Chapter 84: The Results Report (2)
“Big brother! It’s Big Brother!”
“Big sister Rinne is here too!”
“That uncle came too.”
“Bumoo~!”
“Hihin!”
As we approached the wagon we were using, children like Leo and Kelf came jumping out of the back of the wagon. Shuu and Apao were also whining excitedly. It brought me a sense of joy to know that there were people who would be relieved and happy that I had managed to survive.
While I wanted to join in their playfulness, it was more crucial to find a peaceful spot for Mika, who was still in the process of recovering. I shook my head, and Rinne told them that it was impossible to play for now.
Carefully laying Mika on the floor of the covered wagon, I entrusted him to Rinne’s care and stepped outside. The children were engrossed in their playtime with Shuu and Apao. Feeling relieved, I joined the circle of children.
“Big brother, welcome back!”
“Sniff sniff… Huh? I smell something delicious. What could it be?”
The children approached me, and Leo sniffed the scent surrounding me, tilting his head in confusion. Something delicious…? Oh, could it be this?
I retrieved the remaining dried fish that Mika had previously prepared. The children’s eyes gleamed as they fixed their gaze on the fish, particularly Leo, who had a strong carnivorous instinct.
When I moved the fish to the right, the children’s eyes followed suit. When I shifted it to the left, their gaze shifted as well. If they desired it so much, I thought, why not give them some since I had extra? I tossed a fish towards Leo.
“Big brother, are you giving it to us?”
“That’s awesome!”
“I want some too!”
I distributed one fish each to the children gathered around me. However, I only had three fish, so once I gave one each to Leo, Kelf, and Lappy, I ran out.
To make it fair, I climbed into the wagon, where the other two, who might have more fish, were located. Inside, Mika was sleeping peacefully, while Rinne diligently wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Rinne, perplexed by my arrival, seemed to grasp the situation after I took out the fish from Mika’s pocket, relying on the smell. She also retrieved a fish she had kept close to her chest and gave it to me. I accepted it, nodded once to express my gratitude, and then descended from the wagon.
I distributed fish to all the children, and the remaining pieces were torn into smaller portions with my fingers and shared among them. I had already eaten once, and currently, I didn’t feel hungry. It was more important for the little ones to have their fill.
“Burp, that was delicious.”
“I’ve never eaten fish before! Thanks, big brother!”
The children, after eagerly devouring the fish, resumed playing. While most of them engaged with Shuu and Apao, Lappy alone chose to sit on my knee, as if claiming a prime spot.
My knee was encased in a hard exoskeleton and was likely uncomfortable, so why did Lappy willingly choose to sit there? I had no idea of the reason, but if it made her happy, then so be it. I didn’t shoo her away and allowed her to sit as she pleased.
From that moment until the following morning, everything proceeded smoothly without any noteworthy incidents. The children sought rest inside the wagon, but it felt quite cramped with Mika lying down. The older ones, including Leo, attempted to sleep outdoors inside a tent, but I worried it might make them sick. So, despite the tight space, I insisted they go into the wagon.
Outside the wagon, I engaged in my usual control exercises, discreetly swinging my sword in an isolated spot. Compared to my proficiency in manipulating fighting spirit and spiritual power, my swordsmanship was still lacking. Since I was fortunate enough to be out of the cage, I should strive to become harder to kill by honing my skills.
(Remember, the movements of those formidable opponents… the Holy Knight and the White Armored Soldier. Recall the teachings of my master, Alexandre, and his mighty sword. When I master them, I will become stronger! If I grow stronger, the likelihood of dying will decrease! I will not die until I fulfill my mission, no matter what! I refuse to die!)
Encouraging myself, I continued swinging the two swords. The light and sharp white sword moved swiftly and precisely, while the heavy and sturdy black sword emphasized strength and power. Amidst the darkness of the night, only the sharp echoes of my two swords reverberated.
It seemed that my body had a tendency to sweat less, but as I continued to move my body while controlling my fighting spirit and spiritual power, perspiration gradually formed. Drops of sweat scattered with each of my movements, moistening the ground at our campsite.
As the night gave way to morning, Leo and the other children who had been sleeping began to wake up one by one. I sheathed my two swords and shook my body, flicking off the sweat that had accumulated.
“Yaaawn~~Good morning, Big brother,”
Leo said, being the first to descend from the wagon. He rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn. I didn’t want to make any noise, so I nodded emphatically in response.
Soon after, Mika also joined the children and stepped down from the wagon. It seemed that his injuries had improved significantly, as he was able to walk steadily without any signs of dizziness.
“I apologize for causing you all that trouble,” Mika said.
“…”
I shook my head as a sign that there was no need to worry about it. On the other side, after seeing Mika in good spirits, Shuu and Apao happily rubbed against him. The two of them had grown fond of Mika. Yesterday, they had no chance to show it, but as soon as they noticed that he was feeling better, they went to him for some affection.
Mika played with the two of them for a brief moment before standing up and turning his face in the direction of the Imperial Army’s camp. Curious, I focused my senses, and soon I could hear the sound of approaching horse hooves coming from a distance. It seemed that when it came to hearing, I couldn’t surpass Mika.
The other children also noticed the approaching presence and hurried back to the wagon. In exchange, the three adults here, including myself, calmed Shuu and Apao before lining up in front of the wagon.
“All three of you are awake.”
Marcellus said as he approached on horseback. We were expecting him, so we weren’t surprised. However, I couldn’t help but notice that Marcellus looked tired or worn out in some way. On closer inspection, his eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark circles under them.
I wonder if Marcellus hadn’t been able to sleep. Curiously, as I pondered the reason behind his sleeplessness, he gracefully dismounted from his horse. The slight stumble he had was probably due to his lack of rest.
“First of all, I want to commend you all for the successful infiltration mission that ended yesterday. Thanks to your efforts, we obtained valuable information, and we even managed to secure the enemy’s weapon—a state-of-the-art fire breathing war chariot—with minimal damage. It can be said that we achieved the best possible outcome. It is an honor for me to have been able to undertake this mission alongside all of you,” Marcellus said.
“Likewise,”
“Un.”
“….”
Mika courteously bowed, Rinne replied briefly, and I nodded in silence. Hearing each person’s distinct reaction, Marcellus chuckled, as if a weight had been lifted from him.
However, the conversation didn’t proceed to discuss the hardships of the mission. Marcellus tightened his expression, cleared his throat once, and announced that the next counterattack plan had been decided.
“Based on the information we’ve brought back, we’ve begun formulating plans for the next major counterattack operation… the plan to reclaim the Carnela Port, where we infiltrated. It’s still in the early stages of development, and nothing has been finalized yet. After I made the report yesterday, for some reason, I was immediately made to participate in the operational meeting… I haven’t slept since then,” Marcellus explained.
Ah, so that was the reason. It was unfortunate that despite returning exhausted, he wasn’t allowed to rest… Luck wasn’t on his side.
Nevertheless, I also understood the significance of reclaiming the Carnela Port. However, understanding its importance and determining its feasibility were two separate issues. Having personally seen the Carnela Port and its surroundings, I could confidently assert that it was impossible with the forces at our disposal here.
The Carnela Port was fortified with triple-layered walls, with formidable cylindrical weapons positioned on the upper levels. In a scenario where they could rain down fire upon us, entering the port would be an insurmountable task unless we managed to breach the gates three times. The sheer difficulty of capturing the city was clear.
The problem didn’t end there. On those metallic boats floating in the sea, there were also cylindrical weapons mounted. It was not hard to imagine that during the attack on the city gates, flaming projectiles or something similar would be launched from the ships. In fact, there was even the possibility of being bombarded while advancing. It was simply inconceivable that we could emerge victorious.
“I understand, I understand. All three of you think it’s impossible with only our current forces, right? However, His Excellency the Chief of Staff believes that with a well-devised plan, the capture is possible… and, above all, His Majesty the Emperor wishes to eradicate the invading forces as soon as possible. Once a glimmer of hope appears, it is our duty as soldiers of the Empire to fight,” Marcellus said.
After saying all of that, Marcellus let out a big sigh. Our freedom was restricted in many ways, but even for individuals like Marcellus who were not enslaved, it was difficult to truly claim freedom.
Still, regardless of what we thought, we had no choice but to fight. Once again, I would have to risk my life… Ah, I don’t want to die.
“From now on, we will rendezvous with Decius and carry out monitoring missions in the planted forest until the plan for capturing the Carnela Port is finalized. It may be an easier task compared to the infiltration one, but never let your guard down. Well then, get ready to leave. …… Oh, right.”
We were about to go pick up our weapons, thinking that the conversation was over, but Marcellus seemed to have remembered something. As we were about to move, we turned our attention back to Marcellus. The words that came out of his mouth had enough impact to surprise us.
“It seems a new demon unit has been formed in the Imperial Capital. They would be your juniors, so to speak. They will be deployed to other fronts first, but they will likely join us before the Carnela Port siege. Are you looking forward to it?” Marcellus said.
A new demon unit. Without a doubt, they were the demons created by Karelvo. Rinne, who was unaware of the situation, didn’t seem to have any particular thoughts, but Mika tightened his fist without changing his expression. Deep down, he must be feeling anything but calm.
More demons, which means more unfortunate beings that have been synthesized. It was undoubtedly a sad reality. However, at the same time, I had a nagging question. It related to the performance of Karelvo’s demons.
Karelvo, who paled in comparison to Orvo, created demons using technology stolen from Orvo. It was hard to believe that they could match us. I could only hope they wouldn’t become a liability, so I was concerned.
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