Chapter 56

"...Only Disan survived, didn't he?" Among the members of the Pippis Mercenary Group, it was only Pippis himself and Disan who survived. Those low-ranking mercenaries who used to drink with me, most of them were dead. In any case, they were meant to die in future monster waves. Still, it's true that feeling somewhat bitter about it. "Liknri... He couldn't make it back alive this time." He was the one who frowned till the end, saying our chances were slim, Yet, he said he'd try as much as he could... "Thanks to Liknri's sacrifice, Lord Langbing and I were able to survive." "It's a relief. He dedicated himself to the domain until the very end." "Lord Langbing seemed to be in pain. Naturally, since the one who saved him twice had passed away..." "How is Lord Langbing doing?" "Not good at all." He said it was a situation where mana couldn't be used. He had overexerted himself seriously. "So, may I know why you've called for me?" "There was something they shouted towards us as we fled. - Running away is useless! We'll turn your precious domain into ruins! It was essentially a declaration of war. "They'll likely target this frontier domain first. Please join us in defense." "There's nowhere else to run." "We’re not planning to defend forever. I've requested reinforcements." "Reinforcements?" "Yes. Although the road to Count Siglen's territory is thoroughly blocked... they seemed to have let their guard down a bit." "I've sent someone to another frontier domain. The mercenaries under Ventor are all reliable, so they won't desert us. It will take some time, but if they’re alive, they should be able to reach another frontier domain. They, being nobles as well, won’t ignore my crisis." He requested to inform the Siglen Count's house of the situation if they could not come to aid. That request was reasonable enough to be fulfilled... "Well, will that really go as planned?" Escaping the pursuit of the merchant alliance to get there was hard enough, let alone arrive on foot... "It's too late." Recent investigations while defending the villages up front made it clear. "It's really not far off." At most a month, at the quickest, two weeks. It was presumed that the monster wave would occur within that time frame. As the lord had informed, they rushed straight to the frontier domain. There seemed to be more than 200 mercenaries, and their armory was incomparably better than ours. The hastily assembled city folk trembled in fear as they looked at them. Though our numbers were greater, most of us were civilians; a confrontation would result in a massacre. Had there been no stockade, we could have done nothing. "The situation is... quite grim. Perhaps considering revealing your identity..." "If you dislike that idea, escaping might also be acceptable." Even Kaila and Athena shared such pessimistic views. Kaila may have shown spectacular growth, but that didn’t mean she could annihilate them alone. These were not unintelligent monsters. They were mercenaries with an abundance of combat experience against humans. Hence, even if their individual capabilities were lesser than monsters', their equipment, experience, and knowledge vastly made up for it. And there weren't many skilled enough to support Kaila, nor were there many who had coordinated with her for long. After all, the only time Kaila had fought alongside them while awakened was in that ant nest. "We'll try to hold out as long as we can. In the worst case... we might have to consider fleeing." I had instructed Athena to secure Tia and return home, should my orders come. Though it was merely to reassure the party, they seemed content with this plan. "Hahaha. So, the place you've run off and hidden is no more than this shabby fortress? The name of nobility is a joke!" A man of considerable bulk stepped forward and spoke. Then, the lord stepped forth to respond. "Aren’t you afraid of the kingdom’s law? A mere bandit attacking the proud noble house of the kingdom? Once this fact comes to light, you, your family, relatives, and friends will all be tortured before being beheaded at the guillotine! Drop your arms and kneel this instant!" "Kek kek kek. Nobles really are out of touch with reality. That prestigious knight became a defeated dog, running away with his tail between his legs, and your poorly trained soldiers were trampled by us. At least that fellow fought to the end, but you and that knight? Did you just run away? Oh, was that last fighting man a knight?" The mercenary leader scorned the lord with laughter. "You should be the one to surrender. Present your neck to me, and I’ll ensure your death is painless." "How dare you! A mere bandit dares to threaten the life of a proud noble of the kingdom!" "Huh... idiotic fool. Well, they say nobles value their honor, but you’ve thrown away all honor and dignity by running away shamefully." The mercenary leader threw away his laughter and spoke disdainfully to the lord. "So, will you surrender?" "The Barony of Owalan will never surrender to mere bandits!" "Oh dear. Well then, prepare yourself for death." The mercenary leader refused to engage in further dialogue with the determined attitude of the Baron of Owalan. "Hear me, citizens of the lordship! Should you open the gates yourself and bring me that idiot’s head, we will not harm you!" "Lies! The moment you surrender, they will ravage and kill you all!" "However, if you resist to the end, you cannot escape death!" "Do not listen! Everyone, hold your positions and prepare for their attack!" The mercenary leader’s attempt at persuasion and threats followed by the lord’s commands began to stir the citizens. Yet, no one showed any signs of action. As much as they were scared, they lacked any reason to trust the mercenaries. The mercenaries neither revealed that they were mercenaries nor mentioned their affiliation with the merchant alliance. Of course, they couldn’t even if they wanted to. Given that the citizens believed the mercenaries to be mere bandits, the option to surrender was difficult to choose. "Those living in the remote frontier domains were a bit tougher when faced with threats, unlike those from peaceful territories." "One could say they have a broader perspective." But that was only relative. "Those living on the edge of the Great Forest or near the territory of the mixed-race alliance really have true grit." In the end, there was no significant change in the situation as both sides exchanged words. "Why is the lord personally stepping up like this? Wouldn't usually someone else be sent to do it?" "Well, there's hardly anyone else to send. Plus, he's trying to boost morale." Actually, his going out personally was likely intended to uplift spirits as well. At the time of the attack, the majority were conscripts. Therefore, morale was crucial, and the best way to boost it was with sufficient supplies and the lord's own participation in the war. While I might not know about the equipment, I had supplied enough food, so that part was sorted, and in the latter case, it could be said he took courage upon himself. "But they were defeated." In such a situation, holing up inside his mansion for safety would quickly lead to the domain's fall, so despite the humiliation, he had no choice but to step forward himself. One could say the lord of the frontier domain was not entirely foolish. "Though the outcome was a mess." As I explained the situation to Athena, our conversation eventually broke off, and the enemies began preparing for an attack. The first thing they brandished was fire arrows. Given our stockades, it was a natural choice. But we were not fools either. As fire arrows rained down, the lord immediately issued commands. "Cover them with dirt and pour water!" Though some dirt and water had been pre-applied to the barricades, it wasn't enough to properly fend off the fire arrows. Fortunately, the attackers were not experts either. "Damn it, aim properly!" Half of the arrows landed in the wrong places, and those that did hit their mark quickly had their flames extinguished, failing to make a significant impact. If only they had an overwhelming number of bows, it might have been different, but that wasn't the case. "Luckily for us." As the first attack mostly failed, the lord laughed at the baseless bandits, and the infuriated mercenary leader abandoned the plan for a fire attack and began giving new orders. "Shields up! Break through the front! Grimink and Abinas, follow me; the rest, aim for the walls!" It seemed they weren't even trying to hide their movements given the disparity in forces. "...Shouldn't we head towards the gate as well?" "We'll move if it gets dangerous." Ironically, we were stationed behind the stockade close to the gate. Above the gate, the lord, along with Benter and Pippis hired by Kumon, were positioned. Pippis, having only Disan left as a surviving mercenary, was essentially following Benter's commands. "Benter’s Mercenary Group isn’t much either." From what I could see, their number had significantly dwindled. There seemed to be only about fifteen guarding the gate. Even among them, several were visibly injured. "It was a decently large town to protect four villages..." Falling into the abyss due to one wrong contract. "...They are armed with hammers and axes." "What about the boiling water?" "It's ready." "We'll be able to hold them off for a while. But how long we can sustain it with our supplies is the question... For now, we focus on defense." "What if they break through?" "Damn, unlucky... If they do... we'll have to block them from behind the gate." Pippis and Benter discussed how to respond, and overhearing their conversation, I turned to Kaila and Athena. Going out to fight was a suicide mission; staying put was the right choice. The problem was, once the entrance was breached... the cavalry could move in. "If the gate is breached, we'll go down to defend." 'If cavalry charges in, it’s over. In the chaos, the civilians won’t stand a chance.' Sticking close to the stockade was the best option. After the initial skirmish and failed fire attack, the proper defense began. The mercenaries from the merchant coalition, armed with superior equipment, slowly advanced towards the frontier domain, while its inhabitants and troops tensely awaited their reach within striking distance. As they closed in, the lord ordered an attack, and the people began hurling stones at the enemy. Stone throwing. The most primitive form of ranged attack. 'With no one skilled in archery or slingshots, they had to resort to this.' Do whatever is necessary. It indirectly reflected how precarious the situation of the frontier domain was. Yet, my confidence in lasting a significant period stemmed from the considerable advantage that fighting alongside the walls provided. The issue was supplies, but at least we had enough food for the time being. Facing the stone barrage, the mercenaries responded by raising their shields. Thud, thwack! If they had been exposed, the damage might have been significant, but with shields and armor, it didn't help much. They were only slightly slowed down. As they reached the stockade, the lord shouted. "Stab at them!" Thunk, thud! The civilians atop the stockade eagerly jabbed their spears, trying to fend off the attackers. In the meantime. Bang! Crack! Some mercenaries held up shields overhead, while others began hammering and hacking at the stockade with hammers and axes. A very primitive form of siege warfare. "Hold them off! Stop them!" Knowing the utter defeat that would follow if the stockade fell, the lord encouraged the citizens. They dropped stones as well. Indeed, relying on the weighty stones seemed more effective than the awkward spear jabs. "Ugh!" Being targeted from above hindered the mercenaries, disrupting their efforts. Myself, Athena, and Kaila were no different. Striking down with long spears. If there was a difference... "Damn! Watch out!" "An expert!" We managed to circumvent their shields, landing precise and effective blows.