Editor: Chuuni Cruiser-kun
Day 182 after being summoned to another world: (Decisive battle 9)
It was currently in the middle of the day, where the sun stood right above one’s head. The highway was free of all traffic, it wasn’t clear if it was due to the civil war or other matters but currently only Hodram and his party were pa.s.sing through the highway.
With him, several carriages and knights who acted as guards, numbering around 200 people.
Immediately, a vast forest appeared in front of their eyes.
"We've finally reached this place... any signs of the enemy?”
Hodram spoke with a tired voice.
"No pursuers are showing up yet... I think we should not be worried about that anymore... After we go pa.s.s this forest, it would only take a one day ride toward Thalluja Kingdom's border."
After Kyle said those words, a smile appears on Hodram's face.
"Just a little bit more huh..."
Hodram anxiously looked toward the carriages behind him.
Kyle's gaze also follows him.
"Both of them are really patient..."
Hodram responded toward Kyle's words with a big sigh.
"Umu... They’ve been waiting patiently l.... But it seems like this is their limits. They have not yet eaten food, and they also didn't want to drink water. My wife and daughter seem to have felt a slight bit of nausea... I guess, this is the limit of their physical abilities..."
Three days have pa.s.sed since their escape from Irachion.
The shaking of the carriage due to the high speed it is travelling with caused Hodram’s wife and daughter to feel sick.
Well, this is not a sightseeing trip after all.
The circ.u.mstance to live as a fugitive was giving the sheltered ladies a large amount of pressure and the reason they have yet to complain despite being sick is because they had already understood that they’re lives were on the line.
"Kyle.... Today, if we find a good place for camping, what do you think if we took an early rest?"
Hodram wore the expression not of a ruler but of a worried father and husband. Although the day was still early he wanted them to take a rest, knowing that his wife and daughter were already at their limits.
If they were to die on their journey then it would only be troublesome for Hodram, his wife acted as an intermediary between Hodram and Thalluja Kingdom’s n.o.bles and his daughter is to enter a political marriage with one of the royal family members.
This was the true nature of humans.
"I think that is a good judgment... your Excellency's wife and daughter physical strength seem to have reached the limit... After entering the forest, we will see if we can find a good camping spot."
Kyle also seems to fully understand that Hodram's wife and daughter had reached the limits of their physical strength.
Thalluja’s border was only one day away.
Furthermore, after escaping from Irachion, they had never seen any pursuers.
(It will be alright... We successfully escaped... Perhaps they had directed the pursuers to an entirely different direction. Now, what’s important are the madam and young lady condition... Because our lives depend on them...)
Carelessness and S
elfishness.
That is the two thing that determined their fate.
The night was illuminated by the moon’s gentle light. The bonfire needed to be kept to a minimum size as to not be spotted but thanks to the moonlight, one wouldn’t require to expand the fire.
"Our luck is really bad..."
"Indeed... To end up as a watchman for today..."
The two knights turned their eyes toward the dark forest around their vicinity. Both knights stood donning their armor and armed with spears. Although both looked the same age, the knight on the right was a slight bit taller than the one on the left.
Tonight was a memorable knight since Hodram had finally permitted the knights to take off their armor after the three long day ride but these two unlucky knights continued to wear theirs since they were a.s.signed to the night watch.
Since they were professional soldiers, they were still able to take on the role despite the long journey however they were still human beings, so being unable to take any rest had caused them to be weakened.
"But tomorrow, we will finally arrive at the border. Once we cross the border, we can relax..."
The tall knight muttered those words.
"Indeed... We've gone this far..."
Responding to the tall knight, the other knight muttered those words in a small voice.
"Still... To cast away Rozeria is a bit..."
The tall knight sighed greatly.
He belonged to a prestigious knight’s household and all his family members had pledged their allegiance to the Rozaria kingdom as knights but it all ended at the last predecessor of the family. He himself held no loyalty towards the royal family, that is why he followed Hodram who had provided for him, women, gold and position within the knight’s order.
Even without pledging his loyalty, Hodram continued to give him the things he desired.
However, everything has fallen apart.
Princess Lupis whom was previously Hodram's puppet and the n.o.bles who worked with him, was able to break away from him and betray him.
Now they all end up without a place to live within the Kingdom of Rozeria.
With such a situation, they only have two paths left for them.
Either wander around the continent until the day he finds a new lord, or keep following Hodram and bet on his comeback.
Despite thinking that, until a few month ago they all were at the height of their life.
Now, all of them are being chased out from their own country.
Thus he lamented his current situation.
"Don't say that!"
The other knight replied with a stern low voice.
"But you know..."
The tall knight keeps on talking.
"Shut up! I know what you've been thinking! I know that but, leave it at that..."
The other knight also seems to feel the same as the tall knight.
The short knight feels angry for the same reason as the tall knight...
"My bad... Sorry."
The tall knight understood that and immediately apologize.
"Anyway! We just have to concentrate as a guard for now! Tomorrow we can finally cross the border towards Thalluja Kingdomー..."
From within the forest, something cuts the air.
And the words of the short knight stops halfway.
" What's wrong?"
The tall knight turns to his comrade who stood beside him and although he stood perfectly still he noticed the eyes of his comrade were different.
(?? What is going on?)
*Hyu...*
While he was thinking what was going on, his thought process ceased.---
Another arrow was released from within the forest once again.
Within Sakuya's vision, she can see knights figure standing some distances away from where she stood.
She held her breath and pulled the bow to the limit to deliver the finis.h.i.+ng blow.
The arrow that was attached to the bow was dyed black.
That is why it would be impossible for the knights to dodge them in the middle of the night like this.
Such concealable weapons were handed down within their clan. Knowing the line of work that their clan dwells in, many of her techniques worked well at night.
"Ryouma-sama... I've killed them..."
"Alright... We should begin moving..."
Toward Sakuya's report, Ryouma sends a small hand signal toward Sara who has been on standby behind him.
"Well then... We shall proceed according to the plan..."
Following Ryouma's signal, Sara tells the mercenaries to move forward with the plan in a small voice.
"Alright... Listen up, Our role right now is the same as hunting dogs... Bark as loud as possible when you see the enemy."
Sara nodded her head in responding to Ryouma's words, then Ryouma move towards the enemy encampment.
Behind him, ten mercenaries followed.
Another unit led by Laura and Genou are also around, and they might begin to move after they finished their preparation.
"Young master! The preparation are finished!"
One mercenary comes close to Ryouma to give his report.
"Alright! Begin!"
Ryouma then immediately gives the order to the surrounding mercenaries.
Several mercenaries quickly disappeared into the dark.
Within a few minutes, a red light begins to appear within the camping ground.
At first, it was a small red light inside the darkness, but as time goes, the light illuminates began to illuminate the whole camp.
"Fire! Fire~~~!!!"
"No! The enemy! It's an enemy raid!"
A scream begins to resound from the camping ground located near the highway.
Along with the scream, sounds of metal clas.h.i.+ng against each other can be heard.
"What?! The enemy?!"
Hodram immediately raised his sleeping body.
"Who?! What the h.e.l.l is going on?"
Brushed the blanked away, Hodram then reached out his hand toward his favorite sword leaned on his bed side.
"Dear? What's wrong?"
His wife who had fallen asleep next to him woke up.
"Father..."
He also heard the worried voice of his daughter who slept a little bit away from the two.
They both seem to have woken up due to the screams of the watchman.
"It's alright... I will do something about it. Both of you have nothing to worry about."
Hodram calmly told the two of them who were trembling in fear.
"Your Excellency!"
One of his knight voice came from outside of the tent.
"Umu! What's wrong? I heard there are fires and an enemy raid?"
He asked the knight from inside the tent.
"Yes! I'm very sorry to disturb. Currently, Kyle-dono has been leading the defensive battle. Your excellency should immediately prepare to depart..."
Hodram's complexion changes due to the knight's words.
"Understood! Did you hear? We will leave here immediately!"
Hodram did not hesitate even for a moment.
If he were to hesitate in deciding something, then he wouldn’t have been able to become a General of the Rozeria Kingdom.
Hodram expression has already changed into an expression of a warrior who has gone through numerous battlefields.
"Dear, we're already ready."
When he looked back, his wife and daughter already been dressed, understanding the situation they judged it best to quickly prepare for departure.
"Umu! We're going!"
Hodram takes his wife and child towards the carriages while being guarded by the Knights.
"Your Excellency! Is everything alright?!"
"Kyle! What's going on?!"
At the time when Hodram gets his wife and children into the carriages, Kyle comes while running.
Kyle who appears in front of Hodram donned his armor with his sword in hand..
Looking at Kyle's appearance Hodram face relaxed a little bit.
Because Kyle who looks calm without getting nervous looks reliable.
"Kyle! What's the situation? Is it pursuers sent out by Lupis?!"
Hodram quickly asks Kyle his question.
"Because there's no banner, it is unknown whether it was Princess Lupis army or not... But 20 knights are currently engaging the enemies. The fire was started by them as well!"
Kyle delivered his report.
The guards were a.s.suming the attackers belonged to Princess Lupis’s army but due to the darkness and the fact the attackers had no banners made it impossible for them to affirm who their enemies were.
Other than pursuers, the only possibility is bandits.
Should they fight back, or should they run away... They seem to contemplate which decision to take.
"I see... How about the defense against the enemy?"
Hodram throws another question toward Kyle.
"I'm doubtful that we can take them on like this... Your Excellency, I suggest you to get your wife and daughter and immediately leave this place..."
Kyle urged Hodram to move by opening the door of the carriage immediately.
"Now then your Excellency. We should immediately leave this place!"
Hodram quickly nodded his head toward Kyle's words.
"Umu! I will ask the detail later! Kyle! We're going to go toward Thalluja capital city immediately!"
Saying that Hodram quickly entered the carriage. He entrusted everything to Kyle. Since there was nothing to be done by staying here.
Hodram must survive this ordeal since if he continued to live, he could reward his subordinates. He may have been arrogant but he wasn’t foolish enough to think that his power could solve everything.
"Now then! You! Start moving the carriage!"
Seeing Hodram already board the carriage, Kyle immediately shouts toward the Knight who held the reins.
"Ha!"
The Knight lashed his whip and struck the horse to move.
The horse-drawn carriages rush onto the highway whilst accelerating. Surrounding it were around 30 knights commanded by Kyle. The low number was taking into consideration the knights who managed to wear their armors and follow Hodram. Although many knights had taken their armors off to rest, some chose to continue wearing it during the break.
"Your Excellency... Are you alright?!"
Kyle muttered such words while looking around.
Along the way, some knights jumped out with only their clothes clung to their bodies.
They have spears and swords on their hands, but those who had taken off their armor were not good as war potential.
It would be good if the enemies were only amateurs but since the enemy was able to mount a night a.s.sault so swiftly, made Kyle understand that the opposition is experienced in war.
Everyone present were awaiting Kyle's next orders.
They all understood.
To survive this, they have to follow Kyle's order to the letter.
"Listen! Those who are not wearing armor! You should withdraw slowly! Position your spear towards the enemy! Do not engage the enemy in close quarter combat! Understood?!"
Toward Kyle's words, all the knights nod in silence and begin to set up their spears in position.
"Here they come!"
According to Kyle's voice, the knights readied their spears.
