The Defense of Loholan (2)
“Haaah… khh—there’s no time to explain right now. First… ugh—ptooey… we have to evacuate everyone. Every magic beast from the ruins and the plains is gathering here. Ptooey…! So hurry… khh…”
A surge of blood welled up from her throat and choked off the rest of her words.
Beside her, Rubia wiped the corner of Noah’s mouth with a handkerchief and gently gathered the trembling girl into her arms.
“The magic beasts from the ruins and the plains…?”
“That flute the man just used… ugh… bleeh… eugh… it has the power to draw magic beasts to one place… and even drive them into a frenzy… mmmph…”
“All right. I understand. You don’t have to say any more. So right now… we need to get the villagers to safety, yes?”
Unable to speak, Noah could only nod.
“But they’re pouring in from both gates… so we’ll hold them at the entrances as best we can, and get the residents to take shelter inside their homes.”
Nod, nod—
“If the kid’s right… we’re looking at a little under twenty thousand.”
“Yeah. Since we’re already this fucked, I’ll handle it.”
Luci strode toward the crowd and shouted.
“Hey! Twenty thousand magic beasts are charging this way from the distance—are you just going to keep standing here?”
The villagers who heard him only murmured among themselves, showing no sign of moving.
“And I need quite a few things right now. Any merchants willing to hand them over without a fuss? I’ll pay generously.”
Their reaction remained the same.
Watching it all, Noah felt her insides boil.
Rubia, still holding her, let out a long sigh right along with her.
“Fine… then there’s no helping it. I’ve asked once, so the choice is yours.”
With that, Luci flicked the blood from his blade and started toward the residents.
Sensing something off, Heinzel hurried after him and caught his shoulder.
“Luci. What the hell are you about to—”
“If words won’t get through, this will, won’t it?”
Still gripped by the shoulder, Luci casually lifted his sword as he answered.
“Heh heh… we’re doomed.”
Noah could understand that much, at least.
In a situation where every second counted, there really was no time to talk people around.
Of course, the mess they’d made of things had only tangled the situation further…
But judging by the villagers’ reactions, even without that they would have treated them like lunatics just the same.
So…
She had no choice but to step in herself.
She would have to force them to obey.
Just scare them a little.
She was known as the Red Beast that Tears Magic Beasts, after all—she could manage a decent threat.
She downed another potion from her pocket.
Then she slipped free of Rubia’s arms, seized her greatsword, and hurried after Luci.
If I smash that building next door, that should be enough.
Not sure I can manage it in this condition, though.
If I just take out the pillars carefully…
Recalling the sensation of bringing down Habron’s walls, she tightened her grip on the greatsword—
“…Noah. Wait a moment.”
Rubia caught her by the shoulder.
“Ugh… Rubia. This is… the only way. If I don’t do at least this—”
“No. That’s not it. I’ll speak to them. It’ll be much easier that way.”
With those words Rubia brushed past her and strode quickly toward Luci.
“Luci. I’ll handle this. You and Heinzel just finish preparing for battle.”
“You, miss? Will you be all right?”
“I don’t like it, but… there’s no choice. I can’t keep hiding my face in a situation like this.”
Finished speaking, Rubia walked slowly toward the people.
Then she pushed back the hood she had been pressing low over her head and spoke in an extraordinarily bright, thoroughly artificial voice.
“Hello, everyone. Have you been well?”
“Th-the Priestess?!”
“It’s the Priestess!”
“Ah, aah… Priestess! It’s been so long!”
One after another the people who saw Rubia’s bare face dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. Rubia launched into a lengthy greeting and immediately began explaining the situation.
“W-wow… Rubia… you’re amazing…?”
“Something that works better than a sword, huh…”
“Well now… at least that’s a relief. Preparations should wrap up easily. Kid, any idea which gate they’ll hit first?”
“Well… the gnolls are faster, so they’ll come from the ruins side first.”
“The ruins—that’s the south, then. From what I can tell there are quite a few adventurers in the village. How about we send them all east, and the three of us hold the south?”
Luci looked back and forth between Noah and Heinzel.
“Just the three of us?”
Luci’s head nodded.
Heinzel looked at her and nodded as well.
“…There are at least eight thousand of them.”
“Eight thousand, is it… We’ll kill three thousand, so the weakest one of us only needs to take two thousand.”
“Mm, good thinking.”
Luci and Heinzel smirked down at her.
Talking about slaughtering thousands of magic beasts in the lightest of tones.
They’d tossed it out like a joke.
But even for Heinzel and Luci, this was a situation where death had to be kept in mind.
It was by no means easy.
And yet they spoke this way.
It was their own brand of steely resolve.
So Noah decided to play along.
“…I’ll kill four thousand. Ah, you uncles just take two thousand each. Try killing any more than that… and I won’t let it slide.”
“Kwahahahahaha! Fine by me. Then how about the last-place finisher buys breakfast tomorrow!”
“For once you’ve made a decent proposal. Agreed.”
“I’m going to make you buy every last jelly in this village. You uncles head south first. I’ve still got things to grab…”
Noah turned her back on the two dark-skinned men and headed for Rubia.
“Rubia…!”
Hearing her voice, Rubia stopped mid-sentence and turned gently.
“How is it…? Are you all right?”
“Ah, Noah. The explanation’s finished. They’re going to bring out the supplies we need. Only… they trust me a little too much. My shoulders feel heavy.”
Rubia rubbed her arms and let out a deep sigh.
“Everyone… still doesn’t seem to grasp how serious this is. That’s only natural, I suppose… but it still makes me a little uneasy.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. As long as they don’t come outside their houses… it’ll be fine. The residents are settled… what about the adventurers?”
“The innkeepers are waking all the adventurers and gathering them in the square. The merchants are bringing the goods we need to the square as well.”
“Mm… then for now… um, could you lean down a second?”
“Okay.”
Rubia bent her waist slightly.
Noah rose onto her tiptoes and whispered the list of needed supplies—
along with a firm request to keep it secret.
It wouldn’t matter if the villagers found out… but for now, not knowing would sit better with her.
She whispered it very softly.
“I didn’t mishear that, did I?”
“No. You heard correctly.”
“Th-then… all of that— mmmph?!”
“Ah, no! Shhh…! I said it was a secret…!”
Noah clamped both hands over Rubia’s mouth.
Stupid Rubia…!
I just told you to keep it secret!
“Mmmph— mmph!”
Only after Rubia nodded that she understood did Noah let go.
“All right. So I just need to get those for you?”
“Yes. The more the better, so as many as you can.”
“But… why do you need those for the south? Couldn’t we just split them between both sides…”
Rubia tilted her head in puzzlement, then froze.
“Noah, don’t tell me…”
“Mmm… yes. That’s right. Me, Uncle Heinzel, and Uncle Luci—the three of us are going to hold the south gate. So please have the supplies I mentioned brought to the south gate. And ten greatswords, plus… about one more crate of potions.”
“Only three of you are holding it?”
Rubia’s voice turned sharp.
“Yes. Rubia… go west. Stick with the adventurers and keep their formation from collapsing. If the adventurers in the village give it their all, they should be able to hold… Ah, and that thing you used in the forest—the one that blocks scents from getting out… that, um, anyway, please put that up too.”
Rubia’s trembling hands seized Noah’s shoulders.
“Don’t talk crazy. Th-that’s—”
Noah gripped those shaking hands firmly.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, so just listen to me and do it. When this is all over… the four of us are going to eat together, remember? The one who kills the fewest buys the meal. And it won’t be me, okay? So you can eat as much as you want.”
“How are just three people supposed to take down that many magic beasts… It’s impossible. Even if Luci and Heinzel are Platinum rank…”
“Rubia. Please trust me. We don’t have time to talk anymore. Go. And please, make sure those supplies get there.”
She pried Rubia’s hands from her shoulders.
“See you later, Rubia.”
With a light farewell she turned her back and started toward the south gate.
But… didn’t I just plant a definite death flag…?
“W-wait…! D-don’t say ‘see you later’…!”
“Wh-what?”
“Augh… n-never mind! Bye…!”
“Hah, well now… even in the middle of the night you can see them swarming in like a pack of dogs.”
“Luci, you can see them too? With only one eye I figured you couldn’t.”
“Thanks to that shiny bald head of yours I can see just fine, so don’t worry.”
Listening to Luci and Heinzel’s pointless banter, Noah expanded her Qi Sensing.
The vanguard at the very front consisted of six packs.
Roughly twelve hundred beasts.
“Just as expected—six packs. We’re sticking to the plan, right?”
“We have to. It’d be a waste to use those already.”
“Mm. Good thinking.”
Luci drew his sword.
Heinzel gripped his halberd.
Noah drove ten greatswords into the ground all around her.
“Make sure you count properly so you don’t lose track. Especially you, Heinzel.”
“I’ll count carefully this time. But doesn’t the leader get a bonus?”
“I-if we add something like that… Uncle Heinzel will get confused, so no.”
“Khhuhuhu… Noah’s right.”
“Mm… well, that is true.”
The three of them fell silent.
The savage howls of the gnolls.
The trembling of the earth.
The shudder in the air—all of it reached them.
“Let’s finish this clean and go eat with all our limbs still attached.”
“Khhuhuhahaha! Naturally!”
Noah nodded at their words.
And opened her eyes.
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
[The target is a character from the game.]
Right.
They’re characters from the game.
This isn’t reality.
It’s a game.
So.
Don’t be afraid.
Just do it the way you always have inside the game.
You can handle this.