Chapter 872: The Second Year of the Great Invasion 8
Even though it’s domestic travel, the distance from Rennesto near the country’s center to Ghibli Fortress at the northeastern tip is considerable. Considering we’ll fight for a while and return at dusk, we need to leave around noon.
“I’m deploying all close combat personnel to support Fiona. Just to be clear, if anyone doesn’t want to go, speak up now”
I gathered the knight girls and declared. That said, with four Gauntlet knight members, two former heroes, two ace knights, and Dianne-san thrown in, the lineup was borderline excessive.
“Even if you call it support, it basically means leaving one person to handle that guy while we take out the rest, right?”
Beatrice casually said this while twirling the Sea King Ring on her finger. Well, that’s roughly correct. Direct support to prevent Fiona from getting hit would fall to the particularly fast Almeida, Anzeros, and Dianne-san. The remaining six would focus entirely on controlling the surrounding battlefield. Choosing heavier weapons for greater striking power also meant sacrificing defensive and evasive reflexes. A standard sword weighs about one kilogram. Three times that, three kilograms sounds like 「What, that’s all?」 when you hear it. But holding it at a fixed height without dangling it and swinging it freely is difficult even for a big man to sustain for long. And when it connects, the recoil force proportional to its weight is strong. It demands considerable wrist strength. Considering this, that heavy wooden sword seems like a weapon for a formidable warrior. But I can’t imagine Dianne-san would give someone else a weapon she couldn’t wield herself. At the very least, Fiona likely has enough strength to swing it straight. In fact, trained by the knight girls, Fiona’s physical strength has grown remarkably. In a simple contest of strength, I probably couldn’t beat her anymore. But actual combat involves many unpredictable factors. Fiona has been dragged through dungeons before, but she’s probably never slain a monster alone. Or rather, with her skill level, she can’t cut through enemies with a normal sword, so she almost certainly has no experience winning. Facing Renfangas monsters that have gone frenzied in a group, I’m worried she won’t even be able to give it her all. Even against monsters, attacking animals with full force, no holding back, is difficult for an amateur. If someone handed me a sword and told me to kill something right away, I wouldn’t have the confidence I could do it either. Crossbows, on the other hand, I’m quite familiar with. Especially since the hard wolves, giant wolves make up the bulk of the Renfangas invasion. They’re a subspecies of the Mad Wolves common in the Northwestern Plains. True to their name, their fur is unnaturally hard, deflecting half-hearted slashes. Against them, even if you know how to wield a sword, you’d need exceptional skill or a very sharp blade to cut through. In that sense, a heavy wooden sword might be a good choice, as it guarantees damage if it connects. Even a human would have bones easily shattered by that blow, even if it wasn’t a vital spot. The Hardwolf’s skull isn’t particularly thick either, so a direct hit could mean an instant kill. But that’s only if Fiona can wield it with her full strength. Monsters and fallen comrades littering the ground are a daily occurrence at Ghibli Fortress. It’s possible she’ll be so horrified by that misery that she can’t muster her strength even facing enemies. There might be more enemies than expected, or the ground could literally be littered with corpses. She might force herself to swing the sword, suddenly whiff, and strain her elbow or wrist tendons. It’s unpredictable. So, you can never be too prepared. She’s a complete amateur who shouldn’t even be on such a brutal battlefield.
“Maia, you’ll be the one flying with the 『Sexroom』. That said, you won’t be engaging in direct combat this time. Basically, you’ll hover at a slightly higher altitude, maintaining illusions while on standby”
“Yes”
If Princess Ran were to be lowered to the ground as an observer, we’d have to assign people to her escort. Playing it safe, considering worst-case scenarios, that would mean three or four people. I didn’t want to waste that many people on defense, so I’m sorry, Maia, but you’ll be our flying spectator seat. And to prevent the Ghibli Fortress defenders from getting overly hyped watching you, we’ll keep you hidden as much as possible. We’ll maintain the appearance that you’re just transporting reinforcements, like last year. Laila, Emma, and Leda will stay on the ground with me in human form, watching as backup forces in case something happens to Fiona. It’s borderline overprotective, but even with all this, whether they can actually achieve results is a bit doubtful. They’re amateurs. And this isn’t just some social event; it’s part of their training. It’s not about letting them taste victory unnecessarily and getting cocky. This battle is meant to give them real combat experience with an eye toward the future, so the difficulty is high. But they have to do it.
“Charlotte, get on board too. I want you to watch our performance alongside Princess Ran”
“Y, Yes”
And this is just a safety measure. Leaving her behind would be dangerous. Even if she’s skilled at stealth, she’s not worldly. You never know where she might let her guard down or get tricked by someone. Better to have her accompany us than stay in Rennesto.
“The three Black Collars……I’m counting on you to watch over things here. Though I can’t exactly ask you to guard Apple, Luna, or Hilda-san……”
“Nothing’s going to happen anyway. Even that top dog is scared shitless of dragons”
“We cannot accept escort duties, but if you demand we remain here as female slaves, we will protect ourselves within those limits”
“Don’t sweat the small stuff. We’re not here to be bossed around, but we won’t let others get cocky and mess with you either”
Corti and the others are reliable in their own way. I’m confident they won’t let any scoundrels get away with anything, no matter what.
———————–
Eight knight girls, the two from Saint Gardo, me and Dianne-san, plus three dragons and Charlotte. Even so, cramming sixteen people into a five-meter-square 『Sexroom』 feels cramped. The knights especially are fully armed (though Neia, Beatrice, and Aurora don’t wear armor), and each carries their weapon, making it quite a sight. Leaving Apple and the three Black Collars behind was simply because there was no room for more. I could have brought them by carriage, but then the question arises: what would we even do with them here?
“This time of year is when they’re at their loudest, isn’t it……hey, 100-man Commander Dianne, couldn’t we have waited until things calmed down a bit?”
Dianne shook her head at Naris’s words.
“We weren’t planning to stay away that long. I want to return as soon as possible to start preparing the new town……besides, who knows what trouble might start if we wait. If we miss this moment when nothing’s happening, tomorrow might be too late”
“Like 10-man captain Smithson, you really do plan for trouble, don’t you……”
“Because the fact nothing’s happening now seems like a miracle……”
The curious Princess Ran and Charlotte. Fiona, the reckless warrior who doesn’t quite grasp her own strength. The Black Collars, whose position is far too delicate. Truthfully, even the four Gauntlet Knights could be trouble. Especially Sharon and Tetes. Thinking about it, maybe I should have narrowed the personnel down more. But then again, narrowing it down would probably just create more hassle and extra work.
“If nothing happens, that’s the best outcome. That’s why we’re here”
Leda stood tall alongside Emma. But whether you lot are stable and reliable? That’s still a bit questionable. For now, the veterans: Dianne-san, Anzeros, Aurora, Laila and Maia. Plus Naris and Almeida, who are more on the reliable side. The rest? Who knows where they might trip us up.
“Let’s not let our guard down. Depending on the situation on the ground, we’ll decide on a rough shift plan for now. First, place Fiona at the center of the formation……”
Dianne-san gives the final confirmation. My position is fixed from the start, so I check my crossbow. A quick shot might help. I’ll be ready for that.
Then, with the illusion still active, we descend to Ghibli Fortress. Leaving only the combat personnel behind, Maia returns to the sky. Moving illusions tend to be a bit careless, so some watching from the ground might notice something off.
“I’m going to greet the garrison commander. I’ll be back soon, so everyone, be ready to move out immediately. The fighting seems fierce”
Dianne left those words behind, and we listened intently to the sounds beyond the towering, layered walls. As Dianne said, the fierce battle certainly seemed to be ongoing.
“Hope it doesn’t end up with Grand Knight Anette going on a rampage and finishing everything off again”
Almeida muttered, perhaps recalling our last visit. Well, that’s just how battle situations go. If things don’t work out, it’s a shame, but Fiona’s grand invasion debut might just be canceled. As I pondered this, the gate opened beyond the wall, and soldiers came running with desperate expressions.
“Run! No, prepare! The enemy has broken through the other sector!”
“Gee”
Naris frantically drew her sword, and the other knight girls also readied themselves. They’d dismounted thinking it was safe since there were no enemies two squares ahead, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
“Looks like the regrouping failed”
Tetes also had her sword drawn, but she was carrying a child. I’d better not push her too hard. Just as I thought that, a group of hard wolves and horned leopards poured in, chasing after the soldiers.
“Well then”
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen real combat”
Neia drew her Flash Sword, and Beatrice forcefully slipped the Sea King Ring onto her left hand. Fiona gripped her heavy wooden sword nervously in the center. The battle began without Dianne.