The Doomed Fief’s Dying Lord (35)

However, when he looked back, there were only Alejandro’s soldiers.

He refocused on the battle.

Putting aside that miracle and his longing for his wife for a moment.

Pietro briefly explained the operation’s outline and unit organization to Vittorio.

And Pietro added a little of what he suspected about Ronari’s intentions.

“Ronari is probably trying to use the Barni unit to create a link between the Astrier unit and the Arenta unit. Judging by the enemies fallen in this direction, it seems that plan is somewhat on track.”

Vittorio listened to Pietro’s explanation and became puzzled.

“That strategy analyst looked quite young. Does she have that much authority? Is it related to her being of your bloodline?”

Pietro wondered whether he should tell the truth.

‘Ronari actually has no authority. She’s steering the battlefield as she pleases.’

If he told the Limone troops that, it would only reveal the chaotic state of Denabi’s forces.

So Pietro said.

“…Ronari has that kind of talent. Shane the young master believed in her. That’s probably why he told you to follow Ronari as well.”

Vittorio sensed something hidden in that answer.

But for now he decided to let it go.

He could see the forces that looked like the Barni unit fighting over there.

From now on, it was time for blades.

Not time for thinking.

“Charge! Punch a hole in the enemy’s flank!”

The terrifying shock of cavalry poured into the monsters’ flanks.

The Barni unit members were startled by the sudden arrival of reinforcements, but true to seasoned warriors they assisted and began the annihilation.

Meanwhile Pietro rode closer to Gerard.

“Uh… Adviser Pietro! What on earth are those cavalry?”

“They’re Limone riders who arrived half a day earlier. The one at the front is the commander of the Limone regiment.”

“Ah, that young fellow is Vittorio. No wonder he fights well.”

Gerard admired Vittorio’s martial skill.

But Pietro had a more urgent matter.

“Have you seen Ronari, the strategy analyst?”

“Oh, she gave us orders to come here and then went ahead. I think she said she’d go find the Astrier unit’s position… ”

“What? Damn…!”

“!”

Gerard saw Pietro curse aloud for the first time.

“…Is there a problem?”

“Of course there’s a problem! A girl went into the middle of the enemy lines alone and you didn’t stop her, what did you do?!”

“Well, I figured the strategy analyst must have some plan…“

Pietro didn’t even listen to Gerard’s excuse and pressed on.

“No, that family is just so impulsive…“

Gerard swallowed his complaint.

For now, they decided to focus on sweeping up the monsters.

Ronari rode toward the Astrier unit.

A shout came from nearby.

‘That way…!’

Ronari turned her mount in that direction.

But there was something she hadn’t noticed.

A group of goblins hidden behind a tree caught the horse’s hooves.

One, then two.

Up to that point they might have just struck and passed.

But when the third one hit, the horse lost its balance and wavered.

‘Damn, no…!’

Ronari didn’t have the equestrian skill to stay atop under those conditions.

She was thrown and rolled off the horse.

“Gah…!”

She curled up quickly, but the impact of the fall was tremendous.

Painful breaths escaped from her crushed lungs.

“Ugh…“

The horse ran off into the distance.

Her body wouldn’t move.

The ambushing goblins approached.

Monsters made of mana, bleeding mana-blood.

Their blue-bulging veins underscored the monsters’ madness.

Would she die like this?

The monsters quickened their pace.

Ronari could only watch them helplessly.

Then a familiar sound was heard.

-clop clop clop

The sound of hooves.

Was it coming back, realizing its master’s crisis?

But fate mocked that absurd hope.

What came running was not Ronari’s horse.

“Administrator Ronari!”

“No, she’s the strategy analyst now!”

“young master, what does that matter right now!”

“Well, that’s true!”

What Ronari met on the ground was a far more ridiculous miracle.

It was the sight of two men on a horse exchanging nonsense as they rode toward her.

“young master…?”

Ronari looked at the two protagonists of this miracle with a strange expression.

The Steward driving the horse and Shane riding beside him with an arm around his waist.

The odd pair was riding toward her.

“Stay still there! We’ll save you!”

“What do you mean stay still! Administrator Ronari! Move! You’ll get killed like that!”

“I’m not an Administrator?! She’s now attached to the regiment!”

Hearing the pair’s pathetic banter, Ronari thought.

‘Ah. Right. Am I going to die in such a ridiculous situation?’

She decided to accept her fate.

She buried her face in the grass and lost consciousness.

It felt like that would be fine.

A few hours before the operation began.

When Shane suddenly appeared, Ebinger was startled.

“Your appearance… no, why do you look like that? Did something bad happen…?!”

In truth, Shane looked a wreck.

How much had he sweated?

His shirt stuck to his body.

And he must have been tearing at his hair.

His hair was disheveled as if he’d been bombed.

‘And his face is a mess. Looks like facial paralysis or something?’

Ebinger gave up on forming a proper assessment of Shane at that point.

Trying to rationally describe Shane’s condition would be rude.

Shane said.

“A lot happened, but actually nothing of consequence.”

’…What are you saying, young master.’

“No… young master, are you really okay?”