Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Finally, the Descent (4)
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“So there are men of character even in these borderlands.”
August gave a small nod as he observed the border knight.
The enemy’s all-out offensive was imminent.
The fortress was in a state where it could collapse at any moment.
Despite this, the border knight showed not a hint of wavering.
They said he was just a nameless, low-ranking knight with no reputation to speak of.
His spirit was truly admirable.
However, contrary to the old knight’s thoughts, Rocarno Matiasi’s steadfastness was not due to some extraordinary, innate spirit.
First, he had yet to completely shake off the exhilaration of battle.
Overly impressed by his own achievement of breaking through countless enemies to reach the fortress, he was swept up in a groundless confidence that he could do anything.
Second, the geographical advantage also prevented him from feeling a sense of crisis.
He had fought and won on an open plain with nothing to rely on, so what was the big deal about holding off the enemy for a while with a wall at his back?
Crucially, he had been far too impressed by the resourcefulness and wit of someone he had recently been with.
Thus, he made the mistake of using that person as the standard by which he judged the people of the Cradle before him.
Indeed, the people from the Cradle he first met seemed different.
When the old knight, who introduced himself as the leader from the Cradle, predicted the enemy's all-out assault with remarkable insight, the words “As expected of the Cradle” escaped his lips.
The cadets, who stood with their backs ramrod straight despite their evident exhaustion, their eyes gleaming with vibrant light, were also very impressive.
Their dignified appearances and exceptional grace alone told him they were born and raised in noble houses.
All of this made it impossible for him to assess the situation with a cool head.
Rocarno Matiasi thought to himself:
The young centurion who spouted brilliant strategies at the drop of a hat came from the Cradle.
And here, there are twenty-eight cadets from the Cradle, just like that young centurion.
In other words, it was as if twenty-eight young centurions were here.
Far from being afraid, his heart was pounding.
What other amazing sights would he witness?
With such expectations in his heart, he attended the meeting of the fortress command.
Proposing a brilliant plan unimaginable to ordinary men, or presenting a clever move to catch the enemy off guard.
The scene he had anticipated never came.
The people from the Cradle remained silent while the fortress commanders shouted themselves hoarse.
“If an elder-class inhuman steps forward, I will handle it.”
That was the only thing said, tossed out near the end of the meeting.
Even then, Rocarno Matiasi didn't for a moment think he was wrong.
There must be something more. If he just waited a little, they would show him a miracle.
He believed and believed.
But no matter how long he waited, nothing changed.
There was not even a sign of a miracle occurring.
“The enemy is moving restlessly!”
“Everyone to your positions!”
The enemy's all-out assault was upon them.
“Our Squad 1 will take the wall.”
“Then Squad 2 will support any failing sections.”
“Our Squad 3 can take the breach, as usual.”
Listening to the cadets' rather unremarkable conversation, his mind snapped to attention.
“Ah…?”
His eyes were opened too late.
It was as if the rose-colored glasses he’d been wearing had been shattered all at once.
Through those newly cleared eyes, the situation at the fortress was truly precarious.
He suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
*Throb. Throb.*
The wounds he had sustained while breaking through the encirclement began to ache belatedly.
He finally realized.
It was a misjudgment.
A colossal misjudgment.
But he realized it far too late.
“They’re coming!”
By then, it was already too late to escape.
“How did I fall for such sweet talk…?”
Suddenly, the face of the one who had persuaded him came to mind.
If he could, he felt like finding the culprit behind all this and kicking him in the ass.
But the person in question was too far away.
Now was the time to kick the enemy's ass, not the kid's.
In the end, he could only hope for the next opportunity.
“If I survive this, I won't let you get away with it.”
Gritting his teeth once more, Rocarno Matiasi readjusted his grip on his sword and headed for the top of the wall.
He was resolved not to come down from that wall, no matter what happened.
He had sworn it.
*Swarm. Swarm.*
At least, until he saw the black tide of enemy forces swarming toward the wall with his own eyes.
“…If he arrives in time, perhaps I can be lenient.”
Honestly, the kid deserved to be torn to shreds, but right now, all he could do was wait for the brat to arrive as quickly as possible.
* * *
“Fire!”
The archers released their fully drawn bowstrings.
*Swoooosh.*
Hundreds of arrows flew into the sky at once.
That was the beginning.
The archers fired arrows as if possessed.
The fortress was saturated with moisture.
Normally, they wouldn't have even taken out their bows for fear of the wood warping or the strings being damaged.
“It doesn't matter if they can't be used again! Take down one more before they reach the wall!”
The commanders, far from stopping them, urged the archers on.
They had planned for this, even spending the day burning their scarce firewood to keep the bows dry.
For the archers, who had barely had a chance to prove their worth, this was their first and last opportunity to unleash all their pent-up frustration.
*Creeak, twang.*
The archers let arrows fly until their fingers bled.
“Keeegh!”
“Keng!”
Smaller in-humans, pierced by arrows, screamed and fell one after another.
But they were only a fraction of the total number.
The tougher, medium-sized in-humans reached the wall even as their bodies became pincushions for arrows.
*Thunk.*
Grappling hooks latched on all over the place.
“Cut them!”
“Don't let them set foot on the wall!”
The commanders screamed at the top of their lungs.
Burly soldiers rushed forward with axes and severed the ropes attached to the hooks.
It was useless.
For every one they cut, two more hooks appeared; for every two they cut, four more took their place.
And up the ropes of those hooks, the in-humans climbed the wall.
“Push them back!”
“How dare you!”
Soldiers on standby thrust out with swords and spears.
The in-humans who peeked their heads over the wall were instantly bloodied.
But even in that state, they still managed to set foot on the wall.
“Grrrrr.”
An orc with one arm severed let out a low growl.
There was no sign of it struggling in pain.
Its bloodshot eyes showed nothing but murderous intent and ferocity.
“Die!”
A soldier right in front of it thrust his spear.
The orc made no attempt to dodge, even as the spear flew toward it.
*Thrust.*
The soldier must have been quite skilled, as the spear plunged deep into the orc’s torso.
“Got…?”
The soldier’s eyes widened as he expressed a fleeting joy at adding another orc to his tally.
*Grab.*
The orc grabbed the spear piercing its own body and pulled.
*Shunk.*
The spear drove even deeper.
The soldier, unable to pull his spear back in time, was easily dragged toward the orc.
*Splat.*
That was the end.
The soldier's head exploded under the orc’s fist.
After a single shudder, the soldier went limp.
The orc, a spear embedded in its chest, began to move slowly.
*Stab.*
Swords and spears flew at it again.
Even as its body was hacked to pieces, the orc managed to take down two more soldiers.
It made no attempt to defend itself.
It was hell-bent on felling the opponent before it, regardless of what happened to its own body.
“Th-this bastard’s gone berserk!”
A soldier screamed.
As he said, the orc’s eyes were completely wild.
As if intoxicated by some drug.
*Rip!*
Another soldier was torn apart in the orc’s hands.
A soldier who witnessed his comrade’s body being ripped apart right in front of him stumbled back and fell on his rear.
The orc reached out and grabbed the soldier’s shoulder.
The soldier, unable to even think of dodging, just stared blankly at the scene.
*Swoooosh.*
If not for a sudden streak of light that intervened, the soldier’s shoulder would have been torn off.
The orc’s head rolled on the ground.
“Get up! Grab your spear!”
It was Bern Vigete, leader of Squad 1 from the Cradle of Stars.
“Aim for the heart, or the head!”
The soldiers, belatedly snapping out of their daze, struggled to muster their fighting spirit.
“You heard the Esquire!”
“The heart, or the head!”
The commanders yelled, relaying his words.
But Bern Vigete, who had spoken them, was skeptical.
Aiming for the neck and heart, protected by tough, leathery skin and muscle, was no easy task for ordinary soldiers.
In fact, even the cadets of Squad 1, composed of the Silver Eagles’ top swordsmanship students, were struggling to deal with the enemy.
Only a few cadets, including Amelia Justice, could fell an enemy with a single blow as he had.
A scene similar to the one he had just witnessed was unfolding all over the walls.
Pressed by the enemy’s charge that disregarded all defense, soldiers were dying everywhere.
The siege had only just begun.
The battle had just started.
“The west wall has been taken!”
“Reserves! Reserves!”
The walls were already showing signs of collapse.
“Hmph.”
Bern Vigete’s expression hardened.
The motivation that had been so high due to the Mage Slayer’s performance had vanished as if it were a lie the moment the battle began.
This wasn't a situation a few cadets could handle.
The professors they had trusted were all seriously injured, and Professor August, the only one who could move, had to conserve his strength to face the elder-class inhuman that might appear at any moment.
The border knight who had joined late was fighting well in his own right, but he could only defend a small corner of the wall.
“This is not good. This is really not good.”
Bern Vigete finally let out a groan he had been holding back.
One more day until reinforcements arrived.
No matter how he thought about it, it didn't seem like the fortress could hold out until then.
Not unless a miracle happened.
*Grit.*
Bern Vigete clenched his teeth and steeled his resolve.
“Silver Eagles! Do not let them take the wall!”
“Hah!”
The Silver Eagles responded to his desperate shout with a strangled cry.
Amelia Justice cut down five enemies in an instant.
A cadet, who might have been an archer or a spearman, continuously pushed enemies off the wall.
Lian Kart and the cadets of Squad 3 fought with all their might to defend a collapsed section of the wall.
The border knight managed to push a large-class inhuman off the wall.
“Hup!”
Not to be outdone, Bern Vigete also sent an enemy’s head flying.
Everyone was squeezing out more than their usual abilities.
But the more they did, the more they keenly realized it.
The outcome of this battle was not something an individual could control.
A few dazzling performances wouldn't change anything.
“Tsk.”
August clicked his tongue.
With a body not yet fully recovered and an aged physique, he couldn't fight for long.
So he had intended to wait until the very last moment to step in, but the situation was not favorable.
The enemy’s assault was several times fiercer than expected.
At this rate, the fortress would fall into enemy hands before an elder-class inhuman even appeared.
He couldn't just stand by and watch the fortress fall, even if it meant collapsing from exhaustion at the critical moment.
“I pray you all recover in time.”
The old knight briefly glanced in the direction of the other professors.
Hoping the time he bought for them would be meaningful.
“The gate has been breached!”
He drew his beloved sword.
Just as he was about to run toward the gate, he suddenly stopped and looked beyond the walls.
“This is…!”
Beyond the wall, somewhere out there, the presence of a disciplined army was surging.
It was distinctly different from the ferocious, cloying murderous intent of the in-humans.
A sharp presence, like a well-honed sword.
“Could it be…?”
*Bwooooooooo.*
The sound of a horn echoed.
“R-reinforcements!”
“Our allies are here!”
A moment later, cheers erupted from atop the walls.