As night deepened, I held Rossa from behind, the two of us wrapped in a single sheet, cheek to cheek, gazing at the stars. Rufina had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Adult time is only half. The other half of my face is a skeleton.
“Rotten one, what are you doing?”
Each word dripped with force as I was kicked in the back of the head. Even if I turned around, I wouldn’t be wearing a skirt, so I wanted to continue leaning against Rossa like this. After all, half of her is flesh.
“Lord Mikael, Priscilla seems to be angry.”
It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s always like this. I just wish Rossa had the other half of her flesh. Let’s look at the stars together. Even in this ugly world, the stars shine equally on everyone.
“Is it always like this?”
“The moment you look away, it’s like this. Rotten one! That’s enough!”
“This Rossa is a monster, isn’t she? Does the Captain take anything?”
“I’m a Lycanthrope, and Alana is a demi-human. I eat Dark Elves too, and it’s good to not be picky!”
“No doubt! No doubt, but Captain, the Demon Army is right on our doorstep.”
“What!? They can’t come, not after the damage we inflicted. They shouldn’t come! If they think of us as a black company, we’ll have trouble recruiting.”
“Wh-where has the Demon Army…?”
We’ve inflicted damage too. We’ve inflicted even more damage on the Demon Army. We’ve defeated Giants, Sand Dragons, and Cyclops, so an easy advance should be impossible.
“About three hours. Is our stuff ready? What about King Shidenzach and the cannonballs?”
“It seems they’re ready for a siege, but the cannonballs and King Shidenzach haven’t arrived yet.”
“What is that old man doing! Is he drinking again?”
I think so too. If he’s really drinking and going to be late, I’ll shave off his beard with my prized Magic Sword! If we don’t have the cannonballs we’re counting on, we’ll have to consider a full-blown siege, and I wonder if it’s really okay for me to be in command.
“Priscilla and Rose, lead the White Lily Corps to the front castle walls. Push the horses into the stables, but keep them ready to move out immediately. Everyone equip with Halberds and leave the archery and stone-throwing to the Dwarves. I’ll go to Lady Ria and clarify the command authority.”
The Demon Army is coming earlier than expected, and there are no cannonballs. I haven’t even finished assessing the strength of the Dwarves here, and I feel like I’m in a surprise test.
I wonder if my high school homeroom teacher is doing well now. What would she think if she heard I became a mercenary in another world? …Well, let’s go to war!
“Everything is ready. We’ve received a letter from the Lord. We still have two hours.”
As expected of Rose. Her work ethic is different from some drunkard. It’s no wonder she leads the White Rose Brigade. …Well, let’s go to war … Why are you taking off your armor? You’ll need it soon.
“I’m the best one here, no complaints, Priscilla.”
“We killed that many, no complaints. Leslie, Dana, Seraphina, you’re next. Watch closely, Rose won’t last thirty minutes.”
“Don’t be stupid. Don’t underestimate Lady Rose. I’ll eat her alive instead.”
What are they getting so worked up about? Don’t strip our sheets, it’s embarrassing to be naked. Rossa’s bones are even showing.
“Lord Mikael…”
Let’s leave human evolution for later, Rossa. I really don’t want to let go. Even if it’s only half, that silky smooth skin is irreplaceable. Though half of it is bone.
“Come here! Unlike Priscilla, I’m shy.”
Stop pulling my hair. I’ll go bald if you do. The Hollywood stars I know have gone bald, but I can’t be that cool.
Thrown into a private room, I finished with the four of them in thirty minutes, and it took another thirty minutes for Priscilla alone. By the time I came out, it was like a ramen shop with a long queue.
“Rose is pathetic too, five minutes.”
“Are you stupid, Priscilla! I lasted ten minutes! Honestly, I saw heaven… I thought I was going to die…”
“The Demon Army!”
“In that case, we can stop now.”
“Impossible… That’s addictive.”
“Prepare the stone-throwers! Archery, hold your position!”
“Yes, Priscilla. No matter how many times, I’m not satisfied… Although I am satisfied, when I regain my senses, I think about it again.”
“I see Sand Dragons! And Giants too!”
“You guys are pathetic too. You didn’t understand anything in five minutes.”
“It was over in an instant. By the time I realized it, I had lost consciousness… But Mikael’s warmth…”
“Magic rocks! Take cover!”
“Luida, was it? It’s over…”
“No doubt… It’s an addiction…”
“Deploy defensive magic! You guys! Fight!”
In my life, I’ve never screamed so loud. My voice probably would have been heard even if a jumbo jet took off next to me. The White Lily Corps raised their hands in response. You guys are seriously going to die.
“Lady Ria, please stay in the office. It’s dangerous here.”
I was directing from the side of the first Magic Cannon, with Lady Ria and a few Dwarf retainers surrounding me, overlooking the cavern castle. Despite some grumbling from the Dwarves, Lady Ria’s persuasion smoothed things over. Beauties have their advantages, don’t they?
“I will stay here. I am the Lord.”
A beautiful widow diligently protecting the territory left by her late husband. It’s quite a sight. The subsequent events are probably already clear in my mind: us defending the territory, some of my retainers dying, and Lady Ria tending to our battered bodies.
Lady Ria grabbed my arm. I could feel her slight trembling. In war, it’s easy to imagine what happens to women if they lose. Though I don’t intend to lose.
I placed my hand over hers and smiled as I turned. Lady Ria seemed a little relieved, her trembling stopped. Alright! Point earned!
“What happens next?”
A Dwarf attendant asked me in a raspy voice. Right now is when we’re looking into each other’s eyes, so don’t interrupt. If it’s about what happens next, I’d turn to Lady Ria and say, “I will definitely protect you,” and then kiss her, perhaps.
“They’ll likely close the distance quickly. They’ll try to cling to the castle walls to prevent us from firing the Magic Cannons.”
“That’s where the battle will be. My arms are itching. I’m going to the front too.”
“Me too, me too,” the retainers said, forgetting their duty and moving away. They want to fight so badly, even though it’s safer here. Hurry up and go, leave me alone with Lady Ria.
“I brought it. It’s a bow that requires two Dwarves to pull.”
What Asmus brought was a Dwarf-made bow, something akin to a Magic Bow. Just commanding from here seemed impossible for me, so I had asked for a bow with as much power as possible.
Even though it’s a powerful Magic Bow that requires two Dwarves to pull, I’m confident I can pull it. It could also be said that I only have the confidence to pull it. But with my Godspeed, I should be able to do it.
The problem is holding it steady while aiming, but I imagine I can manage that by using my Mind’s Eye. Rather than regretting not trying, I’ll try and then reflect.
“When the arrows run out, if you flow magic into it, it becomes an arrow, but I brought a hundred arrows.”
That’s a relief. Even with a hundred arrows, I don’t have much confidence in hitting anything. I have magic power, so perhaps it will become magic arrows in a pinch. Let me at least try pulling it…
Godspeed, Mode Two.
Stable Godspeed, Mode Two. It’s about eighty percent. To pull the bow fully, it would be Mode Three combined with Mind’s Eye. This time, with Mode Three, I can draw the bow fully and unleash its full power. The question is whether I can hit the target, but… Asmus should be a good target.
“I can’t believe a human can pull it…”
Pretty amazing, right? I can pull it. Let’s pretend my arms aren’t shaking. We’re still exchanging fire with stone-throwers, and there’s time. Should I have Asmus move forward or be the target, and then I can be alone with Lady Ria?
“I can pull it too. I won’t lose to a human.”
Can Asmus, who is large for a Dwarf, exert twice the effort? It seems he’s set himself up and started nocking an arrow, showing no intention of moving forward. At this range, I won’t miss.
“Lady Ria, are you really here? You can go further inside if you like…”
“It’s alright. I have to see this through to the end.”
She has a determined look. She married a wonderful husband, almost too much so. How enviable. After this, I can already picture the scene: we defend the territory, some of my retainers die, and Lady Ria tends to our battered bodies.
Lady Ria grabbed my arm. I could feel her slight trembling. In war, women can easily imagine what happens if they lose. Though I don’t intend to lose.
I placed my hand over hers and smiled as I turned. Lady Ria seemed a little relieved, her trembling stopped. Alright! Point earned!
“What happens next?”
A Dwarf attendant asked me in a raspy voice. Right now is when we’re looking into each other’s eyes, so don’t interrupt. If it’s about what happens next, I’d turn to Lady Ria and say, “I will definitely protect you,” and then kiss her, perhaps.
“They’ll likely close the distance quickly. They’ll try to cling to the castle walls to prevent us from firing the Magic Cannons.”
“That’s where the battle will be. My arms are itching. I’m going to the front too.”
“Me too, me too,” the retainers said, forgetting their duty and moving away. They want to fight so badly, even though it’s safer here. Hurry up and go, leave me alone with Lady Ria.
“I brought it. It’s a bow that requires two Dwarves to pull.”
What Asmus brought was a Dwarf-made bow, something akin to a Magic Bow. Just commanding from here seemed impossible for me, so I had asked for a bow with as much power as possible.
Even though it’s a powerful Magic Bow that requires two Dwarves to pull, I’m confident I can pull it. It could also be said that I only have the confidence to pull it. But with my Godspeed, I should be able to do it.
The problem is holding it steady while aiming, but I imagine I can manage that by using my Mind’s Eye. Rather than regretting not trying, I’ll try and then reflect.
“When the arrows run out, if you flow magic into it, it becomes an arrow, but I brought a hundred arrows.”
That’s a relief. Even with a hundred arrows, I don’t have much confidence in hitting anything. I have magic power, so perhaps it will become magic arrows in a pinch. Let me at least try pulling it…
Godspeed, Mode Two.
Stable Godspeed, Mode Two. It’s about eighty percent. To pull the bow fully, it would be Mode Three combined with Mind’s Eye. This time, with Mode Three, I can draw the bow fully and unleash its full power. The question is whether I can hit the target, but… Asmus should be a good target.
“I can’t believe a human can pull it…”
Pretty amazing, right? I can pull it. Let’s pretend my arms aren’t shaking. We’re still exchanging fire with stone-throwers, and there’s time. Should I have Asmus move forward or be the target, and then I can be alone with Lady Ria?
“I can pull it too. I won’t lose to a human.”
Can Asmus, who is large for a Dwarf, exert twice the effort? It seems he’s set himself up and started nocking an arrow, showing no intention of moving forward. At this range, I won’t miss.
“Lady Ria, are you really here? You can go further inside if you like…”
“It’s alright. I have to see this through to the end.”
She has a determined look. She married a wonderful husband, almost too much so. How enviable. After this, I can already picture the scene: we defend the territory, some of my retainers die, and Lady Ria tends to our battered bodies.
“Giant!”
Dodging the stones, the Giant, with its agile footwork that causes earthquakes, can easily leap over the castle walls. Unfortunately for them, we have the fearsome White Lily Corps. Especially two of them.
“Rufina! Kill!”
“■■■■, Thousand Year Curse Wood.”
As the Giant tried to leap over the castle wall, the Thousand Year Curse Wood, rising from below, lashed out like a whip and struck its groin. As a man, I couldn’t help but sympathize. The Dwarves, Goblins, and even Orcs who witnessed it understood the pain of being a man.
The battlefield fell silent. It was truly for a moment, but I heard the cooing of a dove, which shouldn’t have been audible. “Coo coo.”
The Giant fell outside the castle wall in slow motion. Everyone watched. Everyone heard. They didn’t even swing the weapons they held. Before it fell silent, they heard a bursting sound.
“It broke! Being big isn’t everything!”
Only the men probably saw it. The piercing bursting sound will likely never be forgotten. Women wouldn’t understand this pain and humiliation. One of the Giants was rendered combat-ineffective. Its other function is also gone now. Rest in peace…
“Don’t let your guard down! More are coming!”
They might not be able to come. They surely wouldn’t want to. Even from a distance, I can tell. The Giants are guarding their groins with one hand. The fear of their groins bursting from a whip. I couldn’t handle that.
“If they come, this is what will happen!”
This was Curse Wood Queen Rufina’s greatest terror of this battle. She lifted the fallen Giant with her Curse Wood, let the wood snake around the Giant, and then squeezed it.
The internals and blood gushed out as the Giant was wrung out like a dirty rag. Even though I’m fine with splatter, I can’t stand gore. It’s not something to watch with a sound mind. This will guarantee nightmares for the next two or three days.
“Hahaha, wonderful. A rain of blood, indeed.”
I sincerely thought it was good to have her on our side. Maybe I should call her “Madam” from now on. I should have shown more courtesy to make a better impression.
The Giant’s blood raining down on Rufina stained the castle walls red. This is a terror tactic. She must have shown more brutality than necessary to crush the enemy’s will to fight. I want to believe it’s not Rufina’s true nature.
“A, a demon…”
Asmus next to me muttered. How could someone seeing her for the first time understand Rufina’s good points! Rufina is cute, kind, a little lonely, ruthless, brutal, and bloodthirsty… Wait.
“Rufina!”
I ran, in Mode Four. When I reached Rufina, several Giants outside the castle walls had been turned into dishrags, and she was directly above them only when she squeezed them.
“Rufina, the enemy Giants are annihilated. Bring out Rossa and rest for a little while.”
I held out an umbrella so she wouldn’t get wet. In the heavy rain, she smiled and said, “Heehee.”
