Become What You Want to Be (14)

"Is that information reliable?!"

Rex then grabbed the guard by the shoulders in a panic and demanded an answer.

"Yeah... I saw it with my own eyes, no mistake! Today happened to be my turn on watch atop the western wall. I thought the Demon King's forces had sent monsters again, just like before, but I was wrong... The monsters they dropped from the sky were just a diversion. They came to crush us head-on!"

The guard pleaded with a desperate look, and Rex didn't think he was lying. Wearing an expression as if he'd bitten into something bitter, he released the guard's shoulders.

Sweat beading on his forehead, Rex pondered what to do. Kururu and Tina watched him anxiously, waiting for him to reach a decision.

"So? What are you going to do, Rex?"

Though the situation had clearly shaken her, Parna asked Rex with a resolute air, as if she already knew what they had to do and saw no need to deliberate.

"Courage and recklessness aren't the same thing... We should retreat for now. Salmaria will fall to the Demon King's army, but we can regroup, gather more people, and come back to take it back. There's no point in dying here."

"That's reasonable... Before that monster army gets here, we'll do everything we can to guide the people still in town out of the city."

Hearing his answer, Kururu and Tina seemed to agree that it was the best course of action. Their expressions turned serious, and they nodded. The guard thanked them, saying, "I'm sorry... This is a huge help."...