Kays Translations

Chapter 52 - Encounter

As Selfers and his group marched along the road, they heard the sound of galloping horses. They halted their march momentarily, and soon a scout on horseback returned to them.

The scout had been on a reconnaissance mission and approached at a rapid pace. He dismounted and kneeled as he approached, clearly having something important to report.

"Reporting from the reconnaissance unit!"

"Thank you! Please proceed with your report."

"Yes! We have spotted an enemy group on the move, approximately 4 miles to the west from here on the highway. They number around 120. It's likely they'll enter our territory soon. However, due to their large numbers, we have refrained from engaging them..."

The knight paused, looking somewhat frustrated as he spoke.

"Good. It would be futile to engage them with those numbers. Courage and recklessness are not the same. Be proud of your restraint!" 

Selfers commended the knight for his wise decision.

"Thank you very much! One of our members is closely monitoring their movements. Another member, however, is investigating further down the road, as we became concerned about the smaller number than in the previous report."

"Good decision. What can you tell us about the types of enemies you observed?"

"About 60% of them appear to be goblins, while the rest are mostly orcs. We've also confirmed the presence of at least two individuals that seem to be ogres."

"Ogres..."

"So, what the knight said was indeed true."

The mention of "ogres" made everyone tense and anxious. While goblins could be numerous and breed rapidly, well-trained knights and soldiers could generally handle them without much difficulty. Orcs are also stronger than humans, but knights can fight evenly 1:1, and in group battles, those with superior intelligence will have an additional advantage. Unless you are attacked by surprise, you have a good chance of winning if the numbers are tied.

However, when it came to ogres, the situation was entirely different. Ogres, towering over 3 meters in height with immense power and speed, were far beyond what regular soldiers or adventurers could handle. They could single-handedly overpower multiple opponents. While they lacked high intelligence, their combat instincts and skills were formidable. Ogres had incredibly tough muscles and skin, making them nearly impervious to attacks. Typically, it would take at least five knights to confront one ogre, making them formidable foes.

Ogres had claimed the lives of many mid-level adventurers. The presence of even a single ogre in a battle could drastically change the situation.

"Quiet down! Did you notice any other distinctive individuals among the enemy group?" 

Selfers asked.

"Among the goblins, we suspect that a fraction of them might be higher-ranking hobgoblins, but apart from that, we haven't identified any other noteworthy individuals."

"Understood! Thank you for your report. You've done well. You might not get much rest, but take a break in the supply wagons. Everyone, we will take a short break. Diluc, let's discuss the plan from here."

"Ha!"

With the approximate size and location of the enemy forces identified, Selfers and Diluc quickly went to finalize the battle plan.

"It seems the enemies are more spread out than we initially anticipated."

"That's correct. If only our main force is advancing on the highway, we can probably handle their numbers. But the separate units are a concern."

"I agree. However, if the soldiers were to be divided, even if they would not fall together, wouldn't the damage be quite large?”

“I agree..”

Whether it's by chance or by necessity, Selfers was angry that the number of enemy forces is so large that it makes him hesitate to divide his troops.

Selfers furrowed his eyebrows and closed his eyes for a while, but when he opened his eyes, the corner of his mouth turned up with a grin.

“Let's see the performance of the magic sword that Isamu-dono has been working on for so long. All of you attack the enemy's main force on the highway. We will quickly destroy it and then hit the squad!"

Selfers delivered this plan with confidence. Diluc responded with a grin.

"Understood! Don't worry; there's nothing to fear with this magic sword."

"Great. After checking our equipment and having a light meal, we'll accelerate our pace a bit!"

"Got it!"

With the plan decided, the group increased their marching speed as they headed west along the highway. 

After marching for about thirty minutes at a brisk pace, they reached a distance where they could finally see the group of monsters. Fortunately, it appeared that the enemy hadn't reached the villages and towns in their territory yet.

"There are quite a few of them... More than what we initially reported."

"Damn, it seems the ones we encountered along the way have joined forces."

The group of monsters that had initially numbered around 120 had now swelled to almost 200.

Ordinarily, monsters in a territory formed colonies with a hierarchical structure based on power relationships, and internal disputes were relatively rare. However, they were highly aggressive towards external creatures entering their territory. But once a group of monsters started acting together, the nearby monsters, organized in colonies, would often join them, causing the group to grow even larger. This was the tricky part of dealing with monsters that acted in groups.

"Well, we're here, and there's no turning back...Alright, let's stick to the plan. We'll start by using magic and archery to whittle them down. Remember, no reckless use of power. Let's stick to the strategy!"

Selfers gives orders in a low voice so the enemies don’t notice. The group then prepared to execute his plan, with about 15 magic users and 30 soldiers armed with bows moving to the front lines.

"From the very edge of the forest, take three shots with your bows, and then unleash your magic spells all at once. Afterward, the knights will split into two groups to launch a surprise attack from the flanks, while the spear unit equipped with Ferris-2 types will charge from the center. Try to weaken them as much as possible before dealing with the ogres. Don't push yourselves too hard."

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

The squad leaders responded with quiet voices to the continued instructions. They then went to relay the orders to their respective units.

The faint sound of bowstrings being drawn resonated in the darkness.

As they began to concentrate their magic, the light from their magic preparations was barely visible. The magic preparations started as soon as the first arrow was shot.

Diluc, signaling the start of the attack, kept his right hand raised while gauging the distance to the enemy.

Then, he sharply swung down his raised right hand.

With a slight swishing sound, the arrows rained down on the enemy's front row.

They didn't angle the arrows too high since they were just inside the forest and on the highway. Nevertheless, it was enough to cover the enemy's front line within effective range.

"Gyaaaaah!?"

"Bumooo! Bumooo!"

The goblins and orcs in the front row began to panic at the sudden attack.

Simultaneously, as the magic users began their magic manipulation, the monsters in the group seemed to realize their position. They started to shriek and point towards the direction of the attack.

That's when the second and third volleys of arrows descended.

After receiving successive salvos, about 20 monsters in the two rows from the front were unable to fight.

It's quite difficult to stop the enemy with just a bow, but if you hit a vital point like the head, you can kill it, and even if you don't, it's enough to reduce its ability to continue fighting.

As the monsters in the front row slowed down, the movement of the entire group also slowed down.

At that moment, the main actors in ranged attacks, the magic users, unleashed their spells.

Since they were near the forest and on the highway, fire magic was usually discouraged. But in this situation, they prioritized power over conventional safety. Selfers, along with three other knights, cast explosion-type spells.

"The flames of life's origin become a blazing inferno to defeat the enemy—Explosion spell: Fireblast!"

The moment the magic was cast, the landscape was illuminated as a series of explosions rocked the enemy's front lines.

The orange glowing light sphere, drawing a slight arc, flew through the air and landed in the middle of the enemy group, exploding. 

Among them, Selfers' magic, which he had been practicing with meaning after learning it from Isamu, possessed a power that could be considered close to ancient magic, scattering about ten enemies with its blast.

(This... is the first time I've fired with enough magic power, and it's unbelievably powerful.)

Even Selfers, the one who cast it, was surprised by its power.

The other two Fireblast spells also blew away several enemies each, successfully throwing the enemy group into chaos.

Then, the remaining knights who had been waiting released their next spells: wind and earth magic.

"Invisible myriad blades, become a storm and reap them. Storm Cutter!"

With a small tornado, countless invisible blades attacked.

Without any delay, earth magic was activated as well.

"Stones that pierce the holes, emerge from the void. Stone Hail!"

Stone pellets, about 10 centimeters in length, akin to arrowheads, bared their teeth alongside the storm created by Storm Cutter.

The combined effects of the magic, along with the previous explosion magic, took down over 30 creatures.

The fact that this was initiated in the middle of the enemy group further divided and escalated their confusion.

"All right, spear infantry, charge in! Cavalry, assault from the sides and rear!"

"Oooooh!"

In response to Selfers' orders, the soldiers, who no longer needed to stay quiet, raised their battle cries.

In the middle of the highway, a formation of 15 people wide and 4 rows deep was formed, and they charged towards the front of the enemy group. They also held small shields, so even though the formation was small in scale, it was like a phalanx tactic. The first 15 people and the flanks, along with half of the second row, were equipped with Ferris-2 models.

The enemy seemed to realize the approaching groups and raised their weapons and shields to attack. And then they clashed...

In the following moment, there was a dull sound of metal, wood, and flesh colliding, followed by the screams of agony.

The Ferris-2 models deployed in the front row of the formation were wreaking havoc.

Primarily composed of goblins and orcs that weren't originally wearing significant armor, the sharpened spearheads easily skewered them. In fact, the sharpness exceeded expectations, sometimes penetrating the enemies so deeply that they had trouble removing them.

With the support of the second row, the formation managed to push forward with a firm advantage.

"All right, we can push them back with these spears! If we manage to stop the enemy's advance, we'll switch to the double row formation! Pair up, Ferris-2 users with regular spears!"

"Ooooh!"

A shout from the spear infantry captain resounded.

Seemingly realizing that an indiscriminate charge wouldn't work, the enemy halted their advance and entered an abrupt standoff with the intruders.

The spear infantry reorganized their formation, spreading slightly to align their battle lines according to the plan. 

The battle against the horde of creatures that began with this chance encounter was now heading into the second round, with the Klaufeldt army taking the first round.

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