In the half way point between Gihon and Chigris, I led the 500 men of the Siracuza army, and fought the 1000 men barbarian army.
Since both of the terrains were mountains, the battlefield is narrow.
Because of that, the two armies had clashed with the same numbers head on.
Even so, we were losing.
I’m swinging the two Demon Swords in the center, but the two sides show the gaps between the strength of the soldiers, and we are being pushed back.
I’m pulling back slowly while cutting enemy soldiers, but the soldiers around me are withdrawing in a faster pace.
Taking advantage of that, the enemies although slowly, they started to surround me.
『There’s no end』
『Otou-san, they surrounded you even from behind』
「It’s alright」
By myself, I pulled the enemies to me.
I swung the Demon Swords without holding back, and the blood soaks the battlefield.
「Damn it! Kill him, he’s alone, he’s just alone, he’s just alone!!」
The enemy general from a little far away became noisy.
He’s sending out commands from a distance barely out of my attacking range.
The order’s he’s sending since earlier is convincing enough, so he’s just probably that kind of general.
With his orders, the enemy soldiers started to push stronger.
It looks like even the soldiers who were standing by from behind was sent out.
「It should be now……Tanya」
I swung Eleanor, and summoned the ghost maid.
『Yes desu!』
「Send the message to Nana, the rat has fallen to take the bait」
『I go〜t it〜!』
The ghost Tanya flew away quickly.
She flew above the enemy soldiers.
And for a while, I continued to cut soldiers.
「Kostamas-sama! Enemy attack, enemy attack from behind!」
「What!! Who are they」
「There’s a woman clad in white armor in the spear head, all of the others are women as well!」
「Damn it, it’s Nana Kanou」
The enemy general Kostamas spat out resentfully.
「There should be soldiers behind, let them take care of it」
「That……the spear soldiers and sword soldiers had advanced, and there are only bowmen behind…… On top of that, because of the narrow terrain, the replacement of units is not smoothーー」
「What……」
Kostamas glared at me.
「You tricked me, Demon Sword Wielder!」
Well, that’s right.
The barbarian army was pushed in the middle of a narrow space, most of them were killed, and only a part of them was allowed to surrender.
In the town of Chigris in the government building, I’m facing Theo.
「We won again, this is all thanks to Your Excellency」
「How’s your casualties」
「20%, including those who had heavy injuries. Well, the percentage is high, but if we use those who surrendered or became prisoners, we had increased our strength instead」
「I see, it’s good then」
「Next will be Pishon. They do not have as many soldiers as in Gihon and Chigris, so there must be no damages just like now. Well, it should be an easy win」
Theo said proudly.
Yes, yes, a flag it is then, should I just make you charge in the front line just to collect it.
『How about doing it for real? It would be easier to fight from now on if you do so』
I couldn’t help but get tempted by Eleanor’s suggestion.
「We will hurry to reorganize them. As soon as that ends, we will march. Well then」
Theo left.
And Nana entered.
「Good work, give me your report」
「Ha! As usual, we used the magic balls to heal those who are heavily injured and above, and let the lightly injured rest」
「Un」
「Also, there are some other things……the first platoon had used all of their magic balls in this battle」
「They used all of it? Was there someone strong?」
I usually just listen to the report just for the sake of doing it, but I got interested because it was about the first platoon.
It’s my woman, Nikki’s platoon that I took care as a whole a while ago.
「No, the enemy pressure was just the same. It looks like the entire platoon has been impatient to get battle results, they stuck out and got defeated instead」
I knew myself that I had a frowning face.
Nana doesn’t sugar coat her words, especially if it’s with my orders.
So if Nana said that they had been impatient to get results, it should be exactly as she says.
「There might be similar cases from now on」
「Do something about itーーno, I’ll do it personally」
「Understood. The other nine platoons has no problems, their losses and battle results are just as usual」
「I got it」
I came to the first platoon’s tent.
「It’s me, I’m going in」
I said, and entered.
Nikka and the others, these women whose faces I remember were completely alright.
It’s good if it’s usual, but it isn’t right now.
My order was to use the magic balls on the heavily injured without holding back, and leave the light injuries to natural recovery.
They’re completely alright means, they were either completely uninjured or heavily injured. And the first platoon had used all of their magic balls.
「Sir, thank you for your hard work, sir」
When Nikki saluted, the other slave soldiers saluted with their voice in synchrony.
「I’ll just sit here」
I declared, and sat in the middle of the tent.
「I heard about it from Nana」
When I said that, all of them including Nikki flinched.
『It looks like they have a lot of ideas』
Yeah.
「You used all of the magic balls, well, that doesn’t matter. It’s something that I gave you, so even if you used all of it, I’d just give you some more」
While I’m speaking, the women gradually look down.
「Come to think of it, only you guys were different from the time in Gihon. I didn’t mind it at that time because the difference was insignificant, but it just shows that there was something wrong ever since huh」
I stopped there, and stared at Nikki.
「What do you think?」
Nikki bit her lower lip, and had difficulties to say anything.
I looked to the side, and looked at a different woman.
She is……she’s the woman who asked me to do it while whispering her name.
「Themis」
She flinched having her name called out.
She had a face that looked both happy and afraid.
「What do you think?」
「I-It is exactly as sir says」
「Why?」
「W-We……we wanted to be of Kakeru-sama’s help」
「You wanted to?」
「We are slave soldiers, to be able to help Kakeru-sama, we must show results in the battlefields」
「……you mean, it went very well in Gihon and the damages you had was small, but this time you failed, and had huge casualties」
Themis nodded.
I looked around, the girls who I had met my eyes with timidly nodded.
「I see, I got the story. If soーー」
The girls flinched again.
I haven’t said anything yet, but this is also an interrogation, or something like a trial.
They couldn’t be blamed to be afraid of their sentence.
However, I said this without showing care.
「I’ll train all of you for a while」
「Eh?」
Someone let out her voice, all of them were dumbfounded.
「I’ll train you. I’ll make you strong enough that you’d find it hard to get injured even if you became rash」
『Oi oi, what the heck is that. Isn’t there a better punishment likeーー』
I flicked Eleanor.
「There’s no meaning on doing that right. They’re just women who want to work for my sake better, if so, there’s no meaning if I don’t give them strength so they could do it right」
『What the heck’s with that logic』
「Is something weird?」
I don’t think that there is something weird about it though.
Eleanor didn’t say anything anymore. She became silent, leaving just an emotion similar to sighing.
For the meantime, I left her just like that, and looked at the girls once again.
「That’s decided, you got it」
Leaving a second of pause, Nikki then stood up quickly. A moment later, the other 19 of them also stood up.
「Nikki Cephalis and 19 others. Sir we are going to get stronger sir!」
「Sir we are going to get stronger sir!」, they said.
「Ahh」
When I nodded to them, the girls’ expression changed.
「We’ll get stronger, and survive until the end」
「We will survive till the end」, all of them said in a feminine tone.
「Good girl」
I pulled Nikki into my chest, and kissed her.
The other girls had envious looks.