Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 151: Ardius Fortress Siege Battle – The Plan from now on

Following the signal launched into the sky, master and I began our retreat. Initially, I ran at a pace that matched master’s, who wasn’t as fast as I was due to his heavy armor. However, I increased my speed when master’s beloved horse came out of nowhere to join us. master’s horse was a fine and speedy stallion, befitting a hero of his race.

“It seems like the damage we inflicted isn’t as severe as one might have expected. You could say we’ve been fortunate…. but it does feel like a losing battle in some ways.”

“It’s not surprising. That enemy was exceptionally strong.”

As we continued fighting until the very end, we were the last to return to the main camp. Therefore, we had a clear view of the camp’s current condition. While master could sense the atmosphere to a certain extent, I had a more detailed understanding through my sight and hearing.

A group of four-legged self-propelled artilleries appeared right after the outer wall collapsed. The heavy infantry stationed at the front line skillfully dealt with them. Thanks to their valiant efforts, our midline remained intact, and the damage was minimized.

However, the attack from the golden-armored soldier, who had ambushed us from behind the self-propelled artillery, inflicted significant casualties. First of all, more than half of the elite soldiers of the Warchain Knights who went to intercept the attack were killed in action, and those who survived were mostly severely wounded.

It would likely be possible to complete their treatments and return to the front lines before the siege ended. However, it was best to consider the “Warchain Knights” as a unit that had perished. Losing one powerful mobile force on the central front was a painful blow to the army.

Another problem was that after the “Warchain Knights” had been scattered, the main infantry forces were also breached from the side. While the overall casualty count wasn’t excessively high, our enemy had demonstrated his overwhelming might vividly. This had a demoralizing effect.

Elite soldiers, on par with us, were being ruthlessly overrun by the golden-armored soldier without a means of resistance. Witnessing this spectacle left a lingering thought in the minds of the soldiers: “We might have to face that thing in the future.” It was only natural to be frightened.

However, the drop in morale was limited to a few individuals. This was because, to some extent, the three of us had managed to repel the enemy….or at least, it appeared that way.

In reality, the golden-armored soldier had simply retreated, but from a distance, it looked like he had tucked his tail behind his legs and fled. Whether it was a lie or a misunderstanding, if it led us closer to victory, it was best to let them believe it.

“Very well. I shall head there for the report! My disciple, it pains my heart, but you…”

“Of course, I’ll return to my guard duty.”

“My apologies.”

I bowed to master and then began to walk towards a spot outside the camp. It was the place I usually used for night watch, but right now, it would only appear as ordinary ground. In fact, it was indeed just that.

However, I decided to gradually modify this place. Even now, I could sense the presence of two golden-armored soldiers inside the nearby fortress, who were the descendants of gods. They must have been the ones I fought twice.

Despite the strong presence they currently emitted, I didn’t notice that one’s approach during the ambush. I could only attribute it to the Republic army being exceptionally skilled at concealing their presence. While it was possible that the descendant of the gods had used his own powers to hide himself… It was hard to believe that someone who could only rely on his own strength in battle would be able to imitate such deft skills, right?

“Except for a few exceptions like Asumi, they are rather weak when it comes to martial arts. However, their technology is nothing short of astonishing. It’s better to assume they can conceal their presence even better than Altissia’s strengthened concealment spiritual arts.”

From the moment I was born, I was made to fight creatures stronger than myself. I was well accustomed to devising strategies under the assumption that the enemy was stronger.

So, what could I do to prepare for this? I had been pondering this question throughout our journey back from the battlefield. And I came up with one method.

“Concentrate. But don’t overdo it… Hehe, this will be good training.”

I sat cross-legged on the ground and slowly released my spiritual power as if letting poison flow from the tip of my tail. I then stretched my spiritual power into thin, long threads.

Extending the threads of spiritual power, I encircled the camp, turning that area into sand. This way, the camp was surrounded by a ring made of sand.

“While I may not match Mika in sensing sound, I’m superior in feeling vibrations through the ground. Plus… I can sense things even more keenly through the sand.”

The vibrations caused by movements on the ground were transmitted to me through the sand. Even now, I could sense the swaying of the nearby weeds and the subtle movements of the grass just above the sand ring. Anyone who had ventured inside the ring without considering these vibrations would likely be completely detectable now.

However, if someone saw me using spiritual arts around the camp, it could be troublesome. With utmost caution to avoid detection, I created several sand circles underground, expanding my surveillance network. While I had never neglected the practice of manipulating spiritual power, this delicate task demanded an unprecedented level of concentration.

During this process, I didn’t forget to keep an eye on my surroundings with my compound eyes. I continued my work methodically, and by the time I completed five circles, the night had given way to dawn. I decided to call it a day at this point. Rising to my feet, I withdrew my tail from the ground, brushed off the dirt clinging to it, and made my way back to the main camp.

As for the state of the main camp, after one night had passed, the tense atmosphere seemed to have settled. The fear sown by the golden-armored soldier had been substantial, but the soldiers in here had a reason to never give up. They were well acquainted with the ruthless tactics of the Republic army, and they knew that showing any sign of weakness would not bode well for them.

If we were to flee, everyone behind us would be slaughtered. Just thinking about it could ignite courage within the soldiers. One could argue that this was the strength of the regular army.

“Hey, my disciple! Let’s go all out today!”

“…Could you not shout so loudly? Your voice has been echoing in my head since morning.”

While I was waiting at the place where the Dragon Roar Cannon was kept, I watched as master, who was mounted on his beloved horse, and Lady Altissia, who had an exasperated expression on her face, arrived. Their interaction was something I had grown accustomed to, and it was clear they weren’t dwelling on the battle from yesterday.

However, I was well aware that seasoned heroes like the two of them could switch gears easily. What I was more interested in was, of course, what we would do next.

“Master, regarding the siege, are we going to maintain the current situation?”

“Well, that’s…!?”

“I just told you that your voice is echoing in my head, didn’t I? I’ll explain it myself. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes.”

It seemed like master was about to speak in his usual manner, but his voice suddenly stopped even though his lips were moving. The reason became clear when I noticed how Lady Altissia, who was standing beside him, seemed to have used some kind of spiritual art. She had mentioned that she didn’t want to hear master’s loud voice anymore, but resorting to such a drastic measure… She had no mercy.

“As you probably know, we will continue the siege as it is. However, considering yesterday’s battle, we will hire reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements? But…”

“Yes, I understand what you want to say. On the Western Front, I’ve heard they are not only unable to afford reinforcements but are also conscripting rookies to form a meat shield. And from the Empire on the Eastern Front….your Special Operations unit has come to join us. We can’t call for reinforcements from either side.”

“So, where… no, you didn’t mention ‘requesting’ reinforcements, but ‘hiring’. Does that mean mercenaries?”

“That’s correct. It seems you’re not as ignorant as I thought.”

Saying that, Lady Altissia smiled smugly. No, I won’t be deceived by that smile. Is she subtly making fun of me? I kept a neutral expression and said, “I apologize for the misunderstanding,” while bowing my head.

But mercenaries, huh? Over the past few years, the number of mercenaries on the Enzo continent had significantly dwindled, and the reason was, of course, the war with the Republic army.

Mercenaries were a force that could be bought with gold. The quality of mercenaries varied greatly, ranging from legendary warriors capable of defeating the finest soldiers in the main army to mere peasants armed with weapons. Except for renowned mercenary groups, most of them resorted to bandit-like activities to earn their daily wages.

The stronger they were, the more gold it took to hire them, but during peacetime, there was no need to support them, and since they were not part of the main army, there was no regret in losing them. Nations had long found them invaluable whenever war broke out.

When the Republic army invaded, they were naturally hired. Nations were in need of military strength, and mercenaries had no qualms about killing invaders. Mercenaries rushed north without hesitation.

What awaited them was a barrage of bullets that rained down like a storm. Apart from those mercenaries considered seasoned experts and capable of withstanding the rain of bullets, the rest were quickly overwhelmed. As a result, those still active as mercenaries were either formidable individuals who could endure the hail of bullets or cowards who had fled the frontlines in fear for their lives.

If they were to be hired for a siege, it was crucial that the mercenaries were among the strongest, capable of contending even with the golden-armored soldier. I wonder if such individuals were already employed on some front….. are there any available ones?

“…Guh! Come on, you did something completely unbelievable!”

“Tsk, forcibly breaking the technique by releasing spiritual power… I should have employed a stronger spiritual art.”

While I was pondering, master nullified the spiritual arts around his mouth by releasing sheer spiritual power that the golden-armored soldier often used. While he didn’t possess the same level of output as the golden-armored soldier, his power appeared to be more than sufficient to break through weak spiritual arts. I decided that I would employ a similar tactic should I ever find myself under the influence of some form of spiritual art like that.

Perhaps because master had regained the ability to speak, Lady Altissia openly expressed her annoyance with a noticeable sigh. However, it seemed she had determined that it was impossible to discreetly cast another spiritual technique of the same type while finding an opportunity, so she applied a spiritual art near her own ears; it looked to be akin to wearing earplugs.

“It’s only natural for my disciple to ask this question! In this day and age, it’s hard to believe there are skilled mercenaries with free hands to spare, right? But there was one such mercenary group! And it belonged to someone you’ve seen, no less!”

“Me…? Oh, could it be?”

“Yes! On the day I first laid eyes on you, in that very place, there was a mercenary named Jude, known as the ‘Ice Spear’! He was part of a mercenary group called the ‘Fangs of Dawn’!”

As master spoke, he let out a hearty “Gahaha” laugh.

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Tn: Jude was a rude and strong mercenary that mc met while Orvo was alive and they were marching toward the eastern front from the central front. The first meeting was on chapter 46 and Jude’s name was mentioned at 47