Afterwards
“Time to withdraw.”
We left Kalen behind and headed back. Needless to say, it wasn’t because he was my fated companion, roommate, or knight or anything like that.
“The one left alone is the only one who can relay the situation and draw the enemy forces out… Did you really foresee it all the way to that point?”
“Mm.”
The Hamburger kid. After the battle ended, not only had his intelligence suddenly improved, but he’d started bowing his head and speaking formally to me.
—‘Forgive this foolish me who looked down on you. Though I’ve lost my position, that lineage still flows in your veins. This unworthy Donal Dramac pledges his loyalty to you. May the glory of the West be ever abundant.’
Well. Since he insisted on it himself, there was no need to stop him—I just let him do as he pleased.
“You must have earned some extra points, at least. Congratulations.”
“No, it’s all thanks to you, Adrian.”
Ha ha, this is something. He’d turned into a full-on loyal retainer number one. I already had one graduate-level loyalist, so this guy would be number two.
But it wasn’t like some spectacular life graph would suddenly shoot upward just because the heir to a minor barony in the west had switched to my side. This was just a taste.
I always had to keep proving myself endlessly. The sorrow of a former scoundrel, I suppose.
Anyway. From our chat, it turned out the Hamburger kid’s dream was pretty modest: live comfortably in a decently large territory with a decently large castle, taking care of his parents.
What. He was actually a good kid.
“To get that far in the west, you’d probably need to be at least an earl.”
“Yes. That’s my goal—graduate, rack up merits, and become an earl.”
“I’ll cheer you on. Hamburger, you can do it.”
“Yes. If I become family head, House Dramac will pledge loyalty not to Sub-Marquess Ebnis, but to Adrian Rothschild de Repelheit.”
“Pretend I didn’t hear that. Donal, decide who you serve once you’ve proudly become family head yourself.”
“Ah…”
He nodded, grasping my true intent. That was a pretty dangerous statement. A noble pledging loyalty to me, a ‘commoner’ by rank. It could be spun as defiance against the ‘Lord of the West.’
If the Repelheit Marquis or some high western house overheard and snitched, the Dramac family could end up executed as an example. Even in this mishmash medieval fantasy world, the class system was ironclad.
Beyond that, I could feel the three magic department students who’d fought with us looking at me a bit differently now, but their attention was elsewhere.
“Um, is she really an elf?”
“For real?”
“I’m only half-elf. More importantly, I’d prefer if you didn’t come too close.”
“Ah, s-sorry…”
The girl clutching her staff backed away. That wasn’t so much Relbrian’s trait as… just an elf thing. They didn’t like people getting close without permission.
“Adrian, how was it?”
“Splendid. Especially the Queen’s Hymn—it was truly impressive.”
“Y-You know about that?”
“I’m not completely ignorant about elves. Besides, without it, our victory wasn’t guaranteed. No, if you hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t have even found our way through the forest properly.”
At my words,
“Mm… U-um…”
Relbrian stuck close by my side, hemming and hawing for a bit. Then ‘This won’t do,’‘I get why Reina acts like that,’‘But we three are friends, right?’‘Gotta chase away these bad thoughts,’ she slapped her cheeks twice.
Well. Anyway, with victory secured, we mounted up and returned to camp…
“Here they come! Bringing news of triumph!”
Seeing Reina standing at the front of the camp, we all couldn’t help but smile. Waist-length black hair. Eyes gleaming green.
“Come! A hero’s welcome for the returnees!”
She reached for the sky, and fireworks shot up and burst.
That’s right.
“Rewards for the heroes!”
It was just a small skirmish, but we’d won decisively.
Once I returned, a meeting was immediately called, and we gathered around the round table again.
“Feeling a bit better now?”
“…Yeah. Sitting in the shade helped a little, urk.”
Still midday, so she’d need more time. I turned to Prana, and Reina nodded as well.
“Good. For now, we’ve repelled their scouting party. And we’ve got intel on our side too.”
The split forces: one to crush the scouts, one to scout via the rocky mountains. Combined with the info from Reina’s ‘subordinate,’ the conclusion was this.
“A major battle at dawn tomorrow. Around 5 a.m.”
5 a.m.
“…Isn’t that when the sun’s just rising?”
Everyone nodded at Donal’s words—no, Hamburger’s.
“When the sun first rises and at its most intense, that’s when Vladir’s princess is weakest.”
“They’re aiming for that gap. Leader, is the intel source reliable?”
Donal, who’d been quietly listening until now, showed his resolve, and she blinked at me in surprise.
“Eh, something like that happened.”
“I see. Yes, the source is solid. We have someone trustworthy. But no complacency. Adrian, can you cross-verify?”
“Around midnight, probably.”
“Please do.”
Well, that much was fine.
“So, we prepare for a large-scale battle?”
“They won’t want a full frontal clash either. We’ll need other countermeasures.”
As they discussed among themselves,
“…Do you have something in mind, Adrian?”
Led by Donal, all eyes turned to me.
“Heh heh.”
Reina shrugged with a laugh.
“Got a plan? Do tell your leader.”
She propped her chin on her hand, gazing at me. Appreciated the trust, but too much reliance made things awkward for me.
Frankly speaking, the key to this final exam was food supplies on day two. A supply wagon spawns at a completely random location. The defense team escorts it to the castle; the attack team steals it.
It could be on the rocky mountain peak, in some cave there, in the forest, or near either base. Survive three days without the ‘leader’ dying, the armband torn, or the central ‘crown’ taken, and the defense wins. Food is crucial.
Them coming out to fight meant breaking our momentum at dawn when Prana was weak, then holing up with the supplies.
But the answer was surprisingly close.
“The sewer… right?”
“Exactly.”
“If it’s really as you say… we could end it completely before day three.”
Sieges eat up massive time. Naturally favors the defense. Hitting day three with no change basically seals defeat for attackers.
“A castle is for people to live in. If you can enter, you can exit too.”
So we target the sewer.
“In the dawn clash, we score a ‘strategic victory’ by destroying their defenses, let them take the food… and when they escort it back.”
“Yes, got it. So… our main force draws their attention by assaulting the castle, while the ‘elite squad’ infiltrates the sewer ahead of time…”
Reina grinned and continued, looking at me.
“Smash them from outside and inside. That the plan, Adrian?”
I nodded, and they exchanged glances before staring at me. No words, but all shocked.
“…Do you know the sewer’s location?”
“We have an informant in the defense. After tomorrow’s dawn fight, I’ll pinpoint it. Assemble the infiltration team, charge in fast.”
Perfect. This was a strategy I’d used almost every time as the attack team playing Erhan.
“Great idea. Let’s do it.”
“Agreed.”
“Urgh.”
Everyone nodded, and with Reina dissolving the meeting, we rose.
Soon, dawn arrived. Too early for sunrise. Cold, stiff air filled the camp, tension crackling among the ranks.
“…Let’s move out.”
At the ‘leader’s’ command up front, the warhorses’ hooves struck the ground.
A large force marched from camp toward the north. West forest, east mountains—only a straight wasteland path to their castle in between. Hooves pounded the barren earth.
No cheers, no shouts. Just the rhythm of hooves filling the space.
Soon…
“Front! Enemy sighted!”
Ahead, faint castle walls outlined, enemies arrayed in defensive formation before it.
Beginning.
Dozens of magic circles floated skyward.
“M-Magic!”
“Stay calm! Rear mages, prepare intercepts!”
But if we’d turn tail at that, we wouldn’t have advanced.
“Vladir princess.”
“Don’t call me so casually!”
“Pre-dawn… Not at full strength yet, but recovered?”
“Hmph. Even if I have, no obligation to tell you.”
The stubborn doctor-girl spurred her horse forward alone.
Then.
Slash!
She bit her wrist with fangs, black wings unfurling behind. Rising high on wings, the attack force surged below.
Blood dripped from her wrist. She thrust her arm up.
A blue moon not yet set between blood-soaked hands.
Black bat wings silhouetted her.
Blood-red eyes.
Feasting on the prey ahead.
“【Blood Plague Art: Blood Spear】.”
Then, hundreds of blood spears rained from the blackened sky.