Chapter 99: Withdrawal From The Front Line
９９． Withdrawal From The Front Line
The inside of the fortress was, in a certain meaning, in far worse condition than the outside littered with corpses.
The injured soldiers were lining up along the overcrowded passage. There was almost no space left even for standing. That was the reason why the elder and Barbara had to walk with utmost caution. They were tired of waiting their turn to receive treatment while groaning in pain――
The human priest and elven mages were running about, trying their best to save as many lives as possible alas, there was a clear lack of the user of miracle for the wounded people.
「Sis…」
A hoarse voice came from below.
The man that looking up feebly at Barbara looked pale, his abdomen and half of his face was covered in bloodied bandages. He was a familiar figure for her.
「… Oh my, never expected that you're not kicking the bucket yet.」
「Drawing the short end of the stick I guess, sis…」 replied the man with a wry smile upon hearing Barbara speak as cheerfully as usual.
「You're growing up and become quite a lookie in time I don't see you.」「Hehehe… Can't be compared to you, sis…」
「So, what's the matter?」
When she leaned over while poking at his face that was free of wound the man blatantly said 「Ouch, the pain fell on my entire face」 in tears.
「…」
He lost his dominant arm from elbow to below. Since the torn arm wasn't by his side, it only means that it was lost on the battlefield.
Healers who could regrow missing limbs were quite rare. God knows when will he receive such high-rank healing.
In short, the man might not be able to become war potential for the next battle―― In short, his treatment would be postponed.
「I guess I'm going to retire soon…」
Muttered the man with a rather dejected tone――
"… Oh no." That was what Barbara thought.
She knew that those with eyes like the man before her―–tended to die immediately.
「GET A GRIP ALREADY!」
Barbara mercilessly flicked the man's forehead. Causing the man to groaning in pain.
「You still owe me 10 mugs of ale. If you want to die, do so after you pay back your debt!」
「He, hehehe… Give me a break…」
The man seems to have no choice but to laugh when he is told so by Barbara.
「When the time has come, I'll run while carrying you on my back… That's why get a grip for a bit more.」
「Thanks.」
The man heaved a sigh before he closed his eyes.
「Well… I'll get a shoulder to lean, and recuperate a bit.」
「Sure. This will be on your bill too.」
「Hehehehe… I'll do my best to pay my debt once we get back…」
The man was grinning mischievously and finally started to focus on restoring his stamina.
Barbara stood up after tapping that man's shoulder, nodding at the elder who watched their banter in silence before starting to walk again.
（… Loser's wail huh.）
Despite what she said, the man was obviously in a tattered state.
He might be succumbed to his wound if he lost his focus. Though his life might have been spared if he received treatment, there was another patient too…
She who had nothing but a sword felt really powerless at this kind of time.
It was something that couldn't be helped alas, she couldn't help but think about it.
「…」
Though the elder of wise wolf glanced worriedly at Barbara for a moment, he didn't say anything in particular.
Or couldn't say to be exact.
Maybe he also had similar thoughts in his mind――
†††
Female warriors were on extreme minority among the human race.
Though there were a lot of them who became heroes or priests, due to the inherent nature of the human race who had a low magical power, they had to fight with their inherent physical strength.
That was the reason why the majority of soldiers or swordsmen were men. If a woman enters the battlefield, it only means that she is just that skilled, or she has no other choice.
――In Barbara's case, she was in both of the cases.
Sharp glint dwelled in her eyes, black hair that sheared short so that it wouldn't become a hindrance during the battle, and a cross-shaped scar on her cheek. Rather, it wasn't just her face, her body was covered in scars, it was a testament to her surviving numerous battles.
Female Swordsman, Barbara.
She was also a sword saint with an alias, the 『Unicorn』.
She received enlightenment before the age of 30 and became a sword saint. That alias came from the fact that she closed in toward her opponent with her one-horned helmet she inherited from her family and punched numerous holes into her opponent's metal breast plate like nothing.
Due to her relentless bravery, ability, and frank nature, she was called as 『Big Sis』 by those around him.
… Alas, when they heard that Barbara was a noble lady, they vehemently refused to believe that.
Barbara Da Rosa
She was the second daughter of the countryside noble of the neighborhood country that used to exist.
Despite her youth, since she was born with magical power stronger than your average citizen due to her noble bloodline alas, Barbara was inept in magic.
Though her parent felt sorry for her, since they already had an excellent eldest daughter and son, for better or worse, Barbara was raised quite freely.
That was the reason why despite being a noble lady, she was taught how to use swordcraft to defend herself without pressing too much on cultural education.
Though Barbara had a complex about being unable to use magic, she was loved by the sword.
By the time she was 15 years old, she became so strong that not even her tutor could beat her. Her trained limbs and body were by no means the body of a noble lady. Her mother who couldn't bear to watch her daughter abandon her womanhood ended up falling ill and went as far as setting a match against the knight of her family to 『Teach her the reality』 alas, Barbara defeated those knights without breaking a sweat.
Even if those knights were cutting a corner, it was a fact that they got defeated by a teenage girl. Seeing that his daughter had so much fun with a sword, he said 「That looks fun」 and gave her his permission, resulting in her becoming more and more absorbed with the sword.
――And then, the situation turned 180 when the Demon King Army invaded her motherland.
Her eldest brother and father who departed to the frontline were killed during the battle. They failed to stop the invasion of the Demon King Army. hus Barbara decided to take the matter into her own hands.
Alas, despite her devotion to the sword, she had not been educated in how to command. Having said that, the army had no leeway to treat her as a decoration either.
Thus, Barbara was swinging her sword in the frontline as a soldier.
And then, when she crosses the line between life and death during the battle against ogre and beastfolk, she transcends the logic of the world. She was 20 years old at that time.
No matter how fast she became a sword saint, being able to reach that point before the age of 30, and as a woman on top of that was a testament of her ability as a genius loved by the sword.
Barbara's activity wasn't that conspicuous since she was nothing more than a swordsman. A person couldn't change the tide of the war. The army kept losing, one defeat followed by another until her motherland collapsed.
Though she somehow managed to rally her family and part of the citizens of her family's territory into the neighboring country―― This Defteros kingdom, they couldn't have a comfortable life due to their status as refugees. To fulfill her responsibilities as one of the former nobles, Barbara offered her service to the army of Defteros kingdom.
In that way, she kept roaming around the battlefield against the Demon King Army, somehow surviving every single one of them―― And arriving at the present.
And now, Defteros Kingdom was about to be defeated by the Demon King Army…
「… You came」
Upon entering the conference room in the basement of the fortress, everyone except Elder and Barbara had been already present.
The hero whose body is covered in enchanted armor is covered with a gash. Priestess with dark and heavy eyebrows under her eyelids. Elven sorcerer with missing ear but left it as it was and just stopped the bleeding to conserve magical power.
The humans and the beastfolks―― Everyone was either a sword saint or a fist saint.
「… Is this everyone, Dogajin-dono?」
「Are there any other?」 Asked one of the sword saints to the Elder.
「This is everyone.」
The fist saint wise wolf 『Elder』, Dogajin replied with a nod.
「…」
A heavy silence descended into the conference room following his reply. Barbara could only grit her teeth in frustration… Because some of her acquaintances had killed in action. The warriors whose military record surpassed Barbara's were――
That moment, the door of the conference room opened up and an aunty entered with a pot in her hands.
「Breakfast is ready.」
――The kitchen seems to be in full operation despite the fierce attack of the Demon King Army. The aroma of the soup with plenty of ingredients made everyone recall the fact that all of them were famished.
「Ah, thanks a lot.」
「Let's fill our belly first. We can't fight with an empty stomach.」
Everyone then started eating the soup that was distributed to everyone on a plate as if to forget the gloomy atmosphere from before.
It was truly a soup chockful of ingredients.
…It was as if the cook was trying to dispose of everything in the warehouse.
「… Let's talk while having a meal. I have a suggestion.」
The hero drinks his soup while looking around at everyone.
「My priest gave a 『Blessing』 to the warrior of the demon race.」
「Which enables me to grasp their position.」 Added the priestess with a heavy dark bag under her eyes.
「It turned out, the target was the aide of the 4th Demon Prince Emergias… And the effect of the spell ended once the other party entered the camp.」
――The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly filled with vigilance.
「At this rate, there will be no reinforcement to this fortress and it's just a matter of time before this place is besieged from all sides. This fortress might fall either this night or tomorrow morning. On the other hand, if we blatantly show them that we're evacuating, they might ambush us during the evacuation.」
Said the hero as he drank the soup.
「That's why in my opinion… We should choose a few of us who excel in hiding their presence, and raid their base right after this to distract them.」
His face filled with resolution.
「Naturally, our target is the 4th Demon King's Child.」
――Barbara unconsciously grasped the hilt of her sword.
「… If you're one of us, please lend us your power.」
No one could answer immediately.
But looking at his eyes, she knew what he was trying to do.
It was already obvious what kind of resolution he had in his mind.
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