Read Novel Full Chapter 309
Chapter 309
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Chapter 309 – The Fortress, the Saint, and the Witch
After leaving Hjelmar in Casspir, Myrril and I went to the city walls to check on the surrounding enemies.
First, we heard that there were about 500 cavalry and 1,500 infantry. In addition, there were 200 horse-drawn sleighs. It seems that these sleighs, which were thought to be a supply unit, were actually used to transport the “Immortal Soldiers” and the mortar unit. In other words, the Imperial Army unit, which has almost no supplies, is only thinking about destroying the Saint and her followers stationed in the fort and not thinking about what will happen after they are destroyed.
“Dead soldiers?”
“Literally. I think they almost defeated the cavalry. If there are any survivors among the infantry and artillery, there may be a hundred or so in all, but it’s eerie that I can’t find these ‘human-horse soldiers.’ They probably ran away.
We call them “human-horse soldiers” for convenience, but they are a type of golem that has been physically altered by magic.
“Ecla-dono, are you all right?”
Myrril waves to Saint Miyuki and the Witch, who are surrounded by deserters from the fortress wall. About half of the soldiers are either down or limping, but there don’t seem to be any dead or injured.
“It’s all right, how are things over there?”
“There are about a hundred soldiers still alive and about a hundred of those monster creatures that look like a combination of horse and man! They probably saw an opportunity to attack…”
Myrril fires an M79 at a high angle. After the first round, two grenades are fired with a time delay, flying in a parabolic arc.
“…Just like I said, they came out.”
A group of human-horse soldiers rush out of the forest surrounding the outer walls of Fort Ilm and charge at us. The distance from the forest to the walls is about 300 meters. The grenade hits the front of the group, knocking them down. None of the human-horse soldiers, who have only enough intelligence to carry out simple commands, flinch and retreat. Instead, they split into two groups and started running at full speed. The left group numbered about 30, and their target was the main gate on the north side. The right group was slightly larger, numbering just over 40. They were heading for the east side of the castle walls.
“Mm, I deviated a bit.”
The two grenades fired in pursuit cut down a group of running human-horse soldiers, but there weren’t many of them. There were about ten in the lead group, and the groups splitting off to the left and right each inflicted only two or three casualties.
“Yoshua, get the PKM.”
I took a PKM light machine gun with a rifle bullet specification out of the storage for Myrril, and I also took an RPK light machine gun with a rifle bullet specification and took up a firing position on the chest wall.
“I’ll take care of this side. Can you take that side, Yoshua?”
In the direction Nojaloli-san pointed, I could see the surviving Imperial Army soldiers hiding behind a broken horse-drawn sleigh. They must have hidden or fled into the forest and returned after we passed. The distance was about 200 meters. The archers, protected by tower-shaped shields, drew back their longbows to their full angle of elevation. If their plan is to defeat our attacking forces with a volley of arrows in response to the simultaneous charge of the human-horse soldiers, then it’s not a bad idea. I wouldn’t have noticed it myself if Myrril hadn’t told me because I was distracted by the conspicuous group of human-horse soldiers.
“As soon as they cross half of the plains, the archers will move in to distract them. This is because our attention will be diverted by dealing with them.”
“Have you run out of grenades yet?”
“No, there are some, but it’s probably too late.”
The grenade that was fired while muttering softly was quickly deployed and dodged by the human-horse soldiers.
“These guys are really monsters. They react the moment they can see over the horizon. I couldn’t even shoot them in the eye with a pistol bullet, let alone a rifle bullet.”
“I see. That’s why you looked up earlier.”
“Yoshua, don’t stick your head out too far.”
“Understood.”
The PKM light machine gun shoots down the human-horse soldiers with short bursts of fire. The huge bodies pierced by the rifle bullets collapse and become motionless. Even as they are knocked down one by one, they do not flinch, do not run away, and do not choose to keep their distance. Instead, they lower their stance and increase their speed.
“They may be monsters, but they’re amazing!”
The human-horse soldiers fell one by one, but they took the bullets as if to protect their comrades, and Myrril allowed several of them to break through.
“Yoshua!”
I fired my RPK at the archers who had risen from the cover of the sleigh and begun to fire a volley. The assault rifle rounds, which were only about 60% as powerful as the PKM rounds, penetrated the shields and cover, knocking the soldiers down and sending the arrows scattering in all directions. While changing the magazine, I ended up using over 200 rounds before eliminating the remaining 100 or so soldiers. I’m never going to get any better at shooting, am I?
“Ecla-dono, get into a defensive formation! The monsters are coming!”
Myrril yells, pointing her weapon inside the fortress walls. The former guards, who thought the battle was over when they saw the human-horse soldiers jump over the eastern wall and land, screamed. There were three human-horse soldiers who had infiltrated the fortress. It seemed surprisingly few for the result of such a coordinated attack, but even one of those monsters could overrun the Saint’s soldiers.
“Just defend yourselves, move quickly!”
The Saint and the Witch scold the deserters as they move into an awkward semicircular formation with the wall behind them. Without waiting for it to be completed, the human-horse soldiers charge at them. They are carefully divided into three groups and charge in unison. Even Myrril can’t take them all.
“Mir-jouchan, I’ll take care of the one on the left!”
“Roger that!”
“Everyone, get down!”
The one in front died when a PKM bullet pierced his chest, and he fell backward, and the one that went around to the left was impaled on a pillar of ice that Eclair had shot out and stuck to the wall. The last one that came around the right side of the castle wall was killed by me at the last moment.
“That was close. Where did they come from?”
“There must have been a collapsed section in the eastern wall. The sharp and blunt sections don’t match at all.”
I agree. I think so, too. The same sense of incongruity was everywhere, as was the behavior of the monsters. It’s like the top brass, and the generals are incompetent, but there are some capable people among the lower officers. Maybe it’s not like that.
Myrril and I climb down from the wall and approach the half-collapsed semicircle formation. The Saint bows her head in reverence, and Ecla-san raises her hand with a wry smile.
“Thanks to you, we made it. These guys also managed to survive somehow.”
Even the former guards, who were weak and spineless and dependent on others, had acquired an air of determination, resignation, and cynicism that is characteristic of those who have survived a fierce battle. So this is it, huh?
“Without the Saint’s protection, we would have been half dead.”
The older former guard laughed. I didn’t see their battle, but it seems it was closer than I thought.
“If it wasn’t for the witch’s blessing, the other half of us would have died as well.”
It’s not close. That’s out of the question.
When my eyes met Ecla-san’s, she shrugged as if to say, “Oh well.”
“After we take care of this place, we’ll go to the Imperial Capital. Can you please deliver a message to the chairman of the Republic Council?”
“A message?”
“The Saint’s Apostle will be taken care of by the Demon King.”
“Are you planning to keep them in Rozes?”
“Yes. As the city of the saint, that city could be rebuilt. In fact, it would be impossible to do anything else.”
“That sounds plausible, but I’m guessing that you just got the idea.”
I just smile quietly. I know she knows, so I don’t bother denying it. I don’t care about anything but the result.
“If you need it, please use this.”
I hand her the dagger of the “Medal of Oath” entrusted to me by McKin-dono of the Southern Territories.
“I don’t need it. Leave these guys to me.”
“Huh?”
“I’m telling you, I’ll take care of them.”
“”””Thank you, Witch-sama!””””
What’s going on? These former guards… if you look closely, even the former Saint is with them, standing at attention and tearfully pledging their loyalty. Before I knew it, Ecla-san had become the big sister figure. I don’t know how much fear was used on them, but they seem like different people.
“”””Witch-sama!””””
These strong men (plus the former Saint) are crying tears of joy as they surround the witch. Wow… it’s like a graduation ceremony in a passionate teacher drama. What did you do, Ecla-san?
Myrril raises an eyebrow as if to say, “It seems they’ve grown quite fond of you.”
“Shut up. Dogs need a whip and food. That’s all they need!”
No, I didn’t say anything. This person is also quite a tsundere, isn’t she?
I, who was left out of the loop and had no choice but to tilt my head, had my sleeve pulled by Myrril.
“Well, that’s fine. Leave the rest to her, and we’ll continue.”
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