192 - Fortress
――In Beim, the city walls were being inspected to defend the city.
They were checking for any damaged sections and proceeding with preparations to intercept the great army of monsters.
However, the monster army that had already begun its march had not yet arrived at the city.
One of the captains leading a mercenary group looked far off from atop his assigned section of the wall.
"...Is Redant Fortress holding out? Well, with twenty thousand men, they might be able to hold for a week."
He knew of Redant Fortress, but even if it had been reinforced, he didn't think for a moment that it could stop a great army of hundreds of thousands of monsters.
This was because he had not been told that Lariel was receiving support from the Trace Family.
The fact that a considerable amount of money had been provided and that Redant Fortress had been turned into a fortress was information that a mere mercenary captain could not possibly know.
Even if he had known, he wouldn't have thought they could hold out.
Beim truly believed that the allied forces of Zain and Rolfis at Redant Fortress would be completely annihilated――.
――The Merchant Council of Beim.
In this meeting where the top figures of Beim effectively gathered, Fidel was irritated.
In the tiered meeting hall, the moderator was speaking of Beim's ironclad defenses.
The main players had already gathered before the meeting to confirm the information. Because they had confirmed it, Fidel was irritated.
"As you know, Beim's walls are made of special materials and have high resistance to magic. Currently, repair work is progressing, and we are in a state of complete readiness with mercenary groups deployed. We have also had craftsmen produce a large amount of weaponry, and the production of arrows is proceeding one after another."
Sitting in his chair with his hands clasped on the desk, Fidel was angered by the overconfident moderator.
(Idiot. At this rate, you'll just be stuck holding a massive amount of supplies.)
Several merchants were hoping to make a profit from this war.
They were purchasing weaponry and thinking about what to do after the monsters were repelled.
However, Fidel knew.
(That leech! He built a fortress! With my money! He took the Trace Family's money and built a fortress on his own, and on top of that, he reduced the numbers by half!!)
There were other facts that made him want to hold his head in his hands, for since the Trace Family had provided support, many other merchants had also supported Lariel.
That was fine. However, the amount of support had become something that could not be ignored. Because the enemy's advance was so slow, the fastest adventurers in Beim had gone on reconnaissance.
And there, instead of a fort, a fortress existed.
(According to the adventurers' assessment, they said most would still be unable to endure it... but a few said they could hold out. Is it possible?)
Fidel could not forgive the fact that the probability of Lariel repelling the monsters at Redant Fortress――the fortress――was not zero.
(How persistent!)
Fidel was frustrated, but what was even more frustrating was...
(At this rate, that guy will be the only winner!)
This time, Lariel had requested that the Beim Guild headquarters provide manpower. But, naturally, the Guild hesitated. In the end, it seemed they were prepared to send around two to three thousand, but Lariel had immediately backed down.
If Lariel were to defeat the great army of monsters here, it would mean the Guild had refused support.
(...Hmm, the Trace Family provided support, so there's no problem. If the Guild crushes him, it would be just perfect.)
Among the merchants, including Fidel, many families had provided support. They could make the excuse that they did what they could.
While the merchants who were unaware of the surrounding circumstances were moving in various ways assuming the monster army would attack, some were wondering if Lariel might actually stop an army of hundreds of thousands――.
The Second Wall.
Having bought five days of time, I decided to begin preparations for withdrawal.
It was considerably earlier than expected, but it couldn't be helped in this situation.
Looking at the great army of monsters from atop the wall, the monsters were crowding into a place that wasn't narrow, but had cliffs on both sides.
"This is as far as we go. Most of the units initially deployed have already retreated to the fortress. Even with rotations, we've repeated rearward transfers, and the number has fallen below a thousand."
The Second Wall itself could still hold.
But there were simply no more people.
Beside me was Eva, who had returned from the fortress. Her pink-blonde hair was disheveled, and she had a slightly exhausted expression.
"Lariel, Alette, Crate, and Albano have already retreated to the rear. Aria did too, three days ago... there are no commanders left."
I gave a wry smile.
"This is bad. Since Noi-san returned, I thought we could hold for a few more days."
When I said that, Eva looked at me with judging eyes.
"Your calculations were too optimistic. We've been sending people to the rear one after another, as soon as they returned, they were sent back again. This isn't normal."
It was true that I had made a large mistake in my calculations. Then, Clara, who had run up the stairs, brought me a message.
Clara had also accumulated considerable fatigue and had been resting slightly further back. She had only just woken up, but since there were few people who could operate the porters, she was being pushed to her limits.
"Ah, there you are, you cheat elf."
"What do you mean, 'cheat'?! Can't you do something about that sarcasm? It's irritating to listen to."
Clara had a very pleasant smile.
"I hear people get angry when they're hit where it hurts. Now then, a message for Lariel-san."
I confirmed that Clara's face had become serious and grabbed the arm of Eva, who looked as if she were about to pounce on Clara, to hold her back.
"Preparations are complete. The craftsmen have also finished Alamsars' 'exploding arrows.' When I told them it was for a student's pocket money, they got angry, saying it was too dangerous. Boost Arrow... that's what we've decided as the official name."
I nodded and said to Clara.
"Carry the wounded and those who are bedridden. I have preparations to make here as well."
Clara lightly pushed up her glasses with her fingertip.
"Another round trip? Lariel-san, could you return first?"
I shook my head.
"Sorry, but this is the last one. Hurry."
As Clara went back down, I released Eva's arm and spoke.
"Eva, begin the retreat preparations. Also, I'm sending Monica and Valkyrie back first."
Then, Eva looked toward Clara.
"That sharp tongue... it's fine, but it's already night. I think they'll easily reach here once the numbers drop. Are you sure it's okay to pull Monica and the others back? They'll hate it."
Even though she's an automaton, why is her self-assertion so strong?
"It's fine. In the worst case, as long as the shape of this place remains, it's enough."
Because the Second Wall――the true purpose was something else.
Night.
It was almost morning.
While Clara was delivering personnel to the fortress, I was watching the monster army.
"It doesn't feel like they've decreased at all."
Since I was alone there, I could respond to the voice from the orb. The Third Head was as aloof as always.
'That's only natural. No matter how much you shave them down, the opponent has hundreds of thousands――even if it's halved, it's still a great army of over a hundred thousand. It was a bit earlier than planned, but I'd say it's going smoothly.'
I looked up at the night sky.
"...Though we let many of the flying monsters escape."
While I was resting, and while I was distracted by other things, the flying monsters had carried other monsters on their backs and flown even past the fortress behind us.
The Fifth Head was slightly angry with me.
'Don't think you can do everything. The others did what they could. You did everything you could as well. If so, the rear is Beim's responsibility. Do you think it's possible to not let a single one through? It would be different if there were more people.'
Due to the flying magic, the top of the wall was in tatters.
Eva came to me to announce that preparations were finished.
"Lariel, you're the last one."
"I understand."
As I descended from the wall, a large porter was preparing to depart. The large porters that carried the luggage Damian made were filled with knights, soldiers, and elves.
I climbed onto the roof and told Clara to depart.
"Move out."
"...Yes."
Clara seemed somewhat embarrassed, but now was not the time to talk.
The monsters launched a simultaneous attack against the wall, which no longer had any resistance. As the ground tremors reached the porter, I watched the wall.
The monsters must have thought the gate was weaker than the wall, as they began to concentrate their attacks there.
When the porter reached the halfway point between the Second Wall and the fortress, the gate was breached. Monsters began to pour in from there.
Preparing the silver bow in my left hand, I readied an arrow atop the roof.
"I'll crush the fast ones. Clara, head straight for the fortress."
"U-Understood."
The large porter had a space in the front where people could ride. By riding there, Clara could operate the porter while looking forward and ensuring her safety.
Steadying my breath, I fired an arrow at the centaur running in the lead.
The leader tumbled, and those behind were tripped up and fell. However, trampling their comrades, the monsters pushed forward.
When I fired the next arrow, I could take down monsters in the same way, but other monsters just stepped over them and pushed forward. It wasn't very effective as a delay.
I was using the skill――Up-Down――to accelerate the porter, but even so, we might barely reach the fortress in time.
The fortress gates were open, so we only had to enter.
I fired arrows one after another, but it looked as if we were simply being swallowed by the wave of monsters.
The Fourth Head's voice spoke.
'It looks like it's not having any effect at all.'
Then, the Seventh Head added.
'There must be some effect. It's better than doing nothing, I suppose.'
As this happened, a huge monster leaped out, trampling many monsters and sweeping them aside with its arms.
It was a monkey-like monster with a white body and a red face. The claws of its long forelimbs were sharp, and it bared its fangs, moving toward us using its large limbs.
Was it five or six meters tall?
It had leaped out from the monster army and headed straight for us.
I readied the silver bow and fired an arrow, but the monster reacted instantly, shifting its body slightly to the side. The arrow tracked it, but it didn't pierce the intended spot.
It pierced the shoulder and exploded, but it didn't seem to be much damage. The white fur must have protected it.
Looking back at the fortress, it was already right in front of us. I fired two arrows, trying to stall the giant monkey, but the enemy charged in, ignoring the damage.
Returning the silver bow to the orb, I placed it back around my neck.
Mireia-san was slightly surprised.
'Oh, you're not using the greatsword.'
I drew the katana hanging at my waist and held it with both hands.
"No, I want to use it. But I also wanted to test how this one feels――"
At that moment, as the large porter passed through the fortress, a large, sturdy gate dropped from above.
However, some monsters also leaped in, entering the fortress. To kill the momentum, the large porter braked hard, the rear of its long body shifted sideways, and the porter stopped after turning ninety degrees.
Jumping down from the roof, I faced the huge monster.
Clara, who had stepped off the porter, shouted to me.
"Lariel-san, it's a Giant Kong! It was probably a boss monster in the labyrinth!"
Planting my feet on the ground, the red-faced Giant Kong glared at me.
It seemed it had chosen me as its first target.
As the Giant Kong puffed out its chest and prepared to let out a roar, I started running and grabbed the gun from the holster at my lower back.
I aimed the muzzle at the Giant Kong, which had leaped up and opened its mouth wide.
"If the skin is no good, how about inside the mouth?"
I pulled the trigger, and the bullet was fired into the Giant Kong's mouth. Perhaps it was painful, as the Giant Kong let out a strange sound.
However, its fishy breath became a blast of wind, and I was blown back slightly.
Aiming for the eye of the Giant Kong, which was glaring at me from mid-air, I pulled the trigger.
Since it was the sixth shot, I put the gun back into the holster as I landed. The Giant Kong had its left eye closed and was bleeding. Blood was also flowing from the corner of its mouth, and its deep-wrinkled, bright red face became even more wrinkled as it looked at me.
As I readied the katana with both hands, knights and soldiers gathered around. In their hands, they held guns, bows, and crossbows.
"Don't interfere!"
Saying that, I stepped in, and with the skill――Up-Down――, I slowed the opponent's movements while increasing my own speed. The Giant Kong tried to shake off the skill's restraint, but as I approached, it swung its right arm.
I moved to the blind left side, and since it swung its left arm blindly, I tried swinging the katana vertically.
The blade seemed to be made of rare metal, but it chipped.
However, the Giant Kong's left arm was also blown off and crashed into the fortress wall.
"It cuts well."
I had that impression looking at the katana, but it had chipped even though rare metal was used. It was too sharp, too delicate. If handled skillfully, it might be different, but I felt I would ruin it quickly.
But the opponent was someone with sturdy fur. If I could cut off the arm of such an opponent, it might be enough.
While spraying blood, the Giant Kong slammed its right arm down at me. I avoided it by rolling on the ground and immediately slashed its leg.
As the Giant Kong's movements gradually slowed, I leaped at it and swept its neck in a horizontal line.
Slicing through the fur that had blocked an explosion, the head flew through the air, and I shook the blood off the katana.
The sky brightened, and I looked at the blade.
"It's better than a mass-produced saber, but..."
As I muttered, looking at the chipped and cracked blade, Valkyrie Unit One came to my side.
"Master, here is a replacement katana."
Valkyrie Unit One said this as she took a spare katana from the binder on her back that looked like wings.
Monica, who had also brought a spare katana, looked at us with a stunned expression.
"T-This Monica is too late..."
She was quite depressed.
Sighing, I exchanged the katana and gave instructions to those around me. Then, I headed for the stairs to go to the top of the fortress.
"Skin the monster for materials. This one will fetch a good price. Who's at the top?"
Clara was instructing the soldiers on the dismantling procedure while looking at the huge Giant Kong, but she turned toward me.
"Aria-san and Miranda-san. Alette-san is by the cells... and Novem-san is busy treating the wounded."
Hearing that, I called out to Eva and tried to go up.
But Eva was boasting to the elves.
"How was that! An achievement worthy of a song, right!"
――She was bragging.
"True. But when it's this busy, there's no time to think of lyrics."
"I want to hear about the others who stood out too."
"If we make it into a song, we should probably mix in the current battle... no, then it would be too long."
The elves, thinking about recounting this battle and turning it into a song, were discussing it with serious expressions.
While exasperated, I headed up alone.
Climbing the stairs, I stood atop the fortress.
The Third Head saw the sight and――
'Now, this is where the big work begins. Since we've prepared for this, let's make sure we get results.'
――He said.
Cannons were protruding their barrels from within the fortress. The soldiers had prepared many arrows and were readying their bows and crossbows.
Knights and mages were waiting for my instructions, and ten thousand troops were assembled in the fortress.
The Fourth Head spoke happily.
'Because the "growth" speed was exceptionally fast, we retreated to the fortress considerably faster than planned. But that's all. Let's intercept them here.'
The Fifth Head looked at the Second Wall visible in the distance.
'They dutifully came through the gate. Thanks to that, if we block the gate, we can trap them. It seems we won't have to let a single ground monster escape. Well, I think they'll just keep advancing, but it's good that there are no stragglers.'
Two gates had been provided at the Second Wall. One was destroyed, but the other could be closed at any time.
The Seventh Head spoke in a serious voice.
'From here, it's just a task. Just crushing the trapped monsters. We've made enough preparations for that. ...Lariel!'
I gripped the orb and looked up at the sky. Monsters were heading toward the fortress from the sky, riding griffons and hippogriffs.
"You still had combat power left. But you should have used it a bit sooner."
Even further above those monsters, kirins galloping through the sky were generating lightning from their proud horns, shooting down the flying monsters.
It wasn't just a few.
Over ten kirins looked down at the monsters from the sky.
And in the distance, Mei was visible. Heading toward the Second Wall, she was operating the mechanism to close the gate.
The gate closed, meaning the monsters no longer had a place to escape.
The knights and soldiers, who had experienced growth and had time to recover, would likely exert more power than before.
Mireia-san said.
'Even a great army of monsters is just fodder for raising elite soldiers. Truly, the successive heads of the Walt Family are terrifying.'
That was truly the case.
The fortress was more robust than the Second Wall, and it was thoroughly prepared against magic. Now, all that was left was to annihilate the trapped monsters here.
As I came to the highest point atop the fortress, the gazes of the knights and soldiers gathered on me.
A flag fluttered in the wind atop the fortress, appearing to glow in the morning sun.
Raising my right hand.
"From here on, we are serious! With all your might... annihilate the enemy!"
Facing the trapped monsters, the knights and soldiers shouted at the top of their lungs. They thrust their fists toward the heavens, and their morale soared.
(...That's right. This is where the real show begins, and from here, it's hell.)
Thinking that, I watched the monster army approaching before my eyes.