The Skirmish (2)
"...I see," Grand Duke Quenor muttered, staring down at the severed head of a Crawler resting on the long table.
The head looked distinctly different from that of an ordinary Crawler. It was nearly twice the size, and the black armor plating encasing it was heavily ornamented and ominous—like that of an alpha leading a pack.
"So, a creature like this appeared," Grand Duke Quenor said, tapping the Crawler's head. He stared at the named monster's head for a long moment before turning his gaze to me. "Did it say anything?"
"It left us with some warnings of an impending attack, claiming we would soon be crushed under the Giant's feet. Fortunately, its intelligence wasn't particularly high."
Just because it lacked high intelligence didn't mean it was weak. Its thrashing, desperate final struggles had been far fiercer than expected. Of course, it was still easily dispatched by the combined efforts of myself and Rhys, but if it had ambushed an ordinary patrol, it would have wiped them out.
"This means dozens, if not hundreds, of monsters far worse than this one are gathering beyond the Boundary Line."
"Yes. They are likely preparing for war, much like humans do. The ones sent today to scout our movements were probably nothing more than disposable scouts."
Grand Duke Quenor picked up the Crawler's head and handed it to a waiting soldier.
"When you send the request for reinforcements to the Royal Capital, make sure to present this head as evidence. Any knight commander with half a brain will realize the gravity of the situation immediately."
Once the soldier and the other staff departed, only the patrol captains, a few vassals, Grand Duke Quenor, Luke, and our party remained in the council chamber.
"How severe does the situation look to you?"
This time, Rhys answered the Grand Duke's question.
"We could see the edge of the Boundary Line with the naked eye from the lakeshore. I believe this shift is due to the movement of the Giant. Furthermore, the lake's water temperature has dropped to near-freezing."
"...Our patrol zone will have to be scaled back soon," Grand Duke Quenor muttered. He turned his head toward me. "If we keep sending out patrols, minor skirmishes like this will only continue."
"...As you know, what makes war with monsters particularly difficult for humans is that we cannot comprehend their actions through our own logic."
I recalled how utterly incomprehensible the monsters had been in the original novel. Rationality did not exist for them. Profit and loss were never factored in, and even when attacking the same target, they possessed no concept of allies.
"We must never let our guard down during patrols. You can consider the skirmish to have already begun. The only saving grace is that we can still read the monsters' macro-movements—their overall strategy."
"The Giant's movements. I suppose that is true?"
I nodded. No matter how irrational the monsters were, they did not lack a fundamental principle of action. As long as they worshipped the Calamity as a god-like entity, they would never launch a full-scale invasion while the Giant remained stationary. After all, it was the Giant, not any other monster, that bound them together into a single army.
"Elroy is correct. During the battle against the third Calamity, the Kraken, the monsters always moved in tandem with it. The Calamity was always their focal point," Georg agreed, nodding his head.
"...However, we must be cautious about approaching their territory. Just because they aren't launching a full-scale invasion doesn't mean they won't ambush our patrols like they did today."
Grand Duke Quenor nodded resolutely.
"Thank you for sharing your insights. I am relieved that we will at least have time to evacuate the citizens." The Grand Duke turned to Luke and placed a hand on his shoulder. "When the evacuation begins, I want you to lead the procession. The citizens will feel more at ease knowing that a member of the Stroft bloodline is at the forefront."
"Your Grace, I..."
"I know you wish to fight, but I will hear no arguments, Luke. It is not because you lack the skill to face the enemy, nor is it because I am showing you favoritism." Grand Duke Quenor spoke in a low voice, as if he had anticipated this moment long ago. "Evernode is not merely made of our castle and lands. I am entrusting you with the most precious thing in our territory. Do you understand, Vice-Commander?"
Luke stared into his father's eyes. After a brief exchange of gazes, both as icy blue as the frozen lake, Luke nodded.
"...Yes, I understand, Your Grace."
An awkward silence fell as the conversation between father and son concluded. Grand Duke Quenor patted Luke's shoulder a few times and let out a short breath.
"From the next patrol onward, I will accompany you. There are things one can only understand by seeing them firsthand, rather than just sitting back and receiving reports. Furthermore, as soon as preparations are complete, begin the evacuation of the citizens. Ensure close cooperation with the Evernode Adventurers' Guild throughout the process."
With that, Grand Duke Quenor concluded the meeting and dismissed them. The high-ranking officials of Evernode filed out of the council chamber, every single one of them wearing a grim expression. I watched them go for a moment before taking a step to follow them out.
"A moment, Elroy, Georg."
Georg and I turned back toward the Grand Duke at his call. I gestured for the rest of our party to head out first, then approached the Grand Duke.
"Shall we have a word?"
Why is he doing this? It's making me anxious for no reason. I narrowed my eyes and looked at Grand Duke Quenor, but he seemed no different than usual. He simply stood there, facing me with his usual noble gaze and commanding presence. I've heard that's usually when they're the most dangerous.
I glanced at Georg beside me. He seemed to share my apprehension, staring at Grand Duke Quenor with an uneasy expression.
"Well, it is nothing so serious as to warrant those expressions," Grand Duke Quenor said, letting out a hearty laugh at our reactions. "It is just that, in this place, you two are the only ones who have faced a Calamity firsthand. You could say you are the kingdom's foremost experts on Calamities, so I merely had a few questions I wanted to ask."
Grand Duke Quenor pulled out a chair and sat down. Despite saying he had a few questions, he seemed hesitant to voice them. Hey, old man, you said it wasn't serious.
"If Evernode—this fortress—were to face the onslaught of a Calamity without any external support... do you believe we could repel them?"
"...I must boldly say that it would be impossible. If we fail to defeat the Giant and allow it to draw near Evernode, the fortress will crumble regardless."
"So, in the end, we must slay the Giant before it reaches this castle."
At those words, the image that flashed through my mind was the Evernode of the original novel, waging a desperate, bloody defense against countless monsters. Because Elroy had been defeated, they had been forced to fight a siege with a ticking clock on their lives.
"What does it feel like to face a Calamity face-to-face?"
It seemed to be a question born of pure curiosity. This time, Georg spoke up.
"Helplessness, despair... But more than anything else, what dominated my mind was..." Georg's voice seemed to grow cold just from the memory. "...fear."
It wasn't mere despair. It was a visceral rejection rising from the deepest recesses of one's body. The screaming instinct to flee. Georg explained that no one tries to stand against an erupting volcano, nor does anyone attempt to fight off an oncoming tsunami or typhoon.
"There is a reason they are called Calamities."
An entity that cannot be opposed, yet is unavoidable. That was why they were Calamities.
"Fear." Grand Duke Quenor repeated Georg's words, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
In the original novel, the Grand Duke had personally stood against the Giant and its army multiple times to slow their march. How many people in the world could face a Calamity alone and delay its advance? And in the end, Grand Duke Quenor would burn away his own life to push the Calamity to the brink of death alongside Aryen. The Grand Duke had paved the way, and Aryen had severed the Giant's head.
"It has been a while since I last practiced image training," the Grand Duke said, his eyes deep.
Under the moonlight pouring in the dead of night, his blue eyes shimmered like a lake. I had to actively try not to read death within them.
"Thank you for your answers, Elroy, Georg. You may go and rest for today. Tomorrow, we will begin our preparations against the Giant in earnest."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Georg and I left the council chamber, both of our hearts heavy.
"I thought I'd be somewhat used to it after fighting one Calamity, but my mind is a mess now that I have to face another," Georg said, stopping in the hallway. "...You must be striving to prove the decision you made back then."
Georg muttered those words, looking at me with a furrowed brow. By 'decision,' does he mean the conflict that arose between Elroy and Aryen during the battle against the Kraken?
"I trust you completely now, Elroy. It's different from back then."
"...What are you talking about? You're embarrassing me."
Georg gave a bitter smile and slowly walked away. I waited for Georg to turn the corner of the hallway before slowly following after him. And at the end of the hallway, I ran into an unexpected pair.
"Elroy."
Daphne, who was smiling awkwardly, and...
"...Hero."
...the Iron-Blooded Princess, her eyes red and watery as if she had been crying her heart out. Karin was standing there, tightly holding Daphne's hand. Not knowing what was going on, I looked back and forth between Karin and Daphne.
"What's the matter?"
"She insisted on seeing you and the Grand Duke, and apparently got stopped several times trying to leave the mansion. I happened to be nearby, so I told her we should wait until the meeting was over, and we've been waiting here like this."
Sniff. I heard Karin sniffle.
With the sudden massive earthquake and everyone running around in a panic, it's only natural she'd be anxious. I gave a wry smile and knelt down to match Karin's eye level. As I gently wiped away the tears staining her face, Karin seemed to calm down slightly, her breathing growing steady.
"The Grand Duke will be in his room for a bit to train, so why don't you take a walk with Daphne and me until then?"
Karin didn't answer verbally, only nodding. I led Karin out to the rear garden of the mansion. The sounds of the Stroft household moving busily echoed in the distance. Karin kept glancing toward the source of the noise.
"People are saying there's going to be a war."
As we walked through the garden, Karin was the first to speak. Daphne and I looked at her with slightly surprised eyes. Karin hadn't been crying simply because she was startled.
"They said scary monsters are going to come down from beyond the walls. They said the people of our castle have to go fight those monsters. And they said I have to run away from here." Karin's voice trembled slightly. "What do I do, Sir Hero? Rhys, and Serene, and Hamel... and Father..."
Karin listed the names of the knights she was close with one by one, her face crumpling into tears once more. Daphne pulled the sniffling Karin into a warm embrace, and Karin burst into tears, burying her face in Daphne's chest. I waited quietly for Karin to stop crying before kneeling down in front of her again.
"...It's going to be alright."
Even as I stroked her hair, Karin couldn't stop her tears.
"Rhys, Serene, Hamel, and the Grand Duke are all incredibly strong people. They will defeat the monsters and meet you back here in Evernode."
But the word 'strong' didn't seem enough to convince this intelligent child.
"...They say that when a war happens, even strong people die."
This child already had a vague understanding of what war was, even if only through books. And only then did I realize why she had been looking for me. I squeezed Karin's hand gently and spoke in a low voice.
"Karin."
Karin looked up.
For just this moment, I decided to forget the fact that I was a transmigrator. For this crying child, I would make a single promise.
"I will protect them."
Karin blinked. The tears streaming down her face showed signs of stopping.
"Rhys, Serene, Hamel, and the Grand Duke. All of them."
Karin's green eyes seemed to regain their light before me.
"You will, Sir Hero...?"
"Yes."
That's right. No matter what became of Elroy in the original novel, I am the Hero. And since I've ended up in this body, I must live on as the Hero.
Suddenly, words that 'someone else'—not 'me'—had heard in the past flashed through my mind.
"Because a Hero is someone who protects people."
I wiped away Karin's tear-stained eyes once more.
"Do you promise...?"
At Karin's question, I held out my pinky and nodded.
"Yes."
Karin's tiny pinky hooked around mine.