kaoru.
“...And why would I do that, exactly?” Roland answered, not looking particularly enthused by her request.
“If you start acting suspicious all of a sudden, it should make the enemy worried that their prey is going to make a run for it or try to do something unplanned for. It should be enough to make them look your way every once in a while to check on you. While they’re distracted with you, it should put our own soldiers at an advantage.”
“...All right, fine.”
Roland began wandering around aimlessly, occasionally waving at no one in particular, all for the sake of the soldiers. He was a fine example of what a superior officer should be.
After a while had passed, there was an obvious change in the enemy’s tactics. Instead of focusing on other, much more essential areas to attack, they’d begun sending their troops to the small hill Kaoru and Roland were on. Several soldiers on horseback were spearheading the charge, with countless other foot soldiers following behind them. They couldn’t have brought horses with them over the mountains, so they had probably acquired the horses from local sources.
“All right, looks like they took the bait. Let’s wait for them to get a bit closer before you lead them straight into the ambush we’ve set up for them with our own soldiers. I’m going to get myself a better spot to watch it all go down.”
The hill had no influence on the battle, and would have been completely ignored under all other circumstances. If it weren’t for the fact that there was such tantalizing bait being dangled in front of them here, this spot would have no strategic value whatsoever. It’d just be a spot with a harmless-looking girl, and wasn’t worth diverting soldiers to send over there.
“...I know,” Roland said as he stared at the soldiers advancing upon them.
The squad of enemy soldiers cut a swath through the Balmore troops in their way, getting even closer to Kaoru and Roland. They looked to be a group of Aligot’s most elite, so they must have made capturing Roland one of their top priorities. The balance of troops on the field had broken after diverting soldiers to send this way, allowing the Balmore soldiers to gain the upper hand.
Everything was going according to plan. All that was left now was to surround them after leading them into their ambush, annihilating and reducing the Aligot presence on the battlefield.
“It’s almost showtime. Make sure they get a good look at you out there.”
“I know...” Roland answered back. He raised his hand as high he could to draw attention to himself before shouting out his next order. “We’re heading down there! Everyone, follow after me!”
He descended the hill, gradually moving in a direction
without any friendly Balmore troops to make it easier for the enemy to follow him.
“Now then, time to wait and see how this all plays out...”
Wars in this world were by no means quick affairs. The battle had only just begun, and it’d still be some time before Kaoru would step in—maybe even a few days at that.
It wasn’t a good feeling watching others in a battle to the death, but this was war. Only the most foolhardy of optimists would think this would be resolved without anyone dying.
While Kaoru was hanging back and waiting for the action to unfold, Ed hesitantly spoke up.
“...Hey, little missy.”
“What’s up?”
“It might just be me here...but is the enemy totally ignoring the bait and coming straight for us?”
“...Uh-oh.”
The Aligot soldiers had received very specific orders on who to capture. Their top priority was the girl said to have received the blessing of the Goddess and have the ability to make healing potions. Their second highest priority was anyone from the royal family. Third were any cabinet ministers or higher level aristocrats. They were free to ignore the other targets if it meant securing their number one priority, even if it meant losing massive amounts of troops in the process.
They’d even received word about what the girl in question looked like: around ten to twelve years old, black hair and black eyes, and a cute face with the harshest glare in her eyes. And who else had arrived alongside Roland, the brother of Balmore’s king, but a little girl who matched that very description. She’d not only brought with her an abundance of healing potions, but was even going so far as to stand on the front lines of the battlefield.
The elite squad of soldiers that had broken off from the main army wasn’t going for Roland, but for Kaoru. Not only that, but for some reason, Roland and the other troops had left that girl all on her own as they headed off somewhere. There was no better chance than this, and they weren’t about to pass it up.
“Crap... They got me surrounded.”
The soldiers rushed to form a circle around Kaoru so she wouldn’t be able to get away on horseback. They took advantage of Kaoru panicking over what to do, not giving her any time to figure out her next step. They managed to form a semi-circle behind her, gradually closing in as they made the circle tighter.
The group of soldiers in front of her were coming in closer and closer...
“Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! You think you can get us out of here, Ed?!”
“That’s a no can do, missy!”
Well, can’t say I saw this one coming... Should I go with an explosion here...? No, there’s no point in doing that. All I’d end up with is a bunch of dead bodies on my hands. I may be able to kill a few off with poison, but there’s too many of them to take them all on... What should I do? Make an explosion big enough to create an escape route? But they might start firing off arrows if I try to run away... I think I might actually die if one of those hits me. I’m pretty sure they’re not going to kill me if they actually catch me. There should be plenty of chances to escape...
While Kaoru was wrestling over what do next, the circle of Aligot soldiers had steadily closed in on her to try and capture her unharmed. She couldn’t break through them since they had their swords and spears pointed solely at her. Several of them had even sheathed their swords and moved closer to drag Kaoru down off her horse.
Right when Kaoru found herself out of options and unable to figure out what move to take next, the Aligot soldiers on horseback suddenly changed direction.
“Is that...Francette?”
Francette had turned around after realizing something was wrong, Roland and four other imperial knights desperately chasing after her.
The soldiers didn’t stand a chance. They were up against Francette, a veritable demon of a warrior, Roland, the valiant brother of the king of Balmore, and a group of the most elite warriors the kingdom could provide. This wasn’t a combination the makeshift Aligot cavalry could handle.
Francette and the others broke through the enemy soldiers surrounding Kaoru, dismounting their horses and forming up around her.
Everyone was more than capable of fighting on horseback, but their main area of expertise was doing battle on foot. Being on horseback usually gave you the advantage in a fight, but when it came to truly skilled soldiers such as themselves, they found horses just weren’t able to keep up with them. Being surrounded by soldiers while on a horse meant they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves against any attacks made from their rear or the side they weren’t holding their weapon. Dealing with multiple enemies at the same time was near impossible as well. Having someone they needed to protect on top of that meant keeping the fight on the ground was their only choice.
“Sorry... Looks like I screwed up here,” Kaoru said, disheartened.
The six people who’d rushed to her aid laughed it off, saying it was about time they had a chance to show what they could do.
Thus marked the beginning of their fierce struggle. Roland and the other four imperial guards were all brandishing short swords as they charged into battle. Despite the name, they weren’t any shorter than the average sword or anything. Soldiers on horseback generally carried longswords, while foot soldiers went with short swords. The fact that they used them just proved they weren’t merely cavalry.
Though short swords were usually wielded with one hand, they were using both since they didn’t have shields to carry in their other. Even without shields, they just had to block any strikes coming their way with the sword itself. Hack, parry, stab, slash, repeat.
Unlike a katana, these blades weren’t for slicing clean through people. They would overpower their opponent by force, crushing them beneath the blade. They still had enough of an edge to them to lop off a limb, though.
Francette, on the other hand, had a bastard sword as her weapon of choice. It was a sword that could be wielded with either one or two hands, but was much heavier and longer than a shortsword. It wasn’t the type of weapon a girl who looked to be in her mid-teens should be able to handle—under normal circumstances, that is. It should go without saying that Francette’s circumstances were anything but normal.
Her sword would drag along the ground if she tried to wear it on her hip like normal, so she usually had it strapped on her back. Though she wanted to use an even larger and heftier sword to put her herculean strength to use, her size meant it was impossible for her to carry anything larger than she had now.
Francette swung her bastard sword with all the grace and finesse of one wielding a rapier in fencing, gleefully mowing down any enemy soldier who had the poor fortune of standing before her. Screams of agony and pain filled the air as the piles of corpses and injured grew in the wake of her warpath.
“I-It’s...Fearsome Fran...” the Aligot soldiers whispered, their voices trembling in fear.
The Balmore forces who had been lying in wait for the ambush realized the plan had gone awry, cutting their way through the enemy lines and surrounded the enemy on both sides to eliminate them. Chaos and confusion dominated the fight as the battle raged on. There was only one thing that both sides were clear on: do not harm the girl.
The fight had devolved into such chaos that there wasn’t anything else Kaoru could do. Using her nitroglycerin potions or any other sort of chemical attack would just get her allies caught up in the crossfire. She could try using her Item Box powers here, but that would ruin the story she had been pushing so far about her being a normal human who just so happened to be friends with the Goddess.
But I guess the same thing would happen if I started making everything explode, huh...
With the amount of fallen enemy soldiers reaching the triple digits, Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief knowing that, even though she was in the middle of a battlefield, she was at least safe for now...
That’s when it happened.
Roland had managed to deflect an arrow with the right shoulder of his armor to protect one of his a
llies, but his sword had stopped moving in the process. An Aligot soldier thrust their own sword forward, not one to let this chance slip them by.
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out through the battlefield. Francette had lost her balance from overextending to deflect the attack, gripping the shattered remains of her sword. It was already at its limit from taking the brunt of Francette’s monstrous strength, but forcing that slash had finally caused the blade to give in.
Taking full advantage of this perfect chance, the enemy had plunged a single spear deep into the right side of her chest. Fresh blood spurted from the newly carved hole as the spear was ripped out of her.
“Fran!!!” Roland caught Francette before she could hit the ground.
“I-I did it! I took down Fearsome Fran!!” the Aligot soldier cheered.
The next instant, his head exploded into countless tiny pieces.
“Don’t gimme that crap...”
The blood had rushed to Kaoru’s head. Any thought of trying to keep to her story about being a normal girl had been pushed from her mind.
While she was the same girl who had said she didn’t care if soldiers died, since that was their job, the moment she saw the spear pierce Francette’s chest and the blood spurting from her wound...nothing else mattered anymore.
It was different than watching countless soldiers dropping like flies. Once it was someone she was fond of, that’s what made the difference. She knew how contradictory she was being but, despite that, she couldn’t stop her blood from boiling.
She patted Ed’s neck. He didn’t need her to say anything to know what that meant. He knelt down, letting Kaoru off his back.
The Aligot troops around them had gone dead silent. Though they may have gotten used to the blood from their enemies splattering on them, it seemed they weren’t exactly used to the same thing happening with the brain matter from one of their ally’s heads exploding.