Chapter 100: All or Nothing
１００． All or Nothing
「… Everyone huh.」
The hero was delighted and troubled at the same time.
「Take a look. It is just as I said.」
The one-eared elf spellcaster spoke triumphantly.
「… What do you mean?」
「I said that 『Everyone will volunteer without a second thought as soon as we ask for their assistance』. This hero said 『Nope, some people are going to be left behind』.」
The hero shrugs his shoulders awkwardly upon hearing the spellcaster's remark.
「I know that I'm a reckless person. But considering the nature of our tactic, it's for the best to bring as little people as possible.」
「Oioi, Great Hero. I'm going to be troubled here if you underestimate our resolution.」「Exactly. Do you think that everyone going to get cold feet now?」
「You're not a man if you back down from this!」
「Excuse me, I'm a woman though!」
The fist saint, and sword saint alike then looked at Barbara.
「… Welp, almost forgot about that.」
「My bad.」
「Sorry, I almost forgot about it too…」
「Wait a minute, I demand an explanation!!」
Seeing Barbara fuming with rage, the men looked at each other and then burst into laughter.
The atmosphere brightened at once.
「Well, since I've expected this situation from the very beginning,」
The elf spellcaster took out some sort of a bundle of string from the pocket.
「――I've prepared a lottery. There are two 『Hit』 among them.」
「Oi, is that the one who will be left behind?」
「Naturally, it's not like we can take everyone.」
The elf spellcaster smiled unabashedly upon hearing the sword saint's criticism.
「… Once the raid force started their attack into the enemy's base camp and diverted their attention, the rest manpower in this fortress would evacuate.」
The priestess spoke calmly.
「Though the enemy headquarters will be set abuzz like a poked beehive once we have raided their base, we have to expect that they'll try to go after our forces that have retreated. That's why those who got 『Hit』 have to do something about that situation.」
All the Fist saints and the sword saints had twitched smiles on their faces.
「Ain't ya mixed 『Hit』 with 『Miss』 or something?」
「Well, it's not that much different between the two.」
「Hohoho… So it just hit in a name.」
Said Elder Dogajin with a wry smile on his face.
「Well then, time to pull the lot. No doubt about that.」
The elf spellcaster presented the lot… No one could see the tip of the string in the spellcaster's grip.
「Okay, I'm first.」
He calmly pulled out one string without a shred of hesitation.
「Well, we should just let everyone pull it out together.」
「Sure. I'm here.」
「Then I'm this one.」
Everyone grasped a string of their own choice.
「Which one is your choice? Mine is this one.」
「No wait, that string is mine. I've got a bad feeling about this one.」
「You pull this one.」
「NO! THIS ONE IS 『MISS』!」
「THIS STRING IS MINE!」
「SHUT IT! I'M PULLING THIS ONE!」
Barbara grabbed the tip of the string.
「Has everyone held onto their string? Now let's pu――」
Everyone pulled the string together.
――Everyone was looking at each other. And confirmed together.
Dogajin's string was white. The two who pulled together were also white. The others were white, white, and white.
The tip of Barbara's string was―― Dyed in red color.
「Fu*ck…」 The burly sword saint who carried a great sword on his back groaned since he pulled the other red string.
「The one who pulled 『Hit』 is Barbara and Hessel.」
「 Congratulations! Man, the rest is miss huh.」
「Can't be helped.」
Contrary to the group who were laughing happily as they pulled 『Miss』, Barbara frowned and the same goes for Hessel.
「I'm unsuited for protection though! Is anyone willing to trade with me?」
「I refuse!」
「Puff out your chest and accept your fate!」
「This is just right since if my memories serve me right, you're really slow.」
「Coz having you beside us can be really dangerous, I'm satisfied with keeping mine.」
「As I thought, this ain't 『Hit』 this is a huge miss!!」
Yaay.
「… Well then.」
The elf spellcaster who was watching that spectacle with a wry smile on their face stood up slowly from their seat.
「Well then, let's go.」
It was as if they were asking the others to go out for a walk.
「Oh yeah.」
Everyone stood up from their seats too. Barbara could only clench her fists under the table alas, she stood up nonchalantly.
The hero placed his cup on the table.
「What shall we do with our wine and water?」
「Gimme the water. Drinking booze will dull my mind.」
「I'm water too.」
Dogajin and other fist saint, black-haired dogfolk chose water.
「Gimme the booze. Ain't gonna miss the free booze.」
「Hah, that's why you drink cheap booze mixed with muddy water and ended up with diarrhea.」
「That's an old story. So it's water for you.」
「I'm wine!」
The hero poured a lot of wine for the duo who were noisy till the end.
Then everyone raised their cup of water and wine.
「May the fortune of war be with us.」
「May the blessing of the gods be with us.」
「May the spirits guide us.」
Everyone made their prayer and wished―― Before they emptied their cup.
The Fist saints and sword saints alike were filled with fighting spirits. Everyone but Hessel and Barbara who was left behind had――
They left the conference room. The soldiers who took a break were casting doubtful looks on the hero who was walking along with the fist saint and the sword saint. The soldiers with good intuition chanted 「May the fortune of war be with you.」 as if praying for them.
They did the final check of their equipment behind the fortress.
「We'll take a detour around the siege. If we come into contact with them, let's show them what we got, I'm sure that they'll get the message that we're coming for them.」
「… Yes.」
The hero spoke to the priestess. The hero was as composed as ever, as for the priestess―― She barely managed to appear calm and composed.
Their conversation stopped as they looked into each other's eyes――
「… Elder.」
Barbara called out to Dogajin while sending backward glances to the pair.
「Yeah. I'm going to wreak havoc for a bit.」
The fist saint elder of the wise wolf tribe was laughing while baring his fangs.
「This is the stage to raise our fame. That's why I'm itching to show my skill.」
Seeing Dogajin raising his fighting spirit while whistling, Barbara felt pain in her chest since she hated admitting he was reliable.
Though she only knew him for a short time―― She learned a lot from the Elder.
「I want to fight with you.」
「Me too. Well, let's fight together once I return.」
Dogajin raised his fist.
Barbara laughed together with him as she bumped her fist to his fist.
「Either way, let's bet on who will take that demon king's child.」
「Sure. What's the bet?」
「The loser has to dance naked in the bar!」
「Hehehe, you said it now eh? I'm looking forward to your dance.」
Even though they were just betting on their life, the duo still had the leeway to poking at each other's side.
The sword saint touched his curved sword, closing his eyes as if entering a deep meditation state.
The sword saint polished a small, round buckler shield on his left hand with a cloth.
The fist saint started doing light stretching to loosen the joints in their body.
Another fist saint was basking under the warm sunlight――
「Please grant everyone with stealth magic.」
The hero turned around from the priestess as he spoke to her.
「… Yes.」
The priestess raised her cane.
The nearby fist saints, sword saints, and the elven spellcaster huddled together in one place.
The priestess started chanting the aria of the spell. She put all the magical power left in her body into this spell…
The hero and co's figure became blurred and finally blended with the environment around them――
「――Bye, Char.」
Said the hero from over his back.
That moment, the priestess's eyes opened wide.
Alas, the spell's aria had been completed, and the magic had been activated.
The figure of the hero and co had already vanished. Both their footsteps and presence vanished altogether――
「…」
The priestess crumbled down on the ground at that place, tears flowing down along her cheeks.
Barbara and Hessel were looking at each other and then left the place.
Since they were the only ones left, Barbara approached the priestess and hugged her shoulders.
She wanted to at least lend her shoulder for a bit. Alas――
「You, are you by chance.」
The soldiers in the fortress started the preparation for evacuation.
「We have to do our share of the duty too!」
They couldn't afford to keep crying.
「… Yes!」
The priestess nodded. Standing wobbly on her feet while wiping her tears.
†††
――The men who wore veils of concealment magic were running in a group.
「… Are sure about this?」
A sword saint asked with a small voice to the hero.
「About what?」
「You should kiss her at least.」
「I don't have that kind of relationship with her.」
The hero shrugged his shoulders.
「Seriously?」
「I thought you guys are an item.」
Said the usual duo while raising their pinky fingers.
「I mean… No one knows when they're going to die.」
「Ka~h!」 The dog beastfolk sword saint slapped their forehead to hear the hero say that this was for the best.
「It's exactly because we don't know when we're going to die!」
「Good grief.」
「You little ba*stard…」
「Well as expected…」
「E-Eh?」
The hero looked troubled as he received criticism.
「If you're around, they should be able to do a bit more, right?」
When another sword saint said so to the elf spellcaster, the latter's remaining long ear twitched as if to show his dissatisfaction.
「I keep being forced to do that 24/7. Sorry but, the more you push me, the more I want to pull away.」
The hero could only shrug his shoulders with a rather dumbfounded and troubled face.
「I'll give you a shout when I get back.」
Alas, the hero opened his mouth before he turned forward.
「I know that I'm being reckless here. But―― I have no intention to die.」
and said those words.
「Heh, ain't any need to say that.」
「Just return quickly.」
The duo was equally fearless.
Nay, everyone was smiling daringly.
After taking a huge detour they went around the half-encircled fortress, then rushed toward the forest.
Dogajin was running in the front while sniffing with his nose.
「… The smell of those cats.」
「It's filled with their smell.」
The dog beastfolk fist saint nodded in agreement.
「Are we, going to keep running ahead?」
「Please do so.」
「Well then, I'm going to the right.」
「Then I'll take the left.」
The figure of the two fist saints vanished like a gust of wind.
「Wow.」
「Hee~」
The two human sword saints raised a dumbfounded voice. Even though they had been running at a considerable speed, the beastfolk who were gifted with strong physical strength could run even faster―― Especially those who became a fist saint, their movement speed was on a whole nother level.
「How reliable.」
The hero raised a grin on his face.
「,,, We cannot lose to them.」
Yes, they couldn't afford to be left behind either.
（Let's wreak havoc here to halt their plan. So that we can buy some time to――）
――Let her escape to a safe place.
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