Free Web NovelChapter 356: Hope Is a Terrifying Thing
The advance had begun.
And at the same time, so had the retreat.
The moment the subjugation force charged, the enemy spun around and fled in a panic that looked like sheer terror, but Levis could only bite her lower lip.
They fled as if they’d planned it. As if luring them in. The "instinct" that had guided her all the way here was telling her something.
They had been waiting for her to give the charge order.
’A stalling tactic?’
It was possible. If this was a feint to buy time while the orcs safely moved the humans into the dungeon, that made perfect sense. She’d been told that the Killer Raven unit, the Andras, weren’t actually a particularly strong species.
’No. This is a lure.’
The enemy was trying to draw them in. Whether it was into Zabiyaba, the city they’d occupied, or into the dungeon, they were trying to pull her forces deeper.
’I need to turn back.’
Her instinct and gut were both urging retreat. The way to guarantee a 100% victory in this battle was clearly to wheel around and return to Spica Castle immediately.
"UOOOOOOH!"
"CHAAARGE!"
"Little brother, hang on! Your big brother’s coming!"
But there was no way to turn back an enraged mob. They stormed across the bridge with furious strides, as if they meant to trample the Andras underfoot.
’This is a lost cause.’
The crowd showed no signs of calming down anytime soon. Levis had no choice but to take the lead and set the direction.
"We go around the Andras! Fighting them here will only waste time!"
"""YEAAAH!!!"""
The subjugation force cheered and followed Levis’s command. The vast majority of them were soldiers conscripted from the barony.
"Priest Chaser! Ector! You two each take 150 adventurers and pursue the Andras!"
""In the name of the Goddess!""
The subjugation force split in two. The 900-strong main force and the 300-strong pursuit force scattered east and west, each moving toward their respective objectives.
The main force pursued the orcs, while the detachment went after the Andras unit.
"""Ruuuun for it-ras!"""
The Andras scrambled across the ground. Despite having crow heads, the poor birdmen couldn’t fly and had no choice but to run back the way they’d come.
"Get those things! They drop magic stones!"
"Money, money’s getting away! Catch them and sell the magic stones and materials!"
The adventurers ran like mad trying to catch the fleeing Andras. Their formation fell apart in no time, and spells were even flying toward the rear of the retreating Andras.
"The main force keeps advancing! We rescue the hostages before the orcs get them into the dungeon!"
Levis shouted at the soldiers behind her and kicked her horse’s flanks. The horse, bred by the Church itself, cut across the nighttime plains, brushing past Zabiyaba.
"A fortress...!"
A wooden fence erected to repel intruders. Behind it, a solid, imposing wall. And atop that wall, Levis locked eyes with a single orc looking down at her.
"That, that...!"
The orc was brazenly violating a blonde lady knight. What Gray had told her, that the demons assaulted humans, turned out to be true, and Levis had just witnessed it with her own eyes.
"This is insane...!"
The orc was gripping the blonde knight’s arms, holding her in place, thrusting from behind like an animal. Levis felt nausea rising in her throat, but the sight only inflamed the subjugation force further.
"""AAAAAAAGH!!!"""
Perhaps the sight of the lady knight being violated by the orc reminded them of someone they knew. The subjugation force screamed and quickened their pace. At this rate, they’d be hyperventilating and unable to fight by the time they encountered the orcs, but stamina was the least of their concerns.
The thought that their wives, their families, could be subjected to the same drove them forward even harder. Even those who tripped and bloodied their noses sprang right back up and chased after Levis.
"...Priest Caterpul, Trasek! And Sir Gray! The three of you each take 150 soldiers and establish a defensive position here! Build a perimeter outside the orcs’ attack range!"
""In the name of the Goddess!""
Another 300 split from the 900-strong main force. Compared to when the subjugation force had first set out, they were down to half at 600, but their morale surpassed even that of battle-hardened veterans fighting on the front lines against the Demon King’s army.
"Dancing to their tune like this... I won’t forget this humiliation...!"
The dungeon’s master was likely inside the dungeon itself. Levis shot one last glare at the top of the wall, then turned her horse forward again.
The die was cast.
No one, not even the leader of the Holy Knights, could break the crowd’s burning will to save their families. And Levis fanned those flames, letting them blaze even brighter.
"Forward, to the dungeon!"
The main force under Levis charged toward the dungeon like madmen.
***
"...So what happens now? With the bet?"
"W-well, you finished, so please pull out first...!"
Because I’d been holding her arms, Eila couldn’t pull away on her own. I released her arms, withdrew, then pulled a handkerchief from my inner pocket and wiped up the dripping mess below.
"I never expected them to split their forces. Some building a position while others pursue. Eila, let’s call it a draw."
"If you think about it, the larger group went to the dungeon, didn’t they? Then it’s my win."
"How about we each grant the other one wish? What do you say?"
"If that’s the deal, I’m fine with it."
Eila took the handkerchief I’d handed her, wiped herself down, and pulled her underwear and pants back up.
"The enemy is constructing a defensive position. Shall I go out and crush them?"
The woman who’d been moaning in ecstasy just moments ago was gone; in her place stood a charismatic warrior princess and commander of Ras Vegas. I couldn’t help but marvel at the transformation.
"You’ve still got my seed in your belly and you’re making that face. Anyone would think you were a general who’d been itching for battle all along."
"You’re the one who made me this way, Master. I’ve gotten used to it. But more importantly, Master: your decision."
"...Right. I need to get serious too."
Clap! I slapped both my cheeks with my palms and snapped myself into focus. The cold night air pierced my lungs, naturally clearing my head.
"Eila, what do you make of the enemy’s composition?"
"Most of them, no, all of them appear to be adventurers."
"And the main force that just charged past?"
"...They didn’t look like adventurers. Judging by their uniforms and equipment, I’d guess they’re territorial troops."
Eila and I had reached the same conclusion. It had been chaotic, but thanks to all the shouting, we’d quickly been able to tell what kind of people made up the subjugation force heading for the dungeon.
’Families of the hostages. Or relatives.’
We’d already seen plenty of people like that during the 1st and 2nd subjugation forces. It was precisely because I’d seen them that I’d made the bold decision to move the human prisoners from Ras Vegas to Ras Village for this operation.
"Hope really is a terrifying thing. It makes people immune to common sense and reason."
"You scare me sometimes, Master. You really do... You understand humans far too well."
"...I know the female human body pretty well too. Now then, Eila, let me ask your opinion. Should we leave them to build their encampment, or should we leave them alone?"
The 300 soldiers of the subjugation force who’d stopped just outside Ras Vegas were already constructing their position with practiced hands. The way they used magic to fell trees from the nearby forest for materials was no amateur work.
"Right now, we could rush out and take them while they’re exhausted from the march. What do you think?"
"...I’d recommend leaving them alone."
That was unexpected. I’d thought Eila would say to smash them immediately, but she was arguing for leaving them be.
"Why?"
"Because that way, the enemy will rally at the ’base’ they’ve built."
"Ah, so you want to gather them all in front of Ras Vegas later and deal with them at once?"
"Yes. First, because the Andras unit hasn’t returned yet. Second, because even if we launched a night raid with our current forces, we wouldn’t be able to annihilate them. And third, because later, we can play to our strengths against their fortified position."
"Our strengths?"
Eila leaned in and whispered her idea into my ear.
"...is what we do."
"Good lord. Well, in theory, it’s possible. But we don’t have enough time. For that much space... it would take at least a week."
"We don’t need to do it on that large a scale. And if time’s the issue, we just start now. Lime is away, but we’ve gained a new asset, haven’t we?"
"That’s true. I’ll let Shaitan know. Anything else you need?"
"...I’ll tell you my wish now, Master."
Eila walked up to me and knelt. She pressed her red lips gently against my tip, then looked up at me with a playful grin.
"Breathe the spirit of victory into me. Into my upper lips too."
"...Then let me make a request of my own." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
I leaned down, lifted Eila to her feet in one motion, brushed my thumb across her lips, and pulled her in by the waist.
"This will be your spirit of victory."
"...Even better."
We pledged ourselves to victory and shared a deep kiss atop the wall.
***
After leaving Ras Vegas in Eila’s hands, I returned to the dungeon through the portal and finished preparing to welcome our guests.
"Shaitan, support request from Eila."
[Yes. So you’re sending the entire Slamia unit to Ras Vegas?]
"That’s right. I need slimes to activate the dungeon’s gimmicks, but we’re not letting any guests into the dungeon."
Thud!
I hefted an enormous, razor-sharp tomahawk. Among the weapons we’d captured at Ras Vegas, it was the two-handed axe I’d been saving for an important moment.
"Once I’m done with this one, I’ll need to find weapons somewhere else."
[Didn’t you acquire quite a few before?]
"Used them all up. Maces, axes, hammers. Part of it is that I’m rough with them, but they need to actually hold up, you know?"
I really wished I had a weapon that wouldn’t break so easily. I swung the tomahawk in wide arcs as I took my position at the entrance to Ras Village.
"Shaitan, where’s the enemy right now?"
[They’re taking a brief rest. Given their rate of advance... they should arrive in about 15 minutes.]
"That’s fast. They’re relentless."
The enemy’s pace was faster than expected. The harpies flying reconnaissance overhead had to report back to base so frequently that the humans’ speed of advance was beyond imagination.
"I’d love to kill them all, pile up the corpses, and keep using them to strengthen ghouls for ages. 1,200 people; tch. How many magic stones is that?"
[There should be some female adventurers mixed in, too.]
"If they accept mating with monsters, it’s off to the ranch. If not, it’s the ghoul treatment. Any issues on the other fronts?"
While I waited for our guests, I wondered how things were going elsewhere. Fortunately, all information flowed to Shaitan at the dungeon’s center and was relayed to me immediately.
[The Slamia unit has been dispatched to the Ras Vegas front and has begun operations. A pursuit force latched onto the Andras unit, but fortunately they’re slower than the Andras and should be shaken off easily. Allocen’s front: standoff maintained. All other fronts: no issues.]
"So no major problems. Good. Then let’s get ready to greet our guests. Everyone, battle stations!"
At my command, orcs clad in heavy black leather armor raised their weapons. The weapons in one hand were all different, but the massive wooden shields raised in the other were all identical.
Wooden pavises.
The enormous shields, tall enough to cover half an orc’s body, had been made by stripping every tree from the forest near Ras Village. In practice, each one was basically a man-height wooden barricade.
"Shields up, everyone."
The shields were far too heavy for any human to lift, but the orcs hoisted them effortlessly to cover themselves. In the distance, I watched a massive wave of people crashing through the brush, and I gulped.
’Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we’ve had intruders in my dungeon.’
Ras Vegas had been drawing all the aggro, and once Basement 1 opened with its portal, Ras Village had never once come under attack. Since the old raid by the slash-and-burn hunters from Lily’s village, this was the first time a large-scale human force had paid our dungeon a visit.
Neiiigh!
In the distance, a woman bearing a lance came galloping on horseback. Behind her, a flood of bloodshot-eyed humans charged after her. I bellowed at them with all my might.
"Hahaha! Too late! The humans went into the dungeon ages ago!"
"""AAAAGH!!!"""
The humans screamed and rushed at us. No brakes. The enemy knight commander herself was already charging at me, lance leveled.
Enemy forces: 600.
Orcs standing with shields outside Ras Village: 80.
Therefore, the immediate combat ratio at Ras Village was... 6 to 1.
The enemy outnumbered us six times over.
"This is the power of the newly reorganized Ras Legion. Now then, let’s give them a warm welcome. Cookie!"
At my shout, something launched from the countless holes flanking the dungeon entrance.
Thwip-thwip-thwip!
The humans who’d been charging recklessly suddenly had holes punched through their chests. Exactly 20 humans crumpled, and the sudden deaths brought the subjugation force’s advance to a halt.
"Heh heh, come on in."
Eighty orc shieldbearers from Ras Vegas, and behind them, 20 "Cookie Elves" using the dungeon as a bunker to fire arrows from cover.
Therefore, the total forces currently defending the entrance to Ras Village: 100.
’First time seeing an orc-and-elf combined unit, isn’t it?’ free𝑤ebnovel.com
I barely swallowed the rest of that thought; no need to give them free intel. Instead, I flashed a wicked grin at the head of the hesitating subjugation force and drew a finger across my throat.
"Arrows from the darkness... dodge them if you can. Not that you’ll see them coming; the shooters’ skin is too dark for that. Heh heh."
Thwip-thwip-thwip.
The Cookie Elves who’d come up from Basement 1 gleefully showered the subjugation force with arrows from the very holes where the orcs had once bred them.
