1051. How to Guard My Back
“It’s Huarin’s armor!”
The Cardinal was the last. He donned armor that transformed into the form of a black dog over his body.
“You little brat, Pell. You gobble up all the delicious stuff by yourself, and then you leave me to do these petty tasks?”
I kill them and just blurt out whatever comes to mind. It’s not that I’m just rambling to myself for no reason, but I was worried preemptively that someone might be affected.
It’s fine, just as I expected.
Who laid the foundation for their training? It was Lawford himself.
As Cryce said, even though they attacked down to the very last one, no one was greatly shaken.
That didn’t mean, however, that it didn’t matter.
That’s terrible.
Someone was right. He had just witnessed and felt that sheer brutality firsthand.
Lawford had stepped out, not wanting his troops’ morale to be broken by a trivial matter, and he even muttered to himself so everyone could hear. Since
no one had ordered him to do this, it meant he had instantly grasped the atmosphere and seen through the attackers’ intentions. It was a vision that Pell lacked, perhaps.
The Cardinal donned the armor of a black dog, transformed into a quadrupedal monster, and charged, but Lawford split it vertically in half with a single stroke.
Black blood poured down like a shower in the wake of his passing.
“……It’s not exactly good fertilizer for the soil, but this isn’t farmland anyway.”
Pell muttered again, as if to make sure everyone heard, and brushed the blood off the blade. He would have to diligently oil the sword today.
“Gurgle, we, we, do not give up.”
The Cardinal cursed even as he lay dying. Lawford stared at him blankly. Doesn’t speaking those words so directly actually make his resolve look diluted?
It seems every single one of those who dared to attack claims to be a group that never gives up.
We have come this far in a far more disadvantageous situation. These are the ones who moved before anyone could even utter the word “give up.” Besides, if they knew their leader, wouldn’t they feel a little ashamed of saying such things?
It was clear they were clueless fools. With these thoughts in mind, Lawford opened his mouth.
Then do you think we will give up?
Roford clearly instilled his will into the dying Cardinal’s ears. Fighting was still ongoing here and there. Although the outcome was decided, Mine, who did not care about such things, struggled to the very end.
* * *
“You’re clearly aiming for something.”
“Should I call it vicious? You’re acting cute.”
Crys placed his hand on the castle wall and spoke while leaning forward, and Rem, with his arms crossed, answered. These were the people who had gathered one by one while Encred watched quietly. Along with him, the commanders, including Vengeance, stepped aside.
“Whatever it is, just cut it off.”
As Ragnar spoke from a step behind, Audin let out a laugh from beside him. It was a laugh that subtly irritated everyone and drew their attention. Laughing like that, he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Demons are not things that die easily just by being slashed—ah, brothers, you probably wouldn’t know. Killing a demon is truly an arduous task. I wish I could let you know just how difficult it is, but since it is something that cannot be understood without experiencing it firsthand, it is truly, truly regrettable. Lord, please have mercy on the hearts of those here who are terrified at the prospect of facing a demon.”
“……I feel like I would be innocent even if I killed that bear right now?”
Rem chimed in. A vein bulged on his forehead. Saxen glanced at Audin indifferently once and turned his gaze back out of the battlefield.
Beside him, a few of his guild members whispered, but it was a whisper unheard even by Encred. It was likely a check to see if any other guys had infiltrated the interior, separate from the arrival of those demon troops.
Encred knew that Saxen frequently ventured into the city to catch and deal with anything the Gilpin Guild missed.
He did his job silently from behind the shadows, without making a sound or announcing anything. That was the kind of man Saxen was. Audin chuckled again.
Seeing how immensely amused he looked, Encred said nothing.
It won’t affect the unit. Not to that extent.
Crys spoke while staring only at the battlefield, regardless of whether Rem and Audin were fighting. Encred listened quietly. Crys continued speaking.
“If you intend to instill fear in us by attacking us to the very last moment, then you have failed.”
“Hey, your leg is shaking.”
Rem, who had been debating whether or not to fight Audin, spoke. Before anyone realized it, they had withdrew their glaring eyes from each other. Ragnar yawned, his mouth wide open. Except when he was engrossed in training or fighting, he always looked like that. Although Ragnar appears so bored, seeing them now naturally crosses his mind.
Fighting them to the very last one to wear them down? That is impossible.
On this side, there is a madman who swung his sword until the very brink of death, ultimately becoming a knight and surpassing himself.
Would the army that fought alongside him be affected by something as trivial as that? Not a chance. The cowardly and spineless ones couldn’t endure unit life and left.
So, those who left are literally the best of the fit. And the units under their respective command are those filtered one more time from that best.
“……I really shouldn’t stop here and quit, right?”
Crys spat out words he didn’t mean. They were the words of a guy who comes up with genius ideas because he couldn’t shake off his anxiety. There is no answer. Because there is no need for an answer to such obvious things.
Encred gazed at the end of the battle.
A fight had concluded in which he hadn’t lifted a finger. The demons had attacked until the very last one, and they were all dead. As
they died, a streak of black smoke rose and crawled up the castle wall. It was a stealth invisible to ordinary soldiers, but clearly visible to those guarding the wall.
The smoke climbed the wall but stopped precisely in front of Encred’s eyes.
A part of a demon, smoke possessing its own will, took shape. The mouth of the creature, transformed into a black bat, opened, and it spoke.
It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
Demons possessing power exude a distinctive aura. This time, a scent like dust that had accumulated for well over ten years stung the nose. Encred knew that his opponent was the demon known as the father of all the dead.
“Oh dear. Isn’t she even returning my greeting?”
No one moved from their positions, but all eyes were fixed on the one who had transformed into a black bat.
Encred let his hands hang low, Rem and Saxen crossed their arms, and Audin wore a smiling face. Ragnar rested his chin on his greatsword, his gaze as languid as ever.
Had he come here in person, one of the three—excluding Audin—might have excitedly attacked, claiming this demon was theirs and that they would kill it themselves.
Encred gazed at the messenger sent by the demon, lost in pointless thoughts.
“Just in case, I’m asking: do you still have no intention of plotting anything with me?”
The Father of the Dead asked. Encred answered with silence.
“Right, I didn’t expect anything. You were just so full of venom. Then I suppose I should put it this way this time. How was the letter I sent? Or should I call it a gift?”
Letters or gifts—I am referring to the remnants of the Demonic Mirror Holy Sect.
They fight until the very end, harboring venom and refusing to give up a single one. Some soldiers who witnessed it firsthand must have been left speechless.
Therefore, the devil’s intent was clear. He opened his mouth and clearly conveyed his intentions.
“Do you really have to fight a group like that? You have already killed two rulers of the Demon Realm, so why don’t you stop here? Then I will open a chapter of peace by any means necessary.”
The voice of that bastard called the Father of All the Dead was sweet. As with any demon, a devil’s whisper is always sweet.
There is no longer a need to risk one’s life fighting. There is no need to discuss sacrifices in meaningless battles. That is the gist of what he is saying.
“Must we really drive them into a battlefield of killing and being killed? Someone’s father, someone’s child, someone’s husband or wife, someone’s friend? Even if you stop here, there are plenty of mouths to praise you. Do they, too, truly desire a fight that will never end?”
Encred harbors a grand dream. In his dream, the Demon Realm is a stumbling block, and the Lord of the Demon Realm is the very one who placed that obstacle.
If only he could bring peace without fighting them.
“What is it that you desire? Is it to drive people into a battlefield of killing and being killed?”
He was eloquent. And just as Kreis, who couldn’t stand it when someone challenged him with words, was about to speak, what he was about to say was this:
“That is none of your business. This isn’t just a case of a cat worrying about a mouse. Don’t you even think about what you’ve done so far? You’ve pulled all sorts of stunts behind our backs, so what makes you trust your words? If you intended to sway me with that kind of thing again, you should have done your research properly before coming.”
Well, I mean words like that. But before that, others silenced the devil. It wasn’t one of the madmen. The protagonist of the battle just moments ago did just that.
Who are we!
These are the ones who repelled the army that swarmed in from the Demon Realm.
In other words, they are someone’s father and mother, someone’s child, husband, wife, and friend.
“Infantry!”
“Who is the flower of the battlefield?”
“Infantry!”
“Who will crush the demon realm?”
“Infantry!”
“Who will crush the devil?”
“Infantry!”
It was before Pell and Roford could even step forward. One of the commanders led the chant, and everyone repeated it.
The shouts of the Border Guard unit reverberated through the air. The discipline, shouted in unity, returned as a response, becoming a source of determination.
Instead of stepping forward himself, Crys looked at Encred, and Encred spoke as expected.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t hear that because I was listening to the news of the victory. Could you tell me again?”
It was a serious request. It was a high-level provocation.
The demon, transformed into a bat, remained silent for a moment, then snickered, stretching the corners of his mouth from ear to ear.
“Wow, I really can’t beat you guys.”
Then, with a whoosh, it turned into smoke and vanished.
Did the messenger sent by the demon leave behind an ominous atmosphere in the surroundings as he disappeared? Perhaps some felt a stain on their hearts. After all, having transformed into a bat, he drew the attention of all the surrounding commanders.
In that situation, Dryuers, Woodgard, and a few blonde fairies emerged from between the standing commanders. From the center, Sinar spoke.
“Mere remnants won’t be able to do anything here. This place is protected by fairies.”
Then, the witch known as the Black Flower also added her two cents.
“Naturally, the power of the devil cannot reach here. Enki.”
The enemy approached stealthily and attacked until the very last one, but our troops were not intimidated.
As expected, regular training is this important.
Rem chuckled as he spoke. Encred looked down silently at the base of the castle wall. He made eye contact with a few people and raised his hand. At the words he then spoke, cheers erupted from his allies.
The flower of the battlefield!
Encred puffed out his belly, let out a breath, and chanted. The infantry unit responded to his endless shouts, as if he never grew tired of them.
“infantry!”
Didn’t he, too, once fight while shouting that slogan?
The cavalry listening must be disappointed.
Kreis spoke for no reason. Isn’t the captain of the Black Lancers my lover, Nurat?
“When the cavalry fights, they will adjust accordingly.”
Rem said, still chuckling. After all, it is a commander’s duty to boost the morale of allies by acting this way and that.
Normally, this should be the moment when I feel something dizzying from the Demon Realm and the demons.
Who are we!
Only morale soared.
In retrospect, this was the right move. After all, despite attacking like this, they won without a single person dying.
The terror of the Demon Realm does not reach the Border Guard. Upon hearing the situation, a few poets composed songs.
“This is where the flowers of the battlefield stand.”
It was a song meaning that the infantry is a place where flowers bloom, always fighting and winning to erase the demonic realm. The lyrics were simple, but because it was easy to sing along to, its popularity skyrocketed in no time.
* * *
It was two days after the battle ended. Prok Meelun found Encred.
I know it sounds ridiculous when I think about the past, but now I have someone I need to protect.
Zeira, Farsher, Donna.
And everyone else who had become friends through fate.
Encred stared blankly at him, his sweat still dripping down. It meant for him to continue speaking. Reading the look in his eyes, Meelun lowered his head.
I want to learn how to fight.
It is always a joy to see those who yearn for teaching. That is why it is so natural for me to smile like this.
Welcome.
Encred smiled. Meelun realized the meaning of that smile in less than half a day. The madman’s training method, which she had heard only in rumors until then.
“Damn it, just because it regenerates doesn’t mean it won’t hurt!”
It was enough to make one instinctively let out a squeal. It was strange not to utter such words when told to dodge a knife thrusting forward while carrying a rock.
Still, Meelun did not run away. He endured for one, two, three days straight.
That was how he guarded his back.
Along with that resolve, the only consolation here was that there was a beastman beside him screaming just as loudly as he himself did.
Ah, why!
A beastman named Dunbakel shouted. I could faintly hear him telling me to undo my beast transformation before the fight.
I also heard him say that if that was the case, I should just tie his limbs up and beat him.
The gray-haired barbarian swung his axe, saying that if that was better, we should do so.
