1040

Misha couldn’t believe her eyes when she watched everything unfold from the skies.

An attack from the sky was supposed to reveal whatever weaknesses the enemy had, and yet, despite already losing 30 wyvern knights, a mountain of their corpses piled up high…

“…”

…The Demon King’s Army showed no signs of stopping.

In fact, the horde leading the monster beasts have increased their pace even more and were now about to enter the mountainous region. Even if they gave chase now, they probably won’t be able to slow them down.

Elfa would fall.

Did they see through her plan of targeting the boss of the new comers, the center of the demon king’s army? But even then, to actually put himself in the center of of a crossfire so fierce… That was not something a sane man would do, not even a monster.

Did that monster not fear death?

Or was he just that certain that he wouldn’t get hit?

“Commander Misha, what should we do?”

She became ashamed when she saw her subordinate calling out to her like that.

What was she hesitating for? Behind her was the hero. Even if all of the wyvern knights were to be wiped out here, the hero would surely avenge her.

Once again, she tightened her grip on her wyvern lance, then raised the flag of Crown on the Sun (Rondmel) that was attached to it. What was the point of her life if she can’t even complete the orders given to her by the hero?

“All forces, atta—”

“—Commander, a messenger from the east!”

Spirits dampened, Misha glared as she watched a messenger ride from the east.

Once the rider was beside them, the order to retreat immediately was given.

“But why! I’ve yet to complete the hero’s orders!”

“This is an order from that very hero. Don’t do anything unnecessary and withdraw, soldier!”

When a knight of the same age told her that, Misha could only glare at the demon king’s army as they continued their advance.

“Fine…”

Misha gave the signal to retreat, and she and her wyvern knights withdrew to the east.

Moreover, although they were unaware of this, a big part of the reason behind their retreat was actually because Douhet the Flame Ryuu appeared and forced the medium-sized company, meant to be Misha’s reinforcements, to withdraw.

“Damned Demon King’s Army… One day for sure I’ll!”

Misha held her wyvern lance tightly with regret as she retreated to the imperial capital. After their retreat, cheers resounded around the Goblin King, and the great momentum they had built up continued on until they reached the imperial capital of Elfa.

◆◇◆

The Red King Clan.

A clan that once dominated the southern part of the continent and even founded the giant nation of Attibel was now a shadow of its former self.

The death of their Great Clan Leader (Brandika) and the Greatest Tactician of the Continent (Carlion) was a huge blow to them.

Both men were at the center of the clan, and with them gone, the clan that once fought for hegemony was now just a medium-sized clan. Yet it was already a feat in and of itself to keep their losses from demoting them any worse than this, and that was mostly thanks to the skills of Saldin, the man that inherited the clan leader’s position.

“Hah, what demon king’s army. They’re goblins!”

The eastern expedition of the Kingdom of the Black Sun (Alrodena) that the goblins established.

As those who have once fought against the goblins, there was no lack of employment for them. In fact, they were in great demand in the Ranserg Region that was full of minor nations.

Thanks to that he was able to turn around his weakened forces and keep his clan 700 men strong despite suffering so many defeats. Of course, it was also thanks to Saldin’s ability that such a thing could even be accomplished.

They had many small victories too, but they mostly had defeats. Yet despite that, the fact that they managed to survive and were even getting attention put Saldin’s ability at an almost miraculous level.

Every time they lost, the people around Saldin would change. In fact, of the people that once shared Carlion and Brandika’s dream, already, they numbered so few that they could be counted. Although Saldin was not the kind of man to feel lonely because of that, he was gradually realizing that the end was nigh.

In the midst of this unending loop of defeat and resistance, some men were felled by goblins, some felled by illness, and some… Simply grew tired of the war and left.

Despite that Saldin couldn’t let things end as they were.

“Because as long as we, the Red King, are here, Elfa won’t fall.”

“That’s a nostalgic name.”

“What was that?”

As Saldin grumbled in the bar, the shadow of a tall figure cast over him.

“You, you’re that knight bastard.”

“It’s Gulland. I’m just an adventurer now.”

“Hmph. What a worthless adventurer.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“…Hmph!　Hey, barmaid! Bring us more liquor!”

Saldin took the two mugs from the barmaid and slammed them on the table.

“Drink up, you knight bastard.”

“…”

As Gulland emptied the liquor placed before him, the corners of Saldin’s mouth lifted.

“Hmph. So the bastard knight knows how to drink, does he?”

Despite emptying the liquor offered to him, his countenance showed no change.

“Adventurer, are you not going to drink?”

With blue veins popping on his temple, Saldin laughed like a cruel and greedy brute.

“Ha ha ha! Who do you think I am?”

As soon as he said that, he stood up with such vigor that his chair was sent flying, and he took the mug and emptied it down his throat along with the breath that stank of liquor, then he slammed his mug on the table.

Like that n drinking contest had inadvertently started between the two, and the surrounding customers became spectators. There were even people cheering them on.

Before long, the two men had already emptied their fifth drink and fallen into their chair at the same time, eyes glazed and cheeks blushed.

“Hey, Gulland. Can you win against those goblins?”

Saldin asked quietly enough to be drowned by the surrounding hustle and bustle.

“Who knows? Can you, Saldin?”

“Hmph, don’t talk stupid.”

They shared a sharp gaze, but averted them immediately.

“I might have a little too much!　That’s enough drinking, you lot! We’re going back!”

Saldin called out to his clan members and walked away tottering.

As he left, Saldin glared at Gulland over his shoulders.

“I won’t mind if you come under me, you know.”

“…Now that, is ‘talking stupid’.”

Seeing the smile on Gulland’s lips, Saldin snorted and walked away.

A few days later, word of the Wyvern Knights’ defeat and Alrodena’s advance north would reach them.

Misha couldn’t believe her eyes when she watched everything unfold from the skies.

An attack from the sky was supposed to reveal whatever weaknesses the enemy had, and yet, despite already losing 30 wyvern knights, a mountain of their corpses piled up high…

“…”

…The Demon King’s Army showed no signs of stopping.

In fact, the horde leading the monster beasts have increased their pace even more and were now about to enter the mountainous region. Even if they gave chase now, they probably won’t be able to slow them down.

Elfa would fall.

Did they see through her plan of targeting the boss of the new comers, the center of the demon king’s army? But even then, to actually put himself in the center of of a crossfire so fierce… That was not something a sane man would do, not even a monster.

Did that monster not fear death?

Or was he just that certain that he wouldn’t get hit?

“Commander Misha, what should we do?”

She became ashamed when she saw her subordinate calling out to her like that.

What was she hesitating for? Behind her was the hero. Even if all of the wyvern knights were to be wiped out here, the hero would surely avenge her.

Once again, she tightened her grip on her wyvern lance, then raised the flag of Crown on the Sun (Rondmel) that was attached to it. What was the point of her life if she can’t even complete the orders given to her by the hero?

“All forces, atta—”

“—Commander, a messenger from the east!”

Spirits dampened, Misha glared as she watched a messenger ride from the east.

Once the rider was beside them, the order to retreat immediately was given.

“But why! I’ve yet to complete the hero’s orders!”

“This is an order from that very hero. Don’t do anything unnecessary and withdraw, soldier!”

When a knight of the same age told her that, Misha could only glare at the demon king’s army as they continued their advance.

“Fine…”

Misha gave the signal to retreat, and she and her wyvern knights withdrew to the east.

Moreover, although they were unaware of this, a big part of the reason behind their retreat was actually because Douhet the Flame Ryuu appeared and forced the medium-sized company, meant to be Misha’s reinforcements, to withdraw.

“Damned Demon King’s Army… One day for sure I’ll!”

Misha held her wyvern lance tightly with regret as she retreated to the imperial capital. After their retreat, cheers resounded around the Goblin King, and the great momentum they had built up continued on until they reached the imperial capital of Elfa.

◆◇◆

The Red King Clan.

A clan that once dominated the southern part of the continent and even founded the giant nation of Attibel was now a shadow of its former self.

The death of their Great Clan Leader (Brandika) and the Greatest Tactician of the Continent (Carlion) was a huge blow to them.

Both men were at the center of the clan, and with them gone, the clan that once fought for hegemony was now just a medium-sized clan. Yet it was already a feat in and of itself to keep their losses from demoting them any worse than this, and that was mostly thanks to the skills of Saldin, the man that inherited the clan leader’s position.

“Hah, what demon king’s army. They’re goblins!”

The eastern expedition of the Kingdom of the Black Sun (Alrodena) that the goblins established.

As those who have once fought against the goblins, there was no lack of employment for them. In fact, they were in great demand in the Ranserg Region that was full of minor nations.

Thanks to that he was able to turn around his weakened forces and keep his clan 700 men strong despite suffering so many defeats. Of course, it was also thanks to Saldin’s ability that such a thing could even be accomplished.

They had many small victories too, but they mostly had defeats. Yet despite that, the fact that they managed to survive and were even getting attention put Saldin’s ability at an almost miraculous level.

Every time they lost, the people around Saldin would change. In fact, of the people that once shared Carlion and Brandika’s dream, already, they numbered so few that they could be counted. Although Saldin was not the kind of man to feel lonely because of that, he was gradually realizing that the end was nigh.

In the midst of this unending loop of defeat and resistance, some men were felled by goblins, some felled by illness, and some… Simply grew tired of the war and left.

Despite that Saldin couldn’t let things end as they were.

“Because as long as we, the Red King, are here, Elfa won’t fall.”

“That’s a nostalgic name.”

“What was that?”

As Saldin grumbled in the bar, the shadow of a tall figure cast over him.

“You, you’re that knight bastard.”

“It’s Gulland. I’m just an adventurer now.”

“Hmph. What a worthless adventurer.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“…Hmph!　Hey, barmaid! Bring us more liquor!”

Saldin took the two mugs from the barmaid and slammed them on the table.

“Drink up, you knight bastard.”

“…”

As Gulland emptied the liquor placed before him, the corners of Saldin’s mouth lifted.

“Hmph. So the bastard knight knows how to drink, does he?”

Despite emptying the liquor offered to him, his countenance showed no change.

“Adventurer, are you not going to drink?”

With blue veins popping on his temple, Saldin laughed like a cruel and greedy brute.

“Ha ha ha! Who do you think I am?”

As soon as he said that, he stood up with such vigor that his chair was sent flying, and he took the mug and emptied it down his throat along with the breath that stank of liquor, then he slammed his mug on the table.

Like that n drinking contest had inadvertently started between the two, and the surrounding customers became spectators. There were even people cheering them on.

Before long, the two men had already emptied their fifth drink and fallen into their chair at the same time, eyes glazed and cheeks blushed.

“Hey, Gulland. Can you win against those goblins?”

Saldin asked quietly enough to be drowned by the surrounding hustle and bustle.

“Who knows? Can you, Saldin?”

“Hmph, don’t talk stupid.”

They shared a sharp gaze, but averted them immediately.

“I might have a little too much!　That’s enough drinking, you lot! We’re going back!”

Saldin called out to his clan members and walked away tottering.

As he left, Saldin glared at Gulland over his shoulders.

“I won’t mind if you come under me, you know.”

“…Now that, is ‘talking stupid’.”

Seeing the smile on Gulland’s lips, Saldin snorted and walked away.

A few days later, word of the Wyvern Knights’ defeat and Alrodena’s advance north would reach them.