Chapter 99
Chapter 99. Retreat Frontline
Inside the fort, it was in a state even worse than the outside, which was literally filled with corpses.
Injured soldiers were lined up in the passageways, making it impossible to find a place to step. Both the teacher and Barbara had to tread carefully. Everyone was suppressing their groans of pain, eagerly waiting for their turn to be treated—
Priests of the human race and Elf Mages were running about, desperately offering prayers, but they were clearly fatigued, and there was a glaring shortage of miracle workers for the wounded.
“Boss…”
A hoarse voice came from below.
A man whose face was half-covered in bloodied bandages and whose pallor was pale looked up at us with a weak gaze. He was an old acquaintance, a swordsman.
“Well, well, you’re still alive, huh?”
Barbara spoke in her usual cheerful tone on purpose. The man let out a wry smile, saying, “You really know how to make it sound like a compliment, Boss…”
“Looks like you’ve become quite the handsome devil since I last saw you.”
“Heh… Not as much as you, Boss…”
“Huh? What did you say?”
As I crouched down and poked his uninjured cheek, he whined, “Cut it out! It hurts my wounds!”
“……”
The man’s arm was missing from the elbow down. The fact that the severed arm wasn’t nearby indicated it was lost on the battlefield.
There weren’t many healers who could mend such losses, and it was uncertain when he would receive such advanced treatment.
He wouldn’t be of any use in the next battle—meaning there was a high probability he’d be pushed down the list for treatment.
“I guess this is the beginning of my retirement, huh…”
The man muttered with a tone that conveyed half-hearted resignation—
…No good, Barbara thought.
People who look like that—don’t last long.
“Quit saying such weak stuff!”
She delivered a sharp flick to his forehead. The man yelped, “Ouch!”
“You still owe me a good ten pints, you know. If you’re leaving this world, make sure to pay your debts at the tavern first!”
“Heh, that’s a tough one to swallow…”
With such an outrageous statement, the only thing he could do was chuckle.
“If it comes down to it, I’ll carry you and escape together. …So shake it off and get it together.”
“Thanks a lot.”
The man exhaled weakly and closed one good eye.
“Alright then… I’ll only take your shoulder for now, so I’ll recover properly.”
“Do that. Oh, and this counts as another debt, too.”
“Ugh, heh… I’ll treat you plenty when we get back…”
He grinned and began to concentrate on recovering his strength.
After giving his shoulder a light pat, Barbara stood up, bowed to the old Beastman who had been watching their exchange, and started walking again.
(… He’s putting on a brave face.)
Though that’s what she said, the man was in bad shape.
If he let his guard down, he could drop dead any moment. It would be nice if treatment came in time, but there were other critically injured as well…
At times like this, being someone who only knew how to wield a sword made her feel powerless.
It was pointless to think about it, yet she couldn’t help but feel that way.
“……”
The old Beastman glanced at Barbara with concern but kept silent.
No, he couldn’t speak.
He probably harbored the same feelings as well—
†††
In the human race, female warriors were quite rare.
There were many female Heroes and Priests, but fundamentally, the magic-weak human race couldn’t enhance their physical abilities and had to fight with raw strength.
Thus, most of the soldiers and swordsmen were male. For a woman to be on the battlefield, she had to either be extremely talented or be in an inescapable situation.
—Barbara was both.
With sharp eyes, her short black hair neatly arranged to avoid being a hindrance, and a cross-shaped scar on her cheek. No, not just her cheek; scars marked her entire body, clearly showing how many grueling battles she had weathered.
The female swordsman, Barbara.
Also known as the Sword Saint “Unicorn.”
At just under thirty, she exhibited a rare talent awakening as a Sword Saint. The name came from her ancestral one-horned helmet and the sight of her bouncing around the enemy, piercing through thick iron plates.
With solid skills, guts, and a straightforward personality, she was beloved and referred to as “Boss” by those around her.
…However, when people hear that this Barbara is actually from a noble background, everyone is taken aback and refuses to believe it.
Barbara de Rosa.
The second daughter of a rural noble family from the neighboring country.
Though a noble, albeit a weak one, she possessed more magical strength than the average commoner, but Barbara had no aptitude for magic whatsoever.
Her parents were disappointed, but since they had outstanding older siblings, Barbara was raised with indifference, for better or worse.
Perhaps that’s why, despite being a noble girl, she was able to immerse herself in self-defense swordsmanship without regard for etiquette.
Barbara, who had a complex about not being able to use magic, was incredibly gifted with the sword.
By the time she was fifteen, she had surpassed her tutor in swordsmanship. She trained her body to the point where it was unrecognizable for a noble girl. Observing her daughter abandon her femininity, her worried mother tried to put a stop to it by having her duel with the house knight to “teach her her place,” but Barbara ended up winning—much to everyone’s surprise.
Even if the opponent was holding back, a teenage girl had managed to land a hit against a seasoned knight. When her father found it amusing and allowed it, she dove even deeper into the path of the sword.
—Then, when the Demon Lord’s army invaded her homeland, the situation changed.
Her father and older brother were killed in battle. The relentless assault of the Demon Lord’s army continued. In place of her inept older sister, Barbara took command of her forces and joined the battle.
She had immersed herself in swordplay but had no education to be a commander. However, the military no longer had room to treat her like a pretty princess.
Barbara also fought on the front lines.
She engaged in deadly battles with Beastmen and Ogres, transcending the limits of logic. This happened shortly after she turned twenty.
A Sword Saint was said to awaken around thirty at the earliest, and for someone so young and female to perfect her swordsmanship was truly a testament to her genius.
But no matter how fierce Barbara’s performances were, in the end, she was just one swordsman. There was no power to turn the tide. The army continued to lose, retreat after retreat, and eventually, her homeland was crushed and perished.
Somehow, she managed to escape with her family and some local citizens to the neighboring country—here, in the Defteros Kingdom—but she couldn’t simply live in exile, doing nothing. To fulfill her responsibilities as the former lord’s family, Barbara enlisted in the Defteros Kingdom army.
Thus, she continued to work on the battlefield, fighting against the Demon Lord’s army, nearly dying multiple times, persevering each time through gritted teeth—and now, here she was.
Now, the Defteros Kingdom was also on the verge of being crushed by the Demon Lord’s army…
“…It’s begun.”
Upon entering the meeting room in the fort’s underground, it seemed that almost everyone except the teacher and Barbara had gathered.
A Hero clad in tattered magical armor. A female priest with dark circles under her eyes. An Elf Mage with one long ear torn off, possibly left unattended due to conserving magic for minimal bleeding control.
And the warriors of the Beastmen and human races—everyone here was either a Fist Saint or a Sword Saint.
“…Is this everyone? Dogajin-dono,” one of the Sword Saints asked, looking at the teacher as if to confirm whether there was anyone else.
“This is everyone,” replied the wise wolf race’s Fist Saint, Dogajin, with eyes closed, nodding.
“………”
A heavy silence settled in the meeting room. Barbara bit her lip. …Several familiar warriors were missing. Warriors who surpassed her—those who had fought through countless battles—
Then the meeting room door opened, and an auntie walked in, carrying a pot of soup.
“Breakfast is ready!”
—It seemed the kitchen was still operational despite the Demon Lord’s army’s ferocious attacks. The rich aroma of the hearty soup reminded everyone of their hunger.
“Oh, how wonderful!”
“First, let’s eat. We can’t fight on an empty stomach.”
Trying to mask the dark atmosphere, everyone eagerly began to serve soup into their bowls.
It truly was a hearty soup.
…As if they were trying to get rid of whatever ingredients were available in the storeroom.
“…Let’s talk while we eat. I have a proposal.”
The Hero swallowed the soup and surveyed everyone with a determined gaze.
“Our priest has placed a ‘Blessing’ on a member of the Demon race.”
The heavily built female priest added quietly, “We still have their location.”
“It seems to be a close aide of the 4th Demon Lord’s Prince, Emelgias… We have discovered the location of their main base.”
—Suddenly, the atmosphere in the meeting room tightened.
“If we remain cooped up in this fort any longer, we’ll have no reinforcements. By tonight or tomorrow morning, we’ll just be crushed. However, if we withdraw ostentatiously, we can already foresee a devastating pursuit.”
After finishing his soup, the Hero continued.
“…So, after this, we will immediately launch a surprise attack on the Demon Lord’s main base with a small elite group, using concealment magic.”
With a resolute expression on his face.
“Our target is, of course, the head of the 4th Demon Lord’s Prince, Emelgias.”
—Barbara unconsciously tightened her grip on the sword’s handle.
“…Those who dare to join, lend me your strength.”
No one answered immediately.
But looking into their eyes, it was clear what they were all thinking.
It was clear what they had resolved.
