kscans

Chapter 167 - Future Developments.

The defensive battle at the base was over.

The returning reinforcements saw the situation and immediately took action. The number of injured was considerable; counting both seriously and lightly wounded, there were thirty in total. And the number of dead, including the soldier I had just met, was eight.

They had died fighting the Lizardmen.

Seeing this, I muttered with a bitter expression, "If only I'd been a little faster…"

Just then, the platoon leader who had been standing beside me spoke.

"Don't blame yourself. Everyone here was prepared to die in battle. This time, we fell for the enemy's decoy operation and left this place under-guarded. It's frustrating, but it was their victory."

He was grinding his teeth.

He was right. I had been moving quickly then, but I had deliberately held back a little to conserve my strength and maintain a perfect state of readiness. I don't think that was the wrong decision, but this devastation was the result. The thought that I could have been faster was nothing but arrogance.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I was being a little arrogant."

"Don't worry about it," the platoon leader replied. "It's what anyone would think after seeing such a tragedy. Just use that feeling as fuel to fight harder."

With that, he went inside the base.

Come to think of it, why was he standing next to me? I thought Tina had been there.

I looked around and saw Tina talking with some soldiers.

I walked over. "What's wrong?"

"We were just discussing what we can do now," Tina explained. "That platoon leader said he had something to talk to you about, so I took his place."

She explained it succinctly.

It seemed I had made him worry. It's not good to cause trouble for the people on the front lines.

Back in high school, I once did a peculiar school event called a temporary employee work experience. At the time, I wondered what the point of it was, but after helping out with the work a little, I made an unexpected mistake.

As a result, I caused trouble not only for the person who was teaching me but for the other workers as well.

That's when I realized: no matter what the reason for working, you must not get in the way of the people on the job site. Of course, when I entered the workforce and tried to work with restraint, I ended up being a target for bullying.

But I digress.

My dejection had caused the platoon leader unnecessary worry.

"I'm sorry. I'm fine now," I said. "By the way, you were talking about something? Why with you, Tina?"

I was curious.

In the Kingdom, it was natural for people to know about Tina. But in the Empire, even though we had spent a year here, we had mostly done Guild work. And we hadn't done any of it as part of a group.

"Apparently, the merchants from the Kingdom have been talking about us," Tina said with a look of exasperation. "When they're buying or selling things. As if they're bragging about their own accomplishments."

I see. We were A-rank adventurers recognized by two nations. Of course, word would have gotten around. It was possible that the merchants who came to the Empire were exaggerating stories about our activities here.

I don't know what they were thinking, but maybe they just wanted to brag.

"I see. So, what did you talk about?"

Tina's expression turned serious. "As things stand, advancing is out of the question, and even defending is difficult. The soldiers were saying we should get reinforcements from somewhere, but I disagreed. Because there are no spare soldiers in the base."

She explained.

It was true. If we were to reassign soldiers within the base, that would just create a shortage in another department. That wouldn't solve anything.

We were already at a stalemate; weakening ourselves with our own hands was a foolish move.

Tina continued, "As for future measures, I said we should prioritize treating the wounded, avoid unnecessary battles, and focus on defense. And of course, when we defend, we should build and set up more traps and fences than we have now. Fortunately, we have the materials. Those who can move should take the initiative. However, even when the wounded recover, it will be difficult for them to return to duty right away."

She had a bitter expression.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Are we short on potions?"

"No, healing their wounds isn't the problem," Tina replied. "They've all been poisoned. It seems the Lizardmen's weapons were coated in poison. They said it will take time for the poison to wear off."

She looked exhausted.

That was a problem. For poison, there was a medicine called Cure. But that was something usually carried by those who went into forests or marshes. Because that was the only place you'd find monsters that used poison.

Unfortunately, the border was a rocky area.

There were no monsters that used poison. Of course, they wouldn't have any Cure on hand.

And even if we went back to the capital to buy a large amount, there was no guarantee they would have any. This country had a low awareness of poison, and they didn't stock much Cure.

As things stood, our only option was to rely on the soldiers' natural recovery.

"There's nothing to say but that we've been had," I said. "But why would the Lizardmen do something like that? They use weapons, but I've never heard of them using poison."

I tried to recall what I knew about the monsters in the Empire.

The Lizardmen used weapons like humans, always moved in groups, and attacked in groups when they found prey. But I had never heard of them using poison in their attacks.

As I was thinking, a soldier approached.

"Excuse me. The General would like to see you. Please come this way."

No time to think, I guess. We headed for the command room.

*

In the command room, General Goltor was sitting in his chair, looking out the window. It was a pose worthy of a villainous organization's boss. Was he going to say something with his back to us before turning around?

Just as I thought that, the general spoke.

"You've come. Thank you for your hard work on this sudden dispatch."

As he spoke, he spun his chair around to face us.

Honestly, it was laughable. He had acted exactly as I had expected.

But this was a serious situation. I couldn't afford to disrupt it.

"I merely fulfilled my duty as a hired adventurer," I said, sitting down on the sofa. "But we fell for the enemy's trap."

"That couldn't be helped," the general replied. "Even when compared with past records, this is something that would be impossible for the monsters of old. Even now, the soldiers in the base haven't been able to shed their old common sense."

He sighed.

His expression was one of someone who couldn't bear the mental strain.

"General," Tina said, "what are your thoughts on what to do from now on?"

The general's mood shifted.

"We are treating the wounded, but those who were poisoned will have to recuperate. We have no Cure, and even if we were to return to the capital, it's doubtful we'd find a large supply. I want to focus our efforts on defense, but with our forces on the east side… I was thinking of transferring troops from somewhere…"

Before he could finish, Tina interrupted.

"That would be a bad move. Moving soldiers around recklessly now would upset the balance of our forces. Instead of reassigning them, we should use the materials in the base to build fences. A large number of them, so they can't be easily breached."

To this suggestion, the general replied, "What you say is most reasonable, beautiful one. However, there is no guarantee that the monsters will not move in the meantime. I think they will attack now, precisely because we are in a state of confusion."

Tina countered the general's argument.

"That is certainly true. However, the lack of movement on the west and front lines is concerning. For them to do this much and then not move… are they not waiting for something? For example, for our numbers to decrease?"

After Tina voiced her prediction, the general thought for a moment.

"So, what you're saying, beautiful one, is that they attacked the east side to deliberately reduce our numbers, force us to transfer soldiers from other locations, and thus reduce the security in those areas. And then, once those places are vulnerable, they will launch an all-out attack. In conclusion, the east side is not their main strategic target."

He voiced his speculation. Tina replied.

"I believe so. The Lizardmen's movements… when we arrived, they were only targeting the soldiers and didn't seem to be trying to get inside."

She recalled what had happened on the battlefield.

I had only seen the tragic state of the soldiers and had been focused solely on killing the Lizardmen. It was proof that I hadn't been looking at the bigger picture. Tina, on the other hand, had been calmly observing her surroundings even in that situation.

She truly was a partner I didn't deserve.

"In that case," the general said, "it seems we should do as you say, beautiful one, and prepare a large number of fences and traps. I will have the soldiers and adventurers adopt a thoroughly defensive formation. And of course, we will do the same in the other locations as well. Your input has been most helpful. I thank you."

He gave a slight bow.

"Please don't mention it," Tina replied. "I was merely doing my job. And I have a question. Is there anything of importance in the west and front areas? Perhaps…"

To this question, the general replied, "No, nothing in particular. The front has a warehouse for incoming supplies, but they are later transported and distributed evenly between the west and east warehouses, so there's nothing of great value there. The west side, unlike the others, has a corpse disposal area. We place the monsters we've slain and the soldiers who have died there. Other than that, there's no place that could be called a feature."

He was perplexed, but his face looked as if he had just had a revelation.

A corpse disposal area. There was no reason for monsters to target that place, but… the general's expression suggested he knew something.

However, the reason he didn't say anything was likely because he wasn't certain. In that case, there was no need to press him.

"Tina, if you have nothing else to say, let's take our leave here," I said. "General Goltor seems to be busy."

To this, Tina replied, "You're right. Well then, General Goltor, we'll be going."

She stood up from the sofa.

"Ah, you must be tired after being dispatched on your first day," the general said. "It's getting to be evening. I'll have someone show you to your room."

To this, Tina replied, "No, thank you. We may be A-rank, but we are still mere adventurers. We require no special treatment. Instead, we would appreciate it if our tent could be placed in a location farther away from the others."

She blushed slightly.

Seeing this, the general seemed to understand something.

"I-I see. If that's the case, then it can't be helped. I'll pass that on to the soldiers."

He replied with some hesitation.

Seeing that, we inwardly smirked.