Chapter 91: Sun between the clouds

Without waiting for any delay, Presha-san made a move first ―she dashed forward with her spear. With her in a position close to the ground, it’s as if she slithers towards him. The archers behind Alejandro and the spearmen couldn’t react at all, they couldn’t even aim at her.

“―Haaa!”

While jumping off the ground, Presha-san swings her long spear. Alejandro’s horse was so surprised that it doesn’t even give him time to react, at that very moment, the tip of Presha-san’s spear aims at Alejandro’s neck ―but,

Uh…!

Together with a dull metallic clank, Presha-san’s spear was deflected ―with it came a spray of blood from Alejandro’s arms and cheeks.

Presha-san’s spear should have certainly hit Alejandro. However, Alejandro did not fall, he even received Presha-san’s spear ―as he can’t make it in time if he parried it with his sword, he received it with his hand guard instead.

“Guu…!”

It’s not that he is unscathed, still, he survived Presha-san’s first strike. Then Alejandro hit Presha-san’s abdomen as she passes by midair.

“uu…uugh…!!”

Presha-san’s body slammed against the wet ground. Though she knows the risk if she can’t do it, Presha-san still jumped in and aimed for the enemy general’s neck.

If we defeat Alejandro here, our victory will become clear. We can’t let Alejandro escape among with the other enemy soldiers, ―but…

“Grass-nii, you must not… If you go out now, uh-, Grass-nii…!”

Presha-san rolled and avoided the spear of the soldier who was at the end of her fall, she brandished her spear and mowed it down.

“――Haaa!”

I can still fight ―as if to show me that, with only a single spear, Presha-san dealt with the spearmen who attacked her one after another and ultimately defeated them.

“Alejandro… that man, in here I…!”

Noin begins to cast magic ―the power of the water spirit which has been filling the area around us since the rain had just lifted, begins to gather at her fingertips. If we use magic now, they will know our location –but I can’t voice that out. Using his uninjured left hand, Alejandro is already aiming at Presha-san using a form of weapon I haven’t seen before.

Small bow… No, it doesn’t respond to the spirit of plants…!

“―Presha-san, move back…!”

“…!”

Noin summons the water spirit Apsaras and then she creates water bullets and shoots them in succession ―each shot is compressed, creating a shockwave that surges out as soon as it lands.

“Guaa…!”

“Uaa…!”

This is the power of a court magician ―but Alejandro did not hesitate to use his injured arm and shoots the approaching water bullets at high speed. With his white hair swaying in the mist of the water bullets, Alejandro had this beastly glint in his eye. For the first time, a clear killing intent dwells in Alejandro’s eyes, which had never revealed any emotion before.

“Uh… a… aa…”

“―Run, Noin!”

“… Air spirit Earia…, create an invisible wall to protect us…!”

She tried to protect Noin ―But Alejandro gives instructions to the archer behind him and he himself points his steel weapon at Noin without any hesitation. Alejandro’s weapon launched a steel arrow ―the wall of air deployed by Leslie reduces the power of that arrow but that did not completely stop it and it still pierced through.

“Kuu…!”

“―Grass-nii!”

An arrow grazed my arm when I protected Noin ―a searing pain runs through my arm, I immediately perceived that poison has begun to enter my body.

“Grass-sensei…!”             

“―I’m fine! Presha-san, please retreat! With your assistance, our chance will definitely come!”

“Uh…!!”

If the poison component was from organisms, it would have been difficult to deal with. Fortunately, it was a plant toxin extracted from aconite species.

“Leslie, please create an air ball!”

“Y-Yes… Earia, please…!”

I extracted the poison that inflicted me and enclosed it in the air ball that Leslie shot at me. Presha-san shakes off the enemies chasing her as she runs towards us and the moment she speeds up with her body close to the ground, the air ball runs past her and flies toward Alejandro.

“…!?”

Alejandro shakes off the air ball. Unaware that it would disperse the enclosed poison.

To look down on us… He was so convinced that he could win by outdoing Noin’s magic using Presha-san. That carelessness is fatal…!

Millenia-neesan once talked about how terrifying it was to not know what kind of magic the opponent would use. It is said that even a magician with a higher ability may lose to a lower magician due to their compatibility.

As long as you can exploit your opponent’s weakness, rudimentary magic will surely produce a deadly effect.

“Gaa… aah…!!”

“W-What… the Commander is… uh!”

Alejandro scratches his chest. I extracted the poison that entered my body and altered it for it to easily circulate around the enemy’s body –the poison paralyzes the muscles and make him breathe much faster than usual and then eventually, taking away his body’s freedom.

Depriving the enemy of freedom with poison is contrary to a doctor’s job. However, right now, no matter what kind of hand I have to use, everyone needs to survive.

“―Rezeneia’s dog! Don’t get in the waaaayyy!!!”

Alejandro bellowed ―in the next moment, a rush of gale runs from behind us. And before the arrow that Alejandro was about to shoot was shot, a sword flash ran like white light.

“Gaah… haa-…”

Following Astina-denka, Raquel-san charged forward –the spearmen were blown away and all the arrows shot by the archers were flicked and kicked off by the giant horses.

“A beast who throws the lives of his subordinates away has no right to call us dog.”

Her Highness’ sword sliced Alejandro’s armor –that’s possible because Her Highness is a shrine maiden who also has the power of a magic warrior.

“―Astina… you alone…!!”

Alejandro, who was deeply wounded, points his steel bow at Astina-denka. Her Highness Astina is now in close proximity with Alejandro. It meant that the shrine maiden, who could mediate the power of the sacred tree, was in the pocket of the enemy.

Oh mistilteinn that lives on the branches of a sacred tree. Dwell in the shrine maiden, become a shield to protect her…!

I remotely summoned Mistilteinn –the vines of the mistletoe that twine around her arm stretches and stops the arrow fired at Her Highness at an invisible speed.

This is the power of the shrine maiden of the sacred tree. I can bring out power that is incomparable to when I use magic alone.

Alejandro discarded his right arm holding the sword to stop Presha’s spear. Otherwise, he would have been able to match Her Highness –but that didn’t happen, he was about to meet his end with the poison of the arrow he released himself.

“―You monsteeeeeers!!”

Until the very end, Alejandro never returned from a beast to a human. He called his opponent, whom he could not understand, a monster, and raised his sword with an arm that should have already had no senses.

However, the sword was never swung down. Whether it was a stray arrow or someone aimed and fired at him ―Alejandro took the arrow that flew at him and falls off his horse in a crumpled heap.

“His Excellency… His Excellency Alejandro!!!”

“Your Excellency… G-General Alejandro lost…”

Alejandro’s men seemed to realize that resistance was now futile. The commander is defeated, they are now surrounded and there is no means to retreat.

With the enemy soldiers unable to move or surrender, a lone knight approached us. He dismounts from his horse and kneels before Her Highness, indicating that he is unarmed ―he is an older, middle aged man among the soldiers in the military camp.

“State your name and affiliation.”

“I am Richard Orlock… the one who was the deputy general of this fort.”

The zirconia soldiers said nothing, they just stared at Her Highness and Richard. They were so exhausted and they could to fall into dread in any moment –Her Highness’ pure qi attracts their eyes and calms them down.

Even enemy soldiers have a feeling of reverence toward her. The person I serve was the one who really had the dexterity to cause such scene to happen.

“I am Astina Rezeneia, the guardian of the Isle Rose Fortress across the canal. You are now a prisoner of war and this camp is now under our control.”

“Yes…”

Richard replies, but he did not lift his head until he was allowed. After seeing the deputy general’s action, the soldiers finally understood the situation.

The Knights of Isle Rose, with only 2,500 soldiers, defeated the fort which is believed to have a much larger number of troops. An important base of the zirconia empire was now taken away from them.

After the rain, the sun hidden in the thin clouds appears, illuminating the camp where rain dew remains. Noin didn’t move, she kept staring at Alejandro, but eventually, she looked up at the sky.

The knights surrounding the fort came inside and the enemy soldiers surrendered. With Her Highness’ permission, I approached Alejandro and noticed that the last arrow that pierced him was made of steel. The arrow used by our army has a wooden shaft with wind blades and metal arrowhead.

―The white crow was shot by an arrow fired by a Zirconian soldier himself.

Perhaps since she was now able to dock the warship, Dite-san came towards us on a horse. Raquel-san lends her shoulder to Presha-san who’s currently injured. Well, I am injured too, but I have to look at her first.

“Grass-sensei… I’m afraid I’ve shown you how uncool I am there.”

“No, that’s not the case. Presha-san was very heroic back then.”

“If you say it like that, this girl will charge by herself again… Even if it’s not a life-threatening fight, it will still be dangerous if you misjudge the enemy’s strength.”

“Yeah… I’m sorry, Raquel-ane. I need to be stronger…”

I will use this military camp’s medical station to treat Presha-san. Deputy General Richard was cooperating with us and the turmoil within the enemy forces had already subsided. Without any problems, their submission is now relayed to every soldier in the fort.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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