Chapter 73: Andy’s fight, Dianne’s fight
They’re not allowed to win or lose this fight. Parents who are satisfied without permission in such a dying way arent admitted.
“They think they made their own time and because they got one at the end of their own time, they couldn’t believe what they had built”
“……That’s right. Even if I were a parent, I might think so”
Hilda takes care of my wounds as I was beaten and cut and looks up while using a medical light skill.
“Parents will be sensitive to the slack and mistakes of their children only by the amount of time they have spent on their children. I think they were wrong about their upbringing and their actions to show to their children”
Selenium nods.
“……The people of Trot Kingdom now have been a little kind to other races as a policy, but they think that it is an unfair compromise. ……Because the country loses, they don’t refuse to be pressed and are looking at foreigners and other races as a symbol of that”
……Would I take that I was beaten? I think it’s such an idiot that there’s a pretty rip-off like this everywhere. No, but they’ve always been involved in the whole bar area……and can’t they think of the country? It may be a diplomatic issue. And the king and nobles who are the parents of this country have a feeling of blockage of the people as symbolized by them……they might have had a sense of crisis in the loser’s guts to reject others and run away from each other and gain rest.
“They lost because they lost. They didn’t want to win because they couldn’t win. If they got into such simple thinking, this country is certainly not accustomed to losing……. But still, there is the future and the power to go there if they can show it clearly and they think that a flashy coup d’etat is the answer”
“I don’t admit that”
Hilda’s hand leaves my lips. I confirm it and stand up.
“It should be more important to have your parents live than what you can get in such an act”
“That’s right”
I look at Selenium that strikes a subtle nuance. Selenium gave a slightly troubled, frustrated look that she often makes when speaking of my fortune.
“……Isn’t it all about happy parent and child?”
“Selenium……”
……Ah, I see. For selenium, parents are like that. There is a parent who dislikes the child and regrets the existence of the child, too. But.
“Selenium, can you be such a parent when you think of your child?”
“……Eh”
“Even if your and my child is born, won’t you be happy to be a parent and a child”
……I put on a spiteful expression. Selenium cant imagine “Other than that”. I don’t want to repeat my childhood, but I do have a really happy vision. From the fortune of a half-elf, it is only to imagine in fragments from the appearance of other parents and children. But.
“I hate it. I want my child to love his parents and ancestors. With all my heart, it’s the son of Andy Smithson, the grandson of Peter Smithson, ……even the son of Selenium. I don’t want my child to experience what I have tasted”
I couldn’t do it with my parents. I couldn’t boast that I was happy. I wasn’t told that it was good to be born and to be a good child.
“I don’t want to be such a disappointing parent who dies by himself and is satisfied with it. It’s useless unless it’s a pinning parent until he sees his child properly”
“……I agree”
After holding her hand tight in front of her stomach, Selenium looked at me with a firm look.
“Then, I also……let you become such a mother”
“Of course”
“Absolutely?”
……Ah, I see. For that, I will never die.
“Absolutely”
……The opponent is the Sword Saint Brigade, a group of selected superhuman swordsmen. It is impossible to be absolute. But I promise. To be absolute.
———————————
In spite of the close midnight, Selenium and Hilda completed the numbness poison before dawn. ……However, it is said that the anesthesia of the hand was formulated and concentrated.
“The lethality of the poison itself is low, but be careful because the arrow of the crossbow is originally high in lethality. ……Besides, if they fall in this snow, if they don’t give first aid to their companions, they will have hypothermia anyway and will die”
“Understood”
Upon receiving the bottle of the medicine that has been prepared, I confirm my possession. It is a crossbow that has been used for seven years. When I touch it, I know it’s fine. ……The worst punishment and fines will await me, because of the unauthorized removal of the squadron’s gear, but I’ll accept it after everything is over.
“Well then……Selenium, Apple, please”
“Yes”
“……Are you leaving Anzeros-san and the others behind again?”
“They have something to do on their own. I am going to 『Drink again』 from now on”
I’m going out in the name of drinking…….and head north. I am not a member of the group now, not a person involved in the operation. It is another act on that premise.
I only asked Selenium and Apple for help. The illusion magic of Selenium is defensive. Apple……can use divination magic. Although it is divination, it can’t predict the future. Half-elves don’t believe in destiny, the will of God, or anything like that. Its true identity is the wide-area perception using the flow of “Qi” and the magic to convert it into five senses.
Dianne also uses it. Or more precisely, these two magics are the key to long-distance battles of the crossbow corps. You can do anything with magic, but the power you can handle at once is small. Putting out a flame, putting out a blizzard. It tears the earth and causes a storm. If you don’t know the real elves (or their magic), you tend to imagine the offensive behavior of these acts, but basically, you can’t do that and it was a waste if you could.
However, direct intervention in human perception requires much less power than actually manipulating physics to cause such phenomena. The magic used in the war focused on here and the illusion became mainstream. Strategic misinformation, illusion concealment, virtual image corps, march vagus. There are many places where lies act effectively in war. But elves and dark elves are, by convention, not very likely to join soldiers except warriors and other races have a limited number of magicians. Therefore, the illusionist has become a kind of special unit by itself and has long been devoted to the disturbance until the frontal confrontation.
It is Dianne who opened a way to boost the war power locally by operating it with a new weapon called crossbow on its own front and defeating the enemy. The ultra-long-range beyond common sense can be limited first by human perception. Many human perceptions don’t recognize the target one kilometer away. First of all, if you break it with perceptual amplification magic and then misrepresent your arrows and your current location with an illusion? It is the birth of an ideal sniper team.
Where did the shot come from, where should they hide? Even enemies who don’t know it amplify their fears with each other and breaks up. ……. I’m not the same as the sniper of the North Elf even if I work hard alone. Still, I’ll do it first. Neither victory nor defeat is made. If it is said to push through, the thread is first prone. If the old men are going to revolutionize the kingdom, I will revolutionize the old men with my tactics.
“The Sword Saint Brigade has begun to move forward. People are pretty much attached.”
“That would be so”
Report by Apple’s divination. At present, the old men were at a distance of four minutes from the post town to the royal capital. There is indeed a master swordsman. ……I don’t know how many years he has retired, but he looks like about 80-year-old. Certainly, it will be difficult with the one-week walk marching to the side of the boat, which was taken long ago.
“Aim at that master swordsman old man”
“Eh”
“I, I’m sorry”
“There isn’t enough room to be targeted by strong guys”
I set the arrow. I aim for the foot of the old master swordsman in the sensitization that has been sensitized to the limit. And shoot. ……A direct hit, the old man fell over again. The surrounding people scream. The old Sword Saints roam and look around. ……Even in a hard-to-find forest, it is not possible to find us because we also cast an illusion of space fixation.
“Bingo”
“N, Next one?”
“No, let’s escape”
It seems that old man Bonaparte has predicted the place from where the arrow came from the arrow’s trajectory. I began to hide with everyone in the shielding around here. ……If they know that there is no continuous fire, they will rush here.
“For now, it’s minus 1”
“If there were no people around us, the minus would be 2 or 3 though”
If there is no support, the combat personnel will be put to nursing. However, people seem to turn to nurse if it is that old master swordsman, One person thanks to the men and women who paraded while making a speech.
————————–
By night, I reduced their number by three. By the time we enter the post town, we withdraw as far as possible.
“It works well”
“……I don’t know”
If you look only at the number, it is nearly 10%. The other party is the Sword Saint Brigade. It is not surprising that a medal will be awarded in the war. However, the other party is the「Completely defeated」Sword Saint Brigade. Even if they are reduced to half, they will probably have a fierce battle against the enemy 10 times the amount in the royal capital. The soldiers’ method of operation, which Dianne said, does not apply to them. The soldiers who intend to live to win and those who don’t have the 「Honourable defeat premise」are fundamentally different from each other.
“You can’t be too far away. Do you want to stay up all night here?”
“Yess. ……After a long time sleeping outdoors, Selenium”
“I did it quite a lot while looking for Andy, though”
I spend a cold night with those two in a small valley. ……And, at the beginning of the preparation, I saw a torch far away.
“!!”
Mountain hunting. Have they been searching for us from the direction of our sniper? They don’t think that it is an attack by the number of only three people, but we can’t afford to fight now whether the other party is the people or the Sword Saint Brigade. It is too much to win with a crossbow against a large group.
“Selenium, Apple, we are found! Let’s getaway!”
“Eh……”
“Selenium, jump down!”
A few quick shadows appeared behind Selenium by climbing the slope to look for the bark of firewood. It was old Sword Saints. It means that it is not the only one who has faded like the old Sword Saint from before.
“Kya……hyaaa!?”
Selenium escapes the hands of the old Sword Saint and we fall down the cliff. Hair’s breadth. But there are several Sword Saints. My firepower is a crossbow. What will I do? Unlike Selenium, Apple can’t protect herself. The Sword Saints recognize us and slide down the slope. Shoot. It takes 20 seconds to wind up after shooting. What to do with just one shot. ……Shit, checkmate so fast? No, not yet.
“Take this!!”
I picked up the crossbow and cried out to the nearby Sword Saint. Startled, the Sword Saints stop moving. Selenium and Apple have a startled look. Yup. It would be startled. It’s just a bluff. The Sword Saints haven’t taken anything.
“Good job to lure out a small number! Abandon the sword and put your hand on the ground! You’re surrounded!”
“……”
The Sword Saints stopped moving. Apple and Selenium slowly come to me and look around. Of course, nothing must be found out. ……But, I can’t help but continue the bluff while having cold sweat.
“What happened!”
“……Kukuku, if you think about what to say”
One of the old Sword Saint barely held the sword firmly and turned it straight to me.
“Do you think that we are now willing to spare our lives and beg for forgiveness?”
“……”
It was so. In the first place, I wasn’t the first person to bluff.
“Who is surrounded in the first place? I don’t know what kind of command aimed at us, but using paralyzed poison or a weak woman like this, Celesta’s art is totally not understandable”
“……”
Damn it. Even if I didn’t surrender, I wondered if I could get away with haste. After all, it is useless…….
“I told you to throw away your sword and put your hands on the ground”
…………What. Eh? It’s not my line now, right?
“You are enclosed. You’re the ones that came out in small numbers, so you are easy to hunt”
The voice echoes in the valley and I don’t understand the sound source well. But that voice was beautiful, frightening like a wolf that hid the joy and once enough to discourage the Sword Saints again.
“Wh, who is it……show yourself”
“Last notice. Throw away your swords and put your hands on the ground”
The voice brutally rejects the request of the Sword Saint, including a little frustration. The Sword Saints have been jingling for a while and then wait for attention……and they don’t rush away. There are dozens of arrows flying in an instant.
“Guu!!”
“Ugaaa!”
At the same time as sewing the feet of the sword saints on the ground, three people fly in the sky and stand in front of the sword saints.
“Freeze”
“Abandon your swords”
“……You lose!”
Anzeros, Aurora and regular soldier Mikagami. And from among the surrounding mountains and forests, soldiers carrying crossbows……the crossbow corps appears.
“Everyone……”
“What are you doing, Andy”
Jumping down from the top of a nearby tree, Dianne stared at me. I can see Hilda, Laila, Jeanne and Maia in the crossbow corps.
“……I am”
How do I explain? ……I don’t want to bother you? I don’t care because I’ve been removed. Because what I do is my own selfishness? ……Everything is too cool to say. Then, for me who was full of answers, Isaac gave a helping whistle while laughing.
“Haa. ……We heard everything from Hilda-sensei”
Williams nodded beside Isaac.
“Are you going to catch them all alive? You, your opponent are the decaying Sword Saint Brigade, so you come up with such an idea”
Everyone starts off with it and comes close to me.
“You’re going to die in front of your lover”
“Because you’re in front of your female slaves, you try to be cool”
“I’m overwhelmed by the style of 10-man captain Smithson”
One by one, my head is poked. ……But. When that was done, Dianne smiled and said.
“But why don’t you consult with me. ……Keeping them alive is a good idea. We can frustrate that nasty king’s plan”
“That’s right!”
“It was perfect if you hadn’t done it alone!”
Everyone in the Crossbow team raises the mood.
“But the danger level will rise. I can’t be killed, it’s my plan”
“Haa, don’t misjudge”
Isaac struck my back.
“The dangerous bridge is prepared from the beginning. Right 100-man commander!”
“But I didn’t think that Smithson will run away first”
Everybody smiles with ease. And finally, associate soldier Boyd scratched his head and said,
“……I also agree with 10-man captain Smithson. ……I want the parents to believe in their children. And……I will become a parent who can believe in his children”
……Oh, I see. This is a guy that didn’t always believe in his parents.
“What, Boyd, you want to be a parent?”
“How far is it with Sylvia? How far!”
“You were the only one who believed that I would carry on a pure relationship!”
Boyd is kicked by another soldier all at once. Being greeted by them, I returned to the crossbow corps again.
——————————
We return to the capital once with the carriage and Laila that was placed nearby. In the base of the tent which was made near the highway in the north, Dianne gathered the 10-man captain again and began the meeting.
“There has been no change in the operation so far. Divide into two platoons and cover each other while withdrawing alternately. The front is protected by Anzeros’s team. ……And I will be on a frontal battle when Sir Bonaparte comes out”
“Ho, can I help you too?”
“Laila and Maia have something else to do”
Dianne pointed at the end of the map. ……Polka direction?
“I want you to be able to fetch the water of the miraculous spring from Polka. In rotation”
“What”
“……In rotation?”
“Yes, this fight is honest, no matter how bad it happens. I have also confirmed with my own eyes that the miraculous water can cure anything if you are not dead”
“But, there is no effect over half a day. That means it’s not worth taking it out……”
“That’s why we are going to let Laila and Maia get it”
“……I see”
With dragon’s wings, it is possible to bring it to the capital before the effect runs out.
“All crossbow arrows should be painted with the mixture from Selenium and my sister. Don’t aim for the key points. ……And withdrawal is quick. The more you attract, the more stress it has on Anzeros’s team”
“But if we can’t do it, it will be a burden for 100-man commander……no matter how many people are left of the Great Sword Saints there will be no victory”
“Oh, it’s too late for that. It may not be in time”
Diane took a breath and said to everyone, before gulping down a cup of well water.
“It’s okay, this is the first strategy not to die. We won’t let either the enemy or the ally die. It can’t die. It will create hate, it will make the battle go, it will be that. That’s what the king thinks”
“It’s the best if no one really dies”
Williams says so a bit selfishly. Williams agrees to the fight we’re talking about, but in terms of whether it is actually possible, it will still have to be evaluated as an unreasonable task. But.
“In the previous war, I defeated them unilaterally. I won without my men dying. Even that was said to be impossible at that time. But I did it”
“The situation is different from that time”
“That’s right. There is no identical war anywhere”
One beat later.
“The situation is different, this is different from the previous war. Celesta doesn’t have to beat Trot now. The conditions for victory are different…….a fight where no one dies, Williams”
“If the other side lets you do that”
“I have always dreamed of it”
Dianne smiled out of place.
“I was called the child of battle, I was feared as the war god and I kept on kicking the enemy in rage, but I always think after the battle is over. Is it nothing but killing. ……Is there a fight that neither the enemy nor allies will protect? Williams, this is my dream fight. I will make my dream come true”
Selfishness disappeared from Williams’s mouth. The dream Dianne says is not just a dream, it is a beautiful equation spread before a genius. It was something that the goddess in front of us could probably do.
“……Jesus, Mari. We will help you with that dream”
Williams smiles with enthusiasm, putting his fist on his left chest and stretching his back. Everybody follows him. Laila and Maia were laughing with joy.
——————————
The declaration of war was held with a single arrow. From the capital city of Trot to the first post town of Canzone, from which there is a band that is regarded as a rebel regardless of costumes and to attack. And to the extent that I regret, we have stated the recommendation of unconditional surrender. However, there is no way for them to obey.
As you might expect, thirty or more of them marched to the town of Canzone in a stately manner.
“Good……it’s finally starting”
The head of the deployed squadron is the Smithson squad and the Williams squad. We withdrew after a maximum of three shots. It is now supposed to leave behind to the rear guard Isaac and Keiron. Dianne casts a spell. The crossbow stock mediates the distribution of the magic effect to us and the sense is strengthened at a stretch. Still, at 800 meters, I saw the Sword Saint Brigade ahead and set up my crossbow……and I noticed something strange. There are not even 20 people, including the old man.
“……10-man captain Smithson, isn’t the number of people less?”
“Yes……what does that mean? Damn, Smithson squad stop firing, minute search operation!”
Did they save even a few handpieces, or did they split up? The increase in uncertainty comes at a cost. I don’t know when or when the blow comes. That’s also, the other party is Great Sword Saints. Although we can’t do anything wrong with the declaration of war, we were still at a loss. And the Williams squad who started shooting is almost out of the first attack.
“Kuu……it is indeed the Sword Saint Brigade!”
“Don’t you think you skipped training!?”
“That’s fine, roll up the strings! The ogres will pull the strings of the next guy!”
We can’t go too far after the first strike. It’s like asking for a quick fix.
“Smithson squad set up! ……Shoot!”
I order my squad and they shoot the arrows immediately. However, the idea that the old man takes the timing and makes everyone take evasive action isn’t done.
“Williams squad switch to sweeping at regular intervals! 100-man commander, aim!”
“……Ku”
“100-man commander!?!”
“Williams squad aim to change! Smithson squad, keep on checking as it is!”
Dianne is hesitating. And she suddenly orders the Williams squad to turn 90 degrees. I wondered and look at the newly aimed position while winding up the strings. ……In front of Isaac’s squad. Nothing……no. Things like running water are moving. ……Wait, that……!
“Hiding in an Illusion! The Sword Saint Brigade also has a magician!?”
“Done! Such a card!”
Even for humans, about one in fifty people have the ability to use magic like elves. Despite the fact that it is a rare talent that isn’t so different from the martial arts of the sword, humans can’t use magic. The arrows of the Williams squad, who were thrown away and let go, paralyzed one person, but more than a dozen Sword Saints came into the pocket of Isaac squad. And Isaac is cut, the illusion is solved at once and the remaining Sword saints rush. Isaac throws his crossbow and throws rocks around him to intimidate the Sword Saints but it is not very useful against the Great Sword Saints who cut the rocks. Isaac’s squad collapses.
The members of Isaac’s squad are blown off by shockwaves one after another, throwing out the crossbow and running away. Isaac grabs the Sword Saint that was going to kill him there and throws him behind with every effort. ……Isaac could have crushed him which is bad, so not to kill him he throws him away. Isaac was a lawful person at such times. But the rest of the Sword Saints swing their swords to the fleeing soldiers. One fell down. Two people fell down. The Sword Saints try to stab them. One was desperate Isaac, but the other wasn’t……from the position of Isaac. And, instead, Boyd jumped and helped.
“Smithson!!”
I′m called by Anzeros suddenly. I can’t afford to look around. If we don’t shoot here, we will be killed by the old men. While I was watching the Isaac squad for tens of seconds, the old men came back and ran towards here.
“Damn!! Shoot!”
Shoot. But it will be avoided soon. As long as there are eyes of an old man, a direct hit is difficult. I can’t but say I didn’t shoot. And Dianne and Anzeros cant move in front of us because the old man is in the main unit. While doing such a thing, Isaac’s squad is annihilated.
“Damn!!”
I saw Isaac’s squad. It seems that Isaac and Boyd prevent the pursuit of the injured person, but it is as if it were a sand mountain in front of the waves.
“Williams! Another shot! Another shot towards Isaac and Boyd, good in 10 seconds, okay!”
Dianne shouts.
“10 seconds is……yeah, understood!!”
That’s why we’re making a profit and death only extends a little. Swallowing those words, Williams fires for support. And by the time it landed on the sky in the south, one of the fastest flying dragons rushed over the city of Canzone.
“……What!?”
“Fly dragon……is it a flying dragon service!?”
Those guys are useless. They have never been put into battle and transport is limited to three, including the sentry of jockeys. I don’t know what it is flying for, but it won’t overturn the war. I thought.
“…………!!”
The next moment, an unbelievable thing happened. The Sword Saints who approached Isaac are blown away all. Beautifully in the same direction. ……Isaac’s squad is taken care of.
“I was in time”
Dianne smiles. ……When I noticed, I saw a familiar man standing in front of Isaac’s squad.
“100-man special duty commander……Becker?!”
“Yes, he is the only one available during this emergency”
“That way of talking hurts”
……Running a few hundred meters in tens of seconds at once, suddenly appearing at our place and listening to the talk, that’s 100-man special duty commander Becker. Are you ridiculous?
“Well, let’s start the fight here. Ah Becker, this time it’s not good to kill”
“……Uwa, that kind of handicap? I’m glad I just finished them with a kick”
When I look at it, Dianne pulls out a sword and shoot slowly at Bonaparte’s direction. It’s no longer enough to use the crossbow.
“Let’s go back, Andy”
“From here on, it’s their job”
Inspired by Anzeros and Aurora, we begin to withdraw. ……The feast of the warriors was about to begin.