Chapter 9, Part 4: Yuuji, taking command in battle as the defense captain for the first time
Chapter 9, Part 4: Yuuji, taking command in battle as the defense captain for the first time
Tl: Jun
ED: Jun
Early morning.
Cries of Kotarou barking intensely reached the ears of Yuuji who was lying in his room.
Muttering “what could it be, she’s being unusual,” Yuuji woke up and peeled off Alice who was sleeping while sticking to him. He descended down the stairs as is and went towards the garden.
Kotarou had been staying in Yuuji’s room since coming to this world, but after the subjugation commission of the monster village was put out, she stayed in the dog house in the garden.
“What’s wrong, Kotarou? Something the matter?”
Yuuji talked to Kotarou, who was running around the garden and barking intensely. As expected, even Yuuji noticed the abnormal situation. Kotarou was a clever dog who would not bark for nothing.
Kotarou’s cries must have been heard. People could be seen coming out of the residential complex that was before the tiny plaza before the gates. The entrance to the tent where the beastkin household were living in was turned over with a thud as well, and then the catkin Nina showed her face.
And then.
Sounds of wood striking each other resounded in the pioneer land.
The clappers that were set outside the fence responded.
“Enemies number around sixty. They’re in the middle of invading along the trails. No presence of enemies in ambush in our surroundings”
Responding to Kotarou’s voice and the clappers and hurriedly getting themselves ready, Yuuji, Alice and the pioneer citizens assembled in front of the south side fence.
Who reported the first was the scout of the former third rank adventurers party, who was in charge of their lookout at this period of time. His simpler than usual speaking style revealed that he was battle ready. He confirmed signs of enemies in the mere time until the pioneer citizens gathered after the clapper warnings, and he seems to have searched even the surroundings. There were around a mere twenty third class adventurers in the city of Premie. He was an excellent man. He was not just a perverted middle aged man. He didn’t have a lover though.
“I see. The enemies are?”
“Mostly goblins. I can see the appearance of around ten orcs. I guess an orc leader is there, seeing their organized movements”
The former third rank adventurers party leader and the scout exchanged words. What was there was the atmosphere of a prickling battlefield.
“Mr Yuuji, what will you do? It’s your first command in battle isn’t it, defense captain?”
Having confirmed the enemy numbers and kinds, the party leader brought up the subject to Yuuji.
Yuuji had been silent until now. The defense captain of this pioneer land was Yuuji. He took command in establishing the defense facilities, but it was his first battle to protect this land.
“Err… So about how dangerous would this be?”
What came out of Yuuji’s mouth were very unreliable words. But the subject was the identification of the level of enemy threat. *woof* Kotarou barked. Yes, you’ve got your orders right, is what she seemingly wanted to say. Kotarou had her hair standing on end and baring her teeth already. It was a uselessly powerful cry.
“Oh, that’s a good question. I will have to answer this then… There are no problems. If it’s just repelling them, then this guy and I, just the two of us will be plenty enough. Just me alone could work too, if we’re able to choose a place where I can’t be surrounded. If it’s extermination without letting anyone escape, then we could with our whole party, about that much. If we lure them and the little missy here use the magic from before, then won’t it be over with us just dealing the finishing blow to the survivors after that?”
It seems to be easy victory.
Learning that them being high in numbers and not being particularly threatening, Yuuji’s strength left his shoulders. What Yuuji chose after calming down and working out his thoughts was an all-out war that also served as a test. He remembered that the bulletin board residents said it was better to confirm whether or not the fence, traps and the watchtowers would be effective while he had the time. It was very defense captain-like. No, not like, but a genuine one though.
“Then just as planned, three archers in the watchtowers. The two seamstresses and Mark-kun, please aim from the gaps in the fences with the crossbow. And then Marcel and I will wait in front of them. I will use blinding magic in the beginning, so please be careful of that. Ah right, Alice, take care not to use magic until I tell you”
“Do I have to~” Alice said to Yuuji’s words as she pouted. By no means did it mean that she wanted to kill monsters, just feeling unhappy that she would appear useless. She could not possibly be hot-blooded. Probably.
Nevertheless, they were very concrete and accurate instructions. It appears that ever since he took up the role as a pioneer leader, he worked over strategies with the reliable bulletin board residents. Battle power increased with Kevin there, but they went according to their basic plans.
“ ‘n So, I’ll go outside and finish off the guys who will flee”
Leaving behind those words, the scout man pointed his feet towards outside the fence. Crying “Woof woof”, Kotarou followed after him. “I will not let even a single rat escape” is what she seemed to be saying. Is she a cat?
“Take care”, Yuuji said, and the scout man waved his hand fluttering towards his words without looking back. His back figure and gesture looked good, but he was a still single pervy old man.
Receiving Yuuji’s instructions, the archer who was the party leader’s wife, the adventurer who came with Kevin, Eleine, and the catkin Nina climbed up the watchtower. They were the archer team. And then for some reason, Yuuji too climbed up a watchtower and made some rummaging sounds. He was setting the camera. He had the composure of a warrior displaying an easy victory. No, he may still just be carefree though.
“Mr Yuuji, then we will be careful for ambushes alright? And then everyone who will stand in the front as well as the archer ladies, please tell us when you’re tired. We can relieve you then”
Kevin informed, while showing a friendly smile. Beside him were two of his exclusive escorts. They seems to be devoting themselves to support them, but this man. He said he would replace both vanguards and archers. No, surely he would dispatch his exclusive escorts. However much he may be nicknamed ‘Fighting peddler’, he couldn’t possibly be that all-purpose. Probably.
And then, a little after everyone had been deployed.
Finally the horde of monsters showed up.
However slow the monsters’ advance had been, Kotarou’s enemy detection ability was abnormal.
Who lie in wait were four: Yuuji, the leader and the man with the role of the tank of the former third rank adventurers party as well as the dogkin Marcel.
Yuuji had told Marcel to wait inside, but Marcel, whose agricultural land was turned into battlefield with monsters and had gone in tatters once, volunteered to fight on his own accord.
In order to protect Yuuji, his master, and in order to take revenge to the monsters who had ruined their peaceful life. Of course he seems to understand they were different monsters, but it was an unusual frank hostility coming from the usually docile Marcel. Whether or not a shield role was necessary to protect the flesh wall that was Yuuji would be an entirely different matter.
What showed up in the end was a horde of fifty goblins.
Yuuji gulped down his saliva towards the intensity of the monsters that have formed a group. Even when he heard it was easy victory, it was different when it came to actually witnessing and fighting them.
Perhaps they recognized human figures, but the goblins halted.
The goblins shouted “Gugyagugya”.
What broke those voices and could be heard from behind the goblins was a large “FUGOOOH” shout.
With a start the goblins trembled and all simultaneously broke into a run towards the entrance to the pioneer land as if they had resolved themselves.
It appears the voice just then was an order to attack.
“I’m going! Please match my timing and close your eyes, okay!?”
Yuuji shouted. Like a leader unifying his group. No, he is their leader though. The starting signal of war was Yuuji’s role.
Yuuji grandly inhaled and moved two steps towards the running monsters. Matching those movements, the surrounding pioneer citizens prepared for battle.
The enemies was drawing near.
“Light oh light, emit your radiance! Flash(But I’m not going bald okay)!
Yuuji’s chanting resounded in the tense battlefield.
An intense directional light emitted from around Yuuji’s forehead.
Never mind the contents of his chanting, the effects were immediate on the horde of goblins who charged while staring at the human Yuuji and co.
Even when they could no longer see, their full speed running momentum did not stop.
Some of them plunged in and were pierced by the sharp-tipped abatis on their own. Some twisted their feet, fell down and continued to be stepped on. Some were caught by the holes created with Alice’s magic without realizing. They were already in a miserable state.
On top of that.
“Mr Thomas, now!”
Yuuji shouted towards inside the pioneer land.
Receiving those words, woodworker Thomas and his two assistants began operating the traps.
Two ropes tightened close to knee height.
One was in front of Yuuji’s group, the four who were waiting for the monsters. The other was from top to top of the fences going parallel to the road when seen from above.
It was a trap to trip hostile monsters and to trip fleeing monsters.
The rope who was stretched to knee height was too simple a trap, but it was effective against the goblins who were in chaos after receiving the blinding.
The goblins who kept running without getting caught by the abatis or pitfall by luck, got their feet caught in the rope and rolled at the feet of the four who were waiting in front of the gate. Yuuji’s group killed them.
It was already just work.
On top of that.
“Everyone, arrows!”
While stabbing the goblins who tumbled before his eyes with his spear, Yuuji once again shouted. Releasing arrows from the crevices of the fence were the two seamstresses and Mark.
Their firing pace was surprisingly high. It appears Kevin’s two exclusive escorts were helping in bringing back their bowstrings.
The three archers fired their arrows from the towers.
It seems that the adventurer Eleine and catkin Nina aimed at the center of the goblins on their side and the former adventurer archer at the orcs in the back. It was a short distance, not to mention their enemies were in a group. Through a volley where they put importance to rapid-fire over accuracy, the arrows pierced the monsters one by one.
It was a one-sided trampling where nothing but screams of goblins could be heard.
And yet, Yuuji was preserving Alice’s magic.
The scout man and Kotarou, whose role was to take down the fleeing monsters, had yet to have their turn.
When the goblin numbers had been decreased, the orcs finally began their move.
Due to being at the back, Yuuji’s blinding did not seem to be effective. That said, two of them no longer seem to be able to move after receiving the archers’ arrows.
Seven of the eight remaining orcs lined up. It appears to be a stance where they would charge in a line. A little behind them was the figure of a one size larger orc holding a rusted sword instead of a club. That one seemed to be the orc leader who was leading this horde. While literally kicking about the surviving goblins who were supposed to be their allies, the orcs raised their charging speed. Their appearance of their nearly two meter frames charging side by side held sufficient intensity to make Yuuji falter.
But.
The pioneer land still had a trump card.
“Alice! Point your magic towards the center of the row!”
Yuuji shouted toward Alice who was supposed to be behind him. Nevertheless, this man was unexpectedly calm. Perhaps it was because he heard it was easy victory or because the two former third rank adventurers who asserted ‘If it’s just repelling them, the two of us will be plenty enough.’ Or it was because of the simulation with the bulletin board residents.
Okaay!” Alice’s vigorous reply resounded in the pioneer land. Was she happy that she will at last be useful? She seemed to be in high spirits.
“Mmh~! White and veery hot flames, come out!”
Alice’s adorable voice resounded in the battlefield. That was the magic that once carved a trauma onto the adventurers guildmaster.
The flame that flew in the shape of an arch passed over the heads of Yuuji’s group and made impact at the center of the rushing orc row.
The flame erupted.
With thundering sounds, two black humanoid lumps rolled around. Beside those were two smoldering, smoking medium rare orcs giving off a savory smell.
The ones who were safe were just the three orcs on each end and the one in the back.
Was it the after-effects of the explosion or were they surprised that their allies were taken down in the blink of an eye? An arrow came flying and pierced the orcs who stopped their feet.
They had no mercy.
There were no such thing as compassion towards monsters in this world.
The large framed orcs, who stopped their feets and could not raise their running speed from the goblin corpses even when they tried to run, were suitable targets.
Except for one; only the orc leader holding a rusted sword repelled the arrows that came flying at him and displayed some resistance.
But.
One, and then another orc was shot and fell down.
In the end, the enemy was reduced to only the orc leader.
Making way with his injured body, the Orc leader roared “FUGOOH” high in the sky.
Perhaps resolving himself, he disregarded the arrows flying and piercing him and took a slouching posture.
An honorable suicide, at least one stroke of my sword by throwing away my life.
As expected even Yuuji grasped such will of his.
Yuuji took one step forward, but the former adventurers party leader raised one hand and went forward.
At least let the strongest in this place be his opponent as his farewell gift. He was an honorable man who talked with his back. As one would have expected, married men are different.
One man and one orc crossed their line of sight.
And then, the instant the two tried to break into a run.
One silhouette jumped out from behind the orc leader.
The soundless jump drew a loose parabola and it crossed the orc from its back at its top of the parabola.
The orc leader went on his knees and collapsed. He did not move even a twitch. It appears his life had come to an end.
The silhouette was Kotarou.
Awooooh, Kotarou raised a howl of victory.
Kotarou glared tensely at the party leader and Yuuji.
As if to say, extermination uninjured is more important than a man’s romance. It would be different if it was a person, but don’t you go along with enemies.
She was a woman without mercy to her enemies. Because she was a beast.