Chapter 48 - Chapter 19: I Shall Become a Hero
Gokigenyou! I am Violia Nico Fortesia!
I am currently feeling excited before the start of the Elsemarin civil war.
Four days since we let the counterfeit black gold coins be reclaimed.
Judging the timing to be right, we have begun our actions.
The first thing to do is the announcement of a statement from the anti-Royal faction. If we send this to the Guild, they will handle it on their own, so there is no problem.
As for the content, it is something like 『We shall destroy the Guild that follows the worthless Royal Family and create a new Guild severed from the Royal Family』.
In response, the Guild Master has sent a document to the Royal Family stating, 『Those who do not think well of the Guild's current situation have defected from the Guild and begun to run wild; we request reinforcements』.
By the way, when sending documents, it is usually by bird-mail. Unless it is a very remote countryside, in a town as large as Elsemarin, bird-mail between it and the Royal Capital is established.
……Now then, it takes about half a day for the contact from the Guild to reach the Royal Family. From there, it takes one day for the Royal Family to dispatch troops.
During that day and a half or so, we just need to have a clash, and then we can either go to prison or flee as we see fit!
「Now, let us go, you bastards! Engage with the intention of filling Elsemarin with blood!」
Under my command, the bandits and failed adventurers finally move.
To make the damage appear large, the targets are the urban areas and the port town!
For the time being, we ravaged the town! I am good at this sort of thing!
To make it look like the aftermath of a battle, we attacked the port warehouses one after another. Of course, it was not that I was interested in the contents of the warehouses. It was just very convenient for going around and destroying things.
After all, warehouses are just lined up. If you run around with a hammer, you can forge a considerable 『trace of battle』 in a short time.
……And at the same time, we fought with pro-Royal Guild staff and adventurers around here.
This is quite impressive. After all, some of them rush to respond without fully understanding the situation. Since those people come at us in earnest, naturally, we also respond in earnest.
So it cannot be helped, but a certain number of casualties will occur, and probably, there are also deaths. Well, at this point, I cannot afford to be picky.
Since I do not have time to explain things one by one to those who do not understand the situation, I decided to hunt down anyone who 『seems like they do not understand the situation』 as soon as I find them. This is also a job that can be done by running around with a hammer. Whether from behind or the front, if I smack them on the head, most of them will shut up.
By just selecting and taking down those who 『seem like they do not understand the situation』 like this, I can somehow stage the 『traces of battle』. As expected, if the number of injured increases, the persuasiveness increases accordingly.
After that, we set fire to the Guild, set fire to the warehouses, and set fire to abandoned ships, brightly coloring Elsemarin as it welcomed the night, while we ran wild with the goal of subjugating the Guild.
The battle intensified further as the night gave way to morning. By that time, the residents of Elsemarin's urban areas had fled for fear of the fires, so it was much easier to operate.
And so, after running wild to my heart's content, the Guild Master came to me while I was destroying the wall of the soldier garrison.
「Violia-sama! A message has arrived from the Royal Capital!」
「My, that was fast.」
「T-That is……!」
When I looked at the letter the Guild Master handed over…… it was like this.
『We have acknowledged the request for dispatch. Prioritize the evacuation of the populace. We shall loose fire arrows』.
……Could it be that they intend to burn everything down together……?
……It is no problem to burn a little, set fire a little, or break a little. But it is far too troublesome if the entire town is burned down!
Or rather, do the people of the Royal Family perhaps think, 『Since it is already a nuisance, let us just burn both the pro-Royal and anti-Royal factions together and turn it into a vacant lot』!?
「To think of burning my town just because it is a nuisance is quite arrogant! I shall not allow it! Is that not so!? Master!」
「I-It is exactly as you say.」
If there is anyone who is allowed to burn this town, it is only me! At the very least, I will not let the Royal Family's hands in!
「From now on, the anti-Royal army shall annihilate the soldiers dispatched by the Royal Family! No! We shall incinerate them!」
Before the town is burned, I shall burn the soldiers! I shall burn them with the momentum of annihilating the soldiers who came to help!
……However, if that happens, the retreat of the anti-Royal faction will become difficult.
In short, it is the same as when we let the black gold coins be reclaimed. If the anti-Royal faction becomes dominant, there is no reason to retreat. There is no persuasiveness!
It would be troublesome if this were thought to be an act. Since it actually is an act, I must always pay attention to persuasiveness!
I must make it look like the anti-Royal and pro-Royal factions clashed, resulting in the pro-Royal faction's victory and the anti-Royal faction's destruction, while keeping damage to a minimum, and then Elsemarin must pretend to be a dog wagging its tail for the Royal Family.
I must make it appear that Elsemarin was reborn at the end of the battle! I must not let them think that 『the conflict between the anti-Royal and pro-Royal factions was originally an act, and Elsemarin, which appeared to be reborn, is effectively dyed in the anti-Royal faction』!
Aaaaah! I do not have time to use my head for such things! Once this battle is over, I shall quickly bring about the downfall of House Fruitier!
Ah, come to think of it, House Fruitier was plotting something, were they not!? I must also think about that!
It is full of mysteries! Problems are piling up! But right now, rather than being wary of House Fruitier, which is still being quiet, I must do something about the soldiers who are trying to burn Elsemarin…….
……Ah.
I have it.
That is right, since I am in such trouble, the soldiers should also be in trouble.
What hides a discrepancy is an even larger discrepancy. If there is a large mystery and a convenient lie, even if there is a main subject in the background, one cannot help but jump at the mystery in front of them.
……And so, I have decided!
「I shall become a hero—!」
Yes.
Just as I finished contacting my allies, the bandits and adventurers, the Royal soldiers arrived. First, I shall burn these guys.
「Now then, it seems the evacuation of the populace is complete? So, what is the current situation?」
「We have confirmed it. It seems that currently, the former Guild members of the anti-Royal faction are in conflict with the regular Guild members, and the regular Guild members are barricaded inside the Guild for a siege, which means……」
「In other words, everyone is around the Guild. Then it is simple. Set fire to the entire area around the Guild.」
While watching the soldiers say such things nonchalantly from a hiding spot outside the town…… as I watched the soldiers begin to dismount, I ignited them with fire magic!
「……Soldiers burn surprisingly well, do they not?」
The soldiers had brought plenty of fuel. Thanks to that, the soldiers burned well. To come carrying the fuel to be burned themselves, what admirable soldiers they are. Ohohohohoho.
As expected, I cannot burn everyone to death here. Most of the soldiers have enough rationality to stay away if there is a fire.
But it is no problem. For the sake of not having my town burned, it was enough if I could ruin all of their fuel.
The horses went wild and the oil jars fell and broke, or a soldier who became a human torch ignited other soldiers; they will handle the rest on their own.
And as the soldiers were scattered, the bandits leapt out from the town gate and attacked the soldiers. The bandits are capable of at least finishing off soldiers who are being afflicted by fire.
Oh, and by the way, I released the Killer Grizzlies I had picked up while at the bandits' hideout from the Spatial Bag and set them on the soldiers.
For the soldiers, it is a situation where they are being afflicted by fire and confused, and then even magical beasts appear, making it impossible to handle!
……Now then.
While the soldiers are in this delightful state of grand conflagration and chaos.
Gallantly appearing on horseback, slaughtering a Killer Grizzly with a single stroke of a sword, and saving the soldiers from their crisis was…….
「I have come to help!」
A mysterious female knight clad in full-plate armor, swinging her sword with dignity on horseback!
In other words! Me! It is me—!
It has been a while since I swung a sword on horseback, but somehow it worked out. I was originally better with a sword than a bow. It is the same even on horseback.
I kicked down a Killer Grizzly with my horse, then pierced the eye of another one with my sword to kill it, and further, I leapt in front of the bandits who were about to attack the soldiers.
「Wha, y-you, who on earth are you?」
「I am not someone worth naming.」
While the soldiers were stunned, I dared not dismount and looked down at the soldiers slumped on the ground.
By doing this, I do not let them grasp my height or other details. After all, I am the 『mysterious knight who gallantly appeared in the soldiers' crisis』.
「It is medicine. Use it.」
And from atop the horse, I threw a bag containing medicine to one of the soldiers. The soldier is stunned as he looks inside the bag.
「You all rest here. I shall handle the anti-Royal faction.」
「W-Wait!」
Without listening to the soldiers' restraint, I galloped gallantly toward the bandits in front of the town gate!
A little while later, the bandits began to flee as soon as they saw me. Yes. The communication was well-established.
Conversely, those who did not understand the situation mistook me for an enemy and attacked, but I managed to dodge all of that while going around saying, 『I am an ally!』 to each of them. These guys are honestly such a nuisance!
……But, the retreat of the 『anti-Royal faction』 was carried out without a hitch.
The soldiers who came pursuing me also joined the fray along the way, but by then, the bandits were merely fleeing in a wretched state. The soldiers could only stand there in a daze at the battle situation that had flipped in an instant.
……A few hours later.
A report reached the soldiers.
『The anti-Royal faction has retreated. Victory for the pro-Royal regular Guild members』.
And…… the 『hero』 who saved the regular Guild, which had been at an overwhelming disadvantage, was also properly reported.
Yes. A 『hero』.
A mysterious female knight who appeared from out of nowhere, saved the soldiers in a critical situation, and drove the anti-Royal faction away from the town of Elsemarin!
In other words! Me! I am the 『hero』—!
「Thank you for your cooperation this time.」
「It is fine.」
After everything was over, I, who had returned to the vicinity of Elsemarin's town gate, was being saluted by the soldiers in unison.
Somehow, if I were to take off my helmet here, I am sure these guys would immediately try to throw me into prison…… it is a complicated feeling.
「Um, who on earth are you? Why did you cooperate with us……?」
「Well. I merely wished to protect the peace of Elsemarin.」
While answering the soldiers' question like that, I gripped the horse's reins again.
「Then, Gokigenyou.」
「Ah, wait! Please wait!」
I could hear the soldiers' voices from behind as I galloped the horse, but I rode away without concern. In times like this, it is better not to speak too much to avoid making mistakes. Ohohohohoho.
……By the way, I accidentally just rode away.
I wonder where I should go now……?
If I return to Elsemarin now, it would be a bit too much, no matter how you look at it…….
……It cannot be helped. I shall spend one night at the bandits' hideout!