Chapter 95 - Escape from Northern Nishi-Nakanohara ③
According to the information Robinson-san gathered, the Orcs and Gargoyles were going to attack by splitting between the sky and the ground.
If they were a single set, we could have killed two birds with one stone by making the Gargoyles crash, but it wasn't that easy.
"Time to move out. First, let's turn those Gargoyles back into stone!"
The rejuvenated Paul-san was full of enthusiasm. I didn't know how many days it would last, but being healthy was a good thing.
We launched and accelerated toward the north all at once.
For now, the Gargoyles were not yet visible.
Looking at the western sky, the sun was quite low, likely about to turn into a sunset soon.
"Something black is flying! I think that's it!"
As expected of the hunter Bonnie. Her eyes were good.
The target was slightly to the east of us.
"Light!"
Smoke was rising from where our allies were. When I turned the light on and off toward that direction, a bolt of lightning shot up. It was probably Beatrix.
"Paul-san. We've made contact with our allies."
"Good. Then we shall charge in!"
We ascended once, and it became a battle in the upper sky.
We had to be in a place where the Orcs' arrows couldn't reach, or stray arrows would be scary.
"Bonnie. I'm counting on you. Your arrows are the most effective, after all."
"Yes. Master. I'll do my best!"
Bonnie had a quiver filled with holy water arrows. A hit would be a one-shot kill. She had two quivers. Twenty-four arrows in total.
"The enemy seems to have noticed us too! They're flying toward us!"
"Shall we strike them from the front first? Beowulf, I'm counting on you."
"Yes."
Beowulf had brought a wooden spear so thick it could be called a log. I thought she was a defense specialist, but she was a breakthrough personnel.
While we were talking, one came from the front.
We also charged straight ahead.
"Uwaaaaaaaa!"
Enduring the fear, we all shouted at the top of our lungs.
The enemy, getting closer and closer, suddenly stopped just before colliding, perhaps having lost its nerve.
We weren't thinking about stopping. The 'Bloody Paul' of ramming was at the controls. We charged straight in.
Dogoo!
Along with a dull sound, the wooden spear that Beowulf had hardened with Defend hit the Gargoyle's face. We rammed it with the bowl just as it recoiled.
Gehee!
The Gargoyle, letting out some strange cry, fell just like that.
It seemed we had charged right into the middle of the pack. As we proceeded, another one was right in front of us.
"Uwaaaaaaaa!"
We shouted again and attacked. This one seemed to have some guts and collided with the bowl head-on.
It fell with its head torn off.
We charged into the center of the enemies and passed through the middle of the pack to the other side. All the opponents were now behind us.
"Bonnie. Draw them in carefully and aim!"
"Yes. I understand!"
When we moved as if circling in a large right turn, the pack of Gargoyles also circled. A few were making small turns. At this rate, we would be attacked from two directions: the right and the rear.
Bonnie was in charge of the rear. I was in charge of the left and right. Unlike arrows, magic isn't carried by the wind.
One approached from the right. I had left the front to Beowulf, but now it was my turn.
I drew it in to point-blank range where I could almost reach it and fired my magic.
One was pierced through the forehead. It fell straight down, perhaps having lost consciousness. For the second one, I aimed at one wing, and it fell while spinning round and round. I defeated two.
In the meantime, Bonnie was firing arrows at point-blank range.
On her side, she was making spectacular holes in brows and shoulders, as if boring through stone.
After dropping six in total, they began to follow us from a distance. We circled and guided them toward where our allies were raising signal smoke.
As we led them toward the signal smoke while lowering our altitude, a white light shot up.
It was Marcelo-san.
The opponent who was hit fell without a sound.
When we ascended rapidly, various magics shot up. It was likely Beatrix and the others.
The Gargoyles scattered in all directions in the air.
"Hold on!"
The bowl stopped suddenly... or so I thought, but then it suddenly accelerated backward.
"Guee."
No mercy. I ended up falling over. It was a good thing I had left Chururi's cage behind.
I was helped up by Beowulf.
"Paul-san! Please do it a bit more gently!"
"Sorry, sorry. But this is no time for talk. Drop them while you can!"
It became a melee.
Aiming at the ones Beowulf was poking with her spear to keep them away, we fired magic and arrows.
Paul-san guided us skillfully, and Marcelo-san's Holy Lances also began to shoot up.
After two more fell, the opponents retreated.
"You did well. I was counting, and we dropped thirteen."
"That's more than a third."
"Umu. This should be enough for now. We shall return for the time being."
The second sortie became a twilight attack. The sun was already setting, and the surroundings were dim. Visibility in the forest was quite poor.
The members going out together changed; it was Marcelo-san and Beatrix.
When we intentionally flew just above the treetops, they gathered in the sky.
I blinded them with Light, and the two of them picked them off with magic.
Marcelo-san was there. Every time he fired a Holy Lance, he reliably dropped one even at long range.
The result of the second battle was fifteen, and combined with the first, we were able to shave off twenty-eight, which was most of them.
"Good. Now the enemy cannot attack except by walking. The first stage is cleared."
In the second and third stages, Robinson-san only had to wait for the owls he had released. We had dinner at the makeshift position we built south of the mountain stream.
We put plenty of mushrooms into an Owen-brand dried meat stew. Since the guard unit was eating the same thing, the scent of the stew spread throughout the position.
"From here, it's retreat and repulse, right?"
"Umu. I hope it goes well."
Marcelo-san was offering a canteen filled with diluted mead to Paul-san.
"He seems energetic for now."
Beatrix whispered.
Actually, the three of us have a bet. It's about how many days it will take for the rejuvenated Paul-san to return to normal. I said four days, Dune said three days, and Beatrix said two days.
It was a scheme by Beatrix, who proposed making a profit with Dune's 'fluffy' next Sunday.
If Beatrix wins, half the sales go to her. If Dune wins, all of it goes to Dune. If I win, the 'fluffy' is free, and Beatrix has to buy a Highway Cookie assortment for Dune.
While Beatrix and I were whispering, a messenger came running.
"Successfully lured them as planned. The first position has retreated. No casualties."
The forward position was built just north of the mountain stream. It was just a hole with earthworks, and about ten people should have been defending it. Paul-san had given acting lessons, telling them to scream and retreat as soon as they saw an Orc.
"You left the bridge, right?"
Two trees that Paul-san had cut down were laid across the mountain stream to serve as a temporary bridge.
"Yes. We left it as is and moved to the second position."
The Orcs seemed to have crossed it and finished climbing the cliff.
"Good! At the second position, give them a light blow. Only fire arrows."
Hans-san's instructions were given. If we drew them in well, it would be the final stage.
Shouts could be heard from deep in the forest. They were cries that didn't sound human. The Orcs must have charged.
Before long, the guard unit members, with half-smiles, came running while screaming.
"What is with them? They are smiling. They lack a sense of tragedy. I shall complain to Hans later!"
The mage who gave the acting lessons was angry, but it was no wonder. The guard unit isn't paid by a theater troupe.
"Now, now, Director. Don't say that. They aren't looking back."
Though they had half-smiles, they were naturally pretending to trip over their own feet. His beloved disciple, Robinson-san, was soothing him, calling it a passionate performance.
"Ah! No, no. If they trip, they must have blood flowing from their foreheads, or it will lack truth!"
He started saying outrageous things.
"Now, now, Director. You are the only one who can claim the name 'Bloody'."
"Oh? Is that so? Then it cannot be helped."
Why are you puffing out your chest there? I don't understand at all.
As planned, the vanguard all fled back.
"They're absorbed in scavenging the food we left behind. They must be hungry."
The food left behind was likely the dried meat stew we had prepared at the second position. We had intentionally made a bonfire in the middle of the position and prepared about thirty portions—human portions—in several extra-large pots that the guard unit had carried.
The Orcs probably hadn't eaten much since they moved out. If they could eat dinner at the position, they would surely bite.
Of course, it wouldn't be enough for all the Orcs, who are likely big eaters. Instead, we left behind a large amount of food in bags, including pigeons and rabbits hung from trees and fish caught in the stream.
We observed for a while and waited for them to finish eating.
"They're coming. They're approaching quite casually!"
The last scout came running into the position. Did the plan work?
"All at once, light the bonfires!"
When Hans-san shouted, bonfires were lit not only in the final position but also here and there on the mountain behind us.
The bonfires increased more and more, and when I looked back, bonfires were lit on half the ridge, making it look like a considerable number of allies were waiting. Of course, the actual number was only the bonfire personnel.
"Alright, release number one!"
At Hans-san's password, magic that had been released from its hold flew toward the Orcs from all over. They were Marcelo-san's magic circles. More than ten mages, including those from the guard unit and the Marcelo Company, had set them up.
Earth, lightning, ice—they were all basic magic, but there were many of them. They probably wouldn't hit squarely, but that was fine.
"Light!"
Where the Orcs' feet had stopped, we shone light from the front with all our might.
Since we lit it broadly, the intensity was weak, but those who intended to hide in the darkness of the forest were fully visible. It must have scared the wits out of them. As expected, they stood still, growling while covering their eyes.
When Marcelo-san fired a Holy Lance and five guard unit members aimed and fired the holy water arrows Bonnie had brought, the enemy vanguard fell one after another.
"Release number two!"
With the signal, the second wave of magic attacked the Orcs.
The pack of Orcs began to flee, carrying the bags containing the food.
"Let's go!"
With Paul-san's shout, Bonnie, Marcelo-san, and I climbed into the bowl.
It was a pursuit.
We followed the fleeing enemies while illuminating them from above.
Starting from the one at the very back, Bonnie and Marcelo-san chased them up by slightly missing their aim with holy water arrows and Holy Lances.
"Wahahahaha! You shall all die here!"
The evil mage was also performing passionately.
When we finally drove them across the mountain stream, Paul-san, who had dismantled the bowl, broke the bridge into pieces with Tornado Wind.
By that time, the following guard unit had also caught up, and both sides glared at each other across the stream.
In terms of fighting strength, the other side was superior, but we floated Light in the sky to illuminate both banks. The Orcs also seemed to be afraid and showed no sign of attacking.
Hans-san pointed at the food the Orcs were carrying as if on purpose, and we all worked hard to act frustrated.The Orcs began to laugh mockingly, showing off their loot. Some were even brandishing spears to provoke us.
Good, it went well.
"It is about time."
When Hans-san nodded at Paul-san's words, we all returned to the position while looking back.
While we were holed up in the position observing the situation, a guard unit soldier came running from the front line.
It was the scout who had been left on watch.
"The Orcs have withdrawn!"
I found myself slumping down on the spot, my strength leaving me.