Chapter 28
"You won't get past me."
I raised the Flamefang Sword.
Thirteen Imperial soldiers stood before me.
I was alone.
"............"
The Imperial soldiers didn't move right away.
They looked at my face.
Then at my sword.
Then they exchanged glances.
"...Is he alone?"
"Yeah."
A voice came from behind them.
"Ignore him! Three of you, pin him down! The rest, head for the village!"
A man wearing finer armor than the other soldiers.
Apparently, he was their captain.
The evacuation was still underway in the village.
People ran with their belongings in their arms.
Mothers lifted children into wagons.
Young people led the elderly by the hand.
Not everyone had escaped yet.
"Go!"
Three men stepped forward.
One man with a sword.
One with a spear at the ready.
The third had a sword, too.
They charged at me all at once.
"...So you're coming!"
The hand gripping my sword still remembered what it felt like to cut someone.
Even so, villagers who hadn't escaped were behind me.
For now, I would focus only on protecting them.
"Die!"
The first man's sword came swinging down.
I shifted aside.
The blade passed by my shoulder.
At the same time, the spear came at me.
I struck it from the side with the Flamefang Sword.
Clang!
"What?!"
The spear veered sharply off course.
I took a step forward.
I closed in on the first man.
I swung the Flamefang Sword.
"Gah...!"
The man fell.
【Human Subjugation Confirmed】
【You acquired 40P】
I didn't have time to look at the display.
"You bastard!"
The spearman thrust at me again.
I dodged.
The spearhead passed by.
I grabbed the shaft.
"Huh?"
I pulled.
The Imperial soldier lurched forward.
I slipped inside his reach.
A flash.
"Guh...!"
【Human Subjugation Confirmed】
【You acquired 55P】
"............!"
The third man stopped in his tracks.
He looked at me.
Then at the two fallen men.
"What... is this guy...?"
He held his sword at the ready.
But he didn't have the same momentum as before.
"U-uraaaah!"
He forced out a shout and charged at me.
I swung the Flamefang Sword.
I struck the side of his sword hard.
"Gah!"
His sword flew from his hand.
Then I kicked him in the stomach.
"Gah!"
The man's body rolled across the ground.
He tried to get up, then curled up clutching his stomach.
I didn't follow up with another attack.
If he couldn't fight, that was enough.
"...No way."
Someone muttered.
The initial confidence had vanished from the Imperial soldiers' faces.
"Two of them... in an instant..."
"Surround him!"
The captain shouted.
"Don't go in one at a time!"
The Imperial soldiers spread out.
To the right.
To the left.
And straight ahead.
"............"
They weren't trying to defeat me.
One man broke off to the right and ran toward the village.
Another headed left.
"I'm not letting you through!"
I ran to the right.
"What?!"
I moved in front of the Imperial soldier.
"Move!"
I dodged the sword he swung at me.
One strike.
【Human Subjugation Confirmed】
【You acquired 35P】
I turned around at once.
To the left.
Another man was running toward the villagers.
I kicked off the ground.
"Hurry up and go!"
The Imperial soldier shouted.
But then.
"Huh—"
I cut in front of the man.
The Imperial soldier's eyes widened.
"You were just over there..."
His sword came at me.
I dodged.
I swung the Flamefang Sword back at him.
【Human Subjugation Confirmed】
【You acquired 80P】
The man fell.
I immediately looked toward the village.
No one had gotten through yet.
"............"
I wasn't going after the enemy.
I was standing between the villagers and the Imperial soldiers.
Claude-san had taught me that.
Watch where your opponent wants to go.
Then all I had to do was get there first.
"Nobody told me he'd be like this...!"
One of the Imperial soldiers backed away.
"How many has this one guy taken down?!"
"Shut up!"
The captain shouted.
"Attack all at once! Even a kid has blind spots!"
"...Understood!"
Three men moved.
A spear in the center.
Swords on either side.
This time, they came at me together.
"Go!"
They attacked from three directions.
The spear thrust straight toward me.
I shifted to the side.
I dodged the spearhead.
A sword came from the right.
I met it with the Flamefang Sword, like before.
Clang!
A blade came from the left, too.
"Gah!"
I twisted my body.
The sword passed just beside my stomach.
They weren't going to come at me one at a time.
Of course they weren't.
The spear came at me again.
This time, I moved forward.
"What?!"
I slipped inside the spear's reach.
The spearman's eyes widened.
I swung the Flamefang Sword.
【Human Subjugation Confirmed】
【You acquired 60P】
"Damn it!"
A swordsman came at me from the right.
I knocked his descending sword aside.
Then I stepped in.
【Human Subjugation Confirmed】
【You acquired 50P】
The last man swung his sword at me from the side.
I met it with the Flamefang Sword.
Clang!
His sword flew into the air.
"...!"
I grabbed him by the chest.
Then I threw him to the ground.
"Guh!"
The Imperial soldier hit the ground on his back and stopped moving.
Six men.
I'd cut them down.
Two others had lost their weapons and were lying on the ground.
The wind swept past.
The ironlike smell of blood drifted through the dust rising around us.
The angry shouts that had filled the air moments ago fell silent for an instant.
"............"
All confidence had vanished from the Imperial soldiers' faces.
"...Is he a monster?"
I heard a quiet voice.
Five men were still able to fight.
One of them was the captain.
I looked toward the village.
The evacuation was progressing.
Just a little longer.
"Captain!"
One of the Imperial soldiers shouted.
"We can't handle him!"
"............"
The captain looked at me.
Then he looked at the village.
And then.
"...Don't engage him."
"Huh?"
"Scatter!"
The four remaining soldiers all looked at their captain.
"Everyone, enter the village from a different direction! One man can't stop us all!"
"!"
This was bad.
"Go!"
All four men took off at once.
To the right.
To the left.
Straight ahead.
And one more, making a wide circle around the outside.
They were spread too far apart.
"Gah!"
I ran to the right.
I got in front of one man.
"Move!"
He swung his sword.
I dodged.
I knocked his sword aside and swept his leg.
"Guh!"
The Imperial soldier rolled across the ground.
I immediately looked to the left.
Another soldier was running.
I kicked off the ground.
I could catch up.
But.
Farther beyond him.
"...!"
Another man was heading for a wagon.
There was a child in the wagon bed.
I wasn't going to lose a fight myself.
I could catch one man.
I could stop two, too.
But I couldn't stop all of them at once.
"Damn it!"
I tried to run.
Just then.
The Imperial soldier heading for the wagon raised his sword.
"Magic Bullet!"
A flash of light streaked by.
"Guh!"
It struck the Imperial soldier's wrist.
His sword fell to the ground.
"...!"
I turned around.
Felicia stood there with her staff raised.
"Felicia-san!"
"Leave that one to me!"
There was another one.
He was trying to get through to the village from the left.
"Magic Bullet!"
Light shot out.
This time, it hit his knee.
"Gah!"
The Imperial soldier fell to the ground.
He clutched his knee, unable to move.
"...That's incredible accuracy."
Lydia muttered as she caught up with us.
Felicia replied, still pointing her staff at the next enemy.
"I'm good at aiming."
Her voice wasn't loud.
But she didn't hesitate, either.
"Thanks!"
That stopped three of the four men who'd scattered.
One was left.
But.
That soldier had also stopped when he saw First Squad approaching.
"............"
Should he flee?
Or fight?
He was hesitating.
Just then.
"Target the mage!"
The captain's voice rang out.
"!"
I looked at Felicia.
The captain was running.
Not toward me.
Toward Felicia.
He was faster than the other Imperial soldiers.
Felicia was watching the soldier she'd knocked down.
"Felicia-san!"
The captain raised his sword.
"Die!"
I wouldn't make it in ti—
Clang!
Metal rang out.
"What?!"
The captain's sword was stopped.
A swordsman stood in front of him.
"Claude-san!"
The captain hurriedly backed away.
"Damn it!"
He swung his sword.
Claude moved only half a step.
The blade cut through empty air.
Then he took one step forward.
A flash.
"Gah...!"
The captain's body went still.
His sword fell from his hand.
Then he crumpled to the ground.
"Captain..."
The last Imperial soldier still standing turned pale.
"Allen!"
Raoul came running up, spear at the ready.
"Sorry we're late!"
Bork was beside him.
"I'll block them from reaching the villagers!"
He planted his greatshield in the ground.
Thud!
"No one's getting past me!"
Lydia raised her staff.
"Fire Arrow!"
Flames raced across the ground, cutting off the Imperial soldiers' escape route.
Ena had circled around toward the forest, too.
"Even if you run, I'll chase you."
She held her daggers at the ready.
Cecil ran straight toward the villagers without hesitation.
"Anyone who's injured, come this way!"
"............"
The remaining Imperial soldier looked around.
The captain had fallen.
All his other companions were down or unable to move.
Claude-san and I were in front of him.
Flames were behind him.
Raoul and Ena were to his sides.
Bork stood in front of the villagers.
And there were two mages as well.
The sword fell from the man's hand.
Clatter.
"...I surrender."
Claude looked at the man.
"Don't resist."
"...All right."
The battle was over.
"............"
I looked around.
Broken weapons.
Blood seeping into the soil.
With every gust of wind, the smell of burned houses mingled with the smell of blood, stinging my nose.
Beyond them, the wagons began moving east.
Children held in their mothers' arms.
Young people leading the elderly by the hand.
Villagers supporting the injured.
Everyone was alive.
"............"
I'd protected them.
"Allen."
Claude walked over to me.
"Yes."
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Good."
"But..."
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop them all."
"............"
Claude looked at me.
"What are you talking about?"
"Huh?"
He nodded toward the village.
"You held them off alone until we got here. That's more than enough."
"But if Felicia-san hadn't come—"
"That's why we're a squad."
"............"
"You don't have to do everything alone."
The tension eased from me a little at those words.
"Come on."
Raoul came over.
"That was more than enough."
"What was?"
"How many were you fighting by yourself when we got here?"
"Um..."
I looked around.
I hadn't had time to count while I was fighting.
"You didn't count?"
"I was fighting."
"Normally, that'd make sense, but..."
Raoul looked at the fallen Imperial soldiers.
Then he looked at me.
"You really aren't a fifteen-year-old C-Rank adventurer, are you?"
"I am a fifteen-year-old C-Rank adventurer."
"That's not what I mean."
Ena let out a small sigh.
"You should give up."
"Give up what?"
"Thinking Allen is normal."
"...Yeah, I guess."
Even Bork nodded.
"Allen-san."
Felicia came over.
"Are you really sure you're not hurt?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
I looked at Felicia, too.
"What about you, Felicia-san?"
"I'm fine."
"Thanks for your help."
If she hadn't landed that shot, one of the Imperial soldiers might have reached the villagers.
Felicia gave a small shake of her head.
"We're in the same squad."
"...Yes."
She was right.
I wasn't fighting alone.
◇
The evacuation resumed.
The surviving Imperial soldiers were tied up with ropes, with Bork and Raoul keeping watch over them.
A little way off, I opened Membership.
【Membership Rank: Gold】
【Balance: 1,205P】
【Total P Acquired: 25,915P】
"One thousand two hundred and five..."
It had increased quite a bit.
I'd taken down many Imperial soldiers today.
The number had gone up significantly.
"............"
But.
I knew what those points had come from.
I closed the display.
For now, I decided not to think about it any further.
"Claude."
Ena's voice called out.
I turned around.
Ena was examining the fallen captain's belongings and had unfolded a sheet of paper.
"What is it?"
"A map."
Claude and the others gathered around.
Felicia and I moved closer, too.
The map showed the roads and the locations of villages.
"This is the village we're in now."
Lydia pointed to it.
"Yeah."
There was a small mark at that spot.
But.
"There are others, too."
Ena said.
Southwest of the village we were in now.
Farther west.
And northwest, too.
Several settlements were marked.
"This is..."
Felicia looked at the map.
Claude's expression grew grim.
"It's not just this village."
"Are those places the Imperial soldiers are heading for?"
I asked.
"Probably."
Claude traced the marks on the western side with his finger.
"There may be several units infiltrating the area besides the ones we captured."
"............"
Protecting one village wouldn't be the end of it.
The Imperial army had infiltrated a much wider area.
Claude folded up the map.
"Once the village has finished evacuating, we'll return to the staging ground."
"Yes."
"We'll take this map back, too. We need to report this right away."
I looked west.
Farther ahead, too.
There were still Imperial soldiers.
Cumulative P Acquired: 25,915P.