Chapter 75

Worm stood at the gate of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter given to him by his mother.

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

As the cherry petals danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

Worm, who had expected the chaos of a children's play, saw no such disorder. The approaching formation was a straight, neat line. Drums beat in time with the marching pace, and the front row held their shields as they continued to advance.

"Is that the army of Meizanaf?"

Even the common soldiers wore good-quality armor. They were like a flock of sheep with thick hides and sharp horns. There were enough shepherds leading them, and they seemed well-trained.

Even Worm, who usually made light remarks, fell silent. The distance had already closed to less than 250 meters. Archers began to draw their arrows. Two young soldiers started to load stones into their slings.

"Understand? They're spread out so widely. As long as you aim for the front, you'll hit someone."

The two nodded silently. Worm, who had been hired as a magic soldier, had not been given a sling. He had his own items in his magic bag, but he was not particularly skilled at throwing, so he did not join in.

"Begin throwing!"

At the centurion's command, the small stones launched from slings soared into the sky, then fell in parabolic arcs toward the advancing army. Naturally, some missed their targets or released the stones at the wrong time, causing them to roll on the ground or hit the front.

The stones that were accurately thrown struck the enemy's armor and shields, and the sound echoed back to the fort. Some soldiers collapsed on the spot, apparently hit in vulnerable spots.

After several attempts, the young soldiers managed to throw their stones into the formation. They wore complex expressions, a mix of joy from their achievement and the unpleasant feeling of possibly injuring someone.

"Good job, you did well."

Worm praised them wholeheartedly. The clouded expressions on their faces brightened slightly.

While inciting the innocent young soldiers, Worm tried to lessen their guilt with mere words and adapt them to the battlefield. He felt sick to his stomach at his own manipulative tactics, but he could not remove the forced smile from his face. As the distance closed to less than 250 meters, the archers began to release their arrows, which whistled through the air and struck the advancing army, slowing their progress and causing screams to reach the fort.

At less than 60 meters, the magic soldiers began their attack. The range varied due to magic. Mud balls hit the shields and bundles of bamboo, and ice spears pierced the bundles.

At less than 50 meters, Worm extended his arm and gathered magic. A blue flame swirled and formed into a fireball.

"Here comes the fireball!"

A soldier carrying a shield cried out in anguish. The soldiers responsible for relaying information and raising alerts on the front line were in danger. Worm aimed the fireball at the source of the cry. The direct hit scattered wood and flesh, and the remaining flames clung to the surrounding soldiers.

"Ah, ah, my hand! My hand!!"

"Apply pressure and fall back!"

The soldiers carrying the damaged shields suffered significant injuries. There was no cheering, only a strange silence. The two young soldiers were brought back to the harsh reality of the carnage Worm had caused.

"Keep up the attack."

He said it calmly, without emotion. If they stayed by Worm's side, they would see such scenes countless times. There were no comforting words to offer.

He focused on the next target. He saw an enemy soldier tilting a bundle of bamboo to deflect attacks, but there was a gap between the ground and the bundle. Worm aimed the fireball at the gap. The explosion on the ground sent dirt flying and created a depression.

The soldiers carrying the bamboo and those behind them suffered significant injuries. Some lost their legs below the knee, writhing and screaming, while others lost fingers or suffered burns. Many others had minor injuries.

Such destruction inevitably drew concentrated attacks on Worm. Various projectiles hit the walls, and the whistling of arrows was constant. Soldiers who exposed themselves were hit in the forehead and fell silently. The bodies were quickly dragged away from the walls.

The corners of the walls protruded outward to attack soldiers trying to cling to the walls from the sides. These were a type of defensive tower, and the corner towers, though low, were a key part of the defense. Their construction was exceptional, using stone for the foundation, which increased their defensive capabilities.

Otherwise, they would have been half-destroyed by the constant attacks. Worm assessed the danger of the enemy's attacks and dealt with them in order. First, the magic soldiers, then the officers, and finally the archers. The stopping power was evident, and the straight formation began to waver. The enemy soldiers within the effective range from the corners were visibly delayed.

Arrows and stones rained down on the soldiers who had lost their defenses due to explosions. Soldiers with arrows embedded in their shoulders groaned in pain but were silenced by the following stones. The two young soldiers threw stones as if possessed.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Worm called out to a soldier trying to leave his post. He would not have stopped a mere common soldier, but this was a valuable magic soldier like himself. He felt a sense of responsibility to reduce the burden.

"The centurion ordered me to go support another wall. You're here, so it should be fine."

With that, the magic soldier ran off. Magic soldiers who used mud balls were numerous and effective in preventing enemy intrusion. Worm, having lost an excellent colleague, wanted to lose himself in thought, but the enemy was still trying to enter the moat despite the fierce attacks.

Fireballs approached the enemy soldiers who were cutting down the reverse palisades and breaking the stakes. The moat created a depression, and the explosion left the soldiers at the bottom with a gruesome fate. The shock wave and rapid combustion tore off limbs and torsos, which fell on the surrounding soldiers.

The heat rose to the walkway on the walls. The smell of burning fat, exposed organs mixed with undigested food, and a terrible stench filled the air. Some soldiers had stuffed themselves with food and alcohol before the battle, perhaps as a last meal before facing death. Some reached for the food and drink, a human reaction, but a poor one for soldiers.

While recovery magic could sometimes return soldiers to the front lines after internal injuries, undigested food spilling from the organs would cause internal contamination, requiring water magic or specialized surgery.

"Though the time and place are different... this place hasn't changed."

The familiar, yet abhorred, sensation. The gruesome deaths, the pungent odors, and the sounds of battle stirred Worm's memories.

Kuwen and Karim were pale but did not falter. They showed remarkable adaptability. Adult common soldiers, who were initially enthusiastic, panicked and vomited when internal organs stuck to their armor.

The enemy did not give up after losing dozens of soldiers to the fireballs. They threw dirt into the moat to bury the dead and tried to cling to the walls.

"Jump in! The first spear gets a gold coin!"

The regular soldiers reorganized the disordered formation, kicked the hesitant common soldiers, and pushed them to the front. Worm welcomed them with fire. Soldiers turned into human torches by the blue flames fell down the slope. Soldiers holding stakes were blown away by the blast, leaving only their hands behind.

"Charge, kill him!"

Raw emotion was directed at Worm. He accepted it. The common soldiers below were now focused on Worm's every move, but he was just one of the defenders, overestimated.

The magic from the corner towers was a concern, but the damage from frontal stones and arrows was severe. The attacks were on three sides of the wall, with roughly half of two sides within Worm's range. The remaining area relied on Worm's stopping power, and the magic soldier who had been reassigned was now being redeployed and reinforced.

Soldiers who managed to climb up were struck by spears from the walls, hit in the head, and fell. Worm pitied the common soldiers. Sometimes brute force was a powerful strategy. The enemy commander might have been testing the waters, but too many soldiers died.

A rhythmic sound echoed on the battlefield, and the shouts of the regular soldiers rose.

"Retreat drums. Fall back!"

The enemy soldiers fled at the sound of the drums. No one waved them off. They left behind a large number of "souvenirs."

"The enemy has fled in disarray!"

For the first time that day, the fort echoed with the cheers of the Dalimark soldiers.

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"What is this, this mess?"

Viscount Burns Guevieve was consumed by anger and frustration. This was a siege. Civilian casualties were inevitable, and Burns had been prepared for it.

"Just one magic soldier!!"

Following the standard procedure, the soldiers received a welcome of arrows and stones, suffering some casualties while approaching the walls. With the support of magic soldiers and archers, the infantry was supposed to break through. But before they could reach the walls, they lost