第３４７堀：兵士の意地 (Part1)
**Chapter 347: A Soldier’s Pride**
**Side: Kaya**
*Boom, boom, BOOM!!*
The sound echoed intermittently through the area. Looking at the shopkeepers and customers, I saw they were just as surprised as I was, staring toward the outside of the shop.
“...It seems this isn’t part of the White Forest festivities.”
Honestly, I wish they wouldn’t cause trouble while we’re off-duty. Is this harassment?
“It certainly seems so. *Sigh*...”
“Ugh, why do they have to get in our way?”
“Seriously. It’s so annoying.”
It seems Ratz, Riel, and Tori are feeling just as irritated as I am. And rightfully so. It’s rare for the four of us to have some downtime like this.
“Well, there’s no point in getting worked up. We don’t even know for sure if they’re here to disturb us yet...” Comet started to say, but then—
*“Emergency. A reaction suspected to be a Magic Sword has been detected at White Forest. Location: South Gate. Ratz, Tori, Riel, and Kaya, proceed to the scene immediately and assess the situation. If there is a risk of civilian casualties, you are authorized to use force. Also, be aware this may be a diversion. Comet, Claudia, and Kaya—no, wait, Comet, Claudia, and Karya, return to the castle immediately. Check for suspicious individuals on your way back. Yuki and the others are beginning to move to the Holy Sword storage location.”*
It seems they really were here to get in our way.
“*Sigh*, they were easier to hook than I thought,” Comet muttered, rubbing her temples.
“Comet, what do you mean by ‘hooked’?”
“Hm? Did you not hear, Kaya? We issued a proclamation at the castle this morning during our meeting about opening the Sanctuary. The King and the Chancellor say it’s the first time in about ten years. Yuki said that if anyone was planning something malicious, they would likely try to make a move during this period. I didn’t expect them to come on the very first day, though.”
...It’s not so much that Yuki is amazing; it’s that the opponents are idiots. I wish they’d think before they act. It’s keeping us from resting.
“Anyway, enough talk. As Eris reported, the commotion at the gate might be a decoy. Claudia and Karya, you two know the geography here best, so let’s head back. My apologies, but Kaya and the others, I’ll leave those idiots at the gate to you.”
“Understood.”
“Got it. Kaya, don’t mess this up.”
“...They ruined my day off. I won’t mess up. I’m going to beat them to a pulp.”
Yeah, yeah. Everyone else seems to feel the same. People who ruin others' days off are just plain trash.
“I don’t think you’ll be caught off guard, but please be careful. A large number of Magic Swords that were supposed to be sent to White Forest by Hifii have gone missing. However, there’s no reaction within the dungeon-ified area. It wouldn’t be strange for a group carrying Magic Swords to be outside.”
“We know. Leave it to us.”
“Then, I’m counting on you. Also, prioritize your own safety above all else. If anything happens to you, Yuki won’t care about the consequences.”
With that, Comet walked off toward the castle with the other two.
“Huh? They aren’t in that much of a hurry.”
“That’s because they’re checking for suspicious people on the way, too.”
“Ah, I see.”
“But let’s hurry. The commotion at the gate is fairly significant.”
“Yeah. Alright, let’s switch gears and do this!”
“““Yeah!”””
With that, we jumped immediately onto the rooftops. The streets were crowded from the earlier disturbance, making it a hassle to move through. As we ran across the roofs toward the South Gate...
“Hahaha!! To think that demi-humans would try to build a nation—how laughable!”
It seems the one holding the Magic Sword is a man. I’m certain this is the work of Hifii or the Kingdom of Ex. There are three humans... we can handle this by ourselves. Or rather, I can handle this by myself.
“So... are we going to help?”
“No. Let’s observe for a moment. The guards seem to be doing their best. Based on the attitude and posture I saw yesterday, I don’t think they’d lose to that level of opponent.”
“I agree. Besides, one of us is enough to take them on, so shouldn’t we check if there are any other enemies outside our detection range?”
“That’s true. But we can’t leave just one person here in case of an emergency. Maybe two stay, and two search outside the gate?”
“...Then I’ll stay.”
“Oh, I’ll stay too. It’s cold, after all...”
“Aw, Tori, that’s cheating!”
“Well, it’s a good balance. I’m a bit worried about the Riel and Kaya combo.”
“...That’s insulting.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
“Fine, fine. Riel, show us you can do your job properly.”
“Got it. I’ll capture the enemy by myself. Tori, Kaya, I’ll leave this to you.”
“Yeah. Be careful, both of you.”
“Be careful. Don’t freeze to death.”
“Nufufu. That’s the perfect excuse to have a man warm me up.”
Ratz and Riel jumped outside the gate and vanished.
“S-such a way to use the cold... But, my ears...”
“...They won’t fall off. Besides, you can just cling to Yuki as much as you want. We’re his wives, after all.”
Yuki spoils us as long as we don’t try to force him. Actually, if we try to force him, he runs out of stamina and energy, so that’s a no-go. We both go all-out, after all. But putting that aside, Tori’s trauma about her ears falling off seems pretty deep. I wonder what kind of snowy mountain she went to where her ears were on the verge of falling off?
While I was thinking about that, the battle at the gate progressed.
“You lot are only fit to be slaves. If you don’t resist, I’ll let you live. But if slaves dare to stand against their betters...”
“Take this!!”
One of the men with a Magic Sword swung it, and something like a fireball shot out, hitting a guard directly.
“Gah!?”
“““C-Captain!!”””
Hm? Were those the people who helped us yesterday? The soldiers who rushed to reinforce them were all rolling on the ground. Are they losing? Hmm, should I help? I looked at Tori, but...
“No. They still have the will to fight; they don’t think they’ve lost yet. It’s too early for us to step in.”
“If you say so, Tori, I’ll watch.”
Timing like this is extremely difficult. I’m technically part of the Weed Police, but if I interfere unnecessarily, I’ll be crushing my subordinates' efforts. Besides, even though they’re friendly, this is technically another country. If we guests finish the job, we’ll be making them lose face. So, it’s best to leave this judgment to Tori, the head of the police. She might have a low profile among us, but she’s serious, and her subordinates think very highly of her. Oh, but at night, she likes the "doggy" play with Yuki. I’m a little jealous of her custom collar.
The Captain who had been blown away stood up, using his spear as a cane, his legs shaking. Yeah, he’s got guts.
“You still intend to stand?”
“That’s... right...”
“Hmph. There’s no point in fighting someone as weak as you. Here, go bring reinforcements from the castle. I’ll wait that long.”
“Even the King of this pathetic country will do. I’ll cut him down, and the moment I do, this country will be ours.”
...What a blatant... He’s clearly trying to lure people away from the castle. The talk of a diversion is becoming more credible.
“...As long as I am here—as long as we are here—you will never get near His Majesty or the citizens.”
When the Captain said that, his subordinates raised their shields and spears. Even the soldiers who had been lying on the ground were slowly getting up.
“Hmph. Just gate guards. If you’re going to chirp, at least have the status of the Royal Guard.”
“Can’t be helped. We should finish them off here and then go provoke the castle.”
“Haha! Then I’ll do it! I’ve been so stressed because I was told to keep you demi-humans alive! Hya-ha!!”
One man, who clearly looked insane, jumped out and approached the Captain, firing off magic from his sword repeatedly. *Boom, boom, boom...*
“Guhhh...!!”
The Captain didn’t move, desperately taking the magic with his shield.
“Come on!! If you just stand there, you’ll be skewered!”
With those words, the Magic Sword was thrust toward the Captain...
“What!?”
Faster than that, the Captain thrust his spear, piercing the enemy’s torso. Had he been waiting for him to get close? That’s not something you can do easily. You have to endure for a long time.
“Ooooooh!!”
“Wait...”
Then, letting out a war cry, he raised his shield and brought it down on the idiot whose movement was stopped by the spear.
*Clang!!*
It wasn’t so much a shield bash as a shield hammer. *Clang, clang, BOOM!!*
It sounded like a solid hit. The Captain must have felt it too; when he slowly moved his shield aside, the man was still there, with the spear stuck deep in his abdomen.