Episode 40 – Lord (5)
“Me, Commander!”
“Calm down. They’re merely flying beasts!”
It was only natural for the gargoyle who had believed themselves to have no rivals to panic, especially considering that this assault was not on the ground, but in the skies — the domain they were supposed to rule.
“Charge.”
The queen commanding numerous Aerial Combatants signaled for them to attack all at once.
These newly created Aerial Combatants had four wings wrapped in a membrane that crossed in motion, allowing free flight. They also had four slender, pointed legs and a tail tipped with a sharp venomous stinger.
Their combat style involved attacking from the front, grabbing onto the target with their legs and piercing through with their stinger.
However, they possessed another weapon — their overwhelming numbers.
Even if one Aerial Combatant’s combat power was low, they had several times more in number than the gargoyle warriors, swarming from all sides. Multiple combatants would latch onto a single gargoyle, causing chaos and launching their attacks.
“Huh, aaaaah!”
There were few who could respond swiftly to the onslaught from all sides.
Even when a spear was swung to take out one of them, others would race in from the sides and jam their thick stingers, wider than an arm, into the bodies of the gargoyle warriors.
There was a reason why the gargoyles failed to respond properly.
Though adept at attacking the ground from the air, since they believed themselves to be the only ones capable of flying in the area, they were both unfamiliar and disadvantaged in aerial combat.
“Isn’t it looking good?”
The queen grinned as she watched countless bodies crash to the ground after one round of collision. Even those who bravely held their ground would soon fall; after all, one hand cannot match ten.
Even if there’s a technique or strength to kill them, stamina was the issue.
The gargoyle warriors’ magic reserves were quickly depleted, and as they grew weary, their defenses were inevitably breached.
“Retreat! Fall back!”
The gargoyle warriors, who had confidently set out aiming to annihilate their enemies, were forced to retreat after a single clash, failing to understand their opponent’s strategy.
The few survivors fled to villages and towns where their stunned allies were stationed, finding themselves in an urgent situation as they had to face countless fiends chasing them.
‘They can’t afford to falter.’
And this battle soon became a signal.
Syla, who had been observing the army’s aerial fight alongside the ground force, moved together with the ground army.
Just as the flying soldiers had swept away their enemies, she too was determined to establish merit alongside the ground force.
The goal was to attack areas where the enemy’s cities and towns were in chaos due to the trusted gargoyles’ retreat, much like how they devastated Ogress Domain. They began attacking the area, intent on not leaving even one sign of life, much like a swarm of locusts clearing a field.
*
“This speed… it’s hard to keep up. I’ve just heard about the gargoyle’s involvement, and that the participating gargoyles are practically wiped out by flying fiends?”
Cruiger scratched his head in bewilderment upon hearing the news. Actually, Cruiger’s reaction was strangely lackadaisical.
Since my flying soldiers had wiped out the gargoyles and the ground army began a thorough attack on Lamia’s domain, the locals were already in complete panic.
“The Mayor insists we should abandon the city and join a bigger city now,”
“That’s foolish. If we encounter the enemies on the road, we will be annihilated without a fight.”
Cruiger showed visible distaste at my words. Though the cowardly mayor of the city looked eager to flee immediately, he was currently forced to stay in place.
And the mayor wasn’t helping matters with his useless rant about how no one had successfully resisted the fiends so far.
“How can a leader like him guide the people? We aren’t mechanical warriors like the monsters, and leadership in war is so crucial…”
He seemed fixated on the qualities of a leader. Once the heir to inherit a domain himself, Cruiger had once pondered on how he would govern the domain once he became Lord.
According to him, the current city mayor, who could be considered the head of this city, was entirely unworthy.
“N-No, they’re coming! The fiends are here!”
Before long, fiends — some of ‘my soldiers’ — showed up in the city we were in. Naturally, with the area in general chaos, this was an expected development.
“Let’s go. To fight.”
Cruiger, fully equipped for battle, headed resolutely towards the front lines. I followed along, my sword in hand.
Counting the mercenaries, the city’s defense force, and the civilian militia who volunteered to fight, this city’s military strength was all we had.
‘If we deploy bomb fiends, it’s game over. Too many blade fiends might also be problematic. Surely, I won’t lose to this, right?’
Effectively, this can be called a fixed game, but overacting might expose that I’m undercover.
So, I intended to fight with full concentration alongside my soldiers I commanded once in the actual battle.
However, I’ve tweaked our troop composition and numbers so that with all our might, we could barely win.
If even this fails… well, there’s nothing else to do but to come up with another plan.
“Mayor, please give us orders. They’re right in front of us!”
“What should I do?! Fight as much as possible from the walls!”
As Cruiger had said, the mayor was nothing but a useless coward.
Reluctantly, the city’s defense captain, who had taken command instead of the mayor, deployed guards and mercenaries on the walls, preparing for the incoming enemies.
Ordinarily, I would have examined their formations to find vulnerabilities to exploit, but this time was different. I decided to charge recklessly ahead with the pretense of knowing nothing.
“Th-they’re coming! Aah!”
However, perhaps because of the infamous reputation and fear of us within the region, the momentum alone broke the defenders’ spirits, and the defense began to falter, disarraying my calculations that we would win with determination.
Was it because I’ve only commanded soldiers who obeyed my orders thoroughly? I hadn’t contemplated the possibility that the soldiers wouldn’t put all their effort into fighting, but would be paralyzed by fear.
“Ah.”
I could not help but sigh at how pitiful the situation was. Even though my soldiers were now charging straightforward to make the fight winnable by our forces if we just fought hard enough.
“Ria, aren’t you worried at all?”
“If emotions don’t sway you, you can see clearly. Take a close look. Can you truly not see if we can’t win?”
Cruiger, amidst the tension, turned to look at me after hearing my words. He then seemed to realize something and nodded.
“Looking at their makeup, there are mostly the weak but numerous Fallen Ones. No flying fiends either… If we hold out, we can win by just enduring.”
Cruiger quickly understood my point. Though I obviously wished the others could also understand these simple truths, unfortunately, there was no time for that.
The war had already begun and my soldiers were rushing toward the walls, bearing the brunt of the defenders’ arrows and magic.
“Hold your ground! Fight!”
Clenching their teeth in frustration, the defense force started a desperate battle as my soldiers surrounded and began climbing the walls.
The defensive towers spewed fire, and archers and mages rained unrelenting attacks beyond the walls.
On the walls, the defenders clenched their teeth in an effort to protect their positions, cutting off the legs of those climbing and splitting their heads. Shouts and screams resounded, but the defenses remained intact.
‘Doing it this way, huh?’
In the midst of this, I practiced combat using my sword and manipulating mana instead of deforming my body.
I dodged the venomous sting wielded by my soldier that was being used as a practice opponent and instead slashed their neck with the reverse swing of my sword. It felt strange to be defending and attacking simultaneously.
But it was like stabbing myself with my own hand—it carried no deep emotion.
Does one feel sympathy for a nail when they trim their fingertips?
The soldiers charging in are merely tools. Tools meant to achieve the purpose of our entire collective. Their sole purpose was for the collective, and perishing at my hands now was fulfilling that purpose.
“Good fight.”
Cruiger, who had been observing this exchange, chuckled as he panted. He too had already slain multiple enemies, proving his skill.
But the battle was just beginning.
My soldiers were still densely packed around the walls, and the defenders on the walls had already started to tire.
