SWNOVELXO Chapter 195
195. You Should Listen to People Properly, Isn’t It?
It had been three months since the horde of monsters swarmed Mizuho.
The city walls had already fallen, and the situation had shifted to defending the three castles surrounding the Divine Emperor’s palace.
However, this had been the plan from the beginning.
Not only did it narrow the defensive area, but the strengthened castle walls made the defense ironclad while the city walls held.
The monsters’ numbers were steadily worn down, and the end was finally in sight.
Today, Alphard, a military observer, was helping with meal distribution.
With the battlefront stabilized, he wanted to assist in ways that didn’t count as military intervention.
As he finished serving food to a group of archers on break, Alphard noticed a familiar face.
“Lucas?”
“Yo! Long time no see!”
The flashy man in ranger gear was Lucas Lindblum.
An adventurer from the Empire, Lucas had the misfortune of getting caught in the monster war and couldn’t escape abroad, leaving him stranded in Mizuho.
Alphard had heard that Lucas became acquainted with the group during Kyle’s diplomatic mission and that Craft often called him a womanizer.
Alphard himself had been introduced to Lucas during the pre-war interactions and had spoken with him occasionally even after the war began.
“When the hell will I finally get to return to the Empire?”
“Tough luck. But you’re earning as a temporary archer, right?”
“Only when I feel like it.”
“I’ve seen you in action sometimes—you’ve got solid skills. …Oh, here’s your meal.”
“Oh, thanks!”
Lucas took the tray and stepped aside, but for some reason, he silently stared down at the food.
Today’s meal was bread made from craft wheat, stewed beans, stir-fried meat and vegetables, and miso soup.
Wondering if Lucas was dissatisfied with the lack of rice, Alphard spoke up.
“What’s wrong? Something you don’t like? Or are you tired of all the bread?”
“Nah, I’m from the Empire. Bread’s my jam.”
“Then why do you look so deep in thought?”
“I was just wondering how you guys manage to keep serving feasts like this every day.”
Alphard tilted his head.
“That’s thanks to the massive food aid from the Mizuho.”
“…Huh?”
“You didn’t hear? They set up a large transfer gate between the two nations, providing full support with weapons and food. It’s been announced multiple times.”
“Ah, maybe I missed it while I was busy charming the ladies.”
Alphard held his head, overwhelmed by Lucas’s unapologetic womanizing.
“Aren’t you technically a temporary mercenary?”
“I only fight when I feel like it.”
“Unbelievable…”
This information was widely publicized to boost morale and reduce civilian complaints, but Alphard figured Lucas, as an imperial adventurer, hadn’t been paying attention.
“Are you joining the battle after eating?”
“Nah, victory’s a done deal, right? I’ll just hang with some flowers until the city’s liberated.”
“Hanging with flowers? The refugees are living in shelters, you know.”
“She’s a former castle maid with her own private room. Put in a word for me to get back to the Empire sooner, yeah?”
“Don’t overdo it.”
Lucas scarfed down his meal, waved his hand lazily, and disappeared into the shadows.
But Lucas’s wish would not come true.
◆
The next day, the Mizuho Divine Kingdom returned to its true battlefield form.
“We’re out of arrows! Bring more!”
“Throw anything—rocks, whatever you’ve got!”
“Damn it! Damn monsters!”
“Hey! Over here! The monsters are piling up and about to breach the wall!”
“On my way!”
“Damn it! What’s happening?!”
“Stop whining! You’re samurai, aren’t you?”
The previously monotonous defensive battles suddenly transformed into a chaotic battlefield filled with shouts and running soldiers.
Rushing to the castle keep, Alphard found Nobuna already glaring at the walls.
“What’s going on?!”
“The monsters suddenly started swarming like crazy.”
“It’s too abrupt!”
“Tell me about it.”
Alphard scanned the mass of monsters surrounding the castle.
“It’s like a stampede.”
“It’s been a stampede from the start.”
“True… but doesn’t something feel off?”
“Everything’s been off from the start. The way the monsters gradually attacked Mizuho always seemed strange to me.”
This had been a frequent debate between Alphard and Nobuna.
A typical stampede involved monsters losing their minds and rushing en masse toward the nearest humans.
However, the current horde had been laying siege to Mizuho, forcing a slow, grinding battle strategy reminiscent of castle warfare.
Day and night, a consistent number of monsters attacked, keeping the defenders on edge.
It was a war of attrition that drained Mizuho’s resources and morale.
Moreover, a typical stampede usually involved a single monster species, but this time, multiple species were mixed in.
Though they didn’t cooperate, their varied attack patterns made defense significantly harder.
“Why have they suddenly turned into a proper stampede?”
“Beats me.”
“Sorry, just thinking out loud.”
Though the enemy’s attacks were more intense, Alphard saw this as an opportunity.
“Their assaults are fiercer, but they’ve lost the coordination they had before. Mizuho’s samurai can handle disorganized monsters, right?”
“Of course! This is our chance. I’m heading out too!”
Nobuna, previously focused on aerial threats, led her troops toward the castle gate.
At the same time, Hanbei gathered his cavalry at the gate.
“Samurai of Mizuho! Now is the time to rout the enemy! Advance!”
Hanbei raised his katana high, rallying the troops with a roar that was met by thunderous cheers from the samurai.
“Nobuna!”
“Leave it to me! I call upon you, spirit from the underworld! Nue-Doji!”
Using Mizuho’s unique onmyo sorcery, Nobuna summoned a giant shikigami—an otherworldly beast with a monkey’s face, a tanuki’s body, and tiger limbs.
The creature leaped from the gate, crushing monsters beneath it, and began tearing them apart with razor-sharp claws.
More shikigami were summoned, slaughtering the monsters swarming the gate.
When a clear space formed in front of the gate, the drawbridge fell with a heavy thud, and the gate opened.
“Charge!”
With Hanbei leading the way, Mizuho’s samurai surged forward.
“We’ve won.”
Just as he predicted, most of the monsters were defeated within a few days.
Exhausted, Nobuna slumped down atop the castle gate.
“It’s finally over.”
“You must be tired.”
Alphard said, his voice laced with relief.
Just as the soldiers began to feel the weight of victory, a cry rang out.
“Th-The Empire’s forces are heading this way!”
The scout’s scream echoed across the battlefield.