The Doomed Fief’s Dying Lord (34)

Thanks to Vittorio and the Limone riders, the Arenta unit could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

At least physically.

The Arenta soldiers had to endure the intense gaze their commander kept sending them.

“What on earth is the problem? Why are you just staring at us like that?”

“How should I know… Hurry and look away. The more you squirm, the sharper his stare gets. It feels like my skin is burning.”

“Isn’t he acting like that because you were blabbering about marriage earlier? Go tell him—hurry!”

“Tell him what? What am I supposed to say?”

One of the soldiers offered an idea.

“You can rest assured—we of this unit have no interest in your daughter, so relax?”

“Say it properly. Say you have an interest in the daughter, but none in a father-in-law like him.”

“…I do have an interest.“

The soldiers gave the man who said that a strange look.

At that moment, they heard movement from the other side.

It wasn’t a monster.

Well, from the soldiers’ point of view, maybe it was.

Izack, who had been sitting apart, stood up.

And he began to walk toward them.

“Hey, he’s coming because you said you’re interested!”

“Because of me? Oh man, what do I do.”

“What do you mean what do you do…! Go and deal with it!”

“…Deal with it? Here?“

“…“

What on earth did they mean by ‘deal with it’?

All the other soldiers could tell was that the meaning of ‘deal with it’ had been completely garbled.

They were dumbfounded.

By then, Izack had come up right in front of them.

“Corporal Diona.”

“Huh…! Yes!”

’…!’

The soldiers were terrified.

The one Izack had called was the very soldier who had been drawing Izack’s attention until then.

‘What on earth is about to happen?’

All they could do was tremble and watch what would happen next.

After some deliberation, Izack spoke.

“Run to headquarters right now and find Administrator Ronari’s location. If you can’t find her there, don’t dawdle—come straight back. Run!”

“Yes!”

Diona flew off toward headquarters, her tied hair streaming behind her.

Izack made the same request to Pietro.

“Father, lead the Limone riders and follow the Barni unit. You’ll need to brief them on the general situation. And if you find Ronari…”

“I know without being told. I’ll go.”

“Thank you.”

After issuing all his orders, Izack turned his gaze to the other soldiers.

Grit.

Izack bit down on his molars.

‘As I thought… bringing Ronari to the battlefield wasn’t the right move. Shane—what on earth did that brat do?’

Lately, Ronari had become much more proactive.

It had been since she returned from Limone.

This time she left headquarters, likely because of that inexplicable aggressiveness.

She must have been influenced by Shane, who had been with her.

And then there was what Vittorio had said.

’“Shane Astrier told me to listen closely to Administrator Ronari Arenta,” he said.’

What on earth did that mean?

‘You brat, what exactly is your intention?’

Meanwhile, Pietro’s thoughts were not much different from Izack’s.

However, he had a somewhat clearer read on Shane’s intentions.

‘He wants to make Ronari the commander of this battlefield.’

It wasn’t an incomprehensible idea.

In this short time, Ronari had shown a notable tactical sense.

She had talent.

Pietro acknowledged that.

‘But if that puts Ronari in danger…’

What should they do?

Ronari was someone Pietro and Izack had to protect.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they fought solely for Ronari.

But Shane was putting that Ronari in danger.

He was urging her to go out onto the battlefield.

To make use of her talent.

“…Izack. Can you accept that? I…“

Pietro muttered sadly.

The Arenta unit regained a measure of composure.

The situation on the battlefield was improving.

It was partly thanks to the Limone riders, but behind it all was the Astrier unit’s breakthrough.

Alejandro’s advance had drawn enemy resources, so naturally the number of foes other units had to face decreased.

But that also meant the Astrier unit was shouldering an excessive risk.

‘We should start falling back soon. But…’

Just ahead was the east side of the apple orchard; if they secured that spot, the operation would be virtually successful.

Alejandro was driving himself and his men to their limits.

His final thrown spear pierced the chest of a charging manticore.

The line, almost breached by the charge of those hulks, was barely held.

“Push harder! Just a little further and we’ll hit the objective! Victory is within reach! Third squad, attach to the rear of first squad. Fourth squad, fall back and secure the right flank of second squad!”

Orders and fighting happened simultaneously.

His sword brushed aside a charging goblin.

The goblin had aimed not at him but at the soldier beside him.

The soldier looked exhausted.

“Bendric! Get a hold of yourself. Isn’t your daughter waiting for you at home?”

“Yes…! Yes!”

Bendric wiped the blood streaming over his eyelids.

The soldiers were on the verge of collapse.

They had kept casualties to a minimum, somehow.

At least up to that point.

‘But what happens from here on…’

Alejandro scanned the battlefield again.

There were still several hulks—trolls and manticore-class—left.

They prowled cunningly around the unit.

They were looking for gaps in the formation.

If the line broke, they’d charge immediately.

‘It’s precarious.’

That thought flashed through him.

As if this was anything new.

Hadn’t they always fought in such circumstances?

Sacrifice was inevitable.

He assumed the men had no complaints either.

They were Denabi warriors.

Death was always at their side.

But one thing made him rueful: the hope Alejandro had secretly harbored.

That one thing.

‘I’m not blaming you, Shane. But somehow… I expected that if it was your plan, no one would have to die. I had that hope.’

Of course, that was a foolish thought.

It wasn’t that Shane lacked ability that led to this.

If it weren’t for Shane, they wouldn’t have made it this far in the first place.

It wasn’t right to expect more.

‘Alejandro. You are the Lord of Denabi. You are Shane’s father and the commander of this legion. You have the duty to turn these soldiers’ sacrifices into victory.’

The formation barely held its shape against the surging monsters.

Then Alejandro leaped forward, protruding from the front line.

He stood in the midst of the enemies.

And he pulled a spear from a manticore’s body.

With a spear in one hand and a longsword in the other, he splattered blood in every direction.

What he intended was simple.

He was doing what his unit had always done.

Pierce into the interior of the line to draw enemy attention.

Thus easing the burden on his comrades.

“Look here! Monsters cursed by mana, the heart of Denabi is here. Try stabbing me! Drench me with your blue blood!”

Alejandro’s roar sent a chill through the monsters.

The gazes that had been seeking gaps in the ranks and the younglings pushing toward the soldiers all turned to him.

“What are you looking at, you damn things!”

A soldier’s sword stabbed the back of a goblin that had been turning toward Albrecht.

Buoyed by Albrecht’s advance, the entire line’s morale rose.

The brief gap he created.

The seasoned Denabi warriors did not miss that moment.

The warriors began gradually to push the line forward.

“What are you doing! The Lord is going!”

“Strike!”

“Die…!”

One step forward.

Another step.

With each advance, the soldiers sensed a stronger smell.

It was vaporizing mana,

congealed blood and sweat,

and the smell of earth being crushed underfoot.

It was the sum of all those scents.

They called it the scent of death.

Death stood beside them.

It was ready to take their hands.

Some would die here.

It was inevitable.

For them, the price of their lives was a cost that had to be paid.

If with that they could buy the lives of the mothers, fathers, siblings, and children waiting at home.

‘What a worthy bargain that would be.’

The soldiers praised the imminent death.

But one person—

spat at death.

The soldiers thought they heard his voice.

’…If you die, what’s the point of it all?’

Who was it?

Who on earth was it?

Who said that?

’…If you die like that, what happens to the people who wanted to protect you?’

Then they remembered.

It was Shane’s words.

The youngest young master of the lord’s family.

It was part of what he had said to persuade the Lord.

Some among the soldiers had heard Shane’s words passed along.

The words were a shock.

They had thought they were protecting their families, but in truth their families were doing everything to protect them.

Just as warriors feared losing their families, families feared losing their warriors.

That realization stopped the final leap toward death.

Some in the line faltered.

“What are you doing! Push forward! Fight!”

A comrade’s voice drew the warriors back in.

Then at that moment, the hulk before them exploded.

-KWAJAJAJAJAK!

Mana crystals expanded and all the flesh was torn away.

It was a horrific sound, a gruesome sight.

Everyone nearby was splattered with the troll’s remains.

The troll shattered into a mass of mana crystals on the spot.

A mist of vaporized mana crystals dispersed.

Everyone around was seized by shock.

Then someone shouted.

“…Charge!“

That cry roused the warriors once more.

The unit surged through a hole in the line.

There was no death.

Only victory was calling them.

A brief doubt crossed the minds of the young soldiers.

Was it a miracle?

Was it a blessing sent by Denabi’s guardian for their struggle?

What Alejandro felt instead was déjà vu.

That had just been magic.

Not a god’s blessing, but a human art.

He knew that magic.

But how?

How could this have happened?

That magic’s lineage had been broken off over a decade ago.

With the death of his wife, Beatrice Astrier.

No way.

‘Beatrice…?’

He felt the presence of his dead wife.