Chapter 14: Demon’s Lair – 16
The next morning, we finished breakfast in the early hours and awaited the arrival of our opponents.
With some time on my hands, I decided to discuss skill training with the young man I had spoken to yesterday. He seemed intrigued, and we agreed to give it a try.
Although the young man was a high-ranking adventurer, he appeared to grasp the usefulness of training in Dynamic Vision and Explosive Power. Other adventurers watching us expressed their desire to join in, and they too had a positive experience. By the way, I had also been promoting the use of Dark Metal Rods for training, so it’s possible that the market price for Dark Metal might temporarily rise.
However, despite the tension hanging over the camp before battle, the adventurers remained calm. If this was indeed the effect of mental skills, then perhaps the excitement for battle stirring within me was also due to my own skills.
About an hour and a half after the sun began to rise, I spotted a faint cloud of dust rising across the plains. It seemed the national army had arrived. They were said to number around thirty thousand, and thinking of them as our enemies was indeed overwhelming.
Once the national army approached to about a kilometer away, they halted and began to form their battle lines. From a modern perspective, this would seem like the perfect time to attack, but I assumed there were protocols unique to this world.
After a while, a group of about one hundred soldiers began to approach us. In turn, we also moved forward with a group of roughly one hundred, and I could see Marquis Lagantz’s ponytail among them, indicating that the commanders were about to introduce themselves. They would likely assert their legitimacy against one another.
“Those who do not show submission to the rightful king harbor treason. To reject the king’s mercy is to possess a double heart. Thus, by royal decree, we shall strike down Lagantz!”
“To strike down the brigands who falsely claim the throne through unjust actions is the will of heaven. If we possess the rightful bloodline of the king, it is our duty to eliminate the traitors!”
They shouted these theatrical declarations at each other before returning to their respective camps. It seemed the time was drawing near. I suppressed my eager heart and moved to the front line with the other adventurers.
“Hey, you’re Soushi, right? I’m counting on you!”
“If the Undead come, I’ll use ‘Provoke’ to draw them in and smash them, but please take care of any that I can’t pull in.”
I responded to the young man and pulled out the Immovable Fortress Wall and my mace from my Item Box.
Just then, the sound of drums echoed from the national army’s camp. In response, drums were also struck from behind the marquis’s lines. This was the signal for battle to commence.
Our forces began to advance slowly. Once we got close enough, there would likely be a volley of arrows, but I expected there would be a scene before that.
As our adventurer team led the way, a soldier at the front line of the national army placed something resembling a board on the ground. It could only be the Summoning Stone used to summon Undead. There were likely around a thousand soldiers in the front line. With one Summoning Stone capable of summoning ten creatures, that meant we could see an army of ten thousand Undead emerging. It was an outrageous and underhanded tactic.
As I had anticipated, the ground around the Summoning Stone began to swell, and zombies, skeletons, and Terror Knights emerged in droves. This horde of Undead, a mix of humanoid and beast-like forms, likely numbered around ten thousand. For a brief moment, I wished Freinir were here, but I quickly reminded myself that it would be unthinkable to send her into a battle between humans.
“They’re coming, Soushi!”
Just as the young man warned, the Undead surged forward. The beast-type creatures, known for their speed, led the charge. I dashed forward, activating ‘Provoke’ with all my might. The beast-type zombies and skeletons all turned their attention toward us. I could hear the other adventurers behind us gasp in awe.
“Whoa!”
A cheer escaped my lips, but considering the morale boost, it was just right.
“Roarrr!”
With a strange howl, the beast-type Undead charged toward me. I swung my mace in a wide arc and unleashed a Shockwave at maximum power.
With my skill level nearing its peak, the Shockwave extended over twenty meters. The Shockwave radiated outward, causing the ground in front of me to erupt in a fan shape, sending the Undead flying. Naturally, all those caught in the blast were obliterated.
With each swing of my mace, nearly a hundred Undead vanished from the ground. I pressed forward, systematically exterminating the pitiful Undead. Of course, many still advanced toward our lines outside the range of ‘Provoke,’ but the other adventurers were handling those.
As the number of Undead dwindled to a third, the soldiers of the national army activated more Summoning Stones. An additional ten thousand emerged, but they were nothing more than dust before my mace and Shockwave.
Once the additional Undead were reduced to less than half, I noticed the soldiers of the national army beginning to panic. They had likely intended to advance and shoot arrows as the Undead reached our lines, but their plans had been completely thwarted, and it was only natural for them to be flustered.
If I continued my advance, it would be their own ranks that would become minced meat instead of the Undead. In fact, the soldiers directly in front of me were retreating slowly, their faces twisted in fear.
Suddenly, a group of soldiers clad in black appeared, cutting through the retreating ranks. They were undoubtedly the Special Duty Soldiers I had seen at the guild in the Royal Capital. There were about two hundred of them. They had likely noticed my irregular presence and come out to deal with me. I could see some of them wielding massive weapons that ordinary soldiers couldn’t handle.
About thirty of them unleashed magic at me. Flames, ice, and stone spears rained down like a meteor shower. However, not even a slight tremor reached my Immovable Fortress Wall.
Seeing me still standing after the magical barrage, the Special Duty Soldiers gasped in astonishment.
Meanwhile, the Undead continued to swarm, but they were piling up as remnants on the plains due to my efforts.
With the troublesome Undead cleared away, there was no longer any cover between me and the Special Duty Soldiers.
The distance was about a hundred meters. The arrows fired by the enemy archers bounced uselessly off the surface of my shield.
As I charged forward with my shield raised, the front line of the enemy spread out to surround me. They must have seen the power of my Shockwave, yet they believed they could withstand it.
Thanks to my Agility +2, I quickly closed the distance, capturing nearly all of the adventurer team within my range. How foolish; the rear guard should have spread out a bit more.
I unleashed a Shockwave, of course, firing it off in rapid succession using ‘Honshin.’
Those who charged in with ‘Swift Run,’ those who attempted to cast magic, and those who aimed to shoot arrows—all were sent flying by the invisible energy.
They were sturdier than the Undead, so perhaps some would survive if they were lucky. Adventurer rejects were generally treated more harshly than ordinary criminals. I had neither the obligation to sympathize nor the time to spare.
All the enemy adventurers before me vanished. As I pressed further, the surrounding common soldiers turned pale and began to flee. Naturally, those behind them were caught in a scuffle and fell into a state of panic.
“Yikes!? A monster is coming!”
“Run! Fall back quickly!”
As I dashed forward, screams erupted from among the common soldiers. “Monster” was quite an insult. I was just a guy with a bit of extra strength.
As soldiers scrambled to escape my path, they retreated in all directions. Shouts and cries filled the air, and it was clear they were no longer in a state to fight.
I continued forward through the path opened by the soldiers. Occasionally unleashing a Shockwave sent those in the back who hadn’t grasped the situation into a panic, causing them to scatter.
Looking ahead, I spotted a group of about two hundred cavalry about two hundred meters away. Given the large flag flying, it was likely the unit of the national army’s supreme commander.
As I approached, the common soldiers kept their distance. In front of me stood about a hundred Special Duty Soldiers, likely the commander’s escort.
“What are those who went ahead doing!?”
“Could it be that this one man wiped them all out? That can’t be true!”
They shouted such things while launching magic, arrows, swords, and axes at me, but I blew them all away and continued to advance.
I thought the cavalry might move, but it seemed the horses had panicked at my Shockwave and were in a state of chaos. They were ignoring the knights’ commands, trying to flee from me and causing collisions.
Some knights had fallen off their horses and were writhing on the ground. Those with bad luck were getting kicked by their own horses, creating a disastrous scene. I hadn’t even done anything directly, yet the unit was no longer functioning as a cohesive force.
Among the fallen knights, I spotted a familiar face—the corrupt nobleman who had spat out insults in front of the marquis’s mansion. Next to him was a pompous-looking man in flashy armor, likely the supreme commander of this army. He seemed to be a moderately powerful noble, accompanied by his sycophant.
In front of the two trembling men stood a warrior, sword drawn. His armor was practical yet impressive. He exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior, likely around forty years old.
“Y-you there! General Durack, cut him down swiftly! He’s just an adventurer!”
The nobleman, trembling, issued that command. So this man before me was indeed General Durack, as mentioned in the discussions.
“Who are you?”
The general’s voice was steady. He remained calm in this irregular situation, indicating he was a veteran as his appearance suggested. From his demeanor, he was likely an Awakened One and undoubtedly a former high-ranking adventurer.
“I am a B-rank adventurer. By chance, I am cooperating with Marquis Lagantz.”
“A B-rank adventurer of your caliber? Where on earth did you come from? You’re not one of those sent from the Northern Empire, are you?”
“I’ve never even been to the Empire. I’m truly here by coincidence.”
“Why do you side with the marquis? Have you been promised a noble title?”
“No, I simply want to leave this country. However, it seems your king is quite the troublesome individual, so I reluctantly joined the marquis’s forces.”
“You truly mean to say that… I see. It seems the king’s actions have invited a talent like you to become an enemy.”
At that moment, the general’s expression bore a hint of self-deprecation. He was likely a loyal general serving a tyrant. Such individuals are often necessary after everything is said and done, so it would be troublesome if he were to die.
“Well then, I cannot allow you to stall for time, so I will pass through.”
“Whether you can stall or not, you will find out with your own body!”
As he launched a slash, he came at me with ‘Swift Run.’ It seemed he possessed the skill ‘Blade Extension’ and also ‘Honshin.’ He attacked me with agile movements, but… unfortunately, he was powerless against my overwhelming mass attack.
“Gah…!!”
With a single swing of my mace, the general was sent flying about twenty meters. I had held back somewhat, so he shouldn’t be dead.
“W-what!? The general was taken out in one blow!?”
“W-wait! I am a count! If you take my life, my entire faction will never forgive you…”
I bound the two nobles who were shouting something incoherent with rope and hooked them onto the end of my mace, lifting them up.
“I have captured the enemy commander! If you value your lives, cast down your weapons and lay your bodies upon the ground!”
In such a situation, I had no idea what to say. I shouted something random, and a voice of “Eek!” rose from a nearby soldier. That voice quickly spread, and the soldiers began to drop their weapons and kneel to the ground.
Indeed, it seemed the soldiers’ morale was terrifyingly low. If the king was a tyrant who didn’t even feed his soldiers, they would never fight against their fellow countrymen for their lives. No one could blame them for that.
I glanced back to see the general rising. He looked around, saw the two nobles slumped on my mace, and knelt down with a strangely relieved expression.