Chapter 549: Preparation for the march 3
The next day. I slept surprisingly well, probably thanks to the liquor that General Kingfisher shared with me and approached the riverside to wash my face, where I met Sir Bonaparte again.
“Oh, young man”
“G, Good morning”
“You’re acting like a stranger. You should have talked more casually, huh?”
“……Ah, yes”
“Good, good”
Sir Bonaparte washed his face when he said that.
“……Huu. It’s a nice morning, isn’t it? Umm, mornings in the traveling sky are good. I have a feeling the day will be worthwhile”
“……It looks like a lot of fun”
“I’ve been confined to the royal capital lately. To be honest, I don’t really like city life”
“You mean you’re a country person?”
“I’m more of a traveler than a country person. I always like to feel the prospect of encountering something new”
I feel that if there are more people, I encounter more things I don’t know, but is that because I am an inconspicuous commoner? No, I guess I’m not looking for the trouble between people in the city’s way, but I’m looking for a different kind of stimulation, in his case.
“I’ve heard about your past year through others. And it seems like you’ve been doing one fun thing after another. I envy you”
“……Are all sword saints troublemakers?”
“I’m sure they hate boredom. They’re all hot-blooded”
Haahaaha, laughed Sir Bonaparte, wiping his face with a towel.
“It seems like people are spending their time traveling more and more now that they have free time, but I am under the supervision of Celesta. They don’t let me do what I want to do. ……Sometimes I give training to young swordsmen. However, people these days lack guts and it’s a problem. Trot doesn’t have enough adventures. If they can go on big adventures here and there like you, they can’t train like Angelina. I guess it puts you in a good mood”
“Well, it’s good and bad to be as adventurous as Renfangas”
Adventure or a dead line? If you become a country like that, there will certainly be more danger.
“The first time I went to the battlefield, I was glad to follow you because you, a dragon user and even the war good, are unruly in this battle……well, you were right in the beginning, but don’t think you can keep up the same good form in the future”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it’s a good thing that the dragons were able to engage in direct hand-to-hand combat, even though they were so foolish. The main part of their art is in aerial combat, transformation and fighting through the use of magic. If we were to be braced from the air when we were gathered on the ground, there was no way to prevent them, no matter how strong we, the Sword Saint Brigade, were. ……The dragon in its human form has the ability to fight with white soldiers on a par with the great sword saints”
“……I see”
The reason why the dragon was able to manage is because of the carelessness of the other side, that the dragon body can defeat the human body collectively. But although the dragon body appears to be large and advantageous, it is even a weakness in more than a few battles because it exposes a slowness that makes it impossible to evade attacks. What if they switched to fighting with their natural athletic ability and sense of movement in their human bodies and their ability to freeze, instead of fighting forcefully due to their size and the hardness of their scales? And what if they attack jointly with a dragon body with strong power and breath? Even though there are dragons here, it would be difficult to win an overwhelming victory like yesterday. Even though the heroes have relatively low combat power, they are also human except for Laila and Maia, so it is not as if their swords are completely ineffective. If they are outnumbered, there will probably be casualties. The other side has lost its guard……so there is no reason for optimism.
“I’d rather not have any deaths on our side if at all possible”
“That’s……right, isn’t it?”
“Don’t press at the wrong time, young man. From what the silver dragon girl said yesterday, it seems like there’s still room to break down the Dragon Palace. If you carry things too quickly, you could be dealing with people you don’t need to deal with……well, I’m not good at that kind of muddle”
“No, you’re going to come out like that!?”
“Haahaaha, well, if I were to die by myself, I’d probably die and the same would happen to everyone in the Sword Saint Brigade. Even if I were to die, it would be a knight’s battle and I’d give up. But your girlfriend……no, were they female slaves? You wouldn’t want to lose them in vain”
“…………”
Once again, I realize that they didn’t just show up with their brains, either. They came to fight. There is always the possibility of death. They are fighting dragons. And in this battle, they came to save me, even prepared to die in this place where they knew no one. For that, I felt gratitude again.
“Thank you, old man. ……I can’t thank the people of the Sword Saint Brigade enough”
“It’s too early to be thanking me yet. The battle isn’t over yet”
“Even so. ……I know it was Diane’s call, but it’s really heartening to see you come to my aid and Neia’s aid”
“Why, that’s only possible if you did what you did a year ago. ……The people who were supposed to die at that time included me, Ulysses and some of the Great Sword Saints who are now here. Direct participation. Even for those who didn’t, there are those who say their masters and close relatives were saved. Above all, Ruth and Reina are more grateful than anyone that you stopped the bloody revolution”
“……King and Queen”
“It was partly because of their efforts that they were able to send me and the Sword Saints here to facilitate the forced push of the War God Dianne. Of course, Celesta’s military superiors responded to the fierce appeal of the War God. Maybe it moved”
……If you try to be kind to others, things will come back to you. I realize that once again.
“Ruth, you know. The first thing he said when he let me hold my grandson was, 『If you hadn’t stopped then, this child would never have known his grandfather’s hand』……”
And he stroked his white hair, which a year ago was full……now trimmed short, and looked at the water with kind eyes.
“When I look at my grandchild, I feel greedy. I don’t think I can die until this child remembers my face……and sees me hale and hearty. And I will not allow you to die without being able to hold your grandchild and think that. ……You defeated me and said that. You told me to hold my grandchildren, spoil them and live until I have no choice but to say it was a good life, worth the effort and then die. I said yes, and I will not allow you to abdicate your responsibility”
“……Yes”
Yeah, right. I forced him to do what my father couldn’t do. And I have to do what he couldn’t do.
“I want my kids to be proud of me someday. ……I never abandoned the beautiful woman who depended on me”
“That’s just like you, isn’t it?”
“The result……is this commotion”
“That’s fine. You’ll have something to brag about to your kids”
“……I’m so dependent on everyone”
“Having someone to rely on is the most gratifying thing of all”
The old man patted my head as if I were his young son and nodded.
“You should be proud of your boy, that he has moved so many friends, fought so many powerful enemies and won a……beautiful woman. It’s the kind of fairy tale that everyone wants……to have a happy ending”
“……Hahaha. I guess you could say that”
Well, for that to happen, you have to win a tough battle with everyone else. No, I’m out of the fight, so I have to fight a tough battle with everyone else. ……Yeah, maybe it’s still not a little cool.
——————————————-
After laboriously washing my face with one arm, I returned to the center of the encampment, where Hilda, Apple and Tetes were working together to give me a medical checkup for the day. And the sword saints were sighing happily with hohoho at the sight of the beautiful women working so worthily. After all, everyone loves beautiful women, don’t they? They heal you, don’t they? Mine, too. A little apart from that, Anzeros, Aurora and Almeida were participating in the group that was having a lively discussion about swordsmanship centering on the twin-sword master-disciple.
Like this, it spins like a spinning top on its side, one by one with both swords……I guess it’s because the timing was perfect, but it was amazing to see that dragon’s arm fly away in that instant”
“Don’t try to force yourself, Abel. She was able to do that because she is the war god. It would be impossible to cut off a dragon’s arm with your slash attacks”
“That’s the point. I’m sure that War God Dianne is the commander of a sniper unit without a knight class. I wonder how many Great Sword Saints are capable of knocking off a dragon’s limbs with one shot like that……”
“Our Dianne-san is out of the ordinary in many ways”
“The two Overknights are using honorific language……”
“I showed you the sword earlier, but it wasn’t that rare. The style is Celesta, but it was made by a craftsman from the Royal Capital of Trot”
“However, someone who may be called Gale Dingir is not defeated in his physical demeanor”
The actual “I’m not a fan of the way you look at it, but I’m not a fan of the way you look at it. I want to try it.
“No, no, it’s true that I’m not going to lose if it’s just speed……but it’s this horizontal top movement after all. Those two strikes in that instant that saved Broll-san. Damn, I want to try it”
“Stop it, Gale. The quality of the speed is different. I tried to imitate it for a while, but I couldn’t do it. Fast is only the result. It’s already launching multiple attacks even before it moves”
“Mu……now that I think about it, I was thinking of asking the Dancing Speari-dono to join me someday. If I ever get the chance, I would love to”
“Emm, I would also like to have your guidance, Lord Bey and Lord Dingir”
“Miss, Dingir does not have the status of a lord. He has some achievements, but he cannot be considered a peerage”
“I’ll call him Dingir-sama, then. ……I am also a two-handed swordman. However, I can only use one-handed swordsmanship with both hands, so I am a little hesitant to call myself a two-wielding swordsman”
“Hou. She’s a studious woman. Excuse me, but I don’t want to have a female swordsman at Trot. But I personally don’t mind the glamour”
“……Emm, you should be careful. This guy likes women more than you might expect”
“Abel!”
He seems to be very talkative. Speaking of Trot sword saints, they are quite an interesting subject of skill exchange for Aurora, who is a Trot swordsman-oriented person and for Anzeros, who is originally from Trot. Aurora, in particular, seems to have felt frustrated that she had only been taught by Neia during her previous training sessions and not by a renowned Trot swordsman.
“You all are doing well, aren’t you……even though it was yesterday today. Huaa”
“You hardly fought yesterday, Naris”
“What do you want me to do with that live dragon? Rather, why are you fighting, Anzeros-san and Aurora-san! Even if the Knight Chief still understand!”
“No, yeah, you’re right, aren’t you?”
The only one I’m relieved to see is Naris, who is still in her usual tone, no matter how many days she’s been away from us. Everyone else is kind of growing on me.
“We should start the meeting soon. Is that alright with you?”
Dianne called out and everyone stopped chatting and formed a circle.
“We’ll leave two dragons behind to stop the surprise attack and we’ll continue to march toward the palace. The enemy is expected to come at full force. It will be an all-out battle, but I want you to coordinate well with the dragons, including……Laila and strive to capture or defeat Rainer Exceliza”
“It won’t be a simple task”
Irina nodded as Dianne said so.
“The enemy is also expected to take countermeasures. However, I don’t think it is impossible to deal with them with the forces we have at our disposal. The status of the Dragon Palace is still uncertain, but even if all the Dragon Palaces in the region were to turn against us, I am confident that we would be able to destroy them”
“We could wait for Bauz´s group”
“That is one way, but if we wait so many days and allow the enemy to attack, we will be at a tremendous disadvantage in the battle to protect the villagers. We want to take the initiative”
For our side to attack, the dragons could not turn their forces around to outflank the attack of the elite knights. However, if the enemy makes the first move, it will be impossible to protect all the villagers from the breath. In that light, a hasty push is reasonable.
“If possible, I would like Andy to remain in charge of this attack. Of course, the former king and Irina as well”
“I can’t listen to that”
I answered Dianne immediately. Dianne-san’s will to attack is probably strong, but I would like to reduce the damage to my allies if possible. It’s difficult, but it’s best if I can do it without any of my allies dying. In that case, as a dragon rider, I can’t afford not to be in the middle of the negotiations. I also have a pawn, Ledo. There are things I can do.
“Hmm. Then I can’t just wait and drink tea”
“I’ve come all the way out here to talk to you. It would be boring if the conversation is over when no one is around to see it”
And Irina and the former king were ready to follow me, too, it seemed.
“No, I think you should stay behind in case……anything should happen to me”
“If I go with you, that means you go with me. If you should die, it would be more catastrophic than my death”
“Hoohoohoo. I’m old and have a short time ahead of me anyway. There’s no need to take it so seriously”
……Considering Dianne-san’s current strength, it’s painful to think that it would be bad if I were killed the most. But I don’t think it’s okay for them to die together.
“What, we’re not just going out to have fun. It’s about the nation. I’m sure there’s going to be a turn for us”
“Umm. We can be of some help”
The same tone of voice, childish and husky, said similar things to me. I’d like to leave them behind somehow, but I’m in no condition to talk about other people either.
“……You don’t have a choice”
“Umm, I can’t help it”
Irina’s chest is puffed out. She looked at Naris, and she said, 「Yes, yes, I’m the escort, right? Well, it’s better than heading straight for the dragon, so it’s fine」 with a clear face that made me feel as if I could hear her voice and I let out a sigh.
“I will fight too. Because this is……my fight”
“I’m counting on you”
Neia also reiterated her participation. Dianne looked around and then declared.
“From now on, we will begin the operation to pacify Kalwin”