Night fell.
Behind the north gate, an armored vehicle and two trucks were lined up with their headlight turned on. In front of the vehicles were 32 Wolf tribesmen, and two drivers inside the trucks, and 30 Cat tribesmen ― a total of 62 people.
From now on, we will be performing night raids.
Due to the Wolf tribe’s reliability and Cat tribe’s good night vision, I asked their respective chief to partic.i.p.ate in this night raid. In other words, those lining up were the ones chosen by their chiefs.
Standing in front of them, I observed each of their faces. All of them seemed to be sufficiently motivated for this raid.
Then, my gaze stopped on one of the selected members. Mira was standing in the Wolf tribe’s line.
Unlike when she ran away from the town, Mira now had an adult-like air to her. She looked serious while she only staring forward.
(Does she still have strong resentment against humans?)
I wondered if I should take her off from the roster, but Chief Jiharu would not have chosen her thoughtlessly. I am going to believe that she will not be seized by any personal grudges and disrupt the pace of the raid.
Thus, I turned to face everyone and began to speak.
“From now on, we will attack the enemy. However, our aim is not to kill the enemy.”
Everyone listened to my words silently. It is likely because of the self-consciousness of being specially chosen. If it’s like usual, it will just become a funny story.
I continue talking.
“This is a battle to crush the enemy’s heart until it shatters. I want to make them think “I don’t want to fight anymore!”. Well, to put it simply, it’s just hara.s.sment continued with even more hara.s.sment. Therefore, it would be stupid to get injured because of such a fight, so let’s go with safety first. Now then, get on!”
The tribesmen got into the two trucks by my command. Also, I decided to attach a mountain cannon with some rope behind the truck.
[First car, all members are on board.]
[Second car, all the member completed on board.]
In the driver"s seat of armored car, the reports came from the transceiver that was handed to each driver.
“Then, let’s depart.” I commanded as I stepped on the accelerator.
“Be careful.” Chief Jiharu, who came to the side of the gate to see us off, advised.
With my armored car acting as the vanguard, we pa.s.sed through the gate into the wilderness. We were only 4 km from the enemy’s camp. To prevent the truck from turning due to the weight of the cannon, we proceeded down the road cautiously.
After about 10 minutes pa.s.sed, we were finally near the enemy camp.
Then, the sound of a bell ringing echoed from the camp. It should be a signal to warn the soldiers about night raids. Because our headlights were on, the opponent could easily see us approaching them.
Well, there’re no problems even if that happens.
Each car stopped about 500 meters from the camp. The beastmen got off while the artillerymen prepared the mountain cannon. I moved from the driver’s seat to the cupola (gun turret) that was equipped with the [12.7mm heavy machine gun M2].
[12.7mm heavy machine gun M2] 600 million yen (list price 6 million yen)
I have already learned about how to operate it from the SDF’s manual. Along with the large diameter, 12.7 mm bullets, it had superior rapid fire and an effective range exceeding 1 km.
Honestly speaking, I think most enemies can be defeated if we have this. However, I will use this in this night raid only if the enemy is headed here.
Before long, the preparation of the mountain cannon was completed.
“Prepare to shoot... Fire!” By my signal, a thunderous sound echoed from the barrel of the mountain cannon.
The bombardment wasn’t really aimed to any position in particular. It was fine as long as it landed within the enemy’s campsite.
◆
― Nighttime.
Inside a tent of the camp, Mireille rested her body on the couch without removing her armor. Her eyes are closed. However, she was not asleep. She was unable to sleep whenever she thought of the enemy.
And then, the bell installed at the watchtower rang furiously.
(No way...)
Mireille rose up.
However, that thought swiftly became reality.
“It’s the enemy! The enemy has arrived!” A loud announcement could be heard from outside.
“Kuh!” Mireille grunted as she took the sword and came out from the tent, obviously distressed by the warning.
“Escape! We’ll be killed if we don’t!”
“Let’s get out of here quickly!”
It was chaotic outside. No one wanted to fight, and were just trying to escape from the camp. There was no way to resist the enemy like this. Mireille’s first thought was to retreat immediately.
However, there were things that you have to take note of before you retreat.
“Someone! What will happen to the supplies?! Is there anyone who knows about that!?”
For the time being, the management of the supplies was the most important matter. Naturally it’s because people can’t live without food.
However, no one seemed to hear Mireille’s voice. Everyone just escaped to the north as quickly as they could.
“Oi, you!” Mireille caught a knight’s arm as he tried to go past her.
The knight looked irritated as he glared at Mireille. That att.i.tude was not that of someone looking at his superior at all. But, there was no time to condemn him now.
“I am going to see what happened to food supplies now. Follow me.” She ordered.
“...Go.” He muttered.
“What?” Mireille stared at him.
“Let go of me!” The knight swung his arm to try to break free from Mireille’s grip.
The knight no longer cared about the relationship between subordinate and superiors. But, he did not manage to break free because Mireille was stronger than ordinary people because she enhanced her actions with magic.
“That is the job of supply troops! If you are so worried about it, you can go alone!” The knight spat, glaring at her.
Mireille didn’t hold onto the knight’s arm any longer. She just watched the back of the escaping knight in a daze.
Then, from the south, thunderous booms could be heard.
(It’s ‘that’ sound..!)
The sound of the invisible attack that was heard during the battle with the beastmen town...
Shortly afterwards, an intense sound that rattled the brain echoed from within the camp. This increased the soldiers’ confusion even more, and everyone fled from the camp even more desperately.
For example, a soldier took Mireille’s horse, which was tied before her tent, and escaped. Mireille couldn’t blame him, and could only stare blankly into s.p.a.ce.
From the south, the booming sound could be heard again, and a loud sound echoed from somewhere inside the camp.
The fear from the battle during daytime resurfaced inside Mireille’s chest.
But then, when she calmed down and listened, Mireille noticed something - there were only two sources of the sound.
At the beastmen town, there were dozens of those attack sounds. However, only two could be heard now.
Mireille thought that if the army could stand together, perhaps there was still a chance to win. But, she shook her head immediately after that.
(It’s too late to say that now. With the army’s situation right now, it is already hopeless.)
It doesn’t look like an army anymore. The reason was most likely because she was still inexperienced as a general.
(If Barbarodem was still alive, what would he do?)
While thinking about that, Mireille reflected on her own worthlessness.
“d.a.m.n it!” Mireille cursed and shook away the unnecessary thoughts.
Now was not the time to think about that. She needed to think about food instead now.
Food was essential.
It was about 25 km to the northern village from here. Even so, in this situation, there was n.o.body who could transport any food. Therefore, Mireille rushed to the food storehouse.
When she arrived at the food storehouse, there was a farmer soldier (militia) loading food into a cart. It seemed that the other side also noticed her as their eyes met.
“Knight-sama.” The soldier mumbled and lowered his head, however, his hand did not stop.
“You did not escape?” Mireille said as she approached him.
“Hehe, everyone will become hungry, no? I am still a supply corps squad leader even if the other four have already escaped.”
The militia soldier had reddish-brown skin. His hair was messy, and his jaw was lined with unshaven stubble. Even when he smiled, there was nothing about him that could be described as handsome. But, Mireille thought that he was a much better “knight” than anyone.
“I will help.” She insisted.
That is all I can do.
“Ah, could you get a horse to draw the cart then?” He asked.
“Ah, alright.” Mireille followed the man’s instructions, and ran to the stables.
(There... There was still someone. A soldier who was trying to fulfill his role.)
Mireille’s heart became warm the moment she thought of that.
Afterwards, when she arrived at the stables, there are no more horses. She wondered if someone already took them. Mireille looked at the first, second, and third stables in the camp, but they were all empty.
Then, at the fourth one...
There was only one horse that remained untouched. The horse was extremely agitated, rampaging while trying to break the reins that was tied to a stake.
She wondered if no one came closer to it because it was dangerous.
Mireille grabbed the horse’s reins and shouted while pulling it with her arms.
“Calm down!”
They were powerful words.
The horse lowered its head for the moment. The horse knew that Mireille was a strong warrior, and became obedient.
“Alright, good boy.” Mireille stroked the horse’s neck.
Mireille pulled the horse, and headed toward the food storehouse. Even though it would be much better to use a big horse to pull the cart, she doesn’t have that luxury of nitpicking right now.
They marched at a quick pace through the camp.
There were no people left anymore. However, she could still hear the sound of the enemy’s attack. It seemed that there was no fixed target for the attacks as violent sounds could be heard at various places in the camp.
Eventually, Mireille reached the food storehouse. Then, a small sound leaked out from her mouth.
“Eh..?”
She was surprised because the large tent which was used as the food storehouse had collapsed, and the cart of food had also disappeared.
No, that was not it. The cart did not disappear. There were definitely broken pieces of the cart scattered everywhere. In other words, the enemy’s attack had reached this place while she was gone.
And then―
“Aaa....” Mireille’s lips trembled.
A leg could be seen at the entrance of the collapsed tent. Whose leg was that?
Mireille rolled up the tent curtain with trembling arms. It was the militia soldier collapsed there, bleeding profusely.
“Oi! You!” She approached him and shook his shoulder roughly, but there was no response.
It was natural because there was a big hole in his stomach.
“Aah... AAAaAA..!” She screamed, almost maniacal in her frenzied state.
(Why?!)
The enemy’s attack only sounded twice at a time. There were plenty of other places in this wide camp. Why here of all places?!
She did not understand, and that feeling that didn’t know where to go, began to well up within Mireille’s chest.
“G.o.d! Aah, G.o.d!” Mireille cried out toward the sky. She was grieving. “What did we do?! Why did you give such trials to us!”
[TL: you know what you did]
She couldn’t stop crying. In this wide camp, the enemy attack that ‘coincidentally’ happened at the place where the militia was located could only mean that this was G.o.d’s will.
Was the current state of the battle with the beastmen also the work of G.o.d?! Mireille vented her feelings towards the sky.
But, there was no way a reply would come from the sky. Mireille cried for a while before taking a bag which contained with food near her, and hopped onto the horse.
She noticed that the sound of the attacks had stopped. Fire arrows poured from the rear, and the camp began to burn.
“Farewell.” She said good bye to the unknown militia soldier before riding out on the galloping horse.
The horse advanced towards the north. On the way, Mireille shouted at those she pa.s.sed by.
“To the north! Move to the north as far as your legs can carry you!”
The enemy took the trouble to attack their camp. So, it was inevitable that they would pursue those who escaped.
When Mireille thought about how many people could survive, her heart felt empty. But unexpectedly, there were no enemy pursuit.
The distance to the northern village was about 25 km. About 5 km from camp, when Mireille gathered the soldiers and went along the river, she found that there was no enemy pursuit.
But, there was almost no food. So, they killed a few horses and turned them into food.
Everyone was exhausted. They had not slept either. But even so, they moved their legs as if being driven away by something.
And then, night turned into day. When the sun came out, the summer sun sapped their strength further. One by one, people fell behind the group.
They wondered when the village could be seen again. Mireille thought so as well as she stared at the place far away many times.
Eventually, they saw black smoke rising from the place where the village was.
No way. No way, no way, no way...
A strong sense of unease spread out within her chest.
“Kuuh!” Mireille left the group as she galloped towards the village.
Faster! Faster! And when she arrived there...
What remained was a village that had turned into ashes. The wooden objects were still burning as black smoke rose up here and there.
“Aaah...” She cried out weakly.
Mireille muttered ‘why’ in her heart. How many times has she thought that?
Mireille made her horse turn back, and returned back to the group. Other people who have caught up remained standing there. If they looked at the current state of the village, their hearts will break.
“Commander, the village..?” When she returned back to the group, one of the knights asked Mireille.
Mireille didn’t answer. She gritted her teeth as she swallowed her words. If she spoke, she felt that only weak words would come out. As a commander, she needed to be resolute.
“We will take a break here.” Mireille conveyed only that.
Everyone was able to realize what happened, but they did not say anything.
With this break, the horse which Mireille used also became food, and the group started heading north again.
It was a slow march, and the previous knight asked Mireille again.
“Commander, the next village...”
With a feeling of uneasiness, the knight didn’t finish his sentence. Maybe, the demonic hands of the beastmen had also reached the next village too. That was why he felt uneasy.
“It should be alright. I am sure that it’ll be alright. So, let’s persevere a little bit more.” Mireille stated blankly.
Even though it was false encouragement, no one said anything as they grimly continued their trek north.
There was only anxiety in Mireille’s heart.