kscans

Chapter 172 - The General's Heart

The battle was decided.

The Lizardman Hunter fell onto its back with a heavy thud. Its right arm had been severed, and its body was covered in deep wounds. It was in no condition to fight, let alone stand.

Just as I took a breath, the ice surrounding us shattered. It seemed my time was up.

Where the Lizardmen had been fighting just moments before, only Tina remained.

Upon seeing me, she rushed over.

"Shinsuke! Are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere?"

She scanned my body from head to toe.

"I’m fine," I said. "But you worry too much. You don’t have to stare so hard."

I offered a wry smile, but Tina replied, "I can’t help but worry. Even though I was the one who sent you, the thought of you getting hurt where I can’t see you…"

She cast her eyes downward, a hint of sadness in them.

"Sorry about that," I said. "But this is a hunter’s nature. You know that, right, Tina? Besides, I don’t want to see you get hurt, either. If anyone’s going to do something reckless, it should be me."

I placed my hands on her shoulders.

Tina blushed, her lips moving silently. The air was so charged it felt like we were about to kiss.

Just then, I sensed a presence. We quickly stepped apart.

It was the female knight in purple armor and glasses—the one we’d met this morning.

"Are you unharmed?!" she asked. "The surviving adventurers have been secured and are receiving medical treatment. The general is asking for you. Please come at once."

At her words, I sighed. "What’s this about? ...Actually, I think I already know."

Tina’s expression was the same as mine. It had to be about disobeying orders.

The female knight simply said, "The general will explain." Her face was grim.

We returned to the base.

The atmosphere inside was chaotic. The Lizardmen’s attack had destroyed most of the numerous fences, and all the catapults were in ruins. Worse, many of those on the front lines appeared to be injured. There were minor and major injuries alike, though most of the seriously wounded were adventurers.

Taking in the scene, we made our way to the general’s command post.

Inside the command post, we found not only the general but also four unit commanders.

As soon as he saw us, the general spoke. "Now then, I’ve summoned you for one reason and one reason only. Do you have anything to say about your insubordination on the battlefield?"

His expression was dead serious, as were those of the other men. The air was so cold and suffocating it felt like someone from Earth would have fainted on the spot.

A bead of sweat trickled down my face. "...I have no excuse."

I paused before answering. Back on Earth, most people would have made an excuse before apologizing. I was one of them. But this atmosphere wouldn't allow for it.

Tina stated, "Nor do I." Her response was clear and direct, though she seemed a little tense.

Hearing our answers, the general let out a long sigh. "Fuuu… Well, this time, your actions were taken to save those fools, and as a result, you managed to defeat the Lizardman Hunter. For that, I will overlook your insubordination."

The other commanders shared his sentiment.

"Wait a moment," I interjected. "It may have been a high-ranking one, but it was just a single unit. There might be several other Lizardman Hunters out there."

The general replied, "As of now, we’ve only confirmed one. Of course, we are considering the possibility of multiple. However, I’m overlooking your actions to both weaken the enemy’s strength and boost our own morale."

Tina followed up on his point. "So, you mean punishing us now would affect the soldiers’ morale? Especially when they’re already exhausted by the monsters’ changing tactics. You don’t believe it’s wise to be harsh at this juncture."

"Exactly," the general confirmed. "But that doesn’t mean you can do it again. Don’t mistake my meaning on that. You must be tired. Go and rest. I’ll be working you much harder from now on."

As he spoke, the door behind him opened. It was our cue to leave them to their meeting. We bowed once and exited the room.

After confirming our departure, the general sighed.

"I appreciate them getting results on the very first day, but I wish they’d show a little more restraint. We almost lost a valuable asset."

Even if those two were seasoned fighters, on the battlefield, something as simple as tripping over a pebble could be fatal. A normal monster could kill you in an instant. That was precisely why coordination was so important.

Shaking it off, the general refocused. "Now then, I want reports from each position. Let’s start with the eastern flank."

One of the commanders stood. "The eastern flank sustained numerous casualties. We engaged the monsters and pushed them into a retreat. There are several dozen injured, but only minor and serious wounds. There were no fatalities."

He sat back down.

"Good work," the general said. "I’ve already heard about the front line. No deaths aside from those idiots, I hear. Next, the western flank."

Another commander rose to his feet.

"The western flank’s damage is… nonexistent." He wiped sweat from his brow with a handkerchief as he reported.

The other commanders looked at him, their expressions a collective, "What?"

"What do you mean?" the general asked. "Weren’t there Muay Thai Kongs on the western flank?"

"That is correct, they did appear," the commander replied. "But for some reason, they seemed agitated by the fences and catapults. Even when we launched a preemptive strike with the catapults, they made no move to attack. They didn’t retreat, either; they just held their position. We weren’t sure what to do, so we ended up in a standoff. After a while, they simply withdrew."

Sweat poured down his face, and he kept wiping it away.

It was understandable. The other fronts had seen fierce fighting, so why was the west completely unscathed? One might suspect him of filing a false report, but everyone here was a stalwart loyal to the general. They would never do such a thing.

The general pondered for a moment. "...I’ve got nothing. Chevre, any ideas?"

Chevre, standing beside him, replied, "If the general can’t think of anything, then neither can I. You must have thought they were aiming for something. The only important location within this base is the temporary supply depot at the front. That’s where support supplies from the outside are first placed for distribution to each department. However, the Lizardmen didn’t charge; they just fought back on the spot. If that’s the case, what other important place could there be… Ah."

Her expression shifted as if she’d just remembered something.

When the general pressed her, Chevre explained, "Well, there is one thing unique to the western flank. The carcass disposal site. The remains of all the monsters we’ve defeated so far are piled there."

One of the commanders scoffed. "With all due respect, only humans make effective use of carcasses. Monsters just eat them. Besides, they’ve been left to rot. To go after those…"

He trailed off with a wry smile.

The other commanders agreed. Even she knew how nonsensical the idea was.

But the general thought for a moment before speaking. "...No, it’s a possibility. After all, they have Skeletons with them, something we’ve never seen before. If there’s an intelligent Skeleton among them, it stands to reason they could resurrect carcasses as Undead."

"But even without doing that, the monsters have more than enough forces," a commander countered. "Why go to the trouble of using dead bodies?"

"You have a point," the general conceded. "There’s no tactical reason for it. But what if it’s a form of psychological warfare? What if they’re trying to send a message? To show us that even if we annihilate their forces, they can just bring them back as Undead. Demoralizing the enemy is a crucial part of warfare."

Silence filled the room.

As they all contemplated this, the general thought to himself, (I understand their feelings. Monsters might use ambushes or surprise attacks, but they would never resort to tactics like this. This is something humans would do. Could there be a human among the monsters? I can’t rule out the possibility. The battles so far have proven as much. But if that’s the case, it makes even less sense. What do they gain by taking this base? It might weaken the Empire’s defenses, but this is just one outpost. The Royal Capital is secure, and under His Majesty Yorune’s command, garrisons have been established in key locations. Frankly, this is pointless. Damn it. There’s not enough information. Perhaps I should advise His Majesty Yorune to investigate elsewhere.)

With that thought, he continued the meeting.

Later, around noon, reinforcements and the Edgeson Unit arrived and were redeployed.

Throughout that time, however, the monsters did not attack again.

Night fell.

In the Empire’s Royal Capital, most of the citizens were sound asleep. A lone shadow hung in the air.