[The Saintess and the Knight]
"Good! They're getting absolutely crushed! Doing a great job!"
The Lamia Cavalry appeared just as the Goblin Phalanx was busy skewering the soldiers, sweeping across the battlefield. The Lizardmen, deployed immediately after, proceeded to smash the fleeing deserters.
That wasn't all. Far in the back, the Imps' operation seemed to have been a resounding success, as violet flames were already raging.
There was no resistance worthy of the name.
It was night, and they were caught in a search formation rather than a combat formation, only to be ambushed by monsters who had prepared for every contingency. It was only natural for them to collapse!
Seonseung-gujeon (先勝求戰)!
War is best fought when you have already secured the victory. You seek out the method to win, ponder how to achieve it, and finally, you head to the battlefield with the conviction of victory!
And this was the result!
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Haaah...!"
"Save me! Save meeeee!"
If they had at least been in a proper combat formation, they wouldn't have been taken down so helplessly! But these humans had been spread out in a search formation, all for the sake of finding the Saintess!
The gaps between them were wide, and they were scattered everywhere...!
"Keryaaaaaak!"
Consequently, the humans had nothing left to do but run for their lives!
If there had been some kind of superhuman, like in a fantasy novel, who could grind down an infantry square alone and stop a cavalry charge, I would have been the one getting wrecked. But if such a being actually existed, I wouldn't have picked a fight in the first place.
"Master! We won again! Sha!"
"It looks like we have almost no casualties on our side! It's perfect!"
Sharan and Lumika, who had been observing the battlefield from the side, said as much.
"Hehehe, it's only natural since we prepared everything before the ambush. Those guys probably didn't even think they’d be fighting an army today."
There was no need for my Elite Guard to step in. But then again, my guard exists to protect me. So that's fine.
"Hey."
Just then, Reika called out to me.
"Lady Reika?"
"Aren't you going to pursue them?"
"The Saintess? Or the deserters?"
The Saintess must be nearby, so I can catch her if I search. I have the Lamias and the Pixies, after all. Plus, my monster legion has an excellent sense of smell.
I have to crush the soldiers first to capture the Saintess. What if I focused on the Saintess first and the enemy soldiers formed a battle line?
My soldiers would have been wiped out.
So, I can afford to be a bit leisurely with the search. The Saintess, who has been running away all day, isn't going to vanish just because she gets a little more head start. The annihilation of the enemy troops comes first.
"Both the Saintess and the soldiers."
"We can search for the Saintess after the battle is over. As for the deserters... we can't kill them all anyway. There are just too many of them. I'll try to catch as many as I can, but I won't get them all."
"Will that be okay? If they make it back alive, they'll spread the word about us."
Reika frowned slightly.
I know.
"It can't be helped. It was bound to be revealed eventually. Anyway, even if the soldiers manage to escape successfully, more than half of them will die anyway."
If you're running alone in a jungle like this, the probability of dying is high. There are too many wild monsters.
"...Is that so."
"Yes. Anyway, Lady Reika, please get ready to treat the wounded. All troops! Kill every human you see, then return! Break formation! Goblin squads of three! Kobold squads of three! Sweep the remaining enemies!"
The noise was still swirling from all directions. My vision wasn't perfectly clear, but it would probably be a sight to behold by morning.
"Hooray! A great victory! The humans are all dead!"
"Kyaaaaaaak!"
"We won again! Again! We are invincible!"
Over there, the Pixies were flying through the air, letting out joyful cheers.
"Krrrk! Master! We've arrived!"
"Oh! Imps! Did you complete your mission well?"
"Krrrk! We burned them well! No casualties!"
"Well done!"
The Imps had zero casualties. Well, they’re fast, so if they set a fire and run, they wouldn't get caught. I also received a report from Buril, who followed behind.
"Grack. Set fire. Only killed. The humans who attacked. Grack."
"You successfully disrupted the rear perfectly. Well done, Hobgoblin!"
"Grarrack."
Good.
In a little while, I'll have everyone gather to check their status. Treat the wounded, clean up the battlefield, and then I can start the search.
No, let's have the Dark Elves clean up the battlefield. That should work.
"Necree!"
"Ah..."
When I went to call the Dark Elves, they were looking at the battlefield with bewildered expressions.
"Necree?"
"Th-these humans, so easily..."
"It's a simple matter when they run into me, Necree. Have the Dark Elves collect the human corpses and supplies. Just make a bonfire in the center and line up the corpses and supplies found nearby."
It was a real jackpot.
I was going to get my hands on the weapons, equipment, and other supplies worn by over a hundred humans.
Just thinking about arming all my soldiers with that made me shiver with excitement.
"Yes... I understand. Everyone, follow me."
At Necree's command, the Dark Elves followed her without a word. They all looked shocked. I suppose it was that shocking to see me dispose of the humans so easily.
That shock will soon turn into loyalty.
"What on earth is happening! A monster army! Does Lea know about these things!"
"I don't know either, Saintess. But this isn't good. Faster. We must get away from here."
"I know...!"
A monster army that appeared out of nowhere collided with the pursuit team. I didn't know what the outcome would be. Lea simply took the startled Saintess and fled.
It was a good thing the pursuit team had stopped, but a monster army? Even Lea, the captain of the guard, had never heard of such a thing. She had a bad feeling. There might be more of this mysterious monster army spread out nearby. No, it was highly likely.
If they were caught by such things, they would likely suffer the same fate as being captured by angels.
Currently, the Saintess was being framed as a witch by the angels. If captured, she would be beheaded after all sorts of sham trials and insults. Of course, it would be the same if caught by monsters.
'If I can just get out of here... no matter what, I must entrust her to the Count.'
There were too many risk factors. To keep the Saintess alive, that would be better. She didn't want to break the Saintess's stubbornness, but as a guard knight, she couldn't let her die.
Thinking that, she was crossing the jungle while holding the Saintess's hand, her senses sharpened to the maximum.
"Stop."
A sharp voice suddenly rang out.
—Paaat!
Lea immediately pointed her sword toward the direction of the voice.
"Saintess. Get behind me."
"...Has an enemy appeared?"
—Thump, thump.
Footsteps could be heard.
Along with red glowing eyes.
"Human?"
Not a human?
For some reason, that thought crossed her mind. The owner of the voice and the glowing eyes was none other than a woman. A woman with long, jet-black hair like darkness was approaching them with a cold expression.
"Do you think you can escape? If you value your life, surrender."
"..."
Lea didn't say anything. She was just timing whether to fight or run.
At that moment.
—Whoosh!
"What!"
The female swordsman in front of her suddenly cast something like magic. The moment she decided she had to confirm exactly what it was and run away.
—Pew!
The female swordsman shot a mass of purple mana into the air.
—Boooom!
It exploded.
"A signal...!"
The realization came too late. Lea ran while holding the Saintess's hand, but the other side pursued them, who were exhausted, with too much ease.
Lea felt a sense of despair.
I sorted the wounded and cleaned up the battlefield. There were no deaths. There were just a few who had tripped while running wild in excitement or had been deeply stabbed in places like their arms by stray spears.
My Dark Sisters quickly healed the wounded, and the rest lit fires and cleaned up the battlefield.
And just as I was organizing a search party to look for the Saintess and the deserters.
—Boooom!
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion... what is this?
"Master! Over there! Something exploded!"
A Pixie that had been circling the area immediately flew to me and reported.
"What was it?"
"Something like mana!"
"Mana? Ah! Vanessa!"
It's Vanessa! Vanessa must have sent me a signal!
"Everyone! Vanessa sent a signal! Gather here quickly! Pixie! Guide the way!"
"Okay!"
Finally, I'll meet Vanessa again! Not only that, but I'll be able to capture the Saintess too!
I immediately organized a pursuit team and rushed over there.
When I arrived, sure enough.
—Clang, clang!
Vanessa was fighting some female knight.
"All troops! Support Vanessa! Surround the enemy!"
"Kerrrrrk! Surround them!"
At my command, my soldiers rushed out. The enemy female knight looked at us and was astonished. Vanessa retreated toward me, keeping a slight distance.
"It's been a while. I'd say the mission is complete now."
Vanessa said that with a truly proud expression. Her face showed she wanted to boast about her achievement. What a cute woman.
"Lady Vanessa! It's been a while! I'd love to enjoy the joy of reunion, but it's an emergency, so let's do it later! The enemy!"
"The Saintess and the guard knight. Just the two of them. Both are very exhausted. It should be easy to capture them."
I immediately confirmed them.
"Kkuh...!"
They were already surrounded by my soldiers.
There were only two targets.
A beautiful female knight with long blue hair, and the blonde Saintess hiding behind her.
"Ho-oh?"
I was a little surprised.
Both the female knight and the Saintess were top-tier women. They looked exhausted and were covered in dirt from rolling around, but even so, they were very beautiful and sexy.
The female knight with blue hair was a tall, model-like woman with a busty figure that could be seen even under her armor, and the blonde Saintess was... a woman with such large breasts and lewd hips that just looking at her made my impulses boil to suck her all over and shove my cock into her for days on end.
To think I'd get two such women as loot.
—Clap, clap, clap.
I clapped my hands and said.
"Thank you for your hard work coming all this way, Saintess. And guard knight."
"What...!"
Their sharp gazes turned toward me. It was enough to make even me flinch slightly. Would their cunts flinch a lot too?