Chapter 375: The Mock War Starts. Lil Comes and Tells a Shocking Fact
After a while Ana came.
She brings Vice Captain Flora and 2 girls who seem Flora’s attendants.
"Iria. Masaharu. Being here means participating in the south army?"
"Ah. The fight with you I fully enjoyed 2 days ago. Today I decided to fight together."
"I see. ...I wanted to fight not only Iria but also Masaharu."
"I cannot get serious even fighting a girl so I think I cannot meet your expectations."
"Fumu. A good news and a bad news came about."
Ana turned and exchanged something with the vice captain by gaze.
"Yes. A redo of the strategy meeting." Flora sighed. The gesture of putting a hand on her cheek and tilting her head is sexy.
What on earth.
Iria who held the same question asks Ana.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, that is."
Ana without saying the standard line of which do you want to hear first good news or bad news turned to Iria and raised a finger.
"Good news for us the south army is Golden Knight and Silver Flash Princess became allies. In the strategy meeting earlier how to deal with the new force Golden Knight became the greatest problem."
"I see. I was not here until last year and have not gotten serious yet so you are wary."
"The bad news is because you came here a need to change the plan came out. We should redo the meeting but there is no more time. It begins—"
Paaaaaaaaaan.
A sound like a giant balloon bursting could be heard from the center of the plain.
With that as the signal knights and soldiers around started raising fighting shouts "oooooooooh!"
Ana, Iria, and Flora the 3 do not put out voices with a composed face, but Nono-chan and the girls who seem Flora’s attendants are shouting. Lulu despite being an attendant, as if wanting to say "I am also a person on Lady Ana, Vice Captain Flora, and Silver Flash Princess’s side," while making a smug face scooped her hair fasa with the back of her hand.
Since it is a chance I shouted together with the honest attendant girls.
"Oaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Do not put out a voice like an orc violated by an orc."
I was glared by Lulu-chan.
Zawazawa.
When the shouts ended the surroundings became noisy and everyone started moving.
The sound of lowering helmet visors, the sound of wrapping sword belts on waists, the sound of checking how far to draw bowstrings, the sound of knights’ iron boots hitting horse bellies, horse neighs, the sound of flag ornaments fluttering in the wind, various sounds that are the omen of battle mixed as one and filled the surroundings.
Countless spear tips reflected the faint sunlight and dropped dull complex patterns on the knights’ breastplates and arm armor.
Vice Captain Flora raised one line of flame from her fingertips into the sky. With that as the signal an attendant with a leader of 100 raised the order flag, another attendant blew a cow horn, and the unit started moving.
Several horse hooves and infantry white armor carved deep footsteps into ground muddy from melting snow.
It wears the crown of mock, but precisely this is war.
Not elation, but the heart stirs. As if watching a realistic medieval-fantasy movie.
Ah... This even without other-world fantasy is a scene that could be seen in real Middle Ages. But why do I feel such unreality.
Ana only silently watches that.
Why. Does she leave unit command to the vice captain?
"Nee, does Ana not move?"
"Ah. The north army probably does not assume my existence. Now I hide the existence."
"Ah. I see. Ordinarily thinking about now you are being treated somewhere to heal yesterday’s injury."
"When the war situation is deadlocked if I who should not be there come out I can probably deal a great blow to the enemy."
"I see. Certainly."
"We in the center rank 2 ’Yellow Thunder’ and rank 4 ’Blue Water.’ On the right wing rank 5 ’Silver Staff’ and rank 6 ’White Ice,’ on the left wing rank 8 ’Black Shadow’ and rank 9 ’Green Sun.’ Behind the center the unit of Duke Giesh that becomes the main force is the placement. While suppressing enemy units with the center main force we attempt encirclement from both wings. Just with weather this bad ’Black Shadow’ Maria probably cannot display her ability. Masaharu and Iria prepare so you can turn to support the left wing anytime."
"Got it."
Truly I want to go out quickly and grab lots of enemies and earn ransom, but if I say too much selfishness it will trouble Ana. Well it cannot be helped.
For a while shall I watch the situation here...
The moment I thought that.
"Cosmic Golden Knight!"
!
Someone spoke inside my mind. Not Lucia or Dura-san’s voice.
"Do not turn. I am Silver Staff Order Lil Cocotti who fought you yesterday. Pretend you cannot hear my voice."
"Ah. Got it."
"...! Why can you reply?"
"Even if you say why... Because I am used to mind conversation."
"I see. There is an ability user similar to me."
"Ah."
A small girl wearing a plain robe deep over her eyes came. She does not bring an attendant either.
At a glance a lost traveler.
"Red Flame Princess Ana. I have a talk."
"Ah. What is it. Blue Crystal Lil."
"I heard Cosmic Golden Knight joined the south army. I will have him let me read his thoughts whether he has other intentions. A camp change just before combat start I feel something behind."
"She says. Masaharu."
"Ah. I am not particularly a spy and do not intend to betray so peek into my heart as much as you like."
"Yes. The suspicion already cleared."
"Fast. I want to gaze at you more."
"My skill is powerful. Now then Red Flame Princess. Whether there is a plan change from Cosmic Golden Knight joining, may I talk a little?"
"Ah."
So Lil while conversing with Ana does mind conversation with me. Dexterous.
"Okay? That I can send thoughts to others I have told no one. I have published that my skill’s effective range is 5 spears and I need to gaze at the opponent’s eyes, but that is a bluff. The actual effective range is bow-and-arrow distance and I do not need to look at the opponent."
"I see. Why reveal a secret told to no one to me?"
"Because you are an other-world person. Precisely because you are not a human of this kingdom I can trust. You also believe me."
"I see. Even without worrying if it is a girl’s words even if a lie I will believe."
"I also said yesterday I am 25. Not an age of a girl."
"Are you not a girl..."
"Do not dodge the talk. What I could not say last night, because there is no time I will say briefly."
"Ah."
"The king is a demon. This country is about to be taken over by demons."
"Eh?"
"Demons today will make monsters appear across all Arasgard and try to rule this country."
"Across all? Such a thing..."
"All A-rank knights defect to the demon side."
"Eh? All?"
"Do not show it on your expression."
"A-ah. A lie right? Ana too? I have not seen behavior of relation with demons..."
"Not the person’s will. Brainwashing-type curse technique. In these several years order captains have received the enemy’s technique. Demons prepared thoroughly. By the nature of my skill I can resist interference to the mind to some extent, but the opponent is a demon who received an evil god’s protection. I also do not know how long I can keep consciousness."
"Such foolishness... An evil god’s protection..."
That, no way, power equal to the Dragon God’s Protection I received from Lucia?
"I also do not want to admit knights who swore loyalty to the kingdom betray, but even A-rank knights probably cannot resist. The false king and the demons earlier exchanged a code ’all preparations are complete. At the crossroads of history and fate the black-obsidian fruitless flower blooms’..."
"Crossroads of history and fate? Black-obsidian fruitless flower? Somehow a phrase I have heard."
Words the demon Raiden who pretended to be human said when I took the status exam in Monvan.
That guy said "the day the black-obsidian fruitless flower blooms is near. Let us meet again at the crossroads of history and fate." That was today!
"Cosmic Golden Knight Sahar. That you and Silver Flash Princess left the king and came here is a stroke of luck. I ask. If I seem to lose to brainwashing please kill me."
"...No! I will not kill. I will restrain! There is rope I brought from my country. Erotic-mode me can turtle-shell-bind you and restrain!"
"My skill must not be misused. An other-world person you understand right? Information is stronger than military force. An ability to read the heart depending on use rules the world. Therefore absolutely I cannot hand it to demons."
"That is so but..."
"Do not worry. I do not intend to yield."
"Stop. Do not say you will not yield. If you say that the next instant you will yield."
"You and Silver Flash Princess cooperate with Duke Giesh, gather as much unbrainwashed force as possible and flee. If 12 A-rank knights defect the 20,000 knights and soldiers here will be annihilated in less than an hour... Leave even one more force and save this country...!"
"...!"
Kuu.
What a sudden tremendous incident.
No, wrong.
Not sudden. I touched a fragment of the incident more than a month ago, and in the royal capital there was demon-appearance information and it smelled suspicious, and there were omens.
The demon-sighting uproar in Monvan I had convinced myself was only me and Letree-san misidentified, but perhaps demons truly appeared.
Besides Dura-san yesterday somehow meaningfully said she wanted to conserve power for tomorrow. That I would not invite Dura-san to the mock war Dura-san should have been able to predict.
Even so conserve power?
Because it is enough Dura-san must conserve power, that a great incident would happen I should have been able to notice even at yesterday’s point!
Ka!
Suddenly a flash enough to interrupt thought dyes the surroundings white.
"Uu. What on earth...!"
𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
Goshaaaaaaaaaaan!
Delayed a roar can be heard. For an instant I saw a shining pillar stretch in the center of the plain.
What is that...!