Chapter 19: The One Who Rules the Kin of Twilight 20
It was midday on the second day since we departed the capital.
Before us lay a vast green plain, the low grass stretching out in all directions, flanked by mountain ranges on either side.
It was a land that could be called a “corridor,” and far beyond it, we could see a rugged mountain range, its peaks covered in snow.
From those mountains, a cold wind blew against us, carrying with it the ominous presence of the Kin of Twilight.
“I see, as Dorozitte said, trying to cross that to reach the northern coastline would indeed be suicide. Even if it means more casualties, it seems we have no choice but to fight a field battle here.”
“The fact that the Kin of Twilight are coming over that is astonishing in itself,” Sfenia replied, her eyes fixed on the distance.
“Can you see anything?”
“Yes, far in the distance, I can see groups advancing towards us. Some are flying, so it must be the Kin of Twilight.”
“It seems they did a lot of preparation, but the battle itself will be straightforward.”
“If 3,000 Kin of Twilight summon the Twilight Hounds all at once, that will be over 30,000. They intend to overwhelm us with numbers.”
The Twilight Hounds themselves are C-Rank monsters, making them a threat to the non-adventurer soldiers. Of course, even for adventurers, they are not monsters to be taken lightly.
“Judging by the distance, we’ll clash tomorrow morning,” Sfenia said, and as if to confirm her assessment, the Imperial soldiers began preparing for camp. They were setting up obstacles like cheval de frise and digging trenches to construct their positions. In fact, I had been asked to bring a large amount of supplies in my Item Box.
A general in charge of the camp preparations came over and designated a place to store the supplies I had brought. When I took all the supplies out of my Item Box and lined them up, the soldiers’ eyes widened at the sheer volume.
We spent the rest of the day training. When I was practicing my swings with The Great Equalizer, A-Rank adventurers like Jaze of the Polar Drake and Lady Somyule of the Water Lily Lion came over, so I took the opportunity to promote the Dark Metal Rod. By the way, the Soul’s Guidance style skill training method had already been spread by Dorozitte.
Dinner was taken separately by each party. With the decisive battle tomorrow, it seemed that spending the last moments with their comrades was the adventurer’s way.
We decided to eat our meal in our usual circle. Dorozitte and Marishielle were in official positions, so they were not present.
“Ah, so it’s finally here. I never thought I’d be participating in a battle like this as an adventurer, so I’m a little nervous,” Larni said, sounding a bit excited. I thought she might be acting that way to hide her tension or anxiety, but she didn’t seem to be.
“Larni, you’re so carefree. Shouldn’t you be more tense before a battle?”
“Karma seems calm too. We’re used to facing large groups, so it doesn’t bother me anymore.”
“Well, that’s true, but when I look at the other parties, some of them look worried. It makes me feel like we’re special.”
“That’s probably true. I’ve only heard of battles in stories, but I’m not too worried either. I think it’s because we feel like everything will be alright with Lord Soushi here.”
Shizuna said, glancing at me, and Sfenia agreed.
“That’s exactly right. And although we haven’t been a party for long, our time together has been incredibly dense. Each of us is exceptionally strong compared to other adventurers, so it’s natural to feel confident.”
“The Grand Master acknowledges that as well. And I think it’s also because we’ve been consistently doing that training method. I never thought I could become this strong after retiring, and joining Soul’s Guidance was truly fortunate.”
Karma grinned at Mariane, who was unusually talkative.
“Mariane, isn’t it more than just getting stronger that makes you lucky?”
“It’s the same for you, Karma. Anyway, I’ve been lucky in many ways.”
Mariane slightly furrowed her brow and looked away.
After a slight pause, Sakurahime continued the conversation.
“Thinking about it, I was fortunate from the moment I first met Soul’s Guidance. I would have been in grave danger with that large Salamander back then. I’ve been saved three times, and to be able to become a member of this party, there is no better fate.”
“Ah, that’s right, that happened. I don’t want to remember the Supreme Radiance incident, but that’s how we met Sakurahime.”
Larni said nostalgically, but I was surprised that it had not even been a year since that incident.
Freinir, who was sitting next to me, seemed to think the same and nodded deeply.
“Since Lord Soushi saved me, so many things have happened. I never imagined Soul’s Guidance would grow this big, and I feel the strength of Lord Soushi’s ability to draw in fate. Of course, I believe my meeting with Lord Soushi was the best fate for me as well.”
“Frei has felt that way since the first time I saw her. I was really lucky to call out to the two of you back then. But we still have things to do, so we can’t stop here!”
“Larni, you’re always so impatient. We must first solidify our foundations, or we might stumble in a foolish way.”
“Oh, Shizuna is saying something serious.”
“I am a priestess of Oz, after all. I was made to study such things. Though it hasn’t been of much use.”
Shizuna said self-deprecatingly.
Hearing that, Geshura, who had been focused on her meal, suddenly turned to us.
“Speaking of Oz, I would love to visit that country. Soushi, will we be going there after this?”
“Well, probably after this battle, Mecalinan will summon me regarding the rewards. We’ll be heading south then, so we might go there again.”
“I see. According to Shizuna, Oz has a unique culture. I’m very interested in the Spirits and Sacred Spirit Beasts. I would love to go.”
“Understood. Sakurahime would probably like to go too, so let’s put it on the schedule.”
“Oh, and if we do, let’s stop by the Beastkin Village. Karma, you want to go home for a while, right?”
“Ah, that’s right. It would be helpful if we could stop by. I have things to report.”
“Ah, yes, I’m interested in the Beastkin Village as well. Let’s go there too.”
It seemed that our schedule was filling up even before the battle, but there were still many places to visit on this continent.
And eventually, I also wanted to visit Geshura’s homeland, the Garden of Twilight. And to make that happen, it would be important to see what kind of new relationship would be born between the Kin of Twilight and humans through this battle.
If I am the one who will determine the course of this battle, then it might be necessary to fight with that in mind. Even so, there is only so much I can do.