The Paramere Subjugation Battle (3)
The Paramere Subjugation Battle (3)
"...How dreadful."
Marquis Ashval Haltz, who commanded the army, clicked his tongue. He saw the rotting flesh streaming down the outer wall of Paramer.
It was writhing. It churned as if it were a living creature. Not just the entire outer wall—from time to time, enormous creatures could be glimpsed inside.
No one knew what was happening within. They could approach, but the moment they entered, monsters poured out. Horrifying lifeforms that revived endlessly no matter how many were killed.
Setting fire to them was useless. Even bombardment magic was useless—the outer wall of rotting flesh regenerated itself again. Paramer itself was unconquerable.
The only stroke of luck was that, as long as they didn't provoke it, it didn't react.
Ashval raised his head and looked back at his forces.
The garrison numbered two thousand. The knights numbered not even a hundred, and the wizards were a mere thirty.
Private soldiers scraped together from his own domain. They had followed him resolved to die, but their numbers were far too few.
It hadn't been this few at the start. Not only he but several nobles had brought out their own private soldiers. But under a sudden imperial order, the rest had withdrawn. They had all retreated under the excuse that no particular anomalies had been observed for over a month.
The only ones left behind under the pretext of being a border guard were Ashval Haltz's forces alone.
"......"
"Border guard" sounded fine, but in truth, if anything happened, this was the army that would be thrown out first as bait. Ashval Haltz knew the reason.
...It's because I follow the Third Imperial Princess.
So the Crown Prince intends to completely crush what little remains of the Third Imperial Princess's faction.
Ashval returned to his tent. He closed the door and sank into thought.
It was a troublesome matter. It was like sitting in front of a bomb that could go off at any moment. As several reconnaissance missions had confirmed, the things inside Paramer were practically immortal monsters.
If they engaged the monsters, they would die. There was no way through.
But at the same time, he had no justification to pull out.
Until that outer wall collapsed and he—practically the last symbol of the Third Imperial Princess—was gone, the Empire would maintain the current situation.
...Dying doesn't matter. If it's for the Empire, even giving up this one life would leave only honor.
The only painful thing was the liege who would be left alone.
Ashval Haltz let out a long sigh. To steady himself, he drank a mouthful of water.
The watch continued day and night. The army stirred every time a giant monster moved beyond the outer wall, and deserters were slowly increasing.
"Th-this is insane..."
"We have to run before that thing crawls out!"
The army of two thousand had shrunk to eighteen hundred. That was the state of things even with the knights cracking down.
On top of that, the activity of the flesh-covered outer wall was gradually intensifying. Sightings of the giant monster's form beyond the wall were also growing more frequent.
Whatever it was, it meant things were about to blow.
"...Is the end approaching?"
"It is not, my lord!"
"The horn that never falls silent will cover the plains!"
"The name of Ashval Haltz will remain forever in imperial history!"
"Even if the worst should happen, my lord, use us as your shield and please plan for the days to come!"
At his loyal knights' words, Ashval smiled bitterly.
"...Thank you, but I have no desire to survive that disgracefully."
Behind the front line lay several villages. People who had not left despite the warnings of danger.
Their reason for staying was nothing special. They could not abandon the land where they lived over something that had not yet happened.
The life of a noble and the life of a commoner were different.
Ashval Haltz had a duty to protect them. From the moment he swore his knight's oath, he had always been prepared to draw his sword for the people of the Empire.
At the very least, if something happened, he would have to buy them time to evacuate.
If it was a position where death was inevitable, then honorably. Ashval Haltz rose to his feet.
"Let the soldiers rest a while. I will stand watch myself."
"My lord!"
"There is no need for you to go that far...!"
"They are people who offered their lives for me. This much, at least, I can—"
The door opened.
A soldier came tumbling in and dropped to his knees.
"My lord!"
So it had come.
Ashval gripped his sword.
"Has the outer wall collapsed? Are monsters coming?"
"N-no, that's not it! We've spotted armed people approaching the army right now!"
"...How many?"
"It looks to be around fifty to sixty!"
An ambiguous number. Had the Crown Prince changed his mind?
"Were they carrying a banner?"
"There was no banner, but..."
At the words that followed, Ashval blinked, unable to grasp the meaning.
"Judging by their attire and the emblem on their clothes...they appear to be paladins of Ra!"
"...What?"
Why them?
Why in the world would they come here?
. . .
"I am Divine Judge Dimona of the Church of Ra. It is an honor to meet you, Marquis Ashval Haltz."
"May divine grace rest upon your path."
Ashval accepted the greeting with an awkward expression. He raised his eyes and looked at the paladins.
An unusual emblem among the emblems of Ra.
Inquisitors. Those who judged demons and heresy.
But why had they come to Paramer?
"Did the Empire summon you? I received no prior notice."
"We weren't summoned."
"Then why have you come here?"
The answer was clear.
"One inquisitor is trapped inside Paramer."
"...One?"
They brought fifty people just to rescue one?
"He must be someone important."
"He's just an inquisitor."
"...Does he carry some sort of valuable information?"
"No. He was simply a paladin who took part in the Paramer search party."
"......?"
They were going through all this hardship to rescue one paladin who wasn't even important?
Ashval slowly raised his head. The paladins lined up behind her all wore resolute expressions.
As if they were resolved to face even death without fear.
...They say there are plenty of inquisitors who aren't in their right minds...but have they all gone mad as a group?
Driving fifty people into a death trap to save one person?
"As you can see, Paramer is not normal."
"We know."
"If you go inside, monsters will pour out."
"We know."
"They don't die."
"We know."
Ashval understood now.
They really were insane!
"...Well...I mean...if you insist on going in...I won't stop you, but..."
Ashval scratched his head roughly.
"Will you show me proof that you came from the Church?"
"We don't have any."
"......? You're saying you left without authorization?"
"That's right."
"To save one comrade...all of these people?"
"Yes."
They really were insane!
"I can open the way for you...but I want you to understand that I can't take responsibility for what comes after. My army will remain here."
"That's fine. We've already prepared ourselves for that much. As long as you don't block us, we'll be satisfied."
"Well...then..."
"My lord!"
A soldier came tumbling in. At the scene that felt like déjà vu, Ashval asked casually.
"It's not that the outer wall has collapsed, is it?"
"No! However...!"
The soldier spoke urgently.
"A group of about forty people is currently approaching the army!"
"......?"
Ashval frowned.
"Is it the Church of Ra, by any chance?"
Dimona flinched in surprise.
"A pursuit squad already...?"
"Judging by the clothes they're wearing and the emblem drawn on them..."
At the words that followed, Ashval gripped his water, unable to understand.
"We believe it's the Serpent Church!"
Why were they popping out too?
. . .
"I am Apostle Estelle."
A big shot. A big shot had appeared. An apostle of the Serpent Church was, in religious terms, a figure equivalent to a duke.
"Ashval Haltz. What brings you here...?"
"Please step aside and let us enter Paramer."
"...Don't tell me."
Ashval asked just in case.
"Is it because of the inquisitor inside?"
"......? How did you know?"
"You have predecessors."
Divine Judge Dimona walked into the barracks. Her eyes met Estelle's, and she flinched in surprise.
"Wh-why are you here?"
"And why are you...?"
Subtle glances passed between them. Isabella, who was pressed close to Estelle's side, asked urgently.
"D-Divine Judge Dimona! Is Inquisitor Zahard alive?!"
"I don't know either, so I came...but don't tell me the Serpent Church dispatched troops to rescue Zahard?"
"No. I acted on my own authority."
So this side was deserters too!
Ashval rubbed his face. Just what kind of person was this inquisitor named Zahard, that two churches were clinging to him as if their lives depended on it?
He didn't seem like a simple figure...Could he be carrying some secret about those monsters?
Perhaps even a way to return Paramer to normal...?
"...Radatok."
"Isabella."
The two paladins exchanged glances and shook hands lightly.
"It's good to meet again as allies."
"Likewise. I've entrusted my back to you once before, so I'll entrust it to you again this time."
"With you, I feel secure."
"Excuse me...no...I don't think this is the time to be greeting each other so comfortably..."
Amid Dimona's sigh, soldiers opened the barracks door once again.
Ashval didn't even ask this time.
"Who is it now?"
"Y-yes? W-well, this time the scale is quite large! We've confirmed five hundred soldiers! There are five knights at the head!"
"Five hundred? They're not clergy?"
"They've been determined not to be! From what was observed, judging by the mix of varied armaments...they're presumed to be mercenaries!"
Mercenaries?
Why were mercenaries showing up here?
. . .
"...And you are?"
Rosemary blinked. Daniel, whose eyes met hers, opened his eyes wide.
"Priest! Why are you here?!"
"And why are you here?"
"We were hired by a certain man. At a very high wage, at that. And more than anything... it bothered me that we left a young priest behind inside..."
Daniel gave Rosemary an oily smile.
"Seeing as we've met again, doesn't it feel a bit like fate?"
"Shut your mouth before you get hit."
"......"
The five people standing at the head of the mercenaries jumped down from their horses.
"Ah, damn. What do we do?"
"I've never seen a noble before."
"What's the etiquette...?"
"You greet him!"
"I-I'll just stay flat in the back..."
One of the people who had been bickering popped out. A large man cleared his throat and stammered.
"H-hello, noble sir. My name is Hector, and it is none other than..."
"Have you come looking for Zahard?"
"Yes? How did you...?"
"That friend of yours, really..."
Ashval clicked his tongue.
"Just what kind of person is he?"