kscans

Chapter 193 - The Shaken Battlefield, Part Two

Church.

Afternoon.

The security here was stricter than anywhere else. It had to be.

The country was surrounded by forest. No matter how much they cleared the trees for a better line of sight, they couldn't see what was far away.

Altorine, on standby at the garrison, asked, "What is the situation in each area?"

A knight captain reported, "No abnormalities at present. We have not confirmed the presence of any monsters, but we believe the possibility that they are still here remains."

Altorine turned to another captain. "How are the citizens?"

The captain replied with a pained expression, "There have been no public disturbances. However, due to the order to refrain from going outside during the attack, there is a palpable sense of anxiety among them."

"Have those who are free distribute food rations," Altorine ordered. "While our own situation is important, we must avoid a public uprising at all costs."

The knight captain saluted and left.

Before she could give her next order, another knight appeared. "Reporting, Your Holiness. The Guild Master is shouting, ‘I’m going out too!’ and protesting. The adventurers are trying to persuade him, but he won’t listen. I apologize for the trouble, but we must ask for your assistance…"

To the knight’s grim face, Altorine replied, "Understood. I will go and try to persuade him later. Fufu, he never changes, does he?"

She let out a wry smile.

Just then, a knight rushed in. "Hah… hah… Reporting! The monsters have begun their advance!"

"What is the situation?" Altorine asked calmly.

"Yes, Your Holiness. The same types as yesterday are attacking. Also, we have confirmed the presence of multiple Rock Wolves."

"I see. So they were there after all," Altorine said, her face hardening. "There is a possibility of other high-rank monsters. Proceed with caution."

The knight saluted and departed.

Altorine asked, "What about the wall repairs?"

The knight captain next to her replied, "They are already complete, Your Holiness. The warehouse district has been secured. However, as there may still be remaining Anacondas, we have sealed it off completely since last night and are conducting a search."

"A sound decision. Thank you for your hard work. You will take command of the warehouse district."

The knight captain saluted and ran off.

Altorine turned to the female knight at her side. "You will go to the main gate and command the others. I will join you as soon as I’ve dealt with the Guild Master."

The female knight saluted and ran off.

Altorine murmured to herself, "Now then, to persuade that man… No, perhaps I’ll just knock him out."

With those dangerous words, she broke into a run.


Empire.

Royal Capital.

Here, the tragedy was the greatest, and yet the damage was the least.

As morning turned to afternoon, the clear sky became overcast.

Seeing this, Magnes shouted, "This is not good! Tell the soldiers to increase the number of guards at the gate!"

Almost as soon as he gave the order, a soldier rushed up to him. "C-Captain! M-monsters have suddenly appeared!"

"Suddenly?! Report in detail!"

The soldier caught his breath. "Yes, sir! While I was on guard duty at the gate, a black mist suddenly appeared at the location where the monsters had been. A large number of monsters then emerged from it."

A knight next to Magnes scoffed. "From a black mist? Appeared? What are you talking about? I’ve never heard of such a spell or skill. Are you lying?"

The soldier, intimidated, stammered, "B-but, that’s the only way I can describe it…"

He was sweating profusely, insisting he wasn't lying.

Magnes cut in. "That’s enough. Lie or truth, the fact remains that the monsters have appeared. Is that not so?"

"Yes, sir! That is correct!" the soldier replied firmly.

"Prepare to engage and defend at once! Deploy in the same formation as yesterday! Depending on the enemy’s movements, we will counterattack!"

At his command, the knights let out a roar.

Magnes turned to a nearby adventurer. "You there! Go tell those drunk fools that it’s time to work!"

Even if they were idiots, they were short on manpower. They needed every hand they could get.

The adventurer replied, "Th-that is… My seniors passed out after drinking and they’re not responding. I tried to wake them up just now, but…"

Magnes clasped his head. "Then throw water on them and beat them awake! We don’t have a second to waste!"

The adventurer, terrified, nodded and ran off.

Magnes put the exchange out of his mind for the moment. "So? What about the types of monsters?"

A knight saluted. "Yes, sir! As far as we can tell, they are the same types as yesterday. However, they do not appear to have decreased in number."

"Don’t look so grim," Magnes said to the dejected knight. "They’ve been reinforced, that’s all. The question is how we overcome this situation. How many can we deploy?"

"Compared to yesterday, about twenty are unable to fight. Their wounds are healing slowly, and the doctors have judged it too dangerous to send them to the front lines. The Edgesons are still operational, but their ammunition is low. The Dwarves are making more, but we won't be resupplied immediately."

Even Magnes was shaken by this news. The Edgeson unit had been instrumental in fending off the attack yesterday. Without ammunition, they were nothing more than walls, and it was only a matter of time before they were breached.

"Line up the Edgeson unit in front of the main gate and have them concentrate their fire only on the monsters that get close. Tell them not to waste a single shot," Magnes ordered. "The Knightly Order, the soldiers, and the adventurers will hold the front defensive line. I will take command on the front lines myself."

A middle-aged knight captain objected. "With all due respect, I cannot approve of you taking command yourself, Captain. If something were to happen to you, the chain of command would be thrown into chaos. We already have enough trouble with the disobedient adventurers. Please, reconsider."

As Magnes was considering the validity of his point, the young adventurer from before came running back.

"S-sorry! We threw water on them just now, but… my seniors won’t wake up at all!"

The middle-aged captain exploded. "Wh-what?! Did they drink that much?! Those idiots!"

The other captains had similar expressions. The young adventurer, not knowing what to do, looked down.

Magnes roared, "Stop it! What good does it do to yell at an inexperienced adventurer like that?! Right now, we should only be thinking about how to cover our lack of numbers!"

The captains fell silent at his outburst.

Magnes turned to the adventurer. "I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. Return to your post."

The adventurer, his eyes welling with tears, bowed and left.

The captains were impressed by their commander’s kindness but at the same time, felt a deep sense of disappointment in the other adventurers. It was natural. To drink before victory was even declared was unforgivable. Their reputation had plummeted.

But Magnes saw things differently.

It was strange that they wouldn’t wake up just from drinking. Had someone drugged them? But the only ones who would benefit from such a thing were the monsters. And of course, the monsters had not been allowed to infiltrate, let alone have the opportunity to do such a thing.

Magnes thought, Then it’s highly likely an inside job. The only one who fits the bill is him. What is he thinking?

He gritted his teeth in frustration.

And so, the battles began in each nation.

Meanwhile, at the border.

Alumi’s ‘Mad Dog’ was fighting fiercely. They had no trouble with the Goblins alone, but then Lizardmen launched a surprise attack from the monsters' rear. The coordination between the Goblins and Lizardmen was remarkable.

The Lizardmen drew their attention with a frontal assault, while the Goblins went for their vital points. The timing was perfect. When they tried to provide support with magic or arrows, the Goblins blocked the attacks with their shields.

This flawless group tactic put Alumi and her party at a severe disadvantage.

And as for Shinsuke and Tina, they were struggling against ten Lizardmen and two Lizardman Hunters.