“Swordsmen forward!”
At Shure’s behest, the melee soldiers moved up to the front. I thought for sure the elves would be attacking from a distance, preferring to use a bow and quiver, but contrary to my expectations, many of the elves were outfitted with a shield and sword. They bravely ventured out to the frontlines, where they climbed up the defensive walls erected to protect the village.
We encountered little resistance as we entered the Silent Forest (Sinfall). Arrows would be shot at us from time to time, but such half-hearted response could not stop the might of 400 warriors.
“Find Priena! Ignore the fodders!”
All men moved on foot, the elves forming the outer perimeter, while the goblins formed the heart of the formation. I ran side-by-side Shure, who ordered the swordsmen to push into the residence of the village chief. At the same time, he ordered to suppress the vital facilities. As expected, Shure is skilled. He even managed to gather enough information on the enemy beforehand.
If he didn’t know where all the important facilities and what kind of army the enemy had we wouldn’t be able to occupy the village so easily.
“The enemy chief, Priena Sinfall, has run away with 50 soldiers!” An elf reported.
“Where to?” Shure asked.
“To the south!”
I don’t know if this is what they mean by ‘when the gong is hit it echoes’, but I decided to offer the chief’s head as a present to decorate this victory.
“We’ll pursue them,” I said.
“Please,” Shure said.
Hearing Shure agree, I ordered the goblins. “Riders of Paradua, ride ahead and stop the enemy! Archers of Ganra, Ru Rou shall lead you to support the riders of Paradua. Gi Jii take 40 and go with Shure. Everyone else follow me!”
Quickly ordering the soldiers, I filled my legs with ether and bolted off.
I chased after Priena with my sword at the ready.
◆◆◇
As we left the village, we ran through the road going south.
I ran at the vanguard, leading the goblins behind me through the leveled road, while the beast-riders informed us that they had already made contact with the enemy through the archers of Ganra.
Directing ether to my ears to sharpen my hearing, I heard throes of pain and angry voices from up ahead.
“Hurry!” I ordered.
Unsheathing my sword, I stepped into the ground and bolted for the area up ahead.
“Your Highness, the enemy is up ahead!” Ru Rou, who had gone ahead, said.
I leapt as soon as I saw the opposing elven army.
“Turn me into a blade!Enchant”
Black flames erupted from the base of the hilt, cladding the whole blade in black ember as it descended with the force of gravity into an enemy elf.
Without even the time to cry out, the enemy elf was cleaved in two.
The surrounding elves were aghast upon seeing me, and not an eek came out of their lips. It didn’t matter, though, because I was never one to let my enemies off lightly.
“GURUUuoOOAaOO!” As I bellowed out the World-Devouring Howl, I swept at the surrounding elves with my long sword, lopping off their head and dyeing the ground in their blood.
After seeing me instantly kill the elves around me, the enemy finally woke up from their stupor and an enemy elf cried.
“Goblin!” The enemy cried. “Kill him!”
Too slow!
“Let my body be inviolable!Shield”
The bow was at a disadvantage in a close-up fight, so the enemy elf put his bow away and unsheathed his dagger.
The enemy elf struck out with his dagger, but my Shield repelled it. The elves attacked from every direction, but I cut each and every one of them down easily, causing the enemy elves’ face to twist in fright. There were some brave ones who still fought despite seeing my Shield, however.
“Don’t look down on us, monster!!” An elf soldier cried as he jumped at me with his sword.
For some reason, I decided to dodge that one.
Good thing I did, as that sword of his managed to tear away a thin portion of my Shield’s black flames. That weapon must be made out of the elves’ special metals, either Srilana or Orichalcum.
In front of weapons like those, Shield is meaningless!
When the enemy attacked again, I met its weapon with my own, but unfortunately, its short sword actually cut into my sword.
What an insanely sharp weapon.
Jubilation filled the elf’s face. Victory was his, he must’ve thought.
Stupid. If your weapon is stuck in mine, how are you going to dodge my next attack?
Releasing my long sword, I curled my hand into fist and slammed it into the happy elf’s face. The sound of bones breaking resounded as the elf flew away, then I took out another sword by my waist and fixed my stance.
“S-Stay away from that—!” An elf cried as he sought to make some distance between us, but unfortunately, my sword found its way into his back before he could flee.
He was the only one I managed to kill, however, as the other elves safely managed to jump onto the branches of the trees nearby or hide in the bushes; they readied their bows.
That was fast. As expected of the elves who are said the be friends of the forest.
Unfortunately, they were too late. It might be because of their inexperience at war, but they moved a moment too late.
“Stop that goblin!” An elf ordered, at which the other elves all aimed their bows at me.
The elves were unequaled as hunters. Their bows were fast and strong, and they could instantly take down any prey they set their eyes upon.
“Fir—What!?” Just when the elves were about to shoot, the arrows of Ganra’s archers came pouring down.
“Shoot down the elves away from His Highness!” The young commander of Ganra, Ru Rou, ordered.
The archers of Ganra were skilled hunters as well; therefore, the moment the elves decided to jump on top of branches, their fate was sealed. The only reason the archers of Ganra refused to shoot was because I was nearby. Now that the elves had willingly distanced themselves from me, the Ganra could cover the sky in their arrows as they pleased.
Meanwhile, the goblins that had gone ahead came back and attacked. The fierce and powerful goblins of Gaidga slammed their clubs, each one as big as the elves themselves, into the slender bodies of the elven forces, while the wide-eyed Gi Jii charged with the normal goblins and their spear.
“R-Run!” The moment the elves cried out that word, our victory was secured.
A systematic retreat allows one to minimize casualties, but… This… This is just asking to be killed.
“After them! Take their heads!” I ordered as I watched the elves run away without any order.
The goblins cheered at my command; and in the end, about 40 of the 50 goblins were slain.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t get Priena’s head.
◇◆◇
Meanwhile, while Shure was invading the Silent Forest (Sinfall), the life and death battle that took place in Fenit’s residence ended.
Shure’s advocates had attacked Fenit.
Shure had many supporters even among Fenit’s guard; and because Fenit didn’t even consider the possibility, they managed to attack him. There were many among the commanding officers who shared Shure’s thoughts.
Fenit was completely blindsided when Shure’s faction attacked, but fortunately for him, luck was on his side. In Fenit’s fit of anger, he accidentally blew the roof off his residence, prompting Pale and the other warriors outside to enter his house, swaying the advantage back to Fenit’s side.
Pale and the other warriors asked Shure’s faction to surrender, but they ignored their plea and fought until the last man. In the end, they all died.
“We can’t delay anymore! The devil’s hand might have reached even Silver!” Fenit loudly said in high spirits. “This is clearly Shure’s— No. The ploy of the goblins and the elves working with them who look down on us elves! This is no longer just a war, but a holy war!”
Fenit turned to Pale with a sharp gaze. “My dear cousin, this is a holy war, thus I cannot show favoritism! You shall join Commander Felbi and his squad to bring aid to the Forest of the Lost (Sheng)!”
“I was actually about to ask that myself…” Pale quietly muttered.
Fenit was being threatening, but in the end, he just pushed her to go exactly where she wanted to go.
“Go now!” Fenit commanded.
“Alright…” Pale said.
If war were to break out, the only way she would be able to save Selena is to end the war quickly.
That was the conclusion Pale arrived to, so she chose to go to the battlefield.
“Are you sure?” A guard asked Fenit after Pale left.
Fenit’s face twisted in anger. “Who do you think is responsible for that attack just now? Do you really think it was Shure’s ploy?”
“H-Huh?” The soldier was confused.
“It’s Pale’s supporters! The people who want her to become chief!”
Fenit believed that it was actually Pale behind the attack just now.
“B-But didn’t Master Pale run to help just now?” The soldier reasoned.
“She probably just wanted to see my corpse!”
“T-Then are you saying…”
“Yes! Pale must die in this war!”
◆◆◇
Bui frowned upon hearing the leader-class orc, Gui’s, report.
“There is a human village right next to the forest…”
Bui folded his arms as he sat cross-legged.
“I want to think,” Bui said before leaving Gui.
Whenever Bui wanted to ponder something, he would always go to the mother tree, Doralia.
“A frontal attack on the humans would only serve to increase our casualties, but… If the human village were to be completed, we might lose our chance to stop them. Will we have to move again? I don’t think there’s a place better than here, though.”
There was plenty of food here in the south. The strongest influence were the goblins living in the west, but the orcs had a good relationship with them, so they were no problem. If Bui could just deal with the threat in the east, he would be able to ensure his village’s safety.
If ever he did need to escape, the only path he would be able take would be the north, but because they’ve been developing the south so much, they haven’t had any opportunity to scout there.
Right now they had 150 orc warriors and 70 orc females. There weren’t many places that could accommodate a village their size.
The humans coming back stronger than before meant that there was a country behind them. That’s the only reason they would be able to put so much power into the frontline.
What they were doing wasn’t much different with the goblins.
The goblins moved to the west, and then pushed the orcs toward the east, where the frontline was. In one sense, it could be said that the goblins were keeping the orcs from running away.
That leaves little room for the orcs to maneuver.
What should Bui do to ensure the orcs’ safety?
What’s the matter, Bui?
“Ah, Doralia.” Bui decided to talk about their current predicament to Doralia.
When Doralia finished hearing him out, she spoke.
I see… So you want to protect this village.
“Y-Yes… That’s right.” As Bui leaned onto Doralia, he looked up at the branches that blocked the sun’s rays.
“If the enemy forces are strong, then…”
They should just weaken them.
“Hmm… Right, right… I see.. No, but…”
Doralia quietly watched over Bui as he pondered to himself.
The next day, Bui took two orcs with him and created a new village to the east.
It was a small village, but that was enough to create a breakwater between the orc village and the humans; a village to protect the flourishing orc village, so to speak.
How Bui’s plans would fare was yet unknown, but the orcs’ influence was gradually getting stronger.
—314 days until the battle with the humans.
