Chapter 73: CH 72

“Then let’s go!! Hang on tight Lapris-chan!!”

“H-Hoorah!! I’m ready anytime!! Just don’t fall Iris!! You’re going to look really lame if you end up falling off your horse!!”

The always noisy Lapris excitedly shouted right in my ear. But right now that annoying shrill was bringing me hope, and my mouth naturally curved upwards into a smile.

I wonder why. I should be scared…..and yet for some reason I feel like I am having fun. Uplifted even. This is the first time in my life I’ve felt like this.

We’re standing at the gates right now. After being breached once by the ents already and then violently bent back in place by Unicorn, this gate won’t withstand a second attack from the enemy.

“Suu……”

I took a long, deep breath and held it there.

Hanging on to Unicorn’s mane to make sure I don’t fall over, I shouted as loud as I could.

“CHARGEEEEEEEE!!”

Unicorn thrust forward on my orders. Her hind legs sunk into the ground as she pushed off with all her strength, propelling her front legs into the broken iron gate.

*GAGONNNNNNG!!*

A loud noise similar to a cannon being fired off echoed across the city as the gate blew into the air. Our field of vision opened up with nothing else to get in our way. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind came to meet us as a swarm of ents moved this way and that before our eyes. And then just a short distance away, I could see Saluena blocking an attack with her shield just after cutting down another ent.

“Saluena!! We’re fighting too!!”

The same hooves Unicorn had used to bust open an iron gate now dug themselves into a nearby ent’s thick trunk.

*Tck* *Crack CRACK* ………the ent splintered in half, with each piece accompanied by a million splinters being blown away.

“Uwa, what tremendous power.”

“Don’t space out!! One’s coming from the side!!”

Another ent kicked up a violent gust of wind as it swung one of its massive branches our way. However…….

*BONK!!*

Before the branch could hit us, one of the magic circles swirling around me acted as a shield and completely stopped the attack.

“Unicorn, I’m holding on, so go wild.”

On my orders, Unicorn kicked out its hind legs, nailing the ent which had just attacked me right in its stomach.

*CRACK!!*

The ent’s wide, enormous body floated in air for a second before breaking apart just as the first one had.

After that, Unicorn continued shattering any ents that got close with a single mighty kick. Any ents that did manage to get close enough to attack me would have their branches stopped by my magic circles without fail, so I hadn’t gotten a single scratch on me yet.

“Oooh, awesome!! So this is that ‘powerful shield that can’t be broken’ you were talking about”

“Yep. This is one of the spells Unicorn can use that protects its body from all sorts of attacks.”

“Well, I guess he’s not called the virgin guardian for nothing. I wonder if he’s more motivated right now since there’s a virgin nearby.”

I guess you’re not wrong, but if you could stop throwing that word around like that.

“Hoh, good job. I was just thinking this would take some time if I went it alone.”

Ah, so while it would take a while, I guess Saluena really can beat this number of ents on her own. Knights are amazing.

“{Gather incandescent memories and burn the spirits from their vessels.}”

Just as I was once again contemplating Saluena’s true strength, about ten ents which were all trying to rush me at once were suddenly engulfed in flames and carbonized on the spot.

“That old man seems like he’s doing well.”

Those flames are a result of Grandpa’s magical cover fire. The strength and heat of the flames brushing against my cheek really remind of the dragon’s breath that almost cooked me not that long ago. For ten years now he’s been telling me about how he’s getting soft in his old age, but I don’t think the strength of his magic has changed one bit in all that time.

“Yeah. He used to be a magic teacher for some academy. But he said he can’t shoot an attack like that too often, so we shouldn’t rely on it.”

“Hmm, in that case I should let Unicorn handle the clean-up. The growing number of nicks on my blade are starting to affect its performance, but well, I believe I should be able to manage.”

Saluena voiced her thoughts aloud while checking the condition of her sword.

“There it is. Saluena can be weakened to a certain extent after all.”

“…..with my sword being worn away, I suppose Lapris intends on delivering the finishing blow then?”

“Anego Anego, that’s completely impossible. I’m just a helpless fairy.”

“If it’s the finishing blow we’re talking about, I think we should leave that kind of thing to the people who specialize in felling timber.”

As I raised my hand high into the air, the city’s lumberjacks rushed out of the open gateway. The soldiers and adventurers followed soon after.

“Uoooooooooh!! The signal’s here!! Everyone move!!”

“Aim for the injured and weak!! Follow the plan!!”

“Uooh!!”

Climbing over the fallen iron gate and releasing a powerful war cry, a wave of brawny men rushed some ents with their axes and hatchets raised high over their heads. They were like a colony of ants swarming over a fallen piece of food. I hope they don’t get mad at me for the rude analogy.

“I see. Then allow me to take advantage of your kind offer.”

Saluena’s hair fluttered in the wind as she leaped into another cluster of ents. *Snick Snick* slicing off only the monster’s thinner roots, she moved on to the next monster.

“Timberrrrrrrrrrrr!! Be careful not to get crushed!!”

“Ten people to a tree!! Take away the branches and leaves, and they’re just another log!!”

The lumberjacks flocked around the fallen ents, using their axes and hatchets to hack away at the branches the monsters used as weapons.

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“Amazing. We’re mass producing logs here.”

Occasionally somebody would get mowed down by a struggling ent’s branch, but with the sisters taking the rear position, we had a system going where those injured could receive immediate treatment. I was a little worried about how this system I thought up would work in practice, but thanks to everyone’s cooperation and coordination, we’re steadily making progress.

“We’ll need to do our best too. Unicorn, please keep it up!!”

Unicorn was still raring to go, and my magic circle defense was up and kicking. As for the number of ents left……I guess we’re about halfway done if you include those five Saluena just toppled.

Just fifty more. With the sound of wood splintering against hatchets echoing behind me, Unicorn charged forward in the opposite direction from Saluena.

♠

*CRASH!!*

The last ent came crashing back to the ground after Unicorn kicked it up into the air.

I stopped counting halfway through the battle, but I think around ten ents were launched into the air because of Unicorn’s hind legs. Another twenty of them found their end at the end of her front hooves. Grandpa’s magic burned away another ten of them meaning all the rest were either killed directly by Saluena, or executed after she destroyed their footing.

“I-Is it finally finished……? Oh man, I’m going to vomit……”

“You stayed on my shoulder the entire time after all.”

I was so focused on giving out instructions from on top of Unicorn’s back that I don’t feel even silently motion sick. Speaking of which, would she be feeling motion sick right now if she had just flown herself? Why is this girl so stubbornly refusing to fly? Unless, is the fact that she can fly just constantly slipping her mind?

“W-We did it!! We beat them!!”

“I thought we were finished when that first ent broke through the gate…….haa, haa…….but we somehow managed…….”

“Yeah, this…..it’s all thanks to the Goddess and her envoy.”

With all the ents turned to logs, everyone’s gazes naturally gathered on us. One man, the captain in charge of all the soldiers, weaved his way through his men and walked over to me.

“Oh, oh man……. Sorry Iris. I really can’t talk right now. For all kinds of reasons. I’m going to leave this one to you.”

“Eh!? That bad? Are you going to be okay?”

I asked Lapris after she climbed back into my hair, but I didn’t get a response. Apparently it’s really bad.

“Envoy. It is by your grace we were able to annihilate the ents. You have our utmost gratitude.”

The captain looked at me and gave his thanks. Although to be accurate he was actually looking at my hair where Lapris had dived in head first with only her butt slightly visible. What should I say as her substitute…….I have no idea.

“Haha, yeah.”

I tried answering, but my voice trailed off. What am I supposed to say in the first place? And how should I be talking? If I’m acting as a messenger for the Goddess, I should definitely be using a more solemn tone like Lapris was using right? But I know most of the people here, so wouldn’t it just be weird to change how I talk at this point?

“We are not the only reason for victory this day.”

With every thought I was having swirling around my head at full speed, Saluena came over and sent me a lifeline.

“If it were not for your efforts, the ents would have breached the city long before we would have been able to arrive. Be proud of your strength that allowed you to hold out for that long.”

“Yes!!”

Because Saluena is a knight, she’s really good about knowing what to say during situations like this. There’s also the presence and dignity she carries with her. It would have sounded really weird if I had said the same thing she just did.

After all, Saluena is cool.

“Sisters”

Saluena called out to the sisters as she mounted Unicorn. It wasn’t until she was sitting next to me that I noticed she wasn’t out breath. She hadn’t even broken a sweat. That’s how large of a gap there is between her physical strength and my own.

I am still a long ways away from Saluena, both mentally and physically. What do I have to do if I hope to ever be like her one day?

“Tell Aronda-san. The threat has passed for the time being.”

“By all means. But then……you two?”

The sisters shifted their gazes away from Saluena and instead turned a worried look towards me.

“It is as you think. We will be heading for the ruins.”

“The ruins? By that, do you mean the ruins at St. Noglint? If so then allow us to attach a guide”

The captain doesn’t know about the carbuncle, so he has no idea that this army of ents was its doing.

“We know the way.”

But, the people of the church know. They know what is happening to this city right now. And why we have to go.

“According to our duty, we should really be accompanying you……..”

It sounds like every member of the church was given the order to protect me. And yet despite that fact, they’re being forced to stay behind and wait in a safe place while I run head-first into some dangerous ancient ruins. It was easy enough to tell just how much the sisters were hurting by the look on their faces.

“It’s okay. I’m going to come back. With everyone.”

But it’s by my own will that I’m going to the ruins. They never asked or told me to go. So if possible, I’d rather they didn’t feel indebted to me for how things are developing. So I tried to make things clear while smiling as much as possible.

“…….right. All of us sisters shall wait at the church for Iris-sama’s return.”

I’m not sure how much of a relief my smiling face was able to give them, but after a moment, each of the sisters folded their hands in front of their chests and began to pray.

And I already learned in Relton that a prayer can give birth to a miracle.

“Well then, I’ll see you in a bit.”

To pray for someone is to make a wish.

(Toslin, Carol, and then Rose-san. Hang on. Right now……I’m coming to save you!!)

And so while reflecting upon the happiness and good fortune we’ve already been gifted, we made our way to St. Noglint.

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