Chapter 39

---

After the third battle ended at night—

I was dozing off alone in bed.

It seemed we had suffered a crushing defeat.

The atmosphere in the command post, which had already been dark after the second battle, was now completely like a funeral.

"This... We want to raise a toast and say, 'Good job, everyone!' but the atmosphere isn't right..."

Rihilt watched the victory celebration with a strained face.

Victory celebration.

It seemed to have been a big deal for everyone else, but we, the separate unit, had experienced no hardship. We had simply and steadily taken down the lizardmen who were pursuing us.

"There are lizardmen over there!"

"Magic Arrow"

"There are lizardmen over there too!"

"Magic Arrow"

"Oh, there are lizardmen over there as well!"

"Magic Arrow"

"Magic Arrow"

"Magic Arrow"

"Magic Arrow"

"Magic Arrow"

It was a day like that. I kept shooting Magic Arrows at the lizardmen who kept appearing.

"Ah... I guess it was the right choice to stay with Alberto..."

Filbus said,

"Awesome! Thanks to Mr. Alberto, we're doing great!"

Rihilt rejoiced.

Was it really that impressive? It's true that my Magic Arrow seemed to be a bit stronger than other mages', but after all, the opponents were just lizardmen. I felt that any decent mage could do the same.

By the way—

"This time, there were some really dangerous ones mixed in. Super strong individuals... Covered in tattoos. They're too strong. What do we do with them..."

When we returned to the command post, I heard the soldiers muttering like that.

I wasn't sure if the one they were talking about was the same as the one we encountered, but indeed, a tattoo-covered lizardman had appeared in front of us.

He suddenly punched a lizardman who was trying to escape after seeing my Magic Arrow.

The lizardman who was trying to escape flew away dramatically, his neck bent at an odd angle, and he foamed at the mouth.

"GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The tattoo-covered lizardman pounded his chest and roared, as if to intimidate us.

A battle-ready lizardman ran towards us.

"That guy seems really dangerous...!"

Rihilt, standing next to me, flinched and stumbled backward.

I extended my right hand and calmly spoke as usual.

"Magic Arrow"

The white arrow I released hit the lizardman directly. The lizardman screamed and flew backward, then stopped moving.

"Ah, that... Again, just one shot..."

Rihilt let out a surprised voice.

...That's how the tattoo-covered one died in one hit. So, I wasn't sure if he was really strong or not.

We returned to the command post without any danger—

and learned about the dire situation of the main force.

What I was thinking about was Aranjia.

Aranjia was the overall commander of this operation. The success or failure of the operation all depended on Aranjia.

The current situation was clearly not good.

I knew Aranjia well.

Aranjia had been excellent since childhood. She could do anything flawlessly, even things that others thought were impossible.

She had that much talent.

Because of that, she had always been able to pull off 'a bit of recklessness' and succeed as if it were nothing.

I thought to myself.

We should retreat now. The soldiers' morale is low.

Aranjia, with her proud nature, would not admit this fact. And, might she not attempt 'a decisive move' as she had done so many times since childhood?

There was a possibility.

I felt that way.

But, it's not the same as when we were children. This is a battlefield, and the situation has already worsened beyond Aranjia's expectations.

Now is not the time for冒险.

I remembered my younger brother, who had looked at me with cold eyes when I returned from the academy, on the brink of despair.

It had been a long time since we last met, and he had said, "Nice to meet you."

My feelings for Aranjia were still unresolved within me.

But I couldn't keep silent.

"Aranjia, we should retreat now..."

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

The fourth battle began.

"I express my gratitude for your efforts so far! It has been a tough battle, but it ends today! Today, we will achieve a great victory and return to the capital in triumph! Come, today is the last chance to achieve victory! Show your loyalty to the kingdom!"

Aranjia rallied the troops before the battle.

However, the soldiers' morale did not improve at all. In addition to the crushing defeat in the third battle, there was no plan to deal with the super-strong individual lizardmen. The soldiers didn't want to die, and it was understandable that they lacked motivation.

(Hmph... I knew you would react like this)

Aranjia looked at the soldiers with a cold eye.

She no longer relied on the soldiers. If they wouldn't step forward, that was fine. She would use them as targets and make the most of them.

She gave the order without showing any of her true intentions.

"The outcome of this battle depends on you! I expect your best efforts! Advance, all troops! Scatter the lizards and show the pride of the knights!"

With Aranjia's words, the entire army scattered across the Grizia marshlands.

They scattered.

Until now, the separate unit had scattered the lizardmen's forces, and the main force had concentrated on a single breakthrough to defeat the lizardmen. But this time, it was different.

Overall.

Sparsely.

This was Aranjia's deployment strategy.

Why did she do this?

The answer is simple.

She turned the entire remaining main force into a separate unit.

Why did she do this?

The answer is simple.

"—I can see them."

Aranjia and her elite troops were positioned on a small hill.

From there, Aranjia overlooked the lizardmen's village. Behind her stood over forty soldiers, all of whom were her direct subordinates, and their eyes were filled with high morale.

This was Aranjia's strategy.

To use the main force as a decoy to clear the path to the village and then strike the village directly with her direct subordinates.

For what purpose?

To take the head of the emblem mage.

It was no longer possible to annihilate the lizardmen. But returning to the capital without any spoils was not an option.

At the very least, taking the head of the emblem mage, the instigator of the conflict, would maintain a minimum level of dignity.

This was the compromise Aranjia had devised.

(...Actually, I don't want to be on the front lines as the overall commander)

But it was necessary.

This was the decisive moment.

By standing on the front lines, Aranjia would boost the morale of her subordinates.

Aranjia felt no fear. Such reckless actions—such words had always been said to her since childhood. And she had always carried them out with a cool demeanor.

I have the talent.

I have the luck.

(I was born with something different from ordinary people)

Aranjia smiled slyly.

This difficult situation would eventually become a good spice in Aranjia's legendary story.

This time would be no different.

It was just a matter of pulling off the decisive move as usual. Decisive move? No. For Aranjia, it was something ordinary and easy.

Aranjia pointed the sword she had received from the king at the village.

"Charge! Take the head of the emblem mage!"

With those words—

The final battle of the Grizia marshlands began.