Chapter 28 - Settlement
As dawn was about to break, Mortimer was receiving an unpleasant report from unpleasant people. He was told that the horde of Revenants had been stopped by a mere twenty-five guards and a few priests. Furthermore, it seemed all the Revenant users except for one had been captured. The one who returned apparently came close to killing Adolf, but results are everything.
Fortunately, those captured seemed to have been controlled by forbidden magic and didn't even know what had happened. They would likely be sentenced to death, but that was none of Mortimer's concern.
A man in a black robe was crouching at Mortimer's feet.
"It might have been more certain if we had done it ourselves."
When Mortimer looked at his staff, they all began to laugh. A look of contempt could be seen. Everyone had been against this matter. Their pride as soldiers wouldn't allow it. In the first place, even if they successfully captured Nakanohara, the credit would ultimately go to the Revenant users, which could even affect future military systems.
The robed man, showered with ridicule from the surroundings, could only bow his head.
To Mortimer, a soldier, the cause of defeat was clear. It was because the Revenant users were unaccustomed to war. If the attacker concentrates on one spot and repeats a monotonous attack, it's easy for the defender to take countermeasures. Moreover, it was only a brute force attack.
At first, he thought there might be no castle that couldn't be taken if they used catapults to throw in Revenants one after another, but reconsideration would be necessary. After all, Revenants are best used in field battles. And night raids at that. They didn't even have to be surprise attacks. In a field battle, they could crush the enemy by simply advancing without being hit by a large amount of holy water. If they had the numbers, there might be a use for them eventually.
Thinking so, Mortimer moved to win over the robed men. It would be troublesome if they took offense and fled to another country. Regardless of whether the military would use Revenants, they had to be secured as pawns.
"Adolf must be killed eventually. However, it may be that only your soldiers can kill him. The time will come again when we borrow your strength. Prepare for that time by taking this incident as a lesson. You may take our army's carriage on the way back. I shall have you sent to your temple."
The robed man prostrated himself and bowed his head, saying, "I am grateful for your kind words." The staff members didn't look very pleased, but no one voiced an objection.
An urgent report had come in about an hour ago. It said that bonfires were being lit at multiple locations around the campsite, centered on the southeast direction, which was their return route.
Our retreat has been cut off! Tension ran through the staff when the report came in. During the day it might be different, but if they were surrounded and ambushed at night in enemy territory, confusion would be inevitable even if the opponents were a group like a peasant uprising. Outside the tent, the soldiers were beginning to buzz.
It seems we've been had. We chose a campsite away from the villages, but that means it's the same distance from every village. That was exploited. It's an illusion that the retreat has been cut off.
It's likely Adolf. He must have contacted one fort or village to have them light a bonfire, and the other forts that saw that fire must have lit bonfires all at once. It's likely one of the communication networks for enemy attacks. It's only a matter of time before this entire area enters a state of war, but it's not that we've been surrounded. However, it was effective enough to instill fear in the soldiers. Anxiety spread throughout the campsite, and the soldiers were terrified of being surrounded and ambushed.
It was in such a state that the report of the Revenants being repelled came in. Adolf is in the town, and it seems only the first main gate has been breached. They are in enemy territory, and the surroundings are holed up in forts preparing for war. If the border forest were to be blocked, they would be completely isolated and unable to even replenish food satisfactorily. This is no time to be leisurely conducting a siege.
However, the number of regular soldiers is overwhelmingly on our side. Adolf won't make a move either. It's better for both sides to pretend they know nothing.
"Send an envoy to Nakanohara about an hour after dawn. Have them give thanks for using this land as a campsite. If Adolf wants to come, he may be invited to lunch. Select someone who doesn't know about this incident to be the envoy. Departure is in the afternoon. We are returning home. Until then, we shall rest, but do not neglect your vigilance."
At Mortimer's words, the staff began to move.
◆◆◆◆
Around dawn, Adolf-san returned through the main gate wearing plain clothes. He was accompanied by the Archbishop and his secretary, also in plain clothes. There were many other people walking along, but they were all faces I hadn't seen before.
According to Hans-san, Mayor Adolf had been returning to the vicinity of the town midway. Apparently, he had been capturing Revenant users along with the Archbishop and the others.
First, Hans-san went out to meet them.
"I am glad to see you both have returned safely."
He was being almost unnaturally respectful. He had been outmaneuvered by the defense commander and the diocesan Archbishop. He probably had many things he wanted to say.
Then, the Archbishop slowly stepped forward and held his right hand over Hans-san.
"Everything is by the protection of the Goddess. Everyone, let us thank the Goddess for being able to welcome this day safely."
Saying so, he knelt and clasped his hands in front of his chest. Everyone around him did the same. Of course, I did too. For a while, I offered my feelings of gratitude to the Goddess while listening to the Archbishop's words of prayer.
"I heard that two people passed away."
"Yes, one church priest and one guard."
"Let us offer a prayer for the repose of their souls."
While listening to the Archbishop's words of prayer again, I prayed for the repose of the two who fought bravely. After finishing the prayer, the Archbishop stood up, brushed the soil off his knees, said, "Then, may the Goddess's blessing be upon you all," and left for the church.
Adolf-san stood before Hans-san once more.
"I've put you through a lot of trouble. Thanks to you, the town was saved. I thank you."
Hans-san, whose momentum had been completely diverted, only replied, "It's thanks to everyone," after letting out a sigh.
This is where our Beatrix comes in.
"If you were going to turn back halfway, you should have told us from the start."
She pretended to pout with an unnaturally pointed mouth, but she couldn't hide the smirk in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. If we couldn't even deceive our allies, we wouldn't be able to deceive the enemy scouts. Besides, if the opponent was a Revenant, I wouldn't have been a match for them."
"What about the bandits at the western pass?"
"I think they've already been dealt with. If not, I'll go one more time."
"Well, fine. I'll forgive you because you came back earlier than promised—I'm sure everyone in town thinks so too."
"I'm sorry. I'll be a bit more careful from now on."
The defense commander was bowing his head to a young girl. There were many people around. It had become a public execution.
"Young lady. Shall we switch places about now?"
Now it was the vigilantes' turn. Owen-san came forward. It was a kangaroo court.
"Mayor. What did you intend to do if the opponent wasn't Revenants, but a human army?"
Adolf-san remained silent.
"Mayor. Please tell us."
When Hans-san urged him, Adolf-san seemed to have resigned himself.
"I planned to burn the enemy's baggage train by myself and take advantage of the confusion to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's main camp."
Everyone buzzed. It's beyond common sense for the defense commander himself to launch a surprise attack alone.
"B-By yourself, sir?"
Owen-san was also surprised.
"If it was just me, I was confident I could reach the enemy's main camp using [Camouflage] and [Teleport] magic. Besides, it would be enough for just me to do such a thing."
"Why on earth would you do that?"
"A siege is something you do when you can expect reinforcements or when you have a plan for the enemy's provisions to run out. Reinforcements won't come—or rather, they can't come. It's not winter now, and the enemy's home country is close, so their supply is easy. The surrounding villages would also become targets for looting. In that case, if I burned the food and destroyed the main camp before the enemy's reinforcements arrived, the enemy would withdraw. Then we would win."
At Adolf-san's words, Hans-san furrowed his brow.
"If the Mayor himself carries out a strategy where survival is hard to expect even after achieving the objective, those left behind will be troubled."
Everyone nodded all at once and looked at Adolf-san. Adolf-san just looked down in silence.
"Honestly, why are men always so quick to want to die? Even if you win the war, if the men die, it's the women left behind who suffer."
Now it was the women's turn. It seemed the voices of condemnation against Adolf-san would continue. Adolf-san was also sighing. When I looked to see who the voice belonged to, to my surprise, Katherine-sensei was standing there wearing chainmail. Jennifer-sensei and Emily-sensei were there too.
"Is it the teachers? Have you met the Archbishop?"
"Yes. Just now. We are glad you are safe."
Jennifer-sensei pushed her way to the front.
"I've put you teachers through a lot of trouble this time too. I heard you repelled the Revenants with holy water."
"It was by the protection of the Goddess. It must also be the Goddess's protection that you didn't have to carry out that 'strategy' of yours, Mayor."
This is scary. Jennifer-sensei, you're smiling, but the pressure is incredible.
Adolf-san was also defeated by this and bowed his head to everyone again, saying, "I'm sorry." The townspeople were all smirking. It seemed the punishment was over.
Owen-san unnaturally stepped in as if to soothe things.
"Actually, I have a request for the Mayor."
He was rubbing his hands together.
"What is it?"
"Well, it's nothing else, but the vigilantes also helped with the purification and evacuation guidance this time, and various other things happened."
"A reward? I'll see what I can do from the town's finances..."
"No, no, it's not that kind of talk. We'll work hard out of our own pockets to protect the town."
"Then, what?"
"Well, actually..."
The vigilante leader's story, told with much buildup, was that he wanted to hold a festival involving the whole town.
The vigilantes seemed to have taken a great liking to the fact that they were able to repel the attacking horde of Revenants by splashing them with a large amount of holy water themselves, and they wanted to make a festival where everyone in town grandly splashes holy water on each other from buckets to pray for each other's safety a new town specialty. And they wanted the town to provide the budget for it. They said midsummer would be a good time.
"That sounds interesting. Mayor, let's definitely do it. The Water and Sewerage Management Office will cooperate fully."
As expected, Paul-san jumped on it.
"I'm sure the Headmistress will also agree. Let's have the Headmistress talk to the Archbishop."
Jennifer-sensei brought up the Headmistress's name. There's no way Catherine the Rule-Breaker wouldn't jump on a story about a festival, and there's no way the church could refuse if the Headmistress talked to them. Besides, since the origin of the festival is the fact that they defeated the Revenants, which the church forbids, with holy water, the church probably won't object either. Consecrating a large amount of holy water will surely bring in donations too.
Originally, it should be done on this day one year from now, but they probably can't wait.
Adolf-san, who felt like the ground had been prepared for him, was nevertheless very enthusiastic.
"That's good. Let's advertise it all around and gather many people. Let's send out more carriages to the villages than usual from the day before so people can gather. Let's set up stalls and do it grandly enough to be heard in the Royal Capital."
Originally, it's a rural life in the countryside far from the Royal Capital. There isn't much entertainment to speak of. Everyone was overjoyed, and opinions began to fly. In the end, it was decided to do it grandly for just one day on the first Sunday of August every year.
At first, it was an atmosphere like a gathering to complain about Adolf-san's actions, but...
How did it turn into this?