The forest’s night which usually holds a silence was strangely agitated tonight.
Elves are able to see even in the night. Many humans believe that, but in reality it’s only a few who can.
And thus lights were indeed necessary no matter what if it turns into a battle during the night, moreover a large-scaled one.
The wind, which is sweeping through the trees, is tinged with the stench of iron rust and rot. Sometimes sounds of trees being smashed are weaved into it as well.
It’s not like their long ears are particularly elegant.
The large army of monsters was approaching to the place where the elven garrison has drawn the defence line from a place roughly several kilometres away, however the elves are able to hear the disgusting sounds of their swords and armours rattling as well as their moans and footsteps.
I will definitely die tonight in this place, was the thought which dominated the elves.
Nevertheless, by killing many per soldier in this place, they believe that with stalling the enemy even a second longer, it will result in help towards the residents who are evacuating in the rear. There’s no one who breaks down or tries to run away.
Since they have lived for more than a few decades albeit being young elves, they are far calmer than humans in regards to such aspects.
There are no plans for reinforcements to arrive.
Several of them turned their heads to the rear wondering who it was.
“It’s the adventurer Renya = Kurugi! I have something to discuss with the commander Skrod. Please let me through!” (Renya)
The one who made an appearance from within the darkness was Renya who gave a little girl with a maid appearance a piggyback for some reason.
While the elves were noisy wondering who he was, Renya shouts a second time with a slightly irritated voice.
“There isn’t much time, right!? Please let me though quickly!” (Renya)
“I’m Skrod, but who are you…?” (Skrod)
The one who stepped forward from within the lined up elves was a woman with a tall stature compared to the other elves, blue eyes and blond hair with a short-cut hairstyle.
She wears similar gear to what Kurowaal wore, but at her waist is a small cane, likely the type of item called a wand, hanging.
“I’m the adventurer Renya, who came on a vacation trip here. I have something to tell you. Please listen to me.” (Renya)
“Renya-san!?” (Kurowaal)
It was Kurowaal who rushed over while raising a voice of surprise.
She didn’t carry a weapon at the time he saw her in the city, however now there is one rapier each hanging on the left and right side of her waist.
“Yo, Kurowaal. Been a while.” (Renya)
“Don’t “Yo” me! Why did you come here?” (Kurowaal)
“Shut up and be quiet. Get yourself quietly secured by me.” (Renya)
Renya grabbed the head of Kurowaal, who had approached, in the style of an iron claw with his right hand and began to constrict it with scraping sounds.
Kurowaal struggled in a panic to tear off the hand of Renya with pain travelling through the temples of her forehead, but she whines as she is unable to move at all with their difference in physical strength.
“O-Ouch! It’s extremely painful, Renya-san!? It seems to be cracking!?” (Kurowaal)
“Listen up and stay silent. Faint just like that if you like. I will carry you in no time.” (Renya)
“You, did you hear about that child from some soldier?” (Skrod)
A bit scorn is packed into those words. Skrod addresses Renya bluntly.
“Certainly, if you retrieve only that child, you will be able to sell it as favour to His Majesty, the Emperor. Is that all of your business here?” (Skrod)
A greedy human who came to just recover Kurowaal due to his desire to get a reward, that’s probably how I’m seen, Renya smiles bitterly.
Certainly, that’s the easy way, but before I was to do such thing, I would have abandoned them altogether, he isn’t able to say that though.
“How foolish. Listen to people properly. I came to make use of a decent army for a bit. There’s nothing else but me overrunning the enemy. The matter with this child is just an extra while I’m at it.” (Renya)
“What an idiot. What kind of things are you saying at this place where we are facing a losing battle? There is no way for there to be a method to overturn such overwhelming superiority in numbers.” (Skrod)
Skrod flatly denies Renya’s words.
Renya laughs scornfully at that.
“The idiot is you. Do you think I expressly came to this place if there’s no way to overturn it? What will you do? Will you listen to me?” (Renya)
“Let’s hear it then. Please tell me.” (Skrod)
Renya retorted to Skrod, who said that there’s no such method, that there is actually a way.
It didn’t look like the words of the soldier, who said that she puts priority on utility, were a lie.
“If the enemy comes attacking with the superiority of numbers, we confront that with superiority of numbers on this side as well. That’s how you deal with this.” (Renya)
Renya’s suggestion was reasonable if you talk of a justified measure, but Skrod immediately denied that.
“Impossible. Hasn’t the other side more than 30 times our numbers? Tell me, where will you find the numbers to upset that disparity? Even if it’s reinforcement from the human continent, will they come flying here?” (Skrod)
“It’s foolish to ask whether they will come. Look at reality.” (Renya)
He cuts off and discards Skrod’s objection with a brief comment.
In any case, with the enemy approaching in front of our eyes, it’s necessary to act quickly.
“Listen! And do it well. Split those, who are strong in defence magic, and those, who excel at the elven characteristic magic, from among the elves here. Those with characteristic magic have priority.” (Renya)
“… And then?” (Skrod)
“Shut your eyes to the amount of damage that will appear in the city. While pulling back the line of defence a bit into the close quarters of the city, cast magic obstructing movement in one area that’s likely to become the battlefield and if you are able to fill it with traps, then do just that. There should be something, if it’s magic that works in the forest, right? Things like confining with grasses or changing the ground into mud.” (Renya)
“There are some spells like that, but… that’s unreasonable. Just how much mana will be required at what range…?” (Skrod)
“If it was an unreasonable suggestion, I wouldn’t make it in the first place. I will supply the required mana.” (Renya)
Frau, who was riding on Renya shoulders, puts both her hands into the pockets of her apron dress and takes out their contents.
With Frau’s small hands around 10 gems were apparently the limit of what she could hold even if she used both hands, however it should still be a reasonable aggregate amount of mana.
However, Skrod shakes her head.
“It won’t be enough with this at all.” (Skrod)
“I haven’t said that’s all of them though.” (Renya)
Frau unfastens the sleeve button of her apron dress.
Once Frau faces the largely opened armhole towards the ground, an amount of the same sized magic gems as those that Frau took out from her pockets, as if it was some kind of joke, drop out.
As expected, Skrods expression stiffened and her eyes turned into dots due to the amount of magic gems which began to create a mountain, albeit a small one, while making clinking sounds.
“Are you surprised, foolish woman? Create a trap area for the enemy army by using these while pulling back little by little. If it’s not enough, we will provide more. Form a defence encampment with your characteristic magic and defence spells once you aren’t able to withdraw anymore.” (Renya)
Being called an idiot, Skrod comes to her senses and starts immediately to hurl orders at her subordinates.
From the point of the monsters’ views, it might be seen as them drawing back due to being scared.
Trees, which have short thorns, and long vines begin to sprout in order to close the gaps.
“It’s a forest barrier. Anyone but elves will be tripped up by that. Be careful since you are no exemption to that either.” (Skrod)
Skrod pulls Renya’s arm.
Kurowaal advances next to him.
“I never heard of such large-scaled spell activation.” (Kurowaal)
Kurowaal said while looking over her shoulder at the vegetation growing one after the other in her back.
“Even I, who’s already living for more than 250 years, has never seen or heard of such a thing either.” (Skrod)
Skrod, who is pulling Renya’s arm, says, however Renya, who suggested the invocation of such large-scaled spell, nonchalantly declared,
“If that’s the case, it will be a good experience. Won’t you give me some appreciation?” (Renya)
“If we get saved by that. Rather than that, even if we create a defence encampment by deploying a barrier, we will be overcome sooner or later if we don’t decrease the enemy’s numbers.” (Skrod)
Skrod will have 200 of the 300 infantrymen devote themselves to the maintenance of the barrier. She planned to hold the encampment with the remaining 100.
And she didn’t believe that she will be able to prevent the 20.000 monsters from breaking through the barrier with 200 archers either.
“It’s impossible to lower the damage to zero. Please understand that.” (Renya)
Once Renya, who is still giving Frau a piggyback, said so, Skrod nodded right away.
On top of having received a pointer on how it’s possible to them to return alive, even if it’s only a part of them, she isn’t in a position that she could complain either.
“Although there are 20.000 monsters, they won’t cause any damage if they can’t get into fighting distance. The point is, right now we are able to delay the enemy’s hands reaching us as much as possible with a barrier and an encampment.” (Renya)
“That’s true.” (Skrod)
“In addition, we will continue to defend against the enemy’s attacks by secluding ourselves in the encampment to the best of our abilities.” (Renya)
“I know that too. However, we will be defeated eventually if we only keep defending.” (Skrod)
“That’s only natural. … Frau, how much mana have you left?” (Renya)
Renya asks while looking up.
After folding her arms and thinking for a bit, Frau opened her mouth,
“The previous mountain consumed half of it ~no. I think that currently the remainder is still around 60% with the share provided by master ~no.” (Frau)
“Since it won’t be a problem even if you use it up this time, please use another 5% at the occasion of erecting the encampment.” (Renya)
Frau nods at Renya’s words.
The amount of magic gems, which earlier produced a mountain, held a number that they could distribute around 10 gems to every soldier.
Even so, her statement means that she can put out around the same number of magic gems once again.
Somehow Skrod’s shock becomes stronger than her surprise at that point.
“Once you have 10% remaining, I will be in charge of the fire power with my own mana.” (Renya)
“That’s pure foolishness! What can you do all by yourself!?” (Skrod)
“I will use a series of
“E-… E-Even so, something like a single magician being able to shoot several of those…” (Skrod)
“I’m able to activate up to 200 at the same time, but is that not sufficient, I wonder?” (Renya)
He didn’t attempt to go past his limit, but that amount was pretty much possible. That’s what Renya completed confirming.
Kurowaal, who was accompanying them at Renya’s side, was already incapable of following the conversation. She has entered a stance of giving up and ignoring it.
“Even so, it will likely be impossible to exterminate 20.000. I think that it will turn into a melee of crossing swords at the end. Please be ready for that.” (Renya)
With a mere rapid fire of
“… I’m unable to comprehend, but, got it.” (Skrod)
It looks like Skrod herself is fully aware that it will be endless if she started to question why and how.
And, there’s currently no point in asking Renya about that either.
“Renya-san, you are amazing… really, thank you very much.” (Kurowaal)
Kurowaal has an expression as if she had given up on various things, but even so she puts it into words and gives Renya words of gratitude.
“What, that’s only natural”, Frau throws out her chest in pride on top of Renya’s head.
“Master is amazing ~no. It’s fine for you to praise him even more ~no.” (Frau)
“Oh, do you mainly intend to survive, even if it’s unreasonable, for the sake of my reward?” (Renya)
“You have spoiled various things with that, Renya-san…” (Kurowaal)
Even while dropping her shoulders crestfallen, Kurowaal began to feel like they will really be able to survive for some reason.