Chapter 118: The Lord is With Us (39)
Chapter 118: The Lord is With Us (39)
The forest at dawn was heavy with a soft, clinging moisture.
The scent of fresh grass filled my lungs. The lush greenery, a symbol of nature’s grace, was vibrant, and the sunlight filtering through the canopy felt warm.
It was a peaceful scene.
One could hardly imagine that hundreds of demonic beasts lurked here, let alone that a Fiend was plotting a conspiracy using kidnapped orphans.
I focused on maintaining my guard as I stepped forward. Despite having entered the forest quite some time ago, there was still no sign of the monkey demonic beasts.
They were beasts under a Fiend’s control. They wouldn't have simply fled; they were likely lying in ambush or preparing for a final stand in front of the cave.
We weren't the only ones who had chosen today for the decisive battle.
The demonic beasts and the Fiend must have realized it too, having observed our search patterns over the past few days. They knew the time had finally come to determine the victor.
A total of seven combatants were on the move. The faces of my silent companions were mostly grim. The sound of breath, stiff with tension, tickled my ears.
The air was heavy. Unable to bear the atmosphere, the Saintess sidled up to me and whispered.
"…You were serious about running away if things get dangerous, right?"
"Does anyone make jokes when their life is on the line?"
The Saintess seemed offended by my blunt tone. She let out a huff and spoke in an incredulous voice.
"It’s just that you’re so reckless."
"Call it being spirited. I simply can't stand being pushed around."
"Hmm," the Saintess hummed, looking at me with a somewhat dubious expression. When I glanced back as if to ask what she meant, she shook her head dismissively.
She merely repeated words she had heard somewhere before.
"…You’re making things confusing again."
"I’ve always been consistent. You’re the one who’s always confused, Saintess."
The Saintess stole a quick glance at our surroundings. Perhaps because everyone was so tense, few people paid attention to her whispering to me.
At most, Seria and Senior Elsie would occasionally cast a glance our way. Even Celine was trembling at the thought of encountering a Fiend.
Composure had vanished from the group. Only Senior Delphine and Yuren managed to maintain any semblance of calm.
Of course, I was no exception. I felt as though my hands would start shaking the moment I let my guard down. But strangely, the deeper we went into the forest, the more my heartbeat slowed.
It was an inexplicable sensation. My muscles relaxed, and my nerves grew sharp. My golden eyes naturally scanned the surroundings.
And above all, there was this feeling, as if something were lightly tapping on my heart.
It was a type of intuition I had never experienced before. It made me anxious, yet reassured me at the same time.
A strange sense of exhilaration was far better than excessive tension, after all.
The Saintess also seemed somewhat restless. Even though she was assigned to the rear, she held the heavy responsibility of keeping the party alive; she couldn't help but be nervous.
That was likely why she was picking a fight with me—to relieve that anxiety.
Since I was the one leading the group, I was willing to play along if it helped her focus for the battle.
After confirming there were no eavesdroppers, the Saintess spoke again.
"You’re a noble, aren't you?"
"I am."
"It’s strange enough that you’re friendly with commoners, but you care this much about orphans too? Was your upbringing lacking or something?"
My mouth snapped shut at the potentially problematic remark. However, the Saintess just pouted shamelessly.
It was a clear indication of how she usually viewed the nobility. I pressed a hand to my forehead and sighed.
"…Just what do you think a noble’s upbringing is like?"
"It’s obvious, isn't it? Isn't it all about instilling a sense of elitism and efficiency above all else?"
"Aren't you the same, Saintess?"
The Saintess flinched at my words. Her trembling pale pink eyes turned toward me, looking as if I had hit a sore spot.
"You don't intend to risk your life to save those orphans, do you?"
"…Th-that’s just simple logic for self-preservation. Sacrificing one's life for others is something reserved for the few truly virtuous people, not for black-hearted humans like us."
I swallowed a hollow laugh at that pathetic excuse and shot her a look.
"You’re the only one who’s black-hearted—urk!"
Before I could finish my mockery, a sharp pinch landed on my side. I had to grit my teeth to endure the pain.
It was unfair. I couldn't exactly strike the Saintess back with the rest of the group right there. Because of that, I had to endure her violence one-sidedly.
I really need to teach her a lesson someday.
I gnashed my teeth inwardly.
Perhaps it had been an impulsive action, as the Saintess looked a bit flustered after pinching me. Her eyes darted around before she lowered her head, her face flushing slightly.
"I-I’m sorry… I did it without thinking."
"Anyway, don't think so poorly of nobles. Whether it’s you or us nobles, aren't we all just human?"
"…I-I’m different!"
The Saintess blurted out, her emotions getting the better of her. It was still only a slightly louder whisper, but it was enough to draw the group's attention for a moment.
She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth. She seemed startled that she had spoken so loudly. Fortunately, the others soon looked away.
The Saintess fanned her face with her hands to cool her bright red cheeks. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure.
"S-saving a few orphanages only helps a few hundred people at most. I know because I grew up in one. To save children with nowhere to go, we need a more fundamental reform of the system."
"…So that’s why you’re going to leave the orphans behind and run?"
"S-stop saying it like that…!"
Having finally found a weakness, I teased the Saintess with relish. When she looked like she was about to explode from frustration, I quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Well, it’s a matter of personal freedom. As you said, there’s no obligation to sacrifice your life for others. Do as you wish."
But the Saintess was already sulking. She glared at me for a moment, then huffed and turned her gaze away.
What a funny woman. She was the one who started the argument, yet she was the first to get upset.
Eventually, someone in the group couldn't stand our bickering any longer. It was Yuren.
He chuckled and called out to the Saintess and me.
"Sister, Ian! Stop the lovers' quarrel and get ready. We’re almost there."
"I-it’s not a lovers' quarrel!"
The Saintess’s reaction to Yuren’s joke was quite intense. I was about to frown and offer my own denial when my body froze.
A chill ran down my spine. Something was racing along the edge of my senses.
My judgment was instantaneous.
I shoved the Saintess aside and drew my sword. Without even looking back, I swung the blade downward.
Crack. The sound of the blade hitting bone echoed.
Since I hadn't coated the sword in Aura, I couldn't cleave it in two with a single strike. However, it was enough to inflict a fatal wound on a monkey with hideous blue pupils.
Long claws, sharp as blades, protruded from the hand at the end of its outstretched arm. If my sword hadn't bitten into it from the shoulder to the chest, those claws would have sunk into my skin or the Saintess’s.
Kieeeeeek!
That scream was the signal.
One by one, shadows began to appear atop the surrounding trees. They were stealthier and faster than before. Even their ferocity seemed to have increased since our last encounter.
At a glance, there were dozens of them.
Ignoring the Saintess, who was staring at me blankly from the ground, I shouted.
"Senior Delphine! How many are there?"
"I don't know, dozens at least! Fifty, maybe more!"
The momentum of the group shifted instantly at the sound of Senior Delphine’s voice as she drew her sword.
Forming a defensive perimeter around the Saintess and Senior Elsie, we faced dozens of pairs of blue eyes peering through the hazy dawn air.
Of course, the monsters didn't wait for us.
In an instant, over a dozen monkey demonic beasts leaped to the ground. Their agility as they kicked off the dirt was beyond imagination. They could easily leap over my head.
If the formation was breached even once, the Saintess and Senior Elsie would be in danger. I gritted my teeth and thrust my sword forward.
Thuck. The blade sank into the heart of a lunging monkey. Without even a moment to watch the blood spray, another monkey leaped over its comrade toward me.
But now, my sword was wreathed in Aura.
Blood traced a vertical line through the air.
A single upward slash bisected another monkey demonic beast. Even so, handling the swarming beasts was overwhelming.
If I, who had grown significantly over the past two months, was struggling this much, Celine would be in even worse shape.
I glanced toward Senior Delphine. True to her status as the strongest among us, she had already sent three monkeys to the afterlife with lightning-fast thrusts.
The monkeys writhed and screamed in agony as their hearts burned before they died. I could hear the sound of flesh sizzling where it touched her golden Aura.
Senior Delphine looked cautious, but she still seemed to have room to maneuver.
So, I shouted to her.
"Senior Delphine! Support Celine!"
"…Then what about your flank?!"
Senior Delphine’s counterargument was valid. I plunged my sword into the neck of another lunging monkey and, as I yanked it out, I used the momentum to knock down a beast attacking from the side.
The monkey, suddenly struck by its comrade’s corpse, tried to scramble up in confusion, but a hand axe was waiting for it.
Crunch. Blood and brains splattered into the air.
Only then did I find the breath to shout again.
"I’ll handle it somehow!"
Senior Delphine seemed to hesitate at my words, but sure enough, a scream erupted from Celine’s side, and she immediately turned away.
Celine was a swordsman who primarily used a heavy sword. She was particularly inefficient in multi-target melees. Still, she was better than nothing.
With the two of them together, they could surely handle at least 1.5 people's worth of the line, even if they couldn't cover the entire area Senior Delphine had been holding. I just had to cover the remaining 0.5.
Then, once the support from the Saintess and Senior Elsie started coming in, the battle would stabilize.
With that thought, I drove my sword into another monkey, threw the one aiming for my back over my shoulder, and recovered my hand axe in a crouch.
I tried to ignore the premonition that this was merely the beginning of a battle that would last all day.