kscans

Chapter 170 - The Morning Battle.

To the panicked soldier, I asked, "Three places at once?! What kind of monsters?!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied. "Goblin variants and Ogres on the east side! Lizardmen at the front! Fighter Monkeys on the west side!"

He gave me a brief explanation.

"What about our deployment?" Tina asked.

"Sir! The request is for you two to deal with the Lizardmen at the front! Breakfast is being prepared on-site. Please come at once."

To the hurrying soldier, I replied, "Understood. We'll get our gear ready and head over immediately."

As I reached for my armor and weapons, the soldier said, "I'll be taking my leave then, sir."

He saluted and left the tent.

As we were changing, Tina said, "You heard him. We're leaving now. You are absolutely not to come out."

The Goblin under the bed poked its head out and nodded.

I donned my armor and took my Japanese sword, a regular sword, and a hammer. I didn't know what might happen. I wanted to save my main weapons. Tina did the same, putting on her armor and taking two swords and a single-edged spear.

My hammer and her spear had magic stones embedded in them. The hammer had an earth stone, the spear a fire stone, each imbuing their respective attributes. But this would be the first time we used them in actual combat. They felt awkward during practice swings, but this was no time to be picky.

Other than these two, none of our weapons had magic stones embedded in them.

Because I had made them as an experiment, wondering if they would become stronger if I attached stones to them. In short, they were things I had made for fun. To think I would be using them in this way… you never know how things will turn out in this world.

"I'm ready on this side," Tina said. "I can go at any time."

"I'm done too," I replied. "Let's get going. We shouldn't keep them waiting."

I moved with a slight sense of urgency.

A soldier was waiting for us when we arrived at the front gate.

"We've been waiting for you. There's a simple meal for you here. As soon as you're finished, please come this way."

What was prepared for us was bread and soup.

We finished it in a minute. When we went to the assembly point, a group of adventurers had gathered there.

Standing before them, the platoon leader began his briefing.

"Alright, I'll explain the situation. At present, the monsters are caught in our fences and traps, and their advance has been halted. Soldiers, as well as two Edgesons each, have been deployed at each location. You are to provide support and defend against the monsters to prevent them from entering the base. Hold them off until they retreat. That is all. Get to work."

At his command, the gates opened.

We were in the midst of a battlefield.

The frantic shouts of soldiers and the roars of monsters filled the air.

But the monsters were being thwarted by the large number of fences and makeshift spear launchers, and they were unable to advance.

"It seems Tina's suggestion went through," I said. "But why are so many monsters attacking all at once?"

"That's a good point, but for now, let's focus on what's in front of us," Tina replied. She went to her post. I thought, She's right, and took my weapon and went to my own position.

The other adventurers also readied their weapons and took their designated places.

The Lizardmen were struggling to advance.

Their king had told them that the humans were few in number and that they could break through even with their weapons. But the humans had prepared fences and throwing machines, and they were fighting in a way that kept them at a distance. This meant the decoy operation to attack the facility on the west side was failing.

Just then, a high-ranking Lizardman, a Lizardman Hunter, stood quietly, as if waiting for something.

From our designated positions, we began our long-range attacks.

The adventurers with bows fired all at once. The Lizardmen hid behind rocks to avoid the arrows.

Just then, an adventurer with a sword shouted, "Alright! They're faltering! Let's finish them off in one go! Follow me!"

He charged forward, shouting.

And a group of thoughtless idiots followed him.

"You idiot!" I shouted. "Don't just charge in without thinking! This battlefield is abnormal!"

But my shouts didn't reach those who had already gone. Most of them charged, leaving me, Tina, the adventurers skilled in rear support, and the soldiers behind.

An elderly soldier cursed. "Damn those fools! Everyone! Solidify the defense! We can't afford any more casualties!"

He ordered them into formation.

"What about those who went?" Tina asked, her voice filled with urgency.

"Unfortunately, it's too late for them," the soldier replied. "Look. A nasty one has made its appearance."

In the direction he pointed, the adventurers were being taken down one by one.

*

The C-rank adventurer with the longsword had been fantasizing.

If he could stand out in this battle and achieve great things, he could become not just a B-rank, but even an A-rank. The Empire had A-rank adventurers, but they were recognized by the Kingdom as well. They had the achievements and skills befitting a representative of adventurers. And they had good manners.

When he was working in the capital, he had seen them in town. They were polite to everyone. They never looked down on anyone. If there was a merchant engaged in fraudulent activities, they would lecture them and then have them arrested.

Honestly, it pissed him off. Such sanctimonious behavior. Just watching them was irritating.

But since they were A-rank, he couldn't say anything. He couldn't do anything. He felt a sense of powerlessness.

However, when the defense request from the base came, he felt it was his chance. He could show off his skills. And the two A-rankers were here too.

He felt that God had chosen him.

Because he could show them just how strong he was.

The Lizardmen faltered under the attack of the arrows and throwing machines. The perfect chance. He raised his sword, shouted a command, and charged. He heard the A-ranker's voice trying to stop him from behind, but he didn't care.

In fact, there were adventurers following him. The cowards could stay there and tremble.

He charged forward with a sense of derision.

Just then, the Lizardmen emerged from behind the rocks, brandishing their weapons, and fought back. But he was able to counter them immediately. I can do this. Just as he was sure of it, something came out from behind a rock. It was small and he couldn't see it clearly. He decided it was nothing to worry about and turned his attention to the Lizardman in front of him.

He saw the sky. Why? The sky? he thought. The scene shifted from the sky to the rock wall, and then he looked at the ground. Why can't my body move? It rolled and came to a stop. His body was standing, blood spurting from the neck.

Then it slowly collapsed. Ah, I see. I've been cut. He watched as if he were a third party, and his vision went black.

A small Lizardman was cutting down the adventurers one after another with a knife-like sword.

A single, deadly blow that severed their necks.

*

"So the Lizardman Hunter has come out," the soldier said.

He clicked his tongue. I asked, "Is that the Lizardman Hunter? It seems smaller than usual."

"Is this your first time seeing one?" the soldier asked. "When you think of a high-rank monster, you imagine something larger than usual, but there are exceptions. By being small, their movements are swift, with a speed that the eye can't follow, and they have unique abilities. They're more trouble than they're worth."

He explained.

"What should we do?" Tina asked. "I'd like to go and rescue the survivors."

She said.

Sometime during all this, the Lizardman Hunter had vanished. The remaining adventurers were struggling against the Lizardmen's assault.

"No," the soldier said. "The general's orders are to focus on defense. Besides, it's the fault of those who charged in."

His expression was somewhat cold.

On the battlefield, those who ignored orders were deemed not worth saving.

But I said, "Sorry. I'm one of those fools, too."

With that, I took my hammer and charged forward.

To the soldier who tried to stop me, Tina said, "This is how we do things."

She readied her spear and ran after me.

Our objective was to rescue the adventurers. The battle with the Lizardmen had begun.