Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The Mongrels' Battlefield (9)
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"Phew, all done...."
I had finally completed all fifty weapons for the members of the 2nd Reconnaissance Unit.
It had taken about three days.
During that time, I had practically lived in Elatro's forge, completely immersed in the work.
"This is truly... incredible...."
Elatro, who had been assisting me throughout and helped finish the weapons, muttered in awe beside me as he gazed at the stack of fifty weapons.
"Weapons all blessed with the Artisan's Grace... and you completed every single one in just three days. On top of that, they're all uniformly perfect."
"Is that so?"
"Is that so?! Are you kidding me?! This defies all common sense!!"
That fussbudget.
To me, it just looked like Elatro was making a big deal out of nothing.
After all, back when I was playing as Morduin, weapons like these took less than a day.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ancestor 'The Creating Mortal' contentedly rubs his nose.] Anyway.
Now that the soldiers' weapons were finished, it was time to distribute them.
"Vice Captain! All 50 members of the 2nd Reconnaissance Unit, assembled!"
After I sent one soldier to relay the assembly order, the troops swarmed toward the forge, their eyes brimming with burdensome admiration.
I cleared my throat and addressed them.
"Ahem. The weapons have just been completed. Each of you, take the one you were using before."
"“Yes sir!”"
The soldiers lined up and approached one by one, and I handed out their weapons personally.
Their eyes sparkled as they received them.
"A weapon this finely crafted... for a mongrel like me...."
"Vice Captain, you're amazing! I never imagined you had such exceptional crafting skills...!"
"Guh...! If only the Vice Captain were a woman, I'd marry her on the spot!"
"And you'd lose your head for it."
Everyone was thrilled with their new weapons.
Nonsensical chatter and gasps of admiration echoed here and there.
Once all the weapons had been distributed, I spoke to them again.
"The weapons are done, but the armor isn't finished yet. Until then, wear your old gear."
"“Yes sir!”"
As the distribution wrapped up, Karlop approached me.
"Ah, Captain. Here's your weapon."
"Oho, already done? What great timing!"
"Timing...? Something happen?"
"I just got back from a meeting with General Eloy's main force. The 2nd Reconnaissance Unit is being deployed on a mission soon."
"A mission...? ...Recon?"
"No, a diversionary operation. We'll draw them out from the front."
Lure the enemy.
In other words, a major battle was coming.
"When does it start?"
"In three days."
"Three days...."
I rested my chin on my hand, deep in thought.
A diversion to lure the enemy forces.
General Eloy still saw our 2nd Reconnaissance Unit as disposable pawns.
"......"
It was an unavoidable reality.
That was what mongrel mercenaries were.
But I didn't like it.
'We can't keep being treated like disposable mongrels forever.'
This mission would be our unit's chance.
A perfect opportunity to show off the mongrel unit's capabilities.
Of course, it wouldn't do for me to rampage solo against the doppelgangers.
That would be my achievement, not the 2nd Reconnaissance Unit's.
"Understood. Then I'll finish the armor within three days as well."
"Wh-what? In three days?"
"Yes."
Honestly, I'd planned to rush the weapons and take it slower with the armor.
But with the mission scheduled, I couldn't afford to slack off.
"Mr. Elatro, could you help out a bit more?"
"Hm? Hahaha! Of course! Bring it on!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
And so, I picked up the hammer once more and began forging armor for my unit members.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Three days later.
Fortunately, I finished everyone's armor the night before the operation began.
"Vice Captain, are you really okay...? You should rest a bit...."
"I'm fine."
"Heh heh, your stamina is monstrous...."
Truth be told, crafting armor was trickier than weapons.
Sure, there were easier ways if I cut corners.
But custom-fitting them to each body took extra effort, making the deadline razor-thin.
"Incredible... it fits me perfectly...."
"I've never had armor like this...."
"Custom armor for mongrels like us...!"
It wasn't full plate—just crude armor with metal plates on vital areas.
Still, with the Defense B enhancement blessing, it wasn't ordinary gear.
The unit members examined their armor with moved expressions.
"Vice Captain...! Thank you so much!"
"This armor...! Even if I die in this battle, I'll protect it!"
I was floored—these lunatics swearing to guard the armor I made to keep them alive, even in death.
"I made it so you wouldn't die. If you do, I won't forgive you."
"V-Vice Captain...!"
My exasperated scolding only filled their eyes with even more emotion.
It was deeply uncomfortable.
Anyway, the next day arrived.
Our unit infiltrated right up to the enemy's doorstep, per General Eloy's plan.
"That's it...?"
"Yeah, pretty big, right? Taking that place gets us back half the territory the elves lost."
"Half already...."
Meaning we needed the other half to end the war.
Half. How long would that take?
Ideally, wrap it up within a year.
"Vice Captain, it's about time."
"Got it."
I nodded to Karlop and turned to our subordinates behind us.
All of them, clad in the weapons and armor I'd made, waited tensely.
I locked eyes with the soldier holding the horn and nodded.
———Bwooooooo!!!
The horn blared, signaling the start of the operation.
The enemies turned their attention toward us at the noise.
"□■■■■, □□□!!!"
Incomprehensible shouts rang out from the distant hybrid doppelganger soldiers.
In response, I stood and yelled to everyone.
"Don't fear getting hurt——!! I'm here!! Just focus on not dying——!!"
"“Yes sir——!!!”"
Thud thud thud thud thud!!!
"Uwaaaaaah!!!"
"Dieeee!!!"
"Hraaaaaah!!!"
The entire 2nd Reconnaissance Unit charged at the enemy with brave roars.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ———Bwooooooo!!!
The horn sounded, and the signal to begin the operation echoed.
"General, the mongrel unit's operation has started."
"Mm."
Eloy observed the reconnaissance unit's battle from atop a tall tree a short distance from the operation zone, having received the report.
'Let's see just how skilled that mongrel really is....'
He peered at the battlefield through his dwarven telescope.
Soon, he spotted the fifty mongrel soldiers facing hordes of doppelgangers.
'If the rumors are true... he could handle that many doppelgangers alone....'
The recent prisoner rescue mission he'd offered in exchange for the axe.
Not only had Number 17 rescued the prisoners, but he'd slaughtered every enemy in their camp.
Eloy wanted to gauge Number 17's abilities during this operation.
But.
"What...?"
"Something wrong?"
"The mongrel unit... the 2nd Reconnaissance Unit's armor looks off. Did they issue that?"
"Ah, you mean the weapons and armor? Apparently, the new mongrel mercenary crafted and distributed them all."
"Crafted...?"
Puzzled by the subordinate's explanation, Eloy checked the battle through the telescope again.
Finely made weapons, visible even from afar.
Simple, but custom-fitted armor for the soldiers.
'...He made those himself?'
Even to Eloy, who knew nothing of crafting, it was astonishing.
After all, it meant producing all that in about a week.
And above all.
"Slashed—!! Clean through—!!"
"Pardon? Ah, that Number 17 mongrel?"
"No! Just a regular mongrel!"
"Pardon...?"
Slash!
In the telescope's view, a mongrel soldier bisected a hybrid doppelganger at the waist in one stroke.
Not just cut—it was cleaved clean in half.
'What in the world...!'
That wasn't the soldier's skill.
Eloy realized it immediately.
It was the result of the insanely sharp sword the soldier wielded.
The soldier himself stared blankly at his blade for a moment before snapping back to the fight.
"......"
"G-General...?"
Eloy shifted his gaze.
Just then, a soldier was impaled by three doppelgangers' spears.
'He's dead.'
The moment that thought crossed his mind.
Spark!
Golden sparks erupted from the soldier's armor, deflecting the spears away from his body.
Lucky hit on the metal plate overlay.
But it was a doppelganger thrust that should've pierced through.
"No way...."
Above all, Eloy had seen the golden flash.
He was a battlefield general.
He'd heard the dwarves' ancient legends, even if he wasn't a smith.
"It can't be.... Surely not...."
He checked the other soldiers.
Clang!
Spark!
Slash!
"......"
The mongrel soldiers' battlefield shimmered with golden sparks.
They easily blocked enemy attacks, severing limbs and piercing chests.
An unbelievable sight.
And then.
——Roar!
Amid massive flames, that mongrel leaped into the center of the battlefield.
"Th-that...!! Elf magic...?!"
"Pardon...?"
Eloy, no pureblood noble, couldn't identify the spell precisely, but he sensed it matched the elves' magical aura.
Boom!!!
As if everything he'd witnessed so far was nothing, Number 17 began rampaging at the battlefield's heart.
Wielding his bone-white axe.
Unleashing a flaming storm, truly butchering them.
"......"
"G-General... Shouldn't we deploy the rear unit soon...?"
"Rear...?"
Eloy's subordinate's advice puzzled him.
The plan was for the 2nd Reconnaissance Unit to draw attention, then his main force would strike.
"......Do we really need the rear support...?"
"......Pardon? General, what do you...?"
"......"
No matter how he looked, they seemed poised to handle everything without backup.