Chapter 171
Chapter 171. Defense Battle Begins
“…It’s almost time, huh?”
Looking up at the crimson sky, Barbara murmured with a tense expression.
— In the southwestern area of the Capital of Evaroti, at Sunburn Fort. Barbara was there, one of the six forts surrounding the capital.
It had been known for a few days that the Demon Lord’s Army would invade tonight, and even last night, it took longer than usual for her to fall asleep after going to bed.
Yet, when the moment finally arrived, a shiver ran down her spine as if it were too late.
Even someone like herself, the Sword Saint, felt this way. How must the common soldiers and militia around her be feeling?
(…No, in front of higher Demon Races, I suppose a lowly soldier and I aren’t so different.)
She quickly revised her thoughts. No matter how skilled she became with a sword, Barbara, with her weak magical power, had no means to resist magic. She could only pray that the priests and Forest Elf Mages stationed on the higher levels of the fort would maintain their miraculous protection for as long as possible.
She relaxed her shoulders and glanced around.
Like her, the soldiers crouching on the walls waited in silence. If they carelessly showed their heads, they could get shot by a Night Elf archer. Usually, in a siege battle, the defending side would have the advantage, but against the Demon Lord’s Army, that wasn’t a given. It was extremely difficult to deal with Beastmen and Demon Soldiers climbing the walls while dodging the magic of the Demon Race and the arrows of Night Elves.
And once their defenses were breached, the warriors of the Demon Race would flood in.
(…Well, considering the difficulty of taking down a fort defended by the Demon Lord’s Army, perhaps it’s still better for us to be the ones defending?)
In the end, the Demon Lord’s Army was undeniably powerful. Barbara reached a disheartening conclusion and forced a smile alone.
The three forts in the western part of the capital, including Sunburn Fort, were expected to become battlegrounds once the war began, which was why elite troops were deployed there.
“……”
Thus, the soldiers, with clenched teeth, glared at the Demon Lord’s position on the hill, pale-faced and sweating, but none were making fools of themselves by puking from nerves like rookies.
They were all regular soldiers of the Defteros Kingdom’s army. Moreover, they were veterans who had survived past battles. Even if there were militiamen, they would be either retired veterans or those with combat experience. Additionally, there were heroes from the Holy Church, priests, and even a few Forest Elf Mages.
When facing the Demon Race, they had an unquestionable formation.
…Still, whether it was enough to face a massive army of the Demon Race was another story.
— The war cry of the Demon Race echoed from their camp on the wind.
“Here they come.”
Re-adjusting her ancestral unicorn helmet, Barbara poked her head out from the wall.
“Sword Saint?!”
The soldier beside her shouted in surprise.
Ignoring him, she squinted into the dusk, observing her surroundings. Normally, the fields near the capital would have begun their planting preparations by now, but they remained untouched. Except for the trampled earth, nothing was visible, and about 400 steps ahead was a makeshift fortification made of rock, created by the magic of the Demon Race—what was “makeshift” about that was discouraging.
Beastmen soldiers and Night Elf Hunters with bows could occasionally be seen.
— Whoosh.
“Whoa!”
Barbara deflected an arrow headed her way with her helmet, instinctively pulling her head back as if to avoid making a fool of herself.
“The enemies sure are diligent.”
“S-Sword Saint, that gave me a chill!”
The nearby seasoned soldier spoke with a stiff expression, as if suggesting that they’d be in trouble if the main force, the Sword Saint, died before the fight even began.
“Please, I’m not dull enough to get shot by an arrow like that.”
Barbara rather grinned defiantly.
“I could’ve cut it down with my sword, but I took it with my helmet on purpose.”
“Oh? Why go out of your way?”
“By now, they’re probably saying, ‘That foolish human showed their face and narrowly escaped with their helmet!” and laughing.”
A wicked grin spread across Barbara’s face.
“Those that come waltzing in—I’ll run them through with my sword one after another.”
It wouldn’t do to show off her sword skills ostentatiously. If the enemy realized the Sword Saint was present, their tactics would change.
Instead, it would be better to play the fool and let them lower their guard, setting them up for a painful counterattack.
“Ah, I see, I see. That’s brilliant…!”
The seasoned soldier laughed, clearly having understood, and the soldiers around them began to fall into laughter as well.
“Wow, a young Sword Saint is so composed.”
“I suppose I’m not exactly young anymore.”
As Barbara scratched her cheek, the laughter grew a little louder.
“Why are you laughing so much, really…!”
Though she pretended to be angry, she was aware that the tension in her shoulders had eased just a little.
(I’m not really composed at all, though.)
The pride of a Sword Saint, the dignity of a noble, the honor of a human warrior, and the thoughts of those who had passed before her—without them, she would have certainly fled barefoot.
(I can’t really criticize Charlotte either.)
Even when urged to retreat by her colleagues, she chose to stay. So, she couldn’t say much to Charlotte either. In the end, Charlotte was stationed just a bit forward of the frontline defense point.
(…Will we meet again?)
To be frank, holding the fort was going to be difficult. Within a few hours, one or two would likely fall. Sticking it out would only lead to encirclement and annihilation, so the plan was to retreat to the city and engage the Demon Lord’s Army in a muddy street battle.
Which fort would draw the short straw… would it be Sunburn Fort or the far west Niban Fort where Hessel was stationed?
(No… either way, there aren’t any winning tickets…)
She shook her head to dispel the creeping dark thoughts.
“Speaking of young people, did you hear? A 19-year-old Sword Saint was born from among the soldiers!”
“Oh, I caught wind of that. Is it really true?”
The seasoned soldier asked, struggling to believe it.
“Apparently, one of my colleagues met them. They said it was the real deal. Young talent is frightening…”
“Oh wow,” the soldiers around them exclaimed in surprise. They had heard of the rumors but were skeptical, thinking it might be just some propaganda from the higher-ups to boost morale.
“Wow, can you believe it? A 19-year-old, still a teen! Can you even fathom it?”
Yesterday, when they had met, Hessel was scratching his head, looking both pleased and troubled at the same time.
“When I awakened as a Sword Saint, I was hailed as a young genius, you know? It was rare for someone to become a Sword Saint in their late twenties. Then a young female swordsman mastered her sword in her early twenties, and now this…”
Hessel had been staring at Barbara as if he had something to say.
“Well, it couldn’t be helped. If I hadn’t awakened, I’d be dead.”
“I’m not trying to complain or anything.”
As Barbara elbowed him, Hessel smiled wryly.
“But still, a Sword Saint in their teens… Well… it’s reassuring but also, how should I put it…”
With an ambiguous expression, Hessel looked up at the sky. What he meant was conveyed to Barbara.
— With the Demon Lord’s Army closing in, the generation of Sword Saints was getting younger and younger.
Just a generation ago, Sword Saints in their 50s and 60s were commonplace, yet both Hessel and Barbara awakened in their 20s. And now, a Sword Saint in their teens had emerged.
It was reassuring. But at the same time, it felt somehow terrifying.
Was humanity truly pushed to the brink?
Was this proof of their plight as a race?
(“Well, it’s good that there are more Sword Saints. We’re weak in magic, so our race needs at least this kind of strength, don’t you think?”)
(“Yeah! They were serious and kind. Their swordsmanship was straightforward and satisfying. I hope they keep growing as a swordsman.”)
Hessel grinned broadly.
(“They want to meet you too. Once this settles down—let’s all have a drink together.”)
(“That sounds good. Please send my regards when you meet them.”)
That was how they parted yesterday.
“…The young folks are doing their best. We have to step up too!”
Barbara grinned, causing the surrounding soldiers to chuckle wryly.
“Being told that by a Sword Saint who’s about the same age as my daughter is something else.”
“We can’t just loaf around, can we…”
The gloomy atmosphere that had been hanging earlier gradually began to lift.
“That’s right. It’s going to be quite a long night from here on out, but—”
Looking up at the sky, which was tinted with dusk.
“—The sunrise will definitely come. We’ll stubbornly fight through this. We’ll survive!”
Barbara’s exquisite rapier sparkled in the night sky.
“—To the dark foes, death!”
“「To the dark foes, death!」”
The soldiers around responded in kind, shouting in unison.
(—Fight through it, huh.)
Watching the revived men, Barbara thought in a corner of her mind.
— What can we call “victory”?
Repelling the Demon Lord’s Army? Defeating the commander? Defending the fort? …But how many times must we repeat that?
She heard that this time, the Demon Lord’s Army was led by the Demon Lord’s Prince No. 7.
Number “7.” It’s almost funny. Even if they could take the prince’s head, there were still six more, not to mention the Demon Lord.
Moreover, they lived much longer than humans…
Along with the increasingly younger Sword Saints, a sense of foreboding shadow fell over Barbara’s heart.
(—No, it doesn’t matter.)
She smiled violently on purpose.
In any case, she would die long before the Demon Races.
Humans outnumber them. Then—why not—
(We will win.)
She might die here and lose.
But humanity would absolutely—never lose.
(I’ll keep struggling until the very end.)
Gripping her rapier tightly, Barbara—
— How many Demon Races could she take down before she died?
How many could she bring down with her?
That’s all she thought about as she glared ahead.
From beyond the wall, war cries and countless footsteps drew closer.
— The fate of the Defteros Kingdom was about to be decided,
The defense battle for the Capital of Evaroti had begun.
