Chapter 121
Hearing the other Adventurer's words, I looked around again.
Having heard that they had already been defeated, I found the scene before me looked a little different.
Now that I thought about it, the atmosphere was strangely subdued. If so many people had gathered, it should have been noisy, but an eerily heavy silence hung in the air.
No, there *was* noise.
“Ugh...!”
“Priest! Is there a Priest here?!”
It wasn't the sound of chatter, but the groans of the injured and wounded. The Wounded were visible, regardless of whether they were Knights or Adventurers.
Among them, the Adventurers' injuries were particularly severe, with many groaning from burns. Some were even wrapped head-to-toe in bandages.
Priests from the Otherworlders' side were somehow treating them. It seemed the battle that had taken place earlier was quite large-scale. Honestly, I had no connection to these Wounded individuals, but as fellow humans, I couldn't help but feel a little disheartened.
Seeing that, I once again asked the other person for the Full Story.
“When we arrived, the Lemegeton bastards were already entrenched.”
It sounded like the Knight Order and Adventurers were already a step behind. It seemed Lemegeton had gotten wind of it first, as numerous Troops were already constructing a Defense line near the Altar.
Unable to leave things as they were, the Knight Order reportedly issued a direct charge order. And they were overwhelmed by the enemy's forces, which were stronger than expected, and subsequently had to retreat.
“The location itself was too disadvantageous from the start. Tsk... The Altar was on a mountain, of all places. Isn't it too unfavorable for the attacking side? But they just charged head-on, trying to break through. Of course they lost.”
The Adventurer in front of me frowned.
“Still, it's a good thing it was Stone Mountain,” the other person muttered. “Thanks to that, the fire couldn't spread.”
I heard that one of the enemy's Key Executives was skilled in Fire Magic.
The main reason they were so helplessly defeated was largely due to that person. Having heard the whole story, I nodded lightly.
In any case, it wasn't good news.
*...Of all things, mountainous terrain.*
Although I'm ignorant of strategy, I know that mountainous terrain isn't a good Battlefield.
Especially from an attacking perspective.
Unlike the defending side, which merely has to push back those climbing up, the attacking side has to climb the mountain and fight the enemy simultaneously. It drains twice the stamina.
*Meanwhile, the battle was lost, and the enemy was still fortifying its defenses at that very moment, building barricades and setting traps on the path up.*
This is going to be a headache for the Knight Order guys.
Of course, this wasn't a story that deeply affected me. I was participating as a mere Soldier. Finding a way to overcome this was the Knights' job, not mine.
*Should I go check it out while I'm here?*
Suddenly curious about their mood, I decided to head to the Tent where the Knights were.
“Huh? Where are you going?” “I'm just curious for a bit what the Knights are talking about.” “Ah, come quickly.”
And I didn't forget to tell my Companions as I went. Finding the Tent where the Knight Order's high-ranking officials were staying wasn't difficult. Because if you found the biggest Tent here, you'd generally be right.
“What? Why are you in here?!”
Indeed, my prediction was accurate. As soon as I entered, the brown-haired Knight greeted me.
It seemed the Knight Commander dispatched this time was the 5th Knight Commander.
Her name was...
Serena, I think... probably. Honestly, I didn't really remember.
Unlike the 2nd Knight Commander with Welldone Vujji and the 3rd Knight Commander who seemed to have a strange personality, the 5th Knight Commander had no particular distinguishing features.
“Damn it, more importantly, you came too? I don't know whether to be happy about this or not...”
The only thing I remembered about her was that she, among the other Knight Commanders, particularly disliked me. Well, she was a person with an exceptionally strong pride in being a Knight, after all. It was unlikely she'd think well of me, who had beaten up Knights. Still, thankfully, she didn't seem to be kicking me out.
“You look like you have quite a headache.”
I said, looking at her. Perhaps because she had returned from a lost battle, her expression showed no sign of brightening. She might have also lost some sleep, as dark circles were prominent under her eyes.
Despite that, she didn't take her eyes off the map on the table. I could see many pieces on the map: pieces that looked like people and pieces that looked like obstacles. She was probably using them to devise a strategy. She moved the pieces around, muttering.
“Don't worry. We can win... No, we *will* win.”
“...Hmm.”
I quietly watched her. Honestly, even though we weren't on good terms, I couldn't just ignore her in that state. She was, after all, trying her best to protect the Knights and Adventurers and achieve victory.
So, I added a word for her.
“Of course we'll win. I'm here too, after all. Since I'm participating anyway, put me on the map.”
Thud.
Saying that, I placed one of the pieces that had been rolling on the table.
It's a bit much to say so myself, but my Skill is quite considerable. Even just one piece will be helpful.
“...”
At my words, she stared at me blankly for a moment.
Then she spoke.
“I heard you played a significant role in the Andras Extermination this time.”
“Of course. It would have been a disaster without me, wouldn't it?”
“...Right. Thank you. I won't refuse your favor.”
She readily offered her gratitude. Various emotions seemed to be contained in her brown eyes.
“Right. You should be grateful, of course.”
I grinned and left the Tent. It was always good to do some Favorability Farming with those you had an awkward relationship with. That way, the chances of troublesome things happening later would decrease. It was about creating a debt of gratitude.
Fortunately, she seemed intent on utilizing me properly as a piece.
Despite having only recently lost the battle, Serena once again expressed her intention to charge two days after arriving at This Place.
“Everyone, please prepare. We plan to strike them tomorrow.”
Serena, standing on the Platform, briefly explained the plan.
Compared to how long she'd deliberated, the strategy itself was simple.
It was to break through the front slowly, with the Knight Order and Frontline Tankers leading the way. Since Stone Mountain was open on all sides with no way to flank, they would solidify their defense and eliminate all attacks. It was orthodox, but also a method with few variables.
Naturally, the Adventurers immediately protested.
“No, isn't this too soon, no matter what? It's only been a few days since we lost the battle. The Wounded haven't even finished their Healing yet, so why don't we wait for other Adventurers to gather? We don't even see any S-rank Adventurers yet.”
Of course, Serena paid no mind and simply pushed her will forward.
“No, precisely *because* of that, now is our chance. They're exhausted from fighting. And they must have had to build a Defense line. They wouldn't have rested properly. We need to strike while they haven't finished their preparations.” “Hmm... If that's the case.”
At those words, the Adventurers had no choice but to concede. As for the Otherworlders, well, they accepted it naturally since they wanted the event to start quickly.
I was assigned to the vanguard. Although I wasn't a Tanker, someone was ultimately needed to break through the front.
“I'm sorry. But I think we'll really need your help this time. Breaking through the front will ultimately require a Test of Strength...”
I nodded readily. If I were participating alone, it might feel a bit unfair, but Serena was also participating in the vanguard. Moreover, Chaerin also ended up in the vanguard, so it wouldn't be boring.
And so, the next day, we immediately went into battle. Our objective was the Summit of Stone Mountain, towards the Altar.
*
“...Branch Leader, a report.”
The place where an Altar, engraved with the Demon Mark, was located at the Summit of Stone Mountain. There, numerous Mages were currently gathered, infusing mana into the Altar. Vast amounts of mana surged and then seeped into the Altar's patterns. It was a ritual to summon a Demon.
And in the center of those Mages stood a woman with a languid aura.
“Yes, yes, what is it?”
It was the 3rd Branch Leader, Livia. As she turned her head, the Follower who had come to find her quickly replied.
“Well, the enemy is trying to attack again...”
“Ah, again? How long has it been since we drove them off, and they're already back?”
Livia, speaking with a light, complaining tone, continued.
“Really... I guess I'll have to burn them all this time.”
Clack- crackle-!
Then, a tiny spark crackled in her hand.
Like fireworks, small, brilliant flames repeatedly burst and vanished.
Though it looked like merely beautiful Magic, the Follower watching it felt only a chill.
*...Scary.*
Because she had clearly witnessed how cruelly those flames had burned the Adventurers, especially that gentle expression, unchanging even as people burned before her eyes... even if she was her Superior, it was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
“Then, let's go. I'll head out first.”
Of course, regardless of such sentiments, Livia merely crackled her flame and descended Stone Mountain. Watching her, the Follower thought.
*Many Adventurers will burn again this time...* she thought.
*
“Hoo...”
Meanwhile, inside Lemegeton's Hideout. Sephiroth, who was assigned guard duty there for a long time, was letting out a long sigh.
It was easy work, just patrolling the City, but... thinking of Livia, who was currently dispatched, made him uneasy.
He was dissatisfied that the Chairman had chosen Livia for this task, but even before that, he simply didn't like Livia herself.
She rubbed him the wrong way, and their personalities simply didn't match from the start. Unlike him, who avoided unnecessary killing, Livia had a tendency to try to kill any Adventurer or Knight she saw. In particular, her anger towards Adventurers was severe.
She always walked around smiling, but he never knew what she was thinking inside. Anyway, they just didn't get along.
How did she end up so twisted, anyway...?
“Do you happen to know why Livia dislikes Knights and Adventurers so much?”
Sighing like that, she asked Finance Team Leader Amber. She wasn't close to Livia herself, but she thought Amber, who was relatively friendly with Livia, might know something.
“Haha, how would I know? That person is so thick-skinned, and she doesn't talk about her past much, does she? Even if I died, she'd probably just say, “Oh, she died~” and that would be it, wouldn't she?”
Of course, asking didn't get him the answer he expected. Hearing that, Sephiroth sighed once more. Work life might be like that, but working with a colleague you disliked was truly a torment.
“Oh, right.”
As he sighed, Amber, who had been watching him with pity, added a remark. Anyway, one fact she had heard while spending a long time with Livia.
“Now that I think about it, I heard she lived in an Orphanage before joining...”
“Oh dear, could her personality be so twisted because she grew up without parents?”
“Whoa...! You shouldn't say things like that, Sephiroth!”
Of course, it wasn't very helpful information for Sephiroth.