Episode 206: Life is cruel (1)
The captain, who fired five flares signaling an emergency, chose to return without looking back.
I also didn’t have the confidence to deal with that much volume, so I just quietly urged Frederick.
Only Frederick moved his feet excitedly, as if it had been a long time since he ran at his best.
“Knight Dietrich is coming!”
“Open the door!”
Should I say I’m lucky? It appears that the Merman herd has not yet reached the city.
Thanks to this, the soldiers opened the door without hesitation. It would have been somewhat difficult if there were enemies nearby.
Sigh.
It seems that preparations were made in advance to open the castle gate separately. The sentries opened the door just in time.
It seems that the soldiers who came first gave instructions.
“Captain! “The Lord of the castle is on the wall!”
“thanks!”
This is also true of lighting up the streets with torches so that people could run down the streets on horseback.
People on the way to the castle easily spotted us and avoided us, and thanks to our clear visibility, we were able to run up to the castle wall without stopping.
Squeak.
However, the residents who open their windows to see what is going on look like stone statues as the night covers them.
I hate to say this, but I think I saw this in a horror game.
Grumble, purr.
“Hold on just a little longer!”
But there are too many torches to be scared. If the torch doesn’t flicker, it means there are no ghosts around!
I focused on Frederick’s breathing, boasting that I had been trained through jump scares in all kinds of horror games. This is because I was worried about my physical strength as I had to race to the city at a canter and wet trot.
Since I have to deliver the news, there is nothing I can do… but I am worried that I may have gone too far.
As I looked at Frederick, who was drooling and foaming, I internally urged him to cheer up a little more. Now the high point was in sight.
“Knight Dietrich! “Are you back!”
A soldier on the wall spotted us and shouted.
“Where is the Lord of the castle?”
“District 4!”
“Adventurer left!”
Hey. Bemurchen is very spacious. I followed the captain’s signal, calculating how long it took me to get here.
There were many soldiers and adventurers passing by under the castle walls, so the running horses automatically slowed down.
“Demon knight?”
oh. I don’t know where Area 4 is, but I found the Inquisitor. As if he was alone, standing next to him were the faces of a Deathbringer and an Archmage that he had never seen before.
“Lord Seong!”
“Dietrich!”
Ah, that was Seongju. Well, there’s no way the person the warrior and his party have by their side has an ordinary position. I think there are a lot of soldiers around.
“My knight!”
I hurriedly got off the horse as I saw the lord of the castle jumping down from the castle wall—not a metaphor, but a real jump.
The horses breathed heavily as their gallop finally stopped.
While the captain’s horse was almost dead, Frederick still seemed to have some energy left, but anyway.
“Where are you injured? No, thank you for coming back. “God has blessed me.”
Seongju, who had a bushy beard, grabbed both of the captain’s arms. Then the captain, who was about to kneel down and express his loyalty, laughed awkwardly. I wondered if this attitude was familiar.
“I’m back for Castle Dietrich.”
And then his expression slowly changes into a proud expression. The captain saluted their way.
“Lord Seong, there is a Merman on the beach….”
“Is it very serious?”
“yes. “The coast is full of mermen.”
“It’s like a rotten fish. Any other special features? Can you estimate the number of Mermen?”
“The number of Mermen was so large that we could not properly observe whether there was anything special or how many there were. sorry.”
“Okay… then there’s nothing we can do. “It’s okay.”
Seongju patted the captain’s shoulder and told him to rest as he had worked hard. The captain looked a little impressed and then exclaimed that he could still move more.
Although the military-lord relationship is desirable, it was somewhat difficult to watch from a third party’s perspective.
Purr.
“wait.”
Well, if you say you gave Frederick time to drink water, there is nothing to say.
I poured the water I had prepared and sprinkled salt on it so that Frederick could drink it. The reason I followed suit was because I didn’t think it would be a good idea to drink a lot of water right away after sprinting.
Tsk tsk tsk. The leather gloves I bought a while ago became wet with Frederick’s spit.
“That demon knight…”
Then, for a moment, the Inquisitor who had just come down from the castle wall looked at me and tried to speak. The same was true for Deathbringer.
He stood despondently behind the Inquisitor and stared at me. In its arms is a long wooden box.
“How did you and the driver…”
Hmm. It looks like there will soon be a major battle with the devil, so it would be right to speak out.
But should I reveal my whereabouts?
“Take this guy too.”
“Oh yeah.”
I handed Frederick’s reins over to the soldier who retrieved the captain’s horse. However, perhaps because he was a stranger, Frederick shook his head and tried to reject it.
“…Give me this when you get to the stable.”
“yes.”
I have special measures for times like this. I handed the bag containing the blueberries to the soldier.
Frederick noticed the bag of blueberries and became calm again. Anyway, this is clever.
“Let’s begin the story again, Great Sage.”
Why is the timing so good today?
As soon as Frederick was sent away, the castle lord ended his conversation with the captain. His feet are about to step on the stairs leading up to the castle wall.
“Of course. “Will you too… Demon Knight, will you come up as well…?”
The Archmage called me in a slightly hesitant tone. There was no reason to refuse. Surprisingly, being able to know where someone is deployed was a right enjoyed by only a few people.
If I take off the name tag that says I am a member of the warrior party, there is no way for me, who is just an adventurer, to listen without their help.
“My lord, may he participate in the conversation?”
“How could I oppose someone who has become my colleague?”
Fortunately, Seongju also agreed to my intervention. The captain may have said something about me, but he looks at me somewhat favorably.
“Additional information has come in, but I don’t think it needs to change much from what I said earlier.”
But instead of talking to me, he stood on the wall. The two people, who were ignored and sullen, and I also walked side by side with Seongju.
“Hero, please wait in the center and head to the place where there are the most enemies.”
“yes…!”
“The Archmage will be with the wizard, and you…”
“I will assist the warrior San. “There was a surprise attack that took advantage of the loophole of not being able to move during other defensive battles due to the sanctuary being spread out.”
“I’ll leave that to my colleague’s discretion. But don’t just leave the warrior’s side. “Soldiers or knights who mistake you for enemies may attack you.”
But why does it seem like I can’t see anyone from before?
I felt strange as I thought about this person who I thought was on the wall, but who did not exist.
“If I had had enough time, I would have made people aware of your presence, but you don’t look like a hero and the enemy is about to attack… hmm. “So I can tell if you’re going to wear a shiny string?”
“I absolutely refuse.”
“Then I would like to ask for your understanding regarding this matter.”
“yep.”
“Instead, you can move at your discretion. “As long as it doesn’t harm the castle, I will protect you with the authority of the castle lord.”
I don’t think it’s because you got into a fight with me and got kicked out…
“And you…”
I focused on Seongju who was talking to me, thinking that it was even more complicated that I couldn’t even ask because things were like this.
“Strictly speaking, knights have little meaning in this country. “We tend to attack unilaterally by using the castle walls, shooting arrows and throwing out spears.”
As Seongju said so, he pointed to the area beneath the wall where we stood—the side facing the sea. I could see another castle wall built in the distance and a space filled with thorns beyond it. Magic lights placed sparsely were useful in illuminating the dark vision.
The twisted dam and turrets were just behind it.
“So, the only time the knights step out is for reconnaissance, when dealing with Mermen who have breached the castle walls, or when all battles are over and the water has receded, walking on the exposed banks and killing Mermen who were unable to escape.”
I definitely think it will be difficult for me to step forward if this happens. In fact, all naval battles were like that.
“So, if there is a place you want, I will assign you there….”
I would rather go to the protrusion of the outer castle wall. I was worried as I looked at the bridge connected to the first row of turrets—it looked too weak to be called a bridge, and seemed to have no special function other than connecting to the turrets above the sea—and the soldiers standing on it.
If I go that direction, I think I can just use my sword or magic spear at will. Since it’s in the middle of the ocean, you don’t have to worry about team kills or destruction of the surrounding area.
“You want to go there? It doesn’t matter since we are originally made up of adventurers, but…”
The castle lord’s expression turned mysterious at my words, but he did not object. Instead, he gave a warning. That is where the most deaths occur, and it would be easier to fight if you knew how to shoot a bow.
It was a warning that wasn’t really necessary for me, who wasn’t confident that I would come back alive even if I fell into the sea, and all I had to do was fire magic spears instead of arrows.
“Good luck.”
With those words, Seongju gestured that he should inform the soldier in charge. Several soldiers who were waiting moved around and brought someone in.
“I know that I am not the one to be stopped by what I say, and I have no right to interfere…”
The Archmage, who had been just watching everything in the meantime, opened his mouth.
“Please come back safely.”
“…That’s right, Demon Knight! “Don’t overdo it!”
“Don’t just collapse for two weeks this time…”
To be honest, it was something that could be said without much inconvenience, but for some reason, it made my mouth feel dry.
“And…”
Maybe it was because of the Deathbringer’s wooden box that had been bothering me from before.
“Just in case, please take this with you… won’t it be okay, Nari?”
Sweet. A white sword was visible through the open wooden box. An extremely beautiful and pure sword.
“It’s a better sword than this.”
…I still have the Deathbringer sword that I offered to give to you earlier. I don’t know why. I think it’s because I still have hope that I will receive it someday.
“You often break your sword while fighting, right? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a spare just in case. So…”
One… it doesn’t work because the colors don’t match. Yes, color palette is important.
I looked away with as light a thought as possible. The person who has just finished talking with the soldier is waiting for a moment as we look serious.
“Can I go?”
“That’s okay, but…”
Then, that’s it. I approached the soldier who seemed to be in charge. He had somewhat strange eyes, but he didn’t say anything to me.
“This way.”
The soldier led me and told me a few things to be careful about.
Unless the wall collapses, do not leave your assigned spot as much as possible.
If there is a dead person while you are away, you can push the body outside or remove it, so continue to attack.
Never go to the bridge unless specifically instructed to do so.
If you are standing on a bridge and see signs of the bridge collapsing, evacuate to the nearest turret or castle.
“Mashipyo crossed over to the castle because he didn’t want to be isolated in the turret. And then more people die.”
The soldier, whose entire body was covered in armor but whose scars were still visible, advised me in a dry tone.
“The speed at which the bridge collapses is really fast.”
The soldier said that they do not make it extremely sturdy because it collapses often—rather than saying it is poorly constructed, it seems closer to not being able to withstand artillery fire.
“And don’t waste your time talking to those around you just because you can’t see the enemy. “It means you shouldn’t relax, but it also means something else.”
He said that Mermen often try to break down the turret by gnawing at it, and advised that it was best to be quiet so that they could hear the sound. This was definitely a topic to remember.
“Please also keep an eye on the lights that illuminate the sea. “They turn off their lights first to block the view, so that’s the beginning of the battle.”
Fortunately or unfortunately, there was not much information other than that. It was about shift time for eating and going to the bathroom.
“Adventurer, I think you can just stand there for now…”
Then. Before speaking, the soldier slapped a person on the back who was trembling in his seat.
“Relax! “If you don’t get your mind right, you’ll miss out on your chance to live!”
A long history was evident in that woman’s cry.
“Haha, it’s because I’m new, so leave it alone. “Even if priest Na-ri comes, I can’t fix that!”
“Tsk. So why does a newbie come here?”
“This place gives a lot of money. “This is the only place that gives money even if you die!”
“You have to spend money to survive… tsk.”
It seems that what Seongju said was made up of separate adventurers was correct. Looking around, I saw that there were only a few soldiers and they were all adventurers.
“Is this your first time here too?”
“It doesn’t look like you’re nervous, but… I’m giving you advice just in case, so don’t worry too much. “You die less than the rumors spread.”
“Of course, if the turret collapses, everyone will die for no reason!”
“Hi!”
“Whahaha! “The newbie is scared!”
However, even though they were adventurers, they seemed very familiar with this place. Only the clothes are free clothes, and the way they move is not much different from the soldiers assigned here.
And that shows that they have been attending this place for that long.
“Stop talking and just stare at the sea! “If there is a fire going out, report it immediately!”
“Old book.”
“I just looked like a soldier.”
After all, the castle lord would not want to regularly send soldiers to places with low survival rates. It’s not something that happens as soon as a soldier shows up, and it takes money and time.
On the other hand, adventurers prepare their own equipment. Even if their skills are low, only they die and there is no loss to the castle. Even if they die, people who will fill their place will keep coming, so all you have to do is spend money.
To put it in a good way, it is efficiency, and in a bad way, it is a sacrifice. They paid a reasonable price and they volunteered for it, so there is no need for them to be criticized.
“Ahead! “One light is out!”
At that time, one of the few soldiers shouted. A voice coming from the top of the turret spread loudly over the night sea.
“Now, don’t think about going back to the castle! “Everyone armed!”
The lights that were brightly turned on to allow people to look into the sea even at night began to disappear one by one.
“Remember! The more we kill, the less burden there is on the walls!”
One by one, tails appeared, splashing in the sea, which had become higher due to the sea.
“attack!”