Chapter 255 - The Siege of Migul and the War Council Under the Moonlight
Maira rushed over, following right behind Marmie.
"Mash, I knew you were alive. Let me use my healing magic, quickly!"
She took my arm. The sensation of her soft fingers was so overwhelming I found myself squeezing her hand back.
"Mash?"
Maira’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at me. It had only been half a day since I’d been separated from them, but it was during that half-day that I had needed them most. Her dark eyes reflected countless stars, just like that night. And among them, the light of the moon, still climbing toward its zenith long after midnight, shone through.
"Maira…"
"Yes, what is it?"
"I don't want you to leave my side again."
"Of course!"
When I let go of her hand, she gripped her mace tightly. I started to glance behind her, looking for Fam and Mizuki, but my gaze returned to Elisyarie, Karpana, and Elisha, who were clinging to my chest.
"No, please take care of these three before me."
At my words, Elisha let go of me.
"I'm fine. I'll help, too."
I patted Marmie's head, and she loosened the tight grip of her hug and stepped away. I had wanted to lay Elisyarie and Karpana down, but the ground beneath us, scorched by Zeno’s magic, was still radiating heat.
"Mash, bring the injured inside the mansion. We'll help."
Marianne ran over with a group of knights. The knights took Karpana and Elisyarie from me. The women of the household were carried inside the mansion. My body felt lighter, but my legs wobbled. I had used up more energy than I realized. I shook my head, trying to deny the part of me that wanted to drop everything and rest.
"What's the status of the battle?"
It wasn't that I'd forgotten, but I had been fighting inside an isolated vortex of flames and had no idea what was happening around me. No one was still fighting. My gaze fell upon the fallen soldiers. Most of them were from House Leafclout. I looked toward Zeno. The flames he had directed at us had also burned his own body, leaving behind charred black marks. There was no sign of his flesh regenerating. Could he really be dead?
"You've defeated Zeno-sama, haven't you? As expected of you, Mash."
Marianne followed my gaze.
"I couldn't have done it alone. Besides, he cast an immortality spell on himself. He might regenerate and get back up…"
"Understood. In that case, we'll throw him in the dungeon. If we cut off his mana, he shouldn't be able to regenerate."
As I watched the soldiers surround Zeno at Marianne’s command and carry him into the mansion, I wondered what would happen to his regenerative ability if he was locked in a cell that sealed off magic.
"We've driven off the forces of House Leafclout. All that remains are the soldiers of House Airally on the hill."
As she spoke, Marianne looked over the soldiers of House Wanland. They had formed a thick circle around us. The intensity in their eyes made me want to take a step back. Perhaps the thrill of victory erased fatigue and became fuel for the next battle. This fight was, for all intents and purposes, a civil war for control of the city. It should have been cast in the bleak shadow of kin fighting kin. But that shadow was completely dispelled by the blazing torchlight illuminating the mansion and the fervent energy of the soldiers.
"Have your numbers increased?"
"The citizen militia has joined us. There are about five hundred of them, and I expect more will come."
They were cooperative from the start, I thought as I surveyed the soldiers. Many of them seemed to be hastily armed, their equipment mismatched. Still, every last one of them held a weapon, be it a spear or a sword. Had they opened the armory? Even though we had divided the enemy and defeated House Leafclout's forces, there were still over a thousand enemy soldiers remaining. While having more numbers was welcome, their potential change of heart if the momentum was lost and the tide turned became a new source of concern.
"So, what about House Airally?"
"They momentarily turned their army from the government hill to pursue us, but they have since returned to the hill."
We walked a short distance to a spot with a clear view of the government building. Bonfires burned at the top of the hill, illuminating the stone structure.
"Are they planning a siege? I can see people moving."
"You can? Isn't it just the firelight making it look like there's movement?"
I furrowed my brow and stared hard like Marianne, but I couldn't tell.
"…They're there."
Marmie seemed to see them too and pointed, but I couldn't tell what she was pointing at. Do elves and the dog-eared race have better eyesight than humans?
"Hmph. It is said that the eyes of us dog-eared folk are superior to humans' at tracking movement."
Marianne must have sensed my doubtful gaze. She pouted, her reaction much like Fam's.
"With this many soldiers, it's possible to storm the hill and force a decisive battle, but…"
At some point, Marina had emerged from the mansion with several elven knights and was now standing beside us. Wake was among them. Marmie immediately ran to her side.
"Are you alright?"
Marina gave a slight nod in response to my question.
"Fighting soldiers who kept getting back up after being struck down was quite taxing. If House Wanland's all-out attack had been even a little later, the mansion might have been captured."
Her words seemed tinged with a slight exhaustion.
"Charging an enemy waiting for us on high ground requires considerable resolve and patience. It would be difficult now that we have so many citizen soldiers. Instead, how about we gather our troops on the main street that stretches down from the stairs?"
"A plan to show our strength and lure them out with a provocation? But would House Airally take the bait when they hold the advantageous position?"
Marianne voiced her doubts about my proposal.
"No, we'll use the main force as a decoy and launch another diversion. We'll attack the two locations they're occupying—the church and the Crystal Garden—and liberate them."
"Will it work? After the battles so far, they must be wary of us splitting our forces for surprise attacks."
"Liberating them would be ideal, but it doesn't matter if the raids fail. The goal is to show them that we hold the initiative, that we're setting fires at their feet, and that they can't just sit comfortably on their hill. They ended up in that situation by circumstance; they aren't occupying the hill with a long-term siege in mind. They don't have food stockpiled up there, do they?"
Diversionary tactics and winning over the citizens would severely unsettle the enemy. Which side the citizens chose was especially critical. House Airally and House Leafclout had intended to swiftly crush the four ruling families, seize power, and then win public opinion. They must still be thinking that way, even now that the battle has dragged on into the night. The battle began without the support of the citizens, but in the Wanland-controlled district, the citizen militia is rallying behind Marianne. If that becomes a great swell, House Airally will be cornered. The key to that is the church and the Crystal Garden. Once public opinion swings toward Marianne, House Airally won't be able to just sit back and watch the battle from their hilltop.
"I see. In that case, for the raiding party…"
Marianne sighed softly and looked up at the night sky, her brow furrowed. The moon, once in the eastern sky, had climbed high, illuminating the city.
"There's no need to hesitate. If Lady Marianne commands it, we will obey."
I realized that Tursa, the captain of the guards, was kneeling before Marianne.
"But the mobile unit must be exhausted…"
"It is no matter. The enemy is just as fatigued."
Marianne and Tursa locked eyes.
"Very well. Then, for the liberation of the church…"
"Leave it to me."
Tursa pounded his chest, bowed his head deeply, and then slowly rose to his feet.
"Then we'll take the Crystal Garden."
Just like Tursa, Hyakka had somehow joined the strategy meeting. She wrapped an arm around my waist and hugged me.
"Wait, you're planning on going with just adventurers?"
"It'll be fine. The Wandering People will help us."
Hyakka gestured behind her with her thumb. The Wandering People were standing by.
"Karpana is injured and can't fight anymore. That was due to my carelessness, and it's my responsibility. I can't let you participate in any more combat."
"We are here to serve Lady Racshell. Please, give us your orders."
The man at the front bowed his head.
"Are there any injured among you?"
"Our main duty was providing support from a distance with bows, so we only have a few minor injuries. It's not a problem."
I was about to ask if there had been any deaths but quickly swallowed the words. They called it rear support, but when I saw Karpana, the battle lines had blurred into a chaotic melee. The thought of dragging them back into combat after their leader was injured made me hesitate. But since I had proposed the strategy, I couldn't be the one to back down now. This wasn't a situation I could just walk away from.
"Alright. But I want you to consider this raid as partly a reconnaissance-in-force to assess the situation at the Crystal Garden. We won't take unnecessary risks. If we sense the slightest danger, we pull back. The same goes for the raid on the church."
As I watched Hyakka nod, I knew her resolve was firm and she wouldn't back down no matter what. Am I the only one? My own thoughts were still adrift and unsettled. A moment ago, I had surrendered to my anger, but seeing Zeno's defeated form made me wonder if it was really for the best. No matter how many times I steel my resolve, it turns to hesitation. And I feel like I'm the only one left behind, powerless. I think I'm making my own choices, but in the end, I'm just being swept along by the situation, merely pulling the final trigger that's been prepared for me. What is Racshell thinking, making me do these things? Is this what the goddess, also known as the God of Adventure, considers an adventure? Next time she summons me, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind. I suddenly realized that Hyakka was also staring at me.
"Mash…, I…"
"What is it?"
As I waited for her to continue, she gave my chest a firm shove with both hands.
"It's nothing. I'm countin' on ya!"
With that, she ran off.
The soldiers around us began preparing hastily based on the plan we had just established. The strategy was as discussed: Marianne's main force would take up a position on the main street extending south from the government building. Tursa's beast-kin mobile unit would circle around from the east side of the city, enter the northern Airally-controlled district, and liberate the church. Meanwhile, the Wandering People would mingle with the main force on the main street before looping around to the west to liberate the Crystal Garden. The Wandering People would be joined by us, the New World members, Takemura and Komachi of Nekonoko Koneko, and Doris. Furthermore, Wake and a portion of the elven magic knight order would join them to act as guides. There was some opinion that the northern attack should be a coordinated effort, but it was decided that this wouldn't utilize the mobility of Tursa's unit, and a smaller group would be better for moving under the cover of night. Marina would remain at the Wanland mansion to treat the wounded and defend this base. Elisha would also stay here. Karpana and Elisyarie would remain here as well. I was on the street in front of the mansion with Maira and Marmie. I sat on a collapsed section of the parapet. Maira was casting healing magic on me, and while the pain in my body faded, the fatigue remained. Come to think of it, I fought at the Starunion mansion, spent time with Elisyarie, jumped from there and was gravely injured, and then one event after another came crashing down. It had all happened in a single day, yet my sense of time was warped, and the first event felt like a distant memory.
"Maira."
I stood up and spread my arms.
"What is it?"
Maira tilted her head.
"I haven't hugged you yet."
"H-Hyawaah! Everyone's watching!"
Her eyes went wide, and she took a step back.
"…If Maira's okay with it, I'll take her hug."
Marmie smoothly cut in.
"Mo, you just got a hug a little while ago!"
Maira grabbed Marmie from behind to stop her from hugging me. Her ample chest was pressed flat against Marmie's back. I wanted to hug her too, to feel her for myself.
"…There were lots of other people around then. If Maira doesn't want to, I'll take another one."
Marmie tried to shake Maira off and approach me.
"Wait! I do, I do!"
"Then, both of you together."
At my words, they both hugged me at the same time. I was enveloped by a soft, large sensation and a soft, small sensation. As I buried myself in their warmth, I listened to their breathing.
"So, how are Fam and Mizuki? Where have they been wandering off to?"
"Mmph! How can you ask that in this situation?! You had plenty of other chances to ask!"
Maira pinched my side.
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, or rated this story, your support is a great encouragement to me. Your comments are also very motivating. And thank you for the typo reports, they are always a great help.