Ch.118118. The Great Shit Extermination (4)

“W-where did those guys go? I’m sure…”

“Where did they go? These selfish bastards…!”

“Ha, haha… They ran… away? That can’t be. Our comrades who were fighting together are all here.”

“…”

I asked what happened, but I already knew.

These were all inexperienced fighters in proper combat, essentially a squad forcibly assembled from complete novices.

No matter how much Professor Muniher had motivated them, they had only managed to keep their wits about them for a short while.

“Did they really run away? Leaving us behind…? That’s a lie, right?”

“No way… they’ll come back. They will. They definitely will!!!”

“What are we supposed to do now…? We’re…”

“Stop saying they ran away! They’ll come back!!”

Desertion from the battlefield.

The result of primal fear.

The question of whether they could truly defeat those rats had pushed them into an abyss of anxiety, and this fear had only deepened as their bodies grew weary.

I had recognized the signs of potential desertion, but having fought monsters so dispassionately myself, I couldn’t understand their position.

I should have been more definitive.

To avoid having to resort to this Plan B with its clearly disastrous consequences.

“…Everyone, bring out your magic armor. Secondary weapons too, if you have them.”

“Bring them out…? But earlier you said…”

“The situation is different now. We need to create an opportunity to escape, not think about counterattacking.”

“What about magic too…?”

“Yes. We need to use everything we’ve got, by any means necessary.”

I find myself biting my lip.

I know full well this isn’t the direction I wanted.

But now that things have gone wrong, the only outcome I can lead them to is ensuring they don’t get eaten alive, even if it means they’ll be infected.

I made them engage in this battle knowing the truth but not telling them, aware that the consequences of my silence would soon return bitterly.

“It was so hard holding back! Why didn’t you tell us to use this from the beginning?”

“I guess it was because of the exploding fluid. I’m sure you had your reasons.”

“Whatever. I thought it was a waste to master magic armor and then not use it.”

With magic being used everywhere, the Scourge’s magic circuits spin relentlessly, causing explosions.

Everyone complains about the sticky fluid from the explosions, but they all say they finally feel relieved.

But…

‘Am I… using these people to survive? And just me alone?’

Using them. No, it’s worse than that.

Everyone here will eventually point fingers at just one person, looking at them with contempt, just like before.

Asking why I didn’t warn them beforehand. Resenting me.

I know that after they realize the truth, I won’t be welcomed by anyone, and no one will understand my position.

“Hey, hey! Save your magic power! Do you know how many more there are?”

“Haven’t you heard that being too stingy leads to nothing? We need to bind them while we can.”

“Noel is right. We’re trying to escape now.”

“And you know what, it’s because Junon told us to save our magic that we can use it now to escape. You need to think about the bigger picture, not just what’s right in front of you.”

“Uh, umm… I guess so?”

“Yeah, so don’t waste too much.”

That’s not it.

It’s because they shouldn’t be using magic at all.

I couldn’t bring myself to tell Jon and Noel the real reason behind my instructions.

Meanwhile, those two were different. Jon and Noel still hadn’t brought out their magic and were sticking to the methods they’d been using all along.

…Damn it.

“Huh, hey! Junon!”

Before I knew it, my body was ahead of everyone else, dealing with the Scourge. My magic-infused hands were mercilessly destroying the rats’ magic circuits.

I don’t even remember what support was provided from behind, or what buffs were cast on me.

How many of them have been infected?

And by stepping up like this, how much more time can I buy for those guys?

These were the only thoughts crossing my mind as my body became covered in Scourge fluid.

Eventually, a gap opened up among the exhausted monsters.

“We’ll escape through the opening in the back. Vanguards, surround the other positions from front and back as we move.”

I don’t know if this is truly an escape, or if I’m sacrificing these people just to save myself.

I…

***

The commander raised one hand to signal. After confirming this signal, instructions were issued to each unit.

“That’s the signal. Everyone prepare according to the orders received.”

Numerous spells were fired in response to the rats’ fierce attacks. On the chaotic battlefield with explosions everywhere, they hadn’t been pushed back yet.

The words of Muniher, the legendary tactician, had proven correct.

If the forward units had been pushed back, they would have had to pull this defensive line back rather than advance.

After giving his instructions, Muniher returned and looked around, receiving situation reports. Even at a glance, the situation wasn’t good.

“Any issues in the rear?”

“No, Commander. There are still no approaching groups.”

“I see. Keep monitoring.”

But despite the legendary strategist’s directions, they couldn’t break through the Scourge’s fierce attacks to advance.

The number of Scourge was enormous, enough to understand why mole monsters that normally prey on small species like Kud Rats, along with Canolatlus and large grasshopper monsters called Osopteras, had fled to under Shute Province.

“The soldiers have to rotate shifts with only three or four hours of sleep to maintain the defensive line… how many of them are there?”

“Who knows. At least we don’t have a chance to push forward. Even with the Arkab party.”

Despite having a solid formation, tight ranks, and a strategist directing them, these three factors alone weren’t enough to reach the Moras Wetlands beyond Mount Utulum.

As a result, although they knew they needed to advance, they couldn’t, so they were camped here waiting.

“…Commander, won’t it be difficult if this drags on any longer?”

He meant this subjugation operation was dragging on. But somehow his words seemed unclear.

“Just speak plainly. What are you trying to say?”

When the adjutant seemed to be mincing his words, Muniher asked directly.

After opening and closing his mouth a few times, choosing his words, the adjutant revealed his honest thoughts.

“Everything feels insufficient.”

“Insufficient… what do you mean?”

“Even if the Principality could send supply support, there’s no one to bring it. The soldiers here are practically all we have. Moreover, we still don’t have complete information about the Scourge, which appears to be the cause of the Lemtert Plague. No matter how long we hold out, there’s just too much lacking, isn’t there?”

Looking at the battle situation, they were barely maintaining their defensive line.

While weapons weren’t in short supply, if the situation became critical, they would need to bring in one or two more objects to use at the cost of soldier casualties. And although the soldiers were getting 3-4 hours of sleep, they would inevitably tire.

Also, considering morale, they hadn’t mentioned anything about the infection route of the Lemtert Plague.

If blue spots started appearing on people, the soldiers would gradually succumb to fear.

“In summary, time is not on our side. Is that what you want to say?”

“Yes.”

The adjutant added one more thing.

“And with this much volume, I doubt that one team alone can handle a named monster. Is it really okay?”

The adjutant questioned why a team of only seven was allowed to act separately when the main force would need to advance against such numbers.

He couldn’t understand why such a small team was permitted to act independently.

“Monsters target areas with abundant prey. If we advance, we could all be surrounded and annihilated.”

“I know. But, it would be easier to deal with the mother with more numbers…”

“Don’t you see that we’re drawing attention here while sending a separate detachment?”

A separate detachment? That was absurd. Just seven people, even if they were quite capable—why place such thick trust in that team?

“For a team to properly hunt a named monster, they need at least five years of experience. Do those people have such experience?”

“They don’t have that much experience. But, isn’t their handling of the elite monsters in Algenib Province well-known? That’s why they became an official team.”

“But they’re slow! They’re advancing much slower than our main force would! How long will it take for these Scourge attacks to stop?!”

They were monitoring Tembris’s advance by the receding blue flames.

However, the pace was truly slow. It was impossible to know how long it would take to deal with the named monster.

But Muniher narrowed his eyes slightly at the adjutant’s words and countered.

“You know, that sounds like you’re suggesting we abandon the unit heading toward the Academy.”

“Sometimes small sacrifices are necessary for the greater good. To protect the Principality…”

“Then isn’t it even stranger? We’ve been constantly watching the rear, but there are no rat swarms coming toward us.”

“…What?”

The discomfort buried in those words began to emerge.

The unusual silence, and the commander’s repeated checks if there was anything unusual in the rear.

He had thought it was just caution, but it was absolutely not mere caution.

Looking at the adjutant who now wore a dumbfounded expression, finally realizing what the continued silence from the rear meant, Muniher enjoyed his adjutant’s realization.

“That’s right. It’s not that we’re holding out; it’s those kids who can barely manifest mirage-state magic armor who are holding out for us.”

“…I see…”

Although this unit was said to have the most combat power, the entire subjugation force was essentially divided into three.

The Tembris team in the separate detachment to deal with the Scourge’s mother.

The main force holding the line against the rats heading toward Shute Province.

And.

The Academy student unit in the rear, preventing the main force from being surrounded and buying time for Tembris to deal with the named monster, the Plague’s Shanbereshu.

Despite the unexpected number of monsters, the main force hadn’t been pushed back largely due to the tremendous efforts of the Academy students.

Also, a certain memory occupied Muniher’s mind.

-‘What is this vial?’

It was during the equipment check before the subjugation began.

The boy had taken out the vial himself, saying, “Ah, this? It’s Mysteris solution. I brought it just in case.”

The image of the boy who had foreseen one move ahead still lingered.

‘I’m counting on you, Junon.’

***

In the end, things went wrong.

Was it too much to dream of buying time for the main force and returning without casualties?

“Phew, we dealt with all of them. Nice and clean.”

“What’s clean about it? We’re a mess.”

“Ahaha, are we?”

We tried to move to another location after escaping the Scourge’s offensive, but the rats spread throughout the Utulum Forest kept pursuing us.

We had no choice but to deal with them all right here.

“And because of those deserters, huh? We’re the only ones suffering. Damn it.”

“But we might have been wiped out originally, but we survived thanks to one excellent center. That’s enough.”

No, it’s not.

“True. If Junon hadn’t told us to save our magic, we would have been in big trouble.”

No, that’s not it.

“Thanks, Junon! We survived because of you!”

No, that’s not it! That’s not what I meant!

“Hey… why is your expression…”

“Did you bite your lip? It’s bleeding.”

“I guess you were gritting your teeth while holding the front line alone. You good kid.”

“I have some medicine I brought. Want me to apply it?”

“…I’m fine.”

There’s a bitter taste in my mouth. As if to make me thoroughly taste the bitter failure, the smell of blood didn’t stop for a while.

I need to get used to this. I must get used to it.