Trap
“……I do understand it but, as the prince of this country, this view is something agonizing”
The view that spreads before my eyes. I feel even more frustrated at the sight of the files of troops standing orderly. In actuality, they should be comrades who stand alongside us. Because we have to point our swords towards those comrades from now on.
“Please resolve yourself, Your Highness”
“I know. Since we also can’t afford to lose. Are the preparations ready, General?”
“Yes, Your Highness. The orders have already been given out. And all that is left is to do the final confirmation”
“I understand. Do it”
General who heard what I said gives the directions to soldiers. And then, from our side, a soldier who is riding a horse head towards the rebel army.
The soldier stops at the halfway point between our troops and the rebel army and, gives the rebel army the final counsel to surrender. It’d be nice if they surrender with this but……there’s no way that’s happening after coming this far huh. The rebel army ignored the counsel and shot an arrow at us. Though it didn’t hit the soldier, that is a definite hostile act.
“……Unfortunately, the final counsel has also been spurned. All troops, prepare for battle”
It’s the first time I’ve had a battle with morale this low. Though it’s hardly surprising. It’d be weirder for the morale to be high during a conflict amongst people of the same country.
“Shoot!”
I thought of such things and at General’s command, arrows were released. The archer squad shot the arrows huh. The rebel army put their shields up but……what’s that.
Normally when blocking arrows, several people per set make up the troops and they put their shields together to form a large wall but, the way they put their shields up is all over the place, gaps appear between the shields, arrows pierce the soldiers. Is the fellow commanding the rebel army stupid?
“Your Highness, could this be a trap?”
“……I don’t know. I don’t know but, let’s proceed without letting our guards down. It might be a trap for luring us in as General said……if so, the fellow who thought of that is the worst”
General nods at what I say. Even if it’s just a little, let’s quickly end this battle. I can’t hurt the soldiers and the people of our country over something meaningless like this.
After that, we shorten our distance little by little and encircle the rebel army. Perhaps there’s no commander amongst the rebel army, the soldiers just move around as they please, they are totally not in order. The ones that were alright were the first file of troops.
I don’t understand the rebel army’s intention at all. For having declared war by themselves, they aren’t putting up a fight at all. Somehow, did they not rebel because they had a chance of winning?
“……Your Highness, what do we do? From the looks of it, I think if we advise them to surrender, they will a.s.sent better than they did at the beginning”
What should I do. Indeed, as the General has said, the rebel army is already in the state of annihilation. Let alone the files collapsing, there are even those amongst them who are running away. It’s like they aren’t an army.
“You’re right, treat those who surrender cordially. As far as possible, try not to kill those who resist as well”
“Understood”
After that, the General goes and give his orders, the majority of the rebel army surrendered. Until now, it hasn’t even been an hour since the start of the battle. And the rebellion was suppressed in the blink of an eye.
After that, I return to the camp because only the postwar cleanup is left, I am tidying the doc.u.ments in the tent and, the General comes in. By the way, Yunez is on the way back the capital. To inform Chichiue of this situation.
“What about the ringleader?”
“That is, the n.o.bles are not found, the general leading this army seems to be a guy who is usually an ordinary commander in a village”
“Why is such fellow the general?……bring him over here for now”
Brought here by the General under my directions is, an unappealing1 guy indeed. He keeps mumbling things like ‘It’s not my fault’ or ‘I was forcibly made to do it’.
“You know why you were brought here, right?”
“Pl, please wait a minute, Your Highness! It, it’s not it! I was forcibly made to take on this role! Please believe me!”
“Then, who is the fellow who ordered you to such things? The Marquis?”
“Th, that is……gubuu?”
When I try to ask the soldier who was captured regarding the ringleader this time, the soldier suddenly started to be in pain. The General stands in front of me so that he can respond and protect me no matter what happens. Even during that period of time, the soldier is writhing around on the ground in pain.
And then, the soldier suddenly stopped moving.
“……Is he dead?”
“I am not sure but, I will check so Your Highness please step back”
The General says that and moves cautiously closer towards the soldier. I also prepare myself so that I can respond immediately as I’m looking and, ‘Gabaa’ the soldier raises his head vigorously. We immediately prepare ourselves but, he doesn’t move from there. I guess it makes sense since his limbs are being tied up. And then
“As I thought, an impromptu army can’t win huh”
The soldier who suddenly begins to speak. However, judging from the atmosphere, it’s not the soldier from before……is somebody possessing him? Is there such magic?
“……Who are you? The ringleader this time?”
“Oh, nice to meet you, Your Highness. And thank you for completely falling for it”
A smile like he’s obviously looking down on us floats onto the soldier’s face. Well, though the one laughing isn’t the soldier, I nevertheless want to cut him. I have to hold myself back for now. In order to gather even a little information from this guy.
“I will give you a present as my thanks. It would be great if you are pleased with it”
The moment whoever it is that possessed the soldier said that, a scream that is unthinkable to be that of a human’s is heard from the outside.
“Now then, shall we enter round 2. And after that, the capital will be gone if you don’t quickly head back”
The soldier’s head hangs down and collapsed after saying just that. This time for sure, he’s really dead.
General and I leave the tent in a hurry and, the battle has already begun outside. It’s not the rebel army we were fighting until just now but, zombies that animated from the rebel army’s corpse with skeletons that crawl out of the ground. And then, a giant monster that looks to be made of several human beings.
“Wh, what is that?”
The soldiers are running about trying to escape from the completely unforeseen situation. It makes sense. It’s immediately after the end of the battle that they stake their lives on. Such a thing happen while they were relaxing, telling them not to panic is impossible.
“Anyhow, we’ll quickly leave this place! It’s a number we can defeat if we just quickly regroup!”
“Understood!”
……Besides, I’m bothered by what the ringleader said at the end. What is happening in the capital? ……Kuu, it’s frustrating but I’m relying on you, Aneue.
さえない, Saenai: Can be used to describe as sullen, dark, uninteresting, boring, etc