Chapter 26
The next morning.
The eight members of First Squad had gathered inside the large tent at the center of the staging ground.
A large map was spread across the table in the middle.
A knight from the Duke of Scotty's army stood beside Deputy Commander Lloyd.
"As I told you last night, the Imperial vanguard has crossed the border."
The knight pointed to the map.
"We've confirmed over a thousand soldiers, but they aren't all moving together as one force."
His finger moved across the map.
"Scouts and small units have gone ahead of the main force and spread out across the area. They're probably checking the roads, securing food, and assessing our strength."
"Securing food?"
Raoul asked.
"Yes. We've already received reports that livestock and food have been taken from villages near the border."
The air in the tent grew heavier.
"First Squad, you'll head to this village."
He pointed to a spot on the map.
"It's about half a day's journey west of here. The residents haven't finished evacuating yet."
Claude looked at the map.
"What's our mission?"
"Get the residents to evacuate east. Also, if there are any Imperial soldiers in the area, eliminate them."
Eliminate them.
The words lingered in my ears.
With monsters, it was subjugation.
But this time, they were people.
"You don't need to go searching for the enemy."
The knight continued.
"The residents' safety comes first. However, if you find Imperial soldiers and leave them alone, they may attack the evacuees."
"Understood."
Claude replied.
We left the tent.
"Let's move out."
First Squad's first mission had begun.
◇
We left the staging ground and headed west.
We walked differently from how we had the day before.
Ena was far ahead of the rest of us, on her own.
Claude followed behind her.
Raoul and I came next, with Lydia and Felicia in the middle.
Bork and Cecil brought up the rear.
Claude had decided on this formation.
"Ena-san, is it all right for you to get that far ahead?"
When I asked, Raoul laughed.
"She's practically right on top of us."
"Really?"
"On the road, yeah. Once we enter the forest, we might lose sight of her completely."
"I see..."
"A scout's job is to find the enemy. There's no point if the enemy finds her first."
We continued onward for a while.
Ena, who had been walking ahead, suddenly crouched down.
She was looking at the ground.
Claude approached her.
"What is it?"
"Horses."
We moved closer, too.
There were several hoofprints in the dirt.
"Seven horses."
Ena said.
"They came from the west. They left the road here and headed north."
"When?"
"This morning. It wasn't that long ago."
To me, they looked like nothing more than tracks left by horses.
"You can tell there were seven?"
I asked without thinking.
Ena looked at me.
"Yes."
"And when they passed, too?"
"More or less."
"That's amazing."
"I'm a scout."
With that, she stood up.
"Could they be Imperial soldiers?"
Raoul asked.
"We don't know yet."
Claude answered.
"For now, the village comes first. Ena, keep scouting ahead."
"Got it."
Ena headed forward again.
My Strength was higher than hers.
And my Agility was probably higher, too.
But I couldn't tell a thing from those tracks.
Being strong didn't mean you could do everything.
I kept walking, thinking about that.
◇
We caught sight of the village shortly before noon.
The first thing we saw was smoke.
"...Is that a fire?"
Felicia gripped her staff.
"Hurry!"
The moment I heard Claude's voice, I pushed off the ground.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
The village rushed toward me.
The wind streamed past my ears.
"—Huh?"
I heard something behind me.
I kept running.
A few seconds later, I suddenly sensed something was wrong.
No one was beside me.
"Allen!"
Claude's voice came from far behind.
"Stop!"
"Huh?"
I hurriedly slowed down.
I turned around.
"..."
Everyone in First Squad was a long way behind me.
I'd done it again.
A little later, Claude and Ena, who had been leading the way, caught up.
Raoul and the others arrived behind them.
"You..."
Raoul was staring at me.
"What was that just now?"
"Sorry. You said to hurry."
"Well, we are hurrying, but...!"
Raoul looked from me to the road behind me.
"There's a limit to how fast you can go!"
Bork's eyes had gone wide, too.
"If you go all out here, you'll be exhausted later."
"I wasn't going all out."
"..."
"..."
This time, several of them fell silent.
Ena looked at me.
"You're faster than I am."
"Really?"
"Probably by quite a bit."
Coming from Ena, a scout, that made me realize I really had been going too fast.
"Allen-san is fast."
Felicia was the only one who seemed unsurprised.
"You knew?"
Raoul asked.
"We've been adventuring together."
"You could've told us that beforehand..."
Lydia looked at me, too.
"I was more surprised by that than when I heard you were fifteen."
"Sorry."
"You don't need to apologize."
Claude wasn't smiling, though.
"Allen."
"Yes."
"I understand that you're fast."
"Yes."
"But don't rush into a place alone when there might still be enemies there."
"...Yes."
"No matter how fast you are, you'll be in danger if they surround you. There might be traps, or they could take someone hostage."
Since yesterday, I'd been reminded of the same thing again and again.
I wasn't fighting alone.
"I'm sorry."
"That said..."
Claude looked toward the village.
"Those legs of yours could be useful."
"Huh?"
"I'll tell you when to use them. When I do, run as fast as you can."
"Understood."
"Good."
Claude put a hand on his sword.
"This time, we're all going in together."
"Yes."
We headed for the village without breaking formation.
Several houses had been burned black.
The fences were broken, and belongings were scattered across the road.
Wheat was spilling from torn sacks in front of an open storehouse.
"Cecil!"
"Yes!"
Cecil immediately ran to the wounded she'd spotted.
A man with blood running down his head.
An old man sat clutching his arm.
There was also a young man dragging one leg.
And a short distance away...
A man lay on the ground.
A cloth covered his face.
"..."
I didn't need to ask anyone to know.
He was dead.
"A-are you adventurers?"
An elderly man approached us.
A cloth was wrapped around his forehead.
"Are you the village chief?"
Claude asked.
"Y-yes..."
"What happened?"
The village chief's face twisted.
"I-Imperial soldiers."
He clenched his fist.
"Early this morning... about ten of them came. They demanded food and horses..."
"Did you give them what they wanted?"
"We didn't want to resist and get everyone killed... We gave them the horses and food..."
The village chief looked at the burned houses.
"But they said it wasn't enough. They took even the wheat we'd saved for winter..."
"And then you argued?"
"Yes..."
He looked at the man with the cloth over him.
"H-he tried to stop them!"
"..."
"So they cut him down right there!"
Felicia lowered her head.
I couldn't say anything, either.
"Were the Imperial soldiers the ones who set the houses on fire, too?"
"Y-yes. They said this is what happens if we resist..."
The usual smile had vanished from Raoul's face.
"Those bastards."
"Raoul."
Claude stopped him briefly.
"Evacuating them comes first."
"...I know."
Claude looked at the village chief.
"Everyone, evacuate east. Take only what you need. We'll prioritize using the wagons."
"Understood."
"Bork, Cecil, Raoul. Help with the evacuation."
"Leave it to me."
"Yes."
"Got it."
Just then...
"Chief!"
A woman came running over.
"What is it...?"
"Gale-san and Mina still haven't come back!"
The village chief's face changed.
"What? They're still missing?"
"Yes!"
"Who are they?"
Claude asked.
"A father and daughter! They went north of the village this morning to look for their livestock!"
"North..."
Claude murmured.
I remembered the same thing.
"Those horse tracks Ena-san found..."
"Right."
Claude nodded.
"They were headed north."
He immediately looked at Ena.
"Can you lead us there?"
"Yeah, I can..."
"Let's go."
Claude looked at us.
"Allen, Felicia, Lydia, Ena, and I will search for them."
"Be careful."
Bork said.
"We will."
We left the village.
◇
Led by Ena, we left the road and headed north.
Once we entered the forest, we slowed down considerably.
Ena moved ahead without hesitation, studying the ground and touching broken branches as she went.
After a while, she suddenly raised one hand.
We all stopped.
Ena came back to us.
"They're here."
"How many?"
"Six."
"And the villagers?"
"Two. A man and a girl."
We'd found them.
Claude put a hand on his sword.
"Where are they?"
"In a clearing a little farther ahead."
"Let's take a look."
We crept forward, keeping low.
We peered through the trees.
Six Imperial soldiers.
Two stood near the villagers.
Two more stood behind them.
The remaining two were beside some horses and luggage.
They'd probably stolen it.
Several sacks of food were piled up there.
And then...
"Father!"
A girl who looked to be in her mid-teens cried out.
A man lay on the ground.
One of the Imperial soldiers kicked him in the stomach.
"Where are the horses?"
"They're... gone..."
"Don't lie to me!"
He kicked him again.
"Stop!"
The girl tried to go to her father.
But another Imperial soldier beside her grabbed her arm.
"L-let go of me!"
"Stop struggling."
"Father!"
My hand tightened.
"Claude-san."
"Wait."
"But..."
"If we rush in now, they'll kill the hostage."
"..."
Claude was calm.
He watched the Imperial soldiers one by one.
"Ena."
"Yeah."
"Go around to the right and block their escape route."
Ena vanished without a sound.
"Lydia, take the two in the back. You don't have to kill them—just stop them from moving."
"Understood."
"Felicia."
"Yes."
"Can you hit the man holding the girl?"
Felicia peered out from behind a tree.
"I can."
"Fire when I move. Just don't hit the girl."
"Yes."
Claude looked at me.
"Allen."
"Yes."
"When I make my move, run in front of that father and daughter."
"Me?"
"With those legs, you can get there faster than anyone."
I remembered what he'd told me on the way to the village.
Those legs of yours could be useful.
"I just need to protect them, right?"
"That's right."
Claude drew his sword.
"Don't go chasing after the enemy on your own. Protect the hostages first."
"Understood."
"Let's go."
The next moment...
Claude leaped out from behind the tree.
"Who are you?!"
The Imperial soldiers turned around.
One of the men beside the father hurriedly drew his sword.
Claude didn't slow down.
The Imperial soldier raised his sword.
Before it could come down...
Claude's sword flashed.
"Gah...!"
The first man fell.
Blood ran from his neck.
A person...
had died right in front of me.
"It's the enemy!"
One of the soldiers by the horses grabbed a spear and charged.
He thrust it at Claude.
Claude moved only half a step.
The spearhead passed beside his clothes.
He slipped inside the spear's reach.
A flash.
The second man crumpled to the ground, too.
"..."
Another one.
So fast!
No, it wasn't just speed.
There was no wasted movement.
He moved only as much as necessary, as if he knew what his opponent would do.
"Allen!"
Claude shouted.
"Now!"
"Yes!"
I kicked off the ground.
I accelerated in an instant.
"Fire Arrow!"
Lydia's voice came from behind me.
Flaming arrows flew toward the two men in the back.
"Whoa!"
They scattered in opposite directions.
At the same time...
"Magic Bullet!"
Light shot from the tip of Felicia's staff.
It hit the wrist of the Imperial soldier holding the girl.
"Gah!"
The man let go.
The girl ran toward her father.
I slipped in front of her.
"Father!"
"It's all right. Get behind me."
The Imperial soldier who had turned around looked at me.
His eyes widened.
"A child?!"
He was genuinely shocked at the sight of my face.
"Does Sahar send children onto the battlefield, too?!"
"..."
I knew it.
Even the enemy saw me that way.
The man grabbed the sword he'd nearly dropped.
"But if you're armed, you're an enemy!"
He lunged at me.
Too slow!
I drew the Flamefang Sword.
I knocked his descending blade aside.
"What?!"
The Imperial soldier's arm was flung wide.
His torso was exposed.
I could cut him now.
"..."
The Flamefang Sword stopped.
The one in front of me wasn't a monster!
He was sweating!
He was breathing!
He was looking at me!
He was human!
"Damn you!"
The Imperial soldier swung his sword again.
I dodged.
That was easy for me!
I struck his sword hard from the side.
It flew from his hand.
"Gah!"
He'd lost his weapon.
Now he couldn't fight.
I didn't need to kill him.
Just as I thought that...
"Don't move!"
Another voice rang out.
I looked.
One of the two men who'd evaded Lydia's Fire Arrow had circled around through the trees.
He was right beside the girl.
The Imperial soldier raised his sword.
"If you don't want anything to happen to her—"
I didn't wait to hear the rest.
I kicked off the ground.
I used the speed I'd shown earlier.
This time, I didn't hesitate.
The distance between us vanished in an instant.
The Imperial soldier's eyes widened.
"Wha—"
I swung the Flamefang Sword.
I felt it cut into flesh.
The Imperial soldier's body crumpled.
"..."
He fell.
He didn't move.
Red blood stained my sword.
This time, it wasn't Claude.
I'd done it.
I'd cut down someone who'd been talking just moments ago.
That's when it happened.
【Human Subjugation Confirmed】
"...Huh?"
【You acquired 70P】
"...Even humans give me P?"
I looked at the man at my feet.
I didn't feel happy about it.
"Allen!"
Claude's voice rang out.
I looked up.
"Don't stop!"
Another Imperial soldier was running toward me with his sword in hand.
There was no time to think.
The villagers were behind me.
Felicia was there, too.
I tightened my grip on the Flamefang Sword.
Total P Acquired: 25,370P