Soot-Smeared Knight
Vol. 1 - Ch. 20 - Engagement

"Rolf! Are you okay?"

<"Yes, I'm fine, Miss Emily.">

"You don't look so good."

Commander Tisserius has a point. A man covered in blood and with broken bones is not okay. But we have more important things to talk about.

<"No problem. But, Commander Tisserius, please move down the left flank.">

"What?"

"Hey! Don't show up here out of the blue and interrupt my troops!" The one who shouted angrily was Eric Lindel, commander of the First Order's owl-and-crane unit.

Had he come to the other side of the river, too?

<"Before coming here, I checked the terrain from the high ground at the back. The only route of retreat for the enemy is to go up to the high ground from the left flank and exit the garrison from the rear.">

"If that is the case, then the left flank can't be lowered any further!"

<"No, if we block the enemy's retreat and leave them trapped, our losses will increase. We should make them retreat.">

"I understand. Boris! Move the left flank back! Second squad to the center and the rest to the rear to regroup!"

<"Huh!">

A man called Boris, who appeared to be a temporary adjutant, sent a message to the left flank.

This surprised me. Commander Tisserius accepted my advice without hesitation. Emily and Lindel's eyes flashed.

"Commander! Do not listen to this man! This man is a fool and a coward, and he has no blessings!"

"Eric. The enemy is well-trained and has the advantage of the ground. If we engage in a war of extermination, our losses will exceed the acceptable range. We will win by driving the enemy into retreat. This is our decision."

"...! I understand." After convincing Lindel, Commander Tisserius raised her sword and gave the order.

"All units in the center will push the enemy in! Go!"

"Oh, oh, oh!"

As she brings her troops forward, Commander Tisserius turns to Emily.

"The troops on the left flank will also turn to the center, so we have enough troops on the front line. I will retreat to the vicinity of the garrison entrance. Captain Melness, I want you to come with your followers."

"Okay. Rolf, let's retreat. Shall we go to the recovery team?"

<"Yes, Miss Emily.">

The recovery magic can seal wounds, stop bleeding, and restore some strength, but it cannot heal serious wounds such as broken bones unless you are a good surgeon. To be honest, I feel like it's nothing more than a hot stone for me right now, but I'm going to go along with it.

"Boris, take command here. Wear down the enemy and drive them back to the left flank retreat."

"Huh!"

"And Rolf Backman. When the battle is over, I'll have some questions for you."

<"I understand.">

Commander Tisserius begins to retreat with her troops.

I and Emily followed suit.

◆ ◆

I asked Emily on the way back.

<"Emily, why are you on this side?">

"You started running so fast, I had to follow you."

<"What?">

At that time. I was running toward the bridge when I noticed the rising water in the El Verde River, and Emily seemed to be following me.

"I am Rolf's superior officer!" Emily proudly puffed out her chest saying so.

'"If Emily hadn't come to the other side of the river, I might not have been able to protect the crossing party. And that beautiful magic sword. I'm so lucky to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with you on the battlefield."

"...Thank you, Mr. Eric."

The heat in the eyes of Erik Lindel as he gazes at Emily. Emily's reply was simple.

Together, Commander Tisserius, Emily, and Lindel held off the enemy who were attacking the crossing party and protected the party.

Normally, this would not have been possible with just three people, but with Commander Tisserius, the most powerful knight in the kingdom, and Emily, who had the greatest firepower in the Fifth Order, they were able to protect the crossing force for a short time until the river's flow was slowed by the release of the tributaries.

The chaos on the battlefield after the explosion, such as the disturbance in the enemy's chain of command, must have also worked well.

Thanks to this, Felicia and the others were safe.

As a result, the crossing force was able to cross the river despite incurring damage. They then took advantage of their massed forces to push the enemy and attacked the garrison.

While talking about this, we retreated to the entrance of the garrison. We then joined up with the troops in the rear of the garrison.

"I am Captain Melness of the 5th Owl and Crane Unit. I need you to treat my subordinate Buckman."

"This is ... a serious injury. Please come this way at once."

At the same time the knight of the recovery team said that , A flaming magic spear flew in from the side.

The destination of the "burning spear" heat lance was Commander Tisserius. The mages under the commander's command quickly put up a barrier. With a thud, the flaming spear exploded into the wall.

"Enemy attack!" Lindel shouted and drew his sword. The demons were at the point of his sword.

"I can't believe I did what I did and didn't notice the ambush." Commander Tiselius bit her teeth.

"Commander, it can't be helped. We are in the enemy garrison. As the commander said earlier, the advantage is completely on their side."

"That's no reason." Lindel's consolations were dismissed.

The reason for this is that the enemy has about sixty men. While on the other hand, we the kingdom knights were only thirty.

It was a bad situation.

However, the ambush soldiers were supposed to have planned to bring in a pincer attack with the front line at the time when the Royal Army had attacked deep into the camp. It was probably the same for the other side that things didn't go as planned.

Indeed, it seems that things don't always go according to plan on the battlefield. I have been reminded of this many times today.

"Recovery team, move back. I'll take the front..."

"!"

I felt a tremendous presence. It was something different from a murderous intent. A violent, instinctive, bare aggressive urge was coming toward me. If I had to find the right word, it would be "Beast."

With my unbroken right hand, I pulled out my sword and slashed at the demon in front of me. A few tenths of a second after detecting the Beast. A demon appeared at the tip of the blade I pulled out.

"What!?"

The Beast-like Lord, who stepped in front of me in the blink of an eye, shouts in astonishment at the sword that strikes its neck.

But the sword without blessing does not reach the body of the demon tribe. A few centimeters before the neck, the blade stopped dead in its tracks.

After a few seconds, Commander Tisserius grasps the situation.

<"Come on!">

"Tsk!"

Commander Tisserius' sword flashed. The beast-like Lord avoided the sword in the nick of time. It instantly jumped backwards and returned to the ranks of the demon tribe.

"What was that all about?"

The demon was a woman. She was staring at me with a questioning voice. She looked even younger than my seventeen-year-old self.

It looked like a child.

The daggers in her hands were out of place. But the speed of the attack was unbelievable.

"Rolf! Are you okay?" Emily rushes to me.

"Rolf! Was that a physical enhancement by magic?"

"That's right. Don't let appearances deceive you. She is a dangerous opponent." Saying this, Commander Tisserius put flames on her sword.

The flames swirl around the sword with a roaring sound.

"Blaze Thrust!"

As Commander Tisserius thrusts her sword forward, the fire gushes out in a straight line, piercing the enemy's ranks.

"Gwah!"

"Spread out and strike Tisserius! If you stay together, that thing will get you! "The demons were also moving fast. They immediately attacked Commander Tisserius from both sides.

"I won't let you!" Lindel and the other knights under the commander's command fight back.

The two armies cut each other down, and the sound of sword fights echoed through the air.

"Damn it!" But the outnumbered knights are quickly pushed back.

"Mr. Eric! Get back!"

Lindel drops back, whereupon Emily steps in and cleaves her sword to the side.

"Fearswold, the lightning sword!"

The thunderbolt spread out like a fan and struck the demons.

"Aaaaah!"

Several enemies were sunk at once. Meanwhile, the enemy mages try to release their magic. But Commander Tisserius' sword prevented them from doing so.

"Aah!"

"Guaa!"

She instantly judged that Emily and Lindel could handle the attack of the enemy vanguard, and she herself had already cut deep into the enemy ranks. And with a sword judgment that can only be said to be flowing, the enemies are slashed one after another.

"Surround them! Surround them all at the same time!" The enemy shouted in a voice filled with impatience. The demons surrounded Commander Tisserius and slashed at her at once.

Commander Tisserius did not show the slightest sign of agitation, and with a calm, even serene movement, she swung her sword in a circle around the group.

"The 'Fire Fengrui Circle' Leviaclimate!"

Instantly, a pillar of fire shot up around Commander Tisserius, burying her enemies in flames.

"Gwahhhh!"

She alone has defeated nearly thirty of them. She has tremendous strength. In the battle of Dezel Bridge, she had saved her strength so as not to destroy the bridge.

Esther Tisserius, the strongest knight in the kingdom.

Her beautiful and destructive sword was truly of another dimension. No wonder she was able to defend the crossing force with a small number of men, including Emily.

The expression on Commander Tisserius' face instantly turned grim.

At the same time, I sensed it.

I swung my sword again. The sword again stopped a few centimeters short of the neck of the demoness who had leapt at me.

"Ku !!"

The demoness immediately back steps to distance herself from me.

''...How can you react?"

<"Somehow.">

"...Yeah. Also, why are you stopping the sword?"

<"I don't know what you mean!">

The woman leaped at me and attacked further. She skillfully maneuvered both daggers and slashed at me without pause.

She is still very fast. But I could see. And she can lose. But...

<"Aghh!">

I have no defense at all against the dagger that has been passed through magic power. Even if I ducked the blade, the magic power wrapped around the blade would catch me. I was slashed across the chest.

"Rolf!" Emily shouted.

It didn't reach the bone, but blood spurted out loudly. How much blood was still left? My vision was becoming blurry. It's getting worse.

"What? This is..."

On the other hand, the demon woman is skeptical. She has never met a human being without any magical power.

At that time.

────The sound of gongs rang out three times from the back of the garrison.

"...!"

The demon woman's face twitched.

<"This is the signal to retreat, right?">

"Yes, it is."

<"Then I think you'd better go.">

"Will I see you again?"

<"I don't know.">

"・・・・・・"

The next moment, the demoness vanished before my eyes. At the same time, I fell to my knees. I was at my limit. I can't move another step.

The other demons were also retreating. Looking towards the back of the garrison, I could see the demon army retreating to higher ground.

It seems to be over.

"Rolf! Blood...! Over here, recovery team! Please!" Emily rushes toward us, shouting.

Commander Tisserius, who was a short distance away, looked back. Then, fire arrows flew toward her. It was probably fired by the retreating enemy. It was literally aiming for a blow, but it did not hit Commander Tisserius, but hit the tent behind her.

The arrow, enchanted with magic power, pierced the tent and was shot inside.

The knights breathe a sigh of relief. They thought that the enemy's last arrow had missed its target. But it didn't.

The enemy knows that a single fire arrow cannot harm Commander Tisserius. The fire arrows were aimed at that tent from the beginning.

Through the gaps in the tent, I could see the crates, which I no longer wanted to see. Not just one or two. They were piled high.

<"Tisserius!!">

I ran toward her, shouting. She must have sensed an unusual presence in my swordsmanship. She opened her eyes and looked at the tent behind me.

Then she understood the situation and started running toward me as fast as she could. Even with the magical barrier of the silver armor, the blast and heat wave could not be blocked. If that amount of gunpowder exploded at close range, there would be no way to stop it.

Commander Tisserius runs toward us. I ran up to her.

In the tent, I saw the fire spreading to the wooden box. Realizing that the explosion would happen in the next moment, I grabbed Commander Tisserius from behind as we passed each other and pushed her down to the ground.

At the same time, I had an out-of-place thought, "She is pretty small." A thunderous roar echoed throughout the garrison.

I felt a shock as if I had been trampled on the back by a giant, and my consciousness was cut off there.

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