Central small nation group.
The southern knight nation, Filal.
All citizens are knights and soldiers.
Even women raising children are soldiers.
The elderly are also old soldiers.
The children who grew up watching these familiar adults are also apprentice knights and soldiers.
Well then, such a knight nation, Filal, has survived wars with great nations and neighboring countries.
In the current situation where everyone was wielding weapons until the last person was left in a war of attrition, for their country, for their family, for their pride.
The northern part of the central area.
Mutations occur in the no-man’s-land of a small country close to the great nation Beilclark.
The no-man’s-land is occupied and expanded by yokai-like wooden dummies.
They could no longer prevent it.
And were annexed by the great nation.
In short, a surrender that benefited everyone except the upper echelons.
From there, the power dynamics and balance of power with the great nations surrounding the country collapsed.
Right next to them, who were desperately trying to protect their country.
They surrendered to the great nation without a care, wagging their tails.
Immediately, an assault from the side. Just as the upper echelons predicted.
The assault unit consists of farmer soldiers armed with non-combatants.
They lose in numbers but win in quality.
However, it’s an annoying thing for us, who want to concentrate on the battle with the great nation in front.
The farmer soldiers who are attacking probably don’t want to fight either.
“But, I understand the circumstances. I sympathize, but I can’t go easy on you.”
“Gya!” “Ugh!” “You!”
Swinging widely or stabbing with sheer force.
I dodged their attacks, deflected them, grabbed their wrists to disarm them, and then beheaded them with a counter-throw.
As a small mercy, I severed their heads so they wouldn’t suffer.
Corpses piled up at my feet, and I maintained my balance with the weight of my equipment and confidence in the unstable situation.
I cut down the farmer soldiers and enemy soldiers who came at me one after another.
The command unit, positioned behind the farmer soldiers, ensured they didn’t flee the battlefield.
They had long-range weapons but didn’t attack me.
I judged that the farmer soldiers… the flesh wall… would soon dissolve and retreated.
The remaining farmer soldiers didn’t notice the retreat of the command unit.
They couldn’t hear my calls either.
They were all wiped out.
While disposing of the corpses, some of them rose up, emitting magic that made them visible.
Yokai transformation occurred.
They drew nearby corpses towards them.
We dealt with them as they completely transformed into yokai and attacked.
“Gaaaaa—!”
They charged with agile movements that defied the unstable footing of corpses covering the ground, moving on all fours like beasts.
Yokai, like some monsters, use magic.
Kill them before they use it. Newborns have no combat experience.
If it drags on too long, they’ll learn by watching our movements.
That would be dangerous.
“Haaaaaa. There!”
“Gyan!”
I cut down the last yokai (the one that came at me).
I thrust my dagger into the gem within the yokai’s body and dug it out.
Gems are catalysts for magic tools. They sell for a high price. Or they can be crushed and used as material for imbuing arms and armor with some kind of effect.
“You worked hard. I’m expecting some good enchantment effects.”
I held the blue and green mixed gem up to the sky and made a wish.
After switching with the relief personnel, I had a meal and a nap in the barracks.
If I was called, I would prepare my equipment and head to the front line.
After battles, it was a repeated cycle of relief.
As I fell asleep, wondering if this was the kind of life that was about to begin,
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
I woke up to the sound of a loud alarm bell.
“They won’t even let me get my nap in… Whoa?! What is it? Get ready immediately and go out—”
“It’s an emergency!”
I listened while getting ready.
Apparently, the lord who ruled this entire area had surrendered to the great nation.
The citizens, having heard about it from somewhere, were approaching armed… no, they were already engaged in combat.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Don’t blame me…”
We roused the others who were napping and headed outside.
The first thing I saw was us defending against the citizens, trying to show that we had nothing to do with the lord who betrayed them.
Wow… I have nothing to do with this. The citizens wouldn’t listen even though I pleaded that I had nothing to do with it.
“…Are we going to reinforce them?”
“If we don’t, it will be disadvantageous when they break through.”
“Ah, I guess so, damn it.”
Resigned, I joined the effort to hold back the tide of citizens.
But it was like throwing a stone into a burning sea.
We were allocating personnel to the front lines.
In contrast, the number of citizens kept increasing with reinforcements.
“Retreat! Re—Argh!”
“Traitor!” “Die, you bastard who sided with the traitor!”
*Gah.*
I fell on my ass as the momentum of breaking through the line carried me down.
As I tried to get up, I was hit on the forehead with what felt like lumber.
Fortunately, there was no follow-up attack or being trampled.
When I regained consciousness, I was with comrades in a similar state.
My bad luck led me to see the corpses of those who were trampled by that crowd.
The citizens were not nearby, either pursuing the lord’s mansion or the escaped lord.
“Are you alive…?”
“This country is finished! Ngu!”
“Be quiet. What if they come back when they hear your voice?”
He nodded, understanding what I meant, and I opened my mouth.
After that,
We, the lightly injured, took as many supplies as we could carry and fled out of the country.
We wanted to escape to an allied nation if possible, but we were found in villages and towns along the way.
Reluctantly, we hid in forests and mountains, seeking places where we might survive.
There were people already there.
Friendly fire.
“We’re different!? Stop shooting arrows, hii!”
“We’re allies! Stop attacking!”
“Noisy! We won’t be fooled!”
“That’s right! We’re innocent!”
“We’ll take the women as prisoners! But judging by your appearance, you’re all men! Therefore, you will be shot dead!”
Arrows flew from the forest, from the trees.
Even though we knew the location, we couldn’t approach.
Waiting for the arrows to stop might be an option, but…
They must have made a lot of them.
The arrows that flew and stuck into the ground or fell were handmade.
The arrowheads were coated with a blue poison. It might be a bluff, but I didn’t have the courage to test it on myself.
“We’re retreating from here.”
“Damn it. You better remember this!?”
As we moved from hiding place to hiding place,
We ended up killing each other again, two or three at a time, with others being targeted by the same citizens.
Meanwhile.
The lord who surrendered to the great nation led the enemy army into the territory.
The inorganic Wooden Dummy Unit began combat with the armed citizens.
“Hahaha, see, you foolish peasants♪! Witness the military power of the great nation Taiyon♪! If you had stayed put, you wouldn’t have had to die, hahaha♪♪!”
“…”
I thought this man had a big attitude.
The watchmen from Taiyon wanted to quickly control this country and be freed from this man, so they sent orders via a talisman to their subordinate Wooden Dummy Units, infantry and cavalry.
No holding back. The reserve forces also attacked the citizens from the flanks.
Aaaahhhhhhh!
Caught off guard, focused only on the enemy in front due to the anger of the traitor,
They were all annihilated before the former lord could be brought to justice.
“Betrayal… guh”
“I’ll curse you—*Thwack*”
The Wooden Dummies calmly finished off those who were still alive.
