Gasi

Part 9Martell and Danilo arrived at the outskirt of Mulberry precisely after Cesare departed for his performance to increase the soldiers' morale.

「──It looks like we made it in time.」

Martell confirmed that the dukedom army was still unharmed. He kneeled and offered his thanks to god.

The fact that the dukedom navy's sea blockade had failed and reinforcement from other country had arrived for the first time to Mulberry was just that shocking.

It wouldn't be strange for the dukedom army to immediately retreat after such news if the difference in strength between two sides wasn't this overwhelming.

「The commander-in-chief should be the great general Cesare. I'm acquainted with him. For better or worse, he is a man who will only move for his own convenience.」

Danilo frowned slightly.

Although they had to cooperate with Cesare no matter what, Cesare was still a man who he really didn't want to interact with morally speaking.

「So you mean, he is easy to control if there is benefit for him?」

「Well, you can also see it like that, but he isn't a man who can feel indebted to other you know?」

「There is no problem. The only important thing right now is to defeat that monster.」

Martell didn't know Cesare like Danilo did, so he could make such businesslike assertion. Objectively speaking that was the right decision.

Danilo blushed in embarrassment and called one of his subordinates.

「Send a messenger to Cesare. Tell him that Bishop Danilo of Europa Religion is looking to meet him urgently.」

.

Unfortunately Cesare couldn't be found at the army headquarters when he visited there.

The subordinate was turned away at the gate because Cesare already departed to the frontline. Danilo grimaced with a bad premonition when he was told that by his subordinate.

Martell also felt a chill at his back.

Going to the frontline in order to heighten the ally's morale was an effective method in a protracted battle. However would Baldr just watch that quietly without doing anything?

It was said that demon liked human weakness and sought to take advantage of it, and the greatest weakness of the dukedom army was exactly the life of its commander which was Cesare.

「──Can't we call him back?」

「Cesare is an arrogant man. He won't listen even if we tell him to return. Not to mention he doesn't know just how dangerous Lord Antrim is.」

Martell and Danilo stared at each other silently.

They were unable to think up any effective method.

They couldn't possibly cut through the dukedom army and advanced until Cesare's location.

It would be great if Cesare would stay safe until he returned to his headquarters.

But that expectation of the two was immediately betrayed.

Mulberry's castle gate opened and the drawbridge started to be lowered loudly.

As expected Lord Antrim wasn't a man who would just allow the prey before his eyes to get away.

「Shit! This is the worst!」

Martell cursed. In contrast Danilo was the type of person to calmly wrack his brain when it was time to fight.

Danilo was the leader of the field operative unit of the special corrective force. He knew very well just how meaningless it was to lament one's misfortune in the battlefield.

「──We can only move independently like this.」

With them unable to expect the cooperation of the dukedom like this, Danilo's judgment was to activate the holy relic.

They could only believe on their own sense to decide the timing. Even so it was impossible for Danilo to hesitate with his fanatic faith supporting him.

「Cursed mongrels, thoroughly taste the divine punishment of god.」

.

The situation of the battle could be easily seen from a small hill that overlooked the battlefield.

Although Martell and Danilo believed that they had known what King's Gate was about, they could only watch open mouthed at the actual display of King's Gate's overwhelming might.

They never thought that human moving in a speed that surpassed the limit of visibility was possible in reality.

They even pitied the dukedom army that was helplessly getting killed.

That wasn't an opponent that could be fought head-on. Even Danilo whose hostility toward Lord Antrim was blazing immediately switched his feeling.

Indeed, they certainly had to rely on something like the holy relic that surpassed human knowledge to deal with this.

「──Bishop Martell.」

「What is it?」

「It pain me to ask this to you who is an intelligence agent and not a field operative agent, but I wish to make a request for you despite my shame. Can you cooperate with us in activating the holy relic?」

The only one in the field operative unit with the qualification to operate the holy relic was only Danilo. He felt a serious apprehension about that fact.

Originally it was against the rule for Martell who belonged to the intelligence unit to fight together with Danilo.

However it would be a bigger problem if they allowed the monster to spread its infamy by protecting the rule.

Martell slowly nodded at Danilo.

The holy relic was a silver cylinder that emitted dull glimmer. Complicated patterns were engraved on it. Even Martell and Danilo didn't understand the meaning of the engraving.

This was the crystallization of inhuman technology that was brought about by god, the holy relic. Even the church didn't understand everything about it.

An indescribable majestic aura was emitted from the cold mythrilmagical metal. Martell and Danilo deeply bowed their head to it.

The two of them then slowly raised their head. They nodded to each other and put their hand above the activation crest and poured their mana into it.

According to the secret document that was managed by the church, this holy relic had the effect of sealing King's Gate and forcing a heavy burden to the target.

The range of the effect would be in proportion to the mana that was poured into it. Even the two didn't understand how far the range would be in the end. They couldn't even do experiment beforehand to test the effect so it couldn't be helped.

Baldr and others were cutting through the dukedom army as though they were running through an empty field with speed that couldn't be followed completely even when watched from afar.

The dukedom army of more than 40000 were rendered helpless due to the action of mere four people.

At this rate the whole army might collapse if Cesare was taken down too.

The dukedom had greatly forced themselves this time to gather this many troops. If the whole army collapsed, it was possible that it would gradually lead to the dukedom's defeat.

That was a future that Europa Religion absolutely wouldn't accept.

The beastman race was already increasing its influence steadily in countries like Nordland Empire or Gartlake Kingdom. If a beastman king was born at Trystovy on top of that, there would be no more way to halt the beastmen from infesting the whole continent.

They had to remove Baldr, all the owner of King's Gate here no matter what.

Martell and Danilo resolved themselves. It was fine even if they used up all their mana and died.

「──Under the great name of Europa, manifest that power!」

.

Part 10At the same time when Satsuki stiffened from the sudden feeling of lethargy, Maggot was also assaulted by a strong weariness.

「──How nasty. You guys really don't know the way to make advances on woman at all.」

Even for Silver Light Maggot, it was impossible to maintain the speed that surpassed the limit of visibility without using King's Gate. The only one who could do that might be just Baldr who could use Over Boost.

Even so, Maggot was still Maggot even when her godspeed was gone.

If Baldr had Over Boost, then Maggot had her innate senses and vast real battle experience.

「Now! She has stopped moving!」

「What, tired already! Give up!」

Relieve spread throughout the dukedom army because they were finally able to see Maggot who they couldn't follow by sight at all until now. But even that only lasted for a moment.

「Don't get high spirited like that just because you can see me now. Who do you think I am?」

Maggot stood with an air of composure. There wasn't any sign of anxiety from her.

Maggot cut down multiple soldiers elegantly like she was dancing with a tremendous confidence.

If there was anyone who knew about the past war then they would surely recall it. Of how maggot took on the 3000 troops of Marquis Selvi while she was at the late stage of her pregnancy.

At that time Maggot didn't use the power of King's Gate at all. She continued to trample Marquis Selvi's troops in such state until Baldr arrived.

It was such a monster that was standing before the dukedom army. The danger hadn't been gone at all just because the King's Gate was sealed for some reason.

「How dare you kill my comra...ugoh!」

「She is just a single woman if she stand still...buberah!」

The soldiers who underestimated their opponent as a mere lightly armored female warrior were immediately forming a mountain of dozens corpses. As expected even the dukedom army realized that Maggot wasn't an ordinary woman from that.

Even without the godspeed, Maggot was still equal to a disaster as expected.

「W-what's with this woman? Don't let your guard down! Spearmen, tighten your formation and don't show any opening!」

「...Hmph, I'll teach you that it's just an illusion that a group's strength can surpass an individual.」

「D-defend! Don't let that woman get near no matter what!」

The best way to take down an unmanageable beast was by using arrows and magic from afar.

It was a foolish act to challenge a beast like Maggot in a one-on-one battle. Their instinct that feared death made them hesitated to face this absolute strength.

.

Fortunately Gina who was positioned at the rearmost got affected the least by the holy relic among the four.

Gina had aged past 80 years old. As expected it would be dangerous even for the Thunder of Helsing if her King's Gate was completely closed.

Even so there was no way that Gina didn't feel goosebumps from feeling this lethargy for the first time in her life.

But at the same time there was an emotion that was raging within Gina's chest.

It was rage. It was lamentation.

The last time she felt negative emotion this strongly was when she lost Viktor.

「...I don't know who is doing this however, so this is the trick!」

The question that had been bothering her for many years was finally solved right now.

Only someone with King's Gate could kill another King's Gate owner. It might be a different story if poison or ambush while sleeping was used, but there was nobody in this world who could kill King's Gate owner by fighting.

And yet the beast king Brocas was assassinated right from the front.

Both dog-eared race and cat-eared race couldn't do something like that. Her thought stopped at the conjecture that the culprit must have used some cowardly method, but she was unable to deduce the method used to assassinate the beast king right from the front.

First, it was impossible that hostage was used.

The beast king was unmarried. The beastmen at that time even greatly wished that he would quickly marry already.

Then perhaps he was taken by surprise by someone he trusted? That was also impossible. The King's Gate was called King's Gate because even taken by surprise the owner would still be able to deal with it.

If there was someone who could kill the beast king, that person would have to be stronger than the beast king.

In the first place, what was the purpose of the killing of the beast king?

After the assassination no successor of the beast king appeared. The beastman race was chased by countries and lived as object of persecution throughout the continent. It could be said that the whole beastman race tasted misery because of it.

...If there was this strange method to seal the King's Gate, even human would be able to kill the beast king wouldn't it?

A certain thinking burst inside Gina's brain when she thought that.

「...Strategist Philiste(ペリシテ)!」

The beast king Brocas was half beastman and half human. He had a little brother from different father who was a pure human.

As the beast king's little brother, he was a shrewd strategist who mainly formed strategy and maneuver among the beastmen who were mostly frank and impulsive people.

After Brocas's death, while the beastmen were banished by many countries, he was able to stay behind because he was a human. His whereabouts after that wasn't known.

He had excellent ingenuity, but there wasn't any record of him excelling in martial might too. However he should be quite strong as the little brother of that beast king.

If it was the little brother who shared his blood, even the beast king should relax his guard around him.

If that little brother used mysterious something that sealed the king's gate and attacked the beast king──.

The reason why discord immediately spread between the dog-eared tribe and cat-eared tribe after the beast king's death could also be guessed if the mastermind was Philiste.

In the first place he was a man who served the beast king by making use of his skill in scheming.

Going around instigating the dog-eared tribe and cat-eared tribe to doubt each other by pretending that he knew something incriminating by chance would be easy for him.

Philiste didn't have any bond with anyone else other than the beast king, so the two tribes considered him to be a neutral party. If he made such maneuver, they should believe him without harboring any doubt.

──In other words, it was the cat-eared tribe that assassinated the beast king.

──In other words, it was the dog-eared tribe that assassinated the beast king.

「Where? Where is the lot who set up this filthy trap? Is it Trystovy? Or Answerer? Or a completely different faction?」

Gina yelled furiously with her canine bared.

There was no doubt that in the vicinity there was the followers of the one that cornered the beastman race into their current situation.

The one who chased the beastman race out from their promised country and threw them into endless carnage where they killed their fellow beastmen was here, someone who she could hate with all her being and it still wouldn't be enough.

The color of Gina's eyes changed and she searched for the suspect. The dukedom army was confused with her state, but they continued attacking her.

For them Gina was the foe who murdered their comrades, an enemy who should be defeated, so it was only natural.

Gina whose heyday had long past gone gritted her teeth at her own powerlessness while being forced to take them on.

.

If there was someone in this battlefield who possessed the eye of god, they would realize that this moment was the greatest chance for the dukedom army to eradicate the King's Gate owners all at once.

If the opponent was Baldr and others without using King's Gate, it should be possible enough to overwhelm them with endless attacks using number.

Right now Baldr and others were still overwhelming their opponents, but they had already lost the speed necessary to retreat.

──If Martell and the church agents were able to tell the commander-in-chief Cesare or perhaps Olten about the King's Gate and the holy relic before the battle began...

It was a foolish wish for the impossible considering them just being able to make it in time to this battle was already a miracle, but later on Martell and others would mourn like that from the bottom of their soul.

But it was also a fact that such expectation didn't even have the value of a scrap of paper for those fighting in this battlefield right now as their reality.

.

Part 11In order to accomplish the mission that was imposed on him, the old general Ramillies lead the 400 elites of Antrim and encroached into the formation of the dukedom army with his skilful command.

The dukedom army that was superior in number was unable to hold back the Antrim army that was completely fighting as a unit. The opening in their formation kept being widened.

In Ramillies's opinion this result was only natural.

All of his subordinates were the elites that had been thoroughly trained in Antrim until they vomited blood. Although their force was small, there was no way a force under the command of an excellent general would lose against an army whose commander was not present.

If Baldr managed to take down Cesare after this, then the collapse of dukedom army would be unavoidable.

──Although he didn't think that his best friend would just sit quietly while waiting for that.

As expected, from the flank of the dukedom army that was in chaos, a cavalry unit of around a thousand knights appeared. This cavalry unit was clearly under an orderly command.

There was the face of his nostalgic rival at the lead of that unit.

「Long spears to the front! Stand by in horizontal formation!」

With a single order from Ramillies, Antrim army swiftly formed five lines with the spearmen at the front. Archers took position within the formation. Although the formation was hastily made, it was effective toward cavalry that had low defense.

Olten watched that splendid tactic with a joyful smile that was still filled with composure.

「As expected from Ramillies.」

Olten understood that it was difficult for him to lead this battle to victory with the few soldiers under his command right now.

However at the same time he judged that the situation was tougher for Antrim army instead. Although the dukedom army was thrown into chaos by Baldr and others, the number of its casualty still wasn't that many.

This thinking wasn't mistaken by any means.

In fact Ramillies was only fighting in a way that exhausted the dukedom army. And most of all Olten didn't know that the King's Gate was being sealed by the holy relic right now.

「...You have changed Olten. You look like a different person.」

「And you haven't changed at all Ramillies. No, that was why you left this country, so that you won't change.」

Ramillies and Olten exchanged words while recognizing each other as a formidable enemy that they had to defeat.

No matter how much time had passed and no matter how different their standing had changed, the two of them were still best friends even now.

「I'm jealous with you Ramillies. You are simply sticking to your loyalty as a knight and you are going to die as a knight. Even though with your caliber you can become more than a mere knight.」

「You are talking like I ran away from the responsibility that I ought to bear.」

「...I won't say that you ran. But I'm thinking, that perhaps if it's you then you might be able to stay the same even if you shouldered this burden.」

Olten wasn't the Olten of the past anymore. The Olten that Ramillies knew had been corrupted until his soul from throwing himself into the cesspool of politic and scheme.

That was exactly why he was using even dirty method that Ramillies never even imagined. The knight Olten of that time had been lost forever.

──That's exactly why, that's exactly why! I can't allow this country that I had given my whole life to be snatched by the royal family's bloodline again at this late hour.

「It's your lord's victory today. But don't think that the result will be the same the next time we meet.」

「The dukedom army that is under your command huh, that will be a tough battle.」

Olten lightly waved his hand and turned around.

He had held back Ramillies's attack to the dukedom army. There was no need for him to stay any longer here.

There was no need to force himself to fight and win. Olten needed the dukedom army to lose here in order for him to return to the position as the great general once more.

And then──he also needed Cesare to die while shouldering all the responsibilities of this defeat.

.

Part 12At the opening of the battle, Baldr was following slightly behind the lively Satsuki.

Even though she was a King's Gate owner, war was always accompanied by unforeseen happenings.

Baldr knew from experience how hard to notice that while one was immersed in a feeling of omnipotence.

His previous previous life Oka Sanai would definitely bring Baldr to his death in that second Antrim war if Zirco, Selina, and Seyruun weren't there.

Satsuki was lacking sense of danger.

Certainly it was next to impossible to defeat Satsuki with her King's Gate activated, but one had to constantly be on their guard in the battlefield.

──Baldr's bad premonition was right on the money.

His King's Gate completely stopped functioning along with a heavy pressure that felt like both his arms and legs were chained with heavy chains.

.

Satsuki was staring at the swords that were falling toward her in a daze.

Usually she would be able to counterattack no matter what.

It was possible for her to dodge, parry the attack, or even leaped and twirled above them to pass through.

And yet Satsuki's body was losing strength and wouldn't listen to her.

To describe her current state, it was like her was in convalescence where she couldn't put any strength into it. It felt like she was shouldering a stone weight that weighted several hundred kg.

「N-no way nya! Something like this...!」

Satsuki was born as the cat-eared tribe's shrine maiden princess and received the best education from her mother, but there was just one flaw from her. Because her King's Gate was discovered early, she ended up relying too much on the King's Gate's strength.

The proof of that was her lack of polished martial skill that could allow her to struggle through unexpected situation without the power of King's Gate.

──I don't wanna die.

She also didn't want to lose or run away, but Satsuki became aware of unavoidable death for the first time at this moment.

Her whole body trembled. Her teeth were clattering. She didn't even have a composure remaining to scream.

There was no more time. She was sure of the approaching death. At the same time the figure of a young man floated at the back of her mind.

There wasn't anyone in her generation who could match her.

When she began to overwhelm the strong warriors of her mother's generation, she also become used to the respectful gazes that she received from her surrounding.

There was even a period when she believed that she was the strongest in this world.

But even that changed completely when she met Baldr.

Not only Baldr. Other King's Gate Owners like Maggot and Gina also appeared and Satsuki realized that her martial skill only ranked fourth at best or perhaps even lower.

However mysteriously she didn't feel defeated and frustrated.

Far from that, the more she learned Baldr's strength the more the inside of her chest heated up and throbbed.

She wanted to arrive at that domain one day. No, actually rather than something like that she wanted to be at Baldr's side and recognized by him.

The reason why Satsuki was sticking out by herself was largely because she needed social approval for her self-esteem.

Though it also couldn't be denied that Satsuki simply wanted to rampage.

「──I'm not going to die in this kind of place nya!」

The discord in Satsuki's heart finally vanished.

She mustn't die in this kind of place to survive and chase after Baldr.

Satsuki desperately moved her body that was heavy as though there were weights inside her and got away from the slashes.

「...Kuh!」

Although she was barely able to get away from lethal wound, several swords definitely hit Satsuki.

The current Satsuki didn't have the overwhelming physical ability to dodge all the attacks.

In the end she was just buying time. But even knowing that, Satsuki intended to keep struggling without giving up.

「The enemy is wounded! She won't last that long!」

「Widen the encirclement! First make sure that she won't run away!」

The knights of the dukedom who chased after Satsuki also weren't incompetent by any means.

Satsuki was unable to display that astounding physical ability due to some kind of circumstance. And even now blood was continuing to flow from her wounds. They understood that fact.

The biggest problem here was to allow her to escape from here and she became able to display that power once more. They should take Satsuki's life with certainty here even if they had to spend time and loss for it.

(...My body is still heavy-!)

She wondered just what was this pressure that she had never experienced before.

This wasn't because of wound or bad physical condition.

Now that she had calmed down, Satsuki correctly understood the strangeness that was happening to her.

This was definitely caused by external factor. Perhaps this was caused by magic so she tried chanting Magic Cancel, but there was no change to the weight that was restraining Satsuki.

What in the world was this if it wasn't magic──?

「Archers, to the front!」

「──Damn it!」

Satsuki who lost her mobility didn't have the spare strength to avoid rain of arrow.

The archer unit that was neutralized when Satsuki wracked the inside of the enemy formation in high speed finally managed to capture Satsuki within their firing range.

Satsuki tried to slip within the enemy crowd to escape from the arrows, but the enemies were also preventing that with all their strength.

「Don't let her get near! Form a spear wall!」

「Oooh!」

──There was still four more steps.

Satsuki's mind recognized that her action would absolutely be slower than the enemy attack.

Then how should she dodge? Ducking on the ground? Jumping to the air?

None of them would save Satsuki. Either way she wouldn't be able to avoid the following attack after she dodged the arrows.

What should she do? What should──.

.

He would be lying if he said that he wasn't panicking.

However, Baldr was a human who had fought until now without King's Gate in the first place.

Rather he had piled up effort to defeat that Silver Light Maggot without using King's Gate.

That was why he was able to react calmly even when the King's Gate was sealed.

「──Satsuki is in danger.」

Maggot and Gina had the ability to deal with danger in unexpected situation, but today was the first large-scale battle for Satsuki.

It was highly possible that she would be dumbfounded and became unable to move.

Fortunately Baldr had the secret tricks that he developed to oppose Maggot. He didn't know who was the one doing this, but he would teach them that it was be a mistake if they thought that they could win with just this.

「...Over Boost!」

As expected, Satsuki was surrounded by the dukedom army and in the verge of danger. Baldr scattered them with a speed that couldn't be followed by eyes and covered Satsuki.

「...Don't underestimate me who had fought Kaa-san until now without using King's Gate at all.」

.

「Impossible! There is no way!」

「The holy relic is undoubtedly working. That's clear from how that woman become unable to move...and yet why!?」

Martell and Danilo opened their eyes wide and shrieked after witnessing Baldr's godspeed movement.

The faith that they held toward the holy relic was absolute with the support of their strong religious faith.

This holy relic was the trump card of Europa religion. It was said that it even consigned that legendary beast king into oblivion. There was no way they could accept that holy relic wasn't working.

「...It's working on that woman. There is no way the holy relic isn't effective!」

「In that case that guy has some other method than the King's Gate. That's a problem in its own way!」

The several holy relics under the control of the church currently were all thought to have the power to seal the King's Gate and restrain the movement of its owner.

The holy relic that was brought here today was called Valtermy(ヴァルテルミー). It was the King's Gate sealer holy relic with effectiveness that was already proven.

It was possible to widen the sealing range depending on the amount of mana poured into it, but in case the target had other special power than King's Gate, this holy relic couldn't do anything about it.

Martell and Danilo had their mana absorbed until the utmost limit that their awareness was hazy. They were in agony within such state because of the unexpected development.

「...If we can at least kill one of them.」

Even that wish ended up in vain. Both Gina and Maggot showed no sign at all that they would fall.

Rather they could even feel just how unreasonable the existences of those two were now that they could see the way the two fought while staying in one place.

In the end was it really possible to defeat those monsters?

.

While Martell and Danilo were tormented by their thought, Baldr and others also weren't as composed as they looked.

The effect of Over Boost had run out when Baldr finished sweeping the enemies around Satsuki.

It was a skill that he developed in order to surpass Maggot's speed even just for an instant. He never considered using it for a long period from the beginning.

「Stand up Satsuki. There is no way Gartlake's shrine maiden princess will become unable to fight just because her King's Gate is sealed isn't it?」

「──O-of course nya! I was just a bit surprised nya!」

Satsuki forgot where she was right now when Baldr called her without any honorific and her cheeks blushed briefly.

She immediately stood up and took a stance with her sword, but her chest's palpitation still showed no sign of settling down.

「The commander...has escaped huh.」

Cesare's figure already vanished into the dukedom army's crowd.

Cesare had discarded his showy crimson mantel and desperately slipped into the crowd. It was nearly impossible to capture him now.

At the same time Baldr noticed that Ramillies's troop was charging forward.

The aura that a group radiated could be sensed even from some distance away.

Baldr also had to recognize that the dukedom army rallied back faster than he expected.

「Now then, in that case we don't need to stay here any longer.」

If Baldr and Satsuki worked together, it wouldn't be any trouble to scatter the soldiers before them.

However the number of the dukedom army was overwhelming. If the enemy launched attacks in wave when they were tired, even Baldr couldn't possibly endure it.

Then he could only retreat graciously. After all at least their victory had been assured when the commander-in-chief ran away by himself.

「We're going to join up with Kaa-san and others for now. Follow me.」

「Unyah? B-but, the enemy's boss is...」

「Do you think we can still make it?」

「I don't nya...」

Satsuki hanged her head down in disappointment. Now that the King's Gate's power was lost, there was no way they could break through that thick wall of soldiers.

The dukedom army also finally began to rally back from the impact of being overwhelmed by Baldr at this point.

「Don't let them get away! It'll be a disgrace for the dukedom if they get away!」

「Shoot the bows! Use high-angle shooting so they won't get any opening to escape!」

Shooting a bow horizontally had better accuracy, in exchange the arrows would be focused at the target.

In contrast, firing arrows with curving trajectory would cause the arrows to be scattered at the area around the target.

The lethality would drop but it had the advantage of being hard to dodge.

Unexpectedly it was difficult to dodge an attack that one didn't know whether it would hit or not.

As expected from the regular army of the dukedom, they were aware of the way of fighting powerful enemy too.

「Well, I never thought that they would meekly let us escape though.」

Baldr smiled bitterly. He took out two iron pipes that glinted silver from his pocket.

Looking closer there was a fuse that dangled from each pipe. Only Baldr and few other people knew what was the meaning of that.

It was a pipe bomb that was created with very primitive method. When campaign against the Japan-US Security Treaty became intense, this thing was used in the terrorism activity of the extremists. This thing boasted great killing and wounding ability at that time. It was also known to be used at the Asama-Sanso incident. (TN: Famous hostage crisis and police siege in February 1972)

Baldr's previous life, Oka Masaharu's father once threw himself into the student movement at the past. He often boasted to his son how he stood at the frontline and fought for the sake of university autonomy.

Although because of that he had to repeat a year and became greatly indebted to his parents.

It seemed the impetus that made that father quit from the student movement was this pipe bomb.

Masaharu's father didn't have the resolve to continue joining the movement until he became a terrorist. The student movement at that time was also like a rite of passage for the youth, it was ordinary for the students to completely forget the movement at the same time when they started job hunting.

Only very few people in the extreme sect that went underground and continued the movement, but if Masaharu's father chose that path, there was no doubt that Masaharu wouldn't be born.

「Nya? What's that?」

Satsuki's eyes turned round in puzzlement. Baldr showed her a cold smile that was filled with dreadfulness that was fitting for a mass murderer.

It was the smile of a statesman who condoned mass murder for the sake of his objective and drove the tens of thousands of Haurelia army to nirvana.

「...It's a convenient tool to have it easy when you are tired.」

Baldr lit the fuse and threw that faster than the archers could shoot.

*Paan*, there was a flash together with a dry sound of metal. Explosion blast and metal fragments mowed down the archer squad right after that.

「M-magic?」

「That's impossible! We have used Magic Cancel properly. There is no way they can use magic with just the two of them!」

「What is this explosion then!?」

The damage itself wasn't that great, but the mental influence that the dukedom army received was tremendous.

Even though it was already terrifying how just several people rushed into an army of tens of thousands and rampaged, if there was also magic that couldn't be dispelled added into it, it was already nothing but nightmare.

Fear bound their heart and tripped their feet.

「...I don't have any more of that so we're going to excuse ourselves now.」

「Funyanya, my ears hurt nya...」

Baldr and Satsuki calmly retreated. There was nobody who tried to chase after them. The enemies could only watch them with gazes that were filled with fear.

.

「W-what's that?」

「There is no way that's magic. The dukedom army's Magic Cancel is thorough.」

It wasn't just the dukedom army that was panicked because of the iron pipe bomb.

Martell and Danilo were completely in frenzy because the battle didn't go as they expected despite investing the church's trump card the holy relic already.

It looked like the damage was relatively small despite the showiness of the explosion, but the dukedom army's movement was visibly slowing down.

Baldr and Satsuki only glanced at that while retreating smoothly.

As expected the holy relic was affecting them.

If not there would be no reason for them who went into offense to target Cesare to run away at this point.

「I didn't see it with my own eye but, I heard that Lord Antrim used a mysterious magic tool in his battle against Haurelia Kingdom. Perhaps what happened just now was from that.」

「A magic tool that cannot be blocked with Magic Cancel. Is something like that really exist in this world?」

「We can't possibly deny what happened before our own eyes. I don't know the principle of it, but what exist really exist.」

「──Troublesome.」

Magic's position in battlefield was considered low until now because it could be dispelled easily.

If a magic that couldn't be dispelled appeared, a revolution would occur in war.

They thought that this would end by simply killing the King's Gate owners, but if the beastmen obtained such technology, it might even be possible for the beastman to conquer the continent.

The church absolutely wanted to prevent Baldr's enthronement, but the problem of the beastman race's emergence was even greater than that.

Martell and Danilo looked at each other with the awareness that they had entered into a sticky situation.

「It's unfortunate but there is nothing more that we can do here.」

「...It's the rule to compensate for a failed mission with our life but...we must not commit the folly of reducing our fighting strength while facing them. Surely god too will forgive us.」

「My thanks to the god's tolerance. I too will be troubled if I have to kill a precious comrade in this kind of place.」

Far from taking down Baldr, they couldn't even wound a single one of the King's Gate owners. It would be a nightmare to let the vice commander of the field operative unit Danilo died here.

The assassination squad only had few members even in the best of time. There wasn't that many people who could serve as its commander.

「──We're going to be busy from now.」

First of all they had to convince their superiors about this fact. It would be a troublesome labor.

A mysterious power that wasn't King's Gate, and then magic that couldn't be dispelled. This detail would make others doubted them as lying to hide their failure or that they had gone crazy.

To be honest, Danilo's existence was also needed for this persuasion.

「Kill. I'll kill you without fail one day and erase today's disgrace. Wash your neck and wait until that day arrive monster.」

Danilo left behind those words and secretly retreated from the battlefield together with Martell.

.

Part 13Cesare's heart was beating so hard it felt like it would burst, His lungs felt like they were on fire. Cesare fought the pain while riding his horse alone fast.

His whereabouts would be discovered if he moved in group. So he left behind his guards to hold back the enemy, then he discarded his mantel and helm and escaped while pretending to be a mere knight.

Cesare didn't even try to wipe his sweats that were oozing like waterfall. He looked back to confirm that Satsuki wasn't chasing him.

「──They won't chase until this far.」

Cesare nodded several times. Half of it was to convince himself.

The moment he thought that he was safe, Cesare realized that his position was in a very dangerous place right now.

He ran away from facing only several opponents despite leading an army this big. This was an unparalleled failure.

He wouldn't be able to avoid dismissal from his post when this news reached the archduke.

「No good, this is no good...!」

He had finally obtained the position of great general with great pains, and then he should obtain even more of the promised glory from this campaign. He would never accept losing all his prestige and retiring, never.

He needed a scapegoat. Furthermore the scapegoat had to be an extravagant one that could gloss over this failure.

「That's right. That dotardOlten sold the information of my location at the frontline to the enemy! That was why I entered the trap of the enemy!」

Cesare then started to think of how to arrange the eyewitness testimony. It was at that timing,

──*Tosuri*

There was a small impact sound and a small metal stick jutted out from Cesare's chest.

Cesare was dumbfounded seeing red stain swiftly spreading on his clothes and feeling the intense pain.

Could it be that monster had caught up to him?

「Aa...it'll be troubling if you survive this.」

「Y-you bastard! Sylva!」

His staff officer Sylva and several of his subordinates were there. They were holding bows that had finished shooting in their hands.

「Don't think that you can get away after doing this!」

「The great general Cesare-dono unsightly deserted in the face of the enemy and died in battle due to a stray arrow. It's truly a dishonorable way to die but you're simply reaping what you sow.」

「Don't screw with me! A mere staff officer dare...to」

*Gofuh* Lump of blood rose through Cesare's throat and he lost strength from his body. He fell on his knees limply.

His eyes were darting around unable to accept the reality.

Something like this was impossible. No, it must never happen.

「Save me quickly. What are you doing? I am the great general of the dukedom!」

「Do you think you can do anything as you please even without accomplishing your duty if you are the great general?」

Sylva laughed sarcastically.

「You are clinging on the position of great general because that's exactly what you are thinking though. A position without any responsibility is nothing more than a decoration.」

「What are you bastard saying?」

Cesare looked like he really didn't understand Sylva's words. He shook his head slightly. Sylva felt an uncontrollable anger seeing that Cesare really didn't understand what he was saying.

「I have no duty to teach you. Try asking it to the guard in hell.」

「W-wait! Wait!」

「I'll at least pray for your happiness in the next world.」

Sylva spat that before shooting the finishing arrow at Cesare's forehead.

.

Part 14Gustiniani who was watching the battle from above Mulberry's rampart saw that the dukedom army was starting to take flight all at once.

He spontaneously whistled in admiration and bumped his fist with his vice commander.

Even though he was watching with his own eyes, he still couldn't feel that this great victory was a reality.

It couldn't be helped. Margrave Antrim army was only 400 people including Baldr.

And yet the dukedom army was overwhelmed by a force so small that looked like it could be blown away with a single breath.

Even amidst that wonder, the battle strength of the King's Gate was beyond any words. Gustiniani carved into his soul to never turn them into enemy no matter what.

Strong mature lady like Maggot met his sexual preference (he would definitely be killed if he said it though), but his instinct as a man, no, as a living creature was telling him that he absolutely must not lay his hand on Maggot.

「Heh, serves you right fuckers.」

Gustiniani recalled his resolve to face defeat before Baldr's arrival and laughed from his heart seeing this dramatic reversal.

In front of the dukedom army that brought a great number that was never seen before, the internal strife within the maritime guild worsened until it was just a step away from a breakdown.

If the commander of the defense troops of Mulberry wasn't Gustiniani, the mercenaries might have run away in earlier stage.

That was just how bad the war situation was. Even Gustiniani had resolved himself to die in this place.

That was why it could also be said as a natural reaction as human for him to immerse himself completely in the joy of victory.

.

「It's time to rack achievements! You bastards, follow after me!」

A mercenary who was quite famous in Trystovy, Donichio led his subordinates and rushed out of the gate at that timing.

He was someone under the command of Gustiniani, at the same time he was leading his own mercenary group that numbered several hundred people.

It was easy for the soldiers who had been exposed to the stress from protecting Mulberry for a long time to lose all restraint due to the victory.

Gustiniani was a capable commander, but it was also a fact that he let his guard down right now because he was convinced of the victory.

He was unable to anticipate Donichio's rashness was largely because of his fatigue as a commander who couldn't relax at all for consecutive days.

「Stupid idiot! Call him back even if you have to put a rope around his neck and drag him back!」

「But, Ducati and Folgore also went out because they got provoked seeing Donichio. Calling them back right now is really...」

「Enough just call them back! No, I'll go directly!」

「You must not! What are you going to do if something happen by some chance while you go out? I'll drag back those guys somehow by myself.」

Gustiniani grudgingly stood down after his vice commander grabbed his shoulder with a furious expression.

「I got it so hurry!」

Attacking a fleeing enemy was a military common sense.

Also any mercenary would surely be aware that the easiest and safest way to obtain achievements was in a situation where the enemies were showing their back.

More than half of the casualties in battle were produced when the enemies were fleeing.

Even so Gustiniani's sixth sense was telling him that they absolutely mustn't give chase.

He would understand the reason for that when he analyzed this situation later. However there was no time for leisurely analysis in the battlefield where a split-second decision would decide victory or defeat.

Deep knowledge and accumulated experience could allow someone to skip past analysis and obtain a flash of the conclusion. Gustiniani believed that was what instinct meant.

In fact, the movement of Baldr and others were clearly slow despite the dukedom army's retreat.

Gustiniani's instinct was completely correct.

The momentum of mercenaries was like surging waves, but they were starting to move around disorderly. Olten wasn't an incompetent general who would allow such mercenaries to do as they pleased.

「You assholes, you all aren't going to get away after coming this far!」

Donichio was hot on the dukedom army's heels to vent all his anger until now.

It wasn't that easy for an army to recover from the perception that they lost the battle. The dukedom army should need some more time until they recovered their function as an army once more.

No matter how large the army was, a fleeing army wasn't a threat──although that was only in the case of a genuine retreat.

「DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!」

Donichio didn't notice.

He caught up to the dukedom army that was fleeing with all their strength unnaturally fast.

Just when he was about to get his teeth at the back of the dukedom army, the dukedom army split to left and right in front of Donichio's eyes.

It was a smooth movement that was impossible unless the enemy had predicted this beforehand.

「W-what?」

It was too late when he noticed. Inside the open and empty space, a cavalry unit had been lying in wait to charge in arrowhead formation.

「──Trample them.」

The commander of the cavalry unit was Olten's former subordinate.

He received instruction from Olten about the dukedom army's retreat and counterattack last night, so he didn't feel any shock of defeat at all.

The charging mercenaries who were about to catch up with the dukedom army couldn't change direction at this point. They received the cavalry charge right from the front.

Infantry couldn't stop a cavalry charge as long as they weren't a spearman unit that had advanced organization.

Donichio was stabbed by a cavalry lance at the initial clash. A lot of the remaining mercenaries were also trampled by lances and horse hooves.

The mercenary casualties had surpassed 300 in less than a minute after the battle broke out.

「Dammit! That's why I told you so!」

Gustiniani grinded his teeth seeing his comrade-in-arms being slaughtered from the rampart.

His vice commander led 2000 men as reinforcement, but they would still need a bit more time until they arrived.

But, Gustiniani didn't know that even that reinforcement of 2000 troops was being targeted.

.

「Fumu, so you aren't moving. As I thought your battle instinct hasn't gone rusty Ramillies.」

Olten watched the battle situation from above his horse. He grinned boldly and turned his horse around.

If Ramillies also moved to save the mercenaries, Olten intended to attack the reinforcement of 2000 from the flank, but it seemed his plan had been seen through.

Olten was happy of that.

「But you don't understand. You who have been immersing yourself in a lukewarm place like Mauricia as a knight from your root won't understand...」

You can sing the victory song right now. But you don't know that this defeat will benefit the dukedom in the end.

Incompetent ally was a more formidable opponent than a capable enemy. And if that ally was a commander then it was simply a tragedy.

Now that the incompetent ally Cesare had been removed, Olten would be able to fight as much as he liked after he put the dukedom army under his control once more without any internal discord obstructing hm.

Of course this victory had a big meaning for both the maritime guild and Margrave Antrim.

The maritime guild that was nothing more than an independent force might become the ruler of the dukedom. The dukedom's nobles would surely feel that possibility.

Until now the maritime guild only defended their base Mulberry, they would never try to rule the whole dukedom. After all they were just merchants and not despot.

But from now on the maritime guild would assertively aim for the revival of Trystovy Kingdom with Margrave Antrim as their figurehead.

It was the natural trait of noble for them to easily change attitude for their self-preservation if danger approached them. The dukedom would be troubled with the headache of controlling the nobles from here on.

Even so──.

「Ramillies, the defeat today isn't my defeat...the one who win, is this me.」

Ramillies was still his lifelong best friend. But at the same time Olten had stopped trying to hide his jealousy and rivalry to his best friend who continued to maintain a pure soul as a knight even now.

.

Part 15「──Looks like we win.」

It felt like there was a misstep with the final phase due to some mercenary groups running wild, but Ramillies sensitively detected Olten's attempt to counterattack.

The force that was under Olten's control was unexpectedly small.

If Olten had 5000 more troops under his control, it would be difficult for them to obtain victory in a clear form like this. However unfortunately for the dukedom army the best they could do was to avoid a total defeat in their current position.

One day he wanted to try fighting Olten with all his strength when both of them were in perfect form.

Ramillies could think like that with his composure as the winner of this battle.

Even an old general like Ramillies was carried away like that.

Even Baldr who returned back together with Satsuki was generally satisfied with the battle result. Maggot too was satisfied after rampaging to her heart's content. Gina had her mind filled with the secret of the beast king's assassination.

And then, the citizens of Mulberry who had accumulated stress due to the long besiegement exploded in happiness.

Since the civil war broke out, the maritime guild had obtained victory many times on the sea, but today was the first time they obtained victory on land battle.

「Don't ever come here again!」

「Cursed dogs of dukedom! Return home with your tail between your legs!」

From above the rampart, from the plaza, from the windows of the trading companies, from everywhere the cheering of 'Banzai, banzai' kept bursting up repeatedly.

Even the elders who should be composed merchants were infected by the wild excitement of the unprecedented victory.

They clearly understood the meaning of the victory today as the central figures of the maritime guild.

In addition as a faction that became Baldr's vassal earlier than anyone, they would surely be able to occupy an important position in the new Trystovy Kingdom.

Although they were pressed by the necessity, they still wanted to praise their own foresight for choosing Baldr.

「Open the wine cellar! We'll welcome the heroes back!」

Piaggio called his own sales clerk and ordered the preparation for the celebration.

In the first place the merchants were sensitive in detecting opportunity.

They should celebrate this moment extravagantly for advertising the maritime guild's victory to both inside and outside too.

The short-tempered merchants had already opened their stall and lined up alcohol for sale.

If they just did nothing except watching even though today their sale would definitely break the record since the beginning of Mulberry, then they wouldn't be able to call themselves merchant anymore.

「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」

「Toast to his highness's victory!」

「Cheers!」

People were rushing to the castle gate in order to welcome Baldr's triumphal return. There were so many people it would make one wonder just from where this many people came from.

At the forefront were the figures of the Seven Elders including Piaggio.

When Baldr returned together with the 400 soldiers under Ramillies's command, the people's excitement reached the zenith.

Even the mercenary groups who acted rashly and embarrassed themselves were warmly welcomed for fighting for Mulberry's sake.

Gustiniani made a bitter expression when he saw their wounded state, but he was aware that he shouldn't pour cold water to the aftertaste of victory right now.

「──Your highness, allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude for your victory this time.」

Piaggio and other elders bowed their head deeply. Baldr magnanimously nodded back at them.

「This isn't my victory alone. Today's victory won't exist without the maritime guild and the people of Mulberry. Let us share and celebrate this victory together.」

When Baldr said that, loud cheers welled up from the citizens at both sides of the street.

「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」

「His highness Prince Baldr banzai!」

Baldr smiled and raised his right hand toward the excited people.

The hero who once more made the impossible possible after Antrim had obtained a great trust that was like a religious faith from Mulberry's people.

For the beginning of the kingdom's revival, it could be said that Baldr had obtained the greatest possible result that he could hope for.

Piaggio also showed a pleased expression and lavish treatment toward the mercenaries who walked in after Baldr and his troops.

「You all have fought well. We shall distribute consolation money for the wounded so there is no need to worry. Of course we shall also give extra pay for this victory!」

Piaggio's promise to give bonus made the mercenaries erupted in joy.

Everyone delighted in the victory and drunk from being able to obtain that result.

.

──It created a blank spot in the consciousness just for an instant where even Baldr and Maggot couldn't react.

A mercenary who was brought on stretcher looking like he was seriously injured to anyone who see him attacked Piaggio who was giving his words of appreciation.

The battle was just over. They were finally victorious against the dukedom army.

Even an experienced politician like Piaggio was nothing more than a good-natured old man when facing those two facts.

The mercenary tackled Piaggio's thin body and stabbed a short sword into his chest, and then he immediately swallowed the poison in his mouth.

The Seven Elders' chairman of maritime guild, Piaggio Delvecchio closed the curtain of his 74 years old life with his expression frozen in shock.

Ramillies bit his lip till it bleed before this tragedy that occurred when everything was over.

That was because he had obtained the answer why his best friend withdrew the army without trying anything.

「──This must be your doing, Olten! Did you...did you create this country just to do something like this!?」