Chapter 95: The Temple’s Intervention and the Royal Knights
“Honestly, I have no idea what happened.”
Rorondo began speaking in an even tone.
“When we heard Zahaba’s army might attack from the sea, I thought it would be an easy job.”
“Right. Elde has only a small coastline and a single port, doesn’t it?”
“Exactly. Compared with the war against Luresia several decades ago, I thought we’d manage somehow because we could concentrate our forces.”
But events had not unfolded that way.
Several whale-like monsters approached the port, carrying enormous numbers of other monsters on their backs. Those monsters then came ashore.
“They’re using monsters the way landing ships were used in war movies.”
“I don’t know what a ‘landing ship’ is, but it was strange. Monsters of the same species cooperating is one thing, but even monsters that are normally predator and prey attacked together.”
“…We should assume someone is controlling them.”
“I think so too. By the way, Saintess, what’s with that outfit…?”
Rorondo seemed unsure what to say as he studied Raphiel.
She had rolled up the sleeves of her T-shirt, wrapped a towel around her head, donned sunglasses, and placed a cocoa candy cigarette between her lips.
She looked like a truck driver.
“At present, I am not a Saintess. I am Raph the Transporter.”
“Raph the Transporter?”
“Sorry. Apparently a Saintess is forbidden from intervening in a war, so please consider it a form of make-believe.”
“…You have it rough, Boss.”
Raphiel removed her sunglasses.
“Jests aside, I have determined that my intervention should be permitted in this instance.”
“What?”
“It is an indisputable fact that Zahaba can control monsters. There is a strong possibility they are employing techniques the Temple has designated forbidden arts.”
“Oh! Does that mean the Temple may join the fighting this time!?”
“At present, it is merely a possibility. Until we obtain proof, the Temple cannot act.”
Rorondo’s expression immediately brightened at Raphiel’s words.
I asked him a question.
“Is the Temple joining really such good news?”
“Of course! The Temple is the strongest military organization on the continent. Whenever a war breaks out, it serves as the final mediator.”
“Ohhh.”
“Normally, we intervene only when a nation is about to commit what might be called an ‘excessive act,’ such as ethnic cleansing or erasing a culture. If they are using forbidden arts, however, the matter changes.”
Raphiel’s expression was grave.
“The Temple will mobilize its ten thousand Holy Air Dragon Knights, thirty thousand Holy Earth Dragon Knights, and one hundred thousand Holy Knights.”
“…That’s an enormous force, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Those are merely the troops available for immediate deployment. In an emergency, we can mobilize twice that number. If the cardinals issue a call, neighboring countries will also cooperate. Together with Elde, roughly ten times that force will move.”
I remembered Cardinal Larsa and Cardinal Uranos.
Those two truly were incredibly important people…
“All right! Then we have to hold the monsters back at the port until the reinforcements arrive!”
Rorondo had just voiced his enthusiasm when something happened.
The adventurers were making a commotion. When we went to investigate, we found the vanguard of the Royal Knights, bearing the Kingdom of Elde’s flag.
A man who appeared to be their commander was shouting at the adventurers.
“What is the meaning of this!?”
“Ugh.”
Rorondo made a bitter face.
He was looking at a middle-aged man in full plate armor mounted on an earth dragon.
“Tardolf?” I blurted out.
The man looked exactly like Tardolf, the head chef of the royal court.
There were minor differences, but the resemblance was extraordinary.
The instant the man heard Tardolf’s name, however, he roared at me.
“Who dared mistake me for my cowardly elder brother who fled the Knights!?”
“His brother?”
“Boss, this is Randolph, commander of the Kingdom of Elde’s Royal Knights.”
“They’re different people!? They look far too similar!”
“Tardolf, the royal court’s head chef, is his twin brother. Of course they look alike.”
Oh, he was right! Looking more closely, their tiny mustaches grew differently!
I was stunned to learn that Tardolf had a younger brother.
“Was it you who mistook me for my brother!?”
“Whoa, he’s coming this way!”
Randolph dismounted from his earth dragon and sprinted toward me, so I hid behind Rorondo.
Rorondo shrugged and stepped forward to shield me.
“Easy now, Commander Randolph. Calm down.”
“Hm. Rorondo, is it? You are as filthy as ever…”
“A clean adventurer doesn’t look the part, does he?”
“Hmph! Do not speak so impertinently, you day laborer!”
Randolph glared at Rorondo and the other adventurers.
The atmosphere was far from friendly.
“More importantly, why are you idling here!? Why are the adventurers who should be assembled in the port town wasting time in a place like this?”
“Well, it’s a long story.”
Rorondo explained the situation, and Randolph clicked his tongue.
“Utterly useless! This is precisely why a kingdom must not rely on adventurers of wildly varying ability for national defense!”
“…Calling them useless is going too far.”
I objected without thinking.
Randolph glared at me, but I was unwilling to back down on this point.
“The adventurers hurried to the port town ahead of everyone else and prepared to fight. The enemy merely outmaneuvered them with an unexpected method involving monsters. Calling them useless is too much.”
“Do not speak so arrogantly when you know nothing! The adventurers were ordered to protect the port until the Knights could move! Expected or unexpected, clever or otherwise, their duty was to defend the town to the death! They failed and are therefore useless!”
“Th-That’s…”
“Boss, we really did fail to fulfill our role, so you don’t need to defend us.”
“But still!”
Rorondo grinned.
“Besides, we were only pushed back a little, and the Knights arrived in time. They’ll handle everything from here. Isn’t that right, Commander Randolph?”
“Hmph! Very well. I shall demonstrate the power of the Royal Knights so clearly that even an amateur can understand!”
Randolph turned and issued an order.
“All units, prepare to charge!”
“Yes, sir!”
“What? P-Prepare to charge?”
The monsters had retreated to the port town out of fear of the machine guns, but a vast number remained.
A charge would be suicide—
“Charge!”
Every knight mounted on an earth dragon raced forward at once.
The unmounted knights ran with them.
Even Randolph, their commander, charged.
“Wait, they’re truly charging with their entire force! Will they be all right!?”
“Just watch, Boss.”
The monsters must have judged the roughly one thousand approaching knights to be prey.
They streamed out of the port town to meet the charge.
The monsters numbered well over a thousand. Even an amateur could see that the Knights were at a numerical disadvantage.
Ordinarily, the sight of a monster horde would make one’s legs freeze in fear.
The knights did not falter. They accelerated and unleashed strange war cries.
“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
Then they began splitting the monsters’ skulls open from the front.
…No way.
“Come to think of it, this is your first time seeing the Royal Knights fight, Eight.”
“Y-Yes.”
“Their method of shouting away their fear and bringing their swords down with all their might to split the enemy’s skull is famous even in neighboring countries. In your world’s terms—”
I had already guessed.
Long ago, the warriors of Satsuma favored a deadly sword style that devoted one’s entire body and soul to the first strike, ensuring the enemy’s death.
In other words…
“—Jigen-ryu.”
“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
The Kingdom of Elde’s Royal Knights were terrifying.