48. Chapter 48
To prepare for the containment of the monsters, Walm was ordered to retreat by wagon to the old castle on the border between Myard and Highserk with Ayane and Maia, whom he had to escort.
Although a great outbreak had occurred and there was a grace period until a defensive line could be formed on the border, Walm realized that this wasn’t all true.
For even now, when the main stream of monsters hadn’t yet arrived, the road was full of death. The corpses of Myard citizens who might have been refugees lay scattered about, including the corpses of monsters that had been disposed of by the previous infantry units.
“There are so many corpses of humans, and monsters”
Maia, peeking from the wagon, shuddered a little.
“Walm-san, what, exactly is going on…?”
Ayane pressed for an answer. Walm wondered if he should speak. Ayane was someone he had to escort, but also a prisoner of war. He understood that giving extra information to someone like her wasn’t a good idea.
Since this is an escort mission, it’ll be easier for me later if she knows the threat.
It’s not like I’ve given in to her earnest gaze.
Walm told himself so.
“It seems that the Four-Country Alliance has burned some part of the Demon Territory. The Highserk Empire has abandoned Sarajevo Fortress and is concentrating its forces on the border to stop the demons.”
Ayane opened her eyes and moved her mouth slightly.
“D-Do you mean, that this tragedy, is caused by the Four-Country Alliance, the Craist Kingdom?”
As if she couldn’t believe it, Ayane weakened her whole body. After she was targeted by the assassin, the girl couldn’t help but feel suspicious about the situation, and now, she was indignant after hearing it.
Even if your body was worn out, if you took a rest, it would return to normal. But Walm knew very well that the wound in the heart wouldn’t disappear just like that. He had tasted it himself after all.
Maia, covering her mouth with one hand, put her other hand on the girl’s shoulder. She was, so to speak, resistant to the ruggedness of the world, and she could swallow the situation, because it wasn’t an impossible story.
The horse screamed as Walm searched for the words to say.
“Monsters!! Goblin Riders.”
“I thought there is a platoon ahead. Did they hide from them?”
Walm rolled up his hood briefly and placed his foot on the edge of the platform.
“Moritz, protect them.”
“Leave it to me.”
Walm jumped out of the wagon and followed the other escort’s line of sight with his eyes. He saw 20 goblins, straddling the silver wolf, approaching.
It was a monster that used another monster, a monster that specialized in riding called “Goblin Rider”. A mutant with more developed muscles and higher intelligence than a normal goblin.
In fact, although primitive, vines were woven to create harnesses and armor and attach them to the wolf. Unlike riding high horses, goblins on wolves had a low stance.
“Fast…”
Walm obediently leaked such a word. The cavalries of the friendly army enclosed the wagon, which was the object of the escort, in a circle and formed a formation.
Although it was a defensive formation, it was inferior in number and there was a risk of being breached.
Walm blazed down the road as he cast his mana and manifested 《Demon Fire》. In an instant, blue flames danced on the trampled road.
The first 10 goblin riders were engulfed by blue flames and burned screaming. Nevertheless, the remaining ones split into two groups and charged toward Walm. This was a wonderful reaction for a simple goblin.
“4 goblins are coming!!”
Warning the others while seeing off the four goblin riders that bypassed Walm at the edge of his field of vision. His vision then returned to focus on the small group that was approaching him.
Six goblin riders closed the distance to Walm.
Walm, who had been kneading mana, fired a second shot, but only burned three goblin riders.
From a place where the blue flame was thin, a goblin rider jumped toward him.
Walm slashed his halberd from bottom to up, cutting the silver wolf’s chest and the goblin’s lower jaw all at once.
The corpses of the silver wolf and the goblin rolled on the ground.
Without saying, Walm’s attention had already been directed to the remaining two goblin riders.
He formed a flame wall according to the direction of travel of the goblin rider approaching him. The way was different, but the point of the attack was the same.
The goblin rider that jumped into the flame wall was burned by a fire that clung to them, and both the goblin and the silver wolf were dancing crazy until they died.
The remaining goblin rider succeeded in jumping into the gap, but the silver wolf was killed by being impaled from the throat by the tip of the halberd Walm held on his waist.
The goblin jumped into the sky and tried to stab a chipped longsword into Walm.
Walm turned back his wrist and parried the attack with a thrust.
The longsword was bent in the wrong direction, and before the goblin could land to launch a second attack, Walm smashed its temporal region.
The goblin twisted its body and fell to the ground, but still tried to get up. Walm raised his halberd and slammed it down.
“Gu, GIIiiii”
The skull shattered and the contents scattered.
Walm carefully observed the surroundings. There was no backlog.
The goblin riders that switched the target from Walm to the wagon were also sunk in the blood clot by the other escort’s short spear and war hammer.
“Even goblins can have that much fighting spirit and technique?”
Walm couldn’t hide his astonishment when he was shown that the goblins, considered timid and at the bottom of the monster class, attacked fiercely until they were annihilated.
“They even learned how to ride.”
Walm had acquired all the skills needed to be an infantry soldier, but he was no more than an amateur when it came to horse riding.
In the first place, even horses weren’t enough. And so, he couldn’t just ride a horse this time. Except for the coachman, the only Highserk soldiers in the wagon were Walm and Moritz.
Walm stopped dripping such meaningless desires and faced reality.
…it’s difficult to grasp the outside situation from inside the wagon. But, if I’m outside it’ll be difficult to monitor――
“Captain, that was wonderful. Was that the famous demon fire?”
When Walm turned his thoughts, one soldier rushed to him.
“Thanks. I don’t know if it’s famous, but it’s called “Demon Fire” for sure. By the way, are those the ones attacking the refugees?”
“Some of them, there are also corpses with injuries that I don’t think caused by them.”
“What do you want to say?”
“There is a trace of the torso being scooped out with a large mouth. It was clearly bitten off.”
“Do you know what kind of monster?”
“No, I don’t know exactly. But, guessing from the footprints and bite marks, it seems to be a monster with a size that’s quite ridiculous. And I’m sure, it’s a B class or higher.”
So, a big one is mixed in with those fast-footed monsters…
Unlike goblins, a surprise attack by a high-class unidentified monster may cause fatal damage to the wagon.
“Great information.”
“Well, I’m honored to help you.”
After receiving information on the large monster, Walm decided to act.
“I’ll also keep an eye on the roof. Sorry to trouble you all, but please mind the prisoners.”
“Leave it to me!”
A soldier on the horse slammed his armor, showing Walm his firm resolve.
Walm put his feet back on the wagon.
“Moritz.”
“Oh, Walm-dono, you’re safe.”
“I’ll be on the roof. There may be a big one.”
“I see, leave the inside to me.”
“Thanks.”
Moritz had the cleverness to have a look-ahead conversation. This might allow him to be flexible in taking action even in an emergency.
Watching the “load”, Walm crossed the girl’s line of sight for a moment. Her anxiety and fear showed were evident. Her face turned pale and her eyes were shaking.
However, something like hugging and saying, “It’s okay now” would be appropriate for the one in love with her or a childhood friend or a person with a sense of justice. This kind of action wouldn’t fit Walm, moreover, it might be deemed inappropriate. All he could do was state the facts.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got rid of them.”
Walm tried not to lie because he had deceived her and he was sorry.
Ayane’s frightened eyes calmed a little.
Without waiting for an answer, Walm climbed onto the roof.
TN: Join my discord channel if you want.
Thank you very much for the chapter
He’s starting to get attached to her isn’t he? Probably due to the lost of his comrades recently, and she is also from japan, sort of kindred spirit feelings i suppose
She’s probably going to be attached to him sooner or later too. Her former allies are trying to kill her, now they set off this warcrime massacre. The Demon they all proclaimed is just treating everything as no-BS just facts, and it’s not like the Empire is treating her badly nor is the entire idea of a meritocracy a particularly bad thing for modern people.
Ironically his lack of comfort can be seen as not trying to manipulate.
Thanks for the chapter!! Im really enjoying this novel, is it ok to know what if this translation have a fixed released?
Thank you:)
And here i thought Walm would be the biggest war criminal in the war. Turned out i was mistaken. Lol. I wonder if Ayame would still hate Walm with what he did knowing that her previous Allies have done worst than what Walm did.