第４８１堀：おとぎ話なんて信じてはいない (Part1)
**Chapter 481: I Don't Believe in Fairy Tales**
**Side: Kagura Kamishiro**
I hate my name.
I hate my family name, too.
Because it’s different from everyone else’s.
It’s a name that feels incredibly alien.
And, as if to highlight that strangeness, my hair is pitch black, unlike anyone else’s.
A black that refuses to be dyed by anything else.
My father and mother were overjoyed, saying I had inherited the blood of the First Ancestor, but to me, it is nothing but a curse.
Because of this jet-black hair, it was obvious to everyone that I was a Duke’s daughter. There was no one I could speak to honestly, and it made me the perfect target for kidnapping.
That’s why I spent my childhood playing inside the mansion until I grew up.
My only playmate was my older sister, but once she started attending school, I was left all alone again.
Well, let’s set aside the gloomy details of my childhood for now.
Right now, thanks to this black hair…
"You must hold out! The Royal Capital Defense Force will be here soon!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
I’m able to use it to inspire my allies like this.
"Kamishiro-sama! The enemy is approaching the West Gate!"
"Magic Student Corps, 4th Unit! Rush to the West Gate! Prioritize the siege weapons!"
"Understood!"
No, it’s not just that.
I never thought the military strategies inherited from the First Ancestor, which I once thought were completely useless, would come in handy in a place like this.
I had only ever thought of them as incomprehensible studies.
"..."
But my heart remains heavy.
I am useful.
But that is all.
It is not enough to overturn the current situation.
I cannot scatter the army of 100,000 spread out before me.
It is precisely because I have studied that I understand this despair better than anyone else.
It is a despair born from accurately grasping the strength of both friend and foe.
Our side: 5,000.
The enemy side: 100,000.
This is a losing battle.
We are in a state where we must retreat at all costs.
If we can’t, it would be better to surrender quickly and ensure our safety, but…
"Everyone! Please, hang in there! Princess Carrie of this Haiden Kingdom is watching your efforts! For the sake of the country, please lend me your strength for just a little longer!"
"Ooooooh!"
The worst part is that the Princess of our country is here.
This trading city of Bide has a lake to the south, and roads extending to the north, west, and east, but all of them have been completely blockaded by the deployed enemy forces.
There are no fast ships, and since there is a possibility of being caught, it is extremely difficult to get the Princess to safety.
If we surrender here, the charge of treason will extend to our families back home.
"Honestly, if it weren't for our actual ability, we would have already collapsed..."
"Kagura? Is something the matter?"
"No, I didn't say anything."
"Is that so? I suppose you're right. We are in the middle of all this shouting, after all."
Just as I managed to brush it off, a messenger came running toward us.
"Princess. The wounded have been gathered!"
"Yes, thank you for your hard work. Here I go! *Cure All*!"
As you can see, our Haiden Kingdom is a nation skilled in magic, and the Princess is an expert in healing magic.
Unless they are critically wounded, this *Cure All* can return them to the front lines.
This is the reason for the misunderstanding that makes people think we can hold out against 100,000 with only 5,000—or rather, that we can keep managing.
Yes, it is true that with the magic students, including myself, our concentrated firepower is superior, and the gates have not been breached.
But that is all.
Eventually, our magical power will run out.
As for the reinforcements, while they keep saying "just a little longer," it’s doubtful whether they will arrive at all, or even if the news of our distress has reached the Royal Capital.
Even though we sent a messenger before the encirclement was laid, if the distance were short enough for the Defense Force to arrive from the capital in just five days, they wouldn't have targeted this place to begin with.
When they say "a little longer," they really mean we need to hold out for another month.
That is impossible.
But the reality that we *are* holding out makes that judgment seem correct.
If I were the leader, I would have abandoned this place immediately, but unfortunately, the Princess is the leader, and I am number two.
As for why a student like me is number two, the officers of the regular garrison, who acted rashly, were killed in action on the first day.
As a result, the position of commander fell to the Princess and me.
Or rather, the fact that the students are holding the line so desperately means the battle is as good as decided.
If we were able to counterattack, that would be one thing, but we can only defend.
It is certainly impressive that we are holding out despite the difference in strength, but it is meaningless if it doesn't lead to victory.
And so, having lost the means to escape before being surrounded, I am desperately using the teachings of the First Ancestor, my father, and my mother to support the front lines.
We are at our wit's end.
The moment the magic of our student corps runs out will be the end.
"North Gate! The enemy main force is advancing!"
"Kagura!"
"I understand!"
Honestly, they advance once every single day.
No matter how you look at it, it’s a march meant to exhaust me, but I can’t afford not to go out.
Honestly, it’s suspicious, but… I am a Kamishiro, a descendant of the ancient hero who created this Haiden Kingdom.
If anything, I sigh thinking that the fact that I, a descendant of a hero, and the Princess are both here is the reason we are struggling so pointlessly.
For now… I knead my magical power, chant, and release it toward the enemy.
"Call Lightning! Scattered Thunder!"
And then, a rain of lightning pours down on the enemies before me.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
The enemy doesn't even stand their ground; they withdraw immediately.
"We did it! Did you see the power of Kamishiro-sama? Take that, you foolish Empire!"
"Serves you right!"
Yes, this is the enemy's goal.
They make it look like we are winning, making us think we can still keep going.
Even if I alone suggest retreating, no one around me will listen.
*Sigh*, my magical power is finite, so this can't last long, and the enemy's offensive isn't even serious.
If they attacked all at once, we would crumble.
But somehow, it seems we survived another day.
As the sun sets, both sides withdraw to their main camps, leaving only scouts behind.
I never thought I would look forward to the night this much.
"Kagura. Thank you for your hard work today. Thanks to you, we have survived another day."
The Princess says this to comfort me, but it doesn't improve the situation.
"No. If it is the Princess's command… though I would like to say that, we won't last much longer. We should attempt a breakthrough at a single point and try to escape while we still have the strength."
I make this proposal for the umpteenth time, but…
"I cannot do that! Kagura, would you have me abandon the people of Bide!?"
As I thought, it’s no use.
This Princess is only kind, and she cannot make ruthless choices.
I thought it was admirable when I was little, but on the front lines, it’s nothing but a hindrance.
At this rate, the people of Bide, plus us, will become the enemy's spoils of war…
"Princess. I have said it many times, but what is most important here is your own person. It is not something that can be compared to the people of Bide."
"There is no high or low in human life. To live with the people. That is the way of life for our Haiden Kingdom! Do not let me hear you say you have forgotten that!"
…The possibility that the Princess’s presence is the very thing they are targeting is high, though.
I can’t say that even if my life depended on it.
If I did, the Princess might say she would trade her own life for theirs.
Damn it, what kind of education does the Royal Palace provide?
Surely they don't actually believe the fairy tales where the First Ancestors' deeds are exaggerated, do they?
Friendship, courage, and kindness won't save the world!
If you look at the First Ancestor's military strategy, they just used efficient methods based on reality!
You should know that fairy tales are just beautified!
I want to scream that, but if I do, I could be charged with treason. What a situation…
"However, I understand Kagura's anxiety."
"Eh?"
Did the Princess finally face reality!?
If this is a breakthrough, there is a slight possibility.
The student corps can still move.
After all, we were struck while we were in Bide for training, so we should have suspected an inside job from the start.
…Well, whatever. For now, can we manage with this?
"The last person, the Spirit Maiden, is missing, but with you and me, Kagura, we should be able to do it."
"Huh?"
Wait? We aren't running away?
She then took out a pendant that had been passed down through generations of us, the descendants of heroes.
"Could it be!?"
"Yes. The time has come to recreate the legend."
"That is impossible!!"
Ah, seriously!!
The Princess’s head is truly in the clouds!
Because, because…
"Are you intending to summon a hero!?"
Yes, the beginning of the fairy tale and the legend.
The story of the ancient hero who built Haiden begins with summoning a Japanese person from another world.
There was no Haiden Kingdom, but the current Haiden Royal Family and the First Ancestor, the Spirit Maiden, who wished to save the people, joined forces to summon one from another world.