Each Person's Thoughts, Each Person's Prayer

――East side area.

The east side of the royal capital was a theater of war gathered mainly with small parties and solo adventurers.

Rather than forcing coordination, it was judged that each acting freely as a skirmisher would actually be more efficient.

《The Sixth Stigmata》――the red‑haired nun Annise Redby was also assigned to the east side area.

“Oh no~ Grandma Johanna’s barrier cut off our retreat, huh~ Even I can’t slack off with this… sigh.”

Anis, who noticed the cruel intent of the protective barrier sooner than anyone, reluctantly drew her dagger.

“If I’d known this, I should’ve spent more time playing with the girls――but well, for the sake of the cute girls waiting for me at the cathedral, I’ll do as much as I can.”

＊＊＊

――West side area.

――Ten minutes have passed since the monsters reached the royal capital’s walls.

The west side of the capital had no adventurers assigned; it was a theater composed solely of the Royal Palace Knight Order’s soldiers and the Holy Church’s paladins.

“Heavy cavalry! Do not break ranks! Do not forget that if you fall, the line will collapse! Mages, time your volleys and unleash magic together! Fix the element to Fire! Release!”

Issuing orders to each unit was 《The Third Stigmata》――Sheena Aytel, appointed leader of the west side area.

Before being assigned to the 《 Knights of the Stigmata》, Sheena had been made a paladin squad leader, and so was skilled in commanding groups.

Although individual combat experience lagged behind that of adventurers, she suppressed the hordes with disciplined maneuvering.

A strength manifesting from suppressing individuality and blending into the group.

It was a strength unique to soldiers, something adventurers could not do.

All the more so when the commander is excellent.

“Excuse me, Lady Sheena! The line has been breached!”

“Cleric squad, hasten the recovery of the wounded!”

“Gyaooooon!!”

A chorus of monsters that sent a numbness through the gut and stoked fear.

The monsters, having broken through the Heavy Cavalry’s line, poured in and charged straight for the Mage contingent.

The Mages had only seconds before they synchronized and cast their spells.

They would not have time to intercept the surging monsters, and any Mage allowed to be approached faced one‑sided slaughter.

Sheena leapt, her long ponytail streaming.

“【Sacred Moon Slashing Blade《Lunatic Saint》】!!”

“Gugyaaaaa!?!?!”

She landed between the horde and the Mages and swung her white, gleaming blade.

A flying slash launched from the blade cleaved the monsters in two.

Sheena then joined the Heavy Cavalry unit holding the frontline.

Sealing the breaches in the broken line, she cut down the monsters one after another.

When the cleric unit succeeded in healing the wounded Heavy Cavalry and pushing the line back, she left the front to dash around and issue orders elsewhere again.

“Ugh! This is endless…! If only Kaine were here…!”

Sheena ground her teeth over the absence of 《The Fourth Stigmata》, who was still hospitalized in the cathedral’s infirmary.

If Kaine were there, the situation would surely be easier.

At the same time, another worry occupied her thoughts.

It was a pupil assigned to another area, the memento of her deceased master.

“Flo… please, don’t do anything reckless…!”

＊＊＊

――South side area.

――Thirty minutes have passed since the monsters reached the royal capital’s walls.

This place had the greatest number of dungeons and was predicted to be the fiercest battleground in terms of monster numbers.

Because of that, the most adventurers were assigned here.

《The Seventh Stigmata》――Florence Cuticle was stationed in the rear.

She had been entrusted as leader of the cleric unit treating the wounded.

That said, it wasn’t a disciplined unit like on the west side, but rather a ragtag gathering of adventurers…

“It hurts… it hurts…”

“Lady Florence! Please treat the seriously wounded!”

“Yes, right away!”

Flo kept running around the makeshift tents, continuously healing wounded after wounded as they were brought in.

Some could return to the line immediately, others required lengthy treatment, and there were the severely wounded who would likely never be able to advent again—a variety of casualties were brought in.

Healing magic was not omnipotent.

For deep wounds, you had to keep casting healing magic for a long time until complete recovery, and healers powerful enough to regrow lost limbs were, historically, only a handful.

An adventurer was brought before Flo who had lost an arm, whose flank was gouged out, and whose multiple organs were shredded.

“(Ah… this person is already… at least I have to ease their pain… )”

Flo bit her lip at her own inadequacy.

Rumor had it that her mother, Frances, was a healer capable of instantly regrowing even lost limbs.

“(If it were Mother, she surely could have healed this person’s wounds…)”

Adventurers dying before her eyes because of her inexperience.

Even so――the gods did not grant Flo time to sink into despair.

While her spirit was being ground down by merciless death, Flo continued to steel herself for those she must protect.

She remembered what Sheena said to her just before they parted for the west side area.

“Our Holy Church is established as the state religion. Therefore, the people of this country are all believers to be protected. And paladins exist to protect the weak faithful. You too are part of the 《Knights of the Stigmata》――you are on the side that protects. Do not forget that.”

“(But――surely Lady Sheena’s words do not include the Shikai Tribe.)”

Although open persecution like in the past was not happening anymore, a deep feud still marked the relationship between the Holy Church and the Shikai Tribe.

Precisely because of that――Flo thought.

“(At least――I alone will pray and fight for them.)”

There were even children from the orphanage she ran in the capital.

A spirit wearing thin.

Yet she had no intention of breaking.

She downed an issued MP Potion in one go, roughly wiped her mouth, and continued to scatter healing light over the flood of wounded.