Ch.145Second War
by fnovelpia
The demons that had been retreating in an orderly fashion stopped at a certain distance and silently glared in our direction.
They were too far for arrows to reach… but at just the right distance where they could immediately rush in if we showed any signs of repairing the walls or preparing a counterattack.
The blue lights glowing through their rotting bones in neat rows was quite unsettling.
I stood on the wall, glaring back at them.
There are so many of them.
I must have taken down several hundred in the previous battle, yet they’re still swarming everywhere.
“Should I throw a spear? I could pierce through a row of about ten of them.”
“Don’t bother. What good would killing ten more of those creatures do? Let’s wait for now. If you can truly reach that far… it could be quite useful.”
Lord Ludwig shook his head.
Fair enough. Once I throw a spear, they’ll start countering our javelin attacks, making them useless afterward.
“Useful… that sounds like you have some strategy in mind?”
“I was planning to discuss that very matter. Come down now. Let’s go to headquarters.”
I followed Lord Ludwig down from the wall.
Inside the fortress was quite bustling.
Soldiers were moving the Grave Eater’s corpse to a corner.
Knights had thrown off their helmets and sat down to rest.
The wounded were gathered in one place, with priests using every last bit of their holy power to heal them.
Across from us, a cremation ceremony was taking place.
They were throwing the dead bodies into pits filled with firewood and setting them ablaze.
As several priests offered prayers while looking at the pits, white light mixed with the fierce flames, burning intensely.
The heat reached all the way to where we stood.
“Is it okay to burn them so hastily?”
“It’s the best we can do. We lack both time and manpower to cremate each one with proper ceremony. The fires are blessed by the priests of Elpinel, so the dead should be satisfied.”
Well, we won’t know that until we meet them after death.
“How many have died so far today? I didn’t get a detailed explanation earlier.”
“About 3,000 troops and around 100 knights. Most were sacrificed on the first day of battle and when the walls collapsed.”
Damn, that’s a lot of deaths.
The world will become more twisted with each person who dies.
I’m not sure how it will manifest, but that was the setting.
Just looking at how many demons have already appeared…
“The prince’s gamble has failed spectacularly. Why did he do something so reckless? He had plenty of time to gradually build his position.”
“No, he didn’t.”
Huh?
Ludwig firmly shook his head.
There was an inexplicable awkwardness mixed with his solemn gaze.
“This is highly confidential… but His Majesty the Emperor has collapsed. He’s still alive but in critical condition. He probably won’t last twenty days.”
“He seemed ill when I saw him before… but he didn’t look like he was on death’s doorstep. Did he drink poison or something?”
The Emperor was always sickly, but I don’t remember him suddenly dropping dead at this point.
My detailed memories are getting hazy, so I can’t be certain.
“Strictly speaking it’s different, but you could call it poison in a way…”
Lord Ludwig let out a long sigh.
“What brought down His Majesty was a woman’s body and his aging heart.”
…Did I hear that wrong?
I stopped walking at this preposterous statement.
“What are you saying, that the Emperor almost died from overexertion?”
“Ahem, ahem…! Put bluntly, you could say that…. This isn’t something that should be discussed openly…”
Lord Ludwig glanced around and leaned toward my ear.
“He apparently collapsed clutching his chest after bringing one of Isabella’s new handmaidens to his bedchamber. He hasn’t woken since.”
That’s worth keeping quiet about. The Empire’s Emperor suffering heart failure not with the Empress but with a handmaiden.
What could be more embarrassing?
Wait a minute.
If it’s a newly appointed handmaiden, could it be…?
“…This handmaiden, it wouldn’t happen to be the girl from House Bernstein, would it?”
Isabella’s new handmaiden, Kenneth Bernstein’s younger sister.
I heard she was fifteen or fourteen, surely not…
“It is indeed that child…”
Lord Ludwig closed his eyes tightly as he muttered.
Good riddance.
The Emperor is human scum, no wonder the Empire is like this.
“Isn’t this divine punishment?”
“Don’t say such things in public… both the Imperial House and the Church would take issue with it.”
He’s not denying it’s divine punishment.
Well, I’d be embarrassed too if I were a lord.
When your sovereign collapses after molesting a girl young enough to be his granddaughter.
—-
Eight men and women were waiting inside the headquarters building.
Prince Leopold and Lacy.
The five powerful warriors who had faced the Grave Eater, plus a female Paladin who appeared to be Lacy’s guard.
“Lord Landenburg, Lord Haschal, you’ve arrived.”
Nigel saluted us. The dual-wielding man standing beside her also saluted Lord Ludwig.
“This is my seventh sword, Sir Heiden.”
Ludwig introduced the man to me. The man called Heiden grinned casually.
Seventh means he’s stronger than Nigel.
I nodded lightly.
“It’s been a while. I knew you would come.”
Lacy smiled at me in welcome.
“Really?”
“This too must be Elpinel’s guidance.”
I’m not so sure. Is it?
I don’t know. I came here of my own will.
If even that was according to the gods’ intentions, then I have nothing to say.
“Now everyone who needs to participate in the discussion is here. Let’s begin the strategy meeting.”
Leopold, seated, addressed everyone.
Everyone sat down at once and began discussing the current situation.
I remained silent and listened carefully to their conversation.
—-
The meeting continued for about two hours.
Leopold’s army was in serious condition.
One-third of the knights and 36% of the troops had been lost.
Even among the survivors, so many were wounded that only about half could fight properly.
If the Holy Order hadn’t held firm, twice as many would have died.
The masters could still fight, but the priests were reaching their limits.
They said this would be the last time they could heal the wounded, as they needed to reserve their holy light to bless the soldiers.
“Lacy, is it the same for you?”
“Nothing is impossible, but I plan to focus my blessings on the masters. That would be more efficient.”
She’s not wrong.
“Count Floheta, how much mana do you have left?”
“I can manage to fight until tomorrow somehow… but I can cast high-level magic only once more. My consumption has been several times faster than my recovery.”
The female mage, sitting askew, shrugged her shoulders. Her attitude was quite relaxed, as if she had already done her part.
Well, as a high-level mage, she could always fly away to escape.
“The most urgent problem is the reinforcements that the Whisperer will bring. As long as we don’t eliminate him, we’ll only repeat this endless war of attrition.”
“But how can we deal with someone who only appears to deploy reinforcements and then disappears…”
“I have an idea.”
Lord Ludwig spoke up.
After hearing his explanation, everyone looked at me.
As if wondering if such a thing was really possible.
“Princess Aishan-Gioro, would it be possible?”
“…It should be. Whether it will kill him is another matter… but if Asha helps, who knows?”
I nodded.
It was certainly a strategy worth trying.
—-
After the meeting disbanded, I approached Lacy.
“You want to reduce your killing intent?”
“Yes. Being treated like a demon by people gets old after a while. It’s becoming inconvenient. Do you know of any miracle that might help?”
“Hmm… Building up more great deeds would be the fundamental solution… but if you need something immediate, I’ll lend you this.”
After pondering briefly, Lacy handed me a ring.
A strange ring where two golden threads intertwined like chains to form a circle.
Judging by the faint holy power emanating from it, it seemed to be something Lacy had consecrated herself.
“A ring? What is it?”
“The Ring of Faith. I made it when I was an apprentice priest. While wearing it, people meeting you for the first time will feel a slight trust and reassurance. The effect isn’t very strong, though.”
I can guess why she needed to make such an item as an apprentice priest.
Maybe it should be renamed the Ring of Persuasion?
“Well… thanks anyway. I just return it later, right?”
“Yes. I don’t need it anymore, but it’s not something I can give to just anyone.”
Lacy nodded.
I suppose it would be problematic in someone else’s hands.
—-
There was another attack in the middle of the night.
I don’t know if this happened yesterday too, but everyone seemed to be expecting it, so there wasn’t much of a problem.
The enemy’s offensive wasn’t strong, and the Whisperer wasn’t seen, so we fought normally at the defensive line.
After I cut down about twenty of them, they retreated.
“What’s this? They’re not even attacking properly?”
“They’ll be back in an hour or two. They’re trying to prevent us from getting proper sleep.”
A Paladin swinging his sword beside me answered through gritted teeth.
He was right.
They came back four more times before morning. Persistent bastards.
Everyone took turns resting, but no one could sleep deeply.
With so many enemy forces remaining, they could suddenly attack with full force at any moment.
—-
Seven hours after the first night raid.
The long, exhausting night ended, and the gradually rising morning sun cast deep shadows.
With the sun at their backs, the demons began approaching again.
“Holy Order, defensive positions! Elpinel is with us!”
“Soldiers of the Empire! Prepare for battle! Today is the day we counterattack!”
Unlike a few hours ago, the demons swarmed with a ferocious momentum, as if determined to use their full strength.
The Holy Order and Imperial Army began another desperate battle.
I stood on the wall, facing the sunrise while observing the enemy forces.
I wondered if the plan would work.
As I had heard yesterday, I could see additional demon forces joining from far away.
Two Grave Eaters, one Flesh Amalgam.
About seven hundred Rotting Afflicted.
I don’t know where they’re gathering so many demons from… but it was according to plan.
At the head of the reinforcements, I could see the small figure of a demon in a black robe.
The distance was about 700 meters.
There were no obstacles in between.
“How is it? Do you think it’s possible?”
Lacy, standing behind me, asked quietly.
I nodded.
“That’s a relief. Then let’s begin right away.”
“Wait a moment, Asha! Are you sure about its performance?”
“If you can hit the target, it’s guaranteed!”
Asha, watching me from the opposite side of Lacy, nodded.
Alright. Let’s do this.
I raised the weapon in my right hand over my shoulder.
Gritting my teeth, I channeled all my strength into my right arm.
My muscles bulged visibly, and my right arm trembled as it concentrated power beyond its limits.
I closed my eyes and awakened all my karma.
A vivid red light spiraled around my arm, and my accumulated deeds added strength to my flesh.
“Lacy!”
“By Elpinel!”
Finally, Lacy’s blessing was added.
Elpinel’s Grace. Pure white holy light enveloped my entire body, granting me strength beyond my limits.
The spear in my grip shone brilliantly.
Spear.
Yes. Not Durandal.
In my right hand was Asha’s lance.
My conversation with Ludwig flashed through my mind.
‘How far can you throw your spear, my lady?’
‘Well? If I use all my strength, I think it could go beyond 600 meters.’
I aimed the now white-hot spear at the target.
I inhaled to my limit.
And then.
“HAAAAAAAAAAA!”
The pure white flash I released with all my might pierced through the sound barrier.
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