Chapter 6 – The Elves’ Evacuation
“Hah… hah… hah…”
About 20 kilometers east of Gim, there was a small, nameless, reclusive elven village. Because they did not interact much with outsiders, news about the Gim ma.s.sacre arrived there late. The villagers did evacuate, but there weren’t any Kua Toinan soldiers in the area, so it was a harrowing journey to escape from Rowlia’s watch. Currently, they were about 10 kilometers east of the village.
Short, green gra.s.slands unfolded before them, with birds singing and wild cows eating the delicious gra.s.s. It was a very peaceful scene. This area would be easy to traverse because it was flat and there were no obstacles, but it would also be easy to find and chase after them for the same reasons. To the 200 evacuees, they would be taking a huge risk to cross these gra.s.slands.
A boy pulled on his sister’s hand as they kept going east. The children’s mother had died early of illness, and they were living with their father. However, because of the danger of a Rowlian invasion, their father, who was part of the first reserve forces, was called in to serve the army.
“Hey, Parun. You’re the older brother, so take care of Asha, okay?”
The father smiled as he entrusted everything to his son and left their home.
The evacuees were not gaining any speed. The children were put in the back to keep watch; only 10 remained after the draft.
25 more kilometers to go. Only 25 kilometers until they reached the frontline Kua Toinan military base…
Suddenly, there was a cry from the rear of the group.
“Rowlian hors.e.m.e.n!!!”
The boy looked back to see a hundred Rowlian cavalry about three kilometers behind them, quickly closing in on the group of escapees. Soldiers from the Kingdom of Rowlia, with orders to slaughter all demihumans, were coming for them. The villagers began to scream as they ran, but there was no way they could outrun horses, and the army slowly gained on them.
Red-Eyed Jove, captain of the Hawk Knight’s 15th cavalry regiment, a Rowlian knight order, licked his lips at the prey in front of him.
“Well, look what we got here…!”
Around 200 women and children were making their way east through the gra.s.slands. They were about 3 kilometers away, but the land was flat and wide with no obstructions, so they were in plain sight.
Gim was a really good time. He got to torture people and go wild, doing whatever he wanted with the blessings of his superiors. It was the best! He remembered the cat demi family in Gim. The parents begged him desperately, “don’t kill us!”, so of course he killed them, then f.u.c.ked their daughter in front of their corpses, though then he realized he didn’t need to kill them first. The cat girl had screamed and cried endlessly; he had really gotten off on that. Red-Eyed Jove felt those dark, euphoric emotions rising within him again as he eyed his new prey.
The Hawk Knights were comprised of elites from the eastern Rowlian va.s.sal states. They were revered as great warriors. Within their ranks, the 15th cavalry was said to be a collection of “undesirables.” They were basically former bandits and pirates, from back when Rowlia was still conquering their smaller neighbors, who were bestowed peerage to become n.o.bles. Their captain, Red-Eyed Jove, had a particularly cruel personality, known to kill any subordinates he didn’t like and later reporting that they had died in the battlefield.
“All right then… time to hunt! Ma.s.sacre those demis! CHARGE!!!”
“Hyahah~!”
The 15th cavalry yelled out a strange rallying cry, then galloped off in pursuit of the elves.
Parun clutched Asha’s hand as they ran.
“It’ll be fine, Big Brother will protect you! Don’t worry!”
“Yeah…”
Run, our lives are at stake. I’m scared! I’m terrified!!!
Our village was being pursued by a group of demons. Did we do something wrong? Was no G.o.d going to save us? There had to be something he could do! There had to be something…. At least, he had to protect Asha…
A memory rose unbidden into Parun’s mind. While wrapped in Mom’s warmth and love, she used to tell this story.
Long ago, when “countries” did not yet exist, in the age of elves warring with demons, the demons tried to destroy the Sacred Forest where the elves’ G.o.d lived. Many elves were killed, and their veteran warriors scattered. The G.o.d of Green, the elves’ creator, had prayed to the supreme G.o.d of the Sun.
In answer to the G.o.d of Green’s prayers, the G.o.d of the Sun sent emissaries into the world. These emissaries, on G.o.d’s flying ships and steel ground dragons, using sorcery that called down thunder and burned the land, incinerated the demons. With their main forces demolished, the demons withdrew from the Sacred Forest.
To repay them for having driven back the demons, the elves offered the emissaries treasures of gold and silver. However, they simply boarded G.o.d’s ships and left without accepting them. The elves were saved, and they were allowed to live in peace in this world. Of the numerous flying ships, one of them broke down and was left behind. That ship was preserved with magic and stored in Kua Toine, in a sacred shrine on sacred land within the Reen Noa Forest.
His mother had said that this story actually happened. So Parun prayed as he ran.
G.o.d! Please, G.o.d! G.o.d of the Sun! If you’re really there, please, help us! Even if you need my life to do it, please, save my sister!
G.o.d, please, protect us from the evil Rowlians, who want to kill us all!
…but nothing happened.
Rowlia’s soldiers closed in. He could now hear their voices. There was nowhere to hide in this field; they weren’t going to make it. Now, they had to take a stand, or be slaughtered… but the only weapons they had were bows for hunting beasts and farming tools.
Some of the villagers fell to their knees in despair. They were only 500 meters away. Everyone had given up. Parun yelled to the heavens.
“Pleeeeeaaase! G.o.d!!! HEEEEELP UUUUUSSSSSS!!!!!”
And above the boy, a light soared past.
The lowbreeds were not even 500 meters away. Their faces were stricken with fear as they desperately tried to escape. He unsheathed his sword in preparation for the slaughterfest. It was Gim all over again, with nice women mixed in with the crowd also running for their lives. As he imagined the tragedy that would soon occur, Jove’s face had a disgusting, distorted grin plastered across it.
“GET ‘EEEEM!!!!!”
“RAAAAAAH!”
The cavalry regiment yelled out an aggressive cheer as they urged their horses to chase after the elves, kicking up a huge amount of dust and dirt.
“Captain, there’s some kind of light in the sky coming at us!” the regiment’s lookout abruptly shouted as he pointed into the air.
Jove looked up. “Wh… at… the h.e.l.l is that?!”
A spear of light was flying right at them. He instinctually felt danger as soon as he laid eyes on it. It was coming fast!
“DODGE, HURRY!!!”
The entire 15th cavalry moved to the side.
Parun thought he was dreaming.
He had prayed to the G.o.d and, above him in the sky, a spear of light came flying down.
The light burst.
Immediately, a thunderous roar a.s.saulted his ears.
Smoke billowed out as though erupting from the earth itself, quickly engulfing the Rowlian soldiers. Then, another spear of light came down.
Lights flared, and more thunder boomed. Light rained continuously on the ground, setting the ground on fire.
“Ro… Rowlian forces have been reduced by 80%!” someone yelled.
The horrified Rowlian soldiers began to retreat, but the rain of light chased after them. When the lights. .h.i.t a soldier, they were blown into pieces along with their horse. All of the soldiers chasing the elves had been eliminated.
Then, from the skies to the east, numerous flying ships came into view. They a made a sound like hundreds of people chopping wood at the same time.
They flew over the villagers’ heads, the ships making that terrible noise and capable of setting the land on fire with their sorcery.
Parun looked up at them. He couldn’t take his eyes off the various shapes on the flying ships.
“!!! The sun! They carry the symbol of the sun! The sun’s emissaries really came!!!”
Eventually, a large number of flying ships (these ones had spinning things both on top and in the back) landed in front of the villagers. From inside of them, strange people wearing green clothing came out.
“Is anyone injured?”
A leader-like individual put a round box to his face and asked in a loud, inhuman voice.
The villagers, scared out of their wits, were unable to reply. These were people who had the power to completely wipe out the Rowlian cavalry in the blink of an eye. Perhaps injured people could not be used for labor and would instead be sacrificed in order to cast that destructive magic?
Parun stepped forward.
“Thank you for saving us. Are you Emissaries of the Sun?”
Huh? ‘Emissaries of the sun?’ We do have the sun on our flag… I wonder if someone calls us that or something. Well, either way, he’s just a kid, so I can play along. “Yeah, something like that.”
Mutter mutter mutter… The area became filled with whispered conversations. Then, all of a sudden, the villagers all bowed down on the ground.
It would take some time for the JSDF members, who just came to help with the rescue effort, to properly straighten out this misunderstanding.